May 2019

This issue is all about seniors— the high school kind (prom season!) as well as active older adults (check out our feature on new senior-living options). 

The Festivities showroom in Minnetonka hosted a monthly Twin Cities Wedding & Event Professionals venue spotlight. Event planners, florists, caterers and other industry pros gathered to network and learn about other local businesses and venues.

 

Hopkins welcomed new bookstore-taproom-coffee shop combo Cream & Amber at its grand opening celebration in February.

 
Katie Terhune and Kacey Hruby Wyttenhove, co-owners of Cream & Amber.

We’ve all seen suggested beer and food pairings, but how about beer and books?

 
The bookshelves and community space at Cream & Amber, a Hopkins store offering books, beer, coffee and more.

Go inside Hopkins’ newest hot spot for books and beer—all run by women.

 
A person fills out their bingo card at the Bingo & Burgers by the Bay event.

Since the first Bingo & Burgers by the Bay event in 2013, the Lake Minnetonka Excelsior Rotary Club (LMERC) has raised over $120,000 to help fund the Excelsior-Lake Minnetonka Chamber of Commerce’s Fourth of July fireworks.

 
A football player holds a NoSweat liner for their helnet.

NoSweat liners can be easily adhered to the inside bands of baseball caps, hard hats, football and hockey helmets, and more.

 
A Minnetonka couple water skis in their wedding attire for their unique save-the-date photo.

A local couple puts a unique spin on their save-the-date photo.

 
A kitchen in a room at The Waters of Excelsior, a senior living facility.

With the senior population skyrocketing in the years to come—and with seniors wanting more out of their later years—local organizations adjust in creative ways.

 
A senior citizen takes a fitness class at the Waters of Excelsior

The space was intentionally designed to serve three distinct generations.

 
Solar panels on a Lake Minnetonka home made and installed by All Energy Solar.

Despite its frigid reputation, Minnesota is actually a viable place to employ photovoltaic, solar energy technology.

 
Prom, Dance the Night Away, High School, Lake Minnetonka, Going Out

Prom season’s on the horizon—here’s everything you (and your teen) need to know.

 
Hannah and Natalie Van Ochten, two sisters and Minnetonka High School grads now pursuing medical careers.

Hannah and Natalie Van Ochten take parallel paths in their careers to help others.

 
A pink SusiBash handbag created by local designer Sussan Mahjouri

Wayzata’s Sussan Mahjouri launches a new line of handbags with a very specific marketing plan.

 
Three boys hold a walleye they caught from Lake Minnetonka, thanks to the help of the Westonka Walleye Program.

The Westonka Walleye Program has added thousands of the state’s official fish to Lake Minnetonka since 2012.

 
Members of WeCAN, the Western Communities Action Network

WeCAN was founded in 1989 to address a lack of social service programs for low-income families in the area.

 
Sun-safe bracelets made by Excelsior tanning salon The Glow Lounge.

May is Melanoma Awareness Month, and Excelsior resident Mollie Michura, owner of The Glow Lounge, wants to make it easier for you to practice sun safety—not just in May, but all year round.

 
Joe Ryan, CEO and owner of Oppidan Investment Company

Joe Ryan’s worldview is simple: leave the world better than you found it.

As the CEO and owner of Oppidan Investment Company, a national property development firm based in Excelsior, Ryan knows he—and Oppidan—can make a real difference in the communities they serve.

 
Kate Meier, founder of BA Craftmade, a company that makes aprons for professional and home chefs, woodworkers, florists and more.

Tim McKee, Thomas Boemer, Lenny Russo and Justin Sutherland wear aprons by BA Craftmade, just to name a few.

 
Dolly Parton's soundtrack to the Netflix film "Dumplin'"

Dolly Parton continues to be force in both music and film, our columnist writes.

 
A bottle of Nik Weis Wiltinger Kabinett Riesling

For many, this grape is panned as only a sweet white wine for novices, and this is just not so.

 
The Only Woman in the Room, a fictionalized account of Hedy Lamarr's life written by Marie Benedict

Marie Benedict's "The Only Woman in the Room" gives a fictionalized account of one Hollywood's biggest stars, whose impact goes far beyond her looks.

 
A painted turtle sits in the grass on a sunny day.

This is the season Minnesota turtles are on the move, making their way up from wetlands to lay eggs.

 
A woman sits working at a laptop with a pencil in hand and a notebook nearby.

Don’t let a lack of formal education stop you from learning.

 
An old photograph of Boulder Bridge Farm, a gentleman's farm on Lake Minnetonka once owned by the Dayton family.

Boulder Bridge Farm, once owned by the Daytons, was at one point the largest of Lake Minnetonka's "gentleman farms."

 
A grandmother helps her granddaughter roll some dough.

MasterChef Junior's Ariana Feygin shares some kitchen wisdom from one of her mentors, her grandmother.

 
A couple on vacation with their child walks through a river.

You’ve heard it, and maybe even said it: “A trip with kids is not a vacation.” Well, we dare to propose a different mindset.