HomeMy WebLinkAboutEarly 2020 About TownOfficial Magazine of the City of Edina
AboutTown EARLY 2020
AboutTown
Volume 31, Number 1 Circulation 25,000 Early 2020
Official Publication of the EdinaMN.gov City of Edina, Minnesota 4801 West 50th Street Edina, Minnesota 55424 952-826-0359
Editors: Jennifer Bennerotte and Kaylin Eidsness
Designer: Katie Laux
Contributing Writers: Jennifer Bennerotte, Krystal Caron, Kaylin Eidsness, David Katz, Heidi Lillie, Debbie Townsend and Suzanne Wortham-Ressemann
Publisher: City of Edina
About Town is produced by the City of Edina. To advertise in About Town, call Alice Tank Van Dyke, 612-308-6982 .
Copyright 2020 by City of Edina, 4801 W. 50th St., Edina, MN 55424.
About Town is published twice a year 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 by TJ Patton
Table Of Contents
Calendar Of Events ...................................................................1
Calendar Highlights..................................................................7
A Word From The Mayor ........................................................8
It’s Not Only Neighborly ... It’s The Law .............................9
Brian Wippermann Memorial Gun Range Anchored Braemar District .......................................................................10
Edina Launches Rental Licensing And Inspections .........16
Interactive Technology Wows Players At Braemar Golf Dome ................................................................20
Years In the Making, Market Street Is Brought Back To Life ..............................................................................22
Rep. Steve Elkins Named 2019 Legislator Of Distinction ..26
Induction Cooking: A Favorite Of Cooks And Luxury Kitchen Remodels .....................................................28
Make Sure You Count On National Census Day April 1 .......................................................................................34
Second Mortgage Program Helps Bring Families To Edina ....................................................................................36
Edina Businesses Prioritize Waste Reduction ....................38
Citywide Organics Recycling Coming To Edina In 2020........................................................................................42
Arden Park Restoration Makes Creek Center Of Park.....46
The Bridge for Youth Awarded Funding To Help End Youth Homelessness In Edina ......................................50
Police-Supported Program Strengthens Relationships ....52
City of Edina Facilities ............................................................55
The Last Word .....................................................................56
Tear HereCENTENNIAL LAKES PLAZA | EDINA
7523 FRANCE AVE. S
Strong FoundationCITY GOALS:Better TogetherReliable Service Livable City
Tear Here
1 • ABOUT TOWN Tear Here Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1New Year’s Day. Edina City Hall closed.
2Noon, Story Aerobics, Edinborough Park.
3 4Visit EdinaMN.gov for the most current calendar of events.
57 p.m., Execs Big Band, Edinborough Park.
6 77 p.m., City Council, Edina City Hall.
87 p.m., Planning Commission, Edina City Hall.
9Noon, Westwood Hills Nature Center, Edinborough Park.
5-8 p.m., Opening gallery reception “Artful Pottery” by Jacob Meer, Edina Art Center.
106-8 p.m., Outdoor Rink Family Skate Night, Pamela Park outdoor rink.
6:30 p.m., Friday Family Movie Night “Dora and the Lost City of Gold,” Edinborough Park.
1110-11 a.m., Author’s Studio: Om Sweet Om: A Corporate Junkie’s Search For Enlightenment - by Nicole Lovald, Edina Art Center.
121-5 p.m., Winter Carnival, Centennial Lakes Park.
7 p.m., The Dirty Shorts Brass Band, Edinborough Park.
136:30 p.m., Community Health Commission, Edina City Hall.
147 p.m., Heritage Preservation Commission, Edina City Hall.
7 p.m., Parks & Recreation Commission, Edina City Hall.
15 17Absentee/early voting for presidential primary election begins online and at Edina City Hall.
189 a.m., Walk with the Mayor, Galleria.
197 p.m., The Gnu Woodwind Quintet, Edinborough Park.
267 p.m., The First John Philip Sousa Memorial Band, Edinborough Park.
20Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Edina City Hall closed.
21 227 p.m., City Council, Edina City Hall.
7 p.m., Planning Commission, Edina City Hall.
23Noon, Will Hale & the Tadpole Parade, Edinborough Park.
4:30 p.m., Arts & Culture Commission, Edina Art Center.
24 259 a.m.-3:30 p.m., 21st Annual Potters’ Games, Edina Art Center.
287 p.m., Human Rights & Relations Commission, Edina City Hall.
297 p.m., Energy & Environment Commission, Edina City Hall.
307:30 a.m., Housing & Redevelopment Authority, Edina City Hall.
Noon, Wonderful World of Woody, Edinborough Park.
3127
January 2020
167:30 a.m., Housing & Redevelopment Authority, Edina City Hall.
Noon, Tap, Shake and Scrape-Percussion, Edinborough Park.
About Town Calendar
Tear Here
2 • ABOUT TOWN
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1Noon-3 p.m., Ceramic Texture and Surface Design with Ashley Hise, Edina Art Center.
27 p.m., CC Septet, Edinborough Park.
3 47 p.m., City Council, Edina City Hall.
5 6Noon, Wendy’s Wiggle, Jiggle & Jam, Edinborough Park.
76:30 p.m., Friday Family Movie Night, Edinborough Park.
87 p.m., Music in Edina Valentine’s Party with The Rockin’ Hollywoods, Braemar Golf Course.
97 p.m., Rum River Brass, Edinborough Park.
106:30 p.m., Community Health Commission, Edina City Hall.
117 p.m., Heritage Preservation Commission, Edina City Hall.
7 p.m., Parks & Recreation Commission, Edina City Hall.
127 p.m., Planning Commission, Edina City Hall.
14 159 a.m., Walk with the Mayor, Southdale Center.
10 a.m., From the Forest Floor pottery demo with Katharine Eksuzian, Edina Art Center.
167 p.m., River City Jazz Orchestra, Edinborough Park.
17Presidents Day. Edina City Hall closed.
187 p.m., White Bear Big Band, Edinborough Park.
19Parks & Recreation registration begins for residents.
7 p.m., City Council, Edina City Hall.
20Noon, Richardson Nature Center, Edinborough Park.
6 p.m., Transportation Commission, Edina City Hall.
21 2210 a.m.-3 p.m., Large Pottery Platters with Brad Benn, Edina Art Center.
3 p.m. and 7 p.m., Edina Chorale concert, Calvary Church.
257 p.m., Human Rights & Relations Commission, Edina City Hall.
24237 p.m., The First John Philip Sousa Memorial Band, Edinborough Park.
February 2020
26Parks & Recreation registration begins for non-residents.
7 p.m., Planning Commission, Edina City Hall.
277:30 a.m., Housing & Redevelopment Authority, Edina City Hall.
4:30 p.m., Arts & Culture Commission, Edina Art Center.
28 2910 a.m.-3 p.m., Large Pottery Platters with Brad Benn, Edina Art Center.
137:30 a.m., Housing & Redevelopment Authority, Edina City Hall.
Noon, Teddy Bear Band, Edinborough Park.
About Town Calendar
3 • ABOUT TOWN
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
7
87 p.m., Southside Big Band, Edinborough Park.
17 p.m., Panhandlers Steel Drum Band, Edinborough Park.
2Absentee/early voting ends.
3Presidential Primary Election Day.
47 p.m., City Council, Edina City Hall.
5Noon, The Jolly Pops-Music, Edinborough Park.
66:30 p.m., Friday Family Movie Night, Edinborough Park.
96:30 p.m., Community Health Commission, Edina City Hall.
107 p.m., Heritage Preservation Commission, Edina City Hall.
7 p.m., Parks & Recreation Commission, Edina City Hall.
117 p.m., Planning Commission, Edina City Hall.
127:30 a.m., Housing & Redevelopment Authority, Edina City Hall.
Noon, Carol McCormick-Storyteller, Edinborough Park.
13 1410-11 a.m., Author’s Studio: A Death in Lionel’s Woods - by Christine Husom, Edina Art Center.
157 p.m., St. Louis Park Community Band, Edinborough Park.
16 177 p.m., City Council, Edina City Hall.
18 20 219 a.m., Walk with the Mayor, Braemar Field walking path.
227 p.m., Hopkins Westwind Concert Band, Edinborough Park.
23 247 p.m., Human Rights & Relations Commission, Edina City Hall.
7 p.m., Honeywell Concert Band, Edinborough Park.
257 p.m., Planning Commission, Edina City Hall.
267:30 a.m., Housing & Redevelopment Authority, Edina City Hall.
Noon, Brian Richards, magician, Edinborough Park.
27 28
3130297 p.m., The First John Philip Sousa Memorial Band, Edinborough Park.
March 2020
19Noon, Music with Kernsey, Edinborough Park.
6 p.m., Transportation Commission, Edina City Hall.
About Town Calendar
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
49 a.m.-1 p.m., Edina Model Yacht Club, Centennial Lakes Park.
10 a.m.-noon, Town Hall meeting, Edina Senior Center.
5 6 77 p.m., City Council, Edina City Hall.
7 p.m., Heart of a Tinman, Edinborough Park.
1 25-8 p.m., Opening gallery reception “Abstract Photography” by Polly Norman, Edina Art Center.
3
8 9Noon, Alphabits, Edinborough Park.
106:30 p.m., Friday Family Movie Night, Edinborough Park.
1110-11 a.m., Author’s Studio: Collapse: Dreaming Another World - by Medora Woods, Edina Art Center.
12
136:30 p.m., Community Health Commission, Edina City Hall.
147 p.m., Heritage Preservation Commission, Edina City Hall.
7 p.m., Parks & Recreation Commission, Edina City Hall.
15Skate school registration begins for residents.
5:30 p.m., Board of Appeal and Equalization, Edina City Hall.
7 p.m., Planning Commission, Edina City Hall.
17 189 a.m., Walk with the Mayor, 50th & France.
10 a.m.-noon, Digital Mischief, demo with Dee Kotaska and Gail Gates, Edina Art Center.
197 p.m., Westwind Swing Band, Edinborough Park.
207 p.m., Film screening and discussion of “Just Eat It: A Food Waste Story,” South View Middle School.
217 p.m., City Council, Edina City Hall.
7 p.m., Eden Prairie Community Band, Edinborough Park.
22Skate school registration begins for non-residents.
23Noon, Westwood Hills Nature Center, Edinborough Park.
4:30 p.m., Arts & Culture Commission, Edina Art Center.
2410 a.m., Arbor Day Celebration, Pamela Park.
6:30 p.m., Braemar Ice Show, Braemar Ice Arena.
2510 a.m.-noon, Digital Mischief, demo with Dee Kotaska and Gail Gates, Edina Art Center.
6:30 p.m., Braemar Ice Show, Braemar Ice Arena.
287 p.m., Human Rights & Relations Commission, Edina City Hall.
27Braemar Field Dome closed for the season.
267 p.m., The First John Philip Sousa Memorial Band, Edinborough Park.
April 2020
295:30 p.m., Board of Appeal and Equalization, Edina City Hall.
7 p.m., Planning Commission, Edina City Hall.
307:30 a.m., Housing & Redevelopment Authority, Edina City Hall.
Noon, Tap, Shake, Scrape-Percussion, Edinborough Park.
167:30 a.m., Housing & Redevelopment Authority, Edina City Hall.
Noon, Bob the Beachcomber, Edinborough Park.
About Town Calendar
4 • ABOUT TOWN
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
210 a.m.-noon, Digital Mischief, demo with Dee Kotaska and Gail Gates, Edina Art Center.
