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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAboutTown_2005AutumnPRESORT STD U.S.POSTAGE PAID Permit No.3932 Edina, MN AboutTown Magazine City of Edina 4801 West 50th Street Edina, MN 55424 www.CityofEdina.com AUTUMN•2005 About Town Official Magazine of the City of Edina ***ECRWSS*** POSTAL PATRON CAR-RT-WS ©C O L O U R S 2 0 0 5 ‘One Book, One Community’ Program Launched See page 36 for details The Edina Chamber of Commerce Thursday, Oct. 13, will host “Taste of Edina: Food, Wine & Community.” This event showcases the outstanding variety of fine restaurants in Edina as well as the superb wine selection and knowledgeable staff of Edina Liquor. Taste of Edina, presented by TDS Metrocom, will be held 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Southdale Center. This year, “Celebrity Chefs” will cook at the event. Tickets are $25 each. Watch for discount coupons at all three Edina Liquor stores. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact the Edina Chamber of Commerce, 952-806-9060. Table of Contents Calendar Of Events...............................................................1 Autumn Calendar Highlights...............................................4 A Word From The Mayor ......................................................5 Nine Mile Creek: A ‘Diamond In The Rough’......................6 Diabetes Diagnosis Leads To Advocacy For A Cure........16 Arena Remembers U.S., Canada Figure Skating Legend Eleanor Fisher.......................................................................18 Ask Mr. Media.......................................................................20 VEAP Prepares To Distribute Holiday Joy.........................22 Investing In Our Community...............................................24 Monica Sullivan: A Synonym For Creativity.....................26 Participate In Red Ribbon Campaign This Holiday Season......................................................................32 It’s Not Only Neighborly ... It’s The Law...........................34 Community-Wide Reading Program Announced..............36 Chaplains Harness Edina’s Energy.....................................38 Morningside Celebrates A Century Of Good Neighbors ....42 Proper Handling Of Candles To Be Emphasized At Open House......................................................................44 Indian Hills Neighborhood To Be Featured In Second-Annual Holiday Home Tour...................................46 AboutTown Volume 18, Number 4 Autumn 2005 Official Publication of the City of Edina, Minnesota 4801 West 50th Street Edina, Minnesota 55424 952-927-8861 Circulation 25,000 Editor:Jennifer Bennerotte Assistant to the Editor:Laura Fulton Publisher:City of Edina About Town is produced by the City of Edina. To advertise in About Town, contact Richard Barbeau at Barbeau Marketing Group, 610-277-9252 or 612-965-2041. Copyright 2005 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. www.CityofEdina.com Cover photo by Polly Norman Chamber To Host Taste Of Edina 1•AUTUMN 2005 SUNDAYMONDAYTUESDAYWEDNESDAYTHURSDAYFRIDAYSATURDAY 1 2 7 p.m., Honeywell Concert Band, Edinborough Park. 3 4 7 p.m., HRA&City Council, Edina City Hall. 7 p.m., Zuhrah Shrine Concert Band, Edinborough Park. 56 5:30 p.m., Board of Appeals, Edina City Hall. 5:30 p.m., Edina Reads Kickoff, Edina Community Library. 7 Podiatrist appointments with fee charge beginning at 8:30 a.m., Edina Senior Center. 10 a.m., “The Kite Runner” book discussion, Edina Senior Center. 8 10 a.m., “The Kite Runner” book discussion, Edina Community Library. 1 p.m., “Osama” film showing, Edina Community Library. 9 1-4 p.m., Open House, Fire Station No. 1. 1-4 p.m., Carnival of the Arts, Edina Art Center. 7 p.m., Southside Big Band, Edinborough Park. 1011 7 p.m., Heritage Preservation Board, Edina City Hall. 7 p.m., Park Board, Edina City Hall. 7 p.m., Notable Singers, Edinborough Park. 12 7:30 a.m., Affordable Housing Task Force, Edina City Hall. 7:30 p.m., “A Conversation About Diversity in Edina,” Edina CityHall. 1415 16 7 p.m., Suzuki Talent Education School Performance, Edinborough Park. 1718 7 p.m., HRA&City Council, Edina City Hall. 7 p.m., St. Louis Park Community Band, Edinborough Park. 19 7 a.m., Recycling and Solid Waste Commission, Edina City Hall. 20 5:30 p.m., Board of Appeals, Edina City Hall. 6 p.m., Transportation Commission, Edina City Hall. 2122 1-3 p.m., Family Pumpkin Workshop, Edina Art Center. 1p.m., “Kandahar” film showing, Edina Community Library. 25 7 p.m., Human Rights &Relations Commission, Edina City Hall. 7 p.m., Jim Baner, Edinborough Park. 2423 7 p.m., Star of the North Concert Band, Edinborough Park. About Town Calendar OCTOBER 2005 26 7:30 a.m., Affordable Housing Task Force, Edina City Hall. 7 p.m., Planning Commission, Edina City Hall. 27 4 p.m., Art Center Board, Edina Art Center. 28 13 29 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m., Pumpkin Festival, 50th & France 30 7 p.m., First John Philip Sousa Memorial Band, Edinborough Park. 31 2•AUTUMN 2005 SUNDAYMONDAYTUESDAYWEDNESDAYTHURSDAYFRIDAYSATURDAY 1 Northwoods Boutique opens at Braemar Golf Course. 1:30-3:30 p.m., Hearing Tests, Edina Senior Center. 7 p.m., HRA&City Council, Edina City Hall. 2 Braemar Golf Dome opens for the season. 3 5:30 p.m., Board of Appeals, Edina City Hall. 45 6 7 p.m., St. Louis Park Community Band, Edinborough Park. 7 Podiatrist appointments with fee charge beginning at 8:30 a.m., Edina Senior Center. 7 p.m., Park Board, Edina City Hall. 8 Election Day. 1-3 p.m., Blood Pressure Clinic, Edina Senior Center. 9 7:30 a.m., Affordable Housing Task Force, Edina City Hall. 1011 Veterans’ Day. Most City offices closed. 12 13 Last day of Northwoods Boutique at Braemar Golf Course. 14 Registration begins for Kids Kamps during holiday break at Braemar Golf Dome. Fall-2 classes begin at Edina Art Center. 15 7 p.m., HRA&City Council, Edina City Hall. 7 p.m., Community Health Committee, Edina City Hall. 16 7 a.m., Recycling & Solid Waste Commission, Edina City Hall. 1819 20 7 p.m., Northern Winds Concert Band, Edinborough Park. 2122 7 p.m., Human Rights & Relations Commission, Edina City Hall. 23 7:30 a.m., Affordable Housing Task Force, Edina City Hall. 24 Thanksgiving. Most City offices closed. 25 Day after Thanksgiving. Most City offices closed. 26 292827 7 p.m., First John Philip Sousa Memorial Band, Edinborough Park. About Town Calendar NOVEMBER 2005 30 7 p.m., Planning Commission, Edina City Hall. 17 5:30 p.m., Board of Appeals, Edina City Hall. 6 p.m., Transportation Commission, Edina City Hall. 5•AUTUMN 20054•AUTUMN 2005 Autumn Calendar Highlights A Word From The Mayor OTHER DATES TO REMEMBER Oct. 111-3 p.m., Blood Pressure Clinic, Edina Senior Center. Nov. 1Arts and Crafts Sale Begins, Edina Art Center. Nov. 17Podiatrist appointments with fee charge beginning at 8:30 a.m., Edina Senior Center. PUMPKIN FESTIVAL What:The 50th & France Business and Professional Association hosts Pumpkin Festival, a fall event for children. Activities will include a pumpkin- carving contest, costume contest and parade, horse-drawn trolley rides and trick-or-treating. The Pumpkin Festival has been a long standing tradition of this community and provides a fun, safe Halloween celebration for children and their families. When:9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, with costume parade at noon. Horse-drawn trolley rides will begin at 10:30 a.m. Where:Downtown Edina, 50th Street and France Avenue. Info:50th & France Business and Professional Association, 952-922-1524, or www.50thandfrance.com. HOLIDAY STROLL What:Giving shoppers an opportunity to enjoy the holiday season in downtown Edina, the 50th & France Business & Professional Association will host its fourth-annual Holiday Stroll. The Holiday Stroll offers something for everyone. Kids will enjoy visiting with Santa and his elves at the Edina 5-0 Mall and free horse-drawn sleigh rides will be a spirited attraction for all. Free holiday cookies, hot cocoa and cider will be served. Many retailers will offer one-day specials. When:Saturday, Dec. 17. 10:30 a.m. to noon – Free movie at Edina Theatre (title to be announced) Noon to 2 p.m. – Victorian Carolers Noon to 4 p.m. – Santa and elves entertain inside the Edina 5-0 Mall 1 to 4 p.m. – Free, horse-drawn sleigh rides Where:Downtown Edina, 50th Street and France Avenue. Info:50th & France Business and Professional Association, 952-922-1524, or www.50thandfrance.com. 3•AUTUMN 2005 SUNDAYMONDAYTUESDAYWEDNESDAYTHURSDAYFRIDAYSATURDAY 1 5:30 p.m., Board of Appeals, Edina City Hall. 23 10 a.m.-5p.m., Holiday Home Tour, Indian Hills Neighborhood. 4 7 p.m., Minneapolis Police Concert Band, Edinborough Park. 5 6 7 p.m., HRAand City Council, Edina City Hall. 78910 11 7 p.m., South of the River Band, Edinborough Park. 12 13 1-3 p.m., Blood Pressure Clinic, Edina Senior Center. 7 p.m., Park Board, Edina City Hall. 7 p.m., Heritage Preservation Board, Edina City Hall. 14 7:30 a.m., Affordable Housing Task Force, Edina City Hall. 16 Podiatrist appointments with fee charge beginning at 8:30 a.m., Edina Senior Center. 17 10:30 a.m.-4p.m., Holiday Stroll, 50th & France. 18 7 p.m., Good News Big Band, Edinborough Park. 1920 7 p.m., HRA&City Council, Edina City Hall. 21 7 a.m., Recycling and Solid Waste Commission, Edina City Hall. 2223 Last day of Arts and Crafts Sale at Edina Art Center. 24 27 7 p.m., Human Rights & Relations Commission, Edina City Hall. 26 Christmas Holiday Observed. Most City offices closed. 25 About Town Calendar DECEMBER 2005 28 7:30 a.m., Affordable Housing Task Force, Edina City Hall. 7 p.m., Planning Commission, Edina City Hall. 29 30 Podiatrist appointments with fee charge beginning at 8:30 a.m., Edina Senior Center. 15 5:30 p.m., Board of Appeals, Edina City Hall. 6 p.m., Transportation Commission, Edina City Hall. 31 Ph o t o b y P o l l y N o r m a n Since Edina is arguably one of the oldest communities in the metropolitan area, it understandably has some of the oldest infrastructure as well. As pioneers in suburban development, we now have the dubious distinction of adding another “first” to the list: our streets and storm sewers are among the first to need replacement. The majority of Edina’s streets are nearing or have reached the end of their useful life. Over the next few years, several million dollars must be spent for street reconstruction to maintain this critical element of the community’s infrastructure. The question we must ask is, “Who should bear the cost of this reconstruction?” For many years, the City has had a policy which required adjacent property owners to pay for 100 percent of the cost of any street reconstruction. The City paid for all costs associated with repairing or replacing sewers, watermains and storm sewers. Although many residents paid for the initial street improvements when their homes were built, some citizens, now occupying those same homes 50 to 60 years later, have questioned why they should bear the full cost of reconstruction, arguing that the City should absorb this cost rather than levying a special assessment on adjoining properties. Based on this concern and the Council’s concern over the rapidly rising level of the special assessments, the Council directed staff to undertake a detailed review of our special assessment policy. Of particular concern to us was whether our special assessment policy met the legal test whereby the cost of road reconstruction increased the market value of adjoining properties by an amount at least equal to the cost of the special assessment. To answer this