The Brainerd Garden Club will meet 1 p.m. Friday at the Horticultural Department of Central Lakes College in Brainerd. Deb Hoffmann will present a program on gourds. Hostesses are Joan Simonson and Gayle Hertle.

Nisswa Elementary students and staff would like to extend a sincere thank you to Main Street merchants and Nisswa Chamber members for their kindness and generosity in providing festive greetings and treats again this year during the Halloween Parade. Due to poor weather conditions, retailers responded to a request to relocate candy distribution plans from downtown shops to the school gym - all with short notice. Your flexibility is greatly appreciated by the 300 plus children, their teachers, and their families. Thanks for continuing this fine tradition of making the Halloween Parade a treasured memory, even with inclement weather.

The holiday season has been successfully morphed into a consumer and retailer love-hate relationship. Many a well-meaning parent, teacher and clergy have instructed us to "STOP the consumerism."