Duxbury News
Toni Williamson
DuxburyNews.info
Toni@DuxburyNews.info
320-245-5194

I hope this winter is treating you well.  I don’t know about you but I am ready for spring.  It’s really funny when you choose mosquitoes and ticks over minus 20 degrees, but somehow it will work.  You can pull off a tick, but you can’t pull off twelve inches of snow!

It was my plan to go on a short hiatus for personal reasons.  But before doing this, I wanted to update you on our lovely township and to make sure you aware of this chance to have fun and help those in need.

I had the chance to talk with Lori Daman of the Family Pathways Food Shelters.  These generous people do their best to help the many people facing desperate times.  They are planning a fun way to bring people together to show how times can change.  This annual event is called the Hunger Awareness Dinner and it will be held on Sunday, March 14, 2010 with registration at 4:45pm and dinner from 5-6pm at the Evangelical Free Church, 522 N Main Street in Sandstone.  They also welcome any volunteers to assist with setup and cleanup.

This is one of the coolest things I have heard of.  It’s only $5 per person for the meal.  When you arrive, you are given tickets to random tables that serve various types of food.   One table could have a family style meal; another would have first class food with fancy linen; one table could get a metal folding table with a peanut butter sandwich or chicken broth with plastic spoons, Styrofoam bowls and paper towels.   As they say, come expecting an experience.

According to Daman, there was no rhyme or reason as to how you end up at one table or another at this event.  It is supposed to be a testimony to the way it can be in life.  Sometimes you may be in one “status in life” and then find yourself in another due to a job loss.  or worse yet, the loss of your health or a spouse.   The whole idea about the dinner is to give you a feeling of how life can change from one moment to the next.

I am planning on attending this wonderful event and I invite all of you to join and if possible come and help with setup or cleanup.  Times are tough and I think we all have friends that have gone from fancy dinnerware to metal folding tables.  Perhaps if we know what it feels like to go from feast to famine, it will make it easier to help those that are going through it.

Daman went on to state that many people who end up at the Food Shelf thought they would never use it or be there.  But they are glad it’s there in their time of need.

If you would like to purchase a ticket or help with setup or clean up, you can call the Sandstone Family Pathways at 320-245-2485 or contact Lori Daman at LoriD@familypathways.org.

Valentine’s Day may be over, but its’ never too late to give from your heart.

Township Day is coming, Tuesday, March 9 to many townships including Wilma.  This is your day to get out and vote for a local Supervisor, Clerk or Treasurer.  For Wilma Township the Election will be held at the Wilma Town Hall next door to the Duxbury Store, 5pm to 8pm with the Annual Town Meeting immediately to follow. So be sure to go and make your vote count.  Good ole Wilma wants to make a positive difference in your lives and the County!

Thanks for reading, see you in a few weeks.

I hope your New Year has been off to a great start.  Thank goodness it’s finally began to “warm up” to the balmy 20’s and 30’s.  I still find myself laughing when I see people in shorts at these temps.   I have lived in Minnesota since I was nine months old and I am still not totally used to the cold. But I would not want to live anywhere else!

We were in Florida last week, helping my hubby’s parents.  Daddy is doing well after the stroke last year.  He is up and about, doing gardening and surfing the Internet.  He does have limitations, but it is to be expected.

Wow, we certainly picked a banner week to go there!  One would think you could pack some shorts or sundresses, but we packed sweaters and wore our coats.  We landed in Florida to enjoy the tropical breezes that took us to a fabulous 25 degree temp at night.  And, it rarely got into the 50’s during the day while we were there. Poor Mickey!!!

Cold in Minnesota is a good thing; we have great snow and welcome all you snowmobilers to hit the many trails in our lovely area.  A long cold snap can make for a wonderful trip across the lakes or make for a scenic walk on the creek.  Patrice Winfield, a Duxbury resident, took her doggies for a walk on the Tamarack River this past weekend and saw many tracks of wildlife.  Coyote, turkey, raccoon and wolf abound in this piece of heaven.  She did give me quite a giggle as she mentioned that she fell through the ice at the edge of the river.  Luckily, it was just one leg and was not deep.    She said it did make for a cold walk home!

Our fire department continues to train; ensuring your lives and property will be taken care of if the need should arise.  Last week’s winter training was at night.  According to the Duxbury Fire Chief McCullen, they drilled holes in the ice to fill up their pumper truck. Having this dedicated group of caring people makes me sleep much better at night.

