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Edina, MN
AboutTown Magazine
City of Edina
4801 West 50th Street
Edina, MN 55424
www.cityofedina.com
SPRING•2003
About Town
Official Magazine of the City of Edina
City Names
Heritage
Landmarks
Page 38
for details
***ECRWSS***
POSTAL PATRON
CAR-RT-WS
American
Cancer Society
To Host Area
Relay For Life
The American Cancer Society will
hold a Relay For Life June 27-28 at
the Edina Community Center’s
Kulhman Field. An opening
ceremony will be held 6 p.m.
that Friday.
The American Cancer Society’s
Relay for Life is a celebration of life
in honor and in memory of those
whose lives have been touched by
cancer. Teams of 8 to 15 people
walk, jog or run in a relay around
the track for 18 hours to raise
money through donations to help
in the fight against cancer.
Participants will continue to walk
Friday night until Saturday
morning, symbolizing a cancer
patient’s journey from darkness
(diagnosis) to light (recovery).
Organizers are hoping at least 700
people from the community will
participate in the event. The
money raised go toward helping
the American Cancer Society
continue its programs of research,
education, advocacy and service to
cancer patients. Relays for Life
take place in more than 90
communities throughout
Minnesota.
Teams will camp out around the
track. During the relay, at least
one person from each team is
walking, jogging or running.
Meanwhile, other team members
are enjoying food, games, music,
prizes and camaraderie. Hundreds
of luminaries in honor or in
memory of someone touched by
cancer will line the track after dark.
For more information on the local
event, contact event co-chairs
Andrew Davis or Anne Carlson
Davis, 952-944-5562.
Table of Contents
A Word From The Mayor.........................................................................................5
144-Year-Old Edina Public School System Has A Proud Heritage................8
It’s Not Only Neighborly…It’s the Law ..............................................................17
Hot Happenings In Park And Recreation ..........................................................18
Edina Historical Society Turns Back Hands Of Time For Youth ..............20
New Laws Curb Use Of Phosphorus On Lawns ............................................22
Edina Community Foundation Focuses On Ways
To Strengthen Community ....................................................................................24
Construction Under Way On New Edina City Hall ........................................25
Golden K Kiwanis Club, Edina Senior Center To Sponsor
Barbary Coast Dixieland Band Performance ..................................................26
City Of Edina To Flush Hydrants In April, May ..............................................27
T. Lee Returns To The Edina Art Fair With A Triple Crown ......................28
Edina School Administrator Named 2003 Superintendent Of The Year .....30
Reid Retires From Commission, But Leaves A Recycling Legacy ............32
More Than $130,000 Donated To Park And Recreation
Department in 2002 ..................................................................................................34
Storing Combustibles Near Water Heaters Is Dangerous ...........................35
Edina Park And Recreation ‘Clowns Around’ With Community ................36
Country Club Neighborhood, Five Other Properties Named
Heritage Landmarks ................................................................................................38
City Accepting Nominations For 2003 Edina Heritage Award ....................40
Six-Year-Old Benefits From Park And Recreation
Department’s Inclusion Process ..........................................................................42
Edinborough Park To Feature New Play Area ................................................44
A Golden Celebration: Edina High School Concert Band
Celebrates 50 Years ..................................................................................................46
AboutTown
Volume 15, Number 2
Spring 2003
Official Publication of the
City of Edina, Minnesota
4801 West 50th Street
Edina, Minnesota 55424
952-927-8861
Circulation 25,000
Editor:Jennifer Wilkinson
Assistant to the Editor:Jessica Shellum
Publisher:City of Edina
About Town is produced by the City of Edina.
To advertise in About Town, contact Richard Barbeau at
Barbeau Marketing Group, 612-721-1162 or 612-965-2041.
Copyright 2003 by City of Edina, 4801 West 50th Street, Edina,
MN 55424.
About Town is published quarterly by the City of Edina. The
purpose of the magazine is to keep Edina residents informed
of news, activities and programs that are important to them.
We include articles of interest about our citizens and
community history as well.
About Town is printed on recycled paper to conform to City
conservation guidelines.
www.ci.edina.mn.us or www.cityofedina.com
1•SPRING 2003
SUNDAYMONDAYTUESDAYWEDNESDAYTHURSDAYFRIDAYSATURDAY
1
7 p.m., Edina HRA&
City Council, Edina
City Hall.
7 p.m., Scott Frasier
Guitar Duo,
Edinborough Park.
23
Noon, Kit & Kaboodle,
Edinborough Park.
5:30 p.m., Board of
Appeals, Edina City
Hall.
4 5
6
7 p.m., Good News
Big Band,
Edinborough Park.
7 8
Noon, Will Hale &
The Tadpole Parade,
Edinborough Park.
7 p.m., Park Board,
Edina City Hall.
7 p.m., Heritage
Preservation Board,
Edina City Hall.
910
7 p.m., David
Wahlbridge &The Big
Fun Show,
Edinborough Park.
1112
13
7 p.m., Golden Valley
Orchestra,
Edinborough Park.
1415
Noon, Wonderful
World of Woody,
Edinborough Park.
7 p.m., Edina HRA&
City Council, Edina
City Hall.
7 p.m., Classic Brass
Quintet, Edinborough
Park.
16
7 a.m., Recycling and
Solid Waste
Commission, Edina
City Hall.
1819
202122
5 p.m., Volunteer
Recognition
Reception,
Edinborough Park.
23
8 a.m., Senior
Advisory Council,
Edina Senior Center.
2425
8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.,
Podiatrist
Appointments, Edina
Senior Center.
26
29
7 p.m., Larry
McDonough,
Edinborough Park.
2827
About Town Calendar
APRIL 2003
30
7 p.m., Edina
Historical Society
presentation of the
history of the Edina
City Hall site, Edina
Historical Museum.
7:30 p.m., Planning
Commission, Edina
City Hall.
17
Noon, Bob the
Beachcomber,
Edinborough Park.
5:30 p.m., Board of
Appeals, Edina City
Hall.
2•SPRING 2003
SUNDAYMONDAYTUESDAYWEDNESDAYTHURSDAYFRIDAYSATURDAY
1
Noon, Children’s
Music with Bruce
Bell, Edinborough
Park.
5:30 p.m., Board of
Appeals, Edina City
Hall.
2
6 p.m., Southdale
YMCA “Stars Under
the Big Top” benefit
dinner and auction,
Minnesota Valley
Country Club.
3
4
7 p.m., Music School
Performance,
Edinborough Park.
5 6
7 p.m., Edina HRAand
City Council, Edina
City Hall.
7 p.m., American
Dance Ensemble,
Edinborough Park.
7 8
Noon, Kristi’s Kid
Songs, Edinborough
Park.
9 10
11
7 p.m., Northern
Winds Concert Band,
Edinborough Park.
1213
7 p.m., Park Board,
Edina City Hall.
7 p.m., Heritage
Preservation Board,
Edina City Hall.
7 p.m., Somewhat
Dixieland Band,
Edinborough Park.
141617
18
7 p.m., First John
Philip Sousa Band,
Edinborough Park.
1920
7 p.m., Edina HRA&
City Council, Edina
City Hall.
7 p.m., Royal Scottish
Country Dance,
Edinborough Park.
21
7 a.m., Recycling
and Solid Waste
Commission, Edina
City Hall.
7 p.m., “The Richness
of Not Having,” Edina
Historical Society.
22
Noon, Wiggle, Jiggle
&Jam, Edinborough
Park.
2324
27
7 p.m., Human
Relations Commission,
Edina City Hall.
26
Memorial Day. Most
City offices closed.
25
About Town Calendar
MAY 2003
28
8 a.m., Senior
Advisory Council,
Edina Senior Center.
7:30 p.m., Planning
Commission, Edina
City Hall.
29
4 p.m., Edina Art
Center Board, Edina
Art Center.
5 p.m., Clay Exhibit
Opening, Edina
Art Center.
30
8 a.m.- 4 p.m.,
Podiatrist
Appointments, Edina
Senior Center.
15
5:30 p.m., Board of
Appeals, Edina City
Hall.
5•SPRING 2003
This year will be one of challenge and opportunity for the
City of Edina. For the past several months, headlines have
made known the State of Minnesota’s budget deficit. There
is no doubt that the problem will trickle down to local
municipalities in some way, through the loss of state
programs or funding.
Edina, though, is in a much better situation than most cities
in the state. Less than 5 percent of the City’s operating
revenues come from state aides. Nevertheless, Edina will
likely be affected by cuts at the state level and, as a result,
we must be very prudent in our budget planning and in our
five-year Capital Improvement Program (CIP).
A CIP is a plan outlining projected expenses for a certain
amount of time. A CIP requires great foresight and research.
The City must predict the lifespan of equipment and future
neighborhood and community needs. To keep the document
fresh and up-to-date, the City Council is presented with a
new five-year CIP each year.
We are particularly proud of the projects completed last
year. Projects funded through the 2002 CIP included a new
Edina Senior Center, new amenities at the Edina Aquatic
Center and renovation of Edina Liquor – Grandview and the
Braemar Golf Course clubhouse. In addition, construction of
a new Edina City Hall and public safety building and South
Metro Public Safety Training Facility began.
Since the Senior Center opened at Grandview Square in
March 2002, 451 seniors have joined. Besides its
membership, programming at the facility has grown. New
programs include pinochle, Adventure Slide and Movie
Series, square dancing, genealogy interest group, duplicate
bridge group, 70-plus softball, quarterly Elder Learning
Center classes, Art Center classes, pool tournaments,
Community Education classes, social dances, bird watching
and Safety Seminars. In addition, speakers have presented
information on such topics as “Tea Talk and Tasting,” “Five
Wishes” and “Road Rage.”
Edina Aquatic Center patrons were extremely pleased with
the layout of the renovated facility. Residents were so excited
for the new amenities there that some waited more than two
hours on opening day to be one of the first on the water
slides and cable ride. Moving the waterslide to the west
made the facility more user-friendly – it opened up the deck,
created more water
space and provided
a safer environment.
Season ticket sales
were up, after
dropping the previous
two years. In 2002,
more than 3,450
season passes were
sold, up from 3,167
in 2001.
After being closed for seven weeks in February and March
2002 for remodeling and expansion, Edina Liquor --
Grandview reopened on March 25 with much anticipation.
The store was completely gutted and redesigned to better
serve our customers for years to come. We were able to add
about 1,000 square feet to our sales floor by expanding the
store ten feet to the east and by moving the beer cooler to
4•SPRING 2003
April 1 9 a.m.-noon, Senior men’s softball registration,
Edina Senior Center.
April 15 1:15 - 3 p.m., Blood Pressure Clinic, Edina Senior Center.
May 13 1:15 - 3 p.m.,Blood Pressure Clinic, Edina Senior Center.
STARS UNDER THE BIG TOP
What:Held annually, the Southdale YMCA’s “Stars Under
the Big Top” benefit dinner and auction provides
an evening of friendship and fellowship for many
with the goal being to help youth and families in
the community. All proceeds from “Stars Under
the Big Top” are directly applied to scholarships
that enable youth and teens in the community to
participate in YMCA programs such as Youth
Sports, Youth in Government and Camp Kici Yapi.
When:A silent auction will begin at 6 p.m. Friday, May
2, followed by dinner and a live auction at 8 p.m.
Where:Minnesota Valley Country Club, Bloomington.
Info:952-835-2567.
RACE FOR THE CURE
What:The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
this spring will host the Twin Cities Race for the
Cure. The race is one of the top 5K competitive
runs in the country with separate 5K run and
wheel races for women and men, a 5K co-ed
walk, a one-mile Family Fun walk and Kids’ Fun
Run. The annual event raises more than $1
million for breast cancer research.
When:Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 11, 7 a.m. to noon
Where:Southdale Center. The start of the race will be
at 69th Street and York Avenue, between
Southdale and the Galleria.
EDINA GARDEN COUNCIL PLANT SALE
What:The Edina Garden Council holds an annual
plant sale to raise money for its work in Edina
parks. All plants are grown from seed and cared
for at the Arneson Acres greenhouse and the
homes of club members. The sale includes
affordable bedding plants, hanging baskets,
herbs, mulch and crafts.
