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2009-08-28 Friday NewsAugust 28, 2009 F 1:3 I D A Y N E W S MENDOTA HEIGHTS PAR 3 YOUTH OPEN A SUCCESS The Par 3 hosted a very successful youth golf tournament this past Saturday, August 22. Tournament featured a shotgun start at 10 AM, and was completely full of golfers (38). Staff reported even having to turn away a handful of golfers who showed up the morning of the event. There were at least 40 parents and family members following the golfers around the course as well. Tom Perkins reported that it was a fun event to be a part of, and is already looking forward to holding the 2nd Annual Youth Open next year. The following awards were presented: Age Group 6-9 Closest to the Pin: Austin Williams (5'3") Longest Putt: Jack Rowe (9'4"). Best Score: Austin Williams with a 35! Age Group 10-12 Closest to the Pin: Mariah Savage (2"). Longest Putt: Josh Ezurak (9'10"). Best Score: Mariah Savage with a 37! Special thanks go to all the participants, Torn Perkins for coordinating the event, as well as to Parks and Recreation Commission Chair Paul Portz for and Mary Perkins for volunteering ACTIVE LIVING DAKOTA COUNTY Jake attended an orientation for Active Living Dakota County on Tuesday. Active Living is an initiative led by Dakota County Planning and Health Departments, focused on finding ways to encourage residents to become more physically active. An obvious solution is to offer more recreational opportunities, but the real challenge is to make being active a part of our daily lives. This might be accomplished through improved pedestrian facility, grouping development in ways which encourage people to park their cars, and educating the public about ways to be active every day. The City is asked to participate in oversight meetings and seek out opportunities to enhance active living opportunities. Mendota Heights does not contribute funds to the active living initiative. ROUNDABOUT UPDATE PWD Mazzitello attended a MnDOT sponsored training session on Thursday designed to outline the con- tracting requirements for utilizing funds form the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Mendota Heights has received $310,000.00 in ARRA funds to assist in the construction of the roundabout at Visitation Drive and Mendota Heights Road. The training covered material testing requirements, wage and labor regulations and requirements, Equal Opportunity Employment (EEO) and Disadvantaged Busi- ness Enterprise (DBE) requirements, TRACS Reporting, and Contract Administration. MnDOT also covered past experience with ARRA fiends on outstate projects. Mendota Heights is anticipating our ARRA project to be in construction June -August 2010. SPECIAL EVENTS AT PAR 3 Mark your calendars for two upcoming fall events at the Par 3—Saturday, September 26th will be the 2nd Annual Mendota Heights Invitational—open to past and present Council members, Commissioners, Staff and their families. Golf starts at 11 AM, regular greens fees apply, a light lunch will be served. Sunday, October 4th is Customer appreciation day at the Par 3, featuring $3 rounds of golf all day long! August 28, 2009 DATES TO REMEMBER IN SEPTEMBER City Council Meeting 9-1-09 7:00 p.m. Parks & Rec Meeting 9-8-09 6:30 p.m. ARC Meeting 9-9-09 7:00 p.m. City Council Meeting 9-15-09 7:00 p.m. Planning Commission Mtg 9-22-09 7:00 p.m. Attachments Pipeline, Just The Facts, City Council Agenda, Southwest Review articles: "Lilydale's `hidden gem' slated for polish," and "Local station up for three national awards," Upcoming Park/Recreation/Community Events. August 28, 2009 Tie latest �er�s frvyn tie files-�R'ata �feiq�ts�alite �e�art�eht U 8/28/2009 The 51" Degree Assault 08-22-2009 2350 hours Mendota Officers Fleming, VonFeldt, Shepard and Sgt. Convery responded to a Heights local establishment on a report of an assault. The victim stated that he was hit in the face by an unknown assailant and thought he was Police injured. Officers found the suspect who admitted hitting the victim. The Department victim refused medical attention at the scene but did see a physician a few days later only to learn he had suffered a broken nose. The ,Support suspect in this case was issued a citation on scene for 5t" Degree Staff Assault and was transported to detox due to his intoxicated condition. Kun Henning Domestic Assault 08-24-09 1601 hours Sandie Ristine Officer Rosse, Sgt. Garlock, and Inv. Petersen responded to an Susan Donovan apartment building on report of a physical domestic. The female victim Cathy Ransom stated that she had been assaulted by her roommate who is also the Becky Pentel father of their child. She had left the apartment to call for help but Police Officers officers found the suspect in the apartment. He was issued a citation Je�Y Murphy, for 