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From YouTube: Bloomington Today: March 23, 2011
Description
On this week's episode of Bloomington Today, we'll update residents on potential spring flooding, highlight a Bloomington Rotary award recipient, and take a look deep into the city's history.
A
B
Welcome
to
bloomington
today,
I'm
caitlin
cochriel
thanks
for
joining
us
as
promised
we're
keeping
you
updated
right
here
on
bloomington
today
about
the
potential
for
spring
flooding
in
some
areas
around
the
city.
Public
works
recently
sent
out
letters
to
residents
who
live
in
specific
areas
that
may
be
impacted
by
flooding
properties
receiving
these
caution.
Notices
were
selected
based
on
their
proximity
to
the
potential
high
water
elevation
due
to
snow
melt
and
rain
amounts.
B
The
nine-mile
creek
corridor
from
marsh
lake
dam
to
old,
shakopee,
road,
lower
penn
lake
oxboro
lake
barthels,
pond
and
palmer
road
south
of
overlook
are
all
areas
of
concern.
Right
now,
we'll
keep
you
updated
as
temperatures
warm
and
the
spring
thaw
takes
full
effect.
If
you'd
like
more
information
on
some
of
the
resources
provided
by
the
city
in
the
event
of
flooding
visit
the
city's
website.
B
Well,
the
city
of
bloomington
would
like
to
extend
a
big
congratulations
to
a
volunteer
recently
honored
for
his
tremendous
contribution
to
the
bloomington
parks
and
recreation
division.
Michael
young
received
the
2011
daymaker
of
the
year
award
given
by
the
rotary
club
of
bloomington.
Young
was
one
of
seven
finalists
recognized
for
their
outstanding
levels
of
service
above
self.
Throughout
bloomington
michael
worked
extensively
with
the
2010
summer
spectrum
program,
where
he
volunteered
more
than
120
hours
of
service.
B
B
You
may
remember
a
special
guest
by
the
name
of
sharon,
a
gray
short-haired
cat
found
off
of
35w
we're
happy
to
announce
that
sharon
has
found
a
forever
home,
since
the
last
show
be
sure
to
tune
in
for
another
adoption
segment,
as
well
as
lots
of
great
tips
for
pet
owners
who
are
coming
out
of
winter
hibernation
with
their
animals
and
as
spring
draws
nearer.
It's
the
perfect
time
to
reflect
on
our
community's
past
and
how
we
grew
as
a
city.
C
Land
and
water,
two
elements
that
have
attracted
people
to
bloomington
for
hundreds
of
years
before
there
was
a
bloomington.
There
was
a
chahataka,
a
dakota
word,
meaning
where
the
water
touches
the
bluffs.
This
highway
of
yesterday
helped
to
settle
the
area
and
transform
it
into
the
community.
We
now
call
bloomington.
C
C
These
mounds
were
built
roughly
twelve
hundred
years
ago
and
still
use
relatively
recently
within
the
past
three
to
four
hundred
years,
their
creators,
perhaps
the
ancestors
of
the
dakota
people
or
a
prehistoric
aboriginal
tribe.
No
one
knows
for
sure
what
is
known
is
that
by
the
late
16th
century,
bloomington
was
part
of
the
vast
dakota
nation.
D
C
The
church
would
later
be
moved
by
oxen
and
horses
to
owe
shakopee
road
and
penn
avenue
in
1864.,
the
pond
brothers
taught
the
dakota
farming
techniques
and
developed
a
written
form
of
the
dakota
language
to
translate
the
bible
and
publish
a
newsletter
in
return.
The
dakota
gave
get
in
a
special
name,
grandpa.
C
G
C
When
the
dakota
left
bloomington
in
1852
europeans
began
pouring
in
waves
of
french
settled
south
along
nine
mile
creek,
the
next
wave
of
immigrants
included
irish,
german
scandinavians
and
britons
soon.
Every
section
was
occupied.
Also
in
1852,
the
bloomington
ferry
began
operations
providing
a
much
needed
crossing
on
the
minnesota
river.
