HomeMy WebLinkAboutAboutTown_2012WinterOfficial Magazine of the City of Edina
WINTER•2012
AboutTown
City Creates LEAN
Permit Process
Page 14
Don’t know what to do with those old or non-working holiday lights? Made the switch to energy efficient LED holiday lights? Recycle your old lights at Edina City Hall, 4801 W. 50th St.
“Recycle Your Holiday” is a one-of-a-kind statewide holiday light recycling program in Minnesota. Residents can drop off their unwanted light strands at one of more than 400 participating locations, including Edina City Hall, through Jan. 31.
This program employs more than 200 individuals with developmental disabilities at vocational centers throughout the state of Minnesota. Every bulb of the light strand is dismantled by vocational center clients and then properly recycled in Minnesota.
For more information, visit www.recycleminnesota.org.
AboutTownVolume 23 , Number 1 Circulation 25,000 Winter 2012
Official Publication of the www.CityofEdina.com City of Edina, Minnesota 4801 West 50th Street Edina, Minnesota 55424 952-826-0359
Editor: Jennifer Bennerotte
Contributing Writers: Scott Berman, Jordan Gilgenbach, Emilie Kastner, Kaylin Martin, Joe Sullivan
Photographer: Michael Braun
Layout Editor: Kaylin Martin
Publisher: City of Edina
About Town is produced by the City of Edina. To advertise in About Town, call Jordan Gilgenbach at 952-826-0396 .
Copyright 2012 by City of Edina, 4801 W. 50th St., 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.
Cover photo by Britt Rogers.
Recycle Holiday Lights At Edina City Hall
Table of Contents
Calendar Of Events ..........................................................................1
Winter Calendar Highlights............................................................4
A Word From The Mayor ...............................................................5
Burma-Shave: Hometown Product A Big Hit With Small Roadside Signs .............................................................6
It’s Not Only Neighborly ... It’s The Law ...................................12
City Takes Action To Improve Commercial Building Process .............................................................................14
Two Edina Officers Lead In New Positions ...............................16
Reconstructed Interchange Nears Completion ..........................20
Cameron Begins Work As New Resource Center Manager.....22
Edina Community Foundation 2010-2011 Annual Report .......26
City Collaborates With Richfield, Bloomington And Blue Cross To Become First ‘do.towns’ ..............................32
Teens, Young Adults Find Home Away From Home With ‘Oasis For Youth’ ..................................................................34
Parents Have Been Heard: Edinborough Park Opens New ‘Healthy’ Concessions Stand ........................................................36
City Recognized Nationally With ‘100 Best Communities For Young People’ Award ...................38
Miller Brings Fresh Ideas As New General Manager Of Braemar Arena...........................................42
Human Rights & Relations Commission Seeks Nominations For Annual Tom Oye Award ...............................46
Kiwanis Golden K Club Of Edina Holds Final Meeting ..........48
Business Notes ................................................................................52
City Of Edina Listings ...................................................................54
City Of Edina Annual Events .......................................................55
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Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1 37 p.m., City Council & HRA, Edina City Hall.
4Noon, Wonderful World of Woody, Edinborough Park.
5 6 72New Year’s holiday observed. City Hall and Edina Art Center closed.
87 p.m., CC Septet, Edinborough Park.
9Winter classes begin at Edina Art Center.
107 p.m., Park Board, Edina City Hall.
7 p.m., Heritage Preservation Board, Edina City Hall.
117 p.m., Planning Commission, Edina City Hall.
124 p.m., Public Art Committee, Edina City Hall.
7 p.m., Energy & Environment Commission, Edina City Hall.
13 145:30 p.m., 11th-Annual Feds Fest, Westin Edina Galleria.
157 p.m., Harmonic Relief, Edinborough Park.
16Martin Luther King Jr. Day. City Hall and Edina Art Center closed.
10 a.m., Potters’ Games, Edina Art Center.
177 p.m., City Council & HRA, Edina City Hall.
18 207-8:30 p.m., Winter Neighborhood Night Out, Normandale, Pamela and Weber parks.
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227 p.m., Jim Berner, Edinborough Park.
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247 p.m., Human Rights & Relations Commission, Edina City Hall.
257 p.m., Planning Commission, Edina City Hall.
26Noon, Bob the Beachcomber, Edinborough Park.
4:30 p.m., Edina Art Center Board, Edina Art Center.
27 28
3130297 p.m., First John Philip Sousa Memorial Band, Edinborough Park.
January 2012
197:30 a.m., Edina Chemical Health Partners, Normandale Lutheran Church.
6 p.m., Transportation Commission, Edina City Hall.
About Town Calendar
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2012 WINTER • 1
2 • WINTER 2012
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1 2Noon, Wonderful World of Woody, Edinborough Park.
3 4
5 67 p.m., City Council & HRA, Edina City Hall.
7
87 p.m., Planning Commission, Edina City Hall.
94 p.m., Public Art Committee, Edina City Hall.
7 p.m., Energy & Environment Commission, Edina City Hall.
10 116 p.m., Edina Chamber of Commerce Emerald Gala, Edina Country Club.
127 p.m., St. Louis Park Community Band, Edinborough Park.
13
147 p.m., Park Board, Edina City Hall.
7 p.m., Heritage Preservation Board, Edina City Hall.
15 17 183-5 p.m., Art Crawl, 50th & France.
197 p.m., Richfield Symphonic Band, Edinborough Park.
20Presidents’ Day. City Hall and Edina Art Center closed.
217 p.m., City Council & HRA, Edina City Hall.
227 p.m., Planning Commission, Edina City Hall.
237:30 a.m., Connecting With Kids Leadership Breakfast, Braemar Golf Course Clubhouse.
Noon, Bob the Beachcomber, Edinborough Park.
24 25
287 p.m., Human Rights & Relations Commission, Edina City Hall.
27267 p.m., First John Philip Sousa Memorial Band, Edinborough Park.
February 2012
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167:30 a.m., Edina Chemical Health Partners, Normandale Lutheran Church.
6 p.m., Transportation Commission, Edina City Hall.
About Town Calendar
3 • WINTER 2012
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1
Noon, Wonderful World of Woody, Edinborough Park.
5 p.m., Teen Show opening, Edina Art Center.
2 3
47 p.m., Eden Prairie Community Band, Edinborough Park.
67 p.m., City Council & HRA, Edina City Hall.
7 84 p.m., Public Art Committee, Edina City Hall.
7 p.m., Energy & Environment Commission, Edina City Hall.
9 10
117 p.m., Hopkins Westwind Band, Edinborough Park.
12
137 p.m., Park Board, Edina City Hall.
7 p.m., Heritage Preservation Board, Edina City Hall.
7 p.m., Minnetonka Concert Band, Edinborough Park.
147 p.m., Planning Commission, Edina City Hall.
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187 p.m., Star of the North Concert Band, Edinborough Park.
19 207 p.m., City Council & HRA, Edina City Hall.
21 224:30 p.m., Art Center Board, Edina Art Center.
23 249 a.m. Edina Chamber of Commerce Easter Egg Scramble, Edinborough Park.
277 p.m., Human Rights & Relations Commission, Edina City Hall.
7 p.m., Zuhrah Shrine Concert Band, Edinborough Park.
26257 p.m., First John Philip Sousa Memorial Band, Edinborough Park.
March 2012
287 p.m., Planning Commission, Edina City Hall.
29 30
157:30 a.m., Edina Chemical Health Partners, Normandale Lutheran Church.
6 p.m., Transportation Commission, Edina City Hall.
31
About Town Calendar
4 • WINTER 2012
Winter Calendar Highlights
Other Dates To Remember
Jan. 12 Noon, Okee Dokee Brothers, Edinborough Park.
Jan. 12 5 p.m., Faculty Exhibition opening reception, Edina Art Center.
Jan. 19 Noon, Brodini Comedy and Magic Act, Edinborough Park.
Feb. 9 Noon, Okee Dokee Brothers, Edinborough Park.
Feb. 23 4:30 p.m., Art Center Board Meeting, Edina Art Center.
March 8 9 a.m., Class registration begins for members, Edina Art Center.
March 8 Noon, Bob the Beachcomber, Edinborough Park.
March 15 9 a.m., Class registration begins for non-members, Edina Art Center.
March 15 Noon, Brodini Comedy and Magic Act, Edinborough Park.Edina Chamber of Commerce Emerald Gala
What: The Edina Chamber of Commerce will hold its largest fundraising event of the year, Emerald Gala 2012. 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: 6-11 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11
Where: Edina Country Club, 5100 Wooddale Ave.
Info: Edina Chamber of Commerce, 952-806-9060
Winter Ice Festival
What: In celebration of the winter season, Centennial Lakes Park will host the 22nd-annual Winter Ice Festival. Visitors to the park will be able to have their faces painted and ride on a horse-drawn wagon. Ice Festival participants may bring their own equipment, but ice skates and kick-sleds are available for rental at the Hughes Pavilion, which serves as a warming house and concessions stand during the winter months. Behind Hughes Pavilion on the terrace overlooking the lake, ice-sculpting demonstrations will be given.
When: 1-5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 8
Where: Centennial Lakes Park, 7499 France Ave. S.
Info: Centennial Lakes Park, www.CentennialLakesPark.com or 952-833-9580
11th-Annual Feds Fest
What: The Edina Federated Women’s Club will host its 11th-annual Feds Fest, “Black & White Gala.” This year’s benefit will feature live and silent auctions, Wine Wall, dinner and entertainment by Tony Sandler, part of the famed 20-year singing duo “Sandler & Young.” Tickets cost $100 and will support community causes.
When: 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 14
Where: Westin Edina Galleria, 3201 Galleria
Info: Susan Smith, 612-670-3073 Te
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A Word From The Mayor
In 2011, Forbes singled out the greater Minneapolis and Saint Paul area as one of “Best Places for Business and Careers” in America. Placing the area 34th among the nation’s largest metros, the magazine based its findings on job and economic growth, income growth, business and living costs, education and quality of life. In a separate study, Forbes called the Greater MSP region “the best city in the country for finding employment.”
It’s important that we retain the many businesses and industries that define the area and put us in the national spotlight. It’s also important that we attract new businesses to Minnesota and Edina. Edina has always been a city that understands the importance of being on the forefront of economic development and, more recently, redevelopment. The City of Edina joined the GREATER MSP Partnership when it formed last year.
The GREATER MSP Partnership is a primary point of contact for domestic and international businesses looking to locate or expand in the 13-county Minneapolis-Saint Paul region. It represents 11 Minnesota counties and two adjoining Wisconsin counties.
I am proud to represent Edina as a member of the GREATER MSP’s Partner Advisory Council, an advisory group to GREATER MSP’s Board of Directors. The Council is comprised of economic development partners, practitioners, investors and organizations involved in economic development functions throughout the greater Minneapolis-St. Paul region. We will meet quarterly to discuss the activities of the partnership including its
operation, serve as a sounding board and source of input for marketing and outreach, and discuss regional product improvement.
