April and paintings by Debbi Jean Aune

April this year is looking a little different than it has many times in the past. When I look out my window, I do not see any green, but there is no white snow either. I am hoping for some April showers to alleviate the drought we seem to be in, but I am not particularly good at predicting the weather. I can, however, bring your attention to some good things available at the Fosston Community Library Arts Center. Currently in the Sorenson Gallery there is a display of plein air watercolor paintings by Debbie Jean Aune, who lives in the Gatzke area with her husband Elroy. A graduate of Bemidji State University, Aune has been teaching art full-time in the Greenbush Middle River school district since 1994. There are paintings done by Debbie while on a road trip last summer to Devil’s Tower and several paintings of Northwest Minnesota grain elevators. Having lived in at least a couple of places where the grain elevator was the most impressive structure in town, I found those particularly interesting. There will be an artist’s reception for Debbie later in the month. Watch for more information. The FLCAA is moving forward for plans for its children’s summer arts and theater programs. Watch for more information on that too. While the library is still not offering in-person story time, there are weekly virtual story times now available. Your children are invited to join Kai from Moorhead or Eliza from Detroit Lakes for songs and stories streamed live on the LARL Facebook page each Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. The recording of the presentation will be available, so if you miss the 10:30 time (or your child wants to watch it again), just check that Facebook page. One Book/One Minnesota is a statewide book club that invites Minnesotans to read a common title and come together for a virtual discussion with the author. The current book is Slider by Pete Hautman. This is a novel aimed at middle-grade readers about David, who can eat an entire 16-inch pizza in four minutes and 36 seconds and plans to compete in the world’s greatest pizza eating contest. To obtain a copy of the book and to register for the virtual discussion to be held Wednesday, April 21, at 1 p.m., go the LARL website (larl.org). If you already have the Libby app on your phone, you can now borrow magazines with it as well as eBooks and audiobooks. If you don’t have it, you might want to get it. It’s the one-tap reading app from the library.

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.

The Art of the Dress

Wedding fashions from years gone by:

January 2021!

2021 – a new year! Whether it is better than 2020 remains to be seen; we can only hope so. Last January no one would have predicted how the past year would unfold. Despite many challenges, the Fosston Community Library Arts Association, together with the Lake Agassiz Regional Library, continues its mission of investing in our community by fostering an environment for creative expression by bringing culture, lifelong learning and a spirit of inspiration to our community. On Wednesday, January 13, the FCLAA will hold its annual meeting at 6:30 p.m. If you are a member of the FCLAA or if you are interested in becoming one, you are welcome at attend. The FCLAA board is responsible for overseeing the various areas of programing at the arts center, in the areas of music, lectures, gallery and theater. In addition, there is a property committee. These five committees are always interested in having new members, so if you would like to be involved in the promoting the arts in our local area, you are welcome to join. This year’s meeting will be held virtually, so if you would like to attend, please e-mail hello@fclaa.org and you will be sent a link to the meeting. In library news, the winter Book Blizzard will run from January 1 – February 28. Pick up a reading log at the library or try the virtual Books Like Us Challenge at larl.org/bookblizzard . For every four books you read (or listen to) you will have a chance to win a fabulous prize. If you are going to be reading anyway, you might as well sign up. The gallery exhibit “Art of the Dress” is still on hold because of COVID-19 guidelines. Hopefully, the gallery may reopen sometime this month. Remember, if you do not feel comfortable coming into the library in person, library staff is willing to do home deliveries within Fosston city limits. Call the library at 435-1320 with your requests or simply ask the librarian to pick something out for you. Also, there are story time kits available for checkout with several different themes with both books and activities. If your little ones are missing the library story time, this is the do-it-yourself version. The FCLAA wants to thank everyone who attended the online Christmas production and gives a special thank you to director Abby Pearson, her cast and crew. Everyone has had to learn to be adaptable this past year. The library will be closed on Monday, January 18, in observance of Martin Luther King Day.

December is here!

