Downtown St. Paul Voice Nov. 2020 by St. Paul Publishing Co.

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Volume 26 | Number 11

Your Community News & Information Source

November 2020

Sheltering the homeless

A time to honor our veterans Tim Spitzack Editor

Tara Flaherty Guy Contributor

riving along West 12th Street near the State Capitol, one can catch a glimpse of the USS Ward Gun near the Veterans Service Building. Passing by, it’s impossible to appreciate the significance of the once-powerful 50-caliber naval war gun that was placed there in 1958 as a memorial. It’s altogether a different experience to touch the cold steel of the historic weapon and read the names of its crew members, as I did recently. I let my mind drift back to the “day in infamy” 79 years ago when a 9-member crew of young men from St. Paul were among those on board the USS Ward destroyer as it patrolled the entrance of Pearl Harbor in the early morning hours of Dec. 7, 1941. On that day, the gun was brand new and manned by naval reservists from St. Paul. Painted battleship grey, the 4-inch gun has seats on each side that resemble a tractor seat, and sturdy foot braces. It doesn’t take much to imagine two brave sailors seated there, legs taut, feet firmly planted and hearts pumping wildly as they get a bead on a Japanese midget submarine trying to infiltrate the harbor. With a booming blast, a shell speeds across the rolling chop of the South Pacific and strikes the sub. Other crew members drop depth charges, and the sub and its 2-man crew sink to their demise. Not long after, more than 350 Japanese planes thundered overhead and rained fire upon the Veterans Day / Page 6

Time to vote: General election is Nov. 3 Tim Spitzack Editor

he General election is just around the corner. If you haven’t voted early by mail, mark your calendar for Tuesday, Nov. 3 to exercise your civic duty at the polls. In addition to the U.S. presidential race, voters in the Downtown St. Paul Voice distribution area will cast votes for their preferred candidate in both the U.S. and State senate and house of representatives. Here are the candidates in those races. Each was given multiple opportunities to submit a candidate statement. Visit www.sos.state. mn.us/elections-voting for links to candidate websites, as well as information on voter registration, how to find your polling place, and to see a sample ballot.

Voter’s Guide / Page 2

n a year fundamentally shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic, perhaps nowhere—apart from families suffering the grievous loss of loved ones—has the impact been felt more keenly than among homeless people, and the local government agencies trying to help them find safe, reliable shelter. In October of last year, the City of St. Paul counted 26 people living in outdoor encampments; the latest estimate in late September was 300. Concerned with the approaching winter, the City of St. Paul and Ramsey County announced in late September they were working on a joint plan to find 100 additional shelter beds before Nov. 1. Their multifaceted effort was a piecemeal project, originally centered on expanding existing shelter spaces, finding other buildings, and renting hotel rooms. On Oct. 6, M Health Fairview unexpectedly announced it planned to close both Bethesda Hospital and St. Joseph’s Hospital downtown, and lease Bethesda to Ramsey County as a homeless shelter with a projected open date of December 1. The announcement was met with shock and consternation in the neighborhood near the historic Bethesda property, which had operated as a community hospital since 1883. Discussions had begun in midSeptember when M Health Fairview informed the County of its plan and Homelessness / Page 5

St. Paul Public Schools to hire 50+ for security and support Tim Spitzack Editor

t. Paul Public Schools is on a hiring spree and over the next two years will add more than 50 staff members to its security and emergency management team (SEM). The majority will replace the former school resource officers (SRO) from the St. Paul Police Department and security guards now being

contracted through a private firm. The District will spend $4 million to hire 34 school support liaisons, seven social workers, five psychologists, four counselors and two licensed nurses—all full-time positions with benefits. The liaisons will fill duties now provided by security guards. The others are new positions designed to support the District’s goal of making security and safety more relational

and student-centered. The SEM department typically has around 60 members. Prior to the District ending its SRO contract with the Police department at the end of June, SEM had 11 support staff, 42 security guards, seven school resource officers and five community school liaisons. The District typically spends about $775,000 for staffing SEM services at its 73 schools and facilities and also contracts

with private mental health providers to support students. Restructuring was approved by the School Board in 2019 but planning has been in the works for three years, according to SEM Director Laurie Olson. She also said St. Paul Public Schools is the first district to incorporate such a program. “It’s all about taking a security function into a whole other realm,” said Olson.

