HomeMy WebLinkAboutAboutTown_2010SpringOfficial Magazine of the City of Edina
SPRING•2010
AboutTown
What WORKS For You?
See Page 24
State law now prohibits yard waste from being set out in plastic bags for collection. Residents who have made arrange-ments with their refuse haulers to collect their yard waste or organic waste are required to use compostable bags – either paper bags or those clearly marked as compostable.
Compostable bags are distinct from regular plastic bags because they are usually clear or a green-tinted opaque color. Be careful not to purchase biodegradable bags. They are dif-ferent from compostable bags because they contain plastic.
If you do not bag your material and use a yard waste cart from the hauler, then the hauler can dump the unbagged material directly into their collection truck. If your hauler empties the plastic bags before they take the material to the compost facility, you may be able to use plastic bags. Check with your hauler.
For more information, visit www.RethinkRecycling.com.
AboutTownVolume 21, Number 2 Circulation 25,000Spring 2010
Official Publication of the www.CityofEdina.com City of Edina, Minnesota 4801 West 50th Street Edina, Minnesota 55424 952-826-0359
Editor: Jennifer Bennerotte
Contributing Writers: Marty Doll, Kristal Leebrick, Kaylin Martin, Joe Sullivan
Photographers: Michael Braun and Donna Tilsner
Layout Editor: Kaylin Martin
Publisher: City of Edina
About Town is produced by the City of Edina. To advertise in About Town, call Marty Doll at 952-826-0396 .
Copyright 2010 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.
Cover photo by Pat Willette
Set Yard Waste Out In Compostable Bags
Table of Contents
Calendar Of Events ..........................................................................1
Spring Calendar Highlights ............................................................4
A Word From The Mayor ...............................................................5
1962 Cuban Missile Crisis Raised Fears Of Nuclear War And Led To Fallout Shelters ...................................6
It’s Not Only Neighborly ... It’s The Law ...................................12
More Than $60,000 Donated To Park & Recreation Department ....................................................14
Birds Inspire Edina Art Center’s Spring Show ..........................16
Edina Fire Training & Safety Chief
Pulls Double Duty With Eden Prairie ........................................18
Long Begins Work As Police Chief ..............................................22
What WORKS For You? ................................................................24
City of Edina To Continue Hydrant Flushing ...........................28
All-Night Senior Party: An Exciting And Safe Farewell For Graduates .................................................................30
Minnesotan Hopes Family’s Tragedy Will Serve As Reminder To Others ......................................................34
City Calls For Entries In Annual Photo Contest ........................38
Clint And Carolyn Schroeder To Lead Independence Day Parade ............................................................42
Braemar Arena Manager Hangs Up His Skates ........................44
Business Notes ................................................................................48
Photo Gallery ..................................................................................50
1 • SPRING 2010
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
110 a.m., Spring Break American Idol Party, Arneson Acres Park.
5 p.m., “Bird Show” opening reception, Edina Art Center.
210 a.m.-2 p.m., Spring Break workshop for ages 9-12, Edina Art Center.
3
4 5Commuter Challenge begins.
67 p.m., City Council & HRA, Edina City Hall.
7 87 p.m., Public Works Site Small Area Guide Process kick-off, Edina City Hall.
7 p.m., Energy & Environment Commission, Edina City Hall.
9 108 a.m., Public Works Site Small Area Guide Process Coordination Meeting and Tour, Grange Hall.
117 p.m., Star of the North Concert Band, Edinborough Park.
12Spring classes begin at Edina Art Center.
7 p.m., PCN Speaker Forum, “Strengthening Your Parenting Team,” Highlands Elementary School.
137 p.m., Park Board, Edina City Hall.
7 p.m., Heritage Preservation Board, Edina City Hall.
148 a.m., Public Works Site Small Area Guide Focus Group of Property and Business Owners, Edina City Hall.
16
1710 a.m., Junior golf registration, Braemar Golf Dome.
187 p.m., Southside Big Band, Edinborough Park.
19
207 p.m., City Council & HRA, Edina City Hall.
217 p.m., Public Works Site Small Area Guide Process Community Meeting, Edina City Hall.
223 p.m., Edina Garden Council Community Seminar, “Planning Your Garden,” Arneson Acres Park.
4:30 p.m., Art Center Board, Edina Art Center.
232 p.m., Public Works Site Small Area Guide Design Charrette, Edina Senior Center.
2410 a.m., Spring Time Tea Party, Arneson Acres Park.
Sprouts Plant and Grow, Arneson Acres Greenhouse.
27Noon, Storytelling with Carol McCormick, Edinborough Park.
7 p.m., Human Rights & Relations Commission, Edina City Hall.
267 p.m., Public Works Site Small Area Guide Process Open House, Edina City Hall.
257 p.m., First John Philip Sousa Memorial Band, Edinborough Park.
April 2010
287 p.m., Planning Commission, Edina City Hall.
29Closing of “Bird Show” exhibit, Edina Art Center.
30
155:30 p.m., Zoning Board of Appeals, Edina City Hall.
6 p.m., Transportation Commission, Edina City Hall.
About Town Calendar
2 • SPRING 2010
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
110 a.m., Mom and Me Spa Party, Arneson Acres Park.
6 p.m., Southdale YMCA auction and benefit dinner, The Westin Galleria.
27 p.m., Golden Valley Orchestra, Edinborough Park.
37 p.m., PCN Speaker Forum, “Transition to Kindergarten,” Edina Community Center.
47 p.m., City Council & HRA, Edina City Hall.
5 65 p.m., Reception for Garden Sale and Children’s May Celebration, Edina Art Center.
5:30 p.m., Zoning Board of Appeals, Edina City Hall.
710 a.m.-8 p.m., Edina Garden Council plant sale, Arneson Acres Park.
810 a.m.-4 p.m., Edina Garden Council plant sale, Arneson Acres Park.
5:30 p.m., Feds Fest 2010, The Westin Galleria.
97 p.m., Northern Winds Concert Band, Edinborough Park.
10
117 p.m., Park Board, Edina City Hall.
7 p.m., Heritage Preservation Board, Edina City Hall.
125 p.m., Teddy Bear Picnic, Centennial Lakes Park.
148:30 a.m., Rotary International District 5950 Conference, The Westin Galleria.
159 a.m., Edina Bike Festival, Rosland Park.
2 p.m., Edina Bike Parade, Rosland Park.
167 a.m., “Get Your Rear in Gear” 5K run/walk, Southdale Center.
5:30 p.m., AR&LE Singers, Edinborough Park.
17
186:30 p.m., Community Health Committee, Edina City Hall.
7 p.m., City Council & HRA, Edina City Hall.
19
205:30 p.m., Zoning Board of Appeals, Edina City Hall.
6 p.m., Transportation Commission, Edina City Hall.
21 229:30 a.m., Family Geocaching Event, Rosland Park.
257 p.m., Human Rights & Relations Commission, Edina City Hall.
24
31Memorial Day. City offices and Edina Art Center closed.
237 p.m., First John Philip Sousa Memorial Band, Edinborough Park.
30
May 2010
267 p.m., Planning Commission, Edina City Hall.
27Noon, Okee Dokee Brothers Band, Edinborough Park.
4:30 p.m., Art Center Board, Edina Art Center.
28
137 p.m., Energy & Environment Commission, Edina City Hall.
29
About Town Calendar
3 • SPRING 2010
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
17 p.m., City Council & HRA, Edina City Hall.
27 p.m., Bend in the River Big Band, Centennial Lakes Park.
3Noon, Wonderful World of Woody, Centennial Lakes Park.
5:30 p.m., Zoning Board of Appeals, Edina City Hall.
410 a.m.-7 p.m., Edina Art Fair, 50th & France.
510 a.m.-7 p.m., Edina Art Fair, 50th & France.
610 a.m.-5 p.m., Edina Art Fair, 50th & France.
2 p.m., Cromulent Shakespeare Company, Centennial Lakes Park.
711 a.m., Edina Garden Council Community Seminar, “Picture Perfect Gardens: Photographing your Garden,” Arneson Acres Park.
87 p.m., Park Board, Edina City Hall.
7 p.m., Heritage Preservation Board, Edina City Hall.
9Garden Sale ends at Edina Art Center.
7 p.m., Northstar Barbershop Chorus, Centennial Lakes Park.
10Noon, Brodini, Centennial Lakes Park.
7 p.m., Energy & Environment Commission, Edina City Hall.
11 12
1311 a.m.-4 p.m., Parade of Boats, Centennial Lakes Park.
7 p.m., First John Philip Sousa Memorial Band, Centennial Lakes Park.
14Session I of tennis begins, Edina Community Center.
7 p.m., Brooklyn Community Band, Centernnial Lakes Park.
15Summer art camps begin at Edina Art Center.
7 p.m., City Council & HRA, Edina City Hall.
167 p.m., Lee Engle Quartet, Centennial Lakes Park.
18 19
20 21Summer Park & Recreation programs begin.
22Noon, Will Hale & the Tadpole Parade, Centennial Lakes Park.
237 p.m., University of Minnesota Alumni Band, Centennial Lakes Park.
24Noon, Ollie’s Garden - Woodland Puppets, Centennial Lakes Park.
4:30 p.m., Art Center Board, Edina Art Center.
25Commuter Challenge ends.
26
297 p.m., Human Rights & Relations Commission, Edina City Hall.
287 p.m., Dancing in the Park, Centennial Lakes Park.
5 p.m., Greer Garden Dedication, Edina Art Center.
277 p.m., St. Louis Park Community Band, Centennial Lakes Park.
June 2010
307 p.m., Planning Commission, Edina City Hall.
