By Sarah Waddle, Community Center Director and Anna Klobuchar, Community Center Assistant

The Cook County Community Center is a community gathering place that promotes wellbeing and social connection for people of all ages. Whether you are interested in skating, curling, dancing, music, or games, there’s something for everyone to get out of the house and shake off the winter blues! Winter is a vibrant time at the Community Center and we look forward to sharing it with you.

From October to March, the Community Center is home to the Cook County Curling Club. Along with the various league nights and open curling, the club hosts several Bonspiels throughout the season that draw Curlers from all over the State and region. This past weekend saw the return of the popular Champagne Open Bonspiel. Coming up in February and March the club will host the Cabin Fever Curling Party and the Charles J Futterer Memorial Bonspiel. Open curling takes place on Wednesday afternoons from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m., and there is always a Club member at these events to show a newcomer how to play. Your first couple visits are free, and after that you can decide if you’d like to become a member. To learn more about the Curling Club, visit their website at www.cookcountycurlingclub.com. 

In addition to indoor curling ice, the Community Center is home to outdoor ice rinks and a cozy warming house for all to enjoy. There is a large hockey rink and a smaller ice rink, both of which are available for open skating whenever they are not in use for programs. You can view the ice rink schedules on the Community Center website at www.co.cook.mn.us/skating. Cook County Community Education and the Cook County Hockey Association offer youth hockey skills classes on Monday and Wednesday afternoons in January and early February. On weekdays the rinks are often busy with youth skaters during physical education classes from local schools, so check the schedule before heading over.

The warming house is open daily 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Skate rental is $2 per time, or frequent skaters can sign up for an annual skate rental pass for just $20. Skate sharpening is also available for $5. We also have a variety of concessions available. Bring your family or friends to the rink for an afternoon of skating and hot chocolate.

Beginning February 4 and continuing every Tuesday from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. through April 15, the Community Center will again be the host site of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. Income-qualified households and all seniors are eligible to get help preparing their income taxes from trained local volunteers. The program is drop-in style with no appointments needed.

This winter the Community Center is also the site of Early Childhood Family Education classes offered through Cook County Community Education. These classes offer parents of young children social and educational connections. And in the cozy and well-loved log cabin, you can show up for Winter Dharma, a practice that promotes mindfulness and harmony.  Or move and groove your body with open dance offerings. Do you want to play some great Appalachian music? You are free to join the group that jams in the space two times a month. If you ever wondered what Magic the Gathering, the popular collectible card game is all about, there is a group of fun aficionados who meet in our conference room once a week and they would love for you to join them!

As always, the Community Center continues to be a popular place for meetings, birthday parties, meetings and game nights. Other activities this winter include dance and fitness classes held in partnership with the YMCA, square dancing, music rehearsals, Girl Scouts, yoga classes and family social events for families with young children. To stay informed about these programs as well as many others, please sign up for the Cook County Community Center monthly email newsletter. The newsletter shares public events, facility information, and opportunities to engage in the social, recreational, and educational programming offered at the Cook County Community Center. You can sign up to receive the newsletter here: www.co.cook.mn.us/CCnews.

County Connections is a column on timely topics and service information from your Cook County government. Cook County – Supporting Community Through Quality Public Service.