Benefit for cancer patient and Villard native Zachary Hoffman is on Saturday, Sept. 24

Visit the Pope County Tribune/Starbuck Times website to read Zachary's story. He is a five-year old student at Minnewaska Area schools from Villard who was diagnosed in August with a malignant brain tumor called medulloblastoma.

http://www.starbucktimes.com/main.asp?TM=16164.37&SubSectionID=16&ArticleID=9438&SectionID=1

A benefit will be held for Zachary on Sept. 24 at the old Minnewaska West Elementary school in Villard from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. as a family fun festival. There will be carnival games, a tractor pull, a silent auction, bingo, raffles and food.

Additional donations for Zack can be sent to Zachary Hoffman Benefit Account, care of Eagle Bank, P.O. Box 43, Villard, MN 56385 or dropped off any of the four Eagle Bank locations.

School is about to begin at Minnewaska Area high school

The fall sports season is already underway, with a full list of Lakers varsity teams getting into action over the past couple of weeks.

This past Friday night, the Minnewaska Area Lakers football team dropped its second game of the season. They were stung in the home opener 13-7 by neighboring rival Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta.

Starbuck holds 4th annual Dragon Boat Races on Saturday

A scene from around noon on the west shore of Lake Minnewaska in Starbuck...

A clip from "The Jungle Book" at Terrace Mill theater on August 10

From early in the first act...

Coming this Friday and Saturday - Starbuck's 4th annual Dragon Boat Festival

The Starbuck Dragon Boat Festival is unique to central Minnesota, and the Starbuck Chamber of Commerce expects to draw several thousand people to the event this Friday and Saturday, August 12-13.

On Friday night the beer garden opens at 5 p.m.

The opening ceremony is at 6:30 p.m., followed by a Parade of Teams at 7:00. The Mulan Chinese Dancers perform at 7:30.

Activities on Saturday start with the 9 a.m. races and the opening of the food court at the same time. The beer garden opens at 11 a.m. From 11-4pm kids' inflatables are available for children. Kids' games begin at 1 p.m.
The festival wraps up with a winners' ceremony following the end of races.

Call 320-239-4220 for more information or visit http://www.starbuckdragonboat.com

Historic Terrace Mill theater hosts "The Jungle Book"

The final performance was held tonight. The play was directed by Julie Lloyd of Sedan.

Junior Waterama royalty coronation clip

From Saturday, July 30 at the city park...

Terrace Mill to host Children's Theater performances this week Wednesday and Thursday

Below, a view of the Terrace Mill theater following one performance of "Twinderella" on July 22, 2010...

This is pretty neat. A great event right in B-B-E's own backyard. The 12th annual Children's Musical Theatre at the Terrace Mill will present "The Jungle Book" http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifthis week Wednesday and Thursday nights, Ahttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifugust 10-11. A picnic will be held at 5 p.m. both nights, with the performance to follow at 6:30.

A freewill donation will be accepted.

See more at the Terrace Mill's website: http://www.terracemill.org
...and by clicking here: http://www.terracemill.org/events.html#ctjunglep

Scenes from the Pope County Fair on Friday night

Click the following link to see a photo album of pictures from Thursday at the Pope County Fair: http://lifeinpopecounty.dotphoto.com/GuestViewAlbum.asp?AID=6419513

4-H buildings are full of livestock and other animals at the Pope County Fair

A beef cow gets a shower and cools off on Thursday afternoon by the 4-H livestock building...

View a photo album of over a hundred pictures from Thursday's activities at the Pope County Fair by clicking here: http://www.dotphoto.com/go.asp?l=lifeinpopecounty&P=&AID=6419513&CID=0&T=1&E=Y

Friday is Kids' Day at the Pope County Fair.

Pony rides by Oakdale Farm and Orchard are offered for $3 from 11am to 5pm. At noon, a Reptile and Amphibian Discovery Zoo Show will be held on the free stage. A second such type of show will take place at 3pm at the same location.

At 1pm, a prize drawing will be held for kids ages 10 and under at the free stage.
The carnival and all its exciting rides opens at 1pm. Carnival armband specials run from 1pm to 5pm and also from 6pm to 10pm.

