(Here's another column from the summer of 1992. My sense is that careless driving isn't as big a problem now as it was back then, especially among young people. But then again, the New Brunswick RCMP recently released statistics on the number of traffic deaths in the province and how most fatalities are the result of people not wearing seat belts or the improper use of t seat belts. This problem is more serious among young people despite all the warnings about seatbelt use. So either way this column is just as relevant today as it was 15 years ago.)
The wife of TV's Mr. Dressup didn't know it was coming. The car drove right up on the sidewalk where she was walking in downtown Toronto, pinned her against a store front and killed her. The same thing happened to a pro football player in the United States recently. He was working at home in the garden when a truck ran him down and killed him in his front yard. And then there was that terrible school bus accident that killed a young girl in Chatham while her mother watched from the house. Freak accidents? Yes, but they're happening more and more and one begins to wonder how safe we are anywhere, especially as pedestrians.
There are few sidewalks in Grand Bay or Westfield. That means if we're going to walk or jog or ride our bikes we have to do most of it on the road. Every time our kids go out the door they're sharing road space with the cars and trucks. It's a workable situation if everyone, drivers and walkers, follow the rules, but that doesn't happen all the time.
I'm a runner and I often jog through the streets of Grand Bay. One of the greatest threats to pedestrian safety I see are these creatures I choose to call the "Ya Hoo's". They're usually in their teens or twenties and are normally nice enough creatures, until they get behind the wheel of a car. Then something happens to them, usually on a Friday or Saturday evening. For some reason they feel compelled to drive fast and carelessly around the streets of our neighbourhood. The "Ya Hoo's" squeal tires and kick up clouds of dust as they wheel at breakneck speeds through our quiet residential streets. On a recent Saturday night jog I witnessed one speeding car load of "Ya Hoos" barely negotiate the curve at the bottom of Woolastook Drive. On another occasion a car load of drunken "Ya Hoo's", in a hurry to get to the party, passed me on a curve just as we got off the Westfield ferry at Hardings Point.
I understand the urge of the "Ya Hoo" to want to drive fast. I think it has something to do with hormones at that age. But whatever the cause, driving fast and recklessly on the same streets where people are walking and jogging and kids are playing is bad business. Someone is going to get hurt or killed if the "Ya Hoos" continue to play their deadly game.
If you're a motorist (Ya Hoo's included) there are a few simple things you can do to help keep our residential streets safe. Slow down. Drive the speed limit or below. Those could be your kids playing on the street. And when you pass by a pedestrian give them as wide a berth as possible. I think some drivers make a game of trying to drive as close to pedestrians as possible without knocking them down.
Pedestrians have responsibilities too. Chief Arnold Landers of the Grand Bay Police says there are important rules to be followed, like walking in single file on the left hand shoulder of the road, facing the oncoming traffic. Groups of walkers, (especially kids) should remember to keep to the side of the road. Drivers find it annoying negotiating their way through a group of kids walking five abreast who refuse to get out of the way. If you're out walking after dark wear something light and preferably reflective so the cars can see you. And if you're a cyclist, make sure you follow the rules of the road and wear a helmet.
It is possible to keep our streets safe. But we all have to do our part.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Historical Westfield
(Here's another column from the summer of 1992. It's about a summer project collecting the history of Westfield back in the days when there was a separate Village called Westfield. I don't know if Susanne ever got that book together. I do know that history is being made this weekend in Grand Bay-Westfield with the opening of the new River Centre at Brundage Point. Hope you plan to take in the activities.)
Susanne Sutton, like other university students, is doing some traveling this summer. But her traveling is taking her back in time. She's riding on the memories of others, back to the early days of her community. Susanne is the official historical researcher for the Village of Westfield. This is the first time the village has ever hired anyone to research it's rich heritage. And it's turned out to be a great summer job for Susanne.
"It's a very humbling experience because I've been living here for 20 years and I thought I knew quite a bit about the village but I don't know anything." says Susanne. "What I know is a drop in the bucket.
