Alex Daley and Matt Scott of Eagan hope to bring soccer fields to impoverished communities across the world through their nonprofit, Dribble Daily. (Photo by Jessica Harper)

Daley and Scott hope to bring soccer to all youths

Two Eagan residents hope to accomplish a feat few others have – dribble a soccer ball across America, all while raising money for charity.

Alex Daley and Matt Scott plan to begin their journey across Minnesota on May 21 in advance of their dribble across America this fall.

The University of St. Thomas graduates will take an estimated 21 days to complete the 420 mile trip across the state.

Their goal isn’t to break a world record, but to raise money for their nonprofit, Dribble Daily, which provides soccer fields and gear for disadvantaged children across the world.

“We hope to be a catalyst for change,” Daley, 23, said. “The government can’t do it alone. The private sector needs to step up and do it.”

The organization is the brain child of Daley, Scott and fellow St. Thomas graduate Mike Valesano who set out to create social change in impoverished communities through the game of soccer.

Scott and Daley drew their inspiration from a trip to Nepal in the spring of 2012. The Eagan High School graduates met with children from a nearby boarding school and were inspired to create a soccer field and purchase equipment for the school with donations they gathered. From there, Dribble Daily was born.

The organization aims to create rooftop soccer fields and community gardens in inner city communities to battle childhood obesity and promote healthy living.

Daley, a former college soccer player and avid fan, and Scott said they believe soccer could also help bring the community together.

“Soccer transcends racial, ethnic and cultural barriers,” Scott, 24, said.

Dribble Daily’s first project was at a boarding school in Nepal, where co-founders Matt Scott and Alex Daley visited during their travel across Southeast Asia in 2012. (Photo submitted)

Daley and Scott oversee the organization full time and are currently working to create soccer fields in inner city communities in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Scott and Daley hope to achieve their goal by partnering with local government entities, neighborhood groups and nonprofits.

They had thought about dribbling across the nation for the past three years as a unique way to raise money for a cause.

As Dribble Daily began to take shape, Daley and Scott decided to take on the challenge for their own nonprofit.

They said they hope their journey will raise awareness for soccer, in addition to raising money for Dribble Daily.

Daley and Scott hope to complete the trip on a shoestring budget by sleeping in a tent or with host families.

A van will follow them on their journey carrying supplies.

The group will begin at the Minnesota/Canadian border and will end at the Iowa border. Daley and Scott said they hope to travel an average of 20 miles per day.

The two men have trained for their upcoming trip for more than a month but know it will be a trying feat.

“Putting our bodies through that level of fatigue and stress is the biggest challenge,” Scott said.

Both men have backpacked across Southeast Asia and are no strangers to strenuous walks.

Each day, the group will make a video of Daley and Scott doing soccer ball tricks, which will be posted on the Dribble Daily website and social media.

Local residents are encouraged to join the Eagan natives as they pass their different communities.

Daley and Scott said they hope to visit several inner city communities during their trip across the nation, including Compton, Calif.

They hope to connect with community advocates and sponsors to help make it possible.

As they begin their journey, Daley and Scott continue to seek donations and corporate sponsors.

Daley and Scott said they hoping to raise as much as possible but aren’t seeking a set dollar amount.

Fans can follow Daley and Scott on their journey and watch daily videos on Facebook and twitter @Dribble Daily.

For more information or to make a tax deductible donation, visit dribbledaily.org.

The post Eagan residents to dribble across Minnesota appeared first on SunThisweek.

The Farmington Police Department no longer offers citizens the opportunity to ride along with an officer and get a feel for what the officers do.

Police Chief Brian Lindquist told City Council members at a workshop on Monday, May 13, that ride alongs are too much of a liability and mitigation.

“My job is to protect you guys and the cops and citizens, and part of that is to mitigate reliability as much as we can,” Lindquist said.

He said that if a police officer has to worry about a passenger in the car during a response call gone wrong, then that worry could get in the way of the officer’s duty. He also said the computer system has private information, and if an officer is called on a domestic assault case, for example, the citizen left in the car could access or hear private information.

If someone is injured in a ride along as well, the city could get sued and always be paying that settlement off, Lindquist said.

“It’s not a spectator story, but we’ve treated it as such. But at the end of the day, if you were aware of the problem that potentially existed. … IT’s not a matter of (other cities) are doing it,” he said. “It’s not a good policy or good plan, and I don’t think it’s going to exist anywhere else much longer.”

