E DEN P RAIRIE ✹ O CTOBER 21, 2010
VOTERS GUIDE
SUN CURRENT 75¢
Vol. 45, No. 42
In the Community, With the Community, For the Community
www.minnlocal.com
Candidate profiles inside this edition
2010 ELECTION
PAGES 21A-29A
EP SCHOOLS TRY TO SHUT OUT SUN EDEN PRAIRIE DISTRICT THREATENS TO BAR NEWSPAPER’S STAFF FROM CAMPUSES Paper’s attorney says letter appears to be attempt to intimidate FROM STAFF REPORTS Eden Prairie School District has threatened to ban employees of the Sun Current from its campuses. The district’s attorney, Maggie Wallner, sent a letter to the newspaper’s attorney, Mark Anfinson, Sept. 30 containing the threat. Wallner cites a column written by Sun Newspapers Managing Editor Paul Wahl and published Sept. 16 regarding public access to school property. She claims portions of the column are “not only legally incorrect, they are threatening in language and tone.” Wallner also accused Wahl of being unethical in his approach to the topic. Anfinson said the letter appears to be an attempt to intimidate the newspaper, the latest in a long line of skirmishes between the two entities. District officials and the school board were contacted and offered an opportunity to be quoted in this story but did not respond.
Amy Jore, left and Sara Johnson were among the more than 100 people who showed up Oct. 14 in front of Eden Prairie High School to protest proposed redrawing of the district’s elementary school boundaries.
Parents protest boundaries Most believe their voices won’t be heard BY PAUL GROESSEL • SUN NEWSPAPERS
Britt Ardakan protests the school board’s decision to redraw school district boundaries Oct. 14 in front of Eden Prairie High School. “We are so happy with our school,” Ardakan said. “We’ve been biking there for eight years, and now we have to get on a bus.” (Photos by Chris Dillmann • Sun Newspapers)
They have sent e-mails, contacted the media, voiced their concerns at community forums and now they have hit the street. Around 130 Eden Prairie parents and community members carried signs and
chanted during a peaceful protest outside the Eden Prairie High School entrance during the evening of Oct. 14. “You’ve never seen this in Eden Prairie,” said parent Chris Grote as he approached the protesters. BOUNDARIES: TO PAGE 31A
DISTRICT: TO PAGE 4A
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Eden Prairie Sun-Current – Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010 – www.minnlocal.com
In the Community, With the Community, For the Community
JEREMIAH PILON FOR CITY COUNCIL Enthusiasm- I will listen to your concerns in order to provide you with results. I will endeavor to sustain our city’s strengths, knowing that we cannot remain one of America’s best places to live without the continued infusion of innovation. Passion - I will work hard, knowing the height of the expectations that await me, if granted the chance to serve you. I will maintain the excellence of Eden Prairie by putting families first and listening to you. I will be a zealous advocate for our citizens throughout the next four years, especially with regard to the planning and development of the Southwest Light Rail Transit.
I ask for your vote on November 2nd, so that I may serve you on City Council and work to keep our city strong! ★
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www.minnlocal.com – Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010 – Eden Prairie Sun-Current
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Eden Prairie residents and parents filled the Eagle Heights gym for the third elementary school boundary map input session 6:30 p.m., Monday, Oct. 18. The input session was originally intended to take place in the Administrative Services Center boardroom, like all other sessions, but the administration changed plans in anticipation of a large crowd. (Photo by Paul Groessel • Sun Newspapers)
Research, meeting concerns at third boundary input session BY PAUL GROESSEL • SUN NEWSPAPERS Eden Prairie residents filled the Eagle Heights gym Oct. 18, for the third of six input sessions regarding proposed changes to elementary school boundaries. New boundaries could affect an estimated 1,100 elementary students beginning next year. The district administration gave a presentation, and then school principals and administrators answered commonly asked questions. Balancing campus capacity, balancing school socio-economic demographics and the added elementary school in the K-6 from K-4 elementary model are the reasons for the boundary changes, Chief Operating Officer Patricia Magnuson said. Magnuson said they were aware of the correlation to free and reduced price lunch students and racial demographics, but free and reduced price lunch was the main indicator they chose for integrating schools. The map was released on the school district’s website Oct. 5. It’s a noncontiguous map, so not all students have to come from one whole section of the city.
The School Board voted on Sept. 14 to remove a policy that requires contiguous or unbroken boundary lines. For example, in the draft map, students living in an encircled area around Mitchell Lake would be in the Forest Hills boundary, even though it’s sectioned off from the main Forest Hills boundary to the northwest. Several meeting attendees said hardcopies had not been mailed to community members yet, which made it difficult for anyone without Internet access or copies of local newspapers to know what’s going on. Magnuson said there were issues getting the hardcopies mailed, including problems with the U.S. Postal Service Busing times and maintaining neighborhood schools are two concerns the district have been addressing in the change. Magnuson said bus time averages would remain at 20 minutes for elementary school students and Transportation Director Lance Libengood said a testdrive of the bus route from the west side of the Mitchell Lake neighborhood to Forest Hills took 20 minutes. MEETING: TO PAGE 35A
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Eden Prairie Sun-Current – Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010 – www.minnlocal.com
In the Community, With the Community, For the Community
HE SAID, SHE SAID Paul Wahl’s original column from Sept. 16, as it appeared in the Eden Prairie Sun-Current, and the letter sent to Sun Newspapers’ attorney Mark Anfinson from the Eden Prairie School District attorney, Maggie Wallner.
District FROM PAGE 1A The newspaper has challenged the school district’s interpretation of open meeting laws on several occasions, including forcing the district to begin distributing material that sup-
ports agenda items prior to meeting sessions. The newspaper also has protested the district’s decision to close meetings of the elementary school boundaries task force to the public and has filed numerous requests for information under the Minnesota Data Practices Act. DISTRICT: TO PAGE 5A
In the Community, With the Community, For the Community
District
www.minnlocal.com – Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010 – Eden Prairie Sun-Current
Armed and dangerous desperados on the loose
FROM PAGE 4A “All things considered, the letter seems less about attempting to clarify the ‘correct parameters’ governing the presence of journalists on school property, and more aimed at leveraging what Sun Newspapers covers,” Anfinson said in his reply to Wallner. “Your references to ‘criminal trespass’ and possible issuance of a ‘no-trespass’ notice to the newspaper would certainly seem to support such a conclusion, given that Mr. Wahl’s column is entirely moderate in tone, not in the least ‘threatening,’ and does not even mention Eden Prairie schools.” The column was published in a number of editions of Sun newspapers for which Wahl is a regular contributor. No other complaints were received. Wahl is also a resident in Eden Prairie School District. Anfinson goes on to say that attempts to intimidate the newspaper will be “entirely unavailing.” He also points out, as did the original column, that the newspaper and its community editors are “well aware of what the law permits and prohibits in this context, have followed the law scrupulously in the past and will continue to do so in the future.” The district did not contact the newspaper to relay its concerns over the column or request rebuttal. Anfinson said the letter from Wallner was puzzling in several regards. Coverage of the district in this week’s edition include photos and reporting from parent protest at Eden Prairie High School Oct. 14 that drew more than 100 demonstrators. “We consider this as much an attack on the residents of the district as we do the newspapers,” said group publisher Jeff Coolman, who lives in the district. “Obviously we are not going to be intimidated.”
In dealing with the Eden Prairie School District’s latest insanity this past week, I could not help but be reminded of Ronald Reagan and his 1980 campaign against Jimmy Carter. Reagan used the phrase “there you go again” each time Carter attempted to criticize PAUL him. It’s become nearly as ubiquitous as WAHL “whatever” in the English lexicon. Managing Let me say that I find no victory in the Editor school district’s contention that a column I wrote essentially on the First Amendment (you remember that one, right … freedom of the press and all?) was threatening and somehow unethical. My feeling is more one of sadness that a public entity must stoop to name-calling and threats in its attempt to justify its misdeeds. The district is so hell-bent on justifying its actions it is apparently willing to trample on the U.S. Constitution. I hope students of the district have a better grasp of the document than the district’s leaders appear to have. I also reckon I’m in good company. Others who have disagreed with the district’s leadership have been branded “white noise.” Those wishing to have a say in how the district is run have been called a cabal, a handful of “disgruntled” parents with an ax to grind. Seems like after last week we can conclude the handful has grown considerably. Perhaps the most concerning is that no one from the district ever picked up a phone or sent an email saying it had serious issues with the column and would like to have its say. We always welcome opposing opinions. Our door is always open to the district, just as I thought their door was open to us. Guess not. Most public entities at some juncture realize it’s probably best to have a newspaper on their side, even there are fundamental disagreements. Eventually Eden Prairie schools is going to have to ask for permission of the voters to raise its tax levy.
The public is (or at least should be) still in charge of public education last I checked. On the elementary school boundary issue, we have chosen only to attack the secrecy measures under which decisions were made. The district has a difficult task in front of it balancing attendance based on a number of factors. Had the district conducted task force meetings in public as we had requested, we quite likely might be saying to protesters at this juncture, “you had your say in an open and fair process so we’re all going to have to live with what the district decides.” Instead, we now offer the protesters barrels of tar, as it were. Oh wait a minute, that might seem threatening. I wouldn’t want to be accused of being unethical once again. I would also like to assure our readers that I do not intend to take up my weapons (a camera and a notebook) and wage war on the school district through illegal means. Our interpretation of the public access rules differs considerably; however, we are law-abiding citizens, always have been, always will be. I would also like to respond to a woman quoted in our newspaper last week saying that she was saddened that the public no longer supported the schools. I can’t speak for everyone, but from our point of view, we have extremely high regard for the quality of education Eden Prairie students receive. The district’s teachers are of abnormally high quality. Our disagreements are with the administration and school board and their methods of conducting business outside of the glare of the public’s eye. Finally, I would like to thank everyone in the community who has supported our efforts to open the school district’s eyes on these matters. We have not had one person approach us and say “why don’t you lay off the poor school board.” We will continue to fight on behalf of the taxpaying citizens of Eden Prairie School District.
CONTACT EDEN PRAIRIE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS TO TELL THEM WHAT YOU THINK: Kim Ross, School Board Chair • kross@edenpr.org • (952) 975-9473 • Term ends January 2012 Carol Bomben, School Board Vice-Chair • cbomben@edenpr.org • (952) 942-6356 • Term ends January 2012 John Estall, School Board Clerk • jestall@edenpr.org • (952) 937-0140 • Term ends January 2012 Holly Parker, School Board Treasurer • hparker@edenpr.org • (952) 937-2552 • Term ends January 2012 Ranee Jacobus, Director • rjacobus@edenpr.org • (952) 934-5480 • Term ends January 2014 Suzanne Kutina, Director • skutina@edenpr.org • (952) 946-6992 • Term ends January 2014 Chuck Mueller, School Board Clerk • chuck_mueller@edenpr.org • (952) 946-1069 • Term ends January 2014
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OPINION
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T H U R S D A Y, O C T. 2 1 , 2 0 1 0 • E D E N P R A I R I E • V I S I T U S O N L I N E A T W W W . M I N N L O C A L . C O M • © 2 0 1 0 S U N N E W S P A P E R S • P A G E 6 A
OUR VIEWPOINT
Mixed bag for council There are those who have served before, those who have never served and those who want to continue serving. Eden Prairie residents have eclectic options for City Council and mayor in this election. There are two candidates for mayor and six candidates for City Council. Jon Duckstad and Kathy Nelson are finishing their first terms on the City Council. Nelson is running for re-election and Duckstad is running for mayor. Nancy Tyra-Lukens is also running for mayor. Sherry Butcher Wickstrom is running for City Council. In the past, both have served long tenures in city office. And, last but not least, four City Council candidates are running for the first time. They are Donna Azarian, Dan Kitrell, Jeremiah Pilon and Scott Pollino. It’s hard to believe one official can do what’s best for everyone or the majority of people at all times. Issues are complex, and each official has a unique perspective and way of thinking. But, with the right combination of independent-thinking, well-informed public servants, residents can be served well. Any of the candidates with experience as a City Council member or mayor would work hard and serve well. There’s no question. But, for us, the edge goes to Tyra-Lukens for mayor and Nelson and Butcher Wickstrom for City Council. Tyra-Lukens served at a time when the city was in great financial shape and growing, but she helped form measures for difficult times. She is knowledgeable, confident and can help lead the city the next four years, when tough financial decisions will need to be made. Nelson has been able to provide guidance to the City Council. She said she asks questions that don’t seem to be asked unless she asks them, and we agree with her. She brings a point of view that is important to have on the City Council. Wickstrom brings intelligence to the group. She has detailed knowledge of the city’s operations and the City Council’s responsibilities, and she can provide an articulate perspective to decisions the City Council will face in the next four years. It was difficult to understand where the new candidates were coming from, since they have little if any experience in city governance, commissions or other municipal service. Kitrell seems to offer a clear notion of where the responsibilities of the city government and the private sector lie, which could be helpful in trying to create responsible budgets while ushering new business and development into the city. But, like the others without municipal experience, it’s difficult to offer a full vote of confidence. Hopefully he and all other candidates will serve the city to some capacity regardless of how the election turns out. Most importantly, we hope that voters do not take this endorsement or any other endorsement as the only resource. There’s a lot of information on these candidates, and encouraging voters to make up their own mind by Election Day is more important than heeding advice from outside opinion. Be informed, then go out and vote Nov. 2.
Friendship not to be taken lightly Laughter is not at all a bad beginning for a friendship, and it is far the best ending for one. – Oscar Wilde In today’s world of social networking, the word “friend” gets thrown around far too easily. Because I’m online “friends” with Joe Mauer, does it mean I can expect a message from him seeking condolence this off season? That’s about as likely as Justin Bieber or “The Situation” contacting me on Twitter seeking career advice. In the real world, friends are fewer and further between. For some, they can be hard to make, harder to keep and are more valuable than any currency. In the real world I – and literally hundreds, if not thousands of people – lost an important friend last weekend. Michelle (Mullen) Mulvihill left us last weekend – far too early. Michelle was well-known and well-liked virtually everywhere she went, including Target in Eden Prairie, where she worked, and Village Meats and Deli in Wayzata, which her parents own and where she also worked. For more than 25 years Michelle was a fixture at the Eden Prairie Target, a place I’ve worked nights and weekends since 2006. My first interaction with Michelle came during my orientation, which she ran. This wasn’t my first go-round with the company, so this was also not my first time going through orientation. Knowing this, Michelle looked at me and asked, “You’re the one that’s already worked for Target, right?” Without waiting for my response, she tossed me the remote to the DVD player, laughed and said, “Too bad, you get to see it all again,” before exiting the room. I knew immediately that we would get along.
JARED HUIZENGA Community Editor
During my final conversation with her, I deflected attention from something stupid I’d done by telling her an embarrassing story about a mutual friend. With a mischievous smile on her face, she set off to find our friend, armed with new information. In between, Michelle became someone I confided in. Admittedly, I’m a moody person that people are sometimes leery of. Michelle wasn’t and knew how to approach me so that I wouldn’t automatically get defensive or angry. I felt I could tell her virtually anything without criticism or judgment, and I know a lot of people that felt the same way. If our shifts didn’t overlap, she checked in with me on Facebook to make sure I was doing OK and taking care of myself. Every week for the last six months she’d ask me if I still liked my new apartment. It was her way of checking up on me without being overbearing. Every time I saw her she had a story or wanted me to tell her one about what was going on in Wayzata. She thought highly of the people that worked and lived in Wayzata and wanted to know what I knew and she wanted me to know what she knew. The night of her funeral, a group of us went out for drinks, food and companionship in her honor. Knowing her love of friends and fun, we knew it was the right thing to do. And, I think, all of us left that night feeling better, knowing that we’d just done what she would want us to do. To many of us she was like an extended member of the family – a protective sister, a trusted cousin, a “Target mom.” For that, and for so much more, we are forever indebted to her.
EDEN PRAIRIE
In the Community,With the Community, For the Community Jeff Coolman, Group Publisher jcoolman@acnpapers.com 952-392-6807 Peggy Bakken, Executive Editor pbakken@acnpapers.com 763-424-7373 Paul Groessel, Community Editor pgroessel@acnpapers.com 763-424-7353 Greg Kleven, Sports Editor gkleven@acnpapers.com 763-424-7374 Mike Gears, Design Editor mgears@acnpapers.com 763-424-7352 Paul Wahl, Managing Editor pwahl@acnpapers.com 763-424-7385 Tena Wensman, Account Executive twensman@acnpapers.com 952-392-6840 Nathen Bliss, Director of Advertising nbliss@acnpapers.com 952-392-6894 Dennis Thomsen, National Accounts Manager dthomsen@acnpapers.com 952-392-6878 Pam Miller, Classified Manager pmiller@acnpapers.com 952-392-6862 Herb Hesse, Circulation Manager hhesse@acnpapers.com 763-424-7387 For business advertising: 952-392-6894 advertise@acnpapers.com To place a classified ad: 952-392-6888 For circulation concerns, call: 952-392-6860 Send news items or letters to the editor to: Sun-Current 33 Second St. N.E., P.O. Box 280 Osseo, MN 55369 Fax: 763-424-7388 Phone: 763-425-3323 suncurrentcentral@acnpapers.com For legal advertisements and obituaries, contact: sunlegals@acnpapers.com sunobits@acnpapers.com 952-392-6829 For weddings, engagements, anniversaries, sports team photos and births, contact: 952-392-6875 Sun Newspapers offices are open weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Circulation also monitors phones (952-392-6860) until 7 p.m. on Wednesdays and 9 p.m. on Thursdays. © 2010, Published Weekly by SUN NEWSPAPERS 10917 Valley View Road, Eden Prairie, MN 55344 952-829-0797
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Eden Prairie Sun-Current – Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010 – www.minnlocal.com
In the Community, With the Community, For the Community
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ‘Astronomical’ genorosity applauded To the editor: The newly opened Staring Lake Observatory in Eden Prairie is an impressive architectural achievement, a home for a homeless telescope and, most of all, a testament to inspired generosity. Carolyn and Doug Kohrs of Edina and Sue and Steve Mohn of Eden Prairie donated $125,000 and $10,000, respectively, to build the simple yet elegant building. Why an observatory? The Kohrs family came up with the idea after reading about the telescope in the media. The 9-foot-tall, 1,000-pound telescope donated by the Minnesota Astronomical Society had been in city storage for years. The Kohrs’ idea sprang from their abiding interest in science and their desire to foster that interest in this and future generations of students and stargazers. Generosity of these astronomical proportions to further such important educational goals is rare and should be
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Trya-Lukens, Nelson, Wickstrom are best To the editor: We wish to voice our support for Nancy Tyra-Lukens for mayor and for Kathy Nelson and Sherry Butcher Wickstrom for Eden Prairie City Council. All three of these women have demonstrated their dedication to Eden Prairie, and have shown that they have the knowledge and ability to work with the residents, city staff, and both residential and commercial developers to insure Eden Prairie continues to be a city for all its citizens.
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office, the traits that I value most are intelligence, integrity and a proven track record. I urge Eden Prairie residents to vote for the two people who best embody these traits, Sherry Butcher Wickstrom and Nancy Tyra-Lukens. Sherry and Nancy have a deep understanding of the issues currently facing the city, the history of those issues and the tools needed to address them. During their earlier years in office, they worked to save money by refinancing city bonds and reducing energy use while at the same time raising the quality of life by creating parks, attracting new senior housing and expanding the Eden Prairie Community Center.
