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www.SunThisweek.com February 28, 2014 | Volume 35 | Number 1

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Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . 4A

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ONLINE

NEWS

OPINION

THISWEEKEND

SPORTS

Don’t deny school lunches The 2014 Minnesota Legislature should approve the governor’s proposal to support schools in providing lunch to all students.

Page 4A

Frozen Apple concertThis year’s Frozen Apple music series concludes March 1 with a concert by Michael Monroe at Valleywood Golf Course.

Page 16A

Eagles to send several to stateThe Apple Valley wrestling team will send a large contingent of members to the state individual tournament.

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Abdallah looks to expandThe longtime family-run Burnsville candy company is seeking larger quarters for its factory and retail shop.

Page 3A

Debate on marijuana bill reignites

Winter waterland

In winter, fire safety starts with a shovel

by Tad JohnsonSUN THISWEEK

DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE

Dakota County’s top two law enforcement officials are urging people to press state legislators to strike down proposed medical marijuana legislation. County Attorney James Back-strom and Sheriff Dave Bellows spoke to a group of Rosemount leaders Thursday, Feb. 20, to tell them why the bill as proposed shouldn’t become law. They say in states where simi-lar bills were passed with the in-tention to help people with seri-ous illnesses, a result has been marijuana ending up in the hands of people who don’t really need it for medical purposes. “If we approve it for medical use, we have just approved it for recreational use,” Bellows said, re-ferring to the experiences in other

states. The bill has too many quali-fying conditions for patients who would be able to possess 2.5 ounces of marijuana, according to Backstrom and Bellows. Those conditions range from cancer to severe pain. In Colorado, they said 3 per-cent of cancer patients were ap-proved for medical marijuana while about 95 percent of people with chronic or severe pain were approved.

Supporters say generally medi-cal marijuana laws in 20 states and Washington, D.C., are work-ing well and providing patients with relief and protection from arrest, according to the Marijua-na Policy Project. Backstrom and Bellows said most of the patients using medi-cal marijuana are young while males. They added that 50 percent of medical marijuana purchasing cards were approved by 12 doc-tors in Colorado – an indication that there is lax oversight and abuse in the system. The state has about 900 doctors who can ap-prove use. The county attorney and sher-iff said they are sympathetic to people who suffer from serious medical conditions, but feel that there are medications on the mar-ket that have the same chemicals as marijuana and are more effec-

tive. “(Those medications) have re-stricted, controlled use in terms of their quantity and quality and are sold in pharmacies,” Back-strom said. “We need to continue to study” these medications. It has been reported that al-lowing marijuana extracts in a pill or inhaler form could emerge in a compromise bill this session. The current bill would allow marijuana to be sold in dispensa-ries that would be limited by size, with four counties having two or more, 45 having one and 38 hav-ing none. The proposal also details con-ditions for prescribing, licensing, growing and dispensing marijua-na. The Minnesota Legislature ap-proved a bill to legalize medical

Longtime legislator will not seek re-election

Holberg: ‘16 years is a long time’

by Laura AdelmannSUN THISWEEK


Republican fiscal and social conservative leader state Rep. Mary Liz Holberg will not seek re-election to the Minnesota House this fall. Holberg, of Lakeville, an-nounced her de-cision not to seek a ninth term in office at the Re-publican caucus in Farmington on Saturday. “It was a tough decision,” Holberg said. “It’s cer-tainly a job I love. It’s exciting and you learn new things and I’ve gotten to work with people across the state … but 16 years is a long time.”

by Andrew MillerSUN THISWEEK


A garage fire last month on the 4900 block of Upper 148th Court in Apple Valley could have been a lot worse, accord-ing to Apple Valley Fire Chief Nealon Thompson. But a civic-minded neighbor had cleared the snow from around the fire hydrant nearest the garage, giving the first firefighters to arrive on the scene im-mediate access to water needed fight the blaze. “Because the hydrant had been cleared by the neighbor, we were able to confine the fire to the ga-rage and prevent it from going into the house,” Thompson said. The fire chief is ask-ing Apple Valley residents to clear 3 feet of space around fire hydrants near their homes, giving fire-fighters access to the hy-drants from the street.

The basic idea, Thomp-son said, is that every sec-ond counts when there is a fire, and the sooner fire-fighters can connect hoses to hydrants, the sooner they can get water on fires. There are more than 2,500 fire hydrants in the city, and the city’s vol-unteer Fire Department doesn’t have the resources to clear snow from them all. “With the high amount

of snowfall we’ve had this year, fire hydrants are be-coming harder and harder to access,” Thompson said. “Firefighters having to spend five minutes dig-ging a fire hydrant out of a snowbank is just going to slow down our efforts.” Clearing the snow with a shovel is best, the fire chief added, as using a snowblower has the poten-tial to damage both the hy-drant and the snowblower. Thompson said there

haven’t yet been any fire calls this year in which firefighters were de-layed by buried hydrants, though there have been a number of fire calls in which “properly dug out hydrants have assisted us.” “We’ve had no signifi-cant impact so far, but of course we want to prevent that from happening,” he said.

Email Andrew Miller at [email protected].

County’s top law enforcement officials want to put out medical marijuana bill

Fire chief urges residents to clear

3-foot space around hydrants

Members of the Los Puerto Ricans team plunged into the icy waters of Crystal Lake in Burnsville on Saturday, Feb. 22, as part of the annual South Metro Polar Bear Plunge. Polar Bear Plunge events are organized by Minnesota law-enforcement groups to raise money for Special Olympics Minnesota. Plung-ers at Crystal Lake swam or walked a short distance to shore before hustling into a warm-up tent. A total of 878 plungers were registered for the event, raising $197,000 in pledges, according to the event website. (Photo by John Gessner)

Apple Valley Fire Chief Nealon Thompson is asking residents to clear 3 feet of space around fire hydrants, as shown above, near their homes, thus giving firefighters imme-diate access to water when responding to fire calls. (Photo courtesy Apple Valley Fire Department)

Fire hydrants buried under snow can delay firefight-ing efforts. (Photo courtesy Apple Valley Fire Depart-ment)

Mary LizHolberg

Jim Backstrom Dave Bellows

See MARIJUANA, 11A

See HOLBERG, 11A

2A February 28, 2014 SUN THISWEEK - Apple Valley

Conditions were less than ideal for tennis last week at Apple Valley’s Scott Park, with the top of the court’s net visible just above the recently fallen snow. The intense winter storm that began Thursday afternoon dumped nearly 10 inches of snow in the Twin Cities area, closing Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan schools on Friday and leaving roads dangerously slick. (Photo by Andrew Miller)

Tennis, anyone?

Area BriefsCitizens Academy offered The Apple Valley Police Department is offering a free Citizens Police Acad-emy on Tuesdays, April 1 through May 27. The class meets from 6:30 to 9 p.m. and is open to anyone over the age of 18 who lives or works in Apple Valley and has not attended an Ap-ple Valley Citizens Police Academy within the last five years. Criminal back-ground checks will be con-ducted on all applicants. Topics for the eight-week course include rou-tine traffic stops, the Da-kota County Drug Task Force, school resource of-ficers, use-of-force issues, DUI enforcement, the Mutual Aid Assistance Group (SWAT team), the judicial process, crime scene investigations and K-9. Registrations must be completed online at www.cityofapplevalley.org/po-lice. No applications will be accepted after March 25. For more information, contact Crime Prevention Specialist Pam Walter at 952-953-2706 or [email protected].

Foreign policy discussion at Galaxie Library Starting in March, Da-kota County Library will host Great Decisions, a nonpartisan discussion fo-rum that provides oppor-tunities for education and conversation on important American foreign policy issues. Each program will be

held at Apple Valley’s Galaxie Library and will feature a presenter with expertise in the topic. Par-ticipants are encouraged to read the Great Deci-sions booklet available at the Galaxie Library infor-mation desk. The first program is “China’s Foreign Poli-cy,” 6:30-8 p.m. Tuesday, March 4. What does the rapid rise of China mean for other countries in the region, and are there po-tential points of conflict with the United States as it “pivots” to Asia? Pre-sented by P. Richard Bohr, professor of history and director of Asian studies at the College of St. Bene-dict and St. John’s Univer-sity. For more information, visit www.dakotacounty.us/library and search Great Decisions or call 651-450-2900.

Lebanon Hills citizen panel The Dakota County Board of Commissioners is seeking applicants to serve on its Lebanon Hills Regional Park 2014 Mas-ter Plan Citizen Panel and review specific elements of the park’s draft 2014 Mas-ter Plan to provide com-ments to the board. The panel – which will consist of no more than 20 members – is expected to meet approximately eight times between April 1 and Dec. 31, with meetings be-ing held in the evenings and likely lasting a maxi-mum of three hours. Applications can be mailed to the Senior Ad-ministrative Coordina-tor to the Board, Dakota County Administration

Center, 1590 Highway 55, Hastings, Minn., 55033; emailed to [email protected]; or faxed to 651-438-4405. They must be submitted by the end of the day on March 28. Each commissioner will use the pool of applicants to nominate two repre-sentatives to the citizen panel. Their selections will not necessarily come from their respective districts, but will properly represent Dakota County residents and their interests. Select-ed candidates will be no-tified by phone or email, and panel appointments will be made April 8. For more informa-tion or to obtain an ap-plication, visit www.da-kotacounty.us/parks and search master plan.

MOMS benefit concert The 12th annual MOMS (Making Our Moms Successful) Benefit Concert and Silent Auc-tion is Saturday, April 5, at 12921 Nicollet Ave. S., Burnsville. MOMS is a nonprofit mentoring program de-signed to equip single mothers with the skills and support to build healthy, stable homes for their children. The orga-nization has been serving Dakota County since 1990 and has now expanded to include Scott County. All concert proceeds benefit the MOMS program. Advance tickets are $15, or $20 the day of the show. For more informa-tion, or to order tickets, call 952-890-5072, email [email protected], visit www.momsprogram.org.

SUN THISWEEK - Apple Valley February 28, 2014 3A

Abdallah Candies looks to expand

Abdallah Candies President Steven Hegedus, who learned candymaking as a boy, walks the floor at the Burnsville factory. (Photo by John Gessner)

by John GessnerSUN THISWEEK


Steady growth has Abdallah Candies, a fixture in Burnsville for nearly 50 years, seeking larg-er quarters for its factory and retail shop. The search could end with the storied candymaker and family business leaving the city it’s called home since 1965. Or not. City officials are keen to retain the company, whose products — principally choco-lates and caramels — can be found on store shelves across the Upper Midwest and the nation. Mayor Elizabeth Kautz even gave Abdallah a shout-out dur-ing her Feb. 12 State of the City address, saying the city is work-ing with the company on its ex-pansion plans. Abdallah President Steven Hegedus, who employs about 120 people, says he’d prefer to stay in Burnsville. “Burnsville is strongly sup-portive of our business. If there’s a way we can do that, we will,” said the Savage resident, who’s been making candy since childhood. “That’s one reason why we’re considering many op-tions in Burnsville. But we also have to be realistic and do what makes sense for the business. If Burnsville can’t accommodate, then we have to look elsewhere.” He said he wants to keep the company in the Twin Cities and is scouting locations “south of the river.” Abdallah is located in a 65,000-square-foot build-ing on the southwest corner of County Road 42 and Burnsville Parkway. Some 40,000 cars pass daily on 42, a boon for the retail store, where business is especially brisk around Valentine’s Day, Christmas and Easter, Hegedus

said. The challenge to staying in Burnsville, he said, is finding a good retail spot that can also ac-commodate the 100,000-square-foot building needed for pro-duction to keep pace with sales growth. “The retail operations are still very profitable and we want to keep a good presence, so the location is important,” Hegedus said. Known to many as “Abdal-lah’s,” the company has had sev-eral prominent locations during its 104-year history. It began as a small candy and ice cream shop at Hennepin Av-enue and Lake Street in south Minneapolis. The founders were Albert Abdallah, a Syrian immi-grant, and his new bride, the for-mer Helen Trovall from Monti-cello, Minn. The shop grew to include a restaurant and soda fountain. The end of Prohibition moved much of its customer base back into the bars, and the couple closed the business in 1935. But Albert, who learned his candymaking skills in Amer-ica, continued to make candy for select clients while trying to rebuild the business. Abdallah reopened, without the restaurant, in 1937 on West Lake Street near Lake Calhoun, a few blocks from the old loca-tion. “The trolley stop was Hen-nepin and Lake,” Hegedus said. “People would get off on that corner, walk to Lake Calhoun, and they would promenade back and forth by his ice cream-candy store.” Abdallah eventually asked his son-in-law, Glen Oletzke, to join the business. Oletzke was the father-in-law of Steven He-gedus’ father, Stephen, who also

Burnsville hopes to retain longtime business

joined the family business with his wife, Vicke. Oletzke was Ste-ven Hegedus’ grandfather. The business’ next location, at 38th Street and Cedar Av-enue, was a victim of fate. Oletz-ke and Stephen Hegedus moved there in the mid-’50s. In 1964, a spectacular fire caused by an overturned gas tanker truck de-stroyed part of the building and much of the inventory. Though they briefly main-tained a retail store at that lo-cation, Oletzke and Hegedus looked south to Burnsville to build a new candy factory in 1965, the year Steven Hegedus was born. “Grandpa taught me how to make marshmallow,” he said. “Dad trained me in candymak-ing. At 10, 11, 12, I was making candy. I didn’t think it was a job. It was fun.” The new location at 12220 12th Ave. S., east of Burnsville High School, proved to be a winner. A U.S. Post Office was soon built next to Abdallah Candies. “Even though we were more

in an industrial side of town, people found us because we were next to the post office,” Hegedus said. “You always make it to the post office one time or another.” The company began whole-saling its candy in the late 1970s, partly in response to Fanny Farmer shuttering its wholesale operation, he said. “Their decision to stop wholesaling to retailers left a big demand for boxed chocolates in drugstores and gift shops and places like that, which we filled,” he said. His father took pains to grow the business slowly, nev-er taking on more accounts than he could service, He-gedus said. But grow it did. The company moved to County Road 42 in 1997, start-ing with 30,000 square feet and four years later building 35,000 more. Abdallah Candies’ ac-count ledger has grown to 7,000 nationwide, Hegedus said. The company has quadrupled its output since 1997, to about 2 million pounds of candy a year, he said. It powered through the

recession; candy and alcohol are mostly immune to such down-turns, Hegedus said. “It’s making really good can-dy,” he said, explaining the com-pany’s success. “It’s focusing on the second sale, never the first. Everything’s repeat business with what we do.” Hegedus hopes to have a new location chosen within a couple of months and new space built within a year. “If we’re going to keep up with demand, we know we can’t do it in this facility,” said Hege-dus, whose wife, Karen, runs ac-counting and human resources for the company and whose three college-age sons have also worked in the business. “It’s more our customers driving our decision than us. If I could stay here I think I would, in these four walls, but we won’t be able to make our customers happy.”

John Gessner can be reached at 952-846-2031 or email [email protected].

Velvet Tones present Festival of Music

Velvet Tones, the senior adult com-munity chorus of Apple Valley, will present its annual Festival of Music at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 2, at Eastview High School, 6200 W. 140th St., Apple

March 2 event at Eastview features Southview Singers

Valley. The free concert will feature the Southview Singers from Southview El-ementary in Apple Valley. Stan Turner will serve as master of ceremonies. For more information, call 952-432-1081, visit www.velvettones.org or email [email protected].


Legislators thanked To the editor: I would like to recognize and thank Sens. Jim Carl-son and Greg Clausen and Reps. Laurie Halverson, Mary Liz Holberg, Sandy Masin, Will Morgan and Anna Wills for joining members of the Metro-politan Interfaith Council on Affordable Housing for a breakfast discussion Wednesday, Feb. 19. This breakfast, held at Pres-byterian Church of the Apostles in Burnsville was a non-partisan gathering planned to help build rela-tionships with state legisla-tors and to exchange ideas on goals for the upcoming legislative sessions. MICAH invited all legislators from Dakota County Districts 51, 56, 57 and 58, to this event,

and we were pleased that the seven legislators above were able to attend. Partic-ipants enjoyed lively con-versation with the legisla-tors who attended, gaining insight into their goals for the upcoming session. MI-CAH members advocated for a bonding bill which includes $100 million for affordable housing, in-cluding support for House File 2112 allocating funds to help narrow the racial disparity in home owner-ship.

