Friday, January 21, 2011

Report on sucessful boulevard raingarden in the Midway now available to aide Blair-Griggs RSVP residents get their FREE raingarden

This is an exciting time in the Hamline Midway neighborhood for our stormwater sustainability and for a portion of our neighborhood that will be undergoing the Residential Street Vitality Program RSVP construction in the 2011 season. Residents whose streets will be repaved this summer (Blair-Griggs RSVP Project) are eligible for FREE boulevard rain gardens with joint support from the City of St. Paul and the Capitol Region Watershed District. A rain garden is a shallow, constructed depression to catch rainwater and allow it to infiltrate into the ground within 48 hours. Rain gardens contain plants that can tolerate standing water for several hours. Rain gardens help the Mississippi River's health by allowing water to infiltrate into the ground rather than run off into storm drains directly to the river.

Here are the details tolearn more: If you live in the Blair-Griggs RSVP area (between Hamline and Lexington, and Minnehaha and Thomas) and you are interested, contact Faith at the Hamline Midway Coalition to learn more. Call 651-646-1986 or email faith@hamlinemidway.org. This is a fantastic deal!


To assist folks in visualizing what a boulevard raingarden looks like and how it functions, HMEG is distributing this report on the highly successful example installed by Steve Mitrione in 2010. This report, written by Steve, has photos, diagrams and explanations of the installation and performance of his boulevard raingarden. Projects like these are "win-win-wins" for improving the water quality of the Mississippi River, beautifying your yard, and assisting in the health of boulevard trees.


Please note: you may find this report easier to see if you click on the rightmost icon (a box in box) which will open the document in a new window.

Two January opportunities to find out how to reduce your home energy costs!

So what are you waiting for? Home Energy Squads have been visiting the Hamline Midway neighborhood for about 9 months and many of our homes have been weather stripped, had upgraded lighting, and received water heater blankets and programmable thermostats. It time for you take advantage of this great deal too. Here are two January options to get your deal:



Home Energy Workshop on January 22nd

Come to the Home Energy Workshop on Saturday, January 22, 2011 at 10:00 am at Hancock Recreation Center (1610 Hubbard Ave) to learn about saving money on your energy bills. Saint Paul residents who attend this free energy workshop receive a voucher reducing the cost of a Home Energy Squad visit to only $30 (regularly $50 to $80)! If you participate, you receive nearly $400 in products and services and save an average of $194 a year in energy costs. Saint Paul residents who first attend a free home energy workshop and then receive a Home Energy Squad visit can qualify for up to $650 in rebates for insulation, air sealing, and heating system improvements. See the Neighborhood Energy Connection’s website for more information. You may RSVP to Faith at the Hamline Midway Coalition by calling 651-646-1986 or emailing faith@hamlinemidway.org or just show up on the day of the event.



Home Energy FunFest on January 29th

The Neighborhood Energy Connection’s first-ever Home Energy Funfest will be held Saturday, January 29, 2011, from Noon to 4 p.m. at North End Elementary, 27 East Geranium Ave (just east of Rice). The Funfest is family-friendly and free. Saint Paul families who attend the event can take part in a short, entertaining home energy workshop titled “Attack of the Phantom Load.” By attending this workshop, Saint Paul residents are eligible to receive the ever-popular Home Energy Squad visit for just $30. That’s a $50 discount, made possible by a grant that will end this spring. Attached is the official poster for the event.