As a fairly regular viewer of “Jeopardy,” it occurred to me that virtually any topic could be used as a possible category on the iconic game show’s big board, including where we live, here in St. Louis Park and Hopkins.
Here are a few local questions that came to mind, maybe launching you into a short session of mental gymnastics, much like the very popular TV show does every weekday. In a very short time, I easily came up with dozens of wonderful people, places and things right here in our own neighborhoods that could be used as material for a local version of the show. In fairness, the topics below, on bits of paper, were literally picked at random from a baseball cap. Maybe some of the many remaining subjects could be used for a future “contest.”
Remember, as the late Alex Trebek used to say it best, frame each response in the form of a question. Spoiler alert: The correct answers are at the end (and not upside down).
1. Prior to 1928, Hopkins was known as this.
2. The St. Louis Park Library is located along this very appropriately named street.
3. This well-traveled state highway intersects east and west through SLP and Hopkins.
4. In 1961, this legendary Twin Cities sports reporter from SLP became a member of each of the original Minnesota Twins’ radio and TV broadcast teams.
5. This creek winds its way through Hopkins and SLP from Lake Minnetonka, and its name is prominently featured in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s epic poem, “Song of Hiawatha.”
6. In the early years of Hopkins, this manufacturer provided most of its jobs and evolved into one of the world’s largest makers of farm equipment.
7. This SLP avenue lies between Oregon and Quebec.
8. This veteran quarterback and two-time Super Bowl winner attended Tanglen Elementary School in Hopkins during the time his father was a quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings.
9. Known the world over, this famous “pan” is made by Nordic Ware in SLP.
10. Immediately southeast of Hopkins lies this suburb.
11. This SLP church, dating back to 1924, sits south of the intersection of Minnetonka Boulevard and Yosemite Avenue.
12. This large and well-respected private school’s main campus is located in Hopkins.
13. These two recently retired and popular long-time Twin Cities TV broadcasters from SLP are now members of the Minnesota Broadcasting Hall of Fame – also located in SLP.
14. One of the most well-known community events in the state, this festival began in Hopkins in 1935.
15. In recent years, this popular SLP veterans’ service organization moved to its current location on Walker Street.
If you got none right, you probably just moved here. But if you scored 10 or higher, you might have a promising future with the Chamber of Commerce or a local PR firm. At the very least, I hope you had a little nerdy fun.
(Answers: 1. West Minneapolis. 2. Library Lane. 3. State Highway 7. 4. Halsey Hall. 5. Minnehaha Creek. 6. Minneapolis Moline. 7. Pennsylvania Avenue. 8. Peyton Manning. 9. Bundt pan. 10. Edina. 11. Spirit of Christ. 12. Blake School. 13. Jeff Passolt and Mark Rosen. 14. Raspberry Festival. 15. American Legion Post 282.
St. Louis Park resident Bruce Lindquist is a retired newspaper editor and a freelance writer. Send comments to brucelee4676@gmail.com.
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