Public school financing is topic of LVWNOW meeting
The League of Women Voters of the Northwoods (LWVNOW) will be partnering with the Northwoods Chapter of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) for a joint meeting Sept. 10 to discuss public school financing. Merrill schools administrators, Dr. John Sample, superintendent, and Brian Dasher, finance director, will be presenting a program on how the $40 million Merrill schools budget is managed, how schools are financed, where the money goes, and why different schools get different amounts to educate each child. The LWVNOW encompasses Florence, Forest, Langlade, Lincoln, Oneida and Vilas counties. For more information, visit www.lwvnow.org.

Bark in the Dark
Community members will come together to honor and celebrate the lifelong contributions of canines as caregivers to cancer patients and others at the American Cancer Society Bark in the Dark “howl-oween” party Oct. 19 at Don Burnside Park in Three Lakes. From 6-8 p.m., for a donation, pets can have their portrait taken or get a pet pedicure. This year’s theme is “RUFFengers-Endgame,” and pets and their humans are encouraged to dress in costume. Games, drawings, contests, refreshments and more will be on the agenda for the evening. The event has raised over $52,000 for the Relay for Life movement. This year’ss funds will support Hope Lodge in Marshfield. Each registered participant will receive a t-shirt and each registered dog will get a bandana and goodie bag.

Nicolet Players holds auditions
Roles for eccentric dinner guests, an obsessive gourmet chef and an anxiety-laden maître d’ will be up for grabs when the Nicolet Players holds auditions at 7 p.m., Sept. 9 and 10 in the theatre in the Lakeside Center on the Rhinelander campus for “The Art of Dining.” Director Jim Nuttall said, “It’s a crazy comedy with all of these quirky characters who find themselves all together at this high-end restaurant. “It’s slapstick zaniness and a delicious example of how not to act and what not to talk about while dining at a fancy restaurant.” Everyone is welcome to audition; no preparation is required but scripts are available for check out at the library. Roles will be available for three men and six women ranging in age from their 20s to 60s. Rehearsals begin Sept. 11 with performances scheduled for Nov. 8-10, 14-17. www.nicoletlive.com.

Hospice volunteers needed
A five-week training course focusing on end-of-life issues will be held in September in Arbor Vitae. Sponsored by Ascension at Home, the curriculum is a prerequisite for anyone wishing to become a hospice volunteer. It will also provide information for people who may be faced with caring for a loved one in the future, healthcare professionals, employers and college students. Included will be presentations and discussions about death awareness, communications, family dynamics, terminal diseases and the dying process, pain and symptom management, medical ethics, end-of-life decisions, spirituality, grief, post-death rituals and self-care for caregivers. Two additional sessions will be required to function as a hospice volunteer. Register by Sept. 11 by calling 800-234-3542 or email [email protected]

September Mindfulness: Staying bright as the days dim
The feature program for this month’s Mindfulness program at Ascension Koller Behavioral Health in Rhinelander will provide mindfulness skills as the summer fades into fall. The program is 1-2:30 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 24. Ascension Koller also offers the Riverside meditation group, meeting 5:30-7 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 5 and 19. It is an opportunity for anyone with a meditation practice to have regular group support. There are two 20-minute seated meditations with walking or Qigong in between. For more information, 715-361-2805.

Learning in Retirement fall session offered
Nicolet College’s Learning in Retirement program will launch its fall session Thursday, Sept. 5 with a social and dinner at 4:30 p.m. in the Lakeside Center on the Rhinelander campus. New members are welcome to participate in the dinner as well as any of the 44 different course offerings available through December. “It’s all about learning just for the fun of it and staying active with other individuals who have similar interests,” said Brenda Peltier, Learning in Retirement coordinator at Nicolet. Annual membership is $45 per person, which is good until June 30, 2020. Individuals can become members at anytime during the year. Individuals can join LIR and register for classes by visiting nicoletcollege.edu/lir or by calling 715-365-4544. Upcoming class topics include travel, film, natural resources, history, architecture, gardening, senior health and fitness and tours of local businesses and unique locations.