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2007-09-14 Friday NewsCity Hall Landscaping If you've been around City Hall this week, you've likely noticed some big changes around the perimeter of the building. We've gone from being "landscaped" to being "littlescaped." All of the old shrubs have been replaced, with a variety of new (much smaller) shrubs. The result is a much cleaner look. Work was completed just in time for the rain Thursday morning, helping to ensure the success of the plantings, and helping to clean up the worksite. New Holes at Par 3 New holes were added at Par 3 this week, lots and lots of them. For the first time in 5 years, the greens on the course were aerated, a necessary step in promoting the health of the greens, breaking down thatch and reducing the need for chemicals. Because it has been so long since the greens have been aerated, they will require a bit of work. If you haven't seen the process, an aerator pokes holes in the surface, removing plugs — this is done to keep the root system of the turf in check, better allowing water to penetrate the turf. The greens will take a little week or so to fully heal, but the result will be a healthier greens surface. Respectfully submitted, James Danielson City Administrator Attachments: Just the Facts, Pipeline, Council Agenda, Pre -Application Meeting Synopsis, Article "Nine is Enough", Article "Eagan asks MAC to reroute night flights over MH border", Article "You can't beat City Hall — even if it's over twinkle lights" and Article "From battlefield to football field, joy of the game takes new meaning". 9 09-13-07 7`ce latestyrervsf�a theJ�era<j'ata �feiq�CtsJ'alite�eyarteyct -1- 09-13-07 Disturbance 09-07-07 022 hours Officer Steve Meyer responded to a local bar to speak to the caller who wanted to report that her picture was taken without her permission — oh, and she also was upset about being kicked out of the bar. Advised and cleared. Disturbance 09-08-07 0228 hours Caller reported two males arguing loudly in the neighbor's yard. Officer Tanner Spicer arrived and spoke with several intoxicated people, who all agreed to quiet down and take it inside for the rest of the night. Damage to Property 09-08-07 0600 hours Victim reported to Officer Eric Petersen that when he went outside to get the morning paper he found all four tires on his van were flat. The victim has no idea who would do this to him. Closer inspection revealed that all four tires had a puncture hole in the side wall of the tire. Damage to Property 09-09-07 0844 hours Victim reported that someone smashed their mail box during the night. Damage is estimated at $275. Officer Bobby Lambert noted that multiple other boxes were damaged in the neighborhood. Officer Lambert spoke with several neighbors who reported that they heard the damage occurring around 0445 hours. They were fairly certain the suspects were in a car, using a baseball bat on the mail boxes. However, no reports were received around the time of occurrence. Theft from Vehicle 09-10-07 0637 hours Officer Jeff VonFeldt responded to an apartment building's underground parking lot. The victim reported parking the car in the garage the evening before and putting some items of value into the center console. The following morning, he found his driver's door window smashed out and his GPS unit was missing. The garage does not have security cameras and the victim had no possible suspects. Several other items were missing from the vehicle, including bank cards and cash. Victim was advised to cancel all cards. Imprisonment 0-10-07 1819 hours Officer Steve Meyer received a call from a local homeowner who wanted him to arrest the construction crew that blocked her into her home. Curbing was being installed in the area, and Officer Meyer noted that other residents within the construction zone had parked their vehicles in the street. The caller insisted she was told the wrong date to have her car moved before the curbing was poured. She was not happy that Officer Meyer wouldn't arrest the construction crew. Found Property 09-11-07 1011 hours Officer Eric Petersen responded to a local residence about found property. The resident had picked up a Canadian flag they found and brought it home. The flag was turned over to Officer Petersen and was placed in property. After the fact Domestic 09-11-07 1237 hours Caller reported that when she and her boyfriend broke, up he damaged several things and stole several things when he moved out. She reported to Officer Bobby Lambert that her ex used RIT dye to ruin a couch and table. The caller provided a list of the stolen items, including: car care products, camping gear, food. One item was listed as priceless. Forwarded to investigations. -2- Crew � 1 w s p rmow � :1 the p.'