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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1992 AprilPlans underway for Strawberry Festival at VFW Red Barn June b Planning has begun for Cottage Grove's annual Strawberry Festival, scheduled this year for Saturday, June 6. According to Festival chair Wayne Kropelnicki, events at the VFW Red Barn, will include: a lawn and garden tractor pull featuring nitro burning "outlaw" tractors competing for trophies and prize money a magic show music and sing -a -longs for children by Will Hale ice cream sundaes, brats, burgers, beverages talent contest sponsored by Caldwell Banker (call Sandy: 459 -2222) outdoor music by K102 radio featuring Wayne Elliott music and prizes from K102 ( "Minnesota's own country station ") an indoor dance from 8 p.m. to midnight with music by Burr Street spectacular fireworks family games and events and much more! The Strawberry Festival parade and Jaycees Carnival are also in the planning stages. For any information, please contact Wayne Kropelnicki, care of Cottage Grove City Hail, 458 -2800. VOLUNTEER HELP IS NEEDED AND APPRECIATED! ® Two spring elections scheduled ® Remember to vote in these elections: ® Presidential Primary Tuesday, April 7 • (regular precinct polling places) School Board Election Tuesday, May 19 • (see School District information ® for polling locations) ` �4 printed on recycled paper POSTAL PATRON Carrier Route Presort Bulk Rate U.S. Postage PAID PERMIT NO. 1 Cottage Grove, MN 55016 LOCAL POSTAL PATRON Cit or ? Cottage Grove City Hail. 7516 80th St S. Open 8 -4:30, M F.........458-2800 Police and Fire Emergency ....911 Police Non-Emergency .458 -2811 Building lnspections......458 -2804 River Oaks Golf Course 438-2121 Parks ........ .........458-2808 Public Works.. .........458 -2808 Mayor Jack Denzer.. .........459-2553 City Council. Bill Buth, Jeff Rageth, KevinRaun, Jim Wolcott City Administrator. Kevin Frazell I Arena Manager ......Tim Johnson I Building Official ........Jim Beane r City Clerk ...........Caron Stransky Community Dev . ........ Gary Berg Finance ...............Diane Archer Fire Chief .....1...... Denis Erickson ., Golf Pro /Mgr.....Bruce Anderson 1 Parks, Rec .;i...John Fredrickson Police Chief .........Dennis Cusick f Public Works......... Les Burshten Editor ..................Margo Doten - 4 , i A •t W116101 - 11 6JR11021 - Tuesday, April 7 Tuesday, May 19 (See notice on Page 8) INDEX Athletic complex.2 Water mains ......... 2 Caron Stransky ....2 Historic Preservation Week ....................3 Survey response ..3 Skateboarding ....3 Cleanup fees ....... 5 Building permits ...5 River study ............ 5 Lawn care .......... ..6 City forester... ....... 7 Water news ..........7 Lead sampling ..... 7 Elections ...............8 If you're in the mood to get that JUNK outta there, the City of Cottage Grove has the answer for you. Cottage Grove's annual Spring Cleanup Days will be held this year on Saturday and Sunday, May 2 and 3. Items may be brought to the Cottage Grove Public Works building, 8635 W. Point Douglas Rd., between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. on those days. This will be a chance for residents to clean out the garage, basement, or storage building and get rid of useless, broken, or unwanted items. NO HOUSEHOLD OR IN- DUSTRIAL HAZARDOUS WASTE WILL BE AC- CEPTED AT THIS TIME. Charges for individual items are listed on page 5. Wanted: Preservationist of the Year Friday, April 17, will be the deadline for nominations for the fourth annual Preservationist of the Year Award, to be presented during Historic Preservation Week May 10 -16. The Preservationist of the Year Award, initiated by the Advisory Commit - tee on Historic Preserva- tion in 1989, is a special recognition of an individ- ual or organization that has made a significant Continued on Page 2 Gardening enthusi- asts and all residents interested in beautifying Cottage Grove's parks are invited to a special meeting at 7 p.m. Mon- day, April 20, in the City Hail Council Chambers. The meeting will focus on how volunteers can beautify the city's parks by helping to plant flowers. Presenters will include master gardeners and Cottage Grove Parks Department officials. According to Master Gardener Esther Filson, the idea of beautifying the parks began with an experiment at Highlands Park three years ago, when residents worked with Parks officials to plant a perennial garden, an annual flower garden, and shrubs around the recreation building. "Superintendent of Parks Wilmer Holz worked with 13 Garden Club members and Master Gardeners to plan the designs and plant the beds," Ms. Filson said. "Area residents admired the gardens and were very protective of them. Some occasionally pulled weeds to