Ramsey Resident - 1983 - February

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GET TO KNOW YOUR SEPTIC TANK Yes, getting to know ones septic tank does sound just a little f.Jit ridiculous. How- ever, if you treat your septic system right, it probably won't fail you. Those of you who have experienced problems with your systems know just how annoying they can be. Some of the things you can do to ke~p your system working are as follows: Care and Feeding of Your Septic System 1) A "starter" is not needed for bacterial action to begin. 2) Additives should not be used (additives are of no benefit and some may do great harm if they cause the sludge and scum to be flushed o~t into the drainfield). 3) Additives should not be used. Some addi- tives cause the accumulated sludge to increase in volume and be flushed out into the drain- field, plugging soil pores. Other additives, particularly degreasers, may be carcinogens (cancer-causing) or suspected carcinogens and will flow directly into the ground water. 4) Discharge all sewage wastes from the home into the septic tank. Don't run laundry wastes directly into the drainfield. 5) Normal amounts of detergents, bleaches, drain cleaners, toilet bowl deodorizers and other household chemicals can be used ana won't narm the bacterial action in the septic tank. 6) Don't deposit coffee grounds, cooking fats, wet-strength towels, disposable diapers, facial tissues, cigarette butts and similar non decomposable materials into the septic tank. Avoid dumping grease down the drain. It can build up in the tank and plug the inlet. Keep a separate container for waste grease and throw it out with the trash. 7) Use a good quality white toilet tissue that breaks up easily when wet. 8) Remove the sludge and scum by pumping (every 1 to 3 years for a 1000-gallon tank serving a 3-bedroom home having four occu- pants) . 9) If you must use a garbage disposal, you may need to remove the septic tank solids every year or more often. Ground garbage will frequently find its way out of the septic tank and clog the soil treatment system. It is better to compost, incinerate or throw out garbage with the trash. 10) Be conservative with your use of water. Each gallon of water used must be treated and disposed. Repair all leaky fixtures and reduce the amount of water used in launder- ing, bathing and toilet flushing. 11) Wash only full loads in the washer and spread the washing out during the week to avoid overloading the sewage system in a single day. 12) Each bath or shower uses up to 30 gallons of water. Filling the tub not quite so full and not turning the shower on all the way could save 5 to 10 gallons with each bathing. 13) Routinely check the toilet float valve to be sure that it isn't sticking and the water isn't running continuously. Be sure the toilet is not flushed unnecessarily. Don't use the toilet to dispose of house cleaning water or cigarette butts. Have the last person to wash up in the morning and evening flush the toilet after everyone else has used it. This could save 20 to 30 gal- lons a day for a family of four. 14) Water softener wastewater will not harm septic tank action. However, the additional water will need to be treated and disposed of by the soil treatment system. If the soft- ener wastewater overloads the soil treatment system, the wastewater can be discharged to the ground surface since it contains no pathogens. In conclusion we can only say that we would sincerely hope you continue to care for your septic system and not count on City sewer. Many, if not most of you, will not have City sewer for a long time. -Clayton Berg, City of Ramsey, Building inspector REFLECTIONS Thank you very much for all the nice com- ments about the first issue of the Resident! And thank you to the businesses in Ra~sey for supporting this project! I hope that together we can all continue to keep Ramsey the nicest City in Minnesota. In the ever-continueing fun of staying num- ber 1 we offer YOU the following challenge.. What would you like to see in Ramsey? Or how could Ramsey be improved? A number of people in Ramsey are coming up with ideas and ways to improve our City and they'd like your imput. Here are some of the ideas they have come up with-- Developing fields for sports participation. Utilizing Ramsey's businesses to promote ex- pansion and new jobs. Encouraging businesses to settle in Ramsey. Job Seminars given by management recruiters to aid the unemployed in sharpening their in- terviewing techniques. A crlS1S prevention board to help friends and n~ighbors caught in the web of our econo- mic woes. Clothing and Food collecttons t~ help re- sidents. A fund to be used to help residents who face foreclosure due to circumstances beyond their control. A volunteer network