Summer 1995 Shore Report#L
CITY OF SHOREWOOD
CITIZEN INFORMER
OPEN, DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT IS ENHANCED BY AN INFORMED POPULACE
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CONGRATULATIONS 1995 GRADUATES
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ANNUAL QUESTIONNAIRE
ENCLOSED
A Personal Challenge to Respond...
The annual service evaluation questionnaire is
enclosed in this newsletter. It is important that you
take a few minutes to let us know how you think we
are doing our job as a municipal service deliverer.
In the private sector we would know how we are
doing if you don't buy our service or product. This
survey is our way of measuring how we are doing
and how we can better serve you.
Shorewood residents should take great pride in the
high percentage turnout for elections (approximately
66% for 1994 general election), and that we are
knowledgeable about local affairs. But the percent-
age of responses to this annual survey has not been
good. The return .response over the last two years
has been decreasing from 17% in 1993 to 11% in
1994 (260 of 2,400).
Let's accept the challenge as a Community to
reverse the trend and have a significant increase in
return responses. Please fill out the questionnaire
and return it to us now, before it gets set aside with
all good intentions.
FIREFIGHTER
FUNDRAISER DANCE
O nce again, the Excelsior Fire Department is
extending an invitation to you to attend the
Excelsior Firefighters' Relief Association Dance on
Friday July 21, from 5 p.m. to Midnight. Food and
beverages will be served.
"Moonwalk" 5:00 - 10:00 p.m.
Kids will enjoy the fun of the supervised Moonwalk
attraction while parents can enjoy a bite to eat or
have a dance.
"Sneakers and Tight Shoes "...
Children's show from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
They will play music of the 50's and 60's for family
dancing pleasure from 8 p.m. to Midnight.
Excerpt from TALES FROM TONKA by Ellen Wilson Meyer,
Published by Excelsior -Lake Minnetonka Historical Society.
Big Island is due north of the Excelsior Park Commons.
"BIG ISLAND'S VARIOUS NAMES"
"Big Island, by all its different names, has been a cool green haven on a summer's day and a safe refuge in a storm. It has
been home to native Americans in their teepees and white men in their cottages. For a short while it provided the setting
for amusement, entertainment and revelry. But always, from the beginning, it has been a gem among the islands that
bejewel the waters of Minnetonka.
The search for Big Island's various names - -all six of them- -and for the donors who bestowed them, involved a pursuit of
the Lake's history through old maps, diaries, memoirs and reminiscences. Oddly enough, we are still unsure what the
Indians called the island, although an 1860 map identifies it as "Wetutanka Island or Big Island." The Dakota word
"Wetu" means "the springtime move to sugaring camp," and " tonka" means "great". The name was appropriate because
the island was their chief sugar camp where they tapped the big maples and annually boiled down the sap for maple
sugar. After the Indian treaties opened the territory to settlers, the first four exploratory groups to come up Minnehaha
Creek into Lake Minnetonka did not give Big Island a name. Simon Stevens and Calvin Tuttle, who reached the lake on
April 8, 1852, crossed on the ice to camp on the island, but they did not name it. Then they retraced their way down
Minnehaha Creek to build Simon's claim shanty at today's Minnetonka Mills.
One month later Simon led a large exploratory group that included the Territorial Governor, Alexander Ramsey. With
authority to name the lake officially, the Governor called it Minnetonka (from the Sioux words " "Mine" for water and
"tonka" for big), but he did not name the island.
Hezekiah Brake and George Bertram arrived in June of 1852 to choose a town site (Excelsior) for Bertram's New York
Colony that would follow a year later. They noted that "Shockapi's braves were painted black, white, yellow and red, and
the squaws, save for a sort of apron, were entirely nude." Describing their journey years later in his book, Brake wrote:
'While crossing the lake, the wind and waves drove our boat up on a strip of land...which was known (later) as
Meeker's Island. An old Indian fort on the island attracted our attention. It was built of slender logs set in a
semi- circle as a screen against arrows, and had formerly been used by the Sioux as a protection against the
Chippewa.'
In August of 1852, Mrs. Elizabeth Ellet (a well -known writer set by a New York newspaper) and her cousin, Miss Mary
Clark, explored and camped with the aid of three guides from Minnetonka Mills: Simon Stevens, James Shaver, Jr., and
Thomas Warwick. Mrs. Ellet described Big Island but suggested no name for it, though (today's) Gale Island was
christened Ellet Island, and she named some of the bays after her favorite authors.