5t" Degree Domestic Assault and transported to the Dakota County ScottPatrick Jail. Bobby Lambert Burglary 08-25-09 0605 hours Tanner Spicer Officer Fleming was dispatched to a local, gated community on report Todd.Rosse of a burglary that had occurred during the night. Resident reported that Chad Willsonthe garage door had been closed before going to bed when checked Jeff VonFeldt but did not believe the access door from garage to residence was Jenny Fordham locked. A purse near the entrance was taken, but nothing else was Denise Urmann reported missing. Investigation on-going. Michael Shepard warrant Arrest 08-25-09 1445 hours Peyton Fleming Secretary Sandie Ristine took a phone call from a local resident looking for advice on how to take care of a Ramsey County warrant for his School Resource arrest. Ristine advised the young man to come to the police department Officer Steve Meyer so officers could "assist" him in this process. Officer Meyer made contact with the party and found out that he had an additional warrant Investigations" for his arrest out of Scott County. The young man ended up being able Mario Reyes to come up with the bail amount for both warrants in lieu of actually Eric Petersen being transported to jail. He was given new court dates and advised to make the appearance(s) a priority this time! Sergeants Driving After Suspension ...Twice! 08-25-09 1845 hours Neil Garlock Sgt. John. Larrive stopped a motor vehicle and made contact with the John Larrive driver whose license status was suspended. After issuing her a citation Brian Connery' and advising her to call for a ride, she took it upon herself to wait for the police officer to leave and then began driving again. Sgt. Larrive Chief spotted her a few minutes later, and stopped her again! She received Mike a second citation and her vehicle was towed. Lesson #1: Follow Aschenbrener -1- 8/28/2009 instructions.... 3rd Degree DWI 08-25-09 2151 hours While stopped at a red light, waiting to turn from Pilot Knob onto EB 1-494, Officer Denise Urmann watched as a vehicle, traveling at a high rate of speed, flew by her, running the red light, squealing his tires as he entered the exit ramp. She followed caught up and followed the driver onto I -35E, successfully pulling him over at 35E & Wagon Wheel. The driver was immediately suspected of being under the influence of alcohol. He submitted a urine sample for analysis which was brought to the BCA for testing. The level of his offense won't be known until the BCA finishes the analysis and the suspect's history of DWI offenses is confirmed. The suspect was booked into the Dakota County Jail, released the following day with a court date and the vehicle was towed. Domestic/Motor Vehicle Accident 08-26-09 hours 1148 hours Officers Meyer, Rosse, Patrick and Inv. Petersen responded to the area of Brown College on report of a physical domestic. Enroute to the location, they learned that the suspect vehicle had left the area and then crashed into a parking lot of a nearby business. Additional information was gathered that the occupants fled from the area on foot. The male and female were eventually located and denied being involved in a physical or verbal altercation. Due to the large number of witnesses and damage to property in the area, they were both cited for Disorderly Conduct and the vehicle was towed as it was inoperable. Motor Vehicle Theft 08-26-09 1746 hours Officer Lambert responded to a business on a report of a stolen vehicle. The vehicle, which belongs to the business, is usually left in the parking lot and is used for shuttle purposes. The business owner was unsure when the vehicle was last used so the time frame of the theft is unknown. This incident has been forward to investigations. Motor Vehicle Accident/Assist State Patrol 08-26-09 1712 hours Officer Lambert and Sgt. Larrive responded to the intersection of Hwy 55 and Mendota Heights Road to assist with a motor vehicle accident involving a car with four teenagers versus a semi. Officers were very relieved to find out there were only minor injuries due to seatbelts being used and airbags properly functioning, saving lives and preventing injury. The teen driver turned onto Mendota Heights Road from Hwy 55 on a green light, in front of an oncoming semi. The passengers had very minor injuries but the car was totaled. MN State Patrol is investigating the accident. Ding -Dong = Citation 08/26/09 23 36 hours Officers received several complaints from the Copperfield and surrounding neighborhoods regarding juveniles ding-dong-ditching and committing other juvenile pranks. Reports have been ongoing for quite awhile, but the juveniles have always been GOA. This time, an adult male also reported being pushed to the ground after confronting the juveniles sitting in his front