37 p.m., LaDolce Vita Jazz, Edinborough Park.
4 57 p.m., City Council, Edina City Hall.
7 p.m., Star of the North Concert Band, Edinborough Park.
6 7Noon, Wendy’s Wiggle, Jiggle and Jam, Edinborough Park.
810 a.m.-8 p.m., Edina Garden Council Plant Sale, Arneson Acres.
1
910 a.m.-3 p.m., Edina Garden Council Plant Sale, Arneson Acres.
107 p.m., Northern Winds Concert Band, Edinborough Park.
116:30 p.m., Community Health Commission, Edina City Hall.
127 p.m., Heritage Preservation Commission, Edina City Hall.
7 p.m., Parks & Recreation Commission, Edina City Hall.
137 p.m., Planning Commission, Edina City Hall.
4:30-7:30 p.m., Taste of Edina, Westin Galleria Edina.
15 168 a.m.-4 p.m., Buckthorn Dump, across from Braemar Golf Dome, 7420 Braemar Blvd.
9 a.m., Walk with the Mayor, Rosland Park.
17Noon-4 p.m., Buckthorn Dump, across from Braemar Golf Dome, 7420 Braemar Blvd.
7 p.m., Classic Brass Inc., Edinborough Park.
18 197 p.m., City Council, Edina City Hall.
7 p.m., South of the River Community Band, Edinborough Park.
20 216 p.m., Transportation Commission, Edina City Hall.
22 23
267 p.m., Human Rights & Relations Commission, Edina City Hall.
25Memorial Day. Edina City Hall closed.
24
May 2020
277 p.m., Planning Commission, Edina City Hall.
287:30 a.m., Housing & Redevelopment Authority, Edina City Hall.
4:30 p.m., Arts & Culture Commission, Edina Art Center.
29 30
147:30 a.m., Housing & Redevelopment Authority, Edina City Hall.
Noon, Brodini-Magician, Edinborough Park.
About Town Calendar
317 p.m., The First John Philip Sousa Memorial Band, Edinborough Park.
5 • ABOUT TOWN
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
610 a.m.-7 p.m., Edina Art Fair, 50th & France.
710 a.m.-5 p.m., Edina Art Fair, 50th & France.
1 27 p.m., City Council, Edina City Hall.
3 4 510 a.m.-7 p.m., Edina Art Fair, 50th & France.
10 a.m., Edina Aquatic Center opens for the season.
86:30 p.m., Community Health Commission, Edina City Hall.
97 p.m., Heritage Preservation Commission, Edina City Hall.
7 p.m., Parks & Recreation Commission, Edina City Hall.
107 p.m., Planning Commission, Edina City Hall.
117:30 a.m., Housing & Redevelopment Authority, Edina City Hall.
7 p.m., Energy & Environment Commission, Edina City Hall.
12 13
1411 a.m.-4 p.m., Parade of Boats, Centennial Lakes Park.
156:30 p.m., Community Health Commission, Edina City Hall.
167 p.m., City Council, Edina City Hall.
176:30 p.m., Walk With the Mayor, Fred Richards Park.
19 20
21 22 237 p.m., Human Rights & Relations Commission, Edina City Hall.
247 p.m., Planning Commission, Edina City Hall.
257:30 a.m., Housing & Redevelopment Authority, Edina City Hall.
4:30 p.m., Arts & Culture Commission, Edina Art Center.
26 27
3029 28
June 2020
186 p.m., Transportation Commission, Edina City Hall.
About Town Calendar
6 • ABOUT TOWN
3-7 p.m., Farmers Market, Centennial Lakes Park.
Key:
Other Dates To Remember
Jan. 16 6 p.m., Transportation Commission, Edina City Hall.Feb. 8 10-11 a.m., Author’s Studio: Raising Will: Surviving the Brilliance and Blues of ADHD by Katherine Quie, Edina Art Center.Feb. 13 7 p.m., Energy & Environment Commission, Edina City Hall.Feb. 27 5-8 p.m., Opening gallery reception, “Edina Art Center Instructor and Student Exhibition,” Edina Art Center. March 12 7 p.m., Energy & Environment Commission, Edina City Hall. March 26 4:30 p.m., Arts & Culture Commission, Edina Art Center. April 2 7 p.m., Energy & Environment Commission, Edina City Hall. April 16 6 p.m., Transportation Commission, Edina City Hall.May 14 5-8 p.m., Opening gallery reception, “Looks Like Home to Me,” Edina Art Center.May 14 7 p.m., Energy & Environment Commission, Edina City Hall.
Taste of Edina
What: The Edina Chamber of Commerce and Edina Liquor proudly present the Taste of Edina at the Westin Edina Galleria. Sip and swirl a selection of more than 70 wines, 30 craft brews and local spirits. Approximately 25 local restaurants will serve up tastings of their favorite dishes, including sweet treats by local confectioners. All beer and wine featured at the event will be on sale at Edina Liquor throughout May at its Spring Sale. Follow Taste of Edina and Edina Liquor on Facebook to find out when tickets will go on sale.
When: 4:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 13
Where: The Westin Edina Galleria, 3201 Galleria
Info: TasteofEdina.com
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. Plants are not treated with bee toxic, neonicotinoid chemicals. Great deals are the many winter-hardened perennials that EGC members bring from their gardens. The EGC is a nonprofit organization and proceeds from the plant sale are donated for Arneson Acres Park improvements, horticultural scholarships and gardening beautification projects for the community.When: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, May 8; 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 9
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 54th-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 300,000 people to downtown Edina each year. Featured art will include drawing, painting, ceramics, pottery, glass, jewelry, photography, sculpture and wood. The event will also feature live entertainment, kids’ zone and food trucks.
When: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, June 5; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, June 6; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 7; a beer garden will be open until 10 p.m. June 5 and 6Where: Downtown Edina, 50th Street and France Avenue
Info: 952-922-1524 or www.edinaartfair.com
Calendar Highlights
EARLY 2020 • 7
8 • ABOUT TOWN
A Word From The Mayor
I think that all the years I have been on the Council or served as Mayor, the City of Edina has had a very strong financial position, demonstrated by its consistent AAA and Aaa ratings from Standard & Poors and Moody’s Investors Service for more than 15 years. We are in select company around the country with our “double” triple-A bond rating.
In a recent credit worthiness evaluation from Moody’s, our credit strengths were summarized as a large tax base, strong resident incomes and a healthy operating fund balance and liquidity. Listed as a credit challenge was relatively elevated debt and pension burdens.
Because the City’s debt level was noted in the bond-rating agencies’ reports as a credit challenge, there have been unfortunate rumors that the City’s debt load is unhealthy. The level of debt is only one factor used by credit rating agencies to assess a city’s fiscal strength. Other factors include tax base (almost $13 billion in market value – the fourth largest in the state), budgetary performance, liquidity and financial management. For both rating agencies, the level of debt represents only 10 percent of the overall credit analysis score.
The City’s debt totals about $112 million, 80 percent of which it is scheduled to be paid off within 10 years. Annual payments for all current debt are planned 3 to 5 years in advance, and paid for by property taxes or user fees, depending on the type of debt. The debt breakdown for Edina is as follows:
• $60.4 million is for infrastructure improvements (streets and utilities), funded through utility fees and special assessments to individual property owners
• $37.6 million is for public buildings (e.g., City Hall, Fire Station 1, and Public Works), funded by the annual property tax levy
• $14 million is for various recreation facilities improvements, including Braemar Field and Braemar Golf Course, funded through user fees from those using the facilities
Financing for debt is evaluated and the amount issued is determined based on available cash balances and the impact on either user rates or property taxes. Conversations about a new Fire Station and remodeling City Hall for improved security have begun. Should those projects gain traction and be formally proposed to the City Council, be assured that the cost of the projects and the impact on the City’s finances will be very carefully considered, as will input from the community.
To learn more about the City’s debt, read the “Fact or Fiction” section of BetterTogetherEdina.org.
James B. Hovland Mayor
EARLY 2020 • 9
It’s Not Only Neighborly …
It’s The Law
The Law: City Code Chapter 26, Article II, Sec. 26-41(c). Seasonal Parking Restriction. From Nov. 1 to March 31, inclusive, no person shall park or permit any vehicle to stand on any street, highway or alley for all or any part of the period from 1 to 6 a.m.
The Law: City Code Chapter 26, Article II, Sec. 26-46. Removal of vehicles after snowfall. No person shall park or leave a standing vehicle on any street in the city after a snowfall of at least 1.5 inches in depth until after the snow from such street has been removed or plowed to the curb line.
What It Means: The Public Works Department needs to plow many roads in a short amount of time to make them safe for everyone to use. Public Works plow drivers should be focused on clearing the roads rather than clearing cars out of their way. For the safety of all pedestrians and motorists, don’t park vehicles on the road from 1 to 6 a.m. November through March, regardless of snowfall amount. Also, do not park cars on city streets after a snowfall of 1.5 inches or more until the streets have been plowed.
For more information, call the Edina Police
Department’s non-emergency number at 952-826-1610.
The Law: Edina City Code Chapter 24, Article IV, Sec. 24-91. Snow and ice removal. All snow and ice shall be removed from a sidewalk by the owner of the property adjoining the sidewalk within 48 hours of the cessation of the precipitation.
What It Means: You must clear any sidewalk bordering your home or business within 48 hours after it stops snowing. Removed snow must be kept on your property or hauled away; pushing it into the street, onto another person’s property or onto public property is illegal under other Code sections.
For more information, contact Public Works at
952-826-0376.
The Law: Edina City Code Chapter 8 Article II. Division 3. Sec. 8-89. Any owner of a dog over 6 months of age shall secure a license for such dog from the City.
What It Means: At the age of 6 months, all dogs residing in Edina must have a license permanently affixed to their collars. VisitEdinaMN.gov to apply online. (Cat licensing is not required.) Cost is $20 per neutered or spayed dog. Licenses for dogs not neutered or spayed cost $30 each. Date of rabies vaccination, vaccination expiration date and rabies tag number are required to receive a dog license.
For more information, contact Animal Control Officer
Tim Hunter at 952-826-0494 or thunter@EdinaMN.gov. – Compiled by Heidi Lillie
Parking Snow Removal
Pet Licensing
EARLY 2020 • 9
10 • ABOUT TOWN
Brian Wippermann Memorial Gun
Range Anchored Braemar District
By David Katz
Fifty-five years ago, a fluke tragedy struck Edina’s prominent Wippermann family.
They landed on a novel way to turn this personal tragedy into a force for good – one that reverberates through to the present.
Hunting Accident Shocks EdinaTwelve-year-old F. Brian Wippermann had been looking forward to Oct. 24, 1964, for a long time. Born into an avid duck hunting family, it marked his first chance to bag a Minnesota mallard or canvasback of his very own.
He was ready, too. Brian had two full summers of gun safety training under his belt, including a month-long specialty course at Camp Arrowhead near Brainerd, Minnesota, plus graduation from the then-Edina Park & Recreation Department’s own Firearm Training Safety Program.
Brian accompanied his father, Frederic, and older brother, Alan, 24, to Lake Heron in rural Jackson County. Located just north of the Iowa border, the Wippermanns’ favorite haunt has boasted a reputation as some of Minnesota’s best waterfowl hunting country since the 1880s.
Sure enough, Brian brought down a teal first thing that morning. “He was real pleased with himself,” his father recalled in later interviews. “In fact, I had to take a picture right away.”
