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March is Annual Food Shelf Month.  So what does that mean?  It means that after a long ugly winter, local food shelf reserves have been depleted and are in dire need of replenishing.  If you think that the economy is back and most everyone is doing better, well sadly, that just isn't so for some folks. In fact, the Chisago Lakes food shelf had one of it's busiest years this year.  It helped hundreds (yes hundreds) of local families get by this winter.  If it were not for them, many families would have not made it through the winter. Every person has their perception of food shelves, some views are positive and unfortuneately some people view food shelves for "lazy people".  Without getting my blood pressure too worked up, I can emphatically tell you that just is not true.  Food shelves are used by hard working families who have fallen on hard times.  do you think people like to visit food shelves? We all know the answer to that one.  But there are hundreds if not thousands of families who that the Lord above they do exist.  And as they strive hard to make their lives better, they are so grateful we have food shelves in our communities.  

So, if you can, please make a donation to the local food shelves.  There will be food drives at all the grocery stores this month, as well as local businesses that will accept your donations.  If you can't get to one, feel free to drop your donation off here at the Press. These are not some poor folks in another state that you are blessing, these are our neighbors and friends.  Thank you so much for helping.

Now that the warm weather has officially moved it (I told you it was here to stay, (okay I told you that a month ago, but who is perfect?), that means that our ice on the lakes is iffy at best.  Sure for the most part there is easily enough to fish on, but I would not advise driving your vehicles onto the ice.  It is just too risky.  You put your life in danger, your passenger's lives, the firemen who have to come rescue you and the towing companies that have to retrieve your vehicle from the bottom of the lake.  So why not get some exercise and walk to your fishing spot?

Remember to mark your calendars for the Zac Pack t-shirt movie party.  Comedian Kevin James, who was shooting his sequel to Paul Blart Mall Cop, when Zac Bartz passed away, wears a Zac Pack t-shirt in the movie.  He made quite a connection with Zac and the Bartz family during the last week or two of Zac's life.  Zac left an even bigger impression on James.  On April 18, at White Bear Township cinema, the official showing of Mall Cop 2 will be held especially for fans of Zac.  Absolutely everyone is invited and if you already have a Zac Pack t-shirt, you are encouraged to wear it.  If you would like one, you can pre-order them a couple of weeks in advance and can be picked up at the showing.  I will let you know when the e-store is open for orders.  All proceeds from the t-shirt sales will go to fighting the rare cancer Zac battled.  The owner of the cinema has been kind enough to donate the use of as many theaters as it takes.  So the goal is to fill three or four theaters full of Zac supporters.  There is a Facebook page that you can like that will send you notifications as the event draws near, go to The Zac Packer's & Mall Cop 2 on Facebook and like it.  I hope to see you there.

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