April 11, 2008 - Friday

April is National Autism Awareness Month
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The current temperature is 34
Yesterdays H/L temperature was 52/29
Normal H/L temp for this date is 51/29
It was 78 degrees on this date in 1968.
We have been told to expect another shipment of snowman parts today.
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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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With "SOLD" signs on the former H. E. Everson house on Griggs Avenue
and the former Norris Sando house on Kittson Avenue, among others. It is
beginning to look like the folks at Country Realty is going to have
another super real estate selling year in Grafton.
+++++
Pastorek's construction crews are moving right along on the renovations
to the former Denny's Food Pride building. So far, the Home of Economy
folks haven't established a definite "move in date". However, I'm
guessing it won't be to much longer.
+++++
Everything that reminds us of "BP" has been removed from the gas
station on the corner of Hill & hiway 17. And I still haven't heard, for
certain, if part of that corner will remain a gas station. Or, if it
will all be converted to the Simonsons New Subway Sandwich Station.
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I am still receiving notes regarding Tom's flood photo's. I'm sure many
will find Robert and Susan (Countryman) Torkelson's note interesting. He
wrote. >>>
Subject: 48 and 50 floods; Miss Cora Lykken
Dear Gary, Susan and I look forward to the Gazette each day.
We appreciate keeping in touch with what is transpiring in Grafton and
the area as well as reading correspondence from folks that we know.
The recent correspondence regarding the 48 flood and Miss Cora Lykken
brought back lots of memories from those days in Grafton. I recall
both the 48 and 50 floods very well as I grew up right next to the river
just south of the Wakeman Ave. bridge. My bedroom was on the north
side of the house, so I had a very good view of the river and the
bridge. I recall the huge ice jams that built up at the Wakeman Ave.
bridge and watching the men who planted dynamite charges in the ice
jams. I heard and saw the explosions that resulted in breaking up the
very large sheets of ice so they would slide under the water and pass
under the bridge. During both those floods our home was surrounded by
water but there was no water in our yard or home. My sisters and I
played in the yard with flood waters all around us. My father, Carl
Torkelson, was the official water level recorder/reporter for the
city. He would take the water level readings in a little building
next to the Wakeman Ave. bridge and send them to Bismarck on a regular
basis. During the floods, the city would park the fire trucks at my
father's Standard Service station as that was a higher spot to keep them
out of the water and accessible.
When Miss Lykken retired and there was a big celebration to honor her
many years of teaching in Grafton, my parents, my three sisters and I
had our picture taken with her as all six of us had her as a teacher.
I had Miss Lykken as a Sunday School teacher also. Miss Lykken wrote
several letters of encouragement to me during the time I was in college
at Mayville State. Although she was very strict in the classroom, she
was a very kind and thoughtful person.
Thanks for providing the Gazette to keep our memories of Grafton alive
and keeping us informed about Grafton today.
Robert Torkelson <<<< Thanks a million for caring and sharing Robert.
I find it interesting that the folks in Grand Forks don't want to
fixup the Riverside Swimming pool because it is on "the wrong side of
the dike". Ironically everything in Grafton, is on the wrong side of the
dike. Actually, we don't even have a dike to be on the wrong side of.
Or so it seems to me.
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Speaking of interesting things. Darlene Shared the following note with
us.
>>>>> Gary...
We have a set of four milk bottles in a metal carrying case that say
Grafton Milk Company on them... they are in great shape. Do you know of
anyone that would be interested in purchasing them? Darlene <<<< Thanks
a million for the note Darlene. I'm guessing there is someone out there
with a touch of sentimentality left in them.
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I received the following information from Jeff Hanson.
Jeff wrote: >>>>>
Subject: Talk About Curing Autism
========= (TACA) =========
I got this from Jalene Suda. Their son Ethan has Autism. She is
trying to raise a little money to start a local chapter for autism
awareness. I think it is a very worthy cause. Help if you can.
Thanks! Also, it would be appreciated if this message could be
forwarded to any contacts and friends that you have. Gary, maybe you
could put an attachment to this article in the Gazette? <<< THANKS a
million Jeff. I'll be very happy to do so.
~~~ Dear Family and Friends ~~~
April is National Autism Awareness month.
As some of you know, our fourth child Ethan was diagnosed with
Autism 2 years ago. He developed "normal" despite some speech delays
and at around 18 months he started loosing everything he had learned. He
could no longer mumble sounds, he destroyed toys and could not play, he
cried, he was sick all the time with chronic ear infections and
pneumonia, he could not point, he never slept and he banged his head.
When Ethan was diagnosed, we were told of a therapy to try called
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). This was a therapy that was not
covered by insurance, and there were no providers in our area.
Additionally, we were told that in order for Ethan to have the best
possible outcome, he needed 40 hours of it and Ethan didn't need to be
seen for a year.
We found someone who we describe our angel, Sonia, who would
guide our family and also helped us train a team of people to do ABA
therapy at home, 1:1 for Ethan. This is where the hope started. Ethan
started to learn and understand, and most importantly...speak.
But despite the therapy progress, Ethan was still very ill, was not
sleeping, and had many other issues. And through lots of research we
found the Defeat Autism Now! (DAN!) protocol through Talk About Curing
Autism (TACA) (www.tacanow.org). Now this is where everything started
making sense. The healthier the body equals less autistic symptoms.
That is exactly what we wanted.
We found out that Ethan was allergic to eggs, milk and wheat and
were making him ill. We started him on a special diet and he really
started to get better. We got stricter with the diet and then started
the Specific Carbohydrate Diet and he really started feeling even
better. We were seeing much progress in his therapy because of this.
It has been 2 years since this journey has began, and Ethan is
doing so well. We still have things we are working on but we are
grateful to say we have a little boy who points, talks, laughs, sleeps,
does not bang his head, plays with his brother and sisters and cousins,
loves the lake and loves to go to birthday parties.
I do not like asking for money, but I feel that the organization
TACA has given us our child back and for that we are eternally grateful.
Since it is Autism Awareness month, I am asking you to donate to TACA so
families can keep helping families with Autism to help get children
better. We are starting our own TACA ND chapter at the end of this month
in Grand Forks, ND and we are really excited to most importantly give
parents hope because Autism IS Treatable.
I am including Ethan's fundraising website
www.firstgiving.com/ethansuda4tacanow and also a website of Ethan at
his friend Tommy's birthday party.
homepage.mac.com/joekern/Ethan/iMovieTheater12.html
As you can see, he is doing pretty DARN good. (He is in the glasses
and blue shirt.) Thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers. Autism
is a marathon, not a sprint......and every little bit of progress is a
miracle.
Love you all and God Bless ~
Donny, Jalene, Zach, Emma, Isabella and most importantly ETHAN.
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GOTTA GO WORK ON MY DASH
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If,.. anyone in, or around the Fargo area has a good used Washer and
Dryer and you would like to SELL it. I may be able to find someone
willing to haul it away for you.


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