Ministry Eagle River Memorial Hospital (MERMH) will host a community blood drive for the local blood supplier, Northwoods Community Blood Center,  Thursday, May 16, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Medical Arts building on the MERMH campus.

“We are really hoping to engage as many community donors as possible to come and give blood,” said Alicia Evensen, MERMH laboratory supervisor.

“The blood stays within our local hospital systems,

The Northland Pines High School (NPHS) forensics team, made up of 22 students, competed at the State competition held at UW-Madison April 19-20.

Ten students earned gold medals, which means a perfect score, 25 out of 25. Earning gold medals were Katie Piper in poetry; Benn Gober, Jessica Anderson, Rebecca Anderson, Chelsea Allendorf and Emily Barrett in playacting; Allison Hartwig, Pamela Hartwig and Brie Fuller in playacting; and Christian Svetnicka in extemporaneous speaking.

Seven students earned silver medals, having a score

The Northland Pines Middle School has announced the students named to its honor roll for the third quarter of the 2012-’13 school year.

Highest honors

Sixth grade: Terrell Birchbauer, Annalise Callaghan, Zebediah Carlson, John Hayes, Hunter Indermuehle, Emily Klopp, Maxwell Lurvey, Jessica Lynn, Malcolm McCanles, Noah Miller, Mia Mroczynski, Piper Snedden and Tucker Wittkopf.

Seventh grade: Silas Beattie, Nicholas Cato, Julianna Erickson, Laura Garling, Cassandra Gauthier, Carter Heller, Ethan King-Polich, Hadley Kruse, Matthew McGill, Zachary Neddo, Megan Scholl and Sophia Spiess.

Eighth grade: Benjamin Dorn, Shelby Foster, Anna Hayes, Noah Jensen, Jack Kolinski,

Northland Pines High School announced students named to the school’s honor roll for the third quarter of the 2012-’13 school year as follows:

Highest honors

Ninth grade: Bethalynn Bontrager, Connor Cox, Seth Erickson, Morgan Gurka, Hannah Hoffmann, Karly Kolehouse, Andrew McGill, Jonah Parsons, Colton Raymond, Allison Sauvola, Luke Simons, Rian Stauffacher, Sophia Svetnicka and Noah Wittkopf.

10th grade: Brett Bucher, Austin Cain, Nicole Deditz, Kory Droes, Amanda Farrow, Hunter Foster, Christine John, Zachary Kluever, Thomas Kolinski, Kathryn Mendham, Vanessa Niemczyk, Ryan Ozelie, Logan Patterson, Brittany Pockat, Timothy Priefer, Bailey Ramesh, Cali Sanborn, Nicholas Satterfield, Dillan Schneider,

The Northland Pines Community Garden has several openings for the upcoming 2013 growing season.

The fenced-in garden is located behind the high school. Plots are eight feet by 10 feet with organic compost available. The season fee is $30.

Monthly meetings are held

The Three?Lakes Center for the Arts in the Northwoods will host the improv group Mission IMPROVable Thursday, May 9, at 8 p.m.

This group of entertainers was voted 2011 Comedy Entertainers of the Year by Campus Activities Magazine.

Formed more than 13 years ago at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst,

Kim Lewandowski, a kindergarten teacher at Eagle River Elementary School in the Northland Pines School District, was one of four area educators who recently received National Board Certification through UW-Green Bay.

The certification aims to advance student learning by establishing standards that build accomplished educators. Lewandowski received support from the UW-Green Bay Institute for Learning Partnership and the free support workshop of the Wisconsin Education Association Council.

The National Board Certification was a hard and

The Vilas County Master Gardeners (VCMG) announc­ed it will host a free workshop “Deer Proofing Your Garden” presented by staff from Stoney Creek Landscaping Thursday, May 9, at  7 p.m. at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church located at 5030 Highway 70 in Eagle River.

The workshop will focus on ways to prevent deer from feeding on gardens through the use of fences, repellants and deer-resistant plants.

“We would never think of deer as finicky eaters,

Tommy O’s Northern Stars Playhouse in Hazelhurst recently announced auditions for leading, supporting and chorus roles, as well as apprentice and intern interviews for the 2013 season.

The shows on schedule this season include “Oklahoma!,” “The Music Man,” “The Death and Life of Sherlock Holmes” and “Dracula.”

Auditions will be Friday and Saturday, May 3, 4, 10 and 11 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Those who wish, may bring a cut from a musical

Many Ways of Peace, a resource center for peace and nonviolence, will show the new documentary film “Five Broken Cameras” Monday, May 6, at 6:30 p.m. at the center, located at 217 S. Main St. in Eagle River.

The film, which is co-directed by Palestinian Emad Burnat and Israeli Guy Davidi, won the Sundance World Cinema Directing Award for Documentary in 2012 and was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

Popcorn and refreshments will be served.

“Five Broken Cameras” is a firsthand