SUN Thisweek Apple Valley and Rosemount by Sun Thisweek

www.SunThisweek.com Special Section JULY 1-8, 2012

Apple Valley | Rosemount June 22, 2012 | Volume 33 | Number 17

Lightning takes state Players credit family atmosphere for baseball championship

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Opinion Cyber bullying can be stopped The locker room video and photo incident in Lakeville can bring awareness to stop cyberbullying. Page 4A

sports

by Mike Shaughnessy Sun Thisweek

A.J. Stockwell met Evan DeCovich in front of the dugout during Eastview’s state baseball championship celebration and hugged the senior pitcher. “You’re a hoss, bro,” Stockwell said. He didn’t need to say anything else. The Lightning’s first state high school title almost certainly wouldn’t have been possible without DeCovich, who pitched 14 2/3 innings over three Class AAA tournament games, allowing just one run. At the same time, DeCovich said his success wouldn’t have been possible without his team. “At the start of the season, I felt like I needed to do it all,” DeCovich said. “We struggled a little bit defensively at the beginning. Later in the season, I realized the defense had my back and I didn’t have to try to strike everybody out.”

Armed man was shot after report of domestic abuse by Tad Johnson Sun Thisweek

Photo by Rick Orndorf The Eastview baseball team celebrate its Class AAA state title after defeating Bemidji, 1-0, on Monday at Target Field. It is the first state baseball championship for the school. More photos are at SunThisweek.com. Eastview’s 1-0 victory over Bemidji in the Class AAA championship game Monday at Target Field might have been the ultimate example of pitcher and defense working together.

DeCovich was working on two days’ rest after throwing 98 pitches in two state tournament games Friday. If he could make the Lumberjacks put the ball in play and avoid deep counts, all

the better. DeCovich threw a twohitter and needed just 88 pitches in a game that took 1 hour, 17 minutes to play. See lightning, 14A

Cancer survivor sings: ‘Tell My Father’ Lt. Col. Mark Weber of Rosemount delivers Army Birthday address by Tad Johnson Sun Thisweek

Girls golf squad started slow The Eastview girls golf team couldn’t dig itself out of an early hole at the state tournament last week. Page 14A

thisweekend

Shakespeare in the woods Eagan’s Caponi Art Park is playing host to a staging of the Shakespeare comedy “The Merry Wives of Windsor” this Sunday. Page 12A

Index Opinion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Public Notices. . . . . . . . . . 6 Announcements . . . . . . . . 7 ThisWeekend. . . . . . . . . . 12 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . . . 15 General Information 952-894-1111 Distribution 952-846-2070 Display Advertising 952-846-2011 Classified Advertising 952-846-2000

Lt. Col. Mark Weber of Rosemount ordered the crowd assembled during the Army Birthday ceremony last Thursday at the Minnesota History Center to keep it together. Not once, but twice. “Listen up, and listen good. I need you to keep it together at least until the end of the song,” said Weber, 41, who was about to sing a duet with his son, Matt. “I mean it, bury your head in your hands, bite your tongue, stick a pen in your leg. I don’t care. But keep it together. I need your strength for just a few minutes.” He had one last measure to protect himself. “I’ll take these off so I can’t see you,” Weber said,

Officer legally justified in using deadly force

Photo submitted

Lt. Col. Mark Weber of Rosemount sings “Tell My Father” with his son Matt during the Army Birthday celebration last Thursday at the Minnesota History Center. Weber has been diagnosed with an inoperable form of cancer. Mark and Matt rehearsed for the song with Rosemount High School choir director Steve Albaugh and were accompanied on the song by some of Matt’s classmates. A video of Weber’s speech and song is at SunThisweek.com. removing his eyeglasses. Please forgive those gathered for disobeying this lieutenant colonel’s order and shedding a few tears as Mark and Matt, a Rosemount High School junior, along with some of his

choir classmates, sang “Tell My Father,” a song from the Broadway musical “The Civil War” that recounts the message a Union soldier dying on the field of battle wanted carried to his father. “I don’t want to state the

obvious, but I am dying,” Weber said. Weber, whose father also was in attendance, has Stage 4 inoperable neuroendocrine cancer after being diagnosed in June 2010. He has 17 tumors on his liver, a permanent draining tube is attached to his body and recently a feeding tube was removed after he went about four months without food. Infections visit him once or twice per month that he said are often more deadly than the cancer because of his weak immune system. He says there’s another visitor. “I hate to sound morbid but if you feel a chill in the air it’s because I’ve got another uninvited guest in the back row,” he said. “His name is death. I mention him because I see him and hear him at least once a month. He whispers something in my ear that I would like to pass along to each of you. And he says: ‘Live, because I am coming.’ ” Weber’s diagnosis came See weber, 6A

A Dakota County grand jury concluded that an Apple Valley police officer was legally justified when he used deadly force in shooting a 48-year-old Apple Valley man when responding to a domestic disturbance April 29. An officer shooting that results in a death is reviewed by a grand jury, according to long-standing policy of the Dakota County Attorney’s Office. The officer, Tommie Booth, shot Carl Anthony Tatum when Tatum had fired two shots toward Booth that narrowly missed inside an Apple Valley townhome, according to the incident investigation that was filed by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension as the lead agency and assisted by the Dakota County Sheriff’s Office. “This was a domestic incident that quickly escalated into a life and death situation as a result of actions taken by Carl Tatum,” Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom said in a June 14 press release. “Both Officers Tommie Booth and Tara Becker acted decisively and professionally in all aspects of the actions they took during this incident. Both of these officers should be commended for their heroic actions in this traumatic incident which tragically, but justifiably, resulted in the death of Carl Tatum.” Booth shot nine rounds toward Tatum, six bullets struck Tatum while the other three hit Tatum’s gun, a Ruger 9 millimeter pistol, a couch and a wall inside the home. The other See booth, 2A

Rosemount man dies Storm wreaks havoc on Pilot Knob after Saturday crash by Cliff Buchan Special to Sun Thisweek

A 20-year-old Rosemount man has died following a onecar crash in Forest Lake early Saturday morning. Joshua Stephen Berg died on Sunday, according to Forest Lake Police Capt. Greg Weiss. Berg had been in Forest Lake visiting friends. According to police, Berg was traveling west in the 7800 block of North Shore Trail at 5:35 a.m. when he apparently drove onto the right shoulder of the road, overcorrected, crossed the eastbound lane of North Shore Trail and ran off the road, hitting a tree. Berg was alone in the vehicle and was not wearing a seat belt, Weiss said. Berg had been on life-sup-

port since arriving at Regions Hospital, St. Paul, on Saturday morning in critical condition with head trauma. North Air Care transported Berg to Regions Hospital from the crash scene, Weiss said. Berg previously lived in Ham Lake, but was now living in Rosemount with his mother. Berg was born Nov. 26, 1991, in St. Paul. He was a 2010 graduate of Forest Lake High School. He is survived by parents Angela (Brian Strandmark) Mendez, Donald Berg; sisters, Sasha Mendez, Amber Perry, Breanna Strandmark; and many other relatives and friends. Funeral services and visitation were held Friday, June 22, at Maranatha Assembly of God, Forest Lake.

Photo by Andrew Miller

This Pontiac Grand Prix, its driver-side window shattered, remained pinned beneath a downed utility pole Tuesday morning on Pilot Knob Road in Apple Valley. Pilot Knob Road was closed between County Roads 42 and 46 as crews removed more than a dozen downed utility poles and power lines following the overnight storm that resulted in widespread reports of power outages, property damage and downed trees. More photos are at SunThisweek.com.

June 22, 2012 Sun Thisweek - Apple Valley / Rosemount

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responding Apple Valley officer, Tara Becker, fired a Taser shot toward Tatum at the same time, but only one of the two prongs attached so no electric discharge occurred. Minnesota law authoriz-

es law enforcement officers to use deadly force when it is done to prevent an act which exposes the law enforcement officer or another to death or great bodily harm. Minnesota law also authorizes a law enforcement officer to use deadly force if the officer believed

the use of deadly force was necessary to apprehend a person believed to have committed a felony involving the use or threatened use of deadly force. Under Minnesota law, domestic assault involving strangulation and assault with a deadly weapon are both felonies involv-

ing the use of deadly force. According to the investigation report: The two officers were responding to a 911 call made by an Apple Valley woman at approximately 5:45 p.m. to report that she was the victim of domestic strangulation.

Upon arrival, Becker spoke with the female victim in her car outside the townhome and Booth spoke with Tatum, at first inside the townhome and then on the front steps outside. After consulting with each other, the officers concluded there was probable

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cause to arrest Tatum. Booth asked Tatum to stand on the front steps, at which time he stated loudly “(expletive) …* this,” turned and ran inside the townhome. Booth and Becker ran after Tatum, who was running up the steps toward the living room. Booth tried unsuccessfully to grab Tatum’s sweatshirt to stop him as he was running up the flight of stairs toward the living room. Booth loudly told Tatum to stop. He did not, but continued into the living room toward the loveseat he had previously been sitting on when the police officers arrived. Tatum reached under the cushion of the loveseat, pulled out a pistol and turned toward the two police officers, raising the gun in the direction of Booth as he did so. Booth, who was standing at the top of the stairs, had drawn his service revolver, and Becker, who was standing near the top of the steps, had drawn her Taser when the shooting occurred. Immediately after shots were fired, Booth and Becker secured Tatum and began to administer first aid. Paramedics and other police officers arrived within minutes and Tatum was transported to Regions Hospital in St. Paul where he died later that evening. Tad Johnson can be reached at tad.johnson@ecm-inc.com or facebook.com/sunthisweek.

