Live, from Chicago, comedy comes to Burnsville on Saturday night. See Thisweekend Page 6A.
Thisweek Burnsville-Eagan APRIL 29, 2011
VOLUME 32, NO. 9
A NEWS OPINION SPORTS
www.thisweeklive.com
Opinion/4A
Announcements/5A
Mother’s Day/7A
Classifieds/8A
Sports/12A
Public Notices/14A
Caponi Art Park founder celebrates 90th birthday Public open house May 7 will feature cake, music, crafts and coincide with opening of park for 2011 season by Erin Johnson THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
Anthony Caponi is nothing if not a visionary. In 1949, the sculptor and Macalester College professor bought more than 60 acres of land in Eagan and knew right away he wanted to protect it. “I see this as a beautiful resource,� he said. “I started being protective of natural environments before it was popular.� Today, the Caponi Art Park gets about 15,000 visitors each year who enjoy everything from the sculptures that dot the landscape to the summer performances held at the Theater in the Woods. Caponi himself will turn 90 years old Saturday, May 7, and to Submitted photo celebrate, his namesake park will Caponi Art Park founder and sculptor Anthony Caponi will celebrate hold a public open house from 1 his 90th birthday with a public celebration from 1 to 4 p.m. on May 7 at to 4 p.m. complete with cake, music, activities and games. the park.
District 196 to lay off nontenured teachers Decision result of budget reductions by Jessica Harper THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
Due to budget reductions, the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan School Board unanimously approved on April 25 laying off 93 nontenured teachers next school year. School District 196 has a history of giving layoff notices to nontenured teachers and then rehiring them. However, with the current budget constraints, it is “highly unlikely� they will be hired back, said Tony Taschner, communications director for the district.
“There are always exceptions, though,� he added. The School Board unanimously approved in March slashing $3.5 million from the district’s 2011-12 budget, which resulted in 48 job cuts. A recently approved retirement incentive could prevent additional layoffs because it resulted in a higher-than-average number of retirements, Taschner said. The total approved budget adjustments for 201112 of $8.5 million also include cutting funding for high school figure skating and increasing fees by $10 for all high school sports and fine arts. This will be the third consecutive year District
196 will face budget reductions, which officials say are due to years of flat state funding combined with accounting shifts. The state has withheld $68 million in funding over the past two years, according to district officials. As a result, the district had to impose $10 million in budget adjustments for the 2008-09 school year and $15.3 million for the 2010-11 school year. Although District 196 will face cuts next school year, officials will be able to avoid cutting another $5 million by using federal education jobs funding that became available last year.
Photo by Rick Orndorf
Eagan High School seniors Elleni Paulson and Will Cox star in the school’s production of the romantic classic “Cyrano de Bergerac,� which opens this weekend. Performances are scheduled at 7:30 p.m. April 29-30 and May 6-7. For ticket information, call the box office at (651) 683-6964.
E-mail Jessica Harper at: jessica.harper@ecm-inc.com
by Jessica Harper THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
General 952-894-1111 Distribution 952-846-2070 Display Advertising 952-846-2011 Classified Advertising 952-846-2000
District 191 Community Ed may drop classes with low enrollment Adult and youth enrollment have sagged in recent years
by Erin Johnson The littlest victims at crash or crime scenes are often scared, cold, or in need of comfort, said Eagan Police Chief Jim McDonald. Something as simple as a warm, soft blanket can make a big difference, he said. “Every kid likes a blanket to hold onto,� he said. “It gives them support and comfort.� With that in mind, a quilting group from River Valley Church in Apple Valley recently donated a See Quilts, 14A
go beyond his own 60-acre park. For instance, while teaching at Macalester, he was a driving force in creating the Janet Wallace Fine Arts Center, and he also built the first metal foundry in a school. According to his biography, he rediscovered how to cast metal using the lost-wax process by reading Benvenuto Cellini’s autobiography in its original medieval Italian, successfully introducing the process for others to use. He has also written two books, the most recent of which, “Meaning Beyond Reason,� was published this month. “Anthony Caponi is a vital community leader and advocate for the arts,� said Craig Harris, artist and chair of the Caponi Art Park’s board. “His long and distinguished career as a sculptor, teacher, art administrator and writer exemplifies what it means See Caponi, 14A
Swashbuckling ‘Cyrano’ featured at Eagan High School
Giving comfort through quilts Local quilting group donates blankets for victims to Eagan Police Department
The celebration coincides with the opening of the park for the 2011 season. “It’s extra special this year because it actually falls on his real birthday, and we thought it would be really fun to celebrate that,� said Molly Swailes, program and volunteer coordinator for the Caponi Art Park. The event is free and will include a formal presentation honoring Caponi at 1:30 p.m. Caponi said that at 90, he may not be as physically strong as he used to be, but his mind remains sharp. “Maybe I got to be 90 because I never thought about being an old man. I’ve always had youthful ideas, I have a youthful appetite for life,� he said. Born in Italy, Caponi has lived in Minnesota for more than 55 years and has made contributions to the state’s art community that
Photo by Erin Johnson
Eagan Police Chief Jim McDonald (center) and Lt. Steve Bolluyt accept a donation of blankets from Maggie Cedarberg, left, and other members from a quilting group from River Valley Church in Apple Valley. The quilts will be kept in squad cars to be given to victims.
The Burnsville-EaganSavage School District is considering eliminating Community Education programs in the district that consistently have low enrollment figures. “Those that stay need to be viable classes that generate enrollment,� said Tom Umhoefer, Community Education director for District 191. Those that are dropped may not be permanently eliminated if demand picks back up, he said. Only programs featured in Community Education’s catalogue will be up for elimination. Enrichment programs such as kindergarten readiness and adult basic education won’t be cut.
Enrollment in youth programs has dropped from 11,318 in the 19961997 school year to 6,982 in 2007-2008. Adult programs have also seen decreasing enrollment, from 19,725 in the 2000-2001 school year to 9,034 in 2009-2010. Declining enrollment led the district to lay off three longtime Community Education employees last month. Enrollment in Community Education’s child care programs has also dropped in recent years, Umhoefer said. Half of all families in the district use friends or family for child care, according to a recent survey conducted by the district. Umhoefer said he believes that this is a result of
more families losing jobs and tightening budgets due to the recession. The number of homes with children is also dropping as the district’s population ages. Only 34 percent of homes in the BurnsvilleEagan-Savage School District have children. District officials hope to boost enrollment by pumping up marketing efforts on Facebook and other online sources, and by refocusing programs toward an increasingly diverse community. For instance, Community Education may introduce more programs aimed at seniors and multiethnic populations, Umhoefer said. E-mail Jessica Harper at: jessica.harper@ecm-inc.com
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