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AboutTown Magazine City of Edina 4801 West 50th Street Edina, MN 55424 www.CityofEdina.com About Town Official Magazine of the City of Edina ©C O L O U R S 2 0 0 7 Construction Begins On New Fire Station See Page 34 For Details SUMMER•2007 9794 AboutTown Summer CoverGuts 6/18/07 10:14 AM Page 1 The Minnesota Association of Government Communicators (MAGC) recently presented the City of Edina with three awards. About Town was selected for an Award of Excellence in MAGC’s annual Northern Lights Awards competition. The City was also presented two Awards of Merit. The City’s website, www.CityofEdina.com, and former Communications Intern Christina Scipioni’s About Town article “Program Turns Spectators Into Players” received those honors in the “websites” and “feature writing” categories, respectively. For more information on the City’s publications or communications projects, contact Communications & Marketing Director Jennifer Bennerotte, 952-833-9520. AboutTown Volume 18, Number 3 Summer 2007 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 Contributing Writers: Kathleen Sovell, Christina Scipioni and Joe Sullivan Publisher: City of Edina About Town is produced by the City of Edina. To advertise in About Town,contact Laura Fulton, 952-826-0396. Copyright 2007 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 Andrew Vick City Receives State Awards 1•SUMMER 2007 SundayMondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturday 1 4 p.m., Just Friends Big Band, Centennial Lakes Park. 7 p.m., Cromulent Shakespear Co. presents “As You Like It,” Centennial Lakes Park. 3 Noon, Rusty’s Rocking Jamboree, Centennial Lakes Park. 7 p.m., HRA& City Council, Edina City Hall. 4 Independence Day. City Hall closed. 10 a.m., Parade, Edina City Hall to West 50th Street and Halifax Avenue. 6:30 p.m., Open House, Edina Art Center. 5 Noon, Wonderful World of Woody, Centennial Lakes Park. 5:30 p.m., Zoning Board of Appeals, Edina City Hall. 6 7 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Outdoor Painting, Edina Art Center. 2 7 p.m., Calhoun Brass, Centennial Lakes Park. 8 7 p.m., First John Philip Sousa Memorial Band, Centennial Lakes Park. 9 7 p.m., Calhoun Isles Dixieland Band, Centennial Lakes Park. 10 7 p.m., Heritage Preservation Board, Edina City Hall. 7 p.m., Park Board, Edina City Hall. 11 7 p.m., Bloomington Medalist Band, Centennial Lakes Park. 12 Noon, Kristi’s Kid Songs!, Centennial Lakes Park. 1314 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., Watercolor Workshop, Edina Art Center. 15 7 p.m., Calhoun Isles Community Band, Centennial Lakes Park. 16 7 p.m., Zuhrah Shrine Concert Band, Centennial Lakes Park. 17 Noon, David Walbridge &The Big Fun Show, Centennial Lakes Park. 7 p.m., HRA& City Council, Edina City Hall. 18 7 p.m., Hopkins Westwind Concert Band, Centennial Lakes Park. 2021 22 7 p.m., St. Louis Park Community Band, Centennial Lakes Park. 23 7 p.m., Brooklyn Community Band, Centennial Lakes Park. 24 11:30 a.m., City Council study session, Edina City Hall. 7 p.m., Human Rights & Relations Commission, Edina City Hall. 25 7 p.m., Eden Prairie Community Band, Centennial Lakes Park. 26 Noon, Children’s Music with Bruce Bell. 4 p.m., Art Center Board, Edina Art Center. 27 2-5:30 p.m., Tri-City Flower Show, Southtown Center. 28 Noon-5 p.m., Tri-City Flower Show, Southtown Center. 31 7 p.m., Alpha Bits Band, Centennial Lakes Park. 30 7 p.m, Classic Brass Quintet, Centennial Lakes Park. 29 7 p.m., Minneapolis Police Concert Band, Centennial Lakes Park. July 2007 Save The Date! Senior Expo Oct. 9 Colonial Church 19 5:30 p.m., Zoning Board of Appeals, Edina City Hall. 6 p.m., Transportation Commission, Edina City Hall. About Town Calendar Table of Contents Calendar Of Events...........................................................................1 Summer Calendar Highlights.........................................................4 AWord From The Mayor .................................................................5 106-Year-Old Jones Farmhouse Was Surrounded By New Homes............................................................6 Getting To Know The Edina Fire Department: ‘B’ Shift..............................................................12 Edina Rotary Celebrates 50 Years.................................................16 Edina Declares 2007 ‘The Year To Get Ready’............................20 Resident Finds ‘It’s Never Too Late’ To Add Art To Your Life.................................................................22 Golden K Kiwanis Give Back To Edina.......................................26 Safety Camp: An Edina Family Tradition........................................30 The Edina Community Foundation: Our Designated Fund Partners...........................................................32 City Begins Construction Of New Fire Station..............................34 It’s Not Only Neighborly ... It’s The Law....................................38 City Of Edina To Flush Hydrants In September........................39 ‘Voice Of Edina’ Retires After 28 Years........................................40 Serve And Protect: New History Exhibit Traces Roots Of Police And Fire Departments........................................42 Tickets Go On Sale For 2008 U.S. Women’s Open........................44 9794 AboutTown Summer CoverGuts 6/18/07 10:14 AM Page 3 2•SUMMER 2007 SundayMondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturday 1 7 p.m., Planning Commission, Edina City Hall. 7 p.m., Amy & Adams, Centennial Lakes Park. 2 Noon, Rusty’s Rocking Jamboree, Centennial Lakes Park. 5:30 p.m., Zoning Board of Appeals, Edina City Hall. 3 4 5 7 p.m., Stan Bann Big Band, Centennial Lakes Park. 6 7 p.m., Minnesota Mandolin Orchestra, Centennial Lakes Park. 7 Noon, Dakota Wild Animals Reptile & Mammal Show, Centennial Lakes Park. 7 p.m., HRA&City Council, Edina City Hall. 8 7 p.m., Zuhrah Shrine Flames, Centennial Lakes Park. 9 Noon, Bob the Beachcomber, Centennial Lakes Park. 1011 12 8:30 p.m., First John Philip Sousa Memorial Band, Centennial Lakes Park. 13 7 p.m., Armenian Dance Ensemble, Centennial Lakes Park. 14 7 p.m., Heritage Preservation Board, Edina City Hall. 7 p.m., Park Board, Edina City Hall. 15 7 p.m., Scott Fraser Guitar Duo, Centennial Lakes Park. 1718 19 7 p.m., The Medicine Show Music Company, Centennial Lakes Park. 20 7 p.m., Cathy &Tom Platenburg, Centennial Lakes Park. 21 Noon, Kid Power with Rachel, Centennial Lakes Park. 22 7 p.m., River City Jazz Orchestra, Centennial Lakes Park. 23 Noon, Will Hale & The Tadpole Parade, Centennial Lakes Park. 4 p.m., Art Center Board, Edina Art Center. 24 8 p.m., Splash Jam, Edina Aquatic Center. 25 28 11:30 a.m., City Council study session, Edina City Hall. 6:30 p.m., Southwest Quadrant Comp Plan Meeting, Braemar Golf Course. 27 6:30 p.m., Southeast Quadrant Comp Plan Meeting, Centennial Lakes Park. 7 p.m., Locklin Road Celtic Trio, Centennial Lakes Park. 26 7 p.m. Moonlight Serenader Big Band, Centennial Lakes Park. 8 p.m., Edina Aquatic Center closes for the season. August 2007 29 7 p.m., Planning Commission, Edina City Hall. 30 Noon, Wiggle, Jiggle &Jam, Centennial Lakes Park. 6:30 p.m., Northwest Quadrant Comp Plan Meeting, Good Samaritan United Methodist Church. 31 16 5:30 p.m., Zoning Board of Appeals, Edina City Hall. 6 p.m., Transportation Commission, Edina City Hall. About Town Calendar 9794 AboutTown Summer CoverGuts 6/18/07 10:15 AM Page 5 4•SUMMER 2007 Other Dates To Remember July 3 8 a.m., Filings open for School District 273 Board of Education, Edina Community Center. 7 p.m., Air Force Heartland of America Band, Centennial Lakes Park. July 10 Noon, Mary Hall Show for Pipsqueaks, Centennial Lakes Park. July 12 5 p.m., “Imagine That!” exhibit opening, Edina Art Center. July 17 5 p.m., Filings close for School District 273 Board of Education, Edina Community Center. July 19 Noon, Ms. Catherine & Friends, Centennial Lakes Park. July 24 Noon, The Magic of Brian Gilbertson, Centennial Lakes Park. Aug. 14 Noon, Brodini Comedy Magic Show, Centennial Lakes Park. Aug. 16 Noon, Wonderful World of Woody, Centennial Lakes Park. Aug. 23 6:30 p.m., Northeast Quadrant Comp Plan Meeting, Edina City Hall. Aug. 28 7 p.m., Human Rights & Relations Commission, Edina City Hall. Aug. 28 7 p.m., The Big Fun Show with David Walbridge, Centennial Lakes Park. Sept. 18 6:30 p.m., Edina Community Health Committee, Edina City Hall. Lighthouse Night What:Started by the Edina Model Yacht Club, Lighthouse Night has become an annual event at Centennial Lakes Park. More than 100 Tiki Torches will burn behind the Centrum and the park’s special lighting will be highlighted. At 8 p.m., there will be open boating in the Central Pond for model yachts. The First John Philip Sousa Memorial Band will perform in the amphitheater at 8:30 p.m. At dusk, the boats from the Model Yacht Club will light up the lake. When:Sunday, Aug. 12 Where:Centennial Lakes Park, 7499 France Ave. S. Info:952-832-6789 FallInto The Arts Festival What:As summer draws to a close, people will start thinking about fall and winter – holiday gift-giving, back-to-school shopping, fall and winter entertaining and indoor décor, rustic accessories and glittering jewelry. More than 125 talented artists from around the Midwest will display and sell their work at the second-annual Fall into the Arts Festival at Centennial Lakes Park. The arts festival will also feature favorite fall foods and entertainment, children’s activities and artist demonstrations. Aportion of the proceeds will benefit the Edina Crime Prevention Fund. When:10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 9 Where:Centennial Lakes Park, 7499 France Ave. S. Info:www.FallintotheArtsFestival.com or at EdinaFallArts@aol.com Summer Calendar Highlights 3•SUMMER 2007 SundayMondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturday 1 2 3 Labor Day. City Hall closed. 4 7 p.m., HRAand City Council, Edina City Hall. 565:30 p.m., ZoningBoard of Appeals,Edina City Hall. 78 Fall into the Arts Festival, Centennial Lakes Park. 9 Fall into the Arts Festival, Centennial Lakes Park. 10 Fall Classes Begin at the Edina Art Center. 11 7 p.m., Park Board, Edina City Hall. 7 p.m., Heritage Preservation Board, Edina City Hall. 121415 161718 5 p.m., Gala of Nations, Edina Country Club. 7 p.m., HRA&City Council, Edina City Hall. 1920 5:30 p.m., Zoning Board of Appeals & Adjustments, Edina City Hall. 6 p.m., Transportation Commission, Edina City Hall. 2122 25 11:30 a.m., City Council study session, Edina City Hall. 7 p.m., Human Rights & Relations Commission, Edina City Hall. 2423 September 2007 26 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. - 2:30 p.m., Watercolor Workshop, Edina Art Center. 