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Lakeville March 9, 2018 | Volume 39 | Number 1
Council continues salary increase talk
NEWS New owners for Bogart’s After being pushed out of St. Paul, the new co-owners of Bogart’s bowling center and nightclub are back in the game. Page 8A
OPINION Good time to think ‘sunshine’ Columnist Peggy Bakken shows that even as snow covers the ground it’s a good time to talk about Sunshine Week. Page 4A
THISWEEKEND
Asks for comments from Lakeville community by Kayla Culver SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
Lakeville City Council members continued the discussion about a potential salary increase for the mayor as well as council members during their March 5 meeting. The proposed action states the salary adjustments for the mayor would change the monthly salary from $833 or $1,347 and a
council member’s monthly salary from $722 to $950. It also states for each committee and inter-agency meeting the mayor and council members attend $25 would be provided. The last adjustment made to the salaries for the mayor and City Council was on Jan 1, 1999. Lakeville’s mayor and council members started the discussion in July 2017 and data by a citywide Job
Classification and Compensation Study found the total Lakeville salaries falls below average when compared to neighboring cities. The increase would bring Lakeville salaries to the median amount. Bloomington takes the top spot with a mayor’s annual salary and benefits totaling $43,620. Lakeville’s mayor is at $10,146 and City Council’s mem-
bers are at $8,814 annually. Bloomington’s City Council also takes the top spot with an annual salary and benefits totaling $29,616. According to City Administrator Justin Miller, salary increases can only happen after elections. If this passed, it would take into effect January 2019 after the election takes place this November. Mayor Doug Ander-
Committing to the routines Lake Liners dancers achieved top awards during state finals SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
Rosemoun’t connection The Rosemount Area Historical Society’s History Talk will reveal the city’s connection to a post-WWII Air Force base in Greenland. Page 19A
SPORTS
Swimmers achieve at state Lakeville North and Lakeville South swimmers sought podium positions at the state meet this past weekend. Page 10A
PUBLIC NOTICE Sun Thisweek Lakeville is an official newspaper of the Lakeville Area School District. Page 14A
INDEX Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . 4A Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 12A Public Notices . . . . . . 14A Classifieds . . . . . . . . . 15A Announcements . . . . 18A
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See SALARY, 9A
Township elections: Eureka Township A look at how to vote and who the candidates are
by Kayla Culver The Lakeville North Lake Liners worked all season and found their hard work paid off when they gave award-winning performances at the state tournament. The Lake Liners received third place in Class AAA in High Kick and fifth place in Class AAA Jazz. They received the highest score for their kick routine in the visual effectiveness category. The girls had to keep their energy high during that routine because they have over 30 formation changes, according to assistant varsity coach Haley Moorse. “Our dance is a highenergy routine that has many changes in music to keep the dance exciting and engaging. ‌ We were so proud of the way the team brought so much energy at state finals,â€?
son, Council Member Bart Davis and Council Member Colleen LaBeau have terms expiring on Dec. 31, 2018. During the Monday night meeting council members agreed they would want to hear more from the residents of Lakeville about this topic. Davis started off the discussion by saying he
by Jody Peters SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
their own skills as well as the overall team’s ability to take their dances to the next level. Their motto for the year was “commit.� The coaches and dancers spent time discussing how to commit as a team as well as how the dances can be brought to the next level and to simply give each performance their all. “The girls committed
On March 13, township residents across the state will vote for candidates to represent their community. Currently there are 1,781 townships in Minnesota, according to the Minnesota Association of Townships website, and approximately 924,158 Minnesotans live in a township. Townships are the original form of local government in Minnesota. They’re divided into areas of land that are 36 square miles. The township is run by a board of supervisors, who typically serve two- to six-year terms. Supervisors must be residents of the township.
See DANCE, 10A
See ELECTION, 3A
Photo submitted
The Lakeville North High School Lake Liners competed at the state tournament. The team performed their High Kick and Jazz routines, which landed them third and fifth place, respectively. Moorse said. Their high energy was still present during their Jazz routine, but the girls took on a challenge this season by veering away from what most people think of as a typical Jazz routine. According to Moorse, they danced to the song “Faithfully� by Journey and had a much more contemporary feel to the overall routine. “It was a risk we were willing to take and we are
so glad we did,� Moorse said. “We are so proud of how our team brought emotion, technique and passion together in this dance.� The Lake Liners spend almost all year perfecting their routines. According to Moorse, they practice approximately three hours a day, five to six days a week. The dancers committed their time and energy to these routines while also focusing on
Local educator Teacher of the Year semifinalist Melissa Mills works with families, teachers, students in Special Education program by Kayla Culver SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
Among the 43 semifinalists for the Minnesota Teacher of the Year Award, Melissa Mills is one that stands out. Mills is currently an infant/toddler intervention team member at Crystal Lake Education Center in Lakeville. She has been a part of District 194 for 11 years and plans on continuing her career helping children with any developmental delays within the district. “I’m proud to be a Lakeville teacher. I can’t imagine working anywhere else. We have such an innovative and dedicated teaching staff and administration is wonderful. ‌ It’s a great place to work,â€? Mills said. She wasn’t someone who always knew they wanted to be a teacher. Mills worked with adults with disabilities, became a stay at home mother until her son was in first grade
and then decided teaching was where she wanted to be. “My friend said ‘Hey, I think you would really like teaching. I think you should come observe.’ I went there and I knew that was what I was supposed to do,� Mills said. Mills received her bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in Spanish. She then went on to receive her master’s in developmental disabilities and then got her early childhood special education teaching licenses. “Sometimes it’s really hard to know what you want to be. I think deep down I always knew but it took me awhile to figure it out. Now I know this is what I’m meant to do, and this is my calling,� she said. Mills does not work out of a classroom. She is part of a team that goes to the homes of the families enrolled in the program to help children from birth to age 3 who have a disability
that causes a delay in their development. The program is through the umbrella of Special Education, according to Mills. She works with parents and families to develop educational plans for each student. “We ask the parents what their concerns for development and priorities for learning are. We also celebrate their strengths and who they are as a little one,� Mills said. The program is available in every school district throughout Minnesota. According to Mills, the program is available to any premature child, any child with Down syndrome or any other genetic condition that would hinder their education, children who have autism spectrum disorder and those who have any other condition that delays their development. Mills spends her days with her students on the floors of their living rooms, she is with them
Melissa Mills at daycare, when they visit family and becomes an important sliver in the family’s life in order to send children down educational paths that will best help their learning. Along with her coworkers, Mills was involved with getting a $3,000 grant to start a multicultural family library for the families involved in the program. Teachers will have books in multiple languages such as Spanish, Russian, Chinese and German. “It’s not just English anymore,� Mills said. Teachers will also have activities fit for children
of different ages that they will bring to families so they are able to read with their child. “Reading has a lot to do with language and social interaction,� she said. “That’s coming in the next few years.� Mills adds that all the teachers also are working toward connecting more with community resources. “We are working closely with the county for funding purposes,� she said. They currently partner with medical professionals to inform families about See MILLS, 14A
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