Senior Connection hosts Lemonade, Laughter
Join the Sartell Senior Connection for the sixth annual Lemonade and Laughter presentation Our Mighty Mississippi at 2 p.m. Tuesday, May 12 at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, 219 2nd St. N., Sartell. Acclaimed baritone singer and storyteller Steven Marking presents a sensory feast of song, stories, film and photos capturing life on the Mississippi River. Refreshments will be served. The event is sponsored by Country Manor Senior Living and Sartell-St. Stephen Community Education.
Market Monday kicks off fifth outdoor season May 11
Market Monday, the Sartell Farmers’ Market located at Sartell City Hall, 125 Pinecone Road N, will open for its fifth outdoor season from 3-6:30 p.m. on Monday, May 11. More than 12 vendors will be on hand. At the community tent you can learn how to explore the St. Cloud area with Metro Bus, register your kids for their free summer bus pass as well as learn about the new mobility training center and new CNG buses. Don’t miss out on the best water stop in town while out and about every Monday, now through Oct. 19.
Sartell Hardware Hank offers clip-out coupon
Sartell Hardware Hank’s greenhouse is now fully stocked and open for the season. Look inside for a clip-out coupon.
Citywide garage sales kick off May 15, 16
Garage sale devotees will get the chance to hit the streets of St. Joseph on Thursday and Friday, May 15 and 16. The citywide garage sales are sponsored by the St. Joseph Jaycees. The Jaycees have moved away from paper maps of garage sale sites this year, instead posting information to their Facebook page at facebook.com/StJosephJayceesMN as well as the city website at cityofstjoseph.com.
Summer market opens today in St. Joseph
The St. Joseph Farmers’ Market opens its summer outdoor season from 3-6:30 p.m. next to Resurrection Lutheran Church, 610 N. CR 2. The market is open every Friday now through October, and accepts E.B.T., credit and debit cards. Stay connected at facebook.com/stjosephfarmersmarket and at stjosephfarmersmarket.com.
Road closure set May 11-15 on Pinecone
Pinecone Road will be closed in both directions south of Scout Drive to install sanitary sewer service to the Chateau Waters Resort-style Senior Living project beginning May 11 and will be open to traffic at end of business on Friday, May 15.
Commuter traffic will be detoured using 6th Avenue S, 19th Avenue S, CSAH 4 and CSAH 120. The detour will be clearly posted in both directions. Local business access will be allowed detouring around the closed area using Scout Drive and Troop Drive. If you have any questions in this regard, please call Mike Nielson, city engineer, at 320-258-7318.
Hydrant flushing set May 11-15
The St. Joseph Public Works Department will flush fire hydrants Monday-Friday, May 11-15. During this maintenance process, property owners may experience discolored water and pressure differentials. It’s not uncommon to see discoloration after the fire hydrants are flushed in your area. If you notice discoloration, please bypass your water softener and open all your cold water faucets in the home. The water will clear up in a short period of time, shut all faucets off and put the water softener back in service. Maintenance staff flush the fire hydrants spring and fall of each calendar year. Flushing of hydrants helps remove stale water and natural sediment from the system. During this process fire hydrants are exercised to help ensure the proper operation for emergency use.
Grosland honored after 21 years
A retirement gathering to celebrate Sandy Grosland’s 21 years as director of SRR Community Education Department will be held from 3:30-6 p.m. Wednesday, May 13 at the SRR Middle School (enter Door 1), 901 1st St. S.
Grosland is one high-energy lady. Given her work as the director of Community Education, she needs to be. Chances are, Grosland’s work has affected you. She produces the Community Education catalog and the SRR district newsletter. She makes sure non-school events held in district facilities run smoothly. Grosland has created programs to serve life-long learners, developed two district web sites, and has been instrumental in school and community relations.
“Sandy has done an amazing job for our schools and community,” said Superintendent Dan Bittman, “We’ll miss Sandy and her energy.”
