Eden Prairie City Council election
Supports Aho
I am supporting Brad Aho in his re-election to the Eden Prairie City Council in this upcoming election. As Eden Prairie’s representative on the Southwest Transitway Policy Advisory Committee, Brad Aho has been lobbying for Light Rail Transit Alignment 3A, which runs from downtown through Opus in Minnetonka, a stop at City West in Eden Prairie, through the Golden Triangle and past Eden Prairie Center and to the SouthWest station and west by Highway 5 where it terminates.
I feel that this is a preferred route rather than using the Hennepin County Rail Authority property which is the old railroad bed that is currently being used as a bike/walking trail through Eden Prairie. Brad’s support of LRT through alignment Alternative 3A would help stimulate and revitalize the Golden Triangle area and provide new transportation for all Eden Prairie residents while preserving a beautiful bike/hiking trail that is heavily used and also a benefit to our community.
Gretchen Docter
Eden Prairie

Supports Case
Sending our kids back to school this week reminds us of what a great community we live in and the need for strong city leadership to keep Eden Prairie vibrant.
We have had the pleasure of seeing what Ron Case has done for this town in the past. We have personally witnessed his strong leadership skills and willingness to tackle tough issues with good judgment. He strives for excellence.
Ron will make an excellent addition to our City Council. He cares deeply about doing the right thing and we need his experience now more than ever.
Ron believes in preserving the quality of life we take for granted.
For more information about Ron and what he will do for Eden Prairie, please visit www.RonCase.org.
Vote for Ron Case for City Council in November!
Tom and Ginger Venable
Eden Prairie

Supports
Meyerhofer
I am writing in support of Jeff Meyerhofer for City Council.
I understand the people we elect to the City Council will have significant impact on the direction of this community, our schools, the safety and protection of our neighborhoods, and the financial impact of governmental costs and taxes assed on us over the next four years and beyond.
Our community needs new leadership and it’s time for our City Council to define sound fiscal decision making. With the redevelopment of our city and the overall focus on the creation of a downtown, it is critical to both draw new companies to Eden Prairie and keep those that are already here. It will be important for the City Council to create a strong fiscal position for the community to pursue these initiatives. We can’t assume the direction of our community will change if we elect the same individuals over and over. Now is the time to drive for change.
As an individual with a young family, Meyerhofer has a long-term vantage point for our community. He will spotlight the need to maintain the quality of our schools, neighborhoods, park systems, public spaces, while actually listening to our concerns and maintaining our rich history.
Meyerhofer’s educational background and business experience arm him with the ability to fully assess and analyze our spending decisions to reduce the tax burden on the residents and businesses of Eden Prairie. He understands the ability to be environmentally friendly, yet reduce the long-term cost impact to the city at the same time.
I believe that Jeff Meyerhofer will be the best choice for City Council to maintain the great place in which we live and position Eden Prairie to thrive and grow well into the future. I plan to vote for Jeff in November and hope that you will to.
Richard Niemi
Eden Prairie

Questions Case
There’s something to be said for change on the Eden Prairie City Council. Frankly, Council Members tend to serve too long. Two terms is long enough. After that, give someone else a chance.
I’m especially amused by the efforts of Ron Case to have the people “bring him back.” I’m not convinced that it would be a good idea to bring Mr. Case back. In fact, other than taking some shots at the council I’m not even sure what his campaign is about. I found Mr. Case’s commentary on the airport extremely confusing – he took credit for having negotiated the airport agreement but at the time seemed to complain that the current council was living by that very agreement. His letter about the barn on Pioneer Trail was even worse – he tarred the council for having condemned the property, but apparently got his facts wrong as the newspaper issued a correction the following week.
Mr. Case’s Web site is more of the same. He complains about the council having built a “million dollar” baseball stadium which will get “limited use,” but doesn’t mention the fact that he actually voted for that very baseball stadium when he was on the council. Let me guess – he was for it before he was against it. The same is true on his criticism that the council should have done more to have lowered the cost of the Community Center. Mr. Case, you had the chance to lower the final cost of the Community Center while you were a council member – what did you do?
Turnover on the council is good. But, as far as I can tell the only person who is offering a truly new perspective this year is Jeff Meyerhofer. I think I’ll spend some time learning more about him.
Marie Goergen
Eden Prairie

