Council Discusses Homelessness, Crime, Street Reconstruction/ Assessments and Capital Improvement Plan

Both the Street Reconstruction/Assessment Roll 2010 and 2011-2015 Capital Improvement Plans were adopted Tuesday night without public comment.  Key highlights:  the 2010 reconstruction project took place in the south half of Woodland Meadows (east of Verdin, approximately between 172nd Ave. and 174th Cir.)  Due to a very favorable bid climate, the individual homeowner assessments came in at $4686.57 vs the estimated $6440.00.  City Engineer Berkowitz showed several dramatic pictures of the excellent results from the City crews - on Uplander Circle, at 174th Circle, and at the intersection of 172nd & Uplander.  He showed repairs needed for alligator cracking in some e roads and streets where crews regularly had to patch potholes - but now look excellent.  Customer service is very important in these projects and he acknowledged fine efforts by Jason Law and Al Kester.  The City also put up new signage to conform to state regulations, including new 35 MPH signs where the state allows lower limits in rural residential areas (from 55 MPH).

Thec 2011-2015 CIP calls for State Aid to be used in improving the intersection of Crosstown Dr. & Crosstown Blvd. next year.  Crosstown Dr. is on the reconstruction list, as is South Coon Creek Dr. in 2012.  The CIP helps the City maintain a AA+ bond rating.  It includes $31 million over the next five years, which is for both construction projects and equipment replacement/purchases.  48.8% of departmental expenditures goes to streets and highways (out of an estimated $3,988,000 in 2011).  Water treatment is the number two expense (@ 25%), while Parks, which generates more taslk than most other items is a comparatively minor budget item at 4%.


Sgt. Erickson from the Sheriff's Office reported that in September, Andover had 9 DUI arrests and 5 In-Custody, Domestic Assault arrests.  He described specific arrests made in September, including one that SWAT was called in for on 141st Ave.  That gentleman remains in custody, his home has been foreclosed upon, and he will not be returning to that neighborhood.


The Mayor signed a proclamation declaring November to be Homeless Awareness Month.  Karrie Schaaf, a  state expert on homeless youth, from Emma B. Howe YMCA of Coon Rapids, spoke, along with a youth assistant, Abby.  On January 27, 2010 (night of the annual homeless count) there were 1301 homeless people in Anoka County, about 155 of whom were youth, aged 16-21. There are not enough beds for the homeless in Minnesota.  Some sleep in parks, some in porta-potties.  There are no shelters in Anoka County and Hennepin County fills up.  Programs like Family Promise are in place, and Sleep Outs to raise funds for the homeless have been successful.  Andover HS did its first last year, and besides raising money, the school has started a food shelf.
Here's a link to a 2010 StarTribune article on homeless youth in Anoka County:  http://www.startribune.com/local/north/91566694.html?page=1&c=y.

City Administrator Dickinson passed out Anoka County Annual Homeless Count statistics.  The 1301 were an increase of 297 or 30% over the 2009 count.  There were 212 more homeless households in 2010. 

Sixty were living on the streets in January.  Homeless shelters accounted for 76, while 29 were at motels.  There were 403 homeless couch hopping or doubling up with others.  Two were places unfit for habitation, while 87 were located in the Transitional Housing Program.  Another 29 were in homes they would be evicted from in less than a month, and 61 others were on shelter waiting lists, in the hospital or in jail.

Fifty-four of the Anoka County homeless suffered from Severe Mental Illness (SMI).  Nineteen were fighting Chronic Substance Abuse (CSA) sand 39 had both CSA and an SMI.  Another three had basic mental health or mental illness issues and two cope with Learning Disabilities.


This is a very troubling concern for every community, not just the urban centers of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Impressions: Andover "Meet the Candidates" Forum, October 18, 2010

First, I'd be remiss not to thank the League of Women Voters, our moderator Geri Nelson, and Marge Perry for providing the opportunity to the candidates to address the voters last night!  Thank you!

There was no Mayoral debate/forum last night.  Although Mayor Mike Gamache arrived early, his opponent Richard Kulkey did not respond to the League, nor did he appear, so the LWV moved on to a candidate forum for the Council candidates.

Only seven of us participated.  Mr. Eric Kohnke, who chose not to participate two years ago when he ran for Mayor, also failed to join us last evening.  Instead, it was a genuine pleasure to meet several of the candidates for the first time, including Brian Haugen, Shannen Schmeig and Jeff Shoemaker.  I had previously met Tony Howard, and of course both incumbents, Julie Trude and Don Jacobson.

