THE BYRON SHIRE ECHO Advertising & news enquiries: Mullumbimby 02 6684 1777 Byron Bay 02 6685 5222 Fax 02 6684 1719 [email protected] [email protected] http://www.echo.net.au VOLUME 21 #30 TUESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2007 22,300 copies every week iÌiÀÌ>iÌ }Õ`iÊ«Ó£ $1 at newsagents only DO NOT READ IN MICROWAVE Police deny unfair targeting of Straight Edge If love could stop you dying… No easy fi x for youth tensions in Byron Shire Story & photo Lou Beaumont music scene. They decide aggressive example. They The youth of the Shire, and not to buy into the negativity believe it doesn’t make any of Australia in general, seem that surrounds so much of sense. to be getting some bad press modern urban life. Tom said, ‘We just want to at the moment. As it is with Their music preference is clear up the name of our life- almost every profession, reli- hardcore, with an image to style. Right now, anyone who gion or generational group, a suit, and according to Tom, has a vaguely hardcore image few bad eggs potentially they choose to abstain from is being pulled aside and has- means the whole basket is violent behaviour, drinking, sled. This is partly due to labelled rotten. As Tom Bur- drugs and negative promis- people using our name inap- rey, 20 years, from Straight cuity. Many come to this propriately. We’ve seen peo- Edge, a youth movement choice to live consciously ple involved in street fi ghts focusing on positive life through prior negative expe- claim to be Straight Edge choices puts it, ‘it’s a bit like riences in their earlier child- when questioned by police ignorant people saying all hood or teenage years. Oth- because they know we are a Muslims are terrorists... just ers just come to see its non-violent group. Byron Bay identity Tony Narracott gets into training for his own wake. Photo Jeff Dawson as not all kids with our image positive influence through ‘All this does is muddy our Mandy Nolan are Straight Edge.’ friends and choose to change name, dilute our principles to him once his diagnosis and I just fell for it, on that Straight Edge, for those of their outlook. and blur the lines between Have you ever been at a wake became public. ‘I have all particular day.’ you as unfamiliar with youth The Straight Edge crew the few people causing trou- for someone you love and these CDs and tapes – it’s A life member of the Byron dialect as I am, is a life choice, want to set the record ble and those who are trying thought, damn, I wish they the fact that they all mean so Bay Chamber of Commerce, just as veganism or vegetari- straight. They say they are to set a positive example. could have been here to see well, that’s what rubs off on Mr Narracott has been an anism is a life choice. Accord- being unfairly targeted and Now we are all being tar- all these people and to hear you and makes you feel good. invaluable community mem- ing to the Straight Edge crew, driven out of Byron by the geted.’ how loved they were? It seems People go on and say we ber who intends to give back they are not a gang and they police. The young men are Bob Tate, 19 years and also such a shame that a celebra- don’t have a community any to the town that he says has are not a cult. It has been a asking how it is that the Straight Edge, said, ‘We just tion for the ones we love hap- more – but they’ve been given him so much. movement with momentum youth in the streets are able want the to cops to know pens when they are no longer coming down from the hills! Tony’s Awakening will be for around 25 years, since to receive a non-violent mes- what’s really going on. We are here. It isn’t going to be that ‘If love could stop you raising funds to go to a char- way for Tony Narracott. This dying than I am going to live ity called the Tony Narracott the arrival of hardcore on the sage when all they see is an continued on page 2 long time Byron Bay resident forever. It’s amazing the feel- Memorial sub-fund which and high profi le community ing I am getting since the operates under the auspice of member has embraced his announcement, it’s just an the Northern Rivers Com- diagnosis with inoperable amazing feeling…’ munity Foundation. Tony lymphatic cancer with posi- ‘Barbara [Tony’s partner] intends the money to go to tivity and is planning one hell thinks it might set off a trend projects for the youth of of a party, or as Tony calls it: where people host their own Byron. ‘an Awakening.’ wake, as long as you have the Mr Narracott is in full sup- ‘I don’t mind dying. Eve- good luck of being warned. I port of a state of the art ryone should experience this, think I am privileged, the skatepark in Byron. I am lucky I have been given death the oncologist ‘As residents in town we this warning. I don’t believe described is beautiful – you never had any problem with them for a minute, I am eat- eat less and less, you sleep a skatepark. It should go up ing well, I have taken notice more and more and one day by the pool. of what they have said and I you don’t wake up, it’s not ‘Up on the Butler Street have all these people popping you that hurts, it’s the people reserve would have been a around with their cures, so you leave behind.’ disaster. That’s a thing that I many people have survived Tony recalls the fi rst time would love to see – The Tony cancer. At the moment I’m he came to Byron. It was love Narracott Skate Park!’ reading Detox or Die – it’s a at fi rst sight. Tony also spoke very highly great book!’ ‘I came in ’72 originally… of the Byron Youth Service Tony has been deeply We went up Lighthouse and the work Paul Spooner Byron Bay residents Tom Burrey, left, and Bob Tate put their faces as covers to the book of the touched by the amount of Road and it was all shut up, has been doing there. He has Straight Edge name in the hope of clearing their reputations. people who have reached out they were all weekenders, continued on page 4 2 January 9, 2007 Byron Shire Echo www.echo.net.au Local News Bruns ‘will not tolerate’ bad behaviour The Brunswick Heads and visiting families have mitted to undertake a full between three boys just out- Chamber of Commerce enjoyed a fun-filled and review and safety audit of the side their house. This was called a meeting last Monday friendly time enjoying the town, and are working in witnessed by the nearby to develop strategies to seaside natural attractions, conjunction with the Depart- crowd and about 60 young address the two incidences of the Carnival, the twilight ment of Lands, Council and men ran over and fought unacceptable behaviour over Christmas celebrations and community groups on ongo- with the three men. the Christmas/New Year the Woodchop Festival. It is ing strategies to ensure that The men, their families, period, which it says marred most unfortunate that the Brunswick remains a safe including all of the children, an otherwise outstanding two incidents that have been place for both locals and were still all outside but had family holiday season in the widely reported in the media visitors. managed to retreat to their Brunswick Heads village. have put a dampener on The incident on New Years front lawn when the crowd Representatives from the things. The fi reworks night at Eve which drew national jumped the Leckie’s fence. Chamber of Commerce, the opening of the Woodchop headlines saw the Leckie Adrian Leckie lost teeth and Progress Association, Byron carnival was a huge success family and friends allegedly Mr Hurst and their friend Shire Holiday Parks Reserve and incident free. bashed by youths in Pelican suffered head injuries during Trust and Byron Shire Coun- ‘Underage drinking in the Park. Around 6pm on New the attack. cillor Dianne Woods were parks and antisocial behav- Years evening the Leckies Local Area Commander advised that the police have iour will not be tolerated in called the police to complain Superintendent Michael jurisdiction and full powers to our village and the commu- of a large young group of Kenny told The Echo that he enforce the ‘no consumption nity is already pulling people drinking alcohol in was confi dent that everything of alcohol’ policy in the fore- together to develop some Pelican Park a couple of hun- that could have been done shore parks between the hours short and long term strate- dred metres from their house. was done. ‘Police began PRECISION DENTURES of 7pm and 7am. The Depart- gies to address the issues.’ Police arrived at the park and investigating the claims ment of Lands has already All minor incidents or rel- the crowd subsequently qui- immediately and canvassing David Stanford Smith erected extra signs in the parks evant safety concerns should etened down. of the area began that Adv Dip. DP (Syd), Dip. DT (Syd) to reinforce this message.