TOMORROW!

Babe’s Hometown Bar is opening their doors for a viewing party – and you’re invited for all the fun! Elizabeth Ries and Ben Leber will be LIVE from Babe’s Hometown Bar from 3-4:30 PM. Join us! It’s free and you don’t need a ticket. Just show up and join the fun!

2025 Legislative Session

For all things legislature this session, you can find the calendar, committee schedules, bills, and more here: Combined Calendar - Minnesota Legislature.

If you would like regular updates from our Lakeville legislators, you can subscribe to their updates here: Senator Zach Duckworth, Representative Jon Koznick (57A), Representative Jeff Witte (57B).

I will be reaching out to you throughout the session, via direct emails, as bills are introduced where business input is desired and needed.

The new rink is pretty cool!

This weekend we helped the City, Lakeville Schools, Lakeville Arenas and Allina Health officially celebrate the opening of the new Allina Health Pavilion Rink at Hasse Arena. This outdoor space is going to allow our Lakeville kiddos to spend more of their practice hours in Lakeville, and is making for some really fun outdoor games! In the non-ice months, the space is available to rent for community events! In fact….I announced at the ribbon cutting that this summer, during Pan-O-Prog, we will have a brand new Pan-O-Prog Boho Marketplace in the space with tons of cash and carry vendors!

Downtown Lakeville!

We welcomed Brittany Flaherty to her new space in downtown Lakeville this week. At The Study Station, she is offering personalized K-5 math or literacy tutoring, providing 1:1 instruction tailored to each student's individual needs. Her initial consultation includes testing to customize instruction. Students encouraged to bring school homework for extra support. her 50-minute sessions are the perfect amount of time for mom and dad to grab a burger and a beer at B-52 next door or play a round at Swing Lab in the back!

Next Week!

If you have not registered, and you plan to come, TODAY IS THE DAY to register!

We will be honoring our 2024 Award Winners:

Businessperson of the Year - Steve Allen, Brackett's Crossing Country Club
Community Business Partner of the Year – B-52 Burgers + Brew
Education Business Partner of the Year – The Better Half
Tourism Business Partner of the Year – Michels Corporation
Volunteer of the Year – Pat Arling, Lakeville Rotarian
Ambassador of the Year – Dusty Brown, Laker Promotions

Home Grown was Cool!

Thank you to our Home Grown locals for spending some time talking about why they have made their childhood home their grown-up home. (LtR): Erik Ellefson (owner, Top Line Electric), Liz Ennenga (Owner, Quad E Companies), Mike Meyer (Fire Chief), Thor Howe (Sergeant, LPD), and Mike Forbord (Director of Operations, Schmitty & Sons). Thank you to our friends at The Better Half for a delicious scratch-made breakfast, to Mick at Dunn Brothers for the hot coffee, and to our 2025 series sponsors – Frandsen Bank & Trust and Minnesota Energy Resources!

Next month we will hear from the new County Manager, Heidi Welsch. Registration is open and space is limited. Click image to register.

January was a GOOD one!

The latest session of Leadership Lakeville offered participants an inside look at the vital role public safety plays in our community. The day featured visits to the Lakeville Police Department and Fire Department, where attendees learned firsthand about the dedication, teamwork, and expertise required to keep our city safe.

One Thousand 8^th Graders

Last week we helped four capstone students from Lakeville South bring 1,000 Lakeville 8^th graders out to the Aloft Executive Hangar for some hands-on activities related to classes and clubs at the high schools and future career paths. They dusted for fingerprints with LPD, used virtual welders with BTD Manufacturing, created and marketed cereal with Post, used VR headsets with Loeffler Construction, programmed Spheros with Advanced Wireless Communications, engineered and flew cardboard airplanes with Aloft Aviation, repaired small engines with ProTech, practiced a variety of medical techniques with Allina Health, tested electrical outlets with Dakota Electric, and learned about a number of environmental resources departments with The City of Lakeville and Met Council. They were given a worksheet that included a link to this packet, outlining the various options in the career cluster color they found interesting.

There are so many people to thank for making this incredible day happen – Stephanie Hicks (Secondary Teaching & Learning Specialist ISD194), the Principals at all three middle schools + All Saints, the Principals at the high schools who allowed us to have a TON of high school volunteers all day, the businesses who spent hours preparing their activities and the entire day with our kiddos (see graphic), some middle school parents, and most of all to the MAC and to Adam Forsberg, owner of Aloft Aviation, for donating the entire space to use for nearly two days.

Annual Joint Coffee Break!

It is time for our annual joint coffee break with the Apple Valley and Burnsville Chambers of Commerce! Come and connect with others from the area and hear a brief update on what 360 Communities is doing to help support those in need throughout the county. Donations are welcome, click here to see most needed items.