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www.SunThisweek.com Special Section Festivals of Faith ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT September 7, 2012

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Festivals of Faith Fall Church Directory Included in this issue

Opinion How you can prevent suicide To help prevent suicide, people need to start talking about the issues that surround it. Page 4A

Lakeville Arts Festival

Art festival is ‘TENacious’ The Lakeville Art Festival is marking its 10th anniversary Sept. 15-16 with a weekend of art exhibits and handson activities. Page 10A

sports

Eastview defeats Blaze in opener The Eastview football team kicked off the season with a win over Burnsville. Page 14A

Index Opinion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4A Public Notices. . . . . . . . . 7A Lakeville Arts Festival. 10A Thisweekend. . . . . . . . . 12A Announcements . . . . . . 13A Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14A Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . . 16A

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Burnsville | Eagan September 7, 2012 | Volume 33 | Number 28

Burnsville High shows a new face School is halfway through four summers of renovations

Dakota County to keep using BCA for testing Backstrom: News accounts have been misleading

credited labs for all evidence testing in the future. Dakota County officials Accredited labs follow are uncertain if they will standard, written procedures performed by ever again use the St. qualified, trained Paul Police Departstaff who use propment crime lab for erly calibrated, drug testing, which maintained and was just months ago validated testing used exclusively for equipment, employ those services. specific proper sam Days of courtpling practices and room testimony James scientific testing since July has re- Backstrom procedures. vealed the unaccredited lab lacked written sci- Upon learning of probentific protocols, employed lems at the St. Paul crime an under-trained work- lab, Dakota County joined force that did not maintain Ramsey and Washington equipment or properly store counties in sending drug evidence to the Bureau of and track evidence. Apprehension The revelations came Criminal to light under the investi- crime lab. gations and questioning The accredited BCA lab of public defenders Lauri has been retesting Dakota Traub and Christine Funk. County drug evidence first “There have been so tested by the St. Paul crime many issues raised, and we lab. really have to see what has County Attorney James been found to be a real issue Backstrom said as of Aug. and what has been exploited 31, the BCA had retested by the defense,” said Dako- 28 of the county’s pending ta County Drug Task Force drug cases. “All of these tests have Cmdr. Dan Bianconi. He said county officials confirmed the final concluhave determined the county See testing, 3A will use scientifically acby Laura Adelmann Sun Thisweek

by John Gessner Sun Thisweek

Students and teachers at Burnsville High School have already benefited from some of the renovations at their aging school. This summer brought improvements that will be apparent to the general public. A new entryway with a lighted canopy sign and other features will be unveiled later this month, according to Glenn Simon, interim director of operations for Burnsville-EaganSavage School District 191 and project manager for the high school renovations. Inside the entryway, which has been shifted to the west, a portion of the upper floor was removed to create a connection between the floors of the twostory building. It’s brighter and cheerier, and students on the top floor can peer over a railing at their classmates below. Photo by Rick Orndorf “All the planning has Inside the main entryway of Burnsville High School, the upper floor was removed to create a connection between See BHS, 5A the floors of the two-story building.

Fare For All Express coming to Burnsville Program offers heavily discounted grocery packages by John Gessner Sun Thisweek

Whether your monthly food budget is stressed or you’re just a die-hard bargain hunter, Diamondhead Education Center in Burnsville may have a deal you don’t want to miss. Beginning Wednesday, Sept. 12, the center is hosting the Fare For All Express, which sells packages of groceries for up to 40 percent off retail prices. Fare For All Express is sponsored by the statewide

Emergency Foodshelf Network, but it’s not a food shelf. Anyone can buy the food packages, which range from $10 to $30. There are no forms to complete. Fare For All Express will debut in Burnsville on Sept. 12 and return several more See Fare For All, 7A

New accountability rates prove mixed bag for District 196 by Jessica Harper Sun Thisweek

New statewide accountability standards have proven to be a mixed bag for the Rosemount-Apple ValleyEagan School District. More than half of the district’s schools saw a decrease in their Multiple Measurement Ratings, the accountability measure that replaced the Adequate Yearly Progress system earlier this year as part of the state’s waiver to the federal No Child Left Behind law. The new system is based on the results of the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments in math and reading, the academic growth of individual students, graduation rates and the scope of a school’s achievement gap between upper-income white

Photo by Rick Orndorf

This semitrailer truck rear-ended three vehicles on northbound Interstate 35W in Burnsville at Cliff Road Wednesday, according to the State Patrol.

students and lower-income minorities. The first round of data was released in May and were based on students’ performance in 2010-2011. Of the 17 schools to see a decrease in its MMR scores, Deerwood Elementary saw the greatest decline with a 31.44 percentage point drop from 86.46 percent proficiency in 2010-2011 to 55.02 percent in 2012, according to data released Aug. 30 by the Minnesota Department of Education. Eagan High School experienced the greatest decline among the district’s high schools with a 22.66 percentage point drop from 92.77 percent proficiency in 2010-2011 to 71.11 percent in 2012. The high school did See District 196, 5A

Photo by Rick Orndorf

This is one of the vehicles struck by a semitrailer truck Wednesday in Interstate 35W in Burnsville.

Semi rear-ends vehicles on I-35W by John Gessner Sun Thisweek

Four people were injured, one seriously, when a semitrailer truck rear-ended three vehicles Wednesday on Interstate 35W at Cliff Road in Burnsville. The driver of the northbound semi apparently failed to slow down in time with the rest of the traffic as it approached the Minnesota River bridge, where the right lane was closed for a maintenance project, said Lt. Eric Roeske of the State Patrol. The 11:15 a.m. crash snarled northbound traffic, which was reduced to one lane. State troopers were

still on the scene as of 3 p.m. Wednesday. Roeske said the three passenger vehicles that were struck were in the same lane as the semi. The initial contact with the first vehicle knocked the others to the side, he said. The driver of the first vehicle struck suffered serious injuries, Roeske said Wednesday afternoon. The driver of the second vehicle and the driver and a passenger in the third suffered non-life-threatening injuries, he said. “After the investigation is complete, we will forward the case to the county and city attorneys to review

for any charges,” Roeske said. The semi driver was not injured, he said. “The message from this is that with the volume of construction projects and maintenance projects that take place, it’s important for all motorists to realize there’s a potential for unanticipated slowdowns at any time,” Roeske said. “They should obviously always be paying attention and following at a safe distance.” John Gessner can be reached at john.gessner@ecm-inc. com or facebook.com/sunthisweek.

September 7, 2012 Sun Thisweek - Burnsville - Eagan

Eagan man pleads guilty in drug deal turned robbery by Jessica Harper Sun Thisweek

An Eagan man pleaded guilty last month to robbing and contributing to the assault of a man to whom he agreed to sell drugs. Paul Earnest McWilliams, Jr., 19, pleaded guilty in Dakota County District Court on Aug. 21 to firstdegree aggravated robbery and second-degree aiding and abetting an assault. McWilliams was one of two Eagan men charged in the August incident. Joey James Brown, 18, was charged Aug. 3 with firstdegree aggravated robbery and second-degree aiding and abetting an assault. Brown is scheduled to appear in court at 9 a.m. Sept. 25. According to the criminal complaint, both men met the alleged victim in the parking lot of an apartment building about 11:30 p.m. July 31. The man later told police he could smell marijuana coming from the vehicle occupied by McWilliams and Brown. The man approached the two and asked the them if he could buy marijuana from them. McWilliams allegedly gave the man his cell phone number and arranged a deal via text message. Upon receiving a text later that night, the man

met the two men in the same parking lot. As he spoke with Brown and McWilliams, a third man, identified in the complaint as J.P.C., approached the alleged victim from behind, put a gun to his head and told the man to give him all his money, according to the complaint. The man had hidden his money in his sock and when J.P.C. discovered the manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pockets were empty, he allegedly punched him in the jaw and the back of the head, and pistol-whipped him in the face. The man attempted to flee, but J.P.C. jumped on top of him and pistol-whipped him again, the complaint said. All three men allegedly told the man to get into the car and they drove to a bank. Once there, J.P.C. and McWilliams took the manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s debit card and withdrew $300 from an ATM, according to the complaint. They then dropped off the man at the apartment parking lot where they met. The alleged victim called his friends to pick him up, and as they approached the parking lot, they noticed a handgun in the road. One of the friends picked it up with his shirt and placed it in the seat of his car before handing it over to police.

In an interview with police, McWilliams and Brown admitted to being in the car when the man asked to buy drugs from them. McWilliams contended he too was robbed, but declined to provide a detailed description of the robber. Brown said they left under the pretext that they would pick up marijuana for the man but instead picked up J.P.C. Upon returning to the apartment, the men dropped off J.P.C. a short distance away and intended to make it appear he was holding up all three men, the complaint stated. Brown said J.P.C. lost the gun during a scuffle with the alleged victim. J.P.C. has not been arrested or charged, and police are still investigating his involvement. McWilliams has prior convictions that include petty misdemeanor drug possession in 2011 and March 2012. He is scheduled to appear at a sentencing hearing Oct. 15. McWilliams faces up to 20 years in prison for the robbery charge and up to seven years for aiding and abetting an assault. Jessica Harper is at jessica. harper@ecm-inc.com or facebook.com/sunthisweek.