When:10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, May 9 and 10 a.m. to 4
p.m. Saturday, May 10.
Where:Arneson Acres Park, 4711 W. 70th St.
Info:Marjorie Ruedy, 952-922-2712.
PARADE OF BOATS
What:More than 150 radio-controlled and model boats
will be on exhibit at the Edina Model Yacht
Club’s annual Parade of Boats. The annual event
draws large crowds of spectators and model
boat builders each year. The Parade of Boats
showcases a variety of radio-controlled electric
and model boats, including tugboats, sailboats,
police boats, submarines, steamboats and high-
speed electric racers. At the event, club
members sail and race their model boats for
everyone to view. Additional boats will also be
displayed inside of the nearby Centrum
Building, where club members will demonstrate
how model boats are built.
When:Sunday, June 8, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where:Centennial Lakes Park, 7499 France Ave. S.
Info:John Bishop, 952-922-1745.
Spring Calendar Highlights A Word From The Mayor
31
3•SPRING 2003
SUNDAYMONDAYTUESDAYWEDNESDAYTHURSDAYFRIDAYSATURDAY
1 3
7 p.m., Edina HRA&
City Council, Edina
City Hall.
45
5:30 p.m., Board of
Appeals, Edina City
Hall.
67
10 a.m., Season
opening of the Edina
Aquatic Center.
6 p.m., Barbary Coast
Dixieland Band
concert, Edina
Community Center.
2
8
11 a.m., Parade of
Boats, Centennial
Lakes Park.
7 p.m., Good News
Big Band, Centennial
Lakes Park.
9 10
1:15-3 p.m., Blood
Pressure Clinic, Edina
Senior Center.
7 p.m., Park Board,
Edina City Hall.
7 p.m., Heritage
Preservation Board,
Edina City Hall.
11121314
15
7 p.m., First John
Philip Sousa
Memorial Band,
Centennial Lakes
Park.
16
1 p.m., Monday and
Wednesday
Playground Program
begins.
1 p.m., Super 6 &7
program begins.
17
1 p.m., Tuesday and
Thursday Playground
Program begins.
7 p.m., Edina HRA&
City Council, Edina
City Hall.
18
7 a.m., Recycling and
Solid Waste
Commission, Edina
City Hall.
7 p.m., Mary
Cutrufello Acoustic
Rock ‘n Roll,
Centennial Lakes
Park.
20
8 a.m.-4 p.m., Podiatrist
Appointments, Edina
Senior Center.
9:30 a.m., BikeTrekkers programbegins.
11 a.m., League ofChamps 3 vs. 3Basketball programbegins.
21
22
7 p.m., Calhoun Isles
Community Band,
Centennial Lakes
Park.
23
9 a.m., Cheer Camp
for ages 5 to 8 begins.
10:45 a.m., Cheer
Camp for ages 9 to 12
begins.
7 p.m., Claire Van Der
Crommert, Centennial
Lakes Park.
24
6:30 p.m., Clown Class
begins.
25
7 p.m., Cathy &Tom
Platenberg, Centennial
Lakes Park.
7:30 p.m., Planning
Commission, Edina
City Hall.
2627
6 p.m., Edina Relay for
Life begins, Edina
Community Center.
28
Noon, Edina Relay for
Life ends, Edina
Community Center.
30
9 a.m., Fab 4 &5
program begins.
29
About Town Calendar
JUNE 2003
19
5:30 p.m., Board of
Appeals, Edina City
Hall.
(continued on next page)
Edina Aquatic Center waterslide
7•SPRING 2003
independent
bond-rating
agency, in 2000
gave the City’s
its highest
rating, Aaa.
Edina is just one
of three
Minnesota cities
to have the top
rating from both
agencies. The high bond ratings help ensure that future Edina
debt will be issued with the lowest possible interest expense
and cost to the taxpayer.
The City’s 2003 budget totals $23,857,719. Of the $23.86 million
budget, $3.15 million is for general government operations,
$4.79 million is for public works, $10.78 million is for public
safety, $2.9 million is for the Park and Recreation Department
and $620,000 is for non-departmental expenditures. The total
tax levy for the year will be $17.8 million. The City expects to
bring in to the General Fund an additional $6 million through
such things as licenses and permits, Edina Liquor sales and
other non-tax sources.
Besides managing its finances, the City will continue many of
the projects it began in 2002. Among those projects are
integrating technology to enhance our service delivery and
cost effectiveness and working in partnership with the
business community, school district and other governmental
agencies to improve our infrastructure and the economic
viability of our community.
Last spring, the City introduced an improved website,
www.cityofedina.com. In addition to improved graphics, the
new website features greater usability and interactive
applications. In the late fall, e-commerce was introduced. Now,
residents and visitors can buy products, apply for permits and
register for Park and Recreation Department programs. A goal
of the City of Edina Communications Department is to make
all forms and applications available online, creating a virtual
City Hall where people can do business 24 hours per day,
seven days per week.
The City is a strong supporter of the local youth asset-building
initiative Connecting With Kids. Connecting With Kids is an
effort to create a more supportive and caring school and
community environment for Edina’s youth. The initiative
focuses on developing a community-wide commitment to
surround children and adolescents with the wide range of
“assets” crucial for healthy development. The City in 2002
showed its commitment to the initiative by adding youth
member positions to several of its advisory boards and
commissions, organizing youth-friendly events such as City
Expo and Splash Jam and planning more summer recreation
programs geared toward families.
I take great pride in the reputation our City has earned in the
metropolitan area and beyond and look forward to the
challenges that lie ahead as we seek better ways to provide
great services in a changing and challenging economy.
the back of the
store. We now
have a store
that stands out
on the corner of
Vernon Avenue
and Gus Young
Lane with high
visibility. The
store’s interior
incorporates
earth tones with a lot of natural sunlight. (In the old store we had
one window -- now we have seven.) Our wine selection has
increased by more than 40 percent and the cooler has seven
more doors, further expanding the selection. Sales have
increased, on average, about $30,000 a month since the
reopening. More than 60 percent of that total is due to increased
wine sales.
Rental revenue is up at Braemar Golf Course after the
clubhouse’s Braemar Room was expanded and renovated last
year. Revenues
were up about
$3,700 last year,
which is
remarkable since
there were
minimal bookings
through March
because
construction was
still in progress.
Through January, revenues for bookings in 2003 were up
almost $7,500. There were a few weekends this winter that the
Braemar Room was booked Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The
addition of the fireplace and lounge area has really warmed the
room up, making it more attractive to renters. The new
meeting rooms in the facility’s fully accessible lower level
works well for groups of 20 to 35. The meeting rooms give
Braemar a new market to corner, as the clubhouse did not
have capabilities for that size of group in the past.
The CIP for 2003 includes money for a new playground
structure at Edinborough Park, a new maintenance building at
Fred Richards Executive Golf Course and more than $500,000
for the Park and Recreation Department for such things as
new playground equipment at Normandale and Sherwood
parks, furnishings for the Edina Senior Center, development of
a skate park at Yorktown Park adjacent to the Southdale
YMCA, building repairs at the historic Cahill School and
Grange Hall, and a new entrance to Arneson Acres Park. The
CIP also includes funding in 2003 for a new public safety
communications system; a new pumper for the Fire
Department; $3 million in street, sidewalk and traffic signal
improvement and more than $2.5 million for well, filter plant
and lift station rehabilitations. The Council is convinced it must
continually reinvest in our facilities and infrastructure to
maintain Edina as the “preeminent place for living, learning,
raising families and doing business.”
Edina’s municipal finances are strong. Last summer,
independent bond rating agency Standard & Poor’s upgraded
its rating for the City’s general obligation bonds to AAA, the
company’s highest rating. Moody’s Investors Services, another
6•SPRING 2003
(continued from previous page)
Dennis F. Maetzold
MayorBraemar Golf Course Clubhouse
Edina Senior CenterEdina Liquor -- Grandview
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By Joe Sullivan, Freelance
Writer and Edina Resident
Edina’s public schools have long
been recognized as being among
the best in the nation. And
surveys have shown that the
No. 1 reason people move to
Edina is the quality of our public
school system. As Edina Mayor
Dennis Maetzold observed
recently, “The quality of a
community is tied to the quality of its school system.”
But the humble beginnings of Edina’s public schools go
back a long way – 144 years. The earliest settlers of Edina
were not here long before they decided they wanted
education for their children.
In 1859, what we know today as Edina was still the western
part of Richfield Township. On March 27 of that year,
residents of what would become northern Edina organized
School District 17. And as Paul D. Hesterman noted in his
book History of Edina, Minnesota, “They agreed … that
school would not start until every family contributed three-
fourths of a cord of wood to [heat] the school.”
Edina’s First School Was Built In 1859 At
‘Code’s Corner’
Later that year, families living in the northwestern parts of
Richfield Township built the district’s first school. It was a
one-room, white frame building at Code’s Corner, an
important
intersection named
for the George
Code family whose
farm was near what
is now Normandale
Lutheran Church
at West 62nd Street
and Minnesota
Highway 100. The
school building
cost $600 and the
teacher was paid
$150 a year. School
vacations coincided with spring planting and fall harvesting,
so the children could help in the fields.
The area’s population was shifting toward the Edina Mills
community near Minnehaha Creek and today’s West 50th
Street. The Code’s Corner School was a long walk for
children living in the growing settlement around the mill.
So, in February 1872, the officers of School District 17 voted
to move the one-room schoolhouse one mile north to the
present site of Edina’s City Hall. That winter, farmer Code
loaded the school building on skids, hitched up his oxen
and hauled the building across the snow to the new location.
Second One-Room School Built In 1869 At
70th Street and Cahill Road
In the mid-1850s, a number of Irish families had settled on
farms located along both sides of Nine Mile Creek. They
decided they also needed a “proper school.” In 1854,
9•SPRING 20038•SPRING 2003
144-Year-Old Edina Public School
System Has A Proud Heritage
farmer Hugh
Darcy deeded two
acres of land on
the southeast
corner of today’s
West 70th Street
and Cahill Road to
the school district
for $5. That year,
Edina’s second
one-room school
was built on the
site and named the
Cahill School.
In her 1954 history of the Edina Public Schools, Carol E.
Johnson wrote, “The pupils would fight to see who would
sit near the [wood-burning] stove during the winter
months. They would be toasted on one side and cold on the
other.” There was lots of recitation and students would
often be asked to stand and spell new words or read aloud
to other members of the class.
The school was the gathering place for most of the
Cahill Settlement’s social and civic affairs including
elections, dances, parties, plays and lectures. From 1864
to 1884, it also housed Sunday services of St. Patrick’s
Catholic Church.
Edina’s First Multi-Room School Was Built In 1887
In 1887, population growth in District 17 led to the decision
to build a larger elementary school as the second site of the
Code’s Corner School. It was built of yellow brick and had
two schoolrooms.
Increasing numbers of Minneapolis families were moving
into the Morningside neighborhood’s new residential areas.
The yellow brick school was more than a mile away for most
Morningside children. According to Johnson’s book: “In
1917-18 and 1918-19, Miss Herva Jerolaman was hired to
teach [at] the ‘Morningside Branch’ of the Edina School. A
barber shop at West 44th Street and Grimes Avenue was
fixed up so that grades one through two could meet there.”
Although the 1887 Edina school building had been
enlarged and remodeled several times, the village’s
continuing development resulted in severe overcrowding
by the early 1920s.
In 1923, a two-room
portable school was
erected near Grimes
and West 45th
Street. This helped a
little, but school
board minutes note,
“There is a critical
situation in School
District 17. There is
a lack of school
room [sic] to
properly care for our
children. Unless
action is taken at
(continued on next page)
Originally, the 1887 elementary school
was a one-story, yellow brick structure
with only two classrooms, but two more
rooms were added later.
The Cahill school was a white, frame
building.
This “covered wagon school bus” was
operated by George Code, with oxen or
horses supplying the power. In winter it
traveled over the snow on skids.
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Catherine (Ryan)Garrison, was the granddaughter of Irish
immigrant farmer Patrick Ryan. In a 1996 interview, she
remembered riding the Dan Patch railroad in the 1920s to
get to and from St. Louis Park High School. “One day in the
winter of 1926 or 1927, my sister and I had to walk home
after school from the Cahill railroad station through waist-
deep snow. We did make it home, but we both froze our
legs,” she said.
