The New Romford Free Press

Category: Local

  • First Meetings Wrapping Up

    First Meetings Wrapping Up

    By Stan Hopewell

    The first meetings are wrapping up at around 1pm as U.S. officials, Peace Force members, and Atlanteans are trickling into the main hall of PFHQ.  The meetings are taking a break for lunch as the Peace Force has laid out a five-star buffet of American and French dishes along with several Atlantean dishes.  The royal couple was not present.

    Reporters were allowed to ask questions after a half-hour lunch.  Senator Jan Holloway wasn’t able to go into too many details but stated that progress was being made.  “Mostly, we’ve been discussing pollution levels so far,” she said.  “We’ve got our numbers, and they have theirs.  Not much has been done just yet.”

    Peace Force member Cloudwalker reiterated much of the same.  “Most of the meetings have been preliminary,” he said.  “We’re getting all of our facts together.  There’s nothing more I can say at the moment, but I feel we’ve started on the right foot.”

    The Atlanteans seem hopeful for their part as well, though understanding their broken English is difficult at times.  The general mood, though, is one of hopeful progress that will continue on throughout the day and onward to Washington tomorrow where King Morn will meet with the President.

    At roughly 2:15 pm, everyone went back inside to continue the meetings.  Reportedly, King Morn and his wife had live octopi brought to them so they could kill the creatures themselves as is their custom.

    More to come later today.

  • PFHQ Abuzz with Activity

    PFHQ Abuzz with Activity

    By Stan Hopewell

    The Peace Force-Atlantis Meeting has gotten underway at Peace Force Headquaters.  The Royal Circle is talking with their counterparts in the U.S. cabinet and state department over hors d’oeuvres in the main hall.  Various members of the Peace Force are chatting with the Atlanteans as well, but Adonis, Titana, and Secretary of State are separated on the balcony with the royal couple.

    The press has been allowed to wander around as this opening hour is left open to the public.  So far, most of the Atlanteans have kept their conversations with reporters brief as many of them aren’t fluent in English.  Aja N’jorna, who is part of the Atlantean city project council, was the best English speaker of the Royal Circle and most open to comment.

    “I believe much good can be done today,” she said.  “Our benevolent King Morn is wise and honorable, and the Peace Force is great force for good.”  Asked about whether she thought the Atlantis Underway could be built, she said, “Yes, I think it can.  Atlantis has wonderful engineers, and you overlanders have the great Dr. Amazing.  There is none reason we cannot build it.”

    After an hour of mingling, Adonis and King Morn called for everyone’s attention from the balcony.  Adonis said, “Thank you everyone for coming.  It is always a great pleasure to have our friends, the Atlanteans, here in our home.”  He spoke for another few minutes, greeting specific members of the Royal Circle, and offered the King a chance to speak.

    “You overlanders have been most gracious to us this day,” said King Morn, “and I thank you.”

    Adonis thanked everyone again and encouraged the press to hang around the main hall until later in the day.  Then, the Peace Force, Atlanteans, and U.S. officials retreated into various hallways and rooms for their meetings.

    More information to come throughout the day.

  • Quinton School for Young Superheroes Blows Up on First Day

    Quinton School for Young Superheroes Blows Up on First Day

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    By Buffy Bolivar

    It couldn’t even last one day.

    The Quinton School for Young Superheroes, which was reopened by the Muskrat yesterday, blew up on its first day of the new semester.  According to eyewitnesses in Carterson, Pop Man attacked the campus with explosive beach balls, one of his new explosive devices.  But the Muskrat, his staff, and his students were able to subdue Pop Man with relative ease.

    Reached for comment, the Muskrat only replied with “No comment,” but did later confirm that all of the students and staff were safe.

    Professor Stratosphere was the only staff member to comment on the attack.  “We should expect this each and every day, honestly,” he said through his filtered globe helmet.  “That’s why I’ve built these buildings out of nanites.  They’ll automatically rebuild themselves after being destroyed, so we should be back to normal in a few days.

    “Well, what passes for ‘normal’ around here anyway.”

    Pop Man was handed over to Britain’s MI666 so he could be returned to Broadspire Prison outside of London, where he escaped from a month ago.

  • King Morn A’Ganor Greeted at Docks

    King Morn A’Ganor Greeted at Docks

    mornpierweb

    By Stan Hopewell

    A little after 9am, the Atlanteans arrived at pier 34 as the M’ranic surfaced from Winston Bay.  Several Atlantean troops, wearing the country’s patented SCOBA devices around their gilled necks, exited the giant ship to form a royal procession for their king.

    Morn A’Ganor, along with his wife, Rosn’elia, exited the M’ranic to greet Adonis and Titana.  They had a small conversation at the pier, and then greeted Mayor Lawrence and the U.S. officials before entering their limousine with some of their Royal Circle.  As the limousine drove down Trevor Rd, King Morn and Queen Rosn’elia waved to the onlookers behind the police barricades.

    The rest of the Royal Circle joined the U.S. officials in their limousines and proceeded to follow the royal couple.  Adonis and Titana flew away to PFHQ while Dr. Amazing wrapped his arms around two light posts and slingshot himself into the air in the form of a bouncing ball.

    The remaining Atlanteans stayed with the M’ranic.  More to come later today from PFHQ.

