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2006-10-06 Friday News"THE VILLAGE" UPDATE The ABC Building is the last Commercial/Retail building to be constructed in "The Village" at Mendota Heights. This building is also to be the largest building at 45,000 sq. ft. The ABC Building includes 199 spaces of structured parking, both underground parking and surface parking. It is not economical for retail/commercial buildings is the suburbs to fund structural parking, so funding assistance is needed to make them work. The City received grand funds from Met Council to pay for the structured parking in Building F (Caribou), and we are now a finalist for a $1.8M grant to help fund the structured parking in ABC. We competed this afternoon this afternoon with 16 other communities by answering questions about our project to receive a portion of $8.8M of Livable Communities Demonstration Grant money. Wish us luck. NURT STATUS Dakota County will build Mendota Heights' segment of the North Urban Regional Trail (NURT) next spring. This is the trail that comes from WSP and runs along the north side of TH 110 beginning at Delaware Avenue and running east to Dodd Road. The trail was originally to be constructed this year, but was delayed due to lack of approvals from MnDOT. This trail will be another important feature for "The Village" when constructed. PILOT KNOB II This week the City Council met in Closed Session with Gail Lewellan, Pilot Knob Preservation Association to discuss the possibility of cooperating with her to purchase the Acacia Cemetery portion of Pilot Knob. Gail spearheaded the first Pilot Knob purchase and was the one who has had the initial contact with the Cemetery. The Cemetery would be interested in selling their land for preservation, and Gail had requested the closed meeting in order to describe the potential purchase. The discussions went well and the City Council agreed to take the next step in the process (talk with the Trust for Public Land about having their help in acquiring the property). MORATORIUM LIFTED This week at the City Council meeting a motion to increase the City's single-family lot sizes failed on a 3-2 vote. A Comprehensive Plan Amendment is required to increase lot sizes and Comp Plan Amendments require a 4/5 vote of the Council. After the lot size vote failed, the City Council unanimously voted to lift the subdivision moratorium. Minimum lot sizes will remain at 15,000 sq.ft. and sub -dividers may once again make applications. NDC CANDIDATE FORUM This coming Monday evening, October 9t' from 7-8:00 p.m. the Mayor along with Council Members Duggan and Schneeman will be live and on the air on Channel 14 for the Northern Dakota County Chamber of Commerce Candidate Forum. For those who want, you can call in at 651-452-7834 with your questions. Respectfully submitted, Jim Danielson City Administrator Attachments: Just the Facts, Pipeline, Park & Recreation Commission Agenda, Airports Relations Commission Agenda, Pioneer Press Article "St. Thomas' touchdown tradition is lost in the mail", "Council won't increase lot sizes", "Cash- strapped Indian group seeks new home" and "New houses will damage bluff', Star Tribune Article "Larson's nursery in Mendota Heights", South-West Review Article "Mendota Elementary: a 2006 `Blue Ribbon' and MnSun Article "MH Council prepares to discuss open space issue". Issue # 10-32 October 6, 2006 09-29-06 0327 hours DOC Officer Todd Rosse responded to the complaint of a drunk who had just punched a bouncer and was now refusing to leave. When Officer Rosse arrived, the intoxicated man was seen running across Hwy 13. He was taken into custody after a very short foot chase. The bar employee only wanted him removed. After the PBT revealed a BAC of .19 it was determined the safest place for the young man was Detox. 09-29-06 0330 hours Altered Check A female attempted to pay for gas using a check that obviously had the routing number altered. The employee challenged the young lady who grabbed her checks and left. The employee did manage to hang onto the suspect's driver's license. Officer Tanner Spicer arrived on scene and spoke with the employee. The license was taken into evidence and Investigator Scott Patrick is following up. 09-29-06 1338 hours Dispute Sergeant Neil Garlock responded to a local business on two subcontractors having a dispute over wearing hard hats. While they were arguing one of the men spit in the other man's face. Spittee wanted the spitting documented so he could make a work comp claim. Suspect had left the scene. 