“After we finished at the one-room Cahill School,” said Jack
Delaney, grandson of pioneer Edina settler Michael
Delaney, “my brother Bill and I attended DeLaSalle High
School on Nicollet Island in downtown Minneapolis. We’d
hitchhike to 50th Street and France Avenue and catch the
streetcar from there.”
By the 1940s,
some Edina
students in
grades 10
through 12
attended private
high schools.
Besides those
enrolled at
St. Louis Park,
350 Edina
teenagers were
being “farmed
out” to West and
Southwest High
Schools in
Minneapolis
at an annual
estimated
outlay of
$50,000 by the
school district.
Minneapolis
schools raised
their tuition for
out-of-city
pupils in 1941.
Despite the
increase, Edina residents voted to pay the increased tuition,
rather than build their own high school.
Edina Builds First High School
World War II and the resulting shortages of building materials
delayed construction of an Edina-Morningside junior and senior
high school. But after the war, support for the new school
resurfaced. Two sites had the most support. One was on Edina
Country Club property near 50th Street and Wooddale Avenue,
which was still the center of the village’s population. The other
was at West 56th Street and Normandale Road, on a turkey
farm that was nearer the school district’s geographic center.
Eventually, the turkey farm site won out, and in February
1946, a $1.25 million school bond issue was passed. Ground
was broken in October 1947 and the combination
junior/senior high school was dedicated a year later.
Classes started in the fall of 1949 and the student body
picked the school colors – green and white; the name for
once to build a new school, it will be necessary to have
pupils put on half-time.”
Demands For Larger School Brought Controversy
Residents of both Edina and Morningside recognized the
need for a new school. But the demands for a new school
led to a controversy over where to build it – on the site of
the 1887 school on 50th Street in Edina or in Morningside.
Eleven different school referenda failed to pass between
1920 and 1924.
Aware that the type of people attracted to his new Country
Club residential development would demand quality
schools, Samuel Thorpe, Sr., founder of Thorpe Bros.
Realty Co., suggested a compromise. He agreed to sell the
Wooddale School site at 50th Street and Wooddale Avenue
South to the school board for $1 and pay them $9,000 for
Morningside’s portable school site.
In November 1925, the compromise referendum passed by
a narrow margin of three votes. The Wooddale School was
built at a cost of $200,000. The four-room Morningside
School was built along more conventional lines on a five-
acre tract at West 42nd Street and Grimes. Morningside
children in the upper grades and grades one through eight
and all Edina students would attend Wooddale.
In December 1926, the new Wooddale and Morningside
schools were dedicated. Some 400 students who had been
attending the old yellow brick school and the portable
schoolhouse in Morningside marched together with their
teachers, carrying the flags from the old to the new schools.
The Wooddale
School was
enlarged by a
rear addition in
1936. With the
addition of
ninth grade
classes, the
school served
as a junior high
school as well
as an
elementary
school.
Most of the Morningside school was torn down in 1979 and
replaced by newer, more modern facilities. In 1980, the
Wooddale School was retired from active classroom use. It
was razed in 1985.
Getting To High School Was A Challenge
In her history of Edina Public Schools, Johnson described
the desire and effort required of Edina students who
wanted to attend high school in the early 1900s, “After
graduating from the eighth grade, if your ambition urged
you on to higher education, you really walked and walked!
You got up at sunrise and by a system of paths and trails
you walked to 43rd Street and Upton Avenue in
Minneapolis, caught the 7:01 a.m. streetcar and rode
downtown to the old Central High School at 4th Avenue
and South 11th Street.”
10•SPRING 2003 11•SPRING 2003
(continued on next page)
In 1926, the Wooddale School had 12
classrooms for eight elementary grades and
an auditorium that seated 1,110 persons. It
also had a library, a kitchen, a cafeteria and
private offices for the teachers.
In 1946, a $150,000 bond issue was
approved for an addition to Morningside
Elementary that included a small library,
two more classrooms and a combination
auditorium/gymnasium.
In 1933, this school bus delivered Edina
teenagers to St. Louis Park High School.
Earlier, some Cahill students had ridden in an
old seven–passenger Packard limousine that
was their first school bus.
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In 1954, huge areas of Edina that had shortly before been
wooded hills and farmlands were being bulldozed for new
houses. To keep pace with the unprecedented growth, a
wing was added to Concord School. The 17 classrooms in
the new wing were ready in September 1954, exactly
doubling Concord’s size.
Construction of another elementary school on a site west of
Minnesota Highway 100 and north of what is now Vernon
Avenue was next on the district’s agenda. Highlands
Elementary was ready for occupancy in September 1957. It
was a cheerful building, with 24 classrooms and 13 special
rooms. Its features and design proved so practical and
efficient that, with a few changes, they were used as a
prototype for the remodeled Cahill and new Cornelia
schools, allowing a substantial saving in architects’ fees.
Highlands was closed in 1982, in response to declining
enrollments and leased to Eden Prairie from 1984 to 1990.
It was reopened by the Edina School District in fall 1991.
South View Junior High Opened in 1956
Since 1949, the high school had served as a combination
junior/senior high school, but by 1954, plans were under
way for a separate junior high. The previously acquired site
was on the corner of Southview Lane and Concord Avenue.
The new Edina-Morningside Junior High – later to be
renamed South View – opened its doors in September 1956,
with 680 seventh- and eighth-graders in 19 classrooms plus
11 classrooms used temporarily for elementary pupils.
(Ninth-grade students remained in the senior high building.)
Cornelia Elementary Built And Occupied In 1960
Cornelia Elementary School was completed and occupied
at 50th Street and Cornelia Drive in 1960. It was built to
serve the new residential areas that had developed around
Southdale and Lake Cornelia.
The years 1954 through 1960 had been a frenzied period,
with new buildings keeping Edina’s youngsters just one
jump ahead of the split-shift. In seven years, Edina Public
Schools had grown to a student population of 7,196 from
3,720. Of these, approximately 4,000 were attending six
elementary schools, and roughly 3,000 attended the
junior high schools.
Valley View Has
Had Three
Names in 39
Years
Valley View Middle
School didn’t
always have that
name. In 1964,
construction of
what was originally
known as Valley
View Junior High
began.
Construction was
slowed during its
early phases
because several
unmarked graves
12•SPRING 2003
the teams – Hornets; and the name of the student
newspaper – Buzzette.
The first senior class graduated in the spring of 1951 and in
1952 an auditorium and gymnasium were added to the
building.
New Cahill School Replaced 1864 One-Room School
Shortly after construction began on the new junior/senior
high school, the school board began discussing plans for a
new brick Cahill School to replace the old frame building.
John McCauley, a longtime resident of Edina and grandson
of Edina pioneer settler Michael McCauley, served on the
Edina School Board from 1945 through 1948. “We decided
to draw up a petition for a new Cahill school and it was
approved. The school was built right on top of the hill just
west of 70th Street and Cahill Road,” he remembered.
When the 90-by-45-foot school opened in 1948, it had only
three classrooms. Three more classrooms were added in
1952, making it possible to serve grades one through six,
along with a combination auditorium/gymnasium and a
lunchroom. At that point, the old one-room Cahill School
was still being used for kindergarten classes.
Before a second remodeling was finished in 1958, the six-
classroom, brick Cahill School had been virtually torn
down and rebuilt with more classrooms.
Elementary Schools Again Face Overcrowding In 1950s
Soon after the high
school was
completed in 1949,
Wooddale
Elementary was
bursting at the
seams. An
appropriation for a
new Concord
Elementary, to be
built just south of the
high school, was
approved in
February 1951 and
construction was
completed in January
1952. Its pupils came
from Wooddale
School and St.
Stephen’s Episcopal
Church where
overflow classes had
been held.
In 1948, with books, a radio and an old
brass bell in their arms, the 46 pupils of
the 1864 one-room Cahill School
marched to their new school.
This 1994 photo of South View Middle
School shows the front of the building
largely unchanged since it opened in 1956,
except for the handicapped-accessible ramp.
A new wing on the back of the school
expanded its capacity and facilities
substantially in 1993.
In 1949, the new junior-senior high school building had 28
classrooms, 11 special rooms and laboratories. It also had a
library and a special radio room. There were specially designed
rooms for choral and band rehearsals.
(continued on next page)
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their athletic teams. Edina East teams retained the “Hornets”
name and the Edina West teams became the “Cougars.”
The original high
school on
Highway 100
continued to
operate as Edina
East until 1981,
when it was
closed because
of declining
enrollment and
converted to use
as a community
center. The
populations of the
two high schools
were combined in
the fall of 1981 and Edina West became Edina High School.
Brick Cahill School Closed In 1978
In 1978, the brick Cahill School closed and its students were
transferred to Creek Valley Elementary on Gleason Road.
From 1978 to 1989, part of the Cahill building was used by
School District 273 for its administrative offices and the
remaining space was leased to the Eden Prairie School District
and a Montessori school. District 273 vacated the building in
September 1989 and moved its offices to the present location in
the former Edina East High School building.
In July 1990, the former Cahill Elementary building was
razed and the land was sold.
All Kindergarten Classes Combined In 1989
In 1987, all Edina kindergarten classes were consolidated at
the Edina Kindergarten Center, located in the former East
High School building. By 1993, kindergarten classes had
been moved back to the neighborhood elementary schools.
The space occupied by the Edina Kindergarten Center
became Normandale Elementary French Immersion School. It
now shares the former high school building with the Edina
Community Education program, the administrative offices of
Independent School District 273 and several other tenants.
Since 1993, parents of Edina’s grades K-5 students have been
able to choose from three options for their children. Today,
70 percent opt for the traditional neighborhood school
program, 20 percent elect for the French immersion
program at Normandale Elementary and the remaining 10
percent choose the district’s continuous progress alternative
offered at Highlands and Countryside elementary schools.
Edina Schools’ Excellence Requires Support of
Entire Community
In a recent statement, Edina Public Schools Superintendent
Dr. Kenneth Dragseth said, “Striving for excellence challenges
both educators and families. It requires the support of the
whole community. We thank the residents of Edina for their
whole-hearted support of learning and learners.”
Background material and photographs for this article came
from the archival collections of the Edina Historical Society,
Minnesota Historical Society, Communications Department,
14•SPRING 2003
were found on the site. The remains were moved and given
proper re-burial. The school opened on schedule in
September 1964.
In 1972, Valley Junior High was renamed Edina West –
Lower Division when a second senior high school, called
Edina West – Upper Division, opened on a site adjacent to
and just north of the original Valley View Building.
After the two senior high schools were combined in the
Edina West building in 1981, the junior high next door once
again became Valley View.
When South View and Valley View were originally
identified as junior high schools, they covered grades seven
through nine. At that time, Edina’s elementary schools
housed kindergarten through grade six. In fall 1992, both
junior high schools were re-designated as middle schools
and their student populations were enlarged to include
grades six through nine. Since then, Edina’s elementary
schools have had kindergarten through grade five.
Countryside And Creek Valley Elementaries Opened
In 1966 And 1968
Countryside Elementary opened in 1966 at 5701 Benton
Ave. when the Board of Education decided Edina needed
still more elementary school space.
Shortly thereafter, the district began developing a design
for an elementary school that would be flexible enough to
meet foreseeable future needs. When it was built at 6401
Gleason Road in 1968, Creek Valley’s design provided
hexagonal classrooms in clusters of three. In order to share
each teacher’s special talents and give students the best
class arrangement for all kinds of study, the Creek Valley
building featured a new concept called team-teaching.
Classroom clusters had folding doors so that classes could
be brought together in various combinations.
The Two-High-School Decision
In search of the best solution for overcrowding in Edina’s
secondary schools, the school board examined several
alternatives in 1970. Ultimately, it was determined that only
one of the proposed alternatives would provide a
permanent solution.
They decided to build a second high school and continue to
operate the existing high school on Highway 100. Smaller
enrollment at the overcrowded original high school
building would allow more efficient and economical
operations there. And the new building would have a
number of modern facilities not possible in the 1950s-era
high school.
