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From YouTube: Bloomington Today: March 2, 2011
Description
On this week's Bloomington Today, we're joined by a chocolatier to promote a "sweet" fundraiser, we'll also let you in on a cutting edge technology in snow removal used by Bloomington Public Works, as well as give details on a grant that could help you get a community garden up and running.
A
Welcome
to
Bloomington
today,
thanks
for
joining
us,
I'm
kailyn
real.
This
winter
snow
has
been
on
everyone's
mind
and
with
record
snowfalls
in
the
city
of
Bloomington,
totally
76.5
inches.
So
far
this
year,
cleanup
is
a
major
issue.
Public
Works
wants
residents
to
be
aware
of
a
crucial
change,
they've
made
in
the
last
few
years
that
has
improved
several
areas
of
snow
removal.
Take.
A
Concept
presented
at
a
public
works
conference
sparked
an
idea,
ultimately
helping
City
maintenance
crews
develop
a
more
efficient
way
to
clear
roads
after
a
winter
storm.
This
new
system
has
eliminated
the
use
of
sand
and
now
solely
relies
on
salt
and
other
chemicals
to
pretreat
roadways
before
a
snowfall,
but
why
the
change
sand.
C
Has
no
melting
properties,
all
it's
going
to
do
is
provide
just
limited
traction
at
the
time
until
it's
displaced
off
of
the
street
and
then
you're
right
in
the
spring.
All
it
is
involves
is
extra
clean
up
extra
sweeping
costs,
which
then
flows
into
our
storm
sewers,
which
have
to
be
clean
in
our
ponds,
which
have
to
be
cleaned
and
dredged
out
and
just
creates
extra
cost.
C
B
A
A
Sure
to
tune
in
to
next
week's
Bloomington
today,
well
we'll
be
on
scene,
as
crews
prepare
Bloomington
streets
for
the
next
winter
storm
using
pre-treating
anta
icy
system
talked
about
today
and
although
the
outdoor
rinks
around
the
city
are
seeing
their
last
days,
the
Bloomington
icegarden
is
in
full
swing.
Adding
new
skates
cool
sessions
and
gearing
up
for
a
show,
you
won't
want
to
miss
ballet
jumps.
One
foot,
spins
and
crossovers
are
all
things
you'll
see
as
skaters
lace
up
and
take
to
the
rinks
at
the
bloomington
icegarden.
A
D
A
Year's
ice
show
features
skaters
from
a
variety
of
skill
levels
from
toddlers
who
recently
got
into
skates
for
the
first
time
to
21
year
olds,
who
have
been
recognized
on
a
national
level.
One
thing:
Jay
linskey
points
out
between
the
city
group,
lessons
and
the
private
bloomington
skate
club
lessons,
there's
something
for
everyone.
We.
D
Have
everything
from
the
very
beginning
never
skated
before
whether
you're
three
years
old
or
you
know,
18
years
old
or
50
years
old?
We
have,
you,
know
very
beginners
in
all
different
ages
and
they
can
go
through
the
very
highest
levels
that
US
Figure
Skating
offers
through
our
program.
Bloomington.
A
D
The
kids
have
a
great
time
because
I
get
to
meet
kids
from
all
over
the
city
and
we
also
pulling
people
from
the
surrounding
communities.
We
have
a
actually
a
lot
of
people
that
come
in
from
different
communities,
so
it's
kind
of
nice
to
bring
in
different
people
into
bloomington
and
see
what
we
have
in
the
ice
garden
is
a
great
facility
are
really
lucky
here.
We
have
three
sheets
of
ice
and
some
run
perfectly
and
for.
A
Residents
who
aren't
necessarily
interested
in
figure
skating,
there
are
other
year
round
lessin
options
for
you
as
well.
Bloomington
ice
garden
offers
hockey
camps
and
skills
camps,
as
well
as
speed
skating
classes
for
more
information
on
what
the
ice
garden
has
to
offer
prices
and
show
schedules
visit
the
city's
website
and
Bloomington
Public
Health
divisions,
statewide
health
improvement
program
or
ship
is
giving
the
city
yet
another
incentive
to
begin
living
and
eating
healthier.
Public
health
will
provide
grants
for
new
and
extended
community
gardens
in
Bloomington,
Edina
and
richfield.
