June 2011 Gem Lake Newsletter - Laserfiche WebLink

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Gem Lake News Page 4 of 6 City News Page National Night Out Scheduled for August 2 The 28th Annual National Night Out will be held on August 2 throughout the United States. As usual, Gem Lake will participate with a fun and information-packed community gathering at Heritage Hall. "National Night Out" is designed to generate participation in local anti-crime programs, strengthen neighborhood spirit and police- community partnership and heighten crime and drug prevention awareness. Last year's National Night Out campaign involved citizens, law enforcement agencies, neighborhood organizations and local officials from over 15,000 communities. In all, over 37 million people participated in last year's nationwide event. Gem Lake invites residents to meet their neighbors, gather crime fighting information from the Ramsey County Sheriff and enjoy food and refreshments from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on August 2. Mark your calendar now. We hope to see you then. Money Available to Help Property Owners with Landscaping Projects and Rain Barrel Purchases The Vadnais Lake Area Water Management Organization (VLAWMO) has money available to help property owners with certain landscaping projects. Projects that protect water quality are eligible and include the installation of rain gardens, shoreline restorations, pervious asphalt or pavers, as well as purchasing rain barrels which collect rain water from your gutters, which you can use to water plants and your yard. “We now have two cost share programs for property owners,” said Kristine Jenson, VLAWMO Project Coordinator. “One is geared for rain gardens, shoreline improvements and putting in driveways and patios that allow water to infiltrate through pervious asphalt and pavers. The other program is just for the purchase of rain barrels. Both applications are relatively easy to fill out. The rain barrel one can receive approval right away. The other program has to be approved by the Technical Evaluation Commission which meets monthly.” The Landscaping Cost Share Program will give up to $1000 to cover 50% of the cost of materials and approved labor for a project. The Rain barrel Program gives up to $250 to cover 50% of the cost of two rain barrels If you are planning to do some landscaping or if you want to purchase rain barrels, let VLAWMO help you pay for it. More information is on the VLAWMO website (www.vlawmo.org) or contact Kristine Jenson at (651) 204-6074. Citizen Training Opportunity on Aquatic Invasive Species There will be a free workshop on aquatic invasive species (AIS) on Saturday June 25 from 9:00 a.m. to Noon at the Vadnais Heights Fire Station. The Vadnais Lake Area Water Management Organization (VLAWMO) is pleased to offer this free workshop, in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and Minnesota Waters. The goal will be to provide hands-on training and to equip citizen volunteers to detect and report aquatic invasive species infestations in area lakes and rivers. This program is designed to support agency rapid response to new AIS infestations, raise critical local awareness and promote actions that prevent further spread. The infestation could come in the form of plants or animals, including things like zebra mussels, spiny water fleas, Asian Carp, curly leaf pond weed, Eurasian Water milfoil and purple loosestrife, to name just a few. The types of inspections that trained volunteers would be encouraged to do, depending on their level of involvement, might include picking up plants and rocks along a shoreline, checking public or private access areas for boats and manual inspection of aquatic species using rakes or boats. Volunteers that can participate include local property owners (you do not have to live on a lake or stream in order to volunteer); local youth groups and community organizations. "Keep in mind that the more trained eyes that are inspecting your waters, the better chance you will have to detect early AIS infestations," said Kristine Jensen, Project Coordinator for VLAWMO. Contact her for more information at (651)204-6074.