St. Paul’s Office of Neighborhood Safety has been adding staff since it started in 2022, and some city council members asked Wednesday about continuing to pay for them when grant funding ends.

The office has five life coaches with the goal of interrupting gun violence by connecting “high-risk individuals to resources,” Director Brooke Blakey told the city council at a budget presentation. They’re doing one-on-one work, “not just handing them pamphlets … and saying, ‘Make a phone call.’”

Blakey started as the office’s only employee. There is funding this year for 12 workers and Blakey hopes to hire an additional nine employees, though Mayor Melvin Carter’s proposed budget for next year only allows for an additional two workers.

Brooke Blakey, St. Paul Office of Neighborhood Safety director, speaks to the St. Paul City Council on Sept. 11, 2024. (Screenshot from video of meeting)

ONS’ total proposed budget for next year is just under $4 million, with $2.9 million from the city’s general fund and the remaining from grant funds, which is $246,000 more than the current budget. Carter’s proposed 2025 budget for the whole city would grow to $854.9 million, a $25 million increase over the present year, if the council approves it without major changes.

City council member Nelsie Yang asked at Wednesday’s meeting if Blakey would be coming to the council in the future to ask for funding for employees when grant funding ends next year. Blakey said she plans to make that request next year for the 2026 budget. She also said ONS will continue applying for grants.

During Yang’s time on the council, she said there’s been a lot of “one-time money coming in” through grants for various city departments.

“What are we going to do to keep these positions going?” she said. “… The work is really important, and I feel what is really tough for me … (is) I want to see continued funding for it, but we’re also in a position where we don’t have that money freed up, and typically it would mean we have to raise property taxes for it.”

Council President Mitra Jalali said ONS is “unique as compared to other departments, in that so much of the growth and the ability to do the work in the department has been through one-time funding sources — it’s federal funds, it’s state public safety aid, it’s things that we’ve eagerly seized upon.”

“If we want to invest in the department in an ongoing way, we do have to get clear on transferring from those one-time funds into uses that we can explain to our constituents and that meet those frontline needs,” she said.

Carter’s budget proposal for next year includes a 7.9% increase to the city’s tax levy — or $16.5 million — the sum total of all property taxes collected in the city limits from all property types. For a median-value, single-family home in St. Paul, there would be a $200 property tax increase next year, based on combined city, county and school district property tax levies. At least another $100 would be for higher trash, water, sewer and recycling fees.

Gun violence down this year

Yang also said at Wednesday’s meeting that she wants ONS to be successful, but she said, “I’m questioning whether the investments that we’re making is really producing the type of outcome and the type of community safety that I personally would like to see for my ward and and also citywide, too.”

She said she’d also like to see improved communication, “really laying out that long-term plan for the department.”

Blakey responded that she’s made multiple presentations that lay out ONS’ strategic plan and said she’d like to meet with Yang to answer more of her questions.

Council member Rebecca Noecker said she agrees that Blakey has been willing to present to the city council, but she said she’d like to be included in more conversations. For example, Blakey’s presentation included a proposed one-time $200,000 investment next year to enhance the city’s camera infrastructure in the downtown area. Noecker, who represents downtown, said she first heard about that in Carter’s budget address last month.

The Office of Neighborhood Safety describes itself overall as aiming to make St. Paul safer by addressing root causes, implementing preventive measures, and responding to shootings and homicides and “providing immediate and long-term support to individuals and families and communities,” Blakey said.

Gun violence is down in St. Paul year-over-year. Homicides have deceased, as have non-fatal shootings and reports of shots fired without injury, according to the police department.

St. Paul announced Project PEACE in July 2022, which is ongoing. There have been 203 referrals to Project PEACE this year. The aim has been to reduce retaliation for street crime by connecting individuals and families impacted by gun violence with mental health support and other holistic intervention services. Part of the effort is the police department’s Operation ASPIRE, which has officers working on prevention, intervention and enforcement involving gun violence.

ONS has been “dedicated” to finding employees who “have the lived experience to be able to have the empathy and exchange with individuals who are experiencing probably the worst time in their lives, and then how to transition out of that space,” Blakey said.

Frederick Melo contributed to this report.

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Growing up in St. Paul’s Frogtown neighborhood, Nehemiah Jett would walk past the light fixture store near University and Victoria avenues and pay it little mind. Nor did it draw his attention when it became vacant. And then a concerted community effort to save the century-old structure from demolition and position it for stage performances and arts programming caught his imagination four years ago, putting him on a path to become the building’s new communications and relationships manager.

