Shakopee by Big Fish Works

Shakopee Valley News | www.shakopeenews.com

July 14, 2011 | Page 3

Shutdown halts area highway projects Two major highway projects in the area have been on hiatus since the July 1 state shutdown. Construction of the Highway 13/County Road 101 intersection improvement project in Savage and the Highway 169/Interstate Highway 494 interchange reconstruction project in Eden Prairie have been halted. The completion target for the I-494/Highway 169 project — end of 2012 — on the $125 million project could be threatened if the shutdown drags on. The I-496/169 project shut down July 1. The project employs 120 with the general contractor and between 50 and 70 workers through subcontractors, said Mark Olsen, the vice president of design build at Edward Kraemer and Sons, one of the contractors for the project. Olsen declined to provide an estimate on the daily costs of the shutdown on the project. If the shutdown is extended for any length of time, it can impact their completion date. The project is 30 to 35 percent completed, he said. Before the shutdown, they were on target to fi nish on time by the end of 2012. When asked how long it would take to be a major detriment to the project, he said not much more than a week, “our schedule is pretty tight.” Ames Construction, hired for the $19 million 13/101 project, did not respond to a media request. “It’s not only possible, but highly probable that the state will have to pay millions in compensation for damages,” said state Rep. Michael Beard, R-Shakopee, the House Transportation Committee chairman, who has been meeting with contractors around the sate. “Contractors have given us amazing bids over the last few years. One reason we got 494/169 is because other projects came so far under estimate. The progress we’ve made is being twittered away.” Beard was scheduled to appear before Ramsey County Chief Judge Kathleen Gearin on Wednesday to argue that current road projects should be resumed for safety reasons and to protect public infrastructure. “It’s wasting a lot of time and money, and is inconveniencing the public and putting them at risk,” he said. Leah Shaffer and Shannon Fiecke

Lawmakers take pay during shutdown Three area state legislators are among 52 of the 66 members of the Senate and 87 of the 135 members of the House who continue to receive paychecks during the state government shutdown. After Gov. Mark Dayton announced that he would not accept pay during the state government shutdown, 14 senators and 48 representatives followed suit. Senators still being paid include Claire Robling, R-Jordan. Representatives include Michael Beard, R-Shakopee, and Mark Buesgens, R-Jordan. “There’s other work I could be doing that I can’t because I’ve been focused on legislative work,” explained Robling from the state capital on Tuesday. “I’ve been down here almost every day.” The $31,140 legislative salary is paid throughout the year, much like teachers, Robling said. Normally, Robling, the Senate Finance Committee chair, helps her husband Tony with farming during the summer, so he’s had to hire relatives to take her place. She said her stomach has been in knots about the budget impasse. Beard said he’s busy working behind-the-scenes on several matters, including a judicial appeal to allow road construction to restart. “I’m running all over the state and metro area,” he said. Beard said people want to get back to work. “The only way to go back to work is for the governor to call a special session. Only he can call it, and he’s refusing.” Buesgens couldn’t be reached for comment. Shannon Fiecke

Rail work could cause snarls next week Motorists who use Second Avenue as a reliever for the First Avenue reconstruction project may have to adjust their detour even more next week. Union Pacific Railroad will be closing sections of Second Avenue on Monday and Tuesday as it repairs railroad track and moves heavy machinery. Intersections will remain open, but traffic will not have enough room to move freely down Second Avenue. Both directions of Second Avenue will close between Apgar and Naumkeag streets as the railroad puts in new railroad ties. Use of Second Avenue will be on a vehicle-by-vehicle basis. Flag people will help guide motorists to their destination. While this project is under way, the railroad asks motorists to drive safely and slowly through the construction zones. The paving and restriping of the downtown area is expected to be complete this week, ahead of railroad work. Shannon Fiecke

Filing period moved up for city election If you were planning to run for city office this year, you might want to check your calendar to make sure you have the right deadline for the fi ling period. The city has three positions on the Nov. 8 ballot this fall: Mayor (two-year term) and two city councilor seats (four-year terms). Residents can fi le for election from Aug. 2 to 16 at Shakopee City Hall, 129 Holmes St. S. between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. The fi ling fee is $5. For more information, call (952) 233-9315. Originally, the filing period was to be later in August; however, the governor signed legislation in late May that moved up the fi ling dates. Unfortunately, this change occurred at the same time that the city published the “original” fi ling dates in the summer issue of the Hometown Messenger. Disregard the fi ling dates in that publication. To run for mayor or city councilor, a resident must be a U.S. citizen, have lived in the city at least 30 days prior to the election and be at least 21 years old upon assuming office. For additional information, visit www.ci.shakopee.mn.us/ election.cfm.

