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HomeMy WebLinkAboutApril 2012 Gem Lake Newsletter mail boy April, 2012 Volume 6, Issue 4 Gem Lake News Special Interest Articles: • We Recycle Well! • Coyotes Move In • City News Page 4 • Historic Tavern Served Great Food • CITY CLEAN UP DAY--MAY 5-9:00 a.m. at Heritage Hall Upcoming Recycling Dates: April 18 May 2 May 16 Gretchen Artig-Swomley, Newsletter Editor To sum it up, Gem Lake is a nice, low density community with a turkey buffet that never closes. Unfortunately, we represent just the kind of environment that coyotes love, and word has gotten around. Coyote sighting were once rare--now they are getting eerily common place. The lack of natural predators and the endless food supply have made coyotes an increasing problem in the Twin Cities. Gem Lake has at least several large flocks of turkeys, enough deer "road kill" to give the coyotes an interesting change in cuisine, and no bears to cut them down to size. (At least not yet...) According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the coyote is Minnesota's most abundant large predator. (continued on page 5) Coyotes Spotted Regularly in Gem Lake Recycling Participation in Gem Lake is Strong in 2011 An impressive 82.62% of households in Gem Lake participate regularly in our single-sort recycling program through Waste Management in 2011. In total, Gem Lake residents recycled 35.2 tons of materials last year. Of this tonnage, the majority was newspaper (20.7 tons), followed by cardboard and mixed paper (5 tons), mixed glass (3.9 tons), aluminum and steel cans (1.4), and plastic (1.2). The remainder was made up of color sorted glass, scrap steel and residue (things that were rejected in the final sorting process). The best participation in curb-side recycling in our city happened in July, when 92.2% of households put out their containers. The worst month was March when only 76.24% of households muscled their containers around the snowdrifts. These figures are based on an annual report from Waste Management Co. (continued on page 5) Gem Lake News Page 2 of 6 It wasn't the Ritz Carlton, but it wasn't a dive either. It was just a great place to get a good meal. Freddie Roth's Tavern was once located at the current site of Vera Auto Sales on County Road E. Perhaps, slightly dilapidated, but much cherished would better describe the establishment that was once a popular Hoffman's Corner "hang-out." "There were known for their food, which was really good, " says Dick Arcand, who once ran nearby Hoffman's Market with his wife Shirley. "Sometimes we would grab something to eat there on our way home. On Friday nights they served lobster and they had great spaghetti." Although the colorful tavern attracted a loyal following from the legal community in St. Paul, for a reason no one can rem ember, the place may have had its own legal issues. According to local legend, the place never actually had a liquor license. Oops. Freddie seems to have dispensed drinks from a bottle that often resided in his jacket pocket. Rumor also has it that it was also a popular spot for the Ramsey County Commissioners to hang out way back in the 30's and '40's.. No one can remember why that was either...It was a fun and friendly spot and everyone seemed to feel safe there, according to the locals. Lorraine Birkeland, who owns White Bear Floral, also remembers the steak and fries at Freddie Roth's Tavern. "They were famous for those dinners. Everyone seemed to like them. We used to eat there once in a while." The place was a popular after work hang-out for brothers Charley and Augie Scheuneman, who ran Scheuneman's Market, which was also on County Road E, located at the site of the present day Gun Shop. The interior of Freddie's Tavern included a dance floor and an area that accommodated live music. It was a popular spot for anniversary parties, wedding receptions and other events. Freddie had a small staff, usually just a cook and maybe a server or two. He often donned an apron and did the serving himself. He lived in the back, right off the kitchen area, according to Richard Arcand, Dick Arcand's son. Freddie Roth's Tavern: Quite a Spot Freddie's failure to obtain that all important license finally caught up to him. When he was out of town, an off-duty sheriff stopped by to check out the rumors that he regularly served liquor. Once he was served an alcoholic drink, he arrested the bartender, a woman named Minnie. (Tom Hansen thinks Minnie may have been a relative of his.) Freddie got himself a well known lawyer and the case was heard in front of Judge Otis. According to Dick Arcand, the judge offered him a choice of an $800 fine or a year's probation. He paid the fine, perhaps so he could go right on doing what he was doing. Eventually Freddie became ill and the tavern was closed. Although Freddie had been in business for decades, he died without a penny. One time mayor of Gem Lake, Henry Hoffman, paid his funeral expenses. The building was moved to the lot next door where it sat for five years. The site where it was moved is now the site of Enterprise Car Rental. (continued on page 3) Pictured behind the white sign is Freddie Roth's Tavern, which once occupied the site where Vera Auto is now located. To the right of the tree in the background is Scheuneman's Market. Gem Lake News Page 3 of 6 Freddie Roth's Tavern Then and Now (continued from page 2) The move took place because Shorty Urban wanted to build a gas station there. Shorty was married