Friday, May 24, 2013
Neil Johnson started coaching softball in Shakopee in 1975. He recently won his 500th game.
After 38 years as coach of the Shakopee softball team, Neil Johnson has won his 500th game in a 22-1 victory over Holy Angels. Johnson is just the fifth softball coach in state history to reach the milestone. “The game has certainly come a long way with players as young as 8 years old having full uniforms and matching bags now,” Johnson told the Star Tribune. “I have enjoyed teaching the game of fast-pitch softball to all levels and watching the eyes of players when something goes the way it was supposed to go." Johnson has led the team to three state tournament appearances. “I have been blessed with many athletes who just wanted to play the game and played hard doing it,” he told the paper.
The city recently hired an architectural firm to come up with new cost estimates for plans to update and expand Shakopee's Community Center, which was the subject of a failed voter referendum in 2010.
The tally is in: Any way you slice it, improvements to the Shakopee Community Center will cost a nice chunk of change. So said the authors of a feasibility report, who debuted their findings at the Park and Recreation Advisory Board on Monday. The study, conducted by the architectural firm HGA, provided new costs estimates for a familiar plan to improve and expand the city-owned center, which currently includes a fitness area, indoor walking track, gymnasium, ice arena and the teen club Enigma. The center was the subject of a failed $8 million bond referendum in 2010. If approved, the city would have used the money to add a second ice sheet, expand the fitness area and add a senior center. The Park and Rec Board revived the project in …
Sunday, May 19, 2013
This week's selections include a new Taco Bell, more on the Buddhist monastery, another attempt at school levies and a healthier sport drink for young athletes.
Editor’s Note: Every week we bring you a sampling of stories from Patch sites in the west metro: Eden Prairie, Edina, Fridley, Golden Valley, Hopkins, Lake Minnetonka, Maple Grove, Minnetonka, Plymouth, Richfield, Shakopee, Southwest Minneapolis, St. Louis Park and St. Michael. Dibble Introduces MN Same-Sex Marriage at MN Senate: 'A Very Simple Bill' Southwest Minneapolis' state representative introduced his gay-marriage bill at the Minnesota Senate Monday. Kiffmeyer: MN Same-Sex Marriage Bill Betrays Vow that 'Nothing Would Change' Minnesota state Sen. Mary Kiffmeyer, who represents St. Michael-Albertville, recalled promise that 'no' votes on constitutional amendment to ban marriage wouldn't lead to legalization. ZipRealty Lists Westonka …
This week's selections include a new Taco Bell, more on the Buddhist monastery, another attempt at school levies and a healthier sport drink for young athletes.
Editor’s Note: Every week we bring you a sampling of stories from Patch sites in the west metro: Eden Prairie, Shakopee, Edina, Fridley, Golden Valley, Hopkins, Lake Minnetonka, Maple Grove, Minnetonka, Plymouth, Richfield, Southwest Minneapolis, St. Louis Park and St. Michael. Dibble Introduces MN Same-Sex Marriage at MN Senate: 'A Very Simple Bill' Southwest Minneapolis' state representative introduced his gay-marriage bill at the Minnesota Senate Monday. Kiffmeyer: MN Same-Sex Marriage Bill Betrays Vow that 'Nothing Would Change' Minnesota state Sen. Mary Kiffmeyer, who represents St. Michael-Albertville, recalled promise that 'no' votes on constitutional amendment to ban marriage wouldn't lead to legalization. ZipRealty Lists Westonka …
Saturday, May 18, 2013
About 6,500 fans turned out for the track's opening day, in spite of cloudy, cold weather.
The track was sloppy and they sky was gray, but the competition was fierce during the opening day of Canterbury Park's 2013 season. The first race went to Band of Silence, but one of Shakopee's own, Polar Plunge, won the biggest purse of the night, the $50,000 Lady Slipper Stakes. The 5-year-old racing horse is owned by local Camelia Casby of Shakopee. Under jockey Juan Rivera, Polar Plunge covered six furlongs in 1:11.58, beating out Happy Hour Honey and Hidden Gold. The win brings the mare's career total to $155,932. According to the track, 6,478 fans turned out to cheer her on, a modest attendance figure that track officials attributed to rainy, cold conditions. Nevertheless, Canterbury officials are expecting a brisk season for 2013, …
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Though quarter one revenues were down, the track is expecting a spirited season with bigger purses, better handles and larger crowds.
