It’s a new year and at Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools we are already planning for the 2021-22 school year, and looking ahead with hope and optimism that all students will be able to return to in-person learning. As we plan, our goal is always to create learning experiences that are personali…
A light and gentle snow started falling the other day while I was out in the woods. Quickly the tiny flakes started to build a uniform blanket covering the ground. It was a beautiful scene.
If you’re close to retirement, you’ll have several financial issues to consider, but you’ll want to pay attention to one of the most important of these issues: health care costs.
The late Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan famously said, “Everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion, but not his own facts” — a distinction that gets more difficult in direct proportion to the popularity and proliferation of social media.
The New Year is one of my favorite times of the year. I love the fresh beginnings of January, the clean slate that is before us, just ready for us to create in any way we choose. So, If I am going to be completely honest with myself, I’m ready for this year to be done. Most of the people I t…
Winter is a time of plenty for owls. The nights are very long, and the days are painfully short. I was reminded of this the other day while out photographing and filming a wild Barred Owl sleeping in a tree. I spent several hours just observing this magnificent raptor as it dozed in a large …
Many seniors will be alone this holiday season, some separated from family and friends because of COVID-19, some afraid for the future. An experience I had as a middle-aged adult helps me understand what being alone and afraid feels like.
The year 2020 has challenged us in ways we never could have imagined and I know most of us are more than ready to leave it behind and look forward to 2021 with hope and optimism.
George Schultz is a Republican and a distinguished fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institute. He is among the grand old men of 20th century public service, having worked for three US presidents serving on the Council of Economic Advisers, the Office of Management and Budget and as sec…
This winter has been a bit strange in the northland where I reside. Not much snow but enough cold temperatures to start freezing the lakes. The small lakes and ponds freeze up tight right away, but the larger lakes have open water near the center or in the deeper areas. While out photographi…
We’re nearing the end of 2020 — and for many of us, it will be a relief to turn the calendar page on this challenging year.
'Tis the season of the reindeer. After all, it’s hard to not notice them at this time of year. They make appearances in holiday movies, or on holiday greeting cards, and sometimes they are seen in Christmas tree lots as the featured animal. They appear on stage in plays or re-enactments and …
An initialism is defined as “an abbreviation consisting of initial letters pronounced separately.”
The recent weather rollercoaster has found me stomping around the woods in search of rutting White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). One week I am wearing a short-sleeved shirt and light-weight hiking shoes and the next week I am dressed in four layers and waterproof boots along with a h…
Some say health care workers are on the “front lines” fighting COVID-19. Our physicians, nurses, caregivers, and those supporting clinical operations are working harder than ever due to COVID’s prevalence in our communities.
This week Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools celebrated American Education Week, a time when we honor public education and the many staff members who are making a difference in the lives of students in our community.
It’s Monday morning, Nov. 16, and I have just been tested for COVID-19. No test results yet, but what I saw at the test site reminded me why I still love America.
It’s almost Thanksgiving. And although 2020 may have been a difficult year for you, as it has been for many people, you can probably still find things for which you can be thankful — such as your family. How can you show your appreciation for your loved ones?
Most Americans today are a bit disappointed as well as a bit relieved as we wait for the final votes for our president to be certified by the states. Neither Republicans nor Democrats were completely victorious or devastated as we will continue to have a divided government in Washington D.C.
“My fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over ... Our Constitution works; our great Republic is a government of laws and not of men. Here the people rule.”
Well, it happened again. The election was too close to call before we went to sleep. Even those who stayed up all night did not have the satisfaction of results. Now, we must wait until votes are counted, certified, and posted. When things are close, there are bound to be recounts and challenges.
My wife Char and I are of a generation that revered Election Day as a time when America’s best was on display, a time when the rest of the world looked on with envy at what America had become. We seemed to be a nation proud of its flag and constitution, and thankful to our forefathers who be…
Because of Thanksgiving, in my mind, the month of November and turkeys are linked together. Of course, this is uniquely an American association due to our Thanksgiving holiday.
History is full of rulers who refused to take a hint and vacate when their subjects got restless. Mostly, it didn’t end well for them. Roman emperors, in particular, had to keep an eye on their Praetorian Guard (their secret service), especially the leader of the guard, the Praetorian Prefec…
I really find that some of the most amazing animals on the face of the earth are the insects. I recently spent some time capturing a few incredible images of just one of these amazing animals, the praying mantis, often just called mantid.
