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Showing posts from January, 2018

Saint Paul Flag 2017 Update with Maps and Charts

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[See also: 2016 Saint Paul Update with Maps and Charts , and all Saint Paul Flag content .] [Saint Paul Flag and gopher pirate flag.] Well, friends, 2017 was the biggest year yet for the Saint Paul Flag, that long-lost occasionally-maligned hard-to-find symbol of civic pride, DIY derring-do, and reform-minded stolidity. Thanks to the magic of flapping, an occasional symbolically-charged debate, sporting events, the incessant buzz of word-of-mouth, and a little bit of elbow grease, word of the Saint Paul flag has been spreading to the three corners of our fair city. From far and wide, people have been acquiring and occasionally putting on public display the red-yellow-and-blue ("the ol' cabin and wheel") of the Saint Paul flag. Thanks to everyone who bought one, flew or flapped one, or spread the word about the metro's finest two-dimensional civic icon. Updating my report from last year , I have complied some basic data about flag distribution and trends. As you can se

Twin City Doorways #35

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[Durand, WI.] [Durand, WI.] [Winnipeg, Manitoba.] [West Como, Saint Paul.] [Location forgotten.] [Duluth.] [Duluth.] [Duluth.]

The Soup / Housing Metaphor

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[Seventh in the highly unpopular "metaphor series." See also: New Orleans , Bicycling/Dancing ,  Vikings stadium/Star Wars ,   bikes/guns ,   gas/pop , and   NIMBY/Amtrak .] [A booya.] 1. The soup is the entire region�s housing stock Imagine you have just woken from a deep sleep. When you wake, it�s the middle of the morning, and you are a chef cooking a great pot of soup. Imagine that you are in charge of the largest pot of soup you have ever seen, a pot to feed a crowd gathering in a vast room. You can tell that the people are very hungry, but your cauldron is very large, so you have hope. In a few hours the people must be fed, but the soup is before you in a huge iron cauldron, cooking on top of a giant fire. The soup is full of veggies (and/or delicious chunks of meat, depending on your dietary preferences). The soup stock is rich and tasty, and a savory smell wafts from its bubbling surface. 2. The cooking fire is the real estate market   You�re in charge of the stew, bu

Reading the Highland Villager #199

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[Basically the problem is that the best source of Saint Paul streets & sidewalks news is the Highland Villager, a very fine and historical newspaper. This wouldn't be a problem, except that its not available online. You basically have to live in or frequent Saint Paul to read it. Until this newspaper goes online, sidewalk information must be set free. See also:   Three Reasons Why I Re-Blog the Highland Villager .] Headline: Commission OKs plan for five-story apartment bldg. on Marshall Ave.; Neighbors say they will appeal the decision to the City Council Author: Jane McClure Short short version: The Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve the site plan for a new apartment building. It did not require any variances, rezoning, or conditional use permits. Neighbors are concerned about traffic, parking, students, and the character of the neighborhood. They will appeal the site plan decision to the City Council. Article includes details of the proposal and history of the h