By Mark W. Olson

Carver County Republicans endorsed two county commissioner candidates at a Wednesday night endorsement convention in Norwood Young America.

It’s the first time in recent history that county Republicans have endorsed candidates for nonpartisan races – contests with no party affiliation listed on the ballot.

The Chaska Police Department is investigating acts of vandalism that occurred at Community Park between Thursday, Aug. 19 and Friday, Aug. 20.

Police say someone vandalized several areas of the Community Park by spray painting graffiti on the water tower door, skate park ramps, the hockey rink and in the men’s bathroom. Similar graffiti was found on walls at a nearby Interstate 212 overpass on Saturday, Aug. 21.

A groom was arrested for disorderly conduct early Sunday morning after allegedly getting into an altercation with his best man following accusations that the groom was spied "making out" with one of the bridesmaids. 

Anytime Fitness has signed a lease for space in Jonathan Square, according to a press release.

Working with the Chaska Investments firm, Anytime Fitness will develop a 4,500 square foot exercise facility. With construction due to start immediately, the club will be open for business within the next 60 days, the release stated.

After a few barn-burner years, political crop art appears to be on the outs at the Minnesota State Fair. (See 2008 selections here and 2009 selections here.)

There was nary a rendering of U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann to be found in the Agriculture Horticulture building. Last year she popped up three times.

By Mollee Francisco 

For those who think the Minnesota Vikings’ mascot Ragnar, with his set of golden horns painted on a purple helmet, is an accurate representation of those notorious Scandinavians, Gary Anderson’s got news for you: “None of my ancestors were dumb enough to go around looking like a cow.”

To say Anderson embraces his roots would be an understatement. The three-quarter Norwegian, one-quarter German has no problem admitting his obsession with his ancestry.

The following obituaries are from the Sept. 2, 2010 print edition of the Chaska Herald newspaper:

Aurora Wine and Liquors will soon become MGM Wine and Spirits. Monday night, the Chaska City Council approved an off-sale liquor license for Jason Kleinprintz to operate MGM in the Chaska Commons.

Kleinprintz will lease the former Aurora Wine and Liquors space from the Bernardi family, owners of the building on Pioneer Trail. Kleinprintz already operates MGM businesses in Chanhassen, Spring Park and Waconia.

He said that he hoped to open as soon as possible and did not expect any major closures while they were updating the space to house the new business.

Catherine “Katie” Barry, 89, of Chaska, died Saturday, Aug. 28, 2010 at the Ridgeview Medical Center in Waconia.

A memorial service will be held Thursday, Sept. 2, at 3 p.m. at the Bertas Funeral Home, 200 W. Third St., Chaska. Visitation is one hour prior to the service.

Funeral arrangements were with the Bertas Funeral Home of Chaska, 952-448-2137.

The Minnesota State Patrol has arrested 163 motorists for DWI during a statewide impaired driving enforcement campaign that started Aug. 20 and runs through Labor Day.

The State Patrol arrested 60 motorists during the first weekend of enforcement and another 64 this past weekend, Aug. 27-29, according to a State Patrol press release.

Arrest results from around 400 participating agencies will be available in mid-September. A similar statewide DWI enforcement effort in 2009 resulted in 1,873 DWI arrests.

Motorists will encounter delays and a detour when Highway 101 closes at the railroad crossing just north of Highway 5 in Chanhassen beginning at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 31.

Highway 101 will reopen by 3 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 3, according to a MnDOT press release. The closure is necessary as railroad crews replace the railroad crossing.Motorists should follow the posted detours or find alternate routes.

* Eastbound Highway 5 detour: Take eastbound Highway 5 to westbound I-494 to westbound Highway 62 back to Highway 101.

Among the items included on tonight's Chaska City Council agenda are:

*Presentation of 2011 prosecution contract

*Bids for West Creek Corporate Center Street

** A work session will be held at 6 p.m. to discuss the five-year general fund budget.

Chaska City Council meetings are held the first, third and fifth Mondays of each month at 7 p.m. at Chaska City Hall, One City Hall Plaza.

Water samples from wells in Carver and McLeod counties will be collected over the next two months to get information on groundwater chemistry.

Hydrogeologists from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will collect about 90 water samples from each county, according to a DNR press release.

The data are being collected for the Carver County Geologic Atlas and the McLeod County Geologic Atlas, a cooperative effort involving staff from the Minnesota Geological Survey, DNR Waters Division, and Carver and McLeod counties.

By Unsie Zuege

The school year hasn’t even started, and already, Chanhassen High School Principal Tim Dorway has the Class of 2011 commencement on his mind.

Just as having its first senior class this year is significant, its graduation for example, will be another “first” for the school. “Members of this year’s first senior graduating class have already been meeting with Jostens reps about their class crest and other details in planning commencement,” Dorway said.

By Chuck Friedbauer & Unsie Zuege

The beginning of school last year was an anxious time at Chaska High School, with a new schedule, loss of students to the new Chanhassen High School and budgeting questions.“This year will be a more comfortable and typical beginning,” said Chaska Principal David Brecht.

While Chanhassen High School celebrates its first ever senior class (2010 seniors were allowed to complete their last year of high school at Chaska), Chaska High School is enjoying the advantages of being a smaller school.

By Forrest Adams

The new director of the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum gave up Southern California for this.

At one point, Ed Schneider felt pretty ensconced at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, the private, 65-acre garden he led for 18 years, but that all changed one spring day in 2009.

He remembers it began as “a rather small fire” in the Los Padres National Forest.

“Then on the third day the Santa Anna winds picked up,” Schneider recalled.

By Mark W. Olson

In today’s economy, it’s hard to believe $20 can go a long way. But one particular vintage $20 bill, printed for the First National Bank of Chaska, may be worth $1,000 to $2,000.

That’s the estimated price tag that Lyn Knight Auctions in Kansas put on the bill, printed between 1907 and 1929. The bill goes up for sale on Aug. 31.

This commentary, by SouthWest Transit CEO Len Simich, is response to the Aug. 24 Star Tribune article, “Brewing bus battle: Fancy vs. Frill-Free."

I feel the need to respond to the August 24, 2010 article written by David Peterson in the Star Tribune which in my estimation did not give the entire picture regarding the current debate over the provision of transit services in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area.

Fred Green will succeed Jeff Burzinski as the chief executive officer for Community Bank of Chaska and Chanhassen.

“Fred brings a wealth of experience and expertise in all areas of financial services to Community Bank,” stated Burzinski, in a press release.

By Mark W. Olson

The primaries are over, the filings have closed. Now the real work begins – putting up lawn signs, knocking on doors, placing advertisements.

But what do you do if you don’t have an opponent? Is it all sunshine and lollipops?

This year a few local high profile races will be unopposed – including mayoral positions in Chaska and Chanhassen and the 34B State Representative seat.