The Brainerd Jaycees $150,000 Kick-Off Party will be held on Friday, Feb 10 from 6 – 9pm at Grand View Lodge. There will be a beer and wine tasting, appetizers, live music, silent auction & more.  Tickets: $20 in advance (online @ icefishing.org., at an outlet or by mail), $25 at the door. 

Partners for a Healthy Wadena Region, a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization, will once again be holding its annual Evening of Wine and Chocolate fund- raising event to benefit The Depot on Saturday, February 11th at 7 p.m. – 11 p.m. The event will be held at the historic Wadena Depot.  It’s a fabulous evening of eclectic wine tasting, gourmet chocolates, decadent desserts, appetizers and ales.  Tickets are $25 per person in advance and $30 at the door and are available by calling 218-849-6087.

17th annual MN Vikings Arctic Blast will be Fri & Sat., Feb 11 & 12th for the Vikings Children’s Fund.  Register online at Vikings.com.  For more info call 952-828-6577.

Linden Hill in Little Falls presents
"Minnesota Homefront, World War II," a traveling exhibit, will be on view from now through March 11.  Hours are 9:00am - 3:00pm daily.  Minnesota Historical Society Traveling Exhibits Programs are made possible by the Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund. 

The Lakes Area Youth Soccer Association (LAYSA) will host open gym sessions on Sundays in January, February and March for all interested soccer players who want to learn skills and play pick-up games.You do not have to be a LAYSA member to participate. All skill levels are welcome. Session One will run Sundays in January and session Two will run Sundays, Feb. 26 and March 11 and 18, in the Forestview Middle School gym. Ages 7-12 will play from 1-2 p.m. Ages 13-17 will play from 2-3 p.m. Cost is $2 per day, paid at the door. For more information, go to laysasoccer.org.

The Cass County Economic Development Corporation has new, shorter workshops for the winter!  The lab is open Monday – Thursday from 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM daily.  The workshops are offered to get new users over to the Central Lakes College Outreach Site in Pine River.  The following workshops available through January:  “Excel worksheets and formatting,” “Creating newsletters and brochures,” “Writing a resume,” “Microsoft Outlook,” “Saving/scanning photos” and “Creating a mail merge database” are new workshops.  Give a call for specific times and to reserve a spot for the free workshops – 218-947-7523 or 218-587-2474.  Central Lakes College students are invited to use the computer lab for internet based classes.  Check http://www.clcmn.edu/ for their class listing. 

New shorter workshops are available for winter months at the computer lab.  Excel, Website Development and Outlook are some of the choices to introduce new users to the CLC Outreach Site in Pine River.  Call now to reserve a spot for one of the free workshops – 218-947-7523 or 218-587-2474.  Limit of 5 participants. 

Pine River – Backus Community Education is looking for instructors and new class ideas for the Winter season (Jan -  March).  Contact the Pine River – Backus Community Ed at 218-587-2080.

The 15th annual Pierz Knights of Columbus/American Cancer Society Buffalo Raffle will take place on Sat., Jan 28th at 8:15pm at the Pierz Ballroom. The Buffalo feed will be held from 4:30 – 8:00pm.  Raffle tickets for great prizes are available for purchase at $10 from any KC Members.  Half of the proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society

The Brainerd Family YMCA is holding a Red Cross Lifeguard Training class. The course will meet Friday Feb. 17, Saturday Feb. 18, Sunday Feb. 19, Saturday Feb. 25 and Sunday Feb. 26. Stop by the Brainerd Family YMCA at 602 Oak St. for a complete class schedule and to register.  Course includes CPR for the Professional Rescuer and First Aid Training. Cost including books and CPR mask is $210.00. Register soon, class size is limited. Deadline: February 3rd. For more information, stop in the Brainerd YMCA (602 Oak St) for an informational flyer, see flyer online at brainerdlakesymca.org or contact Jane at (218) 829-4767.

THINK! Trivia Night will be held on Fri., Feb 24th at Grand View Lodge.  Cost is $30 per person, includes trivia, prizes & snacks.  Event is hosted by Junior Achievement of the Upper Midwest, Inc. For more info call 218-825-2308 or check out the website at 222.jaum.org.

