TUESDAY
CANUCKS BUY AHL TEAM
A B B O T S F O R D
APRIL 2, 2013
BEST NEWSPAPER of the YEAR 2012
Purchase fuels rumours that Vancouver’s AHL affiliate will replace Heat in Abbotsford A3
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$25 million in road, overpass projects
Costs to be shared to improve border access, cross rail tracks on Vye A3
Jasper’s Basketball star shares his battle with mental illness
CHARITIES DUMPED ON
journey
A3 Junk dropped off after-
hours is causing non-profit organizations clean-up costs
YMCA BACK ON AGENDA
A6 Controversial project once
again the focus of a delegation before council next week
DAN KINVIG Abbotsford News
Jasper Moedt, who rose to basketball stardom locally at Yale Secondary and UFV, struggled with depression and suicidal thoughts after an adverse reaction to medication following shoulder surgery last spring. Dan KINVIG Abbotsford News
In mid-June of last year, during a vacation in Mexico, Jasper Moedt awoke at sunrise and tiptoed up the stairs to the roof of his hotel. It was clear and sunny, with just a hint of a breeze. The 22-year-old was in his swimming trunks, and the rooftop hot tub bubbled invitingly. But he walked past and hoisted his 6’7” frame onto the cement wall bordering the roof. His feet were longer than the wall was wide, and his toes curled over the edge. Three storeys below, people were on the sidewalk. They didn’t seem to notice him.
He was seriously considering stepping off. For the better part of three months, his emotional state had swung from crippling depression to exhilarating euphoria. He couldn’t understand what was wrong, nor could he bring himself to share it with anyone. They’d think he was crazy. That he was even up on the ledge was a surprise to him, given his fear of heights. But the struggle for equilibrium had worn him down and had given way to utter hopelessness. A small gust of wind blew. Maybe if it blew hard enough, he thought, it would make the decision for me. He lingered on the edge for maybe five min-
utes, but it felt like an hour. He was sweating, even though it wasn’t hot enough for that yet. His hands shook, then his body began to shudder. It wasn’t until he heard a young couple making their way up the stairs that he snapped out of his reverie and stepped back to safety. ❑ ❑ ❑ Moedt was the kind of bright kid who could almost make you buy into the notion of youthful invincibility. An imposing presence at 6’7”, 240 pounds, he was a friendly giant – gregarious, articulate, easy-smiling, easygoing. Continued on A4
TICKETS REFUNDED
A5 Fined for running a raffle
without a licence, a local soccer club is refunding money from lottery sales
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We will give away a bike on May 1st *When you redeem any quantity of deposit beverage containers - Limited to 1 entry per person per day. 1 bike drawn at each location (5 bikes total). Bike models awarded are not necessarily as shown and may vary for each location - Regional Recycling reserves the right to choose which bike model is given to each winner.