Free COVID-19 saliva testing in St. Paul starting October 30
On Friday, the Minnesota Department of Health will open a free COVID-19 saliva testing location in St. Paul, the first saliva testing location to open in the Twin Cities. Below are excerpts from a Minnesota Health Department press release providing more information. Learn more about COVID-19 saliva testing in Minnesota.
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Testing is free to all Minnesotans who believe they need a COVID-19 test, including those who are asymptomatic. Participants will be asked for their health insurance information so the state can bill their insurance company on their behalf. If a person is uninsured or for any reason insurance doesn’t cover some or all of the cost, the state will cover the difference so testing remains completely free to everyone.
The saliva test is a PCR test, just like the traditional nasal swab, with the same effectiveness rate; however, it is more comfortable to take. Those who come for a test should avoid eating, drinking, chewing, or smoking anything for at least 30 minutes before providing a sample. Once they arrive at the site, they will self-administer the test by spitting into a funnel attached to a small tube. Clinic staff will be available on-site to monitor the collection process.
The state opened the first saliva testing site in Duluth on Sept. 23. Since then, saliva testing locations have opened in Winona, Moorhead, Brooklyn Park, Mankato, and St. Cloud; state officials plan to open at least three more in the Twin Cities metro area in coming weeks. Those tests will be processed right here in Minnesota, at the new saliva lab in Oakdale. Results will be provided via email within 24-48 hours.
Testing will be located in the Roy Wilkins Auditorium, part of the Saint Paul RiverCentre complex at 175 Kellogg Blvd. Limited free parking will be available on the roof of the Saint Paul RiverCentre ramp. Metered parking is also available in Rice Park. To access the entrance to the Roy Wilkins Auditorium, people are encouraged to take the skyway from the RiverCentre Parking Ramp, enter the doors by the RiverCentre marquee sign on Kellogg Boulevard, or enter at the Rice Park entrance located on Washington Street, and follow directional signage.
St. Paul COVID-19 saliva testing site: Roy Wilkins Auditorium, next to Saint Paul RiverCentre
175 W Kellogg Blvd
St. Paul, MN 55102
COVID-19 Testing Parking & Entrance Map (PDF)
Free parking is available on the roof of the RiverCentre ramp. If that is full, metered parking is available in Rice Park.
Entrances:
- Skyway from the RiverCentre Parking Ramp, follow signs
- Doors by the main RiverCentre sign at 175 W Kellogg Blvd, follow signs
- Rice Park entrance on Washington Street near Herb Brooks statue, follow signs
Monday - Friday: 12 - 7 p.m.
Saturday - Sunday: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Schedule Appointment with Vault Health
Sharing Harvest, Growing Community: West Side’s FreeSA
In the wake of George Floyd’s death and community uprisings, West Sider Leah Mathiason saw mutual aid efforts springing up across the Twin Cities that inspired her – and she wanted to act. As dozens of volunteers coordinated donations for thousands of nonperishable food items, Leah wondered, what about access to fresh food?
That’s how the West Side’s “FreeSA” was born. Riffing on produce exchange programs known as “CSA” (which stands for community-supported agriculture), the FreeSA project provided free fresh fruit and vegetables to West Siders at Parque Castillo on Sundays from August through September. “I’m inspired by communities who look out for each other,” Leah explains. “This project was just a small action to promote resilience in the community I care about.”
FreeSA grew and evolved each week. First Acre Farms, a vendor at the West Side Farmers Market, kicked off the project with a major produce donation. West Side gardeners shared vegetables, herbs, flowers, jelly, pickles, and more. West Side Seed Library organized a plant and seed exchange, and volunteers used the FreeSA as an opportunity to collect coats, hats, boots, and scarves to share with neighbors as temperatures dropped.
Have ideas for next year’s FreeSA? Send them to [email protected].
FreeSA was located in a high-traffic area of Parque Castillo. People stopped by on their way to and from the bus stop or La Clinica, curious about what was on offer. Neighbors bonded over gardening tips and got inspired to grow their own food.
Leah says the project helped her feel hope, connection, and purpose in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and a nationwide reckoning with the impacts of racism and police violence in our communities.
“I kept thinking to myself, ‘Why haven’t I done something like this before? Why haven’t I taken more action to address problems in my community?’ But we have to take those feelings and do something with them,” Leah explains. “We’ve been so isolated from each other because of the pandemic and so disconnected in a time when it feels urgent to reach out to each other. This produce exchange was one small way to do that.”