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Both of these women consistently conduct themselves with civility and openness. They have demonstrated time and again their ability to actively listen to the concerns of others and keep their heads while others allow their tempers to flare. They are experts at building collaborative relationships, resulting in wise, informed decisions. Eden Prairie owes its recent designation of the best place to live in America by “Money” magazine to the people who laid the foundation for success years ago. In their previous years serving as City Council members and Nancy as mayor, they had the foresight and the diligence to work for the future that is our celebrated present. Please join me in voting for Sherry and Nancy on Nov. 2. Ann Haines Eden Prairie
Butcher Wickstrom and Tyra-Lukens lauded Case and Ruud To the editor: for state offices When I consider candidates for public
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Nancy Tyra-Lukens has been an excellent mayor, excelling in her ability to keep an even hand and a cool head in dealing with the many contentious issues that come before the council. Kathy Nelson has demonstrated her dedication to our residents, especially our seniors in working to preserve the Senior Center last year. Sherry Butcher Wickstrom has served on the city council with distinction, working hard to preserve our city’s natural beauty. All three women have shown the ability and willingness to do the hard work and make the difficult choices that confront us during these tough economic times. Please join us in supporting these three candidates and vote for them on Nov. 2. Dean and Karen Edstrom Eden Prairie
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To the editor: If you watch 24-hour news channels, you might think that politicians only fight and voters only respond to negative ads and extreme candidates. That may be true in some parts of the country, but I don’t think it’s true around here. I believe voters in Eden Prairie and Southern Minnetonka want to vote for candidates who care more about getting results for the people they represent than they care about winning partisan battles. I know two candidates who follow that rule. First, our State Representative Maria Ruud has kept her promise to find common ground and move Minnesota forward even in these tough financial times. A second candidate with the same determination is State Senate candidate Ron Case. Ron’s service on the Eden Prairie City Council has demonstrated his commitment to both pragmatic problem solving and principled leadership. I believe that on Election Day moderate voters will turn out for Maria and Ron and send them both to St. Paul. We can be confident that they will get to work on the real problems facing our State and get the results we want. Laurie Pryor Minnetonka Laurie Pryor is the associate chair of Senate District 42. LETTERS: TO PAGE 10A
www.minnlocal.com – Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010 – Eden Prairie Sun-Current
In the Community, With the Community, For the Community
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Eden Prairie Sun-Current – Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010 – www.minnlocal.com
In the Community, With the Community, For the Community
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR FROM PAGE 8A
Azarian and Duckstad for city offices To the editor: Four years ago, the Republican majority on the City Council – Jon Duckstad, Brad Aho, and Phil Young – promised to stop the endless tax increases while maintaining our high quality of life. They promised not to follow a “cut, cut, cut” mentality but to set priorities – fund things that we need (like our brand new Community Center and the building of a fourth fire station) while cutting spending for things we don’t need. Well, I’m happy to report: Promises made, promises kept. Eden Prairie is thriving at a time when other cities are suffering. In Oakland, California, thanks to budget problems, the local chief of police has put out a list of crimes his department will no longer enforce. Camden, New Jersey announced that city can no longer afford to keep libraries open. Across the nation cities, counties and states are announcing that
they can no longer afford to provide basic, necessary services that we have all grown accustomed to government providing for us. Fiscal mismanagement is killing our great nation. It’s killing our future, and it’s killing our cities. But not in Eden Prairie. Eden Prairie is working. Eden Prairie is number one. That is why we need to keep our Republican majority in place. Don’t go back to the past. Nancy Tyra-Lukens represents yesterday’s ideas and yesterday’s failed policies of tax and spend. We need to keep Eden Prairie moving forward. Please vote for Duckstad for Mayor and Donna Azarian for City Council. Denny Vinar Eden Prairie
Gibbs for park district To the editor: John Gibbs will be on the ballot Nov. 2 seeking a position on the Three Rivers Park District Board. I currently serve as Hennepin County Commissioner for Bloomington and Eden Prairie. In that role I have come to appreciate John’s thoughtful leadership
and thorough knowledge of intergovernmental relationships. John successfully led our Hennepin County Library Board through great challenges. He knows the value of money. John is a long-term strategic thinker. He understands the importance of our regional parks and open space. Please remember to vote the entire ballot, including John Gibbs for Three Rivers Park commissioner Nov 2. Randy Johnson Bloomington
Student supports Case To the editor: I had Ron Case as a sixth-grade teacher at Oak Point in 2004. I am now a senior in high school and to this day, I cannot think of a more encouraging teacher. On my first day of sixth grade, I remember Mr. Case introduced himself and told us that his number one priority in being a teacher was to make all 31 of us wake up in the morning with a desire to come to school. There is no question that he accomplished that in those nine months of being our teacher.
He taught us to value our education. I grew up in an extremely political household, and I learned that it is important to find a candidate you believe in and support him or her. While honesty seems to evaporate with our political structure here in America, many of the candidates have lost the integrity that they are constantly preaching about, but not Mr. Case. Mr. Case is just as honest and caring as I remember. For example, I offered to help out with one of his recent fundraisers and amidst all the chaos of handshaking and smiles from the 70-some people who attended, Mr. Case forced his way through the crowd to come and personally thank me for my help and to ask me all about how the last six years have been. Mr. Case has character that no other candidate can compare with and an understanding of pragmatic politics that no current politician can match. Patrick Hellier Eden Prairie Laurie Pryor of Minnetonka also wrote in support of Case. LETTERS: TO PAGE 11A
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www.minnlocal.com – Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010 – Eden Prairie Sun-Current
In the Community, With the Community, For the Community
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR FROM PAGE 10A
Hann, Loon and Stensrud for state offices To the editor: Halloween is still a couple weeks away but it’s already trick-or-treat time in Senate District 42. Democrats Maria Ruud and Ron Case are once again trying to masquerade as Republicans. All of a sudden their campaign literature talks about controlling spending and advocating for small businesses, the antithesis of what they have always stood for. This masquerade is self-serving. These two Democrats have discovered that in today’s world of economic stress, job loss and household budget cuts, voters will not elect them unless they pretend to be something they are not. Unfortunately for us, if we fall for their trick, their costumes will come off the day after the election and they will revert to their old habits of spending outrageously and raising taxes on already struggling Minnesota families. But there are candidates who don’t hide behind masks and actually are who they claim to be. Kirk Stensrud is a small-business owner and supports policies that will bring jobs and opportunities back to Minnesota. Both Sen. David Hann and Rep. Jenifer Loon have proven track records of cutting taxes and keeping state spending under control. Together these three candidates will use their true core Republican values to help turn our state around and make us competitive again. So, this Halloween if you see a Democrat out trick or treating as a Republican, beware of their tricks, keep an eye on your treats and remember to vote for the real Republicans, Hann, Loon and Stensrud. Tom Styczinski Eden Prairie Mike Hickey, of the National Federation of Independent BusinessMinnesota, also wrote in support of Hann. Fred Koppelman and Lee Prinkkila of Eden Prairie wrote in support of Stensrud.
Ruud true representative To the editor: In 2004, nurse practitioner Maria Ruud was faced daily with patients young and old who were struggling with health costs and concerns. She chose to rise above the apathy most of us exhibit
and run, successfully, for public office so that she could help even greater numbers of people. Since then, Maria has truly been a representative for the people of southern Minnetonka and northern Eden Prairie – protecting our children and families, seniors, workers, health and environment, critical infrastructure, excellence in schools and civil liberties. At the State Capitol, Maria is known for treating colleagues with respect and for her ability to work well with others. She is also known for taking action. While others only talk, Maria cofounded and co-chaired the Small Business Caucus with Republican Keith Downey of Edina. This bipartisan group of legislators surveyed about 1,100 small businesses statewide and then used the results to write seven laws that are helping small businesses grow. She believes that the best way to stimulate the economy is to look at what can be done to help small businesses, and that government can also help by getting out of the way and streamlining permitting processes. At the same time, she knows that we cannot compromise on our care for the environment in protecting the health of generations to come. Maria makes me proud. Please join me in re-electing her Nov. 2. Mary Davis Eden Prairie Also supporting Ruud is Cheryl Larson, Mike DeWane and M. Lynn.
Ruud blindly loyal To the editor: The DFL majorities in the Minnesota House and Senate have resulted in some bold, arrogant actions, which would never occur if there were a true balance of power. Take for example House Bill 3833. This bill would have allowed individual school boards to pass tax levies without putting it to a vote of the people. Who would vote for such an outrageous constitutionally dubious bill? Maria Ruud would, that’s who. Ruud, the blindly loyal DFL legislator from District 42A voted for the measure, which passed the House and thankfully died in the Senate. Even loyal Democrats ought to be concerned at this apparent power grab. If Ruud and her party can give the foxes the key to the K-12 hen house, what’s next? Democrats should understand that this is wrong. Ruud wants school boards to be able to raise taxes without
a referendum. One has to ask, who is Ruud representing – the powerful government employee unions – or the citizens of Eden Prairie and Minnetonka? We are thankful that District 42A has an alternative. Kirk Stensrud supports keeping the right of citizens to vote on school tax levies. Unlike his opponent, he would never vote to take that right away. On Nov. 2, please elect Kirk Stensrud for 42A representative. Jill and Ted Manley Minnetonka Also supporting Stensrud is Ronald Youngdahl.
Support referendum To the editor: On Nov. 2, voters in the Hopkins School District will have the opportunity to vote on two ballot questions – one for a Capital Projects Levy for curriculum and technology and the other for a Capital Bond for safety and security construction improvements. As the parents of two 2004 Hopkins graduates and longtime district volun-
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teers, we can see no other choice but to vote yes on both ballots. After years of observing our sons grow through their Hopkins education, we support this referendum so that children still in the district and others yet to come can enjoy the same stellar quality Hopkins education. Our sons went off to college and we saw their Hopkins educations provide them with the launching pad for these additional years of education. Watch for infor mation in your mailbox detailing this important referendum and go today to the district’s website at hopkinsschools.org for answers to any questions you may have. Or click on hopkinsvoteyes.org to read more on a site a group of Hopkins Public Schools’ volunteers launched. Then join your friends and neighbors at the polls on Nov. 2 to support the longstanding Hopkins tradition of exceptional education. Mark and Jennifer Koegler Minnetonka Also supporting the referendum is Mardie Marshall.
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www.minnlocal.com – Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010 – Eden Prairie Sun-Current
In the Community, With the Community, For the Community
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Look what’s cooking in Eden Prairie First community cookbook available Dec. 1 BY PATRICK LOCH • SUN NEWSPAPERS After compiling 400 recipes from the residents of Eden Prairie, including many of her own, Tammy Brooks’ cookbook, “What’s Cooking in Eden Prairie,” is slated for a Dec. 1 delivery date. “We are the number one city to live in,” said Brooks. “This was a way to pay tribute to our great city.” Having lived in Eden Prairie for the last 28 years, she doesn’t recall there ever being an Eden Prairie cookbook. More than just a way to tie the community together, Brooks was looking for something she could maybe pass on one day to her children, perhaps eventually her grandchildren. Acquiring all the recipes, however, was a concern. She would need more than 300 recipes in order to fill the book, and she wasn’t sure that the community would answer the call. Besides enlisting the help of her family, she placed ads in local papers and started a wordof-mouth campaign that took a life of its own. “Many recipes came from my mom and mother-in-law,”
she said. “Then it just kind of went gangbuster.” Brooks’ friend and neighbor, Mary Pylipow, was one of many that contributors, submitting several recipes. “They were mostly baked goods [recipes],” said Pylipow. “I tried to use recipes from old friends and family, ones that were passed down generation to generation.” The older recipes fit Brooks’ theme for the book, but also ensured that there would be no copyright issues. “I’m buying a couple for myself and daughters,” said Pylipow. “It’s full of good recipes and for a good cause.” Brooks is selling the book for $15 and will be donating the proceeds to four different charities: CaringBridge, the Children’s Hospital, the Eden Prairie Foundation and Eden Prairie Women of Today. She has been a part of the Eden Prairie Foundation for over 25 years. The cookbook has eight different sections, including Appetizers and Beverages, Bread and Rolls and, the largest section, Main Dishes. A few breakfast items, such as some
pancake recipes and several egg bakes, or frittatas, are scattered throughout as well. “It’s pretty well balanced,” said Brooks. “Most [recipes] were sent in as main dishes.” And of course, what would a cookbook be without a few closely guarded family secrets? Brooks’ most coveted recipe, a lemon dessert called Forgotten Cake, is included in the Desserts chapter. Her friends and neighbors would frequently request the recipe, but in the spirit of charitable donation, Brooks insisted, “You have to wait until the book comes out.” And finally, for the younger crowd, there is a recipe for Glurch — a rubbery, Silly Putty-like substance that Brooks said is great for kids and grandkids. Due to the time constraints that come with meeting a deadline, Brooks admitted that there was one thing that didn’t make the book, something for those that haven’t yet embraced the idea of cooking from home. “I wanted to get a section of all the takeout restaurants,” she said. “Maybe that will be in volume two.” On the delivery date, Brooks will be receiving 440 books, which can be pre-ordered by contacting Brooks. Information: 952-937-8205.
‘Slumper’ charged with felony A Minnetonka woman has been charged with a felony after getting drunk and passing out in her car in an Eden Prairie church parking lot. Visit The following minnlocal.com details were in the for videos, more criminal complaint photos and daily filed in Hennepin news updates County District Court. On Thursday, Oct. 7, officers responded to reports of a “slumper” in the Wooddale Church parking lot, 6330 Shady Oak Road, Eden Prairie. Officers approached and spoke to
Mary Hagen, 59, who sat in the car, which was running. She had bloodshot and watery eyes and officers could smell alcohol. Hagen failed field sobriety tests. After her arrest, an Intoxilyzer indicated a blood alcohol concentration of .18. She has three prior alcohol-related violations in the past ten years. She was convicted of Driving While Under the Influence on Sept. 30, 2010, Dec. 16, 2005 and Jan. 27, 2005. Hagen has been charged with first- degree driving while impaired, a felony. She could face three to seven years in prison along with a $4,2000 to $14,000 fine.
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Eden Prairie Sun-Current – Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010 – www.minnlocal.com
In the Community, With the Community, For the Community
Interim city manager chosen; new water rates are approved Parks and Recreation Department Director Jay Lotthammer will be interim city manager BY PAUL GROESSEL • SUN NEWSPAPERS The Eden Prairie City Council has named an interim city manager and approved new water rates. During its Oct. 19 meeting, the City Council approved Parks and Recreation Department Director Jay Lotthammer as the interim city manager, to fill in for Scott Neal after his last day Oct. 28. Neal will begin as Edina’s city manager Monday, Nov. 8. At the last meeting, the City Council had considered bringing in someone from outside the city staff, but it was believed going outside the city would be more costly. Neal recommended Lotthammer to fill in for him. Like Edina gave its interim city manager before Neal takes over, Lotthammer will receive a temporary 10 percent salary increase while filling in. Discussions about finding a new, full-time city manager took place during a worksession, before the regular meeting. City Council members discussed interview timelines for candidates with Greg Albrecht of M&A Executive Search, hired in early October to lead the search. City manager finalists could be selected by mid-December, narrowed
down after City Council members individually interview a pool of eight or nine candidates. Once finalists are selected, their names will be made public, and they are anticipated to go through rounds of interviews with the entire City Council, city department heads, community leaders, City Council members- and mayor-elect, and the public during a community meet and greet. New water rates were also approved, effective Jan. 1, 2011. However, residential homes will not see a change in their bills until April since the city bills quarterly. A new rate structure has been implemented to encourage water conservation but also build funds for future water main replacements and other water utility projects. There is a flat service fee, and usage rates will be tiered. The lowest tier, 0-36,000 gallons of usage, will be charged $1.80 per 1,000 gallons, an increase of five cents. Around 79 percent of residents are expected to fall in the first tier, according to Finance Director Sue Kotchevar. There are five tiers for residential meters. The highest is for more than 78,000 gallons of usage, at $4.30 per 1,000 gallons.
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A cigarette may have started a two-story house fire Sunday, Oct. 17, on the 6400 block of Evergreen Court, Eden Prairie. (Submitted photo)
Discarded cigarette causes two-story house fire in EP BY PAUL GROESSEL • SUN NEWSPAPERS A cigarette may have started a twostory house fire Sunday, Oct. 17, on the 6400 block of Evergreen Court, Eden Prairie. Police and fire responded around 10:30 a.m. after a passerby called 911 and knocked on the residents’ door, alerting them of the fire. Eden Prairie Fire Chief George Esbensen said the fire started on the outside of the house and then moved into the attic. It seems to have been caused by a discarded cigarette in a container on the back deck, he said. “It did a lot of damage to their home, and they’re very fortunate to have gotten out,” Esbensen said, “And, it was all due
to a bystander that saw their house was on fire.” The residents were not injured, and neighbors were not evacuated. The Red Cross is assisting the residents of the home. The fire caused a couple hundred thousand dollars in damage, Esbensen said. There was not a lot of fire damage to the body of the home, but there was smoke and water damage. Edina and Minnetonka fire departments also responded to the call. Firefighters stopped the fire in about 3540 minutes Esbensen said. The three leading causes of fire in the country are cooking, open flame and cigarettes. Take those away, and 95 percent of fires wouldn’t happen, Esbensen said.
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In the Community, With the Community, For the Community
Hopkins school district voters will decide fate of referendum District seeks new capital projects levy, capital bond BY MARC INGBER • SUN NEWSPAPERS Though there are no School Board elections in Hopkins this year, the district is putting a referendum on the ballot Nov. 2. The district’s referendum will include two ballot questions – one for a capital projects levy for curriculum and technology and the other for a capital bond for safety and security construction improvements. Hopkins will ask voters to approve a capital projects levy of $6.5 million annually for the next 10 years. If approved, the levy will revoke and replace the current $3.5 million levy voters approved in 2001 that expires in 2012. The district stated the levy would strengthen its “fiscal and financial stability by providing significant and much-needed financial relief to the district’s general fund, which is used for day-to-day operating expenses such as teacher salaries.” It stated it would benefit every student in every class and be used to pur-
chase up-to-date curriculum, textbooks and instructional materials. The referendum’s other question will ask voters to approve a one-time capital bond of $3 million to support safety and security improvements, which would be repaid over the next 10 years. The capital bond funds would be used to improve security at all school entrances, install enhanced video monitoring equipment at all schools and increase safety and improve parking and traffic flow at selected schools. Hopkins is planning to lower other district levies to minimize the tax impact for residents. As a result, the net increase is expected to be $1.5 million, according to the district. The annual tax increase of the Capital Projects Levy ranges from $33 per year on a home valued at $200,000 to $82 per year on a home valued at $500,000. The tax impact of the capital bond ranges from $8 per year on a home valued at $200,000 to $19 per year on a home valued at $500,000. The General Election will be held Tuesday, Nov. 2.
EDUCATION EP students earn national AP award Eden Prairie High School students, Jieming Liu and Quian Longare are among 109 students nationwide to earn the “College Board State AP Scholar Awards” based on their outstanding performance on the 2010 Advanced Placement Exams. The College Board presents the award to the top male and female students in each state and the District of Columbia, with scores of 3 or higher on the greatest number of AP exams and the highest average score (at least 3.5) on all AP exams taken. Gov. Tim Pawlenty proclaimed the week of Oct. 11 as AP Week to highlight Minnesota’s Advanced Placement courses throughout the state.
Regalia places fourth Hopkins High School’s 2010 Regalia placed fourth in the Best in Show competition at the Minnesota High School Press Association’s annual fall convention and received the All-State Silver Award.
www.minnlocal.com – Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010 – Eden Prairie Sun-Current
11455 Viking Drive, Suite 270 Eden Prairie, MN 55344
Ph: 952.944.2830 www.epchamber.org
The Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce is a business organization that strives to be the catalyst for a vibrant community. As the Eden Prairie connection to business and community, we offer various programs, volunteer opportunities and experiences for Chamber Members, Eden Prairie citizens and students. Take a look at what’s coming up soon and visit epchamber.org for details!
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The Regalia is a 288-page publication students in the yearbook class produce entirely. Last year’s editors were Alexis Fishman and Alexis Kessler, and Jeff Kocur has been advising the yearbook since 2001. The 2011 yearbook is available for sale at www.jostensyearbooks.com.
