Chisago Lakes Chamber
Serving the Chisago Lakes Community
Chamber News & Events!
- Chamber Board Meeting - Thursday, February 4th 3:30-5:00pm
- Newsletter Deadline: 25th of every month
- Newsflash Deadline: Every Monday
Note From the Chamber Board
Welcome to March 2021! March is my favorite month of winter. It’s the month when the freezing temperatures usually dissipate, we end up with one more good snowstorm (for that last snowmobiling escapade) and we know that Spring is right around the corner!
March is also the time of all the home shows, especially our local Chisago Lakes Home & Business Expo. If you attended last year’s event, you know that it was an amazing turnout of businesses and guests! This year, the Chamber, along with the Chisago County Press, Community Education and other community committee members, had to make a difficult decision to cancel our 2021 Expo. We would not be able to put on an event that would satisfy our local businesses, guests or our community.
Our collaborative community recognizes the importance for our local businesses to spotlight who they are, what they do and the resources they provide. In the place of a “live” event, the chamber will be creating a digital spotlight for our members that wish to be promoted. This is a great opportunity for all our members! All we ask from you is to provide 3-5 photos of your business, a few sentences highlighting your business along with a high-resolution logo to info@chisagolakeschamber.com. It’s almost too easy to be true! And who doesn’t love free advertising?
Moving forward, your 2021 Chamber has a wide variety of fun events for you and your family to attend! Please be sure to checkout the Facebook page and keep current on what’s happening in Chisago Lakes the Lakes Area.
Lastly, we would love to hear from our members! Your Chamber wants to know how to better serve you and your local small business. Reach out and let us know how we’re doing!
Shaina HansenA-Pro Pool & Spa
Welcome New Member!
Ever After Nails
Taylors Falls, MN
612-227-7565
Celebration of the Lakes Success!
Despite the cold temperatures, we had a great turnout and an whole lot of fun! We did move the Dodgeball tournament to the following weekend due to the extreme cold and wind chills.
Thank you to the wonderful committee that helped plan this event and thank you to all of the volunteers who braved the cold to help us set everything up and make sure that our community had a terrific time!
> Snowmobile Raffle:
* Snowmobile - Ron Olson
* Bikeman Gift Certificate - Tracy Clay
* FXR Gift Certificate - Nick Feela
* Ride MN Gift Certificate - Kyle Johnson
> Photo Contest See Photos Here
'I Love Chisago Lakes'
* 19 & older - Doug Wood
* 18 & Younger - Caty Larson
'Keep it Local'
* 19 & Older - Ginger Swanson
* 18 & Younger - Annika Malchow
'This is How We Winter'
* 19 & Older - Jennifer Collins
* 18 & Younger - Caty Larson
> Medallion Winner
* Ashley and Reese Shopa
> Puzzle Contest Winners:
* 1st Place - The Puzzle Guzzlers (7:32pm)
Other teams sent their completed puzzle photos at: 7:42, 7:55, 7:57, 8:42, & 9:46 Each team had the same 500 piece puzzle to complete. All were unwrapped together and the race was on! Thank you to everyone who participated!!
DODGEBALL TOURNAMENT
We wrapped up Celebration of the Lakes on February 21st with our second annual Dodgeball tournament. The weather was SO much better than it would have been a week ago. We had a great turnout and heard lots of people saying that they are already looking forward to playing again next year. Thank you to Jim Gillach for officiating and to the National Honors Society students who helped us set up, take down, and chase balls throughout the event. We ended up with 6 teams, tons of laughter, and great memories made. A great big thank you to Anderson’s Ice Cream Shoppe for sponsoring this event and supplying the delicious prizes. This year's winners are:
- 1st place Team: Better Than You
- 2nd Place Team: Chisago Ache’rs
- 3rd Place Team: Aim For The Fat On
Thank you Celebration of the Lakes Sponsors!
- MidwestOne Bank Website
- Lindgren Tax & Accounting Website
- Lindstrom Fire & Rescue Website
- City of Chisago City Website
- City of Lindstrom Website
- City of Center City Website
- Edina Realty-The Shaleen Team Website
- CopyPro Website
- Lake State Carpet Cleaning Facebook
- All Ways Automotive Website
- Lindstrom Thrifty White Website
- Anderson's Ice Cream Shoppe Website
- Chisago Lakes Chamber Website
- Polaris
- Jack Daniels
Chisago Lakes Home & Business Expo
The Chisago Lakes Home & Business Expo is a collaborative community event. The Chisago County Press, Community Education and the Chamber along with other community committee members have had to make the tough decision to cancel the 2021 Expo.
Last year we had a very successful Event in the new Wildcat Center. The committee realized that we could not replicate or build upon that success and opted instead to focus on bringing the Expo back in 2022.
