New Display in the Gallery

Michelle Curfman’s photography is now on display in the Sorenson Gallery. She has beautiful pictures, most of them taken in the local area - Fosston’s Thompson Field, Sand Hill Lake, Cross Lake, and Lengby. Some have been digitally enhanced with mats and words added; others are unaltered. Several of them are available for purchase, so come in and take a look at them.

February at the Fosston Library Arts Center

After a cold and snowy January, I suspect that most of us are quite happy to turn the calendar to February. Not only does February bring Groundhog Day, a reminder that winter may end in six weeks, but there are also some exciting events scheduled at the Fosston Community Library Arts Center.
Lonnie Dupre, polar explorer and Arctic adventurer, is scheduled to speak on Wednesday, Feb. 16, at 7 p.m. Dupre, who is from Grand Marais, has traveled more than 14,000 miles in the Arctic by dog sled, on skis, on foot and by kayak. The latest report had him coming down from an attempt to scale Mt. McKinley, so hopefully he gets back from there and will be in Fosston to tell us all about it.
On Thursday, Feb. 24, also at 7 p.m., Jim Haney, his wife Bonnie, and Jason Thorstad will present a concert of Irish music. The Haneys are members of Poitin, which calls itself “the band from County Fargo.” Here’s an opportunity to learn a little about Irish history and culture and listen to some enjoyable music. Both these events are supported with money from the Minnesota Arts & Cultural Heritage fund.
The FCLAA had its annual meeting on January 12 and two new members were elected, Bob Saeter and Wonell Miller. They are replacing Carol Hagen and myself.
While neither Bob nor Wonell have served on the FCLAA board before, they have both been involved in its theater productions in the past, Bob having been music director for several of the early musicals and Wonell appearing in a number of plays through the years, starting when she was in grade school.
Although Bob graduated from high school in Bagley, he as lived in Fosston since 1968, when he came here to be the high school band director, a position he held for 26 years. Since 1995 he has been owner/manager of the Super 8 Motel. He and his wife Lora Lee have been married since 1970. They have four grown children and seven grandchildren. In serving on the board, he hopes to see the music program continue and to bring in more performers.
Wonell grew up in Fosston, but lived elsewhere for a number of years, starting when she attended college at Moorhead State (now MSUM). After some time in Arizona, Fargo, Oakes and Wahpeton, North Dakota, she, along with her husband Ray Miller and their four sons, moved back to Fosson in 2003. She teaches first grade at Magelsson Elementary in Fosston and in her spare time, if she can find any, enjoys writing, sewing, painting and drawing. She said she is honored to be asked to serve on the board and is looking forward to doing that.

Other February events
Facebook workshop - Monday, Feb. 7 , 11 a.m.
Un-Valentine teen party - Monday, Feb. 14 at 4
Family Fun Time - Wednesdays at 4 p.m
Valentine Crafts and cookies - February 9
Bingo - February 16
Toy Story Time - February 23

December Darkness

The dark days of December are upon us.
The stingy sun appears for ever decreasing times
As the days continue to shorten.
The cold grips the earth,
And life outdoors becomes treacherous.
But the snow blankets the ground,
Sparkling to make a little light brighter.
Even at night, the whiteness is there,
Reflecting streetlights, moon or stars,
Keeping darkness from overtaking us completely.
Can we too be reflections of the Son?
Let your light so shine among men.

January at the Fosston Library Arts Center

Happy 2011! May the coming year be a good one for all of you. The Fosston Library is starting out the new year with a new look. The carpeting has been replaced and there are some changes in layout as well. As I write, there are still some details that need to be finished up, but they should be completed this month.
There’s nothing better in January than curling up by the fire with a book, and if you participate in the Hot Reads for Cold Nights adult reading program at the library, you might even win a prize for doing just that. Sign up now - the program runs through February 28. For every four books read, you have a chance at the prize drawing. Audio books also count.
You’ll want to make one of your book choices Vermilion Drift by Minnesota author William Kent Krueger, who lives and writes in St. Paul. It’s the Community Read selection for this year, and the author himself will make an appearance later this winter. Vermilion Drift is the tenth book in the Cork O’Connor series, mystery novels set in Minnesota’s north woods. There will be multiple copies available at the library.
On Thursday and Friday, January 13 and 14, author/illustrator Carrie Hartman will be at the elementary school as well as having a presentation at the Fosston Community Library Arts Center on Thursday evening at 7 p.m. Hartman teaches at the Minneapolis College of Art & Design and is also a freelance illustrator of children’s books. Some of her work will be on display at the library in the days prior to her presentation.
The FCLAA annual meeting will be held Wednesday, January 12, at 7 p.m. at the library. All FCLAA members are welcome to attend this meeting, as well as anyone who is interested in joining.
The Fosston writers’ group will meet on Thursday, January 27, at 7:30 p.m. If you’re interested, call Alison Melgren at 218-289-4969 for more information or simply show up at the meeting. The writers’ group does have a Facebook page so you can check that for postings also.
Just a reminder: the library will be closed in Monday, January 17, in observance of Martin Luther King’s birthday.

