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Newspaper Clipping - Newspaper Clipping Scan - Newspaper articles on Burnsville/Eagan Community Television - 8/15/2002Fp ..Dec SN,S pioneer PresS 7ijurScCii, Fel) 6, o o3 Cofl1ea$t � BY LESLIE BROOKS SUZUKAMO.. Pioneer Press Stung: by • complaints nation- wide, :. • Comcast announced Wednesdag that it will let.the 2 million; Internet ,subscribers of, its: merger- partner, AT&T Broadband keep their @attbi.com email addresses through 2004 instead of shutting them down this year as planned.. Subscribers will still have to choose new; @comcastnet addresses, but e-mail sent to the old ..xattbicom : addresses , will automatically forward tothat 194. [tth.,delayed. comcast.net address until the end ° of December • 2004 giving. them nearly two • years.,before Comcast turns off .• their: old AT&T addresses.. Originally, Comcast . was going to forward e-mail from attbicom e-mail addresses for only 60 days. Twin_Cities area cable offi cials hailed the decision. Local AT&T •Broadband ;. users still`: seethe over how little time the company gave them to switch to attbi.com e-mail addresses from now defunct MediaOne address- es lastyear, they said...i "I zthuik •it t:would've gotten the'new rand off:;;to aJbad start," said Jodie Miller, execu- tive.:,director of .,the Northern DakotaCounty; Cable Commis- sion of the' earlier a -mail plan. "Hopefully,it's a' decision that shows"that this company will be more customer service, orient - "We -.-absolutely: know that asking customers to :change their a -mail' address is an incon- venience," Comcast spokesman Rich Ruggiero said: • •Leslie Brooks Suzukamo can be reached atlsuzukamo@pioneer- press.coin or (651) 228-5475. r .by John=Gessreer Staff Writer - The proposed niergei o debt -ridden cable companies; has given headaches to officials in Burnsville and Eagan. For weeks officials have worried that the companies — I8AT&T Broadband Corp, and Ci omcast, Corp. —. won't be able to adequately deliver local services because of the estimat- ed $30 billion in debt' between them. The lead skeptic has been •-. telecommunications attorney Tom Creighton, who represents 'the Burnsville/Eagan Telecommunications Commission and many other cable commissions. But Creighton told the Burnsville City Council Aug. 5 Cable/From 2A Plus, the companies would probably sue the cities. "It's not a threat," Creighton said. `Its just a fact." The options leave the cities "stuck with AT&T," said Burnsville Council Member AT&T/Comcast that safe guar the interests of 'the cities` ja f t i5 tIfeir cable subscribers - Under the agreement •_Creighton said; the merger won't lead to an :increase in subscriber rates,. won't dimin ish customer service or system maintenance and won't drain resources from, the system prop up other segments of the merged company. • The Burnsville , council. unanimously but reluctantly approved the transfer of the system from AT&T Broadband to AT&T/Comcast. The Eagan council approved the transfer July 25: "Very few times do I ever, feel like I have a loaded gun to my head. But this is one of those times," said Burnsville Steve Cherney. Telecommunications com- missioners who voted for the transfer are Paul Ryan, John Pierce and Dale Arendt of Burnsville, and Miller and Bill Raker of Eagan. Voting against it were Bob Cooper and Maggie Jensen of Eagan and Tim Ivers of Burnsville. o alafia CbusarinTiu,butix,o' Cransfer .to merged cable : :. g giant dc he's secured an agreement- ent with Council . Member. Liz Telecommunications Commission. The commission voted 5-3 July 24 to approve the transfer, with the guarantees on rates, service and local resources. Final action by each city coun- cil is required.. "This issue was the most difficult issue the commission has ever faced," said Chair Alan Miller. "Literally hundreds of hours were spent on it." It would be a "disservice to the community not to accept what was finally hammered out," he said. Denying the transfer and opting out of the AT&T system could lead to higher cable fees, confusing new channel line-ups and other problems, officials said. See Cable,.8A Workman. AT&T Broadband, the cur- : rent bl ca e provider, applied for the merger with the Federal Communications Commission. Under FCC law, local franchise. authorities must act on the request. The merged company will be the nation's largest cable company, with 22 million cus- tomers. But Creighton said that since April he's had trouble getting financial data he requested from the companies, which have $30 to $32 billion in debt between them. "The issue was cash flow and projected expenditures," said Creighton, who