In addition, it was felt that having two high schools of 1,800
students each would enable students to identify better with
their respective schools through increased contact with
fellow students, teachers, counselors and administrators.
The board also foresaw opportunities for wider student
participation in all facets of high school life. A $9.255 million
bond issue was approved by the voters on Oct. 20, 1970. Bids
for construction of Edina West High School were awarded on
May 24, 1971, and the school opened in the fall of 1972.
Healthy rivalries developed between the two high schools and
15•SPRING 2003
In 1972, Edina West – Upper Division
joined the Valley View – Lower Division
campus on the former Davis Family farm at
Valley View and Antrim Roads.
(continued on next page)
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Mowing
Regular mowing with a sharp blade at the proper mower height
keeps grass growing vigorously so it covers the soil surface. For
most lawn areas, mowing at a height of two to three inches
provides a good quality turf. This height screens out light to the
soil surface, providing some weed control by preventing the
establishment of weed seeds such as crabgrass that need light to
germinate. Please observe the following mowing heights for a
healthy and better-looking lawn.
• Kentucky bluegrass: Common or public varieties such as
South Dakota Common, Park, S-21, Argyle, Kenblue, 2–3 inches;
Improved varieties included in most sod beds, 11/2 –2 1/2 inches.
• Fine fescue grasses: 11/2 –3 inches.
• Perennial ryegrass: 11/2 –21/2 inches.
• Bluegrass/fine fescue mix: 11/2 –2 1/2 inches.
• Bluegrass/perennial ryegrass mix: 1 1/2 –21/2 inches.
Information: Park Maintenance Superintendent Vince Cockriel,
952-826-0305.
Grass Clippings
Keep grass clippings out of the street to help prevent clogging
the storm sewer, which can lead to water runoff, backups and
flooding. Clippings in the street can become slippery and cause
motor vehicle accidents. In addition, the clippings can cause
mechanical problems for Edina’s street sweepers.
Please help your neighborhood remain safe and free of flooding
by bagging or composting your yard waste or returning grass
clippings to lawn areas whenever possible. Clippings do not
contribute significantly to thatch build-up and are a valuable
organic source of nutrients, especially nitrogen. Under City law,
it is illegal to rake or blow yard waste into the streets.
Information: Public Works Coordinator Steve Johnson, 952-826-0301.
Tree Brush
During spring’s first storm, many tree branches and twigs fall to
the ground. Such brush must be hauled away. However, the city
does not pick up brush left at the curbside. Residents should
contact a private contractor or refuse hauler for removal or
dispose of the brush at the county tree dump.
Information: Park Maintenance Superintendent Vince Cockriel,
952-826-0305.
Lawn Watering
Spring rainfall can be unpredictable. In order to ensure an adequate
water supply for late summer, Edina’s odd-even sprinkling policy
goes into effect May 1 and continues through August.
Homes with even-numbered addresses may water their lawns on
even-numbered dates of the week. Homes with odd-numbered
addresses may water on odd-numbered dates. So, the family living
at 5111 W. 49th St. could water their lawn on odd-numbered dates –
May 1, 3, 5 and so on.
If the weather becomes exceptionally dry for an extended period of
time, additional water restrictions might be put into place. However,
because residents have faithfully observed the odd-even sprinkling
policy, the City has had very few water emergencies in the past.
Information: Utilities Superintendent Roger Glanzer, 952-826-0311.
17•SPRING 200316•SPRING 2003
Edina Public Schools; the personal recollections or writings of
Dennis Maetzold, Catherine (Ryan) Garrison, John
McCauley, Jack Delaney and Dr. Kenneth Dragseth; and the
following publications: “Through the years in Edina-
Morningside Public Schools” by Mrs. Charles E Johnson
updated by Mrs. Franz Jevne, Jr.; “The History of Edina,
Minnesota” by Paul D. Hesterman; “History and Architecture
of Edina, Minnesota” by William A. Scott, A.I.A. and Jeffrey
A. Hess; “NewsNet” a publication of St. Patrick’s Catholic
Church, Edina; “Edina Front Page” and other publications
of Edina Public Schools; Minneapolis Star; Minneapolis
Tribune; Minneapolis Journal; Edina Sun; Edina
Sun-Current and Minneapolis Star Tribune.
It’s Not Only Neighborly …
It’s The Law
Enrollment in Edina’s schools grew dramatically during the “baby
boom” of the 1950s and 1960s. In 1950, the combined enrollment
of the new high school and the two elementary schools totaled
2,143. By 1970, after construction of six more elementary schools
and two junior high schools, enrollment peaked at 11,072. During
the following two decades, after Edina’s “baby boomers” had passed
through the schools, enrollment bottomed-out at 5,491 in 1990.
Since then annual enrollment has grown moderately, reaching
today’s total of 7,150.
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18•SPRING 2003
Hot Happenings In Park And
Recreation
The City of Edina Park and Recreation Department has
many programs and activities for youth to stay active during
the summer months. Here is a sampling of the offerings:
Fishing Clinic
Children can learn the art of fishing at Centennial Lakes
Park. Participants will play interactive games, participate in
habitat site studies, get their hands dirty handling bait and
try their luck as anglers. In addition to instruction, each
child will receive a fishing starter tackle box. At press time,
dates for the clinics were not available, but clinics will be
offered in June, July and August. Cost is $7 per child
participant. Adults are free and welcome. For more
information, call Centennial Lakes Park Special Events
Coordinator Stacy Maas, 952-832-6789.
Ice Skating
Registration begins May 1 for summer ice skating lessons.
Summer ice skating lessons are offered mid-June through
mid-August. Flyers will be available after May 1 at Braemar
Arena or online at www.braemar-arena.com. For more
information, including lesson and open skating times, call the
Arena, 952-941-1322.
Playground Program
Days are filled with games, activities and special events for
children enrolled in a summer Playground Program. The
program is open to children ages 6 to 10. A special program
is also available for youth ages 9 to 12. Qualified park
leaders staff the programs, which run from 1 to 4 p.m.
Mondays and Wednesdays or Tuesdays and Thursdays at
several area parks. Participants enjoy time with friends,
play new games and old favorites, make crafts and enjoy
special events. Regular attendance is not mandatory –
participants can come and play when convenient. Cost is
$21 per session, per participant. Pre-registration is
required. For more information, including park locations,
call the Park and Recreation office, 952-826-0367.
Send In The Clowns
Creative, fun-loving individuals ages 9 to 14 can learn to “clown
around” in a new Park and Recreation program. A series of
classes will help budding clowns develop their own characters,
apply makeup and work with an audience. The new clowns will
march in the City’s July 4 parade, hand out candy and interact
with the crowd. Classes will be held June 17, 19, 24, and 26 from
10 to 11:30 a.m. at Todd Park. Cost is $35 per person. For more
information, call the Park and Recreation office, 952-826-0367.
19•SPRING 2003
Super 6 & 7
New this year is a playground program for 6 and 7 year
olds who would excel in a structured environment. The
program will offer a variety of activities. Parents must
check children in and out each day. Super 6 & 7 will meet
1 to 4 p.m. Monday and Wednesdays or Tuesdays and
Thursdays at Todd Park. Cost is $35 per session.
For more information, call the Park and Recreation office,
952-826-0367.
Tennis Lessons
Did you know that more than 500 people, adults and youth
signed up for an Edina Park and Recreation program last
year to learn about or improve their skills in the game of
tennis? Tennis programs are offered in June and July. For
more information, call the Park and Recreation office,
952-826-0367.
Fishing clinic
12 Years, 1000’s Served
Thank You!
Locally owned & monitored
www.edinalarm.com
• Companionship
• Light Housekeeping
• Errands
• Meal Preparation
• Medication Reminders
• Shopping
• OOur CAREGiverssm provide help at home that includes:
952-929-5695
Each Home Instead Senior Care Office is independently owned and operated.
www.homeinstead.com
20•SPRING 2003
Edina Historical Society Turns Back
Hands Of Time For Youth
Dressed in a white blouse, black
jacket, long skirt, boots and simple
broach, the teacher outside of the
one-room school rings the bell,
signaling the start of the day.
The students who have come to
class file into two rows and enter
the school.
Most are dressed in long skirts
with bonnets, denim overalls or
white shirts with suspenders.
Some carry small silver buckets
with their lunch inside, covered with red handkerchiefs.
Inside the school, Marm Anita Wardlaw addresses the
students, rapt with attention. “Are you brave enough to
journey back to 1900?” she asks. “Do not be afraid; stand
strong. I will turn in a circle and when I face you again, we
will pretend it is 1900.”
With 27 pairs of young eyes watching her every move, the
school marm turns 360 degrees. Then, she says, “You
didn’t come to school today on a big yellow bus. You
walked a long way – probably two to five miles. You are all
farm children in the Township of Edina. Let’s be seated.”
Desks are assigned according to height with shorter
students sitting in front and taller students in the back.
There is silence during the seating process, which takes
several minutes. Waiting to be beckoned to a desk, students
stand straight up with their hands at their sides. Marm
Wardlaw, they know, does not stand for fidgeting or
whispering. Once they are all seated, the teacher says,
“Place one hand properly over the other [on top of your
desk] and keep a pleasant look on your face. This is how all
students sit in 1900.”
Then, Marm Wardlaw explains the rules for her classroom: do
right, control yourself and enjoy yourself. Then, class begins.
Classes organized by the Edina Historical Society at the
Old Cahill School are taught as they would have been at the
turn of the century. Topics of the day include manners,
morals, grammar, penmanship, reading, arithmetic,
hygiene/physiology, weather and history.
In addition, a spelling
bee is held and indoor
and outdoor games
played. Lunch is eaten
next door at the historic
Grange Hall.
The one-room rural
schools that were once
the mainstay of education
in Minnesota have
largely disappeared. Of
those that exist, many
have been abandoned or
converted for other uses.
The Old Cahill School,
relocated from the Cahill
neighborhood of Edina to
its present location in Tupa Park at 4918 Eden Ave., remains
as a place for education.
“Through our programs at the Old Cahill School, the
history of Edina is presented to children in a real and
graphic manner,” said Edina Historical Society Executive
Director Kathleen Wetherall. “Through the one-day classes
there, children identify with the people and events of early
Edina and the rest of Minnesota. At the same time, one of
the few remaining one-room country schools in the county
has been restored and preserved for future generations.”
The Old Cahill School operates 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. every
day that classes are in session during the school year.
Three “teachers,” two of who are actresses, take turns
during the week leading the classes. Over the nearly 30
years that the Society has operated the school, there have
been just five teachers. Flo Moyniham was the first teacher.
The historical educational center was first proposed in
1971 to give students the opportunity to spend a typical
day in a one-room country school of the early 1900s. It
opened in the fall of 1975. The main objective now, as it was
then, is to help children experience history by actually
sitting in the old wooden desks, using slate boards, looking
through school books of the period and playing old-
fashioned games.
Second- and third-graders from all over the region come to the
Old Cahill School for lessons in history. A school from Superior,
Wis., comes the furthest on an annual basis. The Edina
Historical Society books classes in August, before the start of
the school year. Classes pay $150 each for the experience,
which results in a break-even venture for the Society.
“The children love [coming to the school],” said Wetherall.
“They are enraptured with it. One little boy was having
such a good time that he did not want to go back to the
present year. He hid under his desk at the end of the day,
hoping to stay in the year 1900!”
For more information on the Old Cahill School or other
programs of the Edina Historical Society, visit its museum at
4711 W. 70th St. in Arneson Acres Park or call 952-928-
4577. The museum is open 9 a.m. to noon Thursdays, 10
a.m. to noon Saturdays and by appointment.
21•SPRING 2003
Anita Wardlaw is one of
three teachers at the Old
Cahill School.
Marm Wardlaw calls on a student during class. When a student is
called upon, he or she “slides and stands” from a turn-of-the-century
wooden desk, stands up straight and answers loudly – as any student
would have done 103 years ago.
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Many second- and third-grade
students who come to the Old Cahill
School often come in period dress.
Girls wear long dresses and bonnets
with pigtails or braids in their hair.
Boys often wear denim overalls or
white shirts and suspenders.