Sun Thisweek - Burnsville - Eagan September 7, 2012

Testing, from 1A sion of the St. Paul Crime Lab that a specific controlled substance was present on or in the items seized by law enforcement officers in those cases,” Backstrom said in an email. Changing crime labs will save Dakota County money. Bianconi said in 2011, the county paid the St. Paul crime lab $40,000 to test drug evidence; testing at the BCA is free. He said the county used the St. Paul crime lab, in part, because of its quick turn-around time that often allowed same-day results. At the BCA, testing for the county’s drug evidence is estimated to take between three to six months to complete. The county has worked with the BCA to prioritize testing, and they expect retesting of the county’s drug cases to take 90 days. “They’ve done a good job trying to make sure we meet court dates,” Bianconi said. He said there was no red flag that anything was wrong at the St. Paul lab. Those admissions during multiple days of hearings were a surprise to county of-

ficials, Bianconi said. “Was I surprised? Yes, we were surprised,” Bianconi said. “Had we known those issues existed, we would have addressed them. We thought the issues being raised by the defense were either being exaggerated or looked worse than they were.” Backstrom said the county knew nothing about the extent of problems at the St. Paul lab, and was critical of press accounts that he said have implied Dakota County officials have done something wrong. He said the county’s recent request to end the Frye-Mack evidentiary hearing was misrepresented by the media, including this newspaper, as an effort by the county to shut down the defense’s challenges. “We have encouraged the St. Paul Crime Lab to fully cooperate with all discovery requests related to the on-going litigation challenging the procedures and conclusions of this lab and will continue to do so,” Backstrom stated in an email. “We also support the complete litigation of all issues surrounding this matter, although it remains our belief that decisions

related to the admissibility of evidence in our pending drug cases should be addressed by the trial judges assigned to the individual pending cases. This was another area where prior news coverage (including that of your paper) was misleading by implying our efforts were intended to shut down the defense’s challenges in these cases. Nothing could be further from the truth.” He also noted there have been previously published assertions by some that his office has done something wrong in connection with the crime lab issue. “I am not going to comment further at this time … other than to say we have not,” Backstrom wrote. “As I previously stated, we did not cause these problems and we are working diligently to address them in a manner that insures that all affected drug prosecutions are resolved in an appropriate, just and timely manner.” The Frye-Mack evidentiary hearing was to continue Sept. 6 and 7. Check www.SunThisweek.com for the latest news. Laura Adelmann is at laura. adelmann@ecm-inc.com or facebook.com/sunthisweek.

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Burnsville’s maximum levy hike is 2.7 percent by John Gessner Sun Thisweek

The Burnsville City Council certified a maximum 2013 tax levy increase of 2.7 percent Sept. 4. The council cannot approve a higher increase when it adopts its final budget and levy on Dec. 4, but can approve a lower one. “The council has instructed they expect us to return with a budget that’s less than this, and we’ll be diligent in doing that,” City Manager Craig Ebeling said.

Since budget deliberations began in June, officials have whittled down a 4.5 percent increase needed to maintain all current spending. Under a 2.7 percent levy increase, the city tax on an average-valued home ($187,000) would fall by about $7, the city estimates. The city tax on $1 million in commercial/industrial property would rise by an estimated $601. Even though total tax collections would go up by $718,440, taxes on the aver-

age-valued home would fall because residential property values have dropped faster than commercial values, shifting more of the overall tax burden to commercial properties. The city will launch a “virtual budget open house” Oct. 10 on its website, www.burnsville.org. Citizen comments will be taken. John Gessner can be reached at john.gessner@ecm-inc. com or facebook.com/sunthisweek.

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Opinion

September 7, 2012 Sun Thisweek - Burnsville - Eagan

Can we talk about something important, like suicide? by Larry Werner Sun Thisweek

Downtown Anoka has been difficult to navigate for many months as Main Street is being resurfaced and the streetscape is being updated. But the downtown traffic was worse than normal a few weeks back when I arrived for lunch at G’s Café. I parked on a side street and noticed police cars on the bridge across the Rum River that runs through downtown. My curiosity took me to the plaza on the east side of the bridge, and I saw what the commotion was about: A man was on the ledge of the bridge threatening to jump into the river. Police officers were on the other side of the railing talking to him. I called the newsroom of our ABC Newspapers, which produces the Anoka Union. Peter Bodley, the managing editor, and Union Editor Mandy Moran Froemming both responded by informing me that it’s been the policy of ECM Publishers, our parent company, that we don’t give coverage to suicide attempts. In this case, the despondent man had shut down the bridge on a busy downtown street and created a public event. So Mandy grabbed her camera and ended up posting a photo and small story on abcnewspapers. com saying that police had talked the man out of jumping, and the downtown was reopened to traffic. Covering such events, we

Sun Thisweek Columnist

Larry Werner

have said in our business, will just encourage others. And if the man had taken his life in a private way, the obituary probably would have avoided saying the death was a suicide. Given our reluctance to use the “s” word in our newspapers, I was struck by the comment of Katie Haines of Wyoming in a story written last month by Clint Riese of the Forest Lake Times. That paper, like the ABC papers, is owned by ECM. “The subject of suicide in general is kind of a taboo subject,” said Katie Haines, whose daughter, Alissa, had taken her own life in December. “We just don’t want it to be that way any more. We want to get it out there. It’s not going away. It needs to be talked about and addressed.” Clint’s story was about the Haines family sponsoring a 5K run/walk as a fundraiser for Suicide Awareness Voices of Education, a national nonprofit based in Bloomington. The story also reported on Haines family plans to create a nonprofit

called Stomp Out Suicide that will raise money in various ways to promote awareness of suicide and the resources available to those who are feeling hopeless. At its first event, Stomp Out Suicide raised more than $35,000. Sean Haines, who owns a communications business headquartered in Apple Valley, said he and his wife are working on designing a line of clothing that will be sold on behalf of SOS. Each article of clothing will be sold with a pamphlet that will include information about SAVE and other suicide-prevention organizations. “It’s not contagious,” Sean Haines said of suicide. “It’s OK to reach out and talk to someone. They think if they talk about it, it might be contagious, and that’s completely false.” Alissa Haines showed no signs that she was contemplating suicide, her parents said. Sometimes people don’t. That’s why it’s important for kids, their parents and the news media to talk about suicide, just as we talk about cancer and other ailments that can be fatal. The story about the Haines family reminded me of the suicide by a young friend of my son’s who died years ago in Edina. He was a bright, young soccer player whose parents, like Sean and Katie Haines, didn’t see it coming. Before my family and I went to the house, I called a neighbor who was a grief counselor.

“What do I say?” I asked her. “You’ll figure it out,” she said. And we did. We figured out how to talk about the boy’s life and about how he died, just as we would have if he had died of something else. At a Minnesota Newspaper Association workshop a few years ago, we discussed how we cover sensitive subjects, including suicide. Most of us in that workshop acknowledged we avoid using the word in our papers. One newspaper editor in that room, whose son had died from suicide, said avoiding the subjects perpetuates the idea that there’s a stigma associated with such a death. Being specific about suicide, like mentioning cancer or diabetes in obituaries, will provoke discussions that could shed light on possible remedies and methods of prevention. I’m interested in readers’ thoughts about this subject. My email address is below. I’d like to share with you the words used by Anoka’s first responders to talk that man off the bridge. I can’t, however. My call wasn’t returned. Maybe the police didn’t want to talk about it. Larry Werner is director of news for ECM Publishers. His e-mail is larry.werner@ecminc.com. Columns reflect the opinion of the author.

Letters Masin will fight for tax justice To the editor: The Republican Party of Minnesota is afraid of Sandra Masin, DFL-Eagan, a candidate for the Legislature in Burnsville and Eagan. They’re so afraid of her that they’ll try almost anything to make sure she doesn’t win, including twist the truth and tell sleazy half truths in glossy, expensive smear pieces. The reason they’re so afraid, is that Masin is committed to tax justice, not the nice giveaways for the top income earners that the Minnesota Department of Revenue discovered when it did its Tax Incidence Study. It discovered that, thanks to the generosity of their Republican friends in the Legislature, the wealthiest Minnesotans don’t pay the same tax rate others do. They have loopholes and sweetheart deductions, and nice tax deals that save them a ton of money. This is a major reason why there is a state deficit. Masin doesn’t approve of the message that we need to take care of the already wealthy. That would be the job of the Republican incumbents. That’s how they can afford those slick, glossy smear pieces. Masin’s more interested in putting unemployed Minnesotans back to work. That’s what people are telling Masin is important to them, when she knocks on their doors. Those slick, glossy smear pieces? Expect a lot more of them. The pockets of the patrons of the Republican incumbents are very deep. That’s why the Republican Party of Minnesota wants us to believe a deficit was Masin’s fault. Maybe then

they won’t have to face facts about millions for tax loopholes. That bird funding they keep wanting to saddle Masin with? It was $300,000 for bird habitat, after the voters of Minnesota passed an amendment providing money for state natural resources. Minnesota’s natural resources are important to people like Masin, but not so much to incumbent Republicans. Masin is committed to funding education, and for retraining folks who find it hard to get a job. Jobs, education, and our economy are items high on Masin’s agenda. She listens to us. Nancy Hall Burnsville

Anderson works hard for schools To the editor: On Aug. 14, Sun Thisweek had two letters that mentioned the state of Minnesota had borrowed money from schools. The letters failed to mention that the majority of the money was borrowed by the previous legislators. In 2011, the shift was increased from 30 percent to 40 percent. Because of the surplus, in 2012 it was automatically reduced with the surplus money to 35.7 percent. Rep. Diane Anderson and the Republicans in the state Legislature felt it was a priority to pay back the money to the schools with the surplus money. This year there was a bill, House File 2083, that would have paid back $430 million to the schools. This bill would have reduced the balance owed to 29.8 percent. Anderson voted to pay this

money back. One important thing the two letter writers forgot to mention was that DFL Gov. Mark Dayton vetoed this bill. Why would Dayton do such a thing? He wanted the money from the shift but did not want to pay it back. Did he veto the bill to make the Republicans look bad? I thought he was for education. I guess not because he vetoed the bill that would have paid millions back to the schools. Another important fact is last year the K-12 budget was increased by $650 million over two years. There was a $100 per pupil increase over two years. The schools were very happy to get the increase in funding. District 196 received a special grant of $3 million

Letters to the editor policy Sun Thisweek welcomes letters to the editor. Submitted letters must be no more than 350 words. All letters must have the author’s phone number and address for verification purposes. Anonymous letters will not be accepted. Letters reflect the opinion of the author only. Sun Thisweek reserves the right to edit all letters. Submission of a letter does not guarantee publication.