It's that desire to know more and that natural curiosity that makes her perfect for this job. Susanne has always been interested in history and heritage. In high school she wrote a short history of the village as part of an exchange program. This summer she's building on that early interest with her job as historical researcher. Susanne is busy meeting residents and recording their personal stories and memories on audio tape. She's also collecting old photographs and
other objects of historical significance. Right now all her time is consumed by just gathering this material. She'd like to compile it into a written report or book but doesn't think she'll have the time this summer.
"I feel like it's my baby now." Susanne says with a smile, hoping that a way will be found for her to finish what she started this summer.
Susanne knows about the official, recorded history of the village. Indians inhabited the area first followed by French traders and then the Loyalists arrived. The very first Loyalist settler was Henry Nase of New York. Others soon followed like John Coffin who was a General in the British army and a member of the Legislative Assembly. The Parish of Westfield was established in 1786.
But it's the personal history that Susanne enjoys the most. There are few written records so Susanne depends on the stories and memories of residents, passed on by word of mouth. By far the biggest story in the villages past is the great fire of 1921. Everything in Westfield is dated pre or post fire. It covered a huge area from Ononette to way up the Nerepis. A few people have their own memories of the fire but many others know of it only through their own family stories. Some people even have mementos, like the woman who cherishes a side board that was saved from the flames by being thrown in a marsh.
Susanne has also collected a lot of information about the Maple Inn. This place has special memories for many people in Westfield. It was an old fashioned Inn overlooking the Nerepis. Isabel Norman owned and operated it and she had guests who stayed every summer as well as
boarders. The Maple Inn closed in the late 1950's. In her research, Susanne has come to know the people involved. She has many old photographs of the place and the people. History has come alive for her.
Some of the best stories Susanne hears she can't use. "People say if you turn off the tape recorder I'll tell you a real good one." Susanne says laughing. "I love those stories but I'm not including them because people have asked me not to."
This summer job has taken over Susanne Sutton's life. She lives here so she's immersed in it all the time. Susanne looks at her village differently now. She sees old buildings and knows something about their past. She can see things that others can't because she's aware of what used to be. "The more you find out," she concludes, "The more you realize there is to find out."
Susanne Sutton, like other university students, is doing some traveling this summer. But her traveling is taking her back in time. She's riding on the memories of others, back to the early days of her community. Susanne is the official historical researcher for the Village of Westfield. This is the first time the village has ever hired anyone to research it's rich heritage. And it's turned out to be a great summer job for Susanne.
"It's a very humbling experience because I've been living here for 20 years and I thought I knew quite a bit about the village but I don't know anything." says Susanne. "What I know is a drop in the bucket.
It's that desire to know more and that natural curiosity that makes her perfect for this job. Susanne has always been interested in history and heritage. In high school she wrote a short history of the village as part of an exchange program. This summer she's building on that early interest with her job as historical researcher. Susanne is busy meeting residents and recording their personal stories and memories on audio tape. She's also collecting old photographs and
other objects of historical significance. Right now all her time is consumed by just gathering this material. She'd like to compile it into a written report or book but doesn't think she'll have the time this summer.
"I feel like it's my baby now." Susanne says with a smile, hoping that a way will be found for her to finish what she started this summer.
Susanne knows about the official, recorded history of the village. Indians inhabited the area first followed by French traders and then the Loyalists arrived. The very first Loyalist settler was Henry Nase of New York. Others soon followed like John Coffin who was a General in the British army and a member of the Legislative Assembly. The Parish of Westfield was established in 1786.
But it's the personal history that Susanne enjoys the most. There are few written records so Susanne depends on the stories and memories of residents, passed on by word of mouth. By far the biggest story in the villages past is the great fire of 1921. Everything in Westfield is dated pre or post fire. It covered a huge area from Ononette to way up the Nerepis. A few people have their own memories of the fire but many others know of it only through their own family stories. Some people even have mementos, like the woman who cherishes a side board that was saved from the flames by being thrown in a marsh.
Susanne has also collected a lot of information about the Maple Inn. This place has special memories for many people in Westfield. It was an old fashioned Inn overlooking the Nerepis. Isabel Norman owned and operated it and she had guests who stayed every summer as well as
boarders. The Maple Inn closed in the late 1950's. In her research, Susanne has come to know the people involved. She has many old photographs of the place and the people. History has come alive for her.
