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City to Host Public Meeting to Discuss Lakeside Commons Park Operations
Blaine residents are invited to City Hall on Thursday, May 12 at 6:30 p.m. for a public meeting concerning Lakeside Commons Park. The park, located at 3020 Lakes Parkway, features a beach, beach house, splash pad, boathouse, playground and picnic shelter. The meeting has been set to grant
residents an opportunity to discuss with City Council the 2011 park and beach operations and proposals for parking lot improvements. Resident input is always valuable in meeting the needs of the community. More information is available from the Parks and Recreation Department at 763-785-6162.
Blaine Police Department Stages Second ‘Every 15 Minutes’ at Centennial High School On March 31 and April 1, the Blaine Police Department, with the help of a host of volunteers, presented Every 15 Minutes to students at Centennial High School. Every 15 Minutes is an emotional two-day event that challenges teenagers to think about drinking, driving, personal safety, the responsibility of making mature decisions and the impact their decisions have on family, friends and the community. This marked the second time Every 15 Minutes has been presented at Centennial High School; the Blaine Police Department staged the state’s first-ever event at the school two years ago. The most powerful aspect of the program was a simulated drunk driving collision on the school track. With the student body assembled in the bleachers, a mock crash scene was unveiled
before them. Chaos unfolded as victims emerged from two vehicles and a survivor called 911. One by one, emergency responders, who were using the simulation as training, arrived to the scene. The chilling presentation ended with one crash victim removed from the accident in a body bag, another in handcuffs. A third student was air-lifted to the hospital. Two more left in ambulances. The audience was left to consider the day’s events until an assembly the next morning, when students involved in the simulated crash shared their testimony in an emotional presentation. North Metro TV produced a video of the event, viewable online by searching for Every 15 Minutes in the “Video on Demand” section of www.northmetrotv.com .
May/June 2011
Road Construction Projects Begin this Summer Several roadways in Blaine will see major construction work this summer as the city and county continue to focus on improving transportation as the community grows. Reconstruction of 95th Avenue from Interstate 35W to Hamline Avenue will be completed this spring. Remaining work includes finishing touches on the center median and recreational trail in addition to final pavement work. Hamline Avenue will see major work as well, as a joint project with the City of Lexington will fully reconstruct the road between Edgewood Road and Patriot Lane. The service road on the west side of Highway 65 from 126th Avenue to 128th Avenue and 130th Avenue to 133rd Avenue will also be reconstructed, changing the road from its current rural section into an urban road with storm sewer and curb and gutter. Cloud Drive/119th Avenue will be also see work this summer. The existing pavement will be replaced between Highway 65 and London Street. Additionally, transportation in the Northtown area will be improved as 87th Lane and Jefferson Street are resurfaced. In addition to those city projects, two Anoka County projects will also affect local roads in upcoming months. Phase III of the reconstruction of Radisson Road from 125th Avenue in Blaine to Bunker Lake Road in Ham Lake, a project begun last summer, is now underway. The project, which widened Radisson Road to four lanes with a raised center median, also reconstructed Bunker Lake Road between Radisson Road and Highway 65. This final phase includes paving work and will conclude in July. A second county project will reconstruct 125th Avenue/Main Street from Ulysses Street in Blaine west to Crane Street in Coon Rapids, causing intermittent lane shifts and closures as a four-lane divided roadway is built. As always, please use extra caution when traveling in construction areas.