St. Paul Voice October 2022

Nowhere Haunted

City to purchase Hy-Vee property

Jake Spitzack Staff Writer

The City of West St. Paul re cently approved a $5.2 million purchase agreement with Hy-Vee to acquire the parcel at 150 Thomp son Ave. E. and the adjacent Au toZone property. The city is seeking a developer for the site and plans to reassign the purchase agreement to them by the Dec. 15 closing date. The purchase agreement is favorable toward the city, allowing it to back out before the closing date. Howev er, the city must pay real estate taxes and maintain the site while it owns the site.

The 9.5-acre property was formerly home to the YMCA. Hy-Vee pur chased it in 2019 and demolished the building to make way for a new grocery store. However, in April, HyVee announced that it had scrapped its plans to build on the site. Today, the city envisions the property be ing used for multi-family housing, at least one restaurant, retail space, and a variety of outdoor amenities including a transit stop, plaza and program space, green space, amphi theater, playground, pavilion and other amenities.

“Housing will definitely be part of the project in order to help fund it,” said West St. Paul City Manager Nate Burkett. “If all goes according to plan, a final design will go before the council in late spring or early summer, and construction could start in the summer of 2023.”

Disengaged

How a decrease in volunteerism is affecting our community

West Side love Story

Tim Spitzack Editor

One Thursday night in 1972, Gil bert de la O and some friends got into a tussle with some adversar ies at the Cozy Bar on the West Side, causing considerable damage to the bar and each other. The next morn ing de la O woke to heavy pound ing on the door of his apartment. Sleepy-eyed, he shuffled to the door and opened it to find two policemen with a warrant for his arrest. Hear ing the commotion, his wife Joyce entered the room with their infant son Roman just in time to witness Gilbert being handcuffed.

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 2

“It was on a Friday morning. There’s pounding going on, on the door. Boom, boom, boom, boom. I go down there and it’s the police,” recalled de la O in a 2010 interview for the Minnesota Historical Society’s Lideres Latinos Oral History Project. “They come up there and they’re go ing to arrest me. I have a little baby. He’s crying. My wife’s crying.”

One of the officers – who had ar rested de la O several times before – took him into another room and said, “Look at you. You’ve got a wife. You’ve got a kid. They’re bawling. You’ve got a big life ahead of you, man. What are you going to do? When are you going to change?”

That event proved to be a turning point for de la O, who had many run-ins with the law while growing up on the West Side. It was on that

Popular WSP garden to close; marks the end of an era

Jake Spitzack Staff Writer

Less than 100 years ago, dirt roads crisscrossed West St. Paul and the city was home to an abundance of farmers selling produce from the back of their trucks at local farmers’ mar kets or directly from their lawn. A glimpse into those days has been seen at the home of Mary Helen and Sue Sperl, 1254 Charlton

St., where the sisters have operated a large garden and sold the produce to appre ciative customers for more than 20 years on land that was once a family farm. This year marks the end of an era. The siblings have an nounced that this is their final harvest.

“I can’t say it was a super hard decision,” said Mary Helen, 64. “It’s a lot of work and I have a bad back and legs…. We talked about

it the past couple of years but didn’t really want to do it while our dad was still alive.” Their father John Jr., who owned Marlin Marine in West St. Paul for many years, worked the farm as a hobby until he broke his hip at age 90. He passed away in March at age 97.

“It’s getting to be too much,” added Sue, 74. “It really ties you down. Five days a week, somebody has to be here. The last couple

of years we were caretakers for our dad, so it really tied us down even on the week ends.”

The garden is located on what was once the 10-acre farm of John Sr. and Helen Sperl, Mary Helen’s and Sue’s grandparents. Founded in the 1930s, the farm spanned from Charlton to Bidwell and served as the family’s primary source of income until John’s death in 1970. In addition to working the

farm, John was also mayor of West St. Paul (1946-1956) and once held the position of Dakota County Com missioner. Following his passing, the family sold off most of the land for housing development but kept three lots to be used for a home for Helen. After she passed away three years later, Mary Hel en’s and Sue’s family moved into the house.

“None of those houses [across Charlton Street]

were there, so Grandma and Grandpa used the hills for pasture for cows,” recalled Sue. “As little kids we just loved to go over there at night to get the cows and bring them across the dirt street and into the barn, to be milked. In the win ter, we’d go sledding on the hills, and we’d fight over who could get the eggs from the chicken coop. Nowadays,

Gilbert

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 two and a half years have been a challenge

as we all faced the CO VID-19 pandemic,” said John Gambino, volunteer resources specialist. “Thanks to the tireless work of our staff and volunteers, 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 volunteer operations and implemented protocols to keep everyone safe and healthy. With many corpo rate organizations working remotely, many were unable to volunteer 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.

DARTS

The West St. Paul-based social service agency has seen a sharp decline in both num ber of volunteers and volun teer hours in recent years. In 2019, more than 1,000 volunteers provided a total of 14,500 hours of volun teer service. Last year those numbers dropped to 643 volunteers providing fewer than half the hours. The decline continued this year, with only about 350 volun

teers providing 5,100 hours so far. DARTS offers services that help people in North ern Dakota County live in dependently. This includes transportation, home repair, outdoor chores, respite care for primary caregivers and a host of other services.

“The percentage of older adults in our communities continues to rise – nearing 20% – and the pandemic has reinforced older peoples’ de sire to live at home as long as possible,” said Megan Kallestad, communica tions specialist. “These fac tors cause high demand for DARTS’ services…. Those relying upon fixed incomes are increasingly looking to DARTS because we have affordable options.”

