The permanent Snowman icon in the city of North Saint Paul, Minnesota at the intersection of Margaret Street and Minnesota State Highway 36, has always caused some raised eyebrows and wonderment over the years. Now addition of a a second icon, a 160 KW Wind Turbine to generate power for a few hundred homes has caused more than a few locals and visitors to scratch their heads. None-the-less, North Saint Paul, Minnesota is a place to love and it cannot be missed going east or west on Highway 36!
Icon #1
Permanent Snowman at Margaret Street and Minnesota State Highway 36 (Photo 5/16/11)
Snowman: According to the North Saint Paul, MN website in years past the North Saint Paul Jaycees built a snowmen each winter in celebration of an annual Sno-Daze Celebration. The sculptures were built in downtown North Saint Paul. "After a few lean snowfall winters, several residents decided to build a permanent icon for the city. Former resident Lloyd Koesling created and helped build the Snowman. In 1972 the 'Snowman' was adopted as the official city logo. The snowman is 44 feet tall and weighs some 20 tons. His smile reaches sixteen feet across. Today a (refurbished) snowman stands (on the south end of a new Margaret Street, Sandberg Memorial Bridge, just above a refurbished Minnesota State Highway 36) as a warm hearty welcome to travelers and locals as well. 'Turn at the snowman' was the easiest way for people to know how to find North St. Paul in the metro area."
Icon #2:
Wind Turbine about 2000 ft West of the Snowman next to Minnesota State highway 36 (Photo 5/16/11)
Wind Turbine: According to an January 24, 2010 (borrowed) article by Tad Vezner and Leslie Brooks Suzukamo in "Wind-Watch.org", North St. Paul, MN was among 12 other cities in Minnesota participating in a wind turbine project, each getting a 115-foot, 160 kilowatt windmill via the Minnesota Municipal Power Association, or MMPA. The wind turbine will power a few hundred homes via the power grid. "The turbines were installed to meet a state law requiring energy producers to provide 25 percent of output from renewable sources by 2025".
"The windmills each cost about $417,000 and have been erected in Anoka, Arlington, Brownton, Buffalo, Chaska, East Grand Forks, Le Sueur, North St. Paul, Olivia, Shakopee and Winthrop, as well as at the MMPA’s energy park in Faribault. To fund the project, MMPA sold $5 million in zero-interest bonds"
The location of the north Saint Paul turbine is about 2000 feet west of the Snowman and to the south of Minnesota State Highway 36 alongside a new Public Works Building.
The windmills were to be operational November 7, 2009 But there was a problem: "They were (refurbished units) purchased from "Escondido, Calif.-based, enXco, a subsidiary of the French company EDF Energies Nouvelles, and have never operated under such cold conditions." Heaters were installed to warm the hydraulic fluid and lubricating oil in the turbines and the blade began turning in 2010 and continues today. Humble Blogger has filmed a short video of the wind turbine in action at the bottom of this post.
Below are photos of Snowman and Wind Turbine, plus a video of the Turbine blades rotating
Looking South on Margaret Street Toward the Iconic Snowman. It rests on the southeast end of the Sandberg Memorial Bridge (Photo 5/18/11)
Looking North on Margaret Street across the recently completed Sandberg Memorial Bridge. The Snowman is just behind the camera (Photo 5/16/10)
The Sandberg Memorial Bridge Plaque is dedicated to the memory of Bill Sandberg for his 30 years of service (1979-2008) as Mayor of North Saint Paul (Photo 5/16/11)
Looking east along Minnesota State Highway 36 toward the Snowman. It rests at the southeast end of the new Margaret Street, Sandberg Memorial Bridge (Photo 5/16/11)
The Snowman faces a northwest direction greeting would be visitors to North Saint Paul (Photo 5/16/11)
Back side of the Snowman (Photo 5/16/11)
Wind turbine about 2000 ft. west of the Snowman and adjacent to Minnesota State Highway 36 (Photo 5/16/11)
Closer view of the wind Turbine next to a new Public Works Building (Photo 5/16/11)
A telescopic view of the wind Turbine from North Saint Paul High School just across Minnesota State Highway 36 (Photo 5/05/11)
Short 20 second video of the Wind Turbine in action. Traffic and wind noise dominate but the Turbine has a rumbling sound of its own (Video 5/16/11)
