Heroes of the Storm – Call for Nominations!
Photo: Joan Goldman
Throughout the days and weeks of unprecedented snow, we heard many stories of friends helping friends, neighbors helping neighbors, and strangers helping strangers. Now that we mostly feel like things have gotten back to normal, Clark Semmes suggested that we take nominations for Heroes of the Storm of 2010.
If someone performed a good deed for you, whether it was helping you dig out, bringing you groceries, or providing you with a place to stay while your power was out, we want to hear about it.
If someone organized a “shovel brigade” to clear your street, hounded Rikki Spector to get the City plows to come, or watched your kids so that you could work from home, this is your chance to give them a public thank you.
If someone has already nominated your hero, please feel free to second (or third or fourth, etc.) the nomination. If it’s for a different reason, please take a moment to explain what the person did for you or for the community.
Leave the name of your hero and your story in the comments below. The nomination period will end on Wednesday night.
On Thursday, we will post the list of nominees and give everyone until Sunday to vote for the Hero of the Storm.
When the polls close, the hero with the most votes will be presented with a token of our gratitude. The specific gift will be announced when the poll opens on Thursday.
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We’d like to nominate Myles Norin.
It warmed our snow-covered hearts to hear numerous stories about our friend Myles(a.k.a. The Unknown Snow Blower Guy) helping desperate friends and neighbors throughout Mt. Washington. We hope those of you who were directly affected my Myles’ generosity (and love of snow-blowing) can second this nomination with your own personal stories.
Kirsten and Larry Mackin
PS- Myles, if/when the next storm hits, remember 2422 Brambleton Rd., wink, wink.
I don’t have specific names, but I would like to recognize all of the healthcare workers that stayed over in the hospitals to provide care of their patients. Some of them stayed for over 2 days!
I’ll kick this off by nominating Myles Norin. Myles was the mystery driveway clearer of South Road, and then helped clear most of Roxbury when it was ignored by the plows. Will anyone second my nomination?
First of all, I would like to commend every person who helped neighbors during this storm. Each act of kindness is special. To me, voting on the most popular diminshes the importance of each act.
I would like to thank two people who have helped me during the snows this season. The afternoon of the biggest snow, I looked out my window to find Rebecca Boehling shoveling my walk. She remembered that I had a back problem, and she took the initiative to help. And she did an incredible job too!
I would also like to thank my nextdoor neighbor Ezra Gallogly who has also taken the initiative to shovel my walk each time it has snowed and he has been at home. This included one morning before he went to work when he shoveled my walk as well as his.
Ilene Wolpert
I have to second Clarks nomination. Maybe I am biased, but I have to nominate my husband, Myles Norin. He was most certainly the masked man who cleared several driveways up and down South Road, as well as many driveways and the entire road on Roxbury. He also helped to dig out several driveways by hand and even helped Mike Meyers pull his car out of a mound of snow by towing it with our truck. I know many people in our community came together during such a great time of need, but I can’t think of anyone who deserves the honor more than Myles.
With a tip of the hat to Myles Norin and Peter Clough, our snowblowing heroes, I also wanted to publicly recognize the Shapiro-Cyrs of Brambleton Road for one small act of generosity that made a world of difference to our family. They let us spend the night with them after we lost power, welcoming us with open arms despite the fact that our 2 year old had just come down with a stomach bug that afternoon and proceeded to get sick all over their house.
And then infected them all. (Sorry!)
I shudder every time I think what it would have been like to spend that night in a cold, dark house with a sick child (and no washing machine.) We’ll never forget it, Lila and Brian!
We stood there at the top of the lane, and sighed resignedly. It was man against nature, and it looked like nature was going to kick our butts. We had already shoveled out Roxbury once by hand and stood there, dispirited, ready to do it all again. We sighed and dug in, breaching the tall crust of snow left by the plow going down South.
Just as we had gotten started, we heard something coming up South Rd. and squinted into the halo of light that surrounded it. Someone was coming up the hill with a snow blower! (I seem to recall he was wearing a cape. My husband says don’t be ridiculous; a cape could get caught in a snow blower….) In any case, he came over just as we were about to wave him over and offer one of our children to have him help with our road. But he offered to help, would accept no payment, and plunged the blower through the snow. We were too dumbfounded to even get his name. He became the legend known as, Snowblower Guy.
A few of our neighbors unmasked our hero, and we found out he’s right here in our neighborhood. Yay Myles! He rescued our spirits and saved our backs!
I don’t know their names, but it sounded like the Uffington Road Posse deserved a shout out also. Go Uffington!