Cedar Towing may lose its license

Company waiting for issue to be resolved before moving into Longfellow

by Tesha M. Christensen

Cedar Towing intended to move into the Longfellow neighborhood last fall, but is still waiting for the city’s approval. Because its license to operate hasn’t been renewed, city staff won’t sign off on the necessary paperwork for the move from 359 Hoover Street in the University neighborhood to 3527 Dight Ave. S. in the Longfellow neighborhood.

When Cedar Towing sought to renew its operating license in September 2011, the city initiated an investigation into their business practices.

Although the attorney’s office declined to press criminal charges in December, Minneapolis has announced its intention to deny the company’s license to operate because of numerous code violations, including overcharging customers and allowing its own employee to authorize tows from private property. It has allowed the company to operate since September until these issues are resolved.

Cedar Towing is the city’s largest of five towing companies. In 2008, Cedar Towing agreed to pay $1,341 in fines for various violations, some of the same ones the company is accused of repeating in 2011.

CEDAR TOWING’S OPTIONS

A letter written to Cedar Towing President Julie Rodriquez by Dana Banwer of Minneapolis’ licensing and environmental services division on Jan. 26, 2012 laid out three options for the company. One, surrender its business license. Two, acknowledge the violations did occur and allow the Minneapolis City Council to determine if any adverse license action should be taken such as the revocation or denial of Cedar’s business license, suspensions, administrative fines or additional business license operating conditions. Or three, opt to have the case be presented to an administrative law judge.

 “The city believes that we have the evidence to back up what we said in the letter to them,” noted Minneapolis Licenses Division Manager Grant Wilson. “We are not making stuff up. We believe these things are true or we would not have taken this road.”

Based on evidence gathered during a search warrant, the city believes Cedar Towing overcharged customers by $88,424.50 between Jan. 1, 2011 and Oct. 18, 2011. “We suspect this has been going on for a number of years,” Wilson stated.

The current towing fee set by the city’s ordinance is $212. The storage fee is $28 a day. Cedar Towing has been charging the storage fee on the first day a vehicle is towed, rather than beginning on the second day as stated in the city ordinance. Rasmus argued, “There is no language in the service fee section of the Ordinance (section 349.270) that suggests in any way that storage fees may not be charged on the first day of a tow, or that a licensee must wait until after midnight of the day a vehicle is towed to charge storage fees,” argued Rasmus.

Representatives from the city and Cedar Towing met on Thursday, Feb. 9. Cedar Towing asked for one week to decide which option to pursue (go before the city council or an administrative law judge). They were given a deadline of Feb. 17, according to Wilson.

“We’re working with the city to resolve these issues and we’re hopeful,” stated Cedar Towing’s attorney Dan Rasmus.

RELOCATION INTO LONGFELLOW

Cedar Towing’s business operations include service tows, motor club towing/services, impound towing, jump starts, lock-outs, winching, tire changes and gas fills. Cedar Towing also provides snow plowing services, lot sweeping and a striping service. The business holds an Auto Lien Auction most Tuesdays at 11 a.m.

The announcement last fall that Cedar Towing intended to move into the Longfellow neighborhood was met with some trepidation as neighbors expressed concerns about whether the impound lot would generate crime, lower property values and increase noise and traffic. Others were pleased that the building that once housed John’s Welding Service would be used again, and that outside art on the property would be preserved.

To move into the vacant property, Cedar Towing asked the city to remove the pedestrian-oriented overlay on the property, which prohibited a towing company. It also asked for a conditional use permit and a variance of the off-street parking requirement. The city’s planning division recommended that the city deny Cedar Towing’s request as it does not match the city’s comprehensive plan. However, Planning Commission members approved it at the Aug. 29, 2011 meeting and it was subsequently approved by the City Council at its Sept. 2 meeting. Before moving into the Dight Ave. location, Cedar Towing was required to comply with various landscaping and site conditions, including the remodel of the building to create a front entrance off Dight Ave.

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SIDEBAR

VIOLATIONS AND RESPONSES

The following are a list of violations alleged by the city, followed Cedar Towing’s response provided to the city via a letter written by attorney Dan Rasmus.

1) Charging towing service fees in excess of those allowed by the city’s ordinances.

Cedar’s attorney Dan Rasmus pointed out that the service fee provision in the ordinance places a cap of service fees but it does not state that storage fees can’t be charged. “There is no language in the service fee section of the Ordinance (section 349.270) that suggests in any way that storage fees may not be charged on the first day of a tow, or that a licensee must wait until after midnight of the day a vehicle is towed to charge storage fees,” argued Rasmus.

2) Failure to accept credit cards as a form of payment on all days of the week.

Ramsus pointed out that Cedar Towing was having trouble with its credit card providers during a “small number of weekends” which made it unable to accept credit card payments. However, the situation has been resolved.

3) Conducting private impound towing services from private parking lots where there are no entrance warning signs posted.

