Blue Water Theatre Company of Wayzata was founded in 2007 by local resident Charlie Leonard. It’s a non-profit community theatre for middle and high school students in the west metro, including those who live in Hopkins, Plymouth, Minnetonka and the Lake Minnetonka area.   The mission of Blue Water Theatre Company is to build and sustain a theatre community that will provide young actors with opportunities to perform, learn and experience theatre that is important, meaningful and life-changing. Blue Water has produced over twenty shows to date. Until recently, the company didn’t have a …

Lacey Schiele received her Bachelor of Science degree from Augsburg College in 2003. The Glenwood, MN native has a license in elementary education K-6 with a specialty in social studies for grades 5-8. In 2007, Schiele completed her Master of educational leadership/athletics and administration degree at the University of St. Thomas. She says she is excited to be teaching third grade at Orono Intermediate School this year. “I student taught at Orono and I coached basketball,” said Schiele. “The girls I coached are now seniors.” Schiele comes to Orono with a variety of teaching experiences, …

Westonka Public School District 277 serves students living in all or part of the municipalities of Mound, Spring park, Minnetrista, Shorewood, Orono, Independence, Navarre and Lyndale. More than 300 staff members are employed by the Westonka School District, and 10 new teachers joined the staff this year. Nearly 2,300 students attend the four schools in the Westonka School District. Hilltop and Shirley Hills primary schools serve students in pre-Kindergarten to fourth grade. Grandview Middle School includes fifth through seventh grade students, and Mound Westonka High School serves students …

The Orono Public School District 278 began as one-room schoolhouses scattered throughout different districts. In 1948-1949, the single Orono School District was established. Today, the Orono School District is comprised of four schools on a 120-acre campus and serves students living in all or part of the municipalities of Orono, Minnetonka Beach, Medina, Maple Plain, Long Lake and Independence. The campus also includes a stadium, tennis courts, outdoor sports fields, an indoor swimming pool, the Orono Ice Arena and a Nature Center on Lake Classen. The Orono Discovery Center located in nearby …

Dr. Robert Sonntag’s five-acre property in Medina is full of trees that he planted himself since moving there in 1986. His property includes nut trees, fruit trees, pine trees, prairie flowers, native grasses, vegetable gardens and more. “This entire property was an empty field when I bought it,” Sonntag said. While he calls himself a “hobbyist” fruit grower, Sonntag’s fruit won 24 awards in the 2011 Minnesota State Fair amateur fruit competition. Sonntag’s apples, plums, pears and cherries won 21 first place awards, two second place awards and one third place award. Points are given for each…

An early morning storm with high winds hit the Lake Minnetonka area on Tuesday. Damage included downed trees and tree limbs. Inflatable rafts that had been floating in Lake Minnetonka were blown onto docks and land. The wind also tipped over a pontoon boat and trailer parked in the lot at Mt. Olive Lutheran Church in Mound. The storm quickly moved out and hazy sun pushed through. Temperatures in the 90s are expected for the first time in August. The heat and high humidity will last overnight before more comfortable temperatures return.

In 2009, the 13.5 mile paved stretch of the Dakota Rail Regional Trail from Wayzata to St. Bonifacius opened. The trail occupies the former Dakota Rail corridor on which trains traveled to Hutchinson until 2000. The scenic trail goes through the cities of Wayzata, Orono, Minnetonka Beach, Spring Park, Mound, Minnetrista and St. Bonifacius. It has become one of the Twin Cities’ most popular trails. “The annual use of the trail in 2010, according to the Met Council, was 364,000 users,” said Jon Nauman at Three Rivers Park District, which administers Hennepin County’s portion of the Dakota Rail …

The 2011 Inland Lake Yachting Association’s (ILYA) Annual Championship Regatta, hosted by Minnetonka Yacht Club (MYC), ends on Sunday. At the end of the regatta, over 1,000 sailors will have competed for the award of top Scow class racer in the United States. Competitors include some of the top sailors in the world. Over 200 scows are competing in the regatta's four classes: A (38 feet), E (28 feet), C (20 feet) and MC (16 feet). Races begin on Friday at 10:00 a.m. and continue all day on Saturday. The regatta ends after the races on Sunday morning. Spectator boats are available for people to…

In 1921, the Ladies’ Aid Society of Wayzata Community Church (WCC) hosted their first rummage sale. Now in its 90th year, the WCC Rummage Sale is the largest mission and outreach initiative for the church. Since its inception, over $2.5 million has been raised by the WCC Rummage Sale. Last year’s sale revenues of $205,000 were given to the church, as well as local, national and international organizations. Proceeds are distributed according to a formal grant request review process. Dena Naylor has volunteered at the rummage sale for 50 years. As a young child, she came with her grandmother to…

