Red Deer Advocate, February 03, 2014

SHORT-HANDED

HEROIN SUSPECTED Philip Seymour Hoffman found dead in New York apartment

The Red Deer Rebels gave up nine power-play chances in a 4-2 loss to the Tri-City Americans on Saturday

A11

SPORTS — PAGE B1

Red Deer Advocate MONDAY, FEB. 3, 2014

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Dispatch deal near?

MAYOR ‘CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC’ CITY, PROVINCE WILL COME UP WITH A SOLUTION

BY RENÉE FRANCOEUR ADVOCATE STAFF A proposal from the province could be a game changer in the ongoing fight to keep regional ambulance dispatch in Red Deer.

The City of Red Deer announced

late Friday evening it “may retain ambulance dispatch” after the provincial government indicated it has a plan to put forward to the mayors of Red Deer, Lethbridge, Peace River and Fort McMurray sometime before the end of the month.

Alberta’s original plans called for the centralization of ambulance

dispatch services to three locations, meaning Red Deer would be served by the Calgary dispatch service in the future.

For Mayor Tara Veer, talk of a new proposal illustrates a step in the right direction.

“I was pleased to hear the province is entertaining some reconsideration

of their intent of consolidation. I’m also cautiously optimistic that we’ll be able to come up with a workable solution,” Veer said on Saturday.

Veer has no other details about what the proposal might entail as of yet.

Please see DISPATCH on Page A2

BRONCO BUSTIN’

HOMELESSNESS

Churches launching support program

BY RENÉE FRANCOEUR ADVOCATE STAFF Red Deer churches are pulling together to do their part in the community plan to end homelessness.

Representatives from an array of PLURA (Presbyterian, Lutheran, United, Roman Catholic and Anglican) churches are preparing to launch sometime within the next few months the Welcome Home project, a volunteer-based program to support individuals and families who have been recently designated housing as they adjust to life off the streets or out of previous inadequate housing.

Photo by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Seattle Seahawks’ Russell Okung kisses the Lombardi Trophy after the NFL Super Bowl XLVIII football game Sunday in East Rutherford, N.J. The Seahawks thrashed the Denver Broncos 43-8. See related stories on pg. B1.

Please see PROGRAM on Page A2

Blindness no barrier to avid skier

BY RENÉE FRANCOEUR ADVOCATE STAFF Charlie Wirth isn’t just a 92 year-old cross-country skier. He’s a savvy, blind 92-year-old cross-country skier with no intention of turning in his skies anytime soon.

Wirth flies up to Alberta from his home in Tinton Falls, N.J., on almost a biyearly basis to ski with an old friend, Krisandra Rafa of Blackfalds.

Rafa, who has been cross-country skiing for 25 years, acts as his guide on the trails, navigating them through more challenging terrain.

The pair met seven years ago at the William Watson Lodge in Kananaskis during the Ski for Light Canada event, an outreach program of Sons of Norway that matches up visually impaired cross-country skiers with sight-

WEATHER 30% flurries. High -17. Low -28.

FORECAST ON A2

ed guides for a week of skiing, training sessions and social events.

They continue to take part in Ski for Light, which brings out about 40 to 50 people with vision impairments, every other year, and this winter marks Wirth’s third time in Central Alberta to visit Rafa.

“I’d heard about the Canadian program from a friend who suggested it and thought I’d give it a try,” said Wirth, who also takes part in the American event and from time to time the Norwegian equivalent of Ski for Light.

Rafa, who had decided to volunteer to be a guide after a friend told her about Ski for Light, caught sight of Wirth after the banquet on her first night in Kananaskis and introduced herself.

“I saw him sitting in the dining area alone and here I was on a nice sofa by the fireplace so I invited him to sit by

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me and we just started chatting and hit it off. He said to me later, ‘I sure hope you’re my guide tomorrow.’ So we made that happen,” Rafa said.

They’ve been skiing together, side by side, ever since.

Wirth, a retired advertising salesman for medical journals, said he had vision problems even as a young child but it wasn’t until the 1970s that he went completely blind.

“Before, I did some downhill skiing in my thirties. I tried downhill again after I fully lost my sight and on the fourth day of trying that I fell and tore a knee ligament.

“It’s fine now and gives me no problems but I thought it’d be best to get away from that activity so I tried crosscountry skiing out. That was 15 years ago.”

Please see SKI on Page A2

Lacombe wants to expropriate land for upgrade

BY PAUL COWLEY ADVOCATE STAFF The City of Lacombe has taken the unusual step of applying to expropriate land from a property owner.

About 3.6 acres of farmland, located partly within city boundaries and partly within Lacombe County, is needed to upgrade 34th Street.

Both city and county want to pave and upgrade the route to form a ring road connection, diverting commercial traffic from the busy intersection at Hwys 12 and 2A.

Please see LAND on Page A2

Assad regime aircraft pound Aleppo Syrian government aircraft unleashed a wave of airstrikes on at least a dozen neighbourhoods on Sunday.

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A2 RED DEER ADVOCATE Monday, Feb. 3, 2014

Wild horse capture begins SUNDRE — The capture of some of Alberta’s wild horses has begun, according to aerial images.

Photographers flying over the Willow Creek area

near Sundre report seeing piles of hay laid out at capture sites.

Last week the province approved the capture of up to 200 feral horses because it says they are an invasive species and cause damage to the environment.

While some of the horses will be kept for breeding, others will be slaughtered.

Those campaigning against the slaughter say they will start “counter-baiting” on the weekend to lure the horses away from the capture sites.

STORIES FROM PAGE A1

DISPATCH: Proposal

PROGRAM: Community Welcome Home, spearheaded by Rev. Linda Ervin, the lead minister for Sunnybrook United Church, matches local volunteers with newly housed people to help them feel less isolated in their new neighbourhood.

“Our goal is to build a sense of community and for them to know they’re not alone in this transition . . .

Moving into a home is difficult, so we want to accompany that person and go out for coffee together, to the movies, out for walks, talk about how to take care of monthly bills,” Ervin said.

Two volunteers will be assigned to one newly-housed Linda Ervin person or family and will receive a small stipend from Welcome Home’s budget to contribute to activities.

The project is being funded largely on a grant from the City of Red Deer for around $38,000. Women’s Outreach is also involved and will be taking care of the project’s books.

Welcome Home will kick off as a pilot project sometime in the next few months, Ervin said, and work with six individuals/families and 12 volunteers, who undergo extensive training.

“We’re going to start off small and see how it goes and, hopefully, then we will expand after the first year, depending on volunteers,” she said.

They need more volunteers and are preparing to hire a part-time volunteer co-ordinator. It will be the only paid position for Welcome Home.

Ervin said she hopes to have things up and running by no later than June.

“This program will provide an additional resource to the city in reaching the city’s goal of providing housing first as part of its plan to end homelessness,” Ervin said.

“The value in it is people will be connecting cross culturally, across economic lines, so they’re breaking down barriers and I think out of that comes healthier communities.”

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Photo by RENÉE FRANCOEUR/Advocate staff

Krisandra Rafa, right, of Blackfalds guides 92 year-old Charlie Wirth, who is blind, along the trails to Heritage Ranch in Red Deer on Sunday.

A Welcome Home program in Edmonton, run by Catholic Social Services, has been underway for the past two years and reports a 80 per cent success rate.

In one example of how the program is making a difference, Ervin said two volunteers helped an Edmonton man who had recently bought a computer beyond his means.

“The support people went back to the place where he has purchased the computer and pushed and pushed and were able to resolve the issue, bringing the price down so that it was easier for him to pay on a fixed income. If they hadn’t been with him, he probably would be out on the street again.”

Ervin said she hopes Welcome Home also opens up communication in the community and encourages more people to start asking questions about why people are poor, putting an end to a culture of blaming the individuals.

“When you’re poor for so long and you don’t have any support, what do you do? Where do you go? Often, people give up and we don’t want people to give up. So many people get into housing and then they leave. Now, we’re trying to provide a resource. That’s why this Welcome Home project makes sense.”

Anyone interested in volunteering with Welcome Home can contact Ervin at 403-347-6073 or by email at lindaervin@sunnybrookunited.org rfrancoeur@reddeeradvocate.com

SKI: Stays active It was a smooth jump, even without the help of his eyes, as he already knew about the crucial snow plowing and herringbone techniques, Wirth said.

“It keeps me active and gives me something to do as my wife has passed on and we had no children,” he said. “There’s no race. It’s easy and relaxing; you’re in nature and you can stop and listen to the birds whenever you want.”

“Yes, Charlie’s been known to hug a tree or two along the trails,” Rafa added with a laugh.

On top of skiing every winter, sometimes eight to 10 km a day, Wirth swims lanes for an hour two to three times a week and hikes, bikes and kayaks in the summer . He’s also a big believer in taking the stairs every time he leaves his apartment on the seventh floor of his building.

As Rafa and Wirth hit the trail to Heritage Ranch in Red Deer on Sunday in preparation for Ski for Light (which starts this week), one passerby called out to Wirth, “What’s your secret?”

Rafa laughed and said that maybe it has something to do with Wirth (who turns 93 next month) drinking little more than one cup of water per day.

“No but in all seriousness, he has such a great

Numbers are unofficial.

WEATHER LOCAL TODAY

TONIGHT

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

HIGH -17

LOW -28

HIGH -21

HIGH -20

HIGH -11

30% chance of flurries.

Partly cloudy.

Sunny.

Sunny. Low -21.

Sunny. Low -29.

REGIONAL OUTLOOK Calgary: today, 60% flurries. High -18. Low -23.

Olds, Sundre: today, 60% flurries. High -16.

Low -27.

Rocky, Nordegg: today, 30% flurries.

High -17. Low -29.

Banff: today, 60% flurries. High -16. Low -27.

Jasper: today, 30% flurries. High -15. Low

sense of humour and he’s so witty. He lives in the present and it’s just so easy to fall in love with him,” she said later.

The feeling is mutual and Wirth jokes that the only reason he really keeps coming to Canada is because Rafa is “so lovely in every way,” much like a daughter he never had. rfrancoeur@reddeeradvocate.com

LAND: No deal to buy it Expropriation is typically a last resort for municipalities when negotiations to buy land have failed.

Norma MacQuarrie, Lacombe chief administrative officer, said there have been efforts to purchase the land made by both municipalities without success.

“Certainly we were looking for sign-off from the landowner and that was not forthcoming,” she said.

“There’s been no reasons given as to why.

“All I can say is that we made every effort to come to an agreement in terms of a design that was acceptable and we just weren’t able to do that.”

County commissioner Terry Hager said his municipality first tried to buy the land around 2005-06, but could not seal a deal because of drainage and access issues.

Efforts to buy the land were put on the back burner for a number of years before county council agreed in December to the city acquiring an interest in the land.

The land is needed as part of a $5.9-million project that is being funded by both the city and county.

Land acquisition was listed as a $250,000 cost in a report last year to Lacombe County.

“We need to take land just to widen the road and upgrade the road,” said MacQuarrie. “It’s certainly gravel standard today and we have plans to upgrade it to a paved standard with the necessary drainage ditches.

“The intent is this will serve as the first leg of the ring road for Lacombe,” she said.

It will take traffic from Hwy 2A through industrial areas and then connect to Hwy 12 so heavy traffic can continue east without going through the busy downtown intersection.

City council approved a resolution last week to send a notice to the landowners, listed as Darrell Gerry Paul and Sherron Joy Paul, that the city intends to expropriate the land, about 2.6 acres of which is within Lacombe boundaries.

Once an expropriation request is filed, landowners have a chance to file an objection with the province. An inquiry may be held to hear from both sides.

Landowners could not be reached for comment. pcowley@reddeeradvocate.com

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She heard about the forthcoming proposal from a Friday meeting with Cal Dallas, MLA for Red Deer South, and the province’s International and Intergovernmental Relations minister.

Dallas told her the city could soon expect a call from Alberta Health Minister Fred Horne, and Veer said she is on standby, waiting to set up that meeting.

“The only indication about the proposal we’ve been given is that there is a strong possibility Red Deer may be able to retain some aspects of regional ambulance dispatch. Specifics as to what that may entail will have to wait for the meeting with Minister Horne,” Veer said.

The local emergency service provides ambulance and fire service to an estimated 320,000 regional citizens each year. The city provides fire dispatch to 70 municipalities and ambulance dispatch to eight municipalities.

“Ambulance dispatch is essential to our ability to provide a strong, integrated fire and ambulance and emergency response and we’ve been consistent in that message and we will continue to be resolute in that message,” Veer said. “We’ve had an ongoing working relationship with the government in terms of expressing our concerns, and my hope is that we’ll come up with an alternative to what their original intent was in consolidation.”

Horne was in Red Deer on Jan. 23 and said discussions were still underway at the time but that they were looking at various options after a number of other municipalities with integrated emergency services asked him to reconsider the decision as well.

The call to centralize ambulance dispatch stemmed from recommendations in a Health Quality Council of Alberta report in early March 2013 related to the 911 system and overall emergency management system. rfrancoeur@reddeeradvocate.com

RED DEER ADVOCATE Monday, Feb. 3, 2014 A3

Glue controls dust on oilsands roads

BY THE CANADIAN PRESS CALGARY — The dust clouds made it difficult to see and breathe as the big trucks rumbled along access roads at Suncor Energy Inc.’s MacKay River oilsands site.

Suncor’s traditional dust control strategy of spraying water from a truck just wasn’t working. In fact, it was an act of futility. On a hot summer day, the liquid would evaporate within 15 minutes.

So Canada’s largest energy company (TSX:SU) enlisted the help of General Electric to get its dust problem under control using a glue of sorts to bind the particles together.

The result has been smoother, safer roads at its operations in northeastern Alberta, along with reductions in water and fuel use.

Gwen Morgen says when she took on the job of maintenance co-ordinator at MacKay River in 2011 she knew something had to change.

“I realized very quickly that this was not sustainable and we also were not getting the results that we were wanting in terms of performance.”

In 2012, the company tested out the new method, which uses a byproduct of pulp and paper manufacturing to make the dirt stay put.

“The results were quite outstanding, actually. We were pleasantly surprised,” said Morgen.

The organic and biodegradable compound was used throughout the entire site in 2013 and Morgen says she’s had rave reviews from staff on site.

“They love it. It makes the roads so much smoother,” she said.

The partnership involves more than GE just selling the dust-busting glue to Suncor. The two have worked out a dust control program which also includes road maintenance tailored to Suncor’s specific needs.

“We actually go there, look at their roads, look at their conditions of the material on the road bed, look at their traffic, their weather conditions and then we develop a program,” said Jeniffer Brown, GE’s global lead product applications specialist.

GE has a business unit dedicated to dust control at industrial sites around the world, including mines and power plants.

The old water-spraying technique,

CANADA

BRIEFS

Fatal collision near Sundre A senior is dead after a collision with a semi-trailer on Saturday morning near Sundre.

Sundre RCMP say a 67-year-old man was travelling south on Range Road 44, near Township Road 334 north of Hwy 27 when his pickup collided with a northbound transport truck around 10:40 a.m.

“The man saw the approaching semi-truck and he moved over to the side of the road to allow extra room for them to pass each other. Unfortunately he moved over a little bit too far and his tires caught the edge of the road and he started to become sucked into the ditch. He tried to correct that and when his vehicle did come out of the ditch, it crossed the road into the path of the oncoming semi-truck,” said Const. Abram Letkeman.

The man, who lived in the Sundre area, died at the scene.

The male driver of the semi was not injured. Police say he tried to avoid the pickup but was unable to do so.

The semi was loaded with water.

“The road did have icy patches however the contributing factor to this collision was he moved over a little bit too far,” Letkeman said.

Alcohol and speed were not factors in the crash. No charges are pending.

The name of the man in the pickup will not be released until all family members have been notified.

Wiarton Willie forecasts six more weeks of winter WIARTON, Ont. — Canada’s major prognosticating rodents provided a split decision on whether the country is in for an early spring or six more weeks of winter.

Ontario’s Wiarton Willie emerged from his cozy den Sunday morning and immediately spotted his shadow, which according to groundhog folklore means Canadians can expect six more weeks of what has already been a long, cold, snowy winter.

Nova Scotia’s Shubenacadie Sam was the first groundhog out, delivering a promising forecast for winter weary Canucks after he did not see his shadow — signalling an early spring.

In Wiarton, Ont., Willie’s verdict didn’t stop the festivities from getting into full swing despite more than 20 centimetres of snow being dumped on the small town of about 2,300 this weekend. Bagpipers, town criers and the groundhog’s “shadow cabinet” of sharply dressed advisers in bright purple suits helped Willie make his prediction.

Wiarton Mayor John Close and Groundhog Day festival founder Mac Mackenzie were on hand to help announce Willie’s verdict in front of hundreds of eager onlookers from across the province.

The crowd chanted “Wake up Willie!” as the albino groundhog stood perched in his plexiglass cage overlooking the crowd, as two traditionally dressed town criers rang bells and an-

Photos by THE CANADIAN PRESS

The untreated road at MacKay River (left) and the MacKay River road following the GE-Suncor Dust Suppression Treatment (right). Canada’s largest energy company enlisted the help of General Electric to get its dust problem under control using a glue of sorts to bind the particles together. in addition to not being particularly effective, can also damage roads, said Brown.

“If you go on an unpaved road during very heavy rainy season, it creates a lot of potholes, so you create a safety issue on the road,” she said.

“So watering frequently generates those problems as well.”

Now, with less wear and tear on the roads, repairs involving heavy equipment like graders need to be done less frequently, Brown added.

In the past, Suncor would send an average of five water trucks a day along its roads to keep the dust down.

Now, only one truck is needed.

The result has been an 85 per cent reduction in water use for this purpose, saving 136 million litres of water annually. It’s also cut diesel use by 70,000 litres, resulting in 190 fewer tonnes of carbon dioxide from enternounced his arrival in anticipation of the prediction.

Prostitution bill to be introduced ‘well before’ December deadline: MacKay HALIFAX — Justice Minister Peter MacKay says the government will introduce its new prostitution legislation well ahead of a December deadline.

Speaking in Halifax, MacKay said Ottawa has already started to draft the legislation, but more consultations must happen with police and provincial governments.

He wouldn’t say when the bill would be introduced, but vowed that it would be “well before” the one-year time frame it was given.

The Supreme Court of Canada struck down the country’s anti-prostitution laws late last year, ruling that laws banning street soliciting, living on the avails and keeping a brothel are unconstitutional.

But the court gave the government a year to come up with a new legislative umbrella before the ruling comes in force.

Law that strips certain Canadian expats of voting rights to be debated in court TORONTO — Two Canadians who are challenging a law that strips voting rights from expatriates who have lived abroad for more than five years expect their case to be heard in court this week.

Gillian Frank and Jamie Duong, who live in the U.S., were shocked to learn of the five-year rule when they tried to cast their ballots in the 2011 federal election.

In an effort to combat what they see as an affront on their citizenship, the pair launched a legal challenge against the federal government nearly two years ago, arguing the rule in the Canada Elections Act is arbitrary, unreasonable and should be struck down as unconstitutional.

“Having a say in the government, having my full citizenship reinstated is absolutely vital to me,” Frank told The Canadian Press in an interview ahead of the three-day hearing, which begins Monday in Ontario Superior Court.

“I believe the Canadian government continues to affect me and it will affect me when I return home one day.”

Frank, a history professor at Princeton University in New Jersey, moved to the U.S. in 2001 to get his PhD and stayed on as his studies led to a job.

Despite living in the States for years, the 35-year-old, who grew up in Toronto and served in the Canadian military, said he has “deep ties” to Canada.

He follows Canadian news closely, visits regularly and plans to move back when he can find a suitable job.

“I’ve applied to every Canadian job available in my field but there’s been less than 10 of those,” said Frank. “The moment there’s a job in Canada that I get in my career I would snatch it.”

The federal government has argued the current law helps strike a balance.

ing the atmosphere.

The partnership with GE is part of a wider Suncor effort to reduce water use at its oilsands operations — one of the major environmental concerns associated with that type of energy development.

