How I would sum up Wimbledon 2019 in a sentence for those who might want the super condensed versions: It was the best, saved for last or the “slice” stole the show or will we see the same rematches in the 2020 Wimbledon final? or those pesty tie-breaks!
About two years ago, I researched some interesting facts about tennis and wrote an article for this newspaper. ("A look at the sport of tennis," March 6, 2017). I was pleasantly surprised to learn that, worldwide, tennis is the fastest-growing individual sport.
In our neighborhood, people walk their dogs, kids play in the streets and everyone greets each other as they pass. We haven’t lived here very long so I don’t know everyone. While walking tonight, I approached an unfamiliar couple and we started chatting. Before long, the inevitable question …
Thank you for your article about the Big Woods at Minnetonka’s Lone Lake Park (Lakeshore Weekly News, June 27). When walking there I’d always felt there was something special about those huge trees. Now, thanks to your informative article, when I go again, I will really appreciate the fact t…
Where the heck did I put that file? Don’t I own any tape? OMG why do I have so much tape? These are just a few examples of the things I struggle with in my home office. I love that I primarily work from home. For me, I can’t imagine it any other way. Personally, I feel I’m more productive wi…
June 15th marked World Elder Abuse Awareness Day as designated by the United Nations. And while this is a day to be especially mindful of the reality of this abuse, millions of older adults are forced to endure it daily.
We are often so destination driven that we forget to enjoy the journey. I spent years driving to Mankato when my girls were in college. Each time I made the picturesque drive, I wanted to stop and check out an antique store or historic site. I never did. I was too focused on getting to my de…
Now that summer is in full swing you may be preparing to make property improvements.
Recreation by the waters of Lake Minnetonka had modest beginnings.
Now that summer is in full swing you may be preparing to make property improvements. If you live near a lake, stream or wetland, it’s important to do a little research before you get started. Doing so will save you time and money and help protect the water that you live on or near.
Your parents said, “We think you are ready for big boy underwear instead of diapers.” Now you pay attention to Depend ads on TV and hear your doctor ask the question “Any trouble with urine drips?”
I love the smell of fresh-cut grass in the morning, but I hate seeing my favorite professional tennis players slipping and falling-down on the grass courts at Wimbledon.
Let me preface this by saying that I am condemning neither Superintendent Dennis Peterson nor the Minnetonka School District. I believe Dr. Peterson always has the district's best interest at heart. I am also staunchly proud of the district that both my children attended and would not hesita…
The science is clear: Carbon emissions sent into the atmosphere from a variety of human sources threaten to upend our economy, our health, our national security and our very way of life.
Last week we went to grab an ice cream cone in Mound. I got to thinking about a piece the Mound mayor published in the newsletter last month about the possible development in the area east of the ice cream shop. It was nice to have a public space easily accessible to enjoy our cones and see …
The No. 1-ranked U.S. women’s national team is in France as you read this, crashing through every other World Cup team in their path. Through the first three games they have scored an almost absurd 18 points while allowing their opponents nil.
Many tennis fans expected to see some of the younger professional players break through and win one of the major tournaments this year.
One in three seniors die with Alzheimer’s disease, it is the only leading cause of death in the U.S. that cannot be prevented, cured or even slowed, it is so important that we have elected officials who are working to make Alzheimer’s a national priority.
As a moderate drinker myself, I'm going to focus my comments regarding this column ("Are you part of the problem?" by Natalie Webster, published in Lakeshore Weekly News on June 13) on the blatant sexism and belittling of women issue. The writer hit some important nails on the head, and judg…
Guns are not something I grew up around, nor something I’ve had good experiences with.
When the people of Plymouth sent me to St. Paul, I made a commitment to our community to find common ground to get the job done for the people of Minnesota. Working collectively to represent our values at the Capitol, one of the only divided legislatures in the country delivered on that prom…
In high school and college, when my friends would come to my house, my dad would change into a gray, sweat-stained tank top and a pair of Under Armor spandex leggings, just to embarrass me.
What I want to talk about is somewhat controversial, in that it stirs up strong feelings in people. Some feel judged, some are frightened by the similarities they might be reading about, some will welcome the idea and support the change.
School is officially over for the year and while I am thrilled and proud of the 2019 graduates that I know, I am still waiting for the awards and the scholarships that are based on being a good human. The other awards and recognitions are important and all, but I wonder what the world would …
As a young Latinx woman, the need for representation in local elections is a very important issue for me. I believe that every single group should be represented, the whole concept of having a constituency is that you are representing a large group of people. To me, this idea means that lead…
The kids are doing the countdown to summer! I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that 2019 is almost half over. I’m not sure how that happened so fast. We are already looking ahead and planning things for December.
