CURRENT
Eagan Apple Valley Rosemount
May 19, 2011 • V36.20
minnlocal.com
Burnsville vs. Eastview PAGE 28
In the Community, With the Community, For the Community
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Legal group provides service to low-income county residents BY MICHAEL RICCI SUN NEWSPAPERS For decades, a local legal group has defended the rights of others, but now it is fighting a battle of its own. Legal Assistance of Dakota County, 14800 Galaxie Ave. Suite 103, in Apple Valley, is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free legal services to lowincome residents in Dakota County, but the group of three staff attorneys and about 100 volunteers is struggling to meet all of the needs of its target clientele. LADC primarily directs its efforts to cases involving family law, areas such as divorce, child custody, grandparent custody, rights and responsibilities of unmarried parents and protective orders for lowincome county residents. Katie Trotzky, LADC executive director, explained why the legal group focuses mainly on these cases. “It matches what the poverty population
needs,” she said. “Most of the poor people in any area, but in Dakota County as well, are women and children.” Trotzkey approximated the number of those in the county who fall into this category and who could benefit from LADC’s services. “Dakota County has the fourth highest poverty population in the state,” she said. “The percentage is small, but the number is big. There are about 58,000 people in Dakota County who have incomes less than 200 percent of the poverty guidelines.” Incomes are relevant to LADC, as the group limits cases where the individual requesting it qualifies in two main areas: financial status and place of residence. Likely clients must have household incomes below 125 percent of poverty guidelines, and the potential clients must reside in Dakota County or have a case rooted in the county. Among the many cases LADC takes are those
The former St. Joseph’s Catholic School building in Rosemount has been vacant since the school moved to a new building in 2009. Rosemount was awarded a $120,000 redevelopment grant to tear down the building and dispose of asbestos used in its construction, and the site is being considered for possible senior housing. (Photo by Joseph Palmersheim • Sun Newspapers)
Rosemount exploring possibilities at old St. Joe’s school site BY JOSEPH PALMERSHEIM • SUN NEWSPAPERS What to do with old St. Joe? Having secured a $120,000 Community Development Grant to pay for removal of hazardous
materials and the demolition of the old St. Joseph’s Catholic School building at 143rd Street West and South Robert Trail, Rosemount is looking to the future. The demolition could pave the way for more senior housing
and a new senior center in town. The Rosemount City Council commissioned a senior housing study in March, and discussed the document, described as a ST JOE’S: TO PAGE 25
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