Oct. 4

Scout food drive this Saturday

The St Joseph Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts are conducting their annual food drive. Pick up of non-perishable food items will start Saturday, Oct 5. Please place food bags on your front porch by 9 a.m.

St. John’s Abbey to auction firewood

St. John’s Abbey will be selling about 130 cords of hardwood firewood by sealed bid auction. The wood has already been cut and skidded into 16 different piles ranging from 5-12 cords per pile. All the piles are on accessible roads. The wood still needs to be cut into firewood lengths, split and hauled. It was cut between January 2012 and March 2013. The wood is mostly oak and maple occasionally mixed with other species. The wood was generated as part of the abbey’s long-term forest management program to provide renewable wood products and assure forest regeneration and wildlife habitat.

Bidders can bid on as many piles as they want and each pile will be sold separately to the highest bidder for the pile. Bidders who end up with the high bid for more piles than they actually need can pick those piles they want and the piles they don’t want will be given to the next highest bidder. All wood is sold as appraised or “as is” and no adjustments for species mix or volume will be made after the sale.

Pictures of the piles, location maps and bid forms can be found at www.csbsju.edu/arboretum. Bidders may also examine the piles. Roads will be open for viewing from noon-4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5. St. John’s Abbey Forestry staff will be available during normal work hours; call to assure gates are unlocked. Bids are due by noon on Monday, Oct. 14.

For more information, contact Thomas Kroll, abbey forester, at 320-363-3126.

Senior Connection hosts vet Bryant Oct. 8

Veterinarian Dr. Deborah Bryant will discuss the world of veterinary behavioral medicine at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 8 at the Sartell Senior Center, 212 3rd Ave. N. She will talk about the process of evaluating and making recommendations in cases of animal behavior problems. Presentations of previous and ongoing cases may be included. There will be time for questions and answers, although this session is not designed to address specific concerns involving personal animals. All ages welcome. Call 320-253-4036 for more information.

Student council hosts tailgating event Oct. 4

A tailgating event prior to the Sartell High School homecoming football game, sponsored by the high school student council, will be held from 5-6:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 4 by the concession stand on the picnic tables behind the fields. Burgers, chips, pop and cookies will be for sale. A limited amount of burgers is available so will be distributed first come first served.

St. Cloud area schools to hold two World Café events

St. Cloud area schools invite all students, parents, staff and community members attend one of two World Café events to be held from 2:30-5 p.m. and 6-8:30 p.m. at Whitney Senior Center, St. Cloud. This gathering is aimed to provide thoughts and ideas about what works well at our schools now and what should be considered for the coming years. As the school district begins a comprehensive strategic visioning process the World Café will focus on conversations that help the planning process. The ideas that emerge from the World Café will be shared with the district’s strategic planning team. We invite all interested individuals to come and help us shape the future of St. Cloud area schools. For more information, visit www.isd742.org.

Stearns County holds seized, surplus auction

Stearns County will hold a fall auction to sell seized and surplus goods beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 5 at the Stearns County Public Works building, 455 28th Ave., Waite Park, three blocks south of Mill’s Fleet Farm. For sale are numerous vehicles, PCs, laptops, office furniture, John Deere tractor and numerous miscellaneous shop and yard items. For more information on the auction, a list of what is for sale and to see some photos, check out the auction flyer on the Stearns County website at www.co.stearns.mn.us.

4-H club hosts honeybee education

“Save the Honeybee,” sponsored by the Sartell Superstars 4-H Club, will be held from 2:30-4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 6 at Celebration Luthern Church in Sartell. Honeybee education will be provided by The Beez Kneez organization. Topics include the following: urban and rural beekeeping, Colony Collapse Syndrome, the role of pollination on our food system, and an active beehive model and bee suits. Honey samples and honey snacks are included in admission price. Honey available for purchase.

United Way volunteer opportunitiesSexual Assault Centers to train advocatesCentral Minnesota Sexual Assault Center is in need of advocates to provide information and guidance to sexual assault victims on the 24-hour crisis phone line, at medical facilities and law-enforcement centers. A 40-hour training is required. The next training will start on Monday, Oct. 7. For more information, visit www.cmsac.org or contact Renae, sexual violence advocacy coordinator, at 320-251-4357.

Food shelf seeks bagger, stocker

Catholic Charities Emergency Services needs volunteers to help in the food shelf. Responsibilities include unpacking grocery donations, helping to fill bags or boxes for clients and repackaging bulk products. They need the most help on Mondays and Wednesdays from 8 a.m.-noon and possibly afternoons as well. Contact Kathryn or Chad, Catholic Charities Emergency Services, at 320-229-4560.

