Farmington | Lakeville
www.SunThisweek.com
April 13, 2012 | Volume 33 | Number 7
Lakeville Planning Commission split on new McDonald’s
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Council will vote on it Monday by Aaron Vehling Sun Thisweek
With only four of seven members present, the Lakeville Planning Commission voted last 2-2 Thursday, April 5, on a conditional use permit that would allow McDonald’s to raze the current Dino’s Gyros building to build a new location near Cedar Avenue and Dodd Boulevard. A couple of the commissioners were concerned about traffic control with regard to the drive-through lane emptying into the existing right-of-way in the area. The City Council will thus vote on the CUP with no official recommendation from the Planning Commission. Typically, projects and requests such as these are subject to a Planning Commission vote before heading to the City Council, whose members make a decision based on the positive or negative recommendation of the commission. Last week, Sun Thisweek reported that McDonald’s is looking to build a new restaurant near the corner of Cedar Avenue and Dodd Boulevard in Lakeville. That existing Dino’s building is about a decade old, said Dave Olson, Community and Economic Development director. Dino’s is still open. There is no word on what becomes of the business should the City Council approve the CUP. Lakeville currently has two McDonald’s restaurants. The location near downtown on County Road 50, popular with students from nearby Lakeville North High School, recently underwent a significant remodeling effort. The other, often referred to as “McStop,” is located in a truck stop complex at I-35 and County Road 70. It was one of the first McStop concept locations in the United States, and is currently a corporate – not a franchise – location.
Lakeville shows its character The recent death of Eddie Wallin reminds us of the important role people can play in creating community. Page 4A
sports Photo by Rick Orndorf
Families are paying more money to participate in high school sports despite the efforts of booster clubs and school districts in trying to keep costs down.
Schools battling to come to grips with athletic funding issues Spring athletics in full swing
Lacrosse teams in Lakeville, Farmington take to the fields, thanks to an early thaw. Page 14A
thisweekend
‘True Love’ at Burnsville PAC Greek tragedy gets a dose of Jerry Springer in “True Love,” the latest production from Burnsville-based Chameleon Theatre Circle. Page 12A
Online Spring sports action kicks into high gear with stories and photo slideshows from area competitions. Like the Sun Thisweek Facebook page at www. facebook.com/ sunthisweek. Read news and more on the Sun Thisweek Facebook page at www. sunthisweek.com
Index Opinion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4A Announcements . . . . . . . 7A Public Notices. . . . . . . . . 7A Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14A Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . . 16A
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by Mike Shaughnessy Sun Thisweek
The winter of 2010-11 might have been the most trying period of Neil Strader’s career. As activities director at Lakeville South High School, it’s his responsibility to find ways to encourage students to participate in cocurricular events. But with the Lakeville School District staring at a $15.8 million budget deficit, he was faced with the possibility of telling students some of those opportunities would be taken away. Strader and his counterpart, Lakeville North High School activities director Bob Ertl, helped create a plan that would eliminate several activities, including both high schools’ gymnastics, golf and lacrosse programs. The School Board was reluctant to cut activities, so the plan was tweaked and re-tweaked. The activities portion of the budgetcutting package was comparatively small but still had
Photo by Rick Orndorf
Lakeville South’s run to third place at the state Class AA boys hockey tournament did come with a cost – the activity fee for hockey more than doubled in 2011-12 as the school district wrestled with closing a budget deficit.
Soccer moms and hockey dads are getting tapped out Boosters, fees, equipment, volunteering starting to drain on families
by Andy Rogers Sun Thisweek
The ever-increasing cost of high-school sports participation has put a strain on many families in the south metro. “I think that cost does come into play, a lot,” said Patrick Lavelle, an active parent in the Burnsville See pay to play, 20A lacrosse community who
has a daughter on the girls team. “But, I feel that a lot of parents will do whatever they can to see that their child can have the experience to try a new sport or a sport they find interesting. Who knows? They may come to love the sport.” School districts, such as 194 in Lakeville, have increased sports-participa-
tion fees dramatically over the past two years in order to cover budget shortfalls while booster clubs have increased their activity with hopes of making sure no child goes without. “I don’t know any one was ever turned away for lack of funds,” said Jeff Zellmer, longtime leader See Tapped, 22A
Aaron Vehling can be reached at aaron.vehling@ ecm-inc.com or facebook. com/sunthisweek.
