Keewaydin park to be challenging for kids, as well as aesthetically pleasing

Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board architect Deborah Bartels presents
a bird’s eye view of the proposed playground and wading pool. After hearing
from residents in July that they wanted the playground design to be less
structured and more informal, Bartels worked on a redesign that would provide
those qualities. (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen)

Construction continues on Keewaydin School. A fence near the Rec Center
keeps people out of the construction site. Work will be complete in time for the
start of the 2013-14 school year. The wading pool and playground equipment
currently in place will remain there for about five years to give the park board
time to create a new playground on the southeast corner of their property.
(Photo by Tesha M. Christensen)

This draft of the Keewaydin Park Master Plan will be presented to the park
board during a public hearing on Nov. 7. The highlight of the plan is a
water element between the pre-K and K-12 play structures. It will include a
sandbox, pump, dry stream bed with boulders and various concrete walls
that will also serve as benches.

New master plan incorporates net structure and natural color palate

by Tesha M. Christensen

Keewaydin parents want a playground that is challenging and has a high play value. Next door neighbors want one with a calming view.

The Rec Plus Kids showed the parks department how to merge the two.

According to Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board Manager of Public Engagement and Citywide Planning Jennifer Ringold, when the Rec Plus Kids voted on what they want to see in a playground, the majority favored a nature play area over either the classic post and deck or one with all nets (20 to 4).

“We’re really thankful for the kids because I think they showed us the way in how to merge the concepts,” stated Ringold during a community meeting held on Sept. 25, 2012.

When the parks department requests playground manufacturers to submit proposals for Keewaydin Park, they will be told there is a preference for an Evos/net structure with a color palate that mimics nature and uses browns, greens and blues.

DETAILS AND COST

 The September meeting was the fourth one held this year to update the Keewaydin Park Master Plan. Driving the effort is the $16 million expansion of Keewaydin School that will eventually displace the existing playground and wading pool. While a section of the playground has already been removed, the majority of the equipment will remain for five more years in the existing location, which gives the Minneapolis Parks Department time to find funding to move the playground and pool from the west side of the parks building to the east side.

At the July meeting, residents expressed their support for the location on the east side of the parks building, but wanted the playground design to be more informal, noted Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board architect Deborah Bartels.

The revised plan has a smaller footprint, “but the play value is the same,” said Ringold.

It places the K-12 structure with swings closest to 31st Ave. on the south side. In between it and the pre-k structure is a water element shaded by a pergola. In this area will be a sandbox, pump, dry stream bed with boulders, and various concrete walls that will also serve as benches. Three spinners and six swings from the old playground will be reused. The new play equipment will cost $233,550.

The wading pool nearby will have a spray feature. There will be numerous benches around it, and park staff members are researching what the best sort of shade structure will be. The cost of the wading pool is $404,500.

Since the last meeting, park staff did learn that they do not need to include bathrooms in the pool equipment building. Instead, the bathrooms in the main park building will be remolded to be accessible from outside and to be ADA accessible. It will cost about $25,000 to renovate the existing rec center bathrooms.

The parks department will also spend about $41,000 to relocate utilities.

Five additional trees will be planted around the playground, and the existing trees will be preserved.

An ornamental fence will be installed around the perimeter of the playground and the pool as the city requires anything within 100 feet of a street to be fenced. The space near the fence will be left clear of vegetation so that the sight line into the area is clear. “We like to keep the view into parks pretty open to reduce vandalism,” stated Bartels.

The total cost of the project is $992,422. That doesn’t include the cost of renovating the playing fields, which will range from $170,000 to $275,000.

Construction will be phased so that the existing playground and wading pool remain in use until the new ones are ready. Keewaydin parent and school construction steering committee member Matt Lee pointed out the school changed its plans in order to accommodate the playground and pool.

Before anything is built, the city needs to identify funding for the project.

COMMUNITY COMMENTS

Neighborhood resident Cheryl Luger stated, “I love the pool and pergola. It looks very well designed.”

In response to a question from the audience, Ringold noted that the parks department conducted a parking analysis earlier this year. The conclusion was that there is adequate on-street parking to meet the needs of the playground, pool and athletic fields.

