The road from the southeast corner of Lake Como from East Como Blvd down Victoria to Maryland Avenue all the way to Rice St where the “North End” label is at is what is in question.
What: Maryland Avenue Corridor Study Open House
When: Wednesday, August 5th, 4-6 pm
Where: North End Community Center, 145 Lawson Ave W (Rice), St Paul MN 55117Map
The City of St Paul is $26 million short of meeting it’s budget and something has to be cut or like normal property taxes will have to increase.
One of the projects that needs to be cut is this Maryland Avenue Corridor Plan by the St Paul Public Works. Upon taking the survey, what they don’t offer in the survey is the option not to change anything on West Maryland Avenue. They give 2 options and both are to rip up the street and one is to eliminate the ability to park your car in front of your house or the apartment building you live in. Another expands the opportunity to ride your bike in a lane designated for bikes and expanded walkways. There is one that shows bus stops for the H-Line Rapid Bus Line which won’t help out too many people in the area as it will stop every 4 City Blocks or every 1/4 mile (Dale St and Western and Rice). There’s thousands of people that live between those streets.
This stretch from Rice Street to East Como Blvd is mainly a residential neighborhood with working poor, middle class and a lot of apartment dwellers. The Open House is scheduled at a time when most of them will be at work or just leaving work. This is the usual schtick of the career politicians who run our “Most Livable City.”
This is our district. All politics are local and ignoring this local issue is not a good idea as it is set to disrupt the lives of those who live on the street or near it. It is important to these voters. Some people are 1 issue voters. This could be the 1 issue that ends the reign of the socialists of the Farmer & Labor Party, the socialist side of the DFL from the first day they merged in the mid 1940s.
Be there
Push Back
This post is an event post. It was not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee. — admin
Republican Booth is #144 Near Gate 2 on the Northeast corner of the area the Hmong International Freedom Festival (HIFF) J4 is at. See the Map below. Gate 2 is near the Eastbound 3A Bus Stop for the Como Park Aquatic Center. Just west of Como-Horton & Lexington Intersection.
We have a sign up to serve at the booth that was sent out to our delegates and CD4 GOP activists.
J4 as it is known to Hmong as a time to celebrate freedom with family, food, and sports.
It’s that time of year again, the first weekend prior to July 4th, when the Hmong people celebrate freedom at McMurray Fields of St Paul, MN (1151 Jessamine Ave W). Hmong International Freedom Festival J4 Street MapMake a note that there are 2 intersections of Como Avenue & Lexington Ave as seen in the Street Map link. The northern one has Como Avenue on the west side of the intersection and Horton Avenue on the east side. The southern intersection has Como Avenue on the east side of the intersection and Wynne Ave on the western side of the intersection with Lexington. So if you tell someone you’ll meet them at Como & Lexington, tell them which one.
The Republican Booth is in the Northeast part of this map (upper right, in the light green area) near the intersection of Como & Lexington Ave nearest to Gate 2, #144Circled in Red is Booth 144. On the Top of the page is West Como which across from Horton Ave. Gate 2 is near the Eastbound Aquatic Center Bus stop (3A Bus)McMurray Field looking North from Jessamine Ave W to Como Avenue at the top of the photo. Como Regional Park Pool just north of the Tournament Fields on Wynne Avenue. Lexington Avenue is to the East of the Fields. The Metro Transit 3A Bus travels along Como Avenue, and the 83 Bus travels north and south along Lexington Avenue.
The Hmong People who have settled here in the St Paul MN area really know what Freedom feels like. General Vang Pao brought the Hmong people here from the refugee camps in Southeast Asia after the end of the Vietnam War.
Hmong International Freedom Festival (J4)
will be open from 8 AM to 8 PM Both Days
There are many things to do, see, buy, and taste at the celebration.
COST: $10
Events start at 8 am on Saturday & 8 am on Sunday.
Park & Ride Shuttle from the MN State Fairgrounds
$20 per Vehicle (Cash Only)
Shuttle Buses from the Fairgrounds to the Festival from 6:30 am to 9:30 pm
It is with great anticipation that this year’s 44th Annual Hmong Freedom Celebration Sport Tournament will be hosted by The United Hmong Family on Saturday, June 27th and Sunday, June 28th, 2026 at the Como Park’s McMurray Field. The event will provide ample spaces for various vendors that are not just local community members, but from all over the world.
