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Vol. 61, Issue 213
Proudly serving Cranbrook and area since 1951
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No charges expected in Nomad incident A nine-hour standoff at a Cranbrook motel, which closed the highway through town, ended peacefully SALLY MACDONALD Townsman Staff
The man at the centre of Wednesday’s standoff at the Nomad Motel in Cranbrook gave himself up after talking to a police negotiator. Dozens of police, including an Emergency Response Team, surrounded the motel on the highway through Cranbrook from about 12:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on October 30. That was when the man police described as distraught finally came out of the room he had been holed up in during the nine-hour standoff. RCMP provided more details about the incident after the man was taken into custody Wednesday night. “Shortly before 9 p.m., a 48-yearold male exited the room and was
taken into custody by police,” said Cpl. Chris Newel. “After several hours, a police negotiator was able to make contact with the subject and successfully persuaded him to come out. “There were no injuries as a result of the incident but the subject is being taken to hospital for evaluation.” RCMP said they are not expecting to charge the man. The highway through Cranbrook was closed for nine hours during the incident from Victoria Avenue to 6th Street North. Several businesses across from the motel were evacuated.
See HOUSEKEEPER , Page 4
Author takes up residence at MBSS Canadian writer Glenn Dixon shares his adventures with Cranbrook high school students this week
JULIAN BUECKERT PHOTO
At rehearsal are local actors Micheal Grossman, playing an elderly Mr. Green, and Jerrod Bondy, as young corporate executive Ross Gardiner, in Cranbrook Community Theatre’s first production of the season, “Visiting Mr. Green”.
Local cast prepares for “Visiting Mr. Green” SUBMIT TED
Cranbrook Community Theatre (CCT) brings us a comedy and poignant drama about friendship, family and forgiveness in its upcoming production, “Visiting Mr. Green”. The story is about an elderly Jewish Manhattanite, Mr. Green, who has withdrawn
from life following his wife’s recent death. Ross Gardiner, a young corporate executive, is found guilty of reckless driving after almost hitting the elderly Mr. Green, and a community service order is imposed upon Ross: he must spend the next six months making weekly vis-
its to Mr. Green. What starts off as a comedy about two people who resent being in the same room together develops into drama, as family secrets are revealed and old wounds are opened.
See HUMOUR, Page 5
ARNE PE TRYSHEN Townsman Staff
Mount Baker students had a rare chance this week to have a writer-in-residence set up at the school. Canadian author Glenn Dixon spent the week mentoring a group of Grade 10 writing students each day. Over the week Dixon also did presentations to other classes and held workshops for teachers talking about the reasons humans make music. During Wednesday’s class, Dixon began the presentation talking about a bone flute that was unearthed which
dates back to 42,000 BC. “That’s the oldest known instrument,” he said. “And you can hear what it sounds like. It’s a haunting sound.” Dixon was working with one specific English class most of this week. “That is a little bit more about the writing techniques, the writing process, that kind of stuff,” Dixon said. He was also working with Social Studies classes on the more cultural aspect of his work. Dixon travelled to 19 countries, most in the past three years, for his recent book “Tripping
the World Fantastic”. The book, which is his second, is about music around the world. Dixon travelled the planet to look at the reasons why people make music and how they do it. He toured Bob Marley’s house in Jamaica, listened to drums in Africa and took sitar lessons in India. “I play guitar so I thought sitar would be easy, but it’s really hard,” Dixon said. He was inspired by George Harrison of the Beatles for that experience.
See DIXON , Page 3