LOCAL BRIEFS

The Central Lakes College Jazz Ensemble and Community Concert Band will perform at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Chalberg Theater on the Brainerd campus.

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The groups include dozens of instrumentalists from several area communities.

The Jazz Ensemble will perform several tunes from the "Great American Song Book: Jazz Standards From the Last 80 Years." The ensemble also will perform a song by Earth, Wind and Fire.

The Community Concert Band will perform contemporary concert band pieces, ranging from a new piece by John Fannin entitled "Fanfare Nueve" to an American concert-band standard by Percy Grainger to a well-known American march, "National Emblem."

Central Lakes College student Riley Mahala of Brainerd rehearsed recently in the band room with the college's Jazz Ensemble, which along with the Community Concert Band will perform at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Chalberg Theater on the Brainerd campus.

Proceeds from the concert will go to the band's first tour, scheduled in 2011, with a tentative itinerary that includes stops in Vienna, Budapest and Prague.

General admission at the door is $3 per person, with no charge for CLC students with identification and children 12 and under. Free-will donations will be accepted at the door.

The Four Kicks to perform at various high schools

The Four Kicks will perform multiple concerts next week at several high schools in the Brainerd lakes area and also will talk about the music industry, song writing and the role that middle and high school music programs play in students' pursuing music careers.

The schedule: Monday at Wadena, Tuesday at Staples Elementary School, Wednesday in Staples and Motley High School, Thursday in Pillager and at 8 p.m. Friday in Staples for a final performance.

Cost for the final performance is $5, with tickets available at the Stompin' Grounds or at the door.

Grand Makwa Cinema offers free screening of documentary

ONAMIA - "Walking Into the Unknown," a documentary film about American Indian health issues, will be shown during a free screening at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Grand Makwa Cinema in Onamia.

Tickets will be available at the cinema box office a half hour before the screening on a first-come, first-served basis.

This film traces the intimate journey of Dr. Arne Vainio, a middle-aged American Indian man, through the health care system as he gains a deeper understanding of himself and the health risks he faces.

The program features five main health-related topics that American Indians face diabetes, heart disease, stroke, suicide and alcoholism. The film is based on Vainio's 49th and 50th year, a critical point in the lives of many American Indian men.

Vainio, a Mille Lacs Band member, works as a physician on the Fond du Lac Reservation in northern Minnesota. He decided to pursue this documentary after realizing that he and many other middle-aged Native American men avoid getting necessary health screenings.

Heartland Poets to meet Friday

STAPLES - Heartland Poets, a local chapter of the League of Minnesota Poets, will meet at 6 p.m. Friday in the large room of the Brainerd Public Library. After a short business meeting to discuss upcoming summer poetry events, poets will have refreshments and share poems in progress. Participants are asked to bring several copies of one poem so it may be better appreciated.

The program is free and open to the public. For more information on the League of Minnesota Poets, go to www.mnpoets.org or call 829-5402 for local chapter activities.

Doerring to speak at Book Talk series

CROSSLAKE - Barbara Doerring will speak at 1:30 p.m. Monday for the Crosslake Area Library's Book Talk series at the Crosslake Community Center.

Doerring is the aunt of Minnesota-born Greg Mortenson, who wrote the popular book "Three Cups of Tea." Mortenson is a former mountain climber, who in 1993, after a failed attempt to climb K2, was rescued and nursed back to health by people in Pakistan. He promised to come back and build them a much-needed school in exchange for saving his life. He built 78 schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Art show set in Crosby

CROSBY - The Art Show and Shoppe is scheduled Saturday at the Hallett Community Center in Crosby.

The Four Kicks will perform multiple concerts next week at several high schools in the area.

The Serpent Lake Area Artists will host the event, from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. The Shoppe includes cards, prints and paintings. There also will be watercolor demonstrations and a door prize. Cookies and coffee will be served and there is no charge.

For more information, contact Sue Bowen at (218) 545-1549.

Staples library offers programs

STAPLES - The Staples Public Library will offer the following programs:

• Magical Moments For Moms, 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, for mothers and their preschoolers age 18 months to 5 years in which moms will enjoy special treatment.

Children will enjoy their own story time and volunteers will give moms manicures, pedicures and massages and introduce them to yoga. A speaker will talk about the role of laughter and humor in mothering.

Preregistration is required and attendance limit is 20 moms.

• Pirates Away, for children age 6-12, 6:30-7:30 p.m. May 19. Visit the library dressed in your pirate clothing for an hour of swashbuckling fun.

Preregistration is required and attendance limit is 12.

For more information on these programs, contact the library at (218) 894-1401.

'Phantom of the Opera' tickets still available

Tickets are still available for the May 16 performance of "Phantom of the Opera" at the Orpheum Theater in Minneapolis.

"Phantom," the longest-running show in Broadway history, will be performed at 2 p.m.

The Walker Hackensack Akeley Theater Department and Community Education have reserved tickets for the show and arranged bus transportation. Cost for a ticket and bus fare is $83 or $97.

The bus will leave WHA school at 8:30 a.m. and stop for lunch at Arbor Lakes in Maple Grove. A fast-food stop will be made in St. Cloud on the way home.

Call Gina at (218) 547-4360 for more information.

Concert For A Cause set May 17 in Staples

STAPLES - Three choruses will perform at 2 p.m. May 17 at the Centennial Auditorium in Staples for "Concert for a Cause," a fundraiser for the Staples and Motley food shelves.

Choruses performing are the Staples Area Women's Chorus, Colla Voce Girl's Choir and the Staples Motley High School Women's Chorus. Performances will include classic folk songs like "Charlottown" and the new-age music of ABBA.

