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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1971-02-04, Page 4BAT 'N AROUND ► Some thoughts a f ter the storm This handsome boy with the friendly smile is Brian, 11 years old, Anglo-Saxon in background, he is a tall, slim boy with brown eyes, dark hair, and a healthy outdoor look. Brian is an agreeable, co-operative boy who is not academically minded. He likes to do things with his hands. He attends Opportunity Class and says his favorite school activities are crafts and gym. Though he is not an especially zealous student, he has broad general knowledge, especially on such subjects as space and electronics. Brian likes boating, swimming and fishing, and loves long rides on his bike. He gets on well with both children and adults. This lad understands all about adoption and hopes it will happen for him. He longs fora home that will be for keeps. To inquire about adopting Brian please write to Today's Child, Department of Social and Family Services, Parliament Buildings, Toronto 182. For general adoption information, ask your Children's Aid Society. TODAY'S CHILD BY HELEN ALLEN Togrtocielegratn Syndicate ARE YOU PAYING TOO MUCH Income Tax? Why not make greater deductions and save more money for when you retire? We'll be glad to show you how. John J. Payne Insurance AGENCY LIMITED Grand Bend Phone 238-2354 '*(04000111tkok\N4' The Monarch Life Assurance Company The Fastest Growing Agency In Western Ontario Thank You On behalf of the ratepayers of Exeter, we wish to thank all those who assisted in any way during the storm of the past week. There were many acts of kindness and bravery displayed, plus an overwhelming attitude of concern for others in the community who needed assistance. Special tribute must go to the snowmobile owners who gave little thought to their own safety and personal expenses in making daring trips into the blizzard to pick up stranded persons and taking food and supplies to marooned schools and homes in the district. Their courage and charity is to be admired. Thanks also to local homeowners who volunteered their shelter and food for students and others stranded by the storm. We would be remiss without making special mention of the untiring efforts of our police and works department personnel for the efficient manner in which they conducted thernSelves. Council, Town of Exeter Usborne & Hibbert Mutual Fire Insurance Company HEAD OFFICE — EXETER 235-0350 Insures: • Town Dwellings *All Classes of Farm Property • Summer Cottages • Churches, Halls Extepded Coverage! (wind, smoke, water damage; falling objects, liability, etc.) is also available AGENTS Harry Coates ' Exeter 235-0265 Hugh Benninger Dublin 345-2001 Clayton Harris Mitchell 348.9051 auto 8 Models To Choose From In 3 Sizes • Mini • Midi • Maxi New and Used Snowmobiles There's nothing like a solid stretch of really cold weather to remind you that Nature still packs a mighty wallop, despite all man's ingenuity in trying to keep his chin covered. We've had a dandy around here — day after day of below-zero temperatures. Even though they have been bright, the sun had about-as much effect on the atmosphere as a fried egg, sunny-side up. Everyone enjoys the . first couple of days of such a spell. We all feel like hardy pioneers, when we stomp in out of the.cold, eyes and noses running, and exchange such inanities as, "Thatis a real 50 YEARS AGO The Exeter-Zurich hockey team did not survive the round in the home and home games of Northern League Hockey with Stratford, losing the game in Stratford Thursday evening last by a score of 6 to 2. The old play "Uncle Tom's Cabin" was put on in the Opera House by the Stetson Co., Tuesday night and while not largely attended the performance was of excellent merit and was considerably above the average. Mr. Russell Hedden who recently returned to Ontario from the West has bought Mr. Alex Dow's farm in town. Miss Curtis, who has been visiting at her home in Bolton returned here Thursday evening and has resumed her millinery duties. 25 YEARS AGO Flt. Lt. Jack Anderson, Crediton, and Flt. Lt. M. H. Hammond, Kirkton, were included in the King's New Year's honor list for distinguished service with the R.C.A.F. Mr. Gerald Smith, who has been a barber at Crediton, has entered into partnership with Mr. Garnet Flynn. Gerald learned his trade in Michigan and worked in Toronto for a number of years. Mr. W. R. Goulding, organist of Talbot St. Baptist Church, London, has been elected to the executive of the London Centre, Canadian College of Organists. Douglas Brintnell, who has been with the Canadian Navy, has arrived home from Halifax, and will be on leave for two weeks before receiving his discharge. Times Established 1873 snapper" and "cold 'nuff for ya?" But after a week or so, it begins to get to you. You begin to remember those stories about people who go mad in the rainy season, or when the sirocco is blowing. It doesn't affect the kids. They love it, bundled to the nose and full of warm, red blood. Most of the elderly hate it, and visibly shrink. It doesn't bother the outdoor enthusiasts, because they keep warm doing something. They can't