�: I{ �/ on 1 I 1 �� I Drive for 1. i were growing in the 1 tn Boland helped installin the rain gardens in the Somerset neighborhood. The irrigation system was addedon o at City Hall ' newly planted ; b areas. The Street Crew removed trees from the storm. School zone signs were installed. Crosswalks were painted. _U he Majo.,�,ty of the rain nArdpnq wprp n� anted tMq week- Sand pull in 0 0 00� o 0 0���o dD do - many hours with assistance from Rich, John Boland, fancy, Sue, Guy, Ryan and residents. The remaining gardens will be planted by the homeowners. McNamara Contracting worked on the Delaware Avenue/Luber Drive turn lane, sidewalk, curb and gutter, and removal and replacement in the Coppereld neighborhood. Park Construction installed curb and gutter on the first phase of the Ivy Falls street reconstruction project, Paving is scheduled for Monday. Please see the attached Dakota County newsletter regarding the North Urban Regional Trail, Phase II. • North 1 Regional Trail, Phase 11 Septemb - September 4, 2007 Bids were received on July 3, 2007 for the second phase of the North Urban Regional Trail (NURT) project. The County Board awarded the project to Max Steininger, Inc. Work on this project will begin on September 10, 2007. The North Urban Regional Trail (NURT) is a paved bicycle and pedestrian trail that connects the cities of Lilydale, Mendota Heights, West St. Paul, and South St. Paul. Phase II of the project continues the trail along TH 110 from Dodd Road to Charlton Street in Mendota Heights and West St. Paul. This trail will connect to two existing trails, one along the east side of Dodd Road, and the other along the north side of T I i 110 east of Charlton Street. F,�nr¢ F,. What Should I Expect? On Monday, September 10, survey crews will begin construction staking for the project. Clearing of trees and brush within the construction limits will begin. Some trees and plants will be relocated. This project includes some storm sewer work in various locations, installation of curb and gutter, and several retaining walls will be constructed. Paving and landscaping will take place toward the end of the project. Private utility work may begin prior to September 10 and continue throughout the project. For the safety of both the construction workers and motorists, we ask for your patience. It is anticipated all work will be complete by the end of October. More Information This construction update is being delivered to residents and businesses near the vicinity of the construction. The following names and phone numbers are for your use if you have questions or concerns about the project. For notification by email of any updates to the website, email your request to the Project Inspector. If you have any special needs, don't hesitate to call or visit: http•//wwNA dakotacounty.us/EnvironmentRoads/RoadConsti-uction/Current Erin Borchert 952.891.7908 Erin.Borcheq@co.dakota.mn.us Mark Jelinek 952.891.7916 Mark.Jelinek&co. dakota.inn.us 952.891.7900 Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA September 18, 2007 — 7:30 P.M. 1. Call to Order 2. Roll Call 3. Pledge of Allegiance 4. Agenda Adoption 5. Approval of Minutes from the September 4, 2007 Citgo Council Meeting. 6. Consent Calendar a Acknowledgement of NDC4 Meeting Agenda. b. Acknowledgement of the September 11, 2007 Park and Recreation Commission Minutes. c. Acknowledgement of the Pilot Knob Phase 2 — Status of Site Purchase and Management Plan. d. Acknowledgement of City Hall Landscape Improvements. e. Acknowledgement of Par 3 Financial Status, August 2007. f Acknowledgement of Fireworks Display, St. Thomas Academy Homecoming. g. Authorization for Out of State Training. h. Authorization for Purchase Order for New Office Furniture for Public Works Director. Adoption of Resolution No. 07 9.1g 66RESOLIUTIOIN1 FORMALLY ACKNO WLEDGEING TIME RECEIPT OF $750.00 TO TIME CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS FOR INSTALLATION OF A PARK BENCH". Adoption ofi Resolution No. 07-92: "A RESOLUTION FORMALLY ACI,U�IOVJLEDGING THE RECEIPT OF GIFTS TO THE CITY OF MENDOTA_ VVV"ffa +T rrcg9 -rhnA,-II13.b R 0 e k. Adoption of Resolution No. 07-93: "RESOLUTION APPROVING TENTATIVE 2007 LEVY COLLECTIBLE IN 2008". 