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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCitySlick_February_2013A newsletter for the City Council and employees of the City of Edina CITYSLICK p1 by Brady Skoglund, Communications Intern For a police officer, it’s hard to ignore the call of duty no matter the situation. Brian Hubbard is no exception. For the past five years, Hubbard has served the City of Edina as a Patrol Officer, but recently he transitioned from the streets of Edina to the hallways of Edina High School as a School Resource Officer. “The goal is to be a resource to staff, students and parents at the school,” said Hubbard of his new position. As School Resource Officer, Hubbard is a man of many talents all relating to his previous position as a patrol officer. Hubbard is responsible for a variety of tasks, including helping with student issues, presenting in classes and consulting on security concerns throughout the district. “It can be extremely varied,” said Hubbard. Hubbard has given presentations on subjects ranging from constitutional rights to proper emergency airway management for lifeguards. Aaron White is the Resource Officer for the middle schools. The two work together often and attend Tuesday morning meetings at the Edina Police Department. Their desks are across from each other at the station. Both Hubbard and White have similar responsibilities as Resource Officers, but the main distinction is the age of students with whom they work. Taking over for former Resource Officer Kenna Dick, Hubbard’s position as Resource Officer began at the beginning of the 2012-2013 school year. He will continue to serve this post for the next four years. According to Edina Police Lt. Mike Nibbe, Hubbard was selected for the position out of three total applicants and was eligible for the spot by having five years of experience with the Edina Police Department. Before becoming an officer, he worked for 10 years as a youth worker for the YMCA, working primarily with middle school and high school students. Sgt. Brian Tholen thinks Hubbard was a great choice for the position. “Brian is dedicated and he cares about the kids,” said Tholen. “He can relate to high school kids perfectly.” Although Hubbard misses being a patrol officer, he is happy to be in his new position because he enjoys having the opportunity to get to know the staff and students. “It’s a different type of job,” said Hubbard. Hubbard has enjoyed being in the schools because of the variety his position offers him while still being able to work in the law enforcement field in Edina. “The school district is fantastic,” said Hubbard, “it’s a good gig.” INSIDE THIS ISSUE 2 Around The Water Cooler 2 Letter Bag 3 A Day In The Life 4 Staff Notes Feb. 18, Sean, Police Feb. 29, Tom, Public Works Mar. 2, Daniel, Public Works March 4, Mitzi, Community Development March 5, Brian, Fire March 7, Matthew, Public Works March 7, Travis, Public Works March 9, John, Fire March 9, John, Public Works From the Roadways to the Hallways EMPLOYEE MILESTONES Scott Denfeld, Communications & Technology Services, 5 years. (Feb. 17, 2008) Donald Dibble, Public Works – Streets, 25 years. (Feb. 24, 1988) Tony Leone, Public Works – Maintenance, 30 years. (Feb. 22, 1983) 2|15|2013 CITYSLICK p2 Communications & Technology Services A new monthly program debuted Feb. 1 on Edina 16 featuring the business community. “Enterprise Edina” is a short program featuring local businesses. It is hosted by Edina Chamber of Commerce President Lori Syverson with regular guest appearances by City of Edina Economic Development Manager Bill Neuendorf. The show is sponsored by the Edina Chamber of Commerce and other area businesses. The program airs daily at 2:15 a.m., 10:15 a.m. and 6:15 p.m. The videos are also posted online and can be found at www.EdinaMN.gov. A new episode begins airing on the first day of each month. Fire Edina’s Special Operations Team (SOT) used several different types of tools to train in late January for rescue operations that would require them to cut through cement floors and walls. The SOT became a member of Minnesota Task Force One (MN-TF1) in 2004, which responds to statewide structural collapse emergencies, such as the 2007 Interstate 35-W bridge collapse in Minneapolis. Members of the SOT used jackhammers, heavy-duty saws and other tools to train for such emergencies at Edina’s old Public Works building on Eden Avenue. While the SOT trains regularly, it’s not every day they get to cut holes in the walls and floors of an old building! Police The Edina Police Department kicked off the New Year with a new monthly safety