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Yahoo
12-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'R' marks the spot (not to mention 'X' and 'G') for sidewalk repairs around Rochester
Apr. 12—Dear Answer Man: So, our area is scheduled for lots of sidewalk maintenance this year and all the sidewalks have markings on them as to what needs to be done. Earlier this week the street corners all got marked with a red "R" in a red triangle. Then a day or two later, the sidewalks got re-tagged with a black "R" and black triangle. My guess is that the "R" means "replace" but could you please confirm this. Also, while you investigate that, please ask the city why all the corners need replacing. — Sidewalk Sleuth. Dear Sleuth, This is an easy topic to step into as the Post Bulletin has covered this concretely in the past. So, the way it used to work is if the city saw a need to repair or replace the sidewalks in your neighborhood, they'd come in, kick up a lot of dust and charge the property owners along those specific sidewalks for the pleasure of having their sidewalks repaired. Then, in November 2022, the City Council passed the Sidewalk Improvement District plan to deal with the more than 600 miles of city sidewalks and 900-plus pedestrian ramps. The plan divides the city into 20 districts plus the Destination Medical Center zone. The plan is to do repairs in each district once every 20 years — which is about how long sidewalks last — and the more heavily traveled DMC zone once every five years. By creating this maintenance rotation, the city folds the cost of sidewalk repairs into its regular street maintenance budget, and avoids a big bill for individual property owners once every two decades. This year's repair district the one bounded by West Circle Drive on the east, U.S. Highway 14 on the north and Country Club Drive on the south. Next year's district will essentially be the Kutzky Park and Lowertown neighborhoods. The map above has each district labeled with a year, and districts are divided into five — six if you include DMC — regions of the city. According to Megan Moeller, spokeswoman for the city of Rochester and all-around friend to Answer Man, "Our inspectors marked all pedestrian ramps slated for replacement in our NW SID area with a pink "R" and triangle. The ones with black paint are alternates (if we have money at the end of our project, these are next in line for replacement)." So, basically, inspectors go into the designated Sidewalk Improvement District and figure out what needs to be fixed and what is good to go for another 20 years. While there is a specific area for 2025 — again, see the map above — "there will be minimal work throughout the remainder of the NW district (green)," Moeller said. "The pedestrian ramps marked in pink "R" are scheduled for replacement in addition to sidewalk replacement and repair marked by Xs and Gs." Moeller added. Even a rough sidewalk won't trip up Answer Man. Send questions to answerman@ .
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Will this spring be wet enough for Rochester area farmers?
Apr. 6—Dear Answer Man: Until last weekend — March 28-30 — things have appeared pretty dry out there in the fields. And last year wasn't exactly damp until it rained nonstop in May and June, which is its own set of problems. All this got me wondering, are farmers looking at a drought this year? Have we had too many droughts in a row? What say you, oh wise one? — Staring at the Soil. Dear Soiled, Dry is in the eye of the beholder. Or the person who needs to drive a tractor across a field. Are we in a drought? Well ... sort of. But the soil conditions at the moment aren't going to keep the Cornflakes off your breakfast table. In fact, said Jeff Coulter, Extension corn agronomist with the University of Minnesota, a little drought this time of year can be beneficial. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, the most recent map from March 25 shows Rochester is in a moderate drought. Coulter said that's probably still true with the recent rainfall and snow from the last weekend in March. But that's no reason to panic. "Drier springs can lead to higher yielding crops," Coulter said. "When it's drier, you get less nitrogen fertilizer loss, and there are fewer delays in planting." Looking at the weather, December through February saw about a 1.85-inch shortfall of precipitation in the Rochester area. Then we made some of that back with a plus-0.77 inches of precipitation in March. Then April started out damp as well. Still, if it's dry, farmers have options. Plant a little deeper to reach the moisture. Minimize the tilling of the soil to reduce moisture loss. Not that moisture isn't an issue. But you also don't want too much rain, especially right after planting. Last year, Coulter said, Southeast Minnesota saw an overabundance of rain, which led to erosion, seedling loss and other issues with nutrients (potassium and phosphorus, particularly). Coulter noted a couple of years ago there were soil conditions not unlike what we're seeing now, and the yields in the fall were great. But another year where the early to mid-spring soil moisture was like now, and it was a mess because rains promoted the growth of weeds, which were hard to control because muddy conditions prevented farmers from getting tractors out in the fields to spray for them. The bigger issue, he said, is to get rain in mid-July through August. A bigger concern is soil temperatures right now. Planting begins around the third week of April and should be completed — at least for corn — by May 4 to get the highest yields. "Window can be shifted a little earlier when spring arrives earlier," Coulter said. "April 18 is the typical start, and you go as long as it takes. We definitely want to have our corn planted by May 10." So, while worrying about our food-growing friends is nice, fear not. Thus far, we're in good shape for the coming growing season. Don't let your questions wither on the vine. Send questions to Answer Man at answerman@
