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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2011
EDEN PRAIRIE
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news Eden Prairie Service Center to close in 2012 BY LEAH SHAFFER lshaffer@swpub.com
The Eden Prairie Service Center will be closing in early 2012. The center, run by Hennepin County, offers residents a place to renew drivers’ licenses, update license tabs, renew passports and more. However, with the increase in online business and the addition of nearby centers in Carver County, business at the Eden Prairie Center has been declining since it opened in 2005. The closing was approved Dec. 13 as part of the $1.65 billion Hennepin County budget, which cuts the tax levy by $1 million. Commissioners OK’d the budget, with the exception of Jeff Johnson, who was absent, and Randy Johnson. Randy Johnson, who represents the majority of Eden Prairie and Bloomington on the Hennepin County Board, voted against the closure, and instead, introduced a resolution to keep it open at least until the county could do a
Service Center to page 10 ®
EP CHAMBER PHOTO BY LEAH SHAFFER / REPRINTS AT PHOTOS.EDENPRAIRIENEWS.COM
Aisha Jimale, 6, of Eden Prairie with her mother Sarfiya Osman, visited the Thursday evening Baro tutoring session at the Eden Prairie Library. Baro, which is Somali for “learn,” is organized through Wooddale and City Hill Fellowship churches. Tutoring is offered to families at the library Tuesday and Thursday evenings.
Tutoring program taps into EP’s knowledge bank Somali students can find homework help at the library Tuesdays and Thursdays BY LEAH SHAFFER lshaffer@swpub.com
Baro
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low murmur hums through the Eden Prairie Library Thursday night as study groups fi ll in the corner tables and computer stations of the building. Baro is in session. Baro, the Somali word for learn, is a tutoring program that operates on Tuesday and Thursday evenings in the Eden Prairie Library. It stems from
Baro runs from 6-8:30 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday evenings at the Eden Prairie Library. Contact Daniel Prusinski at (952) 656-1072 or email dan.prusinski@ wooddale.org for more information. a partnership between churches and community members. The program is coordinated through Wooddale and City
That’s the spirit! BY KARLA WENNERSTROM editor@edenprairienews.com
“One, two, three ! ” the Eden Prairie Eagle called out. And all the students shouted, “Do the right thing!” Showcasing the spirit of Eden Lake Elementary School was the order of the day at a pep rally Friday – and it was a spirited event. Throughout the Spirit of Eden Lake Week, the fi fth-grade leadership group at the school worked to “identify our gifts and talents (we call this our ‘spark’) and [looked] at how to use them to make the world a better place.” The parent who was described as a catalyst for the event was Marijo Ose.
Ose said one of the goals of the week’s activities was to inspire students to make good choices and “do the right thing.” She said the fifth-grade leaders came up with the activities, organized the event, even wrote out the invitations, including the news release. “They’re really doing it,” she said. “Just with some adult encouragement.” Fifth-grader Nathan Bellefeuille said he liked being part of the leadership group. “My favorite part of the week was the caring and what we were thankful for,” Nathan said. “It was really good to share your feelings
Eden Lake to page 10 ®
Hill Fellowship, but includes volunteers from beyond those churches. About 35 volunteers are a part of the Baro program, but it all started with the work of Linda and Dave Wiklund. Dave Wiklund said he’s been tutoring at the Eden Prairie Library for eight years. “I put roots down,” he said. He started tutoring because a friend told him a Somali high school student needed help with homework, so Dave,
PHOTO BY LEAH SHAFFER
“Famous Dave,” Dave Anderson spoke during the recent Eden Prairie Chamber luncheon. Anderson, the founder of Famous Dave’s barbecue restaurants, shared his secrets to success.
Baro to page 10 ®
‘Famous Dave’ talks life, the universe and barbecue
The spirit of Eden Lake Elementary School was showcased in an event Friday
BY LEAH SHAFFER lshaffer@swpub.com
It took an electric personality like Dave Anderson to rile up the normally staid crowd of business professionals in the Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce. Anderson, better known as “Famous Dave,” founder of Famous Dave’s barbecue restaurants, got the Chamber luncheon attendees to their feet last Thursday, arms in the air, shouting an affi rmative chant about how amazing they feel. “The real strength in America is what happens in rooms like this,” Anderson said. “We have to stand up; we have to get fi red up.” Famous Dave’s latest restaurant, the “fast
PHOTO BY KARLA WENNERSTROM / REPRINTS AT PHOTOS.EDENPRAIRIENEWS.COM
Hundreds of students, staff members and friends gathered at Eden Lake Elementary School Friday. Fox 9 meteorologist and Eden Prairie resident Ian Leonard hosted the Eden Lake pep rally.
Chamber to page 10 ®
VOL. 38, ISSUE 7/51
INSIDE OPINION/4 OBITUARIES/6 SPORTS/8-9 CALENDAR/14 CLASSIFIEDS/17-19 LIVING IN EP/20 TO REACH US SUBSCRIBE: (952) 345-6682 EDITOR: (952) 942-7885 OR EMAIL EDITOR@EDENPRAIRIENEWS.COM.
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