Entertainment: It’s A Wonderful Life celebrating the season Good Life: Latest edition of the magazine loaded with features
Your news leader since 1905
page A17 inside
For all the news of the Cowichan region as it happens, plus stories from around British Columbia, go to our website www.cowichannewsleader.com
Friday, November 22, 2013
Beating violence against women the aim
Art With A Heart: Victim Heidi Mendenhall and friends helping CWAV, Somenos House Peter W. Rusland
News Leader Pictorial
H
eidi Mendenhall thought she was dead. Her drunk boyfriend’s fists kept pounding her, knocking out her front teeth. Some of her scalp was already torn away. He tried drowning Mendenhall in a mud puddle while she began losing consciousness during the 15-minute sidewalk beating. Neighbours heard her screams. They did nothing as Mendenhall passed out. “They actually thought I was dead,” she remembered of the horrific night three years ago. “They were talking about what to do with my body, but I came to.” Somehow, Mendenhall was taken to Cowichan District Hospital. During three weeks recovery, Mendenhall, 35, vowed to help women and girls avoid situations that nearly killed her. She also aims to address the ignorance of apathy during violence against women. “People look away. They think it’s not their business — at least care enough to call the cops; help our community. “I’m strong enough now to help others escape the kind of life I went through,” she said.
“It was like being reborn.” Her biggest step toward ending domestic violence and child abuse is Monday’s non-profit Art With A Heart fundraiser in the Duncan Mall. Mendenhall gained seed money from generous local businesses. Twenty women will see colourful makeup transform their faces into Mexican sugar skulls, images designed by Mendenhall to celebrate brave spirits of various female roles in society: bride, nurse, crying woman, warrior, gay pride. Their magical mugs will be photographed by Lisa Petterson, then grace a $20, 16-month calendar called Beautiful Faces With Voices. Calendars can be ordered Monday during the 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. open-set. Folks can watch models being merrily morphed by hairdressers Tammy Coyston Lloyd and Barb Stevens of Hair at 60 Queens, and Kim Simmonds. Make-up artists are Mendenhall and Lindsay Scribner. Nov. 25 also marks the International Day Against Violence Against Women. It starts 16 days of activism against gender violence as Cowichanians are invited to hang strings of purple lights symbolizing bruises. Monday’s mall pictures will also hang in the arts council’s PORTALS gallery (Island Savings Centre) during a February exhibit-
benefit. Proceeds will go to Cowichan Women Against Violence Society, and women’s safe-haven Somenos House. But before that February display, CWAV stages its Dec. 6 noon vigil at VIU’s Cowichan campus, remembering the 1989 deaths of 14 female students shot at Montreal’s L’Ecole Polytechnique. It was all senseless to open-hearted Mendenhall, a mother of four who had a lousy start. “I was found inside a box in Costa Rica.” Still, she’s proof it’s never too late to reclaim dignity and help others avoid or escape violence and shame. “There are better ways of dealing with violence,” she said of speaking to students in high- and middle schools, plus counseling. “There’s so much pain and suffering, for nothing.” Little justice too, she lamented of her former partner who did about a year in jail. He’s out now. Mendenhall has forgiven, but can’t forget. Memories of her brush with death will hopefully warn other women about guys like him. “Be careful about people you choose to live with, and look into their background history — before committing to them,” she said.
Peter W. Rusland
Heidi Mendenhall with type of ‘sugar skull’ her team will make Monday to help fight abuse of women and children. Cowichan’s rate of violence against women is about double B.C.’s average.
Warmland resident dies after being struck on highway Peter W. Rusland
News Leader Pictorial
submitted
Jimmy Galbraith died in Victoria hospital Tuesday.
D
uncan’s Jimmy Galbraith died in Victoria hospital Tuesday night due to injuries suffered after being hit crossing the Trans-Canada Highway near James Street Monday. Jeff Sherman and Rob Aulis, Warmland House shelter workers, were called to Victoria General Hospital by surgical
staff to identify Galbraith. “They had no idea who he was,” Sherman said after learning of Galbraith’s dire condition. He and Aulis had a hard decision to make about the quality of life left for Galbraith, who suffered shattered legs and ribs, and had a heart attack during surgery. They signed a do-not-resuscitate order and he died at 6:40 p.m. Tuesday. “It was the worst thing I ever had to do,” Sherman said.
Galbraith was a homeless fellow who lived in one of Warmland’s small upstairs suites for about four years. He volunteered at the Duncan food bank for about two years — and staff leashed his colourful language. “He was in charge of our back deck,” said Colleen Fuller, manager of the Cowichan Food Basket. “He made sure people didn’t smoke out there, and he learned not to swear.” Sherman said he’s seen other pedestri-
ans hit, or nearly struck, trying to cross the busy highway between the James Street side and the McDonalds-Tim Hortons strip. That hazardous situation has left him and others demanding a pedestrian overpass. A celebration of life is slated for Galbraith, and fellow Warmland resident Gary Lauzon — who died of cancer in Cowichan hospital Nov. 18 — at 9 a.m. Monday, Nov. 25 in the Duncan Garage Showroom. bchonda.com
2013 Odyssey
Y OLIDA THE H VENT E SALES RE. IS HE
5,000
$
THE ODYSSEY COMES IN 1ST AS VAN OF THE YEAR . CASH PURCHASE INCENTIVE ††
#
2013 RIDGELINE STARTING FROM $36,630** $ INCLUDES , FREIGHT & PDI
bchonda.com
MODEL SHOWN: RL5H9DK
4 000
cash purchase incentive on any Odyssey model.£
ON EVERY 2013 RIDGELINE MODEL
£$4,000 Honda cash purchase incentive is available on select 2013 Odyssey models. Honda cash purchase incentive will be deducted from the negotiated price before taxes and cannot be combined with special lease or finance offers. PPSA, license, insurance, taxes, and other dealer charges are extra and may be required at the time of purchase. †† For more information about the Auto123.com Van of the Year award visit http://www.auto123.com/en/awards/finalist-categories ††/£ Offers valid from July 3rd through 31st, 2013 at participating Honda retailers. Dealer may sell for less. Dealer trade may be necessary on certain vehicles. Offers valid only for British Columbia residents at BC Honda Dealers locations. Offers subject to change or cancellation without notice. Terms and conditions apply. Visit www.bchonda.com or see your Honda retailer for full details.
www.discovery www.discoveryh ††
2013 Auto123.com Van of the Year
Model YK1F5DKNZ
#$5,000 cash purchase incentive available on every 2013 Ridgeline model. Honda cash purchase incentive cannot be combined with special lease or finance offers. Honda cash purchase incentive will be deducted from the negotiated price before taxes. **MSRP is $36,630 based on a new Ridgeline DX YK1F2DEZ including $1,640 freight and PDI. #/ */** Dealer may sell for less. Dealer trade may be required. For all offers license, insurance, applicable taxes and registration are extra. Prices and/or payments shown do not include representative PPSA lien registration and lien registering agent’s fees (fees may vary by province), which are due at time of delivery. Offers valid from November 1st through December 2nd, 2013 at participating Honda retailers. Offers valid only for British Columbia residents at BC Honda Dealers locations. Offers subject to change or cancellation without notice. Terms and conditions apply. Visit www.bchonda.com or see your Honda retailer for full details.
DL#5963
6466 Bell McKinnon Road, Duncan 250-748-5814 BCHD-July-Odyssey-10.306x1.786
www.discoveryhonda.com