News from the City of Lake Elmo
August 3,  2018
Meetings next week:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Wednesday, August 8th: City Council Meeting 7:00 p.m.


Please note: The City Council meeting will be held next Wednesday (not Tuesday) in order to accommodate for National Night Out


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

City Meetings
 
                                                                               

8/8/18 City Council Meeting Agenda


Council to Consider Changes to Chicken and Snowmobile Ordinances at 8-8 Meeting

Chicken Ordinance
Council will be looking at creating more consistency for the permit duration, and increasing the number of chickens allowed


Snowmobile Ordinance
Proposed amendments to the snowmobile ordinance would clarify where snowmobiles can be ridden within  City limits, and extend the permitted time to ride fr om 11:00 PM to Midnigh t.
CSAH 15 (Manning Ave.) and CSAH 14 Realignment

Construction updates for the CSAH 15 and CSAH 14 realignment project can be found here weekly: 
https://www.co.washington.mn.us/2836/Construction-Updates 

Previous updates can also be viewed. 


Access to the Washington County Fair (August 1 - August 5)

From Highway 36
  • North Lot: South on Lake Elmo Ave (County 17) to Stillwater Blvd (County 14). East on County 14 to Fairgrounds.
  • South Lot: South on Osgood Ave (County 24), continue straight on Olinda Blvd (County 14). West on County 14 to Fairgrounds.
From Interstate 94
  • North Lot: North on Manning Ave (County 15) to Fairgrounds.
  • South Lot: North on Manning Ave (County 15) to 10th St (County 10). East on County 10 then North on Oakgreen Ave (County 65). West on 40th Street (County 14) to Fairgrounds.
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.







Lake Elmo Rotary and Vali-Hi fund life jacket station at Lake Elmo Park Reserve

Lake Elmo Rotary President, Pamela Baker, and Kelly O'Neil from Vali-Hi joined the Washington County Sheriff's Department and other partners and the at the Lake Elmo Park Reserve Monday, July 30, to unveil a locker full of child-sized life jackets that will be available for use free of charge to anyone at the park.

The lifejacket loaner station is the result of a partnership between SafeKids, the Sheriff's Office, Washington County Parks, Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare, Region's Hospital, and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. The Lake Elmo Rotary and Vali-Hi Drive-In donated funds to support the program.

Lake Elmo Swim Pond is visited by more than 25,000 people from Memorial Day to Labor Day, said Parks Director Sandy Breuer. The lifeguards at the park are frequently asked whether life jackets are available, and now the answer is "yes," Breuer said. She especially thanked the local businesses that support the program.

Representatives from the Department of Natural Resources demonstrated how to properly fit a life jacket, which is key to its effectiveness. The life jackets are stocked in a variety of sizes, and instructions at the locker, which is at the parks concession stand next to the Swim Pond, describe how best to fit a life jacket on a child.
 

Lake Elmo, the First People on the Land

People have explored forests and slopes in the Lake Elmo area since glaciers departed some 10,000 years ago. The first visitors were Native American hunters and gatherers in search of food and shelter from the elements. Burial mounds are among the few remaining archaeological resources that show Native American historical presence in Minnesota. Of close to 12,000 mounds identified, the only documented site in Lake Elmo is located close to Sunfish Lake Park.


The Ojibwe people

The rich culture of the Objibwe people, who inhabited the northern portions of modern-day North Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, was carried on in part because of their detailed oral and written history. The harvest of wild rice and cultivation of crops by these people made them more stationary than nomadic, their settlements marked by wigwams of birch, juniper, and willow. Graves were not marked by stereotypical mounds, but by a jiibegamig (spirit-house) with particular clan markings.
In 1837, the Ojibwe ceded the land between the Mississippi and the St. Croix. Despite a different understanding of land rights between the Ojibwe and the newer settlers, as white Americans, the land went for $24,000 of cash and goods each year for twenty years.


The Santee (Eastern) Dakota people

The Santee Dakota (meaning ally) people consist of four groups: the Bdewakantunwan (Mdewakanton), Wahpetunwan (Wahpeton), Wahpekute, and Sissitunwan (Sisseton). Often the Santee tribes would move throughout the year based on food availability, the men hunting and fishing while the women farmed seasonally, prepared animal hides, and tended to their village made of tipis. The "traditional lifestyle of communal support and a deep connection to the land and natural resources are the basis for Dakota society and culture" (Minnesota Historical Society).  In 1837, they signed a treaty with the U.S. government to cede their land east of the Mississippi for the sum of $300,000.



Source: Rolf Larson and Ian Dorney from text narratives for displays at the Sally Manzara Interpretive Nature Center in Sunfish Lake Park.
The harvest of wild rice and cultivation of crops by the Objibwe people made them more stationary than nomadic, their settlements marked by wigwams of birch, juniper, and willow.  T he more Santee Dakota people made them more nomadic. They would move throughout the year based on food availability, the men hunting and fishing while the women farmed seasonally, prepared animal hides, and tended to their village made of tipis. Photo courtesy of the Washington County Historical Society website.

Curious about who is running for office? 

Candidate filings have opened for the upcoming election.  To find out who has filed for the local, state and federal elections,
 visit: https://candidates.sos.state.mn.us/.  The filing period will close for the City Council election will end Monday, August 14 at 5:00 PM.




Beware of Bobby's Paving Scam

The Washington County Sheriff's office has been made aware of an illegitimate businesses posing as a paving company scamming residents in the area.  Please be sure to check on any business's credentialing prior to agreeing to use them for their proposed service(s).  

If you have any concerns, or would like to report an illegitimate business, please call the non-emergency line at the Sheriff's Office at: 651-439-9381.
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.

Pebble Park Tennis Camp Still Accepting Registrations

The City of Lake Elmo has partnered with tennis
instructor, Alex Krol, to host youth tennis camps at
Pebble Park throughout the summer.

Camps will be separated by age groups. If you
have additional questions or would like register, you can contact Alex directly at: 952-688-2945 or email him at:  Alex@minnesotatenniscamps.com .

Campfire program continues with "Trash Your Trash" August 11


Leave No Trace will present "Camping Hacks: Trash Your Trash" at 7:15 p.m. Saturday, August 11, 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.
Cleaner streets = Cleaner Water

Do your part to prevent stormwater pollution from illicit discharges
 
Storm drains help to keep our streets and neighborhoods from flooding, but they also connect to nearby lakes and streams. Litter, chemicals and yard waste can pollute our waterways and cause algae blooms.
 
DON'T DUMP
NEVER dump used engine oil or soapy water into storm drains.
DON'T wash out painting supplies in your driveway or the street.
These chemicals end up in our lakes and rivers and might kill fish and other animals. Dumping liquids and materials into storm drains is considered an illicit discharge and is against the law!
 
RAKE & SWEEP YOUR STREET
Grass clippings and dirt might be natural, but they contain phosphorus and nitrogen that feed smelly, green algae.

 
YOU CAN HELP!
DO turn your mower around when you mow so that clippings blow into the lawn instead of the street.
DO sweep grass clippings, leaves and dirt out of the street in front of your home and clear debris off of nearby storm drains.
DO pick up litter in your neighborhood to help keep our community beautiful and our water clean.
 
Learn more about keeping water clean at www.cleanwatermn.org.


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 August 9 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, August 9, 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. 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.