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NEWS OPINION SPORTS
Thisweek Burnsville-Eagan MARCH 4, 2011
VOLUME 32, NO. 1
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District 196 officials recommend $3.5 million in cuts Proposed budget adjustments include cutting 48 positions, eliminating high school figure skating and raising fees by Jessica Harper THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
Officials in the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan School District are looking to cut $3.5 million from the district’s budget for next school year. The recommendations include eliminating approximately 48 fulltime equivalent positions, removing high school figure skating and increasing fees by $10 for all high school sports and fine arts. The staff cuts could be a combi-
nation of layoffs and attrition, said Tony Taschner, communications director for District 196. A recently approved retirement incentive could prevent some layoffs since it resulted in a higher than average number of retirements, he said. Raising activity fees could result in steep fees for some popular sports, Taschner said. For instance, hockey and football fees would be raised to $185. Additionally, district officials
are considering reducing transportation services by increasing eligible service distances by one-half mile for all students. Although District 196 will likely face cuts next school year, officials will be able to avoid cutting another $5 million by using federal education jobs funding that became available last year. Total proposed budget adjustments for the 2011-12 school year will total $8.5 million, based on the assumption that state officials will
cut education funding by 3.5 percent. This will be the third consecutive year the district will face budget reductions, which officials say are due to years of flat state funding combined with accounting shifts. The state has withheld $68 million in funding over the past two years, according to district officials. As a result, the district had to impose $10 million in budget adjustments for the 2008-09 school
year and $15.3 million for the 201011 school year. Focus meetings will be held on March 8 and 9 to allow residents and employees to discuss the current recommendations with district officials. School Board members are expected to review the recommendations at their March 14 meeting before they vote on it March 28. E-mail Jessica Harper jessica.harper@ecm-inc.com.
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Police dogs, ‘Hannah’s Law’ are on freshman senator’s agenda Dan Hall of Burnsville is no stranger to the Capitol by John Gessner THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
Dan Hall wasn’t the only Minnesotan horrified by the brutal stabbing of a Roseville police dog last November. But as a freshman senator and member of the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee, Hall is in a unique position to defend police dogs everywhere. The Burnsville Republican is chief Senate author of a bill that makes it a
felony to cause great bodily harm to a police dog. Under current law, only killing a dog is a felony offense. “It really tugged at my heartstrings,” Hall said of a criminal suspect’s knife attack on Major, the Roseville dog who lost the use of his back legs. As a longtime Burnsville police and fire chaplain and former police reserve officer in Northfield, Hall knows something about public safety.
Photo by John Gessner
Sen. Dan Hall, R-Burnsville, spoke at a press conference unveiling “Hannah’s Law,” one of two bills on which the freshman senator is chief Senate author. As a former first aid inSee Hall, 11A
Photo by Rick Orndorf
Eagan firefighter Chris Gustafson was at his day job as a personal trainer when he used his first-responder training to revive a man whose heart had stopped.
Off-duty Eagan firefighter brings man back to life Burnsville resident suffered heart attack at gym by Erin Johnson THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
“I was dead,” said Burnsville resident Randy Clausen. “My heart stopped.” It was Tuesday, Feb. 15. Clausen, 66, had just finished a league tournament racquetball game at L.A. Fitness in Apple Valley and was “feeling good.” But as he stepped off the court, he suddenly felt dizzy. He took a few steps before collapsing, and then everything went black. “That’s all I remember until I was brought back,” he said.
