The Crow Wing County Fair Board will meet at 7:30 p.m. today at the Fair Administration Building to discuss filling a board vacancy until the fall general election.

Swim lessons offered

The Brainerd School District, Community Education and the Brainerd Family YMCA are again offering the free Learn-to-Swim program to elementary students. Boys and girls in grades 2-6 (next fall) with little or no swimming skills can learn basic water safety and swimming skills from great instructors. The class runs from June 2 through June 6, and is available at both the YMCA and BHS pools. Registration is open now. There is no charge to participate. To register, call the YMCA at (218) 829-4767.

Blood drives planned in Brainerd

The American Red Cross will host two blood drives in Brainerd to help boost blood supplies for those in need.

The blood drives will be from noon to 6 p.m. May 28 at the Northern Lakes Chapter of the American Red Cross in Brainerd and May 29 at Simonson Lumber.

Nominations sought for McKnight Human Service awards

The McKnight Foundation is seeking nominations for the 2003 Virginia McKnight Binger Awards in Human Service. The foundation gives 10 awards each year to Minnesotans who strive to make life better for other people but receive little or no public recognition or payment in return.

Nominations are due by July 14. Awardees each will receive $7,500 at a ceremony in November.

Nomination forms and more information about the awards are available at the McKnight Web site, www.mcknight.org, or by calling (612)333-4220.

Registration deadline set for Friday

All registrations must be turned in by Friday for the summer Fun 'N' Friends and Youth Trax programs held in Nisswa and Brainerd.

Registration forms may be picked up at the community education office, Fun 'N' Friends after school sites, Washington and Mississippi Horizons schools and the Youth and Community Services Office.

For more information, call 828-0842.

Foundation, VISTA offer opportunities

LITTLE FALLS -- Through a partnership with the AmeriCorps Volunteers in Service to America, the Initiative Foundation recently announced several area service opportunities in central Minnesota.

VISTA, which annually places 4,000 adult volunteers in nonprofit assignments throughout the U.S., is a full-time, one-year community service program for men and women age 18 and older. Each VISTA position includes training, living expenses, health insurance and an annual education award of $4,725 that may be applied to future or current college expenses.

Dan Frank, Initiative Foundation community development specialist, said the program is the domestic equivalent of the Peace Corps and regional positions are ideal for young people planning on college, recent college graduate, retirees or any age. Ten positions are available in central Minnesota.

Area positions include:

* Bridges of Hope, Baxter, to help people and families needing mental health services, mentoring, caregiver support, parenting training and networks to support healthy marriages. Duties include communications, coordinating services and facilitating collaboration among faith communities and mental health service providers. Contact: Tami Lueck at 825-7682 or e-mail to tami@bridges-of-hope.net.

The following three programs have the same position description -- collaborate with community and faith-based organizations to recruit, train and match volunteers with those needing services as minor home repair, respite care, friendly visitation, telephone reassurance and transportation.

* Cass County Interfaith Caregivers, Hackensack. Contact: LuAnn Franzen (218) 675-5435 or e-mail to cassfia@uslink.net.

* Horizon Health Faith in Action, Pierz. Contact: Bridget Britz at (320) 468-6451 or e-mail to bbritz@horizonhealthservices.com.

* Todd/Wadena Volunteer Caregiver Service, Wadena. Contact: Carol Spearman, (218) 639-1522 or e-mail to faithtw@arvig.net.

* Initiative Foundation, Little Falls, leadership position providing technical assistance to all other VISTA volunteers in the program. Must have served one year as a VISTA volunteer or two years in the Peace Corps to be eligible. Contact: Dan Frank, (320) 631-2056 or e-mail to dfrank@ifound.org.