Confused?  A new way to find help!

 A new car seemed to be in my future.

Although I have been driving many years, I thought it would be good to check out the new options you can get.  The car came with about seven manuals!

Driving history…

Keep in mind that I have driven a “stick shift”… a RAM truck with a 16 foot horse trailer… and a mini motorcycle -  (spun out on a gravel road while wearing shorts… no damage except some scrapes to me and I was wiser).

Special features…

Anyway… after test driving a couple of cars I chose a cute red one.  The dealer set me up with voice recognition for my phone, etc. and I headed out to drive the hour or so to get home.

I’m still getting used to the beeping sound when I get near a line on the road and yes, I know I can turn it off.

The cruise control is fascinating because as I was following a semi I watched as my car automatically slowed down behind it and actually came to a stop a few feet behind the semi when it stopped… and I hadn’t touched the brake.  (Yes, I had my foot ready to do that!)

So I figured: we’re good.

Until I got home…

I parked the car and started turning off gauges.  Shifted into “Park”.  Turned off the ignition button.

But I didn’t dare get out!

I worried:

What if I hadn’t turned off everything and the car started rolling?  My mind raced.  Could I have missed something?

Saved!

All of a sudden my eyes saw one of the “TV screens” on the dashboard.  It had information on it.   It said: ”Good bye”.  I could get out of the car!

Whew!

After this I found the driving was good… but I wanted to figure out more of the options.   And I found I had accidentally canceled some and couldn’t get others to work.  (You knew I would do this,)

Frustrated because I was too far from the dealer to check in… and I didn’t know friends who had this info… I also searched on the internet… and I finally put an ad in the newspaper!  Under “Wanted”.   

My ad…

My ad  explained that I wanted help from someone with my type of car so I could learn from verbal instruction rather than just reading the manuals.  I also said that I was an 81 year old grandma who had bought a car that was good for “off roading” and although I didn’t plan to do that, I was leaving the streaks of mud on my car to make a good impression!

Help was coming!

I got four replies! One turned out to be from a friend I hadn’t seen in years.  We had a good time catching up on our lives… and she patiently “walked me through” some of the stuff.

But I also know that if I need help again I can contact Jenny, Sue, Kent or Tricia!

Thanks to you all!

Ripples column by Rosie

Most quit… but not him!

 He started running as a kid in school but 43 year old Ryan Cooper of Cannon Falls didn’t take it up again until 2012 when he tried a half mile and found it rough! 

But he kept on… and his first “Ultra Marathon” was in 2015 at a race called Goosebumps in La Crosse, WI.  He completed 50k in just under six hours. 

An example of his total running miles ranged from 313 miles in 2012 to 2,327 miles in 2017 and 1,969 miles so far this year.

Most never finish…

Ryan’s first attempt at running a 100 mile race was last June at the Kettle Moraine 100 in Whitewater, WI.  He explained that most people attempting such a long race never finish.  And neither did he.  He dropped out after 16 hours at about 62 miles. 

After “licking his wounds”, Ryan decided to make another try and found the Savage 100, in Savage, MN.  It’s only offered every five years.  Ryan finished in 14th place in 29 hours 33 seconds.

Why run?

    Ryan explained that some run because “they are recovering addicts or have depression/anxiety etc.  A number of them will point specifically to running as the thing that saved them or keeps them healthy.

“My personal struggles with depression help drive me at times to keep up my running routine.” Ryan explained.  “The natural endorphins that are produced while running help the brain to function better and allow me to think clearer.  I have asthma, a bad back, heel spurs and countless other ailments, but yet I power through my miles knowing that the overall feelings inside me outweigh the physical pain I endure.“

Ryan continued,  “Spending countless hours running I have come up with many personal questions about myself. Running a 100-mile race answered one of my personal questions, but also brought up more new questions.  I now need to run some more to figure out even more answers.”

Ryan encouraged those who want to know why people “run” to “head out to the trail and find out yourself. Overcome some fears and see what questions you come up with. 

“I can’t guarantee that it will be easy and you won’t have pain, but I do know that you will be in nature and find overwhelming joy to be in the outdoors.”