Some of the best stories Susanne hears she can't use. "People say if you turn off the tape recorder I'll tell you a real good one." Susanne says laughing. "I love those stories but I'm not including them because people have asked me not to."
This summer job has taken over Susanne Sutton's life. She lives here so she's immersed in it all the time. Susanne looks at her village differently now. She sees old buildings and knows something about their past. She can see things that others can't because she's aware of what used to be. "The more you find out," she concludes, "The more you realize there is to find out."
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Little Boys, Summer and Frogs
(Here's another retro-column from the summer of 1992. My son Brendan mentioned here was a little boy then and is now an adult. Where has the time gone?)
Little boys, summer and frogs go together. If there's a pond, there are usually frogs in it and boys on the bank trying to catch them. I have an eight year old named Brendan who is frog crazy. It started early in the summer when Brendan discovered a tadpole gold mine in the ditch running the length of the field at River Valley Junior High School. Tadpoles of course turn into frogs and then little boys turn into froggers.
One of Brendan's early frogging expeditions was a walk through a bog on the Kingston Peninsula with members of the Saint John Naturalist's Club. While everyone else was searching for bog plants, Brendan kept an alert eye out for frogs and he caught two. Don McAlpine, a Grand Bay resident and a zoologist at the New Brunswick Museum was on the hike that day and gave Brendan some helpful pointers on the care and handling of frogs. Don knows all about them. He's the eastern Canadian co-ordinator of the International Declining Amphibians Task Force. This group is concerned about the dropping populations of frogs worldwide. In some places they've become extinct. Don patiently explained to Brendan how to carefully hold a frog, how they need clean water and most important of all, how the bog is their home and the place they should stay. Brendan let his frogs go and came home happy for the experience.
A few days after the bog walk Brendan visited a small pond up the hill from our house in Grand Bay. He found plenty of frogs there. They were dead, lying on their backs in the mud with holes in their bodies. Some had been mangled and squashed. Brendan and his friends did manage to catch five live frogs that day although they appeared to be injured too. The kids brought them home and put them in a wading pool in the back yard. Unfortunately, a few hours later, four of the frogs were dead, either from the sun or from their injuries. Brendan and his friends felt bad.
When the kids returned the one remaining live frog to the pond they discovered why the frogs were dying. Two neighbourhood boys, nine or ten years old and armed with a pellet rifle, were at the pond shooting frogs indiscriminately. They wounded some and killed others. They must have been at it for a long time judging by the carnage on the shore and the number of injured frogs.
"It's hard to believe how in this day and age, with so much talk about environmental issues and preserving wildlife, that kids would do such a thing." Don McAlpine says sadly. "It underlines how much more needs to be done."
This was a senseless slaughter of wildlife. But I think Brendan and his friends learned something from it. Brendan says he won't bring frogs home anymore because he doesn't want them to die. He'll still catch them but he won't take them away from the pond. He'll look at them and then release them. And if he does, chances are other boys in other summers will also have frogs to catch and enjoy.
Little boys, summer and frogs go together. If there's a pond, there are usually frogs in it and boys on the bank trying to catch them. I have an eight year old named Brendan who is frog crazy. It started early in the summer when Brendan discovered a tadpole gold mine in the ditch running the length of the field at River Valley Junior High School. Tadpoles of course turn into frogs and then little boys turn into froggers.
One of Brendan's early frogging expeditions was a walk through a bog on the Kingston Peninsula with members of the Saint John Naturalist's Club. While everyone else was searching for bog plants, Brendan kept an alert eye out for frogs and he caught two. Don McAlpine, a Grand Bay resident and a zoologist at the New Brunswick Museum was on the hike that day and gave Brendan some helpful pointers on the care and handling of frogs. Don knows all about them. He's the eastern Canadian co-ordinator of the International Declining Amphibians Task Force. This group is concerned about the dropping populations of frogs worldwide. In some places they've become extinct. Don patiently explained to Brendan how to carefully hold a frog, how they need clean water and most important of all, how the bog is their home and the place they should stay. Brendan let his frogs go and came home happy for the experience.