Mike and Shawn McCullen were in Chicago a couple weekends ago for a Sports Show where they were showing their wares from Fudally Tackle.  Mike said they enjoyed their trip and always look forward to chances to enjoy the “culinary faire” of the town they visit.  “Some people go bar hopping, but they go restaurant hopping!”  Can you say YUMMY?

Pat and Ron McCullen had a welcome visit from Roz Hannula from Annandale for the week.  Her husband Brad passed away before Christmas from health complications.  Together they were a staple in this area.  Brad helped to wire the Wilma Town Hall and was always available.  If you needed help, he was there.  Roz worked at the Duxbury Store for over ten years and would still come up during hunting season to help them out during that very busy time.  This is yet another testimony to the beauty of our little piece of heaven.

As I sit and enjoy the splendor of nature, my hubby and I have both cried at the terrible aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti.  We have been following it and seeing both miracles and sad tragedies makes your heart happy and heavy.  If you were watching you understand.  For several hours a couple days ago, they worked to free an eleven year old girl stuck on thousands of pounds of collapsed rubble.  After working for endless hours, watching her suffer, they finally freed her, only to find out that she died a couple hours later, due to lack of medical assistance.  This is so hard!!!  The people of Haiti need our help.  If you can, please contact the Red Cross or other reputable charities and give as much as you can.

Be thankful everyday and pray for Haiti, pray for your neighbors and pray for the world.

Thanks for reading.  See you in two weeks.

It’s almost Christmas and I am continuing my time honored tradition of waiting until the last minute and then panicking about shopping like I didn’t know it was coming. I am not sure why I find pleasure in this but running around like a chicken with its’ head cut off sure does keep me warm!

Well the Duxbury deer count was down quite a bit this year. In general conversation with various people, we hear it is because of the wolf population. According to Joe Vink, Duxbury Store owner, there were 301 deer brought in. The largest deer was a 10 point buck that came in at a whopping 250 pounds. Sounds like a lot of warm yummy meals for the winter! If you want to experience country hospitality, hearty conversation and timeless friendship, Duxbury is the place.

Paul Raymond, Wilma Township Clerk, spent several days in warm, sunny Puerto Rico and came back in time for the December Board of Supervisors meeting and to enjoy the “warm Duxbury breeze”.

According to Paul, he went to Puerto Rico twenty three years ago for the first time, to map out the western island for cable television. In the four years that he was there, he had walked out almost every town and village west and south of Arecibo, the site of the huge radio telescope. He’s made many return trips virtually every year since then. This last trip was to reunite with the pastor and members of the church he attended in Mayaguez, who were also visiting. He was able to tour caves, Indian sites, Spanish forts, cathedrals and museums, as well as the pools and the beaches.

I smiled as he mentioned how great it was to get back, even with the cold. That says a lot about our little piece of heaven; even when you can surround yourself with tropical heat, you can’t wait to get back. The love we have for this area can keep you warm, even when it minus twenty #@&% degrees! Ah, yes, I’m scratching my head on that statement, but it’s true!

Please send prayers of continued healing to the family of Patrice Winfield, Wilma Township Treasurer. Her father Hollis recently had knee replacement surgery. He is doing well and at 83 years old, now has two “bionic” knees, having had the first done several years ago. We are happy to hear everything went well. Ironically, Patrice took care of Paul’s dog while he was away in Puerto Rico and he did the same for her while she was gone, taking care of her dad.

Each year we all make wishes for the Holiday Season. Kids want toys and games and adults wish for continued love, money and inner peace. Old goats like me wish my hip will last another year! But sometimes the sweetest blessing comes from the return of a four legged friend.

In continued conversation with Patrice, she spoke of how her cat, Sadie had disappeared around July 4, 2009. Patrice came home on December 16th from helping her father after his surgery. She heard a meow; instinctually she thought it was her male cat named Dude. She called out “Hi Dude”, and to her amazement, the meow came again but it was different. She went to the sound and there was Sadie. She was skinny, but alive and oh so happy to be home. I could hear the joy in Patrice’s voice as she told me how she is catching up and eating a can of food a day. The male cat, Dude is also happy to see her and wanting to play. Sadie, on the other hand, is busy getting reacquainted with heat and food she doesn’t have to catch! Luckily for Sadie, she still had her claws and even luckier for Patrice, she had been spayed! No pitter patters of little claws to be expected.

Always keep your hopes up. Sooner or later we all find our way home.

I wish everyone a blessed Holiday. See you in two weeks (or should I say, next year).