According to the Pembina Institute, an environmental think-tank, producing one barrel of bitumen from an oilsands mine requires 2.4 barrels of fresh water, after accounting for recycled water.

Suncor is expecting to produce between 400,000 and 430,000 barrels of crude per day from the oilsands this year.

Suncor has been working on cutting the volume of wastewater that sits in enormous tailings ponds, which also include sand, clay and residual bitumen. About a year ago, it began sending 10,000 cubic metres per day of tail-

ings water from its base oilsands mining operations to be used at its steamdriven Firebag project, according to its 2013 Report on Sustainability.

A $150-million wastewater treatment facility is also expected to start up this year, further reducing the amount of water it needs to draw from the Athabasca River.

Simon Dyer of the Pembina Institute said he’s urging the Alberta government to put regulations in place that would prevent energy companies from withdrawing water from the Athabasca River during low-flow times.

“Suncor has done good work in terms of lowering its water use per barrel,” he said. “But from a cumulative perspective, the amount of water withdrawn from the river is going to continue to increase as a result of increased production with all the industry there.”

Manitoba government rejects call to fund all-day kindergarten

BY THE CANADIAN PRESS WINNIPEG — The Manitoba government is resisting calls to fund allday kindergarten despite a push from school trustees and more than a decade’s worth of largely supportive research compiled by its own staff.

Documents obtained by The Canadian Press through freedom-of-information laws show the NDP has been building a file on all-day kindergarten since first being elected almost 15 years ago. The research shows children in all-day kindergarten have better language, social and communication skills.

One briefing note for the education minister in September 2013 summarized research from Ontario, which is phasing in all-day kindergarten.

“Overall, students in full-day kindergarten are better prepared to enter Grade 1 and to be more successful in school,” reads the note. “In every area, students improved their readiness for Grade 1 and accelerated their development.”

Full-day kindergarten exists in seven provinces and territories across Canada, the note states. A poll conducted by the department shows 61 per cent of those surveyed in Manitoba wanted full-day kindergarten to be a government priority, it adds.

A briefing note from 2001 summarizing a full-day pilot project said parents of kindergarten-aged children felt the program “had a positive effect on their children’s educational experience.”

“Even parents who originally had

concerns about the project are now in favour of it.”

Education Minister James Allum says the benefits of all-day kindergarten aren’t clear even with all the research on the topic.

“I think it’s fair to say that the jury is still out on the entire value of fullday kindergarten, either from an academic stance, an emotional stance or a social stance,” he said recently.

It’s a very costly initiative, Allum added. Instead, he said, the province has chosen to put its money toward reducing class sizes from kindergarten to Grade 3.

“In government, you are required to make difficult choices. For us, the real key was trying to ensure that teachers and students get more one-on-one time from K to three,” he said. “It’s important for us to finish that process ... before we begin to introduce some new ideas into the picture.”

Some school boards in Manitoba do offer all-day kindergarten, but they don’t receive funding from the province to support it. The Manitoba School Boards Association formally called on the government to fund those schools boards that wish to offer a full-time program, but were rebuffed.

“School boards are given the option of scheduling kindergarten in a manner best suited to local needs,” several briefing documents repeatedly note through the years.

The department’s early child education unit is working with two Manitoba school divisions to analyze the impact of their full-day kindergarten programs.

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MONDAY, FEB. 3, 2014

Tracing nuclear fallout An Internet search turns up an astounding number of pages about radiation from Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant meltdown that followed an earthquake and tsunami in March 2011.

But it’s difficult to find credible information.

One reason is that government monitoring of radiation and its effects on fish stocks appears to be limited.

According to the Woods Hole DAVID Oceanographic SUZUKI Institution, “No U.S. government or international agency is monitoring the spread of low levels of radiation from Fukushima along the West Coast of North America and around the Hawaiian Islands.”

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s most recent food testing, which includes seafood, appears to be from June 2012. Its website states, “FDA has no evidence that radionuclides from the Fukushima incident are present in the U.S. food supply at levels that

SCIENCE

would pose a public health concern.

This is true for both FDA-regulated food products imported from Japan and U.S. domestic food products, including seafood caught off the coast of the United States.”

The non-profit Canadian Highly Migratory Species Foundation has been monitoring Pacific troll-caught albacore tuna off the B.C. coast. Its 2013 sampling found “no residues detected at the lowest detection limits achievable.”

The B.C. Centre for Disease Control website assures us we have little cause for concern about radiation from Japan in our food and environment.

Websites for Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency yield scant information.

But the disaster isn’t over.

Despite the Japanese government’s claim that everything is under control, concerns have been raised about the delicate process of removing more than 1,500 nuclear fuel rod sets, each containing 60 to 80 fuel rods with a total of about 400 tonnes of uranium, from Reactor 4 to a safer location, which is expected to take a year.

Some, including me, have speculated another major earthquake could spark a new disaster. And Reactors 1, 2 and 3 still have tonnes of molten radioactive fuel that must be cooled with a

constant flow of water.

A radioactive plume is expected to reach the West Coast sometime this year, but experts say it will be diluted by currents off Japan’s east coast and, according to the Live Science website, “the majority of the cesium-137 will remain in the North Pacific gyre — a region of ocean that circulates slowly clockwise and has trapped debris in its centre to form the Great Pacific Garbage Patch — and continue to be diluted for approximately a decade following the initial Fukushima release in 2011.”

With the lack of data from government, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is asking the public for help. In January, Ken Buesseler, senior scientist and director of the Center for Marine and Environmental Radioactivity at the U.S.-based non-profit, launched a fundraising campaign and citizen science website to collect and analyze seawater along North America’s West Coast.

“Whether you agree with predictions that levels of radiation along the Pacific Coast of North America will be too low to be of human health concern or to impact fisheries and marine life, we can all agree that radiation should be monitored, and we are asking for your help to make that happen,” Buesseler said in a news release.

Participants can help fund and propose new sites for seawater sampling, and collect seawater to ship to the lab for analysis. The David Suzuki Foundation is the point group for two sampling sites, on Haida Gwaii and at Bamfield on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Data will be published at How Radioactive Is Our Ocean? (ourradioactiveocean.org/), and will include an evolving map showing cesium concentrations with links to information about radioactivity in the ocean and what the levels mean. The oceans contain naturally occurring radioactive isotopes and radiation from 1960s nuclear testing. Buesseler doesn’t think levels in the ocean or seafood will become dangerously high because of the Fukushima disaster, but he stresses the importance of monitoring.

The Fukushima disaster was a wake-up call for the potential dangers of nuclear power plants, especially in unstable areas. North Americans may have little cause for concern for now, but without good scientific information to determine whether or not it is affecting our food and environment, we can’t know for sure. The Woods Hole initiative is a good start.

Scientist, author and broadcaster David Suzuki wrote this column with Ian Hanington. Learn more at www.davidsuzuki.org.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Tax increases outstrip inflation again Red Deer city council continues to hammer the taxpayer with tax increases exceeding the Canadian inflation rate or consumer price index (CPI). The tax rate for 2014 has been pegged at 3.93 per cent, although this has not been finalized.

The last five years of tax increases are as follows, with the CPI in brackets: 2013, 4.28 per cent (0.91 per cent); 2012, 4.3 per cent (1.5 per cent); 2011, 3.9 per cent (2.9 per cent); 2010, 3.31 per cent (1.8 per cent); and 2009, 5.5 per cent (0.3 per cent).

In contrast, Toronto, North America’s fourth largest city, had tax increases of 2013 (two per cent), 2012 (2.5 per cent) and 2011 (2.5 per cent). In 2011, they cut some staffing levels, including police, and reduced hours at some facilities to cut expenses.

In 2012, Stockton, Calif., a city of 300,000 people near San Francisco, filed for bankruptcy. Factors cited were unmanageable public employee pension debt and out-of-control salary obligations. On July 4, 2012, Reuters posted an article entitled Stockton bankruptcy the result of 15-year spending binge. This article is available online and has some parallels to Red Deer’s spending.

Since then, several U.S. cities have followed suit, with Detroit being the most publicized.

Recent budget deliberations did not appear to go far enough. Days after an article in the Advocate indicated crime was down, several new positions were added to the RCMP. Parks and Recreation received a $1-million increase.

The year after year percentage tax increases are not realistic and not sustainable. The above doesn’t even include potential tax increases for the 2019 Canada Winter Games, a 50-metre pool or any other big-ticket item that will in all probability be proposed.

Mark McIntyre Red Deer

Questions about seniors care As a follow-up to the Jan. 24 article Villa Marie ready to become a home, I suggest that the Advocate do some investigative journalism and produce a comprehensive article on the availability and demand in Red Deer for housing for seniors who have need of supportive living and higher levels of care.

A common definition of supportive living is the provision of a room and meals, with no assistance for simple needs, such as dressing or bathing or even getting to the dining room. I hope that the article can verify or correct perceptions that I have of the present situation in Red Deer. Some of my perceptions are: ● There is a shortage of low-cost supportive living units and a surplus of high-cost units. The $1,785 per month cost for Villa Marie is not affordable for many low-income seniors. Piper Creek Foundation, which offers subsidized regular rooms to persons with yearly incomes below $28,160 for $1,195 per month, has a long waiting list. Symphony Aspen Ridge, Symphony Inglewood, Victoria Park, Collegeside Gardens and perhaps other facilities have signs outside their buildings advertising for tenants. Points West Living is presently building a 60-unit supportive living facility on Taylor Drive near 67th Street with government assistance, and I believe that there is another similar facility that was also announced during Seniors Week in 2013. ● There is a critical shortage of higher level care for dementia and other needs. The 24 units in Villa Marie will do a bit to reduce the shortage, but not nearly enough. Presently, there are many seniors in the hospital waiting for placement in care facilities, and many others who have had to accept placement

CENTRAL ALBERTA’S DAILY NEWSPAPER Published at 2950 Bremner Avenue, Red Deer, Alberta, T4R 1M9

by The Red Deer Advocate Ltd. Canadian Publications Agreement #336602 Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation Fred Gorman Publisher John Stewart Managing editor Richard Smalley Advertising director

in a facility out of town due to the shortage in Red Deer. The number of people in these situations is unknown due to Alberta Health Services’ refusal to release information that might be embarrassing. According to your article, 500 people applied for 76 supportive living and 24 dementia rooms in Villa Marie, so the number with unmet needs must be high. ● In a point-in-time homeless count done on Oct. 16, 2012, a total of 279 persons were found to be homeless. A serious deficiency in this count was that it did not include seniors waiting for supportive living or higher levels of care, or seniors who had to move out of town to get the care they needed. If these seniors had been included, the number would likely have doubled or tripled.

I hope that the Advocate will publish some accurate information on the state of senior housing in Red Deer that will identify good and bad decisions made in the past and provide guidance for the future.

Jim Saltvold Red Deer

I won’t vote for you again I am writing with concern to our street cleaning in Red Deer. This is totally unacceptable for anyone who has to drive in it.

I won’t have a car left, these streets are so rough.

I know I share this opinion with many others. We have to pack our garbage to the front, because they can’t clean the back alleys. What about the people who have garages that they have to go down the back alley to reach?

Then to top it off they want to build $90-million pool. It is only one hour to Edmonton or Calgary. We do not need a $90-million pool!

We obviously voted the wrong people in to look after this city because all they appear to care about is their paycheques. They don’t care if people can’t get to work because the city roads haven’t been plowed yet.

Why not hire some extra contractors if they can’t handle the job?

I have seen winters in the 1970s that we had much more snow than this but the county worked day and night to get the work done. I never missed one day of work because I couldn’t get out.

I think it all comes back to the City Hall. They promise lots but an elderly person who has to back

Scott Williamson Pre-press supervisor

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out and drive on the back alley could get stuck and be in terrible trouble.

We could get lots of snow and storms yet. I’d like to know what they will do then.

This city has grown as much. They have much more revenue coming in so what do they do with all that extra money? I’m sure they give themselves a good salary. How about looking after our seniors who built this city?

Mary Pierson Red Deer

Street clearing falls woefully short I too wonder where our councillors or city management live, as expressed by David Gibbons in his letter.

Two weeks ago, after the second last dump of snow, graders were ridging residential streets in Oriole Park. I phoned Public Works, wondering why residential was being done before bus routes. They were as confused as I was.

A couple of days later, we got the last dump of snow and we still have not seen snow movement by anything except wind. Vehicles were high centred on Oleander Drive, dragging bottom from Oriole kids park to Taylor Drive. If the hammering shocks off was not enough, we now had to worry about mufflers or exhaust pipes being knocked off.

Once again, residential areas are being cleared as our son’s place in Mountview was done a week ago, but the bus routes in Oriole Park have not been done.

The recent warm spell has helped lower the level of the snow/ice and has bared some of the traffic lines. On Overdown Drive, the tracks vary from four lanes to two lanes. On Oleander Drive, if you are westbound, you may find the centre line is on the right side of the vehicle. Good thing these streets are not real busy — there are city buses, school buses, action buses, parents picking up or dropping off kids at the school and a few residents.

Some times you can get a cheap high when the city bus is coming at you, flashes three sides of the bus for your viewing pleasure.

We can not honestly say we have not seen graders on Overdown Drive as seven have gone by. If we could only get them to lower their blades!

Ed Powell Red Deer

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CANADA

A5

MONDAY, FEB. 3, 2014

NDP renews fight against ATM fees

BY THE CANADIAN PRESS OTTAWA — The NDP is stepping up its battle against bank machine fees, urging the government to make good on its pledge to do something about the charges that vex some Canadian consumers.

A motion calling for the cap will be debated in the House of Commons on Monday. It urges the Conservative government to take action on ATM fees in its upcoming federal budget.

“No one should have to pay $2 or $3 to withdraw their own money from a bank machine — especially when it costs the banks around 36 cents to complete the transaction,” Glenn Thibeault, the NDP’s consumer affairs critic, said in a statement.

“Canadians’ budgets are stretched to the breaking point and New Democrats are proposing real solutions.”

Banks provide free use of ATMs for their customers, while non-customers are often charged fees that can be as high as three dollars. The NDP proposal would cap ATM withdrawal fees at 50 cents per transaction across the board.

During question period in the House of Commons last week, NDP Leader Tom Mulcair asked Prime Minister Stephen Harper whether the budget, to be tabled Feb. 11, will tackle the issue of ATM fees.

“Will the prime minister make good on his promise in last fall’s Throne Speech to rein in basic banking fees and fees at ATMs and on credit cards?”

Mulcair asked. “Will the prime minister keep that promise to Canadians: Yes or no?”

Harper responded by saying that his government has raised concerns about “certain banking fees and practices on consumers and small business.” But he didn’t say whether the budget would

contain any initiatives cracking down on those fees.

October’s Throne Speech also included a pledge by the government to outlaw charges levied by banks on customers who receive paper bills.

There’s been no legislation, however, on the issue.

But the Canadian Bankers Association said Sunday that ATM charges, called convenience fees by banks, are “entirely in the customer’s control and are usually avoided.”

The association said its data shows that 75 per cent of ATM transactions are done at a customer’s own bank, so no convenience fee is charged.

“The convenience fee is clearly disclosed before the transaction is completed and the non-customer has the choice of either accepting the fee or cancelling the transaction and using one of their own banks’ machines,” the statement added.

“This is no different than buying

milk at a convenience store rather than a grocery store. Customers know that they will pay more at a convenience store but make the choice of paying for that convenience.”

The NDP has long called for a cap of ATM fees. In 2007, former leader Jack Layton announced a national campaign to mobilize consumers in a fight against the country’s big banks.

Now mired in third place in the polls behind the Liberals and the Tories ahead of next year’s election, Mulcair embarked upon a tour of Ontario and Western Canada last week to talk to Canadians about “affordability.” He focused on bank fees and gas prices.

“Life is increasingly expensive,” Mulcair said.

“We’re seeing a lot of working families who simply aren’t getting by. And that could be anything from a $3 or $4 ATM fee to collusion at the gas pumps.

So there are a lot of things that are costing families more and more.”

Government tweets sanitized

HORSING AROUND

BY THE CANADIAN PRESS

Photo by THE CANADIAN PRESS

Children dressed as horses march in the 41st annual Chinese New Year parade in Vancouver, B.C., on Sunday.

According to the Chinese zodiac 2014 is the Year of the Horse. Thousands of people attended the parade which is one of the largest in North America, according to organizers.

Canada-Mexico relations Harpers’ trip ‘stagnant’ as visit looms to Israel a OTTAWA — He felt the love in Israel, but when Prime Minister Stephen Harper arrives in Mexico later this month, he’ll be met by an undercurrent of resentment from a continental neighbour that feels spurned by Canada.

That simmering Mexican resentment towards Canada runs deeper than their high-profile disagreement over a burdensome travel visa that the Harper government imposed on travellers from Mexico in 2009.

It extends to lingering dissatisfaction over the lack of progress to move the economic relationship beyond the North American Free Trade Agreement, the 20th anniversary of which Canada and Mexico happily celebrated last week, along with 70 years of bilateral relations.

Canada and Mexico feted the milestones with simultaneous gala dinners in Ottawa and Mexico City that were video linked.

At Ottawa’s exclusive Rideau Club, Governor General David Johnston marked the occasion alongside Mexico’s Ambassador Francisco Suarez, proclaiming that the world “needs more Mexico” to an audience that included diplomats, business leaders, academics and the chief of staff to Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird.

CANADA

BRIEFS

Police investigating two deaths are led to a third ST-CROIX, Que. — Quebec provincial police are trying to determine the connection between three suspicious deaths in the Beauce region.

Sgt. Melanie Dumaresq, a provincial police spokeswoman, says officers were called to a home Saturday evening in St-Croix where two bodies were found outside the residence.

She said the work of investigators at that location led them to another home 70 kilometres away in St-Isidore, where another dead person and two

A few hours earlier, however, Suarez offered a much more negative assessment of the state of Canada-Mexico relations to an audience of students and academics at Carleton University.

“The relationship has lost dynamism,” he said. “It has become stagnant.”

He added that Canadian-Mexican relations have moved to “mature, dignified old age a with flaws, limitations and increasing wrinkles on their face.”

Suarez told to his audience that he usually tries to speak as diplomatically as possible in public.

But in fact, Suarez is not your typical diplomat. In an interview with The Canadian Press last fall, he said Mexico was “angry” at Canada for not being able to resolve the visa issue.

Suarez added that Harper would get an earful when he arrived in Mexico this year for his visit, and suggested Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto might postpone a scheduled trip to Ottawa this summer if Canada hasn’t lifted the visa on Mexican travellers.

Though both countries are working towards a solution, no announcement of a breakthrough appears imminent.

“Canada continues to work with the Mexicans on this issue and is monitoring the situation,” Alexis Pavlich, spokeswoman for Immigration Minister Chris Alexander, said in an email. unconscious people were found.

Police say they are concerned for the lives of the two injured people, who were taken to hospital.

The relationship between the five people has not been confirmed.

Police identified the dead in StCroix as Benoit Daigle, 39, and Nancy Samson, 44.

Romanow disagrees with NDP on unity bill OTTAWA — The NDP’s proposed “unity bill” has sparked some disunity in the party’s own ranks.

One of the most prominent NDP stalwarts, former Saskatchewan premier Roy Romanow, says he disagrees with the federal party’s proposition that a bare majority Yes vote would be sufficient to trigger negotiations on Quebec’s secession from Canada.

success: poll

BY THE CANADIAN PRESS

OTTAWA — Almost half of Canadians followed Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s recent trip to the Middle East, and a third said they had positive views of his inaugural visit to the region, a new poll has found.

The survey, conducted from Jan. 23Jan. 27 by Harris/Decima for The Canadian Press, suggests a third of Canadians held a favourable impression of Harper’s first foray to the Middle East.

Twenty-six per cent, meantime, said they held an unfavourable view.The majority of those polled, however — 42 per cent — said they had no opinion.

