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We have been getting quite a few calls about letters to the Editor lately. The callers are usually wondering why their letters did not make it into the Press.

The answer is quite simple, we just do not have the room to print all the letters, this rings especially true around election time. We make a concerted effort to treat letters for political opponents equally. That is why you will see maybe four letters in support of one Sheriff candidate and four letters in support of the other candidate. Sometimes you will see a letter for a candidate with no letter from their opponent, that just means we have not received a letter to the editor in support of that candidate. Besides, if we filled the County Press with every letter we received at election time, we would have to cut out sports, schools, advertising and this column. How could anyone ever live without reading the written words of Matt Silver? I always tell people my article is the cure for insomnia, so keep it handy.

Last Saturday, when our family completed all of our sporting events with the kids, we wanted to do something together, something entertaining. We were throwing out ideas such as go to a movie, take a walk in Wild River State Park, go to a hotel and swim (kids idea), and sheetrock the garage (my idea).

After what seemed like half the day of deliberating, we decided to stay close to home (not in my garage unfortunately) and ventured over to Tom's Pumpkin Patch. We live about a minute from Tom's so it was an easy commute.

Long story short, we had a blast. The corn maze was great. We found that if you let your kids make the decisions at the intersections, it makes it a lot more enjoyable for them (plus you can tease them when they are wrong). We had to whip out the map a few times in the maze but used it as little as possible. Our kids had so much fun they were begging to go back.

Last year we visited the Shafer Corn Maze and had a terrific experience as well. If you are looking for some real inexpensive entertainment for your family, I would urge you to check out Tom's Pumpkin Patch/Corn Maze or Shafer Corn Maze. Your kids will absolutely love it.

Speaking about things to do as a family unit, Chisago City has some great ideas. This Saturday is their annual Falloween Festival at Ojiketa Regional Park.

What is a Falloween Festival? How does hayrides, child friendly haunted house, crafts, trick-or-treating, a magic show, face painting,and much more sound? Pretty cool for a kid. Your children are asked to dress in their Halloween costumes and bring a non-perishable food donation. The festival runs from noon until 2:30 p.m. It is a great safe environment for kids and parents. Ojiketa is located at 27500 Kirby, which is just west of Zion Church.

If you are reading this and have been thinking "What about stuff for adults?" Chisago City has you covered. Friday night, Saturday night, and Sunday nights until Halloween, Ojiketa Regional Park turns into a haunted park for older people. There is a Haunted Hallow where you meander through the deep haunted woods. If you make it through the Haunted Hallow, you can enter the Maniacs Mansion. I can't tell you about the mansion because I have been sworn to secrecy. But I can tell you it is worth the price of admission.

The haunt opens its doors at 7 p.m. and runs until 10 p.m. Cost of the haunt is $2.00 per person and the suggested ages are middle school and up.

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