question, the City hired the Valuation Group. The Valuation Group, a company specializing in valuations and appraisals, concluded that, generally speaking, the market value benefit of street improvements in Edina equates to the cost of the improvements being done. Based upon that information, a new special assessment policy was recently approved by the Edina City Council whereby street reconstruction costs, which generally represent only a percentage of the entire project costs, will continue to be assessed to adjacent property owners at 100 percent of the cost. Although the cost of street reconstruction will continue to be borne by adjacent property owners through special assessments, the cost of curb and gutter on any reconstructed residential streets will be borne by the City’s Storm Water Utility Fund instead of adjacent property owners. For 2004-2005 assessment projects, the proposal will require an increase in storm water rates of approximately $4 per household per quarter. In our opinion, it is appropriate that curb and gutter costs be borne by the community as a whole rather than the individual neighborhoods. The effect of this policy change is that the overall cost of renovated residential streets will shift somewhat away from special assessments by virtue of the City absorbing curb and gutter costs. Will the City mandate curb and gutters everywhere? No, it will not. Although our engineering staff usually recommends curb and gutter, the Council might conclude that some neighborhoods may benefit more by not having curb and gutter installed for a variety of reasons. Other features of the new policy include: • Assessments will continue to be levied on a per lot, rather than a front foot, basis, the theory being that trips per household, per day, are roughly equivalent, regardless of lot size. • Corner lots will now be assessed an amount identical to interior lots. • The term of payment for residential roadway assessments will continue to be 10 years (ratings agencies prefer the term for residential assessments match the term of the bonds). •The interest rate of the assessment will be pegged to assessment bonds that have been issued in the past 12 months or the 10-year Aaa bond rate plus 2 percentage points. Current rates will decrease from 6.5 to 5.58 percent. •Consistent with our historical practice, assessments will continue to be calculated on a declining payment schedule because it is cheaper than a “mortgage style” amortized schedule. •Elements of the Senior Deferral Program will change to achieve more equity and fairness. For example, the current deferral policy requires both spouses live in the residence. The policy has been changed to reflect situations where one spouse lives outside the home for health-related reasons. Because Edina is a community with its eye to the future, the new policy will not be retroactive to projects that have already been assessed. Research indicates that all cities made a “clean break” when beginning new assessment programs. James B. Hovland Mayor 6•AUTUMN 2005 Nine Mile Creek: A ‘Diamond In The Rough’ By Joe Sullivan Contributing Writer Nine Mile Creek has probably been flowing in some form across the southwest corner of Edina since the Ice Age of the Pleistoscene Epoch. That was the time of the wooly mammoth and mastodon some 550 million years ago. The receding glaciers that created the creek left behind high, rolling hills and a beautiful scattering of lakes in what is now Edina. Today, its rustic banks literally teem with woods, birds, wildlife and vegetation. It is a true “diamond in the rough.” Measured from the headwaters of its north branch to its mouth on the Minnesota River, Nine Mile Creek is actually 15 miles long. But that’s not where it got its name. That came from an early cart pathway (now Old Shakopee Road) that began at Fort Snelling, headed toward Shakopee and crossed the creek exactly nine miles west of the fort. Its north branch begins at a hidden spring in Hopkins, near where Excelsior Boulevard and 12th Avenue meet. The 8.5-mile south branch begins in tiny Minnetoga Lake, not far from Shady Oak Lake in Minnetonka. The two branches come together near the intersection of Minnesota Highway 100 and Interstate Highway 494. In some places, the creek meanders gently, flowing through lakes and melting into marshes. But, as it turns southward toward the Minnesota River, it runs deeper and faster. South of Bloomington City Hall, it cuts into the sandy bluffs and tumbles over rocks and a dam before the creek’s waters empty into the river just west of the Interstate 35W bridge. Settlements Pop Up On Creek In Early 1880s After the Mdewakanton Dakota tribe was forced from its northern territory following wars with the Ojibwa in the early 1800s, it established a village at the mouth of Nine Mile Creek. In 1843, the first of a small group of mostly Irish immigrants settled along both sides of Nine Mile Creek’s north branch in what is now Edina. They named their little enclave the Cahill Settlement, after the Rev. Thomas Cahill, a Catholic missionary priest from 7•AUTUMN 2005 The first settlers of the Cahill Community, in what is now southwest Edina, bought farmland along both sides of the north branch of Nine Mile Creek. Its headwaters are in a natural spring in Hopkins just south of today’s Excelsior Boulevard. From there, it flows south and east through Edina and Bloomington and into the Minnesota River just west of today’s Interstate Highway 35W bridge. The creek’s south branch begins at Lake Minnetoga, located southwest of Shady Oak Lake in the City of Minnetonka. It flows through Bryant Lake and Braemar Golf Course, joining the north branch above Bloomington’s Normandale Lake. Eagle Scout candidate Luther Overholt, a senior at Edina High School, is working on a permanent kiosk display to mark the headwaters of Nine Mile Creek’s north branch in Hopkins. It will include a map and other information about the Creek and will be landscaped with a tree and plants. Ph o t o b y P o l l y N o r m a n (continued on next page) 9•AUTUMN 2005 the Village of St. Anthony. Until 1866, St. Anthony of Padua Church tended St. Patrick’s, Edina’s first church, as a mission parish. The Cahill Settlement was often referred to as “Hard Scrabble Hill,” because the land was full of rocks and boulders. Much of the land along the creek was marshy and not suitable for raising most crops. But the soil was fertile in spots and an abundance of wild hay grew in the lowlands. The land was cheap -- selling for $1.25 an acre -- which made the Cahill area very attractive to the Irish families who started farms there. The Duggan family farmed 245 acres near the creek, from 66th Street south to 70th Street on the west side of Normandale Road (now Highway 100). Mae Duggan, wife of John Duggan, farmer and longtime Edina Village treasurer, had fond memories of the way her kids grew up in early Edina. “The children used Nine Mile Creek for ice skating,” she recalled in an Edina Sun article. “After school, that’s where they could be found as soon as the creek had frozen over.” Darcy Family Donated Land For First Cahill School Hugh Darcy (or Dorcy) immigrated to Edina from Ireland in the 1850s. Most of his farm was also west of what is now Highway 100, on the north side of Nine Mile Creek. He also owned a second smaller parcel south of the creek along today’s 70th Street and west of the bridge over the Creek. On June 27, 1864, Hugh Darcy deeded two acres of land on the southeast corner of 70th and Cahill Road to the local school district for $5. It was on this land that the one-room, frame Cahill School was built later that year. 8•AUTUMN 2005 The original one-room Cahill Elementary School was located less than a block from Nine Mile Creek at what is now 70th Street and Cahill Road. Built in 1864, it continued to serve the Cahill Community until the late 1950s. Ed i n a H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y p h o t o Gold Discovered In Edina By Del Roberts It was a few days before Christmas 1912. Mr. Anderson was walking along Nine Mile Creek looking for a duck to shoot for his family’s Christmas Day dinner. Suddenly, a large mallard flushed from the brush along the creek and Anderson fired. The mallard fell along the banks of the creek. Anderson took the bird home with visions of a wild duck dinner. While cleaning out the gizzard of the bird he noticed small, bright flakes of a metal-like substance. A neighbor was consulted and both agreed that the substance looked like gold. After all, it was possible that the duck, while feeding off the bottom of some swamp or creek, had in fact swallowed some gold dust, wasn’t it? In a passing comment, the neighbor asked Anderson where he had shot the duck. Anderson described the spot and the neighbor blurted out the thought they both had in mind, “Maybe this duck had been feeding in Nine Mile Creek!” The next morning, Anderson was still thinking about it. So, he walked down to the creek and examined the gravel in the water. It looked just like ordinary gravel to him. But he picked up several rocks and some sand and took them home. Later in the week, he took the rocks and sand over to the University of Minnesota to be examined. When the report came back, Anderson was shocked. “Not a bad find,” the professor told him. “Gold worth $8.20 a ton and traces of lead, copper and other metals,” he added. (In 1912, $8.20 was a lot of money—even for a ton of gold.) Word got out and within a few days residents from all over the area were flocking to Nine Mile Creek to “stake claims.” Gold fever was sweeping the area and men were not thinking clearly, with the smell of gold in their nostrils. If the sample Anderson found was worth $8.20 a ton, then perhaps a “mother-lode” was nearby. Within the week, prospectors began panning every inch of the creek. Today, few recall the gold fever of 1912, nor can they offer an explanation of why the gold bonanza died such a sudden death. After all, it is reasonable to believe that the U of M’s findings were valid. There is no question that there was gold in Nine Mile Creek that day in December 1912. And, at today’s prices, who knows what value might be placed on the deposit today? Incidentally, claim jumping apparently wasn’t against the law in Edina in 1912. Excerpted and edited from November 1979 issue of “Edina East Shopping Guide.” (continued on next page) Mae Duggan’s children grew up on Nine Mile Creek, where it crosses West 70th Street just west of today’s Minnesota Highway 100. Ph o t o b y D i c k P a l e n Hugh Darcy’s son Mose built the first Cahill Store on farmland originally claimed by his father at 70th and Cahill. Nine Mile Creek ran directly behind the store, which was located diagonally across the intersection from two different St. Patrick’s churches. The store served Cahill residents until the 1960s. Hayes Farm Became Braemar Golf Course In 1959 The history of the development of Braemar Park and Golf Course indicates that its half-section of land was first “claimed” in 1855 by Levi Comstock, a land speculator who resold it within a few years. Although he is not listed in the 1860 census of Richfield, Andrew Schuessler owned 316 acres of the property between 1873 and 1890. In 1957, the Village of Edina negotiated the purchase of the property from farmer F.J. Hayes for its largest park, which became Braemar Park and Golf Course. However, Edina didn’t immediately take possession from Hayes, who claimed he needed it until 1959 “ … for the termination of farm activities and the disposal of a dairy herd … .” Water quality improvement projects have