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BOWMANVILLE, ONTARIO. OCTOBER 18, 1978 Elmer the Safety Elephant has six hard-working friends in blue who visit sclhools in Durham Region to talk to students about his favourite topic, safety. Safety officer, Constable Don Anderson of the Durham Regional Police is responsible for carrying Elmer's message to all 28 elementary schools in the town of Newcastle, Cartwright School in Blackstock and John XXIII School and the school for crippled children in Oshawa. Cst. Anderson's day begins bright and early at 8:10 a.m. when he gives the safety tip for the day and announces safety patrol of the week on CKLB radio. Once this is done, he drives along the streets surrounding the particular school he is visiting that day and notes how the children behave on their way to school. He will mention any breaches of the safety rules to them when he pays a call on their classes later in the day. Annual Visits He drops in on every class at least once a year and is sometimes invited to speak to law classes in area high schools. Cst. Anderson covers a variety of topics with the students and all revolve around the safety theme. Each lesson lasts about 30 minutes and is geared a little differently for each grade level. In kindergarten at this time of year, Cst. Anderson concentrates on letting the children get to know what a policeman does \and overcoming any fear tley may have of him. To do this, he describes how a policeman helps little boys and girls and lets the curious students experiment with his handcuffs and whistle. He also answers inevitable questions such as "do you shoot robbers?" When one eager youngster asked this, Cst. Anderson replied, I've never shot anyone and I hope I never have to." In the primary grades, he uses bright visual aids to effectively illustrate Elmer's safety rules about crossing the street. If the weather is good, he often takes the students outside to show them exactly what he is talking about. And, when he is teaching bus safety he takes the children right onto the bus for instruction. Parents Help Cst. Anderson says it is up to parents and teachers to reinforce what he has taught the children. He tests the youngsters saying, "There were no cars on the road when I came to the school today. If it was a nice sunny day do you think we could take a football SECTION TWO or skipping rope out there and play?" The children show how well they've been listening by answering with an emphatic "No." "Well, where are some safe places to play?" he asks. The students rhyme off several areas, the park, in the backyard, in the school yard and in the house. Just so they won't forget the rules he has taught them, Cst. Anderson leaves a small Elmer colouring book with the children and tells them that when they are colouring the illustrations, "talk about the safety rules to Mom and Dad. You might even be able to teach them something because sometimes they dpn't always know them all." Safety In grade three Cst. Anderson is teaching bicycle safety. With the children's help he draws a bike on the board and talks about the safety importance of each part as the students name them. For instance, he tells them to make sure the spokes are all there and tight or else the wheel will collapse. He often tells a story to get his point across. One boy was going swimming and his towel got caught in the wheel of his bike. As a result he had abad accident. This is why you should have a carrier or In The Classroom Constable Anderson says it is up to parents and teachers to reinforce what he has taught the children . He encourages students to diseuss the safety rules with Mom and Dad A wanted criminal? No, Constable Don Anderson is just familiarizing this kindergarten class at the Lord Elgin School in Bowmanville with some of his equipment. This student is trying on a pair of handeuffs. Story And Photos by Maureen Corkery Teaching children safety is important but Constable Don Anderson feels it is first necessary for them to feel comfortable'with a policeman and know what his job entails. This grade one class had Elmer's safety rules about crossing the street down pat. Constable Anderson said it is up to the teachers and parents to reinforce what he has taught the children and they usually do a pretty good job. Local Fan Writes Babe Brown went through several scrap books of newspaper clippings in the process of researching her book. The room where she did most of her work is filled with sports memorabilia. By Maureen Corkery Babe Brown of Cour- tice thinks "There's no greater people than hoc- key people". And, to prove her love for them and the game; she has written a book about a team she has followed since its earliest years entitled "A History of the Oshawa Generals". Coming from a family of girls, Babe didn't follow hockey too close- ly. "Ball was my game. My sister and I played on a ball team." How- ever, one day after a lengthy illness she went to a nephew's hockey game and since then has just "kept on going". Her nephew went on to become a General and so her interest in that team began. An avid hockey fan, Babe has season's tic- kets to Toronto Maple Leafs, the Oshawa Gen- erals and the Whitby Iroquois games. "I try to take in