HomeMy WebLinkAboutEditionEdinaJan2019Centennial Lakes Park to
Host Winter Ice Festival
Horse-drawn carriage rides and face painting
among many Festival activities
In celebration of the winter season, Centennial Lakes Park,
7499 France Ave. S., will host its 29th-annual Winter Ice
Festival 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 13.
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 ($6 per pair) and
Norwegian kick-sleds ($8 per hour) are available for rental at
the Hughes Pavilion, which serves as a warming house and
concessions stand during the
winter months.
“For nearly three decades,
families from all over the
metro have celebrated the
winter season with us,”
said Centennial Lakes Park
Assistant Manager Laura
Knollmaier. “The Winter Ice
Festival is a fun way to spend
a winter Sunday outdoors
with your family and friends.
“Ice skaters will also get a
chance to skate under the new pedestrian bridges, which are
built and just awaiting their new stone façade come spring.”
Behind Hughes Pavilion on the terrace overlooking the lake,
ice-sculpting demonstrations will be given.
The Festival is free to attend, but the prices of activities vary.
For more information, visit CentennialLakesPark.com
Edition: Edina
JANUARY 2019
Volume 6, Issue 1
4801 W. 50th St. Edina, MN 55424 | 952-927-8861 | mail@EdinaMN.govCity of Edina EdinaMN.gov
Charm Your Sweetie to the Tunes of
The Rockin’ Hollywoods!
The fifth-annual Valentine’s Concert, presented by the City of Edina Arts & Culture
Commission and featuring The Rockin’ Hollywoods, will be held 7-9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 9.
Concertgoers are welcome to drop in at any time throughout the evening. The event is free
to attend and will be held at Braemar Golf Course Clubhouse, 6364 John Harris Drive.
Submitted Photo
• Face painting
• Horse-drawn carriage rides
• Ice skating
• Norwegian kick-sledding
• Ice-sculpting demonstrations
Winter Ice Festival
1-5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 13File PhotoRoger Rust, who has taken part in the Winter Ice Festival for more than two decades,
carves a minion out of a block of ice.
New Blade Technology May Improve Snowplow Effectiveness
Test Is Part of Effort to Reduce Use of Chemical De-Icers
A new type of blade is being tested on some Edina snowplows this winter as
part of efforts to reduce the use of salt and chemicals while keeping roads safe.
The segmented floating blades, sold under the brand name Joma blades, make
better contact with the road surface than conventional blades.
“They provide better physical removal of snow and ice so we don’t have to
depend so much on chemicals,” said Water Resources Coordinator Jessica
Wilson.
The blades cost more than conventional ones, so Wilson applied for a grant from
the Nine Mile Creek Watershed District (NMCWD) to help pay for them. The
NMCWD put up $33,000, which is 75 percent of the cost.
Three areas in the watershed district – Countryside, Lake Edina and Southdale –
were chosen as test zones as they offer a variety of hills, curves, curbs and other
conditions.
Given that no two snowstorms and no two neighborhoods are exactly alike,
determining effectiveness is a challenge. Wilson has faith that the snowplow
drivers will be the best evaluators. After all, they were the ones who suggested
trying out the blades during a workshop on reducing de-icing chemicals ending
up in creeks, lakes, ponds, streams and rivers.
“Our plow operators are super,” Wilson said. “They understand the problem,
and they are grappling with ways to provide effective snow removal, good
quality of life and safety while balancing that with concerns about the
environment.”
The workshop is just one part of the City’s research partnership with the
University of Minnesota studying options to improve de-icing operations.
“Hopefully, if they do work well and people like them, then these articulated
blades will become the standard,” Wilson said.
For more information, contact Wilson at jwilson@EdinaMN.gov or 952-826-0445.
Use an old coffee cup to prevent putting down too much salt. Half a cup is enough to
clear the equivalent of a large parking space.Photo by Scott DenfeldTips on Reducing Salt Use
Do your part to keep our waterways healthy by limiting
application of salt.
• Shovel first, then apply salt only if necessary.
• Don’t apply salt when the temperature is below 15 degrees – it’s
ineffective.
• Use a minimal amount – half a coffee cup is plenty for the average
parking space of 150 square feet.
• Be patient: The colder it is, the longer it takes salt to work.
• When ice has melted, sweep up any excess salt and save to reuse
or throw it in the trash.
• If a business seems to use too much, tell a manager your concerns.
Council Approves Preliminary Plans for
France Avenue Redevelopment
Proposed Project Would Include
Housing, Retail and Parking
Several redevelopment projects have been
proposed for 7200 and 7250 France Ave.,
but only recently did the City Council
find one that fits its vision for the greater
Southdale area.
Under a plan given preliminary approval
by the Council in December, the existing
buildings would be razed and replaced with
two six-story buildings with apartments and
rental townhomes with underground parking.
Up to 30,000 square feet of retail would be
included on the first level of each building.
The plan also includes a north-south woonerf – a low-speed road shared by cars, bikes and
pedestrians – to improve transitions in the neighborhood. A row of 10 two- or three-story
townhomes would be built on the west side of the woonerf.
To move forward with the project, the developer must obtain final zoning and redevelopment approval.