enhanced the portion of Nine Mile Creek’s south fork that runs through Braemar, as well as downstream. Residents in the Braemar area benefit from a cleaner creek through reduced pesticide use and better erosion control. In addition, golf course maintenance costs have been reduced. Through Braemar’s public information program, many residents have been inspired to create wildlife-friendly places in their yards and gardens. Nine Mile Creek Watershed District Formed In 1959 Until suburban development became strong in the 1950s, the Nine Mile Creek did a good environmental job on its own, without any intervention. Starting in the late 1950s, increasing residential and commercial development was leading to more paved streets, highways and parking lots. Growing concerns about the runoff they create led to the formation of the Nine Mile Creek Watershed District in 1959. It was the first urban watershed district in Minnesota. Early goals included establishing control of land use and reviewing proposed building developments to prevent flood damage and erosion. The District was responsible for working with cities and property owners to manage development in the creek’s floodplain and to improve floodwater storage capacity. Later, the district was also given authority to protect open space, marshes, wildlife habitat and water quality. Today, the District also seeks to preserve the natural characteristics of the creek. Data are collected to monitor 10•AUTUMN 2005 (continued on next page) This is not a bridge over Nine Mile Creek -- it’s the railroad bridge over closed Interstate Highway 494 between Edina and Bloomington, just west of East Bush Lake Road. It depicts the closing of the freeway after overflow from Nine Mile Creek inundated the roadway during the “100-year storm” in 1987. In just two days, 14 inches of rain fell. Good planning by the affected cities and the Creek’s managers made it possible to avoid almost all damage. Ph o t o b y J i m P e t e r s e n Ice skating on Shady Oak Lake in the Village of Minnetonka, one of 19 lakes in the Nine Mile Creek Watershed District—Circa early 1900s. Ho p k i n s H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y p h o t o Ni n e M i l e C r e e k W a t e r s h e d D i s t r i c t p h o t o Nine Mile Creek managers in the spring of 2005 were (from left): Vice President Corrine Lynch of Eden Prairie; Treasurer Floyd Laumann of Bloomington; Secretary Bob Kojetin of Edina; Manager Geoffrey Nash of Edina and President LuAnn Tolliver of Minnetonka. 11•AUTUMN 2005 A group of young people on a bridge over Nine Mile Creek—Circa 1909. Blo o m i n g t o n H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y p h o t o surface and ground water quality and water management projects have these additional objectives: • Open-space preservation • Recreational management • Preservation of wetlands Storm Drain Marker Volunteer Program This program enables individuals, civic organizations or companies and their employees to help enhance the water quality of the creek by volunteering to install small, oval-shaped green and blue plastic discs reading “No Dumping—Drains to 9-Mile Creek” on storm drains in the area to build awareness about the importance of keeping our storm drains clean. Volunteers can also serve as role models for their neighbors by clearing litter, leaves and grass clippings from their streets and gutters, using only zero-phosphorus fertilizers and cleaning up after their pets. Interested groups and individuals of any age can volunteer by calling District Engineer Bob Obermeyer at 952-832-2600. What Is A WOMP Station? WOMP stands for the Watershed Outlet Monitoring Program. There are four WOMP stations on Nine Mile Creek: on the north branch of the creek at Metro Boulevard in Edina; on the south branch of the creek at West 13•AUTUMN 200512•AUTUMN 2005 (continued on next page) FACTS ABOUT NINE MILE CREEK Nine Mile Creek Watershed District Covers 50 Square Miles In Six Cities Most of Edina and Bloomington plus portions of Eden Prairie, Hopkins, Minnetonka and Richfield 19 Lakes Are In The Nine Mile Creek Watershed Bryant Lake, Lone Lake, Shady Oak Lake, Smetana Lake, Anderson Lakes, Bush Lake, Arrowhead Lake, Indianhead Lake, Lake Cornelia, Girard Lake, Penn Lake, Oxboro Lake, Marsh Lake, Lake Edina, Glen Lake, Birch Island Lake, Lake Rose, Wing Lake and Mirror Lake Nine Mile Creek Flows Through Four Edina Parks North Branch:South Branch: Walnut Ridge ParkBraemar Golf Course Bredesen Park Creek Valley Park Nine Mile Creek is a real asset of Edina’s Bredesen Park, a nature park that attracts wildlife walkers, joggers and bikers. Three trails weave through its 206 acres of native forest and wetlands. Ph o t o b y J a m e s M . P e t e r s o n Jaqueline Asgrimson (left) of Girl Scout Troop 1489 and troop leader Carolyn Kohrs install a storm drain marker. Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts from any of the watershed’s cities can earn merit badges by participating in the Storm Drain Marker Project. Ni n e M i l e C r e e k W a t e r s h e d D i s t r i c t p h o t o 15•AUTUMN 200514•AUTUMN 2005 Two Nine Mile Creek Villages You Won’t Find On Any Map ByJoe Sullivan Little did we know when our family moved to Edina 46 years ago that we had bought a house that was only two blocks from a natural wonderland on the shores of Nine Mile Creek. At first, the wonderland appears to be quite an unremarkable place, but as our kids quickly learned, it is a great place to let your imagination run rampant with thoughts of cowboys and Indians (Native Americans, to be politically correct) or brave soldiers fighting pitched battles from foxholes and trenches. The creek’s crystal clear water was perfect for racing tiny boats made from pieces of scrap wood or folded sheets of paper. Wading in its gentle current was another favorite activity. Eventually, we learned that this magical place was called “Monkey Village” because of the vines hanging from the tall trees that the kids used to swing on. In the eyes of a child, I’m sure that it looked enough like a jungle to have imaginary monkeys swinging from branch to branch. Forty years later, we introduced a new generation (our grandchildren) to “Monkey Village.” They found it as fascinating a place as their parents had 40 years earlier. It hasn’t changed much, but there is one difference. The western boundary of “Monkey Village” was always the railroad tracks. But one day while we were exploring, our grandkids begged for permission to cross the tracks to see what was on the other side. After a short lesson on looking both ways before crossing, we cautiously made our way across the single set of tracks, only to discover an extremely well-developed motocross course for BMX bicycles. An ambitious group of young folks had hauled in many, many truckloads of dirt. They had mounded them into a series of eight-foot-high jumps and a labyrinth of dirt paths with sharp turns. Since there were no signs of anything resembling modern earthmoving equipment, we had to assume that the work had been done the old- fashioned way by hard-working people wielding shovels, rakes and wheelbarrows. The new place had been named “Elephant Village.” When I teasingly commented that I hadn’t yet seen any elephants, the response was: “Grandpa, can’t you see? All those dirt piles look just like the backs of elephants!” So now, we have two special attractions to visit along the tranquil shores of Nine Mile Creek. And I’m betting that years later, our great-grandchildren will dream about them just like their parents did and it’s only a two-block walk from grandma and grandpa’s. 78th Street in Bloomington,on the main stem of the creek at 98th Street in Bloomington and downstream of West 106th Street in Bloomington. The WOMP stations provide continuous measurements of storm events, water level, flow, rainfall, temperature and conductivity. The automatic equipment collects samples during significant rainfall events. Monthly “grab samples” are also collected to analyze the water quality between rainfall events. Data collected helps watershed managers make decisions on how best to manage the Creek. Citizen’s Advisory Committee (CAC) The CAC is made up of citizens who advise the Board of Managers on water-related community concerns and issues. Many CAC meetings are held “on the road,” at sites of interest in the six communities that make up the Nine Mile Creek Watershed District. Fun, interesting and educational presentations by individuals and groups working to protect the Creek are scheduled for monthly CAC meetings, which are open to the public. Contact Edinan John Berg for more information on the CAC. You can reach him at 5555 Dewey Hill Road, Unit 101, Edina, MN 55439, or 952-826-0838. Background material and photographs for this article came from the collections of the Edina Historical Society, Bloomington Historical Society, Hopkins Historical Society and Nine Mile Creek Watershed District; personal interviews with Bob Obermeyer of Barr Engineering Co. and Andrea Lex of Lexicon Communications; and the following publications: Edina Sun, Edina East Shopping Guide, American Heritage Dictionary, 4th Edition and History of Edina, Minnesota by Paul D. Hesterman. A Watershed Outlet Monitoring Program station on Nine Mile Creek Ph o t o b y G e o f f N a s h Plastic discs like this one remind residents of the Nine Mile Creek Watershed District that everything that goes into their neighborhood’s storm drains eventually ends up in the Creek. The Storm Drain Markers are installed by volunteers, who participate in three-hour shifts at non-rush hour times. Moore, JDRF International Chairwoman; three-time Olympian Gary Hall and select researchers and business leaders, testified for the necessity of continued funding for research on type 1 diabetes and related complications. “I ended my essay by saying that action is the antidote to despair,” Julia said. Each day, Julia pricks her finger eight to 10 times to check her blood sugar levels. Her fingers are calloused from all the needle pricks. Each evening, Julia and her family eat together. The family has altered their meal routine since 1999 to ensure that Julia gets the perfect amount of sugar -- no more, no less. Julia has learned to use her insulin pump, which she has christened “Genevieve III,” to ensure that the amount of sugar in her blood is correct. Julia has had to grow up quickly, but she has not taken a back seat in any of the events that have taken place in the past six years. Along with her sister, Claire, Julia has been giving speeches around the area. “I feel that if I say something that matters to me, perhaps someone will hear it and it will make a difference to them,” Julia said. The twins are working to expand understanding of how serious diabetes really is and how important funding is to finding a cure. Julia and Claire have spoken to various clubs, including Rotary and area Minneapolis Kiwanis. Both girls have been extremely involved with other fundraising ventures as well. Along with their younger brother, Peter, and three cousins, they raised more than $6,000 in donations or the 2004 JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes. They have also volunteered at the Imagination Ball Fundraiser, a gala to raise money for diabetes. “I realize how lucky I am to be alive,” said Julia. “But I know how many more challenges there are to come.” There is currently no cure for type 1 diabetes and those diagnosed nearly always depend on some form of insulin shot or pump. There are, however, advocates such as Julia and her family who understand the importance