The primary entrance into the playground/pool area will be on the northwest side to encourage patrons to park away from the corner of 53rd St. and 31st Ave.

Park staff re-visted the rational behind removing two ball fields and creating two soccer fields in their place. Bartels explained that it is difficult to play soccer in the ag lime of a ball field. When local sports groups were surveyed, they stated that the need was for soccer fields, not ball fields.

WHAT IS THE NEXT STEP?

The draft of the master plan will be viewed by the park board at a public hearing on Wednesday, Nov. 7. Residents will be given one to three minutes to speak. Then the park board will consider approving it. Once approved, the parks department will begin to identify funding for the work.

Keewaydin park plan still work in progress

Not all community members support moving the playground and pool to the
southeast corner of Keewaydin Park, as shown in this draft of the master plan. Park staff are working to incorporate comments from community members made during a July 31 meeting, and will then bring the revised master plan back to the neighborhood. That meeting date has not yet been set.

Master plan to be revised following neighborhood meeting

by Tesha M. Christensen

The master plan for Keewaydin Park is still a work in progress.

The Minneapolis parks department began modifying it earlier this year to accommodate the doubling of Keewaydin school.

The most recent draft of the master plan shows the playground moving to the southeast corner of the park, but its not something all neighbors support.

During a community meeting on July 31, park staff revisited the reasons for why they have recommended moving the playground equipment to the southeast corner of the park rather than north or directly east of the park building.

A move into the existing athletic field area would not only result in a loss of field space, but the poor soil there would increase the cost of construction, noted Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board architect Deborah Bartels.

If the playground was moved to the wooded area east of the park building, the established trees and the shade they create would be lost.

Another concern expressed by community members has been whether there is enough parking. Following an analysis of the street parking, park staff believe there is plenty. “The parking analysis indicates that only 20% of the on-street parking capacity is being used, even at peak times of park usage,” said Bartels.

The intersection of 53rd St. and 31st Ave. was studied closely due to its proximity to the proposed relocated playground and wading pool. According to the staff report, “Even though this area was observed to be the most popular parking location during peak events, only 18.8% of the parking spaces were used.” Park staff do not foresee a dramatic increase in new park users from beyond the Keewaydin neighborhood because so many arrive at the park by foot.

“Furthermore, some playground amenities may be reused in the new location, which will ease concerns of new amenities adding to the park’s allure,” according to the staff report.

At the July 31 meeting, attendees viewed concepts from three playground manufacturers and indicated which elements they liked best. This information will be incorporated into the master plan.

“The meeting did not result in a consensus about the proposed plan, so we will be redesigning the layout of the proposed wading pool and playgrounds in the southeast corner of the park and will be hosting another meeting,” said Bartels. The date for this fourth meeting has yet to be set.

CONSTRUCTION IMPACT ON PARK

The wading pool and playground for ages 5-12 was open during the summer construction, and both will remain in place for the foreseeable future, according to Bartels. At some point, the school district may expand again in that area.

The preliminary estimate for the playground and utilities for the wading pool is $373,000, with an additional $588,000 for the wading pool.

The southwest ball diamond will be used for construction staging until the spring of 2014 and then restored. The estimated cost to restore and improve the athletic fields is $205,000.

The Pre-K playground, the swings, the spinners, and the basketball court have been removed to make way for the building expansion, noted Bartels.  When the site work for the expansion is complete, the service delivery area on the south side of the school building will provide hard surfacing for informal outdoor games and play.

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SIDEBAR

SCHOOL PROJECT ON SCHEDULE AND ON BUDGET

The first phase of the school construction project was completed in August.  Phase one included all of the infrastructure for the new building and removing some of the existing building.  Once that occurred, the second phase began. The building will continue taking shape through next year. Students will begin attending classes there for the 2013-14 school year.

“The project is on track and close to budget,” said Keewaydin’s new principal Martha Spriggs. She added that key stakeholders, including parents, park board, teachers, neighbors, and architects, will continue to be involved throughout the year. 

“Checking the Keewaydin website is a good way to stay informed about the status of the project,” said Spriggs. “We welcome input from all!”

