BloomGuide2012FINAL

BloomGuide2012FINAL.xpr_Layout 1 6/14/12 10:31 AM Page 1

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Many of the nearly 18,000RBCU members often tell ushow proud they are to bank atRBCU. Still, manypeople aren’tsure what a credit union is.Simply put, a credit union islike a bank—only better. RBCUoffers many of the services youexpect to find at a bank,including credit cards, personal

and small business loans andonline banking. But unlike abank, at RBCU you’re morethan an account number. As anot-for-profit business, we arecommitted to excellentcustomer service and work toimprove the lives of ourmembers. We also save youmoney by offering lower rates

and fees. But most importantly,we are dedicated to thecommunities we serve. We live,work, worship and study in thesame communities as ourmembers, which is why RBCUtruly is Your Neighborly CreditUnion™. Here are a fewreasons you’d be proud tobank at RBCU:

RBCU Invests to Strengthen Community

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Stop by any of our branches or find RBCU on Facebook to learn more about what RBCU is doing in our community.

Old Shakopee Branch4025 W. Old Shakopee Rd. Bloomington, MN 55437

NEW Lyndale Branch9550 Lyndale AvenueBloomington, MN 55420

Investing in EducationRBCU is deeply involved in our localschool districts, sports programs and thearts. Over the years, we’ve donatedthousands of dollars and countlessvolunteer hours to the Richfield,Bloomington and Edina school systems.From scholarships, school supplies andscoreboards to educating students aboutfinancial planning, RBCU invests in ourcommunity’s youth.

Investing in Our Community But our commitment to educationdoesn’t stop at school. RBCU’s donationshelp support various organizations in ourcommunity, such as the Wood LakeNature Center, the Richfield HistoricalSociety and Bloomington Heritage Days.

RBCU also sees the value in sustainedgrowth and development in ourcommunities. Our new building, locatedon 95th & Lyndale Avenue inBloomington, anchors the growingOxboro neighborhood. Our newestbranch—and future phases—is one ofthe key components in the revitalizationefforts transforming east Bloomington,and we are proud to be a part of thischange.

Investing in Our MembersRBCU is different than a typical bank. Weput our members first by helping theminvest in their own futures. As a not-for-profit business, RBCU’s profits go back toour members in the form of lower rateson loans and higher dividends on savingaccounts.

Our community efforts haven’t goneunnoticed. Sun Current readers voted us“The Best Credit Union” in Richfield andBloomington. If you’re not happy withyour current bank, stop by any of ourlocations to learn why you’d be proud tobank at RBCU.

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BloomingtonCommunity Guide

2012Welcome to Bloomington .......................Page 7City Government......................................Page 9Education................................................Page 11Fire Department ....................................Page 12Police Department .................................Page 13City Map...........................................Pages 14-15Hyland Lake Park Reserve .....................Page 16Fun in the Sun .......................................Page 17Community Celebrations .......................Page 18City Parks ...............................................Page 19Health & Wellness..................................Page 21Higher Education ..................................Page 23Libraries.................................................Page 24Wildlife Refuge......................................Page 25Historic Sites .........................................Page 27Mall of America ....................................Page 29Worship Communities .....................Pages 30-31

ContentsBloomington

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Greetings!Bloomington is among the best of Minnesota’s

cities. We are proud of our safe and welcoming neigh-borhoods, our incredible 9,000 acres of parks and openspace, our residents who work together to promote avital community and our businesses that define ourprosperity.

To ensure that Bloomington remains the best, weare focused on and committed to the continual buildingand renewal of this community by redeveloping ourcommercial areas and residential neighborhoods, andby improving our transportation system.

As the third largest city in the region, Bloomingtonis conveniently located near key transportation links,including I-35W and I-494, and the Minneapolis-St. PaulInternational Airport. Light rail transit has four sta-tions in Bloomington and the Mall of America transitstation is the busiest in the Metro Transit system.Excellent transit and highway access giveBloomington opportunities to create higher density,mixed-use neighborhoods in locations along AmericanBoulevard.

The city’s essential and quality-of-life services helpsupport the long-term mission of making Bloomingtona healthier, safer and more sustainable community.One of our goals is to protect and reinvest in the com-munity’s key assets – our homes and businesses – by

providing city servic-es that makeBloomington safe andbring the communitytogether. The servicesthat residents andbusinesses receivefrom the city areamong the most com-petitively priced inthe metropolitan area.

Our city rankswith an elite few citiesnationwide that holdthree triple-A bondratings. Bloomingtonmaintains an Aaafrom Moody’s, AAAfrom Standard &Poor’s and AAA fromFitch Ratings, the

highest bond ratings awarded by these agencies. Thecity’s excellent bond ratings are a signal to current andpotential investors that our financial future is strong.It also sends a message to businesses and individualsthat Bloomington is a financially sustainable commu-nity.

Education plays a key role in community buildingand renewal; Bloomington’s schools are among thebest. Bloomington Public Schools have a tradition ofproviding a quality education. Nine schools haveearned National Blue Ribbon of Excellence honors.Whether adult learning, undergraduate, graduate orremote education, Bloomington has many educationopportunities. Our schools are focused on helping stu-dents compete in the global marketplace with state-of-the-art technology and curricula designed for 21st cen-tury learning.

Bloomington is a healthy, active community. As partof our Alternative Transportation Program, the city isexpanding our walking and biking trail system inorder to connect businesses and residential areas toopen spaces and make commuting more enjoyable. AsBloomington develops and changes, these trails willbecome even more valuable to residents, ultimatelymaking the city a healthier, more desirable place tolive, work and visit.