Kermes hired as interim head of educational co-op BY KRISTIN HOLTZ kholtz@swpub.com

The Carver-Scott Educational Cooperative (CSEC) in Chaska will have a familiar face taking over as executive director. Darren Kermes, director of special education for the cooperative, was hired as interim director to replace retiring executive director Randy Zitterkopf. Kermes, 45, of Lakeville, is also the executive director of the Minnesota River Valley Special Education Cooperative (MRVSEC) in Jordan. “I’ve very excited to continue to work with MRVSEC and now work more closely with Carver-Scott,” Kermes said. T he CSEC boa rd i nterviewed three candidates for the one-year interim position. Zitterkopf, who retired June 30, had been with the school district three years. CSEC and MRVSEC have been discussing a merger for more than a year, according to Carver-Scott Board Chair Mary Romansky. They hired John Messelt, a former Minnesota superintendent, to study the benefits of merging the two organizations. Boa rd members li ked Ker me s’ f a m i l i a r it y a nd knowledge of Carver-Scott. “With the merger, he has the knowledge of both CarverScott and MRVSEC,” Romansky said. In addition to special-education services, CSEC offers alternative learning centers, career/technical education, adult basic education, care and treatment and online learning to students from the Belle Plaine, Chaska, Jordan, New Prague, Norwood Young America, Prior Lake-Savage, Shakopee, Waconia and Watertown-Mayer school districts. MRVSEC, a special-edu-

cation cooperative that ser ves si x Scott Countyarea school districts, has seen its member districts’ e n r ol l m e nt grow and thus contract Darren fewer servicKermes es from the special education cooperative, Romansky said. “What those districts needed 30 years ago is very different in a lot of ways than what they need today,” Kermes said. All MRVSEC schools — with the exception of Montgomery-Lonsdale School District which just voted to consolidate with Le Center — are already CSEC members. CSEC and MRVSEC already share offices as well as some staff. “A part of it has to do with just being more efficient in terms of economics, but it also has a lot to do with the effectiveness of programs and what we can collaboratively provide for our clientele and students,” Zitterkopf told the Jordan Independent last fall. Kermes believes there’s great potential in terms of programming and freeing up economic resources for member school districts. “I think if we can serve kids as well or better and do it more cost effectively, that is our underlying goal,” he said. MRVSEC has approximately 100 employees and 150 students attending its programs, t hough it ser ves more i n home districts. Carver-Scott is about twice as large since it offers additional alternative programs, Kermes said. Kermes started as interim executive director at MRVSEC in 2006. He has been CSEC’s special education director one year.

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St. Paul Business Journal. Tribal Vice Chairman Glynn Crooks accepted the Jefferson Award on behalf of the tribe. Over the past 15 years, the tribe has donated more than $215.7 million to charitable organizations, Indian tribes and Native American organizations. The tribe has also made a commitment to lend more than $400 million to other tribes for economic development projects. The tribe uses its financial resources from gaming and non-gaming enterprises to pay for the internal infrastructure of the tribe, including roads, water and sewer systems, emergency services and essential services to its tribal members in education, health and welfare. This year’s honorees also included Associate Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, actress and philanthropist Marlo Thomas, Chicago White Sox and Chicago Bulls owner Jerry M. Reinsdorf, Share Our Strength founder Bill Shore, former Atlanta Falcons running back Warrick Dunn, and Brittany and Robbie Bergquist, the brother and sister cofounders of Cell Phones for Soldiers.

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Tribe is honored for philanthropy The Shakopee Mdewakanton Dakota Community was honored at a Washington, D.C. awards gala on June 21 for its philanthropy throughout the country. The event recognized 103 Americans and organizations with the 39th annual Jefferson Awards, regarded as one of the nation’s highest honors for community service and volunteerism. Known as the “Nobel Prize” for public service, the awards are presented each year over two days of ceremonies in the nation’s capitol and New York City. A broad array of honorees are recognized – from highprofile individuals who have dedicated the better part of their lives to public service, to celebrated professional athletes, to largely unheralded communitybased volunteers. Also recognized are organizations and companies that represent the pinnacle in corporate citizenship and schools that best reflect the Jeffersonian ideals of citizen involvement. Grass-roots recipients are selected through local media partners in markets throughout the country. The Shakopee Mdewakanton Dakota Community was chosen by the Minneapolis/

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