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in addition to the increases in the per pupil formula, special education and literacy funding. This grant was opposed by the DFL because they said it was unfair to give the suburbs that much money. The Republican Legislature did a great job on the 2012 budget. I am very impressed with the work they have done. Anderson cares about making sure we have quality education and our schools are well funded. Anderson’s main priority was to use the surplus money for education. She voted for the education fund to receive $430 million. Thanks to the governor, that part did not happen. LOIS FINAN Burnsville

Impressed by Mayor Kautz To the editor: Reading Mayor Elizabeth Kautz’s responses for the candidate questionnaire in the Aug. 10 issue of the Sun Thisweek, I was so pleased with her answers and excited about her vision for Burnsville. I am thrilled that she finished in first place in the recent primary election. Our beautiful city will be in no better hands than those of Kautz for the next four years. I thank her for all she has done for Burnsville. I will be voting for her on Nov. 6. CHERYAL MONNENS Burnsville

Marriage doesn’t need to be defended To the editor: Voting “yes” to the socalled “Defense of Marriage” amendment this No-

vember, is not a vote to ban gay marriage in the state of Minnesota. Same-sex marriage is already illegal in Minnesota. Voting “yes” will not make homosexuality go away. Same-sex relations have been a part of society, and nature, since the beginning of recorded time. Voting “yes” will not make this issue go away, as it is a human rights issue. It will be a long-term battle, in the courts and the religious institutions and the Legislature, and the citizens will pay for it, in taxes and tithes. Voting “no” to this amendment does not mean the voter approves of the gay-lesbian-bisexual-transgender community. It is not for voters to approve or disapprove of what two consenting adults do in the privacy of their own home. Voting “no” does not force churches to marry same-sex couples. Voting “no” informs the government that it cannot define religious doctrine. Voting “no,” however, does mean that the voter recognizes the right of future generations to make their own choices about what kind of world they want to live in. “Defense of Marriage”: God created this institution, it does not need defending. Vote no.

perspective, I feel, hesitate to write because as the letter goes into the mail box you can hear the countdown to the chants of racist, homophobe, bigot, zealot, hater or whatever the bogeyman du jour might be. The question always seems to be “How do you call yourself a Christian, Republican, conservative, man, father, American (fill in the blank) if you support a certain position?” My response to any and all of those questions is the same. Instead of letting Brian Williams, Chris Matthews, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity or anyone else tell me what to think, I study the argument. What I’ve discovered through study is, that yes, the current commercial supporting gay marriage correctly states that “The world has changed.” I’m happy to report, however, the truth never has. Not my truth, not your truth, not the president’s or the challenger’s, but “The Truth.” Others can try to rewrite history, but history and fact is what it is. I proudly call myself a Catholic, American, father, husband and conservative because I stand against the founding principles of Planned Parenthood (read Sanger). I stand with the Americans that believe all life is sacred. I stand with the party that stood up for the civil Michele Olson rights for all Americans, Apple Valley born and unborn. I proudly stand with Americans who say there are winners and The Truth has losers and it’s not our govnever changed ernment’s job to pick ’em. Truth is a difficult thing To the editor: I think it’s easy to write a to argue, but then again, it’s letter these days as long as it far easier to start the countreflects what are considered down. Democrat or liberal ideals. Those of us who may see TIMOTHY DUECKER things from an opposing Lakeville

Sun Thisweek - Burnsville - Eagan September 7, 2012

BHS, from 1A been very strategic, trying to create a warm, welcoming, college-campus kind of feel,” Principal Dave Helke said. The canopy sign at the entryway is equipped with programmable LED lighting, according to Simon. “They tell us we can maybe even have flames (signifying the Blaze mascot) on homecoming night,” he said. The district is only half finished with improvements to the school’s main campus, which dates back 56 years and has had many additions and upgrades over the decades. A total of $10.4 million has been spent so far on projects that began two summers ago, Simon said. Another $9 to $11 million is expected to be spent over the next two summers, he said. District officials say the improvements are needed to create a modern learning environment and improve the building’s visual appeal.

Last summer’s projects included new flooring, casework, paint and whiteboards in the math and science classrooms, Simon said. Previously cramped science rooms were often cited as emblematic of the school’s need for upgrades. Storage areas were incorporated into the rooms to make them larger, and tiered lecture flooring was removed to create better lab space. “It made the rooms more functional and updated for today’s modern teaching techniques,” Simon said. Last summer’s projects also included relocating the main office to the front of the building, updating heating and ventilation equipment and replacing some lockers. This summer’s projects included more locker replacements, more HVAC work and renovation of some student restrooms. Next summer will bring an overhaul of the cafeteria and kitchen. The cafeteria is now split

John Gessner can be reached at john.gessner@ecm-inc.com or facebook.com/sunthisweek.

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which applies to the highestperforming 15 to 25 percent of Title I schools in the state. Cedar Park Elementary STEM School is one of 86 Continuous Improvement schools in the state that will be required to write an improvement plan that must be supported by at least 20 percent of its Title I funding. Continuous Improvement schools are the lowestperforming 10-25 percent of Title I schools in the state. “We have made great improvements to Cedar Park, which has gotten national recognition,” Troen said. “And we plan to continue to make improvements.” Focus schools are the lowest-performing 5 to 10 percent of Title I schools in the state, while Priority schools are the lowest-performing 5 percent. No District 196 schools received either designation. Jessica Harper is at jessica. harper@ecm-inc.com or facebook.com/sunthisweek.

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District 196, from 1A 196 schools saw a decrease in their scores, another 14 expeshrink its achievement gap rienced an increase, and two on the MCAs. district elementary schools Under the new rules, were identified as a “Reward struggling schools must sub- School.” mit an improvement plan but Schools with high conno penalties are imposed. centrations of poverty that Steve Troen, director of receive federal Title I fundteaching and learning for ing may also receive a desigDistrict 196, pointed to a nation as Reward, Celebranumber of factors that could tion Eligible, Continuous have contributed to declining Improvement, Focus or PriMMR scores. ority. “It can often be pieces Reward schools are the of a subgroup that can have highest-performing 15 pera big impact on a school’s cent of Title I schools in MMR,” he said. the state. Oak Ridge and Troen added that the dis- Southview elementary trict has a dynamic strategy schools were among 128 beyond the required plan to schools to receive this desighelp struggling schools turn nation statewide. around. Deerwood, Greenleaf District 196 is not alone and Echo Park elementary in its struggle to make im- were named Reward schools provements. Statewide, 213 in May when 2010-2011 schools missed the mark un- MMR data was released. der the new accountability Echo Park, Glacier Hills, system. This is an improve- Greenleaf, Parkview and ment to the 1,000 schools Rosemount elementary are that didn’t meet the stan- among 211 schools in the dards of NCLB. state to receive a Continuous Although most District Improvement designation,

between a main cafeteria and a smaller one, Simon said. They’ll be merged, and a student commons will be created. “We’re not enlarging the footprint of any of this,” Simon said. “We’re just repurposing the space so that it makes more sense. It’s going to be better utilized.” The following and final summer of work will include removal of some rooms along the main hallway to make it larger, as well as the addition of locker bays in the hallway, Simon said. “They’re calling it Main Street,” he said. More HVAC work and classroom renovations are also planned, with flooring, painting, casework and whiteboards replacing chalkboards. “The goal is to get rid of the old chalkboards,” Simon said. “It’s not standard teaching anymore.”

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September 7, 2012 Sun Thisweek - Burnsville - Eagan

New MISO relocation plans move forward City Council approves planned development and final plat for the energy association’s new headquarters in Eagan by Jessica Harper Sun Thisweek

An Upper Midwest utilities association has received a green light from city officials to move forward with its plans to have a headquarters built in Eagan – a move that is expected to bring 90 jobs to the city. On Sept. 4, the Eagan City Council unanimously approved a proposal by St. Paul-based developer Interstate Partners to construct a 60,721-squarefoot building in the Boulder Lakes development to serve as a headquarters for Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator Inc. MISO signed a 12-year lease in April with Inter-

state Partners for the building. “We are very excited to learn about (MISO) and are excited they are looking to move to Eagan,” Mayor Mike Maguire said. The single-story facility — north of Lone Oak Road and west of Highway 55 — will have a mixture of office and data-center space. It is expected to cost more than $10 million to develop. MISO’s current facility is situated between railroad tracks, an apartment building and a sports bar, The Original Gabe’s by the Park in St. Paul. None of those neighbors are apparently ideal for a mission-critical facility like MISO, which fa-

cilitates energy trading and supply in parts of 11 states and one Canadian province. The lease for that location is set to expire Feb. 28, 2014. MISO isn’t the first company to move into Eagan in recent years. Prime Therapeutics, a pharmaceutical management firm, announced in December it plans to add 300 head-of-household jobs in Eagan. Diversified Information Technologies, a document management company, said in February it plans to expand to Eagan, adding 20 jobs. Jessica Harper is at jessica. harper@ecm-inc.com or facebook.com/sunthisweek.

Elko man pleads guilty to meeting teens for sex in Eagan by Jessica Harper Sun Thisweek

An Elko man plead guilty last week to prostitution charges after meeting two teenage girls for sex in Eagan. Mickey Albert Cupkie, 36, pleaded guilty in a Ramsey County court Aug. 31 to four counts of engaging in prostitution with a minor. Cupkie, who was charged June 21, admitted he used a smartphone while at work in St. Paul to look up the 16- and 17-year-old girls on Backpage.com, according to the criminal complaint. Explicit photos of both girls were posted in the ad along with their cell phone numbers. Minneapolis police had been tracking the 16-yearold girl since May after suspecting the runaway was forced into prostitu-

tion. Once officers located the girls, both said they were forced into prostitution at an Eagan hotel. Using phone records and video surveillance, officers identified Cupkie as one of three men who paid the girls for sex May 9. Cupkie was arrested June 6 and allegedly admitted during an interview with police he paid the girls for sex. He admitted to engaging in oral sex with the 16-year-old, but it is unclear whether he engaged in the same acts with the 17-year-old, according to the complaint. Cupkie confessed that the 17-year-old touched him sexually and was at least partially undressed, the complaint stated. He also said he felt the girls were “too young to be engaging in prostitution.”

