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Home My WebLink AboutSpring 2016 About TownCity Starts Medicine Disposal Program Page 26 SPRING•2016 Official Magazine of the City of Edina AboutTown AboutTown Volume 27, Number 2 Circulation 25,400 Spring 2016 Official Publication of the EdinaMN.gov City of Edina, Minnesota 4801 West 50th Street Edina, Minnesota 55424 952-826-0359 Editors: Jennifer Bennerotte & Kaylin Eidsness Contributing Writers: Krystal Caron, Jordan Gilgenbach, David Katz, Frank Petrovi , Mia Vacanti, Dawn Wills and Mary Woitte. Photographer: Michael Braun Publisher: City of Edina About Town is produced by the City of Edina. To advertise in About Town, call Barb Pederson, 612-998-7412 . Copyright 2016 by City of Edina, 4801 W. 50th St., Edina, MN 55424. About Town is published quarterly by the City of Edina. The purpose of the magazine is to keep Edina residents informed of news, activities and programs that are important to them. We include articles of interest about our residents and community history as well. About Town is printed on recycled paper to conform to City conservation guidelines. Cover photo “Spring Tulips” by David Murphy Table Of Contents Calendar Of Events ..............................................................1 Spring Calendar Highlights ................................................4 A Word From The Mayor ...................................................5 Edina’s Oldest Condominium Complex Celebrates Golden Anniversary .........................................6 It’s Not Only Neighborly ... It’s The Law .......................12 Nominations Open For Annual Heritage Award ..........14 Entries Being Accepted For 13th-Annual Photo Contest...............................................18 Edina Native Begins Work As City Forester ..................20 Oskam House Named Heritage Landmark ....................22 School District Construction Projects To Begin .............24 City Starts Medication Disposal Program ......................26 Liquor Task Force Begins Work .......................................30 City Changes How Water Consumption Is Measured .........................................................................32 Edina Community Foundation: A Snapshot ..................34 Days of Remembrance To Focus On Women In Genocides ..................................................36 City Hires New Community Television Administrator ..................................................40 Wooldridge Promoted To Braemar Golf Course Assistant Manager ................................................42 Planning Matters ................................................................44 Business Notes ....................................................................48 City Of Edina Facilities ......................................................52 The Last Word ....................................................................54 Tear Here Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 37 p.m., Star of the North Band, Edinborough Park. 4 57 p.m., City Council, Edina City Hall. 7 p.m., St. Louis Park Community Band, Edinborough Park. 6 7Noon, AlphaBits, Edinborough Park. 86:30 p.m., Friday Family Movie Night, Edinborough Park. 99-11:30 a.m., Edina Student Wellness Challenge, South View Middle School main gym. 10 a.m., Town Hall Meeting, TBD. 101 p.m., Days of Remembrance, Edina City Hall. 7 p.m., South Side Big Band, Edinborough Park. 116:30 p.m., Community Health Commission, Edina City Hall. 127 p.m., Park Board, Edina City Hall. 7 p.m., Heritage Preservation Board, Edina City Hall. 7 p.m., Twin Cities Show Chorus, Edinborough Park. 136-9 p.m., Edina Raingarden Workshop, Public Works & Park Maintenance Facility. 7 p.m., Planning Commission, Edina City Hall. 157 p.m., “The Wizard of Oz” musical, Richfield High School. 169-11 a.m., Tech Fair & Open House, Edina Community Center. 9 a.m.-noon, Richfield Public Schools Wellness Expo, Richfield High School. 173 p.m., “The Wizard of Oz” musical, Richfield High School. 7 p.m., Bend in the River Big Band, Edinborough Park. 18 197 p.m., City Council, Edina City Hall. 7 p.m., Edina High School Jazz Band, Edinborough Park. 205:30 p.m., Volunteer Recognition Reception, Braemar Golf Course. 216 p.m., Transportation Commission, Edina City Hall. 7 p.m., Orchestra Spring Concert, Edina Performing Arts Center. 227-9:30 p.m., Come Dance With Me! Spring Community Dance, Eisenhower Community Center, Hopkins. 23 267 p.m., Human Rights & Relations Commission, Edina City Hall. 25247 p.m., The First John Philip Sousa Memorial Band, Edinborough Park. April 2016 277 p.m., Planning Commission, Edina City Hall. 284:30 p.m., Arts & Culture Commission, Edina City Hall. 7 p.m., Theater Spring Show, Edina Performing Arts Center. 2910 a.m., Arbor Day tree planting, Normandale Park. 7 p.m., Theater Spring Show, Edina Performing Arts Center. 14Noon, Wendy’s Wiggle, Jiggle & Jam, Edinborough Park. 6 p.m., Environmental Forum, Edina High School. 307 p.m., Theater Spring Show, Edina Performing Arts Center. About Town Calendar 2016 SPRING • 1Tear Here 2 • SPRING 2016 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 37 p.m., City Council, Edina City Hall. 7 p.m., Celebration Brass Quintet, Edinborough Park. 4 5Noon, Storytime with Joey the Miniature Horse, Edinborough Park. 610 a.m.-8 p.m., Edina Garden Council plant sale, Arneson Acres Park. 6:30 p.m., Friday Family Movie Night, Edinborough Park. 710 a.m.-3 p.m., Edina Garden Council plant sale, Arneson Acres Park. 2 87 p.m., Northern Winds Concert Band, Edinborough Park. 96:30 p.m., Community Health Commission, Edina City Hall. 107 p.m., Park Board, Edina City Hall. 7 p.m., Heritage Preservation Board, Edina City Hall. 117 p.m., Planning Commission, Edina City Hall. 127 p.m., Energy & Environment Commission, Edina City Hall. 7 p.m., Happenin’ Concert, Edina High School Fick Auditorium. 137 p.m., Happenin’ Concert, Edina High School Fick Auditorium. 1410 a.m.-noon, Vehicle Day, Southdale Center. 157 p.m., South of the River Community Band, Edinborough Park. 16 177 p.m., City Council, Edina City Hall. 7 p.m., Symphonic/Varsity Band Concert, Edina Performing Arts Center. 187 p.m., Current Jam Concert, Edina High School Fick Auditorium. 207 p.m., Current Jam Concert, Fick Auditorium. 219 a.m., Walk with the Mayor, France Avenue. 1 and 7 p.m., Current Jam Concert, Edina High School Fick Auditorium. 227 p.m., The First John Philip Sousa Memorial Band, Edinborough Park. 23 247 p.m., Human Rights & Relations Commission, Edina City Hall. 257 p.m., Planning Commission, Edina City Hall. 7 p.m., Wine & Canvas Wednesdays, Braemar Golf Course. 264:30 p.m., Arts & Culture Commission, Edina City Hall. 27 28 3130Memorial Day. City Hall closed. 297 p.m., The Percolators, Edinborough Park. May 2016 19Noon, Westwood Hills Nature Center’s Puppets & More, Edinborough Park. 6 p.m., Transportation Commission, Edina City Hall. About Town Calendar 14-6 p.m., Music in Edina, Minnehaha Music Gathering, Edina Country Club. 7 p.m., Continental Ballet Company, Edinborough Park. 3 • SPRING 2016 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 17 p.m., Bobby VanDeusen, Centennial Lakes Park. 2 310 a.m.-10 p.m., Edina Art Fair, 50th & France. 410 a.m.-10 p.m., Edina Art Fair, 50th & France. 10 a.m., Edina Aquatic Center opens for the season. 510 a.m.-5 p.m., Edina Art Fair, 50th & France. 7 p.m., South of the River Community Band, Centennial Lakes Park. 67 p.m., Southside Big Band, Centennial Lakes Park. 7Noon, Wonderful World of Woody, Centennial Lakes Park. 7 p.m., City Council, Edina City Hall. 87 p.m., Planning Commission, Edina City Hall. 7 p.m., Good News Big Bands, Centennial Lakes Park. 9Noon, AlphaBits, Centennial Lakes Park. 7 p.m., Energy & Environment Commission, Edina City Hall. 10 11 1211 a.m., Parade of Boats, Centennial Lakes Park. 7 p.m., First John Phillip Sousa Memorial Band, Centennial Lakes Park. 136:30 p.m., Community Health Commission, Edina City Hall. 7 p.m., U of M Alumni Band, Centennial Lakes Park. 147 p.m., Park Board, Edina City Hall. 7 p.m., Heritage Preservation Board, Edina City Hall. 155 p.m., Reception to honor the sculptors of the EPA 2016 outdoor exhibition, Pinstripes. 7 p.m., Rum River Brass Band, Centennial Lakes Park. 17 189 a.m., Walk with the Mayor, Bredesen Park. 197 p.m., Hopkins Westwind Concert Band, Centennial Lakes Park. 207 p.m., Jazz on the Prairie, Centennial Lakes Park. 21Noon, The Bazillions, Centennial Lakes Park. 7 p.m., City Council, Edina City Hall. 227 p.m., Planning Commission, Edina City Hall. 7 p.m., Wine & Canvas Wednesdays, Braemar Golf Course. 233-7 p.m., Farmers Market, Centennial Lakes Park. 4:30 p.m., Arts & Culture Commission, Edina City Hall. 24 25 28Noon, Jack Pearson Stories and Songs, Centennial Lakes Park. 7 p.m., Human Rights & Relations Commission, Edina City Hall. 277 p.m., Brooklyn Community Band, Centennial Lakes Park. 267 p.m., Honeywell Concert Band, Centennial Lakes Park. June 2016 297 p.m., Bend in the River Big Band, Centennial Lakes Park. 303-7 p.m., Farmers Market, Centennial Lakes Park. 163-7 p.m., Farmers Market, Centennial Lakes Park. 6 p.m., Transportation Commission, Edina City Hall. About Town Calendar 4 • SPRING 2016 Spring Calendar Highlights Other Dates To Remember April 14 7 p.m., “The Wizard of Oz” musical, Richfield High School. April 16 7 p.m., “The Wizard of Oz” musical, Richfield High School. April 16 9 a.m., Walk with the Mayor, Centennial Lakes Park. April 21 Noon, Will Hale & The Tadpole Parade, Edinborough Park. April 28 Noon, Richardson Nature Center Live Animal Tour, Edinborough Park. May 12 Noon, Brodini, Edinborough Park. May 12 4:30-7:30 p.m., Taste of Edina, Westin Edina Galleria. May 17 7 p.m., Westwind Swing Band, Edinborough Park. May 19 7 p.m., Current Jam concert, Edina High School Fick Auditorium. May 21 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Public Works Open House, Public Works & Park Maintenance Facility. June 4 7 p.m., Edina High School commencement, Mariucci Arena. June 14 7 p.m., Sidewalk Cafe Duo, Centennial Lakes Park. June 16 Noon, Will Hale and the Tadpole Parade, Centennial Lakes Park. June 16 5 p.m., “Over the Sofa” exhibit opening, Edina Art Center. June 22 7 p.m., St. Louis Park Community Band, Centennial Lakes Park. June 28 7 p.m., Sidewalk Cafe Duo, Centennial Lakes Park. Edina Garden Council Plant Sale What: This popular plant sale sponsored by the Edina Garden Council (EGC) offers flowering annuals, perennials, herbs, vegetables, combination hanging baskets and containers. Great deals will be offered on the many winter-hardened perennials that EGC members bring from their gardens. Proceeds from the plant sale are donated for Arneson Acres Park improvements, horticultural scholarships and gardening beautification projects for the community of Edina. When: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, May 6; 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 7 Where: Arneson Acres Park Greenhouse, 4711 W. 70th St. Info: edinagardencouncil.org Edina Art Fair What: The 50th & France Business & Professional Association will host the 50th-annual Edina Art Fair. One of Edina’s premier summer events and one of the top fine art fairs in the nation, the event draws more than 275 artists and tens of thousands of visitors to downtown Edina each year. Featured art will include drawings, paintings, ceramics, pottery, glass, jewelry, photography, sculptures and wood. The event will also feature a community art project, kids’ activities, live entertainment and music, food and a craft beer garden. When: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, June 3 and Saturday, June 4; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 5 Where: Downtown Edina, 50th Street and France Avenue Info: 952-922-1524 or edinaartfair.com Tear Here A Word From The Mayor 2016 SPRING • 5 The Greater Southdale District – that portion of our community from Minnesota Highway 62 to Interstate Highway 494 and from France Avenue to York Avenue – is in a time of significant change. Its historic character as a successful commercial area with some senior residential housing is evolving into a district with three distinctive elements: a burgeoning medical campus between 66th Street and the Crosstown; enhanced retail operations, especially with the remodeling of Southdale and, to some extent, the Galleria; and finally, an increase in multi-family living opportunities with the addition of approximately 1,000 housing units either recently constructed or under construction – some at market rate and some for seniors only. With the improvements on the Promenade, an ever expanding system of sidewalks allowing people to move around in a pedestrian way and the enhancement of green space, the District is becoming more popular for both residents and developers. As in neighborhoods of single-family homes, we have been experiencing the teardown/rebuild phenomenon in the Southdale District. Commercial buildings are coming down only to be replaced by buildings that have more height and provide for more density than the buildings they are replacing that were constructed in the 1960s and ‘70s. Home to the most expensive real estate in Edina, developers in the Southdale District are loooking to justify the cost of their investment and now routinely request more height and density than what was provided for in the 2008 Comprehensive Plan for the buildings they desire to construct. A recent request for more height and density than what the Comprehensive Plan allowed at 7200 France Ave., coupled with other potential projects in the District, led the City Council to create a Southdale Area Working Group, composed of nearby residents, business owners and Planning Commission members, to look at the creation of Working Design Principles for the France Avenue/Southdale corridor. In Phase One, the Working Group produced principles that addressed elements of cultural preferences and identity; District function; comprehensive connections and movement; site designs; and transitions and principles