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Dakota County

Tribune

Farmington | Rosemount www.dakotacountytribune.com

NEWS

and the surrounding areas Dec. 7, 2017 • Volume 132 • Number 40

District 196 band teacher recognized Rosemount Middle School’s Zschunke wins MMEA Music Educator of the Year Award by Amy Mihelich SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE

Helping out the animals Farmington-based Last Hope Inc. is continuing to serve the metro area with new leadership in place. Page 5A

OPINION Now is the time for change Now is the time for society to achieve freedom from harassment, bullying and violation of physical and emotional privacy. Page 4A

John Zschunke says he’s got his dream job. “I can’t think of a thing I’d rather do,� he said. “I love music and I love people, and when you put it together, that’s teaching.� He’s is an instrumental music teacher at District 196’s Rosemount Middle School. Recently, the Minnesota Music Educators Association selected Zschunke to receive Music Educator of the Year Award. Each year, MMEA gives the award to up to four Minnesota music teachers who have demonstrated excellence in music teaching and learning. When he found out he was selected, Zschunke said he was surprised and

humbled. for District 196 for “I work with 28 years. He startsuch great people, ed at Rosemount and I have for all of High School in my career. Know1990 and taught ing how many oththere until 1998 er great teachers when he moved to there are around John Rosemount Middle the state of Minne- Zschunke School, where he sota who do amazstill teaches today. ing work — to be selected Before that, he taught at by MMEA is so gratify- St. Francis. He said the ing. It’s humbling.� teams at all the schools To receive the award, he’s worked at have helped the nominee must have at him become the teacher he least 10 years of teaching is today. experience and be actively “Teaching is a team teaching at the time of effort, and those people the award. The nominee that I’ve worked with must be a current member have taught me so much. of the MMEA, and they They’ve been, and they must provide a service to still are, invaluable to my the music education pro- growth,� Zschunke said. fession outside of their “It’s good to be surroundschool and district. ed by intelligent, innovaHe exceeds these expec- tive workers — and it’s tations. those people who have inZschunke has taught spired me.�

Since beginning his teaching career, Zschunke said experience and colleagues have been the best teachers. “You don’t have to know all the answers, but it’s really good to know who has them,� he said. “And I’ve had great resources. Our schools and our districts are so supportive of the arts and music that it makes it really easy to do what we do.� Zschunke learned his love of music, and band instruments in particular, from his father, who was a band teacher. He used to help his father file sheet music, and after that he’d experiment with the many instruments in the band room. Against his father’s advice, Zschunke decided to follow in his footsteps — and he’s never looked

back. At Rosemount Middle School, Zschunke conducts three concert bands, teaches instrumental lessons and conducts several jazz bands. “I really like this age level. It’s so fun. They are so excited to learn, and they are so moldable and energetic,� Zschunke said. “I wouldn’t want to be any other place than middle school.� Zschunke started teaching in middle school because he was passionate about developing the Rosemount High School Band’s feeder program. He wanted to help students learn and grow in their early years of playing, and through that he’s formed tight-knit groups See ZSCHUNKE, 8A

Local business hits a home run @Bat Player Development’s ribbon-cutting was Dec. 1

THISWEEKEND

by Jody Peters SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE

Penguin chick hatches at zoo The Minnesota Zoo welcomed a new African penguin chick as part of its endangered species recovery plan. Page 15A

SPORTS

Photo by Jody Peters

Irish, Tigers tip off in hoops The Rosemount and Farmington boys basketball teams are looking to improve in the South Suburban Conference. Page 10A

Scott Hughes and wife Kristi (left) cut the ceremonial ribbon to celebrate the opening of their new business, @Bat Player Development.

The Dakota County Tribune is an official newspaper of the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan School District. Page 10A

INDEX Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . 4A Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9A Public Notices . . . . . . 10A Classifieds . . . . . . . . . 11A Announcements . . . . 14A

News 952-846-2033 Display Advertising 952-846-2019 Classified Advertising 952-392-6862 Delivery 763-712-3544

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Christmas in the Village event continues this weekend SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE

It may not look a lot like Christmas outside, but Dakota City is celebrating anyway. The organization’s annual Christmas in the Village event runs Dec. 2-10 from 1-8 p.m. at the Dakota City Heritage Village, 4008 220th St. W., Farmington. For education and volunteer coordinator Alisa Peterson, the event is a way to show how life was different back in 1900. She started volunteering with Dakota City in 2000 or 2001 and started working for the organization in 2010. Peterson said she started bringing her kids to Heritage Village when they were “real little.� When her daughters were in sixth grade, they wanted to do some service for an

organization, so Peterson called up Dakota City and was told her daughters’ Girl Scout troop could help decorate for Christmas in the Village. After that, Peterson said she’s been there ever since. She said that one of her favorite things is being able to show the public, especially children, how different life was over 100 years ago. “Life was so different in 1900 that the kids can’t imagine — all the kids that are alive now have grown up with computers in the household, handheld computers in your phone. Your phone is not only a phone but a camera and a little mini computer and a gaming place and all this stuff. And none of that existed long ago,� Peterson said. Dakota City’s program committee decides how to plan each year’s events, and this year, Christmas

Photo by Jody Peters

Christmas in the Village is an annual event that shows what the holidays were like for Dakota County residents in the year 1900. Pictured is the Dakota City Village Hall. in the Village’s theme is ethnic traditions of 1900. Each building will spotlight a particular culture’s Christmas traditions and will show what Christmas looked like for immigrants in Dakota County. “The Harris House is

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decorated as the British Victorian Christmas, because they were an English family. ‌ The McMenomy House is decorated as an Irish immigrant house, and we’ve got a couple other buildings that are decorated as Scottish,

Scandinavian, German and American ‌ the library is Scandinavian, so there’ll be lots of little gnomes and trolls and straw ornaments,� Peterson said. See VILLAGE, 8A

&

See @BAT, 10A

Deck the halls at Dakota City by Jody Peters

PUBLIC NOTICE

Walk into @Bat Player Development and one of the first things visible is a quote on the wall: “Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.� That motto is applicable to owner Scott Hughes, who said “blood, sweat and tears� have gone into opening the facility. On Dec. 1, Hughes, his family and friends and three Farmington council members were on hand for a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Although the center had a soft opening on Nov. 2, Hughes said the official grand opening was Dec. 2. The atmosphere at the ribbon cutting was particularly celebratory because Hughes has had this dream for so long. Hughes has had a lifelong passion for sports; he is a former baseball player and was “very involved� in his community’s parks and rec program while growing up in River Falls, Wisconsin.


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