To the Editor:

Your review of the Blizzard of ’78 brought back many memories. All of us in the Walsh administration, especially, have some vivid recollections.

The blizzard really brought out the best in our citizens.

When my daughter’s bus from Winman Jr. High was stranded at the gas station on Route 117 (now Café Tempo) a group of men, led by Bob Jacobs, left to walk the mile or so to retrieve the students. They walked them back up Diamond Hill Road to their homes during the height of the stormy weather.

I had settled in, three kids accounted for, when there was a knock at my door. I found Joe Agostinelli standing on my step, with a jeep in the background. The mayor had sent him to escort me back to City Hall where I would work at the police station for two days straight. My neighbors, Hazel and Chris Sirr (later councilman) took my three daughters and kept them warm around their wood fireplace while I was at the emergency operations working to coordinate senior citizen concerns. Another neighbor with a generator sent pizza to them. 

At City Hall, Joe Walsh, initiated a “break in” to the Baptist church across the street (with support from Bishop Covell, the pastor). When he learned there was a kitchen with food stored there, with volunteers, he cooked up some tasty stew, as your photos depicted.

As in the case during many emergencies, the people of Warwick rose to the occasion and demonstrated so many acts of genuine good citizenship and volunteered their resources and time. For all of us, the blizzard was a memorable event.

Barbara G. DeCesare

Warwick