Bring it to the Table

By Paavo Downing

PHS Press staff member

Our Community Kitchen (OCK) is a place where you can go to eat a healthy breakfast, meet community members, and be part of Food Justice. OCK is located at the Episcopalian Church in Stillwater MN on 3^rd St. N. 

You may ask, “What is food justice?” Food Justice is a growing movement to create social responsibility and a sense of community through food.  Food Justice educates community members about the fact that they can grow and eat healthy foods while caring for the land. A strong local food system and a healthy environment are just a couple of benefits seen when people practice Food Justice.

OCK was founded in June 2011 and it has been growing with new members and projects since that time.  The most recent addition is a community based garden.  The Community garden was started in 2013 with three raised beds.  This year the garden has doubled its size and produces a variety of crops ranging from Swiss chard to Tuscan Kale. The garden has produced so much that in addition to providing for OCK patrons breakfast, they are also able to take home fresh grown surplus crops. 

When asked what she likes best about OCK regular customer Isana Downing, 8, of Bayport MN states: “I love the blueberry pancakes! I also like to play with the dog Halo.”

OCK relies primarily on its volunteers to provide the service it offers.  Breakfast is held at Our Ascension Church. The address is 214 3^rd St. N Stillwater MN 55082.  Breakfast is served Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:00am-10:00am.  If you are interested in volunteering or have any questions regarding OCK please contact Diane at drollie@pressenter.com.  You could also visit the OCK website to learn more about this wonderful program http://www.ourcommunitykitchen.org/index.html. Also visit the OCK Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/OurCommunityKitchen/timeline.

Ava Holsather inspired to play guitar by her dad

by Emily Weinlick
PHS Press staff member

Ava Holsather (Photo by Paavo Downing)

Planet Homeschool student Ava Holsather’s hobby is playing her guitar. She plays a ¾ size left-handed Taylor acoustic guitar and ¾ size left-handed Ibanez electric guitar.

She takes guitar lessons at the Linden Hills House of Music and plays at recitals on the Famous Daves stage. Her last performance she had a very special opportunity to play with a drummer and another guitarist. “It was so fun to play with other people who loved music just as much as I do!” Ava said.

Her dream is to play in a band and go on tour. She thinks that it would be such an enjoyable time to go around the world to different places and performing all kinds of different music. She wants to be part of a band because she loves collaborating with different instruments and song writers to make a performance seem more professional.

Ava’s dad loves to play guitar, as well. Ava enjoys playing with her dad, because they are able to share new songs they know or wrote with each other. Ava was motivated to play the guitar because of her dad. Ava’s dad is not in a band himself, he just enjoys to play for his family.

The reason Ava got a guitar in the first place is because she liked playing around with her dad’s guitar even though it was to big. Her parents realized that what she needed was a guitar her size and a left-handed styled one too. Ava has been playing guitar ever since June 2011.

(Photo by Paavo Downing)

Paavo Downing began playing guitar on a Fender Mini

Paavo Downing (Photo by Emily Weinlick)

by Parker Lehman

PHS Press staff member

Paavo Downing is one of our reporters here at the PHS Press. In his Meet the Staff interview, he talked about learning to play guitar. 

He got in to guitar for kicks 5 years ago on a Fender mini. He self taught for the most part using the internet as a guide. He also got help from his dad. Later he started playing a Marshall Kelly, as well as a Yamaha. 

Mostly he plays Indi and Rock and Roll. He will sometimes play with his dad in their basement.

Meet Nadia Sullivan-Nightengale

Nadia Sullivan-Nightengale (Photo by Paavo Downing)

- Age: 11

- City/town: Saint Paul

-Best book/blog you read this summer: At First Bite (a Poison Apple book)

- Favorite newspaper/magazine: monster high magazine

- Hobbies: Reading, swimming and listening to music

- Most interesting thing about yourself: I rode the kamikaze without ever getting sick or scared.

- What do you like most about Planet Homeschool? The lounge lunch time and playing outside.

- Why did you join the newspaper/photography class? Because i thought it would be fun to make a news paper.

- What do you like to write? poems

Meet Aurora Pass

By Paavo Downing

PHS Press Staff Member 

Aurora Pass (photo by Paavo Downing)

1)   Name: Aurora Pass

2)     Age/grade: 12 and 7^th grade

3)     City/town: Minneapolis

4)     Favorite Album: Don’t have one

5)     Best book/Blog you read this summer: Percy Jackson Series

6)     Favorite Newspaper/ Magazine: USA Swim magazine

7)     Hobbies: Swimming

8)     Most interesting thing about yourself: Can’t think of any

9)     What do you like most about Planet Homeschool: Seeing friends and going to classes

10)  Why did you join this class: Because Tesha is teaching the class and it’s really interesting

11)  What do you like to write: Poems