What are we feeding our kids around here? Thanks for coming to the Home Show

If you came out to the Home Show last weekend, thank you.  I hope you enjoyed yourself, from the looks on people’s faces, it seemed like everyone was having a good time.  I have yet to hear the attendance numbers, but  the crowds were heavy both days.  Everywhere I looked, people were talking to vendors, so hopefully people found some great deals and vendors added some business.

Thank you to the Home Show committee for all of their hard work.  These folks plan this show all year round, and are continually trying to improve it any way they can.  If you forgot to purchase your Ipad raffle tickets, there are still some available.  I believe the drawing for the Ipad will be on March 15, so if you would like to purchase a ticket, please come to the Press or the Chamber office.  Remember, there are only 250 tickets being sold, so your chances are pretty darn good.

If you have been reading the County Press lately, then you are well aware of the successful season the Wildcats are having this year.  Normally, if we get a student to make State in a sport it is a really great thing.  But something is different this year.  I am not sure if there is something in the water or just what it is, but we have a ridiculous amount of individuals and teams making the State tournaments this year.  

Take our wrestlers for example, on a good year, a team would send maybe two or three wrestlers to the state meet.  This year, Chisago Lakes sent nine wrestlers to St. Paul.  Nine.  There are only 13 weight classes on a team and Chisago sent seven out of 13.    North Branch also sent two wrestlers this year.Unbelievable.  

Girls gymnastics sent five to state.  Three from Chisago and two from North Branch.

The boys swim team sent seven swimmers in eight events.  

Who could forget about the skiers.  We sent the entire team to Biwabik for the State meet.  Incredible.

And we very well could be writing about the Wildcat girls playing in the state basketball tournament in a week or so.

I have lived in the Chisago Lakes area since 1978.  I have never once seen this many kids making the trip to state in a season, much less a school year.  Congratulations to each and every student on their accomplishments.  It is something you will remember for your entire lives.

Please make sure to look at your Search Shopper this weekend.  That’s because besides many wonderful specials that local businesses are offering, we have inserted our 2012 Community Guide.  This year’s guide is jammed packed with vital information about our area as well as fun things for you and your family to check out.  The guide is the official Visitors Guide for the Chisago Lakes area.  It has some really great info that you can use year round.  Please make sure you look through it and then put it someplace for future reference.

I know that when you bring up the subject of road construction, most people cringe at the thought.  That seems to amplify when you mention split pairs in Lindstrom.  Understandably, I spent many hours thinking about just how bad it’s going to be.  But then something changed.  A brilliant 11 year old was riding in the car with me one day as we were driving through Lindstrom.  He noticed the anti

-split pairs signs everywhere and asked about it.  I explained the state has decided that traffic is just too congested through Lindstrom and something needed to be done.  I told him what split pairs were and how people (including myself) were opposed to the radical change.  He looked puzzled as I explained all of this, and when I finished, he thought about it for a while and then says “How do you know it is going to be so horrible?”  I didn’t have an answer.  I thought and thought and the only reason I could come up with was “just because”.   That’s the answer an 11 year old should be giving me.  

He then says, “Maybe the town will become better when it’s over”.  Here is my kid teaching me life lessons.  What in the world?

After that day, I have thought about the construction many, many times.  I have come to the conclusion that he was right.  Maybe it will be better when it is all said and done.  We don’t have a say in the matter as far as construction goes, it is happening.  We do have a say as to whether or not we make the best of it and create one of the best small towns in the state.   We can get through this, no scratch that, we will get through this. 

If you came out to the Home Show last weekend, thank you.  I hope you enjoyed yourself, from the looks on people’s faces, it seemed like everyone was having a good time.  I have yet to hear the attendance numbers, but  the crowds were heavy both days.  Everywhere I looked, people were talking to vendors, so hopefully people found some great deals and vendors added some business.
 

Thank you to the Home Show committee for all of their hard work.  These folks plan this show all year round, and are continually trying to improve it any way they can.  If you forgot to purchase your Ipad raffle tickets, there are still some available.  I believe the drawing for the Ipad will be on March 15, so if you would like to purchase a ticket, please come to the Press or the Chamber office.  Remember, there are only 250 tickets being sold, so your chances are pretty darn good.

If you have been reading the County Press lately, then you are well aware of the successful season the Wildcats are having this year.  Normally, if we get a student to make State in a sport it is a really great thing.  But something is different this year.  I am not sure if there is something in the water or just what it is, but we have a ridiculous amount of individuals and teams making the State tournaments this year.  

Take our wrestlers for example, on a good year, a team would send maybe two or three wrestlers to the state meet.  This year, Chisago Lakes sent nine wrestlers to St. Paul.  Nine.  There are only 13 weight classes on a team and Chisago sent seven out of 13.    North Branch also sent two wrestlers this year.Unbelievable.  

Girls gymnastics sent five to state.  Three from Chisago and two from North Branch.

The boys swim team sent seven swimmers in eight events.  
 

Who could forget about the skiers.  We sent the entire team to Biwabik for the State meet.  Incredible.

And we very well could be writing about the Wildcat girls playing in the state basketball tournament in a week or so.

I have lived in the Chisago Lakes area since 1978.  I have never once seen this many kids making the trip to state in a season, much less a school year.  Congratulations to each and every student on their accomplishments.  It is something you will remember for your entire lives.

Please make sure to look at your Search Shopper this weekend.  That’s because besides many wonderful specials that local businesses are offering, we have inserted our 2012 Community Guide.  This year’s guide is jammed packed with vital information about our area as well as fun things for you and your family to check out.  The guide is the official Visitors Guide for the Chisago Lakes area.  It has some really great info that you can use year round.  Please make sure you look through it and then put it someplace for future reference.

I know that when you bring up the subject of road construction, most people cringe at the thought.  That seems to amplify when you mention split pairs in Lindstrom.  Understandably, I spent many hours thinking about just how bad it’s going to be.  But then something changed.  A brilliant 11 year old was riding in the car with me one day as we were driving through Lindstrom.  He noticed the anti

-split pairs signs everywhere and asked about it.  I explained the state has decided that traffic is just too congested through Lindstrom and something needed to be done.  I told him what split pairs were and how people (including myself) were opposed to the radical change.  He looked puzzled as I explained all of this, and when I finished, he thought about it for a while and then says “How do you know it is going to be so horrible?”  I didn’t have an answer.  I thought and thought and the only reason I could come up with was “just because”.   That’s the answer an 11 year old should be giving me.  
 

He then says, “Maybe the town will become better when it’s over”.  Here is my kid teaching me life lessons.  What in the world?

After that day, I have thought about the construction many, many times.  I have come to the conclusion that he was right.  Maybe it will be better when it is all said and done.  We don’t have a say in the matter as far as construction goes, it is happening.  We do have a say as to whether or not we make the best of it and create one of the best small towns in the state.   We can get through this, no scratch that, we will get through this.