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HomeMy WebLinkAboutEditionEdinaJune2017Edina Police Department Participates in Lights On! Program Officers hand out vouchers for free light replacement Driving with a burned-out headlight, taillight or turn signal is a dangerous public safety issue. For Minnesotans struggling to make ends meet, paying to fix the problem can force a choice between a minor auto repair and buying groceries. To alleviate the problem, MicroGrants has teamed up with police departments around the Twin Cities metro, including the Edina Police Department. “This is an excellent opportunity for our Department to help fix a public safety issue without putting the financial burden on the driver,” said Lt. Dan Conboy. When a vehicle is pulled over for a lights equipment violation, officers can provide drivers with Lights On! vouchers redeemable for free repairs of broken lights at any of the eight Twin Cities Bobby and Steve’s Auto World locations. The vouchers are valid even if the officer issues a citation. Since the program launched in April, officers have distributed 37 vouchers. The repairs are done at no charge to the person receiving the voucher. MicroGrants underwrites the cost of the repairs with support from Bobby and Steve’s. There is no qualifying criteria or paperwork to receive a voucher. The program is created by MicroGrants, a Minnesota nonprofit that works with partner agencies to promote and support economic self-sufficiency through strategic grants to low-income people. There are 16 local police agencies participating in the program. For more information, call Conboy at 952-826-0482. Edition: Edina 2017-2018 PRIORITIES JUNE 2017 Focused Redevelopment Planning for the Future Intergovernmental Relations Transportation & Infrastructure Enterprise Facilities Volume 4, Issue 5 4801 W. 50th St. Edina, MN 55424 | 952-927-8861 | mail@EdinaMN.govCity of Edina EdinaMN.gov Teen Wins Edina Human Rights Award Saumya Mangalick helps girls across the world In some impoverished areas of the world where food struggles are immense, families will feed sons while leaving daughters to suffer from malnutrition. Malnutrition can lead to blindness. Instead of just recoiling at the thought, Saumya Mangalick did something about it. She became an advocate for the rights of girls and the visually impaired and organized fundraisers to assist blind girls in India. She spent some of her summer working with the girls and learning how to make education for the blind more accessible in impoverished communities. She also founded the Edina chapter of Girl Up, a United Nations Foundation program that organizes girls across the world to help other girls in less fortunate areas receive education and medical care, live free from violence and empower them to help change their society. All this from a junior at Edina High School, marveled Jim Nelson before handing her the 2017 Tom Oye Human Rights Award. The Human Rights & Relations Commission (HRRC) chair honored Mangalick at the April 3 Volunteer Awards Reception at Braemar Golf Course. “I have been so lucky to grow up in a community where diversity and compassion and hard work have always been taught to me in the Edina schools,” Mangalick said in accepting the award, making sure to thank teachers, school staff and her family. The award was established in recognition of the late Tom Oye who helped establish the HRRC in 1970 and served on it for more than 30 years. Oye was also a Nisei soldier in World War II, a second-generation Japanese American who served in the 100th Infantry Battalion of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. At the end of her acceptance speech Mangalick delivered a short message, through tears: “If the last couple of months have taught me anything, one person, with determination and hard work, really can make a difference.” For more information about the HRRC, visit EdinaMN.gov/ humanrights or contact Project Coordinator MJ Lamon at MLamon@EdinaMN.gov or 952-826-0360. Kids ‘Wowed’ At Vehicle Day Photo by Katie Laux Egghead Stays in Edina Popular sculpture is now a part of the City’s permanent art collection He’s called “Egghead,” but most might know him as “Humpty Dumpty.” The newest addition to the City of Edina’s permanent art collection is a 250-pound bronze egg figure reading a book while sitting on a pedestal at Grandview Square Park, facing the Edina Community Library. The artist, Kimber Fiebiger of Minneapolis, is known in the area as the “Humpty Dumpty lady.” “That’s the ultimate,” said Fiebiger of her sculpture on permanent display in an Edina park. “We can never underestimate art and its part in our culture.” Egghead made its debut as part