DEBBY REISINGERApple Valley

Attention Dakota County taxpayers To the editor: I urge the Dakota County Parks director,

our county commission-ers, and the citizens of Da-kota County to please step back and look at the big picture. There was not citizen involvement in the plan-ning of a greenway bike trail system that is planned for two local parks. There is not public awareness or clear com-munication for the cost to the taxpayers of Dakota County for a greenway bike trail system to go through or around Spring Lake Park Reserve and Lebanon Hills Regional Park. Both of these parks are two rare natural parks left in this entire country. They both have several recreational activities and they are unlike all other parks. The cost for these greenway trails for biking is multi millions more than the $3 million grant, which

will go toward the cost of one of the parks. The to-tal amounts are not clearly defined by the plan. One bridge or overpass could cost more than $1 million with several structures needed in the plan because of the terrain and grade within these parks. The maintenance costs of the trails is not included in the approximate cost to build. The public comments show that 90 percent of people commenting do not want paved trails in either of these parks. The planning committee and the county commissioners are not taking public com-ments into consideration and they are not listening to the citizens who will pay for this costly project. Costly for the money spent and costly for the damage to the wildlife, and natu-ral beauty of these parks. Minimal development with needed land restora-tion and enhancements would be the best for these parks, for future genera-tions to enjoy.

PATRICIA LUETHEagan

Not surprised To the editor: Lynn Utecht recently wrote in a letter that at the Dakota County Board meeting of Feb. 11, the board did not discuss the fact that their plan does not meet citizens expecta-tions nor did it address the violation of the 2001 plan, the cost for construction

or maintenance of their new idea, nor the fact that the vast majority of public comments received have been opposed to their de-velopment plan, but rather focused on placing guide-lines (and presumable re-strictions) on a potential citizens group and how to repair their image. I share her disappoint-ment; I do hope she was not surprised.

JOE CHANSLOREagan

Education is elementary To the editor: The chair of the Educa-tion and Workforce Com-mittee in the U.S. House, Rep. John Kline, R-Burns-ville, recently convened some meetings on the value of early childhood education. Many seem to believe it’s important to pursue early education, given studies about the brain, and about success for children who have had early education. Yet Kline, a multi-term representa-tive from the 2nd District, which includes south sub-urbs and rural areas, ques-tions the value of such programs. For some years now, studies have shown the effectiveness of early edu-cation in promoting suc-cess and preventing illegal behavior. Peace officers and prosecutors in Da-kota County support the idea, but the incumbent congressman claims not

to know about the value of early education, and has dismissed government programs as “glorified baby-sitting programs.” He seems to be a reluctant supporter of public educa-tion. He has delayed act-ing on funding for Special Education to help local school districts. Before funding any-thing, he says we must eliminate the waste from many different programs he says already deal with early childhood education. That may be a delaying tactic. Mr. Kline has been chair of the Education and Workforce Commit-tee for several years and has yet to pass legislation renewing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The vast majority of studies indicate that posi-tive outcomes are a result of early childhood pro-grams, well into adult-hood. One recent study conducted by Harvard University researchers on Boston Public Schools re-ported there were “huge benefits” from a well-designed early childhood education program. Mike Obermueller, a leading candidate for Congress in the 2nd District, has long advocated for such pro-grams, citing benefits to the community at large. Our low income children deserve that kind of pro-gram, and we can all reap the benefits.

PAUL HOFFINGEREagan

Letters

OpinionSchools need policies to ensure students have a hot lunch

Informed urgency needed to help improve schools

The report of Minnesota school stu-dents from low-income families being denied a hot school lunch raises a ma-jor question as to who is responsible for feeding hungry students in school. Clearly, the will of the people is that no student should go through the school day hungry. Most agree it is the responsibility of parents to make sure children eligible for a reduced-price lunch either have a bag lunch or the 40-cent co-pay in their lunch account needed to get a hot meal. The same holds for parents who are not eligible for reduced-price meals in school cafeterias. A spokesperson for Legal Aid said this week it believes the same pay-ment policies are applied to all students, regardless of ability to pay for a hot lunch. The survey by Mid-Minnesota Le-gal Aid found that 46 school districts eventually, after some effort at collec-tion, deny children a lunch if they don’t have the 40 cents to pay for it. The sur-vey comes on the heels of reports from Utah where students were denied meals because of lack of payment. The Utah incidents highlighted the situation here. In fact, Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid has been advocating for the past six years to prohibit this practice in Minnesota. The survey found that another 166

districts provide an alternative – fruit, a cheese or peanut butter sandwich and a carton of milk – while the rest of the dis-tricts, including Minneapolis and Ano-ka-Hennepin, serve hot lunches to those who qualify for reduced-price lunches. Judging from reaction, this issue has engaged many Minnesotans who are choosing sides on the issue of the respon-sibility of government to feed hot lunch-es and breakfasts to students who come to school hungry for whatever reason. We believe that the child should not suffer because of neglectful parents, par-ticularly if they have to sit in school feel-ing the pangs of hunger. The focus of this discussion is on those students who qualify for a reduced-price lunch based on the family’s annual income. The bottom line is who should pay the 40 cents for a hot lunch when the family can’t or forgets to do so in a timely fashion. The answer comes down to the lo-cal school district administration and policies approved by the school board. Budgets are set and most districts expect the lunch program to be self-supporting. However, the priority of all school dis-tricts ought first to be how can we get all children fed, not how can we get all the

meals paid for. It’s hard to blame the local school food service department that most like-ly is following orders and guidelines to provide meals while staying within their budgets. But policies that deny a student a meal or send a student home with an ink-stamped hand as a reminder that payment is due are cruel, mean and sim-ply wrong. No child should be punished or humiliated in such a fashion because an adult has failed their personal respon-sibility. We believe local taxpayers would pay more if they knew those additional funds would go directly to pay for hot lunches for students from low-income families. We also believe most districts can be creative in finding solutions that are re-spectful to struggling families who want to pay, but need more time. Meanwhile, this survey has so stirred up the public that the Legislature will likely pass a bill making sure every stu-dent who qualifies for a reduced-price lunch will get a hot meal. That will re-quire an estimated expenditure of $3.5 million. Gov. Mark Dayton is including the $3.5 million in his supplemental bud-get that will be considered this session. The state has a budget surplus, meaning the funds are available. It is unfortunate that a proposal in the last session to pro-

vide this funding fell on deaf ears and was eliminated from the budget. The focus alone on this issue will help solve the problem as local school boards examine their policies and procedures and hold accountable administrators to make sure no child is denied a lunch. School districts that carry a healthy food service fund balance do not face budget problems. The Legal Aid survey also drew a re-sponse from the commissioner of educa-tion. Calling the substance of the survey “quite troubling,” Brenda Cassellius wrote to superintendents in all districts last week: “Like me, I know that none of you would deny a child a nutritious lunch intentionally. I am hoping you will speak with your Food Service Directors regard-ing this information and find ways to en-sure children are never turned away from receiving a hot meal.” Legislators should pass this legislation so that all children eligible for free-and-reduced lunches, no matter the economic circumstances of their parents, are pro-vided a hot school lunch so that they can learn their lessons.

This is an opinion from the ECM Publish-ers Editorial Board. Sun Thisweek and the Dakota County Tribune are part of ECM Publishers Inc.

by Joe NathanSUN THISWEEK


Two of the nation’s most intriguing and one of the nation’s most controver-sial school reform advocates spoke in Minnesota Feb. 6. The conference, con-vened by the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, opened with sobering statis-tics. While Minnesota schools rank well in many areas, we are 48th in high school graduation rates for American Indians, 49th for African Americans and 50th for Hispanic students. About 250 parents, business commu-nity members, legislators, teachers and others gathered to listen, learn and list possible next steps. The two highlights for me were hearing from George Parker and Kati Haycock. Parker grew up in the rural south. His family members were “share-croppers” – among the poorest of the poor. His father completed fifth grade, his mother completed third. Parker taught math for 30 years in the Washington, D.C., public schools. He be-came a teacher in part because “many of my teachers inspired me. They would not let my family’s poverty be an excuse.” In 2005 teachers elected him to be their union president. He recalls having “typical teacher union president atti-tudes. Some things were sacred, includ-ing protecting seniority and opposing teacher evaluation tied to student perfor-

mance.” He began to change after he spoke one day in a third-grade classroom. Af-ter he told students that his job was to “make sure you have the best teachers,” a little girl hugged him. As he left the school, Parker thought, “I lied to those children.” The union had just spent $10,000 to retain a teacher that “I wouldn’t want working with my grandchildren.” He reconsidered some of his ideas, and “began to focus on child-based rather than adult-based” de-cisions. Working with Michelle Rhee, the dis-trict’s chancellor (what Minnesotans call “superintendent”), Parker negotiated a new contract that increased teacher pay, included student performance as part of the evaluation and reduced seniority as a criterion when layoffs were needed. While some teachers strongly objected, “more than 80 percent of the teachers voted in favor of the contract.” Parker is clear (and I think right) that the most effective schools have strong principals and well-designed profession-

al development. He points out that the best schools serving students from low-income families have more time with stu-dents. He also thinks teachers deserve “a good base pay, with performance mea-sures on top.” Parker’s views complement those of Kati Haycock, president of a research and advocacy group, Education Trust. Haycock has many awards for her care-ful research and use of data to highlight problems and describe outstanding el-ementary and secondary public schools as well as colleges and universities. She thinks Americans need to work si-multaneously inside and outside schools to help young people. I agree. For Hay-cock, poverty absolutely is a problem that urgently needs work. She also urges learning from strong early childhood pro-grams and from public schools around the country that are producing excellent results with students from low-income families. Unfortunately, “We are taking the diversity that should be our competi-tive advantage in the international mar-ketplace and obliterating it,” she said. Her data-packed slide show presentation is available at tinyurl.com/EdTrust214. Another speaker was Michelle Rhee, former D.C. school chancellor, who is one of the nation’s most controversial educators. Parker currently works part time with her. Rhee has founded a group called Students First, which recently rat-ed Minnesota’s school reform efforts as

a D. She was asked why her group rated Minnesota so much lower than some other states when, overall, Minnesota has better results. Rhee responded that she focuses on what states are doing to improve. There’s an ongoing, intense de-bate about Rhee’s record in D.C. (See, for example, tinyurl.com/l9nl7tu.) The conference opened with Jeff DeY-oung, managing partner of a local firm that provides audit, tax, wealth man-agement and other services. DeYoung praised teachers at Central High School in St. Paul, where his children received what he described as a “fine education.” He also feels improvements are needed urgently because “too many of our chil-dren’s friends didn’t finish.” Informed urgency is what Amy Wal-stien, the Chamber’s director of educa-tion and workforce development policy, wants. She told me, “Our goal was to introduce the business community to national figures with ideas for common-sense reforms in Minnesota, highlight some great local initiatives and ignite a greater sense of urgency for changes to the education system.”

Joe Nathan, formerly a Minnesota pub-lic school teacher, administrator and PTA president, directs the Center for School Change. Reactions welcome, [email protected]. Columns reflect the opinion of the author.

Sun Thisweek

ColumnistJoe Nathan

ECM Editorial

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PUBLISHER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Julian AndersenPRESIDENT . . . . . . . . . . . . Marge WinkelmanGENERAL MANAGER . . . . . . . . . . . Mark WeberTHISWEEKEND/APPLE VALLEY EDITOR . . . . . . . . Andrew Miller

DISTRICT 196 EDITOR . . . . . . . Jessica HarperSPORTS EDITOR . . . . . . . . Mike ShaughnessyNEWS ASSISTANT . . . . . . . . . . . Darcy Odden SALES MANAGER . . . . . . . . . . . . Mike Jetchick


Arts center’s latest numbers have city officials smilingAttendance and revenue up at Burnsville venue

by John GessnerSUN THISWEEK


The arrows keep pointing in the right directions for the Burnsville Performing Arts Center, whose 2013 financial per-formance has center officials and City Council members smiling. Attendance and revenue were up, while the city-subsidized operating defi-cit fell sharply. “I’m never going to stop showing this chart,” Sal Mondelli, chair of the center’s citizen advisory commission, told the council Feb. 18. “I think it’s a testament to hanging in there and doing the right thing.” He presented numbers from the cen-ter’s annual report showing that revenue rose 20 percent, from $975,385 in 2012 to $1.17 million in 2013. Attendance at center functions rose 11 percent, from 110,425 to 123,030. And the operating deficit, which man-agement and city officials have been try-ing to slash since the center’s difficult opening years, plunged 37 percent — from $253,465 to $160,115. “Everything focuses on all of these numbers being better and better,” Mayor

Elizabeth Kautz said. The center also bested its 2013 bud-geted numbers in revenue ($1.17 million vs. $1.1 million), expenses ($1.33 million vs. $1.38 million) and operating deficit ($160,115 vs. $275,995), according to the annual report. Food and beverage sales grossed $210,400 last year, compared with $148,735 in 2012 — a $66,600 increase in revenue and a $39,800 increase in profits, the report said. The council voted Feb. 18 to approve the center’s 2014 business plan, which includes goals for boosting the number of events and raising even more money from facility rentals, the center’s chief revenue source. The 2013 showing is a far cry from 2009, when the facility — built by the city for $20 million and vigorously opposed by some residents — posted a first-year operating deficit of $547,855, according to VenuWorks, the center’s management firm. The deficit fell to was $399,615 in 2010 and $275,715 in 2011. Revenue has nearly doubled since 2009. The center will get another boost this year when a $1 million naming-rights

deal kicks in. Burnsville-based Ames Construction Inc. reached a deal in Au-gust to pay the city $100,000 a year for 10 years. The center will be renamed the Ames Center, with new exterior signs and a public dedication sometime in the com-ing months. Mondelli said VenuWorks wants to use possibly 20 percent of the annual payments to boost the center’s “angel fund,” which allows management to pur-sue several of its own bookings rather than just waiting for promoters to call. Kautz said the original intent of sell-ing naming rights was to raise revenue to pare the operating deficit. But a suc-cessful run of angel fund shows can also further that same goal. “We think growing the angel fund is really, really key,” Mondelli said. The 2014 business plan calls for rais-ing the fund to $100,000 by the end of 2018 through corporate sponsorships and naming-rights revenue. Executive Director Brian Luther said the fund now has $72,000, some of which is already tied up in upcoming shows. Seven angel fund shows are planned this year, he said. The plan sets forth other goals, which include increasing the number of con-certs from 28 in 2013 to 30 in 2014, in-

creasing the number of events in the up-per lobby from 75 to 85, increasing the number of events in the main theater from 148 to 153 and increasing the num-ber of events in the black box theater from 123 to 125. The goals are among the perfor-mance measures the city added last year through a new three-year contract with VenuWorks, which has managed the cen-ter since it opened. The goals aren’t con-tractual but will help the city judge the company’s work, Mondelli said. The council also approved the 2014 work plan for the center’s advisory com-mission. The plan includes regular re-view of the performance measures by the full commission. The plan calls for three subcommit-tees to work on publicizing the center in the community and gauging customer satisfaction, increasing business engage-ment in the center through facility rent-als and donations, and exploring revenue enhancements. The full commission will also cut back its meeting schedule from every two months to quarterly.

John Gessner can be reached at 952-846-2031 or email

[email protected].

