Downtown St. Paul Voice October 2022

Nowhere Haunted House now open

Downtown Paul

Sample St. Paul

Public Safety annex one step closer to the wrecking ball

Jake Spitzack Staff Writer

After a decade-long battle, it ap pears that downtown residents who have fought to expand Pedro Park to a full block in size will fi nally see their dream come true.

In mid-September, the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office completed an environmental review of the Public Safety annex (PSA) –which shares a lot line with Pedro Park – and determined that removal of the building will not affect the cultural value of the area. Therefore, the building can be demolished and the park expanded into its footprint.

Acting as spokesperson for the CapitolRiver Council’s Pedro Park Work Group, Ward 2 City Council member Rebecca Noecker said the next steps are to gain the mayor’s ap proval to demolish the building and give a 15-day notice to the public. The Group has already secured Com munity Development Block Grant dollars to fund demolition.

If the building is demolished, the parkland is expected to be brought up to grade with street level and made into a grassy area. Additional amenities would be added over time.

In the Pedro Park Work Group’s final plan for park expansion, it recom mended soon forming a philanthrop ic group – dubbed “Friends of Pedro Park” – to gather community input, make suggestions for the full-block park’s design and act as a primary

Disengaged

How a decrease in volunteerism is affecting our community

New downtown event center opening soon

Jake Spitzack Staff Writer

The owners of Sawatdee Thai Cuisine, 486 Robert St. N., recently acquired the adjacent Tin Whiskers brewery property and will transform it into an event venue. Remodeling is expected to begin in December and be finished early next year. Tin Whiskers closed in May af ter nearly 10 years in business.

The 4,000 square-foot event space will be called Abradar. It will seat 225, include a prep kitchen and fea ture catering service from Sawatdee and other caterers. Manager Cyndy Harrison said they may add space on the second floor to be used as prepa ration rooms for entertainers, brides and grooms and others.

Tim Spitzack Editor

You can see it across our community and across the country. Fewer and fewer people are investing their time in charitable organizations that help to improve society. This disengagement threatens to fray the safety nets that pro vide food and clothing for people facing economic hardships, tutors for children struggling in school, temporary hous ing for the homeless, assistance for se nior citizens, and the list goes on. While

the drop in volunteers was most evident during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic – when many were forced to step away for safety concerns – the trend began long before the pandemic first reared its ugly head.

According to the 2018 report “Where are America’s Volunteers? A Look at America’s Widespread Decline in Volun teering in Cities and States,” volunteering across the nation has declined dramati cally since the early 2000s. Published by The Do Good Institute at the University

Volunteers / Page

“This is an opportunity to expand our catering services,” said Harrison. “We have party rooms in the restau rant that seat 50 but that’s too small for most weddings, corporations and nonprofits. It’s also more expensive and more work to bring our cater ing off site…. People do come in and ask if we cater, and now we’ll be able to let them know we have our own space.” Harrison noted that the restaurant is catering 15 weddings this fall.

The company has restaurants in St. Paul, Minneapolis, Bloomington and Maple Grove. Last October, the Maple Grove and Minneapolis eater ies each got a robot named “DeeDee”

Art Crawl held back-to-back weekends in October; faces leadership change

Jake Spitzack Staff Writer

Rustic autumn leaves won’t be the only splash of color in St. Paul this month. Hundreds of art ists across the city will also brighten the landscape as they display and sell their creations during the St. Paul Fall Art Crawl, held Oct. 7-9 and 14-16. A handful of the 12 participating sites will also feature food, music

or other attractions.

Held twice yearly by the St. Paul Art Collective (SPAC) since 1977, the spring and fall Crawls were traditionally a 3-day event.

The pandemic forced cancel ations entirely in 2020 and in the spring of 2021. Last fall, the event returned in a new format that stretched over 12 weeks. This year’s spring crawl was spread across four weekends.

“Having these separated

weekends has really benefit ted some communities and artists,” said SPAC president David Evans. “I think one of the best benefits [of hav ing them spread out] is that artists can actually go see art and see the other ways that artists interpret what an art show is.” He added that the new format allows artists to display their work at more than one site, some of which vary in style. For example, some sites resemble a gallery

and others look more like an art fair.

Here’s what to expect:

The Northern Ware house, 308 Prince St., will be open 6-10 p.m., Oct. 7; noon-8 p.m., Oct. 8; and noon-5 p.m., Oct. 9. It will feature two galleries with more than a dozen artists at each, as well as 33 open stu dios on floors 2-6. AZ Gal lery will feature an opening reception with live music 5-8 p.m., Oct. 8. Studio

Sendero will feature period ic flamenco demonstrations throughout the weekend.

“The Sidewalk Salon,” a live music event showcasing local musicians, is held 6-10 p.m., Oct. 7, noon-6 p.m., Oct. 8, and noon-5 p.m., Oct. 9, at the corner of Broadway and Prince. Additionally, a food truck will be on Prince Street all weekend.

Union Depot, 240 E. Kel logg Blvd., will be open 5-9 p.m., Oct. 7; 10 a.m-8 p.m., Oct. 8; and 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Oct. 9. It will feature more

The Lowertown Lofts Artist Coop, 255 Kellogg Blvd E., will be open 6-10 p.m., Oct. 7; noon-8 p.m., Oct. 8; and noon-5 p.m., Oct. 9. The work of 30 art ists will be on display in gal lery spaces on the top three floors of the building. Addi tionally, music performances will take place in the atrium on the third floor.

Pedro

Sawatdee

JoAnn Ellingboe is one of several Umbrella Project volunteers who use plastic shopping bags to create sleeping mats for the homeless.

of Maryland, the report re vealed that Minnesota was among 32 states to have experienced a significant decrease in volunteerism during the study period. A December 2021 Gallup poll of 811 adults nationwide confirms that volunteer ism continues to slide: 56% volunteered in 2021, down from the 20-year high of 65% in 2013.

