Minnehaha Academy

Golfers push back Nokomis Playground is Belle's Tool Box, and rally to save imaginative fun creative play space, Hiawatha Golf Course for youngsters opening soon PAGE 3 PAGE 10 PAGE 16 September 2017 Vol. 35 No. 7 www.LongfellowNokomisMessenger.com 21,000 Circulation • By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN Minnehaha Academy President Minnehaha Academy is Donna Harris greeted each person working to rise together follow- Minnehaha Academy: #TogetherWeRise who walked from the Upper Cam- ing a devastating gas explosion at pus down to the Lower Campus the Upper School (3100 W. River during the Unity Walk on Aug. 15. Pkwy.) on Aug. 2 that killed two An explosion destroyed a section of the school and killed two, Over 1,000 people wore the school’s staff members and destroyed the color red and attended the Unity oldest section of the school facili- but school proves its community is strong and resilient Walk. (Photo by Tesha M. Chris- ty built in 1913. tensen) Nearly 1,000 people wearing the Minnehaha school color red needed,” stated Harris. attended a Unity Walk on Aug. 15. The walk started at the Upper Moving forward School and ended at the Lower School with a ceremonial raising Wenschlag was out of town of the flag back to full mast. in Chicago when he received “Two weeks ago we were the news of the explosion. He dealt a blow,” remarked hopped on the next flight and Minnehaha Academy Board was back at Minnehaha Acade- Chair David Anderson. “Together my by 2pm, but found there was we will rise.” little he could do except pray Executive Director of Insti- for those unaccounted for as the tutional Advancement Sara Ja- authorities were managing the cobson noted, “It’s important scene of the blast. for current students and alums Master Mechanical workers to come together to comfort each had been moving a gas main at other, but also to celebrate the the campus, and those inside community that we have. The were given just a few minutes no- Unity Walk enabled us to thank tice before the structure explod- the first responders, demonstrate ed. our commitment to each other in The explosion rocked and this tragedy, and most important- set ablaze the center of the upper ly, begin to look forward to what school at 10:23am, causing a par- God has for Minnehaha Academy tial collapse of two floors over a in the future.” sub-basement. After the fire was it, as well. we will rise in unity, with a re- school announced that classes- extinguished, an intensive op- #TogetherWeRise “We chose #TogetherWeRise newed sense of purpose, hope, for its high school students eration began to find the miss- as a hashtag for this experience and commitment to our mis- would be held at 1345 Mendota ing. By the end of the first day, The school has begun tagging because we are a caring com- sion.” Heights Rd. in Mendota Heights Minnehaha knew it had lost 17- its own social media posts with munity, and we know that to- While the start of the in the former Sanford-Brown year receptionist Ruth Berg, as the hashtag #TogetherWeRise gether we will become stronger, school year will be different, College building. The school well as alum and staff member and encouraging others to use we will grow, we will rise up to Upper Campus Principal Jason has signed a two-year lease at John Carlson. Nine were injured be a greater school and to show Wenschlag has been assuring the site which is eight miles and transported to the hospi- the community what we can do students, “We’re going to be south of the Minnehaha cam- tal with fractures, cuts and head together,” explained Jacobson. ok.” pus, and hopes to be back in wounds, including assistant boy’s Minnehaha Academy Pres- “It’s going to be a great a permanent location as soon soccer coach Bryan Duffey. ident Donna Harris observed, year. It’s going to bring us to- as possible. "The process for Since that first day, Principal “Together is the pivotal and gether,” said Wenschlag. “We’re assessing the structural sound- Wenschlag has been very busy, transformative word. I am con- going to rally around this. We’re ness of our Upper School and working long days and moving fident we will rise from the dev- going to be sure to carry on the conducting rebuilding analyses forward on short nights of sleep. astating blow we have sustained same traditions and experiences with a partially destroyed struc- “We have kids and teach- as a community because our our kids expect.” ture is complex, so it is prudent ers, but we’re basically starting shared experience of pain and On Wed., Aug. 23, the and beneficial for Minnehaha a school,” observed Wenschlag. loss has drawn us closer togeth- school announced that class- to