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2009-11-06 Friday NewsNovember 6, 2009 New City Administrator Starts David McKnight started his work as the new city administrator on Mon- day, November 2, 2009. David participated in a number of meetings during the week including his first city council meeting on Tuesday night. Other meetings and appointments included weekly staff and council follow up meetings, a tour of the Public Works facility and staff introductions,, a Dakota County High Performance Partnership meeting and he also began to meet with a number of staff members individually to get caught up projects and issues the city is currently working on. Please feel free to stop in and visit with David on any issues, questions or thoughts you might have. I I IlaI I I Jake snapped a shot of the progress of the new Bituminous Roadways headquarters being constructed on Waters Drive this week. The building permits for this project were only recently approved, and the work is progressing at a fast pace. Bituminous Roadways will be moving from their current Inontin-n in Inver CTrnve. Heights. Another significant project in Mendota Heights commercial development took another step closer to reality. On Tuesday night, the City Council approved building permit requests for four buildings in the Mendota Plaza redevelopment project. Paster enterprises hopes to get underway with site grading, renovation of the existing strip mall, and preliminary work on 3 freestanding retail and restaurant buildings. Public Works Director to Deploy with Minnesota Air National Guari Public Works Director John R. Mazzitello has received activation and deployment orders from the Minnesota Air National Guard. John is a traditional member of the 148th Fighter Wing sta- tioned in Duluth,, MN where he has been assigned for 51/2 years. John will be deploying in sup- port of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and is anticipated to be back to work at the City around Late July or early August. School District Reports Success WJake attended a Chamber of Commerce meeting Thursday morning featuring Jay Haugen, Super - intendant of ISD 197 schools. Mr. Haugen was pleased to be able to show results of the renewed S vision which has been implemented in the school district. All ISD 197 schools are showing im- proved performance in standardized testing in the last two years. Garlough Environmental Mag- net School has made particular improvement, shifting from a school that families were pulling out of, to a school which families seek to get into. Mr. Haugen also presented findings from a Decision Resources survey showing broad community support for the schools. The businesses in attendance seemed very pleased with the report on our local schools. November 6. 2009 11111- qjj�11111111111 -1101 r� ixTolllll .......... Parks & Recreation Meeting 11-10-09 6:30 p.m. Delaware Open House Meeting 11-10-09 430-7:00 Veterans Day City Hall Closed 11-11-09 MAC Meeting 11-16-09 1:00 P.M. City Council Meeting 11-17-09 7:00 p.m. NOC Meeting 11-18-09 1:15 p.m. ARC Meeting 11-18-09 7:00 p.m. Planning Commission Meeting 11-24-09 7:00 p.m. Thanksgiving Day City Hall Closed 11-26 & 27-09 Rove -day forecast Hi: 620 Lo: 410 Sunday Nov 08 Nov 09 Nov 10 INOV 11 Rain Partly Cloudy Partly Cloudy Mostly Cloudy 58 H-- 500 Hi: 490 500 Hi: 0 Lo: 310 Lo. 350Lo. 340 Lo: 40 0 Just The Facts,, Pipeline, Parks & Recreation Commission Agenda, Thi sweekNewspaper Article "Richardson: County budget under 'new revenue reality', TwinCities.com. Article "Mendota Heights fire tied to rags left by contractor". "Mendota Heights/City official facing Guard deployment", "1-494 interchange proposals worry some officials in northern Dakota County", SouthwestReviewNews.com Article "MH house fire brings together conu-nunity", and "Rink to open in Ivy Falls Park" and Upoming Park/RecreationJCommunity Events. fftavres a grll000lat weekiend,11 November 6,,2009 J Tie latestae Wsfra�,-c tLie�lev�<j'ota �fei9/its�alice�e�arttneyct 11/6/2009 `Ihe Emergency Preparedness Drill Mendota On 10-31-09 MHPD/FD participated in a county wide emergency weightS, drill. The drill was held at Flint Hills Resources (FHR), in the refinery and across the highway at the police training facility. The Pallce planning and design committee for the drill have been preparing Department for months. The drill involved every fire department in Dakota Su pY UPIP Count(DC), all three SWAT teams from the county, FHR (fire, Staff media plant management), the Special Operations security, p 1 Rennin' Team, County Emergency Management, Dakota County GIS, all Sandie Ristine the ambulance services with in the county, the Incident Susan Donovan Mana ement Team, the 55th Civil Support section of the MN g Cafb yans°m Guard and the DCC, (I am sure I am missing someone). Becl hentel represented MHPD and Roy Kingsley, Bret Blaeser, Steve •Abrahamson, ce Police Offirs Mark Lopez, Rick Griep and John Mendez J my Mu' by represented MHFD. The drill was testing multiple components of Scott Patrick it the county