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Home My WebLink AboutCitySlick_August_2012by David Katz, Communications Intern Representatives from the Edina Police Department and about 30 other municipal Police and Fire departments from all corners of the United States and Canada congregated in St. Cloud June 24 to July 1 for the 35th “CAN-AM” Police/Fire Games. Over the course of the week, competitors tested their mettle in more than 50 events ranging from team events like hockey and volleyball to solo exhibitions like sharpshooting and judo. Whether or not “home ﬁeld advantage” played some factor, Minnesota athletes generally scored high, and Edina in particular boasted a strong showing. Dawn Hart, a member of the Edina Police Reserves, took away the Silver Medal in the Women’s 5K Masters run. Her time, an impressive 31 minutes and 57 seconds, came as no real surprise to her colleagues. “Dawn started with the Reserve Unit about a year ago,” said Kevin Roﬁdal, Training Ofﬁcer. “Since then, her great energy – and her enthusiasm – have proven her a real asset to our program and community.” In addition to being one of the biggest and most diverse tournaments of its kind, the CAN-AM Police/ Fire Games is one of only a few that welcomes volunteer ﬁreﬁghters and reserve unit ofﬁcers. Despite what the strong focus on athletic prowess might lead you to believe, this biennial competition is much more than a scaled-down Olympic Games. Strictly speaking, athletic ability wasn’t even a requirement; contestants also compete in more lighthearted contests, such as poker, foosball, bowling and chili-making. It wasn’t just departments’ two-legged members that enjoyed the opportunity to prove themselves “top dog” in their specialty. The CAN-AM Games also include a growing K-9 division. This year, some 55 service dogs and their handlers came to St. Cloud to match wits (and noses) on narcotics detection and other ﬁeld tests. CITYSLICK p1 A newsletter for the City Council and employees of the City of Edina Volume 15.11 8|3|2012 INSIDE THIS ISSUE 2 Around The Water Cooler 2 Caught In The Act 4 Where Are They Now? 4 Staff Notes Aug. 5, Sharon, Engineering Aug. 6, Steve, Police Aug. 6, Ted, Centennial Lakes Park Aug. 8, Sherry, Health Aug. 9, Michael, Fire Aug. 10, Jerry, Public Works Aug. 12, Tom, Braemar Golf Course Aug. 13, Dominic, Fire Aug. 13, Don, Public Works Aug. 13, Joel, Police Aug. 15, Joel, Fire Aug. 18, Jackie, Community Development Aug. 18, Mark, Police Aug. 20, Scott, Communications & Technology Aug. 21, Dan, Park Maintenance Aug. 22, Molly, Police Aug. 23, Thomas, Building Inspections Aug. 24, Tom, Police Aug. 26, Joe, Edina Liquor Aug. 28, Susan, Police EPD Puts Best Foot – and Paw – Forward at National Police/ Fire Tournament Continued on Page 5 ... Communications & Technology Services The ofﬁce area at Edina City Hall for Communications & Technology Services staff will be constructed Aug. 9 and 10, making room for the department’s I.T. staff. During the reconstruction, staff support from the Communications Division will be limited. The Communications & Technology Services move follows that of the Health Division, which moved to its new space in the Police Department Aug. 1. Fire The Edina Fire Department responded to a four-alarm apartment ﬁre in the 4100 block of Parklawn Avenue around 11:20 p.m. Tuesday, July 10. The ﬁre, which started in a ﬁrst-ﬂoor apartment’s kitchen garbage can, quickly climbed up the three-story building, signiﬁcantly damaging several other units. About 10 ﬁre departments worked for about an hour to extinguish the ﬁre. Crews worked for several more hours to check for ﬁre extension and hot spots. All residents of the 118-unit apartment complex evacuated safely thanks to working ﬁre alarms in the building. One person was treated on- scene and released for smoke inhalation. An Eden Prairie ﬁreﬁghter was transported to the hospital for a knee injury. An elderly woman was also transported to a hospital for exhaustion. While the exact cause of the ﬁre is undetermined, smoking cannot be ruled out as a possible cause. Police Cops On Top Edina Police Ofﬁcer Eric Carlson participated in a Cops On Top climb to the highest point in the state on June 30. The seven-mile roundtrip hike to the peak of Eagle Mountain, just northwest of Grand Marais, Minn., added Minnesota to the list of 47 states that have been