Chapter 10: Down for the count
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This 10 week serial story publishes every Sunday Beginning 6-10-08 and ending 8-10-08. If you miss a chapter go online to appealdemocrat.com, community, NIE, serial story.
Chapter 10: Down for the count
The story so far: The results of the neighborhood election have just been announced. Here are the stories as they appeared in The Robyn Report:
THE BIRD IS THE WORD
By Corinna Peters
RZ Publishing
Dorothy Allen is happy to be a loser.
She voted “no” on the park referendum on Saturday. The referendum was on whether to remove the American robin bird statue from the park and replace it with a fountain.
“I thought removing it would drive the birds away,” Dorothy said. “I don’t think that’s going to happen, though.”
Dorothy loves birds and has five feeders and two birdbaths in her backyard. She was outside watching the birds when she realized the new park fountain might not be such a bad idea.
“Birds love water!” Dorothy said. “I think this fountain will actually bring more of our feathered friends into the neighborhood.”
Dorothy is now organizing a Feeding Committee for the birds. The group will put up feeders by the new fountain and keep them filled with birdseed.
“I guess losing the park referendum isn’t so bad,” Dorothy said. “We lost a statue of an American robin, but just think of how many real robins will visit the park now!”
STREAKER RALLIES VOTERS
By J.P. Rodriguez
RZ Publishing
This year’s Great Debate will go down in the neighborhood’s record books.
“I was up on stage, and some hoodlum jumped on the stage with his skateboard,” Andrew Marx said. “He was only wearing his underwear. It was an Election Day disaster!”
Sally Palooso was also on stage, but she thinks of the event differently.
“I’m glad the young people in our neighborhood are standing up for what they believe,” she said. “They have freedom of speech, too. The streaker was just taking a stand.”
The Robyn Report caught up with the streaker after the incident. The newspaper has agreed not to reveal who it was, but the paper did get an exclusive interview.
“I didn’t want to offend Mr. Marx,” the streaker said. “But most of us kids in the neighborhood don’t have a good place for skating.”
The streaker said he wanted to encourage the other kids in the neighborhood to get out and vote. It looks like it might have worked, too.
Traditionally, only half the kids in the neighborhood vote on Election Day. On Saturday, nearly 95% voted.
“It’s our neighborhood, too,” the streaker said. “We should have a say in what happens!”
When asked whether he was afraid of people seeing him in his underwear, the streaker had only one thing to say.
“At least it was clean!”
NEW PRESIDENT WINS BY 4
By Robyn Zimmerman
RZ Publishing
Election Day is never dull.
After a streaker at the Great Debate and a missing ballot box, Election Day finally got underway.
“We had a great turnout,” Melissa McMillan said. “Nearly 95% of the neighborhood showed up to vote. That is a new neighborhood record!”
Sally Palooso squeezed out the victory over opponent Andrew Marx by only four votes. Since it was such a close margin, Mr. Marx demanded a recount.
“We recounted the votes three times, but Sally was still the winner,” Melissa said. “I guess the neighborhood has spoken.”
Mrs. Palooso said she is honored to be the new president of the Neighborhood Association.
“Now we can finally get started on the new skate park,” she said. “I’m glad I’m able to help the neighborhood kids while I’m in office.”
Meanwhile, Mr. Marx says he will spend his free time organizing a “Keep the Neighborhood Quiet Committee.”
“Our first order of business will be to watch over that skate park,” he said. “We don’t want it to ruin the good of this neighborhood.”
So far, the committee has only two members.
Story Questions
Chapter Ten
- Why did Dorothy want to keep the robin statue?
- Why did the streaker say he jumped up on the stage?
- Who is the new president of the Neighborhood Association?
Newspaper Activity:
Voting is a way of stating your preference or making a choice. Voting is the foundation of democracy because a democracy is a government in which the people make choices about the way they live.
Look through today's newspaper to find a story you think you would not find in a newspaper from a country that was not a democracy. Write a paragraph telling why that story would not appear in a country that was not free.
Answers to Chapter 9:
- He says they can't vote because they need to check in 5 minutes before the voting deadline.
- Robyn gets a copy of the neighborhood association handbook and Mr. Phillips cannot find the rule that says you have to be checked in 5 minutes before voting.
- She decides to support her fellow robin.
Answers to Chapter 10:
- Dorothy wanted to keep the statue because she thought removing the statue would drive the birds away.
- He said he wanted to encourage the other kids in the neighborhood to get out and vote.
- Sally Palooso is the new president of the Neighborhood Association.
Four movie passes drawn for a winner at the end of the story goes to C.Wilson of Yuba City. The drawing is now closed.
