From the Side Forrest Johnson

Another fishing season in this most trying of times

Here we are again, younger daughter and I and crew Joe, in Bristol Bay, Alaska, waiting for the greatest run of salmon in the world to reach our nets. As of this moment they are still far out in the Bering Sea but moving toward the bay as I write.

It’s a brief respite from the tur-moil of our times since I’m not reading the daily paper but enough Rumptspeak FROM THE does seem to ride the SIDE airwaves to our little radio from a small wonderful by FORREST JOHNSON station in Dillingham, Alaska, across the bay from us here in Naknek. You can’t seem to be able to escape the ranting of a lunatic and his lackeys.

Fire the judge and hold a rally.

Claim victory over COVID as cases mount.

Build that wall and keep the immigrant troublemakers at bay.

Blame the protesters and not the police or systemic racism and injustice.

Throw the environment in the ditch and go golfing.

The National Union of Friendly Americans (NUFA) has been working overtime to offset the bad vibes emanating from the worry warts that wish a return to the heady old segregated days of the post-World War 2 world rather than make the necessary changes toward a more just social system. Rumpt and his followers are going backwards so fast they think it’s 1950 not 2020 and Ozzie and Harriet live just down the street.

My fishing crew ran the gauntlet of covid testing and quarantine plans here in Alaska. We sat on a nearly empty plane from Minneapolis to Anchorage but found the flight crowded from Anchorage to King Salmon as flights have been cut back to a single flight a day. It was a scene I hope will never be repeated as masked fishermen and processing plant workers watched the mountains and tundra below, wondering just what this pandemic might mean for the industry. Already the companies are complaining that with overseas markets in limbo because of the virus, not to say the bad ju-ju created by trade wars waged by our fearful leader, fishermen might have to settle for lower per pound prices for our catch.

What a morale booster that is as we pick fish in weather both sublime and ridiculous here at the head of the Bering Sea.

As always, we just have to see what the season brings and that doesn’t happen until it’s over.

In the meantime, everyone is immediately aware of the covid in Naknek since thousands of workers have flooded this little village. There have been a few cases detected and those people are being isolated in refitted container vans up near the clinic. Testing is available Monday through Friday with a one day turnaround for the results. The entire crew of three set net boats and two drift boats tested last Friday and we were all negative. Our Minnesota crew is quarantined in our boatyard and we’ve decided that there’ll be no runs to the bar so we set up our own in a cleaned out shed, complete with twinkly lights and a fine selection of spirits. We named it the Sandbar which is appropriate not just for the sandbars that are out in the river and bay but for the amount of dust and sand that whirls around here when the winds blow. I’ve always found it funny that this area gets so dry and dusty sitting next to an ocean. One dry summer a few years ago lightning started the tundra on fire and it smoldered until the winter snows came. But when the weather shifts and the rains come the boats are soaked and fishermen are wet, plain and simple. The dichotomy can come in a single day, warm and sunny on an incoming tide, wet and cold on the outgoing.

I don’t know what it was this season but organizing our flights was a debacle for me. When we got to Anchorage the crew decided to take a walk since we had a few hours and we went up to check in their bags and lo and behold Alex, our guy at the ticket desk, found our reservation code but no seating for us on the plane. Turns out I’d booked dad and daughter’s flight from Anchorage to King Salmon July14 not June 14. Alex worked his magic and dad and daughter got the last two seats on the plane, last row. We headed out on our walk and daughter just happened to look at the booking again and noticed that on our return flight I had screwed that up as well. Back into the airport to see Alex and he cleared that up for us. We headed to a nearby store because daughter had forgotten her tubs of hummus at home and was really craving some hummus. When we came back and headed through security we were stopped by the hummus. Not a liquid or a gel, but spreadable, so the TSA lady said we could try to send it through as luggage and we excused our way out of the security area, apologized to the TSA guy who looked us over in the first place and made our way back to Alex.

“Oh, Alex,” I said with a sheepish smile. “Trouble is back.”

Alex found us a box that we cut apart and taped back together to fit two tubs of hummus and he checked it through at no charge. What a pal. We filled out one of those little cards from Alaska Airlines that wanted us to comment on their service to us…” all our most valuable customers.” I wrote that Alex should be promoted and never laid off or fired for any reason short of murder.

I’m hoping that Alex is a bit of good luck for us this season.

