Here is the Bugle’s latest Midpoint, a mid-month web report on some local news and information since the publication of our November issue:
New refugee services director
The International Institute of Minnesota, 1694 Como Ave., has named Michelle Eberhard as the new director of its Refugee Services team.(Pictured above)
Eberhard’s chief duty is overseeing a team of 26 people “to ensure high-quality services to newly-arrived families and individuals,” according to an Institute news release. “She brings several years of refugee resettlement experience from her previous work as a reception and placement program director at another local resettlement agency. Most recently, Michelle has worked in employment immigration and as a consultant.”.
Eberhard has a B.A. in French and Peace studies from the College of Saint Benedict/Saint John’s University and a master’s degree in Human Rights Studies from Columbia University in New York City.
A clean sweep
The St. Paul Public Works Department is continuing its annual fall residential street sweeping operations. Municipal crews are sweeping approximately 530 miles of residential streets throughout the city. Weather permitting, the fall street sweeping operations are expected to be completed by early December.
“Every year we get complaints from residents about their neighbors who are raking leaves into the street,” said Sean Kershaw, director of St. Paul Public Works. “Please spread the word that putting anything into the street is illegal, effects the quality of the sweeping work our crews are able to do and often puts additional unwanted material into the storm sewer system, polluting our lakes and rivers.”
Public Works officials noted it’s challenging for city crews to sweep all streets because of the short interval between when most leaves fall and winter weather arrives. Weather, time, and budget permitting; Public Works may sometimes circle back to streets swept early in the process to clean up additionally fallen leaves if all city streets have been successfully swept.
Meanwhile, public works officials offer these tips to help crews with citywide sweeping efforts:
- Per city ordinance, don’t push any materials, including leaves, grass, or debris into the street.
- Don’t put garbage or recycling carts in the street. Please make sure carts are only placed on the boulevard, not the street.
- Adopt A Drain. Residents can help protect local waterways by adopting a storm drain (or two) in the neighborhood, and keeping it free of debris, snow and ice in the coming months. Learn more at www.stpaul.gov/adoptadrain
For further information, including a map and schedule about St. Paul’s street sweeping operations, visit www.stpaul.gov/sweep.
Fun Lauderdale holiday gifts
Want to consider a different place to do some holiday shopping? How about checking out Lauderdale City Hall?
For those hard to buy folks, how about a Lauderdale School history book? City hall has copies of Kathy Bernstrom Lerfald’s book “Lauderdale School – History and Memories of a Minnesota Grade School.”
Also for sale are Lauderdale-branded sweatshirts, t-shirts, office cups and soup mugs. Daily office hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The Good Acre gift boxes
The Good Acre, a nonprofit food hub in Falcon Heights, is selling curated holiday gift boxes featuring items from a variety of local businesses.
Gift boxes are $65 and featured products include a chocolate bar from Mademoiselle Miel, Bee Well tea from Well Rooted Tea, honey from Bone Lake Meadows Apiary, a vanilla solid lotion bar from Lakota Made, and a beeswax candle from Ames Farm.
For further information visit the Good Acre, 1790 E. Larpenteur Ave., or checkout its website at http://thegoodacre.org.
Curated by Scott Carlson, Bugle managing editor.