The City Council will meet at 7 p.m. Jan. 8 and 23. For more information, visit EdinaMN.gov.Submitted IllustrationFrance Equities, LLC plans to raze the existing buildings at 7200
and 7250 France Ave. to make way for 309 units of housing
(apartments and townhomes) and 30,000 square feet of retail.
New City Clerk Living American Dream
Honesty, Hard Work Propel Sharon Allison’s Career
As a young adult, Sharon Allison moved from her native Jamaica to the United
States in search of a better life.
She has made that happen through hard work and dedication, including the
last 15 years working for the City of Edina. Now she’s taking the next step,
becoming City Clerk. In the role, she will be responsible for data practices,
records retention, elections and supporting the City Council.
Without intending to do so, Allison began training for the position years
ago. She spent several years working in the Engineering Department, where
she handled records management, public meeting notices, built City Council
packets and took minutes at the Transportation Commission meetings. She also
has volunteered to work elections for the last decade.
“Now as City Clerk, I’m just doing that type of work for the entire City,”
Allison said.
In 2017, when then-City Clerk Debra Mangen announced her long-range
retirement plan, Allison began the three-year City Clerk certification process,
which she will wrap up on the job. She also moved into the Administration
Department to work daily with Mangen.
“Deb has everything so laid out,” Allison said. “It makes it easy to step in and
continue what she had in place.”
Those who have worked with Allison have no doubt she will excel as City Clerk.
Ask any of them to describe her, from Engineering Director Chad Millner to
Assistant City Manager Lisa Schaefer, and one word always comes up: honest.
That’s a key quality for someone handling elections and records.
“I am not creative, so I can’t go out and invent something that would make me
millions or pay my mortgage,” Allison said. “I love working in an area that is
established with the written words and language. I like to develop processes to
implement those rules. That, to me, is exciting.”
She never could have imagined the journey her life has taken since her childhood
in Jamaica.
“I can see myself retiring from Edina as a City Clerk,” Allison said. “To be part of
this city is awesome.”
Allison can be reached at sallison@EdinaMN.gov or 952-826-0408.
Edition: Edi na JANUARY 2019
4801 W. 50th St. Edina, MN 55424 | 952-927-8861 | mail@EdinaMN.gov City of Edina EdinaMN.gov
Upcoming Events
Recurring Events:
Children’s Entertainment at Edinborough Park
Noon Thursdays
Family Night at Braemar Field
6:30-7:30 p.m. Saturdays
Friday, Jan. 4, 6:15-7:15 a.m.
Fitness on the Field, Alchemy 365, Braemar Field
Sunday, Jan. 6, 7 p.m.
Pan Handlers Steel Drum Band, Edinborough Park
Tuesday, Jan. 8, 7 p.m.
City Council Meeting, Edina City Hall
Friday, Jan. 11, 6:30 p.m.
Friday Family Movie Night, “The Incredibles 2,” Edinborough Park
Friday, Jan. 11, 6-8 p.m.
Outdoor Rink Family Glow Night, Pamela Park
Saturday, Jan. 12, 10 a.m.
The Author’s Studio: Before I Leave: Wisdom from the Stories of
Six Women Over Eighty – Jenny Egertson, Edina Art Center
Sunday, Jan. 13, 7 p.m.
Standard Deviations Jazz Combo, Edinborough Park
Thursday, Jan. 17, 7:30 a.m.
Housing & Redevelopment Authority Meeting, Edina City Hall
Saturday, Jan. 19, 9-10 a.m.
Walk With the Mayor, Galleria, meet near Starbucks, Door 4
Sunday, Jan. 20, 1:40-3:10 p.m.
Open Skate and Talent Showcase, Braemar Arena
Sunday, Jan. 20, 7 p.m.
Rum River Brass, Edinborough Park
Monday, Jan. 21
City Hall closed, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Wednesday, Jan. 23, 7 p.m.
City Council Meeting, Edina City Hall
Saturday, Jan. 26, 1:40-3:10 p.m.
Skate With the Hornets, Braemar Arena
Sunday, Jan. 27, 7 p.m.
First John Philip Sousa Memorial Band, Edinborough Park
Thursday, Jan. 31, 7:30 a.m.
Housing & Redevelopment Authority Meeting, Edina City Hall
Friday, Feb. 1, 6:15-7:15 a.m.
Fitness on the Field, Physical Culture(v), Braemar Field
Sunday Feb. 3, 7 p.m.
CC Septet, Edinborough Park
Tuesday, Feb. 5, 7 p.m.
City Council Meeting, Edina City Hall
For a complete listing of meetings and events, visit EdinaMN.gov.Photo by Dietrich NissenSharon Allison will oversee elections and support the City Council in her new role as Edina City Clerk.
the dome is up
at Braemar Field.
FromNov. 1 - April 1
$5
(punch cards are
also available)
Tot Time
Open Soccer
Family Night
per
session
BY THE NUMBERS
Have Fun and Stay Fit Under the Dome at Braemar Field
Open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week, Braemar Field, 7509 Ikola
Way, offers a variety of activities to keep active families busy during
the cold, winter months. For a complete list, visit BraemarField.com.
laps around the
indoor track
equal a mile
different athletic
associations rent
field time
4.4
25
EDINA AQUATIC CENTER!
Give the Gift of Summer Fun at the
PASSES MAKE GREAT GIFTS!
Purchase season passes at
EdinaAquaticCenter.com