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Burnsville | Eagan September 28, 2012 | Volume 33 | Number 31

Eagan’s first city administrator retires Officials say Tom Hedges’s legacy will remain will give him an opportunity to spend more time with his Eagan’s first and wife, Debbie, who only city administraretired from nursing tor, Tom Hedges, has earlier this year, and said he will retire after their three adult chil36 years. Hedges announced Tom Hedges dren and four grandchildren. his resignation — effective Feb. 1 — during the Eagan City Council memSept. 19 City Council meet- bers, saddened by the news, praised Hedges for his work ing. “This is a great community in the city and noted that he and it has been a wonderful will leave a legacy. ride over the past 36 years,” “You helped create the the 63-year-old Eagan resi- Eagan culture and the Eagan Photo submitted dent said. “Now I’m looking way,” Council Member Paul forward to having more flex- Bakken said to Hedges on Tom Hedges, Eagan city administrator (standing left), swore in Gene VanOverbeke (standing right) as the city’s finance director in 1981. Hedges was responsible for creating ibility in my life.” See Hedges, 5A the finance, public works and community development departments during that time. Hedges said his retirement by Jessica Harper Sun Thisweek

SUPPLEMENT ADVERTISING 28, 2012 September

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Fall Home Improvement The city of Rosemount will host a solar workshop for residents and business owners to learn more about the green technology.

Opinion Voters need to do homework ECM Publishers and Sun Thisweek offer the first of what will be six editorials about the upcoming election. See Page 4A

Senate race seen as hot one Daley, Carlson square off in rematch

thisweekend

by T.W. Budig Sun Thisweek

Suspense writer is packing heat Eagan police officer Dan McCarty will discuss his debut novel, “A Soldier Reborn,” at Rosemount’s Robert Trail Library on Oct. 2. Page 10A

Photo by T.W. Budig

Jim Carlson, Senate District 51 DFL candidate, is out door knocking in Eagan, where his family has lived for many years.

The 95-degree heat lent credence to the idea the Senate District 51 race is one of the hottest in the suburbs. Republican Sen. Ted Daley, placing his blue and white campaign signs in the windows of his parked car, was door-knocking in a neighborhood not far off Cliff Road in Eagan on a hot afternoon. Daley is pitted against former Sen. Jim Carlson in a Dakota County rematch. The temperature had hit the 90s and a warm wind blew the afternoon Daley was afoot. But Daley, 46, has worn

heavier clothing than a sports shirt and slacks in hot places. Try body armor. “If there was a breeze, it felt as if you’re in an oven,” said Daley, a West Point graduate who saw action in Iraq as a member of the 101st Airborne Division. Daley is the latest Republican to hold the end of the rope in the tug-ofwar between Republicans and Democrats over the bellwether Senate seat. Daley defeated Democratic Sen. Jim Carlson two years ago by winning Photo by T.W. Budig about 52 percent of the vote. Carlson, in 2006, de- Republican incumbent Sen. Ted Daley, District 51, checks a campaign neighborhood See Senate, 3A map before setting out.

Proposed school levy up 4.1 percent Teacher incentive pay key factor in increase

sports

by John Gessner Sun Thisweek

School District 191 graphics

Heat turned up on Blaze soccer The Burnsville girls soccer team is looking to improve after losing a few tough games. See Page 12A

Index Opinion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4A Thisweekend. . . . . . . . . 10A Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12A Public Notices. . . . . . . . 14A Announcements . . . . . . 15A Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . . 16A

General Information 952-894-1111 Distribution 952-846-2070 Display Advertising 952-846-2011 Classified Advertising 952-846-2000

These charts break down by student subgroups the percentage of District 191 students who met proficiency in reading and math on Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments given in 2012. In bars 9 and 10, “FRP” refers to free and reduced-price lunch. In bar 11, “LEP” refers to limited English proficiency.

Reinstatement of a teacher incentive-pay program is the biggest factor in a proposed 4.1 percent tax increase in Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District 191. The School Board voted Sept. 20 to certify a proposed $34.33 million levy payable in 2013. That’s $1.38 million more than this year’s levy. Reinstatement of ProPay — the incentive-pay plan the district adopted years ago under Minnesota’s Q Comp law — accounts for $895,400 of the increase, according to See District 191, 6A

Property tax levy to

District 191 lags state on test scores drop in District 196 State test results show wide achievement gaps

Board Member Dan Luth Sun Thisweek complained that those data Most grade levels in School aren’t in the annual report and District 191 lag state averages as such are largely hidden from in math and reading proficiency public view. on state tests given this spring. The results are found in the Math Burnsville-Eagan-Savage dis- Math results from Minnesotrict’s 2011-12 Annual Report ta Comprehensive Assessments on Curriculum, Instruction given in April and May show and Student Achievement. The District 191 students lagging beSchool Board approved the hind the statewide average in all state-mandated report Sept. 20. grades except six. The math test Additional test data show is given in grades three through wide achievement gaps for black eight and in grade 11. and Hispanic students, low-in- In grade six, 59.8 percent of come students, students learn- district students achieved proing English and special educa- ficiency on the test compared with 58.8 percent statewide. tion students. by John Gessner

In other grades, district students lagged the state average by as much as 12 percent. In grade three, 63.6 percent of district students reached proficiency, compared with 75.6 percent statewide. Elementary results did improve over last year, with an average proficiency rating increase of 3 percent, according to the report. In junior high, proficiency rates grew by 7 percent in grade seven and by 12 percent in grade eight over 2011. But the district remains 3 percent behind the See Scores, 6A

Homeowners can expect to pay the same or less in 2013 by Jessica Harper Sun Thisweek

The Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan School Board is considering lowering its property tax levy in 2013, and as a result homeowners will likely pay the same or less in the district’s portion of taxes, officials say. On Sept. 24, the board unanimously approved a preliminary levy of $73.9 million, which is 2.53 percent less than in payable 2012. The district’s preliminary general fund levy — money that is not designated to specific services — was set at $30.49 million, which is a 1.06 percent decrease from 2012. The lower levy was due, in part, to equalization aid the district received by the state See District 196, 6A

September 28, 2012 Sun Thisweek - Burnsville - Eagan

Home health aide accused Eagan native chosen of stealing from client on NBC’s ‘The Voice’ by Jessica Harper Sun Thisweek

Burnsville High royalty Submitted photo

Luke Kegley and Maddie Harpell, both of Burnsville, were named Burnsville High School’s homecoming king and queen at a coronation Thursday, Sept. 20. Kegley is a member of TASK who volunteers in elementary schools. He attended Vista View Elementary and Nicollet Junior High. Harpell is active in theater and choir. She attended Sioux Trail Elementary and Metcalf Junior High.

her going in the drawer in which they were kept. After viewing the recording, the woman and her daughter notified the facility’s director who confronted Elwell on Aug. 26. Upon confronting her, Elwell allegedly admitted to taking the pills. In an interview with police on the following day, Elwell said the woman asked her to retrieve the pills from the drawer, but that she never gave them to the woman and instead took them home. The woman denies giving Elwell permission to take the pills from the drawer or even enter her apartment. Elwell is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 8 at 9 a.m. in Hastings. If convicted, Elwell could face up to 10 years in prison for each count.

A home health aide at an Eagan senior living facility faces felony charges this week for allegedly stealing prescription drugs from an elderly client. Catrina Deloris Elwell, 26, was charged by the Dakota County Attorney on Aug. 23 with second-degree burglary and theft, both felonies. According to the criminal complaint, an elderly woman living in the facility noticed she was missing 179 Oxycodone pills and notified police on June 19. Following her report to police, the woman’s daughter who was responsible for the woman’s medication set up and refills, installed a camera in the woman’s room. Though Elwell, a Burnsville resident, was not responsible for handling the Jessica Harper is at jessica. woman’s medications, the harper@ecm-inc.com or facecamera allegedly recorded book.com/sunthisweek.

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by Jessica Harper Sun Thisweek

An Eagan native got his shot at fame last week as a contestant on NBC’s “The Voice,” a reality singing competition judged by a host of celebrities. Nicholas Mrozinski, who used the name Nicholas David, was chosen by judge Cee Lo Green after performing Ben E. King’s classic “Stand by Me.” The St. Paul resident and Eagan native had gathered a small national following under the nickname “the feelin” prior to his television debut. An eclectic singer-song-

writer whose music incorporates everything from folk and blues to reggae and New Age, has released five CDs and performed at First Avenue and Pantages Theater in Minneapolis, among other venues. His music has been played by radio stations across the nation. Mrozinski is a graduate of Eagan High School where he began to cultivate his vocal talents. Andrew Miller contributed to this article. Jessica Harper is at jessica.harper@ecminc.com or facebook.com/ sunthisweek.

Lightning dance clinic is Saturday, Oct. 6 The Eastview High School Lightning dance team will hold its annual community dance clinic Saturday, Oct. 6, at the high school, 6200 140th St. W., Apple Valley. The clinic is open to ages 4 to 14. Advance registration fee is $35 per participant ($25 each additional family member). Registration at the door is $39. The fee includes a Tshirt, personal instruction by the Eastview dance

team, a snack, and free student admission and popcorn at the Eastview Dance Invitational if wearing the shirt. Same day registration for the clinic begins at 10:15 a.m. The clinic runs 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a performance at 3:15 p.m. for family and friends. For more information go to www.LightningDanceTeam.com and click on “DANCE CLINIC” or contact Cinda Rudolph at cinda.rudolph@me.com.

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Sun Thisweek - Burnsville - Eagan September 28, 2012

SEnate, from 1A feated incumbent Republican Sen. Mike McGinn by winning about 54 percent. McGinn had taken the seat four years earlier in a thin, automatic-recount win over incumbent Democratic Sen. Deanna Wiener. Redistricting judges, in shaping Senate District 51, barely altered old district lines. A few Burnsville precincts were added. Asked whether the current race was a rematch, given Carlson is trying win back his seat, given the lack of boundary change, Daley said, “absolutely.” Door-knocking is both art and science, and Daley was exhibiting both on the hot afternoon. On a clipboard, which has doubled as a shield against aggressive dogs, Daley recorded his progress, jotting “SH” for shook hands at the door. If no one was home, he wrote a brief note. “It’s very meaningful. And it’s very memorable (for voters),” he said of having a candidate visit the door. Daley, campaigning harder, smarter, more smoothly than two years ago, he said, hit every door. An Obama bumper sticker is no deterrent to a visit, he explained. “If I see them in the yard, I’ll go shake their hands,” he said of likely Democrats. “I’m here to listen.” Among Daley lit pieces is a card listing personal traits — married with four children, St. John Neumann Church, 10-year Eagan resident, Cubmaster for Pack 446, MBA — that unfailingly connects with Eagan and Burnsville voters, he

said. “This is where my son used to take piano lessons,” Daley said, walking up to one home. In talking to voters, Daley, as a Senate Republican, takes “some” credit for the recent rebound to surplus in the state budget. But he doesn’t dispute Democrats’ claims that long-term the state budget faces deficit. Both sides are correct, he said. While saying the outcome of the race could pivot on a number of things, Daley points to health care as a clear contrast between the candidates. “I think that’s definitely not the way to go,” he said of the Affordable Care Act or so-called Obamacare, arguing the future of Blue Cross/Blue Shield, headquartered in the district, could be jeopardized. “Yes, we do need to improve (health care) and reduce costs. And that’s what I’m supportive of,” Daley said. But Daley stresses the private sector. His focus has been the economy and private sector job growth, Daley explained. Simplify the tax code, make sure everyone is paying, consider tax cuts — these are things the state can do foster job growth, Daley explained. “Are we getting everything out what we can?” he said of more efficient government. “I think we can do better.” Ideally, a K-12 budget shift would not have been used in balancing the state budget, Daley explained. But school officials tell him they would take a budget shift to a budget cut any

day, Daley said. Daley, who grew up in Preston, Minn., currently serves in the Army Reserve. While serving in Iraq, in contemplating his future, he concluded his leadership skills and personal interests lent themselves to public service and business. For now, his CPA work has been set aside. “I’m all in,” Daley said of campaigning.