initiative, “Focus In.” Since Feb. 1, Police have focused on one of the most prevalent and under-enforced traffic violations – failure to signal. “These violations may pose little safety risk to the driver, but failing to signal has a great potential for accidents caused by other affected motorists,” said Sgt. Scott Kuyper. Education will include a warning to those who violate the statutes or codes. In extenuating circumstances, a citation may be issued. January’s focus was obstructed windshields and 52 drivers were stopped in violation of the statute. Each month this year, patrol officers will focus police efforts on a specific statutory violation in order to educate the public and gain compliance. For the following months, police will “Focus In” on unsafe equipment, failure to display headlights, bike safety, curfew violations, pedestrian safety, child and seatbelt safety, school bus stop arm protocol, speed in school zones, night and snow parking, and the “move over” law. 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. Selected letters are printed in City Slick to let you know what residents and businesses think of your services. “I just received my issue of About Town. I really liked the way the photos turned out in this issue, especially the black-and-white photo of Ann Kattreh. Seems like there were more color photos in this issue, too – nice.” – Michael Braun “I just wanted to say thank you to the Edina snowplow crew. The plow came down my street twice on Sunday and both times, as I was backing up on my tractor, got near the end of my driveway and looked for traffic ... there was the plow, stopped down the street, waiting for me to confirm that I saw him so that I could wave him on through. “You don’t realize how big those plows are until you look at one head on. If you can figure out who the driver was, please thank him for watching out for me. I always intend to stop at the end of my driveway and look both ways, but it only takes one time to forget to do it.” – Mary Wolff LETTER BAG CITYSLICK p3 Having worked 10 years in the parks and recreation field, Amanda Holle knows she made the right career choice. As Assistant Manager of Edinborough Park, she remains enthusiastic about the future of the park. Holle’s passion for parks and recreation careers began in 2003 while she was working at the City of Minnetonka’s Fitness Center. After she graduated from Hopkins High School in 2005, Holle began working at a few of the other Minnetonka facilities: Gray’s Bay Marina in Minnetonka and the Minnetonka Ice Arena. In the summer of 2007, Holle began work in the Minnetonka Recreation Department as the Playground Supervisor, where she was in charge of Summer Playgrounds, Camp Jidana and the T-ball programs. That was when she realized her inherent interest in recreation. After a year of studying at the University of Wisconsin–Stout, Holle transferred to the University of Minnesota to study Recreation Administration. She first began at Edinborough Park in 2009 in guest services. She was promoted to the manager of the concessions stand at Edinborough Park once it opened in the fall of 2011. When Susie Miller became Manager of Braemar Arena, Holle was made the Interim Edinborough Park Assistant Manager. Once Ann Kattreh became Assistant Director of the Parks & Recreation Department and Susan Faus began A DAY IN THE LIFE OF ...EDINBOROUGH PARK ASSISTANT MANAGER AMANDA HOLLE by Jordan Gilgenbach, Communications Coordinator‘I am excited about all the changes. It’s fun to be part of it all.’ as Edinborough Park and the Aquatic Center’s Manager in 2012, Holle was hired as the full-time Assistant Manager of Edinborough Park and the Edina Aquatic Center. “I like to be busy,” Holle said. While the addition of the Aquatic Center means there will be no more ‘quiet season’ for Holle, she thinks it is a great fit. “Edinborough can be quiet in the summer. This keeps me busy year-round and I love it.” As Assistant Manager, Holle helps with all the day-to-day operations, oversees operations of the concession stand, answers a wide range of inquiries, supervises part-time staff and more. This time of year, she is heavily involved in preparing for the upcoming season at the Edina Aquatic Center. While there have been a lot of changes at both facilities over the last two years, she said there are more, smaller changes to come. “I am excited about all the changes,” she said. “It’s fun to be part of it all.” “I’ve always wanted to work in the Parks and Recreation field” Holle said. “I can’t wait to continue to grow in my most recent role and see what the future holds for me.” Holle lives in St. Louis Park with her boxer-lab