Editorial: A season to be gone with the wind

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The River Falls School District had its first Snow Day for the 2011-12 year last Wednesday following an icy winter storm the night before.

But already now it’s March, and our mild winter shows signs of thawing into an early warm spring. Another welcoming sign: Clocks “spring forward” an hour this weekend for daylight saving time.

Most of us look forward to the warmth and extra daylight of spring. We’re eager to leave the confines of our heated homes and do more things outside again.

But along with the transition to spring and generally pleasant weather comes the renewed threat of destructive storms like tornadoes.

For those living and working in the city of River Falls and just beyond, get ready for another round of weather-warning siren tests. These will go on until early fall.

According to Police Chief Roger Leque, the practice sirens will sound monthly. The blaring lasts about three minutes. In the event of actual bad weather on those dates, the tests are postponed by a day.

Here’s the audible siren test schedule for 2012:

-- 1 p.m. Monday, March 26

-- 1:40 p.m. Thursday, April 19 (this test is one in conjunction with the National Weather Service)

-- 1 p.m. Monday, May 21

-- 1 p.m. Monday, June 25

-- 1 p.m. Monday, July 23

-- 1 p.m. Monday, Aug. 27

-- 1 p.m. Monday, Sept. 24

When there’s threatening weather and you hear sirens, remember the city no longer activates an “all-clear” siren after the storm moves on.

Every household and business should have a plan in place about where to take shelter during storms. Information can be found at the National Weather Service website at: nws.noaa.gov/safety.php or Wisconsin’s Emergency Management website at emergencymanagement.wi.gov.

The Journal’s website at www.riverfallsjournal.com

posts important weather and storm updates as they become available. So stay alert and be prepared. Spring is blowing in.

Early results so far were unanimous for this week’s online poll question: Did the success of Ellsworth native singer Reed Grimm make you a committed fan of TV’s American Idol?

-- Never, now, before, on in the future, 93.8%.

-- Definitely, the music on that show rocks, 0%

-- No, man, I was already an Idol fan, 6.3%

To vote, go to www.riverfallsjournal.com.

Last week’s editorial about downtown parking meters, “Crank the lever: Here we go again,” drew this comment on the Journal’s website:

How about a six-month trial with no parking meters?

Leave them installed and just cover them up and see what happens.

Some change can be good, especially if we don’t have to fish it out (of) our pockets to put into a meter. If Main Street employees, etc., use all the free spaces, we will know how much business they deserve but I doubt that will happen.

Just try to make it easy and free…can always change back.

(This comment drew nine “likes” and two “dislikes.”)

Tags: opinion, editorials, weather