I am deeply troubled by the lack of support for impeachment proceedings by my Congressman, U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips. I was one among a group of 21 constituents that visited the congressman’s office on June 3 to persuade U.S. Rep. Phillips to support impeachment proceedings. The congressman’s …
Many years ago, Robert Fulghum wrote the widely acclaimed book, “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten”; he recounted life’s lessons such as play fair, don’t hit people, put things back where you found them, and don’t take things that aren’t yours, etc. Research moves that cloc…
I was 14 years old in 1980 when John Anderson, an Illinois Congressman and independent candidate for president, visited my middle school. Bright-eyed and a bit naive, it was the first time I’d ever seen a politician — those men in suits on television — in real life.
When I was a little boy, growing up in the 1950s, I was in awe of our World War II veterans. Everyone's dad had served during the war. If you asked them a direct question about what they'd done, they told you. Mostly, they didn't really talk about it. My generation — the baby boomers — recei…
There are only a handful of birds that elicit pure excitement and joy when it shows up at your backyard feeding station.
With the warmer weather this past month, we were able to continue our effort to improve the water quality and ecological integrity of Wassermann Lake in Victoria. In a partnership with the city of Victoria, the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD) treated a pond on the west side of Wass…
May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month. Minnesota and Wisconsin are known hot beds for Lyme disease, otherwise known as the great imitator. It mimics other diseases, which is what can complicate getting proper treatment and the correct diagnoses. Add to that, the knowledge that current tests fo…
As conference committees are finishing their work, I want to formally thank state Sen. Ron Latz for his support and advocacy for the Alec Smith Emergency Insulin Act. The act would establish a way for Minnesotans who are unable to afford their needed insulin to get their prescription filled …
Working in the news biz, we have to be good listeners.
Recently I learned of the Minnetonka High School students who are raising awareness for Mental Health through a student-run organization called MHS Wellness. Since May is Mental Health Month, they have been very active. Among other things, last week they painted the rock in front of the scho…
I’ve learned the lessons of depression the hard way. It’s something I experienced first in my late teens and then again in my 30s.
Mother’s Day is coming up. It’s a day where we celebrate and show our appreciation of the women in our lives who we call mom. When my mother died seven years ago, on Mother’s Day I scattered her ashes in the ocean off of the island I grew up on, on a beach she loved dearly. In Hawaii, we cal…
South of my boyhood home, across the gravel road and behind the mailbox was a manmade drainage “ditch” — very deep and wide. This waterway drained 19,000 acres of swamp land from Geneva Lake to Austin, Minnesota.
Aug. 1, 2019, will usher in a safer Minnesota. On that day we will be able to proudly claim residence in a state with a hands-free law. Thanks to Gov. Tim Walz for putting his signature on a bill that had evaded passage for close to a decade in the state legislature. The ever-worsening distr…
“You mean, you actually wash your kids’ fruit with special soap before they eat it?” I blurted.
To the person(s) who stole the snapper crossing signs that were located in Greenwood on Minnetonka Boulevard between Lake William and Lake Minnetonka: While your deed is a compliment to the designer (me) of Greenwood's super cool snapper crossing signs, and it is obvious that the signs would…
An efficient, safe and adequately-funded transportation system is essential to the long-term health of Minnesota. Unfortunately, current state funding for roads, bridges and transit systems is inadequate to support the population and economic growth forecasted for our state. Underfunding of …
The legislative session is just past its midpoint, and it’s been an incredible honor to represent Plymouth at the Capitol. House DFLers and I have advanced specific plans to lower the cost of prescription medications, end our opioid crisis, reduce distracted driving by requiring “hands-free”…
The Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD) opened Gray’s Bay Dam at the outlet of Lake Minnetonka on March 21, despite there still being more than a foot of ice on the lake.
The bedrock of a strong democracy is the act of voting. Each citizen has the awesome responsibility to cast their ballot to choose our leaders and to create a government for the people by the people. It is easy to not vote, but that only leads to an alienated, apathetic, uneducated and uninf…
What are labels? In terms of people, they are what we use to identify someone, so as to give them context in our world. I’m not talking about names. I’m talking about how we identify ourselves or how others identify us. I’m a mother, stepmother, grandmother, friend, sister, neighbor, etc. I’…
My daughter’s class is graduating from high school this year. My daughter, however, is not. Three years ago, when she was 15, she took her own life.
Every spring, my father (a farmer) would say, time to breakup the ground. He meant loosen up the hard-packed soil, enabling the growth of seeds. Much significant human growth also occurs after break-up points.
I would like to take this time to thank Tim Amundsen and the Excelsior Public Works Department on their ongoing endeavor of snow removal. You and your equipment were able to remove snow and widen 3rd Street, our street. You also opened sidewalk access to the crosswalks. Thank you.
