The residents of St. Paul have been chosen to participate in a nationwide study, along with seven other cities and counties, to find out what people believe is most important in their lives so decisions can be made based on those priorities.

The Knight Foundation survey can be found at communitywellbeingsurvey.norc.org. It’s part of a larger, multi-year initiative looking at various areas of people’s lives including: social connections; art and culture; safety and public spaces; education; civic participation; local news and information; as well as health and health care.

“Your input will help residents, community organizations and local leaders understand what makes St. Paul a great place to live and what challenges need more attention,” according to a statement from the Knight Foundation.

The other cities participating in the study at this time include: Brown County in Aberdeen, S.D.; Boulder County, Colo.; Charlotte, N.C.; Richland County in Columbia, S.C.; Gary, Ind.; Miami-Dade County, Fla.; and San Jose, Calif.

Residents 18 and over who live in the selected communities can take the survey. The survey will be administered by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago, a nonpartisan, nonprofit research institution.

The survey should take about 15 minutes to complete and is available in English and Spanish. Results will be shared publicly but survey takers will remain anonymous.

— Kristi Miller

TWIN CITIES

Buildings to glow red to mark FASD month

Nearly a dozen landmark buildings, bridges and street lights across the Twin Cities will glow red for most of September to bring awareness to fetal alcohol spectrum disorders believed to affect as many as one in 20 American children.

Beginning Sept. 9 — to mark the nine months of pregnancy — a number of buildings across the Twin Cities will glow red for the rest of September to mark FASD Awareness Month. In the east metro, Allianz Field in St. Paul, the Proof Alliance office in St. Paul and Sperry Tower in Eagan will have red lights on.

One in 10 pregnant Minnesotans reported consuming alcohol during their pregnancy, according to the Proof Alliance, a St. Paul nonprofit focused on preventing prenatal alcohol exposure and supporting families affected by it.

FASD refers to the group of conditions caused by prenatal alcohol exposure including mental health conditions, learning disabilities, sensory issues, and physical manifestations like heart defects, health and visual impairments.

Early screening and intervention can help people with FASD.

St. Paul college student Natasha de Campos Salles, 25, can vouch for early intervention, according to Proof Alliance.

Born in Russia and adopted by a Minnesota woman at 18 months old, de Campos Salles was diagnosed with FASD. Her mom turned to Proof Alliance.

Through the organization, she joined a youth support group and made lifelong friends, she said.

She went on to become a gymnast and coach children’s gymnastics.

This fall, she is transferring from St. Catherine University to Metropolitan State University to complete her bachelor’s degree and then she plans to study kinesiology at the University of Minnesota.

— Kristi Miller