Author: Stuart Sudak

Nathaniel Wilkins is haunted by the close call his family had in the fire and explosions that destroyed their Eden Prairie house. “Thirty seconds after Sade (and Skylynn) got out, the house blows,” said Wilkins, who was working an overnight shift as a manager at a UNFI warehouse in Hopkins at the time of the fire. The gravity of the situation becomes all too clear as he reflects on the potential tragedy that might have unfolded had his fiancee Sade Strong hesitated or ventured back inside. “She would not have survived,” he concludes. Aerial footage taken by Fox 9 the…

The peony garden on the east side of the historic Cummins-Phipps-Grill House in Eden Prairie is currently in bloom. A sizable peony bed, initially planted by Harriet Phipps in 1920, still thrives outside the city-owned historic house, situated across Pioneer Trail near Flying Cloud Airport. According to Marie Wittenberg’s book “Eden Prairie Pioneers: The History of Eden Prairie,” the peony garden was established prior to 1920, boasting 400 to 500 plants of various select and unusual peony varieties. These plants were directly obtained from Chinese growers who had originally imported them from China. The flowers were sold in Twin Cities…

It was a sunny, warm and busy weekend for Schooner Days, the annual three-day festival organized by the Eden Prairie Lions Club. This year’s event, held June 2-4 at Round Lake Park, drew more than 12,000 visitors who came to enjoy carnival rides, children’s games, bingo, a beer garden, music, and a new addition: a vendor marketplace featuring specialty foods, juried arts and crafts, and hand-picked retailers. Nancy Vest and her husband, Terry Eggan, the president of the Lions Club, played a role in marketing this year’s festival. They attributed the increase in attendance to various factors, including the introduction…

The city on Monday revealed new details about the fire that destroyed two neighboring single-family homes in the 10000 block of Lee Drive near Franlo Road in Eden Prairie early Friday morning. According to an incident update on the city’s website, there were multiple reports of two or more explosions associated with the fire. While the investigation is still in its early stages, the Eden Prairie Fire Department has determined an “active fire caused prescribed medical-grade oxygen tanks to explode.” The city reported that the investigation into the fire’s origin, which caused the explosions, continues, and no further details are…

The Indian Student Association at Concordia University in St. Paul is rallying to support the family of Mahesh Boya, a 24-year-old Eden Prairie man who died in a one-car rollover accident last month in Wisconsin. Boya, a student at Concordia University and a member of the Indian Student Association, was one of four friends from Eden Prairie traveling in a 2006 Toyota Camry when the crash occurred at about 9 a.m. May 23, about 35 miles south of Duluth on Highway 35 near Solon Springs, Wisconsin. According to the Wisconsin State Patrol, the driver, Pallapolu Reddy, 23, swerved to avoid…

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…