A royal pain for the princess
So close to the crown
‘Once Upon a Mattress’ opens at Burnsville High
Blaze loses state title game in shootout
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www.savagepacer.com
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2011
SAVAGE
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PACER
SAVAGE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
ELECTION 2011
Cast your vote Tuesday, Nov. 8 New downtown district becomes focus area of study BY AMY LYON editor@savagepacer.com
The Savage Economic Development Authority (EDA) agreed Oct. 17 that the downtown area could benefit from the creation of an economic development district. The boundaries of the economic development dist rict fol low t he commercially-zoned areas of downtown and the EDA named the area, “Hamilton District No. 1.” “One of the main reasons we want to do this is to show the downtown business community that we do continue to have a very serious interest in making investments into our downtown,” said City Administrator Barry Stock. By creating a district, the city
“One of the main reasons we want to do this is to show the downtown business community that we do continue to have a very serious interest in making investments into our downtown.” Barry Stock
would have access to development and redevelopment “tools.” Some of those tools could include tax abatement, tax increment fi nancing or “other tools available through state statute to assist in making the property developable,” according to Stock. T he EDA is the city’s of f icia l decision-making body when it comes to economic development and is comprised of city council members. The Economic Development Commission (EDC) will further study the district in conjunction with the Hamilton Area Revitalization Plan at its Nov. 16 meeting. The Hamilton Area Revitalization Plan was a study completed in 2000 that specified land use in the area and redevelopment ideas. The EDC will consider hiring a consultant to assist in the process, which Stock said cou ld i nclude updating the plan, planning focus group meetings with business and property owners, and developing a direction for further investments in the area.
Voters in Savage will select two council members for four-year City Council terms from three candidates: newcomer Joe Julius, and incumbents Christine Kelly and Al McColl. Mayor Janet Williams will run unopposed for another four-year term; however, voters have the option of a write-in vote. Four candidates are also running for three, four-year term seats on the Shakopee School Board: Reggie Bowerman, Jeremy Casper, Matt McKeand and Angela Tucker. The Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District will have a question on the ballot asking voters to renew an existing levy. The current levy is set to expire in 2013, and the district estimates that non-renewal by that time would result in the loss of about $10 million in operating funds. To view past articles about candidates and election-related stories, visit www.savagepacer. com and search Election 2011.
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Polling locations are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 8
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Precinct 1: St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, 4625 W. 125th St.
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Precinct 2: Glendale United Methodist Church, 13550 Glendale Road
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Precinct 4: St. Mary Magdalene Lutheran Church, 14225 Quentin Ave. S
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To locate your voting location based on your address, visit http://pollfinder.sos.state.mn.us
HALLOWEEN TREAT FOR SARAHCARE
NOT STILLWATER
Second-graders from M.W. Savage Elementary marched over to SarahCare Adult Day Services on Monday to entertain a packed crowd in the facility’s community room. The kids, decked out in their costumes of choice, belted out three Halloween-themed songs for the appreciative audience. (Left) A SarahCare participant named Donna thanks Owen Skonseng and his fellow students for their delightful performance. Also pictured: Sierra Link.
EDA to page 14 ®
Inglewood Ave.
Joppa Ave.
123rd St.
Lynn Ave.
Natchez Ave.
Ottawa Ave.
Quentin Ave.
Graphic by Carrie Rood
Precinct 7: Bridgewood Church, 6201 W. 135th Street Precinct 8: Savage Fire Station, 14321 O’Connell Road
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Precinct 5: McColl Pond ELC, 13550 Dakota Ave. S. Precinct 6: Bethesda Church, 15033 Highway 13
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Stock noted that “blogs” and other information “out there” have suggested that the city is trying to make Savage’s downtown area like Stillwater. “It will never be like downtown Stillwater. That’s not our objective,” said Stock. “Our objective is to make it as vital as we can and as economically prosperous as possible.”
City Administrator
Precinct 3: Savage City Hall, 6000 McColl Drive
124th St.
PHOTO BY ALEX HALL
t. th S 125 126th St.
126th St. Hamilton District No. 1
Predatory offender moves to Savage, notification meeting Nov. 9 BY ALEX HALL ahall@swpub.com
One day after Savage police alerted the public about a Level 3 Predatory Offender moving to Savage, a community notification meeting was scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 9 at Savage City Hall, 6000 McColl Drive. The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. The Savage Police Department issued a press release Nov. 1 announcing that the offender, George Robert
Van Fossen, moved into the 13700 block of Yosemite Avenue S out h t h at s a m e day. Van Fossen, 55, contacted the Savage Police Department Oct. 31 to noti f y of f ic ers of his plan to move to George Savage, which is reVan Fossen quired by state law. Van Fossen’s previous registered
address was in Minneapolis. Van Fossen was convicted in 2001 of having sexual contact with an 8-year-old girl while she stayed at his home overnight. The offense included fondling and penetration. “Van Fossen completed his prison sentence and is no longer under any formal supervision. He is not wanted by law enforcement,” Savage Police Capt. Dave Muelken said in the press release. At the community notification meeting, the department will provide
additional details about Van Fossen, give safety tips and answer residents’ questions. Community notification meetings are required by state law when a Level 3 Predatory Offender moves into a community. A representative from the Minnesota Department of Corrections will also speak at the meeting and answer questions. This is the second time this year the Savage Police Department has held a predatory offender meeting. In January, a community notification meeting was held in response to the
INSIDE OPINION/4 OBITUARIES/6 POLICE/6 LET’S GO/10-11 SPORTS/15-17 CLASSIFIEDS/23-26 TO REACH US SUBSCRIBE: (952) 345-6683 EDITOR: (952) 345-6376 OR E-MAIL EDITOR@SAVAGEPACER.COM.
arrival of Steven Roger Jones, who moved in to the 7300 block of West Highway 13 that month. Muelken said Jones, 43, still resides in Savage. Van Fossen is a white man with brown hair and hazel eyes. He is 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 223 pounds. A fact sheet about Van Fossen can be found at www.corr. state.mn.us/level3/OffenderDetail. asp?OID=207595. Anyone with questions can contact the Savage Police Department at (952) 882-2600.
VOL. 18 ISSUE 14 © SOUTHWEST NEWSPAPERS
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