Dakota County
Tribune
Farmington | Rosemount and the surrounding areas www.dakotacountytribune.com
NEWS Fur-Ever Wild under scrutiny Eureka fur farm loses court case. Page 2A
OPINION Tougher penalties The ECM Editorial Board says tougher penalties are needed for distracted drivers who cause crashes. Page 4A
May 7, 2015 • Volume 130 • Number 10
Olson retires from District 196 after 38 years by Jessica Harper SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
Julie Olson has spent nearly four decades shaping young minds in the Rosemount-Apple ValleyEagan School District. After 38 years in District 196, Olson, 62, will retire in June from her position as elementary education director. “She’s going to be missed,� District 196 Superintendent Jane Berenz said. “She leaves a lot of wisdom.� Olson began her career in 1975 as a student teacher at Scenic Heights Elementary in Minneton-
ka while completing a bachelor’s degree in elementary e d u c at i o n from the University Julie Olson of Minnesota. Olson said her desire to become a teacher stemmed from her love for learning and working with children. After graduating, Olson took a job teaching first grade at Clear Springs Elementary in Minnetonka, which she attended as a young child. “I taught with teachers
who taught me as a child, which was a lot of fun,� Olson said. Yearning to work in a growing district, Olson left Clear Springs in 1977 for Greenleaf Elementary in Apple Valley. She taught grades four, five and six over the next seven years. In 1984, Olson moved to Echo Park Elementary in Burnsville. Two years later, Olson left the classroom to become principal of Diamond Path Elementary in Apple Valley. “As a teacher, I always enjoyed the perspective of how things worked across the entire school,� Olson
said. “As principal I am able to see that broader perspective more.� Olson said she most enjoyed working with families both as a teacher and then as a principal. “It’s fun to be a part of another’s lives and watching them grow,� she said. Olson left Diamond Path in 2004 when she was hired as the district’s elementary education director. Olson said she missed the constant contact with students and families that she enjoyed as principal but appreciates the opportunity to work with families from across the
Planning Commission to review ordinances for taprooms, solar farms
Guitars in charge
by Andy Rogers SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
A performance by the Minneapolis Guitar Quartet caps off the current season of Coffee Concerts at the Lakeville arts center. Page 17A
Rosemount Mayor Bill Droste talks with another attendee of Friday’s Resilient Communities Project end-of-theyear recognition ceremony at the University of Minnesota. (Photo by Tad Johnson)
Handing over the keys U of M students complete projects for Rosemount
by Tad Johnson SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
Local atheletes participate in Elite Meet Farmington’s Hyytinen runner-up in 800, 1600. Page 10A
ONLINE To receive a feed of breaking news stories, follow us at twitter.com/SunThisweek.
PUBLIC NOTICE Inside this edition are the minutes for the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan School District School Board meeting of April 13. Page 11A
INDEX Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . 4A Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 10A
See OLSON, 7A
Farmington aims to attract emerging businesses
THISWEEKEND
SPORTS
district. Over the last 11 years, Olson faced a number of challenges, particularly the task of addressing racially isolated schools. “It’s been a challenge to see what kinds of things need to change to be effective with students across the board,� Olson said. “I think as we moved into magnet schools, it’s complex making that change, but it was also an exciting new opportunity.� In addition to working to address the issue of racially isolated schools and magnet programs, Olson
If information is the key to success, then a host of University of Minnesota graduate and undergraduate students have handed over they keys to Rosemount leaders through 29 recently completed Resilient Communities Projects. The projects, which included ideas for park redevelopment, solar energy use and curbing teen substance abuse, aim to help Rosemount envision and implement these plans to help the community
find future success. The students devoted countless hours of time and energy in researching topics and recommending action steps in areas that current city staff members said they never had the time to investigate. “Some of these are questions we have had for decades,� said Community Development Director Kim Lindquist during a 201415 RCP recognition ceremony at the university on Friday. Lindquist said the work of the students not only provided valuable information, it gave her and
other city staff members a renewed vigor for their work. “We all benefited from that,� she said. Mayor Bill Droste said the projects exposed city leaders to issues and insight that they might not have had otherwise. He said RCP has the city thinking about how it makes long-term decisions to promote sustainability and improve civic engagement to move the community forward in a positive direction. See RESILIENT, 5A
Man dies after found in river Police chief says middle school students did as much as they could to help save man by Andy Rogers SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
Farmington teens John Gray and Matthew McGee acted heroically last week, according to Police Chief Brian Lindquist, after a suspicious person case turned into a search and rescue. While the man the Dodge Middle School helped police locate in the Vermillion River died the following day in the hospital, their actions led to giving emergency crews a chance to save the man who had a pulse when he was pulled from the river. Circumstances surrounding the death are still under investigation and the name of the man was not released. Prior to the rescue, the two students were walking home at approximately 2:30 p.m. April 30 across a
train trestle over the river when they came across a man in his late 40s lying along the river bank, Lindquist said. They spoke with the man and, after feeling something wasn’t quite right, they called 911. They told the dispatcher that the man “seemed out of it.� “When you’re dealing with an adult — late 40s and rather big man, and you’re a 13-year-old boy, your life is not given your experience to handle something like that, but they did the right thing,� Lindquist said. The boys met Sgt. Lee Hollatz and when they returned to the scene they couldn’t locate the man. After about 10 minutes of searching, Hollatz turned to the boys to help. “If you’re not familiar with dealing in those situations — outside of your normal operating procedure — you have two options: run away
or fight,� Lindquist said. “Most people tend to run. It’s inherent. It’s a survival factor.� The boys went under the trestle, which is where they spotted the man’s blue San Diego Chargers jersey submerged in the water. Hollatz gave a radio to one of the boys and told him to call for help. Hollatz jumped into the water and pulled the man from 4 feet of running water. The man wasn’t breathing, but he had a pulse. Hollatz gave the boys his patrol car keys so they could retrieve an oxygen bag. Hollatz and emergency responders continued life-saving efforts until the man was taken to the hospital where he died on May 2. Email Andy Rogers andy.rogers@ecm-inc.com.
at
Farmington city officials are trying to be proactive by discussing several city ordinances with the goal of keeping up with the times. The city will review its brew pub, beekeeping, solar farm, data center and other ordinances to determine if there’s potential growth and to better prepare in case such businesses come calling. Farmington wants to be attractive to these types of emerging industries, according to Adam Kienberger, Farmington’s director of economic development. “Instead of being very reactive and coming back one at a time, it’s much more productive to put these into one work session,� Kienberger said. Kienberger said the hope is to make the city more business friendly and to make it easier for residents to understand city code. “Farmington allows for urban chickens,� he said. “Now, we’re hearing from folks with an interest for what I call urban beekeeping.� Interest in keeping bees in an urban environment has grown in recent years thanks to an interest in local food sources. It’s also viewed as a successful endeavor thanks to a higher density of flowers within a city. Plus, there’s honey. While there has been an interest in beekeeping, there haven’t been direct inquiries about establishing a brew pub or taproom. But Farmington wants to be ready. Ever since the Minnesota Legislature passed a bill allowing breweries to operate on-sale taprooms, the scene has exploded with a new taproom openSee ORDINANCE, 5A
Announcements . . . . 11A Public Notices . . . . . . 11A Classifieds . . . . . . . . . 12A
* +
News 952-846-2033 Display Advertising 952-846-2011 Classified Advertising 952-846Delivery 952-846-2070
& ( ! *!