Bloomington’s future vision draws inspiration fromthe community’s 154-year history, its can-do spirit, thetalents and experience of residents and businesses anda shared belief that anything worth doing is worthdoing well. We remain dedicated to building andrenewing Bloomington, not just for the short term, butin a manner that will sustain us as a quality city thatresidents and businesses are proud to call home.

Gene WinsteadMayor of Bloomington

Residents and businesses areproud to call Bloomington home

10917 Valley View RoadEden Prairie, MN 55344

http://current.mnsun.com

Editor ...................................................Daniel CallahanWriter .........................................................Mike HanksPhotography .............................................Mike Hanks,...................................................................Paul GroesselLayout & Design .................................Keith Anderson, ..............................................................Daniel Callahan

Cover Design................................................Elli MartinSales .................................................................Mike GillAdvertising Director.........................Jeremy BradfieldExecutive Editor.....................................Peggy BakkenGeneral Manager.....................................Jeff Coolman

Special thanks go out to to Mayor Gene Winstead forcontributing the welcome letter. Our appreciation alsogoes to the city of Bloomington, the Hennepin CountyLibrary System, Three Rivers Park District and manycommunity organizations and local businesses that sup-ported this publication.

Bloomington

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City Government

City services are dispatched from facilities acrosstown, but the epicenter of Bloomington governmentis Bloomington Civic Plaza

The building not only houses governmental opera-tions, it also serves as the headquarters for theBloomington Police Department and home ofBloomington Center for the Arts.

Opening in 2003, Civic Plaza was built at a total costof $38 million. The project was funded through sever-al mechanisms, including 12 years of savings in a cap-ital improvement fund.

Civic Plaza may be the focal point of city govern-ment, but Bloomington’s governmental needs are metby several buildings throughout the city, including itsPublic Works complex across the street from CivicPlaza, several smaller Public Works facilities, six firestations, a water treatment plant, a Public HealthCenter and Motor Vehicle Office.

Finding the right city official or office to meet yourneeds may be challenging, as many city services orig-inate from Bloomington Civic Plaza. The city, howev-er, makes it easy to answer many of those questions,from how to obtain business licenses to snow emer-gency information.

CityWEB, Bloomington’s Internet home, can

answer many questions, and maintains many pages ofinformation about city services. Information aboutparks and recreation services, the community center,public safety services and city council information isall contained within CityWEB. Information may beaccessed by topics, as well as through an A-Z topicsearch. Internet links and information about manytopics outside of the city’s purview is also included atCityWEB, and the website provides information inseveral languages.

CityWEB may provide information 24 hours a day,but it cannot answer every question that arises. CivicPlaza has an information desk staff that can answerquestions in person or by telephone.

With so much going on in Bloomington, there’splenty to keep track of. To inform residents the citypublishes Briefing, a bi-monthly newsletter. Briefingis mailed to all single-family households and business-es, and is available at Civic Plaza. The newsletter mayalso be read through CityWEB.

The city produces news programs – BloomingtonToday and Roll Call – which are accessible throughCityWEB. Bloomington Today is a weekly news showpertaining to city topics. Roll Call is a monthly newsshow pertaining to policing issues.

Civic Plaza: government at your service

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Bloomington


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Education

With a variety of public and private educationalprograms and options available, many familieschoose Bloomington Public Schools.

The Bloomington School District includes 10 ele-mentary schools, three middle schools, two highschools, two early childhood family centers and twoalternative learning centers.

The district serves its students well. With morethan 11,000 potential students in the community,Bloomington Public Schools are the district ofchoice for 85 percent of the eligible student popula-tion, according to the district’s 2010-11 annual report.Open enrollment allows students to attend schoolsoutside their district. Although 392 students chose toattend a school outside of Bloomington, the districtattracted 499 students from outside its boundaries,according to the report.

The district’s schools educate students of manydifferent ethnic and social backgrounds. During the2010-11 school year, the district’s diverse student pop-ulation (minority or students of color) grew from 39to 41 percent.

Support for Bloomington schools is strong. Tomeet the demands of education – demands thatexceed the state’s funding – the district counts onvoter-approved levies. In Bloomington, 21 cents ofevery district revenue dollar came from local levies,totaling more than $20 million of the district’s $99.3million in general operating fund revenue for the2011-12 school year.

Bloomington voters have supported a 10-year cap-

ital projects levy for technology, which provides $3million per year to enrich classroom instructionwith new and updated technology. The levy began in2008-09 and includes inflationary adjustments. Acommittee composed of teachers, principals, tech-nology, special education and community servicesrepresentatives establishes the annual expenditureplan for the referendum funds.

The district provides activity centers at its twohigh schools, allowing community members to main-tain active lifestyles through recreational space ateach building.

The district is governed by a seven-member boardof education that meets at the Educational ServicesCenter, typically at 7 p.m. on the second and fourthMonday of the month.

Information about district programs and services,from early childhood family education options forchildren up to 5 years old, to Bloomington alumniinformation, is available through the district’s com-prehensive website. Frequent news updates and sta-tistical information, including a copy of the dis-trict’s annual report, may also be found through thewebsite, which links to individual pages for eachBloomington school.

Educational Services CenterBloomington Public Schools1350 W. 106th St., Bloomington952-681-6400bloomingtonschools.info

Bloomington schools, the choice of many

Bloomington


Fire Department

For all the modern technology employed by theBloomington Fire Department, one thing remainsunchanged, its reliance upon the dedication of vol-unteers.

The fire department was formed in 1947, followingyears of planning while Bloomington relied uponneighboring cities for fire protection. The city’s firstfire station was a two-bay garage at the intersectionof 95th Street and Garfield Avenue.

Today the city is served by six stations and 120 vol-unteers who are paid $5 per fire call and $4.12 perdrill attended, as well as a monthly on-call stipend of$65. The department has added 10 volunteers thisyear and there is a waiting list of approximately 30.