Young People’s Concert The Hopkins High School orchestras will perform their annual Young People’s Concert 6:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 28, in the school’s gymnasium. Face painting, balloon animals, snacks and an “instrument petting zoo,” at which children can try out orchestra instruments, will precede the concert at 6 p.m. The music will include selections from “The Lion King,” “The Incredibles,” “Mickey Mouse March,” “Do, Re. M” and “Pirates of the Caribbean.” Admission is free and children are invited to wear their pajamas and bring their blankets to sit on the gym floor. Hopkins High School is located at 2400 Lindbergh Drive, Minnetonka.
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Eden Prairie Sun-Current – Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010 – www.minnlocal.com
In the Community, With the Community, For the Community
‘Money’ talks: Magazine’s staff addresses investment issues BY PAUL GROESSEL • SUN NEWSPAPERS Even though most people in the area know “Money” magazine named Eden Prairie the number one small city in America during the summer, they may not have the financial wisdom the magazine’s editors and writers have. They’ll admit they are not financial planners, but they had some knowledge worth sharing during a “Take Charge LIVE!” event at the Eden Prairie High school Thursday, Oct. 14. Editors and writers took the auditorium stage to address investment and budgeting issues during the second of three cities they’ll visit. Mayor Phil Young made opening comments before Publisher Frank Wall addressed the audience. With a protest regarding a new Eden Prairie Elementary school boundary map going on outside the school, Wall joked it was like walking through Rockefeller Center in New York to get inside. He said there is obviously something going on regarding schools and politely asked that the discussion stick to financial matters, and it did. A four-member panel addressed a few topics before opening up questions to audience members. Topics included investing in bonds or stocks, re-defining long-term stock investment, retirement planning, budgeting and financial advice for young adults. “Money” magazine senior editor Paul Lim said people may learn new expectations from stock market’s decline and fluctuations over the past couple years. In the 1990’s, investing in a stock for two years was considered a long time, he said. Since 2008, the definition of long-term investing may have changed. Committed investors can expect more than a decade of investment, maybe even 15 years, he said. Managing editor Craig Matters said research shows
(Above) Editors and writers from “Money” magazine came to its number one city in the country to share their financial wisdom Oct. 14. From left to right, managing editor Craig Matters, writer Carolyn Bigda, senior editors Paul Lim and Walter Updegrave and publisher Frank Wall. (At left) Audience member Maura Steblay (left) talks with “Money” magazine writer Carolyn Bigda and Todd Christenson talks with senior editor Paul Lim (right) after the forum at Eden Prairie High School. (Photos by Paul Groessel • Sun Newspapers) that stock market investment drops aren’t once-in-a-lifetime events like people expected, and the recent drop shows that long-term investing can be really good, while short-term and even medium-term investing “can kill you.” Senior editor Walter Updegrave said investment diversification isn’t dead, it’s just about having realistic expectations for returns on investment. Diversifying does-
n’t guarantee an investor won’t have losses or that all investments will go down, he said. Diversifying was intended to have different investments that offset each other. For instance, when stocks went down 30 percent in the 2008 crash, there were treasuries that went up five percent and some bonds that increased as well. Writer Carolyn Bigda said it’s wise not to chase hot invest-
ments. Many people invested in bonds after 2008, but doing that now could be too late, she said. There was also talk of budgeting. And buckets. Bigda suggested using a “bucket” budgeting approach. In the first bucket goes savings. In the second bucket goes fixed expenses — bills and such. If possible, have both of those automatically withdrawn from or to the right bank account. That way, the budgeter is forced
to live off the third bucket, which is for discretionary and living expenses. Updegrave uses a two-line budget, he said. The first line has earnings. The second line is “how much can I save?” If you make $50,000 a year, maybe you can save $5,000. Put that money aside right away, he said, and it forces you to live off the rest. The important thing is to put your money away, he said. Behavioral economists encourage people to give a proper name to their savings fund, like “the 2010 Hawaii vacation fund” and make it a visible goal, Bigda said. Getting the entire family involved in savings and knowing weaknesses help thwart off unneeded (but wanted) expenditures. Lim agreed. “If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes more than a village to raise your savings rate,” he said. For instance, Lim wanted to buy a nice new, expensive television, but talked to his wife about it first, and they came to a compromise. “Just verbalize all your spending desires.” He laughed. “And, it’ll save your marriage.” Audience member and financial advisor Maura Steblay asked the panel what young people (especially women since they have a longer life expectancy) should do to save for the future. She feared the younger generation might not put money into social security because they don’t trust it. Bigda said this type of market is great for young investors, because hopefully they can invest during a bear market and retire when the market is up. Matters said housing makes sense again if it’s possible to put a 20 percent down payment for a house, as long as the purchaser wasn’t just in it to make money. And, finally, young investors can come up with a diverse portfolio at a low cost, Matters said. People can invest with as little as $1,000, and with a grin, smile and short laugh, he said that was discussed on page 75 of the newest issue of “Money” magazine.
www.minnlocal.com – Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010 – Eden Prairie Sun-Current
In the Community, With the Community, For the Community
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Trying to figure out Eden Prairie property taxes can be difficult Watershed, school districts create tax variances throughout city BY PATRICK LOCH • SUN NEWSPAPERS In Eden Prairie, not everybody pays the same property tax. But it’s not simply a matter of home and property value that account for the discrepancy. While those two factors do play a role, the different districts in which those properties are positioned also factor into the equation. In Eden Prairie, there are three school districts, Minnetonka, Hopkins and Eden Prairie. Likewise, there are three watershed districts, Riley Purgatory Bluff Creek, Nine Mile Creek and Lower Minnesota River. In the case of school districts, the boundaries determine how much a resident will pay and where their children will attend school. This overlap is responsible for a majority of the tax disparity. For the most part, residents face a “different tax rate because [of the] different school districts,” said City Manager Scott Neal. Where the school district division is widely understood, the watershed district impact may warrant further explanation. First, a watershed district exists in a geographical boundary that encompasses a body of water and the
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area of land that drains water into it. There are 45 watershed districts in Minnesota, usually named after the body of water found in that district. The districts are in place to “protect the lakes, streams and rivers of a watershed,” said Neal. Therefore, they require money. Each watershed district collects taxes from the residents that own property within the boundaries of that district, much like school districts do. Additionally, each district imposes a different tax rate. Rather than have residents receive individual bills from multiple entities, the city of Eden Prairie created six unique taxing areas – or UTAs — to consolidate what would be owed. There are only six UTAs because not all districts overlap, which is “why there are more statistical combinations of UTAs in theory than there are in reality,” said Neal. For example, the Minnetonka School District in Eden Prairie only shares boundaries with the Riley Purgatory Bluff Creek Watershed and not the other two, thus eliminating two potential UTAs. When a resident pays property taxes, he is actually paying all of the major entities — the Metropolitan Council, Hennepin County, Three Rivers Park District and the city of Eden Prairie, as well as one of the three watershed and a school district, according to Neal. “[There is] a lot of information on one consolidated tax bill,” he said. Being able to pay all those entities on one bill is something the city decided to do long ago.
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“It’s like taking your cable, phone, gas, utilities — granted that would never happen — and pay them all at once,” he said.
The Misconception But the confusion surrounding property tax goes further than the tax variation caused by school and watershed districts. Most residents believe that “if property value goes down, then taxes go down,” said Neal. “It’s not a foolish perception.” But it’s definitely not the case. The major entities that require taxes first fix a budget, then tax the citizens at a rate that will fund that budget. Further confounding the issue, there are hypothetical situations that make possible an increase in property taxes even when those entities choose not to increase the tax burden. “Other property values [commercial properties] are going down quicker than residential,” said Neal. So essentially, residential properties may have to pay a portion of the tax burden that falling-value properties would no longer be assessed. This is a hypothetical scenario, but it really is just scratching the surface of the muddy waters surrounding Eden Prairie’s extensive tax laws. Neal addresses other points of property tax confusion in his latest blog, available from the city’s website. Information: edenprairie.org.
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Eden Prairie Sun-Current – Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010 – www.minnlocal.com
Who are you listening to? BY REV. JAC PERRIN • GUEST COLUMNIST In Sylvia Nasar’s book about Nobel Laureate John Nash, there are several allusions to a process often used by brilliant people to derive incredible insights. They often get a first intuition from a personal spirit. One brilliant Indian mathemetician, Srinivasa Ramanujan, said that he got his remarkable insights into the mysteries of higher math via a personal familiar spirit he even named. John Nash (the protagonist of the film “A Beautiful Mind”) had a stellar rise to the pinnacle of world famous mathematicians but then lost it all as a result of becoming schizophrenic. After many years of being out of academia and in and out of mental hospitals for treatment, he regained his sanity and was able to give interviews. When he was asked why he could not tell the schizophrenic voices in his head from reality, he replied, “they were the same voices that gave me my mathematical insight.” Throughout his illustrious career, Nash would look at a chalkboard full of formulas and instinctively know the answer before even doing the equation. In fact, he usually had to spend lots of time working backwards from the correct answer through the problem so he could explain the many steps to its solution. Although this kind of interaction between the spirit world and the material world may seem out of place in this day and age, it really is as old as human history itself. Socrates communed with a familiar spirit in making his daily decisions. Homer recognized nine “muses.” Hesiod further names and describes each of these creative spir-
GUEST COLUMN its and their particular specialties. Clio was for speech, Calliope for the beautiful voice, etc. Sometimes these muses amounted to nothing more than an ideal or an abstract concept, but even today, they are alluded to in so much of our creative milieu. When Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin describes the moments in which he so easily derived the lyrics to his famous song “Stairway to Heaven,” I believe he is describing the channeling of a muse. He is clear about how involuntary the whole process was: “… my hand was writing out the words, ‘There’s a lady is sure [sic], all that glitters is gold, and she’s buying a stairway to Heaven.’ I just sat there and looked at them and almost leapt out of my seat.” (Wikipedia) So if we accept the idea that there is a spirit world that seeks to speak to us, this begs the question, to whom are we listening? Are we listening to negative voices or to the positive and benevolent voice of God? The Bible tells us the kinds of things we should spend our time listening to and thinking about: “Finally, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Phil. 4:8 (KJV) The Rev. Jac Perrin is senior pastor of Eden Prairie Assembly of God church, 16591 Duck Lake Trail, Eden Prairie.
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COMMUNITY NOTES Russian Ballet’s ‘Great Pumpkin’ show Oct. 31
2010 Kids’ Fall Fest scheduled Oct. 30
The Academy of Russian Ballet, located in Eden Prairie will have its annual “The Great Pumpkin Rescue,” 12 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 31, at the Eden Prairie High School auditorium, 17185 Valley View Road. The show is all ages, and academy students will perform Halloween Pumpkin, with contemporary music. Tickets range from $12 to $18, but admission is free for children under 4. Information: 612-636-3167.
Eden Prairie Presbyterian Church, City Hill Fellowship Church, Wooddale Church, Life Church and Prairie Hill Evangelical Church have joined together to sponsor the 2010 Kids’ Fall Fest. The event is 12-2:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 30, at Eden Prairie High School. Activities include puppet shows, raffle drawings, lunch and games for all ages. Admission is free. A hotdog, chips and a cookie will be available for $2. Eden Prairie High School is located at 17185 Valley View Road. Information: eppc.com.
Twin Cities region receives HUD grant The Twin Cities has been awarded a $5 million planning grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. With the help of local matching funds, the grant will support planning along the region’s growing network of transit corridors, including the Southwest Transitway light-rail line. The grant is part of HUD’s $100 million Sustainable Communities Initiative to build on existing regional planning efforts to advance multimodal transportation choices and promote affordable housing with access to jobs and housing, transitand pedestrian-friendly development, environmental preservation and energy efficiency.
Brain training seminar In a free seminar for adults, “Training the Brain to Improve Learning Ability,” is 6:30-8 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 2, at the Therapy for Me! clinic, 7570 Market Drive, Eden Prairie. Baird Johnson, Executive Director of LearningRx-Chanhassen, will present the scientific foundation behind brain training, demonstrate specific training techniques used to strengthen mental skills and explain the connection to improved learning, reading ability, attention skills and academic performance. Registration is required and available by calling the clinic. Information: 952-944-0240.
Fundraiser set Nov. 7 The Relay for Life of Eden Prairie team, “Remission Accomplished,” is sponsoring a holiday market 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 7, at the Eden Prairie Community Center, 16700 Valley View Road. There will be a variety of products, and admission and parking are free. This benefit boutique will feature more than 40 craft and specialty vendors whose participation fees comprise the fundraiser aspect of the event. The fundraiser will benefit the American Cancer Society. Information: 952-937-1497.
DAR meets Nov. 11 The Daughters of the American Revolution Monument Chapter, which includes Edina, Bloomington, Hopkins and Eden Prairie, will meet 11 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 11, at the Edina Historical Society, 4711 W. 70th St. On view will be the Society’s latest exhibit “Edina’s Greatest Generation.” DAR is dedicated to promoting patriotism, education and historical preservation. Any woman 18 years or older, regardless of race, religion or ethnic background, who can prove lineal descent from a patriot of the American revolution is eligible for membership. For information contact Dianne Plunkett Latham at 952-941-3542 or www.rootsweb.com/ ~mnmcdar.
In the Community, With the Community, For the Community
www.minnlocal.com – Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010 – Eden Prairie Sun-Current
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From left, Char Plitman of Minneapolis, Patty Clark of Eden Prairie and Karen Heuchert of Eden Prairie plant tulip bulbs to commemorate breast cancer awareness month Wednesday, Oct. 13, at the Mall of America in Bloomington. (Photos courtesy of Craig Lassig • craiglassig.com.)
Amy’s Garden takes root at MOA BY NICK CLARK • SUN NEWSPAPERS October is breast cancer awareness month, so naturally, the Mall of America has a presence. Already home to the Twin Cities Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure each Mother’s Day, the mall is now the sight of a pink tulip garden planted last week that will honor all in the fight against breast cancer. Minnesota-based Caribou Coffee funded the planting of Amy’s Garden, which took place Oct. 13 on the lawn area outside of the Mall of America’s north entrance. In all, 30,000 pick tulips were planted in the garden, which was named in honor of former Caribou roast master Amy Erickson, who was just 33 years old when she lost her battle with breast cancer in 1995. It also coincided with the 15th anniversary of the introduction of Caribou’s Amy’s Blend roast, a roast Caribou introduced as a way to remember their lost loved one. “With this being our 15th year offering Amy’s Blend to our customers, we wanted to do something special and invite our customers to joins us in the cause by honoring their loved ones touched by breast cancer,” said Caribou Director of Marketing Sarah Townes. “The garden idea came to life as we were remembering Amy and everything she loved. The tulip is her favorite flower, so we decided we would plant pink tulips in CMYK
Minnesota-based Caribou Coffee, which sells an exclusive line of Amy’s Blend coffee and tea to support Susan G. Komen for the Cure, estimates that the 4,000-square-foot garden will ultimately hold more than 30,000 pink tulips, all to honor friends and family who have been touched by breast cancer. Amy’s Garden to help generate more awareness.” Amy’s Garden consists of four separate areas, with the middle two highlighted by a tulip-filled pink ribbon shape that has forever been connected with the fight against breast cancer. The 30,000 tulips cover 4,000 square feet of garden, each of which was attended to by countless volunteers last week on the Mall of America’s north lawn.
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Eden Prairie Sun-Current – Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010 – www.minnlocal.com
In the Community, With the Community, For the Community
Three Rivers Park District to hold open house for volunteers Oct. 23
Among the volunteers Three Rivers Park District will be seeking at an open house Oct. 23 is workers to help with fall special events. (Submitted photo)
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If you’ve ever been lost or needed first aid while biking in Elm Creek Park Reserve, you may have come in contact with Doug Mason. He is one of more than 1,700 volunteers who donate their time and talent to Three Rivers Park District. “I may put in 700 to 1,000 miles a season doing bike patrol,” said the Maple Grove resident who has been volunteering for nine years. “During the winter I do the same duties except on cross country skis.” The park district will be holding its fall volunteer opportunities open house Saturday, Oct. 23. Those wishing to join Mason should plan to attend. Of particular need are volunteers who would be willing to assist with upcoming Halloween and other holiday-themed events, according to Noreen Buhmann, volunteer resources manager for Three Rivers. If you enjoy working with school children, Buhmann has a place for you. “Our nature centers are seeking school program staff to assist with interpretive efforts,” said Buhmann, who has served with the district for three years. “A school bus full of kids pulls up, the kids come in and learn about critters who live in the winter and survive.” If your skills are sufficient, you may be a presenter. You may also be the person who helps keep tabs of the children. Do you enjoy feeding snakes and turtles and cleaning up after them? Volunteers are needed for those jobs, as well. Three Rivers, based in Plymouth, manages park reserves, regional parks, regional trails and special-use facilities in the Twin Cities, covering 27,000 acres. Volunteers generally fall into two categories, according to Buhmann, a resident of Robbinsdale. They either come on a regular basis or show up for one or two events a year. You can be young (at least 16) or old, you can come as a group or as an individual. Some volunteer slots require training, others do not. Certain volunteers must undergo a background check. In addition to doing something for your community, you have the opportunity to do something for yourself.
If you go Three Rivers Park District’s Volunteer Opportunities Open House will be 10:30 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 23, at Richardson Nature Center in Hyland Park Reserve, Bloomington. Registration is preferred. Call 763-559-6706.
“During the summer months, I carry small bottles of water in my bike bag, ready to hand to runners, bikers and skaters,” said Mason. “They really appreciate it. I am a runner and biker, so this gives me an opportunity to be outdoors and get some exercise while helping others.” Thomas Ward is also a park patrol volunteer for Three Rivers. “Since I live in Champlin, it is most convenient for me to patrol the trails from Coon Rapids Dam to Fish Lake Park and then to ride the 19 miles of paved trail to Elm Creek Park,” said Ward, who has been volunteering for 14 years. “Most of the time we answer questions and help with directions.” If something of a more serious nature is required, Ward puts his CPR training and background as a paramedic to work. “Now that I’m retired, it is good to have a way to continue to give,” Ward said. In addition to retirees, the park district has an abundance of young people who volunteer, Buhmann said. For instance, Prairie Seeds Academy, a charter school in Brooklyn Park, helps collect flower seeds each year. Students from Groves Academy, a private school in St. Louis Park, help build furniture and fix fences. “If we needed a staircase built to the moon, they would do it – happily,” said Bumann. The district also benefits from college students who have difficulty finding jobs in the down economy looking for internships in biology and other sciences. Three Rivers also has two full-time members of Minnesota GreenCorps working with it through a federal grant. “I would absolutely recommend volunteering,” said Ward. “It need not be a huge time commitment, but it could be if you have the time.”
In the Community, With the Community, For the Community
www.minnlocal.com – Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010 – Eden Prairie Sun-Current
2010 S UN N EWSPAPERS
VOTERS GUIDE Two candidates running for mayor in Eden Prairie BY PAUL GROESSEL • SUN NEWSPAPERS Voters will choose between two Eden Prairie mayoral candidates on Nov. 2. Running are Jon Duckstad and Nancy Tyra-Lukens. The term is four years. The salary is $9,900 per year. To see video of seven questions asked of the mayoral candidates, visit www.MinnLocal.com.
Jon Duckstad Address: 8066 Timber Lake Drive, Eden Prairie Age: 76 Family: Wife, Carole Jean and four daughters Education: Not provided Occupation: Attorney Years in Eden Prairie: 7 Community/civic organizations involvement: Eden Prairie Lions and Mitchell Lake Association Information: jonduckstad@yahoo.com. Jon Duckstad is running for Mayor because he wants to continue to do everything he can to preserve the city’s high level of excellence, he said. “I want to make sure that we keep that momentum going forward,” he said. Having served on the City Council the last four years, he has a good idea of what makes the city work so well and function at a high level. Prior to that, he worked in government related entities, like the Planning commission and the Southwest Transit Commission. The Town Center and Golden Triangle area development provide objective for long-term planning, he said. There has been a thriving commercial and industrial job market. The Golden Triangle Development area has been designated the industrial area with more room for development, and there’s a five-year plan for the Major Center Area. Duckstad said there was $8 million or $9 million in an economic development fund for adding amenities, expanding roads and sidewalks in the Major Center Area. He said such development should come from the private sector, through the standard development process with the city and later on, those businesses can create or allow added amenities to the area, not come from taxpayers.
