Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutAbout Town winter_2013City Celebrates Quasquicentennial In 2013 Page 40 7 / ,UÓä£Î Official Magazine of the City of Edina AboutTown Celebrating 125 years: 1888-2013 AboutTown Volume 24, Number 1 Circulation 25,000 Winter 2013 Official Publication of the www.EdinaMN.gov City of Edina, Minnesota 4801 West 50th Street Edina, Minnesota 55424 952-826-0359 Editor: Jennifer Bennerotte Contributing Writers: Susan Brott, Jordan Gilgenbach, Emilie Kastner, David Katz, Barbara La Valleur, Kaylin Martin and Joe Sullivan Photographers: Michael Braun and Polly Norman Layout Editor: Kaylin Martin Publisher: City of Edina About Town is produced by the City of Edina. To advertise in About Town, call Barb Pederson, 612-998-7412 . Copyright 2013 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 residents and community history as well. About Town is printed on recycled paper to conform to City conservation guidelines. Cover photo courtesy of the Edina Historical Society. Table of Contents Calendar Of Events ..........................................................................1 Winter Calendar Highlights............................................................4 A Word From The Mayor ...............................................................5 Where Did All The ‘Full-Service’ Gas Stations Go? .....................6 It’s Not Only Neighborly ... It’s The Law ...................................12 Edina Residents And Visitors Have Spoken: ‘Oxymoron’ Wins 2012 People’s Choice Award ........................14 Edina’s New ‘Emerald Energy Program’ Celebrates Early Successes ............................................................16 Incumbent Mayor, City Council Members Re-elected ..............20 Edina Fire Department Hires New Fire Marshal ......................21 Frey Sketches Future Course For Edina Art Center ..................25 Business Notes ................................................................................30 Bike Lanes Help Keep Edina Connected ....................................33 Edina Officer Starts New Chapter As Sergeant .........................36 Edina Kicks Off 125th Anniversary Celebration .......................40 City Seeks Nominations For Annual Tom Oye Award ............42 Building The Next Generation Of Edina Public Schools ..........44 Human Rights & Relations Commission And Edina Reads To Hold Anti-Bullying Event .......................46 Twenty-Year City Veteran Promoted To Director Of Parks & Recreation ....................................................48 City of Edina Facilities ...................................................................52 The Last Word ................................................................................54 TTe a r H e r e T MetLife Resources is a division of Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, 200 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10166. Securities and investment advisory services offered through MetLife Securities, Inc. (MSI)(member FINRA/SIPC), a registered investment advisor. MLIC & MSI are MetLife Companies. MLR19000143027 L0412255008[exp0513][All States][DC] © 2012 PNTS Concerned about retirement?Sandie Kadisak & Steve Burk Financial Services Representatives Investment Advisor Representatives 7101 York Avenue South, Suite 25 Edina, MN 55435 952-921-3333 Replace your concern with confidence. Your MetLife Resources Financial Services Representative is a great source for easy-to-understand explanations, and financial products designed for everybody. See what you can do with MetLife today. £ÊUÊ7 / ,ÊÓä£Î Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday £ New Year’s holiday observed. City Hall and Edina Art Center closed. Ó Î Noon, Wonderful World of Woody, Edinborough Park. 4 p.m., Public Art Committee, Edina City Hall. 4 5 6 7 p.m., Jim Berner, Edinborough Park. 7 7 p.m., School Board meeting, Edina Community Center. 8 7 p.m., City Council & HRA, Edina City Hall. 7 p.m., Park Board, Edina City Hall. 7 p.m., Heritage Preservation Board, Edina City Hall. 9 7 p.m., Planning Commission, Edina City Hall. £ä Noon, Will Hale & The Tadpole Parade, Edinborough Park. 7 p.m., Energy & Environment Commission, Edina City Hall. ££ 6:30 p.m., Winter Neighborhood Night Out, Normandale, Pamela, Walnut Ridge and Weber parks. £Ó 10 a.m., The Author’s Studio, Edina Art Center. £Î 1-5 p.m., Winter Ice Festival, Centennial Lakes Park. 7 p.m., Jazz on the Prairie Band, Edinborough Park. £{£x £È £n £™ Óä 7 p.m., Rum River Brass, Edinborough Park. Ó£ Martin Luther King Jr. Day. City Hall and Edina Art Center closed. 10 a.m., Potters’ Games, Edina Art Center. ÓÓ 7 p.m., City Council & HRA, Edina City Hall. 7 p.m., Human Rights & Relations Commission, Edina City Hall. ÓÎ 7 p.m., Planning Commission, Edina City Hall. Ó{ Noon, Wendy’s Wiggle, Jiggle, Jam, Edinborough Park. 4:30 p.m., Art Center Board, Edina City Hall. Óx ÓÈ Ó™Ón 7 p.m., School Board meeting, Edina Community Center. ÓÇ 7 p.m., First John Philip Sousa Memorial Band, Edinborough Park. January 2013 Îä Σ Noon, Alpha Bits, Edinborough Park. £Ç Noon, Brodini Comedy & Magic Act, Edinborough Park. 6 p.m., Transportation Commission, Edina City Hall. About Town Calendar TTe a r H e r e T ÓÊUÊ7 / ,ÊÓä£Î Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday £Ó Î 4 11:30 a.m., Edina Education Fund Show & Tell Lunch, Church of St. Patrick. 5 7 p.m., City Council & HRA, Edina City Hall. 6 7 Noon, Bob the Beachcomber, Edinborough Park. 4 p.m., Public Art Committee, Edina City Hall. 8 9 10 a.m., The Author’s Studio, Edina Art Center. 6 p.m., Edina Chamber of Commerce Emerald Gala, Edina Country Club. £ä 7 p.m., Harmonic Relief Choir Show, Edinborough Park. ££ £Ó 7 p.m., Park Board, Edina City Hall. 7 p.m., Heritage Preservation Board, Edina City Hall. £Î 7 p.m., Planning Commission, Edina City Hall. £x £È £Ç 7 p.m., City of the Lakes Chorus, Edinborough Park. £n Presidents Day. City Hall and Edina Art Center closed. No school for Edina Public Schools. £™ 7 p.m., City Council & HRA, Edina City Hall. 7 p.m., River Valley Band, Edinborough Park. No school for Edina Public Schools. Óä Ó£ Noon, Brodini Comedy & Magic Act, Edinborough Park. 6 p.m., Transportation Commission, Edina City Hall. 7 p.m., Pops Concert, Edina High School. ÓÓ 7 p.m., Pops Concert, Edina High School. ÓÎ 7 p.m., Pops Concert, Edina High School. ÓÈ 7 p.m., Human Rights & Relations Commission, Edina City Hall. Óx 7 p.m., School Board meeting, Edina Community Center. Ó{ 7 p.m., First John Philip Sousa Memorial Band, Edinborough Park. February 2013 ÓÇ 7 p.m., Planning Commission, Edina City Hall. Ón Noon, Funtime Funktions, Edinborough Park. 4:30 p.m., Art Center Board, Edina City Hall. 7 p.m., Pops Concert, Edina High School. £{ Noon, Okee Dokee Brothers, Edinborough Park. 7 p.m., Energy & Environment Commission, Edina City Hall. About Town Calendar ÎÊUÊ7 / ,ÊÓä£Î Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday £ 7 p.m., Pops Concert, Edina High School. Ó 7 p.m., Pops Concert, Edina High School. Î 3 p.m., Edina Chorale Concert, “Carmina Burana” with Wayzata Symphony Orchestra, St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, Mahtomedi. 4 7 p.m., State of the Community, Edina City Hall. 5 7 p.m., City Council & HRA, Edina City Hall. 7 p.m., Zurah Shrine Band, Edinborough Park. 6 7 Noon, Wonderful World of Woody, Edinborough Park. 4 p.m., Public Art Committee, Edina City Hall. 8 No school for Edina Public Schools. 9 10 a.m., The Author’s Studio, Edina Art Center. £ä 7 p.m., Eden Prairie Concert Band, Edinborough Park. ££ 7 p.m., School Board meeting, Edina Community Center. £Ó 7 p.m., Park Board, Edina City Hall. 7 p.m., Heritage Preservation Board, Edina City Hall. £Î 7 p.m., Planning Commission, Edina City Hall. £x £È £Ç 7 p.m., South of the River Band, Edinborough Park. £n £™ 7 p.m., City Council & HRA, Edina City Hall. Óä Ó£ Noon, Big Fun Show, Edinborough Park. 6 p.m., Transportation Commission, Edina City Hall. ÓÓ ÓÎ ÓÈ Religious holiday observed. No public meetings to be held. Óx Religious holiday observed. No public meetings to be held. Ó{ 7 p.m., First John Philip Sousa Memorial Band, Edinborough Park. March 2013 ÓÇ Religious holiday observed. No public meetings to be held. Ón 4:30 p.m., Art Center Board, Edina City Hall. 7 p.m, Planning Commission, Edina City Hall. ә Religious holiday observed. No public meetings to be held. No school for Edina Public Schools. £{ Noon, Carol McCormick- Storyteller, Edinborough Park. 7 p.m., Energy & Environment Commission, Edina City Hall. Îä About Town Calendar {ÊUÊ7 / ,ÊÓä£Î Winter Calendar Highlights Other Dates To Remember Jan. 21 No school for Edina Public Schools. Jan. 22 No school for Edina Public Schools. Jan. 24 Edina Public Schools Kindergarten Registration Day. (Check school for times.) Feb. 24 3 p.m., Edina Chorale Concert, “Carmina Burana” with Wayzata Symphony Orchestra, Wayzata Community Church, Wayzata. March 28 Noon, Brodini Comedy & Magic Act, Edinborough Park. Winter Ice Festival What: In celebration of the winter season, Centennial Lakes Park will host the 23rd-annual Winter Ice Festival. Visitors to the park will be able to have their faces painted and ride on a horse- drawn wagon. Ice Festival participants may bring their own equipment, but ice skates and kick-sleds are available for rental at the Hughes Pavilion, which serves as a warming house and concessions stand during the winter months. Behind Hughes Pavilion on the terrace overlooking the lake, ice-sculpting demonstrations will be given. When: 1-5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 13 Where: Centennial Lakes Park, 7499 France Ave. S. Info: www.CentennialLakesPark.com or 952-833-9586 Edina Chamber of Commerce Emerald Gala What: The Edina Chamber of Commerce will hold its largest fundraising event of the year, Emerald Gala 2013. The event will feature dinner and casino games. When: 6-11 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 9 Where: Edina Country Club, 5100 Wooddale Ave. Info: www.Edina.org or 952-806-9060 State of the Community What: Edina Mayor James B. Hovland, City Manager Scott H. Neal and Edina Public Schools Superintendent Ric Dressen will present the “2013 State of the Community,” speaking about current affairs in Edina. The event is open to the public and there is no charge to attend. The presentation will also be broadcast on Edina Community Channel 16. When: 7 p.m. Monday, March 4 Where: Edina City Hall Council Chambers, 4801 W. 50th St. Info: www.EdinaMN.gov or 952-826-0359 TTe a r H e r e T A Word From The Mayor According to a 2009 study by the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, “… neighborhoods built to support physical activity have a strong potential to contribute to increased physical activity.” Providing residents with better walking and biking facilities will increase the collective health and happiness of our residents. A healthier community is a happier community. In 2012, the Edina City Council laid the groundwork for the accelerated construction and improvement of our community’s sidewalks and trails. If the City can help to create a network of sidewalks and trails in Edina that is convenient and comfortable to use, we can increase the number of people who choose to walk or bike for short trips or for exercise. A great network of sidewalks and trails – supplemented by good public transit facilities and services – will also increase the transportation options for people who are not able to drive a car, which is a growing percentage of our population in Minnesota and in Edina. Sidewalks also provide greater safety and mobility for pedestrians of all ages and abilities. Sidewalks are shown to reduce vehicle crashes by separating pedestrians from cars. In fact, data from the Federal Highway Administration shows that roads without sidewalks are more than twice as likely to have pedestrian crashes as roads with sidewalks on both sides of the street. The groundwork I referred to is the implementation of a new utility franchise fee of $1.45 per month on both your monthly CenterPoint Energy and Xcel Energy bills, for a total of $2.90. The franchise fees will be collected by the two utility companies and then paid to the City at the end of each fiscal quarter. We expect these franchise fees to generate about $1.1 million per year. The Council has decided to dedicate these new revenues entirely to the development, construction and maintenance of new infrastructure and facilities for pedestrians and cyclists. I believe that in the space of five years, we can make Edina the most walkable town in our state. You will begin to see a change in the City’s emphasis on sidewalks and trails in 2013. Beginning this month, I will lead a monthly walk in our community to draw awareness to health and the importance of sidewalks and trails. I hope you’ll come join me for one of these walks sometime in 2013 and let me know what you think. James B. Hovland Mayor Óä£ÎÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ7 / ,Ê UÊx TTe a r H e r e T By Joe Sullivan Contributing Writer It’s true; very few “full-service” gas stations remain today. Wally’s Gas Station at Valley View Road and Wooddale Avenue in Edina is one of them. Recently, I had the pleasure of interviewing the founder of “Wally’s.” His full name is Walter Grothe and he and his wife, Margaret, are retired and living at the Jones- Harrison residence near Cedar Lake in Minneapolis. Wally is a robust 91-year-old with a remarkable memory. He told me he got his first gas station job in the 1930s, when he was still in high school. It was at Gehl Oil Co., in his hometown of Pine City, Minn., which is about halfway from Edina to Duluth on Interstate Highway 35. Gas stations offered “full service” back in those days, but the station’s employees had more time then to take care of those kind of things than they do now. Until recently, there was a full-service station at 70th and France, but it was torn down in 2012 to make way for