The recession continues to spread through the economy, leaving no one safe. According to the Associated Press, In January alone, more than 500,000 jobs were lost in the U.S., and the near future holds no relief. The effects are evident in our city of Edina. Fairview Southdale Hospital laid off about 50 employees last fall, and the unemployment in Edina is 5.0% compared to the national average of 7.6%, according to The Economic Times. The Star Tribune reports that Target has laid off 1,000 employees, Best Buy has given voluntary buyout packages to almost all of its 4,000 employees, and 3M has laid off 1,800 workers. This spate of layoffs may impact the teen job industry, typically one of the first to be affected.
continue reading "Edina in Economic Recession"

On January 3 at 4:30 p.m., a group of children about nine years old, were making the best of Minnesota’s chilly weather playing at Normandale Park when a stranger approached two of them, wanting to give them a ride. The currently unidentified middle-aged, bearded man was driving a silver vehicle. Thankfully, he did not fool the children, both of whom were well educated in stranger danger—they ran off instead of accepting the offer. Over the next few days, news of the incident spread rapidly and a crime report was sent around the concerned community. Many wondered how Edina residents could best prevent similar occurrences.
continue reading "Near-Abduction challenges safety at parks"

After months of being contained behind the cage of private access, wireless internet is on the verge of being released into the wild. In an attempt to broaden the school’s technological horizons, the district Media and Technology Services department has decided to open up wireless internet access to students. Students are now able to apply at the media center for a sticker and password that will allow them to use their laptops and the school’s wireless network in class. Librarian Sara Swenson, one of the proponents of the move, said, “We’re hoping that it will allow students to become more engaged and add to the content of each class.” This “connectiveness” could include a multitude of benefits. Junior Tom Schmidt, a student who registered for WiFi use, said, “Using WiFi in class will allow me to look up definitions for words, research relevant information for APUSH, and also pull up quotes. It means that I can also fact check [APUSH Teacher] Mr. Simpson’s delightful anecdotes.” Aside from these educational benefits, there are practical reasons for the initiative as well.
continue reading "EHS students go wireless with WiFi"

Every teenager craves the savory taste of Leanne Chins’ orange chicken sided with fried rice and topped off with light and fluffy cream cheese puffs. Edina citizens have access to this delicious meal now that Leanne Chins is open in Edina. This is just the beginning of Edina’s new Comprehensive Plan. The Plan is an actual document required every ten years by the Metropolitan council. It is drawn up by the city and Mayor Jim Hovland and lays out the ideas for the city. “It is a 50 thousand foot view of what you see happening in the next decade,” said Hovland. One important addition besides the Leanne Chins, may be the creation of a “new teen gathering spot.” Something like “The Depot” in Hopkins has been considered. Other plans for Edina include significant changes at Southdale and the surrounding area. Hovland and the owners of Southdale, Simon Development, are working on these upgrades together.

continue reading "Plan to modernize “Old Edina”"

By Matt H.
In the beginning of August, the city of Edina decided to reconstruct the famous Browndale bridge by Edina Country Club neighborhood. Workers are still removing and replacing the crumbling bridge which was closed in the beginning of August and will not be finished until the end of October. “The Bridge is historical in that it helps symbolize the beginnings of Edina as a village focused on milling as a key aspect of its economy”, said Scot Housh, City Council Member of Edina. “At one time the Edina Mill was located in close proximity to the bridge.” The renovation comes with a hefty cost to residents: $460,000. The City’s Construction Fund contributes $410,000 and $50,000 is coming from the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District.
continue reading "Extreme bridge makeover"

After being bombarded with campaign ads for the past whoknows- how-many months, November 4 is almost upon us. Many students at EHS are excited to voice their political opinion through voting. They started to express this through a Survey the Purple Ground group sent out, which polled 1,131 EHS students. Fifty-two percent of students polled in the Survey said they were at least somewhat involved in politics, and 6% are eligible to vote. Ben Streeter, one student who can vote, said, “It is important for teens to vote because we are at a time in our lives where we are trying to be mature. Voting allows us to take advantage of an opportunity to speak out.” So what issues are most important to teens in deciding which candidate to vote for?
continue reading "What do teenagers care about? EHS students voice their opinions about the major issues."

Smashed windows. Slashed tires. Tear gas filling the air. Riot police swarming the scene. This is probably not the first image associated with a Republican National Convention. However, disturbing scenarios such as these were common in areas surrounding the Xcel Energy Centre in St. Paul the first week of September.  

Sophomore Dan Lee saw the action first-hand. He described the group of thousands as “colorful” due to the yellow Youth Against War and Racism flags he and his friends held to the anarchists decked out in black.

“My initial thought was mainly excitement,” Lee explained. “I had been waiting for this protest for months, and I knew it would be big. I didn’t get nervous until I saw the very large police presence…I was gassed and what came out of it was a lot of people either staying and yelling at the police or just running away.”

continue reading "RNC Riots Rock St. Paul"

The stands are packed, all eyes fixed on the field below. Anxious fans are on the edges of their seats, poised to cheer when their team enters the arena. Out of sight, the competitors focus on the task at hand, preparing themselves for another stressful yet exhilarating match. This is no ordinary sporting event, but a robotics competition.

On April 17, The Edina Robotics FIRST Team 1816, The Green Machine, gathered in Atlanta, Georgia to compete in the FIRST Robotics Championships. Teams from across the world competed in the Georgia Dome, and after three days of mixed matches, The Green Machine finished in the top half of its division of 86 teams but did not advance to elimination rounds.

continue reading "Domo arigato Mr. Roboto"