By Dawn Buck on Jan 10, 2020 | In Uncategorized | Comments Off on January 11th : Skating Tonight! 7pm to approx. 8:30pm
Are your skates handy? How about some Wolf moon skating? Will and Jake Kapsner are hosting tonight.
Rinkman Mark Elden and his team members have been working hard to prepare a nice rink at Lafayette. Thank you !!!!
The rink is open now for skating!7pm to about 8:30pm tonight; there are two bins of donated skates for your or your guests’ use.
Please call or txt Mark asap 218-340-6453 if you would be willing to open Lafayette this weekend or next, and visit with the skaters.
Thank you very much & happy weekend!
We are grateful for the rink at Lafayette!
By Dawn Buck on Jan 7, 2020 | In Uncategorized | Comments Off on January 21 Membership Meeting with 6:30 Pizza & 7pm Presentation by Dr. John Swenson
Breeze January 2020
Pizza and speaker Dr. John Swenson, on Erosion & High Water on Park Point, History and the Hydrology of what is happening.
Dr. Swenson is an associate professor at UMD:
“In the last few years, I have been working on developing models of coastal erosion on the north and south shores, with emphasis on Park Point. I would be very happy to meet with you and your group to share my ideas and insight.”
By Dawn Buck on Dec 18, 2019 | In Uncategorized | Comments Off on Lafayette Rink Update Saturday, January 4, 6-9pm or so, skating tonight, volunteers please call Mark Elden
Thank you to the City for the boost at Lafayette in snow management which will allow for rink flooding to begin.
Mark Elden and a small team have been working on a rink at Lafayette!
Contact Mark if you are willing to help with flooding, and hanging out at Lafayette in the warming area and keeping it open. 218-340-6453
December 2019 Breeze
Next PPCC meeting is the annual pizza party and membership drive on Tuesday, January 21 2020 6:30pm
Thanks to Dale Sellner for coordinating the snow removal for the fun to begin!
By Dawn Buck on Nov 18, 2019 | In Uncategorized | Comments Off on November Meeting and Breeze
On the agenda:
Spring is coming! Alayna with the City of Duluth will join us to start the brainstorming process for spring 2020 beach sweeping. She is seeking PPCC partnership in planning a major beach sweep event in the spring. The effort would involve 100 volunteers and sponsors that would provide food and drink for volunteers. This clean-up would be one of six to eight major clean-up events that would be promoted and launched in the spring.
Please come and hear how you might get involved. Can’t make the meeting and want to get involved? Contact:
Cheryl Skafte | Volunteer Coordinator | City of Duluth | 411 W. 1st Street, Duluth, MN 55802 | 218-730-4334 (office) | 218-341-8454 (cell) | cskafte@duluthmn.gov
The Breeze of November 2020
Also , Isaac Schultz, District Director for Congressman Pete Stauber, 8th Congressional District of Minnesota (O: 218-481-6397
C: 218-355-8834) will be stopping in “to engage the community and gather an understanding about where the local community would like to take this conversation” in regards to erosion and high water concerns as highlighted in this Star Tribune article from Nov. 16 2019:
Informational correspondence on the sewer lining project
11/2019 meeting at Lafayette from Tom Pfeffer at the City of Duluth
Hi Jim,
Apparently, out of ignorance, one of the TV news reporters suggested the pipe lining project would improve the standing water alone the curb lines…which is not the case. During my “unplanned” presentation, one of the questions that came out was “…will this [sewer lining project] get rid of the standing water…” and my answer was “no, this project will reduce the amount of sewage that needs to be conveyed to WLSSD”.
We have multiple problems out there…1) the surface of the road is very flat and irregular which results in standing water (regardless of the source); 2) surrounded by lake superior, the high ground water surrounds and seeps into public sewers and private basements; 3) there is only one sanitary sewage pipe (currently on the lift bridge) that conveys sewage off the Point.
- Sanitary Sewer Flows are a composite of all that flows “down the drain”, plus ground water and rain water that seeps into pipes/manholes. Based on CCTV video inspections of the underground pipes, we know that some water seeps into the pipe. We know that when the lake level is higher and when it’s raining, we get more relatively clean water seeping into the sanitary sewer mixing with the sewage increasing the volume needed to be pumped to WLSSD. Occasionally, the combined volume is more than can be pumped off the point, and the sewage backs up in the pipes/manholes. It eventually backs up out of the lowest elevation manholes, which (for the sanitary sewer) happen to be located near 17th-19th Streets. The back-up of sewage comes out of the manhole and spreads out on the road and along the curb line or other low points.
- Surface/storm water flows to storm sewer catch basins and pipes which flow to the lake. The sources of surface water are rain, melting snow, and sump pump discharges. If the ground surface is flat and/or poorly graded, the surface water does not drain to the catch basins and thus does not go to storm sewer or the lake. If the storm sewer pipes are plugged with sand, debris, or standing water, they do not drain. In either case, the result is relatively clean water standing on roads and along gutter lines.
- Numerous homes have basements that are below ground water level. They utilize sump pumps to capture the relatively clean water before it gets into their basements. The water is pumped to discharge on the ground surface…thus, contributing to surface water flows.
This current project is phase 2 of the CIPP lining of the sewer main (public owned) pipes. Once these mains are lined and made water tight, the next phase [3] we will resume inspecting and requiring private service lines be lined or replaced to stop any ground water from getting into the sanitary sewer. THESE PROJECTS ARE REDUCING THE SANITARY SEWAGE FLOWS by reducing or eliminating ground water seeping into the system. We are confident this will help lower flows enough to allow the current pump/pipe system to convey sewage off the Point without backup. We are therefore reducing/eliminating the occasional ‘sewage backup’ on the road in the gutter.