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Sun Thisweek - Apple Valley / Rosemount June 22, 2012

Hot rods, Johnny Holm and more Dancin’ & Cruisin’ classic car show/concert kicks off Apple Valley’s Freedom Days by Andrew Miller Sun Thisweek

Expect to see plenty of polished chrome outside Bogart’s Place nightclub next Friday. Hot rods, dune buggies and other vintage vehicles will be on display June 29 for Dancin’ & Cruisin’, the annual classic car show and concert that serves as the kickoff to Apple Valley’s Freedom Days festival. The event, which runs from 6 p.m. to midnight in the Bogart’s parking area, includes a concert by the Johnny Holm Band, food concessions, a business vendor fair and music throughout the night provided by DJ Sounds. Now in its 13th year, Dancin’ & Cruisin’ has seen some big-time growth since its inception. Originally held outside Rascals Bar & Grill across town, it featured a meager 25 or so cars its first year, according to Freedom Days chair Pat Schesso. But the event grew to the point that a few years back organizers began searching out a bigger venue. Bogart’s, with its expansive parking area, fit the bill, and in recent years the event has drawn an estimated 3,000 people and has featured 200-some classic cars each year. The car show will have some additional visual sizzle this year, as organizers are opening it up to classic trucks and motorcycles for the first time. “We’re trying to give it a whole new look,” said Schesso. “It’s not just classic cars this year.” Admission to the car show is free, though there’s a $10 cover for the 8:30 p.m. Johnny Holm concert. As in past years, vehicles will be judged and plaques will be awarded to winners in various categories. There is a $20 entry fee for entrants in the car show which includes a T-shirt and “goodie” bag for the first

Photo submitted

Billed as “the most widely known and traveled band in America,” the Johnny Holm Band is bringing its dance-friendly rock ’n’ roll to Bogart’s Place next Friday as part of the annual File photo In addition to its usual array of classic cars, Dancin’ & Dancin’ & Cruisin’ event. Cruisin’ will have some additional visual sizzle this year, as organizers are opening the show up to classic trucks and motorcycles for the first time. 150 registered participants. A 10- to 15-mile car cruise will be assembling in the Apple Valley Ford parking lot and will begin between 4 and 4:30 p.m. and end at Bogart’s. Registration will begin at 3 p.m. More information about

Dancin’ & Cruisin’, including registration forms for the car show and the business vendor fair, is at www. avfreedomdays.com. Andrew Miller can be reached at andrew.miller@ecm-inc.com or facebook.com/sunthisweek.

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Opinion

June 22, 2012 Sun Thisweek - Apple Valley / Rosemount

Lessons from Lakeville about cyber-bullying by Joe Nathan Sun Thisweek

Will you take five minutes to help protect your children? Please consider several steps that come from an incident in Lakeville where some middle school students took photos inside a girls locker room. First, read the following with (not to, but with) your children. Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom said Four students at Century Middle School in Lakeville were charged last week with crimes involving the taking and distribution of inappropriate photos and a video in May 2012. The following charges were filed: Two boys, ages 13 and 14, were charged with conspiracy to commit interference with privacy and criminal defamation, both gross misdemeanors); A 14-year-old girl was charged with interference with privacy and criminal defamation, both gross misdemeanors; and another 14-year-old girl has been charged with gross misdemeanor interference with privacy. These charges stem from a May 2012 incident that was reported to the Lakeville Police Department on May 21 by a school administrator, in which two girls allegedly took photos and a video of two other girls

Sun Thisweek Columnist

Joe Nathan

undressing in the school’s locker room. The first girl charged is alleged to have taken four photos of one victim and a video of another victim. The second girl charged is alleged to have taken one photo of one of the same victims. The photos and video showed the backs of the victims partially undressed from the waist down, according to the Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom. None of the images showed the victims naked. The two boys apparently had created a game in which they took photos of the buttocks of girls in the hallway and forwarded these photos to other students. It is believed that each boy paid one of the girls $5, and one of the boys gave her a can of soda to take the inappropriate images in the locker room. The second girl charged is believed to have taken one inappropriate photo as a result of the urging of the first girl. These inappropriate photos/images may have been seen by more than 40 students from

the school. Stunning, right? Now please consider having your youngsters watch a 45 second video, “Pause before you Post,” produced by Josten’s. Jeff McGonigal, an Anoka-Hennepin School District administrator, reports students were “extremely attentive” when teachers showed this. He recommends that parents watch and discuss it with their children. The video is at www.jostens.com/students/ students_cp_pause_before_you_post.html After reading this and watching the video, it’s time for a short family writing assignment. Ask: “Please write down five rules that you will follow about the use of cell phones and forwarding pictures, based on what you’ve read and seen.” My list would include: • No taking pictures of people who are not fully dressed. • No forwarding of embarrassing pictures to others, that someone sends you. • Tell me if someone does this to you. Compare lists, and create a final copy. Now, what happens if these rules are not followed? As one teacher reminded me: “There need to be consequences – like losing a cell phone for a while, if youngsters don’t follow these rules.” You and your child or children should sign this.

Marco Voce, Zimmerman High School principal, told me: “Usually the biggest problem is that the school doesn’t get notified until it (bullying) has been going on beyond a reasonable time frame. I would suggest reporting as soon as possible.” Julie O’Mara-Meyer, a family support worker at the Caledonia Elementary School suggests that families “listen to your kids when they come home. Encourage them to tell you if someone is bullying them. Give them some strategies to help. For example, tell the bully – strongly, ‘I don’t like it. Stop!’ If that doesn’t solve the problem, contact school officials immediately.” Backstrom praised the Lakeville Police and school district for their prompt actions. He’s right. We can’t prevent every young person from sometimes doing silly, even stupid things. But we can help children and teens learn how to deal. The Lakeville incident can help bring awareness that we need to protect your young people. Joe Nathan, a parent of three and formerly a public school teacher and administrator, directs the Center for School Change. He can be reached at joe@centerforschoolchange. org. Columns reflect the opinion of the author.

Four-day school week has some hidden costs by Zack Avre Special to Sun Thisweek

With schools across Minnesota feeling an increasing budget pinch, several districts have opted for or considered moving to a four-day school week to save money. The BurnsvilleEagan-Savage School District made the right choice in declining to pursue this option. While it’s debatable whether or not schools see a significant savings going to four-day weeks, we know this move winds up costing most parents more in child care costs. Over time, a significant economic and education equity narrative also emerges. As part of a plan to save $5 million next school year, the district entertained the idea of instating a four-day week model by slashing 17 days from the academic calendar. However, the school district has since dropped the proposal after widespread parent objection. A map posted with this story at SunThisweek.com highlights that moving to a four-day school week would have cost district families an additional $518.50 to $595

Guest Columnist

Zack Avre

per student annually, with average daily child care costs varying across the district, based on Census and state department of education data. These figures do not take into account existing days off of school for parent-teacher conferences, teacher in-service days, and holidays; in total, the average child care costs for days off exceed $1,200 annually across the district. These additional costs do not appear unbearable considering the five cities that comprise the district – Burnsville, Eagan and Savage – are all above Minnesota’s median household income for 25- to 44-yearolds, according to estimates from the 2010

American Community Survey. In fact, ACS places Savage’s median household income for 25- to 44-year-olds just shy of $100,000. With such relative prosperity, an additional $500 to $600 doesn’t seem too problematic. Numbers can be deceiving, though, and when juxtaposed with the percentage of students on free or reduced lunch in 2011, a different picture materializes. Although a suburban school district, Burnsville-EaganSavage retains a relatively high level of socioeconomic diversity. As the map online shows, six of the 10 elementary schools in the district had rates of free or reduced lunch above the 37.3 percent state average, with four schools over 50 percent free or reduced lunch. A majority of the district’s elementary schools are Title 1 schools, which receive federal aid to support low-income students. Considering these factors, the costs of moving to a four-day school week for families become more glaring. Creating the need for additional child care will undoubtedly place extra financial burden on families that are already in a crunch.

What’s more, many households in the school district are still facing uncertain economic conditions. As late as April 2012, 1 in 1,116 households in Dakota County and 1 in 491 households in Scott County faced foreclosure, according to RealtyTrac. With these underlying economic conditions, the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District was wise to put its proposal to rest. However, budget crises remain a real issue, and school districts across the state need help. Instead of cutting education funding and forcing school districts to flirt with fourday weeks, policymakers should be investing in schools and their respective communities. When both are healthy, our kids can get back to learning and Minnesota can move forward. Zack Avre is a Minnesota 2020 undergraduate research fellow. MN2020 is a nonpartisan, progressive think tank focusing on the issues of education, health care, transportation and economic development. Columns reflect the opinion of the author.

Letters Save the U.S. Postal Service To the editor: There have been news reports the past several years about the U.S. Postal Service’s severe financial condition. It has reached a crisis this year as revenue has declined along with a 20 percent decline in mail volume. The Postal Service is on the verge of going bankrupt and closing. If that happens, it would be a disaster of catastrophic proportions. It would put a large number of postal employees out of work and really hurt the economy. The Postal Service is 7 percent of the gross national product and millions of Americans use the Postal Service to mail money, goods and communications. The problem is caused by emails and texting replacing postal mail, especially first class mail. To save the Postal Service, I urge Americans to stop sending so many emails and go back to postal mail. Write letters and pay your bills by postal mail. It is fast, inex-

pensive and unlike email, it is reliable and dependable. I use postal mail all the time. With computers, information is sometimes lost. Screens freeze up, viruses invade, servers crash and other problems occur. None of these things happen with postal mail. As a result of computers, we have a generation of very fat teens and adults who spend endless hours sitting at computers. They are losing the ability to read, write and speak. There have been divorces over computer use. One man told me his wife was on the computer day and night and he couldn’t get her off of it. She neglected the children. He finally divorced her. It is an addiction. Write or call your U.S. senators and U.S. representative and ask them to co-sponsor and vote for legislation that will end the financial crisis for the Postal Service and put it back on sound financial footing. About one-fourth to one-third of the American people do not have computers or email. If the Postal

Service closes, 25 to 33 percent of the population will be left with no way to communicate, other than by telephone. RALPH A. GILBERTSEN Burnsville

Is telling the truth important in elections? To the editor: Should honesty and integrity be trivial matters in an election? Is it OK to lie in a campaign? Have voters come to expect it? Have we become so used to such lies that we don’t care anymore? Is it fair to try to justify a big lie with the excuse: “The other side does it” or “It’s just politics”? Some would have us believe that. Call me naïve, but I’d like to think the people in the south suburbs deserve better. Some of our incumbent Republican legislators and their PAC supporters have chosen to make a big fat lie the heart of their campaigns, and the lie has appeared in this paper’s pages.

