Centered and Balanced coming April 30

Centered and Balanced: A One-Day Women’s Retreat in Rugby will be held April 30 at Dakota Farms. Registration begins at 10a.m., with preregistration & yoga at 8:45a.m. The retreat will feature speaker and author Rebecca Undem and Miss America 2018 Cara Mund.

The cost is $100 and includes guest speakers, breakout sessions, morning yoga, meals, snacks, prizes and other special goodies. The retreat is open to women of all ages.

Tickets may be purchased online at Eventbrite.com or by calling Ashley for more information at 701-412-1033.

Oppen to speak at Journey meeting

The Journey-a local cancer survivor support group-will meet Wednesday, April 17 at 6:30 p.m. at the Heart of America Medical Center’s Fox Auditorium.

Cari Oppen will speak on “Mindfulness & Meditation.”

Kindergarten registration

Ely Elementary’s Kindergarten registration for the 2019-20 school year will be held at the school office during the week of April 8 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

To be eligible for registration, children must be five years old before Aug. 1.

Parents must bring a copy of their child’s birth certificate and current immunization record.

For more information, contact the Ely office at 776-5757.

Peace Garden releases seasonal event schedule

The International Peace Garden has released a new seasonal event calendar that includes seven events as part of its new annual membership program.

The new annual membership is $40 and good for entrance to the Peace Garden all year long and provides access to Peace Garden events, as well as provides voting rights at the annual meeting. Some events like the 5k Run/Walk and the Triathlon have additional registration fees.

Scheduled events include the following:

* May 4, 2019 Peace Garden Annual Meeting

* May 11, 2019 Arbor Day Celebration

* May 12, 2019 Mother’s Day Brunch

* June 8, 2019 Peace Garden 5k Run/Walk

* June 22-23, 2019 Garden Days

* July 6-7, 2019 International Peace Garden Triathlon Weekend

* August 10 Smokey the Bear’s 75th Birthday Party

* August 23, 2019 Gala in the Garden Fundraising Event

Melinda Goodman, marketing and communications director for the International Peace Garden remarked, “The Peace Garden has often been thought of as a day trip destination that most families only visit once throughout the season.” Goodman continued, “The new programming and annual membership encourages visitors to participate in a variety of activities and enjoy the garden on a year-round basis.

In addition to the updated event schedule, the Peace Garden will also be adding more family friendly activities including scavenger hunts and geocaching for garden visitors. These activities are in addition to hiking and biking trails, picnic areas, campgrounds and playgrounds.

“The Peace Garden has long been known for its iconic formal gardens boasting more than 80,000 annuals, but local residents and tourists alike may not realize the many additional year-round opportunities in the Garden. Everything from our world class cactus and succulent collection to the North American Game Warden Museum and abundant recreation,” Goodman aid. “The Peace Garden and the Turtle Mountain region are truly a four-season destination with something to do year-round, and nature does not disappoint with changing scenery nearly every week.”

Annual Membership can be purchased at the gate or by calling 888-432-6733. Staff reminds visitors that any time is a good time to visit the Peace Garden and many of the cactus and succulents in The Conservatory are just beginning to bloom. The Conservatory is open year round and many of the plants are always changing, but April through mid-June is peak time for many of the flowering cacti and succulents.

For more information or details about each event you can visit InternationalPeaceGarden on Facebook or visit the website at www.peacegarden.com

Workshop coming to Rugby

Rugby Chamber of Commerce & the Rugby Job Development Authority announce a 2-hour educational opportunity for area businesses slated for Monday, April 29th, at noon at the Farm Credit Services meeting room. Speaker, Eric Giltner, from the U.S. Small Business Administration will educate attendees about marketing strategies and social media management for businesses. The cost will be $10, and a lunch will be provided.

The Anatomy of a Marketing Plan and Social Media Management Basics

Is your business or organization guilty of “reactionary marketing”? This means little or no thought is given to an overall strategy when pursuing marketing opportunities. The result is a poor return on investment for dollars you can’t afford to squander. This workshop will provide you with information on how to create a framework for telling

everyone why your business is the right choice for your target market. The key is to identify your “Unique Selling Point” and choose those media strategies best suited for messaging to your customers.

This workshop will also review the basics of a social media strategy and how to incorporate it into a traditional marketing mix. This is so important in an era where consumers go to their cell phones almost 60% of the time when searching for a product or service.

Here are some of the key points for discussion:

1. Creation of a Unique Selling Point.

2. Understanding that Small Businesses can develop a Brand.

3. Should my Business have its own Web Site?

4. Generating Content for Social Media Messaging.

This workshop will be presented by Eric Giltner, Senior Area Manager for the US Small Business Administration. He has over twenty years of experience in counseling and training small businesses and has also served as a faculty member in the UND College of Business and Public Administration teaching classes in management, finance, and entrepreneurship.

– Submitted by Chamber Director Darylanna Durkee