1. Adoption of Resolution No. 07-94: "RESOLUTION DECLARING COSTS TO BE ASSESSED, ORDERING THE PREPARATION OF PROPOSED ASSESSMENT ROLL, AND ESTABLISHING THE DATE OF THE ASSESSMENT HEARING FOR THE COPPERFIELD NEIGHBORHOOD STREET REHABILITATION PROJECT (PROJECT NO. 200613). m. Adoption of Resolution No. 07-95. "RESOLUTION DECLARING COSTS TO BE ASSESSED, ORDERING THE PREPARATION OF PROPOSED ASSESSMENT ROLL, AND ESTABLISHING THE DATE OF THE ASSESSMENT HEARING FOR THE IVY FALLS NEIGHBORHOOD STREET RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT (PROJECT NO. 200603). n. Approval of the List of Contractors. o. Approval of the List of Claims. 7. Public Comments S. Presentation Jay Haugen, School Superintendent — District #197 a. GO Improvement Bonds — 2007 Street Projects Resolution No. 07-96: 66RESOLUTION PROVIDING FOR THE ISSUANCE AND SALE OF $1,595,000 GENERAL OBLIGATION IMPROVEMENT BONDS, SERIES 2007B, PLEDGING SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS FOR THE SECURITY THEREOF AND LEVYING A 'TAX FOR THE PAYMENT THEREOF". b. CDA Handicap Barrier Removals in City Parks and Installation of Concrete Bleacher Pads. c. Valley Park Trail Repairs & Overlay. d. Street Striping. 10. Unfinished and New Business a. Case No. 07-33: Mendota Plaza, 740 Highway 110, Comprehensive Plan Amendment and Rezoning. Resolution No. 07-97.- 66A RESOLUTION APPROVING AN AMENDMENT TO THE COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE FLAN ANIS REZONING AT 750 HIGHWAY 11099, b. Case No. 07-34. Sue McDermott, City of Mendota Heights, 2144 Dodd Road — "Old Fire Hall" Site Rezoning and Comprehensive Plan Amendment. C. Case No. 07-35. City of Mendota Heights, South Plaza Drive — Rezoning and Comprehensive Plan Amendment. 11. Councill Comments 12. Adjourn to Closed Session to Discuss Labor Negotiations. Auxiliary aids for persons with disabilities are available upon request at least 120 hours in advance. If a notice of less than 120 hours is received, the City of Mendota Heights will make every attempt to provide the aids, however, this may not be possible on short notice. Please contact City Administration at 452-1850 with bequests. This meeting is being taped by NDC4 (651-450-9891) and will replay on Friday at 1.00 p.m. and 7.00 p.m. on the NDC4 Government Channel 18 DATE: September 13, 2007 TO: City Council, Commission Members, and City Administrator FROM: Jake Sedlacek, Assistant to the City Administrat SUBJECT: Pre -Application Meeting Synopsis Staff met with two individuals on Monday, September 10, 2007. Steve Grittman, Sue McDermott, Paul Berg and Jake Sedlacek were present. Ken Henk, Paster Enterprises — Mendota Plaza (Jim Danielson also attended this portion of the planning meeting) Paster Enterprises and RLK Associates requested to attend the planning meeting to discuss the feedback they received at the September 4 City Council meeting. Staff discussed how Paster Enterprises might be able to express a commitment to housing on the site, and answered questions regarding the next steps in the Mendota Plaza planning application. Cu Nguyen, 1310 Victory Lane Mr. Nguyen was in to discuss the ongoing code violation/civil dispute involving the property at 1310 Victory Lane. The previous property owner had illegally placed fill in a wetland buffer area, and had sold the property without resolving the issue. Mr. Nguyen is working to address the issues he is responsible for, and hopes to be able to build a home on the lot. Staff discussed the outstanding code issues, and how the wetland buffer impacts the lot. Staff will continue to pursue the original code violation with the previous owner; Mr. Nguyen will continue to work with staff regarding the future development of the lot. Planning Meeting 911012007 Page I of 1 Bryan Helm/Watson & Spierman (photographer, cover & top left pg. 4); Soza Models (model); Ting Ting Lin/Jed Root (stylist); Bata Playsic (hair & make-up). Monster- Rhode Island growers load a pumpkin for a 2006 state weigh -off. brownish -greenish -black a sloshing in the tank on his tepped into the pumpkin up the sprayer's engine I out a nutrient -packed mist Please turn to page P6 GOLF J L Nine Is Enough Short courses may lack fancy amenities, but they're often more fun to play than 18-holers By JOHN PAUL NEWPORT RECENTLY PLAYED in a member - guest tournament at a nine -hole