The department’s only full-time employees are itschief, Ulie Seal, and two full-time administrativestaff members. Seal, who has been with the depart-ment since 1976, became its first full-time chief whenthe position transitioned from a volunteer job in2007.

Firefighters carry pagers that alert them to emer-gency calls in the city, day or night. They also partic-ipate in a variety of training drills and communityservice programs throughout the year.

Each fall department members participate in vis-its to fourth-grade classes at Bloomington schools tospeak about fire prevention. The department alsohosts an open house in conjunction with NationalFire Prevention Week, featuring fire preventionexhibits and demonstrations as well as otherexhibits from other organizations, including thecity’s police and public works departments.

The department also has a fire safety house, avehicle that is used for fire prevention demonstra-tions and classes.

Throughout the year fire department representa-tives will test, install or replace smoke detectors forBloomington homeowners. Smoke detectors are the“best first line of defense,” according to Seal.

Smoke detectors are free, and in-home visits areavailable by appointment. Residents who are physi-cally unable to change batteries in a working smokedetector may also call the fire department for assis-tance, Seal noted.

The department’s administrative offices are atFire Station No. 1, 10 W. 95th St.

For information about fire department servicescall 952-563-4801.

Volunteers provide city’s fire detection

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Bloomington


Police Department

The Bloomington Police Department’s mission is toprovide excellence in policing by protecting, serving andpartnering with the community.

Bloomington has more than 115 sworn police officersserving the city, and about 35 full-time clerical, dispatch,community service and animal control employees,according to Police Chief Jeff Potts. The departmentheadquarters is part of Bloomington Civic Plaza.

The department’s Mall of America Unit, housed in asubstation at the mall, allows officers to respond quicklyand efficiently to calls for service at the nation’s largestshopping complex.

The department also has a highly trained EmergencyResponse Unit, which includes a SWAT team and one ofonly four bomb squads in Minnesota.

Besides responding to criminal matters, car crashesand medical emergencies, the department offers a vari-ety of services to Bloomington residents and businesses.

There are approximately 350 Neighborhood Watchorganizations in Bloomington, identifiable by signs post-ed in neighborhoods across the city. Those 350 groupsrepresent more than half of the 21,000 homes inBloomington.

The Neighborhood Watch program trains and edu-cates residents in ways to be involved, stay informed andwork together with their neighbors to address mutualconcerns and find solutions. If your neighborhood is notpart of a watch group, the Bloomington Police Crime

Prevention Unit will help set one up.The department is also working to duplicate the con-

cept for Bloomington businesses. With more than 6,000businesses in the city, the department is working withbusiness owners on a similar program called BusinessWatch.

One of the department’s top priorities is traffic safety,according to Potts. The department conducts daily trafficdetails, often in response to traffic concerns of residents.The primary goals of effective traffic enforcement aredriver compliance and safety. “The more traffic enforce-ment we provide, the fewer crashes there will be,” Pottssaid.

Residents do not need to be police officers to beinvolved with the department. The annual Citizen’sPolice Academy is a law enforcement education programdesigned to give participants an inside look at how thepolice department operates, including its policies, proce-dures, programs, priorities and challenges. The academyhas been attended by more than 350 residents since itsinception in 2003.

The department provides an online crime map withstatistics from the previous 90 days, as well as arrestreports, budget information and historical data throughthe city’s website.

Information about police services is available by call-ing 952-563-4900 and through the city’s website,www.ci.bloomington.mn.us.

Police are partners with the community

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Bloomington


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Hyland Lake Park Reserve

From skiing to swimming, hiking to biking,Bloomington has a place for all of that, and so muchmore.

Hyland Lake Park Reserve – part of the ThreeRivers Park District – hosts recreational activitiesand programs throughout the year,

The park reserve offers breathtaking prairie land-scapes and a major body of water as well as a largeplay area, the Richardson Nature Center and theHyland Ski and Snowboard Area. With so much to do,this park has endless opportunities for outdoor fun.

Richardson Nature Center is the largest of ThreeRivers Park District’s nature centers. Last year thepark district had 132 energy-efficient solar panelsinstalled atop its roof, with a goal of generating halfof the building’s annual energy use through solarpower.

The interpretive area surrounding the buildingfeatures hiking trails that weave between diversehabitats, including marshes, oak forests and restoredprairie. Along the trails, visitors might spot some ofthe varied wildlife that live in the park, such as deer,fox, coyote, muskrats and turkeys.

Many species of birds can be observed in the areaseasonally. Cell phone audio stops, trail guides, explo-ration kits and interpretive signs are availablethroughout the park.

The Nature Exploration Area encourages free play

in the outdoors. Children can explore, dig and buildwhile adults play along or observe nearby.

Winter sports enthusiasts will love the Hyland Skiand Snowboard Area located within Hyland LakePark Reserve.

This area is a great place for downhill skiing andsnowboarding in the metro area. The terrain park isfull of progressive and innovative features and isknown for some of the best snowmaking and groom-ing in the Midwest.

During the summer the park attracts many discgolf enthusiasts to its 18-hole course, where Morty’sLunch Café in the chalet serves weekly specials.

Three Rivers Park DistrictThe Three Rivers Park District is a special park

district governed by a board of commissioners and asuperintendent, structured much like a school board.The core of the park district is suburban HennepinCounty, but it also serves parts of Ramsey, Scott,Carver and Dakota counties.

The name “Three Rivers” comes from the district’sgeography, situated within the watersheds that flowinto three significant rivers to the region: theMississippi, the Minnesota and the Crow.

Three Rivers also offer program sites for nature,recreation, historic, and farm education, and the dis-trict’s facilities are ADA compliant.