C
C
The
intersection
was
already
home
to
a
general
store,
the
grange
hall
and
not
far
away
the
mcafee
grist
mill
on
nine
mile
creek
upstream,
a
bridge
across
the
minnesota
river,
put
the
bloomington
ferry
out
of
business
by
the
end
of
the
19th
century.
Bloomington
boasted
1
000
residents,
but
it
was
still
a
farming
community
at
heart.
The
first
signs
that
this
would
change
were
just
around
the
corner.
C
E
B
C
C
The
town
even
boasted
air
transportation
landing
three
airports
at
various
times.
Better
transportation
was
one
reason.
One
room
schoolhouses
were
no
longer
needed
in
every
neighborhood.
In
1917,
five
rural
school
districts
were
consolidated.
A
year
later,
bus
transportation
came
on
the
scene
during
the
upcoming
period
of
change,
which
would
include
a
world
war
and
depression.
I
C
In
1941,
national
events
would
again
occupy
the
time
and
efforts
of
bloomington's
residents
after
the
community
lost
one
of
its
own.
At
the
bombing
of
pearl
harbor,
many
young
men
left
their
families
to
serve
in
world
war
ii
back
home
residents,
planted
victory,
gardens
and
organized
a
local
civilian
defense
council.
Others
crossed
the
minnesota
river
every
day
to
work
at
a
shipyard
in
savage
building
tankers
for
the
navy.
The
hulls
were
floated
down
the
minnesota
and
mississippi
rivers
to
new
orleans
where
they
were
outfitted
for
ocean-going
service
in
1945.
C
C
C
J
C
Services
sprung
up
to
accommodate
the
community
of
young
families.
16
schools
were
built
between
1953
and
1963.
industries,
such
as
thermo-king
moved
to
town.
The
first
parkland
was
acquired
and
interstates
494
and
35w
crossed
the
community.
A
youth
sports
organization
was
launched
after
50,
kids
showed
up
for
a
traveling
team,
tryout.
K
And
right
there,
and
then
we
had
to
break
it
down
to
15
kids,
that's
all
we
could
have
for
the
squad
itself
and,
as
I
made
the
cut,
I
could
see
various
those
we
had
to
cut
with
tears
in
her
eyes
they
had
to
leave
and
I
thought
to
myself.
This
is
what
I
want.
C
C
At
the
time,
homeowners
were
still
relying
on
private
wells
and
septic
tanks
for
water
and
sewage.
But
then
the
state
health
department
found
that
80
percent
of
these
private
wells
were
contaminated.
Within
four
months.
Citizen
groups
rallied
around
getting
a
public
water
and
sewer
program
underway.
C
In
1961,
the
burgeoning
village
of
bloomington
became
the
city
of
bloomington.
Voters
approved
the
home
rule
charter
on
its
third
attempt
in
march,
1961
looked
magazine
and
the
national
municipal
league
named
bloomington
an
all-american
city
for
1960..
This
honor
recognized
the
city's
installation
of
a
central
sewer
and
water
system
and
other
accomplishments.
C
L
C
Cows
may
have
been
grazing
in
the
streets,
but
sports
fans
flocked
to
this
venue
to
watch
professional
sports.
The
twins
shared
the
arena
with
the
minnesota
vikings
football
team,
the
state's
other
professional
sports
franchise,
the
north
star's
hockey
team
shown
bright
at
nearby
metropolitan
sports
center.
Bloomington
was
the
epicenter
for
professional
sports
in
minnesota.
C
In
the
1960s
bloomington's
population
continued
to
expand
growing
to
more
than
80
thousand
residents.
More
schools
were
constructed
to
meet
the
rapidly
expanding
student
population.
Bloomington's
business
community
also
experienced
growth.
Companies
such
as
turo
manufacturing,
donaldson
incorporated
and
john
deere
were
inside
the
city's
borders.
C
When
residents
wanted
to
shop,
they
did
it
at
ward,
south
town,
the
first
regional
shopping
center
to
serve
bloomington.
When
residents
wanted
to
play,
they
did
it.
