’S VOTERE GUID
Dakota City Heritage Village hosts the Harvest Moon Festival Oct. 22-23 See Thisweekend Page 7A
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NEWS OPINION SPORTS
Thisweek Apple Valley-Rosemount OCTOBER 22, 2010
Section Special issue is th e id s in
VOLUME 31, NO. 34
www.thisweeklive.com
Opinion/4A
Politcal Letters/5A
Public Notices/6A
Announcements/9A
Rosemount plans for cautious Facebook debut Council decision based on risks of open content by Laura Adelmann THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
In November, the city of Rosemount is planning a cautious debut into the social networks of Facebook and Twitter by not allowing users to posts comments on the city’s sites. City Council members appeared disappointed about making the recommendation to limit the city’s social media debut to one-way conversation, especially since the council’s goals include improving communication with residents. But the recommendation reflected concerns over a plethora of possible pitfalls outlined by City Communications Coordinator Alan Cox at an Oct. 13 work session. Cox explained state law hasn’t yet addressed how electronic interactions between city officials and residents should be considered in light of open meeting and data practice laws. He said St. Louis Park allows two-way communication and has encountered problems with someone posting spam on its Facebook page. The messages were deleted, but Cox said government may not al-
ways have the right to delete spam postings depending on how strictly state law is interpreted. He said deleting postings could be interpreted as censoring. “I doubt spammers are going to file a complaint ‌ but it’s an unsettled issue (in Minnesota case law),â€? Cox said. Local issues can also end up being debated in this kind of forum. Cox displayed a Facebook page for Port Jefferson, N.Y., where a city posting was issued welcoming a new tattoo business to town. Soon, a large debate broke out on the site regarding whether to allow that tattoo shop to locate in the city. Port Jefferson officials responded to the concerns on the Facebook page, stating that nothing could be done about the issue by posting on Facebook and urging citizens to contact them directly. Cox also stated that one of the site’s comments was from a person upset their previous comment had apparently been removed by the city. Additionally, the city’s mayor had posted a response, but then changed her mind and asked that her posting
be taken off the site. If Rosemount est abl i s h e d its sites as two-way communication on and was making official comment on an issue, those postings would become part of the official record and would have to be maintained and treated as such. Until Minnesota’s case law becomes clearer, the council recommended the city’s Twitter and Facebook pages be established for announcements and to drive people to the city’s website. However, they also requested contact information, including e-mails, be listed prominently on the city sites. “We kind of hope Minnesota laws become clearer on what is allowed and what’s not ‌ because this could be a useful tool,â€? Cox said in an interview. Laura Adelmann is at dceditor@ frontiernet.net.
Swimming with mom
Photo submitted
The youngest member of the Minnesota Zoo’s bottlenose dolphin family is now on exhibit. The female calf, born July 17 to mom Allie and dad Semo, has spent the past few months bonding with mom and grandma April. She now weighs 60 pounds and is about four feet long. Semo will be introduced to the calf once she is strong and well-bonded with Allie. A contest to name the calf will end Oct. 31. For information, call (952) 431-9500 or visit www.mnzoo.org.
