Title
Recognizing Karin DuPaul for her many years of service to the Dayton's Bluff Neighborhood and the City of Saint Paul.
Body
WHEREAS, in 1977, Karin DuPaul moved to Dayton's Bluff and immediately set to work making the neighborhood a more beautiful and vibrant place to live and work; and,
WHEREAS, Karin has been a driving force at the Dayton's Bluff Community Council, serving as a board member from 1982-1994 and eventually taking on the role of the community organizer and crime prevention coordinator in 1996. She is well known for her work with block clubs, the monthly community meeting, coordinating National Night Out, welcoming new neighbors, and coordinating the annual neighborhood cleanup among many other community events and activities; and,
WHEREAS, Karin has been an active advocate and steward for Swede Hollow Park, joining the Swede Hollow Task Force in 1977 and eventually transforming that task force into the Friends of Swede Hollow (FOSH) in 1994. Through her leadership Karin has been instrumental in bringing history walks, Art in the Hollow, Watch the Glow on the Hamm's Brewery, and Picnic Operettas to Swede Hollow. In addition, she was influential in creating the Swede Hollow Park entrance on Greenbrier and preserving space at the intersection of 7th and Payne for an additional entrance to the park; and,
WHEREAS, Karin was a founding member of the Upper Swede Hollow Neighborhood Association (USHNA) which purchased and restored several buildings in the neighborhood including the Stutzman Building which is now the home of the Swede Hollow Café, a neighborhood community gathering spot; and,
WHEREAS, in 1992,Karin's deep passion for history and preservation led to the creation of the Dayton's Bluff Historic District. Karin has worked tirelessly to preserve historic structures, collect oral histories and old photos of the neighborhood, and educate others about the history of Dayton's Bluff through calendars and neighborhood walks. In addition, she has spearheaded efforts to promote preservation of the historic housing stock in the neighborhood by developing Dayton's Bluff Home Tours and Vacant Home Tours; and,
WHEREAS, One of Karin's most visible preservation efforts has been her work to save the buildings of the former Hamm's Brewery; her research into historic preservation tools around the country laid the groundwork for a Hamm's Brewery jobs impact study, a design charette and a reuse study which have led to the redevelopment of the site into a hydroponic farm, a distillery, and a new brewery; and,
WHEREAS, Karin's green thumb and love of nature are apparent throughout the neighborhood and are visible in the flower garden in Hamm's Park and the rain garden adjacent to Swede Hollow Café. Karin was a member of the steering committee for the development of the Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary and served on the Trout Brook- Lower Phalen Greenway Task Force. In 2002, Karin started Greening Dayton's Bluff which encourages community gardening, boulevard gardens; park maintenance, gardening workshops, garden tours, an annual plant swap, and planters outside of local businesses; and,
WHEREAS, in 2008, Karin helped establish the Dayton's Bluff Block Nurse Program and currently serves as the president of its board; and,
WHEREAS, Karin has accomplished these many things with a gentle spirit, a quiet determination, a will of steel, and an endless optimism for the success of the neighborhood;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Saint Paul City Council thanks Karin DuPaul for her many years of service to the Dayton's Bluff neighborhood, and encourages all residents to celebrate Karin's many accomplishments as she retires from the Dayton's Bluff Community Council.