It’s not just about him!

Ryan wanted to thank some special people who made his 100 mile race achievable.

Henry Ward provided expert level advice to Ryan and his crew and pacers.

Zack Delong, had the courage to help out a complete stranger. He paced me during my 4th loop (which was probably my hardest loop)… he was able to keep me moving and not quit.  

Andy Hurd pulled a long shift of slow going with me through the night for my 5th loop.  

Matt Kelly crewed the entire event, took care of the kids, took pictures, drove around to meet me at almost every aid station and encouraged me with his words. 

Erin Kelly paced me for most of my 6th loop and helped crew by updating my progress and keeping me moving at the aid stations.  

My wife Carlyn Cooper... on little sleep because she ran her own Marathon Saturday morning and then paced me into the finish line Sunday Morning… the two of us slept a total of six hours in 60 hours!  

Elmer Pagel... Ryan had paced Elmer on his own 100 mile race through a blizzard in April 2018.  This gave Ryan the inspiration he needed to pursue this race. 

Leah Addingtonn, for prayers and strength to finish. “God's timing was seen through out my journey to complete the 100 mile status… even though I had so many setbacks, I now see that this was all in God's plan.”

Ryan concluded:  “Without this support I would not have been able to stay as positive as I did and would have given up on myself. Finishing any length of a race is 70% mind and 30% physical.”

(And we say: “Thank you Ryan for sharing!)"

In City or Country… 

ERT is Prepared to Protect

Because they may need to respond in urban and woodland-agricultural terrain, the Goodhue County Multi-Jurisdiction Emergency Response Team (ERT) held their annual training and validation of the team’s tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTP’s) ultimately to support its life-saving mission objectives one day last week at the Todd Prink farm east of Cannon Falls.  The exercises included day and night scenarios.

Team members are full time licensed officers who volunteer for the team assignment. They are chosen based on law enforcement experience, physical fitness, and firearms testing at higher standards than regular officers. Team members receive extensive training in tactical maneuvers and techniques, weapons, and special equipment.

Those involved…

Information from Patrol Sergeant Joshua Hanson, Emergency Response Team (ERT) Commander/Field Training Supervisor explained the depth of resource personnel involved.    

• Two deputies from the Goodhue County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) Recreational Enforcement Division supporting the team with various assets.
• Two members of the GCSO Investigative Division supporting with the Small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) or Drone
• Two members of the GCSO Patrol Division supporting and training with the team  
• Captain Chad Steffen of the GCSO Communications Unit (COMU) supporting efforts as the Communications Unit Leader (COML) and several members of the GCSO Administration including Sheriff Marty Kelly, Chief Deputy Jeremy Lerfald and Captain Collins Voxland were also present supporting the team’s efforts.
• Also, the “bad guys” were two members of the GCSO Adult Detention Center (ADC) supporting as role-players to support the team’s scenario based training objectives, 

The latest technology

  A large emphasis was placed on movement and tracking utilizing night vision and coordinated FLIR technology to traverse the terrain and maneuver against potentially armed and dangerous suspects at night. The team learned that the technology, utilizing Infrared (IR) spectrum as well as Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR), offers a significant advantage to the team in accomplishing its life-saving mission objectives, however does create some challenges that need to be continuously trained to overcome.

Who do they protect?

The objectives are to protect innocents, first responders and when possible the suspects themselves from harm, explained Hanson.  “This is forefront on the minds of all of my team members and those supporting us.

“We take this extremely serious and it can be seen through the efforts of my guys at trainings like this. I’m very proud of them all.”

Above their own safety

Hanson continued: “They volunteer for this assignment knowing this however each of them places the mission of ‘saving lives’ and ‘protecting innocents’ above their own personal safety. For us it’s not just a mission but is also seen as protecting our own neighbors, family, friends and our community as a whole. “

“Furthermore, we make decisions and take action based on a formulated decision making process which ultimately leads to only calculated risks for the team. Reckless and careless decisions and actions are not tolerated or acceptable.”