This project does not fix ground surface drainage of yards and roadways. This project does not add new storm sewer drainage systems. This project does not eliminate or reduce surface water flows.
Back to your questions…”will this make any difference with all the standing water along the road” yes and no. YES, for that very small portion of standing water that is actually sewage that occasionally occurs due to sewage back up. NO, the majority of the standing water is surface water that can’t get to the lake.
Your theory is sound in that by not entering the sanitary sewer system that water would remain in the ground/lake. Again, in theory, perhaps you can say the lake level should rise after we effectively seal off the sanitary sewer and service pipes. BUT, will that rise in the lake level be perceivable or measureable, I would say not.
Our first priority is to get the sanitary sewage safely off the Point and eliminate sewage backups.
Hope this helps,
Tom
Tom Pfeffer | Senior Engineer | MN Licensed PE | City of Duluth | 411 West First Street, Duluth, MN 55802 | 218-730-5104 | tpfeffer@duluthmn.gov
By Dawn Buck on Oct 24, 2019 | In Uncategorized | Comments Off on Welcome New Neighbor !
HI, LeAne Rutherford created this letter for welcoming new neighbors to Park Point. Thank you, LeAne!
If you have new neighbors, maybe you might stop over and say hi, bring them the latest Breeze edition and see how they are doing in their new home?
Welcome Park Point Neighbor
Breeze October 2019
By Dawn Buck on Oct 13, 2019 | In Uncategorized | Comments Off on PPCC Meeting Tuesday, 10/15 at Lafayette, 630pm coffee & cookies, 7pm meeting
On the agenda:
Erosion & High Water Committee Presentation
Committee members:
Hamilton Smith, Gale Kerns, Gordon Kerns, Jan Karon, Gary Glass, Roger Reinert, Scott Wolff
Update on Sky Harbor Airport project
Benita L. Crow, PE (MN, WI),
Brandon Twedt, PE (MN)
Director of UAS Operations
Airport Planning and Design
SEH — Building a Better World for All of Us™
10.13.2019 Park Point
By Dawn Buck on Aug 30, 2019 | In Uncategorized | Comments Off on Fall Family Fun Day, Sunday, September 15, 2019 at Lafayette, 3:30pm; start warming up now for softball & bingo
How better to bring our community together than with a hearty bowl of homemade soup and crusty bread following sweaty & fun game of softball ?!
Rain or Shine!
VOLUNTEERS ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED!!
PLEASE CONTACT THE FOLLOWING TO HELP OUT
• SET UP/CLEAN UP TEAM: JUDY 218-213-7643 •GREETERS: CHARLENE 218-269-0787
- FOOD TEAM: MARY 218-213-4077
- SOFTBALL: “Baysiders” MARK 218-340-6453“Lakers” DAWN 218-525-1764
- BINGO: OPEN! If you are interested in leading this team please contact Mary for details 213-4077
Ball Game starts at 4pm! Soup is on at 5pm plus Bingo
We hope this can be a zero waste “Green” event, so please bring your own bowl, silverware and cup from home – and of course your baseball mitt!
So rain or shine come to connect with your neighborhood and get acquainted with your neighbors!
SEPTEMBER 15, 2019 at LAFAYETTE Square
3:30 PM TO ……. Rain or shine!
Batter up!
By Dawn Buck on Aug 7, 2019 | In Uncategorized | Comments Off on National Night Out at St. Andrews By The Lake ,Aug. 6 2019, PPCC Meeting
What a great gathering of over 250 neighbors and members of DPD and DFD last night at SABTL!
Many thanks to the great cooks & hosts at St. Andrews and to Len and Lois for providing the entertainment~ a very fun evening of getting to know neighbors and members of the DPD and the DFD!
PPCC Meeting Highlights:
- Erosion Committee will distribute a survey in the September Breeze, new committee volunteer connected with the group
- PP Summer Youth Program wraps up this Thursday, 11am play and awards followed by BBQ at noon, super year, program saw an increase in number of kids~ many thanks to PPCC Youth Committee, parents, program leaders and PPCC and community volunteers and partners.
- Sunday, September 15th, 3-7pm softball, good food and bingo at Lafayette, volunteers requested, see The Breeze
- Questions about what is happing at the playground at 12th across from the Coast Guard station?? Inquiry to be sent.
- “See something, Say something” on Park Point by calling 911 requests the DPD
- Loose dogs are a problem, call 911 and say it’s not an emergency and provide info. Neighbor is worried about dogs in the busy street.
Other issues mentioned:
Parking on Lafayette on the field during rentals, inquiry sent, concerns about field integrity, any other parking ideas?
Pickle Ball court ready at Lafayette on Tennis Court- Thanks to Parks and Rec. and community volunteers for helping with this project by providing materials and installing the supplies.
Beach access at 8th, what is the status of the clean-up at that street?
Long grass at S-Curve- who is to mow? Is this park land or federal land?
Is it possible to get a garbage can behind Lafayette? Lots of trash noted by neighbor.
Neighbors gather for National Night Out celebration.
By Dawn Buck on Aug 7, 2019 | In Uncategorized | Comments Off on July 2019 Breeze
Here is The July Breeze!
The July PPCC meeting was held at the Duluth Boat Club Site at 13th Bayside
By Dawn Buck on Jun 24, 2019 | In Uncategorized | Comments Off on June Breeze Blows In
June Breeze
Thanks to everyone who contributes to our community’s newsletter The Breeze- the editor, the contributors, the advertisers, the delivery volunteers, the readers. The Breeze keeps us connected.
