2006-02-10 Friday NewsAt this weeks' City Council meeting the Council received three visitors from China. The visitors
are here on an exchange program with Henry Sibley High School. They came to the US from
the City of Changsha, which is the Capital and the largest City of Hunan Province in China. (See
info attached).
JAMES J. HILL IS HERE
This Wednesday evening was the training meeting for the new ARC Commissioners. The new
ARC Chair, Liz Petschel conducted an excellent training session. At the end of the meeting Liz
told us all that she was a cemetery enthusiast and that during her studies, she had learned that
Railroad mogul James J. Hill and his family are buried in Mendota Heights on the shores of Lake
Augusta in Resurrection Cemetery. Liz, Bill Wolsten and I visited the cemetery on Thursday to
see the grave and visit John Cherek, Director of Catholic Cemeteries. John has his office at
Resurrection Cemetery, and gave us the attached news articles on JJ Hill from their files.
Pat Hollister has notified me that Paster Enterprise has once again agreed to allow the City to
have its Annual Spring Clean Up in the rear parking lot of Mendota Plaza. The date has been set
for SaLurday, May 6t" from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Pat is asking for volunteers to help with the
program and of course the pay off is in free dumping and scavenging right's for the volunteers.
MEN 119-1-111
�.
For those of us who need reminding, remember next Tuesday is Valentines Day. Also this
weekend is the start of the Winter Olympics on TV, and Saturday night is the Annual Fireman's
Awards Banquet at Mendakota Country Club.
Respectfully submitted,
Jim Danielson
Attachments: Just the Facts, Pipeline, Park & Recreation Commission Agenda, Planning
Commission Agenda Synopsis, James J. Hill Attachment, Foreign Visitors Attachment, Pioneer
Press Article "Tennis club sold to home builder" and "Airport noise spurs debate"
Issue # 10-06
JJJ44 T4 F
2/9/2006
Theft from VehiOe 1131 06 4061 pm
Officer Denise Urmann investigated a report of a car break in at a
business on Commerce Dr. The vehicle owner reported that his
car stereo and amp were taken from his unlocked vehicle.
Investigators will follow up.
Disturbance 26110612:08 am
Officer Tanner Spicer responded to a local drinking establishment
for a "small fight' that was going on. By the time Officer Spicer
arrived, everyone had calmed down. Male party advised he had
been punched in the mouth by an unknown assailant. He refused
medical assistance. His assailant was GOA.
Funny Money and Drugs 211106 10.29 pm
A clerk at Holiday Station on Hwy 13 called to report a counterfeit
$20 bill. The suspect had tried to pay for merchandise with a fake
bill, then left after asking directions to a nearby motel. Officer
Willson and Officer Spicer responded to the motel and located
the suspect vehicle. The male suspect was located in a motel
room with another male and female. A search of the room
rqvealed drugs and paraphernaKe- All three 1,ft!ere arrested and
interviewed and then transported to Dakota County Jail, where
they were held until complaints were issued charging them, with
attempting to pass counterfeit bills and possession of illegal
narcotics.
Theirs was a Hole 212106 4.63 pm
Officer Todd Bosse was dispatched to the bike path on Lexington
south of Hwy 110 to check out an open manhole. He found the
cover alongside the hole and replaced it (after checking to make
sure there was no one down in the manhole).
Warning! 2/2106
Sgt. Larrive, Officer Spicer and Officer Meyer issued warnings to
drivers for burned out headlights, Officer Meyer assisted a driver
who had run out of gas. Officer Spicer warned two drivers for
going slightly over the speed limit Officer Meyer assisted at an
accident scene where the vehicle had gone off Hwy 110 into the
ditch and rolled over. The driver had to be extricated by MHFD.
No injuries were reported.
-1 -
Issue # 10-06 2/9/2006
Better Safe than Sorvy 2006 4.45 am
A resident reported a suspicious vehicle that was parked, unoccupied and running,
on the street in front of his residence. Officer Spicer responded and learned that the
vehicle was owned by a National Guardsman, who was picking up a fellow
Guardsman for drill that morning.