mix, Piper. She is an avid runner, finishing her first half marathon in September 2012 and is training for another one this year. She enjoys exercising, yoga, ice cream and taking Piper on long walks and to the dog park. For more information, contact Holle at 952-833-9543. CAUGHT IN THE ACT Centennial Lakes Park staff hosted an employee skating night Feb. 7, complete with free skate rentals, hot dogs and hot chocolate. Communications & Technology staff Jordan Gilgenbach, Kaylin Martin, Emilie Kastner and Katie Bisek had a great time on the ice! CITYSLICK p4 Communications Intern Brady Skoglund began work for the City Jan. 9. Skoglund is a graduate of the University of Minnesota Duluth. In addition to his work for the City of Edina, Skoglund is an intern in Gov. Mark Dayton’s communications office. STAFF NOTES Jan. 28, Trevor Tuinenga began work as a full-time Public Service Worker – Streets/Asphalt for the Public Works Department. Tuinenga was an intern last summer in the Public Works Department and has worked part-time for Braemar Arena since 2006. He is a graduate of Hennepin Technical College with a Public Works Certificate. Dietrich Nissen was hired as part-time Video Production Assistant. His first day was Dec. 26, 2012. An Edina native, Nissen holds a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from the University of St. Thomas. Nissen comes to us with a strong background in news reporting and production and most recently worked as a reporter/ photojournalist at KAAL-TV in Rochester. TECHY TIDBITS by Katie Bisek, I.T. Specialist With winter germs going around, we encourage you to give your computer a little cleanup. Here are some suggestions on the best ways to clean these devices. You will first want to shut down your computer. LCD Monitor: For the screen, take a soft damp cloth, such as a microfiber towel, and wipe the screen. It is not recommended to use a disinfecting wipe on the screen. Using one around the outside is fine. Keyboard: Flip the keyboard over and tap to dislodge any particles from the keys. You may even want to find the nearest vacuum with a hose or use canned air to get out any leftovers. Use a disinfecting wipe or a wet paper towel to clean the keys and the rest of the keyboard. Mouse: Use a disinfecting wipe or a wet paper towel to remove any buildup. Don’t forget to clean the bottom and the wheel. Phone: You may unplug your phone to do this. Otherwise, just wipe carefully. Use a disinfecting wipe or a wet paper towel to remove any buildup. Make sure to clean the handset, too. There is some file cleanup you can do, too! A majority of the City’s copiers and large format printers are set up to scan to specific folders on the Citywide and Police drives. These folders are intended as a holding spot for scanned files and should be moved immediately to their permanent locations. Unfortunately, these folders continue to get filled up, occupying a portion of our valuable backup space. Please help us out by looking in your department’s scanning folder to clean out every last file. In case you aren’t aware of the location of the scanning folders, they can be found in the following places depending on your department: 1. Start by opening Computer (Win 7) or My Computer (Win XP). 2. For the majority of City departments, you look in Citywide I: or K: (for Fire). For the Police Department, you will look in the Police G: 3. Within the above folders, there will be a Scanning folder. Open this folder. 4. Within the scanning folder, there will be the individual department/division folders. Open the appropriate folder for your department/division. 5. The files located within your department/division folder are the ones that need to be cleaned out. Also be sure to clean out files in the new “Output” subfolder there. For more information, write to helpdesk@EdinaMN.gov or leave a message at 952-903-5711. The Engineering Department welcomed Laura Adler Jan. 28 as Water Resource Coordinator, a newly created position. Adler most recently worked for the City of St. Louis Park, since 2003, as an Engineering Program Coordinator and, prior to that, as a Hydrologist for the Minnesota Department of Transportation. She received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota. Jamie La Manna was sworn in Feb. 6 as the newest member of the Edina Police Department in the position of Police Officer. La Manna most recently worked as a Detective for the California Department of Insurance Fraud Division and as an Investigator for the Department of Motor Vehicles Investigation Division. La Manna holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from California State University.