A DAKOTFAIR Y COUNiaTl Section
The cherubic stage comedy ‘The Education of Angels’ opens next week at the Lakeville Area Arts Center. SEE STORY IN THISWEEKEND ON PAGE 9A
Thisweek Burnsville-Eagan JULY 30, 2010
Spec is issue inside th
VOLUME 31, NO. 22
A NEWS OPINION SPORTS
www.thisweeklive.com
Opinion/6A
Announcements/7A
Puzzle Page/10A
Real Estate/11A
The muse bloomed once teen’s studies ventured behind the music Drew Steven, 18, of Burnsville, debuts piano sonata
Sports/17A
Eagan family survives carbon monoxide scare Home did not have detectors; law requires them within 10 feet of bedrooms by Erin Johnson
EAGAN
THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
by John Gessner THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
Classical piano lessons didn’t make 11-year-old Drew Steven’s heart stir. He was dutiful but distracted, by a gnawing curiosity about what was behind the music. A few years later, an instructor and mentor introduced Steven to music theory. His interest soared, he turned his bedroom into a recording studio and he even surrendered his hoop dreams. “I have a basketball hoop outside that’s really nice,� said the 6-foot-4 Steven, 18, who lives with his parents near Buck Hill in Burnsville. “I begged for that forever. Then when I got it, I gave up basketball for music.� Now with about 10 compositions in his portfolio, Steven debuted an original piano sonata to an audience of about 200 on July 22 at North Central University in Minneapolis. He’s finished his first year at the Christian school, pursuing a degree in piano performance
Classifieds/13A
Photo by John Gessner
Eighteen-year-old composer and performer Drew Steven demonstrates a harmonic technique he developed for grand piano.
BURNSVILLE and recording arts. In addition to writing and studying, Steven is seeking business at his wellequipped Grand Obsession Recording Studios, where he’s already recorded rock bands and a concert harp player. “The metal and screamo
bands were friends – they didn’t pay,� he said. “The concert harp player did.� Steven doesn’t claim the “musical prodigy� label but said he’s heard it applied to him. He also plays guitar, bass and drums, and gives music lessons to 10 students. Years of home schooling afforded plenty of time
for music, said the son of Doug and Tammy Steven, who attended high school at Christian Life School in Farmington and graduated, with post-secondary options, through the online IQ Academy of Minnesota. In the summer between his seventh- and eighthgrade years Steven audiSee Steven, 19A
When they woke up with headaches at 6:30 a.m. and their two young daughters began vomiting, the Welfingers knew something was terribly wrong. The family immediately evacuated their house and called 911. Eagan firefighter Dave DiIoia responded to the call and recorded carbon monoxide levels of 1,500 parts per million near the garage of the home. The typical concentration inside a home is between 0.03 and 2.5 parts per million, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. DiIoia opened the garage door and discovered a car had accidentally been left running since the previous evening, filling the home with carbon monoxide. “It was a really quiet car. You couldn’t hear it running,� he said. The home did not have a CO detector, said Fire Chief Mike Scott. Prolonged exposure to carbon monoxide can cause permanent brain damage and death, he said.
