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www.SunThisweek.com March 18, 2016 | Volume 37 | Number 3

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INDEXOpinion . . . . . . . . . . . . 4A

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PUBLIC NOTICE

Eastview marches onThe Eastview girls basketball team won its state quarterfinal matchup against Lakeville North to face No. 1 Hopkins.

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Duchscher steps downLongtime District 196 School Board Member Rob Duchscher resigned due to his recent move outside the district’s boundaries.

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Sun Thisweek Apple Valley is an official newspaper of the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan School District.

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Dakota County OKs Lebanon Hills pipeline

Optometrist has eyes on retirement

Charges of impersonating an officer dismissed Farmington City Council member pays for two prohibited lights violations in Apple Valley

by Jessica HarperSUN THISWEEK

DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE

Plans for a second natu-ral gas pipeline thr ough Lebanon Hills R egional Park will lik ely come to fruition after a Dak ota County Board commit-tee unanimously accepted plans for the $48 million project. The Physical Develop-ment Committee, which is comprised entir ely of board members, directed county officials on March 8 to draft an agreement with Northern Natural Gas. The Nebraska company first approached the coun-ty about installing a ne w pipeline five years ago, but its plans stalled f or a fe w years because Xcel Ener gy

didn’t have the demand for natural gas that it now has. “We are very pleased with where we are ver-sus where we were several years ago,” County Com-missioner Tom Egan said. “They were able to address significant environmental conditions that we were concerned about.” Northern Natural Gas’ plans in 2011 called f or as much as 300 feet of clear cutting through the par k and trenching. It now plans to bore underground, which company representa-tives say will r educe envi-ronmental impacts of the project. The 20-inch pipeline will span 7.8 miles under -ground from Rosemount to Xcel Ener gy’s Black

Dog power plant in Burns-ville and will run alongside an existing pipeline tha t is located in an easement owned by Northern Natu-ral Gas. The compan y’s existing pipeline pr edates Lebanon Hills and has been operated by Northern Natural Gas since 1930. The pipeline is part of the Black Dog plant’s con-version from coal to na tu-ral gas, and construction on the new line is expected to begin in spring 2017. Residents and en vi-ronmental groups have expressed concerns a bout possible tree-clearing and soil erosion that could contaminate nearby bod-ies of water once the pipe is installed. W hether the company will need to cr e-

ate temporary access roads for construction and long-term maintenance are also concerns, these groups say. Many residents are ex-tra protective of Lebanon Hills after a contr oversial decision by Dakota Coun-ty to ad d a paved trail in the park. Residents and Clean Water Action Minnesota have asked Northern Natu-ral Gas to consider running the pipeline outside of the park along Cliff Road. The group submitted 480 com-ments on the gas compa-ny’s website urging them to avoid running the pipeline through the park. “If there are no other options, certainly our No . 1 priority is that they do what they can do pr otect

the soil, w ater, and cause the least amount of dis-ruption as possib le,” said Wendy Heath, program or-ganizer at Clean Water Ac-tion Minnesota. Northern Natural Gas representatives say rerout-ing the pipeline to avoid the park would force the com-pany to add 1.8 miles to the line and cut through an ad-ditional 73 private proper-ties. The company plans to install the majority of the new pipeline by boring un-derground rather than the more invasive method of digging trenches. North-ern Natural Gas has also promised to plant na tive trees, shrubs and other plans upon completing construction.

Hit-and-run puts cyclist in critical condition

$5,000 reward offered

by Tad JohnsonSUN THISWEEK


A 45-year-old Eagan man remains in critical condition at North Memo-rial Medical Center after the bicycle he w as riding in rural Dakota County on March 8 was struck by a hit-and-run driver. Bryan Joas underwent several surgeries in an ef-fort to address his internal injuries and his broken lower back, ribs and pel-vis. His wife, Shauna, wrote on his CaringBridge page that Bryan’s surgery to save his life March 11 was a miracle. Bryan has had portions of his small and lar ge in-testines removed along with his r ectum and gall

Dr. Robert Blomquist started Apple Valley Eye

Care in 1978 by Andrew Miller

SUN THISWEEKDAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE

When Robert Blomquist opened his eye clinic in A pple Valley in 1978, there wasn’t a lot of elbow room. Space was so tight a t that initial 800-squar e-foot office, located a few blocks from the curr ent Apple Valley Eye Care clinic at 7789 147th St. W., that the copy machine was housed in the restroom. Known for his genial manner and w arm sense of humor, Blomquist couldn’t resist cracking an occasional joke about the copy-machine situation. “If the assistant was headed to the r estroom, I’d ask, ‘Can y ou make me a copy while you’re in there?’ ” he said. The 64-year-old Apple Valley resident, set to retire March 19, began practicing optometry in 1975 at a private practice in Lakeville, then opened his own clinic three years later in Apple Valley. Blomquist said he knew he w anted to w ork in optometry b y age 8. His love of the profession was fostered by his grand-father, Arthur Jenson, an optometrist for more than 40 years in Milbank, S.D. Blomquist, whom pa-tients and staff know sim-ply as “Dr. Bob,” moved the clinic to a larger space, at Pennock Avenue and 145th Street, when Dr. Pat Wellik joined the pr actice in the mid-1990s. The clin-ic saw another expansion

in 2004 with the mo ve to its current 6,800-square-foot standalone b uilding on 147th. Over the y ears Apple Valley Eye Care has seen growth in personnel, with the addition of optom-etrists Roman Gerber and Sarah Ebeling, and in 1997 was named Small

Business of the Y ear by the Apple Valley Cham-ber of Commerce. The clinic will w el-come optometrist Lau-ren Haverly as the ne west addition to its staf f next week. An Owatonna native, Blomquist said one of his aims at Apple Valley Eye Care has been to cultivate a “small-town feeling.” Remembering every pa-tients’ name is one way of doing that, he said. Hu-mor helps, too. “My wife al ways kind of groans, but I like puns,” he said. “Humor is some-thing to put the patient at ease — the main thing is to be positive, happy and show that I car e, and I sprinkle in some humor if I can.” In retirement, Blomquist said he’s look-

ing forward to spending more time with famil y, as he and wife J udy are expecting the arri val of their third grandchild in the next month. He’s also looking forward to spend-ing more time on the golf course. While he’s known as Dr. Bob a t the clinic, in the men’s league at Val-leywood Golf Course he goes by “Bogey Bob.” Blomquist said one of the things he’ll miss most about his pr actice is the patients, some of whom have been coming to his clinic for nearly 40 years. “It’s been r ewarding to have all these dif ferent relationships over time,” he said. “It’s been a good ride.”

Email Andrew Miller at [email protected].

by Andy RogersSUN THISWEEK


Charges of imperson-ating an of ficer were dis-missed against Farming-ton City Council Member Jason Bartholomay on Monday as Bartholoma y agreed to pay $250 for two petty misdemeanor pr o-hibited lights violations. A citation for having prohibited flashing lights was also dismissed. “I’m happy to finall y

move on and con-tinue to serv e the residents and do the hard work,” Bartholomay said. “I’m glad this is in the past.” He said he no longer has the flashing lights equipment in his car. “I’m disappointed what was alleged a t the beginning with this w hole thing, but I’m glad it’s dismissed,” Bartholomay

said. “I a ppreciat-ed the majority of the residents who waited to see what would happen.” According to the criminal com-plaint, police said Bartholomay was driving through

Apple Valley on Oct. 26, 2015, in a v ehicle similar to that of a police car . A witness r eported Bar-tholomay’s car had its lights activated and cars

were pulling o ver in r e-sponse. Bartholomay said he never had the lights acti-vated in Apple Valley. He had the lights in his v e-hicle but only uses them when he’s parked. He said as a ther apist he responds to emergency mental health situations. He purchased the equipment when another vehicle collided with his vehicle while it was parked following an emer gency

call. The criminal com-plaint stated Bartholomay claimed he w as a cha p-lain for the Minnea polis Police Department or the University of Minnesota Police Department, some-thing Bartholomay dis-putes. “I never misled an y-body,” Bartholomay said.

Email Andy R ogers at [email protected].

Known to patients as “Dr . Bob,” Robert Blomquist is set to r etire March 19 after more than 40 years practicing optometry in the south metro area. (Photo by Andrew Miller)

Jason Bartholomay

Dr. Robert Blomquist

Bryan Joas is an avid road cyclist from Eagan. He was struck while riding by a hit-and-run driver in rural Da-kota County on Mar ch 8. (Photo from CaringBridge)

See CYCLIST, 13A

OPINION

THISWEEKEND

‘Golden Pond’ in LakevilleExpressions Community Theater is set to present the stage classic “On Golden Pond” at the Lakeville Area Arts Center.

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Making an impact360 Communities CEO Sal Mondelli shows the ways in which the Dakota County nonprofit can help others have an impact.

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2A March 18, 2016 SUN THISWEEK - Apple Valley

Area Briefs

Rebecca Kranz, left, a fourth-grader at Cedar Park Elementary STEM School in Ap-ple Valley, grew this giant, 21-pound cabbage in her family’s garden last spring as part of a science course module on gardening. As part of the course, students had a chance to grow cabbages donated by Bonnie Plants, a North American producer of vegetables and herbs, which trucks free cabbage plants to participating schools across the country. Kranz recently won a $1,000 savings bond for education as the winner of a drawing for Minnesota students who grew the best cabbages, based on size and appearance. Kranz said she plans to share $200 of the scholarship money with her sister, Maria, right, who helped with watering. (Photo submitted)

Colossal cabbageEaster pack for Feed My Starving Children Individuals, families and groups of all sizes are invited to start their Easter celebrations a little ear ly by packing meals with Feed My Starving Chil-dren March 25 and 26 a t its Eagan facility. At these “Full y In-vested” Easter sessions , volunteers are asked to invest time and make a donation of $50 per v ol-unteer or $150 per house-hold to feed the w orld’s hungry. Normally, FMSC does not r equire a dona-tion, but for these sessions each volunteer commits to funding a bo x of 216 MannaPack meals at $50. One box feeds a child f or seven months. The following sessions are offered for the Easter season: Good Friday, March 25, 9-11 a.m. Holy Saturday, March 26, 9-11 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Reserve spots at https://fmsc.org/fullyinvested. At FMSC meal-pack-ing, adults and children age 5 and older hand-as-semble MannaPack meals consisting of rice, soy nuggets, dehydrated veg-etables and f lavoring with 20 vitamins and minerals.

2nd District GOP debate The Minnesota 2nd Congressional District Re-publican Party will hold a debate for the 2nd District GOP candidates for the U.S. House of Represen-tatives 6-8:30 p.m. Thurs-day, March 31, at Hastings High School, 200 Gener al Sieben Drive, Hastings. Attendees can also partici-pate in a straw poll. Schedule: • 6-6:45 p.m., meet and greet with candidates; • 6:45-7 p .m., pledge,

rules, possible local candi-date introductions; • 7-8:30 p.m., debate; • 8:30-8:45 p.m., closing statements; • 8:45-9:30 p .m., press time with the candidates. Anyone interested in submitting a question beforehand can do so at [email protected]. Provide your name and question. Suggested donation: $5 per person. Questions can be dir ected to Jewel Pickert at [email protected].

Dakota County to host pilot project about food waste Dakota County and Minnesota GreenCorps, with help fr om Wilder Research, will host a six-week pilot pr ogram on food waste starting on April 3.

Program participants will weigh food scraps and report their findings. Participants must at-tend a short intr oductory meeting. Meetings ar e scheduled: • Monday, April 4, 6:30-7:30 p.m., Western Service Center, 14955 Gal-axie Ave., Apple Valley, Room L139. • Wednesday, April 6, 6:30-7:30 p.m., Northern Service Center, 1 Mendota Road W., West St. P aul, Room 110A and 110B. • Saturday, April 9, 2-3 p.m., Heritage Library, 20085 Heritage Drive, Lakeville. Each week, partici-pants can win priz es val-ued at $15-$30. P artici-pants’ feedback will also help shape the futur e outreach campaign a bout food waste reduction in Dakota County. Sign up by calling 651-280-2721 or visiting www.

dakotacounty.us, search “food waste.”

New Sociables to meet New Sociables Women’s Organization will meet 9:15 a.m. Monda y, April 4, at Spirit of Life Presby-terian Church, 14401 Pilot Knob Road, Apple Valley. The church is located a half mile north of County Road 42. Guest speaker will be David Jones. The program will be “The Sta tue of Liberty: Two Decades of Effort, Almost Impossible Odds.” This y ear marks the 130th anni versary of the Statue of Liberty. New Sociables is a so-cial and service organiza-tion for all women in the south suburbs. For more information, call R uth Block at 952-432-2964 or Jean Benda a t 952-423-7102.

SUN THISWEEK - Apple Valley March 18, 2016 3A

Sweetheart of the IT department

Becky Thompson and Old School perf ormed Friday, March 11, at the Eagles Club in south Minneapolis. Band members include her longtime collabor ators Joe Savage, left, and Dan Lund. (Photo by John Gessner)

Old School singer Becky Thompson isn’t done with music yet by John Gessner


It’s 9 on a F riday night at the Eagles Club in south Minneapolis, where about 60 people mid dle-aged and older have come to listen and dance to Becky Thompson and Old School. Water bottles ar e as prevalent as wine and cocktail glasses on ta bles around the dance f loor, where some of the dancers show off age-defying ball-room chops. The six-piece band plays on a lo w stage in front of a garish (and per -manent) display of Christ-mas lights. The m usic is 20th century American comfort food — “Choo Choo Ch’boogie,” a John-ny Cash medley and “Ten-nessee Waltz” float by in the first set, the last sung by Thompson. Comf ort-able with lo wer-range vo-cals, she easil y grabs the sweet high notes of Patti Page’s 1950 staple. Thompson has opened shows for country stars and sang to a pack ed Northrop Auditorium the night Garrison K eillor’s radio show first w ent na-tional. But tonight at the Eagles Club is her kind of night. “The smaller is mor e fun. Heck, y eah. Much more fun,” said the 63-year-old Burnsville res-ident. “Concerts are highly overrated. It’s hard to feel a part of it.” She and Old School — including longtime col-laborators Dan Lund on guitar and vocals and Joe Savage on pedal steel and vocals — have been deliv-

ering Texas swing, classic country and rockabilly to Twin Cities audiences f or 16 years. The band r ecently ended a monthly Monday residency at Lee’s Liquor Lounge after beloved own-er Louie Sirian sold the downtown Minneapolis bar. But the band plays on, hoping to land more dates at the Eagles Club on East 25th Street. Thompson, a Minneso-ta Rock and Country Hall of Fame inductee with her old band the Sky Blue Wa-ter Boys, keeps music on the side these da ys while working as a senior IT project manager at Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Eagan. “It’s been kind of nice to keep playing into m y later life, and I don ’t have to do it for money, which is really nice,” she said. “We actually got to pla y my hometown county fair — Freeborn County, Albert Lea.” Growing up in tha t southern Minnesota bor -der city, Thompson got her first guitar from her father, Melborn Bye, at age 14. “He traded a cash regis-ter for it,” said Thompson, who quickly prepared a number for that year’s ju-nior high talent show. After high school she ventured north and be-came a cof feehouse folk-singer at venues such as the Coffehouse Extempore on Minneapolis’ West Bank and the W hole Coffee-house at the University of Minnesota. Her contem-poraries included the lik es of Bill Hinkley, Judy Lar-son and Peter Ostroushko. “I developed a certain

style in the lo wer ranges,” Thompson said, though she sang plenty of Joni Mitchell songs as a coffee-house folkie. “And in high school I w as a descant, which is above soprano. I can make those notes,” she said. In 1973 Thompson be-gan singing with the W ol-verines, a big band special-izing in 1920s jazz. She left in 1975 to join the Sky Blue Water Boys, a coun-try swing band. She debuted with Keil-lor’s “A Prairie Home Companion” in 1974, when the show was broad-cast from the third floor of the Minnesota Pub lic Ra-dio studio in downtown St. Paul. She sang on the sho w about once a month for the next decade — a union-scale gig that brought a welcome paycheck to Thompson and her hus-band of 38 y ears, Jeffrey Thompson, a brickla yer and mason. But Keillor and live ra-dio were demanding, and Thompson said the sho ws made her a nervous wreck. “He used to do things , like, he’d go, ‘Becky — here’s the birthda y list. I want you to sing all of those names to “W abash Cannonball.” ’ I mean, you had to be quick — r eally quick.” Thompson’s last “ A Prairie Home” appear-ance was at the 35th anni-versary show in 2009. The legendary retired host “is still the same person he’ s always been,” Thompson said. “He’s not difficult to work with. It’s just dif-ficult to understand w hat he wants sometimes. ...

