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2007-05-18 Friday NewsPROFESSOR HONORED University of Minnesota Professor Allen Goldman, who is also a resident of Mendota Heights, has recently been honored by being elected to the National Academy of Sciences. Please see the attached University of Minnesota News Release. FLIGHTS NORTH OF 110 At last week's Airport Relations Commission meeting, the group discussed their perceptions that there were more flights north of 110 than were expected. At the Noise Oversight Committee meeting this week, Chad Leqve reported that there have been a number of violations on both the north and south sides of the Eagan -Mendota Heights Corridor. Chad provided data from before the 90 degree turn at the end of the runway was implemented, data from shortly after the turn was implemented, and data from the last couple of months. Chad's analysis is that there is considerable deviation from the corridor, affirming our ABC's perception. Carl Rydeen from FAA was at the NOC meeting, and acknowledged Chad's report, but could not explain the reason for planes flying outside of the corridor. Carl will look into the issue, and come back with a report and/or a plan to correct this problem at the next NOC meeting. Thursday morning, Jake, Sue and 1 walked the Par 3 with Dan Hill, Superintendent from Burnsville's Par 3 Course. Dan's general impression was that the course was in better condition than he had expected. While there is no shortage of things we could do, a lot of Dan's recommendations are small in nature. His feedback will be given to the Par 3 Task Force. Thursday evening, Jerry Murphy also had a chance to walk the course, and had similar findings. With the feedback we've received so far, staff will be able to create a prioritized list of capital projects, and a healthy maintenance to-do list. While at the course, we also had a chance to speak with a couple of staff, who gave a neat story from last week. Apparently a huge bald eagle went after some ducklings in the pond, but was fended off by the mallard mother duck. Par 3 staff has several stories about all the different wildlife that call the course home. CONGRATS TO JOHN BOLAND Congratulations go out to John Boland and his wife Lori on the arrival of their new son, Frank Joseph. Baby Frank was born Monday evening weighing in at 9 lbs. 7 oz. Mother and baby are now home with the rest of the family and all are doing well. Respectfully submitted, James Danielson City Administrator Attachments: Just the Facts, Pipeline, Pre -Application Meeting Synopsis, Planning Commission Agenda, Twincities.com Articles "Their Glass is Half -Full", "Internet news firm moving to St. Paul", Sun Current Article "Mendota Heights saves par", Highland Villager Article "Voters approve city's purchase of par 3 golf course by 254 votes", UMN News Article "U of M physics professor elected to the National Academy of Sciences" and flyers for future events. 05-19-0i _1_ 05-19-07 responded to the call for help. He crawled under the car pounded the manhole cover lose as it was paved in. Rick retrieved the keys and returned them to the owner who was now at work. Not a Drop DUI 05-12-07 0003 hours Officer Steve Meyer stopped a car for traveling 80 mph in a 55 mph zone. In making contact with the driver he could immediately smell alcohol. The driver was asked to complete SFST's the last of which was the PBT. The PBT revealed a BAC of .043. Unfortunately for the driver that was .043 over what he could legally consume as he was under 21 YOA. The driver was arrested to for DUI and one of the 5 passengers was cited for minor consumption. All five were all released to a very unhappy parent. The car was impounded by Southeast Towing. Domestic / Trespass 05-12-07 0746 hours Sergeant John Larrive and Officer Eric Petersen responded to a call of a man sleeping in his car in the parking lot. Upon arrival they located a man sleeping in the back of his Suburban. After waking him up he explained that he and the wife had a dispute over kids and money so he left the apartment and spent the night in the car. In checking with the wife they have been divorced for two weeks and the subject continues to stop and call looking for property and money. He was verbally trespassed by the building management and sent on his way. Medical 05-13-07 0026 hours 911 caller reported a medical emergency and hung up, no answer on call back. Officer Steve Meyer arrived on shortly after the Communications Center made contact with the homeowner. The man's 26 YOA bi-polar son had called after refusing to take medication for an extended period of time. He was threatening to hurt himself or others. A 72 hour medical hold was placed on the young man and Healtheast Ambulance transported him to the hospital. Suspicious Activity 05-13-07 0434 hours Homeowner called to report their alarm