fyi
Especially please note Pi Press article on one of our WSCO Environment
Committee members at the bottom of the page.
Thanks,
Elizabeth Dickinson
West Side
Friends of Lilydale Park Update by Grit Youngquist
January 7, 2005
Here's a snapshot of what's happened in the past several months.
The last meeting of the whole group was September 24, 2004. We met with
Saint Paul Parks & Rec staff to walk and discuss possible trail
improvements.
It was agreed that we would wait to hold a next meeting until after some
tasks had actually been completed related to:
* agreed upon improvements at Pickerel Lake (boat drop-off & launch, parking
lot changes, aeration); and
* information gathering by City Parks & Rec staff for potential Brickyard
Trail improvements
Pickerel Lake: If you haven't done so lately, drive down to the lake and
take a look at the work in progress. The work began in the fall. Note
related 12.24.04 Pioneer Press article about Cliff Timm's contribution to
this project. You'll find the article at the end of this update.
Brickyards Trail: Parks & Rec staff are gathering info on materials,
techniques, cost and any related issues for Brickyard Trail improvements
identified and confirmed 9.24.04. FOL and Parks & Rec are in agreement that
to the greatest extent possible we want to maintain the natural setting and
trail experience, while making necessary improvements to stabilize the trail
for pedestrian safety and address erosion issues. We expect to be able to
hear and learn more about the particulars, along with a timeline, at our
next meeting. (see below) We hope the identified, initial trail work will be
done in 2005.
Bike Trail - Dakota County connection: As you know, the City of Saint Paul
has committed approximately $180,000 for completion of the trail and safety
improvements (down by the Pool & Yacht Club) through it's 2003 CIB process.
A quick refresher: In 2003, thanks to the WSCO staff and Board, the bike
path was selected as a West Side project to promote for the CIB process.
Grit Youngquist worked with Tim Agness to make presentations to various
committees. In the end the bike trail improvements project received a top
ranking and funding was designated for 2004-2005. The funding was - and is
-contingent on Dakota County receiving approximately $100,000 of additional
money that will be needed for the project. Their money is to come from the
National Park Service. The money has not yet been received and this concerns
us all. While Bob Bierscheid has assured us the City still has the CIB money
earmarked for this project, we do not want to risk losing it so have taken
some advocacy steps.
Action steps taken:
* In August Grit Youngquist wrote a letter on behalf of Friends of Lilydale
Park to Joanne Kyral, director of the Mississippi National River Recreation
Area (MNRRA) at the National Park Office here in Saint Paul. Ms. Kryal
replied quickly with a phone call explaining it was not clear if the funds
would be in the 2005 Congressional budget, or 2006.
* In late November, a meeting was held with 2 of Congresswoman Betty
McCollum's staff (Kelly Scanlon & Chad Lord), to inform them of the
situation and seek their assistance in tracking the earmark through the
budget process. Jon Kerr & Grit Youngquist represented Friends of Lilydale
Park at this meeting. Bob Bierscheid and Tim Agness were there from Parks &
Rec.
* Jon has been in communication several times with Mary Jackson, Dakota
County Parks Planner about the project and funding issues. She continues to
assure us they are very much on board with the project, and are just waiting
for the money.
* January 2005: Grit has written Betty McCollum's staff to thank them for
their help and request an update on some research they were going to do
after our November meeting; same with Joanne Kyral.
* It is hoped that the federal NPS money will become available in time for
construction to begin in 2005. Stay tuned.
Fall Events Update - Birds & Fossils: We enjoyed Birding @ Vento's View on
Saturday, September 18 with neighborhood guide, Tom Klein. (Thank you, Tom!)
The focus was fall migration & birds of prey. While we didn't see many of
the latter, we did see warblers, jays. herons, eagle, egrets, geese, robins,
goldfinch, swallows, Cedar Waxwings, Monarch butterflies, beautiful blooming
New England Asters and a Yellow Shafter Flicker. Did you know it is the only
woodpecker that feeds on the ground? It gorges on ants and is slightly
bigger than a robin. It was a gorgeous morning in the park.
On a cool, rather miserable, wet Saturday, October 16, naturalist Eloise
Dietz (neighbor & Dodge Nature Center staff person) taught a very good sized
group of youth & adults about fossils. Despite the weather an amazingly good
time was had by all with many of the youth & parents coming to Lilydale Park
for the first time. Many remarks were made about how very impressed they
were with the incredible natural beauty and related discoveries to be made
while fossiling and walking in the park.
Monarch Update: Come Spring, as soon as the milkweed sprouts in Lilydale
Park, Monarch monitoring (for eggs & larva) can begin. We will want to
recruit more volunteers for next summer's project. Are you interested? Grit
will take the lead on this again and plans to offer another opportunity for
volunteers to be trained. It's easy to learn how to check the plants for
signs of Monarch activity; and it's a fantastic way to be in the park,
enjoying it's beauty weekly. Watch for related announcements in coming
months.
