Donate
Informed. Engaged. Connected.

Prior Lake News Compass
Prior Lake News Compass
Informed. Engaged. Connected.

Prior Lake News Compass
Members of the Prior Lake baseball team had already begun practice for the 1966 season by early April. Members of the Laker squad included, back row, left to right, manager Steve Haferman, Dave Hoveland, Bruce Dueffert, Tom Lanzatella, Myron Mikkelsen, Wayne Borchardt, Bruce Thomas, Eddie Speiker and Pat White. Pictured in the front row are, from left to right, John Snegaski, Don Blumberg, Glen Clark, Ron Seurer, Dick Sheehan, Larry Tousignant and Lowell Carpenter.
Members of the Prior Lake baseball team had already begun practice for the 1966 season by early April. Members of the Laker squad included, back row, left to right, manager Steve Haferman, Dave Hoveland, Bruce Dueffert, Tom Lanzatella, Myron Mikkelsen, Wayne Borchardt, Bruce Thomas, Eddie Speiker and Pat White. Pictured in the front row are, from left to right, John Snegaski, Don Blumberg, Glen Clark, Ron Seurer, Dick Sheehan, Larry Tousignant and Lowell Carpenter.
Categories:

Prior Lake in the Past: April 13-19

Smoking banned on school grounds in 1988; new transit station near Southbridge initiated by Scott County
April 15, 2026

Editor’s note: The weekly “Prior Lake in the Past” column contains summary excerpts of news items published in the Prior Lake American during decades from the past. We hope our readers enjoy remembering those people and events mentioned in those articles, and this feature provides historical perspective about how much the community has changed over the decades.

 

Prior Lake American

Published 60 years ago

April 19, 1966

Scouts help plant 8,000 tree: Members of Prior Lake Boy Scout Troop 331 participated in a tree planting program at Sakatah State Park in Waterville, Minnesota. Approximately 8,000 seedlings were planted in the new state park as part of the “Trees for Tomorrow” conservation project. Scouts and adult leaders then camped overnight in the park.

 

Published 38 years ago

April 18, 1988

 

No smoking!: The Prior Lake School Board announced a ban on all smoking and the use of tobacco products on school property, effective Aug. 28, 1988. The district previously assigned an ad hoc committee to develop the policy. After surveying district employees, the group found that 105 favored the non-smoking policy, while 35 opposed it.

PL graduate on stage: Mike Karvonen, a student at Mankato State University and a graduate of Prior Lake High School, was one of 32 students attending Midwest colleges who were hired to perform in Valleyfair’s 1988 summer line-up of musical shows. Karvonen was selected from 200 students who auditioned. He played drums and was active in the Prior Lake High School band program and the Twin Cities Youth Symphony.

Sixth graders are chess masters: The Prior Lake Chess Team placed third in the 1987-88 Elementary School State Chess Tournament. Several Five Hawks sixth-graders made up the champion team, including: Devlin Anderson, Brent Eells, Guy Gaskin, Fred Gibbs and Josh Hawkins. Gaskin outwitted more than 120 players from throughout the state to be crowned the Minnesota State Champion.

 

Published 20 years ago

April 15, 2006

School board implements cuts: The Prior Lake-Savage Area School Board cut $720,000 in programming in order to balance its budget for the coming school year. The board approved the charging of fees for some college and healthcare courses and cut transportation to some specialized programs.

Land purchased for new elementary: Two parcels of land located off of 154th Street in Savage were acquired by the Prior Lake-Savage Area School Board with the intent of building a new elementary school. The cost of acquisition was $4.25 million, and the district’s Growth Task Force was expected to reconvene in the next year to assess needs and determine when the next elementary school would need to be ready.

New transit station planned by county: The Scott County Board hired a consultant to develop and design a plan for a 500-stall transit station to be located at Highway 169 and County Road 18. The “Southbridge” station was estimated to cost $2.5 million. Funding was expected to come from the Minnesota Department of Transportation and the cities of Prior Lake and Shakopee.

 

 

More to Discover
More in People
The 1966 Prior Lake Babe Ruth team remained in the top spot well into the summer months. Team members were, back row from left, coach Don Meyer, Mike Blumberg, Curt Schmidt, Steve Meyer, Tom Keckeisen, Les Harryman, Steve Engel and Bill White. Pictured in the front row were: Jim Grimmer, Dave Ryan, Lee Schommer, Rick Busse, Steve Conroy, Steve Borchardt, and Wayne Nacey. Not pictured were Kenny Blumberg and Dean Thurston.
Prior Lake in the Past: June 29-July 5
The grand prize winner at Prior Lake State Bank's open house was Don Monnens. Presenting the General Electric portable television to the winner was bank President Norman Barsness. Prize winners who received a watch were Walter Beach, Pat Farrell, Bob Klehr and Mrs. Pat Cleary. The drawing was conducted by Rep. Henry Morlock. President Barsness estimated that 350 to 400 people attended the open house.
Prior Lake in the Past: June 22-28
Prior Lake in the Past: June 15-21
Prior Lake in the Past: June 8-14
Campfire, Bluebird leaders and sponsors who contributed many hours to the organizations were honored in May. Shown are: Mrs. Lois Kite, Mrs. Richard Varner, Mrs. Mary Stanley, Mrs. Tom Zwiers, Mrs. Don Brown and Mrs. Don Monnens. Other honorees not present for the picture were Mrs. Jack Horner, Mrs. Robert Byrkit, Mrs. Stanley Hodgson, Mrs. Francis O'Keefe, Mrs. Kenneth Bluedorn and Mrs. Ed Stang.
Prior Lake in the Past: June 1-7
A male purple finch is commonly seen throughout warm months in Minnesota.
Several finch species back in Minnesota for summer months
Donate to Prior Lake News Compass