BIZ BUZZ

The Brainerd lakes area is getting some high altitude exposure through an article in the August issue of Stratos Magazine.

Visit Brainerd, the Brainerd/Baxter lodging association, hosted writer Robert Montgomery. Stratos describes itself as "the premiere in-flight magazine for corporate and private jets."

Montgomery, who stayed at Grand View Lodge in Nisswa, wrote a six-page article saying "Minnesota's outdoor mecca dazzles sportsmen with many varieties of fish and luxurious accommodations."

In his article, Montgomery said a three-day visit wasn't enough. His advice: stay longer, maybe a week or two. "No wonder that so many world-class anglers have decided 'the heck with it. I'll just live here,'" Montgomery wrote.

Besides fishing opportunities, the magazine also included a note for pilots who want to combine their passion with a golf or fishing vacation. Madden's Wings Over Waters Seaplanes offers six days of seaplane training in a refurbished 1952 Piper Super Cub. The training includes take-offs and landings and maneuvering.

The Lodge at Brainerd Lakes in Baxter is hosting a first-time event called Family Fun Day with a portion of proceeds from the event going to help Minnesota military families.

Family Fun Day is from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sept. 5 with multiple activities including the LA Pig Racing Show, activities and entertainment for children, food booth and beer garden, live music and a silent auction, where all proceeds go to Minnesota military families.

Events include sack races, treasure hunt for dollars in sawdust, jump roping, hula hoops, a Teddy Bear Band, Jo Jo the Balloon Guy, a dunk tank, worm races, among others. The food booth - with brats, hot dogs, hamburgers and cotton candy is from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Entertainment and activities run from 1-4 p.m. with admission of $2 and children age 5 and younger are free.

A pitchfork steak fondue and buffet dinner is planned from 5-8 p.m. with music by Rich & the Resistors. The organizations benefiting include the Minnesota Military Family Foundation, Beyond the Yellow Ribbon and Camp Ripley Military Family Assistance, which is expected to have a booth on site for the event.

Kathryn Stotka, director of sales at the Lodge, said planning for the event came together quickly following ideas generated by staff members.

Matt Annand, executive chef at Prairie Bay Grill & Catering in Baxter, is scheduled to be part of the Minnesota Cooks program at the State Fair. Minnesota Cooks is in Carousel Park at the fair on Sept. 1 where Annand is scheduled at 10 a.m. for "a salad of confit of duck rillette with roasted corn and lavender vinaigrette." Annand is one of two chefs at the event who is not based in the Twin Cities.

The program has chefs demonstrating how they use farm-fresh food and Minnesota grown ingredients for their restaurants. The event features seven 45-minute shows with the chefs, interviews with Minnesota farmers and celebrity tasters. For more information, go online to - minnesotacooks.net.

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development reported employers in the state added 10,300 jobs over the month in July. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased from 8.4 percent in June to 8.1 percent in July. The nation's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 9.4 percent in July compared to 5.7 percent in July of 2008.

DEED reported the number of unemployment insurance initial claims in July dropped slightly from June to 44,221 on a seasonally adjusted basis.

"There were 31,400 job vacancies during second quarter 2009, a 39.4 percent decrease from one year ago," DEED reported. "With 7.7 unemployed people for every job vacancy, second quarter 2009 was the most difficult on record for job seekers."

RENEE RICHARDSON, senior reporter, may be reached at renee.richardson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5852.