NR students in MDHA, DNR activities

Luke Burlingame of Maple Grove, NR Club president; Jack Britton, MDHA chapter president; and (back) Dr. Bill Faber, instructor and NR Club adviser.
As the 2013 spring semester begins Jan. 14 at Central Lakes College, students in the Natural Resources program welcomed a partnering donation and enjoyed participating in a statewide DNR roundtable. The Brainerd chapter of Minnesota Deer Hunters Association has given the Central Lakes College Natural Resources Club $700 as a donation. The club assisted the MDHA with its Hides for Habitat project during last November’s hunt. College students assisted with the preparation of deer hides, cleaning and salting nearly 1,000 hides over a three-week period. About 15 CLC students were involved, led by Luke Burlingame, president of the NR Club at CLC.

Free tax preparation

Central Lakes College in Brainerd starting Feb. 5 will again serve as a site for free income tax return preparation offered by the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program facilitated by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). The VITA Program generally offers free tax help to people who make $50,000 or less and need assistance in preparing their own tax returns. IRS-certified volunteers provide free basic income tax return preparation to qualified individuals in local communities. For information and to make an appointment for tax preparation in the Business and Industry Center at CLC starting Feb. 5 call (218) 855-8158 or (218) 855-8124.

Back to Basics

Central Lakes College joins Happy Dancing Turtle and Pine River-Backus Community Education to co-sponsor  "Back to Basics" Saturday, Jan. 26 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the PR-B School. Workshops, vendors and exhibitor booths, kids' activities, and keynote speaker Chuck Marohn ("Strategies for Building Strong Towns") are included, and lunch is available. Door prize drawings will be held. Continuing Education credits (.4) are available. For information and to register for sessions go to www.happydancingturtle.org and take your own "steps toward sustainability." The solution is YOU!

Ag Outlook & Vision Day

Central Lakes College is partnering with Mid Central Federal Savings Bank, and Prairie Lakes Co-Op to sponsor the Ag Outlook and Vision Day from 9:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. on Jan. 15 at Bruno's Hub Supper Club, Burtrum. The program includes a 10:10 a.m. presentation by Bob Rick, CLC Farm Business Management instructor, on "What is FINBIN? How Can It Help You Manage Your Farm?" Bob Schafer (shown), director of the CLC Ag and Energy Center, is on at 2:45 p.m. for "Farm Fuels Update." Other program topics: Tax Law Changes, Trends in Agronomy, Robotic Milking, and Legal Issues in Farming. Lunch is included. Information: jpalmer@midcentralbank.com or 218-639-7615 or 218-640-0193.

International Students

Eight international students attending Central Lakes College presented the Dec. 6 Cultural Thursday in Chalberg Theatre. Chiranjeet "Jeet" Shah, Zishan Khan, and Richard Andrews from India; Abdul Qadir (shown), Usman Naeem, and Nasir Hussain from Pakistan; and Beatha "Sasha" Astamarindraputri and Elsa Sasmita from Indonesia. They are one-year students at CLC through Community Colleges for International Development, a program sponsored by the U.S. State Department. CLC was the first college in Minnesota approved for participation three years ago. Jan Kurtz and Lori Beth Larsen coordinated the presentation, which provided insight as to the expectations, experiences, surprises, and educational enrichment shared by the foreign students. 

Customized Training recognized

Central Lakes College Customized Training has received recognition from the state Department of Public Safety for 10 years of “outstanding service to the Minnesota Motorcycle Safety Center and Minnesota’s motorcycling community.” Bill Shaffer, administrator of the state Motorcycle Safety Program, said that Customized Training at CLC has “served motorcyclists in your region of the state well” and presented the college program with a recognition award.

Volleyball moment

Jane Peterson, Central Lakes College head volleyball coach, recently had the opportunity to meet three-time U.S. Olympic Beach Volleyball Gold Medalist Kerri Walsh. They met at the NCAA Division I Final Four in Louisville, which was held in conjunction with the hosting of Under Armour High School All-American players for the American Volleyball Coaches Association.