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On July 27, middle school and high school students from all over Minnesota learned about science through hands-on experiments and projects in ag/environmental science, chemistry, engineering, health science and food science at University on the Prairie. Hosted at the Southwest Research and Outreach Center near Lamberton, the program serves as an avenue to connect personnel from universities and professional industries to rural youth. University on the Prairie immerses participants in activities showing them what they can do with a science education. Students tested hypothesis, participated in hands-on labs, and learned new skills while exploring science- based career opportunities related to various disciplines within science. Faculty, staff, and graduate students from the University of Minnesota and South Dakota State University, along with scientists from the Southwest Research & Outreach Center and a local dietician led each career track and shared their experiences working in the diversified science fields. The science program promoted a variety of career opportunities and hands on activities developed by the track instructor. The University of Minnesota Chemistry faculty focused on the early photographic technology called “salt printing” in which a light sensitive compound called silver chloride is embedded into a medium and then selectively exposed to light to create the photographic image. The students created the light sensitive medium by soaking heavy construction paper in potassium chloride salt, and then soaking the salty paper in silver nitrate to form silver chloride directly within the fibers of the paper. The participants then took a photo of their choosing and inverted the colors to create a “negative image” that was then projected onto the light sensitive paper in a dark room. The light driven reaction converted the silver chloride to dark-colored silver nanoparticles. Finally, the unexposed light sensitive material was treated with a second

The former Lakeview Ranch (at one time also Pizza Ranch) building that sat vacant for many years on the shore of Cottonwood Lake has now been demolished. There are no official reports of plans for developing the property.

Lakeview School Board unanimously approves issuing $1,740,000 General Obligation Bonds Lakeview Supt. Chris Fenske provided an update on Phase 2 construction progress to the Lakeview School Board on Monday, Sept.

If you ask Meander artist Curt Soine how he began his journey to becoming a wood craftsman, he will tell you, “I used to carve when I was a kid in Boy Scouts. Fast forward to around 1983 when I asked my wife what she wanted for her upcoming birthday and she pointed to a swan carving in a magazine. It was $400 and I thought that doesn’t look so hard, I’ll just carve one myself. That started it. A person learns a lot over a 40year timespan.” Soine has expanded his repertoire since then. He says, “I branched into many different kinds of decoys. I started out carving waterfowl, and moved into shorebirds and spearing fish decoys. Occasionally I’ll make twig tables and assorted other carvings, like feathers, whales, and songbirds. I have exhibited in a number of galleries over the years, and I’m down to doing about 3-5 different shows, such as the Alexandria Rudy Zwieg show (March) and the Perham Gathering (April).”

The first noticeable thing when walking into the Holmberg Orchard is all the detail of the homemade signs placed frequently throughout the property. Little ones may head straight for the barrel train or perhaps they’ll run straight for the pumpkin patch or the corn maze that is much trickier to make it through than one would think (try counting all of the silly scarecrows that are sprinkled throughout the maze). There are several outdoor games for kiddos to play, several photo opportunities are set up throughout the property, and there is the onsite store that sells food, home goods, clothing, and a variety of boutique items. Rosie Petty, half of the couple that now owns and operates the orchard, said, “Seeing the families in the fall, just having fun and the kids just enjoying being outside. We try to make it very family friendly, very family orientated and things for everyone to enjoy.”

The funny thing about time is it’s always something I wish I had more of but the moment I have some actual free time on my hands, I have no idea what to do with it. I mean, where do I start? I could use my time to learn a new language.

jstolen-jacobson@cherryroad.com When I recently interviewed Troy Huntley about his North American Sturgeon Championship win, he mentioned that the competition was a lot of fun, and suggested I should try it sometime. I had to point out that I haven’t been fishing since I was a child, and likely wouldn’t even remember how the whole thing works.