2004-10-22 Friday News
The Friday News
October 22, 2004
FIRE DEPARTMENT NEWS
October is a busy month for the Fire Department and Fire Chief John Maczko attended this week’s
City Council Meeting to update the Council on their activities. First he told the Council that the
Fire Department held an open house at the Fire Station on Saturday, October 9th to celebrate Fire
Prevention Week. John said that the event was extremely successful with over 1000 people
attending the event. He thinks that Mendota Heights’ event is probably the most successful one in
the State.
He also told Council of the upcoming Firefighters’ Dance. The dance will be held next Friday,
October 29th starting at 8:30pm at the Prom Expo in Oakdale. There is a new band this year, “The
Power of 10”. It’s a 10-piece dynamic, funky, soul, rhythm and blues band. The band features a
super-charged 4-piece horn section, 3 dynamic vocalists and a talented rhythm section. Tickets can
be obtained from Nancy at City Hall. They are $8 in advance or $10 at the door. John told the
Council that this was their 56th Annual Dance. Council asked how that could be, because the City is
less than 50 years old. John said the Fire Department is older than the City and that they were
running the dance before the City incorporated.
Finally he told the Council about the Halloween Bonfire, which will be held a week from this
Sunday, October 31st at Mendota Plaza beginning at 7:00 p.m. He reminded everyone that that day
was also the end of daylight saving time and that the Fire Department promotes that night as
“change your clocks, change your batteries”, which means residents who have battery powered
smoke detectors should change their batteries in their smoke detectors that night when they move
their clocks ahead.
VILLAGE AT MENDOTA HEIGHTS
Ross Fefercorn, Town Center Developer attended the last City Council Meeting to answer
Council’s questions on the signage for the recently opened Gateway Bank. At the meeting Ross
handed out the attached development update for Town Center. The report shows that we can expect
construction to begin next month on the Condominiums and in December on the 2nd Commercial
building.
ICE RINKS COMING
Teresa Gangelhoff notified me this week that she is beginning to make arrangements to open the
City’s three ice rinks and is hiring attendants. As usual, our goal will be to have the rinks open for
kids when they are off school for winter break in December.
ELECTION UPDATE
Absentee balloting continues to be very strong. There is an almost constant stream of residents
coming in to vote absentee at City Hall and many still requesting applications by mail. As required
by State Statute, City Hall will be open on Saturday, October 30 from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.
and again on Monday, November 1 until 5:00 p.m. to accommodate those individuals who wish to
vote absentee but cannot come to City Hall during regular office hours.
ON VACATION
I will be on vacation next week, October 25-29th, please call Patrick Hollister with any comments or
concerns.
Respectfully Submitted,
Jim Danielson
City Administrator
Attachments: Just the Facts, Pipeline, Planning Commission Meeting Agenda, Midway/Como
Monitor Article “Long-time University Avenue shoe store to close its doors”, Twincities.com
(Pioneer Press) Article “Big house, big changes”, South-West Review Article “MH plans major
playground improvements”, Rosemount Town Pages Article “County’s special operations team a
good investment”, Letter from RMF Entities, LLC on Village at Mendota Heights Development
Progress, Memo from Dakota County on County Response to Homeland Security Needs, The CDA
Today, “Is Methamphetamine Cooking in Your Neighborhood”, Brochure on Winter Hazard
Awareness Week, Airport Noise Quarterly Public Input Meeting Notice and AMM News.