January 21, 2008 - Monday

Todays Gazette is brought to you by The Grafton Square and the nations
first ==== "GIANT" Hot Stuff Pizza. ====
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The current temperature is -7 degrees.
Yesterdays H/L temperature was -2/-24
Normal H/L temp for this date is 15/-5
The forecast for the rest of the week is for more "normal like"
temperatures. Unfortunately,... this time of the year,... our
temperatures are normally colder than normal,...... anyway.
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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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Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Even though, possibly, his most
famous words were "I have a dream". I doubt very seriously that having a
national day set aside in his name was in that dream.
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I understand the St.Thomas Booster Club Fish fry held this past
Saturday was a huge success. Rumor has it, they also had orders for
several dozen Walleye dinners to be delivered in Grafton.
Small towns can do better when they stick together.
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Apparently, some folks think dropping animals off on country roads
relieves them of their moral responsibility. Fortunately most folks know
that isn't true. Rick shared the following thoughts on that specific
issue. He wrote. >>> Gary,
You are quite correct in assuming that there would not be a warm
reception to having stray cats and kittens dropped off at our facility
any more than farmers or other homeowners would appreciate it. Most
veterinarians do not have the facility or staff to take care of the
number of stray pets that are out there. In fact, most shelters and
humane societies do not have the all the room and resources that they
would like. The problem lies in owners that are not responsible
enough to get their pets neutered and spayed to try and control the pet
population problem. Owning a pet is a privilege, not a right,
and having a pet is a significant responsibility that many people do not
understand when they first get a pet. It takes a fairly significant
amount of commitment, time as well as financial, to take care of a pet
in the proper manner. Unfortunately, many people acquire pets on
impulse and do not understand that with proper care, many pets will live
more than 12 to 15 years.
Rick <<< Thanks a million for caring and sharing Rick. "The Price is
Right" Bob Barker, said it best. "Help control the pet population, have
your pet spade or neutered." Maybe he should have added, "and, the
folks that drop off helpless animals in the country too."
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A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor. (Thanks
Frank)
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A while back I sent out several, actually a whole bunch more than
several, copies of a test purported to be that for 8th graders. That
"may" or "may not" be the case. My Rocky Point, (Dr. of Music) professor
friend sent me the following enlightenment, to that issue, as well as a
whole host of others.
Lloyd shared the following. >>>
Gary:
Check out this site.
http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/a/1895exam.htm
It defines the 1895 Exam as more likely one made for teachers and not
for 8th Graders. There is no indication anywhere on the exam that it was
intended for students graduating from Grade 8.
It is still a very stiff exam, even for graduating teachers, especially
since most teachers of the time were only required to have 2 years of
college training to be certified to teach.
Lloyd W. Hanson <<<<
Thanks a million for caring and sharing Lloyd. I must admit that I have
referred to the site you mentioned several times already. I think many
of "our" readers will also find it interesting.
P.S.
Hank, the e-mail about calling #77 or 677 is also covered in this
site.
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"The best way to guarantee that the business you will need tomorrow
will still be there when you need it. Is to use that business today." Or
so it seems to me.
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It's been so long since I've heard anything about Mount St. Helen that
I was beginning to think it went dormant. Then Dianne shared the
following. >>>>
HI Gary and a very HAPPY NEW YEAR I just received this message from my
Uncle Johnny and I would like to pass it on. I hope there is more to
come cause he really keeps an eye on the Mount St. Helens. I hope you
all stay warm cause we have been watching the temps. in Grafton. Dianne
Molde Urbauer
+++++
From: John Burns
Sent: Friday, January 18, 2008 3:17 PM
Subject: Mount St. Helen
Mount St. Helen continues to be Mystic. On Sunday a 2.9
earthquake rattled the dome followed by a 2.7 quake. Somewhat greater
than the numerous quakes that were a bit over 1 magnitude.
Tiltmeters registered Swelling and deflatingof the dome. A steam
plum was observed that was several hundred feet above the rim. We've had
a lot of snow in the Cascade Mountains and at Mount St Helen
I would say 180 inches. Some stations reporting over 230 inches. The
dome building has been continuous since it started in October of 2004,
but the past year its growth has been greatly reduced. In Julyof 2007
measurements of the dome indicated 123 million cubic yards The current
lava dome building rate per day is 28,800 cubic yards. It is difficult
this time of the year to gather information because of the snow and
cloud cover.
With this new event last Sunday, we may have increase activity on Mt
St Helen or on the other hand it may go dormant. Johnny <<<< Some
folks rely on the "goofy" information they read about North Dakota in
the National Geographic. The rest of us can rely on the facts, of Mount
St.Helen, as written by Johnny Burns.
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I am pleased to welcome Leanne to the Gazette family. The subscription
department made several address corrections over the weekend. If there
are any more, in error, please let me know.
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GOTTA GO WORK ON MY DASH
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"To know what is right, and then not do it. Is the worst form of
cowardice."


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