Photo Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rick Orndorf Sports Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Andy Rogers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mike Shaughnessy Sales Manager. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mike Jetchick Office Manager. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ellen Reierson

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The big lie is the claim that our IR friends were responsible for an $8 billion, ninemonth turnaround in the state’s budget. Let’s be clear. No selfrespecting economist would stand behind this claim. Whether you support the state budget compromise of July 2011 or not, it had nothing to do with the improvement in Minnesota’s economy that changed the budget outlook. In fact, it may have hurt it in the long run by borrowing from our schools. It would be truthful to instead acknowledge the effects of billions of dollars in federal aid Minnesota received from President Obama’s stimulus package, as well as the Federal Reserve’s actions to stimulate the economy. But how should south metro citizens take the claims their Republican legislators are making? Do the lies matter? I, for one, think they do. If our candidates lie because they can’t justify their votes based on an honest assessment of the implications, then we all lose something unbelievably important: the integrity of our democratic process. We might blame “the system” or the media or one political party or another for the state of our lives, our communities, our state or our country, but in the end, we have only ourselves to blame, and our votes come November, if we accept such lies as “business as usual.” JOHN WELLS Eagan

Investing wisely To the editor: A recent opinion piece about rising enrollment in charter schools was thought provoking. Yet the vast majority of our young people attend our K-12 public schools. Prominent stories about

school district budget cuts highlight the fact that our state legislators have been appropriating less and less each year after inflation for one of the greatest legacies we can leave our next generation. Opponents of levy referendums to permit level spending on our students, cry the mantra of “accountability,” yet I can think of nothing more irresponsible than stinting on the education of our young people. Ongoing growth in class sizes is a symptom of this irresponsibility. Another is the rate of pay for starting teachers, which can discourage juniors in college from borrowing hefty amounts to study education. Graduates of local two-year colleges are not being given any incentive to pursue teaching degrees and certificates. This is happening at a time when economists say we are investing less in our educational system than what is needed to create growth in our economy. What we need is a change of heart and mind. We need this for the ability to compete on a world stage where foreign countries, and other states, are investing more in their future than we in America and Minnesota. It may seem like an old-fashioned value, working on a Minnesota Miracle again, but it is a future-oriented, forwardthinking belief that will repay us all in years to come. LARRY KOENCK Eagan

Learn the value of tolerance

detriment to Econ 101 at its worst. If we listen to some of Minnesota’s top business executives and job creators, we should be able to accept that discriminatory measures like the same sex marriage ban is bad for business. We should pay attention to the opposition to the amendment from the top executive levels of Target Corporation and General Mills – especially since they have a firm grasp of Econ 101 and beyond. I trust Ken Charles, who is vice president of global diversity and inclusion at General Mills, when he recently said that the proposed amendment is not in the best interests of their employees or state economy. If the economic argument is not convincing enough for Republican U.S. Senate candidate Kurt Bills to change his position on the marriage amendment, I ask him to consider the social struggles of LGBT kids and young adults who have likely taken his economics class at Rosemount High School. As a public school teacher, it seems that he should have an added incentive to oppose the intolerant marriage amendment. We’ve all made mistakes and have regretted past decisions so I wonder if Bills regrets his decision to vote for putting the marriage amendment on the ballot? If the answer is yes, I’d like for him to use his platform as an opportunity to make up for his vote and advocate for the rights and liberties of gays and lesbians. If the answer is no, then I implore Bills to take economic lessons from the job creators at some of the state’s largest employers. Perhaps learning the value of tolerance is a lesson to be learned Econ 201?

To the editor: For a candidate who is running on “Bringing Econ 101 back to Washington” in the U.S. Senate race this year, it seems that a constitutional ban against same sex marriage is a distraction from Eric Jayne Econ 101 at its best and a Apple Valley

Sun Thisweek - Apple Valley / Rosemount June 22, 2012

Breaking the silence

Forum participants share experience pain of mental illness by Laura Adelmann Sun Thisweek

Seven men and women punctured the hidden shame, silence and isolation by offering painful testimony to a standing-room St. Paul History Theater crowd that shouted encouragement, cheers and gave robust applause. The June 18 Minds Interrupted monologues was a declaration that diagnoses like paranoid schizophrenia, manic depression and bipolar did not erase the participants’ humanity, has not stopped them from living, and has united them to stand against society’s stigma that for lifetimes left them ashamed and trapped in their or their family member’s mental illness. Among the speakers was Heidi Nordin of Eagan, a manager for a Fortune 500 company who lives with bipolar and borderline personality disorder, rides a motorcycle and loves Lady Gaga’s music so much her friends call her “Heidi Gaga.” Depression enveloped her at 15, after a series of life-altering circumstances: Her grandmother, the “glue” of the family, died, she transferred from a small Catholic school to large public high school, and Nordin’s parents divorced. “Oh my God,” Nordin said, her voice wavering, “Even after all these years, just thinking about my dad leaving creates a sick feeling in the deepest part of my soul.” High school felt like a black hole; she cut herself and often contemplated suicide. As an adult, her behavior “became truly out of control,” Nordin said. She went into manic episodes, skipping medications while on “highs,” that included wild spending sprees and too much food, alcohol and one-night stands. “There’s no moderation when I’m depressed, either,” Nordin said. “I’m like a radio channel that’s either

blaring at full-blast or at such a low volume you can’t hear me at all.” N o r d i n said although she still spirals between depressive and manic e p i s o d e s, suffers nightmares and a racing mind and “almost constant” thoughts of suicide, she found hope through the National Alliance on Mental Illness, which sponsored Monday’s event. NAMI Minnesota Executive Director Sue Abderholden said society’s stigma against people who suffer mental health issues is so strong, people live with their symptoms an average of 10 years before seeking help. She said a survey last year showed that nearly 100 percent of patients hospitalized for mental illness never received a get-well card. “There is isolation with this illness,” Abderholden said. “When someone shares their story, we take another brick off that wall.”

In Dakota County NAMI is active in Dakota County, which is the only county in the state with an “Experienced Parent” program. Started 18 months ago, a team of eight trained parents are helping about 50 families struggling with mental health issues. NAMI Operations Director Suzette Scheele of Burnsville coordinates the Experienced Parent program that matches trained, experienced parents who are raising children with mental illnesses with parents who are new to the mental health system. Experienced parents meet weekly with the families in the program to listen, provide support and con-

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nect them to resources. “Parents who have walked this path understand,” Scheele said. “When you’re a parent and faced with these challenges and don’t know where to go for help, they trust parents who’ve walked the path.” One mother recently was helped through the program, after she broke down in tears at a NAMI support group, expressing feelings of hopelessness because her child had been hospitalized with a mental health diagnosis. Four weeks after entering the Experienced Parent program, the mother told the group she felt there was hope and that her child had a positive future. That mother’s despair reflected what Scheele said she has experienced with a positive outcome. A single mother of three, one of her sons was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder at age 3, underwent the first of eight psychiatric hospitalizations at age 5 and was diagnosed bipolar by age 14. “There were no support groups then,” Scheele said. “You feel like you’re alone, and the stigma prevents a lot of people from getting the help they need.” Now 22, he has graduated cum laude from the University of St. Thomas with a double major, and is working part-time while earning a graduate degree. “He has strengths and talents like everyone else,” See nami, 20A

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June 22, 2012 Sun Thisweek - Apple Valley / Rosemount

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Friday night funk in Apple Valley

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Apple Valley will be getting a blast of funk and soul tonight (Friday, June 22) when Menage a Neuf performs as part of the Music in Kelley Park summer concert series. The ninepiece Twin Cities band is led by three female vocalists and covers artists such as Aretha Franklin, Amy Winehouse and Sharon Jones. Admission is free to the 6-9 p.m. concert in the park at Founders Lane and West 153rd Street in Apple Valley’s Central Village, and food and beverages from local vendors will be available for purchase. More about the concert series is at www.applevalleyarts.org.

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after he underwent a standard medical exam required for his deployment as the military assistant to the incoming Afghanistan minister of the interior. It was a position that the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Gen. David Petraeus, personally selected Weber to serve. It was the second time Petraeus had chosen him for such a post. Petraeus selected Weber to serve as the military assistant to the Iraqi chief of defense in 2005. The exam revealed that Weber, who says he was feeling weak and had lost a few pounds, had a low hemoglobin level. Weber pushed for another test, an endoscopy and then a CT scan revealed tumors on his liver. “It was just, bam. To get asked by the most powerful and popular general in modern history to work for him was great to have that honor. Then, you’re told two weeks later you’re going to die,” he said at the time. “It was beyond a thunderbolt. … It was like I got woken up from a dream come true by electrocution.” The surgery that rearranged his internal organs and systems while removing some portions, including 60 percent of his liver, was unsuccessful. “During the first week after I woke up, I thought I’d killed myself,” Weber told Sun Thisweek in October 2010. He learned two weeks ago that chemotherapy is no longer working to kill one of the rarest forms of pancreatic cancer. Weber and his wife, Kristin, have three sons – Matthew and twins Noah and Joshua, 12. Weber’s message to the Army on its 237th birthday was one that focused on the present – both in the military and personally. His personal message was to encourage people to deal with their own “Bufords” – the name he has given to his cancer. “First of all, we all have Bufords,” he said. “Mine just happens to be 6-10 and 700 pounds. But the meth-

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Following are the words to the song, Lt. Col. Mark Weber and his son Matt, who will be a Rosemount High School junior, sang during the Army Birthday ceremony June 14. “Tell my father that his son didn’t run, or surrender. That I bore his name with pride as I tried to remember: ‘You are judged by what you do while passing through.’ As I rest ’neath fields of green, let him lean on your shoulder. Tell him how I spent my youth, so the truth could grow older. Tell my father when you can I was a man. Tell him we will meet again where the angels learn to fly. Tell him we will meet as men, for with honor did I die. Tell him how I wore the Blue proud and true through the fire. Tell my father so he’ll know I love him so. Tell him how I wore the Blue proud and true like he taught me, Tell my father not to cry. Then say goodbye.” To see a video of Weber’s speech and the song, go online to SunThisweek.com and view this story. ods for dealing with Buford don’t depend on weight class or your occupation.” He said he’s heard repeatedly how being a soldier is why and how he’s been so willing to deal with cancer. He said it bothers him that people think a nonsoldier couldn’t have carried on the way he has. “It does not take a soldier to deal with Bufords in your life,” he said. “Dealing with Buford takes perspective, personal courage, perseverance and an occasional middle finger.” He said those skills are not unique to soldiers. “The potential is in each and every single one of you,” he said. He said if you can manage to gaze on a soldier, you might learn what you are capable of doing. “That my gift to you on the Army’s Birthday,” he said. After Weber’s speech and song were complete, it was clear it was not the only gift Weber had given on that day. Tad Johnson can be reached at tad.johnson@ecm-inc.com or facebook.com/sunthisweek.