Icy Conditions 213106 7.46 am
Officer Petersen responded to Delaware and Mendota Heights Road for an early
morning two car crash. Airbags were deployed in both vehicles as one car rear-
ended another vehicle. Driver of second vehicle was transported to United Hospital
by Healtheast Paramedics. One vehicle was towed by Southeast Towing.
Assist Public 214/06
At 12:30 pm Officer Rosse assisted with a mother/son domestic situation where the
mother wanted her son (over 18) removed from the house because of ongoing
misbehavior problems. Son volunteered to leave for the day and mother was advised
on steps for eviction.
Visitation Problems 214106
At 12:33 pm Officer Spicer assisted grandmother with a civil situation involving
visitation of her two grandchildren. The children were not at the residence when she
arrived for a scheduled visit. She was advised to seek legal counsel as this is not a
criminal offense.
Fraud 214106 5:34 pm
Officer Von Feldt responded to the Holiday Station on a reported bad check. Clerk
reported that a customer tried to pay for merchandise with a check that was rejected
by the check verification system. Suspect then grabbed some of the merchandise
and drove. away. Suspect had been 0'd but address given was not real.
Under aga Party 2§406 10-.38 Pm
Officer Weyer was dispatched to a loud party with suspected underage drinking. He
reported observing a very large number of younger parties at the residence, many of
whom fled the residence through basement windows. All those who were
&�%onsu.rrD.ption. Twenty citations were issued for
apprehended were tested ffirQ-31C,h0laq 'c'
underage consumption. One underage male suspect was located by Officer Spicer
about two hours later on Dodd Road. He was not wearing shoes or a jacket. The
male suspect was given a citation and transported to his residence and released to
his father.
In cases where juveniles are cited for violations such as underage
consumption or disorderly conduct, the police are required to notify their schools of
the infraction. Schools then may take disciplinary action of their own, including not
allowing them to participate in sports or possibly school suspension.
Theft 2/7106 6:01 pm
Sgt. Neil Garlock was dispatched to take a report of theft of a license plate. The
victim reported noticing that his rear license plate was missing and had obviously
been removed intentionally. The license plate number was entered into the state
reporting system in the event that the plate will be recovered from a vehicle involved
in criminal activity or stopped for a driving violation. The owner of that vehicle could
then be charged with the theft of the plate in addition to the incident being reported at
that time.
Have a great week -and l // 0 A
-2-
The Parks Crew tried to keep up the hockey and skating rinks by
cleaning and flooding them. ' They hung a cabinet in the back shop for
irrigation supplies. They plowed the pedways.
Rich did sanitary sewer inspections on Victoria Road and Waters Drive.
He flushed the force main drain at Mendota Heights Road lift station.
If the valve is not exercised monthly it becomes packed with sand and
gravel.
The Street Crew patched pothole complaints with cold mix. They met
with various truck dealers to get appraisals for dump truck trade-
in.
o•Jfl._ini_.'!,with themajor clean u/7 and rearranging of mounting too;
af1c'• equipment.
[En an Bring
Sam Ryan and Sueattended C.one-daytraining i •u on the e
Minnesota • •rmwater Manual which included a lot of information or
erosion • • . • low impactdevelopment.
Sue received the Notice of Annual Apportionment from the MnDOT
State Aid office (attached). Our allocation increase is approximately
$30,000 over last year's number.
According to sources at Dakota County, the Delaware/110 left turn
lane construction is scheduled to begin in mid-April or as soon as load
restrictions are lifted.
Transportation Building
395 John Ireland Boulevard
Saint Paul, Minnesota 55155-1899
February 02, 2006
MUNICIPALITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS
SUE MCDERMOTT
1101 VICTORIA CURVE
MENDOTA HEIGHTS, MN 55118
Dear SUE MCDERMOTT:
The following allotments will be credited to the accounts listed below in compliance with
the 2006 Commissioner's Order, and will be released in accordance with the current rules.
ACCOUNT
ACCOUNT
ALLOCATION
NUMBER
DESCRIPTION
AMOUNT
90
MUNI CONST
$284,161.00
94
MUNI MAINT
$94,720.00
If you have any questions please contact Cindy Degener on 651-296-7414 or Sandra Martinez
on 651-297-3740 of the State aid Finance Office.
