Dakota County
Tribune
Farmington | Rosemount and the surrounding areas www.dakotacountytribune.com
June 12, 2014 • Volume 129 • Number 15
SPECIAL SECTION 2014 Farmington
Dew Days
advertising supplement • June 12
Dew Days to return A special section that includes the Dew Days schedule of events and other information is inside today’s Dakota County Tribune. Inside this edition
Farmington High School Principal Ben Kusch took a “selfie� with Rosemount High School senior Jacob Alex reflects before he receives his Student Council President Anna Korbein after she delivered the senior diploma on Saturday night. (Photo by Jennifer Chick) reflection speech. (Photo by Laura Adelmann)
Creating #graduation memories From seniors to alumni
OPINION
Rosemount High School commencement speakers make tech references
Summer reading tip Columnist Joe Nathan offers a summer reading tip that aims to offer insight into the world of education. Page 4A
THISWEEKEND
by Jennifer Chick SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
It was a night full of techie memories when 525 Rosemount High School seniors graduated Saturday night. With rain on Friday and Saturday morning, the ceremony was moved inside to the Rosemount High School gymnasium. Speeches from senior Sawyer Murray and faculty speaker Kurt Bills were filled with tech references about past tweets, hashtags and, of course, a few selfies from the stage. Murray took a selfie with her graduating class in the background while Bills snapped a selfie with Principal John Wol-
lersheim. Murray, who was selected as class speaker by teachers, called her class the master of the snippet, the rulers of all things 140 characters or less, a reference to the length of a tweet. When she snapped a selfie with her class, she gave instructions first. “Be appropriate,� she said. “My grandma follows me on Twitter.� She quoted past tweets from fellow classmates and elicited a laugh from the audience when she read this tweet, “Remember when our elementary teachers said we would use long division all the See ROSEMOUNT, 17A
Graduation ceremony held outdoors for about 440 seniors in Farmington by Laura Adelmann SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
Against a sometimes threatening sky, a large crowd turned out for the Farmington High School Class of 2014 commencement ceremony, June 6. Few raindrops interfered with the event that featured some memorable moments, including Principal Ben Kusch’s “selfie� with senior class president Anna Korbein and faculty speaker Matthew Grove placing his everpresent sandals on the podium. It turns out, those sandals have a story all their own. (More on that later.) Korbein recalled freshman
year as one of classmates searching for their niche and with a desire to do well, and struggling with firsts that included figuring out new locks on their lockers and their homecoming dance and dealing with the school’s “awful speed bumps.� She reviewed the sophomore swag and numerous junior activities that set them apart, then senior year filled with college applications or making other plans. Senior year, she recalled as their year of “lasts,� posing with Kusch for the last selfie taken as the class of 2014, a surprise See FARMINGTON, 17A
Lakeville city administrator resigns for job with Dakota County Intrigue in Apple Valley
Mielke to become county physical development director
Twin Cities mystery writers Marilyn Jax and Craig MacIntosh host the Mystery Writers Workshop at the Apple Valley Barnes & Noble. Page 19A
SPORTS Otterdahl wins two events Rosemount High School track and field star Payton Otterdahl won the state shot put and discus titles. Page 12A
by Laura Adelmann SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
Lakeville City Administrator Steve Mielke, who oversaw Lakeville’s construction boom, recessionary drag and a recent development resurgence, has been tapped as Dakota County’s next physical development director. Mielke’s last day at City Hall will be July 10, and he starts with the county on July 21. “The things that I really
District 196 board considers balancing budget with reserves by Jessica Harper
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INDEX Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . 4A Announcements . . . . . 7A Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 12A Classifieds . . . . . . . . . 14A Public Notices . . . . . . 18A
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love about Lakesition and benville are on the efits that include development end,� 240 hours of flex Mielke said. “I releave, according ally like helping to Dakota County plan the growth Communications and development Director Gail Pleof Lakeville. That wacki; his current has to do with Steve Mielke salary is $158,100 parks, roads, transplus benefits, acportation and sewer and cording to Lakeville. water and working with Mielke’s career began developers. The majority in Eagan as an intern, of this position is going to where he was mentored focus on those areas.� for six months by former Mielke, 56, will earn See MIELKE, 17A $152,000 in his new po-
Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan School District officials are proposing to borrow from the district’s reserves to balance the budget in 2014-2015 and avoid making cuts. District 196 revenues in 2014-15 are predicted to be $318.3 million but expenditures are projected to be $323.4 million, which leaves the district with a $5.06 million shortfall. Since beginning its budget process last year, district officials have expected a shortfall in 2014-15 because funding failed to keep up with inflation for a number of years, said Stella Johnson, District 196 coordinator of finance. District officials propose borrowing from the
district’s general fund balance. Under this scenario, the fund balance will be $23.7 million, which is 7.35 percent of general fund expenditures. Board policy requires a fund balance that is at least 5 percent of the general fund. If approved, 2014-15 will be the second school year the district has borrowed from its general fund balance. The district’s total budget is projected to be $406.9 million. The district will be able to avoid cuts next year thanks to increased state aid and a $30 million annual 10-year levy referendum, Johnson said. The levy referendum passed by voters in 2013 will raise $1,486 per pupil each year. “We would be having a very different conversation
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if the levy referendum had not passed. We’d be looking at cuts,� Superintendent Jane Berenz said. The Legislature increased basic funding by 1.5 percent for 2013-14 and 1.5 percent for 201415. In May, the Legislature agreed to provide an additional 0.5 percent increase for 2014-15. District 196 relies heavily on state aid, which accounts for 76.45 percent of its budget. Property taxes account for 18.09 percent while federal aid makes up 2.45 percent of the district’s budget. District 196 is on track to save $4 million in its 2013-14 budget, Johnson said. The board is expected to vote on the budget proposal on June 23.
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The streets of Farmington will be filled with music and other fanfare Saturday, June 21, during the Dew Days Grand Parade. More about the events is inside today’s special section and online at SunThisweek.com/tag/ Dew-Days-2014. (File photo)
Rain or shine, Dew Days is on next week Farmington’s annual community festival includes a big parade by Jennifer Chick SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
Organizers are hoping to see as many as 8,000 residents flood downtown Farmington next week as Dew Days kicks off. The annual celebration returned to its downtown roots several years ago after many requests from residents and has seen a resurgence of interest. “It’s back to the old town festival that people enjoy,� said Darla Donnelly, chair of the Farmington Dew Days Committee. There’s something for everyone as Dew Days begins Tuesday, June 17, with the week-long medallion hunt, duct tape crafts for ages 11-16 at Farmington City Hall, and crowning of Farm-
ington Royalty that evening. For a listing of all the events and more information, see the special section inside this edition or read that information at SunThisweek.com/tag/ Dew-Days-2014. For this year’s medallion hunt, people will be searching for the lost Farmington Research Rover, a space-like research robot similar to the real one that landed on Mars, according to Zach Mohlis, hunt organizer. He said the angle is that the research robot has gone haywire and missing while out on a data-gathering mission. The hunt features a new clue every day starting at noon on Tuesday, and the hunt will continue through Saturday, June See DEW DAYS, 13A
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