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Park & Rec Report

Rec Center closing announcement/update: The Rec Center will be closing on designated dates through the end of construction; expected late summer: March 29 thru construction – Racquetball Courts CLOSED April 3 & 10 (Saturday) – hours will be 7 a.m.-12 noon April 4 – Rec Center closed for Easter holiday April 12 – Remainder of Rec Center campus CLOSED thru construction April 12-18 Fitness Equipment will be relocated to the Civic Center, 1212 N. Franklin St. April 19 – Civic Center will be open for Fitness equipment use, classes and walking Red Cross Lifeguard ...

Looking for the luck of the Irish when it comes to St. Patrick’s Day collectibles

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated each year on March 17 in the United States, but collectors found few postcards, greeting cards or objects to collect before 1900. The first St. Patrick’s Day parade is said to have taken place in 1601 in St. Augustine, Florida. But a major event is the New York City parade, which started in 1762. St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was born in Roman Britain and kidnapped in the late fourth century, when he was 14 years old. He was taken to Ireland as a slave, but he escaped in 431 A.D. and converted the Irish to Christianity. Parties, dances, ...

Off the Shelf: Wordless picture books

Did you know that sharing a wordless picture book can be a powerful way to build important literacy skills? Wordless picture books are books without text that rely solely on the pictures to convey the story. They are often dismissed as being too easy for any age reader. But they are outstanding tools to promote comprehension, vocabulary, listening skills, and they aid in the understanding of character development and story structure. A good reader needs good comprehension skills. They need to remember what has already happened and be able to predict what may happen next. Wordless ...

Public Health Corner: Small changes matter when it comes to your health

With spring coming and gardening plans being made it is a good time to think about how we can all make informed food choices and develop sound eating and physical activity habits that we can follow all year long. Check out these 10 tips: Eat Breakfast. Start your day with a healthy breakfast that includes lean protein, whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Make Half Your Plate Fruits and Vegetables. Fruits and veggies add color, flavor and texture plus vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber to your plate. Make 2 cups of fruit and 2 ½ cups of vegetables your daily goal. Watch ...

Family Living Focus: Simple tips to slimmer waists

Everyone knows that eating right and exercising are the keys to weight control. But not everyone knows these tips to help make your efforts pay off fast. Eat Breakfast. It is true – regular meals and occasional low-cal snacks help prevent the “famine-then-feast” syndrome. For a great start, fill up first thing with high-fiber cereal, whole-grain bread or fresh fruit. Bite into a Pickle or Lemon. The advantage to biting into a pickle or a lemon is that neither has any calories to speak of, and the sour taste will curb your appetite. If you don’t have either available, ...

In Appreciation

Minnesota Brain Injury Force Receives Feed the Children Donations Minnesota Brain Injury Force, Inc. (MNBIF) has received donations from Feed the Children, Inc. MNBIF received four pallets in October of 2020 and five pallets in January of 2021. The pallets included cleaning and office supplies, blenders, student chairs and miscellaneous items. Thanks to D & A Trucking of New Ulm, who donated their resources to haul the pallets from Plymouth to their New Ulm loading dock. In 2017 MN Brain Injury Force, Inc. applied and was approved as a partner agency of Feed the Children. MNBIF ...