The survey suggested a clear majority of Canadians feel it’s important for prime ministers to make international trips like Harper made last month to Israel, the West Bank and Jordan.

Nationally, 22 per cent said such overseas trips are very important to a prime minister while 41 per cent said they were somewhat important. Ontarians were more likely than Quebecers, at 67 per cent and 58 per cent respectively, to say such trips are significant.

More than a third of those polled said the primary benefit of prime ministerial trips is diplomacy and strengthening international relations.

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BY THE CANADIAN PRESS

OTTAWA — Pity the poor government tweet, nearly strangled in its cradle before limping into the Twitterverse.

Newly disclosed documents from Industry Canada show how teams of bureaucrats often work for weeks to sanitize each lowly tweet, in a medium that’s supposed to thrive on spontaneity and informality.

Most 140-character tweets issued by the department are planned weeks in advance; edited by dozens of public servants; reviewed and revised by the minister’s staff; and sanitized through a 12-step protocol, the documents indicate.

Insiders and experts say the result is about as far from the spirit of Twitter as you can get — and from a department that’s supposed to be on the leading edge of new communications technologies.

The documents, obtained through the Access to Information Act, show such a high level of control that arrangements are made days in advance to have other government agencies retweet forthcoming Industry Canada tweets, because re-tweets are considered a key measure of success.

In turn, Industry Canada agrees to do the same for tweets from the Business Development Bank of Canada and others.

Formal policy for the department was set into a protocol last October, with a 12-step process that requires numerous approvals for each tweet from Industry Minister James Moore’s office or from the office of Greg Rickford, the junior minister.

Public servants vet draft tweets for hashtags, syntax, policy compliance, retweeting, French translation and other factors. Policy generally precludes tweeting on weekends, and the minister’s personal Twitter handle must be kept out of departmental tweets, though his name and title are often included.

The resulting tweets read like stiff public service announcements, such as this October example: “Browse the Mobile Protection Toolbox to learn facts & find tips to protect yourself.

GetCyberSafe,” with a link to the department’s website.

Sometimes the well runs dry, and bureaucrats borrow tweets from other departments.

“We are short tweets for the next two weeks and I really don’t see a harm in tweeting the attached as it’s info that is found on the IC (Industry Canada) site,” says a Sept. 27 email, asking permission to recycle a Public Safety tweet.

Other times, Moore’s own office runs out of ideas and asks for help.

“We’re in need of content for next week,” Moore’s assistant wrote to bureaucrats Oct. 1. “Any chance you could provide us with a couple of tweets for the MINO (minister’s office) to consider?”

WORLD

A6 Regime aircraft pound Aleppo MONDAY, FEB. 3, 2014

AT LEAST 36 PEOPLE DEAD, INCLUDING 17 CHILDREN

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

SYRIA

BEIRUT — Syrian government helicopters and warplanes unleashed a wave of airstrikes on more than a dozen opposition-held neighbourhoods in the northern city of Aleppo on Sunday, firing missiles and dropping crude barrel bombs in a ferocious attack that killed at least 36 people, including 17 children, activists said.

Aleppo has been a key battleground in Syria’s civil war since rebels swept into the city in mid-2012 and wrested most of the eastern and southern neighbourhoods from the government.

Since then, the fighting has settled into a bloody grind, with neither side capable of mounting an offensive that would expel its opponents from the city.

But over the past two months, President Bashar Assad’s air force has ramped up its aerial campaign on

rebel-held areas of Aleppo, pounding them with barrel bombs — containers packed with explosives, fuel and scraps of metal — that cause massive damage on impact.

On Sunday alone, Syrian military aircraft targeted 15 opposition-controlled neighbourhoods, said an activist who goes by the name of Abu alHassan Marea.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said the Tariq al-Bab district on the eastern edge of the city was the hardest-hit, with at least eight barrel bombs raining down on it Sunday. Marea said one of the air raids in the neighbourhood struck a vegetable market and another landed near a mosque.

The Aleppo Media Center activist group said the strike near the Abdul-

lah bin Masoud Mosque killed more than 10 people.

The Observatory put the day’s death toll in the air raids at 36, including 17 children. Marea said that more than 50 people were killed in the airstrikes, although he did not have an exact count.

An amateur video posted online showed a helicopter circling in the blue sky, and then a barrel plummeting from the aircraft until it slams into buildings on the horizon, sending a pillar of smoke and dust into the air.

The video appeared genuine and corresponded to other Associated Press reporting of the events depicted.

This is not the first time that Assad’s air force has waged an intense campaign over Aleppo. In December, military helicopters pounded rebel-held districts of the city with barrel bombs, levelling buildings, burying people under the rubble and killing more than 500 people over a two-week stretch.

The misery in Aleppo was then com-

pounded in early January by an outburst of rebel-on-rebel fighting, which has weakened the opposition’s grip on parts of the city.

Over the past two weeks, Assad’s forces have slowly chipped away at the rebels’ hold on neighbourhoods in southeastern Aleppo. While the advances have been small, they still mark the most significant government gains in the divided city since opposition fighters seized the areas in mid-2012.

As intense as the airstrikes have been, the rebels’ position in the city and across northern Syria has been undermined to a greater degree by the bloody bout of infighting that pits the al-Qaida-linked Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant against an array of ultraconservative brigades and more moderate factions.

The rebel clashes have killed more than 1,400 people since they began a month ago, and the fighting shows little sign of coming to an immediate close.

Thai vote peaceful despite disruptions

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WORLD

BRIEFS

Campaigning for Afghanistan’s presidential election kicks off KABUL, Afghanistan — Campaigning officially opened Sunday in Afghanistan’s presidential election, with 11 candidates vying to succeed President Hamid Karzai in polls seen as a crucial test of whether the country can ensure a stable political transition.

The April 5 presidential vote will be held in a climate of uncertainty as NATO combat forces ready their withdrawal at the end of 2014. If successful, the election will usher in the first

Photo by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Opposition demonstrators carry posters of imprisoned protesters during a protest rally in Moscow, Russia, Sunday.

Several thousand Russian opposition supporters gathered for a protest on Sunday, venting anger against the Kremlin and demanding the release of political prisoners.

Anti-Putin march demands release of demonstrators

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS MOSCOW — Several thousand protesters marched through central Moscow on Sunday to call for the release of 20 people who were arrested after clashes between police and demonstrators in May 2012.

Some of them face up to 10 years in prison if convicted for the protest, held on Bolotnaya Square on the eve of President Vladimir Putin’s inauguration to a third term as Russia’s president.

Putin’s return to the presidency

saw the passing of new laws aimed at cracking down on anti-government protests and restricting non-governmental organizations.

The protesters marched Sunday with portraits of the jailed protesters and a banner stretching across the street reading: “Freedom to the Bolotnaya heroes, the hostages of Putin.”

Some also carried Ukrainian flags to show their support for the antigovernment protesters in neighbouring Ukraine, where demonstrations have been going on for more than two months.

Of the 28 people rounded up in the

Bolotnaya case, eight were recently freed on amnesty. Several defendants have been under house arrest, but most of the others have been in jail for more than a year and a half.

Only three of the cases have been decided: two defendants received light sentences after co-operating with investigators and a third was sent for forced psychiatric treatment. That man, Mikhail Kosenko, who was convicted of beating a policeman, had a history of schizophrenia, but rights activists charged the court was reviving the Soviet-era practice of using punitive psychiatry against dissidents.

Saudi counterterrorism laws alarms rights activists

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Saudi Arabia put into effect a sweeping new counterterrorism law Sunday that human rights activists say allows the kingdom to prosecute as a terrorist anyone who demands reform, exposes corruption or otherwise engages in dissent.

The law states that any act that “undermines” the state or society, including calls for regime change in Saudi Arabia, can be tried as an act of terrorism. It also grants security services broad powers to raid homes and track phone calls and Internet activity.

Human rights activists were handover from one elected president to another in Afghan history.

Security is a major concern in the election, as is potential fraud after allegations of vote-rigging marred the 2009 polls. The eventual winner will face the tough task of continuing to fight the bloody Taliban insurgency, overseeing the end of the international coalition’s combat mission and possibly deciding if any residual foreign forces will remain next year.

Karzai — who has more or less led Afghanistan in the 12 years after the intervention to oust the Taliban’s extremist Islamic regime for sheltering al-Qaida’s leadership after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the U.S. — is constitutionally barred from running for a third term.

On a cold and rainy Sunday morning in Kabul, campaign workers hastened to hang posters on lampposts and plaster their candidates’ faces on billboards.

alarmed by the law and said it is clearly aimed at keeping the kingdom’s ruling Al Saud family firmly in control amid the demands for democratic reform that have grown louder since the Arab Spring protests that shook the region in 2011 and toppled longtime autocrats.

Saudi activist Abdulaziz al-Shubaily described the law as a “catastrophe.”

And Human Rights Watch researcher Adam Coogle warned: “The new law is draconian in spirit and letter, and there is every reason to fear that the authorities will easily and eagerly use it against peaceful dissidents.”

The measure was approved by the Cabinet on Dec. 16 and ratified by King Abdullah. It was published in its en-

tirety for the first time on Friday in the government’s official gazette Um Al-Qura.

In defence of the law, the Saudi minister of culture and information, Abdel Aziz Khoja, was quoted in December as saying that the legislation strikes a balance between prevention of crimes and protection of human rights according to Islamic law.

Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s last absolute monarchies. All decisions are centred in the hands of 89-yearold King Abdullah. There is no parliament. There is little written law, and judges — implementing the country’s strict Wahhabi interpretation of Islam — have broad leeway to impose verdicts and sentences.

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BANGKOK, Thailand — Thailand held nationwide elections without bloodshed Sunday despite widespread fears of violence. But the country’s bitter political crisis is far from over, and one of the next flash points is likely to be an effort to nullify the vote.

Although balloting was largely peaceful, protesters forced thousands of polling booths to close in Bangkok and the south, disenfranchising millions of registered voters. Not all Parliament seats will be filled as a result, meaning the nation could stay mired in political limbo for months with the winning party unable to form a new government.

The struggle to hold the vote was part of a 3-month-old conflict that has split the country between supporters of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and protesters who allege her government is too corrupt to rule.

The crisis, in which demonstrators have occupied major intersections across Bangkok and forced government ministries to shut down and work elsewhere, overshadowed the poll’s run-up to such an extent that campaigning and stump speeches laying out party platforms were virtually non-existent.

Rather than “a contest among candidates, it was about whether the election itself could happen,” said Sunai Phasuk of Human Rights Watch. “That in itself says a lot about the fate of democracy in Thailand — it’s hanging by a thread.”

Television stations, which normally broadcast electoral results, were reduced to projecting graphics not of party victories and losses, but of which constituencies were open or closed.

Official results cannot be announced until a series of byelections are held and all districts have voted.

The first will take place Feb. 23.

In Bangkok, protesters surrounded government offices housing ballot papers, preventing them from being delivered. They also pressured electoral officials not to report for duty, and in some cases physically preventing people from voting.

Infuriated voters cut the chains off polling stations that had been locked, futilely demanding that they be allowed to cast ballots. In one downtown district, they hurled bottles at each other and one demonstrator fired a gunshot after several people tried to push past a blockade. After authorities called off voting there, angry crowds stormed into the district office.

“We want an election. We are Thais,” said Narong Meephol, a 63-year-old Bangkok resident who was waving his voter identification card.

LOCAL

A7

MONDAY, FEB. 3, 2014

HOME

FRONT MUSIC VIDEO FUND LOOKING FOR TALENT Emerging musicians and filmmakers from Red Deer can apply for grants from the Winter 2014 Music Video Fund. Public Records and Telus are supporting and giving exposure to undiscovered talent in Alberta and B.C. by offering grants of up to $7,500 for the production of music videos. The finished videos will appear on Telus Optik TV on demand and online at telus.com/optiklocal.

Artists will retain full right to their content.

Official submissions can be made online until Feb. 7 at www.publicrecords. org. This is the second round of the grant program, following the very successful Summer 2013 Music Video Fund, which drew the interest of hundreds of applicants.

“The creativity is inspiring and we can’t wait to see the talent that will emerge through Phase 2,” said Dan Costello, co-founder of Public Records.

EXECUTOR EDUCATION SESSION AT LIBRARY People who want to learn what an executor does can attend a law education session at Red Deer Public Library on Feb. 12. Instructor Glen Cunningham will help people understand the obligations and processes related to the role of the executor of an estate.

The session is from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Snell Auditorium. Register by calling Red Deer Public School community program office at 430342-1059. The event is co-sponsored by the Alberta Law Foundation.

MEET THE CRITTER DAY AT KERRY WOOD NATURE CENTRE Families can participate in activities and meet a live animal at the Kerry Wood Nature Centre on Saturday. Meet the Critter runs from 1 to 3 p.m.

Admission is by suggested donation of $3 per person or $10 per family. For more details call 403-3462010. The nature centre is located at 6300 45th Ave. in Red Deer.

GIVE US A CALL The Advocate invites its readers to help cover news in Central Alberta. We would like to hear from you if you see something worthy of coverage. And we would appreciate hearing from you if you see something inaccurate in our pages. We strive for complete, accurate coverage of Central Alberta and are happy to correct any errors we may commit. Call 403-3144333.

Photo by RENÉE FRANCOEUR/Advocate staff

Canadian star athlete Alex Stieda, right, coaches a handful of cyclists who came out to the Collicutt Centre on Saturday morning to kick off an indoor cycling Wellness Day to raise funds for the Canadian Mental Health Association.

Spinning for mental health FORMER CYCLING PROS TAKE PART IN INAUGURAL WELLNESS DAY

BY RENÉE FRANCOEUR ADVOCATE STAFF Two former cycling pros spun their wheels for hours at the Collicutt Centre in Red Deer on Saturday to raise funds for the Canadian Mental Health Association and the Central Alberta Brain Injury Society (CABIS).

Olympic and Tour de France athlete Tyler Hamilton and Canadian Alex Stieda, who was the first North American to lead the Tour de France, hosted a series of spin bike clinics in honour of Berry Architecture’s first indoor cycling Wellness Day in Red Deer.

“It’s a cause close to my heart,” said Hamilton, the author of The Secret Race: Inside the Hidden World of the Tour de France: Doping, Cover-ups, and Winning at All Costs.

Hamilton, who calls Montana home, has openly talked about his long-standing struggles with depression. “It’s my first cycling event for mental health and I’m honoured to be here. I hope it’s the first of many to come and that people leave the classes today with a better understanding of how to push themselves on the bike as well as be open about mental health issues.”

About 36 people made the $250 donation to the CMHA, guaranteeing themselves a spot in one of the classes lead by either Stieda or Hamilton throughout the day, with more dropping in.

Stieda, who runs spin classes of his own three times a week in Edmonton, read to participants from The Rules: The Way of the Cycling Disciple with his own

at something like this because cycling really is a fitness vehicle you can use for the rest of your life; it doesn’t pound you to death like running,” he said.

“And, on top of it all this is for a really great cause.

George Berry, owner of Berry Architecture, said the whole idea behind Wellness Day was to help erase the negative stigma associated with mental

‘IT’S MY FIRST CYCLING EVENT FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND I’M HONOURED TO BE HERE. I HOPE IT’S THE FIRST OF MANY TO COME AND THAT PEOPLE LEAVE THE CLASSES TODAY WITH A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW TO PUSH THEMSELVES ON THE BIKE AS WELL AS BE OPEN ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.’ — TYLER HAMILTON

soundtrack playing in the background and gave away copies of his favourite book The Rider by Tim Krabbé.

Seeing such a wide range of people come out to try spinning is one of Stieda’s favourite parts about public events, he said.

“It used to be just hard-core people, shaved legs and all that.

Now there is such diversity and it’s great to see that come out

health issues.

“We need to really throw the negativity out the window.

Someone having a depression issue is no worse than someone having cancer,” Berry, a selfproclaimed cyclist groupie, said.

Hamilton agreed, noting that mental health is something that affects everyone and no one should feel alone or ashamed

because of it.

Chris Rickards, a Red Deer lawyer, was one of the first participants on the bikes, eager to pedal through Stieda’s first clinic.

“I came because Alex Stieda and Tyler Hamilton are here,” said Rickards, who has been cycling since 1996.

“I was one of the original people who rode in the Wellness Ride in the summer years ago so all the events since for the Mental Health Association and CABIS I’ve been here to support them because it’s just such a great cause.”

Berry Architecture is also the title sponsor for a Wellness Ride Red Deer to Delburne every August to raise money for CABIS and CMHA. All cycling participants in Wellness Day also received tickets to the fundraising gala later Saturday evening at the Sheraton Hotel where Stieda and Hamilton gave speeches and, proceeds from a silent auction also went towards the two organizations.

Berry said he plans to make the winter event an annual cycling celebration and hope for higher registration numbers next year. rfrancoeur@reddeeradvocate. com

‘I’m a girl in a man’s world’ AUCTIONEERING CHALLENGING, REWARDING FOR AIRDRIE WOMAN

BY RENÉE FRANCOEUR ADVOCATE STAFF Karen Roberts-Bogstie of Airdrie was one of two women in a group of 20 competing for the trophy at the fourth annual All Around Canadian Auctioneers Championship in Red Deer on Saturday.

It can be tough and intimidating trying to make it in an industry largely male dominated, she said. But that doesn’t keep her from calling out her own rapid auctioneer’s chant on stage.

“I was running my own auction for about the last year and recently I changed its focus and now I’m selling livestock,” said Roberts-Bogstie, who graduated from the Auctioneers Training Centre of Canada in Saskatoon.

“My first livestock sale was in November and that was actually pretty exciting. I’m a girl in a man’s world and it’s been one of the biggest challenges of my life but so rewarding. I’m not concerned about winning.

For me, it’s about being able to prove to myself that I have the confidence to get up there and do it.”

Roberts-Bogstie competed in the Alberta Auctioneer’s Association’s Vern Scown Memorial Tyro Competition once a few years before and nearly burst into tears after getting up on stage.

Photo by RENÉE FRANCOEUR/Advocate staff

Left to right: Frederick Bodnarus, third place; Brennin Jack, first place; and Cody Hayes in second pose with their awards after the fourth annual All Around Canadian Auctioneer Championships in Red Deer on Saturday.

“So even though my voice cracked, I’ve come a long way today,” she said of her first All Around Championship performance.

There was no shortage of cowboy hats and western boots at the Black Knight Inn on the weekend during the association’s 80th annual convention, where the championships take place.

Auctioneers from across Alberta, B.C. and Saskatchewan grabbed the microphones and

showed off their rhythmic chanting talent to five judges, selling a number of items to the couple hundred people gathered.

Frederick Bodnarus of Saskatoon came in third place, followed by Cody Hayes of Strathmore in second. Brennin Jack of Price Albert took home the grand prize belt buckle, championship trophy and $2,000 cash.

Jack, 24, was raised on a family farm in Saskatchewan and

Carolyn Martindale, City Editor, 403-314-4326 Fax 403-341-6560 E-mail editorial@reddeeradvocate.com

made his debut in the auction ring when he was nine.

He had sold his first milliondollar cattle sale by the age of 12.

He was named the international livestock auctioneer champion at the Calgary Stampede in 2012, the youngest champion on record, and placed in the top six spots for the World Livestock Auctioneer Championship in Alabama last year.

Jack said he was grateful to be in Red Deer competing and for all the support of the association and that he was looking forward to next year already.

David Froese, a Fort Vermilion farmer, was another competitor in the ring. Froese has been trying his voice at the art of auctioneering for well over a decade.

“It’s something I connect with,” Froese, 37, said.

“I’d always drive the tractor and be practising. It’s great to be here, interacting with other members of the association this way and representing Fort Vermilion. This is my third time coming over the past five years and I plan to keep coming.”