DARTS also serves youth by partnering with nearly 50 schools for its Learning Buddies program. With school closures during the pandemic, the tutoring pro gram for elementary school students has been greatly af fected, seeing a 10% decline in volunteer help. To adjust, DARTS developed virtual options that benefit both the students and the volunteers who are still not comfortable

visiting schools in person. The agency’s greatest volun teering needs are for its new Group Respite program, tech buddies and folks who can do snow removal for se niors.

“This fall, volunteers are returning to classrooms to help with in-person volun teering as well.”

To volunteer or for more information, visit dartscon nects.org or call 651-4551560.

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

ommunity

corporations headquar tered,” said Amy Weiss, mar keting coordinator. “Many of our corporate partners took a break from volun teering in 2020 and 2021 but remained financial sup porters of our work. Start ing 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 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.

Neighborhood House

For the past 125 years, Neighborhood House has been a haven for refugees and immigrants. Last year, the organization served more than 18,000 people, most of whom live at or below the poverty line. Nearly 12,000 people visited their two food shelf locations and about 6,000 received rent and mortgage assistance and oth er help to prevent homeless ness, a 35% increase from 2020. The pandemic greatly affected the nonprofit’s vol unteer base, causing Neigh borhood House to change its food shelf from a shopping model to pick-up service. This includes its distribution of fresh produce, available July through October. The organization also has pro grams to assist immigrants with education and assimila tion. Volunteers are needed to help in preschool classes, teach basic computer skills, and with English Language Learner classes. For more in formation, visit neighb.org/ support/volunteer, or call 651-789-2524.

Neighbors, Inc.

The South St. Paul-based nonprofit operates a food shelf, Clothes Closet and other social service programs for people in Northern Da kota County. Last year it fed more than 14,000 people and provided clothing to nearly 150 households. This year they have seen a 30% increase in requests for food assistance.

“Throughout our 50 years of serving the community, we’ve been fortunate to have strong volunteer support,” said spokesperson Heidi Sa tre. “We have long-term vol unteers who have supported Neighbors for decades, new volunteers who want to get involved in service, and vol unteers who come and go as their schedule permits.”

In March 2020, Neigh bors made the difficult de cision to suspend its vol unteer program during the pandemic in the interest of the health and safety of its volunteers. Staff stepped in during that time and gained a new appreciation for the contributions its volunteers provide. Leadership also used that time to stream line services. For example, they created an online self-

scheduling system for volun teers; developed off-site and at-home “Mission Booster” volunteer projects; and made efficiency improvements to the physical spaces.

“We always welcome new volunteers to apply to join us in providing opportunities for our neighbors to thrive,” said Satre. The greatest need is for Spanish-speaking vol unteers.

For more information about volunteering, visit neighborsmn.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 volunteers 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 hotels during the pandemic.

Faith United Methodist 1530 Oakdale Ave. West St. Paul 651-457-5686

Holy Family Maronite 1960 Lexington Ave. S. Mendota Heights 651-291-1116

HolyFamilyEvents.org

La Puerta Abierta UMC 690 Livingston Ave. St. Paul 651-558-1896

M izpah River Ministries 1 955 Oakdale Ave. West St. Paul 6 51 399-5783

O ur Lady of Guadalupe 4 01 Concord St St. Paul 6 51 228-0506 w ww.olg catholic.org

Riverview Baptist

14 Moreland Ave. E. West St. Paul 651-457-3831 www.riverviewbaptist.net

Salem Lutheran

1 1 Bernard St West St Paul 6 51 457-6661

w ww.salemluth.org

S pirit of Hope Catholic Community 2 035 Charlton Road S unfish Lake 6 51-760-8353

w ww.spiritofhopemn.org

S t. A nne’s Episcopal 2 035 Charlton R d. S unfish Lake 6 51 455-9449 www.s aintannesmn.org

Volunteers / Page 4 St. Paul 651-451-3832 colwsp.org

St. Elizabeth Orthodox 125 Congress St E St. Paul 651 424-0814 seocc.org

St. George Antiochian Orthodox 1250 Oakdale Ave. West St. Paul 651-457-0854

www.saintgeorgechurch.org

S t. Matthew Catholic 4 90 Hall Avenue St. Paul 6 51 224-9793 w ww.st-matts.org

S t. Paul’s United M ethodist 700 Wesley Lane Mendota Heights 651-452-5683 stpaulsmn. org

St. James Lutheran 460 Annapolis St. W. West St. Paul 651-457-9232

www.saintjameslutheran. com

St. Joseph’s Catholic

1 154 Seminole Ave West St Paul 6 51-457-2781

w ww.churchofstjoseph.org

St. Stephen’s Lutheran

1575 Charlton St. West St. Paul 651-457-6541

w ww.ststephenswsp.org

ommunity

Volunteers

from page 3

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.

Community groups

The West St. Paul/Mendo ta Heights Rotary Club and Optimist Club of West St. Paul are the last remaining service organizations in West St. Paul. The long-standing Kiwanis Club of West St. Paul lost too many members during the pandemic and eventually merged with the Kiwanis Club of Woodbury to form the Kiwanis Club of Wakota.

The local Rotary Club, founded in 1990, has strug gled with membership, as well, and has lost about a third of its members in the past two years. Before the pandemic, it had 35 mem bers. Today it has 22. Mem bers donate their time and financial resources to serve others in the community. Their main service project is the Loaves and Fishes feed ing program at St. Matthew’s Church on the West Side. An average of 10 Rotarians work together once or twice a month to feed people ex periencing food insecurity. Loaves and Fishes operates

at St. Matts five days a week and the number of meals served has nearly doubled since the pandemic began. One day in late August the site served more than 330 people. Most often the number tops 200. Anyone interested in learning more about the Rotary club may attend one of their weekly meetings, held at 7:30 a.m. each Wednesday at St. Anne’s Episcopal Church social hall, 2035 Charlton Rd. For more information on Loaves and Fishes, visit loavesandfishesmn.org or call 612-377-9810.