This is the third year that the training maneuvers have been held at the Prink farm.

Turning right is the trick...

(Helpful suggestions!  Or not!)

Local folks may fuss at this intersection and out-of-towners may not have a clue as to what they are doing wrong.

It’s the only intersection where we have a stop light.

That’s not the problem.

It’s where you turn that is the problem.  And resulting in some fender benders.

We are here….

It’s Fourth Street and Main Street (which also happens to be Highway 19).  And the highway designation appears to be the reason for the problem.  

Those making right turns off Highway 19 appear to have problems because the width of the highway is so much larger compared to the cross street of Fourth Street.

And we have become accustomed to being able to turn from the right lane if no traffic is coming.  

Here’s the trick…

But the tricky part is that what looks like the space for a right turn lane really isn’t.

The highway is a designated width. 

It looks like a turn lane is available.

But it’s not.

Note the solid white line?  (When it’s not covered by snow!)

Not supposed to cross it.

The correct lane to turn from…

So when someone is in what looks like a center lane… they really have the right to turn right.

But this is also tricky because when someone sees a line of traffic… and they pull over in the extra space to turn right… and the driver in the “center lane” is correctly turning right…. OUCH!

Uncomfortable scenarios.

 The Cannon Falls Police Department asked the Minnesota  Department of Transportation (MnDot) a while back to add a white line to help identify the lanes.  MnDot explained that they know about the safety concerns and “put an edge line… to mark the driving lane and improve the safety for pedestrians.”

MnDot further explained, “It’s not an ideal situation and we have a project scheduled for 2022 on Highway 19 for paving that will include some possible solutions to this intersection to improve safety for all and maintain mobility for vehicles through it.”  

So what do we do now?

But for the next couple of years I’ve been told that folks just have to figure it out.

I don’t think that’s fair and I don’t want visitors to get bad feelings about driving here… because those of us living here are just as confused.   

My solution!

Anyway… I have some solutions!  They would have to be done in tape or chalk drawings or something removable because no one would want to deface state property, right?  

So I would add bright red arrows pointing to the white line - no crossing it. 

 Or paint in pot holes - we all avoid them.   

Or paint a warning about “Wet Paint!”  

Or add a sign stating:  NO  RIGHT TURN FROM THIS LANE BECAUSE IT’S NOT A LANE! (By the time you get done reading it you may have figured it out!)

Or place some inflatable “dummies” in the lane - the ones that you can hit and they bounce back up again?

Or like Cannon Falls Police Lieutenant Joseph Berg suggests: “As long as you don’t pass anyone on the right to make a right then you’re right!”

Ya right!




.

Tracking the “bad guys”!

Attention:  Goodhue County Multi-Jurisdiction Emergency Response Team (ERT) will be conducting a training exercise near Cannon Falls on 10/16/19 the announcement said on Facebook. The exercise will occur throughout the day and into the evening and night-time hours.  

That sounded interesting to me.  Years ago I had gone on maneuvers up north with the local Army Reserve.

So I sent an email to the Goodhue County Sheriff asking to go along. But I didn’t hear anything back.

And I had other plans scheduled.

But, the day of the training exercise at the Todd Prink farm I got an email that I was accepted!  

Brrrrrrrr!

It was a cold day… in the 40’s… so I put on a winter jacket, cap, gloves and laced up my hiking boots.  That wasn’t enough.  

I was standing outside with the guys for over an hour listening to the training session… and my fingers shaking so badly from the cold that I couldn’t read my notes… and  I watched the guys bouncing their legs to keep circulation going as they concentrated on their instructions.

It was later in the day - after I had stopped by my home and put on a light weight snowmobile suit under my jacket - that I felt I could survive.
I also warmed up when riding with the guys on tactical mission training.

Back to the training meeting.   

Emergency Response Team (ERT) Commander/Field Training Supervisor, Joshua Hanson, introduced me to the team.  l explained that I had previously flown with the Army as a reporter and I would stay out of their way. 

But, I added, I know you will run me through a “hazing” and then  we’ll be OK.  They laughed politely.  

