[SEMCO] Event: Blizzard of '78
Sue_Haley at nps.gov
Sue_Haley at nps.gov
Wed Jan 23 15:27:05 EST 2008
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Cape Cod National Seashore to Commemorate 30th Anniversary of the Blizzard of 1978 |
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Date: January 9, 2008 |
Contact: Sue Haley, South District Interpreter, 508 255 3421 ext. 15 |
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“Where were you during the blizzard?” For many, “The Blizzard” needs no name or year; of |
course, it was the “Blizzard of ’78”! 2008 marks the 30th anniversary of the weather event |
that battered the Cape Cod shoreline with a severe nor’easter, tore coastal homes from their|
foundations, and transformed off-Cape highways into snowbound parking lots for thousands of |
stranded drivers. |
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On February 16 Cape Cod National Seashore will commemorate the anniversary of the February |
6-7, 1978 storm. Through presentations and remembrances this dramatic weather event will be|
brought to life again for seashore residents and visitors. All activities will be held |
free-of-charge at Salt Pond Visitor Center in Eastham. The commemoration is being jointly |
sponsored by the National Park Service and Eastern National, the seashore’s education |
partner which manages the bookstores at both seashore visitor centers and provides support |
for educational and interpretive programs. |
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Between 12:30 and 3:00 PM community members are invited to come to the visitor center to |
share their local experiences with other residents and visitors. Tables will be set up in |
the lobby for the display of photographs and other memorabilia. People wishing to staff a |
table with their materials are asked to sign up in advance with Ranger Sue Haley by calling |
508-255-3421, ext. 15. In an effort to improve Cape Cod National Seashore’s archival and |
oral history record, seashore staff will be available to scan photographs and record |
remembrances by community members who have first-hand information about the storm’s effects |
on seashore resources, sites, and facilities. |
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Three presentations about the blizzard will be held during the afternoon. At 1:00 PM, |
Michael Tougias, author of The Blizzard of ’78, will provide an engaging presentation with |
vivid descriptions of the weather patterns that contributed to the severity of the storm; |
anecdotes and impacts during the event (including some positive aspects); and the aftermath.|
Mr. Tougias has written 17 books, including the Boston Globe Bestseller, Ten Hours Until |
Dawn: The True Story of Heroism and Tragedy Aboard the Can Do. Following his 45-minute |
program he will sign copies of his book,which are available at the visitor center bookstore.|
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At 2:00 PM Cape Cod National Seashore Historian William Burke will share a classic “just in |
the nick of time” story as he describes the relocation of Old Harbor Life-Saving Station |
from the eroding shoreline in Chatham just months before the storm. The 1898 building would |
have been swept away during the storm had it remained in Chatham. It weathered the blizzard |
on a barge in Provincetown Harbor. Today it serves as a life saving museum at Race Point |
Beach, where it tells the story of the men who certainly would have leaped into rescue |
service had the storm occurred in 1900. |
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At 2:45 PM Don Wilding, author and president of the Henry Beston Society, will share a |
different tale about another historic building. The Outermost House was the name of the 20’ |
x 16’ house situated on Nauset Beach where Beston studied and observed the elements. The |
house was dedicated as a National Literary Landmark in 1964. It was an unfortunate victim |
of the storm as it was swept away. Beston’s experiences and philosophy about life on the |
outer beach are kept alive through his writings and the advocacy of the Henry Beston |
Society. Following his 45-minute program, Mr. Wilding will sign copies of his book,Henry |
Beston’s Cape Cod, which are available at the visitor center bookstore. |
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Salt Pond Visitor Center is located at Route 6 and Nauset Road in Eastham. It is open daily |
from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM. The center features an outstanding museum with exhibits and |
artifacts; orientation films; a store with books, maps, puzzles, games, and other |
interpretive items; staff and volunteers to assist with trip planning; and spectacular views|
of the Salt Pond, Nauset Marsh, and the Atlantic. For more information about the seashore, |
call 508-255-3421 or check the website, www.nps.gov/caco. |
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Suzanne Haley
South District Interpreter
Cape Cod National Seashore
ph. 508-255-3421, ext 15
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