Welcome to The Albin News!

The Albin News is general news items about an out-of-the-way railroad town in the very southeast corner of Wyoming.

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Albin News Oct 25, 2010

Albin News Readers,

The one and only convenience store in Albin is under new management. It is currently being leased out by the current owner, Juan Serrano, to a family who owns and manages Tres Magaritas in Greely, CO among other restaurants Besides selling gas and typical convenience store items, the new managers plan on selling made-to-order mexican food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They are currently constructing a commercial kitchen in the store so they can prepare their food on site.
In recent years, the store was owned by the Panhandle Coop of Scottsbluff, NE then sold to Guillermo (Memo) Serrano. Memo sold the store to Juan over a year ago and Juan did well to keep the store open through the slower winter months. After keeping the doors open through the summer, Juan sold off his inventory, closed the store and put it on the market for sale or lease.
If things go well for the new managers, they may consider buying the store or leasing it long term. In the mean time, quite a bit of work has been put into painting and remodeling the store for a grand opening in the near future.

Another exciting event happened on main street Albin that caused quite a bit of rubber necking. Two visitors from Sweden were helping Ron and Monte Lerwick move a 70 ft grain auger through the town of Albin when things went awry. One Swede was driving the tractor, towing the auger and the other was following behind with Ron in the pickup. The Swede driving the tractor was traveling east through Albin and was supposed to take a right before the post office and head towards the grain elevator. However, he missed the turn and (not knowing he could turn right opposite the Albin Store) attempted a U-turn on Main Street. Unfortunately, the swinging arc of the end of the auger was interrupted by the top of the cedar tree in front of the old town hall. As tree and auger collided, the auger bend sideways, then buckled in the middle and sagged to the ground. The tree acted as though nothing had happened, the Swede was horrified.
Using a pickup with hydraulic arms, Ron and Monte were able to pick up the sagging end of the auger and tow it to the old potato cellars in south Albin. Luckily only one section of the auger and one set of cable supports on the top of the auger were bent. Ron and Monte, with the assistance of ace metal worker and mechanic Brian Norman, were able to disassemble the auger so the damaged section could be removed and replicated by Brian.

I also want to remind everyone that next Tuesday is time to vote again! Three Albin community member will be on the ballot this election cycle. John Eklund is running to represent eastern Laramie county in the Wyoming house of representatives, and Ann Sanchez and Lindi Kirkbride are running to serve on the board of directors for the Laramie County Conservation District.

Condolences to Norma Lerwick in the loss of her brother, Lee McConnell to  a sudden heart attack.  Lee was 71 years old and his funeral is Tuesday in Truth and Consequence, NM.  Lee's son, Matt McConnell attended Albin elementary thru 3rd and 4th grade. 

Here is Dixie's latest update on Tim Malm:

Tim had a good week--we are so encouraged that each day we see or hear another daily miracle(s).  He is talking clearer and louder. He is getting more movement with his arm/elbow/leg on the left side.  While he was taking steps during therapy on Wednesday, the therapists noticed that he had started to really do a good job of shifting his weight off the left leg to the right so the left leg was easier to pull/move forward and backward to make his steps on that side.  We (Howard and I) did get him in the pool at our Community Center here on Thursday and we all three did okay for the first time! Please continue to pray for Tim to get stronger, gain more movement, adapt to medicine changes (off of one medicine this week), and keep progressing in God's timing. Until next Sunday!!”

Cindi Ross also left an update on caringbridge.org saying that Garrett is getting stable enough that he may be transferred to Craig hospital soon. Although he hasn't regained full consciousness, he still reacts to sensori stimuli and his breathing has stabilized. He has struggled with some infection but so far has been able to overcome it. Hopefully next week I'll be able to post some of Cindi's updates word for word.

Master Gardner Ann Sanchez had this to say about planning for next spring's flowers:

A great way to add fragrance, color, and interest to your home during the long winter months is to force bulbs. It’s not difficult and forcing bulbs creates a wonderful anticipation of the beauty of nature in your home. Start by buying quality bulbs from mail order companies or at the box stores. Don’t buy bulbs that are soft or have begun to sprout. Also buy some potting soil and a large pot with a drainage hole.
My friend Jerrene Randall always mixes the potting soil with water and lets it stand a few minutes before adding the bulbs. This allows the water to be uniformly absorbed throughout the soil in the pot. Next plant the bulbs with the pointed ends up, and as close together as possible, without letting them touch. Tulips and other bulbs with flat sides should be placed with their flat sides against the side of the pot. This will allow the first leaves to form around the edge of the planter. The tops of the bulbs should be visible at the top of the container.
After planting, place the pots in a cool, dark place, such as a cellar or refrigerator. At the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens, they dig a hole in one of their outside flowerbeds and cover the bulb pots with 10 inches of soil, then 10 inches of straw. The bulbs should not be allowed to freeze. Then mark your calendar to remind yourself when you can start taking your pots out and also label your pots as to what you have planted in each one.
Forcing bulbs takes about 12 weeks of cold storage for early blooming bulbs (snowdrops, crocus, daffodils) and about 16 weeks for tulips. Taking your pots out of storage at different times will stagger and prolong your flowering enjoyment. When the time comes to take your bulbs out of storage, take them to a warmer place with indirect sunlight. Keep the bulbs watered. When the bulbs begin to develop, move them to a bright sunny location.
You will be pleased and happy with how fast the flowers develop inside your home. Hyacinths, which are my favorite, will share their wonderful beauty and fragrance for about two weeks.”
In Ag news, farmers have ended or are getting very near the end of the 2010 crop year. Thanksgiving is getting close enough that we can almost taste it. It's a relief to have the crops out earlier than normal so we can all look forward to a holiday season without the stress of seeing the year's work still out there at the mercy of mother nature. It's the time of year, when the big question gets answered: how will my crops yield? It's an itch that is oh so satisfying to scratch when the combines start rolling. After the barn is full of hay, the bin is full of grain, and freezer is full of meat, it's time to take a breather and celebrate Thanksgiving! Fall's harvest and the ensuing succession of celebrations is the push we need to make it through the winter solstice and survive until the meadowlark returns!



No comments:

Post a Comment