February 2000 Shore ReportFEBRUARY 2000
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INSIDE
Trail Talk and Walk ..... 2
Communications Corner . 2
Snow News........
Attention Dog Owners. . 7
Early Shorewood..... 3
Council on Cable..... . a
Senior Corner ......... 3
Recycling News........
Clearing the Air ........ 4
What Are The Be a
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HOREWOOD IS A SUBURBAN CITY, ON
THE WESTERN EDGE OF A MAJOR MID-
WESTERN METROPOLIS. With 90% of
its land developed, and real estate values ris-
ing steadily, the pressure on remaining open
space has become enormous.
The City of Shorewood has responded to
this concern by forming the Land Conserva-
tion & Environment Committee. Meeting since
last fall, the LCEC is in the formative stages of
its development. A preliminary work plan has
been put together, including projects of inter-
est to this community in the preservation and
regulation of green space: land conservation,
lawn chemical use, residential composting and
buckthorn control. The LCEC and the City of
Shorewood welcome input from any concerned
citizen. Members of the LCEC may be reached
by calling the City of Shorewood (474- 3236 ).
These members are most interested in hearing
from Shorewood residents.
Why is the City of
Shorewood interested in
protecting open space?
What is open space and what
does it do for us? Open space can be defined
as any undeveloped land or natural landscape
feature with scenic, aesthetic or conservation
value. Natural areas give us a distinct sense of
place, providing recreational and educational
opportunities —and aesthetically enhance our
community.
In addition to quality of life issues, the
natural landscape functions in several ways to
benefit citizens by:
0 Filtering and cleansing air and water;
0 Recycling water, including recharging
ground water;
0 Intercepting rain and snow, thereby slow-
ing and reducing runoff;
0 Providing habitat for plants and animals;
0 Providing recreational and contemplative
opportunities.
"Gray" infrastructure, e.g., roads and build-
ings, has traditionally been the focus of devel-
oping communities. Many resources have been
put into gray infrastructure because it provides
us with valuable services, but it requires main-
tenance and repair. "Green" infrastructure, for
example natural areas, has relatively little over-
head, requires little maintenance, and appreci-
ates in value over time.
Natural areas offer a
great deal to our communi-
ties, but their contributions
are sometimes taken for
granted. Now, the elimination of green space
is a very real threat, and it is the goal of the
LCEC to work with citizens to acquire and pro-
tect open space in the City of Shorewood.
Watch for more "green space" articles from the
Land Conservation & Environment Committee in
f tture issues Of the SHORE REPORT.
Town Meeting t�tw
State Representative Barb Sykora and State Senator Ed Oliver
are holding a town meeting to discuss the upcoming legislative
session. Plan to attend on Wednesday, February 2, at 7:00 P.M.
at Shorewood City Hall Council Chambers.
SHOREWOOD EVENTS
2/1
7:00
Planning Commission Meeting
2/8
7:30
Park Commission Meeting
2,14
7:00
City Council Meeting
2/15
7:00
Planning Commission Meeting
2/21
City Offices Closed for Presidents Day
2/28
7:00
City Council Meeting
Underlining indicates cablecast of Council meetings —see schedule on page 3.
Natural areas give us a
distinct sense of place ...
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Underlining indicates cablecast of Council meetings —see schedule on page 3.
Natural areas give us a
distinct sense of place ...
Jons Cornet
Keeping Up On Response Time
ETWEEN STAFF CHANGES AND RESIGNATIONS, INFLUENZA AND RELATED
AILMENTS, AND REQUIRED RE- CERTIFICATION CLASSES, City Hall and
Public Works have been operating with a skeleton crew. A Finance Assistant
has been hired and applications have been coming in for the Deputy Clerk and
Secretary/Reception positions, so hopefully things will settle soon.
In the meantime, we ask for understanding if your street is not plowed as fast
as usual —or if the person answering the phone does not know the answer to your
question right away. Transition and change have their inevitable seasons, and
everyone is doing their best to weather through.
Winter Trail Walk
The Shorewood Park Commission invites you to join
them on Saturday, February 12, 2000 on a trail walk
along the LRT Trail.
They will begin at 9:00 A.M. on the trail's crossing at
Cathcart Drive and walk to County Road 19.
The estimated time of arrival is 10:00 A.M.
We hope you will participate in this opportunity to meet with
the Commissioners and other residents to discuss winter trail -
use or other topics of interest. City Council members have
also been invited to walk along and visit with residents.
Cookies and hot cider will be carried in a wagon to share
along the way. Come for the entire walk or any part of it.
(If the temperature is below zero; the LRT Trail Walk will be
rescheduled the 19`" of February.)t
OW THAT THE SNOW HAS REALLY
ARRIVED, it's time to publish some
snow news and reminders:
Shorewood does not have official
snow emergency routes or hours. Resi-
dents and businesses are simply asked to
refrain from parking on the street after a
snowfall of 2" or greater to allow snow-
plow operators to plow curb -to -curb.