wide emergency response. The incident was a mass Bobbyaberi casualty incident (MCI) with a fire, chemical release and gas Tanner spices cloud while a separate simultaneous incident involving a shooting Todd Rosie aloe with hostages was occurring. The incident tested the skill g g Chad Willson sets that all of the first responders, command staff, the private JeffUonFeldt business andublic officials have been working on under p Jenny Fordham Denise Urmann Presidential Directives to have a uniform response to disasters ne and Michaelp (natural & man made). Just to give you an idea of how beg this Peyton F1nn9 incident was, at the end I counted 13 ambulances lined up and lunch was provided to nearly 400 people. Crucial lessons were S:chool Resource learned, now it is back to the drawing board to address those Officer step Me e y. issues and start over. �l CITIZEN'S ACADEMY GRADUATION Thursday 11105/2009 Inesns On Thursdaynight, MHPD and WSPPD hosted the graduation of Mario Re es y the students of the second annual Citizens Academy class. The Eric Petersen night started with presentations from some of the special ser giants g assi g nments that our officers are involved in. There was a K-9 Neil Garlockdemonstration from Officer Carl Elam and his K-9 partner Mike. J©lin Lame In addition, Andy Gubash of the WSPPD and DC Drug Task Brian. Convert' Force, alon with his drug detecting K-9 partner Buster did a g �hy:ef demonstration. Officer Tanner Spicer assisted with this due to his eke special assignment with the Drug Task Force. Officer Jerry -1- 11/6/2009 Murphy and WSPPD Reserves presented on their programs. At the completion of the night the graduates received their certificates, a class photo and had a graduation celebration with the classmates, instructors, and families. It was a very successfulprogram again this year. Special thanks to Becky Pentel for all of her hard work to coordinate all the behind the scenes work that makes this program a success! CAR VS DEER ACCIDENTS Officers responded to two car vs. deer motor vehicle crashes this past week. It is that time of year when the deer are on the move. Remember to slow down and take extra caution to look for them to avoid a crash. Most often these crashes result in property damage only but they can be very serious and have been known to cause injury to vehicle occupants in many cases. Buckle up and be aware of the creatures - drive defensively, especially at this time of year. DWI ARREST Saturday 0037 hours Officer Peyton Fleming stopped a vehicle on Friday night/Saturday morning for several moving violations after first witnessing the vehicle fail to signal a turn and then pass a car on the right shoulder of SB 1-35E. After making contact with the driver, it appeared that he was under the influence of alcohol. Officer Fleming conducted SFST's and a preliminary breath test to confirm his probable cause that theparty was impaired. The adult male consented to a urine test and charges will be filed when the results are received from the MN BCA. MORE DWI ARRESTS Monday and Wednesday Officer Denise Urmann made two DWI arrests in the last week. One was on Sunday night/Monday morning. This arrest involved a 21 YOA male who is already on probation for a previous DWI related offense which made Officer Urmann's arrest a gross, misdemeanor charge. He was arrested and booked into the DC Jail. The second arrest was made on Wednesday night and this involved an adult female who is was sent to Detox due to her high level of intoxication. She did submit to a urine test so formal charges will be issued once the results are received from the MN BCA. Officers are still not using the Intoxilyzer due to the recent court proceedings at the MN Supreme Court regarding the access to the source for that device. This controversy delays the entire DWI charging process and makes these arrests very lengthy. On average it has been taking an average of 30 to 60 days to get results back from the BCA due to the increased demand on their lab from agencies across the entire state. Hopefully resolution and changes are coming soon! DOMESTIC ASSAULT Thursday 2215 hours Officers Jeff VonFeldt, Bobby Lambert and Denise Urmann as well as Sgt. John Larrive, responded to a local apartment complex on a report of a domestic assault in progress. Upon arrival, officers made contact with the parties and determined that a physical assault had occurred with the female party suffering from minor injuries. This is not the first time officers have had contact with this couple, as the male half is currently going thru the court process from a previous MHPD arrest for a domestic assault. The male party was arrested by Officer VonFeldt and brought to the PD where heg ave a statement. Photos were taken of the victim to document injuries and the suspect was transported to the DC Jail. He had not even been assigned a probation officer yet for the previous offense. The arrest will probably not sit well with the judge or with his future probation officer! llaoo a jpea e wec&(661 (7kof op N E W S E T