SUN Thisweek Farmington and Lakeville

Farmington | Lakevillewww.SunThisweek.com

August 31, 2012 | Volume 33 | Number 27

General Information 952-894-1111

Distribution 952-846-2070Display Advertising

952-846-2011Classified Advertising

952-846-2000

IndexPublic Notices . . . . . . . . 4A

Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6A

Announcements . . . . . . 9A

Sports . . . . . . . . . 10A-11A

Classifieds . . . . . . 12A-15A

Thisweekend . . . . 16A-17A

newSdo religion and politics mix?Congregations have differing views of churches who get involved in the same-sex marriage debate .

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opInIon

Challenging work in schoolsRecent survey says students feel that the curriculum could be more challenging .

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Author pens story of homeKansas-based author Clare Vanderpools novel will be featured in One Book, One Rosemount effort .

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ThISweekend

ALC community remembers teens Roehl, Alexander

Two students died in Aug. 21 car crash on Buck Hill Roadby Aaron M. Vehling

SuN ThISweeK

At the tight-knit Area Learn-ing Center in Lakeville, the stu-dents and staff members are like family, some of the schools teachers say . The ALC usually has about 70-100 day students, a mere fraction of the student body at Lakevilles two high schools . So when two students, Alesha Roehl and Frederick Alexander, were killed in an Aug . 21 car

crash on Buck hill Road where the car they were riding in rolled over onto Interstate 35, the whole ALC felt it . Its been very difficult, said Joan Vievering, Roehls language arts teacher at the ALC . These two students had enormous po-tential . Its so hard to see students turning the corner and start-

ing to believe in themselves have it all taken away so quickly . No one expects to lose a student . Roehl, 17, of Castle Rock Town-ship, was a poet . She was a very

creative writer, Vievering said . Alexander, 16, of Burnsville,

Stanley Cup hoisted in Lakeville

Photo by Rick Orndorf

It was a hockey christening for Grady Boe, from Farmington, as he snuggled into the Stanley Cup trophy with help from his father, Jeff Boe. NHL Stanley Cup champion, Los Angeles Kings scout and Lakeville resident Tony Gasparini brought the silver cup trophy to Ames Arena on Aug. 28. The public was invited to take photos with the famous trophy. More photos are at SunThisweek.com.

Crime lab did not test equipment after unusual readings

by Laura AdelmannSuN ThISweeK

A piece of equipment used to process Dakota County drug evi-dence was improperly maintained, and even when it showed signs that results could be wrong, a lab work-er did nothing about it, an analyst at the St . Paul police department drug lab testified Friday . Roberta DeCrans, the only wit-ness to testify during the eviden-tiary hearing last week, said there could have been contamination to drug evidence that occurred with the gas chromatograph-mass spec-trometer at the lab during testing . The GCMS is a highly-sensitive instrument that identifies chemi-cals, in part, by how quickly they travel through a polymer tube . It also identifies them based on mass after a process turns them into particles of positively charged ions . Analysts are able to set the range of ion mass for the instru-ment to detect . when one of those tests showed an abnormal range, DeCrans said she continued to test samples with the machine . She said she did not document if she alerted mainte-nance workers about the issue, which she admitted could indicate the tubes (or columns) chemicals go through may need to be re-placed . DeCrans also said she does not follow a single set of procedures on every scientific test she per-forms . According to her testimony, sometimes she ran follow-up tests when initial results showed no drugs present, and other times she did run the samples again . Public defender Lauri Traub challenged Dakota County Attor-ney Phil Prokopowiczs repeated

LnhS students organize run to benefit heritage Center New facility opens in September

by Aaron M. VehlingSuN ThISweeK

The heritage Center opens in a couple weeks and two Lakeville North high School seniors have organized a 5K Fun Run/walk to raise money to help it meet its fundraising goals . The $1 .1 million repurposing of the old police station on holyoke Avenue will serve as Lakevilles new Senior Center and headquar-ters for Beyond the Yellow Ribbon

and the Lakeville Area historical Society . National honor Society mem-bers need to complete a number of volunteer hours and Alex Da-vis and partner Nick DeGroot de-cided to do something that would have a large impact on the commu-nity, given the scope of the heri-tage Centers mission . There is also a more heartfelt component as well . Its something to bring the

community together in light of the recent accident, Davis said, refer-ring to the car crash on Buck hill Road that killed two Area Learn-ing Center students and injured three Lakeville South high School students . Davis is interested in majoring in business and marketing when he goes to college and sees the event also as a way for him to learn those fields . he has established an elaborate

web presence for the event, in ad-dition to using traditional channels such as word-of-mouth messages, signs and acquiring sponsors . The event will take place at 9 a .m . Sept . 16 at Steve Michaud Park (formerly North Park), one day before the opening of the heri-tage Center (and one month before its official grand opening) . The event is non-competitive,

Photo submitted

Officer Andy Hentges conducts speed enforcement in a posted school zone.

Lakeville police: watch the road School starts Tuesday

by Aaron M. VehlingSuN ThISweeK

School starts on Sept . 4, which Lakeville Police Chief Tom Vonhof says means traffic patterns will change considerably around the city . There will be more cars near schools, more buses traversing town and chil-dren will be out making their way to school . To maintain safety, Vonhof said, well have increased patrols during morning and afternoon hours . . . around all school zones . Speed limits around school zones are often low-er than they would be on a typical road . This allows for a safer environment for

students crossing streets on their way to school . They help keep motor-ists alert in an area where there are going to be stu-dents and pedestrians, Vonhof said . School buses will be out in full force . Vonhof re-minds people to stop when a buss stop sign is out and its lights are flashing . wait until the bus turns off its lights, retracts it sign and starts proceeding again before going forward, he said . Another tip for driv-ers: Get rid of distractions . This is true for adults as well as teens . Making sure you stay focused, he said . That means no texting or fid-

dling with the stereo . Read-ing your favorite tweets can wait until you reach your destination . It is against the law for anyone to text while driv-ing, according to the De-partment of Public Safety, but use of a cell phone at all by drivers under 18 is il-legal as well . The only ex-ception is to call 911 . Teens should also be careful when it comes to passengers . There have been stud-ies done that show an in-creased likelihood of crash-es with more under-aged passengers in a vehicle, he said . According to the De-

Frederick Alexander

Alesha Roehl

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See CRIme LAb, 19A

See heRITAge, 20A

See poLICe, 19A

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panthers set for another runThe Lakeville North volleyball team seems poised for another successful season with a new coach .

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SpoRTS

2A August 31, 2012 Sun ThiSweek - Farmington - Lakeville

Sun ThiSweek - Farmington - Lakeville August 31, 2012 3A

by T.W. BudigSun ThiSweek

in a procession bright-ened with sashes and cross-es, more than 100 religious leaders passed beneath the pines outside the State Fair-grounds last week, singing of letting their little lights shine. The spiritual leaders were at the State Fair to rally against the proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage on the november ballot. Bishop Ann M. Sven-nungsen, of the Minneapo-lis Area Synod of the evan-gelical Lutheran Church in America, spoke of seeking pathways in life as welcom-ing as the radical welcome Jesus Christ offers to all. The Gospels have al-ways divided good peo-ple, said the Rev. Michael Tegeder of St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church in Minneapolis, who also op-poses the amendment. Church leaders in fa-vor of passage speak with equal conviction. But can churches dam-age themselves by becom-ing engaged in a process, whatever the spiritual di-mensions, thats also politi-cal? Some indicators suggest theres a risk. The Pew Forum on Re-ligion and Public Life in March published a survey showing that slightly more than half of the public, 54 percent, believe churches should keep out of politics. in 1996, exactly the same percent of the public indicated that churches and religious leaders should ex-press their views on social and political topics. university of notre Dame political science pro-

fessor David Campbell and harvard university public policy professor Robert Putnam co-authored noted in their book American Grace, a study of religion and politics, that there has been a dramatic rise in the percentage of people, espe-cially the young, who have turned away from religion. For decades, about 5 percent of the u.S. popu-lation said they had no religious affiliation. That has now risen to about 18 percent, and that rise has happened in just 20 years, Campbell said in an email. The best available evi-dence, including data Put-nam and Campbell analyze in their book, is that people are increasingly turned off to religion because they see it mixed up in partisan poli-tics, Campbell explained. Between 2006 and 2011, while the percentage of people turned off by reli-gion increased modestly, religious disenchantment among younger people in-creased fivefold. evidence suggests theyre reacting to per-ceived flaws in the religious right, Campbell and Put-nam noted in a recent For-eign Affairs article. interestingly, though, we have also seen a sharp decline in the amount of politicking in churches

Churches enter amendment debateObservers say many are turned off by

mixing religion and politics

Keeping class sizes in checkDistrict 194 adds classroom assistants

by Aaron M. VehlingSun ThiSweek

Research says that having too many elemen-tary students in one class can affect learning, so school districts often have guidelines based on a certain teacher-to-stu-dent ratio. in Lakeville public schools, officials noticed that some classes in the primary grades reached beyond the threshold. For example, average class size in third grade at Cherryview elemen-tary reached 33 students, one over the recommend-ed number. The average number of students in the first grade at JFk elementary reached 26, or two more than the dis-tricts guidelines. To address this, offi-cials have a cost-neutral plan to reallocate re-sources by adding sec-tions or teaching staff, with certain classes hav-ing classroom assistants. Those classroom as-sistants will help teach-ers with large classrooms with subjects such as math and reading. This really addresses the individual needs of the students, said Tony Massaros, the districts executive director of administrative services. we can target individu-

al student needs in math and reading. During the summer, parents with children in some of the districts elementary schools pro-tested large class sizes at School Board meetings. Parent Michelle Judd said her son is a student at Lakeview elementary School. This extremely trou-bles me, she said of large class sizes. with so

many children, she said she worried that a class-room would become im-possible for learning to occur, especially if some students have behavioral issues. Massaros said during an interview that the dis-trict strives to keep class sizes within an accept-able size at the younger grades. The targeted ap-proach he referred to would serve to benefit

those students. Massaros said the dis-trict is trying to address the issue in a matter that is cost-effective and serves the best interests of the students educa-tional needs.

