Veterans Home Care Funding in St. Paul, OR

For its citywide Read Brave book club this year, the St. Paul Public Library chose Romina Garber’s young adult novel Lobizona, about an undocumented Argentinian teen who is hiding from immigration enforcement. SPPL director Maureen Hartman spoke with PW about Read Brave and will present a leadership strategy session at PLA on April 2.

How does Read Brave differ from other one book, one city programs?

The difference in St. Paul is that we always choose a YA novel, we give out more than 5,000 copies to community members, and we partner very closely with our school district. When the author comes here, they visit classrooms and do a public event with the mayor and myself.

Why did you decide to focus on YA?

Read Brave started as a partnership with the schools, to support teens and reading. We also want to encourage intergenerational conversations about important topics between adults and young people in our community.

Read Brave selected Lobizona last summer. Did you have any idea that immigration would be the huge issue that it’s become in Minnesota?

We were made aware in early 2025 that immigration was a topic of interest to the Trump administration, and we knew last summer that there were concerns around immigration. That’s why we selected Lobizona. Every summer, we think about what it will mean to read bravely in St. Paul in the next year, and St. Paul is a community with a lot of immigrants. It’s a topic that we have to keep talking about. This book provides a brave way for us to engage in that conversation.

What do you want this year’s participants to take away from reading and discussing Lobizona?

The library is a place of stories. It’s a place where reading a book, especially fiction, can be both a mirror and a window. It can be a mirror for folks who have similar experiences to the characters in the book, and it also can be a window into the worlds of other people. This particular book is showcasing the story of an undocumented immigrant. My hope for Lobizona is that folks use the characters and their experience with the author to build community and to understand the experiences of others, including folks in our community.

A version of this article appeared in the 03/23/2026 issue of Publishers Weekly under the headline: PW Talks with St. Paul Public Library director Maureen Hartman

What does it mean to be true to yourself? Welcome to the Renaissance, where St. Paul High School’s production of Something Rotten! Jr. explores this question through clever puns, memorable characters, and lively musical numbers.

Set in the English Renaissance, Something Rotten! Jr. follows brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom on their journey to create a masterpiece that will best their rival, Shakespeare. Determined to make a name for himself, Nick enlists the help of a soothsayer who tells him that musicals are the future of theatre. Armed with this information, the brothers set out to create the first ever musical and reach the top. Along the way, they learn the importance of friendship, family, and the meaning of Shakespeare’s – or is Nigel’s? – famous line: “To thine own self be true.”

Julia Gomez perfectly embodied the aspiring star, Nick Bottom. Gomez’s expressiveness and commitment brought the character to life. Gomez convincingly used intonation and variation to convey a wide range of emotions in dialogue and song, while maintaining the character’s high energy. Gomez clearly shared Nick’s passion for the stage and committed to every movement, making Nick an unforgettable protagonist. Ben Farnel played Nick’s little brother and other half, Nigel Bottom. Farnel’s less pronounced movements and body language accentuated the contrast between the endearingly awkward Nigel and his more assertive brother. Farnel’s movements reflected Nigel’s growth, becoming bigger and more fluid as he became increasingly sure of himself. Between interacting with others in the background, and wordlessly reacting to the events happening onstage, Farnel constantly stayed in character, adding depth and authenticity to every scene.

No man works alone, however. Where would Nick be without his wife and right-hand man, Bea? Mary MacEachern’s portrayal of Bea brought a warm, grounding presence through rich, powerful vocals and easy delivery. Veronica Palumbo’s performance of Nancy Nostradamus highlighted the delightful eccentricity of the soothsayer. Palumbo used dramatic, graceful movements to convey the character’s carefree and playful nature. Palumbo exhibited an impressive range in vocals and dancing, as well as engaging and entertaining chemistry with Julia Gomez during their number, “A Musical.” Nick and Nigel’s rival, Shakespeare, was played by Ropa Kwari. Kwari’s confident stage presence and powerful projection lent themselves well to the larger-than-life Bard. From exaggerated physicality, to subtle audience interaction, Kwari created a fun, hilarious persona that commanded the stage.

St. Paul’s costume team, consisting of Mary MacEachern and Veronica Palumbo, resourcefully pulled together pieces from various sources to create diverse yet cohesive costumes. They used these costumes to reflect character through their colour and intricacy, such as red for the passionate Nick, blue for the timid Nigel, and more ornamental costumes for the vain Shakespeare. The sets, made by Mary MacEachern, Veronica Palumbo, Ella Tewsley, and Rilla Snelgrove, effectively communicated setting and set the tone for the production. The set pieces were made with care and precision, and created a vibrant world for the characters to inhabit. Together, the costume and set teams’ attention to detail created an immersive and colourful experience.

As the potentially biggest snow storm of the season approaches Minnesota, several cities have begun declaring snow emergencies and parking restrictions.

