N ews Briefs

Caregiver support group

DARTS offers “The Breathing Space,” a free service that gives caregivers of adults with memory loss a much-needed break while ensuring their loved one is engaged in a safe and stimulating environment.

“The Breathing Space” is a group respite program that offers four hours of activities that stimulate the brain. With locations in West St. Paul and Eagan, participants gather weekly for a range of activities, including games, nature walks and meaningful conversations. For more information or to register, call 651-455-1560 or visit dartsconnects.org/ thebreathingspace.

DARTS also needs volunteers to mow lawns for area seniors. The nonprofit encourages groups of friends, families and coworkers to adopt a yard for the summer to help a senior remain independent for as long as possible. To sign up or to learn more, contact DARTS at volunteer@darts1.org or call 651-455-1560.

TPAC events

Unless noted, all activities take place at Thompson Park Activity Center, 1200 Stassen Lane, West St. Paul. Events are for ages 55 and older. To register, call 651403-8300.

Rooting for the Arts

Show, 1-3 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 23. View artwork and enjoy a root beer float, live music and a dance talent show. Free. To display your art or dance talent, register by August 14.

Storyteller training, 1011 a.m. on four Thursdays in August. $20.

Introduction to watercolor painting , 1-3 p.m. each Monday in August. $66 for the class. Supplies may be purchased from the instructor for $40.

Nature Sense with Eloise

Dietz: Minnesota Rocks and Fossils, 10 a.m.-noon, Tuesday, Aug. 8. $12.

Greeting Card Making, 12:30-2:30 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 10. Materials provided. $20.

Introduction to heat pumps, an energy-efficient, low carbon alternative to furnaces and air conditioners, 10-11:30 a.m., Monday, Aug. 21.

Men’s Topics & Toast, 9-10 a.m., Monday, Aug. 7. $10 annually.

Falls Talk , 2:30 p.m.,Wednesday, Aug. 9. Meet one-on-one with a trained facilitator for a falls screening.

Mystery Book Club , 10:30 a.m.-noon, Tuesday, Aug. 8. $10 annually.

Penny Bingo, 1-3 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 22. $10 annually.

Technology Support Center, 9 a.m.-noon each Monday. Free assistance with technology questions for both hand-held and homebased devices.

George Latimer Central Library

The Central Library, 90 4th St. W., is hosting the following events. For more details, visit sppl.org.

Dungeons & Dragons Camp , 3-4:30 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 2, 9 and 16. Build a character and join an adventure with a seasoned Dungeon Master. Ages 11-15.

Lightbox Photography, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 2. Learn how to get well-lit images of your crafts, art, jewelry or other products using the lightbox in our Media Lab.

Drawing & Coloring Circle , 6-7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 2. All materials provided, including coloring pages and a variety of drawing tools.

Baby & Toddler Storytime, 10:30-11:30 a.m. each Thursday. Ages 3 and under; siblings welcome.

Library After Dark: Game Night , 6-7 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 9. Board and card games for all ages.

Saturday Vibe: Family Storytime, 11 a.m.-noon, Saturday, Aug. 12 and 26. Playful stories, rhymes and songs followed by creative play with puppets.

Historic Building Tour, 4-5 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 12. Enjoy a guided tour of George Latimer Central Library, designed in the Italian Renaissance Revival style and completed in 1917. Meet in the first-floor entrance lobby.

Lab After Dark: Marvelous Magnets, 6-7 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 16. Cre- ate fun magnets. Materials provided.

Saturday Vibe: Snake Discovery, 11 a.m.-noon, Saturday, Aug. 19. Learn about reptiles large and small, common and rare, and touch and hold the reptiles.

Riverview Library

Riverview Library, 1 George St. E., is hosting the following events. For more details, visit sppl.org.

Curiosity Corner , 4-7 p.m. each Tuesday. Activities for ages 8 and up, including Legos, crafts and more. West Side Writers, 2-3 p.m. each Wednesday. A group for creative writers of all levels to share their work and offer feedback.

Chess Club , 6-7 p.m. each Thursday. Open to ages 8-18, beginners and advanced players.

Comedy Magic with Brodini, 10:30 a.m., Friday, Aug. 4.

Story Theatre with Children’s Theatre Company, noon-1 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 5, 12 and 19. Explore beloved children’s books through imaginative play, storytelling and music. Ages 2-6. Siblings welcome. Riverview Book Club , 6-7 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 16. The title is “My Brilliant Friend” by Elena Ferrante.

MH parks celebration

The City of Mendota Heights is hosting its parks celebration Aug. 11-13. Friday features a food truck festival at Mendakota Park, 2111 Dodd Road, with eight trucks and two bands (Teddy Bear Band, 5-5:45 p.m.; Revved UP!, 6:30-8 p.m.). On Saturday, join staff from the Mendota Heights Police and Fire departments for a recreational round of golf at the Par 3 golf course, 1695 Dodd Road. Light refreshments will be provided. Cost is $10. Registration is required. The Family Fun Fest, held noon-2:30 p.m. on Saturday at Mendakota Park, includes the opportunity to meet city staff, learn about different departments within the City of Mendota

Heights and play bingo. It also features more than 10 activities for kids, from bounce houses to a foam party. A pickleball tournament is held 8-11 a.m. on Sunday at Marie Park, 1780 Lilac Lane. Registration is required. To register or for more information, call 651452-1850 or visit mendota heightsmn.gov.

Tour de Rec

The City of West St. Paul will host free games, activities and arts and crafts for youth ages 6-12 at Garlough Elementary, 1740 Charlton St., 1:30-2:30 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 1.