Council member Christy Jo Fogarty asked for a compromise saying, “We’re not going to agree on this, but we need to find some middle ground. … I don’t want this opportunity lost to people.”

Fogarty said that if a student interested in law enforcement wants to do a ride along, it is a valuable way to determine his or her career path. She said not allowing this is a disservice to the community.

While neighboring cities do allow ride alongs, City Council members questioned whether this is a valuable service citizens should be allowed.

Council member Terry Donnelly said he is fine with no ride alongs and has no interest in ever going on one.

Council member Doug Bonar said, “My concern is a broad and consistent out reach to the citizens.” He hopes the police department finds ways to interact with the community where they are seen as individuals instead of just cops.

Mayor Todd Larson said he went on a ride along and found it boring for 90 percent of the time until a high-speed chase near the end. He said he saw where both sides were coming from.

“I also want our cops to be comfortable to do it,” Larson said.

“It’s half our budget. It’s a good marketing tool,” Council member Jason Bartholomay said. He raised the question if ride alongs bring more social value that outweighs the liability concern.

“It’s a great PR tool, but I can give them the same experience by watching the footage from patrol cars,” Lindquist said.

Fogarty and council members asked Lindquist to bring the a montage of footage that would be shown in place of a ride along.

“You need to convince me that you can show them just as well,” Fogarty said.

The post No more police ride-alongs in Farmington appeared first on SunThisweek.

For 150 days spanning from Nov. 1 to March 31, 4th and 5th graude students at Meadowview Elementary School tried to earn 100 points by staying active outside of school. Parents filled out weekly mileage forms confirming students were active for at least 15 minute. Students earned one point for low-intensity workouts and two for high-intensity, getting up to two points per day, 14 points per week. Physical education teacher Joe McCarthy said, “Research also says students who are physically active will perform better on academic assessments, have better behavior and will focus more in the classroom.” (Photo submitted)

The post Meadowview students make fitness challenge Century Club appeared first on SunThisweek.

(Photo by Theresa Malloy)

Community members gathered at Farmington High School on Friday, May 10, as Farmington Royalty unveil their new float. The silver and back streamers gleamed in the sun, and a rail along the edge features a black and white cutout of the downtown storefronts. The scholarship pageant includes community parades where the girls serve as ambassadors for Farmington, waving from the new float. After the unveiling, the candidates had their first judged event in a “Meet the Candidates” interview session. The Farmington Royalty Coronation is a part of the Dew Days festivities at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 11 at Boeckman Middle School. For a schedule of candidate appearances, visit farmingtonroyalty.com.

The post Farmington Royalty unveils float, starts judging appeared first on SunThisweek.

Groomingdale’s Pet Salons celebrated its 25th Anniversary with a ribbon cutting at its Farmington Location Friday, May 10. Owners Bruce and Jennifer Rohde are joined by Groomingdale’s staff, Mayor Todd Larson, city staff and Farmington Economic Development Authority members Geraldine Jolley, and Steve Wilson. (Photo by Theresa Malloy)

Since opening in Eagan in 1988, Groomingdale’s Pet Salons has grown and expanded making it a leading dog salon in the area.

At its ribbon cutting celebration at the Farmington location at 18450 Pilot Knob Road on Friday, May 11, Mayor Todd Larson, Economic Development Authority members Geraldine Jolley, and Steve Wilson, and city staff joined in the celebration.

Owner Jennifer Rohde said what makes the business strong is that, “We’ve got the most talented people, I think, in our industry.”

“We have seen an increase in more families having multiple pets, and I take care of them like a regular family member,” Rohde said. “They come in really regularly.” She even has loyal clients who moved out of state and will bring their pets back for an appointment when they come back into town.

Along with her husband Bruce Rohde, the couple own and manage the three locations in Farmington, Eagan and Lakeville.

The Farmington couple took over ownership from founder Cheryl Richardson about six years ago. Richardson still works at the Lakeville location as a groomer.

Bruce keeps his day job, but the two work as a team.

“We work on it all the time, but we love it,” Jennifer said.

Jennifer used to work as a groomer before becoming an owner.

She started raising Yorkies and realized how quickly their hair grows. She decided to see if bathing dogs could turn out to be something that she loved.

