Kevin D. Hendricks's Blog, page 26
June 6, 2017
Biking the River-to-River Greenway
I went for a bike ride today in the glorious June weather. I decided to check out the River-to-River Greenway trail in my own West St. Paul neighborhood.
Well, I biked the sections of nice trail, OK trail, crappy sidewalks and really bad connections that make-up what could eventually become the River-to-River Greenway trail through West St. Paul. It’s not officially designated as such just yet, mainly because West St. Paul is dragging its feet and turning its nose at about $3 million of count...
May 23, 2017
The Legacy & Quiet of Muir Woods
Last week my wife and I went on vacation to San Francisco. We were there to catch a U2 concert, which was amazing. We also took in lots of other sights. But my favorite—no big surprise—was Muir Woods.
It’s an incredible place filled with 500-year old trees that tower more than 350 feet above the quiet forest floor.
Muir Woods is also an example of the power of legacy.
William and Elizabeth Kent purchased the land to protect it, but in 1907 a water company wanted to dam a r...
April 5, 2017
Why Won’t I Shut Up About a Trail?!
A couple weeks ago I spoke at a West St. Paul city council meeting for the third time in three months.
This is starting to get a little ridiculous, right? You might think I have aspirations to run for office, but if you’ve seen any of those appearances it should be clear that I do better behind a keyboard than a podium.
I’m speaking up a lot because I’m convinced with the current political climate we can no longer just sit back and assume everything is OK. So I’ve gone to council meetings and...
March 20, 2017
River-to-River Greenway Questions
I’m a big fan of the River-to-River Greenway trail, a Dakota County project that will complete a regional trail through West St. Paul with a tunnel under Robert Street.
I’ve talked about why I think it’s an awesome idea and I’ve explored some misconceptions about the project.
I’ve also been accused of spreading misinformation about the project. That’s certainly not my intent. I’ve researched the original documents from Dakota County, talked to people involved and done my best to provide clear...
March 8, 2017
Women’s History in West St. Paul
Last fall I explored the history of women in Minnesota politics. One of the interesting angles was that West St. Paul had never had a female mayor—until now. In 2016 West St. Paul elected its first female mayor in Jenny Halverson.
It made me curious about the history of women in other roles in West St. Paul’s history, so I did a little digging.
Female Firsts in West St. Paul: 1955: Police Officer, Dorothea Binder 1963: City Clerk, Benedicta Southwick 1967: City Council, Devona Weatherhead 19...March 1, 2017
7 Misconceptions About the Robert Street Tunnel
Dakota County has proposed a River-to-River Greenway trail through West St. Paul that includes the Robert Street tunnel. This isn’t a new idea. A separated crossing has been proposed in various incarnations going back to the 2001 Renaissance Plan.
The proposals have shifted over the years, the cost has changed dramatically and the funding has gone from $0 to 100%. In all that time plenty of misconceptions have taken root.
I think the tunnel is a great opportunity for West St. Paul. So let’s...
February 22, 2017
How to Make West St. Paul Awesome: The Greenway Trail
West St. Paul is “close to it all,” as our city motto proclaims, but we have an opportunity to not just be close to it all, but to be at the center.
Dakota County has a number of popular trails that encourage exercise, get people out into nature and connect communities. These trails also connect to wider regional trails throughout the Twin Cities.
West St. Paul has always been close to these trails, but barely a part of them. Thompson Park connects to Kaposia Park and eventually trails along...
February 13, 2017
I Love the Shadowlands Record by Romantica and You Should Too
Twin Cities band Romantica has officially released their new album, Shadowlands, after a five-year hiatus and a one-year delay. It’s been a long time coming, and it’s worth the wait.
Last year the band crowd-funded their new project and recorded it in a barn south of the Twin Cities. One of the rewards was a pre-Valentine’s Day show that I gushed about.
While the new album was done, and lucky backers like myself got copies, it never quite released publicly. Turns out the album landed a recor...
February 7, 2017
How Does Our Democracy Move Forward in the Trump Era?
The current political climate, in the third week of the Trump presidency, is a little, um, overwhelming. I’ve seen a lot of people complaining about the constant political discussion on social media, and retreating from the conversation.
I get that.
But at the same time, well, this is not a normal time. I’m trying to figure out how to navigate this new not normal. I think we all are.
The Era of Fake News & Alternative FactsIt’s frustrating because as much as Donald Trump complains about the...
February 4, 2017
I’m Sorry
We’re two weeks into the Trump era, and I need to apologize.
In just two weeks we’ve entered brand new territory. I say that in the most non-partisan way possible. Some folks say this is just the polar opposite of eight years ago when Obama took office, but I think this is something different (and when I talk to conservatives, most [though not all] agree with that sentiment).
I need to apologize because I never took this election seriously.
In general I’m not a big fan of debating politics pu...