I was standing next to Rodney Roberts who quietly commented, “Your shoelace is untied.”   I quickly looked down at my boots and he grinned, “Gotcha!”  And I think we were off to a good start!

As they were organizing to go out in the fields, I explained I had another commitment.  So we figured out a good time for me to return.

  Keep in mind that I’m shivering so much that all I’m thinking about is the hot cup of coffee at my next meeting.  Actually, it was a group of friends I had promised to join for a book discussion… and wine and dessert!

When I got to that group I didn’t even take off my jacket… I just sat down at the table and gasped… “Coffee!”   

It wasn’t ready yet… so I was told to have the wine.  Later, fortified with coffee, I headed back to the training session!

  Practicing to protect…  

In real action, their lives and the ones they would be protecting would be in danger and depended on their expertise.

Some of the scenarios were: 1) Shooter in the woods and 2) a pursuit with two armed male suspects and a female suspect inside of a pickup truck which was stuck in a field as they were trying to escape.

Decisions were: containing a crowd, saving a hostage, dealing with your men if they get hurt, booby traps, noise of your equipment - some of which may be dependent on battery life and weather conditions, etc.

    It was a serious situation.  And a good reminder… the “bad guys” may not choose warm weather either.

 One of the “bad guys” being told to put your hands on your head and walk backward to their position. 

 What do you do in

   a “Code Red Alert”?

When a “Code Red Alert" comes on your phone and tells you to get to a place of safety immediately…  have you thought of what you should bring with you?

And how much time you should take to find your “stuff”?

I didn’t think of this during last year’s tornadoes here in the Cannon Falls area.  When that alert came over my phone I had just finished popping a bowl of popcorn.

So I grabbed it… my cellphone… and a flashlight and headed down the stairs into the cellar.  

Checking on your neighbors…

It was some time later when neighbors started driving by to see if I was OK.  Trees were partially blocking the road but they got around them.

When they heard I was in the cellar I think they decided that since we probably kept some wine down there…  I would be OK!   

Another Code Red…

Recently we got another Code Red tornado alert warning and since I had just written a recap in my column of all the things that happened in last year’s event I knew more about what could go wrong,

I headed for the cellar and when I got there I realized that if a tornado tore off the first floor of my house, I really should have my billfold with my driver’s license with me so I wouldn’t have to file for a new one.  So I ran up the stairs to get it.

When I got back down in the cellar I thought I really should have my laptop too,  I didn’t want to lose the data in it.  So I ran back upstairs again.

Then I realized I didn’t have anything to sit on so I ran to get a folding stool.

I think I remembered other things I wanted but I kept wondering if a tornado might hit just as I was running up and down the stairs!

Settling in for the duration…

When I finally settled down in the cellar - I got on Facebook and saw the Cannon Falls police had posted about the storm and I told them where I was…. so somebody would know!

But what if I didn’t have any “Wi Fi” working?  I’d want a book.  And a flashlight. ( Like when I was a kid and was supposed to be sleeping under the blankets!)

  And now I realized that although I had some canned vegetables on the shelves down there… they weren’t home canned… and I would need a can opener.  

And if you couldn’t get to the “plumbing"…  you’d need a container of some kind, right?  

And remind yourself to sweep for cobwebs more often too!

This is getting way too detailed.

I’m curious as to what you would take 

into your “safe” room?   

Tornadoes-Cannon Falls-2018

Where were you during 

the “tornado event” - 2018?

Keeping sewage and water systems working plus chain sawing their way to disaster areas was just part of the effort put forth by Cannon Falls city workers and volunteers last September 20, a Thursday, and during the following days in the tornado event that hit the area.

It was reviewed by city officials and residents at a meeting of the Cannon Falls Area TRIAD and recently put on Youtube... "Responding to the Cannon Falls Tornado".

Previous Public Works Director and present Fire Chief Mike Althoff explained the role he and his staff played.

Althoff went the first 48 hours with only 2 hours sleep and only a couple of phone calls to his wife and 5 month old son to see if they were OK at home. (Yes, they had gone down to their basement and were secure though scared.)   