30 About Town Calendar 9794 AboutTown Summer CoverGuts 6/18/07 10:15 AM Page 6 A Word From The Mayor Some folks might think we have to escape from the “big city” to get to where it’s green and healthy to live, but many communities that are first-ring suburbs such as Edina have distinct advantages, including our numerous parks, access to a metro-wide public transportation system and our neighborhood and park walking paths. What else makes a city “green” and more livable for its citizens? Edina, in an effort to stay on the forefront of issues of sustainability, disbanded the Recycling & Solid Waste Commission and established a new Energy & Environmental Commission. Duties of the new commission will include: •Examining and recommending best practices for energy conservation for Edina’s residents and businesses, including recommendations for a “green” building code, use of Energy Star appliances and other energy-reduction targets. •Examining and recommending changes in City purchases and operations to conserve energy. •Evaluating and monitoring the provision of a residential recycling program. •Evaluating and monitoring the provision of a privately provided solid waste program, as well as a reduction in municipal solid wastes. •Evaluating and encouraging improvements in air and water quality. •Educating the public about energy issues, reduction, conservation, reuse, recycling and environmental protection. The nine-member commission will begin its work this summer. Once operational, our new Commission will assist all of us, including city government, in our efforts to be a cleaner, greener and more sustainable community. Further evidencing its commitment to conservation, the Council recently established a daytime water irrigation ban. The City’s odd-even sprinkling policy remains in effect, but irrigating is no longer allowed between the hours of 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily when watering is least efficient due to evaporation. For more information on Edina’s water quality and lawn-sprinkling guidelines, review the 2006 Drinking Water Report that accompanies this issue of About Town. Bike trails offer alternative transportation methods and an alternative method of exercise for more healthy living. The recently established Bike Edina Task Force is working on a bike plan for our Comprehensive Plan. The group’s goals include creation of an effective internal bikeway system for our city and also determining waysto connect Edina’s bikeway system to existing pathways in the metropolitan area, thus providing better and safer commuting alternatives and enhanced recreational opportunities for our community. These are just a few of the many examples your local government is working on to improve our sustainability. In this collective effort, we each have a part to play in creating a cleaner environment and more efficiently using energy. The past few years have clearly illustrated America’s vulnerability to an uncertain energy future. We are hopeful each member of the community will assist the Council in its effort to make Edina a model for a clean, green, sustainable and healthy way of living. Show your true color, Edina: Green! James B. Hovland Mayor 5•SUMMER 2007 9794 AboutTown Summer CoverGuts 6/18/07 10:16 AM Page 8 House & Farm Were Wedding Gift To Bridget And David Jones A1970 Edina Sun article by Edina Historical Society interviewer Charlotte Hauck reported that Michael Gleeson later deeded the home on Blake Road and 31 acres of surrounding land to his sister, Bridget Gleeson, when she married David Jones near the turn of the last century. More land, added piece by piece, eventually brought the total Jones family’s acreage to 86 acres. When Jones’ son, Lewis, was asked by Hauck in 1970 how his father met Bridget Gleeson, he replied: “The old timers in Edina sold hay to the lumber company in Minneapolis where [my father] worked. The lumber company had 200 horses and David used to take of care of them. He bought hay for the horses and that’s how he got acquainted with the Edina people, [many of whom] came into town to sell their hay.” That was how Jones met Bridget Gleeson and later married her. According to Hauck, David and Bridget Jones had three daughters. Their daughter Alice died in the diphtheria epidemic of 1901. In 1902, Bridget gave birth to a second daughter, Kathy, but the child died of tuberculosis within days. Their only surviving child was Mary. David and Bridget Jones lived in the farmhouse for a while before he went back to the lumber company where he had worked earlier. He worked 10 hours a day for 15 cents an hour. They rented the house and land to Patrick Slaven, another pioneer Edina farmer and landowner. Bridget Jones died from unknown causes, in the early 1900s. Following Bridget’s death, John Kyte’s wife also died. “Kyte hired a housekeeper named Catherine Haley to take care of his family’s house. Two years after Bridget’s passing, David Jones married his neighbor’s housekeeper, Catherine Haley,” Lewis Jones recalled. David and Catherine Jones’ only child, son Lewis, was born April 16, 1905. At first, Lewis attended East Hopkins elementary. During the 1917-1918 school year, he switched to Edina’s yellow brick elementary school, which had been built in 1887 near today’s City Hall. When David Jones died in 1924, Lewis was only 18. Lewis Jones Meets And Marries Mildred Hart Mildred Hart was living in Minneapolis when Lewis Jones first met her in November 1925. Mildred was at a dance in Hopkins when she spotted Lewis’ friend Ted Aspelund, whom she already knew. Jones was at the dance with Aspelund. Lewis and Mildred went together for six years before they were married in 1931—he was 26 and she was 22. 7•SUMMER 2007 By Joe Sullivan Contributing Writer For 106 years, it stood. Set back slightly from Blake Road, a few hundred feet north of today’s Vernon Avenue, it was a four-room farmhouse that Michael Gleeson built in 1878. Later, it became the home for three generations of the Jones family. Michael Gleeson was a pioneer settler who arrived in the Cahill Community in 1855 and homesteaded his 160-acre farm on Gleason Road. Later, he purchased a few more land holdings in the Cahill Community, one of which became the Jones family farm. David Jones’ grandparents are believed to have immigrated to the United States from Wales. Jones came to Minnesota in 1895 from New York. He hired out to work for the John Kyte family, who farmed the 320 acres across the road and west of the farmhouse Michael Gleeson had built. (Many years later, the Kyte farm was sold to make way for the present-day Parkwood Knolls/Camelback neighborhood.) Jones soon decided that he didn’t want to stay and work on the Kyte farm, so he walked back to Minneapolis where he found a job with a lumber company. 106-Year-Old Jones Farmhouse Surrounded By New Homes In 1970s (continued on next page) 6•SUMMER 2007 The Jones family farmhouse was built on present-day Blake Road in 1888, by pioneer Edina farmer Michael Gleeson. The house and farm were later inherited by Gleeson’s sister Bridget, when she married David Jones around the turn of the 20th century. Ph o t o b y E d i n a H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y This map shows the two plots along Blake Road that made up the 86-acre Jones farm in 1898, along with neighboring farms. Note the meandering Eden Prairie Road (now Vernon Avenue) that diagonally crossed the Jones farm. Thomas Gleeson 28.75 Jones Eliz. Gleeson Geo. Code 80.5 George Tracy 120 John Tracy 80 Jo h n K y t e Pa t r i c k R y a n 88 Bl a k e R o a d Eden P r a i r i e Ro a d James Hawkes 78 David Jones 30 Bridget Jones 28.2 Garden Park MudLake In the 1920s, Lewis and Mildred Jones began their more than 69 years of marriage. Ph o t o b y E d i n a S u n C u r r e n t 9794 AboutTown Summer CoverGuts 6/18/07 10:17 AM Page 9 There was no Highway 169 at that time—it was known as Eden Prairie Road. Highway 169 was graded in 1926 and paved in 1927. The Joneses and Kytes donated the original right-of-way to the county for what is today’s Blake Road. (On an early Hennepin County plat map, it was called “Jones Road.”) People used to cut through the woods north of Mirror Lake before Interlachen Boulevard was built. There was a trail there that went south and over the Jones’ front lawn. Lewis Jones would proudly show visitors the old wagon tracks. The Joneses also deeded some of the right-of-way to the county for Olinger Road east of Mud Lake. Known by that name since the late 1890s, the lake is now in the middle of Bredesen Park. It was originally called Kyte Lake because it was on the southeast corner of the Kyte farm. In the interim, it was also called Spit Lake for a while. “During the Great Depression in the 1930s, things were tough for everyone, including farmers,” Lewis Jones recalled. Although the Joneses had plenty to eat and enough to wear, crops suffered from drought and windstorms. Eggs sold for 6 cents a dozen, but you couldn’t get a job. Lots of people were on “relief.” [Today, we call it “welfare.”] The Joneses finally got electricity in their home and barn in 1937. (Some places in Edina got electricity as early as 1934.) Lewis Jones granted the electric company the right-of-way for their poles and wires to run along the section of Minnesota Highway 169 that ran diagonally across his farm. But he refused to pay a $150 charge from the electric company to hook up his house and barn. Later, they agreed to connect him for free. When they were young, the Joneses skated on Mud Lake and Hawke’s Lake. After a snowstorm, they would shovel the snow off the lake themselves. They could also walk two miles up Blake Road to the Blake School where the neighborhood people were allowed to skate on the school’s outside ice rink. For transportation to Minneapolis, they also walked north on Blake Road to catch a Como-Hopkins streetcar. 9•SUMMER 2007 “I didn’t know a thing about farming,” she recalled long after they were married. “I had to learn it all.” Her new husband was quick to add, “She could milk better than I could. We milked 37 head of dairy cattle, and had horses for transportation.” In addition to their dairy herd, David and Mildred Jones kept about 200 chickens and she sold the eggs. In the early days, milk from the Jones’ dairy farm was taken to the Rice County Creamery at 9th and Hennepin Avenue in downtown Minneapolis. Harvey Anderson would come from Eden Prairie with his horse-drawn wagon to collect the five-gallon milk cans from the area’s dairy farms and take them to the creamery. The farmers were paid 10 cents a gallon in the summer and 8 cents a gallon in winter. In later years, the Joneses took their milk to Elgin Dairy (originally called the Edina Dairy) near 50th & France. Lewis Jones said they walked almost everywhere they went, with the exception of trips to the creamery. When it came time to deliver milk to the creamery, they loaded it in their Model T Ford truck. The Elgin Creamery operated from about 1919 to 1927, when it was bought out by the larger Norris Creamery. The creamery building was demolished in 1934 to make way for construction of the Edina Theatre. 