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Weekend events offer a chance to honor some people we miss, by having some fun, just the way they would have wanted it:
— On Saturday afternoon, Dec. 7, a fourth annual dart tournament will be the highlight at the Willow River Saloon in Burkhardt, “in memory of our passing team members,” Dan Anderson and Tom “Blackie” Bednarek. “One of them is my dad,” said Chad Bednarek, adding that the men were into darts with a passion, and also valued the companionship that went with it, and the opportunity for everyone to just have some fun. He added they are sorely missed. The format is luck of the draw casino style, with signup at 11 a.m. and the first darts thrown at noon. There is a $10 entry fee and darts isn’t all that’s being offered; there are also raffles, silent auction and toy drive. Toward that end, proceeds go to support Toys For Tots.
After the benefit wraps up later in the afternoon on Saturday, you might consider staying for the evening’s band, The Flashbacks. The acoustic duo Saving Starz takes the stage on Friday night.
— If you’re tired of all the holiday hubbub, kick back by renting one of the six Fast and Furious movies, starring Paul Walker, who died in a recent car crash. What you might not know is that Walker has strong ties to Hudson. An up-and-coming young actor named Alex Neuberger, whose family lived in Hudson for many years before moving to Woodbury, Minn., was Walker’s co-star in a mob flick, Running Scared, that was filmed largely in Europe and put both of them on the map. Walker vowed to stay in touch and come here to do things such as snowboarding. While Walker then did many action movies, Alex followed by playing the canine’s owner in the Disney version of Underdog and also has done a lot of modeling. The family still has many relatives in Hudson and the immediate area.
— Bars such as Guv’s Place in Houlton and Woody’s in Bayport were hoping people would get out of the recent cold and winter doldrums by celebrating Repeal Night. What’s that? The places offer Batch 19, “a pre-prohibition style Lager,” and there were specials Thursday to commemorate the rolling back of that decades-ago ban on alcohol. Speaking of such things, Dick’s Bar and Grill has posted information saying it’s the oldest continuously running bar in Wisconsin, dating back to 1860, because it never closed due to prohibition. Does J. Edgar Hoover know about this?

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