When asked if it’s reasonable to have a zero percent tax increase over the long-term, Duckstad said it’s important to look at each budget on a year-to-year basis and try and keep money in the residents’ pockets. Duckstad all the matters City Council faces are important, but nothing is more important than the issue of spending or budgeting. The last couple of years have been difficult with the economy and a shortage of revenue available to the city, he said. The city needs good and responsive services, he said, but there are difficult considerations when it comes to budgeting. Local Government Aid from the state has been reduced over the past six years, which was initially intended to take pressure of taxpayers, he said. Because of a lack of development in Eden Prairie, there has been a reduction in development fees coming into the city, but recently that has started to come back, he said. He said it’s important not to cut core government services, but find out which are wanted as opposed to necessary and eliminate them from the budget.
Nancy Tyra-Lukens Address: 14695 Queens Trail, Eden Prairie Age: 57 Family: Husband Jeff and three children Education: M.B.A. Finance, Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota Occupation: Community Service Years in Eden Prairie: 25 years Community/civic organizations involvement: Eden Prairie Foundation, current president; Southwest Transit Commission, 16 years; Eden Prairie mayor, 2002-2006 and City Councilmember 1994-2002 Information: www.nancytyralukens.com “I’m running for mayor because I really love Eden Prairie,” and her family is deeply routed in the city, she said. Tyra-Lukens said she has a proven track record, serving five years as mayor, with 12 years of City Council experience. She has also served on transit commissions. When she started on the City Council in 1994, Eden Prairie was growing by keeps and bounds, she said, and the city could hardly keep up with demand for roads parks and new development.
There was also no Capital Improvement Plan or Fund and there had not been a whole lot of future planning, she said, which she then helped establish, along with a Business Development Fund to support and attract business development. “Well, what I’ve seen happening in the last four years has really dismayed me,” she said. She said the current City Council believes most important thing is keep taxes down, even though the budget has increased. The budgets have increased, but levy has been flat, so they’ve had to take from the Economic Development and Budget stabilization funds, which could be empty in a couple years, she said. Some of the funds are being depleted by the current City Council, and how would the city deal with deficits without raising taxes or making
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major cuts in the future if trends continue, she said. “It’s always reasonable to try and keep taxes flat,” she said, and the goal should be to keep them as low as possible. The current deficit spending model is something that isn’t wise stewardship at all, she said. The city has always had a vibrant economic base, and the development of the Golden Triangle technology area and Major Center area are important things to continue. The city has developed an ambitious plan to create more of a downtown environment for the Major Center Area, which residents have said for years is one thing that lacks, she said. Continuing to have development in that area would make the city more livable and generate more revenue. The city has one of the strongest economic bases in the state, the third largest economic drivers after Bloomington, St. Paul and Minneapolis. There’s no reason she can think of to not develop Golden Triangle and Major Center area, she said.
Keep Eden Prairie on track with responsible spending “I would not support raising property taxes in Eden Prairie during this dismal economy. When economists are projecting a slow recovery at best and our citizens are enduring their own belt-tightening, the city should do likewise. Keeping the total budget at zerogrowth achieves what property taxpayers deserve. “In that light, we will be best served if the City stays on the restrained course I have supported.”
Jon Duckstad is a member of the City Council. Long experienced in local government, he is an attorney as well as an adjunct professor at William Mitchell College of Law.
Elect Jon
Republican endorsed www.jonduckstad.net
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Prepared and paid for by Jon Duckstad for Eden Prairie Mayor, 8066 Timber Lake Dr., Eden Prairie, MN 55347, Floyd Berntsen, treasurer. CMYK
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Eden Prairie Sun-Current – Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010 – www.minnlocal.com
In the Community, With the Community, For the Community
2010 SUN NEWSPAPERS VOTERS GUIDE
Six candidates vie for two Eden Prairie City Council seats BY PAUL GROESSEL • SUN NEWSPAPERS Voters will select two candidates from six residents who have filed for an Eden Prairie City Council seat. Running for seats are Donna Azarian, Sherry Butcher Wickstrom, Dan Kitrell, Kathy Nelson, Jeremiah Pilon and Scott Pollino. The term is four years. The salary is $7,500 per year. City Council member terms for Jon Duckstad and Kathy Nelson are up for election. To see video of seven questions asked of the City Council candidates, visit www.MinnLocal.com.
Donna Azarian Address: 9068 Waverly Court, Eden Prairie Age: 48 Family: Husband, Martin and two daughters Education: B.A. Communication Arts Occupation: Small business owner Years in Eden Prairie: 17 Community or civic organization involvement: Senate District 42 Republican Party, Secretary; volunteer for Jenifer Loon’s State House of Representatives campaign; St. Hubert’s Fall Festival volunteer Info: donna4council.com. Donna Azarian said she’s running for City Council because “I feel we need to keep a fiscal majority on the City Council.” When asked about her qualifications, she said she’s is in charge of her household budget and was in charge of budgets at KMSP-TV, where she worked as head of the research department and at Time Warner Cable, where she worked as director of sales research. While in charge of those budgets, she had to make cutbacks while maintaining normal operations, she said. During her interview Sept. 14, Azarian was not aware City Manager Scott Neal accepted the Edina City Manger position. The budget will be the City Council’s biggest issue. In these tough economic times, the city’s budget is going to make or break a lot of families, she said. People are losing jobs and people’s homes are in foreclosure, she said. They don’t want to be taxed any more, and they want to be able to live in Eden Prairie, but they want to be able to afford to live in Eden Prairie, she said. When asked if it’s possible and reasonable to try keeping taxes flat over the long-term, she said, “I think it’s reasonable to try. You have to be smart about where the money is being spent. You have to carefully look at the budget.” She knows parks, trails and recreational facilities are important to residents, but when facing tough economic times, “we need to be really judicious about where the money is being spent” and carefully examining where the dollars go, she said.
If there are places where cutbacks or adjustments can happen, it needs to be done, she said. To cutback the budget, she said it’s about looking at different ways to do things, like taking bids from different companies to see if it’s possible to get a lower rate for different contractors, such as testing waste water systems in residential homes, which may have been overbid for the amount of work required. Long-term development in the Town Center and Golden Triangle technology area is important, she said. Business is the life-blood of the city, she said. Companies need to be enticed to develop in Eden Prairie and come spend money in Eden Prairie.
Sherry Butcher Wickstrom Address: 13463 Carmody Drive, Eden Prairie Age: 55 Family: Husband, Mark and three sons Education: Master of Arts in American History, University of Minnesota Occupation: Executive Director, Professional Training, Anoka Ramsey Community College Years in Eden Prairie: 29 Community or civic organization involvement: Served 12 years on the Eden Prairie City Council; served 5 years as member and chair of the Eden Prairie Heritage Commission; served five years as a trustee on the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust Info: sherrybutcherwickstrom.com Sherry Butcher Wickstrom said she’s running for City Council for a number of reasons. “One reason is I think we need to keep the city on track,” she said. “I think that there has been a lack of confidence in the current City Council. I think that one of the ramifications of that is that our city manager is leaving. I think there’s a message in that.” Eden Prairie has always been known as the plum job to have as a city manager, and leaving that job sends a message, she said. She thinks residents are also worried about the current economic situation around the state and the nation, but Eden Prairie is in a “very good place.” But, the city needs to get through the Great Recession, she said. “I’m running because I feel that we need to have that confidence. We need to figure out a way to be sustainable.” She also wants to hear more from the community and have more resident involvement about services they would like to have from the city. She said her consensus-builder leadership style is needed on the City Council. She has served 12 years on the City Council and was trustee on the board for the League Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust, which made decisions that were beneficial to cities all over Minnesota, she said. She has served on the Democratic Governance Committee for the National League of Cities, working
with cities around the country. That helped her see how cities do things well, “so you look for best practices.” Her professional experience directly applies to serving the public, she said. At Anoka Ramsey Community College she works with various businesses, organizations and government bodies to help them do their work better, she said. She also runs leadership programs and focuses on creative management strategies. Along with picking a new city manager, the budget will be the largest issue next year. “Budgeting is a very, very important aspect,” and people are worried about what there taxes will be, she said. Every year, inflation makes it difficult to keep a flat budget each year. The cost of commonly used goods increase, so keeping a flat budget means cuts in other areas would be needed.
there’s a need to maintain infrastructure, to maintain businesses and stay attractive to residents, he said. To some degree, developments in Town Center and the Golden Triangle area are more of an asset to businesses than they are to residents, he said. With the Town Center development, he likes the idea of a walkable community as projected in the city’s Comprehensive Plan. But, ultimately it’s up to the market if there’s a demand for that, he said. “It’s not so much what the City Council wants to do and what they’re vision is, it really is what the market is demanding,” he said. Golden Triangle development is a question for business and it also depends on what route the Light Rail Transit line will take, and the ability to put in infrastructure and amenities that attracts business, but again, it is a market decision, he said.
Dan Kitrell
Kathy Nelson
Address: 15731 Summit Drive, Eden Prairie Age: 48 Family: Wife, Jenny and one daughter Education: Masters of Business Administration, University of Minnesota Occupation: Vice President at Kantar Media Intelligence Years in Eden Prairie: 10 Community or civic organization involvement: A foster parent in Hennepin County and advocate for vulnerable children in our community. Info: www.Kitrell4EP.com Dan Kitrell said he could bring a citizen’s perspective and business experience to the City Council. “The main thing I bring to the City Council is really my 25 years of business experience” and understanding how to make a business run more efficiently, how to address the needs of the market place and how to manage budgets effectively. The biggest issue the City Council has to address will be fiscal discipline, living within the city’s means, with a budget that makes sense, hopefully spending less rather than taxing more, Kitrell said. With residential development almost at capacity, it’s important the city does two things, he said. The first is to continue increase property values by providing desirable amenities attractive to current and potential residents, including the Light Rail Transit system, even though those along the rail may be negatively impacted, he said. Attracting businesses is the second important thing to do, he said, and Eden Prairie employers were a big reason for “Money” magazine naming Eden Prairie the number one small city in America. When asked if it’s possible to maintain a flat tax levy over the long-term, Kitrell said there are negative consequences if the budget is cut too deeply. Residents have communicated clearly to him that the city does need to operate within its means, which could include zero percent budget increases, he said. But, obviously
Address: 8983 Preserve Blvd., Eden Prairie Age: 58 Family: Husband, Rick (deceased 2009) and 2 daughters Education: B.A. Communications, University of Minnesota Occupation: Eden Prairie City Councilmember Years in Eden Prairie: 18 Community or civic organization involvement: Eden Prairie City Council Member, elected 2006; Southwest Light Rail Transit Policy Board – member, representing Eden Prairie; Eden Prairie Foundation Board member, co-chair of the grants committee; Eden Prairie Chamber Government Committee Info: kathynelsonforedenprairie.com Kathy Nelson said she running for City Council because she has enjoyed what’s she’s done over the last four years on the City Council, and she feels like she’s made a difference. “Some questions don’t seem to get asked unless I ask them,” she said. She wants to continue working on projects like the Light Rail Transit line, which she has actively involved with. Regarding the City Council’s biggest challenge, “budget is always an issue lately, especially with the economy the way it’s been,” she said. But, buildings are starting to come back up and developers are showing more interest, she said. Next year specifically, the city will have deal with a flow and infiltration problem, with water from storms going into sanitary sewer lines. There’s been a survey of some city areas, but the Metropolitan Council has insisted the city get a handle on it, she said. EDEN PRAIRIE CITY COUNCIL: TO PAGE 23A
www.minnlocal.com – Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010 – Eden Prairie Sun-Current
In the Community, With the Community, For the Community
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2010 SUN NEWSPAPERS VOTERS GUIDE FROM PAGE 22A
Jeremiah Pilon
She said it is possible to keep taxes relatively flat, if any increase is in line with the increase of inflation, and keeping it flat will be the city’s goal over the long term. It is her goal, she said. She thinks they’ll have to look at a combination of cuts and a small increase, maybe around $8 a year. Overtime it’s very important to develop the Town Center and Golden Triangle technology area. Town Center is developing now, but may take 25 years to fully develop, she said. The building owners going in seem to be happy with the area, she said. “If you have a nice area, it ups the customer number, which is what people want, and it makes a very relaxing place to be as a resident and is good for the‌men and women in business,â€? she said. The Golden Triangle has a lot of single story buildings on valuable land that could become bigger, as addressed in the Comprehensive Plan. “It’s an odd area in that it’s a man-made island surrounded by free-ways, which does cause traffic problems, and it needs a little more transit into there and there will be Light Rail coming into there, and once that’s in, the city will probably see more businesses come in,â€? she said. Eden Prairie has done well with attracting businesses, and the business community is very vibrant, she said.
Address: 9997 Dell Road, Eden Prairie Age: 33 Family: Wife, Christina Education: Third-year law school student, expected to graduate May 2011 with a J.D. Occupation: full-time law student and parttime at Kona Grill in Eden Prairie. Years in Eden Prairie: 3 Community or civic organization involvement: Grace Church Info: JeremiahforCityCouncil@gmail.com Jeremiah Pilon said he’s running for City Council because he thinks one of the best ways to keep Eden Prairie one of the most desirable places to live is by focusing on families. It’s important to reach out to businesses, but it’s essential to focus on families, because once they settle here, they’ll stay for the long haul and that will continue to build the community, he said. There is an age-range gap in the city, he said. There are some older residents and a lot of younger residents, but in the 25-40 year-old range “we’re really lacking,� he said. Pilon said there are two unique aspects of his candidacy.
His first exposure to the city was in 2000, when he worked with area youth, tracking students from their eighth grade year through senior year of high school, he said. Through that, he saw challenges young families face and saw what the city has to offer. Also, his wife was born in Eden Prairie. Her family is settled here. He met his wife here, and they’re starting a family next year, he said. “We have a unique perspective of the challenges facing younger parents, especially as it comes to property taxes,� he said. Over the four-year City Council term, the Light Rail Transit implementation will be one of the biggest issues, he said. Next year, property taxes will be one of the biggest issues, based on input from residents, who don’t want their taxes raised. A unique aspect of the city is that residents know the level of comfort, good streets, wellgroomed parks and miles of trails available to them come at a cost, but given the current market place and economy, people also would like no tax increases in the short-term, so the city should work to spend only what it needs to spend. Over the long-term, he said it’s reasonable to try keeping taxes flat but not necessarily always possible. In regards to the importance of having a developed Town Center and Golden Triangle technology area, he said it’s important to attract new businesses into the city, so that should be a focus
since there is a long-term benefit for residents and helps bring in revenue to the city.
Scott Pollino Address: 15456 Village Woods Drive, Eden Prairie Age: 49 Family: Wife, Suzanne and two children Education: M.B.A., Cardinal Stritch University Occupation: Business Architect Years in Eden Prairie: 17 Community or civic organization involvement: none Info: scott.pollino@gmail.com Scott Pollino said there are two reasons he’s running for City Council. First, he believes in public service. He joined the Air Force out of high school and that set him up for his career, he said. Now, he’s reached a point in his life where he can give back to the city, he said. The second reason is that he feels the City Council might be lacking some common sense, and he hopes he can add to that instead of subtract from it, he said. EDEN PRAIRIE CITY COUNCIL: TO PAGE 24A
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Eden Prairie Sun-Current – Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010 – www.minnlocal.com
In the Community, With the Community, For the Community
2010 SUN NEWSPAPERS VOTERS GUIDE
Ruud, Stensrud vie for House District 42A seat
FROM PAGE 23A His qualifications for the seat include what he does in his day job, he said. He’s an enterprise business architect, he said, which includes working with multiple people, including those on the Internet Technology side of his business, developers who create code, system analysts and the architecture group, which is similar to a city planner’s work. So, that experience applies to the City Council, since there’s a need to look at big picture items but also know how things like budget cuts will affect individuals, he said. He’s not sure if it will roll over to next year, but one of the biggest issue City Council could face would be finding a new city manager, and he would be in favor of doing that as quickly as possible, he said. Over the long-term, it’s “definitely reasonable to try” and keep the tax levy flat, he said. Taxes are not the only revenue the city has. He referenced liquor stores as an example and said the city should possibly look at other sources of income. He said development in the Town Center and Golden Triangle technology area are part of the vital planning going forward, he said. “If you go to St. Louis Park and you go to the West End shops, they are just crawling with cars all times, day and night,” he said. “And, it’s amazing to me why we haven’t done something like that. That thing popped up in like three years. You know, it’s fun to go to. It attracts people from other cities. “And, I don’t see why there isn’t something that we could complete. With the Wal-Mart remodel and the space in the Golden Triangle, we definitely have the land to do it. We just need the leadership.”
BY PAUL GROESSEL • SUN NEWSPAPERS Voters will select from two candidates in the Minnesota House of Representatives District 42A race. The district covers Eden Prairie and Minnetonka. The candidates are incumbent Maria Ruud, DFL, and Kirk Stensrud, R. The term is two years. The salary is $31,140 per year. Below are the candidates’ responses to a questionnaire sent by Sun Newspapers, edited for style and space.
Maria Ruud Address: 4719 Diane Drive, Minnetonka Age: 49 Family: Husband, Mark and two children Education: MSN, nursing, University of California, San Francisco Occupation: Nurse Practitioner Years in community: 9 Community or civic organization involvement: Hubert H. Humphrey Institute Policy Fellow; Member, Saint Luke’s Presbyterian Church; and Uptown Community Clinic Info: maria4rep.com How should the Legislature resolve the budget shortfall? Which taxes or budget cuts would you support? … I am committed to working with both sides of the aisle to address the state’s $5.8 billion budget deficit. I will consider every idea to responsibly deliver a budget based on Minnesota’s highest priorities: good jobs, great schools, and safe communities. I will not support increasing income taxes on the middle class. Hard working Minnesotans are already struggling in these difficult economic times. … Over the last two years, we have carefully cut almost $4 billion from the state budget, doing our
★Elect★ THREE RIVERS PARKS
Commissioner
Rosemary
FRANZESE Prepared and paid for by Franzese Volunteer Committee
best to protect the most essential state services and inflict the least harm on Minnesota’s most vulnerable – our children, the elderly and the disabled. … Moving forward, we need a budget that responds to the needs of our changing state and achieves better outcomes for every dollar spent. We should begin by again reevaluating the way we deliver state government services in order to eliminate waste and inefficiencies … we should create ongoing audits of state government to eliminate wasteful spending and better manage taxpayer money. And, we should create a sunset council dedicated to finding and eliminating state agencies or commissions that are not working. How should education funding be addressed? Would you leave state aid to schools at the current level, raise it or cut it? Despite the serious fiscal challenges facing our state it is essential that we put Minnesota students first, and protect K-12 classrooms from any budget cuts. I will fight to maintain K-12 funding at the current level. Even in a time of scarce resources, we must maintain our commitment to Minnesota students. During good times and bad, our parents and grandparents remained committed to delivering the highest-quality education for Minnesota students. Continuing that commitment to a worldclass education system is important for our students and the long-term economic strength of our state. Anything else you would like to add? Minnesota’s most pressing deficit is a lack of jobs. …The Department of Employment and Economic Development … and Minnesota Management and Budget’s revenue calculations reveal that every time Minnesota’s employment rate drops 1 percent, state revenue decreases $659 million. Too many Minnesotans are still out of work. … It’s why I brought Democrats and Republicans together this year to form a bipartisan Small Business Caucus focused on creating jobs. The Small Business Caucus collectively recognized that state government can’t single-handedly create jobs – we have to partner with business leaders to address their concerns directly. … But there is much more work to do, and we are committed to doing that work together on items such as: providing tax credits to small businesses to help them create jobs; connecting our community colleges with local businesses to give student the skills they need for good jobs and help small businesses compete; and requiring state government to contract with local businesses so taxpayer dollars are creating jobs here, not overseas.