had gone off and the front door to the house was standing open. Officer Steve Meyer responded, walked through the house. No signs of forced entry or anything unusual. Clear without incident most likely the wind. Medical 05-14-07 0016 hours An elderly man called for help. He was very disoriented and may have fallen and hit his head. Healtheast Ambulance and Officer Chad Willson arrived to assist. The man thought his wife was missing as it turns out she is in the hospital. A son was located to spend the night when no medical problems were found. Warrant 05-14-07 0132 hours Walk up service, yes sometimes it is really easy, a local man walked to the MHPD to turn himself in. The man had an active warrant for his arrest out of Dakota County. Officer Mike Shepard granted his request and transported the man to the DC jail. Bike Crash 05-15-07 1659 hours Officer Todd Rosse and Sergeant Neil Garlock responded to a bicyclist who had crashed on the bike path just up from the Pool & Yacht Club. The bicyclist sustained head injuries and was taken to the hospital by Healtheast Ambulance. AOA 05-17-07 0704 hours Sergeant Donn Anderson assisted MHFD and the MSP with a car fire on Hwy 13 near the Mendota Bridge. The car was fully engulfed and if you were watching the morning news you would have seen Sgt Anderson assisting with traffic control. f/6- a p"twee�eTd�A/L M40 Public Works The Parks Crew removed downed tree limbs on pedways in Rogers Lake Park and Hagstrom King Park. Permanent home plates were installed in all the neighborhood parks. Fields at Mendakota Park were prepared for the Visitation Softball tournament. Rich finished spraying the dandelions at the Friendly Hills Tot Lot and Curley's Tot Lot. He trimmed tress at the Culligan lift station in put down wood mulch. He repaired the lawn on Swan drive in the storm sewer easement by putting in black dirt and grass seed. The streets crew hauled out sweeping and other debris from city property(approx. 190 cubic yards). Planted trees along Delaware Avenue. Patched blacktop on Medora Ct., Clement St. & 1St Avenue. Mailbox repairs were completed with the installation of a $200.00 mailbox. John and his wife, Lori, had a baby boy on Monday evening. He was 9 lbs 7 oz. This is the first boy in the family - they have three girls!! Congratulations!! City Council authorized installation of high impact polypropylene sports surfacing tiles over the existing tennis courts at Valley Park. This product allows drainage through and under the surfacing tiles making the courts usable soon after a rain fall event. The base asphalt surface may still exhibit cracking but this will not affect the sports tile surfacing that in effect "floats" on the old court's asphalt surface. Last week fence repairs and addition of a large access gate to the court were completed. Three new ramps will be added to the skate park suitable for the beginner or novice skate boarders. Existing Tier One rated skateboard equipment (maximum height is three feet) does not require "full time supervision" will remain and the new components 7" 12" and 14" high are to be located on the north side of the Skate Park, within the fenced area. WACHTLER AVE. & IVY HILL PARK TRAIL WORK Trail repairs, patching and addition of a two inch bituminous overlay will occur on the Wachtler Ave. trail from Wentworth Ave. to Cherry Hill Rd. and similar work, including an access trail segment to the recently completed playground reconstruction, will be done in Ivy Hill Park from Maple Park Dr. to Butler Ave. Other minor trail repairs will also be done at three locations. The ke Pipeline, `�` CC1 T E" --,L G Public Works Engineering May 17, 2007 Code Enforcement Public Works The Parks Crew removed downed tree limbs on pedways in Rogers Lake Park and Hagstrom King Park. Permanent home plates were installed in all the neighborhood parks. Fields at Mendakota Park were prepared for the Visitation Softball tournament. Rich finished spraying the dandelions at the Friendly Hills Tot Lot and Curley's Tot Lot. He trimmed tress at the Culligan lift station in put down wood mulch. He repaired the lawn on Swan drive in the storm sewer easement by putting in black dirt and grass seed. The streets crew hauled out sweeping and other debris from city property(approx. 