Enterprise Dispatch Blog

Need a hint for the mystery photo?

Kristen Miller — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 16:38:59 +0000

This week’s mystery photo was taken of a former business in Dassel.

Watch for color-banded nesting purple martins

roz kohls staff writer — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 19:10:18 +0000

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is asking observers to contact the agency if they spot any of the color-banded nestling purple martins at colonies near Willmar, Brainerd, Mille Lacs Lake, St. Cloud and Rice.
The purpose of the banding is to study the dispersal and survival of the young martins after they fledge, their fidelity to their natal colonies, their long-term survival, and their lifetime productivity.
All banded martins have a silver-colored aluminum band on their left leg and a red color- band with white alphanumeric letters on their right leg. The color bands have a vertical “MN” followed by a letter (this year “A”) followed by three or four digits from 001 to 1000.
“The color bands should be easy to read with a good pair of binoculars if the martin is sitting,” said Mike North, the DNR’s lead bander for the project.
“Even if the observer can’t read any or all of the band, we still want to hear where they saw the birds,” added Pam Perry, DNR Nongame wildlife lake specialist.
Next year the color-banded martins could show up in colonies up to 60 miles from their natal colonies. But most will find colonies within 30 miles from where they hatched, according to Kelly Applegate, biologist with the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. One martin that fledged from the Willmar colony in July last year showed up near Lake Osakis in mid-August.
Birders who observe color-banded martins should notify Mike North at
(320) 255-4279, ext. 235 or by e-mail at michael.north@dnr.state.mn.us.

Dr. Banjo is coming to Ostmark church Sunday

roz kohls staff writer — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 19:07:17 +0000

Ostmark Lutheran Church (ELCA) of rural Watkins is happy to welcome Dr. Banjo, Bradley Reynolds, to the area Sunday, August 10. Reynolds has played the banjo for 31 years, full time for the last 21 years, performing first in the Midwest and now nationally. He and his “Company Band” blend bluegrass with new music styles.
Raised in Bloomington and now living in Stillwater, Reynolds has a degree from the University of Minnesota’s Institute of Technology and began playing the banjo in high school.
He will bring his unique worship style to Ostmark, 32721 680th Avenue, Watkins, as he leads morning worship for the congregation and guests. The service begins at 10:30 a.m.
Following the worship service, a pork chop dinner will be served by Ostmark’s Men’s Club. The public is welcome to attend both the worship service and dinner. For more information, call the church at (320) 693-8450.

Winning Wolford does it again

roz kohls staff writer — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 19:04:55 +0000

Amanda Wolford of Montrose took first place in the pedal tractor pull at the Wright County Fair July 26. This is the fourth year she has qualified for state competition which will take place in Hutchinson this September. She went to the fair with outgoing Wright County Fair royalty Princess Beth Maas, Miss Congeniality Sara Marquette, and Fairest of the Fair Morgan Kleve.

Eat a Dairy Queen Blizzard for a good cause

Kristen Miller — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 16:12:35 +0000

Make sure you treat yourself Thursday (Aug. 7) because all proceeds from Dairy Queen Blizzards will go to Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare through the Children’s Miracle Network. That’s right, 100 percent of the profits goes to children with special needs. Get your treat on and raise money for a good cause.

Pageant taking applications for Mrs. Wright County 2009

roz kohls staff writer — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 20:48:54 +0000

Applications are now being accepted for the title of Mrs. Wright County 2009.
Mrs. Wright County will have the honor of representing her county at the Mrs. Minnesota pageant, which will take place at Ritsche Auditorium in St. Cloud, March 14 and 15, 2009.
The woman chosen as Mrs. Wright County will become an ambassador for the Wright County area and will receive an official title and sash. The woman chosen as Mrs. Minnesota will receive a prize package worth $7,000 and the chance to represent Minnesota at the 2009 Mrs. International Pageant.
The Easter Seal Society and the American Heart Association are the official charities of the Mrs. Minnesota pageant.
The reigning 2008 Mrs. Minnesota is Leisha Gust of Burnsville.
Competitions in the pageant include personal interview, aerobic wear, and evening gown (there are no talent or swimsuit competitions)
Married women living in Wright County interested in applying should write for a bio-form to: MRS. MINNESOTA International Pageant, PO Box 240537, Apple Valley, MN 55124-0537; or call for information (952)432-6758; fax (952)953-3896; or e-mail pagunltd@frontiernet.net

