Dakota County
Tribune
Farmington | Rosemount and the surrounding areas www.dakotacountytribune.com
NEWS
July 17, 2014 • Volume 129 • Number 20
Churches get in the spirit of Leprechaun Days
Splash pad emerges
Rosemount fest kicks off July 18
The city of Rosemount’s child-friendly feature in Central Park will have a grand opening on Monday, July 21. Page 2A
OPINION Let’s support young people The ECM Editorial Board says programs that help young people overcome childhood trauma should be expanded. Page 4A
THISWEEKEND The Rosemount Leprechaun Days Grand Parade starts at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 19. The event is one of many this weekend, including the Lighthouse Church Lightin’ Up the Leprechaun Family Block Party after the parade. St. Joseph Church will have its Tailgate Party on Saturday, July 26. (File photo)
Lighthouse, St. Joseph events grow over the years by Tad Johnson SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
Tribute to a canine hero A young artist’s work for the “Heroes of Today� exhibit honors a much-missed member of the Dakota County Sheriff’s Office. Page 16A
NEWS
Rosemount churches are getting in the spirit of Leprechaun Days by planning two well-attended events in past years. Church leaders expect attendance to be no different in 2014. The Lightin’ Up the Leprechaun post-Grand Parade event at Lighthouse Community Church will move to July 19, since the parade was moved to the first weekend of Leprechaun Days. The other event is the Tailgate Party at St. Joseph Church and School on Saturday, July 26. Lighthouse, which is located one block north of the parade route on Canada Avenue, will have its 12th annual Lightin’ event that will include kids games, inflatables, hayrides, free hot dogs and beverages, a photo booth, archery, trout fishing pond and an appearance by the Minnesota Timberwolves mas-
cot Crunch. Church members turn out in great force for the event and the church’s other chances to participate during Leprechaun Days. Lighthouse has a float in the parade and will have a roasted corn on the cob booth during Midsummer Faire on July 25 and 26 in Central Park. The Rev. Bill Goodwin, Lighthouse’s lead pastor, says it’s not surprising there are so many volunteers. “The people of Lighthouse have fun,� he said, “so we grow closer as a church when we serve together.� He said having the Lightin’ event and the corn booth it operates on separate weekends will be a big help. “That creates an opportunity for people from Lighthouse to serve in areas they maybe couldn’t have in the past,� Goodwin said. “It also, hopefully, will help us not get so worn out.�
Goodwin said it is fulfilling to be able to bless the community with free food and fun for the children. “Jesus said, ‘freely you have received, freely give.’ � Goodwin said. “Obviously the Block Party is free for the community, but not free for us to put on the event. However, one of our core values is generosity. We desire to be known as a generous church because when we are generous, we are more like God who gave his very best for the whole world.� Lighthouse is also offering the Pancake Breakfast and Outdoor Service on Sunday, July 27. The breakfast starts at 8:30 a.m. and the service at 10 a.m. An offering will be accepted. The Rev. Paul Jarvis, lead pastor at St. Joseph, has high praise for his congregation’s volunteers. “St. Joe’s is a very active, famiSee CHURCHES, 7A
Dakota County Fair to collect organic waste The future of ďŹ reďŹ ghting Part three of our Fighting Fires series focuses on the future of paid-on-cal volunteer services. Page 10A
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INDEX Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . 4A Announcements . . . . . 5A News Briefs . . . . . . . 11A Classifieds . . . . . . . . . 12A Thisweekend . . . . . . . 17A
News 952-846-2033 Display Advertising 952-846-2011 Classified Advertising 952-846-2000 Delivery 952-846-2070
Effort aims to educate fairgoers on recycling, composting by Andy Rogers SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
After gorging on delicious food at the Dakota County Fair, the only option for years was to toss the half-eaten corn dog in the garbage along with your ketchupand mustard-stained napkin. While fair food is one of the main attractions at the Dakota County Fair, it’s also one of the biggest contributors to a considerable amount of garbage. But, one person’s trash is another person’s treasure. This year Dakota County hopes to collect the food waste along with the food-related paper waste such as napkins, paper boats and even the corn dog sticks at four areas near the food vendors at the fair. Volunteers will be on hand to help explain the new organicwaste recycling bins as well as answer questions. “It may look like trash, but it can be turned into a renewable resource in a few months,� Dakota County Environmental Specialist Steve Pincuspy said. Dick’s Sanitation will take the compostable materials to the Mulch Store in Rosemount where it will be mixed with
