Student ďŹ lms will be projected onto the massive screen of the IMAX Theatre at the ďŹ rst-ever District 196 Film Festival. See Thisweekend Page 10A
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Thisweek Burnsville-Eagan FEBRUARY 25, 2011 VOLUME 31, NO. 52
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New lawmaker putting passion for education to work at Capitol Burnsville’s Myhra lands key assignments, sponsors bill to grade Minnesota schools by John Gessner THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
Pam Myhra still marvels at the galvanizing power of education. As a struggling elementary student whose first language was Spanish, Myhra found lifechanging success in fifth grade, thanks to a special reading program and a cherished teacher. As a parent she vowed to home-school her children when they were young, but found it so rewarding she finished the job. Now all
three home-school graduates are top college performers. So Myhra, Burnsville’s new state representative in District 40A, was naturally thrilled when she landed requested seats on the House Education Finance and Education Reform committees. High-quality education isn’t all about the money, said the 53-year-old Burnsville Republican, who also serves on the taxes and capital investment committees. There isn’t much to dole out
anyway, with Minnesota facing a $6.2 billion deficit. “To be quite honest, education really was not the issue in the campaign at all,� said Myhra, who unseated former DFL Rep. Will Morgan by four Photo by John Gessner percentage points Pam Myhra, the new state represenin last November’s tative from Burnsville, has landed election, which put two committee assignments that reher party in charge flect her passion for education. of both houses of the Legislature. “It wanting to be taxed anywas jobs and people not more because they’re hav-
ing problems with their own budget.� But Myhra is hoping to nudge school performance with her first chief-authored bill: a measure to grade individual schools’ annual performance on an “A� through “F� scale and use financial incentives to reward top performers. “Educational failure is cruel,� said Myhra, who recently toured her alma mater, Burnsville High School, where she graduated in 1975. “I speak from experience.� Her parents were missionaries who ran a boys’ orphanage in Bolivia, where
her father also planted churches. After the family returned to Minnesota, elementary school was a “nightmare,� said Myhra, whose primary language was Spanish. She had little success until fifth grade at the old Park Elementary School in Bloomington, where Myhra was put in a class built around SRA Reading. “I entered fifth grade with nil reading skills,� Myhra said. “I had a phenomenal teacher that year who literally changed my life. I gained five years of education that year and See Myhra, 12A
Eagan Floral closes doors Burnsville arts center cuts City’s only independent flower shop opened 26 years ago
operating subsidy in 2010
by Erin Johnson THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
Eagan Floral owner Pat Thomas announced last week she has shuttered her business after nearly three decades. A message from Thomas on the store’s answering machine thanks customers for their loyalty over the past 26 years. “I regret with heavy heart that I must close my doors at this time,� she said. “I will miss you, and thank you very much.� Thomas did not give a reason for the closing and could not be reached for comment before this issue went to press. But her passion for her business, customers and employees is well known. Eagan Floral was one of the first tenants of Town Centre, built in the mid-’80s. In 2009 Thomas was forced to leave her original location due to the downturn in the economy. She moved her shop to a smaller space at 1340 Duckwood Drive, across from Walmart. “Rent went up, and with that, business has been down,� Thomas said in an interview at the time. “I had to make a decision whether I wanted to cut my labor force or go to a smaller location and keep my employees.� Thomas also saw her business take a hit eight years ago
Numbers are on the upswing, according to annual report by John Gessner THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
The Burnsville Performing Arts Center’s financial performance improved in 2010, although the city-owned venue continues to run an operating deficit. Last year’s deficit was $367,614, compared with $547,584 in 2009, according to the 2010 annual report on the center from VenuWorks, the company hired to manage it. The center opened in January 2009. Revenue and the deficit beat expectations in 2010. Revenue totaled $745,000, compared with a budgeted amount of $678,053 and 2009’s total of $500,413. The $367,614 deficit in 2010 was lower than the budgeted loss of $430,572. Total expenses were $1.11 million. “Not only did 2010 results surpass 2009 figures, almost every revenue and expense category beat their respective budgeted amounts for 2010,� the report said. Pre-opening forecasts suggested possible annual losses of up to $350,000. Looking to get a better handle on arts center operations and improve the bottom line, the City Council appointed an arts center advisory commission last year. The $20 million center, whose financing included $16.5 million in bonded debt, was approved by a divided City Council and opposed by many residents who called it an extravagance. Criticism continued through a rocky first year, when the center suffered high-
File photo
Eagan Floral owner Pat Thomas last week closed the doors to her shop, which has been operating in Eagan since the mid-1980s. when an out-of-state com- cal businesses. Over the past three depany posing as a local florist cades, Thomas has built a began to poach customers. The company would list solid reputation and a loyal itself in local phone books customer following based on under the names Eagan personal service and quality Florist, Eagan Flowers, and arrangements. Some customers would Florist of Eagan, using what looked like a local number or stop in her shop just to visit her two resident birds, Haran 800 number. Customers, thinking they old the dove and Pepe the were calling Eagan Floral, cockatiel, and give them were actually routed to a treats. In a 2009 interview, switchboard in New Jersey staffed by telemarketers, not Thomas said that quitting the business altogether was florists. The company would then “unthinkable,� and that she deliver substandard flowers, planned to leave the store to causing customers to com- her sons someday. “I can’t quite think of givplain to Eagan Floral. Thomas was a driving ing up the flowers, period,� force in the fight against such she said. “I’ve been doing it companies, and in 2010 the for 50-some years.� state passed a bill barring such deceptive practices that Erin Johnson is at eagan. take customers away from lo- thisweek@ecm-inc.com.
