Call for Entries for 2008 Hidden Gardens Tour

EAGAN – You don’t have to drive all over the metropolitan area to tour beautiful gardens when they are right here in Eagan and Burnsville.

Nominate your own garden or another’s not to be missed!  Eagan and Burnsville residents interested in having their gardens included in a local garden tour, planned for July, 2008, are invited to contact organizers searching now for potential participants.  Interested parties should e-mail hiddengardenstour@comcast.net, including their name, address, phone number, e-mail and garden photos if available.   They will then be contacted by a member of the planning committee. 

The Hidden Gardens tour is a fundraiser organized by Friends of Jim Carlson.  Carlson represents District 38 (Eagan and a portion of Burnsville) in the Minnesota Senate. Gardens should be located within Senate District 38. 

Ballots from the DFL SD 38 convention resolutions vote have now been tallied.  Resolutions ranging from reversing the Patriot Act to balancing the Federal budget got the needed 60% support of delegates to the DFL SD38 convention on March 1st.

More than 100 resolutions were sent to the convention from the precinct caucuses.   Delegates could send as many as 34 resolutions to the state DFL for consideration.  But to be adopted, they needed the support of 60% of those present.  Only 22 resolutions passed that test.

The list of the resolutions that did pass are posted here in pdf form.

US Senate Candidate Al Franken won the lion's share of delegates at this Saturday's SD 38 DFL Convention. Subcaucuses that named Franken as a candidate were awarded 10 of SD 38's 17 state delegates. Subcauses that named the other two candidates in the race Mike Ciresi and Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer were awarded 1 delegate each. The remaining five delegates were awarded to subcaucuses that were uncommitted (3) or named a presidential candidate (Clinton-1, Obama-1.)

Here is the list of subcaucuses, the number of votes each one got and the resulting number of state delegates.

Huge numbers of Democrats turned out for the Feb 5th Precinct Caucuses in SD 38. Caucus attendance was up 400% to 500% in many precincts as voters chose between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama for President. Caucus goers also elected delegates to the March 1st Senate District convention and passed resolutions that will make up the DFL platform.

3,055 voters came to the SD 38 Caucuses compared to 971 for the Republicans. That's a 3 to 1 advantage for Democrats in a year that both parties have competitive races for President.  Unofficial results: Barack Obama 2,038 Hillary Clinton 996, Uncommitted 8, John Edwards 7, Dennis Kucinich 4, Joe Biden 1, Bill Richardson 1.

Thank you to everyone who came. Thank you for being patient with the long lines and crowded rooms. We are so happy to have so much involvement and look forward to your participation between now and November when we'll rescue our government from Republican misdeeds, mismanagement and mistakes.

All Senate District Officers serve a 2 year term. Candidates for all positions are screened by the nominations committee in advance of the senate district convention. The nominations committee recommends a slate of candidates to the delegates of the SD38 convention for a vote. Interested persons can nominate themselves or others for officer positions. The screening process will take about 10 minutes.

All screenings will take place at Dakota Hills Middle School Wed Feb 13 6-9 pm, Sat. Feb 16 9 am-noon, Wed Feb 20 6-8 pm, or Sat Feb 23 1-3:30 pm Contact the Nominations Committee at nominations@dfl38.org to set up an appointment

Download the forms for more info on the positions and the process.

List of positions and duties

Screening Form

Tuesdy Feb 5th is caucus night.   Not only will we be voting on supporting candidates for national and state office, but we'll also be voting on resolutions. Anyone can propose a resolution which eventually could become part of the DFL platform.  DFL SD 38 is providing you a forum to propose, promote and discuss your resolution now ...before the rush of caucus night. Visit our resolutions forum here.

Shocking but true! Read all about it in this letter from DFL State Party Chair Brian Melendez.

Republicans hold nearly a two-to-one advantage in fundraising through Minnesota's campaign rebate program. Did you know you can give SD 38 or any of our candidates up to $50 ($100 for couples) a year and get the entire amount refunded from the State of Minnesota? We're not talking taking the money off of your taxes. This is a FULL REFUND of your money.

If you already have had that $50 refunded, how about asking your family, friends and neighbors to do the same? They can donate online or by mailing a check. If everyone in SD 38 who voted for John Kerry in 2004 gave SD38 just one dollar, we would raise $21,214 and be able to donate the maximum allowable to our candidates. Do the work of 50 (or 100) people and send us your FULLY REFUNDABLE donation. It's a no-brainer.