From the Heart

The summer heat is upon us and as the August days pass, parents are thinking about what it is they need to do to get their kids ready for going back to school. I am not sure what the kids are thinking about.

If I am anything like the next person, I do not want summer to end, and yet I know soon the fall harvest will begin and the change will come. In the meantime I still plan to swim, boat, camp, and sing summer praises.

Art Fairs are a great place to see creative objects and people. While attending the June fair in Old Town, we came across 14 year old Sam Surgalski at his booth. He had taken pho- tos of area places and they were turned into note cards. I was impressed with his ambition and talent and could appreciate the support and encouragement his parents were giving him. I wanted to feature his note cards and the girlfriend I was with, said, "Why don’t you start a column about young entrepreneurs?" I loved her idea and ran back to ask Sam if he would write a story about his business. See our first Young Entrepreneur column on page 17.

Getting a publication ready for print can be a large task. I have the support of a great group of writers and designers who are ready and willing to go the extra mile to help out when I need it (I needed it this time around). This issue covers a wide variety of topics. I hope you will enjoy reading the stories and learning about some of the many resources in the area for parents, children, teachers and our community. Families First Monthly contributors’ are pleased to present them to you.

Laura Lee Kalchik