Name road after fallen soldier?
On to the Super Regionals
Officials consider idea to name part of Co. 21 after Herrgott
Indians top stubborn Jordan, start road to baseball three-peat
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THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011
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news New students but old consequences?
DERBY DAYS RECAP
Jackson will retain Pearson’s AYP history BY KRISTIN HOLTZ kholtz@swpub.com
PHOTO BY SHANNON FIECKE
From left, Melanie Pearsons, Nathan Vasa and Branden Wood, friends from high school, met up Thursday night at Taste of Shakopee.
Fireworks go on despite a downpour
MORE PHOTOS ON PAGE 12, AND PHOTOS AND VIDEOS AT SHAKOPEENEWS.COM
Jayne Gibson
Dave Orlowsky
clean its AYP history. The state uses AYP to determine whether schools and districts are making adequate progress toward the federal NCLB’s goal that all children be proficient in math and reading by 2014. State education officials told the school district’s Teaching and
Schools to page 9 ®
2012 city budget to pose big challenges
BY KRISTIN HOLTZ Kholtz@swpub.com
Mother Nature smiled down on Shakopee Derby Days with almost perfect weather — almost. Just as the first firework blasted into the sky Saturday night, rain started to fall on the assembled crowd at Huber Park. A downpour fell during the 10-minute show, leading some people to wonder why it was held at all. Shakopee Derby Days President Jack McGovern said the committee was watching weather radar Saturday when it noticed a storm was brewing. The committee decided to bump up the show, but by the time American Fireworks Display Co. was ready to go at 9:20 p.m., the rain was, too. “It kind of hit us fast and hit us hard,” McGovern said. A 20-minute show was crammed into half the time. While some people liked the finale-like feel of the show, others complained it was too short, he said. Shakopee police and fire departments were monitoring the weather with the committee, McGovern said. While lightning flashed in the western sky, no watches or warning were issued. The fireworks company set up the show Saturday afternoon, placing a tarp over the fireworks until 30 minutes before showtime. At about 8:30 p.m., McGovern said it looked like the rain was moving away, but minutes later it made a sudden beeline toward Shakopee. By 9:15 p.m., McGovern was about ready to postpone the show to
Jackson Elementary will open next month with shiny new floors, new textbooks, new students, a clean new slate. But one thing isn’t changing: its adequate yearly progress (AYP) history. The new elementary building will keep Pearson Elementary’s AYP status history despite retaining only a quarter of its student population. T he Mi n nesot a D epa r t ment of Education advised the district against requesting a new No Child Left Behind (NCLB) identification number, which would have wiped
BY SHANNON FIECKE sfiecke@swpub.com
When Shakopee city Finance Director Gregg Voxland retired a few months ago, he remarked that he was getting out at the right time. One-time options have primarily been used to get the growing city through the past couple years without raising taxes; tough choices now lie ahead. Shakopee can no longer rely on surpluses in its debt service levies to get by, new city Finance Director Julie Linnihan told city councilors in their fi rst round of 2012 budget sessions, which ended Aug. 3. “We are at the point where these levies can’t be cancelled every
year,” she said. Although councilors also tightened budgets in recent years and began outsourcing custodial services, this could be their toughest year yet as they prepare for future street overlays and growth in the Fire Department. Linnihan and city Public Works Director Bruce Loney are urging the council to start building a fund to get through a future hump of overlays expected as roads built during the city’s latest growth spurt come due for resurfacing. Linnihan is requesting $200,000 start the new street fund. “It’s a good idea, but is this the
Budget to page 8 ®
With a week to go, pace picks up in local elections BY SHANNON FIECKE AND KRISTIN HOLTZ PHOTO BY KRISTIN HOLTZ
Tim, Rachel and Megan Anderson of Shakopee came prepared to the Shakopee Derby Days fireworks Saturday. A downpour coincided perfectly with the first big bang about 9:20 p.m., which sent many spectators scrambling for cover. Sunday, but the first firework went off before he could call the fireworks company. “If we would have known it would have been a short slam-bam rain, we would have kept things tarped up,” he said. McGovern apologized if his decision upset anyone, but no one can control the weather. “We were kind of caught off guard.” Following the show and rain, the park emptied, except for a blizzard
of mayflies, McGovern said. The Casablanca Orchestra was unable to retake the stage after its speakers became wet. The early Saturday shutdown will cost the Derby Days committee some profit. Final numbers are not in for the weekend, and activity was slow at Huber Park Friday, too, McGovern said. Some good news: the parade route between Adams Street and Spencer Street was a hit with Derby Days organizers, said McGovern.
With one week left to file, all Shakopee City Council members up for re-election have announced they will seek another term, while no incumbents on the Shakopee School Board have fi led. So far, two of the three School Board incumbents have announced they won’t seek re-election and three others have announced bids. And it appeared there could be just one person running for mayor until incumbent John Schmitt fi led Monday for a fifth term, ending weeks of speculation. Schmitt, whom some thought may not run again, said Monday he decided to do so because of
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work that’s unfi nished — such as transportation-related items and representation issues the city has with the Metropolitan Council. “I’d like to see some of them brought to fruition,” said Schmitt, a retired fi nancial executive. He will face Brad Tabke, chairman of the Shakopee Chamber of
Filings to page 8 ®
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