Author: Stuart Sudak

Update: This story includes information released by the city on Friday afternoon. In the early hours of Friday morning, a fire tore through two neighboring single-family homes in the 10000 block of Lee Drive near Franlo Road. As investigators continue their on-scene work, the cause of the fire remains unknown, according to Eden Prairie Fire Chief Scott Gerber. “That will likely take some time,” stated Gerber. The fire department received an alert about the incident around 12:30 a.m. Upon arrival, fire crews were faced with intense flames already consuming both structures. “Our crews did a great job to try to…

Nancy Vest and her husband Terry Eggan began their courtship at the annual Schooner Days about 55 years ago. Reminiscing about that day, Nancy and Terry playfully debate the nature of their early relationship. Nancy chuckles, saying, “We were courting,” while Terry interjects, “I thought we were dating.” Amid laughter, Nancy insists, “No, no, no,” and Terry admits, “But she turned me down all the time anyway.” At the time, Nancy was 13 years old, while Terry was 14. For more than 60 years, the community festival fundraiser organized by the Eden Prairie Lions Club has marked the start of…

The Eden Prairie Lions Club’s annual Schooner Days will roll into town on Friday at Round Lake Park, 16691 Valley View Road. Hours are 4 to 11 p.m. Friday, June 2, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, June 3, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 4. Activities include carnival rides, children’s games, bingo, a beer garden, and music. A new addition this year is a vendor marketplace featuring specialty foods, juried arts and crafts, and hand-picked retailers. The marketplace will be open from 4 to 9 p.m. on Friday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, and 11 a.m. to…

Since 1988, Rose Hilk and her husband Ron have made their home on Duck Lake in Eden Prairie, witnessing both the joys and challenges that the lake has faced over the years. Hilk and other members of the recently formed Eden Prairie Duck Lake Association eagerly anticipate the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday for the newly completed 150-foot Duck Lake Road bridge, which reunites two parts of the lake. The ceremony is scheduled at 4 p.m. on June 1 at the fishing pier on the bridge near Prairie View Elementary School, celebrating last year’s completion of the $4.7 million Duck Lake…

Seated at the dining room table of the historic Cummins-Phipps-Grill House, Katie Qualey reflects on when her love for Eden Prairie’s history first took root. “I have loved history, and I didn’t know about all our local history,” said Qualey, a freelance graphic artist who has lived in Eden Prairie for 35 years. “Once you’ve kind of learn about it all and share it with others, boy, it really just grows from there.” The house, located across Pioneer Trail from Flying Cloud Airport, ignited Qualey’s interest in the history of Eden Prairie. Constructed between 1879 and 1880, this brick farmhouse…

Are you planning to stay in town for the Memorial Day weekend? If so, here are a few activities you can enjoy in Eden Prairie for the remainder of the weekend. Memorial Day Celebration A Memorial Day Ceremony takes place at 11 a.m. Monday, May 29, at the Eden Prairie Veterans Memorial in Purgatory Creek Park, 13001 Technology Drive. The event will include the Viking Squadron Civil Air Patrol cadets posting and retrieving the Colors, the Eden Prairie Police Reserves Honor Guard raising the Colors to full staff, a performance by the Eden Prairie Community Band, and vocal renditions of “The Star-Spangled…

Serena Haglin, a community service officer for the Eden Prairie Police Department, found herself in a heartwarming rescue mission on Sunday afternoon when a call came in regarding a group of ducklings that fell into a storm sewer drain on Indigo Drive. Upon arriving at the scene at about noon, Haglin didn’t have much time to assess the situation. “Rolled up and right away you can hear the chirping from the sewer cover,” she recalled. “And the lady who called in was very helpful, but she couldn’t see the mother duck, although it was around.” Initially, Haglin had doubts about…

Mark Weber, president of the Minnesota Renewable Energy Society (MRES), offered a preview of the 31st Annual Solar Boat Regatta, ready to set sail at Riley Lake Park beach on Saturday. Now in its seventh year at the Eden Prairie park, the MRES-sponsored regatta will be anchored at the pavilion overlooking the beach from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. A total of 11 boats, featuring intriguing names such as Dragon Avalonus, Ghost Rider, TYTANIK II, and S.S. America, will take to Lake Riley. They are all built by middle and high school students, as well as adults, from across Minnesota.…

Southwest Christian High School (SWCHS) in Chaska has hired David Flom as the new head coach for its varsity boys basketball team. Flom, who previously coached at Eden Prairie High School (EPHS) for 17 years, stepped down on March 31 following a challenging season that involved his suspension for reading a racial slur to players. The subsequent reinstatement of Flom sparked protests and caused division among players, parents, and community members. The private Christian school made the announcement this week through a news release, which touted Flom’s “significant success in high school coaching, including numerous statewide and national accolades.” In…

The snowbank that achieved online fame as “Mount Eden Prairie” in the parking lot of Eden Prairie Center is nearing the end of its unlikely journey. As temperatures rise, the once imposing snow mound that dominated the landscape in March has transformed into a modest knoll, caked in a layer of dirt and debris, as of Wednesday, May 17. The difference in size is apparent, as a crow hops from the ground to conquer the snowbank’s low summit, no longer needing to take to the skies to do so. Mount Eden Prairie’s notoriety extended beyond its towering stature. It drew…