By Morris Rote-Rosen
Thanks to Edgar Park, town representative of Wells, local fishermen will again enjoy ice fishing on Lake St. Catherine with live bait, lifting a several years' restriction by the Vermont State Game Commissioner ... At the Granville-Fort Edward high school football game, when Ray Williams intercepted a pass and started for a 77 yard run, a visiting "lady," among the spectators shouted, "See that little ------- run!" ... And the money, which passed the hands of the betting fraternity, reminded one of the old baseball games of another era.
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What a month October has been! Only one-tenth of an inch of rain in four weeks ... Sunny, warm weather with blue skies daily ... With one or two exceptions, early in the morning, the temperature was as warm as July ... Rivers and wells dried up ... Farmers hauling water in can for their live stock ... Button's Falls could be crossed with one good hop ... The lake's more than a foot below normal level ... And the drought had everybody jumpy against grass and forest fires ... Granville fortunate in having plenty of water and no damaging grass or forest fires ... Always something to be thankful for.
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It's ten to one that the proprietor of that new restaurant "Chateau Lafayette" in North Granville, never heard that there was a chapter of Royal Arch Masons of that same name in North Granville in 1799 ... What a coincidence! ... Thomas H. Roberts, veteran of both World Wars never fails to call on "Main Street" with a hearty handshake and pleasant greeting ... When Street Commissioner Fred D. Roberts welcomed his latest grandchild to his home he said, "There is always room for one more" ... A man with a heart as big as his house.
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Is "Jim" Mason being credited with the revival of the Knights of Columbus in Granville? Ask "Bill" Smith ... Mary Macura, returning from Pittsburgh, with a traveling bag full of regard from Father Louis Simis who wishes to be remembered to his many Granville friends ... Addition to Main street: The automatic electric signals at the railroad crossing ... A query: "Is the state of New York going to finance a $50,000 sewer in Granville? ... The answer is "No" ... The state will pay only $1,000, which is 2% of the cost for the engineer's services in preparing the plans.
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Pardon madam! But that permanent memorial in the form of a bronze table is up again and unless something is done to start a campaign by the veterans for such a memorial the names of the 600 Granville boys who served in World War II will be gone in forgotten when that shaky and unsuitable wooden "Honor Roll" is toppled to the ground. And if you don't think so please find a trace of one name in Granville to remember the more than 200 veterans who served in the Civil War, preserved for posterity.
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Helen Green waiting for the bus after her visit with Daisy Williams, looking down East Main street in the direction of her home of 42 years ago and reminiscing of her happy days spent in Granville. Retired, after teaching 44 years, Miss Green comes back to her native home occasionally because of her feeling for the old town. A daughter of Joe Green, a Granville clothing merchant of half a century ago and a graduate of Granville high school, a visit to her old friends brings back many pleasant memories to Miss Green.
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Mr. and Mrs. Edward B. Riley, who left Granville early this year, for Royalton, Vt., hoping to find a home so that they may return here soon. "Come up to see us," said Mr. Riley, "we eat nothing but chicken." A tempting invitation indeed. Dennis E. Roche, coming from the slate quarry, wearing blue dungarees and a black and white checkered shirt and heavy work mittens, lunch box under his arm, a faded brown hat tipped at an angle over his eyes to shade them from a sharp October sun, walking slowly, head lowered, as if in meditation.
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"Joe" Ellis reading the morning paper aloud: "Fifty two lives lost in a plane crash in Utah," and his son, "Bob" looking over his shoulder remarking: "I told you that flying was dangerous business" ... Robert only has 35 dangerous battle missions to his credit, on a bomber in World War II, and has been awarded the Air Medal with five Oak Leaf clusters ... Miss Fannie Noonan, our Church street school teacher of 40 years ago, looking as fresh and as lovely as she did when as a boy we decorated the blackboard, for her Halloween and Christmas programs, in the seventh grade ... The pall of smoke hanging heavily over the Mettowee Valley from the forest fires of the nearby Green Mountains.
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The vigilance of the Granville fire department during the October drought, many having their fire-fighting paraphernalia close at hand for use at a moment's notice ... Giving the people of Granville a sense of security which can not be purchased at any price ... Even Hugh G. Williams , Jr., and Thomas J. O'Brien gave two hours, without sounding any alarm, to clear the Quaker cemetery on Quaker street of the menacing dry leaves when some one dropped a light to ignite a fallen tree in the cemetery ... It is men of their caliber that help make Granville the community that it is.
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Police Chief "Pat" Roche had just pulled into his yard on Madison street as he heard a fire alarm. He whirled his car around and rushed to Main street only to learn that the alarm was for a chimney fire directly across the street from his house ... Extending his hand, we heard a voice: "I am Father Dignan and I want to get acquainted" ... Grasping him by the hand, we gave him our name and said: "With a friendly spirit like yours you will have no trouble making friends anywhere in the world. It's a pleasure to know you."
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And on Saturday night we met Beman Wait of Pawlet who introduced his friend: "Shake hands with Charlie Moffat. He is only 91 and I am showing him around town. I am ten years younger than he is" ... Mr. Moffat, from Londonderry, Vt., said that his longevity is due to having worked hard all his life and referring to Beman he said: "He is only a boy. He is 81" ... With a few philosophical Yankee remarks, the two left us standing, as they walked away arm in arm. Then turning his head, Beman said, "We are looking the town over," and then pointing to a paper wrapped flask. Beman winked and said: "And I got something here that will help" ... And the two happy youngsters, of a total of 172 years were on their way.
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