The City of Saint Paul Parks and Recreation Department and Saint Paul Public Library have partnered with Saint Paul Public Schools to provide free meals to Saint Paul youth this summer. With a large number of kids and youth using recreation and library services during summer months, children can continue to receive nutritious meals during school vacations. The summer meals are available to all Saint Paul youth 18 years old and younger. Persons older than 18 with a mental or physical disability who participate in a public or non-profit private school program may also receive meals. The meals will be served at various times and locations (see local list below).

See a complete map of all locations in St. Paul by visiting http://summerlunchmap.2harvest.org.

Monitor area sites include (PLEASE note the dates and times vary greatly at every location!):

Site: Network for the Development of Children of African Descent
Address: 655 Fairview Ave N, St. Paul, MN 55104
Dates: now until 8/14/2013
Breakfast: 8:15am – 8:50am

Lunch: 12:15pm – 12:45pm

Site: Hancock Elementary
Address: 1599 Englewood Ave, St. Paul, MN 55104
Dates: one week only, 8/12/2013 to 8/16/2013
Breakfast: 10am – 11am
Lunch: 11:30am – 12:30pm

Site: Hancock Recreation Center
Address: 1610 Hubbard Ave, St. Paul, MN 55104
Dates: now until 8/22/2013
Breakfast: 12:30pm – 1pm
Supper: 4pm – 4:30pm

Site: Gordon Parks
Address: 1212 University Ave, St. Paul, MN 55104
Dates: month of July, 7/1/2013 to 7/30/2013
Breakfast: 7:30am – 9am
Lunch: 11:30am – 1:30pm

Site: Skyline Tower
Address: 1247 St Anthony Ave, St Paul, MN 55104
Dates: now until 8/16/2013
Breakfast: 2pm – 3pm

Site: Northwest Como Rec Ctr
Address: 1550 N Hamline Ave, St. Paul, MN 55117

Dates: now through 8/22/2013

Breakfast: 4:15pm – 4:45pm

Site: North Dale Recreation Center
Address: 1414 N St Albans St, St. Paul, MN 55117
Dates: now through 8/22/2013

Breakfast: 9am – 11am
Lunch: 11am – 12pm

Site: Washington Techno
Address: 1495 Rice St, St. Paul, MN 55117

Dates: now though 7/30/2013
Breakfast: 10am – 11am
Lunch: 12pm – 12:30pm

Site: Como Park Senior
Address: 740 W Rose Ave, St. Paul, MN 55117
Dates: the month of July, 7/1/2013 through 7/30/2013
Breakfast: 8:15am – 9:15am

Lunch: 11am – 1pm

Site: West Minnehaha Rec Ctr
Address: 685 W Minnehaha Ave, St Paul, MN 55104
Dates: now through 8/16/2013
Breakfast: 12:30pm – 1:30pm
Supper: 4pm – 5pm

Site: Rondo – Freedom School
Address: 560 Concordia Ave, St. Paul, MN 55103
Dates: 7/15/2013 through 8/23/2013
Breakfast: 8am – 8:30am
Lunch: 11:30am – 1pm

Site: Faith Lutheran Church

Address: 499 Charles Ave, St Paul, MN 55102
Dates: now through 9/30/2013
Supper: 5:30pm – 6:30pm

Site: Rondo Community Outreach Library
Address: 461 Dale St N, St Paul, MN 55103
Dates: now through 8/22/2013
Lunch: 11:30am – 12:30pm
Snack: 3pm – 3:30pm

Site: Jackson Street Village
Address: 1497 Jackson St, St Paul, MN 55117
Dates: now through 8/14/2013
Lunch: 11:30am – 1pm

Site: McDonough Rec Center
Address: 1544 Timberlake Rd, St. Paul, MN 55117
Dates: now through 8/22/2013
Breakfast: 12pm – 1pm
Supper: 4pm – 5pm

