In a May 11 letter to the editor, “Our addiction to fossil fuels,” the author wrote about a friend’s alcoholism being like people using fossil fuels and terming that as an “addiction.” Most people would call that analogy a stretch that falls short. However, the writer also used “dependency,”…
The communities of Chaska, Chanhassen and Carver came through again for our veterans. Last weekend, the Walter Hecklin VFW Post 1791 had its annual Buddy Poppy Promotion. And the people of the communities supported us with great generosity.
The 15th Annual Chaska Bash fundraiser was held on Friday, May 12, at the Chaska Event Center. The Chaska Bash is the Chaska High School’s sole fundraiser supporting academics, activities, arts and athletics. This year’s event proved to be a very special celebration not because of what was p…
Just an observation: if the opinions expressed concerning the May 11 letter to the editor, “Our addiction to fossil fuels,” is indicative of the current state of critical thinking that is taught in our educational systems, then the world is truly in trouble.
The Chaska Rotary Club’s motto this month is “Rotary Leads the Way in May.” I find the month of May to be special for many reasons, among them is that May officially recognizes National Children’s Mental Health Awareness and Childcare Provider Day.
A month ago the Herald ran an article about the Community Foundation for Carver County and the recently formed Chaska Community Fund.
In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation naming May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day and established National Police Week during the week of May 15. This week offers an opportunity to remember peace officers who gave their lives in the line of duty. In the decades since its …
Spring has finally sprung in Carver and now is as good a time as any to share a few updates about what is going on in our community.
May is Poppy Month. Wear a poppy to show support for our fallen warriors and contribute to the continuing needs of our veterans during our National Poppy Day distribution event taking place Thursday, May 25, through Saturday, May 27. Members of the American Legion Auxiliary Chaska Unit 57, A…
Addiction seems to permeate our culture. It comes in many forms and varieties — some are very personal, and some are more societal.
“Mirrors and Windows,” a book fair event promoting stories by authors of color and independent, minority owned book sellers, will be held at Family of Christ Lutheran Church on Saturday, May 13, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
I almost did a spit-take when I read your April 13 headline about U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer taking part in the discussion about highway funding ("Emmer, McMillan discuss Highway 5 project funding").
One of the things I’ve always enjoyed about living in Chaska is the many service organizations we have that are committed to making this such a great community to live in. Using the simple concept of “neighbor helping neighbor,” these organizations and their members have demonstrated that a …
Christmas in May is scheduled for May 6. We invite any and all of you to join us that day as we work on homes for families that are in need of some community support. It’s a day where we come together as community volunteers to help fellow community members and address home maintenance and l…
As we observe National Volunteer Week, Auburn Homes and Services extends our heartfelt thanks to our wonderful team of volunteers for all they do to serve our residents and assist our staff. We are proud to recognize our volunteers’ role in improving the life experiences of those we serve. A…
Tax Day has come and gone, and my office has been flooded with constituents reaching out and asking for help after seeing their enormous tax bills. Minnesota serves as one of the most severely overtaxed states in the nation, and our enormous $17.5 billion budget surplus reveals just how sign…
More than 500,000 Minnesotans are paying more than 30% of their net income toward rent, according to the Minnesota Housing Partnership. More than 60% are living paycheck-to-paycheck.
Volunteering your time, energy, and resources makes the world a better place, makes the community a better community, and it makes us better versions of ourselves. Minnesota is home to many residents who give back to their communities by volunteering — in fact 40% of adults volunteer in some…
State of the city. Not long ago, I had a chance to take in the state of the city messages of the four cities in District 112, sponsored by the Southwest Chamber of Commerce.
It is almost spring, and the season of projects is right around the corner. If your project involves new construction, or remodeling of a structure, you will likely need a building permit.
In a recent letter, “Oh, the ills of socialism,” in the March 2 issue of The Herald, Sheri Meyers defended her appreciation for “socialism” and presented a defense that was built on a wrong premise. I could address each item specifically, but letters are not allowed the print space required.
As an insurance agent, I interact with dozens of folks looking for health care coverage. Rather than listing out the numerous services and benefits that I am all too familiar with, I prefer to let numbers and statistics speak for themselves on the high quality and affordability of Medicare A…
Spring officially started on March 21, but I wouldn’t blame you if you missed the memo, especially with plenty of snow still on the ground! Now, we just have to hope that it is a slow melt, or we will have to start thinking about potential flooding.
I was so darn happy to read the article from the March 16 Chaska Herald: "City makes land trust push for Cooper's."
Something about our bus ride wasn’t making sense. Our driver kept his foot on the gas pedal, even as we zigzagged on a single-lane switch-back gravel road in the Andes Mountains. What, I kept wondering, was his game plan if we met another bus or maybe a logging truck?
