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2008-03-28 Friday NewsMADD CEREMONY This Wednesday noon I attended MADD Minnesota's Annual Statewide Recognition Ceremony that was held in the pavilion located on Harriet Island in St. Paul. I attended with Officer Mike Shepard, Sgt. Neil Garlock and Prosecutor Bill Bernard, who all received awards for their efforts on arresting and prosecuting drunk drivers in 2007. Congratulations and thanks! At the event I learned that MADD has now been in business for 26 years. I also learned that there were 46,000 DWI (DWI is now the correct terminology and it means "driving while impaired", you can be impaired in March 28, 2008 many different ways, alcohol, drugs or sleepiness) arrests in Minnesota in 2007, which equals to 126 arrests/day. were the number one cause of unnatural deaths in the world, and the number 10 cause of all F deaths. He said that U. S. wide, there are 117 traffic deaths/day and 1.7 deaths/day in MN. There were 166 alcohol related deaths last year in Minnesota. RHe also made a good point that, if this death rate were caused by any other thing, such as illness or murder it would be headline news. We are taking traffic deaths entirely too lightly in the U.S. BB Weekend It's "March Madness" time, with not only the NCAA Tournament going on, but also the Minnesota State High School Basketball Tournament too. Both St. Thomas Academy and Henry Sibley are in the Championship game on Saturday. St. Thomas is in the 3A final at A, 6:00 p.m. and Henry Sibley follows in the 4A at 8-00 p.m. Be sure and watch Council 3 Member Schneeman's grandson Fritz Waldvogel who is one of the star players for St. Tho- mas Academy (he is yM exciting to watch). Economic Development Website Jake attended training on a new regional economic development website which will be roll- ing out in May. The City of Mendota Heights is allowed to participate in this project through the Dakota County CDA. While the Twin Cities area has much to offer businesses, there previously has been no way to communicate opportunities to businesses looking to Nlocate in our region. Working with the Minnesota Commercial Association of Realtors, the website will offer a wide variety of information which is searchable by address, location, type of business, etc. It also provides prospective businesses with demographic information E within a radius of any selected location. While we do not actively promote our commer- cial/industrial properties, this website will serve as a useful tool for any company who might want to locate in Mendota Heights. W �1 M)Rtn to Rome n beu. Im Aprfl City Council Meeting 4/1/08 7:30 Parks & Recreation Commission Meeting 4/8/08 7:00 Airport Relations Commission Meeting 4/9/08 6:30 City Council Meeting 4/15/08 7:30 Planning Commission Meeting 4/22/08 7:30 A ttEch m eats Just the Facts, Pipeline, City Council Meeting Agenda, MnSun Article "Mendota Heights to Improve Par 3 accessibility", "Dodge Nature Center property protected from future development", "South St. Paul church features painting by Mendota Heights Jewish artist" and an email from Kent Therkelsen (DCC) regarding Up- date on 9-1-1 system.. R-.... Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday 1 t Mar 23 Mar 30 [far 31 Apr 01 Apr 02 Sprinkles ! Cloudy Sprinkles Fair a HP 47 lin 43 Hi 40 Hi 43 1R� 46 L(D all IL® 23 L® 27 L® 26 IL® 30 Paget FRIDAY NEWS : MARCH 28, 2008 9 ly"IM Dog at Large 03-21-2008 0900 hours Officer Petersen took a walk-in report of a dog bite/attack that had occurred over the weekend. The attacking dog reportedly ran over to the neighbor's yard and knocked the dog over, attempting to bite it. Since the owners of the attacking dog had been previously charged with a similar incident, they were issued a citation for Dog at Large and the process has been started to declare the dog Dangerous or Potentially Dangerous. 