Choir concert

Central Lakes College Music Department presents "Songs of Love, Joy and Farewell" Thursday, Nov. 29 at 7 p.m. in the Chalberg Theatre on the Brainerd campus. Cantare Concert Choir and the CLC Chamber Choir will be singing an eclectic mix of music by composers Irving Berlin, Felix Mendelssohn, Rodgers and Hammerstein and many more. The evening will feature student and faculty collaborations and solo spotlights including local favorites Steve Anderson, Chris Bolstad, and student cellist Talitha Decker. The concert is under the direction of Brenda Handel-Johnson and accompanied by Sarah Gorham. The event is free and the public is invited to attend.

Freedom Wall

"Veterans Day honors and remembers the brave veterans who fought to give us a safe and peaceful place to live in." The Central Lakes College Freedom Wall was unveiled on the Brainerd campus Thursday, Nov. 8 at an early 2012 Veterans Day Celebration coordinated by the CLC Veterans Club and numerous student veterans attending the community and technical college, along with our service organization partners. The Freedom Wall presentation included a slide show of soldiers in action on foreign soil. It is a donation from Little Falls. The CLc Choir provided music, and Student Senators and other colunteers served free root beer floats outside Chalberg Theatre. Kathy Marshik, coordinator of the CLC Veterans Resource Center, assisted with organizing the event. Veterans Day in the United States is Sunday, Nov. 11.

Nolan wins

Congressman Rick Nolan

Richard "Rick" Nolan, former president of the Central Lakes College Foundation Board of Directors, has won the Eighth District Congressional race, defeating one-term U.S. Rep. Chip Cravaack. Nolan, 68, is a Brainerd native and graduate of Brainerd High School. He has been a resident of Crosby. Rick served on the board from 2002-2011 and was the board president from 2008-10. He won with 54.34% of the vote (192,018) to 45.33% (160,182) for the incumbent. His campaign web site describes him thusly: "A former three-term Minnesota DFL Congressman recognized nationwide for his battles on behalf of working families, farmers, small businesses and rural communities. A successful small business owner who created jobs throughout northern Minnesota from the sawmill and pallet factory he owned in Emily. A dedicated community volunteer who raises money for college scholarships through the Central Lakes College Foundation. A true son of the 8th District, who hunts and harvests wild rice in the fall, boils maple syrup in spring and never misses a fishing opener."

Hall of Fame

Jane Peterson, Central Lakes College head women’s volleyball coach, on Thursday, Nov. 8 will be inducted into the Hall of Fame of the NJCAA Volleyball Coaches Association. She holds the distinction as having coached the most wins among active coaches in the National Junior College Athletic Association. Peterson, who this season surpassed 500 wins, will accept the honor at the national tournament banquet at the Kahler Grand Hotel in Rochester. The Division III championship event is held in Rochester, where three Raider teams coached by Peterson have earned national titles and made nine appearances as the regional champion. Peterson’s volleyball coaching record at CLC is 507-226 through 22 seasons. She reached 500 wins on Oct. 3, a milestone equally as significant as the 2007 award from the American Volleyball Coaches Association: Coach of the Year. For more, go to http://clcraiders.blogspot.com/

Wig to leave CLC

Accepting the offer to be aiport manager, Jeff Wig will be leaving Central Lakes College after 22 years. Jeff has been the college's Dean of Career and Technical Programs and Staples Campus. He recently celebrated the awarding of a $13.1 Dept. of Labor grant to train thousands of workers for manufacturing jobs overthe next three years. CLC is the lead institution in that initiative, and Jeff oversaw the acquisition of that grant. The new job for Jeff is a post he earned above 48 other initial applicants. It's a job associated with flight, one of his passions. He started his career at the airport at age 16. He spent eight years employed at Airmotive Inc. on the grounds of what is now Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport. Pending psychological and background checks and contingent upon salay and benefits negotiation, Jeff is set to start the new job on Jan. 1, 2013.

VFW donates

Garrison VFW Post 1816 has donated $10,000 to the Veterans Resource Center (VRC) at Central Lakes College, Brainerd and Staples. Kathy Marshik, VRC coordinator, said that members of the VFW have done even more than donate funds. “Karen Miller (left) of the VFW has done amazing work for students from CLC,” Marshik said. She said the secretary-treasurer of the Garrison post arranged to help students with house payments and with vehicle repair costs, “so they would make ends meet.”

American Indian Heritage Month

Melanie Benjamin, chief executive of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, presented the Cultural Thursday program at Central Lakes College in Brainerd Nov. 1, commemorating National American Indian Heritage Month. The focus of her talk was violence against Indian women and efforts to enable tribal law enforcement to protect those who are abused within reservation jurisidctions. She said Indian country is experiencing epidemic rates of violence against Native American women, actually exceeding rates being reported against women globally. Native women are 2.5 times more likely to be assaulted than any other group of women in the country. The murder rate for Native women is 10 times the national average on some reservations. She cited efforts by area law enforcement agencies to improve safety, pointing out that the majority of crimes against Indian women are committed by non-Indians.She urged passage of a stronger Violence Against Women Act. Information is available at www.indianlaw.org