Looking back on my 10 years of writing this column has made me realize a few things. First off, that I’ve come a long way in my growth as an individual, a mother and a partner. The second thing is that I still have a long way to go.
The April 30 issue is the final issue of Lakeshore Weekly News.
We have appreciated the long-time support shown by residents and businesses in the city of Eden Prairie and communities surrounding Lake Minnetonka. We developed many partnerships over the years with our loyal advertisers and readers who turned to us as their primary source for local news an…
Not being able to find a hitting partner or get outdoors due to weather or get into your health club because of current COVID-19 restrictions is certainly no fun for anyone.
With the world turned upside down, as mayor of Wayzata I just wanted to thank all our residents for their resilience and cooperation. Our storied small town character continues to shine. Neighborhoods have come together, sufficiently distanced, of course. Some have shared books and games. Ot…
The Minnesota Department of Education requires each public school district to submit yearly statistics on major discipline incidents and out-of-school suspensions. These are available on the MDE website under data center and cover the most recent five years.
In his inauguration address on Jan. 20, 1961, President John F Kennedy said, “Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.” Who knew that almost 60 years later, the most important thing that many of us could do is stay home?
I am writing today to provide some regional context to messaging you may be hearing and reading about hospitals’ and health systems’ preparedness for the COVID-19 pandemic, and the associated financial hardships on the health care industry.
These are unprecedented times. Times when our normal has been replaced with abnormal. Our security has been replaced with insecurity. We are afraid for our physical and mental health. We’re afraid financially. We’re afraid we’ll never get our normal back. We’re sheltering at home. We stay in…
If my home office had a human resources department, I’d have some serious concerns about my new colleagues.
The 11-year trend of building — larger than needed — Excelsior single-family houses reflects the new normal of our landscape. Excelsior’s economic domain evolved from a relatively middle-class town to a high-end suburb. The driving force is a dominant moneyed culture that utilized its abilit…
Since the stay-at-home order was released by the governor, my wife and I have turned our daily exercise program of walking McGinty Road into an environmental program of picking up trash (beer cans, soft drink containers, cigarette butts, etc.). You know, whatever people don't want to dump in…
Across Minnesota and much of the world, we are living in a temporary new normal of caution, quarantine and social distancing. But with the governor’s stay-at-home order in place, it is imperative we remember that social distancing does not and should not equate to social isolation, especiall…
No matter how we pray, as a community, as a country, COVID-19 brought us to our knees. Once the surreality of its scope and impact set in, we found ourselves praying for wisdom and courage and reasons to feel hopeful.
Last year’s Christmas gathering was 24 strong. Half of them were teenagers. The oldest was 80 and the youngest was 12. A one-day visit is not too much of a problem, but how is it possible to entertain that many relatives for five days? We found a way to do just that and do something construc…
My father usually complained as April 15 approached. One year in the early 1950s he explained to me — his first born of four siblings — that our crops had been bountiful, prices were high, and we made a good profit. Then frowning, he added, “Our income tax payment this year could have paid f…
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz issued a stay-at-home order that is in effect until at least April 10. All signs point to it being extended. Minnesotans as well as millions across the country are being asked to stay at home, unless absolutely necessary, to avoid the spread of COVID-19. This should n…
Saying that life as we know it has changed is an understatement. We are at the beginning of a marathon here in Minnesota when it comes to COVID-19. Where the finish line is remains unclear.
March 25 was my last day with Lakeshore Weekly News and I have to say it has been a pleasure to work in the communities around Lake Minnetonka over the last year.
One of the things that I am constantly reminding (and reassuring) my newer students is: "Tennis is not rocket science, it's about striking a ball and clearing a net."
I find it interesting how we often think of nature as one specific way and only one way. No variations or exceptions. It is either this way or that way. Nothing in between.
We are so sick of hearing about the novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, that we want to get it over with. Panic has ensued, and with that panic comes the topic of education. In November 1999, educational technology expert Elliott Masie coined the term “eLearning.” In many states, incl…
In the fall of 2019, the Distraction-free Life Club (DfLC) at Eden Prairie High School embarked on a mission to engage elementary school kids in discussions about distracted driving. We called the initiative Drivers-in Making and kicked it off with a two-hour workshop. At the end of the sess…
When we think of a population of people moving from Sweden, we picture a migration settling in North America
Minnesota is inching toward spring, and the legislature is picking up the pace as my colleagues and I are working to hear bills and get our work done before adjournment. With only about ten weeks left, we are making progress but the Senate needs to keep pace with the House.
In the past four months, I have personally known two people who have taken their own lives. During this school year (2019-2020), Blaine High School has lost four students to suicide. In Andover, just under two weeks ago, a 13-year-old girl took her own life. In addition to the survivors that…
By now, most of us have heard of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and have a basic understanding of what it is. How the United States and communities around the world are responding, changes by the hour, even the minute at times.
As we age, all of us will face challenges. Finding affordable, high-quality home services, accessing health care and staying connected to our communities are just a few hurdles older adults face when striving to live fulfilling, enriched lives. These challenges, however, grow significantly w…
Every sport has its fundamentals. Football: establish your running game. Baseball: you must have pitching for all nine innings. And tennis? It's really quite simple: get the ball over the net.
Few, if any, newborns in the whole of creation are more dependent than human babies, and that dependence lasts for many years. I recall the word, depend, so frequently used by my parents in my upbringing that I began to think it was my middle name.
Introducing Take 5 for Nature! This new column will be published quarterly and will provide readers with interesting information about what is currently taking place in the natural world around us. Our goal is to educate readers about local seasonal happenings while also inspiring our reader…
At this time of year there are so many signs of spring. Even though the calendar says it’s still winter, and many parts of the country are still covered with a thick blanket of snow, there are signs of spring all over the place.
Minnesota Department of Public Safety released data on how the new hands-free law in Minnesota has performed since it went into effect on Aug. 1, 2019. As of Dec. 31, 2019, that is in five months, a total of 9,727 drivers received citations for violating the law. That amounts to little over …
Looking toward the future of our state is a critically important part of our work at the state Capitol. There’s no better place to start this work than by addressing the needs of those who will witness the success of our efforts: Minnesota’s youngest learners. All children deserve a quality …
Black History Month is recognized in February, and it is celebrated in several ways. It originated when historian Carter G. Woodson, known as the “Father of Black History,” marked the second week of February for people of African descent to be celebrated. The celebration was extended to a mo…
The American bison is an incredibly interesting critter. Sometimes called buffalo, this name is a misnomer and suggests that the American bison is somehow related to the buffalo of the Old World.
Marvin Cross is a resident at Trillium Woods, a senior community in Plymouth Minnesota. This past summer a friend of his, Joan Wright, put out the word that he was going to go skydiving on his 90th birthday in July and would be happy to have anyone join him who would like to take the challenge.
The legislative session has once again begun, and I am thrilled to be back at the capitol advocating for the people of Minnetonka and Eden Prairie. As your state senator, I understand it is an awesome responsibility to be your voice as my colleagues and I work to craft laws that improve the …
February is Love Month. High schools celebrate with Heart Weeks and Heart Week dances. While good intentioned, they don’t always turn out very loving. A recent situation at a local high school exemplifies what I mean. A few kids were left out of the planning phase for the dance and therefore…
