Post in David Sons Dinner! FW: 5/15 at Mancini's

May 08 23:02 UTC

Dear Friends -

I sit on the board of the West 7th Community Center, and, once again this
year, were pleased to honor two outstanding members of the local community
whose committed service to all of us has been long and deep.

This annual dinner  the David Sons Dinner  last year honored Father John
Clay of St. Stanislaus Catholic Church and we were packed to the gunnels at
our favorite haunt, Mancinis Char House, on West 7th. (Nick Mancini always
considered this among the most important of the annual banquets in his place
and would wander through greeting neighbors and honorees, always buying a
drink or two and donating a glass of wine.)

This year, we honor two real beacons of service to the community over
several decades in St. Paul...Maxine McCormick, retiring, but tireless
editor of the West 7th Community Reporter and Joe Landsberger, ever active
in the health and vitality of the West 7th historic neighborhood and his
Czech Slovak cohorts.

More on both of them below in the press release announcing the Sons Dinner.

Do join us next Thursday at Mancinis. You cant beat the food, and youll
honor two great community folk while supporting the Centers work. Tickets
are $25 for a great dinner and a great evening. To purchase tickets, call or
visit the community center at 265 Oneida Street (phone 651-298-5493) or
email .

Thanks. Hope to see you there.

Andy

The West 7th Community Center Board will honor Maxine McCormick and Joe
Landsberger as the David L. Sons Community Service Award winners for 2008.
The two will be honored at a reception and dinner at Mancinis Char House on
Thursday, May 15th starting at 6 pm. The center received 12 nominations for
the annual awards this year.

Maxine McCormick has been active in the preservation and restoration of the
Irvine Park neighborhood. She and her husband, Ken, worked hard to restore
their historic home and to protect and preserve the homes of their Irvine
Park neighbors. She also worked with her neighbors in the Historic Irvine
Park Association in their struggle to restore St. Pauls oldest and grandest
public park. Maxine has also been very active as a volunteer at the
Community Reporter newspaper, working there since 1985. For the past eight
years, in particular, she has served as the papers editor.

Joe Landsberger, retired from the University of St. Thomas, was key to the
effort to create and sustain the delightful Upper Landing Park at the West
7th side of the High Bridge. Joe was instrumental in securing city and
private funding for the landscaping, furniture and artworks in the park. Joe
is also a longtime volunteer at the West 7th/Fort Road Federation and is an
active volunteer at the Czech Slovak SOKOL Minnesota organization, owner of
the historic CSPS Hall at West 7th. He recently led a successful effort to
mark the 125th anniversary of SOKOL with a day-long festival of Czech-Slovak
history and culture. In addition, Joe has been a catalyst in the 2007/2008
revitalization of the West End Arts organization.

The David L. Sons Community Service Award is presented annually by the West
7th Community Center to an outstanding West 7th neighbor who has given
selflessly to his or her community each year since 1987. Past winners have
included Rev. Walt Wietzke, Dr. Tim Rumsey, Otto Snap Leitner, Nick
Mancini, and Father John Clay. The Sons Community Service Award is given in
memory of David L. Sons (1923-1984) who served on the West 7th Community
Centers Board of Directors and was a valuable asset to our organization.
David was a longtime member of the West End Business Association and with
his wife, Ellie, ran Godbout & Sons Mortuary on West 7th for many years.

The dinner honoring Maxine McCormick and Joe Landsberger will be held on May
15th at Mancinis Char House on West 7th Avenue in St. Paul. Tickets to the
dinner are $25 and are available at the West 7th Community Center. To
purchase tickets, call or visit the community center at 265 Oneida Street
(phone 651-298-5493) or email .

About the West 7th Community Center

Established in 1972, West 7th Community Center is a Minnesota non-profit
501(c)(3) multi-service organization serving residents of St. Pauls West
7th neighborhood. Operating from a welcoming, centrally located facility,
West 7th Community Center functions as a community anchor and helps
individuals access services in a caring, personalized setting. Its programs
include 12 months of academic and recreational programs for children,
comprehensive in-home and center-based health and recreation services for
seniors, and an outreach and referral program for families. The Center also
houses the West 7th branch of the St. Paul Public Library, the Center for
Cross Cultural Health, an office of Ramsey County Community Corrections, and
other agencies. More than 200 volunteers provided support to the community
centers programs to serve 683 seniors, 111 school-age children and their
parents, 1,063 individuals and families seeking resources, and approximately
1,800 event attendees last year. West 7th operates with a ten-member Board
of Directors, twenty-seven (27) paid staff (15.5 fte), and a 2007 budget of
$962,000.