Two nights ago we had a bonfire and when I was about to toss the hummus box into the flames I found a TSA notice of baggage inspection stuck to the bottom. The hummus had been found a suspicious item, was opened and then cleared for boarding. I’m taking that as another sign we just might have a good season here in Bristol Bay, Alaska.

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Reader

Tree peony for yard ornamentation?

Q: I was in a park recently, and there was a sign on a very pretty plant that said it was a tree peony. It was only 3 feet tall, so I suppose it will grow. I have never heard of a tree peony. I am looking for a small tree for my yard. Does a tree peony make a good ornamental tree?

A: I’m sorry to tell you that no, it won’t grow into a small tree. Peonies are divided into the herbaceous group, which dies back down to the ground and a rhizome during the A winter, and woody, GREENER stemmed shrubs that VIEW will grow to 3.5 to 5 feet tall in by JEFF RUGG five to eight years. The flowers on tree peonies grow from 5 to 7 inches wide. Colors range from white, yellow, pink, red and purple. Some varieties are nicely fragrant. The flower buds form in the late summer on the ends of branches, so any pruning done after that will cut off the flowers for next year. Tree peonies can be grown in agricultural zones four through eight.

Tree peonies are divided into five groups. Japanese moutan tree peonies have been grown in Japan and Korea since the 8th century. Cultivars in this group have Japanese names.

The Nassos Daphnis hybrids were created by Nassos Daphnis and William Gratwick and are up to their sixth breeding generation. Their cultivars have Greek mythological names.

The Sir Peter Smithers hybrids were created by Smithers and are named after his family and friends.

The American hybrids have been bred for North American gardening, and many have been developed by the Klehm family in Illinois.

Finally, there are the intersectional, or Itoh, hybrids that are crosses between the herbaceous and tree peonies. They have they incredible flowers of the tree peonies, but they die back to the ground like herbaceous peonies.

All of these groups have many dozens of cultivars. Some of the best of each group are available at the Klehm nursery website.

Q: I bought a dwarf Korean lilac a few years ago, and it is now 10 feet high. Do I start over with a new plant, or can I cut this one down to 3 feet tall and still have it bloom?

A: There has long been confusion about dwarf lilacs. The dwarf Korean lilac (Syringa meyeri) and the compact form of the dwarf Korean lilac (Syringa meyeri palibin) have both been billed as growing to only 5 feet tall. Since plants can’t read, they often grow to 10 feet tall.

Your plant may be a Manchurian lilac (Syringa patula) or the dwarf form of a Miss Kim lilac (Syringa patula). These species and their cultivars are often confused with one another.

No matter which one of these plants you actually have, it is difficult to keep any plant at less than half the size it wants to grow to. This is especially true if you want your plants to bloom. The lilac buds are set in late summer for the following year. If the plant is growing too tall, it will be very tempting to cut it down to size before winter, thus cutting off next year’s flowers.

You will be better off replacing the plant with a new shrub that really does stay in the size range you want.

Email questions to Jeff Rugg at info@ greenerview.com.

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Crisis Lines

Safe Haven 24/7 Crisis Line: 218-728-6481

Arrowhead Region Crisis Line: 218-723-0099

Douglas County Crisis Hotline: 715-392-8216

Fond du Lac Crisis Line: 218-655-3669 or 218-655-3668

Minnesota Warmline: Adults needing support can talk to a specialist who has firsthand experience living with a mental health condition. 651-288-0400

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-TALK (8255)

North St. Louis County: LetsTALKMN.com 218-288-2100

South St. Louis County: LetsTalkMN. com 218-623-1800

Peer Support Connection: 844-739- 6369 (5 p.m. to 9 a.m.)

Program for the Aid of Victims of Sexual Assault (PAVSA): 218-726-1931

Finances

If you need assistance finding food, paying housing bills or other essential services, dial the United Way Helpline at 211. (In Minnesota you may also dial 800-543-7709 and in Wisconsin 877-947-2211.)

When families are faced with financial uncertainty or sudden income loss, addressing the situation takes more than just thinking about dollars and cents, says Lori Hendrickson, Extension Educator and an accredited financial counselor with University of Minnesota Extension.

“Often, when layoffs and income reduction happen, we are experiencing shock and denial that keep us from immediately making adjustments in our spending to keep us on solid ground,” according to Hendrickson.

