Centennial plans underway March 9
The City of St. Stephen will be celebrating its Centennial on Saturday, July 19. A planning meeting for residents interested in helping with the event will be held at 11:30 a.m. Sunday, March 9 at City Hall.
Senior connection hosts Pat McNeal’s ‘Journey to the End of the World’
“Journey to the End of the World,” sponsored by the Sartell Senior Connection, will be presented at 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 11. Pat McNeal will start in Buenos Aires, fly to Calafate and visit world heritage sites such as Los Glaciers National Park and the Puerto Moreno Ice Field. Then we will travel through the Strait of Magellan, Tierra del Fuego, Glacier Alley and follow the route of Darwin through Beagle Channel. The highlight will be visiting the southernmost city in the world, landing on Cape Horn. Then we will take a hike to the tip of South America. Enjoy a fun trip in the middle of winter in the comfortable setting of the Sartell District Service Center, 212 3rd Ave. N.
Daylight Savings begins Sunday
Daylight Savings Time begins at 2 a.m. Sunday, March 9. Residents should turn clocks ahead one hour.
Huge snow banks prevent snowmobile trail grooming
Wayne Resseman of the Holdingford Snowfliers Snowmobile Club has informed the Stearns County Park Department they are unable to groom portions of the Lake Wobegon trail between Albany and Holdingford for snowmobiling. They report drifts on the trail so large grooming machines are not able to groom the trail. All snowmobilers are warned to watch for trail re-routes.
Commissioner to meet with constituents
Stearns County Commissioner Mark Bromenschenkel will meet with constituents for an informal coffee chat from 10-11 a.m. Saturday, March 8 at the Blue Line Sports Bar & Grill, 1101 2nd St. S., Sartell.
Residents are encouraged to stop in to meet Bromenschenkel or to share concerns and ask questions. The commissioner generally holds the coffee get-togethers on the first Saturday of every other month in three cities of his district: Sartell, St. Joseph and Waite Park.
Bromenschenkel, a Sartell resident, represents Stearns County District 2 on the county board.
Those who cannot attend the coffee hour can contact him at P.O. Box 190, Sartell, MN 56377 or by phone at 320-493-9180 or via email at mark.bromenschenkel@co.stearns.mn.us.
Turkey hunts set for disabled
Two turkey hunts for people with disabilities will take place April 15-20 and April 21-25 at Stearns County’s Rockville Park and Nature Preserve. The park will be closed to the general public during both of the five-day hunts. Hunters will be able to use shotguns, bows or crossbows. Hunting will be limited to portable ground blinds.
Four hunters will be selected and supervised by Midwest Outdoors Unlimited for each of the hunts. The mission of the group is to provide outdoor recreational activities for Disabled American Veterans, disabled individuals and disabled youth in Minnesota. Each disabled hunter will be accompanied by at least one able-bodied person while in the park.
People interested in participating can get an application from Midwest Outdoors Unlimited, c/o Ron Welle, 28791 325th Ave., Melrose, MN 56352 or midwestoutdoorsunlimited@yahoo.com. Completed applications must be returned to the previously listed addresses by March 25.
The 284-acre Rockville County Park is west of Rockville’s Eagle Park and Stearns CR 139 on Sauk River Road. It includes more than a mile of Sauk River shoreline and natural features such as granite outcroppings and hardwood forests. Completed developments in the park include a bridge, trails, bathrooms, equestrian area and observation deck.
The largest portion of the park, 194 acres, was donated by longtime environmental advocates John and Linda Peck. The county purchased the remaining land in 2007.
Families sought to host international students
Youth For Understanding USA, a nonprofit intercultural exchange organization, seeks local volunteers and host families to mentor and host high-school-exchange students. Families of all shapes and sizes are welcome to host.
Share your family traditions Welcome an international teenager eager to experience American culture, learn about social responsibility and build bonds of friendship that will last a lifetime. YFU exchange students bring spending money and have health insurance. They come ready to live by the rules and values of YFU and your family.
Families around the world trust YFU because of its reputation for quality, high safety standards, and strong support network. One of the world’s oldest and largest exchange organizations, YFU has provided study abroad opportunities to more than 250,000 high school students for more than 60 years.
International programs for American students and volunteer opportunities are also available. Learn more at www.yfu-usa.org, or contact YFU’s local Field Director Bernice Wimmer at 320-815-3517 or via e-mail at bwimmer@yfu.org.
March is Food Share Month
March is Food Share Month in Minnesota where donations are matched during the month. During this time of significant economic distress, many area families are using local food shelves more than ever before. Consider leveraging the match by running a food drive within your work place, church or service club and donate to your local food shelf. Catholic Charities Emergency Services 320-229-4560 or the Salvation Army 320-252-4552.
