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Membership Sideblog

  • The Marcus Welby of law, by Lance Heisler | Lampe Law Group
    July 31, 2010 | 7:45 pm

    Growing up in North Dakota during the 50s and 60s, I was privileged to experience something that's all too rare now - the old-fashioned family doctor. "Doc" delivered babies, set broken bones, treated pneumonia, and helped Grandpa with his newfangled hearing aid. Doc knew the community, the families, and the individuals whose basic medical needs he treated from birth through the end of life. Some of you who grew up in that time, and perhaps in smaller communities, may remember a Doc of your own. . . . → Read More: The Marcus Welby of law, by Lance Heisler | Lampe Law Group

  • Kitty Mania at the Prairie’s Edge Humane Society, by Sandy Vesledahl
    July 28, 2010 | 10:51 pm

    Let’s talk about cats, cats and more cats! Why?? Because Prairie’s Edge Humane Society is full of cats and we have many more arriving daily. As of today, there are 44 cats on the adoption floor with more awaiting their surgeries so they are ready for adoption. There are cats in every corner of the shelter who need homes! We are in desperate need of homes for these cats. We cannot emphasize this enough. So we are having a cat sale and we are calling it Kitty Mania !

    Kitty Mania is this weekend, beginning Thursday, July . . . → Read More: Kitty Mania at the Prairie’s Edge Humane Society, by Sandy Vesledahl

  • On Watermelons and Widgets, by Tom Swift
    July 12, 2010 | 11:50 am

    The free market does many things well, but we know it does not do everything. Even market fundamentalists concede that the public must build roads, put out fires, police streets, and provide national defense. Most people, at least those to the left of the Tea Party edge of political spectrum, accept that the government must also be involved in education, disaster relief, and health care. That is, certain services must be rendered — necessary services, universal services — whether or not those services are financially profitable. If your house is on fire, you do not have time to . . . → Read More: On Watermelons and Widgets, by Tom Swift

  • Vintage Band Festival Contra Dance, by Dan Bergeson
    July 12, 2010 | 10:56 am

    Okay, so most of the news about the Vintage Band Festival so far has been about the bands. But there’s a number of other events during the weekend. Like the VBF Contra Dance, for instance.

    The Vintage Band Festival Contra Dance will feature music by The Dodworth Saxhorn Band of Ann Arbor, Michigan and will be led by dance instructor/caller Robin Nelson.

    Dancing will begin at 8:30 p.m. with a “Grand March” led by 60 costumed members of the 1st Wisconsin Infantry Brigade, followed by a variety of period dances including polkas, contra dances, schottisches, reels and waltzes.

    . . . → Read More: Vintage Band Festival Contra Dance, by Dan Bergeson

  • The Animal-Cruelty Syndrome, by Tom Swift
    June 27, 2010 | 8:00 am

    Even before I read the first word of this article I had a visceral reaction to it. The accompanying photographs — my eyes tend to skip over photographs in magazines — affected me in a manner that is difficult to articulate. I knew, immediately I knew, I was not going to like what I was about to read. In fact, for that reason I put the piece aside. Not now, I thought. Maybe tomorrow, I said to myself. But, then, I couldn’t not read it, either. If you have not done so already, I hope you will read . . . → Read More: The Animal-Cruelty Syndrome, by Tom Swift

  • Puppies! Puppies! Puppies! by Kathy Jasnoch
    June 27, 2010 | 7:54 am

    June may be Adopt A Cat month here at Prairie’s Edge Humane Society and we have lots of wonderful cats, but we also have PUPPIES!

    We have a male Newfoundland mix named Chong who is 6 months old, he was a stray so we don’t know a lot about him.  He loves to play! We also have three Australian Cattle Dog mixes who are two months old.  Marcia, Bobby and Cindy were born at the shelter and spent some time in one of our fabulous foster homes.  They are now back at the shelter and ready to find . . . → Read More: Puppies! Puppies! Puppies! by Kathy Jasnoch

  • Relay for Life of Rice County, August 6th, Rice County Fairgrounds. By Sandy Vesledahl
    June 23, 2010 | 9:35 pm

    The American Cancer Society Relay for Life is a life-changing event that gives everyone in communities across the globe a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease. At Relay for Life, teams of people camp out at local parks or fairgrounds and take turns walking or running around a track or path. Each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event. Because cancer never sleeps, Relays are overnight events.

    Relay for Life of Rice . . . → Read More: Relay for Life of Rice County, August 6th, Rice County Fairgrounds. By Sandy Vesledahl

  • Critter Cam live from Prairie’s Edge Humane Society, by Sandy Vesledahl
    June 16, 2010 | 9:04 am

    Now Showing! Live Kittens playing! You can now watch our adoptable animals at Prairie’s Edge Humane Society (PEHS) live 24/7 on the new Critter Cam installed in conjunction with KYMN Radio. Thanks to the fine folks at KYMN radio we now have a live feed of our adoptable animals showing on our website and KYMN’s website, Tim and Jeff are AWESOME!

