&uot;Kudos: To praise or honor. To praise, credit, or glory for an achievement.&uot;

I looked this up in the dictionary because I wanted the exact word for what this week’s column would be about.

I also like this word and think I will use it more often in my life. Example: Kudos to you Molly (my chocolate lab) for not whining to get on the bed.

I don’t think she will understand, but at least I get to use this neat word.

Follow me as I use Kudos in different situations, it will be fun.

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Kudos to Mayor Aaron Summers, City Manager Victoria Simonsen and the number of agencies and businesses who answered the call for an emergency meeting last Friday to formulate a plan to help Hurricane Katrina survivors who might relocate to Albert Lea.

This is refreshing in so many ways:

Forward progress is happening and it feels good. As Simonsen said at the meeting, &uot;It was good for us to get together and talk.&uot;

We as a city broke down barriers and came together to help people who needed help in a time of crisis.

We did it in a short time period.

Now that we know it can be done, I think we should continue the forward progress and have meetings to help other communities and to help our own community grow and be successful.

Can you imagine if we could get a regular meeting between our city officials and the business and civic leaders from our area what could get accomplished?

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Kudos to the new chamber director Susie Peterson. I met her the other day and the best way to describe Susie is class and sophistication meets energy and enthusiasm.

I think Susie will do a great job and will add another great representative for both Freeborn County as well as Albert Lea.

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Kudos to Keith Fligge, who just retired, although you would never know it by all the work he has been doing for the Albert Lea Sesquicentennial committees. Keith, enjoy your retirement and I am sorry I missed your party; I heard it was a great time. Go Gophers.

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Kudos to Carol Wolters and Kelly Schultz, the 2006 Sesquicentennial co-chairs for the countless hours they have given for the sole purpose of raising both awareness and money for Albert Lea’s 150th birthday celebration which is right around the corner.

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Kudos to my niece, Kristie, and her new husband, Josh, on their recent wedding that I attended back in Michigan. It was a beautiful wedding and my niece was stunning.

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Kudos to my sister, Teresa, and my brother-in-law, Andy for planning and paying for such a first-class event.

And my final Kudos goes out to my mom. Watching her at the wedding with her brothers and sisters, as well as all of her kids, was special to me. My mom has gone through two hip replacements and a back surgery in the last two years, but she never looked more beautiful to me than when she walked in to the wedding with her magnificent dress.

I can always tell by the look in her eyes how proud she is when all the family is around, and I’m not sure if it was the wedding or the fact that all her children and grandchildren were washed up and clean at the same time, but I saw that look a lot that day.

So, we are at the end of my kudos column, I hope you enjoyed my use of the word and feel free to use it yourself. It is awkward at first, but once you get in the swing of things, I think you will like it.