Who are the Graeser Park Beehivers?
Would you like to see Graeser Park restored? Then you are a Graeser Park Beehiver.
This group of passionate and enthusiastic volunteers has one goal—to raise community awareness and funding to preserve and restore Graeser Park.
Do you want to be a Graeser Park Beehiver?
Help us raise awareness.
- Learn about Graeser Park, the beehive fireplaces, and restoration goals
- Join efforts to maintain this historic park
- Visit Graeser Park
- Share the history of Lilac Way
- Follow Restore Lilac Way on Facebook for latest updates
These groups encourage the City of Robbinsdale to preserve—and restore—Graeser Park.
MnDOT has started the title transfer process. When complete, Graeser Park will be owned by the City of Robbinsdale.
We support a community effort to save this park, so it can once again be a vital part of Robbinsdale.
Key Organizations
Robbinsdale Lions Club
Robbinsdale Lions Club
The Lions Club has maintained Graeser Park since 2007. Their impressive commitment includes organized ‘Graeser Park Cleanup Days’.
They’ve removed buckthorn, weeds, tree stumps and debris. Like an archeological dig, they have unearthed limestone paths buried under years of neglect. If you can see a stone path in the park today, it is because a Lion uncovered it.
At first the Lions just did spring and fall clean up, but soon realized they needed to go more often. Now they do cleanup days 3-4 times a year, including summer.
Lion Kent Brun has coordinated those cleanup days since 2010, inspiring everyone to help.
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Robbinsdale Historical Society
Robbinsdale Historical Society
Since 1978, they’ve collected, preserved and told the story of Robbinsdale’s past. With over 200 members, they have a museum in the historic Robbinsdale Library at 4915 42nd Avenue North.
New Board Member Kristi Gibson created ‘Meet me at the Beehive’ events to raise community awareness for Graeser Park.
Her yoga, painting, Lilac Way stories, Monarch Butterfly workshop and Old Log Theatre’s ‘Beehive’ performance have introduced many to this amazing park.
Big thanks to the everyone at the RHS for supporting these efforts.
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Graeser Park Restoration & Preservation
Graeser Park Restoration & Preservation
Graeser Park Restoration & Preservation (GPR&P) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization created in 2019 to raise public awareness of the park’s local, statewide, and national significance, and to receive donations to support historic preservation of the park’s original features.
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Restore Lilac Way by Laukkonen Design
Restore Lilac Way by Laukkonen Design
Website designer Karen Laukkonen of Laukkonen Design relaunched this restorelilacway.com website in 2018. Since 2007, she has researched, written, designed and developed pro bono this Lilac Way archive as a civic project.
Conceived as an historical archive to document the history and community efforts behind Lilac Way, the website has three goals:
TO DOCUMENT the history and seven historic parks of Lilac Way on Highway 100, from Robbinsdale to Edina
TO SUPPORT restoration of Graeser Park and its rare beehive fireplace in Robbinsdale, MN
TO ENCOURAGE re-evaluation of the Rock Island section of the original Lilac Park on Minnetonka Boulevard in St. Louis Park for potential restoration. Built in 1939, it is also known as Monkey Island and Hidden Park
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Key Individuals
Carol Ahlgren
Architectural Historian
Carol Ahlgren, Architectural Historian
Carol’s interest and volunteer activities with Graeser Park stem from her long-term passion for New Deal landscapes. At the University of Wisconsin-Madison for example, she wrote her M.A. thesis on the Civilian Conservation Corps impact on Wisconsin state park development. She has given presentations on the career and work of Arthur R. Nichols, who designed the Lilac Way roadside parks, as well as many other projects for MNDOT.
She’s been involved with research of various historic highways, and was thrilled to realize that Graeser Park’s boundary of West Broadway is the original route of the Jefferson Highway.
Carol and her husband Mark Mueske are members of the reorganized Jefferson Highway Association. Carol received a Minnesota History Society fellowship to research the highway’s route in Minnesota. They both hope to continue to research and map the route and determine its connection to Graeser Park.
She has written National Register of Historic Places nominations for New Deal era parks in Nebraska and Iowa, and is interested in exploring the possibility of a similar designation for Graeser Park.
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Kent & Janice Brun
Robbinsdale Lions Club,
Graeser Park Restoration & Preservation
Kent Brun, Robbinsdale Lions Club
As a Robbinsdale Lion, Kent has been organizing Graeser Park cleanup days since 2010. His keen focus on saving this park inspires everyone around him to work a little bit harder, and a little bit longer.