The Pope County 4-H Project Bowl teams will serve at the Little Red Barn Feed at 4:30pm.

The Truck and Tractor Pull will begin at 6pm in the grandstand. Adult tickets are $15, kids 6-12 are $10 with kids under 6 getting in free.

Saturday, August 6 is Armed Services Day 

at the Pope County Fair.

The 4-H Livestock Auction will be held at 9am on Saturday. The Pope County Farmer's Market will be held on the fairgrounds from 8am to 11am. The Glacial Ridge Cattlemen's Feed takes place at 4:30pm at the Little Red Barn. A U.S. Flag-folding demonstration will be held at 5:30pm on the free stage.

Pope County Fair runs through Sunday, August 7

Thursday's highlights at the Pope County Fair in Glenwood include the Pure Country Band performing on the free stage at 11:15am.

A draft horse pull takes place in the grandstand on Thursday night. Thursday is also Senior Citizens' Day.

Grandstand shows also include a Truck and Tractor Pull on Friday night, Monster Trucks Saturday night and a Demolition Derby on Sunday afternoon. The Demo Derby includes cars, trucks and combines.

Friday is Kids' Day, and Saturday is Armed Services Day.

The Pope County Fair has run continuously every year since 1887.

The 2011 Pope County Fair will get underway tonight - Free community dinner begins at 5:00

A message from the Glenwood Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce:

**Pope County Fair Update: According to the Pope County Ag Society President, Paul Koubsky, the Pope County Fair IS scheduled to begin on time today! With clean-up efforts progressing, the fair board is anticipating NO cancellations or delays in the scheduled events. The Pope County Ag Society, vendors, and exhibitors all look forward to seeing you at the fair beginning later today!

Waterama Kiddie Parade scenes

Hundreds from the area attend Saturday's Junior Waterama Coronation

Waterama activities bring huge crowds to Glenwood on Saturday

Waterama Basketball Shootout competition held on Thursday night

56th annual Waterama is this week

The fun and excitement that follows with the annual Glenwood Waterama celebration runs this week, Tuesday through Sunday, July 26-31.

New events for Waterama in 2011 are:

- Wednesday Joe Gibbs Racing Car #18 and hauler at the Pizza Ranch for public tours.
- Friday Bed Races (5pm) at the city park
- Friday unveiling (6pm) of Minnewaska statue commissioned by Glenwood State Bank by city park bandshell
- Saturday pony rides in the city park from 10am to 6pm
- Saturday Faction Team wakesurfing demonstration at the lake shore by the city park from 4-6pm
- Sunday Waterama Citizens' bike race and tour at the city beach at 10am
- Sunday CLIMB Theater performance in the city park from 10am-6pm

For more information on Waterama call (320) 634-3636 or visit their website at: http://www.waterama.org/

Schedule your athletic exams at Glacial Ridge Health Systems in Glenwood

Click to enlarge...

Coming to Central Square tonight in Glenwood - Mikko Cowdery

Click to enlarge the poster...

Minnewaska U-10 soccer defeats Alexandria

Played on July 16 in Detroit Lakes...

Farwell's 125th celebration brings a nice crowd

A nice crowd turned out on July 9-10 for the 125th anniversary of the founding of the city of Farwell.

The circus is coming to Pope County! On August 10...details below (click to enlarge poster)

Minnewaska Area Youth Soccer competes at Little Falls

Minnewaska Area Lakers youth soccer is running strong for the summer

Action on June 8 at Barsness Park in Glenwood vs. Willmar...

A six-peat is not in the cards, Minnewaska girls' golf team finishes third in Class AA

Red Wing, out of Section 1AA, won the team title after two days of golf at Ridges at Sand Creek in Jordan. Their two-day score was 641.

Detroit Lakes followed that with a 658, while the Minnewaska Area Lakers had a two-day total of 670.

Minnewaska Area Lakers girls' golf team is still in contention for a Class AA state championship

With three of four rounds of golf completed in the Class AA state tournament, the Minnewaska Area Lakers girls' golf team finds themselves sitting in third place overall, trailing Red Wing and Detroit Lakes.