keep the flowers thriving." At the April 20 meet- ing, Master Gardeners will Continued on Page 5 2 • • • 0 •' • The City of Cottage Grove should purchase a large tract of land that can be developed to meet a variety of athletic needs, according to a recommen- dation by a committee of city, CGAA, and Park Grove Men's Softball League representatives. "Based on current and projected growth, the task force has recommended , that the city look to acquire additional lands," Parks and Recreation Director John Fredrickson said. "The consensus of the group is to acquire a large tract of land that can be developed with multiple fa- cilities." Fredrickson said the City Council has sup- ported the recommenda- tion and has asked Parks staff to begin to identify desirable sites and re- search funding alterna- tives. O TAG OV This article is the third in a series on the workings of Cottage Grove city government. She keeps the official records of the city, including city ordinances and Council resolutions. She records all City Council meetings and maintains audio and video tapes plus written minutes of the meetings. She conducts elections — a job that includes hiring and training election judges, processing absentee ballots, testing equipment, and publishing sample ballots. And she has one of the few kinds of jobs in the state that's mandated by state statute. She's Caron Stran- sky, Cottage Grove's City Clerk. "In the eyes of the law I'm responsible for all city records," Ms. Stransky said. "Questions about city ordinances and the actions of the City Council come to my office." The City Clerk is also responsible for business licensing (including liquor, cigarette, and amusement licensing), and for licens- ing alarm systems in Cottage Grove busi- nesses and homes. Ms. Stransky said this year will be an important one for her office because of legislative redistricting. Since the entire city is already in one state legislative district (56B), it will not be directly af- fected by legislative redistricting. "However, this is an opportunity to restructure our precinct boundaries and polling places," she said. "We're going to try to equalize our precinct sizes so approximately the same number of people vote at each location." Ms. Stransky joined the city staff in November, 1981, as an administrative secretary. She was promoted to Deputy Clerk in 1987 and City Clerk in 1989. She and her husband, Dave, and two children have been active partici- pants in youth and adult sports, including softball, basketball, and kittenbail. Water main flushing to start April 13 Hydrants and water mains west of Highway 61 will be flushed April 13 through May 1. Those east of the highway will be flushed April 27 through June 12. During the flushing period, water is safe to drink. However, check for signs of discoloration before using water for washing, particularly for white clothes. To speed the process of returning to clear water after the pipes near your home have been flushed, open all cold water taps in your home and let them run for 15 to 30 minutes. Also, flush your toilets several times. This process will help flush your home's plumbing system. If emergency situations occur, such as loss of service, broken pipes, etc., please contact the Public Works Department at 458 -2808. Continued from Page 1 contribution to promoting the preservation, protec- tion, and use of Cottage Grove's historical and archeological resources. Past recipients of the award are: 1989 Ron and Jean Nlenaber(His- toric Cedar - hurst) 1990 Tom and Linda Nathan (A. H. Steen House) 1991 David and Deborah Frey (Eimer Furber House) Nominations will be judged by the Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation, the five - member citizen panel which oversees Cottage Grove's historic preserva- tion program, at a meeting in late April. The award will be presented by Mayor Jack Denzer during Preservation Week in May. All nominations should be sent to Robert Vogel, City Historic Preservation Officer, Cottage Grove City Hall, 7516 80th St. S., Cottage Grove, MN 55016. • - • • •.. • In our ongoing effort to limit the effects of Dutch Elm disease, please remember that elm logs to be used for fire- wood must be stored with bark removed from April 15 to October. This will help limit the spread of the disease by bark beetles that live under the bark of elm logs. The city forester will be looking for piles of eimwood during the next several weeks. If you are unsure if wood you have is a potential hazard, please call the forester at Public Works and he will check it out for you. All about voles This spring the melting snow has re- vealed the winter activities of the vole or meadow mouse. Protected by the heavy snow cover throughout the winter, the vole has been