Some of you may know that the City of Lakes Nordic Ski Foundation (COLNSF) has made a major push for snowmaking and lighted trails at Theodore Wirth Park as part of a larger Wirth Winter Recreation Area Plan.

Our ideas have been met with a warm reception. The Park Board has set aside more than $300,000 in Regional Park funding. Mayor Rybak has proposed that the City of Minneapolis contribute another $200,000 to make these ideas a reality. Mayor Rybak's proposal is now under review with the City Council. This is where you come in. Please take a moment to let your City Council Member know that you care about this issue (contact needs to be made this week - by Nov. 21, 2003).

Some talking points:

1. This is a sensible investment in important infrastructure. The City's investment leverages at least $300,000 in Regional Park financing already secured by the Park Board. Once the infrastructure is there, the Wirth Winter Recreation Area will be economically self-sufficient and according to a recent study may go from a financial drain on the Park Board's resources to a profit center. (Three Rivers Park District, Buck Hill and Trollhagen in Wisconsin have all added similar infrastructure in the recent past). Without the City's contribution to the project, it may not be accomplished at all. Wirth's current winter recreation area will thus continue to be mediocre and a financial drain on the Park Board's resources.
   
   
2. This is an important investment in Minneapolis' families. The Winter Recreation Area will feature snowmaking and lights for cross country skiing, an enhanced tubing hill, downhill skiing and a snowboarding hill. Generations of Minneapolis children learned to ski at Wirth before Wirth's skiing equipment became outdated and went out of service in the early-1980s. This investment will revive important family opportunities for winter recreation.
   
   
3. Minneapolis Kids. Programs are already in place to ensure that Minneapolis kids make use of these facilities. COLNSF and North Memorial Hospital are currently working with Bryn Mawr Elementary School and Anwatin Middle School (both abutting Wirth Park) on programs to help kids at these schools learn the benefits of an active and healthy lifestyle. The City's investment will help insure that programs like these are successful by offering guaranteed snow and first-class facilities.
   
   
4. The Capital of Winter. Minneapolis is arguably the biggest northern Metropolitan Area in the Western World. We should have a winter recreation area that reflects that status.

Contact Information for City Council Members:

Dan Niziolek - Southwest Minneapolis (south of Lake Street).
612 673-2210
[email protected]
Dan is a skier himself. It may be best to convince Dan that this is a good investment.

Gary Schiff - South Minneapolis, including South High School area.
612 673-2209
http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/contact/email-form-schiff.asp

Lisa Goodman - Lake of the Isles area, Downtown, and Bryn Mawr.
612 673-2207
http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/contact/email-form-goodman.asp
Lisa and her office have been supportive of the Loppet. Her concerns are probably similar to Niziolek's. You may also want to emphasize the tie-in with Bryn Mawr Elementary School and Anwatin Middle School (both in her district).

Natalie Johnson-Lee - North Minneapolis surrounding Wirth Park.
612 673-2205
[email protected]
The improvements would benefit her district more than anywhere else. Emphasize that this is going to provide numerous new benefits to North Minneapolis kids. Give special mention to the COLNSF/North Memorial program.

Barb Johnson - North Minneapolis (further north than Johnson-Lee).
612 673-2204
[email protected]
An important figure in budget decisions. Again, these improvements would be important for North Minneapolis more than other regions. It will also be important to emphasize the sensible investment aspect of this project.

Don't hesitate to contact other City Council Members - especially if you are in their ward. Find more contact information at: http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/council/

Phone calls are probably better than emails - but either one would be helpful. If you choose to email, you may want to copy the salient points outlined below (at the end of this email) into your email. Add a sentence or two of your own thoughts (you or your family have used Wirth for years, you learned to ski at Wirth, etc.) in order to personalize the email.

Pass this email on to friends in the relevant City Council districts. Feel free to call/email all of these people - but if you contact only one, it would be best if it was your own councilperson.

Thanks for the help and thank Mayor Rybak and Park Board Commissioners Jon Olson and John Erwin for their vision and leadership on this issue.

John

Proposed letter / email:

Dear Council Member _______________:

I understand that the City Council is now considering Mayor Rybak's proposed budget. I wanted to let you know that I support Mayor Rybak's suggeseted one-time contribution to the Park Board for the proposed Theodore Wirth Winter Recreation Area. There are a number of reasons that this is a good one-time investment in our City:

1. This is a sensible investment in important infrastructure. The City's investment leverages at least $300,000 in Regional Park financing already secured by the Park Board. Once the infrastructure is there, the Wirth Winter Recreation Area will be economically self-sufficient and according to a recent study may go from a financial drain on the Park Board's resources to a profit center. (Three Rivers Park District, Buck Hill and Trollhagen in Wisconsin have all added similar infrastructure in the recent past). Without the City's contribution to the project, it may not be accomplished at all. Wirth's current winter recreation area will thus continue to be mediocre and a financial drain on the Park Board's resources.

2. This is an important investment in Minneapolis' families. The Winter Recreation Area will feature snowmaking and lights for cross country skiing, an enhanced tubing hill, downhill skiing and a snowboarding hill. Generations of Minneapolis children learned to ski at Wirth before Wirth's skiing equipment became outdated and went out of service in the early-1980s. This investment will revive important family opportunities for winter recreation.

3. Minneapolis Kids. Programs are already in place to ensure that Minneapolis kids make use of these facilities. COLNSF and North Memorial Hospital are currently working with Bryn Mawr Elementary School and Anwatin Middle School (both abutting Wirth Park) on programs to help kids at these schools learn the benefits of an active and healthy lifestyle. The City's investment will help insure that programs like these are successful by offering guaranteed snow and first-class facilities.

4. The Capital of Winter. Minneapolis is arguably the biggest northern Metropolitan Area in the Western World. We should have a winter recreation area that reflects that status.

I hope you will support the Mayor's modest proposal to invest in Minneapolis. I would be happy to discuss the Wirth Winter Recreation Area proposal with you at any time. Please call me at _______________. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely yours,

____________________
(Your Address)