|
|
Article: Fridley's nature center endangered; "Everybody agrees this is a jewel and a feather in our cap, but ... this is an amenity compared to things like sewers," Mayor Scott Lund says.(NEWS)
- Article from:
- Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN)
- Article date:
- June 30, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 Star Tribune Co. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
Byline: Curt Brown; Staff Writer
A snapping turtle the size of a frying pan climbs a muddy bank at the Springbrook Nature Center. A deer nibbles nearby as a heron soars over the 127-acre refuge of native prairie, oak, savanna, aspen trees and wetlands.
This tranquil oasis, set aside in 1974 on the northern edge of Fridley, is one of the latest battlegrounds in the budget wars in cities across the state.
Handcuffed by diminishing state aid, Fridley's proposed 2004 budget includes not a penny for Springbrook. If that spending plan is adopted, all three of the center's full-time workers would be laid off Dec. 31. The interpretive center would ...