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Baby, itís cold outsideBy Danielle Strenke Winter has definitely arrived in Minnesota, bringing below zero readings on thermometers and affecting all aspects of our daily lives. But despite the frigid temperatures, life must go on as closely to normal as possible. At the North Branch and Rush City schools, classes have not been delayed so far this year due to cold weather. But whether or not the students are allowed to have time to let off some steam outdoors is another matter. Vern Koepp, Principal at Jacobson Elementary in Rush City, said that the school is utilizing local weather forecasts each day to determine whether or not the children will be allowed outside during recess. ìWith technology, we can pull up a fairly accurate local forecast to track the temperature and wind chill factor,î Koepp said. ìWeíre trying to use that this year.î Koepp said the school does not have a steadfast rule as to what temperature is too cold, but the yardstick to follow is if the temperature or windchill factor are at -5 below to -10 below. The ultimate decision on a daily basis usually rests on Koeppís shoulders. ìOften times I will walk out there and experience the weather and determine whether itís too cold,î he said. ìOther times staff members will go outside.î At Jacobson, which houses kindergarten through sixth grade, when the students are not allowed to venture outside for recess there is still a recess time. ìThere are routines and rules to follow as far as indoor activities, but we think itÇs important to still give them that time to relax and mentally prepare for the afternoon,î Koepp said. He said it is usually a school-wide decision whether the students are allowed outside or not. ìThere are exceptions where we allow the older students to go out for recess and the younger kids stay inside,î Koepp said. Koepp said regardless of the weather, the teachers work with individual students and parents. ìSome parents indicate they want the kids to stay in after an illness or something like that,î he said. Koepp said fortunately the students have not been asked to stay inside much this winter. Last Thursday and Friday, although the air was chilly, Koepp said the noon temperatures hovered around 0 degrees ñ warm enough to go outside. Knowing they are going outside is something all the kids cheer when announcements are made each day, Koepp said. It may not be something the teachers look forward to, however. ìThe kids have an easier time staying warm than adults. As long as the kids are moving, they can stay warm.î At the Main Street School in North Branch, Principal Sara Svir uses similar guidelines to determine if the kindergarten and fourth grade students will go out. ìGenerally speaking, if itís 0 degrees or below with the windchills we stay inside,î she said. Giving the students time to get outside each day is a top priority, Svir said. ìSometimes we shorten recess if itís too cold outside,î she said. ìBut even 10 minutes a day helps to break up their day.î The cold weather also has far-reaching effects for a variety of businesses in the area. At the North Branch Dairy Queen, owner Carrie Jorgenson said winter is typically the slower time of year anyway, but the frigid temperatures still do not keep the hearty ice cream lovers from coming. ìThe sun makes a big difference though,î she said. If the sun is out and itís 10 below there will be more people here. If itís 10 above and skies are gloomy they wonít come in.î Jorgenson said business is slower in cold weather simply because people are not as out and about as they might be during the milder months of the year. ìWe do get snowmobilers heading up north but not as many as those going up north to the lake in the summer,î she said. ìI drink hot coffee when itís 90 degrees out in the summer, I kind of equate eating ice cream in the winter to that,î Jorgenson said. She said business over the holidays is usually good regardless of the temperature because people are buying gift certificates that can be used anytime of the year. But there are always people who want the weather to be warmer before they enjoy a cone. ìSome people will always think itís too cold for ice cream in the winter,î Jorgenson said. TJ Koolyís in Rush City also offers cool treats during cold weather, and owner Glen Kuhlman said the temperature usually brings strange fluctuations in business. ìWhen itís really, really cold sales of ice cream pick up,î he said. ìWhen itís 10 degrees and above, itís bad, but when itís 10 below business is great.î Kuhlman said during last weekís cold snap, TJ Koolyís was busy selling novelty and specialty ice cream products. Of course he doesn't mind Minnesota winters as the owner of an ice cream shop. ìItís always ice cream weather,î Kuhlman said. ìPlus, people donít have to worry about it melting on the way home.