of funding the research that is so vital to finding a cure for the disease that nearly took Julia’s life. Six years ago, she was a thin, pale girl in a hospital bed. Many would never have anticipated all the impressive deeds she has accomplished in a short six years and there are speculations of the deeds to come. “I am optimistic for the future,” Julia said. Diabetes has changed her life in many facets, but it has also given Julia the strength to speak out and help find a cure for all those who are unable to speak for themselves. For more information on diabetes research or the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation visit www.jdrf.org. Diabetes Diagnosis Leads To Advocacy For A Cure By Laura Fulton Sitting silently in a sterile, white hospital room, a family of five anxiously await the doctor’s arrival. So many needles have been stuck, so much blood has been taken; all they can do now is wait for the results. In the hospital bed lays a pale young girl approaching her 12th birthday. Covered with white hospital sheets, the outline of her slim body boasts a growth spurt; her gangly, awkward limbs are bent, tenting thin fabric. They had thought it was the flu, but she had lost 20 pounds in the last week and her mother was alarmed. The doctor who treated her recognized something seriously wrong and in minutes, she was rushed to the hospital. With glucose levels over 900, the results were in. Normal glucose levels are 80 to120. In September 1999, during the beginning of her seventh-grade year, Julia Nash was diagnosed with type 1 juvenile diabetes. Six years later, Julia is a vibrant, outspoken 17-year-old with an incredible passion for finding a cure for the disease that nearly took her life. “I’m a healthy diabetic,” said Nash. Involved in band, swimming and lacrosse at Edina High School, Nash does not like her diabetes to stand in the way of the activities she loves. Four months ago, Nash joined the Upper Cut Gym. Along with her twin sister, Claire, she is taking boxing lessons and soon plans to compete. Sometimes, however, Julia’s type 1 diabetes catches up and she is forced to slow down. “I miss a lot of school,” she said. If her glucose levels get too low, Julia risks passing out and getting terrible headaches. If her glucose levels get too high, heart troubles set in and the risk for more serious complications heighten. “When I was diagnosed, the doctor stood over me and explained to my parents what was going on, until I said, ‘hey sir, I’m right here, could you tell me what is happening to my body?’” Julia said. The information given by the doctor may have been a bit much to take in, but Julia embraced it and has been learning as much as she can about diabetes ever since. Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong condition. Its onset arises when the pancreas stops producing insulin. Insulin is a hormone in the body that directs sugar from the blood into the cells where it is stored for energy use. If the sugar in the blood is not moved into the cells, a person’s blood sugar rises and the cells in the body are unable to function properly. This past March, Nash wrote an essay depicting her personal experience with type 1 diabetes and submitted it to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). Out of the 17 area young adults and children who submitted essays, Julia was chosen to represent Minnesota in the 2005 Children’s Congress, held June 18-21 at Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. Children’s Congress is made up of 150 children and teens from ages 2 to 17 who unite in Washington D.C., tell their stories and lobby lawmakers to fund research to find a cure for diabetes. The young delegates are given time to meet with their state House representatives and senators. The delegates are also present at a hearing in the Senate Committee on Government Affairs. The children, along with Mary Tyler Julia Nash, three-time Olympian Gary Hall and Claire Nash attended the 2005 Children’s Congress in June. Julia was one of two delegates chosen to represent Minnesota at Children’s Congress. Claire was a cub reporter for the JDRF Countdown magazine. 16•AUTUMN 2005 17•AUTUMN 2005 19•AUTUMN 200518•AUTUMN 2005 Braemar Arena patrons and ice skating enthusiasts are remembering the late Eleanor Wilson Fisher, the first director of the Braemar Ice Skating School and co-founder of the Braemar- City of Lakes Figure Skating Club. Fisher died in late July after battling Alzheimer’s disease for a number of years. She died in Taos, N.M., where she and her husband moved after retiring from careers in Edina. Fisher, who was affectionately known as Ellie, was a former Canadian Junior Ladies Figure Skating Champion and placed third in the Senior Ladies Championship of Canada in 1940, qualifying for international competitions. However, due to World War II, World and Olympic events were cancelled. After moving to the United States from her native Canada, she began her 45-year coaching career in Lake Placid, N.Y., where she met her husband of 57 years. The couple moved to Edina in 1958. She coached in Minneapolis until Braemar Arena opened in 1965. Fisher was hired as Braemar’s first ice skating school director. Together with another area coach, Jean Pastor, Fisher formed the Braemar-City of Lakes Figure Skating Club. Each of the women brought 20 students to the Arena to form the club, which now boasts a membership of nearly 180. “Eleanor was my best friend. We were absolute soul mates,” said Pastor, who is 20 years her junior. “She was outgoing and very personable, but had a strong personality. She always knew what she wanted and how to get it. She was the most loyal, honest person I’ve ever known.” Pastor and Fisher were close enough that they shared a checkbook for their skating school and coaching endeavors. Fisher and Pastor started programs at Aldrich Arena in St. Paul and the Bloomington Ice Gardens. The duo were known to team teach. Fisher coached many national-level competitors, guiding her young skaters to achieve 32 Gold Medals, the highest proficiency award granted in the sport of figure skating. For coaching that many Gold Medalists, the Eleanor Fisher Skating Crown was established in 1977. The names of all Gold Medalists since are etched in the trophy, which is permanently displayed in the trophy case of the east arena. The names of 104 skaters are currently displayed on the trophy. Arena Remembers U.S., Canada Figure Skating Legend Eleanor Fisher “I knew I wouldn’t make it to the Olympics, but I could achievethe Gold Medal in skating,” said Nancy Knudson, a Gold Medalist and current staff member at Braemar Arena. The honor of receiving the Gold Medal is furthered by having your name on the Eleanor Fisher trophy.” Besides Knudson, there are many others actively involved at Braemar today who carry on Fisher’s legacy. Fisher’s former students Kathleen Schmelz Gazich, Diane Dahlberg Disbrow, Pam Swiggum May and Marie Peper Foster are all coaches. Tamie Klindworth Campbell and Jan Frick Anderson are judges withthe United States Figure Skating Association. Joan Orvis is the current skating class director. “Eleanor Fisher will always be remembered as one of the great coaches here,” Knudson said. “Whenever I see old pictures of the Arena, she’s in them. From the very beginning, she did what she could to help this club and this facility grow.” Known for gracefully balancing the roles of skater, parent and coach, Fisher offered wisdom to her daughters, who continued the family skating legacy. Daughter Victoria Binner is a former member of the U.S. World Figure Skating Team and daughter Barbara Fisher is a former Midwestern Champion and is currently the Director of the Skating Club of Taos at the Youth and Family Center. “She hasn’t lived in Edina for 20 years, but people at Braemar still talk about Eleanor all the time,” said former City Manager and Park and Recreation Director Ken Rosland. “Eleanor was the lady who set the stage for our skating program in Edina. She was dedicated to the sport of figure skating. She was dedicated to her students. She was dedicated to Braemar. She set the bar that everyone in Edina still tries to reach.” Donations in Fisher’s memory can be made to the Minnesota Skating Scholarship, in care of Ann Eidson, 4604 Wooddale Ave. S., Edina, MN 55424; or Skaters’ Fund, 238 Mountain View Road, Princeton, N.J. 08540. Donations are tax- deductible, benefiting coaches and skaters in need. For more information on Braemar Arena, call 952-941-1322 or visit www.Braemar-Arena.com. Eleanor Fisher won the Canadian Junior Ladies Figure Skating Championship and placed third in the Senior Ladies Championship of Canada in 1940. Afterward, she earned a reputation as the premier Figure 8 skating coach in the United States and Canada. Eleanor Fisher and Jean Pastor founded the Braemar-City of Lakes Figure Skating Club in 1965. In the spring of 1966, they posed for this picture before the club’s first Ice Frolics, an event that has been a tradition at the Arena for four decades. Now known as synchronized skating, precision skating was first introduced in Edina during an Ice Frolics show. 21•AUTUMN 200520•AUTUMN 2005 Ask Mr.Media Dear Mr. Media, I made a video from our family slides and movie films at the Peggy Kelly Media Arts Studios a few years ago. With all the new technologies popping up on a daily basis, what are you advising people who want to preserve treasured memories now residing on old movie film or in photos or 35mm slides? Len S. Snapper Dear Len, One word says it all: DVD. The acronym stands for Digital Versatile Disk or Digital Video Disk. Preserving your images in digital form is easy and you will have peace of mind in knowing that your memories will last a long time. Here at the Media Studios, people are working on projects ranging from a simple copy of a VHS video to DVD to multimedia disks that incorporate 35mm slides, photos, digital pictures, movie films, video, music, narration and printed materials. Once you have your DVD program assembled, you can record to disks printed with designs of your making. If you are willing to invest some time, there is virtually no limit to the artistry you can apply. What about cost? At the Peggy Kelly Media Arts Studios, you will pay 30 to 70 percent less than you would pay a service to do it for you. Because you do the work, you get the savings –that only seems fair, doesn’t it? For more information about starting your multimedia project, call the Media Arts Studios at 612-915-6602. To learn more about the Edina Art Center, visit EdinaArtCenter.com. HONESTY, INTEGRITY & COMMITMENT FOR 50 YEARS YYOOUURR EEDDIINNAA NNEEIIGGHHBBOORRHHOOOODD RREEAALL EESSTTAATTEE PPRROOFFEESSSSIIOONNAALLSS:: MORTGAGE TITLERELOCATION warranties INsurance hotline HOMEDOCSrecommends moving services guaranteed sales program exceptional properties Jeff and Diane Anderes 952-927-2842 jeffanddianeanderes@edinarealty.com jeffanddianeanderes.edinarealty.com Ginni and Jeff Anderson 952-927-1669ginniandjeffanderson@edinarealty.com ginnianderson.edinarealty.com Jeff and Connie Cauble 952-927-1115jeffandconniecauble@edinarealty.com jeffcauble.edinarealty.com John Everett 952-927-1646johneverett@edinarealty.com johneverett.edinarealty.com Ted Field 952-927-1650tedfield@edinarealty.com tedfield.edinarealty.com Jackie Goodlund 952-927-1647jackiegoodlund@edinarealty.com jackiegoodlund.edinarealty.com Ruthann Holetz 952-927-1624ruthannholetz@edinarealty.com ruthannholetz.edinarealty.com John McDonald 952-927-1197johnmcdonald@edinarealty.com johnmcdonald.edinarealty.com Joan E. Mitchell 