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<br />DRUNK DRIVERS
<br />
<br />It is estimated that on any typical
<br />Friday or Saturday night, there are
<br />between 20,000 and 30,000 drunk
<br />drivers on Minnesota roads. Studies
<br />also indicate that alcohol is involved
<br />. in more than half of all traffic deaths.
<br />Of drivers killed in car crashes in
<br />Minnesota last year, 60% of those
<br />tested had alcohol in their blood.
<br />All of the above are recent
<br />statistics but forget about those
<br />numbers for a moment. It is
<br />understandable that people like to
<br />get out on the weekends and have a
<br />little fun and yes, to drink a little too.
<br />You may think to yourself that it's
<br />the alcoholic that causes accidents.
<br />Alcohol effects everyone differently
<br />depending on size, weight, amount of
<br />food you've eaten, etc. But
<br />everyone's ability to drive is impaired
<br />by consuming alcoholic beverages.
<br />Some say, "I drive better after I've
<br />had a few," but that's not the case.
<br />After approximately five drinks or
<br />bottles of beer within an hour and a
<br />half, the impairment can be from 17
<br />to 42%. What do we mean by
<br />impairment? Alcohol is not a
<br />stimulant. It is a depressant that
<br />slows down the nervous system.
<br />When you drink, alcohol passes into
<br />your bloodstream. Your vision range
<br />narrows, your perception of light
<br />decreases, your muscular control and
<br />reaction time is impaired. You are
<br />less able to concentrate on more than
<br />one function at a time. It is this
<br />mixture that is deadly on the road
<br />because the drunk driver's brain is
<br />telling him that he is driving just fine
<br />when in fact, he is not.
<br />As far as the law goes, a person
<br />with a .10% Blood Alcohol reading
<br />has legally and actually become a
<br />drunk driver. If stopped by a law
<br />enforcement officer he may be asked
<br />to perform a field sobriety test. These
<br />tests vary. One is the "Finger to
<br />Nose Test," another is "Walking a
<br />Straight Line," etc. At this time the
<br />officer will usually be able to tell if
<br />you are under the influence of
<br />alcohol. Another method to
<br />determine whether you are under the
<br />influence or not is the PBT or
<br />Portable Breath Tester. This is a
<br />small hand held macliine which the
<br />violater blows into. The machine will
<br />then read Pass, Warn or Fail. If you
<br />fail the test you will be arrested for
<br />driving under the influence of
<br />alcohol. Your car will be towed unless
<br />there is someone with you, that is not
<br />
<br />drunk, to take custody of the vehicle.
<br />This is done to protect both the Police
<br />Agency and the violator in case the
<br />vehicle is vandalized or damaged on
<br />the highway . You will then be read an
<br />Implied Consent form which asks you
<br />to provide a sample of your breath or
<br />blood for testing to determine the
<br />amount of alcohol present. If you
<br />refuse to give a test your license will
<br />be revoked for a period of six months.
<br />You will then be booked at the jail
<br />and placed in a cell until a responsible
<br />person can come to pick you. up or
<br />post bail. If convicted you could get
<br />up to a $500.00 fine and/or 90 days in
<br />jail and have your license revoked for
<br />30 days. That is just the tip of the
<br />iceberg. There will be court costs if
<br />contested, loss of work days,
<br />substantial auto insurance increase
<br />and/or cancellation, in other words a
<br />big headache that you don't need.
<br />What can you do to avoid this
<br />situation? Before you go to that party
<br />have a good meal. Alcohol is absorbed
<br />into the bloodstream through the
<br />stomach and this is slowed down if
<br />there is food in the stomach.
<br />
<br />Regulate yourself, keep track of how
<br />many you've had. Don't mix the
<br />drinks too strong, drinks such as
<br />Martinis, Manhattans, or Gimlets
<br />sometimes contain more than double
<br />the amount of alcohol per drink. Slow
<br />down the alcohol consumption as the
<br />evening comes to a close. Remember
<br />that a 12 oz. bottle of beer, a one
<br />ounce shot of 86 proof liquor and a 6
<br />oz. glass of wine all have the same
<br />alcohol content.
<br />Why are the laws so tough? To keep
<br />people alive! To identify the problem
<br />drinker and to deter the social
<br />drinker from driving under the
<br />influence of alcohol. Life is precious,
<br />not something to be snuffed out by a
<br />drunk driver, and that is why the
<br />laws are tough. Unless you have been
<br />at the scene of a fatal accident, unless
<br />you've had a friend or a loved one
<br />killed, unless you've seen the twisted
<br />metal, broken glass, and mangled
<br />bodies you. cannot fully comprehend
<br />the problem that the drunk driver
<br />creates. Use alcohol in moderation
<br />and you'll save lives, money, time and
<br />a hangover.
<br />
<br />PANCAKE BREAKFAST
<br />
<br />The Ramsey Youth Athletic
<br />Association (RYAA) is planning its
<br />annual Pancake Breakfast for April
<br />26th. This year's Breakfast will have
<br />a boutique and door prizes.
<br />Last year's Breakfast was a huge
<br />success and helped the Association
<br />purchase the $14,000 in athletic
<br />equipment needed for its first year of
<br />operation.
<br />RAMSEY jackets will be sold at the
<br />Breakfast or may. be ordered from
<br />Don Lokker at 421-7238.
<br />
<br />PACK 362
<br />
<br />Cub Scout Pack 362 met on
<br />Thurday, January 15, for their
<br />annual Pinewood Derby. The
<br />Pinewood Derby is a race of
<br />handmade wooden cars which are
<br />carved, painted and decorated by the
<br />cub scouts and their families.
<br />First, Second and Third Prizes
<br />were awarded for each of three
<br />categories: Best Design, Most
<br />Inventive and Most Unusual.
<br />The winners for Best Design were
<br />Chad Wuornos, First Prize, Paul
<br />Sershen, Second Prize and Steve
<br />Laska, Third Prize.
<br />In the category of Most Inventive,
<br />the winners were Kyle Hammond,
<br />First Prize, Billy Plaster, Second
<br />
<br />Prize and Trevor Roberts, Third
<br />Prize.
<br />The winners for Most Unusual
<br />were rBrett Belschner, First Prize,
<br />Joshua Becker, Second Prize and
<br />David Wickman, Third Prize.
<br />The excitement ran high as the
<br />winners of the race itself were
<br />determined. The boy with the fastest
<br />car was Kyle Hammond car number
<br />53. Chad Wuornos came in second
<br />with car number 88. Paul Sershen,
<br />with car number 102, came in Third.
<br />Eric Rabenberg, car number 91,
<br />came in fourth. The Fifth Place
<br />Winner was Corey Sauer with car
<br />number 85.
<br />There were 49 entries in the race.
<br />Each Cub Scout was provided with a
<br />Pinewood Derby Kit, consisting of a
<br />simple block of wood and four wheels.
<br />The Judges for the race were Dick
<br />Baker and Jerry Beltman, parents of
<br />former cub scouts. .
<br />The first, second, and third place
<br />winners of the race will race again at
<br />the Isanoka District Pinewood Derby
<br />on April 10.
<br />All of the winners will be awarded
<br />trophies except for fourth and fifth
<br />places, which will receive ribbons. All
<br />awards will be presented at the Blue
<br />and Gold Banquet on Thursday,
<br />February 19, at the Ramsey
<br />Elementary School.
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