And once again we have December, proving anew that time goes fast even when we are not having fun. I know this pandemic is getting tiresome with all the restrictions and changes to our lives, but time marches on, and we will get through this. Through the magic of technology, the Fosston Community Library Arts Association has some upcoming events to help you take your mind off your troubles. The theater production of “Every Christmas Story Ever Told and Then Some” has been rescheduled for Friday and Saturday, Dec. 18-19, and will be a livestream performance. Here is a little synopsis: “Instead of performing Charles Dicken’s beloved holiday classic for the umpteenth time, three actors decide to perform every Christmas story ever told – plus Christmas traditions from around the world, seasonal icons from ancient times to topical pop-culture, and every carol ever sung.” It should be great fun. Watch for details on the FCLAA website and Facebook page on how to watch. The Lake Agassiz Regional Library system, with funding from the Minnesota Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund, is sponsoring a virtual presentation by author Lin Enger on Tuesday, Dec. 8, at 7 p.m. Enger will discuss his new book American Gospel, which explores the United States’s obsession with apocalypse and the ways which religious extremists use fear and lies to manipulate. He is a Minnesota author and currently teaches English at Minnesota State University Moorhead. He is the brother of novelist Leif Enger. The presentation can be accessed by going to the LARL Facebook page. The other good news is that the library continues to be open its regular hours. Curbside pickup is also available if you do not feel comfortable going inside. While there is currently no preschool storytime, Storytime to Go kits are available for checkout. Each kit contains five books plus some related activities or crafts. For more information feel free to call the library at 435-1320. The Sorenson Gallery is currently closed. The Art of the Dress exhibit has been rescheduled for January. And, of course, the library will be closed on December 24 and 25 for Christmas. It will also close at 5 on New Year’s Eve and will be closed New Year’s Day.

November - Let Us Be Thanksful

November – let us be thankful for what we have in these uncertain times, and especially that the Fosston Community Library Arts Association is continuing to function, and the Fosston Library continues to be open for its normal schedule. If you have been in the library, you may not even have noticed that there is a new employee. Jill Rose is not new to the Fosston Library, having worked as a sub here (also in Gonvick and Bagley) for seven years. Now, however, she will be here on a regular basis. After growing up in Illinois and living in Missouri, Ohio, Indiana and Wisconsin, Jill and her husband David, who has Rosewood Construction, moved to Minnesota in 2003, hoping to find a place where winter was really winter and not mud season. Apparently, they found what they wanted, as they have lived on their place north of Gonvick since 2006. A graduate of Central Lincoln Christian University in Lincoln, Illinois, Jill worked at Deer Creek Church in University Park, Illinois, as an administrative assistant before her marriage. She homeschooled her five children, who are now all young adults. She enjoys reading and sewing, and her favorite part of working at the library is helping people find what they are looking for. Beginning November 9, the Art of the Dress will be in the Sorenson Gallery. This unique collection of wedding dresses from the late 1800s and early 1900s is sponsored by the East Polk County Heritage Center. The FCLAA winter theater production has seen a change as to the play. “Every Christmas Story Even Told (and Then Some!” will be presented in December. The cast of three has been selected and rehearsals will begin soon. Watch for more information about dates and tickets. Although the library is unable to hold the large scale used book sale normally held in October, there are still many used books for sale. Look for the table in the lobby as well as the shelves right inside the door. Nothing costs more than a dollar. While you are in the library, be sure to notice the new tables and chairs, donated by Ultima Bank. The 30-inch round tables make social distancing easy, and they are quite attractive. Lake Agassiz Regional Library is sponsoring two Legacy events during November. On Friday, Nov. 13, at 10 a.m., Lalo’s Lunchbox will provide comedy and sing-alongs for children aged three and up. Then on Thursday, Nov. 19, at 7 p.m., Professor Emeritus Dr. Mark Chekola from MSUM will share about the Red River Rainbow Seniors oral history project entitled “Breaking Barriers: Harvesting LGBTQ Stories from the Northern Plains. Just a reminder: The library will be closed for Veterans Day on Wednesday, Nov. 11, and for Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26. It will close at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 25, but will be open regular hours on Friday, Nov. 27.