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Thank you all who have responded to our annual subscription renewal campaign. The turnout has been better than in years past, and for that we thank you.

If you have yet to renew, don't fret. There is still time to mail your subscription payment in and not miss a single paper. If you would like to save a stamp, you can always use our convenient drop box located in our front door here at the Press.

It seems that newspapers are quickly becoming associated with dire financial issues and closings. We here at the Press truly feel that we offer something these titans of print can not offer you. Local news. Where else can you read about your city council, county board, local sports, and school happenings.

It is our (and other small town newspapers) belief that people will continue to seek out local news and where better than the Chisago County Press.

Again, I would like to take a second to personally thank every one of our readers and advertisers for their wonderful loyalty and support. Without you we would be non-existent.

A great community activist asked me to talk about a topic near and dear to her heart. She wanted me to talk about flags.

It seems there is an abundance of flags in our area that are in sub-standard shape. After having a conversation with this person, I decided to take a look at the flags here at the Press. The County Press was grouped with those in need of dire replacement until we replaced our flags last week.

If your flag(s) is in disrepair, it is your duty to replace it or at the very least take it down until you are able to replace it. I just replaced all three of our flags on the Press grounds. It doesn't take that long for the wind and the elements to take their toll on flags. If you are wondering how to dispose of a flag properly, just save your flag until you see an announcement in the Press for a flag disposal ceremony by local Veterans.

I spent the early part of the morning listening to a presentation form the Chisago Lakes Area Community Foundation. The foundation is a relatively new foundation made up of permanently endowed funds that will provide perpetual support to the Chisago Lakes area long into the future.

To put it simply, if you or your family has any amount of money that you would like to see used for charitable purposes, the Chisago Lakes Area Community Foundation, along with matching funds from the St. Croix Valley Community Foundation can provide an excellent vehicle to help you and your family direct the funds appropriately while lessening the tax burden on you and your family.

These foundations have been around for years, and luckily, we now have some terrific people heading one up in our area.

I know that with our economy being what it is, there are many people wondering who has money to give. The honest answer is there are some individuals that have substantial savings. The CLACF is not asking for everyone's life savings, rather, they are looking for those people who want to leave a legacy long into the future.

I know I am not doing the foundation justice in my writings, but trust me, this is a terrific foundation that has the capability to grow into something really special. If you are interested in the Chisago Lakes Area Community Foundation, I urge you to give Jim McCarville a call at 651-257-8939.

A couple quick notes, Ladies' Nite Out takes place tonight (Thursday) in downtown Lindstrom. Always a huge hit, Ladies' Nite Out offers fun for female shoppers who will have the run of the town. There will be prizes, entertainment, food and drinks, and the best part, lots of great sales at local stores. So call your friends and head uptown for some real fun.

The onset of Spring can only mean one thing. Smelt Fries. That's right, smelt fries. The Chisago City Fire Department and the Taylors Falls Fire Department are both holding their annual smelt fries this weekend.

Friday night, Chisago City would like to invite you to the Chisago City Community Center for smelt, hot dogs, beans, chips and cole slaw and cold beverages. The Chisago City Fire Department Smelt Fry begins at 4 p.m.

The Taylors Falls Fire Department would like to invite you to their fire hall on Saturday. They will also be offering some really great food as well as cold beverages. The Taylors Falls Fire Department Smelt Fry begins at 4 p.m. and runs until 7:30 p.m.

Come on out and support the local fire departments. These smelt fries are the biggest fundraisers they hold, so that means get there early and have a good time.

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