Opinion

Rumours are something any newspaper deals with on a daily basis. Some of our best stories come from chasing down a rumour heard from someone on the street, or emailed in to our offices. You might say unsubstantiated rumours are our stock in trade.

Ironically, it's not front-page news, but Steven Hill is leaving The Chief in the next week or so as its editor.His announcement started me thinking. I don't think we as a community understand how lucky we are to have the media we have in Squamish.

Not my town anymore Editor, It is with mixed feelings that I type these words. I was born and raised in Squamish. I went to school here. I made friends here. I got into trouble here. I graduated here. I got my first job here.

In the past week, Squamish has again shown itself as the kind of community of which others should take notice.

Originally I was nervous about having to write this week, since last week there was really only one thing I, like many in the community, was thinking about, and that's Ray.

Squamish's Downtown is sort of like a Jekyll and Hyde kind of place. On the surface it is like most smaller community downtown quarters, with small mom & pop shops, a few restaurants, banks and various offices.

With all the attention being paid to the downtown - its crime rate, the problem properties, debates over developments - you'd think one small detail like keeping downtown streets clean wouldn't be so difficult to accomplish.

Public safety everyone's business Editor, Last week's editorial, "Police brutality-in reverse," made an adverse inference about a column I wrote related to the rise in crime in Squamish.

Petty crime Editor, A $4,000 mountain bike is stolen from right in front of a Squamish business. Thousands of dollars of climbing equipment are stolen from a vehicle parked in Squamish.

Police never seem to get a really fair shake in the community.