Shakopee by Big Fish Works

Shakopee Valley News | www.shakopeenews.com

July 21, 2011 | Page 3

City ponders fate of downtown fire station BY SHANNON FIECKE sfiecke@swpub.com

As a new fi re station goes up at Lions Park, the city of Shakopee is pondering what to do with the downtown fi re station it is replacing. Built in 1955 on the corner of Second Avenue and Scott Street, the 10,700-square-foot building is valued by the county at $1.3 million. This drew a laugh from Shakopee City Council members. “I don’t believe them,” said Assistant City Administrator Kris Wilson. “I wish it were.” T he f i r e st at ion, wh ich originally housed a municipal garage, was remodeled extensively in 1976 when the city Public Works Department moved to Gorman Street. A new roof was added and stucco work was completed in 2004 to extend its life.

Kris Wilson

Steve Clay

“At this time the roof is sound and the mechanicals are functioning, so it seems the best time to try to sell building,” said Wilson. With the growth in the city, the Fire Department wanted a more centrally located station at Lions Park. Additionally, the downtown station was due for another round of mechanical improvements and suffers from a lack of space around the building, which requires hoses to be stretched out on sidewalks and the street to be blocked in order to back in the fi retrucks.

A challenge to selling the building could be that it doesn’t meet setback requirements. “It takes up almost every inch of land,” said Wilson. No city department sees a use for the downtown building, Wilson said. Public Works doesn’t need additional storage room. Wilson suggested the city come up with a plan for how it wants to go about selling the building and at what price so it can dispose of the building soon after the move to the new fi re station. “If you leave empty space long enough it starts becoming the city’s basement or attic,” she said at a recent meeting. Wilson said it’s been a while since the city has sold a building, so it would also have to determine whether to put the station up for auction or list it with a real estate fi rm. City councilors indicated they would be OK with selling the building but would want it done with due diligence.

Councilor Steve Clay, a Scott County appraiser, wouldn’t surmise a guess at how much the fi re hall might be worth. “I have absolutely no idea, but I do think we should try to fi nd out before we go off and talk to Realtors who have an interest in what it’s listed for — the cheaper, the quicker they make money,” he said. Clay suggested the city hire a local commercial appraiser to determine the building’s worth, how realistic it might be to sell the property at this time and whether a better option might be to lease the building until the market improves. “I think if the county values it at $1.3 million, we should tell them, ‘sold’ and they can have it,” joked Councilor Pat Heitzman. Construction of the new five-bay station at Lions Park is estimated to be fi nished in November. S h a n n on F i e c k e c an b e reached at (952) 345 -6679 or sfiecke@swpub.com.

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A 20-year-old Shakopee man who made off with a pizza and $140 from a Domino’s delivery driver is headed to prison in St. Cloud. Allen Mitchell Gardner held-up the pizza delivery driver at knifepoint outside the Clifton Townhomes last August. He held a large knife in a leather sheaf and ordered the man to turn over his wallet, counting down from five. Scott County District Court Judge Terrence Conkel sentenced Gardner last month to 21 Allen months in prison. He may be given conditional Gardner release after he serves two-thirds of his sentence. Detectives were clued into Gardner when a townhome resident recognized the description of him and his 15-year-old accomplice in the Shakopee Valley News. Police were also able to trace Domino’s phone records to a friend of Gardner’s. Gardner was also sentenced to a month in jail for the theft of electronics from his 15-year-old accomplice’s sister in September. The boy’s mother suspected her son and Gardner of stealing the iPod Nano, iPod dock and DVD player. Gardner pawned the items at Pawn Exchange in Shakopee and they were recovered. Up until that point, Gardner had a fairly light criminal record: marijuana possession, disorderly conduct, gross-misdemeanor domestic abuse and driving after revocation.

Lovers’ spat may have led to beating A Shakopee man says he was beaten with a bat and strangled after he began dating his roommate’s girlfriend. The roommate, Todd Douglas Pickart, 23, and his brother, Ryan Patrick Pickart, 25, were recently charged with assaulting the man on June 14 at his apartment on 12th Avenue W. Todd Pickart lived with the man until the roommate began dating Pickart’s girlfriend. The victim asked Pickart to move out of the apartment three days prior to alleged assault, according to court documents. The victim says he and his girlfriend were in bed when a vehicle pulled up to his apartment. He told police the Pickart brothers began pounding on his doors, yelling for him to come outside and fight. The victim called police and grabbed a bat when he heard one of the men walking around the building toward the bedroom window. The brothers broke into the apartment through the window and allegedly jumped the victim, grabbing his bat. The victim said Ryan Pickart punched and kicked him while Todd Pickart hit his back and ribs with the baseball bat. He also claims Todd Pickart choked him until he became unconscious. The victim’s girlfriend told police she yelled at the brothers to stop and tried to pull them off of the victim. She said Todd Pickart pushed her at least twice and his brother told her he would hit her with the bat if he she did not stop. Todd Pickart told police he had come by the apartment to pick up his belongings and entered through the window because the front door was locked. He said he saw the victim and the woman in the home together and came into the apartment even though the victim told him he had a baseball bat. He said he chose not to call police because he thought the matter could be handed “civilly.” He also thought he had a right to be there. Todd Pickart further said he and brother took the baseball bat and were grabbing his belongings and placing them in the car. He couldn’t recall what happened in the home and who hit whom. He admitted placing the victim in a headlock, but claimed it was in self-defense. He said he knew the victim and the woman were intimate before he and the woman broke up, but it did not bother him. He said, however, that his brother was very upset by

New stuff eve every day.

Remark. Re

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 file 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.

