Always Lead With the News. So ... ... my last day as local editor of Mendota Heights Patch will be Wednesday, Aug. 29. I've taken a position at the League of Minnesota Cities. From staring at the first blank page before we launched in November of 2010 to seeing the robust readership and variety of coverage available today, this has been an incredibly rewarding experience. The success of Mendota Heights Patch is because of you—the readers and contributors. Thank you for embracing Patch when no one had ever heard of us. Thank you for posting on Patch, sending in news tips, meeting for coffee …

Editor's Note: Patch staffer Zac Farber did all the actual research for this post. I'm simply providing a wee bit of color commentary. Whether you're ready or not, nearly two million people are expected to descend on the Minnesota State Fair’s 320-acre grounds starting Thursday and the following 11 days for concerts, contests, cows and corn dogs. Here’s Mendota Heights Patch's rundown on what you need to know to get to the fair and find your way around: HoursAs a State Fair rookie a few years ago, I showed up at about 8:45 p.m. thinking I'd have a fun night of flourescent-lit craft displays …

I staked out a spot behind Mendota Plaza with my tripod and some bug spray last night for the Mendakota fireworks. Needless to say, I'm not much of a photographer. If you did better than I did, (that would be most of you) just click the green "Upload photos and video" button to share your favorites.   I also shot some video of the finale for anyone that may have missed it. The final bursts of white were an unexpected treat that draped across the sky—and didn't quite fit my frame! I hope everyone had a safe and relaxing Independence Day, and I'm looking forward to seeing what images you …

I'm thinking about adding "lunch lady wannabe" to my title. Through Neighbors, Inc. I was able to coordinate volunteers to serve lunch for three days this week at Henry Sibley High School's Summer Meals Program. The program serves a free meal to anyone in the district under the age of 18. We served many kids in summer classes and sports camps, as well as kids just stopping by for a healthy meal. If you're interested in checking out the program, details are on the attached PDF. I'm telling you, being a "lunch lady" is actually a pretty fun experience.  Others who helped out include Eagan Local…

Neighbors Inc. is coordinating the Summer Food Service Program in District 197, and Patch staff is ready to help. With the aid of volunteers, all children under 18 years of age can receive a free breakfast and lunch this summer at Sibley or Garlough. How great is that? We'll be serving lunch from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Monday, June 25; Tuesday, June 26, and Wednesday, June 27 at Henry Sibley High School. But, we'd like to invite some of the site's awesome users (that's you) to help along side us.  It's easy, fun, and most importantly, important in making sure district students participating…

Are you a coach or parent of an awesome local rec team or athlete? Does your work's kickball team rule the diamond? Well, you can share photos, tourney and game results with friends and family this season using Patch.  Patch can help you out with our announcements, neighborhood gallery and blogs. Then, just send a link to your loyal fans.  Still have questions about how you can share your season with the community? Email me at danielle.cabot@patch.com. Oh, and let's keep it PG, please. I've played kickball too. I know how it works. 

The communications badge earned by Cub Scouts has often given boys insight into the world of journalism through tours of newsrooms and printing presses.  As a reporter, it was always exciting to see young faces exploring the office at my previous job at the South-West Review. On Monday, I got to introduce some local Cub Scouts to the world of journalism in a different way, from the eyes of a reporter on assignment. While the snow fell persistently outside, inside the Church of St. Peter we settled into a downstairs classroom—complete with a chalkboard and teacher desk, to talk about …

At the end of January, Patch presented a $100,000 check to the winner of the Deck the House competition and the Davis Joint Unified School District in California. The home of Mendota Heights homeowners Dan and Susan Wills was selected as one of 24 finalists for the competition. For their effort, the Wills received $500 toward their December utility bills. The Wills' beautiful, homemade display of holiday cheer garnered 590 votes, putting it 17th in the competition. Davis (pop. 65,622) is a far cry from our small community in Mendota Heights (pop. 11,071), and I just wanted to say thank you to…

The Mendota Heights City Council is schedule to meet at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 8 at City Hall.  The meeting is being held on a Wednesday to accomodate Tuesday night's caucuses. (see attached pdf) A meeting of the council is also scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday to consider the city's goals for 2012. (see attached pdf) On Wednesday's consent agenda, the council is expected to approve a $10,000 order to Great River Greening for invasive plant removal at Valley Park. Outgoing city commission members will be recognized. Discussion of a draft commercial property maintenance ordinance is on the list …