7 p.m., Eden Prairie Community Band, Centennial Lakes Park.
175:30 p.m., Zoning Board of Appeals, Edina City Hall.
6 p.m., Transportation Commission, Edina City Hall.
About Town Calendar
A Word From The Mayor
What WORKS For You?
This is the question we’ve posed to the community about the future of the Public Works site at 5146 Eden Ave. This building has served our residents for more than 50 years as the home to our hardworking Public Works and Park Maintenance staff, who maintains our streets and parks, plows snow, conducts fleet maintenance and provides utility services such as water and sewer. This summer, Public Works operations will move to a renovated facility on Metro Boulevard.
There’s no shortage of suggestions on what should be done with the property on Eden Avenue after the move. We’ve heard ideas for housing, a community center and medical or office buildings. We’ve even been told we should just sell it to the highest bidder. Determining the best use of the property, whether it is a purely public purpose, a private purpose or a mix of both, is something the City Council is taking very seriously.
On April 8, residents will have the opportunity to participate in a kick-off meeting for the process that will help guide the future of this site. This small area guide plan process is new to Edina. We hope it will become a template for future land-use guidance—one that stresses the participation of interested residents, business and property owners and the City working together to come up with a better way to determine the future land use of property in this community.
We know you are busy, so we’ve compressed this process into a month-long series of meetings that involve key groups at different points in the process. If you can commit to more meetings, there may be a role for you on the Community Advisory Team or the Design Team. If you can only come to a few meetings, there will be an opportunity for you to speak on several occasions. Residents are welcome at all meetings, and we hope you will attend and participate constructively.
In our culture, it is the responsibility of the speaker to communicate clearly with the listener; in other cultures, it is the responsibility of the listener to hear the speaker clearly. In this process, we envision a series of meetings that will encourage and enable both the speaker and the listener to be responsible for the exchange of information. We hope you will bring your thoughts, ideas and experience to these meetings and share them with your fellow residents, business and property owners to create guidelines that can help shape the future of this site and the future of our land-use process for years to come.
James B. HovlandMayor
5 • SPRING 20104 • SPRING 2010
Spring Calendar Highlights
Other Dates To Remember
April 1 Noon, Wonderful World of Woody, Edinborough Park.
April 1 5:30 p.m., Zoning Board of Appeals, Edina City Hall.
April 8 Noon, Bob the Beachcomber, Edinborough Park.
April 12 7 p.m., Developer Roundtable, Edina City Hall.
April 15 Noon, Brodini Comedy & Magic Act, Edinborough Park.
April 22 7 p.m., CAT Summary Meeting, Edina City Hall.
April 22 Noon, Okee Dokee Brothers Band, Edinborough Park.
April 24 8 a.m., Public Works Site Small Area Guide Design Charrette, Edina Senior Center.
April 27 6 p.m., Public Works Site Small Area Guide Refinement Meeting, Edina City Hall.
May 6 Noon, Wonderful World of Woody, Edinborough Park.
May 16 7 p.m., St. Anthony Main, Edinborough Park.
May 20 Noon, Brodini Comedy & Magic Act, Edinborough Park.
June 6 7 p.m., South of the River Big Band, Centennial Lakes Park.
June 7 7 p.m., Southside Big Band, Centennial Lakes Park.
June 8 Noon, Jack Pearson – storytelling, Centennial Lakes Park.
June 14 7 p.m., Brooklyn Community Band, Centennial Lakes Park.
June 15 Noon, Dakota Wild Animals, Centennial Lakes Park.
June 17 Noon, Wiggle Jiggle Jam, Centennial Lakes Park.
June 21 7 p.m., Good News Big Band, Centennial Lakes Park.
Edina Garden Council Plant Sale
What: The Edina Garden Council raises many of the plants for the sale. Plants from commercial growers are carefully selected to ensure high quality. Also offered will be a wide variety of perennials and bulbs grown in the gardens of members. Proceeds go toward projects to beautify City parks and horticulture scholarships through the Federated Garden Clubs of Minnesota.
When: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, May 7, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 8
Where: Arneson Acres Park Greenhouse, 4700 W. 70th St.
Info: 952-285-4108
Edina Art Fair
What: The 50th & France Business & Professional Association will host the 44th-annual Edina Art Fair. One of Edina’s premier summer events, the event draws tens of thousands to downtown Edina each year. Featured art will include drawing, painting, ceramics, pottery, glass, jewelry, photography, sculpture and wood.
When: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. June 4, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. June 5, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 6
Where: Downtown Edina, 50th Street and France Avenue
Info: 952-922-1524 or www.edinaartfair.com
By Joe SullivanContributing Writer
Following World War II in 1945, most Americans were uneasy about the possible spread of Communism by the Soviet Union. In April 1961, before many of our younger readers were born, the United States was publicly embarrassed by its failed Bay of Pigs invasion of Communist Cuba. Covert operations by the CIA continued in Cuba and in February 1962, the United States launched an economic embargo against its Communist neighbor, just 90 miles south of the Florida coast.
Late that summer, the Cuban government took serious note of the embargo plus a joint resolution by the U.S. Congress authorizing use of military force against Cuba if American interests were threatened. Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev and Cuban leader Fidel Castro were both convinced that a U.S. invasion of Cuba was imminent. To lose Cuba would do great harm to the Communist cause, especially in Latin America.
Khrushchev said he wanted to confront the Americans “with more than words … .” The result was a secret agreement between him and Castro to [secretly] place nuclear missiles on Cuban soil.
The first shipment of missiles from the Soviet Union arrived in Cuba on Sept. 8, 1962, followed by a second
shipment on Sept. 16. These missiles were not discovered by the United States until a U-2 reconnaissance flight photographed the construction of a missile launch site in western Cuba on Oct. 14.
Needless to say, the possibility of Cuba forming an alliance with the Soviet Union and launching a nuclear attack a mere 90 miles from our shores struck great fear into the hearts of most Americans!
Of the several responses the U.S. National Security Council considered, the one selected was a naval blockade. It would be a strong action that left the United States in control. In international parlance, it is customary for a “blockade” to stop all shipments into a designated area, and is considered an act of war. On the other hand, a “quarantine” would be limited to shipments of offensive weapons.
The first warning to the American public of the mounting tension came in President John F. Kennedy’s speech on Oct. 22, when he announced the blockade. “It shall be the policy [of the United States] to regard any nuclear missile launched from Cuba against any nation in the Western Hemisphere as an attack on the United States, requiring a full retaliatory response upon the Soviet Union.”
In another address to the nation, Kennedy used the alternative term “quarantine” in detailing the retaliatory response as: “… A strict quarantine on all offensive military equipment under shipment to Cuba. . . [is] being initiated. All ships of any kind, bound for Cuba from
1962 Cuban Missile Crisis
Raised Fears Of Nuclear War
And Led To Fallout Shelters
6 • SPRING 2010
whatever nation and port will, if found to contain cargoes of offensive weapons, be turned back.”
Kennedy also ordered intensified surveillance. By Oct. 19, more frequent U-2 flights confirmed the existence of four missile launch sites. U.S. military forces were put on high alert to enforce the quarantine and to be prepared to invade Cuba at a moment’s notice.
After much deliberation between the Soviet Union and Kennedy’s cabinet, Kennedy secretly made a proposal to remove American missiles from southern Italy and Turkey, the latter on the border of the Soviet Union, in exchange for Khrushchev and Castro removing all missiles from Cuba. (Note that the part of this proposal pertaining to removal of U.S. missiles from southern Italy and Turkey was secret. It also agreed that the Americans would not invade Cuba.)
Soviets Approve Missile Removal SwapOn Oct. 28, just two weeks after the first launch site was confirmed, a reply from Khrushchev was broadcast on Radio Moscow in which he stated: “The Soviet government, in addition to previously issued instructions on the cessation of further work at the building sites for the weapons, has issued a new order on the dismantling of the weapons which you describe as ‘offensive’ and their crating and return to the Soviet Union.”
Kennedy responded immediately, issuing a statement calling Khrushchev’s offer “an important and constructive contribution to peace.” The practical effect of this
Kennedy-Khrushchev pact was that it strengthened Castro’s position in Cuba [because] it also assured that his country would not be invaded by the United States.
Some U.S. diplomats theorized that Khrushchev only placed the missiles in Cuba to get Kennedy to remove American missiles from Italy and Turkey and that the Soviets may have had no serious intentions of a nuclear war. However, because the withdrawal of the missiles from NATO bases in Southern Italy and Turkey was not made public at the time, the public perception was that Kennedy had won the contest between the superpowers and that Khrushchev had been humiliated. However, regardless of the perception, Khrushchev remained in power for another two years.
We will probably never know what Khrushchev really had in mind, but the important thing was that two weeks after the crisis began, it had ended. The Soviet launchers and missiles were shipped back to the Soviet Union. The Cuban crisis is ranked by many with the Berlin Blockade as one of the major confrontations of the Cold War. Although the Cuban Missile Crisis lasted for only 14 days, it is generally regarded as the period during which the Cold War came closest to nuclear war.
A Rude Awakening For Those On The HomefrontAlthough the crisis had been averted, the wave of fear and concern that had swept over the American people during and after those 14 days didn’t go away. Thousands of American families were frightened enough to begin searching for ways to protect themselves and their
7 • SPRING 2010
(continued on next page)
8 • SPRING 2010 9 • SPRING 2010
families from the outcomes of a possible nuclear attack. International and domestic newspapers, magazines and radio and TV broadcasts were filled with reports of the ugly possibilities and the potential danger. Some families were moved to action, but a majority of Americans, not knowing what action to take, were frozen with fear of the unknown.
