The St. Paul

Open Arms expands to the West Side

Page 9

Humboldt liaisons reflect upon their role in supporting school security

Jake Spitzack Staff Writer

Midwinter celebrations abound

Jake Spitzack Staff Writer

Communities are gathering for midwinter festivals in February. Here’s what’s happening. Bundle up and join the fun.

Winter Wonderland - St. Paul Parks and Recreation is hosting Winter Wonderland, noon-2 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 4 at El Rio Vista Recreation Center Turf field, 179 Robie St. E., St. Paul. This free event includes snowman making, fort building, angel making, snow painting, snowball throwing, bonfire, s’mores and hot chocolate.

Winter Fun Fest - The annual Winter Fun Fest in West St. Paul returns 2-5 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 18. People of all ages are invited to Dodge Nature Center, 1701 Charlton St., for an afternoon filled with outdoor activities, including sleigh rides, snowshoeing, boot hockey, ice golf, otter sliding and hot air balloon rides, as well as bonfires, food, music

Winter festivals / Page 3

Three years ago, Humboldt students were accustomed to seeing a uniformed police officer patrolling the hallways. Today, the role of school security falls on the shoulders of Porshay Poe and Joshua Melichar, the school’s two student support liaisons (SSLs). While their primary duty is to provide school security, a big part of their job is establishing relationships with students.

Poe’s name may be familiar to prep sports fans. She is the new head coach for the varsity girls basketball team at Harding High School.

“My favorite part of being a school support liaison is building relationships with the students and being able to be a mentor them,” said Poe. She added that being a coach has helped her better relate to all students.

Melichar is involved in extracurricular activities as well. As part of Flipside, Humboldt’s free afterschool program, he leads a game club that has included chess, Dungeons & Dragons and board games.

“It helps me connect with students in a different way, as well as help them see me as more than just the guy that is constantly telling them to go to class or the guy who breaks up fights,” said Melichar. “It gives me a positive thing to share with students, and gives them a structured creative outlet.”

A typical day for the SSLs consists of greeting students before school, monitoring hallways during class times and chatting with students before and after classes. They also attend school sporting events and other extracurricular activities. Poe and Melichar, like all SSLs in the St. Paul School District, are trained in crisis intervention, de-escalation techniques, CPR, first aid and more. Each wears a casual security uniform that includes a duty belt with handcuffs, chemical spray and radio.

“SSLs are highly trained security professionals who are student-centered in all they do,” said Marcus Sullivan, manager of the security and emergency department for St. Paul Public Schools. “The foundation

Sample St. Paul

Page 6

Foodist Films sinks roots into the West Side

Jake Spitzack Staff Writer

The nondescript two-story building at the corner of Smith Avenue and King Street – built the same year the first Model T rolled off the assembly line – has seen many uses in its time, from a pharmacy to a tattoo parlor. Its latest incarnation is the home of Foodist Films, a food videography company. After moving in last spring and working diligently to renovate it for their studio, Foodist held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Jan. 11 to celebrate the building’s 115year anniversary and show off the new studio on the first floor. Guests gathered around a portable fire pit in the alleyway for snacks and warm drinks and had the chance to meet the owners and welcome them to the neighborhood.

“People have been walking by, kind of peeking in the windows and wondering what we’re doing here,” said co-founder and creative director Alexandra Connett. “Now we’re finally done with our biggest phase of construction and want to say ‘hi’ and connect with people.”

Co-founder and marketing manager Steve Ray said they were attracted to the diversity of the West Side.

“We had a glimpse when we were coming to the West Side of what it entailed but since we’ve moved here we’ve found it’s a place where artists live, it’s a place where families live,

Foodist Films / Page 2

New gym caters to older adults and people with disabilities

Jake Spitzack

Staff Writer

Vera Fitness, located at 1 W. Water St. on the West Side, is most definitely not a big box gym. Rather, it’s an intimate space where you’ll find no more than a dozen people at any one time. Tami Carlson, a physical trainer, opened the gym late last year to fill a niche in the market. She offers a va- riety of exercise classes and specializes in working with people age 40 and older. She also offers classes specifically tailored for people with disabilities and special needs.

Prior to 2020, Carlson was a physical trainer at Lifetime Fitness for five years. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit and changed everything.

“My intention was to go back [to Lifetime Fitness] but most of the people I work with are older people and that demographic was not interested in coming back into the gyms,” she said. “Basically, I felt like I was going back to nothing so I decided not to return to Lifetime and ended up doing a lot of online training for seniors. I did almost three years of online virtual training and was able to maintain a full client base. I decided to open Vera because for me it was the next step. I was really itching to get back to in-person training, and my entire client base is in St. Paul. I love St. Paul, so it is really important to have a location in this community.”

Carlson leads 55-minute stretching routines, strength and cardio workouts, training routines for individuals and small groups, cardio boot-camps and more.

Anyone who takes a class at Vera Fitness receives a complimentary 90-minute consult with Carlson to determine the best exercise plan for them. Among a slew of certifications, Carlson is certified in corrective exercises and has experience helping people recover from surgeries and other health conditions.

Her 1,800-square foot gym has treadmills, free weights and a multi-use cable machine that is wheelchair accessible. The building was previously home to a printing company and Carlson gave it a hefty makeover before moving in. Renovation work included replacing the flooring with cushioned wood-style laminate, painting, installing mirrors and stability bars, demolishing