952-927-1147joanemitchell@edinarealty.com joanemitchell.edinarealty.com Jude Dugan Olson 952-927-1186judeduganolson@edinarealty.com judeduganolson.edinarealty.com Linda Platt 952-927-1179lindaplatt@edinarealty.com lindaplatt.edinarealty.com John Raichert 952-927-1189johnraichert@edinarealty.com johnraichert.edinarealty.com Kevin Ries 952-927-1196kevinries@edinarealty.com kevinries.edinarealty.com Margie and John Sampsell 952-927-1195margieandjohnsampsell@edinarealty.com margiesampsell.edinarealty.com Corky Weber 952-927-1198corkyweber@edinarealty.com corkyweber.edinarealty.com 22•AUTUMN 2005 23•AUTUMN 2005 West 50th and Vernon Avenue at Hwy.100 952-920-3996 www.washburn-mcreavy.com Family Owned & Operated Since 1857 EDINA CHAPEL FUNERAL & CREMATION SERVICES Edina PlasticSurgery, Ltd. 952-925-1765 |www.edinaplasticsurgery.com 6525 France Avenue South |Suite 300|Edina — in the Southdale Medical Center The Board-Certified Cosmetic Surgery Specialists Smile when you look in the mirror. Call us today. Centennial Lakes Office Park A community for business Centennial Lakes is proud to be part of your community! How often does your business address also become a place for entertainment,retail and shopping? At Centennial Lakes Office Park,those amenities are just a short walk away. Contact us at: 952-837-8400 7650 Edinborough Way, Suite 620, Edina, MN 55435 Volunteers Enlisted to Assist People (VEAP) is in search of holiday spirit and generous donations to make this year’s holiday season brighter for area children and families in need. Over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, VEAP plans to distribute food to more than 2,500 families and gifts to over 3,000 children in Edina, Bloomington and Richfield. To accomplish this goal, VEAP is seeking donors to provide gifts and volunteers to help sort, set up and distribute them. Monetary donations will be accepted to cover food costs, purchase gift certificates for goods and cover the cost of gifts for low-income children. People may also donate new, unwrapped gifts or gift certificates to area grocery stores or stores where holiday gifts can be purchased. VEAP has compiled a “wish list” of gift ideas for children under 3, ages 4 to 7 and ages 8 to 18. Low-income parents will be able to select gifts for their children at VEAP’s free holiday store. Gifts for the holiday store need to be to VEAP, 9731 James Ave. S., Bloomington, by Dec. 15. Drop-off boxes are available at Edina City Hall, 4801 W. 50th St., and Fire Station No. 1, 6250 Tracy Ave. Gifts are greatly needed for the age groups of children under 3 and those ages 8 to 18. Some ideas for children under 3 include See & Say toys, developmental toys, crib or tub toys, musical toys, building blocks, rattles and teething rings. Other ideas include electronic learning toys, wooden or floor puzzles and pull-push toys. Gift ideas for ages 4 to 7 include electronic and remote controlled toys, building sets, multicultural dolls or books, music players, and magna doodles. Games, baby dolls, puzzles and building sets are also good presents to donate for this age group. There is typically a low supply of gifts for 8- to 18-year-olds, though this group of kids is one of the largest. VEAP has a long list of suggestions for donors interested in donating to older children. Cosmetic sets, diaries, stationery sets and CD players are always popular gifts. Flashlights, tool sets, walkie-talkie sets, clock radios, body pillows and wallets are handy items to donate. Travel and carry-on bags, art and craft kits, electronic gadgets and books are also nice ideas for children in this age bracket. Volunteer opportunities are also abundant during the holiday season. People are needed to pre-sort gifts, register families for Thanksgiving and Christmas assistance, set up the holiday store, assist families in receiving their holiday food and gifts and to deliver hot meals to homebound neighbors during the holidays. For more information about VEAP’s holiday program, call the Seasonal Programs Manager at 952-888-9616 after Oct. 24, or email dianee@veapvolunteers.org. VEAP Prepares To Distribute Holiday Joy ❍Almost $64,000 for high-priority Foundation programs, ranging from Grandview Square Park development and City Hall art to a kiosk at Braemar Golf Course recognizing its recently acquired status as a designated Audubon Sanctuary; and ❍Over $77,000 to City departments to enhance their programs and services to our community, including major funding for kitchen remodeling at the Senior Center and Emergency Response Team equipment for the Police Department. •In addition to these grants, we also increased the balance of our designated funds available for grants in the future by over $100,000, to some $230,000 as of June 30. These funds have been contributed by donors for specific programs or purposes consistent with the Foundation’s mission, and typically are used to support a scholarship fund, one of its partner organizations, a City department or another Foundation activity. •With the aid of some 200 volunteers we organized the first Holiday Home Tour last December. The Tour featured three homes in the Country Club Neighborhood and will be hosted again this December, featuring homes in the Indian Hills Neighborhood. We were delighted to recognize one of these volunteers, Cindy Bingham, at the City of Edina’s Volunteer Recognition Reception in April, along with Patricia Tucker for her work on both the Tour and our fall mail campaign. •We convened representatives of the Southdale YMCA and VEAP (Volunteers Enlisted to Assist People) to work with us in developing a Community Partners program that will secure support for vital human resource needs from major business enterprises. •Finally, our Board of Directors made a significant decision last spring to invest in the Foundation’s future by authorizing its first full-time staff position, a Director of Donor Relations. That position was filled in April by Mark Wilkening, formerly the Southdale YMCA Community Development Director, and a 10-year resident of Edina. Mark joins me and our Board of Directors in developing philanthropic support for programs that advance Edina as a premier place for living, learning, raising families and nurturing leadership. We thank all of you who have invested in the future of our community by contributing your time or financial resources to support the Foundation and its programs. This is indeed a time for us to celebrate the commitments of so many people who have helped to make last year so successful for the Foundation, and we invite everyone else who lives or works in Edina to join us as we continue to develop programs and resources to fulfill our mission of Strengthening Our Community. Questions about the Foundation may be addressed to its Executive Director, Dick Crockett, at 952-833-9573 or edinacommunityfoundation@ci.edina.mn.us. Additional information about the Foundation and links to other articles about the Foundation may be found at its website, www.edinacommunityfoundation.org. 25•AUTUMN 200524•AUTUMN 2005 S TRENGTHENING O UR C OMMUNITY By Dick Crockett Executive Director We all know the importance of investing in our home or business in order to ensure and enhance their value in the future. The same is true of our families, friends, careers and other important parts of our lives. The mission of the Edina Community Foundation is to strengthen an aspect of our lives important to all of us—our community—by serving as a charitable vehicle for those who would like to invest in its future. After closing another fiscal year June 30, it’s an appropriate time to celebrate the many ways in which our Foundation and our many constituencies invested in our community during the last year. A more complete annual report will be included in a future issue of About Town,but this will give you some idea of our highlights. •We secured the commitment of four new Board members—retired Mayor Dennis Maetzold, Carolyn Schroeder, Geof Workinger and Al Alexander—to join our seven other Directors in managing the Foundation. Pictures and short bios of all eleven Directors are included in our web site at www.edinacommunityfoundation.org. In addition to devoting their time and talent to our mission, our Directors are all donors to the Foundation. •We increased the size of our donor community by 41 percent to 592, and the amount of their contributions and pledges increased by over 100 percent, to almost $370,000. This includes an increase from 12 to 20 donors who have made five-year pledges of financial support either as Founder’s Club members ($5,000 per year) or as Community Benefactors ($1,000 per year). The number of Community Builders and Major Gift Donors ($1,000 and $500, respectively) also increased by almost 70 percent, from 36 to 61. We were also successful in obtaining substantial gifts and grants from several other foundations, including the Toro Company Giving Program, the Pohlad Family Foundation and the William D. Radichel Foundation. •We nearly doubled the amount of our grants, from just over $83,000 in 2003-2004 to over $164,000 in 2004- 2005. This included financial support for a wide range of programs: ❍Over $10,000 for youth scholarships, such as the Ikola Hockey Scholarship, Rosland Grants-in-Aid, Edina Art Center Scholarships, and a Recycling Scholarship; ❍Over $12,000 for community programs sponsored by our organizational partners, including CommonBond Communities (for computer equipment), the Conservation League of Edina (for water quality testing), the Edina Chorale (for concert music), the Edina Garden Council (for buckthorn abatement), the Edina Historical Society and Museum (for an oral history project), and the Country Club and Edina Highlands neighborhood associations (for neighborhood activities and events); Investing In Our Community Monica Sullivan: A Synonym For Creativity 27•AUTUMN 2005 Monica has been involved at the Edina Art Center as long as it has been in existence. In 1975, she and Naomi were working on the Edina High School senior party. Marion Ward was head of decorating and later had a get-together for all of the volunteers. She asked if they would help decorate Southdale Center for a ball to raise money for an Art Center. That was beginning of the Edina Art Center. Marian Ward and Pat Greer were co-directors. Monica and Naomi were volunteers who became paid staff a few years later. Since there was no model for how to operate an Art Center, they figured things out as they went along. “From the very beginning, it was always interesting and challenging and a truly warm and friendly atmosphere where everyone worked together,” Monica said. “In the beginning, we had a few hundred students per year. Now, we have several thousand. We started with a large number of beginning students. Now, we have some students that have been with us for over 25 years and are exceptional artists taking on a significant role in the art world. Our annual student show has gone from being OK to fabulous.” All of these women had art backgrounds, young children and a common dream to create a successful Art Center. Mistakes were made that are still recalled with laughter. Naomi recalls one Saturday when no one showed up to open the Art Center. They discovered it was Monica’s turn, gave her a call and asked her what she was doing. She answered, candidly, “Oh! I was washing my hair!” Ken Rosland, Chairman of the 25th Anniversary celebration of the Art Center, said, “She’s given continuous service to 26•AUTUMN 2005 By Kathleen Sovell Contributing Writer Edina resident Monica Sullivan is a visual artist who lives her life