of the rotating exhibit of public art selected by the Public Art Edina Working Group for the 2013-2014 season. Dick Crockett, Executive Director of the Edina Community Foundation, felt that Egghead was the perfect choice for Edina’s everlasting art collection. He worked with Fiebiger and the neighbors to bring her sculpture back for permanent display. “I knew from my own observation and comments from people that they just loved Egghead,” said Crockett. “Of course, it is an exemplary sculpture because it’s well-crafted, it’s suitable for outdoor display, it’s whimsical, it’s fun, it’s just the right size and it has a very creative aspect to it with Egghead reading a book.” The Community Foundation had $12,500 of the $16,000 required for the purchase. Members of the designated permanent art fund were the Edina Senior Center, Grandview Square Neighborhood Association and Public Art Edina and they all agreed to purchase Egghead. The remaining $3,500 was contributed by the Friends of the Edina Library, Les Krause (a Friends member) and Crockett, along with his wife, Suzie. “I like the fact that it shows Egghead reading,” said Krause. “I think promoting reading at the entrance of the library is a good thing.” Fiebiger’s sculpture in Edina is the fifth out of 15 castings of Egghead. Other castings are on permanent exhibition in Bozeman, Montana; Colorado Springs, Colorado; British Columbia, Canada; and Hutchinson, Kansas. Fiebiger would like to have Edina be the exclusive location for Egghead in the state of Minnesota. For more information on public art, contact the Edina Art Center, 952-903-5780. “I have been so lucky to grow up in a community where diversity and compassion have always been taught to me in the Edina schools.” Kids lined up for the chance to jump into the driver’s seat of fire trucks, buses, ambulances and more at Vehicle Day, May 6, in the parking lot of Southdale Center. The event is held every spring and gives kids the chance to get up close with the vehicles they see on roadways. Vehicle Day is organized by the City of Edina, City of Richfield and Southdale Center.Photo by Michael BraunSaumya Mangalick received the 2017 Tom Oye Human Rights Award for her work advocating for the rights of girls.Photo by Dawn Wills Edition: Edi na JUNE 2017 4801 W. 50th St. Edina, MN 55424 | 952-927-8861 | mail@EdinaMN.govCity of Edina EdinaMN.gov Upcoming Events Saturday, June 3, 10 a.m. Edina Aquatic Center opens for the season Tuesday, June 6, 7 p.m. City Council, City Hall Thursday, June 8, 7 p.m. Energy & Environment Commission, Edina City Hall Monday, June 12, 6:30 p.m. Community Health Commission, Edina City Hall Tuesday, June 13, 7 p.m. Parks & Recreation Commission, Edina City Hall Tuesday, June 13, 7 p.m. Heritage Preservation Commission, Edina City Hall Wednesday, June 14, 7 p.m. Planning Commission, Edina City Hall Thursday, June 15, 6 p.m. Transportation Commission, Edina City Hall Thursday, June 15, 7 p.m. Energy & Environment Commission Film Series, “Merchants of Doubt,” Edina Senior Center Saturday, June 17, 9:30 p.m. Nite Glow Golf, Braemar Golf Course Tuesday, June 20, 7 p.m. City Council, Edina City Hall Edina Detective Receives Officer of the Year Award Amundson honored to be recognized In a letter nominating Detective Erik Amundson for the 2016 Mike Siitari Officer of the Year, a survivor of domestic assault wrote, “This world is a lot safer with Detective Amundson and the Edina Police team in it! It takes a very special individual to do what Detective Amundson does and I hope that the Department goes out of its way to recognize that.” Many other people who’ve worked with Amundson agree. “Detective Amundson has dedicated his career to serving our community. In 2004, he was promoted to Detective. Over the years, he has been involved in every high-profile case that has occurred in the city,” said Edina Police Chief Dave Nelson when he presented the award at the April 18 City Council meeting. “His ability to work through complex cases and mentor fellow detectives has been impressive.” Amundson has served on the Edina Police Department for 34 years and has been a leader within the department, showing dedication and commitment throughout his career. Amundson was one of the initial officers to serve on the Edina S.W.A.T. Team when it was created in the late 1980s, was selected to develop the Commercial Crime Unit in the early 1990s and was the first officer assigned to the Minnesota Financial Crimes Task Force. “I am honored and truly humbled to have been singled out for this award. I have to say that I don’t think anything I’ve done here has been a solo act. We train as a team, we work as a team and I would consider this to be