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ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS Water Treatment Facility Expansion City of Apple Valley, Minnesota SEH No. APPLE 118533 City Project No. 2012-105 Notice is hereby given that sealed Bids will be received by the City of Apple Valley until 10:00 am CDST, Thursday July 12, 2012 at the Apple Valley Municipal Center at 7100 West 147th Street Apple Valley, MN 55124 at which time they will be publicly opened and read aloud, for the furnishing of all labor and material and all else necessary for the construction of the Apple Valley Water Treatment Facility Expansion. Major components of the Work include: * 6.5 MGD concrete filter expansion * Two new concrete backwash holding tanks * 12,000 square foot garage/shop expansion * A vehicle wash bay expansion * Demolition * Process pumps * Chemical feed systems * Process piping, fittings, and valves * Process instrumentation and controls * Concrete and brick masonry * Tip-up precast walls (wash bay) * Precast ceiling * Steel trusses * Electrical * Standby Generator * Mechanical * HVAC * Painting * Water Main * Sanitary Sewer * Storm Sewer * Site Work * Landscaping * Bituminous Driveway Bids shall be on the form provided for that purpose and according to the Bidding Requirements prepared by Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc., dated June 7, 2012. The Bidding Documents may be viewed at http://www.sehinc.com Digital copies of the Bidding Documents are available at http://www.sehinc.com for a fee of $40. These documents may be downloaded by selecting this project from the BIDDING DOCUMENTS link and by entering eBidDocTM Number 2097192 on the SEARCH PROJECTS page. For assistance and free membership registration, contact QuestCDN at 952.233.1632 or info@questcdn.com. Paper copies of the Bidding Documents may be obtained from Docunet Corp. located at 2435 Xenium Lane North, Plymouth, MN 55441 (763.475.9600) for a fee of $300. Minimum General Contractor Qualifications: The Bidder shall have experience of successfully completing work on at least three (3) water treatment plant facilities. Of these, the Bidder must have experience of successfully completing work on at least two (2) of these projects in the last 7 years as a General Contractor involving gravity or pressure filters or a lime softening water treatment plant, where the capacity of the facility was equal to or greater than 5 million gallons per day, and where the work experience includes: earthwork, demolition, concrete, piping, process equipment, welding, coating applications, mechanical HVAC systems, electrical, instrumentation, and control work. Pre-Bid Conference: A pre-Bid conference will be held at 10:00 am CDST on Tuesday June 26, 2012 at the Water Treatment Plant located on 6442 West 140th Street in Apple Valley, Minnesota. Representatives of Owner and Engineer will be present to discuss the Project. Bidders of concrete, process piping, mechanical, electrical and painting work are strongly encouraged to attend and participate in the conference. This Work shall be subject to minimum wages and labor standards in accordance with Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, State Prevailing Wages for Highway and Heavy Construction. Bid security in the amount of 5 percent of the Bid must accompany each Bid in accordance with the Instructions to Bidders. Bids shall be directed to the City Clerk, securely sealed and endorsed upon the outside wrapper, "BID FOR APPLE VALLEY WATER TREATMENT FACILITY EXPANSION - CITY PROJECT NUMBER: 2012-105." Owner reserves the right to retain the deposits of the three lowest Bidders for a period not to exceed 60 days after the date and time set for the opening of Bids. No Bids may be withdrawn for a period of 60 days after the date and time set for the opening of Bids. The Owner reserves the right to reject any and all Bids, to waive irregularities and informalities therein and to award the Contract in the best interests of the Owner. Pamela J. Gackstetter City Clerk City of Apple Valley, Minnesota 3050916 6/15-6/22/12

PUBLIC NOTICE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT 196

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Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Public Schools Educating our students to reach their full potential CALL FOR PROPOSALS Student Information System Notice is hereby given that PROPOSALS will be received to award a contract for purpose of purchasing a single Student Information System solution by Independent School District 196 at the District Office located at 3455 153rd St W, Rosemount, MN 55068 until 2:00 PM, Tuesday, July 24, 2012, at which time and place Proposals will be publicly opened. Complete instructions on how to obtain Proposal Documents can be found at: http://www.district196.org/District/LegalNotices/ index.cfm The School Board of Independent School District 196 reserves the right to reject any or all Proposals and to waive any informalities. Joel Albright, Board Clerk Independent School District 196 3059023 6/22-6/29/12

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‘Tell My Father’

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Sun Thisweek - Apple Valley / Rosemount June 22, 2012

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�� Mabel Meyer

Jeffrey Donald Anderson Born October 2, 1964 passed away peacefully at home in Farmington on June 15, 2012. He was a loving son, friend and partner. He will be greatly missed by friends and family. He is survived by his Mother, Kathy Storlie, Step Father Gerald Storlie, Father Clint Anderson, two daughters, three brothers, three sisters and companion, Sheri Costa. Memorial to be held by family at a later date. Memorials can be sent to Kathy and Gerald Storlie.

Vanessa Kay Szyman (Paulsen) Entered into rest at her Lakeville, MN home on Friday, June 15, 2012, at 55 years of age. She leaves her husband of 33 years, Thomas Szyman, two children- son Richard Szyman (Laura) and daughter Kim Szyman (friend Adam), her parents Richard and Barbara Paulsen, 3 sisters: Pat VanHoecke (Morey), Pam Paulsen, Carrie Hiniker (Mark), brother Steve Paulsen, brothers-in-law: Robert J. Szyman (Marie Towey), Charles R., James D., Lawrence M. (Carol Erickson), Mark H. (Valerie Black), Peter A., (Catherine Williams), sister-in-law: Marijo T. Bjorlin (Dean) Nieces: Chrissy DeBates (Jeff), Emma Paulsen, Chelsey and Brooklyn Hiniker, Elizabeth A., Rachel A., Malia P., Megan C., Jessica B. Kasper (Isaac), Anna E Graves (Peter), Christina M. Hershberger (Jason) and Jessica Huston; Nephews: Bill VanHoecke (Emily), Aiden Hiniker, Robert M. Szyman (Tamala Hoftiezer), Stephan S., SSG. Daniel P. (Emily Weidhaas), Douglas S., Zachary A., Nathanael E., Joshua L., SGT Mark T., SPC Nicholas G. (Rachel Limas), SPC Travis A. (Amanda Garza), Patrick T., Liam J., Mikel Herb (Brian); David D., and Stephen D. Bjorlin and great nieces and nephews: Will and Matt DeBates, Carson VanHoecke, Bella, Cecelia, and Trinity Szyman and Malachy and Anthony Herb. Vanessa was born on January 7, 1957 in her hometown of Pipestone, MN. She graduated from Pipestone High School in 1975 and furthered her education at U of M in Waseca for animal vet science. Upon completing her degree she moved to Sioux Falls, SD, where she worked with Dr. Christensen. Van was united in marriage on December 28, 1979 to Thomas Szyman. Together they resided in Pipestone, MN where she was employed at the ASCS office. They later moved to Slayton, MN where they began raising their family. They briefly resided in Cloquet, MN before reaching their permanent home in Lakeville, MN in 1983. In 1985, Vanessa established a daycare in her home up until July 2011. Vanessa will always be remembered for her strength, beauty, contagious laugh, her constant rocking in her rocking chair, snacking on Cheerios, home shopping (especially QVC) and her love for children and her pets. She was the family leader on keeping traditions and loved Christmas. Her many interests included: decorating her beautiful home and garden, reading, music, watching movies, traveling, decorative birds, sewing, baking, puzzles, cake decorating, planning parties, and playing games with family. She was preceded in death by her grandparents- Kathryn and Bernard Hjermstad; Bill and Emma Paulsen, her in-laws- Bob and Pat Szyman, nephews Patrick K. Szyman and Sam Huston and 3 uncles- Robert Paulsen, Donald Hjermstad and Timothy Hjermstad. Visitation was held 5-8pm Monday, June 18, 2012 at All Saints Catholic Church, Lakeville, MN. Mass of Christian Burial in Pipestone, MN was Friday, June 22, 2012.

Mabel was born September 1, 1926 in Madelia, MN to Edward and Louise Jahnz. She was baptized and confirmed at Fieldon Lutheran Church in Watonwan County. She graduated from Truman high School in 1944. Mabel married Alvin Meyer of Lewisville, MN on September 22, 1946. They became parents of four children. She resided in Rosemount and worked at the Legion Club, Warner Hardware, and retired from the Dakota County Technical College in 1988. For many years Mabel was active in Home Extension, and in a number of committees, and Circles at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church. She also enjoyed various hobbies and crafts with stamping and quilting being her favorites. Mable is survived by her husband of 65 years, Alvin; sisters, Lillian Bode, Arlis Black; sister-in-law, Mary Jahnz; children Nancy (Ron) Wiborg, Vicky (Larry) Wolle, Daryl (Patti) Meyer, Sherry Huber (Denny Cegla); grandchildren, Sheila Baker, Lonnie Wiborg, Dana Alvarado, Nicole Geiger, Jamie Bergeman, Shannon Brekke, Cami Jo Krueger, Allison Meyer, Nate Meyer, Seth Meyer, Joe Huber; also eleven great grandchildren. Mabel was preceded in death by her parents; three brothers and two sisters. Funeral Service was held 11AM Friday, June 15, 2012 at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran church 12650 Johnny Cake Ridge Road, Apple Valley, MN. Visitation was 6:30 – 8:30PM and also was one hour prior to service at Church. Interment Lebanon Cemetery. White Funeral Home Apple Valley 952-432-2001 www.whitefuneralhomes.com

Leighton - Ries Kristin Leighton, daughter of Paul and Jeanne Leighton of Apple Valley, and Jim Ries, son of Jim and Sue Ries of Plymouth, announce their engagement. Kristin is a 2004 graduate of Eastview High School and a 2009 graduate of Creighton University. She is employed as an occupational therapist at Gillette Children's Specialty Hospital. Jim is a 2003 graduate of Wayzata High School and a 2007 graduate of Concordia University and is employed as a financial advisor at North Star Resource Group. An August 10th wedding is planned.