The Eagan incident is one of several connected to ads on Backpage.com, causing its owner, Village Voice Media, to come under fire from local authorities and advocacy groups. The Ramsey County Attorney’s Office and victim advocates have called for the media company to close its adult-themed section. Village Voice Media, which also owns City Pages, told the Star Tribune in June it doesn’t intend to profit from prostitution and that it is working with local authorities to find “workable solutions.” Cupkie is scheduled to appear at a sentencing hearing at 1:30 p.m. Nov. 1. He faces up to 10 years in prison on each count. Jessica Harper is at jessica.harper@ecm-inc.com or facebook.com/sunthisweek.

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Sun Thisweek - Burnsville - Eagan September 7, 2012

NOTICE OF THE CITY OF EAGAN POLICY OF NONDISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF DISABILITY The City of Eagan is committed to the policy that all persons have equal access to its programs, services, activities, facilities and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, marital status or status with regard to public assistance. Auxiliary aids for persons with disabilities will be provided upon advance notice of at least 96 hours. If a notice of less than 96 hours is received, the City of Eagan will attempt to provide such aid. Telephone: (651) 675-5000; TDD: (651) 454-8535. 3135202 8/31-9/7/12

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING PROPOSED EASEMENT VACATION CITY OF EAGAN DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT THE City Council of the City of Eagan, Dakota County, Minnesota, will meet at the City Hall, 3830 Pilot Knob Road, Eagan, Minnesota 55122, on Tuesday, September 19, 2012, at 6:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as possible. The purpose of the meeting will be to hold a public hearing on the vacation of service road easement lying over and across the following described property in the City of Eagan, Dakota County, Minnesota: All Service Road Easement per plat of Cedar Industrial Park (Lot 2, Block 1) Except for that part previously vacated described as follows: That part of Lot 2, Block 1, Cedar Industrial Park, described as follows: Commencing at the Easternmost corner of said Lot 2; thence assumed bearing of North 47 degrees 02 minutes 53 seconds West along the Northeasterly line of said Lot 2, a distance of 40.00 feet; thence South 43 degrees 21 minutes 39 seconds West, 145.00 feet to the point of beginning of easement; thence continuing South 43 degrees 21 minutes 39 seconds West, 15.00 feet; thence South 46 degrees 38 minutes 21 seconds East, 20.00 feet; thence North 43 degrees 21 minutes 39 seconds East, 15.00 feet; thence North 46 degrees 38 minutes 21 seconds West, 20.00 feet to point of beginning. Dated: August 21, 2012 /s/ Christina M. Scipioni Christina M. Scipioni, City Clerk Dakota County, Minnesota 3133982 8/31-9/7/12

NOTICE PUBLIC NOTICE PUBLIC PUBLIC HEARING

PUBLIC HEARING A Public Hearing will be held on September 10, 2012, at 6:30 p.m. or as soon thereafter as possible by the Burnsville Planning Commission, 100 Civic Center Parkway, in the Council Chambers on the application of CenterPoint Energy for a Conditional Use Permit to allow for removal and replacement of a gas pipeline within the Floodway and Shoreland Districts of the Minnesota River and Black Dog Lake. The application will be scheduled for the next appropriate City Council meeting following the Planning Commission meeting. All persons desiring to speak on this application are encouraged to attend. For more information concerning this request, please contact Planner Deb Garross (952) 895-4446 at the City of Burnsville. Deb Garross On Behalf of the Chair of the Burnsville Planning Commission 3130152 8/31-9/7/12

PUBLIC NOTICE CITY OF BURNSVILLE BURNSVILLE, MINNESOTA ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS

2012 Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation (12-306) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that sealed proposals will be received by the City Council of the City of Burnsville at 100 Civic Center Parkway, Burnsville, MN 55337, until 11:00 A.M. CDT on Monday the 24th day of September, 2012 , for the furnishing of labor and materials for the construction, complete in place of the following approximate quantities and all appurtenances: 3,000 LF of Cured in Place Pipe (CIPP) (8"-9") Digital copies of the Contract Documents can be obtained at www.questcdn.com o r www.burnsville.org/bids . Bidders can download the Contract Documents for $20 by entering QuestCDN eBidDoc # 2232311 on the QuestCDN website's Project Search page or selecting the Engineering/Public Works Bid link and then the project from the project results list on the Burnsville website. Please contact QuestCDN.com at (952) 233-1632 or info@questcdn.com for assistance in free membership registration, downloading and working with this digital project information. Bidders can also view the Contract Documents at either website free of charge. All Bids must be submitted on the Proposal Form provided for in accordance with the Contract Documents. No Bids will be considered unless sealed and filed with the City Clerk of the City of Burnsville and endorsed upon the outside wrapper with a brief statement or summary of the work for which the Bid is made. All Bids must be accompanied by a Bid Security in the amount of five percent (5%) of the Bid, to be forfeited as Liquidated Damages in the event that the Bid is accepted and the Bidder fails to promptly enter into a written Contract, provide documentation of the required insurance and/or the required Bonds in accordance with the Instruction to Bidders. Immediately following expiration of the time for receiving Bids, the Bids will be opened and read aloud by at least two officers or agents of the City of Burnsville. The City of Burnsville reserves the right to reject any or all Bids, to waive informalities, and to award the Bid in the best interest of the City. Bids are subject to acceptance and may not be withdrawn for a period of forty-five (45) days. The City Council is tentatively scheduled to consider such Bids on Tuesday, October 2, 2012 at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers. BY ORDER OF CITY COUNCIL Macheal Brooks, City Clerk City of Burnsville, Minnesota Published in Burnsville Sun Thisweek on September 7th and 14th, 2012 Published in Finance & Commerce on September 7th and 14th, 2012 3139438 9/7-9/14/12

A Public Hearing will be held on September 10, 2012, at 6:30 p.m. or as soon thereafter as possible by the Burnsville Planning Commission, 100 Civic Center Parkway, in the Council Chambers on the application of the City of Burnsville to amend the Zoning Ordinance to delete all provisions related to the R-3C, Regional Center Residential Zoning District. The proposal also includes amending the Zoning Map to rezone all properties zoned R3C, Regional Center Residential to Mix, Mixed Use District. Two properties are proposed to be rezoned from R-3C to P, Park. Two parcels within the plat of Valley Ridge Senior Housing are proposed to be rezoned from B3/PUD, General Business/Planned Unit Development to MIX/PUD. The proposed ordinance and map amendments are being done to implement the 2030 Future Land Use Guide Plan. Copies of the proposed text amendments and parcels proposed for rezoning are available for review in the Planning Department at Burnsville City Hall. The application will be scheduled for the next appropriate City Council meeting following the Planning Commission meeting. All persons desiring to speak on this application are encouraged to attend. For more information concerning this request, please contact Planner Deb Garross (952) 895-4446 at the City of Burnsville. Deb Garross On Behalf of the Chair of the Burnsville Planning Commission 3130118 8/31-9/7/12

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District 194 School Board Proceedings

This is a summary of the Independent School District No.194 Regular School Board Meeting on Tues, August 14, 2012 with full text available for public inspection on the district website at www.isd194.k12.mn.us or District Office at 8670 210th Street W., Lakeville, MN 55044 The meeting was called to order at 8:02 p.m. followed by pledge of allegiance. All board members and administrators were present. Consent agenda items approved: minutes of the meetings on July 10, 31 and August 8; employment recommendations, leave requests and resignations; non-public school transportation contracts as presented; and donations. Consent agenda approved following discussion: payment of bills and claims subject to annual audit. Reports presented: 6th grade ELA resources; MCA report; district communication update; technology update; 2012-13 student enrollment update. Recommended actions approved: Resolution calling for election for board of education members; resolution approving Dakota County Intermediate School No. 917's Health and Safety Program budget; budget development process. Recommended action tabled: CLEC graphic display sign Adjournment at 10:59 p.m. ___________________________________ This is a summary of the Independent School District No. 194 Special Board of Education Meeting on Tuesday, August 21, 2012 with full text available for public inspection on the district website at or 8670 210th www.isd194.k12.mn.us Street W., Lakeville, MN 55044 The meeting was called to order at 7:07 p.m. All board members were present. Superintendent Snyder, Mr. Klett were present. Discussions held: Tax Levy/Refunding Opportunity; 2012-13 Board Goals. Meeting adjourned at 8:58 p.m. 3139302 9/7/12

• A $20 Regular Pack – the program’s most popular, Lenarz-Coy said. It typically includes five pounds of potatoes, a pound of carrots and a pound of onions, as well as three to five each of apples and oranges, she said. It includes four meat items, one or two additional vegetables and an additional fruit. • A $25 to $30 monthly special, which could be a Mega Meat Pack, a Grill Pack or a Holiday Pack. Fare For All Express

dates at Diamondhead in 2012 are Sept. 12, Oct. 10, Oct. 31 and Dec. 5. Dates set for next year are Jan. 16, Feb. 13, March 13 and April 10. Cash and credit, debit and EBT cards are accepted for payment. For more information, visit www.fareforall.org or call (763) 450-3880. John Gessner can be reached at john.gessner@ecm-inc.com or facebook.com/sunthisweek.