It’s important that we do whatever we can to keep Edina the “preeminent place for living, learning, raising families and doing business.”
In the coming months, the City of Edina will focus on even more economic development strategies within its own borders, too. According to the recent Quality of Life survey, 75 percent of residents support continued redevelopment in Edina. Edina is not standing still, and neither can its city government afford to remain complacent about the economic condition of our community. Later this year, City Manager Scott Neal plans to hire an Economic Development Director to strengthen our existing businesses and draw new businesses to our community. Helping create greater growth and prosperity will benefit everyone in Edina.
Your City and the GREATER MSP organization will help set the stage for economic success, working to ensure a prosperous 2012. A Happy New Year to everyone!
James B. HovlandMayor
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By Joe SullivanContributing Writer
Back in the early 20th century, men applied their shaving soap with a brush from a cup.
But we’re already getting ahead of the beginning of the complete story. Actually, it began when Robert Ransom Odell, an entrepreneurial Minneapolis attorney, discovered a homemade liniment made from a recipe he said he got from an old sea captain. Initially, he mixed the product in his fifth-floor downtown Minneapolis office even though it was reported to be a rather foul-smelling potion.
Odell named the liniment Burma-Vita. The ingredients – camphor, cassia and cajeput – came from the Malay Peninsula where Burma is located. The “Vita” in the product’s name is a Latin word meaning “life.”
The rest, as they say, is history.
Without a marketing plan of any kind, it was difficult for Robert to sell Burma-Vita Liniment, although he finally got a couple of druggists in lower Minneapolis to take it on. But other druggists he had called on suggested that he might have better luck if he was selling a regularly needed product, instead of a liniment that people used only when they were injured or sick.
The company was showing signs of failure, but ultimately, Robert managed to sell shares of the failing company to save it from bankruptcy.
According to Bill Vossler, author of “Burma-Shave: the Rhymes, the Signs, the Times,” Robert, the Odell family’s patriarch, had started thinking about lathering men’s faces and relegating shaving brushes to the antique shops.
Brushless Shave Cream Is ConsideredBy 1925, Robert’s son Clinton M. Odell, formerly a successful insurance salesman in Minneapolis, had joined the family company. With Burma-Vita’s liniment sales practically non-existent, Clinton began toying with an idea of a new and revolutionary product – a brushless shaving cream.
Burma-Shave: Hometown
Product A Big Hit With Small
Roadside Signs
6 • WINTER 2012
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Clinton M. Odell (center), son of
Burma-Vita Co. founder Robert
Odell, succeeded his father as
the company’s president. His
two sons Leonard (left) and Allan
(right), both became managers
of Burma-Vita. Allan, who was in
charge of marketing, came up with
the concept of advertising Burma-
Shave on small roadside signs.
About that time, the presidency of the Burma-Vita Co. passed to Clinton. He brought in his two sons, Allan and Leonard, who would soon follow in their father’s footsteps as managers at Burma-Vita.
That’s when chemist Carl Noren, an acquaintance of Clinton, entered the scene. In a conversation about the possibility of developing a brushless shaving cream, Clinton tossed Noren a tube of a British brushless shaving cream, called Lloyd’s Euxgesis, and asked him if he could make a better product.
Noren tried more than 300 different mixtures before he settled on one formula that had been aged on the shelf for two months. It met all the conditions that had been set for the product and he happily presented the new Burma-Shave to Clinton and the Burma-Vita Co.
The company went on to develop other “line extensions” to the Burma-Shave brand, including an aftershave lotion, tooth powder, deodorant, mosquito repellent and razor blades. The mosquito repellent was a test product, which was not widely distributed, but the other four items proved to be successful additions to the product line.
Allan Odell Developed Roadside Sign ConceptIt was Clinton’s son, Allan, who came up with the concept of small, roadside signs to advertise rhyming jingles about brushless shaving cream. The first catchy verses were also the brainchildren of Allan Odell. For example, this 1928 jingle was verse No. 6 in what would
become thousands. It was pretty boring when compared to later jingles:
Takes the “H” out of shaveMakes it “save”Saves complexionSaves time & moneyNo brush, no latherBurma-Shave.
Amusing jingles were painted on sets of four to six small red signs measuring 36-by-40 inches and placed several feet apart along rural roadsides, close enough to the road to be read by travelers. Ultimately, they would bring fame and fortune to the Minneapolis-based company.
The world-famous signs, now enshrined at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C., eventually blanketed 45 of the then-48 states, where they proclaimed the brand and benefits of Burma-Shave, America’s first brushless shaving cream. Ultimately, there would be thousands of humorous jingles like the following, which was the favorite of Allan Odell, who went on to manage the company’s marketing:
In this vale Of toil and sin, Your head grows bald But not your chin. Burma-Shave.
2012 WINTER • 7
(continued on next page)
8 • WINTER 2012
Some Odell Families Lived In EdinaPeople who knew the Odells say that the company was a reflection of its owners. Robert, the company’s founder, his sons and their progeny, along with later generations of Odells, were an extremely close family.
Several Odells, once near the brink of bankruptcy, moved to Edina’s Country Club District and were active in the community for more than three generations. At one point, three Odell families were living in Edina at the same time. Clinton B. Odell, named after his grandfather, still resides on Green Farms Road in northwest Edina. A combination of marketing genius and persistence made Burma-Shave a household name. Even now, Clinton M.’s grandson Clinton B. credits the family’s sense of humor for the company’s success. “They liked to laugh and have fun,” he said in a recent interview.
The humorous jingles really sold Burma-Shave shaving cream. One loyal customer wrote in a letter to the company headquarters: “Of your roadside jingles, I can say that I find them entertaining advertising copy. Whether they sell Burma-Shave or not, I would not know. I can only testify that they sold it to me.”
Pithy Rhymes – In 20 Words Or FewerWhile Allan may never have penned a real poem, he wrote hundreds of Burma-Shave verses, usually told in 20 words or fewer, that people across America quoted time after time.
Allan eventually turned to the public around 1930 for help in writing new jingles. At first, he offered $100 cash prizes to 12 winners of a nationwide jingle contest and got 700 entries. As the jingle contests continued, they grew to become an annual event. Burma-Shave received an average of 50,000 entries for each contest and the ante for prize awards grew to 20 grand prizes of $100 (later raised to $1,000). Gift kits of company products were given to 500 other winners.
Some of the entries were a little racy for the 1930s and ’40s. George Odell, youngest son of Allan Odell, remembered the sound of his parents’ laughter behind the closed doors of their den at home, which meant they were reading contest entries. “They had a lot of laughs,” George recalled.
In addition to promoting their products, the signs reflected the Odells’ values and interests. Some, like the one below, urged highway safety. They were early examples of public service advertising:
Past schoolhousesTake it slow Let the little Shavers grow.Burma-Shave
Eventually, more than 7,000 sets of four to six signs appeared on rural highways. Although the company gained national awareness, it never had a payroll of more than 35 employees.
2012 WINTER • 9
American farmers who leased plots of their land to Burma-Shave, were an important cog in the wheel that brought success to the company. Burma-Vita carried on a lively correspondence with its farmer/lessors. Farmer/lessor’s letters always received timely, appreciative replies, many of which were written by one of the company’s officers. That policy came about because Burma-Shave wanted those farmers to be treated like members of the family.
As a result, an incredible loyalty developed between the farmers and the company. In addition to minimal lease payments averaging $25 a year, the farmers also received occasional gift packages of Burma-Vita’s products and monthly issues of the company newsletter “Burma Shavings.” One popular feature of the newsletter was its full-page “Honor Roll,” which listed, by state, the names of lessors who had written to Burma-Shave about maintenance they had performed on their signs since the last issue.
“Burma Shavings” would often publish a complete letter like this one from a lessor in Waterloo, Wis.: “Three Burma-Shave signs on my farm were destroyed and one post broken off. Please send me new signs and I will replace them. Edward Skalitzky.”
World War II Caused Problems At Home TooThe war created problems for all U.S. citizens and companies, including Burma-Shave. A survey taken shortly after the start of the war in December 194l indicated that traveling by car on inter-city highways
(continued on next page)
Allan Odell’s wife, Grace, poses with Burma-Shave signage.
The farmers who leased land to Burma-Shave for their signs
received monthly issues of the newsletter “Burma Shavings”
with news of future company projects, accomplishments and
folksy articles about farmer/lessors’ assistance in maintaining
their signs.
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10 • WINTER 2012
had already shrunk by 50 percent. Undoubtedly, strict rationing of gasoline and tires seriously curtailed highway travel. Since those highways had provided the main audience for Burma-Vita’s main product, rationing created a big problem for the company.
Travel by the company’s maintenance crews, which needed access to repair materials like steel posts and paint, was also impacted. Anything critical to the war effort was not easy to get. Fortunately, Burma-Vita had enough materials on hand at the beginning of the war to build 2,000 new signs and continue replacing some of those that were stolen or needed repair.
After the war ended in 1945, the company mounted a massive program to repair, replace and repaint faded signs. More than 2,000 signs were either damaged or had faded badly during the four-year war. After a year, 1,000 signs had received the required maintenance, but a big job still remained.
Clinton B. Odell and his buddy Dick Rowland, both 1951 graduates of Edina High School, worked summers at the plant, painting signs. They manually dipped each signboard in a vat of primer paint. When the first coat was dry, they dipped each sign into a vat of red paint (although some later signs were blue or orange).
Eighteen-year-old Rowland said he got his “advanced learning as a ‘Ph.D.’ with the company – a Post Hole Digger.” He worked on one of the company’s eight road crews one summer. They traveled around the country for weeks at a time, digging postholes and putting up and/or repairing signs.
After his first summer of work, Rowland had earned enough money to help him go to college and get a real degree. “But nothing could replace the education I got on the road,” he said with a laugh. “It was an interesting life for an 18-year-old kid.”
Clinton B. Odell, who also did a summer stint with a Burma-Shave road crew, remembered the physical part of the job. “The first day was the toughest,” he recalled. “My muscles were so stiff I could hardly get out of bed. But
Clinton B. Odell (left), a fourth generation Odell to work
for Burma-Shave, in the sign shop in 1951. He had just
graduated from Edina High School.
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2012 WINTER • 11
the rest of the summer I either got in shape or learned to ignore the stiff muscles.” Another postwar roadblock to Burma-Shave’s business reared its ugly head. In many counties around the nation, local setback ordinances were being passed that restricted the distance between roadside signs and highways. Later, Allan Odell’s wife, Grace, said, “The signs wouldn’t work [in the restricted areas] because they would have to be put so far back from the road that travelers couldn’t [read] them.”
Burma-Shave Decides To Go Out Of Business In 1963, the Odells came to the conclusion that Burma-Shave’s marketing approach was no longer practical. After experimenting with several alternatives including larger, conventional billboard signs, they decided to sell the company and its products to Phillip Morris, Inc., which had a division that marketed razor blades.
