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One of the greatest times of the year in this area is upon us this weekend. I’m referring to the annual Celebration of the Lakes. If you have not heard by now, because of the ice conditions on our lakes, the celebration has been moved to Ki Chi Saga Park (on Glader Blvd.) in Lindstrom.

The festivities officially start on Friday night with old-time movies being shown upstairs at the Olde Center City Theater. Then on Saturday the ball really gets rolling. The first balloon launch will take place at 7:45 a.m. so be sure to bring your camera. There will be a hockey tournament for kids ages 12 and under from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. At noon there will be a medallion hunt with a $100 first prize. There is virtually something for everybody. There are helicopter rides, horse-drawn hay rides, sled dog rides, kids games––you name it, it’s all there.

The second launch will take place at 3:30 p.m. and right after that the annual chili cook-off starts. Last year’s cook-off was a huge success, and hopefully this year’s will be even better. I could sit here all day and list all the great things to take in, but you really should get out and experience this event in person.

Remember––there will also be drawings for Celebration of the Lakes button numbers. There will be five great prizes given out and if your number matches those drawn, you could be the winner. Numbers will be posted in the next edition of this paper and on the Chamber’s website: www.chisagolakeschamber.com.

Remember that the County Press is once again having a Celebration of the Lakes photo contest. If you think you have really captured something special, please bring it in to us and you will be entered for a chance to win one of three prizes. The winning photo will also be on next year’s button among other promotional items.

I had the opportunity to finally take in a Minnesota Wild game last week. What an fantastic building they have in St.Paul. The team is struggling to even make the playoffs but every seat in the building was full. I don’t know what the deal with other professional teams in our state is, but to view how successful this building is, and the money it generates in the community, the whole stadium issues should be clear. I am not in favor of the government to fund stadiums, well maybe a little bit, but these fat cat owners should step up to the plate.

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