Honl - Nelson

James L. McLaughlin Age 79, of Burnsville, passed away on Saturday June 9th peacefully at home after a courageous twelve yr. battle with cancer. Preceded in death by parents, Leon & Martha; sister, Jean Ann Jensen; and nieces, Debbie & Cheri. Survived by wife, Diane; sons, David (Wendy), Steven, Kevin, Mark (Stephanie); sister, Marcia Chalgren (Bill); brothers-in-law, Lamar and Robert Walters (Harold); and granddaughter, Donna Meyer. He was born in Mankato Minnesota in 1932, graduated High School in 1950, and graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1954. He joined the U.S. Navy's Aviation Officer Candidate program, entering flight training in Pensacola, FL before being commissioned in Corpus Christi, TX. After receiving his wings, he joined the VA-125 "Rough Raiders" in 1956 where he flew the Douglas A-1 Skyraider ("Spads") aboard the USS LEXINGTON (CV-16). He served a total of 12 years between active duty and the reserves and left the Navy as a Lieutenant Commander. In 1958 he joined Northwest Airlines, where he flew for 34 years until his retirement as a 747 Captain in 1992. After retirement, he enjoyed nearly 20 more years of summers spent at the cabin on Roosevelt Lake, where he liked to fish and play golf. We would like to thank the nurses and Dr. Dien at MOPHA and Curt and Cindy at Hospice Advantage for all the care they have given to Jim. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the American Cancer Society (towards Lymphoma & Leukemia Research) or Hospice Advantage at 18472 Kenyon Ave, Lakeville, MN 55044. "And God's Finger Touched Him and He Slept". Funeral service 12 noon, Tues., June 26th, 2012, at Mt. Olivet Lutheran Church 5025 Knox Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55419; visitation one hour prior to service and reception to follow.

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DeeRae Honl and Matt Nelson, Fargo, ND announce their engagement. Parents are Raymond and Connie Heley, and the late Harris Honl, Lidgerwood, ND, and Maureen and Dan Nelson, Burnsville, MN. Dee Rae graduated in 2005 from Lidgerwood Public School and in 2011 graduated from Minnesota State University, Moorhead with a Master’s degree in speech language pathology. She is a speech language pathologist at Aegis Therapies in Fergus Falls, MN. Matt graduated in 2004 from Burnsville High School and in 2009 graduated from MSUM with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. He is the assistant wrestling coach at Moorhead High School and is an account an t f o r Wi l l ia m C . M c C aw , CPA. An August 4 wedding is planned at Trinity Lutheran Church, Moorhead, followed by a reception at the El Zagel Shrine, Fargo.

To submit an announcement Forms for birth, engagement, wedding, anniversary and obituaries announcements are available at our office and online at www.thisweeklive.com (click on “Announcements” and then “Send Announcement”). Completed forms may be e-mailed to class.thisweek@ecminc.com or mailed to Sun Thisweek, 15322 Galaxie Ave., Suite 219, Apple Valley, MN 55124. If you are submitting a photograph along with your announcement, please only submit photographs for which you have the right to permit Sun Thisweek to use and publish. Deadline for announcements is 4 p.m. Tuesday. A fee of $50 will be charged for the first 5 inches and $10 per inch thereafter. They will run in all editions of Sun Thisweek. Photos may be picked up at the office within 60 days or returned by mail if a self-addressed, stamped envelope is provided.

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Rallying for a cure Photo submitted

The Valleywood Tuesday Ladies 18-hole League’s “Rally for the Cure” on June 12 raised more than $1,500 for breast cancer research, local mammograms and medicine for breast cancer treatment. This is the third year the league at the Apple Valley golf course has held a rally. Pictured are Jim Zinck, golf course manager, and Renae Hultgren, winner of a Nike golf bag for being closest to the pin on hole seven.

June 22, 2012 Sun Thisweek - Apple Valley / Rosemount

Mature Lifestyles ��

Photo submitted

There are many new considerations to take into account when people in the golden years enter into new relationships after a lifelong spouse has died.

Restarting love in the golden years Age, health, family can hinder personal relationships by Emily Hedges Contributing Writer

When Boyd Phelps, 88, married his wife, Shirley, on Sept. 11, 1948, he knew he had found the love of his life. For almost 60 years the couple lived together, raised two children, and faced whatever challenges came their way. But after Shirley died, for the first time since Harry Truman was in office, Phelps experienced what it was like to be alone. “I was just watching TV, nothing but watching TV,” he said. “I could tell you every program on every night of the week. I started thinking there’s got to be more to life than this.” Phelps decided to start getting out. He began by contacting old friends. One of the first people he called was Carol, a friend he had known for more than 40 years. “She used to call up every few months to see how I was getting along,” he said. “We started going out together. It was fun to meet once a week. Then it became twice a week.” Boyd’s wife Shirley had gone to high school with Carol. He played golf with Carol’s husband for decades. The two couples were in a dance club for almost 20 years. “We always saw each other socially. We went to dinner at each other’s houses as couples,” he said. Now Boyd and Carol take vacations together. They particularly love cruises. As of last month, Carol is living in the same inde-

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pendent living center. “Under the same roof but not in the same apartment,” Boyd was quick to add. Relationships like the one Boyd and Carol share are important to many seniors, according to Sandra Grace of Healing Works in Chaska. But sometimes they can be tricky. “As they age, people want someone to be there,” Grace said. “They wonder if they will find compassion and patience from someone. They worry how health issues will limit them.” She also points out that for many surviving spouses, guilt can hinder their ability to move on. “If you had a loving relationship with a deep connection, it can be really hard to move on and let go of that,” Grace said. “There’s guilt about how the children are going to perceive it. Will they think they’re not honoring the spirit of their mother or father?” One of the first things Boyd did was talk to his daughter. “At first she thought I wanted to talk to her to tell her I had cancer,” Boyd said. “It took her a few days to get used to the idea, but she responded in the affirmative to the relationship.” Grace says that what grown children think about their parents entering a new relationship can be one of the biggest obstacles. “Kids can be very threatened, especially if there is any kind of wealth,” Grace

said. “They suspect their motivations.” But Grace encourages the children to see their parents new relationships as a blessing. “Many times their kids are busy,” she said. “If they are able to find someone, their kids should be thankful.” So part of her job is to help older clients move past those feelings of guilt and other barriers that can stand in the way of a successful and healthy new relationship. “Sometimes as people become older, they get rigid in their beliefs, routines, family rituals, in their physical surroundings,” she said. The challenge comes in figuring out how to compromise. Another concern is attractiveness. Grace finds many clients worry about whether or not they will be attractive to anyone, especially if there are health issues. “Hopefully we are more spiritually attractive, instead of all the materialist trappings,” Grace said. It’s this focus on the opportunities rather than the limitations of dating later in life that Grace stresses to her clients. “If we age gracefully, we have more compassion, wisdom. We feel lighter,” Grace said. “There is no biological clock ticking or career building. During this time, it’s not about becoming; it’s about being.”

Sun Thisweek - Apple Valley / Rosemount June 22, 2012

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June 22, 2012 Sun Thisweek - Apple Valley / Rosemount

Sun Thisweek - Apple Valley / Rosemount June 22, 2012

Education DCTC and Inver Hills Community College join forces Dakota County Technical College President Ron Thomas and Inver Hills Community College President Tim Wynes have announced a shared services agreement between the two college’s continuing education and customized training divisions, effective June 15. Through the agreement, DCTC and IHCC will work together to provide services to enhance economic development and offer education and training services throughout the region. Staff and programs will be maintained on each campus under the management of Patrick McQuillan, DCTC dean of Continuing Education & Customized Training. “Business and industry has plenty on its plate after the recent economic downturn and the growing skills gap being seen with workers,” said McQuillan. “By DCTC and IHCC working together, we can respond more quickly and effectively to the business community – and that benefits our entire region.” In addition to serving as a response to the business community, the shared services agreement aligns with the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Strategic Framework adopted last fall. The framework specifically calls for members of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system to “be the partner of choice to meet Minnesota’s workforce and community needs.” Thomas and Wynes concur that the two colleges will be better equipped to serve customers through the agreement. Although there will be organizational alterations, both presidents want to assure business and industry the changes will not delay the ability of either institu-

tion to respond to customer needs. “Our intention with this agreement is to maximize our effectiveness in serving the needs of the business community,” said Thomas. “Our colleges are always striving to be nimble, efficient and effective. President Wynes and I know this agreement will take our work with business and industry to the next level.”

District 196 Community Education classes District 196 Community Education will offer the following classes. To register or for more information, call (651) 423-7920 or visit www. district196.org/ce. • Kung Fu: Instrument and Sparring, ages 5 to adult, 7:45 to 8:30 p.m. Thursdays, June 21 through July 26, Scott Highlands Middle School, 14011 Pilot Knob Road, Apple Valley. Cost: $69. • Hogwarts Film School, grades 1-5, 9 a.m. to noon Monday through Thursday, June 25-28, Falcon Ridge Middle School, 12900 Johnny Cake Ridge Road, Apple Valley. Cost: $125. • Beginner Little Ninjas, ages 4-5, 5 to 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays, June 26 through Aug. 14, Northwest Martial Arts Studio, 14537 Dodd Blvd., Rosemount. Cost: $56. • Beginner Tae Kwon Do, ages 6 and older, 5:40 to 6:25 p.m. Wednesdays, June 27 through Aug. 22, Northwest Martial Arts Studio, 14537 Dodd Blvd., Rosemount. Cost: $56.

College news South Central College, Faribault, spring 2012 graduate, Flora Gwellem of Rosemount, D.I.P., practical nursing. Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, spring 2012 dean’s list, from Rosemount – Nathan Davis, Shelby Erickson, Ray Larson, Brian Reber.

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June 22, 2012 Sun Thisweek - Apple Valley / Rosemount

Thisweekend Shakespeare embraces the great outdoors Caponi Art Park plays host June 24 to a staging of ‘The Merry Wives of Windsor’

by Andrew Miller Sun Thisweek

series continues July 8 with a concert by the Dakota Valley Summer Pops Orchestra. A concert by the Minnesota Sinfonia, originally scheduled for Father’s Day but canceled because of rain, has been rescheduled for July 15. O’Shea Irish Dance and Music plays the Caponi amphitheater on July 22, followed by the Japanese taiko drumming of Mu Daiko on Aug. 5. Admission to all the performances is free with a $5 suggested donation to support programs at the 60-acre nonprofit art park. For families with younger kids, the art park also offers Family Fun Tuesdays, events held each week at 10 a.m. in Caponi’s sculpture garden. Upcoming Family Fun Tuesdays programs include a puppet show by Open Eye Figure Theater (June 26), a raptor presentation by the Dodge Nature Center (July 3) and Mexican folk dance (July 10). The full schedule for Caponi’s Summer Performance Series and Family Fun Tuesdays is at www.caponiartpark.org.

