“As we look to the upcoming school year, it is my hope that New York City continues to invest in training for our foster parents as well as initiatives like College Choice and Fair Futures, which have helped turn the ‘system’ into a supportive village to help young people in foster care as they transition into adulthood.”

Brooklyn College graduation in 2022. (Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office)

This season, students across New York City are going back to college, many with the support of their family members and loved ones who may even pay for resources to assist along the way. Students in foster care, like myself, deserve that same support and encouragement. In New York City, the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) is making that happen in a number of ways, for which I am incredibly grateful.

As someone who grew up in foster care, I know how difficult life can be. I have faced many challenges. I was diagnosed as visually impaired at 12 years old. A few years later, both my parents passed away for different health reasons. There I was in my early teens, legally blind and struggling with the grief of losing the two most important people in my life.

After a few different placements both with relatives and foster parents that just weren’t the right fit, I finally met Ms. Matthews, who showed me patience, kindness and love. I know that was not easy to do, as I was rebellious and unmotivated about the future. Ms. Matthews did not let that stop her. She treated me as part of her family. Although I was unsure about what I wanted to do in life she kept on offering me guidance, but most of all—grace. I am grateful for her dedication and her belief in me even when I didn’t believe in myself.

Ms. Matthews has been a foster parent for many, many years, and so her knowledge of the foster care system is invaluable. She has seen the improvements firsthand and was able to point me to a wide range of resources newly available to older youth in foster care. I was hesitant at first and only did it to appease her, but that changed when I realized how invested everyone was in my success. 

The Fair Futures program was life-changing for me. Ms. Matthews pointed me to an ACS-funded youth center in my borough of the Bronx that paired me with my own Fair Futures coach.  I started to meet with my coach twice a month to plan goals and put them into action, starting with completing my GED. My coach helped me land a paid internship in the catering field. For the first time in a long time, I felt like a productive young adult. 

I was ready to try my next move, but thankfully I didn’t have to do it alone because of the ACS College Choice Program. A team of coaches helped me with everything—from finding the right college, to applying and visiting campuses in person. These are usually rites of passage that a young person does with family members, and that may seem out of reach to teens in foster care. That is not the case anymore, because of College Choice. Foster youth no longer have to feel left out or navigate this complicated process alone. 

College Choice pays the tuition, room and board for college students who are in foster care. It also provides a daily stipend, including for six months after graduation. It is helping to cover the cost of my dual bachelor’s and master’s degree in public administration. This year, 25 young people graduated from the College Choice program.

The help hasn’t stopped there. My Fair Futures coach, Natalie, worked with ACS to help me find, qualify for and furnish my very own apartment. I am in my 20s now and still check in with Natalie often. She helps me stay on track and gives me words of encouragement. 

As we look to the upcoming school year, it is my hope that New York City continues to invest in training for our foster parents as well as initiatives like College Choice and Fair Futures, which have helped turn the “system” into a supportive village to help young people in foster care as they transition into adulthood.

I am an example of what is possible when unconditional support is available for foster youth. I hope the programs continue to grow for the next generation, so every student in New York City—no matter their background—can reach full potential. 

Regina Rivera was born and raised in the Bronx. She is currently pursuing a bachelor’s and master’s in public administration. Rivera enjoys art and baking and is an advocate.

The post Opinion: Supporting the NYC Students in Foster Care Attending College This Fall appeared first on City Limits.

Byron Buxton has no interest in talking about a 30/30 season. Not yet, at least.

The center fielder reached 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases for the first time in his career over the weekend, a testament to his health as much as his speed and power. But while he has a chance to become the Twins’ first 30/30 player, he’s not up for discussing it.

“I’m not talking about 30/30 unless I’m at 30/30,” he said. “Once I get there, we can talk about it.”

It could happen. The Twins have 23 games remaining after Wednesday. Buxton hit his career-high 29th home run of the season on Sunday, and currently sits at 21 stolen bases entering Wednesday’s play.

Those 21 steals include one of third base, the first of his career. The speedster attempted it for the first time in his career in 2016 as part of a double steal attempt with Eduardo Núñez. He was caught, and didn’t try again until Friday.

