Archive
Wolves, love, and murderball
Photo (!) by Robert Dewar via Flickr
Teresa Bird (I assume, by the cutline) of the North Island Gazette reports on a guy who fought off a wolf attacking his dog and who was then surrounded and chased by a whole pack of wolves. The story is intense.
He found his dog with a huge wolf at his neck. Passmore started yelling at the wolf he estimated to be 150 pounds.
“He didn’t even look at me, didn’t know I was there,” said Passmore who was above the wolf on the log jam. Thinking his dog was dead, Passmore took a quick photo of the wolf with his cell phone. Then he saw Huey’s chest heave.
“I knew then he was alive, so then I just launched myself onto the wolf’s back,” said Passmore.
“The wolf went one way and I landed on my back,” said Passmore. “Suddenly five more heads showed up in a half circle around us. It all happened in a millisecond. The lead dog ran and the rest followed.”
(One commenter asked, “where is THAT photo?”) The guy and both dogs escaped and conservation officers have issued a warning for the area. (Wild area up there: in the same paper is the headline “Cougar kills livestock in Hyde Creek.)
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Two good Valentine’s stories: Saanich News reporter Natalie North pens a nice, timely feature on a couple who met online a decade ago, when internet dating was just catching on; and Christine van Reeuwyk of the Peninsula News Review writes about a widow and widower who got together in their 70s.
Ken Hutchin counts himself lucky to have a good-lookin’ girl.
“I’m twice blessed,” he says, eyes crinkling as he slips a sidelong glance at his bride of 10 years.
Jean Jackson wasn’t looking for love.
“It was friendship that developed,” she explained. “Something just grew, there was no big flash. I’d been on my own for 15 years and I wasn’t looking for a partner.”
Judging by the way they readily smooch like unchaperoned teenagers for a photograph, the love is strong.
That’s some groovy writing.
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There’s a nice little narrative by Alistair Taylor in the Campbell River Mirror about the release into the wild of a rehabbed injured hawk. Nothing big, but a nice, clean, simple story told in a unique way.
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Interesting letter to the editor also in the Comox Valley Echo. Ann Foster writes to say: “Occasionally letters from an ‘A. Foster’ appear in your letter section. Please let it be known that this person is not me.” Funny. You never think about the people who have the same names as the crazy letter-writers and who must spend uncommon amounts of time telling friends ‘No, I don’t think Stephen Harper is a Joseph Stalin reincarnation with the sole aim of putting local lettuce growers out of business.'”
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Sorry, but I just don’t get what this Comox Valley Record story is about:
The lede:
A successful marketer with international connections who could have lived anywhere in Canada chose the Comox Valley.
It’s a business story, I think, but one that’s more an advertorial for a single person, which seems weird. Sorry, but I just don’t get it.
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Erin DeCoste of the Ladysmith Chronicle tries out murderball, otherwise known as wheelchair rugby. She survives.
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A general rule of journalism is not to lead with a question. You can break it, but rarely. I certainly shouldn’t come across multiple question leads in the space of half-an-hour of story surfing. (On the other hand, questions are great for online headlines).
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Finally, the following screen grab, in the Victoria News, makes the headline “Officer in YouTube kicking video won’t be charged: Crown counsel” all the more powerful.
My take? I can see how kicking could be needed in some circumstances. But perhaps police departments should outlaw it just because it looks really freakin’ bad when an officer kicks someone who’s on the ground.
Homer Simpson, Charles Taylor, and two Targets
Very, very solid week of reportage from the Island and Sunshine Coast. Want to help me with this? E-mail me at bclocalreporter (at) gmail (dot) com.
This headline in the Cowichan News Leader Pictorial: “Uranium clean-up underway” is understated and yet I still went, “HUH!?!” Apparently a ship has stopped between Ladysmith and Chemainus after “… containers holding the uranium had shifted and two open drums moved outside their sea containers. People inspecting the ship have since discovered more than the two reported drums have spilled,” according to the story by the Ladysmith Chronicle’s Matthew Peterson. Sounds like Homer Simpson might be the safety officer onboard. (The Chronicle went with the tamer (lamer?) headline “Ship carrying uranium anchored near Ladysmith/Chemainus.”
Wawmeesh G. Hamilton writes a solid story in the Alberni Valley News about a local Haitian-Canadian whose home in Port-au-Prince was destroyed a year ago, but who hasn’t been able to go back and see the damage herself.
Christine Wood has returned to the Coast Reporter after finally finding a half-decent daycare for her kids. She takes over for Jenny Wagler, who’s now working for Business in Vancouver. Christine started at the Reporter in 1999, but left in 2007 to care for her kids. (I assume her return means that the reporter position listed on Gaulin is now filled). The Reporter also hired Justin Samson as its weekend photographer.
Why is every Postmedia Vancouver Island site just a little bit different? I can’t figure out if it’s maddening or delightful.
I hate to get picky, and I don’t know who wrote the cutline for this very nice Comox Valley Record photo, but just to be clear, the Just in Time Vocal Jazz Choirs IS NOT “literally soaring into spring with their new musical theme: Fly!” Until they sprout wings or jump on a plane they will not be figuratively soaring.
Here’s a quote you don’t get all the time:
“I’d rather this be a murder suicide so I know there’s nothing to be worried about,” she said.
That from a breaking story by Saanich News reporter Kyle Slavin after a pair of bodies were found in a house yesterday. One wonders why, exactly, this anonymity-seeking neighbour would be afraid if it wasn’t a murder-suicide.
Another question of note: every time I see the words “Charles Taylor prize” I wonder why the hell did someone name a writing prize for a brutal Liberian dictator. Unfortunate name, that.
I’m not sure how I feel about this Nanaimo News Bulletin headline: “Nanaimo Target targeted by U.S. Target.” The story though, by Toby Gorman, is interesting. Seems there’s a store in town called Target that is not the Target we’ve been hearing about on the news. Predictably, lawyers are involved.
J.R. Rardon has an equally interesting story in the North Island Gazette. He reports on a local family who got charged $852 — including $85 for a “bunch” of bones — after their seven-year-old daughter played a free iPod game while on vacation. It’s a major-league scam but the family’s getting their money back.
Back to the Saanich News, where Natalie North writes about local actors training med students about how to interact with patients. Very nice package, from the story to the photos to the sparkling page layout (the page is in the photo spot next to the online story).
Finally, I’ll point out again the the Powell River Peak’s website is awesome and super duper fast to load. Please! Somebody copy them fer Chrissake. From the Peak, Laura Walz reports that a cousin of the super-evil Mountain Pine Beetle is chomping down on trees there.
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