serves as administrator of the Burnsville/Eagan VOLUNTEER TODAY Learn more about creating your own television show, helping on an existing show or submit programming you would like to see on E-TV. www.eagan-tv.com (651) 675-5044 CHANNEL LINE UP 20 19 18 16 15 14 ETV Channel ISD 196 Channel ISD 191 Channel Eagan Government Channel Eagan Community Channel Burnsville Community Channel/ ISD 197 Programming eagan etv television CITY WEB SITE cityofeagan.com EMAIL NEWS & UPDATES Direct to your inbox: cityofeagan.com/subscribe FACEBOOK facebook.com/cityofeagan TWITTER @CityofEagan SEND A MESSAGE webmaster@cityofeagan.com CITIZEN SUPPORT CENTER cityofeagan.com/citizensupport EAGAN TELEVISION (E-TV) Channels 15, 16, and 20 RESIDENT NEWSLETTER Mailed to every home 6 times/year PHONE Call us at (651) 675-5000 IN PERSON At City Hall or Council meetings 411,11 City of EaRan n•CurrenUThursday, May 1, 2003 www.mnSun.com COMMUNITY NOTES Residents honored for work on television )f More than 500 volunteers were recog- i, nized April 3 for their contributions in e 2002 to Burnsville/Eagan Community Television (BECT) programming. ✓ The event was sponsored by the cities n of Burnsville and Eagan. Jerry Mahler of Eagan was honored s as the 2002 Volunteer of the Year. Mahler, 1who has received numerous awards for his community television volunteer ef- forts since 1994, was designated as the Volunteer of the Year for the first time. The award goes to the person who con- tributed the highest number of volun- teer hours during the year. In 2002, Mahler donated almost 200 hours. Robert Peterson of Burnsville was honored as the 2002 Rookie of the Year and also entered the organization's Cen- tury Club by contributing more than 100 hours last year. Peterson has been in- volved in a variety of programs pertain- ing to the two communities. Burnsville/Eagan Community Tele- vision presented Impact Awards to a number of volunteers. Included in those being honored were: Alan Miller of Eagan received an Im- pact Award for his efforts as a producer of the program, `Access to Democracy." Miller also joined the Century Club by donating more than 100 hours of his time in 2002. Don Saima of Eagan was honored for his commitment and dedication for as- sistance with the daytime television pro- ductions. John Kilpatrick of Burnsville and Tami and Mark Johnson of Eagan re- ceived Impact Awards for their contin- ued coverage of girls high school hockey for their respective communities of Burnsville and Eagan. Loren Bartelt of Shakopee received the final Impact Award for his compa- ny's partnering efforts with community television productions. Bartelt's compa- ny, Kingdom Sound & Lighting of Burnsville, has assisted with enhancing audio and lighting on many productions over the years. Stevie Kloeber, Burnsville High School senior, received recognition for her dedication and leadership with the "Quiz Bowl" productions and education- al access programming at School Dis- trict 191. In all, there were approximately 7,000 hours volunteered in 2002 resulting in 320 new programs for cable subscribers in Burnsville and Eagan. Burnsville/Eagan Community Televi- sion provides locally produced program- ming on Comcast's cable system, includ- ing TV15, and CityCable 16. .www.mnSuR.com. Apple Valley/Rosemount, Eagar Referendum From Page 1A • The referendum resulted in . an estimated property tax • Schouweiler and .Commissioner Joe _ increase of $17 per year for Harris were recently recognized by. The • a home valued at the 2003 ' McKnight Foundation for their part in _. helping to pass the referendum. Commu- Dakota County median-•. nity activists ists :Beverly:Topp of Eureka UaluatlOn Of $1 %6 SOO. . Townshipand Rick Hansen of Lakeville • . were also recognized -for -their efforts. • :Theeffort .to_pass-_the referendum.. - evolved out of 'many. years of work,'.! -Har- ris said. "I got'involved.because of..what. .~... •• :... : I saw as.a commitment .from citizens to . protect andsustain local.openspaces:" to leverage :other: funds, already avail- While inside the dome, students have _ •.....In•the. November, 2002-general elec- ..able; thus squeezing.the.most value out . thechance.to learn about astronomy and- • tion;Dakota ..County. voters approved the ... of .the:referendum dollars.:., •- .. : • thelegends:i_behind the. stars Students - .1 $20 million.farmland: and .natural. area: The federal government appropriatednot. only :learn. traditional. Greek and • land protectionreferendum-by a margin. .:.:$1•billion last summer in a national farm • ' - Roman mythology usually connected- . of::57 percent:to 43 percent •_ .bill .that -can be