According to Rasmus, this allegation involves a lot Cedar Towing shared responsibility over with another company. Because Cedar Towing didn’t own the lot, it couldn’t post a sign. “There was no intentional violation of the ordinance when vehicles were towed by Cedar Towing,” Rasmus stated.

4) Conducting private impound towing services without proper authorization.

“Cedar Towing strives to prevent tows from lots where signs are not posted or where alleged non-compliant signs are in place,” stated Rasmus. “Any alleged violations of this provision were unintentional.”

5) Conducting private impound towing services without completing a tow order form as required. (This violation is a repeat from August 2007.)

This allegation involves a disagreement between the city and Cedar Towing about what information should be released to vehicle owners, according to Rasmus. Cedar Towing expressed concerns about releasing the contact information of lot owners to vehicle owners, fearing that such information would be used by vehicle owners to retaliate against the lot owners. Rasmus stated that a new form was developed to protect lot owners from harm, and to his knowledge, “all parties are satisfied with the current use of this form.” 

6) Providing remuneration to parking lot operators in the form of parking lot security patrol services.

It can be unsafe for property lot owners to deal with individuals whose vehicles are about to be towed, stated Rasmus. “The work is better left to trained tow operators.”

7) Failure to immediately transport private impounded vehicles to a licensed storage facility. (This violation is a repeat from August 2007.)

“There were unique circumstances surrounding the alleged practice that led to a citation,” stated Rasmus. He added that this issue was already addressed and resolved by a Consent Degree in December 2010.

This story was printed in the March 2012 edition of the Longfellow/Nokomis Messenger.

Give input on Keewaydin park plan March 6

Parks department working to relocate pool and playground

by Tesha M. Christensen

Check out the new design for the Keewaydin Park on Tuesday, March 6, 2012 at 7 p.m. The meeting will be held at the Keewaydin Park Recreation Center, 3030 E. 53rd St.

Since gathering input from community residents during a meeting Jan. 21, Minneapolis Parks and Recreation staff has been working on a new master plan for the park. The expansion of Lake Nokomis Community School’s Keewaydin  Campus has prompted this redesign, as the existing playground and wading pool are on school-owned land and will need to be relocated. The park board supported building to the south in order to preserve the athletic fields on the east.

“I greatly appreciate that over 35 members of the Keewaydin community came out for the Keewaydin Park workshop,” said Fifth District Commissioner Carol Kummer. “This level of participation shows how much people care about this park.”

WHAT DO COMMUNITY RESIDENTS WANT?

Some common themes expressed during the Jan. 21 meeting were replacing the play equipment and water features; aligning the fields to better serve youth softball, baseball and soccer; and saving the trees and as much green space as possible, stated Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board Manager of Public Engagement and Citywide Planning Jennifer Ringold.

“We were impressed with the level of similarity in the features desired by the participants,” stated Ringold.

Some wanted a new tennis court. The former ones were removed in 2007 because they were in poor condition, not because they weren’t getting used. It will cost between $50,000 - $75,000 to install a single tennis court.

While some of the existing items can be moved to another spot at the park, others, such as the main play structure, much of the equipment in the Pre-K container, the seesaw, and the spring animals can’t. They are nearing the end of their life expectancy, explained Ringold. A playground generally lasts about 20 years. “The larger play structure, although faded, and Galaxy Spica spinners for the older children are in good condition and can be moved. It is probably more economical to replace the swings.  However, the safety zone for swings are big consumers of space; we might not have room to replace these,” she added.

Additionally, the park board won’t reuse any equipment that doesn’t meet existing safety and handicap-accessible standards.

The estimated cost for a new wading pool/splash pad is $500,000, and a new playground will cost about $300,000.

The athletic fields have drainage issues and could also use renovation, which would cost about $200,000, according to Ringold.

The fields are used most heavily for soccer; last year there were eight teams with 91 participants. They are also used for baseball and softball. Over the last three years, soccer and baseball enrollment has stayed steady. The number of softball teams dropped from four teams to two teams in 2011. However, all four existing field are in poor condition, damaged by heavy use and ice sheets. They are no longer flooded for ice skating in the winter.

Jay Larson, a member of the school steering committee, attended the park meeting in January. He said it was reassuring for him to hear that the pool would likely have been replaced by the park board within the next few years, and that the playground equipment was nearing the end of its life expectancy.

“After this meeting, and as a Keewaydin resident who lives only a couple of blocks from the park, I feel much better about the school and park’s decision to partner and move forward with the demolition and rebuild of Keewaydin’s playground and pool,” Larson stated.

“I will admit, being a parent of three young children who use Keewaydin park almost daily during the warmer months and having to possibly live without a park for a summer or two will be rough.  However, we will simply walk a few more blocks away and be able to utilize other nearby parks with playground equipment and wading pool (such as Hiawatha or Nokomis).”