Later that afternoon, Brian leaned his 20-gauge shotgun up against his brother’s duck blind and sat down for
a rest. Something – very likely a flock of birds bursting from cover – caused the boy to jump up. This movement triggered the loaded gun to fire a mere six inches from his face, killing him instantly.
In the wake of such an unspeakable tragedy, any parent could be forgiven for renouncing, or at least shying away from, a formerly favorite pastime. However, at the prompting of his wife, Sylvia, Frederic decided to take a different tact entirely.
At Brian’s funeral service, held at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church on Nov. 3, the grieving couple circulated news about a gun safety fund they intended to set up in Brian’s memory. Collections began immediately – as did talks between the Wippermanns, Mayor Arthur C. Bredesen, and Park & Recreation Director Kenneth Rosland.Submitted PhotoIn obituaries published less than a week after Brian’s tragic accident, Fred and Sylvia Wippermann announced their intention to fundraise for a gun safety training initiative. (Source: Minneapolis Tribune, October 26, 1964)
EARLY 2020 • 11
Wippermanns’ Dream Takes Shape“I always argue that we are creatively conservative,” Rosland (then City Manager) mused in a 1995 retrospective on Edina’s recreation landscape. “We don’t just spend dollars wisely … we have self-sustainability in mind.”
That strategy dates back to 1956, when Edina and a handful of other Twin Cities communities successfully lobbied the State Legislature for permission to adopt revenue bonding. In essence, this innovative funding model allows local governments to borrow large sums from their coffers to bankroll facility construction costs – provided the new amenity will, in turn, generate revenue and fully pay for itself over time. Without these so-called “enterprise funds,” key City assets like the Edina Art Center and Edinborough Park would not exist.
Likewise, in April 1969, the Edina City Council gave provisional approval to the Wippermanns’ proposed gun range project with the understanding that it would operate on a pay-for-use model and subsist without ongoing taxpayer support.
Several other factors mitigated the financial risk even further.
For one, the City already owned the perfect parcel of land, just off Braemar Boulevard. Edina had purchased most of today’s Braemar Park from the Hays family farmstead back in November 1956, in hopes of one day building a municipal golf course in the southwest corner of town.
According to a soil survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, some of this acreage did not
lend itself particularly well to large-scale construction – which commended its use for that purpose. This same feature made the Braemar area the perfect spot for an expansive gun range, as well.
J.A. Danen & Son – a prominent local firm which had perfected its craft excavating the Country Club District’s original basements in the 1930s and shaping Southdale Center in 1956 – volunteered to prep the site free of charge.
More significant still, Fred and Sylvia Wippermann generously offered to subsidize both construction and operational costs. After preliminary talks with City leadership, the couple pledged $35,000 plus the entirety of Brian’s memorial fund to the project. The Edina Optimist Club Foundation – a grassroots civic group which counted Fred among its charter members – promised an additional $5,000.
(continued on next page)Photo courtesy of Edina Historical SocietyJ.A. Danen & Son – the local firm responsible for excavating the Country Club District’s original basements in the 1930s and shaping Southdale Center in 1956 – volunteered to prep the gun range site free of charge.
12 • ABOUT TOWN
Gun Range Hits Its MarkThe Brian Wippermann Memorial Gun Range officially opened to the public in June 1971. In its original incarnation, a 5-station, 50-foot indoor range served as the facility’s centerpiece. The City allocated space for a full-service outdoor trap and skeet field, too, but could not scrape together the resources to bring the full vision to fruition right away.
In June 1973, the Edina Optimist Club doubled down on its original promise of support with an offer to bankroll completion of the outdoor range, plus the purchase of the range’s first trap thrower. (In the years to come, the
Optimists would also invest in a clay target cold storage area and a selection of rifles for students who did not have their own.)
This lucky streak, of sorts, came to an abrupt end on July 23, 1987. On that memorable Thursday, the west metro bore the brunt of a summer superstorm that the State Climatology Office has called “one of the largest rainfall events in Twin Cities history.” Over a mere six hours, 8 to 11 inches of rain fell, causing extensive flooding throughout Edina and neighboring communities.
Unsurprisingly, the City’s public amenities were not spared. Most parks experienced felled trees and at least some degree of flooding and erosion. However, the gun range fared worst of all. According to a damage report drawn up by the Park & Recreation Department on July 25, mudslides covered all the interior carpeting, while large piles of washed-in wood chips and storm debris left the outdoor range unrecognizable. Water damage destroyed equipment and ammunition stores.
As he had in 1964, Fred Wippermann saw potential in this misfortune. He seized on the storm damage as the perfect pretext to give the 15-year-old facility a much-needed remodel – courtesy, once again, of financial support from the Optimists Club. Work commenced in earnest in fall 1988.
During renovations, the 76-year-old benefactor met up with journalist Ron Schara for a rare and candid interview. (Better known today as the head of Ron Schara Productions and host of television’s “Minnesota Bound,” Schara was an outdoor beat reporter for the Minneapolis Tribune at the time.)Photo courtesy of Edina Historical SocietyThe “long and skinny” profile of the construction pit offered
a clue to the building’s eventual purpose. In its original
incarnation, a 5-station, 50-foot indoor range served as the
facility’s centerpiece.
EARLY 2020 • 13
It proved a loud time and place to hold a conversation. While a construction crew toiled on one side of the property, a class watched a movie on hunter safety in the clubhouse, and a squad from the Minnetonka Police Department logged pistol practice hours on the outdoor range.
“Brian would approve of this,” a teary-eyed Wippermann told Schara while observing this bustle of activity. “We’ve done a tremendous amount of good here.”
Indeed, between 1971 and 1988, the Brian Wippermann Memorial Gun Range welcomed 30,000 visitors. That number would top 47,000 by 1995. Fred Wippermann postulated, doubtless correctly, that the City’s decision to position its gun range as a truly public resource – free of membership or residency requirements – contributed greatly to that figure.
Environmental Concerns Shutter OperationOn May 7, 1996, the residents of Edina passed a special referendum authorizing the City to invest up to $2.5 million in a new indoor ice rink at Braemar Arena. Coupled with a second, more sweeping referendum passed that same day, clearing up to “$5.5 million to improve public parks and other recreational facilities,” the decision augured well for Edina’s future.
However, the Brian Wippermann Memorial Gun Range would not be a beneficiary of these funds. In fact, the referenda would lead to the closure of the facility, albeit indirectly.
Construction of the third ice rink necessitated the creation of a new stormwater retention pond to reliably
contain inevitable rainwater runoff. Placement of that pond encroached on the real estate then occupied by the outdoor trap range.
Compounding matters, residents had begun voicing concerns about the long-term environmental impact of the facility. Most of the ammunition on the market contained some amount of lead, a known hazard to human health and ecosystems of all types. The indoor range’s aging ventilation system redirected lead dust out of doors, where it was liable to pollute the surrounding parkland (and the retention pond in particular).
(continued on next page)Photo courtesy of Edina Historical SocietyFred and Sylvia Wippermann (right) joined Park & Recreation Director Ken Rosland (center) and other local officials for the official groundbreaking.
14 • ABOUT TOWN
As early as 1995, Park & Recreation Director John Keprios had begun exploring the cost of the upgrades necessary to eliminate this lead dust risk entirely. Estimates put that project between $35,000 and $50,000 – a significant ask for an amenity that was breaking even financially, but not much more.
After carefully considering the options before them, the City Council opted to sunset the gun range. It closed its doors on June 28, 1997, and the City earmarked $79,474 of referendum money for grounds excavation and lead reclamation at the site.
South Metro Public Safety Training FacilityWhile the Brian Wippermann Memorial Gun Range closed more than 20 years ago, the needs it filled have not disappeared.
Recreational shooting is as popular as ever. Nationwide, the number of firing ranges has crept past 16,500. In a 2013 exposé on the trend, NPR even termed the firing range “the new bowling alley.” If the Minnesota State High School League is any bellwether, trap shooting might actually be Minnesota’s fastest growing sport. Student participation ballooned from 30 participants in 2008 to more than 8,500 in 2017.
The Edina Optimist ClubOptimists International is a network of grassroots civic clubs devoted to bettering their community by investing in its youth. They do so through student contests and scholarships, hospital partnerships, and civic initiatives of all types. The movement celebrated its centennial in 2019.
Minneapolis boasted the single largest club in the country by 1952, and the area hosted one of Optimist International’s largest-ever conferences in 1971 – the same summer that the Brian Wippermann Memorial Gun Range in Edina opened to the public.
Edina’s chapter dates to April 1954. Founding directors included ophthalmologist (and self-described “club joiner”) Fred Wippermann, and one-time Village Mayor Earl C. Sharpe.
The Hasty Tasty Diner at 50th & France served as their unofficial “headquarters” for many years.
Wippermann convinced his colleagues to make a sustained commitment to the proposed Braemar facility, arguing that the gun range’s emphasis on youth education and safety dovetailed with and furthered the Optimist mandate. In addition to an up-front contribution, this included $500 a year to offset operating expenses.
Furthermore, because the Edina Optimists Club included a number of hunters and veterans versed in gun safety, the organization agreed to design and lead the first classes. “I had to force myself to go back into gun training,” Wippermann recalled later. “But, then, if Brian had been killed on a bike, you wouldn’t stop bike riding.”
EARLY 2020 • 15
Moreover, shooting practice is an integral part of training for our state’s 10,500 law enforcement officers. Getting this practice time has proven a challenge for some agencies, because most of Minnesota’s approximately 400 gun and archery clubs are privately owned.
With this ongoing need in mind, the City of Edina opened a dialogue with the cities of Bloomington and Eden Prairie in hopes of bringing a new, permanent solution to the Braemar Hills neighborhood. This joint venture ultimately yielded the 28,000-square-foot South Metro Public Safety Training Facility (SMPSTF) now at 7525 Braemar Blvd. Opened in 2004 on 3.5 acres, this state-of-the-art, co-owned campus is an economical solution that many other suburban communities are beginning to consider.
Sylvia Wippermann passed away in April 1990, and Fred in November 1999. While neither got to see the “spiritual successor” of the gun range named in memory of their son, they would doubtless approve of the SMPSTF’s stated commitment to public education.
In addition to specialized firefighter and police training, a variety of handgun safety, self-defense and permit certification courses are open to the public. Appropriately enough, the classroom components of these offerings are held in a training room named in honor of Brian Wippermann.
Primary resources referenced come from collections
maintained by the Minnesota Historical Society, Edina
Historical Society, and James K. Hosmer Special
Collection at Hennepin County Library. Photo by Kaylin EidsnessOpen in 2004 on 3.5 acres, the 28,000-square-foot South Metro Public Safety Training Facility is the “spiritual successor” to the Brian Wippermann Memorial Gun Range.
16 • ABOUT TOWN
Edina Launches Rental Licensing
And Inspections
By Debbie Townsend
The City is rolling out a new program aimed at making sure residents of rental properties are safer.
Community Health Administrator Jeff Brown, who will be in charge of the program, Fire Chief Tom Schmitz and Affordable Housing Development Manager Stephanie Hawkinson explained the program and how it will work.
What is a rental inspection and licensing program?This program requires all rental properties in Edina be licensed. City staff will inspect the properties routinely to make sure they are compliant with fire and health codes.
Why does the City need this program?This program will help ensure rental properties are safe for tenants. Landlords and/or tenants may be unaware of potential hazards. Or properties might be fine, but the tenants might be doing something to endanger themselves or the property.