“Finding out individuals did notice it and they fought to save this place, it makes me proud to be from Frogtown,” said Jett, whose grandmother used to participate in neighborhood parades wearing an inflatable frog attached to her straw hat. “Frogtown is where my family is from. It has a rich history to it, and yet it’s kind of frowned upon.”

Tyler Olsen-Highness recently threw open the doors to the $6.5 million reinvention of the building recently referred to as the Victoria Theater Arts Center, directly across from the Green Line’s Victoria Street light-rail station, and there’s already change afoot. The history-laden structure, like the nonprofit that runs it, was renamed “825 Arts” this spring in an effort to distance itself from the colonial legacy of Queen Victoria.

“We found that as we were talking with people about the ‘Victoria Theater,’ they would say, ‘oh, well I’m a dancer, I’m not a theater person’,” said Olsen-Highness, executive director of the space he said will welcome “825 different types of art.”

As of late August, the brick-faced former silent theater, cabaret and light fixture shop is now a multi-level community arts hub, offering a 120-seat theater, meeting rooms and a sizable front lobby with enough room to sport a smaller stage of its own at 825 W. University Ave., along the border of the Frogtown and Rondo neighborhoods.

The front lobby of 825 Arts, in the former Victoria Theater at 825 University Ave. W. in St. Paul, on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. The center is up and running after a 12-year, $6.5 million rehabilitation. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

On tap is a guided group arts project using the digital world known as “Minecraft,” a 12-week jump-rope intensive dubbed “Rondo Double Dutch,” artist circles and private events. In early October, the zAmya Theater will tour the musical production “A Prairie Homeless Companion,” which showcases the lives of the less fortunate in the fictional town of Miserable Falls, Minn., using both satire and true stories of rural homelessness. Wonderlust Productions, Ten Thousand Things Theater and “Divas and Drag” have also booked stage time.

“People are excited and inspired by the space and are signing up,” said Olsen-Highness, who began fundraising and organizing for the arts center more than a dozen years ago. Some might even say its grand opening last month was the culmination of a solid century of work, given that its history winds up from the silent movie era of the early 1900s, through Prohibition and on to University Avenue’s heyday as a retail destination.

A silent theater and ‘Moonshiner’s Dance’

Built around 1917, the building is recognized for its Beaux Arts-style brick and terra-cotta façade, as well as some interior historical flourishes, like a pastoral mural that winds across multiple walls and likely dates back to at least the 1920s, when the silent theater became a restaurant and cabaret. On the second floor, two box-like openings in an interior brick wall were likely inlays for silent film projectors.

“We really worked hard to preserve whatever historical artistic elements were left in the building, whether it was a really intricate wall stenciling from the old building, or the full-building-height pillars with decorative capitals,” said Olsen-Highness on Tuesday.

The two-story structure even holds a footnote in the history of early 20th-century American folk music.

In 2011, the St. Paul Historic Preservation Commission designated the property a locally-designated Heritage Preservation Site, in part because of one particular song — the “Moonshiner’s Dance Part One” — that was recorded by Frank Cloutier and the Victoria Cafe’s house orchestra in 1927. The upbeat, whooping medley of cabaret-style jazz and polka was included in the 1952 “Anthology of American Folk Music,” a seminal collection of the nation’s genre-defining folk tunes from the 1920s and ’30s.

The folk anthology would go on to inspire the likes of Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and the Grateful Dead, among other singer-songwriters of the tumultuous 1960s. It would also, in a roundabout way, help save the building from demolition some 60 years later.

The main performance area at 825 Arts, in the former Victoria Theater at 825 University Ave. W. in St. Paul, on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. The center is up and running after a 12-year, $6.5 million rehabilitation. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

After serving as a cabaret in the 1920s and early 1930s, the Victoria Theater was eventually remodeled into a light fixture shop, which closed in the late 1990s. Building owner Bee Vue planned to sell the property in 2008 to a nonprofit developer interested in demolishing the structure and installing a parking lot, but that plan was shelved in the face of intense community opposition.

After gaining local historic status, the building was acquired in 2014 by the Twin Cities Community Land Bank, which held onto it until the arts coalition then dubbed the “New Victoria Theater Project” had completed enough fundraising to purchase it outright. For Olsen-Highness and others attached to the reinvention of the Victoria Theater, the past decade has been a painstaking labor of love.

About half the $6.5 million funding came from foundations and private fundraising, and the other half was public funding through the city and state.

