Kid’s ice fishing clinic to be held Jan. 31
The St. Joseph Rod and Gun Club is sponsoring a kid’s ice fishing clinic from 9 a.m.-noon Saturday, Jan. 31 at the American Legion in St. Joseph. Registration will be from 8:30-9 a.m. Advanced registration is encouraged. For more information and cost, head to stjoerodandgunclub.org.
Dollars for Scholars sets phonathon Jan. 31
Students and committee members of the St. Joseph Area Dollars for Scholars committee will be calling on local residents from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Jan. 31 to ask for donations towards local scholarships to be given away this spring. All donations are tax-deductible; 100 percent of all donations are used for both traditional and non-traditional scholarships for applicants who live, work or have direct ties with St. Joseph. Volunteers are also being sought to help with the phonathon to be held at Sentry Bank in St. Joseph. To volunteer, call Janelle at 320-363-7741 or Doug at 320-363-7721. To apply for a 2015 Dollars for Scholars scholarship, visit http://StJosephArea.dollarsforscholars.org. Click on: Students and Parents tab. Click on: Click to Login. Click on: “click here” above Student Login to register. If you need assistance call 320-363-7721.
Search is on for Child Care Provider of Year
Do you know an awesome childcare provider in Stearns or Benton counties? Show your appreciation by nominating them for Child Care Provider of the Year.
The nomination process is easy: go to www.SBCCAofMN.com for a nomination form; then, fill out the nomination form and write a letter of recommendation; and, finally, send in your completed form and letter postmarked no later than Feb. 20.
Local artists sought for Vikings stadium art
As construction on the $1 billion Minnesota Vikings stadium continues in downtown Minneapolis, the team is looking to score some original art for the building. The Vikings and the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority, along with Sports and the Arts, are seeking Minnesota-based artists to create artwork for the new stadium.
“Our primary focus is local artists, no doubt,” said Tanya Dreesen, the Vikings manager of new stadium partnerships. “However, we can’t exclude any national submissions – we will look at those as well. But we absolutely will be paying special attention to local artists.”
The partnership, which is funded by the Vikings, wants to create a “one-of-a-kind, museum-quality art collection.”
“We want submissions to show the history of Minnesota or the history of sports in Minnesota or Vikings history,” Dreesen said. “We want it to show drama and excitement. There’s a theatrical aspect to art and to our game, as well, so we want the submissions to somehow show that, too.”
If you’re an artist interested in the project, send a bio, up to eight sample images of your work and any other relevant information via PDF (no larger than 5MB) to art@newminnesotastadium.com. Works considered for submission are paintings, sketches/drawings, mixed media, photography, sculptures, murals and digital art. Artist submissions will be accepted Feb. 1-March 31 and selected artists will be notified in June.
“The submissions we’ll be getting are going to be showing existing works,” Dreesen said. “When the artists are selected, it may be their works we’re going to be buying or we’re going to commission them to do a custom piece.”
Along with Vikings’ games, the Minnesota stadium, scheduled to open in 2016, is set to host the NFL Super Bowl in 2018 and the NCAA men’s college basketball Final Four in April 2019.
Free seminar Feb. 21 on gardening knowledge
Although we are still in the heart of winter, it isn’t too early to start thinking about gardening. Consider joining the Stearns County Extension Master Gardeners at their Gardening Knowledge For Free event on Saturday, Feb. 21 at the Whitney Senior Center in St. Cloud. This is a great opportunity to learn about various gardening topics and get excited for spring and summer.
Gardening Knowledge For Free is a half-day event for any gardener interested in learning more. Three 50-minute sessions will be held with the topics: Favorite annuals of Munsinger Garden, Favorite vegetables of the garden, Plant diagnostics, Starting a garden from scratch and Pruning trees and shrubs. At the time of registration, registrants will need to select one workshop from each session.
There is no charge for this event, but advanced registration is required. For more information, or to register for this event, call the University of Minnesota Extension Stearns County office at 320-255-6169 or 800-450-6171 or register online at http://z.umn.edu/2015gkffs. Space is limited so register early. Coffee and rolls will be available for a free-will donation.