River Ramblings.....

    Some well-deserving folks were recognized last Saturday night during the annual Granite Chamber of Commerce banquet. In the weeks leading up to the banquet, there was plenty of discussion about which awards should be given, who should be recognized. There was even discussion about whether or not the chamber should continue to recognize the service that people and organizations give to the community.
    That somehow doesn’t seem right.
    It never has been a problem to come up with a list of folks who deserve to be thanked and recognized for their dedicated service. The problem, rather, has been who to single out.  With so many worthy people out there it can be a very difficult choice. No matter who you were choosing, it meant that there were other deserving folks out there who weren’t chosen.
     Sending a positive message and a public acknowledgement  for a person’s valuable service is far too important.  We need to thank the well-deserving folks who work so hard to make the community what it is.
    Congratulations to the people and organizations who were recognized last Saturday night. Good for you and good for all of us. Thanks for all you have done.

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The possibility of high river flows when the snow melts this spring seems pretty real these days. The soil moisture maps all show that our part of the state has a very high water saturation level as we head into the later half of winter.
  The slow but ongoing runoff from the heavy rains of last October has apparently given the Minnesota River and it’s upland tributaries some unusually high river flows for this time of the year.
    A river channel that is mostly clogged with snow covered ice seems benign enough but the evidence of strong flows beneath it all are very real.
    In November, the city generated around 22 percent of it’s electrical needs from the hydro-electric plant at the local dam. In December, that figure was at 21 percent.
    Those months and the rest of winter are usually some of the lowest flow months of the year. The hydro-electric production recorded in November and December are more typical of May and June.
    The amount of water flowing on the river has a direct effect on the amount of electricity that is produced with the local turbines and generators. Normally the hydro-electric plant would be producing electricity in the neighborhood of seven to 12 percent of the city’s usage this time of the year.
    When you take into account that we already have those high river flows, relatively saturated ground and plenty of snow lying about, you can’t help but conclude that there will be plenty of high water this spring. It probably won’t be any sort of record flood but it will be high.  Just how high it will be will likely be determined by the snow and late winter rain that is yet to come and also how fast we get warm, sunny weather in late March and early April.
    It’s reason enough to make you want to keep working on flood preparedness that avoids a lot of that hard, heavy sandbag work.

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    A few of you have wondered how the replacement glass  shelf in my downstairs refrigerator is faring. Well, I’m glad to report that the new shelf that I got from Bob Ladner’s collection of useful items has been up to the test. While it seems to be holding everything that I place on it I do pay a bit more attention to the number of proverbial straws I can put on that camel’s back. So far, so good.    
    Still, I do look at it from time to time and wonder if it might be near the breaking point. Being a bit apprehensive about it seems pretty natural. After all, cleaning up 200,000 tiny pieces of glass  is something you might only want to do every 10 to 20 years. It looks like we’ll be avoiding that, however.
    Someone said I should only place beverages on the shelf that have the word light (or lite) on their label.

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     Ole and Lena Days are in full swing this weekend and there is plenty to do if you are looking to  cure a case of cabin fever. It is time to get out of the house and try to forget about the long drag of winter. It is always a relief when January comes to a close and February rolls in.  Check out the Ole and Lena Days schedule in this edition of the paper and take in a few events.
    Friday night’s variety show is always fun and the beer tasting class at Bootlegger’s seems to     attract more folks every year.         It’s always good to have a few pancakes and some Norwegian delicacies at Minnesota West on Saturday morning before you take in the community auction and the craft items.  Later that night is the annual Fireman’s Dance at Prairie’s Edge Casino. And while you’re out and about before the Super Bowl starts you can toss some frozen lefse near the KCC and even try your luck at smoosh racing. There  is no excuse to not get out and have some fun.

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    Our biggest project of the year happens in February when we put together our large expansive special section that we call Progress. Each year it involves a big effort to write and arrange the whole production but it is a fun look at what all is happening in and around our communities. It’s also a great chance to tell the world  a bit about your business or organization and the people who make it all happen.
    If you want to be involved, give us a call. We will be publishing it with our Feb. 25 edition.  We print extra copies and make them available to the Chamber of Commerce, realtors, the local EDA and other businesses and organizations who might want to let someone know about all the things that life here has to offer. Its a great way to sell folks on the great place we call our hometown.