September 30, 2009 - Wednesday

We have absolutely no reason to believe a national health system
formulated by or operated under our federal bureaucracy will not be, at
the very least, every bit as effective is the Social Security program.
Or so it seems to me.
-----------------------------
It's flu season,... Wash your hands!
------------------------------
The current temperature is 55° (above).
The weather forecast for the next week gives us every indication
that the areas full scale stockpile sugarbeet harvest begins today. The
readers digest version of the next two weeks weather is,..... to windy,
to wet, to cold OR to hot, (sometimes on the same day) AND,... no matter
what, it is always best to remember, "please keep the harvester as close
to the roto-beater as possible".
=========================
"Profanity makes ignorance audible."
=========================
L O C A L news & stuff,.. mostly stuff
---------------------------------
The small remaining percentage of acres to harvest, of
beans, potatoes and to a lesser extent small grains, will hold startup
of the full long term storage sugarbeet to a level somewhat less than
optimum.
Realistically, a slow sugarbeet harvest startup isn't always a
negative thing. It certainly does give everyone involved time to "get
used" to the equipment. Even with the less than desirable forecast for
the next few days, each factory district should have no problem getting
enough beets on hand to guarantee continuos operation through adverse
weather conditions.
In some way shape or form, when taken to it's fullest
extent, the Red River Valley sugarbeet harvest will touch the lives of
literally 10's of thousands of people. Sugarbeet harvest is a 24 hour a
day, 7 day a week process that continues (weather permitting) until the
entire crop has been harvested and put in long term storage piles.
Sugar is not only pure, proud and sweet, it also increases
the shelf life of many consumer food products. Especially when compared
to artificial sweeteners.
---------------------------------
I am always impressed with the response I get when I send
out the Goose Story. I found the following comment from Keith Mohagen
especially interesting. I particularly enjoyed his quote.
Keith wrote: >>>>
Gary - Congratulations on your Walleyes, good
health, and welcome back to the Gazette. I enjoyed your quote
"Profanity makes ignorance audible" it is similar to one of my favorites
"Egotism is the anesthetic that dulls the pain of stupidity." Both
quotes sometimes fit the same person!! Also your article on
Goose sense was apparently adopted by our military sometime ago, as
they have applied the same flying techniques to airplane
formations; as well as the "downed member" technique.
Keep up the good work, I always enjoy the Gazette and the people in it.
It's kind of like that country-western song that says "It's the only
place they call me one of their own.. Take care........Keith M. <<<<
Thanks a million for caring and sharing Keith
----------------------------
It's funny how sometimes somethings just seem to "come together".
Yesterday while Pat and I were driving through our beautiful Leistikow
Park. I mentioned how wonderful it was to see the campground almost full
of campers. Of course, several occupants are pipeliners and I suppose a
couple are folks just passing through. I am also sure several of the
camp grounds residents are staying there while they work in the harvest.
Anyway, I mentioned to Pat that I really wished everyone in the
community could see, and appreciate the business generated by the
Leistikow Park Camp Ground. Then,... when I returned home and turn on my
little computer I discovered Gloria Charlton from the Leonard Motel was
thinking about "almost" the same thing. Gloria wrote: >>
Gary, I wonder if the government
can really run anything with a profit.... so far we know that the Post
Office is in the hole, Soc. Sec. is running out of money, Medicare
isn't doing much better... is there any governmental run agency that is
in the black ???? I don't want them running my Health Insurance...
it will only make more bureaucrats richer....
(Gloria continues) -------
Need to thank all the pipeliners in town for helping out our
community... they are spending lots of dollars in our town...
Gloria Charlton <<<<<
Thanks a million for caring and sharing Gloria. Your point
about the ability of the federal government running anything efficiently
is well taken,.... as well. Sometimes I think way to many people, know
far to little of the values and benefits Leistikow Park and the entire
park system affords our community.
==========================
GOTTA GO WORK ON MY DASH
==========================
"Life is to short for long answers.