used for. protecting.nat- -:with the stars, they -also -learn about. •. The referendum: resulted. in an esti-- • ' ural• areas; the state of Minnesota has • . American Indian .legends : in thenight mated property tax increase of $17 .per .also provided matching funds for .that • . sky . • • ' year for a home valued at the 2003 Dako- purpose. • . _ _ -When Holtz puts a new image on the t� median -valuation of kl7fi 500. Elements to be established before_the Gateway c From Page 1A e "They get so excited and they are so c psyched when they know they are going t to. Star Lab. They can't wait to get in . there." • Northview is on Diffley Road, east of r its intersection with Lexington Avenue. t The lab; which was purchased for the 1: district. by Koch Petroleum. Group, now known as Flint Hills Resources in Rose- . .;_mount, has been making the .rounds at _ district schools for more than a decade. ar f the lab, the. 1 NO.44 =Ira ;4,,- k,1 c 24-46- Cable agreement brings system into digital age by John Gessner Staff Writer When Burnsville and Eagan entered into their first cable television franchise agreement in 1983, finnicky viewers want- ed their MTV. Today, notes Burnsville - Eagan Cable Coordinator Mike Reardon, they want their MTV, high-speed Internet service and a host of other digital wonders. The two cities approved a new 15-year franchise agree- ment last week that brings local cable into the digital age. The agreement requires MediaOne, the local cable provider, to make improve- ments the company has already begun along its 23-franchise, 32,000-subscriber Twin Cities 'network. The agreement also provides new local perks, including free public -access service to any household within reach of cable that requests it. - The agreement, which will take effect early next .year, calls for all improvements to be made within three years, Reardon said. But MediaOne expects to have the work done by the end of 2001, said compa- ny spokesman Brian Dietz. Two year in the making, the agreement will increase the number of channels from 67 to 78, improve signal quality and include extensive introduction of fiber optics. "I've been .getting phone calls for several years now for The Golf Channel," Reardon told the Burnsville City Council Dec. 20. "The Golf Channel will be coming" Other new additions include ESPN Classic, Speed - Vision, Romance Classics, TV Land and the Game Show Network. . See Cable, 6A Cable/Continued The system will be upgraded from 450 megahertz to 750. Two hundred will be reserved for two-way high-speed data, voice and video services, including Internet service that won't require connection to a phone line. City of Eagan Y2K K Reminder "People market it as 50 to 100 times faster than the PC modems that we normally use," Reardon said. MediaOne is also planning to 1 The City of Eagan has inventoried and tested all of its systems for Y2K readi- ness and has found no failures. 1 We have worked closely with other agencies which provide service to the community and they too state that they are ready and able to provide service through the change into the new year and beyond. 1 The City is committed to protecting the public health, safety and welfare above all else and has therefore created a Y2K contingency plan, based on the City's Emergency Preparedness Plan which has served success- fully through several severe storms and other community emergencies. 1 We encourage residents to prepare their homes and families as they would for a storm or other temporarily disruptive situation. 1 High volumes of telephone usage can overload phone systems. We discourage "testing" phone service and encourage limiting phone usage during the change -over into the new year. 1 We ask that the public use 9-1-1 only for police, fire or medical emer- introduce phone service to its Twin Cities customers. Phone service is regulated by the state, not local cable commissions, and isn't included in the fran- chise agreement, Dietz said. "But we fully intend to upgrade the network and intro- duce local telephone service in the Burnsville area in the future," he said. Households that don't sub- scribe to cable will be able to receive the system's six -channel public -access tier for free. The channels show city council meetings, high school sports. and other local events. "1 do have people call me up and say, `1 really want to watch my council members but don't want to spend $10, $20, $30, $40 a month to watch them," Reardon said. The agreement includes a requirement that MediaOne pro- vide interconnection with neighboring cable systems if asked. That would provide, for example, school district pro- gramming across