The following video of the EP Eagles 2008 State Dance Team Tournament performance is by "chanelist."

The Eden Prairie (A.M.) Rotary Club wishes everyone a healthy (and can we say prosperous?) New Year.

Rotary has a great tradition in Eden Prairie, where two very successful clubs exist. If your New Year’s resolution includes “giving back to the community” or “networking with other business types,” you should give Rotary a try.

As you can see from the photo, my son Charlie did not enjoy his visit to Santa on Thursday.
I’ve been seeing several photo galleries of children who seem to feel it is OK to pout, and even cry, not only in general – but also in the very presence of Santa – this holiday season. Charlie seemed happy enough, until my husband sat him on Santa’s lap.

The following YouTube video, "Hansel and Gretel by EP Players," is by "dishaba." It features a summer 2007 performance.

Eden Prairie Fire Chief George Esbensen this morning outlined to fellow Rotarians a second phase in the fire department’s “HeartSafe Eden Prairie” program.

The program – which has already resulted in Automated External Defibrillators being placed in city and school buildings in Eden Prairie – is being expanded to encourage the placement of AED’s in restaurants, shopping centers, movie theaters and other businesses where large numbers of people congregate.

Have I poked you yet?

My friend Todd phoned me this week to chew the fat, gossip a bit, and to ask
me a very serious, life-changing question.

"Steve, should I be on Facebook?"

I wasn't surprised to get this inquiry from Todd, a middle aged fellow
working at a publishing company with three daughters at home, two of them
teens who are active Facebook users. I have known Todd since the late '80s
and although extremely competent with technology that he needs to know, he
is a complete Neanderthal with technology he doesn't need to know.

State AAA Semi Final Football game

I don't know when the tradition of writing post-election thank you letters to the editor began, but we've learned to expect them a week or two after the vote. It's an opportunity for candidates to show appreciation to their supporters. Win or lose, it's also an opportunity for candidates to graciously acknowledge the election outcome.

Three of the four candidates for city council submitted such letters this week.

There's a lot of buzz about who won, really. And which districts they won and why.

Though Aho beat Case by 102 votes, Case beat out everyone, district by district; his votes were spread out over 3/4 of Eden Prairie, more than all the candidates.

He won in Republican districts and districts most impacted by the airport.

In fact, everyone on the council is aware of it, and MAC has taken note.

So, though he had a "I'm the low tax guy" sticker on his signs, that wasn't what put him over the top.

"Simmer down Clyde, simmer down."

I found myself giving this ridiculous warning to my daughters on several
occasions recently. They eyed me skeptically each time until I explained
that this was a reprimand I heard from my own father several thousand times
from age 4 to 22.

They were puzzled by the phrase "simmer down" and of course, Clyde is not
the popular name it once was, I suppose.

I told them that it meant then, and it means now, "slow down, take a breath,
and don't do anything stupid." Clyde was just a more common name in the '30s