Lakeville to be independent district Elections this year for six of seven county commissioner seats
by Laura Adelmann Sun Thisweek
All but one Dakota County commissioner seat will be up for re-election this year, based on redrawn county district maps. Under the changes that go into effect next year, Lakeville and Burnsville will become their own commissioner districts, now represented by Commissioners Paul Krause and Liz Workman, respectively. Apple Valley will no longer be divided among three commissioner districts, but along with parts of Rosemount will
Dakota County
be included in District Commissioner District Comparison Population Change Summary (Current and Proposal) 7, currently represented Proposal Current by Commissioner Will Branning. District 3 will continue to primarily include Eagan and will add precincts that include City Hall and the Wescott Library. Areas of Inver Grove Heights will no longer be included in the district. Commissioner Tom Egan said he is pleased with the changes. “I regret losing any part of Eagan, but it’s nice to be picking up other areas,” the former Eagan mayor and City Council member said. District 4, held by Graphic submitted by Dakota County All but one Dakota County commissioner seat will be up for re-election this year, based on redrawn See districts, 21A county district maps, which give Lakeville and Burnsville their own commissioner districts. MENDOTA MENDOTA HEIGHTS
SUNFISH LAKE
W1P1 LILYDALE 1 W3P1 WEST W1P1 ST PAUL W1P2
1 - Joseph A. Harris
SOUTH ST PAUL
W2P2 W2P4 2 3 SOUTH W2P3 W3P2 W1P2 MENDOTA 10 ST PAUL MENDOTA SUNFISH 4 W3P5 9 HEIGHTS 5 LAKE
2 - Kathleen A. Gaylord 3 - Thomas A. Egan
4 - Nancy Schouweiler
2
4
6 - Paul J. Krause
2
APPLE VALLEY
7
NININGER TWP
ROSEMOUNT
4
BURNSVILLE
FARMINGTON
EMPIRE TWP
VERMILLION
MARSHAN TWP
11
10
12
4
3
7
1
13
5
6
W2P2
W2P1 W3P1 W1P2 W4P1 HASTINGS W3P2 2
COATES
W4P2 W1P3
17
EMPIRE TWP
5
3
FARMINGTON 4
6
1
VERMILLION
MARSHAN TWP
RAVENNA TWP
1
1
3
VERMILLION TWP
2
2
2 4
HAMPTON
EUREKA TWP
CASTLE ROCK TWP
HAMPTON
NEW TRIER
HAMPTON TWP
MIESVILLE
EUREKA TWP
CASTLE ROCK TWP 1
DOUGLAS TWP
WATERFORD TWP
NORTHFIELD
SCIOTA TWP
NEW TRIER
HAMPTON TWP
MIESVILLE
DOUGLAS TWP
RANDOLPH TWP RANDOLPH
RANDOLPH TWP RANDOLPH
GREENVALE TWP
GREENVALE TWP
WATERFORD TWP
SCIOTA TWP
W3P2 NORTHFIELD
W3P2
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W3P2
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1
NININGER TWP
ROSEMOUNT 2
4
16
15
14
13
7
6
INVER 4 GROVE HEIGHTS
17
3
15
2
3
VERMILLION TWP
9
14
LAKEVILLE
5
10
8
11
2
5
District Current Proposal 1 64,231 61,135 2 51,044 53,172 3 52,611 56,574 4 49,021 56,163 5 49,872 60,306 6 65,759 55,954 7 66,014 55,248
16
7
APPLE
2
8
15
13
14
4 VALLEY 12 6
1
8
9
12
5B
3
15
7
6
9B
5A
13
16
COATES
LAKEVILLE
14
12
RAVENNA TWP
9
3
17
11
HASTINGS
8
6B
10 11
9A
10
6
7
6A
EAGAN
5B
1
5
1
3
5A
7 - Willis E. Branning
BURNSVILLE
8
1
5 - Liz Workman
INVER GROVE HEIGHTS
EAGAN
County Total Population: 398,552 Target: 56,936 (min) 51,242 (max) 62,630
W2P1
LILYDALE WEST ST PAUL
Prepared by Dakota County Office of GIS - 4/6/2012
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