August newsletter, 2020

*|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|*

A newsletter of the District 1 Community Council. Battle Creek | Conway  | Eastview | Highwood July has been busy, and here are a few highlights of what we're doing to serve our residents.  Assisted The Sanneh Foundation in a large food distribution event on June 29 at Highwood Harding High School for approximately 400 families. Continued with bi-weekly produce distribution for Afton View residents. Are collecting toiletry and healthcare items collections and distribution for the Highwood area event to be held in August. Collaborated with other St. Paul organizations to educate residents about the City of St. Paul renter ordinances and help get them passed by City Council. Toured Sun Ray Shopping Center with U.S. Senator Tina Smith, MN Senator Foung Hawj and a group of community members and businesses. Welcomed the St. Paul Ambassadors to our community to connect with youth. COVID-19 Safety As of July 25, 2020, per the Governor's Executive Order 20-81, people in Minnesota are required to wear a face covering in all indoor businesses and public indoor spaces, unless alone. Workers are required to wear a face covering when working outdoors in situations where social distancing cannot be maintained. Research has shown that use of face coverings can greatly reduce the risk of infection when combined with other prevention efforts such as social distancing and hand hygiene. In order to expand the state’s ability to mitigate this disease, additional testing sites and laboratory capacity are being created to meet growing demand. For the latest information on how to receive a COVID-19 test, visit mn.gov/covid19.   Updates on the Mayor's Community First Public Safety Supplemental Budget Join Mayor Melvin Carter, City Councilmember Mitra Jalali and community members on Monday, August 3rd at 3:00 PM for a digital roundtable focused on community first public safety initiatives in Saint Paul.   This discussion will be centered around the strategies currently being implemented that were part of last year’s Community First Public Safety Supplemental Budget. The Mayor’s Community First Public Safety Workgroup has been working collaboratively towards addressing violence in our communities and workgroup partners will have the opportunity to share specific project updates for their respective initiatives with community members participating in Monday’s roundtable discussion.   Please click here to register here to join the roundtable. You will receive an email with Microsoft Teams log-in instructions following completion of your registration. If you have any questions, please email  mariam.demello@ci.stpaul.mn.us Visit Our Local Parks - Win a new SECO T-Shirt! It's the time of year to enjoy the beautiful parks in our district and spend time outside. We created a checklist of all our local parks. Visit as many as you can through the month of August, and return it to us to be entered into a drawing to receive the Southeast Community Organization t-shirt of your choice! Complete the worksheet with as many parks as you can and return it to us and qualify to win one of three new Southeast Community Organization t-shirts in your size. You can return your worksheet many ways, scan and email it to us, mail it to us, take a picture of the pages and email those to us or drop them at our office (by appointment).   The deadline to submit your worksheet is Friday, August 31! Want to buy a t-shirt or other Southeast gear? Find the link on our website. In Other News . . . Drop Off Days Cancelled The City has cancelled all drop-off events for Fall 2020. There is too much uncertainty about the safety of holding the events, with dozens of volunteers, and with community engagement. More information will be shared in the coming months on disposal/recycling/reuse opportunities. Review and take advantage of options for bulky item pick-up on the City's website. Eyewitness: Shifting the Narrative Workshops and Book Club Climate Generation is hosting an Eyewitness workshop series, and two sessions are coming up in August. The first is Thursday, August 6; "The Critical Intersection of Racial Injustice and Climate Change," and on August 18; "Dismantling the Old: Shifting the Narrative." Workshops are noon-1 p.m and are free, but you must register in advance. Saint Paul Restaurant Resiliency Project The City of Saint Paul and local technology firm NCXT have partnered to help local restaurants thrive. The project provides free consulting, design, and technology services. To take advantage of this opportunity, your first step is to take this short 5-minute survey. Up to 36 Saint Paul restaurants will receive customized support from NCXT at no cost. For more information go to NCXT Restaurant Resiliency. Metro Transit Beginning Saturday, Aug. 1, Metro Transit will return to front-door boarding. Onboard fare payment is required (pay before boarding on METRO lines). All buses now have plexiglass shields that help protect drivers and customers. View details at https://www.metrotransit.org/front-door Summer Space Outdoor Youth Program Summer Space is a free outdoor program for Saint Paul youth entering grades 1-6 that adheres to MN Department of Health guidance on COVID-19. The program takes place at parks and recreation centers across Saint Paul and offers a variety of structured activities that allow for participants to connect with their peers while keeping their 'space' to allow for physical distancing. Activities include arts & crafts, nature exploration, games, fitness, and more. Registration is required and space is limited.    Fall Youth Sports Registration Saint Paul Parks and Recreation has partnered with the NFL Flag Football League to offer FREE flag football for youth ages 7-12 in the fall! Registration is going on now for flag football as well as our fall youth soccer, lacrosse and football teams.  Census   The 2020 Census Response Rate Map reflects the percentage of households that have self-responded to the 2020 Census online, by phone or by mail. The Census Bureau updates the map daily at 3pm. You can also see how our self-response rates compare to the rest of the country by viewing the 2020 rankings.   As of July 16, the self-response rates are: St. Paul – 70.5% Ramsey County – 75.1% Minnesota – 71.6% National – 62.% Met Council 2040 Transportation Plan The 2040 Transportation Policy Plan 2020 Update (TPP) presents the Metropolitan Council’s policies and plans to guide development of the region’s transportation system. The Met Council is receiving public comment to the 2040 Transportation Policy Plan until 5 p.m. on Monday, August 10. To comment:   Fill out this online form Email public.info@metc.state.mn.us Record a comment on the Public Comment Line at 651.602.1500 (TTY 651.291.0904) Write to Met Council, Public Information at 390 Robert St. N., St. Paul, 55101. Check Facebook and Twitter for questions about the transportation system’s future. Upcoming Zoom Meetings We invite community members may attend or join our committees to have a voice in the things happening in our community. Contact us for information. Land Use Committee: August 3, 6:00-7:30 pm  (1st Mondays) ⚽️ The Sanneh Foundation will be joining us to provide updates on their construction project. Contact us for the Zoom link. Communications Committee: August 10, 6:00-7:30 pm  (2nd Mondays) This committee will be brainstorming on how to redesign the committee to better serve our residents. Contact us to participate. Board Meeting: No meeting in August Contact us if you would like to attend and we will send you the link. Submit information and events to betsy@southeastside.org. Copyright © *|CURRENT_YEAR|* *Southeast Community Organization*, All rights reserved. *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* *|LIST:DESCRIPTION|* Our mailing address is: Southeast Community Organization 2105 1/2 Old Hudson Road St. Paul, MN  55119 Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. *|IF:REWARDS|* *|HTML:REWARDS|* *|END:IF|*