Cheers &Jeers

JEERS: To the tone-deaf clerk at a Summerside hotel who refused to use common sense when a young mother and her baby arrived just before midnight Thursday to check into a room because there was no power at their rural home all day. The woman’s spouse was at a remote oil camp in northern Alberta and had called the hotel from there with a credit card number to book the room for his family. When the mother and baby arrived, the clerk demanded a credit card, and after getting the husband on the phone, determined that verbal authorization was insufficient. He insisted on faxing an authorization form to Alberta for the husband to fill in and fax back. It was impossible because all the man had was his iPhone at the camp. After waiting with her baby for more than half an hour, the woman said perhaps she could get better service elsewhere, and the clerk agreed. At least he got something right. The woman and baby headed down Water Street to the Quality Inn and Suites and quickly ended up in a warm room — free of charge.

CHEERS: To some 20 communities across the Island who opened warming centres during lengthy power outages starting Thursday and continuing into Sunday for some locations. The warming centres gave residents a chance to warm up, get a hot snack or drink, recharge cell phones, and chat with neighbours. Over 100,000 Islanders were without power on Thursday. Thousands were still without power on Saturday and even into Sunday, as Maritime Electric crews remained busy replacing scores of broken poles and trimming trees knocked down from the storm which hit Wednesday night — making those warming centres appreciated and necessary.

CHEERS: To forward Cody Payne of the UPEI Panthers men’s hockey team who was named the Subway Atlantic University Sport male athlete of the week ending Nov. 25. The third-year forward from Davie, Florida, earned back-to-back Subway Player of the Game honours in two weekend home wins for the Panthers. UPEI downed the Acadia Axemen 4-1 Friday as Payne scored twice. Saturday, the Panthers topped no. 6-ranked Saint Mary’s Huskies 4-3 as Payne notched two more goals, including the game winner late in the third period. He continued his hot streak on the road this past weekend, scoring once and adding two assists as UPEI defeated second-place St. Mary’s 4-3 win Saturday night in Halifax to wrap up their pre-Christmas schedule on a winning note to finish with a solid 9-6-1 record. He also had an assist Friday in a 5-2 loss in Acadia.

CHEERS: To Ron MacLean of Hockey Night in Canada for making a special effort to attend Wednesday’s book launch and fund-raising banquet for Forbie Kennedy. MacLean was in Dieppe, N.B., last Sunday for a hometown hockey segment, then had to be in Quebec City for an engagement the first of the week and had to scramble with travel arrangements and weather delays to make it back to Charlottetown for Forbie’s big night.