Brought back to life, that is, by the quick actions of Chris Gustafson, a volunteer Eagan firefighter who works as a personal trainer at the gym. Gustafson happened to be near the racquetball courts when Clausen collapsed and was able to respond immediately. Gustafson said Clausen was initially struggling to breathe, so he opened his airway, which helped for only a moment. He then watched as Clausen’s eyes rolled back, his pulse stopped and he took his last
breath. Gustafson began performing CPR while someone else retrieved the portable defibrillator and oxygen tank stocked – at Gustafson’s suggestion – by the gym. As someone held the oxygen mask to Clausen’s face, Gustafson applied the defibrillator to his chest while an ambulance headed to the scene. “All of a sudden (Clausen) looked at me and pushed away the oxygen mask,” Gustafson said. “He See Firefighter, 11A
Girl Singers director makes his living where the music takes him by John Gessner THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
Already familiar to south metro audiences, those Girl Singers just keep on rolling. The musical revue known as the Girl Singers of the Hit Parade is fresh off a weekend at the Burnsville Performing Arts Center, where it debuted a new show called “Sirens of the ’60s.” Performing in the 150seat black box theater, the girls sold out three shows Feb. 26 and 27 and added a Sunday-night show that filled half the house with little publicity. “It really couldn’t have gone better,” said the group’s pianist and musical director, Burnsville resident
Norton Lawellin. Lawellin’s wife, Marcia, a longtime teacher at Rahn Elementary School in Eagan, has the steady job in the family. Her husband has the steady jobs — including a five-year stint with Girl Singers of the Hit Parade, which has toured the middle United States and performed several times at the Burnsville arts center. “As a musician, as someone in the entertainment industry, it’s normal to wear a lot of hats,” said Lawellin, who also owns Track Record Studios in St. Paul. Born in Minneapolis and raised in South Dakota, Lawellin studied music and broadcast journalism at South Dakota State Univer-
Norton Lawellin sity in Brookings. His South Dakota claim to fame may be playing bass with regional favorites Marlys Roe and the Talismen, who had See Director, 12A
Behind the scenes, ‘Godspell’ crew weathers setbacks with good faith Despite production travails, cast and crew have high hopes for the musical’s opening night on March 11 by Andrew Miller THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
Shortly after rehearsals began in early February, Applause Community Theatre’s production of “Godspell” had all the trappings of a train wreck. As producer Megan Halloran puts it, it wasn’t long before cast members in the humor-laden musical about the life of Jesus started “dropping like flies.” The actor originally cast to play Jesus decided it was too much of a time commitment and dropped out. One actor couldn’t be reached by phone the first General 952-894-1111 Distribution 952-846-2070 Display Advertising 952-846-2011 Classified Advertising 952-846-2000
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few weeks of rehearsals, then called to report she was out of the country and wasn’t going to participate in the show. Another cast member called to inform producers he was an atheist and being in a show about Jesus made him uncomfortable. Then there was the musician who left the show because she felt the script was poking fun at Bible stories. Add all that to the rehearsal space situation at River Hills United Methodist Church in Burnsville, which has been nothing if not precarious – because of scheduling conflicts, the show has had to constantly rotate rehearsals among the church’s fellowship hall, youth room, day care room and sanctuary, none of which has a traditional stage. “Every musical ever done has always had problems during rehearsals,” said director Eric Feuk of Burnsville. “We’ve had three musicals worth of problems.” Halloran said there are “significant parallels” be-
IN BRIEF Applause Community Theatre presents “Godspell” March 11-27 at the Lakeville Area Arts Center, 20965 Holyoke Ave. Show times are 7:30 p.m. March 11-12, 17-19 and 24-26, and 2 p.m. March 13, 20 and 27. Tickets are $13 for adults, $11 for students and seniors, and are available at www. applausecommunitytheatre.com and at the door. tween Applause’s production travails and the storyline of “Godspell,” the 1970 musical that uses song, dance and comedy to illustrate parables from the Bible’s Gospel of Matthew. But like the story of Jesus, the production has also been about community building, faith and redemption, she said. Friends, family and community members have come
Photo by Rick Orndorf
“Godspell” producer Megan Halloran works with cast members Tuesday during rehearsal at River Hills United Methodist Church in Burnsville. to the show’s aid. Some have helped with costumes and set pieces. Local musicians volunteered to provide piano accompaniment during rehearsals. The praise and worship team at River Hills United recorded all the music that will be used the show, pro bono. An employee at Discount Tire in Burnsville donated several tires and the city of
Burnsville donated a chainlink fence for the show’s junkyard-themed set. “Through hardship, community can come into play,” said Halloran of Rosemount. “It’s been really cool to see how us having faith in the production can make it a success.” “Godspell,” which opens March 11 at the Lakeville Area Arts Center for a threeweekend run, is a show Halloran said she’s dreamt of
staging for years, and she got the OK from Applause to produce it provided everyone involved worked for free. Despite the trials and tribulations, things are finally starting to click, and cast and crew have high expectations for opening night. Said Halloran: “I think we’re absolutely gonna rock it. We absolutely will.” Andrew Miller is at andrew. miller@ecm-inc.com.