After the Anti-Coldwater legislation died in the first round in committee, the Saturday Feb 23rd edition of the Start Tribune quoted Tom Workman, a State Representative from Chanhassen as saying;

"That intersection is a perfect monument to what I think is radical environmentalism gone crazy," Workman said Friday. He said he was assured by sponsors of last year's legislation that it wouldn't affect roadwork.

MnDOT has repeated a pledge of no impact to Coldwater Springs ever since their Location and Design Study in March 1981. This pledge has been repeated quite literally thousands of times over to decision makers, judges, the media, and everyone else who was interested, that Highway 55 would pose no danger whatsoever to Camp Coldwater Springs. This position was critical for MnDOT to withstand the many challenges to it's road design.

Now after all the meetings, the project has received support from neighborhood groups to the U.S. Congress. Specific supporters include: city of Minneapolis; Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board; Hennepin County; Metropolitan Council; Minnesota Legislature; MnDOT; local, state and federal elected officials; and the Hiawatha Avenue Citizen Task Force. The U.S. Congress has approved federal funding for roadway construction and LRT.

According to Tom Workman's quote, one can only conclude that all of the above groups and everyone elso who has supported Coldwater, are "radical environmentalists gone crazy".

Further he says he was assured that the law would not affect roadwork. Well if MnDOT would live up to their commitment, it wont. Who is at fault here? certainly not Workman, he didn't even vote for the bill, and obviously cares nothing for a community who has just sacrificed a major stretch of land for a new roadway, and is only claiming a small fraction for preservation, Camp Coldwater Springs.

Call up the your representatives and tell them so! Be sure and thank them for their excellent work in defending the Coldwater area to date too!

SENATE CONTACT INFO -
http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/members/directory2002.htm
HOUSE CONTACT INFO -
http://ww3.house.leg.state.mn.us/members/housemembers.asp

Minneapolis City Council Contact info
Ward 1 Paul Ostrow (612) 673-2201
paul.ostrow@ci.minneapolis.mn.us

Ward 2 Paul Zerby (612) 673-2202
paul.zerby@ci.minneapolis.mn.us

Ward 3 Joe Biernat (612) 673-2203
joe.biernat@ci.minneapolis.mn.us

Ward 4 Barbara Johnson (612) 673-2204
barbara.johnson@ci.minneapolis.mn.us

Ward 5 Natalie Johnson Lee (612) 673-2205
natalie.johnsonlee@ci.minneapolis.mn.us

Ward 6 Dean Zimmerman (612) 673-2206
dean.zimmermann@ci.minneapolis.mn.us

Ward 7 Lisa Goodman (612) 673-2207
lisa.goodman@ci.minneapolis.mn.us

Ward 8 Robert Lilligren (612) 673-2208
robert.lilligren@ci.minneapolis.mn.us

Ward 9 Gary Schiff (612) 673-2209
gary.schiff@ci.minneapolis.mn.us

Ward 10 Dan Niziolek (612) 673-2210
dan.niziolek@ci.minneapolis.mn.us

Ward 11 Scott Benson (612) 673-2211
scott.benson@ci.minneapolis.mn.us

Ward 12 Sandy Colvin Roy (612) 673-2212
sandra.k.colvin.roy@ci.minneapolis.mn.us

Ward 13 Barret Lane (612) 673-2213
barret.lane@ci.minneapolis.mn.us