Second Money Ball winner

Merchants Bank had its second Money Ball winner in two weeks when Apple Valley High School student Mohamed Kone sank a half-court shot to win $300 in the Mer-chants Bank Money Ball giveaway held at halftime of the school’s basketball game on Feb. 11. Kone is pictured with his father, Adama Kone, and Brian Wester from Mer-chants Bank. Kone’s name was drawn at random. On Jan. 28, AVHS student Ja’Quan Robinson won $500 in the progressive jackpot when he sank a half-court shot. Mer-chants Bank has been sponsoring Money Ball throughout the basketball season at the school. (Photo submitted)

Apple Valley’s Beyond the Yellow Ribbon was honored with a Congressional Certifi-cate of Special Recognition by U.S. Rep. John Kline, R-Burnsville, at the eighth annual Star of the North ceremony Feb. 13 at Kenwood Trail Middle School in Lakeville. Last summer, Apple Valley and Rosemount’s Beyond the Yellow Ribbon organizations held their annual Bad Apple Golf Tournament. Eighty-four golfers turned out at the Foun-tain Valley Golf Course in Farmington to participate in the event. The tournament raised $9,364 for both groups to help serve the needs of local veterans and their fami-lies. The award was accepted by Beyond the Yellow Ribbon members Bruce Folken, Bill Tschohl, Nancy Tschohl, Paul Chellsen, William Nygaard III, and Rich Davey. (Photo submitted)

Beyond the Yellow Ribbon honored


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insured painting company that offers trainedand skilled (journeyman) employee’s topaint and remodel your home or business.All of our employee’s have been with thecompany for several years and each has beentrained to the highest standards. We takepride in the honesty, integrity, and characterof the young men we have employed.My son Andrew is a highly skilled and

trained carpenter. He also does taping,knock down ceilings, tiling, countertops andoffers many types of custom carpentry. An-drew operates a professional spray booth offsite for nishes on cabinetry and furniture.His current focus is on remodeling, updat-ing, and modernizing homes and businesses.Andrew’s perfectionist approach to every

job and the extent of his skill set have madehim one of the best craftsman in the TwinCities.My other two sons run the painting end

of the business and are also professionallytrained Artists. Jeremiah attended the Min-neapolis College of Art and Design and laterstudied under the mentorship of the nation-ally renowned portrait and fresco painterMark Balma. David similarly was acceptedinto a full time master apprenticeship pro-gram at the young age of 16 at the highlyrespected Atelier Lack Studio. They fol-lowed in the family tradition of mastering aprofessional craft and skill which they havebrought to our company. Between the twothey offer 25 years of experience paintinginterior and exterior homes in the metro areawith our family business.A&J Painting takes great pride in our abil-

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Public Safety

Suspect charged in Burnsville liquor store burglary by Andrew Miller

SUN THISWEEKDAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE

The suspect in a Burnsville liquor store burglary was drunk and covered in blood when po-lice stopped his vehicle just after midnight Feb. 19, prosecutors said. Jack C. Bellissimo, 21, of Burnsville, has been charged with felony burglary as well as two counts of DWI in connec-tion with the incident at Big Discount Liquor, 12100 County Road 11.

According to the criminal complaint, Burnsville police were called to the liquor store at 12:05 a.m. Feb. 19 on a report of a commer-cial burglary alarm trig-gered by front entry to the store. A witness told police a person wearing all black had been seen running from the liquor store to the Co-lonial Villa Apartments nearby. A short time later, police stopped Bellissimo’s pickup truck after it was observed leav-

ing the apartment com-plex and proceeding onto County Road 11, where it was seen swerv-ing back and forth. Bellissimo, the vehicle’s sole occupant, told po-lice his legs and hands were covered in blood because he’d fallen

down, and that he was driving himself to the hospital, the com-plaint said. Pressed by police about his injuries, Bellissimo eventually admitted that he “just robbed

a liquor store,” had taken two bottles of vodka and an energy drink, and had gotten cut while exiting the store, according to the complaint. Police said Bellissimo smelled of alcohol, had red glassy eyes and was slurring his speech during the traffic stop. A pre-liminary breath test showed a blood-alcohol concentration of .21, more than twice the legal limit for driving. Because of his injuries, Bellis-simo was first taken to a hospi-tal before being booked into the

Dakota County Jail. If convicted of the burglary charge, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $20,000. The two DWI charges he’s facing are misdemeanors that each carry up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. His next court appearance is scheduled for May 20 in Hast-ings.


Jack C.Bellissimo

Man charged in attempted copper theft from Lockheed Martin building A Minneapolis man faces felony charges after allegedly attempting to steal copper from the vacant Lockheed Martin building in Eagan. Austin Jeffrey Jones, 22, of Minneapolis, was charged on Feb. 18 with felony third-degree burglary in connection to the break-in. According to the criminal complaint, an Eagan police of-

ficer noticed Jones and another man pulling a sled on Feb. 14 from the Argosy University parking lot at 1515 Central Parkway to the Lockheed Mar-tin property. At some point, they began running toward the building, which has a “No Trespassing” signed posted outside, and the officer ordered them to stop. When they continued to run,

the officer chased them on foot, but was unable to catch up with them before they entered the building. Other officers arrived soon after and set up a perimeter around the building. One of the men’s father came to the scene and told of-ficers that another man and Jones, who had called him, were “scared and wanted to come

out.” Eventually, the men agreed to come out and were arrested. Officers found freshly cut copper piping in the Lock-heed Martin building and two bags containing 150 pounds of copper piping on a sidewalk between Argosy and Central Parkway. Jones was convicted of felo-ny motor vehicle theft in 2009

when he was 17 and has misde-meanor convictions for driving without a license and underage alcohol consumption in 2011 and 2012. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison. No charges have been filed to date against Jones’ alleged accomplice.

—Jessica Harper

DWI charge follows school parking lot crash An Apple Valley woman was arrested and charged with DWI fol-lowing a two-vehicle colli-sion earlier this month in the parking lot at Falcon Ridge Middle School. Police said the wom-an, 51, was drunk when the Pontiac she was driv-ing T-boned a Kia in the Apple Valley school’s parking lot just before 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb.

13. The Pontiac sustained heavy front-end damage when it collided with the front driver’s door of the Kia, according to police. The Pontiac was subse-quently towed from the accident scene. Both vehicles’ airbags deployed in the collision; no injuries were reported.

—Andrew Miller

Higher fines proposed for drivers in work zonesCrash in Burnsville that killed two is at the center of the issue

Deb Carlson (left) and Jodi Rajkowski testify before the House Transportation Policy Committee on Feb. 10 in support of House File 1796 that would prohibit cellphone use by drivers in work zones when workers are present. The spouses of both women died af-ter being struck by an inattentive driver in an Interstate 35W work zone in Burnsville. (Session Daily photo by Andrew VonBank)

by Jonathan AviseSESSION DAILY

Making Minnesota’s road construction sites safer is the aim of a pair of bills a House transpor-tation committee heard Monday, Feb 10. Sponsored by Rep. Ron Erhardt, DFL-Edina, House File 1796 proposes toughened standards for driving through construc-tion areas, including pro-hibiting cellphone usage – even hands-free devices – in work zones and set-ting a new $375 fine for speeding when construc-tion workers are present. “Orange cones, no phones,” Erhardt said. “We want you all to re-member that.” A second bill, H.F. 1949, sponsored by Rep. Mary Sawatzky, DFL-Willmar, also proposes a ban on the use of mobile phones in roadway con-struction zones. The bills were heard during an informational hearing of the House Transportation Policy Committee, which Er-hardt chairs. Neither bill has a Senate companion. The $375 fine would re-place current statute that doubles normal speeding fines when in a work zone. H.F. 1756 also calls for a

$375 fine for drivers who don’t obey safety flaggers in work zones. The legislation pro-posed by Erhardt would institute a pilot program to test automated speed enforcement in up to five construction zones per year in 2014 and 2015. Road construction in-dustry officials expressed support for the changes, saying more needs to be done to protect work-ers alongside busy roads, highways and interstates from distracted drivers.

The husbands of Jodi Rajkowski and Deb Carl-son were killed in October 2011 when a distracted motorist plowed into them at high speed at a proj-ect on Interstate 35W in Burnsville. Both women told lawmakers more con-sideration needs to be giv-en to the safety of workers alongside the state’s roads. “Keeping road workers safe in Minnesota is just as important as keeping traf-fic moving,” Carlson said. Rep. Linda Runbeck, R-Circle Pines, said she

supports measures to keep construction workers safer on the state’s roads, but believes reducing speed limits – something not proposed in H.F. 1796 or H.F. 1949 – would be more effective in keeping work-ers safe. “Why don’t we say in a work zone we must reduce the speed (limit) … to me we’re addressing the wrong issue,” she said. “We’re looking for a scapegoat, and the things that do work we’re not doing.”


Deterring thieves is aim of Eagan company’s new travel bagsSkooblevart to launch online travel guide by spring

Jeff Carpenter, owner of Skooblevart, launched in No-vember a new line of travel bags called 130º that are aimed at deterring pickpockets. (Photo by Jessica Harper)

by Jessica HarperSUN THISWEEK


While traveling in Denmark about a year ago, Eagan resident Jeff Carpenter became yet another vic-tim of pickpockets. Determined to prevent not only himself, but others from falling victim again, the local entrepreneur set out to create a theft-deterrent bag. From there, the 130º brand was born. “(Pickpocketing) is an epidemic problem,” Carpenter said. “Noth-ing is 100 percent theft-proof, but it slows them down.” Launched in November by Car-penter’s travel accessory company, Skooblevart, the bags are designed deter thieves by making it more dif-ficult for them to open the bags with-out the wearer noticing. Part tote bag, part satchel, the canvas travel bags feature a zipper and button flap over the main pocket and a smaller inside pocket that has a zipper that opens in the opposite direction. A cord also attaches the bag to the wearer’s belt loop to fur-ther deter thieves. The bags, which are manufactured in Minneapolis, also feature a middle divider so if the bag is cut open, items closest to the wearer’s body will remain inside the bag. The travel bags, which range in price from $12.50 to $57, and Skoo-

blevart journals are available on the company’s website www.skooblevart.com and at amazon.com. Inspired by their own traveling experiences, Carpenter and his wife, Carol, founded Skooblevart in 2007 and sold handmade travel journals that contain facts and activities about particular countries and cities. “They are designed to be fun, in-teresting and help people get more out of their trip,” Carpenter said. The couple have lived in Eagan for nearly 19 years and enjoy travel-ing the globe, particularly after their two children, who graduated from Eastivew High School, left home. Though the business managed to stay afloat over the years, it quickly faced increasing competition from e-readers and other electronic devic-es. By 2013, the coupled decided to expand their porfolio to include the bags. Since launching the bags three months ago, sales have slowly picked up, Carpenter said. In addition to selling journals and travel bags, Skooblevart hopes to launch an online travel guide called Clue Me that features user-generated content. The interactive site would enable travelers to share and create a list of lesser known, must-see travel destinations. “The idea is to put all these hid-den gems in one spot,” Carpenter

said. Though it would be a free site, Carpenter said he hopes to gener-ate revenue through advertising and partnerships with travel agencies. The company has already part-nered with Minneapolis travel agen-cies Wandering Puffin and Highland Asia Travel, which are offering dis-counts for travelers who contribute to the campaign. Whether the concept becomes a reality hinges on the business’ crowd-funding campaign, through which supporters of the idea can purchase product packages to fund the proj-ect. Proceeds will go toward the cost of the site’s infrastructure. “It’s a good way to test the market and engage our target,” said Carpen-ter, who also owns Bird Dog Innova-tion Strategies, an Eagan business consulting company. Consumers will ultimately decide if Clue Me even gets off the ground. Carpenter hopes to raise $43,000 by March 20, but if the company fails to raise at least $26,250, the con-cept will be abandoned. “If we are successful, we will launch it by this travel season,” he said. “If not, we’ll keep our focus on our other products.” Jessica Harper is at [email protected] or facebook.com/sun-thisweek.

Business Briefs

Business Calendar

Builder wins awards College City Design/Build Inc., a Lakeville-based builder, has received 2014 Best of Houzz customer satisfaction and de-sign awards from Houzz.com, an online platform for home re-modeling and design.

Questar adds to leadership Brad Baumgartner has been named executive vice president of sales and marketing at Apple Valley-based Questar Assess-ment Inc., an educational as-sessment provider for states, school districts, and higher edu-cation institutions. Baumgartner will head up the organization’s domestic and

international sales efforts. He most recently served as vice pres-ident of global sales at Connect-Edu, an online service provider for career and college planning. Prior to that, he was director of business development at Ellu-cian (formerly SunGard Higher Education). He also served as director of global business de-velopment at Elsevier, a leading provider of scientific, technical and medical products and ser-vices.

New officers at Lakeview Bank Maureen Shelton was elected vice president operations and IT security officer and Lisa Mein-erts was promoted to personal banking officer at Lakeview Bank, Lakeville.

Shelton has degrees from Be-midji State University and Uni-versity of Minnesota-Mankato. Prior to joining Lakeview Bank in November 2013, she was an operations and accounting of-ficer with Citizens State Bank of Shakopee and Stonebridge Bank, and most recently was a tax associate with Boulay Heu-tmaker Zibell and Company in Eden Prairie. At Lakeview Bank she has management responsi-bilities for the bank’s operations, accounting, and IT functions. Meinerts joined the bank in 2011 as a customer service rep-resentative after prior experi-ence at Sterling State Bank and Venture Bank. Her primary re-sponsibilities at Lakeview Bank include retail banking and teller line supervision. She holds a degree in journalism and mass

communications from the Uni-versity of Minnesota.

UPS honors safe drivers Jerry Knutson, of Farming-ton, and Douglas Smith, of Ea-gan, have been inducted into the Circle of Honor, an honorary organization for UPS drivers who have achieved 25 or more years of accident-free driving. Both work out of the St. Paul hub in Eagan.

Pillow drive for Bridging Coldwell Banker Burnet’s Foundation is collecting new pillows for Bridging, a nonprofit organization that provides fur-niture and household goods to

families transitioning out of homelessness and poverty. Bridging distributes 240 pil-lows to more than 75 house-holds every week. New pillows can be dropped off at any Coldwell Banker Bur-net office now through March 18. Local offices are in Apple Valley, Eagan and Lakeville.

Food co-op sponsors 5K Minnesota food co-op, Val-ley Natural Foods, Burnsville, will host its fourth annual Run for Hope 5K (www.runforho-pe5k.com) on May 3. All race proceeds benefit Ear-ly Childhood Family Education of the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan School District (www.district196.org/ecfe/ECFE.cfm).

To submit items for the Business Calendar, email: darcy.

[email protected].

Apple Valley Chamber of Com-merce events: • Tuesday, March 4, 7:30-9 a.m., Chamber Coffee Connection, Cul-ver’s, 15225 Galaxie Ave., Apple Val-ley. Information: Kristy Cleveland at [email protected] or 952-432-8422. • Thursday, March 6, 7:45-9:30 a.m., Open to Business and Workforce

Investment Board Event, Valleywood Golf Course, 4851 McAndrews Road, Apple Valley. • Friday, March 7, 10-11 a.m., rib-bon cutting, Orangetheory Fitness, 15624 Pilot Knob Road, Apple Val-ley. Information: Kristy Cleveland at [email protected] or 952-432-8422. Burnsville Chamber of Com-merce events: • Monday, March 3, 11:30 a.m., ribbon cutting, Meineke, 600 South-cross Drive, Burnsville. Kick off the

week-long grand opening celebration for Meineke of Burnsville. Free, no RSVP required. Dakota County Regional Cham-ber of Commerce events: • Tuesday, March 4, 8-9 a.m., Rosemount Coffee Break, Rosemount Fire Station 2, 2047 Connemara Trail W., Rosemount. Open to all Chamber members. Information: Jessy Annoni at 651-288-9202, [email protected]. • Tuesday, March 4, 4-4:30 p.m., ribbon cutting at Orangetheory Fit-

ness, 15624 Pilot Knob Road, Apple Valley. Information: Jessy Annoni at 651-288-9202, [email protected]. • Wednesday, March 5, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Robert Street Corridor Lun-cheon, DARTS, 1645 Marthaler Lane, West St. Paul. Free. Information: Jessy Annoni at 651-288-9202, [email protected]. • Wednesday, March 5, 4:30-6 p.m., Why Not Wednesday Business After Hours, Green Mill, 1940 Rahn-cliff Court, Eagan. Information: Jessy

Annoni at 651-288-9202, [email protected]. Lakeville Area Chamber of Com-merce events: • Wednesday, March 5, 7:30-8:30 a.m., Morning Brew, Sport Clips, 17440 Kenwood Trail. • Thursday, March 6, 7:30-9:30 a.m., Open to Business Dakota Coun-ty, Valleywood Golf Course, 4851 McAndrews Road, Apple Valley. Reg-ister by noon March 3 at http://open-tobusiness2014.eventbrite.com or call 651-675-4432.

