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New Schmidt Woods Park officially opens in Plymouth
Schmidt Woods Park officially opened with a ribbon cutting on Wednesday.
PLYMOUTH, Minn. — A new place to go for a walk or bring kids to play officially had the ribbon cut this week in Plymouth.
Schmidt Woods Park is named for Rodger “Pete” Schmidt, who donated nearly three acres ten years ago, according to the city. Schmidt died in 2021 “in his beloved maple woods in Plymouth, Minnesota” his obituary says.
“The land had been in the family since 1883 and was used in part for collecting sap from sugar maple trees – a tradition the city looks forward to continuing through educational programming at the park,” the city of Plymouth stated on social media.
The park is located among the Hollydale Neighborhood Development, where dozens of new custom homes are being built.
Features of the park include walking trails, a picnic shelter, and a playground with wooden play structures. There is also a sugar house for maple syruping, with the city saying this was included keeping the Schmidt family legacy top of mind.
Schmidt Woods Park is the newest park in the city, but others are being developed. The Meadows Playfield started being built on Peony Lane N this past April. The city is also working on doing more with the recreation area around Lake Camelot. Construction is anticipated to begin in 2026.
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The DNR wants Minnesotans to report when and where they see wildlife.
ST PAUL, Minn — Wildlife biologists in Minnesota are asking the public to keep an eye out for elk, bears, and other rare species.
Elk were “functionally extirpated” by the early 1900s due to overharvest, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. The species is returning, but herds only range in the northwest part of the state.
Biologists are interested in reports of elk outside their known range, the DNR says. You can report sightings of elk so biologists can better understand elk movement in Minnesota.
Officials are also asking the public to report bear sightings, as the black bear range has been slowly expanding south and west.
As far as rare species go, there are numerous species of snakes, mammals, and an amphibian the DNR wants people to report when seen. The list of species as well as how to report them can be found here.
“While the Minnesota Biological Survey regularly searches for many of these species, more eyes are always welcome,” the DNR said on social media.
Hunters are also encouraged to report daily observations of animals seen to “help broaden our knowledge about other animals you see in the field.”
Dozens of locally-owned businesses set up shop in the Capri Theater in Minneapolis
MINNEAPOLIS — Dozens of locally owned businesses set up shop Friday morning at the Capri Theater in North Minneapolis, braving the cold for an opportunity.
“There’s not many people in North Minneapolis that’s doing stuff like this, so when the opportunity is out, come support,” Prince Clark, who goes by King, said.
Clark was one of many participating in Black Friday on Broadway, a chance for local businesses without a physical storefront to sell their products. Clark’s brand, LostLovers Clothing, started when he was 15.
“I wanted to create a brand with love and healing,” he said.
That brand has been growing ever since. Now 18 – Black Friday is actually his birthday – Clark says events like these are a big deal.
“Connection, one-on-one connection, is big important,” he said.
That face-to-face connection is a huge deal for the locally owned storefronts, competing for space among the big box stores on Black Friday.
“Have places like this for me, to show that people have things out there just as good as what’s out there already,” Fitzgerald Davis, who runs Sleeper Keepers LLC, said.
“We go to Macy’s, JCPenney, there are tons of vendors that are like that for our community,” Shemeka Bogan, Project Manager for Black Friday on Broadway, said.
Black Friday on Broadway is put on by the West Broadway Area Coalition and the Northside Economic Opportunity Network, highlighting and helping local entrepreneurs.
“I think it’s really cool to see the creativity in the community, right where you live, right where you work,” Bogan said.
Black Friday on Broadway also extends to Saturday as well. Businesses will be set up again from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
While all of them encourage you to shop local, Clark says sometimes all they need is to be seen.
“You don’t even have to, you know, buy nothing,” he said. “Just showing up and showing the people that you see what they’re doing.”
This season follows a challenging season of divisive political rhetoric and polarization. That’s why we may need a holiday reset this year, more than ever.
GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. — Perhaps never before have Americans been more in need of a “holiday reset” than this year, after a contentious and divisive election season.
One local author and business leader says a simple return to the basics may help people embrace a new perspective.
“I’m talking about waking up to the raw, miraculous, mind-blowing miracle that it is to be alive,” said Jill Palmquist, Lifetime Inc. Vice President and Chief Storyteller and author of In This Lifetime.
Palmquist sat down with KARE 11’s Karla Hult to talk about the beauty of – and need for – a holiday reset on KARE 11 News at 4.
To learn more about Palmquist’s advice, much of it gained from her leadership position and while writing In This Lifetime, just click here (and watch the attached video).