Layoffs due to the COVID-19 pandemic are an example of events that can have significant financial impact on many families in Minnesota. Working through the grief caused by a sudden drop in income allows families to plan for how to adjust their finances with clear heads, and the entire family should be a part of those conversations.

Hendrickson advises, “When we are adjusting spending, it’s important to include the whole family. Talk about items in the budget that are necessary and those that can be put off or eliminated altogether. Ask these questions: • Can we substitute a less costly item? • How can we avoid waste? • Are there opportunities to work with others by trading or sharing what we can do? • Can we save if we do it ourselves? • Can we do without?

After determining the impact of the income loss, Hendrickson says to be sure to talk with creditors to let them know the situation and discuss when and how you may make payments.

For more information on COVID-19 resources, including managing income loss, visit: https://extension.umn.edu/ news/coping-covid-19

Food

AEOA food shelves (St. Louis County): 800-662-5711

Damiano Center, 206 W. Fourth St., provides free bagged meals in the parking lot Monday, Wednesday, Friday,

Saturday and Sunday for:

Continental breakfast 8:30-9:30 a.m.

Lunch 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Dinner 5-6 p.m. (Fri., Sat., Sun. only)

Kids’ Kitchen, 2nd Ave. W., serves boxed meals Mon-Thurs 3-6 p.m.

Damianocenter.org

Burrito Union, 1332 E. 4th St., offers free kids lunch Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Donations may be sent to Burrito Union, c/o #FeedTheKids, 1332 E. 4th St., Duluth MN 55805.

Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank (NE Minnesota and NW Wisconsin): 218-727-5653

Superior Public Schools has a mobile service that provides breakfast and lunch at various locations (Superior High School, SuperOne, WalMart, Park Place and more) weekdays 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. For times and locations go to superior.k12.wi.us or call 715-394-8707.

Union Gospel Mission, 219 E. First St., Duluth, serves curbside lunches Tuesday and Thursday 12-12:30 p.m. Dinners served Sunday through Friday 4:30-5:15 p.m.

Wisconsin: access.wi.gov

Health care

If you need health insurance visit mnsure.org or call 855-366-7873. In Wisconsin visit access.wi.gov or your county health and human services. (Douglas County 715-395-1304)

Essentia Health: essentiahealth.org, 855-469-6532

Lake Superior Community Health Center, lschc.org

Duluth: 218-722-1497

Superior: 715-392-1955

St. Luke’s: slhduluth.com, 218-249-5555

Wisconsin State Health Dept.: 608-258-0099

Housing

St. Louis County Southern Triage Team: 218-733-2717

Northern St. Louis County Triage Team: 218-471-7391

Illegal evictions during crisis:

HOME Line Tenant Hotline: 612-728-5767

Legal Action of Wisconsin: 855-947-2529

MN housing question hotlines:

For single-family residences: 651-296-8215

For multi-family residences:

Jobs

CareerForce Duluth: 218-302-8400 Northwest Wisconsin Job Center: 715-392-7800

Minnesota hotlines

Health questions: 800-657-3903

School and childcare questions: 800-657-3504

Discrimination Helpline: 833-454-0148

Report a concern about the stay at home order: 651-793-3746

Minnesota Responds

Partnership that engages volunteer programs to strengthen public health, preparedness and recovery. Become a qualified volunteer by completing online orientation. mnresponds.org

Seniors

Age Well Arrowhead delivers groceries to seniors and needs volunteers to make the deliveries. Students home from school also wanted to make check-in phone calls to seniors and make cards that can be delivered with the groceries. 218-623-7800.

Douglas County Aging & Disability Resource Center: 715-395-1234.

Senior Linkage Line (800-333-2433) is a free service for Minnesotans that can help adults 60 and older find answers questions and locate services.

Unemployment

Looking for information? Find it at the Department of Employment and Economic Development website mn.gov/deed, and sign up at uimn.org or call 651-296-6141.

Information about Wisconsin Unemployment may be found at dwd. wisconsin.gov or call 608-266-3131.

Veterans

Any veteran who has been financially hurt by COVID-19 can apply for a special needs grant through their local County Veteran Service Office.

Duluth: 218-725-5285

Ely: 218-365-8203

Hibbing: 218-262-6090

Virginia: 218-749-7110

Arts

Arrowhead Regional Arts Council resources for artists: aracouncil.org/ covid19-resources To submit entries, email info@readerduluth.com.

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