10-01-06 0308 hours Curfew Violation Caller reported that a white Cadillac drove into the Dodge Nature Center property. Officer Steve Meyer followed the car tracks in the dewy grass into the nature preserve. A short distance into the nature preserve the car was located but nobody was with the car. The registered owner was contacted, she thought the car was in the driveway. Upon checking, the owner made contact with her son, who had taken the car. He told his mom the brakes went out and he left it at the nature center. A short time later the young man and his girlfriend walked over from a nearby residence. After speaking with the young man, it was learned the car was parked in the nature preserve to prevent it from being damaged during the "Junior — Senior Homecoming Wars." The car's owner requested the car be towed to MHPD since the brakes were bad. The driver was arrested and cited for the curfew violation and the car was towed at the owner's request. 10-01-06 1806 hours Smoke Officer Todd Rosse responded to a call of smoke in the area. The caller said the entire town was full of smoke. A small recreational fire was located in and the party thought it was best to put it out, if the smoke was causing problems for his neighbors. -1- Issue # 10-32 October 6, 2006 10-02-06 0941 hours Damage to Property Officer Eric Petersen received a phone call from a parent whose daughter's car had a can of paint dumped on it. The paint was oil based paint and approximately 3/ of the can was dumped on the car. The caller had already cleaned up the paint. He was requesting extra patrol as there was a high probability that it was related to homecoming. 10-02-06 1146 hours ? Crash Report Party stopped at the PD to report a crash that had occurred on 08-15-06. He was not involved in the crash nor did he witness the crash. The accident involved his son and the damage had already been paid for. Officer Mike Shepard advised that since the damage was paid for that there was no need for a report. The party also wanted to report that on 09- 01-06 he was harassed over the incident. He was advised on how to handle this situation. 10-02-06 2052 hours Suicidal Male Sergeant John Larrive received a call of a young man who had left home after threatening to kill himself. The young man took his parents car without permission and the parents thought he might have been headed to the park. He was located in the park and after a short conversation he was released to Healtheast Ambulance with a 72 hour medical hold placed on him. 10-03-06 1500 hours Speed / Careless While on patrol Officer Bobby Lambert spotted a Blazer traveling at a high rate of speed E/B on Mendota Heights Road crossing Dodd Road. His radar showed the Blazer was traveling at 56 mph in 35 mph zone. As the Blazer crossed Dodd road all 4 tires left the road (yes it was airborne). After landing, the vehicle immediately hit the brakes when the driver realized that he had just completed this maneuver in front of a squad car. The young man was cited for careless driving and speed. After receiving his citations the young man began to develop a bad attitude, telling Officer Lambert what his rights were and how to do his job. After starting down this road the uniformed young man thought better of a trip to jail and the possibility of his car being towed in front of his friends. He left without further comment. 10-03-06 1508 hours Trespass Officer Todd Rosse responded to Henry Sibley High School about a student who was refusing to leave the school, yes refusing to leave. The 9th grader had been asked to leave ISS (In School Suspension) for swearing and talking back to the teachers. He was asked to leave school by several teachers and escorted from the building by the administration. He snuck back in and was causing more trouble. When Officer Rosse arrived the young man cooperated. He was cited and transported home to his father in WSP. 10-03-05 2009 hours Suspicious Activity Homeowner reported that a strange man appeared at her door in a blue uniform claiming to be a fireman. He was attempting to sell tickets to the Mendota Heights Fireman's Ball. Complainant wanted the area checked. Sergeant John Larrive advised the caller that it was a real fireman selling real tickets to the annual Firefighters Dance. 