WHERE WILL THE MONEY COME FROM?

The parks department has not yet identified where the money to move and/or purchase new playground equipment and a pool will come from. According to Ringold, the parks department has budgeted $500,000 total to split between the service area of Morris, McRea, and Pearl in 2013. “We expect some of this funding will help with improvements for Keewaydin,” Ringold stated. “We will also be working with other possible funders and looking for grants after the master planning is complete.”

Will Keewaydin School allocate some of its $16 million construction budget for the playground? Until the steering committee finalizes the design and receives estimates, the school doesn’t know what its budget will cover, according to Larson. “The current playground and pool just south of the school is a priority for the committee and much discussion is happening in/around what to do,” he remarked.

Keewaydin School has not yet identified when the playground will be removed to accommodate the construction project. Construction is slated to begin as soon as classes let out in June.

Larson observed that at this time, “We do not know how the construction timeline will lay out and how this will effect recess time for the students at Keewaydin.  However, it is most likely that students will be re-directed to another location for recess during construction.”

WHAT’S NEXT?

At the March 6 meeting, attendees will review the concepts developed based on the Jan. 21 meeting and identify the community’s preferred plan. This preferred plan will become the master plan that is presented to the Board of Commissioners for approval. Park staff anticipate bringing the master plan to the Board of Commissioners in April.

For further information, visit the park project page on the MPRB website: http://www.minneapolisparks.org/default.asp?PageID=1320.

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SIDEBARS

COMMENTS FROM RESIDENTS

Thirty-five residents attended a planning session about the park on Jan. 21. Here are some of their comments:

• This is a young child playground.

• Basketball is available at the great new school. Place court on school property.

• Keep the rec center separate from the school; it is in good condition and serves its purpose well. The space is adequate for young kids.

• Preserve the sledding hills on the east side: they are used a ton and they are the only sledding hills near this neighborhood.

• Preserve the green space. Keep as many trees as possible.

• Maintain the diversity of activities in the park for children from Pre-K to grades K-8.

• Keep all play areas close together and seating/picnic areas close to the play structures.

• Create parking sufficient for evening activities. Consider street parking impact on neighborhood).

HISTORY OF KEEWAYDIN PARK

1927 - City and school district agree to cooperate on the purchase and use of a new school and playground, which would generate a “substantial saving” to the city.

1929 - Playing fields, skating and hockey rinks in use.

1932 - Four tennis courts and concrete wading pool finished. The playground was located where it currently is, while the pool was where the Rec Center is today. There were four tennis courts in the southeast corner.

1972 - Recreation center opened. Four tennis courts reduced to two. Parking lot, playgrounds, hard surface court, and wading pool are in current locations.

2000 - The school board contributed

$30,000, the Nokomis East Neighborhood Association contributed $70,000 and the MPRB contributed $200,000 to replace the playground, improve the wading pool and resurface the basketball area.

2007 - Tennis courts removed due to poor condition. The use of the athletic fields for skating has been discontinued.

Information courtesy of Deborah Bartels of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board.


This story was printed in the March 2012 edition of the Longfellow/Nokomis Messenger.

Keewaydin addition will go south

Park board working to figure out what to do about the playground, wading pool that will be displaced

by Tesha M. Christensen

What will the $16 million addition at Keewaydin look like? Community members looked at a preliminary design for the first time on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012.

While the design presented will be refined over the next three months, the decision has been made to build to the south of the building. This will displace the wading pool and playgrounds currently on the property. However, it means that the baseball and soccer fields will remain untouched.

Community member Michele Honderick stated that in this tough economic time, “We cannot afford to actually replace the equipment we already have in place.” She asked why the decision to build south was made, and expressed support for an addition on the east.

Minneapolis Park Board Planner Jennifer Ringold explained why the park department supported a school addition on the south side, even though it means displacing the existing playground and wading pool. “This wasn’t an easy decision,” she said.

Ringold noted that the existing fields are well used. If they were moved south, it would place them too close to the park building. A playground costs about $300,000 to replace, and a wading pool about $500,000; a building is much more expensive, she said.

The lifespan of a playground is 20 years, Ringold pointed out. The existing playground, installed with funds from the school, the park and the Nokomis East Neighborhood Association, was built 13 years ago. The wading pool was installed in 1970 and is already 40 years old.

The playground and the pool “are the ones that will reach their life expectancies the fastest,” she said.

The park department held a meeting on Saturday, Jan. 21 to solicit input from community members about priorities at the park. From those comments, a new master plan for the park will be created. The new plan will be reviewed by the park board in February.

The parks department has not yet identified where the money to move and/or purchase new playground equipment and a pool will come from.

Ringold noted that as the parks department evaluates whether it can merely move the existing playground equipment, it must consider whether the equipment would survive the move. Additionally, the equipment must meet existing safety and handicap-accessible standards. The parks department had not yet determined whether the existing equipment meet those criteria, but Ringold said it was likely the items for younger children could be successfully moved.