Jett, the nonprofit’s relationships manager, said the center will soon debut low-cost artist memberships — perhaps as low as $10 — allowing creatives from different disciplines to access the space, workshop pieces and qualify for a $500 production award, with a new recipient chosen each month by an artist circle. He foresees local acts — perhaps future Bob Dylans, Soul Asylums and Lizzos — getting their start at 825 Arts.

“We hold about 120 seated, which is enough if you want to do something intimate, like a private event,” Jett said. “Any performer’s objective is to perform at larger and larger venues as they progress, and we want to be one of their first.”

From the Victoria Theater to 825 Arts

825 Arts, in the former Victoria Theater at 825 University Ave. W. in St. Paul, on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. The center is up and running after a 12-year, $6.5 million rehabilitation. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

Built in 1915, it was one of three silent movie theaters owned by Henry Breilein along University Avenue. It was designed by Franklin Ellerbe and features a Beaux Arts-style brick and terra-cotta façade. Its history:

• 1924: The theater was remodeled into the Victoria Cafe, a dance hall featuring cabaret-style floor shows and Chinese cuisine.

• 1927: The house orchestra recorded “Moonshiner’s Dance,” which was included on the 1952 collection called the “Anthology of American Folk Music.”

• 1930s to late 1990s: The Victoria served as a light-fixture shop.

• 2008: Owner Bee Vue considered selling the property to a nonprofit developer interested in demolishing the Victoria and building a parking lot. The developer backed out amid community opposition.

• 2011: The St. Paul Historic Preservation Commission designated the property an official Heritage Preservation Site.

• 2014: The Twin Cities Community Land Bank bought the Victoria from Bee Vue, giving an arts coalition additional time to raise funds and acquire it outright.

• 2024: Once dubbed the Victoria Theater Arts Center, the structure opens to the public as “825 Arts,” a multi-space community arts hub featuring two stages and youth programming.

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Former Troop 9013 Eagle Scout Tim Fah whittles wood in front of his 5-year-old nephew, with the hopes that both his nephew and 2-year-old niece will eventually follow his scouting path.

“You really don’t understand what you get out of scouting till you’re looking back at it,” said Fah, 25.

Eagle Scouts, from left, Phil Walk, Eli Baynes-Marsh, Andrew Wussler and Tim Fah gather during Baynes-Marsh’s Eagle Scout ceremony, June 5, 2017. Troop 9013 (previously known as Troop 13) is celebrating its 100th Anniversary on Saturday at St. Columba School. (Martha Wald / Scouting Troop 9013)

Minnesota Troop 9013 of Scouting America is celebrating its 100th anniversary Saturday at St. Columba School, 1330 Blair Ave. in St. Paul, with a reunion event for past and present troop members, family and anyone interested in attending. Since 1924, Troop 9013 (previously known as Troop 13) has provided opportunities for personal development, leadership and outdoor skills for Scouts in Hamline-Midway and nearby St. Paul neighborhoods.

“I think the value is that we get to have a whole bunch of different generations of scouts meet up and talk about shared stories, connect and network,” Fah said.

The open house runs from 1 to 4 p.m. with a flag ceremony at 2 p.m. Guest speakers, camp stories and an open mic will follow. Troop memorabilia and archives will be on display and appetizers will be served.

The mission of Scouting America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Scout Law, according to the group’s website.

Fah, who grew up in the Midway area, said that his father was also a Boy Scout at one point and Fah became inspired to become a Scout after watching his older brother climb the ranks.

“It’s honestly surprising just how much I ended up learning from Boy Scouts,” Fah said.

Now an assistant scoutmaster with Troop 9013, he’s witnessed positive changes to the scouting program over the years. He looks back fondly on memories of camping with his troop and said he actively applies lessons he learned about wood lashing, knot tying and managing stressful situations still to this day.

“It’s just insane to me,” Fah said. “It’s kind of hard to comprehend that the troop has been around that long.”

Role models and traditions

Julie Ludowese, a Troop 9013 committee member since 2014, said her now adult son joined the Scouts when he was in first grade. She said that, as a single mother, being involved in scouting helped them form a community in a safe environment.

“The thing that I really appreciate was the leadership he was shown,” Ludowese said.

Ludowese said her son had great role models and mentors because of the program. She said that she values the amount of community service projects and initiatives the troop is involved with in St. Paul.

“For being a really small troop, it has carried some really big continuous traditions,” Ludowese said.