Aaron Vehling can be reached at aaron.ve-h l i n g@ e cm - i n c . c o m or facebook.com/sun-thisweek.

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PUBLIC NOTICECredit River Township Board MeetingTuesday, September 4, 2012, 6pm

Agenda

6 PM: Call Meeting to Order, Pledge ofAllegiance1) Approve or Amend Agenda2) Consent Agenda

1) July 2012 Treasurer's Report2) August 2012 Developers Escrow

Statement3) July 9, 2012 Board Meeting

Minutes4) August 6, 2012Boa rd Mee t i n g

Minutes5) August 9, 2012 Special Meeting

Minutes3) Open Forum4) Old Business

1) Territory Water Update2) Fern & Birch Reconstruct

Informational Meeting3) Territory/Dakota Avenue

Extension4) Township Parks5) 210th Street

5) New Business1) Cable Franchise Renewal2) Meeting Cut-Off Time3) Discuss Ordinance Regarding

Percentages for RoadConstruction

4) Discuss Revisions toEnvironmental SubordinateDistrict Ordinances

5) Building Permit Fees6) District 4 Meeting recap

6) Road Report7) Engineer's Report

1) Lynn & Monterey2) 195th Street3) Seal Coat Project4) NPDES Draft

8) Treasurers Report1) Transfer Funds2) Reimburse/Transfer Funds

Resolution3) Budget 20134) Certification to Property Taxes

Update5) Escrow Update

9) Clerk's Report1) Reconvene of Annual Meeting is

September 10, 2012 @ 7PM2) Primary Election (August 14, 2012

)3) Ruppe Legal Seminar-SeptemberSession (Thursday September 6;

9 AM-630 PM).4) Township Gratuity Policy

10) Review and Pay Bills11) Adjourn3134872 8/31/1

2

District 917School BoardProceedingsThis is a summary of the Intermediate

School District 917 Regular School BoardMeeting on Tuesday, August 21, 2012, with

full text available for public inspection on

t h e d i s t r i c t w e b s i t e a twww.isd917.k12.mn.us or the District Officeat 1300 145th Street East, Rosemount, MN55068.The meeting was called to order at 5:30

PM. Board members present: Ar leneBush, Dan Cater, Ron Hill, Jill Lewis, KathyLewis, Deb Clark, Vanda Pressnall, TomRyerson, Veronica Walter, and administra-

tors were present. Absent: None. Goodnews reports were presented. The follow-ing Consent Agenda items were approved:minutes, personnel, donations, bills to bepaid, wire transfers and the investment

report. Recommended actions approved:Addendum to the 4th quarter 2012 Tem-porary Employee Report; final DCALS Stu-dent Handbook approval; Policy 6.93, Stu-dent Transportation; Contract with DakotaCoun t r y She r i f f ' s O f f ice fo r Schoo lResource Officer at A l l iance Educat ionCenter; and Approval of James Eberhart asLead Teacher for DCALS 2012-2013 .Adjournment at 6:53 PM.3130458 8/31/12


Dakota County resi-dentscandropoff house-hold hazardous wastefor free at two collectionevents. Saturday, Sept. 8, 9a.m. to 1 p.m., Mainte-nanceFacility,19650Mu-nicipalDrive,Farmington,(651)280-6900. Saturday, Sept. 22,9 a.m. to 2 p.m.,Mainte-nanceCenter,13713Fron-tier Court, Burnsville,(952)895-4511. Items that can bedropped off include left-over paint, fluorescentbulbs, fertilizers, pesti-cides, rechargeable bat-teries, cleaners, solvents,gasoline,oilandoilfilters,andother typesof house-holdchemicals.

In addition, and onlyat the Burnsville collec-tion, residents can dropoff household electronicsand small electrical itemsfor free. Electronics thatcanbedroppedoff includetelevisions, cell phones,computers, DVD players,laptops,stereoequipment,andvideogamingsystems.Small electrical items ac-cepted for collection in-clude vacuum cleaners,coffee makers, blenders,electric tools (drills, sand-ers, etc.), clothes irons,fans, hair dryers, micro-waves, space heaters andtoasterovens. No business or farmwaste will be accepted atthesecollectionevents.

Celebrating Watermelon Days

Photosubmitted

Carley Koznick, Lizzy Baruch and Claire Koznick enjoy treats on Aug. 16 at Watermelon Days, sponsored by the Downtown Lakeville Business Association. Cosponsors of the event were the Chart House Restaurant & Event Center, Dairy Delite and Lakeville Walmart. Seed spitting contest winners were: Morgan Lichty (ages 3 to 10), Audrey Aouga (ages 11 to 18), Max Nygren (ages 19 to 30) and Sharon Nylander (age 31 and over).

County holds waste collection events


(and all places of worship) over the last five years or so, which suggests that clergy have recognized the danger in mixing too much Caesar in place of God, Campbell said in the email. Minnesota pastors and religious leaders, while in general not dismissive of the idea that churches can be sullied through political activity, appraise the risks differently. I think were all un-comfortable, Tegeder said. But churches have al-ways reacted to events in society, he said. Martin Luther King, the great civil rights leader, came out of the African-American Baptist church. He witnessed or presid-ed at thousand marriages, explained Tegeder, and its the commitment, not the sexes, thats sacred. The Rev. Deb Stehlin of Light of the World (ELCA) Church in Farmington, in-dicated she understood her personal advocacy for defeating the proposed amendment could be mis-understood. Theres a risk, she said. Still, she remembers church leaders urging young ministers not to con-fine their faith within the walls of the church but live it in the larger world. I still hear my bishops voice, she said. Stehlin bases her advo-cacy against the amend-ment on her understanding of God as revealed by Jesus Christ all loving, all em-bracing, she explained. God doesnt really have any favorites, Stehlin said. Beyond this, her advo-cacy stems from the unfair-ness confronting same-sex couples things like hav-ing no say in the medical treatment of spouses. The Rev. Jeff Evans of Christ Church Twin Cities in Edina bases his support for the marriage amend-ment as keeping faith with the teachings of the Bible. We really see it as a

nonpolitical issue. We are not of the donkey or elephant, he said of ties to the Democratic or Republi-can parties. We are of the Lamb, referring to Christ. Rather than the divi-sive issue critics claim, the proposed amendment has brought churches together, he said. Its dangerous for any church to become politi-cized, said Jason Adkins, Minnesota Catholic Con-ference executive director, but that simply is not the case with the conferences support of the marriage amendment. To argue the conference was somehow a branch of the Republican Party is completely false, he said. For one thing, the pro-posed amendment isnt partisan in a traditional sense, he explained. Many Democrats sup-port it, Adkins said. The Democratic-leaning Iron Range is a citadel of support, he argued. The vast majority of church-going Catholics support the amendment, Adkins said. Personally, he would rather be working on other matters the conference is involved in issues rang-ing from immigration to health care but its the advocacy of same-sex mar-riage supporters that has forced the matter, Adkins explained. It (marriage) needs to be strengthened and not re-defined, he said. Still, churches or reli-gious-based groups can damage themselves by too frequent contact with po-litical issues, Adkins indi-cated.

You must be very care-ful if you intervene, he said. Out of the thousands of bills that pour out of the state Legislature every ses-sion, the Catholic Confer-ence becomes involved only with a double-handful, Ad-kins said. One amendment sup-porter, the Rev. Tom Par-rish, pastor of Hope Lutheran Church in Min-neapolis, who has testified on behalf of the proposed amendment at hearings at the State Capitol, spoke of a perceived ugly attitude among amendment oppo-nents. Every time he puts a Vote Yes sign up in his yard, it disappears, he ex-plained. Fortunately, I have 25 more in the ga-rage. Religious leaders at the rally outside the State Fair charged amendment sup-porters were trying to shut down conversation on an important issue. The rally was sponsored by Minnesotans United for All Families, an anti-amendment group listing dozens of religious leaders on its website as opposed to the amendment. Minnesota for Mar-riage, a pro amendment group, has a lengthy list on its website of churches sup-porting the amendment. The proposed amend-ment passed the Legisla-ture with overwhelming Republican support.

T.W. Budig can be reached at [email protected] or facebook.com/sun-thisweek.

churches, from 3A


The People need to stop bickering To the editor: I dont understand why both houses of Congress have such a low approval rat-ing. From what Ive observed, non-elected citizens have just as hard a time with civility and compromise as politicians in Washington. The petty bickering and inability to even make an at-tempt to see anothers point of view is not isolated to state legislatures or the halls of Congress. To hold those in elected of-fice to higher standards than ourselves is folly. Just because theyve become our elected leaders does not endow them with special powers to be above human failings and frailties. Furthermore, politicians rely on division to gain votes. And when we stereotype the The Right or The Left were making it even easier for candidates to manipulate The People during campaigns, for left and right wing commenta-tors and politicians to create anger and divisiveness merely

to gain a vote. I can only hope that one day people can become united within the United States of America. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. (Jesus ca. 32 A.D.). After we citizens are more able to solve problems through compromise and discuss ideas with civility and respect, that will be the time when politicians will be forced to do the same. (I wonder if any country has ever fallen due to resentment and anger and a sharp division between two factions.)

