■ Applications open to host VISTA members

The Initiative Foundation is now accepting applications from central Minnesota organizations interested in hosting an AmeriCorps VISTA member from August 2013-August 2014.

VISTA is a national service program likened to a domestic Peace Corps. VISTA members serve full-time for a year doing anti-poverty, capacity-building work in selected host sites. To enable them to serve, VISTA members receive a modest monthly living allowance (currently $928-$946/month), medical coverage, child care assistance if eligible, professional training and an end-of-service cash award of $1,500 or an education award of $5,550.

Host sites will be selected this winter and VISTA members recruited this spring to begin service in August. Eligible host sites include 501(c) nonprofit organizations and government agencies.

The VISTA Host Site Request for Applications (RFA) including requirements of host sites, financial obligations, site selection criteria and application form can be found here: http://ifoundvista.blogspot.com/p/potential-sites.html.

■ Breezy Point Toastmasters to host open house Monday

BREEZY POINT — The Out of Towners Toastmasters Club will host an open house from 8-9:30 a.m. Monday, at the Pelican Lakes Conservation Club (PLCC) in Breezy Point.

Interested people may attend to find out what Toastmasters is all about, find out how to become a better communicator, learn leadership skills and gain confidence.

The PLCC is one mile south of the Breezy Point Resort gates on County Road 4.

For more information, contact Marjorie Harris, club president, at 218-838-8354, or Jamie Lipke, vice president of membership, at 218-330-2251 or go to http://8783.toastmastersclubs.org.

■ Danish meal will be

offered at Brainerd legion

The Brainerd Chapter of the Danish Sisterhood will serve a Danish meal from 5:30 to 7 p.m. (or until gone) Jan. 24 at the Brainerd American Legion.

■ Essentia Health Partners with NFL to promote

prostate health

Essentia Health-St. Joseph’s-Lakes Urology Clinic in conjunction with the National Football League (NFL) is offering the Know Your Stats About Prostate Cancer public awareness effort from 3-3:15 p.m. Jan. 13, at Black Bear Lodge & Saloon, 14819 Edgewood Dr., Baxter.

Dr. Scott Wheeler, urologist, will introduce the effort and encourage men age 40 and older to talk with their doctors about their prostate health.

Wheeler and his staff will be on hand to deliver quesadillas to each table and answer any questions individually.

“This public awareness effort has been very popular and successful the last three years as it has supported community education events on the importance of men talking with their doctors about prostate health,” Wheeler said. “As a result, over 59,000 men have been impacted nationwide.”

■ BHS sophomores are JA Titan Challenge winners

A team of four Brainerd High School sophomores recently won the Junior Achievement Titan Challenge competition. Team members were Hunter Casper, Zach Mohrfeld, Matt Blanch and Taylor Streiff.

Rod Reuer’s Intro to Business class competed in the area JA Titan Business Challenge on Tuesday. The seven teams of 10th-12th grade BHS student ran a manufacturing company and mastered key business decisions: price of product, production levels, marketing expenses, research and development costs, capital investment level and charitable giving. JA Titan allowed students to make critical business decisions in an innovative and engaging experience.

Students were challenged to increase their sales and profits, react to their competition, try new business strategies and respond to changing market conditions. The top three placing teams are invited to the state competition on May 9 at Best Buy headquarters in Bloomington.

Through the generosity of the Brainerd Jaycees, CenturyLink and Initiative Foundation, JA of the Brainerd Lakes was able to also give out $1,000 in college scholarships and $160 in prizes.

Junior Achievement’s mission is to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in the global economy. Junior Achievement of the Brainerd lakes area teaches students grades K-12 about business, entrepreneurship, financial literacy and workforce readiness skills.

■ Kresha announces committee appointments

ST. PAUL — Rep. Ron Kresha, R-Little Falls, announced this week he has been appointed to four committees. Kresha was sworn in for his first term representing District 9B on Tuesday.

Kresha’s committees are the Agriculture Policy Committee, the Early Childhood and Youth Development Policy Committee, the State Government Finance and Veterans Affairs Committee and the Education Policy Committee.

Kresha’s office will be the State Office Building, adjacent to the state Capitol in Room 329. Kresha can be reached by phone at 651-296-4247, or by email at Rep.Ron.Kresha@house.mn.

■ ‘Fit After 50’ class

Jan. 22 at CLC

The Center for Lifelong Learning at Central Lakes College in Brainerd will present “Oh, My Aching Joints! Fit After 50” from 4-5:30 p.m. Jan. 22, in Room E 208.

Participants will learn about common bone and joint ailments and how to manage them by staying active. Exercises to optimize strength, signs and symptoms of arthritis, tips for relief and possible options for care will be discussed. Event organizers say there are options to relieve pain.

Admission is free to Center for Lifelong Learning members and $6 for nonmembers. For more information go online at http://clcmn.augusoft.net and click on courses or call 855-8142.

Information is available from bberg@clcmn.edu.

■ Rental property owners and managers meeting planned

The next rental property owners and managers meeting will be 1 p.m. Monday at the Brainerd Police Department.

The speaker will be Colleen Goedker and the topics of discussion will be customer service, tenant screening and fair housing issues.

■ Wreath removal and flag disposal scheduled

Feb. 2 has been designated as the day more than 3,200 wreaths that were placed on Dec. 15 to honor fallen veterans are to be removed from the grave sites at the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery in Little Falls.

The wreaths’ removal is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. and similar to last year, everyone is invited to assist with the removal.

By special arrangement the Little Falls American Legion is going to conduct a special flag disposal ceremony following the wreath removal. The U.S. Flag Code states in part: “The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way.

The Little Falls American Legion has performed this ceremony for many decades and has a special area dedicated for this purpose at the cemetery.

People who have any flags that are no longer serviceable may bring them to the cemetery on Feb. 2, and they will be included in the disposal ceremony. Everyone is invited to attend the flag disposal ceremony after the wreath removal.

WreathsForTheFallen.org was able to provide wreaths for every veteran’s grave on Dec. 15. Those who would like to make a general donation to this cause may contribute to the wreath general fund for the 2013 event. Information is on the www.WreathsForTheFallen.org website.

For additional information, contact John Thomas at 218-829-6622 or go to www.WreathsForTheFallen.org.