Minneapolis, St. Paul declare early snow emergencies

What we know:

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her announced at a Saturday afternoon news conference that both cities have pre-emptively declared snow emergencies ahead of a major winter storm coming to the Twin Cities Saturday night and into most of Sunday.

In St. Paul, residents are encouraged to move their cars off all night plow routes Saturday night. Her said the city will be opening Block 19 parking ramp in downtown St. Paul at 5 p.m. Saturday for residents to park their cars for free. Select park and recreation lots will also be open for parking.

In Minneapolis, a snow emergency is going into effect at 9 p.m. Sunday. Frey said the City of Minneapolis will open the Farmer’s Market and Salvation Army parking lots free of charge at 2 p.m. Saturday, until next Wednesday.

Ramp A in downtown Minneapolis will open at 6 a.m. Sunday, and cars can be parked there until 8 p.m. Wednesday for a $1 fee.

"Our snow plow drivers are in the starting blocks and they’re ready to go. For them, this is their Super Bowl and they’ve been preparing for this kind of snow event all year," Frey said.

Other snow emergencies in Minnesota

Here's a list of other snow emergencies that have been declared in Minnesota:

Belle Plaine snow emergency

Belle Plaine is ordering off-street parking until all city streets are plowed.

Bloomington snow emergency

A snow emergency has been declared in Bloomington from 10 p.m. Saturday until 10 p.m. Monday. Parking is not allowed on city streets until they are fully plowed.

Crystal declares snow parking restrictions

The City of Crystal has declared snow parking restrictions beginning on Sunday at midnight. That means parking is not allowed on all public streets and alleys.

The restriction stays in place until the snow event has ended.

Eden Prairie prepping for snow emergency

The expected snowstorm will likely lead to several Twin Cities communities declaring snow emergencies, meaning residents will need to move their cars if they park on the street. The City of Eden Prairie sent a notice out to residents for what to expect between Saturday night and Monday morning.

As soon as snow accumulation reaches 2 inches, a Snow Emergency is in effect and it is illegal to park on city streets.

Elk River declares snow event

The City of Elk River declared a snow event. Overnight parking restriction will go into effect from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. until Monday. Which means no parking on city streets or city-owned lots.

For more information, click here.

Golden Valley snow emergency

Golden Valley will begin plowing all city streets starting at 4 a.m. Sunday, and no parking is allowed from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. or until all streets are plowed.

New Hope snow emergency

New Hope's snow emergency starts at 2 a.m. Sunday, and no parking is allowed on city streets until they are plowed.

Northfield declares snow emergency

4 p.m. Friday:

The City of Northfield has declared a snow emergency, effective 10:00 p.m. Saturday, March 14 until 10 p.m. on March 17.

The city says that during a snow emergency there is no parking on any city street until it is plowed curb-to-curb and the weather system has passed. Vehicles parked on the street will be ticketed with the potential of being towed.

When parking lots are scheduled for snow removal, there is no parking from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. All downtown parking lot permit holders must park in the city lots during a snow emergency.

St. Cloud declares snow emergency

6 p.m. Friday:

A snow emergency has been declared, effective Sunday, March 15, at 12:01 a.m.

The emergency remains in effect for 72 hours unless rescinded earlier due to favorable weather conditions and roads being plowed to full width.

St. James declares snow emergency

2:30 p.m. Friday:

The City of St. James has declared a snow emergency, which goes into effect from Sunday, March 15, at midnight to Monday, March 16, at noon.

West St. Paul snow emergency

West St. Paul declared a snow emergency Sunday morning, say there is no parking after 2 a.m. until fully plowed on some roads.

Find details here.

Mayors Jacob Frey of Minneapolis and Kaohly Her of St. Paul announced snow emergencies for their respective cities starting Sunday night ahead of possibly historic blizzard conditions.

The National Weather Service expects up to 18 inches of snow overnight in the Twin Cities, with up to two inches of snow falling per hour starting Saturday night. Parking restrictions for emergency plowing go into effect for both cities beginning 9 p.m. Sunday.

Parking rules can be found on the Minneapolis and St. Paul city websites.

“This may be a very significant snow and I can tell you that our snowplow drivers are in the starting blocks and they're ready to go,” Frey said Saturday afternoon at the joint press conference in St. Paul. “For them, this is the Super Bowl.”

Her asked St. Paul residents to plan ahead to ensure snowplows operate efficiently.

“Moving now will help you avoid becoming stuck in a snow bank, and will give our crews room to work and make sure you have safe roads to drive on when the time comes,” Her said.

Sean Kershaw, the St. Paul public works director, warned the snow will be “wet and tall” and will freeze in the cold temperatures forecast for Monday.

“Do yourself a favor. Do your neighbors a favor,” Kershaw said. “Because you don't want to be the car that has 18 inches of snow plowed up around you, because you're going to be there for a few days.”