The wooded beauty of Caponi Art Park in Eagan will serve as the backdrop this weekend to “The Merry Wives of Windsor.” Cromulent Shakespeare Company, the Minneapolis-based theater group behind the production, describes “Merry Wives” as a “bawdy farce with colorful characters, silly comedy and audience participation.” Though it’s set in Elizabethan England, director Erin Caswell says audiences will have no trouble relating to the material. It centers on courtship – suitors vying for the affections of a lovely, eligible maiden – and its humor is derived in part from the busybody matchmaking involved. “Think of it as an Elizabethan ‘Real Housewives of Windsor,’ ” Caswell said. The family-friendly performance will be at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, June 24, in Caponi’s outdoor amphitheater, and guests are encouraged to bring blankets or lawn chairs, and a picnic dinner. The Shakespeare comedy is the latest in Caponi’s annual Summer Per- Andrew Miller can be reached at anformance Series featuring regional drew.miller@ecm-inc.com or facebook. theater, music and dance groups. The com/sunthisweek.

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Photo submitted

Tim Jopek of Cromulent Shakespeare Company plays Sir John Falstaff in “The Merry Wives of Windsor.” The Shakespeare comedy will be staged at Eagan’s Caponi Art Park this Sunday.

theater and arts briefs Art fest in Eagan The 18th annual Eagan Art Festival will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 23, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 24, in Eagan’s Central Park.

The festival will include global cuisine and traditional fare in a familyfriendly venue. For a list of this year’s artists, go to www.eaganartfestival.org.

Concert rescheduled

concert at Caponi Art Park, Eagan, has been rescheduled for Sunday, July 15, at 7:30 p.m. in the park’s Theater in the Woods outdoor amphitheater. The performance, originally scheduled for Sunday, June 17, was moved to a later date due to inclement weather.

The Minnesota Sinfonia’s annual Summer Pops

Country sound in Burnsville The Devon Worley Band, a seven-piece country band, will perform at 7 p.m. June 27 as part of the Wednesday in the Park series at Civic Center Park in Burnsville. People who bring a canned or nonperishable food item will receive a free Pepsi beverage. In the event of rain, the concert will be held at Nicollet Junior High School. For information, visit www.communityed191.org or call (952) 707-4150.

Theater group celebrates 40th anniversary The Prior Lake Players will hold its 40th anniversary celebration and fundraiser from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8, at the McColl Pond Environmental Learning Center in Savage. The event will feature a dinner buffet from CRAVE restaurant, live music from the Red Rock Swing Band, and a variety of activities celebrating PLP’s 40 years of community theater. A silent auction and raffle will also be held to raise funds for PLP’s future theatrical productions. Event tickets are $30 and can be purchased online at www.plplayers.org/plp40th.

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Sun Thisweek - Apple Valley / Rosemount June 22, 2012

family calendar To submit items for the Family Calendar, email: darcy. odden@ecm-inc.com. Friday, June 22 Inaugural Louie Schmitz Memorial Golf Tournament at noon at Fountain Valley Golf Course, 2830 220th St. W., Farmington. Cost: $100; includes golf, free beer and food on the course, prizes and music, and a steak dinner at the Farmington Legion. Proceeds will go towards memorial scholarships and a fund for financial assistance for student athletes. For more information or to register, contact John Barger at (952) 240-6793 or johnbarger@ frontiernet.net. Outdoor movie, “Soul Surfer,” 7:30 p.m. seating, dusk showtime, part of Burnsville’s “Flicks on the Bricks” series at Nicollet Commons Park in the Heart of the City. Saturday, June 23 Family open house for Rocky Point Lighthouse Vacation Bible School from 9 a.m. to noon at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church & School, 151 E. County Road 42, Burnsville. Activities include music, games, crafts, skits, bounce house, and a community service project. Free. Information: www.goodshep.com or (952) 432-5527. Benefit for the Gagnon family at noon at Hope Church, 7477 145th St. W., Apple Valley. Bill Gagnon is currently receiving hospice care for stage 4 colon cancer. His wife Leanne is in remission from breast cancer. Benefit includes lunch, silent auction, bake sale, and family-friendly games. Donations can be made to the Gagnon family and mailed to the church. Field Day – An emergency communications public demonstration, starting at 1 p.m. and running 24 hours at Neill Park, Burnsville (Upton entrance). See how local “ham” radio operators with the Twin Cities Repeater Club serve the community during an emergency. Information: www.tcrc.org. Movies in the Park, “Dolphin Tale,” at dusk at the Central Park Amphitheater near City Hall, Rosemount. Bring blankets and lawn chairs. Weather-related updates: (952) 985-1790, option No. 6.

theater and arts calendar

“The Amazing Cow Boat” puppet show, 10 to 11 a.m. in the Sculpture Garden at Caponi Art Park, Eagan. $4 per person donation is suggested. Information: (651) 454-9412 or www.caponiartpark.org. Tuesday Evenings in the Garden – Taming Garden Godzillas with Elizabeth Spedaliere, 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the garden at UMore Park, 1605 160th St. W. (County Road 46), Rosemount. Learn strategies to help manage Japanese beetle and emerald ash borer in the home landscape. Fee: $10. Questions or to register by phone, call University of Minnesota Extension: (651) 480-7700. Wednesday, June 27 Little Chefs Cooking Class for ages 3-11 from 1 to 2 p.m. at Valley Natural Foods, Burnsville. Free. Register 32 hours in advance by calling (952) 891-1212, ext. 221. Eagan Market Fest, 4 to 8 p.m., Eagan Festival Grounds. Farmers market, Radio Disney with music, prizes and contests, the Teddy Bear Band (6 p.m.), inflatables (weather permitting), Eagan puppet wagon shows, kids’ art, family games and extra family fun activities. Information: www.cityofeagan. com/marketfest or (651) 6755500. Thursday, June 28 Music in the Parks – Wiggle Jiggle and Jam, 10 a.m. at Central Park Amphitheater, Rosemount. Free. Weather line: Call (952) 985-1780 option 6 to find out if a performance has been cancelled. Thursday Rockin’ Readers – Rahn Principal Elaine Mehdizadeh, 11:15 a.m., Nicollet Commons Park, 12600 Nicollet Ave., Burnsville. Free. Thursday Rockin’ Lunch Hour – Sticks and Tones, noon, Nicollet Commons Park, 12600 Nicollet Ave., Burnsville. Free. Music in the Parks – South of the River Community Band, 7 p.m. at Central Park Amphitheater, Rosemount. Free. Weather line: Call (952) 985-1780 option 6 to find out if a performance has been cancelled.

Friday, June 29 Open house by the Apple Valley MOMS Club-South Tuesday, June 26 (Moms Offering Moms Sup Family Fun Tuesday – port) from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Open Eye Figure Theater’s at Lac Lavon Park in Burns-

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ville. Information: momsclubofapplevalleysouth@live. com. Summer Fresh Friday Film, “Locavore: Local Diet, Healthy Planet,” 6 to 8 p.m. at Valley Natural Foods, 13750 County Road 11, Burnsville. Information: (952) 891-1212, ext. 221. Blood drives The American Red Cross will hold the following blood drives. Call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org to make an appointment or for more information. • June 23, 10:15 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., Burnhaven Library, 1101 W. County Road 42, Burnsville. • June 26, 2 to 7 p.m., St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, 4625 W. 125th St., Savage. • June 28, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Eastview High School, 6200 140th St. W., Apple Valley. • June 28, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Quello Clinic Ltd., 14000 Nicollet Ave. S., Burnsville. • June 30, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Culver’s, 3445 O’Leary Lane, Eagan. Reunions Lakeville High School Class of 1972 will hold its 40th reunion at 3 p.m. Saturday, July 28, at the home of Bruce and Pat Zweber, 387 Maple Island Road, Burnsville. Information: Mary Boegeman Johnson at MBoegemanJ@ yahoo.com or Mary Ann Knox at MaryAnnKnox@visi.com. Burnsville High School Class of 1992 will hold its 20th reunion from 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 4, at the Hyatt Regency, downtown Minneapolis. Tickets are $50 in advance or $65 at the door. To register and purchase tickets, visit https://reunionmanager. net/class_members/registration.php?class_id=124786 or contact Kelly Bruce Regan at kelbel070@gmail.com or Bob Hayes at bobhayes37@ yahoo.com with questions.

To submit items for the Arts Calendar, email: darcy. odden@ecm-inc.com.

John Prine with Willie Watson, 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 29, Subway Music in the Zoo, Minnesota Zoo amphiComedy theater, Apple Valley. Cost: Dwight York with special $67. Tickets available at tickguest Earl Nitch at 8:30 p.m. etmaster.com. Friday, June 22, and Saturday, June 23, at MinneHAHA Exhibits Comedy Club, 1583 E. First World Travel PhotograAve., Shakopee (lower level phy exhibit by artist Becqi of Dangerfield’s), (612) 860- Sherman at the Lakeville Area 9388, www.minnehahacom- Arts Center, 20965 Holyoke edyclub.com. Tickets: $13. Ave. Information: (952) 9854640. Concerts Music in Kelley Park fea- Festivals turing Ménage à Neuf from 6 Apple Valley Freedom to 9 p.m. Friday, June 22, at Days runs June 29-July 4. Kelley Park, 6855 Fortino St., Information: www.avfreedomApple Valley. Free. Food and days.com. beverages available for pur- Lakeville Pan-O-Prog chase. runs July 1-8. Information: The Pines with Lucy Mi- www.panoprog.org. chelle and The Velvet La- Eagan July 4th Funfest pelles, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, runs July 3-4. Information: June 23, Subway Music in the www.eaganfunfest.org. Zoo, Minnesota Zoo amphitheater, Apple Valley. Cost: Theater $24. Tickets available at tick- Cromulent Shakespeare etmaster.com. Company’s “The Merry Tedeschi Trucks Band Wives of Windsor” will be with Ryan Shaw, 7:30 p.m. presented at 6:30 p.m. June Sunday, June 24, and Mon- 24 in the Theater in the day, June 25, Subway Music Woods outdoor amphitheater in the Zoo, Minnesota Zoo at Caponi Art Park in Eagan. amphitheater, Apple Valley. Free, but a $5 donation is reCost: $58 and $66. Tickets quested. Information: www. available at ticketmaster.com. caponiartpark.org. Gavin DeGraw and Colbie Caillat with Joey De- Workshops/classes Graw, 7 p.m. Wednesday, Music Together in the June 27, Subway Music in the Valley offers classes for Zoo, Minnesota Zoo amphi- parents and their infant, todtheater, Apple Valley. Cost: dler and preschool children $56. Tickets available at tick- in Rosemount, Farmington, etmaster.com. Lakeville and Apple Valley. Wednesday in the Park Information: www.musictoConcert Series with The getherclasses.com or (651) Devon Worley Band, 7 p.m. 439-4219. June 27 at Civic Center Park, The Eagan Art House of75 Civic Center Parkway, fers classes for all ages. For Burnsville. Rain location: a complete listing go to www. Nicollet Junior High, 400 E. eaganarthouse.org or call 134th St., Burnsville. (651) 675-5521. Emmylou Harris with Dan Petrov Art Studio Field Report, 7:30 p.m. in Burnsville offers oil paintThursday, June 28, Subway ing classes for beginners, Music in the Zoo, Minnesota intermediate and advanced Zoo amphitheater, Apple Val- skill level painters, www. ley. Cost: $58. Tickets avail- danpetrovart.com, (763) 843able at ticketmaster.com. 2734.

