One to remember
The winter of 2003-04 will go down in history as "one to remember." Old-timers will be talking about it for decades, "You shoulda been here in '04, we had snow on the ground for weeks, kids couldn't get to school, and mercury froze solid in outdoor thermometers."
It's true that this winter has been more severe than those of the recent past, it's also true that it could have been worse.
The editor of the Ellsworth weekly newspaper properly referred to it as a "typical winter" which she said "brought out the best in local residents."
Linda Denning is an accomplished journalist who again told it like it is. She pointed out the good things that resulted from the bad weather.
Snow, ice, and cold temperatures brought out the best in local residents at Hillsboro as well as Ellsworth.
Road and street crews worked around the clock to clear away the ice and snow.
Emergency medical technicians continued to do the valiant job they perform during any and all conditions. The same is true of police officers, firemen, and hospital/nursing home personnel.
Cattle producers battled ice and snow during calving time.
School bus drivers got the kids to class after administrators ventured out early to check on rural roads.
And those Good Samaritans, folks we call "neighbors," helped others clean sidewalks and driveways. Some shared food, retrieved daily newspapers from snowdrifts, and checked on elderly friends. Their action brought warmth during cold weather. That's another thing to remember.
— BILL MEYER
