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‘The Story of Music, Stories from Home’ comes to the Lakeville Area Arts Center. See Thisweekend Page 8A.
Thisweek Apple Valley-Rosemount APRIL 15, 2011
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VOLUME 32, NO. 7
A NEWS OPINION SPORTS
www.thisweeklive.com
Announcements/5A
Opinion/6A
Sports/7A
Golf Guide/9A
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Public Notices/14A
Park-and-ride construction delayed by archeological find by Jessica Harper THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
A historical artifact will delay plans for future transportation in Rosemount. The Minnesota Valley Transit Authority had hoped to begin construction on a park-and-ride this year – ahead of its 2013 schedule – but that likely won’t happen due to an archeological dig. “It’s disappointing that it will delay the project but if artifacts of value are found, that needs to be resolved,” Rosemount Mayor Bill
Droste said. Remnants of 1880s pottery and other debris were found on the site by the Rosemount Area Historical Society, which asked to dig around the site when the city bought it. “It’s nothing of interest – just broken glass and crockery,” said Maureen Geraghty Bouchard, a member of the historical society. “It was a typical find in an old outhouse.” Since federal funds will pay for much of the $2.4 million project, though, it
must comply with the National Historical Preservation Law, which requires a professional review of land where artifacts are found. The Minnesota Department of Transportation’s Cultural Resources Unit will hire an archeologist to study the site. This will push construction of the park-and-ride to 2012. Liz Abel, a historical archeologist with MnDOT’s Cultural Resources Unit, said the site piqued the unit’s interest due to the
volume and age of the artifacts. The unit is most interested in a portion of the site off of Burnley Avenue near the railroad where a tenant house once housed people riding the rails. The building burned down in the 1880s. “For Minnesota, this is fairly early,” Abel said. Excavation of the site will likely begin in early May, she said. “We are not expecting it to be particularly long,” Abel said. “This is not
something that can permanently halt the (park-andride) project.” A house currently stands on another portion of the site, but the Cultural Resources Unit determined it is not of historical significance. This will need to be verified by the Minnesota State Historical Preservation Office. The park-and-ride has been a touchy subject for Rosemount. The city, which is a member of the MVTA charter, considered withdrawing its
membership in 2009 unless the MVTA agreed to build a Rosemount station. The MVTA responded by adding express services between Rosemount and downtown Minneapolis and extending another afternoon route south of Eagan with a stop in Rosemount. The Rosemount station is expected to have 100 parking spaces and an indoor walking area. E-mail Jessica Harper at: jessica.harper@ecm-inc.com
Rosemount grad a star at Frozen Four Time right for new
Valleywood clubhouse? by Andrew Miller THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
Photo by Rick Orndorf
The University of Minnesota-Duluth’s J.T. Brown (right), a 2008 Rosemount High School graduate, fights for the puck in the NCAA Frozen Four semifinal game against Notre Dame on April 7 at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. Brown, who helped UMD claim the Division I national title, was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. More about Brown and other area high school alumni who competed in the Frozen Four can be found on Sports, 7A.
major economic downturn. That was in 2009; this week, the city’s Valleywood Clubhouse Task Force Committee is asking the council to approve a $5,000 fee for an architect to create a schematic design for a new clubhouse. If OK’d, the architect’s design would take three to four weeks to complete, and then a final design and budget would be set, Parks and Recreation Director Randy Johnson wrote in a memo to the City Council. Once a budget is finalized, the council would determine if the clubhouse project is to proceed, according to Johnson. The council was scheduled to vote on the $5,000 architect’s fee at its meeting Thursday, after this edition went to press.
The Apple Valley City Council is revisiting a proposal to build a new clubhouse at Valleywood Golf Course. It’s no secret the clubhouse at the city-run, 18-hole golf course has seen better days. Two years ago, members of the city’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee reported that the clubhouse, built in 1976 by students at Dakota County Technical College, was long past its useful life, with both structural defects and potential environmental problems. While the parks committee contended that a new clubhouse would drive revenue increases in food, beverage and merchandise sales, City Council members were reluctant to sign off on a big-dollar project for a Andrew Miller is at andrew.millrecreation facility in the throes of a er@ecm-inc.com.