Phoenix Plaza on the same corner. That apparently makes Wally’s the last full-service gas station of its kind operating in our community. Wally’s oldest son, Rick Grothe, has managed the station on Valley View Road since his dad retired in the late 1990s. He reports that some customers of the former gas station on 70th Street have begun to patronize Wally’s in order to continue getting “full service.” Wally Grothe Joined U.S. Navy Early In World War II Wally was sent to the Great Lakes Naval Training Station north of Chicago for five months where he trained to become a machinist. “The training was pretty intense because new recruits were urgently needed following Japan’s December 1941 surprise attack on the Hawaiian Islands,” he explained. During his three and a half years of active duty, he served as a Machinist’s Mate, First Class. He had assignments on a number of different ships, big and small. By the time Where Did All The ‘Full-Service’ Gas Stations Go? ÈÊUÊ7 / ,ÊÓä£Î Gr o t h e F a m i l y P h o t o The first gas station Wally Grothe worked in was Gehl Oil Co. in his hometown of Pine City, Minn., which is about halfway from Minneapolis to Duluth on Interstate Highway 35. He was about 12 years old. (That’s a Ford Model T truck getting its gas tank filled at the pump.) he left the Navy when the war ended in 1945, he had mastered the job of maintaining and repairing a wide variety of steam engines and turbines. Like many returning servicemen, Wally returned home only to find good jobs hard to come by. Not many Twin Cities companies were hiring machinists who specialized in steam engines and turbines. “I didn’t have much money when I left the Navy,” Wally recalled. “They provided me with three meals a day and a place to sleep, but my actual cash pay was only $21 a month and that had to cover everything else. Now that I was a civilian again, the first thing I did with my meager savings was buy an automobile.” Wally finally landed a job at Red Dot Foods in Minneapolis, driving a truck and delivering potato chips and other snack foods to grocery stores. He felt that he had a better future waiting for him somewhere. He hoped it would be something in the automotive field where he could use his experience as a machinist. Wally Gets His First Gas Station “With the car as collateral, I was able to borrow $5,000 to buy a 10-year lease on a Pure Oil gas station at 56th and Lyndale,” Wally said. “I was the manager of my own gas station! “In 1955, I was able to parlay that Pure Oil station into a 10-year lease on a two-year-old Mobil service station at Wooddale Avenue and Valley View Road in Edina. The original operators wanted to move on because they didn’t think the location had enough traffic. Except for the gas station, there were no other buildings on our corner yet. A farmer was still raising horses in the pasture behind us. But the original operators weren’t able to see the potential I could see in rapidly growing Edina.” In the meantime, Wally had met and married Margaret and their family was also rapidly growing. The first two children were Rick and Kathy. Gary and Cheryl, the next two, were twins. Óä£ÎÊ ÊÊÊÊ7 / ,ÊUÊ Ç (continued on next page) In the mid-1980s, the underground gasoline storage tanks needed to be replaced with new ones, which interrupted service at Wally’s station for a few days. Gr o t h e F a m i l y P h o t o Wally And Margaret Buy A House In Edina “Dad had his eye on a house that was under construction at 6201 St. John’s Ave. in Edina. It was only a few blocks from the new Edina-Morningside High School and close enough to the Mobil station so Dad could walk to work,” Rick recalled. “He bought the house before it was completed. When it was finished, our family moved from our home in Richfield to Edina and Dad walked to work every day that it wasn’t raining or snowing.” All four of the Grothe kids went to Edina schools. Wally’s Mobil Station Offered ‘Full Service’ “It was a ‘full-service’ gas station from the beginning,” Wally said. “Of course, at the time, a lot of other gas stations in the growing village of Edina were offering “full service,” too. That meant most stations would clean your windshield, whether it needed it or not, and open the hood to check the oil and battery. They would also test the pressure in all four of your tires and, if requested, they’d even check the spare tire in the trunk!” Gasoline had been rationed during the war. When the war ended, civilians gladly went back to unlimited use of the family car. And gas was cheap. The gas I was putting in my Dad’s Desoto was selling for 27 cents a gallon at our neighborhood gas station in Minneapolis’ Linden Hills neighborhood. Gas prices were even less at a few “renegade” stations in town. When gas prices began to rise, the high school kids who were cleaning your windshield and checking under your car’s hood began to demand wages of more than a buck an hour to provide “full service.” Prices started to climb slowly upward. But not at Wally’s Mobil station. He adopted a marketing strategy that included “full service,” but also offered aggressive prices along with it. “We hung onto the full- service concept, but pegged our prices a few cents below the going rate. It worked then and it still works today,” he said. “We had customers lining up around the corner on Wooddale to get to our pumps and get a good price on gas without giving up the friendly service they were accustomed to.” Grothe Sons Both Worked At Station As Youngsters Wally’s son Rick said he started working at the station when he was 12 years old. Rick’s younger brother, Gary, followed in his footsteps a few years later. (Their dad nÊUÊ7 / ,ÊÓä£Î Gr o t h e F a m i l y P h o t o Wally (in the baseball cap) worked hard at getting to know his customers and delivering his special kind of “full service” at the gas pumps. wouldn’t allow them to pump gas until they were tall enough to reach customers’ windshields.) In addition to earning degrees from the University of Minnesota, both of Wally’s sons handled other jobs around the station. Rick has been working there ever since. Gary eventually took a job at a local Old Country Buffet restaurant and eventually moved up the chain to management positions at its national headquarters. Rick’s son Bryan is now working at Wally’s as a mechanic. He graduated from Southwest High School in Minneapolis and went on to graduate from Minneapolis’ Dunwoody Institute as a full-fledged auto mechanic. (He had another full-time mechanic named Sean Roder working with him in the garage on the day I visited the station.) The station’s auto repair and maintenance business grew fast enough to warrant the addition of a third bay in the station’s garage. Wally reminisced about the strategic decision he made when he built another service bay rather than adding space to “sell bread, milk and pop like most every other gas station in town.” “In the 1950s, we built the business up to a thousand gallons a day. Gas could still be bought for 30 cents a gallon, but a thousand gallons in a single day is a lot of gasoline,” Wally recollected. “In 1987, we severed our relationship with the Mobil Oil Co. and we’ve been independent operators ever since.” Óä£ÎÊ ÊÊÊÊ7 / ,ÊUÊ ™ (continued on next page) Ph o t o b y M i c h a e l B r a u n Mechanic Bryan Grothe works under the hood of a customer’s car in the three-bay service/repair garage at Wally’s Gas Station. £äÊUÊ7 / ,ÊÓä£Î It’s a Different Business Than It Used to Be “It’s a different business than it was 50 years ago,” Rick Grothe said in a rare moment of reflection. “It’s not a cash business any more. Today, 75 percent of our customers pay by credit card. “We’re now looking at gas prices rising near $4 a gallon, and feeling thankful that we’re not doing business in a state like California where current prices are well over $5 a gallon and still rising.” “There’s a bunch of mostly large chain stations offering pump-your-own gas. You get an automatic receipt issued to you at the pump if you pay by credit card and never even have to go inside the station to sign the receipt. “We still like to talk to our customers and get to know them. It’s a much simpler kind of personal service we’re delivering to our customers. We like it that way and I’m happy to say it seems to keep them coming back to our ‘little gas station on the corner,’” Rick concluded. Ph o t o b y M i c h a e l B r a u n Rick Grothe, right, Manager of Wally’s Gas Station since the 1990s, and his son Bryan, Station Mechanic at Wally’s since his graduation from Dunwoody Institute. Get Connected Get Involved Get Inspired EDINACOMMUNITY Education Óä£ÎÊÊÊÊÊ7 / ,ÊUÊ££ £ÓÊUÊ7 / ,ÊÓä£Î First, we each cleared a circle of leaves and other debris to create a four-foot fireproof circle on the ground. We also gathered sticks and fallen branches to build windbreaks for our safe campfires on the hill. Each one of us built and lit his own campfire to cook on. Next, we started mixing Bisquick in a bowl from a box and water from a bottle that each of us had brought from home in our knapsacks. When the mixture turned into biscuit dough we hand-rolled the dough and coiled it around a long, barkless stick and held it over the fire until it was brown on the outside. The final steps were to carefully remove the biscuit from the stick, slather it with butter and enjoy a delicious camper’s biscuit. I didn’t meet anyone from Edina that day, but I did experience the wide-open spaces of Edina without starting a forest fire. Two Adventurous Girls Embark On Slow Trip To Edina My wife, the former Monica Lenz, is what I have called the “adventurous type” since I first met her 54 years ago. It’s one of the reasons I married her and I have never been sorry. Her girlhood pal, Nancy Hahn, has also been married to Edinan Jerry Potter for 50-some years. The Hahn family lived only a block from Monica’s home at 54th Street and Logan Avenue South. The two women still see each other occasionally and talk on the phone often. Both of them are still interested in the same kinds of things they liked when they were growing up, including art; crafts; rocks; bugs; being outdoors and less often: sleeping overnight in a tent; fishing for carp without a pole, line or hook; and woodworking (with Monica’s Dad’s turning lathe) to name a few. Nancy was a year older, so they weren’t in the same grade. And they attended different grade schools––Nancy was at John Burroughs and Monica went to Annunciation. But they were reunited at Washburn High School in 1949. Their trip to Edina started when Nancy was 14 and Monica was 13. It was a nice summer day and they decided it was perfect for a trip on Monica’s brother’s Doodle Bug, a small gas-powered scooter designed for one person. But neither of them was very big and they figured the Doodle Bug would carry them both. Monica was the designated driver with Nancy hanging on behind her on the long seat. The scooter had a governor on the throttle that held it to a maximum speed of 15 mph. They headed east toward Edina armed with only a canteen and staying on streets with little traffic. Their destination was Cameron’s Store on 70th Street and Cahill Road about a mile west of Normandale Road in Edina. At 15 mph, it probably took at least two hours. They remember meeting a friendly Edina farmer when they turned into his lane on the south side of 70th Street, just west of Normandale. He let them refill their canteen It’s Not Only Neighborly … It’s The Law butter and enjoy a delicious camper’s biscuit.butter and enjoy a delicious camper’s biscuit. grade. And they attended different grade schools––Nancy grade. And they attended different grade schools––Nancy was at John Burroughs and Monica went to Annunciation. was at John Burroughs and Monica went to Annunciation. Liquor The Law: Edina City Code 900.12, Subd. 7 Sale Prices. “No licensee shall offer prizes, coupons, punch cards, games, or barters that promote the sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages, or furnish two or more servings of an alcoholic beverage for the payment of the price regularly charged for one serving of that beverage.” What is Means: Since May 2012, Edina restaurants with liquor licenses have been able to offer sale prices on alcoholic beverages. Prior to that, restaurants were not able to have “happy hours” with discounted drinks. Though restaurants can now offer sale prices on drinks, two-for-one specials, “mug clubs” or games that encourage patrons to drink more are still prohibited. The Edina City Council plans to review the liquor ordinance again this winter and might consider additional changes that restaurant owners believe would make them more competitive with restaurants in other parts of the metro area. For more information, contact City Clerk Debra Mangen, 952-826-0408. The Law: Edina City Code 300.03, Subd. 1 Licensing Requirements. “Any owner of a dog over 6 months of age shall secure a license for such dog from the City.” What It Means: All dogs 6 months and older residing in Edina must have a license permanently affixed to their collars. Cats do not have to be licensed. Rabies vaccinations are required on all dogs and cats 6 months and older. Dogs are required to wear vaccination tags at all times. Remember, all 2012 City dog licenses expired Dec. 31, 2012. Licenses can be renewed at City Hall, through the mail or online. To renew by mail, send current rabies information and a check for the licensing fee to Edina City Hall, 4801 W. 50th St., Edina, MN 55424-1394. For more information, contact Animal Control Officer Tim Hunter, 952-826-0494. Pets Óä£ÎÊÊÊÊÊ7 / ,ÊUʣΠGetting Everything You Deserve from Your Fitness Program? You 'RQ·W Have to Lose Muscle & Strength As You Age xOur  E.A.S.E  Training  Principles  Have  Helped  1000s  of   clients.  Discover  them  at  www.aretehealthfit.com   xAccess  to  Advanced  Technology,  such  as  our  Bod  Pod,   eliminates  the  guesswork  that  normally  wastes  time.   