with an imagination that delights her family, her friends and her peers and co-workers at the Edina Art Center. Monica discovered art in kindergarten and went on to discover her father’s tools. Her father allowed her to use the lathe, jigsaw and grinding tools as long as she followed the safety rules and cleaned up. She and her childhood friend, Nancy Potter, made bowling pins (made out of wood in those days) into lamps. When graduating from eighth grade at Annunciation School in Minneapolis, she wrote in the class prophecy that she would be a children’s book illustrator. Her goals changed after she became an adult, but she and Nancy did write and illustrate a small book for the infamous “elf” at Lake Harriet, titled When We Were Like Elves.The elf wrote back and said, “Find me, I know you can.” They did figure out the identity of the elf, sent a bouquet of flowers and vowed never to tell. Monica met her husband, Joe, two weeks before he graduated from college. “I’m thankful I didn’t meet her earlier. We had so much fun I probably wouldn’t have graduated,” he said. “Instead of studying, she wanted me to go picnicking.” Monica attended college at the Universities of Minnesota and Colorado. She tired of the structured environment and went to work for the airlines. “She was not in the school frame of mind,” Joe quipped. They were married in 1955, lived for a year and a half in Milwaukee, two years in St. Louis Park and one year in St. Paul. On May 1, 1960, she discovered she was pregnant with their fourth child while moving into their home in Edina where they still live. They love their neighborhood. The Sullivans recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Their five children were there to greet them -- Ann flying in from Ireland, Terri from Boston and Mike from North Carolina, along with locals Denny and Dick -- when they were led to the surprise party blindfolded. Joe said, “One of the wonderful things about having Monica as the mother of my children is they were never bored. She almost always had a project for them and when she didn’t, she had them find their own project. ‘Craft Night’ in front of the fire was a Sunday tradition in our home.” Now her grandchildren enjoy her talents. Last summer when two of her grandchildren came to visit and wanted a project, Monica suggested they build a miniature golf course in the yard. They made ramps, tunnels, bridges, buried paper cups for holes, used a 9-by-13 cake pan for a water hazard, used flexible plastic dryer pipe, numbered flags on dowels and then mowed strips for the fairways. According to Monica, building the course was more fun than playing it. Her co-worker, Naomi Johnson, said, “Monica is a good artist. After all these years, she still has a sense of wonderment in the way she looks at the world and she keeps wanting to learn and find out why things are the way they are. She’s very curious.” (continued on next page) Monica Sullivan has been part of the Edina Art Center since its infancy. She began as a volunteer and later was hired as an employee. 29•AUTUMN 200528•AUTUMN 2005 the Art Center and to Edina. You don’t find many volunteers who are here forever.” Monica describes her job at the Art Center as “perfect.” “With a little ‘give and take,’ I’ve been able to name my hours. I’m surrounded by people interested in some of the same things I am. I’ve had an opportunity to learn about different aspects of art as I jumped from classes in pottery, to jewelry, to drawing, to watercolor, oils, pastels and acrylics. It’s close to home,” she said. “About 19 years ago, when a new director took over, I thought that maybe it was time for me to move on to something else. I’m sure glad I didn’t. I’ve often said that no one had more fun growing up than I did. Now I’m thinking that no one has had a more suitable and enjoyable job than I have for the past 25 years or so.” Not surprisingly, Monica has a list of things she wants to do before she dies. “I thought everyone had a list of things to do, but many don’t,” she said with amazement. “For starters, I want to be able to put on lipstick without a mirror. (After 65 years, you’d think I could do that.) And I want to play good bluegrass on my five string banjo.” Visit the Art Center’s website, www.EdinaArtCenter.com for a complete class and event listing or call 612-915-6600 for information, to request a class schedule or register for classes. The Edina Art Center is located on the northwest corner of Rosland Park (formerly Lake Cornelia Park). 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We have the largest in-stock inventory in the Twin Cities! HOURS M-Th 8:30 - 7:00 •Fri 8:30 - 4:30 952-941-8601 www.northwesternmarble.com 31•AUTUMN 2005•AUTUMN 200530•AUTUMN 2005 Fee Only Investment Advisory Experience Service Performance Innovation Integrity Discipline 7400 Metro Boulevard •Suite 100 •Edina, MN 55439 Tel: (952) 746-6777 •e-mail: trgrace@thosgrace.com Dogs and Cats prefer Pets AreInn Established 1982 MeetSam.Such a happy dog! He never has to be kenneled or caged. You see, Sam goes happily to another loving home when his family is away. His owners have found a service that is a perfect solution when they have to leave him behind: Pets Are Inn. Call today to learn more about us 952-837-1877 or visit our website at: www.petsareinn.com 32•AUTUMN 2005 33•AUTUMN 2005 RECIPE FOR A GREAT PARTY Quantity: An evening’s worth of memories. 1 part good conversation + 1 part good food. Add welcoming hosts and a comfortable crowd. Mix in humor, celebrations, traditions or seasonal fun. Blend in entertainment. MYTHS AND FACTS ABOUT DRINKING AND DRIVING MYTH:Coffee can sober up someone who has had too much to drink. FACT:Only time can sober. It takes about one hour to oxidize each drink. MYTH:Hard Liquor is more intoxicating than beer or wine. FACT:A 12-ounce can of beer, a five-ounce glass of wine, and a 12-ounce wine cooler contain the same amount of alcohol and the same intoxication potential as 1 or 1.5 ounces of liquor. MYTH:Mixers dilute the alcohol. FACT:Carbonated mixers like club soda or tonic water cause alcohol to be absorbed into a person’s system more quickly. Fruit juice and other sweet mixers mask the taste of alcohol and may cause people to drink more. MYTH:Someone who has had too much to drink will look intoxicated. FACT:Someone’s physical appearance can be misleading. One drink can impair someone’s ability to drive. Judgment is the first thing affected when someone has been drinking. Important motor skills are next. For more information, contact Chemical Health Coordinator Kathy Iverson at 952-929-7627 or menze002@umn.edu. Recipes for non-alcoholic drinks can be found online at www.CityofEdina.com/recipes. Participate In Red Ribbon Campaign This Holiday Season By Kathy Iverson Contributing Writer The busy holiday season is here: a time when spirits are high, celebrations thrive and travel increases across America’s roadways. Tragically, drunk driving is on the rise during this special time. For this reason, the City of Edina conducts the holiday red ribbon campaign during Minnesota Chemical Health Week, Nov. 14-20, in collaboration with Mothers Against Drunk Driving(MADD). The campaign encourages all of us to engage in the fight against drunk driving by tying a MADD red ribbon to a visible place on your vehicle, or on your personal handbag, backpack or briefcase. Consider this safe party guide for your celebrations: THE HOST WITH THE MOST •Invite guests who are compatible so no one feels left out of the crowd. Lonely or unfriendly people often drink to excess. • Provide non-alcoholic beverages in the most accessible location. •Provide alternatives to guests if their driving would be impaired by alcohol. Call a taxi for intoxicated guests, drive them home yourself or invite them to stay the night. •Stop serving alcoholic beverages one to two hours before your guests begin driving home. •Remember that children are watching how you entertain. If you put alcohol at the center of your entertaining, they will too. OFFICE PARTIES •Arrange for discounted or complimentary rooms when a party is held at a hotel so employees won’t drive home impaired. •Hire a shuttle or limousine service to provide transportation for those that have been drinking. Promote the designated driver concept in party invitations. •Do not push drinks! •If you provide an open bar, be sure the bartender has had server training to prevent over-serving and serving guests under the legal drinking age. •Hold a contest for employees to create non-alcoholic drink recipes. It’s Not Only Neighborly … It’s The Law Peddlers And Solicitors Peddlers and solicitors are allowed to sell their wares in Edina by going from door to door. Residents who do not want such entrepreneurs to knock on their doors must place a printed placard or sign reading “Peddlers and Solicitors Prohibited” on or near the usual entrance to their homes. According to local ordinance, the placard or sign must be at least 3.75 inches long and 3.75 inches wide with printing no smaller than 48-point type. Such signs are available at Edina City Hall. No peddler or solicitor shall enter, ring the doorbell or knock on a door where a placard or sign is posted, unless he or she has been previously invited by the resident. For more information, contact the Edina Police Department, 952-826-1610. Leaves Keep fallen leaves out of the street to help prevent clogging the storm sewer, which can lead to water runoff, backups and flooding. In the fall, three street sweepers work eight to 10 hours per day for four to six weeks collecting leaves throughout the City. If residents rake leaves from their yards into the streets, the street sweeper will not be able to keep up. Residents should compost their leaves or contact their refuse hauler for proper disposal. Licensed haulers in the City are Aspen Waste, 612-884-8000; BFI, 952-941-5174; Vierkant Disposal, 612-922-2505; and Waste Management, 952-882-2300. Edina Snow Removal Regulations Any snow removed from your walkways, driveways or sidewalks must remain on your property. Do not shovel snow into the street or onto your neighbor’s property. If you have a sidewalk, Edina law states that you must keep it plowed or shoveled for the safety of you and your neighbors. If a fire hydrant is located on your property, please remember that you need to clear snow away from it. As soon as the snow stops falling, start to clear away the snow so that the hydrant is visible. The few minutes its takes provide access to a fire hydrant might save you and your neighbors precious time in an emergency. Edina Snow Parking Regulations Many Minnesotans have made the mistake of parking their cars or trucks on the street during a snowstorm, only to find later that their vehicles have been “buried” or “plowed in.” Seeing a parking ticket on your windshield would only add to the frustration. You can avoid a citation or tow by following these rules. No vehicle may be parked on a City street, highway or alley under the following conditions: •When 1.5 inches or more of snow has fallen, until it has been plowed to the curbline. •For six hours after the snowfall stops, unless traffic signs specifically allow you to do so or if you are engaged in certain job-related activities as described in the City Code. •From 1 a.m. to 6 a.m. Nov. 1 to March 31. It is extremely important for residents to keep their vehicles off of the roadways during these times. Edina’s Public Works Department has a reputation for providing top-notch snow removing services, but staff members need your help. Cars parked on the street make it difficult for snowplow operators to maneuver and also prevent the street from being thoroughly plowed. By parking in driveways or lots, you will avoid parking tickets and the expense and inconvenience associated with towing. For more information, contact Public Works Coordinator Steve Johnson, 952-826-0301. 