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PUBLIC NOTICE

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PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE CITY OF EAGAN TO: Property owners within 350' of 4566 Ches Mar Dr APPLICANT: Douglas S. Swetland, REQUEST: A Variance to the required 30 foot right-of-way setback for a garage additon on a corner lot. LOCATION/LEGAL DESCRIPTION: Lot 1, Block 3, Ches Mar Third Addition TIME OF HEARING: City Council Meeting: September 19, 2012 at 6:30 pm PLACE OF HEARING: City Hall Council Chambers, 3830 Pilot Knob Road ANY QUESTIONS: C a l l t h e P l a n n i n g Department at (651) 675-5685 or contact Pam D u d z i a k , t h e P l a n n e r a t ( 6 5 1 ) 675-5691 or pdudziak@cityofeagan.com with the following information: DEVELOPMENT NAME: Ches Mar Dr CASE #: 27-VA-09-08-12 3142500 9/7/12

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PUBLIC NOTICE

Fare For All, from 1A shelf network has been seeking an Express site in Wednesdays this year and Dakota County since one in next. Hours will be 3 to 5 Rosemount closed, she said. p.m. The site will be the low- The food shelf network er level of Diamondhead buys food in bulk from a Education Center, located number of wholesalers. at 200 W. Burnsville Park- Fare For All offers four packages: way off Pillsbury Avenue. “My sense just from talk- • A $10 Produce Pack, ing to people is it’s going to with five varieties of vegbe well in demand,” said etable and two varieties of Burnsville Senior Center fruit. Coordinator Michelle Star- • An $11 Meat Only key, who played a key role Pack, with a minimum of in bringing the program to four assorted meat items Diamondhead, where the (three to five pounds). senior center is located. “And it isn’t just for people who are struggling. It’s for anybody. There are no qualifiers. It’s not just for children. It’s for all ages. It’s for all demographics.” There are plenty of people who could use a break on grocery bills, Starkey said. They include seniors she knows who qualify for federal food assistance and families in the BurnsvilleEagan-Savage School District whose children get free or subsidized school meals. “It’s a program where lots of people go, so there isn’t a stigma attached to it,” said Sophia Lenarz-Coy, who manages the program for the Emergency Foodshelf Network. “It’s just a way to get a good deal.” A local team is working with the food shelf network to plan and promote the program and provide volunteers. Member organizations are the senior center; 360 Communities; the city of Burnsville; the Making Our Moms Successful program for single mothers, based at Faith Covenant Church in Burnsville; and the church itself. Fare For All Express is an offshoot of the Fare For All program, which was begun in Minnesota in 1986 under the name Fare Share. That program requires prepayment for food purchases, with pickup a month later. The Express program, now in 23 locations, allows same-day purchase. Photos show customers what’s in each package. “What we found was that for a lot of people, ordering in advance just wasn’t realistic, whether they’re just too busy or they don’t want to put money aside for food they won’t see for another month,” Lenarz-Coy said. Fare For All has pre-pay sites in Apple Valley and Eagan, she said. The food

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September 7, 2012 Sun Thisweek - Burnsville - Eagan

Sun Thisweek - Burnsville - Eagan September 7, 2012

Council OKs preliminary levy increase Most Eagan homeowners will see a decrease in the city’s portion of property taxes

by Jessica Harper Sun Thisweek

The Eagan City Council approved a 3.3 percent increase in its property tax levy, but most homeowners can expect to pay less in the city’s portion of property taxes next year. The City Council approved the preliminary payable 2013 property tax levy on Sept. 4 — a move that will enable the city to meet inflation and pay for a 1.5 percent pay increase for all city employees. This will bring the total tax levy to $28.3 million, which is nearly $900,000 more than in 2012. Despite the proposed increase, most homeowners can expect to pay less in the city’s portion of property taxes in 2013. This decline is largely due to falling home prices and the state’s new market value exclusion program, said Gene VanOverbeke, Eagan’s administrative services director. The average home value is expected to fall from $237,696 in 2012 to $220,252 in 2013. Under this scenario, the owner of an average valued home can expect to pay about $11 less in the city’s portion of property taxes in 2013. This estimate is prior to the state’s market value exclusion, which offers homeowners an exclu-

sion that lowers their taxable market value. Property taxes in Eagan have historically been lower than those in many neighboring cities. In 2012, for instance, the owner of a $237,696 Burnsville property paid $183 more toward the city’s portion of property taxes in Burnsville than a similarly valued property in Eagan, according to a 2012 state auditor’s report. Although city officials are looking to raise wages this year, most city employees have experienced pay freezes in the past several years with the exception of several union groups that had previously negotiated pay raises. Since 2009, the city has reduced staff positions by about 5 percent — from 243 full-time equivalent positions to 232.3 in 2012, said Tom Pepper, Eagan’s chief financial officer. The city may further reduce its number of employees in 2013 by cutting an administrative and a finance position through attrition, he said. In addition to the preliminary levy, the council approved a preliminary budget. Under the proposed budget, the city’s general fund expenditures are expected to rise from $28 million in 2012 to $28.85 million in 2013. Of those expenditures, 38.8 percent goes toward

the Eagan Police Department, while the city’s Parks and Recreation and Public Works departments will take 16.1 percent and 12.4 percent of the 2013 spending, respectively. Several department leaders have asked for additional employees in 2013, which, if approved, could cost $256,000, city officials say. If their proposals are granted, the number of city employees would increase in 2013, but the cost for those positions won’t be paid with property tax revenue, Pepper said. The city’s general fund balance is predicted to be $12.6 million in 2013. Each year, city officials aim to maintain a general fund balance that is between 40 and 45 percent of the general fund. This money is used for operating capital to ensure the city has enough cash flow. The preliminary budget and levy are benchmarks. A truth and taxation hearing will be held in Dec. 4 prior to the certification of a final payable 2013 property tax levy. The final levy can be lower than the preliminary but not higher. Jessica Harper is at jessica. harper@ecm-inc.com or facebook.com/sunthisweek.

Marriage amendment conversation Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Burnsville, and Minnesota Council of Churches will host “A Respectful Conversation on

the Marriage Amendment” from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 13, at Prince of Peace. The community is invited. Registration is required

by calling Prince of Peace, (952) 435-8102; Minnesota Council of Churches, (612) 230-3344; or online at www. mnchurches.org.

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September 7, 2012 Sun Thisweek - Burnsville - Eagan

Art festival is ‘TENacious’ Lakeville Art Festival marks 10th anniversary Sept. 15-16

by Andrew Miller Sun Thisweek

File photo by Rick Orndorf

Art instructor Kim Yolitz demonstrated glass and lamp working at last year’s Lakeville Art Festival. Raku pottery, ceramics and watercolor painting are among the many art tutorials offered at this year’s weekend-long event. Left: bracelet by Cheri Meyer. Right: vase by Chad Jerzak.

Visitors to the annual Lakeville Art Festival get more than an art-gallery experience, says festival director Shelly Carney. The goal is total immersion in art. The festival, which this year runs Sept. 15-16 on the grounds of the arts center in downtown Lakeville, features a juried art show, art demonstrations and instruction, a community art project and children’s activities throughout the weekend. “You can have a true artistic experience,” Carney said. “We’ve got eight or nine demos, the Literary Art tent and lots of hands-on activities. It’s definitely an event you can spend a lot of time at.” This year’s theme is “TENacious Art,” a nod to the festival’s 10-year anniversary. For the more than 50 artists who have signed up to exhibit their work, the festival is a way to share their art with fellow artists and visitors, and also to win awards. The two-day juried show chooses first-, second-

and third-place Best in Show winners, as well as a Best in Show award for emerging artists. All the art – including jewelry, sculpture, photography, painting and other media – is for sale, and prices range from a few dollars to several thousand. Visitors who feel inspired to create their own art can participate in the community art project. This year, guests will paint small canvas squares which will be assembled into a massive wall hanging and displayed in the lobby of the Lakeville Area Arts Center this coming year. A special “Now and Then” exhibit will offer a where-are-they-now look at past Best in Show winners from the festival’s Emerging Artist program, which each year offers three to six young artists a chance to publicly debut their work. The weekend will also include plenty of food and entertainment. Saturday musical entertainment includes performances by Greg Herriges, Julie Johnson & the No-Accounts, and Phil Hal-

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Sun Thisweek - Burnsville - Eagan September 7, 2012

stead, as well as guitar students from Halstead’s music school. On Sunday, performances include the City of Lakes Chorus, Sasha Mercedes, Paul Christian, the Vecchione/Erdahl Duo and others. The festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 15, and 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 16.

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The Lakeville Area Arts Center is at the corner of Holyoke Avenue and 210th Street. More information about the festival is at www.lakevilleartfestival.org. Andrew Miller can be reached at andrew.miller@ecm-inc. com or facebook.com/sunthisweek.

File photo by Rick Orndorf

A community art project is an annual feature of Lakeville’s art festival. This year’s project will see guests painting small canvas squares which will be assembled into a giant wall hanging and displayed in the lobby of the Lakeville Area Arts Center this coming year. Left: painting by Dave Angell and bracelet by Julie Johnson.

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September 7, 2012 Sun Thisweek - Burnsville - Eagan

Thisweekend theater and arts briefs Frightmares at Patsy Cline Buck Hill tribute Frightmares at Buck Hill Colleen Raye will perreturns for its fourth season form her musical tribute to with 13 nights of frights be- Patsy Cline at 2 p.m. Sunday, ginning Friday, Oct. 5, and Oct. 7, at the Burnsville Perrunning through Sunday, forming Arts Center, 12600 Oct. 28. Live music will be Nicollet Ave. Tickets are $19 featured Friday and Saturday and can be purchased at the nights. box office, via Ticketmaster Hours are 7 to 10 p.m. at (800) 982-2787 or ticketon Wednesdays, Thursdays master.com. and Sundays, and 7 p.m. to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. Cost is $20. Information: www.frightmares.com.

Community bands perform

The Rosemount Com-

theater and arts calendar munity Band and the River Valley Community Band will perform at the inaugural Spring Lake Park Reserve Musical Festival from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 23, at Spring Lake Park Reserve, 8395 127th St. E., Hastings. Each band will perform a repertoire of marches, classical music, pop tunes and traditional band music outside of the Scharr’s Bluff Gathering Center overlooking the Mississippi River. The festival is free and open to the public. Bring blankets or chairs. It is sponsored jointly by Dakota

County Parks, the Hastings Prescott Area Arts Council and Rosemount Area Arts Council.