One action-oriented citizen by the name of Otto A. Lenz, an Edina physician and the father of my wife, Monica, went into action with some intensive library research of his own. In addition to his medical practice, he was an amateur inventor with several patents to his credit. He quickly found that quite a bit had been written about “fallout shelters,” the main subject of his research.
A fallout shelter was defined as “an enclosed space, specially-designed to protect its occupants from radioactive debris, or fallout, resulting from a nuclear explosion.” After such an explosion, vaporized matter in the resulting fireball would be exposed to neutrons from the explosion and become radioactive. When this material condensed in the cloud formed by the explosion, it formed a light sandy substance that resembled ground pumice.
Much of the highly radioactive material falls to earth, exposing any unprotected human or animal within the line of sight to radiation, which is a significant hazard. Fallout shelters were designed to protect occupants from exposure to harmful fallout until its radioactivity
had decayed to a safer level about two weeks after the explosion.
By September 1961, the U.S. government had already started a national Community Fallout Shelter program. That same month, a letter from President Kennedy advising the use of fallout shelters appeared in Life magazine. The November 1961 issue of Fortune magazine contained an article by Gilbert Burck outlining the plans of prominent Americans Nelson Rockefeller, Edward Teller, Herman Kahn and Chet Holifield for an enormous network of underground public fallout shelters throughout the nation to serve as refuges for millions of people in the event of nuclear war.
Early efforts for public shelters were concentrated in large buildings and densely populated downtown areas. They were selected for their thick, below-ground walls, sufficiently thick enough to protect large numbers of people from the devastating radiation that would result from a nuclear attack.
In thousands of U.S. elementary and middle schools, school children participated in “duck-and-cover” drills during school hours in the 1960s. When the
alarm sounded, they knew they were supposed to drop to the floor, crawl under their desks and stay there until the “all clear” signal sounded. If you have sons and/or daughters now in their 50s, they’ll remember. My three oldest children sure do.
In the 1960s, residential fallout shelters began to show up in private households all over the country and took many forms. Some were basement rooms that were built or converted into shelters by building walls of concrete block. Others were varied shapes and sizes of shelters that were buried underground with access to a home.
Fallout Shelter SpecificationsTo meet the required specifications of the Federal Office of Civil Defense (OCD), a basic fallout shelter would have shields able to reduce gamma ray exposure by a minimum of 50 percent. They would require walls and a ceiling made of four tenths of an inch of lead, or 2.4 inches of concrete or covered with 3.6 inches of packed dirt. Additional wall thickness would improve their shielding ability.
The shelter Dr. Lenz designed and arranged to have planted in the backyard of our home in Edina exceeded OCD specifications. It is a standard culvert, 14 feet long and seven feet in diameter, made of 3/16-inch thick, corrugated steel. It has a 3/16-inch steel bulkhead cap welded to each end. Its entrance tunnel is a smaller culvert, four feet long and 30 inches in diameter, welded to one side of the larger culvert to provide access to the shelter from our basement.(continued on next page)
Monica and I kept our camp kitchen stocked with canned
food and other provisions with a long shelf life. A gas camp
stove was used for cooking. When in use, it was placed in the
entrance tunnel where smoke and cooking fumes could be
exhausted into the basement of the house by the ventilation
fan.
Thousands of signs
similar to this appeared
in buildings during
the Cold War to direct
citizens to below-ground
public fallout shelters.
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The steel door of the entrance tunnel opens through the back wall of our basement. This door is fireproof and can be locked from the shelter side only. The entrance tunnel, with its loosely-fitting door, also serves as an exhaust outlet so that, by running a standard 120-volt household fan inside the shelter, it blows gases, cooking odors, smoke, etc., out of the shelter into the basement. Ventilation is through two fresh air intakes – one for outside air and another for basement air. Each intake duct is connected to one of two 100-square-inch fiberglass filters, each four inches thick. (If regular home current is not available, the air intakes can be hand-cranked.)
There is an 80-gallon steel tank, connected to City water and welded to the outside of the west end steel wall, to provide water for drinking and cleaning. The floor was built in four-foot-wide sections that can be raised to store supplies in an eight-inch space under the floor.
That allows headroom of six feet four inches from floor to ceiling.
The steel shell of our shelter was buried in a 20-foot trench and covered with seven truckloads of dirt to leave it under four feet of packed soil, which is sufficient to filter out radioactive fallout. A 16-by-24 foot sheet of heavy polyethylene plastic was buried six inches under the finished grade of our backyard to keep radioactive rainfall from seeping through the dirt and down the outside walls of the shelter.
Rumors persist that there were residential shelters built elsewhere in Edina, but no official record was kept of where they were built or if any of them – besides ours – are still extant.
Interest In Shelters Waned As Nuclear Threat CooledInterest in building fallout shelters gradually ebbed as the perceived threat of nuclear war cooled off after the end of the Cold War in 1991. Shelters like ours could also have provided protection from natural disasters such as tornadoes, but for a time, the shelter provided a place for our kids to play “Pirates of the High Seas” or pretend it was a submarine. Occasionally, it served as an unusual place to host an overnight sleepover for a few young friends.
Years later, the fallout shelter also became a place for two of our sons to “host” a neighborhood friend who had run away from home. They managed to keep it secret from their parents for two days and nights by letting him out during the day when no one was home and smuggling
food to him after we had gone to bed. (We didn’t find out about it until 10 years later.)
Looking back, it is probably realistic to assume that most residential shelters are no longer stocked with the food, supplies and water required for a two-week stay. Some shelters have been converted to other uses including wine cellars or storage space or for kids to play. But basically, most of them have probably been largely neglected and pretty much forgotten with the passage of almost 50 years.
Photos and background material for this article came from
Wikipedia, the notes of Dr. O.A. Lenz and the following
other publications: Life magazine (September 1961) and
Fortune magazine (November 1961).Checking the thick fiberglass air filters
that were attached to each of the air
ducts – one from the basement and
one from outside the house.
Dad even dusted off his ukelele and taught the kids some
of the “old songs.” (From left) daughter Terri, 4; the ukelele
player; sons Dick, 5, and Denny, 6; and baby Mike, 2, sitting on
his Mom’s lap.
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It’s Not Only Neighborly …
It’s The Law
12 • SPRING 2010 13 • SPRING 2010
Peddlers & SolicitorsPeddlers and solicitors are allowed to sell their wares or services 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. 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. Window decals are available at City Hall.
Under local ordinance, peddlers and solicitors must obtain a permit from the Edina Police Department. The permits are valid for 14 days. Peddlers must wear an identification card issued by the City and conduct their business between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. They must go to the front door of a residence and are not allowed in residents’ side or rear yards. Peddlers and solicitors must promptly depart a property after completing business.
Non-profit organizations established for philanthropic, religious or educational purposes do not have to obtain a permit, but must register with the Police Department. Some people do not have to register or carry a permit to go door to door. Those people include:
• Those selling personal property at wholesale to dealers of such articles
• Newspersons
• Merchants delivering goods to established customers in the regular course of business
• Farmers or gardeners
• Students in kindergarten through Grade 12 who are selling items to benefit programs or activities in which they are involved
• Bakery, dairy or grocery deliverers who make an uninvited initiatory visit in an effort to establish a regular route service for future delivery of perishables
Political and religious canvassing or campaigning is not prohibited.
Remember, you do not need to answer a knock at your door. If you are not sure who it is or are uncomfortable, don’t open your door.
For more information, contact the Edina Police
Department, 952-826-1610. Please report suspicious
activity by calling 911.
Lawn WateringWater smart! In order to ensure an adequate water supply and promote water conservation, the City’s Utilities Department reminds residents that Edina’s odd-even sprinkling policy is in effect year-round.
Homes with even-numbered addresses may water their lawns on even-numbered dates of the week. Homes with odd-numbered addresses may water on odd-numbered dates. So, the family living at 5320 Kelsey Terrace could water their lawn on even-numbered dates – May 2, 4, 6 and so on.
The City also bans lawn sprinkling from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, reducing water wasted through evaporation and allowing pumps to refill water storage facilities for evening peak use.
If the weather becomes exceptionally dry for an extended period of time, additional water restrictions might be put into place. However, because residents have faithfully observed the odd-even sprinkling policy, the City has had very few water emergencies in the past.
For more information, contact Utility Coordinator Dave
Goergen, 952-826-0312.
Animals Running At LargeLike their owners, many animals like to spend time outdoors in the spring and summer. Pet owners must have their animals on a leash when off their property.
City ordinances prohibit people from allowing their animals to run at large, including cats. There is a common belief that cats must be allowed to roam free and hunt. This notion is not true. Cats will lead healthier, longer and safer lives if kept indoors. Dogs and cats found running at large may be impounded. Owners are responsible for all impound fees, which include pick-up, daily boarding, medical attention and licensing. If an animal is found with a current City license on its collar, the dog may be returned to the owner instead of being impounded. All dogs over the age of six months must be licensed. Cats need not be licensed. Licenses can be purchased online or at City Hall, with a current rabies vaccination receipt.
When off the owner’s property, all dogs and cats must be leashed. When you go out for a walk or run, your pet must be leashed at all times, including in City parks. An exception is in the City’s off-leash dog area at Van Valkenburg Park.
For more information or to report an animal running at
large, contact Animal Control Officer Tim Hunter,
952-826-0494.
14 • SPRING 2010 15 • SPRING 2010
More Than $60,000 Donated To
Park & Recreation Department
Parks and other amenities greatly improve the quality of life in a community. The City of Edina is the fortunate recipient of many donations each year that improve its parks, adding to the quality of life enjoyed here. Edina Park & Recreation creates community through people, parks and programs. In the year 2009, more than $60,000 in donations was received.