lawn chairs. Upon arrival, the juveniles scattered and the chase was on. Officer Spicer grabbed two, Officer Urmann nabbed one a juvenile driver and Officer Lambert caught up to another juvenile driver. Both SUV vehicles driven by the juveniles had been reported by the victims. All juveniles were issued citations for Curfew Violation; two had additional speed charges on their tickets. When does school start again? On Star Saves the Day! 08-27-09 1415 hours Officer Scott Patrick took a call from a female, who had been a patron of a local establishment, reporting that her vehicle was stolen from the parking lot as she left it in the parking lot overnight. After speaking with her and also contacting her lien holder (to rule out the possibility of re -possession), it was determined that it "may" be stolen. Officer Patrick then decided to utilize the OnStar feature of her vehicle - they were quickly able to active the GPS on the vehicle. It was found right where she left it — just a little farther down the lot than she recalled. Investigation CLOSED!! 114M a Pat SWAddf 140W acrd 4W -2- N E w s The Pmipelmine LETTER Public Works Engineering�Fr� �_-' �, ;tet l�;r ;� Code Enforcement August 28, 2009 Public Works The Parks Crew removed a large tree limb at Ivy Falls Park. They planted new shrubs around the Public Works Garage. The soccer goals at Mendakota Park were replaced. A post was replaced and boards straightened at the hockey rink at Wentworth Park. Rich cleaned the sanitary sewer lines on Clement Street, Vandall Street, Second Avenue, Third Avenue, Somerset Court, Maple Park Court, Maple Park Drive, and Falls View Court. He sprayed right-of-ways with Round Up Total Weed Kill. Lametti and Sons completed the relining of the sanitary sewer lines for 2009. The Streets Crew cleaned storm grates. They painted crosswalks and stop signs bars. Engineering Visitation Roundabout - Staff has been working with the consultant on the MnDOT Preliminary Plan Review. The project is progressing on schedule, and the City is anticipating Final Plans to be ready this fall. As a result of the public Open House held on July 30th, Staff has decided to have a project update session with the City Council at the September 15th Council Meeting. A letter is being sent to the surrounding neighborhoods detailing the project progress. At the center of the controversy is the northern access to Lake Drive that will be necessary during the roundabout construction. Visitation School had brought up the idea of leaving the temporary access in place and gating it off so they could apply for permanent access at a future date. After receiving comments from the neighborhood property owners and after discussing with Council at the August 18th meeting, the northern access will be removed upon completion of the roundabout. Hiring the Civil Engineer I Position - Michael Albers started work for the City on August 24th. Mike is a registered Professional Engineer with commercial development and Public Works experience. Please take a moment to welcome Mike the City of Mendota Heights the next time you are at City Hall. Page - 1 NEW S LETTER Public Works Engineering Code Enforcement T h e Pmipeline _ ._ r� i August 28, 2009 2009 Street Rehabilitation Project (Cherry Hills 2nd) - The rehabilitation project is in full swing. The contractor has been working on concrete section and curb replacement and should be getting started on the pavement replacement next week. Rains over the past two weeks have slowed the progress down, but the contractor is still on track for an on-time project completion. Xcel Energy/Mendota Heights Road Street Repair - Xcel Energy has been working with staff on the repair of the washout on Mendota Heights Road just west of Lexington Avenue. Xcel had installed gas mains under Mendota Heights Road several years ago, and apparently the bedding material for those pipes has eroded away. The area has been blocked off, and traffic routed around the affected area for over a month, and Xcel should be proposing a design to repair the problem with in the next two weeks. Saint Paul Water Hydrant Flushing - Saint Paul Regional Water Service has been flushing out fire hydrant lines throughout the City this past week. This work will continue over the next two weeks. The purpose of the flushing is to circulate water through portions of the water system that remain largely stagnant throughout the year. This is accomplished twice per year, and is done at no cost to the City. PWD Out Until September 14th - PWD Mazzitello will be out of the office until Monday September 14th celebrating his 10th wedding anniversary in Alaska! Please direct all inquiries to Ryan Ruzek during his absence. Page - 2 Sunday, August 23, 2009 Lilydale will soon enjoy improvements to a scenic park sandwiched