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Dakota County
Tribune
Farmington | Rosemount and the surrounding areas
www.dakotacountytribune.com
August 6, 2015 • Volume 129 • Number 22
Queen of Lakes title results in a surreal experience
SPECIAL SECTION
Pacheco has a busy year ahead by Andy Rogers SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
Back to school time nears Sun Thisweek and the Dakota County Tribune offer readers a way to start thinking about the 2015-2016 school year with today’s special section. Inside this edition
OPINION Light rail plan should move on Despite its setbacks, the Southwest Light Rail Tranist Line project should move forward to better serve the region. Page 4A
The Thunder 4x4 monster truck pulls a wheelie at the Aitkin County Fair. It was driven by Jim Bendzick of New Ulm and promoted by Midwest Monster Motorsports from Blaine. (Photo submitted)
More than just smashing cars Midwest Monster Motorsports to show monster trucks at county fair by Hannah Gullickson
THISWEEKEND
Bluegrass is back at Caponi The Caponi Art Park will stage its second Bluegrass Festival in September as a fundraiser for the nonprofit. Page 17A
PUBLIC NOTICE The Dakota County Tribune is an official newspaper of the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan School District. Page 11A
CONTACT US News 952-846-2033 Display Advertising 952-846-2019 Classified Advertising 952-392-6862 Delivery 952-846-2070
Monster truck Incinerator performs stunts at the Hubbard County Fair. It was driven by Ryan Rice and promoted by Blaine-based Midwest Monster Motorsports. (Photo submitted) pany, he said he loves staying in this career. “It’s fun,� he said. “(We) get to hang out with (trucks) that are 1,500 horsepower and 10,000 pounds. ... Dumping, crushing, maybe rolling over. ... They’re good friends and good to get along with.� This year, Midwest Monster Motorsports will host the following monster trucks: Thunder 4x4, Ghost Ryder, Incinerator, La Chica Loco, Tough Trucks, Quad Racers, Freestyle Motorcross and Team Extreme RC Freestyle. Anderson said his company doesn’t own any of the monster trucks. “Typically all the trucks are ... independently owned and operated,� he said. “We’re actually a promoter where we bring in trucks from all over the U.S.� TRUCKS, from 7A
from college, she already works 30 hours a week at Burnsville Toyota. A quick nap after work and Pacheco takes over her role as Queen of Lakes. “It is a tough schedule but I would not change it for the world,â€? she said. “I have had so much fun in a week and I still have many more left this year.â€? Pacheco attends the University of Minnesota where she will be a sophomore in the fall studying chemical engineering. Pacheco was given a scholarship as part of the Queen of Lakes ambassadorship. She admits it’s hard work, but in the end it will be very rewarding. It’s been a long, exciting road for Pacheco to get here. She credits the years she spent with the Farmington Ambassador Program calling it a lifechanging experience. “They saw potential in me even when I didn’t see it myself,â€? she said. “It was taking these skills I had inside and letting me take the opportunity to use them and allowing them to flourish. ‌ Being apart of the (ambassador) program is really gaining another family.â€? She said the Farmington Ambassadors were also supporting her throughout the Aquatennial, which eased her anxieties. “To see familiar faces when you are in a stressful environment throughout the week really helps boost your confidence,â€? she said. Pacheco is the first Miss Farmington to be named Queen of Lakes in the program’s 75-year history. Email Andy Rogers at andy.rogers@ecm-inc.com.
