Join local astronomy enthusiast, Joe Hauger, this Saturday across from the Upper Sioux Agency State Park tipis at 8:30 p.m. Through his telescope, you will be able to see Jupiter and four of its largest moons, the Milky Way’s neighbor the Andromeda Galaxy, star clusters and colored double star systems.  Venus will also be visible briefly after sunset, and the International Space Station is scheduled to pass over twice during the show.

It may sound like your fourth grade math teacher, but the only thing this “Miss Mitchell” adds up to is awesome.
This Saturday, the WWII B-25 Bomber, Miss Mitchell, will be on display at the Granite Falls Airport where it will be available to public for tours and rides.
The Minnesota Wing of the Commemorative Air Force was originally scheduled to bring the bomber to the area during the Ray Fagen Memorial Air Show held in June. While it may not have been present with the other aircraft at the event, the Miss Mitchell is a worthy attraction all its own.

It all started with a Facebook exchange that can be summarized as thus:
“How come Granite Falls can’t do something like that?” queried Paula Soine.
“We can,” said Nicole Zempel.
And so originated, “Paddling with Paula.”

A lifelong love of history, combined with the gathering over the years of extensive collections of memorabilia, has been turned into a newly published hardcover book by longtime Clarkfield resident Richard Petersen and Steve Monson, the youngest great-grandchild of Clarkfield founders, Henry and Anna Monson.

Last year’s abnormally wet October postponed a drawdown of the Minnesota Falls dam that would have allowed for an engineering firm to determine the dam’s present condition as well as the future effects on the river associated with its removal. On August 9 the drawdown will resume.

Filing for area school board and city council  seats opened this Tuesday, Aug. 3 and will close Tuesday, Aug. 17. Listed below are the Yellow Medicine East School Board and the area city council seats that will be in contention for this year’s General Election on Nov. 2.

It was ten years ago this week, on Tuesday July 25, 2000 at 6:29 p.m,. when a tornado seemed to come out of nowhere and mow a path of destruction through the west end of Granite Falls. The low forming funnel cloud went largely undetected by the U. S. Weather Service’s radar but was spotted by farmers west of town who reported it to the sheriff’s office.

With more energy than a bucking bull, Granite Falls’ 31st annual premiere celebration hits town June 24, 25 and 26. So spur-up cowboys and girls, this weekend is Western Fest.

If you have never taken a ride on one of the areas’ many rivers, there is no better time than Clean Up the River Environment’s (CURE) Annual River, Culture and History Weekend being held this Saturday and Sunday.
No canoe? No kayak? No problem. CURE has watercraft to spare and wants nothing more than to assist you onto the river at no expense. Really. It’s in their mission, it’s what they do – they want you to have the chance to fall in love with scenic bluffs, lush flora and an abundance of wildlife too.

Roll up those sleeves, this Saturday, May 8, the Chamber of Commerce is teaming up with CURE for another Hungry Hollow clean up.
In 2008 nearly 30 area residents and CURE members collaborated to  give the river inlet a spit-shine, picking up the creek, which runs through east Granite Falls, and much of the surrounding area.

 
It’s not often that the Granite Falls area gets to star in its own television production, but an offer from Pioneer Public Television (PPTV) has some community members already preparing for the closeup.
The unique opportunity to showcase the area comes in the wake of the production, Great Minnesota Parks.

On Saturday the Henry Hill Apartments and Chamber of Commerce are teaming up to host a fun-filled afternoon geared around little oval eggs, a big bushy tail and a bunch of bright smiles. Yes, it’s a good ol’ fashioned Easter Egg Hunt.

   Registration conference appointments for YME High School students and parents are scheduled for Monday, March 8, They will be able to meet with the student’s advisor and also register for 2010-2011 classes and receive 3rd quarter midterm report cards. Information is being mailed out  this week.  Parents are encouraged to attend the registration and midterm conference appointment to review course registration materials.

River otters, those playful creatures sometimes known for their child-like personalities, are the subject of a public meeting to be held at 6:30-8:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 9 at the Kilowatt Community Center.

Feelings on the subject of allowing them to be trapped in the Minnesota River Watershed and Southwest Minnesota run from one end of the spectrum to the other.

Currently, river otters may only be trapped in other parts of the state.

Bootlegger’s Supper Club owner John Berends has seen a lot of musician’s in his day, so when he refers to a musician as a savant, it’s probably good reason to take notice.
A few weeks ago, Luther Cole traveled from his home in Pipestone and made his Bootlegger’s musical debut during a mid-February performance as a part of Berends popular local musician Fridays. He will make his much anticipated return this Friday when he again claims the stage from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

    The Clarkfield Area Community Foundation has received strong and continuing support from many present community members and organizations, and from those across the nation.   

The Foundation’s next step is organization of a committee to recommend annual grant distributions in the community. It is now seeking names of persons interested in committee membership. Please signify your interest or nominate others, to:

Genius is often looked over in its own time and certainly in its own home town, which is why you need to get out to Bootlegger’s to check out all the local musicians on hand every Friday in January through March.
Names like Jerry Ostensoe, Tommy Listul, Guy Stevermer, Verlyn Kling, Steve Barber, and even the Advocate Tribune’s own Eric Monson... if you haven’t seen them you are simply missing out.
Each week in January the Advocate Tribune will profile the musician who will be playing the coming Friday, giving potential listeners an indication of the musical treat that awaits amongst the fine dining, atmosphere and company guaranteed at Bootlegger’s Supper Club.

The need for the electricity has been determined, the question during Monday’s CapX2020 public meeting concerned which route the high-voltage transmission lines will take to get it there.

According to CapX planning studies, the state of Minnesota and surrounding regions will require 4,000 - 6,000 megawatts of additional electricity by 2020. If the region is to meet this demand, as well as tap into wind energy opportunities in the southwestern portion of the state, it will require the largest upgrade to the state’s transmission capacity in more than 25 years. Enter CapX2020.

Due to weather conditions Apple Fest has been postponed until Friday October 16. The Granite Falls Ambulance and Hospital bake sale will still be held out of the ambulance garage from 11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. today. All other times, events and vendors will apply to the rescheduled day.

It’s a few days before the Meander and 45 artists from Granite Falls to Ortonville are invariably working near round the clock to prepare for the deluge of weekend visitors that will come to experience the Minnesota River Valley, the artists and their art.