Post Talk
NORTH BRANCH POST # 85
By Glenn Pierce, Adjutant

Membership Meeting February 9th 6 PM
Auxiliary Meeting February 9th 7 PM
SAL Meeting February 16th 6 PM

Michelle Still, Auxiliary President – February is a good month to remind everyone that the American Legion Auxiliary offers many scholarships. Encourage high school juniors you know to check out the scholarships available with their high school career counselor. Also, Girls State will be held at Bethel University in June. This is an excellent program for learning responsible leadership and citizenship. For more information about scholarships and Girls State, contact me at 651-295-7260.

Happy New Year and blessings to you all. May 2021 bring everything you hope for.

Rick Hals, Commander – Greetings and I do hope everyone is doing well. We will be having our regular Feb. meeting at 6 PM on the 9th in the hall. We have several items that need to be taken care of, so please try to attend. the meeting will only be one hour so the Aux. can do their meeting at 7PM. Looking forward to seeing everyone on the 9th.

Jim Johnson, Post Chaplain – Over the years as Post Chaplain, I have taken part in many funerals for our departed Comrades, both Legion and VFW members.

I must say that it is with great remorse, I am doing a post talk about “Orville Otterness”, a devoted lifetime member of the American Legion for over 65 years.

Orv joined the American Legion in 1956 after serving in the US Army. His first Post was Spring Grove Post 249, transfer to Paterson Post in 1958, then transferred to Rochester Post 92 in 1959. From there he went to Post 155 in St. Paul. In 1970 he moved to Onamia Post 395. His last move brought him to North Branch Post 85 in 1997.

He was a man of many talents and wore many hats.

Locally, he served 3 terms as Post Commander, starting in 1985 and 1986, his second term in 1997, his last term was in 2007. He also served on many committees including Executive Board, BFNA, and Gaming Manager.

He helped the Legion with many events including hosting two District 10 conventions and two National Commander visits to our Post. He organized the Sons of the Legion Squadron in North Branch.

He helped the community in many events, including many Midsummer and Memorial Day events and Color Guard.

He was elected to District Vice Commander for 2 years in 1991 and 1992, later he was elected District Commander. He served 12 years on the Finance Committee, and 4 years on Continuity/Advisory Committee.

In 1986 he married Bev, and together they traveled to many National Conventions across the country where he worked as Assistant Sergeant at Arms in 21 different National conventions.

After each National convention Orv would bring back a small memento that was mounted on our American Legion flagpole, which is carried during our events.

I write this to you Orv with tears in my eyes, we teased you a lot at our membership meetings. You would talk too much and too long, but in the end we learned a lot from you. You are a true Legionnaire to our cause.

We will miss you my friend, we salute you, we thank you.
May God bless you and keep you in our hearts.

WE THANK YOU “SIR”!!

Post Chaplain
Jim Johnson

Glenn Pierce, Gaming Manager – With mask requirements and social distancing in place we are again operating our Thursday and Saturday bingo programs. Thursday we are offering a Jackpot of $1900 in 58 numbers or less and Saturday is up to $1700 in 57 numbers with the halftime coverall a constant $500 in 57 numbers. The electronic linked bingo is a fast growing attraction with some mega jackpots exceeding $30,000. We have had some big winners at the Legion with one so far in excess of $4,500. All proceeds from Charitable Gaming go towards the American Legion and all our programs.

Post Talk
NORTH BRANCH POST # 85
By Glenn Pierce, Adjutant

Membership Meeting November 10th 6 PM
Auxiliary Meeting November 10th 7 PM
SAL Meeting November 17th 6 PM

Michelle Still, Auxiliary President – November 16 to 20 is American Education Week. To celebrate this week, every year our unit makes a donation to the North Branch Education Association. Things are difficult for our educators right now. Would you consider reaching out to an educator to give them some encouragement.

