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Rookie firefighters on the job after building house for U.S. flood victim By GORD KOLLE Special to the Beaver "What we couldn‘t understand is why they‘d give up a week‘s vacation to come down and help. It was so perâ€" sonal for them to do that. We can never repay them for it." The new firefighters â€" 14 in all â€" were forced to take the week off due to cutbacks by the NDP‘s Social Contract. Instead of staying home, the team came up with the goodwill gesture to help flood victims. The cities abut the Mississippi River. Their shoreline populations suffered catastrophe when the river spilled over its banks last July. In some places, the Mississippi was 22 feet (seven metres) above the waterâ€" line. Everything in its path was destroyed or carried away. The Oakville crew â€" led by Assistant Chief of Training John deHooge â€" arrived at the Quad Cities late Friday, Sept. 24th. To get there, arvin Wink still can‘t believe it or fathom it. All he knows is that he‘s glad they came. Wink said he was amazed when a team of Oakville rookie firefighters descended on his mother Mary‘s flood gutted home in Buffalo, Iowa, last week and began helping him rebuild it. Buffalo is located just outside the quad cities of Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa; and Mollene and Rock Island, Ilinois. "What really gets me is that they‘re from another country," said Wink, 21, in an interview with the Beaver from his mother‘s home, Monday night. The rookies started their first shifts as firefighters this past week. OMPUTERS «e PERIPHERALS e SOFTVY 3070 MAINWAY DRIVE, UNIT #2: BURLINGTON, ONTARIO L7M 141 TEL.: (416) 332â€"3343 FAX: (416) 33 _ =__ =_ _ =_ =__ =â€"_â€". _ The Quad Cities were perfectly norâ€" mal and functioning, but it was when they arrived at the shoreline that they got their first real taste of the havoc wreaked by the river, said firefighter Oakville‘s newest firefighters pose in front of the house they rebuilt for Mary Wink (bottom left), of Buffalo, Iowa. they spent a 12â€"hour cross country trip â€" Manuel Krueger, 30. in three supplyâ€"laden miniâ€"vans. "We saw a lot of devastation. You "Let‘s be honest. You and I both know with lower than projected revenues, the deficit is higher than expected. The precise figure is not the issue. Our resolve, determination and ability to reduce the deficit, whatever it may be, is the issue. This is the only way we can assure lasting, meaningful ” s U )Obs' 4s Authorized by John P. H. Ford, Official Agent 60 MB 120 MB 120 M 200 MB 200 MB 120M 200 MB 200 MB 120M 205 MB 120 MB V E, RIO L7M 1A1 NEC FAX: (416) 332â€"8145 ALR "We saw a lot of devastation. You could see where the water had come up 12 feet by looking at the trees. Only their tops were alive," he said. The firefighters were put up free in (See ‘Firefighters‘ page 9) td tC MONO LCD MONO LCD MONO LCD DUAL SCAN COLO MONO LCD ACTIVE COLOU ACTIVE COLOU ACTIVE COLOU MONO LCD MONO LCD MONO LCD S$AMicrosOoft. ACCPAC Pics 1 NBE l { TVX { TB { TB { TB 9 NPE s1e05 F77 T $3390 s3os sars s5o93 F7 s3093 $1995 7/,%