Sincerely,
Carol Molnau
Commissioner of Transportation
cc: City Clerk
An equal opportunity employer
CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS
DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA
AGENDA
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
6:30 p.m. — Council Chambers
1. Call to Order
2. Roll Call
3. Election of Commission Chair and Co -Chair
4. January 10, 2006 Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes
5. Welcome to New Commissioner Tom Kraus
6. Chair Spicer's Report on Committee Meeting to Plan 2006 Park Celebration/
50th Anniversary Recognition.
7. Recreation Programmer's Report (available Tuesday)
8. Tobacco -Free Parks Policy (Mlcl- el Coyne and CHOOSE Members, Visitation
and Saint Thomas Academy)
g. Updates
® Pilot Knob Site (Clearing of Trees & Woody Plants Set for March 25`h --Volunteers Welcome!)
® Lemay Shores Concept Plan (Hoffman Homes)
® Police Report (none)
10. Other Comments
11. Adjourn
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. This may not, however, be possible on short
notice. Please contact City Administration at (651) 452-1850 with requests.
rUTYWUTR
February 10, 2006
TO: City Council, Commission Members, and City Administrator
FROM: Patrick C. Hollister, Administrative Assistant
SUBJECT: Planning Commission Agenda Synopsis
The Planning Commission will discuss the following items at their February 28, 2006 meeting:
Planning Case #06-04
Richard E. Nelson
796 Havenview Court
Wetlands Permit for Grading, Landscaping and Associated Improvements
Planning Case #06-05
Visitation School
2455 Visitation Drive
Conditional Use Permit, Wetlands Permit and Variance for an Accessory Structure
Planning Case #06-02
City of Mendota Heights
Zoning Ordinance Amendment Regulating the Installation of Driveway Gates
Last Leaf=
ON THE MORNING of May 29, ,1916, , a roan..,
whose finely chiseled features and goatee trimmed to
a V had become the symbolic face of an empire builder;
raised himself from his deathbed and said:
"Did Brown get back yet? Where is he?"
THOSE WERE the last words ever spoken 'by James J.-
Hill.
.Hill. Within a few minutes, he belonged to history. Not even
the presence of the great Drs. Will and Charley Mayo could
change that.
But, in answer to James J. HIII's last question, Brown—
Martin J. Brown—diad get back and lives today in a setting
of antique treasures. at 572 Mears ave. on the edge ag
West St. Paul. -
THE WORLD AND CITY pass by this, 84 -year-old maa
with the bright eyes, who was Jim Hill's personal secretary
for the last 16 years of his .life and is the last man still alive _
who really knew—.closeup — the Empire Builder, whose
acquaintanceship included such men as President Grover Cleve-•
land and J. P. Morgan. -
THOUSANDS OF words have been written to paint a
portrait of James J. Hill. Martin Brown's picture is vivid, per-
sonal, and parts have never before"been set down.
"James J. Hill was the greatest *man who ever walked
in St. Paul and the Northwest," says the man• who spent
his honeymoon in the MR North Oaks estate mansion, served
as a pallbearer. at hill's funeral. There is a passion in Mar_
t1ws voice that has grown in _the 44 years since he and Mr. l
par�ofa" J
THEIR FIRSTMEETING: "I was secretary to. John Stevq
ens, another great man, who engineered Stevens pass in the
Rockies, went on to help Build (he was the prime mover) • thf
Panama canal.... We were on a siding in Stevens' private cai%
. He'd gone into Glacier park to survey.... Mr. Hill's specili
train pulled alongside.... Employes used to be afraid of 'The
Boss.' So was L ... He asked for Stevens ... said he needed
some information right away. I offered to help and got
it for him.... He seemed surprised I had it, sat down and
chinned for about an hour ... while his train crew fussed and,
fidgeted outside.... A week later he called me into his office
and said: 'Brown, you're working for me now as my personal'
secretary.' "
JIM HILL ON PASSENGER TRAINS:, "He once. said
he wished he didn't have to run any passenger trains .
freight and mail ... those were the things lie liked.... Be-
sides, he always thought the passenger department was made
up 01 a bunch of dudes.... One day we were riding on an
elevator in the Great Northern building.... A young man
got in, smoking a cigar ... Jim grabbed it out of his mouth.:'
... 'Where do you work?' he demanded.... 'Passenger de-
partment, sir,'.,said the lad.... 'I thought so,'. said Mr. Hill
with disdain.