Due to Covid-19, we will not be able to have our Veterans Day and Christmas Parties at the two assisted living facilities. These activities will be missed by the veterans and the auxiliary ladies. However, we will remember them in some way. Do you have an idea how we can remember our veterans remotely that you could share with me?

Be well and stay safe.

Orv Otterness, Post Service Officer – November brings us Veteran’s Day on the 11th. Originally, declared after World War I, it was called Armistice Day. Today we honor all veterans November 11th. Give an elbow or fist bump to those veterans you see on that special day. And, give a big Thank You to all those serving today in military service – they too are veterans already.

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and I wish you a blessed Thanksgiving Day. Enjoy what you can that day in a way that is comfortable and safe for you.

The third Tuesday, November 17th, Bryon Brown, our County Veterans Service Officer will again be at the Legion Hall to meet with you. Wendy, who works in his office and schedules all our rides to the Medical Centers will be with him. Come say hello to her and thank her for the job she does for us.

Randy Koivisto, First Vice Commander – Our October blood drive was a huge success! We had 38 donors, and that equates to a possibility of saving 123 lives. A little goes a long ways!

Speaking of blood drives… In an effort to escape all of the political ads on TV, I’ve been doing much more reading, and the
latest book I’ve tackled was written by a survivor of the USS Arizona sinking at Pearl Harbor. It’s titled “All the Gallant Men” by Donald Stratton.

After the Japanese raiders had departed and the wounded were being rushed to local civilian and military medical facilities, a frantic call went out on the radio for blood donors. In the first half hour 400 people from all walks of life showed up! Honolulu society women showed up and stood next to the city’s lower classes. The wife of a corporate president waited next to a waterfront washerwoman. The Japanese who lived on the island showed up in droves. A Portuguese mother brought her nineteen-year-old blind son, along with her sixteen-year-old blind daughter. Defense workers left their jobs, all grimy, gave blood, then returned to work. Welders came, along with fieldworkers. Employers bused their employees there. The crew from a Dutch ship, there for only a few hours, came to give blood. So did six husky Dutch women. A number of donors came back twice the same day. When a nurse recognized one second class seaman who was in line for his second donation, she chided him : ” You shouldn’t come back so soon.” “My brother was killed,” he explained, ” I want to do something.” Even the ladies of the evening from the notorious Hotel Street, came to lend a hand. They donated blood, which the Army doctors knew was clean. They took on the nasty job of washing tubing in the laboratory, and assisting in changing bandages and cleaning wounds. The horrific smell of burned flesh was overpowering, but they didn’t waver. They also assisted the medical teams on board ships that were transporting those expected to survive, but needed better stateside care available in California. In the aftermath of this terrible attack, our nation became one.

Eleanor Roosevelt carried this poem in her wallet after December 7th, and it can be found in the Roosevelt Presidential Library. It says:

Dear Lord,
Lest I continue
My complacent way,
Help me to remember that somewhere,
Somehow out there
A man died for me today.
As long as there be war,
I must answer
Am I worth dying for?

2,403 perished at Pearl Harbor
1,177 from the Arizona alone.

Glenn Pierce, Adjutant – Please note our meeting time is now at 6 PM on Tuesday, November 10th. We will have the meeting in the Hall to allow for the proper social distancing. Our Chisago County Veteran Service officer, Bryan Brown will be at Post 85 on November 17th at 9 AM for this month’s Veterans Coffee Talk. Bryan always has an informative presentation and he is able to answer many question Veterans have on their benefits and how to apply for them.

Join us for Coffee and donuts and learn about your benefits.

Post Talk
NORTH BRANCH POST # 85
By Glenn Pierce, Adjutant

Membership Meeting October 13th 6 PM
Auxiliary Meeting October 13th 7 PM
SAL Meeting October 20th 6 PM

Michelle Still, Auxiliary President – The National and Department levels recommended that we keep the same officers for 2020-2021 due to COVID-19. So, here I am, your president for the next year. This will be my eighth year serving with you. It is an honor.

