Things to do in the Greater St. Cloud Area | St. Cloud Shines

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“All work and no play” doesn’t sound like much fun.

But how would we know?

Greater St. Cloud has so much to do—day and night, season after season—that we always find reasons to play. Lots of them, so pace yourself.

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#StCloudShines Stories

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363

May 16

On May 7th, the most recent Enterprise Academy cohort celebrated its graduation. It marked the ninth St. Cloud cohort to celebrate this achievement. Enterprise Academy is a 12-week training course that includes one-on-one coaching and business planning; micro-lending and financing strategies; and assistance with everything from developing store layouts to navigating bookkeeping programs to accepting credit card payments. While the Enterprise Academy has a distinct focus on supporting underserved racial and ethnic minorities, the program also serves veterans, women, low-income, small-town business owners, and anyone who has faced barriers in their efforts to open a business. Establishing strong partnerships has been essential to the success of the Enterprise Academy. The Initiative Foundation realized early on that it needed strong community connections to build a meaningful program. “By partnering with the Central Minnesota Community Empowerment Organization, and later Higher Works Collaborative, now co-partners in the St. Cloud area, the Initiative Foundation was able to establish an immediate feedback loop to ensure the program was delivering the content students needed,” Mohamed said. “The importance of partnerships extends to our funders, too. Since its inception, and because of the Initiative Foundation’s 35-plus years of results-oriented work in economic and community development in Central Minnesota, we have been able to attract funding at the local, state, and national level.” “One of the greatest joys is to witness when a spark has been ignited and a student is equipped with the knowledge and information they need to accelerate their business venture,” said Donniel Robinson, entrepreneurship programs officer at the Initiative Foundation. The Enterprise Academy is a competitive, application-driven program. Students are asked to pay a small fee to secure their seats at the table and to take responsibility for their outcomes. #StCloudShines
📸: @kwphotos_
📝: @greenline_mktg

Apr 28

@theparkeventcenter's opening happened just weeks before the onset of the pandemic, in the last week of Jan 2020. They were open for about a month, still working on all of the finishing touches of the building, and then COVID hit. They closed the second week in March 2020 and had been opening and closing based on the state requirements through it all… with their final open being April of 2021. “...and we’ve been moving forward ever since!” shared Katie Graham-Walton, Director of Sales. “I am especially proud of the fact that we have been able to hold on to our team since the beginning. The level of care for each and every event, meeting, concert, wedding, etc. that our team gives, is not something you see everywhere you go anymore. Pair that with the latest in technology, the design of the building, and the amazing food that comes from our state of the Art catering kitchen and culinary team… There is just no other place that does things quite like we do. “Our ownership came to the St. Cloud / Waite Park area and saw a tremendous need and decided to act on it. A facility like this brings so much to a fast-growing area. Having almost 200 sleeping rooms and over 18,000 square feet of meeting and event space here is helping support that growth.” “I think everyone says that their town is special and different, but really, there is something special about central MN. I have been here all my life, I’ve chosen to work and raise my family here…you see it growing the way it is, to see the life, the culture, the energy, not needing to go an hour or more south anymore to feel the changes happening in the world… It is exciting.” There are other ways to support the establishment outside of the event center, too. You can enjoy food and beverages at Mavericks Steaks & Cocktails, stay at the hotel (or invite guests to do so), or host your own event. “We are so incredibly thankful for everyone’s support! We look forward to many years working together to help Central MN, continuing to grow and build strong partnerships and lasting memories along the way.” #StCloudShines
📸: @kwphotos_
📝: @greenline_mktg

Apr 20

The Clean Energy Resource Teams are a statewide partnership that was established in 2003 to provide clean energy assistance in Minnesota, with a mission to connect individuals and their communities to the resources they need to identify and implement community-based clean energy projects. Melissa Birch, the Central MN CERTs Coordinator, shared more info about the program. “To unpack that mission a little, when we say ‘clean energy,’ we are generally talking about energy efficiency, renewable energy, and electric vehicles. ‘Resources’ might be financial, or they might be technical assistance. Often, we are looking to connect people with each other in ways that can help community-based clean energy projects happen. Another key aspect of our work is to share stories of clean energy models implemented successfully in other communities. St. Cloud has been a leader in clean energy in recent years, a great example to share with other communities looking to harness clean energy technologies for energy savings.” This program is a non-advocacy, non-sales partnership that is made up of four organizations: the University of Minnesota Extension, MN Department of Commerce, Southwest Regional Development Commission, and the Great Plains Institute. Because of this, they are able to draw from the knowledge of those organizations to provide accurate information to Minnesota’s communities. “Because of our regional staff and steering committees throughout the state, we can really get to know the communities we serve and understand how clean energy might fit into their development goals.” “Our work is firmly rooted in community. Whether we are providing tools for reducing home energy costs or helping a local school ‘go solar,’ we do our work in partnership with diverse people, from local governments and utilities to businesses and community-based organizations.” The CERTs website is full of clean energy tools and guides, opportunities for funding, jobs, and events, and so many inspiring stories. #StCloudShines
📸: @kwphotos_
📝: @greenline_mktg

Apr 8

Apr 4

@wsbeng has had a presence in Central Minnesota for over 20 years and along the way, they’ve been able to form strong relationships with the surrounding communities. Thank you, WSB for investing in #StCloudShines! Check out the link in our bio to learn more about them.