Here’s a look at how non profits in our community rely on volunteers, and areas in which they need help. Sta tistics reflect pre-pandemic numbers from 2019, and year-to-date as of August.

Catholic Charities

Catholic Charities, which operates the Higher Ground shelter in downtown St. Paul, served more than 20,000 people last year with tem porary housing, emergency shelter, free meals and other programs. They enlisted the help of 3,000 volunteers to provide these services.

“The past 2½ years have been a challenge as we all faced the COVID-19 pan demic,” said John Gambino, volunteer resources special

ist. “Thanks to the tireless work of our staff and volun teers, we were able to stay open 24/7 and never shut our doors to men, women and children who needed our services more than ever. When the pandemic hit, we continued our vol unteer operations and imple mented protocols to keep everyone safe and healthy. With many corporate orga nizations working remotely, many were unable to vol unteer with us on a regular basis.”

Gambino said some vol unteer groups have not yet returned, and that the need for help is as great as ever.

Catholic Charities has sev eral opportunities for both individuals and families to volunteer in St. Paul, pre paring and serving meals at Dorothy Day Place and as sisting with various needs at their distribution center. To volunteer, visit cctwincities. org/volunteer.

CLUES

CLUES was founded as Chicanos Latinos Unidos en Servicio in 1981 to provide culturally and linguistically

appropriate social services on St. Paul’s West Side, the most established Latino neighbor hood of the Twin Cities. In 2005, the name changed to Comunidades Latinas Uni das en Servicio and today has four locations: St. Paul, Minneapolis, Austin and Wilmar. CLUES had about 750 volunteers in 2019, and last year that number dropped to around 450. So far this year, 270 volunteers have helped support pro grams that provide housing stability, emergency food, employment assistance, ba sic education, direct cash emergency assistance, and COVID-19 vaccinations. The drop in volunteers dur ing the pandemic forced CLUES to scale down some programs and temporarily suspend others.

“Our community has not yet recovered from the im pact of the pandemic, and now with inflation we are seeing a continued need for emergency food and resources,” said Jennifer Galván-Bautista, manager of volunteer services. “Many of our programs rely on the support of our volunteers. Without their support, we would not be able to have these programs and make the impact that we do in our communities.”

CLUES offers a wide range of volunteer opportunities and is specifically recruiting mentors for its Youth in Ac tion program, which focuses on high school graduation and college access for lowincome Latino youth. To learn more about this and other volunteer opportuni ties, visit clues.org/volunteer or contact volunteer@clues. org or 651-379-4220.

Habitat for Humanity Habitat for Humanity Twin Cities has programs in the metro area that help people build a home, repair a home, and provide assistance with mortgage payments. It has seen a 5-fold decrease in volunteers since the pan demic began, dropping from 14,600 in 2019 to 2,900 in 2021. Traditionally, Habitat has been successful in getting groups of volunteers from local corporations to assist with projects. However, the work-from-home trend has affected the number of groups volunteering.

“We’re lucky to be in the Twin Cities where we have so many generous large cor porations headquartered,” said Amy Weiss, marketing coordinator. “Many of our corporate partners took a break from volunteering in 2020 and 2021 but re

Trends in volunteerism

A report published last year by the Minnesota Alliance for Volunteer Advancement revealed these notable trends in volunteerism:

• COVID-19 resulted in a mass exodus of vol unteers. The greatest decrease was in older adults.

• Other than the pandemic, the top reasons for the decrease were that “volunteers have less time” and “want shorter volunteer opportunities.”

• Nearly half of the organizations (47%) re ported that fewer people inquired about volunteer opportunities than in previous years.

• Volunteers continue to disproportionately be white people serving BIPOC communities.

Karmit Bulman, executive director, said these trends point to the need for nonprofits to reexamine how they work with volunteers, as well at the opportunities they provide. While she ac knowledged that people have scaled back in giving their time to nonprofits, she doesn’t think they’ve stopped doing “informal volunteering” projects that benefit the community. This may be raking someone’s yard, giving someone a ride to a medical appointment, picking up trash, etc.

To get people reengaged, Bulman said nonprof its must offer more remote and short-term service options, better communicate with volunteers, and make the application process fast and simple.

mained financial support ers of our work. Starting in 2021 and continuing in 2022, corporate groups have resumed volunteerism, though many have adapted a hybrid or total remote workplace. We’ve heard from partners that workers are re ally wanting to reconnect,

though in some instances there has been a reduction in volunteers. It’s hard to say if this is attributable to work from home.”

Habitat needs the greatest number of volunteers in late fall and winter to assist on homebuilding sites.

“When the weather gets

ommunity

colder and things slow down, we see a big drop in volunteers,” said Weiss. “Winter is a great time to volunteer at Habitat as we are often doing interior fin ishing and home renovation work, which is directly ap plicable for any homeowners or renters out there with a project of their own to com plete.”

To volunteer or for more information, visit tchabitat. org/volunteer.

Salvation Army

The most visible Salva tion Army volunteers are those who stand next to a red kettle and ring a bell during the holiday season. There are, however, many other ways that people can help the organization pro vide food, shelter and other services. Last year about 3,600 people lent a hand, approximately 30% fewer than before the pandemic. Nearly 2,000 have been in volved so far this year. The decrease in volunteers has af fected some of the Salvation Army’s programs.

“We did need to put some of our direct service oppor tunities on hold, such as mentoring or working with youth, but we did increase volunteers in food shelf and distribution opportunities,” said Volunteer Relations Director Sophie Crowell. “During the pandemic, a lot of our regular volunteers took a step back but we found a lot of new volun teers that were furloughed from work or just wanted to get out in the community to serve, and they raised their hands to join us for the first time.”

Providing shelter and food is central to the Salvation Ar my’s mission. Last year, the regional branch served about 1,000 people nightly across the state.

“Food insecurity has been one of the highest needs we have seen in the commu nity since the pandemic,” said Crowell. “We are able to share a box of food with someone in need so they can stretch their dollar to cover bills and expenses.”

Volunteers are needed in the metro area to pack food boxes and help with a com munity food distribution event.

