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QUAD COMMUNITY PRESS
www.presspubs.com
FEBRUARY 18, 2020
Rationing toilet paper
A
friend of ours and his family recently moved to Hong Kong after taking a job with an international company. His new job requires him to frequently visit China and Vietnam. Wondering how the family of four was doing cooped up by the Coronavirus quarantines, we were delighted to see an update from them this week. She writes that her husband described the last flight back to Hong Kong from the U.S. as “a little eerie.” Now in Hong Kong, he has been working from home since he would be subject to a 14-day quarantine each time he travels. That would be 28 days round trip. The family has been juggling virtual schools, virtual workspace and a Wi-Fi band with overload. “In honor of the virus seeing its shadow, school is delayed another two weeks (now up to March 16).” Publisher’s They said people are panicking and the grocery store shelves View that were once stocked with Carter Johnson toilet paper, paper towels, facial tissue, hand sanitizer, cleaning products and trash bags are now virtually empty. With some humor, she said “Now they are rationing toilet tissue to one square per visit — just kidding, just kidding.” She said, “Not going to lie, some days are way easier than others.” She mentioned they have enough supplies to bring him through another week as they seek humor in everyday life experiences and report they still enjoy the Hong Kong life. This week they put on their masks and headed out to see a movie where everyone had their temperature checked before they entered. It was great to see they had confidence enough to go out and enjoy a movie as a family. As we enjoy our freedom to move about in the U.S., at this point without masks and temperature scans, let’s all say a prayer for those affected by the virus, and for our doctors, medical teams and scientists to find a vaccine or cure to bring this to an end quickly. To all our friends and families affected, we want you to know we’re keeping you in our thoughts and prayers. Lakeside Club As a kid, I remember the bustling, smoked-filled dining room at the Lakeside Club. More than 30 years later, three generations of our family have dined there together. The restaurant was best known for its steaks. The spunk and personality of the sisters who owned and operated it in the later years was also a draw for patrons. Over the years the stories go, you “get what you get” when you dine at the Lakeside. I loved the history, the stories that went with the photos on the wall, the old printed list of members on track-fed paper, the nickel-plated grill and much more. My wife and I wanted to go one last time last week, while our kids were at confirmation class. Due to the packed dining room, wait list and line out the door, we grabbed the only spot available in the building - at the bar. We didn’t mind a longer than usual wait for drinks as we took in the atmosphere and conversation with Mike and Jill from Mahtomedi, who were sitting next to us at the bar. We learned they were regulars at the Lakeside and they were fun to talk to. Jill mentioned they had gone to the Lakeside Club three times that week because they wanted to eat different dishes. We talked to the bartender, Nick, the grandson of the owners, and asked for a few of the famous popovers. He said they were sold out by 6 p.m. The meal was great, meeting and getting to know new people, and what topped off the night was getting Sue’s signature wave when I asked for something extra. She looked at me from the other end of that bar, made so famous in the movie “Fargo,” and carefully adjusted her glasses with her middle finger. It was the perfect end. Thank you to the Mahmood family for being a hidden treasure in our community for more than 60 years. You and the Lakeside will be missed! Carter Johnson is publisher of Press Publications. Distributed weekly in: • Blaine • Circle Pines • Lexington • Lino Lakes
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Right control, right time, right pest
H
ome gardens can be a great source of food and fun for the gardener. But there are many pests that can make a gardener’s life difficult. What’s the best way to manage these before they drive you mad? The answer is a method called Integrated Pest Management (IPM). You can create a healthier landscape and a healthier wallet by reducing the use of pesticides in the long term through IPM. Simply, IPM is using the right control, for the right pest, at the right time. So, say you identify a problem with a plant in your garden. Before you go out and purchase something, the very first step is to identify what exactly is causing that problem. Is it bacterial fungal? Is it an insect or a rabbit? Gardener’s or Identification is critical because if have a fungal problem and you Grapevine you spray an insecticide, you’ve wasted time, money and maybe affected Ash Barsody beneficial insects that weren’t causing a problem, for a product that won’t help the original issue. Do some research before you go to the store; check the University of Minnesota Extension website for “tomato diseases” and see what matches your plant’s symptoms. Anoka County Master Gardeners also offer plant and insect diagnostic clinics over the summer months where residents can bring in samples of plants and insects for our team to diagnose. So you’ve identified your plant’s problem. Maybe it’s a tomato with spots and wilting leaves. The next thing
to determine might be, is this the time to treat this? With this example, by the time the plant is showing signs of leaf spot, there isn’t a good cure. You can spray a fungicide to slow the inevitable, but it will cost you money and be minimally effective. Similarly, there are some insect pests that are only vulnerable during certain stages of their development, like Japanese beetle grubs. Spraying outside of that point of their life cycle will not have any effect. For tomato leaf spot and many other common diseases, prevention is the name of the game. Proper plant location, watering technique, mulch application and garden sanitation can stop the spread of these diseases before they even start. It’s also worth considering if it’s even worth treating the plant at all. If the damage you’re seeing is superficial and not spreading, it might be more worthwhile to leave it alone. Leaf miners strike plants like columbine, but mostly only cause minimal damage and don’t hurt the plant in the long run. If you’ve gotten this far down the list and determined you know what your pest is and that it’s time to treat it, only then can you determine what to treat it with. We always advise choosing the least toxic option that will be effective. In many cases, picking insects off by hand or insecticidal soaps are sufficient control. If a stronger commercial product is what’s needed, then that’s what should be used. Often, if you implement these other controls beforehand, it doesn’t even need to get that far. Ash Barsody, Anoka County Extension Master Gardener
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