In some cases, tenants are aware their rental has serious issues, but are afraid to report the problem for fear of being evicted, Hawkinson said. With the affordable rental vacancy rate at less than 1 percent in Edina, those tenants can’t take any risks. Often those are seniors on fixed incomes.
“This is a way to get their units inspected for health and safety concerns without them risking losing their housing,” Hawkinson said.
How many rental properties does Edina have?No one knows the exact number because previously there had been no licensing or registration program. A very rough estimate is more than 100 apartment complexes with nearly 6,700 units and more than 1,200 homes are rented in Edina, according to Brown.
I don’t own any rental properties. Are my taxes paying for this program?The licensing fees were set to cover the cost of the program so other taxpayers would not have to pay for it.
Do other cities have a program like this?Yes. Minneapolis, Bloomington, Eden Prairie, St. Louis Park and Hopkins are among the cities that have rental licensing programs.
“Of our surrounding communities, we were the only one not doing this,” Brown said.
Do these programs work to reduce problems?Yes, which is why Schmitz advocated for it. Schmitz previously worked in Eden Prairie, which had several fires in apartment buildings a few years ago. That city began an inspection program to address the issues. Schmitz called the inspections “an eye-opening experience.”
“What we discovered were a lot of other fire code issues in buildings that certainly could have resulted in additional fires or other life loss,” he said.
Once the inspections began, hazards from the properties and the tenants began to be addressed.
“Over the years, that program has greatly reduced to almost eliminating those types of fires,” Schmitz said.
EARLY 2020 • 17
(continued on next page)
Doesn’t the City already inspect apartments and other rentals?Common areas of apartment buildings are inspected, but all other inspections have been complaint based. If no one complains, a problem can go unaddressed.
What if I’m a private renter and I only rent a portion of my home or my basement? Do I need a license?Yes. If you rent out any portion of a property as a residence, you need a license. Your renter is entitled to the same safety standards.
“When somebody rents the basement of a house, I think there’s a reasonable expectation that the owner has taken some very basic safety measures such as installing smoke detectors and windows,” Schmitz said. “We won’t know until we get out there. “
How much does a license cost?For a single unit (basement, home, condominium), it’s $180. For apartments, it’s $180 plus $17 per unit. Duplexes with both units rented cost $360. Licenses must be renewed annually at the same fee.
How often will properties be inspected?Single-family homes, condos and townhome rentals will be inspected every other year.
Common spaces in apartment buildings will be inspected annually, and a third of the units will be inspected each year, so all the units will be inspected over a three-year period.
Inspections will be scheduled in advance to give landlords and tenants due notice and minimize inconvenience. Properties where violations are found may be inspected more often.
Who will be doing the inspections?Edina’s Health Division, which will run the program, has hired two inspectors along with another person to handle licensing and support.
What kind of things will they look for?Inspectors will look for functioning smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, adequate and unblocked escape routes, grills on decks, functioning plumbing and heating, safe wiring, mold, bugs, rodents and general sanitation.
“The first few rounds are going to be the basics,” Brown said. “We’re going to start with big life-safety issues.”
All residential rental properties in Edina are now required to be licensed.Photo by Heidi Lillie
18 • ABOUT TOWN
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What happens if a problem is found on inspection? Inspectors will focus on educating tenants and landlords. The goal is to get them in compliance, so they will be given time to correct most issues.
“We just want it to be safe. We plan to work with landlords as much as possible to create safe places for their tenants,” Brown said.
What happens if a landlord doesn’t apply for a license?As the program starts up, landlords will be educated on the program. However, a landlord who intentionally avoids licensing will be subject to fines.
I’m a tenant. Will this increase my rent?The cost is minimal ($180 per dwelling per year), so your rent should not be negatively impacted.
When does this licensing begin? The licensing program went into effect in November 2019, but the City is slowly rolling it out.
How do I apply for a license or learn more?For more information, call 952-826-0370. Apply for a license online at EdinaMN.gov/rentalinspections.
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EARLY 2020 • 19
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20 • ABOUT TOWN
By Debbie Townsend
How would you like to play Pebble Beach tomorrow? Or this afternoon?
Or compete with others around the world for the longest drive, even if there’s a foot of new snow outside?
Have a winter golf excursion planned? How about a warm-up that instantly evaluates minor swing changes to improve your game?
The Braemar Golf Dome, 7420 Braemar Blvd., opened this season with Toptracer Range, a technology that will help golfers improve their game or just have fun. It’s the same technology the pros use – and you can even compare your swing to theirs.
Braemar Golf Dome is the only place in Minnesota right now where you can find Toptracer Range technology.
“Oh my gosh,” Edina resident Mary Estlick exclaimed as she watched a replay of her tee shot bounce across a monitor that displayed distance, carry and an array of other statistics of the ball flight before it came to rest. “My husband is going to love this!”
Unlike Top Golf and some ranges that track data by using chips embedded in golf balls, Toptracer Range uses a multitude of cameras and the latest technology to track and analyze every aspect of swing and ball flight, displaying it on monitors at each bay. The shot replays and a wealth of statistical feedback give players the ability to make a swing adjustment and instantly see the results. Users can also
download a free app that will track their swing data for every club in their bag.
In addition to modes designed to improve swings and club selection, Toptracer Range features competitions such as closest to the pin and longest drive that can be played across Braemar Golf Dome or even worldwide. Virtual golf lets golfers play holes or the entire course at some of the world’s greatest courses, including Pebble Beach, Harbor Town Golf Links at Sea Pines and, recently added, the Old Course at St. Andrews.
Toptracer Range got its start in the United States at Mistwood Golf Dome in Chicago. When Mistwood opened Nov. 1, 2018, with Toptracer Range, the technology was an instant hit. Golfers of all ages and abilities began flocking to the dome, and even those who don’t play showed up to try it out, said Mistwood Director of Golf Andy Mickelson.
Most of the golfers now come for virtual golf. And the vast majority play Pebble Beach.
“Being able to play virtual golf, which you can’t do at Top Golf, is a differentiator for the serious golfer,” Mickelson said.
Many golfers find hitting indoors at a dome dull at best. The instant feedback, games and virtual golf change that, said Braemar Golf Course General Manager Joe Abood.
“People definitely like it,” Abood said. “It’s addictive.”
On Braemar Golf Dome’s opening day with the new technology, “wow” seemed to be the most popular word
Interactive Technology Wows
Players At Braemar Golf Dome
EARLY 2020 • 21
from golfers. After a quick tutorial from staff, golfers jumped right in, trying out the various modes.
Ben Ramler, 17, got the system down in a few minutes and tried out the warm-up, closest-to-the-pin and virtual golf modes.
“I think it’s a lot different. I like it a lot,” the Victoria resident said.
“I’m really impressed. It seems to be really accurate,” said Steve Wehrle of St. Louis Park, who dropped by with his young grandsons who were out of school for the day. “I have nothing but good things to say. It beats sitting around the house playing video games.”
Estlick also brought her grandson and cheered as his swings improved in just a few minutes.
“We’ve got to come back,” she said. And not only for family time. Estlick found Toptracer Range’s wealth of information – and its fun interaction – a motivator to work on her game.
“This could be great preparation for me to golf in Arizona,” she said of winter getaways.
Other changes are obvious from the moment golfers enter the dome. A new leaderboard draws attention in the lobby. Golfers can select from a variety of food and beverages, including beer and wine, to enjoy as they play or watch others.
To help meet the demand for Toptracer Range, Braemar Golf Dome expanded its hours to 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Prices are $11 per bucket (75-80 balls) Monday-Thursday and $16 for a half hour of unlimited balls Friday-Sunday. All rates include full use of Toptracer Range. Braemar Golf Dome doesn’t take reservations; all bays are first-come, first-served.
Golfers can still hit without taking advantage of the technology, but most won’t avoid it since it’s a fantastic tool with many ways to improve your game and make it fun at the same time, Abood said.
“Golfers are going to love it,” Abood said. “This will be the best game improvement winter practice facility you are going to find.”
For Braemar Golf Dome information and daily specials,
visit BraemarGolf.com or call 952-903-5775.
New shot-tracking technology is now at Braemar Golf Dome.Photo by Ken Gammell
22 • ABOUT TOWN
Years In the Making, Market Street
Is Brought Back To Life
By Krystal Caron
A project that started in earnest about five years ago is coming to a close. Construction at 50th & France, known as the Market Street redevelopment, has helped revitalize downtown Edina.
Over the course of the project, all three parking ramps were improved or rebuilt, a public plaza was added, pedestrian amenities like benches and flowers were installed, wayfinding improvements were made, several public art pieces were added and a new building, called Nolan Mains, was completed. Nolan Mains has 100 luxury apartments and street-level retail.
“The public plaza was the starting point of the design and the new building was developed around that plaza. That strategy will ensure a memorable experience for generations to come,” said Economic Development Manager Bill Neuendorf. “The plaza opened earlier this winter, so visitors can walk around with a hot chocolate and enjoy the outdoor fire pit.“
The 5,000-square-foot public plaza is located outside Nolan Mains and will serve as a public gathering space for residents, customers and visitors. A water feature will be activated in the spring. Several special events will be held there throughout the year. Annual events like the Edina Art Fair, Fourth of July Parade and Open Streets on 50th will also have a new venue to add additional programming.
“The energy here has changed. There are more businesses coming in and the plaza and pedestrian walkways are open,” said 50th & France Business Association Executive Director Rachel Thelemann. “We just finished a lot of great holiday programming for the plaza. We also anticipate doing a music series starting in June after the Edina Art Fair through the month of August. We’re also talking about some kids’ programming and family events on Saturdays.”
Increasing and improving the parking in the area was also a major goal of the project. With the completion of the Center Ramp in November, the area now has more than 1,000 free public parking stalls.
“It’s not hard to find parking; it’s really easy to get around. All the walkways are open and we’re excited to see new tenants coming in spring,” said Thelemann.
The new building, Nolan Mains, has 100 luxury apartments, street-level retail, a public plaza in back and the Center Parking Ramp beneath it.Photo by Katie Laux
EARLY 2020 • 23
“We wanted to have the customers’ positive experience begin the moment they pulled into the parking garage and we wanted it to end when you left the parking garage. The new ramps are nicer, brighter, more spacious and we have more parking stalls than we ever had before,” said Neuendorf. “Edina customers don’t just want the bare minimum, they want a pleasant and memorable experience. That’s what we’re delivering.”
The mixed-use building, Nolan Mains, has also added new energy to 50th & France. The new Center Ramp is located beneath the building, keeping customers cool in
the summer and warm in the winter. Retail shopping is located above on the first level and 100 rental apartments are located on the five floors above.
“People come here to shop, eat and dine, so we wanted to continue the mixed-use model to allow new business opportunities and create more ways for customers to have that amazing experience when they come to Edina and visit 50th & France,” said Neuendorf.
To learn more about the project, visit EdinaMN.
gov/50thandFrance or contact Neuendorf at
952-826-0407.
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24 • ABOUT TOWN
EARLY 2020 • 25
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26 • ABOUT TOWN
Rep. Steve Elkins Named 2019
Legislator Of Distinction
By David Katz
When developers first platted the Morningside Neighborhood more than a century ago, automobiles were still something of a novelty. That fact is evidenced today by the narrowness of the residential streets in that area. In stark contrast, local roads in newer, outer-ring suburbs are comparatively wide.
Until the last legislative session, Minnesota State Statute hindered the ability of communities like the City of Edina to regulate speed limits in such neighborhoods.
