An Inventor, a Conviction, H1N1, Hospice Training and Tortillas in the Grocery

Sunday, November 22, 2009. It looks like work is being done on the house next door north of the one that caught fire on south Birch Street in September. Their siding got badly singed, parts of the roof didn't look the way I'd like: and there was probably damage inside, too. At least their house didn't go up, too. If there's been news about how the fire started, I haven't run into it.

I haven't been out much since Wednesday, so most of what I know about what's been going on is from the Sauk Centre Herald. If you haven't gotten the November 17th issue yet, or haven't read it yet, I suggest checking out page 6: There's a pretty good article on area inventers, including Don Lahr and Dick Zetah.


Sauk Centre Herald, "above the fold," November 17, 2009.

The "above the fold" stories on the front page were mainly medical: about the H1N1 vaccinations at the elementary school, and about a family that's been dealing with the sort of disease most of us never hear about: adrenomyeloneuropathy and Addison's disease.

The H1N1 vaccination program was the top headline this week. I'm not clear on whether my son's one of the kids who's going to get the H1N1 vaccinations tomorrow. The doses are being rationed, something the local school had to do, to get any. As I wrote Wednesday, I put together a set of links to pretty reliable sources of information. ("Swine Flu 2009") From what I've read, getting vaccinated - if you can - is a good idea.

Something I didn't see in the print edition of this week's Herald was on the newspaper's website: Benjamin Delacruz Ajqui, the 22-year-old who was accused of that July rape on the Lake Wobegon Trail (August 2, 2009, July 29, 2009) has been sentenced to 12 years. That probably won't be the end of his trouble. There's a possibility he's in this country illegally, and he may be deported when his sentence is up.


Sauk Centre Herald, "below the fold," November 17, 2009.

On a happier note, one of the "below the fold" articles in this week's Sauk Herald tells about training the St. Michael's Hospice staff is getting, about Hispanic culture. Makes sense, I think. Until a decade or so ago, just about everybody in town were either German- or Irish-Americans: and we'd figured out how to get along. And, more to the point for Hospice, we knew what the neighbors might reasonably expect from a service like Hospice.

That was then, this is now: and there are quite a few Hispanic families in the area: and like everybody else, some of their members are getting into the Hospice system.

On a not-entirely-unrelated note, having a new set of people in town has made quite a difference for my family: we're able to pick up prayer candles in the grocery now, for one thing. And, there's a somewhat wider food selection there, too.

H1N1 2009, Compost, Thanksgiving and Christmas

Wednesday, November 18, 2009. I had some business at City Hall today, and saw this reminder of the 2009 H1N1 swine flu pandemic. Earlier this week, we signed up so our youngest child could get the H1N1 vaccine at the school. The immunizations take place next month, I think.


What the sign says should be just common sense. It (quite politely) says something like, 'if you're running a fever, coughing and sneezing: please don't infect us. November 18, 2009.

About H1N1 2009: I've been writing about what's happening, in another blog: and put together a set of links to pretty reliable sources of information. ("Swine Flu 2009") Enough of serious stuff.

We've had some beautifully clear, blue-skied days: "October's bright blue weather," come a little late.


Sauk Centre's Yard Waste Compost Facility: I don't usually hang out here, but I was out Monday, and wondered what was making the smoke. November 16, 2009.


It's no campfire: That's an orange dump truck down there. November 16, 2009.

I suppose there's a limit to how much "composting" can be done with Sauk Centre's yard waste. There was a lively fire putting some of the stuff through a really fast recycling process this Monday. Depending on your point of view, the city was endangering fragile Earth - or providing plants with vitally-needed carbon dioxide.

It's not exactly new, now, but I think this is the first time I've featured the Sauk Centre water processing plant. November 16, 2009.

A bit north of that Godzilla-size bonfire, the Sauk Centre water works was too good a photo-op to pass up. While I'm thinking of it: Thanks, everybody who keeps services like water, power and light running.


Some householders skipped right past Thanksgiving, and are getting set for Christmas. November 18, 2009.


On the other hand, some take the holiday's one at a time: in some cases, with distinctly non-traditional artwork. November 18, 2009.

I'm running out of time, and still haven't said anything about holiday displays in the stores. Well, that will wait.