190 cubic yards). Planted trees along Delaware Avenue. Patched blacktop on Medora Ct., Clement St. & 1St Avenue. Mailbox repairs were completed with the installation of a $200.00 mailbox. John and his wife, Lori, had a baby boy on Monday evening. He was 9 lbs 7 oz. This is the first boy in the family - they have three girls!! Congratulations!! City Council authorized installation of high impact polypropylene sports surfacing tiles over the existing tennis courts at Valley Park. This product allows drainage through and under the surfacing tiles making the courts usable soon after a rain fall event. The base asphalt surface may still exhibit cracking but this will not affect the sports tile surfacing that in effect "floats" on the old court's asphalt surface. Last week fence repairs and addition of a large access gate to the court were completed. Three new ramps will be added to the skate park suitable for the beginner or novice skate boarders. Existing Tier One rated skateboard equipment (maximum height is three feet) does not require "full time supervision" will remain and the new components 7" 12" and 14" high are to be located on the north side of the Skate Park, within the fenced area. WACHTLER AVE. & IVY HILL PARK TRAIL WORK Trail repairs, patching and addition of a two inch bituminous overlay will occur on the Wachtler Ave. trail from Wentworth Ave. to Cherry Hill Rd. and similar work, including an access trail segment to the recently completed playground reconstruction, will be done in Ivy Hill Park from Maple Park Dr. to Butler Ave. Other minor trail repairs will also be done at three locations. CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS A A M*A.& A JA MEMO DATE: May 17, 2007 TO: City Council, Commission Members, and City Administrator FROM: Jake Sedlacek, Assistant to the City Administrate SUBJECT: Pre -Application Meeting Synopsis Staff met with two potential applicants on Monday, April 6, 2007. Steve Grittman, Sue McDermott, Paul Berg and Jake Sedlacek were present. Dan Dwyer re. 2366 Lemay Lake Rd Dan Dwyer is representing the family that owns 2366 Lemay Lake Rd, and is completing an appraisal of the property. As a part of the appraisal, Mr. Dwyer wanted to find out if the lot could be subdivided. Staff reviewed the conditions for subdivision in the R-1 zone — which create significant challenges to subdividing this particular lot. No planning action is expected at this time. Al Behrendt, re. 771 Pondhaven Lane Mr. Behrendt is with Zehm Bros. Construction, and was looking for information regarding the side yard setback for 771 Pondhaven Lane. The owners of the property are looking to add on to their existing attached garage — no overhead door, just additional space. Because of conditions on the property, the owner feels an addition which requires a 2-3 foot variance into the side yard setback is their only option. Staff discussed setback requirements and the planning process, providing Mr. Behrendt with a Planning Application and Variance Request Form. An application may be submitted for consideration at the June Planning Commission. Planning Meeting 511412007 Page 1 of 1 R1• • • PLANNING COMMISSION AGENDA May 22, 2007 1. Call to Order 2. Roll Call 3. Approval of the April 25, 2007 Planning Commission Minutes 4. Hearings a. Case No. 07- 15: Bruce McManus, 720 Marie Avenue — Wetlands Permit for deck and stairway. Public Hearing 7:30 P.M. b. Case No. 07-16e Patrick Hickey, 2303 Swan Drive — Wetlands Permit for construction of deck. Public Hearing 7030 P.M. c. Case No. 07-17: Rehder and Associates for Patterson Dental, 1031 Mendota Heights Road — Preliminary and Final Plat. Public Hearing 7®30 P.M. 5. Verbal Review 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, however, this may not be possible on short notice. Please contact City Administration at 651- 452-1850, with requests. Page 1 of 2 GLASSTHEIR HALF—FULL Wine sellers B ;� and Kx`>sten e wn..lsk! struggled t3a ,.srA ne_-t s. .,Z after flit `t opening In ., new Mendota H 3 w: dev-eiopr nt. But Tho? -j their business is grov!� flag, and h y're co, fident enough to be planning a second store in Woodbury. BY ; :-k SITARAMIAH °-o� ,, e,r Pres. Press Ari ic Ie Nasi. LJ. .at .,, "7: Lxg;.: 7 s,?`. kCDT Trevor Howe was in a rut when he discovered The Wine Market more than a year ago. "it was Chardonnay for under $9.99. Period," said Howe, who lives in St. Paul's Highland Park. Howe's come a long way in his wine knowledge since he became a regular Saturday patron, along with his French bulldog, Buffy, of the Mendota Heights retailer. He credits co-owner Kristen Kowalski for his transformation. "She was very accommodating and got me to branch out," he said. Now, he's expanded his repertoire of whites to sauvignon blanc, viognier and more and doesn't shy away from an occasional more expensive vintage. Husband -and -wife co-owners Bob and Kristen Kowalski say they're trying to emphasize customer service with a personal touch in the wine shop they opened in October 2005. At the time, delivering that customer service was a bit tricky. The shop was the first to open in a development that was essentially a construction site. Debuting under such circumstances was tough for the business, a situation that's gotten better since neighbors including E's Cheese and Caribou Coffee have opened. Bob Kowalski also unveiled the Sage Market deli and wine bar there. Although more of the construction of the mixed-use