Keewaydin welcomes new principal

Keewaydin's new principal Martha Spriggs is excited to be part of the $16 million construction project that will double the size of the school. "I'm looking forward to watching the the beautiful student-centered space come to completion," she said. Ground broke on the project in June 2012. It will be ready for new students at the start of the 2013-14 school year. (Photo by Stefanie Berres)

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Martha Spriggs is a lifelong South Minneapolis student, teacher and administrator

by Tesha M. Christensen

Lifelong South Minneapolis resident Martha Spriggs is Keewaydin’s new principal.

Spriggs takes over the reins from Jane Ellis, who is now the principal at Earle Brown IB Elementary School in Brooklyn Center.

“Lake Nokomis Community School is fortunate to have her, and I think the support of the community will help her be successful,” stated Area B Community Liaison Kristin Berg Thompson.

“Having taught 4th grade through middle school, I have a lot of experience and enthusiasm for teaching intermediate and middle level students,” stated Spriggs. “Adolescents have so much energy and excitement about learning and it’s wonderful to be around their spirit and to support these students in their growth and development.”

MINNEAPOLIS STUDENT, TEACHER AND ADMINISTRATOR

Spriggs is deeply connected to Minneapolis.  “I’m a proud graduate of Washburn High School -- go Millers!” she stated.

She currently lives in South Minneapolis with her two grown children, John and Mary. “My parents and all but one of my five siblings live in the same zip code,” she noted. “My oldest brother, Ross, lives in the Keewaydin neighborhood.”

Her free time is spent biking and walking around the lakes in Minneapolis. “Recently I’ve been on a kick to discover more about this beautiful city and my first stop was Lock and Dam #1,” Spriggs said. She sings in her church choir, and this summer started to learn the ukulele.

Spriggs earned a bachelor of arts in English at Augsburg College and, after working at American Express for 10 years, she enrolled at the University of Minnesota and earned her teaching license and a master’s degree in education.  In 2010, she completed her administrative license through the U of M.  “I was honored to be in the same co-hort with Beth Ness, my new colleague and principal of Wenonah,” Spriggs stated.

She began her teaching career in a fourth-grade classroom at Kenny in 2000, followed by a year as a 6-8th grade math teacher at Northeast Middle School. She returned to fourth grade in a classroom at Sheridan for the 2003-2004 school year, and then taught 6-7th grade math at Webster Open.

Spriggs spent the next seven years at Anderson serving both as teacher and administrator. As a middle school math teacher there, she participated on the Transition Team, which planned the restructuring of Andersen, two schools within one building (K-5 and K-8). Spriggs led the restructuring of the middle school. Among the changes made were aligning a group of teachers and support staff to each grade level; implementing standards-based grading and structured professional development for teacher teams; and creating single gender advisories. “This was a great change and really helped build relationships with students and teachers. Our achievement in reading and math improved following the restructure,” said Spriggs.

From 2007-2008, Spriggs was a mentor and coach for the Teacher Advancement Program (TAP). Not only did she coach and evaluate teachers using the TAP instructional rubric, but she coordinated mathematics staff development.

While teaching math at Andersen almost all of her students made significant growth in their mathematics achievement. “As a middle school math teacher this was critical because we know that difficulty with mathematics is often the reason for students to drop out in high school,” said Spriggs. “As I implemented standards based grading with my students and across all of the middle school, all student and families had a clear picture of what was expected of them and how they were progressing toward their learning goals.”

For her efforts, she was awarded the National Milken Educator Award in 2009.

For the past two years, Spriggs worked as the Assistant Principal at Anderson United Community School, leading the middle school team of 25 teachers and support staff.

“I enjoy working with teachers and delivering professional development to help refine teacher practice,” Spriggs observed.

Anderson and Keewaydin are similar schools in that both are experience an increase in the English Learner population. “As we grow, we will look at how we structure teacher teams to best support every student. I’m looking for ways to build a strong intermediate school that supports middle school and leads to high achieving successful high school students,” she said.

GOALS AS AN EDUCATOR

Her first official day at Keewaydin was Aug. 6, 2012. “It is always a little daunting to start a new job,” observed Spriggs. “At Keewaydin, however, everyone has been extremely welcoming, supportive, and helpful.  Many parents and community leaders have come to meet me and lend their support.  I am grateful to the school community and I’m honored to be a part of it.”

