The Season Turns to Spring

Once again March is here – and the season will turn to spring. Little did I know when I wrote the column for March a year ago, that our world would be turning upside down, with closures and quarantines, and that most of the activities I mentioned would not happen. Things are now somewhat more normal; at least the library is open and has been for some time. Programing has been mostly on-line, as have concerts and theater productions sponsored by the Fosston Community Library Association. As I mentioned last month, the newest FCLAA board member is Kate Moore, who is the daughter of Cyndee Hoialmen Robison, the organization’s first president. Kate tells me she spent much of her childhood in and around the FCLAA theater and is now delighted to have a chance to serve on the board. After spending her growing up years in Fosston, Kate lived in the Twin Cities for several years, working as a CNA in nursing homes and as a home health aide. Ten and a half years ago she moved back to Fosston to care for her grandfather Sid Hoialmen until he passed away. She married Kevin Moore and they are owners of the Fosston Theater. Together they have a six-year-old son, Sage. This has been an extremely challenging year for the movie business, but having the concessions open for takeout was well received by the local population. Kate says she loves Fosston and looks forward to serving the FCLAA as a board member. The library has several activities available this month. Craft kits for adults to create fringe earrings with Sister Beads became available Feb. 22. If you are interested, check to see if there are still some available. There is an instructional video on the LARL Website. For all those aspiring poets in grades four through twelve, LARL is sponsoring an Adam Thielen poetry contest. Write a poem inspired by Adam Thielen’s football legacy. You might win an autographed Adam Thielsen football or an Adam Thielen jersey. Poems will be accepted March 1 through April 9. On Tuesday, March 9, at 7 p.m. there will be a free virtual presentation by plant expert Alan Branhagen with advice from his book The Midwest Native Plant Primer. You may access the presentation at facebook.com/larlmn/live. A recording will be available at larl.org/at home following the presentation. On Tuesday, March 23, at 7 p.m. Ross Bernstein will present “1961: A Minnesota Sprots Retrospective.” He has many stories from that year, which saw the Vikings and the Twins come to be, the Gopher football team play its last Rose Bowl, and the Minneapolis Lakers move to Los Angeles. Check the LARL Website for more information. Just a couple more things: Minnesota libraries are collecting stores demonstrating the importance of libraries in our communities. Please go to tinyurl.com/mnlibstories and to share your story. Also, Blind Date with a Book is still available so if you are not sure what to read, check it out.

February - time marches on

February – presidents, hearts and flowers, and even a groundhog. Time marches on and the Fosston Community Library Arts Association continues its mission of promoting visual, performing, and creative arts in the Fosston community and the surrounding area. At its annual meeting in January the FCLAA elected the following officers: president – Sarah Steinbrenner; vice president – Barbara Johnson; secretary – JoAnn Papke; and treasurer – Molly Peltier. Additional board members are Abby Pearson, Dawn Skeie-Crane, Maggie Stewart, and Jason Steinbrenner, as well as new board member Kate More, who is the daughter of Cyndee Hoialmen Robison, the organization’s first president. In addition, outgoing president Bonnie Stewart has been contracted to serve the FLCAA as a part-time executive director. The Art of the Dress display is now in the Sorenson Gallery. Come in and see (but don’t touch) some beautiful vintage wedding dresses. The gallery is open during normal library hours. On Tuesday, Feb. 16, at 7 p.m. there will be a virtual presentation featuring Minnesota author William Kent Krueger, who writes the Cork O’Connor mystery series set in various locales around the state. He has written several stand-alone novels as well. His last nine novels were New York Times bestsellers. Krueger did a live presentation at the Fosston Library several years ago and was very enjoyable. His topic for this presentation will be the importance of books in a world of chaos. The program will be on the LARL Facebook page, and if you miss it on Feb. 16, a recording will be available later. On-line storytime presentations are available on the Facebook page as well. Also for the little ones, “Love Monster” craft kits are available free of charge at the library on a first come-first served basis. For the adults, the Book Blizzard reading challenge continues through the end of the month. Read four books for a chance at a prize. Reading logs are available at the library or you can register on-line. Remember that the library will be closed on Presidents Day, Monday, February 15.