2"d Degree Assault- Domestic 03-21-2008 1731 hours Officer Urmann received a walk in report of an after the fact domestic assault. An ex-boyfriend had threatened the complainant with a paring knife and attempted to strangle her. The suspect left the apartment and the victim came to the police department. The suspect was arrested a short time later and admitted to threatening the victim with the knife. The suspect stated that he had to threaten her because she only calms down when she gets scared. Accident with Injuries 03-21-2008 2240 Hours Officer Spicer responded to the 1600 block of Lilydale Rd on a report of a one car accident. Officer Spicer arrived and found a SUIV that ]had struck the Arai®! trestle. Standing outside of the vehicle was four juveniles, one who was injured. As the story goes, the driver claimed to be driving southbound on Lilydale Rd, hit a patch of ice and started to slide. The driver stated that he 1. stepped" on the gas to try and control the slide, and then hit the bridge. The driver was issued a citation for Speeding/Due Care Required. Suspicious Person 03-22-2008 0222 Hours Officers responded to a residence on the south side of town on a report of a man with a gun. The complainant called to advise that an unknown person called their residence and stated that there was a man outside with a sawed off shotgun. Officers checked the area but were not able to locate anyone or any tracks in the snow. 3/28/2008 Disturbing the Peace 03-22-08 2240 hours Officer Spicer was flagged down at the Moose Country for an intoxicated, out of control man who had been in a fight with his girlfriend and had to be removed by bar staff. He then began yelling at people entering the bar. He was again approached by bar staff, but the man turned and ran — in the wrong direction, failing down the bluffs. He recovered quickly, climbed back up the bluffs and resumed his tirade at the patrons. Officer Spicer had a calming chat with the man and ultimately the man gave him a PBT sample of .237. He was taken to Detox. Accident with Train Trestle 03-22-2008 2258 Hours Officer Urmann responded to the same train trestle on Lilydale Rd on a report of a one car accident. The intoxicated driver helpfully called the police to advise of the accident. The driver was arrested for DWI. Assault 03-25-2008 2000 Hours Officer Meyer received a walk in report of an assault that took place the previous night. The victim reported that he brought an attractive young female friend to the bar for a few drinks. The male party noticed that a bar patron was continuously looking at his female guest. The victim bet the female $20.00 to go over and sit with the other man and have some of his pizza. When told of the bet, the suspect apparently did not think the activities were very friendly, so he approached the victim, accused him of bringing a prostitute into the bar and punched him in the face. The victim went outside to smoke, the suspect returned to the bar and the female left with a different group of friends. At this time the suspect is an unknown party. M.A.A.G. callout AOA 03-26-2008 1900 Hours Officer Lambert responded to a M.A.A.G. callout to assist the Apple Valley Police Department. An armed male entered into his ex wife's house and was holding her inside. The male party eventually let the female go, threw his gun outside and was taken into custody. Second Degree DWI 03-26-2008 1906 Hours Officers Shepard and Fleming received a call of a female who appeared to be intoxicated at Super America. The complainant advised that the female, who was reportedly unable to even talk, was getting into a car to drive away. Officers stopped the vehicle, made contact with the driver and gave her a PBT. The result was .343. The driver was arrested for Second Degree DWI. The suspect consented to a blood test and was transported to the hospital and after providing the test, to jail. Warrant Arrest/ False Information to a P.O. 03-27-2008 1910 Hours Officer Fleming ran a license plate and driver's license check on a vehicle and discovered that the owner was suspended and had a warrant. The vehicle was stopped; however, registered owner was not the driver but was a passenger. When was asked for identification, she gave Officer Fleming her friend's name and date of birth. She was eventually arrested and taken to jail. She will also be charged with Giving False Information and Obstructing the Legal Process. Gane fLAT -2- The Parks Crew plowed the snow from last Friday and Saturday off the cul-de- sacs, pedways and parking lots. The groundmaster 580D was serviced and repaired for summer. Rich plowed the middle area streets on Friday and Saturday. The roots in the sanitary sewer lines were chemically treaded on Keokuk, Pontiac Place, Apache Street, Marie Avenue, Ridgewood Drive, and the Dodd Road easement. The storm sewer was unplugged on Whitfield Drive. Pipe Services cleaned the sanitary sewer lines from Lloyd's BBQ on Mendota Heights Road to the lift station. They also vacuumed the lift station for grease. (Lloyd's BBQ pays for this). Pipe Services also cleaned the sanitary sewer lines at Mendakota County