8•SUMMER 2007 One of the Jones’ horses stood by a stone wall in front of their farmhouse on Blake Road. The Joneses relied on horses and walking for much of their transportation. Ph o t o b y E d i n a H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y In the early years of the last century, Blake Road was a primitive gravel road. The Jones family and their across-the- road neighbors the Kytes donated the right-of-way land when Hennepin County decided to upgrade Blake Road to a county road. “In the early 1900s, Blake Road had maybe three or four cars a day,” Lewis Jones recalled with a smile. “Today, it probably has a thousand cars a day.” Ph o t o b y E d i n a Su n C u r r e n t (continued on next page) The Jones farmhouse at 5717 Blake Road, located on a 1.5-acre Edina lot, was all that remained after the rest of the farm had been sold for development. The original farmhouse had four rooms, but it was expanded with additions over the years. It was still occupied by Lewis and Mildred Jones in 1989. The 106-year-old house was razed in 1994 to make way for development. Ph o t o b y E d i n a H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y 9794 AboutTown Summer CoverGuts 6/18/07 10:17 AM Page 11 Lewis Jones & Edina School Districts According to Hauck’s 1970 interview, Lewis Jones was pretty involved with District No. 16 schools. He drove an Edina school bus and served as a janitor for the yellow- brick school. He felt that some District No. 16 residents had “aspirations beyond their means in the 1940s. They wanted to build a new Cahill School at a time when farmers and others were having trouble paying their taxes.” The plan was to tear down the one-room Cahill School and build a new brick school up the hill on 70th Street. Adelegation convinced Lewis Jones to run for election to the school board. He was elected in 1937 and later appointed to serve as board chairman. A$20,000 bond issue for the new school was included in a referendum that was initially approved by voters in the school district. “Irregularities” were uncovered after the election and the initial vote was disallowed. The bond issue was defeated in a second election. Lewis Jones resigned from the school board after a single term and was not on the school board when the new brick Cahill School was built later. “In 1938, Lewis had gone to work at the Minneapolis Moline farm equipment factory in Hopkins and probably wouldn’t have been able to handle the school board job anyway,” said Hauck. Rising Taxes Force Farmers To Sell Their Land “Up until about 1935, farming was good and we could afford the expenses,” Lewis Jones said in a 1987 Edina Sun-Current article, “However, property taxes gradually began to eat up the profits. Taxes got real high. [Now,] they tax us for sewer and water by the acre,” he explained. John Olinger, a third- generation descendant of a nearby Edina farm family, wrote in his recently completed family memoir: “After World War II, Lewis Jones, like so many farmers in the area, began selling out. Around 1953, he sold half of his farm, some 30 acres, to Frank Ciskovsky. Ciskovsky was a truck farmer who grew strawberries and raspberries, which he sold from a small fruit stand along Highway 169.” It was hard to sell the farmland and see it change, but Jones said it had to be done: “The first piece of land I sold, my daughter cried.” According to Lewis Jones, selling some of his land was the only way he could afford to stay in his home. “I sold that piece across the [highway,] where those apartments are now, for $100,000,” he said. Growing property taxes forced him to quit farming in 1962, when he was 57. He kept an acre-and-a–half and the farmhouse, on which the taxes were $735 a year. 11•SUMMER 200710•SUMMER 2007 “I would have told people they were crazy if they had told me [our farm] would look like this today,” he said in 1987. “Changes happen and people have to go along with them.” He and Mildred were told the remaining 1.5 acres and the farmhouse were valued at $75,000 to $85,000, but they weren’t interested in selling. “I lived here all my life, and I said no,” Lewis Jones concluded. “This is where I’ll die.” His wife, Mildred, died in March 1989. Lewis continued to live in the old farmhouse until he moved to a nursing home that same year. Lewis Jones, One of Edina’s Last Farmers A Minneapolis Star funeral notice of Dec. 20, 1990, announced Lewis’ passing: “Lewis E. Jones, 85, one of the last farmers in Edina, died of kidney failure at the Hopkins Nursing Home. He farmed until he retired … The 106 year-old house was razed in 1994. Background material and photographs for this article came from the archival collections of the Edina Historical Society; a recorded 1970 interview of Lewis and Mildred Jones, by Charlotte Hauck; Edina Village Council records; and the following publications: Olinger Road, a memoir of the Olinger family, by John Olinger; Edina Sun, Edina Sun-Current, Minneapolis Tribune and Minneapolis Star Tribune. Correction: In the story "Braemar Park & Golf Course Celebrate 42 Years of Success," which appeared in the spring 2007 issue of About Town, Edina Village Council Member Evald C. Bank's name was misspelled. The City of Edina regrets the error. What is left of the Jones farm’s windmill is the only reminder of the 1888 farmhouse and 86-acre dairy farm that stood on Blake Road for 106 years. Ph o t o b y P o l l y N o r m a n Mildred and Lewis Jones in the kitchen of their farmhouse on Blake Road, Circa 1987. Ph o t o b y M i n n e a p o l i s Tr i b u n e 9794 AboutTown Summer CoverGuts 6/18/07 10:17 AM Page 13 Editor’s note: The Edina Fire Department consists of three shifts of firefighter/paramedics, a paid-on-call group, an inspections team and a highly qualified administration. About Town is featuring the men and women who make up the Edina Fire Department. The “A” Shift was featured in the spring 2007 issue. By Laura Fulton Children dream of growing up to be firefighters. They are drawn to the excitement of the job and the concept of heroism. They are also drawn to the stories told by the men and women who work in the fire service and the tight relationships formed among firefighting groups. “Growing up in Texas, I remember visiting a fire station near my church after Sunday services,” said Firefighter/Paramedic John Brooks. “I remember how those firefighters were around each other. My friends and I would sit around with those guys and listen to their stories. The camaraderie they exhibited when I was a child was one of the main things that led me to grow up to do what I do.” The “B” Shift of the Edina Fire Department fosters that same type of camaraderie Brooks witnessed as a boy. Like a family, the “B” Shift eats dinner together every night they are on duty. “Out of respect for whoever cooks the meal, the shift turns off the television and sits down together,” said “B” ShiftLt. Dave Schmitzer. “If a couple of guys are on a call, the meal is postponed until they arrive to eat with the group.” Whether discussing politics, religion or their personal lives, “B” Shift table talk is always honest and never dull. “B Shift is made up of eight men with very different, very strong personalities,” said Firefighter/Paramedic Mike Gorshe. “Most topics we discuss during dinner meet with differing thoughts, and no matter the subject, everyone’s opinions can and often will be voiced. We are not timid and because of that, the respect level throughout our shift is tremendous.” The “B” Shift has had many years to build respect, as they have worked together in different facets, some together for as many as eight years. Getting To Know The Edina Fire Department: ‘B’ Shift 12•SUMMER 2007 “Brooks and I were hired on with Edina the same day 10 years ago,” said Firefighter/Paramedic Todd Porthan. “And there has only been one out of those 10 years where we have not worked together on the same shift.” Others in the shift worked together even before coming to Edina. Firefighter/Paramedics Kelvin Engen and Brooks worked as paramedics for Hennepin County. Ahandful of the “B” Shift members volunteered together for the White Bear Lake Fire Department. And Firefighter/Paramedics Gorshe, Scott Vadnais and Pete Fisher each worked for Allina Medical Transportation. “Mike came to Edina before I did and convinced me that it was a great place to work,” Fisher said. “We actually started at Allina together and since, our careers have taken very similar paths.” That path is one that many Edina firefighters have followed. “Many of us knew getting into this field that we would have to work tough jobs and long hours to achieve the career we wanted,” said Engen. “We networked in hospitals as medics, went to medic school to get higher certification and, eventually, we ended up in Edina, doing the work that we love.” One “B” Shift member even interned with the City of Edina years prior to being hired on with the City. “When I went through medic school, I did all my internship hours [in Edina],” said Brooks. “I knew I wanted to work for the City, and was told that if I really wanted it, I should get a full-time position elsewhere and gain some experience. So, that’s what I did.” “Firefighters aspire to work for the City of Edina,” said “B” Shift Capt. Doug Bagley. “The firefighter/paramedics who work for our City are the best in the business, and they worked hard to get here.” The fact that the Edina Fire Department offers many different programs for those who work as firefighter/ paramedics is a huge draw when attracting top employees. 13•SUMMER 2007 The Edina Fire Department’s “B” Shift is a group of energetic individuals who work hard to ensure that the City of Edina has the highest level of care and protection possible. Ph o t o b y P o l l y N o r m a n Mike Gorshe and Kelvin Engen, members of the Special Operations Team, practice a rope-rappelling at a recent training exercise. Ph o t o b y L a u r a F u l t o n (continued on next page) 9794 AboutTown Summer CoverGuts 6/18/07 10:17 AM Page 15 15•SUMMER 2007 Nearly all members of the Edina Fire Department are members of the Special Operations Team (SOT). Afew firefighter/paramedics participate at local elementary schools, teaching fire safety to young children. The “B” Shift also boasts two of the four members of the Police and Fire departments’ Emergency Response Team (ERT). “The thing about becoming a firefighter is the attraction to the unknown,” Engen said. “We are able to do so many things a normal person is not able to, like rappel off buildings and enter burning buildings. It is the adrenaline that is the initial attraction, but what keeps us here is that we really love what we do and the people we serve.” The ability to work with both patients and fire also attracts firefighter/paramedics to Edina. “I came to Edina because I wanted to be a full-time firefighter with paramedic responsibilities,” said Vadnais. “The dynamics of our shift make coming to work a fun experience every time we are on duty.” Working in a fire station are also unique to the job. “Those [dynamics] are different than any other job,” said Porthan. “When you work 24-hour shifts with the same people for more than a year, you are spending about one-third of your life with those people. We function like a family.” To learn more about the Edina Fire Department, visit www.CityofEdina.com/Fire. 14•SUMMER 2007 Choose Award Winning Granite… Designed, Fabricated and Installed by Northwestern Marble and Granite 952-941-8601 www.northwesternmarble.com Choose Award Winning Granite… Designed, Fabricated and Installed by Northwestern Marble and Granite Visit our showroom at 7705 Bush Lake Road. We have the largest in-stock inventory in the Twin Cities! Visit our showroom at 7705 Bush Lake Road. 