“Trends show that vol unteers are looking to serve once or twice before moving on to different types of op portunities,” said Crowell. “That can be challenging for nonprofits to adjust to, as we are always looking to fill shifts year-round. But we welcome volunteers to come

and serve in a manner that works best for them and still makes a positive impact in our community.”

To volunteer or for more information, visit salvation armynorth.org/twin-cities/ volunteer or call Crowell at 651-746-3426.

Union Gospel Mission Twin Cities

For 120 years, the mission has served the homeless in the Twin Cities. Last year, 4,000 volunteers helped the mission serve more than 200,000 meals, distribute 125,000 pounds of food, provide mental health ser vices to nearly 4,500, and shelter nearly 900. Com munity Relations Director Sarah Peterka said the mis sion has seen an influx this year at its men’s campus, a result of the defunding of some city- and county-run temporary shelters that had been operating in local ho tels during the pandemic. The mission has a partner ship with Ramsey County to provide 20 beds. Recently, it has been particularly focused on the meal program, which provides three meals a day, each day of the year.

“Our biggest need is in our food service area,” said Peterka. “This is an easy place for volunteers to come and get to know Union Gos pel Mission Twin Cities. It is a two-hour commitment where you will help get the dining room ready, help prep the meal, serve the meal, and clean up the dining hall.”

The Mission has had to scale back some volunteer

tutoring services in its adult education and Naomi Fam ily programs but hopes to ramp them up again this fall. So far this year more than 2,600 have volunteered at the mission. The greatest need for volunteers is in the fall and winter. To volun teer, visit volunteers.ugmtc. org or contact Peterka at vol unteers@ugmtc.org or 651789-7645.

Umbrella Project

One area group that has successfully adjusted to the trend in micro-volunteering (short-term projects) is the Umbrella Project at the Thompson Park Activity Center, 1200 Stassen Ln., West St. Paul. The group of retirees was formed in 2007 with just three members and today has grown to more than 30.

“This has been extremely successful and is one of the greatest programs at Thomp son Park Activity Center,” said spokesperson Lisa M. Grathen. “It’s a really cre ative take on volunteering. Members can choose which projects they want to take part in…. The purpose of the group is to partner with other organizations to fill needs.”

The program stemmed from the national conversa tion of how the retirement of Baby Boomers will impact the economy and society. Wanting to turn that narra tive into something positive, Umbrella members began talking about the benefits Boomers can have on their communities by giving back.

While several projects happen simultaneously, one of the most popular is the group that has found a cre ative use for plastic shopping bags. Members take the plas tic and crochet it into sleep ing mats, which are donated to organizations that help the homeless. Other proj ects have included assisting English language learners at the Wellstone Center, food drives for Neighbors, Inc., mentoring refugee families through Lutheran Social Ser vices, and providing cards of encouragement to be deliv ered with Meals on Wheels.

One challenge the pro gram faces is getting men to volunteer. Currently, all members are female.

“We’ve tried hard but can’t get any [men],” said Gra then. “If any are interested in creating a group, I’ve got a great guy to lead it.”

All projects are determined by the group. To learn more, attend their next meeting on October 10, or call 651403-8300. The group meets 10-11:30 a.m., the second Monday of each month.

Simple ways to reengage

According to Civic Champs, a public benefit corporation founded in 2019 to “ignite volunteer service, strengthen nonprofits, and improve lives and communi ties,” today’s volunteers are looking for ways to directly interact with the people ben efitting from their volunteer service, and many are look ing for short-term projects, which reduces the likelihood of “volunteer burnout.”

Data from the U.S. Bu reau of Labor and Statis tics show that the greatest number of volunteers in the United States are age 35-54. The least likely to volunteer are ages 20-24. Retirees are another source for the volunteer pool, and that demographic will be come increasing larger in the coming years. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, approximately 10,000 Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) are reaching retirement age each day, with the entire generation reach ing age 65 or older in 2030.

Based on the 2020 Census,

the nation has about 73 mil lion Boomers.

If you’ve been sitting on the sidelines for awhile and are ready to reengage, or are looking to volunteer for the first time, connect with a nonprofit that supports a cause that’s near and dear to your heart. Most offer micro-volunteering oppor tunities, which can improve the community, and perhaps your health. According to the Do Good Institute’s report and numerous other studies, volunteering has been shown to improve a person’s emotional, mental and even physical health. In addition, it helps improve interpersonal relationships by building trust, providing social interaction, promot ing teamwork and allowing people to learn new skills.

Of course, not all volun teering is done through an organization. Many people find joy in helping a neigh bor by mowing their lawn or shoveling their sidewalk, visiting the elderly or mak ing a meal for the sick, or contributing to the needs of their faith community.

Fall Crawl

than 30 artists, live music throughout the weekend and a chance to win a prize basket. Additionally, visitors can get free hot cider noon-2 p.m., Oct. 8-9.

The Northwestern Build ing, 275 4th St. E., will be open 5-9 p.m., Oct. 7; noon8 p.m., Oct. 8; and noon-5

Volunteer In Your Community

Lutheran Social Service of MN is seeking volun teers age 55+ in your area to provide companionship to older adults or mentor school-age children.

Volunteers serve 10 or more hours per week for tax-free stipend and mileage reimbursement. Please contact Jacqueline James at 651.310.9455, or Jacqueline.James@lssmn. org for more information and to make an impact in your community.

p.m., Oct. 9. It will feature more than 15 artists display ing work in their studios.

Urban Wok, 209 4th St. E., will be open 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Oct. 7-9 and 14-16, and feature three to five art ists and possibly live music.

Master Framers , 262 E. Fourth St., will feature paintings, pottery and more Oct. 7-9.

Schmidt Artist Lofts, 900 W. 7th Pl., will be open 6-9 p.m., Oct. 7; noon-7 p.m., Oct. 8, and noon-5 p.m., Oct. 9. It will feature more than 40 artists, as well as artmaking demonstrations.