Minnetonka Yacht Club (MYC) is hosting the 2011 Inland Lake Yachting Association’s (ILYA) Annual Championship Regatta on Lake Minnetonka through August 21. Competitors include some of the top sailors in the world, including several who have competed in America’s Cup and those who have medaled and coached in the Olympics. Over 1,000 sailors will compete for the award of top Scow class racer in the United States during the 11-day event—which is being billed as the largest Minnesota sailing event in 129 years. Over 200 scows, a flat-bottomed sailboat without a keel, are expected to compete in …

About 20 years ago, Slow Strokes Auto Club founder Terry "Red" Tower came up with the idea of having a classic car night at the Minnetonka Drive-In on Thursday nights. The tradition continues today. “He asked me if he could come in on Thursday nights,” Minnetonka Drive-In owner Dave Bennyhoff said. “The first Thursday there were seven cars, the next week there were 14. Fourteen turned into 30 and now it’s this,” he said gesturing to the 50 or so classic cars on the drive-in lot and in the parking lot across the street. The line for food spilled out of the side doors of the building onto the …

More than 2,000 people are expected to attend the 22nd Annual Polo Classic on Sunday in Maple Plain. The goal of the Polo Classic is to increase awareness of the sport of polo while supporting a charity in the community. Proceeds from this year’s event will benefit the Leatherdale Equine Center at the University of Minnesota, which is dedicated to supporting equine education and providing compassionate care to horses and their owners. “This year we chose the Equine Center because of the equine fit with the sport of polo,” said Polo Classic Co-Chair Craig Robbins. The Twin City Polo Club is in…

More than 250 people of all ages enjoyed the music of local singer and songwriter Keri Noble at Worship on Wednesday (WoW) at Wayzata Community Church on July 13. Noble, whose alto voice has been compared to Melissa Etheridge, performed close to 10 songs while playing the electric piano. She even did an encore. “This isn't like any church environment I’ve ever been in before,” said Noble after the crowd responded with a resounding “yes” when she wondered aloud if she should end her set with a Blues song. Noble currently calls Minneapolis home, but she grew up in Detroit. The daughter of a …

When Michelle Morey of Orono was diagnosed with Stage II breast cancer at the age of 37 in 2005, she underwent a mastectomy, received eight rounds of chemotherapy and took herceptin for one year. “I was out of work for three months, and it was five months before I went back to work full time,” said Morey. “As the sole provider for my family of four, I was fortunate to have good insurance.” Because Morey worked for her family business, she was able to take time off for treatment and to recover. As she neared the end of her treatment, she wanted to find a way to give back. “I realized that the …

Over 200 boats dropped anchor at Cruiser’s Cove Friday evening to watch the feature presentation "Dumb and Dumber" on a 40x60-foot inflatable movie screen sitting atop a floating barge. Boaters tuned their radios into 88.5 to pick up the audio feed. The event was sponsored by MarineMax.

Six Excelsior home décor and design stores have joined forces to offer a tour to showcase the range of home furnishings and accessories the city has to offer. The Excelsior Home Style Tour wrapped up Saturday evening.   Those who visited the stores on Friday were treated to decorating tips, trunk shows, refreshments and more. Many women were touring with friends. One pair was from Mexico City. “My mom is going to cut my credit card when I get home,” said one of the women after purchasing jewelry at Jackie’s on Water Street. At this weekend’s Home Style Tour, some of the participating stores …

Built in 1907, Streetcar No. 1239 has been restored to its original condition on the inside and out. Today, the Minnesota Streetcar Museum offers 15-minute streetcar rides in Excelsior, and volunteer motormen and conductors share historical facts and other information with passengers during the trip. “In the early 1920s, ladies refused to ride the trolley,” said volunteer R.Bruce Kobs. “They wore silk stockings and the rattan seats were snagging them, so they made us paint over them before riding again.” From 1906-1932, the Twin Cities Rapid Transit (TCRT) company operated streetcars to Lake …

The Suzanne Carnes: A Life Well Spent Retrospective exhibit opened at the Minnetonka Center for the Arts in Orono on May 26. The exhibition celebrates the many artistic talents of a woman who succumbed to cancer in December 2010. Carnes' love of art as a child was further developed later in her life. After her children were grown, she began taking classes at the Minnetonka Center for the Arts. In 1992, her stone carving of a wolf’s head won the top prize at its juried show. Later, she earned a Bachelors of Fine Arts and a Masters of Fine Arts from Arizona State University. A working artist …

On Thursday, June 16, Girls’ Night Out in Excelsior had a Bourbon Street Bash/Mardi Gras theme. Women visited stores, spas and restaurants to take advantage of discounts and promotions, as well as to receive Mardi Gras beads and feathered eye masks. In addition to a band playing on a stage on Water Street, there was a “photo op” bench where friends could pose with a Mardi Gras themed background. Girls’ Night Out takes place in Excelsior every Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m. until Oct. 6. Each week, visitors can pick up a brochure at participating retailers that lists all of the special promotions, …

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