Thisweek Farmington and Lakeville

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Dakota City Heritage Village hosts the Harvest Moon Festival Oct. 22-23

NEWS OPINION SPORTS

Thisweek Farmington-Lakeville

Sec Special issue is inside th

OCTOBER 22, 2010

VOLUME 31, NO. 34

See Thisweekend Page 7A

www.thisweeklive.com

Opinion/4A

Political Letters/5A

Announcements/6A

Classifieds/11A

Public Notices/15A

Sports/16A

Photo by Laura Adelmann

Fire and police vehicles were prominent in the funeral procession from Lord of Life Church Mourners gathered near as firefighters and pall bearers brought firefighter Ben Wratz’ to White Funeral Home on Oct. 15 after services for Ben Wratz, a 2008 Farmington High casket into White Funeral Home. School graduate killed in an Oct. 10 motorcycle accident. Photo by Laura Adelmann

Local firefighters turn out in force to honor their own Fire engines led funeral procession for Ben Wratz by Laura Adelmann THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS

A brotherhood of firefighters turned out in force Oct. 18 to honor one of their members by leading his funeral procession. All nine fire trucks the Farmington department owns were used in the funeral for Ben Wratz, a 2008 Farmington High School graduate whose lifelong dream was to become a firefighter.

Wr at z , 20, died Oct. 10 in a motorcycle accident on a curvy road in Wisconsin Ben Wratz when his bike skidded out of control as he took a corner, crashed into a bridge rail and came to rest in a river. After services at Lord of Life Church, Wratz’s casket was somberly transported to White Funeral Home in the back of the vehicle used by Farmington Fire Department Chief

Tim Pietsch. “It was the wishes of the family for him to be brought to his final place of rest in a fire truck,” said Farmington Fire Marshal John Powers. Wratz’s body was cremated. Firefighters from Bloomington, Apple Valley and Eagan also drove department vehicles in the funeral procession. The Lakeville Fire Department stood by at the Farmington stations to take care of any fire and medical calls in the city during the funeral.

Wratz joined the department in January, and was soon to have logged enough time to receive his full dress uniform. After learning how much Wratz was looking forward to receiving that uniform, firefighters gave it to his family and he wore it at the funeral, said Rev. Jamie Thompson. Powers said since the accident, he’s been making calls daily to check on the family. It was during one of those conversations when he learned Wratz’s youngest brother, 10-year-old

Jonathan, was having a particularly hard time with the loss. “When I asked (Ben’s) mom if there’s anything I could do, she said Jonathan is struggling and needed some help, someone for him to talk to, to get his mind off things until he got back to school,” Powers said. He sent the firefighters an e-mail, and within five minutes had more than enough volunteers. Since the call, firefighters have picked Jonathan up, taken the youngster out to eat, played mini golf

with him, taken him on a tour of the fire station and given him a ride on a fire truck. “It’s nice being part of a family like that,” Powers said. He added that Jonathan has now taken up his older brother’s aspirations to become a firefighter. “I hope he does,” Powers said. Powers plans to continue to check on the family, and although Wratz wasn’t with the department for a long time, the firefighters all consider Wratz family. See Wratz, 15A

Farmington Police Two vie for Pariseau’s old senate seat Pat Pariseau was in the senate for 22 years, and her retirement investigate Christian opened the door for two new candidates Life School teacher by Derrick Williams THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS

Allegations drove school to suspend long-time teacher by Laura Adelmann THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS

taken years to complete, and would only estimate this investigation would take longer than a week. Kindle said he trusts the process will come to the proper resolution. “This is a very serious matter. We are taking it very seriously,” he said. “I have not had another incident like this in terms of dealing with other teachers.” Christian Life screens all teachers and holds to standard hiring practices, according to Kindle. “The number one priority of our school is the safety and protection of our children,” he said. The school sent an email to parents informing them of the investigation soon after the allegations were brought forward. “Clearly, it generated a lot of response. This is a very shocking allegation, and parents are naturally and appropriately going to be concerned and should be,” Kindle said. He added that the school is responding to every parent’s questions. Anyone with information is asked to call Farmington Police at (651) 2806700.

Farmington Police are investigating a long-time teacher at Christian Life School for allegations of inappropriate contact with a student. The male teacher has been suspended with pay pending the outcome of the investigation, said Rev. Darin Kindle, Christian Life School administrator. “Thursday was the first time we were made aware, when the police department first approached us. Prior to that, we had not had a specific complaint of inappropriate touching,” Kindle said. Farmington Police Sgt. Lee Hollatz said on Oct. 11 that the department received a report from a former student that the student had been inappropriately touched by a teacher while attending the school. Additionally, a current student reported being inappropriately touched by the same teacher. The teacher’s name is not being released and no formal charges have been filed. Hollatz said a Farmington Police detective is investigating the case, and charges are not expected Laura Adelmann is at laura.adelmann@ecm-inc. soon. He said some cases have com.

For the first time since 1988, Lakeville and Farmington will have a new state senator. Sen. Pat Pariseau, RFarmington, announced her retirement in February after 22 years representing Senate District 36, opening the door for a new Republican to battle a DFL candidate for the seat on the Nov. 2 ballot. Dave Thompson, a wellknown conservative radio talk show personality who lives in Lakeville, was selected by Republicans in the August primary to carry the mantle for Pariseau. Steve Quist, a Farming-

Dave Steve Thompson Quist ton resident and accountant by trade, was endorsed by the DFL to vie for the seat. Both candidates say the looming $5.8 billion deficit facing the state is the first priority when the next legislative session begins in January. “Spending is completely off the rails,” Thompson, 49, said. “We need to return government to a responsible approach to spending and

taxes.” Thompson said the problem is clear. “We’re over-spending and over-taxing,” he said. “We do not need to tax anymore.” Meanwhile, Quist, 39, says a combo effort of increased revenues and cuts are needed to fix the budget mess. “We can’t do one or the other. It’s just not going to work,” Quist said. “We can talk cuts, but we need to increase revenues, too. Everything needs to be on the table because this isn’t a matter of just coming up with new car tabs or something to generate revenue.” Quist said he’s a “big pic-

ture guy” who wants to help bring the state long-term financial stability. “We’re continually putting off this financial mess to future governors and future sessions,” he said. “We aren’t figuring how to make this a better state five years, 10 years, 20 years into the future.” Thompson says the government simply takes too much money. “We need to get out of the business of redistributing wealth from city to city, county to county,” Thompson said. “Whether it’s Washington or St. Paul, government is taking too much.” See Senate, 15A

New challenger faces long-time incumbent in 36A Colin Lee takes mantle for DFL, will oppose six-term incumbent Republican Mary Liz Holberg in legislative race by Derrick Williams THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS

The candidates vying for Lakeville’s state House seat have one thing in common: They both feel addressing the state’s projected $5.8 billion deficit should be the first priority when the next legislative session begins in January. Six-term Republican incumbent Mary Liz Holberg Photo by Rick Orndorf Incumbent District 36A Rep. Mary Liz Holberg, R-Lakev- faces DFLer and former ille, and DFL endorsed challenger Colin Lee, faced off at a Green Party nominee Colin candidate form at Crystal Lake Golf Club in Lakeville on Lee for the District 36A seat on the Nov. 2 ballot. The Oct. 14.

candidates have stark differences in how they hope to address the state’s massive deficit as legislators. Holberg, 50, says revenue isn’t the problem when it comes to the deficit. She points to the fact Minnesota will see an increase of 7 percent in tax collections over the next biennium as proof. “We need to make cuts, and yeah, it’s going to be tough, but I think we have to get back to what’s necesSee House, 15A

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