It is time to get your Men’s Fall Softball team together.

The deadline for registration is 5 p.m. on  Wednesday, Aug. 22 in the Parks, Recreation and Forestry office. You will need your roster to include 10 players with the $8 fee each and a team fee of $258.  This is a double-header league which will begin Aug. 29 and run through Oct. 3.

For more information give us a call.

Riverside Arena

The ice is back in at Riverside Arena. Beat the heat and get in some cold laps over the lunch hour on a pair of skates.

Public skate times:  noon-2 p.m. on Monday; 5:30-7:30 p.m., Tuesday; noon-2 p.m., Wednesday and 4:45-6:45 p.m. Thursday.

We will offer Stick-Time on noon-2 p.m. on Tuesday.

We are in the process of collecting schedules from various teams so check our Facebook page as we will update this calendar as we add times.

How about renting Riverside Arena for your special event?  Call our office to check on availability.

Archery

The Cedar River Archery Club will host a youth day on Aug. 4 out at the range for a fun day of activities.

For more information call 507-438-7619.

Nature center

The next Thursday Nature Play Afternoon will be held from 1-4 p.m.on Aug. 23, featuring Amber Dolphin & the Pecatonica String Quartet, who will deliver the soothing sounds of strings in a variety of styles, from Bach to classic rock.

So, plan to get outside and discover nature with your child! Enjoy free canoe or kayak rentals, pond scooping for aquatic critters, nature programs, archery, netting dragonflies and butterflies, crayfish hunting, survival games, and/or self-guided nature trail activities.

Canoe and kayak availability is first-come, first-served, for an adult (18 and over) with a child (adults must accompany children). Please call 507-437-7519 or email info@hormelnaturecenter.org for more information or visit the website: www.hormelnaturecenter.org.

Deer hunt

For those interested in the 2018 city deer hunt, you must pass your proficiency test and also complete the NBEF/Advanced Bowhunter Education program hosted by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, which you can find that online.

The proficiency test is taken at the Cedar River Archery Range, 54691 270th St, Austin MN 55912.  The fee will be $5 per shooter and will take place from an elevated platform at a distance of 20 yards.  You will only have one chance to qualify. The club added from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Aug.t 25, so stop out during this time frame to qualify.

The next date the club runs an event is on Sept 8 -9, and starts at 8 a.m. and ends at 2 p.m.

This is the last chance to qualify. You can also shoot the event in September while you are there.

Our city application process will be sent out to those that qualify in late August and must be returned to us on Sept. 14.

Tree planting

Those that wanted a boulevard tree and did not receive one last fall are on the plant list to be checked for availability for this falls planting.

All addresses are checked to see if there is room to plant a tree on their boulevard.  Keep in mind that we do not plant trees under utility wires.  There are rules on how far away branches need to be from specific voltages.  Trees under wires are then cut in a “V” by a company that is hired by Austin Utilities.

If you are wanting a tree on your boulevard please call our office to get on the list.

We order as many as our budgeted planting dollars will allow.  If you do not make this years planting we carry the list over to the next year.  You are always able to purchase a tree for your boulevard provided that you call our office first.

Our park supervisor will meet with you to approve your proposed planting location.  There are times that the location may need to change do to our parameters.

You also need to pick a tree from our approved boulevard tree list.  Austin Utilities does have a $10 rebate program to plant a tree from their list in your own yard called “Partners in Planting.”

Please go to the Austin Utilities site for that information.