Washington County arts news: Civil War author to talk at historical society meeting

Author and researcher Wayne Jorgenson, who has just completed a book on the 1st Regiment Minnesota Volunteer Infantry titled "Every Man Did His Duty," will be the featured speaker at the Washington County Historical Society's annual meeting on March 28 at the Water Street Inn in Stillwater.

Jorgenson, who is a founding member of the First Minnesota Volunteer Infantry re-enactment group, gathered stories on more than 100 men who served during the Civil War in the First Minnesota, drawing on diaries, pension records, newspaper articles and other sources. When the First Minnesota was formed it included the Stillwater Guards, which became Company B of the regiment. Many stories of this company are told, including that of Sam Bloomer, Adam Marty and the famous Last Man's Club that met in Stillwater after the war was over.

The event is open to the public and the cost is $20 for historical society members and $25 for nonmembers. The evening will begin at 5:30 with a social hour, dinner at 6:30 and the business meeting will be at 7:30. Wayne Jorgenson's program will begin at 8 p.m. Jorgenson will have copies of his book on hand to purchase.

Reservations are required. To make reservations or for more information about the event please call 651-439-5956 or visit www.wchsmn.org.

Magazines have been an offering at Washington County branch libraries through the years, with popular magazines made available for library users to peruse and check out.

Now Washington County Library is going digital, with 128 popular titles made available at no cost. The latest editions of magazines such as Consumer Reports, Popular Mechanics and Seventeen will be made available as they are released for reading on both Mac and PC computers, as well as on Android, Apple, BlackBerry and Kindle Fire tablets. Users need a library card registered with Washington County Library.

The new service is called Zinio. To begin using the service at Washington County Library, users will need to set up two accounts, one a library account and one a Zinio account. Find instructions on the Library's "Read" page on the Washington County website, www.co.washington.mn.us.

Lake Elmo Library, 3537 Lake Elmo Av. N., will play host to a guitarist and author on successive nights the week of March 17.

The library is bringing back guitarist Charlie Calvert at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 20, for a night of family-friendly music. Others are encouraged to bring their instruments (acoustic only, no brass) or singing voices down to the library and enjoy playing or singing with other local musicians. All skill levels welcome.

At 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 21, murder mystery writer Christopher Valen will talk and sign his recent book, "Bone Shadows." In the story, the bodies of young men turn up in the Mississippi River for years, their deaths attributed to excessive drinking. But when an Iraq War vet suffering from PTSD is found in the river, St. Paul homicide detective John Santana must decide if the young man's death was accidental or the result of something more sinister.

Valen is the pen name of J. Christopher Peterson, author of three previous works of fiction featuring Colombian-born Santana, "White Tombs," "The Black Minute" and "Bad Weeds Never Die." Christopher is a graduate of the Ramsey County Sheriff's Citizen Academy and has contacts and resources in the law enforcement community. He lives in Woodbury with his wife, Martha. The event is the next in a series presented by Lake Elmo Public Library and sponsored by the Friends of Lake Elmo Library.

"NYC Live," a concert featuring selections that make the New York musical scene so vibrant — Broadway, jazz clubs, the Metropolitan Opera — will be performed at two concerts by the Valley Chamber Chorale at 8 p.m. April 20 and 3 p.m. April 21 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Stillwater, 115 Fourth St. N.

For ticket information, go to www.valleychamberchorale.org.

The Forest Lake Park Board's annual free community Easter egg hunt will be at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 24, at Lakeside Park, in downtown Forest Lake at E. Broadway off Lake Street.

Come and hunt for Easter eggs and meet the Easter Bunny. Don't forget to bring your camera and a basket for your eggs.

Neil Johnston will lead an artists' discussion and critique class sponsored by the White Bear Center for the Arts designed for the working artist, beginning artists, or people who just enjoy art at 7 p.m. March 19 at White Bear Lake City Hall, 4701 Hwy. 61.

The session includes a structured art critique of 2-D/3-D media art works and a discussion of related art topics. About half a dozen works will be studied at each session. Everyone is encouraged to bring art to be discussed, but it is not required. Registration is required for this free class but doesn't guarantee showing of work. To register, go to www.whitebeararts.org.