Classifieds/10A
Sports/14A
Mayoral candidates square off at forum by Andrew Miller THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
The two candidates for Apple Valley mayor squared off Oct. 13 at a debate sponsored by the city’s Chamber of Commerce. The forum underscored the stark contrast – in terms of experience and positions on issues – between incumbent Mayor Mary Hamann-Roland and challenger Ryan Moe. Hamann-Roland, now in her third term as mayor, emphasized her political experience and civic involvement. “I love Apple Valley and I serve it because it’s something vital and important to me,� said Hamann-Roland, who’s served as president of the League of Minnesota Cities and is currently vice president of the Apple Valley Arts Foundation, among other public roles. Asked about his political credentials and civic involvement, Moe was terse. “I pay my property tax, I cut my grass,� said Moe, who’s making his first bid for elected office. “I haven’t been part of any government board or anything like that.� On the flip side of that coin, “I bring kind of a fresh mind to everything,� he added. “I’m just a fresh mind that’s here to see if I can get this government to slow down, to stop spending the money.� Moe, who notes on his campaign website that he’s a member of the Libertarian Party, described himself as a “free-market capitalist,� and his top concerns are government spending and “government interference in the private sector.� “I see the city involved in private business, in liquor stores and water parks, golf courses – I think we need to get away from that,� said Moe, who works as a manager at his parents’ car rental agency. Moe has a thing about garbage cans – specifically, government telling resi-
Mary HamannRoland
Ryan Moe
dents where they can store their garbage cans. At the forum, Moe voiced opposition to enforcement of a city code that bars residents from leaving garbage cans in front of their homes, an issue he’s also addressed on his campaign website. “I don’t think the city needs to be sending somebody around to make sure your garbage can is not in front of your house,� he said. Hamann-Roland, who did not address the “garbage can� issue, underscored the city’s progress and achievements during her time as mayor. In the past year, she noted, the city was ranked No. 20 on Money magazine’s list of America’s Best Places to Live, and was one of 17 Minnesota cities to achieve an Aaa bond rating. And city leaders have opted for a reduced tax levy in 2011, compared with 2010, she said. “Ninety-five percent of our households will not see a property tax increase in the city portion (of their taxes) in 2011 because we reduced our levy by $140,000,� Hamann-Roland said. The candidate forum, held at Old Chicago in Apple Valley, was moderated by past Chamber of Commerce chair Carole Elfstrum, and also featured debates between candidates for Apple Valley City Council, Senate District 37, and House Districts 37A and 37B. Andrew Miller is at andrew. miller@ecm-inc.com.
Author offers wit and wisdom Newbery Medal winner Richard Peck delivers talk at Steeple Center as part of ‘One Book, One Rosemount’ THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
Richard Peck pulls no punches when discussing his distaste for the Internet. The New York-based author of more than 35 novels said he despises MySpace and Facebook, believes Twitter kills punctuation and called computers “the invention of the devil� – which is why he continues to compose his books on an electric typewriter. The author of “A Long Way from Chicago,� the selection for the “One Book, One Rosemount� community reading program, was nothing if not colorful during his talk at Rosemount’s Steeple Center on Thursday, Oct. 14. Peck, a Newbery Medal winner who’s published a book a year on average since he retired from teaching and took up writing professionally in the early General 952-894-1111 Distribution 952-846-2070 Display Advertising 952-846-2011 Classified Advertising 952-846-2000
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1970s, coupled his antitechnology riffs with anecdotes about his childhood, his teaching days and his writing career during the Steeple Center talk, which drew an audience of about 60 people. Here are some of the highlights: > On role models: I’m a writer because I found my role model in the fourth grade in Mark Twain. ‌ All the best role models are dead, and all the worst role models are a year ahead of you in school.
readers: You have to read a thousand books before you can ever write one. > On storytelling: A story is not real life with the names changed. You never write about your grandmother – you write about the grandmother you wish you had. ‌ A story is always about something that never happened to the author. JK Rowling did not attend Hogwarts. ‌ Gary Paulsen was never dropped in the woods with nothing in his hands but a hatchet.
> On unruly students he Photo by Andrew Miller encountered as a teacher: When the teachers are Richard Peck, author of “A Long Way from Chicago,â€? inscribes a copy of his book for more tired at the end of Rosemount resident DeeAnn Reihsen prior to his talk at the Steeple Center on Oct. 14. the school day than the students, the wrong people are but mother wouldn’t let me. light of the bridges burning typewriter: A writer’s room behind you. is a lonely place, and I like being educated. > On leaving his teaching the sound. > On the phenomenon of career and taking up writ- > Why, in addition to his “hyperactiveâ€? children: I ing professionally: The only dislike for computers, he Andrew Miller is at andrew. > Why writers must first be wanted to be hyperactive, way you can write is by the composes his books with a miller@ecm-inc.com. > On the importance of reading: Within the pages of a book you can go anywhere and be anybody. ‌ The book is the last defense we have against the narrowing influence of the Internet.
by Andrew Miller