Is it just me, or are cars getting uglier by the year?

I was enamored with many of the cars that came to the Jordan Classic
Car and Cycle Cruise last weekend, and I'm disenfranchised when I look
at much of the new stuff. I don't want to drive a spaceship. I want to drive a car!

We will all be really happy if the good weather holds out for Heimatfest.

The annual city festival put together by the Heimatfest committee -- with assistance from such organizations as Jordan Community Education and Recreation, the police, firefighters, Scouts, the Jordan Area Chamber of Commerce, the Jordan Commercial Club, churches, the Jordan Jaycees, and more (sorry if I missed you) -- is a time for us to come together and have fun with our neighbors. 

“Hey, Mathias, I have a job for you,” said Kathy Mattson, one of the city’s dedicated Jordan Art Festival volunteers.

I’m up for anything, I told her. Just say the word.

Usually, Mattson, Maureen Carlson, Beverly Ripley, and countless other Jordan Area Chamber of Commerce diehards ask me to volunteer to lift something, to hand out freebies, make phone calls, come to a meeting, talk to somebody, retrieve something from across the festival grounds, drive somewhere, pick up signs, or any number of menial tasks.

Goodbye, Brandon Otte, goodbye.

When the Lounge Cats found out that their favorite staff writer at the Jordan Independent was leaving the job for finer pastures in the school library industry, they insisted on a tribute to the man. 

Otte, taken by surprise at Heimatfest, started to film a song affectionately titled "Brandon." I'll post the lyrics when I can get them. Oops -- here's just a snippet of the song, because Otte ran out of space on his video camera:

My family had a saying when I was a young'un. I think it came from a "Vacation" movie. We always had fun, even in the rain.

"Why?" my dad would say. 

"'Cause we're the Badens!" was to be our scripted refrain.

So tonight, don't let a few clouds or the threat of bad weather keep you away from a good time. The Castaways are already playing, and Heimatfest is ongoing until 11:30 p.m.

Break out a sweater or sweatshirt and c'mon down to Lagoon Park.

I'll be at the Lions food booth in an hour. Stop by and say hi.

Have fun at the Jordan Classic Car and Cycle Cruise tonight. I will be at the Twins game, but I'll be back for Heimatfest tomorrow.

If you're looking to get pictured in the paper tonight, find freelancer Deb Pint. 

Tomorrow, find Brandon Otte (who is working his last event for the paper) or freelancer Ron Mornson. 

Hope you have a good time!

Just a few of notes about the Jordan Area Chamber of Commerce Miss Jordan Ambassador Program pageant a couple days ago and the program in general:

- Wow, that's a long title for a pageant. 

- What is called the personality portion of the pageant is pretty fun. Whatever each Miss Jordan candidate wore was supposed to symbolize part of her personality.

- Emily Hamer wore sunglasses, because she likes the outdoors, she said, and "I'm fun, just like them."

Here's what master of ceremony Wade Olson said about the OK Corral Restaurant & Saloon hosting the Jordan Area Chamber of Commerce Miss Jordan Ambassador Program pageant for the second year in a row:

"The chicken was good."

Here's what Jordan Mayor Ron Jabs said about the Jordan Area Chamber of Commerce Miss Jordan Ambassador Program during the pageant tonight:

"It gives me great pleasure to see that we have 10 young women who want to participate. I am very proud of the royalty that served in the last year."

About the candidates for 2008-2009 Miss Jordan, he added:

"They are all winners. No matter what the outcome is here, I'm proud of every one of you."

My summer is spent shooting photos.

There are lots of festivals and other events going on in and around Jordan during the summertime. Most recently, Mark Olson of the Chaska Herald and I shot the Scott Carver Threshers Festival. Just prior to that excellent annual get-together, Jordan Independent Staff Writer Brandon Otte and I shot the Scott County Fair. 

These are good times and fun work for a journalist.