Keewaydin Principal Jane Ellis noted that from the start, the number one issue for the building steering committee has been the playground and wading pool.

“We want that playground back,” agreed Doug Walters of the Nokomis East Neighborhood Association.

A BIGGER SCHOOL

Keewaydin’s space will double with the new addition. As presented on Jan. 19, the majority of the $16 million available for the project will be used to construct new space. Targeted areas in the existing structure will be remodeled. Work will start as soon as this school year ends and be finished the summer of 2013.

A key part of the plan is that there will be an educational wing and a public wing. The education wing (located in the existing structure) can be locked at night when the performance space and gymnasium in the addition are being used.

“Our goal is to create 21st century middle school-grade classrooms and instructional spaces,” observed Dave Richards, a Minneapolis Public Schools capital planning staff member.

“What we’re doing here is we’re closing the gap,” explained Richards. “The gap has widened in the recent years.” The school will be brought up to current Educational Index Improvement standards with this project. Richards noted that the age of the kids served in the building has changed since it was constructed in 1928, as well as the programs themselves. One example is performance spaces. Whereas once they were only found in high school, now they are included in middle schools.

An audience member questioned whether there are enough students to warrant an addition. Richards remarked that the 2010 Census data shows that enrollment is increasing. “There are simply more kids in the area,” he said.

Will taxes rise because of this project? The cost will be paid by bonds, Richards explained. “The impact on property taxes will be zero.”

He added that changes to school buildings within the Minneapolis Public School system has never negatively affected property values of homes next to them.

Keewaydin parent and project steering committee member Jay Larson pointed out that the biggest issue in planning meetings has been the existing 84- by 50-foot gymnasium. “It’s very hard to teach students in this space,” remarked Keewadin Athletic Director Jennifer Dowzak. The new addition will include a competition-size gym that can be divided into two areas. It will seat 250 spectators.

“The goal is much more than an educational building,” stated Jay Larson. “It’s an opportunity for this community to come together.”

Matt Musich’s son attends Keewaydin. “I’m really excited about this project,” he stated. “This is an investment in our community for the long term.”

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SIDEBAR

Highlights of the school project

Architect Elena Peltsman of RSP Architects presented preliminary details of the project design during the Jan. 19 community meeting. Highlights include:

• The new addition will not be taller than the existing building, but will be about 30 to 31 feet tall.

• Based on the request of the student council, there will be a commons area for students to hang out in.

• The existing courtyard will be enclosed rather than filled in so that the classroom will retain natural light from the windows facing the courtyard.

• The administration area will be moved to the new facility, next to the new entrance to serve as gatekeepers and increase safety and security at the school.

• A designated bus area will be carved out of the east side of the building to ease traffic and congestion concerns on the street.

• Bathrooms will be part of the addition that will be big enough to serve the gym and performance space. It is not yet know if the existing bathrooms will be remodeled.

• The existing parking lots on both the north and the south will remained; the south side will be expanded slightly from 20 parking spots to 28.

• On the south side of the building, a hard surface play area with basketball hoops will be constructed. In the future, that space could be used for another addition, possibly as parks and recreation space.

• The existing gym will become a general music room.

• The current kitchen and lunchroom will be turned into an art room.

• The performance space and gym will be located in the center of the building so that rooms on the edges of the building can take advantage of window space. 

This story printed in the February edition of the Longfellow/Nokomis Messenger. http://longfellownokomismessenger.com/

Xcel power lines will go underground, Hiawatha West substation design not yet determined

Longfellow residents pushed for high-profile design to minimize disruption of trees planted at Hiawatha and 28th Street

by Tesha M. Christensen

Neighborhood advocates are pleased with the Public Utilities Commission 4-1 vote to require Xcel Energy to place high voltage lines underground along 28th Street rather than overhead along the Midtown Greenway.

“We’re thrilled with the news that the power lines will be buried under 28th street.  It’s been a long struggle, over many years,” said Midtown Greenway Coalition Executive Director Soren Jensen.

“Our coalition brought neighborhood groups together to provide a unified voice against the lines in the Greenway,” he added. “We hired an attorney, and worked together with the neighborhood groups to oppose the lines in the Greenway.”

The decision about the power lines was made following a day of testimony on Jan. 10, 2012 and another meeting on Jan. 12, ending a three-year permitting process.

In addition to placing two 115-kilovolt transmission lines underground for 1.5 miles, two distribution substations will be built on either end, one in the Longfellow neighborhood at Hiawatha and 28th Street. The entire project will cost $40 million.

The commission delayed deciding who will pay for the additional $13 million cost of burying the lines for another six months to gather more public input and information. It may be split between Xcel customers in Minneapolis, customers in Hennepin County or the total Xcel customer base.