Mention this Ad for a 10% Discount on all Services YOUR WATER DAMAGE REPAIR SPECIALIST 612-‐369-‐6018 Call for a free estimate. Kastner-Restoration.com License No. 20635956 interior exterior hail, wind and storm damage insurance claim help Enhancing  Smiles... Building  Confidence... Changing  Lives -PDBUFEBUUI'SBODF $!6)$ª!ª#//+ ª$$3 ª0! £{ÊUÊ7 / ,ÊÓä£Î By Barbara La Valleur Contributing Writer You can’t miss “Oxymoron” if you’re walking or biking on the Edina Promenade. Four huge stainless steel ringers on the 12-foot, 9,000-pound kinetic sculpture move gracefully in the breeze. Even on relatively still days, the sculpture’s slow motion entices the casual walker and cyclist to glance up and admire its intricate markings. A record number of Edina residents, business people and visitors voted from June through September 2012, choosing “Oxymoron” by Bruce Stillman as the 2012 People’s Choice Award winner for the fourth-annual Sculpture Exhibition sponsored by the Edina Public Art Committee (EPAC). Stillman, from Minnetrista, Minn., received a $1,000 award. “Oxymoron” and the two other People’s Choice Award winners will remain on display on the Edina Promenade until May 2014. “Oxymoron” is located behind Macy’s Home Store near the north entry point of Centennial Lakes Park. Heidi Hoy’s bronze guitar player entitled “Jack” won second place and a $750 award. “Jack” depicts the love of guitar playing and was created with the help of a friend who modeled for Hoy. If the torn jeans worn by “Jack” look real, that’s because they are. Hoy, who calls St. Bonifacius, Minn., home, explained that to achieve the texture she was looking for she had to bronze an actual pair of jeans. The sculpture is easy to find. It’s cleverly located next to the Guitar Center whose property backs onto the Edina Promenade. Perhaps the most interactive of all of this year’s 11 new sculptures is “The Healing” by Joel Carter of Minneapolis. Carter’s sculpture was created using four huge natural rocks from the American Southwest along with numerous other stones, mostly round and decreasing in size as they are fixed – or not – atop each other. “The Healing” was named the People’s Choice Award third-place winner for which Carter received $500. A physician, artist and author, Carter created his sculpture to fit the environment. With the help of a friend, he spent more than a day installing dozens of stones and Edina Residents And Visitors Have Spoken: ‘Oxymoron’ Wins Óä£ÓÊ*iœ«i½ÃÊ …œˆViÊÜ>À`Ê Ph o t o b y B a r b a r a L a V a l l e u r “Oxymoron” was winner of the 2012 People’s Choice Award. Óä£ÎÊ ÊÊÊÊ7 / ,ÊUÊ £x rocks. In the ensuing months, many passersby simply couldn’t help themselves. They have added rocks of their own to the sculpture. Carter said he is encouraged by the obvious interest and participation in his piece. Unfortunately, “The Healing” has been the target of three acts of vandalism since its installation at the end of May. Molly Anderson, Edina Police Department Crime Prevention Specialist, met with EPAC members to advise them on options for protecting public art works including possibly adding lighting, cameras or motion sensors. She emphasized the best deterrent against abuse is public awareness. “When the public and neighbors get involved, there’s an ownership present,” she said. She encourages anyone who sees suspicious activity to call 9-1-1 immediately. While all three winners of this year’s People’s Choice Awards are located on the Edina Promenade, two of last year’s winners remain at Grandview Square Park where there are a total of three sculptures on display. For the first time, EPAC expanded the exhibit to include sculptures at a third location thanks to a partnership with the 50th & France Business & Professional Association. Three art works are viewable in downtown Edina as well. The 2012 Call for Sculptures was sent to more than 200 artists, schools and arts organizations. Of the 19 proposals sent to EPAC, 11 were chosen. The 2013 call, which will also result in 11 new sculptures to be placed in all three locations, will go out soon. For more information, call the Edina Art Center at 952-903-5780, or visit www.EdinaPublicArt.org or www.Facebook.com/EdinaArtCenter. YMCA Swim Academy swim lessons for infants, kids and adults.            $$% #%! !% # % "% %$$$%$$%%# "!"# £ÈÊUÊ7 / ,ÊÓä£Î Edina’s New ‘Emerald Energy Program’ Celebrates Early Successes By David Katz A “gigaton,” shorthand for one billion metric tons, is a figure nearly as difficult to grasp as it is large. By way of illustration, according to a recent study, if you were to collect and weigh all of the greenhouse gases emitted in a given year by the cars on the road in the United States today, your total would be somewhere in the neighborhood of one gigaton. Astonishingly, one gigaton of gas emissions is also what the United States stands to save each year simply by investing in projects where, over time, the savings will exceed the up-front cost. With its new Emerald Energy Program, the City of Edina, together with a few trailblazing local business partners, is doing its fair share – and then some – to make that promising projection a reality. Edina’s Emerald Energy Exchange Program owes its genesis to a bill passed by the Minnesota Legislature in April 2010, allowing cities to create Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing programs. PACE allows property owners to contract for a wide variety of eco- friendly energy efficiency improvements without having to bear the full brunt of the steep installation costs. In a typical arrangement, the partnering city offers a special bond to investors and offers the capital collected as a loan to the property owner. The owner makes the agreed-upon facility retrofits and pays back the start- up funds in increments as “special assessments” paid alongside property taxes. In November 2011, the Edina City Council passed an agenda item of its own, approving groundwork for the Emerald Energy Program and officially making Edina the first city in Minnesota to take advantage of the state’s PACE law. “It was a good decision, because it allows for true win- win-win situations,” said Jeremy Kalin, President of Eutectics Consulting LLC, who has served as liaison between stakeholders for both of the projects that have thus far come to fruition under the nascent Emerald Energy Program. Ph o t o b y D a v i d K a t z Parasole Restaurant Holdings used PACE funding to install 340 new LED lights at Salut Bar Américain, 5034 France Ave. S. The new bulbs use less energy and last nearly eight times longer than their fluorescent predecessors. Óä£ÎÊ ÊÊÊÊ7 / ,ÊUÊ £Ç In short, “the investor can expect a solid return on investment from their bond. The City gets ‘greener,’ without any real cost to taxpayers … And the property owner benefits from money-saving equipment that might otherwise be impractical to install,” Kalin said. This last point resonated with Edina-based Parasole Restaurant Holdings, owner of 50th & France staples Salut Bar Américain and Mozza Mia and 10 other restaurants in the greater Twin Cities area. “In the last couple of years, we have been very conscious of our energies output, especially when it comes to lights,” said Chief Development Officer Alan Ackerberg. When Parasole built Burger Jones in Burnsville in 2010, it purchased LED bulbs alongside construction materials. Similarly, when the company procured the space in the Galleria that is now Pittsburgh Blue, money for LED lighting was included in the revamp budget. “We wanted the same for Salut, along with some better [cooking] fixtures, but this presented extra complications … In this case, we couldn’t just wrap the price tag up with other costs,” Ackerberg explained. After a $11,000 rebate offered by Xcel Energy, that price tag came to $39,300. Kalin introduced Ackerberg to the PACE concept and to Edina’s program. “A growing business like Parasole wants to put money back into its core business. That core business is, obviously, making food,” Kalin said. “[The Emerald Energy Program] is perfect for them, because getting the improvements didn’t mean competing with or pulling away from the core business.” With PACE backing, Parasole was able to secure its entire wish list for Salut. In addition to 340 LED bulbs, new variable speed cooking hoods were installed. They self- adjust according to the ebbs and flows of the restaurant day and how much food is on order at any given point. “Now, the hoods are only at their energy max when the demand is there … and less [temperature-controlled air] needs to be pulled from the restaurant into the exhaust vents,” Ackerberg explained. All told, this represents energy savings equivalent to $16,000 each year. “It’s a great investment – well worth our effort.” Greg Hohlen, Small Business Administration (SBA) Loan Manager at Bremer Bank, Parasole’s financial partner in the Emerald Energy Program, agrees wholeheartedly. “Because the City of Edina is involved, Bremer, as the bond buyer, doesn’t have to be so concerned about receiving a return on the investment.” The most exciting part, he adds, is that the Emerald Energy Program is an arrangement local investors like Bremer “can comfortably revisit again and again, with different partners and for different projects” – and all the while helping the hometown community. While Edina’s PACE program is still relatively new, Hohlen’s optimism is well founded. The Emerald Energy Program saw its first practical application last April, when Murphy Automotive partnered with Clean Fund, a California-based financier specializing in PACE funding, to build a 27 kW solar array on the roof of its Grandview (continued on next page) £nÊUÊ7 / ,ÊÓä£Î Tire & Auto location on West 70th Street. The system, now in place, produces enough electricity each year to power about three average Edina homes. At first glance, Kalin noted, the inaugural project looks very different from the Parasole-Bremer pairing. “One is solar, the other LED. One produces energy, the other cuts use ... . Grandview worked with a firm out West and Parasole went local, becoming the first privately owned operation in America to go the PACE route without help from a California financier. So, you see a variability built into the program. It speaks volumes about its potential for the future.” Where it truly counts, though, the projects are cut from the same cloth. “All parties come out ahead, and no one so much as people living in and around Edina,” Kalin said. Indeed, over the next decade, Ackerberg estimates that Parasole’s energy efficiency investments at Salut alone will cut the City’s sulfur emissions by 7,600 pounds and reduce the restaurant’s carbon dioxide discharge by one million pounds. While this may be well short of one gigaton, if other cities follow Edina’s example and PACE programs gain traction elsewhere in Minnesota, we may be well on our way. For further details on the Emerald Energy Program, or for tips on incorporating environmentally friendly best practices into your everyday routine, visit www.EdinaMN.gov/GoGreen. JERRY’S HAS IT! Housewares & Cleaning Supplies ,AWN 'ARDEN s 7EBER 'RILLS 7ILD "IRD #ENTERs 0ET&OOD 3UPPLIES 3TIHL #HAINSAWS s7INDOW3CREEN 2EPAIR 0LUMBING %LECTRICAL3UPPLIES +EYS -ADE s 0ICK 5P $ELIVERY 3ERVICE 3HARPENING 3ERVICEs 3MALL %NGINE 2EPAIR Come by and visit Jerry’s Hardware and Jerry’s Printing great new locations in the Jerry’s Foods building in Edina! $5OFF ANY PURCHASE OF $25 OR MORE AT JERRY’S HARDWARE 5115 Vernon Ave S 952-929-4601 (Next to Jerry’s Foods)5101 Vernon Ave S, Suite 1D(Next to Jerry’s Hardware) 952-920-1949 -USTPRESENTCOUPONATTIMEOFPURCHASE%XPIRES Offset Printing Digital Color Printing Large Format Printing Digital Copying Graphic Design Binding/Finishing Banners/Posters Identity Packages "ROCHURES s 0OSTCARDS .EWSLETTERS s &OLDERS .OTECARDS s )NVITATIONS Visit our website at www.jerrysprinting.com for monthly specials! Ted FieldRealtor® Ted FieldRealtor® Realtor Senior AdvisorReal Estate Designed for Seniors Call: 612-418-3901www.SeniorExpert.com Óä£ÎÊÊÊÊÊ7 / ,ÊUÊ£™ Coverage for backups of sewers and basement drains is available, but not always included in a basic homeowner’s insurance policy. In addition, insurance companies that do offer the protection have varying amounts of coverage. Check your homeowner’s insurance policy to see if you have coverage for backups. If you do not have coverage, consider adding to your policy because in most cases the City’s insurance will not cover your damages in the event of an incident. D O YOU have insurance for sewer back-up s? Check your policy today! West 50th & Vernon Avenue at Hwy. 100 952-920-3996 www.washburn-mcreavy.com Family Owned & Operated Since 1857 (',1$&+$3(/ )81(5$/ &5(0$7,216(59,&(6 SylvaZoraqi.edinarealty.com Office: 952-924-8739 Cell: 612-710-8081 SylvaZoraqi@edinarealty.com Sylva Zoraqi REALTOR Edina Realty 50th & France R Sylva Zoraqi REALTOR Edina Realty 50th & France R Jim Hovland will take the oath of office as Mayor at the Edina City Council’s first meeting of the year, which will be held Tuesday, Jan. 8. Incumbent Council Members Mary Brindle and Ann Swenson were also re-elected and will take the oath of office at the same time. Hovland, Brindle and Swenson were the top vote-getters in the November 2012 General Election. According to results of the election, in the race for mayor, Hovland defeated challenger Linda Masica with 17,498 votes to her 9,995. In the race for City Council, Swenson had the most votes with 12,651. Brindle followed with 12,365 votes. Other candidates in the election were Chad Bell, 7,050 votes, and Wayne Dvorak, 6,383. Hovland has served as mayor since January 2005. He served as a member of the City Council from January 1997 to December 2004. “I am thrilled to be able to work for the people of Edina for another four years,” Hovland said after the election. “It means so much to me to able to continue to serve … [and address] the continual desire to preserve what’s good about our city – all the traditions we have and the things that make it special – but at the same time stay ahead