golf course in northwest Connecticut. Yo) might think making the same nine -hole loop time after time would grow tedious (each two -person team played five nine - hole matches), but nothing could be fur- ther from the truth. For one thing, the course at the Washington Golf Club has two subtly different sets of tees, which, ter the driving strategy. For another, the holes were laid out in 1905 and have mo style, at least in my eyes, than' nn 800 p-,,. fashion magazine. In fact, I left wondering why so many courses bother maintaining 18 holes when nine can be so much fun. Eighteen is the standard number of holes ;& for a golf course because, since 1764, that's how many St. Andrews in Scotland has had: nine "out" to the far corner of the property, and nine back "in" to the clubhouse. And somehow this does seem like the proper number. Just as Please turn to page P3 l �..,I -i-Dy �nurt,rt ft-aut _iNewport Nine Enough Continued from page PZ in baseball the 90 -foot distance between bases (established in the 1840s) continues to be just right in balancing offense and defense, so 18 -hole rounds in golf are just long enough to pro- duce ebbs and flows and oppor- tunities for redemption, but not so long that golfers usually want to quit early. ost of the early courses in this country were nine-holers. The first U.S. Open, in 1895 at Newport Country Club in Rhode Island, was played on a nine -hole course. Back then, there i weren't enough golfers, or i' money, or confidence in the fu- ture of the faddish new game to justify many 18 -hole extravagan- zas. In fact, it wasn't until the 1920s that more than half of all new courses, here and in Great Britain, were 18 -hole affairs. Even today, more than a quarter of all U.S. courses are nine- holers, and eight states, mostly in the Midwest, have more nine - hole courses than 18 -hole ver- sions, according to the National Golf Foundation. ® Shorter courses certainly have some advantages. Most ob- viously, they are cheaper to build and operate. For smaller communities, nine holes are of- ten all that are necessary. Golf- ers usually play twice to get their 18 holes in. For my money, the biggest e plus is a natural resistance to fanciness. Eighteen hole courses are inclined to be more ® competitive. If one course in town brings in an architect to add 500 yards and refashion the bunkers, the others soon feel compelled to do likewise. The same goes for carts with satel- lite guidance systems or a chef trained in France. Even many 18 -hole courses that don't strive to be fancy have a pen- chant for ironing out the idio- syncrasies in their designs over time, if only to appear more "normal." Nine-holers, on the other hand, are usually more content with what they are. The best ones, in my experience, view themselves as well -kept secrets. The Washington Golf Club, for instance, has a pleasant little Quirky: The ninth green at Marion Golf Course in Marion, Mass. clubhouse with a spacious porch overlooking the putting green, but no dining service, only a gas grill that the Sunday morning gang uses for post -round burg- ers and hot dogs. The members range from middle-class to wealthy, but no one seems to want the club to be anything more than it is, a friendly place to gather and play golf. The greens, by the way, roll as true and fast as all but a few of the fa- mous courses in nearby Westchester, N.Y. ITH SO LITTLE t0 prove, nine-holers tend not to be afraid of quirk, and I love quirk. One of my favorite places to play with my daughter is an old nine-holer near my mother-in-law's house in Mar- ion, Mass. It was built in 1904, and nothing much has changed since, including the greens fee: $15 a round. A stone wall has bi- sected the property since it was farmed. Tee shots on two of the three par 3s are blind because you have to hit over the wall. It turns out this course, Mar- ion Golf Course, was the first de- signed by George Thomas, who went on to build Riviera and Bel - Air in Los Angeles. Which is an- other of the joys of playing nine - hole courses: You never know what little bits of history and trivia you'll unearth. Last year, I stumbled upon a nine-holer outside Bellows Falls, Vt., that was built in an abandoned quarry in 1923. Al- most nothing about this layout is ordinary, except perhaps the first and ninth holes. The sec- ond green is nestled at the bot- tom of a former kettle pond. The creatively routed third through eighth holes dip into and out