A Solid Example Of A Bridge To The Future For The Common Good

On August 1^st, 2007, I was having dinner in a restaurant next to the Highway 61 Bridge in Hastings, Minnesota with a retired businessman, his girlfriend, and a local lawyer and his wife.  Glancing up at the TV over the bar, we were witnesses to the news of the 35W Bridge collapse into the Mississippi River.  

As we left the restaurant we looked up at the underside of the Highway 61 Bridge since we had parked on the land side parking lot beneath it.  We noted the general condition of the structure and wondered if it too was a risky passage, 26 miles further downstream over the same body of water on which the 35W tragedy had occurred.

Within months the Minnesota DOT had come to the conclusion that the bridge was indeed  risky.  They began making immediate temporary repairs while planning for a new span.  The existing Hastings Bridge had been erected in 1951. Its planned replacement, scheduled for 2019, was accelerated to commence in 2010, based on the condition of the structure and the fact it is one of the busiest bridges in the state, handling enormous traffic as a major north/ south artery from the Twin Cities. 

BRIDGE AT HASTINGS IN 2007

“BRIDGING” FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL AND CONTRACTING INTERESTS  

Planners at the Minnesota DOT are to be applauded for the manner in which this project has proceeded and the people of the community, as well as their civic, government and industry leaders should be congratulated for the businesslike, cooperative and efficient manner in which this project has been conducted. 

Local community meetings solicited input from the citizens on the design. The options were carefully weighed in terms of environmental and aesthetic impact.  Hastings, Minnesota is an old river town with a preservationist ethic that spans generations. That fact was not ignored.  The Highway 61 corridor has remained open, eliminating a major detour for commuters.

The state ran a competitive bidding process.  The winning contractor joint venture was a team of reputable companies who planned to use state of the art pre-stressed concrete as a design to construct the longest such span on the North American Continent, costing millions below the state estimate for the job.

Heavy girders have been manufactured locally in Minnesota and transported from north of Minneapolis to the Hastings site with computer steered special transports involving minimal disruption.  The large, arch frame for the bridge was recently floated downstream from a staging area near Lock and Dam 2 on the Mississippi after having been assembled by skilled union iron workers. 

It was lifted in place on 24 September by the largest heavy lifting equipment company in the world, who traveled from Europe to support the project. 

The Coast Guard, Corps of Engineers, State DOT, Hastings Community and all related support organizations have worked in a cooperative manner to achieve a demanding schedule.  

OUR NEW HORIZON

 POLITICIANS

I have yet to hear a politician or agency official attempt to take credit for this project or pursue some form of attention-seeking advantage as a result of it.  In an election year, considering the nature of politics these days, that is a highly unusual occurrence. 

I am sure there will be events commemorating the project success, as there should be; but it is my hope those events will celebrate the true nature of the achievement. 

SUMMARY

It was a pleasure observing the Highway 61 bridge replacement over the Mississippi at Hastings. Its planning, execution and achievement have been exemplary to an old project manager who has witnessed difficulties with entrenched bureaucracies in industry and government for years.

This has been a shared, community, cooperative venture, worthy of note when considering models for the future of our country and the path it must take to overcome many challenges – political, economic and technological.

Certainly similar projects can be undertaken involving other infrastructure programs such as  education using the same form of cooperative, shared, professional action.

Let’s build bridges like this one in many other fields of endeavor!

A Resident Veteran Comments – St. Paul Pioneer Press Investigative Article On Minnesota Veterans Home Hastings

 The Minnesota Veterans Home in Hastings on Friday, Mar. 3, 2023. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

On March 5, 2023 and subsequent articles, the St. Paul Pioneer Press has covered the investigation ongoing into the Minnesota Veterans Home Hastings (MVH).

I was somewhat shocked at the article and its lack of understanding of the root causes behind the symptoms they perceive to be observing. Having lived at this facility for over a decade I believe I can offer them some enlightenment.

_________________________________________________________________

I am a 76 year old resident who has resided at the Hastings Veterans Home (MVH) for 16 years. I arrived after serving two combat tours in Vietnam and 36 years with defense companies building weapons being used by our country today. I was treated for PTSD and Depression at the VA Hospital in Minneapolis and referred to the MVH for continued care.