Construction will be complete in 2014. The lines will be placed as close as possible to the middle of 28th Street, which will remain partially open during construction.

DESTRUCTION OF GREEN SPACE

Longfellow Community Council  (LCC) Housing and Environment Coordinator Spencer Agnew spoke during the Jan. 10 public hearing on behalf of the LCC. The community council joined with other neighborhood organizations to support placing two 115-kilovolt transmission lines underground. That line will run through the Phillips neighborhood from Hiawatha to Oakland Avenue South.

Agnew pointed out, “All of the impacted neighborhoods opposed the placement of the Hiawatha Substation on the Hiawatha West site. The Hiawatha West site had been the focus of neighborhood planning and investment for years to develop a community green space.”

The neighborhood council had pushed for the substation to be located off Hiawatha at 32nd Street, in an area that is currently empty.

The land on the east side of the Sabo bridge has been the focus of Arbor Day tree-planting events in an effort to transform the “brown space” into “green space.”

According to Longfellow Community Council Environment and Transportation Committee member Eric Hart, when the Sabo Midtown Greenway Bridge over Hiawatha Avenue was built in 2007, the entire area on the east side of Hiawatha Avenue from 26th Street south to the railroad tracks was identified as green space and a gateway area to the bridge and the Longfellow/Seward section of the Midtown Greenway.

Midtown Community Works Partnership (MCWP), a coalition of government entities, the Midtown Greenway Coalition, and private businesses with a presence along the Midtown Greenway, organized Arbor Day tree plantings in the space in both 2008 and 2009. During the first year, the area closest to the Sabo Bridge was planted with 234 trees and shrubs by over 200 volunteers. The next year, the group focused on the area where Hiawatha substation will be constructed. Approximately 150 volunteers planted 258 trees and shrubs there in April 2009.

In addition to loss of green space and conflicts with 10 years of land use planning, the Hiawatha West site has the following problems, according to Agnew:

• A Hiawatha West substation is very close to affordable housing – the substation design could affect noise as well as views from adjacent apartments.

• A Hiawatha West substation would be visible from both the Midtown Greenway and the new $5.2 million Sabo Bridge, providing visual impacts both on trail users and LRT passengers at the gateway to south Minneapolis.

•  A “low profile” substation could use up the entire site, preventing replacement of trees and green space and also preventing development of a planned bike trail connection from the Greenway to Lake Street.

Longfellow and other neighborhood parties requested specific mitigation measures if the Hiawatha West site were determined to be the only feasible choice for a substation:

1. That the high-profile smaller footprint of the substation be used to protect the Greenway and trail extension to Lake Street.

2. That connecting high voltage lines and feeder lines be placed underground to reduce impacts.

3. That an artist should be involved in the design of the substation and consideration given to using berms and digging below grade to reduce visual impacts.

4. That walls should surround all four sides of the substation and that walls be made graffiti resistant, potentially by planting vegetation to cover them.

5. That plantings and landscaping consistent with the Midtown Greenway landscaping plan be provided on all four sides of the substation.

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission did not explicitly adopt any of these specific items recommended by the Longfellow Community Council; however, it did adopt those made by Administrative Law Judge Beverly Jones Heydinger with a few slight changes:

“The substation shall be designed and constructed to minimize the impact of the project on the persons living and working in close proximity to it to the extent practicable. The HVTL Route Permit shall contain procedures which allow an opportunity for the parties of record to provide input into a) placement of the Hiawatha West Substation on the approved site, b) the substation’s wall design, lighting and landscaping. These efforts will be made to minimize disruption to the current and planned Midtown Greenway bicycle and pedestrian trails, to minimize the aesthetic impact, and assure compatibility with the surrounding structures to the extent practicable.”

The first opportunity to impact design will be offered to the city and county, not community organizations or the public, according to former Midtown Greenway Coalition Executive Director Tim Springer. “However, there may be opportunities for community members or a few individuals representing them to engage with the process in round one if invited to do so by city or county elected officials.”

Hart stated, “We are disappointed that other locations were not looked at further or a different configuration on the site that Xcel wanted was not worked out that would minimize damage to the plantings.

“The conditions that were put in place by the [Administrative Law] Judge are to our liking and LCC looks forward to working with Xcel Energy and other relevant organizations to make the substation as acceptable as it could be given its size and configuration.”

NEED FOR TRANSMISSION LINE

The Hiawatha Transmission Line will carry 55 megawatts of power, enough to serve 50,000 customers. According to the certificate of need filed by Xcel, the Hiawatha Project will provide the transmission capacity needed to maintain reliable service to the area and to support continued economic development in the future. Energy demand has increased due to the development of the Midtown Exchange, the construction of high-density development along the lightrail corridor, and improvements along the Chicago Avenue corridor by Abbott Northwestern and Children’s Hospitals.

Xcel maintains, “The Hiawatha Project will provide the transmission capacity needed to maintain reliable service to the area and to support continued economic development in the future.”