“In surrounding states, law sets 25 mph as the default residential speed limit,” explained State Rep. Steve Elkins. “Minnesota was the outlier, where cities could not set speed limits lower than 30 mph within their own jurisdictions … at least without conducting elaborate studies and meeting various Minnesota Department of Transportation requirements.”
That limitation rankled the Bloomington resident and first-term representative. Elkins’s expansive District 49B includes the southern fifth of Edina and much of his hometown – as well as portions of Richfield, Hopkins and Minnetonka. “The rule worked fine for most, because infrastructure built up more recently is made to accommodate much [more] vehicular traffic. … But in, say, Country Club or Morningside in Edina, that 5 mph can make a difference.”
As one of his early signature initiatives at the statehouse, Elkins introduced a bill to increase cities’ control over residential speed limits. A version of the bill eventually made its way into the 2019 transportation omnibus bill.
While this priority may seem a curious choice for someone diving into the fray of state-level politics for the first time, it fits perfectly with Elkin’s resume and personal passions.
Elkins holds a degree in microeconomics from the University of California - Berkeley. He moved to the Twin Cities in 1985 in pursuit of professional opportunities within the airline industry. Six years later, he pivoted to a career in IT architecture and data security.
“Even as I did so, I didn’t want all of the knowledge I’d accumulated about transit to go to waste,” he explained. “I started volunteering to serve on various transportation advisory committees,” beginning with the City of Bloomington Traffic and Transportation Advisory Committee and Bloomington Public Schools
Steve Elkins has been a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives since January 2019. The League of Minnesota Cities named him a Legislator of Distinction for 2019.Submitted Photo
EARLY 2020 • 27
Transportation Task Force. He parlayed that experience into a seat on the Met Council’s regional Transportation Advisory Board (TAB).
While these extracurricular commitments scratched the itch for a time, by 2001, “I was tired of sitting on strictly advisory bodies, and wanted to be somewhere where a vote actually mattered,” Elkins recalled. He ran successfully for a seat on the Bloomington City Council – a post he held for three terms.
In 2011, Gov. Mark Dayton appointed Elkins to a seat on the Met Council. He represented Bloomington and Edina in that capacity, until learning of the pending vacancy in District 49B. His freshman term commenced in January 2019 and continues through January 2021.
In his newest role, Elkins is a welcome addition to the House of Representatives’ busy Transportation Finance and Policy Division and its relatively new Subcommittee on Local Government (the latter of which he vice chairs).
In recognition of and gratitude for all he accomplished in his first legislative session, the League of Minnesota Cities (LMC) named Elkins as a Legislator of Distinction for 2019.
LMC is a membership organization composed of 853 municipalities – nearly 98 percent of Minnesota’s local governments. Its purpose is to provide “effective advocacy, expert analysis, and trusted guidance” on a host of issues impacting city administrations.
“The League of Minnesota Cities is tremendously appreciative of Rep. Elkin’s authorship of a 2019 bill
to restore cities’ ability to regulate and ban the use of disposable plastic bags,” explained Ted Bengtson, LMC’s Intergovernmental Relations Administrative Coordinator. “It is a great example of what we call ‘city-friendly’ legislation … and that is exactly what the Legislator of Distinction award is intended to recognize.”
Elkins was only too happy to spur that charge. “Single-use plastic bags are a hassle for recyclers. They clog up the processing equipment, incurring extra costs,” he explained. Worse still, this material is slow to degrade. At varying levels, microplastics already pollute all of Minnesota’s lakes and waterways. Going forward, however, cities like Edina will have greater latitude to regulate single-use plastics.
While the recognition came as a pleasant surprise to him, Elkins is no stranger to LMC. He has been actively involved with the organization since his days on the Bloomington City Council, and in 2010 even chaired the transportation committee of the National League of Cities.
“All my experience has taught me that the State and regional bodies like the Met Council can accomplish very little on their own when it comes to transportation,” Elkins said. “When anything moves forward, it is because of [cross-jurisdiction] cooperation. ... And without effective public partnerships, things simply don’t get done.”
For more information on the League of Minnesota or its
Legislator of Distinction recognitions, visit lmc.org. Contact
Elkins at rep.steve.elkins@house.mn or
651-296-7803.
28 • ABOUT TOWN
Electric stovetops are not what they used to be. Electric induction cooktops are new in the luxury kitchen space, but they’re becoming increasingly popular and have unmatched energy efficiency.
Induction cooktops are sleek and part of many new kitchen remodels and replacements. Compared to other types of cooktops, they are also healthier for indoor air quality, can cook faster and reduce the risk of burns. Induction cooking has also been found to be more energy-efficient with most of the energy going directly to heating the pan; gas and electric are about half as efficient.
Induction stoves heat up fast, have even heat distribution and cool off quickly. They don’t use natural gas and emit no indoor air pollutants. Indoor air pollution is a looming concern as more researchers are identifying respiratory concerns higher among families with gas stoves.
City of Edina Sustainability Manager Tara Brown hopes more families will look to induction stoves as they complete kitchen remodels.
“Making the switch helps individuals reduce their carbon footprint in addition to improving indoor air quality for themselves,” she said.
– Compiled by Krystal Caron
Induction Cooking: A Favorite
Of Cooks And Luxury Kitchen
Remodels
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Edina Community Foundation
2019 Annual Report: The Impact of Philanthropy
Dear Neighbors,
If you’re one of the more than 70 people named in this Annual Report, you’ve had first-hand
experience with the positive impact of the Edina Community Foundation. And you have
friends and neighbors who were also affected by ECF’s philanthropic work in 2019, including:
•The representatives of our 75 Community Impact Partners and the many people who benefited from these
organizations and funds;
•The enthusiastic audience of 180 that attended our Connecting with Kids Leadership Breakfast to honor
the 5 leadership award recipients;
•The 20 members of our Connecting with Kids Advisory Board and Edina Challenge Team who ensured
youth programming was available to children and families with financial need;
•The 60 veterans and their guests who attended our Veterans Dinner on July 3;
•The 20,000 spectators and hundreds of participants from the 90 units who celebrated our community
at the Edina 4th of July Parade, along with the audience of 10,000 that enjoyed the fireworks display;
•The 20 Edina Reads committee members and Friends of the Edina Library who orchestrated our
Edina Reads programs;
•Our 9 Hometown Heroes & Champions, and additional 12 major corporate sponsors;
•The more than 500,000 visitors to City Hall, Centennial Lakes Park and the Edina Senior Center last
year with the opportunity to enjoy public art purchased or commissioned by ECF; and
•The 1,500 businesses and individuals who donated more than $500,000 in tax-deductible contributions
supporting our work.
During the last 15 years, individual and corporate donors have enabled the Edina Community Foundation
to deliver more than $5 million in program services and grants to our community. If you’re part of this
philanthropic support, we thank you. If you’ve not yet partnered with us, join us as we make a positive impact
in our community.
Dick Crockett, Executive Director
We impact people by bringing them together to serve, strengthen & celebrate our community.
2019 Programs
Edina 4th of July Parade, Fireworks & Veterans Dinner
Edina’s annual celebration of our country
and community attracted more than 20,000
spectators to the parade route from City
Hall to 50th & France. The fireworks show
at Rosland Park drew another 10,000. Led
by volunteer chairs Tom Gump and Leslie
Grothe, the parade team—Mark Arnold,
Tina Bohrer, Amanda Clarke, John Currie,
Dave Dickey, Dan Hunt, Carolyn Jackson,
Barbara Malzacher, Rick Murphy, Annie Schilling and Lynn Swon —organized 90+ units
of community groups and entertainers. ECF also honored 60 veterans and their guests at
the annual July 3rd Veterans Dinner.
Connecting With Kids
At our annual Connecting With Kids
Leadership Breakfast in March,
we honored Ryan Elbing, Caroline
Correia, Beth Swanson and Craig
Lebakken for their efforts mentoring
young people. We presented a Stu-
dent Leadership Award and a $1,000
scholarship to Shrey Ramesh, an
Edina High School junior.
Edina Challenge
We continued to lead the Edina Challenge Team of representatives from a dozen commu-
nity organizations collaborating to create better outcomes for the approximately 750 kids
in poverty or near-poverty in Edina. We have issued Connect Cards to more than 350,
allowing children to reap the benefits offered by
local youth activity groups including Edina Parks
& Recreation (with scholarship funds provided by
ECF), Southdale YMCA and the Edina Baseball,
Basketball, Football, and Edina Girls Athletic As-
sociations.
Hometown Heroes and
Hometown Champions
We continue to be blessed with
major corporate donors whose
support was not directly linked
to sponsorship of any of our
programs.
Our Hometown Heroes—
Real Estate Simplified, Think
Bank, and Western National
Insurance each made $5,000
contributions.
Our Hometown Champions—
Accredited Investors, Cahill
Financial Advisors, Grandview
Tire & Auto/Edina Tire &
Auto, Tradition Pass It On, and
Washburn McReavy Funeral
Chapels each made $2,500
contributions.
Thank You!
Thank you to our co-hosts, donors,
program participants and volunteers
who played vital roles in serving,
strengthening and celebrating
our community in 2019. For
information about programs and
charitable giving opportunities,
contact Executive Director Dick
Crockett at 952-833-9573 or
edfoundation@EdinaMN.gov.
Edina Dialogue & Edina Reads
Co-hosting with the Edi-
na Library and the Edina
Reads Committee, we pre-
sented a series of programs:
•Poetry and Autism with
Chris Martin and Meghana
Junnuru;
•National Poetry Month
with poets Thorvald Han-
sen, Carol Flint-Kaliebe,
Bruce Burnside and Cara Sophia;
•Monarchy, Marriage, Power and Prosperity in Great Britain,
with Dr. Cynthia Curran; and
•Evidence of V: A Novel in Fragments, Facts, and Fictions by
Edina author Sheila O’Connor, interviewed by ECF Community
Advocate Annie Schilling.
Community Impact Program
As the incubator for the Edina nonprofit community, ECF serves as
a charitable partner to 75 organizations. Four nonprofits grew from
our Bold New Idea event in April,
when we invited proposals for new
funds, selected the top five, and
held a vote to select the winner of
a $5,000 grant funded by event at-
tendees. The winner was Her Next
Play Edina. Led by Claire Weg-
mann-Krider, this group of middle
school girls aims to promote girls in
athletics and leadership. Their first
Edina Girls Sports Summit event attracted 130 attendees.
ECF also helped secure funding for several other Bold New Idea
finalists:
•Edina Entertainers, created by EHS student Kris Hoedeman
to create opportunities for performing music, theater and dance
artists in Edina.
•Edina Mural Project, led by Julie Greene to cooperatively
create a series of murals for permanent display in public spaces.
•Step To It Edina, a program implemented by Nicole Gorman
aiming to motivate people of all ages and abilities to become
more physically active.
Six additional Community Impact Partners launched in 2019 with
our support:
•Imagination Library-Edina, proposed by EHS student Sarah
Hogan to provide free books to preschool children to assist their
early educational development.
•Minnesota Wild Blind Hockey, formed by Toni Gillen and
Theresa Weber-Sexton to provide visually impaired children
and adults the opportunity to play ice hockey.
•Stand With Her, created by EHS student Anushka Thorat to
supply feminine hygiene products to teenage and young women
in shelters.
•Edina Neighbors for Affordable Housing, organized by Hope
Melton to promote and support affordable housing in our city.
•Edina Village, started by David Alkire to support Edina resi-
dents who wish to age in place.
•EHS Class of 1970 Fund, led by Sheldon Peterson to support
the 50th reunion, which includes a class gift to the community
(following a tradition started by the Class of 1965).