er-than-expected losses and struggled to book events in its 1,000-seat main theater. Council members on both sides of the controversy over building the center have sought to shed the old divide and focus on improving financial performance. Mayor Elizabeth Kautz, who long championed a city arts center, said in her State of the City address this month that the council is committed to making the center “as financially successful as it can be.� City officials have also praised the work of Executive Director Jon Elbaum, the center’s second top boss, following the exit of Wolf Larson, who moved out of state. Elbaum and a new business manager, Jean Martinson, came on board early last year. They’ve been credited with tightening financial procedures at the center in 2010. A city auditor’s report last year cited numerous cases of noncompliance with procedures agreed to in the contract with VenuWorks. The number and variety of events at the center grew in 2010, the annual report said. A total of 148 ticketed events were held at the center last year. Tickets sold totaled 38,311, compared with 28,330 tickets sold in 2009. Gross ticket sales totaled $682,839 last year, compared with $469,083 in 2009. Attendance for all events rose from 59,493 in 2009 to 95,737 in 2010. The center forged relationships with See Center, 11A
South metro lawmakers call for CPR training at child-care centers Holberg, Hall sponsor ‘Hannah’s Law,’ named for 4-year-old who died after choking on a grape by John Gessner THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
Emotion gripped Ron Edlund of Lakeville as he talked about his granddaughter, Hannah Kozitza. The 4-year-old died last June after choking on a grape at a North Mankato child-care center. With only one staff member at the center trained in CPR, Hannah’s family is left wondering whether quicker intervention from a nearby teacher could have saved her. “We’ll never know,� Edlund said at a state Capitol news conference Tuesday. Two south metro lawmakers have sponsored a bill that requires all teachers and assistant teachers in statelicensed child-care centers to be trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, including CPR for infants and children. General 952-894-1111 Distribution 952-846-2070 Display Advertising 952-846-2011 Classified Advertising 952-846-2000
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Mary Liz Holberg, R-Lakeville, and Sen. Dan Hall, R-Burnsville, passed out of a House committee Tuesday and was introduced in the Senate. Holberg said the lobbyist for Minnesota’s licensed day-care association told her the group won’t oppose the bill. Holberg, who represents District 36A, agreed to sponsor the bill in the House after getting a call from Edlund, one of her constituents. Hall, who represents District 40, is a former first aid instructor who said he’s saved two lives using CPR. “This law is just common sense to me,� the freshman senator said, a framed photo of Hannah nearby. “Anyone who looks at this face would say, ‘Let’s do something.’ � Hannah’s parents, Justin +&//: 800%4 $,&3." / 45"$&: " "/%3&8 .*--&3
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Two south metro lawmakers unveiled “Hannah’s Law� Tuesday at a state Capitol news conference. From left are House sponsor Rep. Mary Liz Holberg, R-Lakeville; Senate sponsor Sen. Dan Hall, R-Burnsville; and Justin Kozitza, father of Hannah Kozitza, who died last June after choking on a grape at a North Mankato child-care center. and parent demand would The center Hannah at- cording to Holberg. likely widen the practice tended, the Golden Heart even without the law, Hol- Child Care Center, was fined John Gessner is at burnsville. berg said. $1,000 for negligence, ac- thisweek@ecm-inc.com.
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and Jenna Kozitza, spoke at the news conference. “What we’ve had to go through in the last six, seven months is just unbelievable,� Justin said. “It’s hard being here. It brings out a lot of emotions. But we’re still here.� “Hannah’s Law� would require teachers and assistant teachers to complete CPR training within 90 days of starting work, unless they’ve completed the training in the previous three years. The training would have to be repeated every three years. The four-hour training costs about $60, Hall said. The bill applies only to state-licensed child care, not county-licensed home care, Holberg said. Many national child-care chains already required CPR training for their teachers,
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