around health, innovation, land use and economic vitality for the France Avenue corridor. All developers have since been asked to address those principles in their requests for project approval, regardless of where the proposed project is located in the District. Now, in Phase Two, pursuant to the direction of the City Council, the Working Group intends to finalize a draft of an overall vision for the entire Southdale District. The illustrative vision will show, amongst other things, a street and block framework plan with proposed land uses; a streetcape plan, including lighting and other elements; a landscape and open space plan; and recommendations on height and density of new development within the District to inform future updates to the Comp Plan. It is expected the Working Group will be in front of the City Council in April with its ideas for an overall vision for the Southdale District. Their work in helping envision one of the great areas of Edina has been exemplary. We will be a much better community as the result of their outstanding work. Our thanks to all of them for a job well done. James B. HovlandMayor Tear Here Edina’s Oldest Condominium Complex Celebrates Golden Anniversary 6 • SPRING 2016 By David Katz, Contributing Writer Fifty years later, it is clear that 1965 was something of a banner year for architecture and construction in Minnesota. It saw the dedication of the distinctive Northwestern National Life Building in Minneapolis, iconic along Nicollet Mall then as now for its distinctive, quartz-faced columnar portico. Across the river in Saint Paul, the Minnesota Fairgrounds added its most striking feature, the 330-foot-tall Space Tower, that same year. Here in Edina, Fairview Southdale Hospital also opened its doors in 1965. Another local building project, unheralded at the time and far easier to overlook today, dates to this year as well. Brookside Court is a condominium complex nestled in Edina’s quiet Todd Park Neighborhood. Unassuming at first glance, particularly when compared against the nearby hospital with which it shares an anniversary, Brookside Court lays claim to a historic significance all its own. In 1965, the then Village of Edina greenlit a proposal by the Minneapolis-based Dietrich Company to build four separate apartment structures at 44th Street and Brookside Avenue, just a few blocks south of the Village’s border with St. Louis Park. While residential development on this scale represented a fairly ambitious undertaking for the time, Minnesota land developer Duane Dietrich felt up to the challenge. Over a 50-year career, Dietrich had a hand in the creation of nearly 7,000 housing units. His firm is responsible for several noteworthy Twin Cities developments besides Brookside Court, including the Southgate Apartments in Bloomington, Edenvale Apartments in Eden Prairie and the Ponds Town Houses in Brooklyn Center. Wisely, however, the Dietrich Company restricted its initial efforts in Edina to just one of the four approved structures – to test the waters, so to speak, and assess room to improve. Occupancy permits were filed in September 1966 for a 44-unit apartment (note, apartment) at 4380 Brookside Court. It boasted an impressive array of amenities, including a swimming pool, sauna and party room. It also offered heated garage stalls for all residents– a feature not to be taken for granted during Minnesota winters. Auspiciously and somewhat surprisingly, according to a market review commissioned through Midwest Planning and Research: “Apart from a large sign on Brookside Avenue, only $26 was spent on promotion, in the form of a one-week advertisement. Further promotional effort was dropped since the units [at 4380 Brookside] were being filled with walk-in tenants as quickly as they were completed.” This 1967 market review identified several dovetailing reasons for that popularity. At the top of the list is the age-old axiom of real estate: location, location, location. Brookside Court sits on a spacious plot alongside a picturesque, tree-lined bend of Minnehaha Creek. St. Louis Park’s large Meadowbrook Park neighbors it to the north, while Edina’s own Todd Park is just a stone’s throw to the south. These natural assets lend Brookside Court a sense 2016 SPRING • 7 of “country spaciousness,” to borrow a succinct phrase supplied by early resident Lorraine Smogard for a 1977 sales brochure promoting the then-completed residential campus. In that sense, at least, this quiet corner of Edina has changed remarkably little over the past half-century. Prior to the construction of Brookside Court, the block’s dominant fixture was Docken’s Community Store, a mom-and-pop operation located at 4356 (later renumbered to 4360) Brookside Ave. Operated by Arthur and Lila Docken from about 1926 to 1949, and by Jon and Eloise Garner from then until 1958, Docken’s offered its patrons a range of grocery and hardware staples. The proprietors reportedly owned much of the land between the store and creek, and benefited from a brisk side business. For a small fee, the Dockens welcomed residents from both sides of the Village line to while away summer days picnicking next to and wading in their stretch of Minnehaha Creek. Construction crews demolished Docken’s Community Store (out of business by that point) and several nearby homes in the 1960s to make way for Brookside Court. However, it remains a picture-perfect – and picnic-perfect – spot today, despite all the changes. Naturally, given its easy success with the 4380 Brookside building, the Dietrich Company opted to move forward with all three remaining structures – each of which represents a total building area in the neighborhood of 113,000 square feet. The aforementioned market review led to several tweaks of the original floorplan. None drastically affected occupancy (continued on next page) Residents of the Todd Park Neighborhood owe a debt to the Dietrich Company. The area’s eponymous feature assumed much of its current shape as a direct byproduct of the Brookside Court construction. While prepping building foundations, crews excavated truckloads upon truckloads of soil – “soft alluvium and clay glacial till,” to be precise. They deposited much of this material just down the street, over a patch of marshy wetland between Vandervork and Rutledge avenues. Nestled as it is in a quiet residential area, and now boasting a softball field and basketball and tennis courts, Todd Park today is one of Edina’s hidden gems. File Photo 8 • SPRING 2016 limits or impacted pre-approved plans for utilities and storm drainage, meaning that the building plans did not need to be resubmitted to the Village Planning Commission for review. Occupancy permits date the completion of the 4370 Brookside Court building to September 1968, and its twin at 4360 Brookside Court to August 1969. No permit is available concerning the last, at 4350 Brookside Court, though work there finished around the same time. Each, unlike the original, comprises 63 housing units. Vacancies filled quickly, though ostensibly not at the blink-of-an-eye rate enjoyed when 4380 Brookside came onto the market. Positive word of mouth from early tenants – most of whom voiced “overwhelming satisfaction” in a contemporary survey – played to Brookside’s favor, according to Midwest Planning and Research. Even so, the consulting firm recommended investing more in promotions aimed at getting the word out to potential residents beyond the bounds of Edina. While it may seem that we are drawing to the end of the Brookside Court story, this is really more of a halfway point – and the point at which Brookside Court assumes an unexpected historical significance. As anyone familiar with the Todd Park Neighborhood can tell you, Brookside Court today is not an apartment complex. It is instead made up of condominiums. What is far less appreciated is that Brookside Court represents one of Minnesota’s earliest ventures into this distinct model of property ownership and management.MHAPO/University of Minnesota John R. Borchert LibraryThis 1967 aerial shows progress on 4350 Brookside, the third of the four multi-family buildings constructed just west of Brookside Avenue. 2016 SPRING • 9 Various renovations accompanied this apartment-to-condo conversion, which did not happen overnight. While remodeling permits on file with the City of Edina date the changeover of Brookside Court to 1975, sources maintained by the State Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA) date it to September 1972. CURA records also indicate that the Wilhite Apartment Condominiums in Minneapolis probably edged out Brookside as the first true example in Hennepin County. However, Brookside’s status as one of the first five in Minnesota is not in doubt. This conversion in the early 1970s placed Brookside at the forefront of a national housing trend that would reshape housing markets everywhere – and our corner of the Twin Cities metro in particular. By the end of that decade, the Twin Cities contained 6,643 recorded converted condominiums. That equates to almost 1 percent of total housing stock, and 2.6 percent of all multifamily units. If those numbers sound unimpressive at first pass, note that they make Minnesota’s metro the fifth-most-impacted market in the country per capita. Remember also that they do not even take into account new buildings structured as condominiums over this same period. Seventy-four percent of apartment conversions occurred in the suburbs, with Edina leading the way. An accounting published by CURA in 1981 notes that, as of the date of that report, over 20 percent of the City’s multifamily housing stock had been restructured as condominiums. Condominiums: From Babylon’s Courts To Brookside CourtWhile Brookside Court is one of Minnesota’s (and the country’s) earliest condominium complexes, the concept predates its introduction to the United States shores by centuries – or millennia, depending on who you ask. Cuneiform records from ancient Babylon give evidence that, as far back as 2000 BC, at least one owner of a two-family home sold the first floor of his building to another family while retaining ownership of the structure’s second story. Later Roman sources also attest to condo-like living arrangements in the ancient world. Historians more regularly trace the origin of the modern condominium to 12th century France, when this and other forms of multiparty property ownership gained traction as an alternative to renting in dense urban areas. Tracing the growth of the condominium concept across the globe is an interesting narrative tangent well worth following. During the Napoleonic era, when France held much of continental Europe under its sway, the trend spread to neighboring Spain. Over time, Iberian emigrants to South America popularized condominiums in the New World. By the early 1950s, serious interest in the lifestyle had spread north from Brazil to Puerto Rico. Condo living proved a timely, if partial, tonic to a mid-century housing shortage on the small Caribbean island. It is by this improbable and circuitous route that condominiums entered the United States. Real estate developers with a stake in the American southeast (continued on next page) 10 • SPRING 2016 (particularly Florida) took notice of these evolutions in Puerto Rico. Several, seemingly simultaneously, began investigating it as a promising housing alternative for the country’s growing retiree community. Interestingly, however, the country’s first-ever condominium complex is not in Florida. That honor is believed to go to The Graystone Arms in Salt Lake City, Utah. In 1959, a real estate developer hired a young attorney named Keith Romney to investigate the possibility of adopting the “co-op” apartment lease model already popular in New York City. (Co-operative ownership bears similarities to condo living, but generally does not allow tenants to own their individual units outright.) Romney took the pulse of the very different Salt Lake City market and pushed to have The Graystone Arms built as condominiums instead. Sources disagree about the origin of the term itself, but a popular story also credits Romney for coining the word “condominium.” Supposedly, while traveling in Europe, he noticed the Latin word “condominio” etched faintly in marble amid the ruins of an ancient apartment complex. Romney felt it had a nice ring to it. Whether or not the story is strictly true, Romney’s marketing savvy is undeniable. Within just two weeks of a formal announcement, The Graystone Arms sold more than 70 percent of its units. It proved the beginning of a movement, with apartment conversions like Brookside Court at the forefront of such change. These do not give the full picture, however. According to the National Association of Home Builders, condominiums also accounted for 8 percent of the country’s so-called “housing starts” in 1972, and approximately 14.3 percent in 1974 – a nearly two-fold increase over as many years. From the curb, the condos at Brookside Court give an impression of orderliness and uniformity. Only the first is true. In point of fact, each of the four buildings is governed today by its own association and bylaws, and is overseen by a different management firm. Differences notwithstanding, residents of each come together in their love of the place, and in their reasons for why. Ranking high on that list is a freedom from most day-to-day maintenance concerns. A sales brochure dating from shortly after Brookside Court’s conversion to condominiums touts how residents “[never have] to lift a finger around the property.” It is an unconscious echo of the country’s first-ever condo advertisement, placed by Romney in support of The Graystone Arms. (Romney, not one to mince words, boiled it down into a three-word slogan: “No More Yardwork.”) Ninety-year-old Chuck Hanson has lived with his wife, Jean, in the 4360 Brookside building since 1990. They acquired the unit from Jean’s parents, who had lived there since the late 1960s. Familiar with the property for decades, 2016 SPRING • 11 Hanson confirms that