Hyland Lake Park: a scenic retreat

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Bloomington


Fun in the Sun

From the sandy shore of a Minnesota beach to thewaterslides of a civic pool, Bloomington has bothavailable for summer fun in the sun.

The Bloomington Family Aquatic Center is opendaily from June 9 through Aug. 19, and then on week-ends through Labor Day.

Monday through Friday the pool is open 11 a.m. to 8p.m., and on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays thehours of operation are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Whether you choose to lounge by the pool, swimlaps or brave the back and forth ride down one of twowaterslides, the aquatic center offers the perfect solu-tion to a sweltering summer day.

The aquatic center’s amenities include a zero-depthentry pool, water slides, diving boards, a bathhouse, atot play area with slides and a concession stand.

Rates for the Bloomington Family Aquatic Centerrange from $6.25 to $9.25 daily, with seasonal passesavailable for residents and non-residents. For resi-dents a seasonal pass is $16.25 for seniors and children10 and younger, $27.50 for ages 11-15 and $50.50 for ages16-54.

If you prefer a more natural setting when coolingoff, Bush Lake Beach has been providing a relaxingbeach experience to more than 100,000 visitors per yearsince opening in 1956.

Home to a playground, paved and unpaved hikingtrails, a beach house, concession stand, fishing dock, asand volleyball court, barbecue grills, picnic tablesand, of course, a spacious swimming beach, Bush LakeBeach is also available by reservation for group gather-ings.

The beach is open June 9 through Aug. 19, with life-guards on duty 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Entrance to Bush Lake Beach is $6.25 per car, with aseasonal pass available for $31.25 for the first car, and$13 for a second permit.

Swimming lessons are available at both theBloomington Family Aquatic Center and Bush LakeBeach.

For more information about the BloomingtonFamily Aquatic Center and Bush Lake Beach contactthe Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department at952-563-8877.

Bloomington Family Aquatic Center301 E. 90th St.xr.com/bfac

Bush Lake Beach9140 E. Bush Lake Roadxr.com/beach

Splashing about in the summer sun

17

Bloomington


Celebrations

To say there is never a dull moment in Bloomingtonis an understatement.

City-sponsored events are among many school, civicand church celebrations and festivals planned through-out the year. Most weekends feature some sort of eventin the city.

One of the city’s biggest celebrations is its annualSummer Fete, a one-day celebration to honorIndependence Day. This year Summer Fete is Tuesday,July 3.

From the Normandale Lake Bandshell to the inter-section of Normandale Boulevard and 84th Street, anevening carnival, children’s entertainment and musicon the main stage precede fireworks at dusk.

September brings Heritage Days. The one-day civiccelebration returns for its third year Sept. 15. New thisyear is a Heritage Days parade. Live music, children’sgames and activities, bingo and a car show are amongthe many activities that will again be part of the day-long celebration. Heritage Days is held near the inter-section of Lyndale Avenue South and West 95th Street.

River Rendezvous is a living history festival set atPond-Dakota Mission Park, 401 E. 104th St., each fall.The annual celebration showcases the lifestyles of peo-ple living in Minnesota between 1800 and 1870 throughstorytelling and interactive, hands-on demonstrations.

River Rendezvous provides five days of educationalopportunities for students throughout the Twin Citiesand an opportunity for families to partake in the festiv-

ities on Thursday, Sept. 20. Winter brings the annual Winter Fete, a weekend cel-

ebration of Minnesota’s coldest months. Youth wintersports programs have special games planned to coin-cide with festival. Recreational activities and an after-noon of winter history demonstrations at Pond-DakotaMission Park are among the many events planned eachwinter. The annual celebration spans two weekends inlate January.

There are many annual events that draw a crowdyear after year, such as the Taste of Chocolate, a dessertcompetition held in March, which benefits theBloomington Fine Arts Council. It’s both a competitionand an exhibition. Sampling is encouraged.

Spring brings an annual egg hunt to theNormandale Lake Bandshell. A family fun walk pre-cedes the egg hunt, which is organized by theBloomington Optimists Club and the city.

Summer is a busy time in Bloomington parks. Thecity has several Monday morning programs for chil-dren, and the Normandale Lake Bandshell is host tomusical entertainment many Tuesday and Thursdaynights, as well as the annual Blues and BBQ onThursday, July 26, and the Bloomington Jazz Festival onThursday, Aug. 2.

Information about city festivals and events is avail-able through the city’s website, ci.bloomington.mn.us,or by calling Bloomington Parks and Recreation at 952-563-8877.

Celebrations abound for every season

18

Bloomington


City Parks

In a city with hundreds of miles of roadway, thereare many options for enjoying a more peaceful slice oflife.

With nearly 9,000 acres set aside, one-third ofBloomington is dedicated to parks and recreation.Most of the Minnesota River valley, including theMinnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, is man-aged by the city and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.The city, in partnership with Three Rivers ParkDistrict, operates the Hyland-Bush-Anderson LakesPark Reserve.

With those two massive parks included,Bloomington’s park space covers 38.3 square miles,which represents the first in what is a list of numbersthat help define the depth of what Bloomington has tooffer in its parks.

For instance, there are 94 city parks inBloomington, and they are home to:

• 80 baseball and softball fields• 31 soccer fields• 7 football fields• 29 horseshoe courts

• 35 outdoor basketball courts• 55 playgrounds• 53 tennis courts• 19 outdoor hockey rinks• 33 park buildings• 14 picnic shelters• 19.6 miles of park trails/sidewalksThere are also two disc golf courses in

Bloomington (Moir Park and Hyland Ski andSnowboard Area) as well as five archery targets at theMarsh Lake Archery Range.

In the summer, Bryant, Kelly and Westwood parksare home to paved rinks used for in-line skating, anda water-play area is available at Cedarcrest Park.