and manage change. I find all of that extremely exhilarating.” In the election, Brindle was re-elected to her second term as City Council Member, having first taken office in January 2009. Previously, she served as a member of the Human Rights & Relations Commission and Community Health Committee. Swenson was re-elected to her third term on the City Council. She took office in January 2005 after serving on the City’s Planning Commission and Heritage Preservation Board. She has served as Mayor Pro Tem since January 2011. The Edina City Council typically meets at 7 p.m. the first and third Tuesdays of the month at Edina City Hall, 4801 W. 50th St. For more information on the Edina City Council, visit www.EdinaMN.gov. ÓäÊUÊ7 / ,ÊÓä£Î Incumbent Mayor, City Council Members Re-elected Fi l e P h o t o Fi l e P h o t o Fil e P h o t o Mayor Jim Hovland Council Member Mary Brindle Council Member Ann Swenson Óä£ÎÊ ÊÊÊÊ7 / ,ÊUÊ Ó£ (continued on next page) Edina Fire Department Hires New Fire Marshal By Jordan Gilgenbach Once fire crews leave the scene of a fire, homeowners and fire investigators are left to survey the damage. Rooms are filled with charred walls, destroyed furnishings and lost keepsakes. Is there a more effective way to reduce the risk of fires and injuries? That is a question that Jeff Siems has asked himself time and time again. Recently hired as the new Fire Marshal at the Edina Fire Department, Siems thinks he can help residents find that answer. Siems’ career began as an Emergency Medical Technician for Gold Cross in Rochester, Minn., when he was 18. After finishing his formal training, Siems became a Paramedic for Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC), working the night shift. When a Paramedic/Firefighter position opened at the Edina Fire Department in 1992, Siems quickly applied. “I thought this would be a good opportunity,” Siems said. “I gained a lot of experience with trauma at HCMC, but thought Edina would be a great fit.” In 1998, Siems was promoted to Fire Lieutenant. It was in this position that Siems realized his interest in risk reduction. Siems completed the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program in 2012, a four-year program with four core courses in Emmitsburg, Md. Each course spanned two weeks. Those in the program gain an understanding of the value of research and lifelong learning, learn the importance of being proactive and Ph o t o b y M i c h a e l B r a u n Jeff Siems began his new role as Edina’s Fire Marshal in November 2012. ÓÓÊUÊ7 / ,ÊÓä£Î build skills and knowledge to be successful leaders. Additionally, each student must also complete an applied research project each year that relates to his or her department. “I am very fortunate to have had the opportunity to attend. It’s really allowed me to look at things in a different light and deepen my breadth of knowledge,” Siems said. “What I realized is that my research always had a heavy risk-reduction component. Our goal is to break the chain so we can prevent these events from happening.” Siems is one of three current Fire Department members to have completed the training, fourth in the Department’s history. “Jeff is an excellent asset of the Edina Fire Department,” said Edina Fire Chief Marty Scheerer. “Completing this training really shows his commitment to the firefighting profession and to the residents of Edina.” While doing research for the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program, Siems worked closely with former Edina Fire Marshal Tom Jenson, who retired in August, to develop and implement a program to reduce the risk of fire-related deaths among college students by targeting high school seniors. Through his research, he found that while overall fires and fire-related deaths are decreasing, that’s not the case for students living on or near college campuses. Fire deaths among college students have remained level, which presents an opportunity for risk reduction. “We do a great job targeting younger kids,” Siems said. “High schoolers entering college are a target subclass with unique issues. For many, it’s their first time away from home without parental influence. Also, they haven’t had some life experiences relating to fire prevention and safety, like overloaded outlets and cooking safety. “After finishing my research, I worked with the State Fire Marshal’s office to develop a plan that we could distribute statewide.” Siems helped develop public education materials, including a brochure and PowerPoint presentation, which are being used by high schools, colleges and fire departments statewide. In his new role as Fire Marshal, Siems will lead the Department’s fire prevention and public education efforts. He will work closely with Edina Public Schools, businesses, residents and community organizations for education and safety purposes. “We have great relationships and support from the schools, the entire community and the State,” Siems Óä£ÎÊÊÊÊÊ7 / ,ÊUÊÓÎ said. “I think we can grow those relationships to better the community. We must keep connected with the community and its businesses to make sure that if something simple can be done to reduce risk, it is done.” Siems said he would like to develop and encourage a residential sprinkler program because it has “proven itself as effective in [fighting] fires every day.” He will also work with the City’s Building Inspections division to make sure all new constructions are compliant with local and State laws. “I am excited to see Jeff grow in his new position,” Scheerer said. “With his experiences as lieutenant, as well as those gained though the National Fire Academy, he brings a lot of new ideas to keep Edina safe.” “We’ve got a great department and excellent public education components,” Siems said. “[Tom] Jenson did a great job building relationships throughout the City and state and I look forward to continuing those partnerships.” For more information, contact Siems at 952-826-0337. Stan Brown+Associates, LLC Job Search+Career Coaching $VVHVVPHQW6WUDWHJ\3RZHUIXO7RROV)XOÀOOLQJ5HVXOWV 6908 Antrim Road, Minneapolis, MN 55439 3KRQH‡0RELOH VWDQ#VWDQEURZQXVZZZVWDQEURZQFRDFKFRP $VVLVWLQJSHRSOHLQWUDQVLWLRQVLQFH In Edina since 1961, serving Christian families with an outstanding education built upon a rich, biblical world view. Visit today! Call to arrange a school-day visit that fits your schedule. Kindergarten through 8th grade CALVIN  CHRISTIAN  SCHOOL www.calvinchristian.org 952-­927-­5304 4015  Inglewood  Ave.  S. www.calvinchristian.org 952-­927-­5304 Ó{ÊUÊ7 / ,ÊÓä£Î Henry Parkhurst sTrial & Appeals s Business Counsel s Trusts & Estates s Family Law s Personal Injury 763-225-6014 The  Valliere  Room   at Braemar Golf Course BRAEMARCeud MileFailte t4FBUTVQUPHVFTUT t#SFBUIUBLJOHWJFXTPGHPMGDPVSTF t"NQMFQBUJPTFBUJOH t0ČTJUFDBUFSJOH t1VCMJDXFMDPNF 5PTDIFEVMFBOFWFOUPSGPSNPSFJOGPSNBUJPO  DPOUBDU"NZ4NJUI PS BTNJUI!&EJOB./HPW Braemar Golf Course 364 John Harris Drive, Edina www.BraemarGolf.com Exceptional 24 Hour Personal At-homeAdultAssistance&Care NURSING HHA’S COMPANIONS 612-708-1079 www.adulthelpcare.com Assisting throughout the Twin Cities. Insured s Licensed s Dependable Shops at Excelsior & Grand 3826 Grand Way, St. Louis Park, 952.922.8364 & 0 < &0 0< &< &0< . (GLQD2Q7KH*R$GSGI$0 Óä£ÎÊ ÊÊÊÊ7 / ,ÊUÊ Óx Frey Sketches Future Course For Edina Art Center By Emilie Kastner One night class 17 years ago set Michael Frey on a path toward fulfilling his lifelong dream of becoming an artist. “I’ve always been interested in art,” said Michael Frey, an award-winning portraiture artist who was named General Manager of the Edina Art Center late last year. “I was drawing from a really early age. I would draw the faces on the cover of Time Magazine and I’ve always been interested in portraiture.” In 1995, Frey began attending classes at The Atelier Studio Program of Fine Art, an art school in Minneapolis. In 1999, he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in realistic drawing. “I just decided that I didn’t like what I was doing and I had always wanted to be an artist – I had always wanted to learn how to paint,” said Frey. “So I just decided to leave the world of banking.” The transition wasn’t always fluid, however. Frey’s background was in science. Hailing from Boulder, Colo., he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Colorado and moved to Minnesota to pursue a doctorate in anatomy. After doing research for five years as a Junior Scientist at the University of Minnesota, Frey grew uninterested. When he didn’t find his life’s passion after eight years in training and supervisory positions at Wells Fargo, either, he had a short stint in corporate retail before he finally began doing what he loved. “It was kind of one of those lucky things,” said Frey of his employment at the Edina Art Center. One of the instructors at Atelier also taught at the Edina Art Center. When she offered Frey the opportunity to take over and teach her classes in Edina in 1998, he obliged. He began with only two classes and added six more. Then, he began to teach the School of Realism, as well as the Art Academy Program, which was created for elementary and middle school students – a class he has continued to teach weekly. “A lot of people don’t like to teach middle school students,” said Frey. “I absolutely love it. They’re sassy. They’re a tough crowd because they’re starting to become really independent and they don’t necessarily like to take Ph o t o b y M i c h a e l B r a u n Michael Frey was hired Nov. 5 as General Manager of the Edina Art Center, where he has been teaching classes for 15 years. (continued on next page) ÓÈÊUÊ7 / ,ÊÓä£Î direction from anyone; so if you can get through to a middle school kid, you can get through to anybody.” “I think Michael has a very broad understanding of artists at all levels and ages, and understands how to encourage development,” said Margie Grinnell, a life-long Edina resident who has taken classes at the Edina Art Center for 10 years. Frey was her first instructor. “I have tremendous respect and loyalty to Michael Frey as a friend, as an artist and as an advisor.” Frey managed the Edina Art Center for about a year after long-time director Diana Hedges retired in 2011. Then in November 2012, City Manager Scott Neal hired Frey as General Manager of the Edina Art Center. “It’s been wonderful working with him and for him,” said Anne Spooner, Program & Gallery Coordinator at the Edina Art Center, who has also been an Art Instructor with Frey for 15 years. “He has been a great person to work with. He really has the Art Center’s best interests at heart and he knows the community. We’re on the same wavelength and share the same vision that we’re here to provide services.” Spooner was hired full time in 2007. She and Frey are the only two full-time staff members at the Edina Art Center. There are 85 instructors on the Art Center’s complete roster, though only about 45 to 50 are currently teaching. The Edina Art Center has a $650,000 budget and 11 part- time staff. In addition to overseeing classes, programs, staff and the facility, Frey also serves as staff liaison to the Art Center Board, which meets once per month. “Everyone at the Art Center was jumping up and down, screaming with excitement when he was hired,” said Spooner. “He had all these ladies from the Art Center crowded in his office – one of them even brought a cake – and he hadn’t even signed the paperwork yet, though, of course, we knew he would. He was probably thinking, ‘Get me out of here!’ We’re just so happy for him. It’s been a long process.” Hiring a permanent leader for the Art Center was one of the recommendations of a study completed by Sutton & Associates during the summer of 2012, so the City offered the job to Frey. Su b m i t t e d I l l u s t r a t i o n Michael Frey’s “Portrait of Jack” is one of his favorite works of art. Óä£ÎÊ ÊÊÊÊ7 / ,ÊUÊ ÓÇ “Michael has a business brain and an arts heart and I think that combination of attributes is not very common,” Neal said. “I expect him to be a really valuable leader at the Art Center.” Another recommendation from the study was to expand the arts in Edina beyond the walls of the Art Center. “The Art Center is a great place for making art and learning about art,” said Neal, “but the Art Center Board, residents and City Council are talking about how we take art out of the Art Center and deploy it in our everyday lives, and that is an exciting conversation for me.” “The fact that the residents of Edina support the arts is a really big deal and the fact that City money goes to fund an Art Center is a huge deal and I’m really grateful for that support,” said Frey. “For anyone to have a job in the arts today is a really big deal – and it’s my dream job.” One of Frey’s goals for the Art Center is to maintain and build upon the friendly atmosphere and sense of community that residents and visitors have grown to love and expect. In addition, he’s also worked to create a more dog-friendly environment. “There are a lot of studies that have been done about dogs in the workplace and how that really changes the energy in a positive way,” said Frey, who has been bringing his pug Sophie to work with him daily. “She’s well known throughout the Art Center. People have drawn her.” Frey lives in Minneapolis and has won several awards for his portraiture, including the 2001 fourth-place Merit Award at the Minnesota State Fair; 2003 Merit Award, Edina Art Center Juried Show; 2003 Peer Award, Edina Art Center Juried Show; 2004 Honorable Mention, GLBT Pride Art Show; 2005 Merit Award, Edina Art Center Juried Show; 2005 Peer Award, Edina Art Center Juried Show; and 2005 Best In Show, GLBT Pride Art Show. In his free time, he visits museums and watches the TV show “Downton Abbey.” “To me, the arts is about seeing things in a different way that other people don’t see them,” said Frey. “The reason I love working at the Art Center is that people who are interested in art are always kind of misfits and we’re weird … Everybody looks at the world differently. I guess for me, I can relate to how they look at the world because I look at it in a similar way.” The Edina Art Center, 4701 W. 64th St., is open 9 a.m.