In
the
city's
park
system,
the
city's
parks
and
recreation
division
began
to
acquire
significant
park
land
land
that
would
house
dejuan
golf
course
as
well
as
haig
park,
were
donated
by
generous
bloomington
residents.
C
M
C
C
C
When
opportunity
knocked
on
bloomington's
door
in
the
1980s,
the
city
answered,
however,
this
opportunity
came
shrouded
in
clouds
in
1981.
Both
the
twins
and
the
vikings
moved
to
the
huber
h,
humphrey
metrodome
in
minneapolis
bloomington's
professional
sports
home
field
advantage
was
over.
So
what
would
become
of
the
100
acre
site?
Here
was
a
silver
lining,
a
proposal
so
unique
that
many
found
it
difficult
to
grasp
the
concept
the
mall
of
america.
P
In
the
early
1980s,
the
port
authority
came
in
and
acquired
the
land
so
that
the
city
could
be
in
control
of
redevelopment
of
the
site.
A
request
for
proposals
was
issued.
The
proposal
from
triple
five
was
accepted
through
the
rest
of
the
eighties.
We
went
through
the
acrobatics
of
trying
to
turn
that
proposal
into
reality
and
it
actually
took
until
the
very
end
of
the
80s
1989
when
ground
was
broken
on
the
mall
of
america.
C
O
C
P
So
it
all
came
from
the
implosion
of
controlled
data
that
resulted
in
an
explosion
of
a
lot
of
successful
companies,
and
if
you
would
go
around
and
find
all
of
those
parts
of
control,
data
and
total
up
the
employment
and
the
economic
activity
in
them,
they
would
be
far
greater
than
the
employment
and
the
sales
of
the
old
control
data.
At
the
time
that
it
split
up.
C
C
C
Q
C
As
the
years
passed,
the
number
of
city
employees
increased,
an
expansion
was
added,
but
30
years
later,
the
two-story
brick
building
was
bursting
at
the
seams
and
it
was
clear
that
a
new
facility
was
needed
in
2003
the
new
44
000
square
foot,
bloomington
civic,
plaza
opened
for
business.
The
bloomington
center
for
the
arts,
part
of
the
new
facility
featured
a
377-seat
theater,
a
black
box
theater
two
art
galleries,
rehearsal
space
and
classrooms.
C
Another
location
bloomington
residents
could
enjoy.
The
performing
arts
was
the
normandale
lake
bandshell,
which
opened
in
2001..
More
than
20
performances
are
now
held
at
the
site.
Each
year
in
2002,
the
sam
h,
hobbs
water
treatment
plant
received
a
17
million
dollar
renovation.
The
overhaul
allowed
the
facility
to
double
its
water
production.
C
C
C
C
In
response
to
light
rail,
three
stations
were
constructed
in
bloomington
light
rail,
also
spurred
an
innovative
and
cutting-edge
project.
Mcguff
development's
50-acre,
600
million
dollar
bloomington
central
station,
the
transit-oriented
mixed-use
development
includes
reflections
condominiums
and
a
1.9
acre
park
is
part
of
its
first
phase.
Office.
Hotels
and
restaurants
are
planned
for
the
development's
next
phases.
S
What
we're
doing
at
bloomington
central
station
is
we're
starting
to
bring
more
residential
uses
into
airport
south.
Also,
additional
office
uses
more
employees
in
airport
south,
and
once
we
have
more
residents
living
there
more
employees
coming
there
during
the
day.
What
that
makes
possible
is
more
retail
and
restaurant
entertainment
options
so
we're
really
building
a
new
kind
of
community,
an
urban
community,
not
not
a
traditional
downtown,
but
a
new
urban
center
here
in
bloomington.
C
C
T
It's
great
for
the
community
when
you
start
thinking
about
the
community's
amenities,
its
assets,
its
parks,
its
residential
housing.
All
those
things
are
the
things
that
probably
the
residents
really
really
care
about.
The
commercial
is
important.
It
adds
stability
to
the
community,
but
it's
that
residential
element
that
I
think,
makes
it
important
for
everybody
that
we
look
into
the
future.