Recognizing the need to provide businesses the opportunity to spotlight who they are, what they do and what resources that they provide, we have come up with an alternative for this year.
The chamber will be creating a digital spotlight for our members that wish to be promoted in such a way. Here is what we need from you:
- 3-5 photos of your business (can be staff, product/services, store front etc.)
- a few sentences highlighting your business
- High resolution logo
Please send items to the chamber at info@chisagolakeschamber.com
Ted Talks
Forget the Pecking Order at Work by Margaret Heffernan
“When the going gets tough… what people need is social support and they need to know who to ask for help. Companies don’t have ideas, only people do. And what motivates people are the bonds and loyalty and trust they develop between each other. What matters is the mortar, not just the bricks.”
Monthly Luncheons are Starting in April!
East Central Regional Development Commission
Our friends at SCORE will be holding some free, small-business focused webinars coming up in the next several weeks. They include…
- March 2: Reach More E-Commerce Customers with Expert Online Marketing Tips Information
A New COVID-19 'Vaccine Connector'
The State of MN has created a new COVID-19 “Vaccine Connector” portal to help Minnesotans find out when, where, and how to get their COVID-19 vaccine. After you fill out a simple form, the Vaccine Connector will: alert you when you are eligible to receive a vaccine; connect you to resources to schedule a vaccine appointment; and notify you if there are vaccine opportunities in your area. https://mn.gov/covid19/vaccine/connector/
Time for Retirement and Moving Home....
I have worked at the Chamber for about 12 1/2 years. It has been a great journey meeting and working not only with chamber members, but also community residents and visitors! The kindness and warmth of Chisago Lakes is something that was felt from the day we moved in. That very first day, the marching band march down our street, people brought us food, my first store visit to buy a few groceries was met with 'You're the new Pastor's wife aren't you?' I knew it was going to be a great place to be. And I was so right!
Leaving somewhere is always hard, because of all the relationships and memories made. But we are moving to the Breezy Point area, which is back 'home'. Most of our kids and 12 grandchildren will be within a 10 mile radius. How great that will be. ...It is time.
Thank you ALL for your kindness.
Blessings,
Laurie
Welcome Tour of Honor
The National Tour of Honor has selected Lindstrom’s Memorial Park as one of their 500 national sites for 2021. From April 1 – October 31, we will welcome motorcyclist from around our nation to honor our veterans and celebrate their service. Tour of Honor is a self-directed motorcycle ride throughout the United States that highlights various memorials and contributes to veteran specific charities. More information can be found at www.tourofhonor.com.
This is a tremendous opportunity for our community, and YOUR BUSINESS and we encourage you to consider offering an incentive to this group of tourists. In order to be listed as offering promotions, please contact the chamber at 651-257-1177 or info@chisagolakeschamber.com by the end of March.
Picket Fence Gals
Picket Fence Gals Sale March 3rd-7th
Wednesday 3:00pm-7:00pm
Thursday-Saturday 10:00am-5:00pm
Sunday 11:00am-4:00pm
A large Victorian 2-story house filled with affordable, everchanging items. Find antiques & vintage items, painted furniture, garden items, home & cabin decor, re-purposed items, textiles and so much more! Please know that the health and safety of our customers is our #1 concern, therefore we have the following guidelines.
> One entrance-one exit
> Indoor and outdoor registers each day, weather permitting
> Must wear a mask in buildings, and masks are strongly suggested in the yard
> Social distancing
> Hand washing machine available at exit. Hand sanitizer at all checkouts
13075 Lake Blvd, Lindstrom PicketFenceGals.net
Festival Theatre
Festival Theatre
125 N Washington St, Saint Croix Falls, Wi
Festival Theatre.org 715-483-3387
The Prince and the Pauper - Auditions due this week!
Auditions for our next Youth and Family Series show are happening soon! Our online version of The Prince and the Pauper is taking video audition submissions for any kids 8-18 in the area! Check out more info about joining our fun, new show at the link below! Audition videos are due March 5th, and we'll be casting soon after! Learn about auditions here!
PERFORMANCES: The recorded audioplay will be made available to listen to online at any time from April 22nd through April 25th.
Learn how to keep up with our latest video content including short plays, holiday videos, workshops, and more theatrical content! We've been creating all sorts of theatrical video content since 2020 upended our normal theatre season, including workshops, skits, improv, theatre discussion roundtables, holiday specials and more! We hope you'll check out some of that content as it's never going away and we've got some upcoming videos to share as well!
- March 5- 19 - The Care and Feeding of Small Animals by Brooke-Erin Smith will play online!