He’s really very brilliant. Social skills ar e not his forte.” Still, some of her most cherished m usical memories are from the show, where she sang with and befriended legendary guitarist Chet Atkins and met honky tonk pioneer Ernest Tubb. “I did ‘Sw eet Dreams’ on the sho w and I came offstage and he gr abbed my hands and he said, ‘Patsy (Cline) w ould have been proud,’ ” Thompson said. “My knees just start-ed shaking, and I w ent (slowly), ‘Thank you.’ ” When she was called to sing on the first na tional broadcast of “A Prairie Home” in 1978, Thomp-son had tak en a detour from music and was rais-ing hogs in Iowa with her husband. A bad market sent them scurrying back to Minne-sota, where Jeffrey went into home building and built a house in Burnsville in 1981. The famil y — in-cluding two children and a child fr om Thompson’s previous marriage — later left Burnsville but returned in 1994. In the ear ly 1980s Thompson joined the band Minnesota Flats, which won Minnesota Music Awards for best country band and best country vo-calist and opened f or the likes of Ricky Nelson and Jerry Jeff Walker. With producer Willie Murphy, Thompson later recorded her own album, “After All This Time.” It snared three Minnesota Music Awards and led to opening gigs with Emmylous Harris and Don Williams, as well as an a ppearance in 1989

at one of the first South by Southwest festivals in Aus-tin, Texas. By then Thompson was feeling the stress of a mu-sic career. And newly diag-nosed rheumatoid arthritis impeded her ability to play guitar. She responded by buck-ling down and earning a technical degr ee from Brown Institute. “Well, I cried the first night when I came home from class,” Thompson said. “My sister and I were in the famil y room and we flipped on the TV and Merle Haggard was on some show and started singing and I just br oke down and said, ‘I’m ne ver going to do tha t again in my life. Music is over.’ ” Then she disco vered, through a series of jobs

culminating at Blue Cross, that she lik ed informa-tion technology and her new colleagues. And she never fully left m usic, though Thompson said she doesn’t play guitar as well as she used to and is awaiting foot surgery that will ease the pain of stand-ing onstage. “You get to a certain age and just start looking back and you go, ‘I’ve had a really good life. I’ve done a lot of things,’ ” she said. “I mean, I got to stand onstage, turn ar ound and say, ‘Take it, Chet.’ Hello? There were so many times I said to m yself that if I died now, this w ould be enough.”

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

Knights of Columbus host spaghetti bingo March 19 The Farmington Knights of Colum-bus will host a spa ghetti dinner and an evening of bingo Sa turday, March 19, beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Church of St. Michael, 22120 Denmark Ave. The meatball and spaghetti dinner is $8 for adults, $5 for children ages 6 to 12, with a maximum of $25 per family. Chil-

dren 5 and under are admitted free. Popcorn, soft-serve ice cr eam, wine, beer and soft drinks will also be a vail-able.Prizes to be given away include tur-keys and meat packs. Proceeds will be used for charitable and service pr ojects sponsored by the KCs.


County Board made the right decision To the editor: I am writing in reaction

to last w eek’s letter titled “Accountability for the Dakota County Boar d.” The writer pr oposes re-moving several county commissioners from office

due to their votes to imple-ment the plan to impr ove accessibility to Le banon Hills Regional Park. I would suggest tha t their actions to implement the

plan in spite of opposition from a very vocal minor-ity are a good r eason to return them to office. I live a few miles from Lebanon Hills park. I am not a hiker. Until last sum-mer I had never been in the park. When I read about the protests over the plan, I decided to see what all of the controversy was about. There are 15 miles of hik-ing trails in Lebanon Hills Park – East. I decided to walk every mile. Due to the remoteness of some of the trails, I had to walk 29 miles to co ver every trail at least once . In m y journeys, I almost ne ver

encountered more than a few other walkers. That in-cluded weekends. Seldom was there any other person in sight on the trails. In my opinion the ne w year-round accessible trails will ha ve little or no impact on the e xisting trails or the en vironment. They will pr ovide much greater use of the park and include people who cannot currently access the par k. Our parks should provide access to as man y people as possible. The writer cited the hundreds of citizens who objected to the plan as “unprecedented opposi-

tion.” I don’t know how many hundreds of people op-posed the plan, b ut there are more than 400,000 residents in Dakota Coun-ty. I served 10 years on a Dakota County suburban city council. I also serv ed 10 years in the Legislature. I know that only oppo-nents of any development proposal come f orward. A few hundred opponents out of 400,000 r esidents are hardly unprecedented. I am pleased tha t we have county commission-ers who represent all of

Letters

Letters to the editor policySun Thisweek welcomes letters to the editor . Submitted letters m ust be no mor e than 350 words. All letters must have the author’s phone number and address for verification purposes. Anonymous letters will not be accepted. Letters r eflect the opinion of the author only. Sun Thisweek reserves the right to edit all letters. Submission of a letter does not guarantee publication.

Opinion

Andrew Miller | APPLE VALLEY NEWS | 952-846-2038 | andrew [email protected] Shaughnessy | SPORTS | 952-846-2030 | mik [email protected] Johnson | MANAGING EDITOR | 952-846-2033 | [email protected]

John Gessner | MANAGING EDITOR | 952-846-2031 | [email protected] Anderson | DIRECTOR OF NEWS | 952-392-6847 | k [email protected]

Darcy Odden | CALENDARS/BRIEFS | 952-846-2034 | darcy [email protected] Jetchick | AD SALES | 952-846-2019 | mik [email protected]

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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

Massive misunderstanding or classic ‘bait and switch’

Increase your impact with 360 Communities

by Joe NathanSUN THISWEEK


The Minnesota Department of Edu-cation wisely passed on an offer recently that represented, in part, a massi ve mis-understanding and, in part, a classic “bait and switch.” What initially appeared to be an op-portunity to bring up to $100 million to Minnesota pub lic schools to r educe achievement gaps turned out to be a r e-quest to pay a group called Equal Op-portunity Schools almost $500,000 f or its consultants. That’s a pretty dramatic difference. On Feb. 25, Minnesota Department of Education Commissioner Brenda Cassel-lius convened about 50 people from about 25 school districts to talk with representa-tives of EOS. Educators drove from as far away as Bemidji and Rochester, as well as the metro area, to attend the meeting in Roseville. The commissioner and man y of the district leaders thought they were there in part to learn a bout a grant opportunity and try to convince EOS to gi ve Minne-sota a grant of up to $100 million. Just a week before, Cassellius told me that Minnesota was one of a few “final-ists to receive up to $100 million from EOS.” As Osseo Public Schools Superinten-dent Kate Maguire told me via email, “We did have the impression going into the meeting that there might be a gr ant opportunity.” Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School Dis-trict Superintendent Joe Gothard wrote: “I think everyone involved was surprised. We thought we may receive financial sup-port to incr ease learning opportunities for all students.” Robbinsdale Area Schools Super -intendent Carlton Jenkins wrote, “My team was initially elated to be in vited to the meeting with the EOS schools , espe-cially since there seemed to be pr ospects for securing ad ditional resources to in-volve more of our district’s students in

programs with rigorous curriculum.” However, about 90 min utes into the meeting, which I attended, it became clear that EOS was not giving out money – it was, in fact, asking f or it. To work with a state, EOS w anted at least 20 schools to give it $24,400 each, a total of at least $488,0000. Josh Collins, MDE comm unications director, told me, “We have a grant writer who has been in this business for 12 years, and she had never seen anything like this situation before.” What had happened? Clearly, major misunderstanding and perha ps partly a bait and switch. In 2015, EOS announced a “Lead Higher” Initiative that “commits more than $100 million to enr oll 100,000 low-income students and students of color in taking Advanced Placement and Inter -national Baccalaureate tests.” EOS said it would be “leading the lar gest effort ever to fully reflect America’s diversity at the highest academic levels.” EOS began working with the College Boar d, which sells AP tests , and Interna tional Bacca-laureate, which markets a curriculum and tests. I reviewed 14 pages of materials that EOS sent to Minnesota. Throughout the 14 pages, states are urged to apply to be part of this $100 million initia tive. No-where in these pages does EOS state that it is asking a t least 20 schools in a sta te to give it $24,400 per school as a consult-ing fee. At one point, the EOS a pplica-tion state officials were asked to complete mentions “subgrants to schools.” I hope EOS funders will review how this organi-zation presents itself. Shortly after the meeting, Cassellius

wrote to Reid Saaris, EOS’s founder and executive director: “As you may have rec-ognized from our discussion, the actual grant opportunity is v ery different than what I had anticipated. Specifically, I did not expect that districts would be expect-ed to provide funding for this initiative. This is not the right opportunity f or the state at this time , and so I r espectfully withdraw our interest.” Fortunately there is substantial inter -est in Minnesota for increasing the num-ber of students – including students of color and low-income students – in dual-credit courses. Although EOS focuses on AP and IB, Minnesota offers a wide array of dual-credit options. Minnesota’s expe-rience and na tional research show that there are many benefits to dual-cr edit courses: reducing the number of students who take remedial courses on entering college; saving literally thousands, some-times tens of thousands, of dollars in college costs; and incr easing the number of young people who not only enter post-secondary education but graduate with a certificate or degree. Gothard, who was at the meeting, r e-sponded afterward: “It was disappointing to learn the de-tails about this partnership opportunity , but we know our Commissioner is com-mitted to helping us r educe achievement gaps and open doors for all students. We will continue to of fer AP, CIS (College in the Schools), concurr ent enrollment and increase career pathways that allow students to enroll in college level courses when possible.” What happens next? I hope Cassellius will con vene district and charter educa tors later this y ear to build on the enthusiasm a t the meeting with EOS and else where for expanding dual-credit opportunities to lo w-income students and students of color, as well as to other students. A meeting also could clarify ways to make it easier f or school districts to offer these courses and retain teachers who have been tr ained to offer them.

First, educators should learn fr om each other about what’s working to e x-pand dual-credit enrollment. Hopkins Public Schools and Higher Ground Academy in St. Paul offer two of many great Minnesota dual-credit mod-els. As Hopkins Superintendent J ohn Schultz explained to me, one of their high school graduation requirements is tha t all students m ust take a class on finan-cial literacy, offered in collaboration with North Hennepin Community College. So every Hopkins gr ad earns some college credit – and in an ar ea that is e xcellent preparation for life after high school. Higher Ground Academy, a charter , strongly encourages virtually all of its 11th- and 12th-gr aders to tak e at least one dual-credit course, whether in the school or on a college campus , via Post-secondary Enrollment Options, or PSEO. More than 80 per cent of HGA juniors and seniors do so. EOS did not r espond to email or phone call requests regarding the com-missioner’s decision to withdr aw from the initiative. I talked with more than a third of the districts r epresented and all agreed with Cassellius’ decision. I hope EOS funders will examine how this orga-nization is presenting itself and spending dollars it has received. It appears the or-ganization spends a substantial amount on staff. Its website, http://eoschools.org, shows 28 staff members. The most important thing f or Minne-sota students and families is that the state learn from, build on and e xpand great models that have been created. There’s plenty of expertise in the state to do that. We don’t need EOS to expand opportuni-ties for students.

Joe Nathan, formerly a Minnesota public school teacher, administrator and PTA president, is a f ormer director and no w senior fellow at the Center f or School Change. Reactions are welcome at [email protected]. Columns r e-flect the opinion of the author.

by Sal MondelliSPECIAL TO SUN THISWEEKDAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE

Hall of Fame baseball player Jackie Robinson once said, “A life is not impor-tant except in the impact it has on other lives.” When a person mak es a positive im-pact in the life of another, it produces a lasting legacy. Being a positi ve force in another person’s life can make all the difference in the tr ajectory of their life story. It could be as simple as smiling at someone, or listening to a person tell you their troubles. Sometimes, as in J ackie Robinson’s case, it takes courage to set an example for others to follow. Ultimately, when we are intentional about impacting others, there are immeasurable benefits to the entire community. 360 Communities has a wide array of options for anyone looking to mak e an impact in Dakota County. Our staff and more than 1,300 volunteers work to pre-vent violence, ensure school success and promote long-term self-sufficiency. Each program area works in concert so that we can provide the best support. Whether a person enters our f ood shelf, a shelter , a resource center, or a family support worker’s office in a school, w e are ask-ing questions to see w hat problems they are facing and what resources they might need to help them succeed. In 2015, 18,000 people w ere positively impacted by 360 Communities. Here are some ex-amples: • A w oman who was controlled, threatened, and bea ten by an a busive boyfriend.

• A first-time fa ther who is learning parenting skills to help his child build the cognitive and social skills to be ready for kindergarten. • A retiree who ran out of savings and couldn’t afford medication or groceries. • A home child car e provider who is enhancing her skills and tr aining to better assist the childr en under her care to be ready to learn once they start school. • A child w hose father is not in the picture and whose mother is working two low wage jobs to make ends meet. • A r ape survivor who has lost her sense of security. The barriers to success tha t our cli-ents face ar e wide-ranging, often com-plex, and r equire multiple services and resources to ad dress. With a holistic approach and colla boration with other agencies, 360 Comm unities is a ble to change the game f or people with hope , support, and much more. 360 Communi-ties has piloted acr oss agency programs a Self-Sufficiency Matrix: an index that tracks a person ’s progress over time through a wide arr ay of health indica-tors, from food insecurity, to safety, to housing stability and more. Eighty-eight percent of the clients in the pilot showed

significant progress toward their self-sufficiency goals. 360 Communities is changing lives and str engthening com-munities to a new measurable degree. And community support is integral to our success. By dona ting, volunteering, or participating in an upcoming e vent, you can help us ha ve a major impact on the health of your community. Visit 360Communities.org to find out more about the w ays you can get in volved and make an impact in your community through 360 Communities, such as: • During the r emaining weeks of March, you can have a greater impact on hunger when you support a 360 Commu-nities food shelf. Minnesota FoodShare’s March Campaign is one of the best op-portunities of the y ear to str etch your food donation dollars. Not only does 360 Communities have access to discount food programs year-round, but during March, every donation to our netw ork of five Dakota County f ood shelves qualifies 360 Communities for a propor-tional share of Minnesota FoodShare’s grant money. • On April 27, you can show your soli-darity with survi vors of sexual assault by participating in the Se venth Annual Sexual Assault Awareness Walk in Apple Valley. There will be a short program be-ginning at 7:30 p.m., followed by a can-dlelight walk at the city of Apple Valley’s municipal building. • On May 21, 360 Communities’ Sec-ond Annual Steps for Success benefit walk will be held a t Thomson R euters in Eagan. Form teams and r aise money to support our inno vative Partners For

Success school-based program. Look for registration details a t 360Communities.org. A recent study by the University of Minnesota showed that for every dollar invested in Partners For Success, at least $5 is returned to the community in social benefits. • 360 Comm unities provides sexual and domestic violence pr ogramming to more than 3,000 people ann ually. On June 25, motorcyclists will come togeth-er at the Rosemount VFW for the Third Annual Stop the Cy cle motorcycle ride. Aug. 29 is our 23rd Annual Lewis House Charity Golf Tournament. Both events will support 360 Comm unities Lewis House. • Consider volunteering at one of our food shelves, family resource centers, or shelters. Fill out our v olunteer interest form at 360Communities.org. • Please check to see if your employer will match your donations of time and/or money. Our website has a “Double the Donation” resource for you to look up what your company may be willing to match. Every person in our comm unity mat-ters. Help make a difference with an or-ganization that exists to support those with the most need. 360 Comm unities is a vehicle for transformative impacts in Dakota County and beyond.