ON PEOPLE AND D CUL "Mr. Hill liked simple"
hings ... and he hated phonies.... His.clothes were simple;
and conservative. He wore one pair of shoes until .they were;
vorn out.... He had one weakness ... art ...: he loved
paintings, and I guess, his art gallery in his home at_;240 Sum-,
nit avenue was one of the finest in the world.... But the rest`
.. the theater on the third floor, the music room with pipe
irgan . . . those were refinements his wife, *ary, wanted."
-ON MARY HILL: "She worked in the laundry at the
old Merchants hotel when Mr. Hill met her. She was a won-
derful person, warm, friendly, and thanks to her Mr. Hill
made many bequests to the Catholic church.... That was all
her doing.... He .and Archbishop Ireland have bin° pic- ;
tured as working shoulder to shoulder to. -develop the'Noith-
west and St. Paul. ,., Actually Mr. HW steered away from
the archbishop : , . I think it's because, when they were to-
gether, both wanted to talk al the same time:'. Martin smiled. Y,
ON POLITICS: "President Cleveland was a close friend of
ils, but he didn't like Teddy Roosevelt.... He once said: 'If
-le's elected again, the ,only way they'll 'get him out of the
White House is 'feet first,' Mr. Hill was a great Democrat."
HUMAN SIDE OF JIM HILL: "I remember his last
birthday.... We were in New York City ... I'd made plans '
to go out, but he called me in and said, 'Brown, ` wish you'd • `
stay with me tonight ... well have dinner and talk,. . , and
smoke a cigar (Mr. Hill always smoked big black cigars.)'
. ® Suddenly he looked lonely ... here he was one of Amiri-
ca's most famous men and not even his family called to wish
him a happy birthday... We stayed up late that night ...
he played solitaire until about 8 a. m.... I'd gone to bed.
... Finally he came up and, as he always diad, he looked into
my room and said. 'You all right, Brown?"
"Ur. bill was always anxious to go home to St. Paul
and 240 Summit ave.. He said, he built the house of sand-
stone because the stove hardened with ages"
MARTIN paused. "You know,", he said, "Mr. Hill even
shaped my destiny. When he got, control of the First National
bank, he made ane a member of the board because he said he
didn't have time to keep an eye on things.... Well, I left the
Great Northern then .. , and never went back.". Later Martin
moved to the American`National bank as a vice president
after Mr. Hill died.
"IT SEEMS. fantastic now to believe it ,all happened to
me," said Martino But if he ever doubts that it did, there are
such !reminders as the boxes of clippings, the treasures--
figurines,
reasures®figurines, sculptures and antiques --he garnered when he and
Jim Hill were in Europe; the.last book Jim .read before his
death—autographed by, Mary Hill—The Heritage of Tyre,
A story. of the sea and shipping, of which Jim Hill was so.fond.
THESE — and memories of the Northwest" for . Martin
keep alive the portrait,of the `Brown, the last man who stood
"greatest man in the history close to James J. HilL —
cCrl 0-lttle_d bJ\ Ne -Y -L pQ�L
JAMES J. HILI. was not Catholic, but was one of the
church's great benefactors in this area. ,
At the dedication of the St. Paul Seminary, which he
built and endowed with $500,0009 Mr. Hill said, "While not
a Catholic, I make this gift in recognition of the depth of
devotion and the strength of -character of a Catholic woman
Mary: Hifl died in November 1921
ALTHOUGIH IT was later decided to. close the ceme-
texy, this hallowed ground has never been offered for sale
as part of North Oaks development. .
It iso said that before her death, Mary Hill indicated
that she, wanted to be buried next to her husband, but -
often thought. it would be more appropriate to have a fam-
ily lot in' a Catholic cemetery where future cage of the,
grounds would.be assured:
Of the six daughters apd three sons born to James J
And::Maazy Hill, only :one is! 5till:alive=Mrs Egil Boeok .-
man widow of a'distinguished St. Paul physieiaa
of 'the Iinriversity of Minnesota's football. immortals Shy
>I
lives''n a new :home in the Crocus Hill district..::. a
This -is part of.a sentimental footnote, to a fam'1� Stairs
told by a fence where only the pines whisper in the wind,t1.
