News from the City of Lake Elmo
July 13,  2018
Meetings next week:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Monday, July 16th: Parks Commission Meeting 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, July 17th: Finance Committee Meeting 4:00 p.m.
Tuesday, July 17th: City Council Meeting 7:00 p.m.


Links to the 2018 City Meetings, Agendas and Meeting Minutes: 

City Meetings
 
                                                                               

7/16/18 Parks Commission Meeting Agenda


7/17/18 City Council Meeting Agenda


Dog Barking Nuisances Reported

City staff has received several complaints of dogs barking recently. Per City code, barking dogs can be considered a nuisance.  The City has an ordinance in place that requires at least 2 adults not living in the residence where the dog is barking to file a complaint with law enforcement before action can be taken.  If you hear a dog barking for over a 30 minute period with a 5 minute or less lapse in noise, please call the Washington County Sheriff's non-emergency number at 651-439-9381.  Dogs-at-large are also considered a nuisance in the City of Lake Elmo, and should also be reported.

Please pay attention to your animals not only for their sake, but also your neighbors'!




Reminder: No grass clippings in the street!

Did you know that grass clippings contain high amounts of nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus? When it rains, clippings left in the street get washed into storm sewers that lead to ponds, lakes, rivers and streams. There, the nutrients promote algae growth which makes the water stinky, green, and sometimes toxic. Clippings can also clog storm drains, increasing the risk of street flooding.

Additionally, disposing of yard waste in on any street, alley, drive, park, playground, or other public place or on any occupied or vacant privately owned lot is a violation of City code.

Here's a simple trick to solve the problem. Turn your mower so the clippings blow into the lawn instead of the street when you're mowing close to the road! The clippings will break-down naturally and provide free fertilizer for your lawn, saving you time and money. You can also bag and compost your clippings to fertilize your gardens in the future.  

Cleaner streets = cleaner water. Do your part to keep the green on our lawns and out of our water!

Inter-State Lumber Company, 3390 Lake Elmo Avenue

The smaller building to the left of the Joshua Taylor building (center) started out as part of Inter-State Lumber Company. It is the only part of the lumber yard still standing.  

The Inter-State Lumber Company was started in 1899 in Stillwater by a man named Fred Tozer. The company expanded to Lake Elmo in 1905. The Inter-State Lumber Company stored coal in the sheds as it was shoveled off incoming railroad cars. Eventually one of the sheds was moved and has become part of the Gorman restaurant. There was also another large shed behind the Joshua Taylor building that was part of the lumberyard. Louise Freidrich said that sacks of cement and coal were stored there. The building was destroyed after the mid-'80s.

Harold Arndt believes that the storage shed was originally from the county fair when it was held in Lake Elmo, and that the lumberyard took it over when the fair was moved away. He says, "Lake Elmo used to have the county fair in town and some of the buildings were used by the lumberyard."




Sources: Memories of Lake Elmo, collected and authored by Gloria VaDemmeltraadt.

The building to the left of the Joshua Taylor Building was the Inter-State Lumber Company. The building was built in 1905 when the company owner, Fred Tozer decided to expand his Stillwater-based lumber business to Lake Elmo. (Photo is courtesy of the Budd Schneider Collections.)

Upcoming Events at the Sally Manzara Interpretive Nature Center

                                                                                  
Senior Mondays 
Guided Trail walk for seniors followed by coffee, refreshments and conversation.      
Mondays beginning June 18, 9:00 am - 11:00 am

Buckthorn Removal in Sunfish Lake Park 
June 30th 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Beginning Watercolor painting class with Artist Julie Schroeder
Thursday, July 19, 1:00 PM - 3:30 PM


Mini-Camp Adventures in July:
Visit  www.sminc-lake-elmo.org  or leave a voicemail at 651-408-2838 for more information.  Registration forms available at the Nature Center.  Register soon; space is limited!

Let's Get Muddy - July 16-19:
4 to 6-year-olds mornings

Survival - July 23-26:
7 to 8-year-olds mornings  

Lake Elmo Rotary's Kindness Campaign - July 2018

"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around." - 
Leo Buscaglia

Thanks to all that shared your June Kindness Campaign challenge stories. It turns out it was pretty easy to do something kind for ourselves and because it was the monthly challenge, we did it without even feeling guilty! Awesome! With a fresh perspective of how good "guilt free kindness" feels, we move to this month's challenge...
 
Spending the 4th of July with family and friends is an American tradition that most of us take for granted, yet not all enjoy. July 11th is National "Cheer Up the Lonely Day" created by Francis Pesek, from Detroit, Michigan. According to his daughter, L.J. Pesek, her father "was a quiet, kind, wonderful man who had a heart of gold." He got the idea as a way of promoting kindness toward others who were lonely or forgotten as shut-ins or in nursing homes with no relatives or friends to look in on them. Francis Pesek chose this day because it was her father's birthday.
 
Cheer Up the Lonely Day is an opportunity to make a lonely person happy. Any time you can make someone happy, you've done a good thing, and should be proud of yourself. Lonely people have few friends and loved ones. They may have lost loved ones over the years. They may be elderly. They see people on an infrequent basis.

This month's mission is to make a conscious effort to visit with someone in a nursing home.