Public Art
The newest contribution to Edina’s growing public art collec-
tion evolved from the Edina Student Public Art Project started by
Shannon Steven, a Cornelia Elementary art teacher. Shannon in-
vited Edina’s elementary school students to submit a model of a
sculpture representing what “Better Together” meant to them, with
the winning entry to be re-created by a professional artist. Concord
Elementary 5th grader Alex
Wyatt’s winning design was
built by Alan and Nicole Mil-
ligan. With funding from ECF
and the Edina Arts &
Culture Commission, “School
of (Fish),” was installed at
Centennial Lakes Park in
November.
Photo by Barbara La Valleur
2018-2019 Finances
Our total program services expenditures (Community Impact Program Grants and Program Services costs) of $720,861
were 87% of our total expenditures of $827,805, much greater than the 70% minimum recommended by the Minnesota
Charities Review Council.
Board of Directors
Tom Gump, President
Carolyn Jackson, Vice President
Caroline Correia, Secretary
Sheila Berube, Treasurer
Katie Aafedt (until 6/30/19)
Robert Blanton*
Sandy Bodeau*
Steffen Hovard*
James Hovland
Brad Johnson
Jody Kern*
Richard Meyer
Jeff Ohe
Abby Power
Kara Rios
Elena Brito Sifferlin*
Rebecca Sorensen
Dick Ward*
* As of 7/1/19.
Edina Community Foundation • www.edinacommunityfoundation.org
Directors EmeritiBradley BeardBernie BeaverRon ErhardtScott HoushDennis MaetzoldSteven McDonald*Bonnie McGrathPaul Mooty* Richard OlsonFred RichardsCarolyn SchroederMamie Segall* Geof Workinger
* As of 7/1/19 following end of Board service.
Auditors: Ellingson and Ellingson, Ltd. The complete audited statement for this and prior fiscal years, our IRS form 990 and
Minnesota Charitable Organization Annual Report are available upon request.
StaffDick Crockett, Executive Director
Edie Opdahl, Donor Services
Annie Schilling, Development Relations (until 11/08/19)
Eda Rivers, Development Relations
Tina Bohrer, Communications ServicesPatty Dronen, Connecting With Kids Director
EARLY 2020 • 33
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34 • ABOUT TOWN
Make Sure You Count On National
Census Day April 1
The Edina 2020 U.S. Census Complete Count Committee encourages you to be counted as a Minnesota resident even if you are in Arizona, California, Florida or Texas when April arrives.
Why Is That Important?First, the census seeks to count you where you spend the majority of each year (six months plus one day).
Second, the State of Minnesota relies on census data to receive federal funds totaling $15 billion for roads, schools and local projects. On a per capita basis, that is $2,796 per person per year, or almost $28,000 per person over the 10 years until the next census.
Third, Minnesota may lose one of its eight seats in the U.S. Congress. After the 2010 Census, Minnesota secured the 435th of 435 seats by a margin of just 8,739 people. How Minnesota has grown compared to other states and how accurately Minnesotans are counted will determine how well Minnesota is represented in Washington, D.C.
How Will The 2020 Census Be Conducted? In mid-March 2020, every residence in the United States will receive a postcard invitation to respond to the Census on April 1 online (digitally) or by U.S. mail.
How Can I Respond? In 2020, for the first time ever, the U.S. Census Bureau will accept responses online, but you can still respond by phone or mail if you prefer. Responding should take less time than it takes to finish your morning coffee.
Neither the postcard nor the printed census form will be forwarded. If there is no response from a residence, an enumerator (census worker) will arrive at your door in late April or early May.
Wherever you are in March and April 2020, the Complete Count Committee hopes you’ll respond to the census with your Minnesota residence information if you live here the majority of the year.
What Information Will Be Requested? The decennial census will collect basic information about the people living in your household. When completing the census, you should count everyone who is living in your household on April 1, 2020.
What Information Will Not Be Requested? The Census Bureau will not ask for:
• Social Security numbers
• Bank or credit card account numbers
• Money or donations
• Anything on behalf of a political party
• Citizenship
EARLY 2020 • 35
Will My Information Be Kept Confidential? Strict federal law protects your census responses. It is against the law for any Census Bureau employee to disclose or publish any census information that identifies an individual. Census Bureau employees take a lifelong pledge of confidentiality to handle data responsibly and keep respondents’ information private. The penalty for wrongful disclosure is a fine of up to $250,000 or imprisonment for up to five years, or both.
No law enforcement agency (not the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Federal Bureau of Investigation or Central Intelligence Agency) can access or use your personal information at any time. Data collected can only be used for statistical purposes that help inform important decisions, including how much federal funding your community receives. The Census Bureau has a robust cybersecurity program that incorporates industry best practices and federal security standards for encrypting data.
Where Can I Learn More? You can learn more about the 2020 Census by visiting 2020census.gov or more locally, BetterTogetherEdina.org/EdinaCCC.
– Compiled by Kate Agnew, Edina Complete Count Committee member, and Kaylin Eidsness
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36 • ABOUT TOWN
Second Mortgage Program Helps
Bring Families To Edina
By Kaylin Eidsness
Dan Exner had been renting in Edina for 10 years. He grew roots in the community and wanted to stay in the city, but when it came time to finding a bigger place to accommodate his growing family, he felt squeezed by the limited housing options in the area.
“We really liked the Edina school system and the community that we were already part of and wanted to stay close, but had a limited budget as well,” explained Exner.
Exner’s mortgage company mentioned the Come Home 2 Edina program and directed him to reach out to the City of Edina to find out more. After meeting with the City’s representative at the time and learning more about the program, he said it turned out to be a great fit for his family.
“The following summer, we ended up moving out of our apartment and into our home here in Edina,” said Exner.
Since the program began in 2007, more than 100 second mortgages have been given out by the Edina Housing Foundation, a nonprofit that provides financial assistance to Edina homebuyers in an effort to attract new families to Edina and expand affordable housing opportunities.
Affordable Housing Development Manager Stephanie Hawkinson oversees the program.
“Edina is expensive, but this program is fairly generous,” she said. “A healthy, vibrant community is created of people of all income strata. This program helps create a diversity of incomes in Edina by allowing those who
have more moderate means to take advantage of the great schools and great economic environment.”
Katy Swenson took advantage of the program when she and her husband bought their home in 2014.
“My husband and I 100 percent benefited from the program. We never would have been able to purchase our home or have as low of a payment if the program did not exist,” said Swenson. “We are so fortunate to have been able to receive the Come Home 2 Edina benefits. ... Being able to raise our children in Edina is beyond a blessing and we feel so fortunate to be able to live here. We are never moving!”
Homebuyers can borrow up to $60,000, but they should work with their loan officer to determine the amount for which they qualify. The purchase price of the home cannot be more than $425,000. To qualify, loans will be made to borrowers earning at or below the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency income limits established for the 11-county metro area. That is a $100,000-annual income for a household size of one to two, and $115,000 for a household size of three or more.
Another resident who’s originally from Edina, purchased a condo in Edina using the program in 2011.
EARLY 2020 • 37
“I was very thankful for this program when I bought my condo. I was divorced and newly retired and on a fixed income … I wanted to live in these condos since the late 1980s,” she said.
Hawkinson said another perk of the program is getting more people who work in Edina to live in Edina.
“The Southdale area is a great economic hub with the medical, retail and service businesses, but traffic can be bad. And for some, they have to move further away in order to afford a home, and then their commute becomes intolerable,” said Hawkinson. “Come Home 2 Edina gives employees an opportunity to live closer to work and cut down on their commute. And for the rest of the community it cuts down on the number of cars on the road, which helps the region as a whole.”
Exner is one of the residents who enjoys his short commute to work.
“I also work in Edina, so the commute was a big factor for me,” said Exner. “I have a 1-year-old and it’s good to spend that quality time with her rather than being across town.”
“I would say definitely check it out. Call the folks at Come Home 2 Edina. They are very friendly and willing to talk about the program and see if it applies. It if fits, it’s amazing,” he said. “We’re very happy with the place we ended up and to be here in Edina.”
For more information on Come Home 2 Edina, call
Hawkinson at 952-833-9578.
38 • ABOUT TOWN
Edina Businesses Prioritize
Waste Reduction
By Krystal Caron
When Wooden Hill Brewing Company opened in 2018, the owners recycled. Over time, they added a compost service and continued to focus on ways to operate a more sustainable business. In 2019, they were given a gold-level Green Business Recognition from the City of Edina.
“Small steps matter, just keep taking them,” said Wooden Hill Co-Owner Sean Ewen. “Over time, we’ve continued to take small steps that add up to meaningful impact.”
The City of Edina’s Energy & Environment Commission (EEC) launched the Green Business Recognition program in May 2019 to celebrate green and sustainable actions promoted by local businesses in Edina. Since its launch, eight Edina businesses have earned the Green Business Recognition.
Businesses earn points for taking green actions in the areas of waste reduction, recycling, purchasing, energy use, landscaping and water conservation, transportation and more. Businesses can earn a gold, silver or bronze recognition; businesses must earn 25 points to receive bronze, 40 for silver and 55 for gold recognition.
Wooden Hill Brewing Company and bronze recipients Ellingson & Ellingson and Lush Cosmetics stand out for the strategies they’ve used to reduce waste in their businesses. These three businesses have led the way in waste reduction practices and hope that by becoming a part of this program, more Edina businesses will follow suit.
“Everybody at Lush is an eco-warrior. We take the initiative to recycle, compost our waste like food, scraps,
and products and we try to send very little to the landfill. As much as we can divert waste from landfill, we do,” said Lush Edina Store Manager Vanessa Guerra. She also noted that they are the only business at 50th & France, besides restaurants, that currently composts. “We want to keep this city as beautiful as possible and part of that expands to treating our environment as well as you can.”
Lush does biannual waste audits and found, during the most recent audit, that more than 86 percent of their overall waste was diverted from landfills.
Ellingson & Ellingson is a smaller business, but they still are making a difference by reducing the amount of waste that goes into landfills.
Lush Manager Venessa Guerra and Sales Associate Emily McLean pose next to Lush’s package-free soaps at its 50th & France store.Photo by Kaylin Eidsness
EARLY 2020 • 39
“Since starting here, I have implemented several ‘paperless’ efforts. I’ve offered the option for our clients to do several business practices online that were previously done exclusively by paper. We also have an employee who is very knowledgeable in recycling and ensures that we are being as eco-friendly as possible,” said Ellingson & Ellingson Client Services Coordinator Alayna Louiselle.
Other recognized Green Businesses include Gateway Bank, Grandview Tire & Auto, Lunds & Byerlys, 50th & France Starbucks and Western National Insurance Group.
City of Edina Sustainability Manager Tara Brown hopes that people will support the businesses in this program and encourage others to complete the recognition process.
“We know Edina residents have a lot of pride in their community and we want them to know which local businesses are taking steps to be more sustainable,” she said.
Other green-minded businesses are encouraged to apply for the program. Recipients receive materials to identify their recognition level to customers and further their sustainability impacts. For other businesses, making small changes might be the first step.
“As a business, we’ve built these practices into our everyday lives so that we don’t even think about it, but for others there is help online or they can contact local government for more help,” said Guerra.
To maintain their recognition level, businesses are required
to resubmit their application annually. Businesses of all
types are encouraged to apply. Learn more and apply
online at EdinaMN.gov/Sustainable. For more information,
contact City Management Fellow Casey Casella at
ccasella@EdinaMN.gov.