' � � - fit• . , � ; 'i :;
Some roenafo ,
AS A 1JY BACKYARD tomato fancier can tell you, keep-
ing up with the Joneses isn't enough. When it comes' to
growing tomatoes, you have 'to keep ahead of the Jones.
And nobody knows better the fierce competition among
o tomato growers than Charley Metz at Holm & Olson's
Duke street greenhouse.
He.has developed a variety—one to a customer—which
stands flower and leaf above the others at this time of year..
'He calls it "Heat Your Neighbor" tomatoes.
Hiqu and Day
A COUPLE OF the lads were in conference at one of
the local pubs and this one gent asks the other does he know
that -there are more days than.nights.
They meditate a few more rounds.,- Then the second
gent says:
"Prove to me 'there are more days than nights!"
So they get a third fellow to drive the car and go out on
the highway and the' first gent sj.iows the second gent a sign
which says:
"DAYS — 65
"NIGHTS -50"
So they go back to the pub
and have a few more rounds.
=j
ES-- CEMETERIES
� T CEME--,-',,TE--,-',,RY
PREPARED BY:
MEOTS HEIGHTS, MINNESOTA SANDERS, WA
CKER BER
OLY
966 E.KELLOGG BLVD.THE CATHOLIC C ETE BES ST. PAUMN
66101
Hunan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Page 1 of 5
Not to be confused with the unrelated provinces of Hainan, Henan, and Yunnan
Hunan (Chinese: A it; Hanyu Pinyin: H6nan) is a
province of China, located in the middle reaches of
the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting (hence
the name Hunan, meaning "south of the lake").
Hunan is sometimes called A (pinyin: Xiang) for
short, after the Xiang River which runs through the
province.
Hunan borders Hubei in the north, Jiangxi to the east,
Guangdong to the south, Guangxi to the southwest,
Guizhou to the west, and Chongqing to the northwest.
The capital is Changsha.
Contents
0 1 History
® 2 Geography
® 3 Administrative divisions
4 Economy
5 Demographics
0 6 Culture
® 7 Tourism
® 8 Miscellaneous topics
® 8.1 Colleges and universities
■ 9 External links
Histoiry
Hunan entered the written history of China around
350 BC, when under the kings of the Zhou dynasty it
became part of the State of Chu. Until then Hunan
was a land of primeval forests, occupied by the
ancestors of the modern Miao, Tujia, Dong and Yao
peoples, but starting at this time and for hundreds of
years thereafter it was a magnet for migration of Han
Chinese from the north, who cleared most of the
forests and began farming rice in the valleys and
plains. To this day, many of the small villages in
Hunan are named after the Han families which
originally settled there. Migration from the north was
especially prevalent during the Eastern Jin Dynasty
and the Southern and Northern Dynasties Periods,
when nomadic invaders overran the north.
3 Fit
Hunan Sh
Abbreviation(s): A (pinyin: Xiang)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunan 2/8/2006
hu - lake
Origin of name
j nan - south
"south of Lake Dongting"
AdIlICIllin sttratllonn
Province
type
Capitals and
Changsha
Largest Ciay
CPC Hunan
Committee
Zhang Chunxian
;Secretary
Governor
Zhou Bohua
"^^°+ Area
211,800 km2 (10th)
Population
66,630,000 (7th)
(2003)
315/km2 (13th)
- Density
GDP (2003)
CNY 463.9 billion (12th)
- per capita
CNY 6960 (21 st)
Source for population and GDP: [1]
(http://www.stats.gov.cn/tjsj/ndsj/yb2004-
c/indexch.htm).
1. Major
3
Han - 90%
nationalities
Tujia - 4%
Miao - 3%
Dong - 1%
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunan 2/8/2006
Hunan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period,
Hunan was home to its own independent regime, Ma
Chu.
Hunan, was, together with Hubei, a part of the
province of Huguang (AN) till the Qing dynasty.