certain munic- ipal and cable -system lines. The agreement includes pro- visions allowing the cities to fine MediaOne for poor cus- tomer service, Reardon said. He said many complaints about past phone logjams at the company arrived at his office. "We have teeth now," Reardon said. "Those standards have been adopted as part of the franchise." The agreement allows MediaOne to close its customer - service office off Highway 13 near the Burnsville -Eagan bor- der. But the company will pro- vide at least two payment drop boxes in both cities and at its current office, which also hous- es Burnsville -Eagan Community Television. Another notable feature of the agreement is the $150,000 the company will spend to replace the public -access televi- sion switcher, Reardon said. Thisvveek Loyan www.thisweek-online.com Community television runs with the help of volunteers Burnsville/Eagan Community Television honors those who give their time Phan be True Jphn.son Mark Hotchkiss, community programming manager for BECT, said volunteers are essential for successful community television. by Erin Johnson THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS Volunteers are the key to community television's suc- cess, said Mark Hotchkiss, community programming manager for Burnsville/Eagan Community Television (BECT). With a full-time staff of only nine and about 70 pro- ductions per month, BECT has always been extremely volun- teer oriented, he said. "We would not have a prayer of turning out that kind of quantity if we did it only with staff," he said. "That's why we depend so much on volunteers to help with our community coverage" The Eagan City Council proclaimed Thursday, April 3 as Burnsville/Eagan Community Television Volunteer Appreciation Day. The volunteers were honored by BECT at a ceremony held Thursday evening to recog- nize their contributions. In the past year alone, 571 citizens volunteered about 7,000 hours of their time to produce 900 hours of original programming. Volunteers are made up of all ages and interests, Hotchkiss said. Some do it as a hobby, others to help cover their kids' school events, and some volunteer because there's a message they think the community ought to hear. People also do it to learn a new skill or get some extra training for a degree. Some even get their family involved, bringing in their sib- lings, children and husband or wife. "There's a lot of people who have built in crews with their family, two to three peo- ple. 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Value P Piscoun o AVAIL 60 MOS Retail Rebate R 2003 V8, AUTO, HEAT & A FEN LEAS LOYAI 6A April 5, 2003 THISWEEK EG Volunteers/from 1A BECT news and information coordinator and volunteer. Virtually all of the station's sports coverage is produced by volunteers, he said, as well as a number of programs pro- duced in the studio. For instance, "Access to Democracy," is produced and hosted by volunteer Alan Miller, who interviews local politicians, and "55 Plus," which is produced by volun- teer Bob Cooper, is a program about issues of concern to sen- ior citizens. Several volunteers also produce religious pro- grams, such as church services and church activities. "You almost have as many different kinds of programs as you have individuals," Hotchkiss said. Volunteers allow the sta- tion to offer diverse program- ming without breaking the bank. Reardon said the work done by volunteers would translate to about $100,000 a year. The station is always look- ing for volunteers and offers several volunteer opportuni- ties, Hotchkiss said. "Somebody from the com- munity will call us up and say that something is going on and they'd like to see it taped, but they don't have the training or the wherewithal to tape it themselves, and we'll try to find somebody in the commu- nity to tape that event,' he said. For those interested in vol- unteering with no television experience, BECT offers a complete line of training class- es, which cost $20 each. "We assume that you have absolutely no experience whatsoever," he said. "So we have classes that start you off with portable production, edit- ing and graphics, studio pro- duction, mobile studio produc- tion and computer -based edit- ing." BECT will also put together class packages for special interest groups, like church groups and community groups for a group rate of $50. Anybody with an idea is able to become part of commu- "We would not have a prayer of turning out that kind of quantity if we did it only with staff" — Mark Hotchkiss COMMUNITY PROGRAMMING MANAGER FOR BURNSVILLE/EAGAN COMMUNITY TELEVISION nity television, as long as they're willing to put in