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42 • ABOUT TOWN
Citywide Organics Recycling
Coming To Edina In 2020
By Kaylin Eidsness
Organics recycling is coming to every household in Edina this spring, giving residents a chance to redirect their food scraps from the trash to the organics bin.
According to a University of Vermont study, Americans waste nearly a pound of food per person each day.
“Organics recycling is a great addition to traditional recycling,” said Melissa Seeley, Energy & Environment Commissioner. “Collection is easy with adding a small bin to the kitchen to capture scraps as food is prepared or meals are finished. Once waste is separated between organics and recycling, it is often amazing to see how little trash is left.”
In an effort to meet Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and Hennepin County waste-reduction goals, the City Council directed staff to implement an organics recycling program. A recent study by Hennepin County found that at least 25 percent of trash is made up of organic materials – the largest category within trash that could be diverted from landfills.
“I have been more focused on energy efficiency, but the most common question that I get from new residents is: Why doesn’t Edina have curbside organics recycling?” said Tara Brown, the City’s Sustainability Manager.
The Council chose to contract with Vierkant as the organics vendor for several reasons, including the company’s existing organics customer base in Edina, pricing, location and commitment to customer service.
“Everything about this is local,” said Justin Vierkant, owner of Bloomington-based Vierkant Disposal. “The organics are placed in the bins in Edina and we’re hoping that the end product, the compost, will come back to Edina in one way or another.”
Not accepted: Yard waste • diapers and sanitary products • animal and pet waste, litter or
bedding • cleaning or baby wipes • grease or oil • Styrofoam™ • dryer lint and dryer sheets
• recyclable items (cartons, glass, metal, paper, plastic) • frozen food boxes • microwave
popcorn bags • gum • fast food wrappers • products labeled “biodegradable”
All food
• Fruits and vegetables
• Meat, fish and bones
• Dairy products
• Eggs and egg shells
• Pasta, beans and rice
• Bread and cereal
• Nuts and shells
Certified compostable products
• Compostable paper
and plastic cups,
plates, bowls, utensils
and containers
Look for the term
“compostable” or the
BPI logo on certified products.
Food-soiled paper
• Pizza boxes
from delivery
• Napkins and
paper towels
• Paper egg
cartons
Other compostable household items
• Coffee grounds
and filters
• Facial tissues
• Hair and nail
clippings
• Cotton balls and
swabs with paper stems
• Houseplants
and flowers
• Tea bags
• Wooden items such as chopsticks,
popsicle sticks and toothpicks
Organics
Recycling Guide
EARLY 2020 • 43
Organics bins will be delivered to Edina homes throughout the month of April. The monthly price per household will be $5.50.
What Are The Benefits Of Organics Recycling?The organics collected curbside are taken to a commercial compost facility in Shakopee and recycled into compost, a nutrient-rich material that is used in landscaping and road construction projects to improve our soil.
It also:
• Reduces trash. Organic materials make up the largest portion of our trash, roughly 25 percent.
• Reduces greenhouse gas emissions. As organic materials decompose in landfills, they generate methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Diverting organics to composting helps to reduce landfill methane emissions.
• Improves soil and protects water. When added to the soil, it reduces the need for fertilizers and pesticides. It also helps the water retention of soils, which reduces runoff and erosion that can pollute our water and helps to conserve water.
• Supports a local economy. About 700 jobs are supported by Minnesota’s composting industry, which produces $148 million in gross economic activity per year. The composting industry supports four to eight times more jobs on a per-ton basis than landfilling operations.
What Can I Recycle In My Organics Bin?• All food: fruits and vegetables; meat, fish and bones; dairy products; eggs and eggshells; pasta; beans and rice; bread and cereal; and nuts and shells.
• Food-soiled paper: pizza boxes from delivery, napkins and paper towels and paper egg cartons.
• Certified compostable products: compostable paper and plastic cups, plates, bowls, utensils and containers (look for the term “compostable” or the BPI logo on certified products).
• Other compostable household items: coffee grounds and filters, hair and nail clippings, cotton balls and swabs with paper stems, houseplants and flowers, tea bags and wooden items such as chopsticks, popsicle sticks and toothpicks.
Vierkant will pick up organics recycling every week on your regular trash day.Photo by Katie Laux(continued on next page)
44 • ABOUT TOWN
Can I Change The Size Of My Organics Cart After The Program Begins?Residents may request to change the size of their cart – after a review of the materials in the cart (no yard waste is allowed) – one time in a 12-month period by calling Vierkant at 612-922-2505.
Can I Use Regular Plastic Bags To Collect Organics?No. Plastic bags are not compostable and are a contaminant. You risk turning an entire load of compostable material into garbage if you use plastic bags. Use bags labeled “BPI-certified compostable.”
How Is Organics Recycling Different From Backyard Composting?You can compost more materials with organics recycling than in your backyard compost bin. Large-scale commercial composting facilities maintain higher temperatures than backyard compost bins. These temperatures are needed to kill bacteria and break down items that cannot be composted in a backyard compost bin, including meat, bones, dairy products and compostable plastics. Backyard composting is still a great option for recycling fruit and vegetable scraps and yard waste into a soil amendment that you can use at home.
How Often Will My Organics Cart Be Picked Up?Vierkant picks up organics recycling every week on your regular trash day. If your cart collection is missed, call Vierkant at 612-922-2505.
For more information on organics, contact the Organics
Coordinator at 952-826-1657.
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46 • ABOUT TOWN
Arden Park Restoration Makes
Creek Center Of Park
By Debbie Townsend
Pucks clang off the new boards at the hockey rink. Families skate together on the open ice.
Children climb and explore the inviting playground. Neighbors walk dogs along the plowed trail that runs through the center of the park.
Inside the warmth of the new shelter building, people watch it all through the many large windows.
After more than a year of construction to restore a section of Minnehaha Creek and improve spaces to play and relax, Arden Park has reopened.
Winter visitors revel in the new activities, but the real show-stopper quietly bubbles away behind them.
“The thing almost everyone comments on the first time they come there is to visually see the creek,” said Tom Swenson, Assistant Director - Parks & Natural Resources. “It was completely sheltered by buckthorn and too much growth. The creek is part of the park now instead of something that just happened to run through it.”
Creek RestorationBefore the restoration, visitors to Arden Park, 5230 Minnehaha Blvd., could catch glimpses of Minnehaha Creek behind walls of buckthorn and overgrowth that crowded out native species. Fishermen stood in knee-deep muck along the creek’s overflowed edge. Kayakers and tubers struggled to find a clear, easy spot to reach the creek or get out.
Tamara Nugteren knew the creek was there. She and her husband often put in kayaks upstream and floated down the creek with friends. Last summer, she was stunned to float through Arden Park.
“I didn’t even know there was a park there before,” she said. “You couldn’t see it from the creek because of all the trees.”
Most of those trees were invasive buckthorn, which was removed throughout the park. Ash trees also were removed after the discovery of emerald ash borer, an invasive pest that kills the trees. In their place, more than 400 trees of various varieties and sizes have been planted
Visitors to Arden Park can now enjoy clear views of Minnehaha Creek as it flows through the park.Photo by Katie Laux
EARLY 2020 • 47
strategically throughout the park to create a diverse, disease-resistant canopy that provides shade yet preserves creek access and views.
“Opening up the tree canopy, from an aesthetic view, has allowed people to see into the park and see the creek and vistas they haven’t seen before,” said Laura Domyancich, the Planner-Project Manager who has led the restoration project for the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD). The $4.3 million construction to restore the creek and enhance the park is a joint effort of the City of Edina and MCWD.
The creek was rerouted slightly to reduce flooding and restore a more natural path that benefits fish and other creatures native to the waters while also increasing recreational opportunities for people.
Canoeists, kayakers and tubers now have three easy access points to drop in. Anglers have multiple spots to try their luck. Visitors can walk right up to the edge and watch the water wind its way through the park.
“The creek is amazing,” Swenson said.
The MCWD added boulders and rocks to the streambed to create areas of rapids and riffles. Removing an old man-made dam eliminated the need for many kayakers to portage around it.
“It’s shockingly different from the creek angle,” said Nugteren, who runs kayakthecreek.com, which offers kayak trips along Minnehaha Creek. “They did a wonderful job. From the creek point of view, it looks really nice.”
Other ChangesThe old Arden Park shelter, which looked more like a utility building than a gathering place, had to be removed because of its condition and the creek’s new path went right through it. Residents helped design the new one with its huge windows, covered picnic area and a gabled roof that blends it into the neighborhood. It serves as a warming house in the winter and will be rented out by neighbors for parties and gatherings.
“The old shelter was horrible and now it’s going to be our premier shelter in the whole system,” Swenson noted.
Sidewalks and a new north loop trail surround the park. A main trail, plowed in winter, cuts through the middle of the park and is illuminated by walking lights, a feature not found in most other Edina parks. The new hockey rink and other areas have new LED lights that can be precisely aimed, cutting down on light pollution to the neighborhood, Swenson said.
As for the playground, ask the children who play on it. Some of them helped design it by telling City staff what features and colors they wanted.
What You Can’t SeeDuring storms, runoff from the surrounding neighborhood poured into the creek, carrying with it oil, fertilizer, sand, grit and debris that didn’t belong there. All of that clouded and harmed the creek and its plants and fish, and it contributed to flooding.
(continued on next page)
48 • ABOUT TOWN
As part of the restoration project, a system above and below ground was installed to move stormwater safely through the park, letting nature process it along the way. The water is slowed, then goes through a grit chamber, which removes litter, sediment from the street and other debris. Above ground, the water travels through six stormwater swales – small basins dotted with plantings – along the park’s edge. Those swales naturally filter the water. By the time it reaches the creek, it’s a lot cleaner and flowing much more slowly.
The system will clean all of the drainage coming from within an 80-acre area to the northeast of the park, Domyancich said.
Better stormwater management and the rerouted creek also mean a drier park. Arden’s open lawn area so frequently flooded before that it was impossible to consistently hold programs or events on it. The new lawn area, once established, will drain better so it’s ready for picnics and playing.
Come SpringA record-wet construction year and incredibly high creek levels kept several tasks from being finished. Workers will return once the snow melts to finish the streambank plantings, seed the grass and complete what they couldn’t wrap up in fall.
Any plants or trees that don’t make it through winter or over the next couple of years will be replaced. The vegetation contractor will be on site for three years to maintain the project and manage all the plantings. In
addition, the MCWD and City have developed a detailed plan that outlines what each will monitor and maintain in the years to come.
Even the restoration project’s most passionate supporters will ask park users and neighbors to be patient. It will take about three years for the plantings to take hold, the trees to begin to fill out and for nature to cover the scars of construction.
“Five years from now, people won’t know we were there,” Domyancich said. “They will have this incredible park to enjoy.”
For more information, visit EdinaMN.gov/ArdenParkProject
or minnehahacreek.org.
EARLY 2020 • 49
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50 • ABOUT TOWN
The Bridge for Youth Awarded
Funding To Help End Youth
Homelessness in Edina
By Krystal Caron
Homelessness among youth is something that is often overlooked in Edina, but The Bridge for Youth (The Bridge) knows it’s an issue throughout the state and in every community.
“Homelessness doesn’t know a zip code or an age. It’s there, it’s just not always seen. Homeless youth aren’t standing on the freeway; they’re couch hopping or they’re staying in the school or sleeping in the library,” said The Bridge Program Director Christina Woodlee. “We are the largest emergency youth shelter for ages 10-17 in the state of Minnesota that doesn’t require a referral, which makes us a little different.”
