Great journalism, IV

``Their drumming was drowned out by loud rock 'n' roll music blasting from what Singingtree discovered to be a loudspeaker mounted in a tree in the Smead's yard, pointed at the teepee, Singingtree said.''

This from another clip having to do with the 1996 Sally Singingtree teepee flap in Amherst, Massachusetts. I wish I had stumbled across my story in which Fred Smead, the disgruntled neighbor, went on the record -- but only after moving to Hadley. Still looking for it -- in my spare time.

Great journalism, III

The drums were loud, I understand. If I had really been doing my job, I would have driven to her house some evening to find out how loud. Just to get a feel for the situation. Eventually, the next-door neighbor whom this bothered so much moved away. Before then he wouldn't speak with me, but after he had relocated to Hadley he gave me an interview. I haven't been able to find that clip.

I doubt if her name was really Singingtree. If her teepee had caught fire, which was the great concern, she would have been singing a different tune. Wah-waah...

They weren't worried about a fire. The situation was just too weird (and loud) for them.