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 952-848-3936 WE ARE OPEN ALL SUMMER! COME SEE US IN THE WELCOME CENTER! Edina Community Center, 5701 Normandale Rd., Room 171 (North side, Door 3) www.edinaresourcecenter.com 9794 AboutTown Summer CoverGuts 6/18/07 10:17 AM Page 17 By Christina Scipioni It all started with a telegram: “Hearty congratulations Edina admitted 26 August.” What began in 1957 with those simple words has blossomed into a successful service club that boasts close to 160 members and leads the world in charitable giving. For 50 years, the Rotary Club of Edina has been making an impact on the community—both in Edina and around the world. “The organization was founded with the concept of having leaders from each profession get together and share experiences and common knowledge,” said Burt Cohen, who joined Rotary in 1963. The Rotary Club of Edina was founded by Sam Thorpe with help from Fred Rogers. The pair set out in early 1957 to create an Edina club. After surveying the area, Thorpe held several meetings in his home with prospective members. The group voted to apply for a charter and on Tuesday, July 23, 1957, the Rotary Club of Edina became an official organization. The first board members of the Edina Rotary were President Kermit Wilson, Vice President Micky Lane, Treasurer Don Judkins, Secretary Robert Crabb and Directors Ralph Nelson, Frank Tupa, Lew Russell and Fred Rogers. While the club’s mission of “service above self” has stayed the same throughout, much has changed over the course of 50 years. The club had originally met at the Biltmore Inn, located in the Grandview Heights area. During the early years, members would sometimes meet in each others homes, said Don Erickson, who joined the club in 1958. Since then, it has moved around to the Interlachen Country Club and the Camelot Restaurant. In 1989, club members began calling the Edina Country Club home. “Rotary was very different back then from what it is today,” Cohen said. The group was much smaller, and limited to only men. In addition, only one person from each profession was allowed to join the club. “We’re more diverse than we used to be,” said current President Terry Stevens. “We have more women, younger members than before and a wide range of occupations.” Rotary began admitting women members in 1988. The first woman member, Chrysanne Manoles, has since moved on to become president of the Rotary Club of Orono. Since then, many women have taken on leadership roles within the club and two have served as president. Edina Rotary became so popular over the years that in 1989 another Edina club—Edina Morningside Rotary— was chartered. To allow more people to join these two exciting clubs, about five years ago Rotary relaxed its occupation requirements. This has allowed more members from the same profession to join. Edina Rotary Celebrates 50 Years 16•SUMMER 2007 17•SUMMER 2007 This change means that business competitors are now spending quite a bit of time together, but that hasn’t changed the camaraderie between the Rotarians, Stevens said. “We can all coexist in a friendly, non-competitive manner because above all else is our service to the community,” he explained. During their 50 years, Edina Rotarians have become very successful at serving the community. The club has organized countless service projects and donations, which have a direct impact on the lives of people in Edina and throughout the world. In the early years, Edina Rotarians would hold bike inspections for children, Erickson said. Club members also supported the local library and paid to have landscaping put in around City Hill. Most of the projects the Edina Rotary undertook in the early years were local in scope, but as the club grew, so did its resources and outreach. “Because we have more members and there are more clubs throughout the world, we can do a much better job now in serving the community,” Erickson said. For 27 years, Edina Rotary, in a partnership with other Minnesota Rotary clubs, has sponsored Camp Enterprise. The three-day camp teaches about 100 participating high school students about the free-enterprise system. Participants hear speeches from a variety of businesspeople and then spend two days creating business plans. At the end of the camp, the students pitch their plans to the Rotarians who run the conference. Along with Camp Enterprise, the Rotary Club of Edina connects with kids throughout the world. Through the Youth Exchange program, students from other countries come to stay with Edina Rotarians for a year. In addition, Edina students are able to visit other countries. The Rotary Club of Edina also has a significant presence internationally. It helps to sponsor Rotary International District 5950’s ongoing water well-drilling project in Haiti. To pay for all these projects, Rotarians donate money and host fundraisers. In 2006, Edina Rotarians donated (continued on next page) 9794 AboutTown Summer CoverGuts 6/18/07 10:17 AM Page 19 19•SUMMER 2007 an average $400 per person to Rotary International. According to Jeff Ohe, Rotary Foundation Director for the club, Edina Rotary contributed about $70,000 to the Rotary International Foundation last year. In addition, Rotary District 5950, of which the Edina Rotary is a member, is in the top 10 clubs in the world in terms of donations. “We do really well when it comes to fundraising,” Stevens said. “That allows us to do quite a few other projects.” One of those major projects was the building of an earth dam in Tanzania, Africa. The $56,000 project brought water to the Ming’enyi villagers who, before the dam was built, had to travel almost 16 miles each day to get water for themselves and their cattle. The new dam will dramatically change the lives of villagers. Because the women and girls will no longer need to spend their days making the perilous journey, they will have more time to attend school and work on local issues in their village. In the future, Stevens said that the Edina Rotary hopes to foster relationships with other overseas communities. The club is looking for places it can conduct on-going projects in the areas of health and literacy. Currently, it is working on creating a relationship with a school in Kenya. Recruiting and retaining members will also be a challenge in the future, Stevens said. He encourages anyone who is interested in joining Rotary attend a weekly meeting. The Edina Rotary meets at noon every Thursday at the Edina Country Club, 5100 Wooddale Ave. “Joining Rotary gives people the opportunity to give back and participate in a fellowship of other businesspeople,” Stevens said. Joining the Edina Rotary also gives people the chance to contribute to something that started with a telegraph and, 50 years later, continues with service. For more information on the Rotary Club of Edina, call 952-946-8708 or visit www.EdinaRotary.org. 18•SUMMER 2007 West 50th and Vernon Avenue at Hwy.100 952-920-3996 www.washburn-mcreavy.com Family Owned & Operated Since 1857 EDINACHAPEL FUNERAL& CREMATION SERVICES 9794 AboutTown Summer CoverGuts 6/18/07 10:17 AM Page 21 Edina Declares 2007 ‘The Year To Get Ready’ Minnesotans know pride. The State boasts four seasons, countless lakes, great art and nightlife opportunities and a high quality of life. But beneath all the pleasures, Minnesotans are not ready. They are not ready for emergencies, big or small, that could occur inside homes or across great communities. After suffering disasters such as 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, one would like to think that Americans and Minnesotans would be prepared if another tragedy were to strike. However, many have buried those memories and returned to a state of apathy. Now, the Twin Cities Red Cross and the City of Edina are sounding the siren, whether for heart attacks, house fires, storms or pandemic. 2007 has been declared “The Year to Get Ready.” Through a partnership with the Red Cross, the City of Edina is providing residents with the tools, talent and training to GET READYfor all types of emergencies. Get AKit Assemble a three-day supply of water (three gallons per person), a three-day supply of non-perishable food, manual can opener, utensils, flashlight, battery-powered radio, batteries, first aid kit, clothes and blankets, copies of important documents and emergency contact info sealed in a plastic bag, personal hygiene items, supplies for infants and pets, prescription medicine, filter face mask and a whistle. Get APlan Make sure every family member has the phone number of an out-of-town contact to call after a disaster. Identify evacuation routes from your building. Have a meeting place for family. Keep a half-tank of gas in the car. Know alternative evacuation routes. Get Involved Train to save a life through Red Cross CPR and First Aid classes, donate money and blood in advance, become a volunteer now so when a disaster strikes, you won't need time to be trained—you will be able to help your neighbors immediately. The Twin Cities Red Cross can help with all of this and more and most of it is free. Call 612-871-7676 or visit www.redcrosstc.org for more information. The Red Cross is the Twin Cities' lifesaving organization, comforting our neighbors and training them to respond to emergencies with confidence. Mark Your Calendars! Get your friends and neighbors together and learn how to save a life. Edina CPR Saturday - Sept. 22, 2007 Adult CPR 8 a.m. - Noon or Adult CPR Blended Learning 9 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Study online and learn skills in person! Cost: $45 Location: South Metro Training Facility, 7525 Braemar Blvd., Edina Register today through the Twin Cities Area Red Cross by calling 612-872-3245, emailing registration@redcrosstc.org or visiting www.redcrosstc.org and clicking on “Take a Class.” Skip & Debbie Thomas REMAX RESULTS Edina Graduates • Edina Residents Sam Giannakakis Senior LoanOfficer Direct: 952.820.3272 Fax: 952.820.3372 Cell: 612.816.1511 Pager: 952.907.3380 Email: sam@lakelandmortgage.com RESULTS Call For A Free Loan Approval! Call For A Free Market Analysis Skip & Debbie Thomas GRI, Realtors 5201 Eden Avenue Edina, MN 55436 Direct: 952.848.2404 Home: 952.927.4804 Fax: 952.848.2410 Email: skipthomas@iwon.com Website: www.skipthomas.com Sam Giannakakis Lakeland Mortgage Corporation TOP Producers that sell & finance homes in Edina and the Twin Cities! Active in Edina 21•SUMMER 200720•SUMMER 2007 9794 AboutTown Summer CoverGuts 6/18/07 10:17 AM Page 23 By Kathleen Sovell Contributing Writer Margie Grinnell always wanted to draw and paint, but there was no room in her school schedule for art classes. Now, after 25 years of being a mom and a volunteer, she is active in what she terms her “third life”: realistic art. Six years ago, Grinnell began taking weekly classes at the Edina Art Center with instructor Michael Frey. After working in charcoal for two years, she began painting with oils. “I feel like I stepped into a world that makes sense. It was