Ramsey Resident - 2003 - November/December

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9 SNOWPLOWING F AQ ARTICLE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 best. It is best used in very cold weather to provide temporary traction. It has no real melting properties and depending on the amount of traffic, the sand will be embedded in to the snow or blown to the edge of the road by passing traffic. The trend in de-icing today is away from using sand. Some reasons for this trend are air-borne pollution, and clean up costs associated with sand. Salt is a good de-icing agent because it is relatively cheap and in large supply. One of the drawbacl(s of salt is it starts to lose its effectiveness at about 15 degrees. Environmental issues can also arise if salt is not applied properly. Public worl(s staff will be testing several different chemicals this winter to see if they can help clear our roads and lower our use of salt and salt/sand. Distributors of these chemicals claim they can cut salt use by as much as 30%. This testing will be done on several problem areas where heavy tree cover l(eeps the sun from reaching the pavement most of the winter. The lacl( of sun results in a build up of ice that requires constant applications of sand or salt to control. Q. Why doesn't the large plow truck clear my cul-de-sac? A. The large plow equipment is not designed to worl( in smaller areas. The job of the large equipment is to clear the roads. Safety is one of the main concerns. A large amount ofbaclcing up, in a fairly small area, is required to clear a cul-de-sac. The large trucl(s have poor visibility to the rear, so we try to avoid using them in cul-de-sacs. Efficiency is also an issue. The large trucl( can clear 5-6 blocl(s of main roadway in about the same amount of time it would tal(e the driver to clear one cul-de-sac. Q. Why should I stake the curb/boulevard near my home? A. Stalcing the boulevard helps the plow driver visualize the edge of the road. In a heavy snowfall sometimes the driver can not see where the road bends or the exact location of the comer. The Public Worl(s department distributes wooden lath, free of charge in the fall, to help marl( the edge of the boulevard. This lath is available at the fall recycling day in October or at City Hall. The lath will breal( off after a couple of snowfalls, but will have served its purpose by helping the driver establish the curb line. Please do not use metal stal(es to marl( the boulevard. They are dangerous to install and can be a hazard to pedestrians and motorists using the roadway. City crews will remove metal stal(es used in the boulevard. FALL 2003 HOMEOWNER SEPTIC SYSTEM CARE CLASSES Homeowners wanting to better understand, operate and maintain their septic systems will want to attend a Septic System Care program being presented by the University of Minnesota Extension Service. This 2-hour program will be held at the following locations: Monday, November 17th 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. City of Ramsey Fire Station No.1 15050 Armstrong Blvd. N.W. Ramsey, MN One-weel( advance registration is required to insure receiving program materials. Pre - register at: www.extension.umn.edu/county/anoka and click on workshops or you may call the University ofMin- nesota Extension Service, Anoka County at (763) 755- 1280. Program materials are covered by an Anoka County Ag Preserves Grant. These programs are co-sponsored by the U. of M. Extension Service, St. Francis Community Education, Martin Lal(eshore Assoc. - Linwood Township and the City of Ramsey. The Ramsey Lions have been serving the community since 1972. You have probably seen us worl(ing at events in the area such as Happy Days, Game Fair parking, Community Picnic (which we sponsor), Nowthen Threshing Show and the 4th of July celebration at Diamonds. Funds raised at these events go back to the community. We volunteer our time and worl( hard, but have fun along the way. We are in the process of forming a Leo Club for area students ages 12 and up, meeting at Anoka High School. Community service is the cornerstone of the program. Like their Lion counterparts, Leo Club members enjoy serving their neighbors and watching positive results unfold. For more information about Leos or Lions, please visit our website at www.RamseyLions.org or write to us at PO Box Often the best thing about not saying anything is that it can't be repeated. - Suzan L. Weiner