  • Atlantis-Peace Force Meeting to Begin at 9am

    Atlantis-Peace Force Meeting to Begin at 9am

    By Stan Hopewell

    MornThe Atlantis-Peace Force Meeting is set to start in an hour, and downtown New Romford is abuzz with activity.  The NRPD has barricaded Trevor Rd, 31st St, and 4th Ave to make a clear path for the Atlanteans.  Adonis, Titana, and Dr. Amazing are waiting at the docks to greet King Morn A’Ganor and his Royal Circle, along with Senator Saluzzi and Secretary of State Clinton.  The rest of the Peace Force is waiting at PFHQ.

    Adonis and Titana could not be reached for comment, but Dr. Amazing was able to step away for a few moments.  “I think we can expect a thorough and engaging discussion today,” he said.  “King Morn is a very smart man and always has the best and brightest in his Circle, so I predict a spirited discussion.”

    Asked about the possibility of the Atlantis Underway, Dr. Amazing was excited but subdued.  “This would be an amazing project.  So many ideas and goods could be exchanged with this, but unfortunately, it’s also an expensive endeavor.  We’ll have to see how the government and Atlanteans approach it and go from there.”

    Behind the police barricades are hundreds of onlookers and Atlantean fans, waiting for a glimpse of the Visitors from Down Below.  Several of them are dressed up in Atlantean clothing, some are holding up signs they’ve made (some written in Atlantean), and everyone has their phone or camera out.

    But not everyone is so excited.  Most of the store keepers along Trevor Rd grumbled about the intrusion.  “I have to deal with this every year,” said Sal Coulton.  “Nobody wants to buy my seafood when they’re around.  Everybody thinks it’s their cousins or something.  But guess what?  They eat fish, too.”

    In the rest of New Romford, it’s business as usual when the Atlanteans emerge.  “There’s always something like this going around town,” said Julie McCalister, owner of Floral Dreams, just a few blocks off the barricaded roads.  “Yesterday, it was bug people.  Today, it’s fish people.  I’m sure tomorrow will be some other kind of people.

    “Nothing we can do about it, so we just carry on.  Just another day in New Romford.”

  • Mysterious Thefts Plague Dukes

    Mysterious Thefts Plague Dukes

    By Packie Williams

    On the east end of Dukes, residents are mystified about a rash of thefts that have plagued their borough.  From Cloonyn to the University District to Gray Hills, residents are finding their valuables gone with no apparent signs of a break-in.

    “I was just checking up on some bonds in my personal safe,” said Cloonyn resident Al Shapiro, “and after I opened it, it was there and then it wasn’t.  I know that doesn’t make any sense, but it was like someone was behind me and took them.”  The NRPD checked for fingerprints or other clues and came up empty.

    Similar home thefts were reported in the wealthy neighborhood of August Hills.  At least a dozen residents have lost jewelry, cash, and even gold from their personal safes over the past couple weeks.  What’s even stranger is that their home security cameras show no signs of intruders.  But there appears to be tampering with the camera footage, and only the residents know where their camera’s hard drives are located.

    “I keep mine in a secure location,” said Janice Roberts.  “Only me and my husband know where it is, and the password, and he’s been on a business trip in London for the past month.  I’m at my wits’ end trying to figure out how anyone could do this.”

    Other than tampered security footage, the police have no leads.  So far there have been 19 reported incidents across Dukes, all following a similar pattern.  Residents are urged to keep track of their valuables on a daily basis, invest in motion sensors, and if necessary, hide their valuables someplace where only they can access.

  • Muskrat Reopens the Quinton School for Young Superheroes

    Muskrat Reopens the Quinton School for Young Superheroes

    school
    By Buffy Bolivar

    The infamous Quinton School for Young Superheroes is reopening tomorrow just outside of Carterson after being blown up in a tremendous superhuman battle seven years ago.  But this time, the Headmaster is the Muskrat.

    “People keep asking me if this is real,” the Muskrat said, “and yes, it is.  I know folks don’t think of me as a teacher, but the world needs a place like this for youngsters to go to learn how to be superheroes.  So I just dove in headfirst.”

    The Muskrat, whose real name is unknown, was hardly the first person to think of reopening the school.  Former student, Jed Lankins, a.k.a. Red Eye, tried to reopen it four years ago but ran into legal troubles with the original headmaster Professor George Quinton.  They reportedly had a falling-out, and Quinton refused Lankins’s request.  But the Muskrat was able to convince Quinton to let him reopen the school, and after a few months of construction, it is starting classes tomorrow.

    The campus has been a mess ever since it blew up due to the Mon-Star crash landing in the courtyard from space.  He eventually was beaten by Lankins, the Muskrat, and the rest of the students, but not before claiming several casualties.  This was the fourteenth time the campus had been destroyed in some manner in the school’s storied history.

    The Muskrat believes that this time the school can survive without being blown up.  “It’s going to be tough, sure,” he said.  “But I’m going to learn from the past and upgrade some things that were horribly wide open to destruction.  The main thing is having a safe place for kids to learn how to use their powers.”

    As for how he plans on fitting in his Headmaster duties with his time in the Peace Force, the ATOM Squad, and all of his personal missions, the Muskrat said, “I’ve been doing this for as long as I can remember.  I think I can fit it in just fine.”