Roads close due to Apple
Apple Duathlon is Friday and Saturday, May 22 and 23. The Kids Apple will be held Friday evening at Pine Meadow Elementary School, 1029 Fifth St. N. Road closures will be: Fifth Street from Pine Meadow entrance to Ninth Avenue and Ninth Avenue to Second-and-a-half Street. The adult race is held Saturday morning at Sartell Middle School. Closures involved will be Seventh Street and Pinecone Road from 15th-40th streets. Please be aware of these closures. “Thank you for your cooperation and for helping make the Apple a safe race for both kids and adults,” said Apple spokesperson Adam Konczewski.
Celebration to host Spring Fling May 17
The community is invited to participate in the family friendly Spring Fling from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 17 at Celebration Lutheran Church, 1500 Pinecone Road, Sartell. The Spring Fling includes a silent auction, Pantown Classic Car Exhibit and award ceremony, a cake walk, many local businesses and hand-made items, games and inflatables. Proceeds from the event benefit senior high students going to their national youth gathering in Detroit. For more information call 320-255-0488 or head to celebrationlutheranchurch.com.
Hospital to host Strides for Stroke
St. Cloud Hospital Stroke Center is joining other cities across Minnesota to increase community awareness and stomp out stroke at the Minnesota Stroke Association Strides for Stroke starting at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 16 at CentraCare Health Plaza, 1900 CentraCare Circle. Tour a GoldCross ambulance, get a stroke risk screening and learn about other community resources. There will be many opportunities to support loved ones who have been affected by stroke by starting your own team, joining a team or making a donation. Stroke is a leading cause of disability in the United States. Someone in the United States has a stroke every 40 seconds. Every four minutes someone dies of stroke. All money raised supports community-awareness events. For more information and to register, visit strokemn.org or call 763-553-0088.
Master gardeners host garden fair
The annual Plant Sale and Garden Fair, sponsored by Stearns County Master Gardeners, will be held from 8:30-11 a.m. on Saturday, May 16 at the Riverside Park Shelter, 1725 Kilian Blvd. SE, St. Cloud.
SCSU Community Garden opens for 2015 on May 16
The St. Cloud State Community Garden will hold a planting, weather permitting, at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 16 and continue for much of the day until the planting is done. The garden is located near the corner of Fifth Avenue S. and Fifth Street S. on the SCSU campus. Those interested in helping are invited to come when they can and stay for as long as they’d like. Participants are advised to come dressed in clothes they can get dirty. The garden provides tools, gloves and refreshments. The Community Garden opened in 2005 with the intent to grow community and food. It’s designed as a place for people to meet their neighbors and others in the community. The garden was named “Best Community Garden in Minnesota” by WCCO.
“Children are welcome in the garden,” said Tracy Ore, garden organizer. “We often do special things with children to get them involved. Come and help us grow community. The real purpose why we’re there is to bring people together.”
Stearns County to clear brush
Stearns County Highway Department, as part of its vegetation management program, will schedule some roadside vegetation work during May along all Stearns County highways. The unwanted brush and noxious weeds will be cut and/or treated with herbicide. All property owners, which have property abutting county roads, have a right to use alternative methods.
The goals are to eliminate the brush and noxious weeds and to promote grass cover along the roadside. Brush along the road reduces driving visibility, obstructs road signs and reduces driver reaction time to crossing wildlife. Brush presents maintenance problems by retaining water along the roadbed, obstructing ditches and damaging equipment.
To meet these goals, we use selective herbicides that control the brush and noxious weeds but allow the grasses to grow unharmed. All herbicides we use have been fully tested and are approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.
During spray operation, we will take care to avoid sensitive areas adjacent to the right-of-way such as tree plantations, ornamental plantings, crops, gardens, front yards, lakes, and streams.
If you would like to maintain the right-of-way adjacent to your land in some other fashion, such as mowing, please follow these instructions:
- Please call prior to May 24, 2015 to the Stearns County Public Works Dept. at 320-255-6180.
- Post “DO NOT SPRAY” signs in areas you do not want treated.