America’s countryside had shrunk because of super highways and faster cars. Highways were better and wider, but the new setback rules for highway signs meant that the roadside signs were no longer effective as an advertising medium.
The costs of maintaining 250,000 signs in 45 states became prohibitive. The price tag for sending maintenance crews around the country to repair, replace or repaint signs no longer made sense.
There were fewer farmers. The family farm had all but disappeared. The huge farm conglomerates that replaced them were not interested in leasing land for $25-a-year advertising signs.
The late Don Boxmeyer, former St. Paul Pioneer Press columnist, wrote this final tribute: “Burma-Shave became the national philosophy … common sense that rhymed … entertaining Americans for nearly 40 years.”
Photos and background material for this article came
from the archives of the Edina Historical Society, a
phone interview with Clinton B. Odell and the following
publications: Edina Historical Society Newsletter, “Burma-
Shave: the Rhymes, the Signs, the Times” by Bill Vossler
and “The Verse by the Side of the Road” by Frank
Rowsome Jr.
Correction
In the Autumn issue of About Town, a mention of the Volstead Act indicated that it ended “Prohibition” in 1933. The Volstead Act was enacted in 1920 and actually established “Prohibition” as the 18th Amendment to the Constitution. The article also identified a photo of the Redpath family home as 5300 Brookview Ave. in Edina. In fact, the Redpath home was located two houses further north on Brookview Avenue. The City regrets the errors.
It’s Not Only Neighborly …
It’s The Law
12 • WINTER 2012
The Law: City Code Section 490.03, Use Of Coal Tar-Based Sealer Prohibited. “No person shall apply any coal tar-based sealer to any driveway, parking lot or other surface within the City of Edina.”
What It Means: Lakes, rivers, streams and other bodies of water are natural assets that enhance the environmental, recreational, cultural and economic resources and contribute to the general health and welfare of the community. The use of sealers on asphalt driveways is a common practice. However, scientific studies on the use of driveway sealers have demonstrated a relationship between stormwater runoff and certain health and environmental concerns. Coal tar sealers contain Polycystic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), which have been identified as probable human carcinogens. PAHs from the sealants are released into the environment and become part of stormwater runoff. Once PAHs reach ponds, lakes and streams, they may pose a risk to aquatic life, birds and mammals. Also, PAHs are causing issues for municipalities in the disposal of stormwater pond sediment.
Asphalt-based sealers contain just a fraction of the amount of PAHs as coal tar-based sealants.
Because there is a viable alternative on the market, the City of Edina has banned coal tar-based sealers.
For more information, contact Utility Engineer Jesse
Struve, 952-903-5713.
The Law: City Code 300.03, Subd. 1, Licensing Requirements. “Any owner of a dog over 6 months of age shall secure a license for such dog from the City.”
What It Means: All dogs 6 months and older residing in Edina must have a license permanently affixed to their collars. Cats do not have to be licensed. Rabies vaccinations are required for all dogs and cats 6 months and older. Dogs are required to wear vaccination tags at all times.
Remember, all 2011 City dog licenses expired Dec. 31, 2011. Licenses can be renewed at City Hall, through the mail or online.
To renew by mail, send current rabies information and
a check for the licensing fee to Edina City Hall, Animal
Control, 4801 W. 50th St., Edina, MN 55424-1394.
The Van Valkenburg Dog Park is located at 4935
Lincoln Drive.
Driveway Sealers
Pets
2012 WINTER • 13
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14 • WINTER 2012
By Scott Berman
Whether you are planning to build your dream home or remodel your store, one of the last things you want is to be bogged down by a long, arduous process when applying for a City building permit.
In order to reduce permit turnaround times, the Building Inspections Department embarked on a process to develop ways for the permit application process to be made more efficient and pleasant. LEAN Partners guided the department through its established improvement process.
“As you can imagine, when people drop off their applications for permits, they would usually like to start work immediately, but typically they can’t,” explained Steve Kirchman, the City’s Chief Building Official. “We try to be as quick as possible, but we have to review their plans and make sure they comply with the codes prior to issuing the permit. We get complaints that the process takes too long.”
While applicants are frustrated by permit wait times in many cities, Kirchman and other City of Edina officials decided that it was time to update and streamline the permit process.
A team of six City officials and staff members began holding meetings in September with the guidance of consultant Tom Barrett, a 15-year veteran of the operations field and co-founder of Minnesota LEAN
Partners, a firm that has helped many organizations save money and improve efficiency by applying “lean” thinking. “Lean” isn’t an acronym – it simply means stripping processes of waste or “fat.” Think “lean meat” or a “lean waistline.”
“‘Lean’ is about how individuals think and behave, collectively defining and shaping the culture of an organization. When the members of an organization continually think and act to eliminate waste in all processes, a culture of continuous improvement is created,” said Barrett. “In this case, we looked at the process from the eyes of the applicant and worked to improve his or her experience.”
Rather than provide specific ideas, Barrett helped shape the way the team thought. He exposed staff to concepts like 5S, which help keep processes organized, and helped them understand the “seven forms of waste,” which often get ignored. Their initial focus was on commercial tenant finishing permits, which allow tenants to remodel their
City Takes Action To Improve
Commercial Building Process
The Seven Wastes
1. Overproduction2. Inventory3. Motion4. Waiting5. Transportation6. Over-processing7. Not Right First Time – Scrap, Rework and Defects
2012 WINTER • 15
work spaces and represent the largest number of permit applications.
“LEAN Partners really helped us by walking us through our processes and seeing what could be simplified. We’ve had a lot of ‘aha’ moments,” said Karen Kurt, Assistant City Manager and member of the Lean Team.
One “aha” moment led to the creation of an improved plan submission process. “One day, we looked at all the plans that had been submitted. Many had been awaiting review for several weeks and 100 percent of those plans were incomplete, requiring plan reviewers to contact the applicant asking for more information,” recalled Kirchman. Plans will now be assessed for completeness upon receipt. Information about what needs to be included in the plans will now also be in a more consolidated, user-friendly format.
Another “aha” moment regarded the meetings that inspectors hold with most construction planners over the course of a project. Some meetings will now be held via the web, reducing travel hassle. When meetings are held in person, participants will now be explicitly notified of all materials necessary to bring.
The team has also posted a “plan review tracking sheet” on the City website so that applicants can see their permit status at any time. For further convenience, the team developed a commercial permit package that contains all the documents necessary to apply for a permit, such as schedules, forms and worksheets. Altogether, permit
applicants will now be kept more informed than ever before.
The lean project was completed in November 2011 and many of these elements have begun to be implemented.
“We have asked for feedback from building owners and planners and have seen a significant increase in customer satisfaction,” said Kurt. “Ultimately, we want them to see the City not as an obstacle, but as a partner.
“The City has made improvements over the years, but recently the turnaround process has tightened up from six to three weeks’ time,” said RJM Construction Project Manager Jennifer Williams, who has gone through the permit process hundreds of times. “It’s become a pretty easy process.”
While City staff will continuously look for ways to be leaner, these changes have helped them make significant process toward the goal of making the permit process as stress-free as possible.
For more information, contact the Building Inspections
Department, 952-826-0372.
By Kaylin Martin
There are familiar faces in new places at the Edina Police Department following the retirement of a long-time sergeant last September.
In 2011, Sgt. Phil Larsen retired after 29 years of service to the City, leaving an open sergeant position within the patrol unit. Dan Conboy, who was a School Resource Officer at the time, applied for the position and was promoted to fill the opening in October. Conboy’s advancement left a vacant School Resource Officer position, which Aaron White was then quick to fill.
“I really didn’t know when the next opportunity for advancement would become available, so I thought I should apply for the position when I had the chance,” said Conboy of his decision to apply for a leadership role in Edina after eight years of working for the department. “It’s something I’ve always been interested in.”
White agreed, noting that once officers begin working for the Edina Police Department, they tend to stick around. “You see how infrequently agencies like this hire. Sometimes it just comes down to timing and good luck,” he said. “You couldn’t find a better place to work, so it makes sense.”
As one of four patrol sergeants who work 12-hour days or nights, Conboy is responsible for overseeing his shift of six. He needs to know where his officers are while on duty and what kind of calls they are responding to and
fills in his time in the office fielding phone calls from residents.
“With Officer Conboy, the residents have someone who will listen,” said Police Chief Jeff Long. “He’s good at what he does and is someone in the community residents can count on.”
Conboy joined the Department as a full-time patrol officer in 2004 and in 2009 became School Resource Officer, serving as liaison between the Edina Police Department and Edina Public School officials.
16 • WINTER 2012
Two Edina Officers Lead
In New Positions
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Officer Dan Conboy is now responsible for overseeing his
shift of six officers as a Patrol Sergeant for the Edina Police
Department.
2012 WINTER • 17
“He’s a very smart, intelligent individual,” said Lt. Jeff Elasky. “He’s demonstrated leadership abilities when he worked with our junior officers, as a Field Training Officer and also with his position in the schools. I think he’ll do a great job in his new role.”
Conboy graduated with a degree in Journalism from the University of Arizona. He began his career in law enforcement in 1999 as a Police Officer in Tempe, Ariz. While on the police force in Arizona, Conboy spent a year in the department’s DWI and aggressive driving unit.
Like Conboy, White also went to school for something other than law enforcement. White spent 12 years in the radio broadcast business, working on radio towers and doing behind-the-scenes tasks. After signing up to volunteer for the Hennepin County Water Patrol and putting in more than 800 hours of service within his first year, he thought the opportunity could turn into something more.
“It was a huge leap of faith and a risk to say, ‘OK, I’m going to leave this successful career field and go back to school to start an entry-level job in a totally different field,’” said White. “Turns out, it was a really good fit.”
White was hired by the Edina Police Department in 2006 after spending a year with the Three Rivers Park District Police Department.
“I was really interested in Edina because of the community,” said White, who was born in the Twin
Cities, but grew up in a suburb north of Chicago. White graduated from Edina High School after his family moved back to the area when he was a sophomore.
White speaks highly of the City’s premier facilities, parks and public services, but says it’s the organization’s dynamics that have kept him happy as an officer for the department. As a negotiator on the SWAT team, White says he’s always enjoyed communicating with people, whether it’s joking around with fellow officers or helping residents solve a problem.
“People present the most unique, sometimes off-the-wall problems, so in our job we’re constantly asked to think about how to solve a problem,” he said.
Long reiterated White’s ability to solve problems, saying, “His biggest asset is his ability to communicate and solve problems. He brings a lot of life experience with him to the job and can get along with anyone.”
As School Resource Officer for South View Middle School, Valley View Middle School and the six public elementary schools in the community, White is responsible for criminal cases originating in the schools and serves as a resource to teachers and staff.
Even though advancing in the Police Department may be difficult due to the limited amount of leadership roles that become available, White knows there are many other occasions to learn and become a leader.
(continued on next page)
18 • WINTER 2012
“We’re a small enough department where you know everyone; you know the City and the community very well,” he said, “but we’re big enough that we have all these other opportunities to get involved and that’s huge.”
