Dakota County
Tribune
Farmington | Rosemount www.dakotacountytribune.com
NEWS Dew Days is a month away Registration is open for all of the annual Farmington community festival’s activities. Page 2A
OPINION Partners for Success Guest columnist Lisa Lusk shows how a program that helps young people succeed in school is making an impact. Page 4A
and the surrounding areas May 12, 2016 • Volume 131 • Number 11
Lewis earns 2nd District GOP endorsement Radio talk show host prevails after sixth ballot by Tad Johnson SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
Radio talk show host Jason Lewis earned the Republican endorsement in the 2nd District on Saturday after six rounds of balloting and an early exit from consideration by Burnsville businesswoman Darlene Miller, who will run against Lewis in an Aug. 9 primary. Lewis overcame a strong showing by South St. Paul engineer David Gerson, who had sought the 2nd District endorsement against current U.S. Rep. John Kline, RBurnsville, in the past two
election cycles. High School. Gerson led af“The endorseter the first ballot, ment of this disbut Lewis took trict is so crucial,” the lead in subhe said. “To have sequent ballots the imprimatur before Gerson of the activists in conceded the en- Jason Lewis the district is so dorsement before crucial and so imthe seventh round portant. You have of results were read. got to have the grassroots Former state Sen. John support, you have got to Howe and Apple Valley have the people to do the resident Gene Rechtzigel work on your team or trailed behind the front you are not going to corunners from the outset. alesce around the cause in “I am humbled by the fall.” your endorsement and I “That is why I sought proudly accept,” Lewis the endorsement, and it said after being con- was the best decision I firmed as the delegates’ made in this campaign, selection at Apple Valley and I am proud to have
it.” Before balloting began, Miller dropped out of consideration. Miller, who was endorsed by Kline in March, previously said she would be running in the primary. Howe has not made an announcement if he would run in the primary. Lewis, known as “Mr. Right” on his KTLKradio show for several years, is a resident of Woodbury. Woodbury is not in the 2nd District boundary, but candidates do not need to be residents of a House district to run in that district. The self-described
Libertarian has run for Congress before – in 1990 when he lived in Colorado. “I want to unite this party like I want to unite this country and this district,” Lewis said. He said the nation has had enough division the past eight years and “we don’t need any more of that.” He said he intends to protect the American dream, which is about rising as high as one’s ability will take someone. He said he wants to have a positive message and stick to the issues. See LEWIS, 6A
THISWEEKEND
Farmington stadium repair plan approved Bids higher than expected, but overall plans under budget
Tribute to the Fab Four
by Andy Rogers
Tribute band A Hard Day’s Night is set to perform classics from the Beatles’ catalog at the Steeple Center in Rosemount. Page 14A
SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
A park and recreation bond will go to Rosemount voters May 17. More than half of the $15 million in bonds would go toward an additional city-owned ice rink in Rosemount. Other projects include building four soccer-sized fields and two youth baseball fields along with development at Central Park. (File photo)
Rosemount bond vote is Tuesday Residents will decide direction of $15 million in parks projects by Tad Johnson SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
SPORTS Irish lacrosse gets defensive The Rosemount boys lacrosse team shut out Eastview in the second half of key South Suburban Conference game. Page 9A
PUBLIC NOTICE The Dakota County Tribune is an official newspaper of the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan School District. Page 10A
Voters in the city of Rosemount will determine on Tuesday, May 17, whether or not the city can issue up to $15 million in bonds to finance the completion of four Parks and Recreation Department projects. If approved, the estimated tax impact to the median value home of $238,250 would be $99 per year for the 20-year life of the bonds. The city says most commercial and industrial properties would experience an annual property tax increase of around 1.6 percent. The funds are being proposed for four Parks and Recreation Department projects: • Add a second ice rink at a location to be determined for an es-
timated $8.7 million. The project would include an ice plant, locker rooms, a coaches room, an officials room, an ice resurfacer, boards, a 125-stall parking lot and other items needed to operate the rink. • Add four soccer-sized fields at Flint Hills Fields along with parking, trail and some additional work for an estimated $2.6 million. Currently there are three soccer-sized fields at the site. • Add two more youth baseballsized fields at UMore Fields, along with lighting for all fields and adding a parking lot for approximately $1.7 million. • Create a four-season use feature at Central Park for $1 million. The feature is projected to be a hard surface oval with a landscaped inner circle that could be used as a
skating oval in winter and an event plaza in warmer months. The polls will be open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 17, at seven precincts. Voting locations for precincts 3 and 4 have changed since 2014. A precinct map accompanies this story. The 2016 precinct voting locations are: • Precinct 1 - Rosemount Community Center, 13885 S. Robert Trail. • Precinct 2 - St. John’s Lutheran Church, 14385 Blaine Ave. E. • Precinct 3 - First Baptist Church, 14400 Diamond Path W. • Precinct 4 - Steeple Center, 14375 S. Robert Trail. • Precinct 5 - Our Savior LutherSee BOND, 7A
Parent group aims to start RHS Foundation Meeting for those interested in helping out is May 16
INDEX
by Tad Johnson
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
SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
“Why not us?” That’s what a few parents with students at Rosemount High School said when considering the possibility of establishing a foundation to benefit the school. Such charitable organizations exist to serve Eastview High School in Apple Valley, Eagan High School and the neighboring Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District. After a group of parents decided to pursue the formation of a foundation, they set a meeting to discuss
the foundation concept and seek participants at 7 p.m. Monday, May 16, in the school’s media center. “This is an exciting opportunity to create a platform for investments in our school’s future,” said Principal John Wollersheim in a message to parents. “We want to see who is interested,” said Jason Nord, the parent of a RHS ninth-grader. “We are going to talk about what we have heard and seen what other foundations are doing, talk about the opportunity of the 100th anniversary of RHS and what they think a foundation’s message should be.”
Nord said there are many needs that can be fulfilled by an RHS Foundation, whose purpose would be to benefit the school’s academics, arts and athletics. “We are excited by the amount of things you can do with a foundation,” Nord said. He pointed to the example at Eastview, which grants scholarships to students and funds to teachers who apply for certain program support. “These foundations are giving out tens of thousands of dollars each year,” Nord said. See FOUNDATION, 6A
A supply and demand in the construction industry has affected Farmington School District’s bidding process for some of its summer projects. One project that caused a stir in the community, the repair to the Farmington High School stadium, will proceed as planned. The Farmington School Board approved the $1.3 million project during Monday’s meeting. The district received two bids for the project, which came in about $360,000 higher than budgeted. Overall, the district is under budget on its summer projects. Superintendent Jay Haugen said the district is actually in a good position when compared to others in the state. “There’s a great increase in costs of bids across the metro,” Haugen said. “They’re often up to 30 percent higher, and most of them are over on their overall projects.” Bids have already been approved for new boilers at Farmington Elementary and Boeckman Middle School; roof replacements; tuck pointing; Riverview Elementary remodeling, and repaving at Akin Road. Those projects have come in $2.1 million under budget. Following the stadium repair, the district will have about $1.8 million remaining in its building projects budget. The district still has other projects out for bid, including new kindergarten spaces at Meadowview and North Trail Elementary. “We still have a very good cushion that we’ll be able to get the rest of our projects done,” Director of Finance Jane Houska said. There were a number See STADIUM, 7A
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