Worship Directory


How to...How to choose a

It may be a gift to those you loveIt was Ben Franklin who said nothing is certain but

death and taxes. This article does not deal with taxes, but rather the other certainty in life.

Everyone dies, so a discussion of funeral planning is never irrelevant. When someone we love dies, there are varying stages of anger, confusion and numbness. The funeral is one of the most significant means we have of dealing with grief. The funeral ritual helps us focus our emotions and brings a sense of meaning to death. It confirms the reality of death and provides a catalyst for mourners to talk about the deceased. Experts tell us being able to talk about the life of a deceased loved one is one of the first steps toward accepting death.

Prearranging your funeralPrearranging your funeral is not much different

than any other planning you have carried out during your lifetime. You buy insurance in case of fire, flood, theft or death. These coverages are purchased as an act of love and responsibility for those you love in case an unfortunate incident occurs.

A pre-planned funeral accomplishes the same goals. A preplanned funeral can prevent your family mem-bers from having to make a number of significant decisions at a time when they are confused and upset. They will have enough on their minds dealing with grief without having to make several important deci-sions in a very short period of time. Experts tell us that there are an average of 50 decisions to be made when arranging a funeral.

Adding to the need for preplanning is the fact that our lifestyle is more complex in today’s world. Family members often live in different states, complicating rapid decision making. Further complications stem from frustrations that occur when dealing with govern-ment agencies in different states. A solid preplanning session can help prevent these complications which can loom very large during a time of pain and sorrow.

How to planA call to a funeral director or a pre-arrangement

specialist probably would be a good beginning in making sure you have covered all your bases in your planning. He or she can lead you through a process to ensure you don’t forget vital information in your plan. Some funeral directors and prearrangement specialists offer free booklets that provide a “punch list” of topics to think through and record your wishes.

Topics in these guides include funeral details rang-ing from visitation to the memorial service and alterna-tives from burial, cremation or entombment. These are obvious decisions, but other important topics include categories that will provide a helping hand to your family.

Additional topics include organizations to be noti-fied with phone numbers, persons to be notified, medi-cal history, estate information, banking information, real estate holdings and insurance policies. Many include obituary information outlines, personal prop-erty inventories and special instruction and informa-tion pages. There may also be information regarding the importance of your will and how to go about ensuring it is accurate and updated.

Prefunding your funeral Prefunding your funeral also is an important con-

sideration. Your funeral director or pre-arrangement specialist can show you options which will waive your family from possible financial burden later. You may take out a life insurance policy which would cover funeral expenses, or invest in a funeral trust account or final expense insurance policy. In most cases, funds invested today would be enough to cover the total cost of the funeral since interest earned by the funds will offset the effect of inflation.

Government regulations safeguard your investment so funds will always be available for use. Another important part in your plan is to make sure your loved

ones know where your recorded wishes can be found. Millions of dollars in government and insurance death benefits go unclaimed because family members do not know where to find information they need at the time of death. Some considerations that also need to remain in the forefront of the pre-planning agenda:

• Social Security: When a loved one dies, depen-dents and survivors may be eligible for certain ben-efits such as death payments, survivor’s benefits and Medicare. Qualifications depend on several factors such as age, marital status, number of dependent and whether employment was under Social Security. Your Social Security account should be verified periodically to ensure contributions are posted. All benefits must be applied for since payments are not automatic.

• Veterans Benefits: Honorably discharged veterans are entitled to benefits that may affect decisions about funeral arrangements. For example, veterans may qualify for a cemetery plot and burial allowances, a headstone and burial flag, as well as pension for sur-vivors.

• Medicaid: Having a properly structured prepaid funeral is a very important reason why preplanning a funeral is imperative. If an individual has placed their funds into a prepaid funeral plans, after they have item-ized a funeral pre-arrangement, the money would most likely be protected 100% from paying for any nursing home costs. In most cases they can also pay for burial space items for their immediate family members. Each persons situations is unique and laws change, however, most funeral directors and pre-arrangement specialists work closely with Elder Law Attorneys who keep them updated on current Medical Assistance laws.

FUNERAL PLAN


No bees or goats, but urban hens allowed in Lakeville

Mayor responds to calls for chickens by Laura Adelmann


Lakeville is poised to legalize raising chickens in residential neighborhoods. Mayor Matt Little said he has received numerous requests from citizens who want to raise chickens in their backyards, and most Lakeville City Council members indicated sup-port for the idea at their Feb. 24 work session. Beekeeping or raising goats in neighborhoods, also requests the city has received from residents, were ideas quickly dis-missed by council mem-bers during the Feb. 24 work session considering urban farming options. Little proposed the city establish an ordinance permitting residential homes the ability to keep a maximum of two hens in backyard pens. Council Members Ker-rin Swecker and Doug An-derson agreed with neigh-borhood chicken-keeping,

giving provisional major-ity support for an idea that had been discussed but rejected by the council several times in the past few years. City Planner Daryl Morey said some residents want chickens to teach children how to care for a productive animal, oth-ers are looking for ways to save on grocery bills. The council considered various regulations other cities like Burnsville and Farmington have enacted that define how and where urban birds are kept. Burnsville, Farmington and Eagan have standards for minimum coop and run design standards, and they also require permits and regular inspections by animal control officers, ac-cording to the city. None of the cities allow beekeeping on property that is not zoned agricul-tural. Staff will review op-tions and return this spring with a proposed or-

dinance for consideration. Although city staff re-ported none of the nine cities with chicken ordi-nances that were reviewed have had problems or complaints from neigh-bors, Council Members Colleen LaBeau and Bart Davis were opposed to the idea for Lakeville. Davis said farm animals do not belong in urban ar-eas; LaBeau said chickens could cause conflicts with dog and cat owners, and did not support Lakeville police devoting time to manage issues that may arise. Little said the policy should be strict enough so neighbors do not infringe on each other’s ability to enjoy their property. He also emphasized that city code needs to identify the only chick-ens that would be allowed would be hens. “No roosters,” he said.

Laura Adelmann is at [email protected].

Education

Prom sale and expo The ISD 196 high schools will host the Prom Dress ReSale Event and Expo from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 8, at Eastview High School, 6200 140th St. W., Apple Valley. The event is free and open to the public. All dresses will be priced from $10 to $80 with most priced in the $30 to $40 range. The event will include more than 30 prom-re-lated vendors, ranging from hair/nail salons and tuxedo rental services to florists and jewelry/acces-sory sellers. All will offer a special discount for expo attendees. The goal of this event is to help reduce the cost of going to prom. Contact Jodi Hanson at 952-431-8920 or [email protected] for more information.

Semifinalists named for Teacher of Year Several local teachers are among the 33 semifi-nalists for 2014 Minnesota Teacher of the Year. They include: • District 191: Steven Orth, English and lan-guage arts teacher, grades 7-9, Burnsville-Eagan-Savage. • District 194: Kim Jirik, speech language pathologist, pre-kinder-garten, Lakeville. Jill Mit-zo, alternative learning, grades 6-8, Lakeville. • District 196: Michelle Betts, chemistry, grades 11-12, Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan. The program is orga-nized and underwritten by Education Minnesota, the 70,000-member statewide educators union. A selection panel of 25 community leaders chose the semifinalists and will meet again in late March to select about 10 finalists.

The Minnesota Teach-er of the Year will be an-nounced at a May 4 ban-quet at the DoubleTree by Hilton Bloomington – Minneapolis South in Bloomington.

Open house at St. John the Baptist School St. John the Baptist Catholic School and Pre-school in Savage will host an All Day Open House from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, March 6. Stop in any time to tour the school and learn more about the curriculum, St. John’s School difference, athletics, extra-curricular activities, admission pro-cess, tuition and more. The school is located at 12508 Lynn Ave., Sav-age. Enter door No. 1. For more information, call 952-890-6604 or visit www.stjohns-savage.org.

College news Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, N.Y., fall dean’s list, Markus Gaas-edelen of Apple Valley. University of Minneso-ta, Twin Cities, fall dean’s list, from Apple Valley – Isra Ahmad, Amanda Beckman, Renee Breault, Binh Bui, Quentin Bun-nell, Emily Capra, Nathan Carr, Macgregor Grier, Jonathan Hennessy, Justin Hill, Sean Horgan, Dain Howes, Katy Huang, Me-gan Kalafut, Christopher Karasch, Christopher Koenig, Rtusha Kulkarni, Bin Lian, John Loftus, Joseph Lombardi, Anna Ma, Brian Mathison, Rebekah Moran, Tim Nguyen, Larena Norton, Grace Okali, Becky Qiu, Hannah Ritschel, Rachel Robinson, Lauren Selby, Rebecca Selser, Mary Sha-batura, Andrew Stone, Yeohosua Suh, Nicholas Swenson, Meron Tebeje, Greta Thomas, Cassie Torbenson, Kyle Webb, Dan Wylie, Julia Zibley.

University of Wiscon-sin Oshkosh, fall honor roll, Katherine Berkopec of Apple Valley. Riverland Commu-nity College, Albert Lea, Austin and Owatonna, fall president’s list, Jessica Schulz of Apple Valley. Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sci-ences, Albany, N.Y., fall dean’s list, Derek Peterson of Apple Valley. Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, N.Y., fall dean’s list, from Apple Valley – Ryan Selig, Mary Weber. University of Nebras-ka-Lincoln, fall dean’s list, Michelle McGuire of Apple Valley. University of Wiscon-sin-Madison, fall gradu-ates, from Apple Valley – Emilia Burns, B.A., en-vironmental studies, ge-ography; Michael Kaiser, B.A., environmental sci-ences; Katherine Olson, B.A., communication arts, English; Alisa Petersen, B.S.M.E., mechanical engineering, with dis-tinction; Brenton Smith, B.S.I.E., industrial engi-neering, with distinction. Noah Pehrson of Ap-ple Valley was inducted into Alpha Lambda Delta at Schreiner University, Kerrville, Texas. ALD is a national honor society that recognizes students who have attained a 3.5 grade point average dur-ing their first year of col-lege while enrolled full time. Arizona State Univer-sity, Tempe, fall dean’s list, Joyee Chin of Apple Val-ley. College of Saint Bene-dict, St. Joseph, fall dean’s list, Mackenzie Lecy of Apple Valley. University of Iowa, Iowa City, fall dean’s list, from Apple Valley – Eric Boeshart, Elizabeth Wolf. Bemidji State Univer-sity, fall dean’s list, from Apple Valley – Katherine Coulson, Samuel Putnam.

SeniorsRosemount AARP Senior Tax As-sistance – Tax help is avail-able on a first-come, first-served, walk-in basis from 9 a.m. to noon at the Rose-mount Community Center (Room 212) each Monday from Feb. 10 to April 14. Bring all necessary forms. To find out specific items needed or for more in-formation, call AARP at 1-888-687-2277. The Rosemount Area Seniors “Do Drop Inn” is open to senior citizens 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday-Friday. The room is lo-cated in the Rosemount Community Center and

allows seniors a place to stop by and socialize dur-ing the week.

Driver improvement classes The Minnesota High-way Safety Center will offer 55-plus driver-im-provement courses on the following days: • 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 4 (four-hour refresher course), Apple Valley Se-nior Center, 14601 Hayes Road, Apple Valley. • 5:30-9:30 p.m. March 10 (four-hour refresher course), Lakeville Senior

Center – Heritage Cen-ter, 20110 Holyoke Ave., Lakeville. • 5:30-9:30 p.m. March 11 (four-hour refresher course), Apple Valley Se-nior Center, 14601 Hayes Road, Apple Valley. • 5:30-9:30 p.m. March 13 (four-hour refresher course), Burnsville Senior Center – ISD 191, 200 W. Burnsville Parkway, Burnsville. The courses are open to the public; however, pre-registration is requested. The four-hour refresher is $20. For more information or to register, visit www.mnsafetycenter.org or call 888-234-1294.


SportsApple Valley 14-for-14 in section wrestlingState individual

tourney is Friday, Saturday

by Mike ShaughnessySUN THISWEEK


Numerous wrestlers from Dakota County will compete in the individual portion of the state tour-nament this weekend – including 14 from Apple Valley. Yes, that’s one quali-fier at every weight for the Eagles, who are favored to win the Class 3A team championship Thursday before the individual tour-ney is held Friday and Saturday at Xcel Energy Center. Apple Valley had 13 champions and one runner-up at the Section 3 individual tournament Feb. 22 at Eagan High School. Eastview had four state

qualifiers – including George Farmah, the only wrestler not from Apple Valley to win a weight class in Section 3. Farm-ington had five individual qualifiers from the Section 1 tournament, setting a school record. First-round matches in Class 3A begin at 1 p.m. Friday. The championship round for all classes is 7 p.m. Saturday. Here are the state quali-fiers from local schools:

Apple Valley Kyle Rathman (106) – freshman, 33-9 record. Section 3 champion. Noah Buck (113) – freshman, 28-14. Section 3 champion. Gannon Volk (120) – senior, 35-6. Section 3 champion. State runner-up in 2013. Zach Chytka (126) – freshman, 19-3. Section 3

runner-up. Maolu Woiwor (132) – junior, 37-2. Section 3 champion. Two-time state champion. Seth Gross (138) – senior, 37-2. Section 3 champion. Two-time state champion. Brock Morgan (145) – sophomore, 37-4. Section 3 champion. Daivonte Young (152) – senior, 25-7. Section 3 champion. Jackson Graham (160) – senior, 24-5. Section 3 champion. Mark Hall (170) – sophomore, 41-0. Section 3 champion. Three-time state champion. Bobby Steveson (182) – junior, 31-1. Section 3 champion. Gable Steveson (195) – eighth-grader, 34-2. Sec-tion 3 champion. Paul Cheney (220) – se-nior, 39-1. Section 3 cham-

pion. Defending state champion. Lord Josh Hyeamang (285) – senior, 37-3. Sec-tion 3 champion.

Eagan Naser Ali (106) – senior, 28-9. Section 3 runner-up. Joe Dubbels (145) – ju-nior, 29-8. Section 3 run-ner-up.

Eastview George Farmah (126) – junior, 32-5. Section 3 champion. Jacob Rukavina (160) – senior, 33-5. Section 3 runner-up. Luke Dodd (182) – ju-nior, 31-11. Section 3 run-ner-up. Nick Pegelow (195) – senior, 36-5. Section 3 runner-up.

Farmington Victor Gliva (106) – sophomore, 29-14. Section

1 runner-up. Jamin LeDuc (113) – sophomore, 35-5. Section 1 runner-up. Sixth in 2013 state tournament. Taylor Venz (126) – sophomore, 32-8. Section 1 champion. Champion at 106 in 2013 state tourna-ment. Kyle Benjamin (145) – junior, 8-4. Section 1 run-ner-up. Joe Hoeve (182) – se-nior, 34-6. Section 1 cham-pion.

Lakeville North Wade Sullivan (113) – freshman, 32-5. Section 2 champion. Collin DeGrammont (126) – senior, 27-9. Sec-tion 2 runner-up. Lucas Westrich (160) – junior, 37-3. Section 2 champion. Fourth in 2013 state tournament. Tristyn Hanson (195) – junior, 38-3. Section 2

champion. Fifth at 182 in 2013 state tournament.

Lakeville South Dalton Peterson (145) – junior, 31-8. Section 2 champion. Mike Funchie (220) – senior, 20-13. Section 2 runner-up. Jon Zeidler (285) – ju-nior, 23-13. Section 2 run-ner-up.

Rosemount Jake Baker (113) – se-nior, 31-10. Section 3 run-ner-up. Adam Hedin (132) – sophomore, 38-4. Section 3 runner-up. Payton Otterdahl (285) – senior, 32-5. Section 3 runner-up.

