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Southern comedy comes to the Lakeville Area Arts Center stage. See Thisweekend Page 12A.
NEWS OPINION SPORTS
Thisweek Farmington-Lakeville APRIL 1, 2011
VOLUME 32, NO. 5
www.thisweeklive.com
Messages/2A
Public Notices/3A
Opinion/4A
Announcements/5A
Lakeville bus ridership doubles More than 600 people daily use the express bus to downtown Minneapolis by Aaron Vehling
Sports/10A
City administrator submits resignation Farmington City Council to begin search for new leader
THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
Some Lakeville residents who work in downtown Minneapolis have recognized the utility of the express bus. Transit ridership on Route 467, between Lakeville and downtown Minneapolis, rose from 305 riders each weekday to more than 600, since its inception 18 months ago, according to the Metropolitan Council, the metrowide governing body that operates many transit routes throughout the metro area. Wendy Wulff, a former Lakeville City Council member who now serves on the Met Council, said she is “pleased it has doubled in this amount of time.� She said the bus service is good not just for Lakeville, but for the region. “It’s a convenient, cost-effective way to serve commuters south of the metro,� Wulff said. Travel time to downtown Minneapolis is 30 minutes. The service uses over-the-road-style coach buses for a comfortable ride. The 21-mile route is one of the longest in
Classifieds/7A
by Laura Adelmann
added he was not 100 percent surprised by it. “I think he felt his time Without warning, Farmington Administrator Peter was up,� Larson said. Recently, the City Herlofsky hand deCouncil has dislivered his resignacussed concerns tion letter to three about Herlofsky’s City Council memleadership style and bers after the March cooperation level 28 Economic Develduring last year’s opment Authority contentious battle meeting. to set the city’s 2011 Handing sealed Herlofsky budget. envelopes containKeeping tax bills down ing his resignation letter to Mayor Todd Larson and had been the driving force council members Jason of council members, while Bartholomay and Christy Herlofsky was focused on Jo Fogarty, Herlofsky’s preserving city jobs. To avoid cutting an adonly comment was, “here.� He then walked out of ministrative position, as council had requested to the council chambers. In the short typed note, manage through an uncerHerlofsky offered no ex- tain economy, Herlofsky planation, merely stating had repeatedly returned that his last day would be with numerous alternatives, Tuesday, May 31, per his including eliminating tiscontract’s 60-day notice re- sues, toilet paper and hand soap from the Rambling quirement. Council members Terry River Center. The council refused to Donnelly and Julie May had given notice each was consider Herlofsky’s sugunable to attend that meet- gestions. At a March 10 City ing. In an interview, Larson Council retreat without said he was not expecting staff, council members cited Herlofsky’s resignation, but See Herlofsky, 3A THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
Photo by Rick Orndorf
Lakeville residents are using Metro Transit buses more to commute to work in Minneapolis. Metro Transit’s network of 123 bus routes. All Route 467 trips begin and end at the Kenrick Avenue park-andride ramp along I-35 and run on dedicated transit express lanes between Burnsville and downtown, as well as double-width
bus-only lanes on Second and Marquette avenues in downtown. Metro Transit offers 18 Route 467 trips – nine in each direction – every weekday. Northbound trips leave Lakeville between 5:53 a.m. and 8:12
a.m. Return service leaves downtown Minneapolis between 3:14 p.m. and 5:43 p.m. E-mail Aaron Vehling at aaron. vehling@ecm-inc.com.