meant to be. Creating art is hard work, but feels natural and the time was right for me to take a chance and go for my dream,” she said. “I have a sign in my laundry room that reads 'It's never too late.'” Grinnell feels she's been handed a gift–time to focus on art. “Art is overwhelming! How can I get from here to there? What do I want to accomplish? I carefully rethought my priorities in order to achieve my goals because art requires hard work and effort, along with organization and time management.” Working toward those goals, she joined Edina Art Center's School of Realism, a three-quarter time, four-year atelier studio program based on American Classical Realism. During the first month of the school year, Grinnell was diagnosed with breast cancer. “People questioned my decision to continue my studies because they felt I would be too tired. Even though I had to leave class each day at 2 p.m. for treatments, I found that the classes energized me and gave me the ability to work through the six weeks of treatment,” she said. In March of the same year, Grinnell was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. “Art is an important part of my health and well being. It's fuel! Everyone has choices. You can let things get you down or you can look past it. You find a way around the walls that are put before you. I have physical limitations and hope they won't grow into mental ones. If they do, I'll work through them,” she said. High school friend Michele Montan is proud of Grinnell. “I'm in awe of what Margie has accomplished with her art in such a short amount of time,” Montan said. “You know someone has a true gift when what they put forth evokes such powerful emotion. To me, that's what Margie's art does—and even more so when you know what she's had to overcome in facing two life-changing health crises in the past few years. It doesn't get much more inspiring than that!” Grinnell is well into her third year of the School of Realism. The first year, she worked in charcoal, completing Resident Finds ‘It’s Never Too Late’ To Add Art To Your Life life and cast studies. The second year, she painted her life studies in black-and-white oil and began using color in still-life studies. In her third year of study, Grinnell has continued life and still-life studies and has added portraiture. In addition, she continues her Tuesday morning portraiture class. Frey is the instructor of both the School of Realism and the portraiture class. She greatly admires her instructor. “Michael is amazing,” she exclaimed. “He is extremely talented, but he is so adaptable. As he makes his way around the room to help each student, he is able to focus on each person in order to help them decide on what to work on that day. As he studies their work, he often asks, 'What's the furthest behind?'” Another Edina Art Center instructor, Rick Kochenash, has instructed Grinnell in plein air (outdoor) painting. She has also studied with Joe Paquet in St. Paul. Grinnell graduated from Edina High School in 1969 and, even though her college degree from the University of Minnesota was in elementary education, her interests in retail eventually landed her a job as a buyer for Donaldson's. Today, she lives in Edina with her husband, Steve, another Edina graduate. They have two grown daughters, Katie and Molly. Her husband and daughters are her biggest fans. “Margie is amazing,” Steve said. “She is so focused, and works so hard. We're incredibly proud of her.” Grinnell feels her art gives her life purpose. “I am constantly learning and being challenged,” she said. “My life experiences through work, travel, volunteerism, marriage, motherhood and school, combined with my current experiences with breast cancer and multiple sclerosis, have colored my art and given me purpose, direction and hope for the future. As I have been inspired, I look to inspire many in return. It's never too late!” Visit the Art Center's website, www.EdinaArtCenter.com, for a complete class listing or call 612-915-6600 for information, to request a class schedule or register for classes. The Edina Art Center is located at 4701 W. 64th St. on the northwest corner of Rosland Park. Margie Grinnell enjoys charcoal and oil painting and feels that her art gives her life purpose. As part of her School of Realism studies at the Edina Art Center, Margie Grinnell completed cast studies in charcoal and still-life paintings. 23•SUMMER 200722•SUMMER 2007 9794 AboutTown Summer CoverGuts 6/18/07 10:17 AM Page 25 24•SUMMER 2007 25•SUMMER 2007 EDINA 50th & France YYOOUURR NNEEIIGGHHBBOORRHHOOOODD TITLE RELOCATION warranties INsurance hotline HOMEDOCS recommends moving services guaranteed sales program exceptional properties REAL ESTATE RREEAALL EESSTTAATTEE PPRROOFFEESSSSIIOONNAALLSS A Full Service Lender Todd Johnson • 6800 France Ave • 612.207.9550 Kara Egan • 50th& France • 612.325.3735 Robin Leudtke • 6800 France Ave • 612.306.5925 MORTGAGE JOHN SHAW, MANAGER 952.927.1160 EDINA 6800 OFFICE JOHN SMABY, MANAGER 952.924.8757 EDINA 50TH & FRANCE OFFICE EDINA 6800 OFFICE Jeff and Diane Anderes 952-927-2842jeffanddianeanderes.edinarealty.com Ginni and Jeff Anderson 952-927-1669ginnianderson.edinarealty.com Jeff and Connie Cauble 952-927-1115jeffcauble.edinarealty.com John Everett 952-927-1646johneverett.edinarealty.com Jackie Goodlund 952-927-1647jackiegoodlund.edinarealty.com Maggie Goodyear 952-927-1657maggiegoodyear.edinarealty.com Ruthann Holetz 952-927-1624ruthannholetz.edinarealty.com Stacy Johnson 952-927-1608stacyjohnson.edinarealty.com Linda Jones 952-927-1781lindajones.edinarealty.com John MacKany 952-927-1163johnmackany.edinarealty.com John McDonald 952-927-1197johnmcdonald.edinarealty.com Joan E. Mitchell 952-927-1147joanemitchell.edinarealty.com Jude Dugan Olson 952-927-1186judeduganolson.edinarealty.com Linda Platt 952-927-1179lindaplatt.edinarealty.com Kevin Ries 952-927-1196kevinries.edinarealty.com Margie and John Sampsell 952-927-1195margieandjohnsampsell.edinarealty.com Wade Thommen 952-927-1152wadethommen.edinarealty.com Susan Wahman 952-927-1114susanwahman.edinarealty.com Corky Weber 952-927-1198corkyweber.edinarealty.com Michael Tierney 952-927-1676michaeltierney.edinarealty.com Pam Allen 952-915-7187pamallen.edinarealty.com Sandy and Buzz Bainbridge 952-915-7980sandyandbuzzbainbridge.edinarealty.com Babette Bean 952-924-8722babettebean.edinarealty.com Lou Blemaster 952-924-8744loublemaster.edinarealty.com Krysta Clark 952-924-8707krystaclark.edinarealty.com Sheila Cronin 952-915-7951sheilacronin.edinarealty.com Karen Daly 952-924-8746karendaly.edinarealty.com Patti Eastman 952-924-8786pattieastman.edinarealty.com Lisa Eckert 952-915-7964lisaeckert.edinarealty.com Tom Frisk 612-418-6642tomfrisk.edinarealty.com Janie Hays 952-924-8721janiehays.edinarealty.com Jim Jaeckels 952-924-8741jimjaeckels.edinarealty.com Bob Johnson 952-924-8727bobjohnson.edinarealty.com Ruth LeVine 952-915-7956ruthlevine.edinarealty.com Bob and Francy Matson 952-915-7960 bobandfrancymatson.edinarealty.com 952-915-7950 Brad McNamara 952-924-8785bradmcnamara.edinarealty.com Meg and Tom Meyers 952-924-8712 megandtommeyers.edinarealty.com 952-924-8799 Linda Smaby 952-924-8726lindasmaby.edinarealty.com Kathie Volland 952-915-7934kathievolland.edinarealty.com Colleen Wahl 952-924-8789colleenwahl.edinarealty.com 9794 AboutTown Summer CoverGuts 6/18/07 10:17 AM Page 27 27•SUMMER 200726•SUMMER 2007 By Christina Scipioni Even though they aren't all grandpas, all the members of the Edina Golden K Kiwanis Club have a chance to connect with kids. Once a month, the group heads over to the Edina Family Center and reads to delighted girls and boys. The program, called “Grandpa's Corner,” gives people from two different generations a chance to bond. “This has been a wonderful experience for our students and staff,” said Laurie Denn, Edina Family Center Coordinator. “Through Grandpa's Corner, our children are introduced not only to additional literacy experiences, but also to older members of our community who care about them.” The Edina Golden K Kiwanis Club not only cares about the children it reads to, but also the community it serves. Kiwanis have been around since 1915, when the service organization was started in Detroit by Allen S. Browne. The Edina club, founded in 1983, continues to live up to the Kiwanians mission: serving the children of the world. The Edina chapter of this international organization offers the chance for individuals over 50 to come together in the name of community service and camaraderie. With about 55 members, the Edina Golden K Kiwanis make significant contributions to Edina and its surrounding communities. Along with directly serving the community, the club raises on average $16,000 to $18,000 per year. The Kiwanians donate that money to nonprofit community organizations throughout Edina and its surrounding communities. Some of the organizations the Kiwanians donate to are the Edina Family Center, Meals on Wheels, Sharing and Caring Hands, Store to Door, St. Joseph's Home, Lutheran Social Services and Sobriety High. Over the past couple of years, the club has donated about $6,000 to Volunteers Enlisted to Assist People (VEAP) for its new facilities. “The generous support of the Edina Golden K Kiwanis has made a significant impact on VEAP's ability to grow with demands and better serve the community,” said VEAPExecutive Director Susan Freeman. “With their support, we are able to help those in need and in turn make our community stronger.” Golden K Kiwanis Gives Back To Edina Kiwanis President Herb Telshaw reads to kids during the Edina Family Center's Grandpa's Corner. The Kiwanians are also making a significant contribution to the safety of the Edina Community. The club is a regular donor to the Edina Crime Prevention Fund. Some of the major projects the Kiwanians have helped support include the acquisition of a new police canine unit and the Neighbors Home Watch program. To raise money, the Edina Golden K Kiwanis holds three annual fundraisers. Each year, the group sells peanuts and coloring books at local supermarkets. One of the Kiwanis' largest fundraisers of the year is a concert it co-sponsors with the Edina Senior Center. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the event are donated to local charities. Organizing all the donations, sales and events can be a lot of work, but Kiwanis members say it's worth it. “I like to contribute to the community because Edina has been good to me,” said Board Member Bill Perkins. “I think I owe it to the community.” In addition, being part of the Kiwanis gives members a chance to connect with other people. When club President Herb Telshaw moved to Edina during the 1980s, joining the Golden K Kiwanis helped him adjustto his new surroundings. “It's been a really great experience for someone who comes from out-of-state,” Telshaw said. “[Joining Kiwanis] was a great way to get to know people.” Members have a chance to meet at weekly meetings, held at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesdays at Good Samaritan United The Edina Golden K Kiwanis Club's “Grandpa's Corner” program is an excellent example of “Connecting With Kids.” Connecting With Kids is an effort to create a more supportive and caring school and community environment for Edina's youth. The initiative focuses on developing a community-wide commitment to surround children and adolescents with the wide range of “assets” crucial for healthy development. The community initiative is led by a newly formed volunteer Board of Directors. The Board is putting renewed energy into the initiative and May 31 hosted a leadership breakfast to inform others in the community of Connecting With Kids and its work in Edina. (continued on next page) 9794 AboutTown Summer CoverGuts 6/18/07 10:17 AM Page 29 28•SUMMER 2007 29•SUMMER 2007 Methodist Church, 5730 Grove St. Each meeting features a time for socializing, so members can get to know one another. Meetings also feature a new speaker each week. The topics discussed at the weekly meetings vary. Past topics have included affordable health care, a history of movies, maintenance challenges at Northwest Airlines, homeland security, crime prevention and retirement planning. Anyone interested in attending an Edina Golden K Kiwanis meeting is welcome, Perkins said. “There is no charge for people to introduce themselves, have a cup of coffee and listen to a great speaker.” Overall, Perkins said that the Kiwanis give people the opportunity to stay active and involved in their community. “There's a personal benefit to knowing what's going on in the community,” Perkins said. “My brain has got to keep going. I just can't be inactive.” For more information on the Edina Golden K Kiwanis, call Telshaw at 952-922-7524 or visit www.KiwanisEdinaGoldenK.org. ©2007 UBSFinancial Services Inc. All Rights Reserved. Member SIPC. By providing customized investment strategies, we can work closely with investors to help them manage their wealth. Our Financial Advisors take the time to understand each investor’s needs and goals, and seek to deliver solutions that address their specific needs. Depending on investors’ needs, we can also offer access to global resources, which include lending solutions, alternative investments and insightful research. That’s what we mean by “You & Us.” For more information, call: 952-848-8040 877-850-6022 4999 France Avenue South, Suite 200, Edina, MN 55410 You &Us. Continuing our commitment to Edina investors. Paul Bordonaro Branch Manager Senior Vice President–Investments Ben Bratter Senior Vice President–Investments Nick Cronin Senior Vice President–Investments Keith Fahnhorst Senior Vice President–Investments Pete Gabler Financial Advisor Blane Hammer Senior Vice President–Investments Bob Hannah Financial Advisor Jim Hay Financial Advisor Christopher Holman Financial Advisor Dave Horan Senior Vice President–Investments Bob Kaufman Vice President–Investments Mike Koob Vice President–Investments Peter Levy Associate Branch Manager Senior Vice President–Investments Scott Schachtman Assistant Vice President–Investments Kevin Smith, Senior Vice President–Investments Jim Wilkinson Financial Advisor 9794 AboutTown Summer CoverGuts 6/18/07 10:17 AM Page 31 Hugh recalls artist and motivational speaker Don Bania, a featured presenter at Safety Camp who draws pictures for the kids using his mouth. “He was on a motorcycle and a drunk driver hit him,” Hugh said. “He could also draw Donald Duck pretty well.” “They showed what the dog did and showed some of his tricks,” Grace said about the Police Department's canine unit. Ayear later, she can still remember all the toys Officer Kevin Rofidal used to train Kodiak. According to Fire Marshal Tom Jenson, Safety Camp offers a unique opportunity for educating kids about safety. “We have the opportunity to speak with kids when they are younger, but it's only for a short period of time,” Jenson explains. “At Safety Camp, we have a full day to discuss all sorts of safety issues with kids.” Parents also see the value in dedicating an entire day to safety. “I think it's a good way to review the basics,” said Hugh's mom, Amy Smart. “We teach him about safety, too, but I'm sure there were some things we were forgetting.” “When I picked [Annie] up she talked a lot about it, so I know she learned a lot,” Sue Engen said. “It's a terrific opportunity for kids.” Grace's mom, Nancy Dalsin, said Safety Camp is an event Grace's siblings won't miss. “For sure, we'll definitely send them to Safety Camp.” To register for Safety Camp, visit www.CityofEdina.com or stop by Edina City Hall, 4801 W. 50th St. Registration is limited to 100. To participate, children must be entering the fourth grade in fall 2007. For more information on Safety Camp, call the Edina Park and Recreation Department, 952-826-0367. 31•SUMMER 200730•SUMMER 2007 By Christina Scipioni Last summer, fourth-graders Annie Engen, Hugh Jones and Grace Dalsin excitedly awaited their turn. Their brothers and sisters had gone. Now it was their chance to see helicopters land and meet firefighters and police officers face-to-face. At Safety Camp, an annual event hosted by the Edina Park and Recreation, Police and Fire departments, Annie, Hugh and Grace all got the chance to walk in their siblings' footsteps while learning valuable safety lessons. “Our older daughter went to Safety Camp and she loved it,” said Annie's mom, Sue Engen. “When we moved to Edina we were told that it's 'the thing to do' in fourth grade.” Children learn about safety issues such as fire safety, water safety, power line safety, first aid, “stranger danger,” animal safety and fingerprinting. Edina police officers and firefighters, along with playground leaders from Park and Recreation, lead the kids throughout the day. “Our officers look forward to Safety Camp because it gives them a chance to interact with kids in a fun and interesting way,” said Police Department Public Information Officer Molly Anderson. “It was a lot of fun,” Grace said. “You get sprayed by a fire hose and you get to meet firefighters and policemen.” This year's Safety Camp will be held July 31 at the South Metro Public Safety Training Facility, 7525 Braemar Blvd. The day-long event begins at 8 a.m. with a State Patrol helicopter landing. Participants will have the chance to step inside the helicopter and question the pilot. Parents are invited to attend the camp at 4 p.m. for the closing ceremonies and photographs. In between, there are plenty of events to keep kids excited and entertained all day long. Almost a year later, Annie, Hugh and Grace still remember the lessons they learned at Safety Camp. “I learned what to do when the smoke detector goes off,” Annie said. “You go outside and make a family meeting.” Safety Camp: An Edina Family Tradition Kids answer questions about boating safety during last year's Safety Camp Ph o t o b y C h r i s t i n a S c i p i o n i One of the kids' favorite events at Safety Camp is being sprayed by a fire hose. Ph o t o b y L a u r a F u l t o n 9794 AboutTown Summer CoverGuts 6/18/07 10:17 AM Page 33 Edina Nature Center, the First John Philip Sousa Memorial Band, Partnering for Early Education, Connecting With Kids and the Edina Public Art Committee. We also provide staff support to the latter two groups to facilitate their work in the community. Neighborhood Associations:The Country Club Neighborhood Association (CCNA) has been very active in encouraging its members to support the Foundation's CCNADesignated Fund, and we have been pleased to fund a wide range of events that help bring the neighbors in that area together and create a greater sense of community. We also maintain a Designated Fund for the Edina Highlands Neighborhood Association, the Browndale Park Association and the 50th & France Business & Professional Association. Scholarship Funds:Our Ikola Scholarship Fund was established in 1984 to honor long-time Edina High School hockey coach Willard “Ike” Ikola. We have made annual awards from this Fund every year since then and currently recognize the graduating senior member of the team with the highest grade point average. Starting just last fall, the Fund has been supported by a portion of the proceeds from the Ikola Cup, a golf tournament organized by friends of the Edina hockey program. Other scholarship funds include grants-in-aid that allow needy families and individuals to participate in Park and Recreation Department programs, a Recycling Scholarship and the Williams-Overholt Long-Term Care Scholarship. Collectively, these Designated Fund Partnerships have multiple benefits: •They help enrich the activities and opportunities available to people who live, study or work in Edina; •They involve our four main focus areas: Beautifying Edina, Bringing People Together, Helping Our Neighbors and Enhancing Our Security;and •They help develop a strong program of philanthropy in our community, which is part of our Foundation's core mission. We look forward to continuing our support of philanthropic effort in Edina with an ever-growing list of Designated Fund Partners in our community. Please contact us if you have an interest in pursuing this method for charitable support of your nonprofit program. Questions about the Foundation or any of its Designated Funds or other programs may be addressed to Crockett or Program Coordinator Mary Brindle 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. 33•SUMMER 2007 By Dick Crockett Executive Director Our Foundation takes great pride in the Designated Fund Partner relationships we have developed with more than 25 other organizations and programs. In the same way that a university might encourage charitable contributions for the benefit of a specific academic department or scholarship fund, we maintain such funds for gifts designated by the donors for the benefit of a City department, another community organization, a neighborhood association or a scholarship fund. In order to qualify for this status, the fund must be dedicated to a nonprofit, charitable purpose that is consistent with the Foundation's mission to advance our community as a premier place for living, learning, raising families and nurturing leadership through the development of a strong program of philanthropy. Grants from the fund must then be approved by our Executive Committee to ensure this requirement is satisfied. Abrief summary of our Designated Funds and grants from those Funds demonstrate that they are an integral part of the Foundation's effort to Strengthen Our Community. City Departments:Contributions for the benefit of the Edina Park and Recreation Department, for example, have been used to fund major improvements at Fox Meadow Park, the YMCA/Tri-City Skate Park and Grandview Square Park. We've also made grants from Designated Funds to support Adaptive Recreation programs and the Torchlight Concert at Centennial Lakes Park. Our other City department-Designated Fund partners include the Fire and Police Departments (supported by grants for defibrillators and specialized security equipment), the Communications & Marketing Department for Edina Community Channel 16, and the Art Center and Senior Center. Community Organizations:One of our most significant Designated Fund Partners is the Edina Garden Council, whose members have generously donated the proceeds of their