The three-day convention wrapped up on Saturday night with a banquet and concert from Canadian folk and country singer Tim Hus. rfrancoeur@reddeeradvocate. com

WWW.REDDEERADVOCATE.COM

BUSINESS

A8

MONDAY, FEB. 3, 2014

Tuned in to a market TORONTO ENTREPRENEUR, 26, MAKES FORBES MAGAZINE’S 30 UNDER 30 LIST FOR MUSIC

BY THE CANADIAN PRESS A 26-year-old Toronto entrepreneur, who quit his investment banking job to pursue his dreams, has made Forbes magazine’s “30 under 30” list for music, alongside industry heavyweights like Drake and Lady Gaga.

Derrick Fung is the mind behind Tunezy, a website that allows fans to pay for unique music experiences, including backstage passes, meet and

greets with their favourite artists, or private online chats.

Fung says the idea for Tunezy came from consumption trends in music. “We knew that the music industry was in trouble,” he said. “We saw that more and more artists were not making their money in selling their actual music.”

Fung says up-and-coming artists have most to gain from Tunezy. They can use the site to promote themselves, and give back to their fans.

Two years after starting the

company, Tunezy was bought for a seven-figure sum by American electronic dance music promoter SFX Entertainment in November, but Fung remains CEO. Fung, who graduated from University of Toronto in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, started his career in the finance industry working on the trading floor for CIBC. A turning point in Fung’s life was when his boss offered him funding for Tunezy under

the condition that he quit his job and follow his dream.

For Fung, the shift to the music industry was a natural choice. “I’ve always been passionate about the music industry. When I was young I owned and operated the largest sheet music community on the Internet and I play music myself.

“If you’re a young person and you have dreams and ambition, there’s nothing stopping you from creating the next Google or the next Facebook. That’s what drives me.”

Photo by THE CANADIAN PRESS

Derrick Fung, who quit his investment banking job to pursue his dreams, has made Forbes magazine’s “30 under 30” list for music.

Bell says accounts breached SMALL BUSINESS CUSTOMER INFORMATION HACKED

BY THE CANADIAN PRESS

File photo by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

A sign welcoming visitors to the Napa Valley in Oakville, Calif. Napa Valley. Wine grape growers say some vines are ripening early and that farmers are planning fewer crops to save water.

With little rain, California farmers brace for drought UNEMPLOYMENT, SENDING RIPPLES FAR

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS MENDOTA, Calif. — Amid California’s driest year on record, the nation’s leading agricultural region is locked in drought and bracing for unemployment to soar, sending farm workers to food lines in a place famous for its abundance.

One-third of the Central Valley’s jobs are related to farming.

Strains on water supplies are expected to force farmers to leave fields unplanted, creating a ripple effect on food processing plant workers, truck drivers and those who sell fertilizer, irrigation equipment and tractors.

No place may be harder hit than Mendota, a small farm town where unemployment rose above 40 per cent at the height of the economic recession in 2009, also a dry year. Mayor Robert Silva said he fears this year could be even worse.

“We’re supposed to be the cantaloupe capital of the world,” Silva said. “But we’re the food line capital of the world.”

Residents of Mendota late last year began seeing tough times on the horizon when little rain fell in the valley and snow didn’t blanket the High Sierra. This marks the third consecutive dry year for California, and Gov. Jerry Brown has declared a drought emergency.

This past week, the snow pack’s water content was measured at 12 per cent of normal. State officials announced that they would not be sending water to California’s agricultural customers. U.S. officials are expected in late February to announce they will allot only a fraction of the federally controlled water that farmers want, if any.

If that scenario plays out, Silva estimates the lines they saw outside a Mendota food bank five years ago could run three times as long this year. His town’s unemployment today is at 34 per cent — the highest in Fresno County — and interim City Manager Don Pauley figures it will top 50 per cent.

Officials at Mendota’s City Hall aren’t the only uneasy ones.

Steve Malanca, general manager at Thomason Tractor in Firebaugh, said farmers have already told him that digging deeper wells and buying irrigation water are higher priorities in 2014 than investing in new farm equipment from him. With reduced work in the fields, Malanca said it’s clear he will have to lay off some of his 49 employees.

The ripple effect of drought extends to the trucking companies that haul crops, tire companies that outfit the big rigs and fuel suppliers who provide diesel, he said.

Employees at John Deere world

headquarters in Moline, Ill., will feel repercussions from drought in California, the biggest agricultural producer, he said. So will the businesses that make cardboard boxes to hold cantaloupes and the wooden pallets for stacking the boxes, Malanca said. The list goes on.

“When you make a hay bale, you’ve got to tie that bale with string,” he said. “The supplier who made that string, he’s going to be out of work, too.”

A 2012 study by the Agricultural Issues Center at the University of California, Davis, found that farming and food processing industries created nearly 38 per cent of all Central Valley jobs. Every 100 farm and processing jobs create work for another 92 people, said the report, which measured agriculture’s impact on the state’s economy.

Fresno County led the nation in farming in 2012, generating nearly $6.6 billion in economic activity, said Ryan Jacobsen, executive director of the Fresno County Farm Bureau. With no surface water for farmers, he anticipates that up to 25 per cent of irrigated field and orchards in the county will lay unplanted.

This time of year, farmers start to plant tomatoes for use as paste and spaghetti sauce.

Please see CROPS on Page A9

TORONTO — Bell Canada says 22,400 of its small business customers have had their account information compromised by hackers.

Bell says in a release the breach of usernames and passwords occurred when an Ottawa-based thirdparty supplier had its systems hacked. It says the information was posted to the Internet this weekend.

A hacking group calling itself Nullcrew is claiming credit for the attack, and tweeted a link to the data early Saturday.

Bell says five valid credit card numbers were included in the information dump.

The telecom giant says the affected account passwords have been frozen, and that it is contacting impacted customers and credit card companies.

Bell says its own systems were not hacked, and that its residential, mobility and enterprise customers are not affected.

The company says it is working with the unidentified third-party supplier along with “law enforcement and government security officials” to investigate the attack.

Twitter postings by the Nullcrew account suggest the supplier’s network may have been compromised nearly three weeks ago.

“Successful day hacking Internet service providers is successful,” the group tweeted Jan. 14.

Bell (TSX:BCE) spokesman Paolo Pasquini did not say when the company became aware of the attack, saying in an email only that Bell has been “contacting clients this weekend.”

Pasquini added that the supplier “provided an ordering application for some small business services.” He did not address a query on whether the compromised information had been encrypted.

MARKETS OUTLOOK

Traders look for improvement in job creation

BY THE CANADIAN PRESS TORONTO — Traders have plenty to focus on this week, including the latest employment data from Canada and the United States, following a disappointing January on stock markets.

It is also a heavy earnings week as traders get some of the first results from the Canadian oilpatch and wait to see how a lower loonie has impacted the results of the country’s major airlines.

Suncor (TSX:SU) issues earnings today and analysts are expecting a generally positive run of earnings from the big energy producers as oil prices held steady in the mid- to high-US$90 range for much of late last year.

Please see OIL on Page A9

Some common RRSP mistakes to avoid

TALBOT BOGGS

MONEYWISE

The registered retirement savings plan is an extremely popular vehicle for Canadians to save money on a tax-deferred basis for their retirement.

However, RRSPs are not a retirement panacea and there are some things investors should be aware of and avoid when it comes to their plans.

“It’s really important to understand RRSPs, their benefits, why you should contribute and what you shouldn’t do,” said Chris Buttigieg, senior manager, wealth planning strategy, with BMO Financial Group.

“A lot of people make contributions but don’t really understand some of the consequences of RRSPs, such as early withdrawals; and benefits, like tax-deferred growth.”

Perhaps the biggest no-no associated with RRSPs is to withdraw money for any reason other than investing in the firsttime homebuyers or the life-long learning plans, which allow you to withdraw certain amounts of money from your RRSP to buy your first home or go back to school, and repay it within a certain time without paying tax.

The government taxes other early withdrawals very heavily.

If you withdraw up to $5,000, you pay a 21 per cent withholding tax in Quebec and 10 per cent in all other provinces.

Withdrawals between $5,001 and $15,000 are taxed at 26 per cent in Quebec and 20 per cent in other provinces, and early withdrawals over $15,000 are taxed at 31 per cent

Harley Richards, Business Editor, 403-314-4337 E-mail hrichards@reddeeradvocate.com

>>>>

in Quebec and 30 per cent in all other provinces.

And there are other penalties. Once you withdraw the money it is considered income and will be added to your total income and you are taxed on that as well.

Once you’ve withdrawn the money it is removed from the contribution room available to you and you cannot re-contribute it later.

If you’ve got $30,000 contribution room and take out $15,000, you’re left with only $15,000 of contribution room.

And once the money is out, you have to start over again to save it and you lose the compounding growth that you could have gotten if it had stayed in.

Please see RRSP on Page A9

SEE MORE ONLINE AT WWW.REDDEERADVOCATE.COM

RED DEER ADVOCATE Monday, Feb. 3, 2014 A9

STORIES FROM PAGE A8

RRSP: Can maximize gains Many RRSP investors make their contributions to get their tax refund but end up leaving the money sitting in cash where it will make little or no interest.

It makes sense to talk to a financial adviser about building a portfolio in your RRSP to maximize gains and limit risk.

“Once you’ve made your contribution and get your refund, why not apply it some debt like a mortgage or invest it in a tax-free savings account — it’s like hitting two birds with one stone,” Buttigieg suggests.

Many people also do not pay attention to the notice of assessment they get from the tax department after they’ve filed their income tax, which shows their RRSP deduction limit.

You can over-contribute up to $2,000 for a year, but after that you are assessed a one per cent per month penalty.

If for some reason you forget to claim your contribution for the year or if you have built up unused contribution room, it can be carried forward to future years indefinitely. In fact, if you think you will be making more money in the future and will be taxed in a higher bracket, it might make sense to make the contributions but wait till then to claim them.

Many people also overlook dedicating a beneficiary for their RRSPs. If an RRSP holder dies and does not have a designated beneficiary such as a spouse, partner or dependent children, it can be transferred to the individual’s estate and becomes subject to probate fees and becomes fully taxable.

“A lot of people simply make the mistake of not thinking about their retirement goals early enough in life and not developing a strategy for what to do with their RRSP savings,” Buttigieg said.

Talbot Boggs is a Toronto-based business communications professional who has worked with national news organizations, magazines and corporations in the finance, retail, manufacturing and other industrial sectors.

CROPS: Some may go Next come onions, garlic and cotton, which are among some 400 variety of crops grown in Fresno County. Farmers may have no choice but to rip out permanent crops, such as almond orchards and vineyards that take years to mature, or let them dry up with no irrigation.

Jacobsen said the three months left in the rainy season are not likely to rescue the year from drought. “We’re right on the front edge of it,” he said.

“It’s going to worsen, worsen, worsen.”

In a good year, Chuck Herrin, owner of Sunrise Farm Labor, based in Huron, puts between 1,000 to 3,500 people to work. He said he will be lucky to hire 600 at the season’s peak, installing drip irrigation systems, planting and harvesting crops.

Workers he can’t put on the payroll will be forced to stand in food lines to feed themselves and their families, Herrin said. “By August, September, October, this will be a very tragic looking place,” he said.

His worry is echoed at the Los Banos Salvation Army, where residents gather each weekday for a spiritual devotion before waiting to hear their names called to collect a bag of donated food. Felicia Grant, a lieutenant at the Salvation Army, fears that the drought will be so severe that middle class families will need free food along with the farm workers. She hopes that they’re not afraid to ask for help when the time comes.

Rick Palermo of Community Food Bank in Fresno recently drove to Mendota, Firebaugh and other rural communities in the Central Valley, scouting places to hand out food. He’s been on the phone with state officials gearing up for the high unemployment expected from drought-related job losses. In 2009, the last bad year, his food bank, located in a massive warehouse in an industrial area of Fresno, provided families with 10 million pounds of food.

While praying for a miracle, he’s trying to estimate how much will be needed to feed masses of unemployed farm workers this time around.

“We’re all doing our rain dance, hoping it doesn’t come to that,” he said. “Hopefully, the water comes, but if it doesn’t, we’ll be ready.”

OIL: Positive signs The price spread between Western Canadian Select — the oil produced in the oilsands — and West Texas Intermediate crude has also narrowed to less than $20.

“I’m thinking positive things for the group as a whole,” said Chris King, portfolio manager at Morgan, Meighen and Associates.

“I’m expecting a decent quarter. We’re going to hopefully look at some more returns to shareholders through buybacks and possible dividend boosts.”

He noted that many of the big energy stocks are trading at attractive valuations as investors wait to see how the oilpatch will work out transportation issues, including the controversial Keystone XL pipeline, which would carry crude from Alberta and the northern U.S. to Texas refineries.

“What they don’t know is that the industry is finding other solutions and if Keystone XL doesn’t get approved, it’s not the end of the world,” King said.

Air Canada (TSX:AC.B) and WestJet (TSX:WJA) post earnings Tuesday, a week after taking sharp hits to their share prices over concerns about the impact of the falling loonie. The currency lost five per cent in January alone, falling below the 90-cent US level.

Fuel prices, one of the largest costs for an airline, are up 8.9 per cent over the last three months in U.S. dollars, but up 13.2 per cent in Canadian currency.

“There is definitely an impact in terms of foreign exchange to costs but, by the same token, these companies do hedge and we will have to wait and see how effectively they hedged their positions,” added King.

The TSX ended January up 0.53 per cent while the Dow industrials fell 5.3 per cent as emerging market currency worries helped persuade investors to take some profits from a strong rally last year that saw the blue chip index charge ahead more than 25 per cent.

The major economic data for the week comes out on Friday — the employment reports for January for both the United States and Canada.

Markets have high hopes for U.S. data after December job creation came in at a meagre 74,000, with much of the poor showing blamed on fierce winter weather.

“We are expecting a sharp rebound in January — our January figure we have pencilled in for about 190,000, said Andrew Grantham,” economist at CIBC World Markets.

D I L B E R T

Prepared for anything COMPANIES TOUT THEIR $4M SUPER BOWL ADS

BY CANDICE CHOI THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK — Super Bowl advertisers were finally about to see their efforts play out on the industry’s biggest stage Sunday night.

But as they’ve learned in the past, anything can happen.

Companies including Coca-Cola, Mars and Nestle have spent the past several days trying to drum up hype for their big-money ads, in some cases by releasing teasers online.

Anheuser-Busch InBev even hosted a viewing party aboard a cruise ship docked at a New York City pier, which was transformed into a floating “Bud Light Hotel,” complete with escargot, duck and cheesecake on the menu.

Still, Super Bowl advertisers know the unexpected can happen.

And when it does, they have to be ready.

One of the most memorable moments from last year’s game, for example, was a tweet from Oreo.

After a blackout hit the stadium, the company posted an image of an Oreo cloaked in darkness with the tagline “You can still dunk in the dark.”

It got more than 10,000 retweets on Twitter within an hour.

The power of a traditional Super Bowl ad is nothing to sneeze at, of course, with companies shelling out an estimated $4 million for a 30-second spot. It’s not just money on the line.

More than 100 million people have tuned into the game in recent years, making it one of the most watched events in the country’s TV history.

Even for companies that release their ads on YouTube early, though, nobody really knows how they’ll go over during the game.

Chrysler and Coca-Cola are among the companies keeping at least one of their spots under wraps too.

And of course, anything can happen during the match between the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks, or the halftime show starring Bruno Mars.

Remember Janet Jackson’s wardrobe malfunction?

Here are some highlights of tonight’s Super Bowl ad action.

FIRST UNSCHEDULED TIMEOUT: CHEERIOS FAMILY ADDS A NEW MEMBER If the faces in the Cheerios ad look familiar, there’s a reason.

The biracial family was also featured in an ad that made headlines last year after it sparked ugly comments online. The remarks were subsequently eclipsed by an outpouring of support.

General Mills, which owns Cheerios, says it was looking to reflect the changing U.S. population when it cast the roles for the fictional family, made up of a black dad, a white mom and their daughter.

In the new spot, the dad tells the little girl that she has baby brother on the way.

If the ad is popular enough, perhaps General Mills will keep following the family’s story line for years to come.

Just picture it: the little girl as a sullen teenager sitting at the breakfast table, refusing to talk to her exasperated parents. Fade to black as they eat their Cheerios in silence.

FIRST QUARTER: BUD LIGHT’S FEAR OF MISSING OUT How important is the Super Bowl to Bud Light?

The beer has three ads airing

File photo by the ASSOCIATED PRESS

Still photo provided by GoDaddy, shows a frame grab from the company’s 2014 Super Bowl XLVIII Ad. Advertisers that have traditionally focused on skimpily clad models and lowest-common denominator humour have come up with more sedate ads in 2014. during the game.

In case that wasn’t enough, it also has a massive party ship docked at a New York pier with the words “THE BUD LIGHT HOTEL” emblazoned on the side. The ship is on loan from Norwegian Cruise Lines and is serving as a base for more than 3,000 guests. After taking control of it earlier this week, Anheuser Busch slapped its Bud Light logo on just about everything in less than 24 hours, down to the tiny shampoo bottles in the cabins.

Even crew members’ uniforms have Bud Light stitched onto the sleeves.

Tucked away in a room aboard the ship on Sunday will be Bud Light’s “social command centre,” complete with giant flat screen TVs and computers to monitor whatever may be happening.

In case the 18-member team is second-guessing a tweet it dreams up, Anheuser Busch says its legal team will be on call for consultation.

SECOND QUARTER: STEPHEN COLBERT GETS CRACKIN’ Goodbye Psy, hello “freeberty.”

Wonderful Pistachios is back for its second straight Super Bowl ad.

This time, the 15-second spots will star funnyman Stephen Colbert, who’s known for making up words such as “truthiness” and “freeberty” (presumably a mashup of freedom and liberty, two of his favourite things). The ads launch a yearlong sponsorship deal featuring the tagline “Get Crackin’, America.”

Roll Global, which also owns Fiji Water and POM Wonderful juice, says its Super Bowl ad last year starring Korean pop singer Psy was a huge hit, with sales up 18 per cent year over year.

Good for them, but some viewers are getting a little tired of that horsey dance.

New York City dwellers may have already noticed teasers for the ads starring Colbert playing on TV screens in the back of taxis over the past week.

————— SECOND HALF: BOB DYLAN VERSUS JOHN STAMOS Chobani may feature a Bob Dylan song in its ad, but rival Oikos has Full House star John Stamos — better known as Uncle Jesse to fans of the sitcom.

In Chobani’s big game debut, the tune of I Want You plays as an angry bear ransacks a country store for something good to eat.

Meanwhile, Dannon’s Oikos ad shows Stamos sitting with a woman who seductively licks some stray yogurt from his finger, then his upper lip.

The scene heats up when some yogurt falls on his lap — but the moment is ruined when fellow Full House stars Bob Saget and Dave Coulier interrupt with offer to clean it up.

For those who didn’t watch Full House: the joke is that Saget’s character was a clean freak.

As daughter Michelle would say...

How rude.

FOURTH QUARTER: SCARLETT JOHANSSON’S POLITCALLY CHARGED FIZZY WATER Who knew seltzer could be so controversial?

SodaStream’s ad starring the actress Scarlett Johansson has already gotten plenty of attention for the soda machine maker.

The ad prompted the Her star cut ties with Oxfam International, which took issue with SodaStream’s large factory in an Israeli West Bank settlement.

Meanwhile, Oxfam is planning to bring attention to another issue during the game: Pepsi’s “land grabs” in countries such as Brazil and Cambodia, where it says the company’s sugar suppliers have robbed farmers of their rights and kicked them off their land.

United Airlines drops Cleveland as flight hub, will cut 470 jobs by summer THE ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON — United Airlines said Saturday it will drop its money-losing hub in Cleveland, slashing its daily flights and eliminating 470 jobs.

The company’s CEO Jeff Smisek announced in a letter to employees that the airline will no longer use Cleveland to connect fliers coming from other airports

around the country. As a result, United’s daily departures from the city will fall from 199 currently to 72 by June.

“Our hub in Cleveland hasn’t been profitable for over a decade, and has generated tens of millions of dollars of annual losses in recent years,” Smisek states.

“We simply cannot continue to bear these losses.”