10-04-06 0828 hours Suspicious Activity Sergeant Donn Anderson received a call to check the area near the bus stop on Pilot Knob Road. The caller had spotted a man, mid 20's brown hair 68 to 5'10 wearing a windbreaker and Dockers, standing in the bushes with a camera. When the caller yelled at the man he dropped the camera, picked it up and left in a silver car. Caller will watch the area and call 911 if he sees the car or the suspicious man again. Civil Assist 10-04-06 1016 hours Property owner called for assistance in removing a renter who had bounced the rent checks for 3 months. The property owner had started the eviction process but had not filed the paperwork with the county. Advised to call for assistance once the paperwork was in order. Cleared without removing the freeloader. 10-05-06 0150 hours Vandalism Officer Jeff VonFeldt responded to check the area for juveniles who had just egged her house. When the suspects left, they left a refrigerator behind. No suspects located in the area. 11ameaJm4t0Iffil- in E W S P--Nipe ine LETTER hieft Im Public Works F Engineering October 5 2006 1 Code Enforcement, Ce-Lum,bu� C���rn,b� Public Works The Parks Crew removed dead limbs at Marie and Kensington Park. A dead crab apple tree was removed at City Hall. The old wall in the back of Public Works and around the parking lot was removed. Dirt was hauled in and the site was leveled out and seeded. The car ruts at Rogers Lake were filled in, leveled and seeded. Rich replaced 3 dogwoods at the Culligan lift station. He winterized the air conditioning system at the Mendota Heights Road, the main lift station. He put in new filters, new fan belts and greased the motor bearings. He checked Lilydale's storm sewer system and it looked good. Rich checks their storm system in the spring and fall to make sure it's running properly. The Street Crew attended the Annual Fall Maintenance Expo in St. Cloud. Engineering Ryan and Sam started staking the curb on Delaware Avenue. The southern half of Delaware Avenue has new storm sewer, catch basins, water main and sanitary sewer. Residents on the southern half of Delaware Avenue should be hooked up to the new water main next week. Sewer and water work will start next week at Delaware Avenue and Annapolis Street. Annapolis Street will be closed all next week and will be detoured via Chippewa Avenue, Dodd Road, and Smith Avenue. MnDot is doing storm sewer and grading work at Dodd Road and Highway 110. CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA AGENDA PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION Tuesday, October 10th, 2006 - 6:30 pm City Council Chambers 1. Call to Order 2. Roll Call 3. Approve Minutes of September 14th, Parks and Recreation Commission 4. Recreation Programmer's Report - not available 5. Park Bench Donation 6. Summary of continuing conversation with MHAA 7. Commission Vice -Chair in 2006 is Larry Craighead 8. Open House to discuss Tennis Courts at November meeting 9. Request for City to plant trees at Friendly Hills Tot Lot 10. Rehabilitation of Playgrounds at Valley Park and Valley View Heights Park 11. Replacement of backstops at Wentworth, Valley and Marie ball fields 12. MHAA information regarding programs, costs, and participation 13. Review Projects in Parks Five Year (2005 thru 2009) Capital Improvement Plan 14. Construction "Opportunities" of projects requested by MHAA 15. Updates: a. City Council lifts Moratorium on development of new lots/lot splits b. Par 3 Golf - Comp Plan Change to "Golf Course" designation c. LeMay Lake Shores - Comp Plan Change to "Cemetery" designation d. Pilot Knob - Group seeks State/County/Private Funding to purchase additional 15 acres east of Pilot Knob Road e. Council "Goal Setting" Workshop in January - tentative Park related agenda items: MHAA issues 8, Special Park Fund 16. Commission comments 17. Adjourn Auxiliary aids for persons with disabilities are available upon request at least 120 hours in advance. If a notice of less than 120 hours is received, the City of Mendota Heights will make every attempt to provide the aids. This may not, however, be possible on short notice. Please contact City Administrator at (651) 452-1850. CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS AIRPORT RELATIONS COMMISSION AGENDA October 11, 2006 — Large Conference Room Call to Order — 7:00 P.M. 2. Roll Call 3. Approval of Minutes from the September 20, 2006 Airports Relations Commission Meeting. 