HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000-05-11 Courier News Article01\7
Irst. In the
Im section
lwater won
126 S. Sec on(t St., Stiltwa r';.M�nn seta +..651-430i-30
OPH' extend
compromise
on rope course
By JULIE KINK
Two controversial issues drew a
standing -room -only crowd to Oak
Park Heights City Hail on Tuesday:
the ropes course at Stillwater Area
High School, and street reconstruc-
tion proposed for the "Village
Area."
Seeking an amendment to the
conditional use permit (CUP) gov-
erning the ropes course, representa-
tives of School District 834 pre-
sented their case for extending the
hours of operation to allow evening
use of the course. The original CUP
for the course set the hours of 8
a.m. to 5 p.m. or dusk, whichever
occurred earlier, Monday through
Friday, with no use allowed on
weekends or legal holidays. The
D'istrict's request to extend the hours
from 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. or dusk,
whichever occurred earlier, on any
day, was made to accommodate the
many co- curricular groups, includ-
ing the family component of the
programs, which could not use the
course otherwise, according to
District Superintendent Kathleen
Macy.
At a meeting on April 13, the
Oak Park Heights Planning
Commission recommended denial of
the request. At that meeting, r catty
residents expressed safety concerns,
(See OPtt Council, page 2)
OPH poli*ce
make 2 felony
A
,,rug arrests
Oak Park Heights police ar-
r�cstM two people for felony tm-
'v session of melha aphetaminc after
receiving information that a
woman wanted on a Ramsey
County felony . warrant for posses-
sion of the drug was living at an
apartment in Oak Park Heights,
After receiving the informa-
tion, officers went to the apartment
in the 14800 -block of 64th Street
North on May 5. The 31- year -old
female suspect and a 33- year -old
North St. Paul than were in the
apartment when officers arrived.
When officers entered the
apartment, they observed several
n plastic bindles containing a gel-
s lowish powdery substance and
s other drug paidplternaHa on a table
directly in front of the pair. Other
items were found in a baby for-
mute can the male suspect had be-
tween his feet.
In all three bindles of a yellow
powdery substance (which later
field tested positive as mctham-
phetamine) were taken into evi-
dence along with three bindles of
marijuana; also confiscated with a
number of pipes used for smoking
drugs, rolling papers, piece of
glass with a white powdery
residue, pills, cash, and an attor-
ney's business card.
Both suspects were arrested
and booked and held in the Wash-
ington County jail on charges of
felony possession of metham-
phetamine.
* * R * * *
A 25- year -old White Sear
Lake mart was arrested for gross
ee
(S Pollee, page 10)
fi t.
tensi me. , e h. :gi n Ze e xp an si on
i : £fir. •. ..n_ :. .
nomination in the state of Min- gram which'{ tits i en for y
The Church of the Ascen-
sion, Episcopal Church of Still-
rur�ltr, will celebrate a ground -
forits 0.5 million ex-
Suring and after
on Sunday,
ota The Still�nrate r 50¢
URI 4
EIR I EW)
Birth� o� � Niinnes�t�
nes. Founded in 1846, three
; free meals; Car ire,
years before Minnesota was r+cc-
Mich provides and repairs ve-
ognizod as.a territory and 12
les for low'it>GiJrrsc.fainiiics,
years before it became a state, ,
Ascension's bultding'odnied R0
1887 and was rcbWI#:4ii8 dap-
ri ibn 3'stian'Education
m; a natibnally =known
sic program which is produc-
tismal Forst, stijl'in use, is one of
' its smorid C— D and- Youilt
three items saved fibrii'tM fire. ;
The present chur was
nistry. Mari} 1bcal grob&,
luding fAkoltolics Anony- '
- '
t
bubt110 years ago and was de- �
trs, - Rotary Club and Lions
3
`; atg cd far a parish of 250 peo-
itb,`use the parish hall for
t
,. .,,. .
00;-Today Ascension numbers ' y SEillwater's
,: members. Today's} pro -.i
Start program also has
pson/Reftow Inc. 1Nm ri lude Community Out- n used at Ascension for a
Courage 5t. Croix
seeks volunteers
Page 3
Luther 'encouraged'
by bridge response
Page 4
Club news and
activities
Pages 5, G
Thursday, May 11, 2000
According to Father Jerry
Doherty, rector at Ascension, the
parish has grown 100 percent in
the past seven years. His vision
for Ascension is that with the
added space, the church will be
able to continue its ministry in
Stillwater for many years to
Come.
