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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCitySlick_July_2013CITYSLICK p1 A newsletter for the City Council and employees of the City of Edina by Emilie Kastner, former Communications Assistant From the time he was in sixth grade, Alec Fischer was bullied. Instead of recompense, the aspiring film producer and political activist dedicated his time to preventing that fate for other students. His first big leap to raise awareness and prevent bullying began when he was still in high school. Recalling his experiences and those of his friends as inspiration, Fischer, a 2012 graduate of Edina High School, produced the anti-bullying documentary “Minnesota Nice?” for his senior May Term project. He knew the film would shake his classmates and peers; what he didn’t anticipate was its widespread impact. “I kind of looked around and saw that a lot of my friends were way worse off than I was,” said Fischer. “I realized that I needed to stop throwing myself a pity party for how bad I was getting bullied and I really needed to worry about what my friends were going through, and that was a good self-therapy for me.” In recognition of his efforts, KARE 11 has selected Fischer as one of its “Eleven Who Care” recipients for 2013; he was honored July 17 and his segment will air on the NBC affiliate in September. The program recognizes the efforts of outstanding volunteers in the community. In December 2012, he was voted “Edina’s 2012 Person of the Year” by Edina residents on the Edina Patch website. He also received the “Outstanding Student Award” in January 2013 from the Twin Cities chapter of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), a national non-profit organization that seeks to reduce gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender bullying. He also received a Mayor’s Commendation from Mayor Jim Hovland in April. “Minnesota Nice?,” a 45-minute film in which teens from multiple schools share their hopes, experiences and observations in regards to bullying, has been shown in schools as far as California and Israel. It has also been featured at education conferences across the country, the 2012 Edina Film Festival and the National Public Health Week Film Festival hosted by the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health. “He really took the bullying issue – researched it, understood it, experienced it – and so he was able to speak with a degree of authority around the topic,” said Edina High School Principal Bruce Locklear. INSIDE THIS ISSUE 2 Around The Water Cooler 3 Staff Notes 4 Wellness Corner 5 A Day In The Life ... Fischer named one of ‘11 Who Care’ 7|29|2013 Continued on Page 6 ... July 31, Mike, Police July 31, David, Public Works Aug. 2, Adam, Police Aug. 5, Sharon, Engineering Aug. 6, Ted, Centennial Lakes Park Aug. 8, Sherry, Police- Health Aug. 8, Jacob, Police Aug. 9, Michael, Fire- Rescue & Inspections Aug. 12, Tom, Braemar Golf Course Aug. 13, Dominic, Fire- Rescue & Inspections Aug. 13, Don, Public Works Aug. 13, Joel, Police Aug. 15, Joel, Fire-Rescue & Inspections Aug. 18, Jackie, Community Development Aug. 18, Mark, Police Aug. 20, Scott, Communications & Technology Services CITYSLICK p2 Police Beggin’ Strip Bandit An arrest has been made in a home burglary thanks to evidence found on a dog treat. It’s not every day you hear about a “Beggin’ Strip Bandit,” but that’s the nickname given to a suspect who gave a dog Beggin’ Strip treats to keep him quiet. When a family arrived home to a ransacked house, they immediately called 9-1-1. After Edina Police and the Hennepin County Crime Lab arrived to search the house, they found a dog treat on a dresser that didn’t belong to the family. The Crime Lab was able to extract a DNA profile from the leftover treat. Edina Police developed a suspect through credit card use and video surveillance and were able to obtain a warrant to get a DNA swab of the suspect. The Crime Lab then determined the DNA profile from the dog treat matched the DNA sample taken from the suspect. Cops on Top: Summit for Heroes On June 29, as a part of the Cops on Top volunteer team, Officer Eric Carlson hiked the tallest peak in Minnesota: Eagle Mountain, west of Grand Marais. Every year, the Summit for Heroes, memorial climb takes officers to the highest peak in each state to honor fallen officers. Last year, nearly 700 law enforcement professionals, friends, family and supporters took part in memorial climbs across the nation. Founded in 2006, Cops on Top provides support to those grieving from the loss of an officer while raising awareness for police officers who have been killed while protecting and serving their communities. This is Carlson’s fourth hike to the top of Eagle Mountain for Cops on Top. Battle of the Badges As part of the Memorial Blood Center’s Battle of the Badges, the Edina