“It’s being proactive, with intervention and restorative efforts. We want more control and take more of a student-centered approach. This is going to be a program that really leads the way.” The District plans to hire 12 liaisons this fall. One will be assigned to each of the District’s seven high schools. The other five will help with the high schools but their primary responsibility will be at the middle

and elementary schools and responding to emergencies related to busing and transportation. Applications for these 10-month, 40-hour-a-week positions are now under review. Minimum requirements include an associate’s degree in a safety and security program or two years of emergency management, School security/ Page 4

E lection 2020

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Voter’s Guide from page 1

U.S. Senate Incumbent Tina Smith (DFL) is being challenged by Jason Lewis (Republican), Kevin O’Connor (Legal Marijuana Now) and Oliver Steinberg (Grassroots-Legalize Cannabis). Smith, a former lieutenant governor for the State of Minnesota, was appointed to the U.S. Senate in November 2018 by then Gov. Mark Dayton, succeeding Sen. Al Franken, who resigned. She has helped write legislation to expand resources for career and technical education, mental health services in schools and communities, funding for states and tribes to address the opioid crisis, and the bipartisan Farm Bill (she serves on the Senate Agriculture Committee). She also introduced legislation to help lower the cost of prescription medicine, and to expand access to childcare. She is a former business owner and executive vice president of external affairs for Planned Parenthood in Minnesota. Learn more: https://tinafor-

minnesota.com. Jason Lewis is a former radio show host in the Twin Cities and the former U.S. Representative for Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District (2017-19). While in Congress, he served on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Budget Committee. He supported tax and spending cuts, criminal justice reform and authored the Juvenile Justice Reform Act of 2018, which passed Congress and was signed into law by Pres. Donald Trump. He has a master’s degree in political science. Learn more: https:// lewisformn.com. Oliver Steinberg helped found the Grassroots Party in Minnesota in 1986 (now Grassroots-Legalize Cannabis). He supports legalizing cannabis, abolishing the Electoral College, outlawing monopolies, and protecting data privacy. Candidate statement: “I’ve campaigned against the ‘drug war’ since 1968. Actually it’s always been a war on people, based

around stupid federal and state laws criminalizing cannabis. These anti-marijuana laws target Mexican American and African American communities with discriminatory enforcement, decade after decade. Citizens in 10 other states have voted directly for full legalization. However, our Minnesota state constitution and national constitution don’t allow for voter-initiated lawmaking by direct yes-orno plebiscites.” Learn more: www.jackherershero.org. Kevin O’Connor is a lifelong independent with a varied background in business, military and volunteerism. He strongly supports the medicinal use of cannabis and any other plant that can be beneficial for the health of people. The Legal Marijuana Now Party was established in St. Paul in 1998 as a progression from the Grassroots Party and supports legalizing homegrown cannabis, erasing past marijuana convictions, banning employment drug testing, and abolishing the Drug Enforcement Administration. Learn more: www.legalmarijuananowparty.com.

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U.S. House District 4 Incumbent Betty McCollum (DFL) is being challenged by Gene Rechtzigel (Republican) and Susan Sindt (Grassroots-Legalize Cannabis). McCollum was elected to the U.S. House in 2000 and is now serving her 10th term. She supports excellence in education, protecting the environment, expanding health care access, fiscal responsibility, and a strong national defense. McCollum is a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee and serves as chair of the Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittee and vice-chair of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. She also served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 1993 to 2000. Candidate statement: “My top priority in Congress is to establish an effective federal response to the health, economic and educational crisis resulting from the coronavirus pandemic. We need an effective, responsible, sciencebased approach to protect the American people and restore trust and confidence in government leadership. Learn more: www.mccollumforcongress.com. Gene Rechtzigel is a self-employed farmer and property manager who supports equal justice, the U.S. leaving the United Nations, a flat rate tax system, the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, fully funding Social Security and tighter national border security. Learn more: www.geneforpeople.com. Susan Sindt is a former science teacher and business owner. She has a bachelor of arts in biology from St. Cloud State University. She supports campaign finance reform, ending the “war on drugs,” single-payer health-

care and tuition-free higher education. Learn more: https://sindtforcongress.com.

