The Roundabout

Thursday, June 12, 2025

June 12, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes

Good morning!

This week brings a full slate of updates: a new child care center is opening soon, the PGA TOUR Superstore is teeing off in town, and Hasenbank Park’s long-awaited celebration is finally here.

We’re also covering the growing conversation around PFAS contamination and what it means for our community. Plus, Juneteenth events, reader polls, and ways to make the most of your weekend in Woodbury.

Let’s get into it.

Co-Editors: Pat Mack, Manali Shah
[email protected]

Weather

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Top Story

U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum at the PFAS destruction demonstration site in Lake Elmo on May 30. Photo: Courtesy of McCollum's office.

Groundbreaking PFAS Destruction Project Tested In Lake Elmo

by Kathy Saltzman | Published on June 12, 2025

Local officials gathered in Lake Elmo on May 30 to mark the launch of a Department of Defense funded demonstration project aimed at destroying PFAS contamination — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances manufactured by 3M that pollute groundwater in parts of Washington County.

The Lake Elmo site is one of the first full-scale, on-site PFAS destruction projects in the country. The initiative is backed by $15 million from 2023 federal funding. U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum, a Democrat whose district includes most of Woodbury, secured the funding when she served as chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.

McCollum said there could not be a better place to highlight the process, given that Washington County has been at ground zero for PFAS contamination.

"The fact that they're doing the research here in Lake Elmo is really important,” McCollum said.

News

Judge Denies Sen. Mitchell’s Motion, Trial Next Week

Pat Mack | A judge has denied a motion by state Sen. Nicole Mitchell (DFL-Woodbury) to dismiss one of two felony burglary counts she faces. Becker County District Judge Michael Fritz’s ruling means the trial will proceed next week as scheduled with the jury considering both counts.

Business

Spanish Immersion Child Care Center Coming To Woodbury

Manali Shah | A new Spanish immersion child care is opening in Woodbury this summer with room for 140 children. Casa de Corazon is opening its first location in the east metro at 7805 Hudson Rd. Casa de Corazon, founded by Natalie Standridge in 2002, has six other locations in the Twin Cities metro and three in Wisconsin.

Life

Woodbury Juneteenth Celebrations: Honoring Resilience, Advancing Justice

Kathy Saltzman | Woodbury for Justice and Equality and the city of Woodbury will both recognize Juneteenth with events that commemorate the emancipation of enslaved people — widely regarded as America’s second Independence Day.

WNN Asks

Tell Us Your Favorite Restaurants!

WNN has a question for you: What are your favorite restaurants in the area? What do you love about them? A favorite menu item? Let us know! We will provide a roundup, you could even call it a smorgasbord, of the reader responses. Just send your answer to us at [email protected].

Events Calendar

Hasenbank Park Grand Opening, Thursday, June 12 at 4 p.m., at 10552 Water Lily Lane. Join the South Washington Watershed District and City of Woodbury in celebrating the brand new Hasenbank Park. Explore the trails, public art, restored Hasenbank Woods, and the park-wide stormwater filtration system. Take a self-guided tour and follow the path of water as it moves through the system. This is a free community event. The park has no parking lot, so visitors are encouraged to walk, bike, and carpool.

Moana 2, Thursday, June 12, at 7 p.m., at Starlight Cinema at Ojibway Park. The first in a series of outdoor movies shown on a 40-foot inflatable screen. Free. Activities begin at 7 p.m. and lead up to the move at dusk. Face painting, animal encounters, crafts, hula hoop contests, trivia. June 26: Despicable Me 4; July 24: The Wild Robot; August 7: Viewers choice.

Elvis Has Left the Building, June 12, 13, and 14 at 7 p.m., at The Grand Banquet Hall, 301 2nd Street S., Stillwater. A Zephyr Theatre production, Elvis is missing and his manager needs to enlist an impersonator! Hijinks ensue as the Colonel takes desperate measures to replace a man who is irreplaceable. Doors open at 5:45 p.m. Pizza orders can be placed up until 6:45 p.m. Cash bar. Tickets are $35 in advance.

Movies with Mo in the Park, June 13: Wild Robot, July 18: Paddington in Peru, and August 15: Moana 2, Highlands Park, Cottage Grove. This free summer event offers activities for kids and food trucks before a featured movie screens at dusk.