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22•SPRING 2003 23•SPRING 2003
New Laws Curb Use Of Phosphorus
On Lawns
In Edina and the rest of Minnesota, residents have just
a short time to enjoy their yards. As a result, many
take advantage of them during the spring and summer
months, using them as play areas, gardens and places
to gather with friends and family.
Many also spend a great deal of time and money
making sure their shrubs, trees, flowers and lawns
look great. Traditionally, in addition to hours spent
under the hot sun, this high-maintenance type of yard
care has included large quantities of water, fertilizers,
pesticides, weed control and money. However,
environmental landscaping has become increasingly
popular in recent years. This type of landscaping, also
called sustainable landscaping, employs some basic
principles that can reduce the impact we have on the
environment and the amount of time and labor spent
creating a functioning, aesthetically pleasing landscape
that can be easily maintained for years to come.
Among other things, these principles include reducing
inputs such as fertilizer into the environment. Next
year, a state law banning the use of fertilizer
containing phosphorus will go into affect. No fertilizer
with any amount of phosphorus, used to stimulate
early root growth and promote early plant vigor, can
be used in the seven-county metropolitan area after
January 2004. Since August 2002, spilling or
spreading fertilizer on hard surfaces has been
prohibited. Any spillage must be picked up
immediately.
Improper management and use of turf fertilizers such
as phosphorus can contribute to pollution of both
surface water and groundwater. That is one of the
reasons the new state laws were created. Avoiding
over-application of these materials and basing lawn
nutrient requirements on a reliable soil test are the
first steps in responsibly using fertilizers to protect
water resources. Following are some additional
general fertilization practices recommended by
University of Minnesota-based Sustainable Urban
Landscape Information Services that can reduce water
pollution from fertilizers:
•Never directly deposit or inadvertently apply fertilizers
into lakes.
•Fill fertilizer spreaders on a hard surface where spills
can be cleaned up easily. Never wash fertilizer spills into
the street or other hard-surface areas where fertilizer
can enter storm sewers and ultimately surface water.
•Close the gate on the fertilizer spreader when crossing
hard-surface areas or go back and sweep up the
material for reuse.
•Never apply fertilizer to frozen ground.
•Clippings not left on lawn, leaves and other plant debris
should be removed as soon as possible from street
gutters, sidewalks and driveways. This plant material
can be composted, used in the garden as mulch or
disposed of through appropriate community services.
•When mowing lawns, do not direct clippings into the
street or lake.
•Drop spreaders are more precise but slower than
rotary spreaders. Near shorelines areas, apply fertilizer
near the lake with a drop spreader to create a buffer
zone. Then, you can fertilize the area away from the
shoreline with a rotary spreader. Take the same
precautions when using liquid applications.
• Avoid getting fertilizer into natural drainage areas or
pathways on a property. These are not always hard-
surface areas.
For more information, contact City Sanitarian David Velde,
952-826-0464, or your local lawn care and maintenance
company.
952-895-8200
www.qualityseasons.com
Little Feet Friendly Lawn Care
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25•SPRING 200324•SPRING 2003
Edina Community Foundation
Focuses On Ways To Strengthen
Community
The Edina Community Foundation has begun a $1 million
annual fund-raising campaign and is reaching out to
residents and businesses for support.
The Foundation was established in 1977 to
cultivate and enrich the community spirit
that has traditionally been the hallmark of
Edina. The Foundation is dedicated to
developing a permanent endowment of
philanthropic capital from a broad range of
donor sources in order to meet the charitable
needs of the community. The Foundation’s
status as a non-profit, charitable organization offers
interested individuals, families and businesses a vehicle for
channeling tax-deductible donations, bequests and life
income gifts to a variety of initiatives.
With the assistance of the Foundation, new and exciting
programs and projects have been started and other
programs are able to continue or expand. Examples of
the Foundation’s recent activities include the purchase
of a bus used for the Dial-A-Ride program to transport
seniors with limited mobility to their doctor
appointments and on necessary shopping trips,
providing Park Board scholarships so less fortunate
children can participate in local recreation programs,
purchasing thermal imaging equipment for the Edina
Fire Department and assisting with funding for a new
K-9 Unit for the Edina Police. The benefits of these
programs and projects accrue to each and every Edina
resident and help build a stronger and more vibrant
community.
At present there are a variety of unmet needs in the community.
Senior programs are on hold due to incomplete furnishings at
the new Senior Center. Youth programs are hampered
due to lack of space. Additional defibrillators are
needed to assist our population in emergencies. As a
result, in the coming year, the Foundation will focus
its giving on projects that benefit youth and seniors,
improve public safety, beautify the community and
strengthen the Southdale YMCA.
“The Edina Community Foundation exists only
because of the philanthropic generosity of our citizens
and businesses,” said Foundation President James B.
Hovland. “Through the Foundation, continued
philanthropic commitments from donors will make Edina
an even better place to live, learn, raise families and do
business. Working together, we can create and provide
benefits that will be of significant and lasting importance in
our community for generations to come.”
The Foundation accepts all charitable gifts, will honor your
specific wishes about how your charitable contribution
should be used and will make responsible decisions in
meeting the emerging as well as ongoing needs in Edina.
If you would like more information on the Edina Community
Foundation or if you desire to discuss including the Foundation
in your planned giving, call 952-833-9573 or write to 5280
Grandview Square, Edina, MN 55436. To make a tax-deductible
donation, please use the enclosed envelope. If you would like your
gift directed to a certain project or initiative, indicate your desires
with your donation.
The new Edina City Hall and
public safety building is taking
shape. The first phase of
construction has been completed
and crews have begun work on
the remainder of the facility,
scheduled to be completed in
mid-November.
Adolfson & Peterson
Construction is overseeing
construction of the new 57,000-
square-foot building next door
to the existing City Hall,
4801 W. 50th St. The first phase
of the project included earthwork, footings, foundation and
site utilities and was completed in February. Crews took
advantage of mild weather in December and January,
keeping the project on track. At press time, construction
was ahead of schedule.
During the earthwork portion of the project, construction
crews removed 8,000 cubic yards, or 800 truckloads, of soil
from the site. Edina Country Club purchased some of the
material for a project it is beginning. As a result, the City
was able to save some money that would have been spent
hauling the material away to a more distant location.
Several artifacts were unearthed early in the project. An
antique toilet was found, but was later stolen from the site.
Two building foundations were also discovered. One is
believed to be that of a yellow brick schoolhouse that once
stood on the property. The other is
believed to be that of the first Edina
Village Hall, a Quonset building
erected in 1942 and torn down after
the existing City Hall was built in
the early 1950s.
Because of the interest in the
history of the construction site, the
Edina Historical Society will make a
special presentation later this
month. The program will be held 7
to 9 p.m. Wednesday, April 30, at
the Edina Historical Museum, 4711
W. 70th St. Speakers will be lifelong
Edina resident Frank Cardarelle, former Park and
Recreation Director Bob Kojetin, City Manager Gordon
Hughes and Assistant City Manager Eric Anderson. The
event is free and open to the public.
Bids for the remainder of the project were awarded in late
February and early March. The bids were under the
construction manager’s estimate, helping to ensure that the
$10.4 million project will come in on or under budget.
“It is indeed gratifying to see the new City Hall taking
shape after so many years of effort,” Hughes said. “We
hope that the new facility will serve the community as long
and as well as the City Hall built in 1953.”
For more information on the Edina City Hall construction
project, contact Anderson, 952-826-0415.
Construction Under Way On New
Edina City Hall
The Edina Village Hall was housed in a Quonset building
from 1942 until the early 1950s. Its foundation might
have been discovered during the earthwork portion of the
new City Hall construction project.
27•SPRING 200326•SPRING 2003
The Barbary Coast Dixieland Band will perform later this
spring as a fundraiser for the Edina Golden K Kiwanis Club
and Edina Senior Center.
The concert will be held 7 p.m. Friday, June 6, in the Edina
Community Center auditorium, 5701 Normandale Road.
Tickets cost $15 each and are available at the Edina Senior
Center, 5280 Grandview Square, or by phone at 952-833-9570.
The Barbary Coast Dixieland Band has entertained Upper
Midwest audiences for more than 30 years with well-blended
presentations of Dixieland Jazz, show tunes and zany humor.
They have made hundreds of appearances, including the
Minnesota State Fair, St. Paul’s Ordway Theater and
countless conventions and trade shows, and are noted for
summertime entertainment on Mississippi paddlewheel
boats. While their show is humorous, their specialty is
Dixieland music that has earned them election to the
Minnesota Dixieland Hall of Fame.
With 1,500 members and a variety of activities, the Edina
Senior Center offers something for everyone 55 and older. At
its new facility, the Senior Center hosts recreational,
educational, health and social service events. The center
features speakers, tours, card parties, sports, health
screening, free income tax preparation, Edina Community
Education classes, Edina Art Center classes, Elder Learning
Center classes and special events, among other things.
Edina Golden K Kiwanis is a service club with a membership
of about 80 mostly retired people from the Edina area. It is
affiliated with Kiwanis International, a worldwide
organization whose emphasis is to help provide assistance
for children in need throughout the world. The local club is
20 years old, meeting every Tuesday morning for coffee, a
speaker and business session on fundraising and plans to
give support to organizations serving children in the area.
Organizations that have benefited from Golden K efforts are
Sobriety High, Boys and Girls Club of the Twin Cities,
Hospitality House, St. Joseph’s Home for Children, Urban
Ventures and Safe House of Lutheran Social Services. Other
Golden K fund-raising events include Peanut Day and the
sale of holiday coloring books.
For more information on the upcoming concert, call the Edina
Senior Center, 952-833-9570.
City Of Edina To Flush Hydrants
In April,May
Golden K Kiwanis Club,Edina
Senior Center To Sponsor Barbary
Coast Dixieland Band Performance
To purge rust and stagnant water from the water distribution
system and identify hydrants in need of maintenance, the
Utilities Division of the City of Edina’s Public Works
Department will flush hydrants for four weeks beginning
Monday, April 14. Random hydrants are also flushed
throughout the year as weather and water demand allows.
Hydrant-flushing will take place 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday
through Friday. In an attempt to minimize the impact on
residents, hydrants will be flushed as follows:
April 14-18 East of Minnesota Highway 100 and
north of Minnesota Highway 62
April 21-25 East of Minnesota Highway 100 and
south of Minnesota Highway 62
April 28-May 2 West of Minnesota Highway 100 and
north of Minnesota Highway 62
May 5-9 West of Minnesota Highway 100 and
south of Minnesota Highway 62
Due to hydrant flushing, it is inevitable that some residents
will receive rust-colored water, which can stain laundry but
is safe to drink. Residents may also receive rust-colored
water when areas adjacent to theirs are being flushed.
Residents should check that water coming into the house is
clear before doing laundry during the flushing period.
The flushing schedule is approximate. For an up-to-date
flushing schedule, call the Public Works Hotline at 952-826-
0375. For more information, contact Utilities Superintendent
Roger Glanzer, 952-826-0311, or visit www.cityofedina.com.
The Barbary Coast Dixieland Band will perform June 6 as a
fundraiser for the Edina Senior Center and Edina Golden K
Kiwanis Club.
Coverage for backups of sewers and basement drains is
available, but not always included in a basic homeowner’s
insurance policy.
In addition, insurance companies that do offer the
protection have varying amounts of coverage.
Check your homeowner’s insurance policy to see if you
have coverage for backups.
If you do not have coverage, consider adding to your
policy because in most cases the City’s insurance will
not cover your damages in the event of an incident.
For moreinformation, call Edina Public Works, 952-826-0311.
DOYOU
have insurance for
sewer back-ups?
Check your policy today!
29•SPRING 2003
In 2003, the Edina Art Fair will celebrate local artists,
including Lee, and national artists for its 37th year. This
year’s fair will feature Lee and 300 other artists from around
the country. It is an event that showcases 50th and France
and is one of the community’s largest events, bringing in an
average 60,000 people over a three-day period.
Throughout its 37 years, the Edina Art Fair, located at the
intersection of 50th Street and France Avenue, has grown to
be one of the best art shows in the upper Midwest. The Edina
Art Fair sets itself apart from other fairs by offering more
traditional artists and by maintaining a family-friendly fair.
When asked why the artists return from year-to-year,
Executive Director of the 50th and France Business &
Professional Association Colleen Jones said, “It is one of
the better shows around and the artists enjoy the people
that come to the fair. The quality of the art at the fair is
second to none.”
Similar to Lee, the past year was a good one for the Edina
Art Fair. It was Jones’ first year as executive director of the
business organization. With the cooperation of the City of
Edina, Jones was able to close 50th Street, allowing artists
and guests more space to roam freely at the fair. Artists
booths were moved onto 50th Street for the first time in the
event’s history.
This year Jones looks to change the type of the art at the
fair. “In the past, the fair has offered more country craft art
and this year I would like to see more fine arts in the fair,”
she said. “Fine arts include paintings, sculpture, clay, hand-
blown and leaded glass, photography, and jewelry.”
In past years, the fair was the first full weekend in June.
This year’s fair will take place Friday, May 30 through
Sunday, June 1. The 50th and France Business and
Professional Association Board of Directors decided to
change the date due to an overlap with the Excelsior Art
Fair. Last year, both fairs were on the same weekend.
Board members felt that it will be more convenient for
guests to offer the Edina Art Fair on a different weekend.
In this way, guests can easily attend both fairs.
Fairgoers will also be able to enjoy carnival and specialty
food while walking around the fair. Later in the day, the fair
will provide free entertainment. However yummy the treats
and sweet the sounds, the draw to the Art Fair will be the
artists and their work.
“If you are looking for a one-of-a kind piece of jewelry, get
to the fair early. In past years, I have sold out of jewelry by
Saturday. Then, I would only have my portfolio to show
guests on Sunday,” recommended Lee.
For more information on T. Lee Fine Designer Jewelry, call
612-789-2656. For more information on the Edina Art Fair,
call Colleen Jones at 952-922-1524 or
cjones@50thandfrance.com.
28•SPRING 2003
By Jessica Shellum
T. Lee, a self-proclaimed gypsy, has
been featured in the Edina Art Fair
since the early 1990s. This year,
the jewelry designer returns to the
fair after having a remarkable year
in the jewelry industry.
In 2002, Lee won the JCK Rising
Star award at the Las Vegas
International Trade Show and
the New Designer of the Year
and the Golden Apple, given for
marketing efforts, at the JA New
York Show.
“This has been an amazing year.
I won all of these awards and
opened my first gallery on Nov.
14, 2002,” Lee said. The awards
stemmed from Lee attending a
local basket weaving conference
with her sister. From that
experience came her award-
winning “Woven Collection.”
Lee has been making jewelry for
nearly 20 years and at the conference she had an epiphany.
“Halfway through one session on basket weaving, I
remembered some 18-karat wire thread back at the
studio that I thought I could
‘weave,’” said Lee.
In recent years, weaving had
become a more popular technique
among her fellow jewelers. She
returned to her studio from the
conference with new found
inspiration to differentiate her
product from the industry. To make
something different, Lee
concentrated weaving jewelry from
ultra-pure precious metals: 24-karat
gold and 0.999-percent pure
platinum.
This process was frustrating for Lee
because the 24-karat gold would
stretch and did not take a polish. She
found an answer to her frustration in
a trade magazine -- a heat-treatable
gold micro alloy. This metal was
malleable enough to weave and heat-
treatable to wear for years.
“My goal for every piece of jewelry
that I sell to a customer is to make
them feel confident that they are
investing in a family heirloom,” said Lee.
Known for her “Bullet Collection,” Lee is excited to bring
her “Woven Collection” to the Edina Art Fair.
T.Lee Returns To The Edina Art
Fair With A Triple Crown
T. Lee is widely known in the jewelry industry for her
innovative weaving of precious metals. Lee will be one
of more than 300 whose artwork is featured in the
Edina Art Fair.
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“The events of the past year have accelerated our need
to make sure that, as our mission states, we ‘educate
responsible lifelong learners to possess the skills,
knowledge, creativity, sense of self-worth, and ethical
values necessary to survive and flourish in a rapidly
changing, culturally diverse, global society.’ The [Sept.
11] crisis placed renewed emphasis on the challenge
of understanding and appreciating our diversity within
our country and from a global perspective.”
Those who work closely with Dragseth note his ability to
create and support an environment for learning. Serving
Edina Public Schools with an enrollment of 7,100 students,
Dragseth helps to deliver “A World Class Education Today”
through strong academics, innovative instructional
strategies and extensive extracurricular activities.
Edina Mayor Dennis Maetzold said, “With Ken’s leadership
and vision, many ‘school’ events become community
events. Ken is not only a leader within the school district,
but within the community.”
In addition to this year’s National and Minnesota
Superintendent of the Year awards, Dragseth has been
honored with the Exemplary Board/Superintendent
Relationship Award, Executive Educator 100, Administrator of
the Year, Bush Executive Fellow and several Who’s Who lists.
As the 2003 Superintendent of the Year, Dragseth received
a gold medallion, a $2,000 U.S. savings bond and a jacket
emblazoned with the National Superintendent of the Year
emblem. His high school alma mater in Rutland, S.D., will
receive a $10,000 check in Dragseth’s honor for use as a
scholarship for a needy college-bound senior.
“I feel humbled by this honor,” Dragseth said in response
to the national honor. “There are so many people here
today on the stage and in the audience that do incredible
work for kids each day, and they are the true heroes.”
Founded in 1865, AASA is the professional organization for
more than 14,000 educational leaders across America and
many other countries. It is their mission to support and
develop effective school system leaders who are dedicated
to the highest quality public education for all children.
MASA is a “professional educational association serving
approximately 600 public and non-public superintendents;
directors of special education; other central office
administrators; and service providers throughout the state.”
Their mission is to establish the statewide agenda for
children, serve as the preeminent voice for public
education, and empower members through quality services
and support.
For more information on Kenneth Dragseth and the Edina
School District, contact the ISD 273 District Office, 5701
Normandale Road, Edina, MN 55424, at 952-848-3900; or
e-mail staff at info@edina.k12.mn.us.
31•SPRING 2003
Edina School Administrator Named
2003 Superintendent of the Year
30•SPRING 2003
By Jessica Shellum
Edina Public Schools Superintendent
Kenneth Dragseth was recently named
the 2003 National Superintendent of the
Year, the American Association of School
Administrator’s (AASA) highest honor.
The National Superintendent of the Year
Award, presented Feb. 21 at the AASA
national conference in New Orleans,
honors outstanding public school system
leaders. Dragseth was chosen from four
national finalists at the 135th National
Conference on Education. Other
superintendents chosen as finalists were
William Mathis, superintendent of the
2,100-student Rutland Northeast
Supervisory Union in Brandon, Vt.;
Michael Moses, superintendent of the
166,000-student Dallas Independent
School District in Texas; and W. Randolph
Nichols, superintendent of the 38,000-student Chesapeake
Public Schools in Chesapeake, Va.
Dragseth was eligible for the national award after being
selected by the Minnesota Association of School
Administrators (MASA) as the 2003 Minnesota Superintendent
of the Year to represent Minnesota at the national conference.
Minneapolis superintendent Carol Johnson, who nominated
Dragseth said, “As superintendent of the largest school
district in Minnesota, I know the
challenges of leading change and
promoting strong and continued
community support. Ken has led a
[district] that has consistently been
engaged in creating and sharing
innovative and effective educational
programs and practices.”
Superintendent of the Year nominees
were evaluated on how each candidate
displays leadership for learning,
communications skills, professionalism
and community involvement.
Dragseth has been the Edina Public
Schools superintendent since 1992.
However, he has been involved with
Edina Public Schools since 1967.
He has held a variety of leadership roles
including Dean of Students, Instruction
Assistant, Curriculum Coordinator,
Principal, Planning Director and Assistant Superintendent.
He obtained his undergraduate degree from Gustavus
Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn. Then, he went to the
University of Minnesota where he received his master’s
degree in education administration and doctorate in education.
During the nomination process for the Minnesota
Superintendent of the Year Award, Dragseth was asked
about the challenges schools face today.
Kenneth Dragseth is the 2003
National Superintendent of the Year.
One day, I just jumped up onto the semi and started to
volunteer my time,” said Reid.
Throughout the years, recycling facilities have been able to
add materials to their collections. In 1974, when the Edina
Recycling and Solid Waste Commission was formed,
newspaper, cans, glass bottles, cardboard and magazines
were the only materials that were collected.
For Reid and the Commission, 1986 was a milestone
year because it was the year a household collection
pilot project began in Edina. With a three-person City
work crew and a pickup truck, recyclables were
collected monthly. Items collected included newspaper,
aluminum and tin cans and brown, clear and green
glass. Recycling containers were not provided and
residents were asked to sort items in paper grocery
bags, according to Edina archives.
“It is the highlight of all of my years with the Commission,”
said Reid of his involvement with the pilot program. “We
worked so long and hard to get curbside recycling that to
see it get on its feet in ‘86 was great.”
In 2003, Reid is still recycling as much as he was almost 30
years ago when he helped to establish the Commission.
He has enjoyed seeing the growth of materials that are
recycled in Edina, from only glass to nine items.
He continues to volunteer his time to recycle at St. Alban’s
Episcopal Church, Edina Historical Society and Friends of
the Edina Community Library. This spring, he and his wife,
Elie, will retire from their many volunteer positions and
move to Wausau, Wis., to be closer to family.
“We will all greatly miss him at our meetings each month.
The City has gained so much from Bob Reid being involved
throughout the years, his legacy will remain,” said Edina
Recycling Coordinator Solvei Wilmot.
For more information on recycling in Edina or the Recycling
and Solid Waste Commission, contact Wilmot, 952-826-0463.
33•SPRING 200332•SPRING 2003
Reid Retires From Commission,
But Leaves A Recycling Legacy
By Jessica Shellum
Bob Reid, a recycling zealot, will retire this year from the
Edina Recycling and Solid Waste Commission after serving
on the board since 1974.
Reid’s interest in recycling started at Morningside
Elementary School in the 1940s. Two or three times each
year, the school administration of Morningside held a
“Paper Sales Day.” Each class was encouraged to collect as
much paper as it could. Then, on the chosen day the
classes would bring the paper they collected to an assigned
area on a curb on 42nd Street in front of the school. The
group with the largest pile of paper was given some free
time to watch a Disney movie during class time.
“This was incentive for all of us to collect paper and start to
recycle,” Reid said.
Recycling remained an important part of Reid’s life
throughout his childhood and into his adult life. While
working as manager of the Met Center where the Minnesota
North Stars played, he would bring home 20 to 30 boxes a
week of discarded glass, cans and newspaper to be recycled.
“In 1967, I would bring the recycling to Kennedy High
School in Bloomington. John Koser, a Wayzata teacher who
lived in Bloomington, had started a program there called
C.L.E.A.N. Inc. C.L.E.A.N. collected corrugated paper, glass
and metal. It was one of the first recycling facilities in the
metro area and there was not a place to bring the recycling
in Edina,” said Reid.
In 1970, the Edina Garden Council initiated a monthly
collection of glass in the parking lot of the Southdale Red
Owl Store (now Cub Foods). In 1972, the League of Women
Voters of Edina joined the recycling effort and the project
moved to the Public Works Garage at 5121 Brookside Ave.,
according to Edina Recycling and Solid Waste Commission
documents.
Reid was not involved with the forming of the site, but soon
after it opened he became a constant volunteer.
“There were large bins in a semi-[trailer] truck that held
the recycling materials collected. Often people would just
drop off their materials and not separate them into the bins.
Bob Reid begins and ends his days recycling. Reid will retire this
spring from the Recycling and Solid Waste Commission after
serving for more than two decades.
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35•SPRING 2003
Storing Combustibles Near Water
Heaters Is Dangerous
By Thomas Jenson
Edina Fire Marshal
According to the Minnesota Uniform Fire Code, combustible
materials shall not be stored in boiler rooms, mechanical rooms
or electrical equipment rooms. The section applies to
commercial buildings, but what is good for commercial
buildings should be considered practical for single-family homes.
Individuals storing clothing, paper, boxes and other combustible
items next to or up against their water heaters have caused a few
recent fires in Edina. The fires were totally preventable.