to help by lending a helping hand during crisis' that hit so un- expectedly. Securing a County Library Branch for Ramsey. Organizing neighborhoods to improve and main- tain their local parks. i'low's -t': time to express your needs and ideas. If jou'd like to lend a helping hand be sure to enclose your name and phone number. Send to the Resident, 16330 Yttrium St., Ramsey, Minn. 55303 --Sue VanWagner MEET RAMSEY'S POLICE OFFICERS I~ a' effort to fa.iliarize you with your Ci~y and those who contribute their tiDe and talents to~ards the well being of Ragsey, we now continue our introductions that last issue ~ntained City Staff and the Planning and Zoning Commission. This month's issue takes a look at Ramsey's Police Force. Their very modest epitome fails to mention some of things that I think are important. Suc~ things as the time they spend at school with our children or on the pavement showing them bicycle safety. They don't mention how they help people who run out of gas or lock their keys in their cars. Or how seriously they look after homes while owners are away. Nor do they mention CPR classes, their efforts with Crime Watch, Chemical Awareness and other things they do to try and prevent tradegy in our City. They don't brins up how they are pro- bably the only Police DepJrtment in the Metro Area that does their own tune-ups or develops their own pictures. They don't mention the cases they've solved or t~e injuries they've sustained in the line of duty. And most of all they neglected to say that when you're in desperate need of help the most beautiful sight in the world is that of a Ramsey Police Officer. --Sue VanWagner The present Ramsey Police Dept. has it's roots as far back as 1971, prior to Ramsey becoming a city. At that time Ramey. was a township and law enforcement w~s provided by the Sheriff's Office and a Con3table. In March of 1971, Chief Mike Auspos ran for the position of constable in Ramsfj Township. Mike ran unoppsed the first election and re- ceived 330 out of 340 votes. At least 10 people had some misgivings at that time. A couple of years later, Chief Auspos ran again, and he was ~till unopposed and the spread got even wider! Fortunately the postion of Con- stable was abolished before another election for it is entirely possible that 'new' would have happened in the annals of elective of- fice. He may have lost even though unopposed! At about 1975 Chief Auspos was appointed as Chief of Police in the City of Ramsey and has held that position since that time. Chief Auspos lives in Ramsey, is married, has six childre~ and has been a long time Ramsey re- sident. In 1974, the ranks of the Police Dept. was swelled by two patrolmen. Officer Dabe Gusta- fson joined the department. He resides in the City of Champlin with his wife and two child- ren. Officer To. Anderson also joine~ the P~l~ce Dept. in the fall of 1974. Officer Anderson's acade.ic experience includes an AAS degree in Law Enforece.ent technology fro. ~orth Henne- pin Community College and a SA degree in Criminal Justice Studies from St. Cloud State University. Officer Anderson resides in Ramsey with his wife Nancy. In August of 1978, Officer Mike Eason joined the police department. He has spent 3 years in the US Marine Corp and was a police patrolman for the City of Anoka for four years. He lives in the City of Coon Rapids with his wife and three children. In 1979 Officer Robert Kuhn joined the police department. He and his wife, Betty have been married for the past eleven years and live with their two children, Gregory and Corrie in Elk River. They hope to be ~oving to Ramsey in the very near future. Officer Kuhn has previously worked for the police deoartments in Eveleth and Princeton before being hired in Ramsey. He graduated from North Hennepin Community Co~l~~e in the Ldw Enforcement program with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Law Enforcemnt Technology. His in- terests inclu~e photography, wood working and target shooti~Q. In 1981 Officer James Balaban joined the police department He spent Ii years with the Oak dale Police Department and had been a member of the Ramsey Police Reserv~ for 41 years. He lives in Ramsey with his wife Joan and two sons. The Police Dept. also has a Secre~ary. Arlene Stafford has been with the Police Dept. since May of 1978, much of this time in a part time police capacity and even though she spends most of her day in the police offices, also performs many tasks for the Administrative departments. She also handles the local elect- ions. Besides handling most of the clerical work generated by the police officers, she also fields many calls for service and takes a lot of "heat' from irate callers. Arlene, her husband Don and children reside in Ramsey. ! i i i I j i page 11