July is coming...

July is probably tied for June as my favorite month. Unfortunately, once we’re past the Fourth, it seems to be a quick downhill slide to fall, so we need to make the most of summer while it’s here. Here are some suggestions to help you do just that.
At the Fosston Library, the summer reading program for kids, Paws to Read, continues. Toddlers through teens can still sign up, read some books and attend some special programs, and be eligible for some great prizes. Programs still coming up include PAWS for balloon critters on July 9, PAWS for a quick snack with Cheryl Winkelmann on July 16, PAWS for pets with the Prairie Pet Clinic on July 23, PAWS for a plush pet picnic & sleepover on July 30, and PAWS to study tracks with staff from Itasca State Park on August 6.  All programs are at 2 p.m. To clarify the details for the July 30th program, children and their stuffed animals will come for the picnic on the library lawn, but only the stuffed animals will spend the night at the library where they will have their pictures taken enjoying the sleepover. All children are expected to return home and sleep in their own beds.
Kids and adults alike are invited to enter the PAWS to read photo contest. Take a picture of your favorite pet reading or (more likely) being read to. It can be a dog or a cat, a ferret or a pet chipmunk, maybe even a goldfish, although since goldfish don’t have paws maybe you need to check with Tammi on that. You may submit a printed photo or email the digital file to Fosston@larl.org
Coming up at the Fosston Community Library Arts Center at the end of the month is something we all are waiting for: The Fosston Community Theater ‘s summer comedy production of The Money in Uncle George’s Suitcase. The play is described as “a hilarious farce of sneaking, wrestling and getting stuck in the furniture” at Uncle George’s rustic cabin as George’s family members search for a suitcase filled with money. Michelle Marx will direct. Dates and times are Thursday through Saturday, July 31-August 2 at 7 p.m. with a 3 p.m. matinee on Sunday, August 3. Advance tickets will be on sale at Generations clothing store in Fosston.
As you would expect, the library will be closed July 4 in observance of Independence Day.

June Is Here

June is here, and our world has been transformed - green grass, leaves on the trees, colorful flowers and warm temperatures. At the Fosston Community Library Arts Center, it’s all about paws. as the 2014 summer reading program, “Paws to Read,” kicked off with a party on Wednesday, June 4. Kids of all ages are invited to pick up a reading log and register for door prizes. Every child who reads or attends a library program on 20 separate days between  June 1 and August 31 will receive a prize and will be eligible for additional prize drawings. Teens have a separate program requiring 15 books to win a prize. Also for teens are a teen trivia contest and anytime crafts.  There will be special programs each Wednesday at 2 p.m.
On June 11, Ben Carlsen will be there along with Black Lab puppy, Wenzel, for “PAWS for service dogs.“ Ben and his wife Pia are volunteer puppy raisers for Leader Dogs for the Blind. They live in Thief River Falls.
The program on June 18 is entitled “PAWS to Create Art.” A teacher from the MN Textile Center will bring lots of different kinds of animal furs that are used in making a variety of things from clothing to art.  Children will get to make a colorful piece of felted art to take home.
Cheryl Winkelman will be at the library on Wednesday, June 25, with PAWS for Craft Time. I don’t know exactly what she’ll be doing, but she always comes up with some fun projects.
Staff from the Rydell National Wildlife Refuge will be at the library on July 2 with PAWS for Wildlife Safety.
Also in conjunction with the  summer reading program, there will be a PAWS to read photo contest. Children, teens and adults are all invited to submit a picture of their favorite pet reading or being read to. You may submit a printed photo or e-mail the digital file. One entry per person, please. There will be prizes.
Not part of the summer reading program, but a special opportunity nonetheless, is an appearance by Ozzie Tollefson on Saturday, June 21, at 1 p.m. Tollefson, originally from the Fosston area, spent 48 years in education, teaching and presenting educational assemblies. He will be signing his book, Mr. Teacher,a novel about a young schoolteacher in northern Minnesota during the final year of WWII.
While you’re at the library, be sure to take a look at the current display in the Sorenson Gallery, where you will find cloudscapes by photographer Lance Thorn.

May at the Arts Center

May has arrived - can spring be far behind? Actually, last year at this time I think we were still waiting for the snow to melt so maybe we’re ahead of the game.
However, despite the weather, May is music season at the Fosston Community Library Arts Center. Orland Aspen’s vocal students presented their recital on Sunday, May 4, and my piano students will have their recital on Sunday, May 11, at 7 p.m. Everyone is welcome to attend,  there will be refreshments, it’s free, and I promise it will be over in less than an hour.
The library book club meets Tuesday, May 13, also at 7 p.m. This month’s  selection is The Postmistress by Sarah Blake. The book is set in the early days of World War II and shifts between American and Europe. If you enjoy reading about that period, you’ll want to pick this up. We always enjoy our discussions.
Family Fun Time continues to be held at the library on Wednesdays at 3:30 p.m. After some Mother’s Day crafts the first Wednesday of the month, plans are for some outdoor activities the rest of the month, weather permitting, of course.
The Festival of Tables held in April was once again a huge success. To see pictures, go to the fclaa blog.
Because of declining attendance, writers’ group will no longer meet. If there is any interest, it may resume in the fall.
Here’s the poem I wrote for our last meeting:

Maybe I’ll Write a Poem
If I could write a poem about spring,
Would it make me feel it were here?
Would I see a flock of robins out there
Instead of those hungry deer?
Would icicles on the picnic table
Magically all melt away?
Instead of white snow would I see green grass?
At least that’s what I will say.
I’d like to replace the biting north wind
For now with a southerly breeze.
By writing of flowers would I forget
That daily I’m ready to freeze?
Ah, spring, what a lovely season it is!
We know it will come here some day,
Not just in my poem, but actually,
At least by the end of May.