For more information on the Edina Police Department, call
952-826-1610 or visit www.CityofEdina.com/Police.
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As School Resource Officer for South View Middle School,
Valley View Middle School and the six public elementary
schools in the community, Officer Aaron White is responsible
for criminal cases originating in the schools and serves as a
resource to teachers and staff.
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.
D O YOU
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2012 WINTER • 19
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By Jordan Gilgenbach
Traffic cones and detours will soon give way to new flyover ramps and roundabouts. The Highway 169/Interstate 494 interchange is about halfway through construction. Are you ready for the upcoming changes?
There is nothing to fear, according to Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) Public Affairs Coordinator Breanna Magee. She says the new interchange will relieve congestion, increase traffic safety and save motorists time and money.
Early planning stages to reconstruct the interchange began in the early 2000s. It wasn’t until 2010 that funding became available for the project. In November 2010, MnDOT awarded C.S. McCrossan/Edward Kraemer and Sons the contract to rebuild the intersection in Bloomington, Eden Prairie and Edina.
“It is critical to redesign this interchange for both safety and congestion,” Edina Mayor James Hovland said. “It is vital, not only locally in Edina, Bloomington and Eden Prairie, but also regionally as a link to move people and goods.”
The $125 million performance-based design project affects a 2-mile stretch of Interstate 494 from Prairie Center Drive to Bush Lake Road and a 2.6-mile span of Highway 169 from Anderson Lakes Parkway to Valley View Road. The performance-based design only uses six of eight movements and is based on the needs of the specific area,
whereas policy-based designs require all freeway-to-freeway movements be made through eight moves.
“We were able to get the costs down with the performance-based design,” Magee said. “Eight [movements] are traditional, but six [were] deemed adequate for the performance required. The cost savings was approximately $40 million, which helped us get enough funding for the project.”
“Businesses in Mankato were elated when we began this project,” Hovland said. “I’ve heard from them that this interchange was adding an extra half-hour to transport time. It was really preventing them from moving goods effectively and in a timely manner.”
20 • WINTER 2012
Reconstructed Interchange Nears
Completion
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The interchange of Interstate 494 (left to right) and Highway
169 (top to bottom) is a performance-based design
and includes two flyover ramps and six roundabouts.
Construction is expected to be complete in November 2012.
2012 WINTER • 21
According to MnDOT, more than 375,000 vehicles travel through the interchange every day. The traffic volume is expected to increase to more than 509,000 vehicles daily by 2027. Magee says the reconstruction should finish in November 2012 and will allow traffic to flow much more smoothly than it does now.
“In the end, it is going to help create a safer drive with less congestion,” Hovland said.
In 2011, reconstruction of the northbound lanes of Highway 169, some frontage roads and the Washington Avenue bridge that spans Interstate 494 west of Highway 169 were completed. In addition, four of the six roundabouts as part of the “ring road” system opened in November. The last two roundabouts will open in spring.
While roundabouts may be unfamiliar to some, they are not uncommon in the seven-county metro area. Ninety-seven of Minnesota’s 126 roundabouts are in the metropolitan area, according to Jim Rosenow, Acting Design Standards Engineer for MnDOT.
Rosenow said engineers are required to equally consider all intersection types, such as roundabouts, stop lights and stop signs.
“Engineers were impressed by the roundabout’s proven track record of safety and efficiency,” Rosenow said. “Out of all the roundabouts in the state, there has yet to be a single fatal accident.”
Roundabouts are more efficient than traditional intersections. “While stop lights are good for high traffic volumes, they are terrible for low amounts of traffic,” Rosenow said. “At stop lights, a car has to sit and wait for a green even if there isn’t any cross traffic. Roundabouts eliminate this waiting and wasted fuel from idling.”
The cost savings associated with roundabouts is also very attractive when considering intersection options. While initial cost is the same as traditional intersections, there is little or no maintenance required, unlike stop lights.
In addition, roundabouts at either end of the Washington Avenue bridge allow for a narrower bridge because left and right turn lanes are no longer needed. This is beneficial because a narrow bridge costs less than a normal bridge with turn lanes.
Once construction season is back in full swing in the spring, motorists may experience additional changes. Traffic on Highway 169 will be flipped to reconstruct the southbound lanes, which could mean off-peak lane restrictions or overnight closures. The new flyover ramp construction and remaining frontage roads will also be completed in 2012.
For more information, call the Project Information Line
at 1-988-563-4768 or email Hwy169-I494@rranow.com.
Additional information can be found at
www.dot.state.mn.us/metro/projects/169.
22 • WINTER 2012
Cameron Begins Work As New
Resource Center Manager
By Scott Berman
Amber Swiggum Cameron is many things: dog rescuer, home renovator and social justice expert. However, around Edina, Cameron may soon be best known as the person residents go to when they have problems or need information.
Recently named Manager of the Edina Resource Center, Cameron will apply her five years of social services expertise to lead the organization, which helps Edina residents navigate the large range of services and resources available to them within the community.
“I’m really excited about this position because not only do I get to help people, but because Edina is a community that strongly supports its [residents]. Everyone I talk to has asked how they can strengthen or partner with our program,” said Cameron.
Anyone can call Cameron at the Edina Resource Center with a question or problem, and she will help find the best solution. For example, if a resident calls with a question about how to pay energy bills, Cameron will put him or her in touch with a trusted consultant. If a person needs information about local health clinics, Cameron will find the clinics that best fit his or her needs. The manager of the Edina Resource Center also helps to coordinate social services, doing such things as working one-on-one with a family needing housing or talking to seniors about what they need to stay in their homes.
“Amber has the skills to be tender and resourceful with clients and collaborative with our community partners. We are very excited to have her join our team,” said Valerie Burke, Edina Public Schools Director of Community Education and Community Relations, who used to manage the Resource Center and now acts as Cameron’s supervisor.
Others echoed Burke’s opinion. “The Edina Resource Center has been a vital part of the fabric of Edina since it was founded and the Center’s work has never been more essential,” said Mayor James Hovland. “Under Amber Cameron, we as Edinians can be ever-confident that our residents are getting the help they need when they need it the most.”
“Having to fill the shoes of Val Burke is no easy task, but in the short time that Amber Cameron has been on board as the new manager of the Edina Resource Center, she has made her presence known in a meaningful way,” said City of Edina Human Services Coordinator Susan Howl, who was involved in the process of hiring the new manager.
Cameron was able to make an impact on the lives of residents within her first few weeks. “A family that had been evicted from their apartment came to us needing a safe place to sleep that night. We helped the family members find safe housing and apply for emergency assistance, and hooked them up with access to essentials like food and clothing,” she recalled. The family had three children in Edina Public Schools, so Cameron made it a priority to minimize interruption in their education. She
notes a recent increase in the number of similar family crisis situations.
The genial Eden Prairie native became interested in social issues at an early age. Raised by a community-involved family, Amber recalls being inspired by a seventh-grade teacher who opened her eyes to international child labor problems.
“It really hit home that these kids, who were the same age I was, were laboring in these harsh environments while I was sitting in school. It didn’t seem like where I was born should dictate what resources I had access to,” she said.
That summer, Cameron joined Free the Children, a non-profit missioned to protect child labor rights. While in high school, she also worked with Edina Community
Lutheran Church, learning a good deal about the community’s social matters. After high school, Cameron attended Carleton College in Northfield, Minn., where for three years she worked and consulted with about 40 social organizations to help develop courses for students to learn about community service in Minnesota.
“Amber always went far beyond the call of duty in her work. One year, we were searching for a place for a few Carleton students to stay in the Twin Cities ... I tried to find homes through various networks, but it was Amber who asked around in her own church and found a lovely house for them. This kind of commitment to providing the best growth experience for students was a hallmark of Amber’s work,” said Carolyn Fure-Slocum, who worked directly with Cameron at Carleton.
After receiving her bachelor’s degree, Cameron went to the University of Pennsylvania to get her master’s degree in Non-profit and NGO Leadership. Upon graduation, Cameron moved back to her home state to be with her husband, a Minnesota school teacher, and found the Edina Resource Center position.
Supported by Assistant Lana Davis, Cameron appreciates the critical support the Edina Resource Center receives from staff of the City of Edina and Bloomington Public Health. “We couldn’t really do what we do without them,” Cameron said. These volunteers often act as case-workers, taking a bite from what can sometimes be a very full plate.
2012 WINTER • 23
(continued on next page)
Amber Swiggum Cameron began work
as Manager of the Edina Resource
Center in 2011.
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24 • WINTER 2012
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“One of the hardest parts of my job so far is going to budget meetings and hearing about how the economic situation limits our funds,” she said. “I don’t like that, but it challenges us to get creative. And really, at its core, this position is about building relationships and maintaining the dignity of the clients. Those are things money can’t buy.”
Cameron currently lives in Burnsville with her husband and rescued golden retriever. Fond of home-renovation
projects, the two recently purchased a foreclosed home that they have been slowly fixing up. Cameron made her DIY Network debut in November when her house was featured on an episode of “I Hate My Kitchen.”
For more information on the Edina Resource Center, call
952-848-3936 or visit www.edinaresourcecenter.com.
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2012 WINTER • 25
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2012 WINTER • 27
2010-2011 Annual Report
Dear Neighbors,
During our fiscal year ending June 30, 2011, the Edina Community Foundation took several steps toward building a stronger foundation for the future:
• We obtained a $100,000 leadership gift from a local family foundation to support our work over the next four years, which we believe will be effective in motivating similar support from other families who have achieved business or professional success while raising their families in Edina.
• We finished the year with a 12% increase in the dollar value of program services we delivered and an 11% growth in our endowment funds. The fact that these increases occurred during the continuing recession bodes well for our future, along with our strong and diversified donor base of some 750 individuals and businesses.
• We expanded our Board of Directors to add three individuals with very broad experience and charitable service to our community – Paul Mooty, Scot Housh and Maxine Wallin, with the latter two to begin their service as of July 1 of this year.
Please contact us if you’d like to play a more active role in helping our Foundation and community meet current needs and build for the future.
Sincerely,
Carolyn Schroeder Dick CrockettPresident Executive Director
STRENGTHENING OUR COMMUNITY
Sondra Smalley and artist James Gabbert at a Grandview Square sculpture reception.