î TJ Koolyís also offers several sandwiches and hot items on its menu to complement the ice cream and help customers warm up during the cold weather. Other local businesses, like Olson Power and Equipment in North Branch, notice an increase in sales and service during cold snaps and winter storms like the one that dumped 4 to 5 inches on the area earlier this week. ìBusiness kind of perked up a bit with the cold weather last week,î co-owner Butch Olson said. ìThe bad weather seems to help us.î He said during extreme cold, subzero temperatures, the parts department notices an increase in customer sales. ìWhen itís very cold, snowmobiles and other equipment have harder starts and things start to break, so our parts department picks up a bit,î Olson said. Olson Power and Equipment has also seen an increase in snowmobile shoppers, particularly with the seasonís first major snowfall finally arriving this week. Todayís snowmobiles are geared to function in extreme temperatures, Olson said, whether or not their operators are ready for it. ìThe snowmobiles can go at 30 below. Itís just whether the driver can handle it that cold.î Olson said that although Olson Power sells snowblowers for residential snow removal, what has increased is the sale of skidloaders. ìThe skidloaders have picked up even more so for snow removal,î Olson said. Towing companies are also busier during cold snaps and severe winter storms. Drivers at Rogers 23 1/2 Hour Towing in North Branch have been called out a lot during the last few weeks, many calls to simply jump start an uncooperative vehicle. ìWe do a lot of jump starts and winch-outs,î owner Gabriella said. But she added that it can be ìhit or missî whether the companyís drivers will be busy that day or not, and it really isnít based on colder temperatures. The business is on call within the area from North Branch up to Rush City, responding to calls from the cities, county and state for tows. ìIt picks up when itís cold, but it depends on how cold it is too,î Gabriella said. Dale Shellbach, owner of Dale Tool Automotive and Towing in Rush City, said his business is fairly steady throughout the winter, regardless of the dayís temperature. He does not typically offer jump starts, Shellbach said, and the towing side of the business seems to be busier during the summer. ìWeíre busier depending on the amount of traffic going through town, more or less,î Shellbach said. ìThereís usually more break downs in the cold but we see more towing in the summer because there are more people on the roads.î Shellbach said that the automotive repair side of his business keeps him busy when things slow down during the winter. ìWe have jobs out here to keep us busy all season,î he said. Harris City Maintenance worker Mike Kriz said the equipment like plows seem to break down a little more when itís extremely cold. ìThe equipment is in warm storage, but itís when itís been out all day and itís really cold that things tend to snap,î Kriz said. He said the cityís water pumps and related equipment are heated and also are equipped with back-up heating systems as well to protect against water main breaks during cold weather. Bill Burton, director of transportation and grounds for the North Branch schools transportation department, said the cold weather definitely takes its toll on buses. ìJust the fuel costs are dramatically increased because it takes longer to warm up the buses, and the safety factor in cold and slippery conditions is also important,î Burton said. He said the buses are pre-warmed with heaters each morning by maintenance staff, so when the drivers arrive 20 minutes later the buses are ready to hit the road. ìItís a big help because then the buses are not started cold. It saves a lot on mechanical service,î Burton said. Many of the North Branch buses are also equipped with heated mirrors, to prevent them from fogging or icing up. Burton said the cold always brings challenges for the drivers. ìThe kids like to stay in the house when itís cold, so drivers have to make sure they donít leave anyone behind,î he said. ìSidewalks are always slippery, so thatís a safety concern for buses too.î He said unfortunately, the frigid temperatures donít freeze out the flu, as several drivers or their children have been sick in recent weeks. John Fox, paramedic for Lakes Region Emergency Medical Services in Chisago County, said the paramedics and EMTs must be prepared for cold weather. ìWe dress in lots of layers, because we can go through temperature extremes from a hot apartment on one call to a vehicle accident where we spend 30 minutes outside,î he said. Fox said extra precautions are also taken with patients. ìWe have to be aware that weather is a factor when weíre dealing with outside traumas,î he said. Each ambulance is equipped with special heaters to warm IV solutions, if needed, as well as hot packs. Fox also said drivers are not being cautious around emergency vehicles when the weather is bad. ìPeople seem to not pay attention,î he said, asking that drivers remember to pull over and stop when emergency vehicles are approaching. ©ECM Post Review |