Tornado In Austin Minnesota - Reposting ~ Spending a day in Austin Minnesota - Small Town USA Endures Flooding

 

Tornado Downs Trees, Power Lines In Austin from WCCO June 18, 2009 "Austin Mayor Tom Stiehm said it appeared two or three tornadoes -- and possibly up to five -- had hit." AND "Storm Chasers catch Austin Tornado on video"

Reposting....
Spending a day in Austin Minnesota - Small Town USA Endures Flooding


UPDATES ON IOWA FLOODING: Go to The Des Moines Register "FLOODS OF 2008: LATEST NEWS UPDATES, VIDEOS AND PHOTOS"

Don't mess with Mother Nature By Katie Johnson Austin Daily Herald Published Saturday, June 14, 2008

Austin, Minnesota

MN Historical Society

MOWER COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
1303 6th Avenue SW
Austin, MN 55912
507/437-6082
Fax: 507/437-5012
Email: MCHS@smig.net
Director: Jacky Pierskalla
Hours: Tuesday through Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

George A. Hormel Home Austin, Mn

Spending a day in Austin, MN

Walked from the hotel at the edge of town into downtown Austin Minnesota. Austin is one of the most beautiful Minnesota towns that I've had the good fortune to visit.

A blended old world feeling intertwines with the nouveau. Giving the visitor a memorable experience with each landmark, with each historical plaque on each building, down each small town street, where special eateries and neighborhood bars quietly do business. Walking miles, stopped to marvel at the structure of Saint Augustine Catholic Church. I still have my very old little figurine of Saint Augustine, belonging to my Great Aunt Katherine.

Walking towards town stopped to gawk at a two story house on 4th St. NW, almost fairy tale in appearance, with a peculiar rolling look to the roof surrounded by beautiful tall trees. There were a lot of nice old stucco homes. The pale colors of the homes with a few daring splashes of color. One home was a a nice cream color with berry colored shutters and trim.

One home business had a fenced in yard full of breath taking statues of children playing. Words don't do justice to the intricacy of the forms show cased in the sunlight. A little girl on a swing, a little boy playing. We realized almost moments after taking in the scene that the statues were meant for headstones. In an instant it brought a bit of sadness. But the artist must have brought peace and comfort to those that lost someone. Simply beautiful.

Seemed like a lot of businesses run out of homes.

The brick buildings downtown were my favorite. The brick and stone of one decade seemed to merge into another brick and stone of a newer time. The geographical designs at the top of each old building almost gave an outline of where a large picture windows might have been at one time or another. Maybe an office of the 1920's or someones apartment in the 1940's. The oldest stone and brick buildings were my favorite.

The Paramount Theater, is amazing in its architecture, a look of yest er year. So fascinating that you can almost imagine the lines of people from in town and the surrounding towns getting together to watch a new movie premier from the 30's. Some people were probably decked out out to the hilt wearing their Sunday best.


Remember Saturday matinees as a kid, the contests, the treats, the cheering, the kids movie! My husband had the 50's and I had the 60's children matinees. What fun! The glass windows of the Theater look almost like a swirl of jade.

We walked over a bridge where there were a few news vans filming what looked like a raging minny dam on one side. The foamy water was dark brown and muddy. The library had lost some of its scenic land where benches were now peeking out from the lake. Three drakes swam by seeming to enjoy the much bigger 'little' lake. Heard that the Hormel plant flooded, it sits on the other side of the little lake.

Children were playing in a saturated part of the park area near the library. The children's play park really should have been closed till someone could cleaned it up properly. The thing that I found lacking, especially after any flood, we saw just one dead fish over by the bear carvings near the municipal swimming pool, not far from the hospital. After the water had already receded in the areas we walked, there was No fish smell, no after a flood smell, except over by the bridge.

Hasting Shoe Repair Shop will need to be rebuilt I'm told. It stands on a corner and the owner was made aware purely by accident that the wall on the street side of the building looked like it was going to fall down. The owners look like they're fixing it up now. I think they are the oldest shoe repair shop in the area, but I'm not sure. Their historical window display does give the impression they are the oldest though.

We decided not to visit the Spam Museum. I can't stand Spam, so I really didn't care to see it or its history. When your family grows up poor, Mom's come up with the strangest Spam combinations for consumption. I'd have to be starving to death before I'd ever eat Spam again. Better stop on this subject right now...

If you are traveling on I-35 North or South, go visit Austin Minnesota. The people are really nice, the diversity of people, cultures, religion and ages in this small city is impressive and the history of Austin is a proud American legend.

SPAM Museum, Austin, Minnesota Austin, Minnesota. Before there was a vile industry of unwanted marketing email ... Hormel has created more than 1600 different products during its history. ...www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2126

Hormel Foods Company Profile Hormel Foods Corporation, based in Austin, Minnesota, is a multinational ... Jeffrey M. Ettinger is just the ninth President in the history of Hormel Foods, ...www.hormelfoods.com/about/company/default.aspx

I'm sure FEMA was lurking around Austin somewhere, while people were suffering loss in silence.....

I will always feel disgust and disdain for FEMA. Horrible memories probably for the rest of my life. When 2009 comes FEMA will need to be gutted and restored by a President who gives a damn.

INTERACTIVE FEATURE: Hurricane Katrina - The New York Times

Children of the Storm Where Hurricane Katrina, and we, have left the kids. With photographs by Brenda Ann Kenneally.


NEWEST NIGHTMARE STORIES ABOUT FEMA...
Photos from one of the facilities in Fort Worth, Texas, show pallet after pallet of cots, cleansers, first-aid kits, coffee makers, camp stoves and other items stacked to the ceiling. Video Watch dismay over "out of touch" FEMA»

Paulison: We're not the FEMA of 2005 (use your imagination for a caption) CNN Thursday April 3, 2008

Say Hello to 'Duck Tape Man'

David Paulison the 1 bizarre use for duct tape guy...maybe he did his homework from 101 Uses For Duct Tape, with some just as bizarre uses! Cute site! But not so cute FEMA.


CNN Special Investigations Unit From Abbie Boudreau and Scott Zamost

"NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (CNN) -- FEMA gave away about $85 million in household goods meant for Hurricane Katrina victims, a CNN investigation has found."

CNN FEMA

FEMA Topics CNN

Taylor blasts FEMA,'no-ice plan By J.R. WELSH jrwelsh@sunherald.com SunHerald.com "Taylor said he learned that the money has not been forthcoming because state officials never forwarded a required action plan to Washington."

A lesson not learned even now! Barbara's Daily BuzzFlash Minute for June 13, 2008

Gulf Coast nonprofits left out of the loop as FEMA gives away $85 million in Katrina supplies by Desiree Evans at FACING SOUTH

FEMA gives Away $85 Million of Supplies for Katrina Victims truthout Wednesday 11 June 2008

FEMA gives away Katrina donations La. agency said 'no thanks' to items Thursday, June 12 NOLA

"GSA routinely offers property like this to government agencies, nonprofits, and GSA's state branches, including the Louisiana Federal Property Assistance Agency in Baton Rouge, which declined GSA's offer of FEMA's surplus from Fort Worth."

Remember -- GSA chief Lurita Doan.......shame on you Ms. Doan!