During my stay at MVH I have volunteered to small business and to veterans of all ages. I work today with veterans returning from the Middle East.

Ken Larson

I have met and admired the vast majority of administration and staff at MVH during my stay. They work under difficult conditions. Many citizens make the mistake of thinking the state veterans homes are a part of the larger Veterans Administration. State veterans homes are not part of the VA.

Budgets are always tight at the State level because the state budget must be balanced by law. State budgets are NOT like the federal government which is now approaching a $32 Trillion National Debt.

A state domiciliary is subject to state policy makers. They are also overseen by the Federal VA because the VA provides a great deal of the funding necessary for operations. State funding contributes a solid share as well, and residents like me contribute the bulk of our social security and/or disability payments to run the facility.

Contributing to the oversight function, are the federal and state health departments, OSHA, HIPPA and other regulatory functionaries. Therein lies a major cause of much of what you see in the way of management issues reported by the Pioneer Press, both today and below in 2010:

Pioneer Press March 2023

Pionieer Press November 2010

Management and staff fear their government regulators, and as human beings, they yield to that fear in the way they treat each other in setting policy and managing their staffs. As in so many other functions involving government in our country, bureaucracy reigns supreme.

I have not found the care wanting here at MVH. I admire the front line administration, maintenance, housekeeping and food services staffs, the social workers and nurses who have sacrificed a great deal before and during COVID and those who will continue to do so.

Management and staff turnover under difficult health care issues in this country is to be expected. In my view the real issues are above the level of the facilities like the MVH domicile facility and at the pinnacle where “‘Policy Wonks Meet Bureaucracy”. This dynamic duo then follows the money trail to Hastings, and metes out their regulatory functions at a facility that is over a hundred years old, operating under lean budgets and staffing.

That facility and the other one like it in Minneapolis just happens to be GOLDEN to many veterans who are struggling to move on.

I suggest our Senators and Congressional Representatives, consider simplifying practices and focus on the human elements that cause stress resulting from regulatory pressures on people that simply wish to do their jobs.

The Pioneer Press article reports on symptoms, not real causes. Simplify and clarify policy and regulation, focus on the care of the worker and service to the veteran with clear, non-threatening and effective practices.

Above all. be aware of what stacks of regulation and power brokers can do to lower level participants.

Remembering Veteran Bob Niederkorn - Father, Fisherman and Friend

PLEASE CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

William (Bob) Niederkorn died peacefully in his home at 96 years of age on 12 August 2013.

I first met Bob on the shore of Lake Rebecca near Hastings, Minnesota in 2006.   He was perched on a small stool catching sunfish, that I later learned he carefully cleaned on a glass-topped coffee table in his garage, then cooked for his lady friend Myra, who is pictured above with Bob.  Myra passed away a couple years ago. 

I fished with Bob for the next 5 years, until his health became too frail to make it to the lake he had frequented for well over 70 years. 

I learned Bob was a decorated combat veteran of WW II and the Korean War, who had been shot down twice over Europe flying B-17's. Bob and I often discussed our combat experiences, he in his era and I in mine.  He was a big help in my recovery from PTSD.

After his service abroad,  Bob returned to Hastings where he was a fixture at the Hastings Country Club, managing the facility for many years while also establishing a musical instrument retail store and a couple restaurants in the area.

I brought some Veteran friends who were golf enthusiasts by Bob's garage at his invitation, where he would wander down a line of equipment he had accumulated over the years, filling up a bag with clubs, balls and other tools for the links, then handing it to each vet as a gift, or for a pittance if the man felt he had to pay. 

Bob was a self-effacing man who liked a laugh and a good story;  he had many to tell, with his roles in business and social settings as well as foreign travel and wars.   I met several local, prominent people through Bob, which contributed to my feel for the community.  I admired his easy, friendly demeanor with everyone. 

Bob often asked me to accompany he and Myra to the local casino for dinner.  I noted he had the same look on his face when he was playing the slots as he did when he was fishing - always waiting for that big one. I met Bob's two adopted daughters, and many of his extended family in the area and in Canada.

Bob Niederkorn was a genuine, generous individual who served his country, his community and his friends from his heart. 

We will miss him at Lake Rebecca,

Rest in Peace, Bob,

Ken 

http://about.me/smalltofeds

Tony Rose Speaks

Interview on Channel 9 on Veteran's Day with Tony Rose, former resident at Hastings Veteran's Home.