Less than a month after Mrs. Ellet's trip to Minnetonka, a group of eminent men in the territorial government met at the
home of Col. John H. Stevens in St. Anthony. From there they went to Minnetonka Mills and spent the night in Simon's
claim shanty. The next day they, too, explored the lake in two batteaux with Simon as guide. On passing the big island
where several Indian families were encamped, someone in the party suggested calling it Owen's Island for the
newsman in their group, Col. John P. Owens. He demurred -- accepted the honor, later describing the trip vividly in the
September 11, 1852, edition of his paper, The Weekly Minnesotian. (By beating Mrs. Ellet into print, his article became
the first published description of the white man's view of Lake Minnetonka.)
The next edition of The Weekly Minnesotian reported that Associate Justice Bradley B. Meeker (who had been with
Owens on the above excursion) had staked a claim on the south shore of the lake, opposite Owen's island. Not long after
that the Indians withdrew, allowing the Judge to start "making improvements" on the island, which then became known
as Meeker's Island.
Big Island /continued on next page
page 2 Citizen Informer
Big Island continued
The next name used for today's Big Island was Cottage Island. It appeared on a map in the "The Emigrant's Guide to
Minnesota," dated 1856. The Northwestern Democrat of January 19, 1856, explains the name thus:
'The island is situated in the middle of the lake, contains about 275 acres, and was formerly called Meeker's
Island. The question is often asked, 'What originated the present name (Cottage Island) ?'...There are upon it
numerous Indian cottages- -not the common teepees made of poles and covered with skins and canvas, but
houses built of timber, and in addition a large fort made of logs, enclosing nearly an acre, [doubtless] a relic of
some contest between the Dacotah and Ojibway tribes.'
This is a curious item in view of the fact that it was printed a year or two after William Bradford Morse had staked his
claim and settled his family on the island, presumably in a cabin where Indians used to visit and play with the Morse
baby. Wasn't the first settler's homestead as newsworthy as huts of the Sioux about to leave the island?
On completion of government surveys W.B. Morse bought most of the island in March of 1856, and his brother John
would own the remaining 87.5 acres before the end of the year. The diary of a Minnewashta pioneer, Henry R. Eddy,
proves that in April of 1856, he was building a house for the Morse family. On May 21 of the same year he wrote:
"Worked for W.B. Morse on the island putting in window frames.' The next day he was "setting glass ". From the late
1850s to the turn of the ceniury most maps identified it as Morse's Island -- except for the appearance of the name Big
Island. Thus maps advertising Cottage Island were outdated the same year they were published.
The chief promoter of the name Big Island was Alfred Stuart Dimond in his Lake Minnetonka Tourist of 1876, the first
local newspaper. His map of Lake Minnetonka, with `Big Island" appeared in Volume 1, Number 1, and has been
reproduced many times since. But continued rivalry between the two names resulted in such ambiguity for the next
twenty years that map makers in the 1890s identified the island as "Morse's or Big Island ". After 1906, however,
advertising for the Big Island Amusement Park began to omit `Morse'. It has been Big Island ever since."
NEW COMMUNITY POLICING OFFICER BEGINS DUTIES
The City of Shorewood has a new community policing officer thanks to a federal grant from the COPS FAST
program. The South Lake Minnetonka Public Safety Department applied for the grant for the City of Shore-
wood, after receiving approval from all four cities in the Joint Powers police force. The grant will provide
$75,000 over three years to help cover the costs of the officer. Shorewood had previously paid for a Traffic
Enforcement Specialist who worked 14 hours per week strictly enforcing traffic laws in neighborhood prob-
lem areas. Those duties will become a part of the job description for the new officer.
The main emphasis of community policing is to answer residents' concerns related to law enforcement. Other
areas of concentration include: traffic enforcement in areas of community concern; neighborhood preventive
police patrols; special neighborhood "trouble spot" patrol; patrol of commercial areas; patrol in and around
parks and play areas; and crime prevention activity and neighborhood presentations.
