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Eight years ago on the Pasty Cam: 01/16/99^{Printed on Recycled Internet}

Eight years ago, Jonathan Hopper documented the rising of the Rozsa -- the shell of Michigan Tech's Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts was just going up.

Morning!

I see what you did Deb kept me busy emailing so I couldn't be first.

Morning.

I knew it would be a fight between us, Mikie.

Minus 8 in the country 40 mi sw of Minneapolis. Good morning, hope you are warmer than that!

Mikie, you were up so early, you didn't know what to do with yourself.

Mornin' & good-bye everyone.

When I woke up Sunday morning in Roscommon, it was 6° and it felt great. This morning when I woke up in Houston, it was 30° and about froze to death when I went outside!! Go figure....

No ice here yet, but they are forcasting that between 3 and 5 this afternoon it is supposed to start in the NW suburbs of Houston; I live even further out in the country than that. I've already decided to go home at noon to beat it, because there's nothing like "Texans on Ice".

If they cancel my work tomorrow, I think the Dr. and I are going to break out the lawn chairs, get a six-pack of our favorite beverage, and watch the show on the freeway (behind a sturdy cement barrier, of course ;-)

Capt. Paul, If you are going to watch southerners drive on Ice I recommend more than a concrete barrier for your safety. I saw that in Virginia Beach Last year, once was plenty. I was the only Michigan plate on the road and feared for my life.

Sounds like an entertaining day Capt. Paul, four lane roller derby.
Mr. Deb

Capt. Paul:
That reminds me of running around the MTU campus one just before Christmas break, almost five decades ago, with bare hands, parka flapping open and "breath crystalizing and falling to the ground", but feelin' great; I passed a thermometer and noticed it was all of 8°F.

Less than 24 hours later I was in Detroit, wearin' gloves, with the same parka zipped to the limits, head covered, shiverin' and freezin' to death at just under 32°F.

Meanwhile, in "beautiful sunny Phoenix", we've had several days this week with the lowest temperatures in 16 years, with lows in the range from 23-26°F in my back yard and highs barely reaching 50°F.

It's Global Cooling, I tell ya!

Where are you going Trollperson? To the UP?

Capt. Paul, I grew up in Houston, from middle school (then jr. high school) through college, etc. Once, my grandpa came down to visit us from Iowa. I think it was about 33 & quite damp. He said, "I'm going back to home (to Iowa), where I can freeze like a man!" That had to have been about 40 years ago, and I will never forget it. He was really cold in the damp Houston cold, while he was a lot warmer in the dry cold air of Iowa.

On the subject of southern drivers on icy roads: a couple of comments. First, they only get a chance to practice driving on ice once every few years, in normal times. And, the DOT's in the south don't have the equipment to handle take care of icy roads.

I did see an interesting picture in the Austin, TX newspaper, on Sunday, though: a DOT guy was putting chains on the big tires of the dump trucks that they were planning to use for sand for the roads. Houghton could have used chains for their sand truck tires, not that long ago, when two sand trucks rolled over while trying to sand the hills one evening. :-) There was a story on it in the Mining Gazette. (For those of you not familiar with Austin, Austin is in terrain like foot hills.) Austin gets ice more than Houston, but neither area teaches young drivers in drivers ed or whatever, what to do on icy roads.

By the way, Dell Computer sent home all of their workers in Austin yesterday at 2:00 because of the expected ice. I don't know when they are expected to return to work.

We paid dearly last night for the icy roads. Woke up this morning, took the dog out, saw a pickup truck in the yard, (our driveway is 125 feet long), didn't think anything of it. Walked down a little farther and whoever owned the truck wasn't in the vehicle. I wondered what this big looming object was. It was one of our 30 year old Colorado Blue Spruce, totally demolished. I looked a little further, wham, another Spruce on the ground. Called the County Sheriff, the car was towed away. Haven't heard who is responsible yet, but boy, are they gonna pay! The truck was totally demolished and had to be towed away. Do you know how depressing it is to have planted those trees, cared for them and gone, overnight! They sure didn't deserve to die like that.

We have snow...finally!!!! Da Abbi and Bailey have been outside playing in the snow most of the morning. Da Abbi has little 'snow angels' all over the backyard, from where she has been rolling in the snow on her back. She's been coming in every few minutes, to have me remove the packed snow from her paws...and then out she goes again. Looks like they'll both make fine UP snow dogs, eh ;)

Tiny snow flakes falling here in E.TN.windy in the low 30's.Texans On Ice sounds more exciting then a race at Bristol,TN.

David H, I bet watching Tennessee drivers on ice is even more fun than watching Texans, because Tennessee has real hills!

