Top Stories St. Paul

Minnesota Fringe applications are now available and, if you’ve ever wanted to try your hand at producing your own show, now’s the time!

Fringe is for everyone: You can be successful at Fringe if you’ve never acted, written or produced a show before-or if you’ve been performing for years. In 2009, Minnesota Fringe presented 162 different companies doing theater, improv comedy, musicals, dance, shows for kids and teens, puppets, and much more. We used 22 different theaters in Minneapolis and St. Paul during eleven days in August, and we showcased the work of over 1,000 artists from the Twin Cities, Minnesota and across the country.

To find out more, come to a Fringe application workshop. It’s free, open to the public and is totally informal, so drop in anytime between 1 and 3 p.m.

Saturday, January 9 at St. Paul Central Library, 90 West Fourth St., St. Paul

We’ll have copies of all the applications and can field your questions about how we help you produce your show, our new programs this year and the new Midwest Fringe Circuit.

If you’re not available, don’t hesitate to email robin@fringefestival.org or call the office at (612) 872-1212 with your questions. The general application deadline is Friday, January 29 (with a December 31 deadline for some special programs). Check out our Web site at www.fringefestival.org for more information and to download your application.

The holiday season is often a period of high activity and accompanying stress and anxiety, which was just as true a century ago as it is today.  A special tour of the James J. Hill House will focus on the many ways the Hill family and their servants, ca. 1891-1921, found ways to celebrate the hectic Christmas and New Year’s season with elaborate entertaining and simple pleasures.

After the tour, visitors will gather in the elegant Drawing Room where Beth Freschi will lead a special relaxation session – an hour-long class using modern day relaxation techniques that calm the mind and body.  The class will begin with deep breathing, followed by a muscle relaxation exercise, guided imagery and meditation.  Previous tour/relaxation classes at the Hill House have sold out, so reservations are strongly recommended for this unique event.

For reservations, call the Hill House at 651-297-2555.

All proceeds go to the Minnesota Historical Society.  Cost is $12 or $10 for Minnesota Historical Society members.

It’s been 10 years since environmentalists, union members and faith and social justice activists took to the streets of Seattle to protest the convening of the 1999 World Trade Organization. The Minnesota Fair Trade Coalition will mark this anniversary – and champion a positive vision for global trade – with a series of events Nov. 30 to Dec. 5.

Activities will include teach-ins and discussions. The week will culminate with a march and rally for trade justice on Saturday, Dec. 5, at the United Auto Workers Local 879 union hall in St. Paul.

Event details:
Should workers who migrate as a result of trade policies be considered economic refugees? This teach-in will address the relationship between globalization and immigration.

Century College and the Minnesota Renewable Energy Society have co-developed a new half-day course for people interested in exploring renewable energy careers. One of the most common questions people ask about renewable energy is: “How can I be involved in this rapidly expanding field?” Find out the answer to this question and a multitude of others in this 4-hour session. Careers involving solar and wind site assessment, design of systems, installation of systems, and many other aspects of solar PV, solar thermal, and wind power applications will be discussed. Ralph Jacobson, a 25-year veteran of renewable energy system installations and owner of IPS (Innovative Power Systems), one of this area’s largest solar installers, is the course instructor. He is a materials engineer, NABCEP certified in both solar PV and solar thermal installation. Ralph is currently involved in developing strategies for growing the solar industry in Minnesota and developing training programs for the building trades. He is also on the Board of Directors of the Minnesota Renewable Energy Society.

If you are a Minnesota Renewable Energy Society (MRES) member, you can receive a $10 discount on the course fee. Please contact the Century College registration office at (651) 779-3341 to receive the discounted rate.

To Register go to: https://webproc.mnscu.edu/registration/search/detail.html?campusid=304&courseid=001725&yrtr=20103&rcid=0304&localrcid=0304&partnered=false&parent=search

In joint cooperation, Century College and the Minnesota Renewable Energy Society have developed a new one-day introductory course for homeowners and people interested in learning the basics of how to design a solar hot water heating system for residential applications. The essentials of creating domestic hot water from solar radiation are covered. You will learn to evaluate solar site resource, when solar hot water is the right solution, the economics and incentives for solar hot water, and system design principles. System components, system sizing, solar thermal panels, storage tanks, heat exchangers, and plumbing connections, will be all explored. You will receive .72 CEUs for attending.

To Register go to:     www.mnrenewables.org

Artists With Disabilities Alliance (AWDA), the organization of artists with physical and mental disabilities, will present   The Open Flow Forum, a workshop for emerging artists in any art form, on Wednesday, November 4th at Anodyne Arts (825 Carleton St., St. Paul, 55114) at 7PM.

Featured artist Alison Bergblom Johnson will perform her writing. Disabled and non-disabled emerging artists working in any media are encouraged to bring a sample of their own artwork.