When Leah got the idea for the FreeSA, she knew she needed support to make it happen. She reached out to a neighbor who suggested Leah contact West Side Community Organization (WSCO). Just a few days after talking to Ellie Leonardsmith, WSCO’s Health and Environmental Justice organizer, Leah and Ellie set up the first FreeSA produce stand in Parque Castillo.
Leah encourages other West Siders to reach out to WSCO for support and as a platform to share ideas. “If you have an idea, something you’d like to see addressed on the West Side, WSCO is approachable and community-minded,” she explains. “You can submit a contact form on their website and a real person will reach out to talk. Just go and listen to WSCO’s West Side Voices meetings each month. When you’re comfortable, bring up your idea.”
Leah is a gardener, a mom, a chicken keeper, and one of the founders of the West Side Farmers Market. She’s been a public defender and doula. Now, she runs a nonprofit that provides healthcare to people in Haiti. In the midst of all that, she says that she’s energized by the work she does with neighbors on the West Side.
“Everybody’s got a role to play, and sometimes it takes time to figure out your role and what you have to offer,” Leah says. “I was overthinking it so much, and then it just came to me. This is something that I’m good at. This is what I enjoy. This is what I have to share.”
Have ideas for next year’s FreeSA? Send them to [email protected].
We've got each other: Register now for WSCO's annual meeting!
You're invited to WSCO’s annual meeting on Thursday, November 19 at 6pm via Zoom! At the meeting, you’ll get to connect and reconnect with West Side neighbors, be informed and inspired, and elect the representation that will guide your neighborhood organization in 2021 and beyond. We’ll also announce the winner of the 2020 West Sider of the Year award!
There’s no denying that 2020 has been a difficult year. But despite everything that’s going on, we’ve got each other. We’re making the world we want to see – right here in our neighborhood. Now, we’re looking toward the future, preparing for what’s ahead by tapping into what makes us strong: our deep connections to our neighbors and the place we’re proud to call home. That's why we can't wait to see you on November 19!
The first 100 people to register will get a West Side swag bag and a pre-packaged serving of prepackaged serving of Captain Ken’s chili delivered to your door! Having chili at our annual meetings has been a WSCO tradition for decades – and we won’t let a virtual meeting get in the way of a celebrated tradition.
Annual Meeting Community Resources Flyer
Residents of the West Side who are 16 years of age or older may vote in the board elections. Please register as individuals to vote. (One voting link will be sent per eligible registrant.)
Zoom links will be emailed closer to the event date to folks who register.
West Side Voices: Join us November 10 to talk about a housing development proposed for the West Side
Recently, the Equitable Development Scorecard team evaluated plans for a 180-unit apartment building at 200 W Plato Blvd near Harriet Island, proposed by Reuter Walton Development. At our upcoming West Side Voices meeting, Reuter Walton will tell us more about the proposed project. The Equitable Development Scorecard team will tell us how they scored the project and why. Then, we'll vote on whether or not we agree with the team's recommended score and whether we want to support the project. View presentation slides from Reuter Walton. Register for the November 10 meeting to get the Zoom link!
Why should we care?
When we use our Equitable Development Scorecard to ask, "Who benefits?" from new development, building by building, block by block, we're creating a neighborhood that fits our vision, values, and priorities – now and for future generations. Developed by West Siders, for West Siders, the Scorecard is part of the official approval process for projects and investments that come into our neighborhood. West Siders identified the following priorities for development: affordable housing, local jobs, and a healthy, safe, and equitable neighborhood.
Resilience, joy, color and culture: The story of the West Side's new mural
Photo by Elizabeth Flores, Star Tribune
Our new mural proclaims, with pride, what the West Side is all about – resilience, joy, color and culture.
In a compelling and colorful video, watch artists Ernesto Ybarra and Xilam Balam explain the meaning behind the striking symbols, colors and faces they chose to depict on the iconic Robert Street Pedestrian Bridge.
West Side Community Organization is proud to have gotten this project off the ground after years of planning. We're grateful to the artists for their creative vision and work. Watch the video below!
Funding for the project provided by WSCO and the St. Paul Department of Planning and Economic Development’s Commercial Vitality Zone program for the West Side’s District del Sol.
If you're inspired by what you see, please consider making a contribution to support WSCO's work. From supporting public art, equitable development, and renters rights, to organizing for 100% voter participation, we're working toward a more just and joyful West Side.