4. Unfinished and New Business: a. Runway 12L Departure Numbers. b. NOC Meeting Update c. Updates for Introduction Book 5. Acknowledte Receipt of Various Reports/Correspondence: a. New MAC Representation b. Letter from MAC regarding Lemay Shores development. c. Letter from MAC regarding 2007-2013 CIP d. MAC Minutes of September Meeting of Finance, Development & Environment Committee. e. Airport Noise Report, September 20, 2006 £ Airport Noise Report, September 27, 2006 g. Airport Noise Report, September 13, 2006 h. N.O.I.S.E 8/3/2006 6. Other Commissioner Comments or Concerns 7. Upcoming Meetings City Council Meeting October 17, 2006 — 7:30 p.m. NOC Meeting October 19, 2006 — 1:30 p.m. Public Input Meeting January 23, 2007 — 7:00 (MAC) MAC Meeting October16, 2006 — 1:00 8. Public Comments 9. Adiourn Auxiliary aids for persons with disabilities are available upon request at least 120 hours in advance. If a notice of less than 120 hours is received, the City of Mendota Heights will make every attempt to provide the aids. This may not, however, be possible on short notice. Please contact City Administration at 651-452-1850 with requests. Boosters hope to celebrate every score with cannon fire — but where's the cannon? BY BRIAN BONNER Pioneer Press ` St. Thomas Academy in Mendota Heights is learning that some traditions are hard to start. Shooting off a cannon at football games is one of them. School boosters had hoped that every time the football team scored a touchdown this season, they would fire a cannon — only quietly, unlike last year. Back then, the problem' was excessive noise that generated hundreds of com- plaints from neighbors. This year, it's a missing cannon. The Fathers' Club — a school booster group at the all-male, Catholic military school — tried to buy a smaller, less noisy ' cannon from Argentina. They had hoped to have it by the first home game Sept. 8. ` But the cannon hasn't arrived, and Richard Chapman, treasurer of the Fathers' Club, is out $3,000 that he fronted for, the purchase. "It's unbelievable," Chapman`aid. "I'm still trying to get $3,000 back from Argentina." Chapman suspects he fell victim to a shady middleman in Florida. Chapman placed the order through a broker in Texas, then waited and waited for delivery. Two weeks ago, the Florida sup- plier told Chapman that the can- non mistakenly was shipped to a stiool in Texas. Chapman has since received assurances that he will get either the cannon or his money ba&, but he's seen nothing yet. This week, in frustration, he canceled the order. WI'm out three grand, and we dory"t have the cannon," Chap- man said. "I'm not thinking we're going to have a cannon, not from these brokers." After the latest star-crossed attempt at boosting school spirit frogs the barrel of a gun, St. Thomas Academy administra- tors said Thursday that they are having second thoughts about the whole idea. ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS WWW.TWINCITIES_COM "We need to take a step back andmake sure this is something we `want to do and can do," sci&l spokeswoman Mary Cul- bertson said. Plenty of people in Mendota Heights will be watching — and listening — to see what hap- perf§. For last year's Sept. 30 home - con game, the Fathers' Club hired a local group of Civil War re -enactors to fire blanks (2 - pound black powder charges) froma 2 -ton cannon. It was a hit with students and fans at the game. "To a person, the kids and fans loved it," said Tim McManus, father of the team's quarterback. The problem was, nobody from the school had tested the decibel level beforehand. "It jolted you," said Mike Byrne, the school's assistant headmaster. "We weren't even thinking how loud it's going to be. It really surprised us, too." The deafening noise shook windows in the press box and sent a huge plume of sulfuric white smoke over the football field. It also may have rattled the„opposing team. The home team scored seven touchdowns on the way to an easy victory — thar s seven blasts between 7 a,nd70 p.m. "The other team was shell- shocked in a lot of ways,” Byrne said. $hell -shocked, however, also could describe the reaction of residents for miles around the campus, which is northeast of the," Interstate 35E -Interstate 494 interchange at 949 Mendota Heights Road. The college preparatory school has 695 stu- dents in grades seven through 12. Alarmed neighbors, who were not warned of the school's plans, flooded police with 911 call. The blasts rattled win- dows in homes a mile away and could be heard for several miles. Some thought a plane had- crashed; others feared .a deadly explosion or other dis- aster. ``.Planes are nothing com- pared to that one. It was a blast," said Ralph M. Dumond, a Mendota Heights resident who lives about a mile from the school. "I thought something had -,crashed. I thought some- thing had blown up. It rattled the windows and shook the house. It was not a pleasant evening." Mendota Heights Mayor John Huber, a 1973 graduate of St. `Phomas Academy, was at a friend's house near Rogers Lake, about a half -mile from the . school and wasn't happy with what he heard. "They are a great asset to the community, but