Tickets for the concert may be purchased from choir members, at the door or at Staples Wireless in Staples. Tickets will not be available at the door if the concert sells out.

Holy Hootenanny concert set May 17

BAXTER - A Holy Hootenanny concert that will include old-time gospel, blues and bee-bop is scheduled at 7 p.m. May 17 at Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Baxter.

Musicians include Katie Nelsen, Johnny Jay Huhta, Dawn and Gary Tibbs and The Hawkinsons from Aitkin.

Tickets are $10 per person and are on sale at the church. For more information, call the church at 828-9374.

PRB Renaissance Festival scheduled May 15

PINE RIVER - The first-ever Pine River-Backus Renaissance Festival is scheduled from 3:30-8:30 p.m. May 15 at the Pine River-Backus School Commons area.

This family event will feature art vendors, carnival-type games run by PRB youth, a juggler, magician, fortune teller, madrigal music and food.

Shamps Meat Market will feature turkey legs and pulled pork sandwiches and PRB students will run the concession stand with cider, pickles on a stick, pretzels, popcorn and fruit with dip. Games will include face painting, hair beading, ring toss, make 'n take bracelets, lollipop tree, fish pond, photo booth and dart balloons. Vendors will include Blue Sky Beads, the Pine River Art Club, Calypso Jewelry, Punk Paradox, Carol's Caning and Basket Weaving and Peaced Goods baked items.

Many characters will be dressed in costume, including the vendors, and visitors to the event are encouraged to come in costume, too, though it is not required to enjoy the festivities.

The Madrigal choral performance will feature students, faculty, recent alums and community members in solo, small ensembles and full festival chorus presentation. They will perform Triumphs of Oriana, a compilation of 25 English madrigals by 23 composers and compiled by Thomas Morley. PRB High School choral director Joan Batcher will serve as the music director. The elementary recorder group under the direction of Noelle Johnson, PRB elementary music teacher, also will perform at least one piece. Performers will be fully costumed in Renaissance style clothing.

Some activities may be held outside, depending on the weather. Courtly characters will present a royal procession and mingle with visitors.

Event proceeds will benefit PRB music and language students participating in a European tour trip in Summer 2010. There will be a small fee at the door that includes two game tickets and entry to all activities including the music.

For food and arts and crafts vendors, application forms and information are available from PRB Community Education and may be picked up or mailed by calling (218) 587-2080.

The event is made possible in part by a grant provided by the Five Wings Arts Council and funds through the Minnesota State Legislature.

Summer Music Video Camp slated at CLC in Staples

STAPLES - The Communication Art and Design-Media Technologies program will host its third annual Summer Music Video Camp on the Staples campus at Central Lakes College.

The day camp runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 15-19, with a capacity for 25 participants. Students in grades 10-12 and adults may register for $40 each.

Students choose a song, write a storyline, choose actors, props and locations, film scenes, capture video to computers, edit footage, combine with song and then burn a DVD of the Quicktime movie.

Leon Dahlvang is the instructor. Registration deadline is June 12.

For more information or to register, contact Dahlvang at ldahlvan@clcmn.edu or call (218) 894-5142 or (800) 247-6836, extension 5142.

CLC photo contest attracts record number of entrants

More than 540 photos were entered by 95 amateur photographers from 31 communities at Central Lakes College's annual photo contest.

Contest coordinator Larry Kellerman said in a press release that the entries made the contest the largest show in its 42-year history.

This year's theme category, "The Tree," drew 76 entries that included photography in the traditional categories of landscape, portrait, action, creative, birds, animals and flowers.

The awards:

Best of theme was a photo of roots and branches overlooking a waterfall by Suzanne Smith of Becker and runner-up was a single golden oak tree on a lakeshore by Marian Segersten of Crosby.

Best of color landscape was the sun shining through aspen trees on a snowy field by Bill Kuehl of Nisswa and runner-up was a dock on a misty lake with a large stump in the foreground by Linda Gettelman of Lake Shore.

Best of color for birds was a white swan by Gary Harris of Brainerd and runner-up a close-up of an African bird in prairie grass by Valera Hachey of Crosby.

Best of color action was a horse running by DeEtta Houts of Staples and runner-up a swirl of lights by Valera Hachey of Crosby.

Best color portrait was a lady with a guitar by Sarah Johnson of Staples and runner-up a lady with wind blowing through her hair by Kayla Shamp of Clarissa.

Best color flower was a purple iris by Linda Beasley of Brainerd and runner-up a lavender lily by Ann Marie Lamser of Brainerd.

Best color creative was red lights on the Gregory water fountain with the old Brainerd water tower lit in the background by Denny Schmidt of Brainerd. This photo also was recognized as a judge's choice merit award. The color creative runner-up was colored candies in a cup or eggs over an enlarged bed of the same colored candies by Dana Middleton of Brainerd.

Best color animal was a cow's head in true portrait form by Trisha Stanek of Prairied du Chien, Wis., and runner-up was a deer standing in a field by Dana Middleton of Brainerd.

Best color children photo was two smiling children with sparkling eyes by Gabe Boehne of Bloomington and runner-up was a child sleeping on a pillow by Sharron Harris of Brainerd.

Best of show in black and white was a back-lit lily in the flower category by Denny Schmidt of Brainerd and runner-up was milk weed silk blowing in the wind by Carolyn Corbett of Lakeshore.

Three additional judge's merit awards were presented for a birch tree cluster in the theme area by Kayla Kaatz of Clitherall; a lady, side lit with heavy shadows, in the portrait category by Emily Anderson of Staples; and a child spitting water in the children's category by Tina Hawk of Brainerd.

There were 101 first-place, 148 second-place and 254 third-place ribbons awarded.