Thursday, September 28, 2006

September 28, 2006 - Thursday

09/28/06 THURSDAY
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Todays Gazette is brought to you by the 2006 American Crystal
Sugarbeet Harvest.
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The current temperature is 43 degrees.
Yesterdays H/L temperature was 57/36
Normal H/L temp for this date is 65/40
The low did dip to 28.9 for a few minutes early this morning.
Full stock pile sugarbeet harvest is scheduled to begin this Friday
night at midnight. (weather permitting)
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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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Tomorrow night at midnight. One of the most significant, and
fascinating, processes in the Red River Valley will begin in earnest,
weather permitting. Thousands of people will come together to man the
myriad of equipment needed to harvest upwards of 11 million tons of
sugarbeets.
Many area businesses will remain open extended hours throughout the
harvest, with several operating twenty four hours a day to assist in
harvest operations.
During the harvest period, literally thousands of trucks loaded with
sugarbeets will travel hundreds of Red River Valley roads to their
respective receiving stations. With many growers running twenty four
hour schedules, time to sleep often becomes a premium. Each day of
harvest, tens of thousands of tons of sugarbeets will be harvested and
stockpiled for later processing. Even though safety is always a major
concern, often long hours, sometimes during less than favorable weather
conditions, can sometimes slow ones reaction time giving cause for all
of us in the valley to be especially careful.
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I am still hearing and receiving tributes to Ricardo "Dick" Escobar.
Former "Graftonite", Don Kitzman who presently resides in the Mesa
Arizona, sent the following. >>> Gary,
Your obituary and tribute Tuesday about Ricardo Escobar, was a true
description of Ricardo!
I knew Ricardo before he became a resident of Grafton, and he was
always a gentleman and caring individual. He and Delia were a wonderful
couple that raised a wonderful family of Five.
Thanks to you Gary, for the fine tribute to Ricardo Escobar! Our
prayers go out to Delia and Family! Don Kitzman <<< Thanks a
million for caring and sharing Don. Your kind comments and those of many
others add credence to the following quote. "The true wealth of a man,
is not counted by gold and jewels. Rather by the respect of family and
friends." (GLM) To that end, Ricardo was an extremely wealthy man.
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I notice several SOLD signs sitting on top of Country Realty signs
around town. It appears as though Paul and Marietta Campbell's house
will soon have new occupants. The house Father John Garland built on
Griggs Avenue for his retirement also has a SOLD sign out front. Jack
and Dorothy Morgan were the last residents of that particular south end
location.
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Small town America, Use it or lose it.
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It's funny how things change as we get older. Maturity is that time It
becomes easier to look backward rather than forward. A time when one
looks forward to getting up in the morning and going to the
bathroom,.... especially, if it can be in just that order.
The ageing process, for me at least, also creates a condition some
refer to as brain flatulence. For instance. The other day I received,
and ultimately sent out, a note from Lyle Anderson. A new found friend
and short term neighbor from Rocky Point. Lyle lives in Idaho. For some
reason (I suspect the cause was a brain flatulent) I confused Lyle with
Lowell Efterfield, another new found friend and Rocky Point neighbor.
Maybe it was because both names had the letter L in them. Maybe because
Lyle originates from the Warren area and Lowell north of Oslo. More than
likely, however, I was confusing my ability to write, with my ability to
think. Unaware of the ultimate deterioration of both. At any rate,
until now, only Lowell, Lyle, and I knew of my well honed ability to
screw things up.
So, if it's true that the first step on the road to humility is
admitting ones mistakes. Please consider Yesterdays Gazette a very small
step toward that end.
And, I am most grateful Lyle Anderson was kind enough to nudge me back
in the right direction with the following note. He wrote: >>> Gary, I
think you have the wrong Lyle. The Lyle who sent you the e-mail about
the Walleye, is the Lyle who met you at the resort, Rocky Point in
Warroad. Not a problem tho, I sure enjoy your news letter.
Lyle Anderson, Hailey, Id. <<< Thanks a million Lyle. I think I'm on
the right track now.
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Now then, since I have Lyle and Lowell straight in my mind, and since
Lowell is in fact a sailer. I'll share the following "tidbit" on
sailing. >>> Bet you didn't know this!
In the heyday of sailing ships, all war ships and many freighters
carried iron cannons. Those cannons fired round iron cannon balls. It
was necessary to keep a good supply near the cannon. However, how to
prevent them from rolling about the deck? The best storage method
devised was a square-based pyramid with one ball on top, resting on
four, resting on nine, which rested on sixteen. Thus, a supply of 30
cannon balls could be stacked in a small area right next to the
cannon. There was only one problem... how to prevent the bottom layer
from sliding or rolling from under the others. The solution was a
metal plate called a "Monkey" with 16 round indentations.
However, if this plate were made of iron, the iron balls would quickly
rust to it. The solution to the rusting problem was to make "Brass
Monkeys." Few land lubbers realize that brass contracts much more and
much faster than iron when chilled. Consequently, when the
temperature dropped too far, the brass indentations would shrink so
much that the iron cannonballs would come right off the monkey. Thus, it
was quite literally, "Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass
monkey." (All this time, you thought that was an improper - expression,
didn't you?)
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We are pleased to send Ron Thompson's name to the subscription
department today. Ron is not only a retired Grafton school
administrator, he also "offers" to buy coffee at Granny's,... when he
loses.
And,.. I'm told, can deliver a pretty darn good sermon at Grafton
Lutheran Church when called upon as well. I do know he's never short of
words at Granny's anyway.
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GOTTA GO WORK ON MY DASH
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The Gazette works best, when the folks the read it, write it. Or so it
seems to me.


Write if you can, call if you can't, and, tell your loved ones they are,
before it's too late.

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