represented in Cops On Top. Cops on Top is a team of volunteers from the law enforcement and public service community that undertakes mountain climbing expeditions to honor the memories of those heroes who lost their lives in the line of duty protecting others. AROUND THE WATER COOLER Following is a summary of some of the projects of some departments, divisions and facilities. Other areas of the City will be featured in upcoming issues. CITYSLICK p2 MY FIRST JOB Steve Grausam What was your ﬁrst job? I was a dishwasher and busboy at Howard Wong’s. It was a Chinese restaurant on the 494 strip next to the old Steak & Ale. Do you remember how much you were paid? I was paid around $4.50 per hour as a dishwasher and $4 plus tips as a busboy. Many weekends, I would take home between $50 and $80 in tips if I worked Thursday through Saturday. The waitresses made really good money in tips and they treated all the busboys well as long as you worked hard. If you could do it all over again, would you still take that job? I would do it in a heartbeat. As a dishwasher, it was a messy job but the staff treated us well. I had to learn how to work fast, especially on the weekends. As a busboy, it gave me conﬁdence in dealing with the patrons and it also taught me how to work with many different personalities and how to work together as a team. What did you learn on the job that you have carried with you into your career? By working hard, you can get ahead in any job. I also learned that you can teach people how to do a particular job, but it is much harder to teach people how to be a hard worker. The other thing that stuck with me is that we’re all just a piece to the puzzle and that no one is irreplaceable. Steve Grausam began work for the City of Edina in 1987 as a Liquor Store Clerk and was later promoted to Store Manager in 1992. In 1998, Grausam became the Liquor Stores General Manager. “My First Job” is a feature of City Slick compiled by Lynette Biunno meant to give employees a glimpse of each other’s professional beginnings. Selected letters are printed in City Slick each month to let you know what residents and businesses think of your services. “There have been many years that we have had to call [Streets Supervisor] Shawn Anderson with potholes and road repair problems, and we so appreciate how Shawn has returned our phone calls and kept us up to date on getting the roads repaired. “Shawn has a wonderful personality and with the ‘rough winters’ we have had these past few years, we know how difﬁcult it is to keep up with repairing the roads. Shawn and his crew have been right on top of the road repair problems, and we so appreciate all the work they do! “Shawn is that special employee that continues to go the ‘extra mile,’ and we can’t thank him enough! – Jay and Betsy Cutcliffe “[I] wanted to send a note of thanks to both [Assistant City Planner] Kris Aaker and [Chief Building Ofﬁcial] Steve Kirchman. They each offered helpful service during the past few days. They were helpful and friendly and pointed me to valuable information on the City website. “I was also happy to learn from Mr. Kirchman that if I do a house project that does not change the existing structure footprint or raise the roof line that I do not need to pay for a formal survey. That is great news and allows me to invest more meaningfully in the structural engineering and building plans. “I want to thank [Community Development Director] Cary Teague for his overall management and the Planning Division for a great service on a possible project to improve our home. “ – Kirk Logan Johnson “I have had occasion to use the services of Edina’s police, ﬁre, and EMT personnel in the last month. To say that this team is extraordinary is a vast understatement. I will bypass the details but sufﬁce it to say that after contacting over 50-75 people in various agencies and organizations, the Edina Emergency Team was the ONLY group that did what was needed. Their ‘just do what has to be done’ attitude was refreshing. Their kindness and compassion meant so much to me in a time of frustration and fear. “I wish I could remember the names of those who helped. Both times. … I expect the entire team is of this high caliber, judging from the stellar way they work as a team and also by their conﬁdence and know-how. … “You can be proud. It made me proud to be an Edina resident.” – Joyce Anderson