9/11 remembered
Pretty as a picture
Readers describe how it changed their lives
Senior rekindles love of watercolors
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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2011
CHASKA
$1
HERALD
District may seek almost $2 million more per year
AND SHE’S OFF
Money would fund technology at all schools BY CHUCK FRIEDBAUER friedchu@yahoo.com
T
he District 112 School Board is pondering a $1,9 8 3,0 0 0 annual levy to fund technology at all its schools. The board will decide at its Sept. 8 meeting (tonight) whether to hold a Nov. 8 levy referendum. If successful, the levy authorization would continue for 10 years, raising almost $20 million. The levy would amount to about $ 84 more per year for the owner of a $240,000 home. The owner of a $ 2 50,0 0 0 commercial or industrial property would face a tax increase of about $149 per year. If approved, District 112 would use the levy to fund wireless infra-
structure, computer items such as laptops and tablet PCs for students and teachers, as well as maintaining and replacing systems and equipment over those 10 years, according to the District’s technology plan. The money would also allow for infrastructure to enable students to use their own computer equipment to access school software from home. Technology referendums make up a significant portion of capital project referendums in neighboring districts, said DeeDee Kahring, District 112 director of fi nance and operations. For the 2010-11 school year, Edina’s capital project referendum was $1 million, Minnetonka’s was $5.5 million, and Eden Prairie’s was $6.3 million.
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Referendum decision What: The District 112 School Board will decide whether to put a $1,983,000 levy referendum on the Nov. 8 ballot. When: 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 8 (tonight) Where: District Education Center, 11 Peavey Road
Levy to page 2 ®
Return to Vietnam Adoptee journeys to reunite with biological mother PHOTO BY MARK W. OLSON BY MOLLEE FRANCISCO mfrancisco@swpub.com
On a desk in Ben Lane’s home in Arlington, Minn., sits a pair of brown leather sandals far too small for his grown up feet. The well-worn sandals are all that remains of a journey Ben took decades ago – a journey from Vietnam to the United States that would save his life and the life of his mother. Ben recently returned to Vietnam for the fi rst time to reunite with the family he left behind more than 36 years ago. “I know it sounds corny, but it didn’t feel like I went back,” he said. “It felt like I went home.” Ben will give a presentation on his trip to Vietnam at 3 p.m. on Sunday in Arlington at Creekside Community Church where he serves as pastor. The event is free and open to the public.
OPERATION BABYLIFT It was the spring of 1975 and Nguyen Quoc Binh was one of thousands of Vietnamese children brought to the United States as part of Operation Babylift – a $2 million initiative ordered by President Gerald Ford to evacuate orphans from the wartorn country. Many of the children evacuated had been fathered by U.S. soldiers during the Vietnam War.
Oliviana gives her dad Chris Pomeroy a big hug before she jumped on the bus for her first day of first grade on Tuesday morning. Chris and mother Melissa were both at the bus stop to see their daughter off to Clover Ridge Elementary School.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Most of Ben Lane’s Vietnam memories include his older sister Titi Mai and mother Mai (all pictured).
Was heading to college next morning BY RICHARD CRAWFORD editor@chanvillager.com
Vietnam What: Adoptee Ben Lane gives a presentation about his return to Vietnam When: 3 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 11 Where: Creekside Community Church, 114 Shamrock Dr., Arlington Cost: Free and open to the public
Ben (an Americanization of Binh) was one of them. Because of his distinctly Caucasian features, Ben’s mother, Mai, became a target of the Viet Cong. Ben said that soldiers came to their home in Saigon and threatened to kill both him and his mother. Frightened for his life, Mai brought Ben to a nearby military base to be taken to America. Later that day, she changed her mind and came back to
Local woman dies in crash
pick him up and bring him home. But it wasn’t long before the Viet Cong returned, this time threatening to cut off Ben’s “American crocodile nose.” On April 25, 1975, Mai returned to the military base after being convinced by her 7-year-old that it was their only option. “He consoled her,” offered Ben’s wife Stacy Lane. “He knew the
Lane to page 15 ®
Bridgette Twining, 18, was ready to head off to college the next morning. She already had moved her horse to a stable near the University of Wisconsin-Stout, where she was going to study environmental science and prepare to receive a veterinary degree. Bridgette But her hopes and Twining plans ended Sept. 3, when her car crashed on County Road 40, just west of downtown Carver. Her car is still packed and ready to go, but it is sitting in the impound
INSIDE OPINION/4 OBITUARIES/6 HAWK TALONS/10 SPORTS/17-18 CALENDAR/21 CLASSIFIEDS/24-27 TO REACH US SUBSCRIBE: (952) 345-6683 EDITOR: (952) 345-6574 OR E-MAIL EDITOR@CHASKAHERALD.COM.
Twining to page 2 ®
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24 7 EMERGENCY & URGENT CARE Just Minutes from Home Highways 212 & 41 in Chaska 218888
lot, her father Tom said. Twining was driving her boyfriend home from his parents’ 25th anniversary party when the accident occurred at about 11:27 p.m., near the intersection of Car ver Bluffs Parkway, west of downtown Carver. According to Carver County Sheriff Jim Olson, Twining’s vehicle, a Pontiac Grand Prix, was westbound and had just passed another vehicle prior to the accident. The vehicle over-corrected and slid sideways into a ditch and struck some trees on the passenger side. “Li fesaving ef for ts were unsuccessful for one occupant in the vehicle,” according to a Sheriff ’s O f f ice news release. T wi ni ng ’s
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