Kevin Crawford who owned and operated Crawford’s Standard Services, 126 Main St. E, in New Prague for 40 years is retiring and closed the auto repair business on Friday, March 25. Crawford’s two employees will be going to work for his son Nick Crawford who, with Ronnie Bastyr, recently bought New Prague Auto Repair on the town’s west side. From left are Alex Palma, Kevin Crawford, Wes Bennett and Nick Crawford. For more see an upcoming print issue of The New Prague Times. (Patrick Fisher Photo)

New Prague High School for its spring play will perform the classic production “Our Town” by Thornton Wilder. Show times are Friday, March 25, and Saturday, March 26, at 7:30 p.m. at the high school auditorium, 221 12th St. NE.

The New Prague School Board at its Monday, March 14, work session was updated about its three-step action plan that is in response to allegations of racial taunts at sporting events. Director of Educational Services Tony Buthe and District Equity Coordinator Termaine Fulton presented the information.

The St. Wenceslaus Catholic School’s All-You-Can-Eat Fish Fry on Friday, March 11, had a good catch in attendance as volunteers served 1,600 meals. Volunteers helping cook the fish, cheesy potatoes and preparing the meals were kept busy. The evening meal had crowds lined up down the hall of one part of the Parish Activity Center (PAC) to get into the PAC’s gym. While many prepaid there were those who waited to pay at the door.

This Sunday, March 20, the 14th annual Roman Barten Memorial Breakfast will benefit Emma Burns, age 3, daughter of David and Carissa Burns of rural Henderson. The breakfast of pancakes, sausages and cinnamon rolls will be held from 8 am. to 1 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 411 Fourth Ave. SW in New Prague and it is a free will donation.

Youth at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church performed the Living Stations of the Cross on Friday, March 4. Participants ranged from fifth grade students to New Prague High School juniors. They portrayed a very moving mediation of the Stations of the Cross with more than 100 people in attendance. Brittney LaVigne led the youth in the performance, which was preceded by a soup supper.

An independent investigation into allegations of racial taunts at a February 15 New Prague High School girls basketball game has been completed. The firm Rupp, Anderson, Squires, Waldspurger, Mace P.A. did the investigation of whether adult and student fans made loud monkey noises at a home game against Robbinsdale Cooper.
New Prague Superintendent Tim Dittberner released an email stating the investigation concluded the following:
• The allegation that New Prague adult and student fans were making loud monkey noises directed at the opposing team could not be substantiated.

Friday, March 11, was a busy night at the St. Wenceslaus Catholic School’s All-You-Can-Eat Fish Fry. Crowds were lined up down the hall to get into the Parish Activity Center for a meal of fried fish, cheesy potatoes, cole slaw, dinner roll, cookie and a beverage. The dinner was dine-in or curbside to go with cars lined up along Columbus Avenue to get meals. People were saying the meals were delicious. For more see an upcoming print issue of The New Prague Times. (Patrick Fisher Photo)

During New Prague High School’s game at the State Hockey Tournament on Wednesday, March 9, two students were filmed on camera flashing an upside down “okay” hand gesture, which in recent years has been seen as a white power symbol. When New Prague Area Schools administration questioned them, the students didn’t know the double meaning of the gesture.

The students at Raven Stream Elementary School had an amazing two weeks from Thursday, Feb, 10, to Thursday, Feb. 24, of raising money for the American Heart Association. Through the school’s participation in the Kids Heart Challenge program (formerly known as Jump Rope For Heart), the students raised $18,198.97.
This is the second consecutive year Raven Stream has set a school record for fundraising. Over the last five years, Raven Stream has raised nearly $70,000.

The New Prague City Council dealt with technology at its Monday, March 7, meeting. The council unanimously approved TrueNorth Consulting Group to do an IT Risk Assessment, plus the council discussed the possibility of council members having city issued phones or laptops to deal with city business.

New Prague High School senior Hunter Pomije bowled his best score so far as he hit an 838, including two 300 games in a row. He came up with the high score during a high school league match the last regular match for the season, on Thursday, Feb. 24, at Strike Force Bowl in New Prague.
“My best high series before that was an 825,” said Pomije, son of Darin and Julie Pomije of New Prague, who also own the local bowling alley. He noted his average is 234. During the match, Pomije had a 238 in his first game and then scored a 300 in his second game.

The 45th annual Norm Sladek Memorial Euchre Tourney on Saturday, Feb. 26, at the Knights of Columbus Hall in New Prague had 47 teams turnout. Organizers of the popular tournament said that was nine more teams than the last time the tourney was held and included 15 new teams, plus six of those teams were walk ups the day of the tourney. Sign up was held between 11 a.m. to noon with the tourney starting at 12 p.m.

The New Prague High School cheerleaders energize the crowd at the Tuesday, March 8, pep fest for the boys hockey team before heading out to the Class A State Hockey Tournament. The Trojans claimed the Section 1A Championship on Wednesday, March 2. This is New Prague’s first state appearance since 2015. The Trojans are unseeded and their first game in the Class A State Hockey Tournament is against No. 1 seed Hermantown at the Xcel Energy Center at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 9. For more on New Prague’s Section 1A victory see the Thursday, March 10, issue of The New Prague Times.

The New Prague Fire Department was called in for mutual aid at a building fire along Highway 13 north of New Prague the morning of Friday, March 4.
According to a preliminary report Prior Lake called in New Prague around 4:30 a.m. to aid in a fire at a garage/shed on a property about 10 miles north of New Prague. When vehicles from New Prague Fire Department arrived there were flames coming out of the structure. By 7 a.m. it appeared the flames were under control, although smoke was still rising from the building.

Sunday, Feb. 27, was busy for the Scott - Le Sueur Waterfowlers during their 22nd Annual Youth Wood Duck Box Building Day as families came out to build nesting boxes for wood ducks and one youngster built box number 5,000.