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Dakota County

Tribune

Farmington | Rosemount and the surrounding areas www.dakotacountytribune.com

NEWS Farmington mom launches website Database aims to connect austistic students with college options. Page 3A

OPINION Focus on ending bullying The ECM Editorial Board encourages adults and children to stop bullying before it escalates into more violent behavior. Page 4A

May 28, 2015 • Volume 130 • Number 13

Bluegrass brotherhood returns Rosemount’s Clint and Luke Birtzer say they are ‘all in’ for making a music career by Tad Johnson SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE

Rosemount natives Clint and Luke Birtzer will take the Central Park Amphitheater stage Saturday, June 27, during the Rosemount Bluegrass Americana Festival just a few days removed from having laid down tracks for their first release under their new name, Sawtooth Brothers. The Rosemount performance will be just another in a long string of seemingly endless activity for the 20-something-year-olds

and their band mates Jesse and Ethan Moravec. Fresh off their college graduations, Clint, University of Minnesota (journalism), and Luke, Hamline University (digital media arts), will embark on the 10-year-old band’s busiest schedule yet with 40-plus shows and counting. “Now that we’re out of college, we finally have the ability to devote the time we want to the band,� Luke said. “If there ever was a time to make it or break it See FEST, 15A

Sawtooth Brothers are (from left) Luke Birtzer, Jesse and Ethan Moravec and Clint Birtzer. The Birtzer brothers are originally from Rosemount. (Photo submitted)

District 192 passes new memorial policy

THISWEEKEND

Board plans to review issue next year

Dancing to ‘Doctor Who’

by Andy Rogers

Heartbeat Performing Arts Center in Apple Valley is adapting the popular British sciencefiction TV series for the stage. Page 17A

SPORTS

Lacrosse playoffs underway High expectations for Irish, Tigers in section tournaments. Page 10A

ONLINE To receive a feed of breaking news stories, follow us at twitter.com/SunThisweek.

PUBLIC NOTICE The Dakota County Tribune is an official newspaper of the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan School District.

SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE

Ceremonies honor veterans, others who have died Rosemount VFW, American Legion and Vietnam Veterans of America officers, color guard and rifle squad members along with the Rev. Paul Jarvis of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Rosemount and several of the church’s members assembled on Monday at Highland Cemetery in Lakeville to honor those military veterans who have died. After the veterans Memorial Day service in the cemetery, which was formerly the cemetery of St. Joseph, those gathered entered the woods behind the cemetery to consecrate the ground surrounding the graves of unbaptized children and those who likely died of suicide and were buried in the late 1800s and early 1900s. (Photos by Tad Johnson)

See MEMORIALS, 7A

Finishing what they started Adult grads overcome obstacles to earn high school diploma by Jessica Harper SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE

INDEX Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . 4A Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 10A

The Farmington School Board passed a new memorial policy in dealing with the death of a student or staff member during Monday’s meeting after a healthy round of discussion. The policy states that District 192 will not authorize public memorial activities during the school day or during school-sponsored activities. Additionally, school buildings and grounds will not be used for permanent memorials. The policy recommends that gifts and donations be in the form of scholarships or to the Farmington Area Education Foundation. While the district still plans on supporting students and staff who are grieving a loss, the thought behind the policy is to avoid an ongoing reminder of a traumatic event, which would be unavoidable when located on school property. Barb Duffrin, director of educational programing, said she received a question from board members prior to the meeting about a student’s right to

At age 17 Dan Pacheco made a choice he would always regret — he dropped out of high school. His family had moved from Chicago to

Rosemount a year earlier and Pacheco struggled to fit into his new school. He began skipping classes two weeks after the move and by his senior year, he stopped going all together. When his eldest son started high school last year, Pacheco decided it was time for him to return to school himself, so he enrolled in the Adult Basic Education Alternative Diploma program in the Rosemount-Apple

Dan Pacheco

Rachel Haines Valley-Eagan School District. ABE’s Alternative Diploma program is available to adults who need fewer than 20 credits to graduate. Students are able to earn a high school

diploma upon completion of the program. “I wanted to set an example for my kids,� said the 32-year-old father of three boys. On May 26, Pacheco was among 70 adults to earn their high school diploma or GED through District 196’s ABE program. “I want my kids to learn to finish what they started,� Pacheco, a Farmington resident, said. “I want to show

them to stick with it.� Balancing school, work and parenting wasn’t always easy. A few months ago, a number of employees left the restaurant where Pacheco works as a kitchen manager, after the business had him working long hours. This made it difficult to regularly attend class. Determined to help him stay on track, his teachers would meet with See ADULT, 6A

Classifieds . . . . . . . . . 12A Announcements . . . . 16A

News 952-846-2033 Display Advertising 952-846-2011 Classified Advertising 952-846Delivery 952-846-2070

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