Dear Neighbors,
I
hope you got a chance to enjoy some of the warmer than usual days we had last
week! There will be snow on the ground before we know it, so be sure to get
some time in beautiful Minnesota fall weather. It’s been great to see many of
you at the various meetings and events I’ve been at, and I look forward to
seeing and hearing from more folks in our communities.
In
this newsletter, you’ll find my most recent column, and some information on
Governor Dayton’s Job Summit, Fish Creek, and a new service for Minnesota’s
seniors.
If
you have questions, comments or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me.
Thank you again for the honor of serving you in the legislature.
Sincerely,
Nora
SUPPORTING OUR VETERANS
On Friday, November 11, we celebrate Veterans Day. All of
us know at least one veteran, whether it’s the parent or grandparent who served
in World
War II, the brother who served in Vietnam, or the former
classmate currently serving in Afghanistan, and they deserve our utmost thanks
and appreciation. As a daughter of a World War II veteran, I am aware of the
sacrifices and struggles facing our military members and their families.
Our most recent military men and women are still serving in
Iraq and Afghanistan.
As of this month, the War in Afghanistan has been going on
for more than 10 years, making it the longest war in our country’s history. The
veterans coming home from these wars are suffering from post-traumatic stress
disorder, terrible injuries, and high unemployment. We can and we must do
better for these veterans.
I’ve long been a supporter of “Beyond the Yellow Ribbon”
program that creates awareness for the purpose of connecting service members
and their families with community support, training, services and resources.
Most recently, I was part of the Oakdale “Beyond the Yellow Ribbon” kick-off in
September. Under the leadership of Marc Cover from Platinum Bank, members of
the military, community leaders, business people, government agency personnel,
school staff and a variety of Oakdale residents gathered to start plan a BYR
Collaborative.
The group will focus on four major initiatives including a
business services management team to help families needing financial services;
“Fun2Night” events which provide a night out for military parent with child
care provided; Arrow
Forces who will help military families with tasks like snow
shoveling and grass cutting while the deployed are away, and Deployed to
Employed which will help returning vets tune up their resumes and find good
jobs. More information on the
“Beyond the Yellow Ribbon” program can be found at www.btyr.org.
Another project I’ve continually supported for our veterans
is the Oakdale
Veterans Memorial. The proposed memorial would be placed
next to City Hall, and would honor members from all branches of the military
and provide visitors with a place of quiet solitude and reflection. At this
point the project has been funded solely through private donations. I’m proud
to be the chief author of the bill to provide the project with state bonding
money, and while we haven’t been successful in obtaining the funding yet, I
will continue to work for it during the next session.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Oscar
Binder, the owner of the new McDonald’s that opened in Oakdale in August. Oscar
and the new McDonald’s made a generous donation to the Oakdale Veterans
Memorial fund.
For more information on the Memorial, please visit the City
of Oakdale website at www.ci.oakdale.mn.us.
It’s said time and time again that we owe our veterans
everything—and it’s true.
From this generation of veterans, to the generations long
before our time, our veterans have kept us safe, preserved democracy, and
defeated some of the greatest evil the world has ever known. Please take some
time to honor our veterans on November 11.
RACE TO THE TOP
The
Minnesota Department of Education has submitted the state’s application for
“Race to the Top” federal grant money. Minnesota is applying for $45 million in
grants for early childhood education. Minnesota is asking for $45 million.
More
than $20 million would be used in four high poverty areas—in St. Paul’s Promise
Neighborhood, Minneapolis’s Northside Achievement Zone, the White Earth
Reservation and Itasca County. The rest would fund the infrastructure for
pre-kindergarten oversight.
This
is an extraordinary opportunity to move our early childhood system forward for
Minnesota’s youngest children. We know that early childhood education is proven
reform that can help close the achievement gap, improve student success, and
save the state money over the long-term.
Senior LinkAge Line
In
early September Governor Dayton and Lieutenant Governor Prettner Solon
announced the Senior LinkAge Line, designed to be a one stop shop for Minnesota
seniors and their families. The line will help seniors navigate state
government, and help connect them with volunteer and employment opportunities.
From
the governor’s office:
“Throughout
the campaign, Governor Dayton and I heard a need from seniors and their
families for a better way to navigate government and have their questions answered,”
Prettner Solon said, “With this service; we are making the Senior LinkAge line
a true one stop shop. Minnesota’s seniors are a critical resource to our state.
They are concerned and engaged citizens, volunteers, grandparents, and an
important part of our work force. It is essential that the right supports are
in place to guarantee that Minnesota will continue to be a great place to age
and live well.”
This
expansion is a significant change for the line, which previously handled
primarily health insurance and long-term care services related questions. Now
when Minnesota seniors call the Senior LinkAge Line®:
A
One Stop Shop for Minnesota Seniors, they will be connected to a live person
who will help them with any government service related questions. Line operators
will utilize a specialized chat system, connecting them to representatives from
all state departments and providing instant access to answers for callers.
In
the near future, the line will also connect seniors to volunteer and employment
opportunities that tap the talents of older Minnesotans.
Senior
LinkAge Line®: A One Stop Shop for Minnesota Seniors Line is a toll-free number
(1-800-333-2433) and service that covers all 87 Minnesota counties. The service
can also be accessed via a chat line at www.minnesotahelp.info.
It is operated by the Minnesota Board on Aging.
FISH CREEK
This
month, The Conservation Fund is closing on the 70-acre Fish Creek parcel in
south Maplewood. This marks another milestone for Maplewood in the protection
of Fish Creek. Maplewood must reimburse The Conservation Fund for the land purchase
within 2 years. Preserving this land will protect wildlife, wildlife habitats, and
increase opportunities for hiking and beautiful outdoor activities.
On
October 25th, there will be a small event to celebrate this success and receive
an update on the project. Details are below.
Tuesday,
October 25, 2011
4:30
6:00 p.m.
Maplewood
Community Center
2100 White Bear Avenue, Maplewood MN
(on White Bear Avenue, just south of County Road B)
Governor’s Job Summit and Economic Update
Governor Dayton will be holding a Jobs Summit in St. Paul
on October 25. Governor Dayton will be sharing and highlighting areas of
concern and opportunity from his economic roundtables around the state.
The summit will also include various sessions with public
officials and key business leaders, small business owners, entrepreneurs and
investors to look at ways to jumpstart Minnesota’s economy. A lunch keynote
speech will be delivered by author Michael Mandelbaum, coauthor (with Thomas
Friedman) of the newly released new book “That Used to Be Us: How America Fell
Behind in the World It Invented and How we Can Come Back.” The author will
discuss themes in his recent book and their implications nationally and here in
Minnesota.
For more information on the summit, please visit www.positivelyminnesota.com/Calendar_of_Events/Governors_Job_Summit_2011
Governor Dayton is encouraging Minnesotans to share their
ideas on how to improve our economy. Please visit the Governor’s website at http://mn.gov/governor/contactus/ideas.
This job summit comes as Minnesota’s economic outlook has
worsened since the February forecast and while state revenues are currently
ahead of projections, State Economist Tom Stinson said the state will likely
have to overcome another budget deficit.
Dr. Stinson also said that economic growth is now
forecasted to be half of their initial projections and if the federal payroll
tax cut is not extended, economic growth could almost come to a halt. President
Obama has advocated for extending the tax cut, but the US House of Representatives
has been reluctant to renew it.
