Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutAboutTown_2005WinterPRESORTSTD U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit No. 3932 Edina, MN AboutTown Magazine City of Edina 4801 West 50th Street Edina, MN 55424 www.cityofedina.com WINTER•2005 About Town Official Magazine of the City of Edina 2005 Community Resource Directory Special Pull-Out Section ***ECRWSS*** POSTAL PATRON CAR-RT-WS ©C O L O U R S 2 0 0 5 The Learning Resources Network (LERN), an international association in lifelong learning, recently honored Edina Community Education Services for excellence in its “Best Marketing” category. The winning entry was included in a showcase of internationally exemplary programs at the LERN Annual Convention in Toronto in late November. The Edina Community Education Services’ nomination was selected from a field of more than 100 nominations from four countries. Marsha Buchok submitted the winning entry. Judges indicated that there was a very high level of excellence in this year’s field of nominees. Julie Coates, Vice President of Information Services for LERN, said that this year’s award nominees were among the best ever submitted. In selecting programs to be recognized for excellence, Coates said the primary criteria used by judges was the quality of lifelong learning. In addition, judges also applied the following criteria: originality, innovation, appropriateness as a model for other programs, replicability, and measurable outcomes. “The awards selection process is very competitive,” Coates said, “and it is truly an honor to be selected.” Table of Contents Calendar Of Events.........................................................1 Winter Calendar Highlights...........................................4 A Word From The Mayor ..............................................5 Edina Streets Named For Early Pioneer Farm Families..................................................................6 AR&LE Will Present The Perfect Way To Dream.............................................................................15 Bobo Zinn Adds Sparkle To The Edina Art Center......................................................................19 Task Force To Address High Demand For Lower Housing Prices...............................................................21 2005 Legislative Preview: Transportation..................24 Edina Community Foundation – Meet Our Board OfDirectors...................................................................28 Edina Transportation Commission Works To Establish Policy.............................................................31 Greenways,Sidewalks And Monorails: Public Considers Future Of Greater Southdale Area...........32 New Transit Service Began In December..................33 Edina Votes In High Numbers.....................................34 New City Council Members To Take Oath Of Office....36 AboutTown Volume 17, Number 1 Winter 2005 Official Publication of the City of Edina, Minnesota 4801 West 50th Street Edina, Minnesota 55424 952-927-8861 Circulation 25,000 Editor:Jennifer Bennerotte Assistant to the Editor:Lelan Bosch 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, 610-277-9252 or 612-965-2041. Copyright 2005 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.cityofedina.com Cover photo by Polly Norman Edina Community Education Receives International Award Special Pull-Out Sections: Edina Community Resource Directory and Park & Recreation Insider 1•WINTER 2005 SUNDAYMONDAYTUESDAYWEDNESDAYTHURSDAYFRIDAYSATURDAY 1 2 3 4 1:15-3:30 p.m. by appointment, Hearing Tests, Edina Senior Center. 7 p.m., HRA&City Council, Edina City Hall. 56 5 p.m., Exhibit Opening, “Studio Eight,” Edina Art Center. 5:30 p.m., Board of Appeals, Edina City Hall. 7 By appointment starting at 8:30 a.m., Podiatrist Appointments with fee charge, Edina Senior Center. 8 91011 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. 1214 By appointment starting at 8:30 a.m., Podiatrist Appointments with fee charge, Edina Senior Center. 15 1617 MartinLuther King, Jr. Day. Most City offices closed. 18 7 p.m., HRA&City Council, Edina City Hall. 7 p.m., Cathy &Tom Platenberg, Edinborough Park. 19 7 a.m., Recycling & Solid Waste Commission, Edina City Hall. 20 5:30 p.m., Board of Appeals, Edina City Hall. 2122 25 5-8 p.m., Skating Lesson Registration, Braemar Arena. 7 p.m., Human Rights &Relations Commission, Edina City Hall. 2423 30 About Town Calendar JANUARY 2005 26 7 p.m., Planning Commission, Edina City Hall. 27 4 p.m., Edina Art Center Board, Edina Art Center. 6 p.m., Transportation Commission, Edina City Hall. 28 13 29 7 p.m., First John Philip Sousa Memorial Band, Edinborough Park. 31 2•WINTER 2005 SUNDAYMONDAYTUESDAYWEDNESDAYTHURSDAYFRIDAYSATURDAY 1 Summer Park and Recreation program registration begins. 7 p.m., HRAand City Council, Edina City Hall. 23 5 p.m., Faculty Exhibit Opening, Edina Art Center. 5:30 p.m., Board of Appeals, Edina City Hall. 45 6-11 p.m., Chamber of Commerce Emerald Gala, Interlachen Country Club. 6 7 p.m., Jack Norton & The Mullet River Boys, Edinborough Park. 7 8 7 p.m., Park Board, Edina City Hall. 7 p.m., Heritage Preservation Board, Edina City Hall. 7 p.m., Royal Scottish Country Dancers, Edinborough Park. 9 1011 12 13 7 p.m., Stan Bann Big Band, Edinborough Park. 1415 7 p.m., HRA&City Council, Edina City Hall. 16 7 a.m., Recycling & Solid Waste Commission, Edina City Hall. 18 By appointment starting at 8:30 a.m., Podiatrist Appointments with fee charge, Edina Senior Center. 19 2021 Presidents’ Day. Most City offices closed. 22 7 p.m., Human Rights & Relations Commission, Edina City Hall. 23 7 p.m., Planning Commission, Edina City Hall. 24 6 p.m., Transportation Commission, Edina City Hall. 25 By appointment starting at 8:30 a.m., Podiatrist Appointments with fee charge, Edina Senior Center. 26 2827 7 p.m., First John Philip Sousa Memorial Band, Edinborough Park. About Town Calendar FEBRUARY 2005 17 5:30 p.m., Board of Appeals, Edina City Hall. 7 p.m., Drive-in Movie Night, Edina Senior Center. 5•WINTER 2005 It truly has been an honor and a privilege to serve Edina over the past 16 years as mayor, City Council member and school board member. We have a wonderful community and it has been highly rewarding to be involved in the many facets of Edina. As I finish my term as mayor and look back over the 16 years I spent in public office, here are some thoughts that I would like to share with you: • Edina’s volunteers are to be especially commended. Many of the great things that happen in Edina take place because of our volunteers, whether serving on boards and commissions or as members of our many community organizations. • It has been a pleasure to work with City and school district staff who are true professionals and highly dedicated individuals. At the helm, City Manager Gordon Hughes and Superintendent Ken Dragseth are unsurpassed! • Our neighborhoods are strong and getting stronger by the day. Residents are making substantial investments in our housing stock as evidenced by the on-going remodeling projects that are taking place on almost every street in Edina. Also, it’s been fun to see individual neighborhoods establish their identities, and I think that this will be a growing trend. • Our business community is extremely strong, and “Fabulous France” Avenue, in my opinion, is the premier shopping district in the Upper Midwest. The decision of Tiffany & Co. to locate here is reflective of this. A strong business community results in a tax rate for residents that is one of the lowest in the state. • Edina’s schools are second to none and are among the best, if not the best in the United States. Our public schools are the reason most folks move to Edina and raise their families here. • The city received AAA and Aaa bond ratings from Moody’s Investors Service and Standard & Poors, reflective of strong municipal fiscal management, a strong tax base and only modest debt levels. • Edina has the lowest crime rate in Hennepin County except for several small outlying communities. This is the result of outstanding professionalism, attention to detail and a strong resolve by our police officers to solve even the most minor of crimes. • Medical services provided by the Edina Fire Department are second to none. Through advanced training and technology, our highly dedicated paramedics deliver world-class service to our residents. •The No. 1 compliment about government services that I have received over the years is the nice job that our Public Works staff does with snow removal – no community does it better! Public Works staff does a great job with this and with countless other projects and tasks that make our lives better. • We have one of the finest park systems in the country. Our parks are well maintained and provide a nice array of amenities to our citizens. I especially like our park at Centennial Lakes – it truly is beautiful and a walk around the park on a summer evening is inspiring! • Much development and redevelopment has taken place in our community. Especially noteworthy is the completion of Centennial Lakes and Grandview Square. I’ll miss being directly involved in significant redevelopment that I envision in the future. • Our new City Hall is receiving rave reviews from the public and from staff thanks to the hard work of Eric Anderson, our Assistant City Manager and project coordinator. Our new City Hall is beautiful, highly functional and a great buy for Edina taxpayers. • Another area of great accomplishment is communications. I’m very proud of About Town and AboutBusiness, our national award-winning information publications that are sent quarterly to residences and businesses in Edina. Also, cable broadcasts of City Council meetings that began last spring have been a great hit. Quality is high and it’s amazing to me how many residents mention that they now watch Council meetings on a regular basis. • Finally, my proudest moments occurred when as Mayor I presented Medals of Valor to officers Mike Blood, Jeff Elasky, Sgt. Scott Kuyper, Billie Moir, Jim Rygg, and Shelby Lane for heroic actions they displayed in putting their lives on the line in protecting the citizens of Edina during robberies. These officers truly are the best of the best! Thank you, Edina, for the opportunity to be involved in all of these happenings! Dennis F. Maetzold Former Mayor 4•WINTER 2005 OTHER DATES TO REMEMBER: Feb. 8 1:15-3 p.m.Blood Pressure Clinic, Edina Senior Center. March 8 1:15-3 p.m.Blood Pressure Clinic, Edina Senior Center. INDOOR SKATING LESSONS What:Braemar Arena offers ice skating lessons throughout the year. Registration for the spring session of lessons is held in January. When:5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 25 Where:Braemar Arena, 7501 Ikola Way. Phone-in registrations will not be accepted. Info:952-941-1322 or www.Braemar-Arena.com. EDINA ART CENTER FACULTY EXHIBIT What:During the year, nearly 7,000 people take classes at the Edina Art Center in everything from drawing and painting to pottery and stained glass. Nearly 65 talented artists serve as faculty to instruct those people. About half of the instructors participate in an annual faculty exhibition. Many of their works will be available for sale. When:Opening reception 5 to 8 p.m. Feb. 3 Exhibit continues through March 15 Where:Edina Art Center, 4701 W. 64th St. Info:612-915-6600 or www.EdinaArtCenter.com EDINA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE EMERALD GALA 2005 What:The Edina Chamber of Commerce will host its largest fund-raising event of the year, Emerald Gala 2005. The “black tie admired, but not required” event will feature a silent auction, dinner and dancing, among other things. A portion of the proceeds from a raffle will provide scholarships for Edina High School students. When:6 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 5 Where:Interlachen Country Club, 6200 Interlachen Blvd. Info:Edina Chamber of Commerce, 952-806-9060. Winter Calendar Highlights A Word From The Mayor 3•WINTER 2005 SUNDAYMONDAYTUESDAYWEDNESDAYTHURSDAYFRIDAYSATURDAY 1 1:15-3:30 p.m. by appointment, Hearing Tests, Edina Senior Center. 