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Red Cross to offer Water Safety Course LOCAL BRIEFS
STAPLES - The Staples Community Center will host a Red Cross Water Safety Instructor Course April 11-20. Cost is $195 and includes the F.I.T. training and text.
Participants must register no later than March 28 and be at least 16 years old to take the course.
For more information contact Kevin or Anna at (218) 894-2553 or Steve at (320) 632-7936.
Koering bill would set Korean War Veterans Day
Sen. Paul Koering, R-Fort Ripley, has chief-authored a bill to honor Minnesota's Korean War veterans and the measure passed the Senate floor last week.
"All of our veterans deserve our honor and respect and in this case I would like to see Minnesota officially recognize July 27 as Korean War Veterans Day in Minnesota," Koering said.
Koering said the Military Armistice Agreement of July 27, 1953, ended three years of bitter warfare that stopped the spread of Communism on the Korean peninsula and it also marked the date when many loved ones began to come home.
More than 34,000 American men and women, including more than 700 Minnesotans, sacrificed their lives in battle during that war, according to Koering's statement.
The bill passed out of the Senate Agricultural and Veterans Affairs Committee on March 11 and there is an identical companion bill going through the House.
Habitat Humanity is building homes, raising money for house projects
Spring is in full swing according to the Lakes Area Habitat for Humanity construction schedule. Walls were raised for the first home of the 2008 build season on Tuesday in south Brainerd. This home will receive 75 percent of its funding through a partnership with Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, area Lutheran congregations and area Thrivent members. Although area Lutheran congregations and Thrivent members will help with the construction of the home, all are welcome to join in.
Those who would like information on how you, your business or organization can get involved, call 828-8517.
To help raise funds for the Brainerd build, Thrivent Financial will be hosting a concert at Tornstrom Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. May 2. Tonic Sol-fa, an a cappella pop music quartet from the Twin Cities' area will perform. Tickets will be on sale for $18 at Cub Foods in Brainerd and Baxter, from Thrivent representatives, at the Lakes Area Habitat for Humanity office in Brainerd and at the Brainerd Dispatch.
Governors names Hilgart to council
Gov. Tim Pawlenty announced the appointment of Susan Hilgart, Brainerd, to the Governor's Council on Faith and Community Service Initiatives. The appointment is for a two-year term that will expire Jan. 4, 2010.
Hilgart is a manager of the Brainerd WorkForce Center and team leader for Rural Minnesota Concentrated Employment Provider Inc., a Minnesota WorkForce Center partner. Previously she worked as a human resources professional from 1991 to 2005 in the public and private sector. She currently serves as chair of the Brainerd Police and Fire Civil Service Commission and as a member of the children's ministry to the Lakewood Evangelical Free Church.
The council makes recommendations on how to level the playing field for faith and community organizations and increase access to public and private funding opportunities.
The council includes leaders who represent the diversity of the state geographically, ethnically, by gender and faith. It is made up of 15 members appointed by the governor.
April 25 proclaimed Arbor Day
Brainerd Mayor James Wallin proclaimed April 25 as Arbor Day in the city and urged all residents to support efforts to protect trees and woodlands.
AARP official: Taxpayers may qualify for two refunds from Minnesota
A Brainerd area AARP official reminded taxpayers this week they may qualify for one or possibly two Minnesota refunds even if they did not qualify in previous years.
Don Rasmussen, former Brainerd postmaster and the district coordinator for AARP tax aides, said people who owned and occupied a property as their homestead on Jan. 2, 2008, may qualify for one or both of the following refunds:
¥ A person may be eligible for a refund if their taxes exceed certain income-based thresholds and their total income is less than $93,400.
¥ A person who owned and occupied a homestead property on Jan. 2, 2007, may be eligible for a refund if their property taxes increased by more than 12 percent and at least $100 compared to last year.
Rasmussen said that AARP tax aides are finding that many of the residents filing for their tax stimulus refunds have never filed their property tax refunds. For a widow or widower this refund is larger than the tax stimulus in most cases.
To file for a tax stimulus refund through AARP taxpayers will need their 2007 Social Security 1099 SSA, 1099-Rs, 1099 INT, 1099-DIV's, W2s and include their 2008 property tax statement.
Those people who have not filed for their 2007 property tax refund should bring that statement and their 2006 income statements as listed above.
AARP tax aides are available from 9 a.m. to noon Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at the Lakes Area Senior Activity Center on Kingwood Street in Brainerd.
April 21-25 Administrative Professionals Week
Brainerd Mayor James Wallin proclaimed the week of April 21-25 as Administrative Professionals Week and April 23 as Administrative Professionals Day to salute the valuable contributions of administrative professionals in the workplace.
Planning commission to meet Wednesday
A special meeting of the Brainerd Planning Commission will be at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday at Brainerd City Hall to discuss the zoning ordinance update and rewrite.
Airport commission to meet Tuesday
The Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport Commission will meet at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in the airport conference room.
Brainerd parks board to meet
The Brainerd Parks and Recreation Board will meet at 3:30 p.m. Monday in the conference room at city hall.
Temporary road closures slated in Crow Wing County
Selected Crow Wing County forest roads have been temporarily closed to minimize rutting of trail surfaces during this spring season, the county land department recently announced.
Forest roads will be re-opened when trails are dry and firm. For specific locations of forest road closures, go online to www.co.crow-wing.mn.us and find land department or call the land commissioner's office at 824-1115.
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