Edina Community Foundation
Building For The Future
We hosted or directly sponsored several programs in collaboration with other community groups:
The Mission Briefing for veterans
and Edina 4th of July Parade,
chaired by Richard Olson, and the Fireworks display that evening, both
in cooperation with the City of Edina
and with major sponsorship support
from Lunds/Byerlys and Fairview
Southdale Hospital
The Torchlight Concert in Centennial
Lakes Park, in cooperation with the
First John Philip Sousa Band, directed
by Scott Crosbie, with sponsorship
support from Fairview Southdale
Hospital and Centennial Lakes
Partners
An Edina Dialogue event, Reflections on Bullying, in collaboration
with the Edina Energy & Environment Commission and several
local sponsors
Edina Reads programs, chaired by Maureen Millea Smith and
co-sponsored by the Edina Library and several other community
groups, and featuring authors Jim Klobuchar and Sandra Benitez;
Shannon Olson, Katrina Vandenburg and Pamela Holt, Dr. John
Najarian and Laurie Hertzel
The annual Ikola Cup Golf Tournament, chaired by Casey
Hankinson, to honor long-time EHS Boys Hockey coach Willard
Ikola and raise funds for our Ikola Scholarship and other youth
hockey programs in the community
The annual Terry Anderson Memorial Golf Tournament, chaired
by Cindy Anderson, to raise funds for Edina and Fairmount High
School graduates pursuing college study in photography
Connecting With Kids programs, led by Board chair Mark
Peterson and Executive Director Heather Haen Anderson, including
the Edina Day of Service and Leadership Breakfast, with funding
from EdinAlarm and Murphy Automotive
Our annual Ikola and EHS Girls Hockey Booster Club
Scholarships, to Edina High School graduates Michael Sit, Ellie
Starkman-Gleason and Greer Vogl, who had the highest GPA’s on
the girls and boys hockey teams
Community Grants
We also provided grant funding for many community programs
and events hosted by other organizations. Our Board of Directors
and staff greatly appreciate the efforts of other individuals and
organizations that have provided leadership, volunteer effort
and financial support for these many programs. We welcome the
opportunity to serve as the charitable giving partner that helps make
these programs possible.
We have four focus areas for grant making – Beautifying Our City,
Bringing People Together, Enhancing Our Safety, and Helping Our
Neighbors. We continue to expand our role in meeting the needs
of financially challenged families in the communities, and those
grants are italicized below.
BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER AND HELPING
OUR NEIGHBORS: CHILDREN, FAMILIES
AND SENIORS
Edina Alpine Ski Team – Edina High School Varsity team
equipment
2010-2011 Programs & Grants
Foundation Programs
28 • WINTER 2012
Edina’s biggest party.
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2010-2011 Programs & Grants
Edina Boy Scout Troop 48 – Fees and camping expenses for Scouts from low income families
Edina Communications Department – Graphic design software
and Communications equipment
Edina Morningside Rotary Club – Warm Hands, Warm Heads, Warm Hearts program operated by member Ted Field, to provide
mittens and hats to needy children, and community golf event
Edina Park & Recreation Department – Grant-in-Aid program for needy children and families, with major funding from David
and Sandra Frauenshuh, the Edina Resource Center and our Van
Valkenburg Children’s Fund, Winter Neighborhood Night Out and
ice time and jerseys for the Edina Special Hockey program
Edina Resource Center – Summer of Opportunity program to allow 12 low-income middle school youth in Edina Public Schools to attend a YMCA summer camp, funded by our Van Valkenburg
Children’s Fund, the ERC Breakfast with a Promise and available
Founders Club program funds
Edina Senior Class Party – Edina High School Senior Class Party
Committee, to bring graduates and parents together to celebrate
high school graduation in a safe and positive environment
Edina Youth Juggling Association – Professional team coaching,
juggling equipment, a Winter Juggling Showcase, a Juggling
Workshop and its annual end-of-season Juggle Jam
Kids Voting Edina – State affiliation fee, teacher training,
facilitator stipend, and election supplies
LeagueAires – Free Community Concert to demonstrate the value of therapeutic music to seniors in group homes and individuals with disabilities, funded by our Otto Bang Fund for SeniorsMetropolitan Breakfast Club – Marine Corps Toys for Tots program donation
BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER:
NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS
Country Club Neighborhood Association – July 4th breakfast,
Octoberfest and Christmas events, and June block party
Edina Highlands Neighborhood Association – Common area
landscaping and Night to Unite event
50th & France Business & Professional Association – Reindeer
and sleigh rides for 2010 holiday entertainment
BEAUTIFYING EDINA:
ENVIRONMENT, MUSIC AND ART
Cool Planet – Environmental education programs and flying disc
and Frisbee tournaments
Edina Art Center – Taste of Creativity event and May Day
Celebration, with funding from our Peggy Kelly Memorial Fund
Edina Chorale – Challenge grant for Spring Concert
Edina Garden Council – Arneson Acres landscaping
Edina Public Art Committee – Underwriting of the annual
Grandview Square Park sculpture exhibition and Peoples Choice
awards, and purchase of Time Piece, donated by Dee Kennedy, and
Three Trees, donated by artist Kevin Komadina
Edina Senior Center – Annual volunteer recognition lunch, Edina
Singing Seniors support and purchase of two pool tables and an oil
painting by artist Dick Stuck
Wild Prairie Brass Choir – Concert and Cabin Fever Reliever
events
2012 WINTER • 29
Carolyn Schroeder, PresidentCommunity Volunteer
Tim Murphy, Vice PresidentPresidentMurphy Automotive, Inc.
Bonnie McGrath, SecretaryRetired Business Owner
Bernie Beaver, TreasurerC.P.A (Retired)
James B. Hovland, Immediate Past President Attorney at LawKrause and Hovland, Chtd.
James Van Valkenburg, Assistant TreasurerRetired Mayor and Attorney
Bradley J. BeardPresidentFairview Southdale Hospital and Clinics
Peter Dahl, Chief Executive OfficerCrown Bank
Ron Erhardt Retired State Legislator
Scot Housh President and CEOWillis of Minnesota, Inc.
Grethe Langeland DillonPresidentCalhoun Insurance
Paul R. MootyChief Financial OfficerFaribault Woolen Mill Company
Brenda QuayePrincipalVenstar, LLC
Maxine Wallin Community Philanthropist
FY 2010-2011 Staff
Dick Crockett, Executive Director
Heather Haen Anderson, Connecting With Kids Executive Director
2010-2011 Finances
AUDITORS: Ellingson and Ellingson, Ltd. The complete audited statements for this and prior fiscal years, our IRS Form 990 and Minnesota Charitable Organization Annual
Report are available upon request.
For more information about our program, charitable giving opportunities and a list of 2010-2011 donors, contact Executive Director Dick
Crockett at 952-833-9573, 5280 Grandview Square, Edina, MN 55436 or edfoundation@ci.edina.mn.us,
or review our website atwww.EdinaCommunityFoundation.org.
270,682 258,792
415,261
263,623
350,145
452,603
211,917 190,355
312,571
208,985
232,517 260,814
2010-11 Community Support 2010-11 Program Services
Board of Directors as of December 1, 2011
Our total revenue was $452,603, which exceeded our average for the last five years of $311,701. Our program services expenditures of $260,814 were 83% of our total expenditures of $314,529, which more than complied with the 70% minimum recommended by the Minnesota
Charities Review Council.
30 • WINTER 2012
2010-2011 Finances
2010-11 Program Services
2012 WINTER • 31
EDINA 50th & France
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Pam Allen952-221-2177
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John Everett952-927-1646
Alyssa Granlund 612-759-5180
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As you make your resolutions to eat better and live a more active life in 2012, consider getting involved with a new initiative to improve the health of residents in Edina and our neighbors in Bloomington and Richfield.
Last fall, Edina Mayor James B. Hovland, along with Bloomington Mayor Gene Winstead, Richfield Mayor Debbie Goettel and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (Blue Cross) leadership, announced an 18-month initiative, called “do.town,” to focus on preventing illnesses caused by unhealthy eating and
physical inactivity, which combined are the second leading cause of death and disease in Minnesota.
The goal of do.town is to make the communities places where the healthy choice is the easy choice so unnecessary illnesses caused by unhealthy eating and physical inactivity can be prevented.
“We believe healthy communities are strong communities, but barriers to healthy living are everywhere,” Hovland said. “To help our residents succeed in being active and eating well, we needed a partner with proven expertise in helping people by making their surroundings – where they live, work and play – healthier. We’re fortunate Blue Cross is willing to join us in this exciting pilot project.”
Project organizers have been outreaching to community members, meeting with groups and starting to hold listening sessions in each community. The goal is to better understand what barriers residents and leaders believe currently exist and then help all three communities make sustainable changes that can help community residents easily make healthy choices a part of their daily lives.
32 • WINTER 2012
City Collaborates With Richfield,
Bloomington And Blue Cross To
Become First ‘do.towns’
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota’s “do Groove Guy”
and Edina Mayor James B. Hovland get their groove on for a
public service announcement about the do.town initiative.
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2012 WINTER • 33
City Collaborates With Richfield,
Bloomington And Blue Cross To
Become First ‘do.towns’
Examples of what this work might look like include working to make biking or walking to school safer; helping improve access to healthy foods at work, school and faith organizations; and allowing for more community gardens to help serve people with low incomes. The options are numerous and each city will determine what changes and improvements make the most sense for its community to tackle.
Unhealthy eating and physical inactivity take an enormous toll on quality of life and pocketbooks. They contribute to preventable diseases and conditions such as obesity, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers. For example, two-thirds of adult Minnesotans are overweight or obese, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. If trends continue unchecked, a Blue Cross study found treating obesity-related diseases will add nearly $3.7 billion to Minnesota’s annual health care costs by 2020.
For more information or to sign up to get involved, visit
www.do-town.org.
do. is a registered mark licensed by Blue Cross and Blue
Shield of Minnesota, a nonprofit independent licensee of
the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. do.town is
a collaborative effort to improve community health and
does not indicate a product endorsement.
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34 • WINTER 2012
By Kaylin Martin
When 18-year-old Lisa walked into Oasis for Youth on a Friday afternoon last year, she had only the clothes on her back. She was no longer welcome at home and had no other place to go.
“Every teenager has a different story,” said Andrea Knoll, Volunteer Coordinator for Oasis for Youth. “Most people think homeless youth are kids who haven’t wanted to follow the rules and have run away. That is generally not the youth we see at Oasis.”
After contacting every youth shelter in Hennepin County, which were all at capacity, Oasis volunteers were able to secure housing for Lisa in a local hotel for a few nights while they worked relentlessly to find longer-term housing for the homeless teen.
Lisa is just one of the 90 homeless or at-risk youths Oasis volunteers have helped since opening in July 2010.
Founded in response to the growing and unmet needs of youth experiencing homelessness in Bloomington, Edina and Richfield, Oasis began out of a shared concern among several advocates in the community.
“We spent a couple years just educating the community about the issue and the numbers we were finding,” said Leslie Stiles, President of the Oasis for Youth Board of Directors, about the start of the program. “School
administrators weren’t even aware of the high numbers of homeless youth.”
In Minnesota, there are an estimated 600 youth under age 18 who are homeless on any given night, according to the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation. That figure doesn’t include young adults.
Knoll says teenagers and young adults are among the least visible, but most vulnerable, homeless.
“You don’t really know what homeless youth look like,” said Knoll, “because they look like everybody else, but are couch-hopping or sleeping in cars. A lot of youth we work with have a job, are in school and are trying to do both on a base that is very unstable.”