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ABOUT THE HIAWATHA TRANSMISSION PROJECT

• Xcel initially applied for a permit on April 24, 2009 to construct two new 115 kV single circuit transmission lines approximately 1.5 miles in length and two new distribution substations in the Midtown District.

• The Hiawatha Substation will be approximately 2.25 acres in size. It will be located on the east side of Hiawatha Avenue slightly south of the intersection of Hiawatha Avenue and East 28th Street. Currently this site is an open area owned by the Minnesota Department of Transportation, no business relocation would be needed.

The estimated cost for construction of the Hiawatha West substation site is $14.3 million.

• The underground transmission lines shall be placed in a concrete duct system. The underground line will require two identical concrete duct banks, containing four 6-inch PVC conduits for transmission circuits and two 2-inch PVC conduits for ground continuity and communication needs.

THE ISSUES

• Magnetic field exposure to residents and Midtown Greenway trail users in the area if the lines were above ground.

• Disruption of Midtown Greenway aesthetics if high voltage lines were erected on the trail.

• Loss of trees planted by volunteers on the east side of the Sabo Bridge if the Hiawatha West substation was built there.

• Disruption of planned trail connection from the Greenway to Lake Street by the Hiawatha West substation building.

• Cost to residents: who will pay the increased $13 million cost to run the power lines underground? Minneapolis residents or Xcel’s entire customer base?

Story printed in the February edition of the Longfellow/Nokomis Messenger. longfellownokomismessenger.com

THREE-YEAR BATTLE WITH LICE ENDS AT MINNESOTA LICE LADY SALON

Minnesota Lice Lady opens salon in Edina to serve Greater Metro area

EDINA, MINN -- Liz Ferron finally found peace of mind after visiting the Minnesota Lice Lady’s newly opened salon in Edina, Minn.

Ferron, a social worker from Minnetonka, and her 10-year-old daughter, Angela, had been battling lice off and on for three long years. “It’s very time consuming and stressful,” Ferron stated.

Ferron was relieved that someone else was handling her daughter’s latest lice infestation. When she walked out of the Minnesota Lice Lady’s salon after the follow-up treatment, she knew that her long ordeal with lice was over; her daughter’s head was clean and so was hers.

One of the things Ferron appreciates most about Minnesota Lice Lady Gonne Asser (it’s pronounced Honnah and reflects her Dutch ancestry) is that she not only eradicates lice in one treatment, but also is well educated about lice, and willingly shares her knowledge of the bugs. “I really like her thoroughness,” Ferron said. The Minnesota Lice Lady never asks clients to comb out at home and guarantees her service for 30 days.

"We are the experts and take on full responsibility to eradicate the infestation," said Asser, a St. Paul resident.

Asser wants parents to know they’re not in this fight alone.

There is a way to combat lice that doesn’t involve the use of harmful and dangerous chemicals.

There is a method out there that guarantees success. It’s the one the Minnesota Lice Lady uses. With the Shepherd Method of Strand by Strand Lice Removal, each head is first sprayed with enzymes and then combed out thoroughly with a professional grade nit comb.  A thorough nitpicking comes next as each strand of hair is examined one by one. Then, just to be sure the nits are gone, the Minnesota Lice Lady does a second visual check and a final comb-out. The four-step process with built-in safety nets typically takes one and a half hours for boys and two and half for girls, depending on how much hair a person has and the severity of the infestation. Within a week, clients return for a follow-up visit.

The Minnesota Lice Lady is so confident in her work that she offers a 30-day guarantee. If you get lice again within a month, treatment is free. “I couldn’t sleep if you had nits or lice on your head after seeing us,” said Asser, who treats clients throughout the Greater Metro area.

The Minnesota Lice Lady also works with clients to identify where the lice originated, and encourages friends, classmates, relatives and others to get their heads checked and treated if they have lice.

But don’t worry. She won’t be pushing any of her services on you or trying to get you to buy an armful of products that you don’t really need. Asser’s goal is to educate and to help parents -- not profit off their ignorance.

Her treatments are as much about helping families combat the myths around lice as they are about eradicating the lice itself.

“Our mission is to take responsibility for people’s lice infestations so that people can get on with their lives,” said Asser.

“After you come see us, you’ll be done with lice for good.”

ABOUT THE MINNESOTA LICE LADY

Let the Minnesota Lice Lady, Gonne Asser (it’s pronounced Honnah and reflects her Dutch ancestry), take those lousy worries away. She’s glad to help. In fact, she’s been aiding moms in the fight against lice for over eight years. After a friend helped her treat her children, Asser decided to pay it forward and help others. A year ago, the St. Paul resident launched into nitpicking full time to help as many families as she can. She continues to incorporate research and cutting-edge techniques. The Minnesota Lice Lady is the only company in Minnesota using the Shepherd Method of Strand by Strand Lice Removal, the most effective and thorough lice removal process available. The Minnesota Lice Lady has recently opened a salon at 3940 Sunnyside Road in Edina, and offers in-home visits throughout the Greater Metro Area. To schedule an appointment or get more information on natural treatment options, call 612-564-0678, email mnlicelady@gmail.com or browse mnlicelady.com.