The West St. Paul Opti mist Club has also seen its membership erode over the years but last year the club picked up a few new peo ple. Today, its 14 members remain – you guessed it –optimistic about the future. The club, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, typically hosts three annual events that benefit youth.

The largest is the West St. Paul spelling bee for the five elementary schools and two middle schools in ISD 197. The club hosts an essay and an oratorical contest at the middle schools and high

school each spring, and West St. Paul Sings, a local singing competition, each fall. In ad dition, it sponsors Talk ’N Tacos candidate forums and its annual Optimist of the Year award. The club meets 5-6 p.m. the first and third Wednesday of each month at Dunham’s food and drink, 173 Lothenbach Ave. Visi tors are welcome. For more information, visit optimist. org, or contact Cheryl Berg strom at 651-315-8444 or ckbergstrom@hotmail.com.

The lack of volunteers has affected West St. Paul in other ways as well. The pandemic forced the end of the city’s annual celebra tion, Celebrate West St. Paul Days, and the nonprofit that ran the event for more than three decades. The decision to disband in 2021 was based on the difficulty of finding enough volunteers and sponsors. This year, the West St. Paul City Council organized a new community celebration named Explore West St. Paul Days, held in mid-August. The event was funded largely through the South Robert Street Busi ness Association, a volun teer-based organization that provides funding for many community events through proceeds from its charitable gambling sites.

One group that has suc cessfully 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.

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 as 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.

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.

Education That Suits Your Student SCHOOL CHOICE DIRECTORY

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

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.

Academia Cesar Chavez 1801 Lacrosse Ave., St. Paul 651-778-2940

www.cesarchavezschool.com

St. Paul City School PreK-12 260 Edmund Ave., St. Paul 651-225-9177 www.stpaulcityschool.org

St. Paul College 235 Marshall Ave., St. Paul 651-846-1600 https://saintpaul.edu

PAROCHIAL

St. Croix Lutheran Academy 1200 Oakdale Ave., West St. Paul 651-455-1521

www.stcroixlutheran.org student's

“This has been extremely successful and is one of the greatest programs at Thomp son Park Activity Center,” said Lisa M. Grathen, direc tor of ISD 197 Community Education, which manages the program. “It’s a really creative take on volunteer ing. 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.”

“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.”

Visit www.stpaulpublishing.com/schoolchoice to explore these schools and for tips on how to choose a school that best fits your student's and family's needs.

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.

CHARTER

Academia Cesar Chavez 1801 Lacrosse Ave., St. Paul 651-778-2940 | www.cesarchavezschool.com

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.

Simple ways to reengage

St. Paul City School PreK-12 260 Edmund Ave., St. Paul 651-225-9177 | www.stpaulcityschool.org

PAROCHIAL

St. Croix Lutheran Academy 1200 Oakdale Ave., West St. Paul 651-455-1521 | www.stcroixlutheran.org

COLLEGES / UNIVERSITIES

St. Paul College 235 Marshall Ave., St. Paul 651-846-1600 | https://saintpaul.edu

While several projects happen simultaneously, one of the most popular is the group that has found a cre

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

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.

Gilbert

day that he took the first step toward a life of community service, and plunged head first into a career of helping others escape the pains he’d put himself through. He was 27 years old.

de la O passed away on August 27, at age 77, after a years-long battle with cancer. His death leaves a hole in the West Side, a community he loved dearly and fought for fiercely, and in the hearts of Joyce, his high school sweetheart and bride of 55 years, and their two sons and grandchildren.

Gilbert de la O was born August 26, 1945, in New Ulm, Minn., where his par ents were working as mi grant workers. A year later, the family of six relocated from their native Texas to St. Paul’s West Side, where his father eventually landed a job at Swift & Co. meat packing plant in South St. Paul. Gilbert was the young est of five siblings; he had three sisters and a brother. When his mother enrolled him at the childcare program at Neighborhood House, lit tle did anyone know that his first day at “Neighb” was the beginning of a lifelong asso ciation with the West Sidebased nonprofit. Neighbor hood House proved to be an anchor for de la O, who as a youth was prone to getting into fights and vandalizing property. One of his worst altercations was a gun fight in which four people were wounded.

His family lived in a sixplex on the West Side with relatives, and other extended family lived nearby. His par ents taught their children to be honest and hard-work ing. In the Lideres Latinos interview, de la O recalled a childhood filled with playing outside with neighborhood kids, being “known by ev eryone” in the community,

and Sunday dinners after church filled with family, food and music.

Yet, he always had a chip on his shoulder, much of it stemming from the racism he experienced as a Chica no. It wasn’t until his days at Humboldt High School that he learned more about his Mexican ancestry and be came proud of it. His sense of identity was spurred by the Chicano movement of the 1960s. In high school, he and his friends embraced the movement by founding the West Side Party Boys, and later The Latin Counts.

After graduating high school in 1963, de la O en listed in the Army, eager to do his part for his country. He was sent to Vietnam with the First Infantry Division, serving as an infantryman and radio operator. He was wounded during the war and awarded the Purple Heart.

After his discharge in De cember 1966, de la O en rolled in Lakewood Com munity College in Oakdale (now Century College). He also became involved in the national movement of the Brown Berets, which fought for farmworkers’ rights and educational reform, and against the Vietnam War and police brutality.

While at Lakewood, de la O began working at a ju venile institution. He later attended the University of Minnesota and was part of

a group of students who pushed for the creation of the Chicano Studies depart ment.

