2006-03-24 Friday NewsThe Friday News
March 24, 2006
PHOENIX TENNIS
The Lilydale Tennis Club will be closing its doors soon, and a
consortium of its members is looking into where the members could
play next. There are not many acceptable alternative clubs that exist
close by, and it seems that building a new replacement club nearby
could be the only way to keep the members close and together.
While meeting with City Staff to discuss possible locations in
Mendota Heights, the consortium learned of the City owned parcel
purchased from Resurrection Cemetery (11.6 acres located on TH 55 frontage road north of
Mendota Heights Road). The consortium think s the Resurrection site would be good because of
its location. They are preparing a letter to go to the City Council for their April 4th meeting to
ask if the City Council would be receptive to selling the site for development as a tennis/health
club. So far I have met with consortium members Pat Gallager, Jim Buchana n, Jon Riley and
Bob Burow to discuss their ideas. Pat Gallager (attorney), Jim Buchanan (supplied the attached
newsletter), Jon Riley (potential developer), and Bob Burow (architect doing preliminary layout).
The consortium is talking to Lifetime Fitness to see if they would have an interest in building a
replacement facility for them. I am meeting with Lifetime Fitness next week to discuss their
possible involvement. The City of Lakeville is currently working with Lifetime Fitness to
develop a facility in their City. I called Lakeville to see what they thought of Lifetime Fitness –
they told me that they thought Lifetime Fitness was the best developer they have ever worked
with in their City.
JOE SOUCHERAY
I learned from an “anonymous source” that Joe Soucheray mocked Councilmember Vitelli and
City Staffer Guy Kullander – who both were quoted in the attached St. Paul Pioneer Press article
about Mendota Heights going smoke free in our parks. Apparently, Joe thinks that Mendota
Heights is going a little overboard by not allowing smokers to light up outside.
GRANDSON STARS FOR ST. THOMAS ACADEMY
See the attached news article about Fritz Waldvogel’s heroics this week to lead St. Thomas
Academy to an overtime victory in Class AAA quarter final basketball. Fritz is Councilmember
Schneeman’s grandson.
PILOT KNOB
Guy tells me that there are now 60 volunteers who will be coming this Saturday to work with
Great River Greening to cut brush at the Pilot Knob site.
Respectfully submitted,
Jim Danielson
Attachments: “Easter Bunny backlash whips City Hall” article, Pipeline, Just the Facts,
Planning Commission Agenda, “Thank the kids: City parks going smoke-free” article, “Cadets
come up big” article, McKnight Grant Foundation grant list, Summit of Mendota Heights flyer,
Town Hall Meeting about “underage drinking” information, “Paving cyber sidewalks: Cities
debate fiber optics” article.