Site: Scheffer Recreation Center
Address: 237 Thomas Ave, St Paul, MN 55103
Start Date: now through 8/22/2013
Breakfast: 12:30pm – 2pm
Supper: 4pm – 5:45pm

Site: St. Paul City School
Address: 260 Edmund Ave, St. Paul, MN 55103
Dates: 7/8/2013 through 8/2/2013
Breakfast: 9am – 9:30am
Lunch: 12pm – 12:30pm

Site: Maxfield
Address: 380 N Victoria St, St. Paul, MN 55104
Dates: now through 8/23/2013
Breakfast: 7am – 8am
Lunch: 11am – 1pm

Site: Rice Street Library
Address: 1011 Rice Street, St. Paul, MN 55117
Dates: now through 7/12/2013
PM Snack: 3pm – 3:30pm

Site: Rice Teen Zone
Address: 1022 Marion, St. Paul, MN 55106
Dates: now through 8/22/2013
Breakfast: 2pm – 3pm
Supper: 6pm – 7pm

Site: Rice Recreation Center
Address: 1021 Marion St, St Paul, MN 55117
Dates: now through 8/22/2013
Breakfast: 12pm – 1pm
Lunch: 4pm – 5pm

UMN Professor Emeritus Chet Mirocha will lead a walking tour highlighting some of Como Park’s tree species at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 22nd. This free event, open to all ages, will begin in front of the Como Carousel and end at the Como Lakeside Pavilion. Come learn about some of Como’s special trees! For more information, call District 10 at (651) 644-3889 or visit www.district10comopark.org.

On Saturday, June 22, CityLife Church is hosting a Hamline Midway Community Rummage Sale from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at The Central Mission located at 1632 Charles Avenue in St. Paul. Free electronics and scrap metal recycling will be on site as well, provided by Roque of RW Electronic Recycling. For more information about opportunities to reserve table space for selling your used items, please contact CityLife by email at citylifechurch.info @gmail.com.

Come to shop! Come to sell! Join in the fun!

Save the Dates – Hamline Midway Elders is planning two events where the entire community is invited to attend. The annual Ice Cream Social will be held Wednesday evening, July 17 and the Friends, Feast & Fine Art (lasagna dinner) will be held on Friday evening, September 20. Details coming soon! For more information, please contact Tom Fitzpatrick at (651) 209-6542 or tom@hmelders.org.

The Como Park Neighborhood Garden Tour, part of Como Fest, is scheduled for Saturday, July 20th from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. This annual event will feature 15 gardens located throughout the Como Park neighborhood, one of St Paul’s most charming residential areas. The tour is free and open to the public.

Garden tour maps will be available on the day of the garden tour at the Como Fest Saturday Art Fair, located at the Church of the Holy Childhood, 1435 Midway Parkway in St Paul (Midway Parkway just east of Snelling Avenue) or online at the District 10 Como Community Council’s website, www.district10comopark.org.

Now in its fourth year, Como Fest is the Como Park Neighborhood’s annual summer get together and “staycation.” Highlights of this year’s Como Fest include a music and dance festival, family fun activities, an outdoor movie complete with bonfire and camp out, an art fair, and garden tour.

2013 events will take place on Thursday, July 18th from 2 – 8 p.m. at the Lyngblomsten campus (1415 Almond Avenue), on Friday, July 19th from 6 – 10:30 p.m. at the Northwest Como Recreation Center (1550 Hamline Avenue North), and on Saturday, July 20th from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Church of the Holy Childhood (1435 Midway Parkway).

Learn more at www.district10comopark.org/comofest.

Como Park Zoo and Conservatory announces June 6, 2013 as the official opening for Gorilla Forest. This $11 million exhibit redesign and overhaul will feature seven gorillas, six of whom are new to Como Zoo, and the largest all-mesh gorilla enclosure in North America.

