Yes it's been hot but July brings parades and festivals that continue through the rest of the Summer. On July 4th a number of my supporters joined me for the Veseli Parade. It was great fun and the response was great too several times along the parade route supporters from the Lonsdale Veseli area cheered when our group went by.
Later in the day I enjoyed the fun at Bridge Square where the Zillionaires played upbeat music for delighted crowd. (photo) I then walked over to Bill McGrath’s annual 4th July picnic. It was good to visit with friends and enjoy potluck picnic fare. Rep. Patti Fritz 
brought cake and I sat and talked with Patti and Jim about the last session and their campaign as we listened to Bill and others belt out some great tunes from the 60s.
July is also the month for filing for political office I filed without
much fanfare on July 7th that was also the Friday on which a Star Tribune story about the highway issue in Belle Plaine appeared. I stopped in at the MNDOT office to see if I could find out more about the issue from their end but there weren’t very helpful or eager to talk. The woman at the information booth suggested I find out from the reporter what was happening. It sounds like another example of a bureaucracy refusing to respond to the concerns of citizens. From my conversations with Belle Plaine residents they have some legitimate concerns.
This last week was Belle Plaine’s Barbecue Days. I had a good crew helping me pass out some campaign info before the parade my kids Gareth and Julia, their friends Ari Gronning and Ryan Hansmeyer, and Ted Ludwig and his daughter. After the parade I helped in the sandwich booth making and handing out sandwiches. The Chamber of Commerce runs the booth and uses the proceeds to support many charitable initiatives. This year they had huge fans cooling us off in the booth so it wasn't too bad. The parade route on the other hand was on the warm side but we all enjoyed ourselves talking to voters. We did not get to the end of the line though before the parade caught up to us there were just too many people. But no politicians are allowed to march in the parade that’s the rule and I believe in observing the rules. Someone suggested I should start a consulting business and then march as a business and although the name and face recognition might be worth it, it is bending the rules. I would still be a politician marching in the parade and it would not be abiding by the spirit of the rule. I know not everyone feels that way some say take advantage where ever you can but that’s not the values I learned when I was growing up. We should all play by the rules.