Farmington School Board cuts Lakeville native among the ‘winning’ 2008 Lakeville South graduate among finalists positions, saves $350,000 for Charlie Sheen’s Tiger Blood Internship Burke changes vote to allow further reconsideration by Laura Adelmann THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
The Farmington School Board meeting was tinged with tension March 28 as members voted 5-1 to approve portions of the Baker Tilly study that cuts four administrative positions. As a result of the vote, by June 30, 2011, the positions of human resource specialist, director of administrative services, technology support technician and a finance position charged with tracking student enrollment, demographic and achievement data, will be cut. Although the budget had been discussed since
the fall, the vote was unexpected, because it wasn’t an action item on the agenda. But the board made that change at the suggestion of Board Member Julie Singewald, who said they have discussed the issue since the fall and making administrative cuts would help balance the budget without affecting the classroom. The changes will result in a budget cut of about $350,000 for the 2011-12 fiscal year. School Board Member Tim Burke opposed taking a vote because affected staff members had not been informed that
the issue would be considered by the board at that meeting. He also questioned the timing of such action because the district is beginning technology and building projects that will need administrative oversight. “I’m concerned we’re not going to have the people qualified and ready to move us through the next several months. ‌ I think this motion is premature,â€? Burke said. “Think about the money that could be misused or wasted if we don’t manage those projects correctly. We’re talking about millions of dolSee Cuts, 11A
School teachers question direction of elected leaders Board members vow commitment, resolution by Laura Adelmann THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
Three recent leadership resignations in Farmington School District 192 led to questions about the School Board’s direction at its March 28 meeting. Superintendent Brad Meeks’ surprise resignation one month ago was recently followed by the resignations of Human Resources Director Linda Goers and Finance Director Jeff Priess. Because the changes are so high profile, former School Board Chair Veronica Walter, now a
member of the District 917 School Board, said in an interview she is getting questions from others about the district that she doesn’t know how to answer. At the meeting, Walter urged the board to set clear direction for the district and raised concerns that the resignations are in part because of the board’s leadership style. Walter also said she’s concerned that a few teachers “have the ear of certain board members,� and that the board ignored over an hour of
teacher testimony at a March 14 meeting requesting the district retain teaching specialists. “My concern is there’s a small group that are bending the ears, while the bigger group that are following the protocol is getting ignored,� Walter said. She urged the board to change its direction and listen to everyone. In an interview, Board Chair Tera Lee said she has been accused of speaking with just a few people in the district, but See Board, 11A
by Aaron Vehling THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
“I have a different brain, I have a different heart. I got tiger blood, man.� Charlie Sheen and the painful, often poetic chaos he spins has become a lucrative industry. To manage his growing social media operation, Sheen created the Tiger Blood Internship — and a 2008 Lakeville South High School graduate could be the one Sheen hires to represent the actor before his swarm of fans. Shannah Henderson, currently studying public relations at the University of Minnesota, has progressed to the top 50 out of 82,000 applicants nationwide. “I want to be the one telling his 3 million Twitter followers all about his crazy life,� Henderson said. While some may view Sheen’s antics as evidence of a psychological imbalance, or perhaps substance abuse, Henderson offers a different perspective. “He makes me feel like I should always be myself and not change for anyone,� she said. “Sheen doesn’t conform to social norms. He goes against them and does his own thing. He’s very comfortable with himself.� She also sees Sheen as a sort of cultural experiment. “It fascinates me that someone so crazy like him could be such an admirable figure,� she said. “I wish he was president, truthfully. The way he acts and everything about him is so great.�
Photo submitted
Shannah Henderson of Lakeville is in the running to be Charlie Sheen’s social media intern.
Internship details To get to where she is at, Henderson has had to compete in a series of rounds, the first of which involved her Tweeting why Sheen should hire her. The second involved an actual application. For this, Henderson said she included links to her social networking accounts (such as Facebook and Twitter). She followed that up with a flurry of Tweets about Sheen. This got her into the next round. Currently, for the third round, Henderson has posted a YouTube video in which she answers the question, “What is the best company doing social
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media today?� In the video, she cites Mayo Clinic as a premier example of social media prowess. “I did a case study on them in one of my classes,� she said. Currently, Henderson is racking up the Twitter followers and YouTube views — and hopes to garner many more. She could find out as early as this week if she proceeds to the next round. “I absolutely love Charlie Sheen,� she said. “He is a unique and outrageous individual.�
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