State Senate District 65 (includes Downtown and the West Side) Incumbent Sandy Pappas (DFL) will face Paul Holmgren (Republican). Pappas was elected to the Minnesota Senate in 1990 and is now in her ninth term. Previously, she served three terms in the Minnesota House of Representatives. She has a bachelor of arts degree from Metropolitan State University and a master of public administration from the John F. Kennedy School of GovernmentHarvard University and is executive director of the St. Paul-based nonprofit Forward Global Women, which promotes peace efforts by women leaders in the Middle East and North Africa. Candidate statement: “As your state senator, I am committed to using my experience and knowledge of the legislative process to make a difference not just for residents of our senate district, but for all Minnesotans. With your input I will work to re-vision public safety and work to implement meaningful and effective reforms; vigorously attack the opportunity gaps that exist for diverse communities in education, employment and housing; help small businesses recover from both closures because of COVID-19 and damage that occurred during the civil unrest.” Learn more: www.sandypappas.com, sandypappas65@gmail.com, 651-227-6032 Paul Holmgren has a degree in accounting from St. Paul College and is co-owner of St. Paul Tax Services. He supports simplifying the taxation system and other regu-

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latory structures that burden people. Candidate statement: “It is time to change who votes for us in the state senate. I am willing to serve the people of Senate District 65, to protect their rights as free people. The government should not tell her citizens where to live, where to work, or restrict each person’s ability to earn a living.” Learn more: 651-401-2156.

MN House of Representatives District 65B (includes Downtown and the West Side) Incumbent Carlos Mariani (DFL) is being challenged by Margaret Mary Stokely (Republican). Mariani has a bachelor of arts degree from Macalester College. He also attended the Humphrey Institute at the University of Minnesota, where he was a Mondale Policy Fellow. He was first elected to the Minnesota House in 1990 and has served consecutive terms. Committee assignments include Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform Finance and Policy Division chairperson, Corrections Division, Education Policy, Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Division, and Ways and Means. Mariani works as the executive director of the Minnesota Education Equity Partnership. Learn more: email him at rep.carlos.mariani@house.mn. Margaret Mary Stokely, who is retired, responded to our questionnaire but did not provide her educational background or list any political experience. She has no campaign website. For her candidate statement she provided a quote from John Milton: “They also serve who only stand and wait.” Learn more: email her at stokelywerks@gmail.com.

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{ THE FULLER FILES } Red Kettles - The Salvation Army is putting out its red kettles two weeks earlier than normal this year due to an anticipated reduction in pedestrian traffic. Volunteer bell ringers will begin work on Nov. 13. Donations provide food, shelter and other support for people in need. Last year, the kettles took in $2.3 million in Ramsey County. George Latimer Library - The downtown library at 90 W. Fourth St. is open but operating under reduced schedules. Hours are 1-7:30 p.m. on Monday, 10 a.m.4 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, and 1-5 p.m. on Saturday. Visitors are allowed on the first floor only. Absentee voting – The Ramsey County Elections office will accept mailed ballots postmarked by Nov. 3 up to seven days after the election. Election workers began opening ballots in mid-October and are entering them into a tabulation machine. The results will not be shared until Election Day. Fundraiser - The Lower Phalen Creek Project, which manages the Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary, will host its annual fundraiser on Nov. 19. For more details, visit www.lowerphalencreekproject.org. Farmers’ market - The St. Paul Farmers’ Market will offer meat, vegetables and other items for Thanksgiving through Nov. 25. The market normally moves indoors to the Market House Collaborative for the winter but that won’t happen this year because of the pandemic. However, some growers will continue to sell at the outdoor market, 290 Fifth St. E., during the winter. New task forces - The Capitol Area Architectural and Planning Board has created two new task forces to review monuments and artwork on the Capitol grounds. One group will create a process to review existing artwork to ensure it is not culturally offensive, and one will solicit public feedback on the artwork. The task forces may recommend removal of any monuments that are deemed controversial, but that decision will ultimately be made by the Minnesota Historical Society. The groups were formed shortly after protesters tore down the statue of Christopher Columbus this summer. They oppose memorializing Columbus because of his documented

