• Saturday-What'sUP April 19 - 11:55 am

You can always tell when spring has really arrived here in the Copper Country, when you see the street sweeper out cleaning up the grit and grime from the last 6 months of winter. That's one of our faithful village crew employees, Chris, behind the wheel here, making it cleaner and safer to get out on the streets. Being a walker, I always appreciate when he's out there removing the accumulation of sand that's left after the snow melts off the roads. No matter the time of year, the Lake Linden Village crew always keep our streets looking great. Thanks guys!

I spotted the folks in the second photo, as they were coming out of the grocery store and a light bulb went off in my head! That's the way to solve the dilemma of the rising gas prices. I don't mean we should all sit in grocery cart trucks and have someone push us around, but what about trading your gas hog vehicle in for a model that is pedal powered? Just think how much healthier we'd all be too. Special thanks, to the waving young drivers and the power behind their truck, for helping us figure out a better way to get around! :->

A couple of great people shots, Mary. These really show how the snow has disappeared over the last week. A light rain this morning may wash away the rest.

When the spring thaw came, I used to go down to the band shell parking lot in Escanaba, where the city crews had been dumping the snow that they picked up from downtown, and I would find a lot of loose change, pens, combs, and other "treasures".

Too funny, Mary!! I wish I could just bike to work, but my poor old legs couldn't pedal that far. I have thought about buying a scooter though, and heck with the hair. Still thinking about that one.

It looks like those kids weren't waving, but shielding their eyes from the sun. Must be spring!

It would be wonderful if Calumet cleaned their streets. I don't think that will happen until June.

That sure is one fine looking street sweeper.

The machine's not so bad either! ;->

Elgin Machine Company has a quiet lock on the street-sweeping market, and that's the way they like it ....

mr. Bill: whoa: at least you have street sweeping....

When it snows up there, do they use a mixture of salt and sand or some other dirt, or just salt? I can imagine the street cleaner picking up a lot of dirt/sand this time of year.

maija,

Ha, we don't even get our potholes filled! What I meant was that Elgin sweeper, of Elgin, Illinois, rules the street cleaning equipment market in the mid-west, just like the zamboni machine rules the ice rinks.

Surprise. Surprise. They use stamp sand on the streets in the winter. There is nothing cheaper (or dirtier) than stamp sand. It is particularly wonderful when it dries out and blows all over town. I wonder if Lake Linden would be willing to rent their street sweeper to Calumet?

Tim Holland (Tholland):
"do they use a mixture of salt and sand or some other dirt"

Since you asked that, I have a hunch you may not know what "stamp sand" is, if so … click ® Wikipedia: Stamp sand. 'Tis a plentiful "unnatural" resource in da Copper Country!

There are people in the business of street sweeping in the Cities. But they just do parking lots, and the City takes care of the streets. I wish they had me a small version of that street sweeper when I yoosta clean the Library Bar an others in Houghton for Pizza. That's his nickname, not for pie,Pizza paid me. Could have been cleaned in no time,from all them peanut shells on the floor.Your private snow removel Co. should have added in there fee to sweep up when they are done at Winters end.Elgin makes a good Watch too.

David H.

Elgin Watch closed about the same time as C+H pulled the plug here. I was actually was in their observatory in the late 70's.

Elgin continued to be a one company town (pop. 70,000) time after time, and in 1980's had an unemployment rate, double that of the State.