Jeff Andres

Our readers in Cambridge, Isanti and North Branch were busy in May. There were 759 of you who took time out of your busy schedules and registered 9,862 nominations for the Reader’s Choice Best of the Star 2026 contest. That is 1,400 more than last year and by far the most we have ever had since we started the contest in 2020 and had only 1,313 nominations.

I try to keep an even keel in life and not let things upset me. Sometimes though, something comes along that really upsets me, and I tend to dwell on things like this. Back in 2010, our oldest son Matthew was looking for a project to complete his Eagle Scout award. He wanted to do something to help improve the “grassy park” that was dear to him.

What can you do with $50? You could get a fast-food meal for two and maybe a dinner for two at a local restaurant. Buy groceries for a week? No way but maybe a bag of groceries. You could probably fill the gas tank of a car. That would not even begin to cover a doctor’s bill. Maybe it would cover a movie, but probably not if you add snacks. Streaming or cable TV? Nope. My point is, there are a lot of things in a person’s life they consider essential that are expensive and getting more and more expensive.