Photos of the newly-acquired Letnes and company lake cottage have been received and are published herewith. Please stand by for more details. This drive-by shooting is all we have presently. A fact-finding probe has been launched with more revealing information and better views anticipated.
Linda and Ron Letnes, along with some family members, are purchasing a lake cabin in Wisconsin. There's a lot of excitement among other family members who are not investors, but dream that one day they'll be invited over for a fish fry and a dip. This excitement has led to wild speculation about the location and appearance of this real estate acquisition, but no hard information has yet been revealed by the new owners. To damp down the enthusiasm, Linda has mentioned that it is a bit of a fixer-upper and that, as of yet, no photos are available. The photo above is certainly not of the new lake cabin and bears no resemblance to it. No one knows where this picture originated or who took it. When actual photos of the new cabin are produced, they will be immediately published in hopes of alleviating some of this unnecessary confusion.
From time to time people will inquire as to the availability of books written by our father, the late Erling N. Rolfsrud. Suzann Nelson, of Rural Route Bookstore, a confirmed Lutheran, is in charge. Here's her information and the link to her web site.:
Card tips from Emily: If all you've drawn is one lousy Red Snowman, you might have to bluff to win the big pot. Hide your face and you can still fool some of 'em, even if they think they know what's in your hand. But when playing poker with St. Paul Katie, you're always aces. Raise her big time. Grandma's just a softie and she'll fold just so she can hold you.
Birthdays are fun, it is the morning after that will get you.
Exactly 27 years ago today, Stan and Kathleen were married on a Friday morning under a maple tree at Lake Ann Park in Chanhassen, Minnesota. The tree was a brilliant gold, set against the green foliage and grass on a splendid fall day. Scott County Clerk of Court Brendan Suel made it legal. Newspaper photographer Greg Helgeson recorded the action. The City of Chanhassen had no idea we were using its park. Tech students having a fall picnic nearby applauded the outcome.
The original plans for a big wedding reception fell through when the would-be hostess suffered anxiety attacks over the prospect of having all those guests over. So Stan's pal and business associate, Gary Welch, along with his wife, Georgianne, stepped forward at the last minute and took on our whole ram dam fam.
The Lutheran boy from Alexandria married the Catholic girl from St. Paul in a mixed marriage, even if it wasn't officially sanctioned by Rome.
It's now 11 pm, and after considering our options, Max opted for the Mom's backyard, trash can barbershop over sleeping with bugs in hair 'til tomorrow.
Jordan Independent makeover revealed 
The Jordan Independent was established around 1880. You could look up exactly when, because the back issues are now prominently displayed in public view in the front reception area of its newly redecorated offices.
The present building was originally constructed about 1955 for use by the U.S. Postal Service. It was a big deal back then. The dedication included an open house, guest speakers and dinner at the VFW, according to a boastful news article of the day. It was built across from the railroad tracks so mailbags could be efficiently tossed off the train, rolled through the big back door, sorted and dispensed to the front hall customer lock boxes.
In 1982 we sold the old Jordan Independent newspaper office and purchased the post office building. The Post Office, now served by trucks, had moved to the old Super Valu store, because Super Valu had moved to the edge of town in a much bigger building. Progress, you know.
This summer we did a complete makeover of the interior, and didn't spend too much money doing it. We went with a 1940s theme to reflect some small town ideals and values, even though Jordan is presently one of the fastest growing towns in the metro area. Someday, the population center of Scott County will be near Jordan.
We bought some 40s prints reflecting newspaper humor, but in addition to that purchased copies of "The Four Freedoms" that President Franklin Roosevelt espoused during the run-up to World War II. The freedoms: "Freedom from Fear," Freedom from Want," "Freedom of Religion," and "Freedom of Speech," were values that differentiated the U.S. from its enemies. Rockwell painted representations of them and helped sell War Bonds.
The prints hang in the reception area, near the new shelving for the decades of historical copies of the Independent. We hope visitors will sense and associate these values with our product.
The building was built for the government without any frills. We added crown mouldings by ripping and routing big 4x8 sheets of medium density fiberboard to good effect and little cost.
My partner, Matt Drees, did the painting and just about every odd job, including setting a new ADA Big John. Carpenter Charley Reis cut the vanity in a sexy french swash.
In keeping with the 40s theme we put a checkered resilient floor in beiges throughout most of the building, with a small amount of carpet in the work station areas. We cleaned and sealed the glass block, an innovation when the building was built and a feature which is regaining popularity. For our purpose, it gives nice lighting to the south side of the building. Sealing the cracks and adding a storm window should eliminate the present need for space heaters in winter.
Neighbors Greg and Phyllis Collier joined Kathleen and Stan for breakfast this morning. Greg and Phyllis had lunch at the St. Paul Hotel yesterday and took in the Ordway's "Rocky Horror Picture Show" play. They enjoyed the weird cult offering, noting that it was unusual fare for this venue. Greg is fully-retired and getting ready to head for their winter home near Phoenix; Phyllis, a fixture at Children's Hospital in Minneapolis, will be honored tomorrow night for her work there. She will join Greg in Arizona later. A stated goal at this morning's breakfast was to get Kathleen onto the links soon. She agreed. This afternoon, Greg and Stan will be staining their respective decks, after half-heartedly watching the Vikings performance.
Children are not allowed to use the playgrounds.
The brand new tot lot was deserted this afternoon, so we didn't have to share nice. Emily is an old hand at the swings now, so much so that she tries mightily to show no foolish emotions when she gets a big push. She's too cool for school, sometimes. Makes it harder to get the grin the blog fans expect. We had better luck at the slide and the climbing deals.
Stay tuned.
Chaska Herald Editor Mark Olson was invited over tonight to test out the new beer bar on the Southeast deck. Mark is editor number 14 at the Herald, which was founded in 1862. He's competently run the paper for at least five years now. Started there as a reporter. Stan was Editor No. 6 and Publisher No. 4. Some relatives think he's still the editor of the Chaska paper, though he left the job in 1978.
To wit: Mistakenly thinking his car to be in reverse, a besotted predecessor once pumped the gas pedal until the car finally leaped the curb and crashed through the front window of the newspaper office.
We've been warned. The signs are everywhere. Big changes coming. Everywhere the trailboss looked this morning the Master of the Seasons was speaking. "Look out, get ready." Bright red flags were everywhere, boldly telling us to be advised, something is just ahead. Pay attention now.
Yes, there's still some time left. Time for a glorious fall season, like the intense showy flourish of a fireworks finale. Enjoy it, but don't linger. Don't get attached. There's a long, cold winter coming. So much yet to do. Follow the signs and. . . good luck. 