the effort. "Public access is a free - speech forum, so we do not censor," Hotchkiss said. "So if somebody comes to us with a program idea, we basically talk to them a little about their experience, we refer them to the classes they need to take in order to be qualified to use our equipment, and then it's up to them to produce their pro- gram." Thursday marked the sta- tion's 16th annual volunteer appreciation celebration, which has evolved from a small party to an all-out awards ceremony. "We're just saying back to them, `Thank you for making this all possible,"' Reardon said. Awards are given to the vol- unteer who contributed the most hours and the rookie of the year, as well as volunteers who contributed 100 hours in the past year and those who have made a significant contri- bution in one area or another. The station's highest honor, the Karen Brooks Memorial Award, is not given out every year, said Reardon. "Karen was our Community Producer of the Year for many years and just a longtime vol- unteer, and she passed away about eight years ago," he said. "So we decided to use the award to recognize somebody who is really deserving in memory of Karen. We don't do it every year — it's the most prestigious award we give." Ron Braun, a longtime BECT volunteer and past recipient of the Karen Brooks Memorial Award, said that he finds great fulfillment in vol- unteering for BECT. "Like with any project, the more you put into it, the more you get out of it," he said. Braun, 65, said he is always learning new skills through his volunteer work. "The learning process is one of the fun parts. When you learn new things, it keeps you young," he said. A lifelong videophile, Braun began volunteering to tape his children's sports events because he wanted to have a record of their accom- plishments. Since then, he has done everything from pulling cable to editing and directing. "At this point, I don't think there's a facet of it I haven't tried," he said. "It really keeps your mind sharp, doing all of this." The volunteer system works, he said, because 99 percent of the people enjoy what they're doing. "We have people at events that want to be there," he said. "The nicest people are there, and everybody mentors every- body else." The following volunteers were honored at Thursday's ceremony: • Jerry Mahler, of Eagan, was honored as the 2002 Volunteer of the Year. Mahler, who has received numerous awards for his community tel- evision volunteer efforts since 1994, was designated as the Volunteer of the Year for the first time. The award goes to the person who contributed the highest number of volunteer hours during the year. In 2002, Mahler donated almost 200 hours. • Robert Peterson, of Burnsville, was honored as the 2002 Rookie of the Year and also entered the organization's Century Club by contributing more than 100 hours last year. Peterson has been involved in a variety of programs pertain- ing to the two communities • Alan Miller, of Eagan, received an Impact Award for his efforts as a producer of the popular program, "Access to Democracy." Miller also joined the Century Club by donating over 100 hours of his time in 2002. • Don Saima, of Eagan, was honored with an Impact Award for his commitment to assist with the daytime television productions. • John Kilpatrick, of Burnsville, and Tami and Mark Johnson, of Eagan, received Impact Awards for their con- tinued coverage of girls' high school hockey for their respec- tive communities of Burnsville and Eagan. • Loren Bartelt, of Shakopee, received the final Impact Award for his compa- ny's partnering efforts with community television produc- tions. Bartelt's company, Kingdom Sound and Lighting of Burnsville, has assisted with enhancing audio and lighting on many productions over the years. • Dale Abrahamson, of Minneapolis, and Larry Morrisette, of Shoreview, were inducted into the Millennium Club, where they join a select number of volunteers who have either volunteered for 10 years, produced 100 programs, and/or volunteered 1,000 hours or more. For more information on volunteering at BECT, call (651) 882-8213 or visit www.bect.tv. Erin Johnson is at eagan.thisweek@ecm- FORD FOCUS Auto, AC, 14" Steel Wheel, AMfM Cassette w/CD, AC, speed control, rear window defrost, tilt steering column, auto block heater. CD Player, sliding r•. ABS, XLT, auto, AC, s . remote entry, speed c THISWEEK Date 00, 2003 5A 'Your Town News' Local - news show will debut on cable TV by Jobn Gessner THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS Along with their Golf Channel, HBO and MTV, sur- veys show that Burnsville and Eagan cable subscribers are hungry for