United said in November that it aims to cut $2 billion in annual costs in the coming year by shifting flights, making workers more productive, and improving its maintenance procedures.

Similar cutbacks have affected many other small hubs in cities such as Memphis, Cincinnati and Salt Lake City amid a wave of airline mergers over the last five years.

Because it’s hard to fill a plane between, say, Indianapolis and Paris, airlines use hubs like Cleveland to gather passengers and connect them to the flights they want.

People who live in a hub city get a wider selection of destinations because their airport has more flights than it would if it was limited to the flights supported by local traffic.

Cleveland was a hub for Continental when it merged with United in 2010 to form United Continental Holdings Inc. Ever since the merger, people in the industry have assumed it was in danger of losing its hub status, because the airline now has United’s Midwestern hub in Chicago.

“Ever since the merg-

er everyone knew this was a risk, which is why economic development officials for the city, the region and the state have discussed options with United for keeping its presence in Cleveland,” Ohio Gov. John Kasich said.

“This is a disappointing decision and one we disagree with, but a point that United stressed is that demand for air travel from Cleveland remains strong and that they’re maintaining virtually all of their flights to and from major markets.”

In June, Delta Air Lines Inc. announced it would be closing its Memphis hub, which it had inherited in its 2008 acquisition of Northwest Airlines. Delta already has a huge hub operation in Atlanta.

HEALTH

A10

MONDAY, FEB. 3, 2014

BY THE CANADIAN PRESS Human infections of H7N9 bird flu soared in the lead up to Friday’s start of the lunar New Year celebrations in China, with fall-winter cases now overtaking the tally from last spring’s first explosive outbreak of the new virus.

The Chinese New Year is the single biggest travel event on the global calendar; the movement around the country of hundreds of millions of people and the family feasts associated with the multi-day holiday are expected to raise the infection count higher still.

Scientists who monitor influenza are watching China especially closely now.

“For the current period it is important to remain extra vigilant, I would say,” says Dr. Sylvie Briand of the World Health Organization, stretching out the first syllable of “extra” for emphasis.

While Briand and other flu experts are worried, they are in a quandary. They know the new virus poses a pandemic risk, perhaps a greater one than Photo by THE CANADIAN PRESS any non-human flu virus that has emerged in recent times. Certainly no bird flu virus has infected people A health worker in full protective gear throws a so easily and frequently in known history. killed chicken at a wholesale poultry market in Hong In fact the numbers are rising so fast it’s tough to keep track of where the count stands. Between the Kong, Jan. 28, 2014. Human infections of H7N9 bird time this article is written and when it is read, the flu soared in the lead up to Friday’s start of the lunar numbers will almost certainly change.

New Year celebrations in China, with fall-winter Late Thursday the U.S. Centres for Disease Con- cases now overtaking the tally from last spring’s first trol’s tally was 272 cases and 62 deaths since the first known cases occurred in late February 2013. To put explosive outbreak of the new virus. that in context, there have been about 650 cases of H5N1 avian flu over the past decade. In fact, some been monitoring developments in influenza and experts think it is possible that by the time this flu other infectious disease for over a decade. season subsides in China in the late spring, H7N9 They suggest this situation has the public health may have overtaken H5N1 — in just over a year. world over a barrel. If they sound alarms about “The march of this virus into other regions in H7N9 and the virus doesn’t quickly take off, they’ll China and other countries will be occurring over the be dismissed. If they don’t sound alarms, and the vinext months and years,” says Nancy Cox, who heads rus does trigger a pandemic, they’ll be pilloried. the CDC’s influenza division.

“This is a high-magnitude risk whose probability “So ... even if it doesn’t occur by the spring, we cannot be estimated with any confidence,” they said certainly will have in time as many cases of H7N9 as via email. we have of H5N1. And I would expect it to take far “And whatever is conveyed, no matter how nuless time.” anced, if the outcome goes in the other direction, But will geographic spread and a rapidly rising people will remember the experts as having overly case count presage the century’s second flu pandem- alarmed them, or as having failed to warn them.” ic, the worldwide spread of the virus? Since it can’t The public health authorities and flu experts who do it now, it seems H7N9 would need genetic chang- spoke out so loudly about the risk of H5N1 a few es to be able to spread easily from person to person. years ago know that, Lanard and Sandman say. And And scientists have absolutely no way to gauge if or having seen that virus stick around without causing a when that might happen. pandemic, those authorities and experts themselves “I can’t say whether that mutation will occur to- may not have the same strong hunches they felt in morrow, in 10 years, or never,” Dr. Tom Frieden, the early days of the H5N1 outbreak. director of the U.S. Centres for Disease Control, said “Officials aren’t afraid of scaring people; they’re Thursday. afraid of being accused of trying to scare people.

That is a fact that is difficult to explain to a public And they’re afraid of provoking still more cynicism. that generally wants clarity, not caveats. Briand, who They don’t have much credibility left when it comes is director of the WHO’s pandemic and epidemic dis- to infectious disease warnings, and they’re trying to ease department, readily acknowledges the limited husband what they have,” the husband and wife duo state of the current science. say.

“We know there is a risk, but it is very hard to say Cox makes few bets on flu, and she’s not starting (if it is) very low or very high. And most of the time now. we conclude: OK, it’s a middle risk,” she says.

“The question for us always is ’Which virus is it Adding to the challenge of assessing the risk and going to be?’ not ’Will there be another pandemic?”’ communicating it to the public are long shadows cast she says. by two other flu viruses, H5N1 bird flu and H1N1, the “We think that another pandemic is inevitable agent responsible for the 2009 pandemic. at some time. Is it going to be H7N9? Or is it going The former is deadly to poultry flocks, which it to be another influenza virus that comes out of the has been ravaging in parts of Asia and North Africa blue and surprises us like the H1N1 virus did during for years. It rarely infects people, but when it does, 2009? That’s the question for us.” the outcome is often fatal; roughly 60 per cent of confirmed cases have died.

That lethality earned H5N1 lots of headlines from 2004 to 2007 or so, with even some experts fearing there was an inevitability about the virus’s pandemic potential. But the longer it has gone without causing a pandemic, the more people have become inured to H5N1’s threat. While there is no science to support the assertion, some believe if the virus were going to cause a pandemic, it would have done so by now.

“You know, for human beings, 10 years is a long time. But we don’t know if Bilton Welding and Manufacturing Ltd. designs, engineers and manufactures custom for viruses it’s a long time energy equipment. Since 1992, Bilton has worked with engineering firms and oil and or not,” Briand says. natural gas producers around the globe to develop their own equipment standards Instead of a catastrophfor size, capacity and any number of technical specifications. We operate seven ic bird flu pandemic, a manufacturing facilities in Innisfail, Alberta and employ over 175 people. With your strange swine influenza long-term interests in mind, we provide you with ample opportunities to achieve your virus blindsided the world career goals. We’ll provide you with hands-on training and an opportunity to work on in 2009, causing the first some of the most interesting projects and applications in the energy sector. pandemic since 1967. The H1N1 strain was and reWe currently have career opportunities for a professional: mains deadly to some — young and middle-aged adults — but the numbers of fatal cases are in relaThe successful candidate will have the overall responsibility for the successful initiation, tive terms small and H1N1 planning, design, execution, monitoring, controlling and closure of a project. The Project didn’t wreak nearly the Manager must have a combination of skills including an ability to ask penetrating amount of havoc the world questions and resolve conflicts, as well as more general management skills. had feared a pandemic would bring.

Responsibilities In the outbreak’s afterYou will find success based on your ability to: math, the WHO and other public health leaders • Manage day-to-day operational aspects of a project and scope were criticized as having • Monitor progress of each project while in production cried wolf. Some even al• Keep up-to-date with progress and plans on future stages leged they’d colluded with • Constantly monitor and report on progress of the project to all stakeholders Big Pharma to boost sales • Keep client updated with the current status of projects of flu drugs and pandemic • Plan and schedule project timelines, update schedule vaccine.

• Manage project changes and budget “Coming on the legacy • Effectively apply our methodology and enforce project standards left behind by H5N1 on Job Requirements the one hand and then As the ideal candidate you will possess: pandemic H1N1 on the other hand makes it quite • Completion of PMP certification, working toward completion or equivalent difficult to communicate • Minimum 3 years previous experience in related industry or role the level of concern that • Microsoft Project experience is an asset would be appropriate • Thorough knowledge of oil and gas industry for this one,” says Malik Peiris, chair of the virolCareer development, growth and unlimited possibilities ogy department in the – you’ll find it here!

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BINGE DRINKING A MAJOR PROBLEM

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS LONDON — Russian men who down large amounts of vodka — and too many do — have an “extraordinarily” high risk of an early death, a new study says.

Researchers tracked about 151,000 adult men in the Russian cities of Barnaul, Byisk and Tomsk from 1999 to 2010. They interviewed them about their drinking habits and, when about 8,000 later died, followed up to monitor their causes of death.

The risk of dying before age 55 for those who said they drank three or more half-litre bottles of vodka a week was a shocking 35 per cent.

Overall, a quarter of Russian men die before reaching 55, compared with 7 per cent of men in the United Kingdom and less than 1 per cent in the United States. The life expectancy for men in Russia is 64 years — placing it among the lowest 50 countries in the world in that category.

It’s not clear how many Russian men drink three bottles or more a week. Lead researcher Sir Richard Peto of Oxford University said the average Russian adult drinks 20 litres of vodka per year while the average Briton drinks about three litres of spirits.

“Russians clearly drink a lot, but it’s this pattern of getting really smashed on vodka and then continuing to drink that is dangerous,” Peto said.

“The rate of men dying prematurely in Russia is totally out of line with the rest of Europe,” he said.

“There’s also a heavy drinking culture in Finland and Poland but they still have nothing like Russia’s risk of death.”

Alcohol has long been a top killer in Russia and vodka is often the drink of choice, available cheaply and often homemade in small villages. Previous studies have estimated that more than 40 per cent of working-age men in Russia die because they drink too much, including using alcohol that is not meant to be consumed like that in colognes and antiseptics.

Drinking is so engrained in Russian culture there’s a word that describes a drinking binge that lasts several days: “zapoi.”

Peto said there was some evidence of a similar effect in Russian women who also drank heavily but there was not enough data to draw a broad conclusion.

The study was paid for by the U.K. Medical Research Council and others. It was published online Thursday in the journal Lancet.

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H7N9 bird flu cases soar after Chinese New Year

ENTERTAINMENT Time to raise the bar

Music will resonate around gallery openings

BY VICTORIA AHEARN THE CANADIAN PRESS

BY ADVOCATE STAFF

File photo by THE CANADIAN PRESS

Satirical American-Russian author Gary Shteyngart says he’s sorry for saying some Canadian authors take fewer risks because they are beholden to government grants. ed Shteyngart, who was on the jury for the 2012 Scotiabank Giller Prize that went to Will Ferguson’s novel 419.

“Out of a million entries, we found four or five really good ones, but people just don’t take the same damn risks! Maybe they want to please the Ontario Arts Council, or whatever it is.”

On Friday, when asked about the comments, Shteyngart delivered a tongue-in-cheek apology.

“I’m so sorry, Canada. I’m so sorry. I love all things Canadian,” said the Brooklyn-based scribe.

“I got married in Nunavut, in Grise Fiord, the northernmost civilian settlement — I mean, come on. Glenn Gould, I like him quite a bit. I just had a picture taken of me sitting next to him, at that statue outside the CBC. I ate poutine last night along with some Niagara icewine, dessert wine.

“I mean, I’m giving it all for this country.”

He “was in a drunken stupor” and “had smoked

some crack” when he made the comments, he added jokingly, quoting Ford.

Shteyngart, who teaches creative writing at Columbia University, said when he was on the Giller jury and read about 140 books, “many of them just felt very similar to one another.”

When asked to describe those similarities, he pointed to what a Canadian student in his program has called the “Man Vs. Nature” theme in CanLit. For example, “’A wintry day in Manitoba and uncle Neal’s moustache has a bit of horse rust on it and someone loses a finger in some threshing machine,”’ said Shteyngart, 41.

“Or the Toronto thing where two people see each other across the subway platform and stuff happens between them, maybe one of them is Nicaraguan or something. I mean, Alice Munro has elevated the inner emotional story to a level that we haven’t seen since Chekhov, so I’m not saying you can’t set

something in provincial Ontario and not produce work that’s groundbreaking and Nobel-worthy.

“But sometimes it does feel like the writer knows what’s expected of her or him and then with a fair amount of skill reproduces that.”

Shteyngart said he was hoping to see more risky writing and opinionated characters in the vein of Mordecai Richler, whose works he teaches at Columbia.

“Barney’s Version is one of the saddest books I’ve ever read; it’s about mortality and it’s about the way we lose our faculties. That’s all I was really looking for in that pile. We chose some great books and I’m so glad 419, Ferguson’s book, won it.

“I mean, look, Alice Munro and Atwood and William Gibson, there’s obviously not a dearth of amazing writing there.

But I just wanted more of that, more of Richler.”

Shteyngart said he’s also found the same problem with MFA programs that subsidize students in the U.S.

Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman found dead; drug OD suspected THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

File photo by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Image released by The Weinstein Company shows Joaquin Phoenix, left, and Philip Seymour Hoffman in a scene from The Master. Police say Hoffman was found dead in his New York City apartment Sunday. off the wagon and developing a heroin problem that led to a stint at a rehabilitation facility.

The law enforcement officials said Hoffman’s body was discovered in a bathroom by a friend who made the 911 call and his assistant.

In one of his earliest roles, he played a spoiled prep school student in Scent of a Woman in 1992.

One of his breakthrough roles came as a gay member of a porno film crew in Boogie Nights, one of several movies directed by Paul Thomas Anderson that he would eventually appear in.

He often played comic, slightly off-kilter characters in movies like Along Came Polly, The Big Lebowski and Almost Famous.

More recently, he was Plutarch Heavensbee in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and was reprising that role in the twopart sequel, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, which is in the works.

And in Moneyball, he played Art Howe, the grumpy manager of the Oakland Athletics who resisted new thinking about baseball talent.

Just weeks ago, Showtime announced Hoffman would star in Happyish, a new comedy series about a middle-aged man’s pursuit of happiness.

In The Master, he was

MONDAYS ARE

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nominated for the 2013 Academy Award for best supporting actor for his role as the charismatic leader of a religious movement.

The film, partly inspired by the life of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, reunited the actor with Anderson.

He also received a 2009 supporting nomination for Doubt, as a priest who comes under suspicion because of his relationship with a boy, and a best supporting actor nomination for Charlie Wilson’s War, as a CIA officer.

Two films starring Hoffman premiered last month at the Sundance Film Festival: the espionage thriller Most Wanted Man, directed

by Anton Corbijn, and God’s Pocket, the directorial debut of John Slattery.

Hoffman is survived by his partner of 15 years, Mimi O’Donnell, and their three children.

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BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS LOS ANGELES — With Super Bowl XLVII weekend in full swing, Ride Along remained strong, steering Universal Pictures into the No. 1 slot in a surprising three-week takeover at the box office.

Topping multiplex sales since setting a January debut record when opening over the Martin Luther King holiday weekend with $48.6 million, the buddy cop comedy, starring Kevin Hart and Ice Cube, made $12.3 million, as it nears a $100 million domestic total, according to studio estimates Sunday.

In the world of animation, Disney’s Frozen, now the fourth highest-grossing domestic animated release ever, is in second place with $9.3 million. The studio rereleased a singalong version of the film, as the movie’s soundtrack remains No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. The film’s signature track Let It Go, sung by Idina Menzel, sits on the Billboard Hot 100 among the top 30. Frozen singalong shows, featured in 2,057 theatres out of 2,754, added $2.2 million, as the film crossed the $360 million mark domestically.

Another family film, Open Road Films’ squirrel comedy The Nut Job, took the fourth-place slot with $7.6 million, bringing its domestic total to $50 million over a three-week span.

Focus Features’ chick flick from a male point of view, That Awkward Moment, starring Zac Efron, Michael B. Jordan and Miles Teller, has taken third place in its opening weekend with $9 million.

Universal’s Lone Survivor stands strong in the fifth slot with $7.2 million, as it notably crosses the $100 million mark, making this Mark Wahlberg’s 7th film to cross that milestone.

Paramount’s resurgence of the film adaptations of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan series, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, this time starring Chris Pine as the resourceful CIA analyst, came in at No. 6 with $5.4 million in its third week.

In its opening weekend, the Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin-starring drama Labor Day, also distributed by Paramount, opened in 7th place with $5.3 million.

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Folk, roots and jazz music will resonate around Red Deer’s First Friday gallery openings for February.

Guitarist Bradford Lawlor will play a mix of roots and folk music at the Snell Auditorium of the Red Deer Public Library, while the Best of the West Travelling SAQA (Studio Arts Quilts Association) Trunk Show goes on next door in the Kiwanis Gallery.

The displayed quilt squares tell some colourful stories in this exhibit presented by the library and Red Deer Arts Council.

The quilt show runs to March 2. But the First Friday presentation, featuring refreshments and Lawlor’s musical performance, runs from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on First Friday, Feb. 7.

The Love of Photography, a show of snapshots by Jessica Swainson, runs to Feb. 28 at The Hub on Ross. A First Friday reception will be held from 4 to 6 p.m.

Lovers of jazz, blues and funk might want to stick around for a 7 p.m. concert at The Hub by the Claude A. Godin Trio.

Award-winning saxophonist, Godin, will be joined by drummer Carlos Copaban and pianist Ricardo Villacorta at 4936 Ross St. Tickets are $15 per person or $30 per family at the door (cash only).

Abstract artist Paul Boultbee presents a year in pictures with his Tiny Moments exhibit at the HarrisWarke Gallery, upstairs at the Sunworks store on Ross Street.

The show goes to Feb. 15, but an opening reception will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday.

Paintings by Amber Jackson are showing at the Velvet Olive lounge until the end of the month, while photos by Jim McKinley will be displayed for the same duration at Cafe Pichilingue.

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NEW YORK — Philip Seymour Hoffman, who won the Oscar for best actor in 2006 for his portrayal of writer Truman Capote in Capote and created a gallery of other vivid characters, many of them slovenly and slightly dissipated comic figures, was found dead Sunday in his Greenwich Village apartment with what law enforcement officials said was a syringe in his arm.

He was 46.

The officials told The Associated Press that glassine envelopes containing what was believed to be heroin were also found with Hoffman.

Those items are being tested.

The law enforcement officials, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak about evidence found at the scene, said the cause of death was believed to be a drug overdose.

Hoffman — no matinee-idol figure with his tubby, lumpy build and limp blond hair — made his career mostly as a character actor, and was one of the most prolific in the business.

The stage-trained actor’s rumpled naturalism made him one of the most admired performers of his generation. He was nominated for Academy Awards four times in all.

Hoffman spoke candidly over the years about past struggles with drug addiction.

After 23 years sober, he admitted in interviews last year to falling

MONDAY, FEB. 3, 2014 FIRST FRIDAY

AUTHOR GARY SHTEYNGART SAYS ROB FORD MAY HELP DIVERSIFY STATE OF CANLIT

TORONTO — cal American-Russian author Gary Shteyngart says he’s sorry for saying some Canadian authors take fewer risks because they are beholden to government grants.

But he still stands by his words, which he recently made to an online publication, and he thinks the problem will eventually change — thanks to embattled Toronto mayor Rob Ford.

“I think Rob Ford will give Canada licence to do something else,” Shteyngart said in an interview to promote his new immigrant memoir, Little Failure.

“Because now literature — the idea of this sort of perfect country, which is how many people see it, where everything just hums along smoothly and people are polite — you’ve got Rob Ford and that raises the bar, and I think literature has to meet that bar in some way.

“Because now we know that there’s a craziness underneath it all that exceeds any insanity that we have in our craziest states — in Jersey, Alabama. I mean, this is beyond crazy. This is so crazy that, as a satirist who invents countries like Absurdistan, I could have never invented this.

And this is here in Toronto. It’s spectacular.