Snowplow operators pay close atten-
tion to avoid mailboxes and other ob-
stacles within the right of way. However,
in the event a plow makes contact with
the mailbox or support post,
the mailbox will be re-
paired or replaced with a
standard mailbox. The
City will not replace
i% I mailboxes that are
' damaged from the
force of the snow com-
ing off the plow. Remember to clear your
mailbox area of snow to insure delivery.
Snow forts are fun, but they can be
dangerous. Please do not let children tun-
nel into the mountains of snow at the end
of your driveway or near the roadway. A
passing plow or sliding car can bring tons
of snow down on top of anyone inside.
"Snowball" forts with low sides and an
open top are a safe alternative.
The rinks are ready and will be main-
tained as long as the weather allows. In a
normal year, that calculates to mid -Feb-
ruary —give or take a week or so.
As long as the snow continues, there
will be sledding at Silverwood Park, (see
map on page 4 for location). There is a
BIG hill that is wide open and free of trees
and obstacles.
Have d
"Back- tracking" on the LRT
• A Bit of History on the Trail •
T HE HENNEPIN COUNTY REGIONAL
RAILROAD AUTHORITY .( HCRRA)
purchased a 16 -mile stretch of abandoned
Chicago Northwestern Railroad right -of-
way (Hopkins to Victoria) in 1981 for
possible future transportation purposes.
Along with the property, the HCRRA in-
herited some pre - existing lease agree-
ments which allowed certain public and
private entities the use of some portions
of the right of way. The Rail Authority
further initiated additional leases for some
parts of the 100 -foot wide parcel, while
also looking to municipalities and other
agencies to consider possible interim uses
of the former railroad corridor.
In November, 1991 the City of
Minnetonka coordinated a meeting with
Hennepin Parks and other communities
along the corridor, to work toward a con-
sistent and complete trail. Until then, the
"trail route" was a patchwork of assorted
gravels at various levels of improvement,
interrupted by unimproved sections of dirt
and weeds. (The Shorewood stretch was
surfaced by City crews in 1989 with a
coarse red rock product which was not
the best for bicycle tires —and impossible
for pushing strollers.)
By virtue of a cooperative agreement
with the HCRRA in July 1992, the Sub-
urban Hennepin Regional Park District
became the managing agency of the cen-
ter 16 feet of the property. That portion
was designated for trail use with the un-
derstanding that the abandoned rail beds
would be reclaimed for future light rail
transit, should the necessary approvals
and funding become available.
In spring of 1994, Hennepin Parks
began construction of a trail with a con-
sistent 10 -foot width of crushed limestone
to eventually span the full 16 -mile stretch
of the South Corridor. Over the past six
years, the LRT trail has steadily improved
and has become a vital recreational ame-
nity and transportation tool. The most re-
cent safety enhancement on the LRT is a
tunnel, crossing under Highway 101 in
Minnetonka, an area which had been a
serious safety concern. Those of you who
used that intersection as an excuse to turn
back may want to start endurance-build-
ing for this spring.
THE SHORE REPORT / FEBRUARY 2000 2
In Those Days
T HE FIRST MEETING OF THE VILLAGE
oF SHoREwoon was on June 12,1956
where W. D. Kendrick took his oath of
office as Mayor, along with Trustees
Herbert Schmidt, Robert Fayfield and
George Dongoske. With his experience
as Clerk for the Excelsior Township, Mr.
Kendrick was an ideal choice for Mayor
of the newly formed Village, an office
which he held until January 1958. Mr.
Lester Badger became the second Mayor
of the Village of Shorewood, and accord-
ing to Mr. Kendrick,
"He was a very good Mayor —a much
more progressive mayor than I would
have been. I would never have
dreamed of buying this little piece of
ground we are sitting on [City Hall and
Badger Park]. He decided we should
buy this land. We had an opportunity
to buy 13 acres, I.bQ w and bought
it for practically noW ing...and of
course ii wa, ju
tails and badgers, raccoons and more
birds —you can't believe birds.
Mr. Kendrick compliments o ers who
had a role in the early years of Shorewood
as a village, and is modest in assessing
his own contributions. Yet, as Mayor of
a village in its infancy, Mr. Kendrick's
term was critical in establishing a foun-
dation for the future, while still address-
ing the immediate issues of each day. A
look at the 1956 -57 Village Minutes re-
veals that the Council had to make deci-
sions related to planning, zoning,
engineering, maintenance, administra-
tion, finance, inspections, and other ar-
eas, which today are matters delegated to
specialists, commissions and staff.
Council on C
City Council meetings can be seen on
Cable Channel 8 at the following times:
January 24 Meeting
Friday, February 4 at 1:30 P.M.
Tuesday, February 8 at 5:30 P.M.
February 14 Meeting
Friday, February 18 at 1:30 P.M.
Tuesday, February 22 at 5:30 P.M.
February 28 Meeting
(Will be on Cable in March)
0 VER THE WINTER THERE HAS BEEN
significant increase in dog feces left
in city parks and along the LRT. The Park
Commission has addressed this ongoing
problem numerous<
times and has gone >°
as far as providin
: µ .C.
mutt mitt dispensers �'� . :
and reminder signs in strategic locations
to assist pet owners with clean-up.