they have to understand that responsibility comes with being a part of the community," Huber said. "The last `go -around was not accept- able with ccept-ablewith me." The cannon — no. ordinary one- at that - has never been fired since at St. Thomas Acade- my or at any other football game: Bill Dalin of Lakeville is part of a ' group of Civil War history buffs hired to perform for the crowd. Their cannon is an authentic 1857 light gun howitzer that may. never have been used in -the Vivil War, Dalin said. Last year's St. Thomas event was- Lie group's first — and probably its last — performance at a,football game, at least with tha"annon. "Our cannon was a little bit overkill," Dalin conceded. The charges create "a thunderous roar:. TV movies don't do justice to cannons." But the football season is r rrnaung out as ' St. Thomas Academy continues having diffi- culties rustling up a cannon that will go ka-boom instead of KA - BOOM. If administrators keep pur- suing the idea and actually acquire a cannon, the only home game left after tonight. will be on Oct. 18 against inter- city rival Henry Sibley High School. But the school still will need advance permission from the Mendota Heights City Council, which doesn't meet again until Oct. 17. "I will need an awful lot of convincing to, shown this is something we want to enter- tain," Huber said. Judging from the perform- ance of the varsity football team thus far this season, a cannon will get plenty of use at games. The squad is taking a 4-1 record into tonight's game, outscoring opponents 116-60. Brian Bonner can be reached at bbonner@pioneerpress.com or 651-228-2173. Council won't increase lot sizes Posted on Thu, Oct. 05, 2006 Page 1 of 1 Council won't increase lot sizes City plan amendment failed to grab four of five council votes; some properties still may subdivide BY BRIAN BONNER Pioneer Press The Mendota Heights City Council killed a proposal to enlarge the city's minimum size for new single-family home lots to 20,000 square feet, from the current 15,000 -square -foot minimum. That still leaves the 11,434 residents of the St. Paul suburb with plenty of room to spread out, at least compared with its urban neighbor. The idea for a 5,000 -square -foot enlargement won support from three of the five City Council members at Monday night's meeting. But because the vote would have required an amendment to the city's comprehensive plan, the measure needed support from four of the five elected officials. Mayor John Huber and City Council Member Ultan Duggan voted to leave the size unchanged, while colleagues Sandra Krebsbach, Mary Jeanne Schneeman and Jack Vitelli wanted the extra heft. Huber said there is no problem with the current rules. Dugan feared increasing new lot sizes threatened to make Mendota Heights "more exclusive" and unaffordable to young people. The losing majority said the change would have helped preserve the integrity of existing neighborhoods. The larger size, they said, would more closely reflect the average and median sizes of current lots. Krebsbach said the average lot size is 23,000 square feet, the median 19,000 square feet. Because the suburb is mostly developed, the issue affects a small percentage of residents. City administrator Jim Danielson estimated that 60 single-family lots in Mendota Heights are large enough to be subdivided and meet existing requirements. Danielson said city officials receive several requests a year from residents wanting to subdivide their property. By comparison, the average lot in St. Paul is 6,970 square feet and a median -sized one is 5,663 square feet, according to Chris Samuel, a Ramsey County manager in property records and revenue. And while Mendota Heights requires a minimum of 100 feet of street frontage, some lots in St. Paul have only 25 feet of frontage, Samuel said. Brian Bonner can be reached at bbonner@pioneerpress.com or 651-228-2173. D 20C-6 St. Pa€si Pi;;€neer Press 1u: wire Service sources. llii RigM Reserved. tf :% wWw.CWMCIt1es.00M http://www.twincities.comlmldltwincitieslnews/local/stateslminnesotalcountiesldakotal15 6... 