After college, de la O re turned to Neighborhood House, where he was hired as a youth worker. His hiring raised many eyebrows in the community.

“I think the kids respond ed well,” recalled de la O. “It was the parents. A lot of parents were kind of skepti cal because they knew of my history. It was interesting…. I would build relationships with them [kids], get them involved in sports, then I be came an advocate for them.” de la O devoted his entire career to enriching the lives of youth. He worked more

than 30 years at Neighbor hood House and helped form the West Side Booster Club in 1970, using sports to keep kids active and off the streets. He also coached three sports. de la O served the com munity in other ways as well. He was the first Chicano to serve on the St. Paul School Board, and he served two terms on the St. Paul Po lice Civilian Internal Affairs Commission. He was in ducted into the Community Centers of America’s Hall of Fame in Washington, D.C. in the early 2000s, received a Humboldt High School

Lifetime Achievement Award, and is a member of the Neighborhood House Hall of Fame. The ballfields at the Wellstone Center are named in his honor.

de la O was interred at Fort Snelling national cemetery on September 1. He is sur vived by Joyce, sons Roman and Diego, six grandchildren and six great grandchildren.

“My dad loved his family,” said Roman. “He was proud of his culture, but his passion was his community, the West Side. He often said there are three types of people: people who let things happen, peo ple who wonder what hap pened and those who make things happen. He said he was blessed to be surrounded by doers.”

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.

Gilbert de la O surrounded by family at his 75th birthday party.

TPAC events

Thompson Park Activity Center, 1200 Stassen Ln., West St. Paul, is hosting the following events. To register, call 651-403-8300. Registra tion required unless noted.

• Minnesota’s Most Fa mous Historical Weather Events presentation by Dr. Mark Seeley of Twin Cities Public Television, 1-2 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 19. Regis ter by Oct 14. $8.

• Paint Like the Masters acrylic painting class, 1-3 p.m. each Monday in Octo ber. $83 (5 sessions); $30 for supplies.

• Mandala Rock Art pre sentation , 12:30-3 p.m., Thursday Oct. 6. $30.

• Understanding Pro bate, 10-11:30 p.m., Tues day, Oct. 4. $3.

• Political Potpourri with law professor Richard Paint

er, 9:30-11 a.m., Thursday, Oct. 6. $5.

• Cutting the Cord –ways to save money on ex pensive TV bills, 1-3 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 11. $38.

• Write Your Own Healthcare Directive, 10:30 a.m.-noon, Wednesday, Oct. 12. $3.

• Wolves of the Land presentation by naturalist Melonie Shipman , 10-11 a.m., Thursday, Oct. 13. $8.

• Senator Matt Klein will discuss politics 10-11 a.m., Tues, Oct. 18. $3.

• Mindfulness & Medi tation for Better Health, 9-10 a.m., Thursdays, Oct. 27-Dec. 8. $30 (6 sessions).

• Mystery Book Club, 10:30 a.m.-noon, Tuesday, Oct. 11. The title is “The Cinderella Murder” by M. Higgins Clark. $10 annually to join the club.

AFFORDABLE

• Crafting for a Cause, noon-1 p.m., second Tues days of the month. Free.

• Computer assistance, 9 a.m.-noon, each Monday. Free.

WSCO events

West Side Best Side: Neighborhood Art Fair is held noon-6 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 2 at Parque de Castillo. Visitors can purchase food and locally made goods, and enjoy live music and perfor mances. In case of rain, the art fair will be held inside the Wellstone Center.

Visions for our Collective Future: A shared education series on community own ership, is held 2:30-4:30 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 23 at the Wellstone Center. Artist and activist Ricardo Levins Morales will lead the work shop and explore what com

munity ownership means on the West Side.

Stories of our Past, Vi sions of our Future: The West Side Community Or ganization Annual Meet ing, is held 4-7 p.m., Sun day, Nov. 6 at the Harriet Island Wigington Pavilion.

Talk N Tacos

The Optimist Club of West St. Paul will host its Talk N Tacos candidate fo rum at 5:30 p.m., Wednes day, Oct. 19 at Dunham’s food and drink, 173 Lothen bach Ave., West St. Paul. The event includes candidates for Dakota County attor ney, Dakota County Dis trict 2 commissioner, West St. Paul City Council, and West St. Paul mayor. Each candidate will have 10 min utes to communicate their platform and answer ques

tions from the audience. The event is held in the upstairs meeting room. A taco bar is offered for a free-will dona tion. Beverages and other food will be available for purchase. Seating is limited to 49 people. The forum will also be broadcast on Town Square Television. For more information, contact Cheryl Bergstrom at ckbergstrom@ hotmail.com or Chuck Spavin at chuckspavin@ icloud.com.

Party it Forward

DARTS is hosting is 11th annual Party It Forward fundraiser at 6 p.m., Thurs day, Oct. 13. The event includes music from Miss Myra and the Moonshiners jazz band, online auction, live auction, games, spe cialty drinks and food. To register or participate in the

online auction, visit DART SPIF2022.givesmart.com.

Living Longer and Stronger survey

The nonprofit coalition Living Longer and Stronger in West St. Paul and AARP are hosting a survey to de termine how to make West St. Paul more appealing to senior citizens. West St. Paul residents age 60 and older are invited to share their opin ions at www.tinyurl.com/ WSPcommunitysurvey. The results are anonymous, and the feedback will be used to create new programs and resources. The survey takes approximately 20 minutes. The deadline is Sept. 30. For more information, contact Jess Luce at 651-554-6104, jess.luce@co.dakota.mn.us.