Sal Mondelli is Chief Executive Officer of 360 Comm unities, a Dak ota County nonprofit that works to prevent violence, ensure school success and pr omote long-term self-sufficiency. Columns reflect the opinion of the author.

Sun ThisweekColumnist

Joe Nathan

GuestColumnist

Sal Mondelli

See LETTERS, 13A


New school to be built in LakevilleConstruction set

to begin in August 2017



The Rosemount-Ap-ple Valley-Eagan School District’s new elementary school will be b uilt in Lakeville. On March 14, the School Board unani-mously approved a $3.77 million purchase agree-ment with Cob blestone Lake for a 22.4-acr e site at Diamond P ath and 160th Street. Scheduled to open in fall 2017, the school will provide relief to o ver-crowding at Parkview Elementary and other nearby district schools, officials say. Though en-rollment has r emained stable with about 800 stu-dents in the past 10 years, Parkview expects to face a rapid increase in en-rollment in the next few

years due to ne w hous-ing development within its attendance area and the district’s new all-day kindergarten program. A $4.3 million addition and remodeling project is cur-rently under construction at the elementary school to address this growth. The property — locat-ed at the corner of where Lakeville, Apple Valley, Rosemount and Empire Township meet — is one of three sites that the dis-trict considered. Officials also considered another Lakeville property as well as land in R osemount and Apple Valley. The Traditions site’s location will ena ble the district to alle viate over-crowding at several dis-trict schools and meet the needs of a growing area, said Jeff Solomon, direc-tor of finance and opera-tions for District 196. The site will also r e-quire fewer students to move from an e xisting

elementary school to the new school as part of attendance-area adjust-ments, Solomon said. Land adjacent to the site is already planned for res-idential development and there is a pedestrian tun-nel beneath County Road 46 that connects the site to neighborhoods on the north side of the road. The total cost of land and construction of the new school is estimated at $29.8 million, which will be paid fr om the $130 million of capital im-provements referendum that voters passed last year. Site work is e xpected to begin this summer with construction of the building to be complete in August 2017. Once complete, it will become the district’s 19th elemen-tary school.

Jessica Harper is at [email protected] or facebook.com/sunthisweek.

Duchscher steps down from District 196 School BoardLongtime board

member resigns after move to Farmington



After serving on the R ose-mount-Apple Valley-Eagan School Board for nearly two decades, Rob Duchscher has re-signed due to a recent move out-side the district. Duchscher, who has serv ed four terms on the board, moved to Farmington late last month forcing him to step do wn. State statute requires school boar d members to live within the dis-trict in which they serve. “It was a har d decision, but a good decision,” he said. “It’s a really good move for my family.” Duchscher announced his resignation, which is ef fective immediately, at a March 14 School Board meeting, w hich was followed by a standing ova-

tion by parents, students and district employees who were in attendance. Duchscher said the move en-abled him and his wife to down-size their home and be closer to their daughter and 8-month-old grandson who live in Farming-ton. Duchscher said he initiall y didn’t expect to mo ve so soon but his five-bedroom home in Rosemount sold faster than ex-pected. Duchscher and his famil y lived in District 196 for 34 years — first moving to Eagan in 1982 and then Rosemount seven years later. He was first elected on to the School Board in 1999. Dur-ing his 16-y ear tenure, Duch-scher served as boar d chair six times, most recently last year. Duchscher said he will miss working with district employees and students and the opportuni-ty to participate in annual high school graduation ceremonies. “I’m a big advocate of public education,” he said. “I will miss

being a part of a district that — quite frankly — is doing well.” Duchscher said he has no plans a t this time to pursue public office in Farmington. Duchscher’s resigna-tion leaves a vacancy on the seven-member board. State law was changed last y ear to require the district to conduct an election to fill the v acancy for the remainder any outgoing board member’s term. Duch-scher’s term ends January 2020. The next scheduled opportunity for the election w ould be on Tuesday, Aug. 9, as part of Min-nesota’s statewide primary elec-tion. The election date will need to be scheduled b y the School Board, which is expected to take a vote on the matter on May 9. If the A ug. 9 election da te is selected, the tw o-week filing period for candidates interested in filling the position would run from Tuesday, May 17, through

Tuesday, May 31, a t 5 p.m. All candida tes must file during the two-week filing period in or-der to be placed on the ballot. Any person ma y be a candidate for School Board in District 196 who:

• is eligible to vote; • would be at least 21 years old upon assuming office (Sept. 12, if the election is held Aug. 9); • is a r esident of the school district for at least 30 days be-fore the election; • has not filed as a candidate for any other of fice at the up-coming general election, and • is not a se x offender who has been con victed of an of-fense for which registration is re-quired under Minnesota Statute 243.166. Once the election da te and filing dates have been set by the board, affidavits of candidacy will be a vailable in the Super -

intendent’s Office during of-fice hours (7:30 a.m. to 4 p .m., Monday through Friday) dur-ing the tw o-week filing period. Completed affidavits of can-didacy must be filed a t the Su-perintendent’s Office during the two-week filing period, along with a $2 filing fee or a petition with at least 500 signa tures of eligible voters in place of the fil-ing fee. Five or more voters may also draft a candidate by filing an application on behalf of the candidate. The candida te must indicate his or her willingness to serve by signing the application. The same filing fee requirements and timeline apply. Persons considering running for the vacant position may also call the Superintendent’s Office at 651-423-7736 for more infor-mation or to schedule an inf or-mational meeting.

Jessica Harper is at [email protected] or f acebook.com/sunthisweek.

RobDuchscher

Education BriefsDistrict 196 elementary magnet schools receive national recognition All three elementary ma gnet schools in District 196 have again been selected for recognition by Magnet Schools of America for 2016. Cedar Park Elementary Science, Tech-nology, Engineering and Ma th (STEM) School and Diamond P ath Elementary School of International Studies are two of only 87 magnet schools in the na tion and six in Minnesota to r eceive a 2016 School of Excellence Award and Glacier Hills Elementary School of Arts and Sci-ence is one of nine Minnesota ma gnets to receive a School of Distinction Award this year. Magnet Schools of America advo-cates for high-quality instructional pr o-grams that promote choice, equity, di-versity and academic e xcellence for all students. The awards recognize magnet schools that show a commitment to high academic standards, curriculum innova-tion, successful desegr egation/diversity efforts, specialized teaching staf fs, and parent and community involvement. To be considered for an award, schools must submit an application with information about school demo graphics, a pr ogram overview, innovative instructional strate-gies used at the school, assessment, and achievement examples. All three District 196 elementary magnet schools have also received these awards in previous years. Enrollment at District 196 ma gnet schools is open to all students in the district through an enr ollment applica-tion and lottery process held each Janu-ary. Two more District 196 elementary schools are converting to magnet schools this fall – Echo Park Elementary School of Leadership, Engineering and T ech-nology, and Oak Ridge Elementary School of Leadership, Environmental and Health Sciences. The district also of-fers a magnet school option f or middle school students at Valley Middle School of STEM and is growing a STEM theme at Apple Valley High School as part of its STEM pathway of schools along the west side of the district. For more infor-mation, go to www.District196.org/Mag-netSchools.

BHS students win app challenge Burnsville High School junior Emma Hakanson and sophomore Fiona Chow are winners of U.S. Rep. John Kline’s district wide Congressional App Chal-lenge. Hakanson and Chow won the contest with an a pp they designed to help en-hance a bir dwatcher’s experience. Their winning app will be featured on the U.S. House of Representatives website (www.house.gov) and displayed in a U.S. Capi-tol exhibit. Their app, “Birdsong,” is an inter ac-

tive soundboard app that includes eight northern Minnesotan birds for users to learn about.

Community Education District 196 Comm unity Education will offer the f ollowing classes. To reg-ister, or for more information, call 651-423-7920 or visit www.district196.org/ce. Canvas and Frozen’s Sven (ages 4 to 9), 9 a.m. to noon Monda y, March 21, Apple Valley Community Center, $35. How to Draw Frozen’s Olaf (ages 4 to 9), 9 a.m. to noon Wednesday, March 23, Apple Valley Community Center, $35. Beach Day Barbie (ages 4 to 9), 9 a.m. to noon Thursday, March 24, Apple Val-ley Community Center, $35. Star Wars Jedi Movie Making (grades kindergarten to thr ee), 9 a.m. to noon Monday and Tuesday, March 21 and 22, Falcon Ridge Middle School, $79. Prairie Fire Children’s Theatre – Rob-in Hood (ages 7-18), 9 a.m. to 1:15 p.m., Monday through Friday, March 21-25, Falcon Ridge Middle School, $99. Rock ’N Roll Robotics (grades kinder-garten to three), 9 a.m. to noon Wednes-day and Thursday, March 23 and 24, Fal-con Ridge Middle School, $79. Extreme Robotics: Battlebots (grades three to six), 9 a.m. to noon W ednesday and Thursday, March 23 and 24, Falcon Ridge Middle School, $79. Home Winemaking (ages 21 and above), 6-8 p .m. Thursday, March 24, Seasons of Apple Valley, $29. Open swims, Scott Highlands Middle School, 2-4 p.m. Tuesday through Thurs-day, March 22-24; 6:30-8 p .m. Fridays, April 2 to May 14; 2:30-4 p.m. Saturdays, April 2 to May 15; 1-2:30 p.m. Sundays, April 3 to May 15. Information: http://tinyurl.com/zbhjjg9.

College news Rochester Institute of Technology, New York, fall dean’s list, from Apple Valley – Kaia Bolland, Mary Weber. University of Wisconsin-Madison, fall dean’s list, Connor George, of Apple Valley. University of Iowa, Iowa City, fall dean’s list, from Apple Valley – Megan Kapalka, Claire Syverson. University of Kansas, Lawrence, fall dean’s list, fr om Apple Valley – Ethan Bollom, Meredith Mitsch. University of Northwestern - St. Paul, fall dean’s list, from Apple Valley – Eliza-beth Blakely, Meranda Phillips, Michelle Sullivan. Azusa Pacific University, Azusa, Cali-fornia, fall dean’s list, Erica Dennis , of Apple Valley. Bre Olson, of Apple Valley, has pledged Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority at Centre College, Danville, Kentucky.

To submit college news items, email: [email protected].


ReligionHoli Festival is March 27 Minnesota Hindu Mi-lan Mandir will host an

open-air Holi F estival noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, March 27, at 501 Walnut St., Farmington. The festival will in-

clude a kids party with DJ Chris, gulal/colored powder, food fair and more. Entry is a $5 donation.

SeniorsApple Valley seniors The Apple Valley Se-nior Center, 14601 Ha yes Road, is home to the f ol-lowing activities, which are organized and run b y the Apple Valley Seniors and Apple Valley Parks and Recreation. The facility is open Monda y through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For information, call 952-953-2345 or go to www.cityofapplevalley.org. Monday, March 21 – Int. Line Dancing, 9:30 a.m.; Tap Dancing, 9:30 a.m.; Morning Str etch, 10 a.m.; Zumba T oning, 11:30 a.m.; P ool, noon; Bridge, 12:45 p.m.; Happy Stitchers, 1 p.m. Tuesday, March 22 – Quilting Bees , 9 a.m.; Zumba Gold, 9:15 a.m.; Tuesday Painters, 9:30 a.m.; MN T wins Cura-tor Presentation, 10 a.m.; Cribbage, noon; P ool, noon; Pinochle, 12:30 p.m.; Hand & Foot Cards, 1 p.m.; Table Tennis, 1 p.m.; Spanish – Intermedi-ate, 1 p.m. Wednesday, March 23 – Donated Bread, 9 a.m.; Yoga, 9:45 a.m.; V elvet Tones, 10 a.m.; Morning Stretch, 10 a.m.; Histo-rians, 10:15 a.m.; Men ’s Bowling at Apple Place Bowl, noon; P ool, noon; Dominoes, 1 p .m.; Mah-jong, 1 p .m.; Tai Chi, 2 p.m. Thursday, March 24 – Beg. Line Dancing, 9:15 a.m.; Knitters & Cr ochet-ers, 9:30 a.m.; Int. Line Dancing, 10 a.m.; P ool, noon; Duplicate Bridge, 12:30 p.m.; ALF Amb u-lance/Triad Presentation, 1 p.m.; Table Tennis, 1

p.m.; Hardanger, 1 p .m.; 500, 1 p.m.; Color & Chat, 1:30 p.m. Friday, March 25 – Morning Stretch, 10 a.m.; ES Meeting, 10 a.m.; Women’s Pool, 11 a.m.; Men’s Bowling at Apple Place Bowl, noon; Scr ab-ble, 12:30 p.m.; Stamping & Scrapbook Extravagan-za, 1 p.m.

Burnsville seniors The Burnsville Senior Center is loca ted in the Diamondhead Education Center at 200 W. Burns-ville Parkway. Call 952-707-4120 for information about the following senior events. Monday, March 21 – Sunrise Stretch, 8:30 a.m.; Advisory Council, 9:30 a.m.; Cribbage, 11 a.m.; Defensive Driving Re-fresher, noon; Pinochle , 12:45 p.m.; SS Flex. Tuesday, March 22 – Quilters, 9 a.m.; Scr ab-ble, 10:30 a.m.; SS Y oga, 10:30 a.m.; Str oke Sup-port, 10:30 a.m.; Dupli-cate Bridge, 12:30 p .m.; Evening Taxes, 5:30 p.m., Presbyterian Church of the Apostles; Line Danc-ing. Wednesday, March 23 – Woodcarvers, 8 a.m.; Sunrise Stretch, 8:30 a.m.; Taxes, 9 a.m. to noon; Cribbage, 11 a.m.; Chair Tai Chi, 11 a.m.; 500, 12:45 p.m.; Fare for All, 3 p.m.; SS Flex. Thursday, March 24 – Mobile Optical, 9 a.m.; Blood Pressure, 10:15 a.m.; SS Y oga, 10:30 a.m.; Fun & F riendship (program, entertainment, lunch, cards and bingo), 11 a.m.; Wood Carving, 6

p.m. Friday, March 25 – Closed.

Senior driver improvement The Minnesota High-way Safety Center will offer 55-plus dri ver-im-provement courses on the following days: • 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. April 4 (four-hour re-fresher), Burnsville – AAA Minnesota-Iowa, 600 W . Travelers Trail, Burnsville. • 8 a.m. to noon A pril 8 (four-hour refresher), Rambling River Center, 325 Oak St., Farmington. • 5:30-9:30 p .m. April 11 and 12 (eight-hour first-time course), Burns-ville Senior Center – ISD 191, 200 W . Burnsville Parkway, Burnsville. • 8 a.m. to 4:30 p .m. April 11 (eight-hour first-time course), Eagan Com-munity Center, 1501 Cen-tral Parkway, Eagan. • 5:30-9:30 p .m. April 12 (four-hour refresher), Apple Valley Senior Cen-ter, 14601 Ha yes Road, Apple Valley. • 5:30-9:30 p .m. April 14 (four-hour refresher), Burnsville Senior Center – ISD 191, 200 W. Burns-ville Parkway, Burnsville. • 9 a.m. to 5:30 p .m. April 15 (eight-hour first-time course), A pple Val-ley Senior Center , 14601 Hayes Road, Apple Valley. The courses are open to the public; however, pre-registration is r equested. The eight-hour course is $26; the f our-hour re-fresher is $22. The courses also can be taken online at www.mnsafetycenter.org. For more information, call 1-888-234-1294.