Check out our Festival @ Home content with these links: Festival @ Home Link Tree
St. Bridget’s will NOT offer Fish Fry meals this year. Instead, we encourage our would-be customers to patronize local restaurants to help in their recovery. 13060 Lake Blvd, Lindstrom 651-257-2474
American Family Insurance-Melanie Berneck Agency
1st Annual Women's Business Conference
Thursday, March 25th 12:00pm-6:00pm
Splitrocks Restaurant, Bar, Bowling & Banquets
5063 273rd Street, Wyoming
We look forward to your attendance where we can Celebrate, Empower, and Promote Businesswomen from our community! REGISTER HERE
Featured Presenters:
- Karla Hult- Kare 11, and Nicole Klanderud- Allina Health
Conference presentations include:
- Reinventing & Discovering Your Next Chapter, Tools for a Resilient Life, and more!
Featuring 20+ local vendors where you can shop throughout the day! Please bring a new or gently used purse for donation. Purses and proceeds for this event will be donated to Family Pathways, Black Dog Hill Women's Shelter, Chisago Lakes.
Doors Open at 12PM for Registration & Shopping. Presentations will begin at 1:00pm. Networking & Happy Hour after conclusion of conference.
**Lunch will not be provided**
Point Pleasant Heights
Point Pleasant Heights
28600 Fairway Lane, Chisago City
EcumenPointPleasantHeights.org
'Warm Reception Move-In Special' - through April 30th
Join our community to take advantage of our new Warm Reception rent program, bringing you a little added financial security to welcome you to your new Ecumen home. Sign by April 30th and you receive $1,000 moving-expense credit. Schedule an appointment today at 651-257-4035. Flyer
March is Minnesota FoodShare
Calling all hunger heroes! This March, Family Pathways once again joins the MN FoodShare Campaign, the largest grassroots food and fund drive in the state. Every year this campaign brings together community organizations, businesses, individuals, and faith communities to help stock nearly 300 food shelves statewide, including your local Family Pathways Food Shelf. From March 1 through April 11 this year, you can join Family Pathways in making sure that none of our neighbors ever need to go hungry.
Family Pathways encourages local businesses, individuals, and organizations to come together this March to support neighbors in need by donating to your local Family Pathways food shelf. Whether this is by hosting a Food and Fund drive or donating on your own, your support is what will make a difference. Family Pathways will be highlighting donors and partners throughout the month on social media and in press releases. For more information on how to participate in the March FoodShare, visit FamilyPathways.org/march-foodshare-2021 or email jenniferb@familpathways.org
Franconia Sculpture Park
Fraconia Sculpture Park
29836 St. Croix Trail, Shafer 651-257-6668 Franconia.org
Art Classes @ Franonia
Please join Franconia Sculpture Park as we launch a new series of monthly, 3-hour artmaking workshops for students of all ages and skills in the Driscoll Education Center at Franconia Commons. All classes are held on Saturdays from 1pm-4pm and cost $30/each, including all art supplies.
- March 27: Abstract Clay Sculptures with Erin Paradis
Erin Paradis is a current Franconia artist and holds an MFA in Ceramics and Sculpture from the University of Minnesota and a BFA in Ceramics and Painting from Alfred University. For this session, students will learn different clay sculpting techniques and be able to take home your own abstract clay sculpture inspired by Erin’s art.
Coming up:
- April 17: Birdhouses, Batboxes, and Beeboxes with Don Porcella
- May 29: Soft Sculpture with Allison Baker
- June 12: Sound Sculpture with Lee Noble
Franconia is looking for volunteers!
Franconia Sculpture Park is looking for dedicated and hardworking volunteers to donate time at the Franconia Commons Visitor Center and with special events. No art experience is needed, just a passion for supporting Franconia’s mission. Click Here for Details
- Virtual Dinner & Discussion: Super Futures Haunt Qollective Tuesday, March 30 6pm
Attend via Facebook Live ONLY, please!
For this special “Dinner & Discussion” with Franconia Visiting Artists Super Futures Haunt Qollective, SFHQ will discuss beavers, their upcoming exhibition at Franconia opening April 24, as well as their previous work. SFHQ will also lead a participatory activity with the audience where we collectively imagine a conversation with future ancestors. Franconia’s longstanding “Dinner & Discussion” lecture series invites the community to engage with visiting artists in a fun and informal setting. Please join us from the comfort of your own home and send your questions for SFHQ through Facebook Live!
