A new adventure race across Vancouver Island, East Sooke and Metchosin amalgamation, a hungry thief and a 100-year-oldB次元官网网址檚 birthday made headlines in past issues of the Goldstream Gazette for the week of Jan. 17.

2006

With the popularity of adventure races growing rapidly, a push is on for a four-day competition from Cape Scott, on the north tip of Vancouver Island, to Victoria. Jerry Reed, a retired teacher, organizes the first end-to-end 800-kilometre traverse of the Island with hikers, bikers and horse riders, using only existing trail systems and logging roads. Reed hopes for a four-day race dubbing it LeVI-athon.

Also making the news in 2006:

East Sookers are eyeing a Metchosin merger. Erik Lund, regional director of the Juan de Fuca Electoral Area, appears before Metchosin council to inform council that East Sooke residents favour annexation by Metchosin over any form of association with Sooke. Lund presents a petition signed by 432 residents who support the reopening of the study on amalgamation between the adjacent districts. That compares with a voter turnout of just over 500 in the November 2005 election. The estimated total population of East Sooke is approximately 1,800.

And, a beloved beetle is burned in a blaze and Louis Ballantine feels like sheB次元官网网址檚 lost a member of the family. Ballantine and her husband lose their 1974 Volkswagen Beetle in a garage fire at the coupleB次元官网网址檚 Langford home. The fire also takes out a GMC Sonoma pickup and the garage, doing more than $60,000 in damage, according to Langford Fire Chief Bob Beckett.

1996

Members of the Langford Legion present Fred Rennie with a cake to celebrate his 100th birthday at a special luncheon for hospitalized veterans. Rennie is the branchB次元官网网址檚 last surviving veteran of the First World War.

Also making the news in 1996:

A fatal crash on the Trans-Canada HighwayB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淪uicide CornerB次元官网网址� could have been much worse had concrete barriers not been in place, an RCMP officer says at the scene. While barriers may have served their intended purpose, the infamous corner still does not meet guidelines recommended last year by a Victoria coroner.

And, some liquor and a few hundred dollars might normally be considered a good haul, but it wasnB次元官网网址檛 enough for a thief who broke into TingB次元官网网址檚 restaurant in Colwood. The brazen criminals take the time to cook a meal and leave the dirty dishes, reports RCMP Sgt. Dale Dichrow.

1986

Break-ins and other thefts account for the biggest crime increases in the Western Communities in 1985, according to Colwood RCMP Sgt. Jim Peters. Break-and-enters rose to 735, from 616 in 1984, and of those, 466 were to residences. Of the total number, only 18 per cent had been cleared from RCMP files.

Also making the news in 1986:

A hard line corporate decision by Safeway to permanently shut the doors on MacDonaldB次元官网网址檚 Consolidated warehouse leaves many of its 84 employees angry and questioning their own and the independent grocerB次元官网网址檚 economic future.

And, Eurasian water milfoil, which has been choking Okanagan lakes for more than a decade, has made its way to Vancouver Island. The weed can outcompete other plants in already weed-infested lakes.

B次元官网网址� compiled by Arnold Lim