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Sauk Centre This Season

Sauk Centre Journal

Weather updated each hour

Wednesday, March 10, 2010. So far this week, it's been overcast, it's rained, and snow has been melting. Hordes of teenagers in cars flowed past my house around 3:00 in the afternoon all three days, and one of the neighbors has cheerful St. Patrick's Day decorations on display. Apart from that, all I know is what I read in the paper.

Like the city council voting to waive billing householders who didn't get snow cleared on schedule, from January 26^th to the 29^th. to cancel all the billing that went out to city residents for failure to remove snow within a proper time frame between Jan. 25-29. It cost the city $2,352 to have contractors do the job.

Which sounds like a lot. But if my math is right, that means that, on average, each person in Sauk Centre is going to wind up paying about 0.59¢ in extra taxes and fees, somewhere along the line. If it's spread out evenly, my household will have to cough up around $2.36. 2009 was a rough year for us, but I think we can handle that.

And, as the Sauk Centre Herald article pointed out, there was a whacking great amount of snow to move in spots, after the snowfall and drifting. Considering how much the per-citizen cost is, after you spread it out, I think the council's decision was a nice gesture: and an affordable one.

Hats off to these folks, for adding a bit of color to the neighborhood. March 7, 2010.

Another week, and it'll be St. Patrick's Day: Wednesday. Good grief, I had it on Monday, in the last entry. That goof has been fixed. If only all mistakes could be cleared up that easily.

March 8, Monday, the school bands, grades 7-12, gave a concert. It wasn't exactly SRO (Standing Room Only), but considering the weather, I think the turnout was pretty good.

I'd say 'waiting for the curtain to go up' - but they go to the side here, and the curtains are already open. March 8, 2010.

The various bands played quite a range of music: from "The Pink Panther" and "Puttin on the Ritz" to Gustav Holst's Second Suite in F for Military Band. And some pretty good jazz, too.

This was worth walking through a March drizzle: and that's saying something. March 8, 2010.

Part of an AP article on music and language was on the back of the band concert's program: More about that in "Music, Language, and Workarounds for (Some) Stroke Victims," in one of my blogs.

Sunday, March 7, 2010. Back to Valley Forge Village, the old Home School property on Sauk Centre's north side, and making use of the place.

The last time I wrote about the Valley Forge Village proposal - in fact, I think the only time I wrote about it - was July 16, 2009. At that time, I'd read in the Sauk Centre Herald

"that something called the Valley Forge Village Project is proposed for the Minnesota Correctional Facility/home school/whatever up on the north side, east of the golf course.

"Reading the Herald's discussion of 'nay saying' and concerns about 'unsavory' people moving in, I did a little checking around. The Valley Forge Village Project is a proposal by the Patrick McCaffery Foundation. The organization's writeup on the project says that they're trying to help vets make the transition between active service and civilian life: '...The primary focus will be on reintegration to family and society in general, family counseling, job training, as well as a retreat for rest and relaxation....'..."

This week's Herald's article says that Valley Forge Veteran's Village is "a veterans transitional housing project". Well, I suppose that would involve "unsavory people." Certainly not upper crust.

I don't have quite the horror of "unsavory people" that I might. Maybe because my family and I have been lived through a few hard times. Judging solely on the household income and the grandeur of our living arrangements, we've been "unsavory people."

Maybe that's not what the person who was quoted last year quite had in mind.

Anyway, From the sounds of it, the Valley Forge Village proposal still makes sense. And, unless something unforeseen comes up, they'll be opening up this summer.

Links to the Valley Forge Veteran's Village Project and their Oak Ridge page.

Springtime in Minnesota isn't about chirping birds, unless you count the overhead honks of Canada geese, and blooming flowers. On the other hand, if you look around there are wonderful sculptures of melting snow and ice.

That bit on the left is a shell, curved like a car's windshield. March 3, 2010.

A touch, and that would crumble. March 3, 2010.

Can't say I'll be sorry to see summer, but I'll sort of miss sights like this. Well, there's next year.. March 3, 2010.

The next big-deal holiday is St. Patrick's Day, a week from Wednesday. A neighbor has a display up - but I'll save that until the next entry.

Sauk Centre Journal Blog
A copy of these bi-weekly updates, plus the occasional bonus photo and observation.

Easy Griller
Grilling year-round with simple equipment and almost no skill

Through One Dad's Eye
Raising a family and writing blogs in small town America

A webcam on Sauk Centre's south side

Starting a Small Business Without Losing My Mind
The continuing adventure of publishing online....
Or, getting laid off for fun and profit.

Behind Every Website, There's a Webmaster
Me, at a computer

Another War-on-Terror Blog
(As if we needed another one.)

Corpus Christi Procession, Sauk Centre, Minnesota, June 14, 2009
(Another part of small-town life.)

Wednesday, March 3, 2010. The snow is still melting. At this rate, I'll be putting away my winter coat soon. After which we'd probably have a record cold wave.

St. Patrick's Day cards: That I was expecting. The Easter stuff, no so much. It's the next big holiday, of course. March 3, 2010.

I'm not surprised: The ice must be pretty soft. March 3, 2010.

I'm not a big fan of wading through ice water, but I enjoy seeing the ephemeral sculptures made by sunlight and melting snow.

My guess is that they're pointing at where the sun is, around midday. March 3, 2010.

Just a pile of melting snow? March 3, 2010.

Take a closer look: there's a sort of delicate, lacy ice here. March 3, 2010.

I see that something called Valley Forge Veterans Village may be moving into the hold 'home school' facility on the north side. But it's getting late, so I'll write about on Sunday.

Earlier Sauk Centre Journal entries are in the Sauk Centre Journal Archive.

The idea, when I started this page, was to have a little journal, where I recorded events as they happen here in Sauk Centre.

It grew.

Above, you'll find this Sauk Centre journal. I update it twice a week.

Brian H. Gill, Webmaster, Brendan's Island

Mary Quite Contrary
"Growing up has never been so surreal"
Online comic by Brigid's World