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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1975-08-13, Page 2a CA lot we the LI Lore ssed idea eral L. duc ussel ssagi hn Lew enz e M Amen by,,Kcfri Schuessler I love my local Blyth fire department. And it's not because the men put out my fires. Last night eight of them drove their big red fire truck over to my barn and set a blaze to her. And before fire chief Erwin Bowes, poured on some kerosene and struck the matches, he wanted me to assure him. I didn't have any insurance on the building. And , no, neither I nor my heirs, would make any legal claims against his department. And, yes, I would pay him a fee. Fire, I figure, , was the best way to get rid of this tumbled-in barn. To put a final end to a century of standing. To lay to rest forever timbers and crossbeans that housed generations of cattle and bay and straw. This barn had to go. There was no hope of any life in her. She'd served her day. But no longer this day. They just don't build barns 'any more that way. With those huge threshing floors on the second storey. Accessed by a bank slope built right into her. And with the bottom floor walled in a storey high of rock and cement foundations. The fire chief knew exactly what to do. He checked the wind. Good. It was in the right direction. Away from the farm house. He knew exactly where he wanted to start the fires. "Upwind,-" he said, "at this end," he pointed. So the wind will sweep the fire to the furthest end of the barn. He had checked out the whole barn. He knew where the fire would spread. he knew what beams would go first. What wood would serve as fire bridges to other parts of the barn. His men took, all the precautions. They wetted down a nearby building. They put on their hats and slickers. They became watchmen in the night as the flames licked and danced skyward: "Pretty good fire going, eh,- Chief?" I asked, "I like the way it's crackling. It sounds good. We're getting some heat in there. You really have to turn it on high to get a good combustion temperature." I told huh I waS disappointed. I expected a few fire chasers to drive over to watch one barn fire. But no one was doming ant. "Welt" he said, 'This fire's not very spectacular: It's not that high to set much of a glow hi the sky. With a real good barn fife'you can see it six and seven miles away. "And besides, people saw us drive out of town. Slow. No sirens going. No speed. They know it's Thursday night. Our training night.That's when we have practice runs and teach the new men the ropes and demonstrate the equipment." And then he explained something else 0 me about fires. Fires excite. They make the blood run faster. They quicken. There's a surge of thrill and adventure — even for the chief after 27 years on the volunteer department and over 600 fires later. Fires brush with death. They tease and touch disaster. Fire usually is disaster. But a deliberately set fire? By a fire department? He said one night a man rushed up to him while they were lighting a fire. On a barn a real honest-to-goodness fine barn that was sending up glows ten miles away. I've driven Miles to see this fire," the man told him, "Do you know who set it?" "I did, " the fire chief said, "This fanner is a pig farmer. He says he doesn't need this high old barn anymore. He wants it out of the way," fire"Dfoor younotnh-lienagnvI;c taimlee malal hth inis owaany to see this ed. "But a fire's a fire," the chief said, "Oh, no it isn't. It's not the same," the matt ~;shook his off. head and walked away to his cal', and drove "See what. I mean?" said the chief. No wonder no one came to my barn burning. Itoganset burning: gsinfireinan's terms I had only a weeny And just to prove any suspicions, the fire boys did bring Out, some hot dogs. Mid mustard and catsup. Only of course towards the, d etnhd6 fitch6etiwaesvebruytrhniiiingg under control , They found themselves softie sticks and all sooltecogatiobwahinggeer mabnedtst.hey squatted down ritycatnpacutt faun' gi Li 1 iu oltngni al b) eub?tani r tnhegq6. Mid instead ' was uu p. end d, urch On arrie cCall elvill ey f. wp, f . Brus ain ddin eir erest ewers ssed bot nag. His Feb dece rs. Ja Sh (Co Mainly s th ve bee ely a ing t ply c a vaca res stant YOU n ing to cationi vast ssels neit Star acoovi aving up II wool knoll thou y se by • 11011111111111111.1MMEMINIMIIIIIIII BRUSOLS WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13, 1975 ONTARIO Serving Brussels and the surrounding community, Published each Wednesday afternoon at Brussels, Ontario by McLean Bros.Publishers, Limited. Evelyn Kennedy - Editor . Dave Robb - Advertising Member Canadian. Community Newspaper Association and Ontario Weekly Newspaper Association. Subscriptions,(in advance) Canada $6.00 a year, Others CCNA = $8.00 a year, Single Copies 15 cents each. 1-11FICO a-1,11,0N 'sTANA,IN4(0 1172. Brussels Post What do we do Brussels is a nice peaceful village right? Wrong. Many evenings this summer the peace and quiet of our town has been shattered by the squeal of tires and brakes or by the crash of carelessly tossed beer bottles. There has been some destruction of public and private property.. Some people are afraid to complain about the vandalism that they see because they think it will only lead to more destruction, perhaps of their own property. Others say that by commenting on vandalism in the newspaper you encourage the guilty parties by giving them some attention. It is easy to rant and rave that the kids in Brussels -are no good or that all the damage and noise making is done by outsiders who come to the village and whoop it up. But what really has to be decided is what are we going to do about it? Many people will say that every generation has had its troublemakers and kids' pranks have been and always Will be with us . . . until they grow out of them and a new crop of kids takes on the job. We think there is an element of truth in this. But it's also true that people shouldn't have to suffer through being awakened in the middle of the night by screeching tires.They shouldn't be bothered by groups of kids sitting around on main street corners late at night. And most important,. they shouldn't have to worry that they'll be victims, if they complain when they see wrong being done. Policing can only do so much. Brussels is dependent on spot checks by the OPP and probably doesn't want to pay the money that a village police force would cost. Some of the work at making Brussels peaceful again has to be done by parents and citizens.. Vandalism and criticism of rowdy teenagers is a problem in lots of other communities. Some are taking steps to see if things can be worked out. Wingham had a meeting with local teenagers recently to find out what their grievances were and to get a dialogue going between the complainers and the kids. Brussels could do this too and Brussels parents could take a hard look at what their kids are doing around town late at night. Or we can keep complaining in private but do nothing. °maw critiE You ticmir hiee- S/ZE-E 44E- "