feeding and tunneling through our lawns. Unfortunately, the rodents are also fond of ash trees and have chewed the bark off many of these. If the tree is completely girdled, it will probably die. The tree's chance of survival in- creases as the undam- aged area increases. Pruning paint and bridge grafting can be tried to save damaged trees. To avoid damage of this sort in the future, an area of bare soil sur- rounding the tree will discourage the vole. Also, a layer of heavy screen around the base of the tree can help. If you have any questions about shade trees, call the city forester. Many times the problem is • • • Continued from Page 6 mental protection policy. We will purchase a turf pest forecaster this spring which will monitor the environment and is capable of predicting turf diseases. This will enable us to eliminate any unnecessary spraying of turf chemicals. The demands of today's golfers force us to put ever - increasing stress on our turf. Because of this, we unfortunately cannot completely elimi- nate the use of turf chemicals. When we are forced to use chemicals we strive to use products with the lowest toxicity. Many products we use are less toxic than coffee or table salt. Our goal is to be a leader in environmental awareness and protec- tion. 1 personally have a no- insecticide policy except in cases of ex- treme damage. We used no insecticides and almost no herbicides on the golf course in 1991. 1 feel the golf course industry is leading the turf industry in promoting and practicing environmentally sound turf grass manage- ment. 7 not as serious as it first appears. Sometimes immediate action can save the tree. By the way, did you know the city forester makes "tree calls" on Wednesdays through the summer? Call him if your tree needs help. Water Meter Replacement Program The city is in the process of purchasing a water meter replacement program which will give all homes outside meter reading devices. if your home already has such a device (black disk), you will not be receiving a new meter. The changeover will take place this summer. The meters will be installed by a private contractor who specializes in meter installations. We hope this does not inconvenience you in any way. Thank you for your cooperation! If you have any ques- tions, please contact Floyd Johnson, Superintendent, Cottage Grove Water Department, 458 -2808. More information will follow in upcoming issues. Reduced Water Rates The City of Cottage Grove offers reduced water rates to persons who are at least 62 years old, are retired, and live on a fixed income. If you think you might qualify, pick up a form at City Hail, 7516 80th St. S., or call Joanne Bixby at 458 -2831 for more information. Water Test: Lead Sampling Program For those of you who signed up for lead sampling, thank you for your response! The city will be choosing approximately 70 sampling sites and will contact home- owners in June to make the final arrangements. The first sampling will begin in January. We hope we can use your home as a sampling site for the next several years. The Environmental Protection Agency has not yet made a final decision as to how long this will take. Thank you! b by Tom Parent Golf Course Superinten- dent, River Oaks Avoid the "more is better" approach to fertilization. Excessive fertilization is not only hard on the environment but is a waste of money. Unless you use a high grade fertilizer or a natural organic (milorganite, Ringers, etc.) most of the product the grass can't use will either volatilize and /or leach into the soil. Excessive fertilization will also cause a large flush of growth which leaves your lawn more susceptible to disease and insect damage, not to mention having to mow more often. This will necessitate the use of chemical sprays to control these problems. Just because your lawn isn't growing like mad doesn't mean it's not healthy. Many natural organics have iron, sulfur, and minor nutrients which will give your lawn a desirable dark green color without a lot of growth. Several light applica- tions are much better than one or two large applica- tions. A slower growth rate will allow you to reduce clippings or better yet leave them and recycle the plant nutrients they contain. It is exces- sive growth — not clip- pings — which contributes to a thatch problem. which is a problem in our sandy soils. If weeds are a prob- lem in your lawn, a good fertilizer program will go a long way in reducing them. If you feel you must spray, FOLLOW AND UNDERSTAND THE LABELINSTRUC- TIONS!!! Following the label IS the law. Again, the "more is better' approach is often counterproductive: many chemicals lose their effectiveness at too high a rate. It is also wasteful and could cause unneces- sary risk to the environ- ment. Although