A look back

Every Friday we feature Valley history taken from our back issues.

Five years ago this week in the Comox Valley Record:

Once again local citizens and businesses came through in support of the United Way's 2006 campaign, surpassing the goal of $180,000.

"It's satisfying to work on a project with such success," campaign chair/United Way director Marilyn Hannah said. "As a charitable organization competing with hundreds of other worthy causes it is always a challenge to meet your target."

Ten years ago this week in the Comox Valley Record:

A chance meeting with an off-duty Mountie at the Superstore led to jail for a man accused of robbing two convenience stores at gunpoint.

The 23-year-old was arrested after an RCMP member noticed he fit the description of an armed robber who held up cashiers at Mac's and the Cliffe Avenue 7-Eleven.

Fifteen years ago this week in the Comox Valley Record:

Enchanted forest builder George Sawchuk's sculptures can stay, the environment ministry said after meeting with the artist at his Ships Point home.

"All I have to do is eliminate one little path and they'll cut two more holes in the fence, but nothing else will change," Sawchuk said.

His supporters, who lined the road while he met with officials, had hoped to have the fence taken down. But with the new gaps he said the fence would become a political statement in his park.

"There will just be bits and pieces of it and it will be a grim reminder of what can be...incarceration, prison, concentration camps, all that."

Twenty years ago this week in the Comox Valley Record:

Alicia Burns captured 1,449 votes in a Comox by-election to become the Valley's first female mayor. Ken Osmond, Gwyne Mack and Chuck Perry garnered 763, 707 and 82 votes respectively.

Twenty-five years ago this week in the Comox Valley Record:

Comox MLA Stan Hagen pitched the district as a one-stop shop for space technology during an eastern visit to co-chair federal-provincial meeting for ministers responsible for labour market matters.

While in Ottawa, Hagen met with Frank Oberle, Minister of Science and Technology, to discuss the possibility of developing portions of the national space program in the Valley.