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Orchard offers corn maze this fall. See Thisweekend Page 8A
Thisweek Apple Valley-Rosemount SEPTEMBER 30, 2011
VOLUME 32, NO. 31
NEWS OPINION SPORTS
www.thisweeklive.com
Opinion/4A
Announcements/6A
Thisweekend/8A
Public Notices/10A
Classifieds/11A
Haunted Woods Trail scares up fun again
Raceway Park disputes Race for Hunger numbers
Businesses and community groups invited to become involved by Tad Johnson THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
As the calendar flips over to October, many in Rosemount turn their attention to Halloween and one of the town’s biggest events of the year. The volunteer-run Haunted Woods Trail in the city’s Central Park typically attracts up to 3,000 people in virtually any kind of weather Minnesota can dish out this time of year. This year’s event will start at 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, with people urged to line up at the starting point of the trail at the parkand-ride lot across South Robert Trail/ Highway 3 from the Steeple Center and Robert Trail Library. For those unfamiliar with the event, children and their parents are invited to walk along the trail, which is decorated with props and accompanied by music, and collect candy from people along the trail. The event is family friendly and not intended to be scary to its youngest attendees, according to event chairperson and Rosemount resident Mike Bouchard. The idea behind it is to provide a safe and fun way for children to go trick-ortreating for a holiday that has increasingly had more “scary� than “fun� events planned, Bouchard said. While the trail is entertaining, it also has turned into a good cause. People are
Sports/14A
encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to donate to local food shelves. Nearly 4,000 pounds of food have been donated in the past four years. While the event is organized each year by its volunteer committee members, there is opportunity for businesses and individuals to become involved. Each year, several local businesses and community groups participate by dressing up in Halloween costumes and handing out candy to the children who walk the trail. Businesses and groups that are interested in participating File photo by Tad Johnson can download an application form at www.RosemountE- The Haunted Woods Trail is organized by an allvents.com and return it by the volunteer committee and encourages children and their parents to walk the trail in Rosemount’s Central Park. deadline of Oct. 14. Over the years, the event has grown not only in the number of partici- cleanup easier on all, who Bouchard adpants and volunteers but also in its physi- mits aren’t getting any younger. For more information, contact Bouchacal presence. The trail has been lengthened in the past four years to give children more rd at (651) 423-4603 or (612) 840-9016 or fun displays to look at and more stations at the committee at rosemounthalloween@ charter.net or Rosemount Halloween which to collect more candy. Those who are interested in helping or- Committee, P.O. Box 198, Rosemount, ganize, set up and clean up after the event MN 55068-0198. may contact Bouchard. More volunteers on the day of the Tad Johnson is at editor.thisweek@ecmevent are needed to make preparations and inc.com.
Off and running
Track president vows not to work with Barlau until remedies made by Aaron Vehling THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
There is more disagreement about how little the Sept. 9 Race for Hunger made in revenue to distribute to foodshelves. Raceway Park president and owner John Hellendrung addressed some of the claims Click Club USA president Dennis Barlau made in the initial Sept. 23 Thisweek story regarding the Race for Hunger fundraiser for local food shelves, such as 360 Communities and the Emergency Food Network. The event, organized by Lakeville-based for-profit company Click Club USA, was designed to feature mayors and media members racing against each other to raise money for local foodshelves. Elected officials from Apple Valley, Burnsville, Eagan, Farmington, Lakeville and Rosemount all raced in the event. It was the second such event this year organized by Barlau to end up making little or no money for intended beneficiaries. Citing the rental agreement, Hellendrung said: “Raceway will not host future events promoted by Barlau until $7,500 is donated to the food shelves per his agreement.� Among Hellendrung’s differing views are the specifics behind the cost to rent his racetrack, tickets sold and additional event expenses. Hellendrung charged Barlau $7,500 to rent the track for the actual fundraising race. The additional $2,500 Barlau paid the racetrack was “applied to a standalone event in which Barlau brought out his own private group to drive the race cars,� Hellendrung said. The Sept. 23 Thisweek story discussed this, but did not have the confirmed amount for each charge. The $7,500 rental charge carried with it a host of services required to operate the race, Hellendrung said. This included insurance for the event, an ambulance with two attendants and six track officials to assist in getting the competitors in and out of the cars. “I also provided a flag man, track announcer and trash pickup and removal,� Hellendrung said. There were other liabilities, too. “There was over $1,500 in damage to the track cars and race tires,� Hellendrung said. Raceway also donated the use of the cars, whose rental Hellendrung said would have cost at least $10,000 given the number of races completed. “This was not a profitable event for Raceway,� he said.
How many tickets? Photo by Rick Orndorf
Running shoes thundered on the turf at the start of the 35th annual Eagle Invitational cross country meet hosted by Apple Valley High School last weekend. Eagan’s Sydney Speir took first place out of 121 runners with a time of 16 minutes, 13 seconds. For full coverage of the event, turn to Sports, 14A. For more photos, go online to www.ThisweekLive.com.
Focus on fire prevention Apple Valley fire stations host open houses by Andrew Miller THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
File photo
Kids can try out firefighting equipment at the open houses hosted by the Apple Valley Fire Department. General 952-894-1111 Distribution 952-846-2070 Display Advertising 952-846-2011 Classified Advertising 952-846-2000
Do you know how to operate a fire extinguisher? Or when to replace your smoke detectors? How about where to safely install a carbon monoxide detector in your home? Apple Valley firefighters will be happy to talk with you and your family about these and other safety issues at the open houses ses they’re hosting Oct. 1113. T h e city’s fire department holds the open houses at its three fire stations each year as part
of national Fire Prevention Week, which commemorates the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Remember that one? “Mrs. O’Leary’s cow kicks over the can and starts Chicago on fire,� explained Apple Valley Fire Chief Nealon Thompson. At the open houses residents can talk with firefighters, practice operating a fire extinguisher, and learn how to best escape a smoke-filled house, Thompson said. Apple Valley police officers and Allina Ambulance personnel will be on hand as well. There’s also plenty to do for kids. They can check out the fire trucks and try on firefighters’ gear, and there will be an See Fire Prevention, 16A
Hellendrung and Barlau differ on the number of tickets actually sold for the event. This ties into revenue claims: Barlau told Thisweek after the event that $1 from each of ticket sold would go to participating food shelves. Initially, the promise was as much as $9, according to Click Club USA’s website. Ticket sales expectations were also a part of the rental agreement for the track. “Track rental was based on Barlau’s promise to fill the facility and introduce new customers to Raceway,� Hellendrung said. “All costs were agreed on prior to the launching of the event.� He said Barlau told him the Race for Hunger in June at Raceway that featured Scott County mayors sold 5,550 tickets and the Sept. 9 Race for Hunger featuring mayors from counties such as Hennepin and Dakota sold 2,500 tickets. Hellendrung said the first event had 350 attendees and the second 250. Barlau told Thisweek previously that the Sept. 9 event sold about 700 tickets and the June event sold 2,600. Barlau said that about $700 would go to foodshelves. He explained that he gave away tickets to women’s shelters, among other organizations, which he said accounts for some of the disparity between the 700 and 2,500-ticketssold claims. Barlau repeated a few other reasons he had for the race failing to raise money: Lakeville City Council Member Matt See Race for Hunger, 7A
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