Police get proactive to deal with car thefts by Laura Adelmann
Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . 4A Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 10A Public Notices . . . . . . 11A Classifieds . . . . . . . . . 12A Announcements . . . . 16A
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Smashing cars like a pile of dirt is only part of the fun in owning a monster truck company. Owner and founder of Midwest Monster Motorsports, LLC, Jon Anderson, will be showing about eight monster trucks at the Dakota County Fair on Thursday, Aug. 13, at 7 p.m. A pit party will happen at 6 p.m. prior to the show. The show will involve a series of stunts performed by volunteers who drive the monster trucks. Stunts generally include wheelies, flips, spins and flying from a ramp of flattened cars. Anderson’s company, which is based in Blaine, is celebrating its fifth anniversary. It hosted two other shows at the Aitkin and Hubbard county fairs this July. Anderson’s love for monster trucks started when he was young. “When I was (in high school) ... (I) used to watch all my buddies demo derby,� he said. He also worked on monster trucks during that time. “That’s when I got hooked on monster trucks and falling in love (with them) and doing the really bad jobs where I used to volunteer for jobs,� he said. For a brief time, Anderson owned his own monster truck and raised a few others. He didn’t keep his monster truck for long when he and his wife had their first child. But he wanted to stay in the business of monster trucks. “There was nobody locally in the Midwest around the Twin Cities or Wisconsin, and we just decided we were going to do it,� he said. Although Anderson works a fulltime job in addition to owning the com-
Maricia Pacheco
Lakeville, Apple Valley and Farmington will share bait car
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Maricia Pacheco isn’t sure what the secret is to being named the Queen of the Lakes, but being genuine didn’t hurt. The 2014 Miss Farmington was named the 2016 Aquatennial Queen of the Lakes on July 25. More than a week later and she it still feels surreal. “I still wake up in the morning and think that ‘I still cant believe this is real,’ � she said. “I don’t think I will realize that this is real until next year when someone new is selected.� She doesn’t view the crown as anything she’s won, but rather she was selected for the position of Queen of Lakes. There were 49 candidates for the Queen of the Lakes Coronation, held at the University of Minnesota’s Ted Mann Concert Hall, judged on a variety of criteria including poise, professionalism, public speaking ability, goals, education, their interaction with other candidates, and extra-curricular activities. She didn’t think about the outcome during the week leading up to the coronation. Instead she focused on the experience. “If you get too wound up in being selected, you miss out,� she said. When asked why she thought she might have been selected, she said she didn’t know. She said she just stayed true to herself, and felt every single girl could have been selected. “I have no idea how they could choose three girls from spending 10 minutes with us during interviews,� Pacheco said. “I think the judges just felt that I would fit best to represent the Aquatennial. I don’t want to even think about why they specifically chose me. It was just meant to happen and I trust their decisions.� As the Queen of Lakes, Pacheco will travel the state and region making about 200 appearances throughout the year representing Minneapolis and Farmington. She’ll go as far away as Georgia, California, Texas and even Canada. She’ll be busy. Although she’s on summer break
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Local police are trying to proactively address a street crime by becoming the victim. The cities of Lakeville, Farmington and Apple Valley will soon share a bait car to catch car thieves in the act under a twoyear Minnesota Commerce Department grant written by the city of Lakeville. The $44,414 grant, approved by the Lakeville City Council on July 20, will pay for the car, a complete in-car surveillance system and training for five Lakeville Police Department officers. Last year, there were a total of 71 auto thefts in the three cities, up from 54 in 2013, according to Lakeville Police Lt. Jason Polinski. Polinski said the number of
stolen vehicles reported in Lakeville went from 18 in 2013 to 24 last year. Polinski said auto theft is not a trend, but is a growing problem in Lakeville and they sought the grant funding to try to reverse the number of thefts occurring in the city. “That’s why we’re doing this,â€? he said. “It was a crime stat that we looked at, and we had an increase in vehicle thefts. ‌ What can we do so that 24 (thefts) doesn’t become 32.â€? The ultimate fate of stolen vehicles is often total destruction. Over the years, Polinski said stolen cars in Lakeville have been taken for a “joy rideâ€? and then driven into Lake Marion or set on fire. Other times, they have been stripped and sold for parts. Grant funds will also help the
departments deploy an educational campaign to help increase public awareness. Polinski said many thefts are a crime of opportunity. Drivers may leaving their keys in the ignition or inadvertently invite in criminals by leaving their garage door open at night. One of the most frequent ways vehicles are stolen, he said, is by drivers leaving cars running and unlocked in the winter at a gas station while they run in to pay for gas. Polinski attributed the growth in thefts to “growing pains.� “Things come with population increases, and unfortunately crime is one of them,� Polinski said. He said there have not been any incidents of children or pets being in a vehicle in Lakeville when it was stolen, and several people
have been caught and prosecuted for the crime. Lakeville police officers have also recovered some vehicles that were stolen in another city. Polinski said the bait car, which is expected to be deployed later this year, will be equipped with surveillance equipment that will alert police immediately whenever it is targeted. “We’ll know when the door opens,� Polinski said. He said the bait car will allow police to go after criminals before they have the chance to victimize someone. “The purpose of the bait car is to proactively go after somebody in the process of the theft and send the message: not in Lakeville,� Polinski said. Laura Adelmann is at laura.adelmann@ecm-inc.com.