Hunan became an important communications center
from its position on the Yangzi River (Changjiang)
and on the Imperial Highway constructed between
northern and southern China. Its land produced grain
so abundantly that it fed many parts of China with its
surpluses. The population continued to climb until, by
the 19th century, Hunan was overcrowded and prone
to peasant uprisings.
Page 2 of 5
Official website:
http://www.hunan.gov.cn (Simplified Chinese)
The Taiping Rebellion which began to the south in Guangxi Province in 1850 spread into Hunan and then further
eastward along the Yangzi River valley, but ultimately it was a Hunanese army under Zeng Guofan which
marched to Nanjing and put down the uprising in 1864. Hunan was relatively quiet until 1910 when there were
uprisings against the crumbling Qing dynasty, which were followed by the Communist's Autumn Harvest
Uprising of 1927 led by Hunanese native Mao Zedong. The Communists maintained a guerilla army in the
mountains along the Hunan -Jiangxi border until 1934, when under pressure from the Nationalist (Kuomintang,
KMT) forces they began the famous Long March to bases in Shaanxi Province. After the departure of the
Communists, the KMT army fought against the Japanese in the second Sino-Japanese war, defending the capital
Changsha until it fell in 1944, when Japan launched Operation Ichigo to control the railroad from Wuchang to
Guangzhou (Guanghan Railway). Hunan was relatively unscathed by the civil war that followed the defeat of the
Japanese in 1945, and in 1949 the Communists returned once more as the Nationalists retreated southward.
Being Mao Zedong's home province, Hunan supported the Cultural Revolution of 1966-1976, and was slower
than most provinces in adopting the reforms implemented by Deng Xiaoping in the years that followed Mao's
death in 1976.
Former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji is also Hunanese.
Hunan Province is located on the south bank at mid -stream of the Yangtze River (Changjiang, %)I), it is 1000
km away from Shanghai, 1200 km away from Beijing, and 500 km away from Guangzhou.
Hunan is situated between 109°-114° east longitude and 20°-30° north latitude. The east, south and west sides of
the province are surrounded by mountains and hills, such as the Wuling Mountains to the northwest, the Xuefeng
Mountains to the west, the Nanling Mountains to the south, and the Luoxiao Mountains to the east. The mountains
and hills occupy more than 80% of the area and the plain comprises less than 20% of the whole province.
The Xiangj fang, the Zij fang, the Yuanj iang and the Lishui Rivers converge on the Yangtze River at Lake
Dongting (Dongting Hu, inft)M) in the north of Hunan. The center and northern parts are somewhat low and a U-
shaped basin, open in the north and with Lake Dongting as its center. Most of Hunan Province lies in the basins of
four major tributaries of the Yangtze River.
Lake Dongting is the largest lake in the province and the second largest freshwater lake of China. Due to the
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunan 2/8/2006
Yao - 1%
Prefecture -
14
level divisions
County -level
122
divisions
Township -level
divisions
2576
(December 31,
2004)
ISO 3166-2
CN -43
Official website:
http://www.hunan.gov.cn (Simplified Chinese)
The Taiping Rebellion which began to the south in Guangxi Province in 1850 spread into Hunan and then further
eastward along the Yangzi River valley, but ultimately it was a Hunanese army under Zeng Guofan which
marched to Nanjing and put down the uprising in 1864. Hunan was relatively quiet until 1910 when there were
uprisings against the crumbling Qing dynasty, which were followed by the Communist's Autumn Harvest
Uprising of 1927 led by Hunanese native Mao Zedong. The Communists maintained a guerilla army in the
mountains along the Hunan -Jiangxi border until 1934, when under pressure from the Nationalist (Kuomintang,
KMT) forces they began the famous Long March to bases in Shaanxi Province. After the departure of the
Communists, the KMT army fought against the Japanese in the second Sino-Japanese war, defending the capital
Changsha until it fell in 1944, when Japan launched Operation Ichigo to control the railroad from Wuchang to
Guangzhou (Guanghan Railway). Hunan was relatively unscathed by the civil war that followed the defeat of the
Japanese in 1945, and in 1949 the Communists returned once more as the Nationalists retreated southward.