35•AUTUMN 200534•AUTUMN 2005 Ben Bratter, Senior Vice President–Investments Nick Cronin, Senior Vice President–Investments Keith Fahnhorst, Senior Vice President–Investments Pete Gabler, Financial Advisor Janel Goff, Senior Vice President–Investments Blane Hammer, Senior Vice President–Investments Bob Hannah, Financial Advisor Jim Hay, Financial Advisor Dave Horan, Senior Vice President–Investments Bob Kaufman, Vice President–Investments Mike Koob, Vice President–Investments Chris Mickelson, Financial Advisor David Otto, Financial Advisor Scott Schachtman, Assistant Vice President–Investments Kevin Smith, Senior Vice President–Investments Jim Wilkinson, Financial Advisor At Piper Jaffray, our guides can help you navigate the financial terrain. We’ll create a JourneyPlan™ based on your unique needs and the changing financial landscape, so you’ll have the disciplined investment strategy to keep you on the right path to meet your goals. Paul Bordonaro, Branch Manager, Senior Vice President–Investments Peter Levy, Associate Branch Manager, Senior Vice President–Investments Edina Branch Office 4999 France Ave. S. Ste. 200 Edina, MN 55410 952 848-8040 877 850-6022 We know the territory. Since 1895. Member SIPC and NYSE. © 2005 Piper Jaffray & Co. 4/05 PC-05-0075 piperjaffray.com At 50th and France 37•AUTUMN 200536•AUTUMN 2005 use the power of literature to create connections and deeper understanding among the diverse people who live, work and go to school in Edina. By encouraging people to read and discuss books that have the capacity to expand thinking and empathy, the community will become a more enlightened, caring and respectful place. As diversity increases, the community will embrace new opportunities to learn and grow in understanding. Open, intergenerational dialogue will bring healthier perspectives to children, youth and adults.” Fall programs kicked off with a book discussion led by Walter Roers at the Southdale Library in September. To encourage younger readers to take part in the dialogue with their parents and their community, there will be a discussion of Parvana’s Journey by Deborah Ellis at the Edina Library Oct. 8. Parvana’s Journey is also set in Afghanistan and highlights the individual and political struggles faced by children there, as well as the themes of character and courage. Programs at the Edina Library will include a book discussion facilitated by Addie Ingebrand Oct. 6, and a panel discussion on “Character and Courage in Personal and Professional Life” Oct. 12. The panel, featuring Edina author Michael O’Rourke, former Edina Mayor Dennis Maetzold and District Court Judge Pamela Alexander, will be moderated by Dick Crockett of the Edina Community Foundation. Two films will be shown. “Osama” will be shown 1 p.m. Oct. 8 and “Kandahar” 1 p.m. Oct. 22. The Edina Human Rights and Relations Commission 7:30 p.m. Oct. 17 will present “A Conversation About Diversity in Edina” with Afghan immigrant Ghafar Lakanwal, Director of the Multi-Cultural Diversity Center, at Edina City Hall. The Senior Center will hold a book discussion Oct. 7. Edina residents may also call 952-924-4011 to request a facilitator to attend an “in-house” book discussion. Events, discussion questions, background information, and suggestions for further reading can be found at www.EdinaReads.org. Call Wattson at 952-847-5428 for further information or email mwattson@hclib.org. Community-Wide Reading Program Announced When the new Edina Library opened in April 2002, Senior Librarian Marcia Wattson thought encouraging everyone in the community to read and discuss one book would be a great way to bring residents into the new facility. It was a dream deferred, but not forgotten. With the help of the Edina Community Foundation and the City of Edina’s Human Rights and Relations Commission, the “Edina Reads” program has come to fruition. It is a one-book community-wide reading program that encourages active reading, lifelong learning and thoughtful conversation. Cities across the country have followed the model conceived by Nancy Pearl at Washington’s Center for the Book at the Seattle Public Library. One-book programs came to nationwide attention when Chicago read Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird for their “One Book, One Chicago” program in the fall of 2001. For the first Edina Reads program, launched in April, Edina residents are encouraged to read Khaled Hosseini’s debut novel The Kite Runner and participate in events this fall. The book’s publisher describes the novel as “an epic tale of fathers and sons, of friendship and betrayal that takes us from the final days of Afghanistan’s monarchy to the atrocities of the present.” The Kite Runner offers a heart-wrenching portrait of Afghanistan’s history and political climate and tells the story of a new immigrant’s experience in the United States. It also deals with the choices individuals make that define their character, and one man’s lifelong struggle for redemption. The book has become a word-of-mouth bestseller – a hit among readers and book clubs around the country. There has been a long waiting list for the book in the Hennepin County Library system for two years. The Friends of the Edina Library have provided books for readers who want to take part in the Edina Reads fall programming. In addition to representatives from the two local Hennepin County libraries - Edina and Southdale - and their respective Friends groups, the Edina Community Foundation and the Edina Human Rights and Relations Commission, the Edina Reads Steering Committee includes members from Edina High School and the Edina Senior Center. The Steering Committee’s Vision for Edina Reads is “to 39•AUTUMN 2005 informed a family that their young daughter died in her apartment in another state. “They literally fell to the ground, weeping,” he said. These emotionally taxing situations are one of the main reasons the Police Department started its chaplain program eight years ago, said Training Officer Beth Jordan, who coordinates the program. She said each chaplain helps with 15 to 20 death notifications each year and provides grief counseling for the victims, which is a relief for many officers. Police Chief Mike Siitari said he remembers being a young cop in the Department before chaplains were available to assist. “There was a crib death at a daycare, and I remember sitting there waiting for the family to come to break the news,” he said. Siitari was positive that having a chaplain with him at that time would have made his job more bearable that day. The service the chaplains provide to residents and officers is volunteer, and is additional to their other jobs. Phenow performs pastoral care and lay empowerment at Christ Presbyterian Church of Edina. Goldberger is a Rabbi at Kenesseth Israel Congregation in St. Louis Park. Kalland is Associate Pastor at Mt. Olivet Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. And Jones is a former Pastor at Edina’s Colonial Church and a current doctoral candidate at Princeton University. Earlier this year, Siitari demonstrated his and other officers’ appreciation for the chaplains at Edina’s All-Volunteer Recognition Reception. Siitari presented each chaplain with Edina Police Department Distinguished Service Awards, commending the volunteers for their ability to “focus on the emotional support of the victims’ friends and/or family members” and for providing “counseling and emotional support to the officers.” Supporting the officers is something in which all the Chaplains said they take pride. “These [officers] literally put themselves and their lives on the line,” Kalland said. “That sacrificial lifestyle has always been a source of admiration for me.” He said that officers often have to act tough on the outside, but inside they have to deal with the tragedy they see just like any other human being. For that reason, the chaplains make themselves available in the Police Department and go for ride-alongs with officers who like having someone to talk to. The Police chaplains even get together with their counterpart at the Edina Fire Department to host two social events for the officers and paramedics/firefighters each year. Jon Good, Director of Church Relations at World Vision and volunteer Fire Chaplain, helps the other chaplains organize a chili feed in the winter and a barbecue each summer. Like the Police Chaplains, Good comforts victims of tragedy such as people who lose their homes to fire, but he said it is also fulfilling to prop up firefighters and paramedics who constantly work in disaster. “I’ve gotten to know the guys, and I’m available and there for them,” Good said. “It’s not so much that I bind up their wounds, but sometimes you have to deal with the heart.” 38•AUTUMN 2005 Chaplains Harness Edina’s Energy By Lelan Bosch “I don’t know how to tell you this, but Mike has been shot.” Cheri Blood remembers hearing these words just a few minutes after her husband, former Edina Police Officer Mike Blood, absorbed four bullets in his hip, leg and back Nov. 16, 2000. An armed robber felled the officer near his squad car after he arrived on the scene at the former FirStar Bank in Edina. Cheri was standing outside when an Edina Police Department squad car pulled up to her place of employment, Wells Fargo Bank in Mound, Minn., and delivered the news. After the blunt introduction, Cheri sat in the vehicle for a ride to Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC), where she waited while her husband endured about eight hours of surgery. More than four years later, Cheri remembers all the nice things people did for her husband and family in the days after the event. Kris Eidem, the police officer who drove her from the bank to HCMC, comforted Cheri by talking about her experience working with Mike on the force. Former Officer Shelby Lane protected Mike by lying on the fallen officer when she heard a second round of gunfire down the block; Emergency Medical Technician John Scheerer and Paramedics Andy Medzis, John Hughes and Robert Lawson administered first aid until Blood reached the hospital. Sgt. Mike Nibbe even asked Officer Doug Wagner to be Cheri’s personal assistant through the ordeal, and Wagner often sat down with Cheri and her checkbook and helped her pay bills. Cheri said the unity among everyone helped keep her positive in the most critical times. “I walked into his room, and he was bandaged from head to toe,” she said. “There was such a positive energy in that room. I never thought he wasn’t going to make it.” Cheri also remembers the unity and the energy, and at the center of it all, she remembers the people who helped her keep her faith, including the Revs. Tony Jones, Rich Phenow and Tim Miller and Rabbi Chaim Goldberger, chaplains of the Edina Police Department. From the beginning, the Edina Police Chaplains helped watch over Cheri and her family. Jones was in the car with Eidem when they delivered her the grim news, and Jones and Eidem helped sooth her on the way to the hospital. Throughout Mike’s recovery, he and his wife became very close to all four chaplains. “Family and friends are wonderful, too, but the chaplains supported me and never ceased to be there,” Cheri said. The Police Chaplains were able to comfort the Blood family, but unfortunately, their case is only one of