7 p.m., HRAand City Council, Edina City Hall. 7 p.m., Richfield LegionBand, Edinborough Park. 23 5:30 p.m., Board of Appeals, Edina City Hall. 45 6 7 p.m., Southside Big Band, Edinborough Park. 7 8 7 p.m., Park Board, Edina City Hall. 7 p.m., Heritage Preservation Board, Edina City Hall. 7 p.m., Notable Singers, Edinborough Park. 91011 10 a.m., Tea for Two, Edina Senior Center. 12 3 and 7 p.m., AR&LE Presentation of “The Perfect Show,” Richfield High School. 13 7 p.m., South of the River Community Band, Edinborough Park. 14 15 7 p.m., HRAand City Council, Edina City Hall. 16 7 a.m., Recycling & Solid Waste Commission, Edina City Hall. 1819 20 7 p.m., First John Philip Sousa Memorial Band, Edinborough Park. 2122 7 p.m., Human Rights & Relations Commission, Edina City Hall. 2324 5 p.m., Exhibit Opening, Sumi-e Society, Edina Art Center. 6 p.m., Transportation Commission, Edina City Hall. 2526 29 7 p.m., Sentimental Swing, Edinborough Park. 2827 About Town Calendar MARCH 2005 30 7 p.m., Planning Commission, Edina City Hall. 31 17 5:30 p.m., Board of Appeals, Edina City Hall. By Joe Sullivan Contributing Writer Following is the second installment of a two-part series about pioneer Edina families whose names were immortalized on our City’s street signs. Part I appeared in the Autumn 2004 issue of About Town. In our last issue, we took a look at 12 pioneer families and one Catholic missionary priest for whom Edina streets were named. On the following pages, we will examine 12 more pioneer families (in alphabetic order) whose names appear on today’s Edina street signs. Grimes Avenue And Alden Drive As Edina historian E. Dudley Parsons put it: “The Grimes family is in many ways part of the very fabric of Morningside.” Grimes Avenue and Alden Drive are Morningside streets named for pioneer settler Jonathan Grimes and his son Alden. Grimes is three blocks west of France Avenue and runs north and south from West 40th Street to Sunnyside Road. Alden is two blocks west of France and runs south from West 42nd Street to Morningside Road. In the summer of 1854, Grimes, his wife, Eliza, and their three small children arrived in St. Anthony Village, before Minnesota became a state. They had come up the Mississippi by steamboat from Galena, Ill., to St. Paul and traveled by stagecoach to St. Anthony. In 1859, Grimes and a partner, William Rheem, purchased (for $300) 160 acres in southwest Richfield Township, which included the Waterville Mill (later renamed the Buckwalter, Browndale and finally the Edina Mill). The mill was located where today’s West 50th Street crosses Minnehaha Creek. Grimes also obtained a “quit-claim” deed to an additional 160 acres north and east of the mill, much of which would later become the Village of Morningside. The following year, Jonathan and his family moved into a six-room house at what is now 4200 W. 44th St. Grimes and Rheem sold the mill in 1867 and Jonathan started the Lake Calhoun Nursery, turning his farmland north of 44th into a large orchard with areas set aside for a tree nursery and seeding beds. His nursery supplied shade trees, some of which still border 7•WINTER 20056•WINTER 2005 Edina Streets Named For Early Pioneer Farm Families Hennepin, Lyndale and University avenues in Minneapolis. The Grimes family soon outgrew their first house on 44th and a second home was built in 1869 behind the original house. That house still stands at 4200 W. 44th St. and is now on the National Register of Historic Places. (The original home was relocated two blocks west at 44th and Grimes and later burned down.) In their book History and Architecture of Edina, Minnesota, William Scott and Jeffrey Hess described the faithfully restored 1869 Grimes house: “A clapboard-sided, frame dwelling that is now one of Edina’s oldest and most charming historic residences … the Grimes house is … a rare, surviving example of the Gothic Revival style of architecture.” Hansen Road Hansen Road, which runs along the east side of Garden Park, was named for the pioneer Hansen family. Hans Christian (Chris) Hansen, who arrived in Edina in 1903, was the first member of the Hansen family to settle here. A 1965 Edina Courier article quoted Chris’ son Ernie on the subject of Hansen Road: “[The Hansens] needed a way to get to their farm home, [so] a road was cut through the woods [south] from Eden Prairie Road [now Vernon Avenue],” he recalled. (continued on next page) As first president of the Minnesota Horticultural Society, Jonathan Grimes earned a reputation for agricultural experimentation. He grew the first gingko and catalpa trees in Minnesota. Ed i n a H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y The 1869 Jonathan Grimes house, 4200 W. 44th St. is one of Edina’s oldest houses. In 1976, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington, D.C. Remodeled extensively in the early 1980s, much of the house has been faithfully restored to its original condition. Hans Christian (Chris) Hansen and his wife are pictured at their 1940s home, located at 5609 Hansen Road, in the same block as the original farmhouse. Ed i n a H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y Ha n s e n F a m i l y P h o t o At the age of 16, Maloney enlisted in the First Company of the 33rd Wisconsin Volunteers, and served three years under Generals Sherman and McPherson in the Civil War. Honorably discharged in 1865, he relocated on a 160-acre farm in what was then western Richfield Township. He later served the community as a member of the Edina Village Council and clerk of the school board. He lived on his farm, which later became Edina’s Mendelssohn Neighborhood, until his death in 1933 at the age of 87. Marth Court Marth Court is a block-long street that runs north from West 78th Street between Cahill and Gleason roads. It was named for Carl Marth, whose grandfather, Andrew Schuessler, moved to Red Wing, Minn., from the Netherlands. According to a 1970 interview by Charlotte Hauck, Schuessler “walked in with a grain sack, an axe, a grub hoe and a little food” to a 1,300-acre site in southwest Richfield Township. Schuessler built a tiny hut in 1858, but he didn’t file a homestead claim until 1873. The Schuesslers, and later their descendants the Marths, owned much of the land we now know as Braemar Park. Carl Marth was born in 1894 in Minneapolis. Later, his parents moved back to the family sheep ranch in Edina. The old sheep barn was just east of where the Braemar clubhouse is now located. Carl and his five sisters grew up on the family homestead. His wife, Anna, taught at the nearby one-room Cahill School for several years. When construction of the Dan Patch Railroad began across Edina in 1912, Carl Marth worked as a 17-year-old construction laborer on the rail line. He later built roads for Hennepin County. And when the Minnesota Highway Department built 78th through Edina in 1924, Carl went to work for the State and stayed for more than 11 years. He also worked for a time at the Browndale Farm near the Edina Mill. There, he cultivated sugar cane that was fed to pioneer farmer Henry Brown’s cattle. McCauley Trail, Terrace And Circle All three of the Edina streets that carry the McCauley family name are in the southeast quadrant of today’s intersection of Highway 169 and the Crosstown Highway. They were named for Dennis McCauley, who emigrated from Ireland to Boston in 1849. At the urging of his sister Mary, who had earlier married Edina pioneer Hugh Darcy, McCauley ventured out to Minnesota in 1852 and became a fur-trading agent of John Jacob Astor’s American Fur Company. For a number of years, Dennis traded with the Indians for beaver and other pelts. By October 1855, Dennis had saved enough money to claim 160 acres of land. Four years later, he returned to Boston where he married Mary Higgins in 1860. “[Around 1912], the Dan Patch Railroad tracks were laid across the Hansen farm [and] the road was extended to West 60th Street and named Hansen Road.” Much to the dismay of any person of Danish ancestry (like Chris Hansen), the original road signs read “Hanson Road,” misspelling the Danish surname. The complaints heard at the Village Hall were heeded and the error was soon corrected with a correct Danish “en” ending. In a recent interview, Ernie Hansen’s 92-year-old widow, Hazel (Schulz) Hansen, recalled the original Hansen farmhouse at 5621 Hansen Road and the family’s farm. “Chris Hansen lived for a time on Eden Prairie Road near today’s Brookside Avenue before moving to the farm,” she remembered. “The farm covered 65 acres and went north from Grove Street to the railroad tracks.” Hawkes Drive And Terrace Located south of Vernon and west of Tracy Avenue, Hawkes Drive and Hawkes Terrace were named for James Hawkes, born in Yorkshire, England, in 1820. According to Edward D. Neill’s History of Hennepin County, Minnesota,Hawkes immigrated to America in 1844. Ten years later, he pre-empted a 120-acre farm in western Richfield Township, which later became Edina’s South Mirror Lakes Neighborhood. Notes of an 1859 meeting of the newly formed District 17 School Board announced Hawkes’ appointment to a “comitty [sic] of three, to act with the school board in the location of a site for the new schoolhouse,” which was later built at Code’s Corners, near present-day Valley View Road and Minnesota Highway 100. Hawkes was also a member of the military company that defended Fort Ridgely, near St. Cloud, Minn., when it was under siege by Sioux Indians in 1862. The following year, he enlisted in the First Minnesota Infantry, serving until his 1865 discharge. Engaged in several of the most severe battles of the Civil War, Hawkes was wounded in June 1864, for which he received a pension from the federal government. Maloney Avenue Named for Michael F. Maloney, Maloney Avenue runs from U.S. Highway 169 to the west edge of the Interlachen Country Club golf course. Born in County Galway, Ireland, in 1845, Maloney immigrated to the United States with his parents at the age of 7. The Maloneys settled in Troy, N.Y., before moving to Kenosha, Wis. 8•WINTER 2005 9•WINTER 2005 (continued on next page) This late-1800s tintype is a portrait of James Hawkes. After coming to America, he acquired a farm along Eden Prairie Road (now Vernon Avenue) in what was then western Richfield Township. He died in an accident on his farm in 1880. Ed i n a H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y Ed i n a H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y Michael F. Maloney was born in 1845 in Galway County, Ireland. After serving in the Civil War, he settled on a farm in northwest Richfield Township, which later became Edina. 