Being Mao Zedong's home province, Hunan supported the Cultural Revolution of 1966-1976, and was slower
than most provinces in adopting the reforms implemented by Deng Xiaoping in the years that followed Mao's
death in 1976.
Former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji is also Hunanese.
Hunan Province is located on the south bank at mid -stream of the Yangtze River (Changjiang, %)I), it is 1000
km away from Shanghai, 1200 km away from Beijing, and 500 km away from Guangzhou.
Hunan is situated between 109°-114° east longitude and 20°-30° north latitude. The east, south and west sides of
the province are surrounded by mountains and hills, such as the Wuling Mountains to the northwest, the Xuefeng
Mountains to the west, the Nanling Mountains to the south, and the Luoxiao Mountains to the east. The mountains
and hills occupy more than 80% of the area and the plain comprises less than 20% of the whole province.
The Xiangj fang, the Zij fang, the Yuanj iang and the Lishui Rivers converge on the Yangtze River at Lake
Dongting (Dongting Hu, inft)M) in the north of Hunan. The center and northern parts are somewhat low and a U-
shaped basin, open in the north and with Lake Dongting as its center. Most of Hunan Province lies in the basins of
four major tributaries of the Yangtze River.
Lake Dongting is the largest lake in the province and the second largest freshwater lake of China. Due to the
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunan 2/8/2006
Tennis club sold to home builder
Posted on Wed, Feb. 08, 2006
Tennis club sold to home builder
Family has operated facility for 34 yeses
Y NNYA TONGCHAa LEE,
io"r ae9,vess
Page 1 of 2
The Lilydale Tennis and Health Club's days are numbered.
Owner Clayton Rein said he sold the club for $6 million Jan. 30 to developer Mendota Homes Inc.
Preliminary plans indicate that the 34 -year-old tennis club will be torn down and in its place, luxury condominiums units
will be built, Rein said.
Specific plans to convert the 9 -acre property into residential housing will be revealed soon, said John Mathern, owner of
Mendota Homes.
"It's a tremendous location," Mathern said. "It's on a location that will support housing."
The Lilydale club property, perched on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River, is near another multifamily residential
project in the works in neighboring Mendota Heights. That 25 -acre area in the 800 block of Sibley Memorial Highway will
include 62 town homes and 48 condominiums. It's set to be completed in 2007.
The club will continue to operate on a lease until May 31.
Edward Mullarky, Lilydale mayor, said that despite some resident complaints, the new development plans would benefit
the city.
"Our population will increase," Mullarky said, adding that Lilydale has only five single-family dwellings. "It'll help out the
few retailers here, too. It'll also bring in more tax (revenue), which is always a good thing for a city."
Husband and wife David Weinberg and Cheri Rosenthal of St. Paul joined the club in August to play tennis and enjoy
other fitness activities.
"We really enjoy coming to this club," Weinberg said. "It has great ambience. We're devastated to see it go."
Rein, 89, said he is no longer able to maintain the property. His daughter, Judy Rein, is the director, and retirement
plans loom in her future, too.
"It's been in our family for so long," Clayton Rein said. "But we're all still really proud of the center and what it has
provided for the community."
Clayton Rein built the center along with two other clubs out of a love for tennis.
An avid player himself, he decided building the clubs in neighborhoods would draw the most patrons.
"My wife and I always wanted to play at a neighborhood club that was safe and convenient," he said. "I knew that by
building one, it would appeal to a lot of others, too."
But the other two did not generate as much business as Lilydale.
One, in the Como area off Snelling Avenue, closed 25 years ago. The club at the Phalen Center in Phalen Park followed
suit, closing about 15 years ago, Rein said.
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Tennis club sold to home builder
Rein said he wanted to see the Lilydale Club continue operating.
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"I would have rather had someone buy and operate the club as it is," he said. "But there were no buyers interested in
managing a tennis club."
The club was built in 1972. It has 3,000 members, Judy Rein said. For full access to the club facilities, members pay
$138 for a family or $94 for an individual per month.
"We have a wonderful staff with wonderful members, but it's time to start a new chapter," Judy Rein said.
Nhia TongChai Lee can be reached at nlee@pioneer press.com or 651-228-2120.
