 Thank you to attendees and panelists for the great conversation about public safety last week!
Professor Sarah Greenman kicked things off with an informative presentation about the causes of crime, highlighting the fact that these causes are complex and cumulative. I shared information about what Ramsey County is doing to promote public safety, including our work on the Appropriate Responses Initiative, alternatives to juvenile detention, and more. We ended with a facilitated conversation with our panelists, addressing questions posed by audience members.
On a related note, the Ramsey County Attorney's Office launched a new website and preliminary evaluation of collaborative efforts to (re)imagine justice for youth. You can learn more about these efforts and read the evaluation report here.
 Kiddos in one classroom were very interested in my hair :)
Community Action Partnership of Ramsey and Washington Counties (CAPRW) provides Head Start services in Ramsey County. As we continue to on-board our new Executive Director, Sonia Gass, we toured several Head Start sites to meet with children and staff and observe classroom operations. I was able to visit three different sites in Saint Paul and learn more about how each program operates, our partnerships with school districts and non-profits, and talk with staff members who work with families to provide wrap-around services. It was an absolute pleasure to get to hang out with the children and join in their program for the day even though I was informed that my hair “is very weird and needs to be fixed.” CAPRW currently has a waiting list of hundreds of children who are eligible and want to receive Head Start services. Unfortunately, CAPRW desperately needs more Head Start teachers to be able to open additional classrooms. If you or someone you know is interested in learning more, please visit https://caprw.org/about-us/join-our-team.html. There are opportunities for all skill and experience levels with training and career advancement opportunities.
 Several cities in District 1, including Arden Hills, Blaine, Mounds View, Shoreview, Spring Lake Park and Vadnais Heights, have proclaimed the month of May as "No Mow May" (or "Slow Mow May, in the case of Vadnais Heights). Check your city's website to learn more, register to participate, and/or get your lawn sign.
You can learn more about No Mow May and its impact on the U of M's Extension website.
Last week, the Rice Creek Commons Joint Development Authority (JDA), which consists of elected officials from Ramsey County and the City of Arden Hills, announced that it had issued a Request for Development Interest (RDI) for Outlot A, also known as the Thumb Parcel. This is a significant step forward in the redevelopment of the Rice Creek Commons area. The deadline for submitting a proposal is 11 pm on July 28, 2023. More information is available here.
The National Association of Counties (NACo) and Americans for the Arts are pleased to announce the third annual "I Love My County Because…" Student Art Contest. Students in grades K-12 are invited to submit artwork for the contest.
Winning artwork will be included in a 2024 wall calendar distributed to all NACo member counties, including Ramsey County. Learn more and submit artwork here. |