Congratulations.”

The bespectacled novelist behind Super Sad True Love Story, Absurdistan and The Russian Debutante’s Handbook recently took a jab at the state of CanLit in an article on vulture.com.

It was in response to a question of whether fiction should be subsidized.

“Let me say this. I was the judge of a Canadian prize, and it’s subsidized, they all get grants,” start-

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MONDAY, FEB. 3, 2014

Americans too much for Rebels RED DEER UNABLE TO STOP ONSLAUGHT OF PENALTIES

BY GREG MEACHEM ADVOCATE SPORTS EDITOR Americans 4 Rebels 2 Winning games in the Western Hockey League can be difficult at the best of times.

Attempting to win from the penalty box is usually an exercise in futility, as the Red Deer Rebels were reminded in a 4-2 loss to the Tri-City Americans Saturday in front of 5,304 fans at the Enmax Centrium.

The Rebels gave up nine power-play opportunities, and although the visitors notched just a single man-advantage goal the home side wilted somewhat under the load.

“We took too many minor penalties. We played nearly a full period of hockey — 18 minutes — shorthanded,” said Rebels GM/head coach Brent Sutter.

“During the road trip in Saskatchewan (from Jan. 22-25) we took 21 minor penalties in those games and our goalie bailed us out,” added Sutter, in reference to Patrik Bartosak’s outstanding play in three Red Deer victories.

“We come back and play our first game here (a 4-3 shootout win over Brandon last Wednesday) and were pretty disciplined.”

That wasn’t the case Saturday, especially in the second period when the Rebels were assessed five minors — including three in succession — after cutting the visitors’ lead to 2-1 early in the frame on a power-play tally by Evan Polei.

“We get ourselves back in the game with a goal and then, bang, we take five minor penalties,” Sutter groaned.

“It takes you right out of your rhythm and you end up short-handed on your bench. Your game isn’t where it needs to be and then you put yourself in a position where you’re battling from behind.

“We need to be resilient, but you need discipline inside of that. You go through it with the kids and they don’t understand the discipline part of it and how it affects your flow.”

Rookie Taz Burman got the start in the Red Deer net and struggled early, giving up a goal to Justin Gutierrez midway through the opening period and another to Beau McCue five minutes later.

On the first marker, Burman was beaten while diving for a loose puck, and on the second goal he failed to get across the net and was beaten on the short side.

“I thought after the first period Taz settled in, but even though he’s 16 and hasn’t played a lot of games,

Photo by ROB WALLATOR, freelance

Red Deer Rebels forward Rhyse Dieno checks Brian Williams of the Tri-City Americans during WHL action Saturday at the Enmax Centrium. Williams later scored an empty-net goal to seal a 4-2 victory for the visitors. those first two goals can’t happen at this level and at this time of the year,” said Sutter.

“The first one he goes to pounce on the puck and fails to cover up, and that second one . . . that’s a play that just can’t happen, a play your goalie has to make for you. Obviously mistakes were made before that point and we understand that, but we need to have goaltending, as does every team at this time of the year.

“His last two periods he was really good, he made some really good saves on the penalty kill.

“He’s a young goalie who is learning the process here and we have to be patient, but at the same time we have to recognize that when you’re pushing for a playoff spot and hoping to move up in the standings, that goaltending is an important part of that. Like I

told Taz, when he gets a chance to play he can’t give up easy goals. You have to make teams beat you.”

The Americans restored their two-goal cushion at 13:30 of the middle frame. With the visitors on an extended five-on-three power play, Tri-City captain and Red Deer product Mitch Topping blew a slapshot past Burman.

Captain Conner Bleackley brought the Rebels back into contention when he buried a power-play rebound at 7:26 of the third period.

Red Deer pressed for the tying goal late and had momentum on their side when Bleackley was called for boarding when in fact he was simply finishing his check by rubbing a player out along the wall.

Please see REBELS on Page B2

Seahawks win the Super Bowl AFTER A LONG WAIT, SEATTLE FANS CELEBRATE

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS SEATTLE — With shouts, cheers and fireworks, Seattle residents celebrated a dominant victory in the Super Bowl — the city’s first major sports championship in more than 30 years.

Thousands of people took to the streets throughout the city and Seattle police planned an increased presence throughout the city Sunday night. They sent a tweet on the department’s widely followed Twitter account saying, “Officers will be out and about citywide making sure everyone is celebrating safely.”

The Seahawks beat the Denver Broncos 43-8.

The last time a major Seattle sports franchise won a championship was in 1979 when the Supersonics took the NBA title.

The WNBA’s Seattle Storm have won two championships, in 2004 and 2010.

Mayor Ed Murray said in a statement that a Seahawks victory parade would happen Wednesday.

Fans blared horns and launched fireworks.

In the University District, near the University of Washington, fire crews extinguished at least one bonfire as rowdy fans were out in force.

In Occidental Park in Pioneer Square, near CenturyLink Field where the Seahawks play, people waving “12th Man” flags took to the street, and others climbed trees and sculptures.

Fans in some neighbourhoods blocked traffic.

Seattle police spokesman Mark Jamieson said Sunday night the biggest concentrations of people were downtown and in the University District. He said no major disturbances had been reported.

Senayet Woldemarian, a 29-year-old physical therapist from The north Seattle Suburb of Shoreline, shrieked giddily and waved her Seahawks flag at honking cars on a North Seattle street: “We got our first Super Bowl!”

Her friend, wedding photographer Taylor Olcott, 28, said it reminded her a little of being in Boston in 2004, when the Red Sox won baseball’s World Series for the first time since 1918.

“This is the first time I’ve really seen Seattle passionate about anything,” she said.

“It’s, like, East Coast. It’s very exciting.”

About 30 people watched the game at the Outlander Brewery in Seattle’s Fremont neighbourhood.

Please see SEATTLE on Page B2

Photo by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll holds the Vince Lombardi Trophy after the NFL Super Bowl XLVIII football game against the Denver Broncos Sunday in East Rutherford, N.J. The Seahawks won 43-8.

FIRST TITLE FOR SEATTLE

BY BARRY WILNER THE ASSOCIATED PRESS EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Waiting to get their hands on the Lombardi Trophy, the Seahawks were surrounded by security guards in orange jackets.

It was the first time anyone in that colour stopped them all night.

The Seahawks stayed true to their mantra to make each day a championship day.

They made Super Bowl Sunday the best day of all with one of the greatest performances in an NFL title game — sparked by a defence that ranks among the best ever.

The Seahawks won their first Super Bowl crown by punishing Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos 438. That masterful defence, the NFL’s stingiest, never let the five-time MVP get going, disarming the highest-scoring offence in league history.

“The only way we could say we were the best defence was to take down the best offence,” linebacker Bobby Wagner said.

Seattle (16-3) was too quick, too physical and just too good for Denver.

What was hyped as a classic matchup between an unstoppable offence and a miserly defence turned into a rout.

“We’ve been relentless all season,” quarterback Russell Wilson said.

“Having that mentality of having a championship day every day. At the end of the day, you want to play your best football and that is what we did today.”

Punctuating Seattle’s dominance were a 69-yard interception return touchdown by linebacker Malcolm Smith to make it 22-0, and Percy Harvin’s sensational 87-yard kickoff return to open the second half.

“I always imagined myself making great plays,” said Smith, the game’s MVP. “Never thought about being the MVP.” When the Seahawks, up by 29 points, forced a Denver punt early in the third quarter, the 12th Man — and there were legions of them in MetLife Stadium — began chanting “L-O-B, LO-B.” As in Legion of Boom, the Seahawks’ hard-hitting secondary, part of

Greg Meachem, Sports Editor, 403-314-4363 E-mail gmeachem@reddeeradvocate.com

>>>>

a young team with an average age of 26 years, 138 days.

“This is an amazing team. Took us four years to get to this point, but they never have taken a step sideways,” coach Pete Carroll said. “These guys would not take anything but winning this ballgame.”

The loss by the Broncos again raised questions about Manning’s ability to win the biggest games. He is 11-12 in the post-season, 1-2 in Super Bowls.

After the game, he brushed off questions about his legacy.

“Certainly to finish this way is very disappointing. It’s not an easy pill to swallow,” said Manning, who threw for a record 55 touchdowns in 2013, two years after missing an entire season because of neck surgeries.

“I don’t know if you ever really get over it.”

He never looked comfortable against a defence some will begin comparing to the 1985 Bears and 2000 Ravens — other NFL champions who had runaway Super Bowl victories.

Please see VICTORY on Page B2

SEE MORE ONLINE AT WWW.REDDEERADVOCATE.COM

B2 RED DEER ADVOCATE Monday, Feb. 3, 2014

REBELS: Penalties are frustrating “It’s a hockey play and that’s the frustrating thing that we all experience as coaches and general managers,” said Sutter.

“I understand that when penalties are there you have to call them, but that was an actual hockey play.

You get penalized for something when you’re playing within the rules. That’s tough and it’s frustrating for everybody.”

With Burman on the bench in favour of an extra attacker, Tri-City forward Brian Williams, from deep in his own zone, scored in an empty net with 29 seconds remaining.

“It was pretty surreal and obviously bittersweet with this being my last game here in my hometown,” said Topping, who’s in his final WHL season. “It was nice to get the win. It was pretty special and playing in front of family and friends made it an awesome experience.”

The Americans, who gave up eight power plays, were minus the services of their other two 20-yearolds as Jesse Astles was hurt during a 3-1 loss Friday at Edmonton and Philip Tot went down with an injury during his opening shift Saturday.

“With those guys out and with all the penalties we took tonight, we ran some guys pretty good,” said TriCity head coach Jim Hiller.

“But we got just enough from the kids to win the game.”

Burman finished with 24 saves while Tri-City goalie Eric Comrie, who auditioned for the Canadian junior national team in December, turned aside 27 shots in a solid performance.

“Having Eric in net makes a difference for us every night and the fans here got a chance to see that tonight,” said Hiller.

The Rebels left Sunday for Vancouver, where they will face the Giants Tuesday. From there, Red Deer will play in Kelowna Wednesday and in Prince George Friday and Saturday.

The Rebels’ next home game is Feb. 12 versus the Medicine Hat Tigers. gmeachem@reddeeradvocate.com

SEATTLE: Euphoria It was such a blowout that by the fourth quarter, employees had switched one of the three TVs to Animal Planet’s “Puppy Bowl.”

“We’re all in euphoria right now,” said Steve McVay, a 43-year-old Seattle IT worker. “It’s a huge deal for the city. Since the Sonics we haven’t won anything.”

John Caro and his wife, Corina, both 59, whooped their way down Lake City Way in North Seattle, highfiving passersby.

“I was born here, I was raised here! This is my ultimate dream!” Caro shouted. “We have waited so freakin’ long for this!”

With that, they stepped across the street, with Caro waving his grey Seahawks conference championship hat to stop the traffic.

VICTORY: Dominant performance Seattle forced four turnovers; Denver had 26 all season.

All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman left with a high ankle sprain in the fourth quarter. He celebrated on crutches.

“I hope we etched our names in the history books,” Sherman said.

Wilson, who has an NFL-record 28 wins in his first two pro seasons, including playoffs, had a 23-yard TD pass to Jermaine Kearse late in the third quarter to make it 36-0.

Wilson also hit Doug Baldwin for a 10-yard score in the final period in what had become one of the most lopsided Super Bowls. For the fifth time in six meetings between the NFL’s No. 1 offence and defence, the D dominated.

“It’s all about making history,” All-Pro safety Earl Thomas said.

“This was a dominant performance from top to bottom.”

Seahawks tight end Luke Willson, from LaSalle, Ont., had two receptions for 17 yards.

Denver fell to 2-5 in Super Bowls, and by the end many of Manning’s passes resembled the “ducks” Sherman said the All-Pro quarterback sometimes threw.

The victory was particularly sweet for Carroll, fired in 1994 by the Jets. He led the Patriots for three seasons and again was canned. After a short stint out of coaching, he took over at Southern California and won two national titles.

But he always felt there was unfinished business in the NFL. Carroll finished that business by lifting the Vince Lombardi Trophy, four years after taking charge in Seattle and eight years after the Seahawks lost in their only previous Super Bowl to Pittsburgh.

No Super Bowl had been played outdoors in a cold-weather city — not that the Big Apple was anything close to frozen Sunday, when it was 49 degrees at kickoff.

Things went sour for Manning and the Broncos from the very first scrimmage play, and by halftime they were down 22-0 — their biggest deficit of the season and the only time they didn’t score in a half.

On that first play, Manning stepped up toward the line just as centre Manny Ramirez snapped the ball.

It flew past his incredulous quarterback into the end zone, where Knowshon Moreno dived on it for a safety.

A mere 12 seconds in, Seattle led 2-0 with the quickest score in Super Bowl history, beating Chicago’s Devin Hester’s kickoff return to open the 2007 game — against Manning’s Colts.

That one ended much better for Manning as Indianapolis won the championship. This one was a fiasco throughout.

Steven Hauschka made 31- and 33-yard field goals for 8-0. Then the Seahawks began scoring touchdowns.

Manning’s third-down pass to Julius Thomas sailed way too high and directly to safety Kam Chancellor, giving the Seahawks the ball at Denver’s 37.

A third-down pass interference call on Tony Carter brought Seattle to the 1, and Marshawn Lynch scored to make it 15-0.

Then Smith made his second huge play in two weeks. His interception clinched the NFC championship win over San Francisco.

Cliff Avril got to Manning’s arm as he was throwing, the ball fluttered directly to Smith, who took off down the left sideline for a 69-yard interception TD. Manning trudged to the sideline, a look of disgust on his face, Denver’s reputation as an unstoppable force erased.

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org

Homan rink shows title defence ready

BY THE CANADIAN PRESS MONTREAL — Rachel Homan and Team Canada have served notice they’re ready to defend their title at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts.

The defending champions grabbed the early lead and held on for a 9-6 win in nine ends over Quebec’s Allison Ross on Sunday to emerge from the second day of play at the Maurice Richard Arena as the lone team yet to lose a match.

“It’s where I hoped we’d be,” said 24-year-old Homan (3-0). “You never know what’s going to happen, but the team’s playing really well. We’ve just got to keep rolling.”

With previous victories of 8-3 over Manitoba and 9-3 over Ontario, both in eight ends, they have piled up points against some highly-regarded teams without yet having to go the full 10 ends.

But Homan and the team were most concerned about giving up three to Quebec (0-4) in the second, which drew a roar from the 2,281 in the seats.

“We gave up three in two, but that’s alright — mistakes will happen,” said Homan. “We’re learning the ice and different draws will be different weights.”

“I underthrew two halfway hits and that didn’t turn out well and then Rachel threw one we thought was good but it sailed off,” said Team Canada third Emma Miskew. “We got tricked a little on either the speed or the weight.

“We didn’t throw any more finesse shots after that because it tricked us a little.”

The evening draws saw two matches go to extra ends as both New Brunswick and P.E.I. pulled off victories.

New Brunswick’s Andrea Crawford (2-1) scored a single in the 11th end to take a 4-3 win over British Columbia’s 22-year-old skip Kesa Van Osch (1-3). And Kim Dolan (1-2) of P.E.I got her first victory of the tournament, 7-6 over Quebec in 11 ends.

In the other late draws, Newfoundland’s Heather Strong (3-1) edged Yukon’s Sarah Koltun (1-2) 6-5. Koltun scored singles in the ninth and 10th ends but fell short of the comeback. And Alberta’s Val Sweeting (3-1) scored three in the sixth end en route to a 5-4 vic-

SCOTTIES TOURNAMENT OF HEARTS

Photo by THE CANADIAN PRESS

Team Canada skip Rachel Homan delivers her rock against team Ontario during third draw curling action at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Montreal, Sunday. tory over Nova Scotia’s Heather Smith (1-2).

The afternoon draw saw some wild finishes.

Stefanie Lawton (2-1) of Saskatchewan tied her game up with two in the ninth and then stole two in the 10th to win 8-6 over Sweeting.

“Tied up coming home, without hammer, we know what we have to do,” said Lawton, whose side gave up two in the 10th to lose 5-4 to Manitoba in the morning draw.

“We have to put up two guards and get one on the button.

“We got away with one when they kissed the guard and bit and I was able to put another on top of that and put the pressure on them.

There’s going to be lots of games that will be battles. You just have to keep plugging away.”

Another cliffhanger saw Manitoba’s Chelsea Carey (2-1) get the point she needed in the 10th to defeat the B.C. side 7-6.

And Ontario’s Allison Flaxey (1-2) scored two in the 10th and a steal of one in an extra end to down Newfoundland by 8-7.

Homan won last year’s Scotties as skip of Team Ontario, beating

Jennifer Jones’ Winnipeg rink in the final. Jones isn’t at this year’s tournament, having won an ultracompetitive qualifying tournament to represent Canada at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

Other top teams bowed out in their provincial championships, some citing mental fatigue from trying to make the Olympic team.

But Homan’s side was spared that because they qualified automatically for the Scotties as the defending champions.

“That definitely helped us,” said Miskew. “There’s a lot of new faces here, but it’s nice to see a lot of young teams here.”

“We definitely have room to improve. We had a bad end but we were able to bounce back, so that was important for us. It seems every game you get a little better and that’s our goal.”

Team Canada is part of the youth movement.

Homan and Miskew are both 24, while second Alison Kreviazuk is 25.

They’ve been playing together since they were young kids. Lead Lisa Weagle, 28, joined them later.

Stadler takes Phoenix Open THE ASSOCIATED PRESS SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.

— The Smallrus finally hoisted a big PGA Tour trophy.

Kevin Stadler, the 33-year-old son of major champion Craig “The Walrus” Stadler, won the Phoenix Open on Sunday for his first PGA Tour victory.

Stadler won when playing partner Bubba Watson missed a 5-foot par putt on 18.

“It was a little weird way to win a golf tournament,” Stadler said.

“I fully expected him to make the putt. I would have rather made mine to win it.”

Stadler closed with a 3-under 68 for a onestroke victory over Watson and Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask. Watson shot 71, and DeLaet had a 65.

“He beat me,” Watson said. “He’s a great player.”

Stadler won in his 239th tour start, earning a spot in the Masters — a tournament his father won in 1982. The Stadlers are the ninth father-son winners in tour history and will be the first to play in the same Masters.

“It’s going to great for me because it’s really my last one,” said Craig Stadler, a 13-time PGA Tour winner with nine Champions Tour victories.

“I kept saying, ’When he gets in, that’s my last one.’ ... I’m proud of him.

It’s awesome.”

Kevin Stadler finished at 16-under 268 at TPC Scottsdale, his home course. Raised in Colorado, he played in Denver Broncos colours, wearing an orange shirt and blue pants and hat.

What was he thinking when Watson was standing over his par putt on 18?

“How long the playoff was going to take and how long until I

can watch the football game?” Stadler said.

After Stadler and Watson each saved par after hitting into the water on the par-5 15th, Stadler tied Watson for the lead with a par on the par-3 16th hole. Watson hit into the front left bunker on the stadium hole and his 6-footer missed to the left.

At the 347-yard 17th, they each drove the green and two-putted for birdie from 90 feet — Watson holing out from 18 feet and Stadler from 5.

On the par-4 18th, Stadler hit his 110-yard approach to the back right pin to 10 feet. Watson drove into the right rough and hammered his 120-yard second over the green.

Watson bladed his shot from the trampled rough into the bank next to the green and it ran 5 feet past the hole. After Stadler missed his birdie try and tapped in for par, Watson’s par try slid by the left side.

“I thought I hit a good putt, but obviously I misread that, too,” Watson said.

Stadler birdied the

Photo by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Kevin Stadler smiles as he poses for photographers with the championship trophy after winning the Phoenix Open golf tournament on Sunday, in Scottsdale, Ariz. par-4 ninth to take a onestroke lead over Watson, but fell behind with a double bogey on the par4 11th.

Stadler took a penalty stroke for an unplayable lie after driving into a Buckhorn Cholla and missed a 4-foot bogey try.

