More Sochi: Photographer on the spot for great shots Entertainment: Laughter blooms with Jeeves
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Bus-driver assaults an increasing risk
Cowichan Transit: One driver recovering as her alleged attacker heads back to court Peter W. Rusland
News Leader Pictorial
R Andrew Leong
Bryn Posey sings The Stars Are With The Voyager by Jay Althouse, accompanied by Rykie Avenant, at the 65th-Annual Cowichan Music Festival Highlights Concert, March 5 at the Cowichan Theatre. Posey, 17, recently won a gold medal from the Royal Conservatory of Music for scoring the top mark in British Columbia on the Grade 1 Voice examination. Bryn’s teacher is Katherine Lassche. She received the award at a medal ceremony in Vancouver on March 2.
ichelle the bus driver was having a routine shift. She was covering her regional transit route in the Shawnigan Lake area Jan. 14 with one passenger onboard enjoying the ride. But the afternoon took a nasty turn at around 5 p.m. when Richelle picked up a passenger at the Mason’s Store bus stop — adding her name to Cowichan’s list of bus-driver assaults that some drivers say is getting longer. Richelle said her attacker was known to her as a regular during her six years behind the wheel. “He was headed to Mill Bay. When I crossed the train tracks at Cobble Hill Road, he realized I wasn’t turning left (toward the Black Swan Pub) but toward the village.”
That route riled the passenger who got angry as Richelle’s rig neared the Shawnigan Lake Community Centre. “He started yelling, swearing, and walking up and down the (aisle). “I asked him to sit down and be quiet, at which point he started punching at my head area,” she said. “I was able to block him with my arm. This was all in a matter of a couple of minutes.” Fortunately, the lake’s RCMP detachment sits just past the community centre. “When I stopped and said ‘I’m getting the RCMP’, he jumped off the bus. The police got him, and he’s been charged with assault.” Suspect Tim Thorpe appeared in Duncan court March 11 to answer simple assault charges. He’s due back in court April 15 for an arraignment hearing, court staff said. more on page A3
Paralympic skier Luscombe learns lessons at Sochi games Peter W. Rusland
News Leader Pictorial
P
aralympic skier Braydon Luscombe’s back from Russia with love for his sport, and his hosts. “It was a pretty amazing experience,” the Duncan homeboy told the News Leader Pictorial, fresh from the Sochi Paralympics. Despite not winning any hardware, Luscombe’s no sore loser. “I didn’t ski the greatest; I had some bad races, but a few good ones.” Soggy slopes in the seaside town didn’t help him during downhill, slalom, giant slalom, super-G, and
super-combined events on an otherwise “awesome mountain, with a bunch of different terrain.” “I struggled with finishing the course — it was really rough conditions; soft and bumpy snow so it’s really hard on us one-leggers.” But to Luscombe, 21, it’s not if you win, but also what you learn — as he now sets his sights on South Korea’s 2018 games. “I definitely learned some good stuff with not finishing some races. There was some frustration on my part.” But he and his downhill squad followed Canadian Paralympic Committee standards “and overall did really well, and won some gold,
silver and bronzes.” “Going to Sochi, you want to win medals but you don’t know really how much you want to win medals until you get over there.” Getting to Pyeongchang is Luscombe’s next goal. “These next four years will be really good. “Each cycle is just about trying to improve some of the basics in early season training, starting the cycle of racing, and creating the momentum.” Hospitality momentum in Sochi was satisfactory — snow conditions aside. “We were in the athletes’ village on the mountain. They did the best they
could. “For athletes it was awesome. They had a huge cafeteria and our rooms were really good.” Good also for his 30-some family members and friends who travelled to Russia to root for Luscombe’s crew. “It was really cool, they really enjoyed themselves. “There were crappy days of weather with rain and fog, but most days were sunny and warm. It was really bad for the snow, though. “They’ve got to stop moving the Winter Olympics near coastlines.” Slushy conditions meant heavy slogging for the left-legged racer. more on page A5
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Andrew Leong/file
Braydon Luscombe enjoyed a great experience representing Canada in the Sochi Paralympics.