Twin Cities Ballet presents a new twist on ‘The Wizard of Oz’ May 18-19 at the Burnsville PAC. See Thisweekend Page 9A
Thisweek Apple Valley-Rosemount MAY 6, 2011
VOLUME 32, NO. 10
A NEWS OPINION SPORTS
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The miracle of birth – in a minivan Residents reflect on A stray cat had a surprise in store for an Apple Valley family on the drive home from Illinois on Easter Sunday by Andrew Miller THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
Jeff and Heidi Connors and their three children have fostered nearly 200 cats through Last Hope, a Farmington-based animal rescue organization. The Apple Valley family’s latest foray into fostering felines is more of a freelance operation – Heidi Connors calls it the family’s “Easter surprise.� Two weeks ago, on Easter Sunday, the Connors rescued a stray cat with an injured toe while visiting relatives in Freeport, Ill. On the drive home, things started getting interesting about an hour from the Twin Cities, near Rochester, when the cat began panting and licking its rear. This cat was going into labor. Jeff Connors kept driving while Heidi hopped in the back
seat to assist with the delivery, equipped with two towels and a flashlight. “It was so awesome,â€? said Heidi. “We were excited. ‌ I called another foster mom from Last Hope who has birthed a dozen cats and she talked me through the whole thing.â€? It wasn’t long before the Connors’ minivan took on the atmosphere of a maternity ward. Three kittens were born on the drive home, and the couple’s three children – 10-year-old Jonathan, Jessica, 8, and Aaron, 6 – lent a hand by placing the newborns on their stomachs to keep them warm. A fourth kitten was born just after the family arrived home in Apple Valley. All the kittens are currently residing in the Connors’ basement, in a blanketlined box where they’re staying close to their mom.
death of bin Laden by Jessica Harper
came out of retirement to fight in Iraq, where several friends died Nearly a decade ago, retired in battle. The decorated veteran U.S. Army Lt. Col. Joe Repya of previously served in Vietnam and Eagan received the terrible news Desert Storm. Repya said he that several acbelieves those who quaintances didn’t have and are curmake it out of the rently serving in Pentagon alive on Iraq and AfghaniSept. 11, 2001. stan deserve recTwo close ognition for their friends – Terry efforts, which have Ford and Norm helped operatives Gottlieb – manmake steps in deaged to escape that feating Al-Qaeda. day unscathed. “They’ve done Now Repya a marvelous job takes solace in and should be apknowing that the plauded,� he said. man who led the Though Al-Qa9/11 hijackers – eda’s leader Osama bin Laden Photo by T.W. Budig is dead, – is dead, and that the United the last thing bin Retired U.S. Army States and Laden saw was Lt. Col. Joe Repya Middle U.S. military per- of Eagan said he solace in East are no sonnel “about to takes safer than dish out justice for knowing that the before, what he has done.� man who led the 9/11 Christopher Repya emBin Laden was hijackers – Osama phasized. killed in a raid bin Laden – is dead. Goeke “ W e of his compound Sunday in Abbottbad, Pakistan, cut off the head of the big snake,� he said. “But there are still a lot of according to national reports. “This will never bring back little snakes looking to attack.� The prospect worries Penny those who died that day, but it is a tremendous event – it’s everything Brevig of Lakeville, whose son, Jason, is serving in Afghanistan. we’ve worked for,� Repya said. Shortly after 9/11 Repya, 65, See Reflection, 15A THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
Photo by Andrew Miller
Eight-year-old Jessica Connors cradles one of the four kittens born in her family’s minivan on the drive home from Illinois on Easter Sunday. The Connors plan to put the cats up for adoption in July through the Farmington-based animal rescue organization Last Hope. The Connors have name the kittens. “We’re going to named the adult cat Lilly – a reference to wait until their eyes the Easter lily – but are open and we see their waiting a little while to See Kittens, 15A
Rosemount man: Bill to let voters define marriage is ‘insulting’ North Dakota Jeff Wilfahrt’s son, a gay soldier, died in February while serving the U.S. in Afghanistan by T.W. Budig ECM CAPITOL REPORTER
In the still of a Senate committee room Friday, April 29, Jeff Wilfahrt of Rosemount spoke of his dead son, Spc. Andrew Wilfahrt, 31, killed by an insurgent bomb on Feb. 27 in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. Wilfahrt was not speaking at a memorial, but against legislation he depicted as an insult to his son, a gay soldier. “On the battlefield, both heteros and homosexuals bleed red. I cannot imagine what those last moments of life must have been for him,� Wilfahrt said. “He was bagged and carried from the field by his fellow soldiers, and I know his sexuality did not matter one whit to them,�
he said. “Had he lived and returned here, look what he would find. A bill proposal to modify the constitution of this state, denying a minority to chose a marriage partner of the same sex,� Wilfahrt said. Same-sex marriage is already illegal in Minnesota, he noted. “How much more insulting now to use the constitution meant to secure rights as a means to deny rights,� he said. “I truly ask what is the subtext of this bill to amend our constitution really about?� A long list of testifiers and Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee members debated that exact question for three hours before the committee passed Sen. Warren Limmer’s proposed con-
firm to buy Carlson Tractor by Tad Johnson THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
Photo by T.W. Budig
Jeff Wilfahrt of Rosemount testified at the Capitol in opposition to legislation that would place a measure on the ballot to define marriage in the state constitution. His son, Spc. Andrew Wilfahrt, 31, who was gay, was killed by an insurgent bomb on Feb. 27 in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. stitutional amendment woman. Barb Goodwin, DFL-Cothat, if approved by votThe bill passed the com- lumbia Heights, said. ers, would define marriage mittee on a party line vote. “Nobody had any votes in the state constitution “This is discrimination on my marriage,� Sen. John as the union of man and clear and simple,� Sen. See Marriage, 16A
Library statue to be dedicated Children asked to brighten event by coloring the Triskele
Residents invited to honor late veterans Thisweek Newspapers invites people to honor Dakota County residents who have died and served in the U.S. military in a Memorial Day special section. To honor someone, send a photo and information (name, hometown, branch of service) to editor. thisweek@ecm-inc. com by Thursday, May 19.
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by Tad Johnson THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
Children will have a chance to show off their artistic flair during a dedication of the Triskele sculpture at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 10, at the Robert Trail Library and neighboring Steeple Center. Prior to the event, children are encouraged to pick up Triskele coloring pages at Rosemount City Hall, Robert Trail Library and the Parks and Recreation Department at the Community Center.
When they are done coloring the pages, they are asked to return them to one of those locations so they can be displayed at the event. After a brief ceremony on the library front lawn, the event will continue at the Steeple Center with talks by the sculpture’s artist, Foster Willey Jr., and Rosemount historian Maureen Geraghty Bouchard. Children will be able to participate in a craft activity during the presentations, which will be geared more toward
adults. Bouchard said her talk will touch on the important influence Irish immigrants have had on the city’s history. She will show how the Irish links to the past are alive today. “The Irish are very close knit,� Bouchard said. “They supported each other very closely as they came here to settle primarily as farmers.� The Triskele statue was commissioned by the city and designed by Willey to recognize Rosemount’s Irish heritage. A triskele
Children are asked to pick up a coloring page of the Triskele sculpture and have it displayed during Tuesday’s dedication event. is a symbol linked to Irish traditions in many forms. See Library, 16A
Third-generation business Carlson Tractor and Equipment has long been a fixture at one of Rosemount’s primary crossroads – Highway 3 and County Road 42. Founded in 1953, the construction and heavy equipment dealer has entered into a definitive purchase agreement to be acquired by Titan Machinery Inc. – a 31-year-old North Dakota-based company. The agreement was announced in April by Titan, which reported that upon closing, expected in mid-May, its network will consist of 83 dealerships in North Dakota, Minnesota, South Dakota, Iowa, Montana, Nebraska and Wyoming. Carlson’s locations in Rosemount and Rogers aren’t the only dealerships Titan is adding. On May 2, Titan announced it entered into a definitive purchase agreement to acquire St. Joseph Equipment Inc., with locations in Shakopee, Hermantown, Elk River and La Crosse, Wis. Carlson Tractor and Equipment was started in 1953 by Clifford Carlson in Hastings and moved to Rosemount in 1956. The business added the Rogers location in 2000. With Rich and Ron Carlson as the current owners, the company provides heavy, medium, and light construction equipment, heavy-duty land clearing equipment, wood and waste processing equipment, and aggregate processing equipment. Revenues for fiscal 2010 were $13.5 million, according to a TiSee Carlson, 2A
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