The Valley View Playfields feature an outdoorswimming pool, the Kent Hrbek Youth BaseballComplex and the 500-seat Toro Grandstand at RedHaddox Field.

Many other recreational options exist withinBloomington’s parks. A complete rundown of parkamenities is available online through the city’s web-site, ci.bloomington.mn.us.

City parks provide variety of recreation

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Bloomington


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Health & Wellness

There are many health care resources available toBloomington residents, including a variety of optionsavailable through the city.

The Bloomington Public Health Division offers manylow- or no-cost services to help all Bloomington resi-dents stay healthy. Many services are offered at thePublic Health Center near Bloomington Civic Plaza,others are provided at community locations or inhomes. Online resources are also available, includingemergency preparedness and health promotion infor-mation.

The Public Health Center offers preventative servic-es, such as seasonal flu shots, immunizations for chil-dren and adults, and Mantoux tests for tuberculosis.Immunizations are available 3-5:30 p.m. on the first andthird Tuesday of each month, Mantoux tests are avail-able 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday andFriday.

A supplemental nutrition program providing foodvouchers and nutrition education for pregnant, breast-feeding and postpartum women, infants and children upto age 5 is also available through the Public HealthCenter. The program has income guidelines and is avail-able by appointment.

Health risk assessments are available by appoint-ment three times per year, from 7:30-10 a.m. on the sec-ond Tuesday in February, June and October.

Blood pressure screenings are available 9:30 a.m. to 4p.m. weekdays, no appointment needed.

Clinic fees are based upon income and family size,although most services are available regardless of abil-ity to pay. Some services are free and others may be cov-ered by private health insurance, Medicaid or Medicare.

In-home services provided at no charge include, sup-port and health or parenting education for expectantmothers, new parents and families; information andsupport for families or individuals looking for guidancein dealing with stressful family living situations or vio-lence; development screenings and evaluation with edu-cational, health and social services assistance for par-ents with concerns about their child’s development; sup-port and health or parenting education for adolescents,pregnant teens and teen parents; and health and safetyassessments with advocacy, education or referral con-sultations for seniors and their family.

Services for seniors are offered monthly atCreekside Community Center, including “Talk with theNurse” from 9:30-11:30 a.m. on the first Wednesday ofeach month, and hearing screenings, by appointment,from noon to 2 p.m. on the second Wednesday of everyother month. Hearing screenings appointments areavailable by calling 952-563-4944.

Free breast and pelvic cancer screening exams areavailable to women meeting age and financial require-ments, as well as a free cardiovascular screening andintervention program for cancer screening patients, atSage Women’s Clinic in Edina. Information is availableby calling 952-922-2427.

Services to maintain the city’s health

21

Bloomington


22

A community shaped by the love of God where

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Higher Education

Bloomington is home to several post-secondary educa-tional institutions, the largest of them being the 90-acrecampus of Normandale Community College.

For more than 40 years the college has been part of thecommunity. About 1,400 students enrolled in September1968 when the doors opened. Today enrollment has bur-geoned to more than 10,000 students. The college attractsstudents from many across the Twin Cities as well as stu-dents from its own back yard.

Normandale is also one of Minnesota’s most raciallydiverse campuses with 26 percent of the student bodycomprised of students of color.

Besides the traditional courses leading to a variety ofassociate’s degrees and certificates that community col-leges are known for, Normandale offers specializeddegree programs. Students may enroll in a nanotechnol-ogy program, for instance, offered in cooperation withleading high-tech manufacturers.

Normandale has also partnered with other publicinstitutions of higher learning such as Minnesota StateUniversity Mankato and Metropolitan State Universityto bring four-year programs to its campus. Students pur-suing degrees in education can complete all four years oftheir training while attending Normandale.

The college is also known for its criminal justice, den-tal hygiene, radiological technology and music and the-atre programs.

The college’s largest program remains its liberal artstransfer course sequence, followed by business market-ing and management, science and engineering, nursing

and teacher education.In keeping with trends in higher education,

Normandale also offers many of its courses online.Students who want to take a course simply for the

sake of learning aren’t excluded. Normandale offers avariety of continuing education courses ranging fromcareer enrichment to computer technology to foreignlanguages such as Chinese and Spanish.

Other colleges in Bloomington include AcademyCollege, offering a variety of professional training pro-grams, Northwestern Health Sciences University, offer-ing natural and integrative health care education, andRasmussen College, offering degree programs in a vari-ety of growing fields.

Academy College1101 E. 78th St.academycollege.edu

Normandale Community College9700 France Ave. S.normandale.edu

Northwestern Health Sciences University2501 W. 84th St.nwhealth.edu

Rasmussen College4400 W. 78th St.rasmussen.edu

Bloomington offers a lifetime of education

23

Bloomington


Libraries

Two branches of the Hennepin County Librarysystem provide Bloomington with access to approxi-mately five million books, CDs, DVDs and otherresources.

Oxboro Library on the east side of the city andPenn Lake Library on the west are part of a 41-librarysystem in Minneapolis and suburban HennepinCounty.

Oxboro Library’s collection of books, DVDs, CDsand magazines includes materials in Spanish,Vietnamese and Somali. Library staff members areavailable to assist patrons in finding resources forlearning a new language, working toward citizenship,applying for college, finding housing or a job,researching a business opportunity or a vacation des-tination and many other information needs.

The library’s 24 computer workstations offeraccess to the library catalog, the library’s onlineresources for children, teens and adults and theInternet.

The library collaborates with Bloomington SchoolsVolunteer Connection staff, Minnesota Reading Corpsmembers and other community volunteers to offerthe Family Homework Connection. Homework help isoffered for K-12 students at the library 5:30-7:30 p.m.Tuesdays when Bloomington schools are in session.