many dire situations when they are called to console the recipients of sad news. The Edina Police Department currently has four Chaplains including Goldberger, Phenow, Jones and the Rev. Kurt Kalland. (Miller moved to California since Mike’s incident.) The chaplains take turns being on call to assist officers when they need to deliver unsettling news such as death notifications. “You know it’s bad news every time the pager goes off,” Jones said, and told one anecdote about how he once (continued on next page) 41•AUTUMN 200540•AUTUMN 2005 Mike Blood survived the bullets and the surgeries, and in May, he went on a fishing trip with a friend to Alaska. Not all the victims the chaplains deal with are so fortunate at the end of their ordeals, but no matter what crisis arises, they try their best to be there for others. Since her husband was shot, Cheri Blood sometimes wakes up in the middle of the night and thinks about those days almost five years ago. She reaches for her journal and writes down her ideas in the form of poetry. Some of those poems illustrate what the Chaplains provide Edina: Your soul wants to be surrounded Your spirit needs others To never be alone, to never feel alone To know God cares, to have your mind reach out Tis this to reassuring – For more information on the Edina Police Chaplains program, contact Jordan, 952-826-0489. For more information on the Fire Chaplain program, contact Fire Chief Marty Scheerer, 952-826-0332. Did You Know? Morningside was home to Curt Carlson, one of the state’s wealthiest men. He demonstrated his entrepreneurial skills early by heading a group of paper boys. His parents, Swedish immigrants, operated a small grocery in Morningside. Tippi Hedren, who starred in the Alfred Hitchcock film The Birds,also grew up in Morningside. Morningside wanted a school in its own village and fought hard the rest of the school district to get one. Voters went to the polls 14 times before a compromise was reached: two schools were built, Wooddale School and Morningside School. During one election, the ballot box was found blown open before votes could be counted. Morningside was most likely named for a suburb of Edinborough, Scotland, where Edina took its name. Morningside’s lone police officer, Constable George Weber, served the Village in many capacities: policeman, school janitor, water meter reader and census taker. Morningside operated without a Village Hall during most of its 46-year history as an independent village. The Council met at the Odd Fellows Hall, and the city staff did their businesses out of their homes. Newspaper articles show City Clerk Janet Riesberg setting up office on a basement Ping Pong table and interviewed her three daughters, who were trained to answer the phone. Despite popular belief, Jonathan Grimes did not invent any new apple strain, although he has been credited for creating the Jonathan (and sometimes the Grimes) apple. Grimes was best known for developing shade trees hardy enough to withstand Minnesota winters and his trees were planted on many Minneapolis boulevards. 43•AUTUMN 200542•AUTUMN 2005 “It may be here emphasized that Morningsiders return to Morningside when they can do so. The spaces, trees, birds, quiet and the neighborliness, make a lure that the flat, boulevard, movie and confusion of the city contend with in vain.” –Harriet News, July 30, 1920 “I love the Village of Morningside as the people are both genuine and perceptive – looking for the qualities that count and accepting people for what they are. Newcomers … soon find themselves enjoying urban living in small town atmosphere.” –Merv Columb, Morningside Council member, 4303 Oakdale Ave., quoted in newspaper 1962 For 100 years, Morningside has prided itself on being a great place to live. In the early days, that meant chickens in the backyard and easy access to the streetcar line to jobs in downtown Minneapolis. The “streetcar suburb” battled with rural Edina for urban services and in 1920 formed the smallest village in Hennepin County. Although Morningside returned to the fold in 1966, it has retained a strong sense of identity. Find out more by visiting the Edina History Museum’s newest exhibit celebrating Morningside’s centennial, “Morningside Celebrates: A Century of Good Neighbors.” The exhibit marks the 100th year since Morningside formed as a neighborhood. In 1905, the descendants of Jonathan Taylor Grimes subdivided his nursery into residential lots. Just a half-mile square, the community had a small-town feel that continued throughout the next century. The exhibit opened Sept. 17 to the neighborhood and a full house of former residents, who flew in from across the country for the event, which included an “Old- Timers’ Reunion” and tours of their childhood homes. The exhibit will run throughout the year during regular museum hours: 9 a.m. to noon Thursdays, 10 a.m. to noon Saturdays or by appointment. The museum is free, and located at 4711 W. 70th Street, 1.5 blocks east of Minnesota Highway 100 in Arneson Acres Park. For more information, call the museum at 612-928-4577. Morningside Celebrates A Century Of Good Neighbors Morningside Road was just a dirt path and new residents complained to the Edina Village Council about mud and the need for sidewalks. (circa 1907). Residents who attend the Edina Fire Department’s annual open house will learn how quickly a beautiful candle can turn into a deadly fire. Rain or shine, the open house will be held 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday Oct. 9, at Fire Station No. 1, 6250 Tracy Ave. The open house, held the first day of National Fire Prevention Week, will incorporate the National Fire Protection Association’s 2005 fire prevention theme, “Use Care with Candles.” “Candle fires have tripled in the past decade,” said Fire Marshal Tom Jenson. “In 2001, 190 fire deaths were attributed to candle fires in 18,000 homes in the United States. An office building in Edina sustained $1.5 million in damage from one small candle left burning.” Through the end of October, Edina Fire personnel will visit Edina’s public and private schools and daycare centers, teaching the “Use Care with Candles” theme to preschoolers, kindergartners, first- and second-graders. “Children throughout the United States have taken the safety messages home and made a difference in saving the lives of their families,” said Jenson. Among other things, the annual open house will include information sessions on candle safety, along with demonstrations and displays on the importance of working smoke alarms and where to locate them and home fire escape plans. Xcel Energy will demonstrate the importance of staying away from power lines. North Memorial Injury Prevention Specialists will have bike and sport helmets available for purchase that can be fitted by trained personnel. Fire extinguisher inspections will be offered again this year. All Safe Fire and Security, provider of services for the City of Edina and Edina Public Schools, will be on site to inspect residents’ fire extinguishers, service them if needed for a very nominal fee or recommend replacement. Commercial- grade fire extinguishers will be available for purchase. This is an excellent opportunity for home daycare providers who are required to have a fire extinguisher to complete their annual inspections. New this year, the Regional Transportation Management Center will have personnel on site to educate participants on highway safety, the freeway camera system, message boards and other information. They will also be displaying their Freeway Incident Response Safety Team truck. The Edina Special Operations Team will have its new rescue truck on display and demonstrate use some of its new equipment. The new rescue truck was received through a grant from the State of Minnesota and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The Special Operations Team responds to special rescue calls in Edina and may be called to other parts of Minnesota with the truck. In addition, firefighters will demonstrate rescue tools used for removing victims from vehicle crashes. The latest in Advanced Life Support equipment will be on display and paramedics available to answer questions. Children will be able to practice putting out a fire with a real fire hose and visit with Sparky the Fire Dog. There will be other fire-related activities available for all ages. For more information on the open house, contact Jenson, 952-826-0378. Proper Handling Of Candles To Be Emphasized At Open House 45•AUTUMN 200544•AUTUMN 2005 47•AUTUMN2005 Tour. At press time, the houses on the 2005 tour had not yet been announced. The three homes will be decorated by local businesses, florists and bakers. Live entertainment will feature Edina youth and other community groups. Edina City Hall, 4801 W. 50th St., will serve as the gathering area for the event. From there, continuously circulating transportation will be provided to the homes. At City Hall, residents and visitors can enjoy entertainment, refreshments and other holiday activities, including a silent auction of holiday decorations. Tickets are $20 each and the entire amount is a tax-deductible contribution to the Edina Community Foundation. Children under 12 are free. Special group packages are available. For more information about how you or your business or organization can be involved in home decoration, financial sponsorship or volunteer opportunities, contact the Foundation office at 952-833-9573. 46•AUTUMN 2005 Indian Hills Neighborhood To Be Featured In Second-Annual Holiday Home Tour Three homes in the Indian Hills Neighborhood will be featured in the Edina Community Foundation’s second- annual Holiday Home Tour, scheduled for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3. The Holiday Home Tour is a holiday celebration designed to bring residents, businesses, service organizations, students and seniors together to celebrate the community during this special time of the year. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Foundation’s mission of strengthening the community. “The Holiday Home Tour is an effort by the community for the community, while having fun celebrating our community,” said event co-chairperson Grethe Langeland Dillon. “There is no better time of year than the holidays to enjoy your neighbor; celebrate your Rotary; sing with your choir; or volunteer with your garden, historical, dance or community service group. “All the monies earned from the tickets sold to view these homes, transportation, and entertainment goes right back into great programs for Edina – computers for seniors, school supplies for needy kids, parks and more. The Holiday Home Tour is a wonderful way to celebrate life in Edina while preserving our pride in our community.” In 2004, three homes in Edina’s historic Country Club Neighborhood were featured during the Holiday Home The Edina Community Foundation’s first Holiday Home Tour in 2004 featured homes in the Edina Country Club Neighborhood. Here, Executive Director Dick Crockett poses next to a tree decorated by the Edina Fire Department. CallTed Field 952-927-1150 www.SeniorExpert.com 30+ years experience working with seniors O F M I N N E S O T A RENT ONE OFFICE,USE FIVE LOCATIONS Edina • St. Louis Park • Bloomington/ Airport IDS/Downtown Minneapolis • Woodbury Executive offices from $600 per month. 1-2 person offices with reception services, High Speed T-1 service, Flexible Lease Terms. Locally owned and operated since 1990. For information, please see our website at www.exsmn.com or call us at 952-851-5555 Executive SuitesEExxeeccuuttiivveeSSuuiitteess