Minnewaska Area youth soccer leagues are off and running

Check back later for more on the teams.

Minnewaska Area Lakers baseball season ends in playoff opening loss

A final score from The Wave on May 31: Melrose Area 8, Minnewaska Area 4.

The 6th-seeded Dutchmen used a 13-hit attack and 14 strikeouts earned by Carter Sawyer to end the Lakers' memorable baseball season in the Sub-Section 6AA-West quarterfinal round.

Minnewaska Area finished 14-6 this season, while Melrose Area improves to 10-11 with the win. The Dutchmen will face second-seeded Paynesville Area on June 1 in St. Cloud at Joe Faber Field.

Minnewaska Warm Up held on May 9

A handful of runners crossing the finish line near Lakeside Ballroom in Glenwood...

Lakers baseball team defeats Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City

The Lakers won 10-0 in seven innings at Grove City in a game aired on Smooth Magic 107 FM of Glenwood.

They sit with three losses in West Central Conference South action, two games out of first place.

Minnewaska Area Lakers fastpitch softball drubs Sauk Centre

The Lakers welcome senior Aundrea Johnson back to the dugout after she rapped a solo home run against Sauk Centre today.

The Lakers improved to 14-1 overall with the 12-4 win over Sauk Centre.

Minnewaska Fun Run is held

A large number of participants ran in the annual event on Saturday, May 7, 2011.

Minnewaska Area Lakers fastpitch softball is off to a torrid start to the 2011 season

After their win over Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa on April 25, the Minnewaska Area Lakers fastpitch softball team improved to 7-1 overall on the season. Their lone loss was by a 9-6 score to Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta in a conference game held on April 19.

In the nightcap of a double-header, the Lakers (8-1, 6-1 West Central South Conference) defeated visiting Ottertail Central 10-9, handing the Bulldogs (4-1) their first loss of the season. OTC was ranked in a three-way tie for seventh place in the April 19 Class AA state rankings.

The Lakers' next home game is on Thursday, May 5 against Montevideo at 5 p.m. at the Minnewaska Area high school fastpitch complex.

Below, action from their game against B-B-E today...


It was the first game of a double-header, as the Lakers hosted Ottertail Central later this evening in a 6 p.m. game.

Minnewaska Area elementary hosts annual Spring Fling celebration

More scenes from the 2011 Pope County Community Expo

A total of 102 vendors add their presence to the 2011 Pope County Expo

An overwhelming turnout attends the Pope County Community Expo 2011

Below, one of the performances of "Misfits of Magic" - an act based out of Alexandria.


On April 2, the Pope County Community Expo was held at the Minnewaska Area High School. A total of 102 vendors were on hand for the very well-attended event.

Click below for more information on the upcoming Pope County Community Expo on April 2 at Minnewaska Area High School

Good luck tonight to the Minnewaska Area Lakers boys basketball team

The Lakers face off with Long Prairie-Grey Eagle in the Sub-Section 6AA-West championship game tonight at 6pm at Jim Gremmels Court on the campus of the University of Minnesota-Morris.

A very good start for the Minnewaska Area Lakers boys basketball team

The Lakers jumped out to a 9-0 lead and currently are ahead 20-8 with six minutes gone in the game against Breckenridge.

Minnewaska vs. Breckenridge boys playoff game is moved to a 3:00pm tip off today

Due to the weather, the game has been moved back to a 3:00pm tip off later this afternoon.

Minnewaska Area and Breckenridge face off in the sub-section semifinals.

Best of luck to the Minnewaska Area Lakers boys basketball team in their quest for a section championship!

The excitement begins tonight, Thursday March 10, when the Minnewaska Area Lakers boys basketball team hosts #8-seed Osakis at MAHS for a 7:00pm game. It is a Sub-Section 6AA-West quarterfinal game.

If the Lakers win, they will then face either Benson or Breckenridge in the semifinals on Saturday, March 12, with a 1:00pm game at Jim Gremmels Court on the campus of the University of Minnesota-Morris.