Zest event in Eagan Zest, an evening of global cuisine and entertainment, will be held from 6 to 10 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 20, at Lost Spur Golf and Event Center, 2750 Sibley Memorial Highway, Eagan. Emceed by local television broadcaster and entrepreneur Robyne Robinson, the event will benefit the Eagan and Lakeville Resource Centers and Cheerful Givers. Local foodies Elizabeth Ries, co-host of “Twin Cities Live,” and Amalia MorenoDamgaard, chef entrepreneur and author, will demonstrate and sample one of their favorite ethnic recipes. Entertainment will include traditional Mexican music, Middle Eastern and Irish dance, and a conversation with Barb Schaller, a state fair canning champion. Tickets are $50. More information can be found at http://zestevent.eventbrite. com.

To submit items for the Arts Calendar, email: darcy.odden@ ecm-inc.com. Auditions Giant Step Theatre will hold auditions for children in grades two and above for “Mission to Frostbite Mountain” on Sept. 7 and 8. All who audition will get a part in the play, which will be performed Oct. 18-28. To sign up for an audition and for more information, email giantsteptheatre@yahoo.com. The StringWerks Music Program offered through ISD 191’s Community Education will hold placement auditions for string, brass, woodwind, and percussion players beginning Sept. 10. Rehearsals are held on Monday nights and will culminate in a Nov. 17 concert at Burnsville High School. String players of all ages and ability levels are welcome. Youth brass, woodwind and percussion players are needed. To arrange an audition, call Carolyn Axt at (952) 890-1284. Twin Cities Ballet will hold “Nutcracker” auditions Sunday, Sept. 16, at Ballet Royale MN, Lakeville. Open to the public. Mandatory parent meeting for parents of all students under 18: noon to 12:30 p.m. Auditions for ages 7-12: 12:30 to 1:15 p.m. Auditions for ages 13 and older: 1:30 to 2:45 p.m. Information: email info@ TwinCitiesBallet.org. Comedy Steve Sabo with special guest Jake Dickey at 8:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 7, and Saturday, Sept. 8, at MinneHAHA Comedy Club, 1583 E. First Ave., Shakopee (lower level of Dangerfield’s), (612) 8609388, www.minnehahacomedyclub.com. Tickets: $13. Concerts Bonfire Music Jam, Saturday, Sept. 8, 9975 W. 194th St., Lakeville. Bring a chair and dish to share. Come at 4 p.m., potluck at 5 p.m., music later. Porta Potty, dinnerware, utensils and beverages supplied. No alcohol, please. Held rain or shine. Hosts: Carol Monter & Wil Kelley, (952) 469-3191, (612) 845-9033, (612) 845-0266. Look for the “Bluegrass Jam” sign. Exhibits/art shows A botanical art exhibit by The Great River Chapter of Botanical Artists is on display through Sept. 16 at the Lakeville Area Arts Center, 20965 Holyoke Ave. Information: (952) 985-4640. Pilgrims and Passages, a joint exhibit featuring art by Anthony Donatelle and Jon Reischl, is on display through Sept. 8 in the gallery at Burnsville Performing Arts Center, 12600 Nicollet Ave. For more information, call (952) 895-4676 or visit www.burnsvillepac.com. Harvest of Art Community Art Exhibit runs through Nov. 2 at the Eagan Art House, 3981 Lexington Ave. S., and other Eagan locations. Information: (651) 6755521 or www.eaganarthouse.org. Festivals/special events Burnsville Fire Muster runs Sept. 5-9. Information: www.burnsvillefiremuster.com/. Burnsville Convention & Visitors Bureau’s Canvas & Vines will be 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 13, at the Burnsville Performing Arts Center. Includes wine, craft beer, food, art, music and a silent auction. Admission is $35. Guests must be 21 or older to attend. Call (952) 895-4690 for more information and to purchase tickets, or visit www.canvasandvines.com. Lakeville Arts Festival will be Sept. 14 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sept. 15 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the grounds of the Lakeville Area Arts Center at the corner of Holyoke Avenue and 210th Street. Information: www.lakevilleartfestival.org.

“Musical Heart Notes – Treasuring Children,” a musical fundraiser for Children’s Lighthouse of Minnesota, will be held from 2 to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 29, at the Steeple Center, 14375 S. Robert Trail, Rosemount. Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 at the door. Information: www.childrenslighthousemn.org. Theater The Chameleon Theatre Circle and Segue Productions will present “Steel Kiss” at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 7-8 and 2 p.m. Sept. 9 at the Burnsville Performing Arts Center, 12600 Nicollet Ave., Burnsville. Tickets are $13 for adults and $10 for students, seniors and groups. Tickets can be purchased at the box office or by calling (952) 8954680. The Chameleon Theatre Circle’s 13th annual New Play Festival will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8, at the Burnsville Performing Arts Center, 12600 Nicollet Ave. Free. Homeward Bound Theatre Company will offer “Dr. Seuss and Me” from 3:50 to 5:05 p.m. Mondays, Sept. 17 through Oct. 8, at Rosemount Elementary School where kindergartners through third-graders will act out their favorite Dr. Seuss stories. For more information and/or cost of registration, call District 196 Community Education at (651) 423-7920. Homeward Bound Theatre Company will offer youths age 8-14 an opportunity to be part of the theatre production of “Aladdin” at Falcon Ridge Middle School in Apple Valley. Rehearsals will be 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturdays, Sept. 22 to Dec. 8, with technical rehearsals from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 11, and Thursday, Dec. 13, and performances at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 15. For more information and/or to register, call District 196 Community Education at (651) 423-7920. Cost is $199. Auditions will be held the first session. Everyone who signs up gets a part. Workshops/classes Adult painting open studio from 9 a.m. to noon the first and third Fridays of the month at the Eagan Art House, 3981 Lexington Ave. S. Fee is $5 per session. Information: (651) 675-5521. Music Together in the Valley offers classes for parents and their infant, toddler and preschool children in Rosemount, Farmington, Lakeville and Apple Valley. Information: www.musictogetherclasses.com or (651) 439-4219. The Eagan Art House offers classes for ages 4 through adult. Register now for fall classes. For a complete listing go to www.eaganarthouse.org or call (651) 6755521. Dan Petrov Art Studio in Burnsville offers oil painting classes for beginners, intermediate and advanced skill level painters, www.danpetrovart.com, (763) 8432734. Teens Express Yourself with Paint, 5 to 7 p.m. Mondays at Brushworks School of Art in Burnsville, www.BrushworksSchoolofArt.com, (651) 214-4732. Drama/theater classes for ages 4 and up at River Ridge Arts Building, Burnsville, (952) 7363644. Special needs theater program (autism-DCD), ages 5 and older, Burnsville, (952) 736-3644. Join other 55-plus adults at the Eagan Art House to create beaded jewelry. The Jewelry Club meets on the third Friday of each month from 1 to 3 p.m. Information: (651) 675-5500. Savage Art Studios, 4735 W. 123rd St., Suite 200, Savage, offers classes/workshops for all ages. Information: www.savageartstudios.com or (952) 8950375.

Sun Thisweek - Burnsville - Eagan September 7, 2012

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Lynda Bogenrief Eileen (Beckius) L y n d a R o s e B o g e n r i e f Wagner (Perrizo), 63 of Cannon Falls,

died peacefully September 2, 2012; husband, children, Terry (sister) by her side, at North Memorial Residential Hospice. Lynda died following complications during the resection of a meningioma brain tumor. She was born December 15, 1948 in Blue Earth MN, to Kermit and Rosamond Perrizo. Raised in Aberdeen, SD, she attended St. Mary’s Catholic grade school and graduated with the first class at Roncalli Catholic High School in 1967. While attending college at Northern State University, she met her future husband, Bill Bogenrief. On August 19, 1968 she married him at St Mary’s Church. They continued to live in Aberdeen in the homes of Bill’s family, began their own family, and eventually relocated to the Twin Cities area in 1970. Lynda worked for National City Bank and the First National Bank of Hopkins until 1978. She devoted much of the middle of her life to her family; successfully raising three children and schooling one husband. In 1992 she earned an associates degree in accounting from Dakota County Technical College, and worked for several years in accounting. Lynda retired from working in 2010, and enjoyed reading, baking, gardening, traveling, RV camping, and the winter weather of Arizona; but mostly she loved and enjoyed her grandchildren, and spending time with them, her siblings, and her friends. Lynda was preceded in death by her parents Kermit and Rosamond Perrizo and her mother in-law Gloria Bogenrief. She is survived by loving husband Bill Bogenrief; children Jay (Mikki) Bogenrief, Carrie Niles, and Marlo (Cris) Schmidt; grandchildren Kaitlin, Andrew, Emilee, Sari, Hailie, Ethan, and Jaeger; siblings Thomas Perrizo, Linnea Blotsky, Terry Place, Patricia Gile, and Michael Perrizo; father-in-law and step mother-in-law Derald and Carole Bogenrief; and close friend Geri Maness. She is also survived by many more dear family and friends. At the family's request; in lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Alzheimer's Foundation of America. A Memorial Mass will be held on Thursday, September 13 at 10:00 a.m at St Pius V Catholic Church in Cannon Falls, MN. Father Fernando Ortega will officiate. A burial service will be held at St Mary’s Cemetery in Aberdeen, SD at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, September 15 with Father Joseph Holzhauser officiating. Arrangements by Lundberg Funeral Home, Cannon Falls. On-line condolences may be directed to: www.lundbergfuneral.com