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

September 29, 2009 - Tuesday

It's "almost" impossible for me to believe that the folks we send to
Washington actually vote to spend billions of dollars without having any
idea at all where, or for what purpose, the money is going.
-----------------------------
The current temperature is 57 degrees under a beautifully clear blue
sky.
=======================
"Profanity makes ignorance audible."
=======================
L O C A L news stuff,.. mostly stuff.
------------------------------------
Rumor has it Shenanigans is hoping to open their new restaurant in the
former Nelson Drug building by Thanksgiving. So far,... no rumor on
which Thanksgiving.
One thing is for certain, the "old" drug store building certainly does
improve the appearance of downtown Grafton.
---------------------------------
Wash your hands often
---------------------------------
Speaking of downtown Grafton buildings taking on an improved
appearance.
The former Northwestern Bell telephone building (the Tower Building) is
getting a brand new paint job and just down the alley to the north the
Grafton residence are footing the bill to rebuild the back wall of
former Fish's Variety store building. A building that the former owners
so graciously "donated" to our city for taxes, I might add.
The former LaBerge & Stenso Dodge, Case Equipment dealership building
in the 800 block of Hill ave. just received a brand new corrugated steel
front which significantly improved the building and that area of Hill
Ave.
Then, of course, not to be outdone by a mere paint job, or corrugated
steel sheeting, or even a brand new cement wall like the fish's
building, is the multitude of murals sponsored by the management team of
the Walsh County Record and Morgan Printing operation. Their bequest to
the latest Grafton downtown beautification program includes numerous
murals that adorn their facilities walls. The paintings almost cover the
gambit of ones imagination. Paintings such as elaborate floral gardens,
dragons, transformer characters and even an abbreviated obituary covers
the exterior facade. And, by the looks of it, there is still lots of
room for even more "exhibits".
Who says nothing ever happens in small town America?
And,... I haven't even mentioned, much less congratulated, Jason Nelson
for taking over the helm of D & E Auto Repair in Grafton. Paul and
Bonnie Mohagen have done a "bang up job" (pardon the pun) at D & E for a
good number of years. Evidently they have decided to spend a little less
time painting vehicles and a lot more time appreciating sunsets.
To Jason, congratulations and welcome to the Grafton business
community. I wish you and your staff the very best.
To Bonnie and Paul. Thank You.... You have represented and served our
community very well. I can only hope that your many years of hard work
has afforded you the knowledge, and the ability, to enjoy the fruits of
your labor.
---------------------------------
Don't forget to wash your hands
---------------------------------
Thanks to everyone that has extended their concerns regarding the
status of my health and well being. While I did mention my sincere
gratitude to my family and friends both here at home and at Rocky Point
and my appreciation to the very professional staff at Grafton's Unity
Medical Center. I must admit, I neglected to mention another very
significant part of our areas health care system. That being the
wonderful folks at the Warroad Clinic and the emergency room at the
Roseau Hospital. Both of which, I believe, are affiliated with the Altru
Health System based in Grand Forks.
We are fortunate indeed to live in an area served so well by so many
excellent professional health care providers.
I sincerely hope that the direction our Federal Government is heading,
does not adversely change the level of health care we already enjoy in
what I can only describe as "very rural America".
////////////////////////////
-------- CONGRATULATIONS ---------
--- Merlyn and Delores Grabanski ---
Today (Sept 29) Merlyn and Delores will celebrate their 50 wedding
anniversary. That's a full half century together. Just the other day I
watched Merlyn and Delores walk into the dinning room of Marketplace on
8th. I'll admit that Merlyn "might" have appeared as though he has been
married 50 years. Delores, on the other hand, looked as though she could
easily have been coming in to celebrate her birthday of that many years.
Or so it seemed to me.
=========================
GOTTA GO WORK ON MY DASH
=========================
"Life is to short for long answers."