Police Department, which won last year’s battle, will sponsor a blood drive from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 1, in the 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. To donate blood in honor of the Edina Police Department, register using sponsor code 0111 by calling 1-888-GIVE-BLD, or online at www.mbc.org. Fire – Rescue & Building Inspections EFD Responds to Duplex Fire At approximately 3:29 a.m. Saturday, June 22, the Edina Fire Department was called to the 5300 block of 70th Street after a resident of a duplex was awakened by an audible alarm and discovered a fire in the garage. The first crews on the scene reported a working fire, with smoke billowing from the eaves of the building. Two alarms were called, bringing mutual aid from Bloomington, Eden Prairie, Richfield, St. Louis Park and Hennepin County EMS. No injuries were reported as a result of the fire. The garage suffered moderate damage while the structure and common attic space received minor damage. Smoke damage also occurred to both units. The cause and origin of the fire is currently under investigation. Fire, Parks & Rec Team Up for Summer Activities The Fire and Parks & Recreation departments teamed up for summer activities! Several days throughout July, a fire truck made appearances at playground programs to spray down participants with a fire hose. This is one of the most anticipated parts of the playgrounds program. On Aug. 6, the Police, Fire-Rescue & Inspections and Parks & Recreation departments will host 100 Edina fourth graders for Safety Camp. Campers will learn about fire safety, personal safety, water safety, gun safety, animal safety and more. 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. Edina Police Officer Eric Carlson, left, hikes to the peak of Eagle Mountain as part of the Cops on Top: Summit for Heroes memorial climb. Photographed with Carlson are Mariano Aguedas, U.S. Border Patrol; Mary Manning, MN DNR; Dawn Russ, Fon Du Lac County; and Dean Baumgarten, Cold Spring/Richmond Police Department. CITYSLICK p3 Andrew Slama began work as a Paramedic/Firefighter for the Fire Department on June 10. Slama previously worked for Mdewakanton Emergency Services as a Paramedic/Firefighter and the Savage and Mankato Fire Departments as a Firefighter. Cindy Larson began work as Redevelopment Coordinator June 20. This a newly created position will ensure compliance with the City’s residential redevelopment ordinances and procedures. Larson comes from Engelsma Construction, Inc., where she held the position of Director of Marketing and Business Development. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Community Development/Gerontology from St. Cloud State University. Alec Fischer began work on June 24 as Video Production Intern in the Communications & Technology Services Department. A graduate of Edina High School, he will be a sophomore at the University of Minnesota, and is majoring in Political Science and Communications. In addition to producing independent videos and documentaries, including the award-winning “Minnesota Nice?,” Fischer volunteers for several human rights organizations. He will remain part of the video production team through the fall term at school. STAFF NOTES After seven years as a part-time Video Production Assistant, Nathalie Gage began work July 24 as Community Television Administrator. In the new full-time position, Gage will oversee the public and education access channels available to Comcast subscribers in Eden Prairie, Edina, Hopkins, Minnetonka and Richfield and playback of the Eden Prairie government access channel. She will also continue to assist Edina’s video production efforts as time allows. Gage holds an associate degree in Digital Video Production from the Minnesota School of Business. Jordan Loeks began work July 22 as Public Service Worker – Park Maintenance, Athletic Fields – Turf. Loeks previously worked at Wayzata Country Club as a Golf Course Technician. He is a graduate of South Dakota State University with a bachelor’s degree in Horticulture/Turf Specialization. Emilie Kastner resigned from the City of Edina to accept a position as Communications Coordinator for the City of Plymouth. Her last day as Edina’s Communications Assistant was July 19. Mark Nolan began work June 19 as Transportation Planner for the Engineering Department. Nolan previously worked at Bike Associates as a Senior Associate where he was responsible for project management, meeting facilitation and business development. He received his bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the University of Minnesota and his master’s degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana – Champaign. TECHY TIDBITS Employees should leave their desktop PCs on when they leave for the day. I.T. staff often needs your computers on overnight for software updates, virus scans, routine