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GEOKARJO 
Google This!!!
Group: Members
Posts: 7799
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Dec. 27 2003,2:50 pm |
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Jan Jenson will be sadly missed by family and friends
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| Post Number: 2
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Mamma
Group: Members
Posts: 1474
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Dec. 27 2003,7:35 pm |
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Jan was a wonderful young woman with a great sense of humor...she will be missed.
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A conclusion is simply the place where you got tired of thinking.
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| Post Number: 3
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jimhanson
Group: Moderator
Posts: 8491
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Dec. 29 2003,4:02 pm |
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At today's board meeting, Commissioner Belshan asked about the possibility of lights or arms at the crossing, because there had been accidents (some fatal) there before. The County Engineer said that she had met with the Union Pacific and MN/Dot. They had discussed the criteria, and (paraphrase) "it doesn't meet the criteria for number of deaths, or train traffic."
Not enough train traffic? County 25 (Lerdal-Manchester road) is wide open--not a tree for a mile around, good sight lines, a 90 degree crossing, and IT has lights and arms on the signals. Clarks Grove has lights and arms. The accident site has a grove of trees right to the East, and the track comes from the Southwest/Northeast--not a 90 degree angle, forcing drivers to look OVER their shoulder and behind for train traffic. Not enough train traffic? The OTHER crossings have lights and arms--what happened, did we lose some trains between Clarks Grove and Ellendale?
Not enough fatalities? "OK, if we have just ONE MORE FATAL ACCIDENT at this site, we'll put in the equipment--now who's it gonna be?" 
The County Engineer, speaking about Rumble Strips for warning motorists several months ago, argued that "we should take out the existing rumble strips, so people don't expect them"--arguing for "all or nothing" in safety systems. Using that logic, she should be arguing to TAKE OUT ALL CROSSING LIGHTS AND ARMS.
This is perhaps the worst crossing in the County in which a paved road crosses a well-used track, without crossing lights and arms.
Edited by jimhanson on Dec. 29 2003,4:04 pm
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"If you want to anger a Conservative, tell him a lie. If you want to anger a LIBERAL, tell him the TRUTH!"
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LisaMarie
Group: Members
Posts: 367
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Dec. 29 2003,4:06 pm |
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Where was this accident at, this is the first I've heard of it. Good job Tribune for reporting important info like this 
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Bush & Son - Sending America to war since 1990
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| Post Number: 5
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cpu_slave
Group: Members
Posts: 297
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Dec. 29 2003,4:22 pm |
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| Quote | | "OK, if we have just ONE MORE FATAL ACCIDENT at this site, we'll put in the equipment--now who's it gonna be?" |
I could think of quite a few I would "volunteer" 
Seriously, if you want something done then gather a petition and send it not only to your local government, but also to the state levels and the railroad company. There seems to always be a cost factor involved in something like this, it is cheaper to pay settlements than to put in the signage, so perhaps a good ol' fashioned lawsuit is something needed to light a fire under someones ass!
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An age is called Dark, not because the light fails to shine, but because people refuse to see it.-James A. Michener
Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.-Albert Einstein
Wise men learn more from fools than fools from wise men.- Marcus Cato
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| Post Number: 6
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jimhanson
Group: Moderator
Posts: 8491
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Dec. 29 2003,4:49 pm |
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The accident site was West of Geneva, on the East-West road that goes to Bath (12?)
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"If you want to anger a Conservative, tell him a lie. If you want to anger a LIBERAL, tell him the TRUTH!"
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Tiger
Group: Members
Posts: 606
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Dec. 29 2003,5:05 pm |
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Is that the same crossing that a young high school student was killed at about 10 years ago?
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| Post Number: 8
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The Rocket
Group: Members
Posts: 23
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Dec. 29 2003,6:49 pm |
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I new Jan and her always upbeat style will be missed. I come from a railroad family and I am always saddened to hear of these train/vehicle accidents because the train always wins. The problem I have is the reaction from the uninformed as soon as it happens on the crossings that have no flashing lights. In a perfect world lights and gates would be nice at all crossings but at a couple hundred thousand dollars per crossing I don't think the county can foot the bill. Do you realize that the signs approaching the crossing and the crossing stop sign and cross bucks belong to the railroad. The decision to put them in is up to the railroad and the Minnesota Commisioner of Transportation. If the money was available somewhere all crossings would be protected. Maybe we need to look at ourselves and say if we can bond for a new courthouse or cleaner lakes maybe we should bond to protect all crossings in Freeborn County.
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| Post Number: 9
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jimhanson
Group: Moderator
Posts: 8491
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Dec. 29 2003,7:33 pm |
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Good points, Rocket. Does anybody have access to a County map--how many unprotected RR crossings do we have left where mainline (high speed) trains cross major paved roads?
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"If you want to anger a Conservative, tell him a lie. If you want to anger a LIBERAL, tell him the TRUTH!"
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| Post Number: 10
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MADDOG
Group: Moderator
Posts: 7821
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Dec. 29 2003,7:44 pm |
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Jim, I have a county map, but it shows unprotected roads, I think the county calls them turnbacks! Most of them red lines on my map are in the south, southwest corner of the county.
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Actually my wife is especially happy when my google check arrives each month. Thanks to douchbags like you, I get paid just for getting you worked up. -Liberal
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