Canterbury Park got off to a slow start in quarter one, but official are expecting a strong finish for the 2013 season, which begins this Friday. The season opener kicks off with the $50,000 Lady Slipper Stakes, and will run until Sept. 14—the longest season since 2006. In a release from the company, Randy Sampson, Canterbury Park's President and Chief Executive Officer, said the park's prospects for 2013 were good, though number from the first quarter lagged a bit. Net revenues during the first three months of the year topped out at $9,144,568, a 4.8 percent decrease from the first quarter of 2012. Canterbury partly attributed the decline to inclement weather. This winter was unusually harsh, whereas last winter was unusually mild, track …
Sunday, May 12, 2013
This week's selections include a new Buddhist monastery, 100-meter dash record, Southdale Center on TV, hospital milestone and a record-breaking betting day.
Editor’s Note: Every week we bring you a sampling of stories from Patch sites in the west metro: Eden Prairie, Edina, Fridley, Golden Valley, Hopkins, Lake Minnetonka, Maple Grove, Minnetonka, Plymouth, Richfield, Shakopee, Southwest Minneapolis, St. Louis Park and St. Michael. Police Release Maps in Search for Mandy Matula Eden Prairie police have released maps of the areas where Mandy Matula, the missing Eden Prairie woman, might be located. The areas are in Benton, Carver, Sherburne, Stearns and Wright counties. 3 Years, 3 Months Behind Bars for Ex-City Staffer on Child Porn Conviction Scott Andrew Bradley of Oakdale, who once worked as communications coordinator for the City of Richfield, got the maximum sentence. MN Same-Sex Marriage…
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Kids in the south metro can learn the fundamentals of baseball and softball from the best this summer, completely gratis.
The Minnesota Twins will be offering a series of free youth clinics this summer. PlayBall! Minnesota Youth Clinics will teach kids fundamentals of hitting, fielding the ball, and throwing. The workshop is aimed at boys and girls aged six through 16. The clinic consists of two 1.5 hour sessions: The first is for children aged six to nine, and the second is for older kids aged 10 to 16. No registration is required. The Twins will provide most of the equipment, but kids are asked to bring their own baseball or softball gloves. There will be several clinics across the south metro this summer: For more information, visit the sponsor Dakota Electric's website.
The 2013 fishing season in Minnesota includes a several fishing events in the Three Rivers Park District.
Information provided by the Three Rivers Park District. Fly Fishing Basics for Women Get the tools to master fishing techniques from instructors. Learn beginning casting techniques and how to choose proper flies. 6-8 p.m. Thursday, May 16 at Silverwood Park in St. Anthony and Bryant Lake Regional Park in Eden Prairie. Free. Restricted to participants age 10 and older. Sponsored by Take Me Fishing. Reservations required. Fly Fishing Basics Get the tools to master fishing techniques from our instructors and be sure your time on the water is well spent. Learn beginning casting techniques and how to choose proper flies. 6-8 p.m. Monday, May 20 at Lake Minnetonka Regional Park in Minnetrista and Coon Rapids Regional Dam in Brooklyn Park. Free…
Sunday, May 5, 2013
The state dropped two spots in the League of American Bicyclists’ annual rankings.
(Editor's Note: The map above was created by the League of American Bicyclists.) Minnesota is still among the top states in “bike friendliness,” but its ranking fell a couple notches in 2013, according to the League of American Bicyclists. The state was ranked fourth this year, down from second in 2012. It ranked high in legislation and enforcement, policies and programs and education and encouragement. But it was middle of the pack in infrastructure and funding and lower tier in evaluation and planning. Minnesota was also missing three of the league’s “Top 10 Signs of Success: Use the map above to see how Minnesota compares to other states in the various categories. Do you think Minnesota needs to do more to support cycling? Share your …
Heyitsme
3:14 pm on Friday, May 24, 2013
Still trying to push for these huge costly improvements for the taxpayer that benefit a very small proportion of the population of Shakopee. And wasting money for studies. more ›