The seed library is continuing throughout the month of June at all 4 Pioneerland libraries in Meeker County – Litchfield, Dassel, Grove City and Cosmos, and all 4 libraries will be closed on Friday, June 19th, for Juneteenth. The summer reading program “Plant a Seed, Read,” begins June 1st at Litchfield, Grove City, and Cosmos libraries and June 4 at the Dassel Library.
For more information on any library events, call 320-693-2483. The activities for each library in June include:
Litchfield
Wednesdays, 10:15-10:45 am: Baby/Toddler Storytime
Thursday, 6/4, 3 pm: Bilingual Storytime at Legion Park/Hora Bilingue del Cuento en el Parque Legion
Thurs, 6/4, 6 pm: Block Printed Tote Bags. For ages 5-18. Registration required.
Fri 6/5, 10:15 am: The Raptor Center
Sat 6/6, 1-2:30 pm: Local author Jenna Gohman
Mon 6/8, 11 am: Seed Mosaic Treasure Boxes. For ages 5-18. Registration required.
Mon 6/8, 4 pm: Litchfield Friends of the Library meeting
Tues 6/9, 12:00 pm: Adult Book Club: The Women
Tues 6/9, 6:30-7:30 pm: LEGO Night
Thurs 6/11, 2:30 pm: Storytime at the Community Market
Fri 6/12, 10:15 am: Pheasants Forever Storytime
Sat 6/13, 1:30-3:30 pm: Teen Program: U.S. Constitution Jeopardy. Ages 11-18
Tues 6/16, 4:30-5:30 pm: Kids’ Crafts
Wed 6/17, 10:15 am: CLIMB Theatre: Once Upon a Beanstalk
Wed 6/17, 7 pm: Mystery Book Club
Thurs 6/18, 12:30-1:30 pm: Knitting Club
Fri 6/26, 10:15 am: Blueberry Storyhour with Litchfield Farm Bureau
Dassel
Fri 6/5, 10 am, Storyhour with 4-H at Bandstand Park
Wed 6/10, 1 pm: Seed Mosaic Treasure Boxes. For all ages. Registration required.
Thurs 6/11, 2 pm: Block Printed Tote Bags. For all ages. Registration required.
Fri 6/12, 10 am: CLIMB Theatre: Once Upon a Beanstalk at Bandstand Park
Tues 6/23, 1 pm: Adult Book Club: Hotel Nantucket
Fri 6/26, 10 am: Storyhour at Bandstand Park
Fri 6/26, all day: Stuffie Sleepover. Kids can bring a stuffed animal for a sleepover at the library and watch online for photos of their activities. Pick up Sat, 6/27.
Grove City
Thursdays, 3-5 pm: Crafternoon. Bring-your-own craft program for adults and teens.
Mondays beginning 6/8, 11 am: Summer Storytime
Mon 6/8, 2:30 pm: Seed Mosaic Treasure Boxes. For all ages. Registration required.
Thurs 6/11, 6 pm: Block Printed Tote Bags. For all ages. Registration required.
Fri 6/12, 2 pm: CLIMB Theatre: Once Upon a Beanstalk
Tues 6/16, 7 pm: ATGC Book Club: U.S. Constitution Jeopardy
Wed 6/17, 4-5 pm: Board Game Day
Tues 6/23, 2:30 pm: 4-H Storytime
Cosmos
Mondays, 10:30 am: Tiny Tykes Storytime. Ages 0-5. No Storytime 6/29.
Mondays, 3-4:30 pm: Pokémon Trading Card Game. Ages 5-18. No Pokémon 6/29.
Tuesdays: Take-Home Tuesday crafts for children and teens, while supplies last.
Thurs 6/4, 2 pm: Block Printed Tote Bags. For all ages. Registration required.
Tues 6/9, 2 pm: Seed Mosaic Treasure Boxes. For all ages. Registration required.
Thurs 6/11, 2 pm: CLIMB Theatre: Once Upon a Beanstalk
Sat 6/20, 10:30 am: Saturday Storytime with 4-H
The 70th annual Litchfield Watercade celebration is coming up in July and there are 7 candidates vying for the title of Miss Litchfield. The new royalty will be crowned at the conclusion of the celebration on July 12th.