Boy’s wish turns into nonprofit

Turner Berd, president of Le Cordon Bleu in Mendota Heights and f ounder and dir ector of nonprofit Mass Amounts of Good, (left) pr esented Lucas Hobbs with a $600 check for Chef Lucas Foods, a new nonprofit that uses food trucks to serve people in need.

Chef Lucas Foods uses food trucks to serve those in need by Jessica Harper


When Make-A-Wish gave Lucas Hob bs an opportunity to ha ve his dream come true, he used his one wish to pr ovide meals for those in need. Through the nonpr ofit, the Eagan boy teamed up with the Food Truck As-sociation in the summer of 2015 to dish up meals pro-vided by nine food trucks to six local groups. Now Lucas, 13, has found a w ay to mak e his wish last much longer. He started a nonpr ofit, Chef Lucas Foods, that brings food trucks to people in need. The nonpr ofit pays for the food and the f ood trucks donate their labor. Lucas’ initial wish w as an unusual one. He set out to show his apprecia-tion for those who helped his family when he w as battling Hodgkin’s lym-phoma and to serv e those in need. He also br ought

food trucks to serve meals for his church, senior citi-zens, the homeless , police officers and Childr en’s Hospital and Clinics. “I love to give. It’s fun and it feels good to help others,” said Lucas, a self-described foodie and as-piring chef. Lucas and his famil y considered continuing the charitable food truck idea. Then an appearance on the Rachel Ray Show sealed the deal when Hobbs was given a $10,000 surprise gift from host, Rachel Ray. “Lots of people ur ged us to keep the money b ut we knew we wanted to use it to help others ,” Lucas’ father, Matt said. The organization’s goal is to use f ood trucks to serve groups in need, espe-cially other nonprofits and their clients. Chef Lucas Foods’ first stop as a ne wly created nonprofit was on Feb. 17 at Dakota Woodlands. A food truck called K a-

bomelette, which special-izes in k ebabs and om-elettes, cooked breakfast foods for families living at the Eagan homeless shel-ter. Chef Lucas Foods also aims to help pedia tric cancer patients and their families by providing free restaurant outings and delivered meal kits tha t contain all the necessary ingredients and recipes for a meal. “Our hearts ar e with pediatric cancer patients because we’ve been ther e and understand their needs,” Matt said. Lucas was diagnosed with Stage 3 Hodgkin ’s lymphoma in F ebruary 2015. Over the f ollowing five months, Lucas had surgery to r emove the tu-mors and underw ent che-motherapy treatments and a blood transfusion. For a while, he w as too sick to eat. During his ba ttle with cancer, the family received

an outpouring of support from their chur ch, school and Children’s Hospital and Clinics of Minnesota where Lucas r eceived his treatment. In Mar ch, Lu-cas’ cancer w ent into r e-mission. Next week the non-profit will host a cupcake-making competition to raise money for Children’s Hospital and Clinics. Clash of the Cupcakes will be held from noon to 3 p.m. March 24 at Le Cordon Bleu college in Mendota Heights where students will compete f or awards. The e vent will be hosted by The Dude , a television personality on Star Studio, a netw ork that airs a t Children’s Hospital. “When I hear a bout their mission, it struck a cord with me and I felt it was in perfect syner gy with our organization,” said Turner Berd, presi-dent of Le Cor don Bleu, and founder and dir ec-

tor of Mass Amounts of Good, a nonpr ofit that raises money for area non-profits and causes. Mass Amounts of Good recently raised just over $600 for Chef Lucas Foods.

For more information about the Clash of the Cupcakes, visit Chef Lu-cas Foods’ Facebook page. Jessica Harper is at [email protected] or facebook.com/sunthisweek.

Area BriefsDakota Electric annual meeting Dakota Electric Asso-ciation will hold its annual meeting 7 p.m. Thursday, April 28, a t St. Michael’s Catholic Church social hall at 22120 Denmar k Ave., Farmington. Doors will open at 6 p.m. and re-freshments will be serv ed before the meeting. Dakota Electric mem-bers will have the opportu-nity to hear r eports from officers and directors, ask questions and hear elec-tion results at the meeting. Balloting materials will be mailed to members on April 11. Members can vote online (www.dako-taelectric.com) using the electronic passcode in-cluded with their ballots , or by mailing the ballot in the postage-paid envelope to Survey and Ballot Sys-tems. Ballots must be re-ceived at Survey and Bal-lot Systems office no later than noon on April 28, or members may bring their ballots to the annual meet-ing. Ballots should not be dropped off or mailed to Dakota Electric Associa-

tion’s office. Following are the eight candidates running f or four seats on the board of directors: District 1 – Da vid Jones, Lakeville, incum-bent. District 2 – Jim Shel-don, Apple Valley, incum-bent. District 3 – Bill Holton, Apple Valley, incumbent; Douglas Bonar, Farming-ton; Ray Yarwood, Eagan. District 4 – Paul Trapp, Hastings, incumbent; J er-ry Brown, Apple Valley; Greg Oxley, Eagan. All directors are elected by membership v ote to serve three-year terms on the 12-person board of di-rectors.

Master recycler program Dakota County is of-fering Master R ecycler/Composter classes to pro-vide instruction on w aste prevention, recycling and composting. Classes will be held 6-9 p.m. Wednesdays, April 6 to May 11, at the Dakota County Western Service

Center, 14955 Galaxie Ave., Apple Valley. Two additional field trips will be provided outside of class time. Individuals who live or work in Dak ota County are eligible. Cost is $30 and covers course materi-als and optional field trip transportation. The purpose of the class is to cr eate a volun-teer pool of knowledge-able residents who inspire and teach others in the community to r educe waste and recycle more at home and w ork. Partici-pants meet once per w eek for three hours over a six-week period. P articipants will gain educa tion from experts, receive a hand-book, engage in hands-on demonstrations and go on field trips to relevant sites. Once classes ar e com-plete, participants v ol-unteer 30 hours putting their skills to work to help others in the comm unity learn how to reduce waste and recycle more. Course graduates become certi-fied Master R ecycler/Composters when they complete their 30-hour

commitment. For more information or to apply for the classes, visit www.dakotacounty.us and search “master re-cycler” or call J enny Ked-ward at 952-891-7043. The deadline for registration is April 4.

Job Transitions Group to meet Marcia Ballinger will present “Twenty Minute Networking” at the March 22 meeting of the Easter Job Transitions Group. The group meets a t 7:30 a.m. at Easter Luther an Church – By The Lak e, 4545 Pilot Knob R oad, Eagan. Small group sessions are offered following the meeting at 9:30 a.m. each week on man y different

topics. Call 651-452-3680 for information.

Kids ’n Kinship bowl-a-thon The 17th ann ual Kids ’n Kinship Bo wl-A-Thon fundraiser will be 3-7 p.m. Sunday, April 24, a t Ce-darvale Lanes, 883 Cedar Grove Parkway, Eagan. This year, community teams will have the oppor-tunity to bo wl alongside Kids ’n Kinship youth and their mentors. Companies, groups, families and students can register a team and bring $25 in pledges per bo wler. There will be all-y ou-can-eat chips and pop , pro-fessional team photos , and two games of bowl-ing. Each r egistered team member also receives a gift

item (a multi-charging de-vice) from Kids ’n Kinship. The individual raising the most money will receive a special priz e. There will also be a silent auction of themed baskets. Vouchers to bo wl at a more convenient time ar e available to those who pay the $25 registration fee. Kids ’n Kinship men-tors, youth and families should register for the bowl-a-thon at https://kin-shipbowlathon2016.event-brite.com. Community members, groups and school teams should register at https://k inshipbowlfundra is -er2016.eventbrite.com. Those wishing to spon-sor the e vent may donate online at www.razoo.com/story/Kidsnkinshipbow-lathon.


Business BuzzFrame shop wins big Marilyn and Tim Han-son, owners of The Great Frame Up of Burnsville, along with employee Rob Borgen, recently received three prizes for their en-try into the Interna tional Print Competition a t the Professional Picture Framers Association West Coast Art and F rame Show, held in Las V egas in January. This year’s competi-tion required each entrant to present a unique fram-ing design, each using the same art, titled “Little Birds” by Chris P aschke. The competition had 30 entries, all of which had to place first or second a t one of the 26 local PPFA Chapter competitions held fall 2015. The Great Frame Up’s entry was awarded three prizes, the most b y a single entry in this y ear’s competition: Second Place Overall, Popular Choice, and High Point First Time Entry . The Second Place and High Point ribbons were award-ed based on scoring of the 30 entries b y a panel of three judges. The Popular Choice award was based on the voting of attendees at the West Coast Art and Frame Expo. “We are just so pr oud and thrilled with these awards and very honored to have achieved such a high level of recognition. The competition is based on design, technical skill, and preservation framing ability. The design is r e-ally key though, without it there isn’t much there. Marilyn really had a great vision for the design,” said Tim Hanson. The Great Frame Up

is located at 1004 County Road 42 W., Burnsville. For more information, call 952-898-1677 or visit www.burnsville.thegreat-frameup.com for more in-formation.

Larson joins Burnsville agency Susan Larson has joined Burnsville-based Media Relations Agency as social media writer. Larson has mor e than 20 years of experience in marketing and writing. She previously worked in employee experience com-munications at Best Buy. Larson holds a bache-lor’s degree in communica-tions from the Uni versity of Wisconsin-Madison.

Lakeville alum receives award Lakeville High School 1997 graduate Sara Van Aernum is the recipient of Drake University’s Young Alumni Achievement Award. Van Aernum, a 2001 Drake graduate, is as-sistant news director at KHOU-TV in Houston, Texas. She started her career as an intern with KSTP-TV under Mik e Binkley before moving to Washington, D.C. Previously, she was the executive producer for WJLA Good Morning Washington in W ashing-ton, D.C. Van Aernum has been awarded six Emm y awards for journalism/news producing/TV news directing. She has also been awarded the Edward R. Morrow award for news producing in 2015 f or a breaking news story a t WJLA-TV. She has been with KHOU-TV in Hous-ton since August 2015.

Van Aernum will r e-ceive her award at an April 28 reception at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.

Wag N’ Wash celebrates Wag N’ Wash Natural Pet Food and Bak ery is holding its one-y ear cel-ebration 9 a.m. to 6 p .m. Saturday, April 2. The store is of fering a $10 self-wash, free samples of premium foods, give-aways, prizes and in-stor e specials during the event. Wag N’ Wash is at 1960 Cliff Lake Road, Suite 120, Eagan. Call 651-454-9274 or visit w agnwash.com for more information.

Adams names program director Lakeville-based Adams Radio Group has named radio veteran Johnny Maze as the new program director for WZBH “The Beach” and W GBG “Big Classic Rock” in Salis-bury-Ocean City, Mary-land. Maze will also serve as PM drive for WGBG.

Prime Therapeutics gains client Eagan-based Prime Therapeutics LLC will begin managing pharma-cy benefits for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Rhode Island effective Jan. 1, 2017. The five-year agree-ment includes a pproxi-mately 300,000 BCBSRI commercial, individual market and Medicar e members. Prime serves nearly 26 million members through nonprofit Blue Cr oss and Blue Shield Plans ,

employer groups, and government programs. Owned by 13 Blue Plans, Prime is focused on sup-porting health plan needs, with a particular emphasis on inno vative models for maintaining access and lowering costs.

Refinery seeks advisory council members The Community Ad-visory Council to Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend Refinery, Rose-mount, is seeking thr ee new members to fill posi-tions of current members whose terms will expire in May. All applicants must re-side in one of the follow-ing cities or to wnships: Apple Valley, Coates, Ea-gan, Empire Township, Hastings, Inver Grove Heights, Nininger Town-ship, Rosemount, or Ver-million Township. Appli-cants who are residents of the cities of Eagan or Hastings will be gi ven first preference in the se-lection process. The council, in op-eration since December 1998, provides communi-ty members an opportu-nity to discuss issues and make recommendations to Flint Hills R esources regarding environmental, safety, and other issues of concern to the citi-zens living within close proximity of the refinery. Council members serve in a voluntary capacity to advise and mak e recom-mendations to Flint Hills Resources. Applications must be postmarked by April 5. For more information, go to www.flinthillscac.org or call 651-429-8391.

Business CalendarTo submit items for the

Business Calendar, email: [email protected].

Apple Valley Chamber of Commerce events: • Saturday, April 2, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Apple Valley Home & Garden Expo, Dakota County Western Service Center, 14955 Galaxie Ave., Apple Valley. Free admission. Information: Fabiana at [email protected]. Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce events: • Tuesday, March 22, 8-9 a.m., Cof-fee Break, USA Karate & Platinum Yoga, 14879 S. Robert Trail, Rosemount. Open to all members. Free to attend. Free vinyasa yoga class to follow. RSVP/information:

Emily Corson at 651-288-9202 or [email protected]. • Wednesday, March 23, 4-6:30 p.m. SMYPros: Community Service Event, Neighbors Inc., 222 Grand Ave. W., South St. Paul. Help stock food shelves, then celebrate at the 5-8 Club in West St. Paul. Must be a SMYPros member to partici-pate. RSVP/information: Emily Corson at 651-288-9202 or [email protected]. • Monday, March 28, 12-1 p.m., Let’s Do Lunch! Rosemount Business Council, Celts Irish Pub and Grill, 14506 S. Rob-ert Trail, Rosemount. Dutch-treat lunch. RSVP/information: 651-452-9872 or [email protected]. • Wednesday, March 30, 7:30-9 a.m., West St. Paul State of the City Address,

Southview Country Club, 239 Mendota Road E., West St. Paul. Cost: $13, includes breakfast; pay at the door. RSVP/informa-tion: 651-452-9872 or [email protected]. Lakeville Area Chamber of Com-merce events: • Wednesday, March 23, 7:30 a.m., Lakeville State of the City Address, Lakev-ille City Hall. Networking and light break-fast in lobby, 7:30 a.m.; program in council chambers, 8-9 a.m. Free to attend. • Tuesday, March 29, 2-4 p.m., Lakev-ille Leadership – Active Shooter Train-ing, Brackett’s Crossing Country Club. Chamber members only. Free. Registra-tion: Shanen Corlett at 952-469-2020 or [email protected].

Businesses can find out how they compare to their peers Small businesses can see ho w they stack up with other emplo y-ers in the community by joining the Employers of Excellence program presented by the Workforce Devel-opment Board. With unemployment dropping below 3 percent in both Dakota and Scott counties, businesses need to know what other businesses are of-fering. The Workforce Development Board is w orking to educa te em-ployers on what they need to do to be competitive in a full y employed market. Each company participating in

the Employers of Excellence pro-gram will complete a 40-question survey and receive a detailed report to compare businesses to others in the community. For more information, contact Workforce Development Board Di-rector Mark Jacobs at 651-554-5622 or go to http://mn.gov/deed/excel-lence, which includes a link to the survey. Click on the “Emplo yers of Excellence” tab. Deadline for consideration for this program – a vailable this y ear at no cost to employers – is April 1. The survey is open to all b usinesses

that have been in business in Dakota and Scott counties f or at least two years. There are no costs associated in participating. All costs ar e being co vered by the Workforce Development Board and area sponsors including Dakota County Technical College, Inver Hills Community College, Dakota County Community Development Agency and Scott County Comm u-nity Development Agency. Businesses that enter the program will be eligible to win Employers of Excellence Awards. Winners will be announced May 25.