T E R Public Works Engineering 31, Code Enforcement .,.. T., 634 November 6, 2009 . The Parks Crew finished fertilizing the parks. They trimmed the shrubs around thepark signs. The area for the new general skating rink at Ivy Falls Park was leveled off. The snow plows were brought down from the water tower and serviced. Rich mulched leaves at the Veronica lift station. He did a final inspection of the storm sewers at Bituminous Roadways on Commerce Drive. He helped put out the Halloween bonfire with John Boland with a fire truck. He did an inventory of dangerous storm sewer grates for bicyclists on Mendota Heights Road and found 15 bad ones. He replaced a broken manhole cover on Brompton Place and Highway 13. The Streets Crew pushed up the Halloween bonfire. They helped the Fire Department put out the bonfire fire. The ashes were then pushed up to dry out. BFI was called to obtain four dumpsters to load the bonfire ashes in and then it was cleaned up. A tree was pushed off the road on Victoria and Marie Avenue. A dead deer was picked up on Highway 110. John Ambrose welded a new jack stand on the roller trailer. Visitation Drive & Mendota Heights Road Roundabout - Council accepted permanent Roadway and Utility Easements as a gift from the Convent of The 3rd. 16,96"1 sm iare feet of easement Visitation at their meeting on November area was necessary in order to complete the roundabout project. The easements were given to the City free of charge as part of the cooperative agreement between the City and The Visitation School. The roundabout is scheduled for advertisement for bids in December with bid award anticipated to be before Council in January. Water Tower Rehabilitation - The consultant hired at the October 6th Council Meeting provided a project update to Council at the November 3rd meeting. The consultantprovided photos of the areas within the water tower in need of renovation as well as the scope of their work and a schedule of events through project completion. It is anticipated that the water tower rehabilitation will take place during the summer of 2010, and will last for several months. Part of the consultant agreement is to conduct meetings with neighboring property owners to prepare them for the construction project. 2010 Road Reconstruction Prosect - Council conducted the Public Hearing for the 2010 Road Reconstruction Project at their November 3rd meeting. Streets included in next year's project are Simard Street, Miriam Street, Valley Lane, View Lane, Esther Lane, John Street, Spring Street, and Diego Lane. A Neighborhood Meeting was held on October 28th, and a number of residents attended both it and the Public Hearing. Questions centered around assessments process and options, as well as stormwater management questions concerning rain gardens and retaining ditches in lieu of curb & gutter. The project is anticipated to be bid sometime during the spring of 2010. Dakota County Reciional Visioning Study (Q,ellaware/494 Interchan e - Staff has been working with the technical committee for the Dakota County Visioning Study since February of 2009. A component of the study, which is analyzing traffic needs between Interstate 35E, US Highway 52, State Highway 110, and County Road 30 (Diffley Road), is whether an interchange is necessary at, or in the vicinity of, Delaware and Interstate 494. Another component of the study is leaning toward the partial or total closure of the 1-494 and State Highway 149 (Dodd Road) interchange due to perceived congestion issues with the I -35E exit ramp as well as its proximity to the potential new interchange at Delaware Avenue. The next public meeting for the Visioning Study will be November lot" at the Inver Grove Heights Community Center from 4:30pm to 7:00pm. The consultant will be presenting the final conclusions of the study to Council sometime over the winter. Dakota County Soil and Water Conservation District - Staff met with Jim Davidson of the Dakota County SWCD. The county is in the process of receiving grants from the state for storm water projects. The city identified two separate stream bank stabilization projects, replacement of a failed outlet structure in interstate valley %.0 park as well as a potential pond in the Northeast quadrant of Dodd Road and Marie Avenue. Stream bank project grants will need to be applied for by December 1s'. Proposed Lake Drive Closure - Council approved the Traffic Safety Committee recommendation to send a letter to the Rogers Lake neighborhood asking for feedback on the concept of closing Lake Drive between Swan Drive and Saint Thomas Academy. Staff met with both Visitation School and Saint Thomas Academy this past week to inform them of the concept and will be sending a letter to the property owners in the Rogers Lake Neighborhood, Visitation, Saint Thomas, and Patterson Dental next week. An initial Public Hearing will need to be conducted in January. CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA AGENDA PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION Tuesday, November 10, 2009 — 