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This Thursday night (tonight), Lindstrom businesses are pulling out all the stops. The great businesses of Lindstrom and surrounding areas are putting on a new and improved Ladies Night Out. From 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., you and your friends can go from business to business enjoying special prices only for you. Along with sale priced items, there will be refreshments at many businesses along with entertainment.

If you and your girlfriends eat at one of the local restaurants, you will receive an entry form for the grand prize drawing.

Last year's Ladies Night Out was one of the best ever and this year's has the potential to be much greater. Enjoy and have fun.

Every spring we have a ritual at our house. We try to plant as many plants and trees as we can before summer hits. This year is no exception.

So far we have purchased trees, plants, flowers and peat moss. Where did we get all of the gardening materials? From local nurseries right here in our backyard. We have shopped at Meehan's Nursery, Olympic Trail Greenhouse and St. Croix Floral to name a few. I can't begin to tell you how much better it is to purchase a plant or tree from a local grower. They just plain care about you, the customer, and appreciate your business. Along with providing great customer service, the businesses are all very active in the community. Before you make a trip to the Cities to make a plant purchase, please check out our local nurseries. I guarantee you will be hooked.

If you are like me, the last time you filled your gas tank in your vehicle you had to catch your breath. As I write this, the current price in front of all gas stations reads $3.15. That's right $3.15. It now takes about $55 to fill my tank. It now costs me about $8 every time I want to mow my lawn. I know -- toughen up, everyone has to pay.

Now the Minnesota Legislature is in the final stages of passing a proposed five cent gas tax. I know that five cents will not break the bank, but I also know some of the ramifications of a gas tax. We (you and me) will now be forced to pay extra for virtually every goods and service available. Companies will have to adjust their prices to accommodate the gas price increase. It will have an absolute ripple effect with the last ripple hitting our wallets. Travel will be down, meaning vacation destinations revenues will be down, so on and so forth. The Governor has vowed to veto the gas tax proposal but it looks like there are enough votes to override the veto.

The part that really gets to me is that the legislature is selling us on this five cent gas tax when in reality it will be a seven and one-half cent gas tax over the next four years. It's funny how they choose to not publicize the remaining two and one-half cent increase.

I hope my kids will understand that instead of going up north this summer we are going to have to save our pennies so we can mow our lawn.

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