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Dakota counties. Representing Scott County will be Mary Korthour of Shakopee. She has more than 20 years of experience in marketing, fundraising and fi nancial development. Korthour is vice

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P.O. Box 8, Shakopee, MN 55379

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445-3333

HOST AN EXCHANGE STUDENT TODAY! Patrick from France, 17 yrs. Loves the outdoors and playing soccer. Patrick’s dream has been to spend time in America learning about our customs and attending American high school.

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Make this year the most exciting, enriching year ever for you and your family. Share your world with a young foreign visitor from abroad. Welcome a high school student, 15-18 years old, from Italy, France, Norway, Denmark, Spain, Germany, Brazil, Thailand or China as part of your family for a school year (or less) and make an overseas friend for life. For more information or to select your own exchange student please call:

the situation and his brother has a problem with authority and is “always out-of-control.” But when Todd Pickart learned he was being charged with assault, he allegedly became very upset and started yelling about how the victim was sleeping with his girlfriend. When officers fi rst arrived, the brothers were running from the residence. An officer commanded them by gunpoint to get down on the ground. Todd Pickart listened, while his brother got into their car. Ryan Pickart allegedly remained uncooperative while being arrested and was Tasered after he repeatedly tried to get out of the squad car. He was transferred to St. Francis Regional Medical Center after admitting he recently used morphine. He had to be physically restrained at the hospital. Todd Pickart is charged with strangulation and second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon (both felonies) and misdemeanor domestic assault. His criminal record only includes traffic violations and marijuana possession. Ryan Pickart faces two felony charges: second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and obstructing the legal process. His criminal record includes interference with a police officer and marijuana possession.

Elisa from Italy, 16 yrs. Likes to play tennis, swim, loves to dance. Elisa hopes to play American softball and learn American ‘slang’ while in the USA.

Dorothy at (952) 890-2944 Marcy at 1-800-888-9040 (Toll Free) or e-mail us at info@world-heritage.org

www.whhosts.com World Heritage is a public beneﬁt, non-proﬁt organization based in Laguna Beach, CA.

Man accused of assault found with knives A young Shakopee man accused of beating up his girlfriend allegedly pounced on a police officer, causing her to fall down a set of stairs, after he was found hiding in an attic. Tony Patrick Bester, 19, has been charged with domestic assault and fourth-degree assault of a police officer, both felonies, for the June 20 assault, during which he was allegedly drunk. The victim told police Bester became upset with her for no reason after they’d been out and began punching her so hard in the car she almost blacked out. When they arrived home, she said she began yelling for help and hid under a table. Bester left the residence for a while. With the help of a Scott County K9, officers located Bester in the attic. He refused to come down and swore as officers lowered him from the attic. As officers attempted to escort Bester down a set of stairs, he allegedly jumped on a police officer, causing her to fall down seven stairs and injure her right knee. Police allegedly found two small kitchen knives on Bester when they arrested him. He told them he was using the knives to eat. Bester’s blood alcohol content measured 0.15 percent on a preliminary breath test, according to court records. As a minor, Bester was convicted of two domestic-related offenses (misdemeanor domestic assault and gross-misdemeanor interference with a 911 call), which elevate the current domestic assault charge to a felony. His adult record only includes underage alcohol consumption.

Two local men arrested in drug busts Two Scott County residents were charged in two drugs busts that occurred last month in Shakopee. I A 21-year-old Prior Lake man, Korbin Loren Klausen, is charged with third-degree sale of narcotics. He allegedly sold an informant four “fi fty” bags of heroin for $180 in a car outside White Castle on June 15. The substances tested positive for 1 gram of heroine. Police stopped Klausen after he drove away. He has a pending fi fth-degree drug sale charge in Scott County. I On June 22, 19-year-old Zachary Scott Pintozzi of Belle Plaine was arrested for allegedly selling methadone for $100 to an informant outside Cub Foods. Pintozzi allegedly was enrolled in the methadone program and selling his unused methadone. The prescription drug can be used as pain medication or to treat people who have become addicted to narcotic drugs such as heroin. In a search of his vehicle, police allegedly found drug paraphernalia and a leafy substance suspected to be marijuana. Compiled by Shannon Fiecke

START PLANNING FOR YOUR TOMORROW Make Your Business Known Advertise in the Valley News 445-3333

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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.

Shakopee School Board ﬁlings to open Shakopee School District residents interested in running for School Board can fi le Aug. 2 to 16 at the district office, 505 Holmes St. S., Shakopee. Filing fee is $2. Three School Board seats, belonging to Chuck Berg, Kathy Busch and John Canny, are up for election during the general election Nov. 8. All are four-year seats. A candidate must be an eligible voter, have not fi led for any other office at the upcoming general election, must be 21 years or older and be a resident of the school district for at least 30 days before the general election.

Shakopee’s Korthour named to CAP board The Scott Carver Dakota Community Action Partnership (CAP) recently appointed five new members to its board of directors. The new board members are spread out across Scott, Carver and

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BRIEFS

Filing period moved up for city election

to someone special

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PUBLIC SAFETY BRIEFS

Man delivered to prison for pizza robbery

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY”

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president and general manager for Integra Telecom/Eschelon Telecom Inc. in Minneapolis. She has been active in her community through the Shakopee Area Catholic Education Center and has served as chair for

three years for the Shakopee Boys Basketball Golf Tournament. The CAP Agency is a private, nonprofit organization that provides social services covering nearly 50,000 people.

Make your own show a reality! Shakopee Public Access (SPA) Cable Channel 15 provides the resources and airtime for residents and businesses to create non-commercial programming for city viewers. Making your own show a reality is as easy as 1-2-3! 1. Register with SPA at the Shakopee Community Center. 2. Check out FREE equipment. 3. Create and submit the program.

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(952) 233-9545 for Information & Training (952) 233-9500 to Reserve Equipment channel15@ci.shakopee.mn.us www.shakopeepublicaccess.com 186607