TUESDAY FEBRUARY 26, 2013
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GENERALS GO FOUR AND OUT
YOUR GUIDE TO THE GLASSIES NOMINEES
A27
B3
March 1 is the big night for Parksville’s Community Awards
Local junior B team’s season ends Sunday at Oceanside Place
KNOX UNITED SUPPORTS LGBT COMMUNITY
Church opens diverse doors Parksville church only fourth on Vancouver Island to make this move LISSA ALEXANDER
reporter@pqbnews.com
A church celebration in Parksville on Sunday may have seemed unusual to some, but not to members of Knox United Church, who say they are simply taking their support for the lesbain, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community to the next level. “We think you need to be really open about it and intentional about saying, yes we really mean it, we’re inclusive, we believe in diversity and we think it’s necessary to be public and say here’s the sign,” said Wendy Reimer, a member of the Knox United Church congregation and chair of the Affirming Team. Sunday was Knox’s official celebration marking the decision to join Affirm United, a justice-oriented organization of people in the United Church of Canada formed in 1982 to support individual lesbian and gay members of the church and to advocate for their full inclusion. The Affirming Ministries Program was launched in 1992, helping congregations declare themselves fully inclusive.
See IDEA, page A3
Stilwell responds JOHN HARDING
editor@pqbnews.com
Michelle Stilwell says becoming an MLA is not about experience. In an e-mail exchange from Australia, the Paralympic champion and B.C. Liberal candidate for the Parksville Qualicum constituency answered questions from The NEWS about criticism she has received in letters to the editor pages and other forums regarding her lack of political experience. “Some may say I lack experience, but becoming MLA is not about experience — it is having the ability to understand, work with people who agree and disagree, all for the betterment of our community,” Stilwell wrote. “I have the skills and experience required to be a strong representative for our community.” See STILWELL, page A5
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NEIL HORNER PHOTO
Bonita Carey shows the carcass of a dead beaver she found in a ditch at the side of Errington Road Friday. See story page A7.
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