WBLAS Community Services & Recreation

Considering buying a home or selling your home in the future? Have questions about the real estate market and the best time to buy or sell? Come and learn important tips when buying a home, and also how to prepare to sell your home to get the best return on your investment. The instructors, Joy Erickson and Faith Waters look forward to meeting you!

Gardens can be grown anywhere. Come and learn the basics of designing, selecting plants and pots, and caring for container gardens for season-long satisfaction, no matter where you grow. The Ramey County Master Gardeners recommend visiting their website to find reference tools, including handouts, websites, and book suggestions that can help you take the information from the class to the next level. The link for the website is: https://www.ramseymastergardeners.org/sb-container-gardens

Learn how to put your garden and landscape to bed for the winter (September through February). The Ramey County Master Gardeners recommend visiting their website to find reference tools, including handouts, websites, and book suggestions that can help you take the information from the class to the next level. The link for the website is: https://www.ramseymastergardeners.org/sb-fall-into-winter

Learn the fundamentals of fantasy football. If you are new to fantasy football, this is the class for you! Learn how to draft players (there will be a mock 4 round draft), understand important terms and abbreviations needed to succeed in fantasy football, receive tools (websites) that make it fun and easy to compete week to week, and begin a league. Then we will go deep into scoring in fantasy football, the waiver wire, the importance of bye weeks, trades, different kinds of fantasy football leagues, different drafting options (online vs in-person, how to access weekly lineup advice) and having fun! You'll leave with a packet of everything that was discussed, online tools to be successful with fantasy football, as well as my email so that they can ask me questions anytime. Once you realize and understand how simple and fun fantasy football can be, you'll never be without a team again!

Spend the morning at FOX 9 KMSP Broadcast Center in Eden Prairie to be a part of the live studio Audience of The Jason Show. After the show we will have lunch at Scoreboard in Minnetonka with their special of the day. After lunch we visit the Pavek Museum with over 12,000 square feet of antique radios, televisions, and broadcast equipment on display. Learn how pioneers in electronic communication created enormous impacts on the evolution of our society. We will have a brief welcome and then a self-guide experience. NOTES: The studio requests we wear solid, bright colors photograph best. The studio is usually kept at a cooler temperature so please bring a sweater or dress in layers. Fees include coach bus, show tickets, museum fee, and lunch. Departure / Return from: Mahtomedi Education Center. 1520 Mahtomedi Ave, Mahtomedi Bus Departs: 8:15am sharp Bus Returns: 3:45 pm

Join us in visiting the Midtown Global Market in Minneapolis! The market is home to over 50 vendors including specialty produce and grocery items, and locally made jewelry and crafts. It also has a wide array of restaurants featuring gluten free, vegetarian, vegan, and kid-friendly options. We will start our morning with a guided historical tour of the market, then we will explore, shop, and eat on our own.

Have you ever been up close to the iconic ‘Spoonbridge and Cherry’ sculpture at the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden? This is a great opportunity to tour one of Minnesota’s most popular outdoor museums and see the iconic landmarks for yourself. Join us on a fun day trip to explore more than 60 sculptures from the Walker’s collection on 11 scenic acres in the heart of Minneapolis. We will spend an hour exploring the museum grounds, then head to Brit’s Pub for a catered buffet lunch on their well-known patio. For over thirty years Brit's Pub has been Minneapolis's own little corner of the UK. The pub is known for nights by the fireplaces in the winter and lawn bowling on the rooftop deck in the summer - with a whole lot in between including legendary TV football (soccer!) and rugby events. Class fee includes school bus transportation, tour and buffet lunch Bus leaves Mahtomedi District Education Center, 1520 Mahtomedi Ave, Mahtomedi Departs: 9:30 AM Returns at approximately 2:00 PM

Take me out to the Ballgame! Field Trip to St. Paul Saints Baseball Game. What's better than spending a summer day watching a baseball game with friends? Join us for a fun afternoon watching the St. Paul Saints play at CHS Field in St. Paul. Game starts at 1:00 pm NOTE: Transportation and game tickets are provided with registration. Bring a credit card for any refreshments you would like to purchase at the game. Bus leaves Mahtomedi District Education Center, 1520 Mahtomedi Ave, Mahtomedi Departs: 11:30 AM Returns at approximately 4:30 PM

Learn about the many ways to save, store, and preserve seasonal fruits and vegetables so you can enjoy the best flavors and highest nutrition for as long as possible. This class introduces participants to best practices for storing fresh produce and the many different methods of food preservation. The Ramey County Master Gardeners recommend visiting their website to find reference tools, including handouts, websites, and book suggestions that can help you take the information from the class to the next level. The link for the website is: https://www.ramseymastergardeners.org/sb-food-saver

Hear the stories behind inventions that we use daily, from electric lights to duct tape to Viagra - how the ideas occurred (or were stolen), how they were marketed and how they changed the way we live. Learn of the friendship that turned into bitter rivalry between inventors Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla, about the widely admired inventor who unwittingly slowly killed thousands of people, and then himself with another invention, the women killed by paint and much more.

The 1929 stock market crash wiped out many people’s savings. Our nation spiraled down into a Great Depression. Federal troops were sent to attack American WWI veterans. All this was accompanied by the Dust Bowl years that literally blew farmers’ land away along with their livelihoods. Learn about the causes of these calamities, and hear the stories of those who suffered and survived through the ugly 1930s.

Natural fences constructed of shrubbery, tall flowers, and clumping grasses are attractive and environmentally friendly. These living fences add an eye-catching way to define your property boundaries, while also adding pollinator plants that serve as effective privacy screens. Good fences make for good neighbors….and good habitat!

Pollinators are critical to a healthy environment and many native species are in jeopardy. Learn what you can do at home to create healthy habitats for native bees and butterflies.

Join us as we discuss the exciting rebound in the travel and tour industry. Enjoy a brief educational presentation with highlights of trips and details of traveling with Premier World Travel. Remaining 2024 Trips New England Rails and Trails - October 2024 Normandy and Paris River Cruise - 80th Anniversary of Day- October 2024 New York City Christmas/Holiday - December 2024 Upcoming trip in 2025 February San Diego and Southern Cal Getaway April: Great Trains and Grand Canyons May: Mackinac Island and Niagara Falls July: Cape Cod and Its Islands August: Scandinavia September: Canadian Rockies and Glacier National Park October: Rome and the Amalfi Coast