Carlson on the trail Carlson has been active, too. A recent Saturday had campaign volunteers picking up literature at Carlson’s home in Eagan. The Carlson family has lived at the location long enough so that only part of a sign tacked onto a tree when they first moved in is visible, the rest buried in the tree trunk. A retired mechanical engineer, Carlson, 65, essentially grew up in the same location as much of the surrounding neighborhood was part of a 120-acre farm the family once owned. In driving through the neighborhood, Carlson points to where the old barn was, a walnut his mother planted, recalls waterskiing on nearby Carlson Lake. “It takes a family to get Jim a job,” he joked of family involvement in his campaign. Carlson’s diagnosis of the critical factor in the race is straightforward. “Turnout,” he said. “Turnout will make the difference.” Working in tandem with Democratic House candidate Sandra Masin and a handful of volunteers, Carlson spent several hours selectively door knocking at

the Royal Oaks Apartments on Federal Drive. Management required everyone to furnish a Photo ID to get in. Carlson, in talking to a voter earlier in the day, said there were 1,758 fewer registered voters in the district in 2010 than in 2008. “What happened is we didn’t maintain our voter registration,” he said. Tapping into public data, the campaign has the names and addresses of likely unregistered voters — in Royal Oaks Apartments the data proved accurate. But in several cases, unregistered voters were unregistered because they weren’t U.S. Citizens. Carlson chatted with these families, telling Indian nationals about visiting Bangalore. He peeled off “Carlson for Senate” stickers for the children. These newcomers may become citizens and vote one day, Carlson explained. And almost certainly, they know people who do vote, he said. Representing his politi-

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cal ideals is more important than winning, Carlson said. Apartment buildings are not necessarily Democratic treasure troves, but can be important, he indicated. The Carlson campaign is eyeing Precinct 5 in Burnsville because it is so apartment heavy. Carlson said he made the decision to run again almost immediately after losing the election, after a brief “cool down” period. “Sure. I love the attention. Anybody would,” Carlson said of running in a closely watched race. “I can’t say I’m worried about that. I think each race is different.” Although Carlson is less scripted in door knocking than other candidates, he defines himself. In talking with one likeminded Eagan resident, Carlson indicated Republicans apply the job-creation equation in reverse. “Job creators are the ones who are wealthy and ones who get all the tax cut and credits and everything, that has to be debunked,” Carlson said. “(A) job cre-

ator is you buying a service or goods from somebody.” Carlson detailed his opposition to the proposed Photo ID amendment. “That’s gotta go,” Carlson said. Carlson traced the origins of Photo ID to the American Legislative Exchange Council, a conservative group of lawmakers and business leaders with the avowed aim of advancing the fundamental principles of free-market enterprise, limited government. public-private partnerships. “This is where all those right-wing bills come from,” he said. Carlson depicts Daley as attempting to rewrite his legislative history in regard to education — schools are very important to voters in the district. He accused Daley of pitting Education Minnesota, the teachers union, against district voters. “A lot of residents don’t like it,” Carlson said. T.W. Budig can be reached at tim.budig@ecm-inc.com or facebook.com/sunthisweek.

Opinion

September 28, 2012 Sun Thisweek - Burnsville - Eagan

Voters should do their homework before Election Day Election clerks are busy creating a long and detailed ballots for voters. We all know Barack Obama and Mitt Romney are running, but who are all those other candidates for president? The 2012 ballots will include candidates for city council, school board and the soil and water conservation district. Ballots will have county board candidates and possibly some candidates for boards some people have never heard of. Then comes that long list of judge candidates. Even experienced voters shouldn’t “wing it” this year. Voters need to do their homework before going heading to the polls. Read the Voters Guide, which will be published in the Friday, Oct. 26 Sun Thisweek. Talk with the candidate who knocks on the door. Don’t let candidates say, “I’m going to reduce your taxes” or anything so vague. Which taxes? Income taxes? Sales taxes? Property taxes? Pin them down and make them give details. Many cities and counties publish sample ballots in newspapers, and include them on their websites. These can be very informative. Many communities will have voters forums or debates. Take time out to attend and listen. Learn who’s running locally and

ECM Editorial what important matters are being discussed at local levels of government. Voters also need to prepare for the two constitutional amendment questions, which will be included somewhere in those many pages of ballot. It is very important for voters to understand that if they do not vote on either amendment question, it will be counted with the “no” votes. The state constitution requires that a majority of the people voting in the election must approve a constitutional amendment. Therefore a “no” vote and a blank ballot will both count on the “no” side. One amendment will ask voters whether or not Minnesotans should be required to have a photo identification to vote and make other voting procedural changes. The question reads: “Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to require all voters to present valid photo identification to vote and to require the state to provide free identification to eligible voters, effective July 1, 2013?” Proponents argue that requiring identi-

fication will cut down on voter fraud. We need IDs for everything else, why would presenting an ID to vote cause a problem, they ask. Others argue that this will discriminate against the poor and elderly. Some of those individuals cannot obtain official photo IDs because they do not possess birth certificates or other required documentation. It is the other amendment that is generating the most attention and emotion. The question reads: “Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to provide that only a union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as marriage in Minnesota?” If passed, that language will be added to our constitution. If the amendment fails, it does not mean that gay marriage would suddenly be allowed in Minnesota. Samesex marriage is not legally recognized in Minnesota. Legislative action would be required before same sex marriage would be permitted, or unless a judge rules current law unconstitutional. Some voters are confused as to what “yes” means and what “no” means. “Yes” means, add this to language to the constitution. A “no” vote means, do not add the statement to the constitution.

We appreciate that this topic is passionate and personal. Many churches have taken stands. So have city councils and corporations. This decision challenges both voters’ minds and hearts, as voters decide what they believe is right for them and for the state. We encourage all voters to read extensively, engage neighbors in conversation and listen to the leaders of faith communities. Over the next few weeks, we will be presenting endorsement editorials on the amendments and the top federal offices. The ECM Editorial Board has been researching the issues and meeting the candidates in person. After research and deliberation, the board members have voted on the stances that will be presented in these editorials. Our intent is to encourage voters to think, so that they will make careful and intelligent choices when they enter the voting booth Tuesday, Nov. 6. This is a product of the ECM Editorial Board. Sun Thisweek Newspapers is part of ECM Publishers Inc.

Letters BRAVO, for food donations To the editor: I am a volunteer at the 360 Communities food shelf in Burnsville. I wish to apprise our citizens of the Burnsville Restaurant Alliance Volunteer Organization (BRAVO) that has helped to stock our food shelves through a networking alliance of restaurants in the Burnsville and surrounding area. BRAVO provides food on a monthly basis to help with our community needs. Since most restaurants end up with some non-perishable food that might not be used in the near future, BRAVO provides a conduit to utilize these products to benefit our food shelves. Thank you BRAVO for all that you do. If any restaurants or like businesses would wish to participate in the BRAVO project, you may contact them at (952) 807-7631. Bill Ganz Burnsville

Obermueller will work with others To the editor: The 112th House of Representatives has been called the “do-nothing” Congress. As I write this, the Congress is on another “break” having worked just eight days in September. This Congress has also made history as the single most anti-environmental House in U.S. history. There has been an endless assault on our right to breathe clean air and maintain clean drinking water. The GOP-controlled House has blocked the president’s American Jobs

has fought the decline in our education rankings due to reduced funding. She stands for integrity in the state’s budget process. Incumbents wanted to borrow from the state’s reserves to balance the budget. But this endangered the state’s bond rating in the past, and that cost us all additional interest charges. This kind of irresponsible borrowing could prevent us from using state reserves for emergencies like relief for the flood victims in northern Minnesota. Masin favors full repayment of this shift. She’s committed to paying back the amount owed to our schools as soon as possible and investing in our schools to lower class sizes and provide the high-quality education children need to be successful. She will work for a reduced budget load for local school districts, and less dependence on higher property taxes, MIKE JOHNSON which hurts seniors and Burnsville middle-income earners. role as a mom Masin protects andMasin’s grandmom give her average citizens perspective in protecting average citizens over large To the editor: Some incumbents in the corporations. state Legislature are trying to sell voters in the south LARRY KOENCK metro area a bill of goods Eagan about their supposedly “good work” with the state Taxpayers budget for education. They borrowed record amounts aren’t ATM from Minnesota schools, machines which resulted in our ow- To the editor: ing our schools over $2 bil- I received a disturbing lion, and that’s over $2,000 piece of literature this week per student. As a result of from the Minnesota DFL their “creative” budgeting, supporting Will Morgan more school rooms saw for State Representative in class sizes with over 40 stu- 56B. dents this year. South met- Specifically, it discussed ro parents believe smaller how Morgan would seek to class sizes result in a better get more funding for edueducation. cation. Sandra Masin, who is This is troubling berunning for the Legislature cause it implies that Morin Burnsville and Eagan, Act, the Bring Jobs Home Act, and has made it a strategy to stand in his way as he tries to help the nation recover from the Great Recession. U.S. Rep. John Kline, R-Lakeville, has been a willing participant in these actions, and it is time he be retired by the voters of the 2nd Congressional District in favor of someone who will work for the people of this district and help President Obama advance the nation. We need someone who will vote to protect our air and water, someone who will vote for veterans’ benefits, and someone who will vote for jobs in America. That person is Mike Obermueller. Let’s send a person to Congress who will work with our president and work for the people of the 2nd Congressional District.

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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gan views the residents of 56B as an ATM machine with an unlimited supply. This confirms my belief that Roz Peterson would be a better choice for state representative in 56B. Peterson understands that we all want the best opportunities for our children, but that we need to provide those opportunities by reducing the crippling levels of spending in Minnesota and hold educators accountable. I urge all of those in 56B to vote for Peterson in November. Dan Ryan Burnsville

Community guide a great resource To the editor: What an excellent and attractive publication, the Burnsville Community Guide, you have put together for the citizens of Burnsville. It is so well laid out with an abundance of important information regarding all aspects of our city: the police and fire departments, our wonderful hospital, our superb library, just a few of the advantages for living and working and locating one’s business here. The attractive photography illustrates the beauty of the Performing Arts Center, the Heart of the City and the numerous parks and other amenities unique to Burnsville. The history of Burnsville, city stats, and the list of churches and schools are so informative. Thank you for the time and effort in putting together a very fine resource to refer to and enjoy. Marguerite A. Daly Burnsville Editor’s note: Copies of the Burnsville Community Guide are available at Sun Thisweek’s office and other locations throughout Burnsville.

Real budget numbers To the editor: If I had a nickel for every time Rep. Doug Wardlow, R-Eagan, spoke about fiscal responsibility, I might have enough money to help pay down our budget deficit, or at least pay back the schools. Wardlow claimed that the Legislature was able to turn a $5 billion deficit into a $1.2 billion surplus. But the legislature still owes our schools $2.4 billion, the state faces a $1.1 billion deficit next year, and after borrowing one-time funds from tobacco bonds, our state budget is nearly $4 billion in the red. Instead of being hon-

est with constituents about our budget deficit, Wardlow proudly proclaimed we have a budget surplus. But when you dig past the political talking points, you see that we’re in nearly the same predicament we faced two years ago. He may have entered the Legislature promoting fiscal responsibility, but his actions over the past two years have shown nothing but partisan posturing and irresponsibility. Laurie Pumper Eagan

All couples deserve marriage

As a pastor privileged to unite loving couples, straight and gay, in marriage, I’ll vote no on the marriage amendment. It’s how I say to loving families a joyful and supportive yes. DAVID COBB Spirit of Joy Christian Church pastor Lakeville

Layers of government To the editor: On Sept. 18, I attended an informational meeting by the Metropolitan Council at the Dakota County Westcott Library. Met Council representatives for Eagan were in attendance as well as many Dakota County officials. The focus of the meeting was the Met Council’s vision of a seven county plan that would extend to the year 2040. After listening to the presentation and reading the handout provided, I had a number of observations. The Met Council appears to me to be yet another layer of government making critical decisions regarding the future of our state. This body has morphed way beyond the original intent of managing regional water and waste issues, and is now firmly sandwiched in between our municipal, county, state and federal political units. From an economic standpoint and particularly in this recession, it seems to me that the annual Met Council budget could be pared down with some of the money and responsibilities going back to the state, counties and cities and possibly private companies. My reasoning is that we already have elected officials in established levels of government and in addition, some functions such as transportation could be privatized. Do we really need another government entity with the additional overhead? Priorities listed in the “Thrive MSP” printed piece were very revealing. “Mitigating economic and social disparities through regional investments” and “Create policies that address equity” were just two priorities that sounded as though they came directly from the “spread the wealth crowd” in Washington. The additional taxes and borrowed money from China needed to support these priorities will be a burden not only to the taxpayers, but will also bedevil the wordsmiths as they try to convince us that Minnesota is a freedom loving state and is open for business expansion.

To the editor: When Katy and I went to our pastor to show off her engagement ring, Rev. Pennybacker leaned back in his chair with a huge grin. “Great!” he said. “Let’s talk.” And we did, about money, kids, communication, and sex; church, grad school, and employment. At some point, he said, “Promise each other that if things get rough, you’ll call me before you call a lawyer.” For 23 years of married life and pastoral life, I’ve become the one who gets to lean back and grin. Couples tell me how they met and fell in love. They tell silly stories about “his cat, who hisses when I sit on the bed.” We laugh and talk about how relationships deepen and progress, and how they’ll grow in faith. But some couples also share pain. Their love is real. They long to share life in covenant with each other and with God. They even promise to call me before they call a lawyer. But they face things Katy and I don’t face: unsupportive families, judgmental communities, political scorn, religion wielded like a weapon. The tears I’ve seen! One bride said, “I fought being lesbian because my church told me it was sinful, and for years I believed it. I hated myself.” And now? “After a long struggle, I’ve come to trust God loves me. I’m even beginning to love myself.” What’s still troubling you? “Dad always said when I fell in love for life, he’d walk me down the aisle. But because my ‘love for life’ is a woman, he won’t even come to our wedding. I have to walk down the aisle alone.” Every couple I marry, gay or straight, deserves to be able to say: “Our families love us. Our church embraces us. Our neighbors welcome us. Our children are proud of us.” The path is hard enough without Don DeGenaro the state constitution also Eagan standing in the way.