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

September 28, 2009 - Monday

The world truly would be a better place if only our politicians
would spend as much time doing whats best for their constituents as they
do worrying about what's best for themselves.
------- Or so it seems to me -------
-------------------------
The current temperature is 53 degrees. It's not nearly as warm as
it has been. Unfortunately,.... it's a whole lot warmer than it's going
to be.
========================
"Profanity makes ignorance audible."
It amazes me how some folks can make one simple little four letter
word take on so many different meanings.
========================
L O C A L News & Stuff,.. mostly stuff.
--------------------------
Full scale sugarbeet harvest is scheduled to begin Thursday
October 1 (weather permitting). As always the areas hiways and biways
will be very busy, especially this year as many of the areas other crops
are still be harvested as well.
Sugar Facts:
Sugar (sucrose) is a carbohydrate that occurs naturally in
every fruit and vegetable. It is the major product of photosynthesis,
the process by which plants transform the sun's energy into food. Sugar
occurs in greatest quantities in sugar cane and sugarbeets from which it
is separated for commercial use.
Refined sugar is 99.9 percent pure. It contains purified sugar --
pure
sucrose. It contains no preservatives or additives of any kind.
Refined white sugar is pure sucrose, a carbohydrate. Carbohydrates
provide energy, contain no fat, and like protein contribute 4 calories
per gram in your diet (as opposed to the 9 calories per gram contributed
by fat).
Your body treats sucrose in the same way regardless of its source. In
fact, your body uses all sugars in the same way, so eating refined
sugar, or honey, or sugars from any other source has the same effect on
your body -- it is converted into glucose and used by the cells for
energy.
--- How much sugar do Americans really eat? Not as much as
reported. Using information from a 2001 report as
illustration, a general statement like "Americans consume more than 150
pounds of sugar in a year" is not only thoroughly misleading, it is
completely wrong. Such false assertions perpetuate the myth that
"Americans eat too much sugar." The fact is the average American
consumes no more than 1.6 ounces of sugar per day or less than 40 lbs.
annually.
The source of this 1999 report information is the Economic Research
Service [ERS] of the United States Department of Agriculture. ERS
statistics are purely economic numbers. By convention, economists use
the term consumption to describe the total supply of any product
available for all commercial uses during a specific period of time.
Economic consumption simply indicates the total weight of a product that
is used throughout a year. No matter the goods, economic consumption is
calculated by subtracting year-end inventory from the sum of the amount
of merchandise produced during the year + the stock-on-hand at the
beginning of the same year.
Ignoring the descriptive term "economic" and misrepresenting supply
numbers as human consumption is not only deceptive, it is dishonest. A
news release like "According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) data, sugar consumption in 1999 was 158 pounds per person - 30%
higher than in 1983." misleads the American consumer. Reporting economic
supply numbers as nutrition fact is as fictitious as equating gross
salary [total available supply] and take-home pay [human consumption].
Besides misrepresenting economic supply numbers as human intake, there
is a second factual error in this news release. This error is using the
word sugar to represent all sweeteners.
Sugar is only one component of the total sweetener supply. When
tabulated by ERS, total caloric sweeteners include all the corn syrups +
honey products + miscellaneous edible syrups, like sorghum, as well as
sugar. Total caloric sweeteners is cumbersome to say or write
repeatedly, thus the term sugars was adopted for convenience [note the s
on sugars]. Although the term sugars was coined to represent all caloric
sweeteners, some continue to write and talk about sugar [pure sucrose
from sugar cane and sugar beets] instead of sugars. This is more than
semantics. Continued misrepresentation of total caloric sweeteners
[sugars] as sugar [no s] is not only flawed but damages America's
hardworking farmers and the stability they bring to their local
economies.
ANYWAY,.... for those of you that may not have already guessed.
Sugar and the Sugar Industry, most specifically the Red River Valley
(American Crystal Sugar) sugar industry has been a significant part of
my life for a good many years.
American Crystal Sugar, along with the cooperatives grower owners
has added significantly to the areas economy.
Sugar truly is "Pure, Proud and Sweet".
------- Or so it seems to me. -------
==========================
GOTTA GO WORK ON MY DASH
==========================
"Life is to short for long answers."
Write if you can, call if you can't, and, tell your loved ones they
are,..... before it's too late.


