Canadian Capers

Press, 14 August 1978, Page 6

Canadian Capers

™— Prom LES BLOXHAM. in Edmonton ——

The Games are over and] Edmonton probably will; never be the same again.* The exodus of athletes and* visitors has. started already[: (and tonight banners and de-; [corations were being torn’* down in almost indecent! [haste. But the richness of * the experience will live on. [ (“A mind stretched by a new;* [idea cannot return to its] original dimension.” a lead-;* ling article pertinently noted! [in this afternoon’s journal.[ I “A city and its people! [stretched by this amazingj [experience can never return| [to its original size.” Christ[church would agree with (those sentiments. I A Samoan fire dancer left! his mark at the stadium dur-1 ing the closing ceremony.! His act included an intricate [I manoeuvre on his back only [ inches above two flaming tor-* ches, the heat from which! [left large black scorches on! the rubber track. Mr and Mrs T. Whitta, of; Christchurch, decided to; make some good old Kiwi-; type sandwiches before leav-' ing for the stadium today.' They shopped around for* bread and butter and bought* tomatoes and turkey to fill! the space betw’een the slices.] When the time came mid-! afternoon, to sample their] fare, the Whittas found only ] a dry half-loaf in their lunch; bag. The sandwiches, in alsimilar bag, were back in , their hotel room in the rub-: [bish bin. ' Pity the thief who nicked (Rod Dixon’s bag if EdmontoInidns ever get their hands; [on him. Today they were |still apologising for the in-’ I cident. An editorial in one, newspaper described it as a! ] “Despicable crime.” A col-| iumnist in the “Edmonton] Journal” was even stronger:] [“Whoever he is stole a lot; Imore than the shoes, the* .bag, and the $l2O. He stole; (the word ‘friendly’ from the! (Games . . .” But Dixon was not the ’only athlete to have property ' stolen. The Barbados! [cyclist, Edward Julien, had* (his SBOO racing bicycle taken; 'from a locked storage area; in the village. While on the subject of; [things going astray, two; I Christchurch girls in our! [group w*ho lost their $25 | tickets for the closing cere-1 * mony faced with despair the I possibility of having to 'watch the event in their hotel room on television.

[Helen Wilson and Kay Turnier made a frantic, but fruitlless, search for the tickets I which they thought had been] ] stolen. Fortunately our, ] records of numbers provided [Games officials with I sufficient information to i cancel the girls’ original tickets and allow the issue [of new ones. But now that it [is all over, Helen and Kay , are not so certain that the i tickets were stolen because ! their original seats remained I significantly empty for the | entire closing ceremony. Bet j they find the tickets i w hen unpacking at home. * # I A novice woman driver [from Christchurch had a distressingly close encounter [with the Mounties after her (husband abandoned her and I the car in haste in- a no- ! parking zone outside the [cycling velodrome. When the [police, using a loud-hailer, [gave her a third and final (warning to move on, the , woman panicked and yelled [back: “Can’t. I don’t know -how to start the stupid [thing.” The officer was (unimpressed: “Move it lady' •or I will tag you," he re-1 jsponded. Fortunately two 'gallant Canadians came to • her aid. They slipped the [automatic transmission control ter the “park” position, (turned the key, and the motor roared into life. She (glided off before the [Mountie returned to get his (woman.