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North Star Stories: Voices from Where We Live is a daily, five-minute newscast that shines a spotlight on the stories and perspectives of Minnesota’s diverse communities, including Black, Latine, Asian American, East African individuals, people living with disabilities, LGBTQIA2S+ residents, laborers, veterans, and those from Greater Minnesota.
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HOST: You're listening to North Star Stories: Voices from Where We Live, a daily newscast about what it means to live in Minnesota.
ANCHOR: Minnesotans celebrate an ancestral immigrant tradition. Then, an important reminder for pet owners. And, unhoused residents in Duluth will soon have more options for shelter. I’m Chantel SinGs.
October is National Animal Safety and Protection Month. Officials are urging pet owners to take advantage of free and low-cost vaccination clinics around the state. It’s also bat season, which increases the risk of rabies. Pet owners should seek quick vet care if they think their furry friend has been bitten by a bat or exposed to rabies. Officials are also warning
about pet food donation scams like “Annie’s Rescue,” which uses fake pet photos to solicit donations online.
In today’s main story, over the past few years, the Day of the Dead, has become part of Minnesota’s calendar of celebrations. Reporter frankie felegy shares how communities across the state are marking the occasion.
frankie felegy: The locals are organizing the Twin Cities annual Block Party and event for Día de los Muertos. Day of the Dead is celebrated around the first and second of November. It's rooted in Latino culture and honors our ancestors, ceremony and in this case, Latino art. Minneapolis Festival de las Calaveras, or the Festival of Skulls, began in 2013 by Deborah Ramos.
Deborah Ramos: We're also creating a platform for artists and community to be exposed to just a spectrum of Latino, Latina, Latinx artistic excellence throughout all of the genres.
frankie felegy: Genres like punk and electronic bands to choral ensembles, cumbia and salsa music. Expect Lucha Libre wrestling, bicycle puppets and food galore and spoken word performances. David Mendez has performed nearly every year of the festival. This year he's doing a spoken word set to music. Mendez uses the art form to channel grief, a key part of Day of the Dead.
David Mendez: It is based on Indigenous traditions, and it's based on Indigenous practices and a time of honor and reflection. Death does not hold dominion over life. No, death is twin to life. You know? There's one poet Louis Alemayehu, who kind of taught me.
frankie felegy: Ofrendas are a big part of that. Meaning
“offering,” the ofrenda is where guests place things
reminiscent of their loved ones, like photos and food. Festival founder Ramos explains why ofrendas are central to any Day of the Dead gathering.
Deborah Ramos: That offering or ofrenda is, in essence, what the festival is. It's an offering composed by everyone who comes together and the energy that we galvanize and amplify.
frankie felegy: That energy is more important now than ever, Ramos says. She had to postpone a procession to protect her community's safety.
Deborah Ramos: The current sentiment towards Latinos, there's a lot of ignorance and prejudice. Coming together through that human spirit in solidarity and uplifting consciousness, raising our vibrations and recognizing that many of the things that are happening are intended to further divide us and separate us. And so through this event, we get to bring people together as humans.
frankie felegy: Festival de las Calaveras is Saturday, November 1, at the Hook and Ladder Theater in Minneapolis and the surrounding block of Minnehaha. Other celebrations are in Washington County and Mankato. For North Star stories, I’m frankie felegy.
ANCHOR: You are listening to North Star Stories.
A homeless shelter in Duluth is adding one hundred and thirty-eight new beds. CHUM is a non-profit in Duluth that provides emergency shelter, a food shelf, and employment services. CHUM secured ten million dollars in state and federal funds, but still needs to raise an additional two million from local donors for the project. The updated facilities will provide space for new programming initiatives, like community clean-ups and a first aid street team. Construction is set to be completed in twelve to eighteen months.
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HOST: North Star Stories is produced by AMPERS, diverse radio for Minnesota's communities, with support from the McKnight Foundation and the State of Minnesota. Online at ampers dot org.