“I definitely remember,” he said. “That’s why I don’t do it anymore, because I realized, well, if I stay at second and you hit a single, I score anyway. So, I stopped taking the chance of getting thrown out and giving up a run. Hit me a single and I’m going to score for you.”

So, what changed on Friday? Nothing really, it seems.

“I literally told (third base coach) Tommy (Watkins) during the pitching change ‘I’m stealing,’ ” he said. “That’s what I told him, so I ran.”

That steal was his 20th of the season, putting him in the 20/20 club for the first time in his career. He became just the seventh Twins player to accomplish the feat and is currently one of 13 players in the majors who have reached the milestone this season.

And that one, he’s happy to talk about.

“Means a lot. Means being healthy. Proves that’s what it takes,” he said. “When you’re healthy, your mind is at more of a mental peace. Things, I don’t want to say come easier, but you tend to let go of things a little easier and turn the page a little quicker.”

Last week, Buxton reached 100 games played for the third time in his career, marking the first time he’s done so in back-to-back seasons. Over the weekend, he eclipsed 102 games, the number he played last year.

The Twins have more than 20 games remaining and while Buxton has not stolen nine bases in a single month this season, it’s not necessarily outside the realm of possibility. If he reached 30, it would be a new career high, eclipsing the 29 he stole in 2017, the healthiest season of his career. He played in 140 games that season.

“He could get nine steals in one game if he gets on base enough and we green light him enough,” teammate Royce Lewis said.

But whether he eventually gets to 30/30 or even 25/25, those around him have delighted in watching him play this season, seeing a healthy Buxton on the field more often than not.

“It’s become one of those things where almost every day you come in and he’s doing something even more impressive or setting some new mark and doing something great,” manager Rocco Baldelli said.

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Raised by his grandparents, Virgil Wind recalled childhood nights when their car would find the one blinking red light at the edge of a dusty rural road, the only visible marker under the moonlight indicating it was time to turn toward the Mille Lacs Reservation, the high-poverty community they called home.

Fast forward 40 years, and Wind — the elected chief of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe — said his tribe made gradual economic inroads through key investments, not the least of which are two destination gambling hubs — Grand Casino Mille Lacs and Grand Casino Hinckley — as well as two downtown St. Paul hotels. Even the brewpub at St. Paul’s Allianz Field soccer stadium bears the Grand Casino name.

For sports fans, the tribe’s latest investment may be the most eyebrow-raising. The downtown Xcel Energy Center — the longtime home of the Minnesota Wild and the new Minnesota Frost — is officially no more. On Wednesday, standing side by side with Wild owner Craig Leipold and St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter at the arena’s club-level Flynt & Kindle Restaurant, Wind helped usher in a new name and a new era for the city’s celebrated hockey and concert arena: the Grand Casino Arena.

While it may take a while for the Xcel name to work its way out of the collective consciousness, someday soon “the youth will be like, ‘What X? What are you talking about?’” quipped Wind, talking to reporters after the event.

‘A long process’

Purchasing the naming rights for the 25-year-old, 18,000-seat arena involved months of discussion within the tribe, as well as negotiations with the team.

“It was tough,” Wind said. “It was a long process to get here. (But) what really ends up happening is meant to happen.”

The 14-year agreement includes the possibility of a six-year extension, said Wind, who declined to describe the total dollar amount involved, except to confirm it was a “multi-million dollar” deal.

“Revenues from our businesses fund healthcare, housing, education, cultural and language preservation,” Wind told the crowd. “This is a business investment … aimed at elevating the Grand Casino brand, aimed at deepening our visibility, aimed at expanding opportunities for all of us.”

“But beyond the business value, this is also a chance to tell our story,” he added. “Inside the arena, visitors will have an opportunity to learn about who we are — the non-removable Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. They will learn about our history. They will learn … about our resilience, and they will also learn about our connection to the land.”

Wild efforts to remodel arena rebuffed — would they move?

To that end, Wind said, an educational display will be installed by Gate 1.

Kelly McGrath, general manager and executive director of the Grand Casino Arena, said she had ordered 1,800 end plaques for the seating aisles, all emblazoned with the name “Grand Casino.” Carter, who called the arena essential to downtown’s future, read a proclamation declaring Wednesday “Grand Casino Arena Day” in the city of St. Paul.

