Orono Mayor Recaps 2012, Looks Ahead to 2013

Mayor Lili McMillan discusses city finances, a police merger, road projects, cable franchise agreement and more.

by Orono Mayor Lili McMillan I would like to ask for a few minutes of your time to recap the City of Orono's 2012 highlights and to identify our priorities for 2013. The city council and our staff continue to implement proper fiscal management policies for these difficult economic conditions. Both 2012 and 2013 budgets were constructed around a zero levy. Preliminary 2012 results are coming within budget forecasts. We reduced city engineering expenses significantly in 2012 by re-instating the public works/city engineer position and hiring our consultant engineer through a competitive bidding process. City staff worked diligently to seek and secure grants on behalf of the city. As a result, Orono obtained grants of $10,000 for Crystal Bay …

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Orono Resident Receives Prestigious Promotion

Kathi Tunheim named Endowed Chair in Management and Leadership at Gustavus Adolphus.

Orono resident Dr. Kathi Tunheim, Assistant Professor of Economics and Management at Gustavus Adolphus College, has been named the inaugural holder of the Board of Trustees Endowed Chair in Management and Leadership in the Department of Economics and Management at the College. The position was created when six members of the Board of Trustees anonymously pledged $5 million for two endowed faculty positions in September 2010. “Dr. Tunheim is a tremendous asset to Gustavus," President Jack R. Ohle said. "Her work both inside and outside the classroom with students has proven to be incredibly valuable."  Dr. Tunheim holds a bachelor’s degree in speech communication and Spanish from Concordia College, a master’s degree in communication from …

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Lake Minnetonka Receives $16k in Youth Sports Grants from Hennepin County

Grants were awarded for equipment purchases in Deephaven and Orono.

The Hennepin County Board of Commissioners has approved the spring round of 2012 Youth Sports equipment and small capital asset grants—including $16,000 for a pair of purchases in the Lake Minnetonka area. The Lake Minnetonka Sailing School in Deephaven has been awarded $6,000 to purchase new boat motors, and Crystal Bay Park in Orono has received $10,000 for the purchase of new playground equipment.  Since 2009, more than $9 million has been distributed to 54 facility grants and 40 equipment grants. Facility grants are awarded once each year, and equipment and small asset grants are awarded twice per year. A total of $144,400 will be distributed for 24 equipment and small asset grants this spring.      Equipment grants are based on the …

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Time Capsule

The Evolution of Big Island on Lake Minnetonka

Once home to an amusement park and a private veteran’s camp, Big Island now has a public nature park.

In the early 1880s, the Dakota inhabited Big Island on Lake Minnetonka. The 273-acre island was discovered by settlers in 1852. Judge Bradley B. Meeker, the namesake of Meeker County, squatted on Big Island in 1852. In 1856, brothers W.B. and John Morse purchased Big Island. They platted the area known as Morse Island Park in 1887, and many people built cottages on the small lots. Olaf A. Searle built a 20-room colonial-style home on a 125-acre lot in the early 1880s. His home had gas lights and steam heat. The cost of building the home is rumored to have been $250,000. Big Island has had many names over the years, including Meeker Island and Morse Island. The names corresponded to the owners of the island at the time. The name Big Island …

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