Anoka's Trail System

Anoka's Trail System

Stephanie Rouse

Last weekend I went up to the family cabin to help my dad open it up as we do every spring. Knowing Saturday was going to be filled with raking leaves and moving the dock and boatlift, I decided to bump up my long run to Friday after work. Since I was already in Anoka, I took the opportunity to explore some of the trails and parks that I have only seen on maps. My original intent was to make it up to the Anoka Nature Preserve, a large swathe of land held in a natural state. Unfortunately, a few wrong turns in the southwestern neighborhoods kept me just short of reaching it.

Fixing Water Problems One Yard at a Time

Fixing Water Problems One Yard at a Time

Stephanie Rouse
Environmental, Water

If you asked me a year ago what a rain garden was I would not have been able to explain it correctly. I believed one of the many misconceptions, that rain gardens are filled with water. A properly designed rain garden infiltrates the water into the ground within 24 hours. That is their primary purpose, absorb water. The majority of the time, the rain garden is bone dry. They do not breed mosquitoes, again because water does not pool long enough to hatch their eggs. They are low maintenance if you take the time in the spring and fall to tend to them. All these myths keep homeowners from solving their water problems with an aesthetic and effective system.

The Incremental Developer

The Incremental Developer

Stephanie Rouse
Historic Preservation, Housing, Policy

I recently read an article by Robert Steuteville titled "Great Idea:Incremental Developers". The incremental developer is someone who creates meaningful change in their own communities through small scale building projects. When I thought about this for a moment, I realized I was an incremental developer when I lived in Lubbock, Texas. My husband and I purchased a rundown old bungalow, spent months renovating it through window restoration, refinishing the hardwood floors, installing dry wall on the ceilings, new central heating and air, painting, and exposing the original brick fireplace.

The Resurgence of Trains

The Resurgence of Trains

Stephanie Rouse

Today has been an interesting weather day. I watched the forecast go from rain all day, to a brief respite in the morning, to sitting on my deck in the sunshine writing this post. Not knowing we would luck out with this beautiful weather, I spent the first 9 miles of my 18 mile run on the treadmill reading a planning magazine. Most people might dread the thought of 9 miles on a treadmill (I listened to a podcast where an inmate ran a marathon on a treadmill to emulate the Boston Marathon, now that's dreadful), but I was distracted by the transportation articles which fueled today's post.

Heading Out West on I-80

Heading Out West on I-80

Stephanie Rouse
Transportation, Travel

From my last post you saw I went home last weekend to visit family. My husband and I make the six hour drive five to six times a year and have the route memorized down to which towns we stop in. We were able to leave by 10 am, after Minneapolis morning rush hours and before Omaha's evening rush hours. I say hours because it is no longer one annoying hour but about three. Leaving during these times can add almost forty-five minutes to our already long drive.

Opening the Flood Gates

Opening the Flood Gates

Stephanie Rouse
Environmental, Water, History

A recent Watershed Management Plan developed by the Lower Rum River Watershed Management Organization (formed in September 1995 by Anoka, Andover, Ramsey, and Coon Rapids) prompted the City of Anoka to recall its beginnings and the history of the dam sitting in view of City Hall.

Boom Island or Bust

Boom Island or Bust

Stephanie Rouse
Parks, Neighborhoods

This week's training plan outlined my first sixteen mile long run which meant I could take the girls for their run to Silver Lake Beach and have enough training miles left to make it to the southern portion of the Mississippi River. Most people might look at a sixteen mile run and think its crazy, but I saw the opportunity. It has been a long winter and I was ready for a nice long run on a beautiful Saturday spring morning.

Life as a Water Steward in Training

Stephanie Rouse
Environmental, Water

For the past six months I have been attending Tuesday night classes to learn about water. Organized by the Freshwater Society, the coursework is designed to equip each new wave of students with the tools and skills necessary to create positive change in their neighborhoods. We began with the basics, starting with the water cycle, moving into more advanced ideas of hydrology and the treatment train. All the learning and exploring physical installations will culminate in a final capstone project at the end of the summer at which point I can officially call myself a Master Water Steward.

If You Plan It They Will Come

If You Plan It They Will Come

Stephanie Rouse
Architecture, Historic Preservation, History, Business and Economics

Minneapolis, like many other urban cities with a long history, has numerous commercial hubs scattered throughout residential districts. These hubs are the remnants of the original city function providing neighborhood grocery stores and retail businesses within walking distances of a sizable population of households. Most of these areas were located along the street car lines and often times hosted a small movie theater to provide local entertainment.

Equity in Planning

Equity in Planning

Stephanie Rouse
, Policy

I spent yesterday morning on the 16th floor of the U.S. Bank Building in downtown Saint Paul among a crowd of mostly government planners like myself. We were all there with the hopes to discover the secret to how we can better integrate equity into our comprehensive plans. While hopeful it would be handed to us in the four hour session, we all knew this was just the beginning and that it would take time and hard work to get it right.

Heights Theater: screening of Rear Window

Heights Theater: screening of Rear Window

Stephanie Rouse
Design, Neighborhoods, Policy

One of the gems of Columbia Heights is the 1926 Heights Theater, the longest continuously running theater in the Twin Cities metro (as stated during last weeks screening of Rear Window). The theater was designed as a neighborhood movie house for local talent during the explosion of neighborhood theater construction. After many years of unsympathetic alterations, it was purchased in November 1998 by Tom Letness and Dave Holmgren and restored to its former glory.

14 Miles: General Mills, Trains, Public Works, and the Mighty Mississippi

14 Miles: General Mills, Trains, Public Works, and the Mighty Mississippi

Stephanie Rouse
Design, Neighborhoods

My training schedule for the June Grandma's Marathon has me out on long runs every Saturday, giving me plenty of time to think and analyze my surroundings. I used to rely solely on headphones to help get me through the miles, but for safety reasons stopped using them when I ran with my dogs. Now I have dropped them altogether whether I am running with my dogs or not because I can connect with my surroundings better.

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