Friedli Gallery, 943 W. 7th St., will be open noon7 p.m., Oct. 8, and noon-5 p.m., Oct. 9. It will feature six artists.

Virginia Street Church, 170 Virginia St., will be open 5 p.m., Oct. 7-9. It will feature 15 artists exhibiting works in glass, paint, pot tery, photography, jewelry and more. Additionally, the event will feature live music.

Milligan Studio, 459 Sel by Ave., will be open noon-7 p.m., Oct. 7 and 8, and 1-6 p.m., Oct. 9. No details were available as of presstime.

George Latimer Central Library, 90 W. 4th St., will feature four artists in the Bremer Room 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 8. Free smores will be handed out at 1 p.m. at an outdoor fire pit near Rice Park.

F.O.K. Studios , 106 Water St., will be open 5-9 p.m., Oct. 14, and noon-5 p.m., Oct. 15 and 16. Ap proximately 30 artists will display their work in studios on the fourth and fifth floors and at indoor guest artist booths. Interactive art dem onstrations and food trucks will be on site throughout the weekend. Those who purchase artwork will receive a sticker that will provide discounts at select eateries in St. Paul all weekend.

Dow Art Gallery, 2242 University Ave., will be open 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Oct. 14, and 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Oct. 15. It will feature more than 35 artists in the first-floor gal lery, and some artist studios

will be open to the public as well. The gallery will of fer light refreshments. Live music is scheduled for the evenings.

Evans passes the baton

After nearly 45 years of organizing the art crawls and other art-related events, SPAC is facing an uncertain future due to a dwindling bank account and a transi tion in leadership. SPAC president David Evans is retiring in November after 39 years on the board, and approximately 10 years as president. He said the or ganization’s budget has de creased dramatically since fall 2020 – from $100,000 to $12,000 – and that the board is now reexamining the role of the nonprofit. Historically, SPAC has re ceived funding from catalog advertising, membership dues and donations. They last printed the catalog in 2020.

“We’ve positioned them [the artists] to a point where

they are in control of their own events instead of having a centralized event coordina tor,” said Evans. “Now the question is what the collec tive’s role is…. The board has a responsibility to try to guide things in a way that’s sustainable. That, to me, is a reason for the Collective to exist. In fact, it is the reason the Collective was formed back in 1977.”

The board currently has six members, two of whom were added this year. Other than Evans, none have been on the board for more than two years. No one has yet

been identified to succeed Evans as president.

“I’ve been working on educating them [the board] about things we’ve done in the past,” said Evans. “I have faith in the people who are on the board right now and that they really believe that the Collective serves a purpose and that it could be done more effectively. The Collective doesn’t have to exist unless the artists want it to exist. It is a collective. It is for them all.”

For more information, visit stpaulartcollective.org.

Sawatdee

from page 1

to help with running dishes to and from tables. The St. Paul restaurant has stairs, which make it impossible to use a robot there. However, the new event space could get one in the future. Har rison said all the restaurants have been short-staffed since the onset of COVID-19 and that the robots have been helpful during busy hours. She noted that DeeDee doesn’t replace servers, and that guests – especially kids – are typically excited to see the robot.

Sawatdee is a familyowned business. It was founded by Harrison’s mother, Supenn Harrison, in 1983. Now, Cyndy and her sister Jenny Reilly oversee

operations of each restaurant and the catering service. In May, the company began op erating a food truck, bring ing Thai food to festivals and breweries in Minnesota.

“My mom has always been a risk taker,” said Harrison. “When she opened the res taurant in the 1980s [in Low ertown] it was the only Thai place. We kind of became

the university of Thai food, and others started opening after us.” She added that her favorite part of operating the restaurants is working alongside their tight-knit staff, some of whom have worked there for 30 years. For more information, call 651-528-7106 or visit sawat dee.com.

Evans is retiring after 39 years on the board.

Jenny Reilly, Supenn Harrison, and Cyndy Harrison

fundraising arm for park im provements. Improvements are anticipated to be funded by city and private fundrais ing.

Previous design proposals created by the city of St. Paul Parks and Recreation de partment called for a water feature, artistic focal point, concrete sidewalks and pa tios, play equipment, shade structure, seating and more. Additionally, a new piece of community art would likely be added to replace the mu ral on the PSA building.

Pedro Park is currently a .45-acre park located near the intersection of 10th St. E and Robert St. N. The land was donated by the Pedro Family for park use in 2009. The Pedro luggage building was demolished in 2011. The site became a topic of controversy in 2017 when the city vacated the adjacent PSA building and planned to sell it to a developer rather than expand the park, as was implied in the city’s Fitzger ald Park Precinct Plan that was adopted in 2006. A

member of the Pedro fam ily and the citizen’s group Help Save Pedro Park sued the city, but it was found that the PSA wasn’t explic itly planned to be used for that purpose. In 2019, the city sold the building to a developer. That developer pulled out in 2021 with out having done any work to the site. The Pedro Park Work Group was formed to examine the history of the project and potential future of the site. For more infor mation on the Pedro Park Work Group’s final report, visit capitolrivercouncil.org/ pedroworkgroup.

Events abound at George Latimer Central Library

Jake Spitzack Staff Writer

The George Latimer Central Library, 90 W. 4th St., is getting back into full swing and is host ing the following events in October.

Library after Dark: Game Night, 6-7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 12, in the Magazine room on the third floor. The event features an assortment of card and board games for adults and chil dren.

Craft Circle, 6-7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 26, in the Innovation Lab on the third floor. Visitors can bring craft projects to work on and network with other creative people. Staff will be present to give some guidance on crochet, knitting, embroi dery and more. Puzzles will be available for those who

don’t have a craft project. The event is tailored to teens and adults. Reservations are required.

Theatre Explorers , 1011:30 a.m., Tuesdays in Oc tober, in the youth services area on the first floor. Staff from SteppingStone The atre for Youth will facilitate group songs and stories, art stations and independent play time. Each week has a new theme. Materials are provided.

