Patch's Greatest Person

Golden Valley Pet Owner Dubs Vet ‘Miracle Man’

An assistance dog is alive and well thanks to the kind efforts of a veterinarian.

Cats, dogs, iguanas—you name it and Dr. Stuart Dalton has treated it. As a veterinarian and the owner of White Bear Animal Hospital his doors are always open to ailing animals, but a few weeks ago he got a call about a sick assistance dog. At the time he had no idea this call would change the life of a pet owner. The call came from the Courage Center, a rehabilitation facility that specializes in helping people with disabilities. One of their clients, Steve Cluckey was near tears over his dog Brewster. Cluckey thought his 3-year-old black lab had a raw hide lodged in its stomach.  “He was getting sick and he wouldn’t eat and he just wasn’t the same Brewster,” Cluckey said. “So, I took him into the vet but they wanted to charge me $400 just…

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Patch Picks

They Call Him 'Mr. Golden Valley'

Don Anderson is a man of service, family and community—and he's Golden Valley Patch's Greatest Person this month.

Editor's Note: Today, Dec. 16th, marks the city's 125th anniversary. To honor the day, we thought we'd honor one of Golden Valley's most special people in the first of our regular series called "Greatest Person." It was no surprise Don Anderson was the very first and only person to be found at the Golden Valley Historical Society’s historic church one early weekday morning. He was carefully and dutifully preparing for a boy scouts troop visit later that day. “They just love the visits here,” Anderson said. Anderson, who is known as Mr. Golden Valley Historian, has been retired for 22 years now, and spends almost all of his free time giving back to the community.  “Golden Valley is important to me, because I have lived in the area for about…

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Plymouth Teen Becomes Business VP At Age 18

An online marketing company in Plymouth may have found the next Steve Jobs in Armstrong High School senior Alex Houg.

Plymouth resident Alex Houg has always loved technology. A few years ago, his passion for electronics sparked an idea to create a website and sell gaming accessories. He started studying strategies for online marketing, and within months this self-taught businessman was swamped with orders. “I was running to the post office constantly to keep up with the thousands of orders that were coming in,” he said. Houg had created a successful online business, no small feat for anyone, but Houg was just 15. “I wound up selling that company for a good profit and decided that online marketing is where my strength is,” he said. Determined to jump-start his career early, this teenager started offering advice to businesses and within three years …

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After a Decade of Service, St. Michael's Weston Heads West

A public servant and the "godmother" of the city of St. Michael's summer celebration as we now know it, Cindy Weston is leaving the community she helped change.

In August, Cindy Weston sat at a table and chairs with her husband as her grandchildren enjoyed the food, fun and frivolity of St. Michael Daze and Knights on a picture perfect day. In a sense, it was fitting. Weston, who years ago helped get the ball rolling for the annual event, had stepped back a bit this year, knowing that, soon, she would be leaving St. Michael behind. "It's what makes a community special," Weston said of events like Daze and Knights. "People love that spirit here. They like the small town feeling. Things like that event are what help you kind of hang on to that, and more than just a suburb." Weston moved here in 1997, about the time St. Michael was looking at major changes to its comprehensive plan. She studied the …

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