“The City of Edina wishes to extend a hearty thanks to all those who made contributions to the Edina Park & Recreation Department in 2009,” said Park & Recreation Director John Keprios. “All donations are greatly appreciated and are especially important during these challenging economic times as these donations are needed to help us accomplish our mission, which is to ‘sustain and improve the high quality of life enjoyed by our residents and businesses by providing effective and valued park and recreation services and facilities and preserving our natural resources.’”
Those who made donations of $300 or more to the Edina Park & Recreation Department in 2009 were: Given To/For
John Feddema Braemar Golf Course
Robert Malby Braemar Golf Course
$500 or more:Friends of the Edina Library Grandview Square Park
Mike Kelly Edina Art Center for Juried Art Show
Michael P. and Edina Art Center for Stephanie Wiess Juried Art Show $1,000 or more:Ronald and Sandra Clark Edina Art Center for Juried Art Show
Michale Anne deGrood/ Edina Art CenterKelm Foundation
Edina Community Council Transportation for summer park programs
Edina Community Foundation Courtney Fields for flagpole
Edina Community Foundation “The Wave” glass sculpture for Senior Center
Kelodale Garden Club Edina Art Center for buckthorn eradication
Kelodale Garden Club Rosland Park for buckthorn eradication
M&I Bank Centennial Lakes Movies in the Park
NorthMarq Real Estate Edina Art Center for Juried Art Show
Spicolla Family Foundation Plantings in multiple parks
$5,000 or more:Edina Housing Foundation Edina Art Center for Greer Memorial Garden
$10,000 or more:Edina Community Foundation 4th of July fireworks sponsored by Fairview Southdale Hospital
For more information on donations made in 2009 or to
make a donation to the Park & Recreation Department,
contact Keprios, 952-826-0430.
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16 • SPRING 2010
By Kristal LeebrickContributing Writer
Years ago, before Edina Art Center Gallery Coordinator Anne Spooner was born, one of her older brothers found a nest of abandoned baby birds and brought it home. Spooner’s mother took care of the orphaned birds on a screened porch that summer. When September came, the brothers went back to school and their mom decided it was time to let the birds go. The birds hung around the home for a while. One day, not too long after she had let them loose, their mom was in the backyard and one of the birds flew down from a tree and rested on her shoulder.
“It was as if it was saying, ‘I remember you,’” said Spooner, recalling her family’s true story. “How cool to have a bird land on your shoulder like that.”
Though not always so dramatic, birds impact our human lives, Spooner says, through their antics, sounds and colors. She has been working with bird imagery in her art for a number of years, and that work is part of what inspired the Center’s new juried exhibition, which takes wing, so to speak, this spring.
“The Bird Show—An Exhibition Celebrating Birds” opens April 1 and runs through April 29. It will feature original two- and three-dimensional art that portrays birds and their influence in our lives.
A youth art instructor at the Edina Art Center’s Art Academy for more than a decade, Spooner says her work has been influenced by the elementary-age students she teaches each week.
“Kids really gravitate toward animals, whether drawing them, painting them, making them out of clay,” she said. “The birds started creeping into what I was doing, into my art.
“As a kid, I loved animals. I was reminded of that by the students. I was able to reconnect in a way … with something that I forgot about.”
At first, Spooner drew and painted simplified bird forms, but a couple of years ago she began dabbling with clay.
“It’s kind of surprising because I never thought I’d do 3-D work. I think it’s being around potters all the time [at the Edina Art Center],” she said of her interest in the media.
Birds Inspire Edina Art Center’s
Spring Show
17 • SPRING 2010
In late 2007, Spooner was diagnosed with breast cancer and her bird work changed. “My doctor said an interesting thing to me,” she said. “He said, you are in a really black hole at the moment; it’s going to be like that for a while, but it’s going to get better. He was correct about that. The birds took on a deeper meaning. They became symbols for healing and hope. They represent that for me now.”
Spooner’s clay birds can be found at the Art Center’s gift shop with this simple statement attached: “These clay birds are handmade and one of a kind. As guardian of trees, they bring a message of compassion, healing, hope and protection.”
The idea for the bird show was a collaborative effort between Spooner and Art Center Director Diana Hedges. They had both been thinking about incorporating birds into an art show for some time.
At press time, all entries had not come in for the show, but Spooner was hoping for a variety of interpretations of the bird theme and a broad range of media. The show will feature artists of all ages and various levels of experience. It opens April 1 with a public reception from 5 to 8 p.m. with refreshments and opportunities to meet the artists.
To find out more about the show, visit
www.EdinaArtCenter.com or call Anne Spooner or Diana
Hedges at 952-903-5780.
EAC Tapped To Create
Award For Ramstad
Anne Spooner’s bird work was incorporated into a
piece of art created to honor former U.S. Rep. Jim
Ramstad last year. That art piece was part of the
Lifetime Achievement Award the American Cancer
Society presented to Ramstad for his work in the fight
against cancer.
The Edina Art Center was approached by Dr. Rebecca
Thoman to create a work of art to honor Ramstad.
Spooner collaborated with ceramic artist Adama Sow
to create a fountain titled “Survivor’s Journey.” The
fountain symbolizes how Ramstad’s legacy continues to
flow.
Sow designed the form of a woman and added a vessel
to represent how women are giving and nourishing.
Spooner’s birds were attached to express the healing
and hope that Ramstad gave to so many. One braid on
the figure’s head acts as an image of oneness and unity
of all who experience cancer. The woman is placed in
a boat telling the viewer that her journey continues.
The pebbles in the boat serve as symbols of cancer
survivors.
“True Story” by Anne Spooner
18 • SPRING 2010 19 • SPRING 2010
Edina Fire Training & Safety Chief
Pulls Double Duty With Eden Prairie
By Marty Doll
When describing their jobs, many people say they “wear more than one hat” in the workplace. The opposite is true for Tom Schmitz. He wears the same hat – at two jobs.
For the last eight years, the certified firefighter and paramedic with a passion for teaching has split his time between Training & Safety Battalion Chief for the Edina Fire Department and Assistant Chief in charge of training in neighboring Eden Prairie, where he resides.
Before joining either department, Schmitz worked as an Air Force medic, and first became interested in firefighting when he was stationed in Omaha, Neb. There, he fought fires as a member of a small volunteer department. Upon returning to Minnesota, Schmitz put his military training to work as a paramedic for North Memorial and respiratory therapist for Hennepin County Medical Center, but the fire to fight fire never burned out.
In 1988, Schmitz applied and was hired as a volunteer paid-on-call (POC) firefighter with Eden Prairie. For the next five years, he worked as both a hospital paramedic and volunteer fireman. In 1993, Schmitz was hired into one of Edina’s coveted full-time firefighter/paramedic positions.
Unlike Eden Prairie, which employs 95 POCs and only a small group of full-timers, Edina runs a full-time
fire service, employing over 30 full-time firefighter/paramedics. Schmitz’s love for the fire service compelled him to hold on to his POC position with Eden Prairie. In 2000, he was promoted to Edina’s Training & Safety Battalion Chief. Two years later, he was presented with the same opportunity in Eden Prairie. Schmitz says he jumped at the opportunity to double his efforts.
“I went for it,” said Schmitz, “I was already the training chief here in Edina, and I thought, ‘how much different could it be over there?’”
“[Schmitz] lives and breathes the training thing,” said Edina Fire Chief Marty Scheerer, one of Schmitz’s two bosses. “I knew he had a lot of potential.”
As training chief for both departments, Schmitz became responsible for creating and facilitating all fire, rescue and safety training programs. It is his duty to get both cities’ first responders ready to safely, quickly and efficiently handle any and all challenges they may face on a wide array of emergency calls.
While the nature of his role is very similar across City borders, Schmitz says the difference in operational structure between the two departments can provide some challenges. When creating training programs, he says he is always thinking about how he can modify them to fit the needs of both departments.
“The crossover is not always seamless,” said Schmitz. “It takes a lot of time and effort to bring them to a point where they work for both.”
Unlike Eden Prairie’s part-time model, training in Edina is a full-time job. Each week, Schmitz holds the same training session four separate times for four different groups – once each for the Department’s three full-time shifts and again for the POC group. In addition, Schmitz also holds specialized Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and Special Operations training.
Because Edina’s Fire Department is also the City’s EMS provider, not only does staff require more training hours,
but they also receive nearly three times the number of calls as their Eden Prairie counterparts. This means the chances of training being interrupted are much greater.
“Being a full-time department, I see these guys on a regular basis,” said Schmitz. “If training is interrupted by an emergency call, I can catch them on the next shift to make it up.”
While Eden Prairie typically gets fewer calls, Schmitz says their volunteer structure means “a lot more balls are in the air” at any given time. For example, the group only assembles during emergency calls and trainings. That means Schmitz, who works daytime hours for Edina, sees nearly all of Eden Prairie’s 95 firefighters only once a week – during their three-hour Thursday night training.
“If they miss training, it’s hard to make up,” said Schmitz, who schedules sessions as far out as a year in advance.
Schmitz says another big difference between his two jobs is how he incorporates and maintains his role as a firefighter. While his full-time Battalion Chief position with Edina typically keeps him inside the fire station, in Eden Prairie, that’s not the case.
“Over there [as a POC volunteer], I go on calls. I am expected to go on calls,” said Schmitz. “It’s exciting work, and it keeps me on the front line. That’s not always typical for a Chief position.”
Schmitz observes an Edina Fire
Department training held at the South
Metro Public Training Safety Facility.