- 8 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday. For more information or to register for classes, call 952-903-5780, email ArtCenter@EdinaMN.gov or visit www.EdinaArtCenter.com. ÓnÊUÊ7 / ,ÊÓä£Î >LOLSWIYPUN I\`LYZHUK ZLSSLYZ[VNL[OLY 6WLU/V\ZLZ‹(J[P]L3PZ[PUNZ‹/VTL=HS\LZ‹7YVWLY[`:LHYJO @6<95,0./)69/66+9,(3,:;(;,796-,::065(3: 7HT(SSLU  1LMMHUK+PHUL(UKLYLZ   *OHYSPLHUK+H]H(\S 1VOU,]LYL[[   (S`ZZH.YHUS\UK  4HYR.YHUS\UK  9\[OHUU/VSL[a   7H[YPJR/V^HYK 1PT1HLJRLSZ 4HY`.YLPN2YPL[LY  1HUL3HYZVU 1VOU4HJ2HU`   1VOU4J+VUHSK    2PT4LSPU  1VHU,4P[JOLSS   1\KL+\NHU6SZVU   (HYVU6\ZRH  2L]PU9PLZ    ;VT ,YPJR9PLZ    4HYNPLHUK1VOU:HTWZLSS    1VZO:WYHN\L 1PT:[HYY  4PJOHLS;PLYUL`   :\ZHU>HOTHU   *VYR`>LILY    *OYPZ>PSSL[[L +HU>PSSL[[L    -PUK\ZH[ LKPUHLKPUHYLHS[`JVT -PUK\ZH[ LKPUH[OHUKMYHUJLLKPUHYLHS[`JVT 7HT(HNHHYK  +H]L(UKLYZVU  :HUK`)HPUIYPKNL    )HIL[[LHUK1VOU)LHU   4LNHU)YPURTHU 2Y`Z[H*SHYR   :OLPSH*YVUPU    2HYLU+HS`   (T`+LJRHZ 7H[[P,HZ[THU   3PZH,JRLY[    4HY`)L[O.V\SL[[   ALI/HUL`   1HUPL/H`Z   4HYR2V\H[SP 2`SL3P[^PU  )VIHUK-YHUJ`4H[ZVU    )YHKHUK(T`4J5HTHYH   ;VTHUK4LN4L`LYZ   (UK`4P[JOLSS (UKYL^6SP]L  4HYJPH9\ZZLSS   4HYNHYL[:OH^    3PUKH:THI`  2H[OPL=VSSHUK      ,+05(6--0*,,+05(;/ -9(5*, Óä£ÎÊÊÊÊÊ7 / ,ÊUÊә >LOLSWIYPUN I\`LYZHUK ZLSSLYZ[VNL[OLY 6WLU/V\ZLZ‹(J[P]L3PZ[PUNZ‹/VTL=HS\LZ‹7YVWLY[`:LHYJO @6<95,0./)69/66+9,(3,:;(;,796-,::065(3: 7HT(SSLU  1LMMHUK+PHUL(UKLYLZ   *OHYSPLHUK+H]H(\S 1VOU,]LYL[[   (S`ZZH.YHUS\UK  4HYR.YHUS\UK  9\[OHUU/VSL[a   7H[YPJR/V^HYK 1PT1HLJRLSZ 4HY`.YLPN2YPL[LY  1HUL3HYZVU 1VOU4HJ2HU`   1VOU4J+VUHSK    2PT4LSPU  1VHU,4P[JOLSS   1\KL+\NHU6SZVU   (HYVU6\ZRH  2L]PU9PLZ    ;VT ,YPJR9PLZ    4HYNPLHUK1VOU:HTWZLSS    1VZO:WYHN\L 1PT:[HYY  4PJOHLS;PLYUL`   :\ZHU>HOTHU   *VYR`>LILY    *OYPZ>PSSL[[L +HU>PSSL[[L    -PUK\ZH[ LKPUHLKPUHYLHS[`JVT -PUK\ZH[ LKPUH[OHUKMYHUJLLKPUHYLHS[`JVT 7HT(HNHHYK  +H]L(UKLYZVU  :HUK`)HPUIYPKNL    )HIL[[LHUK1VOU)LHU   4LNHU)YPURTHU 2Y`Z[H*SHYR   :OLPSH*YVUPU    2HYLU+HS`   (T`+LJRHZ 7H[[P,HZ[THU   3PZH,JRLY[    4HY`)L[O.V\SL[[   ALI/HUL`   1HUPL/H`Z   4HYR2V\H[SP 2`SL3P[^PU  )VIHUK-YHUJ`4H[ZVU    )YHKHUK(T`4J5HTHYH   ;VTHUK4LN4L`LYZ   (UK`4P[JOLSS (UKYL^6SP]L  4HYJPH9\ZZLSS   4HYNHYL[:OH^    3PUKH:THI`  2H[OPL=VSSHUK      ,+05(6--0*,,+05(;/ -9(5*, ÎäÊUÊ7 / ,ÊÓä£Î Edina Family Chiropractic Joins 50th & France ‘Family’ Edina’s 50th & France commercial district enjoys a reputation as something of a “one-stop shop.” People come from miles around not only to pick up a new outfit or to browse for shoes, but also to grab a bite to eat – and maybe fit in a yoga session or catch a movie while they are at it. In a continuation of this “one-stop” tradition, the neighborhood welcomed Chris Bargmann and Edina Family Chiropractic to the area in October 2012. Bargmann is a licensed chiropractor with 15 years of experience under his belt, plus extensive post-graduate training. His specialties include pre- and post-natal care, corrective spinal surgery, disc injury rehabilitation and scoliosis treatments. “I really think of myself as a family chiropractor – I can be the ‘one-stop shop’ for the whole family’s treatments and needs. … In my former practice, I worked with patients as young as one week to as old as 90 years,” Bargmann said. Bargmann comes to Edina from Austin, Texas. “I am transferring operations to Minnesota so that my wife, two children and I can be closer to extended family.” More specifically, he chose the 50th & France commercial area as his new professional home because “it has great name recognition. People know how to get here already. Further, it is right in the middle of things – accessible to a good percentage of the urban area.” Edina Family Chiropractic is located at 3925 W. 50th St., Suite 202, above Banana Republic and in the offices formerly occupied by Unicap Global Technologies. For more information on Bargmann’s services and specialties, visit www.edinafamilychiropractic.com or call him at 952-388-0868. Jerry’s Foods Renovates And Expands Vernon Avenue Location The Jerry’s Foods flagship location at 5125 Vernon Ave. S., a fixture of the Edina’s multiuse Grandview Heights area, underwent a major transformation this fall. The company invested in a number of internal and external renovations and improvements. Prominent among the additions are a moved and improved coffee shop; new sunlit seating area; and state- of-the-art, energy-conserving refrigerator units in the dairy and frozen foods sections. Shoppers will also notice expanded meat and seafood service counters, complete with sampling and demonstration areas; an improved “Grab-N-Go” section with freshly prepared sandwiches, salads and soups; a larger gifts and card department; and a bigger bakery selection. The supermarket’s exterior is also getting a facelift. In addition to a whole new façade, the large and central revolving door was removed to create a more inviting, air-controlled entry way. Business Notes Ph o t o b y D a v i d K a t z Jerry’s Foods underwent a major transformation this fall. Óä£ÎÊ ÊÊÊÊ7 / ,ÊUÊ Î£ Ultimately, according to a statement issued by the company, “… literally every corner of the store will get a facelift as we fulfill our goal of making the Jerry’s shopping experience second to none.” The bulk of the work was to be completed by the end of 2012. For more details or project updates, visit www.jerrysremodel.com or call 952-929-2685. Galleria Celebrates Grand Opening Of Arhaus In early October, Arhaus Furniture, a name quickly becoming synonymous with high-quality and exclusive home furnishings, opened a store and showcase space in the Galleria. Located on the center’s east side between Pittsburgh Blue and Starbucks, the 15,000-square-foot Galleria location is the first in Minnesota and one of only five Arhaus outlets found anywhere west of Chicago. Arhaus’ product developers get inspiration from nature and take pride in incorporating beautiful natural materials into their diverse designs. Whether you are in the market for a cherry or elm hardwood floor, a natural stone tabletop, or pure wrought ironwork desk or stand, odds are good that Arhaus has the perfect handcrafted piece for your living room, dining room or bedroom. “The store is so inspiring – guests and shoppers will love exploring everything from furniture to bedding and pillows to lighting, rugs and accessories,” said Jill Noack, Vice President and General Manager of the Galleria. Arhaus is located at 3200 Galleria. For more information on the store and showroom, or to request a product catalog, visit www.arhaus.com. Edina’s Westin Galleria Named Hotel Association’s “Property of the Year” Since first opening its doors in 2009, the Edina Westin Galleria has garnered a number of accolades for its first- class facility, amenities and customer service. These laurels include being named Best Hotel in Edina, the No. 1 Westin property in North America for both 2010 and 2011, and AAA’s prestigious Four Diamond Award – for four years running. Most recently, the Minnesota Lodging Association (MLA), the state’s trade association for hotel owners and operators, honored the Westin Galleria with yet another title: 2012 Property of the Year. This award is bestowed by fellow industry professionals for setting a high standard as an industry and community leader on all facets of hotel work. This distinction is all the more meaningful for being awarded by fellow hotel professionals. “It is truly an honor to be recognized by our peers at the MLA,” said Marc Faubert, General Manager of the Westin Edina Galleria. “I believe this award is a reflection of the commitment of the hotel’s associates and managers to providing the best hotel experience for our guests.” The 18-floor hotel boasts 225 guest rooms and 9,100 square feet of meeting space. For more information on the Minnesota Lodging Association and the Property of the Year selection process, visit hospitalitymn.org. For more information on the Edina Westin Galleria, visit westinedinagalleria.com. – Compiled by David Katz ÎÓÊUÊ7 / ,ÊÓä£Î 7545 Washington Avenue S. Edina, MN 55439 1-866-460-4403 | kolbegallerytwincities.com Bringing your vision to life takes a higher level of creativity and expertise. Who you choose matters. Contact our experts for a personal design consultation. © 2012 Kolbe & Kolbe Millwork Co., Inc. By Jordan Gilgenbach To make Bicycling Magazine’s prestigious list of the top 50 bike-friendly cities in the country, a city must possess both a robust cycling infrastructure and a vibrant bike culture. Cities must have a population of 95,000 or more to be considered for the annual ranking. While Edina may be too small to make the list, its efforts to expand bicycling infrastructure as part of a “Living Streets” philosophy is newsworthy. The Edina Transportation Commission is currently working to draft a Living Streets Policy and implementation plan. Living Streets balances the needs of motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists and transit riders in a way that promotes safety and convenience and enhances community identity, economic vitality and opportunities for active living, better health and environmental sustainability. By providing key north-south and east-west connections to other regional trails and routes in Bloomington, Minneapolis and Richfield, for example, Edina has taken steps to achieve that balance in some areas of the city. Edina’s most recent expansion of bike lanes is funded in part by Bike Walk Twin Cities, a program of Transit for Livable Communities. “This project scored very high because of its strong connectivity,” said Joan Pasiuk, Bicycling and Walking Program Director at Transit for Livable Communities. “Edina has already done a comprehensive bicycle plan – it is very serious about this and has a vision for it.” In 2012, the City Council approved several streets in Edina to be designated and striped as bike lanes. Antrim Road, Cahill Road, Valley View Road and 70th Street in southwest Edina were all restriped with bike lanes in the fall. New bike lanes or bike routes can also be found on Blake Road, Interlachen Boulevard, Wooddale Avenue and 54th and 58th streets. Óä£ÎÊ ÊÊÊÊ7 / ,ÊUÊ ÎÎ Ph o t o b y S c o t t D e n f e l d Green shared bike lanes are used on streets too narrow for dedicated bike lanes and where extra visibility is needed because of higher traffic volumes. (continued on next page) Bike Lanes Help Keep Edina Connected “It is very important to look at these projects as the first phase of the overall bikeway system,” Director of Engineering Wayne Houle said. “A comprehensive system will encourage cyclists to use our facilities on a regular basis, continuing to promote a healthy City and advancing our Living Streets philosophy.” According to the City’s Comprehensive Plan, bike routes are meant to create convenient and easy routes to destinations in the City, such as schools, and to provide a connection to regional travel points outside Edina. “A primary reason for expanding the network is for short trips as well,” Pasiuk said. “When we see a project that can help people get to parks with their kids, help do errands by getting to retail locations, it can link to everyday destinations and that means it is serving a greater transportation purpose.” “People travel outside of the city,” said Shaun Murphy, Bicycling and Pedestrian Coordinator for the City of Minneapolis. “That is no different for cyclists. Having connections to regional trails and bike routes in surrounding cities is vital.” “Even for those who can’t consider commuting [by bike], they can incorporate bicycling more seamlessly into their daily life,” Pasiuk added. The City has implemented several different types of on-street bike facilities. Dedicated bike lanes, like those on 70th Street, Cahill Road and Valley View Road, provide a dedicated space on the roadway for bikes. They are about three feet wide and marked with solid white lines and a white bicycle symbol. When preparing to turn or park, yield to bike traffic in the bike lane. This type of bike lane is restricted to bicycle traffic, except for instances where a driver needs to turn, enter or leave a roadway or driveway, or to park adjacent to the bike lane, where permitted. Advisory bike lanes are found on Wooddale Avenue and West 54th Street between Minnehaha Boulevard and France Avenue. They are used on streets that are too narrow for both dedicated driving and bike lanes; Î{ÊUÊ7 / ,ÊÓä£Î Ph o t o b y D a v i d K a t z The City of Edina expanded its on-street bicycle facilities last fall to advance its Living Streets philosophy. however, these bike lanes do not narrow or reduce the amount of roadway space that can be used for vehicles. Advisory bike lanes are similar to dedicated bike lanes, except a dashed line is used instead of a solid line. The dashed line of the bike lane tells drivers they may drive in the bike lane when a bicyclist is not present. Keep to the right of oncoming traffic. If a bicyclist is in the bike lane, move left toward the center to pass him or her, keeping at least three feet of distance between your vehicle and the bicyclist. If there is oncoming traffic in the center lane, yield to the bicycle until it is safe to pass. Green shared bike lanes are found on Valley View Road between Wooddale Avenue and Oaklawn Avenue, and at the West 70th Street and Metro Boulevard intersection. These bike lanes are used on streets too narrow for dedicated bike lanes and where extra visibility is needed because of higher traffic volumes. Green shared bike lanes function similarly to advisory bike lanes in that you may drive in the bike lanes when bicyclists are not present. If a bicycle is in the green lane, move to the left to pass if safe. Bike boulevards are designated by a large bicycle symbol and “BLVD.” They are used on streets such as Southdale Road and Cornelia Drive that have lower traffic