Do you have a treasured photo? Send us your favorite family photographs, including a brief description of the photo and when it was taken, for possible publication in the Neighbors section. Submit your recent photos to brian.peterson@brainer...

Dear Master Gardener: I've heard that you can grow an avocado tree from an avocado you buy at the grocery store. Is this an easy thing to do? Yes, it is easy to grow an avocado tree from an avocado purchased at your local grocery store. If your purpose in growing an avocado tree is ...

Do you have a recent scenic picture that shows the beauty of the lakes area? Send it to brian.peterson@brainerddispatch.com for possible publication in the Neighbors section. Be sure to include your name, where you are from, a brief descriptio...

Ah, the new year is upon us. And so are the resolutions we made as the light of 2010 faded. Tops on many, if not most, lists will be eating healthier and exercising more with the ultimate goal of losing weight. Despite the best intentions of the makers, that resolution is often one that falls by the...

The opportunity to meet truly inspiring people remains the No. 1 perquisite of a journalist's career and there's no question that Bataan Death March survivors Henry Peck and Walt Straka are at the top of my list. During World War II, when the two men were in their early 20s and answerable to their b...

I keep hearing people say that I am going to turn 1 on Jan. 1, 2011, or 1/01/11. People say that is pretty cool, but all I know is that it's a whole lot of ones. That means I came into this world 12 months ago after being in my mom's belly for nine months. Wouldn't that make me 21 months old, then? ...

BRAINERD LAKES AREA EARLY CHILDHOOD COALITION - Tammy 218-454-5445 tammyfilippi@charter.net Cooking with kids initiative facilitators - Assist and facilitate a small group of young children (ages 3-5) in making a snack/meal. Training and hours are flexib...

  Mariah Fitch-Perrin was only 4 when her grandfather, Darwin Gerdes, died after a battle with cancer. But the now 12-year-old Brainerd girl remembers bringing him cups of hot chocolate while he underwent his cancer treatments. ...

  The United Way of Crow Wing and Southern Cass Counties is teaming up with Kinship Partners in the effort to help children and adults develop healthier lifestyles through education, nutrition  and fitness.  Fitness United, the sixth annual community health and wellness program, will ...

Skaters Abby Larson (left) and Elizabeth Everson-Villella locked arms at the Gregory Park ice rink this week while on holiday break. ...