According to a Wilder Research report, there are at least 6,000 homeless youth on any given night in Minnesota. Yet Woodlee reports that there are only 110 emergency shelter beds available specifically for youth. The Bridge’s goal is to serve as a safe and welcoming place for youth in the Twin Cities area who are facing homelessness. Their residential setting provides services 24 hours a day, every day, at no charge.
“If someone needs support, they can trust that we’re here to help. We’re adults who are here to help without judgment and just listen to what’s going on. You don’t need to feel alone. There is a community out there that wants to offer support,” said Woodlee.
The Bridge has made it easy for teens and young adults to reach out to them through familiar communication channels. They’ve developed an app that 12 shelters in the Twin Cities area collaborate on to provide real-time
updates on available beds. In addition, their support line, 612-400-SAFE, is an anonymous number that teens can call or text 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
“Our app, YSN, Youth Services Network, can be downloaded on any smartphone. It’s a great way for homeless youth to find someplace safe to go in a time of crisis,” said Woodlee. “We’re going to take the app statewide in 2020. If a youth from St. Cloud comes to us in Minneapolis now, we’re supporting them, but when they return to their community, they’re often at risk again. So, beginning this year, we’ll be able to help stabilize and support them within their own community.”
The City of Edina sees the need for organizations like The Bridge to continue to thrive in our community and has selected it as one of the organizations to receive 2020-2021 Human Services Funding. The Bridge applied for $14,700 in funding over the course of the next two years and the City of Edina’s Human Services Task Force funded the request in full. Submitted PhotoThe Bridge for Youth uses technology to reach teens and young adults that are experiencing homelessness.
EARLY 2020 • 51
“We’re anticipating through the funding that, based on trends, we’ll serve 30 homeless and runaway youth from Edina over the course of the grant. Last year, 6 percent of the youth we served came from Edina and turned to The Bridge for support,” said Woodlee.
“As the Task Force finalized their funding recommendations, the Human Services Task Force found that The Bridge and Oasis to Youth are vital to assisting youth, who are the future, and offer preventive support. These organizations also requested the least funding, so the Task Force was able to award the full amount requested,” said City Management Fellow Casey Casella, who served as staff liaison for the Task Force.
“The Bridge for Youth appreciates the support from the City of Edina and these funds will provide stability and much needed support for homeless youth during times of crisis,” said Executive Director Michelle Basham.
The Bridge is just one of eight organizations being funded for a two-year cycle. The organization received funding in the past, but was not included in the funding cycle for 2018-2019. In all, the City awarded $192,364 over the course of 2020-2021 to organizations that help serve needs for the City of Edina and surrounding communities. The remaining organizations – VEAP, Beacon Interfaith, Senior Community Services, Normandale Center and Help at Your Door – requested higher amounts and, due to budget constraints, received a little more than three-fourths of their total requested amount.
To learn more about The Bridge, visit BridgeForYouth.org. If you
are a teen or young adult in crisis, call or text 612-400-7233.
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52 • ABOUT TOWN
Police-Supported Program
Strengthens Relationships
By Suzanne Wortham-Ressemann
For the past 25 years, a collaborative effort between the Edina Police Department and Edina Public Schools has helped to improve the overall learning environment for students. School Resource Officers (SROs) are police officers working daily in the schools to build relationships with staff and students, creating safer environments where students learn.
Officers Joe Delgehausen and Anna Eckstein currently serve 8,500 Edina students and their families while providing support to nine schools, their staff and various programs across the district.
Both Delgehausen and Eckstein believe they relate well with the younger generation, making them a good fit for the program.
“I try to look at things through the lens of a 15- to 18-year-old to better understand some of the behaviors I see with the kids, whether it involves drugs, drinking or other types of bad behavior,” Delgehausen explains.
Eckstein likes to be available to students who might not have other adults to talk to. She feels she relates well with younger students because of her understanding of social media, “a major form of communication for them.”
“[The SROs] act as a problem-solving partner with building professionals on overall safety issues for students,” said Valerie Burke, Community Education Director and SRO liaison. She emphasized that the SROs have played an important role by developing strong working relationships with the school administration
and school personnel regarding law enforcement matters. These collaborative efforts are very positive, Burke added.
But safety and problem-solving is only part of what the SROs have to offer: counseling, communication skills and being a good mentor are equally as important for creating a healthy school environment.
Being an SRO “forces me to look at law enforcement from a different angle,” said Delgehausen, wearing regular street clothes and in his second year at Edina High School. “When we are working patrol, we spend a large amount of our time looking for people doing wrong. I feel like this Submitted PhotoPolice Officer Anna Eckstein, first-year School Resource Officer for Grades K-8 in Edina Public Schools, connects with students daily to build positive relationships and support students when issues or concerns arise.
EARLY 2020 • 53
SRO position is geared more toward restorative justice and helping kids mature and learn from their mistakes.”
He said he likes to joke around with the students to build rapport and to help young adults see “that cops are normal people” and hopefully break some of the negative stereotypes teens have about police officers.
Eckstein, a second-generation Edina SRO, and only a few months into the position mainly serving Grades K-8, agreed with her SRO partner by saying, “I like that this position offers kids a connection to a police officer in their everyday setting and not just when they are in trouble.” She wants students to feel comfortable reaching out to a police officer when in need, and to know that they are there to help.
That help comes in many forms. When asked where Delgehausen makes a difference, he recalled a particular student who struggles with extreme emotional outbursts.
“In the beginning, these incidents would end up with large scenes in the school and in some instances had ended outside of the school,” Delgehausen said. “Now, the student regularly comes to my office if they feel like they are losing control and we can usually talk through the issue and they usually go back to class.”
The SROs are faced with many different situations on a daily basis, but what Eckstein hopes each student learns from having officers at their school is that they are not there to be the “bad guys,” but to help “mold them into being good humans.”
“You know the SROs are having a positive impact on the students when our officers interact with students while out on patrol and they ask how their specific SRO is doing, and to pass along a ‘hello’ from them,” stated Sgt. Brandon Kuske, SRO Supervisor. “The program has been a huge success.”
When it comes to building relationships and fostering a healthy school environment, the partnership between the City and schools seems to be having a positive impact on the students. “It is awesome being able to walk down the hallways and have students give me high-fives or fist-bumps because they are happy to see us there. It’s really cool to make those connections!” Eckstein explained with a smile.
For more information on the Edina Police Department, visit
EdinaMN.gov/Police.Submitted Photolla Whyte poses with School
Resource Officer Joe Delgehausen
of the Edina Police Department as
he strives to create a safer learning
environment for Edina students.
54 • ABOUT TOWN
10/10/2020
call for speakers
Edina Community Education, working to build a learning community where all participate and all
belong, actively collaborates to bring intergenerational conversation and connection opportunities
like TEDxEdina to our community. www.edinaschools.org/communityed
www.tedxedina.com
The red, round TEDxEdina carpet returns to center stage at Edina High School’s
Fick Auditorium on October 10, 2020. We’re looking for 10 crisp, compelling
ideas worth spreading. 10 speakers to deliver their ideas in 18 minutes or less.
Are you up to the challenge? The application process opens January 1, 2020
and initial applications must be received by March 6, 2020.
EARLY 2020 • 55
City Of Edina Facilities
Edina City Hall, 4801 W. 50th St. 952-927-8861
Edina Aquatic Center, 4300 W. 66th St. 952-833-9560
Edina Art Center, 4701 W. 64th St. 952-903-5780
Braemar Arena, 7501 Ikola Way 952-833-9506
Braemar Field, 7509 Ikola Way 952-833-9512
Braemar Golf Course, 6364 John Harris Drive 952-903-5750
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
City CouncilJim Hovland Mayor 612-874-8550Mary Brindle Council Member 952-941-7746Kevin Staunton Council Member 952-836-1020Ron Anderson Council Member 952-833-9549Mike Fischer Council Member 952-833-9569
Edina School Board
Erica Allenburg erica.allenburg@edinaschools.org
Matthew Fox matthew.fox@edinaschools.org
Julie Greene julie.greene@edinaschools.org
Ellen Jones ellen.jones@edinaschools.org
Owen Michaelson owen.michaelson@edinaschools.org
Janie Shaw janie.shaw@edinaschools.org
Leny Wallen-Friedman leny.wallen-friedman@ edinaschools.org
OtherJan Callison County Commissioner 612-348-7886
Melissa Franzen Senator 651-296-6238Heather Edelson Representative – 49A 651-785-8696Steve Elkins Representative – 49B 612-578-2103
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, 952-826-1610.
City-Recognized Neighborhoods
Arden Park Melissa Downey, ArdenParkNA@gmail.com
Chowen Park Bill Neuendorf, chowenpark.edina@gmail.com
Concord Ellen Westin, EllenWestin@edinarealty.comCreek Knoll Tim O’Neill, tim@pianobrothers.com
Lake Cornelia Nora Davis, noradavis73@gmail.com
Morningside Madelyn Nasser, madelynnasser@gmail.com
Pamela Park Laura Bergman, laurabergman@edinarealty.com
South Cornelia Mary Hackel, mehackel@gmail.com
Strachauer Park Chris Bremer, cbremer101@gmail.com
White Oaks Dayna Deutsch, wonaedina@gmail.com
The Last Word
Infrastructure finance, capital improvement planning and capital spending are important topics, but hardly topics that light up a friendly conversation between neighbors or friends.
The City of Edina is about to turn an important corner when it comes to infrastructure finance and capital improvement planning and spending. It’s not an obvious corner, so it’s worth 500 words of explanation.
Three years ago, the City’s funding strategy for its five-year capital improvement plan (CIP) was a combination of annual liquor store profits and whatever was left over in the City’s General Fund operating budget from the previous year. Sometimes, the leftover General Fund money was over $1 million. Another time, it was under $100,000.
The unpredictable and undependable nature of the revenue available for capital spending made it exceedingly difficult to plan for replacement and new desired projects in the CIP. Why this matters is that the CIP is the City’s funding vehicle for upkeep of our existing infrastructure, as well as new parks, new playgrounds and improvements to places like Edinborough Park, Edina Art Center and Braemar Arena, just to name a few.
If the City is unable to make a funding commitment to the CIP, then the City is unable to make the capital improvements that residents expect. That is such an
important commitment that staff made finding a solution to the core problem one of our central areas of focus for two years.
After studying many options for generating new revenue or reallocating future spending, we came upon a solution. As levies expire for past community improvement projects, such as the City Hall, Fire Station 1 and the Public Works & Park Maintenance Facility, the CIP levy will be increased by an amount equal to the expiring debt levy. This will keep the total levy amount (Debt & CIP) flat, and the result will allow the City to fund more capital projects.
This strategy will provide the predictable and dependable revenue source we’ve always needed. This will allow us to make long-term commitments to the community improvement projects that residents are asking for.
This strategy has a cost, of course. The cost is that it keeps in place tax levies that could be retired. Within a few years, this amount will total close to $2 million annually. This strategy also has benefits. Instead of increasing taxes or imposing new ones, it redirects property taxes already in place. That does not mean property taxes will not grow in the future, but it does ensure that tax levies already in place will be used wisely and transparently.
The City Council has approved this strategy to fund the CIP. The City Council will update the 2021-2025 CIP in 2020. Residents can expect to see the results of this new funding strategy about this time next year.
Scott H. Neal City Manager
56 • ABOUT TOWN
EARLY 2020 • 57
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