Quick Notes Flower Up On May 20th the Frogtown neighborhood will burst into a multitude of colors. It is the day that the "Flower Up Frogtown" beautification event will transpire. Approximately 200 children plus adult volunteers (including Janice) will plant hundreds of flats of flowers at sites throughout Frogtown and District 7. The goal is to beautify the community while instilling the importance of neighborhood pride. This event begins at 10:30 a.m. at Scheffer Recreation Center, 237 Thomas Ave. with lunch and celebratory activities following at noon. Day-care Fixes Paul Kirkwold announced (Pioneer Press 4/12/00) at the April 11 Board meeting that a hot line is one of four short time fixes that will be in place before May 11, to assure prompt payments to day-care providers. The concentration is on prompt payment so that those that rely on day care providers can get on with their work lives. "The person on the other end will be authorized to handle it, so a check will be delivered within two days, provided the caller's eligibility is current," Kirkwold told the Commissioners. He added, "That way, there will be no voice mail." In addition a "bill of rights" will outline what providers can expect from the County and what the County can expect from the providers, (see Customer Service Standards' page). Tonsager, who runs a day-care operation, had questions about the changes, but was generally pleased. "Having a hot line is good. We had no one to call. I think the bill of rights could be a good thing. I just hope the providers have a say in it. I'm certainly glad it is being worked on." Kirkwold, along with laying out more detail on long term solutions, stated that providers have been involved in working on the problem and will continue. The fixes are considered short term, but may resolve the problem permanently since the State Department of Children, Families and Learning are developing a state wide computerized payment system. In 2001 a changeover would allow the state to do all the payments, or allow counties to continue the work by using a standardized system.   Carousel details Tickets: $1.50 for ages 1 and older; infants ride free. All rides will be free on the following Mondays: June 12 and 26, July 17 and 31, and Aug. 14. Hours of operation: May 1-26: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday-Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. May 27 to Sept. 4: Open daily 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., except Tuesdays until 8 p.m. Sept. 5 to Oct. 31: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays; also open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 19 and 20. The carousel will be closed for maintenance on the following Mondays: June 5 and 19, July 10 and 24, and Aug. 7 and 21. For more information: (651) 489-4628. Information from Gift Horses by Don Boxmeyer, April 9, 2000 St. Paul Pioneer Press

Rettman Report (May/June 2000) | Cafesjian's Carousel | Welfare to Work | Transportation | Customer Service Standards Commissioner Rettman's Home Page Author: Commissioner Rettman's Office / Information Services