Officer Brian Flaherty has been hired to fill this position. Officer
Flaherty has previously been a Reserve Officer with the South Lake
Minnetonka Public Safety Department, rising to the rank of Reserve
Sergeant. He was given the "Mayors Award" as the Outstanding Reserve
Officer of the Year in 1993. He was selected as the part time Traffic
Enforcement Specialist for Shorewood when that position was created.
He is, therefore, familiar with the City and some of the neighborhood
concerns.
Residents are encouraged to contact City Hall or the Southlake Police
Dept. with community concerns that the new officer might address.
Citizen Informer page 3
1.
Please indicate how satisfied you are with the following services that
circle the X and go to the next line. For those with which you have
are currently provided by Shorewood
(circle one response for each
No Contact
item):
Helpful
Helpful
Helpful
X
3
2
Haven't
used/
Very
3
Somewhat
1
0
Don't
Know
Satisfied
Satisfied
Satisfied Dissatisfied
X
A.
Physical condition of my street
X
3
2
1
0
B.
Physical condition of streets in general
X
3
2
1
0
C.
Cleanliness of streets
X
3
2
1
0
D.
Amount of street lighting
X
3
2
1
0
E.
Number of trees along City streets
X
3
2
1
0
F.
Level of park maintenance
X
3
2
1
0
G.
Condition of the hiking/biking trail
X
3
2
1
0
H.
Condition of park playground equipment
X
3
2
1
0
I.
Amount of recreation equipment in parks
X
3
2
1
0
J.
Televising of City Council meetings
X
3
2
1
0
K.
Feeling of safety in my neighborhood
X
3
2
1
0
2. In the past year have you had any contact with the following? If so,
how helpful are they when you need informati n about programs or
services provided by the City of Shorewood or need to have a
problem resolved (circle one for each item)?
A. City Office Personnel
B. City Assessor
C. Inspection Service Personnel
D. Police Personnel
E. Fire Personnel
F. Public Works Personnel
G. Water Utility Personnel
H. Animal Control Personnel
Have had
Very
circle the X and go to the next line. For those with which you have
Somewhat
Not
No Contact
Helpful
Helpful
Helpful
Helpful
X
3
2
1
0
X
3
2
1
0
X
3
2
1
0
X
3
2
1
0
X
3
2
1
0
X
3
2
1
0
X
3
2
1
0
X
3
2
1
0
3A. Are your served by City water: Yes No
3B. If Yes, please indicate how satisfied you are with:
Haven't used/ Very Somewhat
Don't Know Satisfied Satisfied Satisfied Dissatisfied
Water pressure X 3 2 1 0
Water quality X 3 2 1 0
Maintenance crew response X 3 2 1 0
4. If you have had no personal experience with these City services
circle the X and go to the next line. For those with which you have
had personal experience, please rate them 0 to 3.
Have
had no
Have Had Experience
Experience
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
A -1
South Lake Police, overall service
X
3
2
1
0
A -2
Police response time to my call
X
3
2
1
0
A -3
Police courtesy /professionalism
X
3
2
1
0
A -4
Police crime prevention programs
X
3
2
1
0
A -5
Police traffic enforcement
X
3
2
1
0
B -1
Fire Dept overall service
X
3
2
1
0
B -2
Fire Dept response time to my call
X
3
2
1
0
B -3
Fire Dept courtesy /professionalism
X
3
2
1
0
B -4
Fire Dept inspection/fire prevention program
X
3
2
1
0
C -1
Animal control overall service
X
3
2
1
0
C -2
Animal control response time to my call
X
3
2
1
0
C -3
Animal control courtesy /professionalism
X
3
2
1
0
D -1
City Administrator & Clerks overall service
X
3
2
1
0
D -2
Administrative courtesy /professionalism
X
3
2
1
0
E -1
Building inspection overal? service
X
3
2
1
0
E -2
Bldg inspection courtesy /Professionalism
X
3
2
1
0
F -1
City Assessor overall service
X
3
2
1
0
F -2
City Assessor courtesy /professionalism
X
3
2
1
0
G -1
Planning Dept overall service
X
3
2
1
0
G -2
Planning Dept courtesy /professionalism
X
3
2
1
0
H -1
Finance Dept overall service
X
3
2
1
0
H -2
Finance Dept courtesy /professionalism
X
3
2
1
0
I.
Maintenance of my street
X
3
2
1
0
J.