Club do to Wagon Wheel Trail (Mendakota Country Club pays for this). The Northland lift station, St. Thomas and Lilydale lift station were cleaned. IFIT M INDIA! � 11,0111GOVII My I I VI ME Event: 4ff 211 1" W Is =G -41M. I Letters were mailed out to residents in the Somerset Park/Evergreen Knoll neighborhood about an upcoming informational meeting regarding street improvements. St. Paul Regional Water Service installed the final hydrant on Kay Avenue this week in preparation of the street reconstruction. The street reconstruction project (Avenues/Kay, Walsh) has been getting a lot of attention with 28 sets of plans already sold. Sue is on vacation in Arizona. r Print Page 44 ez BY MEGAN ANDERSON - SUN NEWSPAPERS �3 __ PMP .;3i) Improved amenities are planned at Mendota Heights Par 3 Golf Course. The 47 -year-old clubhouse was constructed with little attention to accommodating disabilities, but the city plans to improve accessibility to the property it purchased in June 2007. The City Council approved a proposal March 18 to hire RB Architects and Dick Bjorkland Construction to spearhead the upgrades. Work would be paid for with federal dollars from a community development block grant, said Jake Sedlacek, assistant to the city administrator. "We've had these funds available, but we haven't found a good use for them," Sedlacek said. They were initially intended to pay for a project to improve accessibility at city parks, but Sedlacek said the project was too costly. "We kind of threw that project out because the bids came back triple what we were expecting," he said. Staff determined that the funds could instead be used to make the Par 3 clubhouse handicapped accessible, with a budget of $83,710 for the project. The facility's small doorways and bathrooms aren't big enough to address mobility issues, Sedlacek said. "The clubhouse was built in 1961 and has no accommodation for accessibility," he said. Changes are necessary because golfers aren't the only residents who visit the Par 3, Sedlacek said. "It is a family facility and we have a lot of youth programs," he said. "We're finding that it is our most frequently visited municipal facility." Three projects will improve accessibility, with the clubhouse expanded on the south side along Bachelor Avenue to create two handicap accessible bathrooms. New entrance doors and an entrance ramp on the Dodd Road side of the building will be added. The council approved a conditional use permit March 4 to allow the changes to the clubhouse. Councilmember Jack Vitelli said he supported the project, but wanted to make sure that the Parks and Recreation Commission had been updated to, "make sure that we're covering the things that they want to get done." The commission was updated on the project at two meetings and supported the plans, Sedlacek said. In other council news: - This is the first full year Mendota Heights is in charge of operations at the Par 3 Golf Course and the council approved hiring Jerry Murphy for turf maintenance. Murphy will be paid $32,300 that the city budgeted for course maintenance. Murphy has previously worked on course maintenance at both the Par 3 and Somerset Country Club. He is well known in the Minnesota golf industry, Sedlacek said. "This is a big win for the city," Sedlacek said. "We're very, very happy to have him come in and help us out." "We're really lucky to have somebody like Jerry who is willing to do this," Vitelli said. "He has so much experience." - The council approved a liquor license for Teresa's Mexican Restaurant in Mendota Plaza. Councilmember Sandra Krebsbach said she was concerned about the new restaurant being open until 1 a.m., the latest a bar can stay open in the city. She asked that the hours of operation be set in the license. But other council members said the city shouldn't put restrictions on the hours, unless problems arise with the establishment. It's not common for cities to put those limits in the liquor license, Sedlacek said. "This license is a privilege that is at anytime reviewable by the City Council," he said. (You are invited to comment about this story on our website at www,mnsun.com and/or write a letter to the editor at suncurrentsouth@acnpapers.com.) This site and its contents Copyright © 2007. Sun Newspapers - Main Office: 952-829-0797 suninfo` acnpapers.coni - x� WN !., 44 r Fra a *E T x.;t ANDERSONDodge Nature Center property protected from future development BY MEGAN Now developers will see only green when eying a large chunk of