manual in the life of...
A park ranger
Imagine getting called at six in the morning to help pull someone out of a toilet.
David Rhoades, park manager at Clinton Lake, had to do just that. A man had fallen into the septic tank of one of the park's bathroom facilities. Rhoades and the fire department rescued the man, who had been trapped for several hours.
Clinton Lake gets two million visitors a year, and Rhoades, with two other full-time park rangers, acts as an "adult babysitter." Most of the time, people are civil, Rhoades says, but drunk people can be difficult to deal with and often endanger themselves. Once, a drunk man dove into six inches of water at the beach and broke his neck, he says.
Rhoades' work is not just with people; he helps with the upkeep of Clinton Lake's natural resources. Rhoades updates weather readings for the NationalWeather Service, conducts controlled grass burnings and checks on the three bald eagles' nests at the lake with the other rangers.
As the park manager, Rhoades works mainly at his computer and manages the other rangers. Because the federal government owns Clinton Lake, Rhoades must make sure all regulations are met.
"There's lots of paperwork involved with
Photo by Adam Schoof
Only you can stop forest fires: Or, if you need some help, you can call up Clinton Lake park ranger D Rhoades
spending the government's money." Rhoades says.
Rhoades says that a modern park ranger must be a jack of all trades because of the influx of technology. Rangers have to know how to work in an office and outside, Rhoades says.
Adam School
DIY: Ready your bike for spring
[do it yourself]
If your bike has been out of commission—or worse,outdoors—for the past few months, it probably needs a little work before it's ready to ride.
"Leaving a bike outside is not a really great idea," says Nick Gardner, manager at Cycle Works, 2121 Kasold Drive."It's like leaving your car with the windows down all winter."
The best way to guarantee your bike is safe to ride, Gardner says, is to take it to a professional bike mechanic. However, Gardner offers this advice to students who want a quick fix before riding their bikes to class.
1. Inflate
Look at the sides of your bike's tires and add air to the maximum pressure indicated, Gardner says. Tire pressure naturally decreases by about five psi a week, Gardner says, so chances are your bike's tires are in need of some air. If you don't have a bike pump, head to a gas station or a bike shop.
2. Lubricate
Use a bike chain lubricant on the chain, cables and housings, Gardner says. He cautions against using an all-purpose lubricant like WD-40. Bike-specific lube is designed to repel dirt, Gardner says, but WD-40 can just attract it. For about $4.50, bike chain lubricant is a good investment.
Photo by Becka Cremer
Ready, set, bike. Your bike's probably been MIA for winter,
so make sure to inflate, lubricate and tighten your ride.
If these three steps don't seem to be enough, and your bike needs a little more TLC, both Cycle Works and Sunflower Outdoor and Bike.804 Massachusetts Street, offer basic tune up packages and free estimates for other repairs.
3. Tighten
If you have access to tools, Gardner recommends tightening all of the accessible nuts and bolts on your bike.
— Becka Cremer
green it! Go out eco-guilt free
Lawrence's newest bar, Wilde's Chateau 24, is making several moves toward being environmentally friendly. Will Bohne, a manager of Chateau, 2412 Iowa Street, says he makes two trips a week to Wal-Mart to recycle about 150 pounds worth of cardboard, plastic and glass. All remaining trash is thrown out in one bag. The bar conserves energy by using lowenergy lights, candles and dimmers switches for all lighting. Even the outside decorative lights are solar powered.
"We can't do everything but at least we are doing something," says Kate Giessel, Chateau public relations representative.
The incentives for bars are not only environmental but economic."I don't know why there isn't more of a rush to be doing these kinds of things because it is so practical," says Dave Boulter, Chateau owner. He is also the owner of Henry's, 11 East Eighth Street, where cardboard and plastic are recycled.
Contributed photo
Joe Dougherty, employee at the Sandbar. 17 East Eighth Street, agrees downtown bars face additional obstacles to recycle for these reasons. He says the bar recycles everything it can and would recycle more, such as glass, if the dumpsters were provided.
Tina Baker; manager at the Red Lyon. 944 Massachusetts Street, says most downtown
Setting the mood-Wilde's Chateau 24 uses low-energy lights, candles and dimmers for a more eco-friendly bar.
businesses recycle cardboard because dumpsters are provided. Also, the Sandbar has an energy efficient air system that circulates outside air in to cool down the bar when it is busy in the winter instead of using air conditioning.
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Frustrating to businesses is the cost of many environmental technologies, such as solar power. Boulter says he was looking into LED solar lights for Chateau but they are not economically viable right now. "We are happy to do what we can do," he says, "but we have to keep it in perspective."
Katherine Mulder