lick it, so they join it. It's the ordinary, simple, every-day householder like me who begins to feel the pinch, and develops a deep gloom. When you 15 YEARS AGO Exeter Branch of the Canadian Legion voted Thursday to go ahead with plans to erect a $25,000 addition to the memorial hall on William Street. Betty Brady was elected president of "Jute-Box Corners", Exeter's new teen-age club, at the organizational meeting in the arena this week. Recreation Director Doug Smith conducted the election. At a dinner meeting in Seaforth, Saturday evening, 80 representatives of various centres in the South Huron riding met to discuss the organizing of a Women's Progressive-Con- servative Association. In aid of the Ladies' Auxiliary to South Huron Hospital, a musical evening was staged by the Huronia Male Chorus at SHDHS Thursday evening. Selections by the Dashwood Band were also appreciated. 10 YEARS AGO Ralph Hicks, former owner of Exeter Frozen Foods, was recently named secretary of the Grand Bend and Area Chamber of Commerce. Susan Dinney and George Godbolt topped the field of 26 competitors to win first prizes in the annual junior public speaking contest staged at SHDHS Thursday. Ed. Corbett, Clendon Christie, T. J. Sherritt, Jim Taylor, Elgin Rowcliffe, Walter Spencer, Harold Parker, Clarence Smillie, Wilmer Ferguson and Ernie Chipchase assisted in Sing Time at CKNX Sunday afternoon. — Please turn to page 5 turn the key in the car and it just groans like a wounded buffalo, before expiring. When you look up at the ever-thickening ice on the roof and remember you've just had your living-room redecorated, and know it's going to cost $30 to have it chopped off. And finally, when your downstairs facilities don't work, and you realize with horror that even in this day of oil furnaces, inside pipes can freeze. And the oilman cometh. And cometh and cometh. This is the trine when you sliould stop and realize how lucky you are, instead of bending everybody's ear with your petty woes. You should remember how it used to be. Like most Canadians, I was brought up on cold winters. Earliest recollections are of midwinter Sunday mornings. My mother would take my kid brother and me into bed with her where we'd help ourselves to the breakfast-in-bed she always got Sunday mornings, and listen with fear and fascination to her tales of winter on Calumet Island, in the Ottawa River. The best was about the time Lady, the dainty little mare, went through the ice and the dreadful time they spent trying to rescue her. I think she died. There was my Dad. He hated winter and made no bones about it. It was Depression times, and the coal bill was an albatross around his neck. He was a mild, gentle man, never known to say anything stronger than "shoot". But inside him was some of the wild despair of his Irish forefathers. When he'd go down to fire up the furnace, I'd get my ear up against the furnace-pipe and listen with delight to language, that should have given me curly hair, interspersed with the occasional clang, when he'd belt the furnace with his shovel out of sheer rage. I spent a winter in northern England, with archaic and often non-existing heating equipment, except in the pubs. Sheer, clammy misery, except in the pubs. I spent another in Germany on the Baltic Sea, witli very little food and almost no heat. Not much joy there. Then I got married. Our first place had two wood stoves. I'd hop out of bed, plunk my freezing baby in with his warm mother, and rustle up two fires. Then I'd take a roll of newspaper — Please turn to page 5 Jim Gaunt Enterprises Centralia Auto Ski Sales & Service 228-6716 Winters of memory ,SfilORNAMMINOMEMMtibliM Advocate' Established 1881 Amalgamated 1924 SERVING CANADA'S BEST FARMLAND C.W.N.A., 0.W.N.A., CLASS 'A' and ABC Editor — Bill Batten — Advertising Manager. Phone 235.1331 Published Each Thursday Morning at Exeter, Ontario Second Class Mail Registration Number 0386 Paid in Advance Circulation, September 30, 1970, 4,675 SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada $6.00 Per Year; USA $8.00 The big storm of 1971 is one that people won't forget for a number of years and it obviously will• be ranked with the worst storms which have hit the area. We doubt there was anyone who wasn't adversely affected in some way, although the Manlier of complaints one hears at such a time is almost negligible. It's a time when faith is restored in the human race, as the majority forget any of their own problems and step into the breach to help others who require assistance. To pay tribute to those who did assist during the storm would be impossible on an individual basis. But then, they weren't looking for any special recognition. They saw things that had to be done and they set about to do them. One group who performed admirably were the area snowmobile owners. As Chief Ted Day remarked last week, "they saved the day". Some of the operators virtually risked their lives in transporting food to stranded schools ' because the visibility was nil. When you hear about machines ending up in the middle of a field when they thought they were still on the road it becomes easy to see how these men could have become