AnDy ALTLakeville

Family of south metro firefighter sought To the editor: The Minnesota Fire Ser-vice Foundation will dedicate a new Minnesota Fallen Fire-fighter Memorial on Sept. 30 on the grounds of the State Capitol. To ensure that every de-

ceased firefighters families are represented and will receive a flag flown over the Capitol to commemorate the dedica-tion, the states fire communi-ty is undertaking a campaign to reach out to and identify at least one family member of each of the 206 Minnesota firefighters who have died in the line of duty since 1881. The foundation is working to identify family members of more than 100 of our states fallen firefighters, including one from the south metro: George Carleton (year of death: 1892). Were asking relatives, or anyone with knowledge of relatives, to contact nyle Zikmund, Spring Lake Park- Blaine- Mounds View Fire Chief, at 612- 860- 7442 or [email protected] no later than Sept. 5, 2012. The fire community is ex-tremely proud that we reached our goal of $600,000 to build the memorial. The fire community is working to raise an additional $80,000 to cover unexpected construction costs and minor expenses for the ceremony. Financial contributions to

the effort can be sent to: Min-nesota Fire Service Founda-tion c/o Flagship Bank, 7525 Office Ridge Road, Eden Prairie, Mn 55344- 3644. Online contributions can be made at: www.mnfireservice-foundation.org. All contribu-tions are tax deductible. On behalf of the founda-tion, Minnesotas firefighters and our families, and every-one impacted and influenced by the sacrifices made by our fallen brethren, thank you very much.

GEORGE ESBEnSEn President, Minnesota Fire Service Foundation

Recommends Wills for House To the editor: I hear people ask, Where are the young people willing to consider public service as a part of their career path? A great answer to that question is Anna Wills. The July 6 Sun Thisweek reported that Wills has been a legislative assistant to Sen. Michelle Benson, R-Ham Lake, and has lived the kind of careful, intense effort required by those who serve the Minnesota citizens. Our system is not an easy one, but it works well for those dedicated to see that it benefits us all. I see in Wills, the kind of caring, intelligent, thought-fulness required in order to be a productive member of the Legislature. I strongly rec-ommend Anna Wills as your House District 57B represen-tative.

SALLy KETTLEApple Valley

We have a decision to makeTo the editor: I live in Rosemount, and we have a State Senate elec-tion coming up and Im concerned. Im concerned because the problems Rose-mount is dealing with are not a lot different from what the country is dealing with. The mantra is the same jobs, taxes, the economy, foreclo-

sures. Like it or not poverty has moved from the inner-city to the suburbs, even here in Min-nesota. Since the year 2000 the number of suburban poor has skyrocketed 53 percent. Suburbia became home to the greatest concentration of impoverished residents back in 2005, primarily due to the loss of jobs in manufacturing and construction that led to housing foreclosures. Many of those foreclosures were with people who had just re-cently moved to the suburbs in search of their dream. These problems wont be addressed by an ideology. They wont be addressed by a single answer (i.e., fix the edu-cational system, and youve fixed it all). The answers will only come from a collection of people open to listen to ideas, no matter where those ideas come from. The proposed solutions will be tough the key is, will they be tough equally, and will they preserve who we are as a people, in the process. Heres the punch line. I feel that Pat Hall, the en-dorsed Republican candidate for Senate District 57 (Apple Valley, Coates, Rosemount), is the better man for the job. Hall was born and raised in the Minneapolis projects, put himself through college, had careers in both insur-ance and banking, is now a professor with a doctorate, and has been a pastor for the last 24 years. Ive known Hall for quite some time. Here are two things I know about him hes one of the most car-ing and selfless people Ive ever met and he wont be so prone to spend your and my tax dollars, because of the

lessons hes learned in his own life. He wont spend until he knows that what hes spending on is in fact the most cost-ef-fective solution to the problem at hand. Give Pat Hall your vote.

DEnnIS WALKERRosemount

County attorney should act To the editor: The conduct of Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom regarding the botched evidence handling by the St. Paul Police Depart-ment Crime Lab (as reported in Sun Thisweek Aug. 24) is deeply troubling. There is no doubt the Crime Lab has failed to prop-erly handle evidence. The department admits as much itself. The county attorney, as a representative of the public, should have at least as high a concern, if not higher, for the quality of evidence and evi-dence handling as defense at-torneys. The Dakota County attor-ney should be more concerned about the quality of evidence he is using to prosecute the cit-izenry. It troubles me that the county attorney is attempting to block efforts to get to the truth about just how inaccu-rate or false the work done by the Crime Lab may be. His job is to represent the interests of the citizens of Dakota County and not to defend the cover-up, shoddy work by the St. Paul Police Department Crime Lab.

DAn FITZSIMMOnSApple Valley

OpinionAre schools doing enough to challenge all students?

Do Americans care enough to make a difference?

by Joe Nathan SUn THISWEEK

Three important questions come from Do Schools Challenge our Children? a report by the Center for American Progress: Is school too easy for many students? Should we believe student surveys? If the answer to the first two questions is yes, now what? CAP describes itself as a non-partisan research and education institute, seeking to find progressive and pragmatic solutions to significant domestic and international prob-lems. Its report has attracted lots of attention. I agree that some students need more chal-lenge. Researchers found that, for example: Thirty-three percent of Minnesota fourth-graders, and 37 percent of fourth-graders na-tionally described their math work as often, always or almost always too easy. nationally, 67 percent said sometimes too easy, and 17 percent, never too easy. Twenty-eight percent of Minnesota eighth-grade students and 29 percent of eighth-graders nationally said math is often,

always or almost always too easy. nationally, 51 percent of eighth-grade civics students and 57 percent of eighth-grade history students feel that their work is often or always too easy. you can read more at www.american-progress.org/issues/2012/07/student_survey_map.html. Should we trust these students comments? My experience, and research the report cites, say yes. As an elementary, middle, high school and university teacher over 40 years, I found that most students gave me helpful feed-back. The questions I asked varied, based on stu-dents age. But they often were frank about whether I was being clear and fair, whether

they were learning a little or a lot, what they liked best about the class, and what most need-ed improvement. One of the most intriguing parts of CAPs report summarizes research showing the value of surveying students. This research does not say student surveys are the only way to evalu-ate teachers or that all students are truthful. But CAP cites intriguing research by Har-vard professor Ronald Ferguson. After sur-veying more than 300,000 students, hes found that there are valuable questions to ask. For example, 79 percent of students in class-rooms that score in the top quarter say my teacher explains difficult things clearly. Only 50 percent of students in classrooms scoring in the bottom 25 percent say their teachers ex-plain difficult things clearly. So, one possible response is to help some teachers explain difficult concepts and ideas to some of their students. Another possible response is to examine how technology can help schools do a better job of individualizing learning. But increasing standards, one of centers

major solutions, wont do much to solve the problem. Why? Because, as Ed Fuller, a Penn State education professor recently wrote on a blog created by Diane Ravitch, students who are not doing well under current standards were much less likely to say school is too easy. Rais-ing standards wont necessarily help currently less successful students. you can read his (and other) reactions here: http://dianeravitch.net/2012/07/11/are-u-s-schools-too-easy. Its not just about how educators are teach-ing, its about how schools are organized to promote and encourage learning. Moreover, we need to do more to promote respect for ac-ademic, along with athletic accomplishment. The report wisely urges doing far more to im-prove the learning experience for all students. Joe Nathan, formerly a Minnesota public school teacher and administrator, directs the Center for School Change. Reactions welcome, [email protected]. Columns reflect the opinion of the author.

by Dan PowersSPECIAL TO SUn THISWEEK

Somewhere in my lifetime America lost its way. When we see a goal we cant keep our fo-cus. In the 60s President Kennedy told a nation: Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country, giving us vision and a task before he was killed. We succeeded where none have matched in 40 years. By the end of the decade our nation with a great effort and commitment landed a man on the moon. not once, but many times with 12 Americans walking on the moon. Then instead of working hard to keep our gains we quit. As a nation we walked away from great-ness. Racism and war clouded our eyes. When we could have united and grown we worked to create boundaries and friction. In the late 70s President Carter asked a nation to pull together so that we could fight OPECs hold over our country, with a bold plan to conserve and build alternative energy solutions. For this he was ridiculed. now more 30 years later we find ourselves worse off than we were in 1979. In the early 80s President Reagan told a nation: It does require, however, our best ef-

fort and our willingness to believe in ourselves and to believe in our capacity to perform great deeds, and to believe that together with Gods help, we can and will resolve the problems which now confront us. And after all, why shouldnt we believe that? We are Americans. With great determination we saw the Iron Cur-tain fall. But a mere 20 years later we find many of the gains from the fall of the Soviet Union now evaporating. Instead of a Cold War, we now have a war on terrorism. In 2001 when we faced a new challenge and a new enemy, what did President Bush ask of us? As we prepared for war, we were asked to go about our lives as if nothing had changed. With Americas soldiers dying on foreign shores once again we were told to work hard

and consume. This would make more sense if by consuming we were giving jobs to local pro-ducers. But throughout the last decade most production jobs have left the country. So who did all of this consumption benefit? Where did all of those jobs go to? All of that money and jobs is now overseas in places like China and India. How is this helping the U.S. either in the near future or long term future? We can buy stuff we dont need, really cheap from all around the world. I used to think the business leaders under-stood something that all of the rest of had missed. But I now realize they dont have all the answers either. Too often employees are treated as just another commodity. We no lon-ger find companies reinvesting in their employ-ees. Instead we offshore our work, aiming for something as simple as cost saving. But are the real costs being accounted for? When all the production jobs are outside the U.S., when most of the service jobs are handled by unskilled or lightly skilled work-ers, when the only option is self employment as a subcontractor, who will buy the goods? Where is the next generation going to make a living wage? When we export all of our best jobs, who will be able to afford anything but

these cheap imports? Maybe that is the secret. We can still afford this stuff only because it is made outside the U.S. But in the final chap-ter will there be a middle class? Most of those production jobs helped create the middle class. With companies sending all of the jobs over-seas the upper management is increasing their compensation to astronomical numbers creat-ing a huge gap between the super rich and the lower middle class. We have turned into a consumption society. now all that matters is to keep consuming no matter the cost to our society or our souls. Will we ever be able to work ourselves out of the hole created by this type of strategy? Can we get past the bickering, lying, and manipula-tion? Do you care enough to donate time or money to help out your family, your communi-ty, your country or your world? Can we invest in our future? Instead of buying that new trin-ket, that is made in China or whereever, can we invest locally? Can we consume less? Do we care enough to work together? Dan Powers of Burnsville is a former DFL candidate in the former House District 40A (Burnsville) and in the 2nd Congressional Dis-trict. Columns reflect the opinion of the author.

