Love has been in the air on February 14 since the year 496, and while The Examiner has only covered the event since 1842, stories of love have flooded the date's pages for decades.
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In 1996 Devonport couple David and Betty Hines graced page three of the paper with their story of true love found at Devonport's Meercroft Home for the Aged.
"But it was love at first sight, and if it wasn't, it was at second sight," Mrs Hines said.
That same day Launceston couple Matthew Styles and Regeena Morrison were engaged on the most fitting day on the calendar for love.
"Valentine's Day just seemed the right day," Mr Styles said.
The front page, however, told perhaps an ominous story about the health of kanamaluka / Tamar estuary.
The headline read "Tamar key to tourist influx" and the story detailed how a study had been undertaken which identified $3.6 million dollars in "vital projects" that could be completed on the estuary to help generate $100 million income for Launceston.
The recommendations were to: develop the water edge as a Launceston gateway, establish Low Head as a tourist destination, expand land-based travel options in the valley, strengthen horticultural development and implement a tourism strategy.
Funding for the project was to come from federal, state and local levels of government.
Then Northern Tasmanian Regional Development Board chair Michael Courtney said, "the study exemplifies the total change from a time when the Tamar River was treated with near contempt to now being regarded as an economic resource of real magnitude".
Water was filling the political pork barrel as calls from TT-Line for a Labor re-election so they could run a Bass Strait catamaran service from George Town also made the headlines. At that time the Spirit only made 10 fully booked sailings a year.
In keeping with the aquatic theme, a story about the plight of the much discussed Tasmanian spotted handfish told of concerns about its ongoing existence.
"It has been generally assumed by fisheries managers that it is practically impossible to cause the extinction of any marine fish species," the story said.
More recently, late in 2020, the Tasmanian smooth handfish, another marine fish, was declared extinct.
Who Dares Wins premiered in the 7.30pm on TV, a mobile phone was $229 and a loaf of fresh bread was $1.29.
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