Southwest Connector

Installing a small elevator and widening doorways made this lower level more accessible. (Photo by Andrea Rugg Photography)

At age 69, I was a “silver sneaker” poster child – fit and healthy, living on my own, fiercely independent and proud of it. Ironically, my main fitness exercise, avid fast walking … more

By SUSAN SCHAEFER | 4/28/22

How to create a food forest

Food forests represent an abundant past and a hopeful future. A diverse planting of native trees, shrubs, and perennials that bear edible flowers, fruit, nuts, and seeds; food forests grow all the … more

by Russ Henry | 3/23/22

Volunteer Gail Frethem plays with Tupelo at the shelter. (Photo by Penny Fuller)

FELINES FIND 'FUREVER' HOMES

Longtime Feline Rescue volunteer Nancy Miller writes monthly newsletters and works as a shift lead. “I love this work because I see first-hand the difference that volunteering makes in the … more

By Penny Fuller | 2/23/22

Both retail stores carry three main brands of computers: Dell, Hewlett-Packard, and Lenovo. Large quantities of computers are sold to schools and non-profits, but community members are welcome to shop, too. Wil James is the store manager of the St. Paul store. (Photo by Margie O’Loughlin)

Tech Dump recycles almost anything with a cord or battery

The non-profit electronics recycler Tech Dump just celebrated its 10th anniversary. With retail outlets now in St. Paul and Golden Valley, they provide an affordable, reliable source of refurbished … more

By Margie O’Loughlin | 1/25/22

Kevin Smoky Day, Ojibwe language instructor at Takoda Prep High School, led the evening prayer. He said, “When students ask me how to say a prayer in Ojibwe, I tell them it’s simple. You only need these words, ‘Thank you, Creator.’”

Urban Indigenous Legacy Initiative unveiled

Many buildings that serve Native Americans across the Twin Cities are outdated and dilapidated, making it even tougher to help those in need, according to Dr. Joe Hobot, president and CEO of the … more

By MARGIE O’LOUGHLIN | 1/8/22

RETHINK owner Kristen McCoy in an upcycled denim blazer. She explained, “To upcycle is to add value to something in the processing. We’re able to take a worn garment and turn it into something new. We take jeans that are no longer wearable and cut them into denim squares. The result is a reversible blazer that still has a lot of wear. It’s on sale at the shop, and is size fluid (small to large).” (Photos by Margie O’Loughlin)

RETHINK upcycles old clothes with style

Artist and business founder Kristen McCoy has been rethinking the future of fashion for years. Along with her staff at RETHINK Tailoring & Sewing Lounge (3449 Bloomington Ave. S.), she offers an … more

By Margie O’Loughlin | 11/30/21

Jennie Leenay, GFS community member and caretaker of The People’s Closet, with their pup Joyoncé. It's important to Leenay that fashion reaches everyday people, and that people feel connected to themselves and their community. (Photo by Jill Boogren)

The People's Closet makes fashion, political statement

Sometimes a revolutionary act is quiet, unseen. Sometimes it’s loud and worn on a shirtsleeve. At The People’s Closet at George Floyd Square, it’s a little bit of both.Born out of … more

By JILL BOOGREN | 11/30/21

The HiBAR team at their workplace in the St. Paul Midway neighborhood. HiBAR launched in late 2018, and is already on the shelves in more than 10,000 stores across the country. Founder Nora Scharper said, “The world needs one or two brands that can popularize the idea and practice of being plastic-free, and we intend to be one of them.”

HiBAR co-founders drawn together by sense of purpose

By now, everyone has seen images of plastic-strewn beaches around the world. Half a billion shampoo and conditioner bottles get tossed out every year in this country alone. Nora Schaper and her three … more

By Margie O’Loughlin | 10/28/21

City recognizes problems with expansion at Roof Depot site

Supporters of the indoor urban farm at the Roof Depot site unearthed a city report from June that shows city construction would be "problematic" given the lead and arsenic contaimination in the area, … more

by Tesha M. Christensen | 10/1/21

Ward 9 council member Alondro Cono speaks to the crowd of her own neighborhoods and constituents.

Community rallies in support of indoor urban farm at former Roof Depot site

Supporters of the East Phillips Indoor Urban Farm rallied on Thursday night, Sept. 23 in between two votes that will determine the future of the project. On Wednesday, Sept. 22, the city council … more

10/1/21

Segundo Velasquez, co-founder of Mano a Mano. (Photo by Margie O'Loughlin)

Non-profit sends medical supplies to Bolivia – and shares surplus at home

Joan and Segundo Velasquez founded Mano a Mano in 1994 with the goal of saving surplus medical supplies from the landfill in Minnesota and shipping them to Bolivia, where those supplies were … more

By MARGIE O’LOUGHLIN | 10/1/21

Purchase smarter

During the pandemic, we all became well-acquainted with our stuff. Perhaps you purged a lot of things to make more room for … well, living. Or maybe you acquired more things to make staying … more

By JESSIE ROELOFS | 10/1/21

Lessons from the drought

We may be getting some rain, and the temperature is turning cooler, but make no mistake we’re still in a drought. Our Environmental Services division monitors the impact of the drought on … more

by Charlie Zelle, Met Council Chair | 10/1/21

Trash in Lake Hiawatha includes various types of plastic and styrofoam. (Photo submitted by Friends of Lake Hiawatha)

What happens now to trash in Lake Hiawatha?

It’s been seven years since the conversation about the future of the Lake Hiawatha Golf Course started. And neighborhood residents are still waiting for something to be done about the trash.It … more

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN | 9/3/21

Linda Kjerland was a Garden for Wildlife mentee in her first year of developing a backyard habitat for wildlife. (Photo by Margie O’Loughlin)

Longfellow Garden for Wildlife Yard Tour 2021

Linda Kjerland moved to her Longfellow home 10 months ago, from a condo in St. Paul. Over the course of the winter, she started thinking about how to expand her garden and turn her lawn into … more

By Margie O’Loughlin | 9/3/21

Longfellow River Gorge Festival Sept. 11

Come share the river gorge – a community celebration with free ice cream, canoe rides, rowing, walking tours of the oak savanna restoration along the river and more. This event will be held at … more

9/3/21

Treaties not Tar Sands

On Aug. 25, several hundred protestors gathered at the MLK Recreation Center in St. Paul. Since Aug. 7, a group of water protectors have been traveling on foot 256 miles from Line 3's upstream … more

by Margie O'Loughlin | 9/2/21

Can I recycle this?

It's the age-old question that never seems to have an easy answer. Fortunately, understanding how things are recycled can help point you in the right direction.The purpose of a recycling facility is … more

By JESSIE ROELOFS | 9/2/21

Mac Pegovac (foreground) is the project manager for Ryan Companies Parks and Public Spaces. Bob Fossum of CRWD is pictured behind her. (Photo by Margie O’Loughlin)

Reviving upper Hidden Falls Creek

This summer, workers are building a channel and bridge that will connect a recreated upper Hidden Falls Creek with the lower falls at East River Parkway and Magoffin Avenue.It’s part of the … more

By MARGIE O’LOUGHLIN | 7/28/21

Get a free rain barrel

Friends of Mississippi River (FMR) is giving away free rain barrels and conversion kits this summer in partnership with the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization (MWMO). The barrels hold 55 … more

7/28/21