Brookside’s service amenities are a perennial draw for would-be condo converts. “A lot of the residents here are retired, and having most of the needs looked after by others is something they really appreciate,” he said. While that is a perk of condo life in general, where setting and convenience are concerned, Brookside Court stands a cut above most of those that would join it later in the growing Twin Cities condominium market. “Folks here are close to the shopping at 50th & France and Southdale, and just 15 minutes from the Mall of America,” explained Hanson. “We are also extremely close to doctors, lawyers and whatever else we might need.” At the same time, however, the property feels spacious and retains much of the naturalistic charm that drew picnickers to this spot during the days of Docken’s Community Store. “Our grounds are one of our best [features]… I’ve always appreciated how the condo buildings are spaced well apart,” said resident Shelley Scharping, who lives in the 4360 Brookside building. “It does not feel much like the city, really. We see a lot of wildlife… and it is a perfect place for bird watching in particular.” “You simply don’t see condos built on spread-out acreage like this anymore,” added Hanson. It seems entirely fitting that one of the state’s very first condominium complexes remains one of its most unique. Background information included research materials housed at the Minnesota Historical Society, Edina Historical Society, St. Louis Park Historical Society and the University of Minnesota Architecture and Landscape Architecture Library. Special thanks are owed to Daniel Grobani, St. Louis Park’s ex pat expert on the storied Brookside Neighborhood. Newspaper advertisements promoting Brookside Court after its conversion to condominiums (like this one dated June 5, 1977 and placed in the Minneapolis Tribune) billed it as an adults-only haven. This proved a popular marketing hook for condo developers in the 1970s. 12 • SPRING 2016 It’s Not Only Neighborly … It’s The Law The Law: Edina City Code Chapter 23, Article II, Div. 5, Sec. 23-124 b – Hourly restrictions on certain operationsNo person shall engage in or permit construction and repair activities involving the use of any kind of electric, diesel or gas-powered motor vehicles or machine or other power equipment, audible beyond the property line of the property where the activity is occurring, except between the hours of 7 a.m. and 9 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. and 7 p.m., Saturday, Sunday and holidays (New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day). What it means: Single- and two-family homes undergoing construction projects that will result in less than half of the home being remodeled must limit construction activities according to the parameters listed above. These rules also apply to all commercial projects. The Law: Edina City Code Chapter 10, Article IV, Sec. 10 111 b – Permit standards for both demolition permits and building permits(b) Deliveries of equipment and material to the site, work crews on site and construction and demolition activity are prohibited except between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Saturday. Work is prohibited on Sundays and holidays. What it means: Single- and two-family homes undergoing demolitions or other construction projects that will result in more than half of the home being remodeled must limit construction activities according to the parameters listed above. For more information, call the Building Inspections Division at 952-826-0372. To report construction noise outside of permitted hours, call the Edina Police Department at 952-826-1600. The Law: Edina City Code Chapter 28, Article IV, Div. 2 – Irrigation banAll properties with an address ending with an even digit may use city water for irrigation purposes on even-numbered dates only. All properties with an address ending with an odd digit may use city water for irrigation purposes on odd-numbered dates only. No property may use any water for irrigation purposes between the hours of 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Upon written request to the Public Works Department, the following properties are authorized to irrigate at times other than permitted (above): Newly sodded or grass seeded areas for a period of 14 days. What it means: If you have new sod or seed, contact the Public Works Department at 952-826-0376 for permission to irrigate more than is usually permitted. Otherwise, please irrigate lawns during allotted times. For more information, contact the Public Works Department at 952-826-0376. Construction Noise Lawn Irrigation 2016 SPRING • 13 Celebrating 23 Years of Dance Excellence www.victoriadance.com (952) 835-7497 EDINA’S PREMIERE DANCE STUDIO 7109 AMUNDSON AVE. Training Minnesota’s Top Dancers Since 1993! Enroll Today! VDP offers high energy classes with PROPER technique! TAP l JAZZ l CLASSICAL BALLET l LYRICAL l MODERN l HIP HOP CREATIVE MOVEMENT l MUSICAL THEATER l DANCE LINE www.smilesatfrance.com 4999 France Ave. South, Suite 230 • Edina / Minneapolis • 612-824-7033 Enhancing Smiles... Building Cce ... Changing Lives Complimentary,Cosmetic,Restorative & Implant Consultation Located at50th &France C M Y CM MY CY CMY K EdinaOnTheGoAH.pdf 1 2/17/16 8:46 AM 14 • SPRING 2016 By Krystal Caron Nominations for the 14th-annual Heritage Award are now being accepted. The Heritage Award is given by the Heritage Preservation Board to a deserving local business, person or neighborhood that has contributed to the historic fabric of the community and made achievements in preservation, rehabilitation, restoration and use of Edina’s historical places. Winners of this award are dedicated to restoring and preserving the integrity of a historical landmark, business, item or area. Senior Planner Joyce Repya, who serves as staff liaison to the Heritage Preservation Board, encourages residents to recognize notable Edina landmarks and properties. “The Heritage Award provides the perfect opportunity to celebrate a property in the community that has not only embraced its past, but also maintained its vitality into the future,” she said. Last year, Savory’s Gardens, 5300 Whiting Ave., was named the Heritage Award winner for the owners’ efforts in preserving the property and gardens over the last 70 years. Savory’s Gardens is owned by Arlene Savory and her son, Dennis. Savory’s was established in 1946 by Arlene’s husband, Robert Savory, upon his return from serving in the Navy during WWII. Soon after Robert purchased the property, he married Arlene and together they built a thriving nursery business. “We came here in 1946. For our first season, we were on 12 acres and we were a full nursery with perennials and annuals. After about 10 years, we started to specialize in perennial hostas,” explained Arlene. “My husband and I ran it for a number of years with the children growing up and … about 25 years ago my son came up here and now he runs it.” Savory’s was one of three nursery businesses located in Edina when much of the city was being developed during the 1950s and 1960s, including Arneson Acres and Halla Nursery. Savory’s is the only remaining nursery business still operating. Nominations Open For Annual Heritage Award Submitted PhotoBob and Arlene Savory opened Savory’s Gardens in 1946. This greenhouse was erected in 1951 and can still be found on the property near the sales area. 2016 SPRING • 15 “The Garden has been here since ’46, when there were just farms and a few houses around. It was [built] mostly off of farmland and the houses just grew up around us,” said Dennis. “There used to be a lot more access to it as well, before the Crosstown was put in.” The nursery originally specialized in orchids, annuals, perennials and nursery stock, but eventually moved to focus on hostas. Though they started with five varieties, the hybrid hosta (also known as a funkia) inventory now numbers in the hundreds, with varieties such as “Edina Heritage,” “Edina Hornet,” “Indian Hills” and “Bells of Edinborough.” The Savory’s Gardens we know today is considerably smaller than its original 12 acres. In 1967, part of the property was used for Minnesota Highway 62 and gradually much of the remaining property was sold for residential development with the exception of the Savory home and surrounding gardens. Despite the changes, the Savorys strived to preserve the property. “We’ve tried to keep [the gardens] within the same boundaries and most of it through the years was maintained as growing areas,” said Arlene. “Our biggest change has been adapting the soil [from the hard clay of the area].” Dennis has also worked to preserve the property over the years. “We’ve always had display gardens up in back and now that’s where I do a lot of the hybridizing, too. The greenhouse we’ve had for a long time, too, and the original orchid house is still there,” he said. As Savory’s celebrates its 70th year, Arlene looks back with fondness on the early years. “It’s always been a project of love. [Robert] had just graduated with a horticulture degree and we started this nursery. We also sold orchids back then and we sold corsages in the first year. We made them all up right here at the house,” she said. As Robert increasingly specialized in hostas, the Savorys found that the plant became more popular. “When we started, there were only a few species, but [they became popular] because of people like my husband who started hybridizing. And there were neighborhoods growing up needing shade plants and, of course, once they’re planted and well taken care of then they last forever.” The Heritage Award was established in 2003 to showcase local preservation activity and highlight sites in Edina Submitted PhotoSavory’s Gardens, the 2015 Heritage Award winner, is home to hundreds of different hosta hybrids. (continued on next page) 16 • SPRING 2016 Warm, Friendly AtmosphereComprehensive Health Care for Dogs and Cats 6315 Minnetonka Blvd • St. Louis Park952-929-0074 • www.okah.net Wellness & Preventative Care • Laser Surgery Dentistry • In-House Laboratory & Digital X-Ray Oak Knoll Animal Hospital that have enriched the fabric of the community. Any individual, company or organization is eligible for the award, including non-residents, but the historic property or resource must be located in Edina. Current members of the Heritage Preservation Board and past recipients are not eligible for the award. In addition to Savory’s Gardens, previous winners include the Arthur Erickson House, Southdale Center, Convention Grill, St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, a colonial revival home in the Edina Country Club District, the Coddington House on Blake Road, Edina Morningside Community Church, the historic Sly Farmhouse on Brookview Avenue, the Morningside Neighborhood, Edina Cinema for its iconic sign and the Baird House on West 50th Street. Award nominations are due 4:30 p.m. Friday, April 8. Nominations can be submitted online at EdinaMN.gov/heritage-awardform. Submissions should include the address of the heritage resource; description of its preservation, rehabilitation or restoration; and the name and address of the owner. A photo should also be included. Entries can also be mailed to Edina Heritage Award, Edina City Hall, 4801 W. 50th St., Edina, MN 55424. The award will be presented at an Edina City Council meeting during National Preservation Month in May. For more information about the Heritage Award, contact Repya at 952-826-0462 or jrepya@EdinaMN.gov. Minnesota Center, Suite 270 I 7760 France Avenue South l Minneapolis, MN 55435 ISC FINANCIAL ADVISORS Helping you achieve your financial goals. TOM GARTNER, MSAPM, CFP® Wealth Manager ISCfinancialadvisors.com 952-835-1560 2016 SPRING • 17 LOCATED INSIDE THE WELCOME CENTER AT THE EDINA COMMUNITY CENTER 5701 Normandale Road (Door #3), Edina, MN 55424 | (952) 848-3936 contact@edinaresourcecenter.com | www.edinaresourcecenter.com The Edina Resource Center, in partnership with the City of Edina and Edina Public and services. If you live, work or go to school in the City of Edina, we are here to listen to your needs and connect you with helpful, relevant resources. MAKE THE EDINA RESOURCE CENTER YOUR FIRST CALL FOR RESOURCES SUCH AS City and Community Information Childcare Chore Services Education (Early Childhood to Adult) Energy, Food, and Housing Assistance Family and Individual Supports Healthcare Supports Immigrant Services Legal/Mediation Services Tax Assistance Transportation And more! City Accepts Entries For 13th-Annual Photo Contest 18 • SPRING 2016 Every photo has a story to tell. The City of Edina and Edina Magazine invite those who live, work or go to school in Edina to submit their best photos that tell Edina’s story in the 13th-annual “Images of Edina” photo contest. The City’s contest is free to enter and open to both amateur and professional photographers who live, work or go to school in Edina. For the sixth year, Edina Magazine is a co-sponsor, allowing entrants to submit their photos online at edinamag.com. This year’s contest this year also features five updated entry categories. “We’ve updated the categories to be broad enough to allow for more photos to be entered and still specific enough that entrants can easily choose the category that best fits their photo,” said Communications Coordinator Jordan Gilgenbach, who oversees the annual contest. “We’re excited to see how the photo entries depict life in Edina.” Category winners, a “Best in Show” winner and a “Readers’ Choice” winner will receive plaques, be recognized at a City Council meeting and have their work displayed for up to two years at Edina City Hall. Photos may also be published in issues of Edina Magazine or City of Edina publications such as About Town or the Parks & Recreation Activities Directory. Photos can be submitted online between April 4 and June 17 at edinamag.com. Printed photos will not be accepted. Following the entry period, readers can vote for their favorite photos from June 18 to July 15.