National Night Out celebrations in St. Paul aim to ease tension
Heather Grulkowski gave candy to kids, dating advice to teenage girls and community information to adults.
The St. Paul police officer worked the large National Night Out crowd with ease Tuesday evening outside the Boys & Girls Club Eastside on Ames Avenue.
Grulkowski was one of many officials from law enforcement agencies and nonprofits who joined neighborhood residents at the annual celebration of community.
"I'm from a small town in Wisconsin but I'm an East Side police officer, so this is my community," she said. "And this event is an opportunity to connect with the community."
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Neighborhoods throughout the Twin Cities metro observed National Night Out with free festivities and the same goal in mind.
"It's a time to gather, connect and share resources," said Shad Klukas, director of Neighborhood House. The nonprofit attracted 600 West Side residents to its resource and education fair, held in conjunction with St. Paul Parks and Recreation, in the Wellstone Center on Robie Street.
National Night Out events took on a more poignant meaning this year with the backdrop of police departments' strained relationships with communities of color stemming from the police killing of Jamar Clark in Minneapolis in November and Philando Castile last month in Falcon Heights.
"With all that's been going on, this is a needed night of fun," said Andrew Jones, branch director at the Boys & Girls club, "and hopefully an opportunity to build relationships."
More than 500 people filled the lawn outside the center. Families feasted on free hotdogs, snow cones and cookies. Youngsters frolicked in bounce houses, lined up for chances at the dunk tank and partied at a hip-hop dance station. Teenage boys competed in pick-up basketball games.
On the West Side, Neighborhood House's event featured 23 organizations, as well as free food and the popular dunk tank. Organizers distributed 6,000 pounds of fruit and vegetables. Klukas said donations, like the restaurant El Burrito Mercado's 500 ears of roasted corn, pulled the crowd in.
"There were a lot of people from the city and different organizations to tell residents what services and programs are available to us," said Lisa Marrone, who took her three granddaughters. "We really enjoyed it. There was so much to do and learn. The girls got their faces painted. We had free snow cones, Mexican corn and tacos — the tacos were the bomb."
Vonda Ford and her 2-year-old son made the trip from Burnsville to her old East side neighborhood.
"It's a reunion and a way to bring the community together," Ford said, "a way to get to know your neighbors."
And that's what Grulkowski did. She chatted with girls, seated in the basketball stand, as they pointed out their secret crushes on the court. "Just remember you have options," she told them.
She won over youngsters with police badge stickers and a Ziploc bag full of treats. And she informed adults about upcoming meetings aimed at improving safety and community-police relations.
"I've got three more of these to attend today," she said. "What better way to let residents know what we do and hear their concerns and issues."