Dakota County
Tribune
Farmington | Rosemount www.dakotacountytribune.com
NEWS
and the surrounding areas December 10, 2015 • Volume 130 • Number 40
City delays budget vote
A candy cane friendship
Tragedy in Lakeville Two Lakeville South students were killed in a one-vehicle rollover crash while another teen in the vehicle remains hospitalized. Pages 2A-3A
Rambling River Center holding out hope for assistant in 2016
OPINION Stemming the tide of violence
by Andy Rogers SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
Law enforcement and the public need to work together to end the cycle of violence in Minnesota communities. Page 4A
THISWEEKEND Santa offers a candy cane to a visitor during Friday’s Tree Lighting at the Steeple Center in Rosemount. It was the first time that the Steeple Center’s gathering space inside the new addition was used for an event. After the tree lighting on the front lawn, people moved inside to hear Christmas carols and music from a brass quintet. The reception was followed by a Rosemount Community Band and Rosemount High School concert choir performance. More photos are inside on page 16A and online at SunThisweek.com/tag/Tree-Lighting. (Photo by Tad Johnson)
Invites for the special ones Holiday humor of ‘Elf Jr.’ The Play’s The Thing Productions is presenting the regional premiere of “Elf Jr.: The Musical” in Lakeville. Page 15A
SPORTS Irish basketball fine-tuning The Rosemount High School girls basketball team shuts down CretinDerham Hall in recent action. Page 9A
PUBLIC NOTICE The Dakota County Tribune is an official newspaper of the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan School District. Page 10A
Rosemount High School performing arts students to present ‘OnStage: The Envelope Please’ by Tad Johnson SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
Invitations to the Oscars, Grammys, Emmys or Tonys are earned by those who have distinguished themselves in their artistic field during the past year. As part of this year’s school musical variety show “OnStage: The Envelope Please,” Rosemount students in the production are being provided with one invitation that they are asked to give to a school staff member who has positively influenced their life. For the public, they should consider this their invitation, as it will garner them a slightly higher probability of attending these shows in school’s Performing Arts Center than the real Oscars in Hollywood. In past years, OnStage productions have had sold out nights, but tickets are still available for the Dec. 10-19 run of shows, which has more performance times than in previous years. Rosemount senior and choir member Jacob Campen said it is very cool that so many people want to see the show that it fills up the 650-seat PAC. Judging by past sold-out shows and the addition of performance times, people enjoy turning out for OnStage. “I believe in the concept of OnStage – that an audience will come for two hours and be thoroughly entertained,” Rosemount choir director Steve Albaugh said. “Of course there are some amazing performances. People always comment
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See BUDGET, 6A
Toys for Town drive hopes to make season special by Andy Rogers
INDEX
Rosemount High School students Nnamdi Okorie (left) and Madison Morehouse serve as the emcees of “OnStage: The Envelope Please,” which will be performed at the high school the following two weekends. (Photo by Tad Johnson) regarding the high level of performance. However, I also think that the songs included in the show is a major reason people come back year after year.” OnStage 2015 is filled with songs many people know by heart from some of the biggest pop stars, blockbuster movies, Broadway mainstays and treasured television shows. There’s music by the likes of U2, Van Morrison, Journey and Neil Diamond. Songs from the “Sound of Music,” “Singin’ in the Rain” Rosemount High School student and “Wicked” are included. Shane Doherty rehearses “Singin’ in It’s a huge production that in- the Rain,” which was made famous volves singing, dancing, instrumen- during Gene Kelly’s performance of tal music and spoken word. the song in the movie of the same name. (Photo by Tad Johnson) See ONSTAGE, 6A
The Farmington City Council is going to wait until Dec. 21 to approve the final budget for 2016 after a group of citizens came to Monday’s meeting concerned about staffing at the Rambling River Center. The city of Farmington’s final budget includes the elimination of a parttime administrative position at the Rambling River Center, a facility providing programming for adults 50 and older in downtown Farmington. Several members of the center spoke in support of keeping the position earlier this year during a council meeting and again on Monday. The Rambling River Center Advisory Board made a formal recommendation during the meeting to help pay for the assistant’s salary. Advisory board member Marilyn Briesacher said the board would provide half the salary at $11,000 and give back its stipend to fill the position for the next two years. The money would come from the organization’s fundraising efforts, which was originally intended for upgrades at the facility such as new furniture. “We’ll put those projects on hold for the moment,” Briesacher said. “We feel (an assistant) is imperative to running the facility.” A part-time assistant was recruited in September after a former employee took a different job within the city, but the council tabled the vote hoping to keep the tax levy low leaving the center without an assistant. Briesacher said the Rambling River Center has cut some programs and hours since then. They also have programs that require a driver, but they still need another person at the facility. There’s also situations where staff and volunteers go on vacation or are too
Although it may not look like Christmas season outside, the annual Toys for Town drive in Farmington is underway. Organized by the Farmington Police Department, Toys for Town hopes to make the holiday season memorable by gathering gifts and groceries for children and families in need during the Christmas season. It’s quite the reprieve from the crimes and pa-
perwork for Police Chief Brian Lindquist. “It’s a fantastic break in the action,” he said. “It’s different than the last 10 and half months. It’s incumbent upon us to do a few things and one of these things is to try to ensure the safety and happiness of children. Christmas is one of the big ones. To have a child not experience that is heartbreaking.” It can also still be stressful. “There’s no option for failure here,” Lindquist
said. Although retailers might show otherwise, it doesn’t quite feel like Christmas with 45-degree days. “When we have winters like this when it’s not snowing, for whatever reason, things tend to slow down,” Lindquist said. “I never seem to have enough toys until the very end.” Last year, Toys for Town helped 85 families, including 241 children, and they’re expecting the same this year. That means they’re hoping for more than
1,000 toys. “It’s a Christmas miracle every year,” Lindquist said. “I’ve never run short. You always worry that possibility is going to exist.” Drop-off locations for unwrapped toys are located throughout Farmington including the Farmington Library, school buildings, City Hall and several area businesses. Lindquist said teenage boys and girls up to the age of 15 are always underrepresented. “Everybody loves to
buy for the 5- to 10-yearolds,” he said. “Those are easy to buy for.” Monetary donations are also welcome. Volunteers use the money to purchase gifts for the underrepresented age groups, groceries and to fill in the gaps. Money can be dropped off at the police department or Farmington City Hall. Volunteers will wrap gifts starting at 9 a.m. Dec. 19 at Farmington High School. “It’s truly an amazing See TOYS, 7A