Althoff recalled seeing: The sky turning green… it looked like a wall cloud… the sound was like a freight train going through…  at the fire station we took people in off the street for protection… they saw trees flying by…. branches… 

“Then it stopped and the sun came out. “ 

Biggest problem…

The biggest problem was that the ground was already saturated from rainfall the week before.  So some trees on the boulevards pulled up the gas lines as they fell.

They got the gas leaks taken care of in a few hours.

There was one power line down and one person trapped in a trailer house and a person cut by glass but there were no serious injuries.  

Follow up…

Cannon Falls Police Chief Jeff McCormick added:  “Power was returned to the community fully by Saturday evening.  A few locations still had to replace their pole to meter lines before they could be connected.  Once the power lines were off the streets then most of the streets were opened by Monday.  A few were still closed because of low hanging phone or cable lines for a few more days.”

Also noted by Althoff was that in the next couple of days the nursing home had to be evacuated because of a mechanical problem and later on Twin Rivers had a voluntary evacuation.

Folks offered food and washing facilities to neighbors who didn’t have them.

In the following days, “sight-seeing tourists” became a distraction as folks wanted to see what had happened.  Later on a volunteer work crew from a larger area gathered to help.

It was dealing carefully and promply with these experiences that kept Cannon Falls and vicinity from even more extreme difficulties.           .

St. Ansgar’s pioneer cemetery

The devastation of the St. Ansgar’s Pioneer Cemetery on the south end of Cannon Falls haunted many residents.  Charles Sabrowsky is Chair of the Cemetery Committee and information from Loren Evenrude showed the progress they have made in removing and restoring the area. 

Part of the project included making a “ground penetrating radar search to mark all known burial sites."

Other insights…

Randy Nicolai from Frontier Ag & Turf recalled: ”It destroyed our building for equipment storage and a new one was put back up within a few months.

“Our repair shop had about 30’ of the roof torn off and the overhead door destroyed, the roof repaired in a week and the door replaced in a month or so. Other inside building repairs were done before it got cold outside. 

We still see some of the insulation stuck to a few things around our lot area.”

Hobert’s lost huge trees…

Ten 40 foot trees were lost according to John Hobert living outside Cannon Falls.  John recalled that it was the coming garage sale weekend.  His wife and daughter had been setting up for their sale.  They moved things quickly so they could get their car in the garage.

John added, we were huddled in our small bathroom downstairs and had no house damage.  But we weren’t prepared - had no lights, etc.  

Ray Kimmes - west of town 
in direct line of the tornadoes

Ray Kimmes was in line with the storm on the west side of the county near Stanton.  He explained at the meeting that he was at home having a cup of coffee when he got a call from his grandson.  It was 6:54 p.m.   His grandson told him to get downstairs fast.  

Ray went down into a concrete room and at 7:03 p.m. he came back upstairs and it was all over.  But water was coming through his roof and down through the different levels of his house into the basement.  Plus he also lost many trees.

Any longterm effects?

Chief McCormick concluded that the look of the parks and cemeteries is the most obvious.  When the leaves fall again you will be able to see the large number of trees down in the wooded areas around town.  Most of the damage to buildings has been repaired.

Conclusion…

There are many more stories to tell.  They’re good to remember.

Could "Down" be better than "Up"?

What happened to 

           the “ladder to success”?