Other ongoing events in clude:

Baby and Toddler Sto rytime, 10:30-11:30 a.m., Thursdays through Decem ber. The storytimes include group reading, songs and age-appropriate toys. Ages three and under.

Talk to a Social Work er, 1-5 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays through Decem ber. Meet one-on-one with

a social worker for informa tion on housing options, food and SNAP benefits, and legal resources.

Discussion Group for Women Living Home less, 1-2 p.m., Wednesdays through December, in the Otto Bremer room on the

first floor. Transportation is available. For more infor mation, call Meghan or Josie from People Incorporated Street Outreach at 651-2283912.

Community Resource Outreach Project, 10 a.m.noon, Thursdays through

December, in the Otto Bremer room on the first floor. Get assistance with services related to housing, shelter access, identification, healthcare, chemical depen dency and more. For more information, call 651-2667000 or visit sppl.org.

If St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter grants his approval, the Public Safety annex will be demolished this fall. 1

History Center

345 W. Kellogg Blvd. St. Paul 651-259-3000

mnhs.org

Our Home: Native Min nesota features historic and contemporary photographs, maps and artifacts. Visitors learn how Minnesota’s Na tive communities have re tained cultural practices, teachings and values. Other exhibits include “Then Now Wow,” “Minnesota’s Greatest Generation,” “Grainland” and “Weather Permitting.” The Center is open 10 a.m.4 p.m., Thursday-Sunday. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and college students and $8 for children ages five to 17.

History Theatre

30 E. 10th St. St. Paul 651-292-4323

Historytheatre.com

“Buddy! The Buddy Holly Story” is presented on select dates through Oc tober 30. Set in 1959, young musician Buddy Holly rises to the top of the music in dustry in just four years.

Part bio-musical, part rock ’n roll concert, guests will learn about the late star and hear some of his biggest hits. Tickets are $20.

Landmark Center

75 5th St. W. St. Paul 651-292-3225

landmarkcenter.org

“History Play: Alvin Karpis: The Last Public Enemy #1” is presented

7-9 p.m., Oct. 6-7, and 2-4 p.m., Oct. 9, at the F.K. Weyerhaeuser auditorium.

Alvin “Creepy” Karpis was the last 1930s gangster to be named public enemy #1 by the FBI. The play explores his life, the Barker-Karpis gang’s infamous kidnappings and Karpis’s fate after his tri al at the federal courthouse in St. Paul. $10.

Ballet Tuesdays, noon-1 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 11, in the Musser Cortile. Dancers from Ballet Co.Laboratory will perform excerpts from the company repertoire. Free.

Courtroom Concerts –The following free concerts are held at noon: Julia and Irina Elkina, Thursday, Oct. 13; Mill City String Quar tet, Thursday, Oct. 20; Laura Caviani and David Milne,

Thursday, Oct. 27.

Light in the Well, 2-3:30 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 16, at the F.K. Weyerhaeuser audi torium. This multi-sensory music event weaves together music with real-life stories of people with disabilities. Res ervations required. Free.

Annie Mack concert , 8-10 p.m., Friday, Oct. 21, at the F.K. Weyerhaeuser

auditorium. A cocktail hour begins at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door.

Saint Paul Civic Sym phony Concert, 1-3 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 23, in the Musser Cortile. Free.

Gangster Ghost Tour, 6-9 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 26. Cross paths with the ghosts of gangsters and long

departed judges and see Landmark Center through the eyes of St. Paul’s most fa mous and infamous inhabit ants. Tours depart every 15 minutes and last one hour. Tickets are $10. Advance purchase required. Tickets are available through Oct. 1.

Great Pumpkin Hallow een Festival, 1-3 p.m., Sun day, Oct. 30, in the Musser

Sherlock Holmes: The Exhibition at the Minnesota History Center

S ample St. Paul

Cortile. Enjoy Halloween festivities including live en tertainment, crafts, treats and a costume parade. Free.

MN Children’s Museum

10 7th St. W. St. Paul 651-225-6000 mcm.org

The Amazing Castle , is featured through Jan. 8, 2023. Travel back in time to a magical place where medieval storybook char acters come to life. Explore eight themed areas and get to know the characters that make the castle a commu nity.

Halloween Spooktacu lar, 6-9 p.m., Oct. 29-30. Trick or treat and enjoy other activities at this “ohso-fun, not-so-scary” event. Visitors are encouraged to wear costumes.

Imaginopolis: Nature Remix opens Oct. 1. Visi tors are transported into a se cret forest where everything is recognizable, but with a whimsical twist. Pretend to bake sweet treats in a squir rel’s house, create a home

from oversized leaves and fish scales, and more.

Other exhibits and activi ties include The Scramble, The Studio, Creativity Jam, Sprouts, Backyard, Our World, Forces at Play, Su per Awesome Adventures, Imaginopolis and the Tip Top Terrace.

The museum is open 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Tues.-Sun. Tickets are $14.95. Admis sion is free the first Sunday of each month; reservations are required. The next free date is Oct. 2.

History Center

345 W. Kellogg Blvd. St. Paul 651-259-3000 mnhs.org

Sherlock Holmes: The Exhibition is featured through April 2, 2023. Visi tors can learn about areas of forensic science and engage in interactive crime-solving exercises. View original manuscripts, period arti facts, and investigative tools used by Sherlock Holmes.

Other exhibits include “Minnesota’s Greatest Gen eration,” “Then Now Wow,”

“Grainland” and “Weather Permitting.” The Center is open 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Thurs.-Sun. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and college students and $8 for children ages five to 17.

MN Museum of American Art

350 Robert St. N. St. Paul 651-797-2571 mmaa.org

In Our Minds, is on dis play in the museum’s win dow space through October 16. Presented in partnership with Interact Center for the Visual and Performing Arts, this exhibit celebrates artmaking as a form of research, improvisation and play.