Thomas Irvine Dodge Nature Center property. An agreement with Dakota County includes Dodge Nature Center's 156 -acre Lilly property in Mendota Heights in the county's Farmland and Natural Areas Program. Both the County Board of commissioners and the Dodge Nature Center board of directors approved the agreement in February. Ben Van Gundy, executive director of Dodge Nature Center, said the land is placed into a conservation easement to protect it from the threat of future development. It is estimated to be worth $13.8 million. Making up the property's features are a small lake, oak savannah, restored prairie and a wetland. "It's property that highly deserves to be protected," Van Gundy said. The land was donated to Dodge Nature Center by the estate of Rachel Lilly in 1971, and is south of Highway 110, between Mendota Plaza on Dodd Road and Delaware Avenue. "It's a very gorgeous piece of property that's surrounded by development," he said. "It's a natural island of sorts." The nature center has another 160 -acre property in West St. Paul, which is zoned as a conservancy district. Though there were no plans to develop the Lilly property, Van Gundy said because Mendota Heights has it zoned as low-density residential there was no guarantee for the future. "We wanted to make sure that land stays in its natural state forever," he said. So Dodge Nature Center, which has 40,000 visitors a year, began working with the Farmland and Natural Areas Program. Coordinator Al Singer said residents voted in 2002 to start the program by putting $20 million toward conservation of farmland and natural areas. The county will pay Dodge Nature Center $500,000 for the conservation easement, which Van Gundy said will go into an endowment to help Dodge maintain its environmental education programs. "It's kind of a double bonus," he said. "It will help us perpetuate our environmental education and protect the land." When Dodge submitted the property for preservation, Singer said the program had to develop criteria to protect land that is privately owned. Private lands are now considered for protection based on the level of threat and public benefit. That's a safeguard the Lilly property needs in case Dodge Nature Center ever has financial problems, Van Gundy said. "It takes away any of the temptation of the board to sell off some of the property," he said. Conservation easements are the strongest technique to protect land, Van Gundy said. Taking steps to preserve the land fits with the mission of Dodge Nature Center, he said. "I think the community can rest easy that this island of natural area will be protected forever," Van Gundy said. The agreement not only continues Dodge's mission, Singer said but it also builds a relationship between the center and the county. "We just thought that there was a win-win situation with the permanent protection of this property," he said. Singer noted the potential for connecting a regional trail through the nature center and offering educational programming through the county's park system. The Farmland and Natural Areas Program is the only one of its kind in Minnesota, Singer said, and so far has preserved 3,100 acres of farmland and natural areas in the county. Among these natural areas are Caponi Art Park in Eagan, Pilot Knob in Mendota Heights and 30 acres along the Mississippi River in Inver Grove Heights. Located 4 miles from downtown St. Paul, Dodge Nature Center is an asset to the community, Van Gundy said. "The extra good thing about this is that it's so close to people," he said. Sizeable, undeveloped land like the Lilly property is hard to find in the more developed portion of the county, Singer said. "It can provide close to home opportunities for people to enjoy and experience the natural world," Singer said. "They're not making natural land anymore," Van Gundy said. "Anytime you get a chance to permanently protect it, I think people should jump on it." (You are invited to comment about this story on our website at www,mnsun.com and/or write a letter to the editor at suncurrentsouth@acnpapers.com.) This site and its contents Copyright © 2007. Sun Newspapers - Main Office: 952-829-0797 suninfo@acnpapers .corn - MNnSUN 44 communi�y Print Page South St. Paul church features paintings by Mendota Heights Jewish artist Bridging gaps between different faiths is one target of a unique art exhibit at a South St. Paul church. First Presbyterian Church in South St. Paul is featuring the artwork of Jewish artist Carolyn Kleinberger of