‘Explore dairy’ at the State Fair

Lynda Jensen, Editor — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:05:55 +0000

Princess Kay of the Milky Way is preparing to pass her crown on to her successor, with the 90-pound blocks of butter are set to be sculpted. The 2008 Minnesota State Fair is just around the corner, and once again, the state’s dairy industry is taking center stage. You can find everything you always wanted to know about dairy at the State Fair by visiting ExploreDairy.com, a one-stop resource for all the latest news and information. New on the site this week is a fun video featuring this year’s Princess Kay finalists giving the top reasons to explore dairy in Minnesota and an announcement about the Butter Sculpting booth. Check back often for more details about Princess Kay of the Milky Way, the Dairy Goodness Bar, the All-You-Can-Drink Milk Stand and the world-famous butter sculptures.

In the coming weeks, the site will feature special discounts on dairy products at the fair, and an opportunity to audition to be one of this year’s Minnesota Vikings/3-A-Day Junior Broadcasters. ExploreDairy.com, which was created by Midwest Dairy Association, also features:

• A searchable calendar of dairy-themed events across Minnesota, from farm breakfasts to malt wagons at county fairs to the August 9 and 10 Family Farm Festival at the Minnesota Zoo;
• A video tour of Princess Kay Ann Miron’s family farm in Hugo, Minn.;
• A “Dairy Diary,” which features behind-the-scenes blogging and photos from some of the state’s nearly 5,000 hardworking dairy farm families; and
• Delicious recipes.

For more information, visit www.ExploreDairy.com.

Operation Round Up collects $25,900

roz kohls staff writer — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 20:15:19 +0000

Local residents belonging to Wright-Hennepin Cooperative Electric Association (WH) demonstrated their commitment to helping others when their most recent Operation Round Up (ORU) donation of $25,900 was used to support many local charities and worthy causes.
These worthy causes ranged from supporting a wheelchair sports program to flood disaster relief efforts for residents of southeastern Minnesota.
The ORU donations all come from WH members who allow their electric statements to be rounded up to the nearest dollar every month.

The average donation of each WH member participating in the program is $6 per year. Almost 80 percent of WH members participate in this community-orientated program.
Since the ORU program began in 1994, WH members have donated almost $2.1 million to local worthy causes.
The ORU Trust Board, which administers the program, approved the following donations on behalf of WH members in June:
• $5,000 – American Red Cross, to provide disaster relief assistance for the flood victims of southeastern Minnesota.
• $4,000 – Housing for All of Maple Grove, to support affordable home ownership for working families that qualify.
• $3,500 – Joy Visitation Center of Monticello, to support non-custodial parent-child visitation in a safe environment.
• $3,000 – Children’s Home Society and Family Services of Minnesota, to help fund pregnancy counseling services.
• $2,600 – Midwest Region Wheelchair Sports of Greenfield, to help purchase specialized wheelchairs for disabled players of the Rolling Twins softball team.
• $1,200 – Monticello Senior Citizens Center, to help purchase equipment for the senior center.
• $1,000 – Boy Scout Troop 547 of Albertville/St. Michael, to help purchase equipment for camping excursions.
• $1,000 – Cub Scout Pack 490 of Rockford, to help purchase a trailer for pack events.
• $1,000 – Courage Center of Wright County, to help support the day camp program for children with physical and sensory impairments.
• $600 – St. Michael Fire Department Relief Association, to help support public education efforts promoting fire prevention and safety.
• $500 – Hennepin County Pioneer Society, to support efforts to preserve a bell tower at a school.
• Remaining funds were donated to individuals in need.
All funds generated for ORU go into a trust fund. A trust board that is appointed by the co-op’s board of directors administers these funds. Donations are made to local civic organizations or worthy causes through an application and selection process. The trust board uses special guidelines and policies when choosing recipients.
For those wishing to apply for funds, the next application deadline for ORU is Wednesday, Oct. 1. To receive an application or for more information about guidelines and policies, visit the web site www.whe.org, send an e-mail to info@whe.org, or call Lisa and leave a message, (763) 477-3000 ext. 6126.