Last year I chose National Security as my special project. The National Security Program maintains and promotes a strong defense nationally by supporting our service members and their families and the safety, comfort and well-being of our communities. I am promoting this program again this year. During our meetings our members donate their change to the project. Last spring the donations were enough to bring a treat to show our appreciation to the North Branch Fire Department. I plan to do something similar for another program in the community next spring. Remember to thank your emergency personnel.

Orv Otterness, Post Service Officer – The job of the Post Service Officer is to provide information and to help veterans upon request if they need some specific information. This information is something you may not be aware of but it is a source of help to veterans, their families, and to the active duty military.

The Poppy program, when it came to the attention of the organization, was made a program of the National organization of The American Legion. That would be shortly after World War I. The American Legion, after setting the program up, asked the American Legion Auxiliary to take the program as one of theirs to work. However, The National organization of the American Legion retained the right to supervise and make the rules for the distribution of the memorial poppy. For most of the previous years the poppy funds were used only for veterans. In recent years a change was made to include the Veterans families and the active-duty military men and women and their families. A good change. The volunteers who distribute poppies would like you to wear a poppy during the month of May in remembrance. They do NOT sell poppies; they ask for a donation. Every cent of that donation is used for our veterans and poppy programs. In our community poppy funds are used for veterans in our Care facilities, in contributions to the VA and Veterans Homes facilities in providing Christmas gifts and spending money to the residents. Keep that in mind when you make your donations. We are organized as an American Legion Family to care for and support our Veterans.

Glenn Pierce, Adjutant – Our Chisago County Veteran Service officer, Bryan Brown will be at Post 85 on October 20th at 9 AM for this month’s Veteran’s Coffee Talk. Bryan always has an informative presentation and he is able to answer many question Veterans have on their benefits and how to apply for them. Join us for Coffee and donuts and learn about your benefits.

Post Talk
NORTH BRANCH POST # 85
By Glenn Pierce, Adjutant

Membership Meeting September 8th 7 PM
Auxiliary Meeting September 8th 7 PM
SAL Meeting September 15th 6 PM

1st Vice Commander Randy Koivisto –

Going for a Walk

This story was taken from the March/April issue of the DAV magazine.

William Shuttleworth, a 71 year old Air Force veteran, avid hiker, and retired educator, decided that he wanted to do something purposeful in retirement, so he decided to raise funds for the DAV Charitable Service Trust program. His goal was to raise $5,000 by walking from his home in Newbury Mass., to San Diego, a distance of 3,300 miles. The plan was to stop in all the small towns along the way and speak with folks, and fellow veterans about the cause. That goal was surpassed in the first three weeks.

A week before he left, William walked all around town, anywhere he went, with a 32 pound back pack, to train for the upcoming hike.

Shuttleworth said, “I just basically walked out my front door and took off”. The journey took 115 days, averaging 30 miles a day.

Starting on May 15th, and finishing up on Aug. 31st at San Diego, next to the USS Midway. The toughest part of the hike was the last 10 days, when it was seldom below 100 degrees. Shuttleworth was able to smash his goal, and raised $70,000!

With all of the negative news lately, I think we could all use a bit of the good as well.

Michelle Still, Auxiliary President – Our last meeting was in March. Wow, that was a long time ago! I have scheduled a meeting for Sept. 8th at our new time of 7:00 pm. Masks are required and sadly there will be no treats. Not much has happened over the summer, but we have a lot of things to discuss at the meeting. It will be good to see everyone.

Orv Otterness, Post Service Officer – The County Veterans Service Officer will be at the North Branch Legion Hall Tuesday,
September 15, 9 a.m. He usually has a presentation. He can likely answer your questions. Mark your calendar for that meeting.

