We move into April

As always, the burning question as we move forward into April is “Will the April showers be rain showers or snow showers?” That remains to be seen, but I can tell you a few things about the Aurora Center for the Arts and the Fosston Library. Kip Fontaine is one of the new board members for the Aurora Center. A graduate of Concordia College and the University of Minnesota Law School, Kip and his wife Sheila live on Maple Lake with their German Shepherd Lilah. He is a very active volunteer in the region, currently serving as chair of Alluma and as president of the United in Christ Lutheran Parish, just to mention a couple of his interests. He is interested in theater, having acted in plays during his high school days in Red Lake Falls and in community theater productions. During his career as an attorney, he served as assistant Polk County Attorney and as Clearwater County Attorney for several years. Now retired but still busy, he sometimes provides fill-in daycare for his grandchildren. There are 10 of them, with nine of them being five and under. He enjoys photography, reading, traveling and being out on the lake. Kip says he is excited to be on the Aurora board to listen and learn about the arts in the area. Also new to the board is Mike McColl, who is currently the art teacher at the Fosston High School, his alma mater. He and his wife Janette live in Lengby, in the old Lengby School building where they offer art classes, artists’ retreats, and a summer day camp for kids. They share their home with three cats. Their combined family includes three sons and a daughter, as well as two grandchildren, with one more on the way. Mike was originally from the Twin Cities area, but lived here from the time he was 13 until he graduated from high school. After a stint in the navy, he worked in a variety of occupations, including cabinetmaking and managing night clubs and housing. He attended Augsburg College and the U of M, graduating from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. His ethnic heritage includes a grandfather who came from Greece, which makes him kind of a minority around here. Mike says he is looking forward to serving on the Aurora Board. On Saturday, April 27, there will be a reception for artist Pam Edevold at the Sorenson Gallery from 11-12:30. Her exhibit, “Preserving Local Indigenous Heritage through Regalia,” will be at the gallery through the month of April. Information about 2024Aurora memberships is available at auroracenterforthearts.org If you are a member, watch for the Spring/Summer newsletter which will be coming out some time this month. Meanwhile, at the Fosston Library, book club is scheduled for Tuesday, April 9, at 7 p.m. and Tuesday, April 16, at 2 p.m. This month’s book is Chronicles of a Radical Hagby Minnesota author Lorna Landvik. Check with the library to get a copy of the book. Wednesday, April 17, is the day for kid’s bingo. Time is 3:30. On Wednesday, May 1, Doug Ohman, photographer and storyteller, will present “Name That Town: Journey through Northern Minnesota.” The presentation is sponsored jointly by NELL and LARL. The program is at 9:30 – doors open at 9:00.

Currently in the Sorenson - works by Pam Edevold