This year’s candidates include Lily Christensen – sponsored by Jason Tibbits State Farm Agency; Bianca Forsberg – sponsored by First District Association; Claire Gabrielson – sponsored by Holmgren & Kuechle Appraisals; Emma Wuotila – sponsored by Wuotila Lawn Care; Kierra Lease – sponsored by Blue Stem Wealth Partners; Abbigail Thoma – sponsored by Kim Dolan, Dennis Gartner – Edina Realty; and Ellivia Woods – sponsored by Farm Bureau Financial Services.
The public will have a great opportunity to meet the candidates and purchase Watercade buttons during the Watercade Brat Feed on Thursday, June 4th, from 5:30-to-7 p.m. in Central Park in Litchfield. An $8 meal includes a brat, chips, cookie and water. Extra brats are $5 each.
You can find more Watercade information at watercade.com or on the Litchfield Watercade Facebook page. One of the first events to kick off Watercade will be a pickle ball tournament on July 6th at the Litchfield Area Recreation Center and the deadline to get registered is July 1st.
The Litchfield School District is into the final week of school. The last day for underclassmen will be tomorrow as students will have just a half day of classes. Seniors had their last day on Tuesday and graduation is coming up on Saturday at 11 a.m. in the High School Gymnasium.
Superintendent Susan Burris says teachers who are reaching various milestones will be honored on Friday afternoon along with retirees. She says spring sports will be wrapping up over the next couple of weeks, and students will return to school on September 1st.
Burris says Litchfield School District officials have been meeting over the past few months with members of ICS to come up with a preliminary list of building projects that will be necessary across the District. She says discussions are continuing as a possible building referendum question will need to be put together sometime in June.
Burris says there are maintenance needs – especially for the Wagner Building and safety and security needs. She says the School Board is also working on an operating levy question for the November ballot, and any decisions that are made in June will be posted on the Litchfield School District website.
Burris says the State will have a constitutional amendment question on the November ballot regarding education funding; and the Legislature did approve of a small increase in compensatory revenue this past session. She says she’d like to thank the parents and volunteers who have been helping with school field trips this spring.
The Litchfield Watercade celebration is less than 6 weeks away and there are event to get signed up for already such as the Pickle Ball Tournament on July 6th. More details can be found at watercade.com or on the Litchfield Watercade Facebook page.
Queen of the Lakes Addie Lundin says she mentioned the idea of having a pickle ball tournament to bring all ages of people in the community together when she was a candidate for Miss Litchfield in 2024 and it became reality last year during the Watercade celebration. She says it will be held on July 6th, starting at 3 p.m. in the Litchfield Area Recreation Center. It’s $60 per team and if you register by June 22nd, you get a free t-shirt. The final day to register is July 1st.
Lundin says she’s been busy promoting the Minneapolis Aquatennial which will be coming up at the end of July and she will be going to about 100 parades and coronations around the state in the coming weeks. She says as Queen of the Lakes this past year, she’s been able to travel all over the nation and even into Canada promoting the Aquatennial celebration.
Lundin says, despite her busy schedule, she’s been able to complete her second year at NDSU where she is a nursing student. Miss Litchfield Brooke Caron, a student at the College of St. Benedict, says the Pickle Ball tournament is an important fundraiser for the royalty program.
Caron says they are coordinating a daddy/daughter dance on June 19th and will collect donations for the food shelf. She says, as Addie will be at the Watercade coronation inviting her to attend the Minneapolis Aquatennial, she will travel to Minneapolis at the end of July to compete in the next Queen of the Lakes pageant. Litchfield Princess Raigan Miller says she and Brooke and Katelyn Guggemos have been proudly representing Litchfield this past year, and she encourages people to participate in the pickle ball tournament on July 6th.
Miller says she went to Ft. Jackson in South Carolina for basic training last October and then to Ft. Rucker in Alabama from January through April. She says she was able to get home to participate in the Christmas party at the LARC in December.