6:30 P.M. City Council Chambers 1. Roll Call 2. Approval of October 13, 2009, Minutes 3. Recreation Programmers Report 4. Parks Celebration Discussion 5. Ice Rink Usage 6. Free Skating Rink at Ivy Hill Park %_1 7. Mendakota Park Playground Improvements 8. Pilot Knob — Brochure on "Historical/Cultural Significance of Site" 9. Par 3 Update 10. Discussion of December Meeting 11. Commission Comments 12. Adjourn Auxiliary aids for person with disabilities are available 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. Meetings can be viewed on the City website www.metidota-h.eights,..com. ThisweekLive-Thisweek Newspapers/Dakota Co. Tribune Richardson: County budget under `new revenue reality Wednesday, 04 November 2009 by Laura Adelmann Thisweek Newspapers Dakota County Administrator Brandt Richardson's budget presentation Tuesday was dramatically different from those of years past. Gone were discussions of new programs, increasing the levy and pitches for expanded services. Instead, Richardson grimly reported numerous challenges for the proposed $366.5 million 2010 budget, outlined plans to reduce the size of county government and predicted several more years of financial pressures due to the economy. He said the county expects $5.7 million in revenue cuts next year and increased costs of about $800,000, with a primary cost driver being health insurance coverage. The county also is planning for investment losses totaling $5 million. He said state and federal funding will add $3.7 million to the county budget, but the bottom line changes will result in a $6.4 million budget reduction. Replacing the revenue losses would have required a 5.1 percent levy increase. Instead, county commissioners directed that the budget address the challenge of less revenue and increasing demands for services without raising the levy, recognizing the economic realities of failing property values, job losses and home foreclosures. Richardson delivered with budget cuts and a long-range plan, stating, "Residents are facing very challenging times. Unemployment is up about four -fold compared to the start of this decade, and overall this recession is much more severe than I think any of us have lived through. ly In delivering the proposal, Richardson rebuked the state's habit of making large cuts to county program aid without warning. http://www.thisweeklive.com Powered by Joomla! Generated: 5 November, 2009, 08:07 ThisweekLive-Thisweek Newspapers/Dakota Co. Tribune He described the state as an unreliable business and funding partner that had a severe budget imbalance before the recession began. Looming projections for the state's next budget shortfall are between $4.4 billion and $7 billion. Anticipating the state's response, Richardson recommended that the county reduce its reliance on state program aid for daily operations and use more of it for one-time projects. "This is a huge change," said Richardson, adding that more reliable property taxes will help fund the county's operations budget, which will be reduced by 6 percent next year. To help make those cuts, Richardson recommended reducing and restructuring the county's travel and training budget, and permanently cutting 55 full-time jobs, now open because of the county's hiring freeze. In a later committee meeting, county commissioners cited concerns about remaining employees' stress levels as they manage increasing workloads. In Social Services, for example, demand for health care and food assistance has grown steadily, from about 16,000 cases in April 2008 to more than 18,000 cases now. Commissioners asked staff to add to their internal 2010 goals an initiative to recognize staff contributions. Despite the dire projections, Richardson and County Finance Director Matt Smith emphasized that the county boasts the lowest tax rate of any in the state and the county will maintain its core services. And, with outside funding, two major capital improvement projects are proposed to go on as planned: the reconstruction of County Road 5 and Highway 13 in Burnsville and the expansion of Cedar Avenue into a transit corridor. However, Richardson also proposed that additions to the Judicial Center, Western Service Center and Law Enforcement Center be delayed three years, and plans for building a Public Safety Support Center be dropped entirely. Richardson's proposal kept plans for renovating Burnhaven Library and Generated: 5 November, 2009, 08:07 http://www.thisweeklive.com Powered by Joomla! ThisweekLive-Thisweek Newspapers/Dakota Co. Tribune completing the county's fleet -vehicle storage building, now under construction. If the recommendations are adopted, the county portion of taxes on most residential properties will not increase next year. Commercial property taxes, however, would likely rise. Commissioners will adopt the final budget and levy in December. "We are in process of adjusting the county's operations to a new revenue reality," Richardson said. Laura Adelmann is at dceditor@frontiernet.net. http://www.thisweeklive.com Powered by Joomla! Generated: 5 