Letters

Sun ThisweekColumnistJoe Nathan

GuestColumnistDan Powers

Letters to the editor policySun Thisweek welcomes letters to the editor. Submitted letters must be no more than 350 words. All letters must have the authors phone number and address for verification purposes. Anonymous letters will not be accepted. Letters reflect the opinion of the author only. Sun Thisweek reserves the right to edit all letters. Submission of a letter does not guarantee publication.

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A free car seat clinicwill be held during theSept.20-21FromYoursToMineLLCKidsConsign-mentSaleatAmesHockeyArena, 19900 Ipava Ave.,Lakeville. The Lakeville PoliceDepartment will be avail-able from 6 to 8 p.m.Thursday, Sept. 20, andfrom10a.m.to1p.m.Fri-day, Sept. 21, to answerquestions and schedulefreecarseatsafetychecks. Consignment sale

hourswillbe10a.m.to7p.m.Friday,Sept.21,and10a.m.to5p.m.Saturday,Sept. 22. Admission onSept.21willbe$2,whichwillbewaivedwiththedo-nationof anonperishablefood itemor fiveormoreclean diapers. There willbe no admission fee andmany items will be half priceonSept.22.Formoreinformation, visit www.FromYoursToMine.comorcall(952)564-7566.

Free car seat clinic at kids sale

Dakota County fami-liesof childrenwithintel-lectual and developmen-tal disabilities can findresources, support andconnections at network-ing groups and Sibshopsfrom The Arc GreaterTwinCities. The General SupportGroup in Rosemount isfor parents of childrenwithanyintellectualorde-velopmental disability. ItmeetsonthesecondTues-day of the month from6:30 to 8 p.m. at Rose-mount United MethodistChurch, Choir Room (inbasement),14770CanadaAve., Rosemount. Meet-ing dates for 2012 areSept. 11, Oct. 9,Nov. 13and Dec. 11. Meetingdates for 2013are Jan. 8,Feb.12,March12,April9andMay14.Childcareisavailablefor$3perfamilypermeeting. The South of theRiver Group for Parentsof Children with DownSyndrome meets on thethird Monday of themonth from 6 to 8 p.m.at Shepherd of the Val-leyChurch,12650JohnnyCake Ridge Road, AppleValley. Meeting dates for

2012 are Sept. 17, Oct.15 and Nov. 19 (no De-cembermeeting).Meetingdatesfor2013areJan.21,Feb. 18,March 18, April15,May 20, June 17 andAug.19(noJulymeeting). Sibshops are for chil-drenages6to12whohavebrothers and sisters withintellectual or develop-mental disabilities. Theymeet on the third Mon-day of themonth from 6to 8 p.m. at Shepherd oftheValleyChurch.Meet-ingdatesfor2012areOct.15,Nov. 19 andDec. 17.Meeting dates for 2013areJan.14(datechange),Feb. 11 (date change),March 18, April 15 andMay20.Sibshopsarefreefor members of The ArcGreater Twin Cities and$10 per session per childforothers.Parentsdonotneed to attend the net-working group in orderfor their children to par-ticipateinSibshops. The Arc Greater TwinCitiesnetworkinggroupsare free, but participantsshouldregisterinadvance.For registration or moreinformation,callTheArcat(952)920-0855.

Networking groups for families of kids with disabilities


Eagle Project benefits Eastview Elementary School

Photo submitted

Life Scout Mitchell Cornelisen from Boy Scout Troop 269 stands with his completed Eagle Project at Eastview Elementary School on Aug. 11. The project included removing the 15-foot crabapple tree blocking the Eastview sign, providing additional seating along the front walkway and relandscaping the flower beds. Cornelisen consulted arborist Wade Wiebold of Timberland Tree Moving on the possibility of transplanting the tree to an alternate location. Wiebold donated his services to the project and moved the tree to another landscape bed near the schools playground. Over the course of two days, Cornelisen led a group of 40 volunteers in the construction, painting and installation of six additional garden benches. An additional six yards of top soil were added, plants were transplanted to better accommodate growing shrubs and 2,500 square feet of beds were weeded and pruned. In addition, more than 30 new shrubs and perennials were planted and eight yards of mulch were laid. Donations for the project were received from the Eastview PTO, Pro-Build, Hirschfields, Hedberg Aggregates, Gertens Greenhouse, Ace Hardware, Home Depot, Lowes, Fleet Farm, Cub Foods, Kwik Trip, Sams Club and Subway.

Service news Navy Seaman Matthew Castle, brother of Doug-

las Castle of Farmington, recently completed U.S. Navy basic training at Re-cruit Training Command,

Great Lakes, Ill. Castle is a 2010 graduate of Green-wood High School, Green-wood, Wis.


Henry QualleAge 78 of Farmington, passed

away peacefully on August 27,2012 . Henry served his countryin the US Air Force and was amemb e r o f the Ro s emoun tAmerican Legion, He retired aftermany years from the Coca-Colabo t t l ing company in Eagan.Henry is preceded in death by hisloving wife of 30 years, Dorothyand siblings, Clifford (Maryls),Joseph (Beverly,) Lillie (Alvin)Wohfiel, Agnes (Lloyd) Lawson,Gertrude (James) McKinley andLeslie Qualle. Henry is survivedby his lov ing s ib l ings , C indy(Marland) Husaby, Edward, Rus-sell (Arlene), Walter (Lee) andVirgil (Darlene); step children,Anette (Roger) Peterson, Tho-mas (Sharon), David (Barbara),Robert (Connie) and Charles(Becky) Nelson and many stepgrandchildren also many nieces,nephews and friends. Funeralservice was held 11 AM Thurs-day, August 30, 2012 at the Shep-pard of the Va l ley LutheranChurch, 12650 Johnny CakeRidge Rd., Apple Valley, (952432 6351) visitation was 1 hrprior to service at church. Inter-ment, was at Cannon Falls Cem-etery on Thursday, August 30that 2 PM.

White Funeral HomeFarmington (952) 463-7374

www.whitefuneralhomes.com

Beverly Ann(Peck-Schramer)Taylor

Beverly Taylor, 75, of Burns-ville, died peacefullyWednesday,Aug. 22 , 2012 at her home atEmerald Crest surrounded by herloving family, after a three yearc o u r a g e o u s b a t t l e w i t hAlzheimer's.

Beverly was born Feb. 27,1937 inMadison, SD, the daugh-ter of Frank and Adele (Peck)Schramer.

She is suvived and dearlymissed by her lov ing family ,daughters and son, Shelly Taylor,Lori Taylor, Todd (Cindy) Tay-lor; Grandchildren, Jeris Taylor,Madeline Tay lor , and EmilyTaylor; Great Grandchildren,Cameron Taylor and AriannaTaylor

Visitation is Saturday, Sept. 1from 9:30-10:00 a.m. at Lake-wood Cemetery Chapel, 3600Hennepin Ave, M inneapolis .Service will be held from 10-11a.m.

Lee W. BettsAge 66 of Eagan, passed away

on August 24, 2012. Graduate ofLittle Falls High School and Vet-eran of the US Army. Preceded indeath by parents Frank & Ester;sister Sonja Betts. Survived bywife Beth; children Trevor (Lisa)Betts & Holly (Jason) Dahlmeir;brother Larry (Jeri) Betts; stepmother Annie Betts. Gathering offamily and fr i ends was held5-6pm with service at 6pm Thurs-day, August 30, 2012 at WhiteFuneral Home, 12804 NicolletAve. S.Memorials preferred towww.feedthechildren.org/us and

www.innercitytennis.comWhite Funeral Home

Burnsville 952-894-5080www.whitefuneralhomes.com

Bouwer - FrenchRev. Bob and Laurie Bouwer

of Dyer, Indiana, and Steven andSharon French of Lakeville, areproud to announce the engage-ment of their children, Caitlin JoyBouwer and RossWilson French.Caitlin and Ross are graduates ofBethel University, St. Paul, MN.Ca i t l in is employed a t MSPCommunications in Mpls, andRoss is employed at Boom Lab inMpls. An October 12 wedding isplanned at Faith Church in Dyer,Indiana.

Dahl - PalmerL indsay Dahl , daugh ter of

Dave and Diane Dahl of Burns-ville and Brad Palmer, son ofRick and Lynn Palmer of SunP ra i r i e W i s announce the i rengagement.Lindsay is a 2001 graduate of

Burnsville High School and a2005 graduate of UW Madison.She is currently employed as apatient coordinator with Ath-letico in Chicago, Ill. Brad is a2000 graduate of Sun Pra ir ieHigh School and a 2006 graduateof UW Madison. He is currentlyemployed as a project engineerfor MenloWorldwide Inc.The couple is planning a Sep-

tember 22 , 2012 wedding a tGrandv iew Lodge in N isswa ,MN.