Sun Thisweek - Burnsville - Eagan September 28, 2012

Wednesday. “You have been instrumental in so much of Eagan.” Hedges was hired as Eagan’s first city administrator in 1976 and was handed the task of helping the community convert from a township to a city. In the following two decades, Hedges was responsible for positioning the city to accommodate significant growth. When Hedges started in the late 1970s, Eagan was a relatively small suburb with a population of 19,000 people, which exploded during the 1980s and 90s. “It was quite a challenge making sure all planning and acquisition was in place to stay at pace with development,” he said. Since then, the city’s population has grown to 65,000 residents and a number of major companies call Eagan home. As Eagan rapidly grew, it needed more city departments to accommodate larger populations and Hedges was responsible for creating those departments. Within a few years, Eagan had a new Public Works, Finance and Community Development departments and hired directors who led them for decades. Over the past 36 years, the number of city employees has grown from 35 in the late 70s to 235 full-time employees and 500 part-time employees in 2012. Public service wasn’t Hedges dream job growing up. As a young college

freshman at the University of South Dakota in Vermilion, he looked to pursue a career in business or economics. But by his senior year, Hedges began to look at pursuing a job in government, and after a stint as an assistant to his government professor, Hedges was hooked. Although Hedges initially planned to pursue other avenues, he had been fascinated by local government since childhood. His mother took a job in the early 1960s as a deputy city clerk in Spirit Lake, Iowa. As a teenager, Hedges would occasionally visit his mother at work and quickly became fascinated with the inner workings of city hall. Hedges started his career at age 23 shortly after completing graduate school by becoming the first city administrator of St. Peter, Minn. The tiny employment ad, which ran in the Star and Tribune, remains preserved in Hedges’ scrapbook. “It was a great opportunity to grow in that position,” Hedges said. Hedges has received numerous awards from his peers in city administration, including the 2001 Manager of the Year Award from the Minnesota City and County Management Association and the 2011 Minnesota Government Communicator of the Year award. Several local reporters wrote letters of recommendation for the communicator award and described

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Eagan City Administrator Tom Hedges (left), who announced his retirement on Sept. 19, led the city council around the then new police station in 1978. Hedges as “unfailingly accessible” and as “someone who never failed to return a phone call.” Prior to 2002 when Tom Garrison was hired as Eagan’s communications director, Hedges was the city’s primary spokesperson. It’s the relationships he’s built with those in the community, Hedges said is most rewarding. “I’m all about people,” he said. “I enjoy being around my employees, and if residents have an issue, I want to be their problem solver.” Hedges’s love for his community is evident throughout his office. A bird house decorated with an Eagan banner sits in one window sill, while two Minnesota Gophers bobbleheads stand with pride on a shelf. On another shelf, awards from a local Boy Scout council recognizes Hedges’s volunteerism and skilled skeet shooting. After retirement, Hedges said he plans to continue to work for the community as

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a volunteer. Hedges previously volunteered with local Boy Scouts, his church and other organizations. In addition to working with reporters and residents, Hedges has taken an integral role in attracting businesses to Eagan. In the late 1970s, he was responsible for overseeing communications between the city and West Publishing (now Thomson Reuters) when the company opened a book binding facility in town. In 1991, he worked with the company again when it relocated its corporate office to Opperman Drive in Eagan. “It took a lot of time to get to know them,” Hedges said. “But watching that

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Hedges, from 1A

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company grow is really rewarding.” Hedges has also received several awards for his community outreach efforts, including the Career Development Award in 1985 from the International City and County Management Association and the Outstanding Mentor/Manager in 2000 from the Minnesota Association of Urban Management. Both awards recognized Hedges’s dedication to mentoring teens and young adults who are interesting in pursuing a career in public service. Hedges has mentored more than 40 people who went on to become city managers or department directors. This group includes Steve Mielke, city administrator for Lakeville, who said he continues to look to Hedges as a role model. Mielke worked with Hedges as an intern between the fall of 1980 and spring of 81. During that time, Mielke said he learned not only the responsibilities of a city administrator but how to interact with the community in a positive way. “Even when things are turbulent around him, Tom remains stable,” Mielke

said. “I try to emulate that.” More than three decades later, Mielke said he and others in the field still look to Hedges for advice on public policy and life. “He’s just one of those guys you look up to,” Mielke said. “He always seems to have life balance, and that’s not always easy to achieve in public life.” The city authorized Brimeyer Fursman, a Maplewood executive search firm, to begin efforts to find suitable candidates to fill Hedges position. City officials expect to select a final candidate by early 2013. As the city prepares to hire a new city administrator, Hedges said he hopes the council selects someone who aims to keep up with new technology services, who is mindful of redevelopment needs and who strives to create volunteer opportunities for residents. Although Hedges plans to retire early next year, he said he may not step entirely away from the field. After traveling a bit, he said, he may serve as an independent consultant. Jessica Harper is at jessica. harper@ecm-inc.com or facebook.com/sunthisweek.

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September 28, 2012 Sun Thisweek - Burnsville - Eagan

Scores, from 1A

High school proficiency levels fell by 1 percent and lag the state by nearly 2 percent. Across all student groups in the district, reading proficiency fell by nearly 2 percent. Group proficiency compared with state averages ranged from 9 percent lower for Hispanics to nearly 7 percent higher for Asian/Pacific Islanders. Scores on the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments in science weren’t yet available.

state average in grade seven and 7 percent behind in grade eight. High school proficiency levels fell by 6 percent from 2011. District high schools lagged state performance by 2 percent. Across all student groups, math proficiency rose by an average of nearly 9 percent, the report said. Proficiency rates range from 9 percent below the state rate for Hispanic students to nearly 13 percent above the state rate for Achievement gaps black students. MCA math and reading scores show wide variations Reading when broken down by stu Reading proficiency dent subgroups. lagged behind state aver- Proficiency ratings on ages in all but grades five the math test exceeded 70 (78.1 percent for District percent for white students 191 vs. 78 percent for the and students not qualifystate) and six (80.5 percent ing for free or subsidized vs. 75 percent). school meals. The reading test is given Only about 40 percent in grades three through of black students were proeight and in grade 10. ficient, and fewer than 40 Junior high proficiency percent of Hispanic sturates fell by 3 percent in dents were proficient. grade seven compared with Free or subsidized meal 2011 and rose by 9 percent students were slightly above in grade eight. The dis- 40 percent. Students with trict’s proficiency rates lag limited English and special the state’s by 7 percent in education students came in grade seven and 9 percent under 40 percent, and the in grade eight. district’s small number of

American Indian students was less than 30 percent. In reading, white students and students not receiving free or subsidized meals reached nearly 90 percent proficiency. Black students were just above 60 percent, and Hispanics just above 50 percent. Limited-English and special education students were below 50 percent. Those data were in a supplemental report that was shown in a Power Point and available as a handout at the Sept. 30 board meeting, but not in the annual curriculum, instruction and achievement report posted on the district website. “Our report to the public has no data about our demographic differences” that define the achievement gap, Luth said. “I’m greatly bothered by that.” Luth said he trusts that the district is addressing the problem through curriculum and instructional improvements described in the report. “But we do need to see the statistics, and we do need to be honest with our public about that. That’s what’s going on in our district,” said Luth, who said he’s “ashamed” of the

30-plus-percent difference between white and black students in math. Board Member Jim Schmid said he’d like the report to reflect the district’s demographic changes from year to year to show “what we’re up against.” There is evidence of progress, said Delonna Darsow, the district’s assessment director. Black students made significant gains in reading over the past year, and their progress over three years is “truly something to celebrate,” Darsow said. Year-over-year math scores also show evidence that “our work at closing the achievement is beginning to pay off,” she said. Regardless of what the report shows, the district is keeping close track of students’ scores by group, said Chris Lindholm, assistant superintendent for teaching and learning. Loading the annual report with all the data would be unworkable, Lindholm said. “Indeed we do have achievement gaps upward of 30-plus percent,” he said, telling Luth that he took his comments as “encouragement for the work that we’re doing, and if anything, step it up.” John Gessner can be reached at john.gessner@ecm-inc. com or facebook.com/sunthisweek.

District 191, from 1A a debt fund. The last factor in the levy the district. increase is a $200,000 esti Citing differences with mated rise in the district’s administrators, the teachers obligations for unemployunion pulled out of the pro- ment insurance. The cost is gram in 2011-12. Now it’s going from $300,000 to an back in effect after the two estimated $500,000. School sides agreed on changes. districts are allowed to col The program brings the lect taxes to cover those district $2.5 million in extra costs. revenue, most in state aid The School Board has but some in local taxes, said little control over most piecLisa Rider, executive direc- es of the levy, Rider told tor of business services. board members. The board Also contributing to the could decide to not levy the levy increase is $350,000 to extra $200,000 for unemcover a negative adjustment ployment, but it still needs in the current year’s debt to cover the costs, she said. fund. The state allows dis- Final board action on tricts to levy for 105 percent the levy is expected Dec. 20. of principal and interest on debt. Sometimes adjust- John Gessner can be reached ments are made to repay the at john.gessner@ecm-inc.com overage that accumulates in or facebook.com/sunthisweek. District 196, from 1A the same or less in the district portion of property to counter declining proper- taxes in 2013. ty values, said Jeff Solomon, In payable 2012, for finance director for District instance, the owner of a 196. This aid resulted in a $232,399 home — the aver$500,000 savings, he said. age value in District 196 — “This is nothing unique paid $1,128 toward the disto our district,” Solomon trict’s portion of property said. taxes. The district’s debt reduc- The School Board is extion efforts and efficiencies pected to vote on a final in managing its facilities 2013 property tax in Dealso contributed to the low- cember. The final levy can er property tax levy. be lower but not higher than District 196’s property the preliminary one, Solotax levy has fallen since pay- mon said. able 2010 when the levy was $79.3 million. Jessica Harper is at jessica. Solomon said he expects harper@ecm-inc.com or facehomeowners will pay either book.com/sunthisweek.

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Sun Thisweek - Burnsville - Eagan September 28, 2012

Former DCC employee charged with theft

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Rosemount man allegedly stole computer parts for his own business by Laura Adelmann Sun Thisweek

A Rosemount man is accused of stealing computer parts from his employer, the Dakota Communications Center, and selling them or their components through his own computer business. Matthew Steven Brandenburg, 27, worked at the county-wide dispatch center’s information technology department when he took about $1,400 worth of computer monitors and towers from a locked storage room of items intended to be auctioned, according to a criminal complaint filed Sept. 21.

Prosecutors say Brandenburg was caught on video on numerous occasions after hours when fewer employees were working, carrying and removing what was believed to be computer monitors and towers from the storage room. He allegedly admitted to police that he took about 10 computer towers, eight touchscreen monitors and many computer cables from the DCC without permission, and did not always sign out key access to the room, as was standard procedure. Deputies searched Brandenburg’s business and

found 10 touchscreen monitors with DCC asset tags still attached, and the serial numbers matched those of ones that were missing from the DCC, the complaint stated. He also allegedly handed deputies a 160 GB hard drive that he said came from a DCC computer tower, and said the rest of the towers he had would have been scrapped or sold. When questioned, the complaint states, Brandenburg claimed the items he had taken were “garbage” and needed to be recycled, and told investigators he believed he was saving the

Monson recognized for community service

Mark Monson, an Army veteran and CenterPoint Energy parts research analyst, was honored in June as an outstanding volunteer and Jefferson Award recipient. The Jefferson Awards are a national recognition system honoring community and public service in America, presented on both a national and local level. Monson was selected for the award after he was nominated by his wife Anita. He is CenterPoint’s Minnesota winner. Four other winners were selected in states where CenterPoint has a presence.

