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🍨 From city planning to frozen golf: your community roundup

🍨 From city planning to frozen golf: your community roundup

Dustin Hart
January 15, 2026

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Good day, Wayzata. This is Wayzata Scoop: the local newsletter that makes Mondays in January slightly less brutal.

In today’s Scoop:

Feb. 26: Wayzata's State of the City Address at City Hall (Public Welcome) 📢
Chilly Open Alert: 42nd Annual Frozen Golf Tournament on Wayzata Bay ⛳️
Fire Cadet Applications Open: Plymouth's Two-Year Firefighter Training Program 🚒
Plymouth Fire Gets New Chief: Hometown Veteran Takes the Helm Jan. 17 🧑‍🚒
Klapprich Park Opening: Free Skating, Hot Chocolate, Music Jan. 17 ⛸️

Let’s crush it.

— Dustin Hart

📢 TALK OF THE TOWN

Mayor Mullin's State of the City: Where Civic Priorities Meet Coffee and Cookies

If you've ever wondered what Wayzata's actually planning for the year ahead beyond vague "exciting opportunities" language, here's your chance to find out directly from the mayor.

Mayor Andrew Mullin's hosting his second annual State of the City address on Thursday, Feb. 26 at City Hall Community Room (600 Rice Street East), and it's designed to be accessible rather than formal. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for coffee and cookies – because civic engagement goes better with caffeine and sugar – then the actual program starts at 7 p.m. The focus: civic priorities and community progress, which hopefully means specifics about what Wayzata's tackling this year and why it matters to residents.

No RSVP required, open to the public, and explicitly welcoming "Greater Wayzata area folks" – so even if you're not technically within city limits but care about what happens here, you're invited. It's the kind of transparency event that only works if people actually show up and engage, so consider this your official invitation to participate in local government without sitting through a three-hour council meeting.

One evening, coffee and cookies provided, straight talk about where the city's headed. Whether you're deeply invested in municipal planning or just curious about what your tax dollars are funding, Feb. 26 gives you direct access to the information.

Wayzata Chilly Open: Where 2,200 People Golf on Ice in Ridiculous Outfits

When February hits and most people hibernate, a specific breed of Minnesotan grabs golf clubs, hockey sticks, and tennis balls to play nine holes on frozen Lake Minnetonka. This has been happening since 1984, which means it's either a beloved tradition or mass delusion. Probably both.

The Wayzata Chilly Open returns Saturday, Feb. 7 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with tee times at 10 a.m., noon, and 2 p.m. Volunteers carve four 9-hole courses directly onto the ice of Wayzata Bay, and over 2,200 golfers from around the world show up with clubs and hockey sticks to putt tennis balls while dressed according to this year's theme: "Live from Wayzata... It's the Chilly Open!" (SNL-inspired). So assemble your squad, embrace absurdity, and own the lake like it's your personal Saturday Night Live stage.

This is pre-ticketed only – one ticket per player, buy as many as you need (you're not limited to foursomes). Two ticket types available: Amateur and Pro, both in limited quantities. Beyond the tournament itself, there's Snowga and Snowkiting for people who want alternative frozen lake activities.

Follow @WayzataChillyOpen on Facebook and Instagram for updates, because planning to golf on ice requires some logistical coordination. Learn more and grab tickets at wayzatachillyopen.com before they sell out.

Forty-two years of frozen golf. Some traditions defy explanation and just require participation.

Plymouth Fire Department's Cadet Program: Where Zero Experience Becomes a Career Path

If you've ever thought about becoming a firefighter but had no idea where to start, Plymouth Fire Department just created the on-ramp.

The department's accepting applications through 8 a.m. Monday, Feb. 2 for fire cadet positions – full-time, paid, two-year max employment specifically designed for people with zero prior firefighting experience. This isn't a volunteer gig or side hustle; it's an intentional career development program that immerses you in hands-on training for fire suppression, emergency medical response, hazardous materials management, and technical rescue (auto extrication, rope rescue, the whole spectrum).