of the shallow quarry, now completely overgrown. Following my round, the club's general manager told me that working people from the area had chipped in to buy the property for a few hundred dol- lars after the quarry closed, and had designed and helped build the course themselves. Today, the non-profit Bellows Falls Country Club is open to the pub- lic. I paid $14 for my nine -hole loop. A lot of golfers keep life lists of courses played, usually focus- ing on famous, top -100 -type des- tinations. I keep such a list my- self. Still, there is nothing better than roaming New England, es- pecially when the fall foliage is in full color, seeking out quirky old nine-holers, to remind you of how much fun this ancient stick -and -ball game can be. Email me atgolfjournal@wsj.com. L In the Community, With the Community For the Communi ty www.mnSun.com - Thursl m Ml� The night hours have not been as peaceful as in the past for residents in the central part of Eagan, leading the city to send a request to the Metropolitan Airports Commission for some peace and quiet. The city has asked the MAC's Noise Oversight Committee to divert _flights between 10:30 p.m. and 6 a.m. to run- ways other than the north -south Runway 17, which routes planes over the central part of the city. Instead, the city has asked MAC to consider routing more planes over the Eagan/Mendota Heigh ts corridor which uses Runway 12. "There will be residents impacted in the [Eagan/Mendota Heights] corridor," said City Administrator Tom Hedges "However, the majority of that land is much more compatible than the residen- tial areas in central Eagan." When we talk about a corridor being much Morecompatible, acommercia sand industrial development in that corridor," said Mayor Mike Maguire. "It's not to sug- gest that airport noise in [homes along the corridor] is insignificant." In July 2006, Runway 17 was used for 2.5 percent of nighttime departures and 0.1 percent of nighttime arrivals. This July, the runway was used for 20.2 -per- cent of departures and 4.6 percent of arrivals. "It's been a real dramatic increase in terms of nighttime departures and that's a concern," said Hedges. In July,- MAC received 2,425 com- plaints from 166 Eagan residents, which represented 41 percent plaints.corn- MAC m of all noise co MAC Noise Manager Chad Leqve said night traffic really started to increase on Runway 17, which is less than two years old, during the first quarter of 2007. The city's request Noiwill come before Maus se Oversight Committee Sept. 19. Leqve said Eagan's request Would fit in with the airport's Runway Use System during the nighttime hours and there was' a good possibility that the committee would vote to enter into dis- cussions with the Federal Aviation Administration about making the change. "Ultimately the decision is made by the FAA," said Leqve. "That would be what I think the next step in the process would be, begin nin with the FAA." g those discussion zou are invited to comment about this story on our website at www.mnsun.com and/or write a letter to the editor at sun - current south @acnpapers. com' LBQ71 A guy named Ross Fefercorn called me, and he said he had to take the lights off his tree. He had low -voltage twinkle lights wrapped around a tree on Oxford, between Grand and Summit. One tree. Well, I suppose it wasn't his tree exactly. It is a boulevard tree between Grand and Summit, west side of Oxford. This would be a tree outside the Oxford Square mall. Fefercorn is a developer. In St. Paul, given the old city's current struggle to remain whole, I suppose he would be called an evil developer. He is based in Minneapolis and has developments in Uptown, for example. He is 52, and he told me he has never worked for anybody else. He has developed real estate since he was 28. He called me Mr. Soucheray, which indicates he probably doesn't get to St. Paul very often, for I am often referred to by anything other than Mr. Last year, in the fall, when there was public works -type work at Grand and Oxford, Fefercorn said, he put some of his own money into new sidewalks and, as long as they were doing work on the corner, he had his electrician run a conduit out under the sidewalk to the Nage of the tree where a -round fault intarn inter nh in %Aiag installed. in other words, he didn't ri in a long orange extension cord out from the Caribou Coffee store. He had a professionally installed up -to -code arrangement. "Why?" "For