“I was very surboth the junior and prised,” said Monsenior vice comson, an Eagan resimander, served three dent. “There are a years as post comlot of people volmander and also has unteering within been the food service the company, helpmanager. ing out their com- Mark His volunteer sermunities, and to be Monson vice over the past 12 singled out for this years has included honor is very humbling.” helping the VFW post ac Monson served his quire kitchen equipment at country for two years as an low or no cost and then inactive-duty soldier and 20 stalling it to create a workyears in the Army Reserve. ing commercial kitchen. Since joining the Veter- This has enabled the post ans of Foreign Wars (VFW) to sell food on bingo nights, Post 9433 in Rosemount, host benefits for cancer paMonson has served on the tients, host steak dinners for house committee, has been soldiers who are being de-

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DCC money by taking the items. Brandenburg is charged with felony theft and felony computer theft; each charge carries a potential penalty of up to five years prison and a fine of between $3,000 to $5,000. According to DCC Operations Director Cheryl Pritzlaff, Brandenburg had worked at the DCC for about five years. She said he is no longer employed there. Laura Adelmann is at laura. adelmann@ecm-inc.com or facebook.com/sunthisweek.

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ployed and raise money to help returning veterans, or the families of deployed soldiers, during financial hardship. Monson, who has worked for CenterPoint Energy for 25 years, also has created a website for the post and helps host a bingo night for the residents at the local veterans’ home. In addition to his work with the VFW Post, Monson serves on the youth education committee at Mount Calvary Lutheran Church and coaches youth fast-pitch softball in his community and First Lego League for the local school.

Dakota County Bar Association holds vote The Dakota County Bar Association, comprised of 149 members, conducted a plebiscite with respect to the contested judicial races in the First Judicial District. Ballots were sent to all 149 members. Eighty-four ballots were returned. Six bal-

lots were rejected because they did not comply with the plebiscite rules. Seventyeight ballots were valid and were counted. The results in the Judge 10 race between incumbent Diane M. Hanson and Michael L. Larson: Hanson,

65; Larson, 7. In the Judge 20 race between incumbent Kathryn D. Messerich and Brian A. Gravely: Messerich, 76; Gravely, 2. Members of the Dakota County Bar Association are lawyers who reside in Da-

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kota County or who regularly practice law in Dakota County. Questions can be directed to Chris Lehmann, vice president of the Dakota County Bar Association, at (651) 455-1661.

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September 28, 2012 Sun Thisweek - Burnsville - Eagan

Sun Thisweek - Burnsville - Eagan September 28, 2012

Fall begins at Holz Farm

Photo by Rick Orndorf

The fall harvest was celebrated at Lone Oak Days in Holz Farm Park in Eagan on Sept. 22 and 23. Gracie Bazzano from Eagan picked a favorite potato out of the wheel barrow at the plowed fields. The 1940s era park used some of the produce and sold pumpkins it had grown this past summer. More photos are online at SunThisweek.com.

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September 28, 2012 Sun Thisweek - Burnsville - Eagan

Thisweekend Suspense novelist is packing heat theater and arts calendar Eagan cop featured at Robert Trail Library’s ‘Meet the Author’ event

by Andrew Miller Sun Thisweek

When Dan McCarty writes about the military and police work in his suspense novel “A Soldier Reborn,” he relies less on library research and more on his own life experiences. As a U.S. Army infantry veteran and Eagan poMcCarty lice officer since 2005, he had plenty of source material to work with. “I think I’d gotten tired of seeing things in military movies and law enforcement movies that weren’t real,” he said of writing “A Soldier Reborn,” which was published last year by Beaver’s Pond Press and centers on a small-town murder investigation. McCarty will be discussing his book at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 2, at the Robert Trail Library in Rosemount as part of the ongoing “Meet the Author” series presented by the Rosemount Area Arts Council. “A Soldier Reborn” is McCarty’s second novel but the first he’s published. The Rosemount native wrote his first book over the course of his years at Eastview High School, where he graduated in 1999. “I’d just kind of sit down and write a page or two here and there,” he said. “It’s about a high schooler, and there’s a lot of high school stuff in it. I never pursued publishing it – it was kind of a learning experience.”

McCarty dedicated “A Soldier Reborn” to Dane Ableidinger, a 3-month-old boy who died at a day care around the time the novel was being published. McCarty was the responding officer to that call. “It’s just been a way for me to deal with some of the feelings I’ve had from that call,” he said of the book dedication. “The book will be a lasting monument to a life that was lost too early.” “A Soldier Reborn” is the first novel in a trilogy McCarty has planned. He recently began work on the next book, “A Soldier Returns.” “It’s a work in progress,” he said. “My wife and I had our third son this summer, so I’d been kind of taking a hiatus from writing with three little boys running around the house.” Admission is free to the Robert Trail Library event. More about McCarty and “A Soldier Reborn” is at www.danmccartybooks.com. Andrew Miller can be reached at andrew. miller@ecm-inc.com or facebook.com/sunthisweek.

To submit items for the Arts Calendar, email: darcy. odden@ecm-inc.com. Books Author Mark Forgy will sign copies and discuss his book “The Forger’s Apprentice” from noon to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 3, in the art gallery at the Burnsville Performing Arts Center, 12600 Nicollet Ave. Free. Minneapolis author Monique Hammond will sign copies of her book, “What Did You Say? An Unexpected Journey into the World of Hearing Loss,” from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 6, at the Apple Valley Barnes & Noble, 14880 Florence Trail. Hammond will speak about important hearing loss topics, answer questions and provide prevention tips and resources on coping with hearing loss.

(952) 898-9404. Colleen Raye will perform her musical tribute to Patsy Cline at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 7, at the Burnsville Performing Arts Center, 12600 Nicollet Ave. Tickets are $19 and can be purchased at the box office, via Ticketmaster at (800) 982-2787 or ticketmaster.com. Lucy Michelle, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 4. Part of the Minnesota Zoo’s Acoustic Concert Series in the Target Learning Center. Tickets: $25. Information: www.mnzoo.com/ events/Events_LiveOnStage. asp. Exhibits/art shows 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) 675-5521 or www.eaganarthouse.org. The Savage Arts Council will present the third annual Scott County Art Crawl from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 6. Information: www.scottcountyartcrawl.org.

Comedy Andy Beningo with special guest Nate Ambruster at 8:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 28, and Saturday, Sept. 29, at MinneHAHA Comedy Club, 1583 E. First Ave., Shakopee (lower level of Dangerfield’s), (612) 860-9388, www.minnehahacomedyclub. com. Tickets: $13. Chad Daniels at 7 p.m. Oct. 11, 7 and 9:30 p.m. Oct. 12-13, and 7 p.m. Oct. 14 at Laugh Lines Comedy, GrandStay Hotel, 7083 153rd St. W., Apple Valley. Tickets are $12 (Thursday/Sunday) and $15 (Friday/ Saturday). Tickets are available online at www.hahatickets.com or by calling (651) 528-8454.

Festivals/special events “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.

Concerts/music Acoustic guitar jam, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 3, at The Guitar Shop, 14555 S. Robert Trail, Rosemount. Free and open to the public. Anyone who wants to sing or play acoustic guitar is welcome. New Life Band from Tanzania will perform at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 6, at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, 13801 Fairview Drive, Burnsville. Information: Susan at sjambor@ princeofpeaceonline.org or

Workshops/classes Teen artist gatherings at the Eagan Art House from 3:30 to 5:30 Thursdays, Oct. 4, Nov. 8 and Dec. 6; and from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturdays, Oct. 6, Nov. 3 and Dec. 1. Cost: $3. Information: (651) 675-5521. 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) 6755521.

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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) 675-5521. Dan Petrov Art Studio in Burnsville offers oil painting classes for beginners, intermediate and advanced skill level painters, www.danpetrovart. com, (763) 843-2734. 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) 736-3644. Show Biz Kids Theater Class for children with special needs (ASD/DCD programs), In the Company of Kids 13710 Nicollet Ave., Burnsville, (952) 736-3644. Broadway Kids Dance and Theater Program for all ages and abilities, In the Company of Kids, 13710 Nicollet Ave., Burnsville (Colonial Shopping Center), (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) 895-0375. Soy candle making classes held weekly in Eagan near 55 and Yankee Doodle. Call Jamie at (651) 315-4849 for dates and times. $10 per person. Presented by Making Scents in Minnesota. Country line dance classes held for intermediates Mondays 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at Rambling River Center, 325 Oak St., Farmington, $5/class. Call Marilyn (651) 463-7833. Country line dance classes on Wednesdays at the Lakeville Senior Center, 20732 Holt Ave. Beginners, 9-10 a.m.; Intermediate, 10 a.m.-noon. $5/ class. Call Marilyn (651) 4637833. The Lakeville Area Arts Center offers arts classes for all ages, www.lakevillemn.gov, (952) 985-4640.

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theater and arts briefs Scarecrow Alley entries

Entries will be taken through Oct. 3 for the Minnesota Zoo’s fourth annual Scarecrow Alley contest; prizes will be awarded to the top three scarecrows. The contest is open to individuals or groups. All scarecrows must be imaginative, family-friendly and have an animal theme. Up to 40 entries will be accepted on a first-come, firstserved basis. All entries will be on display as part of the zoo’s Scarecrow Alley Oct. 6-31. Complete contest rules and entry forms are available online at mnzoo.org and facebook.com/mnzoo.

Youth symphonies The Minnesota Youth Symphonies will open their 2012-13 season with a concert at the Burnsville Performing Arts Center at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 11. The performance will feature all four MYS orchestras and guest artist David Baldwin. Tickets are $17 for adults and $15 for students

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and groups of 10 or more. Tickets can be purchased at the box office or via Ticketmaster at (800) 982-2787 or ticketmaster.com.

Church ladies Christmas Troupe America will present “Away in the Basement: A Church Basement Ladies Christmas” at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 4, at the Burnsville Performing Arts Center, 12600 Nicollet Ave. Tickets range from $34 to $39 and are available at the box office or by phone at (952) 895-4680.

Harvest Moon volunteers Dakota City Heritage Village is seeking volunteers for its annual Harvest Moon Festival set for 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 19, and Saturday, Oct. 20. Volunteers are needed to help staff the event. Some positions involve wearing a period-appropriate costume. To volunteer, call Dakota City at (651) 4608050. For more informa-

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Sun Thisweek - Burnsville - Eagan September 28, 2012

tion about the event, visit www.dakotacity.org.

Event to benefit children’s group “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. KSTP anchor Bill Lunn will emcee the event. Entertainment will include the Eagan Women of Note, singer/songwriter Dale O’Brien, Latino band Shandy Jimenez, Sawtooth Bluegrass Band, flamenco dancers Las Zapatistas and magician Darren Maar. The event will include door prizes and a drawing for a Samsung Galaxy Tablet. Tickets are $30 at the door. More information can be found at www.childrenslighthousemn.org.

theater and arts briefs To submit items for the Family Calendar, email: darcy. odden@ecm-inc.com.

Saturday, Sept. 29 G.A.P. Seminar (God Answers Prayer), 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Messiah Lutheran Church, 16725 Highview Ave., Lakeville. Registration and continental breakfast, 8 to 8:30 a.m. Cost: $10 (includes breakfast, box lunch and instructional materials). Timeless Biblical truths are presented and reinforced in a relaxed atmosphere. Email questions to: gapseminar@messiahonline.org. or call (952) 4840386. Kids’ Used Clothing & Equipment Sale by the Minnesota Valley Mothers of Multiples from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Eagan Community Center, 1501 Central Parkway, Eagan. Entrance fee: $2. Tickets on sale at 10 a.m. Cash or checks only. Information: www.mvmom.org. Sunday, Sept. 30 Community Cares Food Bank and Buffalo Wild Wings will hold a fundraising event from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. A total of 15 percent of all food purchases will go to Community Cares Food Bank. Stop in and mention that you would like to support Community Cares Food Bank. Thursday, Oct. 4 Crystal Lake Education Center grand opening, 5:30 to 8 p.m., 16250 Ipava Ave., Lakeville. Ribbon cutting, 5:45 p.m.;

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music by the Splatter Sisters, 6:30 p.m. Throughout the night: Activities in the classrooms, face painting and tours. Information: (952) 232-2150. Free solar workshop from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Rosemount Community Center, 13885 S. Robert Trail, Rosemount. Learn the basics, get resources. RSVP: http://rosemountsolarworks. eventbrite.com. Sponsored by Metro Clean Energy Resource Team, in partnership with the city of Rosemount.

