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How does that old saying go? A little of something is better than nothing. That’s how you have to look at last weekend’s Celebration of the Lakes. Yes, there was the thin ice factor. And yes, we had just came off a 50 plus degree day. But all in all, given the circumstances, the Celebration Committee still did a magnificent job. This January will probably go down as the warmest on record, so the Celebration could not have envisioned such tropical weather. At least there was one successful balloon lift-off for everyone to enjoy. We will have to keep our fingers crossed that Mother Nature is good to us next year so that the Celebration will be able to run at 100 percent.

I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank the few individuals who have worked for months and months on the Celebration of the Lakes. Greg Shaleen, whom you have read his name many times in this space, once again headed up the committee. In case you don’t know Greg, when it comes to community events and giving back to the community, there is no one better. Thanks Greg. I would also like to thank Mary Cordts, Renee Dabill, Kristi Duggan, Shari Bachman, Carrie Lindstrom-Fricke, John Schmidt who is instrumental in bringing these wonderful balloons to our area, and Brenda Palmquist and Kelly Wood. All of these people should be commended for the thankless hours and work they put in to making our celebrations what they are. Thank you all.

Remember that the County Press is holding a photo contest for the Celebration of the Lakes. If you took some pictures that you think really capture the Celebration, please call us here at the Press at 651-257-5115. The winning photo, along with winning a prize, will be on next year’s Celebration of the Lakes buttons and other promotional items. Please hurry, the contest ends soon.

The Chisago County Press and Search Shopper will soon be going through some aesthetic changes. We are excited about some of the upcoming changes and hope you the reader will find them pleasing and easier to read. We have decided to hold a Search Shopper logo contest. If you think you have a creative streak in you, I would encourage you to design a new logo and submit it to us here at the Press. The winner will be awarded $150 and be published every week on the cover of the Search. The design area measures 6-inches (width) by 2-1/2-inches (height) and the winning logo will become property of the Chisago County Press. Good luck, and we look forward to seeing your work!

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