Growing up in San Diego, I was deprived of all things winter for most of my life. Christmas usually meant a trip to the beach and "cold" days were when the temperature dropped below 60 degrees. Once I moved to Minnesota to attend the University of Minnesota's School of Journalism, I quickly fell in love with the seasons. I adore the falling leaves, the steamy summers and yes, even the snow. So today, when I saw flakes falling in Golden Valley, I got really excited. I'll be the first to admit that after Jan. 1, I'm pretty much California dreaming. But, it's only October. So who's with me? Are …

Just about every news outlet puts together its list of most popular news topics of the previous year. It's nice to see where we've been and where we're going in terms of news events. Today we posted our five most-viewed stories of 2011. But do the most popular items on the list necessarily mean they're the most important or have the most impact? If you see Kris Humphries at the top, you might be inclined to say no. But I'd urge you to consider some of the other top stories before making up your mind. As a journalist, there are a handful of stories I'll always remember covering, and always …

Some of my fondest memories of growing up in Green Bay, WI, are from Halloween. I remember the cold Halloweens, where my brothers and sisters and I would see how many layers we could fit under our homemade costumes. I remember all of us sitting on the living room floor counting out how much candy we'd each collected and trading Milky Ways for Nerds.   When I got to college, Halloween became something totally different. Even though I attended Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, a group of friends and I would hop on a bus to Madison because we all knew the best party of the year was on …

After taking maternity leave for three months, I'm back in the editor's chair here at Patch starting today. The biggest difference is the most obvious—I'm a mom. I gave birth to a wonderful baby girl, Olivia, on July 5th. I didn't think having a family would change the journalist in me, but being a mom has changed just about everything. In the past, I'd been told I couldn't relate to certain situations because I wasn't a mom, and I'd always dismiss those comments. I remember the moment this all changed. About a week before giving birth, my husband and I spent an hour trying to install Olivia'…

One month ago today, my husband and I were in the car, listening to the radio.  The meteorologist was talking about a severe weather watch and the funnel cloud in Maple Grove the night before.  There was a little light rain as we headed north on highway 100, but we had no idea that just minutes after we drove past the Tyrol Hills neigbhorhood, a tornado would hit. I was about 33 weeks pregnant, and we were just getting back from a brief hospital visit that Sunday afternoon when it seemed the skies just opened up and dumped buckets of rain on us as we ran for the front door of our house.  We …

Starting this morning, you'll notice a big change to the Golden Valley Patch website. Just like Patches around Minnesota and across the country, we're rolling out a new blogging initiative called Local Voices.  We've been giving you news, sports, events and business listings for nearly six months, but now we want more of your voice to shine through. We're going to be featuring both new Patch bloggers as well as local blogs from Golden Valley and the Twin Cities that we think you'll enjoy. And if you're not signed up to blog with Patch, this is our invitation to you.  Whether it's Theo Wirth …

Last night, President Barack Obama addressed the nation to tell us Osama bin Laden had been killed by the U.S. in Pakistan. For about an hour before the president's speech, Facebook and Twitter were spreading the news, and I as I waited for President Obama to walk up to the podium to confirm what we already knew, I couldn't help but think back to September 11, 2001. I was a reporter for the WSBT, the CBS affiliate in South Bend, Ind.  That morning I was reporting from a 9-1-1 call center because it was actually National 9-1-1 Day.  I remember one of the dispatchers telling me it had been a …

Things change fast at a new site like Golden Valley Patch. Up until now, we've primarily been a news operation, written by our staff and freelancers. But soon, very soon, we're hoping to add a new voice to the site: Yours. There are already plenty of ways to contribute to Patch—by leaving comments on our articles, by posting pics and comments to our Facebook page, by posting to our events calendar and by posting announcements. But now we're introducing a new site section, for community blogs.  And we want you to be a part of it. Got something to say about life in Golden Valley or news to …

If your internet has been up and down last night and today, you're not alone.  In fact, most Comcast customers in Golden Valley are dealing with the same thing.  But before you try to call for an explanation, let me save you the trouble.  I'm told by the Comcast call center in Blaine that there's an "unplanned maintenance outage."  Apparently crews are working to fix outdated equipment, and that's causing phone and internet disruptions in Minneapolis and the west metro. I understand these problems happen with a huge company that deals with technology.  What I don't understand is why it took …

Golden Valley Patch thinks it's about time that students in the Robbinsdale School District got the recognition they deserve alongside their Hopkins district neighbors. Golden Valley Patch already brings you news from Breck School and Perpich Center for Arts, and we've been working with Hopkins Patch to bring you educational news, too.  But we know many of our kids attend Robbinsdale, and now we've got you covered, too. So let us introduce Gail Weinhold.  She's been a parent in the Robbinsdale school district and a teacher in the Hopkins district for the past nine years and she is the new …

