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HomeMy WebLinkAboutEditionEdinaOctober2016OCTOBER 2016 Volume 3, Issue 10 Edi tion: Larry Fyten, Lee Kennedy, Bob Kojetin and Dick Brozic take part in the Final Four golf tournament at Braemar Golf Course on a beautiful 76-degree day Oct. 4. The foursome was one of the last groups to play golf on the 27-hole course before construction began to turn Braemar into an 18-hole course. The first foursome to tee off when Braemar opened in July 1964 included Warren Hyde, Ev Banks, Art Bredeson and Harry Cooper. Final Fore!Photo by Kaylin EisdnessFile photo4801 W. 50th St. Edina, MN 55424 952-927-8861 mail@EdinaMN.gov EdinaMN.gov The City of Edina Legend of 2016-2017 Priorities: Focused Redevelopment Planning for the Future Intergovernmental Relations Transportation & Infrastructure Enterprise Facilities If you are an Edina resident and a registered voter, you may vote for two City Council Members and Mayor during the Municipal Election. The Municipal Election will be held in conjunction with the State General Election Tuesday, Nov. 8. The two Council Members and Mayor will be elected to serve four-year terms beginning Jan. 2, 2017. Four candidates are vying for open seats in the race for Edina City Council. Incumbent Jim Hovland is unopposed in the election for Mayor. Mary Brindle, Donna Callender, Mike Fischer and Jennifer Janovy are campaigning for two open Council Member seats. The two “at large” seats are currently held by Brindle and Ann Swenson. Brindle seeks a third term. You will also be able to vote for federal, state and county candidates. Can You Vote? You are qualified to vote in Minnesota if: • You are a U.S. citizen. • You are at least 18 years old on Election Day. • You have been a Minnesota resident for at least 20 days before Election Day. • You are registered to vote. • You have any felony conviction record discharged, expired or completed. • You are not under court-ordered guardianship where a court has revoked your voting rights. • You have not been ruled legally incompetent by a court of law. You must re-register to vote if you have moved, changed your name or have not voted within the past four years. You may register in person at Edina City Hall 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information on the election, visit EdinaMN.gov or call the Voter Registration staff at 952-826-0363 Absentee Voting Absentee voting is under way at Edina City Hall during regular business hours, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Edina City Hall will have extended hours of 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Nov. 1-4 and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 7 for this purpose. City Hall will be open for absentee voting 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5 per State statute. Additional voting hours may be added, but as of press time, no determination had been made. Election Day Registration Voters registering to vote on Election Day must provide proof of residence from one of the following items (stand- alone documents): • Valid Minnesota Driver’s License, Learner’s Permit or Minnesota Identification Card (or receipt) – showing current name and address in the precinct. • Tribal ID – issued by the tribal government of the tribe recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs that contains the name, address, signature and picture of the individual. • Voucher – oath of a voter registered in the precinct who can verify the registrant’s address in the precinct. A voucher may vouch for no more than 8 persons in each election. - Residential Facility Employee – of a facility located within the precinct whose name appears on the certified list provided to the precinct from Hennepin County, may vouch for an unlimited number of residents of their facility. - A voucher form, found on the back of the Registration Application, must be signed by the person vouching for the voter and by an election judge. - A voter who is vouched for cannot vouch for another voter at this election. - Challengers cannot serve as vouchers. - Voucher must leave the polling place as soon as the vouching process is complete. • Notice of Late Registration – sent from the Hennepin County Elections Office. • Valid Registration Within Precinct – applies