11•WINTER 2005 Ryan Avenue Ryan Avenue is located two blocks east of Highway 100 between West 64th and 66th streets. It was named for the Ryan family, who were among the earliest settlers in the Cahill Community. Patrick William Ryan came to this country from his birthplace in County Tipperary, Ireland, in 1847. Before coming to Minnesota, he lived for a time in Pennsylvania and Ohio. In 1857, he purchased a 160-acre tract on today’s Valley View, between Antrim and Gleason roads, for $1.25 an acre. There, he built a farmhouse, the foundation of which still stands, having been in use for nearly 150 years. Patrick Ryan died on the family farm in 1906 at the age of 76. His wife, the former Catherine Duggan, continued to live with her son Thomas in the farmhouse until her death in April 1927. For all of his 99 years, Tom Ryan lived and worked on his family’s land on Valley View and other Ryan property along Cahill Road. He took great pride in the fact that when he went down to his basement, he was standing in the original cellar of the house his father built in 1857. Tom, a bachelor, farmed the family’s land until World War II. Catherine (Ryan) Garrison’s father, James Ryan, died in 1920 when he was only 43. “A couple of years later, mother married Frank Dowd, who also lived in our part of Edina,” she said in a 1996 interview. In 1955, a 27-acre parcel of the Ryan farm was purchased from Rose (Ryan) Dowd for the present site of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, built on Valley View and Gleason in 1961. 10•WINTER 2005 The following year, they returned to his homestead in Minnesota. According to an account by E. Dudley Parsons, they lived in a log cabin Dennis had built earlier. But as the family grew to 10 children, a larger house was needed. The new farmhouse was built at the base of a hill in the southwest corner of McCauley’s land, near Valley View and present- day Highway 169. “He eventually had a 300-acre dairy farm,” Dennis McCauley’s grandson John recalled recently. “It stretched all the way from what is now the Crosstown and Highway l69 down to Valley View on the south. On the east it adjoined the Gleeson property,” said John, a widower who still lives in a house that was on the farm when he and his wife, June, returned to Edina in 1947 and remodeled it. Dennis McCauley died in an 1894 farm accident. For six years, three of the McCauley sons -- William, Dennis, Jr., and Thomas -- managed the family farm. In December 1900, the original farm was divided between Thomas and Dennis, Jr., who continued to occupy the original farmstead. The two brothers also divided a parcel that lay east of the original claim. John McCauley said his father, Thomas, always referred to that acreage as “the back 40.” “My mother and dad had sold the ‘back 40’ to a guy named Burton in 1944,” John said. “He was the developer who named it Indian Hills, put in the roads and renamed the lake ‘Arrowhead.’ After Burton went bankrupt, Thorpe Bros. took over and finished the development, which didn’t really start moving until after World War II.” McGuire Road Around the turn of the century The Crier reported that the McGuire family was among the remaining farming families in the part of Edina west of what is now Highway 100. D.F. McGuire had bought and developed the Dorsey farm. Later, he sold that land and moved to another farm in the Cahill area where McGuire Road and McGuire Park are now located—just east of Antrim Road between West 69th and 70th streets. From 1931 to 1936, D.F. McGuire was “president” (or mayor) of the Edina Village Council. (continued on next page) Pioneer Edina farmer Patrick Ryan laid the foundation of this house in today’s Chapel Hills Neighborhood in 1857. Patrick’s son Thomas Ryan built a second home, which still stands on the original foundation, in 1922. John McCauley’s grandfather Dennis was headed for the fields with his team of horses on the 160-acre Edina farm he claimed in 1855. The McCauley farm later became part of the Indian Hills Neighborhood. Ed i n a H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y Ed i n a H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y Tracy Avenue Tracy Avenue begins at Vernon Avenue and heads south over the Crosstown Highway to West 66th Street. After a one-block eastward hiccup at 66th, it continues south to West 70th Street. Originally, there were two Tracy farms on the west side of Tracy between Vernon and today’s Crosstown. One farm of 120 acres, owned by Greg and Mary Tracy, was closer to Vernon. The other, an 80-acre farm owned by Greg’s uncle John M. Tracy, was closer to the Crosstown. John M. Tracy stayed on his farm until the 1940s. Greg Tracy’s wife, Mary, worked as a cook at the original Edina-Morningside High School and as a midwife. Greg and Mary eventually moved to another farm in Eden Prairie. Greg and Mary Tracy’s grandchildren, Dale and Barbara Tracy, grew up at 5919 Tracy Ave. For 40 years, Barbara worked at Jerry’s Supermarket and Jerry’s Hardware store in the Grandview commercial area. In 1976, Dale Tracy was hired as assistant manager of Jerry’s Hardware on Vernon Avenue and later became manager. Willson Road In the1940s, the Willson family name became a permanent part of the Edina’s history with the naming of Willson Road. It was originally a short street heading east from Highway 100 to 50th. The street name was re-assigned after Highway 100 was upgraded to a freeway in 1975. Today’s Willson Road is part of the east service road for Highway 100, along the western boundary of the Edina Country Club. The Frank Willson family lived near New Ulm, Minn., until the Indian Uprising of 1863 when they packed all their possessions in a wagon and headed to Fort Snelling for protection. In 1879, Frank Willson bought 130 acres of what is now Edina. He paid $1,100 for the tract, which was covered with undergrowth he had to grub out before he could farm it. During the first year, he succeeded in getting only 25 acres under cultivation. By 1887, Frank and Ella (Atwood) Willson owned 165 acres west of today’s Highway 100 and south of 50th. They had two sons, Fred and George, and a daughter, Ora. Fred married Mabel Millam, daughter of George Millam, miller and last owner of the Edina Mill. George and his father operated a 20-acre truck farm until the 1940s. George married Mary Emma Taggart, granddaughter of Preston Cooper, thus joining two pioneer Edina families. Following in his father’s footsteps, George also served on the Edina Village Council. Ora and her husband, Grant Collier, also owned a part of the homestead. The last members of the family to leave the farm property were Edwin Willson and his wife, Mildred, who moved to 5100 Duggan Plaza in 1969 when construction to widen Highway 100 began. Ed and Mildred were my neighbors on Duggan Plaza for a good number of years. Wind Road Wind Road is only a block long. It was named for Paul Wind, a farmer who served on the Edina-Morningside School Board for 19 years. It runs eastward from Highway 100, between South View Lane and Sherwood Avenue, about a block north of today’s Edina Community Center. That is the approximate location of the lane that led to the Wind family’s farm, which was still operating in the late 1940s when I was a student at Southwest High School in Minneapolis. One of my high school friends used to date one of the Wind’s daughters and on a few Friday or Saturday evenings we drove up Farmer Wind’s lane to pick her up. Recently, while doing research for this article, I found out that—at age 16—Paul Wind’s daughter Kate had taught at the 1887 elementary school on Eden Avenue near where our new City Hall stands today. Edina kids attended that school until 1926 when the Wooddale and Morningside schools were built. 12•WINTER 2005 13•WINTER 2005 (continued on next page) Frank Willson’s children, (from left) Ora, George and Fred, are shown in this 1880 photo on the family farm at present-day Highway 100 and Eden Avenue. Frank Willson served as the first president (or mayor) of Edina after it became an independent village in 1888. He was a member of the school board and also served on the Village Council. By Lelan Bosch Fanfare and stardom will surround the performers in “The Perfect Show,” to be presented later this winter by the Adaptive Recreation & Learning Exchange (AR&LE) with the help of volunteers and sponsors. “The Perfect Show” will play in March with a cast of 45 people with developmental disabilities demonstrating their acting and musical talents. In 2002, AR&LE produced a similar, nearly “perfect” production, “Totally Talents & Tunes,” which received the ARC Boggs Mitchell Award, the Minnesota Recreation and Parks Association Award of Excellence and the National Recreation and Parks Association Dorothy Mullen Arts and Humanities Award. The story will open with characters discussing how to produce a show better than any they have ever seen – a perfect show. As these “directors” begin organizing and casting performers for their show, they are disappointed that no one can sing opera, play the harp or violin or perform other extravagant acts, which they believe are necessary for a perfect show. The directors become frustrated and think their dream is falling apart because they will not achieve perfection. Then, they realize the show they are producing is not so bad. In fact, their show is perfect in a different way. “Sometimes, things don’t turn out the way you want,” said Janet Beard Clarke, the show’s writer and artistic director. “Sometimes, they turn out better.” Beard Clarke, who is also the community liaison for the Learning Exchange, has eight years of theater experience from Margolis Brown Theater Company, where theater improvisation was among the skills she studied. Beard Clarke said she used improvisation techniques to fit the script for “The Perfect Show” to each cast member’s style. “They’re totally involved in it then,” Beard Clarke said, explaining how cast members help adjust lines in the script. “It really represents them.” In 2002, more than 50 volunteers, including high school students, were involved in the production of “Totally Talents & Tunes,” and Beard Clarke said AR&LE is looking for more volunteers to help the cast and crew this year. 15•WINTER 200514•WINTER 2005 I also came across an old Minneapolis Star clipping announcing that Kate Wind had been selected as a “Town Topper,” recognizing her outstanding community service. Imagine my astonishment when I saw her photograph in the clipping and realized that she was the same Ms. Wind who had been the principal at Lake Harriet Elementary School in Minneapolis’ Linden Hills Neighborhood when I was a student there in the mid-1940s! Wyman Avenue Frank Cardarelle, who grew up on his family’s farm north of the Wymans, recalled in a recent interview: “The Wyman family’s farm was located about 200 feet west and north of today’s Wyman Bridge over the Crosstown.” Frank said he mowed the Wymans’ lawn when he was a boy. “Their farm was bounded on the west by the Dan Patch Railroad tracks and on the east by what is now Wyman Avenue,” Cardarelle said. “The north boundary was at 62nd Street and it ran south to about 64th. “The Wyman family moved to their farm shortly after the turn of the century. They raised enough cows, chickens and pigs to feed the family and had enough left over to sell. Wymans were still living in the old farmhouse in the late 1950s when the property was condemned to make way for the first phase of the Crosstown, which ended at the Wyman Bridge at the time.” Background material and photographs for this article came from the collections of the Edina Historical Society; meeting minutes of the District 17 School Board; the writings of E. Dudley Parsons and Charlotte Hauck; the personal recollections of Frank Cardarelle, Catherine (Ryan) Garrison and John McCauley; and the following publications: Edina Sun-Current; Edina Courier; The Crier; Minneapolis Star; History and Architecture of Edina, Minnesota by William W. Scott, A.I.A, and Jeffrey A. Hess; History of Hennepin County, Minnesota by Edward D. Neill; Edina’s About Town magazine; and the NewsNet publication of St. Patrick’s Church of Edina. Joe Sullivan is a freelance writer and Edina resident. He can be contacted via e-mail, edinamail@ci.edina.mn.us. AR&LEWill Present The Perfect Way To Dream Kate Wind, daughter of Edina farmer Paul Wind, was 16 years old when she began teaching at the 1887 Edina Elementary School that was near today’s City Hall. (continued on next page) Ed i n a H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y Ph o t o b y P o l l y N o r m a n Writer and artistic director Janet Beard Clarke discusses a scene with an actress. 