Louise Snyder, 96, of Eden Prairie, died Thursday, Nov. 20, 2008.

Memorial Mass is Monday, Nov. 24, at 11 a.m. with visitation one hour before at St. Patrick Catholic Church, 6820 St. Patrick Way, Edina.

Washburn-McReavy Eden Prairie Chapel, 952-975-0400.

Are you interested in reading the public notices published in the November 20, 2008 print edition of the Eden Prairie News newspaper? The page or pages on which those notices were printed are attached to this item, in the form of .pdf’s that can be opened with Adobe Acrobat.

The following is an e-mail from the Hopkins School District:

Welcome to Hopkins E-News for Friday, Nov. 21, 2008. Please note: the next edition of Hopkins E-News will be published, Friday, Dec. 5, with a new format.

Outstanding Students & Staff

Robins Adapted Soccer Team wins state championship

Upcoming Activities, Deadlines, and Events

Hopkins North Junior High conducts book fair fund-raiser, Sunday, Nov. 23
Senior party fund-raising opportunities planned
Information sessions for XinXing Academy, Tuesday, Dec. 2, & Thursday, Jan. 8

ELECTION 2008
Questions votes
for amendment

Listen to any single news organization around the country and you’ll hear the same thing: America made history Tuesday night. We elected our first black president, due in large part to the record-breaking amount of voters that turned out to stand in long lines, some for the first time.

Spencer and Tara Berke of Rockford, Ill., announce the birth of their son, Greyson Kent Berke, on July 23, 2008, in St. Anthony Medical Center, Rockford, Ill.

The baby male weighed 10 pounds, 2 ounces, and was 21 and 1/2 inches long. He has blue eyes and blonde hair.

Grandparents are Marvin and Wanda Berke of Rockton, Ill., and Steve and Julie Pease of Geneva, Ill. Great-grandparents are Duane and Marilyn Olmanson of St. Peter, Minn., and Tom and Marlene Pease of Sycamore, Ill. His sister is Lillian (Lily), 17 months.

A double-decker bus is being tested in Chanhassen, Chaska and Eden Prairie this week.
In Vegas, they call them “The Deuce,” said Len Simich, CEO of SouthWest Transit. In London, double-decker buses are a symbol of the city.

In the southwest suburbs, they haven’t been purchased yet.

Husband charged with
second-degree murder;
bail set at $1 million

By Shannon Fiecke
and Pat Minelli

Ruth Anne Maddox was only weeks away from being free from her troubled marriage and back in her home state of Indiana when she was found beaten to death in her Prior Lake home Wednesday last week.
The Shakopee Valley News reporter’s husband, Charles Anthony “Tony” Maddox Jr., has been charged in her death. On Friday, bail was set at $1 million in the 43-year-old man’s initial appearance in Scott County District Court. He remains in custody in the Scott County Jail.

Friends, co-workers remember Ruth Anne
By Shawn Hogendorf
On Wednesday morning, Ruth Anne Maddox was supposed to write the news, not make the headlines.

When Ruth Anne got out of bed in the morning, the world became a brighter place. Perhaps that’s the reason a dark cloud has been cast over those who knew her both as a friend and a respected journalist throughout the community, after she was found murdered in her Prior Lake home early Wednesday.

Her wit, love of words, grammar and ability to tell a story was unparalleled, colleagues said.

The following obituaries are from the Nov. 20, 2008 print edition of the Eden Prairie News newspaper:

By Renee Stewart

Gathering around with friends and family.

Sharing offered foods.

Celebrating in thanksgiving.

Work on Windsor Plaza progressing

By Leah Shaffer

During Tuesday’s council meeting, the Eden Prairie City Council approved a three-year lease with a Dunn Bros. franchise owner to operate out of the Smith-Douglas-More house.

Chris McCormick has been appointed the senior director of marketing and communications for Starkey.
In this position, McCormick oversees all marketing and communications-related initiatives for Starkey including brand development, product marketing, consumer outreach, online strategy and tradeshow activities.

Sen. David Hann earned a “Guardian of Small Business Award” from the National Federation of Independent Business for 2007-2008.
“Hann understands the vital role small businesses play in our state’s economy,” a news release said. “He has made many votes in support of small business, including voting against a new 9 percent top income tax rate and authoring an amendment to provide a permanent opt out to health insurance mandate on small employers.”

Angela Wandera, a local dental practitioner at Wandera & Associates, 8785 Columbine Road, Eden Prairie, was inducted as a fellow at the International College of Dentists at its 79th Annual Convocation in Texas Oct. 17.
“An honorary organization for the recognition of outstanding and meritorious service to the profession and community,” the college presented Wandera with a membership plaque, gold lapel pin and gold key, according to a news release.

