Dakota County
Tribune
Farmington | Rosemount and the surrounding areas www.dakotacountytribune.com
NEWS New church started After leaving Celebration Church, Londa Lundstrom Ramsey starts a new church based at Burnsville High School. Page 2A
OPINION Funding formula change The amount of money school districts and charter schools will receive per pupil this academic year has increased in most cases. Page 4A
THISWEEKEND
October 2, 2014 • Volume 129 • Number 31
UMore contamination risks evaluated Department of Health issues report that is open for public comment by Tad Johnson SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
Twenty-three recommendations were outlined in a Sept. 24 report from the Minnesota Department of Health to alleviate health risks associated with the current and future use of the University of Minnesota’s UMore Park in Rosemount. The report was completed at the request of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and is open for public comment for the next 60 days. Emily Hansen, health risk assessor for the Department of Health, said the comment period is open for residents and agencies to respond if the re-
port covers their concerns or if there is something the report has missed. The recommendations in the areas of soil and groundwater testing and remediation point out that previous efforts to assess and mitigate risk for the former Gopher Ordnance Works, which produced smokeless gunpowder and nitric and sulfuric acids during World War II, has been with “discrete samples and there is generally very little data, given the large acreage of the site.” The UMore mining area, where Dakota Aggregates is currently extracting materials for the manufacture of roadway components, was not included in
the report. In evaluating the 3,500-acre UMore East area, among the recommendations are the removal, in limited areas, of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), lead and carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (cPAHS) that are present in surface soils significantly above levels of concern for industrial land use to prevent exposure, the report said. The report said that PCBs likely remain up to 10 ppm below the 10-inch covered areas in the former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Superfund National Priorities List areas. It also suggested measuring for dioxins and furans in the soil in
the NPL site’s incineration area. Other suggested remediation efforts included the removal of asbestos-containing building materials that are contained in many of the former structures of the GOW plant. The report, while saying no contaminants are currently found to be adversely affecting drinking water, suggested a thorough private well survey for those located within 1,000 feet of the north boundary of UMore Park. The report suggested locating and sealing all water wells, completing vertical soil sampling in the GOW West area/154th Street See UMORE, 6A
Huge crowds attend Whitetail Woods opening Honeydogs, horse-drawn buggies, kites help open park by Andy Rogers SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
Front page to center stage Fresh off seeing his novel “Savage Minnesota” serialized in the Star Tribune, Cary Griffith is set to speak in Rosemount. Page 17A
SPORTS
Tennis, soccer playoffs begin Farmington and Rosemount’s tennis anre soccer teams are gearing up for big end-of-season push. Page 10A
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PUBLIC NOTICE Minutes from a regular meeting of the Independent School District 196 School Board for Sept. 8 are inside this edition. Page 12A
INDEX Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . 4A Announcements . . . . . 8A Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 10A Public Notices . . . . . . 12A Classifieds . . . . . . . . . 13A News 952-846-2033 Display Advertising 952-846-2011 Classified Advertising 952-846-2000 Delivery 952-846-2070
Turnout for the grand opening of Whitetail Woods Regional Park between Farmington and Rosemount tripled organizers’ expectations last weekend. Based on a car count, Dakota County Communications Director Gail Plewacki estimated more than 3,000 people attended Saturday’s festivities. “We couldn’t have had better weather,” she said. “Our goal was to have about 1,000. Our kite checkout was constantly busy. The children’s nature play area was full the whole time.” It continued to be popular the next day. Josh Kinney, facility development specialist at Dakota County Parks, said the parking lot was full on Sunday. As one of the planners, he was excited to
Whitetail Woods Regional Park features a nature play area. (Photo by Andy Rogers) see how the public would respond after spending the past six months at the park without any visitors. “I think the way the play area came to life was much more than expected,” Kinney said. “It was interesting because the kids were using it in different ways than I could imagine. A good design with a child’s imagination provides many opportunities.” Plewacki said she heard many comments
on the views, the natural amphitheater and camper cabins. “They had a constant stream going through the cabins,” Plewacki said. “The question they asked repeatedly was: ‘When are they going to be able to be reserved?’” The answer is Dec. 1. There are three available for reservations, but Whitetail Woods Regional Park officially opened on Satthe master plan calls for urday. The park spans 456 acres of gently rolling hills, 28 organized in differ- woods and wetlands surrounding a small lake. It has hiking trails, camper cabins, a nature play area and a picnic See PARK, 8A shelter. (Photo by Andy Rogers)
Fire departments test burn rural farmhouse
Body found in shed near railroad tracks
Farmington, Rosemount learn from live fire
Autopsy report pending in Rosemount case
by Andy Rogers
SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
The Rosemount and Farmington fire departments set an old farmhouse on fire repeatedly on purpose last Saturday. The goal of the exercise was to learn how to better fight fire during a test burn at 19279 Clayton Ave., Farmington. They took turns in teams of three putting out one- and two-room fires, about 13 in all, before letting the house burn to the ground. The fires were set by state certified instructors using a mix of straw and cardboard. “It’s as close to the real thing as we can get,” Farmington Fire Chief Tim Pietsch said. During a training burn in rural Farmington, the Rosemount and They started at about Farmington fire departments took turns controlling a house fire until letting it go up in flames on Saturday. (Photo by Andy Rogers) See BURN, 8A
by Tad Johnson As of Wednesday afternoon, the Hennepin County medical examiner had not released results of an autopsy on a body that was found in Rosemount at approximately 12:15 p.m. Monday inside a railroad shed east of the intersection of 146th Street and Burnley Avenue along the railroad tracks. Police Chief Mitchell Scott said it is believed that there are no other people involved in the death and there is no threat to public safety. He said he was not aware of the status of the autopsy on Tuesday. The identity of the person is being withheld until family members of the deceased can be notified. The shed is the property of Canadian Pacific Railroad and is located east of the tracks. The Rosemount Police Department, agents from the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Canadian Pacific Railroad and the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office are investigating the incident. Email Tad Johnson tad.johnson@ecm-inc.com.
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