Snow removal
X
3
2
1
0
K.
Recycling pickup program
X
3
2
1
0
For the following questions, please mark an (x) by the most correct
answer:
5A. In the past twelve months have you made a complaint to the City of Shorewood?
1) Yes, and I was satisfied with the way my complaint was handled
2) Yes, and I was dissatisfied with the way my complaint was handled
3) No, I have not made a complaint
5B. If yes, what type of complaint (most recent one)?
1) Animal 4) Junk/Nuisance
2) Traffic 5) Street Repair /Maintenance
3) Other_ - - - - --
6. Put an X by each Shorewood Park you or your family
have used in the last twelve months:
a)
Freeman d) Manor
b)
Badger e) Silverwood
c)
Cathcart
7. How
long have you lived in Shorewood
1)
_ Less than 2 years 4) _ 11 -20 years
2)
_ 2 -5 years 5) _ 21 years or more
3) _
6 -10 years
8. Your
gender: 1) Male 2) Female
9. Is this a: 1) _ Residence 2) _ Business
(If business, skip to #12)
10. Do you: 1) _Own 2) _Rent 3) _Other
11. Is your home a:
1) Single family 3) Apartment
2) Duplex 4) Townhouse
12: What is your age category?
1) 18 -30 3) 50 -64
2) 31-49 4) 65 and over
SHOREWOOD SERVICE EVALUATION QUESTIONNAIRE
All of us who are involved in providing municipal services are very interested in learning your thoughts on how
we are doing our job. It is important that at least one adult in each household take a few minutes to fill out this
"report card" survey, and then:
• Mail it. Be sure to fold it so the return address is exposed, tape it closed and add a 32 cent stamp; or
• Drop it off at City hall - drop box located near front entrance; or
• Enclose it with your next City of Shorewood utility bill payment.
Your answers will have complete anonymity. Your participation is very important in making Shorewood the best
community it can be! If other adults in your household would like to complete the survey, call 474 -3236 and
we'll send one to you.
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CITY OF SHOREWOOD
CITY OF SHOREWOOD
5755 COUNTRY CLUB ROAD
SHOREWOOD, MN 55331
JUST FOR SENIORS....
SUMMER AT SOUTHSHORE
Legal Consultation - available the 2nd and 4th
Monday of each month. Make your appointment
for this half -hour (no- charge) session by calling
Southshore Senior Center at 474 -7635.
04 ....................... ............................... Independence Day
(City Offices Closed)
10 ................................ ............................... City Council
18 ................. ............................... Planning Commission
25 ........................ ............................... Park Commission
24 ................................ ............................... City Council
FOOT CARE CLINIC -held the 2nd Monday of
each month. Appointments are necessary.
FUND - RAISING EVENTS - money going toward
the Center's $10,000 pledge to the "Friends of the
Senior /Community Center Foundation ".
Purchase a hand made "HUG -UM DOLL"
Purchase your $5.00 ticket for 2 hour Lake
Minnetonka cruise on Wednesday, July 12, at
11:15 a.m. Box lunch is available for $2.00 for
folks 60 and over.
Purchase the Center's homemade Grandma's
Raisin Gems (cupcakes) at the Excelsior Farmer's
Market the 2nd Thursday of each month.
August
1 ................... ............................... Planning Commission
14 ................................ ............................... City Council
15 ................. ............................... Planning Commission
22 ........................ ............................... Park Commission
28 ................................ ............................... City Council
September
4 ..................................... ............................... Labor Day
(City Offices Closed)
5 ................... ............................... Planning Commission
11 ................................ ............................... City Council
19 ................. ............................... Planning Commission
25 ................................ ............................... City Council
26 ........................ ............................... Park Commission
City Council and Park Commission meetings begin
at 7:30 p.m.
Planning Commission Meetings begin at 7:00 p.m.
CITY OF SHOREWOOD
5755 COUNTRY CLUB ROAD
SHOREWOOD, MN 55331
(612) 474 -3236
DELIVER TO:
City of Shorewood
Council Members
Robert Bean, Mayor
Bruce Benson
Doug Malam
Jennifer McCarty
Kristi Stover
James C. Hurm, City Administrator
BULK RATE
U. S. POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT #128
EXCELSIOR, MN
55331
E
This newsletter is printed on recycled paper.
Citizen Informer