The next topic in this discussion of building a healthy community lies with the financial planning and management.
Maybe I’m a bit off the charts on being concerned about this, but I think this is a critically important discussion that others may not see as a threat, but I do.
Across Minnesota, chloride levels in lakes and rivers are on the rise. So far, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has identified 54 lakes with chloride pollution above state standards and more than 70 more that are at risk. Even though salt is common in our diet and needed for winter saf…
I’ve always loved a good year-ender, a retrospective look at the most notable items from the previous year. In Carver, it has been my tradition to share 10 things that were the most memorable in our community from the previous year. With that, here’s my list for 2022:
How about those Minnesota Vikings! They are off to a tremendous start. Unfortunately, I’ve watched them for too many years to get too excited. We Vikings fans always wonder what disappointment is waiting around the corner. I hope I’m wrong, and we keep having a fabulous season. Skol!
At this time of the year, we reflect on the blessings that have been bestowed on us. We give thanks for those blessings. We also need to remember those that have little hope for tomorrow, and include them as we reflect, for they live in the shadows of life, with little voice. It’s what carin…
At this time of year, stalking through the forest with my camera in hand in search of White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) is one of my favorite activities. The crunching of leaves under my boots, the crisp cold air and the smell of the decomposing leaves are all part of the autumn whi…
One of the key topics in the building of healthy communities is the need for a clear vision and a commitment to, and implementation of, a planning process that will deliver goals in support of that vision.
With the September release of the Netflix true crime series Dahmer—a dramatized retelling of the life and crimes of the notorious American serial killer—discussion about the ethics of true crime media and its seemingly endless production is being revisited once again.
Early fall brings an amazing insect to our flower gardens across the United States. It is the White-lined Sphinx Moth (Hyles lineata), also called the Hawk Moth or Hummingbird Moth. No matter what name you use, this is a large nectar feeding moth that looks and acts just like a hummingbird.
When it comes to building the health of communities or organizations, one sure thing is that change will always be with us.
I’m going to take a break from sharing some of the key topics involved in building healthy communities and focus on a couple of individuals who deserve some time and attention.
What ingredients would you add to have a delicious life? A delicious life is what you want, not what others want for their life.
Sitting at the edge of the nest, the young Osprey is calling out in a begging call, trying to be fed. His high-pitched screams echo across the lake and, unfortunately go unanswered. His parents are not around. He is all alone and, worse yet, he is hungry.
When was the last time you laughed—a really good belly laugh? Hopefully, it was not too long ago. The reason we bring this up is because recently something got us laughing so hard, we both had tears in our eyes. And did it ever feel good to do that! In today’s world there’s so much going on …
What you see is not always what you think it is. This could be my mantra for nature.
Are there any critical people in your life? We’ll guess you’ve come across people you find to be critical. You’re not alone. We all have critical people in our life. Maybe it’s someone at work or maybe it’s even a family member. Constructive criticism is fine, but some critical people are so…
Club Book returns with a virtual author visit at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 13 with acclaimed essayist and poet Boyah J. Farah. Farah immigrated to the United States in the mid-1990s as part of the Somali diaspora when thousands of families fled the war-torn Horn of Africa.
The Friends of the Chanhassen Library is preparing for the fall book sale. We’re in need of volunteers to help set up the sale, as well as to work the sale taking money. The sale will be Thursday, Sept. 29, through Sunday, Oct. 2. If you are interested in volunteering, contact the Patrick Jo…
Saturday, Aug. 13, is the last day to turn in reviews for the Oceans of Possibility Summer Reading Program. You can earn tickets to the State Fair and Minnesota Twin games just by reading and reviewing books.
I spend the entire month of June on a boat watching the sunrise and sunset. I do this because I am leading wildlife photography tours, to capture images of Loons. I am so fortunate to be outside, surrounded by nature for such a sustained amount of time. I see and hear so many cool birds and …
In water management, many projects seek to prevent pollution from getting into lakes and rivers. But one type of project both prevents water pollution and conserves drinking water at the same time, stormwater reuse.
Do you find yourself yearning for the days when life was simpler? We understand! There definitely were some advantages to those times. We found ourselves talking about that exact idea recently. How ironic it was when we learned that the first week in August is “National Simplify Your Life We…
What does trust mean to you? Trust may mean different things to different people. We thought a lot about trust as we flew home recently. We trusted people to fly us home safely. When we got home, we had trusted our refrigerator to keep working but, unfortunately, it proved untrustworthy. Now…
Happy mid-summer! It’s already been a hot start. Thank goodness the big storms, hail, wind and torrential rains have been passing by this area, but we can still use the rain for the farmers and their crops.