Entertain adults with disabilities

The Independence Center Inc. needs activity volunteers to help entertain and enrich the lives of adults with disabilities. If you enjoy sharing stories, playing games, baking brownies, going shopping or making arts and crafts, this is the position for you! You will have a chance to use all your creative skills and make a lasting friendship and bond with our consumers with disabilities. You do not need to have any prior experience working with people with disabilities. Our staff will provide training and will be with you at all times to help you interact. You must be 15 years of age or older to volunteer. Any persons 18 years or older may need to submit and pass a background check. Contact Jaime Ludwig, Independence Center Inc., at 320-252-4146.

Bring the sounds of music to residents

Have fun by bringing music to into resident’s lives at the Country Manor Campus. Resident Choir is seeking a volunteer to direct the choir. The choir performs at the Glory and Praise Church Service the second Wednesday of the month at 1:30 p.m. as well as at select weekend services. The choir practices every Wednesday at 4 p.m. The resident choir is an enrichment to the lives of both the residents that perform in the choir as well as the residents who have the pleasure of listening to the choir. Being part of this choir is a sure way to provide a positive impact to the many different residents we serve! To be the Country Manor resident choir director we request you have knowledge of directing music. Also, would need to be able to work with choir practice and performance schedule. Additional training will be provided and you may shadow our current director until you feel comfortable taking over on your own. If you are considering it, please contact Country Manor to sit in and observe a rehearsal to find out if this is a good fit for you! Contact Jacquie Hartman, Country Manor Campus, at 320-253-1920.

NAMI to meet Oct. 8 at Whitney

A Community Conversation on Mental Health will be held from 7-9 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 8 at the Whitney Senior Center, Whitney Room, 1527 Northway Drive. NAMI Minnesota, in collaboration with its local affiliates, the Make-it-OK campaign, and area mental health centers, will host more than 15 of these events around the state this fall to get people talking about mental health and how to better address the needs of children and adults living with mental illnesses and their families. The majority of these free events are taking place during Mental Illness Awareness Week, Oct. 6-12. The community conversations include a speaker sharing their personal story about living with mental illness and recovery or a presentation on mental-illness awareness, followed by a community conversation with attendees. For more information, contact Dara at 651-645-2948 ext. 117, or go makeitok.org or namihelps.org.

DATF to honor those with disabilities

The disAbility Awareness Task Force is seeking nominations of someone who has a disability of any kind, which inspires you or others….not because they have a disability, but because of whom they are and the contributions they make in the lives of others.

All submissions will be honored and five will be chosen to receive an “Inspiration Award” which will be given in person at during a Celebration of Abilities from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 22 at the Tuscan Center at Midtown in St. Cloud. This is a free event and all are welcome.

Please submit your nominations no later than Friday, Oct. 11. Please include the following information: name of person you are nominating; what they do and/or their experiences/talents/skills; how they inspire you or others in the community; and your name and phone number.

Submission can be emailed to carar@independentlifestyles.org or mailed to: Cara Ruff, disAbility Awareness Task Force, 215 N. Benton Drive, Sauk Rapids, MN 56379. If you require more information, contact Ruff at 320-529-9000.

Search begins for Miss Teen

Miss Teen Stearns County is seeking individuals who are single, never been married and between the ages of 13-18 years. The individual chosen will represent her county at the Miss Teen Minnesota pageant to be held March 8 in Ritsche Auditorium, St. Cloud State University campus, St. Cloud.

The young lady chosen will become an ambassador from the Stearns County area and will receive an official title and sash. She will also receive a prize package and scholarship totaling $10,000 and the chance to represent Minnesota at the “2014” Miss Teen International pageant in Jacksonville, Fla.

The American Heart Association’s “Go for Red for Women” is the official charity of the Miss Teen Minnesota Pageant.

Teens will compete in personal interview, fitness wear, fun fashion wear and evening gown. There is no talent or swimsuit competition.

Young teen ladies living in Stearns County who are interested in applying should write for bio-form to: Miss Teen Minnesota International Pageant, P.O. Box 240537, Apple Valley, Minn. 55124-0537, call (952) 432-6758, fax (952) 953-3896 or email pagunltd@frontiernet.net for information.

The current reigning 2013 Miss Teen Minnesota is Megan Muehlberg of Brooklyn Park. Muehlberg speaks out on “The Silent Disability” auditory processing disorder. Having APD herself, Muehlberg wants to be a positive example and to share with others how to recognize the symptoms and manage them. For more information about APD go to: www.ncapd.org.