Officials from both cities said vehicles in violation could face tickets or a tow bill if parked illegally.

Both cities are offering free parking to clear the streets.

Free parking is available in St. Paul starting at 5 p.m. Saturday until 5 p.m. Monday at the Block 19 ramp downtown. Some Parks and Recreation lots will also be available once cleared; officials advise looking to stpaul.gov/snow for updates on locations.

Minneapolis is offering more than 700 free spots downtown at the Farmer’s Market and Salvation Army parking lots from 2 p.m. Saturday until 8 p.m. Wednesday.

For $1, people can also park at the Ramp A parking lot in downtown Minneapolis from 6 a.m. Sunday until 8 p.m. Wednesday.

Minneapolis will prioritize main roads on Sunday before the snow emergency. Residential street plowing will begin Monday and Tuesday.

St. Paul will continuously plow main streets starting Saturday through Sunday as the snow falls before the emergency declaration takes effect. Night plow routes begin 9 p.m. Sunday, transitioning to day plow routes Monday.

In St. Paul, garbage and recycling will not be picked up Monday. Kershaw instructed residents to put their bins on the boulevard instead of the street on Tuesday.

Minneapolis garbage collection will continue on schedule.

St. Paul residents can report fallen tree branches via email. Officials asked residents to hold off on calling until Tuesday morning.

As the Twin Cities prepare for what could be one of the largest snowstorms to hit the area in years, the mayors of St. Paul and Minneapolis have declared snow emergencies and are asking residents to move their vehicles off streets as soon as possible.

Both cities declared snow emergencies effective at 9 p.m. Sunday but asked residents to begin moving vehicles Saturday, the mayors announced in a joint news conference Saturday afternoon in St. Paul.

“Because the forecast calls for an extreme amount of snow, please move your vehicles off night plow routes this evening if you can,” Mayor Koahly Her said. “Moving now will help you avoid becoming stuck in a snowbank, and will give our crews room to work, and make sure you have safe roads to drive on when the time comes.”

City staff at both cities have been “working tirelessly” for the past few days in preparation of the storms, Her said, which if predictions are correct, will be a historic amount of snowfall. Crews have been treating streets to prepare for the snow, she said.

The city of West St. Paul declared a snow emergency for Monday at 2 a.m. In West St. Paul, no parking is allowed on snow emergency routes after 2 a.m. until the roads are fully plowed. For all other streets, no parking is allowed after 8 a.m. until the street is fully plowed.

To make it easier for residents to move their vehicles, both cities are offering thousands of free parking spots.

In St. Paul, the city will open the Block 19 Municipal Ramp at Jackson and E. 7th streets in downtown St. Paul for free parking. In addition, as park and recreation lots are plowed, they will also be opened for free parking, Her said. She said residents should check stpaul.gov for updated information.

The mayor also warned that city snow plows will make two passes so even if it looks like plows have been on a street, they may be coming back, she said, so residents should be aware of that before returning vehicles to snow emergency routes.

“Over the past month, Minnesotans have shown again and again how we look out for each other,” Her said. “I ask you now to check on your neighbors and those who may need help. Follow the posted parking rules, and stay off the roads unless travel is essential. This is spring in Minnesota. We’re prepared and ready to respond.”

Mayor Jacob Frey said his city is doing the same.

“The real reason we call a snow emergency is so we can get the plows through,” he said. “We recognize that this may be a very significant snow event. Our snowplow drivers are in the starting blocks and they’re ready to go. For them, this is the Super Bowl. They’ve been preparing for this kind of snow event all year. And I can tell you we’re going to have every single one of them out.”

Sean Kershaw, St. Paul director of public works, said Saturday he had just received an update from the National Weather service and that the forecast continued to call for 12 to 18 inches of snow beginning Saturday night.

“It’s going to be really heavy falling at about two inches an hour overnight,” he said. “That’s a lot of snow. We could get eight inches overnight. Following the heavy snow, tomorrow, the winds will pick up, and there’ll be strong winds that declare a blizzard warning for the whole region. After that, it will get cold … We will begin plowing the streets as soon as it starts snowing. We will be out all night. We will be out all tomorrow.”

Kershaw asked for people to stay off the roads after midnight Saturday and to have vehicles moved off snow emergency routes Saturday evening.

Cars that park in the free lots won’t have to be moved until 5 p.m. Monday, he said. He advised people to check the city websites for updated information.

The city of St. Paul will not have garbage or recycling pickup on Monday, he said, and people who have pick up on Mondays should put their bins out Tuesday morning.

Tim Sexton, public works director in Minneapolis, said the amount of snow predicted from this storm might be one of the top five snow events in history.

“Remember the Dome Buster event from 2010, where the Metrodome collapsed?” he said. “That was about 17 inches of snow. So more than that is forecast, and this is late season, heavy, wet snow. So it’s going to be inconvenient. There is no way around that. But just recognize this could be a historical event.”