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20 • SPRING 2010 21 • SPRING 2010
In addition to the 40-plus hours per week he puts in with Edina, Schmitz works another 10 to 15 for Eden Prairie. He is tasked with office work, administrative tasks and officers’ meetings on top of his normal training schedule. Eden Prairie Fire Chief George Esbensen praises Schmitz for his ability to keep track of his multiple responsibilities while still making time for a life at home.
“Tom is a role model to a lot of people in the department for balancing his personal life and professional life,” said Esbensen. “He gets a lot done for both departments, but still is a grade-A husband and father. A lot of guys look up to him.”
Schmitz, Esbensen and Scheerer all agree that the positive working relationship the Edina and Eden Prairie fire departments have built over the years has allowed Schmitz to work his dual role flawlessly, and vice versa.
“One of the main reasons we have such a good relationship with our neighbors is Tom Schmitz,” said Scheerer. “He has been a catalyst, getting both departments to use common terminology and to try to do things the same way. Our departments have, for a long time, been an example for other departments statewide of how to work together.”
At the end of the day, Schmitz says he is most concerned with the final product produced by both departments.
“It’s nice to see the guys manage an incident safely and correctly,” said Schmitz. “That’s how you know you’ve done your job.”
For more information on mutual aid between fire
departments and the Edina Fire Department, visit
www.CityofEdina.com/Fire or call 952-826-0378.
Edina Training & Safety Battalion Chief Tom Schmitz trains
on a piece of equipment in Eden Prairie, where he is the
Assistant Chief in charge of training.
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23 • SPRING 201022 • SPRING 2010
Long Begins Work As Police Chief
There is no “typical” day for a police officer. When he puts on his uniform and pins on his badge, he doesn’t know how many traffic stops he’ll make or how many residents he’ll meet. She doesn’t know if crime will rear its ugly head or if there will be a break in a big case she’s been working on. No one knows if it will be a quiet day or if backup will be needed.
Though most of his work as Edina’s new Police Chief is administrative, it is for that reason that Jeff Long often forgoes a suit and tie for a uniform complete with starred lapels.
Without straining his memory, Long is quickly able to recall a day where he was required to do much more than provide oversight and direction for the department. One afternoon late last fall, a suicidal man barricaded himself inside his home, wielding a gun. Officers on patrol worked to evacuate the surrounding homes and set up a perimeter in the area to prevent people from driving near the scene. Some officers interviewed the other occupants of the home, while others worked with the school district to make sure school buses stayed out of the area after school was dismissed. The Police Department’s Emergency Response and Negotiator teams were activated. The two on-duty dispatchers were busy with officers at the scene, so an additional one was called in to work. With more than 20 officers assigned to a single call, resources were stretched very thin.
During it all, typical calls were still coming in to the Police Department. Long, Deputy Police Chief at the
time, assisted with those calls and aided people at the front counter. Also, as the call unfolded with the barricaded subject, he became the liaison between the negotiators working from within the Police Department and the officers at the scene. He helped get photos of the area and the subject. He worked with a telephone company to make sure only the Police Department’s calls were going through to the man’s cell phone.
“On these types of days, there are so many behind-the-scene things that take place,” Long explained. “Every officer available is needed to ensure our service is not interrupted and that our officers are not put in danger by understaffing a major event.”
Long began work as Police Chief Jan. 1, succeeding Michael Siitari who retired in December 2009 after 31 exemplary years of service to the City of Edina, the last
10 years as Chief. Long says he follows Sitarii’s “lead-by-example” philosophy.
An Edina native, Long has been a member of the Edina Police Department since 1987 when he started his career as a Community Service Officer. In 1989, he was hired as a Patrol Officer. In 1994, he was promoted to Detective, in 1997 to Sergeant, in 2001 to Lieutenant and in 2008 to Deputy Chief. He is a graduate of Northwestern University’s Police Staff and Command School. He is a 2004 graduate of the FBI National Academy.
“It’s an honor to work for this community and the people of this department,” said Long, who holds a bachelor’s degree in law enforcement. “As a kid growing up in Edina, I always wanted to be a police officer. It’s a dream come true to be the Edina Police Chief.”
Long is the sixth Edina Chief to come from the ranks of the Edina Police Department. Former chiefs Siitari, Bill Bernhjelm, Len Kleven, Bert Merfeld and Craig Swanson were likewise promoted from within the ranks of the department.
“Jeff is continuing the finest hallmarks of the Edina Police Department – professionalism, dedication and service to our residents to ensure that Edina remains the preeminent place for living, learning, raising families and doing business,” said City Manager Gordon Hughes.
The new Police Chief is a strong believer in community-oriented policing. Besides supporting his staff and further
developing partnerships in the community, one of his goals is to identify opportunities for efficiencies in the department. “I’m looking at how we’re doing business, how we’re structured and how we’re spending money,” he said. “Now more than ever in law enforcement, it’s important to be innovative. I’m not afraid to try new things.”
Long said the two greatest challenges facing the department are the economy and a trend to more violent behavior in the United States. “Just because we have fewer dollars to work with doesn’t mean we can go on fewer calls. We have to figure out how to do business differently but still meet all of the needs of the community,” he said. “We also have to keep an eye on the changes in society. When I started 22 years ago, it was pretty much about locking up the bad guys. Now, it’s just as much about getting to the root of the problem of their behavior – doing more social work.”
Though some changes are imminent within the department, Long is quick to point out that the community’s expectations of quality police work should not be diminished. “Most of the changes we make in the coming years will be behind the scenes. Our great service will continue,” he said. “The only reason we’re here is to serve and protect the community.”
For more information on the Edina Police Department, call
952-826-1610 or visit www.CityofEdina.com/Police.
Jeff Long began work as Police
Chief Jan. 1.
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In the future, what do you envision on the current Public Works Facility site on Eden Avenue? A park? Transit hub? Housing? Community center? Medical office building? Hotel? Something else?
Share your ideas in a small area guide process set for early this spring.
The City acquired and is now renovating an industrial building on Metro Boulevard that meets Edina Public Works’ future needs, enabling the City to provide more effective and efficient services and fleet maintenance. The Public Works Department is expected to move into its new facility and vacate the property at 5146 Eden Ave. in the summer. A small area guide will help City officials determine what should happen to the three-acre parcel that houses existing Public Works operations.
A small area guide is a first step in defining an evolution for an area. The process of creating the guide offers Edina residents the opportunity to engage in a dialogue that frames the future of these areas of potential change. The small area guide process will help local leaders understand how changes at the Public Works site can best benefit the community.
The small area guide process will be led by a Community Advisory Team (CAT), and supported by a Design Team and a Technical Advisory Group (TAG). Representatives to the CAT from the four quadrants of our community and two “at-large” representatives will be selected by residents who attend the Public Works Site Small
Area Guide Kick-Off Meeting on April 8 at City Hall. In addition, a business owner, property owner and representatives of City commissions will participate in the CAT.
The efforts of the CAT will be augmented by the experience of design, planning and real estate professionals of the Design Team. Like the CAT, members of the Design Team will be Edina residents who volunteer their time to be a part of this process.
Staff from the City and school district will form the core of the TAG, whose primary role will be providing technical insights to the process.
The small area guide process for Edina’s Public Works site will occur during a six-week period organized around meetings that engage citizens and allow the CAT and Design Team to formulate directions for the future of the site.
“This process has been planned to gain the insights of citizens interested in the Public Works site, and to be successful, requires volunteers. We hope you’ll be a part of it,” said Planning Commission Chairman Michael Fischer.
For more information or to volunteer to be part of the
CAT or Design Team, contact Assistant City
Manager Heather Worthington, 952-826-0415 or
hworthington@ci.edina.mn.us, or visit
www.CityofEdina.com.
Edina’s Public Works Site:
What WORKS for you?
24 • SPRING 2010 25 • SPRING 2010
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Public Works Site Small Area Guide
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Kick-Off Meeting 6:30-8:30 p.m. April 8
Coordination Meeting and Site Tour 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. April 10
Developer Roundtable 7-9 p.m. April 12
Focus Group of Property and Business Owners 8-10 a.m. April 14
Community Meeting 7-9 p.m. April 21
CAT Summary Meeting 7-9 p.m. April 22
Design Charrette 2-7 p.m. April 23
Design Charrette 8 a.m.-5 p.m. April 24
Open House 7-9 p.m. April 26
Refinement Meeting 6-9 p.m. April 27
Planning Commission Meeting 7-8 p.m. April 28
City Council and Planning Commission work session5-7 p.m. May 18
26 • SPRING 2010 27 • SPRING 2010
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28 • SPRING 2010 29 • SPRING 2010
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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 begin flushing hydrants in late April and will continue through the first week of May. 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 April 26 and on the west side of the highway the week of May 3.
Due to the hydrant flushing, it is inevitable that some residents will receive rust-colored water that could stain laundry, but 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 952-826-0311.
City Of Edina To Continue Hydrant
Flushing
Coverage for backups of sewers and basement drains is
available, but not always included in a basic homeowner’s
insurance policy.
In addition, insurance companies that do offer the
protection have varying amounts of coverage.
Check your homeowner’s insurance policy to see if you
have coverage for backups.
If you do not have coverage, consider adding to your policy
because in most cases the City’s insurance will not cover your
damages in the event of an incident.
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Pub:About Town
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Unit:1/8 pg
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Color:BW
Issue:January, 2010
Close:Oct 30, 2009
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30 • SPRING 2010 31 • SPRING 2010
All-Night Senior Party: An Exciting
And Safe Farewell For Graduates
By Kaylin Martin
It’s an evening Edina High School seniors never forget – the all-night senior party.
Since 1951, parents of graduating seniors have outdone themselves year after year to make sure every senior party tops the last. Today, an average of more than 400 parent volunteers and an annual budget of over $50,000 make that possible.