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Diamond Hill Townhomes Minneapolis 612-726-9341 open X 2, 3

East Town Apartments Minneapolis 612-339-5969 closed X efficiency, 1, 2, 3

Elliot Park Apartments Minneapolis 612-338-3106 closed X 1, 2, 3

Franklin Lane Apartments Anoka 763-427-7650 open 1, 2

Hamline St. Paul 651-644-3442 N/A X 2, 3, 4

Hanover Townhomes St. Paul 651-292-8497 2 & 3 Br X 1, 2, 3

Haralson Apple Valley 952-431-5216 N/A X 1

Hilltop Manor Eveleth 218-744-5169 open X 1, 2

Hillside Gardens Proctor 218-624-2371 open X efficiency & 1 Hopkins Village Apartments Hopkins 952-938-5787 closed X 1, 2

Lincoln Place Apartments Mahtomedi 651-653-0640 closed X 2, 3

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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.

Peck also said Nowhere Haunted House plans to emphasize charitable giving.

“We are going to have 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 when kids can come in and

trick or treat in a safe space. That zone will not have a scary theme. Nightly, they’ll 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 is a learning experience, and we always try to improve.”

For more information, visit nowherehauntedhouse. com.

The Nowhere Haunted House crew promoting venue this summer at community event. 10:30

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.

Harvest Bounty

Downtown Saturdays 7 am-1 pm, Sundays 8 am-1 pm 290 5th St. E.

House of Hope Church

Fridays 1:15-5 pm, 797 Summit Ave.

West St. Paul - Signal Hills Fridays 8 am-noon 1225 S. Robert St. South St. Paul Wednesdays 2-6 pm Southview & 12 Ave.

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

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

The downtown market has new heaters to keep you warm on crisp Fall mornings.

Fall is in the air and harvest time bounty is at the market. Visit your neighborhood market for locally grown apples, pumpkins, meats, cheeses, flowers and great deals on the freshest food in town.

Event stpaulfarmersmarket.com

Sherlock Holmes: The Exhibition at the Minnesota History Center

S St. Paul

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.

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.,

Dakota

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 discrimination in Vancou ver’s Japantown in the years

Sample

Recharge and Take a BreakBreathing Space

EAGAN

Where: Easter Lutheran Church

When: 2nd & 4th Fridays

Time: 9:00AM - 1:00PM

WEST

Where: Augustana Lutheran Church

Visit www.dartsconnects.org or call 651-455-1560

When: 1st & 3rd Thursdays (begins 10/6) Time: 9:00AM - 1:00PM 9 West St. Paul 651-330-7306

Two Rivers soccer teams are excelling on the pitch

John E. Ahlstrom Staff Writer

The fact that prep foot ball is back and in full swing delights players and fans alike, but there are sev eral other sports activities in session as well. Hundreds of student athletes are com peting in cross country, ten nis, swimming and diving, volleyball and soccer. We can’t cover them all, but we are pleased this month to highlight the boys and girls soccer teams at Two Rivers High School.

Terry Dowd is in his 28th season as head coach of the boys team. A career teacher at Heritage Middle School in West St. Paul, Dowd cannot conceal his love for soccer nor the enthusiasm he brings to coaching and interacting with student athletes.

The Warriors are coming off a marvelous 2021 season when they finished 10-2-1 while outscoring their op

ponents 43-13 in the regular season. They secured victo ries over perennial powers, Mahtomedi and St. Thomas Academy and defeated Sim ley 4-0 in the Section 3AA quarterfinals before losing a 1-0 heartbreaker to Holy Angels in the Section semifinals.

“It was great year for us in so many ways,” said Dowd. “Most of all, we were ecstatic to get back on the field and our seniors were able to play a full season. We were led by three All-State players – An tonio Olivares-Zuniga, Jack Larsen and Sam Melgar –who combined to score 29 goals.”

Despite the loss of Oli vares-Zuniga and Larsen to graduation, Dowd and the Warriors approached the 2022 season with confidence and optimism. Some of that positivity took a large hit when Melgar suffered a sea son ending ACL tear against Rosemount in the fourth

game of the season.

“Sam is not only a team captain who performed with passion and precision on the playing field but a young man who encouraged his teammates on the sidelines and in the locker room,” said Dowd. “It’s a tough loss, but he’ll be around to offer his assistance.”

Leading the offense in Melgar’s absence are senior Atianam Assefa, junior Sam Kallon and ninth-grader Di ego Aguilar.

“Atianam is a three-year starter with explosive speed,” said Dowd. “Sam is also fleet afoot and sparked our team with three goals in the early going, and Diego has all of the ingredients to become a special player.”

The midfielders play a cru cial role on any soccer team. They are responsible for transitioning play – imped ing the opposition as they attempt to enter the defen sive zone, and igniting the

offense as it transitions into the opponent’s defensive zone. Senior Anwar Hamed and junior Emilio Meza lead that group.

“Both of them play key roles in igniting our offense,” said Dowd. “They are alert, quick to the ball and accu rate with their passes into the offensive zone.”

Leading the defensive corps are senior captain Diego Godinez and sopho mores Quinn Fraley and Jack Filhart. The Warrior goaltender is senior captain Miles Dunn.

“All three of our defense men are tough, resilient and have the tools to get the job done in front of Dunn,” said Dowd. “Miles has paid his dues and seemingly comes up with big saves in every game we play.”

Team assessment: The Warriors miss Melgar, but Dowd has a solid group of quality players who show up every day with the goal

of getting better. And he should be downright giddy with the status of his over all program. More than 100 kids showed up for the first practice in August and four teams – varsity, JV, B-squad and C-squad – have full ros ters. The future burns bright indeed.