local news. They'll get their fix starting Wednesday, April 16 with the debut of "Your Town News," a production of Burnsville/Eagan Community Television (BECT). "The news program is real- ly a way to complement the other programming we do so well here through either staff or volunteers," said "Your Town News" anchor Mike Reardon, BECT's news and information coordinator. "It's a market that hasn't been addressed." New programs will air weekly at 6:30 p.m. on Channel 15. The program will be repeated daily at 6:30 a.m., 6:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. "It's like a local newspaper in a way, but it'll be on TV," Reardon said. "Your Town News" is part of an effort to raise the profile and viewership of BECT, which is funded by the $1.62 monthly public -access charge paid by cable subscribers. In the last three years, cable penetration has dropped from 66 percent of Burnsville and Eagan households to 62 percent, largely because of competition from satellite dishes. "We can't get our message out unless we reach our audi- ence, so you've got to keep your audience up," said Community Programming Manager Mark Hotchkiss. "And we want to increase our viewership among our sub- scribers Recent surveys of cable subscribers show that 59 per- cent want local news and information, BECT officials say. The BECT program "Community Journal," begun in 1998, partly fills that need. " `Community Journal' has been more of a magazine pro- gram and less of a news pro- gram," Hotchkiss said. "Thoughts about a news pro- gram have been in the works for a long time. We're really taking `Community Journal' from a monthly program and enhancing it and making it more newsy and changing the name to 'Your Town News.' Reardon and Ray Davis, a BECT producer and editor, will work full time on the 15- minute program. Six other BECT staffers will contribute. News will include familiar fare, such as happenings at city council and planning commission meetings. But producers will be on the look- out for video -friendly fea- tures. They will include a "Pet of the Week" from the Minnesota Valley Humane Society and featurized sports coverage. "Burnsville and Eagan will each have stories each week," said Reardon, who likes to think that local content trumps "the dish" "Community television is one thing you can't find on the dish," he said. " 'Your Town %5 w iz; -a,,.v 5.3o3 Photo by John Gem,' Mike Reardon, pictured at BECT studios in Eagan, will anchor "Your Town News." News' is one thing you can't find on the dish. And sports and all the other things we do here, you can't find on the dish." For more information, visit www.bect.ty. John Gessner is at burnsville.thisweek@ecm- inc. com. ounces summer parks rograms; kick off in .April Lebanon. Hills Regional Park, Eagan. • Participants will, learn about an assortment of flies and fly-fishing strategies. Equipment is provided or bring' your own. Ages 12 and older. Registration required. Space is'limited. Fee: $25/per- , son. • Bat Magic: June 13, 8- . 9:30 p.m. at Lebanon Hills Regional Park Campground, Apple Valley. Meet at camp- ground office. Learn about Minnesota's, native bat species. At sun- down, you'll search the sky for these winged wonders and have a chance to "see" like a bat. Bring water, a lawn chair or blanket and a flashlight. Fun. for all ages. No registra- tion required. Program is free. Cancelled if rain. • National River Stories - songs of. the Mississippi fea- turing the Singing Ranger Charlie Maguire: June 20,-. 7 ' p.m. at Schaar's Bluff, Spring Lake Park Reserve, Hastings. Discover the beauty, history and mystery "of the- mighty Mississippi River through musical story -telling. Bring a • lawn chair or blanket. No reg- istration required. Program is free. • Fourth of July Family Fun. Day: July 4, -11 a.m.-2 p.m; -at, . Schulze Beach, Lebanon Hills Regional Park, . Eagan. • Families are,, invited to . enjoy;. a. sandcastle build ing. contest, water games and more. Free. Activities will be going on throughout the day. No registration required. • Kids Camp - Pioneers in the Park, July 8, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. at Spring Lake Youth Camp, Rosemount. hand at cooking and building the way the pioneers did. Dress for the -weather and bring drinking water. Lunch is provided. Participants must have completed grades K; 1 or 2. Call Extension Office to register at (651) 480-7702. Fee: $15/person. • Mother and 'Child Fishing: July 10, 5:30-8:30 p.m. at Holland Lake, Lebanon Hills Regional Park, Eagan. • Department of Natural Resources staff will teach par- ticipants about what lives in the water and help develop new fishing skills. Moms may bring - children ages 5 .and older. No experience required. All equipment is provided. _Dress for the weather and eat before you arrive. Registration is required. Space is limited. Fee: $10/adult and $5/child. • Underground Railroad - Adventure; July 18, 7:30 p.m.