annual plant sale for the last several years to the Foundation in order to replace the fountain in Arneson Acres. We have also helped the Edina Youth Juggling Association organize in order to qualify for Designated Fund status and then raise significant funds for the support of youth juggling activities and competition in the community. In addition, we approved challenge or matching grants from unrestricted funds to encourage charitable giving for the music therapy program of the LeagueAires and for special concerts of the Edina Chorale. We also maintain Designated Fund Partner relationships with the Conservation League of Edina, Friends of the 32•SUMMER 2007 The Edina Community Foundation: Our Designated Fund Partners Strengthening Our Community9794 AboutTown Summer CoverGuts 6/18/07 10:17 AM Page 35 By Laura Fulton In 1970, the City of Edina built a Fire Station that rivaled those across the metro. The apparatus floor was built large enough to accommodate the City's engines and trucks. The building adjoining the apparatus floor comfortably housed the firemen who made up the 24-hour shifts as well as the 8-hour administration. In 1970, the structure many now refer to as Fire Station No. 1, 6250 Tracy Ave., was sufficient for day-to-day operations of the Edina Fire Department. The old building at 6250 Tracy Ave., built mainly as a facility for men, did not house a locker room for any current or future female firefighter/paramedics. Nor did the building have sufficient storage space for medical records. The administrative office area was a jumble of five people, countless building plans and file cabinets filled to the brims with permit applications—all stuffed into a room originally meant to house only two people. The area where the firefighter/paramedics bunked during the night morphed into a conference room during the day. And, though the current services offered to residents through the Fire Department include Emergency Medical Services (EMS), the old building had no clean-room or space for drug supply storage. In the past 20 years, the size of fire trucks has also changed, making it difficult for the current fire trucks to fit through the four doors entering the apparatus floor. “Originally, we had looked into just adding-on to the fire station,” said Fire Chief Marty Scheerer. “When we looked into costs for the project, however, it became apparent that our original redesign ideas were neither cost effective, nor a good solution to our current or future predicament.” After several work-study sessions with the City Council and a needs assessment study, the Fire Department, along with consultant Gary Hay from Hay Dobbs Architects, shaped a plan to demolish the current structure and build a new fire station at the same location. The new station will be built to house firefighter/paramedics and administrative offices in a two-level building and the apparatus floor will be expanded from four to six doors. City Begins Construction Of New Fire Station 34•SUMMER 2007 The construction cost will be $4.5 million. It will be paid for through General Obligation Capital Improvement Plan Bonds Series 2007 A. “The fact of the matter is, with the way operations in a fire station work, this highly used City building began falling apart over time,” said Hay. “Skeptical residents who walked through questioning why a new station was necessary quickly discovered the many problems within the walls of the station that are not apparent when one drives by the building.” Though the new building will be larger than the old one, the location will stay the same. Its central location and proximity to a major highway could not be beat. Construction on the new fire station began in May, with the demolition of the old building. Prior to tear-down, the firefighter/paramedics packed up the station and moved much of the necessary day-to-day equipment to Fire Station No. 2, 7330 York Ave. Six Firefighter/Paramedics are stationed there as the new station on Tracy is built. Two firefighter/paramedics are stationed out of a trailer located near the Edina Public Works Building, 5146 Eden Ave. “The displacement of the firefighters has not and will not effect our response time to emergencies,” said Scheerer. “We expect that the community will not notice any difference in how we handle emergency situations, and may not even notice that we are scattered around the City.” As the firefighter/paramedics adjusted to their new digs, chief officers and administrative staff settled in at the South Metro Public Safety Training Facility, 7525 Braemar Blvd., and at a warehouse located at 6201 Washington Ave. If construction goes as planned, Scheerer hopes to move a number of firefighter/paramedics back to the Tracy Avenue station by the end of October. “We are shooting to have the apparatus floor complete by Oct. 26,” said Scheerer. “Once that portion of the station is built, our trucks can move back home and 35•SUMMER 2007 Currently under construction, the new fire station at 6250 Tracy Ave. will provide the Edina Fire Department with a high-quality facility that will last for many years into the future. The old fire station was demolished in late May. Construction of the new fire station is scheduled to be completed late next year. Ph o t o b y D o u g L e s k e e (continued on next page) 9794 AboutTown Summer CoverGuts 6/18/07 10:17 AM Page 37 37•SUMMER 2007 we can get some of the firefighters back to the station working out of a construction trailer.” Construction of the entire project is expected to take eight to 12 months. Rochon Corporation, a company with experience building fire stations, is the contractor for the project. Rochon Corp. will incorporate energy- saving features including energy-saving skylights, a white roof design and in-floor heating, along with a number of other energy-saving ventures. “The new station means a new home for the Fire Department that is built to last many years into the future,” said Scheerer. “And, it will mean better protection for all those who live, learn, raise families and do business in the City of Edina.” For more information about the Fire Department rebuild, contact Scheerer at 952-826-0332 or mscheerer@ci.edina.mn.us. 36•SUMMER 2007 CallTed Field 952-927-1150 www.SeniorExpert.com 30+ years experience working with seniors Edina 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. 9794 AboutTown Summer CoverGuts 6/18/07 10:17 AM Page 39 To purge rust and stagnant water from the water distribution system and identify hydrants in need of maintenance, the Utilities Division of the City of Edina’s Public Works Department will flush hydrants for two weeks in September. Random hydrants are also flushed throughout the year as weather and water demand allows. Hydrant-flushing will take place 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. In an attempt to minimize the impact on residents, hydrants will be flushed on the east side of Minnesota Highway 100 the week of Sept. 17 and on the west side of the highway the week of Sept. 24. Due to the hydrant flushing, it is inevitable that some residents will receive rust-colored water that could stain laundry, but it is safe to drink. You should check for signs of discoloration prior to washing clothes. If the water is discolored when you turn on your tap, simply run the water until it is clear. Because the water system is a “single-pressure zone,” it is possible that red water problems will occur in any area of the City while flushing is occurring. For more information regarding hydrant flushing, call the Utilities Division at 952-826-0375 or 952-826-0312. City Of Edina To Flush Hydrants In September 39•SUMMER 2007 Garage Sales Garage or yard sales are a great way to clean out your house, meet your neighbors and make some extra money. If you plan to have a sale at your home this year, please be aware of the following rules. •You may conduct only one sale per year at your home, lasting no more than 72 consecutive hours. •Items offered for sale must be owned by the owner of the premises or by friends of the owner. •Items offered for sale must not have been bought for resale or received on consignment for the purpose of resale. •Signs may be erected on the premises where the sale is taking place. No off-site signs are allowed. •No signs may be posted on the road right-of-way (the City-owned property 15 feet in from residential curbs) or on telephone poles. For more information, contact Associate Planner Joyce Repya, 952-826-0462. Signs Signs can negatively impact the aesthetics in an area and, in some cases, pose a safety hazard. As a result, most portable signs are prohibited in the City of Edina. Contractors are allowed to erect a portable sign on property where work is being done. However, the sign must be removed when work is complete. So, a construction company could put a sign in the yard of a home where an addition is being built, but the sign must be taken down when the project is finished. Alawn care company could erect a sign in a yard being mowed, but it must be taken down before the contractor leaves for the day. Real estate signs are not considered “portable” under the Edina City Code. Those signs are addressed by another local ordinance. Campaign signs are the only signs allowed in the public right-of-way. Subject to City Code, signs can be erected 60 days prior to an election and left up seven days after with permission of the abutting property owner. For more information, contact Associate Planner Joyce Repya, 952-826-0462. Tall Grass and Weeds Think you don’t have enough time for yard work? You might want to reconsider. The City has standards for grass and weed management. Did you know that weeds and grasses should not be taller than eight inches? This includes boulevards, alleys, landscaped areas and developed and undeveloped land. Grass and weeds in drainage ponds, wetlands and similar waterways are exempt. For more information, contact the City’s Health Department, 952-826-0370. It’s Not Only Neighborly … It’s The Law 38•SUMMER 2007 9794 AboutTown Summer CoverGuts 6/18/07 10:17 AM Page 41 kids would get pretty offended if I transferred them to the wrong person.” When Dawson began work in 1979, the City still used one of the last remaining World War I-era cord boards. She directed calls for all the employees at City Hall and the Police, Fire and Public Works departments. Now, most employees have direct phone lines, so the phones have quieted down some. But Dawson still remained busy. In addition to answering phones, she greeted and directed visitors and did some cashier work. Dawson also created the newcomer packets for new Edina residents. Full of information, the popular packets help people become familiar with the City. Customer service and attention to detail were some of the trademarks of Dawson's work. Those who worked with her admired the way she expertly handled the sometimes hectic work. “She's the best receptionist we've ever had,” said former City Manager Ken Rosland. “You could always tell when she's on the switchboard because it would only ring once.” Dawson also had a knack for knowing what was going on throughout Edina. “If I ever needed to know what was really going on at City Hall, Pat was a fountain of information,” said Police Chief Mike Siitari. To help the people who would cover for her while she was on break or vacation, Dawson even made a comprehensive list of inquiries and where they should be sent, said former Deputy City Manager Eric Anderson. While Dawson is letting someone else handle the phones, she'll still stay busy in retirement. “It's time to start enjoying travel, hobbies and my part-time jobs,” she said. Dawson is planning a trip to China to visit her nephew and will start volunteering for Meals on Wheels and for a blood bank. She also plans to keep playing the Easter Bunny and Mrs. Claus at area shopping centers. Dawson will stay involved with the Edina community by participating in different art fairs, especially the Fall Into The Arts Festival, which benefits the Edina Crime Prevention Fund. Even with all these activities planned, Dawson said she will still miss working for the City. “I love my job today as much as I did 28 years ago when I started,” she said just days before she retired. All those who Dawson has worked with or assisted will miss her as well. “Some cities have changed the title of the receptionist's job to 'Director of First Impressions,'” Anderson said. “I would offer that for Pat, but her title should have been 'The Director of Best Impressions.'” 