Girls soccer

Jay Miller is in his first season as head coach of the girls team. That said, he is not without a sterling coach ing resume, including a suc cessful stint (2013-21) at Visitation. Miller has been a special ed teacher at Two Rivers for two decades and accepted the offer to become head coach in March.

The team finished the 2021 regular season with an 8-8-2 record and defeated Highland Park in the Section 3AA quarterfinals 3-0 before succumbing to Holy Angels 1-0 in the semi-finals.

“I scouted the Warriors

over the years while I was at Visitation and I was cer tainly not handed an empty cupboard,” said Miller. “I’ve witnessed the growth of some of these kids since they were ninth graders and now I have the privilege of coaching them as seniors.”

Miller emphasizes a “mid field driven” doctrine, mean ing that every player on the pitch is a candidate to score a goal. He pointed out that the current varsity roster (other than goalies) has 17 players and 11 have already scored at least one goal.

Seniors Mari Houle and Marie Amadick, who have played together for four var sity seasons, patrol the offen sive zone.

“They are both very smart and their synergy is off the charts,” said Miller. “They are fast, they see the entire field and are always in the right place at the right time.”

Miller has labeled the midfield portion of the pitch

the “Engine Room.” It is the fulcrum for an organized thrust into the opponent’s

Student notes

Southern New Hamp shire University dean’s list: Katrina Cannady Simmons University dean’s list: Frances Zigmund

defensive zone, or the last stand to break up an offen sive attack by the opposition.

Junior Lilly Leitner, senior Sarah Wagner and senior captain Lainey Pick patrol the Engine Room.

“They have played togeth er since they were seven years old and they don’t leave the field very often,” said Mill er. “They are physically and mentally strong and they exert their will.”

Defensemen include ju nior Meghan Waters, senior Ellie Orpen and senior cap tain Julia Taurinskas. Miller uses several adjectives while singing their praises: smart, strong, courageous and all three are excellent in clear ing the zone with headers.

The goalkeeper is senior captain Sydney Potter, a member of the Warrior var sity since seventh grade and, according to Miller, the best keeper he has ever coached.

“Sydney has been the heart of everything we’ve been able to accomplish to this point,’ said Miller. “She is cool, calm, fearless and

ROGERS MASONRY

almost as vocal as me shout ing out instructions to her teammates.”

Miller is pleased with the positive response his team has generated to this point. As to the post-season, he summed it up this way: “Since my days at Vis, I have always said that all roads to the state tournament go through Holy Angels. And that is probably still true.”

The first personality trait one learns in speaking with Jay Miller is his passion – not only for the sport of soccer and his interaction with his team members, but also for driving four hours each way to go fishing up north with his family on weekends. The coach is passionate, period. The Warriors might not go to state this year, but it’s only a matter of time.

FOR RENT

Find your place with us! We're At Home Apartments with locations through out the Twin Cities metro area. Call 651-224-1234 or visit AtHomeApts.com for availability of an apart ment or townhome. Equal Housing Opportunity.

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Gardeners

from page 1

little kids think you’re crazy when you tell them stuff like that but we had so much fun doing that stuff.”

The sisters, like their father, have worked the massive garden entirely on their own, growing everything from fruits and vegetables to spices, flowers and gourds. Their biggest challenge has been unpredictable weather, they said, although their popular pumpkins have also presented a challenge due to the pumpkins’ weight and storage space required. Nonetheless, both sisters said they’re proud to have continued their

family legacy for so long and each has thoroughly enjoyed getting to know their customers.

“The same people usually come back every year,” said Mary Helen. “We have third generation [customers] coming for pumpkins who are now bringing their kids…. A lot of people will say, ‘boy it’s something to have a garden like this right in town.’ We want to thank everybody for all the years of support they gave us.”

The sisters will be selling produce ev ery day through October 31. After that, they’ll let the earth slowly reclaim the garden, closing the book on a signifi cant chapter of West St. Paul history.

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Piper Lane (#15), Julia Taurinskas (#13) and teammates celebrate a Warrior goal.

Giveaway event comes to WSP

Jake Spitzack Staff Writer

More than a hundred people swarmed St. Stephen’s Church parking lot in mid-August to score a variety of free items. The church hosted its first ever giveaway event during Ex plore West St. Paul Days and within two hours the public cleared 30 tables that had been piled high with donated items. A second giveaway will be held 2-4 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 15, at the church, 1575 Charlton St., West St. Paul.

“Blood would drain from my face if I thought about doing two or three rummage sales a year, but I can totally see doing this [more often],” said the Rev. Tim Thomp son of St. Stephen’s. “This is a thousand times easier be cause there is no set-up, you don’t have to handle money, and you’re not left with a bunch of stuff. So many people were saying, ‘This is great, please do this again,’

so we’re already feeling like this could easily become a routine thing to have in the fall and spring.”

Thompson borrowed the idea from a member of his “Buy Nothing” group on Facebook who organized a similar event last fall in New Brighton. Buy Noth ing groups are forums where people can give and receive free items. They are typically organized on Facebook or through the BuyNothing app, and the quality of items is fully disclosed.

“The range of stuff is ev erything from perfectly good TVs down to boxes of cereal that are just past their expira tion date,” Thompson said regarding items offered on BuyNothing pages. “It’s re ally similar to things you’d see at a yard sale like furni ture, household goods, kid toys, and sometimes cloth ing and food.”

Thompson recalled a conversation with a donor at a buy nothing group that shows there is a real need

for giveaway events. The re cipient said, “thank you so much, we really needed this. We have nothing.” Another recipient said they appreci ate the group because they find that even items at thrift stores are starting to get pricey.

