Here is a selection of brief news items from this week's paper edition.

Mel-Min band to play at Bucks game, special ticket prices available

The Melrose-Mindoro Mustang Band will be playing at the Milwaukee Bucks Feb. 7, 2009, game at 7:30 p.m. and there are special ticket offers for family friends and fans.

Regularly $29 tickets are discounted to $19, and a special ticket and charter bus offer for $50 is good for a ticket and a coach bus seat.

The deadline to sign up is Friday, Jan. 16, 2009. Orders filled on a first-come, first-served basis. No exchanges or refunds after order has been filled, and lost, stolen or damaged tickets cannot be replaced. If ticket supply is depleted, the Bucks reserve the right to refund payment in full.

The Melrose-Mindoro School District is not liable for the fan bus. All children need to be accompanied by an adult for there will not be official chaperones on the fan bus.

For more information or to sign up, contact band director Kory Dahlen at (608) 488-2201 or dahlen@mel-min.k12.wi.us.

Alaskan adventure set for FBR meeting

Mark Saturday, Nov. 15 on your calendar for the 7 p.m. Friends of the Black River meeting at the Co-op Credit Union in Black River Falls. A Jackson County native and friends will present a thrilling account of their Alaskan kayak adventure with spectacular photography.

Black River Falls native Kris Dressler, along with his wife Leslie, of Madison, and friends Dave Snowberg, of La Crosse, and Michelle Dodd, of Yakima, Wash., attempted to circumnavigate Baranof Island in Southeast Alaska’s Tongass National Forest via sea kayak.

The plan was to average 10 miles per day for 42 days to complete the 420-mile route. The weather, however, was nearly record cold and wet.

Despite the unforeseen difficulties, the trip was an amazing learning experience. They discovered much about wildlife, topography, weather, paddling, survival and, most importantly, themselves. Kris and Leslie will be presenting a slide-show as well as telling of their experience at the Nov. 15 general meeting of Friends of the Black River.

Also available at the meeting will be FBR fundraiser raffle tickets. The lucky first-prize ticket holder will win a kayak. Other prizes will include sporting good coupons and cash. Drawing will be held in February.

Ben Fredrickson will perform at Taylor Lutheran Church

Trinity Peace Lutheran Parish of Taylor will host a Sunday morning appearance of Ben Fredrickson, pianist at combined parish worship, on Nov. 23, at 11 a.m. A freewill dinner for worshippers will follow at noon.

Fredrickson is a blind from birth musician who is also nearly 80 percent deaf. Ben is the grandson of Taylor Lutheran members Bea and Merlin Fredrickson.

Ben is 23 years old and has been honing his musical skills over the years at his own church in Necedah, at Riverfront, Inc. and the Bethany Riverside nursing Home both in La Crosse. Ben plays every Sunday with the Praise Team in his home church. Since he will be in the Taylor area deer hunting with his father, he has graciously accepted the Trinity Peace invitation.

The Parish extends an invitation to all the surrounding area to worship with us Sunday, Nov. 23, at 11 a.m. and hear this accomplished young musician as he expresses his faith and enthusiasm for the Lord through his music. Dinner will follow worship. Taylor Lutheran is at 111 Church St. in Taylor.

Service of Blessing for the Hunt

“Service of Blessing for the Hunt” will be Thursday, Nov. 20, at the Evangelical Lutheran Church, 5th & Harrison Street, Black River Falls.

The Service of Blessing will be at 5:15 p.m. and a venison dinner at 6 p.m.

There will be a free-will offering and everyone is welcome.

Upper Beaver Creek bake sale

The Annual Upper Beaver Creek WELCA bake sale will be held on Friday, Nov. 21, 9 a.m. until sold out in the lobby of the Jackson County Bank in Black River Falls. Featured will be assorted baked goods and fresh home-made lefse.

‘Christmas Memories’ to feature the Best of One Acchord

One Acchord will be performing “Christmas Memories,” a culmination of the best music and comedy performances from their past four seasons. Along with a few new songs, One Acchord also welcomes a few new faces. Tickets are on sale at the Area Community Theater in Tomah (374-SHOW). Ticket prices are $10 for members and $15 for non-members. One Acchord performances are a local favorite during the holidays, so get your tickets early as these shows will sell out fast.

Show times are: Friday, Dec. 5 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 6 at 3 and 7 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 7 at 2 p.m.; Friday, Dec. 12 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 13 at 3 and 7 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 14 at 2 p.m.

Auditions for ‘Blithe Spirit’ scheduled

Falls Players of Black River Falls will be holding auditions for its dinner theater production of Noel Coward’s “Blithe Spirit.”

The show requires six adult actors, two men and four women. Auditions will be held on Nov. 18-19 from 5-8 p.m. at the Lunda Theater, 1202 Pierce St., Black River Falls. Entry will be through the state door and will be marked. Actors will be asked to read from the script. The show dates are Jan. 30, 31 and Feb. 1, 2009, and will be directed by Laura M. Phillips.

UW-L to stage Shakespeare comedy

The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse will present William Shakespeare's magical romantic comedy, “A Midsummer Night's Dream,” on Dec. 5-6 and 11-13 at 7:30 p.m. Sunday matinee performances are Dec. 7 and 14 at 2 p.m.

All performances will be in the Toland Theatre, Center for the Arts on the corner of 16th and Vine streets.

Shakespeare’s comedy features two pairs of star-crossed lovers, a feuding pair of supernatural sprites and a love potion gone awry all coming together in an enchanted moonlit forest.

Tickets go on sale Monday, Dec. 1, at 1 p.m. The box office is located in the lobby of the Center for the Arts. Tickets are $12, $10 for non-UWL students, senior citizens and children, and $4 for UW-L students with a valid student ID.

For reservations, call the box office at 785-8522.

Help light the Love Light Trees in love and remembrance

The public is invited to be a part of the Partners’ Annual Love Light Program which will be held Sunday, Dec. 7 at 5:30 p.m. at Black River Memorial Hospital.

This event helps usher in the holiday season in this community. All proceeds from this event will benefit BRMH’s Lifeline Program. Lifeline is a personal emergency response system that makes it possible for over 300 area people to remain independent and in their own homes.

The ceremony will feature a welcome by Dolores Iliff, entertainment by the Black River Falls High School Handbell Choir, an invocation by Pastor Kathy Jury from the Black River Falls United Methodist Church, group singing of Christmas carols and the lighting of the six Love Light Trees, located on the front lawn of the hospital. New this year will be the dedication of a new permanent Love Light Wall Display that has been donated in memory of Jean Hopkins by her family. Jean brought the Love Light Program to Partners of BRMH in 1986. Refreshments, prepared by the hospital’s food service staff, will be served in the BRMH’s new dining room following the ceremony.

Anyone who wishes to be a part of the Love Light Program can do so by donating $3 for each light. White lights serve as a memorial for a deceased loved one and colored lights serve to honor special people in someone’s life. Picture postcards of the Love Light Trees and order forms are available at BRMH’s Gift Shop and front office. If people wish to have postcards mailed to those they are honoring or to families of those they are memorializing, they must enclose with their order form a stamped, pre-addressed business envelope for each postcard. Orders can also be mailed to Love Lights, Black River Memorial Hospital, 711 West Adams St., Black River Falls, WI. 54615. Enclose $3 for each printed name and indicate whether it is a white light in memory of or a colored light in honor of someone special. Checks should be made payable to Love Lights.

In order to have the names on the Love Light Wall Display and in the printed programs given out the night of the ceremony, donations must be received no later than Dec. 3. Donations received after this date will, however, be accepted and all names will appear in the February BRMH newsletter, which is mailed to over 14,000 residents in and near Jackson County.

For more information on Love Lights, people can call BRMH at (715) 284-5361 or a member of the planning committee, who are chairman Kathy Peterson, Dolores Iliff, Arlene Brown, Marilyn McKeeth, Tim Hopkins, Mary O’Brien, Jenni Hill and Sarah Osegard.

Tele-Care callers and clients enjoy annual luncheon

Twenty-seven people attended the annual Tele-Care Luncheon, which was held Wednesday, Oct. 29, at Black River Memorial Hospital. This event, which is sponsored each year by Partners of Black River Memorial Hospital, serves to unite the Tele-Care callers with the people they call each morning.

The Tele-Care callers, clients, friends, officers of Partners and staff enjoyed a delicious meal of chicken alfredo, carrots, fruit cup, pumpkin pie, rolls, coffee, milk and cookies to take home. The food was prepared by the hospital’s food service staff. Door prizes of plants were given away at the end of the luncheon to the Tele-Care clients attending.

Mary O’Brien, public relations and volunteer services manager gave the welcome and introduced the Tele-Care callers and staff in attendance.

“This luncheon gives our Tele-Care callers and clients the opportunity to meet the people they talk with each morning on the telephone, connecting the voice with the face,” said O’Brien. “Everyone shares in the fellowship.”

Helping serve the meal were Stan Gaynor, CEO, who also welcomed everyone and thanked the volunteer callers; Jenni Hill, public relations and volunteer services coordinator; Sarah Osegard, public relations and volunteer services assistant; Jan Eckles and Karen Foust, Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers project assistant and director; and Jill Kaphengst, president-elect of Partners. Partners secretary Benita Duerkop also attended.

Tele-Care is a free service that provides a daily telephone call to people throughout Jackson County to check on their well being. Presently, there are 12 people who are called each morning between 8 and 9 a.m. Many are older and live alone and enjoy the daily call and friendly visit. Members of partners do the calling from home or from the hospital every day of the week, including holidays. Tele-Care callers are co-chairs Diane Johnson and Joanne Capper, Faye Brown, Nancy Lee, Jill Kaphengst, Gerry Rudkin, Jennifer Mattson and Patsy Elrod.

Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers Inc. provides transportation when needed.

Boscobel hosts Partners’ Western District Meeting

Three members of Partners of Black River Memorial Hospital attended the Western District Meeting of the Partners of Wisconsin Hospital Association on Oct. 28 in Boscobel. Nearly eighty partners/auxilians from Sparta, La Crosse, Tomah, Prairie du Chien, Adams-Friendship, Richland Center, Hillsboro, Lancaster, Viroqua, Boscobel and Black River Falls attended the daylong meeting, which was held at the Boscobel United Methodist Church.

In addition to the business meeting there were summary reports of the educational sessions and keynote speakers at the Partners State Convention, which was held in early October. Presidents of each local auxiliary/partners in the Western District,

including Barb Hanson, president of Partners of Black River Memorial Hospital, also provided written reports of their local activities the past six months.

After the business meeting a fun presentation on “Vintage Hats” was given by a member of Boscobel Area Health Care Partners. Following lunch there was an informational presentation on “Women’s Heart Health” by Theresa Braudt, RN, Cardio Pulmonary Rehab Coordinator from Boscobel Area Health Care.

WAHCE presents basket to first baby born during WAHCE Week

To celebrate the Wisconsin Association for Home, Community & Education Week, which was held Nov. 2-8, the Jackson County Home and Community Education presented a basket filled with baby items to the first baby born that week at Black River Memorial Hospital.

Some of the basket items were diapers, bibs, toys, a book and a blanket.

That special baby was Aayden Allen Joseph Genna who arrived Nov. 4, at 5:29 p.m. and weighed 6 pounds, 6 1/4 ounces. He was 19 inches in length.

His proud parents are Dakota Johnson and Cory Genna of Black River Falls. Jan Eckles, HCE’s Young Family chairperson presented the basket to the family and offered congratulations.

Great American Smoke Out set for Nov. 20

The annual Great American Smoke Out — the day when all smokers are encouraged to quit for at least a day — is set for Nov.20.

Self-help materials are available to help people quit, no matter where they are in the process. These materials can help them learn how to prepare to quit, develop strategies to help with cravings, and prevent relapse once they have quit. The self-help materials offer proven methods that are easy to follow and help keep you motivated.

Support programs also come in a variety of forms — group smoking cessation programs, telephone counseling programs or support groups. The national tobacco quit line number is (800) QUIT NOW (784-8669). Telephone counseling is free and confidential.

Andersons celebrate 50 years

Glenn and Patsy Anderson, Black River Falls, celebrated their 50th anniversary with family. They have two sons, Joel and Sandy and Jon and one granddaughter, Alyssa.

Glenn Anderson and Patsy Waughtal were married on Nov. 8, 1958, at Evangelical Lutheran Church in Black River Falls.

Fifth-grade basketball team wins first season tournament

The Black River Falls fifth-grade girls basketball team traveled to their first tournament of the season on Nov. 8 at Eau Claire North High School.

The girls played in an eight-team tournament. In the first round, they played Bloomer and beat them 28-10. In the second round of pool play, the Tigers took on the Eau Claire Volunteers Red team and also won with a final score of 29-22. In the third round, to determine final round play, the team took on Glenwood City and won 30-19.

The final win allowed the Tigers to play in the championship game against the Eau Claire Badgers, the other division winner. The game stayed close until the fourth quarter when the Tigers took the final commanding lead and won the game 28-18 and won their first tournament undefeated.

Team members include Morgan Anderson, Hailey Collins, Ashley Derus, Keoinia Dobson, Lauren Helstad, Courtney Hilts, Kacey Koenigs, Chayla Miller, Jenny Taylor and Ally Waughtal. The girls are coached by Dan McKevitt and Paul Helstad.

The girls participate in the Great Northwest Basketball League and will be participating in four more tournaments this winter, including the Black River Falls Tournament on Saturday, Nov. 15 at the Black River Falls High School. The public is invited to come cheer on the girls.

Falls Players to present ‘Beauty and the Beast’

The Lunda Theatre will come alive with all the color, the magic and the award-winning music next weekend as the Falls Players presents Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast.”

The show includes all the songs from the film, written by Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman, plus new songs written especially for the Broadway version by Menken and Tim Rice.

Based on a classic French fairy tale, “Beauty and the Beast,” is the story of a young, arrogant prince who turns away an old beggar woman coming in from the cold and her gift of a single red rose. The prince is cursed by her and turned into a hideous best and will stay a beast until he can love and find someone who loves him. If not, he will remain a beast forever.

The tale is set in a lovely French provincial town where the beautiful Belle lives with her father, Maurice — a dotty inventor. When her father doesn’t return from a trip to the local fair, Belle rushes off to find him. To her dismay, she discovers he is being held captive in an old castle by a horrible beast. She trades her freedom for his and the “tale as old as time” begins.

Belle meets the staff of the castle who are slowly turning from humans into objects: Lumiere, Mrs. Potts, Chip, Babette, Cogsworth and Madame Bouche. In the musical number “Be Our Guest,” the audience will be treated to dancing silverware, napkins, plates, dusters and much more.

How Belle deals with Gaston, the comical suitor who intends to take Belle as his wife, and his side-kick LeFou and how she tames the unfortunate Beast and his ultimate transformation into a handsome prince continues to enthrall audiences everywhere.

The production is being directed by Larry P. Hansen. Musical director is Jody Gawron and the orchestra director is Barb Olson.

The performances will take place on Nov. 14 and 15 at 7:30 p.m. The Nov. 16 performance will start at 6:30 p.m.

Advance tickets are available at the Merchant General Store, Sherman Law Offices and the General Store in Taylor. For further information, call the Falls Players at (715) 896-4123 and leave your name, number and message.