[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 109 (Wednesday, June 25, 2025)]
[House]
[Page H2961]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1730
                  LAKE OF THE ISLES PENCIL SHARPENING

  (Ms. OMAR asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. OMAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize John and Amy Higgins 
and their work to host the Fourth Annual Lake of the Isles Pencil 
Sharpening.
  In 2022, after high winds damaged a 180-year-old oak tree near the 
historic Bull Higgins house, John and Amy commissioned local sculptor 
Curtis Ingvoldstad to shape it into a piece of art that folks of all 
ages can identify with: the No. 2 pencil.
  Since then, John and Amy have welcomed the Minnesota community to 
join them on the first Saturday in June for an annual ceremonious 
pencil sharpening, complete with music, coordinated dance, and ice 
cream.
  Through this annual event, John and Amy present the community with a 
story of renewal--a symbolic sharpened pencil to write new love letters 
or thank-you notes with--and invite folks to reflect on all of the 
things they have done in the past year and welcome in the next.

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