a team win,” said Amundson when he accepted his award. The Mike Siitari Officer of the Year award is given to one Edina Police Officer each year. Nominations from the public and City employees are accepted and winners are selected by the Edina Crime Prevention Fund. Past recipients of the award include Officers Joel Moore, Dave Lindman, Jake Heckert, Mike Seeger and Detective Mike Lutz. For more information, contact the Edina Police Department at 952-826-1610.Photo by Kaylin EidsnessDetective Erik Amundson was named the 2016 Mike Siitari Officer of the Year.File photoBY THE NUMBERS Thefts from Vehicles 65 76 44 For more information, contact the Police Department, 952-826-1610. Every year as the weather warms up, there seems to be an increase in thefts from autos across the city. Locking your car doors and removing valuables from your car are your best defense. If you ever witness suspicious behavior, call 911 immediately. Thefts from vehicles in Edina Jan. 1-May 1, 2017 Thefts from vehicles in Edina Jan. 1-May 1, 2016 The most common time of day for thefts from autos to occur 10 p.m.-6 a.m. Of the 76 thefts from vehicles through May 1 this year, 65 percent were from unlocked vehicles How quickly thieves can break the window of a vehicle and steal something 30 seconds Art Center Provides Summer Kids Camps Learn drawing and painting, sewing, robotics, animation and more The Edina Art Center offers a variety of summer camps. This year, 83 camps are offered – about six to eight individual camps each week. Camps are held at the Edina Art Center, 4701 W. 64th St., and are available for youth in kindergarten through ninth grade. “We have a lot of variety. For example, ‘Experiments’ is a sampler class,” said Art Center General Manager Michael Frey. “‘Stitch a Moose, Stitch a Goose’ is for beginner sewers, ‘I Want to Be a Guerrilla Girl’ focuses on art activities based on the Guerrilla Girls movement to bring attention to the issue of discrimination. Our biggest-selling camp is ‘Clay on the Wheel,’ specifically our ‘French Immersion Clay on the Wheel.’” “When we were developing these summer camps, we were really inspired by events that are happening here in the Twin Cities area,” said Pottery Studio Manager Sandra Shaughnessy. “We are looking for things that inspire the community.” Camps are held onsite and breaks are held outside. Participants are taken on walks through the paths and marshland behind the Art Center in adjacent Rosland Park. One camp is even held entirely outside; ‘Half Pint Horse Camp’ gives students a chance to sketch or paint a live horse that is brought in to the Art Center’s backyard. Other popular camps are offered through Youth Tech, but hosted by the Edina Art Center. Youth Tech is based out of Kansas City, Missouri, and camps focus on things like animation, gaming, web design, robotics and 3D game design. “Those camps are really popular and it involves it’s a whole different group of kids in art. Youth Tech sends us local instructors who come and teach at the Art Center,” said Frey. All camps have small class sizes with only 10-12 people allowed per class. Camps are held Tuesdays-Thursdays in two different time slots: 9:30 a.m.-noon or 1-3:30 p.m. Full-day options are also available with a supervised lunch period spanning the gap between the morning camp and afternoon camp for an additional $10. Frey and Shaughnessy also looked to the past for inspiration when developing the summer camp offerings. Camps such as ‘Airbrush Body Painting,’ ‘Back to the ‘60s,’ ‘Figures and Facial Proportions,’ and ‘Zentangle’ all look back at different styles of art. “‘Back to the ‘60s,’ a painting on canvas camp, will be all about peace and love, bell bottoms and neon colors,” said Shaughnessy. “For some of our camps, we thought about those historic artists. The ‘Figures and Facial Proportions’ classes will be based on classic drawing and systems of painting like Michelangelo or Rembrandt would have used.” Frey hopes to see enrollment improve in some of their other camps that have long been offered. “There are some camps like ‘Art Journals’ and ‘Artful Experiments’ that we still have availability in. When I was growing up, my journal was the most fascinating thing to me,” he said. “It was a good way for me to talk about what I was going through and do some drawings on it and I know there are kids out there who would appreciate something like that as well.” To learn more about Edina Art Center summer camps or to sign up, visit EdinaMN.gov/activity_registration. For more information, contact Frey at 952-903-5729 or mfrey@EdinaMN.gov. The Edina Art Center offers a variety of art-themed summer camps for kids in kindergarten through ninth grade.