February Festival
Souper Bowl Saturday
Time to gear up for fishing contest
Event supports people in need
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CHANHASSEN
THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2012
$1
www.chanvillager.com
Villager Mussel ‘milestone’
RECREATION
County to inspect boats at Lake Minnewashta park BY RICHARD CRAWFORD editor@chanvillager.com
JOIN THE CHAT SHARE YOUR VIEWS
PHOTOS BY UNSIE ZUEGE
Beginners soon become experts. Lee Carlson of Chanhassen, at left, prepares to serve the ball. The Chanhassen Rec Center sponsored a Pickleball demonstration Monday morning. Carlson’s partner is Bob Ferris of Victoria. Their opponents across the net are Carol Ferris of Victoria and Dick Berg of Chanhassen.
Young or old, tall or small, Pickleball is a game for all BY UNSIE ZUEGE uzuege@swpub.com
What it is
Start lining up. From what they say, Pickleball is incredibly easy to learn, and maddeningly addictive. Pickleball has come to Chanhassen. Don’t feel bad if you haven’t heard of it. It’s like ping pong on steroids, or downsized tennis. It can be played by singles or doubles, on a badminton-sized court (or one-fourth of a regulation tennis court). Players hit a perforated plastic ball with paddles over a net, 34 inches high (two inches lower than a tennis net).
Pickleball to page 2
USA Pickleball Association
spaniel “Pickles” who chased stray balls.
Mission: The USA Pickleball Association (USAPA) was organized to promote the growth and development of Pickleball, not only on a national but an international level. This organization provides players with official rules, tournaments, rankings and promotional materials. Facts:
The USAPA is a nonprofit corporation. It is governed by a board of directors.
Played on a badminton court with whiffle-style ball and paddles.
Pickleball is North America’s fastest growing sport.
Originated in 1965, in a family driveway.
The board is committed to promote Pickleball among players of all ages, sponsors and sanctions tournaments and clinics, ranks players, communicates via e-mail and newsletters, and train of all levels of players.
Learn more. Go to www.pickleballmn.com
Named for originator’s family cocker
Carver County will ON ZEBRA MUSSEL be on the front lines INSPECTIONS. in the battle against zebra mussels du rwww.chanvillager.com ing the 2012 boating season. On Tuesday, commissioners voted 3-2 to implement a boat inspection program at the county-owned public access at Lake Minnewashta Regional Park. The county earmarked $15,500 that will be combined with a matching contribution from the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District to pay for inspectors at the park. “This is a significant milestone and improvement to the current approach of relying on the Department of Natural Resources to provide spot checks,” said Steve Gunther, president of the Lake Minnewashta Preservation Association. Lakeshore groups have been lobbying for more public support in the effort to control the spread of zebra mussels, an aquatic in-vasive species that can overtake lake ecosystems. Zebra mussels have been identified in Lake Minnetonka, Prior Lake and the Minnesota River. No other infestations have been confi rmed in Carver County lakes. “This is a good fi rst step to protect all lakes,” said County Commissioner Tom Workman, of Chanhassen, who along with commissioners Gayle Degler, of Chanhassen, and Randy Maluchnik, of Chaska, voted for the program. Commissioners Jim Ische of Norwood Young America and Tim Lynch, of Watertown, voted against. Ische expressed concerns about the county taking on work that he said should be a state Department of Natural Resources re-sponsibility. He also questioned what the county will do when other lake groups line up for support. Eric Evenson, with the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District, described the inspection program at Lake Minnewashta as a stop-gap pilot project. He said the watershed district is also working on longer-term plans to fi ght aquatic invasive species statewide. The program will pay for inspectors who will monitor boats at the public access from May 15 to Sept. 19. The public access will be staffed from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. The DNR will provide training to inspectors and law enforcement officials at no cost, according to a staff report.
Zebra Mussels to page 2
New Southwest Christian takes shape Move planned in August BY CHUCK FRIEDBAUER friedchu@yahoo.com
As this winter has progressed, construction on the new Southwest Christian High School has made the building more and more visible to those passing by the intersection of Highway 212 and Bavaria Road in Chaska. Head of School Dan Beckering
said Southwest Christian looks forward to becoming more visible in the community. Construction has prog ressed well due to the exceptionally warm winter. “We’ve been blessed with a wonderful stretch of weather that has allowed us to make a lot of headway, more than we thought we would have by now,” said Randy Nelson, the project supervisor with Bossardt Corporation. In August, the school plans to move from its current location on Peavey Road to the new building on
Bavaria Road. The school walls have been visible along the Bavaria Road and Highway 212 intersection for a few months now. Currently, construction crews are working to get the whole building enclosed. “Once we do that and the roof is completed, we’ll be able to heat the entire interior,” said Nelson. In the already enclosed lower level, workers are proceeding with framing, hanging ductwork and piping. The main floor and lower level
High School to page 5
PHOTO BY CHUCK FRIEDBAUER
The entrance to Southwest Christian High School takes shape.
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