OUTSIDE LOOKING IN

‘Caption This’ winners
The Mascot’s recent “Caption This’ contest ended up with 36 entries. The photo featured a 2-year-old boy standing on top of a kitchen counter and looking into one of the cupboard doors.
The parents of the boy judged the various captions for us and chose our top three winners. First place receives a one-year subscription to the Mascot, second place receives a six-month subscription, and third place receives a three-month subscription.
The first-place winner was Audyn Traen, which included the caption “Making supper. Any suggestions? How ‘bout cookies?
Audyn’s 11-year-old twin sister, Brisbyn, won second place in our first “Caption This” contest.
We were told the twins read the Mascot faithfully each week, which is refreshing to hear since the youth of today generally read everything online.
Second place honors went to Karen Hettling. Her caption read: “Hah, and mom thought she could hide them from me.”
Lydia Coequyt received third place for “Mom said there’s food at home. I can’t find it.”
Several people asked what the boy was actually doing and saying while standing on the counter. Turns out the boy dragged a stool over to the counter and got up on the counter. When his mother, standing close by and capturing the event in the photo, asked him what he was doing, he simply replied “I’m getting a gummy vitamin.”
The Mascot will be hosting another “Caption This” contest around Christmas with holiday-related prizes.

Mascot gets passed around
While I was running around taking photos during Boxelder Bug Days, a woman entered the Mascot office and asked for me. Gail Boe was signing copies of her new children’s book at the Mascot at the time and informed me that this woman was from Staples and wanted to talk with me.
I had no idea who it might be. I couldn’t think of anyone that I know in Staples.
While I was in the Opera Hall later checking out the tribute to Bill Holm that the Society for the Preservation of Minneota’s Heritage (SPMH) was putting on, a woman came up to me and introduced herself as Mary Lou (Buysse) Sapp from Staples.
She had lived in Minneota and left when she was 11 years old. She and her husband, Doug, have a subscription to the Mascot that apparently gets passed around Staples.
“After Doug and I read it, we let others read it, too,” Mary Lou said. “There’s about 10 or 12 others that read it.”
It seemed a little strange that people that never lived in Minneota, nor were familiar with the area would want to read it religiously each week, so I asked Mary Lou about it.
“They enjoy the paper, but they like the different (Icelandic) names that are in there,” she said with a laugh.

Boe’s book available at Mascot
Gail (Wyffels) Boe, who signed copies of her second children’s book “HAY” at the Mascot on Saturday, has her hardcover book for sale in our office.
The book is well written and illustrated, and sends an important message to children and adults. It will make a great Christmas gift.
Boe’s first book, “Lettuce” is also available at our office. That book, too, has a simple but valuable message for children.
Boe is the daughter of Wayne and Kathy Wyffels of Minneota.
We also carry other books written by other local authors. Check them out the next time your are in our office.

Reunion photos
There were several class reunions held during Boxelder Bug Days weekend in Minneota. For those classes who would like to submit a photo of your class reunion, please include the names of those individuals in the photo.
Reunion photos will appear in next week’s Mascot.
Photos can be dropped off at the office no later than Monday, Sept. 18. Photos may also be emailed to us at office@minneotamascot.com or dropped off in the box outside our front door.