Mar 31

The St. Cloud Police Department serves the citizens and visitors of the City of St. Cloud, which includes over 41 square miles and over 68,000 citizens. The department consists of 116 sworn police officers and over 50 non-sworn civilian staff members. The department is community engagement driven and is one of the only departments in the state with an entire division dedicated to these engagement efforts. Because of this, the department benefits from having a strong positive and constructive relationship with the community they serve. We had the opportunity to attend the SCPD Career Fair earlier this month and catch up with SCPD Commander, Adam Meierding. The police department currently has numerous career opportunities, including:
- Patrol
- SWAT
- Criminal Investigation Unit
- Violent Offender Task Force (VOTF)
- Community Response Team (COP House)
- School Resource Officer
- K9 Unit
- Drone Pilot
- Crime Scene Technician
- Co-Responder Unit
- Community Crime Impact Team
- Sex Trafficking Task Force
- Auto Theft Investigator In 2022, the police department will begin having at least two police academies per year for the foreseeable future. The first academy began in February & March, while the second academy will begin in July & August. The department is also adding a 3rd academy in May for 2022. The police department will be accepting applications continuously with the POST eligibility deadlines for each academy listed below. For the May Academy, applications are due April 4th, and for the July/August Academy, applications are due May 23rd. SCPD recently added a “Text to Apply” service for their recruiting efforts. Anyone looking for more information, to apply for a position, or to speak with a recruiter, can text “JoinSCPD” to 320-373-9183. #StCloudShines
📸: @kwphotos_
📝: @greenline_mktg

Mar 18

Much of the Sauk Rapids community was wiped out during the great cyclone of 1886 - but not a corner bar, now known as @jimmys_pour_house. The building has been around since the late 1800s, and well, if those walls could talk - we know they’d have some of the best stories around. Jimmy’s Pour House was established 45 years ago by Jim and Marilyn Lynch. In 1977, their family relocated from South St. Paul to Sauk Rapids with 6 of their 11 children in tow. At the time, Sauk Rapids had a population of around 5,200 residents. While the town was much smaller than South St. Paul, Jim and Marilyn fell in love with the quaint city. Jimmy had been in search of a bar or restaurant for over a year when he stumbled upon a little bar on the corner called the Blue Eagle. The bar had only three booths, three tables, and a pool table with a seating capacity of around 40 people. They changed the name to Jimmy’s Pour House, did some cosmetic renovations, and incorporated Jimmy’s Irish heritage and his love of golf in the décor. When they were up and running, Jim & Marilyn added a small grill behind the bar and began selling hamburgers. There was only room to cook four hamburgers at a time, but they always insisted quality was the #1 priority. Word spread quickly of the tasty burgers and cold beer at Jimmy’s Pour House. All the food was purchased locally as they partnered up with Earl’s Bakery and The Dairy Bar in Sauk Rapids. At the time, they had a slogan on their T-shirts “The Best Buns in Town” thanks to Earls Bakery! In addition, Jimmy’s partnered with locally owned and operated, Appert’s Foods. Appert’s produced a burger that was specifically made for their restaurant; those burgers and Early’s buns were a heavenly combination. In 1989, Jimmy’s Pour House was purchased by their daughter Dena Hagberg and the business (and location space) has continued to grow and be a staple in the community. Jimmy’s is in the process of planning a Summertime St. Patrick’s Day celebration they hope will become an annual event. They are still in the early planning stages - so no details yet - but it is sure to be a great community event. #StCloudShines

Mar 10

CMBA Tools For Schools Fund recently contributed over $20,000 to 15 area high schools for their industrial tech departments to help teach the building trades. The donations from the community via @cmbaonline will put tools in the hands of future builders. Wanda Schroeder, Executive Director at CMBA shared more details. “The Tools for Schools Fund is the brainchild of the former CMBA President, Craig Schoenberg of Schoenberg Construction here in St. Cloud. The potential in young people today is amazing and their future is bright! The members of the CMBA believe this and want to ensure that construction trade students will be better equipped to discern the best fit for their future. Ultimately, this will benefit us – our community – as we will have skilled, intelligent, and savvy workers and business owners in the trades. The program has three primary goals:
1. Enhance the learning experiences for high school students who show interest in entering the construction trades.
2. Provide information and direction on career options within the trades.
3. Address the building industry’s labor shortages. Many of the funds the schools receive through the Tools for Schools program are to upgrade their tools and equipment to prepare students for today’s trade careers. Because of the great shortage of skilled workforce in the trades, this program has been instrumental in building awareness and education in this industry. “The CMBA strives to improve the Central MN Building Industry by being advocates, educating our members about building industry best practices, engaging our members in activities that strengthen competitiveness and professionalism, and working to ensure an affordable housing industry for our communities. You can also find information on Tools for Schools on the CMBA website, linked in our bio. #StCloudShines

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