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The Official City Newsletter for Arden Hills Residents October 2015 by Susan CatheyAs part of the City Pavement Management Program (PMP), for the last ten years or so, many Arden Hills neighbor- hoods have had rain gardens incorporated into their landscaping. Besides looking beautiful, they serve the important pur- pose of helping to protect the City’s lakes and wetlands. According to Blue Thumb, a program directed by the Rice Creek Wa- tershed District (RCWD), of which Arden hills is a part, “The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has named storm water runoff as our nation’s biggest water quality threat. Storm water runoff whisks pollutants from our streets to our lakes and streams via storm drains.” Rain gardens are cultivated depressions designed to capture and filter storm water runoff, taking pressure off the City’s storm water systems and preventing pollut- ants from making their way to lakes and wetlands. The gardens are typically filled with native plants, which can also act as magnets for birds, bees, and butterflies. Plants with deep fibrous roots provide the most cleaning and filtration benefits. Arden Hills creates rain gardens in areas where streets are being redone to help meet the requirements of the RCWD and of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Residents may volunteer to have the gardens on their property. The Grant/ Noble neighborhood, the 2015 PMP area, had more than twice as many volunteers as were needed to meet permit require- ments. All who wished had rain gardens installed. The design of the gardens and the plants selected depend in large part on the land contours and the light requirements. Appropriate selections are proposed to the homeowners who may give feedback and suggestions. When the program began, there was an expectation that the homeowners would maintain the gardens. Those who continue to do so may request help from the City in the form of additional mulch and yard waste hauling. Over time, the City recognized the need for Public Works’ involvement and now, one seasonal summer employee is hired just to inspect gardens and service them as needed. Assistant City Engineer John Anderson feels the rain gardens are “making a posi- tive impact on water quality. (They) give more ownership on storm water quality to residents,” who might give more thought to grass clippings and undesirable materi- als heading for the lakes. Residents and businesses can also be part of the solution to the runoff prob- lem by creating their own rain gardens. The Blue Thumb program, accessed through www.ricecreek.org, has instruc- tions and ideas. Rain gardens add beauty and protect our lakes and wetlands Tucked behind the former Carroll’s Furniture building on County Road E, Allegra Design Print Mail services is something you might miss if you were just driving by, but Allegra is a known “staple” in the community for the outstanding services it provides. Owners Dale & Carol Beane bought the existing shop, then called Insty-Prints, in 1988. It was located on Snelling and Larpenteur in Falcon Heights, and became an Allegra franchise soon after. Beane moved the business to Arden Hills in 2003 when the corner they were occupying was redeveloped. Allegra currently has 14 employees, including two full-time designers. The possibilities for a project at Allegra are virtually endless. “We do just about everything, actually,” said Beane. “Newsletters, brochures, letterhead, Allegra—staying relevant in a paperless world continued on page 4 by Emma Theis