17•WINTER 200516•WINTER 2005 Like 2002, the volunteers will help take tickets, apply actors’ makeup, direct the actors backstage and guide some of the actors on stage as “stage partners.” Beard Clarke said she would like two more stage partners and many more volunteers backstage. Backstage volunteers can be high school-age or older. Andy Tanghe, 28, of Edina, has Down syndrome and has been playing piano 11 years. Tanghe played piano in “Totally Talents & Tunes,” and his role in “The Perfect Show” is still developing, but will likely involve music. “[The play] is so much fun,” Tanghe said. “I’ve made lots of friends.” Tanghe said his entire family will be there to watch, and other people should come to enjoy and applaud the people in the play. One of Tanghe’s dreams is to be a rock star and have people cheer for him on stage, and that is why he wanted to participate in the show, he said. “The Perfect Show’s” soundtrack should make stars out of the cast thanks to composer Leslie Fideler and music director Emily Kroeck. “I’m passionate about giving people with disabilities an artistic vehicle,” Kroeck said. “It gives them a chance to show talents that they ordinarily would not be able to show the world.” Kroeck said the demand for shows like “Totally Talents & Tunes” and “The Perfect Show” is high, but the difficulty of securing funding for the projects makes it hard to do a show more than once in a three-year period. “The Perfect Show” has many sponsors helping to pay the tab. The Metropolitan Regional Arts Council through a grant from the McKnight Foundation and an appropriation by the Minnesota Legislature helped provide funds, as did the Edina Community Foundation, Eden Prairie Foundation, Edina Rotary Club, Education Foundation of Bloomington, St. Edwards Tithing and Outreach Program, Transportation Resource To Aid Independent Living (TRAIL), and other private donors. City of Edina Recreation Supervisor Susie Miller said producing plays such as “The Perfect Show” puts a focus on the actor’s abilities. “With acting, people can be whoever or whatever they want to be,” she said. “The pride on the actors’ faces is worth the $5 -- the rest of the show is just a bonus!” March 12 is the show date with performances in the Richfield High School Auditorium, 7001 Harriet Ave. S., at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased in advance or at the door. AR&LE is a partnership between the cities and school districts of Bloomington, Eden Prairie, Edina and Richfield that provides people with disabilities the opportunity to participate in educational and recreational activities. For more information on “The Perfect Show,” to purchase tickets, or to volunteer to work as a mentor with one of the cast members, contact Miller, 952-826-0433.612.920.4050 7615 Metro Boulevard (Hwy.100 &77th Street)Edina www.spabellacasa.com Bloom Energize Renewal Rest Dogs and Cats prefer Pets AreInn Established 1982 MeetSam.Such a happy dog! He never has to be kenneled or caged. You see, Sam goes happily to another loving home when his family is away. His owners have found a service that is a perfect solution when they have to leave him behind: Pets Are Inn. Call today to learn more about us 952-837-1877 or visit our website at: www.petsareinn.com 18•WINTER 2005 VISIT OUR NEW STATE OF THE ART FACILITY: 7705 Bush Lake Road ~ Edina, MN 55439 952-941-8601 GENUINE GRANITE COUNTERTOPS ~ SOAPSTONE SINCE 1896 The largest in-stock inventory in the Twin Cities!www.northwesternmarble.com OPEN: Monday-Thursday 8:30AM-7:00PM Friday 8:30AM-4:30PM Gentle Imaging for People Who Deserve to be Treated Well Southdale 6525 France Avenue Phone 952.215.4320 Edina 3955 Parklawn Avenue Phone 952.285.3700 www.consultingradiologists.com Consulting Radiologists Imaging gives you personal attention from people who want to make you comfortable. And you also receive world-class diagnostic imaging, interpretation and pain management from Minnesota’s premier subspecialty radiology group.When you want to know what’s going on inside, come to us. Werness Brothers Funeral & Cremation Services (612) 927-8641 Werness Brothers Funeral & Cremation Services (612) 927-8641 Free Pre-planning Information (612) 922-1932 Serving Minneapolis • Edina • Bloomington Service Beyond Expectation Since 1934 Free Pre-planning Information (612) 922-1932 Serving Minneapolis •Edina •Bloomington Service Beyond Expectation Since 1934 19•WINTER 2005 Bobo Zinn Adds Sparkle To The Edina Art Center By Kathleen Sovell Contributing Writer It was a lucky day for the Edina Art Center in the mid-80s when Bobo Zinn agreed to create a jewelry department for the facility and teach jewelry making there. She loves teaching, creates exquisite pieces of jewelry and enthusiastically endorses the Edina Art Center. Zinn describes herself as a “very right-brain” person. She was raised in Larchmont, N.Y., just outside of New York City, where she was given “lots of access” to theater, music and the arts. At age 10, she started dancing lessons. Erik Hawkins, husband of Martha Graham, was her teacher until she went to college and focused on visual arts. Graduating from Connecticut College, she earned a bachelor’s degree with a major in art and a minor in teaching. She began teaching art and never stopped. Her husband Chet’s work required them to relocate to Minneapolis. Their West Hartford neighbor gave them some advice when he commented that if he ever moved back to the Minneapolis area, he’d live in Edina because of the quality of the Edina school system and the ease of getting to know people. The Zinns followed his advice, moved to Edina and enrolled their boys, Chip and Chris, in elementary school. Because of family commitments, Zinn declined a position as head of the Art Department at Blake School and accepted a part-time position as a jewelry instructor at Minnetonka Art Center. She then discovered the Edina Art Center and has taught there for almost 20 years. “The Art Center offers more to our community than most people realize,” Zinn said. “The class schedule contains many classes that are not drawing, painting or pottery classes. I’ve referred a 21•WINTER 2004 Edina Community Resource Directory 2005 We are pleased to bring you this resource directory in partnership with the City of Edina. If you are new to Edina, welcome! Our hope is that this directory will introduce you to commonly requested resources and to the service The Edina Resource Center provides. It is easiest to think of the Edina Resource Center as a one-stop information and referral center. Our goal is simple; to make getting any kind of information and support as easy and as effective as possible.Stop in and see us, send us an e-mail or give us a call – we look forward to serving you. 5701 Normandale Road, Room 336, Edina, MN 55424 952-848-3936 Check out our new website www.edinaresourcecenter.com …your connection to community information, resources and services. 20•WINTER 2005 number of people to the Art Center who were interested in photography or transferring tapes to DVD. Edina Art Center is also user friendly. Students feel welcome and are missed if they are not in class. As a teacher, I also feel welcome and supported.” Zinn feels very fortunate that her vocation and avocation are the same and said, “It is a luxury. I create custom jewelry by commission only and most of my clients find me by word of mouth. Sometimes they have a special stone that they want set or have seen someone else’s piece and call.” Teaching is part of her personality. Zinn’s face lights up when she talks about her students. She teaches an adult class and a youth class at the Art Center. “Adults,” she explained, “come from all kinds of backgrounds and all bring something different to the class. For example, there was a woman who lived in South Dakota and commuted each week to my class. I’ve taught retired dentists who remember casting in dental school and want to do it again and engineers who use slide rules to make sure everything is perfect. “Sometimes, people remember a happy experience making jewelry in high school or college and want to recreate that feeling. I even had a divorcee who came to class to melt down her wedding ring and make it into something wearable. A number of people who’ve done beading and want to expand into metal have also joined. I limit class size to eight people so I can spend the time helping students reach their objectives.” Her youth class, for those in fifth- through 12th grade, gives her special joy. Students blossom learning a new skill. The class is fun; they feel at home, meet new friends and feel a sense of accomplishment. Zinn finds it “so rewarding” to see a student’s self esteem grow. Learning to make jewelry takes discipline. There are skills to learn, procedures to follow, and concentration and creativity are necessary. These are good life skills for anyone to learn. Zinn has the teaching ability and the jewelry-making talent to help her students achieve their objectives. Visit the Art Center’s website, www.EdinaArtCenter.com, for a complete class listing or call 612-915-6600 for information, to request a class schedule or register for classes. The Edina Art Center is located at 4701 W. 64th St. on the northwest corner of Rosland Park. CallTed Field 952-927-1150 www.SeniorExpert.com 30+ years experience working with seniors Special Feature •WINTER2005 Government & Motor Vehicle Services Services such as Minnesota identification card; certified copies of birth, death and marriage certificates; passport; car tabs; and hunting licenses can be obtained. All Hennepin County Service Centers Websitewww.co.hennepin.mn.us Southdale Service Center612-348-8240 7009 York Ave. So. For more information on how to obtain a driver’s license Residents without an out-of-state license must take a “behind the wheel” exam. Only test examiner and driver are allowed in the vehicle. An interpreter is not allowed to accompany the driver & examiner during