“They are very fortunate to be alive,� he said. They aren’t the only lucky ones. The Welfingers live in a four-plex with three other families, none of whom were affected by the gas. The Welfingers were taken by ambulance to the hospital where they were treated and released that same day. But their experience is a good lesson for others about the importance of CO detectors, Scott said. A state law passed in 2007 requires all new construction to include CO detectors. As of 2009, all homes in Minnesota – including apartments – are required to have them within 10 feet of each bedroom. Detectors are particularly important because CO has no odor, color or taste and cannot be detected by the senses. According to the Minnesota Department of Health, CO is a gas that can build up to dangerous concentrations indoors when fuelSee CO, 19A
Agency says ‘BRAVO’ to eateries that donate to local food shelves Willenburg and family launch restaurant program by John Gessner THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
When he was a restaurant manager, Jerry Willenburg stopped counting partially used cases of foodstuffs in his inventory reports. For accounting purposes, they were table scraps that didn’t budge the bottom line, Willenburg said. But recently, the longtime Burnsville resident had a thought: What if a bunch of restaurants in town regularly donated just a smidgen of their inventory to the local food shelf ? “That starts to make a serious difference,� Willenburg said. In March, Willenburg and his family launched the
BURNSVILLE Burnsville Restaurant Alliance Volunteer Organization. The last Thursday of every month, the Willenburgs – including Jerry’s wife, Joanna, and their children, 15-year-old Amber and 18-year-old Nicole – pick up restaurant donations for delivery to the 360 Communities food shelf program. So far, five Burnsville restaurants have responded to Willenburg’s appeal for monthly donations of $100 worth of food. “It’s a marathon, not a sprint,� Willenburg said, adding that he hopes to expand the program to other
cities south of the river. Of course, 360 Communities welcomes the donations – especially since the Dakota County nonprofit agency has begun seeking more community collaboration in tackling problems such as hunger. “It really is the village that needs to own the village,� said Steve Haschig, senior director of development for 360 Communities, who personally welcomed BRAVO into the fold. Summer is always a high-demand time for food shelves, with children out of school, Haschig said. Submitted photo 360 Communities’ six food shelves offer recipients Jerry Willenburg, right, and his daughters paid a visit to Outback Steakhouse in Burnsville, one of five restaurants in the BRAVO program. See Donations, 18A
District signs deal for new County struggles to manage budget adult education property with anticipated state aid cuts Growing program needs more space, district officials say by Aaron Vehling
DISTRICT 196
THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
This September, District 196 will sow the seeds for a new site for two programs to begin using in fall 2011. Adult Basic Education and Early Childhood and Family Education programs will move from their 20-year home at Grace Lutheran Church near County Road 42 and Cedar Avenue to a new site less than a mile down the road. The School Board approved on Monday, July 26, a $1.4 million, 15-year lease-to-own agreement with the C. Chase Company of St. Louis Park for the new 14,000-square-foot facility. The General 952-894-1111 Distribution 952-846-2070 Display Advertising 952-846-2011 Classified Advertising 952-846-2000
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new, larger site is necessary to accommodate a constantly growing service. “We have a very active ABE program,� said Board Member Bob Schutte at the meeting. He has attended many of the graduation ceremonies of people who enroll in the ABE program, he said. “It’s heartwarming to hear how their lives are impacted,� Schutte said. “When the speakers get up and talk it brings tears to my eyes.� There are several steps involved before the programs can See Property, 18A
Board gets serious about cutting programs, staff by Laura Adelmann THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
Anticipating dramatic and permanent state aid cuts, rising insurance premiums and economic uncertainties, Dakota County officials are planning for years of financial struggles. During a July 27 budget workshop, County Finance Director Matt Smith estimated the current $368 million county budget will drop to $313 million by 2013, a $55 million reduction. Smith said without insurance plan modifications, the county will pay another $1.8 million for employee health insurance next year, and another $300,000 in retirement benefits. Next year, Smith is recom-
DAKOTA COUNTY mending the county plan to cut its budget by $10 million. In 2012, the county is planning for the possibility of losing another $19 million, and cuts of $26 million in 2013. The figures are broad estimates, and could change because there are still many unknowns, including the severity of the expected state aid cuts. In response to the anticipated budget challenges, Smith proposed earmarking a portion of the county’s fund balance to pay off bond debt over the next few years, freeing up tax levy dollars to be reallocated to cover operational costs.
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In addition, the county may cut employees and programs, delay or eliminate planned improvements and purchases, raise property taxes 1 percent next year and 2 percent in both 2012 and 2013, in hopes that the actions are enough to carry through until the economy picks up by 2014 and beyond. While commissioners and department heads have prioritized county services, with law and justice topping the list, and encouraging the public in civic affairs at the bottom, few rendered comments about which areas to cut, knowing those issues will be discussed more in depth next month. See Budget, 19A