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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013 04 Gem Lake News mail boy April/May, 2013 Volume 7, Issue 3 Gem Lake News Special Interest Articles: • Scholarships Awarded • Property Taxes Statements Corrected • City News Page 4 • Fire Prevention Programs Upcoming Recycling Dates: May 1 May 15 June 12 June 26 Gretchen Artig-Swomley, Newsletter Editor Gem Lake residents and high school seniors Holly Lorenz (at right) and Adam Lindner have won this year's Gem Lake Scholarship Award. The $500 award for each student was voted on by the Gem Lake City Council at its April 16th meeting. This 4th annual award is intended to pay for costs of post secondary education for Gem Lake graduates. It is funded by charitable gambling receipts. Holly Lorenz will graduate this Spring from P.E.A.S.E. Academy and is looking forward to attending the University of Minnesota--Morris. She plans to pursue a degree in either World History or Psychology. She has been involved in a variety of activities during her high school years, including several years as a volunteer for Feed My Starving Children. Holly was an A and B Honor Roll Student for three years and also achieved Student of the Month during one year. (continued on page 2) Gem Lake Scholarships Awarded th New Property Tax Statements to Arrive Soon Revised property tax statements will be mailed to Gem Lake residents shortly by Ramsey County officials. The county mailed original 2013 property tax statements around mid-March, but the tax portion for the City of Gem Lake proved to be incorrect in many cases. It appears that the county used the preliminary property tax levy figures, which were higher than the final property tax figures. Problems with the tax software have been encountered and have slightly delayed the mailing of revisions, according to Dick Sivanich of Ramsey County. Gem Lake News Page 2 of 6 Holly has been involved in basketball, student leadership, Monday Night Ski and Snowboard clubs, and even acted as the Varsity Football Manager. One of Holly's advocates at the P.E.A.S.E. Academy calls her a "remarkable young woman." "She came to P.E.A.S.E. in the Spring of 2012 because she wanted to make a change for the better," according to Michael Durchslag, Director of MTS P.E.A.S.E. Academy. "After a long struggle with chemical dependency, she advocated for herself and found us. Holly was amazing at adjusting to a new school, finding her place both academically and socially. Chemical addiction is never easy, but Holly has found success and has become a leader at our school." Holly's advisors rated her as superior when is comes to industry, maturity and integrity. Social Studies Teacher James McKernon says Holly has "proven herself to be a valuable leader at P.E.A.S.E.. She makes herself available to assist with all types of student functions. She is always in the heart of the action and leads by example." He added that "She has both the cognitive capacities and the emotional maturity to become a highly effective college student and her recent acceptance to the University of Minnesota Morris was well deserved." Adam Lindner (see photo at right) is in the process of graduating this Spring from the White Bear Lake Area High School. He plans to attend the Minnesota State University at Mankato and would like to study Aviation. His long term goal is to obtain further training with the FAA and to eventually become an air traffic controller. He has been active with the Lakeaires and the Mariners Choir. Adam has also spent several years as a volunteer for both Second Harvest and Habitat for Humanity. Two Students Win Scholarships (continued from page 1) His student advisors call him an excellent student, who is ambitious in group projects and always shows great leadership. One quote states that "Through displays of intelligence, ability and character, Adam is quite deserving of this scholarship. " Congratulations to Holly and Adam! For more information contact your student advisor. The award is exclusively directed at Gem Lake residents who are graduating from high school and pursuing post secondary education. Gem Lake News Page 3 of 6 Fire Prevention Big Priority in White Bear Area The White Bear Fire Department has taken a very progressive stance over the years, when it comes to fire prevention, and the efforts have paid off. (Gem Lake and several surrounding communities contract through White Bear for their fire fighting services.) As a result of things like fire inspections and distribution of free smoke detectors, there has not been an accidental fire death in the area they cover since 1986. That 26 year time span is one of the longest in the nation. In the 22 years prior to 1986, the district averaged two fire deaths every three years. Structure fires in the area totaled 50 in 1989, with a dollar loss of $916,000. Comparatively, in 2012, that number has been reduced to 26, with a resulting dollar loss of $1,004,800. This statistic is important because a fire in a structure poses the greatest risk to both citizens and firefighters. In 1989, approximately 3% of the older residential housing stock in the City had hard wired smoke detectors. In 2012, approximately 85% of the homes in the same area are equipped with this more reliable type of smoke detectors. Fire prevention programs at the White Bear Fire Department are spearheaded by Fire Inspector Mike Turnbull, who has worked there for decades. Progress has been made on saving lives and property as a result of a multi-faceted campaign that begins with education. In 2012 the department reached 552 first grade students with the "Learn Not to Burn" Curriculum. They conducted 105 students of various ages through fire prevention programs and fire station tours. They also did things like conduct an annual Fire Prevention Open House, and even brought seven students through a Juvenile Fire Setter Counseling Program. Other efforts last year included doing 589 fire inspections on commercial properties and 435 home smoke detector surveys. In addition, the department did numerous annual inspections of daycare and foster care facilities, apartment buildings and schools. Building plan reviews were completed