St. Stephen sets Centennial Planning meeting
The St. Stephen Centennial is planned for July 18-20. A meeting will take place at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, June 29 at City Hall. Can’t attend but want to volunteer? Contact the St. Stephen clerk at 320-290-0424.
Newsleader office closed; no July 4 paper to publish
The Newsleader office will be closed June 30 – July 4. A July 4 edition will not be published. The office will reopen on Monday, July 7 and will resume weekly publications beginning July 11.
New pastor begins June 29 at First United Methodist
The public is invited to welcome the Rev. Leah Rosso, who will serve as the new lead pastor of the First United Methodist Church of the St. Cloud Region, 1107 Pinecone Road S., Sartell, during her first worship service at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, June 29. The service will be followed by an informal reception in the church fellowship hall. Rosso formerly served as associate pastor at Hennepin Avenue Methodist Church in Minneapolis. She and her husband, Todd, and their three children recently moved to Sartell. Her new FUMC congregation invites the public to join she and her family as well as to visit its new building in Sartell after moving from downtown St. Cloud in 2013. For more information contact the church office at 320 251-0804, or visit the church website at www.fumcscr.org.
St. Anna holds church bazaar June 29
The St. Anna Church Bazaar will be held from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday, June 29 at Immaculate Conception Church, St. Anna, 5 miles north of Avon. Dinner will be served from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; live music featuring Nathan’s Old Time Band will be held from 1-5 p.m.; and a raffle drawing will be held at 7 p.m. Other events include a silent auction, kids’ games, bounce house, bingo, cake walk, pull tabs, paddle wheel, country store, food court, ice cream and beverage stands.
Hailing all ballplayers for co-ed game July 19
Ballplayers are being sought for a co-ed slow-pitch softball game at 6:30 p.m. Saturday July 19 at Smoley Field in St. Stephen. This event is in conjunction with other citywide events celebrating St. Stephen’s Centennial. Eligible players must be 18 years or older, and must have played or coached St. Stephen Little league boy’s baseball or girl’s softball. Advanced registration is expected. Please contact Mike Gillen by phone or text at 320-248-6820; e-mail gillymj@msn.com.
Help Red Cross prevent summer blood shortage
Blood donations typically decline during the summer months, especially around the Independence Day holiday. To help prevent a summer blood shortage, donors are urged to make an appointment to donate with the American Red Cross leading up to Independence Day and in the weeks after. To encourage more people to make time to donate blood before and after Independence Day, all presenting blood donors from June 30 through July 7 will receive a commemorative Red Cross T-shirt, while supplies last. Upcoming blood drives include 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday, July 2 at Resurrection Lutheran Church at 610 N. CR 2, St. Joseph and 1-7 p.m. Wednesday, July 9 at Messiah Lutheran Church, 320 N. 4th Ave., Sartell. For other local dates, times and locations, see calendar on page 7 or visit www.thenewsleaders.com and click on Calendar under Events tab.
Rox seeks nominations for hero baseball cards
The St. Cloud Rox have announced a partnership with Country Manor Health Care and Rehab Center to honor local members, active and retired, of our armed services with Military Appreciation Night featuring a hero-baseball-card-set giveaway. The non-traditional baseball card set will feature men and women from throughout the St. Cloud and Central Minnesota communities who have served our country. The 36-card set will be given away to the first 300 fans through the gate on Sunday, July 20 as the Rox take on the Green Bay Bullfrogs at 5:05 pm.
“Country Manor Health Care and Rehab Center is a proud sponsor of Military Appreciation Night. We look forward to an evening of celebrating, honoring and remembering the tremendous sacrifices made by current and former military personnel and we welcome you to join us in paying tribute to the brave men and women who have proudly served our country,” said Emily Frericks, director of public relations, marketing and Country Manor Foundation.
“This is such a unique promotion where the only downfall will be we are limited to 36 cards in one set, but with the partnership created with Country Manor Health Care and Rehab Center, we look to continue this promotion for years to come,” said Kyle Kohls, Rox assistant general manager.
The Rox are now calling on fans throughout the St. Cloud area to nominate their friends, family, co-workers and neighbors. Nominations can be made at stcloudrox.com now through Monday, June 30 or by e-mailing Kyle@stcloudrox.com.
In order for a nomination to be considered all nominations must contain the following: name, e-mail, phone number; name of your hero; military status (active or retired); hero information (military service time, background information) and why they are important to you in 75 words or less; high-resolution photo of nominated hero.
For more information on the 2014 Rox Promotional Schedule and to purchase single game tickets for any of the 36 Rox home games, visit www.stcloudrox.com, call the Rox Office at 320-240-9798 or stop into the Rox Ticket Office located inside the west end of the MAC Ice Arena from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Workshop explores basics of researching family history
Interested in genealogy but not sure how to get started? Join other beginners at the Stearns History Museum at 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 8 to learn the Basics of Researching Your Family History. Archivist Sarah Warmka will give an overview of what you need to get started along with some helpful tips for bridging gaps in your information. She’ll also discuss how to use the Ancestry Library Edition database, which is available at the Stearns History Museum, to search for family records.
Come early to attend the Intro to the Research Center and Archives class at 6:30 pm. This class will highlight the many resources available in the Research Center and Archives of the Stearns History Museum, and show how easy they are to access. Beginning at 6:30 p.m. July 8, Warmka will show patrons how to use the archives and many of the different databases and collections that are available. Please RSVP to Warmka, Stearns History Museum Archivist, at 320-253-8424 or by email swarmka@stearns-museum.org. Feel free to contact Warmka with any questions or for more details.