COVID-19 has changed how we educate students in ways we could never have imagined. At Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools, flexibility is key as we implement our new learning models with safety requirements, while ensuring student’s individual learning needs continue to be met.
For generations, election day was like a national holiday when Americans proudly went to the polls to exercise their constitutional right. Our model was copied by other nations when their people won their freedom. Sadly (for me), election day has essentially been replaced by a vote-harvestin…
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we h…
There are so many interesting critters on this planet. Unique and fascinating critters.
Several mornings a week, I rise early and head out to my favorite patch of late blooming flowers. It’s a large patch of tall, bright yellow flowers.
Several mornings a week, I rise early and head out to my favorite patch of late blooming flowers. It’s a large patch of tall, bright yellow flowers.
Thomas Campbell, new resident to the city, wanted to find out more about the history of the land his home rests on. The previous owners had relayed to him and his wife Josie that on several occasions people had stopped by the house asking them not to tear down the barn that was on the proper…
It’s been 185 days since students were in our schools — pre COVID-19 — and this week we were finally able to greet our students back into our buildings and online through distance learning as we welcome a new school year. Back-to-school time brings a certain energy and excitement like no oth…
Political correctness has never been one of my stellar attributes, so apologies to those who I offend with my words. I’m writing this column on Sept. 11, the 19th anniversary of the terrorist attacks in 2001, and I’m angry. Thousands died including hundreds of courageous and dedicated police…
Next Saturday is the third anniversary of the Pleasant Street Art Walk — an anniversary that almost didn’t happen. COVID-19 came calling, and it was cancelled.
“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”
Well, it’s that time of year again. The countdown is on and it's just a matter of a few precious days to a week or so before we we’ll say goodbye to one of our favorite avian backyard residents — the hummingbirds.
Promise yourself, “to wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.” This is the eighth stanza of the Optimist Creed. And while every stanza applies to everyday life, this one especially seems important in these current times.
The term “private street” invites images of a gated community for exclusive multi-million-dollar homes. In Prior Lake it means nothing of the sort.
In my last column I wrote about the cicada killer wasp. An extraordinary large wasp that kills cicadas to feed the wasp’s offspring.
Think COVID-19 is bad? Let’s try some time travel.
There are perks for septuagenarians hiding from the terror of COVID-19. My wife and I have eluded the virus, but we’ve, also, saved money. We used to fill up the car’s gas tank weekly. Now we visit the neighborhood Shell or Holiday station once a month. We’ve, also, stopped going to malls — …
Confession is good for the soul, but timing is everything if one expects absolution. Consider John Bolton and his confessional, tell-all book, “The Room Where It Happened.” Bolton was President Donald Trump’s National Security Adviser until he was dismissed, or resigned — there is some dispu…
The Minnesota House and Senate will soon be back in session to deal with the many challenges facing residents of Scott County and around the state. Because of the COVID-19 epidemic, thousands of people have lost their jobs, their health care, and perhaps even their housing. The additional sh…
Nature has so many different ways to accomplish just one task — reproduction. At this time of year, it seems that everywhere I look I see baby birds. It’s a blizzard of baby birds being fed by their parents. From a small backyard pond to the large expansive lakes and wetlands to suburban bac…
From steam locomotives and passenger trains to a four-lane highway and, now, a roundabout. That’s the history of Scott County Highway 21 through downtown Prior Lake.
I often find the most interesting things in nature are the most mundane aspects of nature. For example, I am sure many of you are seeing turtles crossing roads or perhaps crawling across your yard. Why do these reptilian friends do this at this time of year and not at other times? Where are …
Shortly before his death, my dad told me that he believed America’s best years were behind us. He wasn’t talking about economics or wealth but rather about American values. I want to believe he was wrong, but events that began with the arrest and death of George Floyd leave me wondering if A…
Who should pay for the roads and related costs of new housing projects: the developer who builds them, or existing homeowners and property taxpayers? Embedded in the question is the overarching issue of housing affordability and, with it, the cost of growth. Does growth pay for itself?
In any profession there is often a lot of jargon and acronyms thrown around to express a point or to not use long cumbersome names.
