Thursday, May 24, 2012

Dream Big—READ!

The Library’s Reading Challenge begins on June 6, with the added option of registering online. Young readers will explore the night as “Dream Big—READ!” is the theme. Activities will also include programs on stargazing, dreams and wishes, nocturnal animals and a sleepover for teddy bears! Key performers will be physical comedian Kenny Ahern and magician Star Michaelina. Summer Story Times will be at 10 a.m., Wednesdays, for preschoolers (ages 3-5) an 10 a.m., Thursdays, for LapSit (ages 0-2). Sessions will run from June 6 through August 2. The Library encourages all parents and caregivers of children to get involved in their children’s summer reading goals. The importance of their contribution is paramount. Let our annual summer reading challenge for kids be a meaningful way to encourage reading while drawing your family closer together. For more information, call 879-1531.

Climb Theatre kicks off Cloquet Public’s Summer Programs for Kids

A delightful performance of “Raven and Grandmother Mouse” by Climb Theatre will be part of the first week of summer program activities at the Cloquet Public Library at 1 p.m., Thurs., June 7, 2012. The program is free of charge and open to the public. The lively adaptation of the Pacific Northwest folktale honors truth and hard work. Children will enjoy seeing the story of Raven, a crafty bird, who wastes away the gathering season dancing while Bear, Squirrel, Beaver and Mouse prepare for the coming winter. Raven attempts to make up for his laziness by trying to trick Mouse into hosting a party for him to ensure he has food for the winter. Children 3-8 years old will love this program. Climb Theatre is a 2009 winner of The Sara Spencer Artistic Achievement Award from the American Alliance of Theatre and Education (AATE). The only other Minnesota theatre to be so honored was the Children's Theatre Company, which won the award in 1979. Admission to the event is free thanks to sponsorship by the Arrowhead Library System and money from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund created through the passage of the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment by the vote of Minnesotans in November 2008.

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Master Gardener Q&A Night

Local Carlton County Master Gardeners will answer gardening questions on Tuesday, May 29, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Master Gardeners are volunteers trained by the University of Minnesota. They offer a wide variety of volunteer services pertaining to any type of gardening. Fact sheets produced by the university will be available for free. A square foot gardening display will be available for demonstration. Square foot gardening is meant for high productivity gardening in small spaces. This is a great chance for beginning gardeners to get some free expert advice.

Dream Big at the Cloquet Public Library this summer

Young readers will explore the night this summer as the Cloquet Public Library presents “Dream Big—READ!” the theme of our summer reading program. Activities will include programs on stargazing, dreams and wishes, nocturnal animals and a sleepover for teddy bears! Key performers will be physical comedian Kenny Ahern and magician Star Michaelina. Touring the world for more than two decades, Kenny Ahern has steadily built his reputation as a world-class family entertainer. He is equally at home in the theater as he is frolicking on stage or at schools and libraries. Magician Star Michaelina has been presenting her high-powered program of magic for 15 years. Her eye-popping magic, exhilarating energy and unique props make her one of the country’s top family entertainers. Summer Story Times will be at 10 a.m., Wednesdays, for preschoolers (ages 3-5) and 10 a.m., Thursdays, for LapSit (ages 0-2). Sessions will run from June 6 through August 2. The Library encourages all parents and caregivers of children to get involved in their children’s summer reading goals. The importance of their contribution is paramount. Let our annual summer reading challenge for kids be a meaningful way to encourage reading while drawing your family closer together. For more information, call 879-1531.

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Sailing the Great Lakes

A few years ago, Katya and Mark Gordon sold most of their belongings, gave away their car, and bought a boat. The experience was "freeing and empowering," Katya said in a recent interview with a local television station. The couple, who previously worked with youth wilderness programs, set sail on the Great Lakes with their two daughters, aged nine months and three years. They have since sailed the Great Lakes to the Atlantic coast and down to the Bahamas. "Big Waves, Small Boat, Two Kids" is Katya's recent book about their adventures and the life experience they gained along the way. Lacey Louwagie, an editor for NorthStar Press of St. Cloud, writes on her blog that the book is "one of my favorite pieces that I've ever worked on," describing how the book impacted her own life. Katya Gordon will present a slide show and talk about their seafaring journeys on Tuesday, May 22, at noon.

Monday, May 14, 2012

ColdSnap Photography Workshop

John Gregor of ColdSnap Photography in Two Harbors returns to the library to present a workshop on Monday, May 21, at 6:30 p.m. Last's year's workshop was limited to 12 participants and registration filled up quickly—and the reviews from participants were fantastic. This year's offering will be an open class with no advance signup required. Mr. Gregor will be focusing on two areas of photography: nature and people. Learn how to capture the spirit of a person or a place; hone your vision and your technical skills. Gregors's workshops received a nod in the February issue of "Minnesota Monthly." The class is open to adults and teens. The class is free and has been made possible through funds provided by Minnesota's Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. Photo ©ColdSnap Photography.

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Author Noontime Reading: Linda LeGarde Grover

Local author Linda LeGarde Grover will present a reading from her fiction collection, The Dance Boots, on Monday, May 14, at noon, in the large meeting room. Ms. Grover was recently awarded the 2011 Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize, presented by the Susan B. Anthony Institute for Gender and Women's studies at the University of Rochester in New York. Ms. Grover is associate professor of American Indian Studies at the University of Minnesota-Duluth and a member of the Bois Forte Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe. She is the co-author of A Childhood in Minnesota: Exploring the Lives of Ojibwe and Immigrant Families, 1880-1920 and author of the poetry chapbook The Indian at Indian School. She was awarded the Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction in 2009. The Dance Boots is a collection of eight inter-related stories reflecting the Native American experience. In a recent interview, Ms. Grover described how her aunt, a traditional Ojibwe dancer, gave her dance boots to her in the hope that she would continue the tradition. "I am honored to wear her boots," Grover said. The reading will be followed by a question-and-answer session and discussion.

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Tuesday Movie "Anonymous​"

Was Shakespeare a Fraud? Was William Shakespeare, a minor actor on the London stage at the turn of the 16th century, the actual author of Shakespeare's plays? The son of a modest glover in a small town who never went beyond grammar school has usually been regarded as a genius who had keen insight into the human heart. Possessed with a knack for writing, he became one of the most influential writers of all time. Or did someone else actually write the plays, someone with high status in political circles, whose position would be at risk if his identity as a popular playwright were known? Such is the contention of the intriguing Anonymous,a 2011 British film featuring supporting performances by the renowned Derek Jacobi and Vanessa Redgrave. See it on our 55-inch widescreen high-definition TV on Tuesday, May 8, at 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Spring Gardening Tips

Get ideas for planning and planting your garden on Monday, May 7, at 7 p.m., with Jim Fahrenholz of The Green House. Jim has a B.S. degree in horticulture from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has 50 years of experience with growing flowers, trees and plants. He will provide trips on successfully growing annuals, perennials and vegetables. That's a lot to cover in an hour, but there will be an additional opportunity to ask questions about your own gardening needs when local master gardeners set up a Q&A table on Tuesday, May 29, at 6:30 p.m.