many household cleaners and products are more toxic than most lawn care chemicals, extreme care should be taken whenever you use them. Unless you have a severe problem, avoid the use of lawn insecticides as well as those products with the skull and crossbones labels, as these are the most toxic. Most fertilizers contain Nitrogen (N), Phosphors (P), and Po- tassium (K). The three numbers on a fertilizer bag represent the per- centage (not pounds per bag) of N,P,K in the fertilizer. Phosphorus and to a lesser extent potassium are not generally consid- ered an environmental threat when applied to turf grass. Both of the ele- ments adhere tightly to soil particles and are not subject to volatilization (evaporation) or leaching (downward movement through soil due to rainfall and /or irrigation). The area we should be most concerned about is nitrogen, which in many types of home fertilizers is susceptible to both volatilization and leaching. Look for WIN When buying home lawn fertilizer, look for the letters WIN (water insol- uble nitrogen) or slow release on the ingredient label. A higher percentage of WIN or slow release nitrogen will result in a more sustained and even supply of nitrogen to your lawn. These products will cost more, but are envi- ronmentally the safest in our opinion. Lightly watering your lawn after fertilization or fertilizing just before a rain will greatly reduce volatiliza- tion. Health is good defense A strong, healthy lawn mowed at a sensible height (at least two inches) is the strongest defense against weeds and other turf problems, including drought stress Turf management at River Oaks At River Oaks we strive to reduce the environmental impact potential of fertilizers to the absolute minimum. We use a mixture of Synthetic slow release and natural organic fertilizers, with a strong preference for natural organic during the grow- ing season. These materials are more expensive, but we feel that the cost is justified to reduce envi- ronmental impact poten- tial to a minimum. This fits into our over -all environ- Continued on Page 7 The driving range at River Oaks Golf Course in Cottage Grove. - The City of Cottage Grove invites everyone with an interest in local history to participate in the tenth annual Historic Preservation Week celebration, May 10 -14. Historic Preservation Week reflects a continu- ing tradition of commit- ment to public awareness and involvement in the City of Cottage Grove. Taking place in the spring of each year, the week -long program of events is oriented toward informing the public about local history and the benefits of historic preser- vation. Preservation Week 1992 events include public lectures, talks by preservationists at local schools, an exhibition of historic documents and photographs at City Hall, presentation of the fourth annual Preservationist of the Year Award, and cable television programs. Historic Preservation Week in Cottage Grove is co- sponsored by the Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation, the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. For more information, contact City Historic Preservation Officer Robert Vogel, Cottage Grove City Hall, 7516 80th St. S., Cottage Grove (698 -8224 or 458- 2800). 3 The Human Service/ Human Rights Commis- sion thanks everyone who responded to the survey that went out with the fail issue of the Cottage Grove Reports. The survey results are being used to prioritize and accomplish the Human Service /Human Rights Commission goals. The average priority rankings (with 1 as the highest priority) are: Youth Teen Center .....1.85 Senior /Disabled Services .................. 2.11 Volunteers for Humanity ................ 2.35 Directory of Services .3.05 The Commission is pleased with the number of responses and the quality of comments. Some 161 residents responded to the survey. The Commission would be happy to hear from you if you have not yet responded, but want to participate in the survey. Please contact Diane Archer at 458 -2821 if you have any questions or comments. 112 TO 130 ral 010 F =3- A reminder: it is un- lawful for any person to use skateboards, roller skates, rollerblades, and roilerskis on any street or roadway in a commer- cial or Industrial zone; on any sidewalk or public parking lot, or in any private parking lot which is in a commer- cially or industrially zoned area; in any area within the city while being in any way propelled by any motorized vehicle or by a person on a bicycle; contrary to the laws and ordinances regulat- ing bicycles; on any roadway where the posted speed limit is in excess of 30 miles per hour. Any person violating this ordinance is guilty of a petty misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $100. Three alternatives for managing