exam. Appointments must be made in order to take the driving test. Allow 1 – 2 hours for this process. New residents with a valid out-of-state license, must take the Minnesota written test. The nearest exam sites are: Chaska952-448-3740 Eagan651-688-1870 Plymouth952-476-3042 City of Edina Curfew The curfew for minors in Edina is: Under 12 yearsSun – Thu9 p.m. Fri – Sat 10 p.m. 12 – 14 yearsSun – Thu10 p.m. Fri – Sat 11 p.m. 15 – 17 yearsSun – Thu11 p.m. Fri – Sat midnight Mental Health Resources City of Edina Chemical Health Coordinator952-929-7627 Edina Public Schools Chemical & 952-848-3028 Mental Health Coordinator Hennepin Children’s Mental Health Collaborative 612-348-4111 Collaborative Websitewww.co.hennepin.mn.us Helps families & school personnel locate & coordinate services for children with mental health needs. Family &Children’s Service 952-884-7353 Outpatient mental health services Websitewww.famchildserv.org The Storefront Group -Treatment programs 612-861-1675 to support & strengthen children & families Websitewww.storefront.org Resources For Immigrants & Refugees Hennepin County Multi-Cultural Services612-348-2193 Websitewww.co.hennepin.mn.us Community of Nations Project952-884-7345 Bi-lingual staff works with new immigrants on issues that impact the future success of their families. World Relief 612-243-2941 Employment & immigration assistance, citizenship classes & healthcare advice Websitewww.wr.org Center for Victims of Torture -Assessment &612-436-4800 care for victims of government-sponsored torture Websitewww.cvt.org/main.php ESL Programs (learn English as a Second Language) Edina Schools School Readiness 952-848-3985 For adults & children 3 – 5 years of age who are learning English SHAPE (South Hennepin Adult 952-681-6170 Programs in Education) Senior Information Edina Senior Center952-833-9570 Senior Community Services 952-934-3370 Home visits & referral Senior Linkage Line612-333-2433 Neighborhood Partnership952-922-1110 A block nurse program Normandale Ministry for Healing & 952-929-1697 Wholeness - Support for seniors and their caregivers Volunteers of America Senior Services612-331-4063 Websitewww.voamn.org Special Feature •WINTER2005 Emergency Numbers Crisis Connection612-379-6363 Emergency Response911 Edina Animal Control952-826-0494 City Emergency Preparedness Questions952-826-1610 Poison Control1-800-222-1222 City Services www.ci.edina.mn.us City Offices - main line 952-927-8861 Animal Licenses952-826-0417 Edina Police (non-emergency)952-826-1600 Fire (non-emergency)952-826-0330 Housing and Planning952-826-0369 Edina Aquatics Center (municipal pool)612-928-4582 Parks & Recreation952-826-0367 Adaptive Recreation952-826-0433 Recycling952-826-0381 Voter Registration952-826-0363 City of Edina websitewww.cityofedina.com Edina Public Schools –www.ci.edina.mn.us District #273 & Other EducationResources Parents can register their children for school at the Edina Community Center main office on the first floor. Edina School Registration952-848-4585 District Offices 952-848-3900 Community Education Main Office952-848-3952 Edina Family Center -Pre-K parent/child 952-848-3980 classes Edina Kid’s Club -School-aged child care 952-848-3975 program Edina Pre-School Screening952-848-4232 Edina Education Fund952-848-4222 SHAPE (South Hennepin Adult 952-681-6170 Programs in Education) Volunteer Connection & Learning Exchange952-681-6109 Pacer Center - Advocacy for families of 952-838-9000 youth with disabilities www.pacer.org Edina Community Services Edina Athletic Association Information952-826-0367 Edina Art Center612-915-6600 Websitewww.edinaartcenter.com Edina Newcomers Information Hotline952-942-7414 Edina Chamber of Commerce952-806-9060 Websitewww.edinachamber.com 50th & France Business 952-922-1524 & Professional Association Websitewww.50thandfrance.com Edina Sun-Current 952-829-0797 Edina Community Foundation952-833-9573 Edina Theater Company952-930-3558 Edina Public Library952-847-5425 Southdale Hennepin Area Library952-847-5900 Websitewww.hclib.org Employment & Housing Resources Employment Action Center612-752-8800 Websitewww.eac-mn.org Minnesota Workforce Center952-346-4000 Websitewww.mnwfc.org Housing Link612-522-2500 Websitewww.housinglink.org City of Edina Housing & Planning952-826-0369 Medical Services Hospitals Abbott Northwestern612-863-4000 Hennepin County Medical Center612-347-2121 Fairview Southdale (Edina)952-924-5000 Methodist and Park Nicollet (St. Louis Park)952-993-5000 Urgent Care Centers - after clinic hours Fairview Southdale952-924-5030 (M – F 6 – 10 p.m., Sat. 1 – 10 p.m., Sun. & Holidays 12 – 10 p.m.) Family Convenience Care – Quello Clinic952-985-8155 (M – F 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.) St. Mary’s Clinics - for uninsured care651-690-7029 Special Feature •WINTER2005 AARP (American Assoc. of Retired Persons)952-858-9040 Websitewww.aarp.org Meals on Wheels -Provides homebound ill, 952-292-2579 senior and disabled with meals Senior Dining (7151 York Ave.)952-893-1448 H.O.M.E. (Household & Outside 952-888-5530 Maintenance for Elderly) Store to Door -Grocery delivery 651-642-1892 Websitewww.storetodoor.org V.E.A.P. (Volunteers Enlisted to Help People)952-888-9616 Medical appointment rides Websitewww.veapvolunteers.org Social Service Agencies Serving Edina Bloomington Public Health -Provides 952-563-8900 health care for prenatal moms to home care services for older adults Websitewww.ci.bloomington.mn.us CASH(Community Action for Suburban Hennepin)952-933-9639 Energy assistance, homeowner & budget counseling Websitewww.cashenn.org Cornerstone -Domestic violence services 952-884-0330 Websitewww.cornerstonedv.com Edina Resource Center -Your connection to community information, resources and services 952-848-3936 Websitewww.edinaresourcecenter.com Family & Children’s Service952-884-7353 Outpatient mental health services & specialized counseling services Websitewww.famchildserv.org Hennepin County Economic Assistance Client Service Center612-596-1300 Initiates applications for financial and medical assistance Websitewww.co.hennepin.mn.us The Storefront Group612-861-1675 Prevention, intervention & treatment programs to support & strengthen children & families Websitewww.storefront.org V.E.A.P. (Volunteers Enlisted to Help People)952-888-9616 Provides food, emergency assistance, transportation & seasonal programs to those who qualify Websitewww.veapvolunteers.org Transportation Information Edina Dial-A-Ride -Door-to-door in Edina only, 952-474-5398 must make an appointment BE-Line - Bloomington/Edina local bus service 612-373-3333 Metro Mobility Service Center 651-602-1111 Applications for disability transportation services Metro Mobility Transit - Reservations for 612-332-7161 service line - must complete application first Metro Transit - Metro-wide bus service 612-373-3333 Websitewww.metrotransit.org Waste Disposal Information Line for Environmental Services612-348-6509 South Hennepin Recycling & Problem Waste Drop-off Center 1400 W. 96th St., Bloomington Websites City of Edina www.cityofedina.com Edina Schoolswww.edina.k12.mn.us League of Women Voterswww.lwvmn.org Housing Link -Housing referral service www.housinglink.org Hennepin Countywww.co.hennepin.mn.us Free Translation www.freetranslation.com Metro Transitwww.metrotransit.org Parent Communication Networkwww.edinapcn.org Edina Resource Centerwww.edinaresourcecenter.com Do you need further assistance? For access to over 1000 additional formal and informal resources call our helpline at: 952-848-3936 21•WINTER 2005 By Lelan Bosch Some young families desperately want to move to Edina so their children can enjoy the benefits of the public school system, but can’t afford a home in the City. Some retired seniors want to remain in the community, but struggle doing so on fixed incomes. The City of Edina is working to find a solution to rising housing costs in the community so people can afford to work, live, raise families and grow old here. Late in 2003, the Edina City Council voted to create an affordable housing task force. The Edina Affordable Housing Task Force was formally established in late October, and will create a definition of affordable housing in Edina, guidelines for developing affordable housing, methods of educating residents about the topic, and solutions for other related problems. “I think it’s unusual for cities like Edina to tackle this issue,” said Sharon Ming, member of the Human Rights and Relations Commission and chairwoman of the Research, Planning & Coordination (RPC) Committee. “It is kind of an ambitious thing to do.” The RPC Committee was formed by the Human Rights and Relations Commission 18 months ago as an ad hoc committee to research the most important problems Edina was facing. The RPC Committee concluded affordable housing was the highest priority issue facing the City. Affordable housing is considered a problem in Edina because of statistics like those found in a recent Malone Consulting study. According to the study, the median price for a home in Edina from 1999 to 2000 was $240,000, which was $100,000 more than the median price of homes in the rest of the metropolitan area. Also, Edina is fully developed and the only way for affordable housingto be created is through redevelopment projects. Carol Mork, Mission Developer at Edina Community Lutheran Church, helped establish the Edina Affordable Housing Initiative, a group of people from the faith-based community, who meet once per month to share their interest in developing affordable housing in Edina. “The schools are the biggest draw,” Mork said, explaining that a lot of people want to move to Edina to take advantage of the educational system, but cannot afford it. She also said people who wish to remain in Edina after they retire are finding it increasingly difficult to do so on fixed incomes. Affordable housing could help young people start families in Edina and remain in the community through retirement, a concept known as “life- cycle” housing. After the City Council approved the RPC Committee’s recommendation for a task force, the RPC Committee issued a request for proposals to find housing professionals who could act as consultants for the task force. The Midwest Housing Collaborative (MHC) was formed as a result of the committee’s request. Task Force To Address High Demand For Lower Housing Prices (continued on next page) MHC comprises four professionals with specialties in architecture, management, communications, real estate and housing development. The consultant group will not lead or influence the task force. Instead, MHC will provide technical assistance, information and research to the task force. MHC wrote guidelines for the task force that outlined who would be included in the 22-member group. According to the guidelines, task force members are required to live or own a business in Edina and have interests in affordable housing issues. The task force includes Edina citizens of various ages, races, income levels and geography; government and school district officials; residential developers; finance institutions and other representatives, according to the guidelines. None of the task force members will be paid for their service. “This will be a participatory process,” said Susan Heiberg, Human Services Coordinator for the City of Edina. Heiberg said the City of Edina and the RPC Committee