General
Winter is a great time to test for radon
The winter months are one of the best times to test radon levels and we have lots of radon in Minnesota.
January is National Radon Awareness Month. There is a lot of misinformation out there about radon and where it could be hiding. We can not see it or feel it or hear it but that doesn’t mean it isn’t in our homes, offices, and schools.
Homebuyers should always have a radon test as part of the home inspection. It doesn’t matter if the next-door neighbors have tested and do not have radon or if no one knows of anyone in the neighborhood who has ever had a positive radon test.
When buying or selling a house, it is recommended to have a radon test conducted by a professional.
Most homeowners have never tested for radon, even though it is estimated that nearly half of all Minnesota an estimated 40% of homes have elevated levels of radon.
I’ll never forget the time the real estate agent told the buyers that she had never heard of radon in the neighborhood. It just doesn’t work that way.
Radon gas can be anywhere and everywhere. Radon is a colorless and odorless gas that comes from the soil. When inhaled these fine particles can damage the lungs. Exposure to radon over a long period of time can lead to lung cancer.
The average radon level in Minnesota is more than three times higher than the U.S. radon level. This is due to our geology and how our homes are operated. Minnesota homes are closed up or heated most of the year, which can result in higher levels of radon. In Minnesota, more than two in five homes have radon levels that pose a significant health risk.
Radon can be mitigated. Sometimes, when houses have high levels of radon in them, the sellers will agree to pay for a mitigation system.
Learn more from the Minnesota Department of Health
Shopping in St. Paul
We all know that small businesses are the backbone of our economy. A couple of decades ago, there was concern about big-box stores replacing small businesses. In some cases, that happened, but today even the big-box stores have left St. Paul.
I don’t recall ever having a Best Buy in St. Paul. At one point, there were a couple of Radio Shack stores.
The only big-box home store we have is Menards. There are no Lowes or HomeDepots.
There are some large grocery stores. Cub and Aldi, but we have never had a Hy-Vee.
There used to be a Kmart and a Walmart, but now there are none in St. Paul. There is no Penny’s store, and we all remember Dayton’s and Marshalls that used to be here. We had a couple of Powers stores in town and a Donaldson’s store downtown.
I don’t think we ever had a Khol’s store, but maybe we did at some point.
We never had a Joanne Fabrics, but we once had Hancock Fabrics and Minnesota Fabrics.
No Michael’s stores or Hobby Lobby’s in St. Paul, and there aren’t any of the large sporting goods stores, but there are small businesses that carry sporting goods like bikes and golf clubs. Remember “Frank’s Nursery and Crafts”; there were a few in St. Paul, and now there are none since 2004.
The last office supply store burned during the civil unrest following the brutal murder of George Floyd. I go to Eagan or order online when I need paper and toner for my business.
There was a Herberger’s in the midway area. They have been gone for a decade.
There are a couple of Target stores in St. Paul. As far as I know, they are not closing anytime soon. I stopped shopping there when they got rid of their DEI policies. My money, my choice.
These days, I do most of my shopping online and at local small businesses. Much of my clothing comes from a local thrift store. I buy my husband’s clothes at the same thrift store and through a major online retailer.
I have never been to a Costco store, and there aren’t any in St. Paul. There used to be a few shoe stores; now there is one. I have been getting my shoes online for many years. I take a smaller size and they have always been hard to find in stores.
It isn’t at all unusual for me to have to go to a few stores before I find what used to be common household items and cleaning products. There are many big box stores in nearby West St. Paul, which is why property taxes are lower there than in St. Paul.
There are many vacant storefronts in the city. There are plenty of taprooms, bars, and breweries. Many of the fast food restaurants are gone, but I have to say we have many wonderful restaurants.
The current administration in Washington isn’t what I would call small business-friendly. There are tariffs, and a portion of our labor force is being deported or is denied entry into the US. Health insurance premiums are unaffordable for small businesses and workers alike. Our health insurance system and the high cost of health care act as deterrents for entrepreneurs.
Happy Shopping.
- General
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They make it hard to dispose of waste
It has always been difficult for St. Paul residents to dispose of yard waste, hazardous waste, fluorescent bulbs, gasoline, and recyclable electronics. Ramsey County has a new hazardous waste facility where residents can drop stuff off. It replaces the old hazardous waste collection facility, which was kind of hidden under a bridge, on Empire Street, just off of Jackson Street near downtown.
At the old facility, it wasn’t unusual to end up in a line of 3 to 12 cars and to have to wait in line for a short time to drop off waste. At the new facility in Roseville, there is a very long line and wait. I asked about it on my first visit and was told that there isn’t always a long line. On my second visit, several weeks later, there was a long line.
The facility is large and new and modern, but doesn’t appear to be designed to handle the demand. Perhaps it is already obsolete? Maybe in planning, the county did not anticipate the demand.
I try not to buy anything that I may later have to dispose of at the hazardous waste collection site, but some items like batteries and electronics are necessary. For information about disposing of hazardous waste in Ramsey County, just ask Google. I would include a link, but government agencies like to rearrange websites, leaving me with dead links.
There is often a long line at the yard waste drop-off sites. In fact, there have been a couple of times when I have had to turn around and head back home because I did not allow enough time to wait in line. The yard waste sites take fewer items, leaving us to figure out new ways to dispose of tree stumps and brush.
You can’t tell from the picture, but there are actually two lines that merge together near the building. The staff at the collection site are fast and courteous. I think whoever designed the system made a mistake that we will have to live with for a few decades.
I won’t even guess at how much environmental harm is caused by so many cars idling and waiting in lines day after day.
Vote November 2025
Today is the last day to vote, and it is election day. The ballot in St. Paul is relatively straightforward. We get to elect a mayor, vote on Question 1, and vote on more money for the school district.
If you do not know where to vote or if you have questions about voting, visit the Minnesota Secretary of State website.
Polls open at 7:00 AM and close at 8:00 PM.
Don’t over think ranked choice voting
In St. Paul, we use ranked-choice voting to elect our mayor and city council members. It isn’t as complicated as it sounds.
I’ll be casting two votes for mayor in our election on November 4. I have two choices: a first and a second. Voters are allowed 6 choices ranked from 1 to 6, but that doesn’t mean six choices are required. Cast your vote or votes for the candidates you want to win and ignore the rest.
St. Paul uses a ranked-choice voting (RCV) system for its municipal elections, including mayor and city council races. The system has been in place since 2009.
How RCV works in St. Paul
- Ranking candidates: Voters can rank multiple candidates for the same office in order of preference.
- Winning outright: If a candidate receives more than 50% of the first-choice votes, they win the election.
- Instant runoff: If no candidate gets a majority of first-choice votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated.
- Vote reallocation: Ballots cast for the eliminated candidate are then reallocated to the voter’s second-choice candidate.
- Repeat until a majority: This process continues until a single candidate receives more than 50% of the vote and is declared the winner.
What RCV applies to
- RCV is used to elect the Mayor and City Council members.
- It does not apply to the Saint Paul School Board race, which uses the traditional voting method.