Hope you were able to get your guess in as the entry time for the Ely Echo Ice Out Contest melted away quickly.
We received just over 200 entries and the last ones received are in this story. From now on we will be watching the lake to see when the lake will be clear enough for the folks at Grand Ely Lodge to declare a winner.
In order of when the ice will melt, the earliest guess this past week came from David Farley of Tower who selected April 4 at 9:04 a.m.
Next up was Dick Sparks with April 7 at 4 p.m.
Hometown cooking may be in store for Keith Appleberry who went with April 12 at 12:30 p.m. Same day but 2:15 p.m. for Carlie LaLone.
City council member John Lahtonen likes April 13 at 8:05 a.m. while all the way from Longs, SC it will be at 4 p.m. according to Jim Saisa.
One guess for April 14, Charlie Heitzig of Maple Grove, MN with 8:41 a.m.
Ice out will be on tax day according to Ely resident Sarah Burger who checked 12:01 p.m. while Christian Murray of San Mateo, CA is a bit later, at 3:47 p.m.
Going with April 16 was Ferrah LaLone at 12:41 p.m. while Nadine Thibault of San Mateo, CA has a feeling about 3:47 p.m.
Elyite Warren Burger told us ice out will happen on April 17 at 10:04 a.m.
Same day but 11:17 a.m. for Anthony Vancura of Prescott, WI while Ot Derr of Longmont, CO chose 3:33 p.m.
The West Coast guessers of Philip Lamars from Wenatchee, WA likes April 18 at 2:35 p.m. and Mongomery Murray of San Mateo, CA has a feeling for 3:47 p.m.
The ice will part Shagawa on April 19 at 9:10 a.m. according to Krystal Burger.
April 21 had the following guessers: Joe Shikonya of Grafton, WI at 9:47 a.m., Marlene Appleberry of Ely at 10:45 a.m., Elam Moran of Ely at 1:31 p.m. and Emily Botten of Rochester, MN at 4:32 p.m.
The Final Four folks se- lecting April 22 were: Jack Volkert of Minnetonka, MN at 11:40 a.m., Mike Kostecky of Andover, MN at 11:45 a.m., Beau Peterson of Ely at 4 p.m. and Jim Peterson of Ely at 4:22 p.m.
Five folks liked April 23, starting with Bev Groteboer of Ely at 11:45 a.m., Randy Hull of Otsego, MN at 1 p.m., Todd Foate of Taylors Falls, MN at 1:43 p.m., Sue Peterson of Ely at 4:23 p.m. and ending with Madison Jonas of Ely at 9 a.m.
Another five star pick was April 24: Maeve Murray of Ely at 9:03 a.m., Ben Lalone of Proctor at 10:53 a.m., Judy Steckbauer of Oshkosh, WI at 11:23 p.m., Terri Hull of Brooklyn Park, MN at 2:51 p.m. and Jared Peterson of Ely April 24 at 4:24 p.m.
We had six pack of guessers for April 25, Braden Jonas at 1:16 p.m., PJ McDonald of Mankato, MN at 10:17 a.m., Robert Wolff Jr. of Eureka, WI at noon, Dennis Burns of Ely at 12:22 p.m., Haylie LaLone at 12:41 p.m. and from Ely, Anne Lincicome Johnson at 3 p.m.
The fantastic five choosing April 26 were: Keith Zorman of Mountain Iron, MN at 10:39 a.m., Bob Saunders of Princeton, MN at 1:15 p.m., Ely’s Chris Pechacek at 1:30 p.m., Patricia Nettifee of Ely at 3:15 p.m. and Lori McNamara of Stillwater, MN at 6:12 p.m.
Double digit guessers at 10 for April 27, starting with Mathew Grahek of Ely at 9:25 a.m., Brian Bird of Rogers, MN at 10:18 a.m., Joan Wolff of Eureka, WI at 12:34 p.m., Alexandra Samuelson of Ely at 2:33 p.m., Jodi Wolff of Taylors Falls, MN at 2:49 p.m., Judy J. Murray of Stillwater, MN at 3 p.m., Olin Mefford of Florence, AL at 3:35 p.m., Chrissie McKinnon of Ely at 4:11 p.m. and Babbitt city council member Duane Lossing at 4:27 p.m., and Brian Johnson of Ely at 6 p.m.
