The Minnesota Sinfonia’s free outdoor summer pops concerts come to Eagan and Apple Valley this month. SEE STORY IN THISWEEKEND ON PAGE 7A
Thisweek Burnsville-Eagan JUNE 11, 2010
VOLUME 31, NO. 15
A NEWS OPINION SPORTS
www.thisweeklive.com
Opinion/6A
Puzzle Page/8A
Real Estate/9A
Announcements/12A
Sports/13A
Classifieds/14A
Fed-up council puts Burnsville Bowl nightclub on a short leash Liquor license renewed, will be reviewed after three months by John Gessner THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
Burnsville Bowl’s 1200 Club nightclub got a tongue-lashing and an ultimatum June 8 from the Burnsville City Council. The council voted 4-1 to renew Burnsville Bowl’s annual liquor license but ordered a review after three months of the club’s efforts to control unruly patrons. If officials aren’t satisfied, license suspension or revocation for the 41-year-old bowling and nightclub establishment may follow. “We’re well on the way to getting there, and we may be there in three months, but in my opinion we’re not there yet,” City Attorney Joel Jamnik told the council. Police say the club at 1200 E. Highway 13 has averaged 100 police calls a year over the last three years. Frustra-
tion felt by council members and some neighbors boiled over after an earlymorning fight on March 4 ended with a shot being fired from a sport-utility vehicle. There was another gunfire incident in January. No one was hurt in either incident. A Brooklyn Park man faces drive-by shooting and other charges in the March incident, which occurred after a Wednesday night hip-hop event. “It’s not so much about the volume of calls, but specific types of calls ... the assaults, the disturbances, the shots fired in the parking lot,” Police Chief Bob Hawkins said. The council pulled Burnsville Bowl’s license from a routine annual measure renewing all existing liquor licenses. Renewals take effect on July 1. Council members considered a six-
month review but decided on three. Even that was too much leeway for Council Member Dan Kealey, who cast the lone vote against the renewal. While police report progress in working with owner Bob Hatten and general manager Kevin Coleman to stem the problems, Hawkins said getting front-line employees on board can be difficult. “Am I confident they’ll do everything they need to do to make that a safe place? No, I’m not,” the chief said. Residents of the 164-unit Itokah Valley Townhomes east of Burnsville Bowl on Riverwood Drive wanted more than a three-month review. “The Burnsville Bowl is very alarming to me,” homeowners assoPhoto by Rick Orndorf ciation president Pat Podoll told the council, accompanied by two of her Problems at the Burnsville Bowl’s 1200 Club have frustrated city officials and neighbors. See Nightclub, 11A
Eagan woman charged Grad speakers made the most of years at Burnsville High School with shooting her father by John Gessner
Argument allegedly began over Amber Rabideau’s visitation rights with son
Submitted photos
THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
Right: Joshua Treimer, No. 7, will cherish his days as a Burnsville Blaze football player and captain. Below: Sarah Strain is pictured in costume in her role in Burnsville High School’s production of “The Crucible.”
What does it take to be a valedictorian around here? In a graduating class of about 700, the nearly perfect grade point averages notched by seniors Joshua Treimer and Sarah Strain over their years at Burnsville High School aren’t perfect enough. But these graduates will leave the commencement stage on June 11 knowing they took full advantage of their academic and extracurricular opportunities. And they’ll have left a permanent memory with classmates. In a competitive application process, Treimer was chosen to give the graduation address, and Strain was picked to deliver the commencement address. Each discussed high school memories and future plans in recent interviews.
Football and fellowship Treimer, of Burnsville, said his approach to high school was to meet new people and have a positive influence. He was a member of the sci-
by Erin Johnson THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
ence club, the National Honor Society and the school’s LIFE group, which trains members in interpersonal skills they use to help peers. Treimer was a leader of the school’s Fellowship of Chris-
tian Athletes organization, a senior track captain and a star on Blaze football teams he’ll always cherish – even though they won one game his sophomore year, no games his junior year and two games his senior year. “I’m over it,” said Treimer, who calls last fall’s effort “a step in the right direction.” Treimer was the team’s most valuable player his junior year and an all-conference senior captain who played safety on defense and wide receiver on offense. “Football has always been See Grads, 9A
Reserves will keep cuts at bay District 191 better off than many others, board member says by John Gessner THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
Budget reserves will keep School District 191 from having to cut programs next year, despite a projected $3.1 million shortfall. The proposed 2010-11 budget received June 3 by the BurnsvilleEagan-Savage School Board includes a general operating fund of $110.6 million. Projected general fund revenues total $107.5 million. The gap will be closed by tapping the general fund reserve, now an estimated $13.8 million. It would drop to $10.7 million at the end of the next fiscal year. While many Minnesota school districts are cutting next year’s budgets, 191 continues to reap the benefits of a successful 2007 levy
An Eagan woman has been charged for allegedly shooting her father with his own gun during an argument over custody issues with her son. The Washington County Attorney’s Office has charged Amber Allyson Rabideau, 23, with three counts of assault in connection with the shooting, which took place Feb. 22 at her father’s Woodbury home. Rabideau’s father, James, was shot twice. He survived the shooting but had to have a portion of his bowel removed. One of the bullets entered and exited his right hip, and the other remains lodged in his back. According to the criminal complaint, the shooting occurred during an argument between Rabideau and James over a scheduled overnight visit she had planned with her 4-year-old son, who lives with James and his wife, Tina. James and Tina told police they have been the primary caregivers of Rabideau’s son since his birth. They said they agreed to raise him so Rabideau wouldn’t have to give him up for adoption.
In the fall of 2009, the couple filed a petition to gain full custody of the child, which Rabideau contested. A guardian ad litem was appointed, and on Feb. 19 the guardian ordered that Rabideau could have her son for an overnight visit. James said that due to some information he and Tina received shortly before the visit was to occur, they refused to allow Rabideau to keep her son overnight, but would let her visit him that day. When Rabideau arrived to pick up her son, she and James began arguing in the master bedroom, the complaint states. When the argument turned heated, James said he left the room to get a glass of water. When he returned, he said, Rabideau was standing in the middle of the room with a gun pointed at him. The .22-caliber pistol belonged to James and was kept in his closet, loaded with a round in the chamber. James, who told police he trained his children how to use guns, said he hit Rabideau and tried to grab for the gun. He then heard a loud noise, fell to the floor and felt extreme back pain. He later realized he’d See Shooting, 9A
Graduates celebrate
DISTRICT 191 referendum, Board Member Ron Hill said. As voters were promised, the 10-year, $630-per-pupil levy will have stabilized class sizes for three years and helped boost fund reserves for a “rainy day,” Hill said. “It’s not just a rainy day, it’s now big-time storms that are passing over everybody in our economy,” he said. “Are we in a great place? No. But we’re in a lot better place than we could have been,” Hill said. Class sizes, which were returned to 2006-07 levels after the referendum passed, will remain stable, as they have since 2008-09. Student-to-staff ratios will remain 26.85 at the elementary level, 25.88 at the junior high level and 30.95 at the senior high level. See Reserves, 4A
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Photo by Rick Orndorf
The Eagan High School Concert Choir performs “Groundless Ground” during the school’s 20th annual commencement ceremony, held June 5. For more graduation photos, see Page 10A.
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