Parishioners determiucii in
1996 that if Ascension was to
continue to grow as an inclusive
Christian community and answer
the calling of its history, Faith
and Episcopal,tradi(ion, expan-
A gardener's delight
Geri Nord of Maplewood, like many of us, is planning her spring plantings: Here she's show
surveying some of the annuals at Abrahamson's Nursery in Stillwater, Although Memorial Day i
the traditional start for outdoor planting, marry gardeners have moved thedate up a couple of week
and now use Mother's Day as the start of the annual planting calend2�'. VI
. : ;� � 1ti; .. �� ;, ; ;� - ;° • �:� , � ¢ .::�: �. .:� dy, • , ; May� : l i The
Page 2
Tiius 2000
REsULs
THROUGH
HAR
WORK.
9 Years Experien
651 - 430 -7531-
0
P H Q M
(Continued from page 1) site, especially with trees that -have Toro Edison, also a neighbor to
• p' h n t
saying people have been using'the
course when school personnel are
not present, that the gate - has-been
left open aril the access ladder down,
and that they had called 911 to re-
port trespassers on the course. There
also were concerns about the overall
!
fallen or been impacted by water the course, said the tstrict as o
level of the pond. ,. been good at communicating its
While voting to deny the re- plans to the neighbors, saying it
quest, the planning commission re- started constructing the course
quested clarification on security, without a permit, has encroached on
measures, landscaping and other is= : what was supposed to have been a
sues, It -also indicated a desire to be buffer zone, and doesn't monitor
part of the annual review process what's going on there. "They
which is required as part of the CUP haven't thought ahead, they haven't
granted in April of 1999, and that it planned ahead -- they put our at
wotild like to make a formal• red- . risk," he said.
otnmendation on that review at its Edison said he had watched kids
.May 11 meeting. using the course unauthorized and
In , response to complaints from has a big fear that "someday, some -
neighbors, SAHS Principal John one's going to drop,"
Bianchi said on Tuesday the school Macy responded that it was a
has assigned a security guard to "serious oversight" not having the
check the site twice a day has put a principal at that time meet, with
lock on a ladder Shat was once left neighbors when the course was be-
down, and has worked with the city ing planned. "We were not trying to
to accommodate the conditions of. do something that was secret or
the original C(JP. He' said there quict." She said there is no paper -
have been two 911 calls ;regarding work that committed the District to
the facility, one In Aptil.1999,and a certain area on the north side of
one in July 1999, and that nq,bne the pond as a buffer zone.
has been hurt on the course. As for swearing while rap -
The course had 322 participants pelting, Macy said instructors forbid
last year, according to Mary Pat it .if they hear it. She also said
Cumming -Juhl, assistant principal while on the course, students don't
far the Class of 2000 and the in- have the time to look into windows
ing, according to the staff report.
thing decided,'
While (die majority of the at-
Many of 1!
tendees understood the need for the
Tuesday's cou3
project, most wanted streets 24 feet
Spokesperson i
wide with "surniountable" curbs an(]
the neighbors
gutters rather than the 28 foot width
"really lost" 1
first proposed, according to City
commun'scatic•
Administrator Tom Melena- There
She said there
was concern over possible loss of
swered questic
trees and vegetation as well as a tic-
the open houst
sire to wait until spring to start
Don Nic(
construction, rather than have a pro-
live in a great
ject half completed by winter, ac-
like Mayberry
cording to the staff report.
to know each
The project has generated lots
in the village
of controversy among residents feel-
said, there %%r!
ing that the city had already decided
pacts througirc
how the project should be clone,
Council III
without neighborhood input. Schaaf
meetings will
said the meeting showed residents
needed before
"how little the council talks to each
the design of r
other about these issues" outside of
were set for
council meetings. "Nobody should
May 24, and r
get the idea that there's been any-
5, at Cover P-,,
Ascension Chi
(Continued from page 1)
choir room, sztcristy, offices and
classrooms needed to be ex-
Donation% s,
panded.
The 'ITO
Ascension's challenge was
Bcnt7J111ow
that, as a "landlocked" historic
duced an ex
building situated in an h istoric
design to h u
downtown area, its land surface
and charactc
for expansion was limited, The
chitecture. 1`
parish was surveyed and 98 per-
front of the I
cent of the congregation voted
form and Ch
not to move to a new site, but to
ing and add
preserve the existing, historic
An addition
sanctuaty with its vaulted ceiI -
building ado
ings, Victorian fixtures and
a new full -s
Tiffany stained glass windows,
panded parr
Also Ascension's members kept
circulation e
in mind the need to continue to
€aining wall
serve the central population of
(tic existing
Stillwater by continuing and cx-
a backdrop 1
parading its exist'sng outreach
containing
programs.