Email Mike Shaughnessy at [email protected].

Gymnasts show skills at state

Apple Valley sophomore Ashley Flake competes on uneven bars at the state Class AA gymnastics meet Feb. 22 at the University of Minnesota Sports Pavilion. Flake scored 8.775 and finished 28th. Also competing at state was Eastview eighth-grader Bailey Davidson, who scored 9.1 on bars to place 15th. (Photo by Jason Olson)

Eagan, STA reach section hockey final

OT goal puts Lightning out of playoffs



Eagan is in the Section 3AA boys hockey cham-pionship game for the fourth consecutive year. In a rare turn of events, the Wildcats might be un-derdogs. They’ll be wear-ing their road uniforms and using the visitor’s bench when they play St. Thomas Academy at 7 p.m. Thursday at War-ner Coliseum on the state fairgrounds. “It might be good for us not to be the No. 1 seed,” Eagan coach Mike Taylor said following his team’s 2-1 overtime vic-tory over No. 1-seeded Cretin-Derham Hall on Saturday night. Eagan (17-9-1), which was the No. 1 seed in Sec-tion 3 the last four years, entered this year’s tour-ney seeded fourth. St. Thomas Academy, com-peting in the Class AA playoffs for the first time after winning the last three state Class A cham-pionships, is seeded third. The Cadets defeated sec-ond-seeded and defend-ing section champion Eastview 2-1 in overtime in the other semifinal game. STA is a quick team that moves the puck well. Eagan has several attri-butes that could make the Wildcats a dangerous playoff team – size and the willingness to use it, solid goaltending by An-drew Lindgren, and play-ers capable of scoring big goals, such as senior for-ward Jack Jenson. Jenson scored the game-winner against Cre-tin-Derham Hall, firing a backhand shot at the net that got past Raiders goaltender Trent Jancze at 7:18 of overtime. “That’s a situation where you just try to get the puck on net and see what happens,” said Jen-son, who is Eagan’s lead-ing scorer with 19 goals and 53 points. “Right now we’re pretty con-fident. Cretin-Derham Hall’s a great team. But we have a really solid de-fense, Andrew Lindgren is one of the best goalies in the state, and we have good depth.” Senior defenseman Tommy Muck assisted on Jenson’s goal. Max Elsenheimer gave Eagan the lead at 12:13 of the second period with an as-sist from Spencer Roth, but Cretin-Derham Hall tied the game less than four minutes later. The Wildcats had 39 shots on goal and Taylor said he was pleased with the team’s effort on of-

fense. “We moved the puck well,” the coach said. “Cretin likes to put a lot of pressure on the puck carrier. That means you have to move it quickly, either side to side or low to high.” Eagan has not played St. Thomas Academy this season, although the Cadets faced three other South Suburban Con-ference teams, defeat-ing Lakeville North and Eastview and losing to Burnsville. STA also split two games this season against state power Hill-Murray. Eastview goalie Zach-ary Driscoll appeared to be confounding the Ca-dets in their Section 3AA semifinal before STA scored to tie the game at 5:46 of the third period. In overtime, the Cadets’ Peter Tufto got a break-away and put a back-hander just under the crossbar for the game-winner. St. Thomas Academy outshot Eastview 37-22, including 15-5 in the third period and overtime. Eastview’s Tommy Hutsell scored in the first period with an assist from Jake McGlocklin. The Lightning finished 19-7-1. In the Section 3AA quarterfinals Feb. 20, Eastview defeated Park of Cottage Grove 7-1 and Eagan beat East Ridge 5-1. Rosemount finished 8-17-2 after losing to Cretin-Derham Hall 5-3 in the quarterfinals. The Irish beat Apple Valley (5-21) in a first-round game Feb. 18.

Section 2AA Burnsville did not ad-vance to the Section 2AA championship game for the first time since 2010 after losing to Bloom-ington Jefferson 3-1 in the semifinal round Sat-urday at Braemar Arena. The second-seeded Blaze, which split two games with Jefferson during the regular season, finished 19-7-1. Bloomington Jeffer-son played Edina for the section championship Wednesday night, after this edition went to press. Blaze forward Will Missling scored an even-strength goal in the second period to tie the Jefferson game 1-1. Burnsville outshot Jef-ferson 13-2 in the second period and appeared to be taking control, but the Jaguars responded with two third-period goals. Burnsville routed Sha-kopee 7-0 in a section quarterfinal game Feb. 18. Brock Boeser had two goals and one assist and Jack Ahcan had a goal and two assists for the Blaze, which outshot Shakopee 57-12.

State swimming meet is this weekLightning, Eagles sending athletes

to Class AA competition



Rosemount senior Daniel Monaghan will defend his 1-meter diving championship at the state Class AA boys swimming and diving meet this week at the University of Min-nesota Aquatic Center. Some of Monaghan’s toughest competition might be other divers from the South Suburban Conference. Eagan senior Toby Heller was fourth at state last year, and Eagan sophomores Nic Lemieux and Alex Crow also quali-fied. Also taking part in

the diving preliminaries at 6 p.m. Thursday are Apple Valley junior Car-son Scholberg, Eastview sophomore Nick Kilen and Eastview senior Tuck-er Hoffman. Farmington junior Jonathan Bovee, a future South Suburban Conference diver (Farm-ington joins the league in 2014-15), also will com-pete at the state meet. Class AA swimming preliminaries are 6 p.m. Friday, with the swimming and diving finals at 6 p.m. Saturday. One of the top Da-kota County swimmers in the state meet is Lakeville South senior Mitch Her-rera, who will compete in both distance freestyle races. Herrera was fourth in both the 200- and 500-yard freestyle races at the 2013 state meet. This year,

he is seeded second in the 500 and ninth in the 200. Apple Valley and East-view will have teams in the 200 medley relay. Apple Valley also qualified in the 200 freestyle relay. Eagles junior Aaron Olson is at state in the 100 butterfly and 100 back-stroke. Eastview freshman Sam Pekarek advanced in the 500 freestyle, where he is the No. 5 seed. Brett Kuhlmann and Noah De-Sutter will swim the 100 breaststroke. Lakeville North’s An-drew Trepanier holds a unique distinction as the only seventh-grader to qualify for the Class AA state meet in an individu-al event. Trepanier is the No. 5 seed at state in the 100 butterfly and the third seed in the 100 backstroke.

Lakeville South has the fourth-fastest seed time in the 400 freestyle relay. Lakeville North is the fourth seed in the 200 freestyle relay and Eagan is the sixth seed in the 200 medley relay. Several Lake Confer-ence teams are expected to battle for the team cham-pionship. Eden Prairie is defending state champion, while Minnetonka won the Class AA division at the 2014 state True Team meet. Eagan, the South Suburban Conference and Section 3AA champion, also is among the teams looking for a place on the awards stand.

Email Mike Shaughnessy at [email protected].

Sports BriefAdult softball registration open in Apple Valley Apple Valley’s Parks and Recre-ation Department is currently ac-cepting registrations for the 2014 spring and summer adult softball season. A variety of leagues for all

levels are offered. All games are played at Johnny Cake Ridge Park. Leagues are offered Sunday through Friday evenings, with both men’s and co-rec leagues available. All games are officiated by USSSA certified umpires. Teams also have an option of a 24-game schedule (double-header games are played each week) or a 13-game schedule.

New this year will be a men’s 40 and over league, a men’s church league and a recreational co-rec Wednesday night league. Registrations are accepted at the Apple Valley Community Center. For more information, contact Lyn-dell Frey, recreation supervisor, at [email protected] or 952-953-2316.


s o u t h m e t r o

SWIMMING11TH GRADE/BUTTERFLY

BURNSVILLEHIGH SCHOOL

BASKETBALL12TH GRADE/FORWARD

EAGANHIGH SCHOOL

marijuana in 2009, but former Gov. Tim Pawlen-ty vetoed it. Backstrom and Bel-lows are concerned that if a medical marijuana bill is passed it will result in increased illegal use. Eight of the 10 states with the highest percent-age of past-month mari-juana users are states with medical marijuana laws, according to a Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Association study. The study said five of the 10 states with the highest percentage of new youth marijuana users also are states with medi-cal marijuana laws. Since 1996, when the

first effective medical marijuana law passed, the Marijuana Policy Project says none of the 15 states with available data have experienced a statistically significant overall in-crease in youth marijuana use since the laws’ enact-ment, but several of the states have reported over-all decreases. Backstrom and Bel-lows say approving medi-cal marijuana sends the wrong message to youths. They say that approv-ing it for legal use will lead to the perception that marijuana is harm-less. “It seem incongruous to me we spent all this time and effort reducing tobacco use and now we have this laissez-faire ap-

proach to marijuana,” Backstrom said. Marijuana has many more potential harmful impacts than smoking, Backstrom said. He said studies have shown that heavy mari-juana users report de-clines in IQ, attention span and memory. Backstrom said mari-juana is a gateway drug to more serious substances like cocaine and metham-phetamine. “I can probably count on my hand the number of people who are in jail because of more serious drug crime who didn’t also use marijuana,” he said.

Email Tad Johnson at [email protected].

MARIJUANA, from 1A

Holberg said she decided it is “time to move on,” but plans to remain involved in community issues and volunteering. She said she will not endorse a successor, but invites anyone who is in-terested to call her to learn more about the opportuni-ties. During what will be-come her last legislative session, Holberg is hoping several privacy bills she has authored will pass into law. One regulates the stor-age and use of license plate images taken by police and another strengthens medi-cal privacy protections. Since she was elected in 1998, Holberg has built a reputation as a tough fis-cal conservative, leading the powerful Ways and Means Committee after Republicans swept the House and Senate in the 2010 election. Her solid grasp of bud-get details has impressed many, including state Rep. Patrick Garofalo, R-Farmington, who was unanimously re-endorsed by Republican delegates for House District 58B at the convention. Garofalo called Hol-berg’s announcement “a huge loss for the conser-vative movement and the state of Minnesota.” “There are few people who have her level of sub-ject matter expertise,” Ga-rofalo said, “especially on the budget.” He said he is grate-ful for the support of the Republican Party through the endorsement. He called it “the first step to what I hope will be a very successful 2014 for Republicans up and down the ballot. Minnesotans are fed up with one-party control and the disastrous results that have followed in the form of Obam-aCare, skyrocketing taxes, and hundreds of millions in wasteful spending.” State Sen. Dave Thompson, who came in second in the GOP straw poll to challenge Gov. Mark Dayton in Novem-ber, said Holberg served as an inspiration to him

when he first was elected to the Senate in 2010. “I was honored to become her colleague,” Thompson said. “She was someone I could look at and feel that if I were to do things the way she did them, I was probably was going to be a good legisla-tor.” Holberg’s friend, Lake-ville School Board Mem-ber Michelle Volk, cred-ited Holberg for sticking to her conservative prin-ciples in her 16 years while DFLers usually held the House majority. “Some of those ses-sions were pretty tough,” Volk said. “I also appre-ciate how she’s admired by the other side as some-body who’s fair and prin-cipled. You always know where she stands, whether you agree with her or not.” Holberg said when she was first elected she made a point to do her research and be well prepared. She said she worked hard to understand her political opponents’ per-spectives, helped in part by her upbringing that included her large family caring for a steady stream of foster children. “It was not unusual for us to have 10-12 kids in our house,” Holberg said. “And the number one rule was if you’re unhappy, you couldn’t complain unless you’re willing to offer a solution and work to do something to change it. That value stuck with me.” As for the budget, Hol-berg said she has always been good with numbers and devoted herself to finding the answers she needed to make good poli-cy decisions. Garofalo called Hol-berg “an aggressive de-fender of the taxpayer” who has also stood up for data privacy issues. “Given the recent NSA (data privacy violations), it really demonstrates she’s ahead of her time,” he said. Lakeville School Board Chair Roz Peterson, who is running against Rep. Will Morgan, DFL-Burnsville, for the neighboring 56B House seat, said she was disappointed to hear Hol-berg is leaving the House. “Mary Liz has been a

huge asset to our commu-nity,” Peterson said. “You ask a lot of people close to the Capitol process, and they’ll tell you Mary Liz Holberg is an incredibly smart … effective legisla-tor who has done a lot for privacy rights and trans-portation issues. She also has a lot of institutional knowledge from being such a big part of the pro-cess for such a long time.” Some have suggested Peterson may move into Holberg’s district to run unopposed, a notion she dismissed. “I would never have dreamed of moving,” Pe-terson said. “I’m not go-ing to move. I’m commit-ted to my area.” Senate District 58 Re-publican Party Caucus President Randy Pron-schinske said Holberg struggled with the decision to step down, and talked to him about it the night before the convention. “She was torn on what to do,” he said. “It was hard.” Pronschinske called her resignation “sad” and described Holberg an ac-complished legislator who has gotten results. “She’s been an extreme-ly conservative representa-tive in the House,” he said. “She’s supported her con-stituents extremely well.”

He said he expects eight to 10 candidates to seek the Republican endorse-ment for the seat Holberg’s resignation opens. Three individuals have already indicated to Pron-schinske their intention to seek the endorsement, he said, declining to name them until they decide to announce. The district will hold a second convention to endorse a candidate for the race, likely to be held sometime during April 8-12, Pronschinske said. He noted that timeline will allow the meeting before the state conven-tion and give potential candidates time to decide whether to run. “It’s a big decision,” he said. Laura Adelmann is at [email protected].

HOLBERG, from 1A

Community meals at Grace Grace Lutheran Church in Apple Valley will serve free commu-nity meals on Mondays, March 3, 10 and 24. Din-ing hall doors will open at 5:30 p.m. Dinner will be served from 6-6:30 p.m. The meals are for se-nior citizens, single-par-ent families, families in transition and all others in the surrounding com-munity seeking a healthy meal in a relaxed and fun environment. Although the meals are free, dona-tions are accepted. Grace Lutheran Church is located at the intersection of Pennock Avenue and County Road 42. For more information, call the church at 952-432-7273.

Exultate performances Exultate Festival Choir and Orchestra, based in Eagan, will per-form Bach’s St. John Pas-

sion at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 7, at Woodbury Lutheran Church, Wood-bury; 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 8, at Annunciation Catholic Church, Minne-apolis; and 3 p.m. Sunday, March 9, at Benson Great Hall, Bethel University,

Arden Hills. Artist He Qi will be at each concert with a display of his paintings related to the passion of Christ. Prints will be available for purchase. For more information, visit www.exultate.org.

Members of the choir at Spirit of Life Presbyterian Church in Apple Valley joined in song at the church’s recent “Cabaret” event. Choir members are, from left, Don Roeske, Karen Johnson, Jerry Johnson, Julie Raatz, Marge Lewis, Peggy Roeske, Lisa Smith and Chris Sachs. The Feb. 15 event, which included dinner, entertainment and a silent auction, was a fundraiser for the church youth group’s summer mission trip. (Photo submitted)

Music with a mission

Religion


Obituaries Engagements

Ginn/OblakJudge and Mrs. Charles

Phillip Ginn of Boone, North Carolina, an-nounce the engagement of their daughter, Jodie Caroletta Ginn, to Chris-topher Leonard Oblak, son of Thomas and Jill Oblak of Lakeville.

A July 2014 is planned at Fort Bragg North Car-olina.

Jodie is a graduate of Applalchian State Uni-versity and will graduate from the University of North Carolina with her Nursing degree in May 2014.

1st Lieutenant Oblak is a Rifle Company Execu-tive Officer with the 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division stationed at Fort Bragg NC. He graduated from the United States Military Academy, at West Point in 2011 and Lakeville High School in 2007.

Following the wedding, the couple will reside in Southern Pines, North Carolina.

Obituaries

Dakota County Public Health seeks award nominations The Dakota County Public Health Department is seeking nominations for the annual Public Health Achievement Awards that will be presented before the Dakota County Board on April 8 as part of Public Health Week. The awards recognize contri-butions of Dakota County residents who devote their time, energy and talents in their communities. Community health leaders are recognized in three categories: Youth, Individual and Commu-nity Group (coalition, partnership or organiza-tion). Winners are selected based on their leadership, contribution to solutions to public health problems, collaboration, advocacy, role modeling and evi-dence of impact. Nominations must be submitted by Friday, March 14. For a nomina-tion form and instructions on how to submit it, visit www.dakotacounty.us and search Achievement Award or call 651-554-6100.

