http://www.mmhelsen.com Writing & Photography Portfolio Sun, 09 May 2010 17:24:41 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en By next Thursday, you will have earned enough income to pay for all of the food you’ll consume this year. In a world where many people are going hungry or paying more each day for scarcer food, Canadians are fortunate to have access to a wide variety of healthy, inexpensive ... http://www.mmhelsen.com/?p=189 Sitting in the winter light coming in through the window of Joe's Cafe on Commercial Drive, Eduardo Cruz searches for words. He has been talking about friends he lost to torture and execution in Chile in the 1970s. He tells their stories, he says, "to keep the dead alive." He ... http://www.mmhelsen.com/?p=99 Abdel Babker likes long drives. He likes to move around, to not be still for too long. Any given day of the week he'll hop in his car and drive from his home in Windsor to Toronto to run some errands and then pass through London to check in on ... http://www.mmhelsen.com/?p=28 The Sugar Kings exacted sweet revenge over the Cambridge Winter Hawks this week, making up for last year's outcome by claiming the Cherrey Cup. Elmira went into the Galt Arena Gardens Apr. 5 up 3-2 in the conference final, and posted a 6-1 win to take the trophy from the defending ... http://www.mmhelsen.com/?p=153 Elmira netminder Kyle Knechtel makes the initial save on a hard shot from the point, watching as the puck drifts wide of the net. He had to be sharp as the Kings needed two overtime periods to defeat the Stratford Cullitons Wednesday night in game one of their playoff series. http://www.mmhelsen.com/?p=147 Conestogo firefighters quickly contained a vehicle fire on Crowsfoot Road, near Katherine Street, Thursday morning. Mechanical failure was pegged as the cause. No one was injured.   (Observer, April 19, 2008) http://www.mmhelsen.com/?p=59 Elmira’s Kyle McNeil directs the puck toward the Siskins Nov.19, 2008. The Kings won 7-5. (Observer, 2008) http://www.mmhelsen.com/?p=57 Lancer Emeka Agada heads downfield while trying to avoid pursuit in junior football action at EDSS Oct. 25. Elmira won 39-0 over the St. Mary's Eagles.  (Appeared in the Observer October 27, 2007) http://www.mmhelsen.com/?p=123 Waterloo City councillor Ian McLean, with his daughter Hannah in hand, takes a shot at the pancake-flipping contest, one of the draws at the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival that drew some 70,000 visitors Mar. 31. See pages 18-19 for more pictures.  (Appeared in the Observer, April 7, 2007). http://www.mmhelsen.com/?p=121 When most of us look back at the biggest newsmakers of 2005, a number of human tragedies are likely to come to mind: Hurricane Katrina, the earthquake in Pakistan, and the recovery efforts following the Tsunami in southeast Asia. But few are likely to point to the continued government-backed slaughter ... http://www.mmhelsen.com/?p=30