maintenance or to solve problems remotely. So, rather than clicking “Shut Down” at then end of your day, staff recommends you click on “Restart.” Those of us who regularly leave computers on for many days at a time are familiar with the little issues that can develop during regular use. A simple restart is often all that is required to eliminate these problems, so by restarting each night, you are more likely to avoid some of these issues. For more information, write to helpdesk@EdinaMN.gov or leave a message at 952-903-5711. CITYSLICK p4 Wellness Corner Help fill backpacks for community children! All children, regardless of income, deserve to start the school year off with a backpack and grade- appropriate school supplies. However, for a growing number in our community, purchasing those items can cause significant financial hardship for families. That’s where YOU come in! On July 29, the Wellness Committee distributed backpacks to various departments and facilities with directions attached. Some departments and facilities will work together to fill the backpack with new school supplies, depending on the number of employees. The supply-filled backpacks will then be collected by Wellness Committee members and donated to Volunteers Enlisted to Assist People (VEAP) at the end of day Friday, Aug. 9. There is no pressure to fill the backpacks with every item, but supplies needed most are (in order of need): Spiral notebooks (wide- and college-ruled) Two-pocket folders No. 2 pencils (8-12 count) Crayons (24 count) Colored pencils (12 count) Composition notebooks Dry erase markers Erasers (large, pink) Glue bottles Glue sticks Highlighters Markers Pens (blue or black, 8-12 count) Pencil box/pouch Red pens Rulers Scissors Thank you, employees, for helping out our local families! Don’t pack a lunch on Wednesday, Aug. 14! Annual City Employee BBQ 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Edina City Hall backyard. Cheeseburgers, salads and other treats will be served. Cost is $5 per person. EMPLOYEE MILESTONES Keith Boerger, Police, 10 years. (July 6, 2003) Adam L’Heureux, Police, 10 years. (July 7, 2003) Jeffrey Bolks, Police, 25 years. (July 6, 1988) Richard Lutz, Police, 40 years. (July 12. 1973) Todd Halstead and Brandon Klatke of the Public Works Department built the foundation for the City Council’s float in the parade, the idea for which came from Communications Intern Katie Lofrano. The duo were told that the centerpiece of the float should be a giant birthday cake to commemorate Edina’s quasquicentennial celebration. A few ideas of how to build the cake were shared, but they were given free rein to build the structure however they liked. They built the foundation for the cake on a City trailer and then constructed the two-layer cake out of cable reels used by Xcel Energy. They covered the reels with chicken wire, which Communications & Technology Services staff used to “decorate” the cake with thousands of sheets of tissue paper pomps. Accountant Kyle Sawyer spent a great deal of time setting up the new Insight budgeting module so that directors and their delegates could enter their 2014-2015 budgets into the system. In addition, he spent time training users on use of the module and worked one-on-one with several “contributors” to answerquestions and make sure information was entered accurately and in line with the timeline for the budgeting process. Any City employee can nominate a co-worker for a G.E.M. (Going the Extra Mile) or Clover award. Simply jot down why someone should receive recognition and route to the Communications & Technology Services Department. G.E.M. AWARD CLOVER AWARD CITYSLICK p5 by Frank Petrovic, Video Production Assistant “I consider myself a recovering engineer,” said Bill Neuendorf, Edina’s Economic Development Manager. A civil engineer earlier in his career, his passion eventually turned to urban planning and economic development — particularly to redevelopment. Different from greenfield projects, redevelopment is in many ways more complex, but Neuendorf welcomes the challenge. “I personally find it more rewarding,” he said. “You have history and attachments … it has a meaning to people.” Neuendorf knew that he and the Economic Development Manager position were a great match when he read the official job posting a little more than a year ago. “This sounds fantastic,” he said. “I already did all this stuff!” His vast experience includes high-level positions in Urban Planning and Economic Development for Preservation Chicago; the Village of Morton Grove, Ill.; and Transit for Livable Communities in St. Paul. While earning a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Neuendorf learned to be an “ultra-rational thinker.” Wanting to take a step back from engineering, he earned a master’s degree in Urban Planning and Policy from the University of Illinois, expanding the