“Sunset at Braemar” by Bryan Singer won Best in Show in the 2015 Images of Edina Photo Contest.File Photo“Dreams Take Flight” comprises two separate bronze sculptures depicting a 5-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl dreaming of the future of aviation. 2016 SPRING • 19 ‘Images of Edina’ Photo Contest RulesPhotos must have been taken in Edina, and should be entered in one of five categories: • Business• Education• People & Community• Places in Edina• Plants & Animals/Nature Photographers may submit up to five photographs. Only photos taken between June 15, 2015 and June 17, 2016, are eligible. All submissions must be the original work of the submitting photographer. All photo entries become the property of the City and Edina Magazine. To submit photos, photographers must agree to the terms of the City’s Submitted Photo & Original Artwork Policy, found at EdinaMN.gov/PhotoContest. For a complete list of official rules, contest criteria and to submit your photos, visit EdinaMN.gov/PhotoContest or edinamag.com. For more information, visit EdinaMN.gov/PhotoContest or contact Gilgenbach at jgilgenbach@EdinaMN.gov. 1011 Feltl Court · Hopkins, MN 55343 952-933-3333 Independent Living · Senior Apartments with Services Assisted Living · Memory Care Adult Day Program · Short Term Stay Suites www.StThereseSouthwest.com Gracious Retirement Living Options For Over 25 Years! Sylva ZoraqiREALTOR® SylvaZoraqi@edinarealty.com 20 • SPRING 2016 By Mia Vacanti Luther Overholt grew up playing under Edina’s trees. Now, he’s responsible for them. An Edina native, Overholt was promoted to the position of City Forester in January. Overholt began working for the City of Edina as a part-time, seasonal employee in 2008, working as a Tree Inspector in the City’s Public Works Department during the summer months while home from college. Overholt also worked three winters at Braemar Arena as a Zamboni driver. “When I was a kid, I was in Boy Scouts and Eagle Scouts and we would go camping once a month. Going out and learning about the trees is what got me interested in forestry,” said Overholt. “I grew up in Edina and so did my dad, my grandfather and my great grandfather. I know that this is where I want to stay for life.” Overholt, who graduated from Edina High School in 2006, continued his education at the University of Minnesota and graduated with a degree in Forestry Conservation Management in 2011. Initially, he thought he wanted to work for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and manage a large timber forest in northern Minnesota. After experiencing what it might be like, he started to change his mind. “While I was in school, we went to visit active timber harvest sites, but it was too cold, so the sites weren’t functioning,” he explained. “That’s when I began to realize that wasn’t what I wanted to be doing as a career after college.” It was then that Overholt returned to the City as a part-time employee, working alongside former City Forester Tom Horwath. The title of his position transitioned from Tree Inspector to Forestry Intern as his roles and responsibilities expanded. As the City Forester, Overholt is responsible for inspecting and marking trees that are diseased, driving the 200-and-some miles of Edina streets to look for tree branches that have fallen during storms and need to be cleaned up, grooming all of the trees in parks and on other public land, and planting new trees around the city in the spring and fall. Edina Native Begins Work As City Forester Photo by Michael BraunLuther Overholt began working for the City of Edina in 2008 and was promoted to City Forester in January. 2016 SPRING • 21 “The best part about the job is that I get to be outside. I knew that I didn’t want to be behind a desk working all day. With this job, I know I’ll be able to be outside for at least part of the day.” In addition to the responsibilities out in the field, the City Forester has other important tasks in the office, such as responding to residents’ concerns, writing tree removal notices and other information for residents, keeping track of data and statistics regarding tree planting and removal and enforcing the City’s tree preservation ordinance. On a yearly basis, Overholt will receive more than 1,000 calls from residents who have questions or concerns about their trees. Some of these concerns include suspected diseased trees, while other calls deal with anything from property rights to storm debris clean up. “Luther likes working with tree preservation plans that contractors provide to us with building permit applications. He has been spot-on with the new technology and is really good at it,” said Public Works Director Brian Olson. “I’m confident that he’s going to be able to provide insight to our City’s needs.” Every morning, Overholt stops in the Building Inspections Department in City Hall to pick up building plans that need his review. He also works with the Engineering Department to go over street construction projects to identify trees that need to be trimmed or removed. “One thing that made my transition into the City Forester job easier was that I already knew everyone that I work with and I like all the guys at Public Works,” Overholt said. “I look forward to coming to work every day… it’s still fun.” For more information, contact Overholt at 952-826-0308 or loverholt@EdinaMN.gov. 70th & Cahill (952) 944-5770 www.FlowersOfEdina.com Flowers of Edina Expires July 1, 2016 22 • SPRING 2016 By Krystal Caron An Indianhead Lake home in Edina was recently named a Heritage Landmark by the Edina Heritage Preservation Board (HPB) and the Edina City Council. The house, built in 1963 by Hendrick and Marri Oskam, is located at 6901 Dakota Trail in the Indian Hills Neighborhood. The Oskam House is a two-level, single-family residence in the International style with a rectangular plan, butterfly roof, post-and-beam construction, walk-out basement and two-car detached garage. It is historically significant because of its association with the broad themes of suburban development and Mid-century Modern residential architecture in Edina. “[This home was selected because] it is such a well-preserved example of Mid-century architecture and was one of the first homes built by the architects of Close Associates,” said HPB Vice Chair Jennifer Christiaansen. “[Elizabeth Close’s] legacy is buildings like the Oskam House and making sure that they’re maintained for future architecture students and the community in general [is critical]. Her architecture is extremely timeless and it continues to attract many people.” Elizabeth “Lisl” Close, who died in 2011, practiced architecture with her husband, Winston Close, at Close Associates, a firm well known for its role in helping to disseminate the Modern Movement philosophy and aesthetic in Minnesota. Elizabeth was born in Austria and moved to the United States in 1932 with her family. She went on to pursue a career in architecture, receiving her degree from MIT, where she met her husband. “We came from Europe and we were aware of the Modern or International style. We had a friend who had a home designed by Close Architects and Mrs. Close, who also came from Europe,” explained Marri. “We decided it would be a good choice to ask her and her husband to design the house in tandem with the two of us.” “It’s believed that Elizabeth was the first woman licensed to practice architecture in Minnesota. She’s been a role model for women in this state and across the country,” explained Christiaansen. “Her ability to take a look at a site and put something that maintains the landscape that’s already there and weave the home into the site [was remarkable].” Oskam House Named Heritage Landmark File PhotoThe Oskam House, a Mid-century Modern house designed by Architect Elizabeth Close, was named an Edina Heritage Landmark in 2015. 2016 SPRING • 23 Marri and her husband, who passed away in 2001, have been the only owners of the home and worked hard to preserve the landscape and design aesthetic over the years. The natural terrain has remained untouched and there have been no additions to the home since it was constructed; however, it has been meticulously maintained and is still a shining an example of Mid-century Modern architecture, as it was when constructed in 1963. “The style is characterized by its compactness – no superfluous spaces,” said Marri. “It was designed for the two of us and it worked perfectly for us. It always worked for us very well. The nice thing about it is it feels very comfortable.” The blend of nature and architecture is Marri’s favorite aspect of the house. The space has many windows facing Indianhead Lake as well as light coming in through a skylight. Furthermore, the house is built into the bank of the lake which creates a harmony between the house and the terrain. “We have loved always [that] the house was not chopped into all different rooms and when you come in from the front door you see the whole space,” said Marri. “We have tried [to preserve the natural landscaping over the years]. There was even one big oak that the architect tried to preserve, and did preserve. It must be 150 years old or older.” The Edina Heritage Landmark designation is an overlay zoning to promote the preservation, protection and use of significant heritage resources in the city. Landmarks are nominated by the HPB and designated by Council resolution. As part of the designation process, a plan of treatment is created to provide guidelines for design review as well as specific recommendations for preservation, rehabilitation, restoration and reconstruction as appropriate. “[The designation] means very much, I felt not only for myself and not only that it would be preserved, but especially for Mrs. Close,” said Marri. For more information, contact HPB Staff Liaison and Senior Planner Joyce Repya at 952-826-0462 or jrepya@EdinaMN.gov.Photo by Krystal CaronThe Oskam House features post-and-beam construction and blend of nature and architecture. Windows facing Indianhead Lake and a skylight provide light throughout the home. 24 • SPRING 2016 School District Construction Projects To Begin By Mary Woitte, Edina Public Schools Communications Manager Within weeks of receiving voter approval of the May 2015 facilities bond referendum, Edina Public Schools (EPS) started planning for construction. Soon, the community will begin to see the transformation of school buildings in a construction effort that will touch every building in the district. This spring, construction will begin on about half of the projects associated with the facilities referendum. The projects will be staggered over the next three years to accommodate summer youth programs and movement of other programs from one space to another. By fall 2018, every building in the district will have realized renovations and/or new construction in the following categories: • Building security enhancements; • Next Generation learning spaces designed to align with advancement of the district’s strategic plan, which is focused on personalized learning for all students; • Infrastructure improvements of outdoor learning and activity spaces and the construction of a new transportation services facilities. At the heart of a carefully designed, five-phase planning process was the creation of core planning teams (CPTs) for each school building. The teams were designed to ensure that the perspectives of all stakeholders were heard and considered in the foundational first phase of the process, schematic design. The CPTs began by establishing design criteria to guide decisions and development of initial floor plans. In all, the 10 CPTs met nearly 100 times, including time devoted to specific user groups such as special education, media centers and various subject areas. While this interactive design process takes longer, the school district and its partner, Wold Architects & Engineers, believed the result would be learning spaces that truly reflect the community’s vision for learning. “This type of process results in [stakeholders being able to say] ‘this is our building and it reflects our beliefs, it is not something the architect sold to us,’” said Lead Architect Vaughn Dierks, who facilitated many of the CPT meetings. Sumner Musolf, a parent of two Countryside students, was a member of that site’s CPT. “It was important to understand a little bit more about how everybody works and what everybody would prefer,” he said. “But we were all there for the right reasons. We all found common ground pretty quickly.” Concord Elementary teacher Mike McCarthy said he was impressed by the amount of input the group was allowed, adding that the process helped him re-imagine how learning spaces can be used. “As a classroom teacher, what once was ‘my space’ may not necessarily be my space,” he said, “it’s going to be someone’s usable classroom space and we’ll collaborate to ensure these spaces are useful for everyone.” 