May 19, 2006 - Friday

05/19/06 FRIDAY
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Todays Gazette is being brought to you by Arnesen's Rocky Point
Resort, on the south shores of beautiful Lake of the Woods in northern
Minnesota.
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The current temperature is 59 degrees.
Yesterdays H/L temperature was 69/40
Normal H/L temp for this date is 72/45
The forecast for this summer is for above average fishing with
average, or, a little above average catching.
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"Profanity makes ignorance audible."
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L O C A L news & stuff,.. mostly stuff.
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The presidents plan to send 5,000 troops to protect "our" southern
borders makes about as much sence as a mouse crawling up an elephants
backside with immoral intent on his mind.
Obviously, someone forgot to tell the president that by the
time you split them into 4 shift's, take into account sick leave,
vacation, coffee breaks, smoke breaks, funeral leave, maturnity leave,
and, allow for time to send and receive jokes thru the e-mail. There
will only be a handful of people left to actually gaurd "our" borders.
AND, that's just about exactly what we have there now.
"Let he that professes we owe the world a safe haven from poverty,
be the first to open his spare bedroom, davenport and living room floor
and refrigerator to the flood of non-registered immigrants coming over
the border."
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I suspect "our" laws and regulations would be significantly
differant, if the folks that made them, had to pay for them with their
own money.
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The Reverand's Yeager wanted to share the following. >>> Subject:
Illegal in NC
Gary, your frustration is felt all around the nation, hence President
Bush's address last evening. I suspect there's a little racism (we're
all human), a little xenophobia (fear of the new, fear of change), but I
think most people are just outraged at the lawlessness of it all.
Americans tend to love the law (hence Court TV, CSI and Law and Order
series et al.) Businesses break the law to hire cheap labor, and people
break the law coming over our borders. That used to be nothing, but
after September 11, 2001, things have changed. North Carolina is one of
the biggest destinations after California and Texas for illegal aliens.
The majority of them are hard-working, honest people, but illegal
nevertheless.
St Mark's is considering seriously opening an ESL tutoring program, in
order to smooth these folk's paths to citizenship, help them out of
poverty, and hopefully assimilate them into the culture. Lutherans down
here have had all the old country (German, mostly) knocked out of them
for over a century - perdy darn well assimilated, if you ask me! Anyhow,
we're asismilating, too. I wish everyone could see our cabbage and
broccoli. Red piedmont clay, amended properly, seems to nourish our
plants just like Red River Valley soil nourished our rhubarb on Edgewood
Avenue.
Anyhow, God's blessing be with you all!
Greg and Carol Yeager
China Grove, NC <<< Thanks for caring and sharing. I just drove buy your
former residence and it's still empty.
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I am pleased that so many remember Gene and Frances Fortner. David
Nelson sent the following. >>> Hi Gary, I sure enjoy getting the local
news. In regards to Gene Fortner, I believe his wife's name was Frances.
I don't know why I remember that except I think at one time they lived
down in our old neighborhood on 2nd Street, across the alley from my
Dad's garden. You are right, the lip stick was bright red. David <<<
Thanks a milllion for caring and sharing Dave. I wasn't aware the
Fortners lived next to you dads (Nels Hanson) garden.
++++++
Joyce (Ebertowski) Anderson shared this memory. >>> Gene's wife's
name was Frances. She was such a great neighbor to us also. She used to
be on our party line; way back when. Frannie would pick up the phone
without checking to see if anyone else was already using it, and start
dialing away. If we were in the middle of a converstion, we would get to
hear the whole number dialed, and all the while we would be saying
"Frannie, we're on the phone". When she got done dialing we would
usually hear, "Is somebody on the line" from her, and we would have to
explain all over again that, yes, we were on the line. I'm sure glad we
don't have to depend on party lines anymore. Joyce. <<< Thanks a million
Joyce, I too remember the party line phone system. At times it could be
frustrating. Then again so too can cell phones.
+++++
Wally sent the following memories of the Fortners. >>> Dear
editor, You were wondering who Gene Fortner was married to. Her
name was Frances. They were good people. Their pride and joy was their
little dog, and, the dog loved the the same.
Oh,.. that red lip stick.... I have never seen an equal. We
did a lot of charge accounts i the old store on fifth street. I always
remember they were the first to pay their bill every month,.. that was
with no exception.