only if the voter has changed their name or moved within the same precinct. • Current Students – student ID plus a certified housing list from within the jurisdiction where the student is registering and voting (not applicable in Edina). Two Council Members, Mayor To Be Elected In November Polling Locations Polling places will be open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day at the following locations: Precinct 1A Shepherd of Hills Church, 500 Blake Road Precinct 1B Chapel Hills Church, 6512 Vernon Ave. Precinct 2 Edina Senior Center, 5280 Grandview Square Precinct 3 Edina Covenant Church, 4201 W. 50th St. Precinct 4 Weber Park Shelter, 4115 Grimes Ave. Precinct 5 Good Samaritan Church. 5730 Grove St. Precinct 6 Countryside Elementary School, 5701 Benton Ave. Precinct 7 Normandale Lutheran Church, 6100 Normandale Road Precinct 8 South View Middle School, 4725 South View Lane Precinct 9 Concord Elementary School, 5900 Concord Ave. Precinct 10 St. Albans Episcopal Church, 6716 Gleason Road Precinct 11 New City Covenant Church, 6400 Tracy Ave. Precinct 12 Arneson Acres Park, 4711 W. 70th St. Precinct 13 Centennial Lakes Park, 7499 France Ave. S. Precinct 14 Edina Community Lutheran Church, 4113 W. 54th St. Precinct 15 Valley View Middle School, 6750 Valley View Road Precinct 16 Cornelia Elementary School, 7000 Cornelia Drive Precinct 17 Southdale Hennepin Library, 7001 York Ave. S. Precinct 18 Edinborough Park, 7700 York Ave. S. Precinct 19 Calvary Lutheran Church, 6817 Antrim Road If you aren’t sure where to vote, find your correct polling place at mnvotes.org. The City’s Human Rights & Relations Commission (HRRC) will host “Leading a Meaningful Life,” an Interfaith Conversation with Religious Leaders About Joy, Appreciation and Gratitude. The free event is open to the public and will be held 6 p.m. Oct. 27 at Centennial Lakes Park’s Hughes Pavilion, 7499 France Ave. S.. “This event is being held because we had a conversation during a work session following the tragic events in Paris. The discussion led to us coordinating an event that would bring together many of the different viewpoints and perspectives within the city to have an open and positive conversation,” explained Project Coordinator MJ Lamon, Staff Liaison to the HRRC. The event will be moderated by HRRC Commissioners Heather Edelson and Michelle Meek. “We were looking at different ways we could expand human rights [perspectives] in the community. Michelle and I wanted to broaden how we look at human rights,” explained Edelson. “We wanted to be able to tap into some things we all have in common. So, we thought why not have an interfaith panel and talk – not about our differences, but all the things we have in common.” The event will feature several different religious leaders, including Father Kevin Finnegan, Rev. Steve Hagen, Rabbi Michael Latz and Imam Asad Zaman. Finnegan served at the Church of St. Edward in Bloomington and Divine Mercy in Faribault before beginning at Our Lady of Grace in July 2014. Hagen has been Shir Tikvah’s Senior Rabbi since July 2009 and previously was the founding rabbi of Kol HaNeshamah in West Seattle, Washington. Zaman is the Executive Director and Imam with the Muslim American Society of Minnesota. And Hagen is the founder and head of Dharma Field and has been a student of Buddhist thought and practice since 1967. “I hope that attendees of this event will feel a connection and what it means to find gratitude and appreciation in our social media-dependent society to connect with the community in a multi- generational setting,” said Edelson. “Our goal is not to focus on religion; it’s to focus on what these leaders use to guide them in times of crisis or transition. I think it will be really an insightful evening.” For more information, contact Lamon at MLamon@EdinaMN.gov or 952-826-0360. Column 1 Approved Photo IDs must contain the voter’s name and photo. It may contain the voter’s old address, have no address or can be expired. • Driver’s license, state ID card or learner’s permit issued by any state • U.S. Military ID • Tribal ID • U.S. Passport • Veteran’s ID • Minnesota university, college or technical college ID card • Minnesota high school ID card Column 2 Authorized documents (paper or shown electronically) must have voter’s current name and address in the precinct. 