All posts filed under: Ortonville

US Senator Tina Smith Visits Ortonville Area Health Services

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US Senator Tina Smith visited Ortonville Area Health Services this afternoon to listen and to learn how she can support communities to keep and sustain their health care in the face of a lot of really big challenges.  Her main questions today were:  how do you make it work in your communities, what are your challenges, what are the opportunities and what can she do to help bolster the areas, especially around workforce.  Other health care representatives present joining the discussion were representatives from Appleton Area Health Systems, Johnson Memorial Health Services (Dawson) and Lakewood Health Systems (Staples).  Carrie Bendix from the SW MN Private Industry Council (who also works with the workforce development board for the 14-county area) was also present to talk workforce. There was great discussion shared amongst all in attendance which ended with Carson Ouellette, the Northwest Minnesota Outreach Representative for Sen. Smith, bringing the discussion to a close with “So I hate to cut it short but I do want to get a chance to see the award-winning OB department!”  …

Did You Know? #1 of Series

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an #MNbump Series – #1-Paul Bunyon’s Anchor DID YOU KNOW? This is a first of a series about things in the #MNbump that we are calling #MNbumpExplore. You may or may not know about these places but we encourage you to go check them out, take a selfie or group photo with them and share the photos on your page, tagging MNbump.com or #MNbump on Facebook! Paul Bunyan’s Anchor – Up on the hill overlooking Big Stone Lake is the home of Paul Bunyan’s Anchor. This large chunk of granite was cut from the granite quarries in the area. Thousands of years ago Ortonville and the land north all the way to Hudson Bay was covered by a gigantic glacier lake named Lake Agassiz. The legends is that while Paul was out fishing one day, he threw his anchor up on the hill, and voila! The part about the lake is true, however you can believe what you want about the anchor. Anyone traveling through the area should check it out, the view is spectacular …

Prairie Five Meals Hosting Upcoming Spring Lunch and Learn Events

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Prairie Five Meals on the Go hosts a “Spring Lunch and Learn” at Lakeside Apartments on Tuesday, June 11th at 11:45am. Justin Peters, Kayla Findlay, Mel Martig, and Amy Hodenfield of Big Stone Therapies, will share exercises to help build bones and tips to stay safe at home. Prairie Five Meals will have lunch for a suggested donation rate of $4.50 for those 60 and over and an $8 cost for those under 60. Call 320-839-3304 by Monday, June 10th to reserve your meal and to RSVP for the class. Any questions? Call Linda at the Prairie Five outreach office: 320-839-2111. Prairie Five Meals on the Go hosts a “Spring Lunch and Learn” at the Graceville Senior Center on Thursday, June 13th, at 12pm. Candice Conway, of Senior Linkage Line, will give a half hour presentation. Learn how to protect yourself and to detect and report Medicare and consumer fraud, waste and abuse. Prairie Five Meals will have lunch for a suggested donation rate of $4.50 for those 60 and over and an $8 cost …

MNbump Alumni

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The focus of the project that started the MNbump.com was to help small communities (Under 1,500 pop) across Minnesota discover opportunities to develop community assets for sustainable tourism. Through community input during this process, marketing our tourism opportunities via web was identified as a top priority. With further discussion, it was determined that the web marketing could also provide an opportunity for residents to communicate. As the new MNbump Coordinator, I have been trying to come up with ideas to reach out and to see if there are things about life in the MNbump that people that grew up here or still live here would like to share with us and others. So I thought, why not start by reaching out the Alumni of our schools. Are you an alumni from the Clinton Rockets, Graceville Shamrocks, Beardsley Mustangs, Odessa Monarchs, Ortonville Trojans, the Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley Wolverines? Where are you now, we want to hear from you. I don’t know what the school mascot was for Barry, Johnson, or Correll were were back in the day, but …

