The groovy ’60s
Positively Packers
Step back to 1968 with history exhibit
EP resident sees his first Packers game in 50 years
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www.edenprairienews.com
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2011
EDEN PRAIRIE
$1
news PHOTO BY KRISTIN HOLTZ
Former Shakopee Schools Superintendent Jon McBroom will be interim superintendent for Eden Prairie Schools. Broom retired from Shakopee this May after ll years at the district.
Board appoints former Shakopee schools head as interim superintendent SUBMITTED PHOTO
Above — Wigfield snapped a photo of some children heading to church during one of her visits.
PHOTO BY LEAH SHAFFER
Left — Rita Wigfield visits Africa three to four times a year as part of her work teaching pastors and pastors’ wives. Wigfield is currently in Chad.
Travel with a mission EP resident finds new purpose training pastors in Africa BY LEAH SHAFFER lshaffer@swpub.com
L
ike many retirees, Rita Wigfield has been traveling. But, for this Eden Prairie resident, she never knows exactly what conditions she’ll face when she reaches her destination. “I’ll know when I get there,” she said. Wigfield, a member of Wooddale Church, is currently in the Republic of Chad, Africa, training pastors and pastors’ wives as part
of her work with the Transafrican Education Network or TEN. TEN’s goal is to reach the grassroots level of pastors and church leadership in French-speaking African countries. Through that work Wigfield has visited and taught within some of the most impoverished nations in Africa. She’s been to Madagascar, Ivory Cost, Côte d’Ivoire (just before civil war broke out), Kenya, Mauritius and Mozambique. It’s quite the unusual retirement for the former Hopkins school teacher. For her trip to Chad, she took her
husband, Vern, on his fi rst TEN endeavor. Wigfield’s strong faith keeps her focused on making a difference, despite the poverty and violence her students have seen. Since Wigfield is the only female board member of TEN, she often works with the women’s ministry. “I do a lot more practical goalsetting and counseling,” she said. “I do a lot of kitchen table counseling. How can you help people
BY LEAH SHAFFER lshaffer@swpub.com
Former Shakopee Public Schools Superintendent Jon McBroom will serve as the interim superintendent for Eden Prairie Schools until a permanent replacement is selected next year. The Eden Prairie School Board approved McBroom’s hiring during its meeting Tuesday. He will start on Nov. 1. McBroom retired from Shakopee Public Schools this May after serving 11 years with that district. Prior to being hired as Shakopee’s superintendent in 2000, McBroom served as superintendent in Mora and Rush City school districts. McBroom takes up the superintendent helm from Teaching and Learning Director Janet Pladson, who has served in the interim superintendent post following Melissa Krull’s departure in September. He will receive a salary of $15,000 per month.
All told, McBroom has spent nearly 30 years as a superintendent in Minnesota. In a Shakopee Valley News article from this spring, community member John Green said McBroom’s objectivity, thoughtfulness and ability to communicate complex ideas have been invaluable, and described McBroom as the consummate education professional. The decision to pick McBroom “was our unanimous fi rst choice,” said board member John Estall. McBroom will serve as interim superintendent through June 30, 2012.
MORE ONLINE VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR LINKS TO STORIES ON JON MCBROOM www.edenprairienews.com
School Board hopefuls
Wigfield to page 12
City looks to add wage increase, duty crew BY LEAH SHAFFER lshaffer@swpub.com
The Eden Prairie city budget doesn’t include any major curveballs this year. If approved, the proposed levy would keep both taxes and city services relatively stable, while adding items such as a fi re department duty crew and wage increases. Eden Prairie City Council members received a broad overview of the budget during a workshop last week. If approved as proposed, the total tax levy would increase .9 percent in 2012 and increase 4.9 percent in 2013. The general fund budget would increase 4 percent in 2012 and 2.8
Proposed tax levy Total tax levy for
2011
2012
2013
$30,303,442
$30,585,840
$32,079,141
Karla Bratrud
John Estall
Dave Espe
Tim Fox
Taxes would go up $6 for the average single family home.
The budget will return to the Eden Prairie City Council for discussion during its Dec. 6 meeting.
Source: City of Eden Prairie
percent in 2013 and would include funds for a duty crew, an initiative that would allow the fire department to assign on-call fi refighters into its four fi re stations on nights and weekends. As part of that bud-
get, city wages will increase 2.55 percent and 2.41 percent in 2012 and 2013. This wage increase would include a 2 percent base increase, step
THE EIGHT CANDIDATES FOR FOUR EDEN PRAIRIE SCHOOL BOARD SEATS ARE PROFILED INSIDE THIS ISSUE. SEE PAGES 20 AND 21.
Derek Gunderson
Bill Lapadat
Holly Parker
Kim Ross
SEE ASK THE CANDIDATES ON PAGE 4.
Council to page 12
VOL. 37, ISSUE 51/43
INSIDE OPINION/4 OBITUARIES/6 SPORTS/8-9 CALENDAR/16 CLASSIFIEDS/22-25 LIVING IN EP/26 TO REACH US SUBSCRIBE: (952) 345-6682 EDITOR: (952) 942-7885 OR EMAIL EDITOR@EDENPRAIRIENEWS.COM.
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