Kent is also Vice President of Graeser Park Restoration & Preservation, a non-profit formed to raise funds for Graeser Park.
His wife Janice Brun used to meet her cousin at Graeser Park’s beehive fireplace in the early 1960s. As a Robbinsdale Lion, she now digs in to help with weeding and park cleanup. She also keeps the Graeser Park Beehivers motivated with coffee and donuts.
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Renee Buchanan
Robbinsdale Lions Club
Renee Buchanan, Robbinsdale Lions Club
As the most recent past president of the Robbinsdale Lions Club, Renee supports efforts to save and restore Graeser Park. She volunteers her time and hard work at Graeser Park cleanup days, weeding and digging in to help preserve this historic 1939 Lilac Way park.
She’s been very busy making and donating masks and crocheting mask extenders during the COVID-19 pandemic. Renee is also active in fundraising events at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Robbinsdale.
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Kristi Gibson
Robbinsdale Historical Society
Kristi Gibson, Robbinsdale Historical Society
A former Robbinsdale resident, Kristi learned that the lower area of Graeser Park was being cared for and improved by the Robbinsdale Lions and other volunteers. Upon visiting Graeser for the first time in many years, she was sad to see the unique beehive fireplace in a perilous state, and so decided to join the effort to save and restore Graeser.
In 2018 she launched “Meet me at the Beehive,” an event series to raise awareness for this historic park. Events included yoga, painting, monarch butterfly workshops and even ‘Beehive at the Beehive’, a show featuring stars from the Old Log Theatre’s production of “Beehive: The Musical.”
Now a Board Member of the Robbinsdale Historical Society, she and others are supporting the restoration and preservation of the original picnic tables and the beehive fireplace for future generations.
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Beth Good
Honorary Beehiver
Beth Good, Robbinsdale Lions Club
With a hobby background in archaeology, Beth knew she’d stumbled upon something special when she first found Graeser Park while walking her dogs one evening.
Still, it was a few more years before she learned that the Robbinsdale Lions were spearheading the volunteer cleanup efforts, and she jumped in with both feet to assist. Just one year later, she officially joined the Lions, and keeps Graeser Park as one of her pet projects.
She has moved out of MN but hopes to come back to dig into Graeser Park again soon.
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David Krussow
Robbinsdale Historical Society
David Krussow, Robbinsdale Historical Society
Dave ‘Robbinsdale Krussow’ has deep local roots. He is the Treasurer for the Robbinsdale Historical Society and has been a member for more than 10 years.
His great-grandfather O.T. (Otto) Beaudoin was born in Quebec in 1871 and arrived in Robbinsdale in 1927. Otto operated two barbershops in town for over thirty years. Next time you’re downtown, look up to see his name etched on the Beaudoin Building on West Broadway. Otto’s granddaughter Betty Ruff was named Miss Robbinsdale in 1945.
Dave is deeply committed to the area and the restoration of Lilac Way’s historical Graeser Park.
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Karen Laukkonen
restorelilacway.com
Karen Laukkonen, Restore Lilac Way and Laukkonen Design
Restorelilacway.com is a civic project conceived, written, designed and maintained pro bono by Karen Laukkonen. All time and expenses are donated.
The mission is to
DOCUMENT the history and seven historic parks of Lilac Way on Highway 100, from Robbinsdale to Edina, MN
SUPPORT restoration of Graeser Park and its rare beehive fireplace in Robbinsdale, MN
ENCOURAGE re-evaluation of Rock Island (aka Monkey Island) near Minnetonka Boulevard in St. Louis Park, MN for preservation; saved from demolition, it was built in 1939 as part of the original Lilac Park
Restorelilacway.com now has more than 75 pages and almost 60 photo albums, plus tons of historical info.
Karen does public presentations to raise awareness and promotes community restoration efforts.
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Paula Mazzacano
President, Graeser Park Restoration and Preservation
Paula Mazzacano, Graeser Park Restoration and Preservation
As President of Graeser Park Restoration and Preservation, Paula is thrilled for the opportunity to bring her passions for historic preservation, parks & gardens, and civic engagement to join others in the effort to save this historic Lilac Way park and its rare beehive fireplace.
A longtime Robbinsdale resident, Paula has served on the Park & Rec and Charter commissions, and has extensive leadership Board experience in organizations as diverse as Robin Child Care and the University of Minnesota Humphrey School Alumni Society.
