It’s exacly a month before the beaver summit! How did it ever get to be March 7th already? I wish I could have played list this weekend but Sonoma State didn’t send the updated version. All I know for certain is that we had some new State Park signups and that’s very good. More importantly, are you registered?
Yesterday I celebrated by playing with the audio of this NPR interview of Juli Scarmado, who was the student of Ellen Wohl and might have graduated by now. I wish every state had a couple Juli’s.
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Meanwhile there’s beaver news from Idaho in a town call “Athol” which I would have a very hard time not teasing as the name of mean people with lisps for the same reason as kids used to make you say “My father works in a ship yard” while holding onto your tongue. Remember that?
Beaver problem at busy intersection in Athol
ATHOL — Beavers caused temporary calamity late Monday at South Athol Road’s intersection with Hapgood, Sanders and Tunnel streets, causing water to rise rapidly due to heavy downpours and disrupting traffic.
The Athol Police Department received more than one call in the early evening, reporting 2 feet of water had built up at the underpass area. One caller described water as being backed up and reported that vehicles were hydroplaning in that area.
Officers responded and assisted with traffic until the Department of Public Works arrived.
Assistant DPW Superintendent Richard Kilhart said the water backup caused by beavers “was the first time this year they have caused some difficulties.” The large, sharp-toothed rodents are building a dam in the drainage pipe and stream that run under the roadway.
Being that Athol is in the same state as Mike Callahan you would think that they have several people who know how to solve this problem with a beaver deceiver but maybe not.
Kilhart said the DPW made initial breaches in the dam to release the water, but could do little else until the department applied for a special permit to address the main problem. Once the breaches were made, the water level dropped.
“The normal trapping season is from Nov. 1 to April 1,” said Kilhart, “but this is a case where it is a threat to health and safety.”
The Board of Health approved the permit Wednesday to hire a licensed trapper to remove the beavers so the debris can be dismantled and the culvert cleaned out.
Sigh.