- Apply now to be a 2021 Franconia Art & Farmers Market Vendor
Applications due March 15, 2021
2020 was the inaugural year of the Franconia Art & Farmers Market. More than 12,000 visitors to the markets were able to safely connect with art and agriculture in the idyllic setting of Franconia’s 50-acre outdoor museum and sculpture park. The first Sunday of each month, May-October from 10am-2pm, local farmers and artists come together to provide a variety of fresh produce and handmade crafts to our 180,000 annual visitors. Each event is a fun way for people to connect directly with the local farmers and artists in the St. Croix River Valley. Learn More and Apply
Gustaf's On Main Eatery
Gustaf's Eatery Easter Time Tea
Sunday, March 28th, 3:30pm - 5:00pm
It's time to celebrate with close friends and a tea party is just the way to do that. Includes multiple teas with soup, finger sandwiches, scones, and dessert served at your own private table. $20 per guest. Reservations and payment needed prior to event. No refunds. Space is limited. Please notify us of number in your party and if lower level is a necessity. Contact us at 651-263-0737 to reserve your table.
Gustaf's On Main Eatery 13045 Lake Blvd, Lindstrom Facebook
Family Pathways
'Aging Services'
- Homemaking Services Need a little help cleaning, meal prep, mail? We are here to help
- Door Step Delivery Family Pathways’ Aging Services and Food Shelf programs are working together to ensure persons 60+ have the food they need to thrive during and after the COVID-19 pandemic!
Rise
There is a good chance you may have seen our logo on our white vans as you travel through your surrounding communities, but do you know what we are all about? Incorporated in 1971, Rise is a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization which supports people who have disabilities and other barriers. We are an industry leader and offer the people we serve the greatest possible level of community integration and a wide range of programming choices such as employment, mental health, and housing support services. Most of our programs within Chisago County are intended to assist the people we serve in finding employment opportunities that fit their career objectives and skills.
Now back to those vans you see. Rise provides supported employment for many individual’s as part of our employment program. We have partnered with several businesses such as owners of commercial spaces, office buildings, retail stores, manufacturers of assembly components and churches. Rise provides services tailored to each business’s individual needs. We offer customizable general cleaning, packaging, light assembly, lawn maintenance or spring/fall clean-up. As we all know during these times of COVID-19 daily cleaning of high contact surfaces is so important. Our employees work together as part of a team on small crews. Each Crew is supervised, and transported, by a Job Coach. When our employees are confident in their job skills, we assist them in reaching their own independent employment goals. Our business partners get the best of both worlds: highly motivated employees who take pride in doing great work, and the chance to provide new opportunities in their communities.
Rise currently has openings to add to our contracted service partnerships. We assume all work-related expenses regarding insurance and worker’s compensation. Our services are provided Monday through Friday during daytime hours. Please contact us if you would like a free, no-obligation estimate or have additional questions.
Please Call: 651-257-2281 Ask for Tina Stringer or Email: tstringer@rise.org
Wildwood RV Park & Campground
Plenty of outdoor fun at Wildwood Campground. Come for the night, the weekend or stay a whole month! Enjoy the pool, playground, basketball, horseshoe, mini-golf, and the Swedish Immigrant Trail for biking and hiking. Want a little more adventure? We can shuttle you from the campground to the Taylors Falls Canoe & Kayak Rental for an afternoon on the beautiful St. Croix River.
Taylors Falls Canoe and Kayak Rental
Dreaming of warm days? They will be here soon. It's never too soon to plan summer fun. New this season enjoy some double fun in our double kayaks. Group rates available for a fun family, friends, or company outing. A great social distancing activity. Call today for more info at 651-465-1080 or info@taylorsfallscanoe.com
Wild Mountain
Season Passes: Season Passes for the 2021/22 season are on-sale now. Purchasing next winter's season pass prior to Monday, April 5 ensures you get the lowest rate of the year.
Plus, guests purchasing a new 2021/22 season pass can ski the remainder of this season for just $89.
And, 2021/22 season pass holders will receive 2 complimentary tickets to Giants Ridge and $30 bring-a-friend tickets! See the details here.
Best of all, our season passes are backed by our 100-Day Pledge which guarantees a we'll be open for at least 100 days next winter.
Empire Insurance Group
Free Shredding Event!
Saturday, April 17th 9:00am-12:00pm
Pull your sensitive documents together this month so you are ready to get them securely shredded at this April event. Event is free and $10 will be donated to 'Lakes Center for Youth and Families' (LC4YF) for each bag or box shredded, up to $500. Your contributions to LC4YF will also be accepted and greatly appreciated. Event at Empire Insurance Group Wyoming Office Parking Lot, 5357 Wyoming Trail, Wyoming. Check out this FLYER for all details.
EMPIRE INSURANCE GROUP www.EmpireInsuranceGroup.com 651-462-3724
ADVERTISING INVESTORS
Chamber Champion
Lindgren Tax & Accounting
11183 Lake Blvd Suite 102
Chisago City, MN 55013
651-257-2152