Chanhassen_020212

Page 1

Hooked on Books

February Festival

Local author featured at event

Head for the lake on Saturday

Page 3

Page 12

CHANHASSEN

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2012

$1

www.chanvillager.com

Villager

Political A bond between two friends fault lines CHANHASSEN HOCKEY

BY ERIC KRAUSHAR scores@swpub.com

J

ackson Spingler stood waiting for the puck to be dropped. He just happened to glance up into the crowd. The Ch a n h a s s en s en ior spotted an unusual face – one he’d seen so many times in school, but never at the arena. The puck dropped and seconds later Spingler scored what proved to be the winning goal agai n st Re d Wi ng Ja n. 1 2 i n Victoria. It is customary for Storm players to celebrate a goal in front of the glass by the Chanhassen student section. Spingler, though, raced over to another section and high-fived the glass where his friend Dan Crippen stood. The rest of the team followed suit. Crippen, a special-needs student at Chanhassen High School, was hooked at that very moment. He returned to the Victoria Ice Arena exactly two weeks later and before the game Spingler, captain Connor Kelly and Head Coach Chris Wilson presented Crippen with an honorary Storm jersey. Of course, Crippen wanted No. 7 – his friend Jackson’s number. “Jackson is a special young man,” said Crippen’s paraprofessional Frank Condon. “It just goes to show you that there is some really nice kids that have a really big heart for people.” “It was awesome to hear about Dan and Jackson’s friendship. That’s what our team should be all about. The guys love Dan. We’re really happy to have him wea r a Stor m jersey,” C oach Wilson said. For more of the story, see Page 8 in the sports section.

Gov. Dayton scolds GOP; Ortman says argument flawed BY RICHARD CRAWFORD editor@chanvillager.com

MORE ONLINE FULL STATEMENTS

PHOTO BY ERIC KRAUSHAR

Chanhassen senior Jackson Spingler, at right, presents fellow student Dan Crippen a team jersey before the game last week in Victoria. Crippen befriended Spingler a year ago in an adaptive sports class and attended his first game Jan. 12.

I n t he a f ter m at h BY GOV. DAYTON of a divisive nominaAND SEN. ORTMAN. tion process this week, www.chanvillager.com DFL Gov. Mark Dayton criticized Republicans for “being too extreme” and singled out Chanhassen Sen. Julianne Ortman in the process. One problem, according to Ortman – the governor’s attack was flawed. After Senate Republicans rejected his appointment of Ellen Anderson as Public Utilities Commission chair, Dayton didn’t hold back in a Jan. 30 statement: “A very good person, a very dedicated public servant, and an excellent chair of the Public Utilities Commission was wrongly maligned and cruelly rejected today by Republican senators, who showed once again that they are unfit to govern this state,” Dayton said. Dayton attempted to take Republicans to task on a range of issues, including ‘leadership scandals’ causing the Senate to elect new leaders, including Ortman, who was selected deputy majority leader. Dayton blamed Ortman for being responsible for a change in the Homestead Market Value Credit that he initially said cost Xcel Energy more than $40 million in higher property taxes that will be passed on to consumers. In her own statement issued Jan. 31, Ortman said Dayton was mistaken about the effect to Xcel Energy. “To the contrary,” Ortman said, “Xcel Energy has stated that their ‘taxes are going up $40 million, due to a number of things such as (their) own investments, local tax rates, continued decline in the housing market, and the Market Value Homestead Credit.’” After Ortman issued her statement and brought the matter to the attention of the governor’s office, the governor’s statement was revised and information about Xcel Energy was excised from the statement that remains on the governor’s website. Ortman also reviewed reasons why Anderson’s appointment was rejected. “Sen. Anderson’s agenda to impose renewable energy

Ortman to page 2 ®

Goodwill store in the works for Chanhassen City considering approval this month BY RICHARD CRAWFORD editor@chanvillager.com

Chanhassen could soon join a growing list of communities in the Twin Cities as a site of a Goodwill store. This month, city officials will be reviewing a proposal for a new Goodwill at 80 West 78th Street, the current Chanhassen Office Complex, which is on the north side of Highway 5 near the intersection Highway 101 North. The proposal calls for removing the existing of fice building and replacing it with a 20,600-squarefoot-retail facility. A drive-through

donation center will accept items such as clothing, furniture and toys and the items will be resold at the Goodwill store. The mission of Goodwill, according to Lisa Ritter, director of marketing, is to assist people with barriers to education, employment and independence in achieving their goals. Goodwill is a non-profit that helps people prepare, train and obtain employment. Goodwill is in the process of opening six new facilities in the metro area, Ritter explained. A store opened in Champlin in February and new sites are planned in Forest Lake, Roseville, Fridley and Chanhassen this year. Ritter said the Chanhassen site could open in November. Chanhassen-based Center Companies will be the developer and owner of the new building contingent on

Goodwill proposal Proposed site: Site of existing Chanhassen Office Complex at 80 West 78th Street. Schedule: Project will be considered by the Chanhassen Planning Commission on Feb. 7 and Chanhassen City Council on Feb. 27. Building: The proposal calls for construction of a new, 20,600-square-foot building. Potential opening: November 2012 city approvals. The current owner of the Chanhassen Office Complex is Clifford Whitehill. Current tenants have been notified of the need to

A rendering of a 20,600-square-foot building proposed Goodwill store at 80 West 78th Street in Chanhassen. relocate and the existing building is scheduled for demolition May 1, according to Ben Merriman of Center Companies. Center Companies also

INSIDE OPINION/4 OBITUARIES/6 SPORTS/7 VICTORIA TOWN SQUARE /11 CALENDAR/14 CLASSIFIEDS/19 TO REACH US SUBSCRIBE: (952) 345-6682 EDITOR: (952) 345-6471 OR E-MAIL EDITOR@CHANVILLAGER.COM.

developed the new Haskell’s located to the east of the proposed Goodwill site.

Goodwill to page 2 ®

VOL. 25, ISSUE 18/5 © SOUTHWEST NEWSPAPERS

Chanhassen’s Most Trusted Team

JoeAndCindy.com 147 homes

SOLD in 2011!

Joe and Cindy Welu Team@JoeAndCindy.com

Free Market Analysis • Free Short Sale Consultation

ADVANTAGE PLUS

952-943-1324

Voted #1 in Overall Customer Satisfaction – J.D.Power and Associates


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.