According to Fox 9 news, two pool maintenance workers were hospitalized Monday, one in critical condition, after a chemical mishap at the LA Fitness location at Highway 7 and Hopkins Crossroads on Monday morning.
Hopkins Police Sgt. Michael Glassberg said the pool chemicals were mixed wrong, releasing a vapor cloud inside the fitness club at the Hopkins location.
The workers were with a private company, and no LA Fitness members or employees were injured or sickened.
The pool and locker room were evacuated, but is again open.

Muskrat Dam under Rail Road Bridge

The muskrats have been busy this fall, building a dam on the Minnehaha Creek in Big Willow Park. This dam, in the narrows beneath the railroad trestle, increases the average depth of the creek significantly upstream, beyond the pedestrian/bike bridge on the Big Willow trail.

Creek levels are very low in the area, and it doesn’t appear that this dam is causing any immediate damage.

Minnehaha Creek Restoration Progresses with Cold Storage Property Purchase.

Partnership with Hopkins Helps Achieve Watershed and City Goals

The Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD) Board of Managers has approved the purchase of a 16.9 acre piece of property adjacent to Minnehaha Creek in Hopkins. The property, located at 325 Blake Road, is an older industrial property with cold storage buildings currently operating the site.

The $14.95 million purchase is part of a larger effort by the MCWD to restore Minnehaha Creek, which has been adversely impacted by industrial development over the years. At the Blake Road property, the MCWD plans to restore about 1,000 feet of shoreline in one of the most degraded sections of the creek. The area will become a natural buffer to help clean and slow run-off water before it enters the creek, provide reasonable public access and improve water quality. The rest of the property will be sold for re-development, which is consistent with the city’s comprehensive land use plan.

The acquisition will be financed by MCWD bond proceeds with repayment through the MCWD watershed tax levy. Lease payments by the existing tenants will help cover annual financing costs and tenants will continue regular tax payments to the city of Hopkins. Proceeds from the sale of the balance of the property, once tenant leases have expired, will allow the District to recover a good portion of the original acquisition costs.

Initially, the MCWD approached the current property owner for an easement that would have allowed restoration of the Minnehaha Creek shoreline, but buildings and other infrastructure on the property would not have allowed enough access to the site to complete the restoration project. The MCWD determined that a purchase of the property was the best option for achieving MCWD and city goals, while being fair to property owners and responsible to taxpayers.

Prior to the Board’s approval of the purchase, the MCWD obtained an independent market appraisal and conducted due diligence and negotiation to ensure that it was paying market value for the property and that there is a sufficient market interest in the eventual resale of the property for the District to recoup a large portion of its purchase costs.

The restoration project by the MCWD is one component of a larger partnership with the cities of Hopkins and St. Louis Park aimed at restoring creek watershed areas between Highway 169 and Methodist Hospital.

Job Opening: Aquatic Invasive Species Technician

The Minnehaha Creek Watershed District seeks a qualified candidate to plan, support, coordinate, and conduct the District’s aquatic invasive species (AIS) activities.  This position will work with internal staff, the Board of Managers, other government agency personnel, and the general public.

Lunds Project: City of Minnetonka.

Lunds of Minnetonka is proposing to have an outdoor special event on September 30, 2011. The event is called Community Night Out and would include a live band, food, and non alcoholic beverages. The event would be located in the parking lot of the Country Village shopping center and would take place from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. The proposal requires a conditional use permit for a promotional carnival with a variance to allow for amplified music.

Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs.

Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs Flags at Half-Staff notification This is a notification that the flags will be lowered at all state and federal buildings in the State of Minnesota on Saturday, June 18, 2011. The flags will be lowered in honor and remembrance of Captain Darrell John Spinler. The text of Governor Mark Dayton’s proclamation reads: WHEREAS:  Captain Darrell John Spinler, call sign ‘Hobo 27’, a native son of the State of Minnesota, waskilled in action on June 21, 1967, while serving the United States Air Force in the Vietnam War, and hisfamily has been waiting forty-four years for his return and proper memorial;  and WHEREAS:  Captain Darrell John Spinler was born on June 16, 1938, in Graceville, Minnesota. He graduated from Browns Valley High School, where he played basketball and baseball and played in the school band. Darrell went on to attend South Dakota State University on a basketball scholarship, graduating in June, 1960, and earning a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Air Force through the ROTC Program; and WHEREAS:  Captain Darrell John Spinler went on to earn his wings and was deployed to Vietnam in 1966,assigned to the 1st Air Commando Squadron at Pleiku Air Force Base; and WHEREAS:  Captain Darrell John Spinler gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom and died a hero at twenty-nine years of age on June 21, 1967, when the AIE aircraft he was piloting was shot down during abombing raid in Laos, along the Xe Kong River, where his remains could not be found;  and WHEREAS:  At the time of his death, Captain Darrell John Spinler was survived by wife, Darlene; sons, David and Dwayne; parents, Gerald and Myrtle; sister, Sharon; and nieces and nephews; and WHEREAS:  Captain Darrell John Spinler was a decorated military hero, earning the Silver Star, the 1stand 2nd Oak Leaf Cluster for the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star, the Commendation Medal, the 6th through 9th Oak Leaf Clusters to the Air Medal, and the Purple Heart;  and WHEREAS:  Captain Darrell John Spinler’s remains were recovered on November 17, 2010, and identifiedon January 5, 2011. Darrell will be honored with a burial with full military honors on Saturday, June 18,2011, at the United Methodist Presbyterian Church in Browns Valley, Minnesota, followed by an interment at Valley View Cemetery;  and WHEREAS:  The State of Minnesota recognizes Captain Darrell John Spinler, forty-four years after hisdeath, for his dedicated service to and sacrifice for his fellow citizens of Minnesota and the United States of America with its deepest gratitude, and all thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and all who knew him. NOW, THEREFORE, I, MARK DAYTON, Governor of Minnesota, do hereby order all U.S. flags and Minnesota flags be flown at half-staff at all state and federal buildings in the State of Minnesota, from sunrise until sunset on Saturday, June 18, 2011, in honor and remembrance of Captain Darrell John Spinler.

June 7, 2011
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has issued an air pollution health alert due to elevated levels of ozone for the Twin Cities Metropolitan area effective from 1:00 p.m. through midnight on Tuesday, June 7, 2011.
At-risk Populations: Ozone levels are expected to reach a level considered unhealthy for sensitive groups. Populations sensitive to ozone include those with preexisting respiratory conditions, the elderly, children, and individuals who participate in activities requiring extended or heavy outdoor exertion. Members of these groups are encouraged to postpone or reduce vigorous outdoor activity, or schedule outdoor activity in the morning hours when ozone levels are lowest. Even individuals who are otherwise healthy may experience health effects when pollution levels increase.
Health Impacts: Elevated levels of ozone have been linked with respiratory health effects. Exposure to high levels of ozone may trigger pre-existing health conditions and may make it more difficult to breathe deeply and vigorously, cause shortness of breath and breathing discomfort, and result in coughing and sore or scratchy throat. If you experience these symptoms, contact your physician.
Pollution-reduction Tips: Ozone is produced in hot, sunny weather by a chemical reaction between volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and oxides of nitrogen. These pollutants are released from motor vehicles, lawn and garden equipment, paints and solvents, refueling stations, and other activities which require fuel combustion. Conserving energy, buying clean renewable power, and utilizing alternate means of transportation will all reduce your daily contribution to air pollution. During air quality alerts, residents are particularly encouraged to postpone or reduce vehicle trips and engine idling, the use of gasoline-powered equipment, paint, and solvents, and burning wood.
Current Air Quality Conditions and Forecast: Mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the upper-90s are enhancing ozone formation in the Twin Cities Metropolitan area. Furthermore, transported smoke from wildfires in Arizona will aid ozone and particle production. As a result, AQI levels will be Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups for ozone. Tomorrow, a cold front will move through the Twin Cities in the morning, causing winds to become moderate west-northwesterly and bringing in a cooler, cleaner air mass. These conditions will disperse pollutants and lower AQI levels to low-Moderate. Air quality is expected to return to good conditions Thursday.
For hourly air quality updates, visit the MPCA AQI Web site at http://aqi.pca.state.mn.us/. Sign up at http://mn.enviroflash.info to receive daily air quality forecasts and air pollution health alerts by email or text message.