midweek edition WEDNESDAY, AUG. 18, 2010
Vol. 101 No. 66 • Established 1908 • East
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Wrecking ball blues Kid friendly dream coat
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Thornton Park squatters anger nearby resident Area a gateway for visitors Sandra Thomas Staff writer
Dave Peterson questions why squatters are allowed to camp at Thornton Park.
Dave Peterson wants to know why an increasing number of squatters are allowed to camp in Thornton Park at one of the city’s major gateways for visitors. The park is located on Main Street at Terminal and lies in front of the Greyhound bus and VIA Rail train stations and next to a busy SkyTrain station. Peterson, who lives near the park, said it’s become a home to the homeless, despite the availability of a shelter a half-block away. “They sleep in the park at night, which I don’t like but can live with,” said Peterson. “But during the day they hang their mattresses, cardboard pallets and photo Rebecca Blissett clothes in the trees. This is
the first place many people see when they arrive in Vancouver and it looks terrible.” Peterson said a man he believes is mentally ill spends all day sleeping on one of the park’s benches. When the man is awake, said Peterson, he often rants at passersby. Some of Peterson’s neighbours told him they’ve witnessed the man masturbating. Peterson emailed the Courier several photographs of the man on the bench, mattresses, cardboard and clothes strewn under and in a tree, and a regular panhandler sitting on the cement directly at the bottom of the stairs leading to the adjacent SkyTrain station and forcing transit riders to walk around him. See PARK on page 4
Little leaguers brace for bright lights of World Series Little Mountain trounced competition at Canadian nationals
Megan Stewart Staff writer
On Wednesday, Little Mountain Little League will sit down with sport broadcasters from ESPN for an interview that will air across the continent. If any of these talented young baseball players advance to the
big leagues, they may have media trainers and other support staff to help shape and filter their message. For now, their coach Frank Soper runs no interference. “We haven’t mentioned anything to them,” he said from Williamsport, Pennsylvania where the Little League World Series begins Friday.
“What we did tell them to do was this: be yourselves.” The Mountaineers trounced the competition at the Canadian nationals last week in Ancaster, Ont., outscoring their opponents 89-13 and winning all seven games. Along the way to Williamsport through the Metro Vancouver, B.C. and Canadian champion-
ships, Little Mountain remained undefeated. The scores may be lopsided, but Soper says the competition was excellent. Little Mountain was simply better. Against an Ontario pitcher who Soper said had a 1.0 ERA through the season, Mountaineer shortstop Lichel Hirakawa Kao knocked one out of
the park and other batters earned three doubles and sent in six RBI to defeat their strongest opponent 7-1. “It wasn’t that the other teams aren’t good,” Soper said. “These [Mountaineers] are just a very good group of kids. We have a very compete team of pitcher, hitters and fielders.” See COACH on page 4
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