lost in the storm. Talking to some of the machine drivers, we know they had some frightening experiences. Imagine if you will the feeling of knowing you are the last machine in a group of three or four and suddenly losing sight of your comrades and not knowing exactly where you are. One of the chaps who made the trip to Usborne Central on Tuesday night said he was shaking when he sat down in the town hall after the trip. "And, I wasn't cold," he said. -4 4 -4 Oddly enough, some of the people to whom a great deal of thanks and credit must go are people who didn't even stick their heads outside during the storm. Those are the teachers and staff at the schools who had to spend anywhere up to 72 hours looking, after children who were stranded away from their homes. The first night wasn't too bad. It was, up to that point, a rather exciting experience for the youngsters and with no thought of having to spend another night stranded, the majority enjoyed themselves. From that point on, the attitude changed, and while the teachers have nothing but commendation for the youngsters, the time became more trying. Everyone was suffering from lack of sleep and hot food. The floor became much harder the second night and a few cases of home-sickness were unsettling. We still find it hard to imagine how the teachers managed to keep the youngsters' spirits as high as they did and to go about their tasks so untiringly. Many of them were nearing exhaustion when the ordeal finally came to end. They did a tremendous job and are obviously deserving of commendation for serving above and beyond the call of duty 4 In any discussion of an emergency, there must obviously be some consideration given to thoughts on how problems could be averted in a similar situation in the future. One of the most thought-provoking aspects of the storm is attempting to explain why our modern communications system and weather tracking instruments can't be put into better use to alleviate many of the problems which existed last week. By mid-morning on Tuesday it became apparent that a severe storm was upon us. Presumably the weather stations had some indication that it was not going to abate within a couple of hours. With that information, preventative action could have been taken in a number of areas. The roads could have been closed immediately to all types of traffic to alleviate the problem of stranded vehicles and the possibility of persons being unable to find shelter. The millions of dollars worth of damage to vehicles and the problem in getting roads cleared after a storm because of stranded vehicles should give authorities some indication of the need of closing roads during times when travelling becomes hazardous. Most snowplow crews were pulled off the highways before noon and that should obviously be a signal that other traffic should be halted too. * * * School officials should certainly assess the past week and determine if some emergency procedures should be considered to cope with similar situations. Rural central schools obviously present the most problem, and yet the majority are close to major centres where accommodation can be found if they can reach it. Again, communications should be employed to commence action to get students to nearby towns when the risk of having them stranded appears a distinct possibility. That point was obviously reached before noon on Tuesday and at that time there was still an opportunity to have buses and plows dispatched to some schools. In the case of the Usborne students, they could have been transported to Exeter and taken to the local schools to wait for final disposition. If the storm waned, they could have been dispatched from there. If it continued, accommodation could have been easily secured in local homes. These, of course, are only some thoughts that have occurred and possibly they may not be practical, However, those involved must give the matter some thought to determine if new procedures should be set with the many changes (such as rural central Schools) in our system. Some controversy arose late Thursday afternoon due to the decision by county school Officials that students at Usborne were not to be transported to Exeter. Billets had been lined up here and a hot meal had been arranged. Travel to Exeter could have been made Safely. Director of education John Cochrane vetoed the idea and came under criticism from Many local officials, primarily because they felt the children needed a warn Meal and a bed to sleep in, if in fact the alternative was another night at the school with sandwiches: The, fact that only nine students had to spend the night at the schOol may have made Mr. Cochrane's decision appear sound, but those who made it to the school to get their children could have just as easily got to Exeter. There was no risk involved in bringing the children to Exeter. Many vehicles had made the trip and extra precautions, such as a plow, could have been dispatched to make the trip that much easier. What Mr. Cochrane apparently failed to consider was the fact that the local police officials and volunteers were in the best position to know what should have been done. They were the ones