Eagan’s weekly, summer-long Market Fest kicks off June 8. See Thisweekend Page 11A.
Thisweek Apple Valley-Rosemount JUNE 3, 2011
VOLUME 32, NO. 14
A NEWS OPINION SPORTS
www.thisweeklive.com
Opinion/6A
Announcements/8A
Real Estate/10A
Mentorship smooths life’s bumpy road Kids ’n Kinship pair meet milestones – graduation from mentorship program and high school by Tad Johnson THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
Dante Lundstrom and John Elder are familiar with bumpy roads. Lundstrom, a Rosemount High School senior, and Elder, a Bloomington man currently trekking 900 miles on his bicycle to raise money for Apple Valleybased Kids ’n Kinship, have shared a unique bond these past six years. Kids ’n Kinship paired the two when Lundstrom was 12 years old and his mother, LaDawn Lundstrom, thought her son could benefit from having an adult male role model in his life. “I couldn’t have asked for a better mentor than John,” Dante Lundstrom said last week. As Lundstrom has turned 18 and is preparing for graduation day on Saturday, the official weekly Kids ’n Kinship meetings with his mentor have ended, but the two remain close friends. The time they have spent together helped Lundstrom stay positive when times were tough. “He’s been there,” Lundstrom said of Elder. “I went through a lot in the last few years. He was always
Sports/13A
Bike ride raises money for Kids ’n Kinship by Tad Johnson THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
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John Elder and Dante Lundstrom were paired by Kids ’n Kinship six years ago. Despite the official mentorship ending when Lundstrom, who will graduate from Rosemount High School on Saturday, turned 18, John and Dante have turned into great friends. Elder is on a 900-mile bike ride to raise money for the organization. there for me. He taught me about commitment and being there for people. That means a lot, especially when you have had someone walk out on you.” “It’s amazing what a mentor can do in a young person’s life and, in turn,
what the young person can do for you,” Elder said. “You don’t need a lot of experience to have a significant impact on a young person’s life.” While Elder has imparted some of life’s lessons to See Mentor, 20A
John Elder, 64, along with a team of riders will conclude the May 26June 9 Christian Elder Memorial 900-mile bike ride, which has a goal to raise $30,000 for Kids ’n Kinship, with a carnivallike celebration from 11 a.m. to noon June 11 at Merchants Bank, 7300 147th St. W., Apple Valley. The event includes entertainment, appearances by local dignitaries and plenty of refreshments. This is the sixth consecutive year Elder has organized the ride, which trails like a pinwheel through Iowa, stopping in Des Moines, Waterloo, Cedar Rapids and Clinton. “Kids ’n Kinship is such a wonderful, worthwhile organization,” Elder said. “It makes our pedaling easier knowing that we are doing something that will directly benefit the children in our own communities.” Kids ’n Kinship Director Jan Belmore said the money raised by the ride See Bikes, 20A
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Public Notices/20A
Classroom with a world view Student takes school with her to Peru and life after graduation by Tad Johnson THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
When many people recall their high school years, they might remember a particular classroom or school building. For students at the School of Environmental Erica Bucki Studies, it might be hard to pinpoint that place because they view their classroom as the world. Eagan resident Erica Bucki could find her special place in her science labs, in the ponds around Eagan, or Machu Picchu, Peru, where she returned from this week on an SES field study program. “I really liked being able to take the school to a new place and still have it feel like SES,” Erica said of the trip. “We had a great group of kids go as well as two SES alumni.” As one of the school’s two class speakers who addressed their classmates at Thursday’s graduation ceremony, Erica experienced in Peru the kinds of attributes graduating seniors are expected to possess. It happened after the
IN BRIEF The School of Environmental Studies held its graduation ceremony for the class of 2011 on Thursday after this edition went to press. Last week, a story featured the school’s other class speaker, Hannah Oakes. To see photos from the ceremony, go online to www.ThisweekLive. com.