Mendota Heights. The paintings focus on the depiction of the 10 plagues, which God inflicted on Egypt when Moses tried to free the Israelites from slavery. Using a mixture of oil paint, charcoal and mixed media, Kleinberger also used techniques to make some of the images 3-D. One plague shows a swarm of flies that extends out of the painting onto the wall, while another shows wild beasts with a lizard peaking from behind the frame. A member of First Presbyterian Church saw Artist Carolyn Kleinberger of Mendota Heights has 10 pieces of art Kleinberger's work at the Jewish Community depicting the plagues inflicted on the Egyptians on display at First Center in St. Paul and asked her to lend her Presbyterian Church in South St. Paul. The work will remain on artwork to the church. display through April. (SCOTT THEISEN e SUN NEWSPAPERS) Kleinberger was so enthusiastic that she brought Browse through more photos taken for this article as well as photos of many other local events and feature articles, in our SUN the artwork over in February, said Lois Glewwe, NEWSPAPERS PHOTO GALLERY , where Sun photographers post church communications chair. "We've been able to Imany photos every week. enjoy this artwork throughout the entire Lenten season," she said. "It was an interesting new adventure for our church." Engaging people is one goal of the paintings, Kleinberger said. "I wanted people to look at them, be drawn in and think about them," she said. One plague, darkness, is depicted with a woman surrounded by blackness in front of an almost dim candle. "I wanted you to feel the darkness," said Kleinberger, who used a photo of her daughter as the inspiration for the woman. Kleinberger started painting in 2001, when she completed her first set of 10 plagues as a way to get her children involved in Passover Seder meals. She said she was brought up having Seder, which observes the liberation of Israelites from Egyptian slavery. "When I had my own family, I wanted to involve the children more than I had been," she said. "They had more of an interest and became more involved." The purpose, she said, is to start a discussion about the plagues. "That is the major goal of the Seder," she said. During the Seder meal, she said Jews go through each plague while also recognizing the suffering of Egyptians. "We thank God for that," she said. "But we're not happy the Egyptians went through it." Kleinberger's children, Sam, 21, and Rachel, 23, encouraged her to continue her art outside of the home. After financial cuts caused her to be let go as a Ramsey County public defender, she decided to focus on her art and has been taking classes for three years. "My kids were so excited about it," she said. "My son told me the other day that he has seen advancement in my work." The ten plagues of Egypt are very dramatic images in both Judaism and Christianity, Glewwe said. "We all relate to them." Kleinberger's portrayal of the plagues is realistic and contains beautiful images, Glewwe said. "It's just really fascinating the way she did it," she said "It's really gotten people involved in both art and the story itself." "I think that's made it appealing to people of all ages," she said. "The kids love to look at it, but so do senior citizens." It has also initiated First Presbyterian's upcoming Jewish immersion series in April. Starting March 30, the church's adult education forum will feature visiting rabbis each Sunday during April. "It has attracted a great deal of interest from people," Glewwe said. "I think because it's something that we don't often do." The series is meant to get people to think, she said. "So often we get so caught up in our own faith tradition that we have assumptions about other denominations and faiths," she said. It's an opportunity to bring individual prejudices or misconceptions to the forefront and have a dialogue, Glewwe said. "You soon realize that there's plenty of room for sharing beliefs and moving forward," she said. "I think that's healthy for all of us to go through that." This type of education, Kleinberger said, increases understanding, "allowing us to be able to live together, side by side." It's a way, she said, to bring Jews and Christians together. "For me, it's a great honor to be used as a backdrop for Lent and discussions about Judaism," Kleinberger said. "It's a wonderful way to build community," she said. "I love that my art is helping to do that." Kleinberger will be the last guest at the adult education forum April 27, where she