Eileen Ann (Beckius) Wagner of Apple Valley, MN, age 89; born on December 20, 1922 at Jordan, MN; died August 30, 2012 at Apple Valley, MN. Preceded in death by husband, Nick J. Wagner; parents, Alex and Catherine (Wermerskirchen) Beckius; brother, Virgil (wife, Pearl), sisters, Angela Sames (husband, Gerald), Hilaria Sheehan (husband, William) and brother-in-law, Don Muelken, and son-in-law, Dennis Factor. Survived by daughter Barbara A. (Dennis) Factor of New Prague, MN; sons, Nick M. (Gina) of Apple Valley, MN and Gary N. (Nancy) of Plymouth, MN and by grandchildren – Angela Factor, Joe (Sarah) Factor; Jamey (Katie) Wagner, Jill (Marcus) Hubers, and Jon (Jessica) Wagner; and Kari N. Wagner; great grandchildren – Marisa & Aavionna Lee; Ashley, Maren & Ryan Wagner; Laney (Wagner) Hubers; Julia & Jon Wagner. Also, survived by sister, Jean Muelken, of Richfield, MN. Formerly of Richfield, MN, Eileen retired in 1985 from Independent School District #196, Westview Elementary School in Apple Valley, MN where she worked as a school cook for 20 years. She was a member of Mary, Mother of the Church in Burnsville, MN and she was also a member of the local Apple Valley. Garden Club and the VFW Women’s Auxiliary at Prior Lake, MN. She had a passion for cooking and all things associated with menu planning. She also enjoyed golfing, gardening, crafts, and feeding the many birds she adopted in her backyard. She especially loved spending time with her family. She was loved by all who knew her, and she will be deeply, deeply missed. Mass of Christian Burial was held on Wednesday, September 5, 2012 at 12 noon at Mary, Mother of the Church, 3333 Cliff Road (Cliff Road & Cedar Avenue) in Burnsville, MN. Visitation was from 4 to 8:00 pm on Tuesday, September 4, 2012 at White Funeral Home, 14560 Pennock Avenue, Apple Valley (952 432 2001) and one hour prior to Mass at the church. Interment at St. Mary’s & St. Mark’s Catholic Cemetery at Shakopee, MN. We want to express our appreciation to all of those who supported her in her final days, but especially to the medical and nursing staffs at Fairview Ridges Medical Center in Burnsville, MN and Augustana Healthcare Center in Apple Valley, MN. On line condolences at www.whitefuneralhomes.com

Born June 20, 1936 - Passed away peacefully September 3, 2012. Preceded in death by her parents, Leo and Mary Fitzgerald and Grandson, Alan Ring. She is survived by her husband of nearly 53 years, Joseph Peichel, and children, Kathleen (Ralph) Ring, Timothy (Rita) Peichel, Michelle (John) Huver and Grandchildren, Steven David & Andrew Ring, Jeremy and Vincent Peichel, Elizabeth, Jessica, Christina & Angela Huver and Great-Grandson Liam Peichel. Darlene was born and raised in Almena, Wisconsin and met Joe at a church dinner in Almena in 1959 and were married later that year. They moved to the Twin Cities and eventually settled in Eagan. She worked in the banking industry for 25 years, then worked and retired from Republic/Northwest Airlines for 17 years. She was a 33 year breast cancer survivor, a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother. She enjoyed baking, arts & crafts/ceramics, embroidery & cross stick, church activities-especially rosary making, and spending time with all her grandkids and making a point to attend as many of their functions as possible. She so enjoyed travelling in her motor home and spending quality time with family. She was also an avid coca cola collector and enthusiast, along with her love of anything to do with Martha Stewart. Mass of Christian Burial Friday September 7, 2012 at 11 a.m. with visitation Thursday, September 6, 2012 from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. and one hour prior to the service all at the Mary Mother of the Church, 3333 Cliff Road East, Burnsville, MN. Interment Monday, September 10, 2012 at 11:15 a.m. at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Minneapolis. Washburn-McReavy Funeral Chapel, Edina 952-920-3996

Francis G. Mahowald Mahowald, Francis G., age 94 of Lakeville went home to be with The Lord on Friday, August 31, 2012. Preceded in death by his previous wives; Marcella Friedges (1981) and Irene Donnelly Ruddle (2003). Survived by children and stepchildren Bob (Diane) and Kevin (Mary Kay)Mahowald, Karen (Bob) Riedfort, Linda Ruddle, Pat (Jim) Dooley, Bob (Katie) Ruddle, Gary Ruddle, Kathy Rollman; 17 grandchildren; 28 great grandchildren; also special friend Shirley Bjerke. Lifetime Lakeville resident, charter member of the Lakeville Fire Dept., defense worker building ships in Savage MN during WWII and owner of F.G. Mahowald Cement Construction until retirement. Senior member of the 5:00 a.m. breakfast club at the Buckboard Restaurant. He loved to fish and lived a full Life! Mass of Christian burial was held, 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, September 5, 2012 at All Saints Catholic Church (19795 Holyoke Ave., Lakeville, MN 55044 p.952-469-4481). Visitation was held on Tuesday at White Funeral Home (20134 Kenwood Trail, Lakeville, MN) and one hour prior to the Mass at the church. Interment: All Saints Cemetery, Lakeville, MN. On line condolences at: www.whitefunerahomes.com

Knight - Boote III Announcing the engagement of Sarah Rose Knight, daughter of David and Sandra Knight to Jack Judson Boote III, son of Sharon and Peter Pasvant of Apple Valley MN. Sarah is a 2005 graduate of Rosemount HS and 2009 graduate of the U of WI - River Falls. Jack is a 2000 graduate of Eastview HS and a 2004 graduate of the U of MN - Mankato. An Oct. 6th, 2012 wedding is planned at Shepard of the Valley Lutheran Church in Apple Valley.

Gianeskis Bielec

Laura Gianeskis and Bryce Bielec announce their engagement and upcoming wedding. Laura is the daughter of Anna and Mike Gianeskis of Guyton, GA. She is a 2007 graduate of Effingham County High School, Springfield, GA and a 2011 graduate of Georgia Southern University, Statesboro. Laura is completing her graduate studies in spanish education at GSU. Bryce is the son of Wanda and Jeff Bielec of Burnsville. He is a 2006 graduate of Apple Valley High School and a 2011 graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire. Bryce is a band teacher at Calvary Day School, Savannah, GA. An October wedding is planned in Savannah.

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Timothy Eisenbeisz

To submit an announcement

Forms for birth, engagement, wedding, anniversary and obituaries announcements are available at our office and online at www.thisweeklive. com (click on “Announcements” and then “Send Announcement”). Completed forms may be e-mailed to class.thisweek@ecminc.com or mailed to Sun Thisweek, 15322 Galaxie Ave., Suite 219, Apple Valley, MN 55124. If you are submitting a photograph along with your announcement, please only submit photographs for which you have the right to permit Sun Thisweek to use and publish. Deadline for announcements is 4 p.m. Tuesday. A fee of $50 will be charged for the first 5 inches and $10 per inch thereafter. They will run in all editions of Sun Thisweek. Photos may be picked up at the office within 60 days or returned by mail if a self-addressed, stamped envelope is provided.

Darlene Peichel (Fitzgerald)

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Timothy Eisenbeisz left this world to be with his Savior on Friday, August 24, 2012. He was preceded in death by grandparents Fred and Rosemary Stephan and Reinhold Eisenbeisz. He leaves behind his loving parents Randy and Roby Eisenbeisz, his brother Eric (Renee), grandmother Irene Eisenbeisz and all his loving Aunts, Uncles, Cousins and friends. Tim graduated from Burnsville High School in 2006 where he excelled in his passion for music by playing the French horn in concert band and pit orchestra. Tim was surrounded by a network of wonderfully creative and talented musicians and players in the performing arts at Burnsville High. His passion was fueled by the dedicated music teachers who encouraged and supported him through his school years, but especially by his mentor, Scott Winters. After high school, Tim pursued his interest in software and technology, but always with music as a companion. He was a seeker of God’s word and shared with his family his firm conviction in the salvation given to him through Jesus Christ his Savior. It is that affirmation and our own belief that gives us comfort and will carry us through the time of pain and sorrow. Celebration of Life, was held Wednesday, August 29, 2012 at Hosanna! Church, 9600 163rd St. Lakeville, MN. Gathering of family and friends was one hour prior to service at church.

In Memoriam Armando Guerra “The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when they discover that someone else believes in them and is willing to trust them” - Ralph Waldo Emerson You were that kind of friend to me, Armando. May 27, 1974 - Sept. 10, 2011

In Memoriam

Alyssa Jo Danielle Boehme Jan. 16, 1989 - Sept. 7, 2007 It's hard to believe we've survived the last five years. You are so dearly missed and nothing is the same; but you are more than remembered, you are never ever forgotten. We miss you, Alyssa Jo, and love you forever and always all the way to heaven and back again. xxxooo Your Family

Today’s The Day Stop Smoking

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Sports

September 7, 2012 Sun Thisweek - Burnsville - Eagan

Photo by Rick Orndorf

Eagan defensive lineman Kai Nerhus pressures Prior Lake quarterback Keyanno Reese.

Sophomore running back Will Rains scored two touchdowns in Eastview’s 22-7 victory over Burnsville on Aug. 30.

Wildcats looking to right their ship Eagan to face Burnsville after dropping opener to Prior Lake by Mike Shaughnessy Sun Thisweek

It’s never a good sign for a football team to have to regroup after its first game, but that’s the situation Eagan found itself in after losing to Prior Lake 30-11 on Aug. 31 at Wildcat Stadium. Figuring out how to keep the offense on the field will be a priority as Eagan prepares for its game at Burnsville at 7 p.m. Friday. Last week Prior Lake ran 42 plays in the second half, keeping the ball away from the Wildcats, and scored two touchdowns in the final three minutes to pull away. “With two and a half minutes left, we still had a chance to win,” Eagan coach Rick Sutton said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t

make a couple of plays. There were a couple of times where we had a chance to get the defense off the field and didn’t, and we missed a couple of chances to keep our offense on the field.” Eagan’s defense faced a chore against Prior Lake’s potent running game. The Lakers, a state large-school playoff qualifier in 2011, rushed for 298 yards and controlled the ball for much of the second half, running 42 plays to Eagan’s 21. An 11-play, 58-yard drive extended Prior Lake’s lead to 23-11 with 2:50 to play. On the first play of Eagan’s next possession, the Lakers intercepted a pass and returned it 22 yards for the final score of the game. Eagan never led but did pull within 14-11 on Mitch

Seidel’s 32-yard touchdown pass to Cole Peterson with 2:09 left in the second quarter. Seidel ran in a two-point conversion. Shane Ringkob kicked a 32-yard field goal in the second quarter. Seidel completed 10 of 18 passes for 112 yards in his first varsity start. Senior linebacker Kevin Martinez led the Wildcats with 16 tackles. Defensive back John Paulson had 10 tackles, seven unassisted. Defensive back Jabri Guy had seven tackles and a fumble recovery. “As a team, we played hard all night long,” Sutton said. “We battled, battled, battled. (Prior Lake’s) score really could have stayed at 17.” Burnsville lost to

Eastview 22-7 in its season opener Aug. 30. The Blaze is a young team with a playmaking quarterback in junior Will Reger, who scored his team’s touchdown against Eastview on a 46-yard run.