Everyday she is “excited to see our amazing staff and all our great dogs.”

Groomingdale’s will host its final ribbon cutting at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 17, at its Lakeville location.

Free nail trims for pets will be offered on the Friday of the ribbon cuttings and the Saturday following. Enter a drawing for free pet grooming with a grand prize drawing for one year’s worth of free grooming, and one free grooming from each salon location.

Patrick Nau Photography will provide a free sitting and an 8-by-10 color photograph of clients’ freshly groomed pets.

For more information, visit groomingdalesmn.com.

The post Groomingdale’s Pet Salons has ‘shear’ success after 25 years appeared first on SunThisweek.

Farmington Girl Scout troops released colorful balloons into the air on Friday, May 10, at Farmington High School to celebrate a year of service and community engagement. At the Court of Awards Ceremony that evening, girls from Daisys to Cadets were honored, including troops that received the Bronze and Gold Awards, some of the highest community service honors. (Photo by Theresa Malloy)

About 330 Farmington Girl Scouts dedicated hundreds of hours to volunteering in the community this school year, including volunteering at the Trinity Care Center, working at the good shelf, adopting soldiers, raking leaves and pond cleanups.

“We’re really trying to make them give back,” said parent and Junior Troop 25013 co-leader Jeanne Nelson.

At the Court of Awards ceremony on Friday, May 10, more than 80 girls gathered to share and celebrate all the projects they did this year. Some troops received top honors including two fifth-grade Junior troops that received the Bronze Award for 20-hours of community service and three 11th grade Cadets that received the top honor of the Gold Award for a project that included 80 hours of service.

Maggie Kielas was one of the girls honored for the Gold Award who started and directed a children’s choir at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Farmington.

“Music has always been what I loved to do,” she said. “I wanted to do something with music. It’s been a good experience.”

Kielas, a Girl Scout for 12 years, said she worked with a choir of four girls, and it was not the easiest feat. She quickly learned lesson on politics, running into some adults who were not as supportive as they could have been.

“I’ve had a ton of fun learning about music,” she said.

Jennifer Elfering, another Cadet earning her Gold Award spent her 80 hours at Dakota Woodlands in Eagan where she raised money to help remodel a teen kid’s room, restyled a bedroom and helped removed clothes from a donation room, so it could be converted into cleaning supply storage space.

“At the end, it was hard to walk away from the work I did,” Elfering wrote in the program. “I made a brochure for Dakota Woodlands, explaining my project, so other people in the future can continue to make it a better place by donating their time and efforts as I did.”

Junior Troop 25013 earned its Bronze Award by collecting non-perishable food items for Mission Outpost in Burnsville. The troop hosted the Court of Awards and collected food donations from the more than 80 Girl Scouts that attended and their parents.

The Bronze Award was also given to Junior Troop 22301. For their project “First Aid, Pay it Forward,” the girls learned about administering emergency aid to people with asthma and allergies, then they taught these skills to their peers.

The post Farmington Girl Scouts spend hundreds of hours volunteering appeared first on SunThisweek.

Andrew William Alich

The Dakota County Sheriff’s Office issued a warrant for the arrest of 21-year-old Andrew William Alich after he failed to show up for his hearing on May 6 related to two charges of soliciting a minor to engage in sexual conduct.

The Detroit Lakes man admitted to police that he asked a 14-year-old girl to have sex with him via an electronic conversation in October 2012, according to the criminal complaint.

Farmington Police retrieved the conversation from the Farmington minor where Alich asks the child to have sex with him or send a nude photo in order to have him contact a mutual acquaintance for her.

Alich faces two counts of solicitation of a minor to engage in sexual conduct. Each count carries up to three years of jail time and a $5,000 fine.

The Dakota County Sheriff’s Office asks anyone with information pertaining to Alich to contact their office at 651-438-TIPS.

The post Warrant for man accused of soliciting Farmington minor appeared first on SunThisweek.

Well, maybe not the entire league, but some local sports stars who have advanced to the big league will play in the 2013 NHL Players Charity Game during Rosemount Leprechaun Days.

Rosemount Boys Blue Line Club members have started selling $30 tickets for the event that will run from 5-8 p.m. Thursday, July 25, at the Rosemount Community Center and Ice Arena. Online sales will start Monday, May 20, at www.RosemountHockey.com.

