Due to upcoming changes at the Grafton Post Office deadlines for The Walsh County Record will change accordingly.

The advertising deadlines for The Record have been changed to 10 a.m. on Monday for classified advertising and 11 a.m. for display advertising. Editorial deadlines will be 5 p.m. Monday, including the Calendar of Events. Birthdays and anniversaries will remain Monday at noon. There will be no deadline changes for the Weekly Source, with the exception of holidays.

“Due to restructuring of the Grafton Post Office the deadline we have to have The Record mailed has changed. We will continue to print on Wednesday, but we will have to have the paper put to bed much earlier,” Record Publisher Jackie Thompson said. “We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause our advertisers. We are forced to pass these deadlines across if we are to maintain a Wednesday print date.”

Beginning Saturday, April 3, the Grafton Post Office new retail hours will be from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. and from noon to 4:45 p.m., Monday through Friday. Saturday the retail window will be open from 10 a.m. - 11a.m.

Mail delivered to outside mailboxes will be picked up at 4:45 p.m. and 11 a.m. on Saturday. Accessibility to the lobby at the Grafton Post Office will remain unchanged, according to Grafton Postmaster Wayne Rolph. A mass mailing to all Grafton postal customers detailing the changes is planned in the near future, he said.

For DeSautels, it’s all about hockey

While most Americans watched the Winter Olympic games in their homes or favorite pubs, Tim and Jan DeSautel got to experience the excitement up close and personal in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Grafton couple was in Canada to support Zach Parise, a member of the New Jersey Devils and the U.S. Men’s Olympic Hockey Team.

For the DeSautels the Olympic games were all about men’s hockey. Jan’s daughter, Alisha Woods, formerly of Hoople and a graduate of Valley High School, has dated Zach since they met when they both were students at UND and he played hockey for the Fighting Sioux.

“We went to Vancouver to be with Alisha and support Zach,” Jan said.

Tim and Jan stayed in the downtown area of Vancouver where the majority of the people taking in the hockey, ice and speed skating competitions were lodging. The hockey games were played at General Motors Place, home of the Vancouver Canucks NHL hockey team, within walking distance of their hotel.

"The city of Vancouver did a great job of planning for the Olympics.  We were told there were 2 million people living in Vancouver and another million moved in for the two weeks of the games,” Jan said. “They were very well prepared.”

The transportation system available to the multitudes attending the Olympic games included buses and a transit system, taxis, gondolas and ferries. Streets were blocked off downtown to allow people to walk to the Olympic activities and the people who lived in Vancouver were encouraged not to come downtown throughout the duration of the games to reduce congestion and keep traffic flowing. There were many volunteers stationed throughout the area who guided people to various destinations and everyone was very friendly.

According to the DeSautels, security in and around the Olympic games was very tight, equal to that of an airport. They had to empty pockets and purses, take off belts and pass through metal detectors

GRAFTON—The city council Monday night officially declared flood season (in the jurisdiction of the City of Grafton) by unanimously passing Mayor Todd Burianek’s Declaration of Emergency for the City of Grafton for the Spring Flood of 2010.

The declaration comes on the heels of the National Weather Service’s (NWS) prediction issued Feb. 19, for major spring flooding in the Red River Basin. Major flooding is defined as extensive inundation of structures and roads, significant evacuation of people and or transfer of property to higher elevations.

Mayor Burianek informed the council that the NWS lowered its flood forecast last Friday, but as he explained the latest forecast states that there is a 70 percent probability the Park River will reach 14.8 feet. A 50 percent chance of reaching 16.2 feet. A 10 percent chance of reaching 20.2 feet and a 78 percent chance of reaching last spring’s second crest of 15.69 feet, which is fourth on the all-time list behind the flood of 1979 that crested on April 22 at 15.95 feet. Flood stage in Grafton is 12 feet.

 

GRAFTON—As Grafton’s City Council passes the necessary ordinances and declarations for the upcoming flood fight, many preparations are going on behind the scenes not only readying the city for the impending flood, but also in securing funds for permanent flood protection.

City Administrator Mylo Einarson and possibly a couple of council members will be in Bismarck Thursday for a meeting of the State Water Commission (SWC).

Grafton’s first big hurdle in moving forward with permanent flood protection is getting the state to commit funds. How important is state funding to Grafton’s project to construct a Park River diversion? The council voted in late January to enter into negotiations with the Army Corps of Engineers to sign a project cooperation agreement to construct a Park River Diversion project, contingent on the SWC funding 17.5 percent or $7,350,000 of the diversion’s projected $42 million cost.

Einarson said he was in Bismarck to talk about the projects with the North Dakota Water Coalition, which advises the SWC on water project throughout the state. The SWC has nine voting members appointed by the governor. The commission is chaired by Gov. John Hoeven.

“They have more requests than they have money to fund. State Engineer Dale Frink supports the project as does the governor,” he said. “I’m assuming there will be a favorable vote.”

Einarson also said he expects the SWC to vote on the matter Thursday.

In regards to this spring’s flood preparations Einarson said the paperwork has been sent off to the Army Corps of Engineers and the State Division of Emergency Services requesting their assistance in building temporary dikes, similar to last spring.

 

Passes first reading of electrical rate increase from MinnKota

GRAFTON—The Grafton City Council Monday, approved the low bid and signed the necessary engineering contracts for an extension of the city’s existing bike path.

The council needed to amend the Project Cost Participation Agreement with the North Dakota Department of Transportation (DOT) from $326,000 to $358,652 for the westside bike path. Originally, the project was funded at the $326,000 level through the DOT. Federal stimulus funds added another $32,652 to the project. It was moved by Greg Young and Dave Fellman to approve the low bid to Gowan Construction, which was $358,652. The motion passed unanimously with council member Jean Jiskra absent.

The grant, made available through the DOT, however, does not pay for engineering fees. According to City Administrator Mylo Einarson 100 percent of these costs, which total $85,000 have to be picked up by the city.