have a longer time window er. So with God’s help, I believe es for its high school students at the Mendota Heights site if Continued on page 15 After two weeks with the flag at half-mast, it was brought back to full-mast during a special ceremo- ny on Tues., Aug. 15 at the Lower The Unity Walk gave Minnehaha Academy the opportunity to come together Campus as the Minnehaha Acade- and thank first responders who arrived within minutes of the explosion that Members of the Minnehaha Academy pep band, old and new, played during my sought to move forward togeth- rocked the campus, destroyed the center section of the school and killed two the Unity Walk on Aug. 15, just two weeks after an explosion damaged the er from a devastating gas explosion. staff members on Aug. 2. Here President Donna Harris thanks members of Upper Campus and killed two staff members. (Photo by Tesha M. Chris- (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen) the Minneapolis Police Department. (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen) tensen) Well-known Minnesota chef plans to open restaurant in The Capp Development near 46th and Hiawatha will also include grocery store, other retail, and 150 apartments By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN James Beard Award nominee chef Erick Harcey plans to open a new restaurant next year in The CAPP building, a mixed-use proj- ect near 46th and Hiawatha that will include a grocery store. The restaurant at 3939 46th St. E. will be part of a five-story mixed-use development pro- posed by Excelsior-based Oppi- dan Investment Company. Con- struction is anticipated to begin The new restaurant with outdoor seating will be in a 4,000-foot, one-story in 2018. building (on left) near the railroad tracks and future Min Hi Line trail. (Il- “I’m thrilled to have the op- lustrations courtesy of Oppidan) portunity to develop a restau- James Beard Award nominee chef Erick Harcey plans to open a new restaurant in the Longfellow neighbor- Harcey’s deep Swedish roots Johnson of Oppidan. rant next year in The CAPP building near Hiawatha and 46th, part of a hood,” Harcey said in a press re- are at the source of his cooking, A grocer has not yet been se- multi-use development that will include 150 apartments and a grocery store. lease. “My team and I are looking according to his website. “He has lected. (Illustrations courtesy of Oppidan) forward to bringing an approach- never quite recreated, in later life, “Now that we are approved, able space to the area and a desti- the joy of coming home from we’re going to the market to see at the upper floors of the corner nonresidential uses. Bicycle park- nation for all.” school in Cambridge, MN, and who can best meet/achieve the spe- of the building facing 46th St and ing facilities provided between smell, before he even opened the cific land-use requirements of Min- Snelling Ave, additional consider- the building and 46th St. will be Name, concept still unknown door, that his mother was bak- neapolis,” said Johnson. ation shall be given to ensure the oriented parallel to the building. The new 4,000-foot, one-sto- ing potato dill bread. And it was Challenge ahead for the proj- corner of the building is an attrac- Oppidan was directed to explore ry restaurant building with out- several long talks near the end of ect include funding for the public tive focal point with visual interest. relocating the bike parking to a door seating will be located on his Swedish grandfather’s life that improvements, including the new Also, to be consistent with the zon- location that is not between the the northwest slice of the prop- gave him the ultimate vision for city street, Min Hi Line trail proj- ing code, the exterior appearance of building and a street, as well as op- erty, between the extension of Upton 43. But Chef Harcey is just ect, and relocating the Xcel power the face brick and thin brick clad- tions for installing discontinuous Snelling Ave. and the railroad as influenced by Marco Pierre poles. ding on the insulated precast wall curbing to allow the on-site reten- tracks. The five-story building White’s White Heat, and the in- The city approved a variance panels will match, and the types of tion and infiltration of stormwater with the grocery store will be to satiable inventiveness of Ferran to increase the maximum allowed metal panel used will be limited to in landscaped areas. the east, replacing the current Adría.” gross floor area for commercial use two, one of which will be an accent The planning commission structure that houses Creative When he’s not in the kitch- from 20,000 square feet to 47,280 material.

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