Dr. David Pichaske, author, publisher and a longtime English professor at Southwest Minnesota State University, has been nominated for the annual Kay B. Sexton Award, which honors a lifetime contribution to Minnesota’s literary community.
The winner of the award will be announced in late February. It is sponsored by Common Good Books of St. Paul and affiliated with the annual Minnesota Book Awards contest.

Granite Falls Energy, LLC today announced that its Board of Governors has accepted the resignation of Tracey Olson, the company’s Chief Executive Officer.

J anus Waller is a woodworker, engineer, carpenter, tinkerer, part-time farmer, toy-maker and veteran.
Waller’s found it hard for a good man to stay unemployed and harder still for an industrious man, like himself, to sit idle.
The small rural Clarkfield home he shares with his wife Betty and the outbuildings that surround it, act like showcases for Waller’s craft and inventiveness.
Walking through the couple’s home, Waller and his wife point out the details and stories behind each finely crafted piece of furniture, each complex wooden toy, each inlaid chest or jewelery box and each whimsical craft decoration.
The work impresses, the variety overwhelms.

Twenty-five years ago, Willie Male Bear (Standing Rock Lakota) had a dream in which he saw himself and Dakota warriors running along a road carrying an eagle staff.  He believed this was connected to the 1862 U.S.-Dakota War. 

He presented this idea to the Dakota Studies Committee (DSC) which was organizing the events commemorating the 125th anniversary of the War.  The Dakota Studies Committee was organized Dr. Chris Mato Nunpa (formerly Chris Cavender) in the mid-1970s.  The Committee was composed of individuals interested in Dakota history and culture.  Recognizing that 1987 was the 125th commemoration of 1862, the DSC decided that it would be important to have a variety of events and activities to commemorate this important event in Dakota history.  As the DCS was planning 1987 activities, they realized the importance of having a kick-off event to launch this commemorative year.  They believed Male Bear’s idea for a commemorative run would make an excellent beginning and decided to start the run at midnight at Fort Snelling on the night of December 25, 1986.  It would be a relay run that would extend through the night, arriving at Mankato in the morning of the 26th, about the time of the original mass hanging of thirty-eight Dakota warriors in 1862.

When the K.K. Berge Building holds its Grand Opening this Thursday, it will signify the end of a four year restoration effort led by the Granite Falls Riverfront Revitalization (GFRR) organization and powered by the community.
Now, the real fun begins.

Minnesota’s nonprofit organizations ask Minnesotans to give to their favorite charities at GiveMN.org during the third annual “Give to the Max Day” on November 16, with hopes of raising as much money as possible for nonprofit organizations in 24 hours (starting at midnight on Nov. 16 through midnight on Nov. 17).

 
With wine tasting and hors d'oeuvres, of course the mood was light and casual during the Granite Falls Area Community Foundations (GFACF) grant recipient celebration.
One year after only a single $113 grant was issued by the foundation, a combined $2,450 was bestowed upon six community organization––thanks in large part to the growing endowment.

If you run into one the 45 artists of the 2011 Meander and encounter a taut smile contrasting a limp physique, it is no cause for worry.
The most successful art event in the region will do that to even the most vigorous of the lot for it is wonderful business but an immense undertaking––and that’s before playing host to hundreds for three days straight. 

A windy Thursday morning was ideal for Bert Raney Elementary students as they planted within the ground individual pin wheels that taken collectively made a statement larger than themselves.

In the first weekend of October, hundreds travel from throughout Minnesota and neighboring states to attend the annual Meander: Upper Minnesota River Art Crawl.
This year, from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. Friday, Sept. 30, Granite Falls will have the special privilege of hosting the art crawl’s Kick-Off Event. Artists, organizations and businesses are hoping to make the most of the opportunity.

The 28th annual ECFE Early Childhood Fair for families with preschool children will be held Monday, September 12 at Bert Raney Elementary (BRE) in Granite Falls from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.  There is no admission charge.    
Area organizations and agencies that serve families with preschool children will have numerous displays and hands-on activity areas with play materials, creative projects and resource/informational handouts available to fair visitors in the BRE Gym.  Granite Falls Ambulance squad members will be on hand to give children a “tour” of an ambulance parked in front of BRE.