After Thompson con vinced St. Stephen’s leader ship that the giveaway event would be a good opportuni ty to connect with the com munity, they got to work promoting it by advertising on social media and hand ing out flyers and cold treats during Explore West St. Paul Days. When the event rolled around, a few church mem bers handled traffic control and others handed out more cold treats. Thompson said shoppers could take as many items as they wanted, and that most donors stayed with their items to answer ques tions, although it wasn’t necessary.

“Most of the items were from congrega tion members but we

did get a few community members who donated, too,” said Thompson. “As the word gets out, I really hope that the community will take the opportunity to bring stuff…. It was a great opportunity to get rid of stuff and keep it out of the landfill, as well.”

For the Oct. 15 event, organizers are hoping that people will donate winter clothing and equipment, but any free item will be ac cepted. People can sign up for a newsletter regarding upcoming giveaway events at ststephenswsp.org.

The Buy Nothing Proj ect was founded in 2013 by Liesl Clark and Rebecca Rockefeller with the goal of reducing plastic waste and encouraging people to buy less and share more. For more information, visit buynothingproject.org.

time for you as you prepare for the 15th Annual Great Neighbors’ Duck Races. Thank you for taking the time to meet with me.

Delbert (DD): It is my pleasure.

me up with food from the food shelf, clothing from the Clothes Closet and other es sential items. Everyone was kind and welcoming.

Neighbors, Inc.

Charlie Thompson President & CEO

When I arrived at Neigh bors more than five years ago, one of the most intrigu ing things I learned is that we had a mascot: Delbert the Duck. In honor of our 50th anniversary, Delbert agreed to sit down with me

for an interview. He shared how he became our mascot and other thoughts. Below is an edited transcript of our (tongue-in-bill) conver sation.

Charlie (CT): Delbert, I know this is a very busy

CT: How did you become involved with Neighbors?

DD: I worked for many years directing barge traffic. I was injured on the job in 2007 and then the financial crisis hit. My life took an un expected turn for the worse. A friend of mine mentioned that his great-grandmother, Virginia Milbert, volun teered at Neighbors and that they help people during hard times. I went to Neighbors the next day and they set

CT: How did you become involved with the Duck Races?

DD: In 2008, after get ting back on my palmate [a duck’s feet], I saw a banner hanging in South St. Paul advertising the first annual Duck Races. I was so excit ed that I started training. I swam up and down the river to get in shape for the race. I went to Neighbors and told a volunteer I wanted to enter the race. The volun teer, to my surprise, called

John Kemp (he was the ex ecutive director at the time) and asked him to come up and meet with me. John ex plained that it was a rubber duck race not an actual duck race. Sensing my disappoint ment, John invited me to be the honorary starter for the race. I took him up on the offer. At the event, children (and adults) came up to me and asked to have their photo taken with me. They laughed and gave me highfives. It was an incredible experience. After the event was finished, John came up to me and offered me the job of mascot for Neighbors. I was thrilled. I said yes and

I have been showing up at events ever since.

CT: After 15 years of serv ing as our mascot, you look better than ever. How much longer do you think you will serve as the mascot?

DD: I want to let you in on a secret. In honor of Neighbors’ 50th anniversary, I had some work done and I feel better than ever. Just like the Duck Races, I think I will be around for years to come. That reminds me, I want to invite everyone to come out to the Duck Races at On the Road Again, Oc tober 1. I look forward to making more memories and supporting Neighbors!

The inaugural giveaway event at Stephen’s Church in mid-August.

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.

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.

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 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 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 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 became clear.

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.

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.

that adds up, like paper cuts, working with no appar ent 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.

and, to my surprise, found I had typed:

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

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

Carrie Classon CarrieClasson.com

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.

“The Redhead and Cat,”

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

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

] 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

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.

David Evans is retiring after 39 years on the board.

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

Sample St. Paul

following World War II.

When the Japanese-Amer ican 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.

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 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

Stephanie Levine for mayor

We love Mendota

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

Heights. We live in a great neighborhood and have fan tastic city services. When Mayor Stephanie Levine was elected two years ago, we spoke with her and were impressed by her passion and vision for our city. Not only has she fulfilled our expecta tions, she has far exceeded them. We are retirees and care about having respon sive fire and police depart ments. We care about hav ing our streets plowed and maintained. We want parks, trails and recreational pro grams. We care about tak ing care of the environment for the next generation. In all these areas, we have been impressed. Not only have we received fantastic ser vices these past two years, in each area there have been improvements and enhance ments. All while keeping our taxes low. Stephanie is acces sible and responsive. When we contact her, she responds quickly and takes action. If you care as much as we do about our city, please vote to re-elect Stephanie Levine. She has proven to be hon est, transparent, effective and trustworthy. She certainly has our vote to continue as mayor for the next two years. We hope she has yours, too.

Rena and Barry Glaser Mendota Heights

Mendota Heights is thriv ing under Mayor Stephanie Levine’s leadership. We’ve continued to enjoy high quality city services and low taxes. Our police department is responsive (under the lead ership of Chief Kelly Mc Carthy, who is amazing) as

are our volunteer fire depart ment and EMS services. Our streets and trails are plowed faster than any other city and we love our parks and trails. Stephanie has proven to be a leader who cares about us, who shows up at com munity events and is happy to listen, even at the pick leball courts. She also cares about the environment. We have seen so many positive changes – becoming a Green Step City, organics collec tion, recycling events, tree planting, pollinator gardens and our new Natural Re sources Commission. With her financial expertise, she has even kept our taxes low. She has shown herself to be a caring and competent leader who puts the residents of Mendota Heights first. Let’s show our support for her continued leadership and keep our city thriving. Vote for Mayor Stephanie Levine on November 8.  Tom and Kelley Stone burner Mendota Heights

Sally Lorberbaum for city council

Sally Lorberbaum is the leader we need in Mendota Heights. She has proven herself to be an excellent steward of our city resourc es and a strong advocate for residents. In her current position on the planning commission, she displays her attention to detail and commitment to serving her constituents. For example, she addressed multiple is sues that conflicted with the city’s regulations and raised legitimate concerns from

residents when considering the addition of two largescale apartment buildings in the Mendota Plaza. Her well-reasoned approach led her to vote against these proposals, instead advocat ing for more suitable de velopment that would not exacerbate the already over whelming traffic in the area.