The Hi-lex Gnomes march during the 2024 St. Paul Winter Carnival King Boreas Grande Day Parade along West Seventh Street downtown on Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

Troop 9013 has been active in St. Paul with events such as the St. Paul Winter Carnival, where they are known for wearing the antique Hi-lex Gnome costumes in the Grande Day Parade.

For 65 years, the troop has served more than 250 meals to friends and neighbors annually through their spaghetti dinner fundraiser, which Ludowese helps organize along with other projects.

Nick Denkinger joined Troop 9013 as a scout leader in 2001, when he enrolled his 12-year-old son in the troop.

“It was such a worthy program that I stuck around, and I help out,” Denkinger said.

Denkinger said his son learned a lot about the outdoors, building fires, wildlife and camping through the program. He said he enjoys seeing the growth within troop members as they age, and is impressed by how the program has changed to include over 100 merit badges from physical fitness to environmental science.

“All of these kids are so incredibly different and it’s really a treat to work with them,” Denkinger said.

Learning from mistakes

Scouting has had to deal with negative connotations after grooming and sexual abuse scandals were reported in scouting programs across the U.S. since the 1970s.

Denkinger said he believes the program has learned from past mistakes. What used to be the Boy Scouts is now Scouting America and includes all genders and aims to be more inclusive.

“What was acceptable 20 years, 40 years ago is not acceptable now, and they’ve adapted to it,” Denkinger said.

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Ludowese said a lot of organizations start something that fizzles out within a few years, but she is impressed with the longevity of Troop 9013, and believes it is a reflection of the strength of its community.

“Most of us will be lucky to live 100 years,” Ludowese said. “A hundred years I think is a huge milestone.”

Sponsors, funders and supporters of the troop include Hamline-Midway neighbors, St. Columba Parish, Midway Men’s Club, American Legion Post 8 and Westcott Station.

Saturday’s reunion event is open to the public; no reservations are needed.

To learn more about Troop 9013, visit www.facebook.com/ScoutTroop13/ or contact them at mntroop13@gmail.com.

Today is Thursday, Sept. 12, the 256th day of 2024. There are 110 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Sept. 12, 2013, Voyager 1, launched 36 years earlier, became the first man-made spacecraft ever to leave the solar system.

Also on this date:

In 1857, the S.S. Central America (also known as the “Ship of Gold”) sank off the coast of South Carolina after sailing into a hurricane in one of the worst maritime disasters in American history; 425 people were killed and thousands of pounds of gold sank with the ship to the bottom of the ocean.

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In 1940, the Lascaux cave paintings, estimated to be 17,000 years old, were discovered in southwestern France.

In 1958, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Cooper v. Aaron, unanimously ruled that Arkansas officials who were resisting public school desegregation orders could not disregard the high court’s rulings.

In 1959, the Soviet Union launched its Luna 2 space probe, which made a crash landing on the moon.

In 1962, in a speech at Rice University in Houston, President John F. Kennedy reaffirmed his support for the manned space program, declaring: “We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.”

In 1977, South African Black student leader and anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko, 30, died while in police custody, triggering an international outcry.

In 1994, truck driver Frank Eugene Corder piloted a stolen single-engine Cessna airplane into restricted airspace in Washington, D.C., and crashed it into the South Lawn of the White House.

In 2003, in the Iraqi city of Fallujah, U.S. forces mistakenly opened fire on vehicles carrying police, killing eight of them.

In 2008, a Metrolink commuter train struck a freight train head-on in Los Angeles, killing 25 people.

In 2011, Novak Djokovic beat Rafael Nadal to win his first U.S. Open championship.

Today’s Birthdays:

Actor Linda Gray is 84.
Singer Maria Muldaur is 82.
Author Michael Ondaatje is 81.
Actor Joe Pantoliano is 73.
Photographer Nan Goldin is 71.
Composer Hans Zimmer is 67.
Actor Rachel Ward is 67.
TV host-commentator Greg Gutfeld is 60.
Actor-comedian Louis (loo-ee) C.K. is 57.
Golfer Angel Cabrera is 55.
Country singer Jennifer Nettles (Sugarland) is 50.
Rapper 2 Chainz is 47.
Singer Ruben Studdard is 46.
Basketball Hall of Famer Yao Ming is 44.
Singer-actor Jennifer Hudson is 43.
Actor Alfie Allen is 38.
Actor Emmy Rossum is 38.
Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman is 35.
Country singer-songwriter Kelsea Ballerini is 31.
Actor Sydney Sweeney is 27.