Charlotte Wolf, musher and veterinary technician, will be speaking about the history of Minnesota dog sledding and demonstrate how the sled dogs are harnessed during a presentation at 10 a.m. Jan. 20 at the Brainerd Public Library.
Wolf’s presentation is the first of several events scheduled at the library as part of the 2012 Kitchigami Regional Library’s Legacy programming.
Wolf is a big supporter of the few dog sled races that run around the country, like the Iditarod in Alaska and the John Beargrease race along the north shore of Lake Superior in Minnesota. Her dreams have been realized and she is as passionate as ever about her dogs, mushing and caring for other sled dogs wherever she goes.
Participants will learn a bit about the dogs, the equipment, the history of dog sledding in Minnesota and the commands to direct the dogs in their trail runs and stops. Wolf grew up in St. Paul and her cultural background is Swedish. She’s always had a love of dogs and pursued that as a young girl by working in a kennel helping out, and eventually going to school to become a veterinary technician. Her passion has played out with her eight dogs, dog sled and truck to haul them around for races and various events, and she assists other mushers as well, given her passion, skills and training.
This event is a free Legacy Program is funded in part or in whole with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on Nov. 4, 2008 which dedicated funding to preserve Minnesota’s art and cultural heritage.
Other events that are all free scheduled at the Brainerd Public Library are:
• Heart of the Beast Puppet Theater: Coyote Stories, 10 a.m. Jan. 28. The event will be a theater treat that is sure to delight all ages with unique puppets made from scratch, and stories that come from many Indigenous cultures.
• Creating Comics with Blake Hoena, 1-3 p.m. Feb. 8. The event is for ages 13-17 and pre-register by calling 829-5574 is encouraged. In Hoena’s workshop, participants will take characters of their own creation and develop a funny, bizarre or scary situation to place them into. Create a sort comic while learning the important elements of creating comics, such as storyboarding, dialogue and sound effects. Limited space available.
• Author David Truer, 12 p.m. Feb. 14. Truer will talk about his new book “Rez Life.” In “Rez Life,” Treuer brings a novelist’s storytelling skill and an eye for detail to a complex and subtle examination of Native American reservation life, past and present.
• William Kent Krueger, 6 p.m. Feb. 28. Krueger writes a mystery series set in the north woods of Minnesota. His protagonist is Cork O’Connor, the former sheriff of Tamarack County and a man of mixed heritage, part Irish and part Ojibwe. His works have received numerous awards.
• A Hunger Games Writing Workshop, 1-3 p.m. March 7. The event is geared for ages 13-17 and pre-registration is encouraged. Suzanne Collins’s fast-paced, plot-driven novels had us all up late at night turning pages, so in this workshop, we’ll slow things down and examine why. Looking at characterization, tone, point of view and style, participants will analyze why these books are so absorbing and discuss how they can learn from them as writers. Limited space available.
• Jess Lourey’s Writing and Publishing a Novel Workshop, 10 a.m. March 10. Pre-register by calling the library.
How do you turn that good idea into a great novel? Join author and college professor Jess Lourey to find the answers.
• Minnesota History Player, Virginia Mae Hope, 3:30 p.m. March 20. Take a step back in time with Hope, portrayed by Melissa Friedmann of the Minnesota History Players. Hope was a pilot and was a member of the Women Air Force Service Pilots.
• Cheryl Sawyer: Finnish Storyteller, Balloonist and Magician, 3:30 p.m. April 13. Multi-talented storyteller, will share many stories, including the “Three Bears” in the Finnish language. She weaves in magic and balloon art, and enthralls crowds of children of all ages with her skill at speaking Finnish.
• Cal Rice presents Emerging Bhutan, 6 p.m. April 26. Take a trip half way around the world for free in the comfort of your local library with Cal Rice, professional photographer. Rice will take you on a “trip” to Bhutan, Himalayas, showing the beautiful landscapes and the beautiful people amidst massive changes.
