December 7, 2007 - Friday

Only 18 shopping days til Christmas. =
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Todays Gazette is being brought to you, in part, by Ralph Honsvall's
rubber tire door mat company. Located in the former Central Hotel
building on east 5th street.
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The current temperature is -6 degrees.
Yesterdays H/L temperature was 15/-1
Normal H/L temp for this date is 23/6
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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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Activity in the former Ben Franklin building is running at a feverish
pace. Already several stud wall partitions have been installed. Only
time, and someone that really knows whats going on, will eventually tell
us whats going on, in there.
At any rate it should make a wonderful addition to Graftons downtown
Strip Mall.
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I mentioned something about flood protection in yesterday's Gazette. I
expect I'll mention it again in future Gazettes. The following note also
speaks to that issue. >>>
I totally agree with you on the "flood protection project". Only a
few took the time to understand the way it would work and others got on
the bandwagon against it and the "few" basically took it down. Actually,
I was told that the Council had/has the authority to do the project or
version of it without the vote of the people....Keep hammering away at
it before we get wet!!!!! <<<
You certainly are right about the council having the authority to do
the project. Unfortunately they elected "not" to use it.
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A former majorette sent the following note after reading Thursdays
Gazette >>>
Hi Gary...Talking about the majorettes brought back some old
memories... Standing in front of the old Reylecks store
watching the band play on Friday nights.I wanted to be a majorette so
bad but didn't think there was a hope. I tried out, somebody liked me,
and I was one of the chosen! I hadn't really remembered that
majorettes couldn't wear glasses when they marched and I was blind as a
bat without mine, so several people got clonked on the parade routes.
However, I still have my baton... kept under my bed for years in case of
burglars (They had steel balls on the end and were lethal.) Love your
weather reports. Here in Auburn (CA... not ND) it is raining and
cool. However, a little further up Hwy. 80 towards Reno, it is
beginning to snow. They are 7800 feet, we are 1200... theirs stays,
ours melts fast. Keep the good work on the Gazette. It brings back
home to an exile. A <<< Thanks a million for caring and sharing "A".
At least there is one good thing about getting old.... It's easier to
remember "the good old days". At least on those days that we can
remember.
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While doing some research in the library last night. I had another
"pot-thought". It's just a thought, and I've already said where this one
come from. Anyway, after seeing the fantastic job our local GMU crews
have done plowing and cleaning our streets. It seems highly unlikely
anyone could find fault. So,.. with that in mind the "question" is posed
in the form of a thought.
The first priority after a major snow is to opening major emergency
routes as fast as possible. Next, to open all remaining streets as soon
as that can be done. Our GMU crews do a fantastic job of both. One
problem they have however is leaving large windrows of snow across
intersections. To clean them up with motorgraders would significantly
increase the amount of time needed to clean the entire town. My
"pot-thought" was to put a multi-position snowplow on the front of one
of the city 4-wheel drive pickups and have that unit clean the
intersections.
It would be a relatively simple process, while relatively inexpensive.
AND,... the fellow that tried to go over the one in front of my house
with his small car, wouldn't have scratched the heck (I cleaned that up
for the kids and the clergy) out of it. Of course, getting stuck only
added insult to injury. Anyway, that's my pot-thought of the day.
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I have known Norman DeSautel for as long as I can remember. First,
although to a lesser extent, when he worked for the state seed
department. At that time, it was his jovial nature that always seemed to
fascinate me. Later, while Norman was at Agsco, I learned to appreciate
him for his knowledge and his ability to communicate with some folks
that "aren't always the easiest to communicate with". Over the years,
often, I would rely on the experience Norman had amassed.
I never knew Norman to be anything but a kind and gentle man. Pat & I
would like to extend our deepest sympathies to the entire DeSautel
family.
It saddens me to share his obituary.
======= Norman DeSautel =======
Norman G. DeSautel, age 77 of Grafton, ND passed away on Wednesday,
December 5, 2007 at his home in Grafton. Norman G. DeSautel was born
September 25, 1929 in Hoople, ND the son of the late Oliver and Nettie
(Triska) DeSautel. He graduated from Hoople High School and later
attended Aaker's Business College in Grand Forks. He returned to Hoople
following his education and worked at Moe's Garage and farmed in the
Hoople area. He married Loreen Thompson in 1948. The couple lived in
Hoople until 1963 when they moved to Grafton where he went to work for
the North Dakota State Seed Department as an inspector. He married
Genevieve Przybylski Meier on Aug. 11, 1972 in Moorhead, MN. The couple
made their home in Grafton. He worked as a chemical sales rep for Agsco
until retiring in 1992.
Norman is survived by his wife Genevieve of Grafton, ND; daughters:
Vicki Ruzicka, Phoenix, AZ; Kim (Dennis) LeClerc, Grafton, ND; Tami
(Stewart) Swiers; Grand Forks, ND; step-daughter Sue (Rick) Livermore,
Detroit Lakes, MN; 13 grandchildren; 12 great grandchildren and sister
Donna (Stan) Staus, Billings, MT. He was preceded in death by his
parents.
Mass of Christian Burial will be Monday, December 10, 2007 at 10:30 A.M.
at the St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, Grafton, ND. Visitation
will be Sunday from 2:30-4:30 PM at the Tollefson Funeral Home of
Grafton. A prayer service will be held at 4:30 PM. Friends may also call
at the church on Monday for one hour prior to the service. Interment
will be at St. John's Catholic Cemetery.
The Tollefson Funeral Home of Grafton is in charge of the arrangements.
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GOTTA GO WORK ON MY DASH
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I have never told anyone not to go to the movies. However, it has been
suggested to me, by a person I hold very dear, that "we" as good
christians should refrain from watching a movie being released Dec. 7th
(that's today) called "The Golden Compass."
PLEASE, do go to the movies. Just don't go to The Golden Compass.


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