development is complete, the Kowalskis still face the challenge of needing more customer traffic. "A lot of people don't know we're here," he said. Still they believe that the demand for a customer -friendly wine shop is strong in the south suburbs and that their location across the street from wealthy Sunfish Lake will help drive their business forward. Kristen Kowalski wants to be the person customers ask to recommend a wine to go with a meal they're planning. Kowalski can choose from a selection of 1,700 labels and even prepares tasting notes. Some of her customers prefer to leave all the work to her, such as one in particular who asks her to choose a case of different bottles for him monthly. "We give him some new, unique things to try," she said. The Kowalskis are trying to offer something for everyone at their wine shop, from budget -minded shoppers looking for inexpensive wine to connoisseurs seeking hard -to -find vintages. They also sell beer and spirits. The 2,633 -square -foot space with Malaysian mahogany shelving and capacity for over 14,000 bottles of wine was designed to have wide aisles so customers could browse easily. "It cost us more to build it this way because it's not sales space, but we built it for the experience," he said. In back is a tasting room that can be booked for small parties. Their top three sellers cost less than $20, though some bottles go up to around $200. Around a third of their inventory is under $12. "We wouldn't sell anything inexpensive unless we've tasted it and liked it," he said. While Kristen Kowalski is finishing her certification to become a sommelier, or a specialist in tasting and serving wine, Bob http://www.twincities.com/portlet/article/html/fraginents/print_article.j sp?articleld=58201... 5/18/2007 Mage 2 of 2 Kowalski considers himself more similar to the average wine drinker. "I'm learning as I go," he said. Although they're in a new development, they say their connections have helped to draw customers. "That kind of got us started, and the word of mouth helped us from there," he said. Bob Kowalski is related to the family behind the Kowalski's grocery chain in the Twin Cities, where he worked his way up over 20 years to vice president of marketing until leaving in 2003 to work as a consultant in the food industry. He has been able to spread the word about the wine market enough for sales to gross $1.1 million last year. Those sales are growing at a rate of 10 percent annually. The husband -and -wife team have extensive business backgrounds. Since they'd each held six -figure paying jobs for years, they were able to launch the shop with savings and a loan using their home as collateral. Startup costs ran $500,000 including the inventory and build out of the store. She holds an MBA from the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management and has worked in sales positions for Kraft, General Mills and, most recently, Coca-Cola. The two met in 1995 when Kowalski's was one of her accounts while she was working for Kraft. They married in Florence, Italy, a few years later. While he's responsible for marketing, she oversees store operations, from ordering wine to keeping the books. They say launching the business together hasn't put a strain on their relationship because they respect each other's judgment, have similar tastes and share the same vision. In fact, they're planning to open a Woodbury location Oct. 1 in the Tamarack Hills shopping center. There, they hope to have a bigger space with a larger tasting room and more beer and spirits. "We think Woodbury will be great for us, with a high density of young professional people getting into wine," he said. Gita Sitaramiah can be reached at 651-228-5472 or gsitaramiah@pioneerpress.com. COMPANY SPECS Company: The Wine Market Location: The Village at Mendota Heights, 720 Main St., Mendota Heights; 651-452-9463 Web Site: www.thewinemarket.us Founded: Oct. 31, 2005 Owners: Co-founders Bob and Kristen Kowalski Employees: Two full-time; two part-time Annual Revenue: $1.1 million Competitors: Solo Vino in St. Paul, France 44 Wines Spirits in Minneapolis and Sam's in Minneapolis. Challenge Ahead: Attracting more customers to their store in a new development while planning to open a second location. Close Window f Send To Printer http://www.twincities.com/portlet/article/html/fragments/print artic1e.jsp?artic1eld=58201... 