for 127 different projects. Several years ago, the Fire Department was awarded a Fire Prevention and Safety Grant from FEMA. (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) This $68,000 grant funded a multi-hazard prevention project. As a result 400 home fire safety surveys were conducted in the area, starting in 2010. Also, 510 pairs of Stove Top Fire Stop Extinguishers, 650 combination smoke and CO detectors and 500 ten year smoke detectors were placed in homes at no charge. A variety of smoke and CO detectors were provided for individuals with hearing impairments. Installation and assistance was provided to seniors or other high risk families living in single family dwellings. This project is expected to continue to be able to provide these safety devices through 2013. If you would like a fire inspection or other assistance, contact the White Bear Lake Fire Department at 651-429-8568. Gem Lake News Page 4 of 6 Building Boom in Gem Lake As a follow up to the small story in last month's Gem Lake News, there is even more building activity to report in our community. A total of seven lots have been sold in the Hillary Farm development during the last 12 months, according to Jim McNulty of McNulty Company. Some of the lot owners are proceeding with construction, as evidenced by the homes being built on lots 26 and 27 at the south end of the development and lot 12 at the north end. Others new lot owners have decided to put off the start of their building projects for a while. City News Page Ramsey County Traffic Initiative Nets Results There was a high visibility DWI Saturation campaign conducted on April 12 and 13 between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m. Seventeen overtime funded officers and 8 reserve officers focused their efforts on the area of Larpenteur Avenue. The result was 251 traffic stops. Of these stops, there were 14 people taken into custody, 11 DWI arrests and 25 drivers cited for Driving after revocation or Suspension of their Drivers License. Gem Lake News Page 5 of 6 The Ripple Effect of Triclosan by Jean Radtke Have you ever heard of triclosan (also known as Microban® or Biofresh®)? If not, simply take a look around your home – you may be surprised by how many household products contain it. Triclosan is a common ingredient in anti-bacterial hand soap, facial cleansers, toothpastes, deodorant, cosmetics, personal care products, and even clothes and toys. Just check for the “Drug Facts” label, if it is an ingredient it will be included on the label. You may be wondering why I am talking about anti-bacterial soaps at the tail end of the cold and flu season, but the concern I want to share with you has a whole lot more to do with summer! According to a University of Minnesota study, which looked at triclosan levels in eight lakes including Lake St. Croix, the levels of triclosan byproducts in our lakes have increased by nearly 300% since the 1970s, and this ingredient comes mainly from municipal wastewater which comes right from our homes. Both the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) recommend against using anti-bacterial products in your homes because they provide little to no benefit. In fact, it kills both good and bad bacteria when you use it to wash your hands. What’s more, they can cause resistant strains of bacteria to emerge and increased risks of allergies. But how does the soap we use in our homes affect our lakes? When triclosan is washed down our drains and moves through the wastewater treatment process it is exposed to sunlight and chemicals like chlorine. This breaks it down into harmful dioxins and other carcinogens which persist in our environment for long periods of time, and these contaminants pose a risk to aquatic life. These risks have been taken seriously at the state level, and beginning in June 2013 you will no longer find anti-bacterial soaps in the bathrooms of any government building or public school. What’s a water savvy consumer like you to do? Follow the recommendations from the FDA and MDH and avoid using these products in your home. The next time you are out stocking up on hand soap or toothpaste, check the labels for triclosan, because what you do at home has a ripple effect far beyond your front door. Then gear up for some warmer summer weather out on the lake that you are helping to protect! For more information about triclosan in our water go to stateoftheriver.com, and for help in finding triclosan-free products go to http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/water/tr iclosan/what-to-do-about-triclosan/ Jenn Radtke is a Water Resource Educator for the East Metro Water Resource Education Program. She can be reached by email at jradtke@mnwcd.org. Bob Uzpen-Mayor Phone: 651-492-5083 City Council Members: Gretchen Artig-Swomley Phone: 651-260-9742 Rick Bosak 651-426-9695 Faith Kuny Phone: 612-718-4316 The following Gem Lake Meetings will be held at Heritage Hall for the next few months: May 7, 2013 Planning Commission Meeting CANCELLED. May 13, 2013 City Council Workshop at 7:00 p.m. Meetings: May and June 2013 Meeting Dates Your Gem Lake City Council The City of Gem Lake PHONE: (651) 747-2790 FAX: (651) 747-2795 City Hall Address: 4200 Otter Lake Road Gem Lake, MN 55110 GENERAL E-MAIL: City@gemlakemn.org Newsletter e-mail: gretchenas@comcast.net Kiki Sonnen: 651-747-2790, or Kiki.Sonnen@CO.RAMSEY. MN.US To report incidents for the Neighborhood Watch program or for information on that program contact Block Captain Chuck Watson 651-653-8319; Charles.Watson@bdk.com We’re on the Web! See us at: www.gemlakemn.org CITY OF GEM LAKE 4200 Otter Lake Road Gem Lake, MN 55110 June 18, 2013 City Council Meeting at 7:00 p.m. May 21, 2013 City Council Meeting at 7:00 p.m. June 4, 2013 Planning Commission Meeting at 7:00 p.m. June 10, 2013 City Council Workshop at 7:00 p.m. Jim Lindner Phone: 651-429-7597 For more information on meetings, city ordinances, recent events, permit procedures, etc. please consult the Gem Lake web-site. The address is www.gemlakemn.org Each Gem Lake Newsletter is also posted on the web-site under the news section. Please email your ideas, comments and suggestions. See box at left for detailed contact information.