Featured Areavoices

On May 15th I took 57 students in Grades 3-6 to the YaYa Conference at The College ofSt. Benedicts. It is a conference for young author's and artists. The keynote speaker was Katie McKy. She has written numerous articles for magazines and children's books. She is the author of the childrens book Pumpkin Town. ...

Today has given me a few "wow" moments. I feel like I have won the lottery! I had the pleasure of waking up to Skype with Gavin. This started the day off correctly. We had a little chat about how he misses hearing the cardinals and that it wouldn't be long until he is waking up to them singing for him in Minnesota! After our Skype, I have been watching and viewing Mother Nature at its finest! ...

We have had some calls about impatiens downy mildew this spring. We have no idea if this will be a problem again this year. This is a disease that results in severe defoliation and flower drop of impatiens. It was first observed in Minnesota in 2011 and again in 2012. If you grew impatiens last summer, you may have noticed that some plants were stunted, turned yellow, and soon became barre...

If you're looking for a basil plant, or oregano, or even rosemary, you can pretty much announce this on the city sidewalks and someone will shove one of these into your hand, but if you want a tarragon plant, even a visit to a proper nursery doesn't ensure that you'll get one. This last week, Tired of Being Youngest has been on a quest for this anise-flavored herb, and so desperate are we th...

With year round exposure to sun, rain and lets not forget that four letter word that plagued us for the last seven months.snow, in our neck of the woods it takes a toll on your wood deck. Anyone who has a wooden deck knows that sitting on it is much more enjoyable when it is sparkling clean and properly stain and sealed. Your deck will start to look old, gray and battered when it is in need o...

When I tell people that I am a Professional Organizer, their response is usually the same, "boy do I need you in my house!" and they laugh. So it got me thinking about what some of the things are that are stopping people from taking that next step and hiring me. 1. They are too embarrassed. Without a doubt when I walk into someone's house they always say that they are sure that theirs is the w...

If wading or fishing from shore along a small stream is your preference, you might want to put Turtle River State Park on your places-to-go-list in the next couple of weeks. Park Manager Steve Crandall emailed to say the North Dakota Game and Fish Department stocked about 1,400 Shasta-strain rainbow trout into the Turtle River earlier this week. The rainbows weigh about a half-pound each. I...

With garden season vastly upon us, here are some murder mysteries that just happen to take place in the garden. Amendment of Life by Catherine Aird Available in the Pioneerland Library System When a body is found in the center of a Tudor-era yew maze, Detective Inspector C. D. Sloan is placed in charge of a disturbingly complex case. Aunt Dimity and the Duke byNancy Atherton Available at the ...

Americans are uncomfortable with their financial situation and don't want to talk about it. According to AVIVA USA and the Mayo Clinic wellness survey. Aviva and Mayo Clinic surveyed2,000 U.S. adults on their financial preparations and health habits to determine the affects on their overall well being.   "Many people choose to ignore rather than address their financial wellness" said Mi...

The Kandiyohi Area Family YMCA has, throughout its short history, been a leader. During the past twelve years, the YMCA has achieved recognition and earned a reputation as one of the leading human social service agencies in our area. Programs and services of the Y have continued to grow and meet the needs and demands of our changing community. The new century and the new decade have brought ne...

Did you check to see how popular your name is? Last week the Social Security Administration announced the most popular baby names nationally for 2012. For years after 1879 you can learn the national popularity of a given name by percentage of births or actual number of times used.Go to http://www.socialsecurity.gov/OACT/babynames/. Today the 100 most popular names by individual state were rev...

Since the Wild and Wolves are done, and the Twins have settled into a pleasantly surprising run of mediocrity, my sports thoughts turn to the Vikings. Today let's take a tour through their upcoming schedule and see if we can figure out exactly what will happen this season. I make no guarantees, other than that everything I predict here will come true, down to every last minute detail. Week 1 @...

I took up running in college and continued through medical school and residency. I did a few 10Ks and even took a short run during my lunch break for the MCAT exam. Crazy. I cant believe I did that, but it did seem to refresh my mind for the next long test session. I always ran solo, and usually without music, using my journeys as time to think. I once was so busy thinking I ran 13 milesdouble ...

"Moscow": Before arriving in Russia, the word and the place brought to mind many images and thoughts...Red Square, onion-domed cathedrals, the center of communism in the 20th century, and the Kremlin to name but a few. What I have found after numerous visits to Moscow is an international city of contrasts, not unlike Russia as a whole. On the one hand a thriving, modern metropolis of 15 million...

It isn't too late to register to participate in the 27th annual Hawk Ridge Birdathon, which will be held this Saturday, May 18. The object is to count as many bird species as you can within the 24-hour period throughout St. Louis County for a chance to win great prizes. All proceeds raised will help support the research and education programs of Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory. A compilation brunch...