E
Nonprofits
businesses,
churches,
apartment
dwellings,
so
pretty
pretty
broad
on
who
could
qualify
and
if
you're
interested
in
starting
up
a
community
garden,
we
have
startup
funds
available
and
we
would
like
to
fund
up
to
seven
community
gardens
in
those
three
cities
and
it's
up
to
two
thousand
dollars.
So
that's
more
than
enough
funds
to
start
a
community
garden.
E
A
Ship
program
is
providing
the
garden
startup
grants
in
an
effort
to
improve
the
availability
of
fresh
fruits
and
vegetables
for
residents.
Eating
more
of
these
foods
is
proven
to
help
decrease
chronic
disease
risk
factors
as
well
as
counteract
obesity.
One
guideline
the
gardens
must
be
sustainable
for
up
to
three
years
or
more
in
the
application
which
is
available
online
right
now
on
the
city's
website.
G
A
A
H
A
H
The
yummiest
part,
of
course,
are
the
13
pastry
chefs
and
chocolatiers,
who
are
going
to
be
here,
offering
tastes
of
their
newest
creations
in
chocolate
and
well.
Actually
they
have
15
taste
because
two
of
them
are
bringing
both
what
we
call
a
confection
or
candy
truffle
type
of
thing
and
a
dessert.
So
the
chocolatiers
will
be
here.
There
will
be
performances
by
arts
organizations,
there's
a
big
silent
auction.
You
know
almost
200
items
and
we
have
a
grand
raffle
with
several
wonderful
things
on
the
raffle,
so
you'll
be
busy
all
afternoon.
Well,.
A
H
H
We
have
an
early
admission
from
noon
to
one
that's
thirty-five
dollars
and
part
of
that
early
admission,
especially
for
the
foodies
out
there,
Mary
Leonard
of
chocolate,
Celeste
who's
internationally
well-known,
is
going
to
be
giving
a
keynote
address
in
the
council
chambers
called
all
chocolate
is
not
equal.
Everything
you
want
to
know
about
chocolate.
Very
Leonard
is
going
to
give
us
information,
but
you
could
only
hear
that
if
you
buy
the
early
admission
ticket,
so
it's
35
for
the
whole
day
or
25
for
the
whole.
A
H
Bloomington
chorale,
which
is
a
50-member
classical
chorus,
and
they
do
concerts
here
at
the
center
and
they
do
more
difficult,
more
classical
choral
music,
such
as
the
requiems
and
the
masses,
and
all
of
that,
along
with
other
music
and
then
continental
ballet
company,
which
is
bloomington's
professional,
ballet
company
and
school.
And
it
benefits
their
programs
of
all
those
organizations.
And
then
it
also
helps
with
the
administration
of
the
Bloomington
Fine
Arts
Council,
because
we
have
some
expenses
to
absolutely.
A
H
H
You
have
still
have
staff,
you
have
to
pay
your
staff
and
so
there's
just
not
enough
money
out
there
coming
across
the
ticket
office,
the
box
office
to
pay
for
the
cost
of
putting
on
arts
programming
and
that's
why
more
arts
organizations
have
development
directors
that
go
out
and
do
grant
writing
and
fundraising
and
do
special
fundraising
events
such
as
this,
and
also
it
gives
them
a
lot
of
more
exposure
in
the
community.
Some
more
people
become
acquainted
with
those
arts
organizations
because
they've
come
to
this
event
and
seen
them
perform
absolutely.
A
H
First
and
foremost,
it's
the
chocolate
and
we
always
add
new
chocolatiers
every
year
and
we
have
old
favorites
coming
back
and
the
old
favorites
are
bringing
new
things,
so
you
know
chocolates
a
really
popular
thing,
and
so,
if
you-
and
it's
also
in
the
winter
afternoon,
it's
a
good
thing
to
do
in
a
Sunday
afternoon
in
March.
You
know
you
can't
even
watch
the
hockey
tournaments
because
they
don't
play
on
Sundays,
so
something
to
do
when
before
the
weather
gets
nice
and
the
grass
gets
green.
Oh
yes,.
H
What
is
the
chocolatier?
That's
the
name
we
give
to
anybody
who
participates
with
us,
so
it
could
be
a
pastry
chef.
It
could
work
at
a
restaurant,
they
could
work
at
a
bakery,
such
as
the
woman
that
you're
going
to
meet
today
later
on.
They
could
be
somebody
who
makes
truffles
and
sells
them
online.
