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!




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