Dakota County
Tribune
Farmington | Rosemount and the surrounding areas
www.dakotacountytribune.com
NEWS 911 call center looks ahead The Dakota Communitications Center celebrated its 10th year with a look back and a look ahead. Page 3A
OPINION Infrastructure for rural areas U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar says that funding infrastructure projects in rural America should be a bipartisan effort. Page 4A
THISWEEKEND
Bluegrass in the mid-winter Twin Cities bluegrass band Monroe Crossing will be bringing its warm sounds to the Steeple Center in Rosemount. Page 15A
SPORTS
Area sports roundup Check out a roundup of sports from Farmington and Rosemount in today’s edition that looks at hockey, basketball and more. Page 9A
PUBLIC NOTICE The Dakota County Tribune is an official newspaper of the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan School District. Page 10A
Feb. 1, 2018 • Volume 132 • Number 48
Dance fever takes over Farmington Fundraiser features ballroom, hip hop and more by Jody Peters SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers fans are in luck, because dance is coming to Farmington. On Saturday, Feb. 3, at 2 p.m., Farmington High School will put on a dance showcase that benefits its high school senior party. Tickets can be purchased at the door: $8 for adults, $5 for students and free for 5 years old and under. Several groups will be performing, including two college teams. The University of St. Catherine dance team will be performing a pom routine, and the University of Minnesota ballroom dance team, which is currently ranked third in the nation, will perform. Other guest groups include Rhythm and Swing, which will perform a high-
Photo submitted
Synergy Dance Center, Farmington’s sole dance studio, will be one of several groups performing at the upcoming For the Love of Dance event. energy Lindy hop routine, Two groups from Farmand USA Dance-Minne- ington, Synergy Dance sota, which will perform a Center and Just For Kix, ballroom medley. will showcase their rou-
New finance director: ‘It’s wonderful here’
Military service, printing presses color his life Farmington senior Marlin Halbert reflects on experiences
Teah Malecha was hired Jan. 8, succeeding Robin Hanson by Jody Peters
ditional duties, like handling payroll. In Farmington, she It’s that time of won’t have to handle year again. No, not that, so she’ll have Super Bowl Sunday more time to focus — tax season. on things like audits While many peoand ensuring that ple might shudder the city stays within just thinking about its planned budget. W2s or 1099s, Teah “It’s very differMalecha is not one ent here — there’s a of those people. much larger staff to F a r m i n g t o n ’s work with. We had new finance direca lot more on our tor, who was hired plate, and it’s nice Photo submitted Jan. 8 and succeeds coming here and Robin Hanson, is Teah Malecha started being able to focus nothing short of en- her new position on Jan. more on the finanthusiastic about her 8. cial analysis piece new role, saying that and the budgeting she took the job because “I love piece,â€? Malecha said. finance.â€? Right now, the finance depart“I love it. It’s such a nice place ment is concentrating on finishto work. It’s wonderful here and ing end-of-the-year tasks, and it’s a nice community,â€? Malecha then they have an audit after said. that’s completed. Malecha previously worked “Everybody’s getting W2s, for the city of Excelsior and was W9s, things like that all done and attracted to Farmington partly then the auditors will come in, because of its small-town feel. and hopefully everything should “We’re in the ag environment be a smooth audit this year. Roband it’s a closer community. ‌ (It in did great. She was great for the has) the original downtowns and city,â€? Hanson said. that. I mean, it is developing and After the audit is done, the things are always changing, but I next step is focusing on the budlove the original areas,â€? Malecha get, although Malecha hasn’t said. In Excelsior, Malecha had adSee MALECHA, 8A SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
Photo by Jody Peters
Trinity Care Center resident Marlin Halbert is a Navy veteran and spent his entire working life in the printing industry. After about 50 years residing in Apple Valley, he now stays at Trinity following a diagnosis of a heart disorder. by Jody Peters SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
At Trinity Care Center, the noise of construction equipment thunders through the hallways, but the commotion doesn’t seem to bother Marlin Halbert. Halbert moved to the care center about three months ago after breaking his leg. Doctors had to put in a metal plate with 11 screws to hold the bones together, leaving him in a wheelchair. But he still gets around to
watch the men at work, and he has led a life filled with travel, from Red Oak, Iowa, to Havana, Cuba. And most of his adventures boil down to one common factor: decades spent working in the printing industry. It all started during Halbert’s senior year in high school. He got a part-time job working at a local newspaper, the Red Oak Express, sweeping floors and melting lead See HALBERT, 10A
Fifth-grade teacher nominated for award by Amy Mihelich
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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SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
Two teachers from the Rosemount-Apple ValleyEagan School District have accepted nominations for the 2018 Minnesota Teacher of the Year Award: Echo Park Elementary fifthgrade teacher Andrew Bocchi and Rosemount High School science teacher Joseph Christman. The award honors ex-
cellence in education. In 2018, 167 official candidates will compete for the title, Andrew Teacher of Bocchi the Year — the third highest number of candidates in the award’s 54-year history. After whittling down the list to about 30 semifinal-
ists, and narrowing down that list to 10 finalists, Education Minnesota will announce the 2018 Minnesota Teacher of the Year on Sunday, May 6, at the Radisson Blu in Bloomington. Following a conversation with Christman last week, this week the newspaper spoke with Bocchi. How long have you taught in District 196? Bocchi: This is my third
$
year teaching as a fifthgrade teacher in District 196. I spent the previous three years teaching third grade up in the Brainerd Lakes Area and two years as a special education paraprofessional in kindergarten classrooms. Beyond your classroom, what activities or extra-curriculars do you assist with? In Brainerd I coached eighth-grade girls basketball and some after school
classes. Within District 196 I taught Camp Propel in the summer, provided homebound services for a student unable to attend school and am currently part of our district’s 1:1 technology initiative. What led you to become a teacher? I decided to become a teacher because when I looked at the problems See TEACHER, 8A
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See DANCE, 8A
Two District 196 educators up for Minnesota Teacher of the Year
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tines. Synergy is Farmington’s sole dance studio and Just For Kix is a program that trains dancers from
18 months through 12th grade in kick, jazz, lyrical and hip hop. In addition to these groups, there will be baton twirling from Dance-Twirl Minnesota in Eagan and ballet from Ballet Royale in Lakeville. Studio 4 in Burnsville will bring an adaptive class for dancers of all abilities. The Dance Connection in Rosemount and South Metro Dance Academy in Lakeville will perform contemporary routines. Also, JAMM Dance Company in Rosemount will perform hip hop numbers and Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Eagan will showcase two different ballroom styles. The event will be hosted by James Schiffman, an Emmy-winning performer and producer for Lakev-