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What a spectacular weekend we had for this year’s Ki Chi Saga Days. After the deluge we were put through on Thursday, I wasn’t sure everything would dry up in time. But it did, and it was terrific. The fireworks on Friday night were great as always. The 5K race was another success. And, the celebration in the park was bigger and better than ever. The Ki Chi Saga Committee did an absolutely wonderful job this year and should be commended. They worked so hard to make this year’s Ki Chi Saga Days the best ever and I believe they have succeeded. Thank you to Doris, Bonita and all who took part in the planning the set-up and the volunteers, you really did a terrific job.

Ki Chi Saga Days means that school is right around the corner. You will be seeing buses learning their routes this week. Let’s try to make a point of being extra careful next week. There will be a lot of young children who will be riding the bus for the first time, so we as drivers really need to keep an eye out for them.

In the mood for some fun family entertainment that is a little out of the norm? In Shafer, right behind Shafer One Stop, you will find just that. The Mirons have put together a really fun and challenging corn maze. If you have never been in a corn maze, they are an absolute blast. The Mirons have two different courses for you and your children to maneuver. There is even a petting zoo for the kids.

As fall approaches so does the smell of apple pies baking. The Chisago Lakes area is lucky to have some really great apple orchards. One of my family favorites is the Pleasant Valley Orchards on Pleasant Valley Road just south of Hazelden. Pleasant Valley offers many native Minnesota apple flavors that are perfect for any apple recipe. And if you bake an apple pie, feel free to drop a piece off for yours truly.

Seeing all of the politicians in the Ki Chi Saga parade really reminds you of how close it is to election time. I have said this before and I will continue all the way to November, please be a responsible voter. By that I mean, find out what each politician stands for, what are their goals, if they are incumbents, how have they acted in their previous terms, have they stood by what they have promised, do they keep in contact with the public in their jurisdiction. These are all important factors that we need to seriously look at. The County Press will have a voters guide prior to the election to help answer some of these questions. But I urge you to contact the candidates and formulate your own opinions. Voting for someone because somebody told us that candidate is the right choice does not always work out so well.

I was talking with a friend of mine the other day. He told me that he recently spoke with a friend of his who now lives in Russia and works for Cargill. When asked if and how much Russian news he believes the friend replied; “All I read is Silver’s newspaper on the web.” It goes to show just how immense the web is and how small it can make our world. Oh, and thanks to John Lauritzen for reading, hope you are staying warm over there.

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