To celebrate the new naming rights arrangement, Wind presented Leipold with an elaborate star quilt embroidered in the traditional style of the Ojibwe but with Minnesota Wild colors and patterns, drawing some “oohs” and “aahs” from the crowd. Leipold said more than 34 million fans have come to the former Xcel Energy Center since it opened in 2000, and he looked forward to the years ahead.

The Wild worked closely with the city in the past two legislative sessions to convince state lawmakers to cover half the project costs of what was then pitched as a $769 million remodel of the arena and the adjoining RiverCentre Convention Center and Roy Wilkins Auditorium, without success.

With hopes fading, the team rejiggered its proposal mid-stream last May, reducing it to a $488 million project, with $50 million to be provided by state bond funds. When the legislative session rolled to a close, they were again shut out.

On Wednesday, Leipold told reporters he had no plans to sell the team, which now employs one of his sons in a management-training role, and he planned to continue to ask lawmakers for remodeling assistance. “We have scaled it back,” Leipold said. “We feel like the changes we’ve made are good changes. The number we’re looking for from the state is $100 million, which is still a lot of money.”

Asked about rumors that the team was being courted by developers to move to Bloomington or another city, Leipold said his focus remains St. Paul. But if the team’s efforts to get an arena remodel funded continue to fall through at the state Capitol?

“That’s an interesting question,” Leipold responded. “I’m a St. Paul person, I really am. But I also know we can’t survive long-term in this arena. We will look at all the options if the time is ever right. It’s not right now. We aren’t spending any time right now looking at other sites outside St. Paul.”

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“Unholy Communion,” a murder mystery largely shot in and around St. Paul last year, is coming to home screens.

Starting Friday, the film will be available to buy or rent online from Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube, Xfinity and other digital providers. It’ll also be released on DVD on Oct. 7 and will stream next month on Hulu.

“Unholy Communion” will also be screened on Sept. 9 at the Parkway Theater in Minneapolis. Tickets are $10 in advance via theparkwaytheater.com and $15 at the door.

“It’s so gratifying,” said writer and director Patrick Coyle. “That’s the end game. You work really hard for something for a really long time, trying to do it for more than your friends and family. It’s going to get out into the wider world.”

Coyle adapted the film from the book of the same name by Scandia author Thomas Rumreich. It follows a Washington County investigator who is tracking a serial killer preying on priests. Rumreich based the novel on his own experience of being sexually abused by a priest when he was a college student at St. John’s University as well as the 16 years he spent working as a forensic odontologist for the Ramsey County Medical Examiner.

The film stars Adam Bartley (“Longmire,” “Night Sky”) and Vincent Kartheiser (“Mad Men,” “Another Day in Paradise”) — both native Minnesotans — and features a largely local cast and crew who shot at the former Keenan’s Bar and Grill (now the 620 Club) on West Seventh Street and other sites around St. Paul.

In a March 2024 interview with the Pioneer Press, Bartley said it didn’t take him long to say yes to the role: “I read (Coyle’s) script and I called him the next day and I’m, like, ‘Yeah, man. I’m in, I’m in. I gotta work out the details, but I’m in.’ And it’s just been one ridiculous blessing after the next.”

Coyle, who has previously directed three feature films, said he learned from past experiences in finding a distributor. After taking on a sales agent in Los Angeles, Coyle received four offers.

“We took the best financial deal,” Coyle said of Freestyle Digital Media, the digital film distribution division of Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group. “And they agreed to pay residuals to the actors. They’ve treated us really well.”

Rumreich and Coyle found about 15 investors to fund the budget, which Coyle thinks they’ll be able to recoup.

“I’m knocking on wood,” he said. “It’s a genre that has a pretty big fan base.”

Coyle is currently in pre-production for another film, “Leavenworth Street,” which is scheduled to begin shooting in spring 2026. Set in his hometown of Omaha, it’s an original story about a woman who went to prison for killing her abuser and is attempting to start her life over. He said he’s “pretty sure” he’ll once again film in St. Paul.

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