10/5/2006 Cash-strapped Indian group seeks new home Posted on Sat, Sep. 30, 2006 Cash-strapped Indian group seeks new home Fundraiser planned � e: *-, tribe rn.eet rent BY TYLER RUSHPIEYER Pioneer Press Page 1 of 1 The Mendota Mdewakanton Dakota Community will hold a benefit yard sale this weekend to help with the costs of the community's center in Mendota. The community, which has struggled financially over the past year, finds itself in a financial crisis despite previous fundraising efforts. Money from the sale, along with a benefit concert Oct. 21, will be used to help pay the center's October rent as the community searches for a new home. "We are losing this place," said center administrator Sharon Lennartson. "We just can't afford the rent anymore." The rent, which was reduced by $500 dollars in April, is $2,800, still too much for a small nonprofit organization, Lennartson said. The center has been in its current spot for the past five years, two of them in the building's larger portion. The meetings used to be at the post office across the street. Despite a benefit concert in spring that raised more than $3,000, the center cannot keep up with rent. Compounding the problem is the closure of the community's two gambling sites due to poor pull -tab sales. The loss was a valuable source of funding. Since April, the $15 membership fees have been paid more frequently by the 300 community members, but it hasn't been enough, Lennartson said. The community had considered raising membership dues but later discarded the idea. Lennartson said the tribe would give notice to the building's owners Oct. 1 that they will be out by the end of the month. Wherever they are located, Lennartson said, it is important to maintain the community. "The Native American community looks to preserve our culture, heritage and language," she said. "Mendota is sacred to us. Our tribe and our families have been here since the 1700s." The community is trying to gain federal recognition and encourages anyone with knowledge of American Indians in the Mendota or Cold Water Springs area to call the center at 651-452-4141. Tyler Rushmeyer can be reached at tr.�slirieye;:pioneer-rJress.c.,m. If you go The sale will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and next week Monday through Saturday at the center, 1351 Sibley Memorial Highway. http://www.twincities. comlmldltwincitieslnews/local/stateslminnesotalcountiesldakotal156... 10/3/2006 St. Paul Pioneer Press 110/02/2006 1 Bridges project will boost diversity New houses will damage bluff As a 29 -year resident of Mendota, I offer another opinion on Mayor Gunnar Bruestle's performance in office. Mr. Bruestle wisely opposes the construction of several more three-story homes on Sibley Memorial Highway. These homes are concrete, narrow houses that almost completely fill their 50 -foot lots, causing irretrievable damage to a once beautiful river bluff. Further, three homes share one driveway, and there are no shoulders for additional parking on the narrow, two-lane, winding highway. The previous Council approved their construction without learning that the height the developer presented did not include the first level garage. These houses, therefore, are four stories high. There are those, including the Council with whom Mayor Bruestle must work, who cannot see beyond the immediate tax revenue from these houses and are eager to expand this development. I ask, at what price? I stand behind Mayor Bruestle. PATRICIA JUNG Mendota Page 1 of 1 Find Your Gr ( MORE NEWS FR ° Cottage Grove, MN • Atlantic City, NJ • Philadelphia Metro ° New Jersey Drink • Ocean City, NJ • Seer • Discuss Beer http://www.twincities.com/cold/twincities/news/editorial/letters/15642568.htm 10/3/2006 Larson's nursery in Mendota Height Larson's nursery in Mendota Height it -b t%vo dozen greenhouses or, site, not to mention the €'oi -Iat e :s clustered. Iii one of :.'gem, .1,ar s .n's rnu:seq ..I . Mendota Heights is colorful. So is oi,,-ner Bob Larson, who can be gruff or gregarious, depending on whetber he's got his hands ful.1 when you hall" 1aen. to c.�ifl_ But: Larson's b rtx Greenhouses is worth a visit_, both for its bucolic sating an for its expensive array of plants, Last uip ate: Septeniber 05, 2006 - 2:67 M With two dozen greenhouses on site, not to mention the cockatiels clustered in one of them, Larson's nursery in Mendota Heights is colorful. So is owner Bob Larson, who can be gruff or gregarious, depending on whether he's got his hands full when you happen to call. But Larson's Suburban Greenhouses is worth a visit, both for its bucolic setting and for its expansive array of plants. jA Printer Friendly E-mail this story Save to del.icio.us Home + Garden Boatloads of fun Get ready for fall passionPrairie OversizedIs your garage going to pots? tropical lilies stage show every night While you won't find garden -related extras, such as trendy containers, you will find a voluminous variety of shrubs, trees and bedding plants, both flowering and foliage. In addition to familiar Minnesota favorites, such as hosta, Larson's carries more unusual offerings, as well as seasonal items, including Christmas trees. "We grow everything ourselves in our own greenhouses," said Larson, who lives behind the nursery. Mendota Heights, now a Dakota County suburb, was just a small village when Larson opened for business more than 40 years ago. His place still evokes the community's rural roots with the chickens and geese that he raises on site, as well as the cats who roam freely among the plants. Larson's Suburban Greenhouses is open Monday -Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 2160 Hwy. 13, Mendota Heights. 