“Cactus and short putt and all that was on one hole,” Stadler said.

“Eleven has had my num-

ber for years. I butcher that hole every year.”

Stadler likely will move up high enough in the world ranking to get one of the last spots in the 64-man Match Play Championship this month outside Tucson.

Stadler’s previous biggest win was in Australia in the European Tour’s 2006 Johnnie Walker Classic.

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STORIES FROM PAGE B1

SCOREBOARD Hockey GP 54 55 57 56 55 55 55 54

W 35 32 30 29 24 24 21 15

L OT Pts GF 16 3 73 164 18 5 69 162 21 6 66 170 21 6 64 137 19 12 60 144 21 10 58 158 27 7 49 133 31 8 38 105

GA 119 137 176 139 158 176 174 161

Metropolitan Division GP Pittsburgh 55 N.Y. Rangers 56 Columbus 55 Philadelphia 56 Carolina 54 Washington 56 New Jersey 56 N.Y. Islanders 57

W 38 30 28 27 25 25 23 21

L OT Pts GF 15 2 78 176 23 3 63 145 23 4 60 163 23 6 60 152 20 9 59 137 22 9 59 164 21 12 58 132 28 8 50 159

GA 132 140 154 163 151 172 140 191

WESTERN CONFERENCE Central Division GP 57 54 54 57 55 57 57

Chicago St. Louis Colorado Minnesota Dallas Nashville Winnipeg

W 33 37 35 29 25 25 27

L OT Pts GF 10 14 80 200 12 5 79 185 14 5 75 165 21 7 65 140 21 9 59 158 23 9 59 142 25 5 59 161

GA 158 125 142 144 160 172 166

Pacific Division Anaheim San Jose Los Angeles Vancouver Phoenix Calgary Edmonton

GP 57 56 57 56 55 55 57

W 40 35 30 27 26 21 18

L OT Pts GF 12 5 85 189 15 6 76 168 21 6 66 134 20 9 63 142 19 10 62 159 27 7 49 132 33 6 42 147

GA 139 134 122 147 164 173 194

NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss.

Saturday’s Results St. Louis 4, Nashville 3, SO San Jose 2, Chicago 1, SO Boston 4, Edmonton 0 Tampa Bay 2, Montreal 1, OT Colorado 7, Buffalo 1 Philadelphia 2, Los Angeles 0 Toronto 6, Ottawa 3 Columbus 4, Florida 1 Phoenix 3, Pittsburgh 1 Calgary 4, Minnesota 3, OT Dallas 2, Anaheim 0 Sunday’s Results Washington 6, Detroit 5, OT Winnipeg 2, Montreal 1 Today’s Games Edmonton at Buffalo, 5 p.m.

Ottawa at Pittsburgh, 5:30 p.m.

Colorado at New Jersey, 5:30 p.m.

Columbus at Anaheim, 8 p.m.

Chicago at Los Angeles, 8:30 p.m.

Philadelphia at San Jose, 8:30 p.m.

Tuesday’s Games Vancouver at Boston, 5 p.m.

Colorado at N.Y. Rangers, 5 p.m.

Winnipeg at Carolina, 5 p.m.

Calgary at Montreal, 5:30 p.m.

Toronto at Florida, 5:30 p.m.

N.Y. Islanders at Washington, 5:30 p.m.

Ottawa at St. Louis, 6 p.m.

Tampa Bay at Minnesota, 6 p.m.

Dallas at Phoenix, 7 p.m.

SUMMARIES SUNDAY Jets 2, Canadiens 1 First Period No Scoring.

Penalties — Jokinen Wpg (tripping) 11:11.

Second Period 1. Winnipeg, Enstrom 6 (Thorburn, Wheeler) 9:13.

2. Montreal, Gionta 10 (Plekanec, Markov) 17:06.

Penalties — Markov Mtl (interference) 0:18, Stuart Wpg (roughing) 16:27, Gallagher Mtl (roughing) 16:27, Gallagher Mtl (holding) 18:53, Byfuglien Wpg (roughing) 19:33, Moen Mtl (roughing) 19:33.

Third Period 3. Winnipeg, Frolik 12 (Ladd) 1:04.

Penalties — Thorburn Wpg (interference) 5:22, Byfuglien Wpg (slashing) 12:58, Gallagher Mtl (tripping) 13:30.

Shots on goal by Winnipeg 10 13 12 — 35 Montreal 12 9 10 — 31 Goal — Winnipeg: Montoya (W, 10-4-1); Montreal: Price (L, 23-17-5).

Power plays (goal-chances)Winnipeg: 0-3; Montreal: 0-3.

Capitals 6, Red Wings 5 (OT) First Period 1. Washington, Chimera 12 (Ward, Carrick) 4:43.

2. Washington, Ward 16 (Johansson, Chimera) 7:20 (pp).

3. Detroit, Nyquist 11 (Alfredsson, Kronwall) 11:40 (pp).

4. Washington, Carlson 10 (Backstrom, Erat) 16:05 (pp).

Penalties — Nyquist Det (slashing) 7:02, Carrick Wash (cross-checking) 11:31, Volpatti Wash (hooking) 13:21, Quincey Det (delay of game) 15:33,

Kindl Det (holding) 19:19.

Second Period 5. Detroit, Tatar 13 (Sheahan, Jurco) 13:30.

6. Washington, Ward 17 (Chimera, Carrick) 13:49.

7. Detroit, Nyquist 12 (Zetterberg, Tatar) 18:49 (pp).

Penalties — Brouwer Wash (slashing) 16:52.

Third Period 8. Detroit, Nyquist 13 (Zetterberg, Kronwall) :42.

9. Washington, Brouwer 11 (unassisted) 4:28.

10. Detroit, Abdelkader 6 (Nyquist, Zetterberg) 6:25.

Penalties — Tatar Det (tripping) 2:03, Zetterberg Det (tripping) 9:56.

Overtime 11. Washington, Ovechkin 39 (Carlson, Backstrom) 2:37 (pp).

Penalties — Smith Det (tripping) 1:26.

Detroit 7 10 13 0 — 30 Washington 12 10 3 3 — 28 Goal — Detroit: Howard (LO, 10-12-9); Washington: Neuvirth (W, 4-5-2).

Power plays (goal-chances)Detroit: 2-3; Washington: 3-6.

SATURDAY Flames 4, Wild 3 (OT) First Period 1. Calgary, Galiardi 2 (Westgarth, Butler) 12:36.

Penalties — Cooke Minn (interference) 9:47, Butler Cgy (roughing) 9:47, Brodie Cgy (slashing) 13:51, Coyle Minn (interference) 19:24.

Second Period 2. Minnesota, Cooke 9 (unassisted) 14:03 (sh).

3. Calgary, Wideman 3 (Butler, Galiardi) 18:24.

Penalties — Stempniak Cgy (roughing) 2:32, Rupp Minn (tripping) 5:26, Coyle Minn (delay of game) 13:24, Parise Minn (slashing) 16:17.

Third Period 4. Calgary, Backlund 12 (Giordano, Stempniak) 1:00 (sh).

5. Minnesota, Heatley 10 (Granlund, Parise) 10:31 (pp).

6. Minnesota, Ballard 2 (Brodziak, Heatley) 15:55.

Penalties — Bouma Cgy (holding) 0:19, Colborne Cgy (holding) 10:14.

Overtime 7. Calgary, Backlund 13 (Monahan, Giordano) 2:25.

Penalties — None.

Shots on goal by Minnesota 6 4 12 1 — 23 Calgary 7 18 4 3 — 32 Goal — Minnesota: Kuemper (LO, 6-3-2); Calgary: Berra (W, 7-14-2).

Power plays (goal-chances)Minnesota: 1-4; Calgary: 0-4.

Bruins 4, Oilers 0 First Period No Scoring.

Penalties — Thornton Bos (fighting) 3:20, Gazdic Edm (fighting) 3:20, Kelly Bos (hooking) 7:15, Smyth Edm (hooking) 9:30, Petry Edm (hooking) 12:08, Petry Edm (roughing) 12:08, Campbell Bos (roughing) 12:08.

Second Period 1. Boston, Krejci 12 (Iginla, Lucic) 2:06 (pp).

Penalties — Scrivens Edm (tripping) 0:26, Krejci Bos (holding) 11:00, Kelly Bos (high-sticking) 15:03, Eberle Edm (interference) 15:44.

Third Period 2. Boston, Hamilton 6 (Chara, Soderberg) 6:43.

3. Boston, Soderberg 8 (Kelly, Bartkowski) 13:05.

4. Boston, Krug 12 (Chara, Iginla) 15:42 (pp).

Penalties — Bartkowski Bos (hooking) 8:52, Perron Edm (roughing) 14:40.

Edmonton 2 10 10 — 22 Boston 9 13 19 — 41 Goal — Edmonton: Scrivens (L, 9-8-4); Boston: Johnson (W, 10-3-0).

Power plays (goal-chances)Edmonton: 0-4; Boston: 2-5.

WHL All Times Pacific EASTERN CONFERENCE EAST DIVISION GP W L OTLSOL GF GA Brandon 52 27 19 5 1 199 191 Swift Current 53 26 19 2 6 178 160 Regina 53 27 21 3 2 180 189 Prince Albert 51 23 25 2 1 162 179 Moose Jaw 52 13 31 3 5 132 203 Saskatoon 54 14 36 1 3 152 224

Pt 60 60 59 49 34 32

CENTRAL DIVISION GP W L OTLSOL GF GA Edmonton 51 37 13 0 1 213 129 Calgary 52 32 14 3 3 193 146 Medicine Hat 51 29 19 3 0 173 145 Kootenay 52 27 21 2 2 165 156 Red Deer 52 27 22 0 3 161 157 Lethbridge 54 11 38 2 3 133 251

Pt 75 70 61 58 57 27

WESTERN CONFERENCE B.C. DIVISION GP W L OTLSOL GF GA Kelowna 52 42 7 0 3 227 132 Victoria 53 34 16 0 3 163 127 Vancouver 54 26 19 6 3 185 183 Prince George 55 22 26 2 5 182 229 Kamloops 53 11 37 2 3 138 224

Pt 87 71 61 51 27

GP 53 53 52 53 53

Portland Seattle Spokane Everett Tri-City

U.S. DIVISION W L OTLSOL 36 12 2 3 32 16 2 3 31 16 3 2 26 19 7 1 26 22 2 3

GF GA 239 161 178 182 179 156 155 159 138 142

Pt 77 69 67 60 57

d-division leader; x-clinched playoff berth. Note: Division leaders ranked in top three positions per conference regardless of points; a team winning in overtime or shootout is credited with two points and a victory in the W column; the team losing in overtime or shootout receives one point which is

registered in the OTL or SOL columns Saturday’s results Prince George 6 Swift Current 2 Regina 5 Moose Jaw 2 Brandon 4 Saskatoon 1 Tri-City 4 Red Deer 2 Kootenay 5 Calgary 2 Edmonton 5 Medicine Hat 1 Portland 3 Seattle 0 Kelowna 7 Kamloops 3 Victoria 3 Vancouver 2 (OT) Everett 5 Spokane 4 (OT) Tuesday’s games Medicine Hat at Regina, 5 p.m.

Swift Current at Prince Albert, 5 p.m.

Saskatoon at Kootenay, 6 p.m.

Red Deer at Vancouver, 7 p.m.

Calgary at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.

Everett at Seattle, 7:05 p.m.

Wednesday’s games Medicine Hat at Brandon, 5 p.m.

Saskatoon at Lethbridge, 6 p.m.

Edmonton at Kamloops, 7 p.m.

Red Deer at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.

Calgary at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.

Seattle at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.

SUMMARIES SATURDAY Americans 4, Rebels 2 First Period 1. Tri-City, Gutierrez 2 (Carlo, McAndrews) 10:39.

2. Tri-City, McCue 16 (Williams, Bowles) 15:36.

Penalties — Topping TC (hooking) 13:09, Fafard RD (delay of game) 15:42, Dixon RD (boarding) 17:00, Thrower TC (Major - Checking to the Head) 18:41, Thrower TC (game misconduct) 18:41.

Second Period 3. Red Deer, Polei 6 (Dieno, Pawlenchuk) 6:07 (pp).

4. Tri-City, Topping 4 (Plutnar, Williams) 13:30 (pp).

Penalties — Bowles TC (tripping) 4:35, Feser RD (high-sticking) 6:35, Gutierrez TC (hooking) 8:47, Sterzer RD (interference) 9:38, Bowles TC (slashing) 10:44, Fleury RD (slashing) 12:08, Kopeck RD (tripping) 13:23, Dixon RD (holding) 16:17, Williams TC (checking to the head) 17:38.

Third Period 5. Red Deer, Bleackley 23 (Fleury, Dieno) 7:26 (pp).

6. Tri-City, Williams 33 (unassisted) 19:31 (-EN).

Penalties — Feser RD (inter. on goaltender) 0:35, Fleury RD (tripping) 4:33, McCue TC (interference) 6:15, Plutnar TC (tripping) 8:11, Bleackley RD (boarding) 16:01.

Shots on goal by Tri-City 11 7 10 — 28 Red Deer 9 11 9 — 29 Goal — Tri-City: Comrie (W, 23-17-2); Red Deer: Burman (L, 2-5-0).

Power plays (goal-chances)Tri-City: 1-9; Red Deer: 2-8.

Attendance — 5,304 at Red Deer.

Oil Kings 5, Tigers 1 First Period 1. Medicine Hat, Valk 28 (Becker, Staples) 5:24.

Penalties — Samuelsson Edm (high-sticking) 0:03, Stanton MH (slashing) 7:42, Valk MH (slashing) 9:31.

Second Period 2. Edmonton, Moroz 28 (Petryk, Corbett) 7:13 (pp).

3. Edmonton, Ralph 5 (Benson) 9:20.

Penalties — Kieser Edm (fighting) 1:29, Lewington MH (instigator) 1:29, Lewington MH (fighting) 1:29, Lewington MH (10-minute misconduct) 1:29, Labelle MH (holding) 7:08.

Third Period 4. Edmonton, Petryk 14 (Corbett, Lazar) 4:03 (shorthanded-SH).

5. Edmonton, Lazar 29 (Pollock, Kulda) 7:48.

6. Edmonton, Moroz 29 (Samuelsson, Corbett) 15:48.

Penalties — Baddock Edm (interference) 2:19, Carroll Edm (tripping) 5:32, Irving Edm (slashing) 10:10, Baddock Edm (fighting) 15:57, Doty MH (fighting) 15:57, Staples MH (delay of game) 16:44.

Edmonton 7 10 10 — 27 Medicine Hat 10 6 10 — 26 Goal — Edmonton: Jarry (W, 33-11-0); Medicine Hat: Langhamer (L, 13-9-2).

Power plays (goal-chances)Edmonton: 1-5; Medicine Hat: 0-4.

Ice 5, Hitmen 2 First Period 1. Calgary, Driedger 1 (unassisted) 5:45 (-EN).

2. Calgary, Brassart 22 (Padakin) 5:54 (shorthanded-SH).

Penalties — Virtanen CAL (charging) 5:45, Franko Koo (hooking) 7:46, Steenbergen Koo (slashing) 17:43.

Second Period 3. Kootenay, Bozon 22 (Descheneau, Reinhart) 3:48.

4. Kootenay, Vetterl 9 (Franko, Dirk) 13:56.

Penalties — Virtanen CAL (inter. on goaltender) 4:37, Mahon CAL (fighting) 11:57, Mahon CAL (game misconduct) 11:57, Martin Koo (fighting) 11:57.

Third Period 5. Kootenay, Bozon 23 (Reinhart, Cross) 1:13.

6. Kootenay, Descheneau 31 (Cable, Reinhart) 19:08 (-EN).

7. Kootenay, Vetterl 10 (Peel) 19:51 (-EN).

Penalties — Dirk Koo (holding) 1:48, Brassart CAL (slashing) 2:19, Virtanen CAL (tripping) 2:37, Brassart CAL (cross-checking) 4:46, Brassart CAL (tripping) 12:50, Virtanen CAL (delay of game) 15:14, Rissling CAL (high-sticking) 15:58.

Calgary 8 11 4 — 23 Kootenay 5 14 12 — 31 Goal — Calgary: Driedger (L, 20-12-3); Kootenay: Skapski (W, 17-13-2).

Power plays (goal-chances)Calgary: 0-3; Kootenay: 0-8.

Basketball NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division Toronto Brooklyn New York Boston Philadelphia

Southwest Division

W 25 20 19 16 15

L 22 25 28 33 33

Pct .532 .444 .404 .327 .313

GB — 4 6 10 10 1/2

W 33 25 23 21 13

L 13 21 23 28 36

Pct .717 .543 .500 .429 .265

GB — 8 10 13 1/2 21 v1/2

W 36 23 19 16 8

L 10 23 27 31 39

Pct .783 .500 .413 .340 .170

GB — 13 17 20 1/2 28 1/2

San Antonio Houston Memphis Dallas New Orleans

Oklahoma City Portland Minnesota Denver Utah

WESTERN CONFERENCE

L 13 17 20 21 26

Pct .723 .653 .565 .563 .435

GB — 3 7 1/2 7 1/2 13 1/2

W 38 34 23 22 16

L 11 13 24 23 31

Pct .776 .723 .489 .489 .340

GB — 3 14 14 21

Pct .680 .617 .604 .340 .319

GB — 3 1/2 4 16 1/2 17 1/2

Pacific Division

Central Division Indiana Chicago Detroit Cleveland Milwaukee

W 34 32 26 27 20

Northwest Division

Southeast Division Miami Atlanta Washington Charlotte Orlando

L.A. Clippers Phoenix Golden State L.A. Lakers Sacramento

W 34 29 29 16 15

L 16 18 19 31 32

Saturday’s Games Indiana 97, Brooklyn 96 Washington 96, Oklahoma City 81

Detroit 113, Philadelphia 96 Atlanta 120, Minnesota 113 Houston 106, Cleveland 92 Memphis 99, Milwaukee 90 New Orleans 88, Chicago 79 San Antonio 95, Sacramento 93 Miami 106, New York 91 Phoenix 105, Charlotte 95 Portland 106, Toronto 103 L.A. Clippers 102, Utah 87 Sunday’s Games Boston 96, Orlando 89 Today’s Games Orlando at Indiana, 5 p.m.

Portland at Washington, 5 p.m.

Philadelphia at Brooklyn, 5:30 p.m.

Detroit at Miami, 5:30 p.m.

Memphis at Oklahoma City, 6 p.m.

New York at Milwaukee, 6 p.m.

San Antonio at New Orleans, 6 p.m.

Cleveland at Dallas, 6:30 p.m.

L.A. Clippers at Denver, 7 p.m.

Toronto at Utah, 7 p.m.

Chicago at Sacramento, 8 p.m.

Tuesday’s Games Indiana at Atlanta, 5:30 p.m.

L.A. Lakers at Minnesota, 6 p.m.

Chicago at Phoenix, 7 p.m.

Charlotte at Golden State, 8:30 p.m.

Golf Waste Management Phoenix Open Sunday At TPC Scottsdale Scottsdale, Ariz.