inhumane treatment of indigenous people. Downtown Improvement District - The St. Paul City Council has approved assessing downtown property owners to help raise $600,000 for the new Downtown Improvement District. The service fee will raise $455,000 from businesses to support a public safety fusion center that allows law enforcement and private security firms to share information. It will also fund street beautification and a program that uses volunteers to greet and assist visitors. The City of St. Paul and Ramsey County will contribute $156,000 to the program. Green Line - The Federal Transit Administration has approved the final funds needed to extend the Green Line light rail route to the western suburbs. Work is underway to add a total of 16 new stations in Eden Prairie, Hopkins, St. Louis Park and Minnetonka. The line currently runs between downtown St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Penumbra Theatre lands $2.5M grant The Penumbra Theatre, established in 1976 as an African American theater in St. Paul’s historically Black neighborhood of Rondo, has received an unsolicited $2.5 million grant from the Ford Foundation. The funds, which exceed the theater’s pre-COVID annual budget, will be provided over the next four years. The foundation also named the theater an “American cultural treasure.” The grant is part of the foundation’s $160 million program to support Black, Latino, Indigenous and other culturally specific arts groups around the country. Penumbra announced that it is donating $200,000 to be shared by its Twin Cities partners in a local “theaters of color” coalition. As theater rarely pays for itself in normal times, financial support takes on special significance during a pandemic that has shut down live performances. Penumbra recently expanded to become the Penumbra Center for Racial Healing. In the planning for five years, the center now offers seminars, workshops and lectures that promote racial equity, and wellness services including yoga, meditation, acupuncture and massage.

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E ducation

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School security from page 1

hospital, 911 dispatch or other related work experience. Desired qualifications include experience working with mental health awareness, working with a youth agency or in a K-12 educational setting, or working with students with disabilities. Duties include patrolling school facilities and district related functions; surveillance; responding to dangerous incidents and investigating threats; escorting students, staff, parents and community members; communicating with students and staff during crisis situations; meeting with students to rebuild or restore relationships and reinforce expectations and safe behavior; and attending racial equity and diversity training. The liaisons will attend a 3-4 week academy to learn skills specifically tailored to school security. The academy is run and staffed by St. Paul Public Schools but will use other professionals to help with training, including the St. Paul Police Department.

The program also includes field supervision. At its June 23 meeting, the St. Paul School board voted 5-1 to end its contract with the Police department to have one officer assigned to each of the district’s seven high schools. Board Member John Brodrick was the lone dissenting vote. He continues to be concerned about the shift and wants to make sure teachers and staff are fully supported under the new program. “The principals all across the district are absolutely opposed to eliminating the SROs,” he said during the Aug. 18 board meeting, and later adding. “My understanding is we have a high percentage of teachers who do not agree, and those people (teachers) need direct, and specific and reassuring instructions, and a commitment of support because they may find themselves someday in a bad place.” He pledged to continue to press the Board to ensure teachers and staff are given

Photo by St. Paul Public Schools

Officer Tong Yang was one of seven school resource officers serving the district. specific instructions on how to deal with volatile situations and that they will be fully supported by the Dis-

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Find dates and times at uniondepot.org/holiday. Page 4 - Downtown St. Paul Voice - November 2020

trict if they intervene during an altercation between students. While teachers are asked to help maintain safe-

LOOKING FOR

ty in their classroom and in hallways, it has been the role of security guards to handle dangerous situations.

WORK DUE TO

Olson acknowledged that the SROs were extremely effective and that the principals feared the change.

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E ducation

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“Our seven SROs were outstanding individuals who were vested in our kids,” she said. “Without exception, in my 30 years we had the best SRO program, bar none. It’s very painful (to see them go). The students are sad. I spoke with some of our SROs and they said kids have reached out to them.” Olson said the SROs have been reassigned to patrol duties with the police department yet are still finding ways to stay connected to students. One way is

through the city’s Police Activities League, a program that offers activities for kids and mentoring. She said the District will continue to call the police for criminal behavior at the schools, such as abuse and theft, and that each school has its own security team and individualized plan. Additionally, Olson is meeting with school principals and vice principals weekly to address concerns. She will also meet monthly with students at the high schools to solicit