Bus Rapid Transit could come to the West Side! Help identify the next BRT corridors
Give your input
Metro Transit is choosing the next Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridors as part of their Network Next project. (BRT is like a regular bus, but faster, with fewer stops!) One of the 11 potential routes goes through the West Side via Robert Street. Check out the potential routes.
Once you take a look at the routes, Metro Transit wants your input on the questions below. Email your thoughts to [email protected]
- Which of the 11 potential BRT corridors would you most likely use?
- Are there any changes you'd make to the proposed BRT corridors?
- What principles should we use to prioritize or select the next routes to study further?
Find out about other opportunities to engage.
Why should I care?
When all of us – no matter what we look like or how much money we make – can affordably get where we need to go for work and play, we can reduce racial and economic disparities in our community. In addition, when more of us use public transit, we can improve air quality in our neighborhood, and make investments that lay the groundwork for a more sustainable future. Plus, BRT is simply a more convenient way to get around.
BRT is faster than standard local bus service. Here’s how:
Buses make fewer stops, significantly speeding up travel time. It helps buses stay better in sync with traffic flow.
Ticket machines at stations allow customers to purchase tickets before boarding. There’s no need to line up at the farebox.
Low-floor buses and raised curbs at stations, plus wider bus doors and boarding from the front and back, speed up boarding.
Extending the curb at stations saves time. Buses can merge more easily into traffic after serving a station.
Signal priority allows buses to move through traffic lights a bit faster.
BRT provides a more comfortable experience
Enhanced shelters at BRT stations provide protection from the weather and a safe, comfortable and convenient customer waiting space. Features include:
NexTrip signs
Bike racks
Information about the route, transit system and surrounding area
Security cameras
Emergency phones
Enhanced lighting
Push-button heating
Ticket machines for buying a ticket using cash or credit card
Litter and recycling containers
Watch this 2-minute video about BRT to learn more.
Network Next is a 20-year plan for expanding and improving the bus network. Transit improvements under consideration include improved local and express routes, integrated shared mobility options, and new arterial BRT lines. Sign up for updates about Network Next.
Check out this blog post by Metro Transit to get even more background on the Network Next Bus Rapid Transit project.
Mayor Carter Announces ‘Forward Together’
Mayor Carter Announces ‘Forward Together’
Virtual Community Conversation Events
12 Virtual Gatherings to be Held in October for Community Members to Engage in
Conversations About Community Needs in 2021
Saint Paul, MN - Today, Mayor Melvin Carter announced a series of 12 virtual community conversations throughout the rest of October to seek feedback and input about community needs in 2021.
“Amid the enduring crises we face, ensuring all our voices are heard in shaping our city’s future is more vital than ever,” said Mayor Melvin Carter. “I invite all those interested in moving forward together toward a brighter future for our community to join us for these virtual conversations.”
Don't miss out: Two ways to shape the future of Robert Street
There are two kinds of people in this world. Those who are organized. And those who are surprised.
We’re organized, so we won’t be surprised as upcoming projects transform Robert Street. We’re the ones who use Robert Street everyday. We who live here know it best, and our input is valuable. Coming up, we have two opportunities to shape the future of Robert Street.
Complete survey by Wednesday, September 30: The Future of Robert Street
In five or six years, the Minnesota Department of Transportation is planning to make safety and accessibility improvements and add design features to Robert Street. Complete this survey by Wednesday, September 30 to provide input on the project and influence the final design.
Learn more about the Robert Street project.
Complete survey by Friday, October 9: Bus Rapid Transit
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is like a regular MetroTransit bus – but faster, with fewer stops. BRT buses can be a game changer for a community. Right now, Metro Transit is looking for input on the next major BRT routes. One of them could go through the West Side, heading north and south along Robert Street. Help select and prioritize the next three BRT routes, and give input on potential routes (including the Robert Street route) via this survey by Friday, October 9, 2020.
Understand how the project is moving forward.
View a presentation on potential BRT routes given to WSCO’s Land Use Committee.
Fund our lives to create public safety
The Board of Directors of the West Side Community Organization calls for funding what we need to thrive and divesting from the Saint Paul Police Department
Summary
- No matter what we look like or where we live, we want our families to be well and our communities vibrant. But the people entrusted to serve and protect us continue to target, detain, and end the lives of Black, brown, and Indigenous people in our communities.
- Rather than pouring millions into a police force that is undermining our safety, our city must invest in the programs and systems that affirm our lives including accessible, safe, and affordable housing; public schools; healthcare; job creation; and other community initiatives that protect our health and enable us to make ends meet. We know mental, physical, and economic wellbeing are fundamental to safety in our communities.