Bent711
An expansion committee
and Langer f
was formed and began a capital
have extensi
campaign drive to raise needed
church prof!
funds. The membership in(]
and comple
community responded with
C rier
R a
(Cont(nued fTOM p8ge 1)
meets
nual memorial ceremony to
honor law enforcement officers
Tlie
who have given their lives in the
aUon will l II I
line of duty on May 15. The cer-
meeting Mrs
emony will begin at noon at the
Country Ch
entrance to the Law Enforce-
Guest spc�il
Mazance
ment Center. The 45- minute cer-
emony will include elected and
of
Council.
appointed government officials,
Mazam
music by the Stillwater Area
Caldiorpe d
"opportunil
High School symphonic band.
The Washington County Sher-
North St, f ;'
iff s Office honor guard and
rnond, Wis.
mounted patrol also will be par -
principal lie
ticipating. Refreshments will be
Calthorl)c g
served immediately following
tan Council
the ceremony. The public is cii_
ties,
couraged to attend.
Social r
In 1999, 134 police and cor-
Willi a boric
rectional officers gave their lives
Cost is $15.
in the line of duty.
be made no
phone Lois j
4675, or Bcr
7683.
Mini- SrorHOe'
651 - 439 -6592
ILABt tlhm '
T Pr
Caters
14587 59th Street, Oak Park Helghts '
coming Class of 2003. She Said or yards, and added that the fire de.
them are several co- curricular groups partment and police department had
including aduli organizations that OK'd the school's safety plan for the
would be able to use the course if site.
hours of operation were increased.' Council Member Lynae 13yrne
There also were presentations from p out that while she em-
two counselors and a student who - pathized with the neighbors, it was
explained the benefits of: the beyond the scope of the discussion
course's learning environment for t focus on past tack of communi-
teaching students teamwork, trust, cation between the neighbors and
self confidence, goal setting ,and the school: district.
giving them a sense of accom, , Council Member ❑avid Beaudet
plishment, • moved to accept the planning com-
Patrick.Flynn, legal counsel f9r , mission recommendation for denial
the District, told -the council, ' This ' the request. His motion failed for
has been going. on for a long time lack of a second. During the ensu-
,. now. There's a small number , of i discussion, Mayor Dave Schaaf
neighbors who, are talking about said.he favored the staff recommen-
health and safety. We have school dation, somewhat of a compromise;
district property which they should to allow the requested weekday ex-
, be perniitted to develop for the best tension to 9:30 p.m. or dusk, and to
interests of this community. The add Saturdays until 6 O.M. "There's
neighbors would prefer to have a nowhere it could be located where
green area. They shouldn't be alp someone wouldn't complain," tie
towed to deny the district the ability said. "It reaches a point where we
in use its property." have to decide for the greater good
Tliree residents responded to the of the community."
presentation, saying they were ;not Schaaf moved to amend the
against the course per se, byt CUP to extend hours to 9:30 p.m.
against the ios alien whit ..pre4W a d whichever is earlier, but
concerns.over the abilkyllltglutar , Council Member Mark Swenson
the site as well.as pA,Vh cy_ problems "corlimented that seemed too late.
with adjacent homes, ..Schaaf changed the motion to al-
Karen ..Rheinberger.. whose ' lowing the course to be actively
Baytown Township home borders' used (as opposed to lock -up activi-
the course, told the council, "There ties) until 8 p.m. or dusk on week -
is always going fo be unauthorized'. days, 6 p.m. or dusk on Saturdays.
use because kids !top fences." She , It would remain closed on Sundays
said the site is difficult to monitor, '; and holidays, 12 months of the
so residents of'the homes'in view of;.; k16ar,. The motion passed 4 -1, with
the course end up being the trionii`` `13eaudet- voting riay.
tars. Neighbors have. experienced ` The council's second major
noise from use o€- the'equipment as topic of the evening, the proposed
well,as swearing and screaming, she reconstruction of streets in the
said, "When somebody's 30 feet' , !Village Area," opened with a recap
above you and,can.look fight into r a May 4 open house meeting
youi house and your yard with residents which was attended
your privacy. The 'problem isn'ti,•, b more than 50 people. The rrteet-
whether it's a good or bad program ing lasted from 2 p.m, to after 7
-- it's the location. p. focusing on what the new
street width should be, what type of
curb and gutter shonld be installed,
scheduling of the project and fund-
eVeg
Ea View Mo