An Astronaut and a World-Record Sundae

Each and every day, I am inspired by the people in the communities we cover, and all of the great things they do to make our corner of the world a better place to live. But this week’s events show just how far-reaching and, well, out of this world their actions are.                         First, Josh Cassada, who graduated from White Bear Lake High School in 1991, was chosen to be one of eight astronaut candidates who will help lead the first human mission to an asteroid – an asteroid! And, as if visiting an asteroid won’t be cool enough, Mars is also on the docket for a future mission. Congratulations to Josh and his family. I’m hoping to include an article on Josh and his high-flying dreams in an upcoming issue.              Second, after weeks and weeks of planning, the folks with Manitou Days, Marketfest and the White Bear Area Chamber of Commerce, along with hundreds of helpers, pulled off a monumental feat: creating the world’s longest ice cream sundae. The old record was set in Cavalier, North Dakota in 2012, with a length of 670.1 feet. But on June 20, 2013, downtown White Bear Lake had its own date with destiny. Crews set up the 3,700 sundae dishes with military precision. Local dignitaries, media outlets and thousands of folks just waiting to witness history in the making, were all in attendance and waited for the official start. At 7:30 p.m., as the temperature hovered around 95 degrees, volunteers/sponsors furiously scooped the softened ice cream into the plastic dishes. They drizzled strawberry, chocolate and caramel flavorings on top, added whipped cream, and of course, finished off each section with the proverbial cherry on top.              And in the end, little wonder, but all those good folks shattered that old record by creating a whopping 1101 feet of ice cream sundae goodness. Now that’s one for the record books. Congratulations to all who made this wonderful event possible.