Paula has devoted years to community organizations, including 8 years as a Girl Scout leader, with Robbinsdale Area Schools as treasurer and fundraiser for Lakeview Elementary School, Sandberg Middle School, Cooper Performing Arts Boosters, and for the MYP & IB programs.
She currently works as the Development Grants Coordinator for the City of Minneapolis, and hopes to tap into her networks to assist GPR&P with its fundraising efforts.
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Jeannine ‘Niner’ McDonald
Robbinsdale Lions Club
Jeannine 'Niner' McDonald, Robbinsdale Lions Club
Niner is a ‘get-the-job done’ Robbinsdale Lion. When she first saw Graeser Park in 2007, she didn’t even know the Rock Garden section existed. After clearing the steps of leaves and dirt, she was blown away to realize they were just a tiny part of this hidden 1939 Lilac Way park.
While Kent Brun mowed pathways and other Lions cut brush and pulled weeds, Niner started uncovering the buried limestone pathways.
If you can see a stone path in the park today, it is because a Lion uncovered it. She suspects that 1/4 – 1/3 of the original paths are still buried under years of composted dirt, leaves and weeds.
Now committed to excavation and conservation, this Physical Education teacher volunteers a lot of time at the ‘Graeser Park Gym’. Any chance she can get, she heads over for a workout.
She has removed over 100 tree stumps, which were causing damage to the limestone paths and historical structures. And, she did it without electricity. It’s hot and dirty work, but she has made a huge difference.
Now, she wants to move full-steam ahead. She is thrilled to see the community stepping up, and impressed at the new Graeser Park Angels and volunteers who show up for clean-up days.
Amazed at the amount of original 1939 Lilac Way structures that have been found, she looks forward to more workouts at this Lilac Way archaeological dig.
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Mark Mueske
Bridge Office, Construction Liaison at MnDOT
Mark Mueske
Mark has volunteered for many Graeser Park cleanup days organized by the Robbinsdale Lions, digging out tree stumps and helping to save and preserve this historic Lilac Way park. He and his wife Carol Ahlgren are long-time supporters of this park.
Mark and Carol are also members of the reorganized Jefferson Highway Association. They hope to continue to research and map the route and determine its connection to Graeser Park.
Mark is a Chief Bridge Construction Inspector for the State of Minnesota.
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Colleen & Kenn Patterson
Robbinsdale Lions Club,
Graeser Park Restoration & Preservation
Colleen & Kenn Patterson, Robbinsdale Lions Club
Colleen is passionate about saving and restoring Graeser Park. She considers conservation of this historic 1939 Lilac Way park to be well worth the effort.
Colleen is Treasurer of Graeser Park Restoration & Preservation, a non-profit formed to raise funds for Graeser Park.
She has been a member of the Robbinsdale Parks, Recreation, and Forestry Commission for more than 20 years, and is Acting Treasurer of the Robbinsdale Lions Club.
Colleen’s husband Kenn Patterson was part of an earlier Eagle Scout effort to clean up Graeser Park, and continues that effort today as a Lion.
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Pete Ritchie
Robbinsdale Historical Society,
Graeser Park Restoration & Preservation
Pete Richie, Robbinsdale Historical Society
Inspired by an afternoon visit to the Robbinsdale History Museum ten years ago, Pete Richie started volunteering for the Robbinsdale Historical Society.
He is the author of the Arcadia Publications, “Images of America Robbinsdale” and “Images of America Breezy Point”. Pete serves on the historical society’s board and is the webmaster for the organization. He has had a hand in many of the society’s events and activities.
If you came out for the Annual Robbinsdale Whiz Bang Parade you may have noticed him roller blading in circles behind the historical society truck dressed as a Cootie Bug.
Pete grew up in Robbinsdale and has enough fond memories of Graeser Park to fill a beehive. He is a tireless researcher and dreams of the day when the park and its historic structures are turned over to the city to be preserved for future generations.
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John Zieba
Robbinsdale Lions Club,
Graeser Park Restoration & Preservation
John Zieba, Robbinsdale Lions Club
John wears many hats to support Graeser Park. He is Secretary of the Robbinsdale Lions Club and Treasurer of the Robbinsdale Historical Society.
He is also Secretary of Graeser Park Restoration and Preservation, a non-profit 501(c)3 that will launch a fundraising effort after MnDOT completes the land title transfer to the City of Robbinsdale (date TBD). He is good at keeping many balls in the air to help preserve and eventually restore this historic Lilac Way park.
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