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Posted on Thu, Feb. 09, 2006
Airport noise spurs debate
s ur southern suburbs want a bigger voice on VIAC cow vitt e
BY MEGGEN LINDSAY
Pioneer Pease
Frustrated with the new — and now routine — racket of airplanes flying overhead, four southern suburbs on Wednesday
requested seats on the airport's Noise Oversight Committee.
Apple Valley leaders in particular say the new north -south runway at the Minneapolis -St. Paul International Airport has
shifted jet noise in the Twin Cities enough to warrant changes to how the Metropolitan Airports Commission handles
noise problems and complaints.
Rosemount, Lakeville and Farmington also asked for representation on the MAC noise committee, although they all
acknowledged their complaints were not as severe as Apple Valley's.
"We have concerned citizens calling us every day. We need to have an answer for them," Apple Valley's City
Administrator Tom Lawell told members of the noise committee. "We think we are a community that should have
standing on this committee."
But the cities with permanent seats on the noise committee balked at the request and appeared reluctant to vote to
bring the newly affected suburbs on board. That's in part because under the committee's current bylaws only cities
where average airport noise levels reach 65 decibels have permanent seats.
None of the four suburbs that wants to join has noise at or above this range. The MAC has projected that the sound
levels in Apple Valley will not average above 60 decibels.
The MAC established the 12 -member noise oversight committee in 2002 to bring airline industry representatives and
community leaders together to discuss noise issues and make policy recommendations to the MAC.
Six airport users have a seat, as do the cities of Minneapolis, Richfield, Bloomington, Eagan and Mendota Heights. The
cities of Burnsville, Inver Grove Heights, St. Paul and St. Louis Park rotate an annual "at -large" seat.
The noise oversight committee must remain represented equally by affected cities and the airline industry, and any
changes to its makeup require a two-thirds vote, committee chairman and Bloomington City Council Member Vern Wilcox
said.
He said he doubted the airline representatives would go along with any changes to its composition. "The chances are
very, very slim," he said.
Cities also seemed reluctant to bring new members on board and expressed concern that adding new members could
dilute their authority. In addition, the noise committee's members don't want concerns over the new runway to
overshadow noise problems at the other runways.
The cities of Minneapolis, Eagan, Bloomington and Richfield sued the MAC last year, accusing the agency of failing to
provide as much soundproofing to homes as originally promised. A group of homeowners also has filed a lawsuit.
The Eagan City Council went so far as to pass a resolution Tuesday advocating that the committee's current composition
remain intact.
But noise complaints in Apple Valley and its southern neighbors have skyrocketed since the $800 million Runway 17/35
opened in October.
In November and December, for instance, Apple Valley residents logged 13 percent and 11 percent, respectively, of the
airport's total noise complaints. And to date, the runway's traffic has been at less than half what was predicted before it
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Airport noise spurs debate Page 2 of 2
opened.
"(We) are experiencing the type of citizen concern that is consistent with those (cities) who have a permanent seat,"
Lawell said. "And we don't expect the situation to improve anytime soon."
But a rash of complaints doesn't mean the noise is worse in Apple Valley than in other communities with planes above
them, alternate noise committee member Will Eginton of Inver Grove Heights pointed out.
"Wait 10 to 12 years and people will get used to it," he joked.
Ultan Duggan, a Mendota Heights council member and a member of the MAC's noise committee, seemed the most
sympathetic to Apple Valley, saying the suburb's quality of life should take priority above reworking bylaw structure or
worrying about the committee's size.
The committee should at least try to get the city a rotating seat, despite the industry reservations, he said. "If we don't
pursue it, it will never happen."
The noise committee cities will take the matter up again Feb. 15 and will take any proposals to a full committee in March.
The MAC board would then have to approve possible changes.
In the meantime, the noise committee has asked the nonmember cities to join them in forming a group that meets every
other month to speak as "one voice" for the entire metropolitan area regarding airport noise.
"We know we still have our work cut out for us to get this seat," Apple Valley Mayor Mary Hamann -Roland said after the
meeting Wednesday night.
Meggen Lindsay can be reached at mlindsay@pionee-p;ess.com or 651-28-5260.
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