Kirk Stensrud Address: 6791 Tartan Curve Eden Prairie Age: 48 Family: Wife, Wendy and three children Education: B.A. Business Occupation: Owner of Fish Window Cleaning of Edina Years in community: 24 Community/civic organizations involvement: Owner of local business, member of Core Connections Business Networking, Member of Wooddale Church Info: kirkforstaterep.com. How should the Legislature resolve the budget shortfall? Which taxes or budget cuts would you support? Very few of the voters in our district have had a pay raise this last year. They are living on last year’s budget and are getting by on less. They want the government to do the same. We can hold to the same budget number as last year and not have to increase taxes. We should just spend the same amount as last year. That is what the business owners of our state are doing and this is what we should do as government. We owe it to the voters of our state. It should not really be that shocking. We will have enough revenue or more to fund our programs at the same rate as our prior budget. That should not be viewed as a cut. How should education funding be addressed? Would you leave state aid to schools at the current level, raise it or cut it? It’s important to adequately fund education and equally important are the results obtained with those dollars. We need to make certain that the State of Minnesota allow the local school districts to do what is needed with the limited dollars in the manner that works best for their individual school district. We want our kids to have the highest quality education possible and empower those elected to make decisions at the local level with the ability to achieve that level of quality. Anything else you would like to add? I have been door knocking and speaking with thousands of voters since I began my campaign in April. The overwhelming response I hear at the door is to stop spending my tax dollars and keep asking for more. The majority of voters have personally earned less than last year or felt the pinch of this economy. Many have lost their jobs. They tell me they do not want the legislature spending more than last year. We should honor the will of the people. After all, it’s their money.
www.minnlocal.com – Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010 – Eden Prairie Sun-Current
In the Community, With the Community, For the Community
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Eden Prairie Sun-Current – Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010 – www.minnlocal.com
In the Community, With the Community, For the Community
2010 SUN NEWSPAPERS VOTERS GUIDE Share your news with our readers The Sun-Current welcomes news from the community. If you, your organization or business has news, results or upcoming events you would like to share, we can help you spread the word. Please send your information to: Sun-Current, 33 Second St. N.E., Box 280, Osseo, MN 55369. You also may fax your information to us at 763-424-7388. You may e-mail us at suncurrentcentral@ acnpapers.com. All submissions must be received no later than 5 p.m. Thursday for possible publication the following Thursday. The newspaper reserves the right to edit all submissions. Information: 952-829-0797.
Maria Ruud State Representative 42A Eden Prairie and Minnetonka
In a negative campaign the first casualty is always truth. My opposition has chosen to distort my record. I want to set the record straight. 0 THKL [OL KPMÄJ\S[ JOVPJLZ and voted for the cuts that balanced our budget without raising taxes. I voted for the bill that invested in infrastructure and created jobs to help get our economy back on track. I founded the IPWHY[PZHU :THSS Business Caucus and passed seven new laws to improve our small business climate.
0 WSLKNLK [V ÄUK JVTTVU NYV\UK HUK 0 KPK 0 ILSPL]L PU YLZ\S[Z UV[ WVSP[PJZ w w w. m a r i a 4 r e p . c o m Prepared and paid for by Maria Ruud Volunteer Committee; 1815 Timberline Trail, Minnetonka, MN 55305
Daniels, Loon vie for House District 42B seat BY PAUL GROESSEL • SUN NEWSPAPERS Voters will select from two candidates in the Minnesota House of Representatives District 42B race. The district covers Eden Prairie. The candidates are Ray Daniels, DFL, and incumbent Jenifer Loon, R. The term is two years. The salary is $31,140 per year. Below are the candidates’ responses to a questionnaire sent by Sun Newspapers, edited for style and space.
Ray Daniels Address: 7520 Bittersweet Drive, Eden Prairie Age: 64 Family: Wife, Jean and 2 sons Education: B.A. in Elementary Education and BA in Computer Science Occupation: Semi-retired and reserve teacher Years in community: 14 Community or civic organization involvement: Member of the Eden Prairie Conservation Commission and Member of Toastmasters Club, Speakers After Hours Info: RayDanielsfor42B.com How should the Legislature resolve the budget shortfall? Which taxes or budget cuts would you support? Paul Wellstone said, “Politics is about the improvement of people’s lives.” We have reached a crisis in our recovery from the Great Recession. We can return to the greed and partisanship that brought us to this cliff or we can work together. The correct solutions are the ones that benefit the people who need our help and involve the rest of us in that solution. Spending cuts must not be at the expense of those who most need our help. They must not harm the children of Minnesota. They are our future. Increases in revenue must be done fairly. Those who are most able should do the most. How should education funding be addressed? Would you leave state aid to schools at the current level, raise it or cut it? Gov. Tim Pawlenty has vetoed responsible efforts to balance the budget through both spending cuts and increases in revenue. Instead, he has relied on temporary measures, budget gimmicks, and irresponsible spending shifts. The long-term effect is hurting our kids. This year our schools received $1.2 billion in I.O.U.s. After eight years of Governor Pawlenty’s “no new taxes” obsession, we cannot leave state aid to schools at the current level. We must raise it to restore it to the original level. Anything else you would like to add? I began a daily quest to knock on every door in District 42B. I hand each person I visit a brochure and ask them to study it and consider voting for me. I have been rained on, rained out, barked at, yelled at, ignored, thanked for running and wished good luck on the campaign. Why do I do it? The State of Minnesota is in the middle of a catastrophic financial crisis. Someone has to step forward as a calm voice of reason. Working in the legislature will require using the skills learned teaching kindergarten. The first trait is patience. The legislative is a deliberate body. Nothing is done in a day or a week. The second trait is the ability to “herd cats.” Kindergarteners have a mind of their own; so do legislators. You must be both organized and able to meet emergencies at the same time. The third trait is to lead. The House of Representative is made up of 134 diverse personalities. Getting them to agree on anything is extremely challenging. …
Jenifer Loon Address: 10131 Phaeton Drive, Eden Prairie Family: Husband, Doug and two daughters Education: B.A., Government and International Affairs Occupation: State Representative Years in Eden Prairie: 12 Community or civic organization involvement: Member of the Eden Prairie Morning Rotary; Member of the Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce; volunteer in the Eden Prairie schools. Information: www.jeniferloon.com How should the Legislature resolve the budget shortfall? Which taxes or budget cuts would you support? I favor an approach to government budgeting that mirrors what most Minnesota families are doing to survive a decrease in their earnings — spend first on necessities and stretch each dollar as far as it can go. Current forecasts indicate that state revenues may be 7 to 8 percent higher than in the previous budget period, but spending is slated to increase by far more than that amount, resulting in a shortfall of as much as $6 billion. A practical first step would be to examine the planned increases and align spending more closely to revenue projections. For example, Health and Human Services programs may seek a 32 percent increase in spending for the next biennium. That kind of growth in any one area of the budget simply isn’t sustainable and ripe for reform. I believe a thorough review and prioritization of spending must occur. Some programs may have to operate with zero increase, or incur a reduction, to meet needs deemed to be more critical in other areas. … How should education funding be addressed? Would you leave state aid to schools at the current level, raise it or cut it? A highly-skilled workforce is essential to Minnesota’s economic competitiveness and quality education is the key to preparing the next generation to succeed in a global economy. Adequate funding is important, but equally important are the results obtained with those dollars. Reforms that enhance accountability in the area of student achievement should accompany funding increases for K-12 education. In addition, the funding formula is long overdue for reform. In all but two of the past ten years, Eden Prairie has received less than the state per-pupil average. Some neighboring suburban districts receive as much as $1,500 more per student than Eden Prairie. These vast funding disparities are unfair to our students and to local taxpayers and need to be addressed. Anything else you would like to add? It has been an honor to serve as Representative for Eden Prairie’s citizens in District 42B for the past two years. I have strived to be an attentive listener to constituents’ views, an effective voice for their concerns, and a tireless worker for results that make a difference. My efforts in the legislature have focused upon improving our short and long-term employment outlook, helping individuals and small businesses gain access to more affordable health insurance and reforming outdated tax distribution programs that penalize Eden Prairie taxpayers. …
In the Community, With the Community, For the Community
www.minnlocal.com – Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010 – Eden Prairie Sun-Current
2010 SUN NEWSPAPERS VOTERS GUIDE
Case, Hann face off in Senate District 42 BY PAUL GROESSEL • SUN NEWSPAPERS Voters will select from two candidates in the Senate District 42 race. The district covers Eden Prairie and parts of Minnetonka. The candidates are Ron Case, DFL, and Incumbent David Hann, R. The term is two years. The salary is $31,140 per year. Below are the candidates’ responses to a questionnaire sent by Sun Newspapers, edited for style and space.
Ron Case Address: 9237 LaRivier Court, Eden Prairie Age: 55 Family: Kathie and four children Education: Doctor of Education in Leadership Occupation: Teacher, City Councilmember and adjunct college professor Years in Eden Prairie: 31 Community/civic organizations involvement: Eden Prairie City Council (14 years); Southwest Transit Commission (2000–2006, former Treasurer); and Southwest Cable Commission (14 years, Chair and current member). Information: roncaseforsenate@yahoo.com. How should the Legislature resolve the budget shortfall? Which taxes or budget cuts would you support? Clearly, resolving the budget deficit is issue number one with no simple solutions (if there were, we probably wouldn’t have a deficit!) However, most experts agree that a combination of cutting expenses, raising revenues and increasing borrowing is the most honest and probably only realistic solution that will eventually come out of the Legislature. Proposals to tax wealthier Minnesotans, initiate a sales tax on clothing or open a Racino are merely quick fixes to a broken tax code. Tax reform is needed to restructure how Minnesota raises revenues, to study at what levels of government various programs should be funded (statewide sales and income taxes versus local property tax for schools, etc.), and to decide the appropriate uses for tax credits to incentivize small business job creation, home ownership, and energy conservation and alternative fuel production. How should education funding be addressed? Would you leave state aid to schools at the current level, raise it or cut it? The future of Minnesota’s economy and therefore our quality of life depends on healthy and robust K-12 and higher education institutions. If we are to stay one of the premier technology and medical device creative engines of the nation, we cannot continue to deplete our public educational institutions of the resources they will need to lead the region into the next decade. We need to develop stable and sustainable funding mechanisms to ensure that K-12 and Higher Education receive increased funding adequate to the needs they have to maintain our educational institutions as leaders across the nation.
Anything else you would like to add? In this current environment of partisan bickering at the Capitol, we need fresh faces with experience in government who will go to St. Paul to work together in a collaborative and consensus building fashion to actually get something accomplished to the benefit of the people of Eden Prairie and Minnesota as well as all citizens of Minnesota.
David Hann Address: 8887 Sylvan Ridge, Eden Prairie Age: 58 Family: Anne; 4 children Education: B.A. - Religion Occupation: Business Process Consultant Years in Eden Prairie: 27 Community/civic organizations involvement: Wooddale Church and TwinWest Chamber of Commerce Information: www.hann4senate.com How should the Legislature resolve the budget shortfall? Which taxes or budget cuts would you support? Our current budget spends about $31 billion. The projected revenue for the next budget is about $33 billion. This is an increase of 6.5 percent. The “budget shortfall” is the result of projected increases in spending in the next budget of about $37 billion. This is an increase of about 19 percent from our current spending level. We should live with the revenue increase projected and not raise taxes on families and businesses in this economic climate to fund a 19 percent increase in spending. How should education funding be addressed? Would you leave state aid to schools at the current level, raise it or cut it? K-12 education spending is the single largest component of our state budget amounting to over 40 percent of the general fund. Given the constraints we face in the budget and the struggling economy, it is unlikely that significant increases in spending for K-12 will occur. We should look at the current funding formulas with a view to making sure that the things we are funding in education are productive and re-deploy the funds to other education efforts if they are not. I believe it would be prudent to hold salaries and benefits for public employees at the current levels for the next budget as a way to reduce the pressure on school districts, and we should eliminate as many state mandates on local school districts as possible. I also support the elimination of the current cap on local levies. Anything else you would like to add? We need to continue to work on health care reform in Minnesota. The DFL has promised to pass a, “universal, single-payer” style health care bill if they retain the majorities in the legislature and gain the Governor’s seat. This bill would make owning private health insurance in the state illegal and put out of business all private health insurers… We need to implement market based reforms such as allowing health care insurance to be purchased from any insurer in the country, creating stronger incentives for HSAs and Long-Term Care insurance, and improving the cost and coverage of the low-income health insurance programs.
County sheriff runs unopposed BY SETH ROWE • SUN NEWSPAPERS Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek is running unopposed for a second term. He answered questions regarding the position. The term is four years. The salary is $149,483 for 2010.
Rich Stanek Address: Maple Grove. Campaign address is P.O. Box 15131, Minneapolis, MN 55415 Age: 49 Family: Wife Sally, two children Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Minnesota and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Hamline University. Occupation: Law enforcement officer, currently sheriff of Hennepin County Years lived in city: 49 Community organizations involvement: Board member of the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities, board member of East Side Neighborhood Services and founder of the Hennepin County Sheriff Foundation. Information: sheriffstanek.com Why are you running for this position? Have you run for any other office before? There is a natural connection between being a law enforcement officer and serving in elected office. In my view, the best law enforcement officers view their work not simply as a profession but as public service, are connected to the community and work closely with community leaders. While I worked as an officer in Minneapolis, I was elected five times to the Minnesota House as a representative from Maple Grove. What three issues are most important to you in this race and what would you do to solve them? For four years, the Sheriff’s Office and local law enforcement have partnered to target violent crime, especially the lethal combination of guns, gangs, kids and drugs. From December 2006 to December 2009, we reduced violent crime in the County by more than 25 percent. Unfortunately, violent crime rates are back on the rise; we will con-
tinue to target violent crime through collaborative prevention and intervention. Agencies throughout Hennepin County have cut back our budgets to provide relief to taxpayers; however, adequately funding public safety is a core function of government. I will be advocating for public safety funding as a budget priority because crime prevention reduces costs across all criminal justice agencies, and the overall cost of government. Investing in and leveraging crime lab and communications technology is a high priority. New technology aids us in solving crimes faster, intervening before a crime occurs and allows us to assist residents more effectively. Are there any specific types of crime you intend to focus on? We continue to target violent crime. What type of dispatch center should Hennepin County have and where should it be located? The Sheriff’s Office operates a consolidated Dispatch Center in Golden Valley – providing 911 services to 19 Fire Departments and 23 Law Enforcement Agencies. We answer 600,000 calls annually. Tele-communicators use GPS to track calls and incidents. Local police and fire respond to residents. We have outgrown our aging facility; the building cannot support new equipment or current heating and cooling demands. I am working with the County Board to obtain approval for a new facility in Plymouth. Do you support allowing cities in Hennepin County that do not use the county dispatch system to join the system? Yes, the sheriff is mandated by statute to manage all emergency radio communications in Hennepin County. Years ago, several cities chose to operate their own Public Safety Answering Points, but in these economic times – with limited taxpayer funds – discussion of further consolidation makes sense. Hennepin County answers onethird of all calls, Minneapolis another one-third and the other cities answer the rest. In 2012 communities will decide again whether to dispatch for themselves or join the Sheriff’s Consolidated Dispatch. Nevertheless, the Sheriff’s Office must always stand ready to provide dispatching services to all residents.
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Eden Prairie Sun-Current – Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010 – www.minnlocal.com
In the Community, With the Community, For the Community
2010 SUN NEWSPAPERS VOTERS GUIDE
Park District 5 seat BY STEFANIE BRIGGS • SUN NEWSPAPERS Two candidates are vying for the Three Rivers Park District Board (also known as the Hennepin County Park Board) District 5 seat. Those candidates are incumbent Rosemary Franzese and John F. Gibbs. The Park District 5 seat serves the cities of Bloomington, Eden Prairie, St. Anthony, Chanhassen and Fort Snelling. A park commissioner’s annual base salary is $11,124 and for the chairperson it is $11,742. The term is two years. Each candidate was asked to fill out a biographical form and answer two questions. The answers to the questionnaire are below by candidate.
Rosemary Franzese Address: 3308 36th Avenue Northeast, St. Anthony Years lived in district: 37 Family: widowed, four children Education: B.A. degree in music from the College of St. Benedict Occupation: retired, previously computer diagnostic engineer Community involvement: Chair and Commissioner for City Planning Commission, board member on the Hennepin County Board of Equalization, School Board member Information: RF3308@aol.com Question 1: Why are you running for this position? Have you run for any other office before? (If so, list what, when and for how long.) Three Rivers Park District has a 52-year history of excellence and national prominence in environmental stewardship and nature based outdoor recreational and educational opportunities for Hennepin County residents. I take great pride in my accomplishments while serving on this policy board and am committed to carrying out our vision for these precious resources. I’ve strongly advocated for a prudent management of our financial resources, which has resulted in an AAA credit rating (a title belonging to only 30 counties out of more than 3,000 nationwide) while eliminating parking fees and making the parks free to everyone. In this challenging economic climate, my experience, informed perspective, effectiveness and love of the parks will be a continued asset to the Park District. Question 2: What three issues are most important to you in this race and what specifically would you do to solve them? Firstly, preserving our system of parks and trails is of paramount importance, to ensure that future generations will have opportunities to enhance the quality of their lives via natural resources. I will continue as a strong advocate for the improvement of water quality, reforestation and landscape restoration along with enhanced sustainability. Secondly, thoughtful prioritizing of projects is essential to protecting both the environment and the taxpayers. Future projects need to be carefully evaluated relative to their resultant operations and maintenance costs. I’m working to increase revenue streams without tax increases, to pursue mutually beneficial partnerships and to seek legislative relief for the burden to our taxpayers of maintaining the Coon Rapids Dam. I voted for a zero increase in the 2011 tax levy. Thirdly, boomers and seniors are projected to outnumber schoolaged children in Minnesota by 2020. It is important to balance our future programming to meet these changing demographics while providing nature based education and recreation opportunities across a broad spectrum of visitors’ ages and abilities. Question 3: What is the value of parks in the current economic climate?
As the economy falters with high unemployment, foreclosures and increased taxes, the value of regional parks rises. Regional parks contribute to the economic vitality and quality of life in our metropolitan area. The parks assume greater prominence for outdoor recreation at little or no cost while serving as an oasis for reflection and renewal.
Freeman unopposed
John F. Gibbs
Hennepin County Attorney Michael O. Freeman is unopposed in his bid for re-election this year. The mission statement of the Hennepin County Attorney Office is: “We serve justice and public safety through our commitment to ethical prosecution, crime prevention, and through innovative and reasoned client representation.” The term is four years. Sun Newspapers asked Freeman questions about the county and running for re-election.