Penn Lake Library has 31 computer workstationsand provides Spanish, Russian and Vietnamese lan-

guage collections and citizenship resources.The Penn Lake Mystery Book Club and the Penn

Lake Reading Group – both sponsored by the Friendsof the Penn Lake Library – and the Teen Anime Clubmeet regularly. Several book clubs for children,among other programs, are scheduled in the summer.

Hennepin County Library’s website providesaccess to the library catalog as well as online databas-es, audio and video downloads, e-books, job and smallbusiness resources, and resources for children, teens,and new immigrants.

Library information is also available throughFacebook, Twitter, and Tumblr.

The library system’s Outreach Services provideslibrary service for people who are unable to go to alibrary due to disability, mobility issues, or confine-ment in county correctional facilities.

Library cards are free and are available at locallibraries and online.

Oxboro Library8801 Portland Ave. S.612-543-5775

Penn Lake Library8800 Penn Ave. S.612-543-5800hclib.org

Libraries connect community to the world

24

Bloomington


Wildlife Refuge

As Bloomington begins to redevelop the South LoopDistrict – an area bounded by Mall of America and theairport – an important component of that district is theMinnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge.

Formed in 1976 to provide a natural habitat forcountless wildlife species, the national wildlife refugenow stretches more than 50 miles, covers more than14,000 acres of natural land and consists of eight sepa-rate refuge lands throughout the Minnesota RiverValley.

And all of that begins in Bloomington, where theBloomington Visitor Center serves as the gateway to amajestic trip down the Minnesota River.

Updated two years ago with a new energy efficientheating, cooling and lighting system, the inside of theBloomington Visitors Center features both interpretiveand educational exhibits, a 125-seat auditorium forviewing wildlife videos, a rotating art gallery, a book-shop and an informational desk stocked with all thenecessary materials and know-how needed to enjoy theMinnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, 3815American Blvd. E.

The visitor center is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdaythrough Sunday, April 1 to Oct. 31, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.Monday through Friday Nov. 1 to March 31. During thewinter season the visitor center is also open 9 a.m. to 4p.m. the first full weekend of each month.

Just outside the front steps of the building is theHillside Trail, which is a half-mile loop through prairie,

hillside forest and wetlands.Panoramic views of Long Meadow Lake can also be

enjoyed from the visitor center observation platform.The visitor center is also the starting point for theMinnesota River Valley trek, which travels through theoutskirts of Eagan, Burnsville, Savage, Eden Prairie,Shakopee, Chaska, Carver, Jordan and Belle Plain.

A natural habitat for countless species, wildlife isabundant within the entire scope of the MinnesotaValley National Wildlife Refuge.

The refuge is home to more than 50 types of mam-mals and 30 different types of amphibians and reptiles.Bird watching is a popular activity throughout therefuge.

More than 225 species of birds reside within therefuge throughout the year. Species found within therefuge include wood ducks, American redstarts, greatblue herons, American goldfinches, Canadian geeseand bald eagles. In fact, bald eagles have been known tonest within the refuge.

The Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge staffmaintains the habitats in which the animals live.

Opportunities to enjoy the Minnesota ValleyNational Wildlife Refuge abound, from hiking in thespring, summer and fall to cross country skiing andsnowshoeing in the winter.

Bike trails are also available on a limited basisthroughout the refuge, and leashed dogs are welcome.

A national wildlife refuge in Bloomington

25

Bloomington


26

Training, Inspiring, and Educating Tomorrow’s Godly Leaders

K-12 Christian Education for 37 Years

•Centered in Biblical Worldview •Advanced Placement (AP) Philosophy K-12

•Athletic & Fine Arts Program

4300 W. 98th St. Bloomington, MN 55437 Call Kelli Kasperek at 952-831-8686, 111

www.bethanyacademy.org

Bloomington Public Schools’ Early Learners Academy focuses on developing three, four, and five-year olds so they are better prepared for kindergarten and future success.

Open weekdays from 6:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Call 952.681.6125 for more information or to schedule a tour.

[email protected]

10828 Normandale BlvdBloomington, MN 55437

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Historic Sites

Bloomington’s history is on display, and you don’thave to go far to see it.

Old Town Hall at Penn Avenue South and West OldShakopee Road sits at a historic intersection. Prior tothe pavement that carries cars and trucks through thecity, an Indian trail from Shakopee to Fort Snelling, aswell as a stagecoach route, passed through the areaduring years gone by.

Built in 1892 and renovated in 2007, the Old TownHall was used as a meeting place for the Town Board,community celebrations, dances and other festivities.The building served as headquarters forBloomington’s government until 1964, when new cityoffices were built.

When city officials moved out, the BloomingtonHistorical Society and the Bloomington HistoryMuseum and Research Center moved in. Today, visi-tors will see exhibits featuring artifacts from the earlypioneer through agricultural periods, or about 1820 to1900. Visitors can also purchase items from the giftshop. Popular gifts include Bloomington HistoryBlankets, history note cards and books on local histo-ry.

The museum is open noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, and 1-5 p.m.Sunday.

Well before the Old Town Hall was built, GideonPond settled in Bloomington in 1843 and built a mis-sion. He had previously been a carpenter inConnecticut, but worked as a missionary and a farmerin Bloomington. Pond studied the Dakota Indian lan-

guage, edited a local newspaper and translated por-tions of the Bible. He also served the community as aminister and legislator. He preached to the churchuntil his resignation in 1874.

Pond’s brick house on the Bloomington bluffs wasbuilt in 1856. The more than 40,000 bricks in the housewere made of clay from the Minnesota River Valley.Known today as the Gideon Pond House at Pond-Dakota Mission Park, the home was restored in 1995and now is listed on the National Register of HistoricPlaces. It is one of the oldest existing houses inMinnesota as well as one of the state’s most signifi-cant early historical sites.

