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Rosemount High School to stage show with past, present, future students SEE STORY IN THISWEEKEND ON PAGE 9A
Thisweek Apple Valley-Rosemount JUNE 4, 2010
VOLUME 31, NO. 14
NEWS OPINION SPORTS
www.thisweeklive.com
Opinion/6A
Announcements/8A
Road construction will not interfere with graduation
Puzzle Page/10A
Real Estate/11A
Classifieds/14A
A day of remembrance lley a V e l App
Work was expected overnight this week to accommodate ceremony by Laura Adelmann THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
All-night Highway 3 construction occurred Thursday, June 3 and into Friday, June 4 in an effort to avoid the noisy, dusty work during the Rosemount High School graduation ceremony, June 5. The work is scheduled from 5 a.m. Thursday through Saturday, June 5 at 11 p.m. R o s e m o u n t City Council members unanimously approved the change, requested by McNamara Contracting after the state refused to adjust contracted times for milling the road on and around Highway 3, where the Rosemount High School entrance is located. The company is restricted from interfering with traffic from 6 to 9 a.m. and from 3 to 6 p.m., which McNamara said forces the company to mill overnight or Saturday. Originally, the company planned to mill near the school Saturday, but with an anticipated 2,100 to 2,600 people attending and heavy traffic, as well as concern for the graduates and their families, the company requested the change. The company will still
ROSEMOUNT be working on Highway 3 on graduation day, but will be north of Connemara and the school ceremony. Approximately 500 RHS graduates are expected to line up at 6:30 p.m. and the processional starts at 6:50 p.m. for the 7 p.m. graduation. In an email to C i t y Engineer Andrew Brotzler, McNamara Construction owner Mike McNamara wrote, “If I had time in my schedule to push the construction in this area off a week, believe me I would.” He said the contract carries $2,500 per day liquidated damages. “If I am not milled in this area by the night of the 5th (as I would have to wait until the 12th) it will push my possible completion back a week and put me into at least $17,500 liquidated damages. Again, if MnDOT were flexible this could be alleviated, but they are sticking to the requirements in the contract,” McNamara stated.
Photo by Andrew Miller
Nine-year-old Hannah Cybart, right, passes out poppies at the Memorial Day observance hosted by American Legion Post 1776 in Apple Valley’s Veterans Park on Monday. The red poppy is traditionally worn on Memorial Day to honor those who have died in battle. Below: Members of American Legion Post 1776, Sons of the American Legion, Legion Auxiliary, and Civil Air Patrol were represented on Memorial Day. For more photos, go online at www. ThisweekLive.com.
Sun shines on Memorial Day Rosemount
Laura Adelmann is at laura. adelmann@ecm-inc.com.
City council members, mayor face challengers in November election
Sports/18A
Photos by Tad Johnson
Rosemount area residents filled Central Park on a sunny Memorial Day, May 31, to honor those who died while serving in the U.S. armed forces. The local posts and auxiliaries of the American Legion, VFW and Vietnam Veterans of America participated in the services that were also held at area cemeteries. For more photos, go online at www.ThisweekLive.com.
Primary for city council will be Aug. 10 by Laura Adelmann THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
Rosemount voters will again have plenty of candidate choices on election day. For the second time, Rosemount veterinarian Kurt Hansen is challenging Mayor William Droste, who has held the position since 2002. Running against incumbents Kim ShoeCorrigan and Mark DeBettignies for two open city council seats are Tim Judy, Joe Krule, Maila Ellefson and Dennis Winsor. To narrow the field of council candidates, a primary will be held Aug, 10; the top four vote-getters will proceed to the general election Nov. 2. This will mark Rosemount’s first primary election for city offices. The council instituted the ordinance that triggers a primary election earlier this year. To trigger a primary, the number of candidates must be more than double
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Rock, country come to Kelley Park Local trio 4 Degrees of Freedom opens summer concert series June 11 by Andrew Miller THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
William Droste
Kurt Hansen
the number of open seats. In 2008, 26 candidates filed for two vacant council seats. Council members Kurt Bills and Jeff Weisensel were the winners in that race. Bills, a Rosemount High School teacher whose term expires in 2012, is the endorsed Republican candidate challenging Democrat incumbent Phil Sterner for the District 37B seat in the Minnesota House. If Bills wins, a special election would be needed to fill Bills’ vacated city council seat. The cost of the election would depend on staffing, ballot printing and expected turnout, said Rosemount City Clerk Amy Domeier. “I don’t think it would be a great cost, but there is a cost associated with it,” Domeier said. In 2006, Hansen lost in his bid against Droste for mayor, and in 2008 ran against Sterner and Judy Lindsay for the District 37B seat. Laura Adelmann is at laura. adelmann@ecm-inc.com.
Confusion is common at 4 Degrees of Freedom concerts. For audience members, it can sometimes seem like they’re seeing double. “We have to make a conscious effort to wear different clothes because it can get confusing for people,” said Travis Laurent, who fronts the rock/ country trio with his identical twin brother, Kalin. 4 Degrees of Freedom kicks off the free, summerlong Music in Kelley Park concert series with a performance at 6 p.m. Friday, June 11. The series hosted by the Apple Valley Arts Foundation features a different band each week along with local food vendors in the park at Fortino and 152nd streets. 4 Degrees of Freedom – formed in 2000 while the Laurent brothers and drummer Dan Shaw were students at Lakeville High School – are regulars of the south-metro music scene, logging shows at Rudy’s Redeye Grill in Lakeville and Majors Sports Cafe and Rascals Bar and Grill in Apple Valley. Travis is a physics teacher at Apple Valley High School, while Kalin teaches physics at Lakeville South; both sing and
APPLE VALLEY IN BRIEF The Music in Kelley Park concert series opens Friday, June 11, with a 6 to 9 p.m. concert by 4 Degrees of Freedom. Hosted by the Apple Valley Arts Foundation in the park at Fortino and 152nd streets near Enjoy! restaurant in Apple Valley, the free Friday-night concerts run through Aug. 13 and feature local food vendors; a full schedule is at www.applevalleyarts.org. play guitar in the band. Shaw runs a catering business, Lunchtime, in Burnsville. Originally called Blue Thunder, the band changed its name when its members realized the moniker didn’t make any sense. “Thunder doesn’t have a color,” said Travis, explaining that “four degrees of freedom,” a physics term, jibes with the brothers’ background in science. Specializing in classic rock and country, the band covers tunes by the Beatles, Creedence Clear-
Photo submitted
Identical twin brothers Travis and Kalin Laurent started 4 Degrees of Freedom with friend Dan Shaw in 2000 while attending Lakeville High School. water Revival and Garth Brooks, and performs original music. Not limited to rock venues and outdoor festivals, the trio also plays weddings, private parties and, occasionally, nursing homes.
“It’s taken us all over,” Travis said. “My brother and I met a 108-year-old lady one time. She told us stories about Eleanor Roosevelt.” Andrew Miller is at andrew.miller@ecm-inc.com.