4.0. SR 04-21-1997ity of
ITEM 4.
iver
FROM:
DATE:
SUBJECT:
MEMORANDUM
Mayor & City Council
Bob Minton and Louise Kuester
April 21, 1997
Citizens League Report
Attached is a copy of the most recent report by the Citizens League of the Elk
River Area entitled Why the Elk River Area Needs the Arts.
We will make a formal presentation of this study to the Council at this
meeting.
13065 Orono Parkway · P.O. Box 490 · Elk River, MN 55330 · (612) 441-7420 · Fax: (612) 441-7425
:r- Otsego · Ramsey -.Rogers · Zimmerman
Report say's
arts in city
'need help
;tration examined the plane that crashed
on Grinde of Monticello.-
'killed Theatre, the report is critical
~' .'. ' of Elk', River's interest and
'. - .-~--;'- -:..',',L' ~' arf~., "':: ' ''~' '
lin Orrock
The plane fluttered down as
it Was caught by the wind.
He did not hear a sound as
the wreckage landed in the
wooded area.
Stoll said he tried to call 911,
which was busy, apparently
by Don Heinzman ...
Editor'
. The arts in Elk River are in
a weakening condition, tack-
ing leadership, funding and
space,~ according to a study
just released by the Elk River
Citizens League
Results 'of the study are
· based- on. a phOne survey,.
interviews of key figures in
Elk River' and site visits tel
Lanesboro, Grand Marais,
Fergus Falls, Kenyon, New
York Mills and Alexandria.
Aside' from some excellent
performing groups, such as
the Youth For Strings, Land
of 'Lakes Choirboys and the
Elk -' :-.River Community
with other callers about the of leadership in the arts,
crash.' He drove over to the - there is no dynamic central
scene where he found
and ws's in
a half hour
e Federal
inistration'
e Sr~
.cz has
d Anderson
na 140 air-
These are some of the key
findings in the report:
..Elk River's local arts suf.
fer, due to lack of rapport
between the school and arts
community, especially with
sch6duling school facilities.
· The arts are not recognized
as a tool for economic devel-
opment.
· Although there are pockets
establish an identity.
· A community identifier is
needed to market the arts in
Elk River. '
· Some type of art~ facility,
now lacking, would ser~e to
connect the local community
with others and provide
greater access to the arts.
· A modest majority of peo-
ple are willing to spend some
public funds to support local
arts activities. ..
The report calls for 'provid-.
lng a multiple use community
facility.
It says the city Community
Center Task Force should be
reactivated and that the facil-
ity should include activities
for youth, offering them posi-
tive things, to do while provid-
ing needed developmental
assets.
School relation'ship
Research 'shows that com-
munities with good art pro-
grams and support have a
positive two-way relationship
between the local school dis-
trict and the local arts com-
munity.
The report stresses this
relationship needs to be
stronger.
Rana Nestrud, who directs
· - two leadership for coordination or the -ublic schwa]o'
~ P e was ot~her mere ...- - , . · fund raising. The Elk River Challenge program, says the
': .-. ~ ~ :A~ey~.~c~.mpared notes and ~iArea Arts Council, which is arts community, and the
· LA.C__ -1, ---- zl ~' , ' ' '~; ----? -- """ '" "' '"'" ' ''~ -~"'"e JX¥ -'- ~cuuuz~_are. a];* me 'genests m
· ~,mA.m, ng_ mat::was anpp, mg out of the considering; hmitatior[~ ~t forging a valuable relation-
yaru.wnen 'engine .':'.' ' ~- -- '.~: "; '~ "'~' ' fac "~' :'~ '~'"' "' ....... ""~ '~*' '
· ' ...... ~ - , ~ .... es. - ,. , '--." ' · s '
.= ....... ~ .... ~' * ~. r.'. ..:. .... ....... . : , hip. She adds that so. far,
,-rog nome,: -~znere.was,.n0¢;:~e?ana no...:!~..Arts - groups, have not "our interaCtions have beez~
'pop." ' smoke· ' '.' ' ~: ' j:.,.(;*:'i*,.:i' - :' Work'ed:~ together as ,-the n3/l~imal,". -
~pecting. to ; The body of Grinde Was half : United ~ Way, does, ..even Rich Duggan, president of
mid-air col- in and half out of the 'ajrplan~ ' though the potential' for rais- the Elk River Area Chamber
.~ saw the J~er it landed.' ' '*-,:';~.* ' ing big money locally is good. of Commerce, says the rela-
· : ' - :'?':'. ....... ' ' · ,Elk River does not incorpo-.
; like~ < a craSh continUed to page 9 rate arts with history to Arts continued to pagg 10
Star News
want ads
now on
line with
10 / Elk River Star News / Wednesday, April 2, 1997
ArtS
Continued from page 1
tionship is not as strong as it
could be, particularly regard-
lng scheduling facilities.
Elk River Area School Dis-.
trict Superintendent David
Flannery observes the strong
connection between school-
based boosterism for sports,
but points out that similar
~hinEs have not developed for
the arts.