Most of the youth Oasis helps come from homes where physical, sexual or chemical abuse is present, Stiles noted.
“They come from fractured families,” she said. “And it hasn’t been an easy journey.”
Oasis provides a pathway for homeless and at-risk youth to become self-sufficient, contributing members of the
Teens, Young Adults Find Home
Away From Home With ‘Oasis
For Youth’
2012 WINTER • 35
community. To complete their mission, volunteers for the non-profit mobilize the community to address the issues homeless youth face, help youth secure safe and stable housing in their own community and support youth as they finish high school and move on to post-secondary education or employment.
Knoll says she hopes she never forgets the day when a teenager they had previously helped randomly swung by with good news to share. She had found a job.
“To have adults in their life who are cheering for them is a huge piece of what we do,” Knoll said. “It’s just helping kids know that life can get better and it will get better, that there are steps you can take to make things better.”
Operating out of the basement of Oak Grove Presbyterian Church in Bloomington, Oasis features a drop-in center where youth are able to take care of their basic needs, such as showering, doing laundry and eating. They can “shop” from donated clothing, finish homework, watch TV or utilize the tutoring and resource center.
Even though Oasis aims to help youth ages 16 to 21, they will not turn anyone away from a referral for services, such as free health care, legal support or mental health.
In addition to being a drop-in center, Oasis piloted an Emergency Overnight Hospitality program last year. Stiles says when all other options have been exhausted, they will provide a warm bed and safe place for the youth to spend the night.
As a way to provide additional transitional housing for homeless youth, Oasis recently partnered with the newly formed Suburban Host Home Program (SHHP). Established to provide housing for youth who need a supportive family setting in order to thrive, SHHP is composed of suburban families who are willing to provide support for the youth and safe, temporary housing.
Run entirely on donations and volunteers since its inception, Stiles said Oasis hasn’t had trouble garnering support from the community.
“We live in very generous communities,” she said. “They care about the youth. It strikes a chord that we want to help youth who are already in our community, stay in our community and be successful.”
Lisa has seen firsthand the difference Oasis has made in her life. After getting her high school diploma, Lisa was able to find space in a transitional housing program and is now working on continuing her education.
Oasis for Youth, 2200 W. Old Shakopee Road,
Bloomington, serves the suburbs of Bloomington, Edina
and Richfield. For more information, contact Stiles at
612-840-9225.
By Emilie Kastner
Imagine a parent pushing a stroller full of children squirming with excitement because they are about to shoot down a slide, crawl through a tree-like tunnel, jump in a bouncy castle or sing along at one of the many child-friendly concerts at Edinborough Park. After hours of feverish playing, one child begins to complain of hunger.
In previous years, this family would have packed the van and left the park, but that is not necessary anymore. In mid-October, Edinborough Park opened a new, “healthy” concessions stand, “Peak Café.”
The park, which opened in 1987, had never offered more than a few snacks and vending machine options for its guests. But since the opening of Adventure Peak in 2003, guests, especially those with children, have been requesting a concessions stand.
“I take the kids here to Edinborough Park quite a lot,” said Stephanie Scott, a local nanny. “We’re excited about the new Peak Café … that way, we don’t have to make an extra trip before we come.”
Park staff realized they needed to look into providing foods and beverages to meet the needs of guests. A survey was administered to 600 park guests over the course of two months last winter.
“The overwhelming response showed us that parents not only wanted food at Edinborough, but they wanted healthy choices,” said Edinborough Park Manager Ann Kattreh. “So right there, we knew that was going to be our goal.”
In fact, some parents even hand-wrote on the survey, “Don’t put junk food in front of my kids.” That is when Edinborough staff decided they needed to get in touch with a nutritionist.
“One of the problems with providing healthier foods is to really define what’s healthy,” said Nutritionist Joan Bulfer from Bloomington Public Health. “There are a lot of different standards and what we have done here at Edinborough Park is use a combination of several standards.”
Parents Have Been Heard:
Edinborough Park Opens New,
‘Healthy’ Concessions Stand
36 • WINTER 2012
Edinborough Park’s new
concessions stand, “Peak Café,”
offers more than 45 percent healthy
food options.
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Bulfer began working with staff to develop healthy standards for the concessions stand. The original goal for Peak Café – to have at least 33 percent of the menu consist of healthy options – was far exceeded on opening day. Well above the standard, Peak Café opened with more than 45 percent healthy selections.
“I was especially excited about the color-coded section of the menu,” said Scott. Peak Café offers a “meal deal” from which guests can select three items – one from each category – for $4.95. The red items are entrées, the blue items are side items and the yellow items denote beverages.
“This system simplifies the ordering of food and makes it easier for parents to quickly narrow down the menu to make a selection. I also thought the [placement of pink] hearts next to certain food and beverages on the menu is a smart and easy way to show which items are healthier choices for children,” she added.
Bulfer implemented Bloomington Public Health standards derived from the Institute of Medicine, which strictly evaluates calories, fat, saturated fat, trans fats, sodium and sugar, as well as those approved by the Alliance for Healthier Generations, which gives guidelines for foods sold in schools and vending machines.
“When it comes to healthy choices for snacks, the very best rule of thumb is to pick fruits and vegetables,” Bulfer said. “The great thing about Peak Café is there are fruits
on the menu, so parents have that option now to pick a healthy snack for their kids.”
“One example [of a kid-friendly, healthy option] we were exploring was a frozen beverage,” said Kattreh. “We searched and found ‘Parrot Smoothies.’ They are still a frozen beverage the kids will love, but they also meet our healthy standards.”
Menu options include boneless chicken wings, pizza, hot dogs, “Uncrustables,” breadsticks, nachos, pretzels, bagels, chips, string cheese, yogurt, apples, pudding, gelatin, fruit cups, “Clif Kid Treats,” mini doughnuts, cookies, caramel corn, water, milk, juice, soda, coffee, Parrot Smoothies and Dilly Bars.
“I tried a black coffee with hazelnut flavoring,” said Scott. “It was delicious! I thought the price for the coffee was comparable to the quality as well. I also liked the refillable coffee option, which is great for all-day visitors who would enjoy more than one cup of hot coffee during their visit to the park.”
“We are excited that we are offering healthy options for our guests,” said Kattreh. “Edinborough Park is a great venue for kids to exert energy and be active. We do not want to negate the ‘exercise’ component of our facility by filling their tummies with junk food.”
Nutrition cards are available upon request at Peak Café.
For more information, call 952-833-9540 or visit
www.EdinboroughPark.com.
2012 WINTER • 37
38 • WINTER 2012
City Recognized Nationally With
‘100 Best Communities For
Young People’ Award
By Emilie Kastner
Missing one penny takes away the possibility of the dollar, a misplaced puzzle piece changes the entire picture and one teenager dropping out of high school can alter the outcome of the community.
Thanks to numerous collaborations between organizations and good-hearted residents who strive to improve the livelihood of and foster success of youth, the Edina community can feel a sense of pride.
The City of Edina was recently named to the list of “100 Best Communities for Young People” for the second consecutive year by America’s Promise Alliance.
Each year, America’s Promise Alliance and ING recognize 100 communities that have made efforts to reduce drop-out rates and provide support for youth. These communities have also adhered to the Alliance’s “Five Promises:” caring adults, safe places, a healthy start, effective education and opportunities to help others.
With a population of 47,941 according 2010 Census data, Edina has a graduation rate of 98 percent and a youth poverty rate of 2.5 percent. Edina Public Schools consistently ranks No. 1 in the state for standardized testing.
“Clearly we have effective education since we have a 98 percent graduation rate,” said Heather Haen Anderson, Executive Director of Connecting With Kids. “In effect,
you’d say our dropout rate is 2 percent and that’s because of all these collaborations. Edina really is a community that values our children and works to foster achievement in them.”
“Edina Public Schools has been a school system that has always believed in doing anything we can to create active citizens,” said Edina Public Schools Service Learning Coordinator Julie Rogers Bascom, who aided Haen Anderson with the application process. “The goal of public education is not just to impart knowledge, but also to nurture active citizens.”
The City boasts 14 youth athletic associations led by more than 1,100 volunteers and is a member of Tri-City Partners for Healthy Youth and Communities.
Other examples of collaborations Haen Anderson listed on the application to America’s Promise Alliance include the Students Taking a Renewed Interest in the Value of Education (STRIVE) Program, a mentorship program that selects children with greater potential who are underachieving in school and pairs them with a community resident who is often times a Rotary Club member or a mother of a former high school student; Edina Chemical Health Partners, a group that works to reduce substance abuse in youth and pairs with community members from a variety of organizations; and Junior Police, a program sponsored by the Rotary Club of Edina-Morningside and local elementary schools that works to build relationships between students and police officers.
2012 WINTER • 39
“I feel a sense of pride and sense of gratitude to the community,” said City Manager Scott Neal. “It isn’t a recognition of greatness of the school district or city government. It’s a recognition of the priority the community places on creating a supportive atmosphere for its youth and I feel lucky to be a part of that.”
Additional community programs and foundations in Edina that are devoted to the success of the community’s youth include the Edina Community Foundation’s Van Valkenburg Children’s Fund; May Term Program, which offers high school seniors the opportunity to complete an internship; scholarships for Camp Kici Yapi, a collaboration between the Southdale YMCA, Edina Public Schools and the Edina Community Foundation that makes it possible for children from low-income families to attend camp; and Youth Frontiers.
“I’m proud of the entire community for this achievement because we all work to make Edina one of America’s 100 best communities for young people,” said Haen Anderson. “We should be proud of our accomplishment and be inspired to continue our efforts.”
“One of the reasons that we were chosen is because of our long history of service and service-learning,” said Rogers Bascom, referencing the recent third Edina Day of Service, Kids Voting Edina and the variety of service-learning experiences for students in each one of the schools.
More than 300 communities from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico were nominated in the 2011
competition. Each of the 100 winning communities received a $2,500 grant to help fund a local program or to sponsor a local celebration. In addition, each winning community received media exposure, a commemorative trophy, road signs, a media relations toolkit and a one-year subscription to a leading online grant search service.
“We will have a Connecting with Kids Leadership Breakfast in February where we will celebrate the award with the community,” said Haen Anderson, adding that some of the funds will also go to Connecting With Kids.
Other Minnesota communities recognized this year included Landfall, Northfield and St. Louis Park, which has been awarded all five years.
Connecting With Kids’ Heather
Haen Anderson is proud to
represent Edina as spokesperson
for the ‘100 Best Communities for
Young People’ award.
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40 • WINTER 2012
Southdale YMCA
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America’s Promise Alliance is a partnership of more than 400 corporations, nonprofits, organizations and advocacy groups, which works to improve the lives and outcomes of children. The Alliance focuses on ensuring all youth graduate from high school prepared for college, work and life. The “100 Best Communities for Young People” awards have been granted five years, once in 2011, 2010, 2008, 2007 and 2005.
“This is a national recognition of the community and that’s something that is worth being proud of,” said Neal.