Over two years, cadets gain skills and education that can meet minimum requirements for full-time firefighter positions, making them eligible to apply for externally posted vacancies. Translation: Plymouth trains you, pays you, provides benefits and paid time off, then positions you to compete for career firefighter jobs. The department benefits by developing qualified personnel with potential for long-term public safety careers. Win-win.

Requirements include high school diploma or equivalent, 18+ years old by June 2026, valid Minnesota driver's license with good driving record, and ability to pass physical ability test, physical exam, background check, drug screen, pulmonary function test, and psychological evaluation. Plus required participation in department activities and training sessions.

Informational meeting happens 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 22 at Plymouth Fire Station 2 (12000 Old Rockford) for anyone with questions about the program.

Applications at plymouthmn.gov/firecadet. Deadline Feb. 2 at 8 a.m. Two years to build a career, zero experience required to start.

Plymouth Promotes From Within: 20-Year Veteran Andy Etzel Named Fire Chief

When someone spends 20 years climbing every rung of the ladder from paid-on-call firefighter to fire chief, that's not just a promotion – it's institutional knowledge becoming leadership.

Plymouth City Manager Dave Callister and Public Safety Director/Police Chief Erik Fadden announced Andy Etzel's appointment as fire chief, effective Saturday, Jan. 17. Etzel's been with Plymouth Fire Department since 2006, progressing from paid-on-call firefighter to lieutenant (2010), captain (2013), battalion chief (2016), assistant chief (2024), and interim fire chief (2025). Now the interim tag drops, and the hometown kid who graduated from Wayzata High School officially runs the department he's served for two decades.

As fire chief, Etzel oversees operations and staff – a blend of full-time career firefighters, part-time/on-call firefighters, leadership staff, and fire inspectors – responding to fire, emergency, traffic crash, and medical calls across Plymouth. His stated vision: a professional, city values-driven, forward-looking department that delivers reliable emergency response through strong staffing, modern training, and effective leadership.

"My priority will be continuing to create a culture of excellence where professionalism, pride, teamwork and positive attitudes are expected, modeled and reinforced at every level," Etzel said. "Building a strong shared identity and mission will strengthen the department and allow us to better serve the community."

Callister praised Etzel's track record of building relationships and trust, calling him "humble and kind" with the leadership skills to excel at the helm. Sometimes the best hires are the ones who've already proven themselves over 20 years.

Klapprich Park Reopens: Where Completion Gets Celebrated With Free Hot Chocolate

When a city finishes a park project and actually invites everyone to celebrate instead of just quietly opening it, that deserves acknowledgment.

Wayzata's hosting a Klapprich Park reopening celebration on Saturday, Jan. 17 from 1-3 p.m. at 340 Park St. E, marking the completion of whatever upgrades or construction transformed the space. The afternoon is free and family-friendly, featuring skating, hot chocolate, snacks, and music – basically all the elements required for a Minnesota winter gathering that doesn't feel like punishment.

Two hours to check out the completed park, enjoy free refreshments, and actually use the space instead of just driving past it. It's the kind of community event that works because it's simple: show up, skate if you want, drink hot chocolate, listen to music, go home having seen what your tax dollars built.

No registration, no tickets, no complicated logistics. Just an open invitation to celebrate a finished project with the people who'll actually use it. Questions can go to 952-404-5313, but really, it's skating and hot chocolate – not much mystery there.

📖 QOTW (QUOTE OF THE WEEK)

"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present." - Bil Keane

🌪️ WEATHER WATCH

Monday's high of 1° is technically above zero, but at that point, who's even counting?

Thu 15 32°/8° Snow Showers 🌨️ | 💧35%

Fri 16 30°/4° Snow Showers 🌨️ | 💧41%

Sat 17 6°/-5° Cloudy ☁️ | 💧18%

Sun 18 11°/-9° Cloudy ☁️ | 💧18%

Mon 19 1°/-2° Partly Cloudy 🌥️ | 💧2%

Tue 20 16°/11° Mostly Cloudy 🌥️ | 💧24%

Wed 21 16°/6° Mostly Cloudy 🌥️ | 💧5%

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