Do you have a favorite recipe for the Super Bowl? Share your recipe in the comments below.  Football food—that bastion of carbs, grease and cheese—is not something I indulge in every Sunday. Every Super Bowl, however, now that I can do.  Whether it's cocktail weenies in BBQ sauce or mini apple pie tarts, I love it all from simple to lavish. What to dish out for the big game is an opportunity to flex a little creativity in the kitchen. I mean, who knew there were so many ways to make dip?   Do you have a Super Bowl recipe favorite? Include your recipe in the comments below, and submissions …

Martin Luther King Jr. Day will provide many of us a day off of work on Monday, and if we decide it is so, an opportunity to make a few ripples of good works that would otherwise go undone. Congress passed legislation in 1994 to make the federal holiday a national day of service, and charged the Corporation for National and Community Service with developing that vision. That vision has been invigorated in recent years.  I confess, often in the past I've used "MLK Day" as a special three-day birthday weekend booster. It's one of the few bonuses of being born in the deep, dark pit of winter, …

Mendota Heights Patch photographers had 2011 covered—from tractors under the setting sun to a standoff on Lexington Avenue. This is a sampling of their work from throughout the year, hand-picked by me. A few helped tell important stories. I chose a few simply because I love the moment they captured, or how the photographer executed the shot. One was taken by a resident and submitted to Patch—something that is always encouraged should you find yourself with some great photos or video you'd like to share. Which images have impact for you? Are there shots that didn't make this selection that …

Not a week goes by that Mendota Heights Patch doesn't work toward being more useful and easier to use. This week, Patch rolled out two notable new features—the Traffic & Gas tab and Your Neighborhood Gallery. Click on the Traffic & Gas tab in the navigation bar at the top of the site and you can consult a real time traffic map complete with incident reports and construction notices. With this map, powered by Mapquest, you can also find the lowest gas prices in Mendota Heights, Lilydale, Eagan and West St. Paul. We're still tweaking this feature, so (polite) feedback is welcome if you see any …

The District 197 School Board will meet 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 5 at Mendota Heights City Hall. The meeting was scheduled for a Wednesday to avoid conflict with the conference of Minnesota Association of School Administrators in Duluth earlier this week. On the agenda: Recognition of two National Merit Scholar semi-finalists as a Magnet School of Minnesota Merit Award-winner. Discussion of Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment test scores Review and adoption of the 2011 Payable 2012 proposed property tax levy To see the full agenda packet, visit the District 197 website.

The Mendota Heights City Council is scheduled to meet 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 20 at City Hall. Included on the short agenda: discussion of upcoming events at Pilot Knob, and a continued discussion between the council and two private property owners to establish access to a portion of Valley Creek Trail.

The West St. Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan School Board is scheduled to meet 5 p.m. Monday, Sept. 19 in room A-241 of Henry Sibley High School. On the agenda, the board will be reviewing proposed revisions to the district's scorecards. The scorecards detail how to evaluate five categories: student achievement, whole student development, resource management, teaching and learning enhancement and stakeholder engagement. An information request is also on the agenda. The meeting will be followed by a closed session for negotiation discussions. For the full agenda, see the attached pdfs. The …

The West St. Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan School Board meets 7 p.m. Tuesday at Mendota Heights City Hall. A public listening session is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. in the conference room. The agenda includes updates on transportation, enrollment, the levy initiative, and the Strategic Redesign Advisory Committee. Interim Superintendent Tom Nelson is slated to provide staff and student recognition. The board is also scheduled to approve a list of personnel changes, including the hiring of a new human resources director.   For the full agenda, see the attached document, and visit the school's …

The Mendota Heights City Council is scheduled to meet 7 p.m. Tuesday for a regular business meeting at City Hall. The agenda includes approval of a preliminary tax levy and budget. Once approved, the city's levy for 2012 can be reduced, but not increased. A closed session is also planned to discuss litigation. The full agenda is attached to this post. The council also met last week for a special meeting called to review a senior development project at Mendota Plaza, and a work session to review applications for the position of Mendota Heights City Administrator.

The Mendota Heights City Council will meet 4:30 p.m. Tuesday to review a senior housing project proposed for Mendota Plaza. The White Pines project was recommended for denial in its current form by the planning commission last week. A problem with paperwork put additional deadline pressure on the process. Tuesday's meeting had been originally posted for public notice to review applications for the vacant position of city administrator.

The District 197 School Board, along with newly appointed Interim Superintendent Tom Nelson are scheduled to meet 5 p.m., Monday in room A-241 of Henry Sibley High School. On the agenda: Approval of personnel recommendations, including the resignations of Finance Director Carl Colmark (last day Aug. 26) and Human Resources Director MaryAnn Thomas (last day Aug. 19) Discussion of a new advertising policy within the district and an ad contract with School Media, Inc. An update on the levy initiative An update on the relationship between District 197 and BlueSky Charter School in West St. Paul…