who had earlier taken risky trips to the school to make the children and staff as comfortable as possible with food and other supplies. They knew the morale and condition of the teachers and children and Mr. Cochrane should have left the situation in their hands when the recommendations were made by conscientious officials who had certainly displayed wisdom and caution in all their earlier decisions during the storm. They were the ones who would have had to further risk their necks in getting to the school if an emergency arose Thursday night; and this alone should have been reason enough to evacuate the children when the opportunity presented itself. * * * Certainly the most disappointing aspect of the situation was the report that some people were taking advantage of the storm to "gouge" victims for goods and services. Imagine a store charging 50 cents for a loaf of bread! A bar nearly doubling its price for a shot of liquor! A tow truck operator doubling his fee for services. Fortunately the numbers involved in such larceny were very few and no doubt any gain they made over the short period will be lost very soon through a decline in business as word of their action is spread through the community by those who were overcharged. Their lack of thought is difficult to comprehend. Surely the store owner charging double for bread must have realized that many of the shoppers were those who had shown enough concern for others to take stranded students and travellers into their homes. These people expected nothing for the favor, and in fact many would be indignant if any type of repayment had even been suggested. Surely the garage operator had seen the snowmobiles racing around to help out at no charge whatever. Possibly he even got some remuneration from snowmobile owners who had to have repairs to get them back into action. The machine operators represented the 99 percent who displayed the human quality of charity and concern. This is not to suggest that people in business should be expected to donate their goods or services. On the contrary; they should get a fair remuneration, but it should not be at a premium so they in fact take advantage of storm victims. On the other side of the coin, there were guys such as Cliff Ersman, who baked double lots of bread, sold it at regular prices and even wholesaled it to local stores so they could make a few cents when in fact he obviously had the market cornered. Similar to most people, we spent most of our time at home with one ear glued to the radio to listen to reports as they came in from people across the storm area. The open-line shows did a tremendous job, although we can sympathize with them over some of the stupid calls they 'received despite their repeated pleas to leave the lines open for emergency calls. A couple of situations did arise that indicated the radio broadcasters did create some problems. They allowed calls to go on the air from private citizens giving road reports. This type of information should have come only from the police or department of highways crews. Some citizens possibly thought they were doing a good turn by phoning in to say they had just travelled on a certain highway, and while they got through, their recommendation was that others should not try. Unfortunately, that type of recommendation •isn't heeded. As soon as one person hears that another got through, he figures he can do the same and off he goes. This only makes matters worse for the police and snowplow crews and in fact delayed the clearing of roads. * * * One of the quirks of human nature displayed was the desire to "get home" during the storm. People often ponder about animals rushing back into their flaming homes after having been rescued, and last week there was indication that some humans have the same trait. It's easy to understand a parent wishing to reach his home to ensure that his family is safe and sound, but there were examples of other members of families taking undue risks to reach their homes. On a Saturday radio show, a chap phoned from London wishing for an indication if he could get to his parents and younger brothers and sisters in Kirkton. It was probably the first time he wanted to get home since Christmas! Many other people, who have no qualms at all about heading away for a holiday of a week or two suddenly get a burning desire to be at home and risked their necks to do it. Strange, isn't it! * * * Now that the storm's fury is waning, there are many problems left. The most serious is the lack of visibility at all intersections and it is going to necessitate some extreme caution on the part of drivers to cope with the situation. Motorists must also keep a watchful eye on children, who through necessity, must use roads and streets as walkways. Children love the snow and the banks make ideal slides and sleigh runs. This creates more problems, and coupled with the slippery road Conditions, indicates motorists Should obviously reduce their speeds considerably and keep a constant lookout for youngsters, We managed to get through the storm without any serious accidents, and it would be unfortunate to have that record marred now that the storm is over. 1