Homelessness from page 1

opened informal talks with county staff on the lease possibility. No formal public notice had been provided due to the compressed time frame for action, but in a virtual town hall meeting on Oct. 8, Ramsey County Commissioners Trista MatasCastillo and Rafael Ortega, along with County Manager Ryan O’Connor, listened and fielded questions from more than 200 participants. Neighbors expressed reactions ranging from empathy to outrage, much of which centered upon the lack of notice provided to the community. Pushing back on accusations of a lack of transparency, MatasCastillo responded, “We don’t want anyone to feel like this has been a big secret by any means…this is literally an opportunity that has fallen in our laps.” The Bethesda facility, which will require a conditional use permit for the change in occupancy, will need only minimal updates to accommodate the new use. As a full-service hospital, Bethesda reportedly had an overall 250-bed capacity, which had been reduced to 126 beds in its current use for COVID patients. Under the terms of this plan the facility would provide only the 100 beds currently sought by the county and city, after the current 90-plus COVID pa-

tients are moved to St. Joe’s downtown. The lease will span two winters, beginning in Dec. 2020 through May of 2022, and cost $2-$3 million. At its Oct. 13 meeting, the Board expressed unanimous support for the proposal and its intent to approve the lease, then tabled the scheduled vote on the matter until Oct. 20 to allow time for refinements to the lease and further engagement with the community. The refined lease agreement was approved on that date by unanimous vote of the County Board. The homeless situation in St. Paul had worsened exponentially since spring for many reasons, virtually all related to the pandemic. As the ranks of the unsheltered swelled following the explosion of COVID-19, metro counties and cities have scrambled to find ways to meet the burgeoning need. Though state and federal eviction moratoria

their feedback on security issues. Olson said SROs did not get heavily involved in student behavior issues, such as fights. Most of that work has been done by security guards and members of the individual school’s safety team. Common tasks of security guards include responding to fights, drug and alcohol infractions, and escorting visitors at schools and district facilities, and students who are concerned for their safety. The current security

approach has also been effective, according to Olson, and will continue in some form. “Arrests are low and we want to keep them that way,” she said. “We will always use contractors for event security and contracts,” such as renting a school facility for a private function. Olson has devoted her entire career to counseling and school security. She has worked for the District for 30 years and has served in a variety of roles, including Safe and Drug Free Schools

counselor, school safety specialist and security manager. She has a bachelor’s degree in juvenile justice and chemical dependency counseling and a master’s degree in public safety and emergency management. She is a certified emergency manager with the Minnesota Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, a licensed parent and family educator and a licensed alcohol and drug counselor. Her passion is helping students and she

still makes time to interact with them. “That’s where my heart is,” she said. “I do my best work on the ground. I like sitting at a table with kids, talking with them, and developing relationships.” The pandemic has made that difficult this year, and for that reason she said, “this has been my hardest year, yet I remain hopeful we’ll get kids back by second semester. We need to get the kids back.”

were enacted, enforcement has not been uniform. Residential leases expired during this time, and many newly unemployed people who couldn’t pay their rent were refused a renewal. Those already living on the margins and sleeping on the couches of family and friends were turned out into the street as fear of the contagion grew. Additionally, there was an influx of people to the metro area from outstate Minnesota, where cities and counties lacked the resources to shelter people. The situation was exacerbated by elements of Governor Tim Walz’s Mar. 25 executive order which required existing shelters to reduce their population by 50%. With the mandated reduction in shelter capacity, many of the unsheltered population began living outside in public spaces, resulting in “encampments” springing up in a number of

locations, including near the Minnesota History Center, on Kellogg Boulevard near I-35E, Dayton’s Bluff and in Lowertown. The executive order prohibited “sweeps” by law enforcement to dismantle such encampments for fear of hastening the spread of COVID-19 among the dispersed populations, but it was later amended to allow for the removal of camps that were deemed health and safety threats. However, it also stipulated shelter placement for those disbursed. As of May, metro counties had spent $5 million on hotel rooms for the homeless, and that month St. Paul and Ramsey County appealed to the state to establish a permanent shelter space of 200 beds, a request which to date has received no formal response. The City and Ramsey County had been collaborating on the issue of homelessness since 2018. They

