Voters come out in droves this year, Anonymous Santa will need your help

Congratulations to all of the winning candidates. Last night’s election was the closest numbers in all races here in Chisago County I have ever seen. In the state races, you had Sean Nienow, Bob Barrett, Karin Housley, Brian Johnson and Bob Dettmer winning. Congratulations to them. Chisago County voted for Romney overall, but as you know Obama prevailed in the end. Chisago County had an unbelievable voter turnout rate of almost 95 percent. Wow, that is incredible.

+ + + + + + +
Here is a neat story, I had a call from a Mr. Johnson of Lindstrom on Thursday. He told me how he had set a big bucket of candy out on halloween. They were not going to be home and they felt bad about it, so they decided to fill a bucket with candy. When the Johnsons got home, they were startled. Only half of the candy was gone with no wrappers lying on the ground. Apparently Mr. Johnson has some very trustworthy kids in his neighborhood.

+ + + + + + +
There is a very special program taking place right now. The Anonymous Santa program is a wonderful program spearheaded by LeeAnn VandeKamp. What is Anonymous Santa? It is a program where donated presents from citizens like you and me, are donated to children whose family might be in difficult times. The mission of the program is "Christmas with Dignity", which helps parents deal with the stress and financial issues that come with the holidays. Anonymous Santa typically provides a gift package of approximately $60 to 1,200 to 1,400 children in Chisago County and the Forest Lake School District. Anonymous Santa is comprised of all volunteers who do this great work out of the goodness of their hearts. Most people think Anonymous Santa is the same as Toys For Tots, and while they both do amazing work, Toys For Tots gifts rarely make their way this far north. I know I am constantly asking you to dig deep and spend a little more locally for various events, but this one is guaranteed to put a smile on a child's face. We will be running a sign-up form in the very near future. If you can donate a toy, or even some money, you will be making a difference.

+ + + + + + +
Veterans, don't forget about the annual Veterans Day Dinner on Sunday. The dinner is open to any and all veterans who wish to have a great dinner with a great bunch of service men and women. The dinner will be held at the Chisago Community Center at 6 p.m. Tickets can be purchased by calling Gary at 257-5679 or Leroy at 233-4794.

+ + + + + + +
Last week we ran a great photo of the wonderful men and women who run the Outerwear Fair at Trinity Lutheran Church. I spoke in detail just how special these people are to our community. As I looked at the front page picture, I noticed that the photo credit said Matt Silver. Normally I wouldn't hesitate to take credit for a great photo like that, but this time I could not let it slip by. Rich Bachman of Bachman Photography was the person who took the photo. So what you say? Well the Rich and Shari Bachman have been friends and helpers of the Press ever since I can remember. They have given us hundreds if not thousands of photos that we have used in the Press. So if the Bachman's are reading this, please forgive me, and more importantly, thank you for all you do!

+ + + + + + +
If you have looked in our public notices recently, you would have seen the ad titled “Foreclosed?” What we are trying to do is simple. If you or someone you know has been foreclosed on or is in the process, and really wishes to keep their home, we can help. If your notice was published in another newspaper and could not be seen in your town, we can help. We have attorneys who specialize in reversing foreclosures. These attorneys are not like what you would expect, they are in it for you. They make it easy and affordable and the best part, they are successful at what they do. So if you or someone you know is being faced with foreclosure, there is hope. Send us your name, address a copy of the published notice or the name of the publication it ran in and the date of that publication to: Foreclosures, County Press, PO Box 748, Lindstrom, MN 55045. We have already had a few people contact us, now we would like to help you.

+ + + + + + +
This week I had an irate reader call me and really lay into me about how our paper tried to sway the voters. First off, I told him, that I thought he would be surprised if he were to look at my ballot I cast. It really got me thinking, then it hit me. I have the perfect solution for those readers who so vehemently oppose every single thing we do at the Press. Schedule a meeting with me...and bring your checkbook. If the price is right, you can buy the Press and run it the way you think it should be run.