I'm not going to "score" the debate/forum here - truly only the voters can do so.  I felt positive about my opening and closing statements, thought I did reasonably well answering questions, spoke well and clearly, and overall walked away with my dignity in place.  My wife was very positive - she doesn't often see me in these types of situations - and said I did a good job, and she was proud of me.

Based on their statements and replies to the questions, I would categorize my opponents in this manner:  fiscal and economic conservatives - Brian Haugen and Don Jacobson;  anti-government and economic and social conservatives - Shannen Schmeig and Jeff Shoemaker;  practical-minded moderates - Tony Howard and Julie Trude.  Me - I'd put myself down as a pro-government, moderate liberal.

From my notes during the meeting, these were the questions thrown at us in the 75-minute forum:
1.  List three projects you would like to see dealt with in the next four years;
2.  List strategies and incentives you would use to attract new businesses to Andover;
3.  What would we cut or eliminate from the budget?
4.  Should we continue the non-partisan election of Council members?
5.  With all of us running, should we continue to elect At-Large/Citywide, or move to a ward/district system?
6.  What are our feelings about saving money by doing less weed-cutting and by adding native plants?
7.  Are water gardens a good idea, as they are used in other communities?


I believe that QCTV is scheduling the Forum to appear on our local government channel(s) soon.  The schedule may be updated as soon as tonight.  I'm looking forward to watching and seeing how I did, and how it comes across to the viewers.  I hope you get a chance to tune in, too.


Here are my Opening and Closing Statements from the Forum:

Thank you League of Women Voters for hosting this candidates’ forum tonight.  I’d also like to thank each of you here – both in this room and watching at home for taking time to better make your voting choices on November 2^nd.  And thank to my wife Cheryl, who gave me the initial inspiration to run. 

My name is Wes Volkenant, and I’ve been a resident of Andover for 10 years.  I’ve worked 20 years for Hennepin County, where I do training for new workers.  I am a former high school social studies and special education teacher.

I’m focusing on three key areas in this election – transit and roads, economic development and Andover’s image.  Many of our key roads in the northern Andover are deteriorating and we need to partner with Anoka County to address this. We have too few marked right-turn lanes on our main roads, and it is not safe to exit into neighborhoods like mine, or Jeff and Brian’s off of Hanson Boulevard.  And I’d like to see MTC routes or other transit options for better access to our community and fewer rush-hour jams.

Every one of us will tell you we need economic development in Andover.  We are a city of 30,000 that lacks retailers, gas stations and the flexibility to encourage more restaurants.  And I believe we need to better utilize the rail line that passes through Andover.

Our future may not include the major home-building of the past decade.  So, as we balance our traditional rural areas with our suburban commuter neighborhoods, let’s build that Clocktower and improve the image Hanson Boulevard presents, and let’s keep Andover residents here at home to eat, shop and fill their tanks.

Thank you again, for this opportunity to participate tonight.  It has taken an election for me to truly explore and learn to appreciate the many aspects of Andover, its beauty, its wide-range of neighborhoods, and yes, some things I would like to see us address in the next four years.  I’ve discovered this city has streets named Genie and Enchanted Drive, and as a cat-owner, I’ve come to learn how critical a dog park is needed in Andover. 

But this is not an election about my cat, or my political views and philosophy.   You can read that at my blog page – wesvolkopinion.blogspot.com.   For many of you, this election is about making a change and voting for a candidate with new perspectives.   My campaign themes are “A New Voice” and “Embrace Andover’s Future.” 

This election is not about the past ten or twelve years, it’s about the next four years.  Please vote for me on November 2^nd.  Thank you!

Economic Development Authority - Meets to Discuss Dog Park Today, Andover New Business Update

Tonight's dog park discussion should be very straightforward.  City Engineer Todd Haas notes in his letter to the EDA that at a recent meeting of the Park Commission and City Council, the Council recommended putting in a dog park at the Andover Station North Ball Field Facility site.  Since the ASN Ball Field Facility site is owned by the EDA, the dog park needs EDA approval.  Donations are expected to fund improvements, such as picnic tables, signing restoration and fencing.  For more on the dog park efforts, visit http://andoverdogpark.com/.

I appreciated reading the list of 15 new businesses located in Andover the past year.  I've seen many of these in my travels around the City, but others were news to me, too.

