Free Friday-night concerts return to Apple Valley’s Kelley Park this summer. See Thisweekend Page 9A.
A NEWS OPINION SPORTS
Thisweek Burnsville-Eagan JUNE 10, 2011
VOLUME 32, NO. 15
www.thisweeklive.com
Opinion/4A
Announcements/5A
Sports/6A
Real Estate/8A
Classifieds/11A
Cigarette caused Eagan apartment fire that displaced 150 residents Six units heavily damaged; one cat killed by smoke by Erin Johnson THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
An Eagan apartment fire that displaced 150 residents overnight June 6 was caused by a cigarette, authorities said. The fire began in an outdoor ashtray – the plastic kind with a long neck – that had not been emptied on a regular basis, said Eagan Fire Chief Mike Scott. The ashtray was set right up against the vinyl siding of the apartment’s entrance, causing the fire to spread from the container to the building. Outdoor ashtrays can work well, but they need to be maintained, Scott said. “They often don’t get emptied out and they really become more of a hazard than a help,� he said. Firefighters responded to the fire at LeMay Lake Apartments, located at 3025 Eagandale Avenue, at 6:16 p.m. Monday night. Arriving crews saw visible flames on all three floors of the
main entrance of the building and had to act quickly to prevent the fire from spreading to the attic, Scott said. Meanwhile, third-floor residents from at least three apartments were stranded on their balconies awaiting rescue. Firefighters used ground ladders to get them down. “It was pretty chaotic in the first 15 minutes,� he said. All other residents were evacuated safely after firefighters and police officers entered the building and helped confused residents in the hallways find alternate exits. Firefighters battled the flames in temperatures reaching 98 degrees, prompting a call for additional assistance from the Mendota Heights, Rosemount and Apple Valley fire departments. Two Eagan firefighters were treated for heat exhaustion on scene and are doing fine, Scott said. No residents were injured in the fire, although a cat in one unit died from smoke inhalation. The cat’s owners were not home at the time of the fire, he said. The building’s 150 residents See Fire, 15A
Public Notices/16A
Longtime board member to resign from District 191 Gail Morrison stepping down to begin ‘new chapter’ in life by Jessica Harper THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
Submitted photo
A fire at LeMay Lake Apartments, located at 3025 Eagandale Avenue, displaced all 150 residents for at least one night. Six units were heavily damaged and are uninhabitable. The fire was caused by a cigarette in an outdoor ashtray located at the entrance of the building.
Graduates celebrate their accomplishments
After serving on the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School Board for more than a decade, Gail Morrison will resign at the end of the month. Gail The Burnsville resi- Morrison dent said she is stepping down to move with her long-time boyfriend, Bob Rumpza, to a home in the Prior Lake-Savage School District. “I will miss the school district, but I’m excited to start a new chapter in my life,� said the 53-year-old divorcee. Morrison’s involvement in District 191 extends well beyond her position on the board. Her three children — Rachel, Elizabeth and Phillip — all attended schools within the district from kindergarten through high school. At each school they attended, Morrison was quick to offer a helping See Morrison, 15A
Local legislators: Let voters decide definition of marriage by John Gessner and Erin Johnson THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
The Republican legislators from Burnsville and Eagan who swept DFL incumbents out of office last November Pam Myhra agree that Minnesotans should vote on the definition of marriage. The five freshmen joined their Republican House and Senate majorities last month in voting to put the “marriage amendment� — Doug which would define Wardlow marriage as between a man and a woman — on the ballot next November. “I think public opinion is overwhelming that they want marriage between a man and a woman only. It’s a natural view of life,� said District
40 Sen. Dan Hall of Burnsville. District 38A Rep. Diane Anderson of Eagan said she believes a majority of Minnesotans favor the ballot initiative. A Star TriDan Hall bune Minnesota Poll from May found that 55 percent of respondents opposed amending the constitution to define marriage, while 39 percent favored a constitutional ban on Diane same-sex marriage. Anderson “All it’s doing is putting the vote to the people of Minnesota,� Anderson said. District 40A Rep. Pam Myhra of Burnsville noted that constitutional amendments approved in 31 states have defined marriage as between a See Marriage, 16A
Burnsville grads look to future with hope by Jessica Harper THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
Photo by Rick Orndorf
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Above: Eagan High School graduate Olivia Boone proudly displays her diploma to family and guests in the audience during the Friday, June 4 ceremony in the school’s gymnasium. Below: Eastview High School Concert Choir performs “While I Hear Music/Thanks� during commencement exercises at Lightning Stadium on Friday, June 4. See more graduation photos on Page 10A and at www.ThisweekLive.com.
As Burnsville High School seniors Erin Higgins, Anarae Schunk and Harris Wahidi prepare to graduate this weekend, they optimistically look ahead at the future and hope their classmates Erin Anarae Harris do the same. Higgins Schunk Wahidi All three Burnsville residents were chosen by the senior class ofHiggins plans to attend the Univerficers to be the student speakers during sity of Minnesota next fall to study this year’s graduation ceremony. neuroscience. She said her dream job is Higgins said she hopes their speech- as a behavioral scientist. es will inspire students to believe that Schunk is a member of the math the sky is the limit as they look beyond club, captain of the chess team and high school. plays saxophone and clarinet in the “We have been given everything we school band. need to do what we want in the future,� She also works two jobs: at MathHiggins said. nasium and Jensen’s Supper Club. Higgins and Schunk – both selfSchunk plans to attend New York described nerds – are members of Na- University in New York City, but will tional Honors Society, and take vari- defer a year to save enough money to ous Advancement Placement courses. pay for the first year of tuition. Once Higgins is president of Burnsville there, Schunk plans to earn a degree in High School’s physics club. She was global studies and anthropology. previously a member of the dance Unlike the two girls, Wahidi deteam for two years. See Graduates, 15A
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