SportsHawks break PI floor hockey drought

Title is Dakota United’s first in

10 years by Mike Shaughnessy


Dakota United w asn’t expecting to go 10 y ears between state PI Di vi-sion adapted floor hockey championships, but some things happened that were out of the Hawks’ control. Specifically, they couldn’t control Robbins-dale/Hopkins/Mound We-stonka’s rise to prominence in the sport. The Ha wks spent the better part of a decade chasing the Robins, who won the last five state titles. That made it all the more satisfying for Dakota United’s players when they won the sta te tournament Saturday, defeating Rob-binsdale along the way. “Year after y ear, we’d work our butts off all sea-son, come in her e and it wouldn’t work out,” said Hawks senior captain Nick Kuefler. “We’d get a couple of unlucky bounces and that’s how the game would end.” This season, the bounc-es went the Ha wks’ way. Dakota United defea ted Anoka-Hennepin 3-2 in the PI (ph ysical impair-ments) Division final a t Bloomington Jefferson High School. Earlier on Saturday, Dakota United ended Robbinsdale’s reign with a 9-2 victory in the semifinal round. DU coach Br ett Sadek said a f ormer Hawks as-

sistant coach texted him a photo of the team’ s 2006 state championship T-shirt with the messa ge, “I lo ve this shirt b ut it’s getting old. Let’s get this done.” Dakota United had fin-ished second in the sta te tournament five times since its 2006 champion-ship. Four of those title-game losses w ere to Rob-binsdale.

“We’ve had some good teams but some other teams have also been good and we’ve come up just a hair short,” Sadek said. The coach said the Hawks were intent on win-ning the tournament be-fore senior ca ptain Gray-son Nicolay graduated. Nicolay scored two goals in the championship game to bring his car eer total to

251, a state record. “He’s the complete package,” Sadek said. “Same with Nick (K ue-fler). Those guys contr ol the game and can shoot it where they want it. Not many guys can do tha t in our league.” Eighth-grader Blake Jackson also scored for the Hawks in the champion-ship game. Kyra Patterson,

a junior, had tw o assists and sophomore goalie Johnathan Lyons made 26 saves. Dakota United lost to Anoka-Hennepin 3-2 in the final game of the regu-lar season, but Kuefler said the Hawks believed they controlled that game and could win if they got a r e-match in the state tourney. Nicolay had fi ve goals and two assists and Patter-son had two goals and one assist as Dakota United de-feated Robbinsdale/Hop-kins/Mound Westonka 9-2 in the semifinals. The game might have been even more one-sided if not f or Rob-ins goalie James Charlton, whose 62 saves were a state tournament record. “I told Nick last week it wouldn’t be a tournament if we didn’t face Robbins-dale one last time,” Nicolay said. Dakota United (12-2) beat Mounds V iew/Iron-dale/Roseville 12-3 in the state quarterfinals F riday night, scoring 10 goals in the first period. Nicolay had a ha t trick and Riley Wisniewski and P atterson scored twice each. After allowing eight goals in a J an. 9 loss to Rochester, the Ha wks didn’t give up mor e than three in any of their last 12 games. “John (Lyons), our goaltender, was a true goalie,” Sadek said. “ And some of our younger guys have come on, gotten bet-ter and understood how we do things.” “Our goalie and defense were phenomenal,” Nico-

lay said. Kuefler and Nicola y said they w ant to come back as coaches and help the younger Hawks players win a state championship. “They deserve this feel-ing one more time,” Nico-lay said.

CI Division Dakota United and Burnsville/Farmington/Lakeville qualified f or the state CI (cognitive impair-ments) Division tourna-ment. Both teams went 0-2. Dakota United (7-7), the defending CI Di vision champion, lost to Ow a-tonna 11-8 in the quar -terfinals. Blake St. Mane and Keegan Murphy each scored three goals f or the Hawks. Wayzata/Minnetonka defeated Dakota United 7-6 in overtime in the con-solation semifinals despite five goals by the Hawks’ St. Mane. North Suburban beat Burnsville/Farmington/Lakeville 10-2 in the first round on its w ay to the state championship. Matt Luetkemeyer and T aylor McKinnon scored for the Blazing Cats and goalie Michael Dedeker stopped 47 shots. Luetkemeyer and Na-talya Rawley scored in a 3-2 loss to South Washing-ton County in the consola-tion semifinals. The Blaz-ing Cats finished 8-5.

Email Mike Shaughnessy at [email protected].

Dakota United captains Nick K uefler (left) and Grayson Nicolay show off the state PI Division championship trophy after the Hawks defeated Anoka-Hennepin 3-2 in the title game. (Photo by Mike Shaughnessy)

State experience deepens resolveEagles say they’ll

need to work harder to regain title

by Mike ShaughnessySUN THISWEEK


Apple Valley beat every team placed in front of the Eagles dur-ing the 2014-15 bo ys basketball season, except one. The Eagles lost twice to Hop-kins, with the second loss pr e-venting them fr om repeating as state boys basketball champions. From the sound of it, that’s going to sting for a while. Sophomore point guar d Tre Jones said the lingering memory he would have about the season was the feeling after Apple Valley lost to Hopkins in the state semi-finals. “That’s one of the worst feel-ings in basketball, in my opinion. That place you worked all season to get to , you can’t get ther e,” Jones said. Apple Valley defeated Osseo 93-82 in the third-place game Sat-urday at Concordia University in St. Paul to finish 30-2. Jones said it was important to the Eagles to not mail it in during their last game. “We wanted to finish str ong. We wanted this last game to be a good one ,” Jones said. “W ith these seniors (including starters and captains Cameron Kirksey and Brock Bertram) I’ve grown up with, having them go out with a win is a great memory, too.” Kirksey had 26 points and eight rebounds in the Osseo game. Jones had 22 points and nine assists, junior guar d Gary Trent Jr. had 22 points and Ber -tram finished with 13 points and eight rebounds. Over the last f our seasons Apple Valley was 118-7 with two state championships and a thir d-place finish. J ones and Ea gles coach Zach Goring said they e x-pected the team would work even harder to try to regain the cham-pionship next year. That’s what happened two seasons ago when Apple Valley lost in the section championship game, they said. The Ea gles won the state championship the ne xt year. “That off-season, guys came to work like they never have be-fore, including m yself,” Jones said. “We’re looking to do the same thing this season. W e’re not as satisfied as we wanted to be with this finish, but in the off-season we’ll be busting our butts

to get back here.” Apple Valley trailed Hopkins by one point a t halftime of the March 10 state semifinal, but the Royals scored 50 in the second half to pull away to an 84-60 vic-tory. The 60 points were a season low for the Eagles. Hopkins went on to defea t Lakeville North 64-55 in the Class 4A championship game Saturday night. Hopkins w on its first championship since 2011 and ended a thr ee-year run of Class 4A titles b y South Sub ur-ban Conference teams. When asked Saturday what went wrong Thursday, Jones talked about what he thought he should have done better. “Things weren’t bouncing our way. I w asn’t getting our guys open shots like I should have,” he said. “I didn’t have a great game and I think that led to other play-ers not doing what they do best. I feel like I let the team down.” Goring said the Ea gles’ prob-lems were team breakdowns. Players started f orcing shots once the Ea gles fell behind, a trap many teams have fallen into, Goring added. “We didn’t shoot w ell, we

didn’t defend well, and we missed free throws,” the coach said. “It was kind of a perfect storm.” Bertram will pla y Division I basketball at the Uni versity of Buffalo. Kirksey also has Di vi-sion I of fers. Reserves Jordan Reddick, Aaron Ertz, Levi Oberg and Miles Hendrickson also graduate. Returning starters ar e Jones, Trent and sophomore Luke Mar-tens, who moved into the lineup in midseason. Goring said ther e should be plenty of candidates for playing time from the Eagles’ junior varsity and sophomor e teams, both of which had suc-cessful seasons.

Basketball notes • Jones, Trent and Kir ksey were named to the Class 4A all-tournament team. • Trent scored 23 points and Kirksey had 11 r ebounds and 10 points in Apple Valley’s 77-57 victory over Blaine in the Class 4A quarterfinals Mar ch 9. The Eagles shot 60 percent in the first half and led 50-25 at the break.

Email Mike Shaughnessy at [email protected].

Apple Valley guard Gary Trent Jr. tries to block a shot by Hopkins’ Ishmael El Amin. (Photo by Mark Trockman)

Eastview advances at state, 52-35

Walstad, Ranke power the

Lightning to winby Tad Johnson


The Eastview girls basket-ball team outlasted confer-ence rival Lakeville North, 52-35, in a sta te tournament quarterfinal game T uesday afternoon at Target Center in Minneapolis. The Panthers fell behind early during a physical first half when points were hard to muster as Eastview held a 25-13 advantage at the break. Rachel Ranke and Megan Walstad provided much of the Eastview offensive punch in the first half. Ranke scored the Light-ning’s first eight points , and Walstad got tw o layups in a row to push the lead to 21-8 after the P anthers went to a full-court press. Eastview managed to hit a total of 28 percent of its shots, while Lakeville North shot 18 percent in the first half. Lakeville North bolted out to a 7-0 run to open the second half to close the lead to five, but after a timeout the Lightning scored the next eight points f or a 33-20 ad-vantage. Ranke and Walstad again

sparked the team with tw o buckets each during the run, pushing the lead to 13 with about 8 minutes to play. Allie Pickrain brought the large Eastview contingent of fans to their feet w hen she drained back-to-back thr ee pointers for her first points in the game as it seemingl y put the contest out of reach, 40-22, with a bout 6 min utes to play. Walstad and R anke led the Lightning with 18 and 16 points, respectively. Sarah Krynski and J essica Montouri led the P anthers with nine and eight points, re-spectively. Eastview attempted half of the three-pointers that Lake-ville North did (13-6), b ut made just as man y (4). The Lightning, which only missed two shots in the second half , outshot the P anthers 48-37 percent from inside the arc for the game. Eastview grabbed almost twice as man y rebounds as Lakeville North (22-12). Eastview advances to play at 6 p.m. March 17 after this edition went to pr ess against No. 1 seed Hopkins , which advanced with an 81-69 win over Park Center. The game will be at Williams Arena. Lakeville North ends its season with a 23-6 record.

Eastview’s Rachel Ranke drives to the hoop during the team’ s win over Lakeville North in the state quarterfinals on T uesday. Ranke scored 16 points in the game and scor ed the team’s first eight points. (Photo by Bill Jones)


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Burnsville council opts for new ball field building at Lac Lavon by John Gessner


The third and final phase of renovation at Burnsville’s Lac Lavon ball field complex won a split City Council’ s majority blessing at a March 15 work ses-sion. The two-story restroom and concession building will be r e-placed next fall and spring with a one-story building at an esti-mated cost of $650,000. The project follows replace-ment of the irriga tion system, backstops, damaged fencing, dugouts, scoreboards, lighting and pavement in 2015 and 2016. Those projects cost $1.5 million. A three-member council ma-jority, joined b y adult softball and youth baseball boosters who spoke at the work session, resisted two council members’ attempt to elimina te the r est-room and concession building. Bill Coughlin and Mary Sherry said the six-field com-plex, a popular lea gue and weekend tournament site, could

be just as well served by portable toilets and private food trucks. They weren’t joined b y Dan Kealey, often the council’s most strident fiscal conservative. Ke-aley, Mayor Elizabeth Kautz and Council Member Suzanne Nguyen supported the project. The building at the 31-y ear-old complex has become an expectation of users, Kealey said, noting that restroom and concession buildings are typical at ball field comple xes in sur -rounding cities. Without a b uilding, Lac Lavon will lose some of its luster as a league and tournament site, city staffers and park users say. “There’s a lot of pride tha t goes into tha t park,” Kealey said. “I’ve experienced it. I played softball out there years ago.” Sherry said w hen she joined the council in 2009 — amid a city budget squeeze and on the heels of new debt for the P er-forming Arts Center — a major-ity of council members wanted a sharper definition of “wants vs.

needs.” Now the city is poised to take on more debt with major up-grades of the a ging police sta-tion, fire stations and City Hall, she said. “For me it’ s not a bout ball fields. We have ballfields,” she said, praising the finished r eno-vations at Lac Lavon. “For me it’s about stewardship of the taxpayers’ dollars.” Coughlin — pointing to a re-cent Star Tribune article on the decline of adult softball in St. Paul and Minneapolis and the latter city’s adoption of five-per-son teams — said Lac Lavon has “a beautiful set of ball fields we just spent a million and a half bucks on. That should be the at-traction.” Defenders said a b uilding is a necessary component of Min-nesota’s premier adult softball complex, which has hosted state, national and international tour-naments. Minneapolis softball is suf-fering in part because its fields are poor and they lack good r e-

strooms, Rob Zielske, who said he’s been an umpire, player and team sponsor at Lac Lavon for three decades. “My granddaughter plays there now,” he said. “The thought of my granddaughter in a porta-potty just kind of rubs me the wrong way.” Jason Barta, a Burnsville Athletic Club gir ls traveling slow-pitch softball commission-er, said most of his pr ogram’s revenue comes from its conces-sion sales at an annual weekend tournament in J uly. Loss of a building would “significantly di-minish the quality of our tour-nament revenue,” he said. “Lac Lavon has been r ated the No. 1 softball comple x in the state of Minnesota,” said Pete Strand, who has umpir ed adult softball at Lac Lavon since 1986. No. 2 is in Savage, and the difference between them is the concessions, Strand said. Shawn Bjonfald, commis-sioner of the Burnsville Athletic Club’s girls slow-pitch softball program, said close to 1,500

players and parents go through the complex during his lea gue’s annual weekend tournament. He said the complex lacks space for food trucks. “You just spent a lot of mon-ey renovating this facility. And to not finish the job?” Bjonfald said. A total of $450,000 is already budgeted for the project. An-other $200,000 is coming fr om funds for the field renovations, which came in under budget. Most of the spaces in the building don’t meet b uilding codes. Replacing the b uilding with a one-story building would cost $150,000 less than trying to renovate the 1,300-squar e-foot structure, said a city staff report. In addition to housing rest-rooms and concession sales, the building serves as a tournament headquarters and is used for me-chanical equipment storage.

John Gessner can be r eached at (952) 846-2031 or email [email protected].

Body of missing Lakeville basketball coach found

by Laura AdelmannSUN THISWEEK


A body found in a Sav-age pond last w eek has been positively identified as Martise Demond Win-dom, a Lak eville basket-ball coach fr om Savage, missing since No vember 2015. The city of Savage con-firmed the identity Sun-day night on F acebook, and an official identifica-tion was released by the Hennepin County Medi-cal Examiner’s Office ear-ly Monday morning. It said the cause and manner of death are pending based on con-tinued investigation by the Savage Police De-partment and Bur eau of Criminal Apprehension. The Savage Fire De-partment recovered Win-dom’s body from a r e-taining pond behind the Target store on Highway 13 on Friday, March 11. Windom, 38, is a youth basketball coach and par-ent of two children who attend school in Lakev-ille. He w as last seen Nov. 7 lea ving his home

near Virginia Avenue and 145th Street on foot, pos-sibly going for a run. Numerous searches have been held since his disappearance, and con-dolences have been post-ed on the Facebook page, Help Find Martise W in-dom. One of the social me-dia posts describes W in-dom as “a very beautiful, loving, funny and charis-matic father, son, grand-son, brother, uncle, neph-ew, cousin and friend.” The Savage Police said the case remains an active investigation.

Laura Adelmann is at [email protected].

Martise Windom

Area BriefsDance troupe at library event Burnhaven Library, 1101 W. County Road 42, Burnsville, is hosting Az-tec and Nahautl Dance and Culture 10:30-11:15 a.m. Friday, April 1. The drum rhythms and dazzling costumes of the Kalpulli Ketzal Coatli-cue dance tr oupe will be on display. Attendees will learn the symbols of the Meso-American calendar, experience the music of an ancient people and begin to understand the connec-tions between ritual and daily life. This free program is funded in part by the Min-nesota Legacy Amend-ment, and is part of Da-kota County Libr ary’s Minnesota Mosaic series. For more information, call 952-891-0300.

