On a muggy June afternoon, one by one, tall glass bottles were filled with golden liquid.

Once full, nimble hands topped them with foil caps and sent them down the line to be dressed in labels. At the end of the line, they slid neatly off and into the capable hands of Jen Antila, who wiped the condensation off the bottles and carefully placed each one in its own cardboard padded slot. With all 12 slots occupied, the box was closed and whisked away to give the newly bottled liquid time to recover from bottle shock.

Laura Greene is on a mission. Like First Lady Michelle Obama, celebrity chef Jamie Oliver and television talk show host Dr. Oz, Greene wants to get people eating better, and she’s starting with the youngest members of the population.

“The food industry has turned into a shame – a crying shame,” said Greene. “I think now is the time for a change.”

We are not alone.

For many, Chaska is familiar as the name of the city they call home. But around the world, “Chaska” can be found on everything from endangered bears and Navy tugs, to guitarists and candy.

Around here, Chaska was the Dakota name generally given to a first-born son. (Winona went to first-born daughters.)

On an unusually warm April evening, Chaska residents may have been surprised to stumble upon a blanket of fresh snow near the flood diversion channel on Hickory Street. Turns out it wasn’t a cruel joke by Mother Nature, but a movie set.

Word spread quickly that night and the curious onlookers rapidly multiplied, all anxious to catch a glimpse of the action.

But for some, seeing film crews in the area is becoming a bit of a regular occurrence. In the last six months alone, at least three films have used the southwest metro for their backdrops.

She was only the third author ever to have her book selected as one of Oprah Winfrey’s Book Club selections. And while there are plenty of authors that would kill for that honor just once in their lifetime, Jane Hamilton is one of a handful of writers that have experienced “The Oprah Effect” not once, but twice.

“She gave me a million readers for each book,” said Hamilton in a phone interview. “Not even God can do that.”

The 25th annual Chaska Area Taste took place Wednesday, May 19. Here are a few photos from the event. These photos are also available for purchase at chaskaherald.smugmug.com.

The mere mention of the Chaska Area Taste can be enough to put the salivary glands in motion. Hot dogs and cold beer will await those who make the trek to City Square Park for the 25th annual event next Wednesday evening.

“There’s something for everyone’s taste,” said Kelsey Van Ordstrand, event and program coordinator for the SouthWest Metro Chamber of Commerce.

With all the advancements in technology in recent years – from high definition televisions and iPods to video games and the Internet- one thing is for sure.

“We don’t get outside as much as we used to,” said Allison Neaton, manager of the Lowry Nature Center at Carver Park Reserve in Victoria.

“There is a disconnect between children and the Earth,” agreed Tim Kenny, educational director for the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.