Local briefs

Cooking demonstrations will be offered Friday and Aug. 11 at the Lakes Area Grower's Market in Brainerd and Baxter as part of national Farmers' Market Week.

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Chef Chad Minor, Manhattan's restaurant in Manhattan Beach, will lead the food demonstrations using food from the market with food samples and recipes.

The demonstrations are a way of promoting farmers' markets and providing information to consumers of the benefits of purchasing and eating fresh, locally grown products.

In Brainerd, the chef demonstration will be Friday at the Gander Mountain parking lot on Highway 371 and Aug. 11 at the Franklin Arts Center on East Washington Street in Brainerd. Demonstrations are during the grower's market hours of 8 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

Scholarship helps Brainerd cadet reach new heights

Cadet 2nd Lt. Emily Jensen, a member of the Crow Wing Composite Squadron in Brainerd, received the Jacob Pfingsten Memorial Flight Training Scholarship during the recent Minnesota Wing Flight Academy.

Emily Jensen

Jacob Pfingsten, a cadet and senior member of the Crow Wing Squadron, obtained his FAA Private Pilot Certificate through the CAP program. He died in February 2005 of natural causes while serving with the U.S. Army in Germany. The scholarship was created by his parents, Tom and Beth Pfingsten of Brainerd, both Civil Air Patrol members, and LaDonna and Randy Blackorbay of Maple Grove.

Jensen, the Crow Wing Squadron cadet commander, said the scholarship has special meaning to her.

"Receiving the scholarship meant that I'd be able to go on to get my private pilot's license, something I've wanted to do since I can remember," Jensen said, "and I felt privileged to receive the scholarship since I had known the Pfingsten family, and Jake, since joining CAP six years ago."

The scholarship provides up to 30 hours of flight training. The cadet has one year to utilize the funds and to obtain their certificate.

Jensen is the daughter of Dale and Margaret Jensen of Brainerd.

For more information on Minnesota CAP go to: www.mncap.org.

Wisneski receives Elks veterans volunteer award

Herman Wisneski was one of two recipients of the Veteran Service Volunteer Award for 2009 at the Minnesota Elks Association State Convention in Eveleth.

Wisneski has been a Brainerd Elks Lodge No. 615 member for more than 30 years. He has been a builder of the veterans volunteering program, Memorial Day activities and Flag Day ceremonies. He helped create and organize Elks visits to the St. Cloud VA Hospital.

Brainerd Lodge conducts game nights at the VA Hospital five times each year. Bingo and casino nights are popular and fun activities for the veterans.

Elks present grant to Sharing Bread Soup Kitchen

Brainerd Elks Lodge presented a gratitude grant of $500 to Pastor Bob Evans, manager of the Sharing Bread Soup Kitchen, located on the corner of Oak and 10th streets.

Meals are served from 5:30-6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and at 1 p.m. on Sundays. Sharing Bread Soup Kitchen exists to feed the hungry and serve meals to all who come.

The Soup Kitchen serves more than 60 hot nutritious meals each and every day. This grant is made possible through the efforts of per-capita achievement the Elks members reached this past year. The grant was presented by Elk Don Stang, secretary.

Gubernatorial candidates invited to DFL picnic

FORT RIPLEY - Area Democrats will have an opportunity to meet many DFL candidates and officeholders when the Morrison and Crow Wing County DFL units conduct their third annual picnic Sunday at Fort Ripley Park, behind the Fort Steakhouse on Highway 371.

Featured guests will be DFL State Reps. Al Doty, of Royalton, and John Ward, of Brainerd.

All Democratic gubernatorial candidates, declared and undeclared, have been invited to attend.

"The picnic is meant to be a fun way for area Democrats and their friends to get together to discuss topics and ideas, but it also serves as a local stop on a candidate's campaign trail," Marcia Ferris, Crow Wing County DFL chair, said.

The DFL picnic will begin at 1 p.m. Sunday, at the pavilion at Fort Ripley Park and end around 5 p.m. Barbecue pork and turkey will be served, along with picnic fare, desserts and beverages.

There will be a live auction and live music provided by "Old, Fat, and Gray." A playground is located near the picnic area for kids. Those attending are encouraged to bring lawn chairs.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $25 for families and are available at the door.

Speakers available on mental illness

The National Alliance on Mental Illness of Minnesota recently trained 16 people as speakers for the In Our Own Voice program.

The speakers share their own compelling personal stories of living with a mental illness with the general public. The program is free and available to community groups, schools, churches, health care agencies and other organizations interested in learning more about mental illness through first-person accounts of hope and recovery. Two speakers are assigned to each group requesting an educational presentation. At this time, the In Our Own Voice speakers are available in the Twin Cities, Brainerd and Duluth. NAMI Minnesota also offers many other programs of education, support and advocacy.

For information, or to schedule an In Our Own Voice presentation, contact Laura Winterstein at (888) NAMI-Helps.

Upcoming blood drives scheduled

Those interested in donating blood for the American Red Cross can do so at the following dates: From noon to 6 p.m. Thursday and Aug. 11 at the National Guard Armory, 1115 Wright St., Brainerd; 2-7 p.m. Monday at the American Legion, 232 Fourth St., Ironton; noon to 6 p.m. Aug. 12 and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 13 at the American Legion, 4435 Main St., Pequot Lakes.