to one of Henry Hoffman's daughters. Henry owned the lot by this time and wanted to make the gas station a reality. Eventually the station was called HCO, which stood for Hoffman Company Oil. The old tavern building was going to be donated to the fire department for a controlled burn but instead it was finally sold to Dick Arcand's son, Richard Arcand. Rich moved the building to its current site on Goose Lake Road in 1969. "I was just married and had a daughter and a set of twins," said Richard Arcand. "My father-in-law, Henry Hoffman, sold me the tavern building for $1, but we had to pay the cost of moving it, which amounted to about $1100." The place had all wood floors, part of which were used for a nicely sized dance floor. The walls were covered with paneling that had absorbed the smell of a generation worth of cigarette smoke. There was a big long mahogany bar and a stone fireplace that got left behind when the building was moved. Richard and his father Dick did extensive remodeling to make the old building a livable home. They covered the worn floors with carpeting, threw away the paneling and took the interior down to the studs. They kept the old restroom signs out of sentiment, but there Pictured above is Freddie Roth in the white shirt and shorts (?). At far right is boxer Jack Dempsey. The photo below is the original tavern building, now a house on Goose Lake Road. are few signs that the structure once functioned as a tavern. It is now an attractive home on Goose Lake Road. The original site of the tavern has gone through several transformation. For years, Shorty Urban operated his gas station. The building is now on the lot where Vera Auto Sales is located. It is very fitting that the new facility also includes a brand new restaurant called Bella Cibo which is located in the old HCO building. Gem Lake News Page 4 of 6 BuBu yGer Rain RaRain Garden Maintenance Seminar Have you installed a rain garden or stored a shoreline but need to learn how to maintain your project? Learn how to keep that rain garden flourishing at a seminar on May 2. The seminar is sponsored by the Vadnais Lake Area Water Management Organization (VLAWMO) and will be held from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. in Vadnais Heights. This fun workshop will go over the basics for maintenance. Each participant will receive a copy of a handy guide to identifying weeds commonly found in the area. The cost to attend is only $5. To register, contact Kristine Jensen at 651-204-6074. Her email is: Kristine.Jensen@vlawmo.org City Clean Up Day-May 5 Please join us at Heritage Hall on May 5 at 9:00 a.m. Volunteers will have the chance to keep Gem Lake beautiful!! City Clean Up Day involves picking up trash that has been discarded along our roadways. Your participation is very welcome and much appreciated. Ice Out Date Sets Record Record warm temperatures in March led to a record setting date for the official "ice-out" on White Bear Lake. According to a local historian, March 19th, when all areas of the lake were navigable by boat, is the earliest date in recorded history. The last record was March 21, 2000. Gem Lake ice disappeared on the same date, a victim of the summer like temperatures that occurred that weekend. No one keeps detailed records for Gem Lake, so I could actually claim we beat White Bear Lake in terms of "ice-out" status. No one would be able to verify whether my pants were on fire or not. Alas, I cannot tell a lie, we lost our ice the same day. An Especially Bad Day to Drink and Drive St. Patrick's Day was a really really bad day to violate any traffic rule after leaving the huge parade in downtown St. Paul. The St. Paul Police hosted a high visibility DWI Saturation Campaign on March 17 from 2:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. During that time, 29 officers made 458 traffic stops. Out of that number nearly 221 citations were issued. That included 38 people who were taken into custody for one reason or another, 21 DWI arrests, 43 drivers who were cited for Driving After Revocation or Suspension, City News Page and 67 seatbelt citations. It didn't matter if your name was McNally or O'Flannagan, if you were a dope, you got a ticket. Vadnais Water Tower to Be Painted In April The City of Vadnais Heights owns and operates a 1.0 Million gallon water tower on the east side of International Drive between County Road E and Willow Lake Boulevard. They have contracted with a company to paint both the inside and outside of the water tower, starting in early April. The project is expected to be completed by the end of June. The water tower will be painted the same color as it currently is, but will also include the city's new logo. In order to contain the work area, a large shroud will be placed around the entire tower during the paint removal and prime coat application process. The existing paint will be removed with either abrasive sand or steel grit. Neither the existing or new paint contains lead and is not harmful. The shroud is necessary and required to contain particles during the removal and repainting process, as they can easily become airborne on windy days. As with any large scale painting project, however, it is impossible to capture all of the particles. All work is being done in accordance with Minnesota Department of Health requirements and specifications prepared by S.E.H., Inc., the consulting project engineer for Vadnais Heights. The City will have an inspector on site during the project. A