all games if at all possible," she says. Since Oshawa's Civic Auditorium opened in 1964 she has only missed three or four Generals' games. She goes to thern both home and away. Scrap Books Help She has kept scrap books since 1939 on all local events of Courtice, Oshawa and Bowman- ville. The year the city of Oshawa celebrated its 50th anniversary, Babe used many of these clippings as a basis for a column in the Generals' program en- titled "Sports Nostal- gia". She wrote for 35 home games and recalls the column "went over very well. People actu- ally looked forward ,to The following year though, the team swit- ched to an OHA pro- gram and there was no local one. Babe said with all the material she had accumulated over the years both on paper and in her head "I thought it would be nice to follow-it up - to do a story for myself putting it all together". She inquired around and realized most people thought it would make an interesting book. But, when she approa- ched various publishers about the idea she realized just how expen- sive it was to market a book. "It was way beyond my means," she says. So, she decided to write it just for herself. History of Most of the research 1 çame from her scrap 1 books and those of former players. She had 1 borrowed Bobby Atter- sley's scrap book and 1 when she returned it he asked her what she intended to do with the 1 material. When she told 1 him, he asked her if he q could buy the rights to 1 the book. "Well," she 1 said, "you haven't even read it." It didn't mat- ter, he still wanted to buy them, says Babe. He said he just had a gut feeling that the book 1 would be successful. And so, "he made the whole dream come - true." Bill Kurelo went in on the deal with Bobby, and Babe says unlike some people who once they have bought 1 the rights to a book say to the author, that's it, 1 goodbye, "they have included me in all of 1 their meetings, and con- sulted me about every- f thing. They have been 1 more than fair to me." Interviews It took two years for 5 Babe to write the book. Her research consisted 1 of going through about 50 scrap books and t interviewing former 1 players, coaches and 1 Oshawa Generals people associated with the team. Babe recalls it was hard work but "I loved every minute of it." As many writers know, some days were more conducive to writing than others. "You had to have the right kind of day to get started. Some days I couldn't get it together and others I'd work as late as 3 a.m. I'd get going and wouldn't want to stop," explains Babe. "A hockey game is a hockey game. How do you make one different from another? That was my biggest problem," says Babe. "I rewrote sections over and over again. I'd remember something and have to go back and put it in." Several times she would think of some important detail in the night, reach for a pencil and write it down so she wouldn't forget to add it to the book next day. Memories In the foreword Babe states her reasons for writing the book, "It is my desire to retain some of the memories of the men who were behind it all, those who played the game and put Oshawa on the map. It is written as a tribute to these men and as a reminder to the 'now' generation that the Oshawa Generals didn't start with the great new Civic Auditorium but many, many years be- fore." Babe says that book is significant because it is the first book she knows to ever be written on junior' hockey, it's the first written about the Oshawa Generals and it was written by a wo- man. Of course, "any- one who knows how I like hockey won't think that's unusual," she says. The book is selling extremely well so far, she reports, in fact "beyond our expecta- tions." She presented a copy to close friend and former General Bobby Orr on Thanksgiving weekend and says "he was quite thrilled with it."ý Babe's writing career is by no means over. Her next project is a book on the Whitby Dunlops. "That one is already in the fire," she says. Safety back-pack for your things, he explains. How many seats .are on a bike? -he 'asks the students. When they answer, just one, he wonders aloud why he's seen two people on a bike when there's just one seat. "That's a big no-no," says Cst. Anderson. "It's against the law to ride double." He warns the children that if he sees them riding double, he will phone their parents and suggest they take their son's or daughter's bike away for a while. "I'd rather have them take your bike away than have to go to the door and say your little boy or girl was killed up the street riding double," he explains. Cst. Anderson also demonstrated the important hand signals for turning and stopping and gets the students to imitate him. In the winter topics range from behaviour around creeks and ponds to toboganning and snowmobile safety. When visiting a grade 8 class, "I get rid of my pet peeves first and then throw the class open to discussion. They really seem to like this sort of thing and, ask very sensible questions," he says. Cst. Anderson believes safety is important but he is also concerned with the "kids getting to know a policeman not as somebody to fear but as somebody to talk to." Constable Anderson teaches this grade three class the importance of having sturdy handlebars on their bikes.