- Year after year, the Saint Paul Police Department (SPPD) exerts immense pressure on elected officials to ensure police get a giant, outsized portion of the budget, leveraging racialized fears about crime to distract us, divide us, and divert money from the community programs and investments that actually promote safety.
- While some people advocate for reform, the murder of George Floyd – and too many others – at the hands of police underscores the fact that the institution of policing is steeped in racism and white supremacy. It’s beyond reform. Therefore, the Board of Directors of the West Side Community Organization calls for ongoing divestment from SPPD.
- Divestment from SPPD is not immediate abolition. It’s long-term, well-thought-out, systematic planning to fund our lives and implement public safety strategies developed by and for the community.
- For years, WSCO has created spaces for community members to speak out on issues of community safety. Because we value and prioritize community knowledge and expertise to share concerns, create solutions, and build capacity for care-based interventions to crisis, we’re committed to continue hosting community conversations where we envision public safety strategies that affirm our lives, our families, our communities, and our dreams.
We ask you all, the community, how should we invest our resources to affirm the lives of West Siders and the City of Saint Paul as a whole?
Interested in getting involved with WSCO and your neighbors to envision life-affirming public safety? Reach out to us at [email protected] or 651-293-1708
Download the summary, statement, and additional data as a PDF.
Full statement
West Side Community Organization (WSCO) believes public safety means affirming lives – not taking them. To affirm lives – especially those of Black, Indigenous, and people of color communities (BIPOC) most affected by racism, economic injustice, and police violence – our city must redirect resources from the Saint Paul Police Department (SPPD) to increase funding for accessible, safe, affordable, and public housing; community services; public education; healthcare; jobs; and other programs that enable us to be well, make ends meet, and create a vibrant community.
Despite the best efforts of reform advocates, the institution of policing remains rooted in white supremacy and racism. Police continue to target, detain, and end the lives of BIPOC community members, making it clear that police reform is ineffective. Therefore, the West Side Community Organization (WSCO) Board of Directors believes that we can only achieve public safety by investing in the programs and systems that affirm our lives while divesting from SPPD. Divestment is not immediate abolition. It’s long-term, well-thought-out, systematic planning to implement public safety strategies developed by and for the community.
Right now, we’re pouring millions into an institution that’s undermining our safety. Year after year, SPPD’s leadership and union exert immense pressure on elected officials and in our communities to ensure they get a giant, out-sized portion of the budget. Take the City of Saint Paul’s 2020 budget, for example. The total budget is approximately $715 million. Of that, $126 million – or nearly 18 percent – goes to SPPD. Between 2015 and 2020, SPPD’s budget ballooned by $23 million – while funding for other community programs increased only marginally each year.
For decades, at all levels of government, people with power have exploited racialized fears about crime to divide us and divert funding from the community programs that keep us safe to police departments that threaten the lives of BIPOC community members. Instead of funding programs that create wealth and wellbeing in BIPOC communities, people with power continue to prioritize investments in sports stadiums, luxury development, and corporate tax breaks over programs that enable working people to build wealth and achieve their dreams.
These choices have consequences, and racist policies like redlining and racial covenants ensure BIPOC communities contend with the most challenging ones – from under-resourced public schools, chronic health issues, and economic distress, to homelessness and mental health crises. Rather than addressing the root cause of these issues, elected leaders deploy police officers who are not adequately trained nor emotionally equipped to provide the care-based, life-affirming crisis response our communities need.
We can and must do better.
Rather than neglecting and criminalizing emergency mental health situations, homelessness, and other non-violent crises, it’s time to create infrastructure for prevention, community care, and situation-specific crisis response. Let’s invest in social workers, medics, youth mentors, crisis counselors, and other solutions that foster safety and wellbeing instead of violence and harm.
At the same time, we must address the root causes of challenges that face our communities. By diverting funding from SPPD, we can invest in life-affirming programs that enable us to make ends meet and create a vibrant community. We know mental, physical, and economic wellbeing are fundamental to safety in our communities.
As we grapple with the murders of George Floyd and too many other Black, brown, and Indigienous people at the hands of the police, and the COVID-19 pandemic, which has wrought the most harm in BIPOC communities, we must reckon with the fact that white supremacy, racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination threaten lives. WSCO is committed to racial justice and life-affirming public safety. We’re determined to use our resources and relationships to reach out to neighbors and develop solutions of, by, and for the community. We’re capable of sharing concerns and creating solutions together.
