Long Ignored

This poor little blog has been ignored for way too long! So, here's my contribution! I recently got on the mailing list for the West End, and here's some family friendly events that are coming up!

Wednesday, March 5 – Play and Learn Caregivers Session
10:30 a.m. – noon at the West 7th Community Center. Free. Presented by Resources for Child Caring, the program offers detailed help in preparing children for school.

Thursday March 13: St. Patty’s Day Party
1:30 p.m. Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day a little early with your friends at the West 7th Community Center. We will feast on corn beef and cabbage and Lyndon Griffin will be here to entertain us with some good ‘ol Irish music. Limited seating. Cost: $7.50 per person. Call the center to register. West 7th Community Center, 265 Oneida Street at St. Clair (651) 298-5493 www.west7th.org

Thursday, March 13 – Where’s Waldo?-Themed Family Book Fair
4-6 pm in the West 7th Community Center gym. Free. Help us find Waldo at our first 2008 book fair, with free games and treats. All children will receive a choice of 3 free books, with books available for toddlers through teens. West 7th Community Center 265 Oneida Street at St. Clair (651) 298-5493 www.west7th.org

Sunday, March 16: Easter Bake Sale and Pancake Breakfast
$6 adults; $3 children under 8. All you can eat pancakes, sausage, juice/milk/coffee.
Sokol Minnesota at the CSPS Hall. 383 Michigan Street. www.sokolmn.org

Monday, March 17: 7th Annual Irish Ceili Dance featuring Barra
St. Patrick's Day Special Event: From Ireland Frankie Gavin, Premier Irish Fiddler
CSPS Hall, 383 Michigan http://www.minnesotafolkfestival.org/gallery/csps0303/stpat03.html

Monday, March 19 – Play and Learn Caregivers Session
10:30 a.m. – noon at the West 7th Community Center. Free. Presented by Resources for Child Caring, the program offers detailed help in preparing children for school.
West 7th Community Center, 265 Oneida Street at St. Clair (651) 298-5493 www.west7th.org

Thursday, March 20 – Family Law Clinic
4:30 – 6 pm at the West 7th Community Center. Attorney David Mortensen of Tarrant, Drummer & Liska gives free one-time legal advice to families. Must pre-register; call 651-298-5493 Ext. 215.
West 7th Community Center, 265 Oneida Street at St. Clair (651) 298-5493 www.west7th.org

Thursday and Friday, March 20 & 21 – Full-day School Release Day Programming for all West 7th Neighborhood K-8 graders
8 am – 5 pm at the West 7th Community Center, including a field trip to see Steppingstone Theater. Available to all K-8 kids for $10 per child, with breakfast, lunch and snack provided. Must pre-register, call 651-298-5493, Ext. 211.
West 7th Community Center, 265 Oneida Street at St. Clair (651) 298-5493 www.west7th.org

Thursday, March 27 – West 7th Cinema Featuring “Shrek III”
6:30 pm at the West 7th Community Center gym. Free. Pre-movie kids activity at 6:15 pm. Low cost treats available. West 7th Community Center 265 Oneida Street at St. Clair (651) 298-5493 www.west7th.org

Friday, March 28: Guitarist Bladislav Blaha with the Brno Conservatory
Sponsored by the Czech and Slovak Culture Center, Minnesota Guitar Society, Sokol Minnesota. Details to be announced.
For more information: http://home.cs-center.org/index.php

Sunday, March 30: Flavors of Slovakia dinner
12:30 p.m. one seating only. $12 adult; $5 children under 7. Holupky (cabbage roll), Halusky Kapusta (dumplings and cabbage), pirohy, pickeled beets, green beans, caraway rye bread, dessert, coffee.
CSPS Hall by Sokol Minnesota, 383 Michigan Street, www.sokolmn.org

Sunday, April 6: 125th anniversary of Czech and Slovak Sokol Minnesota in the West End!
2 - 3 p.m.: Reception, display of historic artifacts, Czech-Slovak treats, cash bar
3 - 5 p.m.: Performances by Lex-Ham brass Ensemble, Soprano Karin Wolverton, Patric Dewane, Sokol String Ensemble, Sen Sandy Pappas, Mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Bierber, Lex-Ham Community Theater
5- 7 p.m.: Reception, etc.
$25. For more information, see the website www.sokolmn.org after this weekend! or call 651 297 9000

Every Monday and Wednesday Through April 14 – Free Tax Preparation Services at the West 7th Community Center
9 am – 1 pm at the West 7th Community Center, co-sponsored by AARP. Free, Monday at appointment and Wednesdays first come-first served. Call 651-298-5493 Ext. 200 for an appointment.

All Saturdays, March 1, 8, 15, 22, & 29 –Open Gym at the West 7th Community Center
10 am – noon in the West 7th Community Center, co-sponsored by the United Family Practice Health Clinic. Free; minor children must be accompanied by parent or guardian.
West 7th Community Center 265 Oneida Street at St. Clair (651) 298-5493 www.west7th.org

Nature at work - info from an expert

So, here's the skinny from someone who knows things about bugs in Minnesota. The picture I labeled as "male" is actually a parasititic primitative wood wasp that is feeding on the dead part of the tree. It is called Megarhyssa macrurus. The picture I labeled as "female" is actually controlling this parasite by laying eggs on the larvae of the parasite. This beneficial bug is the Pigeon Horntail, Tremex columba.

Now we can all say we learned something new today. :-)

Nature at work

Look at what is laying eggs in the Gay's maple tree....


"Female"
















"Female" side view (click for a clearer image)




















"Male"






I sent copies of these images to a taxonomist at the State of MN (we'll see if he replys). Does anyone know what it is?

Woodchips

To anyone who's interested... There is a giant pile of woodchips in the backyard of 317. Please help yourself!!!

A Flickr Slideshow

Click for the slideshow!

Introduction

Downtown is fantastic. From here you can easily get to the Shepard Road trails, downtown festivals like the Winter Carnival, hockey games & concerts at Xcel Arena, and the cute antique shops (and Cossetta's) on West 7th. You're also six+ blocks from I-35. But believe it or not, downtown is quieter than the suburbs. Especially in the summer. The only people who come through here, really, are the people who live here.

So here are some pictures. It's a pretty close-knit community here, with great people all around. Let us know if you're interested in talking, or joining our email list. Contact Suzanne at suzobr { at } mac { dot } com.