group saw a monkey being rescued by humans in the rainforest. The event touched off a debate about ecotourism and allowing animals to be independent. “It was awesome to see how the school has changed us – not in our decisions or opinions, but we could all make valid points and everyone was very into the discussion,” Erica said. “That’s the kind of learner that SES turns kids into. We are all very passionate about what we do.” The school also allows students to find perfect matches for their interests. Erica, a future student of environmental biology and Spanish at Williams College in Massachusetts, found See Peru, 20A
Cities recognize Memorial Day
Officers shut down marijuana-growing operation in Rosemount Felony charges follow bust that turned up plants, growing equipment by Tad Johnson THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
A 36-year-old Rosemount man was charged on May 26 with two felony drug counts for allegedly having a marijuana-growing operation in his residence. Daniel William Wain faces two fifthdegree controlled substance crime charges and one petty misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia after Dakota County Drug Task Force agents and Rosemount officers executed a narcotics search warrant April 28. During the search of the house in the 3400 block of 144th Street West, officers found 17 marijuana plants in various states of growth and 418 grams of marijuana in plastic bags,
according to the criminal complaint. After officers knocked and heard no response, they forced the door of the house open with a breaching device and found Wain inside along with a woman who was not named in the complaint. Wain admitted to officers that he was solely responsible for the growing operation in his residence and that the marijuana was for his personal use. Also found in the house were a blower fan, a timer, grow light and two electronic ballasts in a thirdstage grow room. The maximum sentence if Wain is found guilty of all charges is 10 years and/or $20,300 in fines. Tad Johnson is at editor. thisweek@ecm-inc.com.
For more Memorial Day photos go to Page 2A Photos by Tad Johnson
Members of the Rosemount American Legion and VFW fired a 21-gun salute to honor the men and women who have died in service to the U.S. during a Memorial Day service at Rosemount Cemetery. The groups also organized a main event at Central Park earlier in the day. At right: Members of the Civil Air Patrol set a table for the “soldier who could not be there” during a ceremony at Apple Valley’s Veterans Memorial Park. For more photos, go online at www.ThisweekLive.com.
Delayed state aid forces District 196 to borrow $15 million by Jessica Harper THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
The Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan School District will borrow $15 million in July to avoid a potential cash flow shortfall General 952-894-1111 Distribution 952-846-2070 Display Advertising 952-846-2011 Classified Advertising 952-846-2000
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created by delayed state aid. In a 5-0 vote on May 24, the School Board approved issuing $15 million in aid anticipation certificates, which are loans that help school districts alleviate cash flow issues and are to be repaid using state aid. Mike Roseen was absent from the meeting. “It’s unfortunate we are in this position,” Board Member Art Coulson said. “And we are not alone.” Coulson said he takes issue with some state of-
ficials accusing local governments of mismanaging their funds. “This is not our doing,” he said. “It’s a problem of their doing.” This will be the first time District 196 has ever issued aid anticipation certificates, which the district intends to repay in six months, said Jeff Solomon, finance director for District 196. Solomon estimates that approximately 70 percent of school districts nationwide have, at some time, used some sort of cash flow borrowing.
If District 196 doesn’t acquire aid anticipation certificates, it will have a negative cash balance for 52 days between July 8 and Aug. 29, according to recent projections. The district is projected to have a negative cash flow of $11.7 million in August. This shortfall is a result of about $68 million in cash flow being pulled from the school district over the past two years, which is due to delays in state aid payments, Solomon said. Though the loan will
help the district while it awaits delayed state aid, the district will incur fees totaling $57,625. However, the district could earn interest on the aid by investing for four to six months. “But investment rates are quite low,” Solomon said. The certificates are currently being put up for sale by the Ehlers financial advisory firm. The bids will be reviewed by the board in June. The School Board also is considering pulling a line of credit, which the
district would borrow from on an as-needed basis. “We see the line of credit as a safety net,” Solomon said, adding that a line of credit has a higher interest rate than aid anticipation certificates. When asked if he believes a potential government shutdown will negatively affect the school district, Solomon said he does not expect it to be. Based on previous experiences, it’s unlikely that a government shutdown See District 196, 20A