Off the Deep End, a digi tal mural printed on vinyl, is on display in the Jackson Street skyway bridge be tween 4th and 5th Streets through March 15, 2023. The artwork was created by 19 students from the St. Paul Conservatory for Per forming Artists and explores the theme of metaphorical rising sea level.

Ordway Center

345 Washington St. St. Paul 651-224-4222 ordway.org

Ordway Inside Out , 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 1. Experience a free Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra concert streamed live from the Ordway Concert Hall onto a giant screen in Rice Park. Renowned pia-nist and com poser Conrad Tao will lead a program built around Wolf gang Amadeus Mozart’s Pi ano Concerto No. 24. Food trucks will be available at 7 p.m. Bring a lawn chair or blanket.

“The Stranger” is pre sented 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 15, and 3:30 p.m., Oct. 16. Tickets start at $42.

“Six: The Musical” is presented 7:30 p.m., October 25-28, and 2 and 7:30 p.m., Octo ber 29-30. Tickets start at $55.50.

Park Square Theatre

20 W. 7th Place St. Paul 651-291-7005 parksquaretheatre.org

“The Humans” is pre sented through October 9. Both funny and chilling, the play follows three-gen erations of the Blake family as they assemble for Thanks giving and navigate the chal lenges of everyday life.

“Fire in the New World” is presented October 19-No vember 6. Private eye Sam Shikaze fights crime and dis crimination in Vancouver’s Japantown in the years fol lowing World War II. When the Japanese-American wife of an ambitious real estate developer goes missing, Sam is on the case in this savvy detective caper.

RiverCentre

175 W. Kellogg Blvd. St. Paul 651- 265-4800 rivercentre.org

Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon Health & Fit ness Expo, 11 a.m.-8 p.m., September 30, and 10 a.m.7 p.m., October 1. Visitors can explore running and fit ness gear and learn nutrition tips. Free.

Another Mother Runner podcast recording party, 2 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 1.

View a live taping of the podcast, featuring guest Katie Mark of On the Mark Therapy. Registration re quired. Free.

American Craft Made, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., October 7-8, and 11 a.m.-5 p.m., October 9. Shop hand made items from more than 150 artists from across the country. Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door.

Show Me Reptile Show, 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Satur day, Oct. 15. Tickets start at $10; free for children 12 and under.

Schubert Club 302 Landmark Center 75 W. 5th St. St. Paul 651-292-3268 schubert.org Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Chamber Ensemble concert, 4 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 9 at Saint An thony Park United Church of Christ. Tickets start at $23.

KidsJam: Celebration Haitian Cultural Heritage Sample St. Paul / Page 8

with Afoutayi, 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, Oct. 25, in court room 317. Visitors may lis ten to Haitian music, create a folk instrument and learn about Haitian culture. Tick ets start at $5.

Science Museum of Minnesota

120 W. Kellogg Blvd. St. Paul 651-221-9444

smm.org

Nature All Around Us is presented October 15-Janu ary 22, 2023. Discover the hidden worlds and rich ecosystems within familiar

places and explore the nat ural world’s interconnected engineering solutions: how trees cool neighborhoods, how streams carry storm water away from homes and how spending time in nature keeps people healthy.

Cardboard City is on display through November 13. Visitors may build with cardboard.

Omnitheater films“Into America’s Wild” is presented through October 14. Explore fantastical wild places and the human con nection we all share with the natural world.

“Backyard Wilder ness” is presented October

P ostscript

The Redhead and Cat

Here’s the thing: I’m not superstitious.

It all started when I was in Mexico, visiting a gallery, and saw a painting across the room. The composition was striking. The bottom third was black and the top two-thirds were filled with a deep blue sky and great white clouds rising from the horizon. A bare tree stood on the right side, and on the left was a full moon. I felt pulled into the gallery and across the room to see the picture, and that’s when the figures in the foreground

Carrie Classon CarrieClasson.com

became clear.

Standing beside the tree were a woman and a cat. The woman had brilliant red hair. The cat was small and gray, and I felt something in me stir.

15-January 31, 2023. Peek inside dens, nests and ponds to meet the creatures that live there.

“Dream Big” is presented through December 31. Ex plore engineering marvels from around the world and learn how engineers push the limits of innovation in unexpected ways.

“Stellar Tours Digital Telescope Show” is pre sented at 2 p.m., Satur days and Sundays, October 15-November 20. Guests can choose their own space tour and glimpse the far thest reaches of the universe.

Theater tickets are $9.95,

with discounts for children and seniors.

Sensory Friendly Sun day is hosted the first Sun day of the month. Visitors can experience a lights-up, sound-down Omnitheater show at 10 a.m. The pro gram was created in consul tation with the Autism So ciety of Minnesota. Tickets range from $9.95-$34.90, with discounts available for those with limited incomes. Admission is free for per sonal care attendants when visiting with a client.  Museum tickets are $19.95, with discounts for children and seniors.

Union Depot 214 4th St. E. St. Paul 651-202-2700 uniondepot.org BooNion Depo is held 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 30. Visitors can create pumpkin crafts, dance to a DJ, trick-or-treat and more. The first 500 kids under age 12 will receive a tote for can dy. Visitors are encouraged to dress in costumes.

Other events include Yoga Sculpt, Virtual Noon Yoga, Free Wednesday Night Yoga, Saturday Morning Yoga, Games Galore, Trivia Night at Station 81 and Riffs, Rails and Cocktails.

Xcel Center 199 W. Kellogg Blvd. St. Paul 651-726-8240 xcelenergycenter.com WWE Monday Night Raw, 6:30 p.m., Monday, Oct. 3. Tickets start at $20.

Chris Stapleton performs with special guests Elle King and Morgan Wade, 7 p.m., Friday, Oct. 7. Tickets start at $189.11.

Lizzo performs with spe cial guest Latto, 8 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 11. Tickets start at $117.

Grupo Firme performs 8 p.m., Friday, Oct. 21. Ticket prices were not available as of presstime.

“The Redhead and Cat,” the painting was called.