Booths will be set up for food, traditional and culture items, educational and informational and other general merchandise. Most of the festival goers are relatives and friends who travel a short distance of a couple of miles to across the ocean from former homeland in Asia. Others are spectators who come to cheer on one another as well as taking part in one of the competitive sporting venues in flag football (both men and women’s), Sepak Takraw (Kato), Soccer (men/women’s), tuj lub (top spinning), volleyball (men/women’s) and other fun and games for all ages, and physical ability. They have a lot to accomplish within the short amount of time.
Hmong Sports Tournament includes Flag Football, Soccer and Hmong specific sports.A Hmong player kicks the ball across the net during a game of Sepak Takraw (Kato), a volleyball-like sport without the use of hands. Traditional balls are made of wicker.
Also known as KATO
There is a pair of pitches for this sport at the Marydale Park. On any given weekend you can see people playing this sport with their friends. Marydale Park is in HD 66B where Maryland Avenue intersects with Dale Street. Conny’s Creamy Cone and a used car dealership are nearby it. Marydale Park hugs Lake Loeb mostly.
Volleyball of both Men & Women’s teams.
The above information was found at the theunitedhmongfamily.org website, and photos were found online. We found the parking information and the event fee, as well as the explanation of the rules of Kato on VistSaintPaul.com website. The posting is a courtesy to our Hmong friends & neighbors. We will post the winners from each sports category. — admin
If you watch the end of the Minnesota Legislative Session drama on public tv or some streaming website, you’ll see a lot of last minute debates, some last minute trickery, and a lot of “gotcha” politicking. No matter what party is in the majority there is sometimes a lot of unnecessary drama and demonstrating in the hallways of the State Capitol.
This can be very stressful on all parties involved in the end of session marathon. In passed years some groups have brought their party’s legislators treats and comfort food for the breaks they have in these marathon sessions. This is where the idea of a Cookie Drop started.
Our last chair, Tom Polachek (2017-23), commented to Rep Pam Altendorf a week prior to May 17th of the ability to make a bunch of cookies from the recipes on our website posted some years ago during the lockdown conventions of 2020. Since he and our current Chair, Donna Liew weren’t attending the State Convention occurring at the same time, they decided to bring a bunch of cookies to both the MN House Republicans and the MN Senate Republicans. That’s a total of 97 Legislators to bake cookies for.
Peanut Butter with Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips CookiesHealthified Chocolate Chip Cookies have less fat, and have whole wheat flour instead of regular white flour. Tastes like a Chips Ahoy cookieChewy Chocolate Chocolate Chip CookiesOatmeal Raisin with Molasses Cookies
Chair Donna Liew made some Gingerbread Cookies, and Blueberry Crumble Bars.
Chair Donna Liew made Gingerbread Cookies on the left and Blueberry Crumble Bars on the right of the tray
Distribution of the 6 kinds of Cookies to the MN House Republicans took place first with the help of Rep Pam Altendorf of Red Wing MN. She left the House Chambers and met Donna & Tom in the Capitol Rotunda and then escorted them to a room the MN House Republicans use for recesses, or breaks just off the floor of the House Chambers. Afterwards they went to the MN Senate Office Building just north of the State Capitol Building and met with a Legislative Assistant in the MN Senate Republicans Wing of the building.
Baking for just 33 Senators was a lot easier and the cookies were put into an old candy box in rows of 3 and an over flow of the Chewy Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookie into an old Folgers Jar.
An old Folgers Jar can contain quite a few dozen cookies.
Why did we do this?
There was a need and because we still live in a society that free will reigns. Americans can still rise to a challenge and say I CAN.
At the Cross Cultural Workshop, August 14, 2023, Waihon Liew mentioned some books to read about. An attendee named Jason said he is a mailman and there are some Kareni or Hmong on the block he delivers to. When he has to interact with them their kids run inside the house to hide and close the shades. Jason asked how he could let them know he is friendly and the mail carrier is not the police.
Waihon, the instructor, told some key ways to bridge the gap, as the Kareni were a persecuted people in Myanmar (formerly Burma). They learned to be leery of anyone in a uniform.
Waihon gave him a book called, “The Fred Factor,” by Mark Sanborn. The book was inspired by a mailman named Fred Shay.
Do You Know a “Fred” Who Needs to be Recognized?
While eating lunch at the Roseville MN Chick-fil-A, I spotted a “Fred,” named Conrad. He is a Senior Citizen Black Man who is a store Ambassador who makes sure people feel welcome and kids have fun especially when he MOOs out loud so everyone inside hears him. He also takes trays when customers are done and gives out mints and hand cleaning wipes. Conrad goes above and beyond the job to earn the title of a “Fred.”
If you would like to recognize a “Fred” you can let us know at our Twitter/X Account @HD66BGOP and use the hashtag#FredFactor, then explain why he or she is a“Fred.”
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