Pink Water, Edina Perseverance and Gun Sales: Feedback Friday

Each week, Patch users contribute numerous insights, opinions and observations. The following is a collection of the most thoughtful, moving, controversial or just plain funny comments that appeared on Patch sites in Eden Prairie, Edina, Golden Valley, Hopkins, Minnetonka, Richfield, Shakopee, Plymouth, St. Louis Park and St. Michael. Click on the headline to read the full story and join in the conversation.

(The comments below are not meant to reflect the opinions of Patch or its staff.)

***

Pink and purple water made its way to St. Michael and Albertville faucets this week for the second time this year.

Bill T had a simple response:

Yep, purple water in Albertville. How ....... festive. 

Dick's Sporting Goods Takes Some Rifles Off the Shelves Nationwide

The Dick's Sporting Goods chain said Tuesday that it is suspending sales of some rifles nationwide because of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings, USA Today is reporting. Dick's Sporting Goods has more than 500 stores in 44 states with Twin Cities locations including Minnetonka, Richfield, Maple Grove, Burnsville, Roseville and Woodbury.

Said Melissa Saigh:

Wonderful first step! Makes a difference, but much more needs to be done. Hopefully others will follow their lead.

But Tom Nelson said some other retailers should follow their lead:

Now if Gander Mountain and Cabelas would at least remove the tactical assault rifles and semi automatic handguns From their CHRISTMAS advertisements... But again maybe that s what Christmas means for some folk.

Golden Valley Council Votes 'Yes' to Light Rail Resolution

In a 3-2 vote, the Golden Valley City Council adopted a resolution of support for the Bottineau Transitway locally preferred alternative. Their vote launches the light rail project into the preliminary engineering phase.

Brad Kadue thought that the city council did a good job asking for input prior to the vote, but wished the outcome would have been different:

I think the current council has done a stellar job of soliciting public input on this issue. They've held joint meetings of its commissions, held public meetings, attended informational meetings put on by the Met Council. Then, at the end of the day, it seems that at least three of them moved in a direction opposite of what it seems the majority of that public input would suggest. This is exactly the reason why people become disengaged with municipal issues. We're asked for our input, but then our input seems to mean little.

Son of Slain Accent Signage Owner Heads to NYC to Talk Gun Control

Following the tragic events in Newtown, CT, Sami Rahamim, son of Reuven Rahamim who was on of six killed by Richfield native Andrew Engeldinger in September, was among the survivors and family members of shooting victims joining Mayor Bloomberg to 'Demand a Plan' on combating gun violence.

Mike McLean wrote:

On December 14th our country suffered a huge tragedy in Newtown CT. Lately we have had too many of these occurrences. But we must ask ourselves, what is the common denominator in all of these tragedies. Here’s a hint, it’s not the type of weapon used. Previously killers have used guns, knives, machetes, and recently even a cross bow. The common denominator is that there was a human being that caused all of these deaths. What I am wondering is this, what makes these killers think that they have the right to take the lives of all of these innocent victims? Could it be lack of morals? Lack of personal responsibility? Lack of parental involvement? Lack of respect for a human life? Maybe someone has bullied the killers when they were younger. Maybe they were abused. Do we need to ban the violent video games that reward the players for blasting away the lives of the characters in the video game? Maybe these killers cannot differentiate killing the video characters from killing innocent human beings. We may never know what gives these killers the mindset to do what they have done. But remember, the common factor is not the type of weapon.

Eden Prairie Woman Charged with Slapping Police Officer

Police say Elizabeth Mary Leeds slapped an Eden Prairie officer while he was investigating an altercation at Santorini Taverna.

Pete wrote:

Do police officers realize that they cause fear in people that they should be protecting? This sounds like another case of Eden Prairie police with too little to do. They do some good but for the most part they are just overpaid traffic cops who get overly excited when they actually get to do anything other than provide a traffic violation, really pathetic.

Andrew Dudley: Never Forgotten

One of the saddest stories of the year was the death of St. Louis Park High School student Andrew Dudley. He was riding his bike in Minnetonka and died after a car struck him. Eight months after Dudley's death, Trent read a tribute by Dudley's former classmate, Justin Brown.

Trent wrote:

I read this months later, a link of one of the top stories in SLP. For me it has a greater meaning. This has been one of the top stories in my entire life. This is true for many, AD was a life changer. He didn't meet one person he didn't make an impact on. The same can be said for the great Joel Koch, who was a mentor, a coach, a friend, and a father to our community. We loved them both for that and so many other things. Thanks Justin, for writing this great piece on Andrew and Joel. God help the souls to which you have taken from us this year as we continue to be affected by them throughout our live.

Hopkins Prepares to Vote on Unite Edina Detachment Request

The Hopkins School Board voted Thursday on a request from Edina property owners who want to leave the Hopkins school district because they think its schools are not in locations that serve the families’ educational needs.

Maury Ballsteen said:

Between this tragic saga, and the hard hitting jounalism presented by the Star Tribune about the "storied" Edina Hornettes dance team, it is admiriable how the residents of Edina continue to stand up against the rest of the world. They are clearly a beacon that shows you if you have wealth and the luxury of time, you can force your worldview upon anyone. That you can make your passionate beliefs about non issues appear on the forefront of everyone's mind. That you can fill your days not only fighting against opression but also having the ability to manufacture opression so that you have something to fight!!! These residents are a shining example of American Exceptionalism. Why move from a school district when you can have the school distric move around you?!?!?! Bravo Edina!!!! You shall overcome!!!! Clearly shipping your children out of Hopkins and into private schools was a victory only measured by moral standards. And if we know anything about Edina, we know that moral victories (and possibly logic) don't really count for much.

It is incredibly comforting for the rest of us to see that you have not changed, that you have become more senial, and not wiser, with age. That you continue to pursue your fight in spite of your victory. Because that is why we think Edina is so 'special', that no matter what, you will always continue to act, and behave like petchulant children.

Superintendent Assures Parents of Safety at Shakopee Schools

The superintendent of the Shakopee School District addressed a letter to parents regarding safety at school and how to talk to children about the Newton school shooting. 

Matt Lehman, a Shakopee city council member, described the role of School Resource Officers in helping to keep the schools safe:

The Shakopee City Council, School Board, and administrations have been proactive for years in a joint approach to this and many other issues. We have SRO's (school resource officers) in many of our schools with the ability to float these officers between all schools. These are actual licensed police officers. This program offers a mentoring opportunity between the students,staff and police, it fosters crime prevention, and it provides a community information network. In the off season, shakopee utilizes the SRO'S as an additional patrol function during the height of the tourism season. The cost of this program is minimized because the costs are split among multiple entities. I am confident the City, School District, and Police Dept. have been and will continue to be proactive in securing our community.