All posts by Publius Jr.

I’m a US Army Veteran, who used his GI Bill to earn a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering & Engineering Mechanics at the U of MN. I had transferred in from Iowa State University. I had a Secret Security Clearance for the job I did in the Army. I am a Packers Shareholder. I am a straight knitter. I put my intellectual ideas in a file I keep called Tom’s Bright Ideas. I’m a writer of sorts started from my letter writing I used to do in the Army at Ft Bliss Texas. I’m originally from Winona MN and I love maple frosted Long Johns from Bloedow’s Bakery.

Conny’s Creamy Cone Opens for the 2023 Season on March 11th

Conny’s Creamy Cone always has a line during the summer.

Every year the opening of Conny’s Creamy Cone is waited upon with baited breath. It is quite possible that the weather might be snowy, cold enough that your soft serve ice cream cone won’t melt in the sub freezing weather, but it’s the first promise of Spring in the North End Neighborhood of Saint Paul Minnesota.

At the Southwest Corner of the Dale St North and Maryland Ave West intersection, Conny’s Creamy Cone has been serving up soft serve in 32 flavors, and Flurries (like DQ Blizzards except there’s more stuff in them than DQ puts in Blizzards). They have almost everything DQ has except it is cheaper, and the line is longer in the Summertime than any of the nearby DQs.

Conny’s Menu

Conny’s Creamy Cone Full Menu link

Flurries: Banana Cream Pie, Banana Split, Brownie, Butterfinger, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough,  Chocolate Covered Cherry, French Silk Pie, Fudge Nut, German Chocolate, Green Mint, Heath, M&M, Mocha, Oreo, Pina Colada, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, Sea Salt Caramel, S’Mores, Snickers, Strawberry-Banana, Turtle

Small: $4.79, Medium: $5.59, Large: $6.39, Extras Add $0.99

Dip Cones:  Chocolate, Butterscotch, Cherry, Dip of the Week, Crunch (the Flavored Cones can’t be dipped as they are too soft) 

Cone Cost: Baby $2.89, Small $3.49, Medium $4.19, Large $4.59, Waffle Cone $4.89 (2023 Prices)

Cheese Curds: $4.45 (more than what you get at the State Fair)

32 Flavors of Soft Serve

Some people try to do the cycle of trying every flavor of Soft Serve Conny’s has during the summer. It’s hard to do when you’re on a diet. With limited parking around it you can park a block or two away and get some exercise to work off a dip cone, Flurry, or a flavored cone.

32 Flavors of Conny’s Soft Serve: Amaretto, Apricot, Banana, Blackberry, Black Cherry, Blueberry, Butter Pecan, Cake Batter, Caramel, Cheesecake, Coconut, Coffee, Cotton Candy, German Chocolate, Irish Cream, Key Lime, Lemon, Mango, Maplenut, Mint, Orange, Peach, Peanut Butter, Pina Colada, Pistachio, Pumpkin, Raspberry, Rum, S’Mores, Strawberry, Tutti Fruiti

Cone Cost: Baby $2.89, Small $3.49, Medium $4.19, Large $4.59, Waffle Cone $4.89


Conny’s Under New Management–Her Nephew

You may have wondered about the origins of Conny’s and have stumbled upon this letter to the editor from Conny’s nephew Thomas McCullough, from November 4, 2020, “An October like no other.” 

Thomas McCullough explains in his letter to the editor that his Aunt Conny McCullough, bought Creamy Cone 25 years prior to then (that would be 1995). He says she bought it not to become rich, or to open up franchises, but to own a place that would provide joy to the community from a friendly face at an affordable price.  Prior to purchasing the shop, Thomas worked for about 10 years there and it was a great place to work as Conny was someone who cared about her employees. She understood the flexible schedules of the employees and knew their birthdays to give them the day off without them asking her.

Conny closed the shop for her last October in 2020. Thomas’ first opening was in March 2021

Never Closed for Covid

During the time of Covid lockdowns, Conny’s Creamy Cone never closed down. Since they are strictly a take out eatery they were allowed to stay open. One can only imagine they were still providing joy to their customers as there wasn’t much joy for people to look to during those dark times.

We thank them for that.  We like to support the area businesses inside and on the edges of HD 66B, so we gather the menus of area restaurants and bring them to the Republican Caucuses in the Minnesota State House & Senate. It isn’t hard to get them to go to Conny’s, many of them already knew of its existence.

Conny McCollough’s dream of bringing joy to St Paul, and surrounding suburbs from a friendly face at an affordable price has been realized.

Thank you.


This post was not authorized by anyone, nor do we get any sort of compensation for posting it. ~~ admin

The New HD 66B Republican Leaders for 2023 to 2025


The New House District 66B Republican Officers start their 2 year term that starts now and runs from 2023 to 2025.

Chair: Donna Liew

Deputy Chair:  Jeff Carnes

Secretary: Janan Sharpe

Treasurer: Paul Vlahutin

VC of Campaign Coordination: Tawn Johnson

VC of Communication & Technology:  Tom Polachek

There are other Vice Chair positions open.

State Central Delegate and 3 Numbered Alternates were elected as well.

Guest Speakers

At the Convention Senate District 64 Candidate Bob Bushard, Senator Cal Bahr (SD 31), Janan Sharpe of the National Federation of Republican Women, Deputy Chair of the St Paul Republican City Committee Mikki Murray, and Rev Tim Christopher from Berean Missionary Baptist Church of North Minneapolis spoke at the convention.

