The Green Alley work day pilot yields tremendous outcomes!

The thick of the alley work event

Over 30 volunteers turned out for our alley clean-up on Saturday Sept. 24th! The crew pulled weeds, pulled trees, disposed of garbage, mulched, and planted!  Many thank-you's go out to neighbors, Hamline-Midway Environmental Group (HMEG) members, Hamline Midway Coalition's Community Building Committee (CBC),  and our Master Gardener Diane Fraser.  The alley was transformed when trash-filled, overgrown, and untidy spaces were cleaned up and planted. Plus, some block residents connected for the first time while others strengthened their relationships throughout the process. Better neighbor connections and well-kept spaces can help prevent crime such as illegal dumping, graffiti, and residential burglaries. The vision of the project was to support residents who want to improve their alleys for water quality, safety, food production, and aesthetics. This block on Charles Ave between Griggs and Syndicate got 20 property owners on board with a green alley pilot project, and in exchange, received organizing help and volunteer assistance for a Green Alley Work Day from the CBC and HMEG. One alley resident and work day volunteer expounded on the benefits of the event:

"Many alley [spaces] that looked derelict now look clean and tended-to. I met neighbors I'd never spoken with before, and had great conversations with residents I almost never see. [Plus] I got to use a weed wrench!" Another volunteer said, "Extreme Alley Makeover should be the name of this program - beautiful transformations of neglected space!"

Dozens of block residents turned out only to be greeted by many volunteers from the greater neighborhood who were there just to lend a hand for the day. HMEG and the Southeast Como Improvement Association lent a large supply of tools that included a Weed Wrench.  There was a second, and larger, Weed Wrench provided by Midway neighbor Chad from the U of MN.   Our Master Gardener, Diane, was an inspiration and energetic leader that would not accept an unfinished job.  Further, she lent her truck that was used to rip out stumps of weed trees (this activity went on for about 5 solid hours).  The crew hauled 10 truckloads of weeds and brush to the compost site, and 1 truckload to the Ward 4 Clean-up day (concurrent timing was all part of the plan). Lots of transplant daylilies and hostas came from area yards, and a nice batch of natives plants came from Horton Park community gardeners and friends from the University of MN.  Short native plants will hopefully colonize some of the cleared spaces, and provide food for native pollinators.  

Once the majority of the hard work was done, the group came together for a chili feed potluck.  A perfect accent to the productive day.

See the photos of the work event here.
Some before & after shots are in this album.

Residents along the alley are saying that it looks great and they are very thankful. They recognize many benefits from this type of greening, including community building, crime prevention, and beautification.

Acknowledgment goes to Faith Krogstad for contributing to this article.

Energy Smart Homes

Saint Paul homeowners can now apply for zero-interest loans up to $6,500 for home energy efficiency improvements! Apartment owners can also get $200 rebates on energy star refrigerators. The application and eligibility info is available at: http://www.stpaul.gov/index.aspx?NID=3882
Pre-applications must be postmarked by June 11. For more details, see the news release below.

Saint Paul Launches "Energy Smart Homes"

May 19th, 2010

SAINT PAUL - Providing Saint Paul residents with the tools to lower energy consumption and cut costs, Mayor Chris Coleman unveiled the $550,000 Energy Smart Homes loan and rebate initiative today.

“By renovating their homes and replacing old appliances, our residents will save money and decrease energy usage in Saint Paul,” Mayor Chris Coleman said. “This is one more way we are improving building efficiency, lowering energy costs, and protecting our environment while solidifying Saint Paul as a national leader in environmental sustainability.”

Made possible through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, Energy Smart Homes will provide funding for energy-saving improvements to houses and apartment buildings, thereby lowering monthly utility bills to residents, strengthening the City’s tax base, and reducing the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Energy Smart Homes will also create jobs, a key component of ARRA, by creating a need for contractors, including heating and insulation contractors.

Energy Smart Homes is a two-pronged initiative. $500,000 will be used to make no-interest loans up to $6,500 to homeowners to make energy-saving improvements to their homes. These funds will also leverage Xcel Energy rebates. Prior to making the improvements, each home will undergo a home energy audit to identify the greatest needs.

Eligible expenses may include furnace replacement, insulation and air sealing. “These are the most cost-effective improvements a homeowner can make,” said Chris Duffrin, Executive Director of Neighborhood Energy Connection, the sole provider of Xcel Energy Home Energy Audits in Saint Paul. He went on, “Before you install solar panels or even new windows, you want to be sure that you have an energy-efficient furnace, adequate insulation, and that air leaks in walls and around windows are sealed.”

Saint Paul homeowners of all incomes are eligible to apply, though incomes will affect the loan amounts and other initiative requirements.

“Cool Cash for Cold Clunkers” is the working title for the second component of the Energy Smart Homes initiative and consists of cash rebates for owners of apartment buildings in Saint Paul who replace old inefficient refrigerators in their rental units with new ENERGY STAR refrigerators.

ENERGY STAR, a joint initiative of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, is committed to saving people money and protecting the environment through energy efficient products and practices. According to the ENERGY STAR web site (www.energystar.gov), as a result of recent improvements in insulation and compressors, today's refrigerators use much less energy than older models. In fact, replacing a refrigerator from the 1980’s with an ENERGY STAR refrigerator could save as much as $100 each year on utility bills.

Energy Smart Homes will provide up to ten $200 rebates to owners of apartment buildings. And while the building owner will benefit from the cash rebates, many tenants will realize the monthly savings resulting from lower utility bills.

It is anticipated that the demand for the no-interest loans and refrigerator rebates will exceed the funds available, so Mayor Coleman is asking interested individuals to submit a simple pre-application postmarked by June 11. Individuals will be randomly selected. Selected homeowners seeking funds for energy-saving improvements will be invited to complete a full application and selected apartment building owners seeking refrigerator rebates will be notified and informed of the process for receiving their rebates.

For details about the Energy Smart Homes loan and rebate initiative, including eligibility conditions and other requirements, go to www.stpaul.gov or call 651-266-6655 for a pre-application.

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The City of Saint Paul is also launching the Sustainable Saint Paul’s Energy Challenge Grants initiative. The initiative will give non-profit organizations, neighborhood and business associations the opportunity to receive Federal stimulus funds for projects that will assist Saint Paul residents and businesses in reducing their energy use and climate change impact.

Organizations must utilize the funds for projects that promote either the Neighborhood Energy Connection’s Home Energy Squads, Center for Energy and Environment’s One-Stop Efficiency Shop Program, the Minnesota Energy Challenge or other successful cost-effective energy efficiency and conservation programs.

Eligible applicants may request up to $5,000 for projects completed by June 30, 2011. Applications for the Energy Challenge Grants must be received by June 14, 2010.

For more information regarding the City of Saint Paul’s climate change efforts and to find an application, please visit the Sustainable Saint Paul website at: www.stpaul.gov/sustainability or call 651-266-8520.

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