1. Residential Lease or Rental Agreement if valid through Election Day 2. Current student fee statement 3. Bill, account or start of service statement due or dated within 30 days of the election for: • Phone (landline, cell, VOIP, etc.) • TV (cable, satellite, etc.) • Internet services • Solid waste or sewer services • Electric, gas or water • Banking or credit card • Rent or mortgage payments Voters may also register by showing a combination of one picture ID from Column 1 along with one authorized document, rent statement or student fee statement from Column 2. HRRC Hosts an Interfaith Conversation Tonight GENERAL ELECTION Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2016 OCTOBER 2016 For information on Braemar Arena, visit braemararena.com • Photos by Michael Braun and Lauren Siebenaler Donna has had her office in the Senior Center since 2013, and has made it a second home for many seniors. November 2016 Events Thursday, Oct. 27, 4:30 p.m. Arts & Culture Commission, Edina City Hall Thursday, Oct. 27, 6 p.m. Transportation Commission, Edina City Hall Friday, Oct. 28, 6:30-8:30 p.m. “Not So Scary” Halloween Party, Edinborough Park Start your Halloween weekend off with a party at Edinborough Park! Trick-or-treating, special “kid- friendly” entertainment and mask-making with friends from the Edina Art Center round out this exclusive annual family event. Saturday, Oct. 29, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Buckthorn Dump, Ikola Way by Golf Dome Sunday, Oct. 30, Noon-4 p.m. Buckthorn Dump, Ikola Way by Golf Dome Tuesday, Nov. 1, 7 p.m. City Council, Edina City Hall Monday, Nov. 7, 7 p.m. Heritage Preservation Board, Edina City Hall Monday, Nov. 7, 7 p.m. Park Board, Edina City Hall Tuesday, Nov. 8 Election Day Wednesday, Nov. 9, 7 p.m. Planning Commission, Edina City Hall Thursday, Nov. 10, 7 p.m. Energy & Environment Commission, Edina City Hall Saturday, Nov. 12, 10 a.m. Town Hall Meeting, TBD Monday, Nov. 14, 6:30 p.m. Community Health Commission, Edina City Hall Tuesday, Nov. 15, 7 p.m. City Council, Edina City Hall Tuesday, Nov. 15, 7 p.m. Human Rights & Relations Commission, Edina City Hall Thursday, Nov. 17, 4:30 p.m. Arts & Culture Commission, Edina City Hall Thursday, Nov. 17, 6 p.m. Transportation Commission, Edina City Hall Saturday, Nov. 19, 9 a.m. Walk with the Mayor, Centennial Lakes Park Edina Mayor Jim Hovland will lead his monthly “Walk with the Mayor.” Participants will enjoy a walk while the Mayor discusses current events, challenges Edina is facing and City projects. Thursday, Nov. 24 Thanksgiving Day By the Numbers: Braemar Arena Here are some behind-the-scenes facts about one of Minnesota’s most storied local arenas. 12,737 Total tickers sold last year for Edina boys’ and girls’ varsity hockey games 8,300 There are 8,300 open seats in all the arenas, backyard rink and sports dome. 15,216 Bags of popcorn sold each year from the Braemar Arena concessions stand 600 The Zamboni has just 600 seconds – 10 minutes “ice makes” – between games to resurface the ice. There are approximately 700 figure skaters who use Braemar Arena, including club skaters, synchronized skaters and jump-and-spin skaters. 700 Children of all abilities are now able to play on Rosland Park’s new universal playground. City staff, Park Board members and residents celebrated the grand opening Oct. 26 at the park, 4300 W. 66th St. “People of all abilities – kids, parents and even grandparents – will be able to enjoy the playground together,” said Assistant Parks & Recreation Director Susan Faus, who added that moving forward, Parks & Recreation will make it a priority to replace playgrounds so that they are accessible for all. “It’s the first completely barrier-free playground in Edina and we couldn’t be more excited about it.” Rosland Park has one of the most used playgrounds in the city, primarily because of its size and proximity to the Edina Aquatic Center. With the new playground equipment, the playground integrates a variety of play experiences and challenges while providing access to children with physical, sensory and developmental disabilities. It’s also 100 percent accessible via wheelchair, meaning there are ramps on the play structure and possibilities for those in a wheelchair to easily transfer or be