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Fear vibrations ďŹ ll Burnsville theater. Shadows. Fog. Terror. See Thisweekend Page 6A
NEWS OPINION SPORTS
Thisweek Farmington-Lakeville OCTOBER 7, 2011
VOLUME 32, NO. 32
www.thisweeklive.com
Messages/2A
Opinion/4A
Announcements/5A
Public Notices/5A
Classifieds/9A
Sports/12A
Farmington mayor big on ‘shop local’ Some critical of Todd Larson’s consistent message by Laura Adelmann THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
Photo by Aaron Vehling
The Lakeville City Council prepares for a special meeting to discuss the mayor’s accusation that Linda Walter (lower left) lied to him about the Heritage Center project. Walter’s lawyer, Christopher Heinze, is to her right.
It wasn’t a lie after all Council backtracks Bellows’ lie accusation against Walter; she considers defamation suit by Aaron Vehling THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
Decked out in bicycling attire, Gary Schlegel had never been to City Hall in his couple decades of living in Lakeville. W h a t f i n a l l y brought Schlegel to City Hall on Sept. 28 was his support for Senior Center Bellows Coordinator Linda Walter, who was accused at a Sept. 19 City Council by Mayor Mark Bellows of lying to him about the new Heritage Center project. Schlegel is involved in several Senior Center programs, including the bicycling group Health Angels with whom he had been riding before he showed up outside the conference room where a Sept. 28 closed meeting addressed the mayor’s allegations. “The whole thing (lie accusation) seems kind of strange,� Schlegel said, adding that Walter, who has been the coordinator since 1996, does a lot for Lakeville’s senior community. “She’s a really great facilitator for various groups.� Judy Pease, a Senior Center member for 15 years, also showed up to offer her support to Walter. “I’ve never felt Linda lied to me or misled me in anyway,� Pease said. Stephanie Ross, also part of Health Angels, was the third supporter to show up at City Hall. Another Senior Center member who supports Walter but was not at the meeting with the other three is Iris Huber. Thisweek caught up with her as she was preparing to dine on some chicken dumpling soup. “She’s very professional,� Huber said of Walter. “I don’t know how anybody could do a better job.�
Huber’s involvement in a line dancing class has been especially beneficial for her. “I have met the best friends in this line dance class,� she said. Huber said she has also been involved with programming at senior centers in Apple Valley and Farmington, but she likes Lakeville’s because “everything is always so well run.� “I think she’s great,� Huber said. “I hope that the City Council knows what they’ve got in her.�
“I think it’s 100 percent my job to promote the city,� Larson said. But getting local residents to support their Farmington businesses is a constant challenge, said Farmington Economic Development Specialist Tina Hansmeier. “We are always looking for different ways to create that awareness of what is here,� she said. Several residents interviewed for this story said there isn’t enough business in the community, didn’t like the downtown parking situation and they would like a big-box retailer such as Target or Walmart to locate in Farmington. Jim Deegan has lived in Castle Rock Township for 57 years. He said he shops for groceries weekly at Savers in town, taking advantage of the store’s senior discount on Wednesdays. “We shop the deals,� Deegan said, but admitted
On the heels of the Sept. 19 meeting, the low-profile Walter hired attorney Christopher Heinze who said he and Walter are considering a defamation lawsuit against Bellows over his public accusations. “My client doesn’t have any interest in holding the city hostage for a lot of money,� said attorney Christopher Heinze. “She’s an innocent bystander pulled into this political football with the City Council.� At the Sept. 19 council meeting, Bellows did not specify what the lie was, but called for an executive session to conduct a performance evaluation. Bellows was one of two people on the council to vote against the Heritage Center (the other was Council Member Colleen Ratzlaff LaBeau). He initially did not name Walter as the alleged liar, but City Attorney Roger Knutson said Bellows would have to if he was calling for a special session. The Sept. 28 meeting yielded an official council statement, which Council Member Laurie Rieb read at the Oct. 3 council meeting. The statement said that “the mayor’s reference to a lie was intended to reflect a perception in the community that he is opposed to the (new) senior center� and See Lie, 8A
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The Lakeville North and South football contest will take center stage Friday, Oct. 7 when the two undefeated teams square off at 7 p.m. at Lakeville North High School. To read about how the friendly rivalry has taken shape over the years, see Sports Page 12A.