One of 51 gold-medalists chosen from a field of nearly 4,000, Curtis Sannerud finally claimed the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival’s (NVCAF) top prize on his eighteenth annual attempt.
And it’s a good thing, the 81-year-old, retired Clarkfield farmer turned artist, says. A long life on the farm has taken its toll upon his body and he admits that he’s getting to the point where he’s unsure of how many artistic creations he has left.
“I was hoping,” Sannerud said of the receipt of the prize... “Because I don’t know... I can’t use my arm very much any more.”

On Friday, September 30 from 4 to 8 p.m., the 8th Annual Meander Upper Minnesota River Arts Crawl will kick off with a brand new event showcasing the picturesque Downtown Granite Falls  as a gateway to the Upper Minnesota River Valley and all the art, culture and natural beauty it has to offer.

The Meander is a self-guided tour of 33 artist Studios in western Minnesota.  The weekend routinely draws more than a thousand visitors from the Twin Cites Metro Area, Sioux Falls, Fargo and the surrounding region who enjoy exploring the unique treasure spots found in the small towns and farms of the Meander region.

Photography, bird baths, ornament making, basket weaving, Zentangle, woodcarving– all are classes our area can enroll in thanks to the Granite Falls Arts Council (GFAC).
This past July, Bill Van der Hagen of Cottonwood led a class on photography for those who wished to enhance their skill in the use of their cameras. Van der Hagen taught skills including how to use natural light, how to enhance an image with background control, and -also taught how to achieve the basic compositions of a photo.

Have you always wanted to attend a dinner theater for a night, but never had the time to organize a trip all the way to the Twin Cities? Thanks to the Granite Falls Area Community Theater (GFACT), the dinner theater experience will be brought to you. Next Thursday night, August 11, performers from across our area will be staging their own dinner theater experience at Prairie’s Edge Casino Resort entitled “A Taste of Broadway.”

The Granite Falls Area Community Foundation (GFACF) has announced that they are accepting proposals for grants.  Just 18 months  after officially beginning, the GFACF has raised over $85,000 for  their endowment.  Even with sluggish markets, this endowment will  allow the foundation to provide over $1,000 in grants. 
The mission of the GFACF is to provide opportunities for the community  to connect the legacy of the past to tomorrow's dreams through  charitable giving and grant making.  The organization is looking for  creative projects that will benefit the greater Granite Falls area community.

This weekend 200-plus dancers from throughout the country will take part in the Pezihutazizi Oyate Traditional Wacipi,   held Friday through Sunday, August 5, 6, and 7, at the former Firefly Creek Casino, four miles south of Highway 67 from Highway 23 at Granite Falls.
A celebration of Native American Spirituality amidst friends, relatives and newcomers, the event centers around a traditional and contemporary exhibition of indigenous song and dance and also offers an array of Native American art, food and craft vendors.

Walter “Super” LaBatte, Jr. recognizes a thin veil between the material and spirit world. He believes it is all around us, applying its influence  in subtle ways that most of us do not see or inhibit with our actions.
Super, as he has been dubbed ever since exhibiting a childhood feat of strength, spoke with a candid ease about powwows, his art and how the spiritual realm has come to characterize both aspects, defining them as more than just activities but ways of life.

Typically known for its great food, good time and soulful music, next Friday, April 8, Bootlegger’s Supper Club will be recognized for its murder mystery dinner theater.
The Marshall Area Stage Company, in association with the Granite Arts Council, will be presenting “the crown jewel of the murder mystery genre,” Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap.”

Cottonwood photographer Bill Van der Hagen has just three years as a professional photographer under his belt, but has built a portfolio of work on his website of nature, portrait and architectural work.
He became interested in photography when, while spending time at a downtown Marshall coffee house, he saw and appreciated a nature photography display. He contacted the photographer and began learning about photography techniques.