The West Side as the Butterfly Neighborhood? For a couple of years this idea
has been bubbling around in the imaginations and conversations of several
West Siders. Carlos Garcia-Velasco (WSCO community organizer) will be
convening a meeting about moving the idea into reality. There is much
excitement about the many things that might happen with this related to
nature, community building, cross-cultural learning and sharing, arts, and
more! If you would like to be involved in initial discussions, please
contact Carlos: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Other News: Tim Agness retired from Parks & Rec on 12.1.05. Tim had a
passion for Lilydale Park and a long history of work on park related things,
including staffing the Master Plan process that began in the 1980s. He has
worked all along with West Siders interested in protecting and promoting the
natural beauty and resources of the park. Tim put in many hours with Friends
of Lilydale Park and we thank him for his hard work and many contributions.
Jody Martinez has been assigned to work on Friends of Lilydale Park
projects. Jody also has a long history with Parks & Recreation and we will
look forward to working with her.
Next meeting: Thursday, February 24, 8am @ Old Man River Cafe
Agenda: Updates from City staff and discussion on where we are at with our
efforts related to the priorities list from the Master Plan and 2005
goals/plans/timelines. Please let Grit know if you have other items for the
agenda: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Please note that Jon & I will be in Central American January 14-30.
Update submitted by Grit Youngquist
**************************************************************
Pioneer Press -- Posted Friday, December 24, 2004 _krdDartInc++;
document.write('');
Benefactor's donation helps fulfill fish wish
Angling enthusiast's $32,000 to fund Pickerel Lake improvements
BY KARL J. KARLSON
Cliff Timm believes everyone who wants to should be able to go fishing, so
he's donated $32,000 to the city of St. Paul for improvements at Pickerel
Lake, a shallow lake in Lilydale Regional Park near downtown.
It is one of several metro-area fishing-related gifts the West St. Paul
resident has made over the years, and he is planning more.
The idea, he says, is for urban residents to have easy access to water and
fishing without having to buy expensive boats or travel very far.
"Fishing should be open to everybody,'' he said this week, before the St.
Paul City Council's official acceptance Wednesday of his gift, which will
pay for an aeration system and small boat landing at the lake.
The aeration system, which will prevent "winter kill" in the lake, should be
operational in January. "Winter kill'' can occur when thick ice forms on
shallow lakes, creating conditions that deplete oxygen from the water,
killing the fish.
For years, the landing area on the lake's northern edge was little more than
a deeply rutted mud field used as much for littering as anything. It is
being graded to provide a small parking lot. The rest of the area will be
seeded.
The gravel-covered launch provides a walk-in area for canoes or nonmotorized
small boats.
"The lake has just about every kind of fish. Last year, they took an
18-pound northern and a 22-pound northern ice fishing,'' Timm said.
The 100-acre lake is only 5 to 6 feet deep in most places, he said, and does
not suffer "winter kill'' often, but when it does, it takes a long time for
the fish stock to recover.
City Parks Director Bob Bierscheid said the state Department of Natural
Resources has approved the aeration project. Aeration creates open water in
areas usually covered by ice, so warning signs will be posted and the area
closed off, he said. He said the city also uses such a system at Lake Como.
Timm has been advocating greater fishing access to Pickerel Lake for about
15 years. Despite city efforts that include a shore fishing area, for next
year, he says there should be more.
"The best fishing is at the southeast, where water's 10 feet deep, but you
can't get there without trespassing on railroad property. They should be
building a path to get there,'' he said.
He also wants the lake's water level raised to improve its habitat.
Timm, 85, said he is working with the city to get better access to Crosby
Lake, which, like Pickerel, is a Mississippi River bottom lake. He also is
working with officials in Minneapolis to build a pier on Lake Harriet.
"I got money in an irrevocable gift trust that I give, especially for
fishing and for places for kids to fish,'' he said.
The landing and improved area along Pickerel Lake "has no official name
right now, but Cliff Timm Launch might be a good one,'' said Jon Kerr of
Friends of Lilydale Park, which has been working with Timm and the city to
improve the park's access and amenities.
Bierscheid said city plans for the park include more connective trails,
including one leading from the upper bluffs down to the river bottom so West
Siders can easily walk to the lake.
"I love Cliff," Bierscheid said. "I wish we had a dozen more Cliff Timms.''
The last time he fished Pickerel Lake, about a year ago, Timm said he caught
"sunfish just about everywhere � 5, 6 inches long. A big northern made a
grab at one on my hook and splashed me.''
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