Address: 9533 Virginia Avenue South, Bloomington Years lived in district: 35 Family: wife Theresa, four children Education: B.A. from the University of Minnesota and J.D., William Mitchell College of Law Occupation: Vice President, Comcast Community involvement: Board member and past president of the Hennepin County Library Board, board member on Ordway Center for the Performing Arts Board and former member and chair of the Bloomington Charter Commission Information: www.gibbsforparks.com Question 1: Why are you running for this position? Have you run for any other office before? (If so, list what, when and for how long.) We need a Bloomington or Eden Prairie resident on the Three Rivers Park Reserve District Board. Despite being home to Hyland, Bryant Lake and many other Three Rivers facilities, it has been nearly 20 years since we have had a resident of the southwest suburbs on the Board. I have never run for public office before, but as a longtime Bloomington resident and active park user I think I am well suited to represent our interests. Over 50 years ago wise leaders established the Hennepin parks to reserve land and habitat for the benefit of Hennepin County residents and assure nature based recreational opportunities for all. The resulting Three Rivers system is an important part of our quality of life in this metropolitan area, especially in the southwest suburbs. This is a time of challenged resources. My business experience, recent public leadership in the consolidation of the Hennepin and Minneapolis Public Library systems, philosophical commitment to fiscal responsibility and experience as a regular park user will help assure we get the most out of our great Three Rivers Park Reserve District. Question 2: What three issues are most important to you in this race and what specifically would you do to solve them? Fiscal Responsibility and Creativity. Reduced property values and the lingering recession have brought pressure on revenue. We should build on the District’s tradition of solid management, establish a strategic program to assure that we receive our appropriate share of the new Legacy tax revenues, creatively deploy those amounts and continue to review business operations like golf courses and ski areas to assure that all private sector best practices are considered. Encourage Utilization. Studies show that maintaining a healthy lifestyle can contain healthcare costs, increase productivity and enhance general well being. Three Rivers parks can be a big part of this. I know this firsthand as a regular skier, rollerblader, hiker and biker in the parks. I will work to assure that our parks are inviting, safe and open for recreation at times that fit users’ schedules. I will encourage programs that introduce new users to the benefits of the system. Strategic Planning/Mission. Recession-related revenue pressure and increased utilization of the parks makes it more important than ever to be strategic. We need to stick with the Three Rivers mission and avoid duplication with other levels of government. My recent experience on the Hennepin County Library Board will help. Question 3: What level of importance do you think parks should have given the current economic climate? Free, nearby and safe facilities are especially important in this time of economic stress and tight entertainment and travel budgets.
BY STEFANIE BRIGGS • SUN NEWSPAPERS
Michael O. Freeman Address: lives in south Minneapolis Years lived in county: nearly whole life Family: wife Kathleen, five children Education: B.A. from Rutgers University and a J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School Occupation: Hennepin County Attorney Community involvement: former Minnesota State Senate District 40, as Hennepin County Attorney he’s developed several innovative programs including the Domestic Abuse Service Center for victims of domestic violence and the Gun Buy Back program, which resulted in recapturing over 6000 guns from the street. Information: http://votemikefreeman.com/ Question 1: Why are you interested in being reelected to your post? I want to be re-elected as the Hennepin County Attorney because my plan is working and I want to see it through. Being the Hennepin County Attorney means not just pursuing justice in the courtroom on a daily basis, but also serving justice outside the courtroom by reaching out to the communities we serve. Our Community Prosecution Team regularly meets with law enforcement, city leaders and interested neighbors to build strong partnerships in improving each community we serve, city-by-city, neighborhood-by-neighborhood and block-by-block. I am very interested in making sure that every courtroom we enter has a great lawyer, working a good case, based on strong evidence. I am also very interested in finding ways to lower the crime rate and prevent the need for more prosecution, which I’ve done. When I learned that most juveniles who commit crimes were truant from school first, I created and implemented the Hennepin Country Attorney’s Office Educational Truancy Program. School attendance is up and juvenile crime is down. When it comes to violent crime I understand that for the victim and for victim’s family and loved ones. One crime is too many. To that end we have established a gang prosecution team to go after related crimes aggressively. I love my job and everyday I am rejuvenated by the trust our communities have placed with me. I look forward to serving justice and each member of our communities for many years to come. Question 2: What are top issues facing the county attorney’s office in the coming year? The top issues facing the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office are internal and external. Internally, we are facing the challenge of doing more and more work with less and less money in our budget. I have met this challenge every year while serving as county attorney. It has been difficult, but difficult decisions must be made and I have made them. Staying within our budget requires an ability to see the big picture and the purpose we serve, which is larger than any one individual who works here. However, it also requires an ability to understand the micro level down to how a decision may affect each individual. Externally, though overall crime is down, we can and must do more. The focus needs to be maintained on our youth, their education and the safety of our communities. We need to continue our work getting guns off the street and gang members behind bars. We must also continue our good work on mortgage fraud and financial crimes like embezzlement and Ponzi schemes.
www.minnlocal.com – Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010 – Eden Prairie Sun-Current
In the Community, With the Community, For the Community
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2010 SUN NEWSPAPERS VOTERS GUIDE
Three face off in 3rd Congressional District BY KATIE MINTZ • SUN NEWSPAPERS Residents in the Minnesota’s 3rd Congressional District will choose between three candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives. Candidates are incumbent Rep. Erik Paulsen, a Republican, and challengers Jim Meffert of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and Jon Oleson of the Independence Party. The term for the position is two years years. Members of the U.S. Congress receive an annual base salary of $174,000.
Jim Meffert City of residence: Edina Family: Wife, Karrin; three children Education: B.A. in Political Science, St. Olaf College Occupation: Executive Director of the Minnesota Optometric Association Years lived in district: 10 Community involvement: Creek Valley (Edina) Parent Teacher Association, Minnesota Children’s Platform Coalition, volunteer baseball and basketball coach in Edina Info: www.jimmeffert.com Question: Should the United States maintain its current military strength in Iraq and Afghanistan? Answer: No. I support the President’s plan to withdraw our troops and turn over control of Iraqi Security to the Iraqi government, as we have just seen occur. I am also skeptical that a military solution will work in Afghanistan. We need to help rebuild their economy and stabilize their government, but at some point, we need to turn control of security over to the Afghan government. Q: How do you determine whether the recent healthcare reform legislation is successful? Does the legislation need additional tweaks? A: If we want to rebuild this economy and make American businesses competitive globally, we need to reform how we pay for healthcare and how healthcare is delivered. American auto manufacturers have to add thousands of dollars to the price of a car just to pay for the healthcare benefits of the workers who made it. Premium increases are killing jobs and slowing our economic recovery. Not only is healthcare reform the morally right thing to do, it’s also right for our economy. Q: Do you support congressional earmarks? What are the pros and cons of the current practice? A: Yes, this is why people are sent to Washington to represent a set number of constituents. Money is being spent in Washington. The people of my district deserve their fare share. If we do not send someone to Washington who is going to fight for our interests, we are wasting our Democratic purpose. However, there needs to be more transparency in the way earmarks are adopt-
ed. Each earmark should clearly show who offered it, who wrote it, and where specifically the money will be spent. Q: Is the No Child Left Behind Act working? Should it be revised, repealed? A: It should be revised. In our district, public education is second to none. Unfortunately, federal laws seem designed to tear down even our best schools by criticizing our teachers and building walls between parents, teachers and students. We need to set aside partisanship and reverse the trend toward mediocrity. I believe that we must engage teachers, administrators, parents and educational experts to improve education based on what actually works. Q: What are your priorities in any immigration reform legislation? A: America is about creating opportunities, and working immigrants who pay taxes and contribute to our economy ought to have a pathway to a secure legal status. We will be able to achieve this goal only through comprehensive reform of our immigration system. Real immigration reform would also promote the prosecution of employers who take advantage of undocumented workers. Further, real reform would adjust trade and labor policies to protect the rights of workers while preventing the leak of American jobs abroad.
Jon Oleson City of residence: Bloomington Family: Wife, Sandy; five children Education: Ph.D. in School Administration and Teacher Education, University of Arizona Occupation: Owner of Better Working Relationships LLC Years in district: 7 Community involvement: Bloomington Planning Commission, past president of Bloomington Daymakers Rotary Club, co-chair of Bloomington Teen Job Fair Info: www.jonolesonforcongress.com Question: Should the United States maintain its current military strength in Iraq and Afghanistan? Answer: Troops actively engaged in military actions need to be withdrawn as soon as responsibly possible. It was appropriate to pursue the perpetrators of 9/11 but it is not appropriate for American troops to occupy countries without their clear request. U.S. troops should never be put in harm’s way unless there is a verifiable safety need for America. Q: How do you determine whether the recent health care reform legislation is successful? Does the legislation need additional tweaks? A: The Affordable Health Care law was an attempt to reform healthcare that should have happened decades ago. The fact the process was extremely partisan in nature is very unfortunate for America. Like any complex legislation it will need time for agency work to flesh out details and an evaluation
reporting process. The law minimally needs much more cost containment work. We’ll know it worked if close to 100 percent of all Americans receive affordable quality health care and the cost of health care across the country drops as a percentage of gross domestic product. Q: Do you support congressional earmarks? What are the pros and cons of the current practice? A: Bills should be simplified so that they stand on their own merit, meaning that legislation meets a legitimate need of the American people, the Federal government is the only or clearly best resource to provide for the need, the legislation is cost effective, administered well, and is a high enough priority to be financed within a balanced budget. Q: Is the No Child Left Behind Act working? Should it be revised, repealed? A: NCLB may have been well intentioned but it is not working and only successful portions should be maintained. Federal involvement in education has become too invasive into a state and local primary responsibility. NCLB has skewed the emphasis of our K-12 student’s education and has reduced or eliminated important parts of the curriculum. State legislatures and local school boards are in a better position to cost effectively determine curriculum and co-curricular design. We must acknowledge that testing K-12 students is not yet the science that we so want it to be. Such assessments of humans and schooling activity require more sophisticated testing tools than we now have. Q: What are your priorities in any immigration reform legislation? A: Immigration law must acknowledge that America’s greatness has been significantly fueled by immigrants throughout our history. Our tradition of welcoming people from other cultures must be maintained through fair and equitable requirements. We need to better educate Americans about immigration law, about immigrant contributions to our culture and then uniformly enforce the law. It is appropriate to deny citizenship to, and expel immigrants who are convicted as felons during the time they live in America to fulfill residency requirements for citizenship.
Erik Paulsen City of residence: Eden Prairie Family: Wife, Kelly; four children Education: B.A. in Mathematics, St. Olaf College Occupation: U.S. Congressman; former business analyst at Target Corp. Years in district: 20-plus years Community involvement: Past board member at Southdale YMCA, former trustee for Minneapolis Institute of Arts, volunteer at the Learning Exchange Info: www.paulsenforcongress.com Question: Should the United States maintain its current military strength in Iraq and Afghanistan? A: Our brave troops have dramatically improved the security situation in Iraq, so much so that the last U.S. combat troops recently left the country. American and coali-
tion forces are also working hard to dismantle and destroy terrorist networks in Afghanistan that continue to actively seek to harm the United States. We must pressure the Iraqi and Afghani governments to become more inclusive and capable of protecting their own citizens. Q: How do you determine whether the recent health care reform legislation is successful? Does the legislation need additional tweaks? A: Despite strong opposition by the American public, Congress rammed through a partisan health care bill that is filled with Washington mandates, burdensome taxes on small businesses, more bureaucracy and over $1 trillion of more spending and borrowing that we cannot afford. The new health care law should be repealed and replaced with bipartisan, common sense solutions to reign in skyrocketing costs, improve quality and expand access. We should cover pre-existing conditions, focus on prevention and wellness, allow insurance to be purchased across state lines, level the playing field by giving the same tax benefits to individuals as those with employer sponsored coverage, and pass medical malpractice reform. A successful health care reform law would both lower costs and improve quality. Unfortunately, the new law does not do either. Q: Do you support congressional earmarks? What are the pros and cons of the current practice? A: The Congressional earmark process is abusive and fundamentally flawed. It needs to be replaced with a transparent and accountable process so all requests receive public testimony and scrutiny, instead of being secretly “airdropped” into a bill before passage. Q: Is the No Child Left Behind Act working? Should it be revised, repealed? A: Our nation’s continued ability to be the leader of an increasingly competitive global economy depends upon a strong education system. I strongly support local control of education decisions. The school boards, superintendents, teachers and parents in the Third District know best how to educate their students and what they need, rather than the bureaucrats in Washington. I oppose the mandates in the No Child Left Behind and believe substantial reforms must be made to the law during the reauthorization process. Q: What are your priorities in any immigration reform legislation? A: America is a country of immigrants, but we are also a country of laws. We must make sure that any new immigration does not come at the expense of jobs for Americans. We need to strike a balance that protects our borders and curtails the flood of illegal immigration while allowing prudent levels of legal immigrants to enter this country. From a national security perspective we have to know who is entering across our borders.
Information on Meffert and Paulson was compiled from questionnaires completed for the Minnesota Newspaper Association. Oleson did not respond to the Association’s questionnaire, but provided his answers directly to Sun Newspapers.
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Eden Prairie Sun-Current – Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010 – www.minnlocal.com
Leo Schwantz (at right) and Tony Cole (top of Page 31) were among the more than 100 people who showed up Thursday, Oct. 14, in front of Eden Prairie High School to protest. The issue that sparked the protest was the proposed elementary school boundary map released Oct. 5 that will ultimately move an estimated 1,100 students to different elementary schools beginning next year. (Photos by Chris Dillmann • Sun Newspapers)
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Proud Grandparents Steve & Shelley Snedeker announcing the birth of
Special Delivery?
Ruth Lucille Monroe Minke Call (952) 392-6800 for your order form
Born August 5th, 2010 weighing 8 lbs. Parents are Travis & Nicole Minke of Bloomington
The Stork Report will be published the last Thursday of each month.
DEADLINE FOR THURSDAYS 5:00 PM To request your order form call 952-392-6800
In the Community, With the Community, For the Community
In the Community, With the Community, For the Community
Boundaries FROM PAGE 1A
www.minnlocal.com – Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010 – Eden Prairie Sun-Current
Highway 55 Trailer Sales 975 Chamberlain Ave SE, Buffalo, MN 55313
They chanted, cars honked, some motorists waved their hands out the window as they drove through two lines of people holding signs which read things such as, “Where are the Details?!” “Krull Must Go!!” “Yes to Neighborhood Schools” and “Our Kids Deserve a Better Plan!” The issue that sparked the protest was the proposed elementary school boundary map released Oct. 5 that will ultimately move an estimated 1,100 students to different elementary schools beginning next year. The district’s reasons for making boundary changes include the addition of a sixth elementary school, balancing schools’ capacity and correcting socioeconomic disparities in the elementary schools. They have said the average bus times will not exceed the current 20-minute average for elementary schools, and the longest bus ride will not exceed the current 35-minute ride. Bus times and creating cohesive welcoming school communities have been two of the biggest concerns in re-drawing boundary lines, administrators have said. And, for many parents, it hasn’t been about going to a school they consider bad, it’s about the school administration not listening, not providing details behind the decision and not properly involving the community in a reformation process that includes moving families away from their nearby schools to another school, for some across town. After two input sessions regarding the draft boundary map, many parents felt they’re concerns have not been heard, said Grote, who lives west of Mitchell Lake, an area that would have elementary students go from Prairie View Elementary to Forest Hills Elementary under the proposed map. They are not just an angry group of parents, Grote said. They want the school administration to stop, wait and re-think what they are doing, he said. Grote looked at the protesting parents lining both sides of Valley View Road, near the high school entrance. “If this is happening, it’s not a bunch of odd radicals,” he said. “This group can’t be portrayed as angry or spiteful.” For him, it has nothing to do with the elementary school the parents would move their children to, he said. It has to do with keeping neighborhood schools, connecting with neighbors and the distance to the new school, he said. And, for Kelly Scott Schwantz, it’s also about the district not listening and not accepting input, she said. BOUNDARIES: TO PAGE 32A
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31A
32A
Eden Prairie Sun-Current – Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010 – www.minnlocal.com
In the Community, With the Community, For the Community
Boundaries
They chanted, cars honked, some motorists waved their hands out the window as they drove through two lines of people holding signs which read things such as, “Where are the Details?!� “Krull Must Go!!� “Yes to Neighborhood Schools� and “Our Kids Deserve a Better Plan!� The issue that sparked the protest was the proposed elementary school boundary map released Oct. 5 that will ultimately move an estimated 1,100 students to different elementary schools beginning next year.
FROM PAGE 31A
(Photos by Chris Dillmann • Sun Newspapers)
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Is Water Ruining Your Chimney? The Professionals At AirBroom Minnesota In Chanhassen Can Help How does your chimney look? Are the bricks crumbling? Does it have White or Black exterior staining? Are you afraid to use your fireplace because you’re not sure how safe it is? When was the last time you used it? The professionals at AirBroom Minnesota Fireplace and Air Duct Cleaning in Chanhassen/Excelsior can restore both your confidence and your chimney. Did you know that water causes more damage to masonry chimneys than fire? Your chimney, unlike other parts of your house, is constantly exposed to the elements. They are generally constructed of brick, mortar, tile, steel, and iron. All of these materials suffer deterioration as a result of prolonged contact with water. Freeze and thaw cycles so familiar here in the Twin Cities cause stress on the chimney. Water that has penetrated expands and contracts Left unchecked it will cause interior and exterior damage to your home and masonry chimney. Some of the damage that can be caused includes: 1) spalled and broken exterior brickwork, 2) deteriorated masonry and metal firebox assemblies, 3) rusted dampers, 4) decayed mortar, cracked or missing flue liners, and in the worst case scenario damage to adjoining walls, ceilings, and woodwork. There are three main ways to prevent water damage. 1) Install a chimney cap. This is the most inexpensive measure to prevent water penetration to the flue and inside chimney elements. We sell and install locally manufactured caps for as little as $89. 2) Repair or replace a damaged chimney crown. The crown sits atop your chimney and covers and seals it from the flue liners to the chimney edge. Many chimneys are built with an inadequate crown constructed from common mortar mix. Mortar is not designed for and will not withstand years of prolonged moisture exposure without cracking and chipping which allows water to penetrate the chimney. A proper crown is constructed of a Portland cement mixture and formed to provide an overhang drip edge. This assures the water will
shed helping to prevent erosion in the mortar and brick of the chimneys surfaces. Keeping the crown “watertight� and shedding away from the sponge like masonry elements that the chimney is built of is the most important element to preventing deterioration. At AirBroom Minnesota we use the industry leading line of Saver products to built and repair chimneys. Use of these products allows us to pass on manufacturers material warranties of up to 15 years to our clients. 3) Waterproof your masonry chimney and crown. Most masonry is porous and will absorb large amounts of water. Brick acts like a sponge absorbing water and wicking it to the chimney interior. Products we use are specifically developed for use as waterproofing agents on masonry chimneys. These are vapor permeable – which means they allow the masonry to breath out but not in. This allows water that has penetrated the chimney to escape while preventing additional water from entering from the outside. Common non vapor permeable sealers commonly available should never be used because they trap moisture inside actually accelerating deterioration. We use the proper permeable sealer with a 10 year consumer warranty to coat and protect your chimney. Doing this before deterioration occurs can save you hundreds or thousands of dollars in future repairs. Water damage to chimneys is usually a slow subtle process. The problem is not generally extremely obvious until it has become quite serious. Although these prevention measures may cost you a few dollars initially they can save you a lot in preventing large future masonry repairs. The Hartmann family at AirBroom Minnesota in Excelsior offers free no obligation repair estimates in the Western Metro area. Call John, Jim, or Lynda today to arrange a free no obligation estimate. Visit us at AirBroomMinnesota.com or call us at 952.545.2254. As a bonus, repair jobs over $500 scheduled with us prior to November 20th receive $100 off when you mention this article.