My best girlfriend, Angel, my biggest support to me when I started writing, had been a redhead, and my cat, Lucy, my muse every step of the way, was a small gray cat. They were both now long dead, but there they were, in front of this blue sky with the rising moon in the background.

I’m not superstitious, but having those two looking over me as I wrote seemed like a good idea. I brought the painting home to the U.S. and finally got around to hanging it up just the other day.

That’s when funny things started happening.

I’ve been grumpy. It’s nothing big, nothing im portant, just the usual stuff

that adds up, like paper cuts, working with no ap parent progress, feeling alone, wondering if I’m on the right track. Wondering if there is a track at all. That sort of thing.

It wears at the soul when hopefulness starts to fray, and instead of facing the day with excitement, I just feel tired.

As I hung the painting, I tipped my head back and lost my balance. My favor ite reading glasses slipped off my head and onto the floor just in time for me to catch myself and step on them. Crunch.

I grumbled. They were prescription glasses. Grum ble.

The next day, still grumpy, I sat down at my computer

and, to my surprise, found I had typed:

] am rtrtuyi]ng rto “What the heck?!” I tried again.

] am rtrtuyi]ng rto

I unplugged my keyboard and plugged it in again. I got the same results. The keyboard was unusable. I grumbled again. I reached for a pen to take notes. My hand felt wet. The pen had exploded, and my hand was covered in ink.

It wasn’t until then that I remembered the painting on my wall.

Honestly, I’m not super stitious but I did ask them, after all. Directly or indi rectly, I asked my two loyal companions to help me, to both encourage me and, I guess, show me the error

of my ways when I got lost, when I was grumpy, or failed to remember what matters.

What matters is the glori ous journey. What matters is this wonderful day. Sure, it’s corny, and it’s been said so many times that sometimes it loses its meaning, but that doesn’t make it any less true.

This time when I’m sit ting at my desk, this time is sacred. It is short. It is pre cious. And I am a fool not to rejoice in the little time I have.

So, Angel and Lucy are watching over me. They might be doing no more than that. Perhaps, from time to time, they take a more active hand and pro vide me with a much-needed reminder of what a great fool I can be.

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{ THE FULLER FILES

A proposed drop-in center for homeless people planned for the site of the former Red’s Savoy Pizza on East 7th Street is being chal lenged in court by 15 area businesses. The group is su ing the city and Listening House, which had operated a drop-in shelter on West 7th Street for several months until closing after neighbors complained about litter, vagrancy, theft and assault. The lawsuit seeks to stop the transfer of $1.4 million in tax increment financing that the city is providing to sup port the project. The group says the city failed to provide proper advance notice to the public.

In related news, a fed eral judge has ruled that the personal belongings of homeless people cannot be placed in the trash when a homeless camp is removed from public property. U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota Judge Wil helmina Wright ruled that while homeless people may be removed from structures that have been unlawfully constructed, their personal possessions and documents cannot be destroyed since

they present no threat to public safety.

Capitol Area Archi tectural Planning Board (CAAPB) approved a zoning change to allow construction of a mental health facility on the site of the former Bethes da Hospital, which will be demolished. The Board also approved new guidelines for removing or modifying monuments and statues on the State Capitol grounds.

St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter is using $1.5 mil lion in funding from the American Rescue Plan Act to improve security at the city’s library system. Possi ble changes include adding a library safety specialist or staff member who is trained to address problems.

Catherine Penkert is stepping down as director of the St. Paul Public Library system after serving four years. Barb Sporlein has been named interim director. Pen kert was first employed by the city in 2008 as a project manager for the Parks and Recreation Department. During her tenure, late fees for overdue books were elim inated.

Appetite for Change

} by Roger Fuller

nonprofit food organization has received a $1.5 million grant from an anonymous sponsor to support its pro grams. The nonprofit runs Station 81 Drink and Eatery at the St. Paul Union Depot, Breaking Bread Café in Min neapolis, and sponsors urban gardens, cooking classes and youth training programs.

St. Paul-based Junior Achievement North will re ceive $1.9 million of a $38.5 million gift to the national organization from Macken zie Scott, ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Junior Achievement provides young people with knowledge and skills needed to make good academic and economic de cisions.

St. Paul Saints attendance ranks in the top 10 among the 120 teams in Minor League Baseball. Home games this year averaged about 6,800 at the 7,200seat CHS Field.

The St. Paul Farmers’ Market is installing over head radiant heaters for use in the fall and winter. A $20,000 federal grant helped pay for the heaters.

Residents are asked not to put plastic bags in the

recycling bins because they can jam the processing ma chinery. Other items not allowed are cords, sharp objects, needles, large plas tic items, scrap metal, haz ardous waste, batteries and electronics.

American Cruise Line will make its last stops of the year at Lambert Landing in Lowertown on Oct. 7 and 21. The boats will be on an 8-day round-trip cruise from St. Louis.

Laugh Camp Comedy Club, 490 N. Robert St.,

will present nationally known comedians in October: Matt Braunger, Oct. 7-8; Gabriel Rutledge, Oct. 14-15; Irene Tu, Oct. 21-22; and Daniel Eachus, Oct. 28-29.

SubText Books, 6 W. 5th St., will present Karen Coo per, author of “When Min nehaha Flowed with Whis key” at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 12.

Minnesota Sinfonia will hold a concert at 7 p.m., Oct. 28 at Metro State University.

Cellist Dmitry Kouzou will perform works by Tchai

kovsky and the Sinfonia will perform the Second Sympho ny by Louise Farrenc.

Penumbra Theatre , 270 N. Kent, will present “Weathering,” a play by Harrison David Rivers, Oct. 13-Nov. 6.