Visitors to the Pond House and Mission Park willlearn more about the life and times of Pond and hisbrother, Samuel, as well as the Dakota people and mis-sionaries during the mid-19th century.

The Pond House is open 1:30-4 p.m. Sundays. Learn more about historical sites in Bloomington

from these sources: www.bloomingtonhistoricalsoci-ety.org and www.ci.bloomington.mn.us.

Old Town Hall History Museum 10200 Penn Ave. S.952-881-4114 or 952-881-4327bloomingtonhistoricalsociety.org

Pond-Dakota Mission Park and Gideon Pond House401 East 104th St.952-563-8878xr.com/pond

A celebration of history in Bloomington

27

Bloomington


28

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Mall of America

From celebrity guests to new stores and restaurants,not a week goes by without something new and excitingtaking place at Mall of America

As home to more than 500 shops and restaurants, theMall of America is a world-renowned retail and enter-tainment complex, and a must visit for tourists andMinnesotans alike.

Celebrating 20 years of operation in 2012, time hasbrought plenty of change to the 78-acre property, but onething remains constant, providing an enjoyable experi-ence for everyone that walks through its doors.

Mall of America offers visitors a chance to shop, graba meal, check out a movie, gaze up at the belly of a sharkand hitch a ride on a roller coaster, all in one stop.

The mall also offers many unique opportunities with-in its halls. For example, the mall has hosted more than5,500 weddings in its Chapel of Love, and it is providesmany educational opportunities.

The Metropolitan Learning Alliance is a program setup through four area high school districts, allowing stu-dents to earn both high school and college credits fromclasses taught inside the mall for students wishing todevelop careers in a variety of subjects, including visu-al arts, law enforcement, hospitality, retail managementand business.

The South Hennepin Adult Programs in Educationoffers classes in adult basic education and English as asecond language.

The Mall of America Foundation for Youth supportsprograms that promote the self-development, well being

and education of youth, their families and communities,and has a scholarship program for college-bound stu-dents.

Away from the classroom, there are plenty of placesto play.

Nickelodeon Universe comprises seven acres right inthe heart of the mall, and is home to more than 25 ridesand attractions for guests of all ages.

Sea Life Minnesota Aquarium offers its visitors anup-close view of some of the world’s most compellingsea creatures, including sharks, stingrays and giant seaturtles.

Other attractions include American Girl, Lego Store,A.C.E.S. Flight Simulator, Theatres at Mall of Americaand Sky Deck Sports Grille and Lanes.

An environmental leader as well, the Mall ofAmerica was green before its time. Solar heating and anextensive recycling program – the mall recycles an aver-age of 32,000 tons of waste per year – combine with30,000 live plants acting as air purifiers to give Mall ofAmerica a refreshing and clean experience to all of itsvisitors.

The mall has also replaced lighting in the parkingramps with specially designed fixtures featuring LightEmitting Diode technology. The conversion project, thelargest of its kind in the United States, reduces energyconsumption in the ramps by two-thirds.

Shopping, movie theater, amusement park and aquar-ium hours, as well as other information, is availableonline at mallofamerica.com.

There’s always something to see at MOA

29

Bloomington


Worship

Bloomington has many places ofworship for people of various faiths:

Al-Rahman MuslimCommunity Center

8910 Old Cedar Road952-883-0044Atonement Lutheran Church601 E. 98th St.952-881-9244Bethany Missionary Church6900 Auto Club Road952-946-4186Bloomington Covenant Church10150 Xerxes Ave. S.952-831-8339Bloomington Lutheran Church9350 Portland Ave. S.952-888-2475Calvary Christian Reformed

Church8901 France Ave. S.952-831-6264Calvary United Pentecostal

Church8800 Nicollet Ave. S.952-888-0215Cedarcrest Church1630 E. 90th St.952-854-8390Cedar Valley Church8600 Bloomington Ave. S.952-854-1100Christ the King Lutheran

Church8600 Fremont Ave. S.952-881-8600Christian Life Church9000 Emerson Ave. S.952-881-6527Church of Jesus Christ of

Latter-day Saints9700 Nesbitt Ave. S.952-831-5373Community of the Cross

Lutheran Church10701 Bloomington Ferry Road952-941-1247Comunidad Bautista

Internacional2600 W. 82nd St.612-756-8432CrossPoint Church9801 France Ave. S.952-831-1785Eastside Bible Baptist Church8524 Fremont Ave. S.952-884-8044Emmaus Lutheran Church8443 Second Ave. S.952-884-4751Grace Lutheran Church8700 Old Cedar Ave. S.952-854-6638Hillcrest United Methodist

Church9100 Russell Ave. S.952-881-8601Hillside Church4300 W. 98th St.952-831-5046Holy Emmanuel Lutheran

Church201 E. 104th St.952-888-2345Jehovah’s Witness Church3211 108th St.952-888-5166Jesus is Lord Church2829 W. 102nd St.952-888-2402LifeChurch2201 W. 108th St.952-884-0594Lutheran Church of the

Redemption

927 E. Old Shakopee Road952-881-0035Maranatha Christian Church8700 Old Cedar Ave. S.952-261-7113Minnesota Valley Unitarian

UniversalistFellowship10715 Zenith Ave. S.952-884-8956Mount Hope Lutheran Church3601 W. Old Shakopee Road952-888-5059Nativity of Mary Catholic

Church9900 Lyndale Ave. S.952-881-8671Normandale Baptist Church4701 W. 84th St.952-831-2900Normandale Hylands United

Methodist Church9920 Normandale Road952-835-7585Oak Grove Presbyterian

Church2200 W. Old Shakopee Road952-888-4621Oak Hill Church8901 France Ave. S.952-881-9486Oasis of Power Fellowship7910 12th Ave. S.612-327-7740Oxboro Evangelical Free

Church9431 Nicollet Ave. S.952-881-6956Peace Lutheran Church8600 E. Bush Lake Road952-944-6510Portland Avenue United

Methodist Church8000 Portland Ave. S.952-888-6070

30

Bloomington

Finding faith


WorshipBloomington

Great seatingRedecoration in process with separate VFW (bar) and Restaurant (non-bar) area seatingMural painting in progress through the summer of 2012VFW Hall seating for groups of up to 400 (ideal for parties, fundraisers, special events)Catering

(The best dang restaurant in the worst dang location you’ll ever want to find!)