'We should respond to the
~nothlng to do' for youth with
expanded art opportunities,"
Flannery said. Flannery
would like to see the schools
emulate Burnsville, with its
after-school arts instruction in
painting, photography, dance,
editing and garage bands.
Eileen and Robert Bowersox,
director and an actor in the
Northern Lights Children's
Theatre, are particularly
Flag
Continued from page 1
American flag is the American
flag," Hohngren said at a
council' meeting Monday
night. 'It,s not a sign I~s not a
structure."
Were the flag a sign, it would
be limited to 35 feet in height.
If it were a structure, as the
city contended, it would face a
45-foot height limitation.
Holm~ren proposed Monday
night to withdraw his motion
critical of Community
Education, which they say
raises road blocks and fosters
~Community Education con-
tinually,brings in artists and
art progroms from outside the
community to teach its class-
es. It seems contrary to the
concept of community edUca-
tion to ignore the large body of
extxemely talented artists
within the community in favor
of bringing in outsiders to
compete with its community
artists.
"It also fosters the idea with-
in the community and among
students that Elk River
artists are somehow inferior
to artists from other areas.
This has a very big impact 6n
area artists."'
Having only a small 'theater
limiting Perkins to a 50-foot
flagpole and remove any
height restrictions on the flag
pole.
But City 'Attorney Peter
Beck said Roberts Rules of
Order require that the motion
to reconsider be made at the
council's next regular meet-
ing, which was last week.
Having missed that opportu-
' nity, it now appears Perkins
in the high school leads to con-
flict, says Doug Johnson, a
lone-time backer of communi-
~There is a sincere desire on
the part of the school and arts
groups to cooperate as much
as possible; however, the facil-
ity is inadequate,, and this
leads to compromise and con-
flict."
Not all are critical of the
schools.
Craig Anderson, director of
the Land of Lakes Choirboys,
praises the school district for
being very cooperative and
collaborative. . ·
Not acknowledged
The Citizens League notes in
its findings that arts-related
activity is not acknowledged
as an important element of
will have to reapply to the city
for the 70-foot pole,' go
through the public hearing
rocess and have the request
eard by the Planning
Commission and City Council.
Holmgwen said he's willing to
shepherd Perkins through
that process.
He said earlier that he began
researching the'flag matter
the day after the March 17
local economic development.
Dennis Chuba, former presi-
dent of the Elk River' Area
Chamber of. Commerce says,
"I am on the Economic
Development Committee of
the chamber, and I never hear
arts mentioned as economic
development."
Minnesota Gov. Arne Carlson
notes that more Minnesoto_ns
attend arts activities than
professional and collegiate
sports combined.
Tourism, the report says, is
the second-largest employer
· today and by the end of of the
century it will be the world's
largest industry. Arts mean
mone~ big money: $36.8 bil-
lion for businesses wifhin the
communities, $790 million for.
local government, $1.2 billion
for state government and $3.4
meeting, when he got a call
'from. Eleanor Todahl asking
him to reconsider.
:~ He then met with Dan Smith
of Perkins to hear the restau-
ranl~s position in detail.
~I was made aware that
there are 12 to 15 sites that
Perkins has that sit elevated
above highways and all th~se
communities allowed them to
have the 70-foot pole,"
billion for the federal.
Paul Steinman, Elk River's
economic development direc-
tor, says the arts 'tend to soft-
en the community's image and
attract some economic devel-
opment in their own right
while giving the community
some status or class.
~The Elk River area should
keep in mind that strong arts
opportunities attract addition-
al residents for the local labor
market and in turn attract
more industry and profession-
al. leaders. Arts can provide
substantial return on public
investment," according to
Steinman.
The Citizens League also
scores the community for lack
of leadership to stimulate
strong support for local arts.
Eileen Bowersox says cur-
Holmgren said. (One of the
.issues raised in Elk River is
that Perkins sits 20 feet above
Highway 169, essentially giv-
ing a 70-foot pole a 90-foot vis-
ibility.)
. Holmgren then met with
Sherburne County .Veterans'
Service Officer Harold
Novotny. Novotny was aware
of some written federal regu-
lations on the flag and con-
rent leadership seems not to
appreciate the contributions
that local talent might offer,
casting outsiders in plays here
even though other communi-
ties see Elk River area talent
as worthy for castinE theirs.
Anderson fears the current
arts scene is a bit disjointed.
Johnson observes the leader-
ship base needs to be expand-
ed beyond a few. dedicated
souls to a broad-based team
with ties to each of the arts.
"We need a charismatic per-
son who will add the spirit
necessary for pulling in the
funds along with getting the
various arts activities to work
together harmoniously," he
said. .
tacted Sen. Grams' office.
The next day, Grams' office
sent out the ~Our Flag" beok-
let, with areas pertinent to
the Elk River situation high-
lighted.
"Upon reading the book and
discussing the situation with
Harold, I concluded that I had
made an error in judgment,"
Hohngren said.
ELK WEST
ROGERS PET CLINIC CHIROPRACTIC