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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Anna Wills (R)

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News from Representative Wills 11-22-2013

Friday, November 22, 2013

Dear Friends,

Thanksgiving is nearly here. We have a lot to be thankful for here in our community and in Minnesota this holiday season, but the holiday season can be a difficult time for many families struggling to make ends meet. 

If you're able, I hope you'll consider donating food to a local food shelf or finding another way to help this holiday season.

There are many locations around our community that can accept food donations. Those located in our district include:

Our Daily Bread Food Shelf
Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church
12650 Johnny Cake Ridge Road
Apple Valley, MN 55124

Rosemount Family Resource Center
14521 Cimmaron Avenue West
Rosemount, MN 55068

You can find more information, including additional locations in Burnsville, Farmington, and Lakeville by visiting the 360 Communities website.

Business Appreciation Luncheon

On Tuesday, November 19th I attended the City of Rosemount's 5th annual Business Appreciation Luncheon. We heard from Laurie Crowe, an employee of the Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers, about the "Open to Business" program, which provides counseling on topics such as marketing, financial planning, and other challenges facing small businesses and prospective entrepreneurs.

We also heard updates from Rosemount Mayor Bill Droste about various development projects throughout Rosemount that are sure to bring new jobs and an economic boost to our area.

Dakota County Business Excellence Awards Celebration

Yesterday morning I attended the Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards Celebration. The event was keynoted by Minnesota Wild Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Jeff Pellegrom. The award winners for 2013 Business Excellence included Flint Hills Resources, August Ash, Ze's diner, Dodge Nature Center, and Bellacu. Congratulations to these and all the nominees for these awards for your outstanding work in 2013. Below is a photo of a representative from Flint Hills, located here in our district, accepting their award.  

Greenleaf Elementary School Visit

This spring I had visited Greenleaf Elementary School and yesterday afternoon I had the opportunity to visit again to meet with Principal Michelle deKam Palmieri and tour several classrooms.

It is always a joy to visit our youngest constituents to see what they are learning in their classes. Once again, I was impressed with the hard-working students in our district.

Upcoming Events

Tomorrow, Saturday, November 23th Rosemount will host their 2013 Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony -- dubbed "an all-day event for the entire family." If you want a fun family activity to kick off the holiday season, there are events starting at 10AM. More information, and the full day's schedule of events here. The tree-lighting ceremony is scheduled for 6:00PM.

On Monday I will be attending a Ribbon Cutting ceremony for Uponor, Inc., a radiant heating and cooling pipe company named the 2013 Manufacturer of the Year by Manufacturers Alliance. It's always great to see companies expanding in our community!

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and I wish safe travels to anyone who will be on the road or flying to visit family or friends.

Sincerely,

Anna