2016 SPRING • 25 South View Middle School Dean of Students Tami Jo Cook said visits to other districts to see new learning spaces in action were beneficial. “It allowed us to see personalized learning in ways that you can’t learn from reading about it,” she said. “The district is pushing us a little bit in ways that are good, to think about space and learning differently.” The CPTs completed their work earlier this year and the architects have progressed through the other design phases: design development, construction documents and bidding, with the School Board reviewing and approving plans along the way. Projects slated to begin in the next few months are: • Edina High School (continuing through Fall 2017) • Concord Elementary (to be completed Fall 2016) • Countryside Elementary (to be completed Fall 2016) • Highland Elementary (to be completed Fall 2016) Projects at Cornelia, Creek Valley and Normandale elementary schools and Early Childhood will happen in the summer of 2017. Renovations at South View and Valley View middle schools are slated to begin in 2017, concluding in 2018. The relocation of the district office to the third floor of the Edina Community Center, to make way for additional learning spaces for Normandale Elementary, is expected during the 2016-17 school year. In addition, planning and design for a new transportation services facility has begun following the recent purchase of land in the southern part of Edina. Participants in the design process are already looking forward to seeing the fruits of their labor, knowing that they played an important role. “I will be able to reflect on [the planning team experience] every time I bring my child to school, every time we go to a school function,” Musolf said. “This community is known to put a lot of roots down from generation to generation. Maybe I’ll be a participant in the next go-round when they want to do the Next Generation for the next 30 years.” For updates on EPS facilities construction, visit edinaschools.org/NextGenFacilitiesSubmitted PhotoCore Planning Teams for each school building worked together on schematic designs. By Kaylin Eidsness Overdose deaths from legal and illegal opioids are a growing concern in Minnesota, where deaths spiked from 54 in 2000 to 317 in 2014. To combat prescription drug abuse and provide residents with a safe way to dispose of unwanted or expired medication, the Edina Police Department is offering a medication disposal program, utilizing special bags that neutralize medication. “Throughout the years, we’ve seen an increase in heroin use in the Twin Cities,” said Police Chief Dave Nelson. “Prescription painkillers can be a gateway to heroin use and we want to do everything we can to curb that abuse.” From 2013 to 2015, the number of controlled substance arrests in Edina grew from 37 to 102. The figure includes arrests for heroin, prescription forgery, DWIs and possession of other hard drugs – and the number concerns Nelson. While properly disposing medication can’t change opioids being overprescribed, Nelson said it can take more off the street. Nelson explained that burglars often look for prescription painkillers during break-ins to use or sell on the street. Removing these unused and expired medications from your home eliminates that possibility. “We’ve seen a couple burglaries where painkillers were all that was taken,” said Nelson. “The burglar walked right past electronics and jewelry, without taking either, to get to the drugs. Let’s at least dispose of the old stuff, so that personal care attendants, cleaners, friends of friends or others who might know where the medicine is can’t take it from the home.” Also, disposing of medications responsibly prevents harmful chemicals from entering our ground and drinking water, which can happen when medications are flushed down the toilet or drain. Properly disposing of medication also ensures they are kept away from children and pets. “The biggest safety point is that a lot of people have expired and unused medication sitting around, which can be harmful to pets and children,” said Brad Beard, Edina Crime Prevention Fund Board Member and 26 • SPRING 2016Photo by Kaylin EidsnessThe medication disposal bags contain activated carbon, which neutralizes medications. City Starts Medication Disposal Program 2016 SPRING • 27 President of Fairview Southdale Hospital. “The ability to destroy the unused medication in a safe and easy manner is significant and really helps to create a safer environment. It’s really a positive and progressive resource in our city.” With a donation from the Edina Crime Prevention Fund, the Police Department was able to purchase the 90-pill medication disposal bags that contain activated carbon, which neutralizes medications. The bags can also neutralize 12 ounces of liquid medication or 12 transdermal patches. “This critically important program provides a service to the community that can be used by all residents of Edina,” said Beard, who also mentioned that it’s important to educate the public about ways to properly dispose of medication. Those using the program should place the medication in the bag, fill it halfway with warm water, wait 30 seconds and seal the bag. It will then be safe to discard the bag in a trash receptacle at home. Medication disposal bags are free and available for pick up Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Police Department, 4801 W. 50th St., and Fire Station No. 1, 6250 Tracy Ave. Large quantities of medication may be brought to one of six Hennepin County drop box locations. Businesses like pharmacies, doctors’ offices and veterinary clinics are not eligible for the drop-off program. Bring medications in original packaging. No identification is required and the service is free. “Properly disposing of unused and expired medication, most importantly opioids, is a small thing that can make a big impact toward keeping people safe,” said Nelson. For more information about the Edina Police Department and a list of the Hennepin County drop-off sites, visit EdinaMN.gov/Police or call 952-826-1610. 28 • SPRING 2016 952-927-2842 612-741-9556 952-927-1646 612-803-8129 952-927-1624 612-600-4119 612-859-4863 612-719-0665 612-720-1048 952-927-1163 952-927-1197 952-201-4758 952-200-5712 952-927-1186 612-940-8020 952-210-8342 952-927-1196 952-393-6600 952-927-1195 952-237-6611 612-247-5898 612-385-4359 952-927-1114 612-388-8828 952-927-1694 952-261-7576 612-750-2209 952-924-8722 952-240-4417 612-802-5057 612-599-7107 612-644-3173 612-810-5793 952-915-7951 612-751-0663 612-306-3735 612-735-7430 612-590-3090 952-915-7964 612-708-8400 612-803-5595 952-924-8785 952-924-8712 612-242-4514 612-720-7560 952-500-1500 612-791-1094 612-965-7997 952-928-9810 612-325-7972 612-965-3655 612-384-4413 612-710-8081 MARKETLEADER 1 6 T H C O N S E C U TIVE YEAR 2016 SPRING • 29 952-927-2842 612-741-9556 952-927-1646 612-803-8129 952-927-1624 612-600-4119 612-859-4863 612-719-0665 612-720-1048 952-927-1163 952-927-1197 952-201-4758 952-200-5712 952-927-1186 612-940-8020 952-210-8342 952-927-1196 952-393-6600 952-927-1195 952-237-6611 612-247-5898 612-385-4359 952-927-1114 612-388-8828 952-927-1694 952-261-7576 612-750-2209 952-924-8722 952-240-4417 612-802-5057 612-599-7107 612-644-3173 612-810-5793 952-915-7951 612-751-0663 612-306-3735 612-735-7430 612-590-3090 952-915-7964 612-708-8400 612-803-5595 952-924-8785 952-924-8712 612-242-4514 612-720-7560 952-500-1500 612-791-1094 612-965-7997 952-928-9810 612-325-7972 612-965-3655 612-384-4413 612-710-8081 MARKETLEADER 16TH CONSECUTIVE YEAR Liquor Store Task Force Begins Work 30 • SPRING 2016 By Jordan Gilgenbach Edina Liquor’s tagline “Where profits get poured back into the community” still holds true despite new competition in the marketplace that has decreased the operation’s profits. In response, City Manager Scott Neal has formed a task force to review all aspects of Edina Liquor. “Everyone has a stake in this – not just the liquor stores and City staff,” Neal said. “The better the stores do, the less residents pay in taxes and the more the City can do.” Five members were appointed to the task force in January following a call for task force volunteers in late 2015. Neal said a large number of residents showed interest in serving. “It’s very exciting and uplifting to get that sort of response,” he said. David Burley, Ed Cracraft, Mike Lynch, Nick Pahl and Birdie Rand were selected for their vast and varying experience in hospitality, retail or marketing. The volunteer task force will look at all aspects of Edina Liquor, from the customer experience, pricing structure, and services and products offered, to operating costs, marketing plans and store management. The City made significant investments to train all staff on customer service and products. It also developed a new pricing strategy with compressed profit margins in order to be more competitive on prices, finished remodeling and branding its stores and developed new advertising and marketing materials centered around the refreshed tagline “where profits get poured back into the community.” ”While the liquor stores provide a significant amount of money to the community, we are being challenged to figure out how to get these numbers back up to prior levels. This is one way to keep our taxes from rising,” said Rand. “We know new competition is fierce and we are tasked to find a way to get our residents back in our stores.” “The liquor stores continue to contribute to the quality and diversity of life in Edina by supporting our parks and the arts,” Cracraft said. “Competition provides the opportunity to sharpen execution and develop new Photo by Krystal CaronMike Lynch, Nick Pahl, Ed Cracraft, Birdie Rand and David Burley were appointed in January to the Liquor Store Task Force. 2016 SPRING • 31 strategies to optimize customer experience and store performance.” “As a City, we still get high revenue from Edina Liquor that goes back to the City,” said City Council Member Ann Swenson. “Edina Liquor is a separate business entity of the City and is completely self-sufficient. It makes a good profit and doesn’t need to be subsidized. That’s why its success is so important. And that’s the challenge– how do we maintain and improve what we are doing to increase profits?” Neal will ask the task force to study and resolve the following questions: • How can the City increase the profits of its municipal liquor operations without compromising its commitment to restricting access to non-adults? • What operational practices can the City adopt to control its operating costs, while not diminishing its profitability and quality of the customer experience? • What operational practices can the City adopt to improve the overall retail experience to our consumers without decreasing profits or increasing net operating costs? • What marketing strategies can the City adopt that will increase sales and market share? • What management practices and structures can the City adopt to better inform city management and elected officials of the municipal liquor system’s operating performance? The task force began meeting in February and is expected to continue its work through July, when it will prepare a report with recommendations. Neal will review the recommendations and is tentatively scheduled to share the report with the City Council in August. Those who wish to express an idea or comment about the process can contact Assistant City Manager Lisa Schaefer at lschaefer@EdinaMN.gov. For more information, contact the Administration Department at 952-826-0364. CURB APPEAL STARTS ATTHE CURB. www.hageconcrete.com612-861-4243 When it comes to gorgeous driveways and sidewalks, we attract a lot of attention. 3.625 x 3.625 Hage Concrete Works Corporate Identity Colors: Background Green PMS 336 C 95% M 15% Y 47% K 62% Since 1930 Reverse out in white Hage PMS 186 C 0% M 100% Y 75% K 4%Concrete Works Revers out in White Spade Gray tones as needed or defined in the ai file CONCRETE WORKS City Changes How Water Consumption Is Measured By Dawn Wills To help residents better understand their water usage, the City is changing how it measures water consumption. Throughout 2016, the City will convert water and sewer bills from 100 cubic feet to 1,000 gallons as the unit of measurement. Assistant Finance Director Kyle Sawyer says the reason behind the change is that most people have an idea what a gallon is, but struggle to visualize a cubic foot. “We all buy products in gallons. We don’t buy milk in cubic feet, for example, so it’s hard for people to understand that unit of measurement,” he said. Since 2012, the City has worked to replace all 14,000 water meters in Edina with new ones that show the home’s consumption in gallons. The City is working with Local Government Information Systems (LOGIS) to convert the unit of measurement now that the meters have been replaced. LOGIS is a consortium of more than 70 cities in Minnesota. According to LOGIS, 20 member cities are currently using their utility billing application. Pamela Kummer, Senior Support Analyst at LOGIS, said switching units of measurement involves an intensive testing process of the utility billing system to ensure it’s in working order throughout the changeover. She explained that the process can take six months. Residents can expect to see the conversion from cubic feet to gallons on their bill sometime this year. The conversion will be completed in phases throughout the year, beginning in May. For more information, contact Sawyer at 952-826-0420 or ksawyer@EdinaMN.gov. There are several ways residents can pay their water bills: • by cash, check or credit card at City Hall, 4801 W. 50th St. • by mailing a payment stub with check to City Hall. • by signing up for the automatic payment plan for recurring bank account or debit/credit card payments. 32 • SPRING 2016Photo by Dawn WillsResidents can read their meters by shining a flashlight directly on the meter to show their water readings. 2016 SPRING • 33 1 Redeeming FlexPoints for your purchase results in a statement credit that offsets your FlexPerks credit card purchases. For transactions which include a gratuity or estimated taxes, the statement credit may not equal your final purchase amount. The credit to your Account statement will be processed within three business days and will appear on your next Account billing statement. Participating categories exclude gas stations, restaurants and travel. Available only for transactions with U.S. merchants. Standard data and messaging rates apply. 