    Currently the Critter Cam is featuring kittens available for adoption. Watch them play, sleep, eat, and everything else they do 24 hours a day 7 days a week! It’s better than anything you can see on TV! . . . → Read More: Critter Cam live from Prairie’s Edge Humane Society, by Sandy Vesledahl

  • Save the Northfield Depot: fundraising help needed. By Lynn Vincent
    June 11, 2010 | 11:34 am

    A BIG Thanks to all of you who came to last Monday’s Volunteer Organization Meeting, and to those who contacted us saying you wanted to help but could not make the meeting.

    We have pretty full support for Communications and Design and Build sub-committees, and we got a web graphic designer to help with the site.  Alice Thomas is facilitating the Communications group, and Steve Edwins is facilitating the Design and Build group.

    What we are missing and really need are Fund Raising people.  We have two grant writiers, but we need folks who are committed to the . . . → Read More: Save the Northfield Depot: fundraising help needed. By Lynn Vincent

  • Photo albums: 2010 Prairie’s Edge Humane Society Walk for the Animals, by Bridgette Hallcock Photography
    June 11, 2010 | 8:09 am

    Thank you to all of those who came to Alexander Park on a beautiful Saturday morning in May to help support Prairie’s Edge Humane Society!

    I have placed all of the fun photographs on my Bridgette Hallcock Photography Facebook page so that everyone can see how much fun we had!  See the two 2010 Walk for the Animals albums here and here.

    If you would like a print, please contact me, as the proceeds will benefit the animals at PEHS.

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    Fishing on the Cannon River

    IMG_4248
    I counted three dozen people fishing from the west side of Riverwalk on Sunday. (Click photo to enlarge.)

    Is the fishing getting better on the Cannon? What’s being caught besides bullheads are carp? Are the fish safe to eat?

    (FYI, the NDDC hosted a forum on the Cannon River yesterday morning. Ross blogged it at Experts Discuss Dam Possibilities but I didn’t attend so I could ask my fishing questions.)

    4 comments to Fishing on the Cannon River

    • 1
      Skip Zimmerman says:

      According to the DNR/Department of Health sites below, there is some concern around Mercury contamination for men, women not planning to be pregnant, and the general population over 15 years old who are eating white suckers, redhorse suckers and walleye under 20 inches, caught in the Cannon River between Faribault and Northfield. Everything else seems to be okay.

      For pregnant women, women who may become pregnant, and children under 15, the risks are greater, and carp also join the list of concern. The contamination levels do not appear to be high on the DNR/Department of Healths scale, but extant and perhaps moderate nonetheless.

      There does not appear to be any concern around PCB contamination, which is the other chemical for which the DNR/Department of Health tests. I can’t speak to what else is in the river or its fish, but would counsel caution. Runoff from the multiple non-organic farms along the Cannon’s banks and those of its tributaries scares me enough to consider only a catch-and-release approach to local fishing. And…if it’s not clean enough to support a healthy trout population (nope, not the Cannon!), then I’m probably not even likely to fish it anyway.

      You can see the DNR/Department of Health reports on the Cannon and other rivers at the following links:

      http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/fish/eating/riverspecpop.pdf
      http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/fish/eating/rivergenpop.pdf

    • 2

      Here is a link to see what the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District is doing to protect their waters.

      http://www.minnehahacreek.org/

      2007-2017 MCWD Plan Completed

    • 3

      I just this minute found my entry into the Cannon River poetry contest of 2002, I think. The only eyes which have seen this besides me and my dh,
      are the people at River City Books who were accepting the entries.

      The Cannon River-Every Ounce Counts

      It’s not too syrupy,
      We cannot bounce upon it
      It changes a lot when
      The ducks all pounce upon it

      It’s kinda like a skirt
      When you look from the sky
      Like the land has a pretty
      Little flounce around it

      Though it’s really just a stream
      We cannot renounce the steam
      It’s purely water to keep clean
      As we like to announce about it.

      Needless to say, I didn’t win the contest. A lady won who had a lovely story about generations of her family living around the river and the many memories associated with it. Sorry to have forgotten her name. Maybe someone around here knows.

    • 4
      malcolm watt says:

      well this is an old post but i thought id resurect it!

      ive been fishing these shores since they were dirt and junk cars in the 1970′s, and the fishing comes and goes as often as the waters height.

      this year ive become reaquainted with the walls and pools due to my son’s newfound love of fishing.

      he’s an inquesitive and fearless angler already baiting and reomoving fish from his line!

      his sister is mostly content with the bait, bringing us worms and leaches.

      so far this year we’ve run the Cannon gambit,

      walleye
      perch
      smallmouth bass
      carp
      suckers
      rock bass
      blue gill
      crappie
      northern pike
      sheep head or “drum”
      bullhead
      flathead catfish

      and for the first time ever “bowfin” or better known dog fish

      between the three of us we have caught at least one of each!

      the fish and activity are as usual dependent on the waters height.

      spring run off cool water good fishing for almost all species.

      summer low water is for most anglers all about the carp and bullheads.

      but this summers heavy rains and the woolen mills no longer using
      water for the mill have led to a unusualy high water and increadably good multi species fishing!

      i also think the new bridge at waterford or the “old steel bridge”
      has made some much needed structure and flow!

      anyway thats just my two cents, or two “dollers”

      malcolm