Teens Express Yourself with Paint, 5 to 7 p.m. Mondays at Brushworks School of Art in Burnsville, www.BrushworksSchoolofArt.com, (651) 214-4732. Drama/theater classes for ages 4 and up at River Ridge Arts Building, Burnsville, (952) 736-3644. Special needs theater program (autism-DCD), ages 5 and older, Burnsville, (952) 736-3644. Join other 55-plus adults at the Eagan Art House to create beaded jewelry. The Jewelry Club meets on the third Friday of each month from 1 to 3 p.m. Fee is $3 and includes all supplies. Bring any old jewelry you would like to re-make. 3981 Lexington Ave. S., (651) 675-5500. Savage Art Studios, 4735 W. 123rd St., Suite 200, Savage, offers classes/workshops for all ages. Information: www.savageartstudios. com or (952) 895-0375. Soy candle making classes held weekly in Eagan near 55 and Yankee Doodle. Call Jamie at (651) 315-4849 for dates and times. $10 per person. Presented by Making Scents in Minnesota. Country line dance classes held for intermediates Mondays 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at Rambling River Center, 325 Oak St., Farmington, $5/class. Call Marilyn (651) 463-7833. Beginner country line dance classes on Wednesdays, 5:30-7:30 p.m., at the Lakeville VFW, 8790 Upper 208th St. $5/class. Call Marilyn (651) 463-7833. Country line dance classes on Wednesdays at the Lakeville Senior Center, 20732 Holt Ave. Beginners, 9-10 a.m.; Intermediate, 10 a.m.-noon. $5/class. Call Marilyn (651) 463-7833. The Lakeville Area Arts Center offers arts classes for all ages, www.lakevillemn. gov, (952) 985-4640.

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Sports

June 22, 2012 Sun Thisweek - Apple Valley / Rosemount

Slow start hinders Eastview

Girls golf teamchampionship, fifth at winning statethree

by Mike Shaughnessy Sun Thisweek

One golf axiom states that you can’t win a tournament on the first day, but you can shoot yourself out of it. Unfortunately for Eastview’s girls, that’s what happened at last week’s state Class AAA meet. Eastview couldn’t completely recover from a rough first round and finished fifth in the 36hole event. The Lightning did make significant improvement in the second round of the tournament June 13 at Bunker Hills in Coon Rapids. Its second-round team score of 333 was 27 strokes better than its opening day score of 360. The secondday score also was the best an Eastview girls team has

shot at Bunker Hills. Eastview, tied for sixth after the first round, jumped over Alexandria to finish in fifth place but was too far behind the top four teams to move up farther. New Prague won the Class AAA championship with a two-day total of 661; Eastview’s total was 693. Lightning senior Sara Detlefsen tied for seventh place to earn her third state individual medal in four years. Detlefsen, who will play at Florida Gulf Coast University, opened with an 82 but shot a 3-over par 76 in the second round for a 158 total. Cretin-Derham Hall sophomore Celia Kuenster, who was Class AAA comedalist in 2011, finished first by herself this year af-

ter shooting 72-69–141. Most of Eastview’s lineup improved from the first day to the second. Sophomore Kari Opatz (88-82– 170) tied for 24th place, and senior Maddy Paulsen (9582–175) tied for 37th. Junior Madi Roe (97-93–190) tied for 69th. Lydia Jorgenson, a senior, shot 99 in both rounds for a 198 total and 80th place. Eighth-grader Tylor Christensen (105-94–199) tied for 81st. The state tournament wrapped up a strong season for the Eastview girls, who were second in the final Minnesota Golf Association state team rankings and third in the state coaches association Class AAA rankings. Detlefsen and Opatz also received AllState recognition. The Lightning rolled to the South Suburban Conference

of the four regular-season conference tournaments and finishing fourth in the other. Eastview also won four regular-season invitational tournaments as well as the Section 3AAA championship. Others from the Sun Thisweek coverage area competing in the state tournament were Rosemount junior Molly Flynn (tied for 42nd, 88-88–176), Lakeville North eighth-grader Brianna Vetter (tied for 45th, 9087–177), Lakeville North junior Laura Larson (tied for 53rd, 92-89–181), Apple Valley sophomore Lauren Kerr (tied for 53rd, 9091–181) and Eagan junior Shelby Braun (tied for 63rd, 95-89–184). Mike Shaughnessy is at mike. shaughnessy@ecm-inc.com or facebook.com/sunthisweek.

Photo by Rick Orndorf

Eastview junior Madi Roe putts during the state Class AAA girls golf tournament. The Lightning was fifth in the team competition.

New high school mountain bike league starting in fall Burnsville/Lakeville and District 196 will have two of the 15 teams by Andy Rogers Sun Thisweek

The Twin Cities suburbs aren’t exactly known for their mountain ranges, but that’s not stopping anyone from mountain biking. Bicycling Magazine recently ranked Minneapolis as the top bike-friendly city in the country and many of those cyclists aren’t exactly riding on pavement. With places such as Lebanon Hills in Eagan and Murphy-

Hanrehan Park in Savage, interest in mountain biking the metro is growing. “There is some really great off-road naturalsurface bicycling here,” said Gary Sjoquist, founding chair of the Minnesota High School Cycling League. “Minnesota is getting a reputation for unexpectedly good bicycling.” Starting this fall, several club programs will compete in the Minnesota High

School Mountain Bike League. California has had high school mountain racing for a decade through the National Interscholastic Cycling Association. It has spread to other states, including Colorado, Washington, Utah, Texas and now Minnesota. Teams are available for any boy or girl entering ninth through 12th grade See bikes, 15A

Photo submitted

A high school mountain bike league is scheduled to begin in the fall.

Not so rough

Photo by Rick Orndorf

Eastview’s Brennan EspindaBanick slides back to first base during the state Class AAA baseball championship game. Photo by Rick Orndorf in a state high school championship Eastview seniors Patrick Strey (left) game at Target Field, which opened and Scott Nelson celebrate with the in 2010. Burnsville advanced to the state baseball championship trophy. Class AAA final the previous two years. lightning, from 1A The Lightning’s victory also means the South Suburban Conference has He got nine outs on fly balls, six on had the state large-school baseball grounders and struck out five hitters. champion each season of its two-year Eastview catcher Ryan Reger threw existence. Burnsville won Class AAA out one Bemidji runner attempting to in 2011. steal. But that doesn’t mean Eastview Only one of Bemidji’s three bas- went into its first state baseball erunners advanced past first. The tournament appearance as a favorLightning did not commit an error ite. Eastview was 16th among Class (neither did the Lumberjacks). AAA teams in the final Minnesota “We always have confidence in our Scores.net computer ranking. The pitching, and Evan has pitched great other seven state tourney qualifiers all year,” senior outfielder Chris Na- all were ranked higher. rum said. “By the end of the season, If that wasn’t enough motivation, we were hitting better and playing “it kind of fired us up to see the Star good defense. It all came together for Tribune pick Bemidji to beat us 6-2” us.” in the championship game, Narum Eastview center fielder Brennan said. EspindaBanick raced into the gap to Another oddity: No Eastview rob Bemidji’s Mitch Hendricks of an players were selected for this weekextra-base hit in the fourth inning, a end’s Lions All-Star Series in Chaska. play DeCovich referred to as a game- But the Lightning believes the changer. Bemidji got a runner to third whole is greater than the sum of its base with two outs in the sixth inning, parts. The team’s motto, “Ohana,” is but DeCovich got the next hitter to a Hawaiian word meaning “family.” fly out to center. The seniors have been on the same DeCovich helped supply the only teams for almost a decade and won run he needed by leading off the sec- a couple of state championships in ond inning with a double. E.J. Ste- youth baseball. vens went in as a courtesy runner and “It’s unreal. I’ve never been a part advanced to third on Patrick Strey’s of something like this,” said senior sacrifice bunt. Narum then drew a shortstop Scott Nelson. “It really is walk and stole second. Stevens scored like a family, and I think it helped seton Stockwell’s grounder to shortstop. tle our nerves today. We were excited Eastview (22-5) was the third to be here, but we were able to do our team from Dakota County to play thing and play our game.” Photo by Rick Orndorf

Photo by Rick Orndorf

Eastview pitcher Evan DeCovich, working on two days’ rest, pitched a two-hit shutout as the Lightning defeated Bemidji 1-0 in the state Class AAA baseball championship game Monday at Target Field.

Photo by Rick Orndorf

Rosemount ninth-grader Jake Sweetman plays out of the rough at the state Class AAA boys golf tournament last week at Bunker Hills in Coon Rapids. Sweetman, who won a playoff at the Section 3AAA tournament to qualify for state, finished in a tie for 66th with 86-76–162.

The baseball championship is Eastview High School’s second in a boys sport; the first was in lacrosse earlier this month. Although the school has been open only 15 years, the baseball championship isn’t an overnight success story. “It feels like it’s been a long time coming,” said Tom Strey, who became Eastview’s head coach in 2001 after 10 seasons as an assistant at Apple Valley. “There are a lot of good people in the community, and a lot of effort went into this,” said Strey, who also coached the current seniors in youth baseball. “A lot of the players’ dads have served as coaches. We developed our own (American) Legion team, which gave more of our kids an opportunity to play at that level. It really was a community effort.” It fostered a belief that every player, from the ace pitcher to the last man on the bench, had something to contribute. That’s why they called it Ohana.

Eastview second baseman Austin Hebig tags out Bemidji’s Cody Rutledge on a steal attempt in the state Class AAA baseball championship game Mike Shaughnessy is at mike.shaughMonday at Target nessy@ecm-inc.com or facebook.com/ Field. sunthisweek.

