On the Street - August 24, 2012

--Carlos Creek Wines have been awarded 40 medals in international competitions in 2012, including 8 gold medals, 12 silver medals and 20 bronze medals.

Gold medal winning wines include Marquette, Frontenac, Hot Dish Red, Chardonnay and the newly released Aurora, which is made entirely from grapes grown at Carlos Creek.

At the Cold Climate Competition held recently, Carlos Creek entered nine wines and all nine were awarded medals. Carlos Creek wine labels have also been recognized in international competition.

Carlos Creek Winery is a family owned and operated winery in Alexandria.

--Crystal Hoepner was awarded the 2012 Just for Kix Developing Director of the Year at the 2012 Just for Kix annual convention. The convention was held at the Just for Kix Brainerd/Baxter dance studio and The Legacy at Cragun’s on August 5-7.

The Developing Director of the Year award is given to a Just for Kix director who has a thriving dance program, receives strong evaluations and excels in their role. Hoepner has been the Alexandria Just for Kix director for four years and has been a Just for Kix director since 2002.

Just for Kix orchestrates youth dance program in 10 states at nearly 200 locations, engaging more than 20,000 youth dancers.

For more information, contact Hoepner at (320) 491-6996, alexandria_mn@justforkix.com or visit www.justforkix.com/danceclasses/alexandria_mn.

--It Works! Global, rated one of the nation’s fastest growing companies in its categories on the Inc. 500/5000 list, has seen explosive growth, creating more than $100 million in sales in the first seven months of 2012.

It Works! Global hit this annual sales target five months earlier than expected and has seen a 400 percent growth rate in 2012. They are a leading force in the industry with their first-to-market product, the Ultimate Body Applicator, a body contouring cream-infused wrap worn on any trouble area to tighten, tone and firm in as little as 45 minutes.

It Works! Global is open in the following markets: United States, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, Belgium, Sweden, Netherlands and Ireland.

For more information, visit www.JanetFossen.com or call (320) 760-7471.

--Minnesota mystery writer, William Kent Krueger, will make his second visit to Cherry Street Books on Saturday, August 25 from 3 to 4:30 p.m. to greet readers and sign copies of his newest Cork O’Connor mystery novel, Trickster’s Point.

The story finds Cork bow hunting deep in the Minnesota wilderness with his friend, Jubal Little. As Jubal is dying after being shot with an arrow, Cork realizes that he will be the prime suspect in the murder.

This is the 12th Cork O’Connor novel, all set in northern Minnesota. A new book by Krueger, but not of the Cork O’Connor series, is due to be released in March 2013.

Krueger lives in the Twin Cities with his family.

--Cherry Street Books will host a book signing by author Jay Tunney, son of heavyweight boxing champion Gene Tunney, on Saturday, September 1 from noon to 1:30 p.m. The event is free and open to everyone.

Tunney’s book, The Prizefighter and the Playwright: Gene Tunney and Bernard Shaw, chronicles the unlikely connection between the champion boxer and the playwright, Shaw. Gene was a boxer who prepared for fights by reading Shakespeare, Butler, Maugham and Shaw. The latter was a literary giant, with extensive knowledge of boxing and had even written about the sport in one of his early novels.

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