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Vitalist brings Mediterranean flavor to Spring Park
Westonka residents with a taste for gluten-free, organic, real food will find their cravings satisfied at Vitalist by Sarah H, a newly opened restaurant on Shoreline Drive in Spring Park. It debuted with a soft launch and celebrated its grand opening on May 9. “We have something for everyone,” said Sarah Haugen, creator, founder and CEO of Vitalist. “Our menu is plant forward with a Mediterranean flavor and contains no seed oils or genetically modified organisms (GMOs). I’m a strong believer in the Mediterranean diet...
White Hawks golfers prep for final conference meet
The Mound Westonka boys golf team had three days of competition last week, including the Bash at B’s on the River and the Oakdale Invitational. The boys are showing improvement each week, and posted some of their best rounds of the season. The White Hawks hosted a conference meet at the Bash at B’s on the River in Watertown on May 13. Sophomore Luke Sunnarborg shot a 36, good for third place, missing first by only one stroke. Sophomore Dillon Peterson finished with a 42,...
Westonka qualifies for state tennis tournament
The 16-1 Mound Westonka High School Boys tennis team qualified for the State Tournament on Monday May 20. They started the day with a 6-1 win over the Litchfield Dragons in the section semi finals and ended the day with a 6-1 win over the Southwest Christian Stars in the section finals. This earned them a place at the team Class A State Tournament on June 4 and 5. Every...
Long Lake Rowing has strong showing in Ohio
The Annual Midwest Junior Rowing Championship Regatta was held on Saturday and Sunday, May 18 and 19 on Lake Harsha approximately 40 minutes east of Cincinnati, Ohio. Twenty-four races were held in the sculling format (two oars per rower) and sweeping format (one oar per rower) in boats holding one, two, four, or eight rowers. Categories included novice (first-year rowers), under 15/16 or 17 years old, and 1st or 2nd Varsity. Top finishers from the heats qualified for the finals and the top 4 finishers...
Pair of events raise $71K for foundation
No one wants to travel far for health care, and the community showed its support for keeping quality care close to home by attending two Ridgeview Foundation events in two weeks, raising a total of more than $71,000. On Friday, April 19, more than 200 community members of all ages gathered at Bowlero in Eden Prairie for the annual Pins for a Purpose event. Attendees enjoyed unlimited bowling, Bowling Bingo and a 50/50 raffle. This family-friendly event raised money for Ridgeview’s Pediatric program, which includes...
Tonkabots bring home hardware from state
In a year of firsts, the Mound Westonka Tonkabots FIRST Robotics Team was one of 36 teams invited to compete at the Minnesota State High School League’s 2024 Robotics State Tournament on May 4 for the first time in program history. Not only did they compete, they won 11 of their 12 matches and emerged as state champions in an alliance with teams from Becker and St. Peter. The Tonkabots competed as alliance captains for the first time, which gave them the opportunity to choose...
Orono, Westonka speakers advance at national tourney
The National Individual Events Tournament of Champions (NIETOC) brought together the nation’s best and brightest students in Oral Interpretation and Public Address categories to compete in a national tournament which took place at Bellevue West High School in Bellevue, Neb. Speakers from across the country earned an invitation to NIETOC based on their performance at various tournaments throughout the season. This year there were 1,600 entries from across the nation. Four speakers from Orono’s speech team and one from the Mound/Westonka team competed at this...
Westonka looks back, forward to close school year
As the school year draws to a close in Westonka, a flurry of assessments, ceremonies, and the beginning of summer facilities projects are on the horizon. Mark Femrite, assistant superintendent for Teaching and Learning, reported at the May 6 school board meeting that the district has concluded state testing and is now conducting assessments in math and reading used by the district to measure students’ academic growth from fall to spring. ...
Tonka Vac/Tonka Tunes owner looks to liquidate collection
A vacuum cleaner sales and repair shop that also deals in record albums is not your classic business model, but it has worked for Shaun Gauld for nearly 25 years. Gauld is a Mound businessman – the owner of Tonka Vac/Tonka Tunes. He started selling Kirby vacuum cleaners after getting laid off from the railroad industry in 1977. Even before then, at age 12 he was collecting records. He didn’t...
Minnetrista 'State of the City' highlights progress, priorities
Minnetrista city council and staff gathered with residents on May 7 for the annual State of the City address against the verdant backdrop of Burl Oaks Golf Course. The event served as a forum to share achievements from recent years, recognize current planning and parks commissioners, and outline key focus areas for the future. Mayor Lisa Whalen presented an overview of the city’s six strategic priorities: Public infrastructure, public safety, community planning and development, community engagement, broadband expansion and budget. ...