Are you, or someone you know, in need of a new roof, furnace, windows, insulation or other essential housing repairs?  Do you live in the city limits of Hackensack or Walker?  Do you have low to moderate annual income?  If you answered yes to these questions, you may be eligible for grant funding for these repairs through the Small Cities program.  Grants of up to $20,000 are available for a limited time.  Eligible applicants must own and live in their homes and be low income households.  A healthy housing stock will help in recruiting new business to the area, so the Cass County Economic Development Corporation and Bi-Cap have partnered on this project.  If you are interested and would like to apply, please call Danette at Bi-Cap, 218-333-9848.  (through Feb 29)

Special Olympics Minnesota Polar Bear Plunge: Brainerd

Date: Saturday, March 3, 2012
Time: 1:00 PM
Venue: Breezy Point Resort, Pequot Lakes, MN
Website: http://www.plungemn.org

Register now for the Lakes Area Youth Soccer Association's summer travel program and you'll have the option to pay in three installments. The travel program is for children who turn 8 on or before July 31, 2012, to17. Participants practice 1 to 3 times per week from April through mid-July. Teams play in up to 4 out-of-town weekend tournaments; ages 9-11 will play in the second annual Brainerd Lakes Area Soccer Tournament on June 30-July1. Registration fees, which include coaching fees, are $99 for ages 9-12, $199 for ages 13-14, and $299 for ages 15-17. Registrations submitted by credit card by January 31 will have the option to pay in three installments. There will be an additional $60 fee for new uniforms this year. Participants are responsible for own travel expenses. Go to www.laysasoccer.org to register and to take advantage of the installment payment option!
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Wk of Jan 30 – Feb 5

Jodi Schwen, editor-in-chief of the Lake Country Journal Magazine, will share insight from her award-winning, 14-year writing career Tuesday, Jan 31st at 3:30 p.m. at Central Lakes College in Brainerd.   “Sparking Your Creativity,” is part of the series hosted by the Center for Lifelong Learning based at CLC. The program will be held in room E151 near Entrance No. 6 (Business and Industry Center).  The speaker series hosted by the Center for Lifelong Learning is offered at no charge to those who become members of the public enrichment enterprise. Otherwise, admission is $5. For information, contact Bill Brekken, coordinator, at (218) 855-8146

 

 

Cass County Childhood Immunization Clinics:

02/01-Wed at the Pine River Family Center from 9:30 – 11:30am
02/08-Wed at the North Alliance Church in Remer from 10 – 12pm
02/21-Tue at the Family Resource Center in Pillager from 10 -12pm & 1-2:30pm
**For more info call 218-547-1340.

There will be a Crow Wing County Voting Rights Forum on Thur., Feb 2nd at the Central Lakes College Students Cafeteria from 6:30 – 8:30pm.  The purpose of this forum is to help you better understanding of the law concerning a person’s right to vote. Sponsored by the Crow Wing County Attorney & Crow Wing County Auditor/ Treasure’s Office.


MN Dental Association will be sponsoring the 10th year of free dental care for children on Thu, Fri & Sat., Feb 2, 3 & 4th with Give Kids a Smile.  People interested in scheduling an appointment for kids 18 & younger can call United Way at 2-1-1, or statewide toll-free at 1-800-543-7709.  To see a list of clinics providing care go to MN Dental dot org.

UCare knows that Medicare can be confusing, so we have designed our free seminars with you and your questions in mind. We’ll break down the information and provide you with the facts, so you can make informed healthcare decisions that are right for you.  Let us know you’re coming. Because seating is limited, your RSVP is required. Please reply online at www.ucare.org/registration or call toll-free to register or for more information: 1-877-523-1518.

WHEN and WHERE: 
         Thursday, February 2nd:   3:30 p.m. Lakes Senior Center, 803 Kingwood St., Brainerd
         Tuesday, February 7th:      5:00 p.m. Carnegie Library, 108 3rd St. NE, Little Falls


Brighter Days Foundation Social & Silent Auction will be held on Fri., Feb 3rd from 6 – 11pm at the Legacy Golf Course Club House.  The evening’s theme ‘Give from the Heart’ will include a silent auction, social hour, dinner, live auction and a DJ with dancing.  Help support sick kids in Crow Wing County.  Tickets for the event are $50 each (including dinner) and may be purchased by contacting Jeanni at 218-330-8682 or Holly at BrighterDaysFound@gmail.com


There will be a benefit for Eva Mudgett on Sat., Feb 4th.  It is a free will offering.  From 1 – 4pm, spaghetti feed & silent auction which will be held at the Pillager School.  From 4 – 8pm it’s a live auction and live music along with a bounce house and games for the kids at the Pillager Community Center.  Proceeds will go to help Eva and her family offset the cost of medical bills and expenses incurred from traveling to and from the cities for Chemo.