will discuss her paintings. The public is welcome to see the artwork whenever the church is open, Glewwe said, not just on Sundays. "Visitors are always welcome to come in and just take a look at the paintings." The art exhibit will be on display throughout April. First Presbyterian Church's adult education forum is at 8:30 a.m. each Sunday. The church is at 535 20th Ave. N., South St. Paul (You are invited to comment about this story on our website at www.mnsun.com and/or write a letter to the editor at suncurrentsouth@acnpapers.com.) This site and its contents Copyright © 2007. Sun Newspapers - Main Office: 952-829-0797 suninfio@acnpapers.com - SO Page 1 of 1 From. Jenny Hildebrandt Uhildebrandt@mn-dcc.orgj Sent: Friday, March 28, 2008 9:03 AM Subject: Forwarding Update on 9-1-1 System message on behalf of Kent Therkelsen Attachments: 03.28.08 DCC Update on 9-1-1 Service.pdf DCC Board of Directors, Executive Committee, Operations Committee and Staff: Update on 9-1-1 system We are pleased to inform you that the DCC 9-1-1 system has been operating normally since late yesterday morning. Engineers at Plant/CML isolated the issue as a software defect at the work station level and implemented a repair procedure at each of our 23 work stations. Since that time, the system has operated without error and all 9-1-1 calls have been processed normally. Of course, we continue to monitor the system closely. We have a conference call scheduled at 1:30 this afternoon with Plant/CML to review the issue and observations since the repairs were completed. The attached update is being distributed to the same media sources that received the original release on March 25th. For member jurisdictions that linked this to their web pages, we would appreciate the update being posted as well. DCC dispatchers have done an outstanding job of reacting to abandoned calls and documenting issues during this period. Our technical support specialists worked closely with IES and Plant/CML in response to the problem as well. I do not anticipate any further updates on this issue unless circumstances change Thank you. Kent Therkelsen Dakota Communications Center Executive Director 2860 160th Street W. Rosemount, MN 55068 651.322.1901 ktherkelsen@mn-dcc.org www.mn-dcc.org NN 3/28/2008 PIZ3 DAKOTA COMMUNICATIONS CENTER News Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Kent Therkelsen, Executive Director, 651-322-1901 Repairs Completed on Dakota Communications Center 9-1-1 Service March 28, 2008 The 9-1-1 system at the Dakota Communications Center is operating properly after technicians completed repairs during the morning of March 27. The interim repair implemented on March 25`h was effective in preventing the issue, while the permanent correction was developed and implemented. The DCC urges all people in Dakota County who need the response of police, fire or emergency medical services for any issue to call 9-1-1 to contact dispatchers. Dakota Communications Center Update on 9-1-1 Service The Dakota Communications Center (DCC) is encouraging people who need police, fire or emergency medical response in Dakota County to call 9-1-1, but is also providing an alternative dispatch number if callers experience connection problems on 9-1-1 or are calling from outside of Dakota County. The DCC has determined that a small percentage of incoming 9-1-1 calls are not being processed properly by the software system installed at the DCC as part of our implementation. On the affected calls, callers hear a ringing, but the calls are not presented to DCC dispatchers for answering. Callers who have experienced this problem report waiting for approximately 1 minute before the call is disconnected by the system. The DCC phone system alerts dispatchers to the failed calls after they are disconnected. Dispatchers are then able to call the caller back. This is the same process dispatchers use to investigate 9-1-1 calls that are disconnected by the caller prior to be answered. While the DCC continues to work on resolving this problem with our system provider, callers should continue to use 9-1-1 to contact the DCC. The dispatchers will, as always, verify their location and gather the necessary information for response. If for any reason, a caller is unable to connect with the DCC by dialing 9-1-1, they should call 322-2323 to speak with a dispatcher, 24 hours a day. This number works in either the 651 or 952 area code. The DCC will provide further updates to the public as the system repairs are completed.