Hey parents and students, our summer brochure has been taken to the schools for distribution.

You may see the entire brochure on our website at www.ci.austin.mn.us, click on City Departments and then Park and Recreation. You will find it by scrolling down to summer brochure 2014.

Friends and Volunteer Appreciation Night will be at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, in the Ruby Rupner Auditorium at the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center. There will be pie and refreshments and the easy-listening music of Reminisce: Steve Krob, Sue Hayes and Jim Rude. This program is free as we will pay tribute to all of our friends and special volunteers that help us throughout the year. Sammie Peterson, Nature Center Intern, will show you some common edible “weeds” that you can forage for your own use. Please RSVP by Monday.

Friend’s members will also receive a special invitation to this event. The music of Reminisce begins at 6:15 p.m.

Sunday, March 30, we have public skate from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at Riverside Arena.

The April skates are 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. on Wednesdays throughout April; 3:30 to 5 p.m. Saturday, 3:15 to 4:45 p.m. Sunday and 1 to 2:30 p.m. April 13, 20 and 27. Stop in and enjoy, open skate is $4, rental are $1.

Adult Open Hockey is scheduled from 7 to 8:15 p.m. on April 2, 9, 16 and 23 at Riverside Arena. The cost is $6 and you must be 16 years of age. Goalies are free and must wear full gear.

Interested in becoming an umpire? At 7 p.m. on April 3 you can attend a meeting at the Austin Parks and Recreation office to become a certified NSF/MSF. If you decide to register the fee is $50. You will also learn about the Austin Area Umpires Association.

There will be a free youth baseball clinic on from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on April 5-6 in the Austin High School gyms.

A parent must sign their participant up that day. Registration starts around 9:45 a.m. The clinic is hosted by Austin High School varsity baseball, Austin All Stars and Austin Youth baseball for all area children ages 9 through 13.

Do you like looking at stars? The Sola Fide Observatory is open to the public on scheduled dates. Those for April are at 9 p.m. Saturday night and April 26 Check out more information on the web page at www.hormelnaturecenter.org/sola-fide-observatory.html or call the Nature Center at 507-437-7519.

We will host a youth indoor 300 archery tournament on Saturday, April 12, at Packer Arena. Start time is 10 a.m. Age groups 12-14 and 15-17 will shoot a distance of 20 yards; 7 and under and 8-11 will shoot a distance of 10 yards. The cost is $13 per person. You may sign up at Austin Park and Recreation or call for more information.

Any adults interested in softball, sand volleyball, kickball or square bag/round hole give us a call for information or check the city website at www.ci.austin.mn.us for informational letters.

Deadlines for some sports will be April 28 and 29.

Anyone interested in summer employment can stop in to our office and pick up an application or print the part time/seasonal application from the city website at www.ci.austin.mn.us. Click on departments, choose Human Resources and scroll down.

We will be filling positions to work with the park crew, Municipal Pool and summer recreation.

Austin Bruin’s will start playoffs at Riverside Arena on April 4 and 5. Game time is 7:05 p.m.