There is a change in van service to medical appointments. If it works for you, appointments can be made at the Maplewood VA Clinic for Monday mornings. Van Service will be provided. There is no cafeteria at that clinic. Van service is available Tuesdays and Thursdays to the Minneapolis VA Medical Care Center and on Wednesdays to the VA facility in St. Cloud. You must make your own appointments. When you are scheduled with a date and time call Wendy to schedule your ride. Wendy is in the CVSO office and she can be reached at this phone number: 651-213-5605

Labor Day 2020 will occur on Monday, September 7. Labor Day pays tribute to the contributions and achievements of American workers and is traditionally observed on the first Monday in September. It was created by the labor movement in the late 19th
century and became a federal holiday in 1894. Labor Day weekend also symbolizes the end of summer for many Americans, and is celebrated with parties, street parades and athletic events.

Post Talk
NORTH BRANCH POST # 85
By Glenn Pierce, Adjutant

Membership Meeting August 11th 7 PM
SAL Meeting August 18th 6 PM

Orv Otterness, Post Service Officer – Meetings with the County Veterans Service Officer have resumed at the North Branch Legion Hall the third Tuesdays of the month at 9 a.m. Those meetings are always worth your time. When you attend be sure to wear your mask and keep a distance of six feet between attendees. If you have a family member with you no need to worry about distance between the two of you! Mark the visits on your calendar.

Michelle Still, Auxiliary President – Your membership dues support many programs sponsored by the American Legion Family. Two of the programs your dues support help our members. They are the American Legion Family Hospital Association and the Auxiliary Emergency Fund. These programs provide temporary emergency assistance. Grants from the Hospital Association can assist legion and auxiliary members with hospital bills and the Emergency Fund assists auxiliary members with disaster relief. You will soon receive your membership renewal notice. Please take a moment and return your dues right away. Go to the website ALAForVeterans.org for great information regarding other benefits and discounts available to you as a member.

In the community, our Relay for Life Team virtually raised over $1350 for the American Cancer Society! Thank you team!

Thursday night Bingo has returned and so have concessions. Thank you Bobbie Elmstrand for faithfully handling our concessions every week.

2020 North Branch American Legion Riders – The NBALR had its Christmas In July motorcycle ride Saturday July 18th. It was a hot one, and the ride was 120 miles long, but it accomplished the needed funding for our Christmas party for local families of deployed soldiers. We had riders from the St. Paul, Arcade-Phalen, Forest Lake and Roseville Legions along with local patriots, all-in-all there were 40 motorcycles involved in this run. This years military family Christmas party will be great because of these truly generous bikers. The participants in this year’s C I J motorcycle ride enjoyed the comradery after the long lockdown.

American Legion testifies before House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

American Legion Deputy Director of Health Policy Katie Purswell testified July 23 before the House Committee on Veteran’s Affairs on several pieces of legislation impacting veterans.

In the era of the COVID-19 pandemic, the mission of The American Legion has never been more clear, Purswell said during her testimony. She highlighted a few ways Legionnaires have supported their community members and veterans since the pandemic started, such as by collecting and delivering food, hygiene and cleaning supplies; hosting blood drives; and making face masks.

“Our national commander’s call for ‘Buddy Checks’ have increased by our members to ensure we are meeting the needs of our veterans. We have held financial workshops, resume writing seminars, virtual career fairs, town hall and networking meet-ups,” she added.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced in April that they were seeing dramatic increases in telemental health care use during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“Legislation like H.R. 3228 (the VA Mission Telehealth Clarification Act) will afford veterans the ability to see a health care provider more quickly through telehealth by allowing veterans to be seen by a larger portion of VA,” Purswell said.

In addition to the health crisis caused by COVID-19, the pandemic has also put many veterans in precarious financial situations due to unemployment or reduced income. The American Legion believes H.R.7111, the Veterans Economic Recovery Act of 2020, will help bring down the unemployment rate of veterans who have lost jobs and critical income due to COVID-19.

“The current unemployment rate for veterans has more than doubled in the last year,” Purswell said. “With nearly 17,000 service members leaving active duty service every month, these numbers will not fall any time soon. If done correctly, the Economic Recovery Act will help veterans, young and old, transition into new jobs.”