District 42A Legislature election
Supports
Maria Ruud
Now that our children have gone back to school and the State Fair is over, this is the time of year when Minnesotans start really paying attention to politics.
So it’s the perfect time for me to remind the citizens of northern Eden Prairie and southern Minnetonka how fortunate we are to have Rep. Maria Ruud serving us at the State Capitol, and I urge you to vote for her in both the DFL Primary on Sept. 9 and in the General Election on Nov. 4.
Maria Ruud is an honest, hard-working public servant who balances being a wife, mother to two teenage sons, caretaker for her own elderly mother and having a career (two careers, actually). In addition to being our state representative, Maria Ruud is also a trusted nurse practitioner who positively affects the lives of more than 1,000 patients each year.
When Maria Ruud was first elected to the State House of Representatives in 2004, she promised to find common ground. She has delivered on that promise by being a moderate, common-sense voice who has consistently represented her district and not just her party.
Maria Ruud listens to and responds to her constituents. She has knocked on thousands of doors in her district and regularly surveys her constituents for their opinions. Maria has held an unprecedented series of community forums, attends countless school and community events, and meets regularly with local school officials, government officials and faith community leaders.
During her two terms in office, Maria Ruud has helped cut taxes on middle-income earners, voted for increased funding for education, supported the rebuilding of our state’s transportation infrastructure and been a leader in protecting our environment.
With her sterling record, no wonder the Minneapolis StarTribune said this when they endorsed Maria Ruud in 2006: “Every district should be lucky enough to have the conscientious principled representation that Minnetonka and Eden Prairie are getting from Rep. Maria Ruud.”
I am proud to have Maria Ruud represent me and my family, and I look forward to voting for her re-election in both DFL Primary on Sept. 9 and the General Election on Nov. 4.
Reade Bailey
Eden Prairie

District 42B Legislature election
Supports Jenifer Loon
Most people do not have unlimited resources – and so they prioritize their needs and wants, according to how much money they earn and have to spend. Over the past four years, Minnesota’s state budget has grown by 20 percent – spending that has far outpaced the rate of inflation. I’m not aware of many families whose take-home pay has increased by 20 percent over that same period. We need elected officials who really understand the concerns of working families struggling to make ends meet; trying to save for their retirement, put money away for their children’s college education, and help care for aging parents.
Jenifer Loon is the candidate who understands this struggle!
Jenifer knows that job-killing tax increases will add fuel to the fire of our state’s unemployment problem – one that is worse than the nation as a whole and affects me personally. With food and energy prices at all time highs, the government should not add to our economic burden. We need leaders at the State Capitol who are committed to a model of government spending that prioritizes needs while living within our means, just like Eden Prairie families have to do every day.
In the race for State Representative, Jenifer Loon is the candidate who represents fiscal sanity and a responsible approach to governing. Our economic future depends on such an approach. As a person who is currently unemployed, Jenifer Loon has earned my support, and deserves yours as well.
Donna Azarian
Eden Prairie

Flying Cloud Airport
Complaints
cost us money
My husband and I have been involved in aviation for many years as pilots and airplane owners. My husband has worked as an aircraft technician at Flying Cloud Airport since we moved to Eden Prairie eleven years ago. During that time we have read many articles and editorials in the paper, talked with some former elected officials, and had many discussions with other Eden Prairie residents on various airport issues. The amount of misinformation is amazing.
It is unfortunate that a very small but vocal minority have been allowed to continue to get media attention on airport issues when they fail to use accurate facts and exhibit very little common sense. (I have never been able to understand why someone opposed to airplanes and normal airport operations would buy a house near an airport.) I don’t believe that they reflect the views of the majority of Eden Prairie residents on the topics of expansion and noise. I must admit that I have been a member of that silent majority, not wanting to become publicly involved in the issue. That is until this past week.
We purchased a Cessna 150 last spring and have been using it in our family for flight training. Two days after a required night training session we received a letter in the mail informing us that we had violated the voluntary noise abatement agreement between the Metropolitan Airport Commission (MAC) and the city of Eden Prairie by landing the airplane at 10:11 p.m. To put this into perspective, a Cessna 150 is a small two-seat airplane incapable of making as much noise as a large truck or a Harley Davidson motorcycle, even at full power. In spite of this, MAC received a complaint about the noise and was required to conduct an investigation.
The airport does not close at 10 p.m., as some residents seem to think. The voluntary agreement does allow for night training, medical flights and does not prohibit other flights. It is an agreement aimed at reducing unnecessary airport activity between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.
It is well documented in the airport community the nine Eden Prairie residents are responsible for an average of 30 noise complaints to MAC per day. Each complaint must be investigated, costing taxpayers money. Flying Cloud Airport, established in 1945, is an asset to the community by providing jobs and attracting businesses to our city. Why should the rest of us have to pay for the short sightedness of a few individuals who did not do their homework before buying property near an airport?
Nancy Gallman
Eden Prairie