SIDEBARS

LICE FACTS FROM THE MINNESOTA LICE LADY

• Head lice are completely dependent upon our heads in order to live. If they don’t get a blood meal within 24 hours (less for young lice), they will die.

• Lice do not live in the environment. In fact, they don’t want to leave your head. “It’s the perfect nest,” stated Asser that provides the right living conditions for lice. Once on your head, their legs lock onto a strand of hair. This makes it very unlikely that the lice will fall off in your house. “The bugs are not on the couch or the carpet or the American Girl dolls,” said Asser.

• Yes, you can have lice and not itch. Half of the people affected by lice show no outward signs, Asser noted.

• To eliminate lice, it is necessary to focus on the head, not on your environment.

• Most moms reach for the chemicals when they realize they need to treat a lice outbreak. “We’re so overwhelmed,” Asser observed. But what most moms don’t realize is that these chemicals can have many dangerous side effects, such as liver failure. Plus, lice are becoming resistant to these pesticides. Products such as Rid and Nix are only 44 to 46% effective. Even the home-remedies such as olive oil are only 60 to 70% effective.

WHAT MAKES THE MINNESOTA LICE LADY DIFFERENT?

• 30-day guarantee -- The Minnesota Lice Lady promises that if you get lice again within 30 days, she’ll provide treatment for free.

• Shepherd Strand-by-Strand approach -- The Minnesota Lice Lady uses the most effective and thorough lice removal process available.

• Relaxing salon environment -- Once you step into the salon in Edina, you’ll immediately breath easier. Tomorrow, you can forget you ever had lice.

• No-push products policy -- The Minnesota Lice Lady doesn’t want to sell you a bunch of products you don’t need, such as a specific house cleaner or spray that is guaranteed to keep lice away. 

Addition to double Keewaydin School

See construction plans at Jan. 19 meeting

by Tesha M. Christensen

Keewaydin School, the upper campus of Lake Nokomis Community School, will double its space next year during a $16 million building project.

Between 39,000 to 45,000 square feet will be added, likely on the south side of the building. While the district has also considered building out on the east side, many community members have expressed concerns about losing the baseball fields there.

Building to the south will mean the playground, basketball courts and pool will need to be relocated; they are currently on Minneapolis Public School land, as is half of the Keewaydin community center building. There is empty space on the east side of the Minneapolis Parks building because the tennis courts were removed from there several years ago. The parks department plans to move the playground to that space.

Keewaydin Principal Jane Ellis wants community members to know that the school is trying to be respectful of their needs, as well as of parent’s and student’s. One of the items in the plan, bump-out curbs on 30th Avenue, is meant to ease a long-standing complaint by residents about congestion on that road when buses are picking up and dropping off students.

The details of the building project are still being worked out. Many focus group meetings were held in December, as was a community meeting on Dec. 15. Another community meeting is slated for Jan. 19 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Minutes of each meeting are posted on the school’s web site. For those that can’t attend the meetings, there is a form on the school’s web site to fill out.

At the meetings, parents, students, teachers and community members shared items to add to a wish list. From there, the ideas went to the construction site team, which then passed them onto the steering committee. The final decision on what the addition will look like rests with the school board, which will vote on the plan in March.

Right now, Ellis anticipates that the existing facility, built in 1928, will continue to house the classrooms while the new section will have the multi-use and arts space.

After evaluating the various wishes  of all stakeholders, the architects will create a plan. A tentative design will be presented to the community at the Jan. 19 meeting.

“It really is about matching needs with spaces,” Ellis stated.

The school district has identified the 83-year-old building as deficient in a number of areas according to state and national standards. At 2,500 square feet, the gymnasium is the smallest in the city, noted Ellis. The new space will be 7,000 square feet, not including gym storage and office space. (See sidebar for more details on what will be included in the building project.)

“I feel that a gymnasium for the middle-school grades is critical,” noted Jay Larson, a Nokomis East resident with two children at Lake Nokomis Community School. He is also a member of the construction site committee. “Students that are interested in high school sports (and beyond) must have the opportunity to prepare for these sports during middle school.  I also know that students who are interested in band, choir or symphony prepare for high school during these middle school years.  Currently, Keewaydin is unable to offer these opportunities due to the fact that these spaces do not exist.”

The goal six years ago was an addition that would incorporate a community center, Ellis noted. To provide additional multi-purpose and gymnasium space, as well as make renovations at Keewaydin’s sister school Wennonah, Keewaydin had asked the school board for $24 million.