The all-night party didn’t begin soley as a way to bring graduates together one last time. In 1955, The New York Times Magazine wrote an article about senior parties and credited Edina with the idea of hosting an all-night senior party as a way to prevent excited graduates from getting into trouble the night of graduation – an idea that still holds value today.
“It is a lot of money to spend on a party, but it keeps them safe,” said Linda King, one of three co-chairs of the 2009 senior party. “And that’s the biggest thing: to keep the kids safe.”
Kelly Hayes, a freshman at the College of St. Benedict who attended the senior party last year, said most of her graduating class was at the party and they were all impressed by the celebration. “From the time we pulled up in front of the school until the time we left, there was never a dull moment. The parents did an incredible job,” she said.
It all begins in September, when the senior parents brainstorm a theme for the extravagant affair. The theme must remain a secret until the freshly graduated students arrive by bus the night of the party.
“No one will find the theme written down anywhere,” King said. “And it’s fun, because the students want to be surprised.”
Last year’s theme was ESPN, an acronym for Edina Senior Party Night, which was a sports-filled evening complete with a giant inflatable hornet that hovered over the school’s entrance. Students were also greeted by Twins’ mascot T.C. and Timberwolves’ mascot Crunch.
Parents have impressed seniors just as thoroughly in the past. A giant jukebox, castle and drawbridge, and a cruise ship are only a few of the structures that have graced the front doors of Edina High School.
“They go above and beyond,” said Andrew Swenson, a Kansas University freshman who attended the party last year. “They always bring so much creativity.”
Once a theme is decided, parents search for a warehouse to create the giant props and other decorations such as the “student bodies.” Every parent is encouraged to craft a life-size cutout of his or her child. Parents paste an enlarged photo of their child’s face on a template and decorate as they see fit, with clothes, paint or other photos and memorabilia that represents who their child is as a person.
“The students love finding themselves and their friends, too,” said Jean Mooty, another of the three co-chairs of the 2009 senior party. “The bodies are always a huge hit with the students.”
Along with the “student bodies,” last year parents created sports panels to ensure every locker was covered. All of the floor-to-ceiling panels were hand painted on fire-proof craft paper.
“There were so many personalized aspects of the party,” said Hayes. “It all came together to make a perfectly planned night.”
In order to throw a “perfectly planned” party for 500-plus students, parents must stay extremely organized, said Mooty.
To keep on task each year, volunteers form approximately 35 committees. The committees take care of specifics ranging from communications to prizes to security.
“We really had no trouble getting people to step up as committee chairs,” said King. “Everyone truly had a great time before and during the party.”
According to Joy Ernst, one of three co-chairs of the 2010 senior party, this year is no different.
“We have some incredibly gifted people on the committees,” she said. “It’s such a great feeling to volunteer in a community where the parents really care – where they are so involved and actively engaged in our children. I can’t stress how much fun we’re all having.”
New this year is a “green committee,” which will work toward making the party as environmentally friendly as possible. The students will eat from compostable plates and cups. The committee will also reuse many decorations from the past. However, Ernst doesn’t want students to think the recycled materials will detract from the “wow” factor. “I can’t wait to see the kids’ faces when they pull up in the buses,” she said. “Outside and inside, the school is going to be transformed!”
(continued on next page)
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Parents of senior students create life-size cutouts of their child and
decorate as they see fit.
32 • SPRING 2010 33 • SPRING 2010
Entertainment for the evening typically takes part in themed rooms, which include activities such as karaoke, simulated racing games, video games, blow-up sumo wrestling, junk food walks, a casino and much more. Always popular among the students is the community service room. This past year, the community service room served as an escape from the festivities for students to box up refurbished sporting equipment and old trophies to be shipped to underprivileged children around the world.
“It’s important for us to incorporate community service into the evening. We’ve been doing it for years now,” said Mooty.
The night is then capped off with a hypnotist show. While some students are under the hypnotist’s induction, parents clean up the school. “That’s when the real magic happens,” said King. “By the time they come out of the
hypnotist, the school is school again. All the decorations are taken down, it’s nearly 4 a.m. and their rides are here.”
“It’s a blast,” said King, “it really is – for the students and the parents.”
Edina High School Graduation will be held June 15 at the
University of Minnesota’s Northrop Auditorium. The Senior
Class Party begins at 10 p.m. The party site will be open to
the public for viewing the afternoon of June 15. For more
information on the Edina High School senior party, visit
www.EdinaSeniorParty.org.
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34 • SPRING 2010 35 • SPRING 2010
Minnesotan Hopes Family’s
Tragedy Will Serve As Reminder To
Others
(continued on next page)
By Marty Doll
It’s funny where the mind goes after tragedy strikes. For Eddie Kempf-Schwarze, his thought process brought him back to his childhood desire to “help” people.
“I’ve always wanted to be a firefighter, ever since I was a little kid,’” said the south Minneapolis resident.
On a frigid December evening, Eddie, a 32-year-old husband and stay-at-home father of three, came to Edina City Hall to tell his tragic story to Edina Fire Marshal Tom Jenson. Only a few days before, Jenson had summoned the courage to reach out to the young man, knowing it was going to be one of the hardest phone calls he’d ever had to make.
In October, Eddie’s parents were killed and his brother left with terminal brain damage by the silent assassin known as carbon monoxide (CO).
Jenson says he read about the tragedy days after it happened. Eddie’s father, Lee; mother, Nancy; and brother, Michael, all of Hutchinson, Minn., had gone north to spend the weekend winterizing their cabin in Longville, Minn. The last anyone heard from the Schwarzes was during a good-night phone call to a family member, in which they stated “everything looks fine.” By the time they were found the next morning, it was too late.
While neither Eddie nor his parents had any ties to Edina, Jenson said the story stuck in the pit of his stomach, and compelled him to contact the surviving son.
“Our department, like many others across the State, prides itself in its role as educators,” said Jenson. “This story presented a teachable moment for our residents. Not only did it hit too close to home, but it was also far too preventable.”
The Schwarzes’ cabin did not have CO alarms.
“Why didn’t someone say something? Why didn’t I say something?” Eddie pondered aloud.
Police reports completed after the incident indicate that the CO poisoning was caused by a faulty gas stove vent in the family cabin. Since CO gas can’t be seen, smelled or tasted, the lack of an alarm meant that the Schwarzes had no idea they were being poisoned.
A self-proclaimed “fire-safety guy,” Eddie says he knows his home is safe – he has smoke and CO alarms on every floor, and tests the batteries regularly. His parents’ home, he says, was safe as well. In fact, they even had a CO alarm in their mobile home trailer. For whatever reason, no one thought about the cabin.
“The cabin has been in our family for 50 or 60 years,” said Eddie, still struggling with the simplicity of the solution that could have saved his family’s lives. “A carbon monoxide alarm is $15. $15 can save your life.” What was once a place of fond family memories he says is now nothing more than an ominous reminder of preventable deaths.
“The whole family, we are all hurting,” he said.
Perhaps even more tragic then the immediate death of his parents is what happened to Eddie’s brother. He admits that a part of him wishes younger brother Michael had also gone peacefully with his mom and dad.
“[He] was slowly fading. He had such bad brain damage,” said Eddie of his younger sibling in the weeks following the tragedy. “If he had survived, he would have been the equivalent of a newborn baby. Now, he’ll never grow up to be a Sheriff like he wanted. It was sad to watch.”
Eddie said that his brother was found lying in his own vomit on the cabin floor, as if he had tried to get out of bed and out of the cabin. He was taken to a hyperbaric chamber in an attempt to restore oxygen to his body, but his brain had already been without it for too long. He was in comfort care, breathing through a tracheotomy tube until he passed away, just days before Christmas.
“All he could do was look. Sometimes he smiled,” said Eddie, who is thankful for the support system he has in place with his surviving sister and other extended family members. “It was just reactive, like a baby would do.”
Natural gas, propane and wood-burning heat sources present in most lake homes, cabins or ice houses can be notorious producers of CO, which is produced when materials burn in an environment with limited oxygen. In addition to death from high exposure, many people are unaware that serious health problems can occur from long-term, low exposure. Without an alarm, there is no way of knowing if you are being exposed.
Edina’s Fire Department actively pursued CO legislation at the State capitol over the last decade, and Jenson says they were overjoyed when, in 2006, State law was passed requiring working CO alarms in all housing structures.
A recent family photo of Lee, Nancy and Michael Schwarze, with
the Schwarze’s granddaughter, Iris.
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36 • SPRING 2010 37 • SPRING 2010
“The problem is, even as people have begun incorporating CO alarms into their homes, many continue to overlook them when they travel,” said Jenson.
According to Jenson, at least one CO alarm should be present anywhere a person is spending the night – the same is true for a smoke alarm. He even pleads that when staying in a hotel or renting a cabin, one should call ahead to make sure both alarms are in place.
“If not, put one in your suitcase – they don’t take up much room at all,” said Jenson “If you own a lake home, trailer, cabin or even an ice house, install one permanently. You’ll never know when it might save your life – or save the life of someone you love.”
“This does happen,” said Eddie, who knows all too well the pain and heartbreak that can be caused by simple oversight or lack of awareness. He hopes that his story will serve as a tragic reminder for people to take safety with them when they travel.
“If I can make sure that someone else does not go through it, I will,” he said.
For more information on preventing CO poisoning,
visit www.CityofEdina.com/Fire or call the Edina Fire
Department at 952-826-0378.
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38 • SPRING 2010 39 • SPRING 2010
City Calls For Entries In Annual
Photo Contest
The City of Edina again extends an invitation to all residents and Edina business people to enter the annual “Images of Edina” Photo Contest. It’s the picture-perfect way to show off your photography skills and help capture the images that portray the many aspects of life in Edina.