Job fair in Eagan The annual Get J obs Job Fair is 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, March 31, at Eagan Civic Arena, 3870 Pilot Knob R oad, Eagan. The fair brings job

seekers together with employers recruiting for hundreds of open jobs , everything from entry level to professional posi-tions. No registration is needed for job seek ers. Free shuttle b uses from the Minnesota W ork-Force Centers in Burns-ville, Shakopee and West St. Paul will be provided. Buses will wait five min-utes at each stop. A free pre-job fair workshop, Get Ready for a Job Fair, is of fered 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday, March 15, at the Da-kota County W orkForce Center, 2800 W. County Road 42, Burnsville. Reg-istration is r equired at w w w. m n . g o v / d e e d /metroworkshops.

Criminal expungement clinic The Dakota County Law Library will host a free legal information clin-ic on criminal e xpunge-ment 1:30 p .m. Tuesday, March 22, in R oom L139 at the Dakota County Western Service Center ,

14955 Galaxie Ave., Apple Valley. Christopher Hanrahan from Volunteer Lawyers Network will pr esent the program. Expungement is the process of going to court to ask a judge to seal a court record. Usually, people ask for an expunge-ment when they have been denied a job , housing, or a professional license be-cause of their criminal background. This clinic will be held the fourth Tuesday of each month in A pple Valley. For more information, call the Dakota County La w Library at 651-438-8080.

Help seniors with spring cleanup chores DARTS is seeking friends and family to form a team to help older home-owners with spring clean-up starting the end of April. They will be helping older homeowners who no longer can do outside chores themselves. Those interested in helping should contact Barb Tiggemann, a t 651-234-2254 or email at barb.

[email protected]. Visit www.dartsconnects.org to learn mor e about DARTS and other ways to volunteer.

Wine tasting fundraiser Making Our Moms Successful is hosting a spring wine e vent 7-9:30 p.m. Thursday, April 21, at Crystal Lake Golf Club, 16725 Innsbrook Drive, Lakeville. The event will benefit single mothers and their children. MOMS has been serving single-parent families in Dakota County since 1990 and is currently serving single-parent fam-ilies in Dak ota and Scott counties. Wine tasting begins a t 7 p.m. and runs until 9 p.m. Prize drawings will be held throughout the event. An introduction of the MOMS program will be at 8 p.m. Advance tickets are $30 per person or $50 per couple. Purchase tick-ets by phone a t 952-890-5072 or online a t http://m o m s w i n e t a s t i n g .eventbrite.com.


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INDEX

Garage Sales Transportation$54• 3 lines, 4 weeks, All zones• Additional lines: $7.00• Private party only

Merchandise Mover $54• 3 lines, 4 weeks, All zones• Additional lines: $7.00• Merchandise $151.00 or more

$50 Package• 4 line ad• 2 week run• FREE Garage Sale Kit*• Metro Wide Coverage – 318,554 homes

$52 Package• 4 line ad• 2 week run• FREE Garage Sale Kit*• Metro Wide Coverage – 318,554 homes• Rain Insurance – we will re-run your ad up to two weeks FREE if your sale is rained out.

Additional Lines $10.00Ads will also appear on www.mnSun.com each Wednesday by 9:00 a.m.

*Garage Sale Kits can be picked up at the

Eden Prairie office.

• Wheels 1010-1070• Sporting 1510-1580• Farm 2010-2080• Pets 2510-2520• Announcements 3010-3090• Merchandise 3510-3630• Sales 4010-4030• Rentals/Real Estate 4510-4650• Services 5010-5440• Employment 5510-2280• Network Ads 6010

theadspider.com

classifieds

1020 Junkers& Repairables


5170 Concrete/Mason-ry/Waterproofing


5370 Painting &Decorating

5350 Lawn &Garden Services



5110 Building &Remodeling

5110 Building &Remodeling


5390 Roofing, Siding& Gutters



5420 Tree Care &Stump Removal


1000 WHEELS

1010 Vehicles

2010 Dodge Caravan, Stow & Go, 48,000 mi, $11,000.

New tires & brakes. Call 952-334-1434

2010 Ford Crown Vict. X cop car, looks & runs great! $4,500/BO. 952-829-8299


$$$ UP TO $7,500 $$$Junkers & Repairables

More if Saleable. MN Licensed

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

For your updated local news

visit us at

sunthisweek.com

2500 PETS

2520 Pet Services

Riding Lessons-Jumping,Saddle seat, Beginner.

w y n d e m r o s e s t a b l e s .com. 952-240-6352

3500 MERCHANDISE

3510 Antiques &Collectibles

◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆Vintage & Antique SalesHistoric Downtown Carver

7 Vintage ShopsOpen 3 Days Every Month!Thurs (10-5); Fri-Sat (10-4)

March 17, 18, 19Facebook:

Shops of Carver◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆

3520 Cemetery Lots

Crystal Lake Cemetery, 2 choice lots, beautiful loca-tion! $3,500. 612-720-7934

Dawn Valley Memorial Park Choice Burial Plot + Marker, Bloomington, $1,890. 952-451-5760

3600 MiscellaneousFor Sale

14’ Jon Boat & Trlr, $200/BO. Credenza, 4 ft, dark wd, $75/BO. 763-544-6210

Bavarian China “Wild Rose” 10 pl. settings w/extra pcs. Exc cond! $450/BO. Delta 12” Wood Planer $325/BO. Rockwell Post Drill $125/BO. Call 651-463-2993

3620 MusicInstruments

Musicians Trade FairSat., March 19 (10-3)

Eagan Civic Arena3870 Pilot Knob Rd.

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

crocodileproductionsinc.com

PIANO: 1949 Waltham up-right, Mahogany. Sold as is $1,200/BO 952-607-6854

4000 SALES

4030 Garage& Estate Sales

3 Sisters Premier Estate Sales

Moving & Tag Sales,Clean-Outs

LET’S MEET!

763-443-0519

Burnsville DOWNSIZING! HH items, outdr furn, sport equip., decor 3/25-26 (8-4) 15001 Keller Lake Drive

4030 Garage& Estate Sales

Silver Lake, MN 3/26 & 27, 9a-3p. Worth the drive! See pics at www.oldisknew.com/upcom-ing-Sales 20232 Cty Rd 2

To place your Classified Ad contact Jeanne Cannon at: 952-392-6875 or email:

[email protected]

4500 RENTALS / REAL ESTATE

4510 Apartments/Condos For Rent

To place your Classified Ad contact Sharon Brauer at: 952-392-6873 or email:

[email protected]

4530 Houses For Rent


[email protected]

4570 StorageFor Rent

Lonsdale Mini-Storage7 sizes available. 5’x10’ to 10’x40’. Call 507-744-4947 leave message.

4610 Houses For Sale


[email protected]

5000 SERVICES

5080 Child &Adult Care

To place your Classified Ad contact Jeanne Cannon at: 952-392-6875 or email:

[email protected]

5090 Asphalt/Black-topping/Seal Coating

H & H Blacktopping612-861-6009

5140 Carpet, Floor& Tile

Above All Hardwood Floors Installation-Sanding-Finishing

“We Now InstallCarpet, Tile & Vinyl.”

952-440-WOOD (9663)

Duffy’s Hardwood Floors •Install •Refinish

•Repair • Cust. Staining•Res./Comm. Serving

the area for over 32 yrs! 22,000 happy customers! Satisfaction guaranteed.

952-426-2790

Escobar Hardwood Floors, LLC

We offer professional services for your wood floors!

Installs/Repair Sand/RefinishFree Ests Ins’d Mbr: BBB

Professional w/15 yrs exp.

952-292-2349

SANDING-REFINISHINGRoy’s Sanding Service

Since 1951 952-888-9070

5160 Commercial &Residential Cleaning

Call Mary Lou for a free estimate. Reasonable rates

& ref’s. 612-865-3392


A+ BBB Member

Owners on job site952-985-5516• Stamped Concrete

• Standard Concrete • Driveways • Fire Pits & Patios • Athletic Courts • Steps & Walks • Floors & Aprons www.mdconcrete.net

CONCRETE & MASONRYSteps, Walks, Drives,

Patios Chimney Repair. No job to Sm.

Lic/Bond/Ins John 952-882-0775 612-875-1277

Concrete, Chimneys Drain Tiles, Brick, Stone.Custom, New or Repair. Christian Brothers

ConstructionMinn Lic. BC679768

612-716-0388

Dave’s Concrete & Masonry

39 yrs exp. Free ests.• Early Bird Specials •

Ins’d. Colored & Stamped, Driveway

Specialist, Steps, Side-walks, Patios, Blocks,

& Floors. New or replacement. Tear out

& removal. Will meet or beat almost any quote!

• 952-469-2754 •

This space could be yours

952-392-6888

*** HUBCRETE Inc. ***Drives, Patios, Walks

Steps, Walls & AdditionsStamped & Color avail.Chimney repair & blockNO $ DWN on most jobsIns./bonded 30 yrs exp.

CARL 612 979-3518

Rick Concrete & Masonry

All Types of Concrete Work! Additions, drive-ways, patios, stamped & colored. Tear out & replace

612-382-5953


Kelly O’Malley “As owner,

I’m always on site!”Driveways SidewalksPatios StepsFloors Stamped

612-756-3060 - 30 yr [email protected]

Lowell Russell Concrete

BBB A+ Rating - Angies List Honor Roll

From the Unique to the Ordinary

Specializing in drives, pa-tios & imprinted colored & stained concrete. Interior

acid stained floors and counter tops.

www.staincrete.com952-461-3710

[email protected]

To place your Classified Ad

contact Elliot Carlson at: 952-392-6879 or email:

[email protected]

Turn your unneeded items in to

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

952-392-6888

5190 Decks

DECK CLEANING

& STAINING Professional and Prompt

Guaranteed Results.

◆651-699-3504◆952-352-9986 www.rooftodeck.com

Code #78

5210 Drywall

Ceiling Renewal ExpertDrywall & plaster skim-coating. Knockdown tex-ture or smooth ceiling.Drywall hang & tape. Paint-ing. Water damage repair.Call Gary @ 612-940-3458

PINNACLE DRYWALL*Hang *Tape *Texture

*Sand Quality Guar. Ins., 612-644-1879

5220 Electrical

DAGGETT ELECTRICGen. Help & Lic. Elec.

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

JNH Electric 612-743-7922Bonded Insured Free Ests

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

5260 Garage Doors

GARAGE DOORS & OPENERS

Repair/Replace/Reasonable

Lifetime Warranty on All Spring Changes

www.expertdoor.com 651-457-7776

5270 Gutter Cleaning

To place your Classified Ad

contact Elliot Carlson at: 952-392-6879 or email:

[email protected]

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 Supervisor

Dale 952-941-8896 office 612-554-2112 cell

We Accept Credit Cards“Soon To Be Your

Favorite Contractor!”Statuscontractinginc.com

Find Us On Facebook

#1 Home Repair No job too small!!

Quality Work @ Competi-tive Prices! We do it All!

Ray 612-281-7077

100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

952-451-3792 R.A.M. CONSTRUCTIONAll Home Modifications

Specializing in Handicap Assesabilty for all ages

� Carpentry

� Baths & Tile � Windows

� Water/Fire Damage � Doors

Lic-Bond-Ins

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

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

Home Tune-up • Fix It • Replace It

• Upgrade It Over 40 Yrs Exp.

Ins’d Ron 612-221-9480

Smart Move Home Services651-724-0157 Jeff

Insured / Ref. Home Repairs, Painting, Tile

Trim, Doors, and more...

To place your Classified Ad contact Mike Specht at: 952-392-6877 or email:

[email protected]

5300 Heating &Cooling Services

To place your Classified Ad contact Michelle Ahrens at: 952-392-6883 or email:

[email protected]

5340 Landscaping

E-Z LandscapeHardscape & Landscaping

Retaining / B lder W alls Paver Patio Rock & Mulch Bobcat Work

Call 952-334-9840www.e-zlandscape.com

RETAINING WALLSWater Features & Pavers 30+ Years of Experience

763-420-3036 952-240-5533

Offering Complete Landscape Services

apluslandscapecreations.com

5340 Landscaping

Rock-N-Water LandscapesPond & Water Garden

Cleaning, Repair, & Install.

◆ Jeff 952-322-4269 ◆

Visit us atSunThisweek.com

Rustic Tree & Landscape“Spring” into those

new Landscape Proj-ects. From planting a tree to creating a patio

or complete Landscape Renovation, we can help!

Tree Trimming & Removal, Stump Grinding services also available. Free est.

Tom 612-867-6813


JM Lawn & SnowWeekly Mowing, Core

Aeration, Fertilizing +more

Josh 763-400-1986


3 Interior Rooms/$275Wallpaper Removal.

Drywall Repair. Cabinet Enameling and

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

612•390•6845Quality ResidentialPainting & Drywall

Ceiling & Wall TexturesH20 Damage-Plaster Repair

Wallpaper RemovalINTERIOR � EXTERIOR


5510 Full-time

5510 Full-time

5510 Full-time

5510 Full-time

5510 Full-time

5530 Full-time orPart-time

5520 Part-time

5510 Full-time


5520 Part-time

5510 Full-time

5540 Healthcare 5540 Healthcare

LPNRise, Inc. has a FT LPN position open at our Bloom-ington facility, hours are M-F 7:30am-3:30pm. The LPN will provide nursing care services which include managing med administration; active treatments; physician order and in-service training for direct support staff. Program focus is on person centered planning and advancing an individual’s work and social skills. Position requires the ability to lift and transfer adults to/from wheelchairs and assist with personal care. Transporting clients and driving a Rise vehicle is required. Experience working with intellectually disabled and medically fragile indi-viduals preferred. Valid LPN license required. A valid driver’s license and compliance with Rule 11 and MVR background checks required. $18.75 - $20.00 HR/DOQ. Benefits include PTO, holidays, medical, dental, life, disability and 401(k). Submit cover letter and resume to Melinda at [email protected].

www.rise.orgEqual Opportunity Employer

Direct Support ProfessionalProvide support services for adults with intellectual disabilities in center based settings in the Twin Cities area. We are looking for innovative individuals who are inspiring, patient, kind, hard-working, dedicated and team players. Our program focus is on person centered planning and advancing ones work and social skills. Position requires the ability to lift and transfer adults to/from wheelchairs and assist with personal care. Relevant experience is helpful, but we are willing to train the right person. Driving a Rise vehicle on a daily basis is required. Compliance with Rule 11 & MVR background checks and valid driver’s license required. Position is FT/M-F with day hours. $11.50-$12.50 HR/DOQ. Benefits include PTO, holi-days, medical/dental, life, disability and 401(k).

Submit cover letter and resume:Anoka: Jan at [email protected]

Bloomington: Melinda at [email protected] Rapids: Natalie at [email protected]

Crystal: Maureen at [email protected]

www.rise.org

Equal Opportunity Employer


*A and K PAINTING*Schedule Spring Painting! Stain/Texturing. Free Est. 952-474-6258 Ins/LicMajor Credit Cards Accepted

*A and K PAINTING*Schedule Spring Painting! Stain/Texturing. Free Est. 952-474-6258 Ins/LicMajor Credit Cards Accepted

Ben’s PaintingInt/Ext, Drywall Repair

Paint/Stain/Ceilings. Visa/MC/Discvr.,

benspaintinginc.com

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

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

5380 Plumbing

SAVE MONEY - Competent Master Plumb-er needs work. Lic# M3869.

Jason 952-891-2490


A Family Operated Business

No Subcontractors Used

Tear-offs, Insurance Claims BBB A+, Free Est. A+ Angies List Lic # BC170064 Certified GAF Installer - 50 yr warranty.

Ins. 952-891-8586

Re-Roofing & Roof Repairs - 30 Yrs Exp

Insured - Lic#20126880 John Haley #1 Roofer, LLC.

Call 952-925-6156

◆ Roofing ◆ Siding Gutters ◆ Soffit/Fascia

TOPSIDE, INC. 612-869-1177

Lic CR005276 ◆ Bonded ◆ Insured

35 Yrs Exp. A+ Rating BBB

You need it?We have it!