executed a joint powers agreement in 2019 to coordinate federal grant resources, and a county-city staff workgroup had been meeting regularly to develop solutions to homelessness. To that end, the joint effort had identified a combined $52 million in CARES Act funds and other regional and federal money to pay for more permanent housing, meals, sanitary services, health care, and security as well as short term housing in hotels. Ramsey County currently has temporary housing contracts with five hotels, two of which are in downtown St. Paul: Hotel 340 and the Holiday Inn. Prior to the onset of COVID-19 St. Paul had three permanent shelters in place: Union Gospel Mission, Catholic Charities Higher Ground, and Safe Space. In May, the County opened Mary Hall, a former dormitory shelter

at the Dorothy Day Center, as a COVID-only respite facility. It was converted to a regular shelter when COVID residents were moved to the shuttered Boys Totem Town juvenile residential facility in the Battle Creek neighborhood. There, the COVID population has hovered in the single digits. With the addition of the Bethesda shelter, there will be approximately 900 beds available in the city by winter. Preparation for the Dec. 1 opening continues collaboratively between Ramsey County and the City of St. Paul’s implementation team, which includes the Capital Area Planning Commission, the Department of Safety and Inspections, Deputy Mayor Jaime Tincher, the St. Paul Police Department and the Metro Transit Police. Information and daily updates can be found at: www. ramseycounty.us/Bethesda.

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V eterans Day

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Naval Historical Center photo

Above: The crew of the USS Ward following the attack on Pearl Harbor. Left: the ship’s gun at the State Capitol grounds.

Veterans Day from page 1

ships and their crews in the harbor, killing 2,403 and destroying or damaging 19 ships. Approximately half of the dead were on the USS Arizona, which remains at the bottom of Pearl Harbor with its crew onboard. The Ward, under the com-

mand of William W. Outerbridge, survived that battle but the day would continue to haunt it. In 1943, the Ward became a transport ship and was sent to the Philippine Islands. Outerbridge was reassigned to the USS O’Brien destroyer. On

Dec. 7, exactly three years after the Ward crew fired the first shot of WWII by U.S. Armed Forces, a Japanese kamikaze bombed the ship, resulting in uncontrollable fires. The entire crew safely abandoned the ship, which was deemed unsalvageable. The O’Brien was nearby, and Outerbridge gave the order to fire upon and sink his former ship.

The last surviving member of the Dec. 7, 1941, gun crew was Alan Sanford of St. Paul. He passed away in 2015. Nov. 11 has been set aside as a national holiday to give people time to pause and reflect upon the sacrifices made by members of the U. S. Armed Forces. Touring the veterans memorials on the State Capitol grounds is

one meaningful way to commemorate the day. In addition to the USS Ward Gun, you’ll find the following: World War II Memorial - Traces Minnesotans’ involvement in World War II, as well as the war’s history, tragedies and social repercussions. Korean War Veterans Memorial - Features a curved 18-foot-high bronze

column with two 15-foot bas reliefs, combined with an 8-foot-tall cast bronze infantryman. The larger-thanlife soldier, searching for his lost unit and comrades, represents the missing in action from the Korean War. Paving stones list the names of the 700 Minnesotans who died during the war. The Sky Soldier - A tribute to the 173rd Airborne

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V eterans Day Brigade, the first major Army ground force deployed in the Vietnam War. From 1965-1971, the Brigade lost 1,533 soldiers. Minnesota Vietnam Memorial - Contains 68,000 granite squares, each representing a Minnesotan who served; 1,120 of the squares mark the hometowns of the Minnesotans who were killed or named missing in action. Their names are engraved in the granite wall. Court of Honor - Features 14 plaques that commemorate the Minnesotans who died in war, went missing in action or were prisoners of war, and those who received the Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration awarded to U.S. military service members. Monument to the Living - This statue stands 12 feet high and depicts a Minnesota soldier dressed in full combat gear returning from war. He represents the veterans who came home from

Your community news and information source war to help other veterans preserve the memory of their fallen comrades. His outstretched arms ask the viewer for recognition and acceptance. The guide “Reflections on War and Service,” created by the Minnesota Humanities Center, offers these and other questions to consider while visiting the memorials. • What does it mean to be a service member? • What does it mean to be the family waiting for a service member’s return? • How do you think war changes service members and their families? • Do you feel differently about the service members who served in the different wars? Were they treated the same when they returned home?