Now Open in Bloomington!

Bloomington: 10:30am - 10:00pm DailyFat Lorenzo's II - Bar & Restaurant - 311 W. 84th St. Bloomington - MN 55420 - inside the Everett McClay VFW post 1296 Bar (SW entrance) 952-888-3282

Minneapolis: 10:30a-10:00p (11p-Fri & Sat)Fat Lorenzo’s Restaurant - 5600 Cedar Avenue S Minneapolis 55414 - 612-822-2040

www.fatlorenzos.com

Minnesota’s Best Pizza! (USA Today)

Inside the Everett McClay VFW post 1296 Behind Cub Foods on 84th Street

Potter’s House of JesusChrist

8000 Portland Ave. S.952-435-7757River Church121 W. Market, Mall of

America952-854-5267Riverside Church10201 Nicollet Ave. S.952-888-4988Southtown Baptist

Church2600 W. 82nd St.952-881-1122St. Bonaventure

Catholic Church901 E. 90th St.952-854-4733 St. Edward’s Catholic

Church9401 Nesbitt Ave. S.952-835-7101St. Luke’s Lutheran

Church1701 W. Old Shakopee

Road952-881-5801St. Mark’s United

Church of Christ8630 Xerxes Ave. S.952-831-3949St Michael’s Lutheran

Church9201 Normandale Blvd.952-831-5276St. Stephen Lutheran

Church8400 France Ave. S.952-831-4746Transfiguration

Lutheran Church11000 France Ave. S.952-884-2364Unity South Church7950 First Ave. S.952-884-6656

Information provided inpart by Mall Area ReligiousCouncil, www.meaning-store.org.

8937 York Road South • Bloomington, MN 55431www.themusiclink.biz

Mary Linker, [email protected]

952.831.4014

The Music LinkPrivate Music Lessons

OUR NEWS CYCLEIS ALWAYS RUNNING

• PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY

• NEWS UPDATES ONLINE AT MINNLOCAL.COM

YOUR HOMETOWN YOUR HOMETOWN NEWS

10917 VALLEY VIEW ROAD, EDEN PRAIRIE • 952-829-0797


“Save up to $3,400 on qualifying qualifyinghigh-efficiency systems and select energy rebates & incentives”

1 0 8 0 0 N o r m a n d a l e B l v d S B l o o m i n g t o n M N 5 5 4 3 7 • w w w . s o u t h s i d e h e a t i n g . c o m

Proudly Serving Your Local Community For Over 45 Years!

Southside Heating & AirConditioning, Inc. inBloomington is calling itself a“one stop shop” with the toplines of products for air qualityand comfort.

“We are able to offer topnotch service and installations forCarrier, Ruud and Lennox,” saidDon Siefert, CEO. “Being able tooffer all the major brands is a plusfor the communities we serve,giving peace of mind in knowingthat Southside is professionallytrained to meet your needs.”

Part of meeting the needs oftheir customers is staying on topof the rules and regulations putdown by the FederalGovernment. The Department ofEnergy is requiring all new fur-naces to be a high efficient con-densing furnace starting on May1, 2013. This mandate coversevery furnace installation rangingfrom new construction to replac-

ing any furnace due to mechani-cal failure.

“This ruling puts some of ourcustomers in a difficult situation”says Siefert. “They have furnacesthat will be very costly to replacedue to the difficulty of installing acondensing furnace in theirhome; but their existing furnacehas not failed yet. The choicethey have to make is whether toreplace their furnace early tograndfather in a long lasting fur-nace that complies with currentDOE mandates or to wait untiltheir unit fails and incur theincreased cost of installing a con-densing furnace with vent pipesrunning across finished rooms. Itis not an easy choice to make.”

The history of the second-generation family-owned busi-ness dates back to 1978 whenBob and Betty Siefert first openedits doors. The business has beenpassed down to their son Don

and his wife Jessica who are com-mitted to offering first-rate serviceand installations of high efficiencyheating and air conditioningequipment.

Products offered include ther-mostats, humidifiers, ventilation,air purifiers and zone control sys-tems for a complete home com-fort package. The goal is toensure total air quality combinedwith energy savings. They do thisby keeping up with the latesttechnology and changes in theindustry.

Training and certificationenables employees to beequipped to service the needs ofcustomers with maintenance, thelatest diagnostic techniques,repairs and free estimates onequipment upgrades.

The showroom is currentlylocated at 10800 NormandaleBlvd, including an extensiveproduct line on display. Watch for

them to move this summer a cou-ple doors down to 10808Normandale Blvd as they areexpanding their office space.Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.Monday through Friday.

There is 24 hour serviceshould you need it, all creditcards are accepted and financingis available. Southside providesauthorized warranty service for allmajor heating and air condition-ing equipment. Plus, it providespost-warranty service for allmakes and models.

Siefert says many of the newcustomers come from having sat-isfied and loyal customers whorecommend Southside to theirfriends.

Information: 952-884-2453or www.southsideheating.com.Like them on Facebook for offers,games, and giveaways.

Southside Heating &Air Conditioning Warns

of DOE Furnace Mandate


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