Photo by Rick Orndorf
Construction crews have hit the ground hard near the intersection of I-35 and County Road 70 as they build Walmart’s foray into Lakeville. The store is slated to open in the fall of 2012.
Labor negotiations heat up in Lakeville Speak your Teachers union contracts expired June 30, renewal pending by Aaron Vehling THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
Teachers in Lakeville public schools have been without a renewed contract since June 30, and as negotiations persist, the situation is heating up. Education Minnesota Lakeville, the teachers union, has encouraged its members to enter their schools together, serve their eight-hour-day and leave together in solidarity, EML President Don Sinner said. The union has asked its members to refrain from going beyond contractual obligations until a new contract is negotiated. This means they won’t volunteer to chaperone dances or other extracurricular events in an official capacity, Sinner said. “But the work in the classroom and work we do
supporting students goes on,� Sinner said. The negotiations have not yet reached a point of discussing wages and benefits, Sinner said, but “we’re trying to get this done as soon
as possible. It’s the best for everybody concerned.� School Board Chair Judy Keliher and Tony Massaros, director of administrative services, did not return Thisweek’s messages by the time this story went to press. Originally, EML set Aug. 26 as a settlement target. In previous years, the contract would need to be settled by Jan. 15, but a law passed during the last leg-
islative session eliminated such a deadline. Sinner emphasized that the temporary moratorium on volunteering doesn’t mean “there won’t be teachers at the South homecoming or football game. We will be there to support students, but not in official capacity.� He added that teachers will still support events such as the PTO nights at Culver’s. When asked about rumors that teachers at the high schools announced they will no longer write letters of recommendation, Sinner said that EML has sub-groups of members who make site-related decisions. Some teachers did announce they would refrain from writing letters of recommendation for students’ See Negotiations, 8A
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Laura Adelmann is at laura. adelmann@ecm-inc.com.
Walmart slowly emerges
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to shopping the big-name stores in Northfield, Lakeville and Apple Valley. Stacy Schultz, owner of Fan Club Athletics, said residents don’t even know how many businesses are in Farmington. “People come in my store every day and say we didn’t know you were here. We’ve been here five years,� Schultz said. Larson said he is concerned when he hears some residents are surprised to discover there’s a library downtown and remains committed to address the apparent apathy among Farmington residents regarding shopping locally. “Our local businesses help the community. Whenever possible, we should always think of them first. They have a lot to offer and a lot to offer the community,� Larson said.
Defamation
Crosstown rivalry heats up
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At the end of every City Council meeting, Farmington Mayor Todd Larson makes a point to urge residents to shop locally. His frequent promotions haven’t gone unnoticed by residents and businesses alike, Todd Larson but with mixed reviews. “I get ridiculed by doing that,� Larson said. “Some people don’t think I should be spending my time saying that after a city meeting. They say that’s not my job.� At the Oct. 3 council meeting, Larson clarified his “shop local� remarks to indicate he means not just downtown Farmington, but all businesses in Farmington. That clarification was added, he said, after a north-
ern Farmington business person told him it sounded like he was indicating a preference for just the downtown businesses. And, when Council Member Julie May suggested during a city meeting this summer that the city consider purchasing some items at a big-box hardware store outside of the city instead of Farmington’s Pellicci’s Ace Hardware, Larson said he was disheartened. “I went to Pellicci’s and apologized the next day on the council’s behalf,� Larson said. May also later met with Pellicci store management; and at the council’s Aug. 1 meeting, she clarified she has no issues with the city shopping local stores. Larson said his passion for promoting Farmington businesses stems from his desire for convenient shopping and a strong job base in the city.
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opinions Farmington budget events forthcoming by Laura Adelmann THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
The city of Farmington is at a budgeting crossroads. City Council members will soon decide whether to fundamentally transform the way the city budgets. Instead of bonding for major projects, the city would raise taxes to build a fund to pay cash and avoid adding more interest-bearing debt onto the city’s $38 million bond debt total. Combined with state changes to property tax calculations set to kick in next year, the plan would raise property taxes in all but four years through 2023. For an average-value See Opinions, 8A