A RavensFire Christmas at the Library

Coffee & Conversation
Every Monday, 10:30-11:30 AM
St. Charles Public Library
**Special Program: A RavensFire ChristmasMonday, December 18**

Visit the St. Charles Public Library on Monday, December 18 at 10:30am to hear the RavensFire Band perform a selection of holiday music.  Featured tunes will include new compositions and old classics to celebrate the season.

The RavensFire Band is well-known around the area for their energetic performances, beautiful vocal harmonies, and skilled instrumentals while playing and singing their unique collection of traditional world folk, bluegrass, vintage American favorites, and original music.  Creating music on the mandolin, guitar, penny whistle, and bodhran, the talented group of musicians love to perform.

RavensFire has played dozens of venues and festivals through the years, including the main stages at festivals in Milwaukee, St. Paul, Emmetsburg, La Crosse, and Rochester.  Their busy calendar includes performances at concerts, fairs and festivals, theater productions, churches, and public and private events.

Band members Larry and Melissa Schmidt live in St. Charles.  They have been professional musicians ever since they met in the early 1970s.  Their love of music has kept them happily singing and playing together, winning many music contests, and recording in Nashville, Las Vegas, and Dublin, Ireland.  They have toured three times in Ireland, sharing their music with delighted audiences all along the way.  They are joined by Judy Havelick of Rochester, who shines with a sturdy beat on the bodhran.

Come to the library and hear this talented group of musicians perform a delightful holiday concert.

Minnesota in the Civil War

Coffee & Conversation
Every Monday, 10:30-11:30 AM
St. Charles Public Library
**Special Program: Minnesota in the Civil War with Arn KindMonday, December 11**

On Monday, December 11 at 10:30am, Arn Kind will visit for “Coffee and Conversation” at the St. Charles Public Library for a presentation on “Minnesota in the Civil War.”

Kind, a teacher of 40 years, will slip into the role of a soldier in the First Minnesota Volunteer Infantry to share the story of the part Minnesota played in the Civil War. Kind will make history come alive with music, drama, and role-playing for a realistic and colorful portrayal of the people that participated in past events. On display will be maps, posters, clothing, and other artifacts of the Civil War. Don’t miss this unique presentation on an interesting period in the history of our state and our nation.

This program is sponsored by the St. Charles Lions Club.

Learn about Minnesota’s Winged Women of WWII

Coffee & Conversation
Every Monday, 10:30-11:30 AM
St. Charles Public Library
**Special Program: Minnesota’s Winged Women of WWIIMonday, November 13**

Grab your flying jacket, helmet, and goggles for a flight with the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) of World War II!

On Monday, November 13 at 10:30am, Frederick Beseler will visit for “Coffee and Conversation” at the St. Charles Public Library to share the high-flying story of Minnesota’s female “Top Guns” of World War II.

The WASP were America’s very first female military aviators.  They flew everything in the U.S. Army Air Force’s WWII inventory – from fabric-covered biplane trainers to four-engine bombers and transports, and 400 mile-per-hour fighters.  Some became instructor pilots and taught the male cadets how to fly.  Others showed the men how to tame so-called “widow-makers” like the B-26 and B-29 bombers!

Rosie the Riveter built the airplanes — the WASP delivered them to airfields all across the United States and to Alaska.  Here’s the soaring, inspiring, often humorous, and sometimes tragic story of the heroic women who flew into history in service to America!

Frederick Beseler retired after a 40-year career in the commercial air conditioning industry.  A 1976 graduate of Winona State University, Beseler has been a private pilot since 1978, and has flown some of the WWII aircraft that the WASP flew. He has given numerous presentations and written many aviation-related articles. Earlier this year, he spoke about the WASP at the Richard I. Bong WWII Museum in Superior, Wisconsin, and at the Woman’s Club of Minneapolis. He is a past president of Chapter 307 of the Experimental Aircraft Association in La Crosse, and a past member of the Board of Directors of the Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame.

Always busy, Beseler recently obtained his Minnesota substitute teaching license and can often be found in Southeast Minnesota elementary and secondary school classrooms.  Fred and Jane Beseler live in Houston, Minnesota.  Jane is retired as the Executive Director of the La Crosse County Historical Society.

