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Lakeville man summons spirits. See Thisweekend Page 8A
NEWS OPINION SPORTS
Thisweek Farmington-Lakeville NOVEMBER 25, 2011
VOLUME 32, NO. 39
www.thisweeklive.com
Messages/2A
Opinion/4A
Announcements/11A
Sports/12A
Classifieds/13A
Public Notices/16A
Local philanthropist, Let there be light car dealer dies Family, friends say Jeff Belzer had a strong work ethic, devotion to community stewardship by Aaron Vehling
owner, serving the Lakeville area for over three deHe may have stayed out cades,� wrote Lakeville Area Chamber of of the spotlight, but Commerce ExecuJeffrey Alan Belzer’s tive Director Todd impact on Lakeville Bornhauser in an is eminently meaemail to members. surable. “Our prayers go Belzer, 70, ownout to Gloria, his er of the Belzer brother and sister, Chevrolet, Dodge, children and grandKia dealership in Jeff Belzer children during this Lakeville, died Sunvery difficult time.� day, Nov. 20. “He was a huge presence in anyone’s life he touched, Road to car sales despite being very private,� Belzer started his professaid longtime friend Bob sional life as an attorney, Erickson, a school board according to an obituary member and former city the family submitted to administrator in Lakeville. Hodroff-Epstein Memorial The Belzer family’s phi- Chapels. lanthropy has extended to After attending Washmany areas in the commu- burn High School in Minnity, including the Lakev- neapolis in 1959, he headed ille Area Arts Center, the off to college. In 1968 he Lakeville Police Depart- graduated with a juris docment and active involve- torate from the Drake Uniment in the Lakeville Area versity Law School in Des Chamber of Commerce. Moines, Iowa. Erickson said Belzer was He returned to the Twin the first to step forward Cities, becoming a senior with a donation when the partner at Belzer & Loewenpolice department sought thal Law Firm on France to purchase a snowmobile. Avenue in Edina. On the arts front, ErickBelzer represented sevson said Belzer was a major eral car dealers as part of donor for each of the 10 his corporate law practice. years of the LAAC’s exis- The business intrigued him tence. enough that in 1980 he was The business community inspired to purchase the also honored him. Todd Chevrolet dealership “Belzer was a longtime in Lakeville. member of the Lakeville At first, he thought he Chamber, an active Lakev- would oversee the dealerille community supporter ship as he worked at the law and a successful business See Belzer, 6A THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
Photo by Aaron Vehling
The annual Light Up the Night celebration brought out Lakeville North High School’s “Now and Then� chorale group on Thursday evening, Nov. 17, in downtown Lakeville. The Now and Then Singers delighted the audience of about 50 people with the group’s series of classic Christmas carols. The ceremonial lighting of the Christmas tree and surrounding trees in Pioneer Plaza followed. The event was sponsored by the Downtown Lakeville Business Association. City of Lakeville staff hung the lights.
Matt Little to run for Lakeville mayor Council member cites leadership, objectivity as hallmarks of his style by Aaron Vehling THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
The election season for mayor of Lakeville has officially kicked off: Council Member Matt Little has entered the race. He will take on Mayor Mark Bellows, who has said he will run next year for re-election. “Lakeville needs leadership that is accessible, available and reliable,� Little
said, “but it also needs a leader who is objective on the issues.� In some circles, Little has been crit- Matt Little icized for his use of social media in meetings to communicate with the public. He said these methods are part of what make him a transparent,
accessible council member. “I’m readily available, whether it is through new modes of communication like Twitter or Facebook, or at community events and responding to letters from constituents,� he said. Little was elected in 2010. He referred to three major policy successes during the past year that have “made the quality of life
better in Lakeville.� The first was suggesting the hiring of two part-time administrative staff members to help keep police officers on the streets and away from the dictation machine. This “bolsters public safety,� he said. In April, Little offered to donate half his council salary (more than $4,300) See Little, 5A
What price for glory? Natalie Darwitz overcame a concussion to win three Olympic medals with the U.S. Women’s Hockey Team. Now the former Eagan High School hockey player has come full circle, working within the confines of new head-injury rules as a varsity coach. THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
When Eagan native Natalie Darwitz was playing with the U.S. Women’s Hockey Team during an exhibition game prior to the 2001 World Championships, she fired the puck down ice ... then SLAM. A member of Team Canada bowled her over, sending the 18-year-old Darwitz to the ice. “The girl didn’t care too much about the puck, went for the body and ran me over,� said Darwitz, a threetime U.S. Olympic medal winner. As one of the smallGeneral 952-894-1111 Distribution 952-846-2070 Display Advertising 952-846-2011 Classified Advertising 952-846-2000
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Photo by Rick Orndorf
Photo by Rick Orndorf
Natalie Darwitz of Eagan won three Olympic medals in her 12plus years on the U.S. Women’s Hockey Team.
Lakeville South girls hockey coach Natalie Darwitz talks with players during her summer hockey camp this year at her high school alma mater in Eagan.
est players on the ice ever since she was a youngster, Darwitz had become accustomed to being slammed to the ice, and, like the fiery competitor she is, picking herself up and continuing playing. “It was the sensation right afterward, remembering exactly what happened,� Darwitz said of the hit. “After that five-second span, that was the most eerie.� She said she was foggy and dizzy but made it back to the bench at the end of her shift. When it was time for her line to return to the ice she See Darwitz, 11A
by Tad Johnson
Photo by Laura Adelmann
Tax increases in 2012 will “undoubtedly strangle economic growth and job creation,� Ruthe Batulis, president of the Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce, told Farmington City Council members Monday night. She urged the council to make budget cuts.
Goalie’s hockey future is ‘on ice’ Former Eagan High School goalie hasn’t returned to ice for U of M since suffering a severe concussion last October by Tad Johnson THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
Natalie Darwitz was on the bench Oct. 18, 2010, as an assistant coach for the University of Minnesota when goalie Alyssa Grogan, a fellow Eagan High School graduate, suffered a severe concussion that has prevented her from returning to the ice. Grogan was participating in a “race to the puck� drill when one player’s knee hit her forehead and another player fell on the back of her head. She wishes she had never poke-checked the puck See Grogan, 10A
Farmington City Council dumps project funding plan Tax estimates soar as correct information revises estimates by Laura Adelmann THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
A controversial plan to increase taxes for future city projects has lost majority support of the Farmington City Council. The abrupt change was announced at the Nov. 21 City Council meeting. Farmington Mayor Todd Larson said city officials learned the county had provided an inaccurate figure that was used to calculate the plan’s cost to residential property owners. Using the correct figure, the plan would raise
average-valued residential property taxes by about $200 in 2012, a steep difference between the $81 increase the city had originally calculated. Larson said he would propose at the Nov. 22 budget workshop that the council table action on the plan. News about the workshop, which occurred after this story went to press, will be posted online at www.ThisweekLive.com. Under the plan, devised to wean Farmington from See Plan, 5A
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