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Show 4- - .7 : Jjfe , 5 cw r 3 fSi5;: ',r' . Bonneville She9 The ef Mm Year" B Margaret VanNov Piuliln W nlrr When Ike menilien of Ike Bonneville Nationals Hour Club cast Ikeir vole for Ike "Man of Ike Year award Riven each year lo Ike person who has dune Ike must for Ike benefit of the club Ike winner was a Tooele wo man, Emily Ciilette. Each year Bonneville Sail Flats comes alive. A veritable city of tents, motor Inaras, and campers, roes lo compete witk Ike shimmering salt mirages fur space on Ike desert floor. The salt flats lake on a carnival air as record seekers, officials, strives, children, lourots, and other interested spectators swarm around the track. EACH YEAR for 30 years, Emily Gillette and the Gillette Ambulance have been a very important part of that scene. Each year for aliout that same length of time, the 200 Club has I teen handing out its "Man of the Year" award to men, of course. In fact, the citation on the traveling plaque, to which Emily's name has now been added, reads: These mem have made outstanding contributions to the success of Bonneville Nationals and have been honored with the Man of the Year n - - Mile-an-llo- - Award. Mrs. Gillette said that the members of the club nominate three people who they feel have been outstanding in the field of service. Ballots are then mailed to the many members who bve all over the country. EMILY SAID she received a call from one of the members and his wife who bve in Illinois. "I want you to know youve got my vote, he said. "I told him. Those men aren't going to let a woman come in and get the award.' She was very surprised to learn the first time the that she had won award has been given to a woman. She was even more surprised to learn that she had won by a wide margin. Emily and her husband Ted, took over the ambulance service for much of the county in the 40's, right after they started the taxicab business. After Ted died in 1967, the Gillette's son Ronnie and Emily earned on the business. EMILY CREDITS her present crew, her son Ronald, Boyce Hollar, Melvin Evenson and John Petani with much of the success leading up to winning the award. These men along with past crews have really helped me a lot, son-in-la- w she said. Emily Ciilette and her crew members who did a great deal toward helping her qualify for Man of the Year. Melvin the call comes. Not present, John Petani. Evenson, Boyce Hollar, Ronnie Ciilette along with Emily are ready when The week spent out on the salt flats go at least three miles over the morning each year is an exciting one for all partimark in order to run for the record cipants. "They come from everywhere in Every year the speed is getting the world, Emily said, even as far greater and greater as the records increase. It is really an experience away as Australia. They bring their moshe said torcycles, their streamlined racing cars or whatever vehicle they want. FOR EMILY it is an even greater "In fact we even had a muotor ped experience to be a part of the races. I chugging up the track at about 35 miles have made so many friends, friends like an hour. There was also a fellow from Cary Cabelich, Craig Breedlove, Mickey Tooele who built his own motorcycle. Thompson, the Summer brothers and All officials could do was test its speed as Walt Arfons. there was no other motorcycle in the She was out there when Craig Breedsame class. love went in the ditch. He was making ITS A FULL week, she said. If a return run when both his chute and repeople want to see what racing on the serve chutes went. Emily was standing salt flats really means, they should come with Craigs father. out during the Bonneville Nationals, now I knew his brakes werent going to held the last week in September. There do him much good at that speed so we is a car going down the trap every five jumped in the ambulance. There was a to ten minutes from 7 a.m. until 20 mintrain passing at the same time, and I was utes after sundown, she said. sure that he would hit it. When we came In the morning the racers try for a on the scene, all we could see was a tail fin of that big car sticking out of the canrecord run. In the afternoon they comThen Craig came out of the water. al. with the said run. pete Emily morning He got down on his hands and knees and this means that the car in that class must kissed the earth. CRAIG SAID he had a hard time getting out of his safety harness and said he thought that here he was a racer and ironically was going to die by drowning. Emily was there when Cary Cablich went 622 miles per hour, and when he made his hist run using peroxide mixed with another chemical to give him thrust. The first time he fired up, there was 'a big white cloud and an explosion, she said "It scared me for a minute, and then out of the cloud came this beautiful streamlined car and went down the track. IT WAS so fast, Emily said "that I remarked Here he comes, and There he goes, in the same breath. She was also out there to see Mickey Thompson make his record run. It was the year that Tooele had a 30 inch snowfall. We were out there in our shirtsleeves, and I couldnt believe it. I left the flats for Tooele and told Mickey I would be back later. The nearer I got to Emily Em Ciilette proudly displays her Man of the Year trophy awarded her for service during the Bonneville Nationals. Hen is the only womans name which appears on the plaque." " Tooele, the more snow there was. It was piled so high in the middle of the streets that you couldn't see the can going in the opposite direction. As a result of the snow, she was late getting back to the track and figured she had missed the run. But Mickeys wife told her, Mickey wouldnt make it until you got back. HE SAID, Em knows what to do, and gave me a list of names and instructions. He made his record run that very af- ternoon. I was their mascot, Emily said. I made many, many fridnds. SHE WAS out there for six weeks while Cary Cablich made his run for the record. She plans to continue to be out on the salt when othen try for more speed. Im going to be out there with Don Vesco and his streamlined motorcycle. He already holds the record, but is trying to up it to prevent others from reaching it. Yes, Emily will be there. When the history of the Bonneville Salt Flats and the Bonneville Nationals is written, the name of Emily Gillette will be a prominent part of the story. THE SQUEAK of the front gate Nobody has picket fences and served to announce visitors, expectgates anymore. We have beautiful homes sur- ed or not, andgave Mama a minute rounded by elegantly manicured to pick up a few stray papers and lawns and trees with shrubs and tidy up the parlor in anticipation of guests. Or the squeak heralded the flowers. I miss those fences which made a arrival of Sisters latest beau and frame for a house, and the gate gave her time to tuck in a stray lock which seemed somehow to say, of hair and then decide how long to keep him waiting. Welcome Friend. Childhood, a picket fence, and a WITHOUT THEM, a house stick go together like Halloween looks somewhat naked. It feels exwitches, goblins and bobbing for apposed, vulnerable. It seems cold and ples. How do children grow up withuninviting. out them? What do they do on the Front gates and fences were once way home from school or music lesvery much a part of life from start to sons? Where are the fences we finish, from the time the doctor hurwalked tight rope along? ried through it to deliver the latest They are gone. cherub to the time when the old THEY WERE part of a more reman was carried through its portals g laxed, day - a warmer, in somber cadence. life. It was a uncrowded unhurried, Cates were made for swinging life that afforded time to set a on: Chubby little hands grasped the spell on the h swing on spikes or pickets and an infectious summer evenings and fall afternoons. No raucous sounds of TV rent giggle accompanied the click as the shut. the gate swung kept unpolluted air. No CATES WERE made for leaning a family from experiencing its own over: A girl and her beau stole kisses life and death situations. Instead of being planted in front there; Mama and friend added to the latest gossip; Papa and a neighboring of the tube, children played outside. farmer discussed the current potato They played or Run Run. Or crop. My Sheepie, they were Cates were made for stealing on busy with their dads and moms with Halloween, or for painting in the a myriad of chores which changed with the seasons. spring. Cates kept in the dog and the faYes, the gates and fences are out while toddler the mily keeping gone and with them has gone some cows and were that of the personality that made life a neighbors pigs wont to wander. more interesting, warm place to be. easy-goin- front-porc- sit-co- Kick-the-c- an i l i |