Robertson -FischerMr . and Ms . Robertson are

thrilled to announce the engage-ment of their daughter , M issRochelle Robertson to Mr. Mat-thew Fischer, son of Mr. FischerandMrs. VanStraten.Rochelle grew up in Apple Val-

ley, MN. Matthew grew up inGreen Bay,WI. Both live in SanDiego where they met. Rochelleis the Director of Staffing, withVACO. Matthew is the Owner ofTMS , a merchant process ingcompany.Their wedding will take place

September 29th, at Camrose HillFlower Farm, in Stillwater MN.

Mark H. BlaskaAge 34 of Princeton formerly of

Burnsville passed away unexpect-edly on August 23, 2012. Markwas a 1996 graduate of Burns-ville High School and graduate ofDunwoody Institute.Mark was aloving devoted father, avid hunterand fisherman who loved playinghockey. He is survived by hischildren Molli, Kevin and Kyle;mother Karen (Jerry) Morrowand father Gaylon Blaska; sistersJill (W.J.) Eulberg and JennyBlaska-Vizenor; step sister KatieMorrow; grandmother LauraineBlaska; Also by many loving rela-tives and friends. Funeral Servicewa s he l d 11AM Thu r sday ,August 30 , 2012 at Pr ince ofPeace Lutheran Church, 13901Fairview Dr. Burnsville, MN.Visitation was 5-8pmWednesday,August 29 a t Whi te Funera lHome, 12804 Nicollet Ave. S. andalso one hour prior to service atchurch. Interment, SunsetMemo-rial Park, Minneapolis, MN. Inlieu of flowers, memorials will beappreciated for Marks children.

White Funeral HomeBurnsville 952-894-5080

www.whitefuneralhomes.com

To submit anannouncement

Forms for birth, engagement, wedding, anniversary and obituaries announcements are available at our office and online at www.thisweeklive.com (click on Announcements and then Send Announcement). Completed forms may be emailed to [email protected] or mailed to Sun Thisweek, 15322 Galaxie Ave., Suite 219, Apple Valley, MN 55124. If you are submitting a photograph along with your announcement, please only submit photographs for which you have the right to permit Sun Thisweek to use and publish. Deadline for announcements is 4 p.m. Tuesday. A fee of $50 will be charged for the first 5 inches and $10 per inch thereafter. They will run in all editions of Sun Thisweek. Photos may be picked up at the office within 60 days or returned by mail if a selfaddressed, stamped envelope is provided.

Womens luncheon The Minnesota Valley Christian Womens Connections luncheon featuring a wedding dress fashion show will be 12:30 to 2 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 13,

at Enjoy restaurant, 15435 Founders Lane, Apple Valley. Heidi Studer will speak on Defining Moments: History in the Making. Cost is $16. Call Lisa for reservations at (952) 4030773.

Photo contest voting openFarmington residents can choose their favorite EXPOSE Farmington Photo Contest submissions online at www.ci.farmington.mn.us under Take City Surveys. Voting ends at

4:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 7. Winners of the contest will be featured in the 2013 Farmington Community Calendar, to be sent to all Farmington residents and businesses in December. For questions about the contest or the calendar, call (651) 2806905.

Farmington Briefs

The Lakeville Senior Center is located at 20732 Holt Ave. Senior center inquiries can be directed to Linda Walter, senior coordinator, at (952) 9854622 or [email protected].

Health Angels Biking Club The Health Angels Biking Club meets at 8:30 a.m. Wednesdays and Fridays for coffee before heading out on a ride at 9 a.m. sharp. The biking schedule for September is: Sept. 5, Minneapolis Stone Arch, 22 miles Sept. 7, Big River, 17/22 miles Sept. 12, Dakota Trail,

27 miles Sept. 14, Cannon V and Apple Orchard, 20 miles Sept. 19, Cannon Valley W, 20 miles Sept. 20, open Sept. 1921, overnight to Lanesboro Sept. 26, Hopkins to Excelsior, 20 miles Sept. 28, Hopkins Minneapolis, 15/25 miles New, experienced bikers are welcome.

Watercolor class Boneita Edlund will teach an introductory watercolor class from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 6. All materials are furnished. Cost: One punch.

Singles group The Lakeville Single Seniors group holds monthly planning meetings on the third Friday of each month at 9:30 a.m. Must be a current senior center member and pay a $5 group registration fee in order to participate. The next outing will be minigolf at Adventure Gardens in Richfield Saturday, Sept. 8. Cost is $5.75 per game. Lunch at Houlihans prior to golf. Leave the senior center at 11 a.m.

Twins vs. Yankees See the Minnesota Twins take on the New York Yankees on Wednesday, Sept. 26. Price includes roundtrip motor coach transpor

tation and a ticket for an upperlevel reserved seat. Game time is 12:10 p.m. Leave the Lakeville Senior Center at 10 a.m. and leave Target Field 20 minutes after the game ends. Cost is $35, payable by Sept. 14.

Metro Dining Cards The Metro Dining Cards will arrive around the second week in September. They are a box of 166 restaurant cards that can be used once a month in a variety of restaurants south of the river buy one meal and get the second meal of equal value, free. The sets will be $22 at the senior center during business hours.

Lakeville Seniors


Sports

Photo by Andy Rogers

Lakeville Norths Haley Walker, No. 10, takes a swing against Bethlehem Academy on Tuesday. The Panthers swept the team 3-0.

by Andy RogersSun ThiSweek

The hype surrounding the Lakeville north Pan-ther volleyball team is roar-ing. with two-time all-state player Alyssa Goehner along with an healthy selec-tion of girls who helped the 2011 team finish second at state back in the lineup, its not surprising. Add the fact that Min-nesota volleyball coaching legend walt weaver has taken over as head coach, and the buzz has been dis-cernible statewide. weaver is back following a six-year break after spending 31 years as Apple Valleys head coach. his teams won two state titles and reached the state tournament 13 times. The Panthers opened the season ranked no. 1 in the Class AAA ahead of last years state champion eden Prairie (no. 3) and fellow South Suburban Confer-ence foe eagan (no. 4). The

girls know it wont be easy to stay that way. we cant let it get to our head too much, Goeh-ner said. we have a target on our back. everything comes into play when you have a target on your back. we just have to play as a team and stay humble. The girls power was on display during the season opener on Tuesday when the Panthers swept the no. 1 ranked team in Class A Bethlehem Academy 25-19, 25-12, 25-23. This is a team of phe-nomenal volleyball players and athletes, weaver said. The coaching theyve had all the way through their lives and the support they get from the community is great. You put that to-gether, and its a pretty fun group to watch. They work hard. They get along well. My job is just to tweak something here and there. Goehner looks like shes on another level, adding several miles per hour to

her swing this season. She going to be impos-sible to stop, weaver said. Shes an elite player. its pretty hard to defend a ball hit that hard. in addition to Goeh-ner, the Panthers will press defensive specialist Abby Monson into action who was with the team when it won state in 2010 as well. Shes one outrageous digger, Goehner said. Shell share the court with Sami Flattum and haley walker. All three played significant points last year at state. The Panthers lost a num-ber of star players including nicole Latzig, Jessica wolff and kelly nizzari to gradu-ation, all of whom were instrumental in the teams back-to-back state finals appearances, but there were plenty of girls waiting in the wings for a shot. newcomer erica hand-ley, who moved from win-

Panthers start season with a bang Volleyball team has another year of high expectations


The Lakeville South vol-leyball team has all kinds of new dynamics for 2012. The Cougars are com-ing off a season where they were ranked no. 1 in the state at one point and tied for the South Suburban Conference title. But little remains from perhaps its best season ever. with almost a com-plete roster turnover after graduating seven seniors last spring, new head coach Steve willingham is excited to see how the team per-forms in 2012. we have a really dy-namic team, willingham

said. i think were going to be better than people expect us to be. There wasnt room for these girls on varsity last year, and theyre excited to show people what they can do. willingham isnt a stranger to volleyball in Lakeville. he coached at Lakeville high School from 1986-2005. when Lakeville South opened, he coached for the schools 9A program from 2005-10. Last year he led Lakeville north to a Sec-tion 1AAA championship over Lakeville South and finished second at state.

Cougars return with newcoach, young players

Lakeville South volleyball has two players back

Tiger volleyball reloads Three key members back looking for an improved 2012


The Farmington vol-leyball team has a healthy mix of young talent and veteran setters and hitters set to swing away in 2012. The Tigers have three key members of the 2011 team back ready to swat the ball around the south metro. emily nelson returns after finishing third on the team in kills with 91 in 2011. emma Fahning is also back after finish-ing fourth on the team in kills. She led the team in digs and aces as a sev-enth-grader last season. emma is still very young but very solid,

head coach Mike woody said. She will be one of those stepping into more of a hitting role this sea-son. She has improved quite a bit and is a lot stronger than she was last season. Mia Johnston is also back at setter/defensive/serving specialist as a se-nior captain with middle blocker kaylene Seurer. (Johnstons) experi-ence and leadership will be important, woody said. She has done a great job as captain over the summer. RuthAnne Schmitt will provide some setting help with kelsey Lindell in the middle, Rachel eckert

at libero and Courtney Johnson on the right side. The Tigers expect to have a balanced attack with a stout defense. i feel this group is capable of a winning sea-son with lots of senior leadership and young tal-ent, woody said. we have to improve our of-fense on serve receive and continue to play scrappy defense to keep us in points. with a Missota Con-ference loaded with Chanhassen, Chaska, and Shakopee, woody expects the Tigers to be right behind them. My biggest concern going into the season

is our confidence in the tight matches, woody said. if we can stay strong and fight in the close ones, i think we can build confidence which is something we have lacked the last two seasons. To open the season, the girls swept Austin 25-12, 25-12 and 25-20 last week. The girls will par-ticipate in a tournament at Coon Rapids on Sept. 6 and host their own tournament on Sept. 13.