The Gorilla Forest construction includes the addition of a major outdoor exhibit and significant improvements and expansions to the existing indoor facilities. All changes to the exhibit exceed the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) requirements for holding, exhibiting and managing great apes. The 13,000 square foot outdoor space, almost three times larger than the previous space, was designed to give the gorillas ample room to play, climb, forage and display their extraordinary family and social dynamics to the public while minimizing stress on the gorillas and creating up close and personal views of the gorillas for visitors.

The improvements to the indoor facilities, including the behind-the-scenes areas, were enlarged and could make mating these endangered species a possibility for Como. The new gorilla holding building provides plenty of natural light and two stories for the animals with view windows and perches so the gorillas can see out. Improvements to existing rockwork and trees will provide more horizontal space for gorillas and planned family groups. Better ventilation, lighting, drainage and a new rainforest mural on the dayroom wall will create an improved environment for the animals and viewing experience for the public.

While designing Gorilla Forest, Como emphasized the necessity of creating an enriching experience for guests as well as improving conditions for the animals. A recent study from the Institute for Learning Innovation found that children and adults who visit Como Zoo and similar facilities accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums “leave the zoo thinking differently about their role in environmental problems.” Researchers noted that a zoo visit makes visitors feel they can make difference in solving environmental challenges, with significant increases in visitors who agree with the statements “There is a lot I can to do conserve” and “I am a part of the solution to nature’s problems.” Armed with this knowledge, Como designed this exhibit with the goal of informing and empowering the public, while maintaining a pleasing aesthetic experience.

" src="http://www.monitorsaintpaul.com/MonitorNewSite/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/HockeyMCM04_13.jpg" width="560" height="387" /> Members of the Johnson Como Hockey Association 12UB Girls State Champion Hockey Team. First row left to right: Anna Weyandt, Anna Klein, Riley Tuft, Kaelie Smith, Marissa Hawkins, Maria Meggitt, Brianna Willier and Gianna Gabrielli. Second row: Melissa Teal, Madalyn Thill, Katie Garhofer, Samantha Carlson, Madison Sagdalen, Caitlyn Behr and Olivia Schultz. Third Row: Coach Bob Smith, Coach Tom Tuft and Coach Paul Klein

The Johnson Como Devils Girls 12UB Hockey Team defeated Hermantown-Proctor 3-1 to win the State Championship in Roseau, MN on Sunday, March 17, 2013. This is the first time a hockey team from Como has ever won a state title and the first time a Johnson team has won a state title at any level since an early 90’s boys bantam team.

Hamline Midway Coalition is proud to announce the date of the fourth annual Hamline Midway Heartwood Festival: Saturday, June 1, 2013!

The Hamline Midway Heartwood Festival is a celebration of community, sustainability, and art at Newell Park, 900 N. Fairview Ave. The festival kicks off with the participatory Bike Walk Parade from Hancock Rec Center to Newell Park, where guests will enjoy live entertainment, food, resource and art fairs, and activities from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

NEW this year: Help restore the historic oak woodland at Newell Park by planting trees and removing invasive species through the reNewell project. Also, look for sporting events like a community kickball tournament.

In preparation for the Bike Walk Parade, the Canvas Teen Arts Center is opening up a mask-making workshop to all community members on Thursdays from 5-7 p.m. the entire month of May at Hancock Rec Center.

Register for a booth, donate to the silent auction, volunteer, and learn more about the festival at www.hamlinemidway.org/heartwood. The Hamline Midway Heartwood Festival is planned by the Community Building Committee of Hamline Midway Coalition in partnership with St. Paul Parks and Recreation. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund. For more information, contact Faith at 651-494-7683 or faith@hamlinemidway.org.

Hamline Midway Coalition — District Council 11 — is a community-based non-profit organization dedicated to making the Hamline Midway neighborhood a better place to live, learn, work, and play.

Como Park Zoo & Conservatory is excited to present ‘Night Creatures – Insects After Dark’, a stunning photo exhibit by Minneapolis artist Bill Johnson on display in Como’s Exhibit Gallery through April 28. Over 30 extreme close-up images will highlight the amazing colors, shapes, and diversity of the insect world rarely seen during the day.