City Passport Center events
Activities scheduled during May at City Passport senior citizen center on the skyway level of Galtier Plaza include:
• Noon prayer service on Mondays
• Computer question and answer, 4 p.m., Wednesdays
• Computer classes, 1 p.m., Tuesdays, May 6 and 13
• Grape float hour, 1:30 p.m., Friday, May 16
• Surfing the internet, 1 p.m., May 20
• Writers group, 10:30 a.m., Friday, May 23
• The movie schedule for Thursdays at 1 p.m. includes: "Dan in Real Life," May 1; "Hairspray," May 15; "Platoon," May 22; and "The Thomas Crown Affair," May 29. Instead of a movie, a televised Minnesota Twins game will be featured on May 8.
Minnesota Book Awards
The decision of the Minnesota Book Awards to include a category for books written about Minnesota should encourage more authors to write about the state, according to Doug Hoverson, author of "Land of Amber Waters: The History of Brewing in Minnesota," which won in the new category at the awards ceremony in April. Hoverson, who teaches at St. Thomas Academy in Mendota Heights, said he got the idea for a book on brewing while researching an article on railroads and saw newspaper advertisements of old breweries in the state.
Credit Union name change
The Twin City Co-ops Federal Credit Union on the skyway level of the Alliance Bank Center (formerly the Fifth Street Center) is now the Spire Credit Union. The credit union studied a name change for two years, according to branch manager Robert Griffith. The change was necessary, he said, because the old name suggested a person had to first belong to an organization in order to join. Founded in 1934 to serve employees of the Midland Oil Cooperatives, the credit union is now open all residents of Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Starting Gate presents ‘The Hollow’
Starting Gate Theatre will close its current season with a production of "The Hollow" by Agatha Christie at the Mounds Theatre, 1029 Hudson Rd. The show will run May 9-June 1. Richard Jackson of Starting Gate said the theater received a S.T.A.R. grant to develop a three-year business plan. The theater started at the Loading Dock Theatre in Lowertown and moved three years ago to the Mounds Theatre. Jackson said Starting Gate is gradually building a customer base among St. Paul and east metro residents. At the beginning, he said, most of the clientele came from Minneapolis.
Skyway hours expanded
The St. Paul City Council has approved a regulation requiring downtown buildings to keep the skyways open from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. The action was taken after some buildings closed skyway connections at 11 p.m. The measure allows buildings at the end of a skyway spur with no pedestrian traffic in the evening to apply for an exemption. Introduced by Ward 2 City Council Member Dave Thune, the measure was supported by CapitolRiver Council/District 17 and the Convention and Visitors Bureau. Some members of the Building Owners and Managers Association were not in favor of the 2 a.m. closing.
Ramsey House to reopen
The historic Alexander Ramsey House is scheduled to reopen in late spring, according to Kathleen Lindenberg, site manager. The house has been closed since the first of the year for renovations and upgraded ventilation and humidification equipment. A Great Ramsey Reunion on June 21 will recognize all of the site managers who worked at the house since it was given to the State of Minnesota in 1965 by descendants of the Ramsey family. It is located at 265 South Exchange St.
New restaurant opening
Asian Express is scheduled to open in May on the skyway level of the US Bank Center next to Metro Optics and the Metro Transit office. Its Chinese and Vietnamese menu will feature fast food and take-out. Hours will be 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m.
Store closing
The convenience store on the skyway level of Town Square is the third retail outlet in that building to close in recent months. ATT cellular service and Foot Locker also closed recently.
Poetry slammers compete for Nationals
The Grand Slam of poetry will be held at 8 p.m., Monday, May 5, at the Artists Quarter in the lower level of the Historic Hamm building, 408 St. Peter St. Poets who compiled the most points during the past year at slams held the first Monday of the month at the Artists Quarter will compete for a spot on the St. Paul team that will attend the National Poetry Slam in Madison, Wisc. in August. Matthew Rucker of the Poetry Slam said judging will be done by five people picked at random from the audience. For more information, visit www.soap-boxing.com or www.poetryslam.com.
Alteration and tailoring service opens
Patricia’s Alteration and Tailoring, Inc. has opened on the Skyway Level of the US Bank building near the St. Marie’s convenience store. Patricia Caldwell, owner, said she decided to go out on her own after working 19 years for Sew What at the downtown and other locations. She said she enjoys the freedom to make decisions on what she thinks will work best for the customer. She does hemming, zippers, mending, leather, resizing, monogramming and on-site pressing.
CapitolRiver Council/District 17 updates
Jill Hirons Maraist has left her position as director of CapitolRiver Council/District 17 to work with the A.C. Nielsen Co. as client manager in the consumer products division. Emily Seddon, an intern who is a senior at Macalester College, will continue working for the council part-time through May.
Kim Hyers is in line to become the next chair of CapitolRiver Council/District 17 when the annual meeting is held in June. She was named chair-elect by the executive committee to fill a vacancy created when Rod Halvorson stepped down as chair several months ago. Bill Englund, a former chair, is filling in as interim-chair until June.
The First Friday event will be held 4-6 p.m., Friday, May 2, at Ruam Mit Thai. The event is held to introduce downtown residents to local dining establishments.
GOP convention
The Minneapolis-St. Paul Host Committee of the Republican National Convention is looking for volunteers. About 8,000 volunteers are needed at the airport, hotels and other locations during the convention, which will be held at the Xcel Center, September 1-4. For more information, visit www.msp2008.com.
Sur Seine music fest
The Minnesota SurSeine Music Festival will be hosted by the Black Dog Café, 308 Prince St., May 15-25. A Music Crawl of downtown venues will include both out-of-town and local musicians. Locations will include the Black Dog, Zeitgeist, Artists Quarter and other spots. The name SurSeine was created when French and Minnesota musicians exchanged visits in each other’s country.
Library events to feature labor history
The Labor History Series of the Friends of the Library will observe its tenth anniversary with two events this month at the Labor and Professional Center, 411 Main St. A panel featuring historian Hy Berman, author Mary Wingerd and Professor Annette Atkins will review 150 years of labor history in Minnesota at 7 p.m., Thursday, May 1. A group of students will give a presentation on Conflict and Compromise in labor history at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 14.
This month’s Book Chat at the Central Library will feature mystery writer Carl Brookins, who will discuss "A Perfect Evil" by Alex Kava at noon, Wednesday, May 14.
AZ exhibits student art
The College of Visual Arts will hold an exhibit of student art in May at the AZ gallery in the Northern Warehouse building, 308 Prince St. Student works will also be exhibited on campus this month.
Farewell stamp machines
The stamp machines at the Main Post Office on Kellogg Boulevard are being removed. Pete Nowacki of the Postal Service explained that machines are underused by the public, and spare parts are not always available to repair the machines when they break. Instead, a postal center has been installed in the lobby where customers can buy stamps and more. These centers accept credit and debit cards. Information on where stamps can be purchased can be found at www.usps.com.