Photo by Rick Orndorf

Apple Valley’s Lauren Kerr played in the state Class AAA girls golf tournament for the second consecutive year and tied for 53rd place.

Sun Thisweek - Apple Valley / Rosemount June 22, 2012

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State title special for the Strey family Eastview championship years in the making by Andy Rogers Sun Thisweek

A few years ago the Eastview baseball team suffered perhaps its most disappointing loss in history. In 2008 the Lightning was a top-ranked team that won 21 games and a Lake Conference title while averaging almost eight runs per game. But in the notorious Section 3AAA, Rosemount doused the Lightning’s hope of reaching the state tournament, winning 4-1 in the final. Following the game, Eastview head coach Tom Strey’s son Pat turned to assistant coach Mark Groebner and said, “Coach, don’t worry. We’ll win a section title for you.” Now a senior and starting infielder/pitcher, Pat Strey’s premonition was correct. Eastview won the Section 3AAA title earlier

bikes, from 14A in the Burnsville, Lakeville, and District 196 area. For more information, visit www.minnesotamtb.org. “What made me want to join the mountain bike club is that it would give me more opportunities to get out and bike and experience different trails around the state,” said Adam DeCurtins, a student who plans to ride this fall. Being on the team will give him someone to keep pace with on the course. “I really enjoy mountain biking because of the added challenge of conquering the terrain and just the fun of being in nature,” DeCurtins said. He started trail riding for the first time two years ago and was quickly hooked on the thrill of singletrack biking. “It can be scary, but that is the fun part most of the time,” DeCurtins said. “Your adrenaline kicks in and you just kind of let go of a little sanity.” The girls and boys will race separately, but the team’s final tally will be a combination of both scores. No racing experience is necessary; all riders need is

this month and Pat Strey gave his father a hug after Eastview won the Class AAA state title Monday. “It’s a really special moment,” Pat Strey said. “To win with my dad, not too many people can say that. We’re real tight, especially today.” “It’s fun to see him improve over the years,” Tom Strey said. “This has been a really special group.” Through the years, several high school head coaches have left their posts to watch their offspring play. It’s not every day a parent wins a state title with his son on the roster.

Defense wins When the 2012 baseball season opened, many coaches were curious about how new specifications for bats would affect the game. The intention behind BBCOR bats is to dampen the trampoline effect. Teams couldn’t rely on home runs to win games and many coaches spent the early spring emphasizing defensive fundamentals. But Eastview’s coaching

a mountain bike and a helmet. About 15 teams have formed already across the state. “We can teach anyone to ride a bike and introduce beginning riders to a safe, fun, and challenging experience,” said Chris Harvey, coach of the Burnsville/ Lakeville program. The Lakeville/Burnsville team will mainly practice at Murphy-Hanrehan Park in Savage but will also go to Lebanon Hills in Eagan and Terrace Oaks in Burnsville, which is “some of the best mountain bike singletrack in Minnesota,” Harvey said. Sjoquist has been racing for more than 20 years and has encouraged others to get involved in mountain biking. Starting them young has worked well. “I knew there was a good base here for mountain biking,” Sjoquist said. “I knew we had all the right ingredients. It’s just a matter of getting some help from key people and retailers. These are kids who aren’t playing the typical sports like football and hockey.” Everyone will have a chance to score points and nobody will be cut from a team, Sjoquist said. “The great majority of

staff has preached defense and pitching for years. The Lightning were without error in all three state tournament games. That helped winning pitcher Evan DeCovich throw a two-hit complete-game shutout against Bemidji in the final Monday. “It gives the pitchers a lot of confidence,” Tom Strey said. “I know he doesn’t feel like he has to strike everything out.” The Lightning turned several web gems from players such as second baseman Austin Hebig, third baseman Pat Strey, center fielder Brennan EspindaBanick and shortstop Scott Nelson. “It’s a total team effort, not just one person out there,” EspindaBanick said. “Defense has always been our thing. We knew the new bats would be a good thing for us.” With professional field groomers, Target Field was in tip-top shape with no surprising bounces. But high school teams can easily be spooked playing at an unfamiliar location with stands, fans, advertisements and

kids come back with a smile and it’s something they can do with other kids,” Sjoquist said. “It’s very social. Even the smallest, scrawniest kids, if they can make a lap, they can score points. You don’t get that with the other sports. Kids can feel empowered, learn something new and secretly get in shape. “There’s also all the lessons of practicing and being responsible for the bike and safety and being ready for a race. There’s so many things a kid can learn.” Races will take place weekends during September and October in the metro as well as Rochester and St. Cloud, with the series championship at Buck Hill in Burnsville on Oct. 28. There’s a girls-only “Tryit-Out Session” from 1 to 4 p.m. July 12 at MurphyHanrehan to learn proper bike fit and basic mountain bike skills. Demo bikes will be available. Parents must sign a waiver for the child to participate. More information is available at www. minnesotamtb.org. Andy Rogers can be reached at andy.rogers@ecm-inc.com or facebook.com/sunthisweek.

lights in every sight line. “This group is pretty good about not having the moment not be too big for them,” Tom Strey said.

Schlosser’s a goodluck charm There’s something about the teams Joe Schlosser has played on this season. All three have played at professional sports venues this season. All three were

ranked near or at the top of their respective sport. Schlosser was a member of Eastview’s top-ranked soccer team that finished runner-up to Eden Prairie at the Class AA state tournament at the Metrodome in the fall. In the winter, Schlosser was a member of the boys basketball team that played at the Target Center in the state tournament, where

Eastview again lost to Eden Prairie. Schlosser was a role player on the baseball team that played at Target Field on Monday. With Eden Prairie out of the way, having lost to Bemidji in the semifinals, Eastview won and brought home the gold. Andy Rogers can be reached at andy.rogers@ecm-inc.com or facebook.com/sunthisweek.

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June 22, 2012 Sun Thisweek - Apple Valley / Rosemount

Sun Thisweek - Apple Valley / Rosemount June 22, 2012

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June 22, 2012 Sun Thisweek - Apple Valley / Rosemount

Sun Thisweek - Apple Valley / Rosemount June 22, 2012

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June 22, 2012 Sun Thisweek - Apple Valley / Rosemount

News Briefs Lynx clinic for girls is June 29 Three Minnesota Lynx players and 2012 U.S. Olympians – Seimone Augustus, Lindsay Whalen and Maya Moore – will help local girls improve their basketball skills at a free clinic from 2 to 4 p.m. Friday, June 29, at the Apple Valley Community Center. The clinic is open to girls ages 8 to 13. Participants will receive a complimentary ticket package to a Minnesota Lynx game.

Veterans invited to be in parade Members of the Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Network of Apple Valley invite all veterans and active servicemembers to participate with them in Apple Valley’s July 4th Freedom Days Parade. For the parade, veterans and active service members can walk or ride in World War II and Korean War vehicles. To participate or for more information, contact Bruce Folken at bfolken@frontiernet.net or (612) 719-4711.

Pro-Act Golf Classic The annual ProAct Golf Classic fundraiser returns to the Hastings Country Club on Monday, Aug. 13. The 18-hole event begins with registration from 10 to 11:30 a.m., with an early lunch starting at 10:45 a.m. and a shotgun start at 11:45 a.m. Live and silent auctions, a raffle and a gourmet dinner will follow the game. The four-person scramble-style event features golf skill challenges and group photos, as well as prizes for winning teams. The cost is $150 per golfer, which includes lunch and dinner, a golf cart, use of the clubhouse and driving range as well as two-for-one guest passes offered by the country club. A portion of the cost is tax-deductible. The price for the dinner only is $35. To register, go to proactinc.org or contact Heidi Hanson at (651) 289-3149 or hhanson@proactinc.org. Sponsorships are also available. nami, from 5A Scheele said. “He just so happens to be diagnosed with bipolar disorder. It’s been a challenge, but he’s a wonderful young man. I’m very proud of him.” During the Minds Interrupted forum, speakers shared their struggles, and those of friends and relatives. They spoke of abuse, beatings, horror movies in their heads, hearing voices, or of being a child, roiling with emotions through the years: confused, frightened, angered, embarrassed of a parent they could not understand until years later. Sometimes, the presenters could not speak, stopped by memory too painful to admit: A surprise party, followed by his friend’s suicide; porn images that refused to leave; sobbing and making animal noises in a corner; pleading with authorities to see even if her child was arrested. Most of the speakers had to stop as they struggled to read, standing in the spotlight, looking down, choking back tears. People in the crowd urged them on. And they continued; every one finished their monologue. Several called their diagnosis a blessing, in part because of the help, support and friends they have found through NAMI. Nordin said while she has found help and comfort in the support, she also has found she is grateful because of who she is: “Heidi Gaga.” For more information about NAMI, go to www. namihelps.org. Laura Adelmann is at laura. adelmann@ecm-inc.com or facebook.com/sunthisweek.

Robert Trail Library programs Robert Trail Library, 14395 S. Robert Trail, Rosemount, has planned the following programs. Call (651) 480-1200 for more information. • Dare to Prepare with AAA, teens and adults, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, July 7. Safety issues and licensing information that teens

and parents alike need to know, and reinforce. For new drivers, wanna-be drivers, and their parents or guardians. • Nail It, teens, 2:30 to 4 p.m. Monday, July 9. Learn the tricks and techniques for beautiful nails from a professional manicurist. Supplies provided. Registration opens June 25. • Make & Take: Duct Tape Crafts, teens, 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 11. Supplies provided.

• Metal Work-MilagrosSymbols of Hope with ArtStart, teens, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday, July 12. Make your own design using gold, silver, and copper heavy foil and practice the art of metal tooling using the art of milagro. Supplies provided. Registration starts June 27. • Crafters Night Out, adults, 6:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, July 17. Bring your craft project to work on, and visit and share tips with

other crafters in a casual setting. • The Hunger Games Trivia – Part II, teens, 2:30 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, July 18. Trivia, games, and activities. Supplies provided. • Irish Dance with the Mooncoin Dancers, teens and adults, 2 to 3 p.m. Friday, July 20. Learn about Irish dance, enjoy a live performance, and join in to experience it yourself. • Blues for Kids and Teens, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.

Saturday, July 21. Get a free harmonica and learn to play the blues. Presented and sponsored by the Minnesota Blues Society. Registration starts July 7. • Pop-up Cards with Eagan Art House, teens, 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 24. Create pop-up cards to give away or display as art work. Supplies provided. Registration starts July 10.