From readers

SWEET FIND

Rave: Skate on, says a reader: “I’m typing this as I watch my 10-year-old nephew, Nick, take his first roll down the ramps at the Prior Lake skate park and see that his determination is as severe as the other skaters there. The nicest and most noteworthy part is that every single one of the other guys there is helping him, offering tips and encouragement. Thanks to the city of Prior Lake for the great (did I mention free?) park, and thanks to all of the other skater dudes there helping my nephew. He felt pretty cool when he landed his first ramp without falling, and I know we’ll be back a lot this summer.”

SHHHHHH…

Rant: A reader chimes in: “Summertime is much too short around here, and not to be able to enjoy what little we have is not good. The sound level ordinances in Prior Lake (if there are any) are sadly ignored by both drivers and law enforcement officials. The high decibel level from noisy vehicles is getting worse. Highway 13 and County Road 21 are particularly loud. Also, the noisy whining of the jet skis is worse than ever. We can even hear them from a mile and a half or two miles away. It’s time to crack down on the offenders and get back to enjoying our wonderful summertime.”

From staff

SOMETHING TO CHEW ON

Rant: I decided to live a life less ordinary this week and opted for a “new flavor escape” in gum rather than my predictable wintergreen or cool mint selection. (I know, I’m really shakin’ things up again.) I ended up with two packs of Orbit gum I’d never seen before – pomegranate and Maui melon mint. Pomegranate was tastier than I anticipated for a gum that sounds like it has cancer-fighting antioxidants. Maui melon mint was another story. There’s a reason why no one has thought of this flavor; it’s because it’s not good! Ick! It was not a taste sensation. This bubblegum flavor fell flat. – Joanna Miller

SAVE THE CATERPILLARS

Rave: Good Samaritans continue to abound in the Prior Lake area. I was driving in the Credit River Township area last week when a woman slowed down to swerve around something on the road. I expected a turtle (like another resident raved about last week), a squirrel, or even some geese. Instead, it took me a minute to see that she had swerved just enough to miss a fuzzy caterpillar inching across the road. Kudos to the driver for her eagle eyes. – Joanna Miller

CAFFEINE FOR BETTER HEALTH

Rave: Word on the streets near the Harvard School of Public Health is that coffee enthusiasts should drink more coffee. In return, the study says coffee drinkers may be less likely to die from a heart attack or cardiovascular disease. Now, that’s a study I can agree with. The researchers say they think the antioxidants in coffee promote heart and cardiovascular health by keeping arteries open from free-floating molecules, which build up in arteries, called free radicals. Authors of the research go on to say it may not be coffee that promotes the health, but rather something else about coffee drinkers. Well, I for one, am going to go ahead and stick my head in the sand about that part of the study while enjoying my daily coffee and thinking, “Boy, it’s great to start my day off with something heart healthy.” – Shawn Hogendorf  

ART DISAPPOINTMENT

Rant: I hate to rant about the Stone Arch Art Festival, because I truly enjoy the event, but I have to say I was extremely disappointed with the lack of variety showcased at the art booths this year. As I walked the cobblestone street of St. Anthony Main, I saw photography, photography and more photography with a bit of jewelry, yard decorations and paintings mixed in here and there. In past years, there has been a lot bigger cross-section of artists including more hand-blown glass, pottery and the like. I love the setting for the festival, but I got sick of seeing the same photos of animals and Minneapolis skylines. That’s not to say the artists didn’t have nice work, I was just disappointed in the lack of diversity. Oh well, maybe next year there will be more to look at.—Shawn Hogendorf

GETTING HIS DUE

Rave: “Our” boy has done it. Hopefully I speak for the majority of Minnesotans when I say it was worth losing Kevin Garnett to see him have his moment. Congratulations to KG and the Celtics, particularly the deserving Paul Pierce. Seventeenth on the 17th! Sending the Lakers home destroyed! It couldn’t have been much sweeter. – Lori Carlson

Do you have a rant or a rave? Send us your musings:

E-mail: rantsandraves@swpub.com

Address: Prior Lake American, Attn: Rants and Raves, P.O. Box 538, Prior Lake, MN, 55372

Guidelines: Reader rants and raves must be no more than 100 words. The deadline is noon each Wednesday.

Rants and raves that are potentially libelous will not be printed or will be edited.

Submissions will not be refused because staff disagrees with their content. Anonymous submissions are acceptable; however, including a contact name and/or phone number is helpful for staff, who may have questions about the submission.

Rants and raves may be edited as space requires. All publication decisions will be made by the editor.