---

I hope you had a chance to take in some of the Chisago County Fair over the weekend.  Other than the storm on Friday night, we couldn’t have asked for much better weather.  Thank you so much to all the great folks who serve on the Fair Board.  They work so hard all year just to make us smile.

This Saturday and Sunday is a big one in the Chisago Lakes Area...the annual triathlon.  This year the name has changed to the Toughman Minnesota.

The courses are set up much the same as last year (see our sports page for maps), with some small changes.  The event is preceeded with a Kids Triathlon on Saturday, July 25.  All events will take place at Paradise Park in Chisago City.  The kids’ tri registration runs from 7:30 a.m. until 8:45 a.m.  The race officially begins at 9 a.m.  All entrants will receive shirts, a medal and food.  Adults can also register Saturday as well.  

Things get busy on Sunday.  Beginning at 4:45 a.m. registration will open.  The race officially begins at 7 a.m. with the swim. After leaving the water, racers will transition to bikes on top of the hill at Paradise Park.  From there they will bike a 56 mile course that takes them all over the area.  They eventually make it back to Paradise Park for a transition to the run.  They will run south on Old Towne Road and east on County Road 23. They will circle back the same way and finish at the park.
This is our chance as a community to come out and support these runners.  Many of them are not from the area, so we can show them just how great our community is.  There is still time and positions available for volunteering. I would urge you to please call the Chamber of commerce at 651-257-1177 to volunteer.

Another thing about the triathlon - We need you.  If your child, husband or wife is racing, we want to hear from you.  We are looking for your standout photograph from the race.  This is your chance to have your photo(s) published for the whole world to see. We promise to give full credit for any photos we run.  

Please send your triathlon photos to [email protected] by Monday at noon.  Thanks and we look forward to seeing your photos!

On Friday night the storm came through somewhere around 2:30 a.m.  I was awakened by a loud thunder crack.  As I lay in bed listening to the storm I could hear the water gushing into our sump basket.  I closed my eyes and began drifting off.  As I was nearly asleep again, I distinctively heard the water stop.  It took a second to register why the water would alll of the sudden stop.  We didn’t have any power and the water had just risen past the drain in the sump basket. I sprang out of bed calling for my wife to come quickly.  We found four 30 gallon totes and an ice cream pail.  She bagan to bail as fast as she could filling tote after tote.  Because of where our sump is located, I had to take the totes, filled with water, up two flights of stairs and outside to dump them.  Every time I got back-- there were three waiting for me.  Soon I had taken over 30 trips outside and my heart was racing.  I couln’t catch my breath, I am serious I could not breathe.  As I brought out another tote, my vision kind of went in and out.  I dropped the tote thinking I was having a heart attack.  I screamed “God - I don’t want to die here like this!”  Instantly the lights came on and the sump began working.  This is absolutely true.

---