I hear the spirit of Doug Powell whispering words of encouragement to the editor, publisher, reporter,
C.E.O., owner and typesetter of this fine new journal, “You go get ‘em Davey boy and remember the only good opinion is a differing opinion, a headline should have something to do with the story and City Council is always wrong.” Doug and his “magazine” provided a print alternative for Revelstoke and “alternative” certainly described most of the editorial content. Now, almost 10 years later, the niche is filled again, I believe. I’m not expecting The Revelstoke Current to be anything like The Unique but I do suspect many of the same values, such as a well-honed news sense, a desire to reflect everything Revelstoke, empathy, heart and a strong cup of coffee on the copy desk.
I am also told no letter to the editor will be printed without accreditation; no beaking-off without hanging your name on it, a refreshing old-fashioned concept in this day of the increasingly cowardly minded anonymity of the Internet.
A new foray into the fourth estate will need loads of new ideas for stories and articles, not that the assignment desk isn’t overflowing already but like any good newspaper, police force or insurance salesperson, it needs to do its networking and cultivate a number of reliable sources. Let me be one of the first to offer up a few stellar story lines:
1. Who gets the mineral rights to the mother lode of basalt discovered when crews dug up Mackenzie Ave. and since it’s a major component of asphalt, is it really enough to re-pave Mackenzie and four-lane the Trans-Canada Highway from Field to the coast?
2. How long will it take most of us stop calling it the Kokanee Slow-pitch Tournament and start calling it the Glacier Challenge? I’m guessing about as long as it’s taking some of us to start practicing anti-idling, and stop calling the local radio station the Big R. (It’s good to see our own Mt. Begbie Brewing Co. supplying the suds for softballers from all over western Canada but I’ll miss the sasquatch)
3. How long before we have parking meters, water meters, curb-side recycling and Wal-Mart? One or all of those four ’oughta hit a nerve?
Regardless, it is usually good to see competition and I hope that it prospers. This just might give incentive to another local medium to get back into the Revelstoke news game and that would raise the bar for everyone. Cock-eyed optimism on my part? Maybe, but it takes a lot of optimism to start a new business in this economic climate, so good luck, David. Throw the switch. Beef up the bulletins. Step-up the statements. Rev-up the releases. Amp-up the anecdotes and let The Revelstoke Current flow.
Steve Bender is a Revelstoke City Councillor, social gadfly and sometime psychic
