Posted: Friday, June 22, 2007 12:00 am
We hereby deliver: ROSES to Aaron Michael La Gere, who earned this week's "Captain Corvallis" title, for coming to the aid of a man who was being
attacked by three other men. La Gere described the incident this way:
He was walking two young women to their vehicles about 2:30 a.m. Saturday (and giving a third a piggyback ride) when, near the parking lot at Third Street and Monroe Avenue, he "saw (a) guy get jumped. I set down the gal, and I went down there."
A bouncer at the Peacock Bar and Grill, La Gere pulled one of the attackers off the prone victim and stood between the other two attackers and their prey. "Once I started getting sort of angry and loud, they sort of ran off."
La Gere flagged down a passing police car, and officers quickly located and arrested three suspects and charged them with assault.
These fast-acting officers also deserve roses.
La Gere, 24, said he used to be a "cage fighter" in marshal arts exhibitions, so he knows how to handle a fight, even without brute strength.
At 6-foot-3 inches tall and 165 pounds, La Gere described himself as a "string bean." But we're glad that he's all wiry strength and nerve. Thanks to his fast reaction, the man he assisted suffered no significant damage.
RASPBERRIES to something we understand, but never wanted to see: After offering Corvallis a homey, comfortable place to enjoy a movie with friends for 10 years, local indy theater owner Paul Turner will shut of the projector at the Avalon Theater for the last time June 30, ending its 10-year run.
A tight market, competition from mega-plexes Regal and Carmike and even competition from his own Darkside movie theater have made it tough for Turner to stay ahead of expenses.
Turner always has been straightforward about the difficulties of operating theaters, and he has poured both his money and his energy into upgrading the Avalon and the Darkside.
His most recent change at the Avalon, which was closed for a time, was to offer beer and wine with movies, but that didn't bring in the crowds.
When only one person showed up for the debut of "Operation Homecoming" on June 7, Turner made the decision to announce the Avalon's closure.
We're sorry to see it, but we respect that he knows best. We are glad that he plans to keep The Darkside open for now. If you haven't seen the movies playing there, you're missing some of the best cinema in town.
Good luck, Paul. Thanks for all the great film memories that the Avalon gave us.
ROSES to Angeline Cromack, who is our top contender for "Reader of the Week."
On Sunday, her pursuit of our newspaper sent her to one box that was empty, possibly due to demand for graduation coverage. At a grocery store, she deposited her quarters, but the box did not open. When she pressed the coin return, the box paid off like it was channeling a Las Vegas slot machine, dropping coins all over the floor and attracting the attention of passing shoppers.
"I felt kind of sheepish," Angeline said. "Like people were thinking I was stealing from the machine."
A clerk at the store gave her a bag for the money - $7.05 - and she brought it down Tuesday to the Gazette-Times office.
"I'm kind of honest," she said.
We thank her for it. Oh, yes. We removed the newspaper box and replaced it with one that has no confusion about its mission in life.
ROSES to a furry, fanged 80-pound crime fighter who took "Top Dog" honors among K-9 officers: Xar, (pronounced "Zar") June 16 at the Springfield Police Canine Competition. He and his "human," officer Jason Harvey, made impressive showings in the obstacle course, area search, fastest canine, suspect apprehension and handler protection for the second year.
Xar packs some serious law enforcement power. The German Shepherd is friendly - unless otherwise ordered. We're glad when he's taking a bite out of crime on our behalf.
RASPBERRIES to a legal decision that is elegant in its simple logic, but probably violates all kinds of rules about judicial discretion. It sure sounded like unusual punishment:
A judge in Peterborough, Ontario recently
ordered a 24-year-old Canadian man not to have a girlfriend.
Justice Rhys Morgan ruled that Steven Cranley "cannot form a romantic relationship of an
intimate nature with a female person."
Diagnosed with something called a dependent personality disorder, Cranley recently punched and kicking his last girlfriend during a breakup and then stabbing himself, puncturing his aorta.
We're expecting the justice's decision to be appealed, but we find his ruling appealing anyway.