Andy Rogers can be reached at [email protected] or facebook.com/sunthisweek.


with high expectations and a wealth of experience, the Farmington boys soccer team is aiming for its best season yet in 2012. now that the roster is set, it is obvious that this group has high expectations for the level of commitment, level of play, and commitment to team, more so than any other group i have seen, head coach Julian Buss said. These boys want to win, but they also understand the purpose of team roles and team cohesiveness. we need to keep this focus and intensity through-out the season if we hope to fin-ish strong in conference and sec-tion. The Tigers finished 8-7-2 last year, which was the best record Farmington has had, consider-ing its schedule. Farmington has what i would consider a more competi-tive schedule, so we are certainly making moves in the right direc-tion, Buss said. The team lost its first two games of the season 2-0 to Rose-mount and Lakeville north. The Tigers got its first win of the sea-son beating Lakeville South 3-1 on Tuesday. The Missota Con-ference schedule begins Sept. 6 with a trip to Chanhassen. The Tigers should have more experience this season with the largest senior class ever involved in the program. i can look to the senior class for the depth, experience and leadership that a strong pro-gram requires, Buss said. not only are we fielding a more ma-ture team, but strength and skill are undoubtedly part of our strength as well. The teams defense should be stacked with hunter Meyers, Jeffrey hanson, eric Stoeck-

mann and Robin DeCastro back after playing varsity in 2011. This group is brutally diffi-cult to get through, so i would expect to see less shots on goal this year against our keepers, Buss said. Jared wolt and Blake Smith take over at center midfield after training hard during the offsea-son, according to Buss. At the wings, Tyler Petter-McCauley and Caleb Gochen-our take over with kaid nokes and urive Omana at forward hoping to score a few more goals. kaid is as strong a forward as you will find, and urive has a terrific left-foot shot that i ex-pect will catch a few goalies off-guard, Buss said. Although many of the play-

ers have varsity experience, Buss was impressed by the athletic improvements the team made during the off-season. it is obvious that these boys have been developing strength and speed during the off-season, whether it be as part of a condi-tioning program, another sport such as track and field, or by playing on competitive club soc-cer teams, Buss said. One possible concern was the opening at goalkeeper, but Buss said he is optimistic about the potential of Sam Peterson and isaac Toenjes, who will split du-ties when the season begins.

Andy Rogers can be reached at [email protected] or facebook.com/sunthisweek.

Tiger boys soccer expecting another big step forward

Farmington fielding most experienced team yetby Andy Rogers

Sun ThiSweek

if things go as planned, the Farmington girls cross country team should be quicker this season. every member of the team that finished sixth in the Missota Con-ference in 2011 is back. The teams top three runners, Sophia Chadwick, Maria kimin-ski and Maricia Pacheco, ran the 4,000-meter Missota Conference race in less than 16 minutes. Theyre joined by Alexis John-son, Sarah Cummings and Mari-cella Pacheco. The runners have put in a lot of miles and training over the summer, and i believe that it is going to have a strong impact on our season right at takeoff, coach heidi Revels said. i am expecting not only better in-dividual times, but i believe that we are going to finish stronger as a team this year. The girls spent the off-season lifting weights, going through cir-cuit training and doing plyometrics, which is essentially jump training, in addition to log runs, sprints and hills. with a veteran crew, the girls know what to expect on the familiar courses throughout the conference. The top runners wear a watch and are aware of where they need to be each mile of the race, as well as keeping track of their teammates, Revels said. Many people are un-der the impression that runners just go out and do that: run. But for the serious runners, there is much more to preparing for a race in order to reach their greatest potential.

Boys cross country The boys cross country team features Adam wallenta, Tyler Le-rbakken, Dan Block and Caleb ei-ffert this season. Coach Lisa Lippolds expecta-tion is to keep the gaps between the runners low. we have quite a few new run-

ners to cross country out this year, which is exciting, Lippold said. we try and do team-building ac-tivities throughout the season. we have already had a barbecue and pool party, trail running on the weekend, (and) team breakfasts af-ter practice. To get ready for the season, the team also hit the weight room with the help of strength and condition-ing coach Scott Meier. we do stations of sit-ups, push-ups and medicine ball workouts daily to continue to work on core strength, Lippold said. The boys and girls teams will be-gin the season on Friday at eagan high School in the Dakota County invitational. The girls will see the no. 1 ranked team in Class AA, Lakeville South, no. 4 eagan as well as Missota Conference rival new Prague. The boys will see no. 6-ranked eastview.

Girls swimming having the versatile kaitlyn OReilly back in the pool will help the Tigers in dual meets. OReilly finished seventh in the 200-yard individual medley and third in the 100 backstroke at the Class AA state meet last november. She joined up with kirsten kracke in a 200-yard medley relay that finished seventh at state. And the two swam with Cora Ruzicka on a 400 freestyle relay that placed 13th at state. They are joined by returning swimmers Maddie Alexander, Rob-in ellis and nikke Cayard. Coach Jen Marshall is encour-aged with the teams work ethic, co-hesiveness and leadership. we should be strong again this season, Marshall said. Strong leadership will take the team far. The girls are very witty and love to have fun. Last week the girls finished

Tiger runners chasing Missotas best

Girls team has nearly everyone back

Photo by Rick Orndorf

Lakeville Souths Cole Svendsen (18) heads the ball while Farmingtons Robin DeCastro (8) defends in a non-conference boys soccer game Tuesday. Farmington defeated Lakeville South 3-1. The South boys opened the season with a 1-0 victory over Rochester John Marshall but lost to Owatonna 3-2 last weekend. Later in the evening, The Lakeville South girls soccer team tied Farmington 1-1. Farmingtons started the season with a 5-2 victory over Faribault. At the Katie Drentlaw Invitational last weekend, the Tigers went 1-1, beating Byron 5-1 but losing to Prior Lake 5-0. The Lakeville South girls defeated Rochester John Marshall 2-1 in their opener but lost to Owatonna 3-1 last weekend.

See PanThers, 11A

See CouGars, 11A

See TiGers, 11A


E-Mac during the off-sea-son, will step in as the setter after helping the Patriots win back-to-back Class 1A state titles. Goehner was particularly excited about her potential after netting 28 kills against Bethlehem Academy. She is one great set-ter, Goehner said. She does wonderful things with the ball. I can tell you how many times I got a good set. Shes the reason I looked good tonight. To put the 28 kills in three games in perspective, Goehner had 34 the state final last year after five games. Janae Neuenschwander will have an expanded role as well along with seniors Laura Larson, Danielle Sanders, Courtney Hayes and Hailey Lonergan. Theyre doing a good job hitting it hard and hit-ting it smart, Weaver said. We have a lot of defensive specialists on the team. Theyre all exceptional play-ers. The pieces are there. Its going to be a fun year for Lakeville volleyball. Next weekend the Pan-thers head to Marshall to play in one of the more pres-tigious varsity tournaments

in the state: the Southwest Minnesota Challenge. The girls have won the tourna-ment the past two seasons. The girls will also par-ticipate in the Apple Val-ley Tournament Sept. 21, which features most of the yearly state contenders in Minnesota. They will also host their own Todd L. Bachman Invitational on Oct. 5. One of the more an-

ticipated match-ups in the South Suburban Confer-ence wont happen until Oct. 16 when the Panthers make the trip to another preseason favorite Eagan, which tied for the confer-ence title in 2011.

Andy Rogers can be reached at [email protected] or facebook.com/sun-thisweek.

During the offseason he took the job at Lakeville South, which is near his home. Two starters remain off last years Cougar squad setter Jazzmyne Tingelhoff and her younger sister pin hitter/outside hitter Jade Tingelhoff. We still havent really settled on where people will help us the most, Willing-ham said. Well see how they respond to the compe-tition. The Tingelhoffs have a wealth of experience to share with several newcom-ers. Middle blockers Ash-ley Pratt and Taylor Unke along with outside hitter

Sammie Kremer will help fill the open spots. There are really a num-ber of players that could play in the back row or hit-ting position, Willingham said. Were still searching for the starting lineup. The girls who give us the most energy will be on the court for us. The Cougars will rely on juniors and sophomores as Jazzmyne Tingelhoff is the only senior on the roster. Willingham likes their po-tential. Theyre enthusiastic and motivated, Willing-ham said. We have a lot to live up to. ... Weve got a long ways to go defensively getting our block set and all that. If we can take care

of our first contact, we can compete at a high level. The girls kicked the sea-son off Tuesday with a con-vincing 25-13, 25-14, 25-16 win over Visitation. The Cougars have three tournaments on the sched-ule this season the Ae-rie Challenge at Apple Valley on Sept. 7, Farm-ington on Sept. 15 and Cretin-Derham Hall on Sept. 29. The rematch at Lakev-ille North, which ended Souths season last year, is scheduled Sept. 11.


third at the Missota Relays behind Chanhassen and Northfield. The 400 med-ley relay with Ruzicka, El-lie Sundet, Chloe Holton

and OReilly finished first. Krake, Sundet, Ruzicka and OReilly were first in the 850 freestyle relay. By the end of season, Marshall said she would like to see Farmington have

two relays and five individ-ual entries at the state meet.


panthers, from 10A

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was compassionate and had a great sense of hu-mor, said Lauren Fox, one of his teachers at the ALC. About 100 community members students and staff from the various Lakeville schools, in ad-dition to graduates and friends turned out Aug. 22 for a memorial at the ALC, Vievering said. Posters adorned the walls. Memorial attendees could write messages on Post-Its to Roehl and Al-exander and affix them to the posters. We are planning to have that laminated and give each of the posters to each family, Vievering said. Other memorials have occurred as well, includ-ing those at the site of the crash on Buck Hill Road, where fellow students came out to mourn the loss of their friends.

Alexander Regarding Alexan-ders inclination toward compassion, Fox said she remembers one incident very clearly. Last year, a gym teach-er tripped and fell to the floor, her face striking the surface. Her face was damaged pretty badly, Fox said.

