Thisweek Burnsville and Eagan

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Local author Martin Bracewell takes readers on a time-travel odyssey See Thisweekend Page 7A

A NEWS OPINION SPORTS

Thisweek Burnsville-Eagan NOVEMBER 26, 2010 VOLUME 31, NO. 39

www.thisweeklive.com

Opinion/4A

Sports/5A

Puzzle Page/8A

Announcements/9A

Classifieds/11A

Legal Notices/14A

Governor, mayor will fight to keep Lockheed Martin in Eagan Eagan site will close by 2013; more than 1,000 jobs will be lost or moved by Erin Johnson THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS

Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Eagan Mayor Mike Maguire have both vowed to fight to keep Lockheed Martin in Eagan. The company announced last week it will close its Eagan facility by 2013, resulting in about 350 layoffs and 650 job transfers to other facilities throughout the country, including facilities in Owego, N.Y., Manassas, Va., and San Diego. Upon hearing news of the closing, Pawlenty immediately sent a letter to Lockheed Martin CEO Robert Stevens asking to meet with him and offering his assistance in finding ways to keep the company open. Lockheed has a long history in Eagan, he wrote, and is an important part of the economic vitality of the community. “I strongly believe the plant’s location near the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, the high quality of our workforce, and the business-friendly

environment in Minnesota are important considerations for continuing operations here,� he wrote. Pawlenty, an Eagan resident, pledged to encourage the next governor to consider recommending “significant and innovative incentives� to the Legislature to keep Lockheed in Eagan. “The company is an important business partner in Minnesota, and we are committed to helping you operate successfully here for many years to come,� he wrote. Maguire said he, too, is looking to meet with Lockheed officials within the next two weeks to ask them to reconsider the move. “My intention is to go in advocating for those employees,� he said. “We know we have a lot to offer in Eagan and the Twin Cities in general.� That strategy worked when Northwest Airlines merged with Delta, he said, and city and state officials advocated for some of the airline’s operations and em-

Photo by Rick Orndorf

Lockheed Martin announced it will close its Eagan facility by 2013, resulting in 350 layoffs and 650 job transfers to other facilities. The Eagan plant opened in 1964. ployees to stay in Eagan. ing center, and sell its headDelta agreed to keep two of quarters. its Eagan facilities open, the “We were successful in data center and flight train- that effort. We will try to

A cop’s-eye view Burnsville police first in state to use on-officer cameras by John Gessner THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS

Burnsville police officer Shaun Anselment wears his headcam on the bill of his cap. The mini-computer that holds the video and audio it records is fastened to his belt. On Anselment’s shirt is the device he uses to activate the camera, which could be during an arrest or at the scene of a traffic violation. “It shows the good work that we’re doing,� said Anselment, an 11-year patrol veteran who is helping Burnsville police pioneer the “on-officer� camera technology. Burnsville is the first police department in Minnesota and the second nationally to use the AXON camera system made by TASER International Inc. It gives a cop’s-eye view of the action that police say can provide crucial, in-

controvertible evidence in court and discourage unfounded complaints against officers. “For me, it’s such a nobrainer,� said police Chief Bob Hawkins, who estimates the department has invested about $40,000 in the technology this year. “If you have this kind of technology out there to help you do your job, if I’m not making that investment, I’m not doing my job.� Hawkins said he learned about the technology from Jeff Pfaff, a Burnsville detective. Since nearly everything can be captured on video these days, whether through cell phones or security cameras, Hawkins figured his officers should have access to an unedited visual and audio record of Photo by John Gessner their work. Burnsville police officer Shaun Anselment, shown with his “I want to put our ofheadcam on the bill of his cap, is helping his department See Camera, 14A pioneer the technology in Minnesota.

Eagan man sentenced for taking lewd photos of children Jason David Kohlwey, former school custodian in Burnsville, gets four days in jail by Erin Johnson THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS

An Eagan man has been sentenced to four days in jail for taking lewd pictures of minor and adult females in bathrooms, including some taken in the school where he worked as a custodian. Jason David Kohlwey, 31, was also sentenced to 30 days electronic home monitoring and eight years of probation, and he must register as a predatory offender and complete sex offender treatment. He is also prohibited from unsupervised contact with females without prior authorization. Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom said he doesn’t General 952-894-1111 Distribution 952-846-2070 Display Advertising 952-846-2011 Classified Advertising 952-846-2000

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think four days in jail is enough given the offense. “This is very disturbing behavior which directly traumatized one minor victim,� he said. “While we are pleased to have brought the defendant to justice, we believed more jail time was warranted for these serious crimes.� Kohlwey, a former custodian at Good Shepherd Lutheran elementary and middle school in Burnsville, pleaded guilty in August to two felony counts of invasion of privacy involving minors. Kohlwey was fired from his job last October after Burnsville police received reports he was taking photos of a 10-year-old girl while she was using the bathroom.

The girl had reported to the police that she saw a camera under the divider of the bathroom stall. According to the complaint, Kohlwey also took photos of women and at least one teenage girl while they used the bathroom. One of his victims was as young as 5 years, the complaint said. Kohlwey was initially charged with five counts of invasion of privacy – two involving minors (felonies) and three involving adults (gross misdemeanors) – and one county of possession of pornographic work involving a minor, a felony. Erin Johnson is at eagan.thisweek@ ecm-inc.com.

Layoffs and transfers are do the same thing with Lockheed Martin,� he said. expected to begin in the first “It’s a different situation, See Lockheed, 15A but we’re hopeful.�

Rahn Elementary to become arts and tech magnet Changes to be implemented next school year by Jessica Harper THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS

After nearly a year of discussions on how to solve enrollment issues at Rahn Elementary School, Burnsville-Eagan-Savage District 191 has decided to turn the Eagan school into a magnet. The plan was approved by the School Board on Nov. 18 and will be implemented next school year. “Our intent will be to address balancing enrollment over time in the district,� Superintendent Randy Clegg said. The school has struggled with shrinking enrollment and limited diversity for some time. The district had previously discussed solving elementary school enrollment imbalances and large concentrations of poorer students in some schools through districtwide changes in attendance boundaries. Parents strongly objected. As an alternative that focused initially on Rahn, the school began offering allday kindergarten for free or at a reduced price to entice parents to send their children to the school. Part of the plan focused on attracting students from Sky Oaks Elementary in Burnsville. As a result, Rahn’s enrollment increased this year by 36 students, 24 of whom took advantage of the incentive. But school officials felt that turning Rahn into a magnet would further

achieve its goal, said Principal Elaine Mehdizadeh. As a magnet, the school will have an arts and technology theme that will be integrated into all curriculum. Rahn will not be the first metro school to have this type of theme. An arts and technology charter school opened in November in Northfield. “I think it’s a great marriage, especially at the elementary level,� Board Member Dan Luth said. A survey conducted by Rahn officials last spring showed parents favored this type of theme, Mehdizadeh said. Several teachers are already integrating these subjects into their lessons. For instance, Cara Slattery, a sixth-grade teacher at Rahn, integrates technology by using digital cameras, smartboards and YouTube. Although many teachers are already turning to arts and technology, additional staff development and funding will be needed to develop Rahn into a standard magnet school, Mehdizadeh said. “ ... But I think once we get it going, it will be successful,� she said. Clegg reminded school officials that integration funding, which would pay for the program, may change with a newly elected state Legislature. Once the magnet gets off the ground, school ofSee Rahn, 14A

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