As in years past, photos should be submitted in one of four categories representing the City’s vision statement: living, learning, raising families and doing business. Because of the category’s popularity, this year, “living” will be broken down into two sub-categories: “Living – People” and “Living - Plants/Wildlife.”
City of Edina gift certificates – which can be used at any City park or facility, for utility payments or for permit/application fees – will be awarded to overall and category
winners. The “Best of Show” winner will receive a $150 gift certificate, individual category winners will receive a $50 gift certificate and any “Judges” or “Staff” choice award winners will receive a $25 gift certificate.
The deadline to enter this year’s contest is Friday, June 18. All submissions must be received by 4:30 p.m.
Official rules and entry forms can be found online at www.CityofEdina.com/PhotoContest.
The contest is free to enter and open to both amateur and professional photographers who are Edina residents, work in or go to school in Edina. Photographs must be taken in Edina.
NEW THIS YEAR Photographs must be entered in one of five categories that represent the City’s vision statement:
• Living – People• Living – Plants/Wildlife• Learning• Raising Families• Doing Business
Photographers may submit up to a total of four photographs with a maximum of one per category. (Only one photo may be submitted in the “Living” category).
Only photographs taken between June 19, 2009, and June 18, 2010, are eligible.
All photos MUST be submitted as 8x10 prints on photo quality paper. Please also provide your photo in an electronic format (.jpg, .tif, or .eps), if possible.
Both color and black-and-white prints are accepted. Do not mat or frame photos.
All entries submitted must be the original work of the submitting photographer.
By submitting one or more photos, you agree to the terms of the City’s Submitted Photo & Original Artwork Policy found online at www.CityofEdina.com/PhotoContest.
All photo entries become the property of the City and are not returned.
Each entry should include the photographer’s name, address, zip code, daytime telephone number, age (if under 18), category, title of photo and enhancement description if the image was digitally manipulated in any way.
Entries should be mailed to: Photo Contestc/o City of Edina4801 W. 50th St.Edina, MN 55424
or dropped off at Edina City Hall.
Entries will be judged by a panel of professional photographers and communications specialists on subject matter, composition, clarity, lighting, depth of field, artistry/drama, degree of difficulty, technical excellence and overall impact.
For more information contact Communications
Coordinator Marty Doll at 952-826-0396 or
mdoll@ci.edina.mn.us.
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Rules of the Road Quiz
True or False
1. Helmets are required if you bike on Edina roads.
2. It is generally a good idea to ride against traffic, just like pedestrians.
3. Traffic laws for cars also apply to bicycle riders.
4. Bicycle riding is permitted on all roads in
Edina (except highways).
5. You may sometimes legally ride side-by-side
on the road with a friend.
6. Bicycle riding is permitted on all sidewalks in
Edina.
For more resources and questions about bicycling in Edina and surrounding communities, visit www.BikeEdina.org.
Answers: 1.) False, 2.) False, 3.) True, 4.) True, 5.)True, 6.) False
42 • SPRING 2010 43 • SPRING 2010
Clint And Carolyn Schroeder To Lead
Independence Day Parade
Well before the crack of dawn, Clint and Carolyn Schroeder wake and scurry to the street to stake out their viewing spots for Edina’s Independence Day parade.
This year, the Edina couple won’t have to go through the trouble. The Schroeders will lead the 2010 parade as grand marshals, trading in their lawn chairs for a ride on the back of a stylish convertible.
“This is such a happy, pleasant, fun honor,” said Carolyn, gushing after being asked to serve as grand marshal along with her husband. “This parade epitomizes how proud everyone is to live in this town. It’s a big celebration of our town and our country … It’s a coming together of a lot of positive things in our community.”
The Schroeders, who moved to Edina in June 1959, have their fingerprints on a lot of the “positive things” that set the community apart from others in the metropolitan area.
Clint, an attorney with Gray Plant Mooty for 52 years, and Carolyn, a nurse, have each been heavily involved in professional associations and activities at their alma mater, the University of Minnesota. They have been just as passionate about supporting community organizations as professional ones.
Clint served on the Fairview Health Services Board of Directors from 1972 until 1996, serving as Chairman from 1988 until 1993. He was a member of the Southdale YMCA Board of Management, serving as its chairman when the branch was constructed. During the years their
children were in school, one or both of them were chairs of parent-teacher associations at Wooddale Elementary, South View Middle and Edina High schools and were active in many booster clubs, including the Band Boosters for which Carolyn organized many trips.
Carolyn is an active member of the Edina Federated Women’s Club and is a current member of the Edina Community Foundation Board of Directors.
“We moved to Edina because of the schools and it never, ever disappointed,” Carolyn said. “We put five kids through Edina schools – spanning 65 cumulative years – and each of them had very fond memories of their time
Carolyn and Clint Schroeder will be grand
marshals of the 2010 Independence Day
parade, set for 10 a.m. Saturday, July 3.
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here. Edina was a good community to raise our kids and we couldn’t be prouder.”
Though their children graduated many years ago, the Schroeders are often seen in the stands at Hornet games. “Clint is one of Edina High School’s biggest sports fans, second only to [former principal] Rollie Ring,” Carolyn explained. “People assume we must have a lot of grandkids in the schools because they see us at all the games, but our grandkids are scattered all over the country and not here. We go to the games because we love the Hornets.”
With great pride and with as much accuracy as someone reading off of a current day program, Clint can rattle off scores and players from teams that played 40 or 50 years ago. An unofficial historian for the Edina High School Activities Office, Clint recalls a triplet of state basketball titles won in the 1960s and the ensuing community celebration to honor the coach. Twenty years later, Willard Ikola had similar success with the school’s hockey program. After Ikola’s sixth title was clenched, Clint and other organizers put together a celebration and fundraiser that netted enough money to give the beloved coach a boat and to endow the Ikola Scholarship Fund, a fund going strong today.
For their unparalleled community involvement, the Edina Community Foundation’s Parade Committee selected the Schroeders to lead the 2010 parade, which will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 3.
“The Edina parade celebrates our country’s birth, and it also celebrates the vitality of our community,” said Committee Chairman Richard Olson. “It’s one of the few times during the year when thousands of Edinans gather together, and we are delighted to have the opportunity to recognize the contributions that Clint and Carolyn Schroeder have made to our wonderful city.”
When asked to name their favorite part of the Independence Day Parade, the Schroeders can’t come up with a single answer, indicative of their varied interests in the community.
“I like the military presence,” Clint said. “There is a great sense of patriotism in the parade and it’s terrific how the community shows its support for our military men and women.”
“I like the bands and Uncle Sam on stilts,” Carolyn said. “If Uncle Sam wasn’t there, I’d be disappointed.”
“The young jugglers are always entertaining,” Clint said. “It’s amazing what those kids can do.
“The bottom line is there is something for everyone at this parade. It’s a community-building event that brings people of all ages together.”
For more information on the Independence Day parade,
visit www.edinaparade.org.
44 • SPRING 2010 45 • SPRING 2010
By Marty Doll
Five years before leading the Americans to their “Miracle on Ice” victory over the Soviet Union during the 1980 Winter Olympics, legendary hockey coach Herb Brooks taught Larry Thayer a life lesson that he has carried with him for the last 35 years.
“We learned to go about our business, work hard and keep our mouths shut,” said Thayer, who at the time was a fifth-year senior goaltender for Brooks’ Minnesota Golden Gophers. “Don’t taunt, don’t pound on your chest and don’t waive your flags out there. Just work hard and do it the right way.”
As manager of Edina’s City-operated Braemar Ice Arena for the past 33 years, Thayer has lived up to that mantra every day. After more than 40 years of service at the facility, Thayer recently decided that this was the year to finally hang up his skates. He retired from his post in late January.
“It’s time for me to step into the background,” said Thayer the week before he retired. “I’ll remain a [hockey] fan, but it’s time to look at other things.”
If you believe in destiny, you’ll probably say that Thayer’s path was destined to end up intertwined with Braemar Arena. A lifelong Edina resident and standout hockey player, he was a member of one of Edina’s first Bantam youth hockey teams to use the facility when it was built in 1965.
A few years later, the Arena served as home ice for Thayer during his high school career with the Edina Hornets. As a junior, Thayer became the team’s starting goalie. Coached by local legend Willard Ikola, Edina won its first of nine eventual State Hockey Championships during Thayer’s junior year. After a heartbreaking 0-1 overtime loss in the State Championship his senior year, Thayer walked away from the game, but decided to stay
Braemar Arena Manager Hangs
Up His Skates
close to the sport he loved. He began working part-time at the Arena immediately following his high school graduation.
“I started as an ice guard and worked my way right up through the ranks as a Zamboni driver,” said Thayer.
Believing his playing days were behind him, Thayer bounced around from college to college in pursuit of a degree. While going to school, he continued to work part-time at the Arena. In 1974, four years after his high school hockey days had ended, Thayer received a surprise visit at work from an interested University of Minnesota coach.
“I was actually recruited off of the Zamboni,” said Thayer, referring to the invitation he received to join Herb Brooks and the Golden Gophers hockey club.
The team was looking for goaltenders, and Thayer, it seemed, was the perfect fit.
“I’ve had the privilege of playing for probably two of the best coaches in the world,” said Thayer, speaking of Brooks and Ikola. “There are only a small handful of us who can say that.”
Having already used up much of his college eligibility while taking classes elsewhere, Thayer played only the 1974-75 season with the Gophers. As a walk-on, he became their starting goalie and helped lead the team to
the college hockey National Championship, where they eventually lost to Michigan Tech.