In spite of these efforts, the problem
persists. Dog feces left in areas used by
humans is a health issue and it is degrad-
ing to our community. The Park Com-
mission will soon discuss further action
to curtail the problem. Among the op-
tions to be considered are having all dogs
on a six -foot leash at all times in the parks
and on trails, or limiting dogs to certain
areas of the parks. As a last resort, the
Park Commission could recommend re-
stricting dogs from city parks.
The Park Commission hopes to resolve
this issue without limiting the privileges of
pet owners to enjoy the parks with their pets.
We need your help as part of the solution.
The Commission welcomes suggestions
and discussion from residents concerning
a resolution to the city. You may call the
City at 474 -3236, e -mail your suggestions
to: cityhall @ci.shorewood.mn.us or attend
a Park Commission meeting held the sec-
ond Tuesday of every month at 7:30 P.M.
e m or Comer
Recycling News
If your winter activities include clean-
ing out the basement, attic, garage or
closets, you may want to know about
these recycling resources:
Appliances
Hennepin County Transfer Station
(HCTS —see below)
J.R.'s Appliance 651- 454 -9215
Automobile Batteries
HCTS (see below)
Carpet
Carpet Recovery Innovation 612 - 441 -8306
Clothing/Textiles
GoodwiMaster Seals 612- 935 -2760
Electronics
HCTS (see below)
Florescent Bulbs/HID Lamps
HCTS (see below)
Furniture/Beds/Mattresses
ICA 612- 938 -0729
Household Batteries
Shorewood City Hall
Excelsior Library
Westonka Library
Motor Oil/Filters
HCTS (see below)
Also most Amoco stations
The Hennepin County Transfer Statioi.
(HCTS) has a 24 -hour recording at 348 - 6500..
On weekdays from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
phone calls are answered at 348 -6509.
The Southshore Center Has Fabulous February Features!
For reservations or more information, call the Center at 474 -7635.
• The Thursday Trippers include a tour of the Minneapolis Post Office on
February 2 and a trip to the new Science Museum of Minnesota on February 17.
Space is limited for both, so make your reservations soon.
• Driving classes are offered by AAA on Wednesday and Thursday, February
2 and 3. To register for either, call toll free 1- 888 - 234 -1294.
• A free program, "Getting the Most Out of Wur Clinic Visit" offers advise
on knowing what is important to share with your doctor and how to organize
your thoughts before you get there. The presentation will be on Friday, Feb-
ruary 4 at 12:45 P.M.
V You are invited to a Valentine party, including lunch and musical entertain-
ment on Monday, February 14 at Noon. "Cost of the meal is $4. Call the
Center by February 9 to make a reservation.
IV Senior Community Services is sponsoring a presentation of "Dr. King's
Dream" at the Tamarack Center in Long Lake. The performance by Mixed
Blood Theatre is scheduled for Tuesday, February 29 at 11:30 A.M. The cost
of $ 11 covers lunch and the play.
3 THE SHORE REPORT/ FEBRUARY 2000
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Map Descriptions
There are no map items on the
February 1 Planning Commission
Agenda at this time.
The January S HORE REPORT included a
"Wimpy Winter = No Ice" article —
and this edition contains information
about dealing with all the snow.. .
That's Minnesota!
Check page 2 for Snow News.
Silverwood Park is mentioned there
and is indicated on the above map by
a snow flake.
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Help Your House to Breathe M ore Easily
C HANGES IN BUILDING CONSTRUCTION AND MECHANICAL SYSTEMS over the
years have included the need for additional vents. Ventilation is part of
many household systems, including; plumbing, whole -house vacuums, furnaces,
exhaust fans, dryers, gas fireplaces, combustion air ducts and heat recovery venti-
lators. While most vents have a termination on the exterior of the building, some
do have interior terminations. In either case, vent terminations need to be inspected
and some vents need periodic maintenance to keep them operating properly.
• Dryer vent hoods on the exterior of the building often need cleaning to
remove lint and to allow the flappers to close when the drier is not in use.
• Cleaning inlet screens and removing blockages from outlets for vents
serving combustion air ducts and heat recovery ventilators will help
them to function properly and to bring in fresh air more efficiently.
V Flappers on exhaust fan hoods sometimes need repair so they open
and close properly.
V Obstructions must be kept away from outdoor termination points.
Shrubs may also need to be pruned to provide clearance and air move-
ment to vent hoods.
These steps are especially important for the winter months when our homes are
tightly sealed from the outside air.
CITY OFS.110REW001)
5755 COUNTRY CLUB ROAD
SHOR WOOD, &4N 55331
(612)474.3236 N FAX (612)474.0128
Monday - Friday 8 :00 A.M. to 4.30 F,.m.
DELIVER TO:
Council Members
Woody Love, Mayor
Kristi Mover
John Garfunkel
Christine Linde
Scott Zerby
Newsletter Editor
Connie Eastyr
BULK RATE
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
PERMIT #128
EXCELSIOR, MN 55331
7h.s newsletter is printed on recycled paper. .
THE SHORE REPORT / FEBRUARY 2000