November, 2009, 08:07 1 � � Mendota Heights fire tied to rags left by contractor Pio,neer Press U P Spontaneous combustion is to blame for an Oct. 18 blaze at a house in Mendota Heights, the city's fire chief said. Investigators concluded this week that the fire at 870 Bluff Circle was sparked by staining rags a contractor left behind in a second -floor bedroom, Fire Chief John Maczko said. The house was being remodeled, and the owners were not there when the fire broke out, Maczko said. Damage to the house was estimated at $490,000. For staining rags to spontaneously combust, "conditions have to be just right. There has to be just enough moisture and oxygen in the room and moisture on the rags," Maczko said, adding he could recall three similar fires in the city since 1991. In July 2008, Maczko and his investigators determined spontaneous combustion in a flowerpot caused a house to go up in flames. "That one was very odd," he said. "The stars had to be aligned for that to happen. With rags, it's far more common. That's why it's important to heed the warning on the stain and varnish containers." — Nick Ferraro rni Prim Powered By Mendota Heights / City official facing Guard deployment Pioneer Press Updated: 11 ' '06/2009 12:03:45 AM CST Mendota Heights public works director and engineer John Mazzitello told the city council on Tuesday he will be deployed to Afghanistan this month. Mazzitello serves as a civil engineer in the Minnesota Air National Guard's 148th Fighter Wing, based in Duluth. His six- month deployment will begin Nov. 16. Assistant city engineer Ryan Ruzek will take over Mazzitello's duties in his absence. Mazzitello, 39, will be deployed to Bagram Air Base, north of Kabul, and be in charge of a civil engineering unit. It will be his fifth deployment during his nearly 20 -year military career. Nick Ferraro Print Powered By 1-494 interchange proposals worry some officials in northern Dakota County - TwinCities... Page I of 2 - - - - - - - - - - - � 1 w° � � --tu some proap%osais wor, y *fficials in northern New 1-494/Delaware Ave. access could come at Dodd Road's expense By Nick Ferraro Updated: 11/06/2009 12:25:16 AM CST Recent talks of adding an interchange at Interstate 494 and Delaware Avenue in Dakota County are making some local officials uneasy. Mendota Heights and Sunfish Lake leaders say they are concerned that a multijurisdictional transportation committee is looking at adding the interchange and closing part or all of an interchange at Minnesota 149 (Dodd Road). They say the new interchange would bring more traffic to Delaware Avenue, which borders both cities and runs through a fully developed residential area. Inver Grove Heights officials, meanwhile, wouldn't mind seeing an interchange at that same spot on their side of 1-494, at Argenta Trail. They included it in the city's updated comprehensive plan in 2008, which at the time drew criticism from Sunfish Lake and Mendota Heights. The committee, comprising local, state and federal officials, began the transportation study of northern Dakota County in April and first brought up the idea of closing the Dodd Road interchange last month, said John Mazzitello, city engineer in Mendota Heights. On Tuesday, he told the city council that previously, the Federal Highway Administration also had held the position that no new access would be granted on 1-494. "So needless to say, 'surprised' was not the word that came to mind when I heard a new access is at the table and it could potentially be at the expense of the Dodd Road interchange," said Mazzitello, who represents the city on the committee. Brian Sorenson, an engineer with Dakota County's transportation program, said federal transportation officials first received an update on the study at a Sept. 28 meeting among the county, the Minnesota Department of Transportation and a hired consultant. Sorenson said federal officials were open to the interchange idea, but he said the study has "to play itself out." "During any study, there's always going to be a point where something new is brought up," he said. There is a concern about congestion at the on- ramp from Dodd Road to westbound 1-494 because of how it "weaves" with the exit ramp to Interstate 35E, Sorenson said. "We've identified that as a problem," he said, "and it's only going to get worse." But Mazzitello doesn't buy it. He said congestion there has been "dramatically reduced" because of ramp work that MnDOT completed this summer. "The analysis will take that work into account," Sorenson said. http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci-13726581 f my ic Mcs PrIntPoweredBy 11/6/2009 I-494 interchange proposals worry some officials in northern Dakota County - TwinCities... Page 2 of 2 The goal of the committee's study is to develop and Nick Ferraro can be reached at 651-228-2173. evaluate six major scenarios for lane additions, intersection changes and other roadway improvements that will handle planned growth in northeast Eagan, northwest Inver Grove Heights and surrounding areas. The study projects