project where an entire water tower is covered with a shroud is not something seen very often, so the City of Vadnais Heights wanted to give its Gem Lake neighbors some insight on what is being accomplished. Local Crime is Varied Although the crime rate in Gem Lake is low, incidents still occur here from time to time, Recently there was an incident of identity theft reported to the police by a Gem Lake resident. A car was stolen from 10 Below Auto on February 22. Also, license plates were stolen from Vera Auto on County Road E. This happened on March 6. The plates were recovered later on a vehicle that had been stolen in Maplewood and turned up in Iowa. Suspects are in custody in this matter. Gem Lake News Page 5 of 6 Coyotes Spotted Regularly in Gem Lake (Continued from pg. 1) Coyotes resemble a small, lean German Shepherd with a bottle-shaped tail. Females average about 25 pounds, males average about 30. They usually prey on small mammals, but sometimes kill large mammals and livestock. They don't get along with their larger cousin, the timber wolf. Coyotes are nomadic animals, according to the DNR. Males can roam over territories as large as 36 square miles, though the females roam an average territory of about 6 square miles. Adult males may share the territory of two or more females, which may overlap the ranges of other males. Coyotes move two or three miles a day. Their predators are bears, wolves and human hunters. The DNR says they are found throughout the state, and in increasing numbers in the Metro area. They prefer a combination of farm land and forest. Most coyotes avoid people and domestic animals, but don't count on them leaving Fido alone. They have been known to occasionally kill sheep, turkeys and calves. They may also raid garbage cans and kill domestic cats and small dogs. There hasn't been a recorded attack on humans in Minnesota. However, attacks by urban coyotes on humans have been reported in other states. Experts think these attacks occur after a coyote has become accustomed to humans or are being fed by humans. (Super dumb) Gem Lake sightings are random and can be affected by the amount of traffic, light and noise in your immediate area. Council Member Rick Bosak said recently, "I saw three of them hunting through my yard and I am hoping they take down the rabbit population." Rick lives on Goose Lake Road. Across the lake Council Member Tom Rasmussen reports seeing fewer this year than last. "The mild winter has not seemed to benefit the coyote population as the noise and sightings from my vantage point, the south west edge of the lake, have been far less than last summer and fall. " However, two other residents who live nearby have seen coyotes recently and on a number of occasions. Planning Commission Chairperson Faith Kuny reports seeing lone coyotes three different times. Fritz Magnuson, who also lives on the southwest edge of the lake says "We have had a few encounters at our home, including a night time visit when we were having a bonfire with our grandchildren. We also have regularly found coyote scat in our dry river bed. We believe they had a den to the northwest of us and they roam freely through the woods to the east." Here are some things for the "DO" list: secure your garbage cans and bird feeders, confine small dogs or cats or supervise them when outside, consider installing coyote proof fencing in your outdoor pet areas, harass any coyotes that bother you by chasing, shouting and getting loud and obnoxious with any coyotes that don't run from you. Here are the "DONTs": don't feed them, don't leave pet food outside, don't allow your cats and small dogs or other pets outside unattended. The DNR considers coyotes to be "unprotected" in Minnesota, leaving their removal up to local authorities and landowners. However, most cities prohibit the use of traps, firearms, etc. without a city permit. This includes Gem Lake, which does not allow coyote hunting. Recycling Participation Strong (cont. from page 1) Another report done from a county level, ranked 16 cities in Ramsey County in terms of pounds of recycling per household for 2011. On this report, Gem Lake ranked 7th with an average of 447 pounds per household for the year. White Bear Township came in first, recycling an average of 639 pounds of materials per household for the year, closely followed by Arden Hills with 633 pounds. The two lowest ranking cities were Maplewood in last place, with 315 pounds per household and St. Paul, coming in second to last with 365 pounds per household. Household income, education and median home value did not appear to have a significant correlation on how much a household recycled. It is important to note, however, that this county report includes municipally sponsored drop-off sites and city clean up events in its total recycling numbers. Bob Uzpen-Mayor Phone: 651-492-5083 City Council Members: Gretchen Artig-Swomley Phone: 651-260-9742 Rick Bosak 651-426-9695 Jim Lindner Phone: 651-429-7597 The following Gem Lake Meetings will be held at Heritage Hall for the next few months: April 17, 2012 City Council Meeting at 7:00 p.m. May 1, 2012 Planning Commission Meeting at 7:00 p.m. Meetings: April and May 2012 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 May 15, 2012 City Council Meeting at 7:0 p.m. May 5, 2012 City Clean Up Day--Meet at Heritage Hall at 9:00 a.m. May 7, 2012 City Council Workshop at 7:00 p.m. Tom Rasmussen Phone: 651-426-8854 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.