More than a decade after her passing, the legacy of beloved St. Paul book collector Jeanette Kamman —fondly known as

When asked, the grandparent I met at Thompson Park in West St. Paul said he was from the West 7th Area of St. Paul. There are, of course, play grounds in the West 7th area and nearby that are much closer. Why make the trip across the river? Perhaps his grandkids lived close to the Park. Perhaps like my wife and me, he was in search of new playground options for those days when he was blessed with the care of his grandkids. Or, perhaps he came to the Thompson Park playground because the newly created playground was “Woke.”