Refreshments and cake will be provided at the retirement party. Please R.S.V.P. to Community Education at 320-258-1577 or amy.gunderson@isd47.org.
Stamp Out Hunger set May 9
Stamp Out Hunger, the largest one-day food drive in the nation, returns to Central Minnesota on Saturday, May 9. The National Association of Letter Carriers will host the event collecting food donations to benefit local food shelves. In the St. Cloud area, the drive will benefit the Salvation Army Food Shelf and Catholic Charities Emergency Services Food Shelf.
To participate, residents should place non-perishable food donations in their mailbox or post office prior to their mail being delivered on May 9. Cash and checks will also be accepted. Checks can be made payable to Catholic Charities or the Salvation Army.
Local Boy Scout Troops are partnering with the NALC to collect the food. They will also volunteer at the distribution center.
Find more information at nalc.org/community-service/food-drive.
Road restrictions lifted May 7
Seasonal road restrictions are scheduled to be lifted on Stearns County Highways effective at 12:01 a.m. Thursday, May 7.
Stearns Museum hosts skywatcher event May 16
Annette Lee, artist and an associate professor of astronomy and physics at St. Cloud State University, will lead the workshop “As it is Above; It is Below” from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 16, at the Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave. S., St. Cloud. The workshop is part of the “Native Skywatchers – Earth Sky Connections” series which combines art, astronomy and Native American culture. During the workshop, Lee will talk about constellations and Native American star knowledge while participants paint their own star map. “Native Skywatchers” is free to the public and all ages are welcome. However, space is limited. Contact Nicole Bach at nbach@stearns-museum.org or 320-253-8424 to register. The museum is located at 235-33rd Ave. S in St. Cloud.
Red Cross launches emergency app
The American Red Cross recently announced the release of its new emergency app which gives people instant access to weather alerts, life-saving information and ways to contact family and friends in one free, easy-to-use app for mobile devices. This all-inclusive app provides expert advice on what to do in case of disasters such as floods, tornadoes, home fires, wildfires and more. It covers 14 different types of disasters and lets users customize more than 35 emergency alerts so they will know what to do no matter where they live or travel. The free emergency app is available in app stores for smartphones and tablets by searching for the American Red Cross or by going to redcross.org/apps.
“When an emergency occurs, it’s important for families to stay safe and connected,” said Phil Hansen, CEO of the American Red Cross Minnesota Region. “Since April 1, 2015, we have responded to more than 30 disasters across the state, mostly home fires, helping more than 70 families. The emergency app helps families prepare for and recover from home fires and other disasters.”
“Family Safe” is a new, unique feature that allows the app user to notify loved ones who are in an area affected by an emergency or disaster. The recipient can instantly see the alert details as well as specific “what to do now” steps, and then respond with either “I’m safe” or “I’m not safe.” This feature works even if the recipient has not downloaded the emergency app.
The emergency app has many features, including the following:
- Emergency first-aid information for situations such as heart attacks, heat-related emergencies as well as water-safety information;
- Preloaded content so users can access guidance from Red Cross experts even without mobile connectivity;
- A single map with open Red Cross shelter locations and weather information;
- A home-fire section with detailed prevention and safety tips as well as Red Cross “After the Fire” information;
- A “Make a Plan” feature to help families plan what to do and where to go if a disaster strikes; and
- The ability to easily toggle between English and Spanish.
In addition to smartphones and tablets, this feature will be available on the new Apple Watch and can now be downloaded from the Apple Watch App Store.
Red Cross apps have been downloaded more than six million times and nearly 400 million alerts have been sent since the launch of the first app in 2012. In the past year alone, more than 350 million pages were viewed and the “I’m Safe” feature was accessed just more than 550,000 times across all preparedness apps.
While apps can help prepare someone for disasters, it’s important to note they are not substitutes for training. People can take Red Cross First Aid and CPR/AED courses so they’ll know what to do in case help is delayed. They can get information and register at redcross.org/TakeAClass.