Friday, Oct. 5 Senior Scams and Fraud Education Workshop, 10 a.m., Burnsville Senior Center, 296 W. Burnsville Parkway. Free. Information: Home Instead Senior Care, (952) 882-9300. Forever Wild Family Friday: Movie Night – The Lorax, 7 to 8:30 p.m., Lebanon Hills Visitor Center – Discovery Room, 860 Cliff Road, Eagan. Rated PG. Free. Registration required. Course No. 4267. Information: http://www.co.dakota.mn.us/LeisureRecreation/CountyParks/ Calendar. Saturday, Oct. 6 Eastview Lightning Dance Clinic for ages 4 to 14 from 11

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a.m. to 3 p.m. at Eastview High School. Registration: 10:15 a.m. Cost: $35 if registered by Sept. 26; $39 at the door. Information: http://www.lightningdanceteam. com/. Community Wellness Day, noon to 3 p.m. at the Eagan Civic Arena, 3870 Pilot Knob Road. This all-ages event provides information on health, safety, environmental, and financial awareness. Features door prizes and family entertainment. Free. Information: Dr. Barb Kaiser at (651) 757-5096. Blood drives The American Red Cross will hold the following blood drives. Call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org to make an appointment or for more information. • Sept. 28, 2 to 7 p.m., Kowalski’s Market, 1646 Diffley Road, Eagan. • Oct. 1, 2 to 7 p.m., Walmart, 2200 Highway 13 W., Burnsville. • Oct. 4, 1 to 7 p.m., Fire Station 1, 21625 Denmark Ave., Farmington. Call Erin at (651) 755-9444 for an appointment. • Oct. 5, noon to 6 p.m., Hosanna Lutheran Church, 9600 163rd St. W., Lakeville.

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Sports

September 28, 2012 Sun Thisweek - Burnsville - Eagan

Blaze shakes off rough week Girls soccer team bounces back in Minneapolis South win by Andy Rogers Sun Thisweek

It’s been an up and down season for the Burnsville girls soccer team. Specifically, one month of up, followed by one week of down. The Blaze suffered two-straight losses last week after winning every game for nearly a month. Burnsville lost to Eastview 2-1 on Sept. 18 and to Lakeville North 2-0 on Sept. 20. “It was a long week,” head coach John Soderholm said. “We got a little panicky. We couldn’t calm down after falling behind. We got back into the game against Eastview, which was nice to see. At North we just never really generated a lot of shots and it made it rough.” The fact that both Eastview and Lakeville North have spent time ranked at No. 1 in the state for Class AA this season was a factor. But Burnsville wants to be right up there, too, after spending time ranked No. 2. “We have to work a lot harder,” senior defender Sarah Poythress said. “We knew we could play with them, but we just didn’t focus enough. We have that next level in us.” A non-conference win 4-0 over Minneapolis South on Tuesday was just what the girls needed to get their confidence back. “We connected with each other a lot better,” senior defender Natalie Muench said. “It was a good comeback after last week. We wanted to rebound. We played

well last week, but we just didn’t get the results we wanted.” Burnsville has faced adversity before. When the season started, the team was down a number of star athletes who were out for the season after suffering offseason injuries. The girls rose to the occasion. Lindsey Coleman (six goals, 11 assists), Abby Soderholm (12 assists, three goals) and Amanda Hartmann have led the charge offensively to help make up for the losses of Alyssa Blahnik, who scored 34 goals last season. “Coleman has been a pleasant surprise,” Soderholm said. Hartmann (seven goals), Hannah Keirstead (six goals) and Anna Lehnen (three goals) have also been instrumental in keeping the opponents’ goalkeeper nervous. “I expected us to be good, and as disappointed as last week was and with the injuries, to be 9-3 at this point I would say I’m happy with that,” Soderholm said. “But it’s never enough, you know.” What’s really helped keep the Blaze on top is the defense. The defense of Muench, Poythress, Brianna Westbrooks, Megan Kasparek and Betsy Peterson among others have helped set Burnsville on a track to pitch eight-straight shutouts. “Communication is huge for the defense,” Poythress said. “We’re always talking to make sure everybody is in the right place.” Darby Lofthus (.939 save percentage) and Meghann Rudolph

Photo by Andy Rogers

Burnsville’s Abby Soderholm (6) fights for control against Minneapolis South on Tuesday. The Blaze won 4-0. (.792 save percentage) have shared time in goal with success. The girls will welcome Chanhassen to town for a 3 p.m. game on Saturday at home. While Chanhassen isn’t a conference opponent, it’s a key matchup for section seedings. Coming in as the defending section champion, Burnsville would like to play as many home games

as possible in the Section 2AA tournament beginning on Oct. 11. Burnsville is 4-0 against Section 2AA opponents so far. The girls also played an undefeated Prior Lake team on Thursday, but the results were unavailable by presstime. “We want to get back to the (Metrodome, the site of the state tournament),” Poythress said. “We

know we can play with the top teams. We just have to bring our game up a notch.” Rosemount will pay a visit on Tuesday before the Blaze close out the regular season at Eagan on Oct. 4. Andy Rogers can be reached at andy.rogers@ecm-inc.com or facebook.com/sunthisweek.

Surging Blaze football anxious to play South Burnsville coming in hot with a threegame win streak by Andy Rogers Sun Thisweek

Photo by Rick Orndorf

A pack of Eagan runners works their way through the course at the Eagle Invitational cross country meet Saturday in Apple Valley. The Wildcats won the girls team championship.

Common colds can’t keep Eagan runners from winning Wildcat girls take first at Eagle Invitational by Mike Shaughnessy Sun Thisweek

Eagan’s girls are undefeated in cross country meets this season, and now it appears the Wildcats can win even when they’re not 100 percent healthy.

Coach Lisa Langenhahn said five of her top seven runners had colds when they lined up for the Eagle Invitational on Sept. 22 at Apple Valley High School. Eagan still rolled to victory, finishing 42 points ahead of

runner-up Edina in the 20team meet. The Wildcats have won meets in Eagan, Hastings, Lakeville and Apple Valley so far this season. They will See Wildcats, 19A

Wildcats on the move

Photo by Rick Orndorf

Eagan quarterback Ian Entzion throws on the run during a South Suburban Conference football game Sept. 21 at Eastview. Eastview won 15-12 to improve to 2-2 this season while Eagan fell to 0-4. Both teams are at home for SSC games at 7 p.m. Eagan will play Rosemount (1-3) and Eastview will meet Bloomington Jefferson (0-4).

The Burnsville football team has entered unfamiliar territory. Midway through the season the Blaze has found itself near the top of the standings in the South Suburban Conference after winning three straight, something the team hasn’t done since 2006. “I think (the players are) starting to believe,” head coach Tyler Krebs said. “They’ve worked very hard to get to this point and we need to keep that momentum moving forward. “The biggest thing is we can’t get complacent. These guys haven’t won a whole lot and our schedule is about to get much tougher.” The next big test comes Friday at Lakeville South. Burnsville hasn’t beaten Lakeville South since 2005. It was the first game ever for the Lakeville South football program and Burnsville won 28-14. The Blaze haven’t beaten the Cougars since, although the teams didn’t play in 2007 and 2008. The games usually were close with the deficit never more than 10 points, until last year when Lakeville South thumped the Blaze 43-7. “Our kids our excited,” Krebs said. “We got shelled by them last year. There’s some extra motivation to redeem themselves. They’ve been good for a number of years.” The Cougars’ star quarterback last year was Mitch Leidner, who is now a backup at the University of Minnesota. His top receivers, Matt Heller (Augustana) and Devon Bzoskie (St. Cloud State), also have moved on to college teams. The Cougars have morphed into a running team behind Jordan Johnson and Austin Britnell on their way to a 1-3

Photo by Rick Orndorf

Burnsville’s Brady Letson (32) puts a hit on Bloomington Kennedy’s Nate Eckerson (17) in a South Suburban Conference football game Sept. 21. record. The Cougars lost to Apple Valley in overtime last week and were shut out by Edina the week before, but the team routed Prior Lake, one of the early season favorites in the South Suburban, 49-14 in week two. “We’ve got to play well in all three phases to get the victory,” Krebs said. “The first thing is we have to reduce our errors. The margin for us is small.” The Blaze is coming off a 24-0 victory over Bloomington Kennedy on Sept. 21. “We thought they have the best quarterback (Travon Hearns) in the conference and we felt we needed to contain him,” Krebs said. Eight sacks certainly helped, although the Blaze’s margin of victory might have been much larger if not for six turnovers and more than 100 yards of penalties. “It was way too much and the guys know it,” Krebs said. Quarterback Will Reger threw for 128 yards and a touchdown. He also ran

for two more scores. His favorite target was Andrew Herkenhoff, who had 89 yards receiving and caught the touchdown. Ben Gillies found room to run as well with 103 yards. “The biggest thing is we’ve been able to run the football,” Krebs said. “Now we have that balance between running and throwing.” The defense pitched its second shutout of the season. Herkenhoff had 11 tackles, Nate Mowman added 10 tackles and Josh Bernardy secured an interception. “Our guys are playing really well physically,” Krebs said. “We have a lot of playmakers.” After traveling to Lakeville South, the Blaze will play host to Lakeville North, which is ranked No. 3 in Class 6A, and close the regular season against Apple Valley (3-1) and Prior Lake (3-1). Andy Rogers can be reached at andy.rogers@ecm-inc.com or facebook.com/sunthisweek.

Sun Thisweek - Burnsville - Eagan September 28, 2012

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Eastview falls in duel of ranked teams by Mike Shaughnessy Sun Thisweek

One loss by one goal isn’t going to change what Scott Gustafson thinks about his team. “We know how to play. We’re a dangerous team,” the Eastview boys soccer coach said. “And hopefully we’ll be dangerous the rest of the season.” The Lightning lost 1-0 to North St. Paul on its home field Tuesday night. North St. Paul was tied with Apple Valley for first in the state Class AA rankings, but there might have been questions about how good the Polars actually were because they had not faced a ranked team in Class AA before playing Eastview. On Tuesday, the Polars showed they are legitimate – and so, too, did Eastview. The sixth-ranked Lightning has played both of the co-No. 1 teams, tying Apple Valley 1-1 on Sept. 13 and losing to North St. Paul by one goal. “They controlled play at times, but I thought we had better scoring opportunities,” Gustafson said. “They deserved the win tonight, but if we played them 10 times, who knows what would happen?”

North St. Paul junior Justin Oliver, the metro area scoring leader with 25 goals, struck in the first half against Eastview. The Lightning just missed several chances to tie the game, including one in which Polars’ goalkeeper Tommy Molski charged off his line to cover the ball just before Joe Schlosser, who had gotten behind the rest of the North St. Paul defense, could run on to it. “We tried to treat this game as if it was a playoff game,” Gustafson said. “And I think it was a playoff atmosphere. We’ll probably drop out of the rankings because we lost, but rankings don’t get you a state championship. We found that out last year.” Eastview was ranked first in Class AA for much of the 2011 season but lost to Eden Prairie in the state title game. Eastview, 6-2-4 overall, was 4-0-2 in the South Suburban Conference and tied for first with Apple Valley going into its game against Lakeville North on Thursday night. Scoring might have been a concern for the Lightning at the start of the season because its leading scorer from last season did not re-

turn. But Eastview has 28 goals in 12 games and is creating plenty of opportunities, Gustafson said. “We’ve had games where we’ve had three, four or five goals, and we’ve had games like (Tuesday) where we just couldn’t find the back of the net,” Gustafson said. “That’s soccer. We scored five against Burnsville last week (in a 5-1 victory). Are we four goals better than Burnsville? No, but that night we were finishing our chances.” Senior forward Jacob Opheim leads Eastview with 11 goals in 12 games. Devin Miller has four goals, and Schlosser and Pierce Erickson have scored three each. Junior defender Sam Fluegge has a team-high nine assists. Sophomore Kyle Lamott has started 11 games in goal and has a 0.86 goals-against average. Next week the Lightning plays at Prior Lake at 7 p.m. Tuesday before closing the regular season at home against Rosemount at 5 p.m. Thursday. Mike Shaughnessy is at mike. shaughnessy@ecm-inc.com or facebook.com/sunthisweek.

Notebook: Eagan hires girls hockey coach Former NHLer Younghans to take over Wildcats by Mike Shaughnessy Sun Thisweek

A former NHL player will guide the Eagan High School girls hockey team this winter. Tom Younghans, who played 429 games for the Minnesota North Stars and New York Rangers from 1976-82, was named to the position last week. Younghans, a St. Paul native and former University of Minnesota player, was an assistant girls hockey coach at East Ridge last season. He replaces Scott Darwitz and Jeff Kolehmainen, who were co-head coaches last season. Darwitz, whose daughter Natalie played on three U.S. Olympic women’s hockey teams, was involved in the Eagan program for 15 years as assistant coach, head coach and co-head coach. He was head coach or co-head coach of Eagan teams that reached the state tournament in 2004, 2008, 2009 and 2012.

Softball opening in Eagan Eagan High also will have a new coach in softball next spring following Courtney Dully’s recent resignation. In an e-mail to players and parents, Dully cited a desire to spend more time with her family. Dully starred at Eagan as a pitcher from 1990-93, helping the Wildcats place second in the 1993 state tournament. After returning to Eagan as a coach, she led the team to the Class 3A championship in 2008 and a return trip to state in 2009. She was inducted into the Minnesota Fastpitch

Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2005. There will be at least five new head softball coaches in the South Suburban Conference next spring. Burnsville is seeking a replacement for Hillary Johnson, who stepped down after leading the Blaze the last seven years. Former Rosemount baseball coach Trevor Monroe is taking over as Eastview’s softball coach. Apple Valley promoted former assistant coach Chris Sikich to head coach. At Bloomington Jefferson, Fred Wroge takes over a Jaguars program that has been to the state tournament the last two seasons.

