HomeMy WebLinkAboutCitySlick_May_2014by Krystal Caron, Communications Coordinator
At this year’s Volunteer Recognition
Reception, one of the City’s own was
recognized for his exceptional and
outstanding contributions to the community.
Edina Art Center General Manager Michael
Frey was awarded
the Mayor’s
Community
Involvement
Commendation.
This award is given
to City employees
who exemplify
outstanding
volunteer service
to the community
above and beyond
their positions with
the City, qualities
that were not hard to
find in Frey.
“Michael is a shining example of a City
employee going above and beyond to serve
the community,” said Mayor James Hovland.
“He has served on numerous boards and
committees, generously contributed his skills
as an artist and worked long hours to ensure
the Edina community has an opportunity to
enjoy arts and culture.”
In addition to his work at the Art Center,
which includes serving as staff liaison to the
Arts & Culture Commission, Frey has served
on several 50th & France event committees
and the Board of the Edina Chorale.
“The most rewarding part for me is to be
able to work with the creative people of the
Edina Arts & Culture Commission. The Arts
& Culture Commission didn’t exist when I
took the job,” said Frey. “[It’s exciting to see
their] intelligence, vision and excitement for
change.”
Frey isn’t only a
Manager of the
Art Center. Frey is
an award-winning
portrait painter
whose work can be
found in collections
throughout the
United States. He
has also worked at
the annual Edina
Film Festival and
Edina Art Fair. In
addition to all that,
he also teaches art
to middle and high school students every
Tuesday night and was recently named the
Chair of the 2014 Fall into the Arts Festival.
It’s a lot of commitment that requires a great
deal of time outside of the workplace or work
day.
“We called upon Michael to consider helping
us in a leadership role because he knows the
art world very well. He understands artists, he
understands art fairs. Last year, the [Fall into
the Arts Festival] raised in excess of $20,000
for the Edina Crime Prevention Fund. Now,
we have a legacy event that can be carried
A newsletter for the City Council and employees of the City of Edina
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
2 Around The
Water Cooler
4 Staff Notes
4 Wellness Corner
5|9|2014
Frey Receives Mayor’s Commendation
for Community Involvement
May 10, Bob, Golf Course
May 12, Tom, Police
May 13, John, Public
Works
May 13, Kristin, Parks &
Recreation
May 15, Susie, Braemar
Arena,
May 17, Brian, Police
May 18, Aaron,
Engineering
May 18, David, Public
Works
May 19, Matthew, Public
Works
May 19, Gunnar, Public
Works
May 19, Derek, Police
May 19, Shaun, Fire-
Rescue &
Inspections
May 20, Tom, Police
May 20, Tedd, Fire-Rescue
& Inspection
Art Center General Manager Michael Frey received the 2014 Mayor's
Community Involvement Commendation at the annual Volunteer
Recognition Reception on Tuesday, April 29.
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CITYSLICK p1
Following is a summary of some of the projects of some departments, divisions and
facilities. Other areas of the City will be featured in upcoming issues.
Communications & Technology
Services
WiFi
The I.T. Division in April expanded the City’s
wireless networks to Edina Liquor – Grandview
and Edina Liquor – 50th & France.
Mobile App
The Communications & Technology Services
Department has entered into an agreement
with PublicStuff for the creation of a mobile
app and online knowledge base. PublicStuff
has centered its business around helping gov-
ernments boost resident interaction, improve
efficiency and respond quickly to resident re-
quests. The mobile app will include many
widgets, or types of information, and multiple
ways for residents to request service or report
problems. Requests will be funneled into the
City’s existing asset-management system,
Cityworks. The knowledge base will help staff
and residents help themselves to popular in-
formation and frequently asked questions. The
target launch date for the mobile app is June 1.
Police
K-9 Trials
The May 5 K-9 Demonstration at Kuhlman
Field went off without a hitch! Nearly 60 police
K-9s and their handlers marched onto the field
in the opening ceremony of the demonstration.
More than 500 people
came to see some of
those K-9 teams dem-
onstrate agility, obe-
dience, suspect search,
narcotics detection, ex-
plosives detection and
criminal apprehension.
The demonstration
was part of the 2014
USPCA National K-9
Detector Trials that took place from May 4-7.
The trials were cohosted by the Edina Police
Department and the Minneapolis-St. Paul In-
ternational Airport Police Department.
Explorers Conference
In mid-April, Officers David Boosalis and
Nicole Pesek, along with two Eden Prairie ad-
visors and 16 Explorers returned from the
39th-annual Minnesota Law Enforcement Ex-
plorer State Conference in Rochester, Min-
nesota, where they placed in six categories,
including first place in White Collar Crime.
Edina/Eden Prairie Explorer Post 925 also
placed second in Interview/Interrogation, Job
Interview, Search and Seizure, third in Police
Exam and fourth in Death Investigation.
In addition, Explorer Alex Geiger won the
$750 Officer Shawn Silvera Scholarship and
Explorer Kayla Stene was elected by her peers
to be the State of Minnesota’s Explorer Youth
Representative. To obtain the scholarship and
youth representative nomination, Explorers
must complete an essay and give a speech in
front of more than 1,000 people.
The State Conference has grown to host
more than 900 Explorers from 45 Minnesota
police departments. The Explorers will head
to Bloomington, Indiana, for the National Ex-
plorer Conference in July. If you see an Ex-
plorer, please wish him or her luck and con-
gratulate the post on its success at state!
Fire-Rescue & Inspections
In April, the Edina Fire Department was called
out to three fires started from carelessly dis-
carded smoking materials.