My biggest memory of Frances was one day I went across the alley
to get a pail of hot water ( I didn't have hot water ) as I walked
through the kitchen she was bending under a table getting an aluminium
kettle. There was were a lot of kettles under that tables,... and as I
went by I kind of bumped her on the backside, she went forward into all
those kettles and it made the biggest noise I have ever heard, or will
ever hear.
She got up and started hollering at me -- BIG TIME -- I said I was
sorry (well kinda) The people were shocked at how loud she could shout.
I hit for the front door and she followed me out to the street. The
people at Stan's Cafe (across the street) came out to see what was going
on at Zinkes. Well I hit for the store and to this day I can't remember
if I got the pail of hot water or not. But I got myself in hot water.
Yup this is true and we became better friends.
I miss people like Gene and Frances, they don't come any better.
The Water Boy, WALLY <<< Thanks a million for caring and
sharing Wally. I remember Frances always seemed to carry a reasonably
well used, wet, dish towel. One day, when Frances was going to bring me
a cup of coffee, the cup had "something" in it. As she set it down in
front of me, she stuck that "well used" dishtowel into the cup and
scratched out the crude inside and poored coffee into it. She looked at
me and smiled with her bright red lipstick beaming from ear to ear and
said, "it's Okay, I got most of it otta there." And,... I guess (hope)
she did.
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From time to time I receive notes requesting I not use their name.
This is one of them, and, I think you'll be able to tell why. The
purpose of the Gazette is to exchange ideas. This note certainly
qualifies in that area, and, maybe may open some important dialog to
boot.
Gary
These ramblings might not make much sense and if you use them, please
keep my name off.
Grafton has 4 or five banks. Now,.. only one new car dealer, two
grocery stores one hardware strore etc. This would indicate that the
banking business is very profitable (which I guess everyone knows).
What do these banks in Grafton do with their investment capital and
their deposits that are made by local people? Do they invest it back
into Grafton? I haven't seen much new investment. I'll bet only a small
fraction stays in town. Most of it goes to Minneapolis or San
Francisco. This takes an enormous amount of money out of the
community. Just think of the economic activity that could be going on
if they were required to leave a good portion of our money in
Grafton. Banks have no monetary competion, they have talked the
government into letting them pay the same interest to everyone.
The Chamber of Commerce should get the local bank managers
together and tell them to leave a bigger share of their money in town or
move their bank to Minneapolis. These banks really hurt the small
town and help the larger ones. <<<
WOW,... if this note doesn't jog a thought and a note or two, I'll
be surprised. There's no question in my mind that the Chamber of
Commerce along with the folks from "our" local financial institutions in
conjuction with the residents of the area need to get together and
decide whether or not "we" want to continue as a viable economic service
based community. Or if "we" will resolve ourselves to the fact that "we"
may well become the largest "bedroom" community in the state.
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Almost every day I receive notes that are of particular interest
to me. This one certainly qualifies in that catagory. Jerry wrote. >>>
Hi Gary & Pat,
Check out Arnesen's new updated web site. Click through the various
topics and options, you'll never guess who's in several photos! (I won't
ruin the surprise)
Hope you enjoy the new site, it's excellent. Jerry <<< Thanks a million
Jerry. I checked it out and you are absolutly right. It's a super new
web site, AND, if I may be so humble, some of the folks in the pictures
are too. I especially like the picture of the guy fishing, and the folks
relaxing in the cabin on the lake shore picture isn't bad either. I
poked around the web site until I found a picture with our motorhome and
boat in it as well.
Since I'm on the subject, AND, Pat and I will be there tomorrow (I
hope) I will take this opportunity to invite everyone to check out
Arnesen's new web site, then pick a week-end, a week or two and come out
and spend some time enjoying one of the nicest fishing resorts you'll
every find on a fresh water lake sitting on the border between the
United States and Canada.
arnesens.com is the place to look, or, if you'd sooner call,
1-800-535-7585 will get you the lodge office. Tell them you know me,
and, that you heard about Rocky Point in the Gazette. It won't help you
a darn bit but I was always told it's often better if you know
"someone".
So,.. Jack, Steve and Eddie, put the coffee on, throw some chum in
the water and save me a bucket of leaches, I'm on the way.
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Do to circumstances beyond my control. Mainly the irresistable
urge to drown leaches in lake water. The Gazette will commence it's
summer schedule. I reserve the right from time to time to send fishing
reports some of which might even be factual. Of course we do plan on
being in Grafton during Summerfest. I sure hope everyone else does too.
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GOTTA GO WORK ON MY DASH
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Write if you can, call if you can't, and, tell your loved ones they are,
before it's too late.