Fort Snelling National Cemetery Another way to show respect for the ultimate sacrifice made by some mem-

Postscript

Zooming

Yesterday, I had a nice long Zoom chat with an old friend. I know this is nothing remarkable these days, but it was the first time my friend, Andrew, had used Zoom, and I was frankly a little surprised. Andrew isn’t on Facebook. “It’s none of anyone’s business what I’m up to!” he tells me. I don’t think Andrew is “up to” all that much, but he takes a particularly fierce view on privacy. He won’t buy groceries with his credit card if they are going to track what he buys. “Why would you care if

Carrie Classon CarrieClasson.com

someone knows how much broccoli you’re buying?” I ask. “Maybe they’ll give you a coupon.” “It’s none of their darned

bers of our Armed Forces and their families is to visit the Fort Snelling National Cemetery, 7601 34th Ave. S., Minneapolis. There you’ll find more than 241,000 uniformly sized white marble headstones sprawling across the 436-acre grounds, and a memorial pathway lined with approximately 75 veterans’ memorials. Fort Snelling Cemetery was established in 1870 as a burial site for soldiers who died while stationed at nearby Fort Snelling. After World War I, citizens of St. Paul organized a petition to establish a national cemetery in the area. In 1937, Congress authorized a portion of land at Fort Snelling Military Reservation for that purpose. It became a national cemetery in 1939, and in 2016 was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The first burial was for Capt. George H. Mallon, who was posthumously

awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his acts of heroism at Meuse-Argonne in France. Burial in a national cemetery is open to all members of the U.S. Armed Forces who have met a minimum active duty service requirement and were honorably discharged from service. The Veterans Administration provides a grave, interment and marker free of charge to eligible veterans. A veteran’s spouse and minor children may also be eligible for burial. The cemetery is home to the first all-volunteer Memorial Rifle Squad in the National Cemetery Administration. The squad performs funeral honors for free upon request, including a color guard, rifle volley, folding and presentation of the U.S. flag, and bugler playing “Taps.” That mournful tune is a 24-note bugle call played at dusk, during flag ceremonies and at military funerals. The official

military version dates to the Civil War and is played by a single bugle or trumpet. There is no lyric but many associate it with a hymn Horace Lorenzo Trim wrote to accompany the music. The traditional three-volley rifle salute dates to European dynastic wars, when fighting ceased in order to allow the dead and wounded to be removed from a battlefield. Once that was done, three shots were fired in the air to signal that the battle could resume.

business how much broccoli I’m buying!” Andrew tells me. He has the same email account he’s had since the ’90s. He has the same telephone answering machine. He recently got a cell phone, but he doesn’t text. Andrew answers emails but they take about as long as standard first-class mail to arrive and get a response. Still, it’s all worth it because he is a good friend and always has a lot of interesting things to say— once I get ahold of him. Like nearly everyone else, Andrew has been a little lonely. He lives alone and his work doesn’t involve much human interaction. I usually see him a couple of times a year when we go to visit my family. But that hasn’t happened this year and it doesn’t

look like it’s going to happen for a while. I was contacted by a mutual friend of ours on Facebook about having a Zoom chat with a bunch of high school buddies. I told him that would be fun and he should invite Andrew—by email, of course. Andrew thought that sounded great and we decided to try out this Zoom thing in advance. That turned out to be a good idea. Andrew didn’t use his real name (of course!) so, for a time, I was looking at a blank screen that said, “GREAT.” But then he got the video working and he appeared in front of his bright kitchen window. “Unmute,” I messaged him. He did. I still heard nothing. I called him on the

phone. “I can’t hear you,” I told him. Then added, “Your hair is really short.” “I cut it myself.” “Well, your mic isn’t working.” “I know I’ve used this microphone before!” “Let’s see it.” Andrew waved the headset and microphone in front of the camera. “Andrew, that is a really old headset.” “It is not old!” “Yup,” I told him, “that’s a collectible. I think maybe you should call up the folks at Antiques Roadshow. I bet they’d be interested.” “Ha, ha!” Andrew said. After several more tries he reluctantly admitted that the ancient microphone might not connect to his current computer.