Vote Sally Lorberbaum for City Council.

Tamara Will Mendota Heights

Lorberbaum and Nath for city council

We urge the citizens of Mendota Heights to vote for Sally Lorberbaum and Jeff Nath to fill the two open seats on the Mendota Heights city council. (Re garding) two new apartment projects to be constructed in Mendota Plaza, bring ing the total units there to more than 100 more than normally permitted in that zoning district, Sally Lorber baum then a member of the planning commission voted against these projects and Jeff Nath spoke against both projects at city council meet ings.

We recommend that your vote to fill the two city council seats be cast for Sally Lorberbaum and Jeff Nath who will assure that our city remains spacious and wel coming to all, and sensitive to citizen concerns and the traffic concerns that accom pany increased density.

Bernard P. Friel, Ed Han ton, T. Ultan Duggan, James Losleben and Jill Smith

All residents of Mendota Heights

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 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.

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.

Jake Spitzack Staff Writer

Two Rivers High School Spanish teacher Rob ert Hanson was recently called to a meeting with the school’s principal but was given no reason why. When he arrived, he found himself sitting alone, wracking his brain for the purpose of the meeting.

“It was kind of a trick,” he said. “The principal was on the phone outside [the room] so I tried to excuse myself, but he told me I had to stay there. Then all of a sudden these people came clanging cowbells into the conference room.” The last person to file in had a plaque that said, “Robert Hanson, Optimist of the Year.”

Each year, the Optimist Club of West St. Paul invites the community to nominate individuals who help bring out the best in youth. Han son was nominated by Da kota County Commissioner Joe Atkins for his 30 years of service at the high school and for founding the school group ALMAS (Anglo Lati nos Motivated to Succeed).

When ALMAS was formed in 2002, the goal was to increase graduation rates for Latino students and to give them a deeper connec tion with the school. The drop out rate for Latino stu dents was 60%. In addition, said Hanson, some staff were discriminatory in ways they may not have realized. He gave as an example the fail ure to get parents involved when a Latino student was falling behind.

“My master’s thesis was a plan to keep Latino kids in high school,” said Hanson. “I interviewed over 80 Lati no dropouts because I didn’t understand why kids would drop out of school…. They

weren’t involved in anything in the school, and because they had no ownership in the school it was very easy for them just to not go.

“Really it’s the kids who are doing the work,” added Hanson. “I have incredible partners like the West St. Paul/Mendota Heights Ro tary and Tobacco Free Alli ance who sponsor my group. Both of those groups give me the opportunity to give the kids the opportunity to shine with their community service.”

After ALMAS was formed, Hanson quickly stepped into an informal role as Hispanic liaison at the school. As a result, many Latino parents asked him for help in finding legal, social or academic ser vices. Then, as now, Hanson carves out time each day to listen to students who have experienced discrimination and serves as a mediator between them and the of fender.

The group’s primary pur pose is academic. Students meet after school three times a week to work together on homework. Additionally, Hanson monitors their prog ress and sends grade updates and other reminders to their parents. In the early days, nearly 90% of all Latinos in the school attended the group. Today that percent age is lower because Latino students are now involved in nearly every club the school offers. Hanson is pleased to see this involvement, saying it heightens their self-esteem and increases success in the classroom. About 15 stu dents still meet after school to do homework.

“In 2018, the gradua tion rate of white kids in the school was 93.4%,” said Hanson. “In the same year, the graduation rate of Latinos was 93.7%. I have

never heard that happen in a public school with the size of population of Latinos we have, anywhere in the na tion.”

ALMAS, which translates to “souls” in Spanish, has blossomed into much more than just a study group. It has a president, vice presi dent, and other student lead ers who help plan commu nity service activities. They have even testified before subgroups of the Minnesota Senate and House of Rep resentatives on ordinances related to tobacco use. Most recently, the Minnesota De partment of Health asked them to testify on opioid ordinances. The group also cleans a section of a local highway and has formed a folklore dance club, which recently performed at the Minnesota State Fair and will soon make appearances at two elementary schools. Hanson’s wife, a dancer and native of Mexico, is the cho reographer and he himself has been known to bust a move or two.

“Seeing them [students] shine is the biggest reward for me,” said Hanson. “For example, last year’s [AL MAS] president is out on the East Coast studying to be a lawyer…. More and more stories are happening of Latino students who are

When not teaching or working with ALMAS, Han son can be found behind the microphone at Two Rivers’ soccer, basketball and wo mens lacrosse games. At the soccer games he commen tates the first half in Eng lish and second in Spanish. Last year, he announced a St. Paul Saints game during Hispanic Heritage Month and was asked to do so again this year but had to turn the offer down due to shoulder surgery. A Roseville native, Hanson has a bachelor’s de gree in Spanish and speech communications from Gus tavus Adolphus College, and a master’s in Spanish from Mankato State University.

Rob Hanson with Dakota County Commissioner Joe Atkins, who nominated Hanson for his 30 years of service at Two Rivers high school and for founding the school group ALMAS.