Three morning and one afternoon entry for April 28: Ruthanne Fenske at 10:07 a.m., Steve Smrekar of Ely at 10:30 a.m., Sarah Jonas of Ely at 11 a.m. and playing the long game, Doug Witt of Ely at 4:30 p.m.
Nine entrants like April 29, so that’s kind of neat: Kelsey Velcheff of Ely at 7:42 a.m., Lucy Soderstrom of Ely at 8:31 a.m., Greg Jonas of Ely at 10 a.m., JoAnn Derr of Longmont, CO at 11:26 a.m., Carol Kossel of Oshkosh, WI at 11:33 a.m., Richard Jopp at 2:30 p.m.. Alexandra Murray Bender from Rochester, NY at 2:34 p.m., Dave Beauclair of Ely at 4:15 p.m. and all the way from Fort Worth, TX, Kevin Kautzman predicts 4:16 p.m.
Here’s another six pack, this one for April 30: Amber Pechacek of Ely at 8:36 a.m., Prudence LaLone of Ely at 10:30 a.m., Julie Weller from Taylors Falls, MN at 3:30 p.m., Gary Frieden from down in Greenfield, IN at 3:32 p.m., Ely resident Kevin Kautzman at 3:51 p.m. and the from gambling central in Las Vegas, NV, Martie Sparks bet on 4:20 p.m.
Here’s some May Day entries, Katie Heitzig of Ely at 8:56 a.m., Greg Dunnell from Niwot, CO at 11:11 a.m. and Ely resident Tammy Velcheff at 2:30 p.m. Now, we had to adjust Matt Bender’s entry since 30 days hath April, the Rochester, NY resident likes 2:34 p.m.
Super EBCH surgery suite worker Nancy Smrekar of Ely led off the May 2 entries at 10:45 a.m., followed by Nicole Kautzman of Ely at 2:16 p.m. and Tim Govert of Ely at 2:35 p.m.
A trio of May guessers started with the best name of the week, Finn Bender of Rochester, NY at 2:34 p.m., Jim Petrik of Coon Rapids, at 3 p.m. and Chuck Geist of Ely at 3:45 p.m.
The fourth must be with Lynda Dunnell of Niwot, CO who likes 4 p.m., Justine Carlson of Ely said 4:11 p.m. and Mary Ross of Prior Lake, MN predicts 4:46 p.m.
Our May 5 pickers start with Nancy Kirkpatrick of Saybrook, IL at 10:12 a.m., Finley Sunderman of Le-Sueur, MN at 2:34 p.m. and wrap up with Tove W. of Ely at 3 p.m.
May 6 was a popular picked as well with Tom Stewart of Ely at 1 p.m., Mike Murray of Ely at 1:44 p.m.. Audra Bird from Rogers, MN at 2 p.m. and Hunter Ross of Prior Lake, MN at 4:30 p.m.
May 7 is always a greagt day and we think Frances Bender of Stillwater, MN would agree, especially if ice out is at 2:34 p.m.
Going with fishing opener, May 9 was Luke Laverty of Prior Lake, MN at 4:45 p.m.
We have a Mother’s Day pick, Deb Krengel of Taylors Falls, MN went with May 10 at 10:26 a.m.
And we have our pessimists, Leland Bender of Stillwater, MN on May 11 at 2:34 p.m., Becky Scheuneman of Kingston, IL on May 13 at 3:06 p.m., Deb Sunderman of LeSueur, MN on May 14 at 2:45 p.m., Angela Hull of Brooklyn Park, MN on May 15 at 2:15 p.m. and finally, Dale Sunderman of LeSueur, MN on May 16 at 2:54 p.m.
Ice out is official when a boat could leave Grand Ely Lodge’s dock and cross to the north side of the lake, chunks of ice notwithstanding.