Wow Capt. Paul, just checked out your profile picture. Intelligent and good looking? That's gotta be too good to be true!

Oh, how sad about your trees. Blue spruce are my favorite and they must have been huge after 30 years. I hope they can be replaced. I'm taking a shot in the dark here, but I'll put some money on it that alcohol and testosterone were factors.

Yep, Cha Cha! The trees were 10 feet apart from each other. What's really sad is that I called the Dispatcher a few minutes ago and was told that the Officer in charge didn't complete his report, he's going to talk to the person tonight! What is that? He/She left the scene of an accident, reckless driving, damaging personal property. I smell a rat!

Joanie, Since the officer knows who ran into your trees, he has to take a statement from the driver, for his report...and based on that statement and the report, the prosecutor will determine whether to file charges against the driver for leaving the scene of an accident.

Just my experience, but sometimes, people in these situations will claim, "yes, that's my car...but I wasn't driving it...yadda yadda yadda."

Once the officer completes the police report, obtain a copy of the report, and contact the driver's insurance company (which will be noted on the report). It is the responsibility of the driver and his insurance company to pay for damages and clean-up of your yard.

Also, take pictures of the trees the driver damaged, and of tire tracks from where the vehicle left the roadway and entered onto your property, and drove into the trees, for insurance purposes ;)

If the driver of the vehicle didn't have insurance on his vehicle, he is still financially responsible for the damage to your trees, and most states have a state agency/ fund for uninsured accident claims ;) Also, if the driver is charged with a crime (leaving the scene of the accident), the money for the damage to your yard can be collected through the state's crime victim compensation board, and also through restitution ordered by the court ;)

Oh, and give the officer a good couple of days to finish the report. If it was snowy out, chances are that he is backlogged with accident reports, in addition to dealing with the daily calls. And in your case, he has to track down the 'missing' driver of the vehicle...and chances are that driver doesn't want to talk to the officer..and is side-stepping the officer. Good police work takes time...and a good police report takes even longer ;)

I know somewhat how the show on ice goes, when the first ice hits the roads here in ND you always have to watch out for all these college girls that are too busy on cell phones to realize that theres minimum traction!

Michigan does have a facility for uninsured motorist claims (that's where I work), but it is for personal injury, not property damage, unfortunately.

For property damage claims, get a copy of the police report and file a claim against the insurance company listed. Every auto insurance policy has coverage of $1 million for Property Protection. The coverage listed in a typical policy states as follows:

"We will pay property protection insurance benefits for accidental damage to tangible property consisting of physical injury to or destruction of the property, including loss of use of the injured or destroyed property, which arises out of the ownership, operation, maintenance or use of a motor vehicle....."

If the individual did not have insurance, check with your personal homeowners insurance company. They may have a clause that would pay for the damages. Some homeowners policies have a $500 per tree payment for damage...just depends on the insurance company and how the policy is written.

I got this from our experts here in the Assigned Claims Facility of the State of Michigan.

Derek, Here in Indiana, the show on ice involves Chicago drivers, on cell phones, in the left lane doing 80, driving on the bumper of the car in front of them...while making rude gestures to those of us who are driving cautiously in the middle lanes. And then it happens...way up ahead you see brake lights...and all these Chicago drivers in the left lane sliding all over the expressway. By the time everything is said and done, the median is covered with dented vehicles, and it looks like a scratch and dent sale at Sears. They really should set it to music, you know...da da da da da...boom boom...da da da da da crunch crunch...

Hey all, you got to check out Derek's pic in his profile.That's a winner for best picture emmy.

Cindy, Now that is one job I wouldn't want. That has got to be a headache, between all the paperwork and cases you handle in a given day.

I remember when Michigan first came out with the yearly stickers for the license plates...and people who didn't have car insurance and thus couldn't get their plates, would peel the stickers off the license plates of other vehicles. Michigan had to redesign the license plate stickers so they couldn't be peeled off, and nabbed by uninsured motorists.

The things people will do to get around getting car insurance, eh. Sigh. Rolling eyes.

Are we taking bets on whether the driver in Joannie's case had insurance? ;)

That is a bummer Joanie, Regardless of Compensation you are going to be very busy in the spring with the cleanup from that. Your neighbors are going to think you had a wild party!

I don't want this job either; but alas, it is a paycheck. I am still learning the ropes. I will bet on no insurance and drunk driving, although it will be impossible to prove the drunk driving part now. I have little to no sympathy for uninsured motorists AND drunk drivers.

Joanie, my heart goes out to you, losing two 30-year old blue Spruce trees. We have a beatiful blue Spruce in our backyard that is just over 25 years old, & I can't imagine losing one, let alone two.