scope of his work to combine engineering with economics, architecture and the citizenry to provide a safe and satisfying environment for residents and businesses. With this broader focus, Neuendorf takes a much more holistic approach to his work. He looks for opportunities to reinvest in those areas of Edina where improvements would be most beneficial to the community, such as the old Public Works site and the greater Grandview area. “It’s a matter of coming up with a best project,” he said, “one that satisfies the needs of the community in a manner that’s financially feasible.” His goal is to “There are a lot of great investment opportunities out there, and I want to be sure we get our fair share. Actually, I want us to get more than our fair share.” enhance Edina and grow its economic strength without jeopardizing the community’s character. Neuendorf said input from residents is a vital component to a successful redevelopment. He believes that people who have a say on projects in their community are happier with the eventual changes. “Most people like to shape what their world is around them,” he said. “Do you want that change to be something that happens to you, or do you want it to be something you shape?” Neuendorf is currently involved in redeveloping the Byerly’s site on France Avenue, moving the store to the northwest corner of the property and making room for new retail space and apartment buildings. He is also working to upgrade the customer parking experience at 50th and France, and he recently invited community members and stakeholders to join City staff when design firms pitched their ideas. He wanted the people who live, work, do business and pay taxes in that area to have a say. “We want to create a local climate that is supportive and conducive to existing businesses,” he said. Neuendorf wants an even brighter future for Edina. “There are a lot of great investment opportunities out there, and I want to be sure we get our fair share,” he said. “Actually, I want us to get more than our fair share.” Neuendorf moved to Edina in January 2011 with his wife, Maureen, and stepdaughter, Catherine. In his free time, he enjoys long-distance running, bicycling, kayaking and boating. He and his wife will celebrate their five-year anniversary in January. Catherine will be a junior at Edina High School this fall; and Millie, their Yorkshire terrier puppy, is, as this article went to press, “almost trained.” A DAY IN THE LIFE OF ... ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MANAGERBILL NEUENDORF CITYSLICK p6 “He’s given kids hope,” said Edina High School Chemical/Mental Health Coordinator Janet Schank. Since graduation, Fischer has been invited to present the film at schools, organizations and conferences across the country and has been an active participant in non-profit human rights organizations, including OutFront Minnesota, Safe Schools Coalition and the PACER Center. Video Production Intern at the City of Edina, Fischer has also been gaining experience in filmmaking. He previously held a temporary position as Production Assistant at Charthouse Learning in Burnsville. Much of his time has been spent lobbying for increased anti-bullying legislation, such as the Safe Schools Act – which failed to pass this year. “These students are dying and suffering and there are some adults who are doing something about it, but there are some who are caught up in the politics and won’t do anything to help,” said Fischer, of the bullying and suicide that occurs in schools. He said February 2014 is the earliest the legislation will reappear before the Minnesota Senate. “Minnesota’s current bullying prevention law is 37 words long,” added Fischer. “If this legislation passes, it will become one of the strongest in the country and will provide training and resources for teachers and school employees so that they are more equipped to handle bullying incidents.” A new transfer student at the University of Minnesota, Fischer plans to study political science and communications. In his time off from school, he has also worked on several short videos for various non- profits and has traveled around the country to film his next project, “Transphobia.” If there’s one thing that’s certain about Fischer, it’s that he is not afraid to be himself. “If I don’t get a job because I’m doing something I believe in,” he said, in regards to his political affiliations, “then I don’t think that it would be a job I would want to have.” 11 Who Kare Continued from Page 1 ... CAUGHT IN THE ACT GIS Administrator Rebecca Foster was a presenter earlier this summer at the national Cityworks Conference in Salt Lake City. She has been a presenter for three consecutive years, sharing Edina’s advances in use of the Cityworks, the asset management software used in the Public Works Department to keep track of our infrastructure and is tied to the GIS.