transferred to any of the play pieces. Some of the new play structures include a merry-go-all, swings, diggers, Sky Run Zip track, hoop ladder, double- zip slide, river rock climber and ropes course cube net. “We recognize it’s something we need,” said Park Board member Koren Nelson and mom of a 7-year-old and a 9-year-old. “My kids are getting to the age where they feel they are too old for playgrounds. So, in addition to this being an inclusive playground, I wanted to make sure my kids wouldn’t be bored with it either – so that they could play with kids younger and older and in wheelchairs.” “The beauty of this playground is that for the kids who have wheelchairs or walkers, they can get all the way to an eight-foot height, playing side by side with the able-bodied kids,” said Harlan Lehman, President of Minnesota/Wisconsin Playground, who built and designed the play structure. “Also, we have a surface that is all turf, making the entire playground accessible at every single point – not only to the play structure, but also all the free- standing pieces as well.” The playground structures and Envirofill Turf safety surface cost $275,000. The project started in September and was complete within six weeks. For more information, call Faus at 952-826-0431 or visit EdinaParks.com. Universal Playground Opens at Rosland Park Donna Tilsner has worked in parks and recreation for 41 years, the last 17 in Edina. A pioneer among women in the field, she will retire in November. “Donna comes to work each day with a lot of energy and enthusiasm to work with people, plan programs and serve the residents of Edina. She has accomplished so much in her 41-year career, and will be greatly missed by so many people in the city,” said Susan Faus, Assistant Parks & Recreation Director. “I am excited for the next chapter of her life. Donna likes to stay active and I am guessing that she will work just as hard in the next 41-plus years as she has the past 41 years.” Tilsner started working in the Edina Parks & Recreation Department as a Recreation Supervisor Nov. 22, 1999, after working for a couple other cities. In 2013, she moved her office to the Edina Senior Center where she continued to be a Recreation Supervisor, though focusing on programs there. “My first years in Edina were really fun. When I started here, we were pretty much an athletic-based organization. When I came, I asked, ‘Do we want more programs?’ And the director at the time thought that would be great. So, along with another Recreation Supervisor, we changed the playground program a little bit and had fun developing a lot of other programs and services. That was fun to get creative and many of our programs were successful and still running today,” said Tilsner. Tilsner enjoyed creating programs like the preschool playgrounds program, Fab Four and Five. She switched around that program a lot to make it flourish. Fab Four and Five participants enjoyed a few field trips and the staff was better trained. Policies and procedures changed to improve the experience for all. Today, the community still enjoys events that she helped develop such as Winter Neighborhood Night Out and Barnyard Boogie. Since Tilsner moved her office to the Senior Center in 2013, she has made some improvements to the programs and overall atmosphere of the Center. She noticed that weekends became too long for some seniors, so she set up a Sunday movie time to give them something to do. She noticed how some seniors had difficulty doing certain projects while others were bored by them. So, she implemented classes and activities based on different levels of activity for seniors. Tilsner also started working with a travel company to set up new adventures for seniors who want to get out of town. The travel group has gone to a brewery, Rochester, Chanhassen Dinner Theatre and an Alpaca farm. Tilsner likes to pick places where seniors can learn something new, eat good food and shop. “I’ve worked with Donna on the advisory council and I’ve always found her to be helpful and productive when it comes to starting new programs. Her energy and enthusiasm is contagious, and she has worked tirelessly to accommodate everyone at the Senior Center,” said Wane Edsall, President of the Senior Center Advisory Council and Senior Center member. Tilsner comes into