•  An inclusive, forward-thinking community
•  Connected and engaged
•  Vision in Action - A thank you letter

Jerry Timian: St. Louis Park is an inclusive, forward-thinking community

It would be fair to say that longtime St. Louis Park resident Jerry Timian is a huge advocate for his hometown and an enthusiastic proponent of the Vision St. Louis Park initiative. A veteran member of the St. Louis Park School Board, Timian believes the city has truly become a community of choice for a number of reasons.

First of all, Timian views the current immigration boom in the U.S. as a positive trend that will benefit St. Louis Park greatly in the coming years.

"More people are being drawn to the inner suburbs for economic reasons," Timian said. "And St. Louis Park is a unique place that is set up to take advantage of its location. Light rail will open up transportation so people can access jobs in our neighboring cities and beyond."

Along these same lines, Timian notes that, unlike many other established towns where multi-generational families are at times unwilling to accept "outsiders," St. Louis Park embraces newcomers.

"After a few months, you're pulled into the community," he said.

He notes that the city is well positioned to incorporate these "new Americans" into its overall culture because of its long-standing reputation as an accepting, diverse place with a tradition of citizen involvement. Neighborhood groups dot the landscape, public meetings are well attended, and a high percentage of residents vote in local elections.

"St. Louis Park is very forward thinking," Timian explained. "People stay put in their homes and in their neighborhoods. And we have a very broad base of economics here."

"Diversity is also an important part of St. Louis Park," he said, noting the large Jewish community in the city, and the presence of various cultures living in harmony here. "We have a very inclusive approach to life here."

Asked his other favorite things about the community, Timian said he believes the city has become a leader in the Twin Cities with regard to housing, transportation, recreation, information and technology.

Children are also a key focus, not only in schools, but in other aspects of life in St. Louis Park, due greatly to the Children First initiative and weight placed on the value of developing assets for youth.

"Kids have a sense that they are members of the community here," he said. "This is a city that recycles itself, and they are the future leaders."

The excellent reputation of the St. Louis Park School District is yet another "plus" when attracting residents and businesses to the city. The concept of having a "community of lifelong learners" is strong in all sectors of the city.

"We're not going to allow an education gap in St. Louis Park," Timian said. "We're pushing kids to take higher courses."

"We have a lot of great ingredients here, and we've supported them as a community" Timian said. "This sets us apart. We know how to bake a futuristic meal and move toward a goal of being a good 21st century city."

To put all of this in historical context, more than 230 years ago, when the nation's leaders sketched out thoughts about their new country, they spoke about "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

Timian believes St. Louis Park's sense of community and its commitment to building a positive future for its residents helps everyone have a better shot at achieving this happiness for themselves.

Connected and engaged

St. Louis Park is committed to being a connected and engaged community.

This strategic direction contains several focus areas:
- Conducting research to determine what makes a neighborhood organization strong, viable and sustainable with an aim toward increasing and strengthening neighborhoods.

- Developing an expanded and organized network of sidewalks and trails.

- Promoting regional transportation issues and related dedicated funding sources affecting St. Louis Park including, but not limited to, Highway 100 and the Southwest Light Rail Transit proposal.

- Evaluating and investigating additional north/south transportation options for the community.

- Exploring creation of a multi-use civic center, including indoor (winter) use.

- Directing the Human Rights Commission to examine the Diversity section of Vision St. Louis Park and develop goals and recommendations for actions.

Vision in Action - A thank you letter

The following story exemplifies how the St. Louis Park vision of being a connected and engaged community comes to life every day in our city. The letter was written to Fire Battalion Chief Mark Windschitl from an individual who was involved in a car accident recently in St. Louis Park.

“I want to send my sincere gratitude to you and to all the City of St. Louis Park personnel who came to my rescue. . . . As you may recall, I was involved in a car accident on Park Center Blvd. awaiting entrance to Highway 100. I received nothing but immediate caring and professional attention from the St. Louis Park Police Department, Fire Department and Paramedics.

As everyone there knows, I was delivering the noon meals from two churches in southwest Minneapolis to 25 Habitat for Humanity workers at a North Minneapolis site. I was so concerned that the hungry workers were awaiting the food and I had no way to contact them. Mark, you were my angel and theirs. With limited directions from me (as I was somewhat stunned, yet determined), you got all the food out of my smashed trunk and “totally” damaged car, found the Habitat housing site and fulfilled my major concern.

I have nothing but outstanding comments to say about your outreach. You renewed my faith in humanity. It was a wonderful happy ending to an unpleasant car accident. Kudos to the City of St. Louis Park and you, Mark.”

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