Know a great kid who made Eagle Scout or did your local soccer team take the championship? They may be our next Patch Whiz Kid honoree. Each week, Golden Valley Patch will seek suggestions from readers for individual kids, youth groups, teens, and even sports teams that wow us with their accomplishments. We want to hear about these amazing children and teens and select one each week as the Patch Whiz Kid. Submit your nomination in our comment box below or e-mail the information to Golden Valley Patch Editor Mary Costello at mary.costello@patch.com. Be sure to include all of the following …

Moms, we want to talk to you. And we want you to talk to us. We know you've got wisdom to share—not just with your children, but with other moms facing the same challenges, dilemmas, joys and opportunities you've encountered. In the next week or two, Golden Valley Patch is going to offer a lot of information we hope moms like you will find useful: We'll be exploring ways to get the most from the school system, from camp, from a night out, from a day trip, from your family budget, along with tips and stories on everything from finding the best pediatrician or daycare to the best spot for a …

One week ago, I was in the emergency room after a long night of stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhea. I didn’t leave the hospital for three days or eat solid food for four. I’m not the only person suffering from an awful stomach bug this month. The Associated Press reports this week that Norovirus has reared its ugly head in Minnesota. Because I’m 15 weeks pregnant and have a history of Crohn’s Disease, all kinds of tests were done to make sure the baby is fine and to make sure this isn’t a flare-up of Crohn's. While tests show everything else is OK, doctors say having an illness such as Crohn…

Every week, Golden Valley Patch is spending a little quality time with our pets.  Every Monday (Tuesday this week because of MLK Day) we'll bring you our pet of the week from the Humane Society in Golden Valley. And if you're like me, a pet owner, you'll also appreciate our cooking feature that will teach you how to make your own pet treats at home. So stay tuned: Later today, Nina Bouphasavanh showcases the pet of the week and Kathleen Riley-Daniels has some "Frosty Paws Dog Treats."

I was driving to the Wells Fargo in Golden Valley to deposit a check this afternoon.  As I pulled into the driveway and noticed all the drive-up lanes were closed, I thought, "Shoot.  The bank's closed for MLK Day." Coincidentally, I was listening to National Public Radio at the time, and the last part of "Talk of the Nation" was dedicated to airing Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. It took me all of ten seconds to feel like a fool for considering this day an inconvenience.  So I stopped the car, right there in the parking lot, and listened to the entire speech.  I am moved …

I know this website is supposed to be devoted exclusively to news in Golden Valley. But with the nation in a state of shock over the shooting of Arizona Representative Gabrielle Giffords Saturday morning, I felt it appropriate to share my thoughts on one of the nicest public figures I have ever had the privilege of meeting.  For those who may not know, I was a television news reporter in Tucson, AZ immediately before moving to Minnesota and working for Patch. I frequently covered politics, which meant that whenever Rep. Giffords was back in town, chances are that I was interviewing her about …

Animal Humane Society Procedures: Monday, the Animal Humane Society began a new process for dealing with animal drop-offs. As we reported on Dec. 8, anyone wanting to surrender an animal first has to schedule an appointment. We tried following-up to see how the new procedure has gone so far, but officials with the Animal Humane Society say it's too early to tell. We'll check back with them once they have more data to analyze.   Submission Period Ends for Run the Valley T-Shirt Design Contest If you wanted your artwork forever featured on a Golden Valley t-shirt, you'll have to wait until next…

MPR's Sasha Aslanian Shares Stories at Arts High School Award winning journalist Sasha Aslanian spoke before the student body at the Arts High School at the Perpich Center for Arts Education in Golden Valley. Aslanian, a reporter for Minnesota Public Radio for almost 20 years, has produced national radio documentaries and is the creator and producer of the renowned MPR News' Youth Radio Series. Her stories featuring the voices of young people regularly appear on the stations in the Minnesota Public radio network. At Arts High, she shared audio documentaries that she produced with young …

Golden Valley Patch is all of five days old, but the thought crossed my mind that you might be looking at this site trying to understand the concept and figure out what it's all about. As my freelancers and I continue getting to know the community and try to generate a following on the Golden Valley Patch site, we want to take the time to remind you why we're here and what this site is all about. Simply put, it's about you. We've built Patch so that you have plenty of opportunities to comment on stories, share your opinions, post photos and announcements and add events to the community …

Hi, I'm Delane Cleveland, Local Editor for Golden Valley Patch. I've spent the past two months spreading the word about Patch and finding out what's important to you -- the people who live and work in Golden Valley. I've met religious leaders, city officials, business owners, teachers and residents during my preparation to launch this site, and the one thing you've all had in common was the desire to find a source for Golden Valley news.  Golden Valley Patch is that news source, but the site offers much more. In addition to news, Golden Valley Patch will also keep you up to date on events…