downtown
August 23, 2012 Volume 11 • Number 34 50¢ Newsstand Price
INSIDe
To knit or not to knit... what a stupid question
Bike Locker Program – page 2
electrictree yarns
also
Open late Fridays
Sweet on Fudge Yeah – page 5
290 3rd Avenue
Open Tues-Sat 10am-5pm 778-471-6073 www.electrictree.ca
your neighboUrhood. your newspaper.
Jive talking bird has something to crow about Ample press is given to charismatic animals such as dolphins, While some may be hesitant to hypothetically have a crow as a friend, chimps and the like, but when talking of intelligent beings, few think local residents Mickey and Bettee Caldwell recall with fondness their to mention the crow. history and connection with the bird. As far back as 2004, when the couCrows? They’re everywhere. They have a big fan club as well as ple owned and operated The Steak and Fishhouse restaurant, located at well as a large number of critics. They are subjected to obvious prej- 8th and Battle Street at the time, the crow was a regular patron of their udices and most just don’t find them to be a charismatic at all. The establishment. Crows are omnivorous, and their diet is very diverse. The most obvious characteristics of a crow are that it is big, black, and Hello Crow seemed to develop a penchant for the Caldwell’s roasted makes a lot of noise. The most chicken. The couple would keep water on the porch by the kitchen and obvious sound that crows feed the crow during the winter months. make is the one written in Individual crows that are adults can live 15-40 years in the English as “Caw”. wild (most die when young, but those that make it to Crows can however, adulthood can live a long time) and they probably make a wide variety of remember important associations they have calls and have also formed for much of their lives. It is said that been observed once a face is locked into a crow’s memto respond to ory, it’s likely there for good. Crows calls of othalso remember the faces of er species. “dangerous humans,” with This behavthese memories likely ior is, it is presumed, learned. lasting for a bird’s One such bird has the freedom of our city lifetime. and every house downtown seems to be reGiven that garded by him as home. The Hello Crow lives the crows have high life in the Loops and is famous for imitating the such impressive memories, people who ruffle the feathhuman voice, just like a parrot. Stories are numerers of the Hello Crow could experience years of retribution. ous, citing examples of the bird that has been trained to With respect to this, as always, it appears that the Hello Crow “speak”, and has mastered how to say, “Hello, hello!” simply isn’t talking. Those who know the bird have stretched their while perched high in local trees, on telephone lines own powers of observation to deduce what pretty much everybody EY fr earlug Jan 12.indd 1 and rooftops. else knows, that he is a very community orientated, smart, adventurMetaphorically at least, once could say that ous bird full of engaging play. no one thought to ask the crow how he The Hello Crow has become a “hit” as far out of town as the Wildlife picked up this skill. Being a bird of mysPark, with visitors citing that they too have heard his greeting. tery and intrigue by nature, this brainiac Though humans cannot generally tell individual crows apart, and of the bird world wasn’t exactly forthcoming, but have little or no idea what they say, our Loopy Hello Crow demonis well-known to be socially gregarious and has selectively communi- strates a large share of the trait of humor that makes him hard to miss. cated with many local residents and business owners. He is a bit of a Next time you hear him, consider embracing his anthropomorphisms loner, seeming to like to spend time to by himself but there is abundant and invite him out for Caw-fee! testimony of the bird’s mimicry. Jody Tippett
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