Members of the National Guard have been greatly impacted by COVID-19, as they have been constantly mobilized and demobilized to support first responders during the crisis.

“At one point in June, nearly one quarter of our entire National Guard, 120,000 soldiers, were mobilized in our communities,” Purswell stated. “These service members deserve to return to the lives they were living without fear of being jobless.” The USERRA Protections for State Active Duty will allow these service members to fall under the current USERRA guidelines.

“The American Legion will continue to serve our veteran population and others because that is who we are and what we do. But we need Congress to meet us halfway by providing sound legislation that supports our veterans.”

Post Talk
NORTH BRANCH POST # 85
By Glenn Pierce, Adjutant

Membership Meeting July 14th 7 PM
SAL Meeting July 21st 6 PM

Rick Hals, Commander – Greetings to all. The Legion has reopened and things are slowly starting to come to life, after a long shut down I hope it will come faster than its looking right now. On to better news, the County VSO officer, Brian Brown, will be at the Legion Hall every 3rd Tuesday. There will be our regular July meeting on the 14th, hope to see you there. I hope everyone has safe and fun 4th of July weekend.

Michelle Still, Auxiliary President – What a summer we are having! I hope everyone is doing well and staying safe. The Chisago County Relay for Life is August 1st. Of course, this is a “virtual” relay, there will be no walk or activities. However, the American Legion Family has a team again in order to raise money to support this cause. If you would like to help our team raise funds for the American Cancer Society, you may mail your donations to our team captain, Dianne Klund. Her address is 9878 375th St., North Branch, MN. Checks should be made payable to American Cancer Society. Thank you for your generous poppy donations. One of our members has been sewing face masks. She is donating 1/2 of the price she receives to our poppy fund and has donated over $700, so far. Thank you, Priscilla! FYI, our next meeting is scheduled for September 8th. I will keep everyone posted. Have a safe
and happy Independence Day!

Orv Otterness, Service Officer – To be eligible for VA benefits, the veteran needs to serve 180 consecutive days or if they are a combat veteran, they don’t need 180 consecutive days. This applies to National Guard or Reserves. This does not include basic training. For more information contact Bryan T, Brown, Chisago County Veterans Officer, 313 N Main St., Center City, MN 55012, Phone is 651-213-5680.

Randy Koivisto, 1st Vice Commander – Cemetery headstone project update: The Sunrise cemetery headstone project is up to the maintenance phase now. Attached is a set of photos of one of the civil war era stones that has been treated with the product D/2, which is the same chemical that is used at the White House, and Arlington National Cemetery. The first photo was taken in 2017 when the project was started, and the last was taken this a couple of months ago. The chemical is spayed on at full strength once a year, then each time it rains, some of the crud washes away. Some of the stones are leaning and need to be set straight, and that will be a follow on project. All work must be approved by the cemetery board of directors. I was able to get approval to expand the program to the Kahbakong cemetery located on Hwy 95, just outside of Taylors Falls. Fellow member, Myles Gunia, has joined me in purchasing and applying D/2. One early Saturday morning, we spent three hours on brushing the excess crud from the stones, then applying the chemical. Due to the larger number of stones to be worked on, I wasn’t able to document all of them, as was done at Sunrise, but I have a sampling of some. The expectation was that we would find similar types of stones to work on, as at Sunrise, but
we both were amazed at what we found! The Civil War veterans buried there were not just from Minnesota regiments, but they were from Wisconsin, Ohio, and Illinois units as well. We also found many WWI veteran’s graves, and one in particular was a member of a Flying unit, so he served when our Air Force was in its infant stages. Grave markers were also found from survivors of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Normandy, and Iwo Jima. Unexpectedly, we discovered the grave site of a Desert Storm Navy A-6 Intruder Navigator that had been lost while flying off of the aircraft carrier USS Ranger. There is a tribute stone to the Sea Bees, and there is even a veteran Merchant Marine buried there. I had this vision of what it would be like if all of those fallen veterans would be able to stand next to their graves in their uniforms. What a sight that would be!