safety, mostly," Fefercorn said. "There have been break-ins at the mall. I know it sounds like B.S., but a little soft lighting on a tree can expand the sidewalk and create an ambience of security." Actually, I do believe that. The more Fefercorn described his predicament, the more I became amazed. "Was it the Dark People?" I asked Fefercorn. He did not know what I meant, and I had to explain that among St. Paul's other problems is a faction of Dark People who abhor nighttime lighting. "No, uh, it wasn't Dark People," he said. And it couldn't have been Grand Avenue People. Little twinkle lights on a tree is right up Grand Avenue's alley, so to speak. Why, if there is any kind of light that would appeal to the people who decide things about Grand Avenue, it would be your twinkle lights, little soft -glow, low -voltage twinkle lights. Yes, sir, that is Grand Avenue in a nutshell. "It was Public Works," Fefercorn said. Somebody from Public Works got wind of the lights - either saw them or had them reported, however improbably - and Fefercorn was told to remove them. He did. He said he tried to put up an argument, to no avail. The city code, at that particular location, anyway, forbids such electrical work, and even though Fefercorn offered to indemnify the city, he was up against the bureaucracy, and the lights vanished. I guess he also got a citation, and when I called the city attorney who represents St. Paul in this matter against Fefercorn, I got an answering machine in the domestic -violence division. Go figure. Fefercorn was in violation of the law. I have no doubt about that, and neither does he. He is not claiming that his rights were violated, and he is not claiming that the cops came to his door and hauled him away in handcuffs. He is merely wondering why, if crime is being committed around his mall - Caribou Coffee, Shu, Tibetan Imports, The UPS Store, California Closets and the like - Public Works might not have been more interested in discussing the safety aspects of lighting. I called the city ordinance enforcement officer, Brent Gillen, whom Fefercorn said he dealt with. I left a message, as I did with the attorney from domestic violence. Maybe the people from the city involved in this case would have told me that Fefercorn has been a rude and obnoxious jerk. Maybe not. I don't know. They didn't call me back. But if we are looking for ways the city can save money, I'd start with 41 cents, the cost of a stamp, to mail Fefercorn a ticket, because he said he would pay the $200 fine. And then code enforcement officers could sniff around buildings that are falling down and attorneys in the domestic violence division could go after people who are hurting each other. Joe Soucheray can be reached at jsoucheray@pioneerpress.com or 651-228-5474. Soucheray is heard from 2 to 5:30 p.m. weekdays on KSTP-AM 1500. I Send To Printer '' E- MINNA£'C)L_S -4,T. P iI , fs I. S T -rom battlefield to football field, joy of the game takes new • After 16 months in Iraq, Dan Aschenbrener is back on Hamline's football team. By oma_n._Am.gu ov.. z, Star Tribune Last update: September 08, 2007 — 11:19 PM Dan Aschenbrener's shoulder pads seem lighter this football season, the sweltering late - summer practices more tolerable, the yelling of his coaches less intimidating. Sixteen months in Iraq have altered his perspective. So, too, has the metal bracelet he wears on his right wrist to honor a close friend killed by a roadside bomb in Fallujah. Aschenbrener, 23, played football for two years at Hamline University before he was called to active duty with his National Guard unit at the start of the 2005 season. His two- year dream of returning to the Pipers -- kept alive by trying to listen in Iraq to fuzzy internet broadcasts of games -- finally materialized Saturday when Hamline opened its season against visiting Martin Luther with a 24-19 victory. The Pipers came back to win on Chad Schmigel's 10 -yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Sean Lewis with 9.6 seconds left. "This was unbelievable," Aschenbrener said. "I did not get to play, but that doesn't matter to me. This was electric. I can't describe it. It was incredibly exciting." Several younger teammates call him Sarge, a reference to his military rank. Otherwise, there is little about Aschenbrener that suggests his recent experience in Iraq. "I just want to focus on where I am at right now," he said. "I'm real excited to watch