During the first boundary input session, she said it seemed apparent the administration had already made a decision about the new boundaries and hosting the community meetings was about “checking a box,� before approving the map. So, she went out with the others to protest. “It’s definitely bringing more attention,� she said. “I hope they’ll listen.� It was not coincidence that editors and staff of “Money� magazine were arriving for a 6:30 p.m. forum at the high school while the parents protested outside the high school entrance. According to the website, “Yes for Neighborhood Schools,� protest organizers wanted to make it aware they “love Eden Prairie but not what our school district is doing.� Mayor Phil Young, who made an introduction for the “Take Charge� event, said he understands there are parents with different opinions on the boundary redistricting, and its fine if some parents want to draw attention to their opinions through peaceful protest. He expected protesters would not try to distract what would be an informative event inside the school, and they notified the police and the school district ahead of time, he said. The quality school system was one of the main reasons “Money� magazine named Eden Prairie the number one small city in America, and issues come up at different cities and people want to be heard, he said. “I don’t think anything can or will blemish the accomplishment we’ve made,� he said. The protest was briefly mentioned at the “Money� magazine event, but the 90minute discussion between audience members and editors stuck to topics at hand. As of Oct. 15, the school district was considering hosting an open forum at a large venue after requests for a townhall style meeting at night. A meeting has been tentatively scheduled Nov. 1, but the format and venue is unclear. Two regularly scheduled, 90-minute input sessions remain after Oct. 21. They are 8-9:30 a.m. and 4-5:30 p.m., Monday, Oct. 25, at the Administrative Services Center, 8100 School Road. Superintendent Melissa Krull could make a final decision on the new boundaries by early November if the proposed map is not changed. The proposed map is viewable on the district’s website. Information: xr.com/boundaries.
www.minnlocal.com – Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010 – Eden Prairie Sun-Current
In the Community, With the Community, For the Community
CALVARY UNITED PENTECOSTAL CHURCH Reverend Thomas Andrews - Pastor
8800 Nicollet Avenue South Bloomington, MN 55420
(952) 888-0215 SERVICE TIMES
Richfield United Methodist Church 5835 Lyndale Ave. S., Mpls 612-861-6086
9:00 Sanctuary Worship 10:30 Living Waters
Pax Christi Catholic Community 12100 Pioneer Trail, Eden Prairie Father Patrick Kennedy, Pastor
www.paxchristi.com
Weekend Masses Saturday Sunday
5:00PM 9:00AM, 11:00AM, 5:00PM
Progressive Christian Worship
SUNDAY 10:30 AM . MORNING WORSHIP 6:00 PM . . . . EVENING WORSHIP
Giờ thờ phượng của người việt vào lúc 11:15 sáng mỗi chúa nhật.
THURSDAY
Pastors: Elizabeth Macaulay, Max Richter, Phillip Nguyen
7:30 PM EDUCATION FOR ALL AGES
www.richfieldumc.org
HOUSE OF PRAYER LUTHERAN CHURCH “Learn, Grow, Support”
St. Alban’s
EPISCOPAL CHURCH 6716 Gleason Road Edina, MN 55439 (952) 941-3065
Sunday Worship 9:30 AM Sunday School & Adult Education 10:40 AM 6th-12th Gr. Music 10:40-11:30 AM
Wednesday Evenings
Come Grow With Us In Christ
Simple Suppers 5:30-6:15pm Confirmation, God Squad, and Music School - 6:30 PM Adult Bible Study - 6:30 PM Pastors: Charles R. Carlson, Anne Hokenstad
Sunday: 8:00 & 10:00 a.m. Wednesday: 6:00 p.m.
www.house-of-prayer.com 7625 Chicago Ave. S., P Richfield, MN 612-866-8471
www.stalbansedina.org
Weekday Masses Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
8:30AM 8:30AM 6:00PM 6:45AM 8:30AM
All are Welcome!
Mount Olivet Lutheran Church 50th Street between James & Knox Ave. So., P Minneapolis 612-926-7651 • www.mtolivet.org Sunday Mornings 9:00, 10:00, 11:00 am and 12 noon
Sunday Church School 9:00, 10:00 & 11:00 am
Holy Communion 8:30 am & 12:45 pm Paul M. Youngdahl, D.D. Senior Pastor
Unitarian Universalist Caring for Humanity & the Earth
Sunday, Oct. 24 10:30 am
“Climate Change” Speakers from Congregation
Nursery, Children’s & Teen Programs, 10:30am Minnesota Valley Fellowship 10715 Zenith Ave. So., Blmgtn
952-884-8956 www.mnvalleyuu.org
To List Your
Worship Schedule call 952-392-6875
CHRIST THE KING LUTHERAN CHURCH
Normandale Hylands United Methodist Church 9920 Normandale Blvd. S. Bloomington • 952-835-7585
Sunday Worship 8:30 & 11:00 am Education For All ages 9:45 am
8:45 a.m.
Traditional Service
10:00 a.m.
Contemporary Service with Sunday School
Saturdays, 5:00 p.m. Chapel Service
Nursery Provided Pastors: Don Eslinger, Otis P. Borop
www.nhylandsumc.org
76th St. at Newton Ave. Richfield, MN 612·866·8449 woodlakechurch.org
ST. RICHARD’S Catholic Church
7540 Penn Ave. So. • Richfield, MN 55423 612-869-2426 www.strichards.com
Masses: Sat 5pm Sun 9 & 11am Wed 12:15pm Thurs/Fri 8am Morning Prayer with Communion: Mon & Tues 8am
www.good.org
8600 Fremont Avenue South, Bloomington, MN 55420
WE INVITE YOU TO A FELLOWSHIP BREAKFAST Thursday, November 4, 2010
7:30 – 9:00 a.m.
(Seating begins at 6:45 a.m.)
Featured Speaker: General John W. Vessey, Jr. Soloist: Dorothy Benham, Miss America 1977 with Ron Rydell Pianist: Darin Tysdal Tickets: $10 per person. For reservations: Email jvevea@ctkb.org Call 952-881-8600, or send your check to Christ the King Lutheran Church, with your name and names of guests. Seating will be open seating. Child care available — Everyone Welcome!
Keynote Speaker: General John W. Vessey, Jr. 952-881-8600 www.ctkb.org
FELLOWSHIP – FOOD – MUSIC Sponsored by the Christ the King Foundation
33A
We Are A Reconciling Congregation Events - Calendar - Sermons
Worship & Education – 9:00 & 10:30 am Nursery Provided
5730 Grove St., Edina • 952-929-0049 (one block west of Tracy) Opening Hearts and Minds in a Divided World
34A
Eden Prairie Sun-Current – Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010 – www.minnlocal.com
In the Community, With the Community, For the Community
LEGAL NOTICES Public Notice (Official Publication) The property described below was recovered by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. This notice is being published in an effort to locate the apparent owner. PDS Number Property Description Value Recovered Date PDS Number Property Description Value Recovered Date
PDS-06-000752 Browning Magnum 12 Gauge Shotgun S/N 78210 $290.00 03/21/2006 PDS-06-000753 Browning Magnum 12 Gauge Shotgun S/N 55525 $290.00 03/21/2006
If you believe you are the owner of this property, pursuant to title 39, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), section 946.4, you will have thirty (30) days (11/06/2010) from the first date of this publicized notice to file a claim for the property. If the property is not claimed by that date, title will vest in the United States Postal Service. The above PDS numbers have been assigned to this action. Use the specific number to identify the property when submitting a claim or other correspondence to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. To file a claim, you or your authorized representative must complete Form 1503, Claim for Property. The form can be obtained by contacting Inspector in Charge, PO Box 64558, St. Paul, MN 55164-4558, Attention: General Analyst. (Oct 7, 14, 21, 2010) D4 Property Seizure Notice
Foreclosure Notice
pay the amount then due for said assessments, together with the costs of foreclosure, including attorney’s fees as allowed by law. The time allowed by law for redemption by the unit owners, their personal representatives or assigns is six (6) months from the date of said sale. DATE TO VACATE PROPERTY: The date on or before which the owner must vacate the property if the account is not brought current or the property redeemed under Minn. Stat. § 580.23 is May 23, 2011. If the foregoing date is a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, then the date to vacate is the next business day at 11:59 p.m. REDEMPTION NOTICE THE TIME ALLOWED BY LAW FOR REDEMPTION BY THE OWNER, THE OWNER’S PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE OR ASSIGNS, MAY BE REDUCED TO FIVE WEEKS IF A JUDICIAL ORDER IS ENTERED UNDER MINNESOTA STATUTES, SECTION 582.032, DETERMINING, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THAT THE PREMISES ARE IMPROVED WITH A RESIDENTIAL DWELLING OF LESS THAN FIVE UNITS, ARE NOT PROPERTY USED IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION, AND ARE ABANDONED. Valley View Condominium Association, Inc., Lienor Dated: September 23, 2010 By /s/ Thomas P. Carlson Thomas P. Carlson (024871X) Carlson & Associates, Ltd. 1052 Centerville Circle Vadnais Heights, MN 55127 (651) 287-8640 ATTORNEY FOR VALLEY VIEW CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION, INC. (Oct 7, 14, 21, 28, Nov 4, 11, 2010) D4 Hornig Foreclosure
(Official Publication)
Public Notice of Auction NOTICE OF ASSESSMENT LIEN FORECLOSURE SALE THE RIGHT TO VERIFICATION OF THE DEBT AND IDENTITY OF THE ORIGINAL CREDITOR WITHIN THE TIME PROVIDED BY LAW IS NOT AFFECTED BY THS ACTION THIS IS AN ATTEMPT TO COLLECT A DEBT AND ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that default has been made in the terms and conditions of the Declaration of Valley View Condominium Association, Inc., (hereinafter the “Declaration”) recorded in the office of the Registrar of Titles of Hennepin County, Minnesota as Document No. 1617761, which covers the following property: Unit No. 7581, Common Interest Community No. 538, Condominium No. 538, Valley View Condominium, a condominium located in the County of Hennepin, Minnesota, Certificate of Title No. 769410 7581 Villa Court, Eden Prairie, MN 55346 PIN: 10-116-22-42-0092 THAT pursuant to said Declaration, there is claimed to be due and owing as of September 23, 2010, from Debra Hornig, to Valley View Condominium Association, Inc., a Minnesota non-profit corporation, the amount of $4,392.21, for assessments, late fees and collection costs, plus additional assessments and other amounts that may have accrued since the date of this notice, including the costs of collection and foreclosure; THAT prior to the commencement of this foreclosure proceeding, Lienor complied with all notice requirements as required by status; that no action or proceeding has been instituted at law or otherwise to recover the debt secured by said lien, or any part thereof; THAT the owner has not been released from her financial obligation to pay said amount; THAT pursuant to Minn. Stat. § 515B.3-116, said debt creates a lien upon said premises in favor of Valley View Condominium Association, Inc., as evidenced by a lien statement recorded on August 24, 2009, in the office of the Hennepin County Registrar of Titles as Document No. T4680271; THAT pursuant to the power of sale granted by the owner in taking title to the premises subject to said Declaration, said lien will be foreclosed by the sale of said property by the sheriff of said County at the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, Civil Division, Room 30, 350 South 5th Street, City of Minneapolis, County of Hennepin, State of Minnesota, on November 23, 2010, at 10 a.m., at public auction to the highest bidder, for cash, to
(Official Publication) Public Storage, Inc. PS Orangeco. Inc and/or Shurgard TRS, Inc will conduct sales(s) at Public Storage (formerly Shurgard) located at Shurgard Self-Storage / EP West 08308 7921 Eden Prairie Rd, Eden Prairie, MN 55347 NOTICE OF SALE AND DISPOSAL OF PROPERTY Notice is hereby given that the personal property listed below will be sold at public auction held on October 29, 2010, at 7921 Eden Prairie Rd, Eden Prarie, MN at 12:00 PM. The description of the goods and name of the person(s) whose personal property is to be sold is as follows: 1106 - MONGARAY, MARIA: Bedding / Clothing; Boxes / Bags / Totes; Furniture 1210 - LAKE, JAMES: 1977 Cadillac LP Deville VIN#6D4757Q114613 1416 - Williams, Ernest: Bedding / Clothing; Boxes / Bags / Totes; Furniture; Tools 1945 - METFESSEL, MARY: Bedding / Clothing; Boxes / Bags / Totes; Furniture 2116 - IRMEN, LORRAINE: Bedding / Clothing; Boxes / Bags / Totes 2120 - Schoenherr, Lynnette: Bedding / Clothing; Tools 2130 - Bausby, Angela: Boxes / Bags / Totes; Furniture 2135 - NEFF LAW FIRM,P.A.: Boxes / Bags / Totes; Furniture 4104 - Duff, Laura: Boxes / Bags / Totes 4112 - CLEAN-IT GROUP, INC.: Bedding / Clothing; Furniture 4122 - KNAZZE, XAUVIER: Electronics / Computers; Tools 4138 - Martin, Matthew: Bedding / Clothing; Boxes / Bags / Totes; Furniture; Tools 4213 - GABRIEL, DEANNA: Bedding / Clothing; Tools 5117 - Gowans, Tennille: Bedding / Clothing; Electronics / Computers; Furniture (Oct 7, 14, 21, 2010)d4 - EP-West 08308
Certificate of Assumed Name (Official Publication) MINNESOTA SECRETARY OF STATE AMENDMENT TO CERTIFICATE OF ASSUMED NAME Minnesota Statutes Chapter 333 The filing of an assumed name does not provide a user with exclusive rights to that name. The filing is required for consumer protection in order to enable consumers to be able to identify the true owner of a business. The exact assumed name under which the business is or will be conducted is:
College Pro Window Cleaning DBA-Eden Prairie The address of the principal place of business: 8548 Norwood Circle, Eden Prairie, MN 55347 The name and complete street address of all persons conducting business under the above Assumed Name: Chad Schneider 8548 Norwood Circle, Eden Prairie, MN 55347 DBA: This certificate is an amendment of Certificate of Assumed Name number 3760659-2 originally filed on 3/16/2010 under the name College Pro Window Cleaning. I certify that I am authorized to sign this certificate and I further certify that I understand that by signing this certificate, I am subject to the penalties of perjury as set forth in Minnesota Statutes Section 609.48 as if I had signed this certificate under oath. FILED: Aug 23, 2010 /s/ Chad Schneider, Franchise Manager (Oct 14 & 21, 2010) D4- College Pro Window Cleaning DBA-Eden Prairie
The filing of an assumed name does not provide a user with exclusive rights to that name. The filing is required for consumer protection in order to enable consumers to be able to identify the true owner of a business. State the exact assumed name under which the business is or will be conducted: LearnNowJava State the address of the principal place of business. 10250 Valley View Road, Suite 121, Eden Prairie, MN 55344 List the name and complete street address of all persons conducting business under the above Assumed Name. LearnNow, LLC 10250 Valley View Road, Suite 121, Eden Prairie, MN 55344 DBA: I certify that I am authorized to sign this certificate and I further certify that I understand that by signing this certificate, I am subject to the penalties of perjury as set forth in Minnesota Statutes Section 609.48 as if I had signed this certificate under oath. FILED: Oct 01, 2010 /s/ Craig Jensen, President
Certificate of Assumed Name (Official Publication) MINNESOTA SECRETARY OF STATE CERTIFICATE OF ASSUMED NAME Minnesota Statutes Chapter 333 The filing of an assumed name does not provide a user with exclusive rights to that name. The filing is required for consumer protection in order to enable consumers to be able to identify the true owner of a business. State the exact assumed name under which the business is or will be conducted: Team Jamaica State the address of the principal place of business. 13277 Melody Court, Eden Prairie, MN 55346 List the name and complete street address of all persons conducting business under the above Assumed Name. Stieg Strand 13277 Melody Court, Eden Prairie, MN 55346 Marilyn Strand 13277 Melody Court, Eden Prairie, MN 55346 DBA: I certify that I am authorized to sign this certificate and I further certify that I understand that by signing this certificate, I am subject to the penalties of perjury as set forth in Minnesota Statutes Section 609.48 as if I had signed this certificate under oath. FILED: Sep 20, 2010 /s/ Stieg Strand, Sole Proprietor
(Oct 21 & 28, 2010) D4- LearnNowJava dba
Certificate of Assumed Name (Official Publication) MINNESOTA SECRETARY OF STATE CERTIFICATE OF ASSUMED NAME Minnesota Statutes Chapter 333 The filing of an assumed name does not provide a user with exclusive rights to that name. The filing is required for consumer protection in order to enable consumers to be able to identify the true owner of a business. State the exact assumed name under which the business is or will be conducted: Stephanie Tkach, LICSW State the address of the principal place of business. 2908 Humbolt Avenue South, Suite 6, Minneapolis, MM 55419 List the name and complete street address of all persons conducting business under the above Assumed Name. Stephanie Tkach 5752 Irving Av S, Minneapolis, MN 55419 DBA: I certify that I am authorized to sign this certificate and I further certify that I understand that by signing this certificate, I am subject to the penalties of perjury as set forth in Minnesota Statutes Section 609.48 as if I had signed this certificate under oath. FILED: Sept 27, 2010 /s/ Stephanie Tkach, LICSW
(Oct 14 & 21, 2010) D4- Team Jamaica dba
(Oct 21 & 28, 2010) d4- Stephanie Tkach, LICSW dba
Certificate of Assumed Name (Official Publication) MINNESOTA SECRETARY OF STATE CERTIFICATE OF ASSUMED NAME Minnesota Statutes Chapter 333 The filing of an assumed name does not provide a user with exclusive rights to that name. The filing is required for consumer protection in order to enable consumers to be able to identify the true owner of a business. State the exact assumed name under which the business is or will be conducted: ShiJie you Massage State the address of the principal place of business. Space #5536/8251 Flying Cloud Drive, Eden Prairie, Mn 55344 List the name and complete street address of all persons conducting business under the above Assumed Name. ShiJie You 635 Prairie Center Drive #119, Eden Prairie, MN 55344 DBA: I certify that I am authorized to sign this certificate and I further certify that I understand that by signing this certificate, I am subject to the penalties of perjury as set forth in Minnesota Statutes Section 609.48 as if I had signed this certificate under oath. FILED: Sep 09, 2010 /s/ ShiJie You, Sole Proprietor (Oct 21 & 28, 2010) D4- ShiJie you Massage dba
Certificate of Assumed Name (Official Publication) MINNESOTA SECRETARY OF STATE CERTIFICATE OF ASSUMED NAME Minnesota Statutes Chapter 333
Certificate of Assumed Name (Official Publication) MINNESOTA SECRETARY OF STATE CERTIFICATE OF ASSUMED NAME Minnesota Statutes Chapter 333 The filing of an assumed name does not provide a user with exclusive rights to that name. The filing is required for consumer protection in order to enable consumers to be able to identify the true owner of a business. State the exact assumed name under which the business is or will be conducted: SKS Sales and Marketing State the address of the principal place of business. 4737 11th Ave South, Minneapolis, MN 55407 List the name and complete street address of all persons conducting business under the above Assumed Name. Stephen Stoelzing 4737 11th Ave S, Minnepolis, MN 55407 DBA: I certify that I am authorized to sign this certificate and I further certify that I understand that by signing this certificate, I am subject to the penalties of perjury as set forth in Minnesota Statutes Section 609.48 as if I had signed this certificate under oath. FILED: Sept 23, 2010 /s/ Stephen Stoelzing, Owner (Oct 21 & 28, 2010) d4- SKS Sales and Marketing dba
CALENDAR
The Sun-Current Calendar highlights a variety of community events each week. It does not include all community events, meetings or concerts taking place on any given day. Please visit www.minnlocal.com to post your listing to our comprehensive online community calendar. To submit a news brief for consideration, mail it to 33 Second St. N.E., Osseo, MN 55369, fax it to 763-424-7388 or e-mail it to suncurrentcentral@acnpapers.com. The newspaper will not accept submissions over the phone.
T H U R S D AY, O C T. 2 1 , 2 0 1 0 • S U N - C U R R E N T R E G I O N • V I S I T U S O N L I N E AT W W W. M I N N L O C A L . C O M • © 2 0 1 0 S U N N E W S P A P E R S • P A G E 3 5 A
EVENTS IN THE COMMUNITY – OCT. 21 THROUGH OCT. 27 THURSDAY
21 Brodini Comedy and Magic Show Where: Edinborough Park Amphitheater, 7700 York Ave. S., Edina When: noon Information: 952-833-9540
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
22
23
Keetan and Co. Live at Where: Dunn Bros., the Library: 8701 Eden Prairie Rd. When: 7 p.m. Skeletons Info: 952-934-0145 in the Closet Where: Eden Prairie Library, 565 Prairie Center Drive When: 10:30 a.m. Information: 952-847-5375
Meeting FROM PAGE 3A
Research concerns Dr. George Tadros said he has worked as a professional researcher and he read most of the research regarding boundary changes that the district posted on its website. He listed seven main concerns he had surrounding that research. He brought up a study listed on the district website conducted by Richard Kahlenberg. “His methodology is about turning the schools into magnet schools, not by busing the kids,” Tadros said. He said the school district’s website noted that turning around failing schools through magnet programs relies on positive incentives rather than compulsory busing. He noted that districts around the country seek integration to rely on magnet school and public school choice. (The school district doesn’t allow open enrollment within the district). Another research paper listed on the site said the most sophisticated plans poll parents ahead of time to see what kind of themes or teaching approaches attract them to a school further away. The school district hasn’t done that. Tadros also said Michal Kurlaender, another research author listed on the district website, summarized that even the most stringent form of income-
SUNDAY
24 Somewhat Dixieland Where: Edinborough Park Amphitheater, 7700 York Ave. S., Edina When: 7 p.m. Information: 952-833-9540
MONDAY
25 Computer Class in Somali (Runs Sept. 13 to Nov. 29) Where: Eden Prairie Library, 565 Prairie Center Drive When: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Information: 952-847-5375
based integration, if perfected, does not guarantee even a modest level of racial desegregation. And using free and reduced price lunch as a simple measure would lead to even less racial integration. “So you’re using a methodology that is not guaranteeing what you’re trying to achieve,” Tadros said. After listing other concerns, Tadros said, “I’m thinking the research that, as a school district you are posting and as a professional, I don’t buy it,” Tadros said. “Because the research is flawed and you’re taking things out of context and trying to [push it] on the parents.” The following day, a district representative could not be reached for a response to Tadros’ criticism.
