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FOCUS - OCTOBER 2015 3 Just who is this Peter Parker Hes not secretly Spiderman as a Toronto Star article about the August incident intimated. Though he says with a smile hes heard that one many times before. Ive lived with that all my life he laughs good-naturedly. People sometimes dont believe me and oc- casionally theyll ask me to show my drivers license to prove thats really my name. Of course the kids all love it. I tell them when they ask that I havent got my web-stuff with me today In spite of his unexpected celebrity he harbours no long term star-making aspirations. I wouldnt say Im exactly tired of telling the story though youll prob- ably be the last he says. Ive already spoken to our two local papers done a couple of live radio interviews as well as three more for TV. Some members of those television crews may have experienced a mild surprise when they arrived to meet the somewhat-reluctant centre of attention. A familiar face was surely unexpected. Ive retired from television but some of them were people I used to work with. Peters career like the more recent events on Lake Scugog was a matter of good timing. I fell into it he chuckles. They had a teenagers dance party show on CHEX in the early 60s and a friend asked me if Id be a spot- ter. When theyd have contests Id watch the dancers and shepherd the selected ones to the host. I caught on at the station from there. In 1963 Peter became a tape operator. Other than using film tape was the only method of archiving video images black and white in those days he explains. It was the focal point of TV at the time. The job involved recording out- of-market broadcasts as well as live events. Id record satellite feeds for broadcast in our market on future days. I was also responsible for sports events like Leafs hockey and Blue Jays baseball games. The tape I assembled found its way into high- light packages. That assignment sounds sexy but Peter says it wasnt always so. Id have to isolate my tape to one camera. So for example in the base- The Man Behind the Headlines TIMING IS EVERYTHING. Whether youre revelling in good karma or analyzing misfortune timing has undeniably played a critical role in determining its outcome. Peter Parkers remarkable timing has recently been well documented. Saturday August 22 a routine boat outing by Peter and his wife Debbie Holbik had life-saving consequences for a family of ve. Navigating westward from Washburn Island the couple observed two crafts nearby their own one moving slowly then a second speeding off their bow. When the two collided only seconds later Peter and Debbie raced to the scene where the rst was overturned and the second upright but disabled. That collision happened in slow motion for me Peter recalls of the impact. Being at the right place at the right time is the chance element in good timing the truly heroic component requires knowing what to do in an emergency and acting effectively without hesitation. I helped a 9-year old out of the water then took the couples 5-month old from the father who had been searching frantically for her under their capsized boat. ...................... Please turn to page 4 On Tuesday September 8 Peter Parker was given an Act of Bravery award by the Township of Scugog for his heroics on the lake on August 22. In true fashion Peter said he and his wife Debbie Holbik also in photo did what anyone would do in that situation. PhoTobyMARyANNFLEMING