A few days after the bog walk Brendan visited a small pond up the hill from our house in Grand Bay. He found plenty of frogs there. They were dead, lying on their backs in the mud with holes in their bodies. Some had been mangled and squashed. Brendan and his friends did manage to catch five live frogs that day although they appeared to be injured too. The kids brought them home and put them in a wading pool in the back yard. Unfortunately, a few hours later, four of the frogs were dead, either from the sun or from their injuries. Brendan and his friends felt bad.
When the kids returned the one remaining live frog to the pond they discovered why the frogs were dying. Two neighbourhood boys, nine or ten years old and armed with a pellet rifle, were at the pond shooting frogs indiscriminately. They wounded some and killed others. They must have been at it for a long time judging by the carnage on the shore and the number of injured frogs.
"It's hard to believe how in this day and age, with so much talk about environmental issues and preserving wildlife, that kids would do such a thing." Don McAlpine says sadly. "It underlines how much more needs to be done."
This was a senseless slaughter of wildlife. But I think Brendan and his friends learned something from it. Brendan says he won't bring frogs home anymore because he doesn't want them to die. He'll still catch them but he won't take them away from the pond. He'll look at them and then release them. And if he does, chances are other boys in other summers will also have frogs to catch and enjoy.
Friday, August 3, 2007
Naturalist's Club Celebrate Anniversary
(This column was first published in the River Valley News in the summer of 1992. I remember spending that Saturday with the club as if it were yesterday. It's hard to believe it was 15 years ago. The Saint John Naturalist's Club is now 45 years old and still going strong and as far as I know, always looking for new members.)
The weather forecast called for showers. Instead the sun shone, bright and hot. Even the mosquitoes stayed away. Ok, some mosquitoes. Mother nature herself seemed to know something special was happening on the Kingston Peninsula that last weekend of June. And it was special. Mother natures soul mates, members of the Saint John Naturalist's Club were having a 30th anniversary party. And they couldn't have picked a better place to celebrate nature.
The tents started going up Thursday at the home of Allen and Janet Gorham on Pancake Hill, just below Crystal Beach. By Saturday there were tents everywhere. It looked like a mini Woodstock Festival. Close to 70 members of the Naturalist's Club made the trek to the Gorham's that weekend. Some came from as far away as Sussex. Others just canoed across the river from their home in Westfield. It was a powerful gathering of like minded people, according to Linda Caron, the president of the club and a resident of Grand Bay. "We all needed to spend some time together as a group." says Linda, "And for more then just the hour we spend at our regular meetings."
Janet Gorham, the former president of the club, invited the group to her home for this 30th anniversary party. She wanted this to be a special celebration. The Saint John Naturalist's Club was started back in 1962 by David Christie. On Saturday night he was the guest of honour at an anniversary supper consisting of among other things, beans. But not just any pork and beans. This old fashioned treat cooked all night in a big iron bean pot, buried on the beach in the embers of Friday nights fire. After the bean feast, awards were handed out and all members enjoyed a slice of anniversary cake decorated with yellow lady slippers, the new symbol for the club. Mitzi Withers of Bayswater designed a club pin depicting the yellow lady slipper in honour of Tom Page, a recently deceased member. The new pins arrived just in time for the anniversary weekend.
It wasn't all eating and meeting. The naturalists got out and explored nature too. Saturday morning saw the group hike to a bog on the peninsula. They call it Allen Gorham's bog. He's been coming here for 44 years and he says it hasn't changed a bit. Birder Jim Wilson led a group of bird watchers through the bog. Botanist Molly Smith did the same with a group of plant lovers. The kids loved finding the insect eating pitcher plants and the round leaf sundews. Frank and Mitzi Withers had a knack for finding last years cranberries and forcing everyone to taste the bitter things. Jocelyn Steeves, the bird house lady of Westfield, kept an eye out for bog birds and Don McAlpine of Grand Bay kept an eye on his kids. One of them disappeared in a sink hole and got soaked up to her arm pits. Even experienced bog hopper Molly Smith had to be rescued from one soggy spot that wanted her boots. Everyone survived the adventure and learned a lot.
