Thisweek Burnsville and Eagan

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Thisweek Burnsville-Eagan OCTOBER 29, 2010

NITY COMMUDE GUI ection S Special issue is inside th

VOLUME 31, NO. 35

www.thisweeklive.com

Opinion/6A

Sports/7A

Public Notices/8A

Puzzle Page/10A

NEWS OPINION SPORTS

Music, magic and opera are in store at the Burnsville PAC. See Thisweekend Page 9A

Classifieds/13A

Announcements/17A

Eagan police help recover stolen goods totaling $200,000-plus Burglary ring operated throughout Twin Cities by Erin Johnson THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS

Eagan and Apple Valley police have recovered more than $200,000 in stolen goods from a burglary ring that victimized at least 35 businesses throughout the metro area. David Montana Morse, of Ap-

ple Valley, has been charged with three felony counts in connection with the burglaries. The stolen goods were discovered at an Eagan storage locker during the execution of a search warrant Oct. 20. More stolen property was allegedly found at Morse’s home in Apple Valley, along with an unknown amount of methamphetamine and a loaded handgun, according to police. The type of property recovered

included construction equipment, electrical wire, electronics, recreational products and various tools. Police estimate the cumulative value of the property at more than $200,000. The property is believed to have been stolen primarily from businesses throughout the Twin Cities, from Prior Lake to Lake Elmo. Police were alerted to the stolen property during a traffic stop

in Lakeville that involved a car filled with laptop computers and theft tools. The driver said he got the items from Morse, who asked him to sell them. The driver also told officers about the storage locker in Eagan. The Dakota County Attorney’s Office has charged Morse, 25, with one count of receiving stolen property, one count of possession of burglary or theft tools, and one count of fifth-degree possession of a controlled substance.

A second suspect is cooperating with the investigation and is not expected to be charged, Eagan police said. The Eagan and Apple Valley police departments, along with the Dakota County Drug Task Force, are currently working to identify the owners of the stolen property. Erin Johnson is at eagan.thisweek@ ecm-inc.com.

Burnsville Ice Center reopens after $5 million renovation Grand reopening and Halloween party are on Oct. 31 by John Gessner THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS

Most of the $5 million in improvements made to the newly reopened Burnsville Ice Center aren’t visible to skaters, athletes or spectators. The two-rink building closed for six months of reconstruction, much of it involving the heating and air conditioning system and the refrigeration system. “It’s behind the scenes, so people don’t get to see a lot of it,� said Terry Schultz, Burnsville’s parks and natural resources director. “But I still think it’s of real value to the community.� Residents are invited to a grand reopening from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 31. Observers will notice the new “B� logo in the center of the Gary R. Harker Rink, the main spectator rink, as well as the new boards and glass around both of the rinks. The new sheets of glass are seamless, without

the steel support beams between them like the rinks used to have. “If you’re watching a (hockey) game, it’s a lot easier because you don’t have those obstructions,� Schultz said. “I think it’s a cleaner look for the rink.� The guts of the operation — the new geothermal system, the three new 100-ton compressors that drive the ice-refrigeration system — are plenty impressive to John VonBank. “Wow,� said VonBank, a 38-year city employee who has been the ice center’s maintenance supervisor since 1978. Along with the heating and ice systems, the concrete floors of both rinks were replaced. The Gary R. Harker Rink was built in 1972, and a second sheet of ice was added in 1985. The major systems in the building were all original equipment, which Von Photo by John Gessner Bank said has a 20- to 25-year life exJohn VonBank, maintenance supervisor at the Burnsville Ice Center, stands in front of the new pectancy. “We got our money’s worth,� he glass and center logo in the Gary R. Harker Rink. Most of the $5 million in improvements at the center aren’t visible to users or spectators. See Ice Center, 11A

Pounding the pavement

District 196 reviews middle school programming Dip in standardized testing leads to investigations into methods for improving assessment scores

BHS government students knock on doors, march in parades for campaigns as part of college-level class

by Aaron Vehling THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS

by Aaron Vehling THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS

What if knocking on doors or marching in parades were part of your homework? For her College in the Schools government class at Burnsville High School, senior Fenet Sima volunteered recently for the campaigns of state Sen. Jim Carlson of Eagan and gubernatorial candidate Mark Dayton. She went door-to-door in Eagan, a move that invokes recoil in some, but Sima said she enjoyed it. The experience offered her a chance to discuss issues with different types of people.

Photo by Aaron Vehling

Colleen Coleman teaches government at Burnsville High School. She is pictured here discussing a project with students in her College in the Schools government class at the Senior Campus. “Some said they weren’t voting, or weren’t aware of an election,� Sima said. “Some asked why they should vote.�

But then there were the private types who did not want to divulge their ballot choices or discuss the elecSee Class, 12A

There is a noticeable, consistent pattern when it comes to middle school test scores. Student achievement can be on a pleasant ascent at both the elementary and high school levels, so much so that students exceed state averages by double-digit percentages. But it is not a continual ascent — it is not a smooth plane ride from runway to cruising altitude. Instead, in middle school something happens that jarringly drops the cruising jetliner from 30,000 to 20,000 feet, if but for three years. That dip in achievement is a persistent problem

nationwide, according to school officials. Count the RosemountApple Valley-Eagan School District as one of the districts not immune to this phenomenon. In an effort to fix that dip, District 196 administrators, along with a Middle School Program Review Committee, are engaging in extensive research and interviews. They are also taking advantage of the efforts to assess the district’s middle school program in its entirety. The effort is led by Teaching and Learning Director Steve Troen and Secondary Education Director Mark Parr. Those involved visited a dozen middle schools in

comparable districts such as Lakeville, Edina and Minnetonka, in addition to recording video interviews with administrators from four of those districts, Parr and Troen said at a School Board workshop on Oct. 25. In addition, Parr said, the group has embarked on extensive literature research relating to middle school achievement. The committee also has elicited input from district parents through community surveys, in addition to polling teachers.

Secondary systems Though the report is not yet finished, Parr did have See District 196, 4A

Laid-off worker makes ‘ultimate’ leap into entrepreneurship Fleet Repair business takes off in Eagan by Jessica Harper THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS

Two years ago Gary Dalton was dealt a bad hand. He was laid off with three daughters two support, two of whom were near college age. But rather than look at the situation as a misfortune, Dalton saw it as a chance to be his own boss and founded Ultimate Fleet Repair in Eagan. “I had to find some way to make do and support my family,� Dalton said. The company’s official name General 952-894-1111 Distribution 952-846-2070 Display Advertising 952-846-2011 Classified Advertising 952-846-2000

Photo by Jessica Harper

Ultimate Fleet Repair started in 2008 with two employees which has grown to 16. Its revenue jumped to $800,000 by 2009 and is on track for $1.2 million in 2010. is actually 3Kids and Us, but keting purposes. Dalton said he changed it to Dalton said he came up with Ultimate Fleet Repair for mar- the name Ultimate Fleet Repair

as a way to remind customers he “always tries to give ultimate services.� The company repairs everything from company cars to limos to full-sized semis, but specializes in a niche — one-ton commercial vehicles that are too small for most commercial repair companies. The business model is based on one Dalton helped develop at his former employer, Dakota Area Resources and Transportation For Seniors (DARTS). Despite having no source of income, Dalton rejected his former employer’s $5,000 stipend for a noncompete agreement so he would have the freedom to See Fleet Repair, 8A

Photo by Jessica Harper

After being laid off in 2008, Gary Dalton established his own fleet repair company in Eagan. Several of his former clients followed him. Today, they include MRCI, Coca-Cola and the St. Paul Park Fire Department.

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