Sunday, December 9, 2012
This week's roundup includes a new clinic, answers to some light rail questions, a man's fifth DWI-related charge and concerns about a bandshell's location.
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, Southwest Minneapolis, St. Louis Park and St. Michael. St. Michael Couple, Now Split, Takes Troubles to 'Judge Judy' A disagreement about a man's loan to his then-girlfriend for Homeowner Association dues was featured on the popular TV court show. See the video for Judge Judy's no-nonsense attitude and her ruling. Take a Digital Tour of the Revamped Southdale Center Just in time for holiday shoppers, extensive renovations at Edina's iconic Southdale Center are nearly complete. The mall has been open for business all along, of …
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Hennepin County suggests green options for disposing of holiday decorations, trees and electronics.
As you un-decorate for the holiday season, you may come across tangled strings of holiday lights that no longer work. You can recycle those lights and electric cords at Hennepin County drop-off facilities and collection sites throughout the Twin Cities participating in the Recycling Association of Minnesota’s Recycle Your Holidays program Here are more tips for disposing holiday decorations once the holidays are over:
Monday, December 19, 2011
Do you know how the Christmas tree tradition began?
Long before the advent of Christianity, ancient peoples hung evergreen boughs over their doors and windows. Some cultures believed evergreens would keep away witches, ghosts, evil spirits and illness. The beginning of the Christmas tree tradition, as we know it, began in Germany in the 16th century. As waves of Germans arrived in America, in the 19th Century, many Americans found Christmas trees an oddity. Which U.S. state is credited with having the first Christmas tree on display? Editor's Note: Select your answer in the poll below and tell us how you know the answer in the comments section. We'll post the correct answer with our next holiday trivia question.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Some basic tips can fireproof your home this season.
The beauty of Christmas can easily turn to tragedy without a few basic fire-safety measures. Here are a few suggestions to keep in mind when stringing lights around an evergreen or relaxing beside a cozy fire. Fireplaces The folks at Fireside Hearth and Home warn customers to be aware of how hot fireplaces can get and take precautions to keep flammable materials safely away from them. Children also should be closely monitored at all times, as should pets. They also remind customers to make sure to use a protective screen—and to handle those screens with extreme care, and they can get extremely hot. The US Fire Safety Administration (USFA) cautions that a fireplace should never be left unattended and must be extinguished before retiring for…
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Minnesota Christmas-tree growers say their crop offers numerous economic and environmental advantages over artificial trees.
There’s more to love about a real Christmas tree than its unmistakeable pine smell. Tree-growers in Minnesota cite a number of factors—both environmental and economic—that make their products preferable to their artificial competition. “Bringing a real Christmas tree into the home is a tradition that goes back centuries. The tree's pleasant aroma gives an instant reminder that Christmas is in the air,” says the Rum River and Hampton Hills Tree Farms website at CutYourOwn.com. Besides being a tradition, living trees are also a renewable, recyclable resource: “Artificial trees ... average a lifespan of only six years; then [they] are tossed in a landfill, where they lie in a composed state for centuries.” Further, Krueger’s Christmas Trees …
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Long-time tree sellers once again set up shop at Veterans Memorial Park.
Christmas tree sales officially kicked off at Richfield's Veterans Memorial Park at 9 a.m. Friday morning. Each year Clear Lake-based tree company B&J Evergreen, in partnership with the city, operates a Christmas tree lot in the park. Housed beneath a picnic shelter near the corner of 64th Street and Portland Avenue. "We believe we're the best deal in town for Christmas trees, without question," said Bob Jorgenson, general manager of B&J Evergreen. "If you want to consider service, quality, and overall experience, I don't believe customers could do better." The company carries a variety of different tree types: Scotch Pine, Colorado Spruce, Balsam Fir, Canaan Fir, White Pine and more. Prices generally range between $26 and $66, with …
Caitlin Burgess
10:15 pm on Monday, December 19, 2011
Oh and by the way everyone, those who answered Pennsylvania were correct! more ›