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HEADLINES

ADELAIDE SPRINGS IN THE NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT

STAFF REPORT

It began like any other Friday, regardless of who you ask. Laila Olivet was serving coffee and muffins at the Bean Franklin, covering for owner Andi Franklin, who was working in the garage at Valet Forge alongside Sebastian Sudworth. Longtime city councilor William Kimball was already on his second slice of pie for the day, according to his grandson Cole, who was at Cassidy's Bar & Grill processing his employees' payroll for the week. But by 9:00 a.m., routine had been displaced by dismay. Former Adelaide Springs resident Brynn Cornell took to the national airwaves of top-rated morning news/entertainment program Sunup to disparage her hometown and the people in it, leaving pain and confusion in her wake. "That's not the Brynn we knew," said former classmate and friend, Cole Kimball, echoing the sentiments of many. Others saw it differently. "That girl was trouble from the beginning. She still owes me money for glasses she broke, back when she worked for me at the bar," said Mr. Kimball's grandfather. "A rich celebrity like that never paying off her debts? Tells you everything you need to know, if you ask me." Still others, such as Adelaide Springs mayor Doc Atwater, encouraged citizens not to rush to judgment. "She's still one of us, don't forget. She didn't know she was on the air. And, no, that doesn't make what she said any less awful. Still. I wouldn't want to be written off for something I said when no one was supposed to be listening. Would you?" The citizens of the town may need to grapple with that question quickly. Ms. Cornell's flight arrives in town on Sunday evening.

EDITORIAL

THE RETURN OF TOWNSHIP DAYS? | PART I

SEBASTIAN SUDWORTH

EDITOR'S NOTE: PART I OF THIS EDITORIAL SERIES WAS SCHEDULED FOR PUBLICATION PRIOR TO THE EVENTS OF YESTERDAY, THE 18TH OF MARCH. THOUGH THE DEBATE HAS BEEN TEMPORARILY TABLED, IT IS MY VIEW—AS EDITOR, AS CITY COUNCILOR, AND AS A CITIZEN OF THIS TOWN—THAT WE MUST NOT ALLOW THE UNFORTUNATE SITUATION CAUSED BY BRYNN CORNELL TO DISTRACT US FROM THE BUSINESS OF THE TOWN. MS. CORNELL'S IMPENDING VISIT SHOULD HAVE NO IMPACT ON OUR LIVES. HER PRESENCE WILL HAVE NO IMPACT ON MINE. — SS

I remember when I first heard of Township Days. I was only planning to be in Adelaide Springs for a few days. Just a visitor passing through. On my fourth day in town, Doc Atwater, Jo Stoddard, and Fenton Norris interrupted my peaceful, solitary dinner at the bar at Cassidy's to regale me with tales of a festival so absurd that I believed at the time they were making it up. Clearly it was a prank they played on newcomers. Perhaps to scare them off. Perhaps, as was the case with me, to charm them into staying forever. Now, of course, I know Township Days was real. For a few historic days in 1976, this tiny town where the elevation exceeds the population many times over really was mistaken for a Revolutionary War battle

site. For many years, the people of this town turned the comical mistake into a tourism triumph. "Huzzah!" as our early colonial friends may have cheered. (Though the original word was "Huzza," not that we concern ourselves with historical accuracies here in Adelaide Springs.) Many of you were there. I would have loved to have been, to witness the reenactments and, presumably, a lot of butter churning. Charming though the tales may be, Township Days was lightning in a bottle. Through this ongoing editorial series, I will explain why I believe attempting to make lightning strike twice would not only fail, but also threaten the financial health of Adelaide Springs for generations to come.

LOCAL

CITY COUNCIL UPDATE

JOSEPHINE STODDARD, COUNCIL SECRETARY

As most of you know, at this month's council meeting we were scheduled to vote on whether or not to bring back Township Days. Debate has been temporarily postponed, owing to the hullabaloo caused by Brynn Cornell. In the meantime, it was determined after a controversial tied vote that Brynn and a crew from Sunup would be allowed to film in town. The council also determined, by a vote of three-to-one, that Sebastian Sudworth would take responsibility for Brynn's visit, locale availability, and all other issues impacting the town during filming. Contact him with questions or concerns.

LIBRARY CORNER

HELEN SOUZA, LIBRARY VOLUNTEER

Many thanks to Larry Olivet for the new bookshelves he built. They're strong enough to house the entire collection of National Geographic magazines donated by our friends at the Grand Junction library. New on our shelves this month, we finally got those large print Louis L'Amours that so many of you have been requesting. Remember to bring them back. Maxine Brogan held onto The Complete Guide to Caring for Bearded Dragons, 3rd Edition for so long I just decided to give it to her, but that was different, since demand for that title was minimal.

MISCELLANEOUS

COLE KIMBALL, CASSIDY'S BAR & GRILL

I just want to remind everyone to check the lost and found at Cassidy's every so often. The box is currently overflowing with sunglasses, keys, and enough lip balm to put Burt's Bees out of business. (Ahem...Laila...)