Just a reminder - the library will be closed on May 26 for Memorial Day.

Ric Sorenson display

Here is a sample of some of the work by Ric Sorenson, currently on exhibit at the Sorenson Gallery. There will be a special Celebration of the Arts on Saturday, April 26, from 4-6 p.m. with hors d'oeuvres and carrot cake. In addition to viewing the art of Ric Sorenson in the gallery, those in attendance will be able to see works by some of his former students in the upper gallery.

Festival of Tables

Art and Fun by Hannah and Teegan Noel

Camouflage Conglomeration by Terisa, Trevor and Tanner Vig

Shabby Chic Country Garden Wedding Affair by Carrie Nephew

Twelve in Twelve by Twelve Crazy Ladies

Beautiful Basic Brown by Gerry LaVoi

Salt & Pepper by Dorothy Killian, Gloria Steinbrenner & Mary Steinbrenner

Fosston Trivia by Bonnie Stewart and Laurel Skala

Best Friends by Grace Rue and Marian Riveland

Paws to Read by Tammi Jalowiec, Librarian, Fosston Public Library

Blissful Bride Wedding by Meghan Palubicki, The Red Poppy

French Country Farmhouse by Carol Danielson

Bohemian Rhapsody by Michelle Johnson

Red Wing Poetry by Jan Hanson

Bright & Cheerful: Poetry of Spring by Katlyn, Sydney, Mitzi and Marlys Balstad

Once again, the Festival of Tables was a successful fundraiser for the Fosston Community Library Arts Association and an enjoyable event for all who attended. 

Ah, April!

Ah, April! What a welcome thought after a long, cold winter! And if the long, cold winter seems to be continuing, there are plenty of activities scheduled at the Fosston Community Library Arts Center to take your mind off the less-than-spring like weather.
A sure sign of spring is the annual Festival of Tables, held at St. Mary’s Catholic Church as a fund-raiser for the FCLAA.  There will be beautifully set tables, a delicious lunch, and lots of door prizes. You best  buy your tickets in advance, as it’s usually a sell-out.  Call Kim Wilson (435-6753), Keri Mireault (218-230-5062) or the Fosston Library (435-1320).
On Sunday, April 27, at 3 p.m. (Surely it will be spring by then.), there will be a unique concert at the arts center, featuring Lauren Pelon. A vocalist and a performer on multiple instruments, Pelon will trace the story of music, performing music from around the  world. Instruments she plays include arch lute, lyre, gemshorn, schrierpfeife, concertina, hurdy-gurdy, eagle bone flute, and many more. This concert is co-sponsored by the FCLAA and Northern Exposure to Lifelong Learning.
A very special exhibit currently on display in the Sorenson Gallery features works by Ric Sorenson, longtime Fosston art teacher and FCLAA board member who passed away last October. The show will be up through the end of May with a reception the evening of April 26. Toward the end of the month, there will be a display in the upper gallery with work created by some of Sorenson’s former students.
April 6-12 has been designated as the Week of the Young Child. In observance of that, children attending story time on April 9 and 11 will each receive a free book.
The Mom to Mom group will be meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 22, to try some Zumba. That should be fun!
Fosston librarian Tammi Jalowiec plans to have a table at the health fair scheduled for April 17 at the high school. If you’re there, be sure to stop and say hello and find out what’s new at the Fosston Library.
Book club will meet Tuesday, April 8, at 7 p.m. (The Yada Yada Prayer Group - Neta Jackson) and writers’ group will meet on Thursday, April 24, at 7:30 p.m.
Looking ahead to May, Orland Aspen’s vocal students will present their spring recital on Sunday, May 4. The snow should be gone by then.

March at the Fosston Library Arts Center

The calendar is turning to March. Will that make a difference in the weather? Here’s hoping so; everyone I know is more than ready for spring. Last year at this time I could see a 10-foot icicle out my window. This winter has been too cold to even make icicles. However, the Fosston Community Library Arts Center continues to bring opportunities to distract ourselves from the cold weather.
You’ll be seeing a new face at the library as Erwin Rud will be helping out under the Experience Works program. A Fosston native, Rud lived and worked in the Twin Cities and Rochester areas for a number of years, returning to Fosston in 2007. He has a varied work experience in his past  - retail, health care, janitorial, and maybe a few other things as well.
The library staff is looking forward to his help.
There are several events scheduled for the month, including a program by Robert Halbrook, called “The Magic of Dr. Seuss,” on Friday, March 21, at 145 p.m.; a Mom to Mom program on crock-pot freezer meals on Thursday, March 6, at 6:30 p.m.; book club on Tuesday, March 11, at 7 p.m. discussing The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce; Fosston writers’ group on Thursday, March 27; and the third grade musical on Thursday and Friday, March 13 and 14, 7 p.m. both nights.
The Hot Reads for Cold Nights adult reading program continues through the month of March. It’s not too late for you to read or listen to four books and qualify for the prize drawing.
Also during the month of March the Food for Fines campaign will be in force. Bring in a non-perishable, non-expired food item and have $2 waived from your library fine. Food items will go to the local food shelf.
Coming up some time this month will be a new display in the Sorenson Gallery of works by Ric Sorenson. Watch for more information on this later.
Looking ahead to April, the annual Festival of Tables is scheduled for Saturday, April 12. Put it on your calendar.
If you have ideas, suggestions, complaints about what you might like to see done by the FCLAA, you may want to contact any of the current board members, so here is a list: Keri Mireault, Scott Wilson, Bonnie Stewart, Orland Aspen, Wonell Miller, Becky Overmoe, Jeanne Rains, Sarah Steinbrenner, Bernadette Sorenson, Sandy Johnson and Ray Miller. Or you may just want to thanks them for their service.