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CHANHASSEN

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2011

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www.chanvillager.com

Villager

Technology upgrade comes at a price Brindisi: ‘We’re District: Levy would here to stay’ ease budget crunch

Dinner theater gives upbeat update

BY CHUCK FRIEDBAUER friedchu@yahoo.com

BY RICHARD CRAWFORD editor@chanvillager.com

District 112 is near the front of the pack when it comes to school taxes. The owner of a $240,000 home in District 112 pays $1,442 a year, while an owner in Eden Prairie pays $1,041; Minnetonka, $1,026; Edina, $965. However, much of that cost is due to living in a fast growing district that built a handful of schools over a short period of time. Those schools added up. The owner of that $240,000 home pays about $704 every year for debt service alone – the lion’s share for new schools. Another $507 is spent for levies to operate new or expanded schools. The new schools’ price tag is a point school officials have stressed while promoting a Nov. 8 levy asking for about $1.9 million a year over the next ten years to fund technology (which would add another $84 in taxes a year to the owner of a $240,000 home). “Most of the other districts have not built a new school in 20 years,” said District 112 Superintendent Jim Bauck. “In addition, homeowners in this district absorb more of the tax burden here because the commercial/industrial base is not as large compared to other districts.” When it comes to actual general fund expenses, per pupil, according to District 112 records, the district is below average. In 2010, the district spent $9,431 per student, compared with a state average of $10,251 or a seven-county metro average of $10,647.

The new ownership group of the Chanhassen Dinner Theatres gave a positive review of Chanhassen’s landmark theater at a presentation in front of the Chanhassen City Council Oct. 24. “We just want you to know we’re here and here to stay,” said Michael Brindisi, president of the new ownership group and long-time resident artistic director at the Michael Brindisi, theater. president and resident Brindisi and representa- artistic director at tives of the theater gave an Chanhassen Dinner informal update to city of- Theatres. ficials and shed some insight on potential changes ahead. Brindisi was joined by Jim Jensen and Tamara Kangas Erickson, three of the 18-member ownership group that purchased the 42-year-old theater in March 2010, ending a tumultuous few years for the theater, which had at times considered relocating to the Mall of America. Jensen, who has a fi nancial background, said the theater under the new ownership group has fared well despite tough economic times. He said the operation had experienced “tough” financial losses in 2009 and the decision to join the ownership team was difficult even though the “numbers looked good.” Jensen, an Eden Prairie resident who spends much of his time in Chanhassen, said he ultimately decided to become an owner after watching a performance of “Footloose” at the theater. He said the reaction from the audience was a big factor and the theater was a big part of the Chanhassen brand, employing close to 300 people and bringing 200,000 customers to town annually. “It has been an amazing turnaround despite the tough economy,” said Jensen, who credited the staff and loyal customers for the theater’s performance of late.

TECHNOLOGY Now, district officials say they are facing a crunch when it comes to paying for technology. Computers and other technology devices are being increasingly integrated into District 112 schools. District officials believe a dedicated funding source for technology is critical to providing the best possible tools in the classroom. About 4,200 computers can be found in 14 district buildings. The computers range in age from new to more than eight years old. “The industry standard is three to four years on a computer,” said District 112 Director of Technology Diane Kaiser. “We’ve been very creative in how to repurpose the older computers, but we really don’t have a budget to replace them.” Bauck said district officials and the school board have been studying technology funding in recent years. “There was a plan in 2007 for about $4.5 million

Levy to page 2 ®

PHOTO BY CHUCK FRIEDBAUER

Chaska High School students in Tim Koschinka’s Economics class take a quiz using student responders, a handheld device to answer questions electronically. At the top of the picture is an LCD projector, a common technology tool in District 112 schools.

NEW STRATEGIES Brindisi said the new ownership group has brought

Theater to page 2 ®

OBITUARY

Local NordicTrack exercise visionary dies BY MOLLEE FRANCISCO mfrancisco@swpub.com

But sell it, he did. And before long, NordicTrack was a household name that few who lived through the 1980s will soon forget.

Terri Pauls was celebrating her 37th birthday with friends in Anchorage when she received a gift in the mail from her 70-yearold father. Opening the package, she found a pogo stick and a letter. “I can do it … and you can do it, too,” her dad wrote. Edward Pauls signed off with words Terri will never forget, “Keep the kid in you alive. Never stop goofi ng off.” Ed passed away Oct. 9. He was 80 years old. A celebration of his life will be held Sunday, Nov. 6 at the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. While Terri knew Ed simply as dad, many more will recognize him as the man who created the exercise/ski machine phenomenon NordicTrack. Ed started the business in his Victoria garage, but ultimately chose Chaska as the company’s headquarters. “He created it only for his own purpose,” said Terri, of the NordicTrack. “He never intended to sell it.”

SOLUTION Skiing made up a large part of Ed’s life, and he wasn’t particular about what form it took. Be it alpine, cross-country or waterskiing, Ed did it all. And as much as he gave to skiing, it gave right back to him, not only leading him toward his career, but also to his wife. Ed met Florence Melhuse at the Twin Cities’ Ullr Ski Club. They married in 1959. After spending a year in Europe, the couple returned to the United States and settled down on Zumbra Lake in Victoria where they would raise two children – Terri and Glenn. Ed, a mechanical engineer, got a job with Rosemount Engineering. There, he invented the Rosemount ski boot and binding system. On his own, he later created the Flipski outrigger for adaptive skiing. He and his wife spent much of their time teaching the adaptive ski program at Welch Village near Red Wing.

“He was deeply enmeshed in the field of skiing,” said Terri. But it was the annual Victoria Jonathan Chaska cross-country ski race that would lead him to invent the NordicTrack. “He would be training for the race year after year,” explained Terri. Short winter days and a full-time job limited the daylight available for training, though, and often Ed would find himself training on the streets of his neighborhood in the dark. “He thought there must be a better way,” said Terri. “He wanted to create something to train indoors.” And so, the idea for the NordicTrack was born. Ed’s fi rst prototype included real wooden skis and a pillow from the living room sofa, Terri said.

Pauls to page 2 ® SUBMITTED PHOTO

Edward Pauls invented the NordicTrack in the mid-1970s.

VOL. 25 ISSUE 4/43

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