The Cuyuna Range Ice Fishing Contest & Cuyuna Range Scorpion Snowmobile Homecoming will be on Sat., Feb 4th from 12 – 3pm on Serpent Lake. Tickets for the Ice Fish Contest are $10 which entitles the holder to two holes and some great prizes. Tickets are on sale at Oars N Mine, C-I Courier and the Cuyuna Lakes Chamber office.  For more info call the Cuyuna Range Chamber of Commerce - 218-546-8131.

The Crosslake Firemen's Relief Association will hold a pancake breakfast on Saturday, February 4 from 7:30am - Noon at the Crosslake Lutheran Church.  Adults $7.00 with children under 10, $5.00. Proceeds used to update firefighter gear and equipment. 

Please join the Eagle's Nest Baptist Church as they celebrate moving from a mission to an official church at our Constitution Service on Sunday, Feb.5th at 2:00pm.  There will be refreshment following the service.  Eagle’s Nest is  located at 6714 County Rd. 11, just across of the Eagle's View Elementary School.  

Wk of Feb 6 – 12

There will be a Men’s Club Spaghetti Supper at Park United Methodist Church in Brainerd on Tue., Feb 7th from 4:30 – 7pm.  Cost for adults $8 & under 12 will be $5.

In observance of Black History Month, the Central Lakes College Diversity Leadership Council and Minnesota Department of Human Rights on Tuesday, Feb. 7 will host a free, public presentation, “The Dream Alive,” as a tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement. The 90-minute presentation starts at 10 a.m. in the Brainerd campus gymnasium at CLC.  Joe Rogers, who served as the youngest lieutenant governor in the United States during his time in Colorado, presents the moving remembrance.

The Acting Company will make Central Lakes College the first stop of its 2012 tour to perform Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” at 7:30 p.m. on Wed., Feb. 8 in Chalberg Theatre on the Brainerd campus.  Ticket prices for “Julius Caesar” $10, $20, or $25 depending upon location of seating. Tickets are for assigned seats. For full ticket details and seating charts, visit www.clctickets.com.  For information call (218) 855-8199 or email clctheatre@clcmn.edu

Lamplighter Community Theatre’s winter production “A Night of Theatre” to be presented at 7:30 p.m., Feb. 9, 10, 17 and 18, and at 2:30 p.m. Feb. 12, at the Landmark Inn, 631 3rd Ave. NE, Staples.  All seats are general admission and a limited number are available for each performance. Doors will open one hour before each show. Tickets include a glass of wine or juice, cheese, crackers, cookies, coffee or water. Tickets are available at Miller True Value, the Staples World and from cast members. For information call 218-894-1112.

The Grassroots Concert Series will present the first spring concert on Friday, Feb 10th at the Live Well Nightclub & Coffee Bar at the Journey North Church in Nisswa.  Enjoy Steve Kaul & The Brass Kings.  Admission is $10 at the door for adults and kids $5, ages 12 & under.  Doors open at 6:30pm with the show starting at 7:30pm.  For more info go to Grass Roots Concert dot org.

The Brainerd Jaycees $150,000 Kick-Off Party will be held on Friday, Feb 10 from 6 – 9pm at Grand View Lodge. There will be a beer and wine tasting, appetizers, live music, silent auction & more.  Tickets: $20 in advance (online @ icefishing.org., at an outlet or by mail), $25 at the door. 

The 33rd Annual Holy Family Parish Fishing Derby will be held on Bulldog Lake on Saturday, February 11 from 12:30pm - 2:00pm.  There will be on-ice prizes during fishing, a log sawing contest and in general, fun for the whole family.  Holes will be drilled at no cost.

Billy McLaughlin and Electric String Quartet will perform on the Staples Motley Area Arts Council’s concert series at Centennial Auditorium in Staples on Sat., February 11, at 7:30 PM.   Tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for students in advance, $15 and $7 at the door.  For more information, check out the Arts Council’s website at www.staplesmotleyarts.org or call 218.894.2497.

There will be a used book sale, soup & luncheon at Park United Methodist Church in Brainerd on Sat., Feb 11th from 10 – 2pm.  Books for all ages.

Partners for a Healthy Wadena Region, a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization, will once again be holding its annual Evening of Wine and Chocolate fund- raising event to benefit The Depot on Saturday, February 11th at 7 p.m. – 11 p.m. The event will be held at the historic Wadena Depot.  It’s a fabulous evening of eclectic wine tasting, gourmet chocolates, decadent desserts, appetizers and ales.  Tickets are $25 per person in advance and $30 at the door and are available by calling 218-849-6087.

17th annual MN Vikings Arctic Blast will be Fri & Sat., Feb 11 & 12th for the Vikings Children’s Fund.  Register online at Vikings.com.  For more info call 952-828-6577.