On April 11, the Fire Department was called
to the 6900 block of Ridgeview Drive after re-
ceiving reports of a grass fire near the railroad;
on April 14, the Fire Department responded to
reports of a deck fire in the 7200 block of York
Avenue; and on April 23, the Fire Department
responded to reports of heavy black smoke
coming from a multi-family building in the
4100 block of Parklawn Avenue.
Fire crews safely extinguished the working
fires after arrival. While there was minimal
damage caused by the April 11 and April 14
fires, extensive damage was caused to the unit
where the April 23 fire started. No injuries
were reported in any of the three fires.
CITYSLICK p2
AROUND THEWATER COOLER
CITYSLICK p3
by Krystal Caron, Communications Coordinator
The Human Rights & Relations Commission (HRRC)
recently recognized a cooperative effort between
employees in the Parks & Recreation and Police
departments. Rec-
reation Supervisor
Kristin Aarsvold
and Detective Tom
McKenzie were
awarded the Tom
Oye Human Rights
Award for developing
an outreach program
to the Somali-
American residents
in Edina.
“[Aarsvold and
McKenzie] have
collaborated in
making City programs
and services available
to many families who have experienced cultural,
language, transportation and financial barriers,”
said nominator Jeff Long, Edina resident and former
Police Chief.
With the help and observations of Edina Public
Schools and the Edina Resource Center, Aarsvold
and McKenzie established a series of programs
aimed at building community between the City
and the Somali-American residents of the Parklawn
Neighborhood.
The City partnered with Red Cross to provide a
babysitting clinic that eventually grew to offer water
safety, common injury prevention, summer weather
safety and chemical safety. A summer program has
been held at Cornelia Elementary for the last several
years, transporting well
over 100 children who
have limited access
to safe routes to the
area playgrounds. In
addition, Aarsvold
coordinated high school
leaders to supervise
children and organize
healthy activities for
attendees.
“People got together
rather than department
heads. It didn’t come
as an assignment,”
said HRRC Member Steve
Winnick. “I cannot em-
phasize how impressed the Commission was with
City employees doing things that were nowhere in a
job description.”
The HRRC annually gives a Tom Oye Human Rights
Award. Anyone who lives or works in Edina is
eligible. Nominees are evaluated based on their
efforts to foster respect and dignity for others, model
courage and/or compassion in the advancement
of human rights, and demonstrate leadership by
example for improving human relations and/or
advancing human rights.
Aarsvold and McKenzie’s work for the Parklawn Neigh-
borhood has impacted the community in significant
ways. Read more of the story in the “News & Notes”
section of Edinet about how they’ve led the charge to
build a safe walkway to parks and inspired students to
pursue careers in law enforcement.
CITY EMPLOYEES COMBINE FORCES TO BRIDGE CULTURAL DIVIDE
“I cannot
emphasize
how
impressed the
Commission
was with
City employees
doing
things that
were nowhere
in a job
description.”
At the 2011 Parklawn Neighborhood Babysitting Clinic, Detective Tom McKenzie and
Past Police Chief Jeff Long awarded participants with completion certificates.
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forward,” explained Edina City Council Member Mary
Brindle, a Board Member of the Edina Crime Fund. “It needs
to be done well so the artists continue to come back. And
that’s what Michael brings.”
“I’m very happy to be the Chair of the Fall into the Arts
Festival,” said Frey. “[Art] is a love and passion of mine. It
doesn’t feel like work – it feels like a lot of fun.”
“There isn’t a nicer guy on the planet. He is always positive.
Clearly, it’s a passion of his. We are so fortunate to have
Michael Frey,” Brindle remarked.
STAFF NOTES
Patrick Wrase began work for the Engi-
neering Department as Assistant City En-
gineer on April 21. Wrase most recently
worked as Utilities Director for the City
of New Ulm, Minnesota. He also pre-
viously served as a Professional Engineer
for Short, Elliot and Hendrickson and the
City of Minneapolis. Wrase holds a bachelor’s
degree in Civil Engineering and a master’s degree in Infra-
structure Systems Engineering from the University of Min-
nesota.
Alexandra Wilson began work for the Police
Department as an officer on May 5. She
will be sworn into her new role on May
15. Wilson holds a bachelor’s degree in
Law Enforcement from Metropolitan State
University. Prior to coming to the City
of Edina, Wilson served as a Community
Service Officer for the City of Maple Grove.
Jesse Meyer-Ruud began work for the Com-
munications & Technology Services De-
partment as a part-time I.T. Specialist on
May 7. Newly retired from the United
States Army, Meyer-Ruud most recently
worked as a Database Administrator.
Meyer-Ruud holds a bachelor’s degree in
Business Management from Saint Mary’s
University.
It’s time to pick up your plants!
WELLNESS CORNER
“Mayor’s Commendation” Continued from Page 1 ...
Those who planted their seeds at City
Hall will be able to pick up their plants
at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, May 13, in the
City Hall break room. Those who
planted their seeds at the Public Works
& Park Maintenance Facility will be
able to pick up their plants at 7:30 a.m.
Thursday, May 15 in the Public Works
& Park Maintenance Facility multi-pur-
pose room.
Come see the City of Edina’s big trucks and other
equipment at our open house. Learn about the
people who keep the City running smoothly.
Hot dogs and refreshments, while supplies last!
For more information, visit
www.EdinaMN.gov/PublicWorks.
SATURDAY, MAY 17
10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Public Works & Park Maintenance Facility • 7450 Metro Blvd.
Open House
BIG TRUCKS