Easier way to find daycare Finding a daycare provider in Stearns County just got much easier. The County Board saw a demonstration Feb. 3 of a new Web site program that allows people to look for providers through a mapping system. Currently, parents get a written listing of daycare providers by typing in a zip code. This list can sometimes be quite lengthy and yield unfamiliar addresses. With the new map-based system, parents can enter their address and providers in that area will pop up on a map. Daycare providers will be marked with a purple star, and each will have a number. Those numbers will provide the corresponding name, address and telephone number of the provider. You have the ability to zoom in or out and see aerial maps. Maps can even be printed with driving directions. Providers can also be found simply by clicking on a location on the county map or by searching a name. “As far as we know, we’re the only county that has this system”, said George McClure, Stearns County Information Services Director. “We hope to make the process of finding a daycare provider much easier for all our residents, and the system is simple and easy to use.” To check out the map-based daycare system, log on to the county Web site at www.co.stearns.mn.us. Transportation priorities The board gave its support to the St. Cloud Area Planning Organization’s priorities for 2005 federal transportation dollars. Three of the items included on the list are funding requests for the Sauk Rapids bridge replacement at $11,500,000, a request for $1,356,800 to extend the Beaver Island Trail north, and $800,000 for a park-and-ride facility for St. Cloud State University. The park-and-ride facility would be located at Lincoln Avenue and Highway 10, currently an empty lot. With increased enrollment at SCSU there’s an increased demand for transit. Commuter lines are full and there aren’t enough parking spots available. Both students and SCSU staff could use the park-and-ride facility. Smithsonian exhibit The travelling Smithsonian exhibit, “Americanos, Latino Life in the United States”, has made its way to Stearns County. The exhibit opened Saturday at the Stearns History Museum in St. Cloud. In addition to the Smithsonian materials, visitors will be able to see local artifacts and photos from around Stearns County that have been added to the exhibit. The exhibit will be here for 12 weeks. Special events will be planned through that time, one of these events is Children’s Day Sunday, Feb. 22. The cost to see the exhibit is $4 for adults, $2 for children and $10 for a family. The museum is open seven days a week. To learn more about the exhibit or the museum, visit www.stearns-museum.org.