Finally, Thank You to Myles for joining the effort! It’s an honor to help bring back these monuments to a respectful condition.

National Commander, James W. “Bill” Oxford

Dear American Legion Family Members and Friends,

Some of the surviving World War II veterans are suffering a great injustice. And it is up to The American Legion to persuade our lawmakers to correct this. It’s the least we can do as we honor the courageous men and women who braved tyranny and saved democracy during the dark days of the early 1940s.

While most of these veterans are using VA services, some are not. Through no fault of their own, these veterans were dropped from the VA system or are being subjected to means testing. In 1996, Congress passed the Veterans Health Care Eligibility Act, establishing means testing for access to VA for some veterans, while also exempting all Spanish American War and World War I veterans from that criteria. Now it’s time to do the same for The Greatest Generation.

That is why The American Legion National Executive Committee approved Resolution 3 at the 99th national convention in Reno, Nev., which calls for supporting legislation to amend the 1996 act “to extend the exemption from a means test to World War II veterans.”

But nothing has changed in the three years since that resolution was approved.

That is why I am calling on you today to help recognize these heroes with actions far more meaningful than words.

We can never truly thank the Greatest Generation enough for what they did in the Pacific and European theaters. But one way we can express our gratitude to those still living is to right this wrong on their behalf. Join me in contacting your congressional representatives today to tell them to open VA to all World War II veterans.

Thank you for your support of our American Legion programs, legislative agenda and, of course, our World War II veterans.
Stay safe, my friends and comrades.

Glenn Pierce, Gaming Manager – Our Bingo program is up and running with reduced seating to meet the social distancing standards. Thursday’s at 6:30 and Saturday’s at 6 PM. Pulltabs as well as the linked Bingo offer a variety of games and prize potential. Mondays and Thursday’s we will be having a Meat Raffle offering $20 gift cards from various North Branch Area businesses. Stop in for a visit and stay safe.

Post Talk
NORTH BRANCH POST # 85
By Glenn Pierce, Adjutant

June Meeting Tuesday the 9th 7 PM in the Legion Hall

Rick Hals, Commander – Greetings to all. Well this certainly has been interesting times, no open legion club room, no meetings. and NO midsummer activities. the later being the most strange to adjust to. As far as opening, we are waiting anxiously to hear from the Governor as to a date. While we wait to open we finished tile at the bar entrance and have a little painting to do, so we will be ready when the word comes to open. We did a modified Memorial Day ceremonies with no to a few people in attendance, it went well and I thank all who participated. We, as a Legion are planning on having a meeting on June 9th at 7:00 pm, I hope to see you there. Be careful and safe.

June 14th is Flag Day

President Harry S. Truman, an active and proud member of The American Legion, signed an act of Congress in 1949 which designated June 14th as Flag Day. Our esteem for the Flag is why The American Legion called together 68 other patriotic, fraternal, civic and military groups for the purpose of drafting a code of flag etiquette in 1923. They were enormously successful. It is why American Legionnaires continue to visit classrooms to teach young people about the importance of respecting this precious symbol of freedom.

One of the speakers at the 1923 National Flag Conference was the legendary labor leader Samuel Gompers. He described how union workers felt about Old Glory. “To us,” he said, “the American Flag means more than even its colors in themselves portray. It means the leadership of the democratic and humane struggle has been carried on throughout all the ages.”

Post Talk
NORTH BRANCH POST # 85
By Glenn Pierce, Adjutant

Meeting Schedule:

Bar Finance & Accounting March 9th at 3:30 pm
Membership Meeting March 10th at 7:00 pm
SAL Meeting March 17th at 6:00 pm

Rick Hals, Commander – Greetings to all. We had a 10th District membership meeting at Post 85 in January, which was attended well. Then came February were we had the 3rd annual 2 week remodeling project. What was done was the last tile job the Dept. of Health had told us we had to do, and with a good crew it was completed. Also there was two new vanities installed in the hall bathrooms, plus both bathrooms were painted. When all that was completed all the floors were scrubbed and waxed. I want to thank all who helped in these major remodel projects. March 14th is our Corn Beef and Cabbage supper, at our next meeting we will talk about it. Until next time, remember to thank a vet for his or her service.