The sub-section championship is at 6pm at UMM on Tuesday, March 15.

You can tune in to all the Lakers' boys basketball action with Smooth Magic 107 FM of Glenwood. On your radio it is 107.1 FM, or through your internet connection by visiting their website at http://www.kmgk1071.com

The Main Event is coming to Glenwood on March 6

Click to enlarge.

Minnewaska Area Lakers boys basketball wins another thriller - this time in two overtimes at Benson

The Minnewaska Area Lakers boys basketball team improved to 21-2 overall and 14-1 in the West Central South Conference with a thrilling 87-81 win in two overtimes at Benson.

The Lakers can clinch the WCCS title outright with a win over BOLD at home next Tuesday, March 1.

Fun fact - Minnewaska Area Lakers boys basketball head coach Phil Johnsrud has 198 career wins

Coach Johnsrud should close out on this 200th career win by the time Sub-Section 6AA-West playoffs roll around in March.  Below is Johnsrud coaching late in regulation play during his team's thrilling 59-58 overtime win over Montevideo on February 17.

Minnewaska Area elementary students take advantage of great weather last week to build snow sculptures

Minnewaska Area Lakers girls basketball plays well in a 60-47 loss at Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa

Minnewaska Area's girls basketball team battled with Highway 55 neighbor Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa on February 19, coming out short in a 60-47 loss to the Jaguars.

Lakers boys basketball team survives upset bid by West Central Area in a heart-stopper, wins 55-54

In a dramatic finish at the MAHS gymnasium, the Minnewaska Area Lakers boys basketball team ran its record to 21-2 overall after surviving one of their toughest tests of the season from neighboring sub-section rival West Central Area.

The Knights led by seven points midway through the second half at 43-36, but the Lakers responded to take a 47-46 lead on a rare four-point play by Austin Giese.

Minnewaska Area (13-1 WCCS) travels the short trip south to neighboring Highway 29 rival Benson for West Central South Conference action on Friday night, February 25. The Braves are 10-4 in the WCCS and 13-10 overall.

Exhibitors are sought for the 2011 Pope County Community Expo

The first annual Pope County Community Expo is coming on Saturday, April 2. The event, sponsored by the Glenwood Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce, will be held at the Minnewaska Area High School from 8:30am to 5:00pm.

The Expo will include business, health, and family-oriented groups that will showcase their products and services to the public. It will have interactive demonstrations, entertainment, and educational opportunities to assist individuals at all stages of life with everyday, real-life situations such as healthy living, environmental/agricultural issues, sports/recreation, leisure, volunteer efforts, home improvement, gardening, nature, and historical topics.

Exhibitors are actively being sought for the big event, which will be advertised on Alexandria and Glenwood radio stations, as well as the Pope County Tribune, Starbuck Times, Classy Canary, Senior Perspectives, and the Herman-Hoffman Tribune.

Reduced registration fees will be given to home and part-time businesses, artists, crafters, independent sales consultants, churches, educational facilities, city/county/state offices and services, as well as non-profit, fraternal, and service organizations.

The deadline for exhibitors to register is March 4, 2011. Registration forms can be found online at www.GlenwoodLakesArea.org. They can be mailed out as well by calling the Chamber office at (320) 634-3636 or by e-mail at .

Minnewaska Area Elementary students enjoying a day at Ande's Tower Hill and Snow Tube Park

Minnewaska Area Elementary students enjoying a day at Ande's Tower Hill and Snow Tube park on Feb. 18, 2011.

More of the exciting action between Minnewaska Area and Montevideo on Thursday night

The final score after overtime was settled.












Action with under 3:34 to go in regulation play between Minnewaska Area and Montevideo on February 17.


Action from the couple final minutes of regulation play, ending with the Thunderhawks grabbing a steal with 18 seconds left and the game tied 52-52.


Under a minute to go in the overtime session between the Lakers and Thunderhawks on Feb. 17, 2011 at MAHS.

What a game! What a crowd! What an incredible stretch of great plays by both teams - and most important, what a huge win by Minnewaska Area!