During the 2012-13 school year, Spriggs plans to learn from teachers, parents, and students, and find ways to use her expertise. “For this first year I will count on the excellent Keewaydin staff and community to show me the ‘Keewaydin’ way,” Spriggs remarked.

Her overall goal as an educator is to do whatever it takes to ensure every student is learning at high levels. “Minneapolis Public Schools  is dedicated to the idea that every school has a strong leader and every classroom has a great teacher – by doing this we can ensure that every student is high school ready when they leave Keewaydin,” Spriggs said.

She added, “Over the next five years I hope to build a school community that is an interesting and engaging place for adults and students to learn and grow together.”

Spriggs will oversee the rest of the Keewaydin $16 million building project that is doubling the size of the school. While most of the big decisions have already been made and phase one is complete, she will help determine things like colors, furniture and finishes. “Key stakeholders including parents, park board, teachers, neighbors, and architects will continue to be involved throughout the year,” Spriggs observed.

“It’s exciting to be a part of a large construction project that will make a real difference for the students and the community,” Spriggs said. “I’m looking forward to watching the beautiful student-centered space come to completion.”

She encourages community members to stay informed by checking the school’s web site at http://lakenokomis.mpls.k12.mn.us/facilities.html.

Attend Keewaydin School groundbreaking June 4

Pool, part of playground to remain where they are now

by Tesha M. Christensen

The community is invited to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Keewaydin School expansion on Monday, June 4, 2012 at 6:30 p.m.

With this $16 million addition, Keewaydin, the upper campus of Lake Nokomis Community School, will double its space.

The program will last about an hour. Following several speakers, Keewaydin and Weenonah students will present their time capsule project, and the seventh and eighth graders will unveil their legacy program.

POOL AND PART OF PLAYGROUND TO REMAIN

The addition will be placed to the south of the existing building, but it will not go as far south as it was initially presented in January. This means that the K-5 playground structure on the west side and the wading pool will remain in place for the foreseeable future.

Given the remaining 20-year lifespan of the pool and the $500,000 tab of replacing it, the steering committee worked hard to reduce the foot plan of the building in order to save it, said Doug Walter, who represented the Nokomis East Neighborhood Association (NENA) on the construction steering committee.

However, it is not yet known whether the pool can be used during the construction project this summer. The pool’s location is about 30 feet from the south edge of the new addition, and will be very close to the construction staging area, stated Walter. A six-to-eight-foot-high fence would need to be erected around it during construction, and to provide a pathway to the pool. Because of its close proximity to the construction area, the pool will need frequent cleaning. The cost to do this work is not yet known, but estimates range from $40,000 to $230,000 to save the pool.

“It is the district’s intent to enable the playground and pool to remain open during construction,” said MPS Capital Planning and Project Development Manager David Richards.

“This will likely be relatively easy with the playground, as it is closer to the street and probably less affected by adjacent construction activities,” Richards added. “A greater tolerance for uncertainty may be necessary regarding keeping the pool open, as Park Board staff will need to evaluate the cumulative effect of construction activities on pool ambiance, pool use, pool maintenance and other operational factors.”

The swings, tot lot and basketball court will be removed, but leaving the K-5 playground equipment and wading pool in place will give the park department time to obtain funds for moving the pool and playground to its own property on the east side of the school.

The parks department has been working with the community to create a new master plan for Keewaydin Park. Following public comment in March, the plan was modified. This updated plan will be presented to the public sometime in July, and then go to the Park Board for approval.

“Prior to school being out for the summer, we will also be conducting a parking capacity analysis to address concerns raised by a few residents about how the change in the park may impact parking in the neighborhood,” said Minneapolis Park Board Planner Jennifer Ringold.

Park staff also plan to solicit input prior to the larger community meeting regarding the types of playground equipment community members would like to see at the park.

One of the ballfields will likely serve as a staging area during the construction project. It will need to be rebuilt afterwards.

DETAILS ON NEW BUILDING

The 42,000-square-foot addition will contain eight new classrooms, a music room, two computer labs, lunch room, kitchen, media center and a full-size gymnasium with 100 seats, pointed out Keewaydin Principal Jane Ellis. The new auditorium will seat over 300 adults in tiered seats.

The entire project is on schedule, noted Ellis.

