Clay County Heartland Trail

Public Involvement Meetings

Public meetings will be held on January 27 and January 29 to hear what the public and nearby property owners would like to see in the potential extension of the Heartland Trail.

Clay County Heartland Trail organizers are seeking input to help guide the planning of the Clay County Heartland Trail. Are there particular routes that are preferred? What would make the trail enjoyable for the public and nearby property owners?

Two public involvement meetings will be held:

Tuesday, January 27 from 6:00-8:00 pm: Hawley High School Commons, 714 Joseph St, Hawley (enter from south entrance)

Thursday, January 29 from 5:00-7:00 pm: Dilworth Community Center, 709 1st Ave NW, Dilworth

Currently the Heartland Trail is a 49-mile paved shared use path that runs from Cass Lake, MN to Park Rapids, MN. In 2006 the Minnesota State Legislature approved the extension of the heartland Trail from Park rapids to Moorhead. Potential trail alignments are being studied including the portion within Clay County.

If you are unable to attend either of the meetings, questions or comments regarding this study can be sent to:

Dan Farnsworth

Transportation Planner, Metro COG

One 2nd St N, Suite 232

Fargo, ND 58102-4807

farnsworth@fmmetrocog.org

701.232.3242

Fargo Public Library

circulates record 1 million items

The Fargo Public Library is pleased to announce that area residents borrowed over 1 million items from the library in 2014. This is the first time in the library’s history for that to occur.

The library’s total circulation was 1,000,024 items. Books and magazines accounted for 46 percent of the overall circulation, while assorted non-print items and media, including ebooks, DVDs, and CDs, accounted for 36 percent of the circulation numbers last year. Worth noting is that most of the growth in the library’s circulation numbers occurred within the youth collection.

Ebook checkouts continue to increase; more than 55,000 eBooks checked out in 2014 which is a 44 percent increase over 2013 numbers.

According to Library Director Tim Dirks, June 2014 had the highest single month of circulation in the history of the Fargo Public Library with just under 100,000 items circulated. The months of January, March, and December were also record months in comparison with previous years.

Mr. Dirks stated, “2014 was also a record year for library program attendance with just under 20,000 attendees. I want to thank the residents of Fargo for their tremendous ongoing support of the Fargo Public Library. The record number of items circulated and programs attended is also a reflection of all the hard work put in by library staff, volunteers and board members. We look forward to continuing to meet the needs of our dynamic and growing community.”

For more information regarding the Fargo Public Library, call (701) 241-1472 or visit the library’s website,www.fargolibrary.org.

Poster Contest Promotes Sun Safety

Do you have a good idea for a poster to encourage your family and friends to stay safe in the sun?

If you are a North Dakota youth 8 to 19 years old, your idea could inspire others to protect themselves from the sun’s rays and you could win a prize.

The North Dakota State University Extension Service, NDSU Extension’s Center for

4-H Youth Development and the North Dakota Academy of Dietetics are sponsoring an “Eat Smart. Play Hard. Together” poster contest based on the theme of sun safety. Posters will be judged in two age divisions: preteen (ages 8 to 12) and teen (ages 13 to 19).

Winners in both age divisions will receive $50 for first place, $35 for second place and $15 for third place. All entrants will receive a certificate of recognition and a small prize.

The poster must relate to sun safety. That could include urging people to wear sunscreen, a hat, shirt or other protective clothing and sunglasses when they’re outside or encouraging them not to go to a tanning salon. The posters also could stress the importance of physical activity and the fun activities you can enjoy in the sun.

Visit http://www.ndcancercoalition.org or http://www.ndsu.edu/eatsmart to learn more about this topic.

Posters will be judged on their general appearance and how well they promote sun safety.

Entries must be postmarked by March 15, 2015. They should be dropped off at the Center for 4-H Youth Development at NDSU or mailed to the Center for 4-H Youth Development, Attn: Eat Smart. Play Hard. Poster Contest Entry, 219 FLC, NDSU Dept. 7280, P.O. Box 6050, Fargo, ND 58108-6050.

Visit http://tinyurl.com/ESPHpostercontest and scroll down to “Eat Smart. Play Hard. Poster Contest” for contest rules and the entry form.

“We have hosted a poster contest for several years, and we are always impressed by the positive health messages and creativity the children and teens have shown as they develop their posters,” says North Dakota State University Extension Service food and nutrition specialist Julie Garden-Robinson, who coordinates the contest.

“Eat Smart. Play Hard.” is a U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service initiative that focuses on making America’s children healthier. It provides practical suggestions to help children and their caregivers eat a healthful diet and be physically active.