Another meeting? After the meeting, School Board Chair Kim Ross said the board discussed having an evening meeting tentatively scheduled Monday, Nov. 1. They were working out the format and location for the meeting, she said, and didn’t know what a constructive version of the parent-requested town hall style meeting would look like. Options on a Nov. 1 meeting will be discussed during the Oct. 26 School Board meeting, she said. They will also discuss the board’s communication with stakeholders policy. Ross said she has received some feedback requesting more time for public comment for the Oct. 26 meeting, but not enough to indicate a need for accommodating more speakers or attendees than usual. “If organized groups are coming, it’d be great if we could get some heads up so we can accommodate them,” Ross said. Information: xr.com/boundaries.
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
26 EP School Stakeholder Connection and Board meeting
27 Job Transition Group meeting Where: St. Andrew Lutheran Church, 13600 Technology Drive When: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Info: www.standrewlu.org
Where: Administrative Service Center, 8100 School Road When: stakeholder session 5 p.m., meeting 6 p.m. Info: 952-975-7000
Share your news with our readers The Sun-Current welcomes news from the community. If you, your organization or business has news, results or upcoming events you would like to share, we can help you spread the word. Please send your information to: Sun-Current, 33 Second St. N.E., Box 280, Osseo, MN 55369. You also may fax your information to us at 763-4247388. You may e-mail us at suncurrentcentral@ acnpapers.com. Please do not forward attachments with your e-mails. We will try to print clear newsworthy photographs as space permits. If you are looking for us to possibly cover an event, please notify us as far in advance as possible, but at least one week before the event. All submissions must be received no later than 5 p.m. Thursday for possible publication the following Thursday. The newspaper reserves the right to edit all submissions. Information: 952-829-0797.
SUN SPORTS
MARK YOUR CALENDAR Eden Prairie’s boys and girls cross country squads will bid for Section 6AA titles at 3:40 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 27, at Gale Woods Farm in Minnetrista.
T H U R S D AY, O C T. 2 1 , 2 0 1 0 • E D E N P R A I R I E • V I S I T U S O N L I N E AT W W W. M I N N L O C A L . C O M • © 2 0 1 0 S U N N E W S P A P E R S • P A G E 3 6 A
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EP upsets No. 1 Edina in soccer playoffs Eagles face Jefferson in section title game
EP bids for running titles Eden Prairie’s girls cross country team is favored to win the Section 6AA team championship. The No. 1-ranked Eagles will participate in the girls’ 4K race beginning at 4:15 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 27, at Gale Woods Farm in Minnetrista. “Eden Prairie is in a class by itself,” said Hopkins veteran cross country coach Jim Rovn. Eden Prairie’s boys’ cross country squad is a favorite for the Section 6AA title along with Edina and Wayzata. The boys’ 5K race gets underway at 3:40 p.m. Top two teams in boys and girls competition advance to state.
State soccer schedules This year’s state AA and A semifinal and championship boys and girls soccer games are set for the Metrodome. The state AA girls semifinals are 4 and 6 p.m. while the boys semifinals are 2 and 4 p.m. Monday, Nov. 1. State AA boys title game is 3 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 4, at the Metrodome followed by the girls championship contest at 5:30 p.m. State AA quarterfinal games will be conducted Oct. 26-28 at various sites. Times will be announced after section championship games are concluded.
Section football playoffs Eden Prairie is the No. 1 seed in the Class 5, Section 6AA football playoffs. The Eagles had a 7-0 record entering its final regular season game against Wayzata Oct. 20. Eden Prairie will get a bye in the first round of the section playoffs Tuesday, Oct. 26. The Eagles will host a semifinal game at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 30, at Aerie Stadium. – Compiled by Greg Kleven
BY GREG KLEVEN • SUN NEWSPAPERS Eden Prairie coaches and players were disappointed with their fourth-seed designation in the Section 2AA soccer playoffs. The Eagles figured their winning record and one of the state’s most demanding schedules would have earned a higher seed. So, Eden Prairie didn’t need much motivation heading into the section tournament. The Eagles, 11-5-3 overall, won their first two playoff games and were scheduled to play fourth-seeded Bloomington Jefferson for the Section 2AA title Oct. 19 on the Jaguars’ turf field. Eden Prairie, 11-5-3 overall, would like to end a section final jinx against the Jaguars. Jefferson defeated the Eagles two seasons ago in the finals. Last year, Jefferson defeated Eden Prairie 2-0 for the section championship. “It should be another close game with Jefferson in the finals,” said Eden Prairie head coach Vince Thomas. “We tied Jefferson 0-0 during the regular season. “We are playing more aggressively late in the season. Offensively, we had a dry spell where we couldn’t score. But we have been scoring more often in recent games. Senior forwards Dan Virgin and Alex Altman have been two of our top scorers.” Altman has nine goals and 11 assists for 20 points. Both Virgin and Altman had impressive performances in a 5-1 section quarterfi-
Eden Prairie goalkeeper Sam Schneider leaps high for an Edina shot that escaped him for a goal during the Eagles’ 3-2 shootout win in the Section 2AA semifinals Oct. 16 at Braemar Field. Watching the action is Edina forward Kevin Goerne. (Photo by Brian Nelson • Contributing Photographer) nal victory Oct. 14 over fifthseeded Bloomington Kennedy. Altman had two goals and two assists. Virgin came through with two goals and one assist. Sam Wright scored the other Eden Prairie goal. Even goalkeeper Sam Schneider got into the scoring act by picking up two assists.
“Kennedy has several very skilled players, but it doesn’t have our depth,” said Thomas. “We wore them down in the second half after leading by only one goal [1-0] in the first half.” Eden Prairie upset topseeded Edina 3-2 in a shootout in the section semifinals Oct. 16 at Braemar Field. The game was tied 2-2 after regulation
and overtime. The Eagles outscored Edina 5-3 in the shootout. Eden Prairie led 2-1 with four minutes remaining in regulation before Edina scored to send the game into overtime. Virgin and Steve Frisbie scored Eden Prairie goals. Assists went to Travis Smith and Altman. Schneider was in goal for the win.
www.minnlocal.com – Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010 – Eden Prairie Sun-Current
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In the Community, With the Community, For the Community
Blake Sorensen This Eden Prairie High School graduate played a key role in the University of Wisconsin’s 31-18 Big Ten Conference football win over Ohio State Oct. 16. The starting Badger linebacker intercepted a Buckeye pass in the final minutes to clinch the win for Wisconsin against the former No. 1-ranked team in the country.
Kyle Bratrud This Eden Prairie cross country runner placed second overall in last week’s Lake Conference Championships meet with a time of 15 minutes, 56 seconds on the 5K course. Bratrud is ranked eighth in the state among Class AA runners.
Rachel Bootsma This member of the Eden Prairie High School girls swimming team is dominating the metro area honor roll this season. She has the best time in four events: 50-yard freestyle (23.30 seconds), 200 medley (2:04.28), 100 backstroke (54.23) and 100 butterfly (55.63). Bootsma ranks second in the 100 freestyle (51.44) and fourth in the 200 freestyle (1:54.98).
Nick Leddy This former Eden Prairie High and Gopher defenseman is playing with the Chicago Blackhawks. Leddy scored his first NHL goal during a 4-3 victory over Buffalo Oct. 11.
Matt Davies This Eden Prairie golfer recorded a recent hole-in-one on the 180yard, eighth-hole at Olympic Hills using a hybrid.
Alex Altman This Eden Prairie High forward collected two goals and two assists to spark the Eagles to a 5-1 boys soccer victory over Bloomington Kennedy Oct. 14 in the Section 2AA quarterfinals. (Editor’s note: Send nominations for Stars of the Week honors to sports editor Greg Kleven at gkleven@ acnpapers.com. Youth, high school, college and adult recreational sports athletes will be considered.)
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Energized Eagles get seventh straight win EP overpowers Tonka, 52-14, in Lake action BY GREG KLEVEN • SUN NEWSPAPERS Fresh off a bye week, Eden Prairie seemed as energized and determined as it has been during the 2010 football season. The No. 1-ranked Eagles dominated all phases in a 52-14 victory over Minnetonka in a Lake Conference game Oct. 15 at Aerie Stadium. Eden Prairie scored at will against the Skippers as its offensive line opened gaping holes, enabling junior running back Andrew Larson to rush for 238 yards on 20 carries. He finished with three touchdowns as the Eagles improved to 7-0. “Our offensive line keeps improving and Larson took advantage of that excellent blocking,” said Eden Prairie coach Mike Grant. “Larson has the speed and ability to finish off his runs. “I was encouraged by the way we played against Minnetonka. We coasted through our first six games and didn’t play that great. But we had an extra week of practice and reminded the players of our program’s history. Our guys took those speeches to heart and played their best game of the season.” Eagle senior defensive back Grayson Levine also had a productive game, scoring on an 11-yard run and returning an interception 31 yards for another touchdown. Eden Prairie junior Roy McGhee had a 69-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Eagle fullback Stephen Hari gained 59 yards on 11 carries and scored on a 1yard run. Quarterback Brian Athey completed three of four passes for 49 yards. All the completions went to wide receiver Rumeal Harris. David Platner continued his excellent kicking by connecting for a 35-yard field goal. “Ryan Bull has really been improving at tight end,” said Grant. “And our wide receivers are doing good jobs blocking down the field, allowing our backs to get loose for long runs.”
In control Eden Prairie controlled the ball most of the night against the Skippers (3-4). The Eagles had a 416-147 advantage in rushing yards. Eden Prairie led 7-0 after the first quarter but expanded that advantage to 24-7 at halftime. The Eagles scored three
Eden Prairie’s Grayson Levine pulls away from a Minneapolis Washburn defender during a recent Eagle win. Levine came through with an 11-yard touchdown run and 31-yard interception return for a score during Eden Prairie’s 52-14 Lake Conference football victory over visiting Minnetonka Oct. 15. (Photo by Brian Nelson • Contributing Photographer) unanswered touchdowns in the third quarter for a 45-7 lead. Both teams scored once in the final quarter. Eden Prairie could clinch the Lake Conference championship outright with a win over another undefeated team, Wayzata. The Eagles were scheduled to play at Wayzata Oct. 20 (after this edition went to press). Win or lose, Eden Prairie will probably be the top seed in the seven-team
Class 5A, Section 6 playoffs and get a first-round bye Tuesday, Oct. 26. The Eagles would then play in the semifinals at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 30, at Aerie Stadium. Grant was looking forward to the battle with Wayzata for the Lake title. “We have a lot of respect for Wayzata’s football program and coaching staff,” said Grant. “Wayzata does things the right way.”
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Eden Prairie Sun-Current – Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010 – www.minnlocal.com
In the Community, With the Community, For the Community
SHORTS Baseball coaches needed for 2011 season in EP
Clearing effort
The Eden Prairie Baseball Association is accepting applications for traveling team coaches for the 2011 season. Coaches are needed for youth teams (players ages 10-15) along with the Mickey Mantle and Senior Babe Ruth squads. Travel coach application forms are online at www.epbaseball.com, or call Doug Kaufman at 952-210-4094 and leave a message with name, address, phone number and age/level you are interested in coaching. E-mail completed applications to doug_kaufman@comcast.net or send to: Doug Kaufman, EPBA, 9504 Olympia Drive, Eden Prairie, MN 55347. Interviews will be conducted in November.
Eden Prairie senior defender Katie Thyken (4) clears the ball away from a Kennedy player during her team’s 9-0 victory over the Bloomington soccer squad in the Section 2AA quarterfinals Oct. 14 at Aerie Stadium. The Eagles blanked Burnsville 2-0 in the semifinals Oct. 16 and improved their record to 16-0-1. Eden Prairie, ranked No. 1 in the state, played Bloomington Jefferson in the finals Oct. 19.
Youth volleyball program accepting registrations The Eden Prairie Junior Olympic traveling volleyball program is accepting registrations. Girls in grades 4-12 who live or attend school in Eden Prairie are eligible to register for the 2011 season. Registration information is available at www.epvolleyball.com. Registration is open until Nov. 20.
(Photo by Brian Nelson • Contributing Photographer)
Eden Prairie strengthens grip on No. 1 spot Eden Prairie made a strong statement that it is the team to beat in the state Class 5A football playoffs. The unbeaten Eagles strengthened their hold on first place in Sun Newspapers’ metro-area high school football power rankings as selected by sports editor Greg Kleven. Eden Prairie overpowered Minnetonka 52-14 Oct. 15. There was some movement of teams up and down in this week’s top 10 list. Here are the rankings after Week 7. 1) Eden Prairie (7-0) … Eagles ran wild for a 52-14 victory over Minnetonka. 2) Wayzata (6-0) … Trojans had a bye last week and were to battle Eden Prairie for Lake title Oct. 20. 3) Rosemount (7-0) … Irish clinched South Suburban crown with 34-20 win over Eastview.
4) Blaine (7-0) … Bengals crush Andover 45-14 to stay undefeated. 5) St. Thomas Academy (7-0) … Cadets defeat Hill-Murray 50-21 and will be a major force in Class 4A playoffs. 6) Cretin-Derham Hall (6-1) … Raiders rebounded from loss to Stillwater with 17-7 triumph over Mounds View. 7) Totino-Grace (6-1) … The Eagles, another Class 4A power, beat Fridley 42-7. 8) South St. Paul (7-0) … Packers earned an impressive 28-17 victory over Mahtomedi. 9) Rogers (7-0) … The Mississippi 8 Conference leader kept rolling with a 3313 win over Monticello. 10) Osseo (6-1) ... Orioles remain in top 10 after 20-14 victory over Coon Rapids.
Teams to watch: Shakopee (7-0), Stillwater (6-1), Hopkins (5-2), Northfield (6-1), Lakeville North (5-2) and Spring Lake Park (5-2).
Area players aid SJU football team this fall There is a strong Eden Prairie connection on the St. John’s University football team in Collegeville this fall. Seven Eden Prairie residents play for the Johnnies: senior defensive back Tom Pur nell (Benilde-St. Margaret’s), junior defensive back Andrew Rotschafer (Eden Prairie High School), senior running back Jakob Reding (EPHS), freshman lineman Bo Selleck (BSM), sophomore lineman Joe Pesch (EPHS), freshman lineman Jack Palmisano (EPHS) and sophomore lineman Cody Dallman (Holy Family). Editor’s note: Please e-mail all Eden Prairie sports shorts releases to gkleven@acnpapers.com or fax to sports editor Greg Kleven at 763-424-7388. Deadline for releases is noon on Thursday for publication in next week’s Sun-Current.
In the Community, With the Community, For the Community
www.minnlocal.com – Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010 – Eden Prairie Sun-Current
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Hendrickson grateful for new challenge as assistant coach Former Richfield, Gopher and pro player is excited about Wild coaching job BY GREG KLEVEN • SUN NEWSPAPERS Richfield native son Darby Hendrickson was called one of Minnesota’s “hockey icons” by Wild vice president Bill Robertson. Hendrickson earned that tag with a lot of hard work and success during his playing career that began in Richfield’s youth hockey program and included 518 games in the National Hockey League. The for mer Richfield High AllState forward and Mr. Hockey of 1991 played two seasons at the University of Minnesota before turning professional and competing with four NHL teams – Toronto, Vancouver, Minnesota and Colorado. Hendrickson spent three seasons playing pro hockey in Europe as well. He played almost four seasons with the Wild and quickly became a fan favorite because of his personality and skills. Hendrickson scored the first home-ice goal in franchise history on Oct. 11, 2000, during a 3-3 tie with Philadelphia. After retiring, Hendrickson was a hockey analyst for Fox Sports North while also working for the NHL Players Association. But Hendrickson has resigned from those two jobs to concentrate on the next hockey challenge of his life. Hendrickson, 38, is serving as the third assistant coach for the Wild after being hired by head coach Todd Richards. “I was fortunate to do TV and stay close to the game,” said Hendrickson, now living in Minnetonka with his wife Dana and four children. “But I couldn’t pass up the challenge to work as an assistant coach with the Wild. “This is a unique opportunity and I thank general manager Chuck Fletcher and head coach Todd Richards for this chance to gain coaching experience.”
Like father, like son Hendrickson believes his dad Larry can also assist him as he learns the coaching ropes.
“My father has been a hockey coach for most of his life and I gained interest in coaching from him,” said Hendrickson. “I have been around a hockey environment for most of my life and learned a lot about the game from my dad, who was influenced greatly by Herb Brooks.” Darby will spend most of his time in the press box during Wild games. “I will be in communication with our bench coaches during games from the press box,” said Hendrickson. “I will be looking for any tendencies that could help our team and give our coaches a view of what I see happening on the ice from above.” Hendrickson will also work with Wild players during practices. He was a teammate of present Minnesota players such as Andrew Brunette, Nick Schultz and PierreMarc Bouchard during his playing career. Hendrickson doesn’t believe his age or relationship with those players will affect his coaching style. “I will try to find a balance in communicating with players,” said Hendrickson. “I can relate to our players well because I was recently one of them. “But I know I have to earn their respect as a coach and that evolves over time. I will just try to be myself.” Hendrickson absorbed a goodnatured ribbing by some of his former teammates during a Wild preseason practice. Hendrickson lost an edge and went down to the ice while delivering instructions during a drill. The players started razzing him about “rookie nerves” as a coach. Things couldn’t be going better for Hendrickson, on and off the ice. He calls his wife Dana a “supermom” while helping raise sons Mason (9), Beckett (5) and Rennick (21 months) along with daughter Addison (7). Dana (Erickson) Hendrickson was quite an athlete herself at Richfield High where she was an All-State golfer. “She can still beat me on the golf course,” Darby Hendrickson joked. The Hendricksons have lived in Minnetonka for two years and the three older children are already participating in youth hockey.
Darby Hendrickson salutes Minnesota Wild fans after scoring a goal. The former Richfield High and University of Minnesota forward played for four NHL teams before retiring. However, Hendrickson is back working at Xcel Energy Center this season as the Wild’s third assistant coach. (Photo courtesy of Elsa/ALLSPORT)
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Eden Prairie Sun-Current – Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010 – www.minnlocal.com
In the Community, With the Community, For the Community
FREE LECTURE: Tuesday, October 26th • 7pm By leading Autism/ADHD expert & author! Is Your Child Struggling with Social, Academic or Behavioral Issues? Over 10 Years of Proven Success! THERE IS HOPE…THERE IS HELP!
EDEN PRAIRIE!
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952-944-3111
October 26th at 7pm
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Dr. Robert Melillo, the author of the best selling book “Disconnected Kids,” will be here in the Twin Cities speaking to families of children with neurobehavioral disorders such as ADD/ADHD, Dyslexia, Tourette’s, Asperger’s and Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Mon-Fri 10am-8pm Sat 10am-6pm Sun 11am-5pm
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