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I'm always talking about the great businesses and events in our area. Here is another opportunity. WineHaven in Chisago City is having their Rhubarb Frenzy this weekend. There will be live music, vineyard tours, and an opportunity to taste the new Rhubarb and Strawberry-Rhubarb wines. You can even have lunch on the beautiful vineyard grounds. So, if you have company this weekend, or just want to do something different, head to WineHaven. The activities are on Saturday, August 6 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and again this Sunday, from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

There is a new community driven group that is taking shape called the Chisago Lakes Mainstreet Initiative and I am proud to be part of it. The goal of the non-profit group is the betterment of Chisago Lakes in all facets of life.

Our first goal is to have Chisago Lakes signs made with the help of a grant from the Chisago Lakes Community Fund. These signs will be sandblasted and large in size, welcoming all visitors to the Chisago Lakes area. We have all the necessary paperwork filed, all we need is a sign maker. If you, or someone you know is a sign maker, capable of making large sized sandblasted signs, please contact me at 651-257-5115. Obviously, we would love to keep the business local, so if you know of someone, please call soon.

We here at the Press have partnered with Parmly, Vitalize! Wellness Centre and Point Pleasant Heights to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Point Pleasant Heights. I can't believe it has been 25 years already, it seems like yesterday when there were bulldozers pushing dirt off Old Towne Road in Chisago City. Heck, I remember watching the Karl Oskar Parade and seeing a float advertising Point Pleasant Hights, and people were asking what that was.

Point Pleasant Heights and the rest of the Ecumen campus have become a cornerstone in the Chisago Lakes Area and have employed thousands of local residents over the years. We are so lucky to have them in our area, both from a business standpoint and as an asset for our 55 plus population.

We have put together a nice 8 page tab you will be receiving this weekend in your Search Shopper. The tab highlights all facets of the Chisago Lakes site including the wellness centre and some great community classes offered. You do not have to be a resident of Point Pleasant or Parmly to take part in any of these wonderful classes.

They would like nothing more than if you attended their Silver Anniversary Celebration on August 11. Beginning at 1 p.m., you will enjoy a special celebration presentation and be treated to some great music and light refreshments. Then you are encouraged to take a tour of Point Pleasant Heights so you can see what a spectacular environment they have created. Point Pleasant Heights is located at 28600 Fairway Lane just north of the Primary School and Parmly. I hope to see you there.

This Saturday is one of the coolest parades you will ever see. I am referring to the 2011 Threshing Show Tractor Caravan. What is a caravan? If you have ever been to the Threshing Show, you have seen the hundreds and hundreds of tractors on display. Well the caravan is made up of a lot of those tractors, but instead of trailering them to the Threshing Grounds, tractor owners drive them in a parade across the county ending up at the Threshing Show. It is really neat to see all of these tractors motoring down the road one after another. If you would like to see them up close, they will be stopping for lunch in Downtown Shafer. It is a great opportunity to see the tractors up close if you are unable to make it to the Threshing Show. Make sure to bring your camera.

If you have been busy this whole summer, your chance to take in a Harmony in the Park concert is dwindling. There are only two more concerts scheduled this summer. Next Wednesday the Neighbors will be performing along with Pleasant Valley Cloggers. August 17 will be the final concert of the summer. That concert will feature the Alzeen Family band which plays blues/gospel music. Come out and enjoy what's left of our summer.

Jim Green and his staff at Edward Jones in Chisago City are asking for the public's help. They are in need of school supplies. Not because their kids are short of supplies (although I have heard that Jim's son Charlie really likes to doodle), the supplies are for local children that are less fortunate than most and can not otherwise afford new school supplies. It is a wonderful campaign that will benefit children that our kids go to school with.

About six years ago, former senator Rick Olseen's daughter collected back packs with school supplies for needy children, and I can't tell you how many back packs we had piled up here at the Press. If you are out school shopping, if you can find it in your heart, maybe just buy an extra set of school supplies. Your donation will make a student very happy.

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