C.H. Robinson, headquartered in Eden Prairie, has received the “Seven Seals” and three “Patriot” awards from the State of Minnesota for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR).

SPIRE Federal Credit Union has promoted Kristy Catt to Eden Prairie branch manager.
SPIRE’s Eden Prairie branch is also undergoing a transformation. They are relocating to a newly built branch office at the end of this year.
SPIRE Federal Credit Union began operations in 1934. The not-for-profit financial institution serves over 60,000 customers in Minnesota and Wisconsin. The organization has $1.2 billion in assets and has ten branches in the Twin Cities Metro Area. More SPIRE information can be found at www.spire-banking.com or by calling 888.34 SPIRE.

Prairie Lutheran Church is sponsoring a free community event featuring “Captive Free,” a relational music ministry team sponsored by Youth Encounter, will present an evening of experiential worship from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 16. “Bring a friend and join us for this faith-encouraging program of music and personal sharing,” according to a news release.
The church is at 11000 Blossom Road in Eden Prairie. For more information, visit www.prairielutheran.org or call 952-829-0525.

“An eye for off-beat toy products and a deliberately playful touch with customers have helped Eden Prairie’s Air Traffic Kites & Games become one of the nation’s top retailers of a popular family game called Ruckus, outselling even Toys R Us,” Dan Levy, the game’s creator, said in a news release.
Ruckus is sold in 1,500 stores nationwide. Air Traffic is at Eden Prairie Center.

Lucy Thrasher and Steven Sulich have collaborated on a concert titled “Enchanted: Fabled Females of Myth and Legend” to be presented at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Eden Prairie, at 4 p.m. Nov. 16.
Thrasher’s portion of the concert includes songs by Franz Lizst about famous enchantresses. Among other works is the Luonnotar by Jean Sibelius, based on the Finnish myth of that goddess from the Finnish epic the Kalevala. The evening concludes with cabaret songs by Kurt Weill.
Offering will be accepted. For more information, call 952-474-8394.

Three schools in Eden Prairie will be holding theatrical productions this weekend: 

Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie officially expands its ministry to Edina beginning Sunday, Nov. 16. On that date, the first public Wooddale Church worship services in Edina will be held in the former Colony Park Church building at 5532 Wooddale Ave., according to a news release.

The Giving Spree provides shoppers the perfect opportunity to kick off the holiday season by giving back to their community, according to a news release. Shoppers can log on to www.thegivingspree.com and donate to Habitat for Humanity or the local charity of their choice. In turn, with a minimum $5 donation, they will receive exceptional discounts and offers that can be used at Eden Prairie Center on Saturday, Nov. 15.
If you make a donation to Eden Prairie Schools’ Family Center, you will receive a pass for special offers on Nov. 15.

Stroller Strides of Minneapolis is offering indoor classes at Eden Prairie Center, at 9 a.m. Thursdays. Classees started Nov. 6.
The Indoor Classes at Eden Prairie Center offer new moms a great activity for moms to do with their babies during these cold winter months. Moms new to the Stroller Strides program (and their babies!) are invited to attend, as well as those already enrolled in ongoing classes.

ELECTION 2008
Memories of an
election judge
On Nov. 4 I was a first-time election judge at Precinct 13 in Eden Prairie. My job was greeter judge, which involved verifying that voters were registered in the precinct, and if not, sending them off to the correct precinct, or helping them with the first steps of registering in Precinct 13.
Doesn’t sound very exciting, does it? The organization and attention to detail of the entire voting process was very impressive, but it was the individual voters who touched my heart.
Here are some of my favorite scenes from my 16-hour day:

By Renee Stewart
Like a growing number of working parents, Stacie Shaw brings her children to work.
Hannah, 7, and Bailey, 11, come to Shaw’s Eden Prairie business to be with her throughout the day. The conditions are ideal. There’s structured play and nap times, and where else can they run and play with the other clients?
The twist? Shaw owns and operates the newly opened Central Bark, a day care for dogs, and her children, as she referred to them, are a pair of golden retrievers.

By Pat Minelli

The husband of Shakopee Valley News reporter Ruth Anne Maddox was charged this morning with second-degree murder with intent but without premeditation in her death.

Charles “Tony” Maddox, 43, made his initial court appearance in Scott County District Court in Shakopee. He faces a maximum of 40 years in prison. The case could go before a grand jury and the charges elevated to first-degree murder. Bail has been set at $1 million, cash or bond.

By Mark Weber

The president of Southwest Newspapers has announced his retirement from the company he organized and led for the past 35 years. Stan Rolfsrud, 61, combined the operations of five community newspapers in Chaska, Shakopee, Eden Prairie, Jordan and Prior Lake in the 1970s and operated them as a group. The organization also started the Chanhassen Villager and the Savage Pacer.