Wednesday, February 20, 2013
In a letter sent to members of the Hennepin County Board and Metropolitan Council, Mayor Shep Harris asked for clarification regarding the purpose of the upcoming Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board’s community meeting.
On Feb. 27, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board will host a public meeting to discuss how plans for the Bottineau Transitway may impact open space near Theodore Wirth Park. Related:Bottineau Public Meetings Coming Up, Residents Reflect on Council Decision In a letter sent last week to the Hennepin County Board and Metropolitan Council, Golden Valley Mayor Shep Harris outlined concerns regarding the upcoming meetings and intended outcomes. Harris said that city staff was “informed” that outcomes of the Park Board meeting might be used as part of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) application needed to begin preliminary engineering. “We believe that broad-scale public input over number, location, and function of light rail …
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
The Star Tribune published renditions of the center, which is part of a Wirth expansion project that would cost about $6 million.
In a Feb. 4 article, the Star Tribune wrote about proposed changes coming to Theodore Wirth Park. Writer Eric Roper reported that the park is in a “tug of war” between golf lovers and the exploding interest in cross country skiing and mountain biking. According to the article, the proposed welcome center is just part of the larger picture of change for the park. "It's a bit of culture shift. It is," Bruce Chamberlain, Minneapolis Park Board assistant superintendent, said in the article. "And it's because of the changing dynamic of the city and what people want out of recreation." Roper reported that the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board and the Loppet Foundation will vote on the welcome center and proposed changes in February. The …
Many local skiers, young and old, participated in the annual event which started at Wirth Park last weekend.
On Feb. 2 and 3, thousands of skiers, bikers and dogs took the trails to participate in the Twin Cities City of Lakes Loppet. Many of the weekend’s festivities including the REI Tour, Hoigaard’s Classic, City of Lakes Freestyle Loppet, Chuck & Don’s Skijoring Loppet and Subaru National Skijoring Championship, Penn Cycle Fat Tire Loppet and the Finn Sisu Sprints started at Golden Valley’s Theodore Wirth Park and ended in Uptown. Plenty of Golden Valley residents completed various events during the annual ski festival. Below is a listing of local results. City of Lakes Freestyle Loppet, 33 KM Hoigaard’s Classic, 25 KM REI Tour, 10 KM Chuck and Don's Skijoring Loppet, 4 KM For a complete listing of results, click here.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
The festival will take place this weekend on Feb. 2 and 3.
**Information provided by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. As Theodore Wirth Park hosts the City of Lakes Loppet Cross-Country Ski Festival this weekend (Feb. 2–3), access to the park will be limited at times and some operating hours will differ as noted below: Saturday, Feb. 2 Wirth Winter Recreation Area will be open under regular hours. Ski rentals for the Luminary Loppet will be available at the Par 3 building after 2 p.m. for $22 + tax. Sunday, Feb. 3 Theodore Wirth Parkway will be closed to traffic from Olson Memorial Highway (Hwy. 55) to the Wirth Chalet from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Access from Plymouth Avenue and Golden Valley Road will be maintained during that time.
Friday, January 25, 2013
The Southwest Journal Reported that an issue with the “silent sports center” contract delayed next steps.
In an article Friday, the Southwest Journal reported that an contract issue between the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board and the Loppet Foundation set back plans for a new Theodore Wirth Park sports center. Writer Nick Halter said that the Loppet Foundation would be responsible for raising $3 million by the end of 2014 for a center that would house ski rentals and bike rentals. The facility would also have a conference room, great room and concession stand, according to the article. The Wirth Golf Course clubhouse would be knocked down in order to build the welcome center, but the Southwest Journal said building plans are delayed. On the board’s most recent agenda, an item was removed because commissioners want “issues addressed in a …
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Keep these closures in mind on Sunday, Feb. 3.
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Thursday, January 24
The following segments of Theodore Wirth Parkway will be closed Sunday, Feb. 3 during the City of Lakes Loppet Cross-Country Ski Festival: **Information provided by the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Children attending Robbinsdale and Hopkins schools have Monday off.
Outdoors Theodore Wirth Park in Golden Valley This winter recreation area boasts 15 miles of groomed trails perfect for cross country skiing. Day passes are $8. If you don't know how to ski, but want to learn, lessons are offered on Saturdays for $30. Want to drop the kids off and have a day to yourself? On Jan. 21, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board is offering a day camp for children. For $75, children ages 7 or older will learn how to cross-country ski, snowboard and snow tube. Rental equipment, lunch and refreshments are provided. Lake Harriet Kite Fest in Minneapolis For the last decade, giant kites have filled the skies above the frozen waters of Lake Harriet in mid-January. This Saturday, Jan. 19, will be no different, as …
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
It will be at its peak on Jan. 3 in Golden Valley. If there are clouds that night, you can watch a Ustream on NASA.com.
If you blink you might miss the Quadrantids Meteor Shower. It peaks in the hours right before dawn on Jan. 3, with a maximum number of meteors per hour of about 80. The Quadrantids come from an asteroid called 2003 EH1, just as the Geminids did in early December. Meteor showers usually are named based on the constellations where they originate. Quadrans Muralis (mural quadrant) between Bootes and Draco. The meteor shower is expected to "last only a few hours," according to NASA.com. That means you should look for it in the the night of Jan. 2-3, not the night of Jan. 3-4. The moon will set after midnight, so the best time to view the meteors will be between then and sunrise at about 7:50 a.m. If there is cloud cover in Eden Prairie on …
Monday, December 10, 2012
The most reliable meteor shower of the year, the Geminids, is on its way. Here are some tips for viewing the celestial show in Golden Valley.
The Geminid meteor shower 2012, the final major meteor shower of every year and likely to be the best, peaks overnight Dec. 13 and Dec. 14, and you may be able to see a great show on either side of those dates. If you liked the Orionids Meteor Shower in October, you should love this sky show. NASA reports that the Geminids are a relatively young meteor shower, with the first sightings occurring in the 1830s with rates of about 20 per hour. Over the decades the rates have increased, regularly spawning between 80 and 120 per hour at its peak on a clear evening. How spectacular is it? Just take a look at this video of the Geminid meteor shower. You can also look at some spectacular photos of the Geminids. Tips for best viewing Earthsky.org …
Saturday, December 1, 2012
After making snow last week, about 500 meters of cross country ski trails are open.
Theodore Wirth Park opened its popular cross country ski trail on Saturday morning, Dec. 1. And from what Supervisor Rich Anderson could tell, it will be a busy season. A little before 11 a.m. on Saturday, Anderson said that already about 15 high school students were getting a feel for the snow and enjoying the roughly 500 meters of trail that was open. "People are definitely trying to get out and ski," Anderson said. Daily passes are available for $8 and seasonal passes are available for $45. Passes can be purchased online or in person at the Wirth Chalet, the Wirth Par 3 Clubhouse or the Columbia Clubhouse. According to Skinnyski.com, snow making and grooming began last Monday at Wirth Park. On Friday, Nov. 30, John Munger from City of …
Candace Oathout
10:17 am on Thursday, February 21, 2013
Karen, I agree with you. It seems that this proposal is a forgone conclusion and that these public meetings are being orchestrated to produce a pre-determined outcome. I wonder why? more ›