HASTINGS GAZETTE UPDATE ARTICLE ON TONY ROSE

Battle between Rose and Vets Home continues

"Nearly six months after Hastings veteran Tony Rose received a $48,000 bill from the veterans’ home, he’s living on his own, but still fighting to see his money returned.

By: Katrina Styx, The Hastings Star-Gazette

Nearly six months after Hastings veteran Tony Rose received a $48,000 bill from the veterans’ home, he’s living on his own, but still fighting to see his money returned.

The home billed Rose retroactively when he received nearly $50,000 in social security back pay. He and Stella Mednik, an immigration lawyer in New York, had worked for two years to recover the social security pay.

On March 11, Rose sent a formal complaint to Charles Cox, the home’s administrator, regarding the handling of his social security pay as well as a number of other shortfalls in regard to his treatment and care at the home.

“Firstly I am writing this letter to you to ask you to reconsider keeping from me the sum of $47,957.96 that I have handed over to you under extreme duress,” the letter states.

After receiving his back pay, Rose deposited the money into his account with the home, since he had no other place to keep it at the time. The demand to pay roughly $48,000 in recalculated maintenance fees was accompanied by a threat of eviction, Rose said. The time table laid before him – just a few days – left him no time to contact Mednik.

“I paid ‘em,” he said. “I didn’t have anywhere else to go.”

“They basically coerced him, because they had no other way to get the money out,” Mednik said.

Rose moved out of the home in June, but he and Mednik are still fighting the home. Because Rose already paid the home, getting the money back won’t be easy.

“It makes it extraordinarily difficult,” Mednik said.

Rose did receive a reply from Cox, dated April 26. After presenting the series of events and charges applied, Cox writes, “Our calculations are current under Minnesota Rules, and as such, we do not believe that you are entitled to a refund.”

The letter also denied any knowledge that a staff member forced, enticed or coerced Rose to pay the fee.

The reply was one of few Rose has received from the home, and the lack of communication has been frustrating.

“(My lawyers have) given up talking to (staff at the home),” Rose said. “They’re just going to go to court.”

Mednik is working with local lawyer Harry Sieben to bring the case before a judge, but that process could take another two years, Mednik said.

“Like everything else, it’s a long, slow process,” Rose said.

In the meantime, he’s enjoying his new life outside the home. When asked what his life is like now, he replied, “No blood pressure, no depression… I’m independent. I’m paying my own way.”

He passes his time by biking through town, reading, working a couple days a week and volunteering.

“You’ve gotta balance your life. You gotta give back what you took,” he said.

He also bakes often, giving the food to Hastings Family Service, Dunn Bros. and others.

“I don’t eat it,” he said.

As far as his relationship with the veterans’ home goes, he’s glad to be out.

“I don’t even want to go near the place anymore,” he said.

As difficult as his experience with the home has been lately, he acknowledged that for some of the veterans who live there, it’s a valuable place, especially if they have to take a lot of medication.

“They’ve got to stay there, because they couldn’t afford it on the outside,” he said.

A spokesperson from the Veterans Home could not be reached for comment."

City, County and State Government Working Together in Hastings Minnesota For River Water Quality Preservation

THE VERMILLION RIVER AT HASTINGS

 (Click to Enlarge Photo)

Over the last two years I have been pleased to become acquainted with individuals in our local government agencies whose job it is to safeguard the quality of our Minnesota waterways.

From the Public Works Department in Hastings to the Dakota County and Vermilion Joint Powers Watershed Authorities to the Minnesota Environmental Protection Agency, all have performed professionally and effectively by empowering the citizenry, supporting vigilance, conducting effective water testing and ultimately taking enforcement action against a cleaning company who was dumping toxic residue into a storm sewer near the Vermillion River.

The Hastings Gazette and Pioneer Press, who have also done a stellar job in publicizing the issue, carried articles on this endeavor recently:

http://www.twincities.com/dakota/ci_14849642?nclick_check=1

"Rose Covered Glasses" has published many articles since 2006 that are critical of government (most frequently federal government agencies). We have noted the weight government places upon the tax payer and the direction in which they have taken the country in wars, interventions, financial oversight and national debt.