History of Veterans Day An armistice was declared on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918, halting the fighting between Allied nations and Germany, and marking the end of the “war to end all wars.” World War I officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on June 28, 1919. The

U.S. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 to commemorate the armistice. It read, in part, “It is fitting that the recurring anniversary of this date should be commemorated with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through goodwill and mutual understanding between nations.” A Congressional Act in 1938 made Nov. 11 a legal holiday—Armistice Day, dedicated to world peace and honoring veterans of World War I. The Act was amended by Congress in 1954 to honor American veterans of all wars. The word “Armistice” was replaced with the word “Veterans.” It became a federal holiday in 1968. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Day is “A celebration to honor America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.”

“I guess I’ll need a new microphone,” he grumbled. “But we can still talk on the phone.” And we did. We put our phones on speaker, looked at one another in our monitors and talked for a long time. I realized, once again and with force, how essential this connection is. It was so good to see my old friend’s face—even if his camera was a little fuzzy, even if the light was shining rather brightly behind his closely shorn head. “Oh my gosh! I’ve got to go,” I said, when I realized how long we’d been talking. “We should do this again.” Andrew said. “Yes!” I agreed. We definitely need to do this again. Till next time.

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Downtown St. Paul Voice - November 2020 - Page 7

S ample St. Paul

Fitzgerald Theater

10 E. Exchange St. St. Paul, 651-290-1200 https://thefitzgerald theater.com

Dave Simonett, 8 p.m., Friday, Nov. 17. Simonett, the lead singer, guitar player and songwriter for Trampled By Turtles, will perform songs from his new solo work entitled “Red Tail.” $30.

History Center

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

The center is open, featuring special exhibits First Avenue: Stories of Minnesota’s

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Mainroom, and Prince: Before the Rain through Jan. 3, 2021. Entry is limited and advanced tickets are recommended. Hours are 10 a.m.4 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. The Minnesota Historical Society is streaming “Votes for Women,” a free online exhibit that celebrates the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment through the stories of Minnesota women; and “History at Home,” which has videos and other resources about Minnesota history.

Stassen was dubbed the Boy Wonder and the future of the Republican Party after being elected the governor of Minnesota at age 31. By 1992, Stassen’s political career ended as a perennial candidate who sought, and lost, his bid for the Republican presidential nomination a record nine times. This is the story of a man who routinely fought to redefine a party that was not ready for change, defying those he needed most to make it to the White House. Tickets from $15.

History Theatre

75 W. 5th St., St. Paul 651-292-3225 www.landmarkcenter.org

10 E. Tenth St., St. Paul 651-292-4323 www.historytheatre.com

“The Boy Wonder: Stassen Musical,” streaming Oct. 30-Nov. 5. In 1938, Harold

Landmark Center

“American Still Life,” through Nov. 8. This exhibit by artist Mark Granlund offers an American take on

“American Still Life,” an exhibit by artist Mark Granlund, is presented through Nov. 8 at the Landmark Center. beloved still life artworks. Reservations required. Free. “Apollo,” a presentation by Rob Ellos, will stream online at 1 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 15. Free. Holiday Story Series with JB Eckert will stream online at 1 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 29. Free.

Park Square Theatre

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

Science Museum of Minnesota 120 W. Kellogg Blvd. St. Paul 651-221-9444 www.smm.org

www.parksquaretheatre.org

“Tears of Moons,” streaming Nov. 19-22. A one-man play that travels through time to chronicle America’s ongoing epidemic of violence against Black people. $25.

Exhibits are open on the weekends, including dinosaurs, the mummy, Sportsology and the RACE.

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10¢ off per gallon (maximum 30 gallons)

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FREE computer scan for store codes Most vehicles. Limit one coupon per visit. Offer expires 11/30/20. Downtown bp, 542 Robert St. N., St. Paul 651-221-0026

OIL CHANGE $1999 or $4999

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Full Synthetic Most vehicles. Up to 6 quarts of oil, standard filter and chassis lube. Not valid with other offers. Offer expires 11/30/20. Downtown bp, 542 Robert St. N., St. Paul 651-221-0026

ANY SERVICE 10% off

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FREE Local Shuttle and Same Day Service on Most Repairs! Page 8 - Downtown St. Paul Voice - November 2020