contact with a lot of seniors and fellow employees during her days at the Senior Center. She recalled a time when she got involved with many City employee committees, and how she enjoyed meeting people from other departments. One of her favorite experiences was exercising a couple days after work with colleagues in an old conference room. They would move tables and chairs around to make room for everyone to exercise together to a VHS tape. Tilsner has won several notable awards during her career, including the Mayor’s Community Involvement Commendation. She also received the Helen I. Pontius Award from the National Women In Leisure Services, Clifton E. French Award from the Minnesota Recreation and Park Association and the Chrysanne Manoles Women in Leadership Award from the Rotary Club of Edina. “Donna has always brought so much energy and positivity to our team. She truly cares about her coworkers and our residents; she never hesitates to give a helping hand. We will miss the passion she brings to everything she does. While we are thrilled for Donna as she embarks on the next chapter of her life, it is bittersweet as she is leaving some big (and important) shoes to fill,” said Vera Norine, Administrative Support Specialist in the Parks & Recreation Department. In addition to her full-time job at the Senior Center, Tilsner has been a manager for 13 years at the Minneapolis Jewish Community Center where she works two nights a week and Sundays. “I am going to keep being a manager for the community center after I retire. I like it. It’s pretty easy for me to do and it gives me a little structure so I’ll continue to do that,” said Tilsner. Besides that, cleaning all the rooms in her house and making exercise a priority, Tilsner doesn’t have many plans for retirement. She is open for retirement ideas from friends, and has been keeping an eye out for volunteer opportunities. Tilsner’s last day will be Wednesday, Nov. 30. The Parks & Recreation Department is working to hire a new Recreation Supervisor. Tilsner Retires after 41 years in Parks and Rec Photo by Lauryn GrimesNovember Edina TV Broadcast Schedule Edina TV is available to Comcast subscribers on Channel 813 (high definition) and Channel 16 (standard definition). Edina TV is available to CenturyLink Prism subscribers on Channel 1236 (high definition) and Channel 236 (standard definition.) Edina City Council (shown until the next scheduled meeting) • Sundays – 3 a.m., 11 a.m. • Tuesdays – 7 p.m. (live broadcast on 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of every month) • Wednesdays – 3 a.m., 11 a.m. • Saturdays – 7 p.m. Planning Commission (shown until the next scheduled meeting) • Wednesdays – 7 p.m. (live broadcast on 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of every month) • Thursdays – 3 a.m., 11 a.m. • Fridays – 7 p.m. • Saturdays – 3 a.m., 11 a.m. State Senate Dist. 49 Candidate Forum (shown through Nov. 7) • Tuesdays – 11 p.m. • Wednesdays – 7 a.m., 3 p.m. • Saturdays – 11 p.m. • Sundays – 7 a.m., 3 p.m. State Legislative Candidate Forums (shown through Nov. 7) • Sundays – 10 p.m. • Mondays – 6 a.m., 2 p.m. • Fridays – 10 p.m. • Saturdays – 6 a.m., 2 p.m. Council/Mayor Candidate Forums (shown through Nov. 7) • Mondays – 10 p.m. • Tuesdays – 6 a.m., 2 p.m. • Thursdays – 7 p.m. • Fridays – 3 a.m., 11 a.m. Heritage Preservation Board (shown through Nov. 6) • Mondays – 7 p.m. • Tuesdays – 3 a.m., 11 a.m. • Thursdays – 10 p.m. • Fridays – 6 a.m., 2 p.m. Transportation Commission (shown from Oct. 28 through Nov. 16) • Sundays – 7 p.m. • Mondays – 3 a.m., 11 a.m. • Wednesdays – 10 p.m. • Thursdays – 6 a.m., 2 p.m. Park Board (shown from Nov. 7 through Dec. 5) • Mondays – 7 p.m. • Tuesdays – 3 a.m., 11 a.m. • Thursdays – 10 p.m. • Fridays – 6 a.m., 2 p.m. Agenda: Edina (new episode on the 1st and 15th of each month) • Daily at 2:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 6:30 p.m. Beyond the Badge (new episode on the 1st of each month) • Daily at 2 a.m., 10 a.m., 6 p.m. Enterprise Edina (new episode produced periodically) • Daily at 2:15 a.m., 10:15 a.m., 6:15 p.m. On The Job (new episode on the 15th of each month) • Daily at 1:45 a.m., 9:45 a.m., 5:45 p.m. 23-25 About two dozen staff members work a high school varsity game. Total staff on hand depends on the rival.