Bids on the foundation package were due May 31, and will be reviewed by the school board on June 12. Construction will begin 10 days later.

Instead of drilling 90 feet into the ground, the school district has decided to use a Geopier foundation system, according to MSP employee Donald Bielinski. Geopier is a ground improvement method using soil replacement technology to strengthen soft soil with stiff rock columns constructed by heavy equipment crowd and vertical impact ramming that prestrains and prestresses the soil.

The second bid phase will include the rest of the building. Those bids will be approved by the school board in late July/early August.

Richards believes this is a desirable time to solicit bids for a construction project because the construction market has been depressed for so long. “We’re hoping that will enhance competition and interest,” he said.

One of the exciting things about this new addition is that it will not only be great for students, but the community will be able to use it, as well, pointed out Walter. The auditorium, gym, and kitchenette can be accessed by the public from the south side of the building. While there is a community building at Keewaydin Park, it has only a multi-use space and not the full-size gym the addition will include.

At its final meeting in May, the Keewaydin steering committee discussed whether to widen the lobby area between the old and the new sections of the building by two feet in order to create a larger gathering space, noted Walter. In the current plan 18 feet is allocated for the lobby. The desire to widen it has been discussed since the school plan was first unveiled. However, because bids have already been solicited for the foundation part of the construction project, the group decided to leave things are they are, said Walter.

Members also considered whether to erect a motorized partition in the gymnasium now or later. Because the school currently has only one gym teacher, the group decided to hold off spending money on the folding partition now.

The committee also prioritized items it would like to add back onto the plan if bids come in favorably later this summer. Among the items on the list are display cases, signs, benches and floor materials.

“The original goals we started with were the goals we ended with,” Keewaydin Principal Jane Ellis said, adding that the steering committee was a cohesive group throughout the entire planning process.

“It’s been a pleasure to be part of such an amazing group of dedicated parents, MPS staff, and community members,” said steering committee member Jean Hutchinson Legler. “RSP was great to work with. Kudos also to NENA for their support. As a parent and community member, it is awesome to see MPS invest in Lake Nokomis Community School - Keewaydin Campus.”

Walter pointed out that with this project, Minneapolis Public Schools is investing in the first new facility in south Minneapolis in decades. When the project is complete next year, “This area will have one of the nicest middle schools anywhere in south Minneapolis,” said Walter.

The effort of staff and community members was recognized by NENA during its annual meeting in May. It presented the Best of Nokomis Award to Lake Nokomis parents and staff.

“It was very nice to have our parents and staff recognized,” said Ellis.

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Construction steering committee members:

• Tom Davidson, lead engineer,

• Sarah Dutton, Keewaydin Family Liaison, parent

• Jane Ellis, Keewaydin Campus Principal

• Stephen Flisk, Area B Superintendent

• Heather Hall, Keewaydin teacher

• Jean Hutchinson-Legler, parent

• George Jelatis, community member

• Jay Larson, parent

• Matt Lee, parent

• Lorna Wickham-Lewis, Wenonah teacher

• Elizabeth Ness, Wenonah Campus Principal

• Andrew Pritchard, Keewaydin teacher

• David Richards, MPS Facilities

• Jennifer Ringold, Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board

• Gina Rysdon, parent

• Doug Walter, Nokomis East Neighborhood Association

This story printed in the June 2012 edition of the Longfellow/Nokomis Messenger.

Keewaydin playground location set

New equipment and pool will go to the southeast of park building

by Tesha M. Christensen

Although the parks department doesn’t yet know when the playground will be replaced at Keewaydin Park, it does know where it will be located.

After a community meeting in March, the decision was made to position the playground and pool to the east of the park building, on land that once housed tennis courts.

The playground equipment will be displaced by the expansion of Keewaydin School. The groundbreaking on a $16 million addition that will double the size of Keewaydin School will be held in June; work is expected to be underway by the third week of June and continue for one year. At that time, part of the existing playground will be off limits.

“The K-12 play structure and wading pool will be open for use throughout and after construction,” noted Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Project Manager Deborah Bartels.  “The pre-K structure, the swings, and the Galaxy spinners will be removed to facilitate construction.”