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

September 27, 2009 - Sunday

Todays Gazette goes out without the benefit of one red cent of
stimulus money. -------------------------
Sunday's cooler temperatures, driven by high winds, was this falls
first indication that Mother Nature is still in charge.
=======================
"Profanity makes ignorance audible."
=======================
L O C A L News & Stuff,.. mostly stuff.
-------------------------------------
Much has happened since the last Gazette went out on June 25.
Fishing out of Arnesen's Rocky Point Resort this past summer was
fantastic, as usual. The weather, although cooler than normal earlier,
turned out to be incredible the last several weeks of the summer. I not
only managed to catch several walleye's in the 28 to 30 inch range, I
also manage to contract a significant infection in my right leg.
I would like to take the credit for not only recognizing the
seriousness of the issue and for dealing with it immediately. However,
having perfected the art of procrastination, it is entirely possible
that the reason I still have a fully functioning leg is because of the
insistence and persistence of several of our "Rocky Point Resort friends
and family" to seek professional health care.
I am please to report that the wonderful folks at Graftons Unity
Medical Center dealt with my infection issues directly and I might add,
with very satisfactory results. I am very grateful to all those who
continued to remain persistent enough to wear down my resistance
(stubberness).
------------------------------
I must admit, upon my last return home, I did notice that several
things in my little community were somewhat different than when I left.
Some of which I hope to share in the next few editions.
-------------------------------
This is the time of the year when many, if not most, of our fine
feathered friends not to be confused with the Standard Northern Snowbird
variety) head south for the winter. For more years than I can remember I
have sent out an interesting little story regarding migration. I'm sure
many of you have seen it before. However I always seem to be able to
find solace in it's message each time I read it. I hope you will as
well.
------ ----- -------
======= THE GOOSE STORY =======
Next fall, when you see geese heading south for the winter ---
flying along in a V formation --- consider what science has discovered
as to why they fly that way.
As each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for
the bird immediately following. By flying in a V formation, the whole
flock adds at least 71 percent greater flying range than if each bird
flew on its own.
People who share a common direction and sense of community
can get where they are going more quickly and easily because they are
traveling on the thrust of one another.
When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the
drag and resistance of trying to go it alone,... and quickly gets back
into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird in
front.
If we have as much sense as a goose we will stay in
formation with those who are headed the same way we are.
When the Head Goose gets tired, it rotates back in the wind
and another goose flies to the point.
It is sensible to take turns doing demanding jobs for people
or for geese flying south.
Geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep
up their speed.
What do we say when we honk from behind? Finally,
and this is important, when a goose gets sick or is wounded by gunshots
and falls out of formation, two other geese fall out with that goose and
follow it down to lend and protection. To stay with the
fallen goose until it is able to fly, or until it dies; and only then do
they launch out on their own, or with another formation to catch up with
their group. If we have the sense of a goose, we will
stand by each other like that.
~~~~ Or, so it seems to me ~~~~
----------------------------
If,.... I were to have a question of my government. It would
probably be. Why..... why in Gods Green Earth does "my" government send
me mail from the United States Department of Commerce in a heavy
cardboard paper envelope....... BY WAY OF FEDEX?????? That's right!!
----- Federal Express!!!!!
It is a well established fact that the United States Postal
Service is struggling to function within it's currant budget. It also
seems to be a fact that "many" politicians actually believe the Federal
Government can run a more efficient health care system than private
industry.
Why then, doesn't our Federal Government use a Federal Government
agency to deliver their message????
That,.... would be my question.....
If I were to ask it.
=======================
GOTTA GO WORK ON MY DASH
=======================
"Life is to short for long answers."


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