Former mayors file as ‘friend of the court’ against Orono
On May 7, four former Orono mayors asked the Minnesota Court of Appeals for approval to file an Amicus Curiae (“friend of the court”) brief in support of the City of Long Lake’s Fire Department after the City of Orono filed an appeal of both the 2023 injunction order and the two contempt orders issued against it by Fourth Judicial District Court. The request and brief were written on behalf of the mayors by former Minnesota Supreme Court Justice and Orono resident, attorney James H....
Westonka seniors dominate DECA Internationals
Mound Westonka High School sent a record 40 students to the 2024 DECA International Career Development Conference (ICDC) April 26-30 in Anaheim, California, where they competed against over 22,000 business and marketing students from around the world. Seniors Olivia Adam and Gabriella Larsen emerged as champions, taking first place for their Eli Hart Playground Chapter Project. This was the first time a Westonka chapter project has earned one of the coveted glass trophies at Internationals. Four other Westonka teams were recognized for high placement at...
Westonka golfers hit the greens in Jordan, Hopkins
The Mound Westonka boys golf team had two meets last week. The first was Lord Nelson’s Classic at the Ridges at Sand Creek in Jordan on May 7. The team had the chance to play against some of the best players in the state, with seven of the top ten ranked teams competing. Maple Grove won the Classic, with Spring Lake Park taking second. Sophomore Luke Sunnarborg started the round near the top of the leaderboard with four pars, but fell behind after that, finishing...
Westonka prom takes students to the ‘bayou’
Mound Westonka High School Student Senate worked diligently to pull off another incredible prom for senior and junior students on May 4. “Down on the Bayou” was the theme, complete with decorations and backdrops that created a New Orleans vibe throughout the event. “The junior cabinet of the Student Senate spent months planning every detail - from the venue to the theme, dinner, decorations, and grand march - they truly thought of it all!” said advisors Jamie Harms and Dale Kimball. “It is always so...
Westonka names Yost-Haddorff-Leopold Award winner
Mound Westonka High School is proud to name senior Jack Nelson as the 2024 male recipient of the Yost-Haddorff-Leopold Award. Other nominees for the annual outstanding male athlete award were Brett Bartkowicz, Connor Esposito, Jack Markstrom, Lucas Markstrom, Mikey Oftedahl, Charlie Paul and Carter Reinbold. The award began as the Yost Award in 1953, honoring the late Frank Yost, a local pharmacist and ardent community sports supporter who died in 1952. In 1994, the award became the Yost-Haddorff-Leopold Award to also honor the memories of...
Tonkabots team wrapping up ‘amazing year’
The Mound Westonka Tonkabots FIRST Robotics Team competed in the world competition in Houston, Texas in April for the first time ever. The team earned the opportunity to compete by earning a first-place finish at the 2024 Northern Lights Regional Competition. The Tonkabots competed in the “Galileo” division at the FIRST Championship, where they finished 22nd of 75 teams. Over 600 teams from 16 countries and 48 states were represented in the competition. Tonkabots were also chosen to receive a special peer award, the “Stellar...
Students’ artwork featured at festival
Mound Westonka High School art students competed in the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) Visual Arts Festival, the largest regional art competition in the state, April 26 in Shakopee. Out of 18 entries, students earned 11 Superior awards and five Awards of Excellence. “We had a fantastic showing at the festival!” said art teacher Jana Pare. “All the students who participated submitted outstanding work!” Earning Superior awards for their...
MPCA seeks water monitors locally, statewide
While Minnesota is often celebrated as the ‘Land of 10,000 Lakes,’ the reality far exceeds this iconic title with over 12,000 lakes and an extensive network of more than 92,000 miles of streams. Monitoring these abundant water resources is a monumental task, one that the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s (MPCA) volunteer water monitoring program supports by providing critically important water clarity data. Volunteers are particularly sought after in the Westonka area due to its proximity to Lake Minnetonka and many nearby bodies of water including...
Westonka inducts new honor society members
A total of 56 Mound Westonka High School students were inducted into the National Honor Society (NHS) at a special ceremony for students and their families on May 1. Another 54 seniors, who were inducted into the program last year, were also on hand for special recognition. Senior President Samantha Krahl welcomed the visitors to the Westonka Performing Arts Center (PAC) and thanked the parents for their support and hard work. The NHS chapter is under new leadership this year, as advisor Jana Paré brought...
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Laker Pioneer serves the Mound, Minnetrista, Spring Park, Navarre, Long Lake, Orono, Maple Plain, Independence and Minnetonka Beach communities. Published Saturdays by APG of East Central Minnesota since 1974. 24/7 local coverage found online at www.lakerpioneer.com
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