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Remembering that other ice storm — 1991

On a positive note...

I was so glad to see that we’ll be embracing a warming trend the rest of the week. Thankfully, the ice storm was not quite as devastating for Hamilton County as was predicted.

Don’t get me wrong. The slick sidewalks and streets were treacherous. I’m glad area schools decided to keep the kids at home. Perhaps the fact that the storm occurred on Martin Luther King Jr. Day helped since many people had the day off from work.

I didn’t have any trouble getting to the office. The worst part was my own back sidewalk. I went through an entire bag of ice melt to get to my garage safely.

Getting prepared for the storm over the weekend reminded me of another winter storm that struck on Halloween in 1991. The power was off for a couple days and local residents were scrambling to find relatives with fireplaces or gas stoves to fend off the bitter cold.

I was in a Webster City Community Theatre production — “Rumors” — that was scheduled to open that same weekend. Back then, the group had no real home yet. We called ourselves nomads since we moved from place to place to set up our stage.

For this show, we were set up in the ballroom of the old Masonic Temple, what is now The Bridge. The blizzard with ice and snow hit just as we were ready for our dress rehearsal. Instead of rescheduling the rehearsal, we outfitted a few friends and family members, and a couple members of the Masons with flashlights that they shone at the stage. It provided us with enough light to run through our paces. It wasn’t quite the same as the usual stage lighting, but it sufficed.

My apartment at the time quickly turned into an ice box and left me scrambling to find warm place to sleep. A group of theater friends banded together in an apartment with a gas stove and a fireplace. We were fortunate. We could cook, make warm drinks and huddle together in front of the fireplace.

Someone brought a guitar, another person had some kerosene lanterns and we played lots of card games. This was before the age of cell phones and video games. We actually engaged and told stories, laughed and read books. Other than the cold and scary conditions outside, it was a warm and pleasant two days.

By day three, we ventured out to find something more substantial than soup and sandwiches. The next problem was finding a gas station that had working pumps. We finally found one and headed out to find a restaurant that was open and serving hot food.

We survived the blizzard and we went on to open a very successful WCCT play a few days later.

So, we made it through this week and luckily, it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. We were lucky to have dedicated folks who operate the snowplows working in the most adverse conditions to make our travel as safe as possible. They don’t always get the thanks they deserve. The same with law enforcement officers and emergency medical workers.

Thanks to you all for helping to keep us safe.

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