wanted task force members with a range of lifestyles and expertise to make sure the entire community is represented on the issue of affordable housing. One of the task force’s initial responsibilities will be defining affordable housing in Edina. The general definition of affordable housing is any housing where units or mortgage payments are less than 30 percent of a family’s income. The task force may keep the standard definition, adjust the percentage or incorporate schools, shopping, transportation, employment and recreational needs as conditions of the definition. Along with developing a definition of affordable housing in Edina, the task force will research affordable housing throughout the metropolitan area to find the best implementation practices, research systems of funding affordable housing developments, review housing designs, and address the possible need for a permanent organization that would continue working on affordable housing issues. “There is no preconceived resolution to the task force effort,” said Heiberg, adding that the task force is only being formed to research the possibilities of affordable housing developments in Edina, not necessarily to make affordable housing a reality. City Manager Gordon Hughes said Edina has about 50,000 employees, but only a fraction of them live in the City. If more people who work in Edina lived here, he said, it would reduce Edina’s traffic congestion. “Affordable housing and workforce housing are of critical importance to the health and well-being of the community,” Hughes said. “We look forward to the efforts of the task force to identify new and innovative ways to increase the supply of such housing in Edina.” The first meeting of the Edina Affordable Housing Task Force was held in November. The task force will likely 22•WINTER 2005 23•WINTER 2005 meet approximately once per month to discuss the affordable housing issues and fulfill its responsibilities as defined in the guidelines written by MHC. The City of Edina has taken steps to improve Edina’s housing conditions in the past. In 1974, the Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) was formed to promote redevelopment within the City, including affordable housing projects. The five City Council members make up the board of the HRA, which made the Edinborough and Centennial Lakes mixed development projects possible. The HRA also helped with Yorkdale Townhomes, Oak Glen, Summit Point and South Haven, which provide affordable rental units to families and seniors. For more information on the initiative or to volunteer for the task force, contact 952-826-0403. Most Of TheWorld’s Great Wines Are Available In This Region. EDINA LIQUOR Enjoy Our Products in Moderation. Grandview (near Jerry’s Foods)•Southdale (next to Cub Foods) 50th & France (next to Lunds) Attention: Private Snow Plow Service Providers! City of Edina ordinances require that all snow and ice from privately owned property must remain on that property. Snow and ice cannot be shoveled, blown or pushed onto the public roadway or on other’s property. For more information, call the Edina Public Works Department, 952-826-0376. Please cut out and give to your private snow plowing service provider. By Senator Geoff Michel I drive every morning from my home in Edina across the river to St. Paul and back again in the evening. It’s a trip that can take 20 minutes or an hour and 20 minutes, depending on the time, the day and sheer luck. I’ve noticed those 20-minute trips are increasingly rare. We don’t need more studies to tell us that Twin Cities’ roads are crowded. By one estimate, 77 percent of Twin Cities’ highways are congested, the third highest in the nation. As a result, Twin Cities’ drivers spend 42 hours a year – a full workweek – stuck in traffic. Add another 1 million people to metro-area roads over the next 15 years and the future looks like a long string of brake lights. A Glance In The Rearview Mirror Minnesota is rich in roadways. With 135,000 miles of local streets and highways, we have the fifth largest road system in the nation. How we build and maintain this extensive infrastructure involves a complex system of federal, state and local taxes – all told, about $3.3 billion in 2003. Local property taxes, the main source of funding for city streets, account for about one-third of that total. The largest pot of money for roads and highways is the Highway Users Tax Distribution Fund. Established through an amendment to the Minnesota Constitution, the fund includes the State gas tax, the vehicle registration tax (license tab fees) and a portion of the sales tax on automobiles. About 60 cents on the dollar is dedicated to trunk highways, with the remainder going to counties and municipalities. Throw in federal aid and a couple other revenue streams and Minnesota’s Trunk Highway Fund totaled nearly $1.2 billion last year. Per person, we rank 16th in highway spending, according to the Minnesota Taxpayers Association. Yet we have a growing congestion problem. Breaking Out Of Gridlock The battle between urban and rural legislators (each fighting for transportation dollars for their own region) has resulted, until recently, in legislative gridlock when it comes to addressing congestion on Twin Cities’ roads. We have put in place some short-term fixes: In 2000, the State appropriated $400 million from the general fund, which at the time had a surplus, for high priority projects. In 2003, the State jump-started major highway construction with an $800 million bonding bill. Several high-profile projects that directly benefit Edina include the accelerated addition of a third lane on Interstate Highway 494 and converting U.S. Highway 169 south of 494 to a freeway. That additional funding takes us through 2007. However, funding levels drop off dramatically after that. Thanks to the leadership of several groups, particularly the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, the Itasca Project and the Minnesota Business Partnership, legislators during the upcoming session will consider several long-term transportation packages. Follow The Money How much more money do we need? That depends on whom you ask. Estimates range from a few hundred million dollars a year to a billion dollars. Where that new money comes from is another question – with a variety of answers. There is support in some areas to raise the gas tax (often referred to as a user fee), which hasn’t increased since 1988. At 20 cents a gallon, our gas tax – unlike other taxes in Minnesota – isn’t high. In fact, it’s 25th in the nation. However, there is some strong resistance to raising the gas tax. The current $2 dollar per gallon price of gas also dampens support for a gas tax increase. And many who support an increase link it to a State constitutional amendment changing how that money is allocated. Passing an amendment to our constitution is never easy. I believe we must exhaust every other option before we even consider raising taxes. Other proposals for funding include a partial rollback of the license tab fee reductions enacted during the Ventura years. Dedicating all revenue raised by the sales tax on automobiles is another option – though that would take money from the State’s general fund, which already faces a deficit. Toll roads and property taxes are also potential sources of revenue. Also it appears likely that a new federal transportation bill and ethanol tax credits (not yet approved at the time of this writing) will bring in up to $300 million a year in additional transportation funding to Minnesota. Another attractive possibility is to make better use of the existing revenue. The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) needs to do more with less. One promising idea that could reduce the cost of road construction is by replacing the traditional “closed bid” process with “reverse auctions,” which compel suppliers and contractors to bid down their prices to get the business. The Road Ahead A combination of the ideas listed above could help finance a package that can take Minnesota transportation beyond our 2007 funding cliff. New roads and highways are a start. Transit must also be part of any final solution. We cannot pave our way out of our traffic congestion problems. If done right, the North Star Commuter Rail (along the Interstate Highway 94 corridor to Saint Cloud), the Central Corridor Line linking our two downtowns with the University of Minnesota, and bus rapid transit on Interstate Highway 35W all can help ease congestion on our highways and move people in a cost-effective manner. It’s time for policymakers to stop studying and bickering about transportation. Let’s pass a long-term plan that gets Minnesota moving again. I’m currently working with the Governor’s office, the Metropolitan Council and MnDOT on a package we can pass in 2005. We’ve waited in traffic long enough. Contact Michel at sen.geoff.michel@senate.mn with your thoughts on this issue or other matters before the Legislature. 24•WINTER 2005 2005 Legislative Preview: Transportation 25•WINTER 2005 27•WINTER 200526•WINTER 2005 Thos. G. Grace Advisors Fee Only Investment Advisory 7400 Metro Boulevard • Suite 100 • Edina, MN 55439 Tel:(952) 746-6777 • e-mail:trgrace@thosgrace.com Experience Service Performance Innovation Integrity Discipline Family Owned & Operated Since 1938 GOLDEN VALLEY HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING *FREE Duct Cleaning With Heating & Air Conditioning Installation *$25 OFF repairs *not redeemable with any other offers G VG V www.goldenvalleyhtg.com 763-535-2043 rrs TM CCeenntteennnniiaall LLaakkeess OOffffiiccee PPaarrkk A community for business Centennial Lakes is proud to be part of your community! How often does your business address also become a place for entertainment,retail and shopping? At Centennial Lakes Office Park,those amenities are just a short walk away. CCoonnttaacctt uuss aatt:: 995522--883377--88440000 7650 Edinborough Way, Suite 20, Edina, MN 55435 Contact Us to Build Wealth Now. My Home Mortgage Edina 4445 West 77th Street(952)224-5670 www.myhomemn.com Free Classes in Credit Repair,Mortgage Transactions, Wealth Management,1st Time Home Purchases, and Real Estate Investment. Practicing high quality medical, surgical and dental care Early mornings, evenings and Saturday hours 612.925.1121 4339 France Avenue South, Minneapolis 55410 wagsandwhiskers.com “They’re our best friends too!” Happy New Year from your friends at the City of Edina! 