LOOKto Sun•Thisweek Classifieds

theadspider.com

5410 Snow Removal

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


$0 For Estimate Timberline Tree & Landscape.

Spring Discount - 25% Off Tree Trimming, Tree

Removal, Stump Grinding 612-644-8035 Remove Large

Trees & Stumps CHEAP!!

◆ 651-338-5881 ◆Exp’d. Prof., Lic., Ins’d.

Reasonable Rates. absolutetreeservicemn.com

ArborBarberTrees.com612-703-0175 Mbr: BBB

Trimming, Removal & Stump Grinding.

Easy Tree Service, LLCTrim/Removal. Lic/Ins Eugene 651-855-8189

Silver Fox ServicesTree Trimming/RemovalFully Licensed & Insured

BBB AccreditedRegistered W/Dept of Ag.

Located in Bloomington Family Owned & OperatedFree Est. Open 8am-7pm

952-883-0671 612-715-2105

Thomas Tree Service25 yrs exp./ Expert Climb.

Immaculate Clean-up! Tree Removal/TrimmingLot Clearing/Stump Removal

Free Ests 952-440-6104

5500 EMPLOYMENT

5510 Full-time

About U Inc. is seeking 2 PT PCA’s to work with a paraplegic gentleman in Burnsville. Morn & Eve hrs available. 612-866-4884

Visitwww.sunthisweek.com

for updated news.

Driver Position- Family owned Garbage Company located in Prior Lake. Looking for experienced FT or PT Drivers for newly added routes. Competitive wages, benefits, uniforms. An additional bonus for successfully completing a 90 day probation period. If this seems like a fit for your come join our team.

Email your resume to: [email protected]

Or Apply within at:5980 Credit River Road SE

Prior Lake, MN 55372

5510 Full-time

Do you have experi-ence in custom cabi-netry or interested in learning the trade?

Designed Cabinets, Inc.

located in Lakeville, MN is looking to add members to our family owned & operated busi-ness. We are seeking up-beat, hard working indi-viduals, from entry level to experienced cabinet makers, & wood finish-ers. If this is you, please stop in to fill out an ap-plication, 7965 W. 215th St. Lakeville, or send us a resume [email protected]

Lawn Care TechLawn Treatments &

Irrigation Service Work

[email protected]

612-221-0533

5510 Full-time

FT openings in Lakevillearea for a variety of great job positions including:

• Cashier• Inventory Specialist• Nursery Worker• Groundskeeper• Merchandiser• Customer Service Rep• Wholesale Yard Sales• Landscape Sales• Landscape Yard Worker

Equal Opportunity Employer

For job descriptions and requirements, or to apply:

www.bachmans.com

Receptionist - FTMon- Fri needed to answer busy phones. Exp pref’d but not nec. For more info or email resume to: [email protected]

5510 Full-time

Scheduler/Patient Coor-dinator-Lakeville pedi-atric dental office is seek-ing FT/PT energetic,self movitvated & dependable team player. This position will require dental exp.,

prof. cust. service skills & ability to multi-task.

Dentrix software a plus. Gr. hrs & benefits. Fax

resume to: 952-997-2017

5510 Full-time

South Metro Indepen-dent Insurance Agency is seeking a LICENSED property & casualty Personal Lines CSR. Responsibilities include servicing existing ac-counts; preparing bind-ers, certificates, renew-als, auto ids, quoting and account summaries. Must have the ability to deal effectively with cli-ents and insurance com-pany personnel.

Competitive salary and benefit package.

Please email resume to:

[email protected] fax to

952-469-4969

5510 Full-time

The City of Rosemount Parks & Rec Department is seeking applicants for:

PT Building Attendant – Community Center/Steeple Center. $12.84 – $17.15/hour.

Seasonal Field Supervisor – $12.51 – $15.19/hour

Seasonal Recreation Leader $10.18–$11.79/hour

Seasonal Tennis Instructor – $13.13 - $15.19/hour

Seasonal Rosette Instructor – $13.13 - $15.19/hour

https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/rosemountmn Positions open until filled. EOE

This space could be yours

952-392-6888


5510 Full-time

We are a well established, highly respected company in the South Metro with thefollowing FT Openings:

QUOTES & BIDSPECIALIST

(M-F, 9-5). Qualified can-didate will be proficient w/Microsoft Excel, Word, Pow-erpoint & Google Drive. De-tail oriented, strong organi-zational skills and ability to work under tight deadlines.

RECEPTIONIST(M-F, 9-5). Qualified candi-ate will have exp. w/front office, greeting clients, exc. phone etiquette & knowl-edge of digital phone sys-tems.

For complete job descrip-tions and list of require-ments, or to apply go to:

www.mackin.comMackin Educational

Resources EOE

5520 Part-time

Now Hiring / Training

School Bus DriversPT, benefits, paid holidays

$15.50 per hour$750 Hiring bonus

Call Denise

952-736-8004Durham School Services

We are a small dental lab looking for a part time/fill in local delivery driv-er. Vehicle and insur-ance provided. Days and hours will vary. This is a great position for retir-ees :-) If interested, please call 651-423-2595 Ask for Jacqui

SELL IT, BUY ITin Sun Classifieds

952.846-2000 orSunThisweek.com


MN Valley Country Club Golf Course - Seasonal

Maintenance positions FT & PT no experience nec-essary. Competitive wage, golf privileges and free lunch! Email: mbrower@

mvccgolf.com or call Mike at: 612-816-3776

SM. ENG. MECHANICFT and PT PositionsHourly + commission, some experience pre-ferred. Variety of du-ties. Repair machines, some service writing and parts sales. Main-tain mfg. certifications. Come join our family. Apply in person.Eagan Hardware Hank1320 Duckwood DR.Eagan, MN 55123

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 the conditions of the following de-scribed mortgage:

DATE OF MORTGAGE: October 16, 2009ORIGINAL PRINCIPAL AMOUNT

OF MORTGAGE: $172,975.00MORTGAGOR(S): Benjamin R.

Dugan and Meghan Dugan, Hus-band and Wife

MORTGAGEE: Mortgage Elec-tronic Registration Systems Inc., as nominee for U.S. Bank National Association

TRANSACTION AGENT: Mortgage Electronic Registra-

tion Systems, Inc.MIN#: 100021268300525777LENDER: U.S. Bank National Association .DATE AND PLACE OF FILING:

Dakota County Minnesota,Registrar of Title, on November 9, 2009, as Document No. T653765.

CERTIFICATE NO. 145460ASSIGNED TO: U.S. BANK

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION Dated: September 26, 2013 , and recorded October 7, 2013 by Document No. T723517.

LEGAL DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY:

Lot Ten (10), Block Four (4), Apple Valley Seventh Addition, ac-cording to the recorded plat thereof on file and of record in the office of the Registrar of Titles in and for Da-kota County, Minnesota

PROPERTY ADDRESS: 981 CORTLAND DR S, APPLE VALLEY, MN 55124PROPERTY I.D: 011170604100COUNTY IN WHICH PROPERTY

IS LOCATED: DakotaTHE AMOUNT CLAIMED TO

BE DUE ON THE MORTGAGE ON THE DATE OF THE NOTICE: One Hundred Ninety Thousand Four Hundred Twenty-Six and 23/100 ($190,426.23)

THAT no action or proceeding has been instituted at law to recov-er the debt secured by said mort-gage, or any part thereof; that there has been compliance with all pre-foreclosure notice and acceleration requirements of said mortgage, and/or applicable statutes;

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:

10:00 AM on April 18, 2016PLACE OF SALE: Sheriff`s Main

Office, Law Enforcement Center, 1580 Highway 55, Hastings MN 55033-2343

to pay the debt then secured by said mortgage and taxes, if any actually paid by the mortgagee, on the premises and the costs and disbursements allowed by law. The time allowed by law for redemption by said mortgagor(s), their personal representatives or assigns is 6.00 months from the date of sale. If Mortgage is not reinstated under Minn. Stat. §580.30 or the prop-erty is not redeemed under Minn. Stat. §580.23, the Mortgagor must vacate the property on or before 11:59 p.m. on October 19, 2016, or the next business day if October 19, 2016 falls on a Saturday, Sun-day or legal holiday.

“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: March 4, 2016U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIA-TIONRandall S. Miller & Associates, PLLCAttorneys for Assignee of Mort-gage/MortgageeCanadian Pacific Plaza, 120 South Sixth Street, Suite 2050Minneapolis, MN 55402Phone: 952-232-0052Our File No. 15MN00280-1THIS IS A COMMUNICATION FROM A DEBT COLLECTOR.

Published in theApple Valley Sun Thisweek

March 4, 11, 18, 25, April 1, 8, 2016

516139

MINNESOTA SECRETARY OF STATE CERTIFICATE

OF ASSUMED NAMEMinnesota Statutes, 333

The filing of an assumed name does not provide a user with exclu-sive rights to that name. The filing is required for consumer protection in order to enable customers to be able to identify the true owner of a business.

ASSUMED NAME:

Great Lakes Home RenovationsPRINCIPAL PLACEOF BUSINESS: 14690 Galaxie Avenue #100Apple Valley, MN 55124NAMEHOLDER(S): Great Lakes Window & Siding Co.14690 Galaxie Avenue #100Apple Valley, MN 55124I, the undersigned, certify that

I am signing this document as the person whose signature is required, or as agent of the person(s) whose signature would be required who has authorized me to sign this document on his/her behalf, or in both capacities. I further certify that I have completed all required fields, and that the information in this document is true and correct and in compliance with the appli-cable chapter of Minnesota Stat-utes. I understand that by signing this document I am subject to the penalties of perjury as set forth in Section 609.48 as if I had signed this document under oath.

DATE FILED: March 1, 2016SIGNED BY: C. Alden Pearson

Published in theApple Valley Sun Thisweek

March 11, 18, 2016517992

INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT 196

ROSEMOUNT-APPLE VALLEY-EAGAN

PUBLIC SCHOOLS2016 CARPET AND OTHER FLOORING REPLACEMENT

Notice is hereby given that sealed bids will be received for the 2016 Carpet and Other Floor-ing Replacement by Independent School District 196, at the Facilities Department, 14445 Diamond Path West, Rosemount, MN 55068, until 2:00 p.m. local time on Thursday, March 24, 2016, 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.

If you should have any questions regarding this bid you may contact the Facilities Department at (651) 423-7735.Joel Albright, Board ClerkIndependent School District 196

Published in theApple Valley Sun Thisweek,

Lakeville Sun Thisweek, Burnsville/Eagan Sun Thisweek

March 11, 18, 2016519509

bladder in an ef fort to re-move an infection, accord-ing to Shauna. Doctors are now working to stabi-lize his condition as he un-derwent another sur gery Wednesday, March 16. Shauna said this is a cyclist’s wife’s worst nightmare. She said she is thankful for the outpour -ing of support from fam-ily, neighbors, friends, and co-workers. The Dakota County Sheriff ’s Office is offering a $5,000 reward for infor-mation that may lead to

the identification of the driver and vehicle involved in the hit-and-run. Joas was riding his road bicycle when it was struck by an unknown vehicle at about 5:45 p.m. on 250th Street West and Highview Avenue in Eur eka Town-ship. It is believed that Joas was traveling east on 250th Street West and was struck by an eastbound v ehicle that left the scene. If anyone has informa-tion regarding this inci-dent, contact Sgt. Da wa-nna Witt at 651-438-4736 or Det. Ryan Fitzgerald at

651-438-4729. To help offset the fami-ly’s medical costs, the Swag Shop in Rosemount is tak-ing #JoasStrong orders of shirts and v ehicle decals through midnight Mar ch 20 at https://joasstrong.itemorder.com/sale. Bryan’s GoFundMe page is at https://www.go-fundme.com/BryanJoas. His Caring Bridge page is a t http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/bryanjoas?tb=g_fb.

Tad Johnson is at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @editorTJ.

CYCLIST, from 1A

the residents of Dakota County and do not o ver-react to the minority. The improvements to Lebanon Hills Regional Park will serve the entir e commu-nity well.

KEN WOLFRosemount

Are you a conservative?To the editor: True conservatives are prudent disciplined people who use classical sound reasoning. They seek true v alue, prudent investments, con-structive cooperation, long-term commitments and the str ength of our democratic system. They do not want to be used neither by kings nor by today’s money emper -ors. They treat others, as they like to be tr eated be-cause “what goes ar ound comes around.” Sadly a significant number declare them-selves conservatives but then practice egotistic im-

prudent shortsighted be-havior. For example they want to give our tax es to f or-profit private enterprises for temporary space rather then giving ownership and equity in our capital build-ing additions to Minneso-tans. The aim of taxes is to maintain and improve our country – b ut not to use them as “gi ve back trin-ket” – that is dereliction of duty because prepaying with surplus r educes fu-ture costs. We all kno w people working for us in our government are not get-ting exorbitant salaries or executive pay bonuses un-like private enterprise. Nor are they working to make profit. Like co-ops they are good value. Yet certain conserv a-tives are denying that. They are making our life more expensive by paralyzing our democr at-ic government and then channeling all needed government functions to profit-making unregulated enterprises, eager to send jobs out of the country to improve their bottom line!

This is because we are told our government is so inefficient. Yet the very representa-tive we elected to ride herd on inefficiency are them-selves the most inef ficient bunch, regularly driv-ing up costs b y obstruct-ing, shutting go vernment down and killing pr otec-tive regulation. Is it more efficient to lower taxes but instead lead poison a whole town? Or reduce regulation then have to clean up pollution? De-fund oversight allow manufacturing plants to blow up? Or have tainted hamburger meat and bad drugs because of reduced regulations? Have supporters of these propositions been hoodwinked? Because this is not conservative. Hopefully it’s only be-cause they spend their time shopping or watching foot-ball and not because they are selfish, dense , mean, backward or unpatriotic. In the upcoming elec-tion we all will be defining what our country really is.

JOE NIEDERMAYRLakeville

LETTERS, from 4A


theater and arts briefs

theater and arts calendar

Free spring break movies Paragon Odyssey 15 Theatres in Burnsville will offer free spring br eak movies for families. Mov-ies will be sho wn at 11 a.m. Monday, March 28, “The Croods.” Tuesday, March 29, “Epic.” Wednesday, March 30, “Mr. Peabody and Sher -man.” Thursday, March 31, “Ice Age: Continental Drift.” Friday, April 1, “The Penguins of Madagascar.” A sensory-friendly screening of “The J ungle Book” will be of fered 10 a.m. Saturday, April 16. The music will be low and the lights will be on. In addition, theater guests can donate to the Na-tional Autism Association throughout the month of April (Autism Awareness Month); everyone who do-nates will be entered into a raffle to win a Night at the Movies certificate. For more informa-tion, visit http://par agon

theaters.com.

‘Hop to the Movies’ event The Marcus Theatre in Rosemount is hosting “Hop to the Mo vies” on Saturday, March 26, with Easter activities includ-ing pictures with the Eas-ter bunny, coloring and craft stations, an Easter egg hunt and a scr eening of the anima ted comedy “Hop.” Doors open a t 9 a.m., with the mo vie show-ing at 10. Tick ets are $7. More information is a t MarcusTheatres.com/Hop.

Love story in dance Twin Cities Ballet of Minnesota returns to Ames Center Ma y 6-8 with its full-length original story ballet, “Cinder ella 1944: A Love Story.” Set in England during World War II, “Cinder -ella 1944” is inspir ed by the classic Cinder ella tale told through dance and music. It features an origi-

nal musical compilation and all-new stage designs, sets, lighting, costumes and choreography that in-cludes swing dance in ad-dition to classical ballet. Performances are 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, May 6 and 7, and 2 p .m. Sunday, May 8. Tick ets are $18-$34 at the box of-fice, by phone at 800-982-2787 or online a t www.ticketmaster.com.

