What’s Happening in Shell Lake!!
What’s Up in Shell Lake!
January certainly has held up its reputation as being the coldest month of the year! And the ironic thing is that this last cold spell, and winter vortex has encompassed 40 states. The good news is that there is some relief in sight!
And who can forget that February is the month with Valentines Day.
Andy Eiche, the City Administrator, and myself were able to attend the Best of Washburn County a couple of weeks ago in Spooner. This celebration is to acknowledge the area merchants in Washburn County with the results that were obtain from residents voting on their favorite establishments. It was really an enjoyable evening, but what was the most exciting was seeing the area merchants just from Shell Lake that were nominated….there were many. I wanted to share with you the results, and felt that this would be a great place to announce them.
THE BEST OF 2025 in Washburn County…..and for Shell Lake the WINNERS are:
Best Fish Fry: Lakeview Bar and Grill
Best Attraction: Perlick Distillery
Best Bites: The Laughing Goat
Best Pour: Klopps Fifth Avenue Bar
AND THE NOMINEE FINALIST WERE:
Best Lodging: Shell Lake Lodge
Best Shopping Experience: Hemp and Home
Best of the Outdoors- Hunt Hill
Best Attraction: The Potter’s Shed
Best Event: Shell Lake Town & Country Days
Best Attraction: Shell Lake Beach
Shell Lake had EIGHT nominations, and out of those eight, FOUR of them were winners!! Just think eight nominations, that is incredible. As a city we are extremely proud of these nominations and awards. As long as we are talking about the BEST OF 2025…I thought it would be fun to state the BEST of 2025 for the City of Shell Lake and what we have accomplished:
. Completed Stage 2 of the Beach House, with a new roof, and added insulation
. New security system at Memorial Park installation, installed to decrease the number of vandalisms that were happening at the Beach House, Pavilion, and Community Center. Since system was installed, there have been no more slit screens, broken windows, and punched holes in the walls at the Pavilion.
. First Successful Winterfest, with over 300 people in attendance
. Breaking ground for the Shell Lake Art Center’s major renovation and upgrade
. First Northern Lights Choir production
. New windows installed at the Library
. New coffee shop opened on Main Street
. New Ice-Skating rink in Tip Town manned totally by volunteers
. A city budget that has remained well below inflation, even when everything around us is rising in price and costs.
. We Successfully installed and completed a much-needed lift station, a $937K project that was made more manageable thanks to the efforts of Shell Lake City Administrator, Mr. Eiche. He secured grant funding that forgave over $600K of the principal, leaving us with a low-interest loan of 1.15% on the remaining balance. Talk about a win for our community! THIS WAS HUGE!!
As you can see, 2025 has been a very busy and successful year. It has been so heartwarming to see how this community has worked together to make it such a vibrant city!
WINTERFEST is the next event that the City of Shell Lake will be putting on. It will be on Saturday February 14th held at the Beach House from 1100-4:00pm. We have plans for a great day of fun for young and old alike. New this year will be a fundraiser put on by the FFA. They will be selling grilled cheese sandwich, and hot tomato soup served in the Beach House. There will be a nominal charge for this food to raise money for their club. The following are activities that are scheduled for the day, all of which are free:
. Ice Fishing contest for kids ages 3-15. All fishing equipment will be supplied, and this will take place in the south bay. Please gather at the Beach House, and there will be transportation from the Beach House to the fishing spot provided by The Shell Lake Lodge. There will be prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place for Bass, Walleye and Northern. Overall prize for biggest fish caught will be an Ion Alpha 8-inch Steel Turbo Auger! These prizes will be awarded at the Beach House at about 4:00 PM. For more details, please see City of Shell Lake Facebook Page of events.
. S’mores by the fireside in the Beach House, along with hot chocolate and hot apple cider
. Adult Fishing experience on the lake hosted by Tom Rasmussen and his son-in-law
. Campfires on the beach
. Possible skating on the lake if weather permits
Please come and join us for an evening of fun and fellowship with your neighbors and friends. Who knows…maybe you might catch the biggest fish!!! This is a great opportunity to support the FFA, as well as get everyone out to enjoy the BOLD North. Winter’s can be long, but with this kind of fellowship with neighbors and friends, it’s one way to Warm the Hearts on this Valentine’s Day!
In case you haven’t been by the Shell Lake Art Center, there has been great progress on their new addition! Looking down the street has a completely different look. It is so fun to see this transition take place literally before our eyes. If you haven’t driven by, there is a link that you can go to and see the progress right at home. By clicking on the link, you are able to see an updated photo every 10 minutes during their construction process.
That link is: https://app.oxblue.com/open/marketjohnson/shelllakeartscenter. Word on the street is that they are on schedule, and plan to open in May. This is all so exciting for them, and for the City of Shell Lake!! Stay tune for next months update….
Dates to Remember in February:
. 9th City Council Meeting @ City Hall 7:00pm
. 14th WINTERFEST at Beach House from 1100-4:00
. 14th Valentine’s Day (Library will be CLOSED)
. 16th President’s Day (City Hall and Library will be CLOSED)
As we head into February, it’s nice to know that the days are getting longer, and this year we get to look forward to both the Super Bowl and the Winter Olympics. Also, don’t forget that special someone in your life that you can celebrate love, sweet treats, gifts and quality time with your favorite squeeze on Valentine’s Day.
Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!!
Mayor Rowie Hansberger