March 9, 2009 - Monday

Todays Gazette comes to you complete with the most asked "question of
the year." Shouldn't everyone in Grafton be buying flood insurance?
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The current temperature is 18 degrees.
The "feels like" temperature is 2
Yesterdays H/L temperature was 26/1
Normal H/L temp for this date is 30.14
It was 57 degrees on this date in 1977
We are under a Blizzard advisory thru Wednesday. We might expect as
much as 8 inches of snow during that period with winds as high as 50
MPH.
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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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For the most part, news over the weekend was relatively slow. I
understand several hundred people participated in the Bone Marrow Drive
at St. Johns Catholic Church although, so far at least, I haven't heard
any of the particulars regarding the event.
++++++
There doesn't seem to be any activity in or around the former Getz Drug
building, and, no additional rumors as to the potential restaurateur
planning to occupy the ground floor of that facility.
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Probably the second most popular question in Grafton lately would be.
Just exactly how high will the Park River actually get this spring?
With the increased prevalence of flood related conversions, the pending
Blizzard watch, and the fact that it really is a relatively slow news
time of the year. I decided it might be a good time to "copy" a few
paragraphs from page 394 of the 100 Year Look at Grafton book regarding
the flood of 1948.
---- Flood waters, the most extensive and destructive since the
settlement of Grafton 67 years ago, descended upon the city Monday
morning with unprecedented force and rapidity, inundating the park
section, isolating the Grafton States School, converting the streets
into canals, flooding basements and the Grafton light and power plant so
that all electric power ceased at 1 o'clock Monday afternoon, depriving
the city of electric current for all appliances and machines, the first
complete blackout in the history of the municipal plant.
As Monday evening approached, Grafton's isolation became more
pronounced, all railroad train service was suspended because of wash
outs on the Great Northern and Northern Pacific tracks. Water was going
over highway 17 west and east to highway 44 which made motoring
hazardous. High water at Minto and a defective bridge south of Ardoch
closed highway 81 to general travel and water was rushing over 81 north
of Grafton.
(the article continues) Flood Threatened
Since Friday the flood treat loomed as a water blanket over a yard
deep was gradually rolling eastward north of Highway 17 converting every
north and south roadbed into a temporary waterfall traveling about a
mile ever 12 hours.
Monday morning water was rushing over the road immediately west of the
Grafton States School, the last barrier, and soon thereafter the worst
flood in the history of Grafton was in progress, forcing the historic
high water of 1897 into obscurity.
----- I might add that a mere two years later, the flood of 1950,
significantly surpassed the flood of 48. It was reported that the
Grafton Gambles Store sold approximately 600 pairs of "hip boots" during
the 1950 flood.
+++++++++++
Ironically, no-one seems to know when Grafton will flood again, or, how
serious the next flood will be. Almost everyone, however, most certainly
agrees that Grafton will flood again. And,.... there is absolutely no
reason to believe that a flood of the 1950 magnitude or greater, is not
in our future.
Or so it seems to me.
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Hi Gary,
More sad news from the Lykken family.
Phyliss Lykken Anderson passed away from cancer March 4 in Mesa
AZ. Phyliss grew up on her parent's, Eli and Alma Lykken,
farm three miles north of Grafton and graduated from GHS in 1947.
She married Ernie Anderson from Cavalier and spent most of her adult
life in Seattle before their retiring in Mesa. She is survived by her
husband Ernie, a sister, Dolores, and two brothers, Louis and
Dewitt.
Two older sisters, Betty and Mary Jane preceded her in death.
Mary Jane's passing was reported two months ago as was reported in
your GAZETTE.
Thank you for sharing this in your GAZETTE.
Lowell Lykken <<<<
Thank you for caring and sharing Lowell. Pat and I extend our sincere
condolences to Phyliss' family and friends.
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GOTTA GO WORK ON MY DASH
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"Life is to short for long answers." GLM


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