2 The 500 bonus FlexPoints will be applied to your account within 8-10 weeks after you have completed and confirmed your enrollment for Real-Time Rewards. This one-time bonus FlexPoint offer is valid through 12/31/16. The creditor and issuer of the FlexPerks Visa Card is U.S. Bank National Association, pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A., Inc. The Card is available to U.S. residents only. U.S. Bank National Association reserves the right to change Card benefits at any time. Use of the FlexPerks Visa Card is subject to the terms and conditions of the FlexPerks Visa Cardmember Agreement, which may be amended from time to time. Smartphone screen is a simulation and does not reflect actual text messaging. © 2016 U.S. Bank National Association Instantly redeem FlexPoints for almost any purchase!1 Real-Time Rewards lets you use your mobile device to instantly redeem FlexPoints for the FlexPerks® Visa® Card purchases of your choice. A new swimsuit for your vacation. A new golf club. Even the weekly grocery run. Activate Real-Time Rewards today and earn 500 bonus FlexPoints.2 Learn more at flexperks.com/rtr Edina Community Foundation: A Snapshot Bringing People Together to Serve, Strengthen and Celebrate Our Community By Karen Contag, Edina Community Foundation Development Relations Edina is a great community in which to live and work. A strong sense of pride and community engagement create a hometown feel and a connectedness that make Edina a vital and vibrant place for all. The Edina Community Foundation (ECF) brings people together to serve, strengthen and celebrate our city. In ways both big and small, we strive to build a better and stronger Edina. ECF’s efforts play an important role in creating a sense of community and the following is a brief outline of our work in Edina. We Serve Edina residents are involved in community life in many ways and ECF supports and encourages this involvement. Here are some examples of how we serve: Edina Day of Service, Designated Fund Partner Services, Edina Challenge and the Edina Dialogue. We Strengthen We believe that a community and its members have a powerful influence on the development of young people. ECF strengthens the community by working towards the success and well-being of all youth. We strengthen youth through scholarships for summer programs, the One2One Mentoring program and Connecting with Kids. We Celebrate ECF believes in celebrating our community and does so in the following ways: Fourth of July Parade, Connecting with Kids Leadership Breakfast and Public Art. The collective work of the Edina Community Foundation adds up to a great benefit to the City of Edina and a direct contribution to the quality of life enjoyed by all who live and work here. This work depends on a community of generous donors who are committed to our mission and our great city. Thank you to the donors who make our work possible. For more information on any of the listed programs or to learn how you can support the work of the Edina Community Foundation, visit edinacommunityfoundation.org. Editor’s Note: In the 2016 winter issue of About Town, we inadvertently omitted Scot Housh’s biography from the Edina Community Foundation’s article listing its current Board of Directors. We apologize for the oversight. Scot Housh, Secretary, is an insurance broker and the President and CEO of Willis of Minnesota. He was raised in Edina and graduated from Brown University. Scot served on the Edina City Council from 2001 through 2010 and joined the Foundation Board in July 2011. He has served on the Be The Match Foundation Board and as Co-chair of the Minnesota Bid Committee for the 2020 College Football Playoff Championship Game. He lives in the Country Club Neighborhood with his wife, Susie. 34 • SPRING 2016 Bringing People Together to Serve, Strengthen and Celebrate Our Community 2016 SPRING • 35 SOUTHDALE Y FREE WEEK PASS $0 ENROLLMENT, $150 SAVINGS *OFFER EXPIRES 5/16/2016 FREE DROP OFF CHILD CARE 190+ GROUP EXERCISE CLASSES SWIMMING & FAMILY POOL FULLY EQUIPPED FITNESS CENTER ALL AGES & FITNESS LEVELS To activate pass - contact Karl 952 897 5476 karl.wilbur@ymcatwincites.org Cosmetic, Family & Sports Dentistry, PA Dentistry with eye on today a vision for tomorrow..!& Call us at 952-922-9119 www.yoursmiledocs.com DR. DOUGLAS L. LAMBERT, DDS DR. SANDRA J. HOUCK, DDS DR. ELIZABETH A. LAMBERT, DDS West 50th & Vernon Avenue at Hwy. 100 952-920-3996 www.washburn-mcreavy.com Family Owned & Operated Since 1857 Stephane CattelinGRI, e-PRO, CIPS, TRC The InternationalApproach to Real Estate Serving the Edina French-American Community Realtor/Agent Immobilier Minneapolis Lakes Office SaCattelin@CBBurnet.com612-924-4352 Office612-703-8229 Mobilewww.StephaneCattelin.com Owned and Operated by NRT Incorporated 36 • SPRING 2016 Days Of Remembrance To Focus On Women In Genocides Each year, the Human Rights & Relations Commission (HRRC) organizes “Days of Remembrance,” a human rights forum with the goal of remembering those who perished and honoring the survivors, rescuers and liberators of the Holocaust and other genocides around the world. This year, the event will focus on Women in the Holocaust and Genocides and will be held 1-3 p.m. Sunday, April 10 at Edina City Hall, 4801 W. 50th St. Holocaust survivor Lucy Smith, a St. Paul artist, will speak about her experience surviving the Nazis and living as a hidden child with her mother, beginning at age 6. “In many ways, her story is similar to what happened to Anne Frank – but with a different ending. Lucy and her mother both survived,” said HRRC member Jan Seidman. “The stories of hidden children are less widely known than the narratives of those who survived the death camps, yet the danger of being exposed to the authorities meant that every moment was filled with peril.” Seidman explained that some hidden children lived with false papers as Aryans or non-Jews, knowing that any slip of the tongue or an inappropriate action identifying them as a Jew would mark them for certain death. Others lived hidden in attics or cellars, barns or chicken coops, completely dependent on rescuers for food and contact. They often had to move from one hiding place to another to remain safe. Smith was born in Kracow, Poland, and had to leave school after only a month because laws were passed that prohibited all Jewish children from attending school. Smith and her mother were then put into a ghetto where they successfully hid to escape Nazi roundups that sent Jews to extermination camps. Throughout the war, they changed hiding places, towns and identities. The 2016 Days of Remembrance: Women in the Holocaust and Genocides program will include a talk by Smith about those experiences and her involvement in outreach and education. In addition, World Without Genocide Executive Director Dr. Ellen Kennedy will speak to the group about Ravensbruck, a women’s concentration Submitted PhotoDays of Remembrance Speaker Lucy Smith is one of many children who lived in hiding through the Holocaust. Smith and her mother often had to change locations, towns and even identities; with increasing danger of being exposed and sent to death at concentration camps like these women and children arriving at Auschwitz-Birkenau. 7101 West 78th Street Minneapolis, Minnesota 55439 Main: 952.829.3480 visit us at www.FrauenshuhCommercial.com Frauenshuh is a proud resident and business member of the Edina community since 1983. Frauenshuh, Inc. is a full-service commercial real estate firm that provides and delivers “creative” real estate solutions for our clients and communities. www.7700FranceAvenue.com proudly owned & managed by Frauenshuh Dean M. Williamson, CCIMPresidentDavid R. FrauenshuhCEO & Founder 2016 SPRING • 37 camp 50 miles outside of Berlin where the Nazis perpetrated horrific violence. Finally, World Without Genocide staff Chelsea Matson and Claire Muller will present a short play entitled “The Line.” “The Line” is about Sophie Scholl, a brave college student in Germany who stood up against the Nazis and was guillotined by the Gestapo. Today, Scholl represents a global symbol for human rights and courage. “Following a proclamation in May 2011 from Mayor Hovland, the City of Edina began to recognize the National Days of Remembrance in memory of the victims of the Holocaust and to encourage the community to reflect on the need for respect for all people,” said HRRC Staff Liaison and Project Coordinator MJ Lamon. “This year’s event will focus on the hardships that women faced.” In 2013, April was designated as Genocide Awareness and Prevention Month in Minnesota by Governor Mark Dayton. Since then, Edina’s Days of Remembrance has expanded to recognize the Holocaust and other genocides that continue to impact families in our community. In previous years, Edina has acknowledged the 20th anniversary of the Rwandan Genocide as well as the crises in the Congo where six million people have perished since 1996. Last year, the City of Edina acknowledged the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII and the liberation of Auschwitz. The Days of Remembrance Human Rights Forum is free and open to the public. Lawyers can receive two standard CLE credits ($40 fee) and educators can receive two clock hours at no cost. Advance registration is not required. For more information, contact HRRC Staff Liaison Lamon at 952-826-0360 or mlamon@EdinaMN.gov. 38 • SPRING 2016 Grandview Southdale 50th & France EdinaLiquor.com All Your Favorite Brands Three Convenient Locations Friendly, Knowledgeable Staff Every Purchase You Make Supports Public Art, Music and the Edina Art Center MORE ARTS & CRAFTS ENERGY SAVINGS CUSTOMIZED FOR YOUR HOME. Schedule your discounted visit today call 612-335-5874 Home Energy Squad Enhanced - $50 • Installation of energy saving materials• Blower door test to measure for air leaks • Insulation inspection• Safety check on heating system and water heater Edina’s Energy and Environment Commission is buying down the cost to $50. Home Energy Squad is provided by CenterPoint Energy and Xcel Energy and delivered by the Center for Energy and Environment (CEE), a Minnesota non-proﬁt. Exceptional 24 Hour Personal At-home Adult Assistance &Care NURSING HHA’S COMPANIONS 612-708-1079 www.adulthelpcare.com Assisting throughout the Twin Cities. Insured •Licensed •Dependable 2016 SPRING • 39 Preferred provider for most insurance companies. Call or request your appointment online. 6545 France Ave. S, Suite 390, Edina, MN 55435 952-926-3534 | parkdental.com Ann M. Thiele Burt, DDS Camille M. Jensen, DDS Annette G. Dunford, DDS General dental care for the entire family. Early morning & evening appointments. New patients welcome. With you every smile of the way. Walter F. Teske, DDS Owen J. Thoele, DDS Coverage for backups of sewers and basement drains is available, but not always included in a basic homeowner’s insurance policy. In addition, insurance companies that do offer the protection have varying amounts of coverage. Check your homeowner’s insurance policy to see if you have coverage for backups. If you do not have coverage, consider adding to your policy because in most cases the City is not liable for damages and provides only limited coverage. DO YOU have insurance for sewer back-up s? Check your policy today!?Ellyn Wolfenson 612-644-3033 mobile 612-915-8894 office ejwolfenson@cbburnet.com “It’s all about relationships!” President Circle Elite Voted Best Real Estate Agent and Super Agent, 2012-2015 Minneapolis/St. Paul Magazine www.ellynwolfenson.com 40 • SPRING 2016 City Hires New Community Television Administrator By Mia Vacanti Dietrich Nissen’s interest in video production was sparked by a guest speaker in a class he had at Edina High School as a junior. “I was at the age where you’re starting to think about what you want to study in college,” Nissen said. “After learning about video production from a former news reporter, broadcast journalism was at the top of my list when I started researching and applying to colleges.” After graduating from high school in 2004, Nissen attended the University of St. Thomas where he double-majored in Communications Studies and Broadcasting. He graduated from college in 2008 and began his first job in Rochester, Minnesota, as a weekend news reporter for local news station KAAL. In the following years, he continued his news-reporting career in Spokane, Washington, and Temecula, California, before eventually returning to Rochester as a senior news reporter for KAAL. “I learned so much and had a lot of great experiences along the way, but I eventually wanted to end up [back] in the Twin Cities,” said Nissen. “Besides video production and broadcasting, I always had an interest in teaching. While I was still at KAAL, I decided I wanted to go back to school and get my master’s degree.” Nissen returned to the University of St. Thomas to study elementary education from 2012 to 2014. During that same time, he worked part-time for the City of Edina as a Video Production Assistant. In that role, he shot footage for Edina’s television programs, PSAs and commercials and worked with the Video Production Coordinator to create news packages and video content. After earning his master’s, he began teaching fourth grade at Greenwood Elementary in Wayzata, Minnesota, while still fulfilling his part-time roll with the City. In October 2015, the Community Television Administrator position opened and Nissen jumped at the opportunity. Nissen succeeds Nathalie Gage in the position. “With this position, I have the chance to do video production, as well as teach it,” he said. “It was a great opportunity because I am able to mesh two of my passions together.” The Community Television Administrator is responsible for coordinating the playback of the education, government and public access channels for member cities of the Southwest Suburban Cable Commission; Eden Prairie, Edina, Hopkins, Minnetonka and Richfield. His primary duties also include working with public access producers, recording footage for Edina TV and communicating closely with Comcast and CenturyLink, which have cable franchises with the City. “Adding someone as passionate and energetic as Dietrich not only elevates the level of video production, but also increases the quality of experience for our access 2016 SPRING • 41 producers,” said Video Production Coordinator Scott Denfeld. Most recently, Nissen has worked on creating workshops to hold around the community, to educate people about video production. The workshops will focus on the basics of producing video in hopes that people will use that knowledge to produce content to share on the public access channels. “Education and public access producers will benefit from Dietrich’s background in education and should learn a lot in his workshops and through the training tools he developments,” said Communications & Technology Services Director Jennifer Bennerotte. “Dietrich is a gifted storyteller. Viewers will also enjoy the videos he puts together for Edina TV.” Having found a position where he can bestow both of his passions, Nissen is excited for his new venture. Comcast subscribers can view the public access programming on Channel 15 and education access programming on Channel 14. CenturyLink subscribers can view the public and education access programming on mosaic Channel 26. Producers can submit content online or at Edina City Hall between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 8 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, contact Nissen, 952-826-0344 or dnissen@EdinaMN.gov. Photo by Michael BraunDietrich Nissen began work as Community Television Administrator in late 2015, overseeing the public and education channels for Eden Prairie, Edina, Hopkins, Minnetonka and Richfield. 