One of the best gifts I have given myself this holiday season is setting aside money to hire a local youth to shovel my sidewalk.

With a front sidewalk and a driveway in the back, the boy I hired taking on half of my shoveling workload has been better than anything else I could have bought for myself.

And I'm betting there are plenty of other local youths who are willing to scoop up the snow after it falls - covering driveways, sidewalks, mailboxes and more - for reasonable amounts of money.

For anyone with a busy lifestyle, I highly recommend this. It's something that doesn't take a whole lot of time, but when you come home after a long day and it's dark, it sure is nice not to have to spend more time shoveling.

Granted, this is my first Craig winter, and most native residents are probably laughing at me about how unaccustomed I am to lots of snow, but there is another benefit to this arrangement.

It allows youths and teens a chance to get started running a business. The kids have to do the work, ensure the customer is getting what is expected, make shoveling fit into his or her schedule when it snows, collect money from customers and learn all along the way.

And for teens looking for community service projects to add to their resumes, helping someone in need by shoveling snow is a wonderful idea. (I probably wouldn't qualify as someone in need, though. I'm just busy and out of shape.)

These aren't new ideas, but for any local youths who do decide to take up or continue in either the business or community service aspects of snow shoveling, I say: "Happy shoveling - and learning."

Edward Watson buys sawmill from Otis Lyons

Edward Watson recently purchased the sawmill near Milner from Otis Lyons, whom Watson called a "great man."

Watson said it has always been his dream to own a sawmill.

"My family was in the business since they came over from England on the big boat," he said, mentioning that his great-great-grandfather owned a sawmill in England, and other relatives of his have owned sawmills in the United States.

Now called Woodwise Productions, the sawmill produces lumber from blue-stained beetle-kill pine trees. Watson said the lumber has a bluish tint to it from a fungus caused by the pine beetles, thus its name. However, he said, the fungus does not harm people or ruin the wood, instead making it more "exotic" and "very beautiful."

Although a few changes and updates will be made to machinery at the sawmill, there are not plans at this time for major changes, Watson said. However, the sawmill may add rough walnut wood from Kansas to its products, he said.

Watson said the sawmill is open for business and ready to help customers with any lumber needs. To contact Woodwise Productions, call 846-8477.

Lyons said that he wanted to thank all of his former customers and encourage them to continue supporting the sawmill.

Also, Lyons has bundles of firewood for sale. To contact him, call 824-9912 or 326-6938.

Insurance program wins national award

The Teen Save Driver Program from American Family Insurance Group has been awarded A.M. Best's E-Fusion award, which is considered one of the leading technology honors in the insurance industry.

Teen Save Driver was developed in association with DriveCam, a company specializing in reducing risky driving behavior and saving lives, according to a news release. The company has recorded a 76 percent decrease in risky behavior after teens spent 10 weeks in the program, the release stated.

Teen Safe Driver is offered to American Family customers with a teen driver for free for up to one year.

"My customers who have participated in the program tell me it's a tremendous opportunity to help build good driving habits in their young drivers," said Al Cashion, American Family Insurance agent in Craig. "The judges in this national competition agreed, and I would urge anyone with new drivers to check out the program and consider enrolling."

For information about Teen Save Driver or American Family Insurance, call Cashion at 826-0545, or stop by his office at 18 W. Victory Way in Craig.