Below, the mob scene in the main gymnasium of Minnewaska Area High School immediately followed the Lakers' 59-58 win over Montevideo.

The Minnewaska Area Lakers boys basketball team picked up an improbable 59-58 win over visiting Montevideo tonight, in front of a near-full house crowd.  What gave the game an added twist of drama is that the Lakers (20-2) were playing without their top scoring threat - senior Shane Bosek.

Montevideo (17-3) led 35-18 with a little over 2 minutes left in the first half. Halftime score: Thunderhawks 37, Lakers 26. At the end of regulation, the game was tied 52-52.

Below, the final few seconds of regulation play tonight.


Action from late in regulation play...


More from the end of regulation, with under 4:00 left and the game tied at 50-50.


Check back on Friday and over this upcoming weekend to see more photos and video from tonight's exciting win for the MAHS Lakers.

Register now for the 2011 Pope County Community Expo - Coming up on April 2nd

Click to enlarge for more information.

...and just for fun, here's a final clip from the 2011 Waterama Polar Plunge, held last Saturday on Lake Minnewaska...

Who's excited for Thursday night's big game against Montevideo at MAHS?

The Minnewaska Area High School Pep Band performs the National Anthem, prior to the tip-off between the Benson Braves and the Minnewaska Area Lakers in a West Central South Conference boys basketball game on January 13, 2011.

Action from the first half of the Minnewaska vs. Benson boys basketball game on January 13, 2011.


If you can't make it to the big game in person, be sure to tune in through the outstanding coverage of Smooth Magic 107 FM of Glenwood. You can listen either on your radio dial at 107.1 FM, or via the internet at http://www.kmgk1071.com

Minnewaska Area Lakers boys basketball survives a tough road test at Long Prairie tonight

The Minnewaska Area Lakers boys basketball team prevailed over the next-best team in Sub-Section 6AA-West tonight, beating Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 43-41 in Long Prairie.

LP-GE's last loss was on January 24 to Albany. The Thunder are now 15-4 overall, while sitting in first place in the West Central North Conference at 10-2, tied with New London-Spicer at the top of the standings.

The Lakers improve to 19-2 overall. Their next game is this Thursday night, in a game you won't want to miss! State-ranked Montevideo comes to Minnewaska Area High School for a battle of top teams in the West Central South Conference.

Thursday night, February 17 is "Jam the Gym" night at MAHS. Come out and cheer on your Lakers team, as they challenge the Thunderhawks for a share of the conference title.

More will follow on Wednesday.

Exchange student from Mendoza, Argentina takes the plunge on Saturday

Below is part of the introduction before the Polar Plunge got underway.

...and here is the beginning of the Polar Plunge.


Below, a 9+ minute long clip from the 2011 Polar Plunge on Lake Minnewaska.

Polar Plunge draws crowd of hundreds to Lake Minnewaska

Children's games were held prior to the Polar Plunge.

Getting ready for the Waterama Polar Plunge.

Come out today to Glenwood's 14th annual Winterama events

The excitement of the annual Glenwood Winterama events begins today (Saturday, February 12) at 11:00am.  At that time, you can enjoy free guided tours at the Pope County Historical Society and the Ann Bickle Heritage House until 12:00pm noon.

At noon, the official Winterama events begin near the historic Lakeside Ballroom. Concessions will be available on the lake at that time.

Games on Lake Minnewaska, set up near Lakeside, will go from 1:00pm to 2:30pm. That will include a Ring Toss, Long Putt, Fishing Game, Turkey Bowling, Washers, and Nickel Pickup.

The snow sculpture contest judging is at 2:15pm.

The always-exciting Waterama Polar Plunge will be held at 2:30pm.

At 3:15pm, a Minnow Eating Contest will take place.

Finally, a Chili Cook-Off and Fundraiser is from 5 to 7pm at Lakeside Ballroom.

Fireworks will go off at around 7:15pm, with the best viewing from the Lakeside Ballroom area. At Lakeside later tonight, DJ entertainment will be featured, with fun for adults of all ages.

The Winterama events are sponsored by the Minnewaska Jaycees, along with help from the Glenwood Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce.