Local Book Club for History Readers Looking for New Members
Looking for a group of readers that share your interest in reading books about history? The LeDuc Historic Estate hosts such a group every first Thursday of the each month with a unique type of book group. The LeDuc Book Group is a partnership between the Dakota County Historical Society and Dakota County's Pleasant Hill Library. The LeDuc Book Group has been meeting for the past several years in the very library that General LeDuc met to discuss literature with his contemporaries.
The group tends to focus on works of local, state, national, and world history, but is not adverse to mixing in historical fiction, the classics, current history "in the making", and even throws in a good mystery once and a while for a change of pace. "We've read books about the First Minnesota Regiment at Gettysburg, the hurricane that destroyed Galveston, Henry Hastings Sibley, a serial killer that stalked the Chicago World's Fair, and the Armistice Day Blizzard that caught many unfortunate duck hunters on the Mississippi just south of Hastings.", reports Allan Cotter, Pleasant Hill Library manager who leads the discussion. "It's been a good sized group (6-8 members) and the atmosphere of meeting the general's own library is very cozy," he said.
The Leduc Book Group meets the first Thursday of the month at the Leduc Historic Estate, 1629 Vermillion Street, Hastings, at 6:30 p.m. Books are available for check out at the Pleasant Hill Library. The selection for the October meeting is Open Season, by C.J. Box. The book group will hold its October meeting at 6:30 p.m. on October 7. No registration is required. For more information, please call the Pleasant Hill Library at 651-438-0200.
Learn to Write Your Memoir
At the Pleasant Hill Library
Don't let your family stories be forgotten! Pass your stories on to future generations by writing them down.
The Pleasant Hill Library will host a free program on Wednesday, October 6, from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. that will teach adults the basics of writing a personal memoir. This class is presented by instructors from the Guthrie Theater Workshop. Students will learn how to get their thoughts and ideas from pen to paper in order to effectively tell their story. This class is free, but registration is required. To register, call the Pleasant Hill Library at 651-438-0200, or visit the library website at www.dakotacounty.us/library. For more information, call the library. This is a Minnesota Legacy Program, a program voted by the people of Minnesota in order to preserve Minnesota's art and cultural heritage.
Children Invited to Special Music Program At Pleasant Hill Library
Children age birth to 5 years old are invited to a special music program at the Pleasant Hill Library on Monday, September 27 at 10:30 a.m. Children will be able to explore the magic of music and play through hands-on activities with McPhail Center for Music's early childhood music specialists. Parents and children will learn and experience music's impact on learning and reading readiness. There is no charge for the program, but registration is required. People may register by calling the library at 651-438-0200 or by visiting the library website at
www.dakotacounty.us/library. This is a Minnesota Legacy Program. Legacy Programs are funded by The Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. The amendment was passed in 2008 when Minnesotans voted to dedicate funding to preserve Minnesota's art and cultural heritage.
Hastings Library Offers Special Story Time for Kids and Their Grandparents
The Pleasant Hill Library will offer a special story time for kids and their grandparents on Wednesday, September 29 at 10:30 a.m. Children will take a magical trip back in time to learn what life was like when their grandparents were young. This event is geared for children of all ages. Grandparents are especially welcome to attend with their grandchildren and share their life stories. There is no cost for the event, and no registration is required. For more information, call the Pleasant Hill Library at 651-438-0200.
Pleasant Hill Library Offers Free Adult Computer Classes this Fall
The Pleasant Hill Library will offer a series of free computer classes for beginners starting in Mid-September. Registration is required for each class and begins two weeks prior to the class date. People may register on line at
www.dakotacounty.us/library or call the Pleasant Hill Library at 651-438-0200. Classes being offered this fall are:
Beginning Internet – Wed Sept 29 2-4pm
Gain a basic understanding of the Internet. You'll learn about web browsers—and how to navigate one. Locate things on the Internet using a search engine, a website URL address and the toolbar. Prerequisites: Computer Basics class and/or ability to use the mouse. Prerequisites: Computer Basics class and/or ability to use the mouse
Cut, Copy, Paste - Wed Oct 13 2-4pm
During this class you will practice moving text by using Copy/Paste, Cut/Paste and dragging text. The class will use the Internet and Microsoft Word. Prerequisite: Basic Internet knowledge.
MS Word - 2007 - Wed, Oct 27 2-4 pm
Learn the basic features of Microsoft Word, a word processing program. Create a document using many of the software features. Learn to format, set margins and save your document. Prerequisite: Computer Basics class and/or ability to use the mouse
MS Excel - 2007 - Thurs Nov 18, 2-4pm
This class covers the basics of using Microsoft Excel spreadsheet software through the example of a family budget. Prerequisite: Basic knowledge of Microsoft Word or equivalent.