that growth in the area will generate approximately 214,000 more trips a day when fully developed, Sorenson said. The study will be complete next spring, he said, but it will not identify construction timetables or identify a specific funding plan for improvements. "Ultimately, there will be a vision that's going to be implemented over time," he said. "These improvements will happen as opportunities arise with developers and funding becomes available." Sunfish Lake Mayor Molly Park said she was disappointed to learn the interchange is "even being considered." "What's disheartening to me is we're trying to build a collaborative spirit with these discussions," said Park, who is on the committee. "This seems counter to that." At this week's Mendota Heights City Council meeting, Mazzitello urged residents to attend an open house on the study that is scheduled for 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Veterans Memorial Community Center in Inver Grove Heights. Mendota Heights Mayor John Huber went a step further, suggesting the city should come up with a "strategy" and consider hiring a consultant. "If we end up losing, we lose," he said. "But I don't want to lose because we just didn't go about it the right way." ArWPrtic,PmPnt C S -ynam Pr1ntPo:were-d:B Y http://www.twincities.comJlocalnews/ci—I 3 7265 81 11/6/2009 Despite a devastating loss, the Moe family is grateful for the community around them. When David and Stacey Moe purchased a house at 870 Bluff Circle in Mendota Heights last March, it seemed like their dream home was within their reach. The couple had spent months renovating the structure, getting rid of stucco siding, adding brick and building an addition. They hadn't moved in their belongings yet, but they had sold their Minneapolis condo on Oct. 15. During the long months of renovation, the couple sent a letter to all the neighbors in their cul-de-sac, letting them know what they were doing and offering their phone numbers in case the neighbors had any concerns. "We didn't think that was anything big," Stacey said. Photos by Heather Edwards/Review But around 6:30 on the morning of Sunday, Oct. 18, David received a call saying their house was on fire from a The home of David and Stacey neighbor who had saved the letter. Neighbors then called 911 and each other to make sure that everyone was Moe was gutted by fire during awake and aware of the blaze. renovation. The Mendota Heights Fire Department received the call at 6:28 a.m. According to Fire Chief John Maczko, as one of his firefighters was jumping out of bed to respond to the call, he could see the flames in the sky. A total of 35 firefighters from Mendota Heights and nearby Eagan responded. They began an aggressive attack on the garage and upstairs bedroom of the home from both the inside and the outside, and tried to pull up the ceiling to stop the flames from spreading. Unfortunately, a strong southern wind hindered the efforts. The firefighters also created a water curtain to keep the fire from spreading to the neighbors' homes. "it was very labor intensive, with (approximately) seven hours committed," said Maczko. "I'm very proud of the firefighters.' So were the Moes. When the fire was mostly out, David walked around and shook each firefighter's hand. "They worked so hard," Stacey said. The Moes' gratitude extends past the firefighters who served them that day. "We are extremely appreciative of anyone - police, fire, our military - who is willing to volunteer, to step up and help others like that," David said. "Far too often we are not as grateful as we should be." She and David are relieved that the fire was contained to their home. "It was horrible that this happened to us, but it would have been more horrible if it had happened to someone else, too," Stacey said. "For as bad as it was, at the end of the day, it could have been so much worse," David said. Starting over According to Stacey, their home is now without a roof or a second floor. "The second floor is now on the first floor," she said. "It's totally uninhabitable." In the midst of the total devastation of their new home, the Moes discovered the good in the people around them. "People we don't know were offering to let us live in their home or store our stuff," Stacey said. "They didn't know us from Adam." In the aftermath of the fire, David said, "We probably met half of the people in (Mendota Heights)." The Moes even received a letter, addressed to their infant son Benjamin. The letter was from a 10 -year-old boy, who offered his condolences about the fire and wrote that he would welcome them when their house was restored. The Moes do plan to rebuild their home; currently they are looking for a house to rent in Mendota Heights. They can stay in their Minneapolis condo for another month or so. The outpouring of support convinced them that they want to raise their family in Mendota Heights. "We're doing OK, we really are," Stacey said. "We have a roof over our heads. We just have to go with it. You can be angry, you can ask why did this