The Macalester-Groveland Community Council is seeking Representatives for Grids 1, 3, and 13 and one At-Large Business seat on the Community Council Board of Directors. A special election will be held at the June Board of Directors meeting on Thursday, June 13th at 6:30pm at the Edgcumbe Recreation Center (320 South Griggs Street).

Candidates interested in the Grid seats must reside within those grids (1, 3, and 13, respectively) and will represent residents within those grids (for a Mac-Groveland grid map, click here). The Grid seats will be open for re-election in April 2016. The At-Large Business Representative seat will be open for re-election again in April 2015. Candidates interested in the At-Large Business position must submit a letter of endorsement prior to the election from one separate business within Macalester-Groveland, not owned or controlled by the candidate.

For more information about being a board member, or if you are interested in running for one of the open seats, please contact Afton Martens, Executive Director, at 651-695-4000, or send an email to afton@macgrove.org.

Each Saturday in May, search Mac-Grove areas where people walk and bike for a golden shoe.  If you find the golden shoe, bring it to the Community Council office at 320 South Griggs Street for a great prize donated by a local business!  This week's clue is:

Come and find me near the heights.

(Pssst... golden shoe #1 still hasn't been found!  Scroll down or click on http://www.macgrove.org/node/194 for clues).

Each Saturday in May, search Mac-Grove areas where people walk and bike for a golden shoe.  If you find the golden shoe, bring it to the Community Council office at 320 South Griggs Street for a great prize donated by a local business!  This week's clues are:

I'm hiding, come find me,
I want you to win.
But I'm a free spirit,
You can't fence me in.

Gotta move, gotta run,
I'm not having a ball.
Just lying here staring
At a blank wall.

OMG I hear a lawn mower coming!
You better find me but fast!
The sounds I hear of children playing
Are sounds that could be my last!

Happy hunting!

Do you care about pedestrian safety? Do you want to ensure that the roads of Saint Paul are safe for all users? Join us in building a citywide pedestrian safety campaign!

• An increase in pedestrian fatalities across the state prompted MNDOT to unveil a “Share the Road” pedestrian awareness campaign in the fall of 2012 (http://www.dot.state.mn.us/sharetheroad/ped/index.html). They have some materials available for use, but it's up to neighborhood groups to help spread the word!
• Neighborhoods have developed their own pedestrian awareness campaigns in the past, but there hasn’t been a collaborative citywide effort.
• Street engineering and enforcement can help make the streets safer for pedestrians, but without education, it won't get us very far.
• Everyone is a pedestrian at some point during their day, once they leave their car, bike, or bus. Why not make it safer for everyone to get around?

Join us in building a citywide pedestrian safety campaign! We hope to bring together partners from all across the city to gain visibility and make a lasting impact and we need your help! Contact Callie, Community Organizer for the Macalester-Groveland Community Council at callie@macgrove.org/651-695-4000 to learn more and get involved.

Monday, May 20th, 6:30pm
Macalester College Weyerhaeuser Board Room (building at the SE corner of Grand and Macalester St.)
Join us for a public meeting to discuss possible traffic calming elements and safe pedestrian crossing at Grand Avenue and Cambridge Street. Hosted by the Transportation Committee. Send comments to callie@macgrove.org or call 651-695-4000.

Slip on your shoes, dust off your bike, and join the hunt!  To promote walking and biking in the neighborhood, a golden shoe will be hidden each Saturday during the month of May in a Macalester-Groveland area that is only visible to walkers, joggers, or bikers.  Check our website each Saturday morning for a clue and start searching!

If you find one of the golden shoes, bring it to the MGCC office at 320 South Griggs Street, and win one of several great prizes and gift certificates donated by local businesses!

There's lots to love in Macalester-Groveland but one of the best things about our neighborhood is how walkable and bikeable it is!  Chances are that you’ve seen several people in the neighborhood walking or biking to work, the grocery store, or a coffee shop at some point this week - why not join them?  You’ll get out into the neighborhood, save money, and support our local businesses. To participate, leave your car at home and walk, jog, or bike to your destination at least 15 times before June 30th, 2013.  Turn in up to three log sheets by the end of June and get entered in drawings to win prizes donated by local businesses all over the neighborhood!

New this year, click on the "Read more" box below to fill out your log sheet digitally.  You can also pick up a paper log sheet at the Edgcumbe, Groveland, and Linwood Recreation Centers; neighborhood businesses; or at Community Council events throughout the spring. Through June 30th,  keep an eye on the MGCC Facebook page for great walking and biking tips and ideas from your fellow Mac-Grove residents. This year's list of prizes includes donations from Breadsmith, Coffee Bene, Dunn Bros, Everest on Grand, Italian Pie Shoppe, Mississippi Market, Patagonia, Pizza Luce, Scusi and more!  Pizza Luce is offering a free Foccaccia Katerina or Artichoke Dip appetizer with the purchase of one of a 16" specialty pizzas to all MacGrove Moves participants!

The Grand Avenue Business Association, Macalester-Groveland Community Council, and Summit Hill Association have come together to create a Capital Improvement Budget proposal that seeks to decrease speeding and increase pedestrian safety on Grand Avenue between Hamline Avenue and Lexington Parkway. Come and show your support for this project at the City Council Public Hearing on June 3rd, 6pm at City Hall. Contact callie@macgrove.org/651-695-4000 for more details.

The CIB proposal includes the following traffic calming elements on Grand Avenue between Hamline Avenue and Lexington Parkway:
· Bumpouts at the west side of Grand & Syndicate and Grand & Dunlap
· Painted Crosswalk & Signage at Each Bumpout
· Parking Lane Striping (solid line marking the outside of the lane)
· Center Painted Median
· Lighting Enhancements at Crosswalks

These safety improvements will slow traffic by narrowing the roadway, shorten the time it takes pedestrians to cross the street, and improve the visibility of pedestrians at a crosswalk. For more information, please click on the read more link below.

In August 2012, the Saint Paul City Council put in place a one-year moratorium for Grand Avenue west of Fairview Avenue, prohibiting approval of any buildings greater than 40 feet in height or having design features similar to "dormitory-style" housing. At the time the moratorium was put in place, the City Council also asked the Planning Commission to study what type of development is appropriate for West Grand, and how this development should relate to the surrounding neighborhoods. When completed, the study will include recommendations for any changes to zoning in the area needed to guide appropriate development. See more about this process here.

The Macalester-Groveland Community Council has developed new resources to make organics recycling at home convenient and easy. 

Click on the "Read more" box below to access the following:

1. Our recommendations for the best BPI-certified compostable bags available locally.
2. Free color labels for organics, backyard compost, recycling and trash bins.
3. Photos of in-home set-ups for organics, backyard compost, and trash bins to fit your space requirements and family size.  (Coming soon!)

For more information on Macalester-Groveland's Organics Recycling Program, please visit www.macgrove.org/organics or email lauren@macgrove.org.