We
have
some
people
who
don't
even
have
shops,
some
do
and
some
do
all
they're
selling
online
so
that
the
whole
chocolate
industry
is
changing.
H
A
H
That
chef,
you
bet
it's
the
only
competition
around
in
the
Midwest
upper
part
of
the
Midwest
for
chefs
and
we
have
three
prizes.
We
have
the
best
chocolate
dessert,
the
best
chocolate
confection,
that's
what
we
call
the
candy
type
things
and
then
there's
the
People's
Choice,
where
people
who
come
get
to
vote
on
which
chocolate
item
they
think
is
the
best,
and
so
the
chocolatiers
really
covet
that
award,
because
that
says
the
people
liked
it.
Now
you
have
the
best
chocolate
dessert.
H
We
have
three
professional
judges
who
come
from
the
culinary
programs:
Amy
Carter,
who
is
the
head
of
the
culinary
program
at
art,
institutes,
international
Minnesota,
larry
fisher
from
the
Saint
Paul
college.
Culinary
program
and
Sarah
rice
was
a
food
blogger
for
City
Pages
and
have
a
very
strict
criteria,
and
it's
all
a
blind.
H
Judging
they
don't
know
who's
submitted
what
and
so
it's
a
very
prestigious
honor
to
be
named
the
best
dessert
or
best
confection
and
all
they
get
out
of
it
as
a
trophy
and
the
glory
of
being
the
best,
and
we
give
them
a
nice
little
trophy
and
a
pat
on
the
back
and
say
thanks.
We
hope
you'll
come
back
next
year.
Wonderful.
I
A
J
A
J
A
J
Know
Jesus
sculptures
created
for
an
event
at
the
Minnesota
History
Center
in
October.
It
stayed
there
for
about
a
month
it.
You
know
it
starts.
First,
on
the
paper
you
come
out,
you
know
they
came
up
different
ideas
and
drawings
and
think
about
colors
and
shapes
and
defame
from
there
on
I
walked
on
and
off
between
things
that
work
for
about
a
week.
But
I
think,
if
I
had
to
condensate
amount
of
work,
would
pub
take
a
fold.
A
prop
eight
hours
of
work
did
you
do
so,
and.
J
It's
all
chocolate
here.
We
have
mostly
milk
chocolate
around
here
some
white
chocolate
on
the
flowers
and
in
the
fruit.
This
is
actually
the
cacao
fruit.
So
that's
what
the
chocolate
comes
from
and
we
have
an
open
fruit
year
with
the
seeds.
The
Granite's
is
also
chocolate.
Sugar
cane
they
tame.
The
theme
of
the
sculpture
is
tropical
that
that's
the
title,
so
I
want
to
represent
different
things
from
the
tropicals
and
that's
where
the
cacao
fruit
comes
from
absolutely.
A
You've,
you've
obviously
spent
a
great
deal
of
time
working,
something
like
this
to
get
it
to
the
point
that
it's
at
right
now.
Why
does
your
organization
choose
to
get
involved
with
something
like
this?
Is
it
the
the
pure
sense
of
competition,
and
you
know
or
kind
of
what's
the
reasoning
behind
that
I.
J
Think
people's
feedback-
you
know
it's
very
rewarding
to
inspire
people
I
like
to
think
that
way.
You
know
that
throughout
our
work
we
can
help
people
to
develop
the
taste,
buds
and-
and
you
know
think
about
different
flavor
combinations
and
educate
people.
Both
food
I,
don't
think
that's
about
the
most
important
part
of
of
the
taste
of
chocolate,
see
absolutely.
A
J
Know
it's
a
great
event.
It
really
is
13
pastry
chefs
everybody
put
a
lot
of
thought
into
everything
that
they
bring
now
they'll,
get
a
chance
to
taste
different,
flavor
combinations
of
chocolate.
It's
yummy
everything.
You
know
there
are
a
lot
of
things
going
on
all
day
long.
We
are
there
to
answer
questions
to
talk
to
people.
You
know
about
any
question
they
have
in
question
food-related,
you
know
so
if
they
make
some
rest
at
home,
something
doesn't
work
out.
You
know
bring
the
question
to
us
and
and
we're
there
to
help
wonderful.
A
K
K
A
You
welcome
back.