volumes. Motorists may drive over the street markings. If a bicycle is present, only pass if it is safe to do so, leaving at least three feet between the vehicle and the bicycle. “Share the road” markings and signs encourage use by cyclists while reminding motorists and bicyclists that all modes of transportation may use the roadway, whether or not there are any street markings. “It’s important for drivers to be attentive when they are driving,” said Byron Theis, City of Edina Traffic Safety Coordinator. “Additional bike lanes will help increase drivers’ awareness, which can lower the chance of an accident.” According to Murphy, the City of Minneapolis has seen crash rates drop over the last several decades, especially as the number of cyclists increases. “I think it’s safety in numbers,” Murphy said. “The more people who are bicycling, the more people driving are watching out for them. For example, near the University of Minnesota campus, we see far fewer crashes on the crash map, yet that’s where bike traffic is the highest.” “Moving forward, we will continue to implement the Living Streets philosophy in all our projects,” Houle said. “This is the first step toward creating a network of bike facilities throughout Edina.” For more information, call the City of Edina Engineering Department at 952-826-0371. Óä£ÎÊ ÊÊÊÊ7 / ,ÊUÊ Îx ÎÈÊUÊ7 / ,ÊÓä£Î By Kaylin Martin As the Edina Police Department’s historian, Officer Kevin Rofidal knows there is a story behind every badge. “What’s interesting is that every person who worked here, they left with a handful of news clippings,” he said, “and they carry it around with them, maybe not physically, but mentally. This job leaves an impact on you.” A 15-year veteran of the department, Rofidal was recently promoted to the position of sergeant, filling a vacancy left by Steve Stroh, who died last August after a four-year battle with multiple myeloma. Rofidal said even though he looked forward to the position, which began Jan. 1, his advancement was bittersweet. “Nobody wanted the position to open like this,” he said. “But I’ve known Steve for 20 years and I know Steve would be happy right now.” Just like Stroh who grew up in Edina, Rofidal is no stranger to the community. Also raised in Edina, Rofidal joined the Department’s Law Enforcement Explorers Post when he was 14 years old. He started his first job with the City two years later when he worked at the Cornelia Park warming house. For the next few years, Rofidal worked for the City’s Public Works Department, where he walked a third of the City’s streets as a meter reader and got to know the residents. “It really helped me later when I became a police officer [in Edina], because I knew the City so well and I knew the layouts of the homes,” said Rofidal. Edina Police Chief Jeff Long added to that sentiment when he said that because Rofidal grew up in the city and has spent so much time in Edina outside of work that “he just gets it.” “He knows the City and understands it,” said Long. “We have a proud history of being responsive to the residents and he has been part of that, both as a resident and officer.” Edina Officer Starts New Chapter As Sergeant Ph o t o b y M i c h a e l B r a u n A 15-year veteran of the department, Kevin Rofidal was promoted to sergeant Jan. 1. Óä£ÎÊ ÊÊÊÊ7 / ,ÊUÊ ÎÇ After completing his police skills training, Rofidal joined the Reserves program for Carver County, where he spent time patrolling the area’s water and trails. In 1995, Rofidal was hired as a police officer for the City of Farmington, Minn. At times serving as the only officer on duty for 10,000 residents, Rofidal said it was very different policing, but a great opportunity. “There was no boss on duty, so you had to figure out a lot on your own,” he explained. After spending two years with the City of Farmington, Rofidal was hired as a patrol officer for the Edina Police Department, where he began the next chapter in his story. To take full advantage of his new job opportunity, Rofidal joined the SWAT team in 1998 – something he says is a very rewarding experience. Edina Police Sgt. Nate Mendel has been on the SWAT team with Rofidal since 2002 and said that Rofidal’s diligent work and insight have made the SWAT team what it is today. “We have gotten to the point as team leaders where we can communicate effectively and achieve goals much more efficiently,” said Mendel. “I can always count on Kevin and his leadership abilities.” Two years after joining the SWAT team, to which he still belongs, Rofidal joined the U.S. Coast Guard and is currently stationed out of Duluth, Minn. “People don’t know all that Kevin does, because he doesn’t make a big deal about it,” said Long. “But talk about someone who loves people, serving both as a police officer and in the military.” Though Rofidal is proud of his involvement with the SWAT team and the Coast Guard, it’s revitalizing the Edina Police Department’s K-9 program that he claims as his biggest success. The Edina Police Department hadn’t had a K-9 program since 1973. In 2001, Rofidal approached then-Police Chief Mike Siitari with the idea that the department could benefit from its own police K-9 instead of depending on other agencies to provide that service. Shortly after, Siitari signed the program into action. Since Rofidal and his K-9 partner Kodiak, who retired in 2010, the department has employed two more K-9s: Diesel and Blade. “It was an opportunity I had to go out to get,” he said. “Nobody came and said, ‘hey, do you want to do this?’” “There are a lot of jobs where people come to work, punch the clock and do the time. Then there are other people who try to take advantage of the opportunities.” Rofidal said his hard work can be attributed to both of his grandfathers. One served as the Police Chief of Brainerd, Minn., and the other spent time in a number of different businesses. Both had an unmatched work ethic, until Rofidal came along. As sergeant, Rofidal will supervise six officers on his night shift. He will field questions from his team and from the public as well as review reports and ensure all (continued on next page) ÎnÊUÊ7 / ,ÊÓä£Î in-custody arrests are processed correctly. In addition to his supervisor duties, Rofidal will still be responsible for patrolling the City, making arrests and assisting his officers on various calls. “Residents are going to find someone [in Rofidal] who supports their interests, will listen and knows what the community is about,” said Long. “He’s not just an employee – he’s vested in the City.” Rofidal has carried with him throughout his career with the City the mission and values of the Police Department, said Long, adding that Rofidal is a “shining example that a positive attitude and hard work pay off.” “It’s important to leave a stamp on the place and to leave the place a little better than you found it,” said Rofidal. “I don’t think it’s a cliché – I think there’s something to be said about that.” For more information about the Edina Police Department, call 952-826-1610. -PNO[PUN+LWYLZZPVU& Are you tired, beat-up, frustrated and at the end of your rope? If this sounds like you, then look no further, help is here! Pinnacle Behavioral Healthcare provides a comprehensive service for individuals with all forms of psychiatric and psychological needs including depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, stress, ADHD, PTSD, as well as, psychotic illnesses. We are ]LY` committed to evidence-based care and can recommend a variety of therapies including medication management, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), supportive therapy, marital counseling, and group therapy. Call us today to set up an appointment 952-303-6832 or visit our website www.pinnaclebhc.com www.Facebook.com/PinnacleBHC https://twitter.com/PinnacleBHC 7250 France Avenue S. Ste. 302 Edina, MN 55435 Olukayode Awosika, MD Escape Winter! Dolphin Destiny Adventures 651-283-7983 1-877-846-3483 or visit us at our website www.dolphindestiny.com 3PECIALIZING INˆ#ARIBBEAN s -EXICO s 3OUTH 0ACIlC We are experts in planning scuba and adventure travel vacations to exotic destinations. Óä£ÎÊÊÊÊÊ7 / ,ÊUÊΙ ' #  '  $ ! '  ! ! " #" % %! 7.75 %%%APR* *Annual Percentage Rate (APR) is variable and may be adjusted quarterly based on Prime rate. Cash Advance charge is 3% of transaction amount with $10 minimum, $75 maximum. Foreign Transaction charge is up to 2%. After 90 days, Balance Transfer charge is 3% of transaction amount with $10 minimum, $75 maximum. ROYAL CREDIT UNION Apply today!    & 4450 West 76th St JING RIVER ACUPUNCTURE& TRADITIONAL MEDICINE Sean Xiangdong Yu L.Ac., Ph.D. JINGRIVERACUPUNCTURES.COM 952-955-6844 Call us today for introductory specials! 3400 W. 66th Street, Ste 245, Edina, MN 55435 Now accepting HealthPartners and Blue Cross Blue Shield Insurance !CUPUNCTURE s #HINESE (ERBS #UPPING s 1IGONG "ODYWORK Eective treatments for a wide range of conditions Be a part of the tradition. We’ve been remodeling Edina for 40 years. License #1428 612.861.0188www.SylvestreConstruction.com {äÊUÊ7 / ,ÊÓä£Î `ˆ˜>ʈVŽÃÊ"vvÊ£ÓxÌ…Ê Anniversary Celebration How should the City celebrate its Quasquicentennial in 2013? Originally, the Edina Historical Society expected one big community event to mark the 125th year of the City’s founding in 1888, but the celebration calendar has grown to four events and counting as word has spread. “It’s exciting to see that the community wants to get involved,” said Edina Historical Society Executive Director Marci Matson, “especially since our goal has always been to make the Quasquicentennial a community-wide celebration, not just an Edina Historical Society celebration.” The Society’s Quasquicentennial Committee, led by Ruth Valgemae, invited the public to support the four planned activities or create one of their own. The calendar was unveiled at an Oct. 4 kickoff event for community organizations. The four signature events include: ‡´+LVWRU\+DSSHQHG+HUHµWKH6RFLHW\·VILUVW community-based exhibit that will place historic photos in the locations where they were taken; ‡+LVWRU\WKHPHG-XO\WK3DUDGHZLWKRUJDQL]DWLRQV celebrating their own history or some event from Edina’s past; City To Make ‘Tasteful’ Contribution To Quasquicentennial Festivities Over the past 125 years, those who came to Edina – no matter how brief their stay – have built the community. Bonds between people were often formed around food at dinner tables, picnics in the park, soda shop counters and local eateries. To pay tribute to residents’ contributions in forming the community, the City will produce a cookbook for the Quasquicentennial celebration featuring stories about local families of the past and present, along with a few of each family’s recipes. “The Quasquicentennial cookbook is meant to contain a collection of food recipes that were developed by residents throughout Edina’s history,” said Communications & Technology Services Director Jennifer Bennerotte. “It will acquaint Edina residents, and others, with meals prepared by both their predecessors and neighbors living down the street today.” If you are interested in sharing recipes and having your family’s story told in the cookbook, please contact the Communications & Technology Services Department by April 1. Families featured in the cookbook will receive free copies. Call 952-826-0359 or email mail@EdinaMN.gov to participate. EDINA  HARDWARE ³:HVSHDNÀXHQWGRRKLFNH\ ZKDWFKDPDFDOOLW´ 4510  Valley  View  Road,  Edina 952-­925-­1133 Celebrating  53  Years  on  the  Corner 1960-2013 Óä£ÎÊ ÊÊÊÊ7 / ,ÊUÊ {£ ‡+LVWRULF+RPH7RXURQ6XQGD\6HSWIHDWXULQJ the 1886 Baird house, a Country Club District home and a Morningside Bungalow; ‡)RXQGHUV·'D\&HOHEUDWLRQDW&LW\+DOORQ7KXUVGD\ Dec. 12, with a series of short performances and readings showing key moments in Edina’s history. Some groups have already pledged their support, including the Edina Chorale, which sent an ensemble to perform at the Oct. 4 kickoff. In addition, the League of Women Voters of Edina will serve as Home Tour docents, dressed in their 1920s suffragette costumes. Others plan to create activities of their own. The Edina Federated Women’s Club pledged to organize a family- friendly celebration, and the Edina Art Center plans to work with the Edina Historical Society for a history- themed Edina Film Festival, showing clips of Edina home movies from past decades. A full schedule of events will be included in the spring issue of About Town. For more information on how you or your organization can get involved, visit www.edinahistoricalsociety.org/125th or contact the Society at 612-928-4577 or edinahistory@yahoo.com.  t KRRSVFRP P R E S CH OO L S PORTS ACADEMY JOGP!QFBSTPOPSUIPEPOUJDTDPNXXXQFBSTPOTNJMFTDPN The Edina Human Rights & Relations Commission seeks nominations for its annual Tom Oye Human Rights Award, which is given each spring at the City’s volunteer recognition event. The Tom Oye Award is given to an individual whose efforts include fostering respect and dignity for others, who models courage and compassion in the advancement of human rights and has demonstrated leadership by improving or advancing human rights. Steve Winnick, Chair of the Human Rights & Relations Commission’s Tom Oye Award Committee, emphasized that the definition of the term “human rights” has been expanded to include freedom from discrimination because of race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, status with regard to public assistance, familial status or national origin. He also said that in Edina, bullying of any kind is considered actionable and unacceptable in all facets of public life. “There are many in Edina such as residents, teachers and workers who have been engaged in the battles for human rights, dignity and equality,” he said. “Our job is to find and recognize those in the name of Mr. Oye, a man who grew up in a relocation camp and became a national hero.” The award is named for the late Tom Oye, a long-time Edina resident and humanitarian who demonstrated courage and compassion in the