between the Mississippi River and Pickerel Lake - courtesy of the city of St. Paul. The majority of Lilydale Regional Park falls within Dakota County, about 300 of the 460 acres in fact, and the remainder is in Ramsey County. The land was once a glorified flood plain where the original town of Lilydale stood. Back in the 1950s and '60s, "it was a trailer park really, and when the floods came by they pulled the trailers," explained Peggy Lynch, executive director of the Friends of the Parks and Trails of St. Paul and Ramsey County. People grew tired of the seasonal flooding and permanently relocated their trailers, leaving behind open land that was purchased by Ramsey County under the vision of Tom Kelly, St. Paul's first city administrator. "We really have Linda E. Andersen/Review to thank Tom Kelly for this, for convincing Ramsey County commissioners to buy property in Dakota County," said Lilydale Regional Park has Lynch. become overgrown and neglected, but now, n Paul Eventually, Ramsey County traded the Lilydale land for the Pig's Eye lake area with the city of St. Paul. planners are working to Now, St. Paul wants to polish up the overlooked member of the Metropolitan Regional Park system. Planners are improve the park's offerings, envisioning a natural recreation area that is still light on infrastructure and heavy on making the most of the natural clean up the natural terrain, beauty of the site, according to Jody Martinez, manager of design and construction for St. Paul Parks and and provide a safer atmosphere Recreation. for visitors. Cleanup of debris on the Lilydale site is already underway and developers are working toward support from key organizations throughout the metro. First, they will need to update the park's outdated comprehensive plan, which had planned for a RV park and swimming beach. The St. Paul Planning Commission approved the new park design July 15, and the Metropolitan Council will consider it in September. The Lilydale City Council members were able to review the project at their July meeting and gave the plan unanimous support. The goal is to create the feel of a park reserve with a maximum of 20 percent development, said Lynch. Lilydale Park will be the least developed and most natural segment of the Harriet Island, Cherokee and Rasberry Island park system. "It's somewhat isolated down there now; it isn't attractive; its' not particularly safe," said Lilydale Mayor Tom Swain. "This could be a great advantage for our naturalists who want to enjoy our great outdoors scenery and life." The park entrance is just north of the Smith Avenue Bridge in Lilydale. The park has a DNR boat launch, camping area for permitted groups and some trails. Unique fossil grounds are also located on the site. According to research by the Friends of the Parks organization, the exposed fossil beds are leftover from the mining activity of the former Twin City Brick Co., which once excavated clay at the site. Despite the site's uniqueness, encompassing the riverbank and lakeshore, just helping residents notice that they have entered the park is a major goal, said Martinez. A monument style sign adorned with fossils and stones from the terrain to mark the entrance to the park is in the works, with a little help from the Friends of Lilydale Park. Other subtle touches are intended to enhance the existing undeveloped parkland. Water Street divides the park, and overgrowth will be cleared out to create viewing points for the Mississippi along the drive. The speed limit will be dropped down to 20 mph to discourage zippy commuters using the road to cut through to Interstate 35E. Bicyclists will find the revamped pathways to be safer, Martinez said. The trail will connect the Brickyard Trail to complete a circuit that extends into Cherokee Park. The fossil grounds parking lot and the boat launch parking lot will be opened up and made more visible to deter criminal activity. Jon Kerr of the Friends of Lilydale Park said the volunteer group has been working for ten years to bring attention to the park. "It's the closest to a wilderness that you can really come. The organization is excited about a number of the improvements, including a boardwalk planned to cross over the northern portion of the lake. The boardwalk will connect the two sides of the park, in addition to providing a good fishing opportunity in the relatively clean lake waters, said Kerr. For those not just passing through, fishing points, a fenced -in off -leash dog park and camping grounds for permitted groups will also be developed, in addition to two picnic shelters. Preliminary estimates set the price tag between $8 million and $15 million. That money will primarily come from the Metropolitan Park System, though some local capital improvement funds may be used along the way, and the possibility of applying for some federal funds or state legacy funding is still on the table, said Martinez. In addition, a new St. Paul Parks Conservancy group is looking to raise $1.5 million toward several major projects on the land. Situated in such an urban setting, the park will help the goal of bringing "parks to the people," according to Steve Sullivan of Dakota County. "It's really a hidden gem," Lynch said. Danielle Cabot can be reached at southwest@lillienews.com or 651-748-7815. Content © 2009 Software © 1998-2009 1 up! Software, All Rights Reserved Southwest Review I Local station up for three national awards Page 1 of 1 PRINT , Q CLOSE TVKc aLwN. a r>,�►uraITY Ee�VIN T�t'Ew,.