There was still time in the day for a swim in the river, a paddle in the canoe and more hiking. Or if you preferred, a little snooze in the tent. Saturday night after supper the party ended with a bonfire on the beach. These naturalists may know about nature but most know very little about music. Anyone listening to their campfire sing song could attest to that. Maybe it was the "Campfire songs of Newfoundland" song sheets they were using? But everyone had a good time. The 30th anniversary party ended with a bang. It was a huge success.
"It's nice hanging around with these people." says president Linda Caron, "There's a lot of energy in this group. You learn a lot." And what better place for a group like the Saint John Naturalist's Club to gather then here in the River Valley, a place of incredible natural beauty. Happy 30th Anniversary.
The weather forecast called for showers. Instead the sun shone, bright and hot. Even the mosquitoes stayed away. Ok, some mosquitoes. Mother nature herself seemed to know something special was happening on the Kingston Peninsula that last weekend of June. And it was special. Mother natures soul mates, members of the Saint John Naturalist's Club were having a 30th anniversary party. And they couldn't have picked a better place to celebrate nature.
The tents started going up Thursday at the home of Allen and Janet Gorham on Pancake Hill, just below Crystal Beach. By Saturday there were tents everywhere. It looked like a mini Woodstock Festival. Close to 70 members of the Naturalist's Club made the trek to the Gorham's that weekend. Some came from as far away as Sussex. Others just canoed across the river from their home in Westfield. It was a powerful gathering of like minded people, according to Linda Caron, the president of the club and a resident of Grand Bay. "We all needed to spend some time together as a group." says Linda, "And for more then just the hour we spend at our regular meetings."
Janet Gorham, the former president of the club, invited the group to her home for this 30th anniversary party. She wanted this to be a special celebration. The Saint John Naturalist's Club was started back in 1962 by David Christie. On Saturday night he was the guest of honour at an anniversary supper consisting of among other things, beans. But not just any pork and beans. This old fashioned treat cooked all night in a big iron bean pot, buried on the beach in the embers of Friday nights fire. After the bean feast, awards were handed out and all members enjoyed a slice of anniversary cake decorated with yellow lady slippers, the new symbol for the club. Mitzi Withers of Bayswater designed a club pin depicting the yellow lady slipper in honour of Tom Page, a recently deceased member. The new pins arrived just in time for the anniversary weekend.
It wasn't all eating and meeting. The naturalists got out and explored nature too. Saturday morning saw the group hike to a bog on the peninsula. They call it Allen Gorham's bog. He's been coming here for 44 years and he says it hasn't changed a bit. Birder Jim Wilson led a group of bird watchers through the bog. Botanist Molly Smith did the same with a group of plant lovers. The kids loved finding the insect eating pitcher plants and the round leaf sundews. Frank and Mitzi Withers had a knack for finding last years cranberries and forcing everyone to taste the bitter things. Jocelyn Steeves, the bird house lady of Westfield, kept an eye out for bog birds and Don McAlpine of Grand Bay kept an eye on his kids. One of them disappeared in a sink hole and got soaked up to her arm pits. Even experienced bog hopper Molly Smith had to be rescued from one soggy spot that wanted her boots. Everyone survived the adventure and learned a lot.
There was still time in the day for a swim in the river, a paddle in the canoe and more hiking. Or if you preferred, a little snooze in the tent. Saturday night after supper the party ended with a bonfire on the beach. These naturalists may know about nature but most know very little about music. Anyone listening to their campfire sing song could attest to that. Maybe it was the "Campfire songs of Newfoundland" song sheets they were using? But everyone had a good time. The 30th anniversary party ended with a bang. It was a huge success.
"It's nice hanging around with these people." says president Linda Caron, "There's a lot of energy in this group. You learn a lot." And what better place for a group like the Saint John Naturalist's Club to gather then here in the River Valley, a place of incredible natural beauty. Happy 30th Anniversary.
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