the Mississippi River corridor through the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (MNRRA) have been outlined in the MNRRA March newsletter. THE MNRRA includes 72 miles of the Mississippi River and adjacent lands, beginning with the Missis- sippi's confluence with the Crow River at Dayton, and ending with the confluence with the St. Croix River near Hastings. Planning for the river corridor is coordinated by the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Copies of the newsletter carrying the management alternatives for the river corridor are available from the Super- intendent, Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, 175 E. 5th St., Suite 418, St. Paul, MN 55101, or by calling 290 -4160. The Miss Cottage Grove Scholarship Pageant contestant search is in progress for ages 17 -23. Call Linda at 461 -2153 for more information. Hazardous duty a y of i . g • - u Listed here are some of the fees for dropping off items at the Public Works Garage during spring cleanup days. See page 1 for more information. • pickup truck .............. ..........................25.00 ITEM ................ ............................FEE • batteries (car) ............................ • box spring or mattress (single) ........... $5.00 • box spring or mattress (double) .........10.00 ✓ hot water heater ........ ...........................7.00 ✓ washer or dryer ......... ...........................7.00 • stove ......................... ...........................7.00 • freezer ....................... ...............:...........7.00 • refrigerator ................ ...........................7.00 • dishwasher ................ ...........................7.00 • microwave ................. ...........................7.00 • air conditioner .......... ..........................15.00 • sofa .......................... ..........................10.00 • chair .......................... ...........................5.00 • car trunk .................... ...........................5.00 • station wagon ........... ..........................10.00 • pickup truck .............. ..........................25.00 • car tire ....................... ...........................1.50 • truck tire ................... ..........................10.00 • tractor tire ................. ..........................25.00 • batteries (car) ............................ No Charge These rates do not apply to construction materials. Continued from Page 7 help participants with ideas on "Planning, Planting, and Caring for a Flower Garden" Parks department officials will present their ideas on plantings in the parks, and will solicit volunteers to help with the projects available. "This can be a very satisfying and rewarding experience," Ms. Filson said. 'You're meeting others with a similar interest, working on a project from its inception to completion, and admiring the results. Besides building commu- nity pride, this can be a great learning experience to take home to beautify your own home land- scape." For more information, call Parks Superintendent Wilmer Holz at 458 -2808 or Esther Filson at 459- 2190. By Jim Beane City Building Official Remember: building permits ARE needed for all improvements made to your property, including decks, patios, central air conditioning, room additions, basement finishing, fireplaces/ woodstoves, re- siding, re- roofing, swimming pools, etc. Some permits are considered maintenance for which there is no fee. Building permits for improvements to newly - constructed homes are also required. The original building permit granted to construct the home DOES NOT cover any other project. Acquiring a building permit does not auto- matically increase your property taxes. Certain projects do not raise your taxes at ail, and others very little. The reason for obtaining a building permit is to ensure that the proposed improvement is within the standards of safety and requirements set forth by the Uniform Building Code. The fee paid for the permit basically covers the cost of inspections made by the Building Inspector as your project progresses. Please note that building permits are cheap insurance for knowing that the improve- ments being made are within the standards of safety for you and your family. The assessor views every property once every four years for revaluation. Homeowners with con- cerns about being taxed for the added improve- ments will sooner or later have these items included within their value. If you are anticipating a building project, please contact the building department at City Hall. There are handouts available for many types of projects. Firefighters from around the state met in Cottage Grove last week for classroom instruction and drills related to hazardous waste material handling.