Dear Friends and Neighbors,
The snow we have been waiting for all season finally arrived! Join me in taking advantage of the new snow this weekend with an outdoor activity! Many of our youth sports teams are in their playoffs which provides for an exciting and warmer indoor activity. Congratulations to our Maple Grove Crimson Dancers for winning their competitive sectional tournament this past week – good luck at the State Tournament!
Here are the highlights from our capitol this week:
- New Suburb-to-Suburb Bus Route Grand Opening from Maple Grove Transit Station
- Maple Grove Parks Director Terry Just Retires
- American Disabilities Act Legislation
- Park Nicollet Medical Center – New Maple Grove Facility
- Polar Plunge in Maple Grove Tomorrow!
- ISD 279 Foundation “Night Out”
New Suburb-to-Suburb Bus Route Grand Opening from Maple Grove Transit Station
Mobility and increased transportation options are vital to our growing area. This week we celebrated the opening of the Suburb-to-Suburb Transit Service connecting Maple Grove with Plymouth, Eden Prairie, and Shakopee with a direct bus line. I was proud to support this bill which creates a pilot of suburb-to-suburb service. With the expected success of this line, I look forward to these types of lines to be offered to other locations. Our community continues to grow, and efficient, cost-effective transportation options are key to allow our city to continue to be a thriving community, and Suburb-to-Suburb bus service will help continue this trend.
Here is a link for more information on routes and times.
Maple Grove Parks Director Terry Just – Thank You
Join me in congratulating Terry on his retirement after 30 years of service to our great city. Maple Grove is a nationally recognized city in part for our outstanding parks. Thank you, Terry, for your contributions to our community. Stop by the Maple Grove Community Center on March 9th for his retirement celebration.
American Disabilities Act Legislation
I have been developing legislation to allow businesses that aren’t in compliance with the American Disabilities Act an opportunity to bring their business in compliance with these laws without unnecessary litigation. There has been significant news reported on some of these cases which is unfortunate. If you have been impacted by this law or know someone who has, please contact me.
Park Nicollet Medical Center
We are blessed to have world-class medical facilities in our district. Recently, the Park Nicollet Medical Center opened, and I was fortunate to receive a tour of the facility and discuss this center’s impact to our area.
Polar Plunge at Maple Grove’s Fish Lake Regional Park
The time for our polar plunge has arrived! There’s still time to sign up for the plunge on Saturday, Feb. 6th. If you aren’t going to plunge this year, stop out and show some support and bring a blanket or portable heater to share for the jumpers!
ISD 279 Foundation “Night Out” Friday, Feb. 12
The “Night Out” celebration for the Foundation is approaching! There still is time to get tickets to this amazing event where all the proceeds go towards enhancing the district’s dedication to learning for all.
I hope to see you out at some of our community events this weekend! The legislative session is fast approaching with a March 8th start date. Please contact me with any concerns and bill ideas you have. It is my honor to represent our great community, thank you! I can be reached at Rep.Dennis.Smith@house.mn, by phone at (651) 296-5502, or US mail at 13570 Grove Drive, #370, Maple Grove, MN, 55311.
Have a great, snowy weekend!
Dennis