Club Book event features J.A. Jance Mystery writer J .A. Jance is set to speak 7 p.m. Thursday, April 21, at the Galaxie Library in A pple Valley as part of the “Club Book” author series . Ad-mission is free. Jance will discuss and sign her ne west book, “Clawback,” released this month. The thriller f ol-lows a tele vision reporter turned amateur sleuth who must track down the mastermind behind an elaborate Ponzi scheme. More about the event is at http://tinyurl.com/ja8vgl4.

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

[email protected].

Call for Artists The Eagan Art House is accepting registrations for the visual art exhibition titled “One x One.” Two- and three-dimen-sional artwork will be accepted for display in May and June. Registrations are due April 15. There is no fee to participate. Visit www.eaganarthouse.org for complete registration and submission details.

Comedy Michael Kosta and Megan Gailey, 7 and 9:30 p.m. Friday

and Saturday, March 18 and 19, Mystic Lake Casino, Prior Lake. Mature audiences only. Tickets: $19. Information: 952-445-9000 or www.mysticlake.com. Jim Belushi and the Board of Comedy, 8 p.m. Friday, April 1, Mystic Lake Casino, Prior Lake. Tickets: $35-$45. Infor-mation: 952-445-9000 or www.mysticlake.com.

Events Farm Babies at the Minne-sota Zoo, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 25 to April 30. Information: mn-zoo.org.

Exhibits Youth art month exhibit

runs through March 25 at the Lakeville Area Arts Center gallery, 20965 Holyoke Ave., Lakeville. Information: 952-985-4640. A children’s art exhibit is on display March 9 to April 25 at the art gallery at Ames Center, 12600 Nicollet Ave., Burnsville. The gallery is closed weekends, March 30-31 and April 7. Infor-mation: 952-895-4685. “Elements” exhibit by the Eagan Art House runs through March 31 at the Eagan Commu-nity Center and Lunds & Byer-lys. Information: 651-675-5521.

Library Aztec and Nahautl Dance

From the Archives

Gowns “from the past, present and future” were modeled at the style show and luncheon held in 1979 at All Saints Church in Lakeville. This photo was captured at a rehearsal for the style sho w and featur es, from left, Nona K alisch sporting a 1920s f lapper-style gown, Catherine Gallagher in a “disposable dr ess of the future,” Shirley Marek in a 1930 dr ess, and Liz Murph y in a satin dr ess from the 1940s. The photo spr ead promoting the event, published in the April 26, 1979, edition of the Dakota County Tribune, also included an image of a young woman modeling a shiny silver “future jet suit.”

and Culture, 10:30-11:15 a.m. Friday, April 1, Burnhaven Li-brary, 1101 W. County Road 42, Burnsville. Free. Information: 952-891-0300.

Music One Night of Queen, tribute concert, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 23, Ames Center, 12600 Nicollet Ave., Burnsville. Tick-ets: $30-$50 at the box office, 800-982-2787 or Ticketmaster.com. Scotty McCreery, 8 p.m. Friday, March 25, Mystic Lake, Prior Lake. Tickets: $39 and $47. Information: 952-496-6563 or www.mysticlake.com.

Theater “The Lion King Jr.,” pre-sented by St. John the Baptist Catholic School, 7 p.m. March 18-19, 4625 W. 125th St., Sav-age. Free. EHS Magical Moments, Eagan speech team, 7 p.m. Thursday, March 31, Eagan High School. Information: 651-683-6900. “Let Him Sleep ’Till It’s Time for His Funeral,” comedy dinner theater presented by the Eagan Theater Company, 6 p.m. Friday, April 15, and Saturday, April 16, at Brianno’s Royal Cliff

Center, 2280 Cliff Road, Eagan. Tickets: $42 at www.etc-mn.org or at the Eagan Community Center, 1501 Central Parkway, Eagan. Tickets are not available at the door.

Workshops/classes/other Eagan Art House is partner-ing with Minnesota Center for Book Arts to offer a series of four book arts workshops. Let-terpress: Print on a Table-Top Platen Press, Wednesday, April 27; Jason Yoh, instructor. Book-binding: Pamphlet Stitch and Asian Stab Binding, Wednes-day, May 4; Sue Bjerke, in-structor. Paper: Two Decorative Japanese Paper Techniques, Wednesday, May 11; Jana Pull-man, instructor. Teaching Book Arts to Youth: The Language of Books, Wednesday, May 18; Jill Weese, instructor. All work-shops held at the Eagan Art House, 3981 Lexington Ave. S., from 6-9 p.m. Cost: $45 per class, including supplies. Call 612-215-2520 or register online at www.mnbookarts.org/on-theroad. Information: [email protected] or 651-675-5521. The Eagan Art House of-fers a Sumi Painting lecture and workshop. The Myth of Sumi

Art: A Lecture on the Madness and Creativity of Sumi Paint-ing, 6-7:30 p.m. Friday, April 1, at Wet Paint Artist Materials, 1684 Grand Ave., St. Paul. Cost: $10; fee can be applied to Sumi painting supplies at Wet Paint. Call 651-698-6431 to register. Sumi Blue and Green Floral & Landscape with guest artist Yuming Zhu, Saturday and Sun-day, April 2 and 3, at the Eagan Art House. Cost: $255. Bring a bag lunch both days. Supplies will be available for purchase on workshop days at the Eagan Art House. Register by phone at 651-675-5500 or online at cityofeagan.com. Information: [email protected] or 651-675-5521. Square dancing, 7-8 p.m. Tuesday, April 12, in the gym at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 151 County Road 42 E., Burnsville. No previous dance experience required. All ages; no partner needed. Free. Wear comfortable shoes and casual attire. Questions: 651-423-1206 or 612-759-9235. Rosemount Area Arts Council classes at the Steeple Center (www.rosemountarts.com): Watercolor class, 6-8 p.m. April 11, $22 RAAC members; $24 nonmembers. Felted Vases, Vessels & Bowls, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 22, $36 RAAC mem-bers, $40 nonmembers (plus a $20 materials fee payable to instructor). Basket Weaving: Heart Embellished Basket, 6-9 p.m. April 12 and 16, $11 RAAC members, $12 nonmembers (plus a $10 materials fee pay-able to the instructor). Basket Weaving: Yarn Storage Bas-ket, May 10 and 17, $11 RAAC members, $12 nonmembers (plus an $18 materials fee pay-able to the instructor). Watch Me Draw Art Studio, 20908 Holyoke Ave., Lakeville, classes: Ladies Night Out, 6-8 p.m. the second and fourth Friday of the month, create a 9x12 acrylic painting, $30. Date Night Painting, 6-8 p.m. the first and third Friday of the month, choose to paint individual can-vases or one large canvas, age 21 and older, $55 per couple includes light appetizers. Coffee & Canvas, 9-11 a.m. Wednes-days, create a 9x12 acrylic painting, $25. Information: www.watchmedraw.net or 952-454-2736. 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. Drawing & Painting (adults and teens) with artist Christine Tierney, 9 a.m. to noon Tues-days, River Ridge Studios, 190 S. River Ridge Circle, Burnsville. Information: www.christinetier-ney.com, 612-210-3377. Brushworks School of Art Burnsville offers fine art education through drawing and painting. Classes for adults and teens. Information: Patricia Schwartz, www.BrushworksS-choolofArt.com, 651-214-4732. Soy candle making class-es held weekly in Eagan near 55 and Yankee Doodle. Call Jamie at 651-315-4849 for dates and times. $10 per person. Present-ed by Making Scents in Minne-sota. Line dance classes Wednesdays at Lakeville Heri-tage Center, 20110 Holyoke Ave., beginners 9-10 a.m., inter-mediate 10 a.m. to noon. Infor-mation: 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]. SouthSide Writers, Sat-urday workgroup for aspiring writers, offering critique, sub-mission and manuscript prepa-ration information, support and direction, 10 a.m. to noon, Wescott Library, 1340 Wescott Road, Eagan. Information: 651-688-0365.


Expressions presents ‘On Golden Pond’

Play opens April 1 at Lakeville Area Arts Center by Andrew Miller


Expressions Community Theater is bringing a sta ge classic to the Lakeville Area Arts Center ne xt month with its production of “On Golden Pond.” The play, which runs April 1-10, follows Norman and Ethel Tha yer (played by Art P eden and Shelley Kothe), who are returning to their summer home on Golden Pond for the 48th year. The elderly couple is visited by their di vorced, middle-aged daughter and her dentist fiancé, who then head to Eur ope and lea ve their teenage son behind for the summer. The boy quick-ly becomes the “grandchild” the elderly couple ha ve longed for. The play combines com-edy and drama with a plot that serves as a medita tion on opportunities f or re-demption in our li ves, said director Annie Estes. Norman, a cantank er-ous, sharp-tongued r etired professor, is nearing 80, with heart palpitations and a fail-ing memory. Ethel, 10 years younger and a foil for Nor-man, delights in the small things that have enriched their long life together. “You can’t see ‘On Gold-en Pond’ without falling in love with Norman and Eth-el,” Estes said of the play’s central characters. “On Golden P ond” de-buted on Broadway in 1979, and was adapted into a film in 1981 starring Henry Fonda, Katharine Hepburn and Jane Fonda. A 2001 TV adaptation starred Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer; the pla y saw a Broadway revival in 2005 with an African American cast, including J ames Earl Jones. The six-member cast of the Expressions production also features Sebastian Mie-zianko, Michael Morning-

star, Bonnie Schueler and Andrew Scipioni. Following the run of “On Golden Pond,” Expres-sions plans to pr esent the classic comedy “Arsenic and Old Lace” in August at the arts center. Show times f or “On Golden Pond” are 7:30

p.m. April 1-2 and 7-9, and 2 p.m. April 3 and 10. Tickets are $13 and ar e available at www.Lakevil-leAreaArtsCenter.com or by calling 952-985-4640.

Email Andrew Miller at [email protected].

To submit items for the Family Calendar, email:

[email protected].

Friday, March 18 Walleye fry by Dakota County Elks Lodge 2832, 5-7:30 p.m., Mary Center at Mary, Mother of the Church, 3333 Cliff Road, Burnsville. All-you-can-eat walleye, baked potatoes, coleslaw, rolls, milk and coffee. Cost: $13 adults, $6 ages 11 and younger, $3 ages 8 and younger for a kid’s meal of macaroni and cheese, animal crackers and milk. Fish fry, 5-9 p.m., Rose-mount American Legion Post 65, 14590 Burma Ave., Rose-mount. All-you-can-eat fish ($11.95 adults, $10.95 seniors, $7.95 kids). Information: 651-423-3380.

Saturday, March 19 Lakeville Friends of the Environment meeting, 9:30 a.m., Mainstreet Coffee Cafe, 20790 Holyoke Ave., down-town Lakeville. Plan upcoming events to help restore the en-vironment. Open to residents of all local communities. Call 952-250-3320 if unable to at-tend. Easter Eggstravaganza, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Good Shep-herd Lutheran Church and School, 151 E. County Road 42, Burnsville. Free activities for children age 10 and under. Hot dog lunch available for $2. In-formation: 952-432-5527, 952-953-0690 or www.goodshep.com. Breathing Room, a free workshop on anxiety, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Thrive Therapy, 190 S. River Ridge Circle, Suite 208, Burnsville. Informa-tion: http://thrivetherapymn.com. “Crisis Intervention: When is it time to hospitalize?” 2-3:30 p.m., Thrive Therapy, 190 S. River Ridge Circle, Suite 208, Burnsville. Cost: $25. Reg-ister at http://thrivetherapymn.com. Spaghetti bingo, 5:30 p.m., Church of St. Michael, 22120

Denmark Ave., Farmington. Cost: $8 adults, $5 ages 6-12, $25 family maximum. Children 5 and under are free.

Sunday, March 20 Spring equinox yoga, 11 a.m. to noon, Nutmeg Brew-house, 1905 County Road 42 W., Burnsville. Bring your mat and water bottle. Cost: $8 in advance, $10 day of. Preregis-ter by emailing: [email protected].

Monday, March 21 All-you-can-eat pizza and pasta fundraiser, 5-8 p.m. Fireside Restaurant in Rose-mount. Cost is $10; children age 5 and under are free. Funds raised will support local active military families and veterans. Hosted by Rosemount Beyond the Yellow Ribbon.

Tuesday, March 22 Criminal expungement information clinic, 1:30 p.m., room L139, Dakota County Western Service Center, 14955 Galaxie Ave., Apple Valley. Free. Information: Dakota County Law Library at 651-438-8080.

Wednesday, March 23 Breathing Room, a free workshop on anxiety, 12-1:30 p.m., Thrive Therapy, 190 S. River Ridge Circle, Suite 208, Burnsville. Information: http://thrivetherapymn.com.

Thursday, March 24 Breathing Room, a free workshop on anxiety, 6:30-8 p.m., Thrive Therapy, 190 S. River Ridge Circle, Suite 208, Burnsville. Information: http://thrivetherapymn.com. Dakota County Genea-logical Society meeting, 7 p.m., Dakota County Histori-cal Society, 130 Third Ave. N., South St. Paul. Speaker Jay Fonkert presents “Evidence to Document Marriages.” Free and open to the public. After the presentation, the DCGS will hold its annual meeting and election of officers. Information: Dick Thill, 651-452-5926.

Friday, March 25 Fish fry, 5-9 p.m., Rose-mount American Legion Post 65, 14590 Burma Ave., Rose-mount. All-you-can-eat fish ($11.95 adults, $10.95 seniors, $7.95 kids). Information: 651-423-3380.

Ongoing Emotions Anonymous meetings, 7:30-9 p.m. Tues-days at SouthCross Commu-nity Church, 1800 E. County Road 42 (at Summit Oak Drive), Apple Valley. EA is a 12-step program for those seeking emotional health. All are wel-come. Information: http://www.emotionsanonymous.org/out-of-the-darkness-walks.

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 18, 12-6 p.m., Ho-sanna Church, 9600 163rd St. W., Lakeville. • March 19, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Qdoba, 1298 Promenade Place, Eagan. • March 21, 12-6 p.m., The Rivers, 11111 River Hills Drive, Burnsville. • March 21, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Culver’s, 17800 Kenwood Trail, Lakeville. • March 22, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., School of Environ-mental Studies, 12155 Johnny Cake Ridge Road, Apple Valley. • March 22, 1:30-7:30 p.m., Crossroads Church, 17671 Glacier Way, Lakeville. • March 26, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Culver’s, 3445 O’Leary Lane, Eagan. • March 29, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Edina Realty, 17271 Kenyon Ave., Lakeville. • March 30, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Apple Valley Medical Center, 14655 Galaxie Ave., Apple Valley.

Zachary Opseth, center, and other perf ormers from Twin Cities Homeschoolers f or the Arts rehearse for their upcoming production of “The Music Man.” TCHA is set to present the classic stage musical A pril 14-15 at the Lak eville Area Arts Center. The production is directed by Hannah J ackson and features a cast of more than 40 stu-dents. Tickets are $12 and are available at www.LakevilleAreaArtsCenter.com and in person at the arts center located at 20965 Holyoke Ave. TCHA offers performing-arts classes and performance opportunities for home-schooled students in the south metr o area. “The Music Man” is the group’s first full-length musical production. More about the program is at www.tcha-mn.com. (Submitted photo by Michelle Baumgartner)

‘The Music Man’ in Lakeville

Shelley Kothe, left, and Art Peden are cast as Ethel and Norman Thayer in “On Golden P ond.” (Photo submit-ted)

family calendar

Thisweekend

Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcar e and United Cer ebral Palsy of Minnesota hosted the fourth annual Pedal in Place stationary bike race Feb. 28 at Life Time Fit-ness Lakeville. Angie Sanderson-Mahowald, left, and Jason Mahowald were among more than 270 participants who helped raise nearly $60,000. Proceeds will help fami-lies of Gillette patients who have cerebral palsy and other disabilities purchase adaptive recreational equipment suited to their child’s unique needs. (Photo submitted)

Pedaling in place for Gillette