Art Fete at the Burnsville PAC shines the spotlight on local visual artists. See Thisweekend Page 10A.
Thisweek Apple Valley-Rosemount MARCH 11, 2011
VOLUME 32, NO. 2
www.thisweeklive.com
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Focus groups tell school district to cut with care Parents of students in District 196 want to see equitable reductions in athletics and activities by Jessica Harper THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
As the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan School District faces looming budget cuts, residents say they worry about whether the district will treat extra-curricular activities equally and preserve core studies as they impose cuts. Residents who met in focus groups at Rosemount Middle School on March 8 said they favor the district’s proposed $3.5 million in budget cuts for next school year as long as cuts to sports and fine arts are examined equally. “We need to ensure there is
more consistency in the funding to programs,” said Elaine Stevens, a parent of a sixthgrader at Dakota Hills Middle School and a sophomore at Eagan High School. District officials are considering eliminating approximately 48 full-time equivalent positions, removing high school figure skating and increasing fees by $10 for all high school sports and fine arts. Several residents, including Stevens, said they were concerned some activities, such as band and ice skating, would be unfairly hit harder than
others. “I will not be a happy camper if no one else has to make sacrifices,” said Cheryl Anderson, a parent of an Eagan High School senior. Staff cuts would include eliminating 26 middle school teaching positions, one parttime social work position, one school administrator position, six full-time equivalent district-level itinerant teacher positions, one full-time districtwide administrator, three FTE clerical positions, four FTE paraprofessional positions and four FTE positions from the facilities depart-
Photo by Jessica Harper
Residents and officials from the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan School District gathered at Rosemount Middle School on March 8 to discuss potential cuts to the district’s budget. ment. by the reduction in class peThe middle school posi- riods, which was approved by tions would be cut through the board in January. restructuring made possible The district has already cut
152 jobs in the past two years as a result of limited state funding, District 196 SuperinSee Cuts, 12A
Eagle wrestlers unstoppable Marcus Theatre, Regal Cinemas fined for violating labor laws
Violations include allowing minors to operate trash compactors by Jessica Harper THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
Photo by Rick Orndorf
Apple Valley High School wrestlers celebrate after claiming the Class AAA state team title March 3 at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. The Eagles defeated White Bear Lake, Prior Lake and St. Michael-Albertville on their road to the championship; it was Apple Valley’s sixth straight and 19th overall state team title. For more on the state wrestling tournament, turn to Sports.
Fire destroys rural Rosemount home Sole resident escapes unharmed; fire marshall investigating A rural Rosemount home was destroyed by fire early Tuesday morning. Firefighters from the Rosemount, Inver Grove Heights and Eagan fire departments arrived shortly after receiving a call at 3 a.m. March 8 that the house on the 12200 block of Akron Avenue was engulfed in flames.
An elderly man, the only resident of the home, escaped unharmed. The Farmington Fire Department assisted in hauling water to the scene because the rural area has no nearby hydrants. The home, which is owned by Flint Hills Resources, was a total loss, Rose-
mount Fire Chief Scott Aker said. “As a result, it will be hard to investigate where the fire started,” Aker said. The incident is being investigated by Rosemount Fire Marshall John Kendall. —Jessica Harper
Marcus Theatre Corp. and Regal Cinemas, which have locations in Dakota County, were fined last week by the U.S. Department of Labor for violating child labor laws. According to a release by the U.S. Department of Labor, Milwaukee, Wis.-based Marcus Theatre, which has a location in Rosemount, received a $93,995 fine for allowing minors to operate trash compactors, motor vehicles and a dough mixer. The company also employed workers under age 16 to perform baking and allowed them to work beyond hours permitted under the Fair Labor Standards Act. “Unfortunately, these are all too common in the industry,” said Scott Allen, a spokesperson for the U.S. Labor Department. The department finds hundreds violations of this kind each year, Allen said. Knoxville, Tenn.-based Regal Cinemas, which has a theater in Eagan, received a $158,400 fine for allowing minors to load and operate trash compactors. The Marcus and Regal locations in Dakota
County were not among those inspected, but Allen said the illegal practices appeared to be companywide. Although Regal representatives deny the allegations, the company is working to improve policies and practices at all its locations, Dick Westerling, a spokesperson for Regal Cinemas, said in a statement. Efforts include showing a public service announcement about child labor laws at its theaters, Westerling said. “The safety and wellbeing of our personnel is of the utmost importance to Regal Entertainment Group,” he said. Marcus Theatre is also working to address violations at its locations by enhancing its policies and training, and by posting signs in its theater offices explaining child labor laws, Carlo Petrick, a spokesperson for Marcus Theatres, said in a statement. “While there were no accidents or injuries associated with any of the violations assessed at our locations, Marcus Theatres is happy that these issues were brought to our attention so we could further See Theaters, 11A
Mayor: City sees progress in difficult economy by Andrew Miller THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
Business activity in Apple Valley gives reason for optimism despite the weak national economy, Mayor Mary Hamann-Roland declared in her annual State of the City address. The addition of new businesses and the expansion of others in 2010 affirmed the city’s status as a “pro-business community” that continues to add headof-household jobs, said the four-term mayor, who gave her address Wednesday at the LaGrand Conference General 952-894-1111 Distribution 952-846-2070 Display Advertising 952-846-2011 Classified Advertising 952-846-2000
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Center. “Despite the most serious economic recession since World War II, Apple Valley has achieved recognition for its livability and rankings among the nation’s cities,” Hamann-Roland told an audience that included other elected officials and members of the Apple Valley Chamber of Commerce, which sponsored the event. Hamann-Roland noted Apple Valley’s No. 20 ranking on Money magazine’s list of Best Places to Live in America, as well as an upgraded Moody’s bond rating, as signs of the city’s continued progress. “In a time when many other governmental units saw their bond ratings slip, Apple Valley achieved a Moody’s triple-A bond rating,” she said. “We’ve been through some very challenging times, but as I have said many times, the best way to predict the future is to create it.” Business expansion and development that Hamann-
Roland pointed to as reason for optimism included: • The city issued $59.2 million in permits in 2010, up 25 percent from 2009. New development added more than 1,400 construction and other jobs. • Residential development has begun to show signs of recovery. While 49 single-family building permits were issued in 2010, this year has seen the opening of Ecumen Seasons of Apple Valley, a 134-unit senior-living community; the 45-unit Quarry Point townhome development is slated to open this summer; and Augustana Health Care Center has planned construction of a 40-unit transitional care facility. • The Minnesota Zoo launched its $20 million Heart of the Zoo initiative last year, which will see the addition of a penguin exhibit and a new education center. Hamann-Roland described the zoo as “a powerful economic engine” that contributes more than $60
Photo by Rick Orndorf
Mayor Mary Hamann-Roland gave an upbeat State of the City address Wednesday, noting that Apple Valley has seen business expansion despite the weak national economy. million to the metro economy annually and accounts for more than 1,100 jobs. • The Apple Valley Transit Station opened in January 2010, a first step in the long-planned reconstruction of Cedar Avenue that will see the addition of bus rapid transit in the near future.
• Walmart unveiled its expanded Apple Valley store in 2010, a project that added 135 employees and generated about 150 construction jobs • Uponor completed its expansion; the manufacturer now has 336 employees, up from its original workforce of 80 employees.
“The state of the city of Apple Valley remains secure, growing jobs, and building our economy, keeping Apple Valley one of the best places to live in America,” Hamann-Roland said. Andrew Miller is at andrew. miller@ecm-inc.com.