Eastview The Lightning passed its first test when it defeated Burnsville 22-7 at home on Aug. 30. And while the Blaze expects to be an upand-coming program under second-year head coach Tyler Krebs (a longtime Eastview assistant coach before going to Burnsville), a much more formidable obstacle is waiting for the Lightning this week. Lake Conference power Wayzata, which has played in the last two state

large-school championship games, will play host to Eastview at 7 p.m. Friday. The Trojans, ranked second in Class 6A, routed Bloomington Jefferson 52-7 in their season opener last week. This is the second year of a non-conference scheduling agreement between the South Suburban, North Suburban and Lake conferences. The South Suburban and North Suburban have agreed to play several nonconference football games per season against teams from the Lake, which has only five schools, so the Lake teams can fill their regular-season schedules. Lake Conference teams are 7-1 so far against outside competition, including 4-0 against the South Sub-

urban and North Suburban. Eastview last played Wayzata in the 2009 season opener, with Wayzata winning 34-7. The Lightning started quickly in last week’s game against Burnsville, scoring a touchdown and safety in the first quarter. Defensive lineman Max Kane got credit for the safety, and Eastview extended its lead to 8-0 on sophomore Will Rains’ 20yard touchdown run. In the second quarter, Mark Dwyer threw a 23yard touchdown pass to Montrell Moore. Rains scored again in the third quarter on a 4-yard run. Mike Shaughnessy is at mike. shaughnessy@ecm-inc.com or facebook.com/sunthisweek.

Blaze block out Raiders Notebook: Weggemann Burnsville volleyball nets key non-conference win wins Paralympic gold by Andy Rogers Sun Thisweek

The Burnsville volleyball team secured one of its best non-conference victories in recent memory on Tuesday night. The girls swept Cretin-Derham Hall, a recent state tournament participant, 25-17, 25-20, 2624. “It was an awesome win,” head coach Kim Fritz said. “Skill wise (Cretin-Derham Hall) is at the top. They can compete with anybody in our conference. Today we went over a hurdle in terms of confidence and consistency.” The girls earned a boost of assurance they could compete with the likes of the Raiders, who received votes for the top 10 in the Class AAA coaches poll when the season opened. “Our defense was on tonight,” senior middle hitter Nikki Brolin said. “The blocking at the end was amazing. Even though we were down and had to win by two, we kept the momentum and stayed on top.” Burnsville lost to Cretin-Derham Hall 3-2 last year and 3-0 in 2010. Burnsville opened the season with two straight losses to the always formidable Chaska 3-0 on Aug. 24 and a tight game to Totino-Grace 3-2 on Aug. 28. The girls got their first win Aug. 30 besting Visitation, the No. 9 ranked team in Class AA, by a score of 3-1. A sweep was welcome on Tuesday. “We don’t normally finish in three,” Brolin said. “We were shaky at times (against Cretin-Derham Hall), but we did it. We needed it. We needed to finish in three.” With a win over the Raiders, the Blaze feel more comfortable heading into the South Suburban Conference portion of its schedule which begins next Tuesday when Apple Valley comes to town. Last season the girls

Eagan native breaks swimming record by Mike Shaughnessy Sun Thisweek

Photo by Andy Rogers

Burnsville’s Allahah Baker (1) and Alyssa Muelken (6) go for one of many blocks against Cretin-Derham Hall on Tuesday. struggled in the South Suburban, netting two wins playing in a conference with top-five ranked teams such as Bloomington Jefferson, Lakeville North, Lakeville South and Eagan. The Blaze lost Ali Butler and Camille Benson, the remaining members of the state tournament team that finished third in 2009, to graduation in the spring. But last year’s team relied on several underclassmen who are now a year older, wiser and anxious for a rematch. Four seniors – Brolin, Nicole Mehr, Raven Klein and Alannah Baker – along with an army of juniors hope for a big improvement in 2012. Juniors Alyssa Muelken, Lauren Randall and Kaycie Hagen are starting their

third year of varsity, and classmates Payton Schultze and Greta Geist provide some veteran experience as defensive specialists. “They play well together,” Fritz said. “Although it looks young, they play with a lot of experience. I love about this team there are girls with certain strengths, but what puts us apart is the way they play together. They all bring something.” The girls are heading to the Marshall Tournament on Sept. 7, which is one of the premier early-season varsity volleyball tournament in the state with several teams ranked in the top 10 in Class A-AAA. Andy Rogers can be reached at andy.rogers@ecm-inc.com or facebook.com/sunthisweek.

Eagan native Mallory Weggemann won her first Paralympic swimming gold medal Sunday night, breaking meet and U.S. records in the 50-meter freestyle in the process. Weggemann, who holds numerous U.S. and world records, finished in 31.13 seconds in the 50 freestyle final in London. She was about three-tenths of a second faster than the runnerup from Australia. The previous Paralympic Games record was 31.51. Before Weggemann could compete, she had to deal with some controversy. A few days before the start of the London Paralympic Games, Weggemann was reclassified from S7 to S8 by the International Paralympic Committee. The new classification is for athletes with fewer restrictions and meant that Weggemann, who is paralyzed below the waist, might have to compete against athletes that have some leg function. The U.S. Paralympic Committee appealed the reclassification, but it was denied. “I’m a T10 complete paraplegic,” Weggemann told BBC World Service. “I have no feeling or movement from my belly button down and I’m competing against people who are bilateral double amputees below the knee, who have, from below the knee up, full function.” Weggemann also finished seventh in the 100 backstroke final in 1 minute, 23.36 seconds, about six seconds behind the gold medalist. She is scheduled to compete in seven events at the London Paralympic Games, which run through Sunday. A 2007 Eagan High School graduate, Wegge-

Mallory Weggemann mann was paralyzed below the waist in January 2008 because of complications from an epidural injection intended to treat back pain. A former high school swimmer, she returned to the sport and by 2010 won eight gold medals and one silver at the IPC World Championships.

AV volleyball tourney The Aerie Challenge, the first of three regularseason weekend varsity volleyball tournaments at Apple Valley High School, takes place Friday and Saturday. In addition to the host team, the field includes Stewartville and Caledonia, the second- and ninthranked teams in Class 2A, and South Suburban Con-

ference teams Lakeville South and Bloomington Kennedy. First-round matches begin at 5 p.m. Friday. The championship match is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Saturday. The other Apple Valley tournaments are the Eagle Invitational, scheduled Sept. 21-22, and the October Classic, which will be Oct. 12-13. The Eagle Invitational is expected to attract the strongest field of any regular-season tournament. The No. 1-ranked teams in each of the state’s three enrollment classes are committed to play in the Eagle Invitational Mike Shaughnessy is at mike.shaughnessy@ecm-inc. com or facebook.com/sunthisweek.

Sun Thisweek - Burnsville - Eagan September 7, 2012

Blaze net a 5-2 victory Sarah Davidson from Burnsville takes a swing against Farmington. After a couple of tough losses, the Burnsville girls tennis team secured a 5-2 win over the Tigers on Tuesday winning three singles matches and two doubles. Photo by Rick Orndorf

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Soccer standoff

Photo by Rick Orndorf

Eaganâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ryan Mott (6) goes up field while pursued by several Eastview players, including Jacob Opheim (10), during a South Suburban Conference boys soccer game Tuesday afternoon. The teams played to a 2-2 tie.

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September 7, 2012 Sun Thisweek - Burnsville - Eagan

Sun Thisweek - Burnsville - Eagan September 7, 2012

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September 7, 2012 Sun Thisweek - Burnsville - Eagan

Sun Thisweek - Burnsville - Eagan September 7, 2012

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September 7, 2012 Sun Thisweek - Burnsville - Eagan

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The second annual Eagan Charity 5K, sponsored by Eagan Women of Today, will be held at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 15, starting at the Diffley/Lexington Athletic Complex at 4201 Lexington Ave. S.

Eagan 5K walk/run set to raise money for local nonprofits by Jessica Harper Sun Thisweek

One local group plans to hit the ground running next week to raise money for area nonprofits. The second annual Eagan Charity 5K, sponsored by Eagan Women of Today, will be held at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 15, starting at the Diffley/Lexington Athletic Complex at 4201 Lexington Ave. S. “This event is a big money maker for us to provide funds for local charities,” said Sandy Gaffney, president of Eagan Women of Today. “There seems to be more need in our community recently.” The event will include a run and walk to raise money for Dakota Woodlands,

Eagan Resource Center, Beyond the Yellow Ribbon and several other area nonprofit organizations. Last year, the 5K raised $1,700, and organizers hope to increase that figure to $2,500 next week. Though the event is sponsored by a women’s organization, participation in the 5K is open to both men and women of all ages. Pre-registration will be available until Sept. 14 and costs $25 for participants who are 18 and older and $20 for participants who are 17 and younger. Payments can be made at www.eagan. wt.org under the 5K tab or by mail to Eagan WT, P.O. Box 211553, Eagan, MN. 55121. Women of Today urges participants to mail

checks, not cash. Participants who preregister will be guaranteed a T-shirt, but those who register on the day of the event will be given T-shirts on a first-come, first-serve basis. On the day of the race, registration will be held at 8:15 a.m. at the athletic complex. Women of Today was founded in 1950 as the Mrs. Jaycees, and was comprised of Jaycee wives. In 1985, the organization changed its name to Minnesota Women of Today. Eagan Women of Today was founded in 2010. Jessica Harper is at jessica. harper@ecm-inc.com or facebook.com/sunthisweek.

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