happen. And then you live your life, you pull yourself up by your bootstraps." The cause of the fire is under investigation, although Maczko said that "clues are pointing in the direction" that would indicate rags covered in oil-based stain were the culprit. Investigators suspect sub -contractors working on the second floor of the home left behind the rags, which can - and have been known to - spontaneously combust. "There's usually warning signs all over the (stain) can," the chief said. "It was an accident," Stacey said, "Just a stupid accident." Maczko said that there have been other devastating fires in Mendota Heights that were caused by stain rags that weren't properly disposed of. In 1991, a new home was destroyed just before the occupants were due to move in, and in 1987 a home on Hunter Lane was destroyed as well. "You have to be careful with any type of oil-based paints, stains and varnishes," Maczko said. "Rags should be kept in a can and sealed tightly, or set outside to air dry.' Heather Edwards can be reached at southwest@lillienews.com. Content © 2009 Software © 1998-2009 1 up! Software, All Rights Reserved aunuew'.01.2009 Rink -to op%en i Ivy Falls Park Youngbring request tocity Danielle Cabot Review Staff Sunday, Novernbetr 01, 2009 What's the price for winter moments spent teaching young ones how to skate on authentic, outdoor neighborhood ice? Upto $5.000, according to Mendota Heights city staff, and the city iswilling topay itthis year. For the Ivy Falls neighborhood just east of Highway 13, the changing of the seasons has highlighted the changes occurring in the neighborhood. Young families are moving into the established, northern Mendota Heights neighborhood, bringing children and parents looking for ways to stay entertained and active. Resident and parent Angie Ohmes presented a petition to the Parks and Recreation Department in October to address the lack of open-air ice available near her home. While Ivy Falls Park is just down the street, there hasn't been a rink there since 1997, when rink attendants reported usage of 0-2 skaters at any given time. A hockey rink was removed two years before, due to bad soil conditions that affected the ice. The site was filled and re -graded in2OOOtoimprove drainage. Ohmes, addressing the council this month, told city officials that she drove around all the neighboring towns last year and could not find ice that hadn't already been overtaken by bigger kids and hockey players. "The neighborhood has a lot of kids and they all want an ice rink. | truly believe that ice rink will beused every doy.^Dhmeasaid. What she and the 54 other signatures on the petition are requesting is a pleasure rink where little kids can skate without being muscled out byrented ice time, orsimply muscled out. According to assistant city administrator Jake Sedlacek, a temporary rink, 4,200 square feet, could be constructed on top of the existing basketball court and surrounding turf by creating e dirt berm. No lights or warming house will be included in the $5.000 this year, though benches will be provided for tying skates and watching the fun. Council member Sandra Krebsbach commented that skate rinks are amenities that some neighborhoods embrace despite the cost. Mayor John Huber said that the hours will be limited by daylight and the season will ikely be ahort, depending on the weather. He also noted that to make a rink permanent with a warming house and lights would be expensive - $40,000 for a warming house alone. Despite the potential for further expense down the med. Huber said it would be worth a tho) run. Of course, he may have a soft spot for the subject matter. He once worked at the former Ivy Falls warming house when hewas young. Danielle Cabot can be reached at south west@lillienews. com or 6571-7148-78-15. Content @o00e Upcomi*ng Park lRecreation /Community Eventsle Mendota Heights Par 3 Golf Course r77777 -- Clubhouse: 051.454-9822 For information regarding M=ali and Winter Parks & Recreation Proo rams Call 051.452-1850 orwww.mendota-h.e,i,g.hts.com November Saturday Dance• Nancyt City + October 29th 1 2009 - Thursday School Board Candidate Forum @ Sibley High School • - 0 to 9:30 pm Scheduled Use of City Mall Meethn-g Rooms Use of a meeting room can be scheduled with the City Hall receptionist - 651.452-1850 Monday, November 9th Monday, November 9th Tuesday, November 10th Wednesday, November 11th Thursday, November 12th Thursday, November 12th Monday, November 10th Tuesday, November 17th Wednesday, November 18th pm MendotaHeightsi Council• 7:30 pm Mendota Heights Athletic Association monthly board meetini 0:30 pm - Parks & Recreation Commission meets in Council Chambers - City Offices closed all day 0:00 pm U of MN Alumni Association meets in Council Chambers 0:00 pm - Mendota Heights Ci zens Police Academy meets in expansion space 7:00 pm Kensington Townhomes meets in large conference room 7:00 pm - Mendota Heights City Council meeting 7:00 p m - M H Airport Relations Commission will meet in council chambers November 0th, 2009 Friday News - gk