“Many communities seek this recognition and only a few deserve it. Edina is one of the 100 that made the grade. We should use this recognition as a goal for the future, not just something to hang a hat on in the present.”
For more information, call Haen Anderson at 952-688-
8081, email info@connectingwithkidsedina.org or visit
www.AmericasPromise.org.
2012 WINTER • 41
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By Jordan Gilgenbach
Susie Miller is no stranger to a sheet of ice. She has spent countless nights and weekends at hockey rinks with her children at practices and games. As Braemar Arena’s new Manager, she will make a career out of it.
Miller began work as Braemar Arena’s General Manager Oct. 31. With more than 17 years of experience in the park and recreation field, Miller says she is ready for the job.
She graduated in 1994 from Minnesota State University, Mankato with a bachelor’s degree in Recreation, Parks & Leisure Services. Before joining the City in 1998 as Recreation Supervisor, Miller worked in long-term care, therapeutic recreation and as Special Events Coordinator at the City of Coon Rapids’ Civic Center. She took initiative, went back to school and obtained her masters degree in Recreation Administration from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities in 2006.
In 2007, Miller joined Edinborough Park as Assistant Park Manager where she was responsible for such things as guest services, birthday parties and marketing.
“I made sure our guests had a positive experience while they were at [Edinborough] Park,” Miller said. “I want to continue to provide those kinds of experiences here at the Arena.”
Miller said her biggest goal is to make Braemar Arena somewhere people want to go.
“I want to feel the history and tradition of the figure skating club, hockey association and Edina High School hockey. These groups have had so much success – people should be able to feel that when they walk through the doors.”
The Edina Hornets hockey teams, Braemar-City of Lakes Figure Skating Club, Minnesota Special Hockey’s Edina Stingers team and Edina Hockey Association all call Braemar Arena home. Miller will manage ice times for those teams and associations as well as the Arena’s 27 part-time and four full-time employees.
42 • WINTER 2012
Miller Brings Fresh Ideas
As New General Manager Of
Braemar Arena
Former Edinborough Park Assistant Manager Susie Miller
was promoted to General Manager at Braemar Arena on
Oct. 31, 2011.
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2012 WINTER • 43
“I want to see the arena buzzing with people every night,” Miller said. “I want people in there and using the facility to its fullest potential.
“We need to not only sell blocks of ice, but also create opportunities for residents to visit year-round,” she said. Miller said she will need to think creatively and is considering renting space for expos and trade shows. She is also toying with the idea of off-season leagues, training opportunities and other recreation activities at the arena.
Miller said she wants to borrow from her successes at Edinborough Park and translate them to the Arena. For example, when she started at Edinborough Park, she said customer service was a little rough around the edges. After administering a little TLC, leading by example, conducting trainings and implementing a new point-of-sale system, the Edinborough Park staff has become what it is today.
“I want to make sure our guests have a positive experience while they are here,” she said.
Miller’s hard work does not go without notice.
“For many years, I have watched Susie grow as a dedicated and driven parks and recreation professional,” said Park & Recreation Director John Keprios. “She pursued her master’s degree; she has continually sought and welcomed new professional challenges that have made her the confident leader she is today.”
Her leadership shined in 2006 when she worked to establish Minnesota Special Hockey, a non-profit hockey league that gives all Minnesotans with developmental disabilities the opportunity to play hockey.
“We are the state of hockey,” Miller said. “Every resident who wants to play hockey should be able to play hockey.”
“Susie worked her tail off getting the Minnesota Special Hockey going,” said Jane Cashin, President of Minnesota Special Hockey.
Cashin met Miller in 2006 when she was looking for an adaptive hockey program. She said Miller searched all over and came to find none existed. Miller went to Cashin with the news.
“She told me there weren’t any organizations, but asked me ‘will you start one with me?’” Cashin said.
From that conversation, a six-week introductory program through Edina Park & Recreation was formed. Over the past six years, Minnesota Special Hockey has grown from just a handful of players to eight teams serving more than 110 players across the state. Cashin believes this is one of the fastest-growing leagues of its kind in the country, thanks mostly to Miller’s hard work.
“She is so passionate when it comes to people with disabilities,” she said. “Without Susie, this wonderful organization wouldn’t exist.”
(continued on next page)
44 • WINTER 2012
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Because of her work on the Minnesota Special Hockey league, Miller was honored in March 2011 as one of KARE 11’s “Eleven Who Care.”
“This honor was a great recognition for all the people who help make this hockey league what it is,” Miller said. “It really opened doors for skaters, fundraisers and grant opportunities. It directly affected the league by helping recruit 17 new players and receiving more than $17,000 in donations.”
While Miller has not been president of Minnesota Special Hockey for several years, she is still very involved as a board member and fundraiser. She is also a USA Hockey representative for the Special Hockey section.
For more information on Braemar Arena, call
952-941-1322 or visit www.Braemar-Arena.com.
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2012 WINTER • 45
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The Edina Human Rights & Relations Commission is seeking nominations for the Tom Oye Award. The City established the award in 2006 to recognize individuals who live and work in Edina whose good works promote human relations and advance human rights.
The late Tom Oye was a longtime Edina resident and humanitarian who demonstrated courage and compassion in the advancement of human rights. He served in World War II in one of the most decorated units in the U.S. Military. He helped found the Edina Human Rights & Relations Commission in 1970 and served on it for more than 30 years. Oye served on a number of human relations committees in Minnesota.
Honorees include advocates who have demonstrated courage and compassion in the advancement of human rights, leadership and support in our schools and companies, and outreach programs that have improved the quality of life and well-being for many.
Nominees for the award must:
• Foster respect and dignity for others.
• Model courage and compassion in the advancement of human rights.
• Demonstrate leadership by example for improving human relations and advancing human rights.
The 2011 award was presented to Daniel Johnson, formerly the Senior Pastor of Good Samaritan United Methodist Church. During Johnson’s more than 20 years of ministry, he has been a tireless advocate for human rights.
“Dan’s passion and eloquence as he worked in his faith-based community has resulted in his church becoming a ‘reconciling’ church that has openly welcomed and affirmed GLBT individuals since 1995,” said Commissioner Bob Mayer.
According to Mayer, Johnson has reached beyond the walls of his church to show exceptional leadership in advocating equal access and acceptance, affirming and blessing relationships without regard to the gender of the partner and advancing civil rights regardless of sexual orientation.
46 • WINTER 2012
Human Rights & Relations
Commission Seeks Nominations
For Annual Tom Oye Award
Dan Johnson, formerly the Senior Pastor of Good Samaritan
United Methodist Church, was the 2011 winner of the Tom Oye
Human Rights Award.
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2012 WINTER • 47
Other previous award winners are Mary Ellingen, a volunteer lawyer with Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights; Ellen Kennedy, the founder of the local chapter of the Genocide Intervention Network; Debby McNeil, the organizer at her congregation for immigration communities in Minnesota; Karen Hazel, the founder of the Child Advocacy Coalition; Rachael Pream Grenier, Edina School Youth Development Supervisor; Kelly Fitzgerald, the leader in diversity at Dow Water and Process Solution; Sandy Schley, instrumental in clean water projects in Africa; and Shara Mohtadi and Emma Weisberg, high school graduates who focused on human rights education while attending Edina High School.
The Edina Human Rights & Relations Commission will select the 2012 recipient and the award will be presented at the City’s Volunteer Recognition Reception in April.
Award nominations are due 4:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17. Forms are available at Edina City Hall or online at www.CityofEdina.com. Entries should be sent to: City of Edina, Human Rights & Relations Commission, 4801 W. 50th St., Edina, MN 55424.
For more information, contact Susan Howl at
952-826-0403.
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48 • WINTER 2012
By Jordan Gilgenbach
Over the course of 28 years, the Kiwanis Golden K Club of Edina has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to more than 40 organizations and dozens of Edina students in the form of grants and scholarships. In September 2011, the club gave its last donations, clearing more than $60,000 from its bank account.
The morning of Sept. 27, the group’s remaining members met at Good Samaritan United Methodist Church in Edina to conduct the final Golden K meeting.
“We were down in membership and no one really wanted to take charge of the club,” Club President Jim Bentley said of the decision to end the club.
The club was chartered as part of Kiwanis International in 1984. Kiwanis is an organization of volunteers dedicated to serving children. Kiwanis also has youth, young adult and working professionals groups. The Golden K sect of Kiwanis is specifically for retired men and women.
According to documented club history, the Edina Kiwanis club made a commitment in April 1983 to organize and sponsor a Golden K club in Edina for retirees living in or around Edina.
“It didn’t make sense for anyone retired to go downtown [Minneapolis] if they didn’t work there anymore,” Bentley said.
Work began on the new club. While Edina Kiwanis President Mert Olson and other Kiwanis members worked to advertise and secure new members for the newly formed Golden K club, meetings were held at the Edina Community Center. Once membership reached 18 in September 1983, meetings were moved to the lower level of the Twin City Federal Building at 50th & France.
In October 1983, Walt Wheelock was selected as temporary president of the club while a formal application for a Golden K charter was made. At the July 1984 meeting, Kiwanis officials finalized the Golden K club and Wheelock was elected as permanent president.
Members planned a gala to celebrate the club becoming an official Kiwanis organization. The Charter Night was held at the Edina Country Club on Sept. 26, 1984. More than 80 people were in attendance at the event, including
Kiwanis Golden K Club Of Edina
Holds Final Meeting
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The last president of the Kiwanis
Golden K Club of Edina, Jim
Bentley, holds the original charter
of the club, granted by Kiwanis
International in 1984.
2012 WINTER • 49
the 31 members and their wives, Edina Kiwanis Club members and visitors and their wives. H. G. Vanderhorst, governor of the Minnesota-Dakota District of Kiwanis, was also present with his wife.
After a social hour and dinner, Vanderhorst presented Wheelock with the official charter.
After receiving the charter, Wheelock said, “We pledge the following to our charter: We will do all the good we can, by all the means we can, in all the ways we can, to all the people we can, as long as we ever can.”
The club’s first secretary, Chet Groger, wrote of the Charter Night banquet, “to attend the birth of our club was a very special event and it was an emotional moment when Governor Vanderhorst presented our charter to President Walt Wheelock and our Kiwanis banner was unfurled for the first time.”
The Kiwanis Golden K Club of Edina was very active in the community. Every winter, members sold oversized coloring books, and every summer, peanuts at local grocery stores as a way to raise funds. The club also held a yearly concert in the spring.
“The Edina Senior Center had been very helpful to us,” Bentley said. “They helped us get the word out for our fundraiser concerts and events and helped us sell tickets.”
The money raised benefitted the community directly through charitable donations and scholarships. The
club gave four $2,000 scholarships annually to Edina High School seniors. Donations were also given to more than 35 organizations, including Volunteers Enlisted to Assist People (VEAP), Edina Crime Prevention Fund, Edina High School, Second Harvest Heartland, Kiwanis Foundation and Toys for Tots.