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yard waste. After about nine months it becomes usable compost. Homemade composing doesn’t include meat products, but the Mulch Store’s process of heating the compost to 131 degrees for seven days kills off the pathogens such as salmonella and E. coli. “We can take meats, oils, and bones where a backyard compost won’t be able to break those down,� said Rob Friend, director of marketing in organics for the Mulch Store. They sell the compost to homeowners, farmers, landscapers and the Department of Transportation. “It’s returned back to the land to make sure more food can be made and the cycle can start over again,� Pincuspy said. The hope is it will increase awareness for composting and recycling food waste. According to Pincuspy, between 31 and 41 percent of waste in Dakota County is organic material that could be composted. “It’s easy to separate,� Pincuspy said. “Once you recover it, it becomes a local resource and develops our local economy. If it goes into a landfill, it just goes into a tomb and it’s never really used again. This is a good opportunity to raise public awareness.� According to Friend, when organic See RECYCLE, 8A
Rosemount Leprechaun Days will get started with an event-filled first weekend, highlighted by the Grand Parade at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 19. “We just hope we all have beautiful weather and a great turn out,� said Diane Wellman, the 10-day festival’s committee president. The parade was moved up in the events lineup from the last Saturday of July to this new date. In some other schedule changes, The Great Hot Dog Giveaway, which was slated during the parade, has been canceled. An event that was added since the Dakota County Tribune and Sun Thisweek published its special section July 10 is an all-you-can-eat pizza buffet to benefit the Rosemount High School girls hockey team. The buffet will be from 5-7 p.m. Monday, July 21, at The Warming House at The Fireside Restaurant. Tickets are $10 and include all-you-can-eat pizza, salad, cookies and pop. Each ticket also has a $5 coupon to use on another visit and purchase for $30 or more at The Fireside. Tickets can be purchased from any Rosemount High School girls hockey player or contact M.J. Carlson at 651755-3726 or RHSgirlsKTcards@gmail.com. “We appreciate the hard work all the people put into making their events such a positive part of Leprechaun Days,� Wellman said. “It’s hard to believe we are down to the wire already.� For event updates and more information, go online to www.RosemountEvents. com.
Rosemount appoints Scott as police chief The Rosemount City Council approved the hiring of Mitchell Scott as the chief of the Rosemount Police Department. Scott’s appointment will take effect in mid to late August. Scott is currently a captain with the Apple Valley Police Department. He replaces Rosemount Police Chief Eric Werner, who resigned in June to accept the same position with the Maple Grove police force. The City Council selected Scott from a group of extensive and experienced applicants, according to a release from the city. He was one of three finalists for the post. Scott has worked in law enforcement and security for 28 years, the last 18 of them in Apple Valley. He started as a patrol officer in the department and received several promotions. He has supervised up to 48 personnel and has management, budgeting and operational experience. Scott served in the U.S. Air Force for six years, including duties in the 199091 Gulf War. He received several commendations and achievement medals
Mitchell Scott for his service. He has a Master of Arts degree in organizational management from Concordia University, St. Paul, and additional degrees in business management and law enforcement from Kaplan University, Des Moines, Iowa, and Inver Hills Community College. He also has several certifications from professional programs, including a program for law enforcement executive development conducted by the FBI and a three-month police command course at Northwestern University.
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