The Eden Prairie School board has set a candidate orientation session for 6:30-8:30 p.m. Monday, June 29, at the Administrative Services Center, 8100 School Road.

"In November 2009, three seats on the seven-seat Eden Prairie School Board will be open. Eden Prairie community members who have an interest in candidacy for the Eden Prairie School Board are encouraged to attend a candidate orientation session. The Communications Committee of the School Board will be holding a candidate orientation Session to provide information on" on the following:

* role and purpose of school boards

The expansion of Pioneer Trail will not include the removal of the Goodrich-Ramus barn, a picturesque barn located across from Flying Cloud Airport – but that doesn’t mean the property is in the clear.
The issues related to the barn came into the limelight last year, when Hennepin County hit a snag in its plans to place a stormwater pond where the barn is located today.

The Metropolitan Airports Commission said in a news release today that it has "developed a series of online videos highlighting key features of the six area airports that comprise its reliever airport system."

For the video featuring Flying Cloud Airport, scroll down.

By Leah Shaffer

In the middle of a dusty, construction-clogged corner of Pioneer Trail, sits the J.R. Cummins House, what some consider Eden Prairie’s most historic piece of property. It includes a house and garden that, for the most part, remains pretty quiet for much of the year. The Eden Prairie Historical Society is looking to change that with a plan that could bring in funds and would help open up the historic home to even more programming.

The following students were appointed to Eden Prairie city commissions during the City Council meeting Tuesday:

Arts & Culture Commission – Eric Wiig and Renee Roden

Conservation Commission – Gretchen Askew, Julia Wang, Michelle Wu and Stephanie Korman

Flying Cloud Airport Advisory Commission – Mehta Tahnay and Sam Clark

Heritage Preservation Commission – Alexis Smith

Human Rights and Diversity Commission – Adam Liter, Muna Shire, Ali Fardowsa and Julia Wang

The City Council OK’d Eden Prairie’s first precious metal dealer license at its meeting Tuesday.

“I don’t think we’ve ever done it,” Reynolds said, of whether the city had approved another precious metal dealer license. He said the city regulates the business because of the potential for passing along stolen items.

The license was granted to Wedding Day Diamonds, 8320 Crystal View Lane.

At its regular meeting Tuesday, the Eden Prairie City Council OK’d an update to the city’s ordinance regarding dangerous dogs to bring it in line with changes to state statute.

Police Chief Rob Reynolds said those changes relate to the appeal process for the owner of a dog deemed dangerous. The changes also bring penalties in line with state statute.

Reynolds said there is one “dangerous dog” in the city, but that dog could probably be reevaluated, because the owner has taken steps to address the issues.

Editor's note: Funeral services for former Eden Prairie City Council member and University of Minnesota football star Billy Bye are planned at 2 p.m. Wednesday, June 17, at St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Eden Prairie. At its meeting Tuesday, the Eden Prairie City Council directed that flags in the city be flown at half-staff on that day in honor of Bye.

By Daniel Huss

Billy Bye, former Gophers great, drowned last week in a boating accident on Bay Lake in Crow Wing County. He would have been 82 years old on Friday.

CITY OF EDEN PRAIRIE
Preserve
Riverview Road

By Phil Young

Eden Prairie is not immune from the effects of the economic downturn. Indeed, 2009 poses the most challenging economic conditions which our city government has faced in many years. The City Council, city staff and our Budget Advisory Commission (BAC) are already hard at work not only in preparing the two-year budget for 2010/2011 which the council must pass in December of this year, but also in evaluating proposed changes to the budget for this fiscal year.