Kettle River News

Thank you to the members of the city council, city employees, fire department and police and anyone else who worked so hard putting together the National Night Out event in Kettle River. About 100 people attended, and roughly 20 children got rides in the firetruck. An excellent meal was also provided in addition to gifts for the children. Fortunately, the rain held off until nearly everyone had left.

Thanks, too, to the crew that spent time in the hot sun to get the crosswalks painted on Highway 73 at the post office crossing and also at the corner a block away. They did a great job of painting and directing the traffic during the time needed to finish the intersection.

I wish more people would attend the city council meetings to hear about events that are affecting our city, the ongoing problems, and the ripple effect on all the residents. Come to the next Kettle River city council meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 13 in the council room.

Now is the time to register for the November election. Several council positions are up for election, including seats held by Guy Collier and Miya Kohmetscher and Mayor David Lucas, plus a special election for one council seat. It is important to get members on the city council who want the best decisions for making our city better and a great place to live. The deadline to file is Aug. 16.

The Ma & Pa Kettle Days celebration is finally here. Find a story and schedule on Page 14 of this week’s Pine Knot News. I am really looking forward to seeing a variety of pies at the pie social.

This weekend is a busy time for me. Following Saturday’s fun, I will be having a family reunion Sunday, Aug. 14. I hope some folks will stay a few extra days and attend the Finnish luncheon Tuesday, Aug. 16, at noon at the Kettle River senior center.

Some history of the Finnish luncheon: I have no idea when it first started. When I moved here in 1988 it had already been in progress at that time. On some occasions, they would have some word translating games. These were actually Finglish words — a mix of Finnish and English — and it was fun to see what the translations were. There was usually a prize drawing, and of course the food was always the main reason for coming. At the same time, there was also a Swedish luncheon in Moose Lake. I think the Swedish luncheon disbanded soon after I moved to Kettle River.

When I was a teen, there was a farmer, Mr. Pinky, who lived about 30 miles from where I lived. During the summer, Mr. Pinky would pick his harvest early in the morning and drive to my neighborhood to sell his vegetables. His grandchildren would run about three blocks ahead of him and knock on doors saying, “Mr. Pinky is coming.” The housewives would stand in front of their houses waiting for him to get to their area and buy whatever fresh vegetables he had that day. I can remember eagerly waiting to see what he had each time he came. I really miss buying fresh, in-season vegetables and knowing they were picked that morning.