It has been a pleasure to find city, county and state officials concerned, responsible, accountable and energetic in dealing with apparent pollution of valuable waterways. These agencies supported one another, communicated well and worked efficiently to bring about a positive result to a two year investigation. That type of performance is literally unheard of at the federal level.

As a veteran who spent 36 years after Vietnam on federal government weapons systems programs and as a sportsman who values Minnesota waterways, I salute the following individuals and the organizations they represent:

Travis Thiel - Vermillion River Watershed Joint Powers Organization Dakota County Water Resources Department
Thomas M. Montgomery - Public Works Director, City of Hastings
Chelsea Domeier - Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

The above individuals and the agencies for which they work should be applauded for their teamwork, professionalism and interaction with the citizenry. Their organizations should also be models for the federal agencies in becoming lean, unburdened by politics, focused, communicative with each other and accountable for resolving pressing issues in the real world.

WATER QUALITY TEST RESULTS LAKE REBECCA, HASTINGS, MINNESOTA

PLEASE CLICK ON IMAGES OR DOWNLOAD TO ENLARGE

The below report was recently provided by Travis Thiel, Watershed Specialist Vermillion River Watershed Joint Powers Organization, Dakota County Water Resources Department.

Travis is responding to the test conducted on potential water pollution incidents reported at this site. We wish to thank Travis for his investigative and coordinative efforts over the last year on this matter.

Let us hope the wild life and fish pictured here will continue at the lake in health and abundance.

REPORT

"I have received all of the lab results on the sample you were concerned about. I didn’t include the raw data as I felt it would be better understood by everyone involved if I touched on the results versus sending raw lab results out that likely wouldn’t make much sense to most people without guidance and research.

Here’s what I’ve found: Upon my initial review, nitrogen values looked a bit higher than normal with the exception of Ammonia. These nitrate values are higher than what I’ve personally seen in other urban settings from storm water pipes I’ve monitored in the past. After consulting Travis Bistodeau, Water Resource Specialist at the Dakota SWCD, who has extensive experience with monitoring around the County, he indicated that the levels detected were similar to levels he has detected while sampling the Vermillion River near the Falls and other locations upstream in the watershed. This level of nitrate detected was not in exceedance of the drinking water standard. I would expect nitrogen values to be slightly higher as well considering the time of year and use of nitrogen on lawns and fields. The ammonia value detected appeared to be relatively normal. My guess is any elevated nitrogen levels are a reflection of warm season nitrogen application and current background nitrogen levels found in this area of the County.
Metals values detected were less than any toxicity levels stated in the MN ch. 7050 water quality standards.

MBAS (Methylene Blue Activated Substances) is a test for surfactants that the lab ran and helped me interpret the results since I’m not familiar with it. I was hoping this test would address any foaming that was present in the water. The text below indicates the lab’s opinion on what was detected. It appears that a situation like someone washing a car or cars may have contributed to this surfactant level as it does not appear to be a wastewater issue.

From Standard Methods:

"At current detergent and water usage levels the surfactant content of raw domestic wastewater is in the range of about 1 to 20 mg/L. Most domestic wastewater surfactants are dissolved in equilibrium with proportional amounts absorbed on particulates. Primary sludge concentrations range from 1 to 20 mg absorbed anionic surfactant per gram dry weight. In environmental waters the surfactant concentration generally is below 0.1 mg/L except in the vicinity of an outfall or other point source of entry."

Based upon this and the 0.1mg/L in waters, the 0.527 mg/L would seem to indicate a slightly elevated surfactant level. Plus, remember that the sample was already about a week+ old (hold time 48 hours) before it was analyzed.

I hope that provides some clarity about this potential discharge concern. We greatly appreciate having some "eyes and ears" within the watershed to help us potentially locate and fix problems that might exist on the upland areas that drains to our water resources. Please let us know if we can further assist you with this matter and also let us know if other potential concerns arise.

Regards,

Travis Thiel
Watershed Specialist
Vermillion River Watershed Joint Powers Organization
Dakota County Water Resources Department
14955 Galaxie Avenue, Apple Valley, MN 55124
Phone: 952-891-7546 Fax: 952-891-7588
travis.thiel@co.dakota.mn.us
http://www.co.dakota.mn.us"