Chaska Herald - Activities - Comments

A trip on the 261 would be a

steinie — Wed, 14 May 2008 10:46:31 -0500

A trip on the 261 would be a great way to celebrate Minnesota's 150th and the railroad's significance to our state's history and commerce. Hundreds of train enthusiasts took rides on the 261 as part of the City of Cologne's 125th anniversary in 2006. Riders boarded near the lakes in Minneapolis and traveled the 261 - with many 'photo op stops' like this one - along the way. Additional riders boarded in Cologne and traveled to Glencoe before making the return trip. The sound of the 261's whistle echoed for miles - I can almost hear it yet today!

For more info on No. 261,

Mark Olson — Wed, 14 May 2008 09:53:14 -0500

For more info on No. 261, visit www.261.com.

Paul Bunyan was a well-known

Mark Olson — Thu, 08 May 2008 14:30:42 -0500

Paul Bunyan was a well-known Scandinavian. He made lutefisk out of humpback whales and carved Dala horses out of giant redwoods.

How large can lefse actually

Mollee Francisco — Thu, 08 May 2008 11:18:34 -0500

How large can lefse actually get??? Is that with butter and sugar or without?

(Mollee Francisco is a staff writer for the Chaska Herald. She can be reached at mfrancisco@swpub.com.)

World's largest lefse? This

Mark Olson — Thu, 08 May 2008 11:03:12 -0500

World's largest lefse? This notice, from Explore Minnesota tourism, was too good to pass up:

The city of Starbuck will hold the 22nd Annual Lefse Dagen celebration on Saturday, May 17, to commemorate the creation of the world’s largest lefse.

Festivities will include musical entertainment and sing-alongs, a gathering of the original bakers, lots of lefse rolling and samples, a Scandinavian lunch, and an open house at the Starbuck Depot Square.

More info: (320) 239-4604 or www.starbuckmn.org

Those who really enjoyed

Mark Olson — Thu, 08 May 2008 10:45:37 -0500

Those who really enjoyed Syttende Mai with the Nordic Heritage Club, can continue celebrating with the Vestland Lodge, Sons of Norway, which will celebrate Syttende Mai with a "Kold Bord" at its 7 p.m., May 20 meeting.

The event is at the Minnetonka Community Center, 14600 Minnetonka Blvd. Call (952) 938-2920 for more information.

What do you think about this

Mollee Francisco — Wed, 07 May 2008 12:08:22 -0500

What do you think about this public art piece? How does it compare to the other pieces installed around town?

(Mollee Francisco is a staff writer for the Chaska Herald. She can be reached at mfrancisco@swpub.com.)

Whitey the albino squirrel

Mark Olson — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 11:16:55 -0500

Whitey the albino squirrel made it through the winter.

This photo is courtesy of Ashley Wickenhauser, with the Chaska Area Chamber of Commerce. Wickenhauser recently took the photo of the squirrel outside of her office, next to city hall (the white speck in the bottom left corner of the photo), apparently picking up tax forms or paying a utility bill.

There's no telling if the squirrel survived the trip to his home on the other side of Highway 41.

So, are there any students,

Mark Olson — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 11:09:22 -0500

So, are there any students, parents or teachers out there who are seeing a greater divide between the haves and have nots at Chaska High School?

Minnesota Hail to Thee The

Mark Olson — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:37:31 -0500

Minnesota Hail to Thee

The Minnesota Sesquicentennial folks recently put out a call for singers to join its Sesquicentennial Chorus on May 18. They want to make sure Carver County is represented. (Actually, they want all of Minnesota's 87 counties represented.)

Here's the press release: Sesquicentennial organizers are also calling for singers of any age for a one-time-only Minnesota Statehood Sesquicentennial Chorus.

The chorus will sing several Minnesota favorites, including Minnesota Hail to Thee, at the Minnesota State Capitol, May 18, as part of the official statehood commemoration ceremony (which starts at 6:58 p.m.).

The choir will be under the direction of conductor Philip Brunelle and accompanied by the University of Minnesota Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Dean Sorenson.

The Commission hopes to have all 87 Minnesota counties represented and urges anyone with a formal or informal singing background to contact choir coordinator Anna Johnson by e-mailing mn150choir@gmail.com.

Individuals can also register at the Sesquicentennial Commission's Web site www.mn150years.org by clicking on the choral link under "Get Involved."

Monday's theme is

Mark Olson — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 08:34:03 -0500

Monday's theme is thunderstorms. And given today's forecast, I hope Wednesday, Thursday and Friday don't also live up to their subject matter.

I saw Whitey cross a busy

Greg Boe — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 07:05:32 -0500

I saw Whitey cross a busy Highway 41 the other day, running from near Kelly's and heading toward the wine shop. That was my first Whitey sighting - although I have seen his twin in Shakopee a time or two.

Whitey update: Hanging out

Mark Olson — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 13:38:12 -0500

Whitey update: Hanging out at the wine shop, eating well, possibly watching big-screen TV.

Here's Janet Pexa's latest on downtown's albino squirrel:

We have seen Whitey. He was sitting on the picnic table the other day and then Alexandra saw him in front of the wine shop by Hwy. 41 too close for comfort.

He has been eating well and running around. He shares his tree with the robins. We have seen a gray squirrel by his tree too, but Whitey is always by himself.

His tree is huge so we think he has all the comforts of home in there. Probably a fridge, stereo system, spa, and a large screen television – at least we hope he does.

Suburbia under a

Mark Olson — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 16:37:01 -0500

Suburbia under a microscope?

As part of the state’s Sesquicentennial events, the University of Minnesota is sponsoring a talk called “The Arts and the Built Environment; Changes in Suburban Life.”

The event is 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 3, at the Twin Cities Campus Club, Coffman Memorial Union, 200 Washington Ave. S.E., Minneapolis. A social hour will precede the panel at 5:30 p.m.

The discussion will ponder “Changing forms and uses in housing, suburban culture as seen through media and popular culture; and the evolution of a new mode of living: that of the suburbanite.”

No telling if that "Brady Bunch" thesis you did under your college's independent major program will come in handy.

For more info, visit http://www1.umn.edu/sesqui/conversations.php.

A rare, original copy of the

Mark Olson — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 16:44:10 -0500

A rare, original copy of the Declaration of Independence will visit Minnesota this year.

The Declaration will be part of a display at the Minnesota History Center, May 6-18, coinciding with Minnesota Statehood Week, which commemorates the 150th anniversary of Minnesota becoming the 32nd state of the Union.

According to the Minnesota Historical Society Web site: "This copy, known as a “Dunlap Broadside,” is one of only 25 remaining original copies of the Declaration printed on the evening of July 4, 1776, at the shop of Philadelphia printer John Dunlap – and the only one that travels for exhibition. Another copy was sent to Gen. George Washington, who read it aloud to his troops. Still another copy was sent to King George III.

"The document is valued at more than $8 million. The Declaration comes to Minnesota via a presenting sponsorship by Dolan Media Company."

More info: www.mnhs.org/historycenter/doi.htm