42 • SPRING 2016 Wooldridge Promoted To Braemar Golf Course Assistant Manager By Krystal Caron Working at Braemar Golf Course has helped shape the direction of Mary Wooldridge’s life, and now as the new Assistant Manager she’ll have a stronger role in shaping the future of the course. “I started with the City when I was 15 years old, selling lemonade and hot dogs down in the ‘pit.’ Prior to working at the golf course, I grew up in the girls’ league on the Par 3. It’s a special place; it’s where I learned how to golf,” said Wooldridge. She went on to work in the clubhouse where she met her husband, Mark. “I was in the clubhouse and he was on maintenance.” Wooldridge continued to work at Braemar in the Pro Shop under the direction of past General Manager John Valliere. After going to school at the University of Minnesota and obtaining her degree in Graphic Design from Hennepin Vo-Tech College, Wooldridge left Braemar to work in the art department at the Sun Current. She didn’t stay away from Braemar for long, though. After her first son was born, she was asked to return to Braemar to handle the buying for the Pro Shop. That was 22 years ago. “I did that for a long time – buying and merchandising for the Pro Shop – and five years ago, I took over the entire Pro Shop, scheduling the golf course and working with the leagues,” said Wooldridge. Now Wooldridge is excited about revitalizing the staff at Braemar in her new position. As Assistant Manager, she’ll manage the part-time employees, which includes more than 80 people. “Mary epitomizes what the City strives for in its integrity, quality and service culture and fosters this attitude with all the employees within her charge. In the two years since I’ve known her, Mary has taken on a lot of new responsibility. Now the title fits her responsibilities,” said Braemar Golf Course General Manager Joe Abood. “Customer service is such a huge part of who I am that I’m excited to really continue to work on that,” said Photo by Michael BraunMary Wooldridge, who has served as the Facility Coordinator for the past five years, was promoted to Braemar Golf Course Assistant Manager in February. 2016 SPRING • 43 Donate Now! With $25 donations from 400 families, we can purchase ‘Slapshot’ to be placed at Braemar Arena. SCORE A GOAL FOREDINA PUBLIC ART! www.gofundme.c o m / e d i n a m n Only the Best Care for Your Best Friend Banfield.com EDINA5103 Gus Young Ln.952-929-9236 Wooldridge. “It’s an opportunity to really focus in on our employees and improve customer service to bring Braemar to a whole new level.” “It’s good for the overall operations of the facility. This adds another layer of leadership and adds another component of improved customer service,” said Abood. “As the City continues to invest in its golf operations, Mary has the knowledge, experience, professionalism and work ethic to make Braemar the best in its class.” Wooldridge still lives in Edina with her husband. She has two boys, 24 and 19, who are both in college. “I have lived nowhere else; it’s a great community,” said Wooldridge. “The Parks & Recreation Department is as strong as ever and builds a sense of community at facilities like Braemar. And this is just such a great facility.” For more information, contact Wooldridge, 952-903-5755 or mwoolridge@EdinaMN.gov. 44 • SPRING 2016 New Hotel Proposed Near Southdale CenterEdina might be getting its first new hotel in nearly 10 years. Atlanta-based Noble Investment Group has proposed building a new Hilton-branded hotel in the northeast corner of the Southdale Center property near West 66th Street and York Avenue. The four-story, 146-room hotel would be an upscale, all-suites hotel with an indoor swimming pool, fitness room, meeting rooms and a large gathering space called “The Lodge.” The hotel is anticipated to be branded as a Hilton Homewood Suites. Pedestrian connections from the hotel to Southdale Center and the perimeter of the site are planned. To provide better guest access to the provided parking, a section of Southdale Center’s ring road that is in front of the building is proposed to be changed from one-way traffic to two-way traffic. Noble Investment Group presented plans to the Planning Commission and City Council earlier this year as part of a non-binding sketch plan to gather feedback on the proposal. At press time, no formal application had been made. The developer expects that, upon securing City approval, construction could begin as early as this summer and conclude in about a year. For more information, contact the Planning Division at 952- 826-0369. City Reviews Plans For New Apartment BuildingA new multi-family development has been proposed. The developer, DLC Residential, proposes replacing the two existing office buildings at the northwest corner of West 66th Street and York Avenue with a two-phase housing development, named The Millennium at Southdale. The first phase of the project would include 227 Planning Matters Submitted RenderingA Hilton Homewood Suites is being proposed in the northeast corner of the Southdale Center property. elness swenson graham architects 500 washington avenue southminneapolis minnesota 55415p. 6 1 2 . 3 3 9 . 5 5 0 8f. 6 1 2 . 3 3 9 . 5 3 8 2w w w . e s g a r c h . c o m Signature Typed or Printed Name License # Date PROJECT NUMBER DRAWN BY CHECKED BY ORIGINAL ISSUE: REVISIONS KEY PLAN I hereby certify that this plan, specification, or report was prepared by me or under my direct supervision and that I am a duly licensed architect under the laws of the State of Minnesota 1/21/2016 2:18:59 PMA3.0 aPERSPECTIVE VIEWS - PHASE 1 215531 Author Checker 01/14/16 Millennium at Southdale Millennium at Southdale 3250 West 66th StreetEdina, MN 55435 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AMENDMENTPDP & REZONING SUBMITTAL 1/20/2016 No. Description Date AERIAL PERSPECTIVE VIEW FROM SOUTHEAST LOOKING NORTHWEST AERIAL PERSPECTIVE VIEW FROM SOUTHWEST LOOKING NORTHEAST AERIAL PERSPECTIVE VIEW FROM SOUTH LOOKING NORTHSTREET LEVEL PERSPECTIVE VIEW ON YORK AVE APPROACHING FROM SOUTH LOOKING NORTH AERIAL PERSPECTIVE VIEW FROM NORTHEAST LOOKING SOUTHWEST AERIAL PERSPECTIVE VIEW FROM NORTHWEST LOOKING SOUTHEAST Submitted RenderingThe first phase of The Millennium at Southdale would include 227 apartment units in a five- or six-story building. 2016 SPRING • 45 apartment units in five or six stories and have two levels of underground parking. One of the two office buildings would remain on the site until Phase 2 begins. The second phase includes a second four- or five-story apartment building with 145 units with two levels of underground parking. The two buildings, comprising 421,268 square feet, would sit on the site’s 5.65 acres. The majority of the units would be one, one-plus and two-bedroom units with a smaller number of studio and three-bedroom units. Because a sketch plan was presented to the City Council prior to the City’s affordable housing policy taking effect, the developer is proposing 5 percent of units be considered “affordable.” If approved, future residents could enjoy secured and heated underground parking, outdoor courtyards with pools and spas, outdoor gathering and lounge areas, a fire pit, fitness center, yoga facilities and indoor gathering space. At press time, no approvals had been granted. For more information, contact the Planning Division at 952-826-0369. elness swenson graham architects 500 washington avenue southminneapolis minnesota 55415p. 6 1 2 . 3 3 9 . 5 5 0 8f. 6 1 2 . 3 3 9 . 5 3 8 2w w w . e s g a r c h . c o m Signature Typed or Printed Name License # Date PROJECT NUMBER DRAWN BY CHECKED BY ORIGINAL ISSUE: REVISIONS KEY PLAN I hereby certify that this plan, specification, or report was prepared by me or under my direct supervision and that I am a duly licensed architect under the laws of the State of Minnesota 1/21/2016 2:18:59 PMA3.0 aPERSPECTIVE VIEWS - PHASE 1 215531 Author Checker 01/14/16 Millennium at Southdale Millennium atSouthdale3250 West 66th StreetEdina, MN 55435 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AMENDMENT PDP & REZONING SUBMITTAL 1/20/2016 No. Description Date AERIAL PERSPECTIVE VIEW FROM SOUTHEAST LOOKING NORTHWEST AERIAL PERSPECTIVE VIEW FROM SOUTHWEST LOOKING NORTHEAST AERIAL PERSPECTIVE VIEW FROM SOUTH LOOKING NORTHSTREET LEVEL PERSPECTIVE VIEW ON YORK AVE APPROACHING FROM SOUTH LOOKING NORTH AERIAL PERSPECTIVE VIEW FROM NORTHEAST LOOKING SOUTHWEST AERIAL PERSPECTIVE VIEW FROM NORTHWEST LOOKING SOUTHEAST Submitted RenderingApartments may replace the two existing office buildings at the northwest corner of West 66th Street and York Avenue. The project, The Millennium at Southdale, would be executed in two phases. Phase I is illustrated above. When it comes time to make your most important financial decision, trust an expert. Experience the Bell Mortgage Difference. Ramona Jenkins NMLS ID 264221 Direct: 952.905.5558www.ramonajenkins.com 46 • SPRING 2016 Metro Foot & Ankle CliniC We treat: Bunions • HammertoesNeuromas • Heel Pain • Achilles TendinitisAnkle Sprains • Peripheral NeuropathyWarts • Ingrown Nails • Fungal NailsAthlete’s Foot • MetatarsalgiaDiabetic Foot Ulcers • Flatfeet • CornsBone Spurs • Arthritis • Gout • FracturesPlantar Fasciitis • Charcot Deformities Dr. Matt Rampetsreiter, DPM, FACFAS Board Certified, American Board of Foot & Ankle Surgery www.metrofootandankleclinic.com EDINA6545 France Ave. S. #565 952-426-0874 EDINA • ST. LOUIS PARK • MAPLE GROVE 6600 France Ave. Suite 310 Let us improve your smile! 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AURORA ON FRANCE Senior Living is Edina’s premier place to call home! on France Vibrant Senior Living and Care • Beautiful studio, one- and two-bedroom apartment homes near shopping, restaurants and connected to Fairview Southdale Hospital • Heated, underground parking • Restaurant-style dining • Movie theater • Large, beautiful outdoor spaces to include a patio fireplace & walking path around Lake Cornelia • Hair salon and spa ~ Library ~ Craft Room ~ Private dining ~ Bistro Café ~ Fitness center Call today to reserve the floor plan of your choice! 952-848-8888 6500 France Ave. S. Edina, MN 55435 AuroraOnFrance.com Design your ownBusiness Cards& Postcardswith our NEW Online Ordering System! 952-920-1949 facebook.com/jerrysprintingedina Enter Promo Code: AT10 when ordering and receive 10% off! Visit: www.jerrysprinting.com 48 • SPRING 2016 Business Notes Carlson Commercial Moves To EdinaReal estate consultants Carlson Commercial relocated from Eagan to The Link (formerly known as Pentagon Park), an office park in Edina located at Minnesota Highway 100 and Interstate Highway 494, in December 2015. Carlson Commercial is a privately held, specialized commercial real estate firm focused on tenant representation. The company finds space solutions for tenants throughout the United States and aligns real estate and business strategies for companies that own and lease retail, office and/or industrial warehouse space. Carlson Commercial assists with leased space relocations, renewals, renovations and restructures. The team consists of President Ted Carlson and CEO Amy Carlson, of Edina; Mike Hartman; Phil Kluesner; Tim Olsen; Eddie Rymer and Christine Lund. “We moved our offices to a new, inviting space in Edina to be accessible to our clients and convenient for our team,” said Amy Carlson. The space is non-traditional, with innovative sit-stand desks to promote productivity and shared cubes with low cube walls to encourage a collaborative work environment. The office includes both modern and industrial vibes, including unsealed cement floors and an exposed ceiling with “Edina green” ceiling pipes. “We are thrilled to have moved from Eagan to Edina and are excited to be a part of the next generation of Pentagon Park,” said Lund. “Our office space is unique and surely special.” The newly renovated office space is part of a $500 million ongoing redevelopment plan headed by Hillcrest Development. The planned unit development received approval from the Edina City Council in March 2014. The master vision includes 1.4 million square feet of Class A office or medical space, 60,000 square feet of select retail (no big box stores or drive-thru windows), structured parking and green space integrated with the adjacent Fred Richards Park. Submitted PhotoReal Estate Consultant Carlson Commercial recently relocated from Eagan to The Link in Edina. 