Then & Now

For more than 60 years, KMC Dance Studio has been teaching lake-area kids and teens dance moves, from beginning to advanced. The popular family-owned business experienced a change.

Brooklyn Vetter had every intention of leaving the Midwest. Born and raised in South Dakota, she studied sociology and women’s studies at Minnesota State University, Mankato, and was itching for a change. Some travel? Maybe. A change of scenery? Definitely.

When September arrives and the leaves start to turn, Wayzata throws summer’s last bash.

One of the first women to attend the University of Minnesota in the 1870s, Abbie Wakefield proudly wore long trousers and bloomers, which were made popular by Amelia Jenks Bloomer and marked a liberated woman.

We’ve all been there: The kids are off at the neighborhood park, and you expect them home for dinner—and you hope they’re keeping an eye on the time. Thankfully, the city of Excelsior still operates its historic siren, which rings daily at noon, 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.

For the Past 10 years, men’s clothing shop J. Novachis had occupied an Edina block in the 50th and France neighborhood. This spring, owner Anthony Novachis made the big decision to move the beloved store to Excelsior, his new hometown.

“It’s our front yard.” That’s how Amy Mino, executive director of Landmark Center and chair of the Rice Park Association, describes the importance of Rice Park to the city of Saint Paul, and that’s why she is so excited about the Rice Park Revitalization Project.

Baiting your first hook at the lake is a rite of passage for Minnesota boys and girls. It’s an act symbolic of a fishing culture that is often taken for granted by the citizens of the North Star State.

Many years ago, one of the first pioneer families to settle near Lake Minnetonka often had an unexpected guest for dinner, according to a tale passed down for generations.

Last summer, several local Boy Scouts completed projects for the Excelsior-Lake Minnetonka Historical Society on their way to receiving the highest scouting rank of Eagle Scout.

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