2011 Year in Review: April's Top Stories on Mendota Heights Patch

It was Christmas in April for students at Heritage E-STEM Magnet Middle School when the students learned that their long-awaited iPads had arrived.

The surprise was revealed in a special all-school assembly Thursday, April 21.

 “I started laughing, and then I started half crying,” said Savannah Hinderscheid, a fifth grade Heritage student.

The Mendota Heights area lost an extraordinary asset March 25, both professionally and personally. Russell “Russ” Wahl has been a building official and inspector for decades, administering and enforcing building codes throughout Mendota Heights, Mendota, Lilydale, West St. Paul, Inver Grove Heights and Sunfish Lake.

“He was a joy to work with,” explained David Neameyer, building official for Mendota and Lilydale and inspector in Inver Grove Heights. “One of his strongest assets was a memory for people. He would be able to see people and recall projects from 30 or 40 years prior.”

MnDOT will continue to advance a project to install traffic lights at Highway 13 and Interstate 35E this summer, despite concerns raised by some Lilydale residents.

“It appears as though this project is destined to happen,” said Mayor Anita Pampusch at Monday’s city council meeting.

 production of "Aida" has challenged everyone from the lead actress to the production team. But all the hard work will be worth it if the audience leaves happy, said the Sibley students involved in this year’s spring musical being performed April 15-17.

The show is a modern musical retelling based on the Italian opera by Giuseppe Verdi. The musical premiered on Broadway in 2000 with music by Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice of “Evita,” “The Lion King,” “Jesus Christ Superstar” and “Beauty and the Beast” fame.

at the Mendota Plaza had its official ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday, April 4. The store opened for business March 3.