651-452-1400. KIM PALMER http://www.startribune.com/418/story/656300.html Page 1 of 1 10/2/2006 South-West Review submitted photo Mendota third -graders in Julie Weisbecker's class celebrate principal Steve Goldade's announcement of the school's national ward. Mendota Elementary: a 2006 `Blue School District 197's Men- dota Elementary is one of only 200 public schoolsinthe nation and one of eight -in the state selected as a 2006 "Blue Ribbon". school by the U.S. Department of Education. The Blue Ribbon SchoolsProgram honors. public and private K- 12 schools that are either aca- demically superior in their states or that demonstrate dra- matic gains ra-matic'gains in student' achieve- ment. Mendota Principal Steve Goldade was notified of the award on Friday, Sept. 22. Goldade and one teacher have been invited to attend an awards ceremony on Nov. 9-10 in Washington, D.C.Schools singled out for national honors "reflect the. goals of our nation's new educational reforms for high standards and accountability, said U.S. Sec- retary of Education Margaret -Spelling. "This is a great honor for 'Mendota and for our district,". said -Superintendent Jay Hau- gen. "Congratulations to Steve Goldade and the entire Men - Ribbon' school dota community as well as all those involved in'implement- ing our district's outstanding curriculum." Mendota's scores on the 2005 tests used to measure progress under No Child Left Behind legislation were ,f extremely high, prompting the school's nomination by the state for federal honors. Qual- ity of curriculum and staff, community involvement and other factors were weighed in final selections. rsday, Sept. 28, 2006- wwwmnSun.com In the Community, With the Community, For the Community Issues surrounoing Par 3, Pilot KnoD to be discussed. GRANT BOELTER ® SUN NEWSPAPERS New developments on old open space issues will come before Mendota Heights City Council before its next reg- ular meeting. A comprehensive plan amendment for the property occupied by the Mendota Heights Par 3 Golf Course and the possibility of acquiring a 15 -acre piece of land on Pilot Knob will be at the center of discussion during a work ses- sion before the Oct. 3 City Council meet- ing. The city has been discussing ways to rezone the land that is occupied by the golf course since a January Minnesota Supreme Court ruling stood by the city's attempt to block the owners, Cashill/Spaulding' Properties, from sell- ing the land for development. However, the city was instructed by the court. to update its comprehensive plan to comply with how the golf course was defined in the city's zoning ordi- nance. As of now, the golf course is des- ignated as "golf course" on the compre- hensive plan, but according to the zon- ing ordinance; it is classified as R-1 sin- gle family residential; The council will review staff recom- mendations for the changes at the 6 p.m. work session before the proposed changes are sent to the Planning Commission for a public hearing. As part of the discussion, the council will look, at a possible referendum that would allow residents to., vote on whether they :would contribute the money needed for the city to purchase the golf course. For this to happen, the city and the golf course owners -would have to reach -a purchase agreement. The council will also discuss the pos- sibility of acquiring 15 acres of land from Acacia Cemetery, which is adja- cent to the eight acres of land atop Pilot Knob that was designated for a public, park late last year. The -land has been " targeted for development in the past few years and each member of the council has made it known that they would like to see it remain as open space. The coun- cil will meet with Gail Lewellen, who helped spearhead efforts to preserve the original park area, to receive informa- tion about a possible purchase. The council will meet in a 6:30 p.m. closed session to discuss the issue as the council is allowed to close meetings in which conditions of a real estate trans- actions are negotiated, said City Attorney Tami Diehm.