Separated out from nonwood debris of the December 15 tornado, the fallen and cut down tree branches awaiting action on the old lumber yards south of Chapman Lake, are about to be turned into atmospheric carbon dioxide, related as a cloud of smoke.

“I will be contacting Korey early next week to begin burning the brush piles form the storm, weather permitting,” Stanley public works operator-in-charge John Hoel writes the Council in his most recent bi-monthly report. Also meeting with the DNR in the next two to three weeks to turn on the aerators at Chapman Lake to keep fish alive over the winter, Hoel saved the majority of his report for the depot, and seeking Council input on moving forward.

“With the damage to the depot, we would like to know what the council’s plan is for the building,” Hoel writes. “I realize we need to wait to hear back from the insurance company, however, with winter upon us and the potential for heavy snow loads and wind there could be more severe damage to the building. “Having spoken to Ryan Westaby, Hoel relates that plans should be looked at if anything is to be saved.

“If anything is going to try and be saved from the building (bricks, the ticket cage from inside, windows, doors), plans should be looked at to try to preserve those items from further damage,” Hoel writes. With no planned training at public works for the the next 60 days and Christmas tree pickup listed in work completed for the last two weeks as of December 29, it was into the fire report, by Stanley Fire Chief Korey Hagenson.

“The firefighters would like to thank everyone that helped out with the tornado cleanup,” Hagenson begins his report dated for December 30. Also in the report for the firefighters themselves, is a pay raise.

“I would like to restructure the pay scale that we have,” Chief Hagenson writes the council. “My officers and I feel that the scale is not fair for members that have been on for years to still make the same as the one that’s been on a week.” If other City employees are getting raises, the fire department wants one as well. “It’s been four to five years since we last received one,” Hagenson writes as a supporting rationale for his request.

Regarding the work at Stanley Fire the past two weeks, Hagenson reported in part “finishing the brush truck and getting it stickers,” along with paperwork from the tornado cleanup and updating going to the Clark County MABAS (department mutual assistance) meeting in Thorp and the Chippewa County chiefs meeting, among other recent items.

“Still need to service Engine 1 and 2,” Hagenson states, along with ordering a laptop. Meanwhile, a department sign that collapsed prior to the tornado awaits replacement outside the station, being marked by pink flags in the snow.

This brush pile from the December 15 tornado will soon be gone up in smoket with a show of light and heat, leaving just ashes from the branches taken down in the storm. Photo by Joseph Back.