LETTER BAG CITYSLICK p3 STAFF NOTES Amber Berent has begun work as a full-time 911 Dispatcher for the City of Edina on July 9. Berent comes to us from the City of Hopkins where she was an Emergency Dispatcher/CTO since 2007. Matthew Husnik began work as an Electrician for the Public Works Department on July 23. Husnik holds an associate’s degree in Electrical Construction and Maintenance from Dunwoody College of Technology and also has his Minnesota Class A Journeyman Electrical license. He has more than seven years of experience as an electrician and was most recently was working for Norstegaard Electric. For most of us, July 31 just marks the ending of another month. But for Parks & Recreation Secretary Vera Norine, Tuesday, July 31, 2012, will forever be memorable as a new beginning. On that date – after a years’-long process involving mounds of paperwork and several rounds of tests – Norine ofﬁcially became a citizen of the United States. Last month, she took the oath of allegiance here in Minnesota alongside 430 others hailing from all continents except Antarctica. “I am very excited about being able to vote this year,” Norine said. “I’ve wanted to do that for a long time, and now I can!” Battle of the Badges The Memorial Blood Center is challenging Fire and Police departments from the Twin Cities to participate in the “Battle of the Badges,” a competitive, yet friendly blood drive. As part of the Battle of the Badges, the Edina Police Department will sponsor a blood drive from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 22 in Council Chambers at Edina City Hall. Ofﬁcers, ﬁreﬁghters, friends, family and the greater community are encouraged to donate blood in honor of their favorite police or ﬁre departments. The department with the greatest percent participation wins. Statistics show one out of every three people will need blood in their lifetime. According to the Memorial Blood Center, someone needs blood every two seconds. There is always a need for donated blood because supply is not increasing as fast as the need. !"##$%&%’’!"##$" &!"#$%&!’()*+!! CITYSLICK p4 !"##$%&%’’!"##$" &!"#$%&!’()*+!! CITYSLICK p5 Whether you join a gym, use a personal trainer or work out at home, most physical activity will help get you on the road to healthy living. With so many different workout options, how do you pick the best one? That question is not an easy one to answer. What might work for one person, may not work for another. The ﬁrst thing you should do is try out several different activities. Swim some laps, run on a treadmill, use an elliptical and lift free weights, for example. Find something you enjoy. If you do not like to swim or run, try something else! If you are bored with your workout, it will make it harder to stick with it and stay motivated. Try to rotate or change your routine occasionally. Not only does that help mitigate burnout, it is also better for your body. When creating your routine, keep it well balanced. It is important to train all of your body. According to the Mayo Clinic, important elements of ﬁtness are balance, core strength and stability, cardiovascular and muscular ﬁtness. Be well rounded and include all these elements into your regimen for optimal beneﬁts. Your workout shouldn’t end when you step off the elliptical or set down the free weights. If most of your workday involves sitting at your desk, consider doing little things throughout the day to keep healthy. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park in the far side of the parking lot. Use your breaks as “exercise breaks” and take a walk around the building or look for opportunities to stand. These may seem insigniﬁcant, but every little bit of activity can help. If you haven’t exercised in a while or have medical conditions, make sure you consult with your doctor or physician before beginning an exercise or weight loss regimen. Have ideas for the Employee Wellness Committee? Let the Committee know! Email Tilsner at dtilsner@ EdinaMN.gov. The Wellness Committee is working to come up with options for healthier birthday treats. What are your ideas? Call Katie Bisek at 952-903-5705 or email kbisek@EdinaMN.gov. The Committee will compile and share ideas received. ‘... Consider doing little things throughout the day to keep healthy.’ SIMPLE TIPS FOR BEGINNING A WORKOUT REGIMEN by Donna Tilsner, Recreation Supervisor and Wellness Committee Co-Chair The K-9 event line-up and close proximity of the venue worked out quite well for Mike Seeger, Edina’s K-9 Patrol Ofﬁcer, and Diesel, one of the department’s German Shepherds. “The United States Police Canine Association (USPCA) requires that K-9 teams, both dogs and handlers, keep up on their disciplines,” Seeger said. “That means Diesel and I have to recertify every year in tracking, patrol and other service dog skills sets. The USPCA accepts CAN-AM results. The fact that it was in St. Cloud was an added bonus.” Diesel and Seeger scored third in the Narcotics challenge, and third in the K-9 division overall. In the team rankings, a Minnesota team including the pair took ﬁrst place. “I am very happy with Diesel’s performance. He amazes me every day both in the training ﬁeld and on the street. Edina (and I) are lucky to have such a great K-9,” Seeger said. The next CAN-AM Police/Fire Games will be held in York County, Penn., in 2014. National Police/Fire Tournament Continued from Page 1 ... EMPLOYEE MILESTONES John Brooks, Fire, 15 years (Aug. 29, 1997) Todd Porthan, Fire, 15 years (Aug. 29, 1997) CITYSLICK p6 G.E.M. AWARD Around 6:30 p.m. March 2, an Edina Hockey Association coach was demonstrating something to his players at Braemar Arena. He ﬂipped a puck up in the air, and down with the puck came gallons of water. The puck had hit one of the Arena’s sprinkler heads! Staff was able to shut the water off, but what was left were two large holes in the ice. The holes extended all the way to the Arena’s sand ﬂoor and the rink was ﬂooded around the holes. It was an absolute mess! Greg Vangen and Peter Saabye responded to the call. They came in and started patching the hole immediately. Vangen, Saabye and part-timer Dave Buss worked on the ice until 11 p.m. that night. Vangen was back at 3 a.m. working on it again. The ice was ready for the Arena’s 8 a.m. Saturday rental. Because of the quick action, long hours and dedication of Vangen, Saabye and Buss, the Arena only lost one hour of ice rental because of the mishap. A new blade needed to be installed on a switch in the City Hall Network Room. When time came for the installation, it proved impossible because of a jumble of cords plugged into the switch. I.T. Manager Matt Sisterman and Network Support Specialist Nick Lovejoy worked for ﬁve hours one night to replace, rerun and organize nearly all of the cabling going into the switch. It was a thankless job, but one that needed to be done and kept the Wi-Fi project on schedule. When Edina Art Center staff was unable to get some photos of authors to be featured in “The Author’s Studio” posters, Communications Intern David Katz called the authors’ publishers and immediately received high- resolution, print-quality photographs for use in promotion of the event. His quick thinking and resourcefulness ensured the posters could be complete and hung in a timely fashion. by David Katz, Communications Intern Is it true that there’s “no place like home?” Few people are as qualiﬁed to answer that question as retired Public Works Administrative Assistant Diane Julien. Julien left her Public Works position two years ago, after 25 years with the City. Since then, she has made cross-country adventures a high priority. “I’ve been to California, and to basically every state in between,” Julien said. Her western excursions included a 12-day cruise and land tour of Alaska. “But I’m also a fan of warmer destinations,” she added. For instance, she’s spent time with family in sunny Florida and other coastal states. Julien’s travels aren’t strictly domestic, though. She, along with retired Payroll Clerk Sandy Anderson, also enjoyed a memorable vacation in Mexico. began employment: 1985 WHERE ARE THEY NOW? year of retirement: 2010 present “[Among other] things, I just love the viewpoints and insights that travels give you.” Julien is also very active closer to home. She donates time, as needed, as a hospice volunteer for Fairview Health Services. “It’s good to help out in the community, and this seemed like an important niche where I might do some real good for grieving families.” “Where Are They Now?” is a feature meant to give employees an idea of what their former colleagues are doing in retirement. If you know of a retiree who might want to be featured in “Where Are They Now?,” call 952-833-9522. CLOVER AWARDS BEFORE AFTER