5/18/2007 Page 1 of 2 movingInternet news firm S to anchor cen.ter c n r:i er officials say BY JASON HOPPIN Pioneer Pres> The largest Internet news company that no one's heard of is coming to St. Paul, Mayor Chris Coleman is expected to announce at a press conference today. Mendota Heights -based Internet Broadcasting Systems, which produces more than 70 television news Web sites for some of the country's biggest and best-known media empires, including NBC, Post -Newsweek and Cox Television, will be moving into new digs along the Mississippi River, according to several city officials. The officials declined to be named out of deference to the mayor. An IBS spokesman also declined to comment pending today's announcement. Having a 250 -employee company moving to St. Paul is a contrast to the recent string of bad news for the city. St. Paul is facing the loss of about 2,000 jobs at the Ford Motor Co.'s Twin Cities Assembly Plant in Highland Park and trying to save 500 jobs at the Rock -Tenn paper recycling mill in the Midway area. Internet Broadcasting Systems will anchor the new 21 -acre River Bend Business Center, a joint venture of the St. Paul Port Authority and Wellington Management. The new center is on Randolph Boulevard near Xcel Energy's High Bridge generating plant, and features a view of the Mississippi River. Developer Steve Wellington said the company will occupy an 80,000 -square -foot building that was recently completed. He's also struck a deal with the Service Employees International Union to occupy a 20,000 -square -foot building that's about to begin construction. V "One -hundred -thousand square feet of deals. It's been a great week for St. Paul," Wellington said. The company also hopes to break ground 'this fail on another 120,000 -square -foot building in the business park. "The activity in the marketplace has picked up a lot. That's why we're bullish about the second phase," said Tanya Bell, director of acquisitions and development for Wellington Management. St. Paul Port Authority spokesman Tom Collins declined to identify the company by name, but said IBS also has expansion rights within the new business park. According to Nielsen// NetRatings, IBS's Web sites are the sixth -most -visited current -events and global news stops on the Internet, with nearly 14 million monthly visitors. Mike O'Connor, a St. Paul technology entrepreneur who co-founded the Internet service provider GoFast.net and other Internet ventures, said attracting IBS is a coup for the city. IBS "is one of the comeback kids of the dot-com era," O'Connor said. "I think it's a big win." The company operates by locating employees in television newsrooms around the country. Those employees then work with the news operation to produce content for the Web. Other partners include Hearst -Argyle, Scripps Howard and the Spanish language Telemundo. The company was founded in 1996 by former WCCO-TV news director Reid Johnson, who serves as CEO and president. The privately held firm has estimated annual sales of $19.5 million. http://www.twincities.com/portlet/article/html/fragments/print article. j sp?articlefd=5 8673 ... 5/16/2007 golf course1. • MEGAN ANDERSON SIGN NEWSPAPERS The Par 3 Golf Course has made the cut in Mendota Heights. In a close election April 24, the referendum for the city to purchase the 'course was approved 1,865 to 1,611- a dif- ference of 254 votes. The spe- cial election had a 42 percent voter turnout, with a°total of 3,477 residents voting out of the city's' 81220 eligible vot- ers. Both the "for" and "against". sides had anticipated -a lower turnout. "That's a phenomenal per- centage for a special election,"' City Clerk Kathleen Swanson::;+;, said. "Much nicer turnout, much larger turnout than the state primary election, which is, again, wonderful." The result , of the election 4 gives the city the green light to issue $2.9 million worth of bonds to purchase the seven - acre privately -owned course from its current owners. But there are 1,611 members of the electorate who are prob- ably 'disappointed by the out- come of the election. That includes Robert Bonine, who led the opposition against the referendum with the Vote No Par 3 Committee. He said his group faced a battle to defeat the issue all along. "I was very disappointed,"; Bonne said. "We knew it was uphill because the Par 3 advo- cates, were extremely well - organized and well-financed: . "It's a classic case of the tax- payers subsidizing their pri- vate pleasures," he said. PAR 3: TO PAGE 15A In the Community, With the Community, For the Community www mnSun.eom -Thur. Par 3 FROM PAGE 1 A "The folks running the Par 3 [com- mittee] got the city to pay almost $4 mil- lion to preserve their view." .Bonin said the -biggest losers are local school . children, noting that District 197 is considering $1.6 million in budget cuts and could use the extra tax money from development. He said . he doesn't have a problem paying extra. -taxes, but. he wants them to go toward quality. "This is not going to be a moneymaker for the city. It is going to be debt," he said. Mayor John Huber said the results show that it was a close election. "By a narrow margin it passed. Clearly there were two schools of thought on this issue," Huber said. "I honestly didn't know how it would come out in the end." Huber