Everyone stood there in a state of shock but for Alexander, who rushed to the gym teachers aid. Fred was right there to help her on her feet, Fox said. He was so quick to step in and keep her calm. A couple days later that teacher went to Foxs classroom to thank him. Fox said the teacher told the whole class that Fred is my hero. Alexander also had a mind for strategy. He loved to play chess, Fox said. His goal every day was to beat the computer.

Roehl Vievering described Roehl as possessing a pen-chant for insight beyond her years about situations and people around her. She was a wonder at dealing with people, Viev-ering said. Roehl was also a go-getter and had a wonderful smile. Roehl was a positive force in the classroom, Vievering said. Though Roehl is gone, her person-able approach to life and her creative writing will live on. I have her poetry on the wall in my room, Vievering said, and it will stay there. There were three other passengers in the 1992 Toyota Camry, all Lakev-

ille South High School students. The unidentified 17-year-old driver, along with two teenage passen-gers, Jonathan L. Thomas, 16, of Lakeville, and Rey Chacon, 17, of Burnsville, suffered non-life-threaten-ing injuries. Thomas was wearing a seatbelt and Chacon was not. Roehl and Alexan-der were also not wear-ing belts, according to the State Patrol. Roehl is survived by her mother, Jen; father, Wayne; siblings, Grace, Ostin, Aidan, Dacey, Brennan, Breena, Rori and Reagen; grandpar-ents, Barb Walls, Dave and Cindy Roehl; great-grand-parents, Pauline Hickman and Wayne Lucking. Alexander is survived by his parents, Cheryl and Terence McClenney; siblings, Selena Ely and Gabrielle McClenney; grandparents, Freddie Jeff, Elizabeth McClenney and Gloria Honore; neph-ew, Daylon Daniels; niece, Haiden Jackson; special brother, Georgio Wright; special friends, Rey, Al-fredo, J.T., Julio, Esteban and Malik.

Aaron Vehling can be reached at [email protected] or facebook.com/sunthisweek.

cRAsh, from 1A

Thisweekend


Steel Kiss in a headlock

Photo submitted

Chameleon Theatre Circle and Segue Productions will present Steel Kiss at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 7-8 and 2 p.m. Sept. 9 at the Burnsville Performing Arts Center, 12600 Nicollet Ave., Burnsville. Tickets are $13 for adults and $10 for students, seniors and groups. Tickets can be purchased at the box office or by calling (952) 895-4680. Chameleon Theatre Circles 13th annual New Play Festival also will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8, at the Burnsville Performing Arts Center, 12600 Nicollet Ave. It is free to attend. More is at www.chameleontheatre.org.

Zoo kicks off concert series The Minnesota Zoo will debut its Live On Stage acoustic concert series in its new indoor theatre, the Target Learning Center, a multi-pur-pose performance venue and winter home to the zoos World of Birds show. Concert lineup: Sept. 27, Chris Koza; Oct. 4, Lucy Michelle; Oct. 18, The Atlantis Quartet; Oct. 25, Alison Scott; and Nov. 7, Jeremy Messersmith. Evening schedule: 6 to 7 p.m., zoo opens for Tropics Trail stroll; 7 p.m., Target Learning Center doors open for seating; 7:15 p.m., bird en-counter on stage; 7:30 p.m., concert begins. The concerts are open to guests age 18 and older. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at mnzoo.org.

Canvas & Vine tickets on sale The Burnsville Convention & Visitors Bureaus annual Canvas & Vines, A Collection of Fine Art & Wine, will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 13, at the Burns-ville Performing Arts Center, 12600 Nicollet Ave. The fundraising event includes sampling and learning about select wines and craft beer, tasting a vari-ety of foods from local restaurants, while viewing fine art, listening to

music from Greenwood Tree, and bidding on silent auction items. Tickets are available now. Admis-sion is $35. Must be 21 years of age or older to attend. Call (952) 895-4690 for more information and to purchase tickets, or visit www.canva-sandvines.com.

Club Swing in Burnsville Five By Designs Club Swing performance will be 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 21, at the Burnsville Perform-ing Arts Center, 12600 Nicollet Ave. Tickets range from $22 to $29 and can be purchased at the box office or by phone at (952) 895-4680.

Teen artist gatherings The Eagan Art House, 3981 Lex-ington Ave. S., will host Teen Artist Gatherings from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Thursdays, Sept. 13, Oct. 4, Nov. 8 and Dec. 6; and from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturdays, Oct. 6, Nov. 3 and Dec. 1. Cost is $3 payable at the door. Drop-ins welcome. Bus transporta-tion will be provided from Eagan High School to the art house on the Thursday gatherings. To ride the bus, call or text (651) 485-8940. No transportation will be offered on Saturdays. Call the Eagan Art House at (651) 675-5521 for more information.

To submit items for the Fam-ily Calendar, email: darcy.

[email protected].

Friday, Aug. 31 Blue Moon Walk, 8 to 9:30 p.m. at Ritter Farm Park, 19300 Ritter Trail, Lakeville. For all ages, families encouraged. Cost: $5 per person and/or $15 per family. Information: Lakev-ille Parks and Recreation, (952) 985-4600.

Wednesday, Sept. 5 Pilot Knob Road Corridor open house for area residents, business owners and commut-ers from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Eagan Community Center Oasis Room, 1501 Central Parkway, Eagan. Information: (952) 891-7100. Eagan Market Fest, 4 to 8 p.m., Eagan Festival Grounds. The farmers market is open with a wide selection of fall produce including apples. Information: www.cityofeagan.com/market-fest or (651) 675-5500. Parent informational meet-ing hosted by MTS Minnesota Connections Academy, a virtual K-12 program, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Barnes & Noble Cafe, 1291 Promenade Place, Eagan. Learn what its like to attend public school online. Information: www.connectionsacademy.com or (800) 382-6010.

Thursday, Sept. 6 Activities to Encourage Engagement, Alzheimers care training, 6 p.m. at Home Instead Senior Care, 1600 E. Cliff Road, Burnsville. Free. To reserve a spot, call (952) 882-9300.

Friday, Sept. 7 Forever Wild Family Fri-day: Nature Bingo, 7 to 8:30 p.m., Lebanon Hills Visitor Cen-ter Discovery Room, 860 Cliff Road, Eagan. Free. Registration required. Course No. 4174. In-formation: http://www.co.dakota.mn.us/LeisureRecreation/Coun-tyParks/Calendar.

Saturday, Sept. 8 Kids n Kinship 40th an-niversary gala, 6 to 8:30 p.m. at Crystal Lake Golf Club, 6725 Innsbrook Drive, Lakeville. In-

cludes cash bar, silent auction, music and other entertainment, a quilt raffle, wine cork pull, plus a sit-down dinner. Tickets are available for $40 at www.kin-ship40th.eventbrite.com. Live auction online at www.winning-cause.org/all-auctions/kids-n-kinship-1.html.

Sunday, Sept. 9 Bird banding, 9 a.m. to noon at Ritter Farm Park, 19300 Ritter Trail, Lakeville. Join a naturalist for an up-close look at wild birds. Cost: $2 per person for ages 10 and older; free for children under 10. Information: Lakeville Parks and Recreation, (952) 985-4600. The Denmark Demons vin-tage baseball team will face the Quicksteps at 1 p.m. at the Den-mark Town Hall, 14008 90th St. S., in Denmark Township. The game is free and open to the public.

Ongoing Firearm Safety Class will be offered at Rosemount Mid-dle School, 3135 143rd St. W., Rosemount, Sept. 11, 18, 25, Oct. 2, 9, 16, 23, 29. Tentative range day: Oct. 27. Registration: 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 11. Minimum age is 11. Fee is $7.50. A legal guardian must accompany stu-dents for registration and stay for approximately the first hour of class, which begins at 7 p.m. No preregistration. Information: Mike Kottwitz, (952) 884-8001.

Blood drives The American Red Cross will hold the following blood drives. Call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit red-crossblood.org to make an ap-pointment or for more informa-tion. Sept. 4, 12:30 to 6:30 p.m., Messiah Lutheran Church, 16725 Highview Ave., Lakeville. Sept. 8, 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Burnsville City Hall, 100 Civic Center Parkway, Burnsville. Sept. 8, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Wescott Library, 1340 Wescott Road, Eagan. Sept. 10, 2 to 5 p.m., Um-bria Gourmet Pizzeria, 1965 Cliff Lake Road, Eagan.

family calendar

theater and arts briefs

Thisweekend


To submit items for the Arts Calendar, email: darcy.

[email protected].

Auditions ThePrior LakePlayerswillhold open auditions forAlice in Wonderland from 6:30 to9 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 4, andWednesday, Sept. 5, at TwinOaks Middle School, 15860Fish Point Road S.E., PriorLake. Auditions for childrenages5-10will be from6:30 to7:30p.m.bothnights,andteen/adult(age11andup)auditionswillbefrom7:30to9p.m.Infor-mation:www.plplayers.org.

Concerts Little Feat with Tom Fuller Band,7:30p.m.Sunday,Sept.2, Subway Music in the Zoo,Minnesota Zoo amphitheater,AppleValley.Cost:$34.Ticketsavailableatticketmaster.com.

Exhibits/art shows A botanical art exhibit byThe Great River Chapter ofBotanical Artists is on displaythroughSept.16attheLakev-ille Area Arts Center, 20965HolyokeAve.Information:(952)985-4640. Pilgrims and Passages, ajointexhibitfeaturingartbyAn-thonyDonatelleandJonReis-chl,isondisplaythroughSept.8 in the gallery at BurnsvillePerformingArtsCenter, 12600NicolletAve.Formoreinforma-tion,call(952)895-4676orvisitwww.burnsvillepac.com. Harvest of Art Commu-nity Art Exhibit opening,1to5p.m.Sunday,Sept.9,at theEaganArtHouse,3981Lexing-tonAve.S.TheexhibitwillrunthroughNov.2atthearthouseandotherEagan locations. In-formation: (651) 675-5521 orwww.eaganarthouse.org.