advancement of human rights. Oye helped found the Edina Human Rights & Relations Commission in 1970 and served on it for more than 30 years. Oye was a Nisei soldier in World War II, a second-generation Japanese American who served on the famous Nisei Regimental Combat Team, one of the most decorated units in U.S. military history. Last year’s recipient of the award was long- time City Associate Planner Joyce Repya. For many years, Repya shared the early story of racial and religious exclusion in Edina’s Country Club District with students at Edina Public Schools. In more recent years, she teamed up with the Human Rights & Relation Commission to add text to the City’s website that accurately portrayed the historic exclusions in the Country Club District. Other previous winners include Mary Ellingen, Ellen Kennedy, Debby McNeil, Kelly Fitzgerald, Rachael Pream {ÓÊUÊ7 / ,ÊÓä£Î Fi l e P h o t o The 2012 recipient of the Tom Oye Award was long-time City Associate Planner Joyce Repya. City Seeks Nominations For Annual Tom Oye Award Grenier, Karen Hazel, Shara Mohtadi, Sandy Schley, Emma Weisberg and Dan Johnson. Anyone who lives or works in Edina is eligible for the award. A nomination form is available online at www.EdinaMN.gov. Nominations can be submitted to Edina City Hall, Human Rights & Relations Commission, 4801 W. 50th St., Edina, MN 55424 or emailed to aklugman@EdinaMN.gov. Nominations must be received by Jan. 15. For more information, contact City Manager Intern Ari Klugman at 952-826-0429, or Winnick at 952-210-6711. Óä£ÎÊÊÊÊÊ7 / ,ÊUÊ{Î Trust the experts at AmeriPride Services. Whether you just need uniforms or all our services, our programs work together –seamlessly and efficiently. Our single-source supply eliminates the time, energy and expense of dealing with multiple vendors. Our deliveriesarrive on schedule, in correct quantities as needed. Call today for a free quote. Contact Eric Garten at612.362.0353eric.garten@ameripride.com The one-stop solution for all your business needs. People You Can Count On® www.ameripride.com Get aFREE Custom Logo Mat when you sign up for any new service! $150 Value Call for details. 11-109_LO_AboutTown_3.625x3.625:Layout 1 5/5/11 12:39 PM Page 1 6600  France  Ave.   Suite  310 ůĞĂŶŝŶŐΘWƌĞǀĞŶƟŽŶ͕ŽƐŵĞƟĐĞŶƟƐƚƌLJ͕ WĞƌŝŽĚŽŶƚĂůŝƐĞĂƐĞdƌĞĂƚŵĞŶƚΘZĞƐƚŽƌĂƟŽŶ Schedule  an  appointment www.MarkJohnsondds.com  or  call  952-­‐941-­‐1911 Creating Beautiuful Smiles for 30 Years! Mark J. Johnson, DDS ΎDĞŶƟŽŶƚŚŝƐĂĚĨŽƌĂĐŽŵƉůŝŵĞŶƚĂƌLJŝŶŝƟĂůĞdžĂŵ By Susan Brott Contributing Writer The calendar has turned the page to another year, which means we are nearing the halfway point of the 2012-2013 school year. For those working with today’s students, there is an ongoing sense of urgency to make sure we are providing educational programming that prepares kids with “21st century skills.” But what does this really mean? What is different about 21st century learning compared to when most of us were in school? And why are we still talking about 21st century skills when we are already in the year 2013? Shouldn’t we already be doing this rather than just talking about it? These are questions frequently being asked of Edina Public Schools. They are also at the root of broader educational conversations occurring around the state, country and across the globe as schools look at ways to ensure all students have the skills they need to be ready for the “real world.” “Edina Public Schools is steeped in a strong tradition of excellence. But we know that we have a changing student body, a changing community, and changing workforce expectations,” said Superintendent Ric Dressen. “While our brand continues to be strong, we must look at developing that next generation of Edina Public Schools to ensure we are meeting the needs of the students of today as well as those we will serve tomorrow.” Through customized learning, innovative programming, and a commitment to partnership, the Edina Public Schools are focusing on the needs of today’s learners with an eye to the future. Dressen notes that fortunately, the Edina community, in its wisdom in 1989, developed a mission statement that still holds true today. A key component of that mission is the understanding that the Edina Public Schools, in partnership with family and community, will ensure all students have the skills and knowledge they need to “thrive in a rapidly changing, culturally diverse, global society.” “The development of this mission statement more than 20 years ago illustrates the history of this community to always be looking forward. From the days of community conversations at Grange Hall to today’s online discussions through social media, the Edina community believes in the power of working together for the betterment of all.” Education Is Preparing Students For Their Future, Not Our Past As part of its strategic plan, the District has several studies and initiatives in the works that look at ways it can maximize human and financial resources to position it well for the future. Such studies include a review of academic programming at the middle and high school levels (elementary will be reviewed next year); an assessment of the needs of aging district facilities while creating appropriate learning spaces for future learners; and the development of short- and long-term strategies to close the achievement gap. 44ÊUÊ7 / ,ÊÓä£Î Building The Next Generation Of Edina Public Schools Óä£ÎÊ ÊÊÊÊ7 / ,ÊUÊ {x While these studies are focused on the next generation of Edina Public Schools, there are initiatives currently under way that highlight how the District is already meeting the needs of current and future students by providing learning opportunities both inside and outside the school day. eLearning2 – With its new eLearning2 initiative, the District looks beyond just the adding of technology in the classroom to an understanding that the combination of great teachers and personal technology is what really takes learning to the next level, to a level that it is customized to the individual student. With eLearning2, the District is focused on supporting the needs of both teachers and students. In looking at how teaching can be enhanced through technology, eLearning2 allows the teacher to move from being a content expert to a mentor and coach, helping students to be better critical thinkers and problem solvers – both of which are primary 21st century skills. In addition, when students are able to access instruction in both face-to-face and digital formats, they are able to extend their learning outside the school day, which better prepares them for a lifetime of learning. 24/7 Learning – Recognizing that learning does not end with a school bell, students in Edina Public Schools are able to access a variety of after-hours learning opportunities to receive extra support when they need it. For example, the Writing Center at South View Middle School and Math Center at Valley View Middle School are both available after school for students of all ability levels who are looking for feedback and assistance with their work. The District’s new IMPACT Saturday School is a unique opportunity for students to continue their learning beyond the standard school day in a nurturing environment focused on inspiring and empowering them to succeed and excel. The program, which runs Saturday mornings at the state-of-the-art facility of Edina’s Minneapolis Media Institute, offers tutoring and mentoring in reading/language arts, mathematics and test-taking skills for Edina Public Schools students in Grades 1-12. Dressen notes that the after school centers and the IMPACT Saturday School are made possible through the support of grants, community volunteers and organizations such as the Edina Education Fund. “If there is one thing we know for sure about the future of education, Edina Public Schools cannot do this alone,” said Dressen. “Learning can and should take place anytime, anywhere, anyhow. The education of our young people must be done in partnership with parents, community, higher education, businesses and civic organizations. Only by working in partnership will we ensure that our students are ready for the changing world that awaits them.” To learn more, visit www.edina.k12.mn.us, or contact Susan Brott, Director of Communications and Community Engagement, 952-848-4066 or susbrott@edina.k12.mn.us. 46ÊUÊ7 / ,ÊÓä£Î Human Rights & Relations Commission And Edina Reads To Hold Anti-Bullying Event By Emilie Kastner Blatant manifestations of bullying usually come in the form of physical abuse, but oftentimes, bullies will use more subtle means to badger victims into compliance. The Human Rights & Relations Commission (HRRC) declared the prevention of all forms of bullying a major theme of its work in 2011, and since that time, members have searched for more ways to drum up community awareness and resolution. The HRRC, Edina Reads Committee and the League of Women Voters of Edina will team together April 22, to hold an Edina Reads event featuring the book A Thinking Man’s Bully: Unstuck In Time, Unburdened By Convention, And Liberated From Fact by Michael Adelberg. The event will be held 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Fireside Room of the Edina Senior Center, 5280 Grandview Square. “It includes youth as well as adult instances of bullying, many of which are very subliminal, and others are outright obvious,” said Commissioner Lisa Finsness. “So, the intent is to be able to engage the community in a discussion of where potential bullying can occur in circumstances that aren’t obvious.” Inspired by a situation in which the author’s son was bullied by a child whose father not only encouraged the behavior, but had actually bullied his own son, the book’s author, Adelberg, sought to write a piece from the point of view of the bully – from adolescence to parenthood. Su b m i t t e d I m a g e The HRRC and Edina Read’s anti-bullying event will feature the book “A Thinking Man’s Bully,” by Michael Adelberg from 7 to 8:30 p.m. April 22 at the Edina Senior Center. Óä£ÎÊ ÊÊÊÊ7 / ,ÊUÊ {Ç “I realized that he wasn’t going to do a darn thing about it, but he was also not a bad guy,” Adelberg said in an interview with the Permanent Press of his conversation with the parent. “He was just in this sort of post-modern male conundrum of not wanting a wimp for a son and was proud that his son was a bada--, but he knew that he couldn’t admit that.” “It is a strong portrayal of bullying across various age spectrums in a variety of styles,” said Dick Crockett, Executive Director of the Edina Community Foundation. “It has the distinctive quality of being so literal that you believe it to be a biographical statement and it turns out to just be a novel. It leaves you with kind of an odd feeling.” “It made me squirm,” said Arnie Bigbee, member of the HRRC. “But it also, I think, is very realistic. From my perspective, it’s something that people need to be confronted with. If people have had a sheltered perspective and they haven’t experienced bullying, it will make them squirm.” The two key points from the book are that anybody can be the victim of bullying and that bullies exist at all age levels, said Crockett. “It isn’t just big kids in school who are bullying other kids.” He added that bullies are often smart and are not always children, but can be parents, teachers and business people. “I felt it was finally a book somebody wrote that captured the aspects of bullying that are threaded throughout a community, that people absorb and not feel they can react to,” said Finsness. “So, to me, it was very powerful.” Betsy Cussler, retired 35-year English teacher at Edina High School whose focus was Advanced Placement Literature, and current consultant for the College Board, will lead the discussion of the book. Edina Reads is a collaborative effort between the Edina Community Foundation and the Edina Library. The committee holds about six events throughout the year and seeks to gain awareness and community dialogue through reading. “We want to educate and we want to expose people to these issues,” said Bigbee. “We think the issue [of bullying] is very important in our community. I think if we have families or segments of our community that think it’s not an issue or a problem here in Edina, we need to set that aside because that’s not accurate.” The next big step is to ask, “So what do you do?” as a community, said Finsness. The HRRC seeks to bring Edina beyond discussion to a place of resolution on these issues and to point residents toward further resources and solutions. For more information on the HRRC or to get involved, visit www.EdinaMN.gov. For more information on Adelberg, visit www.michaeladelberg.com. By Emilie Kastner Long before giggling children glided down tree trunk slides and snaked through a jungle-like maze of tubes at Adventure Peak or blew out candles at the Birthday Party Plateau, Edinborough Park was an Edina enterprise facility that was bleeding cash. It wasn’t until Ann Kattreh developed the concept of repurposing the space occupied by the indoor ice rink at the facility that the Park finally began earning revenue and recovering some of its losses. It was precisely this type of innovative thinking that advanced Kattreh to her most recent position – the City of Edina’s Director of Parks & Recreation, which she began Dec. 28 after being promoted by City Manager Scott Neal. “I’m really excited about continuing the rich tradition that has been established in our Parks & Recreation Department,” said Kattreh. “We have wonderful parks. We have wonderful facilities. We have really outstanding staff and I’m looking forward to continuing the tradition of what has been well-established, and then also exploring new opportunities for partnerships in the future.” “Ann is a great leader. I always say she is the most emotionally intelligent person I know,” said Susie Miller, General Manager of Braemar Arena, who worked under Kattreh for more than four years as Assistant Manager of Edinborough Park. “She