said no spatter which way res- idents voted, he : was glad they took the time to vote on the issue. "The thing I'm gratified about is that people cared," Huber said:. keep the course, `Sally Lorberbaum said she was happy residents voted to keep the golf course. Lorberbaum co-chaired the Save Par 3 Committee with Robin Ehrlich. "I am thrilled. Obviously many citizens cared enough, to come out and vote," Lorberbaum said. "That really says a lot about this community. It warms my heart:" Jake Sedlacek, assistant to the city administrator who worked to inform the public. about the referendum, said the end of the election doesn't necessarily mean there isn't work to do. "Now we've got a golf course to run," Sedlacek said. "Either way, we knew we'd be busy" For Councilmember Mary Jeanne Schneeman, April 24 will likely be remembered as the day her 38th grand- child was born. She said the Par 3 is a great place for her grandchildren, as well as other children in the community, to learn to play golf. "That's why the golf course is so important to us," Schneeman said. "We gave the electorate the chance to vote on it and they decided." You are invited to comment about this story on our website at www.mnsun.com and/or write a letter to the editor. at sun - After working to convince voters to currentsouth@acnpapers.com. Voters approve city's purchase. of par 3 golf course by 254 votes by Kevin Driscoll In a relatively close -outcome and a surpris- ingly strong turnout for a special election, vot- ers in Mendota Heights approved a proposal on April 24 for the city to spend $2.79 million to purchase and improve the 17 -acre Mendo- ta Heights Par 3 Golf Course on Dodd Road. Approximately 42 percent of the city's eligible voters cast ballots, with 53 percent (1,865) in favor of buying the golf course and 47 percent (1,611) against it. "I'm just pleased voters had a chance to weigh in on the matter, regardless of the out- come;' said Mayor John Huber, who person- ally supported the proposal. "I'm also pleased at the turnout" Closing on the sale of the nine -hole course is expected by the end of June, according to city administrator Jim Danielson. The city plans to issue general obligation bonds to buy the land, clubhouse and equipment for $2.6 million. The remaining $190,000 will be used for bonding costs and course upgrades. "We plan to operate the course as it always has been and start looking into what improve- ments it might need and what else we can do with it;' Danielson said. The term of the bonds is 15 years. Annual property tax increases to pay them off will range from $29 on a $200,000 home to $93 on a $650,000 home. "I'm confident the market will be there to sustain the golf course and make it a worth- while investment" Huber said. "It has broken even or made a small profit every year but one. Now well look at ways of making it an asset for the broader community, perhaps us- ing it for cross country skiing in the winter." Course owners Alan Spaulding and Mike Cashill supported the referendum, even though the price was substantially less than what they could have sold the course for on the open market. "It's just nice to have closure on what's been a five-year process;' Spaulding said. That process included a court fight with th city of Mendota Heights over zoning and oth- er th er issues related to the owners' desire to sell the property to a home developer. The case ended with a decision by the state Supreme Court last year that led to negotiations wi the city and, ultimately, the referendum. I the referendum had failed, Spaulding said th property would have been sold for a. housin development. The property could have bee subdivided for up to 19 residences. Former Mendota Heights Planning Co mission chair Sally Lorberbaum helped lea the Save Par 3 citizens group that advocate passage of the referendum. "We want to bring the city back together now, she said. "People were passionate on both sides of the issue and I respect and admire many of those who opposed buying the golf course. We all care about the city. I'm really pleased at the turnout and the outcome. Now that its going to hap- pen, we all need to support the golf course to make it successful' Robert Bonine, who headed up the Vote No Par 3 effort, was not at all happy with the outcome. "We're considering whether or not to go to the state auditor or attorney general's office to challenge this," he said. Bonine be- lieves there were several campaign practice vi- olations, including giving Save Par 3 time and space at city Parks Commission meetings and promoting Save Par 3 on the city's Web site. Bonine predicted the golf course will fail, creating a budget shortfall that will cause taxes to rise even more: He said building 19 new homes on the site would have generated millions of dollars in additional property tax revenue. "Now, he said, "well