41•SPRING 2007 By Christina Scipioni Even in a snowstorm, City Hall Receptionist Pat Dawson always made it in to work. “When the snow was bad, the Public Works guys would take me to work in a snowplow,” Dawson said. “I would wade through the snow, which was sometimes up to my waist. Then I'd hoist myself into the snowplow and head in to work.” Through good weather and bad, during her 28 years with the City of Edina, Dawson could always be counted on to answer the phone and greet visitors in a friendly and professional way. In May, she hung up the telephone for good and retired from her post in the City Hall lobby. “Pat has been an absolute treasure for the City for her entire 28-year career,” said City Manager Gordon Hughes. “I can't think of a more dependable employee. I never had to worry about whether or not the phones would be working at 8 a.m., or if our residents were treated courteously. She'll be impossible to replace.” Dawson, whose nickname is the ‘voice of Edina,’ left City Hall with many memories of the Edina community and its employees. “I've been through many people's births, deaths, divorces and marriages,” she said. “I have met a lot of nice people that I will still keep in contact with.” Dawson even connected with long-lost relatives while working at City Hall. She became friends with one of the Public Works employees and was invited to his daughter's birthday party. While there, she found out that someone she had worked with for years was actually her second cousin. “It was so strange,” she explained with a laugh. Dawson also got to know many City Hall employees’ families while running the phone lines. Before the City phone system had direct phone numbers, employees’ children had to go through her to get connected to their parents. Dawson affectionately dubbed those calls “mom calls” because each kid would simply ask for “mom.” “I had to make sure I had the right mom,” she said. “The 40•SUMMER 2007 ‘Voice Of Edina’ Retires After 28 Years City Hall Receptionist Pat Dawson retired in May. 9794 AboutTown Summer CoverGuts 6/18/07 10:17 AM Page 43 The exhibit will open on Sunday, Aug. 19 and be on display for about one year during regular museum hours: Thursdays, 9 a.m. to noon; Saturdays, 10 a.m. to noon, or by appointment. The museum, 4711 West 70th Street, is located in Arneson Acres Park (about 11/2 blocks east of Highway 100 on 70th Street.) For more information, call 612-928-4577. 43•SUMMER 2007 In 1930, the rapidly growing Village of Edina hired its first full-time police officer to patrol its country roads and suburban streets during the evening. In 1941, a group of Edina men formed the Village's first volunteer fire department. The dramatic changes in police and fire protection since those “firsts” will be highlighted in the Edina History Museum's new exhibit To Protect and Serve: the Story of Edina's Police and Fire Departments.Agrand opening party, free and open to the public, will showcase both departments on Sunday, Aug. 19, from 1:30 to 4 p.m. Both departments formed as Edina was making the transition from a farming community to a suburb. “History is more than the pioneer period,” said museum director Marci Matson. “The Edina Historical Society is now focusing on capturing some of our early suburban history before it is lost forever.” Volunteer researchers from both departments helped collect both great stories from the past as well as items for the exhibit. While listening to his retired colleagues talk at an annual police picnic, Officer Kevin Rofidal realized the immediate need to collect artifacts and photos from the first police officers while they still were active and healthy. “I knew these guys were the only ones who knew about the early years of our department,” said Rofidal, who grew up around many of the retired officers as a participant in the department's youth Explorer program. In his off hours, Rofidal interviewed several colleagues, including former Chief Wayne Bennett and long-time police officer Bert Merfeld shortly before they died. “Kevin has done an amazing amount of research,” said Matson, “from the changes in the squad cars and uniforms to the advances in training and dispatch equipment.” Retired firefighter Steve Nelson, another Edina native, has long served as the department's unofficial historian. Both his father and his uncle were Edina firefighters, so Nelson knew first-hand about the beginning of Edina's fire department. He has contacted fellow “pack rats” to find early turnout gear and equipment. With the goal of preserving history in mind, Nelson and other firefighters looked through the Tracy Avenue fire station for artifacts before the building was demolished in May. Nelson is especially proud of the display of Edina's fire badges, patches and lapel pins put together from the Edina Historical Society and his own collections. Through connections made by Rofidal, the Society will also display the log books, badge, gun and other artifacts of Edina's first paid patrol man Percy A. Redpath on loan from his family. From more modern times, the exhibit includes a signed fishing cap from the “Fishing Hat Bandit,” who was captured in Edina thanks to the efforts of Real Financial Center President Dean Wickstrom, as well as items from retired officer Mike Blood, who was shot in another Edina bank robbery in 2002. Serve And Protect: New History Exhibit Traces Roots Of Police And Fire Departments 42•SUMMER 2007 Fun for Families Sunday, Aug. 19 1:30 to 4 p.m. Grand Opening ● Demonstrations by K-9 Unit and SWAT team ● Display of police and fire vehicles, old and new ● Tour exhibit on police and fire history ● Free refreshments by Edina's 76th Street Dairy Queen Grill & Chill Overflow parking, if needed, available at Christ Presbyterian Church, Highway 100 and 70th Street 9794 AboutTown Summer CoverGuts 6/18/07 10:17 AM Page 45 45•SUMMER 2007 Tickets for the 63rd U.S. Women's Open, to be held June 23-29, 2008 at Interlachen Country Club, went on sale in June. The 63rd U.S. Women's Open will bring a field of 156 of the world's best professional and amateur women golfers to Edina's historic Interlachen Country Club. Featured players expected to compete include Annika Sorenstam, Karrie Webb, Morgan Pressel, Se Ri Pak and Edina native Hilary Lunke. Spectators can select from a variety of ticket options ranging in price from $20 to $250. All tickets include free parking and free shuttle transportation to the admission gate. The first option is the Patty Berg Pavilion which provides access to the championship grounds and an air-conditioned tented facility with food and beverage for purchase. The Patty Berg Pavilion pass, priced at $250, includes seven individual daily tickets. Quantities are limited. Asecond ticket option is the Fore Pack, which includes four tickets valid for each day of the championship rounds, Thursday through Sunday. The Fore Pack is priced at $130. Individual tickets are also available for the championship rounds and practice rounds. Thursday and Friday championship round tickets are available for $45 and Saturday and Sunday are available for $50. Tickets for the practice rounds Monday through Wednesday are available for $20 per day. Throughout the week of the championship, kids 17 and under will receive free admission when accompanied by a ticketed adult. They will also receive a free lunch voucher and baseball cap as well as front-row seating in all on-course grandstands. Gates will open daily at 6:30 a.m. and will close following the conclusion of play (around 7 p.m.). Daily capacity on the golf course will be limited to enable all spectators the opportunity to experience the championship up close. Tickets for the 2008 U.S. Women's Open are available through all participating Cub Foods locations in Minnesota, by calling 877-281-OPEN, or on the internet at www.2008uswomensopen.com. 44•SUMMER 2007 Tickets Go On Sale For 2008 U.S. Women’s Open About the USGA: The USGA, golf's governing body in this country and Mexico, works closely with the R & A to produce a uniform code of Rules of Golf that are observed worldwide. The USGA also conducts equipment testing, maintains an official Handicap System and administers an ongoing “For the Good of the Game” grants program, which has allocated $53 million over 10 years through its headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colo. The organization's most visible role, however, is played out each season in conducting 13 national championships, including the U.S. Open, U.S. Women's Open and U.S. Senior Open. The other 10 national championships are exclusively for amateurs, and include the U.S. Amateur and the U.S. Women's Amateur. 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For more information about this exciting property, visit www.centenniallakes.com. 9794 AboutTown Summer CoverGuts 6/18/07 10:17 AM Page 47 47•SUMMER 200746•SUMMER 2007 For information, contact: Kevin Escher (612-386-0175) Kevin@KevinEscher.com www.tamarackpoint.com TamarackPoint — Preserving resources,beauty and well-being — An environmentally planned community at Cable Lake, Wisconsin created in collaboration by Property Focus llc and TEA2 Architects ◆ • Architecturally planned—set in 55 acres of rolling birch and maple woodlands • Breathtaking, architecturally designed cottages—2, 21/2 and 3 bedroom; each located on a unique wooded site • 1,800+ feet of pristine shared lakeshore • Community ski and hiking trails, sauna, pavilion and bunkhouse • Upgrade packages available • All association maintained Minnesota’s Premier Personal Training Company PERSONALIZED APPROACH PROFESSIONAL TRAINERS Ourcomprehensive fitness evaluation includes the Midwest’s most accurate Metabolism Test, an essential part of any Weight Loss program. 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