After graduating from the University – and eight years after beginning as a part-timer – Thayer became the manager of Braemar Arena on Oct. 23, 1978. His primary duties were to coordinate schedules, oversee the facility’s growth and maintain its day-to-day operations.
“Part of my duty has been to make sure we have things ready for our major users,” said Thayer. “It’s all skating – either hockey or figure skating – all of the time.”
As manager, Thayer’s responsibilities ranged from making sure the facility was clean to planning special events such as hockey tournaments or figure skating competitions. Schedules were always important, as a variety of groups use the facility on a daily basis – including Edina’s varsity hockey team. The facility also offers an extensive skating lesson program and open-ice times, which Thayer took great pride in overseeing. It seemed for Thayer that things were as they should be – until another twist of fate again brought hockey back to his forefront, although this time quite temporarily.
On Saturday, Feb. 23, 1980 – less than two years into his stint as manager, and coincidentally, the day after Thayer’s former coach Brooks and the Americans upset the Soviet Union at Lake Placid – Thayer received a call from the office of Lou Nanne and Glen Sonmor, the general manager and coach of the National Hockey League (NHL) Minnesota North Stars. Out of the blue,
(continued on next page)
Thayer was the starting goaltender for Herb Brooks and
the 1974-75 University of Minnesota Golden Gophers
hockey team that took second place at the college National
Championship.
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47 • SPRING 201046 • SPRING 2010
the woman on the other end of the line asked him if he could come over and play with team for its evening game.“I was right about to the position of hanging up, and I said, ‘this is a joke, right?’” said Thayer, physically acting out the phone call. “I hear, ‘oh no, no, no – this is real!’”
Thayer learned that Gary Edwards, the North Stars’ backup goaltender, had run into some back problems and couldn’t play. NHL rules at the time stated that every team needed to have two goalies suited up for each game. With the puck dropping in a few hours, the team didn’t have the time to fly in a minor leaguer. Thayer was signed to a one-day contract.
“That was my one night in the NHL,” said Thayer, who led the North Stars out onto the ice that night wearing a nameless jersey. “I took 15 minutes of warm-up and then ran the gate for them.”
The North Stars beat the New York Rangers 6 to 3, leaving Thayer with an untarnished 1-0 record as a pro. While he didn’t get to see any ice time, he was paid the veteran’s minimum salary – at the time, a fat check for $350. Thayer very modestly says there was never any risk of him being permanently pulled away from his position at Braemar, but he does look back on his very short pro career fondly.
“I hadn’t [played hockey] for five years,” said Thayer. “It was pretty interesting going through a barrage of warm-ups just to ride the pine that night, but it was fun.”
With his playing days officially behind him, Thayer went on to have a very fruitful and influential career managing Braemar Arena. He was strongly involved in the facility’s growth and development, helping make it one of the premier ice facilities in the Twin Cities. In 1988, he helped spearhead an effort to change a temporary, seasonal sheet of ice known as the “Pavilion” into an energy-efficient one that could be used year-round. In 1996, he helped get a third, permanent sheet of ice added. Just last year, he played a role in getting approval for a large-scale renovation that will ensure the Arena’s ice remains in peak condition for years to come.
“Thanks to Larry Thayer and his vision, Braemar Arena is the finest three-sheet ice complex in Minnesota, if not the entire country,” said Edina Park & Recreation Director John Keprios. “Larry has been a dedicated master of detail who always put the needs of his customers and staff first.”
While he says he’s ready for retirement, and the relaxation and hours of reading he hopes come with it, Thayer knows he will dearly miss his home away from home.
“I played with a lot of teams – a lot of the best teams,” said Thayer. “You typically don’t remember too many scores, but you’ll always remember the coworkers, the teammates. All the relationships that I’ve developed over these 33 years, those are the things that I’ll miss the most.”
For more information on Braemar Arena, visit
www.Braemar-Arena.com or call 952-941-1322.
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Business Notes
Men’s Shirt Shop Opens At GalleriaPutting a creative twist on the traditional men’s shirt shop, Hammer Made opened its doors at Galleria Edina in November.
Hammer Made carries more than 30 shirt designs in patterns ranging from solids and stripes to subdued paisley and floral. All shirts are a creation of Twin Cities clothing designer and Hammer Made owner Jason Hammerberg.
“The guys who shop with us want something they look great in and feel comfortable wearing to dinner, a movie or work,” said Hammerberg. “They’re not reading up on coastal trends, but they are looking for something that will make them stand out in a crowd without sticking out.”
Hammerberg creates the shirts with an eye for cut, quality and comfort using only the finest European fabrics. Prices range from $75 to $125 per shirt. The store also carries a selection of ties, cufflinks, vests and private label socks.
In addition to offering tailoring and alterations, men can bring in suits and sport coats and the Hammer Made staff will help pair colors, fabrics, patterns and accessories.
For more information on Hammer Made, call 952-681-2534
or visit www.GalleriaEdina.com/Stores/HammerMade.html.
Amma Maternity New To Southdale AreaA maternity resource for new mothers, Amma Maternity recently opened its first retail and childbirth class center in the Yorktown Mall.
Previously renting space with the Yoga Center of Minneapolis, the new location provides new and soon-to-be moms with a variety of pre- and postnatal classes, workshops, exercise programs and a retail shop featuring merchandise recommended by experts in the field.
Owner and registered nurse and certified nurse midwife, Sara Pearce began teaching birthing classes in 2002. However, it wasn’t until 2007 when Pearce decided to
begin Amma Maternity. Her goal is to not only prepare parents for birth, but also to fill a void she says often gets forgotten: the “baby smack down,” a postnatal period where new mothers “don’t know which way is up.”
“There are few support classes for new parents after the baby is born,” said Pearce. “I wanted to give new mothers a place to come to for whatever questions they may have.”
Now with the larger space, Pearce can provide many more classes and serve as a superior resource to help ease the transition into new parenthood.
“It’s been an incredible gift in my life to be able to connect with women during this period of their life,” said Pearce, pointing out that “Amma” is a term of endearment for mothers and grandmothers in southeast Asia. “And, of course, being able to provide them with the help they need during this special time.”
Amma Maternity is located at 3511 Hazelton Road. For
more information, call 952-926-2229 or visit
www.AmmaMaternity.com.
Edina Native Named 2010 Minnesota Book Artist Of The YearWilber “Chip” Schilling was named the 2010 Minnesota Book Artist of the Year by the Minnesota Center for Book Arts and The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library.
For over 20 years, Schilling has created fine press books, artists’ books and print. He specializes in design, photography, letterpress printing and bookbinding. His work has been exhibited internationally and is collected by institutions such as the British Library, New York Public Library, Getty Center, Library of Congress, Harvard, Yale, Wellesley, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, the Minnesota Historical Society and the Whitney Museum of American Art.
“Minnesota has developed a strong and active book arts community,” said Schilling. “It’s an honor to be recognized for my work as a part of this community and for doing what I love: making artist’s books.”
A native of Edina, Schilling currently resides in Minneapolis.
For more information about the Minnesota Book Artist of
the Year award, call 612-215-2520 or visit
www.mnbookarts.org.
– Compiled by Kaylin Martin
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Amma Maternity features a retail shop in its new location. All
merchandise is recommended by local experts in the field.
Wilber “Chip” Schilling was
named the 2010 Minnesota
Book Artist of the Year.
51 • SPRING 201050 • SPRING 2010
Send Us Your Photos!Photos clearly marked with names and related businesses should be sent to the City at: 4801 W. 50th St., Edina, MN 55424
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Home Office, Bloomington, Illinois 61710
5100 Eden Avenue, Suite 105, Edina, MN 55439-2333Bus 952 928 0455 Fax 952 928 9094Cell 612 298 5292matt@mattboockmeier.com
Providing Insurance and Financial Services
Matt Boockmeier, Agent
State Farm
24 Hour Good Neighbor Service
Correction
An incorrect statistic on immigration in Minnesota was included in the winter issue of About Town in the story “American Dream Comes True For Edina Resident.” On average, 7,070 immigrants are naturalized in Minnesota each year. The City of Edina’s Communications & Marketing Department regrets the error.
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1) The Sevilles provided entertainment at the Emerald Gala, the Chamber of Commerce’s largest fundraiser of the year.
2) Prior to dinner, dancers from Arthur Murray Studios performed for guests of the Edina Chamber of Commerce’s annual Emerald Gala Feb. 6 at the Edina Country Club.
3) Luke Morrison of Seasonal Chores, Inc. shovels out a fire hydrant for the Edina Fire Department after a snow storm in January.
4) Members of the Edina Fire Department’s Special Operations Team (SOT) put their specialized rescue training to good use on Feb. 4, helping free a man who had fallen and was trapped inside a 50-foot grain bin in Farmington, Minn. Rescuers from a number of area fire departments, special operations and technical rescue teams worked for more than eight hours before finally freeing the man and lifting him out through the top of the bin using a rope and harness. Members of the Edina Fire Department who responded to the scene were Battalion Chief Tom Schmitz, Captains Doug Bagley and Joel Forseth, Lieutenant Jeff Siems and paramedic/firefighters Dave Ehmiller, Shawn White, Ryan Quinn, Brian Hanrahan and Pat Sandon.
5) Park & Recreation Director John Keprios was inducted into the Minnesota United States Specialty Sports Association Hall of Fame in January for his commitment to the sport of softball.
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ymcatwincities.org
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Enroll now and receive your 2nd Week FREE!*
*First-time enrollees or families returning after three months only. Not valid with any other offer or discount. Tuition credit equals tuition paid for the rst week of enrollment. Based upon space availability. Expires 05/31/10. Code ATwn320110.
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(952) 920-3528
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