be paying for a very small, ragged golf course and hurting children the most' "Not once in the seven years I've worked here have I heard one complaint about the condition of the course;' said course manag- er Dave Bergen. "Many of the detractors are members of private country clubs, and they're comparing apples to oranges. To the hundreds and hundreds of kids, seniors and loyal league golfers, this is Augusta National." Bergen said a father and his son stopped at the course after the vote. "They're members of Mendakota Country Club, but they both voted `yes"' he said. "They'd never been here before and they both loved it and said they'll be regulars when they only have an hour or two (to play)" According to Spaulding, Bergen "has done a wonderful job running the course. He's run all the tournaments, the kids' summer camps and lessons, and he throws in some marketing during the winter at area schools'.. e Bergen is the only full-time, seasonal em- ployee at the course. "I've got 11 great people who work for me in the clubhouse and on maintenance;' he said, "but I never ask them to do anything I woulddt do" th When he was asked by the city if he wanted f to work full time, year-round, Bergen, 58, de - e clined the offer: "I'm a former business owner g and sold off everything and retired when I n was 47;' he said. "I need those two or three months off to travel, read books and recharge m- my batteries. It's a perfect fit for me as it is. I'm d just happy its all over and excited to get a fresh d start working for the city." i News Releases: UMNnews: U of M. UMN_news__Home U of M physics professor elected to the National Academy of Sciences MEDIA NOTE: Goldman photo available on request. Contacts: Rhonda Zurn, Institute of Technology, (612) 626-7959 Mark Cassutt, University News Service, (612) 624-8038 MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL ( 5/1/2007 ) -- University of Minnesota professor Allen Goldman, head of the Institute of Technology's School of Physics and Astronomy, was elected today to the National Academy of Sciences. Goldman was chosen for his research contributions in the physics of superconductivity, a state in which electrons move freely, encountering no electrical resistance. The phenomenon is usually studied in three-dimensional solids. Goldman was among the first to study in detail ultra-thin, two-dimensional metal films. He and his research team devised a way to construct metal films that are only a few atoms in thickness. They also found a way to switch thin layers of metal atoms from behaving like insulators -- through which electricity cannot flow -- to behaving like superconductors. This research provides the fundamental understanding of superconductivity that is essential to the future creation of better materials used in electronic and electrical technology. "I am very honored to be elected into the National Academy of Sciences," Goldman said. "I owe a lot of the credit to the creative ideas and hard work of the graduate students and postdoctoral students who have worked with me over the years." Goldman said he has mentored more than 50 doctoral students since 1970. Several of those students are now professors at research universities across the country. Goldman came to the University of Minnesota in 1965 as an assistant professor, after receiving his doctoral degree from Stanford University and his undergraduate degree from Harvard. He was named an associate professor in 1968 and professor in 1975. Goldman has published more than 250 research publications and lectured extensively on his research around the world. He has received numerous awards and honors, including being named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a fellow of the American Physical Society, and an Institute of Technology Distinguished Professor. In 2002 he received the Fritz London Memorial Prize, one of the highest awards in physics. "We are very proud of professor Goldman's accomplishments and his election to the National Academy of Sciences," said Steven Crouch, dean of the Institute of Technology, the university's college of engineering, physical sciences and mathematics. "Like many of our faculty, he is humble about his ongoing, cutting-edge research. We're happy he's in the spotlight with this honor." The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is an honorific society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Page 1 of 2 hope//wwwl.ulnn.edultnnnnews/news details.php?release=070501_3318&page=UMNN 5/8/2007 m -- Mendota Hei*ghts T7. "! ". FRP-JP.d Friday, _.vim I I Sponsored by the City of Mendota Heights and "Sage Market & Wine Bar" Thompson Park Activity Center, 1200 Stassen Lane, WSP invites you to: Back R.Gad Bq, -vs A'ad"Lue C&T ShGvV Monday, June 4 2-3:30 PM Free A program for Older Adults sponsored by ISD 197 Community Education. Learning an