2014 Tax Guide


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5220 Electrical

DAGGETT ELECTRICGen. Help & Lic. Elec.

Low By-The-Hour Rates651-815-2316 Lic# EA006385

JNH Electric 612-743-7922Bonded Insured Free Ests

Resid, Comm & Service. Old/New Const, Remodels Serv Upgrades. Lic#CA06197

Lew Electric: Resid & Comm. Service, Service Upgrades,

Remodels. Old or New Constr. Free Ests. Bonded/Insured

Lic#CA05011 612-801-5364

Lew Electric: Resid & Comm. Service, Service Upgrades,

Remodels. Old or New Constr. Free Ests. Bonded/Insured

Lic#CA05011 612-801-5364

TEAM ELECTRICteamelectricmn.com

Lic/ins/bonded Res/Com All Jobs...All Sizes

Free Ests. 10% Off W/AdCall 952-758-7585

5260 Garage Doors

GARAGE DOORS & OPENERS

Repair/Replace/Reasonable

Lifetime Warranty on All Spring Changes

www.expertdoor.com 651-457-7776

5280 Handyperson

0 Stress! 110% Satisfaction!Status Contracting, Inc. Kitchens & Baths, Lower Level Remodels. Decks.

Wall/Ceiling Repair/Texture Tile, Carpentry, Carpet,

Painting & Flooring#BC679426 MDH Lead SupervisorDale 952-941-8896 office

612-554-2112 cellWe Accept Credit Cards

“Soon To Be Your Favorite Contractor!”

Statuscontractinginc.comFind Us On Facebook

100% Satisfaction Guaranteed952-451-3792

R.A.M. CONSTRUCTIONAny & All Home Repairs

�Concrete �Dumpster Service�Carpentry � Baths &Tile �Fencing �Windows�Water/Fire Damage �DoorsLic-Bond-Ins Visa Accepted

A-1 Work Ray’s Handyman No job too small!!

Quality Work @ Competitive Prices! Free Estimates.

Ray 612-281-7077

5280 Handyperson

952-484-3337 Call RayR & J

Construction* Decks * Basements*Kitchen/Bath Remod*Roofing & Siding*All Types of Tile

Free Quotes & Ideas

All Home Repairs! Excell Remodeling, LLC Interior & Exterior Work

One Call Does it All!Call Bob 612-702-8237or Dave 612-481-7258

Benson Residential Ser-vices Repairs, Remodel, Updates 952-457-9419bensonresidential.com

Dakota Home Improvement

Kitchens, Baths, Bsmts Drywall, Tile & Decks

CCs accept’d 952-270-1895

Home Tune-up • Fix It • Replace It

• Upgrade It Over 45 Yrs Exp.

Oakland Repair LLC Ins’d Ron 612-221-9480

5370 Painting &Decorating

3 Interior Rooms/$250Wallpaper Removal.

Drywall Repair. Cabi-net Enameling and

Staining. 30 yrs exp. Steve 763-545-0506

**Mike the Painter Interi-or/ exterior, Wallpaper, 35 yrs exp, Ins 612-964-5776


*A and K PAINTING*Spruce Up Your Home

For The New Year! Interior Painting now! Free Est.

952-474-6258 Ins/BondMajor Credit Card Accepted

Ben’s Painting

Int/Ext, Drywall Repair Paint/Stain/Ceilings. We accept Visa/MC/Discvr.,

952-432-2605 DAVE’S PAINTING

and WALLPAPERINGInt/Ext • Free Est. • 23 Yrs.

Will meet or beat any price! Lic/Ins

Visa/MC 952-469-6800

New Again Painting Make your home look and smell new again! 651-210-3946

SunThisweek.com

5390 Roofing, Siding& Gutters

A Family Operated Business

Roofing/Tear-offsNew Construction

BBB Free Est. MC/Visa Lic # BC170064

No Subcontractors Used. Ins. 952-891-8586


GOT ICE DAMS? Roof, snow & ice removal

Dun-Rite Roofing Co.952-461-5155 Lic# 2017781

www.DunRiteMN.com

ICE DAMS & Rooftop Snow Removal

15+yrs exp. Ins’d Mark 612-481-4848

Randy’s ResidentialRoof, Snow & Ice

Removal612-414-0308

Lic. 2063583 BBB Member

Roof Repairs & Roof Snow Removal - 30 Yrs Insured - Lic#20126880

John Haley #1 Roofer, LLC. Call 952-925-6156

Roof Snow & Ice RemovalRegal Enterprises Inc

Roofing, Siding, Windows Since 1980. Lic. BC 515711

952-201-4817 Regalenterprisesinc.net

◆ ROOF SNOW & ICE REMOVAL

Roofing ◆ Siding ◆ Insulation

TOPSIDE, INC. 612-869-1177 ◆Insured Lic CR005276 ◆ Bonded

34 Yrs Exp. A+ Rating BBB

5410 Snow Removal

Ice Dams Steamed

Roof Snow Removal-Ins.Roofers 612-750-8252

5410 Snow Removal

Ice Dams?We Steam!Roof Raking

Quick Response - Insured952-352-9986

www.icegutter.com

Roof Shoveling/SteamingSnow Removal. 15 Yrs Exp

Rustic Tree & LandscapeCompetitive Rates, call

today for your free estimate!612-867-6813 ask for Tom

ROOF SNOW AND ICE REMOVAL

BAC Construction ServicesCall 612-721-5500

Roof Snow Removal & Low Pressure Steaming.

Insured 612-226-5819

SNOW PLOWINGCommercial & ResidentialDependable - Insured - Exp’dLSC Construction Svcs, IncMbr: Better Business Bureau Free Ests. 952-890-2403

5420 Tree Care &Stump Removal

$0 For Estimate Timberline Tree & Landscape.

Winter Discount - 25% Off Tree Trimming, Tree

Removal, Stump Grinding 612-644-8035 Remove Large

Trees & Stumps CHEAP!!

A Good Job!! 15 yrs exp.Thomas Tree Service

Immaculate Clean-up! Tree Removal/TrimmingLot Clearing/Stump Removal Free Ests 952-440-6104





Family Owned & Operated Free Estimates

QUALITY SERVICE Since 1949

Licensed (MN# BC215366) • Bonded • Insured

612-824-2769612-824-2769952-929-3224952-929-3224

Concrete & Waterproofing, Inc.We Specialize In:

• Buckling Walls• Foundation Repair• Wet Basement Repair• Wall Resurfacing• Garage/Basement Floors

READERS’CHOICE

READERS’CHOICEAwards

www.MinnLocal.com

www.gardnerconcrete.netwww.gardnerconcrete.net

The Original

TY CIVRESYTILAUQ

9491ecniSEC

952-929-32

Family Owned & Operated

952 929 32952-929-32952-929-32612-824-27612 824 27612-824-27612-824-27

www.gardnerconcre

215366CMN# B(Licensed

• Garage/Basement Floors• Wall Resurfacing• Wet Basement Repair• Foundation Repair• Buckling Walls

We Specialize In:Concrete & Waterpro

gwww.gardnerconcrewww.gardnerconcre

READERS’READERS’EEOOHHCCHHA EEd

224

Free Estimates

224224224769769769769

• Bonded • Insured) 215366

• Garage/Basement Floors• Wall Resurfacing• Wet Basement Repair• Foundation Repair

We Specialize In:Concrete & Waterproofing, Inc.

REREAEAADERERRS’’IIAA ddAwardsCCH ICCHHACCAOHAOOOI EEdEdCdCdIHACACA

.MinnLocal.comwww

ete.netete.netete.net









1020 Junkers& Repairables


2510 Pets 2510 Pets1000 WHEELS


$$$ $200 - $10,000 $$$Junkers & Repairables

More if Saleable. MN Licensed

www.crosstownauto.net 612-861-3020 651-645-7715

Looking for a job?Check out our Employment Section!

$225+ for most Vehicles Free Towing

651-769-0857

1060 Trucks/Pickups

2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer

Nice! My folks SUV! No rust! 132k mi, straight 6, 4.2 L. Leather/htd seats, 3 row seating. Rear heat/AC, Bose stereo, DVD player. Factory GPS, OnStar. New brakes, battery, water pump & serpentine belt, $7,300. Brady 612-282-8128. Can txt!

3000 ANNOUNCEMENTS

3010 Announcements

Burnsville Lakeville

A Vision for You-AA

Thursdays 7:30 PMA closed,

mixed meeting atGrace United

Methodist Church

East Frontage Road of I 35 across from

Buck Hill - Burnsville

SunThisweek.com

Recovery International

Self-help organization offers a proven method to combat depression,

fears, panic attacks anger, perfectionism, worry, sleeplessness,

anxiety, tenseness, etc. Groups meet weekly in several locations.

Voluntary contributions. Dona:

612-824-5773

www.LowSelfHelpSystems.org

3090 BusinessFor Sale

CD ONE PRICE CLEANERS FRANCHISE31 store chain with one store in Hopkins. Fran-chise locations available in the Twin Cities. Call 888-253-2613 for info.

3500 MERCHANDISE

3540 Firewood

Ideal FirewoodDry Oak & Oak Mixed

4’x8’x16” $120; or 2 for $220 Free Delivery.

952-881-2122 763-381-1269

3580 Household/Furnishings

QN. PILLOWTOP SETNew In Plastic!! $150

MUST SELL!! 763-360-3829

3610 MiscellaneousWanted

Buying Old Trains & ToysSTEVE’S TRAIN CITY

952-933-0200

◆ ◆ WANTED ◆ ◆Old Stereo / Hifi equip.

Andy 651-329-0515

3610 MiscellaneousWanted

* WANTED * US Coins, Currency Proofs,

Mint Sets, Collections, Gold & 14K Jewelry

Will Travel. 30 yrs exp Cash! Dick 612-986-2566

Why rent when you can own. Your job is your credit. call 651-317-4530

3620 MusicInstruments

Musicians Trade FairSat., March 8 (10-3)Eagan Civic Arena3870 Pilot Knob Rd.

Adm. $5 763-754-7140Buy - Sell - Trade

crocodileproductionsinc.com

Check us outonline at

sunthisweek.com3630 Outdoor

Equipment

SNOWBLOWER: J. Deere 826, with shield, electric start, $630. 952-884-5726


5510 Full-time

5510 Full-time 5510 Full-time

5520 Part-time 5520 Part-time

5530 Full-time orPart-time



WANTEDFull-time Class A Drivers

Home Every Night • EAGAN service area • Starting Wage $18.00

$2000 Sign On Bonus Class A Drivers to make pick up and deliveries in the twin cities area.

No OTR • Weekends off • Paid Time OffLift gates • Trucks pre-loaded • Repeat customers

To inquire, stop by our Eagan terminal, 2750 Lexington Ave S, EaganCall 1-800-521-0287 or Apply Today Online at www.shipcc.com



4000 SALES

4030 Garage& Estate Sales

EDINA6825 Sally Lane (55439)

Feb. 27, 28 & Mar 1 (9a-4p)Home loaded! Antiqs, toys, dolls, jewelry, much more!

612-227-1269 www.svendsales.com

Estate Sale-Coon Rpds, 3/1-3/2, 9am-3pm. See: oldisknew.com or www.f a c e b o o k . c o m / o l d i s knewllc-12113 Drake Street

Visit us atSunThisweek.com

4500 RENTALS / REAL ESTATE

4510 Apartments/Condos For Rent

1 & 2BR (2BA & 2 AC), $650 & $850

800/1200SF, Dishw, large balcony, Garage/$50mo.

16829 Toronto Ave SEPrior Lake 612-824-7554

Eagan, 2BR, lwr lvl. in-cludes utils, cbl, laundry $1000/mo. No S/P 651-454-4003

Farmington1BR Apartment

$645/mo.,Heat included

Garage available612-722-4887

Farmington: Studio & 2BR, On site laundry. Heat pd. No pets. 612-670-4777

Rosemount, 2 BR Off St. prkg. No Pets. Available NOW. $600 952-944-6808

4520 Townhomes/Dbls/Duplexes For Rent

LV: 3BR, 2.5 BA, TH. Off Dodd Rd & Cedar $1350 Avl. immed 612-868-3000

4530 Houses For Rent

Farmington, House 3&4 br, 2 ba, dbl gar w/appli-ances, fenced yard.Exc cond - must see! By Owner, Avail Mar, Apr or MayCall 612-804-7591.

Looking for a job?Check out our Employment Section!

Northfield, House 2Br/2Bath All Appl,dbl gar, lrg yard. Rent INCL: Gas, Elec, Water, Trash, Lawns & Snow, $1295, Avail NowCall 612-804-7591

5500 EMPLOYMENT

5510 Full-time

ASPHALT CONSTRUCTION

LABORERPlehal Blacktopping, Inc. is expanding operations & has openings for asphalt laborers. Skid loader & as-phalt experience a plus. Class “A” - CDL driver li-cense a plus. Competitive compensation, w/benefits of Health, Dental, Life & 401K. Please apply in per-son at 13060 Dem Con Drive,Shakopee, MN 55379

5510 Full-time

ChildcareAttention Teachers

and Teacher AidesVisitation Childcare Cen-ter a NAEYC accredited center in Mendota Heights has both full and part time teaching positions avail-able in the toddler and in-fant rooms. Full benefitsCome & join a team where the children are always first! Excellent ratios and a great working environ-ment. Inquiries call Anne 651-683-1739 fax resume 651-454-7144 or email

[email protected]

CUSTOMER SERVICE AUTOMOTIVE TOOL

Bloomington Co seeks exp’d individual to work as part of our team. Phone & counter sales. Strong com-munication skills. Automo-tive background preferred. Great benefits.

Fax or e-mail resume 952-881-6480

[email protected]

SKIDLOADER/GRAD-ING CREW FOREMAN

Plehal Blacktopping, Inc. is expanding operations & has an opening for skid loader/grading crew fore-man. Skid loader/grad-ing experience necessary. Large grader equipment experience a plus. A Class “A”-CDL driver license is required. Competitive compensation, w/benefits of Health, Dental, Life & 401K. Please apply in per-son at 13060 Dem Con Drive,Shakopee, MN 55379

5510 Full-time

Education

TEACHERSNew Horizon Academy

HIRING FAIR at our Richfield location at the Best Buy Corporate offices at 7601 Penn Ave S Richfield, MN 55423 on Wednesday 3/5 from

10:00am-4:00pm. Applicants must be teacher qualified under MN Rule 3. Previous experience preferred. If interested or unable to attend contact Kat at 763-383-6260 or [email protected]

E.O.E.

SureFlo Inc. is currently taking applications for persons willing and able to travel the U.S. to install various conveyors in rental uniform handling plants. Required job skills include stick welding, ability to carry 100 pounds, famil-iarity with cutting steel to measurement, and ability to work in scissor lifts 20-30 feet off the ground. Can-didate must have a valid driver’s license and be able to be on the job site up to three weeks at a time. Man-datory pre-employment drug screen. Please e-mail resumes to [email protected] or fax to 320-453-3551.

5510 Full-time

IMMEDIATE NEED!Burnsville Branch

Inside/ Outside SalesBase + Comm.

ALL exp. Levels encour-aged to apply!

Benefits:FT year round work. Paid training & excellent health & dental benefits!

Required to pass:Drug screen, background & motor vehicle record-checks.

APPLY TODAY!Call Vielka to schedule

an interview at 952-562-1909 or apply at http://www.peopleanswers.

com/pa/access.do?job=584188:1-141201

AA/EOE/M/F/V/D

5520 Part-time

Automotive PT Weekends Counterperson at

U Pull R PartsRosemount

651-322-1800 www.upullrparts.com

General Office Cleaning5pm-9pm Mon-Fri.

Coon Rapids, Blaine, Brooklyn Park, New Hope

Fridley, Ham Lake, andSt Francis.