For decades, WSCO has been a trusted messenger in the community, including regarding issues of safety and policing. In 2007, we hosted community forums on the "Cradle to Prison Pipeline" and a legislative report card grading the racial impacts of policies. We have hosted several community forums since then, where we have discussed police reform, and re-imagined public safety in ways that are rooted in the community. Going forward, WSCO will create more spaces to envision public safety strategies that affirm our lives, our families, our communities, and our dreams.
We ask you all, the community, how should we invest our resources to affirm the lives of West Siders and the City of Saint Paul as a whole?
Interested in getting involved with WSCO and your neighbors to envision life-affirming public safety? Reach out to us at [email protected] or 651-293-1708
Download the summary, statement, and additional data as a PDF.
Resources
WSCO board members grappled with the resources below, which informed the board’s collective statement and conviction to work for life-affirming public safety.
- MPD 150
- WSCO’s research on police violence with the ACLU and the U of M’s Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA) (report forthcoming).
- Until We Reckon: Violence, Mass Incarceration, and a Road to Repair by Danielle Sered
- We Keep Us Safe by Zach Norris
- The work of local community group Root and Restore Saint Paul
Be part of the movement for life-affirming public safety.
Join us for upcoming events and trainings
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 12-4PM
*Please note the time and date change*
Recreation as Resistance
Joy is a form of resistance. That’s why we’re joining together at Lake Pickerel (Lily Regional Park, 550 Lilydale Rd) this Saturday. Lilydale is a place with a long history of police violence against Black, Indigenous, and People of color communities on the West Side. We’re reclaiming that space through recreation and joy because we believe the outdoors should be a safe space for all West Siders – no matter what we look like or where we come from.
Our Recreation as Resistance event will include free mini-workshops and activities, including fishing, birding, kayaking, a nature walk, a community mural, a “Poetree,” and more. This is a family-friendly event. All people are welcome. The event will center people most impacted by police violence. Please email Ellie Leonardsmith with questions, [email protected]. Snacks and port-o-potty provided. Masks required and social distancing expected.
SEPTEMBER 23 and 30
Crisis response in St. Paul: A two-part series
In partnership with Root and Restore Saint Paul and CAHOOTS, join WSCO for a two-part, online series where we'll explore our crisis response system in Saint Paul, as it currently exists and as it could be, with a focus on non-violent crises: mental health, homelessness, substance use and poverty. CAHOOTS is a mobile crisis intervention team based in Eugene, Oregon, designed as an alternative to police response for non-violent crises. The series includes a Teach-in on September 23 from 7-8:30pm and a De-Escalation Training on September 30 from 7-8:30pm. Learn more about the series on WSCO’s blog. Register below to save your spot. At each event, half of the seats are reserved for Twin Cities residents who identify as Black, Indigenous or a Person of Color (BIPOC).
Join our Community Care Circle
As part of our monthly West Side Voices forum, interested West Siders have an opportunity to meet and organize together for community care, life-affirming investments, and divesting from police. Stay tuned to our newsletter and social media for information on the next West Side Voices forum.
Recreation as Resistance: Reclaiming the outdoors as a safe space for ALL
Healing our whole selves through nature
Reclaiming the outdoors as a safe space for ALL
Resisting violence against Black, Indigenous, and people of color communities (BIPOC) through restorative recreation
EVENT DETAILS
Saturday, September 19th, 12pm to 4pm at Lake Pickerel (Lilydale Regional Park, 550 Lilydale Rd.)
Event schedule
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12 pm Dakota Honor Song
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12, 1, & 2 pm Stations: fishing, birding, kayaking, art & poetry, nature walk & meditation
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3 pm Healing Circle
Event description
We know that joy is a form of resistance. In the midst of the uprisings against racial injustice, we’re coming together in Lilydale – a place with a long history of police violence against Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities on the West Side – to spend time outdoors in community and reclaim a space that has been used for harm through joy and recreation.
The natural world should be a safe space for all West Siders. Time outside is critical to our mental, physical, and spiritual health. Our Recreation as Resistance event will include free mini-workshops and activities, including fishing, birding, kayaking, a nature walk, a community mural, a "Poetree", and more. We'll finish our restorative morning with a Healing Circle, led by Dr. raj and with testimony from community members.
This event is open to all people, including families. We will be centering the voices, experiences, and stories of those most harmed. Coffee, juice, and snacks will be provided. Masks and social distancing are required. A port-o-potty will be on site. Please email Ellie Leonardsmith with questions, [email protected].