11/17/2011 - Dakota County Tribune Business Weekly

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Duckwood Drive opens in Eagan 2A Businesses may find tax relief 5A Women’s choir debut in Apple Valley 24A

JESSICA HARPER T.W. BUDIG TAD JOHNSON

dakotacountytribune.biz dakotacountytribune.biz

DATE ##, 2009 NOVEMBER 17, 2011

VOLUME 30, NUMBER # VOLUME 32, NUMBER 38

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INSIDE BIZ NEWS

Eagan High School student Soren Hansen elected to ‘state’ off ice for Business Professionals of America. SOREN 2A HANSEN NEWS

Farmington City Council Member Christy Jo Fogarty to run for District 1 Dakota County Board seat. 2A C CHRISTY JO FOGARTY FORUM FO

Photo by Jessica Harper

Peter Honsa, president of Honsa Lighting in Eagan, meets with students at Risen Christ School every Friday to teach them about his industry and setting goals. The class toured Lifetime Fitness in Eagan to learn about the club and its lighting, which is supplied by Honsa.

KENT KAISER

Lighting the way for youth Founder, owner of Eagan-based company shares success with inner-city students by Jessica Harper DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE

Eagan businessman Peter Honsa considers himself quite fortunate. He has a thriving company, a loving wife, six grown children and 21 grandchildren. Yet to be completely fulfilled, the 73-year-old founder of Honsa Lighting felt he needed to reach out to those less fortunate than himself. For the past few months, Honsa has worked to make a difference in the lives of inner-city children.

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“It’s rewarding to give children background and exposure to opportunities they are not exposed to at home,� said Honsa, who is among a dozen corporate executives who mentor students at Risen Christ School in Minneapolis’ Powderhorn Park neighborhood. The majority of students at the K-8 Catholic school come from low-income families. Of its 333 students, 95 percent qualify for free and reduced price lunch. “A lot of our students’ parents haven’t graduated high school so this truly broadens horizons for atrisk kids,� said Fran Rusciano Murane, director of advancement and program manager for Risen Christ School. Honsa’s work is part of Risen

P Christ’s Imaginee the Posm, whic ch is sibilities program, which aimed at teaching seventhnthbout and eighth-graders about different career paths. The program – which ch is nerfunded in part by an innercity education grant from the GHR Foundation – was created last year to teach h at-risk students about different careers and industries. “This provides opportunities and hope,� Rusciano Murane said. “You have to have both to succeed.� Imagine the Possibilities was named Program of the Year last year by the Minnesota Independent School Foundation. Though none of Honsa’s students hope to join the lighting industry, he has inspired many of

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State government rules shouldn’t stand in the way of job growth in the mining industry. 4A

FORUM FO

Farmington State Rep. Pat Garofalo’s idea to restrict school levy elections to even years takes away local control. DON 4A HEINZMAN

them to think about their futures. Eighth-grader Janessa Bijorgo hopes to become a lawyer, while Patrick Pineda wants to become an archeologist. Though several students have a career in mind, Honsa reminds them to be prepared to change their goals over time. “Most people change careers

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General 952-894-1111 Distribution 952-846-2070 Advertising 952-846-2011

See Honsa, Page 5

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