Fasching in prospects game

ing for the Under-17 team in 2011-12. He has verbally committed to the University of Minnesota.

Schmitz locks up Player of Year Apple Valley resident Sammy Schmitz won the Minnesota Golf Association Mid-Amateur Championship last week and clinched the MGA’s Player of the Year award for the second consecutive year. Schmitz shot rounds of 72, 70 and 73 in the state Mid-Amateur, played at Town and Country Club in St. Paul and Midland Hills Country Club in Roseville. He was the only player to finish under par for the tournament and was two strokes ahead of runner-up Daryl Schomer. It was Schmitz’s second consecutive victory in the state Mid-Amateur, which is for players 30 and older. Earlier this summer, he won the MGA Mid-Players Championship, a matchplay event for players 30 and older. Schmitz, who plays out of Valleywood Golf Course, also won three Minnesota Public Golf Association tournaments this season – the Mid-Amateur, State Publinks and Combination Tournament. He tied for second at the MGA Amateur Championship, tied for seventh at the Minnesota State Open and reached the round of 32 at the U.S. Mid-Amateur.

Hudson Fasching of Burnsville will play in the inaugural CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game on Saturday in Buffalo, N.Y. The game features 40 of the top American players eligible for the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. It will be played at 7 p.m. at First Niagara Center, home of the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres. The game will be streamed live at FASTHockey.com. Fasching played for Apple Valley High School’s 2010 state boys hockey tournament team. Later that year, he started for the Eagles’ state championship boys soccer team. He is starting his second year in USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor, Mike Shaughnessy is at mike. Mich. Fasching is on the shaughnessy@ecm-inc.com or U.S. National Under-18 facebook.com/sunthisweek. team this season after play-

A North St. Paul player tries to kick the ball past Eastview’s Jacob Opheim (10) during a non-conference boys soccer game Tuesday night. North St. Paul, which is tied for first in the state Class AA rankings, defeated sixth-ranked Eastview 1-0. Photo by Mike Shaughnessy

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September 28, 2012 Sun Thisweek - Burnsville - Eagan

�� PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE OF ASSESSMENT HEARING PROJECT NO. 1078 - JOHNNY CAKE RIDGE ROAD (Diffley Road to Teal Cove) STREET IMPROVEMENTS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City Council of the City of Eagan, Dakota County, Minnesota, will meet at the Eagan Municipal Center located at 3830 Pilot Knob Road in said City on Tuesday, October 16, 2012, at 6:30 p.m. to consider the proposed assessment of street improvements relating to Improvement Project 1078 in the following described area: The area proposed to be assessed for any such improvements is described as follows: The area located within the Northwest 1⁄4 of Section 28, lying South of Diffley Road, East of Interstate-35E, Township 27, Range 23, in the City of Eagan, Dakota County, Minnesota. The area proposed to be assessed is all property described above, all as more fully and particularly described in the assessment roll on file in the City Clerk's office, which roll is open to public inspection. The total amount of the proposed assessment is $67,580. Written or oral objections will be considered at the public hearing. No appeal may be taken as to the amount of any assessment unless a written objection, signed by the affected property owner, is filed with the City Clerk prior to the hearing or presented to the presiding officer at the meeting. An owner may appeal an assessment to District Court pursuant to M.S.A. Section 429.081 by serving notice of the appeal upon the Mayor or Clerk of the City of Eagan within thirty (30) days after the adoption of the assessment and filing such notice with the District Court of Dakota County within ten (10) days after service upon the Mayor or Clerk. Notice is further given that pursuant to the Minnesota Statutes, Sections 435.193 to 435.195, the City of Eagan has adopted City assessment deferral. This ordinance provides that the Eagan City Council may defer the payment of special assessment against homestead property, which is owned and occupied by a person 65 years of age or older or retired by virtue of disability when the assessment would create a hardship upon the property owner. Applications for deferral must be made not later than ninety (90) days after the assessment is adopted. Further information relating to these assessments and an application for deferral of assessments may be obtained from the Special Assessment Division of the Public Works Department and any questions should be directed to that Division. Dated: September 19, 2012 /s/ Christina M. Scipioni By: Christina M. Scipioni City Clerk - City of Eagan 3165992 9/28/12

PUBLIC NOTICE

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS MVTA Eagan Bus Garage - 2012 Grading and Soils Correction, Eagan, Minnesota 21 September 2012 Owner: Minnesota Valley Transit Authority 100 East Highway 13 Burnsville MN 55337 Architect: BWBR 380 St. Peter Street, Suite 600 St. Paul MN 55102 Contact Shannon Bambery 651-290-1979 Sealed Bids will be received by the Owner until 2 p.m. local time, 05 October 2012. Bids submitted after that time will be returned unopened. Submit sealed bids to: Dispatch Office MVTA Eagan Bus Garage 3600 Blackhawk Rd Eagan MN 55122 Bids will be publicly opened and read aloud. Bids may not be withdrawn or modified within 45 days after Bids are opened. The Owner's intent of award or judgment will be announced within that period. Documents are on file for examination at the Builders' Exchanges of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the McGraw Hill Construction Data in Minneapolis, Reed Construction Data in Minneapolis, the National Association of Minority Contractors Plan Room, and at the Architect's office. Bidding Documents are available in complete sets only from: Thomas Reprographics, Inc. 801 2nd Avenue North Minneapolis MN 55405 office: 612-381-2214 fax: 612-374-1129 Orders: Orders@albinson.com Bidders may obtain complete sets of Bidding Documents for a non-refundable fee of $35.00 per set. In addition to purchase cost, there is a non-refundable shipping charge of $10.00 per set. Make all checks payable to BWBR Architects. A Bid Security in the amount of 5% of the maximum Bid amount, including Alternates, is required. The Bid Security shall be a bid bond or certified check, payable to the Owner. The successful Bidder shall furnish Performance Bond and Labor and Material Payment Bond in full amount of the Contract prior to execution of the Contract. The Owner may make investigations as deemed necessary to determine the qualifications and ability of the Bidders to perform the work. The Owner reserves the right to reject Bids in whole or in part, and to waive bidding informalities or irregularities. A pre-bid meeting will be held at the site, 3600 Blackhawk Road, Eagan, Minnesota, at 9 a.m., 1 October 2012. This is the only time the site will be available for inspection. 3165251 9/28/12

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE OF ASSESSMENT HEARING PROJECT NO. 1079 - DENMARK AVENUE/ CLUBVIEW DRIVE STREET IMPROVEMENTS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City Council of the City of Eagan, Dakota County, Minnesota, will meet at the Eagan Municipal Center located at 3830 Pilot Knob Road in said City on Tuesday, October 16, 2012, at 6:30 p.m. to consider the proposed assessment of street improvements relating to Improvement Project 1079 in the following described area: The area proposed to be assessed for any such improvements is described as follows: The area located within the Northeast 1⁄4 of Section 10, lying South of Lone Oak Road, West of Lexington Avenue, Township 27, Range 23, in the City of Eagan, Dakota County, Minnesota. The area proposed to be assessed is all property described above, all as more fully and particularly described in the assessment roll on file in the City Clerk's office, which roll is open to public inspection. The total amount of the proposed assessment is $76,249. Written or oral objections will be considered at the public hearing. No appeal may be taken as to the amount of any assessment unless a written objection, signed by the affected property owner, is filed with the City Clerk prior to the hearing or presented to the presiding officer at the meeting. An owner may appeal an assessment to District Court pursuant to M.S.A. Section 429.081 by serving notice of the appeal upon the Mayor or Clerk of the City of Eagan within thirty (30) days after the adoption of the assessment and filing such notice with the District Court of Dakota County within ten (10) days after service upon the Mayor or Clerk. Notice is further given that pursuant to the Minnesota Statutes, Sections 435.193 to 435.195, the City of Eagan has adopted City assessment deferral. This ordinance provides that the Eagan City Council may defer the payment of special assessment against homestead property, which is owned and occupied by a person 65 years of age or older or retired by virtue of disability when the assessment would create a hardship upon the property owner. Applications for deferral must be made not later than ninety (90) days after the assessment is adopted. Further information relating to these assessments and an application for deferral of assessments may be obtained from the Special Assessment Division of the Public Works Department and any questions should be directed to that Division. Dated: September 19, 2012 /s/ Christina M. Scipioni By: Christina M. Scipioni City Clerk - City of Eagan 3166036 9/28/12

NOTICE OF ASSESSMENT HEARING PROJECT NO. 1071 - SIGNAL POINT/ KNOB HILL PROFESSIONAL PARK STREET IMPROVEMENTS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City Council of the City of Eagan, Dakota County, Minnesota, will meet at the Eagan Municipal Center located at 3830 Pilot Knob Road in said City on Tuesday, October 16, 2012, at 6:30 p.m. to consider the proposed assessment of street improvements relating to Improvement Project 1071 in the following described area: The area proposed to be assessed for any such improvements is described as follows: The area located within the Southeast 1⁄4 of Section 21, lying North of Diffley Road, West of Pilot Knob Road, Township 27, Range 23, in the City of Eagan, Dakota County, Minnesota. The area proposed to be assessed is all property described above, all as more fully and particularly described in the assessment roll on file in the City Clerk's office, which roll is open to public inspection. The total amount of the proposed assessment is $54,884. Written or oral objections will be considered at the public hearing. No appeal may be taken as to the amount of any assessment unless a written objection, signed by the affected property owner, is filed with the City Clerk prior to the hearing or presented to the presiding officer at the meeting. An owner may appeal an assessment to District Court pursuant to M.S.A. Section 429.081 by serving notice of the appeal upon the Mayor or Clerk of the City of Eagan within thirty (30) days after the adoption of the assessment and filing such notice with the District Court of Dakota County within ten (10) days after service upon the Mayor or Clerk. Notice is further given that pursuant to the Minnesota Statutes, Sections 435.193 to 435.195, the City of Eagan has adopted City assessment deferral. This ordinance provides that the Eagan City Council may defer the payment of special assessment against homestead property, which is owned and occupied by a person 65 years of age or older or retired by virtue of disability when the assessment would create a hardship upon the property owner. Applications for deferral must be made not later than ninety (90) days after the assessment is adopted. Further information relating to these assessments and an application for deferral of assessments may be obtained from the Special Assessment Division of the Public Works Department and any questions should be directed to that Division. Dated: September 19, 2012 /s/ Christina M. Scipioni By: Christina M. Scipioni City Clerk - City of Eagan 3165686 9/28/12

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE The following goods will be sold at public auction to cover storage liens. Sale to be conducted at North Star Mini Storage, 1900 West 143rd St., Burnsville, MN 55306 at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday October 10, 2012. North Star Mini Storage L.P. reserves the right to accept or decline any or all bids. UNIT #2000 Michael Doss 574 Wheelock Pkwy West St. Paul, MN 55130 Furniture UNIT #2222 Chad J. Duda 1401 W. 143rd St. #235 Burnsville, MN 55306 Furniture UNIT #2238 Amy C. Anderson 14652 Greenridge Lane Burnsville, MN 55306 Misc. Household, Electronics, Furniture UNIT #2115 Michael C. Hunter 1004 Knob Hill Road Burnsville, MN 55337 Furniture, Tools, Hockey Equipment UNIT #1114 Steve Shirley DCO 3-13 INF Regiment Ft. Jackson, SC 29207 Furniture, Bed, Electronics UNIT #1063 Barry Mackey 1401 W. Burnsville Pkwy #315 Burnsville, MN 55337 Misc. Household, Tools, Sporting Equip. UNIT #1148 Tim Wolfe 9300 Collegeview Road #221 Bloomington, MN 55437 Clothing, Ladder, Misc Household UNIT #4004 Warren Binion P.O. Box 1215 Burnsville, MN 55337 Misc. Items UNIT #3008 David R. Youngman 13645 Glendale Trail Savage, MN 55378 Tools, Bike, Shelving, Misc. UNIT #4055 Sandra K. Pickus 1721 Burnsville Pkwy. #305 Burnsville, MN 55337 Tools, Electronics, Collectibles UNIT #4014 Scott A. Leinum 1721 W. Burnsville Pkwy. Burnsville, MN 55337 Musical Instruments, Tools, Displays, Shelving, Misc. THE SALE WILL TAKE PLACE AT: North Star Mini Storage 1900 West 143rd Street Burnsville, MN 55306 3147409 9/21-9/28/12