- Remove brush and/or noxious weeds within that site by June 15, 2015 and continue to maintain it. If the brush and/or noxious weeds are not removed, we will treat the area as part of our vegetation management program.
If you have any questions, please contact the Stearns County Highway Department at 320-255-6180.
United Way volunteer opportunities
Special Olympics summer camp volunteers – Camp Courage
Camp Courage Summer Camps give children and adults with disabilities (developmental, physical, and learning) the full camp experience! Bonfires, tubing, swimming, archery, zip lining, climbing rock walls, sing-a-longs, arts and crafts, and SO much more are all accessible for campers with ALL levels of ability. They want you to be a part of the fun! As a volunteer, you will be a new friend to campers, and will assist staff in providing the best care and most fun possible in order to make campers’ time at camp the best it can be. The four days you’ll spend at camp will change your life! No experience with the population is required. Volunteers must be 16 and older; training, housing and meals are provided. You can sign up with your friends or come on your own. Large groups are welcome. Please consider donating your time to a great organization. These are wonderful, engaging and rewarding volunteer opportunities that directly impact your community. Contact Conor McGrath at conorm@truefriends.org or to apply/for more information: www.truefriends.org/volunteer.
Spring is here! Plant an extra row for the food shelf
Consider planting an extra row in your garden and donating the produce to your local food shelf. Favorites include carrots, beans, beets, kohlrabi, corn, potatoes, cabbage, peppers, onions and asparagus. Any produce that has a longer shelf life is accepted. This is an easy way to help our food shelves during the summer and fall. Contact Catholic Charities Emergency Services at 320-229-4560 or the Salvation Army at 320-252-4552.
Bring joy to Hospice patients
St. Croix Hospice is seeking volunteers to provide companionship to individuals affected by a life-limiting illness. Companion visits are scheduled at your leisure. Other volunteer opportunities include: vigil, pet therapy (dog) and office administrative. Storytelling, training and mentoring provided. Contact Jodi Julseth at 320-250-6899.
Volunteer to help veterans
What are you doing this summer? Why not volunteer to help veterans at the St. Cloud VA Medical Center. Assignments are available in a variety of areas that include: pharmacy, administrative areas, recreation therapy, veterans canteen services, escort service, adult day healthcare, music therapy, and ambassador and coffee service. Contact volunteer services at 320-255-6365 to receive an application.
Be a Friend First (BFF) retreat volunteer
When girls are mean to one another, you often don‘t see anything at all. But you can feel it. The cliques, eye-rolling, taunting, rumors and making each other feel invisible is all bullying. Right now, when girls are bullied, almost no one intervenes. It‘s time to be part of the change. Sometimes, when girls stand up for one another, the bullying stops immediately. As a BFF retreat volunteer you will help give girls the tools to feel safe at school, online and everywhere in between. You’ll help teach girls to recognize bullying and to resolve conflicts. This event is sponsored by Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin Lakes and Pines and takes place June 12-13 at Midtown Square, St. Cloud. Contact Ben Carey, Girl Scouts volunteer specialist, at 320-247-4561.
Sock drive
Place of Hope is hosting a Sock Drive to replenish their socks. They are looking for new socks for men, women and children. Donations can be dropped off at Place of Hope located at 511 Ninth Ave. N. St. Cloud. Contact Place of Hope at 320-203-7881.
Urgency Center assistant
CentraCare Health Plaza is looking for volunteers for its Urgency Center. Volunteers enhance patient and guest experience by providing excellent customer service through visitor guidance, purposeful rounding, and patient escort and transport. Volunteers will transport patients and guests in wheelchairs, guide patients and families to assist with way finding, run errands for staff, assist with clerical and administrative assistance, and restock exam rooms as needed. Shifts available: Fridays 5-10 p.m., Saturdays noon-4 p.m., 4-8 p.m., and alternating Sundays noon-4 p.m., 4-8 p.m. Contact St. Cloud Hospital Volunteer Services at 320-255-5638.
For more information, contact Mary Krippner, United Way volunteer engagement coordinator, at 320-223-7991 or mkrippner@unitedwayhelps.org.