The sad thing is that the insurance might give you some money, but it will never replace the size of your trees.

A number of years ago, we lost a very large Austian pine tree to a small tornado. That was not covered by insurance because it did not damage our house. We replaced the tree, but it takes forever to grow up!

Sur5er and Cha Cha, hope you don't mind if I call you that, thanks so much for all of your help. You both made my headache disappear!

I'm glad that I could help. You happened to hit on a subject where I am very close to experienced resources.

And you can call me whatever you like, as long as you don't call me late for supper. :o)

Benny Parsons died today.He was a Taxi driver and worked in a gas station in Detroit.He was 65 and died of lung cancer.
Sorry to hear of your ordeal Joanie.Is it possiable to take a branch of the tree and use it for a starter for a new one? Maybe a stupid question,i'am not up on that kind of things,willow trees you can take a branch stick um in the ground and it will grow.Same with rambling rosebush.What's the saying? As long as the sap ain't flowing it will start a growing.I did that with a rose bush from father-in-law and it has growed and growed to where i got to trim it back each year.

David, Great idea about using a branch of the blue spruce to start a shoot. Go for it Joannie...after all, what do you have to lose, eh ;) I have a maple tree in my backyard that is now about 20 feet tall, that we started from a small tree branch, in 2000.

Joanie, glad to hear that your headache is gone...I know that when things like this happen, it's very frustrating.

Cindy, after working in law enforcement and probation, I have no sympathy for drunk drivers or uninsured motorists, either. In probation, I worked with drunk driver offenders, and my pet peeve was those with had suspended license who would still drive. Well of course, that meant that if they were in an accident, they were uninsured. So on the weekends, one of the police officers who shared my same sentiments, would sit outside the probation department and bust the offenders who were driving themselves into their probation appointments on those there suspended licenses ;) I know, shame on me, eh ;)

No comment........

Well thanks there Joanie, although I've already changed mine and the Dr.'s pic on our profiles.

I see the rain/ice has begun at our place finally, so that means probably no work for me tomorrow, which also means I'll probably be a posting fool on here during the day ;-)

Marianne Y (Marianne)......middle of the mitten, St. Louis, I use to live in Merrill just east of there about 15 miles!!! What a small world from the great farming land!

Joanie, I am sorry that your beautiful blue spruces got destroyed. Nothing can replace trees that size.

Well today in N.Ga it was freezing cold. The temp was about 30 when I went for labwork downtown(Chatt)but the wind was pretty strong. I about froze hauling my groceries and stuff in from the car. Had to go in and dig out my gloves and scarf. It felt like it was in the 20's. The sky was really dark and I thought we would get snow but I didn't see any. Lookout and Signal Mts may have got some.

FJL (Langoman)
"No comment........"

Hah, that's like some pages - typically found in gummint documents and the like - that say...

Sur5er: Your dogs will make excellent Yoopers and so will you!
Glad to see you back again.

A few years ago, on my way to work at the sawmill, I got the front tire sucked into the snowbank and ditch. I walked back to a friend's house to have him pull me out with his tractor. He wasn't home, but on the way down his porch steps I saw the thermometer was at -26°! I wasn't even cold until I saw that. Holy Wah! Hauskaa Heikken Päivää to all those in Hancock this week-end. Gonna have to miss it bacause of my recent triple by-pass. Getting much improved though. :o)

Ken--Glad to hear that!

Hang in there,Ken and you'll soon feel like new again

Hey Capt. Paul,
I live in the Houston area also and it is really icing up here tonight. I just went outside to discover a thick layer of ice over my entire car. I do not remember ice storms like this when I lived in Ontonagon but I do remember similar weather to this in St. Louis. The difference is that in St. Louis they don't shut down the town for the ice storms. Have fun watching the demolition derby tomorrow.

Oh Joanie that is so sad about the trees. They take so long to grow. What a terrible loss.

The problem with precip in the South in the winter is that it usually falls at about 32 degrees. People filing job apps state right out they do not go to work when it snows. We did one winter in Richmond, Va. Sloping, curvy roads, you can't control the cars. Police say on the radio that if you have an accident get the other guys information and arrange a time you both can go to the station to file a repeort. Police can't even drive on that stuff. I will take four inches of white and fluffy any time over that stuff.

Sur5er--Good for you! Two jobs ago I worked in the Driver License Appeal Division where we dealt with people who were trying to get their license back after drunk driving offenses. Oh, my, some of the stories!! I would have moms call for their sons and when I ran their record I would find out these "boys" were 45 years old. No wonder they drink!!