Aqua Man.  Dr. Joe Kandiko of St. Victoria and nearby Chanhassen has been selected as a member of Team Aquaphor.  Only 200 athletes nationwide and only 5 from Minnesota were selected.  Joe was recruited from thousands of athletes across the nation by Team Aquaphor for past racing achievements and leadership abilities.  He is supplied with branded apparel to wear in training and competition to promote Aquaphor skin products, which he routinely recommends to his patients at Crossroads Medical Center where he is a practicing physician for 27 years.  Joe did over 20 triathlons last year and was named Minnesota's Most Prolific Triathlete.
Georgia Kandiko
St. Victoria, Minnesota

Everybody Loves a Parade.  Here's a photo from the Deer Run Parade that we did on July 3^rd.  There were about 180 people in all with decorated golf carts, bikes, big wheels, and, of course, the Victoria Fire Department.  That's Victoria Firefighter Bill Blinstrup with some neighborhoods kids.  Hotdogs and brats followed the parade and we even had a Cake Walk. 
The second photo shows two new kids to Victoria - Haley and Arden!
Nan Emmer
Victoria, Minnesota

Happy 90^th.  Rosemary Timmers will soon be 90 years old  Please help us celebrate my grandmother's birthday.  The party will be held on Saturday, August 5^th, from 2:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. at the Victoria Lions Park Shelter #1.  No gifts necessary. 
Anna Wickenhauser
Cologne, Minnesota

Victoria Champions.  The 3CV League is a community based softball program with over 300 girls participating from the Carver, Chanhassen, Chaska, and Victoria areas.  Their year-end softball tournament took place the weekend of July 14-16 at Chaska's Pioneer fields and kicked off with a watermelon feed for the 2^nd and 3^rd-grade teams.  Twenty-five (25) teams from the older age groups compet-ed Saturday and Sunday, battling the heat as well as each other. 
The Championship Games took place on Sunday.  Eight teams took first and second place in their respective grade divisions.  Two of the Victoria Lions Girls Fast-Pitch softball teams played in the Championship Games.  The 8^th and 9^th grade Victoria girls took First Place, while the 6^th and 7^th grade girls took second place. 
Grade 6/7 is pictured to the left.  The team includes (front, l-r) Michaela Mandel, Bailey Forcier, Megan Vandervest, Hannah Wessels, Megan Ische.  Back:  Coach Judy Forcier, Morgan Frye, Marissa Krause, Audrey Heitkamp, Abby Rolf, Becca Triethart, Coach Kevin Rolf.  Not pictured:  Kelli Lavelle.
Grade 8/9 is pictured to the right.  The team includes (front, l-r) Danielle Flesness, Megan Hokanson, Elin Pool, Emma Notermann, MacKenzie Healy.  The two girls crouching down behind the front row, Marissa Larson on the left and Allie Huggett on the right.  Back row, standing:  Bridget McKenna, Molly Williams, Brenna Bergquist, Bernadette McKenna, Katie Heenie, Samantha Johnson, Erin Schliesman, Jenna Wessels.  Very back:  Coach Kevin McKenna and Coach Julie Hokanson.  Not pictured:  Barbara Robling.
Kevin McKenna and Mike Wolke
Victoria, Minnesota

Flower Power.  The green thumb of Father Conran Schneider, brother of Vic Schneider of Victoria and cousin of many more Victoria residents, is evident at the Talheim Apartments in Chaska where he resides and where garden plots are tended in both front yard and back yard.  Thanks for the scenery, Fr. C.  ~S.O.

Victoria Roses.  Marta Christianson of Victoria Rose Floral & Gifts in Victoria, and her employee Sara Rosamond of Victoria, handed out long-stemmed roses to people attending the Concerts in the Park on Wednesday evenings this summer and also held drawings for fabulous floral prizes.  Thank you, Marta.  ~S.O.