Traveling to Ortonville for Cornfest

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As Mary Hillman, the Big Stone Lake Area Chamber Director, spends late nights at the office and her days running around coordinating Ortonville’s largest annual event — with the City Crew busy “dusting up” the town — and countless volunteers have organized groups to assist with the celebration, it is absolutely heartwarming to see this post (pictured below) on a private Group “You know you were raised in Ortonville MN if you remember…” After first letting it sink in how excited Ty Adams is to be returning to Ortonville with his family for a 30th School reunion and Cornfest – then seeing that he received 10 recommendations from 24 people with an exchange of conversations within 66 comments — and of course noticing that we have some really highly recommended dining options, I thought… this is really what life is all about! Living Rural and Loving it, here on the MNbump! Enjoy the weekend, everyone! What were the recommendations?  …here they are in no particular order. Downtown Diner, in Clinton Lakewood Supper Club Big Rock …

Peace Run in Ortonville at Lakeside Park

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Ortonville enjoyed a stop by a few participating in the 2018 route of the SRI CHINMOY ONENESS-HOME PEACE RUN last night.  (welcomed by Mary Hillman and Kevin Benson of the Big Stone Lake Area Chamber of Commerce)  The Peace Run is a global torch relay that symbolizes humanity’s universal aspiration for a more peaceful world. Now in its third decade, the Peace Run is humanity’s largest and longest grassroots effort for peace. Since its inception, the torch has visited more than 140 nations!  Check out their website & the 2018 North American route at this link! In this first video, they sing the Peace Run Song for us: In the next video, they shared some background and information about the run: And in this last video, they shared a song that they sing when they are with a group of children:

Music on Main (Ortonville)

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The Big Stone Arts Council “Music On Main” continues its twice-monthly jam sessions! Next session will be Tuesday, April 3rd at 6:30, in the lower level of the Community Center (on the corner of Third & Monroe in beautiful downtown Ortonville!)  They are also meeting on Thursday, April 19th at 6:30. Lee Kanten notes that “Musicians of all stripes and experiences gather and swap songs and stories for three hours and go home with silly smiles.”  Lee encourages everyone to bring an instrument, a voice, or an ear and join the fun!  

Ortonville School Veterans’ Day Program 2017

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A beautiful program by the Ortonville School! Video 1: Posting of Colors by the VFW Post 3964 and VFW Auxiliary; National Anthem by the OHS Band Directed by Mr.s Chris Petersen; Welcome by Master of Ceremonies: CSM Retired Joseph Eustice; Veterans’ Day Poem “Thought for Today” read by Zoie Converse; Elementary Choir Grades 4, 5, 6 Directed by Mrs. Jennifer Neu “In service of Our Country” & “The Caissons Go Marching” Video 2: Tribute to Veterans of All Wars – Students of the Ortonville School presenting plaques with war totals. Readings read by Jason Helgeson. Video 3: Veterans’ Day Address by HM3 Lois Banken, Persian Gulf War Veteran Video 4: Veterans’ Day Poem “What is a Veteran” read by Trent Eastman Video 5: Flag Folding Ceremony by CSM Joseph Eustice, Ben Eustice and Zack Nelson Video 6: OHS Band “God Belss the USA”, OHS Concert Choir & Elementary Choir “Let Freedom Ring” & “God Bless America”; Closing Remarks by CSM Retired Joseph Eustice; and Retirement of Colors by the VFW Post 3964 and VFW Auxiliary

An Old Fashioned Picnic in the Park

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The DREAM for Kids’ old fashioned picnic (in its third year!) was a hit last night! (estimating about 250 people in attendance!) Taken from the event’s invitation:  It’s time to celebrate how lucky we are to have our families… all kinds, shapes, and sizes!  YOU ARE INVITED They started serving dinner at 5:30 with the activities starting at 6:00 p.m. go fishing ride-a-horse (always a favorite!) bean bag toss sing-a-long tubs of fun crafts and more… DREAM for Kids and Someplace Safe thanked all of their partners: 4-H Dusty Hill Family ECI Ortonville Library Lee Kanten OCC 75 One Stop KDIO Moose Lodge #407 Hartman’s Super Valu Minnwest Bank Pepsi America For more information on youth opportunities, daycare, schools, check out our All About Youth page!  

Ortonville Photos

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Thanks to Mary Taffe for sharing! She walks every day and captures beautiful shots throughout Ortonville. She has provided (and will continue) some of her photos to be used on the MNbump site & social media. We plan to keep them in a library for blog post uses… but thought they should be enjoyed as a group here. If you have photos that you would