Spend some time today cheering up lonely people. It's easy to do...just spend some time with them. When you visit, bring happy things to talk about. Keep the conversation upbeat, and lively. When you leave, give a big hug and let them know you enjoyed the stay. Sending cards or making a phone call is okay, only if they live too far away to visit. What a lonely person really needs, is face to face time with other people.

You can share your kindness experiences with us at wwwlakeelmorotary.org and always remember...

Kindness feels good!
Permanent Water Use Restriction

To encourage water conservation, the following water use restrictions have been in place in the City of Lake Elmo since 2010.

(1). Odd/Event Sprinkling Restriction: Property owners having even numberd postal addresses may water, sprinkle, or irrigate their lawns, only on even numbered days, and property owners having odd numbered postal addressses may water, sprinkle, or irrigate their lawns only on odd numbered days.

(2). Time of Day Sprinkling Restriction:  Property owners are prohibited from watering, sprinkling, or irrigating their lawns between the hours of 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM daily.

New Assessor in Lake Elmo

At their June 5th meeting, the County Board approved an agreement with Lake Elmo to provide property assessing for the City.  Washington County provides local assessment services for more than 80 percent of the parcels in the county.

Greg Strauss (pictured to the right), will provide assessing services for Lake Elmo.  He is a Certified Minnesota Appraiser with Washington County and works out of the Government Center in Stillwater.  Originally from Southern California, Greg has been involved in Real Estate for over 25 years.  He lives in Washington County with his wife Tammy, and enjoys camping, ATVs, boating, and riding horses in his spare time.  Greg can be contacted at: 651-275-7530 or [email protected].
CSAH 15 (Manning Ave.) and CSAH 14 Realignment

Project Schedule:

Last Week:
  • Utility relocations continued.
  • Crews worked in installing storm sewer.
  • Dust control was put in place.
  • Crews worked on excavating and grading the subgrade.
  • Crews continued installing sanitary sewer.
This Week:
  • Two crews will work to complete storm sewer installations.
  • Subgrade excavation and filling will occur throughout the project site.
  • Utility relocations will be ongoing.
Upcoming Work:
  • Crews will begin hauling select granular next week sometime.
Access:
CSAH 14 (40th Street N) east of CSAH 15 (Manning Avenue) to McFair Avenue is closed to all traffic. The detour route is shown below.

( Note: This is the latest construction update and is from 6/29/18)
Huff n' Puff Pancake Breakfast Aug. 12

The Lake Elmo Jaycees will be hosting a pancake breakfast at Fire Station 1 from 8:00 AM to Noon on the Sunday of Huff n' Puff Days 8/12.  The proceeds of the breakfast will be given to the Lake Elmo Fire Department Relief Fund.
Campfire program continues with "Eastern Screech Owl" July 28


The Warner Nature Center will present "Eastern Screech Owl" at 7:15 p.m. Saturday, July 28, at Lake Elmo Park Reserve.

Lake Elmo Park Reserve is at the intersection of County Road 19 and County Road 10 (one mile north of Interstate 94) in Lake Elmo. The program will be in the campground amphitheater. Call 651-430-8370 or see www.co.washington.mn.us/parks for additional information on this and other programs.

Follow Washington County Parks on social media at @WashCountyParks.
Outdoor yoga continues at Lake Elmo Park Reserve through Aug. 16

Tune into the sights and sounds of nature and release stress through guided yoga sequences designed to improve balance, flexibility, breath awareness, and muscle tone 6-7 p.m. Thursdays, through Aug. 16, at the North Picnic Pavilion at the Lake Elmo Park Reserve.

The program is open to all levels. Dress for outdoor yoga, bring a mat, and arrive 5 to 10 minutes early. Check the county website or the park office for information.

Registration is required for Outdoor Yoga; each class is $7 per person. Vehicle permits are also required, which are $7 daily or $30 annually, which is not included in the individual class or season pass price. Call the Lake Elmo Park Reserve Contact Station for information at 651-430-8370 or see the Washington County website at www.co.washington.mn.us and search "outdoor yoga" to register online.

Lake Elmo Park Reserve is at the intersection of County Road 19 and County Road 10 (one mile north of Interstate 94) in Lake Elmo.

Follow Washington County Parks on social media at @WashCountyParks.

Enjoy guided fitness hike July 26 at Lake Elmo park

Explore the Washington County Parks trail system with guided fitness hikes, with the next hike at 9 to 10 a.m. Thursday, July 26, at Lake Elmo Park Reserve.

The one-hour hikes involve a warm-up and fitness challenges along the way. Trails are a mix of turf, gravel, grass, snow, and pavement depending on trail conditions, time of year, and location. Plan to arrive 10 minutes early. If light rain, hike will go on as scheduled. The program is for those ages 13 and older. All minors must be accompanied by an adult.

All guided fitness hikes are at the Lake Elmo Park Reserve Thursdays from 9 to 10 a.m. and will meet at the Nordic Center. The continuing 2018 schedule is:
  • Aug. 9
  • Aug. 23
  • Sept. 6
  • Sept. 20
  • Oct. 4
  • Nov. 1
  • Dec. 6
These programs are free with a parks vehicle permit ($7/day or $30/annual) with the exception of Free Tuesdays. Follow Washington County Parks on social media at @WashCountyParks.