PUBLIC HEARING A Public Hearing will be held on October 8, 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 City of Burnsville - Ordinance Amendment to the Burnsville City Zoning Code, Title 10, Chapter 9, Addressing Land Reclamation, Mining, Soil Processing and General Earthwork and Chapter 26A, Interim Uses in the GIM, Gateway Industrial District. 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 Chris Slania (952) 895-4451 at the City of Burnsville. Chris Slania On Behalf of the Chair of the Burnsville Planning Commission 3161461 9/28-10/5/12

PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice of Public Sale: SS MNRI, LLC doing business as Simply Self Storage intends to enforce its lien on certain personal property belonging to the following, at the facility. The sale will take place (unless otherwise withdrawn) on Wednesday October 10, 2012 on or after 9:30am at the Simply Self Storage location at 4025 Old Sibley Memorial Highway, Eagan, MN 55122 Phone 651-894-5550. This public sale will result in the goods being sold to the highest bidder. Certain terms and conditions apply. J. Lynch #118A Furniture, Plastic Tote, Bags V. Sandelin #148 Luggage, Boxes, Childrens Toys J. Velazquez #402B Furniture, Luggage, Baby Items

3145379

R. Palme #518D Black Plastic Bags 9/21-9/28/12

PUBLIC NOTICE

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. 3165837 9/28/12

PUBLIC NOTICE

ISD 194 ONLINE AUCTION Lakeville Area Public Schools is posting surplus items for purchase online with Public Surplus, a governmental auction site. The web address is Select http://www.publicsurplus.com/ “Browse Auctions within Area”, then “Select Region” (Minnesota), then “Select Agency”, (ISD 194 Lakeville Area Public Schools). The auction begins on Friday, 9-21-12 and ends on Friday, 10-12-12, at 5:00 PM. Bidding, payment, and inquiries will be handled through the auction site. Independent School District #194 8670 210th Street West Lakeville, Minnesota 55044 Kathy Lewis, Clerk Publish: September 21 September 28 3157989 9/21-9/28/12

Today’s The Day

Stop Smoking

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE OF ASSESSMENT HEARING PROJECT NO. 1058 OSLUND TIMBERLINE (Pine Ridge Drive) STREET IMPROVEMENTS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City Council of the City of Eagan, Dakota County, Minnesota, will meet at the Eagan Municipal Center located at 3830 Pilot Knob Road in said City on Tuesday, October 16, 2012, at 6:30 p.m. to consider the proposed assessment of street improvements relating to Improvement Project 1058 in the following described area: The area proposed to be assessed for any such improvements is described as follows: The area located within the Northeast 1⁄4 of Section 9, lying South of Lone Oak Road, West of Pilot Knob Road, in Township 27, Range 23, in the City of Eagan, Dakota County, Minnesota. The area proposed to be assessed is all property described above, all as more fully and particularly described in the assessment roll on file in the City Clerk's office, which roll is open to public inspection. The total amount of the proposed assessment is $15,150. Written or oral objections will be considered at the public hearing. No appeal may be taken as to the amount of any assessment unless a written objection, signed by the affected property owner, is filed with the City Clerk prior to the hearing or presented to the presiding officer at the meeting. An owner may appeal an assessment to District Court pursuant to M.S.A. Section 429.081 by serving notice of the appeal upon the Mayor or Clerk of the City of Eagan within thirty (30) days after the adoption of the assessment and filing such notice with the District Court of Dakota County within ten (10) days after service upon the Mayor or Clerk. Notice is further given that pursuant to the Minnesota Statutes, Sections 435.193 to 435.195, the City of Eagan has adopted City assessment deferral. This ordinance provides that the Eagan City Council may defer the payment of special assessment against homestead property, which is owned and occupied by a person 65 years of age or older or retired by virtue of disability when the assessment would create a hardship upon the property owner. Applications for deferral must be made not later than ninety (90) days after the assessment is adopted. Further information relating to these assessments and an application for deferral of assessments may be obtained from the Special Assessment Division of the Public Works Department and any questions should be directed to that Division. Dated: September 19, 2012 /s/ Christina M. Scipioni By: Christina M. Scipioni City Clerk - City of Eagan 3165704 9/28/12

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE OF ASSESSMENT HEARING PROJECT NO. 1072 - BOULDER RIDGE (Heine Court) STREET IMPROVEMENTS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City Council of the City of Eagan, Dakota County, Minnesota, will meet at the Eagan Municipal Center located at 3830 Pilot Knob Road in said City on Tuesday, October 16, 2012, at 6:30 p.m. to consider the proposed assessment of street improvements relating to Improvement Project 1072 in the following described area: The area proposed to be assessed for any such improvements is described as follows: The area located within the Northeast 1⁄4 of Section 28, lying South of Diffley Road, West of Pilot Knob Road, in Township 27, Range 23, in the City of Eagan, Dakota County, Minnesota. The area proposed to be assessed is all property described above, all as more fully and particularly described in the assessment roll on file in the City Clerk's office, which roll is open to public inspection. The total amount of the proposed assessment is $8,903. Written or oral objections will be considered at the public hearing. No appeal may be taken as to the amount of any assessment unless a written objection, signed by the affected property owner, is filed with the City Clerk prior to the hearing or presented to the presiding officer at the meeting. An owner may appeal an assessment to District Court pursuant to M.S.A. Section 429.081 by serving notice of the appeal upon the Mayor or Clerk of the City of Eagan within thirty (30) days after the adoption of the assessment and filing such notice with the District Court of Dakota County within ten (10) days after service upon the Mayor or Clerk. Notice is further given that pursuant to the Minnesota Statutes, Sections 435.193 to 435.195, the City of Eagan has adopted City assessment deferral. This ordinance provides that the Eagan City Council may defer the payment of special assessment against homestead property, which is owned and occupied by a person 65 years of age or older or retired by virtue of disability when the assessment would create a hardship upon the property owner. Applications for deferral must be made not later than ninety (90) days after the assessment is adopted. Further information relating to these assessments and an application for deferral of assessments may be obtained from the Special Assessment Division of the Public Works Department and any questions should be directed to that Division. Dated: September 19, 2012 /s/ Christina M. Scipioni By: Christina M. Scipioni City Clerk - City of Eagan 3165730 9/28/12

NOTICE OF ASSESSMENT HEARING PROJECT NO. 1070 - OAK CHASE 4th STREET IMPROVEMENTS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City Council of the City of Eagan, Dakota County, Minnesota, will meet at the Eagan Municipal Center located at 3830 Pilot Knob Road in said City on Tuesday, October 16, 2012, at 6:30 p.m. to consider the proposed assessment of street improvements relating to Improvement Project 1070 in the following described area: The area proposed to be assessed for any such improvements is described as follows: The area located within the Southeast 1⁄4 of Section 27, lying North of Cliff Road, East of Pilot Knob Road, in Township 27, Range 23, in the City of Eagan, Dakota County, Minnesota. The area proposed to be assessed is all property described above, all as more fully and particularly described in the assessment roll on file in the City Clerk's office, which roll is open to public inspection. The total amount of the proposed assessment is $13,645. Written or oral objections will be considered at the public hearing. No appeal may be taken as to the amount of any assessment unless a written objection, signed by the affected property owner, is filed with the City Clerk prior to the hearing or presented to the presiding officer at the meeting. An owner may appeal an assessment to District Court pursuant to M.S.A. Section 429.081 by serving notice of the appeal upon the Mayor or Clerk of the City of Eagan within thirty (30) days after the adoption of the assessment and filing such notice with the District Court of Dakota County within ten (10) days after service upon the Mayor or Clerk. Notice is further given that pursuant to the Minnesota Statutes, Sections 435.193 to 435.195, the City of Eagan has adopted City assessment deferral. This ordinance provides that the Eagan City Council may defer the payment of special assessment against homestead property, which is owned and occupied by a person 65 years of age or older or retired by virtue of disability when the assessment would create a hardship upon the property owner. Applications for deferral must be made not later than ninety (90) days after the assessment is adopted. Further information relating to these assessments and an application for deferral of assessments may be obtained from the Special Assessment Division of the Public Works Department and any questions should be directed to that Division. Dated: September 19, 2012 /s/ Christina M. Scipioni By: Christina M. Scipioni City Clerk - City of Eagan 3165664 9/28/12

PUBLIC NOTICE

CITY OF BURNSVILLE ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS ABLE BURN BUILDING The City of Burnsville will be receiving a lump sum, single prime sealed bids for the ABLE Burn Building until 2:00 PM on Tuesday, October 9, 2012. Bids will be received at the Burnsville City Hall, 100 Civic Center Parkway, Burnsville, MN, at which time they will be opened and read aloud. The work for this project includes the general construction of a 4 story burn training building, outdoor classroom and demolition of the existing site elements as indicated in the Contract Documents. A pre-bid conference will be held at the construction site, 12321 River Ridge Boulevard, Burnsville at 10:00 AM, on Tuesday, Octo-ber 2, 2012. All bids must be sealed and marked for the appropriate contract for which the bid is submitted. Bids shall be submitted in accordance with the Bidding Documents prepared by CNH Architects, Inc, 7300 W 147th St, Suite 504, Apple Valley, MN 55124 and dated September 14, 2012. Bids received after this time will not be accepted. No oral or fax bids will be accepted. Documents will be available on or about September 21, 2012, for public inspection at the Owner's office, Architect's office, and the following exchanges: McGraw Hill Construction, 1401 Glenwood Ave North, Minneapolis, MN 55405 Builders Exchange of St. Paul, 445 Farrington Street, St. Paul, MN 55103 Minneapolis Builders Exchange, 1123 Glenwood Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55405 Builders Exchange Rochester, 108 Elton Hills Lane NW, Rochester, MN 55901 Reed Construction Data, Doc Processing Ctr., 30 Technology Pkwy S, #500, Norcross, GA. 30092 MEDA Construction Connection, 2781 Freeway Blvd, Brooklyn Center, MN 55430 Bidding documents including addenda can be downloaded at no cost from the Project Plan Room Website setup by CNH Architect. Contact CNH Architects at (952) 431-4433 or plans@cnharch.com to receive access to this website. Plan Holders are parties that have requested access to the Project Plan Room Website. Plan Holders may be notified via email as addenda are issued but are re-sponsible to check the website for all addenda prior to submitting a bid. Parties that download the bidding documents and need to have them printed elsewhere are solely responsible for those printing costs. Paper copies of the bidding documents will not be dis-tributed by the Owner, Archi tects , or its agents. Parties downloading bidding documents from other sources (such as builder ex-changes) may contact CNH Architects to be added to the Plan Holders List but will need to obtain addenda from their original source unless the party specifically request access to the Project Plan Room Website. The bids shall include corporate surety bond, cashier's check, or certified check in an amount equal to five (5%) percent of the base bid and payable to the Owner as a guaranty of the prompt execution of the contract. The materials, products and equipment described in the Bidding Documents are to be met by bidders. Written requests for approval of substitutions maybe submit by bidders for consideration by the Architect. Requests must be received by the Architect at least ten (10) calendar days prior to the bid date and shall include sufficient data to describe the substitution and any impact it would have on other work. If the Architect approves a proposed substitution, the approval will be indicated in an addendum. No substitutions will be considered after the Contract award unless specifically provided in the Contract Documents. Contractor shall provide a Performance Bond and Labor and Material Payment Bond for 100% of the Contract Amount. Bids may not be withdrawn within sixty (60) days after the opening without the consent of the Owner. The City Council reserves the right to reject any or all bids, to waive irregularities and informalities therein, and further reserves the right to award the contract in the best interest of the Owner. If requested by the Owner, bidders shall submit AIA Document A305 Contractor's Qualification Statement. The project is scheduled to begin in October 2012 and be complete by July 1, 2013. Dated this 20th day of September, 2012. Macheal Brooks City Clerk City of Burnsville, Minnesota 3160524 9/28/12

PUBLIC NOTICE

AGENDA EAGAN CITY COUNCIL EAGAN MUNICIPAL CENTER BUILDING OCTOBER 2, 2012 6:30 P.M. I. II. III.

