Author: Greg Olson

If you had recently moved to Eden Prairie, Bloomington, Richfield, or Edina from another country, where would you go to learn to speak and read English? For almost every newcomer to the United States, literacy in English is crucial for achieving the better life they sought by coming here, particularly for finding employment. One school that many of these folks have sought out is Metro South Adult Basic Education. Operated by the public school districts of Bloomington, Eden Prairie, Richfield, and Edina, Metro South offers adults a wide range of opportunities. These include acquiring fundamental skills in English and math,…

The Minnesota State Legislature last month concluded its 2023 session, passing the largest spending budget in the state’s history, amounting to $72 billion. To provide context, this figure represents a 32% increase compared to the $53.3 billion allocated in the 2022-2023 budget. According to the state Senate’s Annual Fiscal Review report, state expenditures have grown by an average of 2.3% per year over the past 20 years, based on the $33.6 billion spent in the 2002-2003 biennium. As Minnesota contemplates the significance of this fiscal milestone, perspectives from the three legislators representing Eden Prairie provide insights into the events and…

A few years ago, a young woman in Eden Prairie experienced homelessness. Because of the time and effort it took to find a safe place to live, it was difficult for her to find work and complete her professional training to become a nurse. She then learned about Onward Eden Prairie, a nonprofit that offered what she needed. While living at Onward, she found safe and stable housing along with personal support. With the organization’s help, she was able to complete her nursing degree, secure employment in the field, and eventually transition to independent housing. According to Wilder Research, homeless…

When light rail trains finally roll into Eden Prairie’s transit station for the first time along the Metro Green Line Extension, it will be due in no small part to an Eden Prairie-based electrical contractor, Gunnar Electric. Gunnar Electric is a family-owned company established in 1969 by Clay Gunnarson. Siblings Laura Karow and Terry Walters have worked at the company since 2004. In 1985, their parents purchased the business after Gunnarson passed away. In 2014, Karow and Walters bought out their parents, enabling them to retire. Karow serves as president, while Walters is vice president. Currently, the company employs 40…

As the population of Eden Prairie continues to become more diverse, businesses are also expanding to cater to the community’s growing multiculturalism. One example is the Kifaax Coffee Shop, which opened in December near the Eden Prairie Post Office in Anderson Lakes Center. Besides coffee and other African and Middle Eastern beverages, Kifaax Coffee Shop also features a unique array of East African foods, drinks, and women’s fashion clothing. All the women’s clothing for sale is imported from Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. The shop also features shoes, scarves, and Somali headgear.Kifaax Coffee Shop is a family business owned…

Apprehension was high in the lead-up to the Nov. 8 election, as rumors circulated on social media about potential issues with the integrity of the vote. Some state-level candidates even raised concerns without any evidence to back them up. However, the city official responsible for overseeing Eden Prairie’s election was determined to ensure a smooth, secure and controversy-free process. With the results officially finalized on Nov. 15, that’s just what happened. During a recent interview, Eden Prairie City Clerk Nicole Tingley reported that 42,953 ballots were cast in the city, which was 72% of Eden Prairie’s eligible voter population. Rich…

These days seem to be interesting times for many. Young, growing families in need of a new bed or clothing for the kids are looking for something to fit their budget. Where can people go to buy cheap goods? Others who have reached a new phase in life as empty nesters are looking to downsize. Where can people go to get rid of stuff no longer needed? In times such as these, The PROP Shop in Eden Prairie has become a timely resource for everyone. Fifteen years ago, The PROP Shop was established as a separate entity from PROP Food Shelf, to…

Reports on the effects of climate change are popping up daily in the media. Most of the time, though, stories involving historic drought, wildfires, flash flooding and excessive heat come from parts elsewhere in the U.S. and worldwide. It may be easy to think that climate change is happening “out there,” but not here, or at least not yet. Locally, though, the Nine Mile Creek and Riley Purgatory Bluff Creek watershed districts have a front-row seat in witnessing the effects of climate change. Nine Mile Watershed District manages water resources draining into its namesake creek from about 50 square miles…

The growth of an economy or a community is like building a fire. In an earlier time, one would start a fire by striking two elements together – flint and steel. In Eden Prairie’s case, two factors accounting for the city’s rise in the latter 20th Century were cornfields and cars. Along came Otto Among the people who could see the steel of the one and flint of the other was Otto Kobs. In his hands, those two elements were struck in the mid-1950s to spark Eden Prairie’s one and only Flying Cloud Drive-in Movie Theater. So, who’s Otto Kobs,…

Mark Weber is retiring as executive director of the Eden Prairie Foundation on June 30. For over 40 years, Mark has been active both professionally and personally in Eden Prairie, first as a reporter for the Eden Prairie News, then as its editor, publisher and general manager of its owner, Southwest Newspapers, before entering his current role with the Foundation in 2013. Mark and I met up in the Eden Prairie Historical Society offices recently to look back at his time in our community. The Eden Prairie News was Eden Prairie’s official newspaper, and its longest-serving reporter and editor was…