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What a weekend that was.  We had the first ever Lindstrom Midsommar celebration all weekend long and had North Branch’s Midsummer Days as well.  It just so happened to be the hottest weekend of the year, but that didn’t seem to deter the crowds.  

We spent a good amount of time at the Lindstrom celebration and I was eager to see the coffee pot steam for the first time in 30 years.  It did steam but if you remember the winds last weekend were pretty powerful and they pushed the steam off sideways. Not to worry, the coffee pot steam will rise daily at 10am and 3pm. I did happen to see a test run on Thursday which had minimal wind and it was super cool to see.

Thanks to all who worked so hard on the celebration including the great Downtown Lindstrom Business Group that had the idea in the first place.  There are too many names to list, but if you look at the letter from Lindstrom Mayor Judy Chartrand (to the right side of this page) and the guest commentary from Cheryl Kempenich and Savannah Selin (lower part of page) you will see just how many people it took to pull this off.

Congratulations to Gary Gerke, a good friend of the Press for winning the first ever G-O-A-T of Lindstrom award.  He was up against some stiff competition: Carla Norelius, Donna Lunde and Bill Mack.

If you maybe didn’t come to the event due to the heat or other reasons, you can watch the video of it on You Tube - Just type in  Lindstrom Midsommar Steam Ceremony June 21, 2025.

A while back I wrote about the free community meal that is served every Monday at Zion Lutheran Church in Chisago City.  I listed all of the churches that volunteer for this great meal.  I am excited to announce that Maranatha Church of Chisago City has joined in the meal volunteering and they are excited to serve you. The meal is always looking for groups of volunteers to serve to diners. If you or your group would like to help serve please contact the church at (651) 257-2713.  I have served the meal plenty of times and it is so rewarding. 

Rick Ekstrom from the local American Legion wanted me to let you know that their flag day event they recently held was a huge success.  He wanted me to thank the community for coming out to Moberg Park and recycling your flags in the proper way.

Summer’s here, we are still collecting clothing for the homeless.  They are in dire need of underwear (I know it sounds gross but they need underwear), socks, t-shirts and shorts.  The shelters don’t have room to store cold weather clothing, so wait on those for a few months please. As always, thanks for giving.

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