ROLL CALL AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ADOPT AGENDA RECOGNITIONS AND PRESENTATIONS A. OATH OF OFFICE - New Fire Fighters IV. CONSENT AGENDA (Consent items are acted on with one motion unless a request is made for an item to be pulled for discussion) A. APPROVE MINUTES B. PERSONNEL ITEMS C. APPROVE Check Registers D. APPROVE the 2012-13 Energy and Environment Advisory Commission Work Plan and Goals E. APPROVE Final Payment for Contract 12-10, 2012 Citywide Storm Sewer Utility Improvements F. RECEIVE Final Assessment Report for Project No. 1064 - Hills of Stonebridge 2nd & 3rd - Street and Utility Improvements and Schedule Public Hearing for November 7, 2012. G. RECEIVE Final Assessment Report for Project No. 1066 - Coventry Pass 1st-2nd/ Country Hollow - Street and Utility Improvements and Schedule Public Hearing for November 7, 2012. H. RECEIVE Final Assessment Report for Project No. 1069 - Cliff Ridge - Street and Utility Improvements and Schedule Public Hearing for November 7, 2012. I. RECEIVE Final Assessment Report for Project No. 1075 - Great Oaks Lane/ Great Oaks Circle - Street and Utility Improvements and Schedule Public Hearing for November 7, 2012. J. RECEIVE Petition to Vacate Public Easements, MVTA Bus Garage Expansion and Schedule a Public Hearing for November 7, 2012 K. APPROVE Plans & Specifications and Authorize Advertisement for Bids for Contract 12-12, Cedar Grove Boulevard Phase II - Grading Improvements L. APPROVE the AccessEagan Non-Exclusive Network Access and Use Agreement, Carrier Connection Agreement, and Property Owner Connection Agreements M. APPROVE Election Judges for the November 6, 2012 General Election N. APPROVE Absentee Ballot Board Judges for the November 6, 2012 General Election O. APPROVE Final Subdivision - Eagan Car Club 2nd Addition V. PUBLIC HEARINGS A. FINAL Assessment Hearing, Project No. 1063, Chatterton Ponds - Street and Utility Improvements B. FINAL Assessment Hearing, Project No. 1057, Highview Acres - Street and Utility Improvements C. FINAL Assessment Hearing, Project No. 1062, Kings Wood/ Cutters Ridge/ Sherwood Downs - Street and Utility Improvements D. FINAL Assessment Hearing, Project No. 1061, S & W Industrial (Sibley Court) Street and Utility Improvements E. FINAL Assessment Hearing, Project No. 1060, Tesseract (Tesseract Place) Street and Utility Improvements VI. OLD BUSINESS A. ORDINANCE AMENDMENT - an ordinance amendment to Chapter 3, adding Section 3.70 relative to the fiber optic infrastructure network for advanced communications and approve resolutions amending the City's fee schedule and establishing the AccessEagan fund VII. NEW BUSINESS A. REZONING and PRELIMINARY SUBDIVISION - Bennerotte Addition - A Rezoning of approximately 4.85 acres from A, Agriculture to LB, Limited Business and A Preliminary Subdivision of approximately 4.85 acres to create 1 lot and an Outlot located at the east End of Courthouse Lane, North of Hwy 55 B. CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT - Shoppes of Cedar Grove - A Conditional Use Permit to allow a Laundromat in the CGD, Cedar Grove District zoning district located at 1967 Silver Bell Road C. PLANNED DEVELOPMENT AMENDMENT- Eagan Professional Building - A Planned Development Amendment to change building signage plan located at 2640 Eagan Woods Drive D. CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT and VARIANCE- Dakota County Parks - A Conditional Use Permit to a m e n d t h e c o m p r e h e n s i v e s i g n p a c k a g e a n d Variances to allow monument signs and kiosks that exceed size requirements located at 1350 Carriage Hills Dr, 860 Cliff Road, 800 120th Street W . , 4 8 0 1 Johnny Cake Ridge Rd, west side of Galaxie Ave/Safari trail Intersection VIII. LEGISLATIVE / INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS UPDATE A. APPROVE correspondence to the Metropolitan Airports Commission with comments regarding the Environmental Assessment on the MSP Long Term Comprehensive Plan IX. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY A. CALL TO ORDER B. ADOPT AGENDA C. CONSENT AGENDA 1. APPROVE EDA Minutes D. OLD BUSINESS E. NEW BUSINESS 1. AUTHORIZE Dakota County CDA to Proceed with Demolition of Building at 3880 Sibley Memorial Highway F. OTHER BUSINESS G. ADJOURN X. ADMINISTRATIVE AGENDA A. City Attorney B. City Council Comments C. City Administrator D. Director of Public Works E. Director of Community Development XI. VISITORS TO BE HEARD (for those persons not on the agenda) XII. CLOSED SESSION XIII. ADJOURNMENT 3166298 9/28/12

PUBLIC NOTICE

The member-owners of Valley Natural Foods Co-op, doing business as Valley Natural Foods, will hold their annual membership meeting on Monday, October 15, 2012 from 6:00-8:30 p.m. at the Royal Cliff Banquet Hall at 2280 Cliff Road Eagan, MN 55122. Tickets for an optional dinner are available for sale at Valley Natural Foods thru Oct. 8. RSVP is required to attend free meeting due to space limitations. An election for two new board members and recipient of the Valley Natural Foods Co-op Community Fund will be held online at www.valleynaturalfoods.com Sept. 21-Oct. 12. Voting closes at 12 p.m. Oct. 12. There will not be paper ballots at the annual membership meeting. Computer access to vote is available at Valley Natural Foods, 13750 County Road 11, Burnsville, MN. Patronage refunds available at Valley Natural Foods from October 16 until December 31, 2012. 3147123 9/28-10/5/12

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC HEARING A Public Hearing will be held on October 8, 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 for a Planned Unit Development Amendment for a new fire department training facility located at 50 River Ridge Court. 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 Chris Slania (952) 895-4451 at the City of Burnsville. Chris Slania On Behalf of the Chair of the Burnsville Planning Commission 3161443 9/28-10/5/12

Sun Thisweek - Burnsville - Eagan September 28, 2012

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Kleman Remley Cassandra Ann Kleman, daughter or David and Joan Kleman of W. St. Paul, and Craig Michael Remley, son of Frank and Beth Remley of Lakeville, announce their engagement. Cassie is a 2006 graduate of Henry Sibley High School. She is Co-Manager at Bath and Body Works. Craig is a 2007 graduate of Lakeville North High School and received his B.A. in Political Science at the University of MN, Twin Cities. He is a General Manager for Panera Bread. A wedding is planned for Spring of 2013.

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”). Com pleted forms may be e-mailed to class.thisweek@ecm-inc.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 selfaddressed, stamped envelope is provided.

Therrien - Volk Debbie and Vince Therrien as well as Rebecca Volk and Larry Volk proudly announce the engagement of their children, Jeanine Therrien and Ryan Volk. Jeanine is a 2006 graduate of BHS and a 2010 graduate of the University of Minnesota. Ryan is a 2000 graduate of BHS. They met while working at Buca di Beppo restaurant in Burnsville eight years ago and it was love at first sight! Both continue working at Buca, and Jeanine is pursuing a pop music career. They will marry this coming December 1 at Church of the Risen Savior in Burnsville.

�� Norman D. Olson (July 3, 1944 - September 20, 2012) Age 68 of Hastings formally of Farmington passed away on September 20, 2012 after a courageous battle with cancer. Preceded in death by parents Norman and Ella Mae; son Bobby. Survived by children Brenda Olson, Bradly (Theresa) Olson and Elizabeth (Troy) Larson; 7 grandchildren, 3 great grandchildren and 3 brothers. Memorial Service 4pm, Monday, October 1st, 2012 at White Funeral Home, 901 3rd St. Farmington, MN. Gathering of family and friends one hour prior to service. White Funeral Home Farmington (952) 463-7374 www.whitefuneralhomes.com

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September 28, 2012 Sun Thisweek - Burnsville - Eagan

Sun Thisweek - Burnsville - Eagan September 28, 2012

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September 28, 2012 Sun Thisweek - Burnsville - Eagan

Sun Thisweek - Burnsville - Eagan September 28, 2012

Sports

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Burnsville volleyball is on the rise Burnsville off to best start in years by Andy Rogers Sun Thisweek

Things haven’t looked this good for the Burnsville volleyball team for a while. The Blaze is mixing it up with the top teams in the South Suburban Conference and has a 10-5 overall record already. The last two years Burnsville didn’t get to 10 victories until midway through October. The girls have talent, but what’s really helped is the chemistry between the players. The communication is Wildcats, from 12A take their No. 1 ranking in Class AA to the Roy Griak Invitational on Saturday. “We just tried to get through the (Apple Valley) meet as best we could,” Langenhahn said. “So many of our kids are suffering from the bad colds that are going around. We just tried to maintain.” Langenhahn said the Wildcats tried not to let their illnesses affect their race strategy. Plus, she said, a couple of runners didn’t tell her they were sick until after they finished their races. Eagan senior Danielle Anderson finished second overall in 14 minutes, 14 seconds on the 4,000-meter course. Shakopee’s Maria Hauger, the three-time defending state champion, won in 13:58.4. Junior Raissa Hansen (ninth, 15:07.8) and sophomore Kelli Praska (16th, 15:20.7) also were in the top 20. Sophomores Anna Van Wyk and Karina Johnson were 22nd and 26th, ninthgrader Olivia Mitchell fin-

better and the confidence is higher. “They have learned to take a negative point and turn it into a positive one and not let a mistake get into their heads,” head coach Kim Fritz said. “They are seeing the court extremely well. Our passing and great choices from our setters have allowed us to utilize all of our weapons.” The girls lost in four sets on Sept. 20 to Lakeville North, the No. 1 ranked team in the state. Burnsville lost the first two games 2514. But the Blaze came out ahead in the third game 2522. “We played our game in the third set,” Fritz said.

“Lakeville is an elite team. They did a nice job the first two sets keeping us out of system, which hurt our offense. By game three, my girls really pulled together their game. They were having fun.” Lauren Randall had 10 kills and Nicole Mehr had nine kills and three blocks. Kaycie Hagen helped out with 14 assists and Raven Klein added 13. Gretta Geist led with 15 digs. The Blaze hasn’t had any success against North since 2009, when Burnsville finished third at state. Burnsville lost to the Panthers in three straight sets in 2010 and 2011. The loss came on the heels of a four-set victory

ished 34th and senior Elizabeth Frick was 39th. There was a spread of less than 24 seconds from the Wildcats’ second runner to their fifth, a key to their dominant team performance. “Raissa has really pushed herself as a runner, and she tries to stay with Danielle for as long as she can,” Langenhahn said, “and we tell the rest of our kids to try to stay in a pack.” The Wildcats will run in the Griak Invitational at 2:50 p.m. Saturday at the Bolstad University Golf Course in Falcon Heights. It’s the only 5,000-meter race they will run all year (most other girls meets are 4,000 meters), but Langenhahn said she didn’t anticipate any problems because her team has been training for that distance all season. “Last year, (the Griak meet) was a new experience for us. We’d never run in it before,” the coach said. “We surprised ourselves with how well we did (fourth place). We know there are going to be a lot of good teams there,

and we’re looking forward to running against Wayzata, which is ranked second in the state.”

over Eastview on Sept. 18. Burnsville lost the first game but went on to win the next three. Eastview is ranked No. 10 in Class AAA in the latest coaches association poll. “We really have started to put together both sides of our game,” Fritz said. “We have always been strong defensively. The girls are learning to terminate points right away and not let themselves get into losing point runs of

two or three. They are playing very confident.” The rest of the regularseason schedule consists of South Suburban Conference teams such as Rosemount on Oct. 2 and Eagan, which is ranked No. 3 in Class AAA, on Oct. 4. The girls will also play in a tournament at Apple Valley on Oct. 12. The run should get the Blaze ready for a tough Section 3AAA tournament

featuring Lakeville North, Eagan and Eastview. “Our focus is getting to the section championships,” Fritz said. “We focus one match at a time and to stay disciplined in the things we can control ... I am excited to see where all our hard work takes us.” Andy Rogers can be reached at andy.rogers@ecm-inc.com or facebook.com/sunthisweek.

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Running notes Rosemount and Apple Valley finished 13th and 14th in the girls team standings at the Eagle Invitational. Apple Valley’s top runner, sophomore Camille Sjoquist, was 18th overall. Junior Hannah Grim led Rosemount with a 30th-place finish. Eden Prairie won the boys team title at the Eagle Invitational. Apple Valley was seventh, Eastview finished 10th and Eagan was 13th. Eastview senior Nick Oelke was fourth in the boys race in 16:20.5 (for 5,000 meters), about 16 seconds behind the winner, Waseca junior Shane Streich. Apple Valley’s Jack Crippes and Liam Tyler finished 36th and 37th. Eagan was led by junior Josh Podpeskar, who finished 38th. Mike Shaughnessy is at mike. shaughnessy@ecm-inc.com or facebook.com/sunthisweek.

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September 28, 2012 Sun Thisweek - Burnsville - Eagan

Principal joins Army in the air

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Eastview High School Principal Randall Peterson joined up with the U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute team to make a grand entrance from the air to the varsity boys soccer game on Sept. 25. The Golden Knights delivered the game ball and the principal from over 10,000 feet above Lightning Stadium. The eye-popping pregame event was intended to honor active military members and veterans the Eastview community, according to the event’s organizers. More photos are at SunThisweek.com.

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Ritchie to discuss amendments Secretary of State Mark Ritchie will be on the Eagan campus of Rasmussen College hosting a town hall-style discussion about the voter ID and marriage amendments that are on the

ballot this November. The event will be at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 16, and will be open to the public. Rasmussen is at 3500 Federal Drive.

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