Longtime principal retires from Westview Elementary School Karen Toomey of Westview Elementary in Apple Valley says farewell after 20 years in district by Jessica Harper THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
Every weekday afternoon, Principal Karen Toomey smiles and waves to students at Westview Elementary in Apple Valley as they head home. Come the end of the school year, Toomey will say goodbye to her students for the last time. Toomey, 54, is retiring this year after a 20-year career in the RosemountApple Valley-Eagan School District. “I am leaving with very fond memories,” she said. “Whoever replaces me will be in good hands.” Toomey said she decided to retire after serving as
Karen Toomey principal for 16 years to free up time to care for her aging father in Bloomington and to spend more time with her husband, Terry Condon, who is a retired MnDOT accounting supervisor. Toomey came to the dis-
trict in 1991 as the coordinator of special education services. Toomey said her younger brother, Dan, who is deaf and has autism, inspired her to pursue a career as a special education teacher. Her first job was in 1978 at a Montana school district, after graduating with a bachelor’s in special education from Montana State University in Bozeman, Mont. Five years later, Toomey took a job with a school district in Hawaii. Toomey said she never imagined she would become a principal, but tried her hand at it when asked to become principal at an el-
ementary school in the district. “I liked it, and from there, it kind of happened,” she said. Toomey said that though she enjoyed the Hawaii weather, she hated being so far from family and friends who lived in the Midwest. Toomey said she intended to work for District 196 temporarily but ended up staying for two decades. “I guess things just fell into place here,” she said. After just a few years in the district, Toomey accepted the position as principal of Westview Elementary in 1995. The job has become more demanding in recent
years due to state funding cuts, she said. “It can often be challenging to produce a high-quality learning environment with limited budgets,” she said. But the children make the arduous work worthwhile, she said. Toomey said her favorite part of the job is the opportunity to build relationships with students and their families. “I love watching them learn new things and being part of that process,” she said. Once retired, Toomey said she hopes to not only spend more time with family, but also more time en-
gaged in her hobbies. An avid hiker, Toomey enjoys trekking across mountains in Glacier National Park in Montana, which is near her hometown. She said her most challenging feat was hiking through the mountains of New Zealand. Toomey said she plans to continue her global travels during her retirement years. “I don’t know where yet, but my goal is to travel every continent,” she said, adding that she has so far visited all seven continents except Africa and Antarctica. E-mail Jessica Harper at: jessica.harper@ecm-inc.com
Residents define sustainability for future UMore development Goals include green jobs, senior housing and a cultural center, as well as renewable energy by Jessica Harper THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
Senior housing, a cultural center and new jobs – these are just a few of the features Rosemount residents hope to see in a planned development on the outskirts of the city. Resident gathered with General 952-894-1111 Distribution 952-846-2070 Display Advertising 952-846-2011 Classified Advertising 952-846-2000
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officials from various public entities April 7 at the Rosemount Community Center to discuss sustainablity goals for the community the University of Minnesota plans to create at its Outreach, Research and Education (UMore) Park near County Road 42 and Highway 52. Rosemount resident Joe Gubbels said he loves the idea of a sustainable community. “They have some great ideas,” he said. The university plans to develop its 5,000-acre property, which is currently used for agricultural research, over the next 30 years. However, it could take longer, said Charles Muscoplat, vice president of statewide
strategic resources for the university. The university plans to partner with a developer, who will invest in building the community. Once finished, the development will include the same amenities as most small cities such as housing, schools, public facilities, and commercial, industrial and retail buildings, as well as parks and trails. Prior to construction, the university intends to draw revenue from mining gravel on the location. Gubbels, who works in senior housing development, said he hopes the community will include senior housing. “Long-term care will be
Photo by Jessica Harper
Doug Mensing, a specialist with Applied Ecological Services, which is consulting with the University of Minnesota on its plans to develop a sustainable community at UMore Park, discussed with residents April 7 how water, soil and wildlife can be protected while the 5,000-acre property is being developed. important, especially with concerned that if the propthe growing senior popula- erty is developed, Rosemount residents will lose tion,” he said. the opportunity to learn From farm to city about agriculture. “It’s important for kids Rosemount resident Robin Hrbeky said she is to know about farm-to-
table,” she said. “We need to keep our youth in the area instead of losing them across the country.” Other residents said they were concerned about traffic See UMore, 16A