The Skyway Walking group is resuming this fall. The group meets at 9 a.m. on Tuesdays at the First Na tional Bank lobby near the security desk for a half-hour casual walk through a 1.5mile route in the skyway system.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

‘Both/and’ approach at Bethesda Hospital

For decades, Bethesda Hospital has served as a bea con of hope and healing in the community. When CO VID hit our state in March 2020, Bethesda rose to the challenge, becoming Min nesota’s first medical facility to specifically treat patients infected with coronavirus. Now, Bethesda is address ing a new need: mental health. This development is tremendous news for St. Paul. Mental health is a ma jor issue in our city and we are facing a critical need to provide facilities and beds for mental health patients. The proposed location for this new mental health fa

cility is fitting, too, advanc ing Bethesda’s long legacy of service and healing in the Capitol Hill community. However, current plans in volve the complete demoli tion of the existing facility, including the iconic Bethes da tower façade, a small but historically significant piece of St. Paul history and an ir replaceable example of Art Deco architecture. Art Deco is a quintessentially Ameri can style of architecture that features hand-crafted artisanal elements such as terra cotta, brick work and dramatic lighting, often in tegrating the original works of prominent artists within the structures. Bethesda isn’t the only sig

nificant piece of Art Deco ar chitecture in the Twin Cities, though. Many of the metro’s most beloved sites such as St. Paul City Hall, Ramsey County Courthouse, and Harriet Island Regional Park were built in the art deco tra dition, too. These Art Deco buildings are few, and they are worth preserving. But unlike the other buildings mentioned, only a small part of Bethesda Hospital was built in Art Deco style. That’s why we advocate for a “both/and” approach: to de molish the existing building while preserving the tower facade for future genera tions. We urge the develop ers to honor the past and prepare for the future, and

ensure that Bethesda remains a beacon for our community for years to come. We look forward to the updates that will be made to the hospital that will allow it to contin ue to serve all of those who need it.

Sandy Pappas State Sena tor (DFL-St. Paul)

James Garrett Jr., 4RM+ULA architecture and design firm

Concerns about public transit

When I opened my downtown gallery in 1994, I began using public transit. Several years later the Met ropolitan Council wanted to raise bus fares to cover “in creased operating expenses” from seventy-five cents to $1.25, a big jump that most riders opposed. At their

public hearing I said, “until you get the issue of growing misconduct on buses under control, you have no right to raise fares on those who are behaving themselves.” After ward, an employee came to me and quietly said, “There is no political will to help us.”

Five years ago, this council began installing clear shield doors to protect bus drivers from assault, and basic tran sit fares today are $2.

During the 2007-2011 planning process for Green Line light rail transit (LRT), I warned at length that crime would be a consequence of installing “honor-system’” LRT in St. Paul (most cities with rail transit have fences and gates around their sta tion platforms to secure payment). In the years since

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Green Line’s opening in 2014, predictably, thousands of instances of crime have occurred. Many violent, and even deadly. Most attributed to non-paying users. Security costs have sky rocketed, revenues have plummeted, and countless good people will not ride anymore for safety reasons. “Political” plans to address this (outlined in The Down town St. Paul Voice’s August issue) do not include end ing the “honor system,” and county plans to install honor system Gold Line LRT from downtown to the Mall of America via West 7th Steet continue unabated.

Bill Hosko Downtown resident, busi ness owner and candidate for Ramsey County Board

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Ready good fun?

Nowhere Haunted House now open Mark Gallagher Contributor

As a little boy, Adam Peck was fascinated with the scary part of life. By age 3, he was cutting out shapes of monsters from pa per grocery bags and soon had a large collection that he carried around to cre ate spooky scenarios. As he grew, a few of his uncles would terrify him with hor ror movies but he came to really like those flicks. By age 13, Peck was helping organize haunted houses at churches in Cottage Grove

and Inver Grove Heights.

The following year, he started working for a local haunted house and hayride business.

“After doing that for one season, I was certain this is what I should do,” said Peck. “I just kind of caught the bug.” Ten years ago he started his own production company, “Haunt Armada.”

His original vision was sim ply to build camaraderie be tween a group of people who loved attending and working at Halloween venues. That led to Peck and three of his business partners operating a haunted house out of a pole barn. Since the barn wasn’t climate controlled, they

were limited to the amount of time they could operate.

Today, the company has expanded by opening No where Haunted House, a 2-building, 20,000-squarefoot scare-a-thon that opened in mid-September near South Robert Trail and I-494 in Inver Grove Heights. One building in the complex is a haunted house with five zones of frightful fun, and the other has a Halloween-themed minia ture golf course and an ar cade with dozens of games. Tickets start at $20.

“This building was always in the cards,” said Peck. “It’s an indoor attraction where we have more control over

things, and we are less at the mercy of the elements. There were plenty of times when we would be rained out at our former location. We slowly got to talking and planned out this whole thing…. We are going to be one of the only all-indoor haunted at tractions in Minnesota.”

The venue will be open at other times of the year as well, including Christmas and some other holidays. Each holiday will have its own scary theme. For ex ample, you might find freaky elves at Christmas, creepy cherubs on Valentine’s Day, and zombie leprechauns on St. Patrick’s Day.

“We brought in some things from the previous at traction, but pretty much for this entire attraction we’re starting from scratch,” said Peck. “Probably 80% of ev erything is going to be brand new. We will redo some of our old costumes and masks, but for the most part all of the animatronics (lifelike ro bots) and all the set design pieces will be brand new.”

Most of the animatron ics have motion sensors that, when triggered, lead to a 20-second animation. Some of the animatronics are built from scratch and programmed; others are pur chased from vendors already preprogrammed.

a couple different nights where we collect winter clothing for kids,” he said.

“We are also going to do a Halloween costume drive for lower-income families who can’t necessarily afford to buy Halloween costumes for their kids. They will be able to come here and pick out a free costume.”

They also plan to offer free admission for a few hours early on Halloween night

collect non-perishable do nations for Neighbors, Inc. food shelf.

“I have been doing Hal loween productions for about 25 to 26 years,” said Peck. “I’ve been trying to get a little more creative and innovative during those years and am also trying to accumulate more stuff to enhance our attractions. I think we have gotten better. We’ve learned that every year

The Nowhere Haunted House crew promoting their venue this summer at a community event.

Mike Reimer leads the company’s animatronics department.