doesn’t get rattled. She is able to take a step back to make decisions that are in the best interest of everyone involved. She is very creative and able to think outside the box.” Kattreh served as Manager of Edinborough Park from 2006 to 2012. Costs totaled $225,000 for the construction of Adventure Peak in 2003, in the space Kattreh envisioned to be repurposed from the ice rink, and the increased revenue from the structure paid for itself in less than six months. Adventure Peak currently generates annual revenue in excess of $600,000. Under Kattreh’s leadership and inventiveness, Edinborough Park birthday party packages earned $130,000 annually and the Park hosted more than 1,200 birthday parties per year. She also was instrumental in the opening of Peak Café, a concessions stand at the Park that offers healthier options Twenty-Year City Veteran Promoted To Director Of Parks & Recreation 48ÊUÊ7 / ,ÊÓä£Î Ph o t o b y M i c h a e l B r a u n Ann Kattreh, a 20-year City employee, was promoted to Director of Parks & Recreation Dec. 28. and has become a model for concessions operations in the community. Kattreh began working for the City in 1992 as Edinborough Park’s Special Events Coordinator. Thereafter, she was promoted to Assistant Manager and Manager of Edinborough Park, and in January 2012, became Assistant Director of Parks & Recreation. “She has all the skills – not just technical skills, but the personal skills – [to lead the Parks & Recreation Department],” said former Parks & Recreation Director John Keprios, who retired Dec. 27. “She is a great people- person; she’s a tremendous listener and she has great wisdom. She has an eagerness and a willingness to continue to learn.” “John has been an incredible mentor to me in the last 20 years, but especially in the past year, working more closely with him as Assistant Director,” said Kattreh. “Working more closely with the Park Board and Art Center Board has been a really great opportunity and experience for me and I’m very much looking forward to increasing my role with those volunteer groups.” Throughout the past year as Assistant Director of Parks & Recreation, Kattreh has also been collaborating with Edina sports associations on the sports dome proposal, and has helped to assemble a grant proposal for the renovation of Garden Park to present to Hennepin County. “We have a very good working relationship with Ann and the rest of the Parks & Recreation staff,” said Jeff May, President of the Edina Baseball Association. “She came into her position very interested in understanding the needs of the various youth athletic associations and has done a good job working with us.” “My goals are to continue to work on partnerships with the athletic associations, the school district and with Community Ed to figure out ways to best serve our residents,” said Kattreh. “I also hope to further what I’ve been working on in the past year of increasing cost recovery at our enterprise operations and to have our enterprises and our Parks & Recreation Department work more collaboratively.” Prior to her promotion, Kattreh successfully completed Director’s School, a two-year program offered by the National Recreation and Park Association and North Carolina State University, which emphasizes best practices in all avenues of parks and recreation, including parks maintenance, human resources, programming and strategic planning. That is a feat, said Keprios, which shows her initiative and self-motivation, since no one before her at the City had completed such a program. “I just think the world of her; I’m so happy for her,” said Keprios of Kattreh’s new position. “She’s deserving of this, in my view. I sense that the entire team in our Parks & Recreation Department of 52 full-time staff and 300-plus part-time staff respect her, admire her and I think she’s going to be a leader that’s going to lead by example.” Óä£ÎÊ ÊÊÊÊ7 / ,ÊUÊ {™ (continued on next page) Primary duties for the Director of the Parks & Recreation Department include budgeting and long-range planning for recreation programming, enterprise operations, and parks and recreation facilities. The Director, who serves as staff liaison to the Park Board, is responsible for recommending and facilitating park improvements, developing park master plans in conjunction with neighborhood groups, and collaborating with Edina Art Center staff and the Art Center Board, as well as various athletic associations to meet the programming and facility needs of residents. In addition to overseeing Parks & Recreation and enterprise facility staff, the Director also ensures partnerships with the school district, community organizations and businesses are accommodating requirements of Edina residents. Prior to her career at the City, Kattreh worked as Community Education Coordinator for the Anoka- Hennepin School District, Assistant Athletic Director at the Decathlon Club and Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach at the University of St. Thomas. She holds a bachelor’s degree in recreation administration from Southern Illinois University and a master’s degree in recreation administration with an emphasis in sports facility management from the University of Minnesota. “She’s a very humble person and she’s not real free with telling you how athletically talented she is,” said Keprios. “She comes from an amazing athletic background with her basketball success through college – she had all four years of college paid for because she was the all- star player. If the team scored 50 points in a game, she probably scored 40 of them. She was that good.” In addition to achieving a full-ride basketball scholarship in college, Kattreh was awarded All-Conference twice and her Division I team consistently ranked in the top 20. Southern Illinois University honored her by including her in a picture mural, which highlights outstanding athletes from each era in the university’s history. Kattreh still holds the ranking, as of the 2011-2012 Saluki Women’s Basketball season, as the 20th all-time high scorer with 1,060 points. She was also inducted into the Wisconsin Track and Field Hall of Fame for her high school achievements in the 200- and 400-meter dashes. “I know that the City administration has the highest standards and Edina residents have the highest standards,” said Kattreh, “and to me, it’s a challenge every day that I come to work to maintain those high standards.” “She’s going to bring this department to another level that it hasn’t seen before,” said Keprios. “She has a keen sense of marketing and social media ... She’s very technologically savvy. I think the residents will appreciate that talent.” Kattreh and her family live in Minneapolis and enjoy biking, hiking, camping, geocaching, swimming, kayaking and skiing, and have a Shih Tzu named Maui. For more information, call the Parks & Recreation Department at 952-826-0367. xäÊUÊ7 / ,ÊÓä£Î 70th  &  Cahill (952)  944-­‐5770 www.FlowersOfEdina.com ΨϭϬŽīĂŶLJŽƌĚĞƌŽǀĞƌΨϰϬ >ŽĐĂůĂƌĞĂŽŶůLJ͘EŽƚǀĂůŝĚǁŝƚŚŽƚŚĞƌŽīĞƌƐ͘ džƉŝƌĞƐƉƌŝůϭ͕ϮϬϭϯ sŽƚĞĚĞƐƚ&ůŽƌŝƐƚŝŶĚŝŶĂĨŽƌ ƚŚĞƉĂƐƚϱLJĞĂƌƐ͊ ΨϭϬŽīĂŶLJŽƌĚĞƌŽǀĞƌΨϰϬΨϭϬŽīĂŶLJŽƌĚĞƌŽǀĞƌΨϰϬ Flowers of Edina FUSION  REALTY  GROUP www.fusionrealtygroup.com Your Edina and Arizona Connection Gregory Pierce Broker/Owner MN License Broker Arizona C: 952-393-2001 Read my blog! http://Midwest2SouthwestConnection.wordpress.com Free Arizo n a Buyers Gu i d e ! Óä£ÎÊÊÊÊÊ7 / ,ÊUÊx£ Cosmetic, Family & Sports Dentistry, PA Dentistry with eye on today a vision for tomorrow..!& Call us at 952-922-9119 www.yoursmiledocs.com DR. DOUGLAS L. LAMBERT, DDS DR. SANDRA HOUCK, DDS xÓÊUÊ7 / ,ÊÓä£Î City of Edina Facilities Edina City Hall, 4801 W. 50th St. 952-927-8861 Edina Aquatic Center, 4300 W. 66th St. 612-928-4590 (May-August) 952-833-9542 Edina Art Center, 4701 W. 64th St. 952-903-5780 Braemar Arena, 7501 Ikola Way 952-833-9500 Braemar Golf Course, 6364 John Harris Drive 952-903-5750 Centennial Lakes Park, 7499 France Ave. S. 952-833-9580 Edina Liquor, 3943 50th St. 612-928-4551 Edina Liquor, 5013 Vernon Ave. 952-903-5740 Edina Liquor, 6755 York Ave. S. 952-903-5730 Edina Senior Center, 5280 Grandview Square 952-833-9570 Edinborough Park, 7700 York Ave. S. 952-833-9540 Fire Station No. 1, 6250 Tracy Ave. 952-826-0330 Fire Station No. 2, 7335 York Ave. 952-826-0357 Fred Richards Golf Course, 7640 Parklawn Ave. 612-915-6606 (April-September) Public Works & Park Maintenance Facility, 7450 Metro Blvd. 952-826-0376 South Metro Public Safety Training Facility, 7525 Braemar Blvd. 952-903-5700 Elected Officials Jim Hovland, Mayor 612-874-8550 Joni Bennett, Council Member 952-927-0661 Mary Brindle, Council Member 952-941-7746 Josh Sprague, Council Member 612-501-0252 Ann Swenson, Council Member 952-927-7524 Jan Callison, County Commissioner 612-348-3168 Melissa Franzen, Senator 612-564-3299 Ron Erhardt, Representative – 49A 952-927-9437 Paul Rosenthal, Representative – 49B 651-271-8131 General Information Dial 9-1-1 to: ‡5HSRUWDQLQFLGHQWWKDWUHTXLUHVD3ROLFH2IILFHUDWWKHVFHQH DVVDXOWVEXUJODULHVGRPHVWLFGLVSXWHVDFFLGHQWVHWF  ‡6XPPRQDSDUDPHGLFRUDPEXODQFH ‡5HSRUWDILUH ‡5HSRUWVXVSLFLRXVFULPLQDODFWLYLW\ DODUPVVKRWVILUHGVKRXWVIRUKHOSVRXQGVRIEUHDNLQJJODVVXQIDPLOLDUSHUVRQ carrying items from a house, etc.). ‡5HSRUWDVHZHUEDFNXSRURWKHU3XEOLF:RUNV HPHUJHQF\WKDWUHTXLUHVLPPHGLDWHDWWHQWLRQ When in doubt or unsure of any situation, call 9-1-1 and the dispatcher will assist you. Call 952-927-8861 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday for general information. If you have a situation after hours or on weekends, but do not require immediate response from a paramedic, firefighter, police officer or Public Works crew, call the Police Department’s non-emergency number, 952-826-1610. SNORKELING EQUIPMENTand SCUBA CERTIFICATIONfor your TROPICAL ADVENTURES 5015 Penn Avenue S. Minneapolis 612-925-4818 www.scubacenter.com TO M P E D E R S O N TheCake Diva (612) 998-9592 www.thecakediva.biz jjuliff@thecakediva.biz Trust a prima donna to create a decadent dessert! This robot will make you smile SureSmile is the advanced orthodontic treatment that will have you smiling sooner than you thought possible. With SureSmile, patients spend almost 40% less time in braces and require fewer visits to the orthodontist. Find out more at www.suresmile.com Óä£ÎÊ ÊÊÊÊ7 / ,ÊUÊ xÎ Jan Search, MSW, LICSWjansearchcounseling.com Child l Adolescent l Adult Psychotherapy l Psychoanalysis 6800 France Avenue S l Suite 560 Edina, MN 55435 952.922.2888c 612.849.5059 54ÊUÊ7 / ,ÊÓä£Î The Last Word By Scott Neal City Manager In 2011, the City Council approved a new process for creating the City’s annual budget. That new process, which ends in a two-year biennial operating budget, will start anew in a just a few short months. The City’s new budget-making process has four distinct phases. The first phase is data collection. The City will formally collect data from Edina residents with the assistance of a professional survey and polling consultant when we conduct the 2013 Quality of Life Survey. This data will tell us what residents think about the operations of City government, quality of City services and identify issues to which City government ought to pay attention. The second phase of the budget process is data analysis. City Council Members and City staff will analyze the information we receive from the 2013 Quality of Life Survey. We will compare the current findings to the results of our 2011 Quality of Life Survey, as well as other scientifically collected surveys and studies. We will analyze our performance metrics that we track internally. We will compare that information to performance metrics from other comparable cities to learn what we do well and areas of our performance where we need to improve. The third phase of the budget-making process is what I like to call direction setting. This is the stage of the budget process where Council starts to set our service and quality levels for the upcoming two years. This is when the Council will tell me what services and capital improvements it wants staff to build into the proposed 2014-2015 City budget. City staff will then build a budget that reflects the Council’s direction, including a system of generating sufficient revenue to support the desired service and quality levels. The final phase of the budget-making process is testing. Once we have a budget proposal that the Council supports and staff says will work, it’s time to share it with Edina residents to see what they think. In 2011, the City teamed up with the Citizens League to help us with a civic engagement process that helped us to refine our proposed 2012-2013 budget. The Council, staff and residents who participated in that process thought it was worthwhile and recommended that we do it again, so we will be doing something similar again later this fall. The purpose of this four-phase budget-making process is to provide residents and taxpayers a chance to weigh in on the City’s budget at a time when their input could still have an impact on the proposed budget, but also at a time when the choices they give us their feedback on are feasible and based on reliable information and data. It’s a delicate process, but I think we can do it. And in the end, I think that our 2014-2015 budget will be better for it, too. Óä£ÎÊÊÊÊÊ7 / ,ÊUÊxx Stephane CattelinGRI, e-PRO, CIPS, TRC The InternationalApproach to Real Estate Serving the Edina French-American Community Realtor/Agent Immobilier Minneapolis Lakes Oce SaCattelin@CBBurnet.com612-924-4352 Oce612-703-8229 Mobilewww.StephaneCattelin.com Owned and Operated by NRT Incorporated love your yard. Josie and Mark Christian www.southviewdesign.com (952) 881-2296 Keep your great communication throughout the process and fabulous crew. Our project exceeded our expectations in outcome.” outdoor living space. We love our “ AboutTownAboutTown Magazine City of Edina 4801 West 50th Street Edina, MN 55424 www.EdinaMN.gov ***ECRWSS***POSTAL PATRONCAR-RT-WS PRESORT STD U.S. POSTAGEPAID TWIN CITIES MN Permit No. 3932