Shipping Reporter resumes attack on media , civic authorities over neglect of war memorials in garrison town .
The latest inspection of the Victory in the Pacific Fountain in the Railway Oval , a short distance from the Townsville Bulletin and WIN Television , revealed the continuing neglect of the feature , at the start of Townsville's Civic Pride Trail ???? It and the surrounding walkway had been bombarded with fruit, dead sticks from the nearby tree for more than a week . In addition , it appeared to be leaking in several places , there was a branch in the bottom chamber and a few pieces of plastic .
At the nearby old railway ticket office , a little known gem , with a World War l railway roll of honour , it needed a sweep.
At the nearby old railway ticket office , a little known gem , with a World War l railway roll of honour , it needed a sweep.
Down at the Anzac Memorial Park , the Shipping Reporter said it was good to see the above fountain marking the centenary of Queensland breaking away from New South Wales was finally ejaculating , having been out of action for a long time , without the media noticing . The water was a bit soupy and there were bits of palm tree floating about . At the nearby Battle of the Coral Sea memorial leaves were again building up.
Our grumpy waterfront scribe says it is desirable for reporters to get out of the office , walk about the CBD , shopping centres , stroll along the foreshore , look at the Ghost Fleet in port , ask obvious questions to get the feel of the city and stumble across stories , see obvious signs of small businesses struggling to exist .
The Shipping Reporter was irked by a Townsville Bulletin report about the need to widen the port channel to allow bigger vessels to enter when it referred to an American warship anchored off Magnetic Island . What ship ? When ? Surely it has a name , or was it part of the Ghost Fleet which passes in and out of Townville without the media's steam driven radar and news gathering system picking it up on the busted Kardashian screen .
There was an interesting American guided missile destroyer in port recently , the USS McCampbell , which the local media failed to notice . Our vigilant Shipping Reporter , however, turned in a piece on the vessel which patrols in support and security of the Indo-Pacific region .
