David Rempel Smucker: "We had been out in the country setting off firecrackers"

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Written by David Rempel Smucker: "One memorable teenage experience pertained to a July 4 night, when a group of us were celebrating in a car. We had been out in the country setting off firecrackers and decided to drive through Bluffton to the country on the other side of town.

"Some foreign guest of one of us did not realize the accepted conventions, and tossed out some lighted firecrackers right on Main Street. The policeman (Carter Shisler or Kaiser Gaiffe) in their nearby cruiser quickly caught us and took us to the police station. He gave us a very stern lecture and said that he was going to contact our parents about this event.

"Shaken and penitent, we quickly decided as a group that we would go to each of the parents and explain the embarrassing situation. My disappointed parents said that we should have known better, as did the others, except one set of parents was much more disappointed.

That was uncomfortable to undergo. Since no charges were filed, I don’t think we suffered any permanent legal damage. The sheriff never did telephone our parents (unless they never told us).

This is a sample of the content of "Bluffton Anthology - A creek runs through it." Copies are now available for $24.95 plus tax in Bluffton at:
• Roots by Strattons
• The Food Store
• The Black Lab
• Bluffton Senior Citizens Center
• The Dough Hook
• Polished

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