Although the plan has changed, the building will be arranged in such a way that Minneapolis parks could opt to add on in the future. This is not currently in the parks department five-year plan, however.

“The idea is that much of the new space being built will also be available for evening and weekend for community education use and for park and recreation use,” noted Larson. “I feel strongly that my neighbors and area residents will benefit from the new spaces that are being built.”

Ellis pointed out that the district hasn’t invested in capital projects in the last nine years. The last big project was at Burroughs in 2002.

The district plans to solicit bids on the Keewaydin project in April, with construction commencing in June 2012. Most of the work will be done by August 2013. During the school year next year, Ellis anticipates that students will move around some in order to accommodate the building project. Some work, such as tearing out the wall between the old and the new, will be completed on the weekend.

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SIDEBAR

PIECES OF THE PROJECT

By remodeling the existing building (10% of project) and adding on (90% of project), Keewaydin will be brought up to state and national middle schools standards. The most critical Educational Index Improvements that are being addressed include:

• Gymnasium: 7,000 sf

• Gym storage and office: 800 sf

• Performance spaces: 4,600 sf

• Lumch room spaces: 5,817 sf

• 2 Science classrooms: 3,000 sf

• 2 Computer labs: 1,800 sf

• Vocal/music classroom: $1,500 sf

• Offices: 1,000 sf

• Estimated cost per square foot: $365-380

• Proposed project budget: $16 million

Story printed in the January 2012 edition of the Longfellow/Nokomis Messenger.

New day for Minneapolis schools

Howe and Folwell to reopen to serve growing student body

by Tesha M. Christensen

It’s a new day for Minneapolis Public Schools, according to Area B Parent Liaison Kristin Berg Thompson.

While a few years ago it was shuttering schools, now the district is reopening some and adding on to others in the northeast, south and southwest areas of the city.

At its Nov. 29, 2011 meeting, the Board of Education approved nearly all the pieces of a plan it had reviewed earlier that month to address increasing enrollment in the district.

Howe will be reopened in 2013-2014  to serve as a PreK-5 dual campus with Hiawatha Community School. 

Additionally, Folwell will be reopened to house the Ramsey Arts Magnet School for the 2012-2013 school year. A new 6-8 middle school will be created in the Ramsey building for the Lyndale Elementary School and Burroughs Community School attendance areas.

Speaking on behalf of Area B, Berg Thompson stated that the area is excited to welcome Ramsey Arts Magnet. She pointed out that 70% of students who currently attend that school live closer to the Folwell site.

Melissa Erjavac is happy that the school board addressed the space problem before being in the throes of it. Her son is a second grader at Hiawatha. “I am happy that, with this decision, he will not be subjected to over-crowding,” she stated.

The district plans to use a variety of funds to pay for the changes.

Board member Hussein Samatar, who resides in Phillips neighborhood and serves on the finance committee, was the only one who voted against the changes. He explained that his nay vote wasn’t because he doesn’t want to see schools reopened or that he doesn’t think the district shouldn’t prepare for this growth. Samatar’s issues with the plan center around finances.

First, the estimates for reopening Howe ranged from between $2 to 4.6 million. Hussein wanted more solid numbers. In contrast, reopening Cooper, .7 miles away from Howe, would have been less (although that figure was never specified).

Additionally, the estimated cost to reopen Folwell is $9 million; Hussein said he wasn’t convinced that moving 1,000 students from Ramsey to Folwell was the best option academically for that pricetag.

“I know we don’t have the money to overspend,” Hussein stated.

Looking ahead, the district faces a structural deficit he believes will manifest itself in the next year or two. This will be a problem if the district maintains its current levels of spending (or increases it) without a corresponding increase in income.

Neighborhood resident Steve Warnke also questions why Cooper was not reopened, considering the various improvements made to the building before it was closed. “It would make more sense to use Cooper after the extensive amount of work put into it,” he stated.

Other neighborhood residents, such as Hilary Oppmann, expressed were delighted that Howe will be reopening.

“That is the best possible outcome,” Oppmann said. “It’s a beautiful building and good to have more school options in the neighborhood. MPS could never afford to build a building like Howe now, and I hated the idea that it might be torn down, losing the ability to ever use it again as a school, as well as possibly giving up that large public green space.”

Sarah Nassif has worked for six years to find a new use for the vacant Howe building. She heard the news it would be reopening as a school firsthand at the board meeting. “Wow,” she thought. “I can’t believe six years of work have finally paid off and we have our school back! Hooray!”

“I would like to thank Council Member Sandy Colvin Roy, the Longfellow Community Center staff, and Howe neighbors for volunteering such an incredible amount of time and expertise over the years to keep Howe a vital concern in our neighborhood,” Nassif said. “Together we raised awareness about a beautiful fixture in our neighborhood and saved it for ourselves and future residents to use and enjoy. That is a real impact we can be proud of.”

Printed in the January edition of the Longfellow/Nokomis Messenger.