this team and be a part of this team again." Aschenbrener, a linebacker and wrestler at Forest Lake High School, played for the Pipers in 2003 and 2004 and was walking off the field at the end of two -a -day practices before the 2005 season when his roommate delivered an urgent message: His National Guard unit had been calling him all day. Aschenbrener watched the Pipers' first two games that season before he left. By March 2006, his unit was deployed to Camp Taqaddum, 45 miles west of Baghdad. He was a cavalry scout or sniper, assigned to keep the roads safe. He wore 90 pounds of gear, including body armor, and temperatures sometimes reached 130 degrees. Close calls? "We had a couple incidents," Aschenbrener said. "It's a whole different world over there. It's a tough thing to describe, because you have no idea what to expect never being there before." Even in the war zone, he tried to follow Hamline football. All of the Pipers' home games are on the Internet. But his connection was too poor to get video, leaving him to listen to fuzzy audio broadcasts. "I would actually work extra shifts to get off some time to be able to hook up to a webcast," he said. When Hamline hired a new football coach after the 2006 season, Aschenbrener's buddies on the team informed him. Aschenbrener was one of the first to congratulate Jim Good by e-mail. He also asked about rejoining the team. Good encouraged him. "You get thousands of e-mails about guys who want to play football," said Good, a member of the Texas Lutheran staff the past six seasons. "But this was special because of what he was doing for our country." Aschenbrener returned home July 27. Hamline's first practice was Aug. 18. He spent the three weeks in between arranging military college benefits, getting long-delayed dental care and visiting family and friends. Unpacking was put on hold: "I'm still living pretty much out of a duffel bag." Aschenbrener's contributions to the team extend well beyond game days. offensive"Fie has such a wonderful enthusiasm, it is almost infectious," line coach Daryl Agpalsa said. "Every drill, everything he does, he does to the best of his ability." Aschenbrener was a linebacker as a freshman and a defensive end when he last played in 2004. But despite being relatively undersized at 6 -foot -3, 217 pounds, he impressed Good early on as a candidate to fill a need for offensive linemen. "He is a big, pretty well put -together kid," Good said. "He is intelligent. We thought, 'Well, maybe we can talk this guy into playing on the ®-line."' Little persuasion was needed. "He said, 'Absolutely, whatever it takes to help the team,"' Agpalsa said. Aschenbrener is trying to put on weight by eating "everything I possibly can" and drinking protein shakes. He has added about 4 pounds since football started and hopes to get to 230 pounds. He wants to play next season, too, provided his knees and back hold out. Those body parts were stressed by his rigorous assignment in Iraq. "You don't so much adapt there, you just kind of make do," he said. Whenever he needs inspiration, he looks at his bracelet. Bryan McDonough's name and the date he died, Dec. 2, 2006, are inscribed on it. McDonough was on patrol in a Humvee. Aschenbrener and McDonough, of Maplewood, had met five years ago, early in their National Guard days. "We were both in my old unit, in east St. Paul," Aschenbrener said. "We did our drills together. The whole unit was pretty tight." In Iraq, their assignments brought them together for only a couple of weeks before McDonough was killed. "I was woke up," Aschenbrener said. "News travels pretty fast over there. It was heartbreaking." Aschenbrener always wears his bracelet except during football practice and games, when it has to be removed. Then he gives it to Agpalsa to wear. "Dan has a better perspective than most about what goes on in the world," Agpalsa said. Aschenbrener, whose father, Mike, is the police chief of Mendota Heights, is pursuing majors in criminal justice and psychology. He wants a career in law enforcement. And he understands better than most that football is just a game. "I love playing football here -- I love Division III sports," Aschenbrener said. "Nobody here has delusions about going to play pro football. Nobody is doing this because they want it to be a job. They are just out there because they enjoy it." Roman Augustoviz • raugustoviz@startribune.com © 2007 Star Tribune. All rights reserved.