Jude Grass and other avid birders will be scanning their backyards for feathered friends next weekend, in the Great Backyard Bird Count. Photo by Dan Toulgoet.

Bird's eye view
Shortly after Christmas, Jude Grass was compiling numbers for a Ladner bird count when the chirping sounds outside her kitchen window suddenly stopped.
 

Pound expanding to meet dog demand
The city pound is getting an extra 16 pens to deal with an overcrowding problem that's forced the facility to double up dogs in pens in some cases over the past few months.
 

Green vows to get tough on shady businesses
Councillor Jim Green wants the city to investigate all Downtown Eastside businesses suspected of breaking the law.
 

Quaint Kerrisdale likes it that way
The city should create a special zoning to preserve Kerrisdale's village feel, says a local businessman.
 

Supreme Court gives teachers more ammo in class size fight
A Supreme Court ruling has bolstered the B.C. Teachers' Federation's efforts to have class-size caps reinstated in their collective agreements.
 

Harbour Commission opts out of Eburne Park plan
Those hoping for a new Fraser River park in Marpole found out this week that not only has the park been scrapped, an offer of cash in lieu of parkland is off the table.
 

Officials ponder fate of Charles Dickens
Knocking down Sir Charles Dickens elementary and rebuilding would be $2 million cheaper than upgrading it, according to a feasibility study revealed at a planning and facilities committee meeting Tuesday.
 

Kids getting burned by carelessness
The largest number of kids who ended up in local hospitals with burns in recent years were scalded by hot drinks, water or food pulled off stoves or counters, according to statistics released by the British Columbia Professional Fire Fighters' Burn Fund.
 

Company for singles
Single on Valentine's Day? You don't have to be alone, says the founder of a local singles club that's been operating in the Vancouver area for more than 16 years.
 

Animal blood bank looking for a few good dogs and cats
There's no better time than Valentine's Day to find your best friend's type, says a local doctor.
 

Drivers smash each other's windows in tit-for-tat road rage incident
The city saw its latest road rage incident Monday night, when an 18-year-old man allegedly fired a "pen gun" at a moving car and later smashed two of its windows with the butt end of a knife.