Orville Otterness, Post Service Officer – The meeting held by our County Veterans Service Officer at the Legion Hall February 18 included a speaker from Ecumen care center. The speaker explained the services available at their facility. The CVSO should be contacted if care is needed. If you are using the VA Medical Center for treatment and you have an emergency notify the VA immediately.

The next meeting with the CVSO will be held Tuesday, March 17 at 9:00 a.m. at the Legion Hall. It is worth your time to attend as there have always been interesting and informative speakers. We always receive good information.

Michelle Still, Auxiliary President – “Why should I join the American Legion Family?” Have you ever been asked this? Do you have a quick answer? It’s a good idea to be ready to answer that question with a couple positive points about our mission. If you have an opportunity to sit down with a potential member, be prepared to share additional information. I usually share my favorite projects and their impact locally. Do you have membership applications handy, or can you tell someone where to find them? You can recruit new members for the American Legion Family and help get members to renew. It’s still the best patriotic organization today.

Jim Hunt, SAL Commander – A big “Thank You!” to all that helped to make our Winterfest omelet breakfast a great success. We couldn’t do it without you guys! Many thanks to County Market for the $50 gift card and getting all of our groceries ready for pick-up as well.

I am very happy to report that we are at 127% of our goal for this membership year! We are also at an all-time high membership of 66 members. Great job everyone! We will be having a member appreciation night July 21st. Time TBD. There will be free pizza and 2 free drink tickets for all who attend. Bring a friend, encourage them to join!

Once again we will be donating two $500.00 scholarships to students completing the “What the American Legion means to me” essay. Must have had a family member who served in the Armed Forces. Kids! Get those essays in soon!

The new floor in the Hall kitchen and bar looks great!

Glenn Pierce, Adjutant – Need help filing your taxes?

Free tax preparation sites available across Minnesota

ST. PAUL, Minn. – With income tax season now open, the Minnesota Department of Revenue announced that over 200 sites will be offering free tax assistance for those filing income tax and property tax refund returns. Most sites are open through April 15.

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and AARP Tax-Aide programs are two free tax preparation options where volunteers help Minnesotans prepare their federal and state returns. The Internal Revenue Service certifies volunteers from both programs to prepare basic tax returns in communities across Minnesota.

“Thousands of Minnesotans are eligible for free tax preparation services or free tax preparation software this tax season,” said Revenue Commissioner Cynthia Bauerly. “These free services help make filing easier and can help you accurately and securely file your income tax return and claim any refund that you may be entitled to receive.”

Last year, the VITA program prepared more than 71,000 federal tax returns, more than 75,000 Minnesota income tax returns and almost 57,000 property tax refund returns for Minnesota taxpayers. All those returns provided more than $133 million in federal, state income, and property tax refunds.

You can get help at a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site if any of the following apply:

You are age 60 or older.

You are a person with a disability.

You speak limited or no English.

Your annual income is less than $56,000.

The AARP Tax-Aide program offers free tax preparation for all Minnesotans, particularly those age 50 or older. Unlike VITA sites, AARP Tax-Aide sites do not have income restrictions.

Free electronic filing is also available for Minnesotans with an Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) of $69,000 or less. To see if you are eligible for free electronic filing, see the Electronic Filing Software for Individuals page on the department’s website.

You can search for a site near you on the department’s website using their search feature and interactive map. You can search for sites by zip code or county, and find sites with interpreters and volunteers certified to file military returns. The interactive map has search options by city, county, or zip code.

You will need to bring certain items with you when visiting a site such as a photo ID, W-2 information, banking information for direct deposit, and other applicable items. Visit our website for a list of suggested items to bring to a tax preparation site.