Apply in person Mon-Fri 8am-4pm.

Mid-City Cleaning 8000 University Ave. NE.

Fridley. 763-571-9056

NEWSPAPER DELIVERY

Do you have some spare time on Thurs/Friday?Earn some extra cash! ECM DISTRIBUTION is looking for you! We currently have motor routes in Burnsville, Eagan, Apple Valley, Rosemount, Farming-ton, Lakeville. A typical route takes 1 to 2 hours. Motor routes require a reliable vehicle. Delivery time frames are long enough to allow flexibility for your schedule. Give us a call for more details.

ECM DISTRIBUTION

952-846-2070

5520 Part-time

Office AssistantBurnsville commercial real estate office looking for Office Assistant. Position requires excellent skills in Excel, Word and Internet navigation in addition to superior bookkeeping and mathematical competen-cies. Candidate must be organized, able to work independently (as well as within a team), exhibit ac-curacy, attention to detail and analytical skills, as demonstrated by prior job experience. Professional-ism, flexibility, multi-task-ing ability and strong peo-ple skills a must. 30 hours per week, $14-$16/hour depending on experience.

Please email resume to [email protected] No phone calls please.

PT At Home: Secretary skills, computer. Must live in Eagan. $16/hr. [email protected]

Seasonal and Part-time Book

Processors & Shelvers Needed

Attention to detail req. Friendly casual envi-ron. Pos. days & eve’s hrs, 8am – 8pm. For job description go to www.mackin.com – Employ-ment Apply in person at: Mackin Educational Resources 3505 Co. Rd. 42 W. Burnsville, MN 55306

Turn your unneeded items in to

$$$$$$$$$Sell your items in Sun•Thisweek Classifieds

952-846-2000

Social Services Thomas Allen, Inc. is hiring

Program CounselorsMake a difference in your community! Assist clients w/activities of daily living, provide supervision, & ac-company them on outings. Locations avail metro-wide FT & PT & On-call positions available. Starting wages range from

$10.42-$15.00/hourREQUIREMENTS:Valid driver’s license, auto insurance, & accept-able driving record; Back-ground clearance; Ability to effectively communicate in English, written & verbally; 18 years or older;Direct care exp preferred www.thomasalleninc.com

AA/EOE

This space could be yours

952-846-2000



Shipping and/or Production Helpers

Bachman’s Inc. Lakeville Greenhouse. Seasonal

Positions $10.00 per hour. Starting March 3

Contact Eric 952-469-2102

Visit us atSunThisweek.com

Tenenz is a manufacturer and supplier of accounting and tax related products to practices across the coun-try. We have full and part time openings for moti-vated Sales/Service profes-sionals in our Bloomington headquarters. Your previ-ous call center, inbound & outbound sales or retail ex-perience will be a plus for you in this position. This IS NOT a seasonal position and does require a com-mitment to hours Monday thru Friday between 7:30 am and 7:00 pm, as well as some Saturdays during Tax season. Email qualifi-cations & requirements to: [email protected]

5540 Healthcare

CNA - Matrix Home Health Care Specialists is looking for Certified Nursing Assistants to work in their Residen-tial Home, opening this Spring in Burnsville. Evening & Overnight Shifts available. Must be on MN CNA Registry. Submit resumes to:

[email protected]

LEGAL NOTICES

NOTICE OF MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE SALE

THE RIGHT TO VERIFICATION OF THE DEBT AND IDENTITY OF THE ORIGINAL CREDITOR WITHIN THE TIME PROVIDED BY LAW IS NOT AFFECTED BY THIS ACTION.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that default has occurred in conditions of the following described mort-gage:

DATE OF MORTGAGE: May 24, 2007MORTGAGOR: Christine A.

Herrmann, a single person.MORTGAGEE: Mortgage Electronic Registra-

tion Systems, Inc..DATE AND PLACE OF RECORD-

ING: Filed June 6, 2007, Dakota County Registrar of Titles, Docu-ment No. 612050, as corrected by Corrective Mortgage recorded No-vember 14, 2013 as document no. T725151 on Certificate of Title No. 111704.

ASSIGNMENTS OF MORT-GAGE: Assigned to: M&T Bank. Dated June 7, 2013 Filed June 20, 2013 , as Document No. T718114.

Said Mortgage being upon Reg-istered Land.

TRANSACTION AGENT: Mortgage Electronic Registra-

tion Systems, Inc.TRANSACTION AGENT’S

MORTGAGE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER ON MORTGAGE:

100196800031001998LENDER OR BROKER AND

MORTGAGE ORIGINATOR STATED ON MORTGAGE: Home Loan Cen-ter, Inc., dba LendingTree Loans

RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE SERVICER:

Bayview Loan Servicing, LLCMORTGAGED PROPERTY AD-

DRESS: 14620 Garrett Avenue #310, Apple Valley, MN 55124

TAX PARCEL I.D. #: 01.81401.01.138LEGAL DESCRIPTION OF

PROPERTY:Residential Unit Number 310

and Garage Unit Number 53 in Condominium No. 36 Garrett Square Condominium Homes

COUNTY IN WHICH PROPERTY IS LOCATED: Dakota

ORIGINAL PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF MORTGAGE: $97,000.00

AMOUNT DUE AND CLAIMED TO BE DUE AS OF DATE OF NO-TICE, INCLUDING TAXES, IF ANY, PAID BY MORTGAGEE:

$96,169.84That prior to the commence-

ment of this mortgage foreclosure proceeding Mortgagee/Assignee of Mortgagee complied with all notice requirements as required by stat-ute; That no action or proceeding has been instituted at law or other-wise to recover the debt secured by said mortgage, or any part thereof;

PURSUANT to the power of sale contained in said mortgage, the above described property will be sold by the Sheriff of said county as follows:

DATE AND TIME OF SALE: March 18, 2014 at 10:00 AMPLACE OF SALE: Sheriff’s Of-

fice, Law Enforcement Center, 1580 Hwy 55, Lobby #S-100, Hastings, MN

to pay the debt then secured by said Mortgage, and taxes, if any, on said premises, and the costs and disbursements, including at-torneys’ fees allowed by law sub-ject to redemption within six (6) months from the date of said sale by the mortgagor(s), their personal representatives or assigns unless reduced to Five (5) weeks under MN Stat. §580.07.

TIME AND DATE TO VACATE PROPERTY: If the real estate is an owner-occupied, single-family dwelling, unless otherwise pro-vided by law, the date on or before which the mortgagor(s) must va-cate the property if the mortgage is not reinstated under section 580.30 or the property is not redeemed under section 580.23 is 11:59 p.m. on September 18, 2014 unless that date falls on a weekend or legal holiday, in which case it is the next weekday, and unless the redemp-tion period is reduced to 5 weeks under MN Stat. Secs. 580.07 or 582.032.

MORTGAGOR(S) RELEASED FROM FINANCIAL OBLIGATION ON MORTGAGE: None

“THE TIME ALLOWED BY LAW FOR REDEMPTION BY THE MORTGAGOR, THE MORTGAG-OR’S PERSONAL REPRESEN-TATIVES OR ASSIGNS, MAY BE REDUCED TO FIVE WEEKS IF A JUDICIAL ORDER IS ENTERED UNDER MINNESOTA STATUTES, SECTION 582.032, DETERMIN-ING, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THAT THE MORTGAGED PREM-ISES ARE IMPROVED WITH A RESIDENTIAL DWELLING OF LESS THAN FIVE UNITS, ARE NOT PROPERTY USED IN AGRICUL-TURAL PRODUCTION, AND ARE ABANDONED.”Dated: January 13, 2014M&T BankMortgagee/Assignee of MortgageeUSSET, WEINGARDEN AND LIEBO, P.L.L.P.Attorneys for Mortgagee/Assigneeof Mortgagee4500 Park Glen Road #300

Minneapolis, MN 55416(952) 925-688837 - 13-008787 FCTHIS IS A COMMUNICATIONFROM A DEBT COLLECTOR.

Published in theApple Valley

January 24, 31, February 7, 14, 21, 28, 2014

166464CITY OF APPLE VALLEY

PUBLIC NOTICENOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the

City of Apple Valley will offer an opportu-nity for the public to provide input on theadequacy of the City’s Storm Water Pollu-tion Prevention Program (SWPPP), whichis a requirement of the National PollutionDischarge Elimination System Phase II(NPDES II) storm water permit. The publicmay comment on the SWPPP at the AppleValley Chamber of Commerce Home and Garden Expo held on Saturday, April 5, 2014, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., at the City of Apple Valley Natural Resourcesbooth at the Dakota County Western Ser-vice Center, 14955 Galaxie Avenue. The SWPPP will be available for viewing at thebooth, and city staff will be on hand toanswer questions and receive comments.

Comments will also be accepted via theStormwater Pollution Prevention Programpage on the City of Apple Valley website,www.CityofAppleValley.org, where theSWPPP can also be viewed. Commentswill be accepted March 1, 2014, throughApril 12, 2014.

Copies of the SWPPP are also availablefor viewing at the Municipal Center (7100 147th Street W.) and at the Central Main-tenance Facility (6442 140th Street W.). Written comments may be submitted prior to April 12, 2014, at the following address:

City of Apple ValleyATTN: Natural Resources

7100 147th Street W.Apple Valley, MN 55124

DATED February 28, 2014.Published in Apple Valley

February 28, 2014181775

NOTICE OF MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE SALE

THE RIGHT TO VERIFICATION OF THE DEBT AND IDENTITY OF THE ORIGINAL CREDITOR WITHIN THE TIME PROVIDED BY LAW IS NOT AFFECTED BY THIS ACTION.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that default has occurred in conditions of the following described mort-gage:

DATE OF MORTGAGE: August 9, 2007MORTGAGOR: Phillip A. Klang

and Elizabeth C. Klang, husband and wife.

MORTGAGEE: Mortgage Elec-tronic Registration Systems, Inc as Nominee for Summit Mortgage Corporation.

DATE AND PLACE OF RE-CORDING: Recorded August 28, 2007 Dakota County Recorder, Document No. 2540644.

ASSIGNMENTS OF MORT-GAGE: Assigned to: U.S. Bank National Association. Dated July

19, 2013 Recorded July 26, 2013, as Document No. 2965860.

TRANSACTION AGENT: Mortgage Electronic Registra-

tion Systems, Inc.TRANSACTION AGENT’S

MORTGAGE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER ON MORTGAGE:

100061907000032151LENDER OR BROKER AND

MORTGAGE ORIGINATOR STATED ON MORTGAGE:

Summit Mortgage CorporationRESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE

SERVICER: U.S. Bank Home Mort-gage, a division of U.S. Bank Na-tional Association

MORTGAGED PROPERTY AD-DRESS: 15970 Heath Court, Apple Valley, MN 55124

TAX PARCEL I.D. #: 014580108140LEGAL DESCRIPTION OF

PROPERTY: Lot 14, Block 8, Lon-gridge Second Addition, according to the recorded plat thereof, Dakota County, Minnesota

COUNTY IN WHICH PROPERTY IS LOCATED: Dakota

ORIGINAL PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF MORTGAGE: $222,000.00

AMOUNT DUE AND CLAIMED TO BE DUE AS OF DATE OF NO-TICE, INCLUDING TAXES, IF ANY, PAID BY MORTGAGEE:

$234,705.54That prior to the commence-

ment of this mortgage foreclosure proceeding Mortgagee/Assignee of Mortgagee complied with all notice requirements as required by stat-ute; That no action or proceeding has been instituted at law or other-wise to recover the debt secured by said mortgage, or any part thereof;

PURSUANT to the power of sale contained in said mortgage, the above described property will be sold by the Sheriff of said county as follows:

DATE AND TIME OF SALE: March 13, 2014 at 10:00 AMPLACE OF SALE: Sheriff’s Of-

fice, Law Enforcement Center, 1580 Hwy 55, Lobby #S-100, Hastings, MN

to pay the debt then secured by said Mortgage, and taxes, if any, on said premises, and the costs and disbursements, including at-torneys’ fees allowed by law sub-ject to redemption within six (6) months from the date of said sale by the mortgagor(s), their personal representatives or assigns unless reduced to Five (5) weeks under MN Stat. §580.07.

TIME AND DATE TO VACATE PROPERTY: If the real estate is an owner-occupied, single-family dwelling, unless otherwise pro-vided by law, the date on or before which the mortgagor(s) must va-cate the property if the mortgage is not reinstated under section 580.30 or the property is not redeemed

under section 580.23 is 11:59 p.m. on September 15, 2014, unless that date falls on a weekend or legal holiday, in which case it is the next weekday, and unless the redemp-tion period is reduced to 5 weeks under MN Stat. Secs. 580.07 or 582.032.

MORTGAGOR(S) RELEASED FROM FINANCIAL OBLIGATION ON MORTGAGE:None

“THE TIME ALLOWED BY LAW FOR REDEMPTION BY THE MORTGAGOR, THE MORTGAG-OR’S PERSONAL REPRESEN-TATIVES OR ASSIGNS, MAY BE REDUCED TO FIVE WEEKS IF A JUDICIAL ORDER IS ENTERED UNDER MINNESOTA STATUTES, SECTION 582.032, DETERMIN-ING, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THAT THE MORTGAGED PREM-ISES ARE IMPROVED WITH A RESIDENTIAL DWELLING OF LESS THAN FIVE UNITS, ARE NOT PROPERTY USED IN AGRICUL-TURAL PRODUCTION, AND ARE ABANDONED.”Dated: January 2, 2014U.S. Bank National AssociationMortgagee/Assignee of MortgageeUSSET, WEINGARDEN AND LIEBO, P.L.L.P.Attorneys for Mortgagee/Assigneeof Mortgagee4500 Park Glen Road #300Minneapolis, MN 55416(952) 925-688819 - 13-001222 FCTHIS IS A COMMUNICATIONFROM A DEBT COLLECTOR.

Published in theApple Valley

January 24, 31, February 7, 14, 21, 28, 2014

166488INDEPENDENT SCHOOL

DISTRICT NO. 196CALL FOR BIDS

ECFE/ECSE/ABE BUILDINGNotice is hereby given that Inde-

pendent School District #196, will receive multiple prime sealed bids for the ISD#196 ECFE/ECSE/ABE Building project, at the District Of-fice located at 3455 153rd Street W. Rosemount, MN 55068 until 2:00 pm on Tuesday, March 11th, 2014 at which time they will be opened and read aloud.

Complete instructions on how to obtain Bidding Documents can be found at: http://www.district196.org/District/LegalNotices/index.cfm

A Bid Bond, Certified Check or Cashier’s Check in the amount of 5% of the base bid price, made payable to Independent School District 196, must be submitted with the bid as bid security. No personal checks will be accepted.

The School Board of Indepen-

dent School District 196 reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to waive any informality in bidding.

Gary Huusko, Board ClerkIndependent School District 196

Published in Apple Valley,

Lakeville, Burnsville/EaganFebruary 21, 28, 2014


DISTRICT NO. 196CALL FOR BIDS

OFFICE AND CLASSROOM SUPPLIES

Notice is hereby given that BIDS will be received to award a con-tract for purpose of purchasing Office and Classroom Supplies by Independent School District 196 at the District Office located at 3455 153rd St. W., Rosemount, MN 55068 until 1:30 p.m. on March 26, at which time and place bids will be publicly opened and read aloud.

Complete instructions on how to obtain Bidding Documents can be found at: http://www.district196.org/District/LegalNotices/index.cfm

A Bid Bond, Certified Check or Cashiers Check in the amount of 5% of the total bid price, made payable to Independent School District 196, must be submitted with the bid.

The School Board of Indepen-dent School District 196 reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to waive any informality in bidding.

Gary Huusko, Board ClerkIndependent School District 196

Published in Apple Valley, Lakeville, Burnsville/EaganFebruary 28, March 7, 2014


DISTRICT NO. 196CALL FOR PROPOSALS Independent School District 196

is accepting proposals for Group Life, Supplemental Life and Group Long Term Disability Insurance until 2:00 pm on March 24, 2014. Proposals must be clearly marked and addressed to George Vander Weit, Corporate Health Systems, Inc,15153 Technology Drive, Suite B, Eden Prairie, MN 55344.