Do we have it all wrong?
On a ladder the steps go “up” and “down”. 
But is the “ladder to success” really one where the best steps might go down instead of up?
                           Thoughts for discussion… 
This was the discussion of some folks considering the effect of thoughts on the human body. They meet every week at the Cannon Falls library.  Anyone is invited.
And a couple of them had shared their conclusions about when they had been searching for a job.  
Judy Schlekewy thoughtfully commented, "Sometimes it's not so important to climb the ladder."
And Kari Moline eloquently stated:  “I successfully worked my way down the ladder!”
You see, the important aspect was the effect on their lives.
                     What do you really want?    
Over the years their priorities had changed.
They were looking into what really fit into the lifestyle they wanted at that point in time.
They had to decide what was “success” for them?  The hours they worked… their co-workers and employers… interest in the job… the pay they received… etc. 
I noticed that the pay and position was not insignificant but was not the deciding factor.
                      Checking with my “Mentor”…
With this concept in mind I went to my “online mentor” - “Google” - for information on “What is success”?
The first thing that popped up was a reference to the classic story of Alice in Wonderland… where she goes down the rabbit hole and finds everything in life is now backwards.  
(Keep in mind that I have never been comfortable with this story, but it’s a good analogy.)
The point being that in this blog’s point of view, everything in the world suggests you do the opposite of what their religious principles say to do.
For example: if you want to be blessed, be a blessing to others.  To be honored, first be humble.  To receive, first give.  To be a leader, first be a servant… etc.  
And their leader exemplified this… even to the point of dying for others.
I googled other religious views and found some similar principles.
                      What is the job description?
How could you describe your job?  What is its purpose?  Why is it right for you at this point in time?  
I have heard how public officials are supposed to be public servants.  By contacts with many of them over the years I have seen their concern.  But also I keep in mind the ones that make the headlines who seem to express a more negative side to the equation.
It’s taken me over 50 years to realize that the people I have written about may not be the “rock stars” that get all the attention…. but they are honorable and talented heart-warming folks.  Their stories still touch my heart.
                                      So now......
I’m interested in how you have found this to work in your life.  
Pease contact me at the Beacon or my email: mailrosie@me.com.

Dating online… what do you think?

“Role Playing”…  Goodhue County Deputy Tom Wolner and Stanton Township resident Joyce Sheets practice recognizing warning signs of scammers online at a recent Cannon Falls Area TRIAD meeting at the Cannon Valley Senior Center.

***

Believe it or not… your friends and family are dating online.

And why not you ask?

Isn’t that the modern way?

Aren’t you wary enough to avoid problems?

Or… like one man… he said he just enjoyed helping out these women he was in contact with… he didn’t plan to meet up with them… just send a little cash once in a while. 

(Anyone know how to meet up with someone like this?  Just kidding!)

Jay Haapala, Associate State Director 
– Community Engagement for AARP Minnesota tried to explain to him that he probably wasn’t talking to girls on the internet. Instead they were men who were showing him pictures of pretty girls…and typing into the computer things he would like to hear.

The problem is increasing…

Jay explained that there has been nearly a 250% increase in reports and an over 400% increase in reported losses since 2015.   Mainly because more people are willing to share their information.

The median loss was $2600.  And for people 70 years and older their loss was $10,000.

Like the lady living in Edina.  She was an 80 year old widow.  A man online said he was a doctor for the United Nations.  They talked daily on the internet for eight months.  They decided they would get married. 

He was coming for a visit so she went to the airport to pick him up.

        But he didn’t show.  In further correspondence he explained he needed more money because financially, his was tied up.  

She sent him $38,000… then $12,000.

She got suspicious and got help and retrieved the $12,000.  But not the larger sum.

Warnings: 

1) The scammers want you to get in contact with them outside of the dating websites because that website may have rules they don’t want to work with.

2) Don’t send the money.

3) Talk to family and friends.

4) In checking on a contact you’ve made online: start asking them questions and look for inconsistencies in their responses.

For example: Scammers don’t try just one person, they try as many as they can.  And so you ask a question you know couldn’t be true like:  if they have never mentioned a certain relative, you can ask: “So tell me again, where does you sister Sheila live?”  

Since the scammer is telling many lies, to many people, they may have a hard time keeping their story straight.  And they might say they don’t know where their sister is right now, etc.

And you will know what you’re dealing with.

             Another discovery… Facial recognition online

You have access to facial recognition technology on the internet, called Google Images.  You copy a digital picture from someone’s Facebook profile, then scan it onto the internet to look for other pictures like that.   (I tried this with my picture and it brought up a dozen or so pictures of men and women but no one identical to me.)

  It’s important to report the imposters… to the dating site, Facebook,  your local police department or the FBI - Internet Crime Complaint Center IC3.gov,