��a���I�W���:.ST. .�A SU.'s� R6' SouthwestReview %:7-WSWC0M___ ..y, AugUst 21, 2009 Local station up for three national awards Friday, August 2.1, 2009 The Northern Dakota County Cable Communications Commission (NDC4) and Town Square Television, its affiliated non-profit corporation, are proud to announce finalists in five categories in this year's national Government Programming Awards competition put on by NATOA (National Association of Telecommunications Offices and Advisors). The local news program, "Insight 7," is a finalist in both the Magazine Format Series category (top three of twelve entries from around the country) and the News Series category (top three of nine entries). "Insight 7" appears daily on Town Square Television's Community Channel 14 and online at www.townsquare.ty. The show features local news, sports, recreation, history and community stories focused on the cities of Inver Grove Heights, Lilydale, Mendota, Mendota Heights, South St. Paul, Sunfish Lake and West St. Paul. "Insight 7" is funded by NDC4 and produced by NDC4 and Town Square Television. The documentary, "The Era of the South St. Paul Stockyards" is a finalist in both the Documentary - Event Coverage category (top three of six entries) and the Documentary - Profile category (top three of six entries). The documentary features the history of the South St. Paul Stockyards since its beginnings, in 1886, through its very last day, on April 11, 2008. The story is told through old photos, old film footage and interviews with people who spent time working in the Stockyards. "Girl Talk," a local show about women's issues, is a finalist in the Interview/Talk Show category (top three of eight entries). The show, hosted by Colleen Fuentes, features interviews and information topics such as women's health and fitness, crafts, food, entertaining, shopping and many more. NATOA is a national trade association who members are cities, counties and local government departments working with telecommunications and local cable television issues. NATOA recognizes excellence in broadcast, cable, multimedia and electronic programming, developed by municipal agencies through its annual Government Programming Awards competition. Winners will be announced at a ceremony on Friday, Oct. 2 at NATOA's Annual Conference in New Orleans. NDC4 has been a finalist in the NATOA awards several times and has won first place awards in 1997, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008. Content © 2009 Software ©1998-2009 1upi Software, All Rights Reserved http://www. southwestreviewnews.com/print.asp?A.rticleID=4563 &SectionID=62&SubSec... 8/28/2009 Upcoming Park /Recreation / Community Events: Mendota Heights Par 3 Golf Course Clubhouse: 651.454-9822 Saturday, Sept 26th 11:00 am City Golf Outing (Food - Prizes) www.mendota-heights.com MH Parks & Recreation Programs Registration Required @ 651.452-1850 For information regarding Fall and Winter Parks & Recreation Programs" call 651.452-1850 or www.mendota-heights.com Mendota Heimhts Athletic Association www.mendotaheightsathietics.com or Amelia 1 957aaol.com Communitv Events: September 11th, 12, & 13th, 2009 Mendota Mdewakanton Dakota Community "Pow Wow" held in City of Mendota - $5.00 entry button required. October 0, 2009 - Sunday Pilot Knob Preservation Association will be using the Historic Pilot Knob site for a "Pipe Ceremony" recognizing restoration efforts. Scheduled Use of City Hall Meeting Rooms Use of a meeting room can be scheduled with the City Hall receptionist - 651.452-1850 Tuesday, September 1St 7:00 pm City Council meeting in Council Chambers Tuesday, September 8th 6:30 pm Park and Recreation Commission in Council Chambers Wednesday, September 91h 6:00 to 6:50 Sch Dist 197 "Listening Session" in large conference room Wednesday, September 9th 7:00 pm Sch Dist 197 Monthly Board meeting in Council Chambers Wednesday, September 9th 4:00 pm Interviews for City Administrator Thursday, September 10th 7:00 pm Airport Relations Commission meets in Council Chambers Meeting will be cable cast "Live" August 28, 2009 Friday News - gk