- - midnight 'or Aug: 15, 7:30 p.m. -midnight at Jensen Lake, Lebanon Hills Regional Park, Apple Valley. Be part of an experiential learning adventure as you walk in the footsteps of escap- - ing 'slaves in their quest for freedom. Discover how the Mighty Mississippi River" was an invaluable escape . route.. - Meet famous. people. like _ Harriet Tubman, American Indians and others who helped these people along the way. This simulation is a physical activity conducted in the woods at night. Participants will be exposed to. brush and mud and should wear long pants. and shoes or boots that can get muddy. Ages 12 and older only. Registration is required. Space is limited. • Intr and different styles of equip- ment. Ages 16 and older. You may bring your own, equip- ment, but it's not required. Registration required. Space is limited. Fee: $7/person • Seniors Recreational Canoeing: Aug. 6, 5:30-8:30 p.m. at . Schulze Beach, Lebanon Hills Regional Park; Eagan. Active adults will learn basic canoeing strokes, ecolo- gy and enjoy a leisurely paddle on a quiet lake in this beautiful park. Geared for ages 55 and older. Dress for the weather with wicking layers, a wind- proof shell, and appropriate footwear that can get wet. Bring- drinking water. All equipment is provided. Registration required. Space is limited. Fee: $10/person, • Father and Child Fishing Event: Aug. 14, 5:30-8:30 p.m. at Holland Lake, Lebanon Hills. Regional Park, Eagan. • Fathers and their kids can learn about what lives in the water and help you develop new fishing skills. Dads may bring children 'ages 5 and older: No experience required. ,All equipment is provided. Dress for the weather and plan to eat before you arrive. Registration required; Space'is limited. Fee: $10/adult and $5/child.. • Hummingbird Hike: Aug. 23, 7:30 a.m.-noon at the Miesville ' Ravine Park Reserve; Miesville: a: "''''z-• =Hike"tluough/thislexfraoidir- nary valley and witness one of the premier hummingbird spots in the state. Registration required. Space is limited: Fee: $7/person; $3 child (15 and, under). . Hunting the Wild Mushroom: Sept. 12, _ 6:30- 9:30 p.m. and Sept. 13 noon-5 p.m. at Camp Sacajawea, Lebanon Hills Regional Park, Apple Valley. • Part I: Learn which wild` mushrooms are dangerous and which are safe to eat and facts about mushrooms. Enjoy a colorful slideshow. along with engaging discussion about toxic, medicinal and edible mushrooms. Part II: Follow along on an actual mushroom foray (hunt). After the hunt, you'll have an opportunity to sample wild and domestic mushroom entrees. Wear long pants and footwear for hiking. Bring drinking water, a paper bag, a small folding knife, and bug spray. Ages 14 and ' older. Registration required for both ,sessions. Call early,: this pro- gram fills up very quickly. Fee: $35/person for both ses- sions • Evening Under the Stars with Mike. Lynch of WCCO Radio: Sept. 25, 7:30-9:30 p.m. at Spring Lake Youth Camp, Spring_ Lake Park Reserve, Rosemount. Look through - a large reflecting telescope and dis- cover star clusters, nebulae, and more. Star maps and hand- outs provided. Ages 8 and older. Registration required. Space'is limited. Fee: $7/per- son; $3 child (15 and under). 1 city of sedan 3795 PILOT KNOB ROAD, P.O. BOX 21199 EAGAN, MINNESOTA 55121 PHONE: (612) 454-8100 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: BEA BLOMQUIST Mayor THOMAS EGAN JAMES A. SMITH JERRY THOMAS THEODORE WACHTER Council Members THOMAS HEDGES City Administrator The Eagan City Council is seeking residents of Eagan in- terested in serving as members of the new joint Burnsvill/Eagan Cable Communications Commission. Four commission members and one alternate member will be selected from Eagan. The purpose of the commission will be to monitor the operation and activities of the new Burnsville/Eagan cable tele- vision franchise system which was recently awarded to Group W. The commission will also provide coordination of administration and enforcement of the franchise agreement. The length of terms for commission members will be two years, with the exception that half of the members initially will serve one year terms in order for future appointments to be made in alternate years. It is expected that the joint and cooperative agreement establishing the commission will be approved at the October 18 Eagan City Council meeting and that commission