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Archived news, 2007.

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12.17.07

St. Louis Park City Council gives direction to the St. Louis Park Historical Wayside Park/Beehive Restoration Project committee to move forward with their plans to move the beehive from Lilac Park at Minnetonka Blvd. to Roadside Park and restore Roadside Park. Congrats to Rick Birno and the committee, well done!


12.13.07

Campaign launches www.restorelilacway.com web site.


11.19.07

Campaign concept and graphics presented to Mn/DOT: Patti Strohmayer (Landscape Design Specialist), Dewayne E. Jones (Transportation Operations Supervisor) and Paul Walvatne (Transportation Prog. Supervisor Sr.). Cathy Ashfeld (Transportation Prog. Specialist 2) was unable to attend. Distributed 7 copies of the 26-page presentation and 4 posters.


10.25.07

Campaign concept and graphics presented to Rick Birno and the St. Louis Park Historical Wayside Park/Beehive Restoration Project committee. They are working to move the beehive from Lilac Park at Minnetonka Blvd. to Roadside Park, near the Nordic Ware Tower and right off the Southwest bike trial. Plans include reviving Roadside Park with the transplanted beehive and restoring park structures and landscaping based on the original plans from the 1930s.


Laukkonen Design revised the Campaign logo and poster to include a beehive barbecue based on feedback from this meeting. For Beehive project questions and status, email Rick Birno at rbirno@stlouispark.org or call 952-924-2554. Support the efforts of the St. Louis Park Historical Society to raise funds to move the beehive.


10.23.07

Campaign concept and graphics presented to Jeanne Andersen and Kathy Spence Johnson of the St. Louis Park Historical Society.


9.19.07

Campaign concept and graphics presented to the Golden Valley Garden Club at their monthly meeting.


9.4.07

Campaign concept presented to Jim Vaughan, SLP Environmental Coordinator and Marney Olson, SLP Neighborhood Outreach.


8.30.07

Campaign concept presented to Sue Sanger, St. Louis Park City Council.


7.07

Watched Mn/DOT and TPT production of Highway 100: Lilac Way documentary on Public TV, which inspired me to start the Campaign to Restore Lilac Way.

Highway 100 is the only roadside development project in the state that includes rock gardens and ornamental pools. 

The unique stone "beehive" fireplaces contain cook stoves for picnickers.

Harold E. Olson, the longtime head of the Roadside Development Division, remarked in a speech in 1933 that stone fireplaces were preferred to concrete "which detract from the natural environment."