Dakota County
Tribune
Farmington | Rosemount and the surrounding areas
www.dakotacountytribune.com
NEWS District 192 to alter bus routes
August 20, 2015 • Volume 130 • Number 24
Laughs abound at the fair
Meadowview Elementary School walkers will ride the bus, for now, due to delays in road construction. Page 3A
District 196 says money would be for building improvements, new school, technology
OPINION University should lead The ECM Editorial Board says the University of Minnesota should take the lead to end workplace sexual harassment. Page 4A
by Jessica Harper SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
THISWEEKEND
Farmers market rock Rock ’n’ roll cover band American Bootleg is set to perform at Eagan Market Fest on Wednesday, Aug. 26. Page 17A
The Dakota County Fair continued over the weekend under humid conditions and temperatures in the 90s, but the crowds didn’t seem to mind on Thursday as they found plenty of shade, an occasional breeze and plenty of laughs at the All-American Lumberjack Show (above), the Dakota City tractor parade, Chautauqua, livestock judging, a performance by the Farmington High School marching band and on the midway. More photos are inside the edition and at SunThisweek.com/tag/ Dakota-County-Fair-2015. (Photos by Tad Johnson)
Heat scorches fair attendance Monster trucks, demo derby remain popular by Andy Rogers SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
There wasn’t much fair organizers could do about it, but Dakota County Fair attendance took a hit when temperatures soared to 90 degrees in the metro last week. Mark Henry, who is one of 13 fair directors, didn’t have specific attendance numbers yet, but he said the midway was down about
SPORTS Rosemount football squad needs to replace 20 of 22 starters from 2014. Page 10A
Best Places list shows what Rosemount residents already know
PUBLIC NOTICE
by Tad Johnson
The Dakota County Tribune is an official newspaper of the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan School District.
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40 percent on Saturday this year. “I don’t blame anybody,” Henry said. The fair is mostly an outdoor affair and organizers set up fans inside the barns and buildings, but they could only do so much. “We’ve talked about upgrading some fans in the livestock buildings,” Henry said. “It’s an ongoing project.” Attendance was up during the
weekdays, he said, and many of the events were packed as usual. By the time the sun settled in the sky, demolition derby fans braved the heat to fill the stands like any other year. About 3,300 people attended the demolition derby on Friday and Saturday nights. The monster truck rally was also well attended, and Henry said See FAIR, 9A
The Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan School District will ask the public this November for $180 million for building upgrades, the expansion of district’s magnet school program and new technology. At an Aug. 17 meeting, the District 196 School Board unanimously agreed to put a $130 million building bond and $50 million capital improvement levy referendum on the ballot. Board members Art Coulson and Joel Albright were absent but have previously expressed support for the proposal. If the referendum is approved, taxes on the average valued home of $250,000 would likely increase by about $144 between payable 2015 and payable 2016, which is about $12 more a month. The $130 million building bond would enable the district to renovate and construct additions onto several schools, upgrade security equipment and potentially build a new school. The district hopes to construct an addition onto Cedar Park, Diamond Path, Glacier Hills, Echo Park and Oak Ridge elementary schools to address space constraints that those schools. Cedar Park, Diamond See 196, 6A
Confirming the Rosemount feeling
Irish football rebuidling
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District seeks bond funds
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SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
Money magazine has determined what Rosemount residents say they already know. The town is a great place to live and raise children. Rosemount ranked 12th in the “Best Places to Live 2015” list among the 3,625 U.S. towns with populations of 10,000 to 50,000 that were judged using statistics, a site visit and interviews with residents. It wasn’t the highest mark the magazine gave to the community. Rosemount ranked fourth on the “Best Places to be a Kid” list. Only five towns are noted on the Kid ranking. The ratings might be best summed up by MaryJane Schneider, whose family moved to Rosemount when she was 4. She moved away after graduating from Rosemount High School, but now she’s back in town. “I love Rosemount, it’s simply home,” she said. “The schools do an outstanding job finding the right teachers, I know my kids are getting a fabulous education. I also trust that my kids are safe and have plenty to do as there are a
great variety of community activities and programs offered.” Education and safety were two of the criteria that Money valued highly. Rosemount Mayor Bill Droste noted those criteria first when he was asked about the Money ranking. “Two important elements of growing communities are schools and public safety,” Droste said.
The city of Rosemount was recently named No. 12 by Money magazine among the nation’s “Best Places to Live” and No. 4 on the “Best Places to be a Kid” list. Among the cited reasons cited were many activities for youths and quality schools. (File photos) “We are fortunate to live in volunteer thousands of an area with great schools hours organizing programs both public and private.” for our youth,” he said. He noted the RoseAs for safety, the mayor mount-Apple Valley-Ea- has high praise for those gan School District’s nu- who create that atmomerous state and nationally sphere. recognized programs, such “When considering as the nine-time consecu- communities to raise chiltive state championship dren, public safety is priRosemount High School mary concern for young marching band. families,” he said. “Build“Outside of schools, we ing connected neighborhave engaged parents who hoods with great parks and
youth facilities are areas we have focused on for many years. We also have wonderful police, fire, parks and public works employees, who are engaged every day in providing a safe place to raise children.” Data drove the majority of the whittling done to the list. The first hoop was Rosemount being a strong See ROSEMOUNT, 6A