Author E. Andrew Wood to Present at Coffee & Conversation

Coffee & Conversation
Every Monday, 10:30-11:30 AM
St. Charles Public Library
**Special Program on Monday, October 9**
E. Andrew Wood – The Biological Challenges of Flight and the Mayo Connection

On Monday, October 9 at 10:30am, E. Andrew Wood, author of Life at High G-Force, will visit the St. Charles Public Library to speak on “The Biological Challenges of Flight and the Mayo Clinic Connection.”  Wood will discuss Mayo Clinic’s involvement in aviation science before and during World War II.  He will delve into the development of the G-Suit, in which his father, Dr. Earl Wood, played a key role.

Andrew Wood’s recently published book, Life at High G-Force: The Quest of Mayo Clinic Researcher Dr. Earl H. Wood, is the biography of the man whose innovations placed him in the forefront of aviation and medical science in the twentieth century.  Dr. Earl Wood was recruited by Mayo Clinic in 1942 to conduct research on gravitational physiology on their human centrifuge.  Using themselves as experimental subjects, he and fellow scientists investigated the effects of acceleration and the cause of gravitational loss of consciousness.  The result was a vastly improved G-suit, and self-protection straining technique which allowed Allied pilots to outmaneuver Japanese and German planes and win the air battles of World War II.

Following the war, Dr. Wood continued his research, pioneering cardiac catheterization for patients with heart disease.  The oximeter, which was initially developed to detect pulse, was enhanced to measure blood oxygen saturation levels; it is now used in every hospital and clinic in the world and is of critical importance in monitoring cardio-pulmonary status during the COVD-19 pandemic.  In the 1970s, Dr. Wood and his team developed computer-based X-ray techniques, paving the way for modern CAT and MRI scanners.

E. Andrew Wood is the youngest of Dr. Earl Wood’s four children.  He is a graduate of Hamline University and the Mayo Clinic School of Health-Related Sciences and has a Master’s degree from the University of Minnesota.  He spent over 25 years at General Mills as the Manager of Health Promotion and Ergonomics and two years as Director of Ergonomics and Corporate Solutions at Muve Inc., a joint venture with Mayo Clinic, where he was responsible for developing and implementing activity-based ergonomic and wellness programs for corporate clients.  Wood was a consultant for ergonomics at Ferguson Risk Management, where he provided ergonomic and wellness strategies for corporations, including Land O’Lakes, Bayer, Bosch, Dairy Farmers of America, CVS Health, and several government agencies until his retirement in 2021.

E. Andrew Wood has authored several articles and given multiple presentations on the development and assessment of ergonomic and health promotion programs in industry.  He is also fluent in spoken and written German.  In his spare time, Wood enjoys working on the family farm in southeast Minnesota, competitive cross-country skiing, hiking, fishing, and hunting, dog training, and restoring an antique Jeep.  As a person with severe dyslexia, Andy is a graduate of the Rochester Reading Center and is a spokesperson for the Dyslexia Institute of Minnesota.

Wood’s visit to the St. Charles Public Library is part of the weekly Coffee & Conversation program.  Looking for something to do on a Monday morning?  The library is offering free coffee, hot chocolate, and apple cider every Monday, 10:30am – 11:30am.  Drop by the library for a hot beverage and a chat with your fellow community members.

FREE Cookies for Kids, Saturday, September 30

Cookies for Kids
Saturday, September 30, 10:30am – 1pm
St. Charles Public Library

Hey kids!  Welcome back to school!  The staff and board of the St. Charles Public Library would like to invite you for a FREE cookie on Saturday, September 30, from 10:30am – 1pm.  Stop on by, check out everything your local library has to offer, and enjoy a free cookie at the St. Charles Public Library.

Fall Gardening Tips During Coffee & Conversation at the Library

Coffee & Conversation
Every Monday, 10:30-11:30 AM
St. Charles Public Library
**Special Program: Fall Gardening Tips and Q & AMonday, September 25 **

On Monday, September 25 at 10:30AM, Winona County Master Gardener Volunteer Laura Armstrong will visit the library to offer fall gardening tips.  She will also be able to answer questions on gardening in southeastern Minnesota.

This program is part of the St. Charles Public Library’s weekly Coffee & Conversation program.  Looking for something to do on a Monday morning?  The library is offering free coffee, hot chocolate, and apple cider every Monday, 10:30am – 11:30am.  Drop by the library for a hot beverage and a chat with your fellow community members.

Meet a Peregrine Falcon at the Library

Peregrine Falcons with Jackie Fallon
Wednesday, August 9 at 2PM
St. Charles Public Library

On Wednesday, August 9 at 2pm, the St. Charles Public Library will host a visit from a peregrine falcon.  Jackie Fallon, with the Midwest Peregrine Society and the Mayo Clinic Peregrine Falcon Program, will help us understand the past, present and future of peregrine falcons in Minnesota and the region.  Come and discover the wonder of raptors, why they are important, and what you can do to help them survive.  Make sure to bring a camera to get a special photo of your experience during your visit and take home some special items to celebrate peregrine falcons!

If temperatures are too high, the program will be postponed until August 11 at 2pm.  A postponement will be announced on the library’s website or Facebook page.

RavensFire Band to Perform at the Library

Coffee & Conversation
Every Monday, 10:30-11:30 AM
St. Charles Public Library
**Special Program: Music from the RavensFire BandMonday, August 7 **

On Monday, August 7 at 10:30am, the RavensFire Band will play music at the weekly Coffee & Conversation program at the St. Charles Public Library.  Drop by the library to enjoy some good music and a selection of free coffee, hot chocolate, or apple cider.

The RavensFire Band is well-known around the area for their energetic performances, beautiful vocal harmonies, and skilled instrumentals while playing and singing their unique collection of traditional world folk, bluegrass, vintage American favorites, and original music.  Creating music on the mandolin, guitar, penny whistle, and bodhran, the talented group of musicians love to perform.

RavensFire has played dozens of venues and festivals through the years, including the main stages at festivals in Milwaukee, St. Paul, Emmetsburg, La Crosse, and Rochester.  Their busy calendar includes performances at concerts, fairs and festivals, theater productions, churches, and public and private events.

Band members Larry and Melissa Schmidt live in St. Charles.  They have been professional musicians ever since they met in the early 1970s.  Their love of music has kept them happily singing and playing together, winning many music contests, and recording in Nashville, Las Vegas, and Dublin, Ireland.  They have toured three times in Ireland, sharing their music with delighted audiences all along the way.  They are joined by Judy Havelick of Rochester, who shines with a sturdy beat on the bodhran.

Come to the library and hear this talented group of musicians perform!

Celebrate National Night Out at the Library

National Night Out 2023
Tuesday, August 1, 5:30-8PM
Lions Club Hot Dog Meal – Free Will Donation
Special Performance: TaikoArts Midwest at 6PM
St. Charles Public Library (Rain Location: St. Charles Community Center)

Tuesday, August 1 is National Night Out and the St. Charles Public Library will be throwing a party to celebrate from 5:30-8PM.  The evening will feature a 6PM performance from TaikoArts Midwest, a Twin Cities-based drumming group.  The St. Charles Police Department, the St. Charles Fire Department, and the Winona County Sheriff’s Office will drop by for a visit.  Also, the St. Charles Lions Club will provide hot dog meals for a free will donation.  In case of rain, the program will move from the library to the St. Charles Community Center.

Founded in 1984, National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live.  National Night Out enhances the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement while bringing back a true sense of community.  Furthermore, it provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances.

Across the country, approximately seventeen thousand communities participate in National Night Out.  In Minnesota, parties are registered in 242 different cities and towns, of which St. Charles is one.  Communities and neighborhoods celebrate the evening through block parties, festivals, parades, cookouts, safety demonstrations, seminars, youth events, visits from emergency personnel, exhibits and much, much more.

The St. Charles Public Library is excited to host TaikoArts Midwest as the special performers for National Night Out 2023.  Join us for a movement infused, heart-pounding, dynamic group drumming performance by the Enso Daiko ensemble from TaikoArts Midwest.  Taiko is the Japanese word for drum and refers to the modern style of playing these drums by combining music, dance, culture, and pure athleticism.

TaikoArts Midwest’s visit to the St. Charles Public Library is possible due to a Library Legacy Grant, and is free and open to the public.

Nature Journaling with Whitewater State Park

Nature Journaling with Whitewater State Park
Wednesday, July 26 at 2pm
St. Charles Public Library

Hey kids! Want a chance to be like a real scientist? Come learn how scientists use field journals to study nature.  Make your own journal to take home!  This program is brought to the St. Charles Public Library courtesy of Whitewater State Park.