29•WINTER 200528•WINTER 2005 Highlands Neighborhood Association, has served on the Board of Crossroads Adoption Services and is an active volunteer with youth groups at Christ Presbyterian Church. George and his wife, Anne, have a son who attends South View Middle School. James Van Valkenburg organized the Foundation in 1977, during his seven years of service as our Mayor. He has been on the Board almost every year since then, and was its President for most of that time. More recently, he has served as Treasurer and is now the Assistant Treasurer. He has also served on the advisory groups of the Edina Art Center and Senior Center, and has long been a leader on the Board of the Edina Crime Prevention Fund. A practicing attorney before his retirement, Jim and his late wife, Pat, raised four children in Edina, one of whom still lives here with her husband and 7- year-old twins. Jim lives in the Pamela Park area. Frederick S. Richards has lived in Edina since 1945 and married an Edina Morningside High School classmate. He was the Mayor from 1988 to 1997, after having served on the City Council for the prior 14 years. Fred has also served on the Edina Park Board and the Environmental Quality and Transportation Commissions. Fred practiced law for 25 years, was the president of General Office Products for 10 years and is now working in the private sector as a consultant for legal, business and government affairs. He and Nancy have three children, two of whom now live in the community with their spouses and families. Fred notes that the third “may never realize paradise here in Edina, but we still love her.” Grethe Langeland Dillon is the president of Calhoun Insurance Agency and the incoming president of the 50th and France Business and Professional Association. She and her husband, Tom, who owns Dillon Engineering, have had their joint office here for five years and just moved to the community in 2003. They have three children under age 12. Grethe just joined our Board last June and is already active in developing new fund-raising activities for the Foundation. Dennis Maetzold served on the Edina Board of Education for six years before being elected to the City Council in 1995 and then as our Mayor from 1999 through 2004. He is retired from M&I Bank, and he and his wife, Linda, live in the Arden Park Neighborhood. They have been Edina residents since 1972, and their daughter graduated from Edina High School. Dennis is a member of the Edina Rotary Club and serves as Chair of the Southdale YMCA’s 2005 Y Partners Campaign and on the Board of Volunteers Enlisted to Assist People. Edina Community Foundation – Meet Our Board Of Directors By Dick Crockett Executive Director In this time of rapid change for the Edina Community Foundation, we are fortunate to have a leadership team whose experiences superbly reflect our Mission to “advance our community as a premier place for living, learning, raising families and nurturing leadership ...” James B. Hovland,our recently elected Mayor, has been the President of our Board since 2001. He is a partner in the Minneapolis law firm of Krause and Rollins and he lives with his wife, LaRae, a French teacher, in the Country Club Neighborhood. Jim has served on the Edina City Council for the past eight years and, more recently, the I-494 Corridor Commission. He belongs to the Edina Morningside Rotary Club and Edina Ducks Unlimited, and was recognized by the Edina Chamber of Commerce as its Business Person of the Year in 2004. One of Jim’s two daughters lives in Edina, and he has two grandchildren in Edina Public Schools. Kevin Ries is a real estate agent with Edina Realty and serves as Vice President of the Foundation. He and his wife, Dede, live on Nob Hill and have three daughters ranging in age from 27 to 16. Kevin is a member of the Edina Morningside Rotary Club and led a community movement to support our armed forces in Iraq by securing supplies and funding for the Adopt-a-Platoon program. Otto Bang is the Foundation’s Secretary. He served in both the Minnesota House of Representatives from 1963 to 1973 and the Senate from 1973 to 1983. Otto is in the insurance business with American Agency, Inc., and lives in the Brookview Heights Neighborhood with his wife, Mary. They have been active in the Normandale Lutheran Church and their four children all graduated from Edina High School. George Klus is in his first year as our Treasurer. He is an owner and vice president of Trinity Medical Systems in Edina, serves as chairman of the Edina Park Board, and is a member of the Edina Rotary Club. He is president of the Edina S TRENGTHENING O UR C OMMUNITY (continued on next page) 31•WINTER 200530•WINTER 2005 Edina Transportation Commission Works To Establish Policy By Fred Richards Transportation Commission Chairman Congestion on the regional roadway system and the failure of that system to accommodate the continued growth in traffic volumes has created and exacerbated traffic volumes, speed and congestion on local streets. These deficiencies are adversely affecting the quality of life of the City’s residents and businesses. In response, the Edina City Council in December 2003 established the Edina Transportation Commission (ETC) to address traffic and transportation issues and improve the local transportation system to stay consistent with its Comprehensive Plan and long-range plan, Edina’s Vision 20/20. The ETC was tasked with advising the Council on matters relating to the operation of the local street system with respect to traffic volumes, speeds and congestion. The Commission was also given the task of reviewing and commenting on plans designed to enhance mass transit opportunities in the community. One of the major tasks the Commission will undertake is to evaluate methods for traffic calming and other speed and volume mitigation measures and to make recommendations on their implementation where appropriate. Over the past several months, the ETC has worked with City staff in developing a draft Transportation Commission Policy to guide its members and residents in the identification and evaluation of traffic and transportation issues in the community. This policy statement should assist the ETC and City Council in prioritizing projects and improvements to the transportation system. The policy is intended to encourage public input and decisions that will be made on quantitative, qualitative and objective factors. Currently, the draft policy is being finalized by the ETC, which will then make its recommendation to the Council for approval later this month. The draft policy may be viewed online at www.cityofedina.com or at the City of Edina’s Engineering Department. Citizen comments on the draft policy statement are welcomed and encouraged. The Edina Transportation Commission is made up of eight residents appointed by the Mayor and Council. One member of the Commission (that is currently vacant) is selected from the City’s Planning Commission and one member may be a high school student. Besides me, current members include Joni Kelly Bennett, Dean Dovolis, Warren Plante, Marie Thorpe, Les Wanninger and Jean White. The Transportation Commission meets at 6 p.m. the fourth Thursday of the month. All meetings are open to the public and are held in the Edina Community Room at Edina City Hall, 4801 W. 50th St. For more information, call 952-826-0371 or e-mail edinamail@ci.edina.mn.us. Carolyn Schroeder is a nurse and community volunteer. She and her husband, Clint, an attorney, have lived in Edina for 45 years, and their five children attended Wooddale Elementary, South View Middle School and Edina High School. Carolyn has served as Board chairwoman of the Minneapolis Children’s Hospital and the Minneapolis Children’s Foundation, and an emeritus board member of the University of Minnesota School of Nursing Foundation. Geof Workinger and his wife, Betty, are also long-term Edina residents (since 1968) and live in the Harriet Park Neighborhood. Geoff retired from Bemis Company recently, after a career in human resources and employee benefits that included work for Prudential, 3M and General Mills. He has served on both the Edina Planning and Human Relations commissions, and as chairman of the latter. He has also provided volunteer service and leadership to the Storefront (Youth Action) Group and the Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (SAVE). Al Alexander, our newest Board member, is a Senior Vice President and Manager of the Edina office of Excel Bank. His wife, Pamela, is a State District Court judge, and they live in the Indian Hills Neighborhood, with two daughters in Edina Public Schools. Al has a long history of volunteer work with the United Way, Junior Achievement and the Edina Rotary Club. He was recently named Treasurer of the 50th and France Business & Professional Association. The achievements and contributions of these members of our Board of Directors are an inspiration to us all. Please let any of us know if you would like to help us as we work to enhance our collective sense and spirit of community. The office of the Edina Community Foundation is located at 5280 Grandview Square, Edina, MN 55436. Contact Crockett at 952-833-9573 or edfoundation@ci.edina.mn.us. 33•WINTER 2005 New Transit Service Began In December The final phase of Metro Transit’s Sector 5 Central-South Metro Final Plan was put into place last month, significantly changing bus routes in the community. The Sector 5 Central-South Metro Final Plan restructures transit service in south Minneapolis; in St. Paul south of Interstate Highway 94 and west of downtown; and in Bloomington, Edina and Richfield. It is the result of two years of comprehensive planning and cooperation with stakeholders including elected officials, city staff, community groups and customers. The final plan also reflects customer and other stakeholder feedback in response to the concept plan. Public outreach resulted in more than 4,200 comments from more than 3,000 individuals. The first phase of the plan was implemented on June 26, 2004, and included: • New Hiawatha Light-Rail Transit (LRT) between downtown Minneapolis and Fort Snelling • New limited-stop service on Lake Street, Marshall Avenue and West Seventh Street • Improved connections between routes and neighborhoods along 46th Street, 38th Street, Lake Street and Ford Parkway The final implementation of this plan occurred Saturday, Dec. 4. Twenty-six bus routes in Minneapolis west of Cedar Avenue, Bloomington, Edina and Richfield were significantly restructured to meet transit service and community objectives. Highlights of changes that took place include: • Completion of Hiawatha LRT with service to the airport and Mall of America • 2,000 new Park & Ride spaces served by more frequent express trips • New Interstate Highway 35W limited-stop bus service operating all day between downtown Minneapolis and Bloomington • 600 new bus trips on weekdays provided by new Routes 540 and 542 on Interstate Highway 494 frontage roads, and the extension of several other routes, including Routes 6 and 538 connecting to Southdale Center • Improved neighborhood-to-neighborhood service connecting with frequent radial bus routes, I-35W service and Hiawatha LRT A large communications campaign is under way to inform existing and new customers on how to use the new service. Information about changes is posted at bus stops, available on brochures, billboards, newspaper advertising, direct mailings to residents and at www.metrotransit.org. The Metro Transit website features information on the planning project, final reports and route changes. For more information, call the Transit Information Center at 612-373-3333. 