Festivals/special events Burnsville Fire Musterruns Sept. 5-9. Information:www.burnsvillefiremuster.com/. Burnsville Convention &Visitors Bureaus Canvas & Vineswillbe6to9p.m.Thurs-day,Sept.13,attheBurnsvillePerforming Arts Center. In-cludes wine, craft beer, food,art,musicandasilentauction.Admissionis$35.Guestsmustbe 21 or older to attend. Call(952)895-4690 formore infor-mationandtopurchasetickets,or visit www.canvasandvines.com. Musical Heart Notes Treasuring Children, a mu-sical fundraiser for ChildrensLighthouse of Minnesota, willbeheldfrom2to5:30p.m.Sat-urday,Sept.29,at theSteeple

Center, 14375 S. Robert Trail,Rosemount.Ticketsare$25 inadvance, $30 at the door. In-formation: www.childrenslight-housemn.org.

Theater The Chameleon TheatreCircle and Segue Produc-tionswillpresentSteel Kissat 7:30 p.m. Sept. 7-8 and 2p.m. Sept. 9 at the BurnsvillePerformingArtsCenter, 12600Nicollet Ave., Burnsville. Tick-ets are $13 for adults and$10 for students, seniors andgroups. Tickets can be pur-chasedat the box office or bycalling(952)895-4680. The Chameleon TheatreCircles13thannualNew Play Festival willbe9a.m.to5p.m.Saturday,Sept.8,attheBurns-ville Performing Arts Center,12600NicolletAve.Free.

Workshops/classes Allegro Choral Academyis currently accepting regis-trations for its 2012-13 sea-son for students in second toeighth grade. Classes avail-ableinRosemountandLakev-ille. Registration information:http://www.allegroca.org/ [email protected]. Adult painting open stu-diofrom9a.m.tonoonthefirstand thirdFridaysof themonthat the EaganArt House, 3981Lexington Ave. S. Fee is $5persession. Information: (651)675-5521. Music Together in the Val-ley offers classes for parentsand their infant, toddler andpreschool children in Rose-mount, Farmington, Lakevilleand Apple Valley. Information:www.musictogetherclasses.comor(651)439-4219. The Eagan Art House of-fersclassesforages4throughadult. Register now for fallclasses.Foracomplete listinggo to www.eaganarthouse.orgorcall(651)675-5521. Dan Petrov Art Studio inBurnsville offers oil painting

classesforbeginners,interme-diate and advanced skill levelpainters, www.danpetrovart.com,(763)843-2734. Teens Express Yourself with Paint, 5 to 7 p.m. Mon-days at Brushworks School ofArt in Burnsville, www.Brush-worksSchoolofArt.com, (651)214-4732. Drama/theater classes forages 4 and up at River RidgeArtsBuilding, Burnsville, (952)736-3644. Special needs theater program (autism-DCD), ages5 and older, Burnsville, (952)736-3644. Joinother 55-plusadults attheEaganArtHousetocreatebeaded jewelry. The Jewelry ClubmeetsonthethirdFridayofeachmonthfrom1to3p.m.Information:(651)675-5500. Savage Art Studios, 4735W. 123rd St., Suite 200, Sav-age, offers classes/workshopsforallages. Information:www.savageartstudios.com or (952)895-0375. Soy candle making class-es heldweekly in Eagan near55andYankeeDoodle.CallJa-mieat(651)315-4849fordatesand times. $10 per person.PresentedbyMakingScentsinMinnesota. Country line dance class-esheldforintermediatesMon-days1:30to3:30p.m.atRam-bling River Center, 325 OakSt., Farmington, $5/class. CallMarilyn(651)463-7833. Country line dance class-es on Wednesdays at theLakevilleSeniorCenter,20732HoltAve.Beginners,9-10a.m.;Intermediate,10a.m.-noon.$5/class. Call Marilyn (651) 463-7833. The Lakeville Area ArtsCenter offers arts classes forall ages, www.lakevillemn.gov,(952)985-4640.

by Tad JohnsonSun ThiSweek

One wouldnt expect to draw a straight line from herman Melvilles iconic Captain Ahab to a girl in a rundown small town, but kansas author Clare Vanderpool did. The line started to be drawn when Vanderpool came across the often-repeated quote from Moby Dick it is not down on any map; true places never are. True places were easy to map for Vanderpool, who said she has lived in the same wichita, kan., neighborhood her whole life. A true place is all about home and the people and places that are so familiar, she said, the neighborhood pool, the sledding hill, all the places where memories abound. She said that started her thinking about what a young person whose fam-ily moved around a lot would think of home. That was when Abilene Tucker showed up and i basically ac-companied her on this journey of finding her own definition of a true place, Vanderpool said. Abilene is the central character of Vander-pools Moon Over Man-ifest, which will be the focus of One Book, One

Rosemount events from Sept. 1 to Oct. 9 (go to SunThisweek.com to see a full listing). She is the daughter of a drifter for a dad, who has sent her to live with relatives in her fathers hometown for the sum-mer. Abilene has heard many tales of her dads childhood, but shes dis-appointed that the town of Manifest in the 1930s doesnt live up to the bill-ing her father gave it. But discovering a tale about the towns myste-rious past and the role her father played in it are just the beginning for Abilene, who has never experienced community or a connection to place. Vanderpool said that tale shows the transfor-

mative power of story in our lives. Moon Over Mani-fest has a wide range of appeal because it has characters of different ages, nationalities and backgrounds in addition to being set in two differ-ent time periods. i think it speaks to some basic themes that are important to all of us home, community, the need for belonging, and the importance of story in our lives, Vanderpool said. She said the book can incite discussion about history and those i re-member when types of discussions. Much of the book re-ally pertains to all of our lives, she said. There are themes of friendship, loss, the need for forgive-ness and redemption. More about Vander-pool is at www.clarevan-derpool.com. For a brochure about the One Book, One Rose-mount events, go to the Robert Trail Library, 14395 Robert Trail S., or go to a PDF link of it from this story posted on-line at SunThisweek.com.

Tad Johnson can be reached at [email protected] or facebook.com/sunthisweek.

Journey to find home Newbery award-winning author to be in Rosemount

Clare Vanderpool

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use of the term standard operating procedures when referring to the work DeCrans said she typically performed when testing evidence used in Dakota County drug cases. Traub challenged the term because accepted sci-entific standards indicate standard operating pro-cedures are written, veri-fied, tested and consistent-ly followed. Procedures employed at the St. Paul crime lab did not meet that standard, as previous testimony re-vealed. Once the crime labs op-erations became publicized after July testimony in the hearing, the drug lab test-ing was shut down, the head of the lab replaced and the law enforcement entities that used the lab for testing drug evidence, including Dakota County, stopped sending samples there for testing. The drug evidence has been undergoing retesting by the Bureau of Crimi-nal Apprehension drug lab, but the defense also is claiming retesting cannot rectify damage done by the St. Paul lab. DeCrans said Traubs questioning to determine the proper scientific term for the work she performed on drug cases was getting a little nit-picky on termi-nology. Science is nit-picky and requires precision, Traub replied. Previous testimony re-vealed the unaccredited St.

Paul crime labs operations lacked standard operating procedures performed by an under-trained work-force that employed lax standards, improper test-ing procedures and failed to maintain equipment. The Frye-Mack hear-ing has included a cross-section of Dakota County drug cases where evidence was tested by the St. Paul crime lab; its purpose is to explore whether scientific evidence can be presented against an accused defen-dant in trial. Traub and Christine Funk of the States Public Defenders office have ar-gued the evidence is con-taminated and should be thrown out. Some of the seven cases included in the hearing are expected to be removed af-ter the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension crime lab concluded drug evidence was determined to be too insufficient to retest. Those cases will con-tinue through the legal process independent of the hearing and will allow evi-dence like drug parapher-nalia, Prokopowicz said. He noted that tests of samples on the remaining cases involved in the Frye-Mach hearing, which have been given a high priority by the BCA, to conclude testing. The hearing will contin-ue Sept. 6.

Laura Adelmann is at [email protected] or facebook.com/sunthisweek.

partment of Public Safety, for the first six months of licensure in Minnesota, only one passenger under the age of 20 is permitted, unless accompanied by a parent or guardian. The ex-ception is if those under 20 are immediate family. For the second six months of licensure, no more than three passengers under the age of 20 are per-mitted, unless accompanied by a parent or guardian. For those whose chil-dren walk to school, Von-hof recommends having a talk about safety. I also encourage par-ents to take a dry run with their kids, he said. Go ahead and walk the route. Demonstrate to them

whats the safest way to cross roads. Aaron Vehling can be reached at [email protected] or facebook.com/sun-thisweek.

crime lab, from 1A

police, from 1A

Kids n Kinship will cel-ebrate its 40th anniversary with a gala from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8, at Crystal Lake Golf Club, 6725 Innsbrook Drive, Lakeville. The community is invited. The Anniversary Gala will be an elegant evening featuring a cash bar, silent auction, music and other entertainment, a quilt raf-fle, wine cork pull, plus a sit-down dinner. Kids n Kinship will cel-ebrate its 40 years of suc-cess with a program includ-ing a video and photo/slide

show. Tickets are avail-able for $40 at www.kin-ship40th.eventbrite.com. In addition, a live auc-tion is online at www.win-ningcause.org/all-auctions/kids-n-kinship-1.html. Kids n Kinship is a nonprofit organization that matches children who have a need for an addi-tional supportive relation-ship with carefully screened adult volunteers. On

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