members will be appointed that same evening. Residents interested in serving on the commission should submit a letter of application to Tom Hedges, Eagan City Adminis- trator, 3795 Pilot Knob Road, Eagan, MN 55122, before October 7. For additional information, contact the city administrator's office at 454-8100. -30- \ 9 / 14 / 8 3 THE LONE OAK TREE ... THE SYMBOL OF STRENGTH AND GROWTH IN OUR COMMUNITY Fo& tN DS GAn Carat- Jan WTcvy Commission studies expansioki of communities' cables stem y By Amy Barnett Minnesota Sun Publications A study of Burnsville and Eagan's cable communications system produced recommendations that, if followed, will bring subscribers and users into the next century. An executive summary presented to the Burnsville/Eagan Telecommunica- tions Commission in December suggests that the two cable networks serving resi- dents and public facilities be upgraded to allow for faster and expanded communi- cations. The commission, an advisory group for the Burnsville and Eagan city councils, called for the study last summer as preparations for renewing the system's franchise began. The study's findings will be used in the coming months to negoti- ate a renewed contract with Meredith Cable, the system's current provider. The study, conducted by Tom Robinson of River Oaks Communications Corp. in Colorado, included subscriber surveys, public forums and workshops, focus groups for users and site visits. Work began last summer and was completed in December. Robinson found needs for an upgraded subscriber network — which currently supplies cable television to residents — and expanded capabilities for the I -Net, or institutional network which connects government, educational and other pub- lic institutions to allow for internal com- munication. Specifically, the study recommends a number of improvements be made on the subscriber network to bring residents and other users the service they want and need. That means partly replacing the current co -axial system with fiber -optics. That measure would expand channel ca- pacity for cable television services, and make digital television service possible. Currently, not all televisions are capa- ble of receiving digital signals, but in the long run, that feature could become as fa- miliar as cable -ready TV's, said Mike Reardon, cable/telecommunications coor- dinator for Burnsville and Eagan. Digital signals have a higher quality than the current analog signals and have a greater capacity for channels, Reardon said. Through that upgrade of the subscriber system, Robinson recommended that cus- tomers be offered new services like tap- ping onto the cable system for high speed Internet access, rather than through the phone lines as is currently done. Other of- ferings could include movies on demand, more local school channels and telephone service, if warranted. Interconnections between different cable systems also are recommended to allow for the free flow of information and programming across city boundaries. Currently, programs produced by School District 196 are only seen in Rosemount and Apple Valley, because that district's cable access channel is provided by Mar- cus Cable. Although residents of Burnsville and Eagan attend District 196 schools, they cannot view the school's programs from home because their cities are not served by the same cable compa- ny. Through improvements, the two com- panies' systems could be connected, thus giving them the ability to share pro- gramming across municipal lines. Robinson also made recommendations for the I -Net, a computer network connect- ed via cable that allows cities and schools to share information internally. Different from the Internet, the I -Net may be used to distribute a city memo to all staff members, or deliver one message to a.number of dif- ferent people: The I -Net also is used to transmit live recordings of city council and school board meetings to the cable studio, which then sends the program out to homes via the subscriber network. The study found that the system needs to provide more connections to public fa- cilities, and has to be more reliable. It also suggested that the system be improved with fiber optics to improve its quality. Having received the report last month, the Telecommunications Com- mission is reviewing Robinson's recom- mendations to determine which, if not all, are most important. Once that has been done, the commission will ask Meredith to give a proposal on how, and at what cost, they can meet those de- mands. The company's response will be taken into account when the commission and city councils consider the transfer re- newal before this July.