New Carpet for the Library

There’s a big project coming up soon at the library - new carpet. As you can imagine, recarpeting a library is a major project, as it involves moving all those books. However, it needs to be done. The original carpeting was incorrectly installed and has become somewhat of a hazard, with loose patches creating a very uneven walking surface in spots. New carpeting has already been installed in the Sorenson Gallery and in the foyer to the theater - a great improvement.
The library will be closed Friday, December 17, through Tuesday, December 21, while this work is being completed. During that time, the McIntosh Library will have extended hours to provide service to Fosston Library users. It will be open Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

December at the Library Arts Center

With the landscape transformed into a winter wonderland by the recent snow, December is upon us, and Christmas will be here before we know it. Get into a holiday mood by attending a Christmas program at the Fosston Community Library Arts Center. On Sunday evening, December 5, at 7 p.m. Orland Aspen’s vocal students will present their Christmas recital with a variety of beautiful Yuletide tunes. The program is free, and refreshments will be served.
If you are looking ahead to the new year and are thinking you might like an opportunity to volunteer your time and talents, I have a suggestion for you. The FCLAA board will be needing four new members in January. This board supervises the various activities sponsored by the FCLAA - gallery, theater, music, and lectures, as well as helping to promote the Fosston Library. Meetings are held at 5:30 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each month. If you think you might be interested, contact me (435-6710) or Keri Mireault (435-6675) for more information.
The writers’ group did not meet in November because of the Thanksgiving holiday. However, it will meet on Thursday, December 2, at 7:30 p.m. in the Sorenson Gallery. New members are welcome, so if you have an interest in writing, whether for publication or just for your own enjoyment, come and check us out.
Other December activities at the library include some special after school children’s activities at 4 p.m. Wednesdays on the 8th and the 15th. These will be led by the library’s teenaged volunteers.
The Polk County Traveling Coffee Shop will make a stop at the Fosston Library on Monday, Dec. 20, 11:30 a.m.- 12:30 p.m. Parents are invited to have a free cup of coffee, latte or cappuccino and meet Sue Thompson, Community Facilitator for Parent Community Network and Chemical Free Polk County.
If you think your children are buying you a computer for Christmas, you may want to sign up for the free basic computer training at the library. The classes are offered on the second and fourth Monday of each month at 11 a.m. Call the library (435-1320) to pre-register.

As we move into November, the Fosston Community Library Arts Association has some exciting news: We will receive a $9,360 arts grant award from the Northwest Regional Development Commission. The money is designated for the purpose of setting up a music recording/studio training facility.
Music committee members Eric Olson and Mark Hendrickson had the vision to pursue this opportunity and will be working to implement it. The plan is to purchase a portable, lap-top based recording system,which uses Pro Tools software. It can then be used not just for our music students to make recordings, but also can be taken off-site. When the equipment is up and running, classes will be offered in its use, taught by Eric Olson, who says it can be used to record not only music, but also family stories and oral history and also pod casts. How exciting!
November is also National Gaming Month. Every Wednesday during November at 4 p.m., there will be an opportunity to play different games (no batteries required). The finale, on Nov. 24, will be a Twister tournament. There will also be a family gaming night on Thursday, Nov. 18, from 4-8 p.m. Choose from a variety of games, including card games, board games or dice games, or bring your own favorite game (non-electronic).
Free movies at the library continue in November with a kids’ matinee on Monday, Nov. 22, and a teen matinee on Tuesday, Nov. 23, both at 3:30 p.m.
The Polk County Traveling Coffee Shop comes to the library the third Monday of each month 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Enjoy a free cup of coffee, latte or cappuccino while learning about the various resources the county has for school-age children and their parents.
A Winter Wonderland family get-together is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Wednesday, December 1. The whole family is invited to make decorations, trim the tree, and drink cider.
The writers’ group will not meet in November because of Thanksgiving. However, they do plan to meet Thursday, Dec. 2, at 7:30 p.m. New members are welcome at any time, so if you want to write, come and join us.
The library will be closed on Thursday, November 11, in observance of Veterans Day, and on Thursday, November 25, for Thanksgiving Day.