Herman, MN

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Worst storm of the season

brought another surprise

 

by Nick Ripperger

 

    The worst storm of the winter strikes in  . . .  spring?  And this wasn’t March tournament spring, this was late April spring when we  are often in the 70s  in fact, we’ve already hit 70 this year.

 

   Just when everyone thought the snow was behind us (for about the  third or fourth time), Mother Nature hit us with her worst . . . so  far, at least.

 

    April 25th was relatively mild with temperatures in the 50s.  But by early afternoon, the temperature had dropped quickly and  a cold north was howling.  Light rain turned to light snow, then  heavy snow, then a full-blown blizzard.

 

    With the temperature hovering in the high 20s and low 30s and winds  of more than 30 mph, the snow accumulated like wads of damp laundry,  making roads and streets slippery slush piles and virtually impassable.  By early evening, wherever anyone was, that’s likely  where they stayed unless they could walk home or had sturdy four- wheel drive.

 

    And just about anyone who wasn’t inside was outside either pulling  cars out of drifts, or getting pulled out.  Some drivers with reliable vehicles and tow ropes patrolled the town, rescuing foolish  people who had parked on the street only to get plowed in when the  state plows came through.

 

  The storm lasted all night, and when it finally subsided Saturday  morning, the town was blanketed in 12-15 inches of heavy, wet snow  that shoveled as though it were half water.  Some drifts were at  least five feet, and many folks were semi-trapped in their homes by a  pile of snow against their doors.

 

   In fact, Vern Mortenson did a little home experiment and melted a  foot of snow, which turned into about 2 1/2 inches of water.  That’s  about twice the normal water content of snow. By mid-morning city maintenance worker Larry Brunkow hasplowed the  streets, and a volunteer crew of neighbors with plows, scoops, and blowers were traveling around town digging out cars and clearing  driveways -often unsolicited. Rich Kennedy said that he blew out 13 driveways, while others with  bigger equipment took care of bigger jobs.

 

    The Grant County Sheriff’s Department was notified of five accidents  in the county, one which resulted in minor injuries for one person.  The department also got numerous reports of drivers stuck in ditches  and snowbanks. A county plow was called out to assist on an ambulance call near  Ashby, and in the eastern part of the county a man who had left his  vehicle to try to make it the rest of the way home was found by  deputies, suffering from severe hypothermia.

 

    The only good thing is that the snow didn’t last very long ñ it was  mostly gone by Tuesday afternoon ñ and it had a chance to soak into  the ground. Most people, after the long winter, probably had John Aanden’s  attitude to do as little shoveling as possible.

 

    “Mother Nature put it there, and she can take it back,”he observed.

 

PCA seeking comments on wastewater facility

by Nick Ripperger

    The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is seeking public comment  about the city of Hermanís treatment ponds southeast of town. The current five-year permit is set to expire on September 30 and is up for renewal.  The PCA has made a preliminary decision to reissue the  permit, and will make a final decision after the public comment  period, which runs from May 1 to June 2.

 

   Comments, petitions, and requests for information must be submitted in writing to Holly Christensen, MPCA, 714 Lake Avenue, Suite 220,  Detroit Lakes, MN  56501.

 

    A copy of the draft permit will be mailed to you if you request it.  

The draft permit details the facility, and you must refer to the  draft permit when requesting that the PCA take a certain course of  action.  You may also request that PCA commissioner hold a public  informational meeting to solicit public comments.

 

The treatment facility consists of two stabilization ponds designed  

to treat an annual wet weather flow of 101,500 gallons per day., with  a detention time of 229 days before the flow is released into Pullman  Lake.

County Veterans’ Memorial

    Walls are painted and the carpet is in.  We are now ready to begin putting displays together.  If you have items you would like to display please contact Patty Benson at the museum at 218-685-4864 or Clint Grove at 218-205-6322.  We are looking for items from all conflicts from the Revolutionary War on, but especially from the  Korean and Vietnam Conflicts to the present conflicts.  Items must be  in good condition and have a connection to Grant County.  We will  also accept military books for our mini library, letters you wish to  share, pictures or newspapers clippings.  Copies can be made of these  so you can keep your original.  If you have a memorial flag in a  triangular case, we have a special shelf just for those.  A custom- made show case will display medals and shoulder patches.  We would  also like to increase our collection of helmets.

 

    We have large parchment copies of the WWII German and Japanese surrenders to go with our German and Japanese flags but we would also like a copy of the Italian surrender and a WWII era Italian flag.

 

    Dedication of the Veterans Memorial Hall is being planned for June 1,  2008 at 2:00 p.m.

 

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