September 2011 Minutes

Summit Avenue Residential Preservation Association
September MEETING MINUTES
Board Meeting: Sept. 17, 2011 7:11 p.m.
Meeting Location: Bethany Gladhill’s home at 1348 Summit Avenue
Recorded by: Carolyn Will, Secretary
Present: Bethany Gladhill, Kit Natz, Carolyn Will, Elizabeth Paper, Harry Walsh, Mary Lynch, Ed Boher and the other new member Brian Millberg.
Absent: KD Athow

1. Called to order at 7:14 p.m. President called the meeting to order.
2. Approval of July Minutes.
3. President’s Report:
Old Business:
A. Ayd Mill Planters:
• Mary Lynch has volunteered to clear out the Ayd Mill planters & plant mums. The members questioned whether we could organize volunteer effort to water.
• Request was made for Emerald Acres to donate a variety of evergreen boughs for the winter foliage. Secretary Will agreed to make arrangements.
B. House of Hope Garden fence:
• Elizabeth Paper raised the issue of a house near Dale Ave. which has a chain link fence. Bethany said it was grandfathered in before Summit Ave. became a historic district.
• House of Hope Fence: E. Paper said she personally does mind the fence and does not like how the letter from SARPA to the Amy Spong’s office has reflected on SARPA in the media.
• Question: Has Councilor Melvin Carter offered to pay a portion? Secretary Will offered to ask M.Carter if he is going to pay a portion. President Gladhill said she was in communication with Councilor Carter’s office and would follow-up.
• Ed Bohr has suggested SARPA offer to pay a portion of putting up an appropriate surround fence the fence.
• Member Bohr motions that we approach House of Hope and the City Council to offer to raise the funds to share in the cost of installing a portion of a historically suitable surround fence. Member Lynch seconded. Five: Yea. Two: Nay. One Abstained.
C. Olson House Architectural tour: October 9th from 2-5 pm.
David Heide Architecture firm will host and cover cost of appetizers.
SARPA is selling tickets for $10 on Brown Paper tickets. Cash or check at the door.
Paper Booties: Kit Nantz will ask Ramsey Hill for their leftover paper booties.
Beer: Summit liquor has denied
Bethany suggests we serve nonalcoholic beverages – sparking water, lemonade & coffee. Mary Lynch offered her large coffee urn & serving dishes.
Mary Lynch has offered to approach Skinner’s pizza, or Golden Fig to serve 200 guests. Purchasing supplies at Target or Cosco will be the back-up.
Volunteers: We need board members to work the event.
• Members Will, Nantz, Walsh, Gladhill & Lynch will do set up. Bill Lynch will take photos.
• Pres. Gladhill suggests if this goes well that SARPA select a house each year to hold a tour as a fundraiser.
4. New Business:
• Pres. Gladhill suggested that we encourage a SARPA membership gathering at one of the November German Haus breakfast. Board members agreed that this would be a nice event.
• Member Lynch household offered to host the Christmas gathering for SARPA. Winners will be selected by SARPA members. Bethany suggests we post photos of holiday lights along Summit Avenue on FB page and encourage public to vote. On the night of the SARPA party, take a ride along Summit Ave to look at lights and vote on best display.

• Idea of potential award introduced: Solicit entries in Summit longevity – either family ownership or individual ownership.

• Member Walsh moves that SARPA offer an honorary membership to SARPA for David & Amber McLaughlin in memory of their mother, Judy, and all her good efforts to establish Summit Avenue as a Historic Preservation District. Motion seconded and passed unanimously.
• Suggestion was made to give Bill Lynch photo assignments of events along Summit Ave. when events are scheduled – Heide house tour, UST homecoming, Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon, etc. Board members agreed this would be a good way to highlight Summit’s community aspects.

5. Membership report:
a. Member Natz asked everyone on the board to renew their membership. He mentioned that several board members need to make payments which were taken care of at this point.
b. Pres. Gladhill asked if members would distribute membership flyers, SARPA registration forms and envelopes for up two blocks. Bethany will distribute current membership list so we don’t duplicate.


6. WSNAC: Congratulations to Rachel Westermeyer. Housing moratorium passed at the city council. Liquor license is next issue.
7. Next Board Meeting: Monday, October 17 at 7 pm
8. Treasurer’s report. Submitted. Ending August 30th, was $12,217.25
9. Meeting adjourned at 8:25 pm.

Marathon 2011

Some great photos that remind us why the Twin Cities Marathon is considered one of the most beautiful in the country, and why it ends on Summit!

(photo credit Patrick Rhone)

Cathedral Heritage Foundation Lecture: Architectural features tell stories of medieval life

The Cathedral Heritage Foundation invites the public to a lecture which takes apart features of cathedrals in the Middle Ages to illustrate the impact of Christian philosophy on Western culture. William Cook, Ph.D., Cornell University, will present “Like Dante, Like Thomas Aquinas: The Cathedral as synthesis of western culture,” Thursday, October 20 at 7 p.m.

The lecture will begin in Hayden Hall, located on the lower level of the Cathedral, at the corner of Summit Avenue and John Ireland Boulevard. Free parking is available in the parking lot on the south side of the Cathedral as well as ample street parking.

Professor Cook will primarily highlight examples of our European cathedrals which have helped shape western culture. He will also take those in attendance on a walking tour of our more “modern” Cathedral to point out features. “Gazing toward the dome of the Cathedral of Saint Paul, we find mosaics of the four cardinal virtues--prudence, justice, temperance, fortitude. Since these virtues are first grouped together by Plato and we find them in a cathedral, Saint Paul's continues the tradition of synthesis that I will illuminate as I take those present on a 'tour' of some of the salient features of medieval cathedrals,” writes Cook.

For more information, visit www.cathedralsaintpaul.org or call the Welcome Center at 651-228-1766. To view photos of the Cathedral of Saint Paul’s interior and exterior go to http://www.cathedralsaintpaul.org/album