Monday, January 07, 2008

Wright/Cromwell News

01/07/2008

Wright/Cromwell News by Jennie K. Hanson January 7, 2008

Heather (Maki) Neu graduated Summa Cum Laude from UW Superior on December 15th.  She received a Bachelor of Science Degree.  Her major is Chemistry with the Professional Chemistry Option.  Heather was chosen by the UW staff and graduating seniors to be the student speaker for the graduation ceremony.

Heather has been accepted to UMD, and will be starting her graduate

studies this January.  She is really excited, and can’t wait to get started.

Scott Maki graduated from Fond du Lac Community College in May with a Associate in Science Degree in Law Enforcement.  During the summer the law enforcement class had 6 weeks of skills training, He then graduated from that in July.  He is now in the process of looking for a police officer job.  While looking for a job he is working as a security office at Sappi.

Alaina (Heikkila) Besonen graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing from St. Scholastica on December 16th, 2007. She has a job starting in January with Carlson International Travel in Minnetonka.  Her Mom and Dad, and family are very proud of you!  We also want to congratulate Alaina on this achievement.

I also saw Dan up on the big screen in Cloquet while attending a movie at Preimere Theatres. Looked good, Dan!  Maybe a new career is in store for you?

There are now 447 names on Zona Turja’s autographed tablecloth.  On Sat. 2 OLD friends were at the Turja’s.  They haven’t visited since before the tablecloth was started, so it will be 449!  There are also several Gold Stars on the tablecloth near the names of those who have died.

Preschool Screening was held at the school on Tuesday, January 8th.  If your child is between three and four years of age and you did not receive a packet regarding screening, or attended the screening, please contact the school, extension 3150.

Bill Olson and son MIKE helped put the outside Christmas Decorations up at Bethlehem Lutheran Church as they do every year.  Bill made the star and always checks the lights etc.  They also took down them in January.  Thanks, guys.  It looked great!  Bill also made the stable, brings it over every year, etc.  Ken Peterson made the figures for the manger scene.  This is the first year Jim Johnson has helped which was appreciated but Mike does every year.

There is still time to help the Food shelf out by taking an ornament off the door at the Bethlehem Church and donating an item or two in the big box at the church or at the Co-op Store.  I think Cromwell is still collecting too.

Tia Nistler Hayes had the misfortune of falling and breaking her ankle on New Year’s Eve.  She spent New Year’s Day at St. Mary’s in surgery and is now at home recovering.  Her surgery went well, but she will have to be off of her foot for 6-8 weeks.  Good luck and prayers are needed for healing and getting around, Tia.

It seems there is a real “rash” of falling and breaking bones.  I hear that Wally Schulke, Shirley Pearson, and Donna Finnila are also on the mend from falls.

It was great to see a photograph of Pauly Granholm and her granddaughter Kyra Grandholm in the Pine Journal last week.  Kyra is the daughter of Brian and Amy Granholm.  What a Cutie!  Oh, and Kyra is cute, too!

Our sympathy to the family of Jill Ann Boyat, 39.  Jill had worked in the Cromwell/Wright School for the past couple of years as the Family/School Support Worker.  Jill will be missed by the staff at Cromwell/Wright and we are sure her family will miss this fine young woman deeply.

Elma Sarvela (Leppioja) of Blaine, Mn Died on December 27, 2007.  She is a former graduate of Cromwell High School in 1952.

Don’t forget the Vintage Snowmobile run in Tamarack the last Saturday in January.  That’s the 26th. It should be great with all the snow we’ve had this year so far.

The new Black Jack Grill in Wright is open and ready for business.  Call them at 357-3287 for any information, but I think the hours are 6 AM – 10 PM.  Let’s all help out and go to the Grill.

On Saturday, January 5th, Ray and Lindsay Lally, Sharon Lake, Leo Dahlberg, and I took a Traveler’s Choice Day Trip by coach bus to Mpls to see the play, “Menopause the Musical.” It was a fabulous musical comedy at the Lab Theater in Downtown Minneapolis.  The show was created as a celebration of women who are on the brink of, in the middle of or have survived the change of life.  It was great and well worth going to.

There seems to be no end in sight for the high gas prices, I thought I’d pass along the following information.  I’m not sure it’s all good information, but it may help you on expensives.

TIPS ON PUMPING GAS

I don’t know what you guys are paying for gasoline.... but here in California we are also paying higher, up to $3.50 per gallon. But my line of work is in petroleum for about 31 years now, so here are some tricks to get more of your money’s worth for every gallon.

Here at the Kinder Morgan Pipeline where I work in San Jose, CA we deliver about 4 million gallons in a 24-hour period thru the pipeline. One day is diesel the next day is jet fuel, and gasoline, regular and premium grades.

Only buy or fill up your car or truck in the early morning when the ground temperature is still cold.

Remember that all service stations have their storage tanks buried below ground.

The colder the ground the more dense the gasoline, when it gets warmer gasoline expands, so buying in the afternoon or in the evening....your gallon is not exactly a gallon.

In the petroleum business, the specific gravity and the temperature of the gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, ethanol and other petroleum products plays an important role. A 1-degree rise in temperature is a big deal for this business. But the service stations do not have temperature compensation at the pumps.

When you’re filling up do not squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to a fast mode.

If you look you will see that the trigger has three (3) stages: low, middle, and high.

In slow mode you should be pumping on low speed, thereby minimizing the vapors that are created while you are pumping. All hoses at the pump have a vapor return. If you are pumping on the fast rate, some of the liquid that goes to your tank becomes vapor. Those vapors are being sucked up and back into the underground storage tank so you’re getting less worth for your money.

One of the most important tips is to fill up when your gas tank is HALF FULL or HALF EMPTY.  The reason for this is, the more gas you have in your tank the less air occupying its empty space.  Gasoline evaporates faster than you can imagine. Gasoline storage tanks have an internal floating roof. This roof serves as zero clearance between the gas and the atmosphere, so it minimizes the evaporation. Unlike service stations, here where I work, every truck that we load is temperature compensated so that every gallon is actually the exact amount.

Another reminder, if there is a gasoline truck pumping into the storage tanks when you stop to buy gas, DO NOT fill up--most likely the gasoline is being stirred up as the gas is being delivered, and you might pick up some of the dirt that normally settles on the bottom.

Hope this will help you get the most value for your money.