Founded in 1936, the Stearns History Museum has focused on preserving and interpreting the history of the region for 77 years. The mission of the museum is to engage people in the exploration of the county’s diverse heritage by providing connections to the past, perspectives on the present and inspiration for the future. The Stearns History Museum is nationally accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and is an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution.
Reusable bag workshop offered at Waite Park library
Adults and teens are invited to a Reusable Bag Workshop at the Waite Park Public Library from 2:30-4:30 p.m. Monday, June 30 at the Al Ringsmuth Library, 253 N. 5th Ave., Waite Park. Artist Jen Anfinson will teach people how to upcycle old materials into something new, designing unique bags for groceries, library books and more. Bring your sewing machine if you wish. Registration is required and the attendance limit is 12. This program is funded in part with money from Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
CentraCare offers free Youth Mental Health class
The National Alliance on Mental Illness of Minnesota will hold a free Youth Mental Health First Aid training class from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday, June 30 at CentraCare Health Plaza, 1900 CentraCare Circle, in the Hughes Matthews Room, St. Cloud. The course is designed to teach participants the risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems in adolescents, build understanding of the importance of early intervention, and teach individuals how to help a youth in crisis or experiencing a mental health or substance-use challenge. Participants will also learn a five-step action plan to support an adolescent developing signs and symptoms of a mental illness or emotional crisis. To register (required) or get more detailed information, please contact NAMI Minnesota at 651-645-2948.
Ag scholarship available now
Youth can win a $1,000 scholarship by submitting a video showing how they stand up for agriculture in the AgStar’s Stand Up for Agriculture scholarship contest. Whether their passion is for crops, livestock, precision ag or anything in between, all they have to do is submit their story on AgStar’s contest page. The contestant from each age group with the most votes by July 31, 2014 will win a $1,000 scholarship. Here’s a fun video showcasing the contest as well – http://youtu.be/Yywsntr9sBE. For more contest details and to submit videos, go to facebook.com/AgStar and click on the Purple Ribbon Video Contest tab. For complete contest rules go to: AgStar.com/PurpleRibbonRules
United Way Volunteer Opportunities
Foster Grandparents needed at Homeless Youth Shelter, Children’s Home
The Foster Grandparent Program needs mentors for pre-teens and teenagers for the upcoming school year. Currently there are openings at the homeless youth shelter, St. Cloud Children’s Home and several after school programs. Foster Grandparent volunteers might help students with a reading assignment, work with a small group on a craft or even help kids cook an evening meal. Adults age 55 and better will receive an hourly tax-free stipend ($2.65) for volunteering 15 hours per week (or more if they wish) helping youth with activities, reinforcing learning and more. This is a great opportunity if you have time to spare, love to be with children, and could use some extra non-taxable income. Contact Emily, Catholic Charities Foster Grandparent Program, at 320-229-4597.
Food for Kids
Catholic Charities Emergency Services is in need of food for their food shelf this summer. They are specifically seeking food items that are kid friendly to help parents and their children during the summer months. Suggested food items include: canned food with a popped top and no cooking required, peanut butter, tuna, soup, canned fruit and vegetables, cereal, oatmeal and more. For information, call Catholic Charities Emergency Services at 320-229-4560; C.R.O.S.S. Center of Benton County at 320-968-7012 or the Salvation Army at 320-252-4552.
Outdoor chore specialist
Volunteers are needed to provide services such as snow shoveling, yard work/gardening and other outdoor chores, as appropriate. Volunteers assist people to remain independent in their homes as long as possible. Responsibilities include: attend initial volunteer orientation, accompany staff member to meet the care receiver to get acquainted and discuss needs, outdoor chores/yard work volunteers provide snow removal services, rake leaves, gardening, wash windows, change screens and storm windows, and other services dependent upon volunteer availability. Be respectful of the care receiver’s home and aware of safety procedures. Maintain and report volunteer hours to Faith in Action on a regular basis. Be alert to any possible safety issues the older adult may have and report them to staff. Maintain client confidentiality. Time Commitment: Initial commitment of one year, approximately one to two hours per week. Contact Cherise Robb, Great River Area Faith In Action, St. Cloud at 320-258-8678.
Weekend respite volunteers
True Friends Leadership Development Volunteering offers individuals ages 16+ a unique and well-rounded program, particularly in assisting counselors and campers. Through volunteering with their core programs, you will be infused in activities that lead to personal growth, self-discovery and leadership development. Individuals who share their time with our agency tell us it’s the experience of a lifetime. You will work hand-in-hand assisting agency staff and campers within a diverse range of activities areas such as swimming, arts and crafts, music, nature study, rock-climbing and other fun camp-based activities too. The overarching goal of the program is to teach the universal and wide-ranging skills of leadership that can be used within the school setting, home and community. Contact Amanda Sorell, True Friends, at 952-852-0101 or volunteerservices@truefriends.org.
Help spread wood chips
Central Minnesota Sustainability Project needs volunteers to assist gardeners with spreading wood chips on path ways to control weeds in the garden. Contact Florence Orionzi, gardens education and volunteer coordinator, at 320-356-0369.
For more information, contact Mary Krippner, United Way Volunteer Engagement Coordinator at (320) 223-7991 or mkrippner@unitedwayhelps.org.