Insurance carriers and third par-ty administrators requesting infor-mation on the request for proposal please contact: George Vander Weit, Corporate Health Systems, at (952) 873-7111 or [email protected].

The School Board of Indepen-dent School District 196 reserves the right to reject any or all propos-als and to waive any informality in the proposal process.Gary Huusko, School Board ClerkRosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Public SchoolsIndependent School District 1963455 153rd Street WestRosemount, MN 55068-4946

Published in Apple Valley, Lakeville, Burnsville/Eagan

February 28, 2014181264


theater and arts briefs

theater and arts calendar

‘Vertigo’ in Rosemount The Steeple Center in Rosemount is hosting a screening of the film “Ver-tigo” at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28, as the second event in the ongoing Hitchcock Film Series sponsored by the Rosemount Area Arts Council. Tickets are $6. The Hitchcock series continues with “North by Northwest” on March 28, followed by “Psycho” on April 25. More informa-tion is at www.rosemoun-tarts.com.

Student art on display An ongoing art ex-hibit featuring the work of area elementary school students is on display at the Robert Trail Library, 14295 S. Robert Trail, Rosemount. Artwork by students from Red Pine Elementary School will be on display the month of March. An artists’ reception is 1-3 p.m. Sunday, March 2. Shannon Park Elemen-tary student art will be spotlighted in April (art-ists’ reception 1-3 p.m. April 6), followed by Dia-mond Path Elementary in

May (artists’ reception 1-3 p.m. May 4). The exhibit is spon-sored by the Rosemount Area Arts Council and the Robert Trail Library. For more information, visit www.rosemountarts.com.

Bluegrass rescheduled The Switched At Birth concert scheduled for Feb. 20 as part of the ongoing “Bluegrass at the Steeple Center” series was can-celed due to the inclem-ent winter weather. The concert has been resched-uled for 7 p.m. Thursday, March 6, at the Steeple Center located at 14375 S. Robert Trail in Rose-mount. Tickets for the Switched At Birth show are $5 and can be purchased at the Rosemount Area Arts Council’s website, www.rosemountarts.com, and in person at the Steeple Center.

Eagan young actors featured Young Artists Initia-tive kicks off its 11th season with the musical “OLIVER!” The produc-

To submit items for the Arts Calendar, email: darcy.

[email protected].

Comedy Comedy Club, 7:30-9 p.m. Saturday, March 8, at the Stee-ple Center, 14375 S. Robert Trail, Rosemount. Hosted by Rosemount Area Arts Coun-cil. PG performance by Dennis Carney and William Hill with guest Pizpor the Magician. Tickets: $5 at www.rosemoun-tarts.com or at the Steeple Center.

Exhibits Burnsville Visual Arts So-ciety’s Art Fete, Feb. 13 to March 23, Burnsville Perform-ing Arts Center gallery, 12600 Nicollet Ave. Information: 952-895-4685. “My Minnesota,” a photog-raphy exhibit by Dean Seaton, is on display through March 10 at Dunn Bros Coffee, 20700 Chippendale Ave. W., Farming-ton. Features images captured near Grand Marais.

Music Michael Monroe, 6-9 p.m. Saturday, March 1, Valleywood Golf Course, 4851 McAndrews Road, Apple Valley. Part of the Frozen Apple winter concert hosted by the Apple Valley Arts Foundation. Free. Information: www.avartsfoundation.org. South Metro Chorale Cab-aret Show, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 1, and 3 p.m. Sunday, March 2, Lakeville Area Arts Center, 20965 Holyoke Ave. Si-lent auction at 6:30 p.m. and 2 p.m., respectively. Tickets: $20 adults, $15 seniors and stu-dents at 612-386-4636 or by email ([email protected]). Lehto & Wright, 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 7, Lakeville Area Arts Center, 20965 Holyoke Ave. Tickets: $12.50 in ad-vance, $17.50 at the door. Tick-ets available online at Lakevil-leAreaArtsCenter.com or at the Arts Center. Information: 952-985-4640.

Theater

“Simpatico,” presented by The Chameleon Theatre Cir-cle, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 28, March 1, March 3, March 6-8, and 2 p.m. March 9, at the Burnsville Performing Arts Center, 12600 Nicollet Ave. Tickets: $20 adults, $17 students/seniors at Ticketmaster.com or 800-982-2787. “Scooby-Doo! Live Musi-cal Mysteries,” 2 and 7 p.m. Thursday, March 6, at the Burnsville Performing Arts Cen-ter, 12600 Nicollet Ave. Tickets range from $25-$65 at Ticket-master.com or 800-982-2787. “Footloose – The Musi-cal,” presented by The Play’s the Thing Productions performs at the Lakeville Area Arts Cen-ter March 21-22, 28-29 at 7:30 p.m. and March 23 and 30 at 2 p.m. Tickets are available on-line at LakevilleAreaArtsCenter.com. Information: www.chil-drenstheatretptt.com or 952-985-4640.

Workshops/classes/other Art-themed birthday par-ties are offered by the Eagan Art House, 3981 Lexington Ave. S. Cost: $125-$135 for up to 10 people. Additional guests are $12.50 per child. Supplies pro-vided. Information: 651-675-5521. Winter art classes are open for registration at the Eagan Art House, 3981 Lexington Ave. S. Information: www.cityofeagan.com/index.php/recreation/ea-gan-art-house, 651-675-5521. Teen Poetry Jam/Rap Bat-tle, 4-5 p.m. the first Tuesday of each month at Apple Valley Teen Center, 14255 Johnny Cake Ridge Road, Apple Valley, 952-953-2385. Ages 12-18. Adult painting open stu-dio, 9 a.m. to noon Fridays at the Eagan Art House, 3981 Lexington Ave. S. Fee is $5 per session. Information: 651-675-5521. Drawing & Painting (adults and teens) with Christine Tier-ney, 9 a.m. to noon Wednes-days, River Ridge Arts Building, Burnsville. Information: www.christinetierney.com, 612-210-3377.

Teens Express Yourself with Paint, 5-7 p.m. Mondays at Brushworks School of Art in Burnsville, www.BrushworksS-choolofArt.com, 651-214-4732. Act-Sing-Dance winter session enrollment open for ages 7-17. Burnsville location. Information: 952-220-1676, Drama Interaction. Homeschool Theatre Pro-gram, winter session open enrollment, Wednesdays, ages 7-17. In the Company of Kids, 13710 Nicollet Ave., Burnsville, 952-736-3644. Show Biz Kids Theater Class for children with special needs (ASD/DCD programs), In the Company of Kids, 13710 Nicollet Ave., Burnsville, 952-736-3644. Broadway Kids Dance and Theater Program for all ages and abilities, In the Company of Kids, 13710 Nicollet Ave., Burnsville, 952-736-3644. Join other 55-plus adults at the Eagan Art House to create beaded jewelry. The Jewelry Club meets on the third Friday of each month from 1-3 p.m. Information: 651-675-5500. Soy candle making class-es held weekly in Eagan near 55 and Yankee Doodle. Call Ja-mie at 651-315-4849 for dates and times. $10 per person. Presented by Making Scents in Minnesota. Country line dance class-es held for intermediates Mon-days 1:30-4 p.m. at Rambling River Center, 325 Oak St., Farmington, $5/class. Call Mar-ilyn 651-463-7833. Country line dance class-es on Wednesdays at the Lake-ville Senior Center, 20110 Holy-oke Ave. Beginners, 9-10 a.m.; Intermediate, 10 a.m. to noon. $5/class. Call Marilyn 651-463-7833. The Lakeville Area Arts Center offers arts classes for all ages, www.lakevillemn.gov, 952-985-4640. Rosemount History Book Club meets 6:30-8 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month at the Robert Trail Library. Infor-mation: John Loch, 952-255-8545 or [email protected].

Acoustic artist Michael Monroe is set to perform Saturday, March 1, at the Val-leywood Golf Course clubhouse as the final performance in this year’s Frozen Apple winter concert series hosted by the Apple Valley Arts Foundation. Monroe, a Grand Marais-based musician who blends folk, jazz and reggae, was recently featured on KSTP news in a segment about his ongoing “Log Cabin Concerts” that he hosts at his home. Admission is free to the 6-9 p.m. Apple Valley concert in the clubhouse at 4851 McAndrews Road, and food and beverages, including a full bar, will be available for purchase. More at www.avartsfoundation.org. (Photo submitted)

Scooby-Doo and the Mystery Inc. gang will take the stage of the Burnsville Perform-ing Arts Center at 4 and 7 p.m. Thursday, March 6, for the family musical “Scooby-Doo Live! Musical Mysteries.” The touring show has Shaggy, Fred, Daphne, Velma and Scooby-Doo hopping in their Mystery Machine van to investigate a trouble-mak-ing ghost haunting a theater. Tickets range from $25-$65 and can be purchased in person at the Burnsville venue’s box office, by phone at 800-982-2787 and online at Ticketmaster.com. (Photo submitted)

The touring Beatles show “1964: The Tribute” will take the stage of the Burnsville Performing Arts Center on Saturday, March 15, with a pre-Sgt. Pepper era concert that includes period instruments, clothing, hairstyles and onstage banter of the early Fab Four. Hailed by Rolling Stone magazine as “the best Beatles tribute ever,” the “1964: The Tribute” band has been touring worldwide — and was featured in its own PBS special — after forming in 1984. Tickets range from $30-$40 and can be pur-chased in person at the Burnsville venue’s box office, by phone at 800-982-2787 and online at Ticketmaster.com. (Photo submitted)

tion features an all-youth cast of 26 and more than 10 youth crew members from around the Twin Cit-ies, including Lauren Moy as the ghost of Oliver’s mother, and Bailey Soika and Paige Moy as solo-ists in the song “Who Will Buy?” All three are from Eagan. The production also features scenic design by Shannon Morgan, and lighting design by Benja-min Eng, both graduates of Eastview High School. “OLIVER!” runs March 14-16 and March 21-23 at the Neighbor-hood House in St. Paul. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors 55 and older, and $6 for students under 18. Tickets can be reserved online (www.youngartists-mn.org) or at the door. Seating is general admis-sion. YAI is also partner-ing with the Neighbor-hood House Food Shelf to collect food donations at all of the performances.

‘B-I-N-G-O Spells Murder’ Eagan Theater Com-pany and Eagan 55 Plus/Seniors present their third annual murder mys-tery on Thursday, March 13, and Friday, March 14, at the Eagan Commu-nity Center, 1501 Central Parkway. Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets are $40 and include dinner, perfor-mance and bingo card. Seats are limited. Pur-chase tickets in person at the Eagan Community Center or online at www.etc-mn.com.

Break of Reality Cello rock band Break of Reality performs May 15 at the Burnsville Per-forming Arts Center, 12600 Nicollet Ave. Tick-ets are $25 for adults and $10 for students at the box office, by phone at 800-982-2787 or online at Ticketmaster.com.

Chill music Beatles tribute

Mystery Machine en route to Burnsville


ThisweekendThisweekend

To submit items for the Family Calendar, email:

[email protected].

Friday, Feb. 28 Eagan Grace Support Group for infant loss, 6:30-8:30 p.m. RSVP to [email protected]. Information: http://www.babylovemn.com/eagan-grace-support-group/.

Saturday, March 1 Winter Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to noon, Eagan Com-munity Center, 1501 Central Parkway, Eagan. Items for sale include locally produced food items such as honey, jams, sauces, sweet treats, artisan bakery items, strudel, root veg-etables and more. Bingo fundraiser for Farm-ington girls softball, 2-4 p.m. hosted by the Farmington Eagles at Celts in Farmington.

Meat board raffles will be sold for $1.

Monday, March 3 ADHD/autism presenta-tion, 6:45-9 p.m., Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church, 12650 Johnny Cake Ridge Road, Apple Valley. Natural approaches to balancing brain and digestive functions will be addressed. Free. Child care available at no cost. Informa-tion: Brenda Brookman, 952-322-2176, [email protected].

Friday, March 7 Fish fry dinner, 5-8 p.m., Rosemount VFW Post 9433. All-you-can-eat. Cost: $11. In-formation: 651-423-9938. Forever Wild Family Fri-day: Na Mele Wai – Hawaiian Fresh Water Songs, 7-8:30 p.m., Lebanon Hills Visitor

Center, 860 Cliff Road, Eagan. An interactive concert featur-ing Hawaiian songs about the importance of water. All ages. Free. Registration requested at www.co.dakota.mn.us/parks.

Saturday, March 8 Adjusting to Life Beyond Divorce and Looking to the Future, 9-11 a.m., InnerLight Healing Center, 17305 Cedar Ave. S., Lakeville. Cost: $39. Registration/information: coun-selingandhealing.com, 952-435-4144. Free family movie, 10 a.m. to noon, Farmington High School recital hall, 20655 Flag-staff Ave. “Ratatouille” will be shown. Age-appropriate activi-ties and concessions open dur-ing intermission.

Blood drives The American Red Cross

will hold the following blood drives. Call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit red-crossblood.org to make an ap-pointment or for more informa-tion. • March 3, 12:30-6:30 p.m., Lutheran Church of the Ascen-sion, 1801 E. Cliff Road, Burns-ville. • March 4, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Edina Realty, 17271 Kenyon Ave., Lakeville. • March 4, 12:30-6:30 p.m., Messiah Lutheran Church, 16725 Highview Ave., Lakeville. • March 7, 12:30-5:30 p.m., Easter Lutheran Church – By the Lake, 4545 Pilot Knob Road, Eagan. • March 8, 10:15 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., Burnhaven Library, 1101 W. County Road 42, Burnsville.

‘Wolves’ takes off running Rosemount author’s debut novel nominated

for Minnesota Book Award by Andrew Miller


Cary Griffith’s first foray into fiction has landed the Rosemount author in some elite company. His novel “Wolves,” published last year, was named one of the four finalists for the Minnesota Book Award in genre fiction last month. “Wolves” tells the story of a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agent investigating wolf depre-dation of livestock on the Iron Range. The investigation takes a dark turn with the mysterious death of the agent’s estranged fa-ther. The three other Minnesota Book Award finalists for genre fiction — Erin Hart, author of “The Book of Killowen”; Brian Freeman, “The Cold Nowhere”; and William Kent Krueger, “Tam-arack County” — are all past win-ners in that category. Considering the company he’s in, Griffith described his chanc-es of winning the award as “ex-tremely dark horse.” “It would frankly shock me if I won,” he said. His tone of deference for the other nominees belies his own accomplishments as an author. Griffith won a Minnesota Book Award in 2011 for “Opening Go-liath,” his nonfiction book about the discovery and exploration of Goliath Cave in southeastern Minnesota. He’s also the author of “Lost in the Wild,” a chilling journalis-

tic account of two hikers’ brushes with death after losing their way in the wilderness. A marketing manager for a Minneapolis-based human re-sources company, Griffith said he does the bulk of his writing in the early morning hours before his daily commute. “If you’re a working stiff like me, you’ve got to find time to write,” he said. “Since I was 18 I’ve been doing this. I wake up early and I write for at least an hour before anybody else wakes up. I’m a huge coffee nut in the morning — it is fuel for my morn-ing efforts.” “Wolves” is the first in a planned series of novels featuring

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agent Sam Riv-ers. Griffith completed work late last year on the second novel in the se-ries, which is set in the Minnesota River Valley, and he’s currently looking at his publication options. He’ll know this spring if he’ll be able to list “two-time Minne-sota Book Award” winner on his resume, with this year’s winners being announced at an April 5 gala in St. Paul. More about Griffith’s books is at www.caryjgriffith.com.


family calendar

STOP SMOKINGSTOP SMOKINGTODAY’S THE DAYTODAY’S THE DAY

If you’re a working stiff like me, you’ve got to find time to write. Since I was 18 I’ve been doing this. I wake up early and I write for at least an hour before anybody else wakes up. I’m a huge coffee nut in the morning — it is fuel for my morning efforts.

”– Cary Griffith ROSEMOUNT AUTHOR

“

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