Author: Stuart Sudak

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas outside the Cummins-Phipps-Grill House. Yes, there’s no blanket of snow yet. But leaning on a wood stand within the sightline of motorists driving by the historic farmhouse at 13600 Pioneer Trail is an assemblage of green Fraser fir evergreen trees vying for a good home this holiday season. When those leave the Eden Prairie Optimist Christmas Tree Lot tied to the top of vehicles, trees stacked nearby on the ground will replace them until they, too, are gone. The tree lot is open until Dec. 19 or until the trees last. All proceeds…

Need some last-minute advice preparing your Thanksgiving dinner? Well, Eden Prairie resident, dad and foodie Rob Barrett knows a thing or two about preparing a turkey and all the fixings. Luckily, all his web-based guidance is just a click away. Since 2007, Barrett has been the host and producer of Cooking for Dads, a longstanding series of how-to-cook videos that have garnered millions of views on his YouTube channel. Lately, though, he has been doing more live TV and radio appearances than videos. Barrett, who has worked in the marketing and music industry producing music and commercials, strives to help “those who…

Twenty years have passed since Eden Prarie resident Dick Brown told me the story of his most memorable Thanksgiving. Brown, who died in 2006 at the age of 83, must have been quite the storyteller. The details of his story mysteriously resurface from my subconscious each Thanksgiving. It is usually triggered when I bite into a piece of chocolate. As editor of the Eden Prairie News at the time, I had gone to Brown’s house in November 2001 to interview him for another story. He was one of the World War II veterans I talked to about how the Sept. 11, 2001…

Two days after what would have been his 40th birthday, Mike Elhard’s family, friends and some strangers, too, honored him on Saturday, Nov. 20, with a run around Purgatory Creek Park. The crisp fall morning was warmed considerably by a bright sun and fond memories of Elhard’s love of his family, passion for running and sense of humor. About 200 participants in the Mike Elhard Memorial Run huddled at the park pavilion, most bundled in his favorite color blue, to “Run for Mike.” That phrase decorated the front of the royal blue event shirts. On the back was the bib…

Dean William Schmandke, age 73, of Eden Prairie, died peacefully on Monday, Nov. 15, at his home. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, Nov. 29, with family receiving friends between 1-2 p.m. at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 300 E. Fourth St., Chaska, with Pastor Greg Snow officiating. The inurnment will be at a later date at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Minneapolis. On Sept. 23, 1948, Dean was born in Waconia to Norval and Anita (Leikam) Schmandke, one of two children. On April 24, 1981, he married Julie Peterson in Waconia. They had two sons. They have…

A blustery, frigid wind could not discourage John Mallo from telling the origin story of the Eden Prairie Veterans Memorial. Mallo was in Purgatory Creek Park on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, to give an impromptu tour of the memorial that he shepherded from idea to reality. The memorial honoring military veterans like Mallo himself was dedicated in 2008. It is the site of the city’s annual Memorial Day ceremonies. “I had this feeling that we needed something for veterans in Eden Prairie,” said Mallo, noting the city does not have a VFW or American Legion. The longtime Eden Prairie resident points to the…

Hennepin County’s newest city-level COVID-19 14-day data trends show a slight dip in Eden Prairie cases. The county tracks 14-day trends in COVID cases per 10,000 residents. Data released Thursday tracking cases from Oct. 19-Nov. 11 showed Eden Prairie’s number at 53.2. In comparison, Hennepin County’s overall number for those two weeks is 44.1. Last week’s data, which tracked COVID cases from Oct. 12-25, showed Eden Prairie’s number at 57.7, and Hennepin County’s overall number for those two weeks was 39.3. The latest report updated those numbers to 58.1 for Eden Prairie and 40.2 for the county. Eden Prairie’s COVID…

A GoFundMe account has been set up for the woman found murdered in an Eden Prairie hotel room last week.  Samantha Rose Columbus Boshey, 29, was discovered by police at 10:57 a.m. Nov. 2 dead of a gunshot wound to her chest in a hotel room at the Residence Inn, 7780 Flying Cloud Drive. The Hennepin County Medical’s Examiner’s Office ruled her death a homicide, according to a Nov. 10 press release. No permanent address for Boshey was listed by the medical examiner. Boshey’s husband, Ryan Charles Rooney, 34, was charged in a Hennepin County District Court criminal complaint with second-degree murder. The…

Hennepin County is offering vaccination clinics for children ages 5-11 in Eden Prairie. Vaccines will be available at Central Middle School, 8025 School Road, from 5-8:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Nov. 17 and Dec. 8, and at Oak Point Elementary, 13400 Staring Lake Parkway, from 3-8:30 p.m. Mondays, Nov. 15 and Dec. 6.  The clinics will occur outside the school day and require parent/guardian consent. A parent or guardian must accompany minors ages 5-11. Appointments are preferred. A limited number of walk-ins will be accepted.  People can pre-register and schedule an appointment for all Hennepin County vaccine events by clicking here. Or, they…

Eden Prairie’s COVID-19 cases have shown a noticeable spike in October. Hennepin County tracks 14-day trends in COVID cases per 10,000 residents. Last week’s data, which tracked COVID cases from Oct. 12-25, showed Eden Prairie’s number at 57.7. Hennepin County’s overall number for those two weeks is 39.3. Eden Prairie’s COVID data has increased over the last six 14-day county trend reports. It was 38.2 for Sept. 7-20; 38.3 for Sept. 14-27; 41.0 for Sept. 21-Oct. 4; 45.9 for Sept. 28-Oct. 11; and 55.6 for Oct. 5-18. The newest county 14-day trend data report will be available on Nov. 11.…