1.  Kelly Casey's Computer Whatever (612-221-8221) which specializes in corporate and residential computer support.
2.  Thrive for Wellness - LeAnn Beebe, owner (763-434-6077) which provides weight loss and nutitional products, one-on-one coaching, and weekly weight loss classes.
3.  Dr. Tony Lawther's Essentials of Life Chiropractic, at Clocktower Commons, 15190 Crosstown Blvd. (763-413-6934), which specializes in exercise, chiropractic care, stress relief and nutrition classes.
4.  New restaurants at Clocktower Commons, 15190 Crosstown Blvd:  China Bistro (763-413-9988) and Beef O'Brady's (763-434-2700).
5.  $5 Pizza which replaces Big Bite Pizza at 13656 Crosstown Blvd. (763-754-9999).
6.  Living Water Tree Service, owned by Walt and Suzie Witzke, which specializes in tree pruning, removal and stump grinding and brush removal. (763-360-4855)
7.  Owner Michele Asmussen's BluSkye (612-702-9523), a marketing and special events firm.
8.  Glass Slipper Bridal Salon - Pat Ferguson, owner (763-427-5600) at 13783 Ibis Street, next door to "Dancin' Feet." They specialize in plus-size bridal gowns.
9.  A new pizza place in the old Quizno's location - Mama Vallenti's Pizzaria - at 2244 Bunker Lake Blvd.  It's owned by Cory DeLuca and can be reached at (763-862-2500).
10.  Pappy's Cafe, which features old-fashioned home cooking, went in where Tasty Pizza was located at 13827 Round Lake Blvd. (763-427-4840).
11.  Nearby at 14025 Round Lake Blvd. you'll find Brian Barker's Pal's Sports Cards (763-427-4505), specializing in new and vintage sports cards and memorabilia.
12.  Mobile-Link Wireless, a T-Mobile dealer, is located at 2248 Bunker Lake Blvd. (612-483-0900).
13.  Good Life Fitness serves as the prime anchor in the "Downtown Shopping Center."  They are located at 13735 Round Lake Blvd. (763-437-5566).

Coming soon:
14.  John Dallum is filling a long-vacant space next to Marathon Gas at 15246 Bluebird Street - across from the Community Center/YMCA - with Energy Boost.
15. Kwik Trip is nearing completed construction at the SE corner of Bunker Lake Blvd. and Jay Street - near Andover Theater.  They are scheduled to open in December.

John Ferling's "The Ascent of George Washington"

The Ascent of George Washington

The Hidden Political Genius of an American Icon

by John Ferling

The Ascent of George Washington

For two centuries our image of the father of our country has been almost too good to be true. Alone among our Founding Fathers, George Washington has been seen as a selfless leader who wielded power without ambition and who stood above the fray of partisan politics. Asked by his countrymen to take the reins of power, he answered the call of duty and led our nation as its first president with a disinterested impartiality. Yet in The Ascent of George Washington, historian John Ferling takes issue with this portrayal, instead revealing Washington as an ambitious, skilled and often partisan politician.

Ferling examines the nearly 20 years Washington served in the Virginia Assembly, describing how the future president honed his political skills while building a stout phalanx of supporters and protectors who would serve him well in the struggles to come. Ferling also scrutinizes Washington’s military service in both the French and Indian War, where he led Virginia’s army, and as commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, observing that Washington not only committed “dreadful blunders” in both wars, but in each war actually opposed the strategy that led to ultimate success. Yet Ferling shows how the general’s talent for damage control and his deft handling both of Congress and of local authorities allowed him to emerge from his military career as a hero. Furthermore, Ferling argues that despite Washington’s limitations as a tactician and strategist, his diplomatic and political skills—as well as his sterling character—made him the proper choice to be commander of the Continental Army.

As a war hero, Washington would preside over the Constitutional Convention of 1787 before serving two terms as America’s first president beginning in 1789. Yet Ferling argues that despite Washington’s reputation as being devoid of any partisan agenda, he had decidedly Federalist leanings, consistently supporting Alexander Hamilton’s aspirations for a strong centralized federal government. And by the time Washington was using force to suppress the Whiskey Rebellion in 1794, Thomas Jefferson was lamenting that the man who had once been “the head of a nation” had become instead “the head of a party,” the Federalists, who for their part had come to idolize Washington and were hoping he might seek a third term.