Get the latest news and updates from the Minnesota Department of Revenue by following the department on Facebook and Twitter or by signing up for our email subscription list.

Post Talk
NORTH BRANCH POST # 85
By Glenn Pierce, Adjutant

Meeting Schedule:

Bar Finance & Accounting February 10th at 3:30 pm
Membership Meeting February 11th at 7:00 pm
SAL Meeting February 18th at 6:00 pm

Randy Koivisto, 1st Vice Commander – Need a ride to the VA hospital? Chisago County provides residents with rides to, and from, the VA hospital in Minneapolis on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and transportation to the VA hospital in St. Cloud on Wednesdays. The van will pick you up at your door and deliver you to the front door of the hospital. The van also has a wheelchair lift, and can also be used for those with limited mobility. Patients are requested to make mid-morning appointments if possible, and to tell your health care provider that you are riding in the county van. If you receive travel pay, you are required to surrender that amount to the driver,or if you are ineligible for travel pay, the fee is $10 per round trip. A travel reservation can be made by contacting Wendy at the Chisago County Veteran’s Service Office, at 651-213-5605.You will receive a safe and comfortable ride in the new van, without the stress of driving in city traffic.

Michelle Still, Auxiliary President – I am writing this Post Talk on one of my last days in Arizona (sad face). It will be good to be home only so I can be with family and friends. I had the privilege of attending events and auxiliary meetings at the local Post 81, Lake Havasu City, AZ.Jim and I were warmly welcomed and encouraged to take part, which is what I would expect from any Post.

Our next meeting is February 11th at 7:30 PM. Please come to the meeting and I will share some thoughts and ideas.

Glenn Pierce, Adjutant – The American Legion provides life-changing assistance and guidance for veterans, military personnel, their families and communities in thousands of ways every day around the world. Help comes in the form of personal assistance, cash grants, donated goods, disaster relief, labor, networking, volunteerism and advocacy.

The American Legion accepts both peacetime and wartime vets. To be in the Legion, you don’t ever have to leave the US…but MOST members have. The VFW states you have to have served in a combat area to become a member. Both are great organizations, the only difference between the two is requirements for membership.

Glenn Pierce, Gaming Manager – ATTENTION ALL BINGO PLAYERS the Legion now has linked bingo available. Booty Chaser is in play from 11am – 1PM, 4PM – 6PM and 7PM -10PM Monday through Friday and all day Saturday and Sunday. This exciting new game has a mini jackpot worth several hundred dollars that goes out several times a day. A minor jack pot worth several thousand dollars that goes out about once a week and a Major Jackpot worth about $20,000 about once a month. Stop in and give it a try.

Post Talk
NORTH BRANCH POST # 85
By Glenn Pierce, Adjutant

Meeting Schedule:

Bar Finance & Accounting January 13th at 3:30 pm
Membership Meeting January 14th at 7:00 pm
SAL Meeting January 21th at 6:00 pm

Rick Hals, Commander – Greetings and I hope everybody had a great Holiday. The month of January is going to be busy, starting on the 14th we are having a dinner were the VFW, SAL, and Legion are going to have recognition for years of membership and to those organizations and individuals who helped in so many ways to make our events successful. Also, on the 25th there will be District membership meeting at Post 85. Then comes February, which means remodel time again. This year we will be doing the mini bar and the kitchen with new tile. the upstairs bath will get new counter tops and sinks and a new painting. Finally, if you know of a veteran that was not able to join the Legion, talk to them and tell them every Vet is now welcome to join.

Michelle Still, Auxiliary President – Happy New Year, may you know many blessings this year! North Branch Post 85 is hosting one of the stops for the 10th District Snowmobile Membership Rally on January 25th starting at 1:30 PM. American Legion Family members from all over the district stop for refreshments and the opportunity to visit with members. Come to the Rally as every member is welcome to attend. It’s a fun event and a time to turn in membership. If you haven’t renewed your membership, it will help to do so as soon as possible.