OLG fiesta

Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, 401 Concord St., will host “Fiesta 2023” August 25-26. The event includes food, kids games, multicultural entertainment, dancing, mariachi groups, raffles and silent auctions. Hours are 5:30-9:30 on Friday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturday.

I am honored to provide my first column on behalf of Neighbors. It has been an incredible first few weeks since I joined Neighbors’ beautiful mission on June 12. I write today as our staff and volunteers are returning refreshed from a week-long holiday

Lawn Service

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Large or Small Landscaping Projects

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Landscaping

Volunteer

In Your Community break. This morning, we shared stories of wonderful times spent with family and friends, weddings celebrated, time spent in nature, and recharging downtime. We shared what an amazing and unique opportunity it is to collectively rejuvenate to bring even more energy and

Lutheran Social Service of MN is seeking volunteers age 55+ in your area to provide companionship to older adults or mentor school-age children.

Volunteers commit to regular weekly hours for a tax-free stipend and mileage reimbursement. Please contact Brinn Krabbenhoft at 651.310.9455, or Brinn.Krabbenhoft@ lssmn.org for more information and to make an impact in your community.

Chair Re-glue

Repair and re-glue wooden furniture. Since 1960. Cilek Furniture Repair 651-699-4022 unwavering commitment to the communities we serve. We wish to commend and thank the board of directors for their great support and caring of Neighbors’ staff and volunteers to allow us this time.

I would like to share a high-level overview of some of the wonderful opportunities I have experienced so far and a preview of some of the things we are excited about as we look to the future.

First, the support of our community is absolutely amazing. I have had the honor of meeting many wonderful people, including volunteers, community members, business people, local officials, chamber of commerce members and people we serve. I truly appreciate the warm welcome.

I cannot tell you how inspired I am.

I would like to shine a spotlight on one of the original founders of Neighbors, Virginia Milbert, as we had the absolute joy of celebrating her 106th birthday recently. Virginia inspires us every day to bring our absolute best. She continues to volunteer at Neighbors every week in our Clothes Closet Thrift Store. When asked, she shared her vision for Neighbors to continue to stay person-centered and focus on our amazing volunteers and their dedication to our mission. On behalf of Neighbors’ board of directors and staff, we wish to thank Virginia for her tremendous dedication and commitment to the agency she helped established 51 years ago. It is

NowApplicationsAccepting

Paraprofessional - Work with students in a classroom assisting teachers, before/after-school child care OR supervise groups of students. Full-time or part-time. Starting base wage $19.63/hr. (DOQ). Bus Drivers - Safely transport students to and from school. Paid training & CDL certification. Starting base wage $22.90/hr. (DOQ).

Nutrition Services - Prepare and serve breakfast and lunch for students. Starting base wage $16.50/hr. Custodian - Perform cleaning, event set-up/clean-up, and ensure safety of buildings. Full-time starting base wage $21.76/hr. Part-time and seasonal starting base wage $16.80/hr. (DOQ).

Kids Club Supervisor - Lead a school-age child care program in one of our elementary buildings and supervise paraprofessional staff. Full-time, 12-month. Starting base wage $21.50/hr. (DOQ).

For more information and to apply: sowashco.org/careers

Dodge Nature Preschool

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• because of her and so many others who have given their time, talents and dedication, that we have the honor and privilege of serving the community today.

Second, it has been a wonderful opportunity to see Neighbors’ services and staff in action. Wow – where to even start. I am humbled by the incredibly long legacy and foundation of providing highly dignified, personcentered services across all of our programming. From our choice model food shelf shopping experience to our beautiful boutique-style Clothes Closet to our individualized free Financial Empowerment services, Neighbors’ staff and volunteers take our mission to heart to provide opportunities for our neighbors to thrive.

As we reflect and honor the incredible foundation of Neighbors, we are excited to share that we are embarking on our next three-year strategic planning process. This is a vibrant time for our organization to reflect, energize and dream of the future.

I have enjoyed meeting so many of you. And for those I have not yet met, I look forward to meeting you soon. Feel free to reach out to me at dawn@neighborsmn.org, 651-272-1135, or just stop by. I would love to connect. Thank you again. I am honored to join Neighbors’ and be a part of a tremendously supportive community. Stay connected with Neighbors’ latest updates at neighborsmn.org.

“Sustainability” is one of those buzzwords that everyone seems to think is important but which often means different things to different people. For Dakota County, we define and measure our sustainability chiefly through an economic and environmental lens. Today’s column will explore these measures more closely.

Economic sustainability

- The tumult surrounding the raising of the U.S. debt ceiling – and what could have been a catastrophic national default – consumed the news for much of 2023. This got me wondering whether our nation has ever been debt-free. I searched back nearly two centuries to find a period of zero national debt. In 1835, President Andrew Jackson fulfilled a campaign promise to make America debt-free. It lasted one year.

The State of Minnesota has never been debt-free.

Borrowing money since its founding in 1858, the State first issued bonds to finance the construction of the Min-

Joe Atkins Dakota County Commissioner

nesota State Capitol. While the debt amount fluctuated over time, it has never been fully eliminated. Contrast this with Dakota County, which has now been debtfree since 2016. Indeed, we are one of the only county governments in the nation with zero debt.

One can argue over whether there is “good debt,” such as for items with long useful lives, like a maintenance garage or dam. However, there is no question that Dakota County’s run of seven years without debt places us in a more sustainable position than virtually any other gov-