Fortunately, these recent fires occurred while people were
awake or not at home and there were no injuries. What if these
basement fires occurred while the residents were sleeping? A
majority of the homes in our community probably do not have
basement smoke detectors. If they do, they are not
interconnected to the detectors upstairs. There would be a delay
in waking people up.
I started looking for a house to buy in Edina last winter. I looked
at about 10 homes and over half of them had combustibles
stored around the furnace and water heater. A couple of homes
were packed with items. I wondered when we would be
responding to a fire in these homes. If these 10 homes
represented a fair sampling of homes in Edina, then there is a
large potential for fire in homes in our community.
Please take the time right now to look at the area around your
water heater and furnace. Remove any combustibles that are
within three feet of these appliances. At the same time, look at
your electrical panel and make sure that is accessible, too.
Firefighters need to access the electrical panel during a fire to
shut off power to the house to protect them from electrocution.
The actions you take right now will prevent one type of fire from
occurring in your home. Ask the residents from our recent fires
of this type what it has cost them. We all have personal
possessions, photographs and memorabilia that an insurance
company cannot replace.
For more information, contact the Edina Fire Prevention
Bureau, 952-826-0378.
34•SPRING 2003
More Than $130,000 Donated
To Park And Recreation
Department In 2002
Parks and other such amenities
greatly improve the quality of life
in a community. The City of
Edina is the fortunate recipient of
many donations each year that
improve its parks, adding to the
quality of life enjoyed here. In the
year 2002, more than $130,000 in
donations were received.
“The City of Edina wishes to
extend thanks and appreciation
to all those who made
contributions to the Edina Park
and Recreation Department in
the year 2002,” said Park and
Recreation Director John
Keprios.
In 2002, a new Edina Senior Center was opened at
Grandview Square. Many people made donations of $300 or
more to furnish and equip the facility, including: Ede
Donovan, $500; Dick and Gloria Wank, $500; Boz and Terri
Albinson, $2,000; Ron and Kay Bach, $1,000; Ron and
Sandra Clark, $500; Edina Lions Club, $500; Edina Rotary
Club, $2,500; LeRoy and Jeanne Fish, $500; American
Express, $400; Martin and Joyce Hirabayashi, $500; Scot
Housh, $500; Michael and Peggy Kelly, $500; Mary C.
Linvill, $500; Joan Lonsbury, $500; Linda Masica, $500;
Catherine Mulholland, $500; Ed and Lisa Noonan and
family, $500; Lewis and Fern Opperman, $1,000; Mary
Porter, $1,000; Sally Tang, $1,000; and Bzz’s, $1,000.
Other donations of $300 or more to the Edina Park and
Recreation Department in 2002 were:
•Kiwanis Golden K Club of Edina, $600 for the purchase of
Countryside Park tree plantings.
• Claire Schwanebeck in memory of Marion Hume, $3,000 for
general park improvements.
• Edina Soccer Club and Edina Football Association, $8,000 each,
for the renovation of the Lewis Park soccer fields.
• Braemar Men’s Club, $577; Ray O’Connell, $300; and Sally Hoyt and
Vaughn Ausman, $300; for Braemar Golf Course improvements.
• Joelle and Michael Marchio, $439, for a bench at Centennial
Lakes Park.
• BFI – Awin Management, Inc., $3,000; M. Joan Hodges, $500;
The James and Jean Slattery Foundation, $500; Sandra L. Clark,
$1,500; Donald M. and R. Patricia Sullivan, $300; Thomas W.
Osborn, $500; David Baron, $800; Marta Melin, $300; Kim
Mikulich, $403; Claire Schwanebeck, P.R., $3,000; Gerald
Olson/M.C. Enterprises, $300; Florence L. McHugh, $600; and
Elin Ohlsson, $1,350; for the Edina Art Center’s 25th
anniversary celebration and Art Center improvements.
• Charles Gits, $500; Timothy Montgomery, $500; Bruce and
Peggy Johnson, $600; Brian Lawton, $1,000; Russell and Jan
Michaletz, $1,000; Kurt and Laura Nisi, $1,000; Eugene and
Mary Frey, $5,000; and Jeffrey and Mary Werbalowsky, $30,000;
for the development of Fox Meadow Park.
• Jerry’s Enterprises, Inc., $500; Edina Rotary Club, $2,500; Fred
Babcock VFW No. 5555, $1,000; M&I Bank, $2,000;
Minneapolis-Richfield Legion Post No. 435, $10,000; and PEPSI
Company, $20,000; for the development of the Tri-City Skate
Park and Yorktown Park.
For more information on donations made in 2002 or to make
a donation to the Park and Recreation Department, contact
Keprios, 952-826-0430.
Several donations were
made to fund the Edina Art
Center’s 25th anniversary
celebration. At the
celebration, young people
participated in a make-one-
take-one tile activity, like this
one, among other things.
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37•SPRING 2003
parade in Edina. “It is our goal to see the children from the
clowning around class hand out candy and interact with the
crowd at the parade,” said Recreation Supervisor Susie
Miller. Miller and other Park and Recreation staff members
hope that there will be clowns throughout the length of the
parade. If the clowns are able to hand out the candy, there
should be less candy thrown into the crowd.
The parade is one of the largest community events of the year,
with thousands attending every year. In the past, the City has
hired professional clowns to be part of the Independence Day
celebration. In addition, some companies have had their own
clowns as part of their floats in the parade.
Miller and Parade Planning Committee Chairwoman Laurie
Powers Jung hope that “Clowning Around” will become an
annual program. “We are really excited about having the
students be involved in the parade. It will be a great
experience for them and give the parade a more personal
feeling for the audience,” said Powers Jung.
The Clowning Around classes begin mid-June. They will
take place at T. Lea Todd Park, 4429 Vandervork Ave. S.
The childrens’ class, for youth ages 9 to 14, will meet June
17, 19, 24, and 26, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Cost is $35. The
adult class, for those ages 15 and up, will meet June 24 and
26, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Cost is $40.
For more information or to register for Edina Park and
Recreation programs, call 952-826-0367.
36•SPRING 2003
Edina Park And Recreation ‘Clowns
Around’With Community
By Jessica Shellum
This summer, children and adults
will clown around with Edina Park
and Recreation.
The Park and Recreation
Department will offer two
clowning classes -- one for adults
and one for children.
In the past, Edina Park and
Recreation programs focused
mostly on athletics with such
programs as soccer and hockey.
Staff is working to add more
performing arts to their
offerings. In addition to the
clowning class, Edina Park and
Recreation has added nature,
balloon sculpting, magic and
cheerleading classes to its
summer offerings. “We would
like to offer more diverse
classes to the Edina
community,” said Recreation
Supervisor Donna Tilsner.
To teach the “Clowning Around”
classes, the City has hired
Homeward Bound Theatre
Company (HBTC). HBTC is a
Chanhassen, Minn.-based company
that serves more than 65 school
districts in Minnesota and
Wisconsin.
HBTC Founder Bruce Kirkpatrick
said, “Smiles are a familiar sight at the
Homeward Bound after-school
workshops.”
Participants in the clowning classes
will work for two to four weeks with
professional theatre artists. Students
will learn about clown makeup,
costumes and personalities. They will
be given the opportunity to explore
the art of performance during the
class through skits, gags, stories and
magic.
Adults registered for the class will
have the opportunity to go to class in
costume or bring pictures of them in
dress for gentle critique and
brainstorming. They will learn
moves that add to a performance
such as double-takes, slow burns,
gentle falls and non-contact slaps.
Adults and children participating in
the Clowning Around classes will be
asked to participate in the July 4
Get Your Seat
Early!
Get Your Seat
Early!
Don’t miss Edina’s
JULY 4 PARADE
the BIGGEST community event of the year!
The parade starts at 10 a.m. July 4.
For more information or to volunteer,
call 952-826-0433or visit
www.edinaparade.org
39•SPRING 2003
by ensuring that new construction is in keeping with the
goals and objectives identified for the [neighborhood].”
The George W. Baird House, 4400 W. 50th St., Jonathan
Grimes House, 4200 W. 44th St., Paul Peterson House, 5312
Interlachen Blvd., and Cahill School and Minnehaha
Grange Hall, 4918 Eden Ave., were also designated as
Heritage Landmarks.
Owned by Bradley and Arlene Forrest, the Baird House
was placed on the National Register in 1978. It is a brick
Victorian-Eastlake house designed by architect Charles
Sedgwick. When it was built in 1886, it was part of a 120-
acre farmstead operated by one of the most prominent
farmers in the Edina Mills community.
The Grimes House, owned by Bruce and Karen Ferrara,
was placed on the National Register in 1975. It is a Gothic
Revival house with Italianete influence. When it was built in
1869, it was part of a 160-acre farmstead. Grimes was one of
Minnesota’s most active pioneer horticulturists and was the
first president of the Minnesota Horticultural Society. He
created the jonathan apple and introduced the ginkgo and
catalpa trees to the state.
Owned by Mark and Nancy Winter, the Peterson House
was built in 1880 as part of a 100-acre farmstead. It is a late
Victorian-Eastlake style house with significant gingerbread
detailing. It is recognized as one of the few remaining
Victorian-Eastlake homes in the Twin Cities area, as well as
a well-preserved example of Edina’s agricultural heritage.
The Cahill
School and
Minnehaha
Grange Hall,
owned by the
City and located
in Tupa Park,
were placed on
the National
Register in 1970.
Cahill School,
originally located
on the southeast
corner of West
70th Street and Cahill Road, stood as the geographic and
spiritual center of the Irish-Catholic community known as
the “Cahill Settlement.” The Grange Hall was originally
located on the southeast corner of Wooddale Avenue and
West 50th Street at the present site of St. Stephen’s
Episcopal Church. It provided a critical gathering site for
social, educational and civic affairs of the Village,
comparable to today’s City Hall.
For more information on Edina Heritage Landmarks or the
activities of the Heritage Preservation Board, contact Repya,
952-826-0462.
38•SPRING 2003
Country Club Neighborhood,Five
Other Properties Named Heritage
Landmarks
The Country Club Neighborhood, George W. Baird house,
Jonathan Grimes house, Paul Peterson house, Cahill School
and Minnehaha Grange Hall have been named Edina
Heritage Landmarks.
In 2002, the Edina
City Council
revised the section
of the City Code
that pertains to
preservation.
Under the revised
ordinance, owners
of properties
designated as
“Heritage
Landmarks” are
required to seek
approval from the
Heritage
Preservation Board when applying for City permits to
demolish or move historic structures or do excavation work
in archeologically sensitive areas. In addition, building
permits for construction of new homes in Heritage
Landmark Districts require a “certificate of
appropriateness” to ensure that new buildings do not impair
the historic character of preserved properties. Approval is
not required for remodeling work or additions.
The Country Club Neighborhood is bounded by
Minnehaha Creek to the west, Sunnyside Road to the
north, Arden Avenue to the east and 50th Street to the
south. Approximately 550 homes are included in the
district. The neighborhood, the first planned subdivision of
Edina, was placed on the National Register of Historic
Places in 1980. However, since then, the City’s Heritage
Preservation Board has struggled with addressing
preservation needs there.
“Due to the National Register designation, many people
assumed that there were controls in place to regulate
building activity in the district,” said Associate Planner
Joyce Repya, who serves as staff liaison to the board.
“However, the National Register depends on the local
government to provide controls and regulations. By the
spring of 2001, the City had been receiving numerous calls
and letters from residents of the Country Club district
stressing their concerns regarding the demolition of homes
in the neighborhood, as well as the proliferation of large
additions which if uncontrolled could change the character
of the district. The Heritage Preservation Board came to
the conclusion that the time was right to consider
designating the
Country Club as
historic …
“With the Edina
Heritage
Landmark
designation in
place, the City is
able to protect
the district’s
historic integrity
George W. Baird House
Jonathan Grimes House
Paul Peterson House
41•SPRING 200340•SPRING 2003
City Accepting Nominations For
2003 Edina Heritage Award
The City of Edina is calling for entries in its first
Edina Heritage Award contest.