32•WINTER 2005 Greenways,Sidewalks And Monorails:Public Considers Future Of Greater Southdale Area Create a “Centennial Lakes-like” greenway throughout the area. Make it easier (and safer) to walk to and around the area. Build an internal transit system allowing visitors to park once and move down the corridor from Fairview Southdale Hospital to Edinborough. These are just a few of the ideas that came out of an October public meeting on the future of the Greater Southdale Area. The meeting was part of the Greater Southdale Area Land Use and Transportation Study currently under way by the City of Edina and Hennepin County. Approximately 80 people participated in the Oct. 7 public meeting. This meeting was used by project consultants, led by Hoisington Koegler Group, Inc., to learn more about the perspectives of Edina residents on transportation and land use in the Greater Southdale Area. The consultants led the group through two discussion exercises. In the first exercise, groups were given a map and asked to identify locations of transportation problems such as congestion, safety and access in the area. Although problems were noted throughout the area, three general locations received the most attention: France Avenue between the Crosstown and 66th Street, 70th Street between France and York Avenue and Hazelton Road between France and York. In the second exercise, people were asked to imagine themselves in the Greater Southdale Area in the year 2030 and to describe how the area has changed from today. The groups provided a wide range of ideas about development over the next 25 years. In general, the participants saw the 2030 Greater Southdale Area being better connected with sidewalks, trails and a transit circulator; having more “green” space; increased housing; and a more dense overall pattern of development. A summary of ideas from all of the discussion groups can be found on the City’s website, www.cityofedina.com. If you want to find out what all of this means, come to the next public meeting at 7 p.m. Feb. 10 at the Braemar Golf Course Clubhouse. The second public meeting in the planning process will give Edina residents an opportunity to review and comment on alternative land use and transportation scenarios created by the project consulting team. “Your participation in this meeting helps guide the process toward a plan and exciting and achievable future for the Greater Southdale Area,” said consultant Rusty Fifield of Hoisington Koegler Group, Inc. For more information on the Greater Southdale Area Land Use and Transportation Study, contact City Planner Craig Larsen, 952-826-0460, or visit www.cityofedina.com. MARK YOUR CALENDAR! THURSDAY, FEB. 10 7-9 P.M. Clubhouse at Braemar Golf Course Public Meeting No. 2 of Greater Southdale Area Land Use and Transportation Study 35•WINTER 2005 population turned out to vote in 2004, the highest turnout of any state. According to a report in Newsday using data from the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG), Wisconsin had the second-highest turnout with 71 percent, and California had the worst with 36.9 percent. NYPIRG cited same-day voter registration as a major reason for higher voter turnout in some states. Minnesota is one of six states that allowed citizens to register to vote on Election Day. The states that allowed same-day registration had turnouts that were 18 percentage points higher than turnouts in states such as New York and California, which set earlier registration deadlines. Minnesota has offered same-day voter registration for about 25 years. Edina had 4,024 citizens register to vote on Election Day. Across the nation, voter turnout was higher than usual in 2004. According to the Center for Voting and Democracy, a Maryland-based nonprofit organization dedicated to fair elections and high voter participation, voter turnout in the United States in 2004 was the highest in 36 years. In 1968, 61.9 percent of registered voters cast ballots to help decide Richard Nixon’s victory over Hubert Humphrey. In 2004, about 59.6 percent of eligible Americans voted. Voters in Edina voted for John Kerry and John Edwards to replace George W. Bush and Dick Cheney 16,090 votes to 15,277 votes in 2004. By winning in Edina, the Kerry-Edwards ticket broke an unwavering history of Edina residents’ support for the Republican Party. In election records dating back to 1956, Republicans have never lost a presidential election in Edina. Four years ago, Edina voters displayed preference for Bush and Cheney, giving them 15,730 votes compared to 13,366 votes for Al Gore and Joe Lieberman. Along with Bush and Cheney, Edina residents voted two Republicans and one Democrat into Congress in 2000. For more information about elections in Edina, call the City Hall election line, 952-826-0363. 34•WINTER 2005 Edina Votes In High Numbers By Lelan Bosch More Edina residents voted in 2004 than the last presidential election, but fewer showed up at the polls. The secret to this confusing statement is the increasing popularity of absentee voting. The number of absentee voters in Edina increased nearly 68 percent from 2000 to 2004. More than 6,000 voters submitted absentee ballots in 2004, compared to 3,687 four years earlier. “I forgot I would be leaving on Nov. 2,” said Kristina Balzarini, 27, who filled out an absentee ballot at City Hall. “It was short notice and I wanted to make sure I got [my vote] in instead of going through the mail.” More than 20 percent of people who voted in Edina did so via absentee ballot. In Bloomington, about 14.7 percent of the 50,987 voters used absentee ballots, and 11.7 percent of Eden Prairie voters used them. Mary Jean Weigel, a temporary election staff member for the City of Edina, said one reason for the increase in absentee voting is the large number of college students who need to mail their ballots from distant universities. She also said many older people in Edina travel south when the weather gets cold and are not in the City to vote in November. Edina City Clerk Debra Mangen said the cost of administering absentee ballots is higher than ballots cast at a precinct on Election Day. The total costs associated with absentee ballots included not only postage, but also the labor of staff members and election judges who supervised the process. “About one-quarter to one-third of our election costs are for absentee [voting],” Mangen said. She estimated that processing each absentee ballot costs about $15 including the cost of staff, while a regular ballot costs about $3 to $5 to process. When voters apply for absentee ballots, staff enter their applications into a computer, mail their ballots, record when the ballots are returned, and hold the ballots in a safe place until Election Day. Staff members were on duty at City Hall starting 30 days before the election to help absentee voters vote in person. About half of all absentee voters in Edina voted in person. With the combination of absentee ballots and Election Day ballots, Edina recorded a higher voter turnout in 2004 than the 2000 presidential election. During the 2000 election, Edina had 200 more registered voters, but only 80.6 percent submitted ballots. Out of 37,612 registered voters, more than 84 percent cast votes in the 2004 election. “It’s not surprising there’s a high voter turnout,” said former Mayor Dennis Maetzold. “Edina has a voter base that is very in-tune with the issues and very involved in the community.” Maetzold recently completed his 5 1/2-year term as mayor, and said his experience in the community has taught him the residents of Edina are well-educated and willing to express their opinions. Edina’s numbers coincided with high voter turnout in Minnesota overall. In Minnesota, 72 percent of the voting-age 37•WINTER 2005 “It is an honor to serve this community and a responsibility that I take very, very seriously,” Masica said. “Winning each precinct in the City reinforces to me that advocacy for constituents does not go unrecognized. This is an overwhelming and gratifying reward for which I am truly thankful.” Swenson is also no stranger to City Hall. She has been a member of the Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals for 10 years. Her community involvement has also included work with the Edina Swim Club and the University of Minnesota. She served on the 2000 Blue Ribbon Committee, which helped form a referendum for park and recreation needs in the community. “After serving on the Planning Commission for 10 years, I am excited to serve on the City Council,” Swenson said. With his election as mayor, Hovland will vacate his seat on the City Council mid-term. The newly seated Council will decide how to fill that position later this month. The Council could choose to hold a special election or solicit applications and appoint a Council member. The results of the local election with a breakdown by precinct are available on the City’s website, www.cityofedina.com. For more information about the election, contact City Clerk Debra Mangen, 952-826-0408. 36•WINTER 2005 New City Council Members ToTake Oath Of Office Jim Hovland, Linda Masica and Ann Swenson will take the oath of office at the Edina City Council’s first meeting of the year, to be held Jan. 4. In an uncontested race for Mayor, Hovland was elected to a four-year term during the Nov. 2 General Election. According to election results, he received 21, 847 votes, succeeding Dennis Maetzold, who did not seek reelection. Hovland is not new to the Council. He was appointed to the Edina City Council in 1997 and first elected in 1998. He is also involved in many other community organizations. Hovland is current chairman of the I-494 Corridor Commission and President of the Edina Community Foundation Board of Directors. A longtime resident of the historic Country Club Neighborhood, he is an active member of the Edina chapter of Ducks Unlimited and Edina Morningside Rotary Club. Through his local club and Rotary International, he has twice been on medical mission trips. “I am elated over being able to serve our community in a new capacity and I am eagerly awaiting beginning service as mayor in January,” Hovland said after the election. “I know the Council will miss the wisdom and steady hand of Mayor Dennis Maetzold and the thoughtful input of Council Member Mike Kelly.” In the race for two four-year positions on the Council, Masica and Swenson came out on top. Incumbent Masica received 11,064 votes, winning in every precinct. Swenson received 7,342, succeeding longtime Council Member Mike Kelly, who did not seek reelection. Vote totals for the other candidates were Alice Hulbert, 5,381; Jack McCann, 5,169; John Swon, 4,339; Mike Burg, 2,718; Mark E. Johnson, 2,920; Todd Fronek, 2,856; and Jerrod Lindquist, 1,413. Masica was elected to the Council in 2000. Through her work on the Council, she has become involved with the League of Minnesota Cities, Association of Metropolitan Municipalities Municipal Revenue Committee, Edina Community Education Services Board of Directors and the Edina Art in Public Places Committee. She is also involved in the Edina Chamber of Commerce and the Animal Humane Society.Jim Hovland Ann Swenson Linda Masica Edina PlasticSurgery, Ltd. 952-925-1765 |www.edinaplasticsurgery.com 6525 France Avenue South |Suite 300|Edina — in the Southdale Medical Center The Board-Certified Cosmetic Surgery Specialists Smile when you look in the mirror. Call us today. “True to form, Edinans have sent experienced and capable people to City Hall to help run their local government and I look forward to working with them for the betterment of our city for the next four years.” – Mayor Jim Hovland 39•WINTER 200538•WINTER 2005 www.2girlsgrooming.com 4340 Shady Oak Road Minnetonka, MN 55343 West 50th and Vernon Avenue at Hwy.100 952-920-3996 www.washburn-mcreavy.com Family Owned & Operated Since 1857 EDINACHAPEL FUNERAL& CREMATION SERVICES