Those who will be participating in the game will be Rosemount High School graduate J.T. Brown, a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning; Apple Valley graduate Mike Lundin, of the Ottawa Senators; Derek Stepan, who plays for the New York Rangers and is the son of Rosemount boys hockey coach Brad Stepan; and U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame member Phil Housley, who among American-born players is the second-leading goal scorer in NHL history.

The event will include an autograph session, silent auction and an hour-long game featuring the NHL players with Minnesota connections, including Jamie McBain and Justin Faulk, Carolina Hurricanes; Jordan Schroeder, Vancouver Canucks; Jake Gardiner, Toronto Maple Leafs; Taylor Chorney, St. Louis Blues, and Jeff Taffe, Washington Capitals.

More players are expected to be added to the list after the NHL Playoffs end.

Proceeds from the event will be donated to the Minnesota Sled Hockey Association, Caneff Family Scholarships and Rosemount High School Boys Hockey.

The post NHL players to drop the puck in Rosemount during Leprechaun Days appeared first on SunThisweek.

Eastview’s Mckenzie Hanegraaf puts the ball in play during the Lightning’s 2-0 victory over Eagan on Saturday. Hanegraaf has returned to the Eastview lineup after sitting out last season because of two back surgeries. Photo by Mike Shaughnessy

The softball playoffs haven’t started yet for Eastview High School, but Mckenzie Hanegraaf already knows she will enjoy them more than she did last year.

That’s because she will step out of the dugout and onto the field, instead of off the field and into the dugout.

Hanegraaf was a spectator as the Lightning finished third in the 2012 Section 3AAA tournament. Two back surgeries cost Hanegraaf her sophomore season.

She played this season with no ill effects and helped the Lightning to a 10-4 record and the No. 2 seed in the section tournament. Eastview earned a first-round bye in the playoffs and advanced to the double-elimination portion of the tourney. The Lightning will play Apple Valley or Rosemount at 4:30 p.m. Friday at Dred Scott Fields in Bloomington. The section tournament runs through May 28 at Dred Scott.

Hanegraaf, a junior captain, splits time between pitcher and first base and is one of three pitchers available to the Lightning. Eastview coach Trevor Monroe said he wouldn’t hesitate to use any or all of them.

Hanegraaf said she’s up for whatever Monroe decides. “I know it will be a lot more fun than sitting on the bench and keeping the (score)book,” she said.

A stress fracture in a vertebra required the first back surgery. Pins were inserted to stabilize the area. Shortly before softball season was to start, Hanegraaf had more discomfort and a second procedure was done, this time to remove the pins. That washed out her 2012 season, but Hanegraaf said she has had few problems with her back since.

Monroe said he has tried to keep his team from focusing too much on its record – but still, it’s pretty good. Eastview, ranked ninth in Class AAA, has a one-run loss to No. 1 Lakeville North and a one-run loss to No. 2 Maple Grove. Monday, the Lightning lost 4-2 to Prior Lake on a walk-off homer in the bottom of the seventh inning. The victory allowed the Lakers to jump over Eastview into second place in the South Suburban Conference.

“One fly ball to left field isn’t going to define our season,” Monroe said. “The wind was blowing pretty hard to left. If not for the wind we have a chance to catch it because we’ve got a good defensive team.”

Although Eastview has a fairly young team, expectations were high based on last year’s playoff finish. Monroe said there’s a danger in being fixated on results.

“We try not to look so much at wins and losses, but how we’re playing,” he said. “One thing we can control is our effort, and one thing we realize is it’s a team effort. It’s not just one player or one position.”

The players also had to get used to an almost-new coaching staff. An interim staff coached the Lightning last year before Monroe was named permanent head coach last summer. Monroe, a teacher at Eastview High, is a former head baseball coach at Rosemount and a former softball assistant at Farmington. He also has coached youth fastpitch teams in the Minnesota Irish program.

“Most of us knew who he was,” Hanegraaf said. “A bunch of us played against teams that he coached (in the summer).

“It was kind of cool to start over with a new staff. Our old coaches were phenomenal, but starting fresh is fun, too.”

Hanegraaf is hitting about .500 and belted a walk-off homer in the 11th inning of Eastview’s 2-1 victory over Bloomington Jefferson. That might have been the Lightning’s biggest victory of the regular season.