The City recently established the award to showcase
local historic preservation activity. The Edina
Heritage Award will be given annually to an
individual, family, company or organization that has
made an outstanding contribution to the preservation,
rehabilitation, restoration and use of Edina’s heritage
resources. Any individual, company or organization is
eligible for the award, including non-residents, but in
order to be considered, the historic property or
resource must be located in Edina. However,
nominated properties do not have to be Edina
Heritage Landmarks to receive the award. Current
members of the City’s Heritage Preservation Board
are not eligible for the award.
The Heritage Preservation Board will select this
year’s winner. The award will be presented during
National Preservation Week, May 5-12, 2003. The
National Trust for Historic Preservation sponsors
Preservation Week in partnership with the Minnesota
Historical Society, the Preservation Alliance of
Minnesota and other statewide and local
organizations.
Nominations are due 4:30 p.m. April 1. A nomination
should include the address of the heritage resource;
description of its preservation, rehabilitation and
restoration; and name and address of owner. A photo
should also be included.
Entries should be sent to: Edina Heritage Award,
Edina City Hall, 4801 W. 50th St., Edina, MN 55424.
Entries can also be e-mailed to
EdinaMail@ci.edina.mn.us. A commemorative plaque
will be presented to the award winner in May.
For more information, call Associate Planner Joyce Repya,
952-826-0462.
THE MOST POPULAR MOM
ON THE BLOCK
DIDN’T GET THERE
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Not every parent shares your concern about
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and what they’ll find when they get there.
THE MOST POPULAR MOM
ON THE BLOCK
DIDN’T GET THERE
JUST BY BAKING COOKIES.
Not every parent shares your concern about
teen drinking. Find out where your teen is going,
and what they’ll find when they get there.
Tri-City Partners is an initiative of the Bloomington Public Health Division
for the communities of Bloomington,Edina,and Richfield.
Made possible by Grant #5 U1F SP08183-02 from Center for Substance Abuse and Prevention.
43•SPRING 2003
be deaf, providing a sled for a child with a physical
disability so the child can play hockey, and having a staff
person available to redirect a child participating in the
playground program who is having a difficult time paying
attention.”
Edina offers residents a choice. Residents may
participate in Adaptive Recreation programs, which are
programs planned specifically for individuals with
disabilities, or Edina residents with disabilities may
choose to be included in general park and recreation
programs through the Inclusion process.
When asked about whether or not she thought Jake’s
inclusion was a success, Sydney Johnson said, “Yes! Jake
gets so much out of the programs and I think that the
other kids enjoy getting to know him, too.”
For more information on Adaptive Recreation or to register
for a program, contact the adaptive recreation supervisor at
952-826-0433 voice or 952-826-0379 TTY.
42•SPRING 2003
Six-Year-Old Benefits From Park
And Recreation Department’s
Inclusion Process
By Jessica Shellum
Six-year-old Jake is an eager kindergartner at Cornelia
Elementary School. He loves to work on the computer and
to play with friends at school. He especially loves his family
and their dog, Riley.
Jake is not your typical 6-year-old. Jake has Down’s syndrome.
That does not slow him down, though. He is active in and
outside of the classroom. With a little extra help, Jake enjoys
many of the community programs his peers are involved in.
The extra assistance he receives is through “Inclusion,”
offered through the City’s Park and Recreation Department.
“He imitates everything that his sister does. We think that
it is good for him because she helps to keep him active,”
said his mother, Sydney Johnson.
Last summer, Jake had the opportunity to play soccer with his
peers for the first time. Although he was only able to play in
three games, Jake had a terrific time. He was able to wear a
uniform like his sister and thought that being part of a team was
really exciting. With help from Edina Adaptive Recreation, the
Soccer Association provided Jake with an Inclusion Facilitator
trained specifically to work with him and meet his needs.
“Jake does not have the patience to participate in an entire game,
but he will always be the team’s No. 1 fan,” said his mother.
Jake wants to try everything. In addition to participating
in soccer, he was involved with the Playground Program.
The playground program offers children ages 6 to 10
days filled with games, activities, arts and crafts, special
events and more.
Jake’s father, Edina Board of Education Member Jeff
Johnson, coaches a Peewee hockey team. He would like
to get Jake out on the ice, but he hasn’t been able to do
so yet. Jake has been satisfied by being involved with his
dad’s team in other ways.
“He is like the team manager. The players love him and
he loves them,” said his mother.
In every program that Jake has been involved with, the
people have interacted well with him. They have
included him in the programs and accepted his abilities.
The City of Edina made the decision to provide
recreation opportunities to residents with disabilities
well before the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
was passed in 1990. The ADA mandates that private and
public entities end discrimination against people with
disabilities so that they may enjoy the same privileges as
other citizens. ADA does not only require public facilities
to be physically accessible, but it also requires programs
held within the facilities to be accessible.
“Inclusion is the process of providing support to
individuals with disabilities who want to participate in
general park and recreation programs,” said Recreation
Supervisor Susie Miller. “Some examples of how I make
sure that everyone can be involved are: providing a sign
language interpreter for a softball player who happens to
Jake Johnson is always happy to learn something new whether it is
at school, childcare or at home. Through the Inclusion process, he
is able to enjoy many of the City's Park and Recreation
Department programs.
Ph
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You may qualify for up to $20,000 to make
repairs or necessary improvements to your
Edina home through the Hennepin County
Housing Rehabilitation Loan Program.
This program provides deferred repayment
funds on a first-come-first-served basis to
people who can show financial need. If you would like to receive information,
income guidelines, qualification summaries, interest rates, and applications,
please call Associate Planner Joyce Repya at the
Edina Planning Department, (952) 826-0462.
Dozens of Edina residents have protected the value
of their homes by using this program. If your primary
residence is located in Edina and needs repair or
structural improvements, please give Joyce a call.
Home Rehab Funds
for Qualified Edina Home Owners
CITY OF EDINA
PLANNING DEPARTMENT
45•SPRING 2003
basis, the small indoor ice skating rink will be removed and
an indoor play structure installed in its place. Surveys
indicate such an amenity would be attractive to park users.
The play structure will include five or six slides, climbing
structures, catwalks, tunnels and activity panels. According
to preliminary plans, it will be one of the tallest indoor play
structures in Minnesota. The new structure would also be
completely accessible, something that cannot be said of the
current structure, which can only be reached by climbing a
long set of stairs.
“Our current play structure has always been the park’s
most popular amenity,” said Shirley. “Unfortunately,
because it is so small, it can easily be overwhelmed by the
number of kids wanting to use it. The new structure will be
able to handle a much larger number of kids on a wider
variety of play elements.”
Construction on the new play area is expected to begin in late
May, with a completion date of Sept. 1. When the renovation
is complete and the playground open, park patrons will be
charged a nominal fee to use the new amenity.
Edinborough Park staff estimates that the new amenity will
generate more than $90,000 in revenue per year. In
addition, operating costs will be significantly less than the
costs to operate and maintain the ice skating rink.
For more information on the closing of the ice skating rink or
construction of the new indoor play structure, contact Shirley
or Assistant Park Manager Ann Kattreh, 952-832-6790.
44•SPRING 2003
Edinborough Park To Feature
New Play Area
After 15 years of delighting ice skaters from throughout the
area, the ice skating rink at Edina’s Edinborough Park will
melt away forever this May, as the rink compressors are
shut down for the final time.
“It’s sad to see the rink go,” said Park Manager Tom
Shirley, “but ultimately the intimacy and atmosphere that
made the rink unique contributed to its demise. It was
simply too small a rink to attract the number of skaters
necessary to cover operating expenses. With an additional
$100,000 in repairs needed for the rink in the next few
years, it became obvious that we wouldn’t be able to justify
spending that much on an undersized ice sheet that already
loses money.”
Opened in 1987, the 44-by44-foot Edinborough Park ice
rink was one of several recreational amenities at the
innovative indoor park, which also includes a swimming
pool, track, tot lot and multi-purpose room. At the grand
opening of the park, Olympic figure skater Charlie Tickner
performed on the rink to the delight of the capacity crowds.
Throughout the years, the ice rink has hosted a multitude
of open skating sessions, private lessons, skating schools
and ice shows.
One of the more unique aspects of the ice rink is the park
ice resurfacer. Custom-built and designed by the Frank J.
Zamboni Company, the resurfacer scrapes and cuts the ice,
and lays down up to 20 gallons of hot water, ensuring an
optimal sheet of ice every time. The Zamboni Company
now manufactures and markets this machine as its Model
100 Zamboni.
Although the park will no longer have an ice skating rink,
that doesn’t mean that visitors will have less to do. In fact,
quite the opposite is true. In an effort to make
Edinborough Park operate financially on a break-even
After 15 years, the Edinborough Park ice skating rink will close.
An indoor play structure will be constructed in its place.
Most Of TheWorld’s
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EDINA LIQUOR
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47•SPRING 200346•SPRING 2003
A Golden Celebration:Edina High
School Concert Band Celebrates
50 Years
By Jessica Shellum
They are just teenagers, but some Edina High School
students recently celebrated their golden anniversary. The
Edina High School Concert Band held its 50th annual Pops
Concert in February and March.
Butler Eitel directed the first Pops Concert at Edina
Morningside High School in the spring of 1954 to give his
students an opportunity to perform music in a format
different from the standard formal band concert. “Pops”
became a celebration of popular music.
The Edina Morningside High School yearbook, Whigreen,
of 1954, reflected on the first Pops. It read, “The concert of
light music that was presented on March 10 was received
so well that it is sure to become an annual event.”
This year’s Pops concert was dubbed a “Golden
Celebration.” Opening night featured a world premiere of a
piece composed by College of St. Olaf Band Director
Timothy Mahr. The piece, “sssssplashhhhh!!!,” was
commissioned specifically for the 50th Annual Edina Pops
Concert. In addition to the premiere, this year’s concert
included pieces that have become a tradition in the concert,
such as Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture, op. 49.”
Through the years, Pops has changed in many ways, but it
has always been considered an outstanding band concert
that reflects the times. It has grown to include one-liners,
skits, solos, ensembles, band humor and other
choreographed dance and vocal numbers. Pops has
entertained approximately 300,000 audience members
throughout its 50 years.
Current Concert Band Director William A. Webb said, “The
Pops Concert consists of spectacular music, entertaining
skits and camaraderie through music.”
Pops has been privileged to have had a remarkable team of
directors throughout its 50 years. Eitel, founder of Pops,
was director from 1953 to 1964 at Edina Morningside High
School. In 1964, Ed Melichar took over as director and
carried on Eitel’s tradition until 1987. During his time as
director in Edina, Melichar also directed Edina West High
School from 1972 to 1982. Edina East was directed by Bob
Elledge from 1972 to 1982. During the time that there were
two high schools, two Pops Concerts were presented.
Then, in 1983, when the two schools merged together to
form Edina High School, one Pops Concert was held. After
Melichar’s retirement in 1987, Webb took over and has had
the opportunity to carry on the tradition.
This year, the band was proud to reconnect with five of its
2,500 alumni. They welcomed Stanford Freese, Amy and
Sara Hamann, Scott Crosbie and Phillip D. Holm. Freese is
the director of Talent, Casting and Booking at Disney; the
Hamann sisters perform professionally throughout the
world; Crosbie is the founder, artistic manager and
conductor of the First John Philip Sousa Band; and Holm is
the current band director at South View Middle School.
Each performed solos with the band during separate
performances.
In addition to the Pops Concert, the Edina High School
Concert Band of juniors and seniors has had many
accomplishments over the past 50 years. It has made
appearances at prestigious band conventions and has
traveled the world. This year, they had the opportunity to
play on a Caribbean Cruise during spring break. Also, for
the past 49 years, the Concert Band has received the
highest rating possible at the annual Minnesota State High
School League Large Group Contest.
When asked what his most memorable band moment was,
senior clarinet player Conrad Wilson replied, “Pops
Concert because we put so much into it once a year. My
mom, Victoria Linner-Wilson, was also in the Pops Concert
30 years ago.”
For more information on the Edina High School Bands,
contact the Edina High School Band Office at 952-848-3123,
or e-mail staff at edinabands@earthlink.net.
William A. Webb leads a rehearsal of music for the 50th
annual Pops Concert of the Edina High School Concert Band.
“Golden Celebration” was performed in February and March.
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