The Ascent of George Washington is not a biography; it eschews personal matters in favor of political activities. The result is a clear-eyed analysis of the career of a man who “alone of all of America’s public officials in the past two centuries succeeded in convincing others that he was not a politician.” It’s this very fact that makes him, in Ferling’s view, one of the very best politicians in American history.

http://www.historybookclub.com/pages/product/productDetail.jsp?skuId=1045171051

Excerpt

Like Terry Malloy, the pug in the movie On the Waterfront who wanted to be somebody, young George Washington wanted to go places ,to be known, to win acclaim. At his birth in 1732,George’s prospects were poor. He was a product of his father’s second marriage. The sons from the first marriage, George’s half-brothers, had been provided a formal education, including study abroad. They also received a bountiful inheritance when their father, Augustine Washington, died in 1743. But Augustine’s demise appeared to stop George’s ascent before it began. There was no money for continuing George’s formal education, much less for sending him to England to complete his schooling, and his inheritance was meager. George received ten slaves and Ferry Farm, a worn-out tract across the Rappahannock River from Fredericksburg,Virginia. With that bequest he might become an important figure in King George County, though no one in the broader world would know him. But from an early age, George Washington wanted more. He wanted to stand apart from others. He wanted to be seen as a man of substance. George said almost nothing about his father, mentioning him in only three passing references in thousands of pages of correspondence. Augustine had accumulated a small fortune as a tobacco planter, land speculator, and proprietor of an iron forge, and he was a prominent figure in northern Virginia, where he held several local offices. Ambitious young males usually aspire to surpass the accomplishments of their fathers, and that appears to have been true of George. Yet it was not Augustine who was George’s role model. It was Lawrence Washington, an older brother from their father’s first marriage. Fourteen years older than George, Lawrence had studied in England. After returning home, he enlisted as an officer in a colonial army raised to fight alongside British regulars in a war with Spain, the oddly named War of JenkinsÕ Ear that erupted in 1739. Lawrence was sent to the Caribbean, then to South America, where he experienced combat. The war was a bloodbath for the American troops, and Lawrence was fortunate to survive and return home. Worldly, educated, well-to-do, dashing in his resplendent uniform, and deferred to as a hero by the most influential men and captivating women in Virginia, Lawrence cut an impressive figure. His stature increased when he was appointed adjutant general of Virginia, a post that made him the foremost soldier in the province. Soon, he was elected to the House of Burgesses, Virginia’s assembly, a feat never realized by Augustine. The crowning touch came in 1743. Lawrence married into the Fairfax family, which claimed title to six million acres in Virginia and, needless to say, was the most prominent clan in the Northern Neck, the area around the Rappahannock and Potomac rivers. Lawrence and his bride took up residence on a lush green rolling estate overlooking the Potomac River. - from THE ASCENT OF GEORGE WASHINGTON © 2009 John Ferling

Author Interview

 

Your book paints a different portrait of George Washington – our first president as a politician. Why do you think this aspect of his personality has been lost in histories over the years?

It’s often said that Washington didn’t want to be our first president after the American Revolution, that he was pushed into the top job – how accurate is this? Was he hiding his ambition?

Washington was genuinely conflicted about taking the presidency in 1789. He was fifty-seven years and came from a family in which males seldom lived long lives. He was convinced that he probably had only four or five years left and he longed to spend them in the comfort of Mount Vernon. In addition, when Washington resigned his commission and left the Continental army in 1783, he had pledged never again to hold public office. He feared that he would be seen as a hypocrite if he broke that pledge by accepting the presidency. Finally, Washington feared that he might fail as president. He had never held such a lofty political office as the presidency and he wasn’t sure that he possessed the political skills to cope with the challenges he would face. One thing he knew for certain was that the first president would face myriad challenges, none greater than solving the economic crisis that plagued the nation and somehow holding together the nascent American Union. If he failed, the enormous reputation that he had won in eight long years of commanding the Continental army might be destroyed. But having said all of that, Washington liked to be at the center of action and he knew that this was a watershed moment in the history of the American people. What is more, if he declined the presidency and someone else assumed the office and succeeded, their reputation would overshadow his. George Washington did not like to be overshadowed!

Can you tell us about some examples from Washington’s early life that hinted at what was to come?

Most of Washington’s contemporaries saw him as above politics, an impression he worked hard to create. First impressions often have a lasting impact. Furthermore, most nineteenth century historians were extreme nationalists who were less interested in getting at the truth than in creating and perpetuating fables that helped bind the nation together. Twentieth century historians wrote much better history, but many appeared to be reluctant to look too closely at Washington as a politician. He was such an American icon that they may have shied away from the criticism that would almost certain result should they say anything negative about Washington.