The Constitution and Bylaws were amended as well.

Out and About With Jay & Mikki

Lit Drop in Ward 5 Precinct 3 ( Left to right: Mikki Murray and Jay Hill)

Doing a “Lit Drop” with Endorsed Republican Candidates Mikki Murray for Senate District 66, and Jay Hill for House District 66B on Saturday October 15th. Enjoying the Fall Colors, and getting exercise while doing “The Work.”

If you would like to help out our candidates with Lit Drops, Door knocking, or Phone-banking,  or you want to make a contribution to them feel free to contact them at the following emails (click their name for their website link):

Mikki Murray: MikkiMurrayforSenate@gmail.com

Jay Hill: hillforminnesota@gmail.com

What’s Next After Precinct Caucuses?

So you’ve been to the Precinct Caucuses, you’ve become a delegate or alternate, and possibly a Precinct Officer in your St Paul Precinct in the Legislative District of House District 66B.  Congratulations, you’ve taken the first step in being involved in the Neighborhood Party Unit aka BPOU.

What’s Next? When is Our BPOU Convention?

In a non-Redistricting year, or every even year there is the Precinct Caucus usually in February then a BPOU Convention the following month of March, a Congressional District Convention in April and the State Convention in May.  You would have known the place, date and time of the Convention at the Caucus.  This year is much different as it is a Redistricting Year.

A Redistricting Year is in the second year after the Nationwide Census. So previous years if you have lived here and have caucused and stayed active in the BPOU would have occurred in 2002, 2012, and this year 2022.

The Boundaries have changed over the years and sometimes the number or letter has changed as well. For instance in 2010 the main area of the current HD 66B was called HD 66A, and where part of the current HD 66A is was called HD 66B, the Roseville part was HD 54A.  Yeah it’s kind of confusing. So from here on out the pre-redistricting boundaries and organization will be called Old HD 66B, and the redistricted boundaries and organization will be called New HD 66B.

As a delegate or alternate and precinct officer you’ll be that until 2024 regardless of Old or New HD 66B, unless you decided not to, or move out of the precinct or out of HD 66B entirely. You have to live here to be part of the organization, unlike some years ago in SD 65 where the BPOU chair moved out of the area and those in the SD 65 BPOU kept him as their chair, which is a violation of their own Constitution as well as the CD4 & MNGOP ones as well.

Redistricting = Reorganization

The map boundaries have changed (See our Maps page for the Bright Red Map links for the new legislative and Congressional District boundaries), and so must the leadership change. Those BPOU Officers elected to the Old HD 66B Republican Executive Committee in 2021 only had one year to serve before redistricting.

In the odd years in the Neighborhood Party Unit (BPOU) Executive Committee Officers are elected to serve a 2 year term.  Because of Redistricting there were some precincts removed and some were added.  This is where the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution comes in where the consent of those governed is required in order for a government to be formed. So the Old HD 66B Republican leaders can not assume their 2 year term from 2021 because we’ve added and subtracted delegates, alternates and Precinct Officers this year starting February 15, 2022.

So the BPOU Convention of New HD 66B Republicans has to elect officers to a one year term ending next year in 2023 at the BPOU Convention. However this might not happen, as some people might want to organize as a Senate District 66 BPOU.  In another post we’ll describe what’s the differences between a House District and Senate District BPOU.

The next step in the Redistricting Process is covered in the Reapportionment Training Manual, you can download the handbook link (click here).  The MNGOP has both sides meet in a Senate District 66 Convention, this is NOT forcing us into a Senate District (SD) BPOU, it is just a convention with the A & B Sides coming together for some business.  After Convention Agenda and Rules are established a vote will take place on whether to remain as House Districts A & B sides, or organize as a Senate District BPOU.  After that depending on the vote results Constitutions, BPOU Officers, and CD4/State Delegates will be voted on.

This year at some point after this Convention we have to meet to endorse a Senate District 66 Candidate for the rare open seat in our area. Senator John Marty is still our senator until inauguration day next year. He is running in New Senate District 40 (Arden Hills, Northern Roseville, Shoreview, Mounds View) for re-election which will take him to his 40th year in the Legislature.  Endorsements of candidates for the legislature can take place at a BPOU Convention, but it is more important to decide on who are the leaders and what your constitution will be.

There will be Committees in which one can serve on for the convention. Here are some that usually are in a redistricting year: Constitution, Resolutions, Rules, Nominations, and Convention Arrangements.  Resolutions from those in Old HD 66B Ward 4 Precincts 12 & 13 will follow those delegates who proposed them into New HD 66A. As will Resolutions from the new precincts we acquired.

Statewide Candidates & Special Guests Speak

Conventions are a great place to network. The Online Conventions of 2020 were not as fun as people were not given the opportunity to mingle and discover interesting organizations that like to set up at conventions. Meeting new people in your neighborhood and across the new Legislative District is a plus.

Often times Statewide Candidates will try to attend your convention. Yet it is very tough on them to attend many of them as BPOUs tend to have them on Saturday mornings  or from noon on.  This is why we have posted the Caucus Letters of the Statewide Candidates, so you know what their core values are.  In that article each candidate’s website is linked to their name, so click on candidates names to go to their websites.

So even if you do not plan to run for a BPOU Officer role, please feel welcome to come out to the BPOU Convention in March.