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TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 2017 VOL. 35 NO. 23 www.presspubs.com $1.00
AREA TROPICAL FISH: Store opens with a splash PAGE 11
CAEF Gala to be ‘a tropical celebration’
Students embark on musical island adventure
BY SHANNON GRANHOLM EDITOR
Even though this year's event will mark its 14th annual appearance, the Centennial Area Education Foundation (CAEF) Gala has many new things in store for attendees including a new location, guest speaker, DJ, photo booth and — most importantly — a new cause. “The fun factor is really kicked up a notch this year,” said Kelley Boyer, CAEF marketing/communications chair. “This is the first time we have had a theme to the event. We want it to add a bit of character to the event and differentiate it from other years.” This year's gala is themed “A Tropical Celebration” and is slated for Saturday, April 1 at 6 p.m. at Infinite Campus in Blaine (4321 109th Ave. NE). Charlie Kratsch is donating a large portion of the venue and its services for the event, which will be a huge cost savings for CAEF. Kratsch, who is a Centennial grad himself, has always been a supporter of the district. “It's important for businesses to support local organizations. We got our start with Centennial and started working with them 23 years ago. We were located within the school district for the first few years and have maintained a fairly close relationship,” he said. “Now that we have resources to take advantage of, I'm more than happy to do that.” Each year the Gala raises funds not only for the organization's general fund budget, used for numerous scholarships and grants to the people/organizations within the community, but also a special “Fund the Need” project. Last year's event raised over $32,000 and broke a record; more than 200 people attended. Boyer said the goal this year is to raise around $40,000. Last year's proceeds went toward various grants, scholarships and the funding for two new tenor saxophones for the high school marching and pep bands. “We really want the growth to continue. We are trying to take on bigger projects and make it more of
SHANNON GRANHOLM | PRESS PUBLICATIONS
Centennial Middle School will perform Madagascar for its spring musical March 30, March 31 and April 1. (From left) Cecilia VanZyl as Gloria the hippo, Ben Davis as Marty the zebra, Braeden Krieger as Alex the lion and Owen Reynolds-Lillibridge as Melman the giraffe act out a scene after being tranquilized and sent away in crates. See more photos and story on page 10.
SEE CAEF GALA, PAGE 13
The ins and outs of local CSA programs BY JULIA ARNOLD CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Buying locally grown produce is becoming a priority for consumers across the country and the region. CSA's give consumers that opportunity to buy local. CSA stands for community-supported agriculture. In a CSA, consumers pledge to support a local farm, an arrangement where growers and consumers share the risks and benefits of food production. CSA subscribers pay a fixed price at the beginning of the growing season for a weekly share of the
anticipated harvest. CSA proponents see the arrangement as benefitting local farmers as well as consumers. Subscribers feel a sense of satisfaction from connecting to the land and participating in food production; through direct sales, growers receive better prices for their crops. Heidi Carlson, a North Oaks resident, said that was a major reason she joined one. “I wanted access to fresh food, grown locally and wanted to support a local farmer,” she explained. Participating in a CSA can also inspire healthy eating. Lino Lakes residents Sarah and Mike
Carlson (no relation to Heidi) said they joined a CSA last summer “because we wanted to get fresh, local, organic vegetables every week.” Sarah also thought it would encourage her to try more recipes and eat more salads. She noted, “We did eat more vegetables, and tried some that I had never eaten before.” With a CSA, buyers know where their food is coming from. Eating locally grown food is becoming a real priority for consumers. Sarah said, “I liked the quality of SEE LOCAL CSA, PAGE 12
SUBMITTED
A selection of produce from last year's Niemczyk Gardens’ CSA box. This year Niemczyk's will offer subscribers a choice regarding which produce to take home.
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