 About the time Washington entered adolescence, his father died. All hopes that young George would, like his older brothers, receive a lengthy formal education – including studies in England – vanished. So too did his hope for receiving a considerable inheritance. If young Washington wished to rise in this world, becoming prominent and powerful, there were only two options. He could become a surveyor, which held the promise of slowly accumulating wealth and status. Or, he could become a soldier, which could rapidly lead to renown and respect if one did something heroic and survived the experience. Young Washington chose both. At age sixteen, through self-study, he became a surveyor. At age twenty-three, when war broke out, he became a soldier. All signs suggest that Washington as a teen-ager and young adult was eager to gain attention and respect, and to rise to the pinnacle of Virginia society. He worked extremely hard to attain his wishes, even risking his life for five years during the French and Indian War to gain his ends. During the period between 1754 and 1775, when the War of Independence began, Washington displayed qualities that would serve him well in later years. As the twenty-something commander of the Virginia Regiment in the French and Indian War, Washington displayed incredible leadership abilities. He commanded many older and experienced officers. They remained loyal to him and at war’s end sang his praises. He achieved his success through the study of military manuals, close observation of successful British officers, considerable self-scrutiny, and relentless industry. He returned to Mount Vernon following the war and succeeded as a planter-businessman. He was bold and daring in his investments and agrarian practices, succeeding at a time when most Virginia planters were struggling to survive.

 

You’ve written several books about the Founding Fathers, most recently Almost a Miracle: The American Victory in the War of Independence. It’s also your second book on George Washington, following The First of Men: A Life of George Washington. What led you to take another look? What draws you to Washington?

 I wanted to write this book for two reasons. One was that when I wrote A LEAP IN THE DARK: THE STRUGGLE TO CREATE THE AMERICAN REPUBLIC (2003), which was a political history of the era of the American Revolution, I became convinced that Washington was more political than was commonly assumed. I wanted to explore that matter to see if I was correct and, if so, to share my conclusions with others. When I wrote ALMOST A MIRACLE: THE AMERICAN VICTORY IN THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE (2007), I reached the conclusion that Washington’s generalship in the Revolutionary War was profoundly flawed. In fact, I concluded that he had been extremely fortunate to have emerged from the war with such an iconic reputation. I wanted to probe in some detail both his generalship and how, and why, he came out of the war as such a colossal military hero. Every Founder was ambitious and eager to make a lasting name for himself. Washington was more successful than any other. I keep coming back to him in an effort to understand why he succeeded. I find all of them – John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison, and a host of lesser lights – to be endlessly fascinating. But I find Washington the least transparent of them all and, consequently, the most difficult to get a handle on.

 

President Barack Obama is also considered a political genius, though his rise couldn’t be more different from Washington’s. Nevertheless, during his campaign and early in his administration, have you seen similarities in their political styles as trail blazers – leaders during a moment of crisis?

 The great similarity that I see between President Obama and President Washington is that both came to the presidency confronted by a perilous economic crisis. If today’s crisis is not solved, there will be profound ramifications for the American people and the United States. In Washington’s day, the existence of the American Union conceivably hung in the balance if the huge indebtedness brought on by the Revolutionary War – a debt that literally paralyzed the ability of the national government to act – was not satisfactorily addressed. One thing I find interesting is both Obama and Washington began addressing their respective problems in a similar fashion. Obama turned to an insider in New York financial circles (Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner), as did Washington, who of course asked Alexander Hamilton to be his Secretary of the Treasury. I’m not sure how much Obama knows about financial matters, but there is nothing in his background to suggest an expertise in that area. Washington frankly admitted that he knew little about financial matters (on the eve of his presidency he was asking for help in understanding the precise nature of public securities). Of the two, Washington appears to have chosen the more daring approach toward solving the economic crisis. President Obama is seeking to solve today’s crisis through a stimulus package that, like the New Deal in the 1930s, draws on Keynesian economic theory, and through a bailout program similar to that used in the S&L crisis in the 1980s, the Japanese financial collapse in the 1990s, and the choices employed in the final weeks of George W. Bush’s presidency. President Washington – or, to be more accurate, Hamilton – was blazing new territory in his attempts to cope with the massive debt problems left by the Revolutionary War. Obama has drawn fire, just as did Washington, for running up a huge national debt and for introducing change that would alter the shape of America. In Washington’s case, much of the criticism came from Jefferson and his followers who thought all debt a bad thing and who feared the urbanization and industrialization that seemed likely to result from Hamilton’s program. By his third year in the presidency, Washington saw signs that Hamilton’s plan was working, and he stuck by his Treasury Secretary.