Bentley said the things he will miss most about the club are its social functions and speakers. Over the years, the Golden K Club of Edina has welcomed many to speak to the club about a variety of topics. Park & Recreation Director John Keprios, Edina Police Lt. Jeff Elasky, KARE 11 Meteorologist Belinda Jensen, Star Tribune Reporter Lori Sturdevant and Minnesota Twins President Dave St. Peter were among the guest speakers at club meetings.
(continued on next page)
Jim AndersonCharles ApplequistJim BentleyBob BertelsenDennis BlenisBob CooperJohn HeinzGordon HolmAllen Housh
Duane JensenBob JorgensenDick LindAndy MontgomeryDoug OlsonBob RustvoldCharles StarksenHerb Telshaw
2011 Membership Roster
50 • WINTER 2012
Membership of the Kiwanis Golden K Club of Edina peaked in the late 1990s at 128 members and has declined ever since. According to Kiwanis International, worldwide Kiwanis general membership has tumbled nearly 50,000 members in the past 10 years to 226,929 members.
At its final meeting, 17 active Golden K club of Edina members were present, which, while bittersweet, was business as usual.
Just because the club is no longer official, it doesn’t mean members won’t still meet, Bentley said.
“The club has been dissolved, so now it will just be social,” he said. “Instead of following an agenda, we can just meet for donuts and coffee and talk about our investments or the Vikings.”
The Edina Kiwanis Club meets at 7:30 p.m. the second
and fourth Thursday of every month at Byerly’s, 3777
Park Center Blvd., St. Louis Park. For more information on
Kiwanis International, visit www.Kiwanis.org.
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2012 WINTER • 51
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Flowers Of Edina Celebrates 20-Year AnniversaryIn November of 1991, life-long Edina resident Janine Krieter, who had been looking to start a business, purchased Flowers of Edina. Now, 20 years later, the company is celebrating a landmark anniversary.
To reward its customers for the continued business, Flowers of Edina will feature a $20 bouquet special for the entire anniversary year and a new 20 percent-off special each month, ending November 2012.
“We usually carry about 30 varieties of flowers on a daily basis,” said Krieter. “With the growth of online floral purchases, we try to be prepared for whatever order a customer may send our way.” The store carries fresh flowers, blooming and green plants, local candy,
cards and gifts. The client base consists of large and small corporate accounts, as well as “many wonderful, supportive personal clients.”
Flowers of Edina has been voted “Best Florist” in Edina by Edina Magazine readers for five consecutive years.
“We have stayed in business over the years by the support of a really wonderful Edina customer base and by giving back to the Edina community,” said Krieter, who is a member of the Edina-Morningside Rotary Club and a strong supporter of Edina Public Schools’ sports, due to her active 14 nieces and nephews. “I’ve always found it an honor to support our hometown teams.”
Six to 10 part-time staffers help to run the store, in addition to Krieter, who spends a dedicated 50 to 70 hours per week, depending upon the season.
Hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. The store is closed on Sunday.
For more information or to hear about the monthly
specials, call 952-944-5770 or visit
www.flowersofedina.com.
Southdale Center To Construct New Food Court, EntranceSouthdale Center will undergo renovations beginning January 2012, which includes a new food court and entrance.
Business Notes
52 • WINTER 2012
Flowers of Edina owner Janine Krieter is celebrating 20 years of
business in the community.
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2012 WINTER • 53
The new food court will be located on the second floor in the J.C. Penney Co. wing, where a completely new floor-to-ceiling look will allow for additional food vendors, seating, restrooms and lighting, complete with a skylight. The current food court will remain open during the renovation.
Then, the entrance between J.C. Penney Co. and Macy’s – entrance No. 8 – will be redesigned to include a covered entrance, sliding doors and an indoor/outdoor children’s play area. The entrance will also have a new color scheme. Additionally, the new first-floor J.C. Penney Co. corridor will be designed to provide better access to stores and “open up” that side of the mall.
“Southdale Center has an important place in retail history, being the first enclosed indoor shopping center in the country,” said Laurie VanDalen, Manager of Southdale Center. “Yet we’re committed to ensuring Southdale has a vital place in the future of retail history as well. These changes will make this an even stronger shopping destination.”
Special care will be taken to make sure that there is minimal customer inconvenience during the mall’s operating hours. Construction is scheduled to be completed in the late fall of 2012.
“The renovation will be attractive to both current and prospective tenants. With new tenants, including Michael Kors, and a renovated mall, we feel we can truly enhance the shopping experience at Southdale Center,” said VanDalen.
Southdale Center is located at 10 Southdale Center. For
more information, visit www.simon.com.
14 Edina High School Seniors Named National Merit Semi-FinalistsFourteen Edina High School seniors are among the 16,000 students who have been chosen nationwide to compete for the National Merit Scholarship. Nearly 1.5 million students took the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which served as the initial screening process.
Edina semifinalists include Alyson Beveridge, Ekaterina Botchkareva, Rebecca Brookes, Sophia Charan, Allen Fang, Tyler Gieseke, Molly Little, Anne Schulberg, Miriam Sergent-Leventh, Krzysztof Stankiewicz, Nora Steinhagen, Meghana Vasireddy, Zhonghao Wang and Xue Zhang.
It is estimated that 90 percent of semi-finalists will advance to the finalist level. Of those students, approximately half will be selected as Merit Scholarship recipients. To advance, students must receive an endorsement from Edina High School Principal Bruce Locklear and submit a detailed application, which includes a descriptive essay and resume complete with leadership activities.
For more information, contact Locklear at
brulocklear@edina.k12.mn.us.
– Compiled by Scott Berman and Emilie Kastner
City of Edina Facilities
Edina City Hall, 4801 W. 50th St. 952-927-8861
Edina Aquatic Center, 4300 W. 66th St. 612-928-4590 (May-August) 952-826-0431
Edina Art Center, 4701 W. 64th St. 952-903-5780
Braemar Arena, 7501 Ikola Way 952-941-1322
Braemar Golf Course, 6364 John Harris Drive 952-903-5750
Braemar Golf Dome, 7420 Braemar Blvd. 952-826-6744 (November-April)
Centennial Lakes Park, 7499 France Ave. S. 952-833-9580
Edina Liquor, 3943 50th St. 612-928-4551
Edina Liquor, 5013 Vernon Ave. 952-903-5740
Edina Liquor, 6755 York Ave. S. 952-903-5730
Edina Senior Center, 5280 Grandview Square 952-833-9570
Edinborough Park, 7700 York Ave. S. 952-833-9540
Fire Station No. 1, 6250 Tracy Ave. 952-826-0330
Fire Station No. 2, 7335 York Ave. 952-826-0357
Fred Richards Golf Course, 7640 Parklawn Ave. 612-915-6606 (April-September)
Public Works & Park Maintenance Facility, 7450 Metro Blvd. 952-826-0376
South Metro Public Safety Training Facility, 7525 Braemar Blvd. 952-903-5700
Elected Officials
Jim Hovland, Mayor 612-874-8550Joni Bennett, Council Member 952-927-0661Mary Brindle, Council Member 952-941-7746Josh Sprague, Council Member 612-501-0252Ann Swenson, Council Member 952-927-7524
Geoff Michel, Senator 651-296-6238Keith Downey, Representative – 41A 651-296-4363Pat Mazorol, Representative – 41B 651-296-7803
General Information
Dial 9-1-1 to:
• Report an incident that requires a Police Officer at the scene (assaults, burglaries, domestic disputes, accidents, etc.). • Summon a paramedic or ambulance. • Report a fire. • Report suspicious, criminal activity (alarms, shots fired, shouts for help, sounds of breaking glass, unfamiliar person carrying items from a house, etc.). • Report a sewer backup or other Public Works emergency that requires immediate attention.
When in doubt or unsure of any situation, call 9-1-1 and the dispatcher will assist you.
Call 952-927-8861 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday for general information. If you have a situation after hours or on weekends, but do not require immediate response from a paramedic, firefighter, police officer or Public Works crew, call the Police Department’s non-emergency number, 952-826-1610.
54 • WINTER 2012
City of Edina Annual Events
2012 WINTER • 55
Winter Ice Festival (January) 952-833-9580 or www.CentennialLakesPark.comTypically held 1 to 5 p.m. the second Sunday of January at Centennial Lakes Park.
Easter Egg Scramble (March or April) 952-833-9540 or www.EdinboroughPark.comOrganized by the Edina Chamber of Commerce. Typically held at 9 a.m. two Saturdays before Easter at Edinborough Park.
Ice Skating Show (April) 952-941-1322 or www.Braemar-Arena.comAnnual performance by the Braemar-City of Lakes Figure Skating Club at Braemar Arena.
Taste of Edina (May) 952-903-5730 or www.edinachamber.comOrganized by the Edina Chamber of Commerce. Typically held 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. the second Thursday of May at Centennial Lakes Park. Sample wines, specialty beers and food from local restaurants.
Farmers Market (June-September) 952-833-9580 or www.CentennialLakesPark.comHeld 3 to 7 p.m. Thursdays at Centennial Lakes Park.
Outdoor Concerts in the Park (June-August) 952-833-9580 or www.CentennialLakesPark.comHeld at 7 p.m. on select Sundays and Tuesdays at Centennial Lakes Park.
Movies in the Park (June-August) 952-833-9580 or www.CentennialLakesPark.comHeld at sunset on select Thursdays at Centennial Lakes Park.
Parade of Boats (June) 952-833-9580 or www.emyc.orgTypically held 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. the second Sunday of June at Centennial Lakes Park.
4th of July Parade (July) 952-833-9573 or www.edinaparade.orgOrganized by the Edina Community Foundation.
4th of July Fireworks (July) 952-826-0367 or www.EdinaParks.comTypically held at 10 p.m. July 4 at Rosland Park.
Night to Unite (August) 952-833-9523 or www.CityofEdina.com/PoliceFirst Tuesday in August. Call to set up or register a block party.
Lighthouse Night (August) 952-833-9580 or www.emyc.orgTypically held the second Sunday in August at sundown at Centennial Lakes Park.
Fall into the Arts Festival (September) 952-833-9580 or www.FallintotheArtsFestival.comOrganized by the Edina Crime Prevention Fund. Held the second weekend in September.
Indoor Concerts in the Park (September-May) 952-833-9540 or www.EdinboroughPark.comHeld at 7 p.m. on select Sundays and Thursdays at Edinborough Park.
Members’ Juried Exhibition (September-October) 952-903-5780 www.EdinaArtCenter.comAnnual members’ juried exhibition at Edina Art Center.
Halloween Party (October)952-833-9540 or www.EdinboroughPark.comHeld 6 to 9 p.m. the Friday before Halloween at Edinborough Park. Trick-or-treating, games and a more.
New Year’s Eve Party (December) 952-833-9540 or www.EdinboroughPark.comHeld 6 to 9 p.m. Dec. 31 at Edinborough Park. Family-friendly evening of food, dance and games. The countdown to bring in the New Year will be at the stroke of 8 p.m.
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