Center fielder Courtney Wissbaum was batting above .400, while Melissa Barry moved from the outfield to take over at shortstop. Both are sophomores, as are starting third baseman Julia Luciano and catcher Kara Sjostrom. Ninth-graders Jamie Reynolds (designated player) and Hailey Monroe (left field).

Kerrigan Hoshaw, another sophomore, has seen a lot of time in the pitching circle and likely will be the starter in the playoff opener.

Catcher Emily Larson, outfielder/pitcher Marissa Leners, and infielders Rachel Young and Christie Seaberg are the seniors on the roster.

With such a wide range of ages on the roster, Hanegraaf said the Lightning’s biggest improvement might be off the field, rather than on.

“Our team chemistry is much better,” she said. “We’ve had some battles in the past, but we’ve gotten stuff together off the field. We all talk, we’re together as a team and there are no cliques.”

That means Eastview can place its undivided attention on playoff opponents. Somewhere along the way, the Lightning could face No. 1-seeded Lakeville North. Last week North edged Eastview 4-3 in a South Suburban game.

“We had the bases loaded with two outs but couldn’t get them in. We played very well against them,” said Hanegraaf, sounding like someone who’s aching for another chance.

The post Lightning softball player had extra-long wait for sections appeared first on SunThisweek.

Golfers throughout Minnesota had to wait impatiently for spring to arrive. Now, Eastview boys coach Mark Wanous has to deal with another waiting game – waiting for all his players to show up with good scores in the same tournament.

The Lightning has had four players break 80 in a tournament at one time or another this season, but going into Tuesday’s South Suburban Conference tourney at Brackett’s Crossing had not had more than two shoot in the 70s in the same event.

“We thought a good goal would be to finish in the top half of the conference,” said Wanous, whose team finished fifth and sixth in the first two SSC tournaments. “We’ve only played four tournaments, where at this time last year we’d already played 12. But everybody’s in the same boat.”

Plus, some of the rounds Eastview has played have been in miserable weather. Last weekend at the Detroit Lakes Northwest Classic, a 36-hole event, teams endured wind and rain the first day and 35-40 mph winds the second day. Eastview finished seventh of 11 teams in that tournament.

The Section 3AAA tournament is less than two weeks away, with the first round scheduled for May 28 at Goodrich Golf Course. “We have to take advantage of all the practice time we can get at Valleywood,” Wanous said. “There isn’t much room for off-days now.”

The Lightning has “some young kids, and some veterans,” the coach said. “It’s a good mix. And it’s a group with a lot of ability.”

Senior Kirby McPhee came close to reaching last year’s state tournament, losing in a playoff for a qualifying spot from Section 3. He has been one of the Lightning’s top players this year with a 76 at Creeksbend in the SSC season opener and a 79 at Perham Lakeside in the first round of the Detroit Lakes tourney.

Alex Reller, also a senior, shot a career-best 71 (1 under par) last week at Bunker Hills in the Coon Rapids Invitational. Reller finished third individually, and Eastview shot a season-low 311 to finish sixth of 22 teams. Sophomore Adam Callies shot 77 at Bunker Hills. Jayson Gouette, another sophomore, shot 75 – seven strokes below his previous season-best – at Perham Lakeside.

Senior Brady Kelley and sophomore Matt Kratz also are playing regularly on varsity, and senior Alex King has seen time in the varsity lineup.

Wanous said one of the disadvantages of the shorter season is it gives junior varsity players less time to make a run at varsity spots. The Lightning’s top seven is likely to remain the top seven for the rest of the season, even though players such as freshman Jake Reller (Alex’s younger brother) have played well for the JV team.

Eastview’s players and coaches traveled to Arizona over spring break in late March, which seems like a long time ago considering the Minnesota weather kept them indoors for several weeks after they returned. Now, it’s a question of how to make best use of limited practice time.

Although Wanous said, “I’m sure the kids would like to be on the course or the driving range,” he has directed them to the practice green for short game work. Particularly in this shortened season, the teams with the sharpest short games are the ones most likely to advance to the state tournament. And that’s a goal the Lightning, which last qualified for state in 2011, still considers realistic.

Eastview will compete in the Dakota County Invitational on Saturday at Emerald Greens. The Lightning plays in the final South Suburban Conference tournament at Inverwood in Inver Grove Heights on Tuesday before going to Brainerd for a two-day event.

The post Lightning golfers show flashes of their ability appeared first on SunThisweek.