Everyone
will,
even
though
it's
not
quite
spring
yet
city
officials
want
to
remind
Bloomington
residents
that
it's
never
too
early
to
start
your
spring
cleaning.
The
annual
citywide
curbside
cleanup
is
right
around
the
corner,
and
that
means
it's
time
to
take
a
look
in
your
basement,
garage
or
yard
and
dispose
of
bulky
waste
that
wouldn't
typically
be
taken
by
your
weekly
garbage
pickup.
The
city
will
be
divided
into
five
collection
sections.
Each
area
will
have
a
specific
Saturday.
A
The
rubbish
will
be
hauled
away
on
saturday
april
9th
items
will
be
hauled
from
normandale
boulevard
to
the
western
boundary
of
Bloomington.
April
sixteenth
is
france
avenue
to
normandale
april
23rd.
It
will
be
penn
avenue
to
france,
avenue,
April
thirtieth
Portland
to
Penn
Avenue
and
finally,
on
May,
seventh,
the
eastern
boundary
to
portland
avenue
will
have
items
picked
up.
City
officials
ask
that
you
set
materials
out
on
the
curb
before
7am
on
your
pickup
day,
avoid
putting
items
out
any
earlier.
A
A
If
you
live
in
an
apartment
or
a
townhome
contact
your
management
to
see
if
they
pay
for
the
service
for
a
complete
list
of
items
accepted
in
the
citywide
curbside
cleanup
or
to
see
a
map
of
the
five
collection
sections,
we
encourage
you
to
visit
the
city's
website
at
wwc,
I,
bloomington
MN
us
well,
the
American
Public
Works
Association
is
honoring
one
of
Bloomington
Zone.
In
a
recent
City
Council
meeting
city
park,
keeper
Jim
Hoffman
was
presented,
the
award
for
2011
maintenance
worker
of
the
year.
A
He
joined
the
park
maintenance
section
of
Public
Works
nine
years
ago
and
after
being
promoted
in
2007
to
park.
Keeper
is
now
in
charge
of
the
youth
athletic
complex
and
overseeing
turf
maintenance
of
the
13
irrigated
fields.
Throughout
the
city
in
hoffman's
nomination
letter
he
was
called
quote
a
true
professional
and
the
best
of
the
best.
A
This
isn't
the
first
time
Bloomington
Public
Works
has
been
honored
with
the
maintenance
person
of
the
year
award
park,
maintenance
supervisor
Dave
Hanson
was
the
word
recipient
back
when
he
was
on
the
parks,
maintenance,
crews
way
to
go
public
works
thanks
for
keeping
Bloomington
parks.
Looking
great
well
with
the
new
year
comes
the
time
to
file
your
tax
returns.
The
Bloomington
Human
Services
Division
is
partnering
with
accountability
Minnesota
and
is
offering
a
free
tax
assistance
through
April
14th
to
residents
who
meet
income
guidelines.
A
It
is
offered
to
individuals
who
make
thirty
thousand
dollars
or
less
and
families
that
make
fifty
thousand
dollars
or
less
to
take
advantage
of
the
tax
preparation
services
visit,
Creekside
community
center,
located
at
9801,
penn
avenue,
south
tuesdays
and
thursdays
from
530
p.m.
29
30
and
on
saturdays
from
830am
to
130
p.m.
be
sure
to
visit
the
city's
website
for
more
details.
A
The
Bloomington
Police
Force
would
like
to
extend
a
big
thank
you
to
all
residents
and
city
employees
alike
for
all
contributions
made
to
help
fundraise
for
the
2011
polar
plunge
on
februari,
seventeenth,
members
of
the
Bloomington
Police
Force
took
the
plunge
into
prior
lake
of
the
six
law
enforcement
agencies
that
participated
in
that
particular
plunge.
Bloomington
was
the
top
fundraiser
there.
A
Will
continue
until
March
twelfth
be
sure
to
tune
in
to
Bloomington
today,
where
we'll
give
you
the
final
results
for
the
2011
Polar
Plunge
fundraising
campaign.
Again,
thank
you
to
everyone
who
contributed
to
this
great
cause.
Well,
that's
all
the
time
we
have
for
today,
if
you'd,
like
more
information
on
city
projects,
parks,
road
construction
and
events
visit
the
city's
website
that
is
so
much
more,
is
online
right
now
at
WWF,
EIT,
bloomington
MN
us
will
do
you
even
one
better
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up
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you
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