Since a design of the school expansion was first released to the public in January, the school district has continued to modify the footprint. “There has been a concentrated effort to compact the building so there would be more play space to the southern end,” observed Doug Walters of the Nokomis East Neighborhood Association who serves on the school construction steering committee.

This not only lowers the construction cost of the school building, but also may allow the pool to remain where it is until the parks department is able to set aside funds for its replacement, he said.

In the first expansion design, the addition was located on top of the existing playground and pool. It will no longer extend that far south.

TWO CONCEPTS PRESENTED

At the March community park meeting, attendees evaluated two concept plans. Concept one included one ball field, two soccer fields, two tennis court, and a playground/pool area where on ball field is currently located on the southwest side of the park property.

While this would position the playground close to the school, some residents were concerned about policing as the area would be difficult to see from the street, noted Bartels.

This would place the playground and pool near the school loading dock and garbage area, as well as next to a large gymnasium wall without windows, pointed out Walters. Additionally, the soil in this area is peat, and in order to put a playground there better soil would need to be hauled in, upping the cost of the project. In the past, this area was a swamp and a dump. The school will need to drive pilings in 90 feet in order to construct its addition in the area.

A representative from the Minnehaha Falls Athletic Club (MFAC) told attendees that their biggest need is for ball fields for youth games. “There are no other baseball diamonds in our area,” said Walters. “They are all booked.” The diamonds at Bossen Field are heavily used by adult leagues that pay rental for the fields.

With that knowledge, participants favored concept two, which retains two under-12 ball fields and two soccer fields.

The other big difference between concept one and two was the inclusion of tennis courts in concept one. However, given that there are new courts at 15th Avenue and Minnehaha Parkway, as well as at Lake Hiawatha Park and Lake Nokomis Park, the tennis courts were given a lower priority, according to Walters.

The concept favored by attendees locates the playground and pool in the southeast corner of the park land, in an area that has been open space since the tennis courts were removed in 2007 because they were in poor condition.

However, community members thought that the playground/pool concept number two as presented was too “formal” and instead preferred the “ambiguous” and “organic” design of concept one, stated Walters.

Bartels is currently working to revise concept two. It will be presented to neighborhood residents at another community meeting; a date has not yet been set for this meeting. “The full extent of the improvements that will be presented in the plan will be determined at the next meeting,” stated Bartels. “We know that a wading pool and playgrounds will be included in the plan.”

The parks department hopes to present the revised plan for Keewaydin Park to the Parks and Recreation Board in May for approval.

COST AND TIMING

After the final design has been approved, the parks department will solicit cost estimates. Then it will begin looking for funding sources. Because the school project was approved last November, the parks department was not able to work these changes into its budget. A new wading pool/splash pad will cost about $500,000, and a new playground about $300,000. It could cost $200,000 to fix the drainage issues on the athletic fields. The parks department has budgeted $500,000 total to split between the service area of Morris, McRea, and Pearl in 2013.

Once funding is identified, the parks department will determine when the equipment will be installed. “There is a push to get the playground open by fall,” said Walters.

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Concept 1 – Central playground with SE tennis courts

PROS

• Playgrounds located closer to school for use by students.

• Parents can easily observe three play containers from a single vantage point.

•Wading pool is near rec center for bathrooms and supervision.

• Tennis courts fill void in geographic distribution in SE metro.

• Tennis courts provide recreational activity for a different age group.

CONS

• Loss of one additional ball field.

• No buffer between fields and playground – possible safety issues.

• Possible expensive and extensive soil corrections required for pool and playgrounds.

• Policing: centrally located playgrounds behind buildings are less visible from the street.

• Retaining walls needed – athletic field grades are three feet lower than rec center.

Concept 2 – SE playground with athletic field

PROS

• Playground buffered from athletic fields by trees and topography

• No fields lost – 2 ballfields and 2 soccer fields

• Policing: area is very visible from the street

• Soils are good; construction less expensive.

CONS

• Distance of playground from school

• Distance between Pre-K structure and K-12 structure will make parental observation more difficult.

•  Wading pool distance from building; supervision more difficult

• No tennis courts

• Close to street:  fencing needed at perimeter of playground to meet current playground safety standards.

This story printed in the April 2012 edition of the Longfellow/Nokomis Messenger.