2016 SPRING • 49 For more information on Carlson Commercial, contact Lund at 612-867-8611 or christinelund@carlson-commercial.com. Hanson Assumes Role Of Chamber Membership Sales ManagerEdina Chamber of Commerce Communications Coordinator Deb Hanson assumed the role of Membership Sales Manager for the organization in February. “As a 15-year Edina resident, Deb brings a breadth of knowledge of Edina to our community. With a year under her belt as communications coordinator, she is familiar with the Chamber and can step in and take over the membership responsibilities,” said Edina Chamber of Commerce President Lori Syverson. Hanson attended the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities and lives in Edina with her husband and 13 year-old son. Prior to joining the Chamber, Hanson worked for Edina Public Schools and was also an active parent volunteer as PTA President for Creek Valley Elementary. She also has five years of outside sales experience and worked for Continental Airlines for 10 years. “Over the last year, she has immersed herself in Chamber activities by generating and executing member communications and attending various Chamber events,” Syverson said. “This provided her with insight into the Chamber’s involvement within the community and to become acquainted with its members.” “Membership sales is the perfect role for me to transition into,” said Hanson. “My passion is people and relationship-building and Edina is the perfect community for that. This is a vibrant and progressive community with a lot of potential for business development and growth. Edina is a city that is evolving and moving forward, and I’m very excited to be a part of that.” With over 300 members, the Edina Chamber of Commerce is dedicated to helping members make connections to grow their business and expand personal development. “Deb has a great personality. People are automatically attracted to her friendly and caring nature,” said Syverson. “She is a good listener, attentive and understands the ever-changing needs of the business community. She is a natural fit for this position and we’re looking forward to a new year full of success and prosperity.” For more information, contact Hanson at deb@edina.org. (continued on next page)Submitted PhotoDeb Hanson began as the Chamber of Commerce’s Membership Manager in February. 50 • SPRING 2016 American Higher Education College Opens in EdinaAmerican Higher Education College (AHEC) Minneapolis opened its campus in Edina, 4444 W. 76th St., in late January. AHEC specializes in providing career-focused educational opportunities to people who want to start working in rewarding and in-demand fields as soon as possible. The school emphasizes personalized attention in a small-class setting and aims to help people develop marketable abilities that employers are actively seeking. AHEC has two campuses, with the other in Madison, Wisconsin. They also offer online programs, including facilities management, medical assistant, business administration, hospitality management, paralegal and social media and digital marketing. “AHEC is a vocational/technical school opening as a ‘sister’ school to Minneapolis Media Institute (MMI),” said MMI Lead Instructor for Audio and Recording Arts Paul Peterson. “They are located just two buildings down [from MMI].” For more information on AHEC, call 1-888-380-4510. Edina Chamber of Commerce Welcomes New MembersSince last fall, the Edina Chamber of Commerce has welcomed 12 new businesses as members. New members include Liberty Mutual Insurance, MN-Clean, Beautifeye/Sanderson Eye, Stinson Services, Matsurf Technologies, Waddell & Reed - Lisa Huynh, Home Care Assistance, Discover Life Chiropractic, Block Advisors, Scout and Molly’s Edina, GTRE Commercial Valuation & Advisory Services, Learning RX, Mpls./St. Paul Magazine, Suburban Waste Services and Excelsior Law Firm. For more information on Chamber membership, visit edinachamber.com or call 952-806-9060. Minnesota Online Consignment Gets New LocationIn May 2015, Minnesota Online Consignment, formerly known as iSold it on eBay, moved from its storefront location at Yorkdale Shoppes to a new office location in Edina. Minnesota Online Consignment now takes items by appointment at the new Edina location and looks for items that will likely sell for a minimum of $75. For more information, appraisals and appointments call 952-920-0200. – Compiled by Mia Vacanti 2016 SPRING • 51 Home Rehab Funds For Qualified Edina Home Owners You may qualify for up to $30,000 to make repairs or necessary improvements to your Edina home through Hennepin County Housing Rehabilitation Loan Program. This program provides deferred repayment funds on a first-come-first-served basis to people who can show financial need. If you would like to receive information, income guidelines, qualification summaries, interest rates, and applications, please call Hennepin County Housing, Community Works and Transit, 612-348-9260. Dozens of Edina residents have protected the value of their homes by using this program. If your primary residence is located in Edina and needs repair or structural improvements, please give us a call. CITY OF EDINA PLANNING DIVISION We want to help you OWN AN EDINA HOME Want To Learn More? Contact Joyce Repya 952-826-0462 or jrepya@EdinaMN.gov Camp Yoga Urban Adventures •Campers age 5-12 •Explore-create-invent-play! •Located on the greenway—we go out on daily field adventures •Art-making and inventing •Team building activities and fitness •Gardening and crafts •Yoga is infused throughout the day thru story, dance and games. • Hours: 9-3 (extended care available) Give a day or a week of rejuvenating fun to your children when school’s out! 2016 Camp Dates June 20-24 July 18-22 Aug 1-5 $355.00/week (Day passes available $75 per day) For more information: Bjoselyn10@gmail.com Kidyogamn.com 2836 Lyndale Avenue South 52 •SPRING 2016 City Of Edina Facilities Edina City Hall, 4801 W. 50th St. 952-927-8861 Edina Aquatic Center, 4300 W. 66th St. 952-833-9542 Edina Art Center, 4701 W. 64th St. 952-903-5780 Braemar Arena, 7501 Ikola Way 952-833-9500 Braemar Field, 7509 Ikola Way 952-833-9512 Braemar Golf Course, 6364 John Harris Drive 952-903-5750 Braemar Golf Dome, 7420 Ikola Way 952-903-5775 Centennial Lakes Park, 7499 France Ave. S. 952-833-9580 Edina Liquor – 50th & France, 3943 50th St. 952-903-5720 Edina Liquor – Grandview, 5013 Vernon Ave. 952-903-5740 Edina Liquor – Southdale, 6755 York Ave. S. 952-903-5730 Edina Senior Center, 5280 Grandview Square 952-833-9570 Edinborough Park, 7700 York Ave. S. 952-833-9540 Fire Station No. 1, 6250 Tracy Ave. 952-826-0330 Fire Station No. 2, 7335 York Ave. 952-826-0357 Public Works & Park Maintenance Facility, 7450 Metro Blvd. 952-826-0376 South Metro Public Safety Training Facility, 7525 Braemar Blvd. 952-903-5700 Elected Officials Jim Hovland, Mayor 612-874-8550Mary Brindle, Council Member 952-941-7746Kevin Staunton, Council Member 952-836-1020Bob Stewart, Council Member 952-833-9559Ann Swenson, Council Member 952-484-4894 Jan Callison, County Commissioner 612-348-3168 Melisa Franzen, Senator 612-564-3299Ron Erhardt, Representative – 49A 952-927-9437Paul Rosenthal, Representative – 49B 651-271-8131 Officially Recognized Neighborhoods Arden Park Neighborhood Association Contact: Sara Moran, moransshin@gmail.com Chowen Park Neighborhood Association Contact: William Neuendorf, chowenpark.edina@gmail.com Concord Neighborhood AssociationContact: Ellen Westin, ellenwestin@edinarealty.com Countryside Neighborhood AssociationContact: Christine Henninger, cmhjns@gmail.com Creek Knoll Neighborhood Association Contact: Tim O’Neill, tim@pianobrothers.com Morningside Neighborhood AssociationContact: Bob Kearney, Edina.morningside@gmail.com Normandale Park Neighborhood AssociationContact: Heather Branigin, hbranigin@earthlink.net Pamela Park Neighborhood AssociationContact: Jan Storey, pamelaparkneighborhood@gmail.com Strachauer Park Neighborhood AssociationContact: Chris Bremer, cbremer101@gmail.com General Information Call 952-927-8861 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday for general information. If you have a situation after hours or on weekends, but do not require immediate response from a paramedic, firefighter, police officer or Public Works crew, call the Police Department’s non-emergency number, 952-826-1600. Dial 911 to: •Report an incident that requires a Police Officer at the scene(assaults, burglaries, domestic disputes, accidents, etc.).•Summon a paramedic or ambulance.•Report a fire.•Report suspicious, criminal activity (alarms, shots fired,shouts for help, sounds of breaking glass, unfamiliar personcarrying items from a house, etc.).•Report a sewer backup or other Public Works emergencythat requires immediate attention. When in doubt or unsure of any situation, call 911 and the dispatcher will assist you. 2016 SPRING • 53 DISTINCTIVE Audio-Video, Security, Cameras, Networking, & Lighting Control for Every Budget 24/7 Service SIMPLE 26 YEARS OF PROFESSIONAL DESIGN, SALES, & SERVICE CALL TODAY FOR YOUR CONSULTATION (952) 941-5289 ENHANCED HOME SYSTEMS, INC. SECURE WWW.EHSYSTEMSINC.COM 54 • SPRING 2016 The Last Word The definition of the word “pumpage” is “that which is raised by pumps.” From the perspective of a city government, the most common use of the word pumpage is to describe the volume of water that we pump out of the earth, into our water processing plants and then into our potable water distribution system, which ends in Edina homes and businesses. In 2015, the City of Edina pumped 2.3 billion gallons of water out of the earth. That probably sounds like a lot, but our 2015 pumpage was actually down 66 million gallons compared to 2014 pumpage. And that’s significant because 2014 was a relatively low pumpage year. In fact, our 2015 pumpage was the lowest annual pumpage figure since the City started keeping electronic pumpage records of this data in 1998. And I don’t mean lowest per capita, or lowest average – I mean the lowest in absolute terms. Given the economic growth in the community since 1998, I’d say that’s notable. How did it happen? I’d point to two things. First, water conservation is taken seriously in Edina. There’s no way we’d be at this level of pumpage without people thinking and acting more prudently about their water consumption. Second, 2015 was a wet year. So was 2014. Rain makes a difference in how much water we pump because a high percentage of our water use as a community is for the outdoor watering of plants and lawns. More free water falling from the sky means the City pumps and sells less water from the ground. Finally, in addition to decreasing our pumpage, the City is also smarter about the water we are pumping and selling. It’s not unusual for a city water utility to have a loss ratio of anywhere from 5 to 10 percent. That means that they cannot account for 5 to 10 percent of their total pumpage. It can drip through leaky water mains, through loose connections between the City’s water system and a private home water system or right out the bottom of a public or private swimming pool. You can lose water many ways, but any way you lose it, 5 to 10 percent of 2.3 billion gallons, for example, would be a lot of water to lose track of. Two years ago, the City scanned its entire distribution system for leaks and then made a large investment in new water metering equipment, which was installed in homes and businesses throughout the community. With our new monitoring equipment in place, the City can account for 99.6 percent of our 2015 annual water pumpage. As staff, we are proud of that low loss ratio because it means we are achieving success at water stewardship, and we think that is important. The recent trouble with the public water supply in Flint, Michigan, has caused many people to pause and think not only about where their water comes from, but also how valuable it is, and how often we take it for granted. The City takes its responsibility to provide a safe, reliable supply of potable water to Edina residents and businesses very seriously. It’s one of the most important things we do as city government. Scott H. NealCity Manager 2016 SPRING • 55 www.tccloset.com | (612) 623-0987 2634 Minnehaha Ave. S, Minneapolis, MN 55406 BEAUTIFULLY BUILT HOME ORGANIZATION Free 3D professional design State-of-the-art manufacturing Professional installation team Adjusts to changing needs Exceptional customer service • Private apartments with month to-month rental • Flexible meal plans • Transportation for shopping, banking and more • Physician visits and 24 hour nursing sta nursing staff on site • Personal & concierge services • Wellness program with PTA • Weekly housekeeping • Respite and hospice stays • Age in place with loving care, dignity and serenity Independent Living, Assisted Living, Extended Assisted Living 55 Years of Service to the Community • Private apartments with month to-month rental • Flexible meal plans • Transportation for shopping, banking and more • Physician visits and 24 hour nursing sta nursing staff on site • Personal & concierge services • Wellness program with PTA • Weekly housekeeping • Respite and hospice stays • Age in place with loving care, dignity and serenity Independent Living, Assisted Living, Extended Assisted Living 55 Years of Service to the Community56 Years of Service to the Community • Private apartments with month to-month rental • Flexible meal plans • Transportation for shopping, banking and more • Physician visits and 24 hour nursing staff on site • Personal & concierge services • Wellness program with PTA • Weekly housekeeping • Respite and hospice stays • Age in place with loving care, dignity and serenity • Many daily activities Call for a tour and a Free Lunch (952) 920-9145 Independent Living, Assisted Living, Extended Assisted Living AboutTownAboutTown Magazine City of Edina 4801 West 50th Street Edina, MN 55424 EdinaMN.gov ***ECRWSS***POSTAL PATRONCAR-RT-WS PRESORT STD U.S. POSTAGEPAID TWIN CITIES MN Permit No. 3932 America’s Premier Real Estate Company Edina Regional Office l 7550 France Ave. S. Suite 100 l Edina, MN 55435 Chuck Abramson 612-868-7061 Beth Andrews 612-801-2041 Daniel & Julie Desrochers 612-554-4773 Maryanne Grobe 612-308-2090 Amy Olson Hare & Dan Hare 612-298-4184 Sandra Wakefield 612-387-2771 Mike Weiss 612-747-5463 Mary Frances Miller 952-300-7874 Karen Moe 612-418-6840 Doris Pajala 612-747-4466 Steve Schmitz 952-484-6045 Wade Thommen 952-994-2035 Kathryn Haymaker 612-203-1486 Janice Jaworski 612-210-9672 Diana Johnson 952-946-1637 Seth H. Johnson 612-810-5124 Susan Lee 612-986-4358 Coldwell Banker is the nation’s #1 leader in sales volume.