This is a letter of thanks to all who have attended or had a hand in the Passion of Jesus Play these past 40 Years!
I wanted to reach out to recognize the fire rescue, police and Allina paramedics and the 911 dispatch who helped to save my life back on March 22.
The push for innovative, clean energy is essential to economic growth in Minnesota for generations to come – but so is the need for an affordable and reliable energy grid. I, along with the rest of the Senate Republicans, have proposed clean energy solutions that practically meet the needs o…
Even for communities trying their best to protect the environment, it is easy to be misled that certain products are compostable when they actually aren’t. Many products, such as cups, plates, cutlery and napkins, display “green” designs or incorrect labeling that claim to be compostable — a…
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. It comes in two forms — prescription and illegally made. Illegally made fentanyl is driving much of the increase in overdoses seen in Minnesota and across the country in recent ye…
Around many holidays, we hear the term, “We need to celebrate the true meaning of ….” We often ignore whatever the actual occasion is.
It is an honor to serve my neighbors in District 54B in St. Paul. As we approach halftime in the 2023 legislative session, I wanted to provide you with an update of where we stand at the Capitol.
“So we’re doing the Polar Plunge Saturday?”
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…
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.
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.
What you see is not always what you think it is. This could be my mantra for nature.
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 …
Last week, while leading a wildlife photography workshop to capture images of American black bears (Ursus americanus), we experienced a cuteness overload. Over three and half days, we saw many mother bears with spring cubs.
Recently I have been spending some time photographing a pair of trumpeter swans (Cygnus buccinator) with six little cygnets. This swan family is not in a wilderness setting, but a suburban backyard pond.
The key to “seeing” nature is to stop and look. I know that seems rather obvious but it’s true. The simple act of stopping and looking is really all it takes to start to see more nature. This is something I learned a long time ago, but it seems that I need to stop and remember it every now a…
Not everything in nature appears the way you see it! I’ve said it over and over again in various ways. We see the natural world through the lens of a human and all of the things that go into being a human.
Looking up into the dark Wyoming night sky, all the stars in the Milky Way were shining so brightly it looked like white paint had been splashed across the sky from horizon to horizon.
April is national Volunteer Appreciation Month and we appreciate all the volunteers out there that make our communities stronger, safer and healthier for everyone.
It seems like there are as many different strategies employed for a bird’s survival as there are species of bird.
I am fascinated by the diversity of mother nature. And this was abundantly clear to me the other day while I sat in a tiny chair blind, in the dark, waiting for the sun to come up and for a ruffed grouse to enter the habitat that lay before me.
Recently while leading a photo tour throughout Florida to photograph birds, it occurred to me how much things have changed. I don’t mean how much things have become worse, or crowded, but rather how much several species have increased in population.
The Shakopee Valley News welcomes letters from all readers and makes every effort to print letters that conform to these guidelines:
Last week while leading a photo workshop in warm and sunny Florida, I was walking down a long stretch of beach with my group of photographers in tow.
Minnesotans are right to expect accountability and transparency from their public institutions. While this open approach to government is critical to ensuring that public programs and projects are run and managed efficiently, it is also important to ensure accountability and transparency bec…
Once again, I found myself sitting outside in my small photo blind trying to capture a handful of images of birds in a winter/snowy setting. The temperatures were a balmy 5 below zero and I was starting to feel the cold penetrate my many layers of clothing.
With K-12 students back to in-person learning, we’ve passed another pivotal period in the pandemic and school year as we begin the third quarter/second semester.
As a southern girl and a Minnesota transplant, winter activities have always been fascinating to me. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine I would move from the Land of Enchantment to the Land of 10,000 Lakes, yet alone go ice fishing — but here I am. I can now say I have crossed ice…
Having just returned from three weeks in Yellowstone leading photo tours and workshops, I am tempted to write more about the several encounters I had with the large charismatic predator, the gray wolf. However, this time I think I will write about a small, rather un-charismatic predator. A p…
The complexity of nature is often hard to understand and even harder to witness. Sure, we learn about it in school, read about it in a book, or watch it on a TV nature documentary, but it isn’t until you see it firsthand that you start to understand and appreciate the complexity of nature. I…
Benedictine St. Gertrude’s would like to publicly thank the Minnesota National Guard for the support they provided to our facility through the Minnesota Hospital Decompression Program. The National Guard members became an integral part of our care team, providing our patients and residents 2…
The Freedom to Vote Act sets national standards for us to safely and freely cast our ballots, ensure every vote is counted, and elect people who will deliver for us.
On Nov. 2, an ailment brought my wife, Kathy, to the hospital, where the magnificent staff saved her life.
I am no stranger to winter weather. After all, I do live in the frozen northland. So, I really didn’t think much about it when I went out the other day to photograph some owls.
Nothing in nature ever stays the same. It is a mantra that I find myself telling people more and more. We expect nature to always be the same.
As we head into the final week of another year that has sailed by way too fast, we could use inspiring stories. Over the last couple weeks, I’ve come across a few of these stories, and this seems like the perfect time to share.
Winter can be a challenging time for wildlife, especially when deep snow blankets the land and the wind blows bitterly cold. Birds fluff up their feathers and search high and low for anything to eat. Squirrels are extra plump and fuzzy and dig down through the snow in hopes of finding a forg…
The healthcare industry deserves a lot of credit for raising awareness about the need for people my age to get screened for colon cancer.
Like other health systems in Minnesota and around the country, St. Francis Regional Medical Center is being strained beyond its limits on a daily basis trying to meet the existing health care needs of the community.
As I get older, I find that I care less and less about my appearance.
The phrase “Roe v. Wade” has become distorted in the minds of some Americans to mean that the Supreme Court declared in 1973 that abortion at any stage of pregnancy is a Constitutional right. Not so.
I love everything about the holiday season, from the lights to the shopping to the friendly dispositions people generally show as we get closer to Christmas.
I just finished reading the school board minutes of Monday, Sept. 27, 2021.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, (for those too young for this reference, it refers to vinyl records that would skip and repeat the same thing over and over again and were considered broken) I love unique or unusual critters.
I really enjoyed seeing the Shakopee High School Drama Club’s production of “Mamma Mia!” on opening weekend. I’m old enough to remember when ABBA’s music, which is the basis of the musical, was regularly played on the radio. Knowing the songs so well made the musical even more enjoyable and …
It is a special time of year for families and friends. 2021 has been a challenging year in so many ways.
In light of the recent event involving a Prior Lake High schooler, I felt the need to share my heart.
One of the hardest parts about being a senior student athlete is seeing the final season come to an end. It can be emotional, especially for those who played a sport most of their lives. Last week, I reached out to Olivia McCall to talk about her experience.
Yet another white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) mating season is behind us now. This year I spent a truckload of time in the woods following several large bucks who were actively searching for mates. I was able to capture a pile of images of the most interesting mating behavior.
On a sunny Saturday morning last month, Rennie Gathier showed a group of volunteers how to use a special gel to keep the roots of young saplings hydrated for the trip to the Saint Paul homes where they would be planted. By the end of that weekend volunteers from Saint Paul’s Unity Unitarian …