Purse: $6.2 million Yardage: 7,152; Par: 71 Final Kevin Stadler (500), $1,116,000 G. DeLaet (245), $545,600 Bubba Watson (245), $545,600 Hunter Mahan (123), $272,800 H.Matsuyama (123), $272,800 C.Howell III (92), $207,700 Brendan Steele (92), $207,700 Ryan Moore (92), $207,700 Harris English (80), $179,800 Webb Simpson (75), $167,400 Pat Perez (70), $155,000 C. Tringale (61), $130,200 John Mallinger (61), $130,200 Matt Jones (61), $130,200 Scott Piercy (55), $102,300 M. Hoffmann (55), $102,300 Greg Chalmers (55), $102,300 Jason Kokrak (55), $102,300 John Merrick (48), $63,302 M. Thompson (48), $63,302 Kevin Na (48), $63,302 William McGirt (48), $63,302 Justin Hicks (48), $63,302 Martin Laird (48), $63,302 John Rollins (48), $63,302 Patrick Reed (48), $63,302 Roberto Castro (48), $63,302 Chris Stroud (48), $63,302 Geoff Ogilvy (40), $40,300 Ken Duke (40), $40,300 Bryce Molder (40), $40,300 Spencer Levin (40), $40,300 Nick Watney (40), $40,300

MONDAY, FEB. 3, 2014

Local sports

NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division Boston Tampa Bay Toronto Montreal Detroit Ottawa Florida Buffalo

B3

65-68-67-68— 268 67-72-65-65— 269 64-66-68-71— 269 66-71-65-68— 270 66-67-68-69— 270 70-69-67-65— 271 66-74-62-69— 271 66-71-64-70— 271 65-67-69-71— 272 68-72-67-66— 273 65-68-70-71— 274 71-67-69-68— 275 67-72-67-69— 275 65-65-72-73— 275 67-67-75-67— 276 69-66-70-71— 276 65-67-71-73— 276 66-69-68-73— 276 75-65-69-68— 277 72-68-70-67— 277 70-70-68-69— 277 65-69-73-70— 277 71-70-69-67— 277 67-68-71-71— 277 72-67-67-71— 277 67-67-71-72— 277 72-69-70-66— 277 70-67-68-72— 277 71-70-68-69— 278 70-67-72-69— 278 67-71-70-70— 278 67-69-70-72— 278 69-68-68-73— 278

Bill Haas (36), $33,480 Jason Bohn (36), $33,480 Jonas Blixt (36), $33,480 Camilo Villegas (32), $27,900 Gary Woodland (32), $27,900 Brian Davis (32), $27,900 Matt Every (32), $27,900 Ricky Barnes (32), $27,900 Chris Smith (27), $21,080 Phil Mickelson (27), $21,080 James Driscoll (27), $21,080 David Lingmerth (27), $21,080 K.J. Choi (27), $21,080 Ben Crane (27), $21,080 Erik Compton (21), $15,773 Ryan Palmer (21), $15,773 David Lynn (21), $15,773 Aaron Baddeley (21), $15,773 Jhonattan Vegas (21), $15,773 B. de Jonge (16), $14,285 Robert Garrigus (16), $14,285 Brian Stuard (16), $14,285 Martin Kaymer (16), $14,285 Kevin Streelman (16), $14,285 David Hearn (12), $13,764 Nicolas Colsaerts (12), $13,764 J.B. Holmes (12), $13,764 Charley Hoffman (8), $13,206 Jonathan Byrd (8), $13,206 Brandt Snedeker (8), $13,206 Brian Gay (8), $13,206 Sang-Moon Bae (8), $13,206 John Peterson (8), $13,206 K. Aphibarnrat (0), $12,710 Fred Funk (4), $12,710 Y.E. Yang (1), $12,276 Mark Calcavecchia (1), $12,276 Scott Langley (1), $12,276 Derek Ernst (1), $12,276 Steven Bowditch (1), $12,276 Ben Curtis (1), $11,842 Joe Ogilvie (1), $11,842

69-68-71-71— 279 70-70-70-69— 279 68-71-72-68— 279 70-71-68-71— 280 67-72-72-69— 280 72-69-70-69— 280 72-66-67-75— 280 71-67-67-75— 280 70-69-71-71— 281 71-67-72-71— 281 67-70-73-71— 281 72-68-68-73— 281 71-70-69-71— 281 69-69-69-74— 281 67-72-71-72— 282 76-64-70-72— 282 72-66-70-74— 282 68-70-73-71— 282 71-66-75-70— 282 66-73-70-74— 283 70-70-70-73— 283 73-68-69-73— 283 69-71-71-72— 283 71-68-74-70— 283 68-70-73-73— 284 69-68-74-73— 284 73-68-70-73— 284 70-71-69-75— 285 68-73-69-75— 285 70-64-72-79— 285 69-71-71-74— 285 67-73-71-74— 285 68-70-74-73— 285 66-71-73-76— 286 69-71-76-70— 286 64-73-75-75— 287 70-71-71-75— 287 71-70-71-75— 287 72-69-72-74— 287 71-69-75-72— 287 68-72-73-75— 288 71-70-77-70— 288

Chris Kirk (1), $11,656 Vijay Singh (1), $11,532

65-73-75-76— 289 69-72-75-76— 292

Omega Dubai Desert Classic SundayAt Emirates Golf Club (Majlis Course) Dubai, United Arab Emirates Purse: $2.5 million Yardage: 7,316; Par: 72 Final Stephen Gallacher, Scotland Emiliano Grillo, Argentina Brooks Koepka, United States Romain Wattel, France Mikko Ilonen, Finland Thorbjorn Olesen, Denmark Robert Rock, England Steve Webster, England Paul Casey, England Rory McIlroy, Northern Ireland Edoardo Molinari, Italy Bernd Wiesberger, Austria Thomas Bjorn, Denmark Darren Fichardt, South Africa Soren Hansen, Denmark Francesco Molinari, Italy Brett Rumford, Australia Paul Waring, England Danny Willett, England Jamie Donaldson, Wales Simon Dyson, England Damien McGrane, Ireland

66-71-63-72— 272 71-67-69-66— 273 69-65-70-70— 274 68-73-67-66— 274 69-72-70-64— 275 71-68-65-71— 275 67-70-68-70— 275 71-70-64-70— 275 70-72-67-67— 276 63-70-69-74— 276 65-72-68-71— 276 70-70-68-68— 276 72-70-68-67— 277 69-72-66-70— 277 67-71-71-68— 277 69-69-71-68— 277 69-70-71-67— 277 70-70-68-69— 277 71-65-73-68— 277 69-68-70-71— 278 69-69-73-67— 278 66-70-71-71— 278

Also Joost Luiten, Netherlands Henrik Stenson, Sweden Tiger Woods, United States Colin Montgomerie, Scotland Fred Couples, United States Paul Lawrie, Scotland

70-69-70-70— 279 70-67-75-68— 280 68-73-70-71— 282 70-70-69-74— 283 70-71-73-70— 284 68-71-72-73— 28

Today

Wednesday

● Heritage junior B hockey: Ponoka at Red Deer, 8 p.m., Arena.

Tuesday ● Curling: Red Deer Farmers/ Farmerettes Bonspiel, Pidherney Centre. ● Senior high basketball: Notre Dame at Hunting Hills, Camrose at Lindsay Thurber, Wetaskiwin at Rocky Mountain House, Stettler at Lacombe, Sylvan Lake at Ponoka; girls at 6 p.m., boys to follow. ● Men’s basketball: Vikings vs.

Triple A Batteries, The Secret Runs vs. Rusty Chuckers, 7:15 and 8:30 p.m., Lindsay Thurber. ● AJHL: Camrose at Olds, 7:30 p.m. ● Heritage junior B hockey: Three Hills at Blackfalds, 7:30 p.m. ● WHL: Red Deer at Vancouver, 8 p.m. (The Drive).

● Curling: Provincial men’s championship at Lacombe Barnett Arena, draws at 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. ● Curling: Red Deer Farmers/ Farmerettes Bonspiel, Pidherney Centre. ● JV basketball: Hunting Hills at Notre Dame, Lindsay Thurber at Innisfail, Camrose at Lacombe, Rocky Mountain House at Stettler, Wetaskiwin at Ponoka; girls at 6 p.m., boys to follow. ● WHL: Red Deer at Kelowna, 8:05 p.m.(The Drive). ● Chinook senior hockey: Bentley at Innisfail, 8:30 p.m.

Thursday ● Curling: Provincial men’s championship at Lacombe Barnett Arena, draws at 9:30 a.m., 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. ● Curling: Red Deer Farmers/ Farmerettes Bonspiel, Pidherney Centre.

MINOR HOCKEY Midget AAA The Red Deer Optimist Chiefs used a balanced attack to down the host Calgary Flames 5-2 Saturday.

The Chiefs got single goals from Layne Bensmiller, Travis Verveda, Quentin Greenwood, Gabe Bast and Allan Pruss. Cole Sears made 14 saves for the visitors, who outshot the Flames 3116.

Major Midget Female Qunci Jones’ second goal of the game at 3:11 of the third period gave the Red Deer Sutter Fund Chiefs a 2-1 win over the Calgary Bruins Saturday.

Nisa Bartlett made seven saves in goal while her teammates had 33 shots.

Major bantam Levi Glasman fired three goals to lead the Red Deer Rebels Black to a 10-5 victory over the visiting Calgary Royals Sunday.

Tyrees Goodrunning added a pair of goals for the winners, who got singles from Braiden Westin, Quinn Justinen, Brad Hellofs, Elijah Funkhouser and Brenden Davidson. Shae Herbert made 30 saves for the Rebels Black.

On Saturday, Goodrunning notched the lone goal for the Rebels Black in a 7-1 loss to the host Airdrie Xtreme. Justin Travis made 53 saves for Red Deer, outshot 60-43.

In another Saturday contest, Jeremy Klessens sniped three goals as the Red Deer Rebels White doubled the host Lethbridge Golden Hawks 4-2.

Josh Tarzwell also scored for the Rebels White, who got a 37-save effort from Dawson Weatherill while enjoying a 46-39 edge in shots.

Major Bantam Female Jordan Burgar scored twice to lead the Red Deer Sutter Fund Chiefs to a 3-1 victory over the Sherwood Park Royals Sunday.

Shaelynne Bilodeau added a single marker with Cianna Weir making 20 saves in goal.

Minor midget AAA Luke Coleman tallied twice for the Red Deer Northstar Chiefs in a 7-6 home-ice loss to the Rockyview Raiders Sunday.

Also scoring for the Chiefs were Ryan Chambers, Matthew Froehlick, Bryson Muir and Reed Engman. Reid Money and Lane Congdon combined to make 26 saves for the Chiefs, who held a 40-33 edge in shots.

Northstar fell 6-2 to the visiting Calgary Gold Saturday, the Chiefs goals coming off the sticks of Coleman and Chambers.

Money and Congdon combined to turn aside 26 shots in a losing cause.

In another Saturday outing, the Red Deer Aero Equipment Chiefs blanked the visiting Calgary Canucks 3-0 as Graydon Larson turned in a flawless 29-save performance.

Landon Siegle sniped two goals for the winners, with Tyler Graber also scoring. Aero held a 38-29 advantage in shots.

Midget AA Shawn Rowe, Logan Linnell and Michael Pruss scored for the Red Deer Indy Graphics Chiefs in a 3-2 weekend win over the Sylvan Lake Lakers.

Bailey Lawson and Keelan Ellerby were the only Lakers to beat Chiefs netminder Rylan Bardick, who made 33 saves.

Midget A Jack Wakefield fired three goals in a losing cause as Red Deer Canpro fell 9-7 to Eckville during the weekend.

Nic Scott had two goals for Canpro, while Cody Kapalka and Keaton MacDonald also connected. Denver Sissons recorded a hat trick for the winners, who got two goals from each of Quinton Marki and Derek Maki and singles from Brendan Kalev and Colten Loomer.

Curling 2014 Scotties Tournament of Hearts At Montreal Standings and results Sunday after the fourth draw of the 2014 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, the Canadian women’s curling championship, Feb. 1-9 at Maurice Richard Arena (all times Eastern): Province (skip) W L Canada (Homan) 3 0 N.L. (Strong) 2 1 Alberta (Sweeting) 2 1 Manitoba (Carey) 2 1 Saskatchewan (Lawton) 2 1 Nova Scotia (Smith) 1 1 New Brunswick (Crawford) 1 1 Yukon/NWT (Koltun) 1 1 B.C. (Van Osch) 1 2 Ontario (Flaxey) 1 2 P.E.I. (Polan) 0 2 Quebec (Ross) 0 3 Sunday’s results Third Draw Canada 9 Ontario 3 Manitoba 5 Saskatchewan 4 Nova Scotia 12 New Brunswick 2 Yukon/NWT 10 P.E.I. 3 Fourth Draw Canada 9 Quebec 6 Manitoba 7 B.C. 6 Ontario 8 Newfoundland & Labrador 7 (extra end) Saskatchewan 8 Alberta 6 Fifth Draw Newfoundland & Labrador vs. Yukon/NWT; Alberta vs. Nova Scotia; New Brunswick vs. B.C.; P.E.I. vs Quebec.

Saturday’s results First Draw Alberta 7 Yukon/NWT 5 B.C. 7 P.E.I. 4 (extra end) New Brunswick 6 Quebec 1 Newfoundland & Labrador 8 Nova Scotia 5 Second Draw Alberta 8 B.C. 6 (extra end) Canada 8 Manitoba 3 Newfoundland & Labrador 5 Quebec 4 Saskatchewan 8 Ontario 5 Today’s games Fourth Draw, 2 p.m.

P.E.I. vs. Ontario; New Brunswick vs. Saskatchewan; Manitoba vs. Nova Scotia; Canada vs.

Yukon/NWT. Seventh Draw, 7:30 p.m.

New Brunswick vs. Alberta; Newfoundland & Labrador vs. P.E.I.; Yukon/NWT vs. Quebec; B.C. vs.

Nova Scotia.

Tuesday, Feb. 4 Eighth Draw, 9 a.m.

Saskatchewan vs. Quebec; B.C. vs. Ontario; Alberta vs. Canada; Newfoundland & Labrador vs.

Manitoba.

Ninth Draw, 2 p.m.

Yukon/NWT vs. B.C.; Nova Scotia vs. Quebec; Newfoundland & Labrador vs. New Brunswick; Alberta vs. P.E.I. Draw 10, 7:30 p.m.

Canada vs. Nova Scotia; Manitoba vs. Yukon/ NWT; P.E.I. vs. Saskatchewan; New Brunswick vs.

Ontario.

Wednesday, Feb. 5 Draw 11, 9 a.m.

Alberta vs. Newfoundland & Labrador; P.E.I. vs.

New Brunswick; Nova Scotia vs. Yukon/NWT; Quebec vs. B.C. Draw 12, 2 p.m.

Quebec vs. Manitoba; Canada vs. B.C.; Ontario vs. Alberta; Saskatchewan vs. Newfoundland & Labarador Draw 13, 7:30 p.m.

Ontario vs. Yukon/NWT; Saskatchewan vs. Nova Scotia; New Brunswick vs. Manitoba; P.E.I. vs.

Canada.

Thursday, Feb. 6 Draw 14, 9 a.m.

Quebec vs. Alberta; B.C. vs. Newfoundland & Labrador.

Draw 15, 2 p.m.

Nova Scotia vs. P.E.I; Ontario vs. Manitoba; Saskatchewan vs. Canada; Yukon/NWT vs. New Brunswick.

Draw 16, 7:30 p.m.

B.C. vs. Saskatchewan; Newfoundland & Labrador vs. Canada; Quebec vs. Ontario; Manitoba vs.

Alberta.

Friday, Feb. 7 Draw 17, 9 a.m.

Canada vs. New Brunswick; Yukon/NWT vs. Saskatchewan; Manitoba vs. P.E.I.; Ontario vs. Nova Scotia.

End of round robin

B4 RED DEER ADVOCATE Monday, Feb. 3, 2014

CALGARY FLAMES

Monahan adjusting to life as celebrity

BY THE CANADIAN PRESS

Gallacher defends title 1-STROKE WIN OVER GRILLO

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Stephen Gallacher of Scotland shot a final round 72 Sunday to become the first player to successfully defend the Dubai Desert Classic title, beating Emiliano Grillo of Argentina by one stroke.

Gallacher fought back after four bogeys over his opening eight left him in a five-way tie for the lead after 11 holes.

He won the 25-year-old tournament with an overall 16-under 272 for only his third victory in 18 years and 431 events on the European Tour.

Grillo secured his best Tour finish with an overall 15-under 273 when he eagled the last hole for a round of 66.

Frenchman Romain Wattel al-

DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC so shot a 66, including birdies on the last two holes, to finish tied in third on 14-under 274 with Brooks Koepka (70) of the United States.

Rory McIlroy struggled with a 74 to finish tied for ninth while top-ranked Tiger Woods (71) birdied his closing three holes for a share of 41st with a 6-under 282.

The 39-year old Gallacher eventually broke clear of the logjam atop the leaderboard to birdie Nos. 13, 16th and 17th before a regulation par at the last.

“It took everything I had to win today especially after the start I had when I bogeyed the first two holes,” Gallacher said. “ The good thing is that I was fortunate that no one was running away with the tournament ... The turning point came at 11 when I holed a nice putt for birdie.”

The win puts Gallacher into the top 40 in the world, putting him in

strong position to play the Masters for the first time in his career.

The top 50 in the world at the end of March get into the Masters.

McIlroy began the last day two shots behind playing partner Gallacher but was 2-over after 10 holes before the first birdie of his round at the 11th.

The Northern Irishman then bogeyed the 12th and 13th before only his second birdie of the round at No. 17.

“On the rare occasions I got the ball close, I didn’t make any putts, so it was one of those days,” McIlroy said.

“I thought if I could get to 16 under it would be good enough and it turned out that it was as that’s what Stephen got to. I just wasn’t able to play well enough to get there. It was just one of those days. Anything that could go wrong, did.”

Barao makes quick work of Faber to retain UFC championship THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NEWARK, N.J. — Renan Barao was on a tear, trying to put away Urijah Faber with a series of fists to the head.

Faber attempted to flash a thumbs up — a sign he could still fight.

Barao and an early stoppage didn’t let him get that chance.

Barao made quick work of Faber in his latest title defence, dropping the challenger with a right and pummeling him with a series of shots to the head while retaining his 135-pound championship in the main event of UFC 169 on Saturday night.

Referee Herb Dean stopped the fight once Barao pounced on Faber and pounded away on The California Kid. Barao won by TKO at 3:22 in the first round and had Faber in all kinds of trouble from the start. But Faber said he could have kept fighting and wanted the chance to continue in the fiveround bout.

“It’s my time,” Barao said.

“I never thought the referee could stop the fight early because Urijah looked like he could keep fighting. I landed a great punch, the one good enough (to) keep this belt tight around my waist.”

Jose Aldo retained his 145-pound championship by unanimous decision over Ricardo Lamas in the co-main event.

Alistair Overeem beat Frank Mir by UD in a battle of former MMA heavyweight champions at the sold-out Prudential Center for UFC’s Super Bowl weekend show.

Faber dropped to 0 for 6 as the challenger in title bouts since 2008.

He choked out Michael McDonald just six weeks ago on a UFC on Fox card, and was pressed into service Saturday night when injury-prone Dominick Cruz pulled out with a torn groin.

Barao rocked him with big rights and never allowed Faber a chance to recover.

Photo by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Renan Barao, right, fights Urijah Faber during the first round of the Ultimate Fighting Bantamweight Championship Mixed Martial Arts bout in Newark, N.J. on Saturday. Barao won after referee Herb Dean called the fight in the first round.

Barao has defeated Faber twice.

“You get caught with punches, man,” Faber said. “I just wish I had more of a chance.”

UFC President Dana White said Dean shouldn’t have stopped the fight.

“Rarely does he make a mistake,” White said.

“He made a mistake tonight. But he’s the best in the business.”

Aldo ran his UFC record to 6-0 on the strength of a series of leg kicks from the opening round.

He was only in trouble once, late in the fifth when Lamas finally landed a series of strikes and elbows to the champ. Lamas couldn’t finish him, and his flurry came too late in the bout.

Aldo has won 14 in a row in both UFC and World Extreme Cage Fighting.

The two smaller weight-class fights headlined a card that featured a heavyweight bout that could have been the main event of a PPV five years ago.

Overeem, the former Strikeforce heavyweight champion, stayed away from the ground game and toyed with Mir for

three rounds.

He bloodied the former UFC heavyweight champion early in the three-round bout and connected with a hard right in the third. Overeem’s corner yelled at him to “take your time,” and he tried to play it safe with so much on the line.

Overeem snapped a two-fight losing streak and won for the first time since he beat former heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar at UFC 141.

“I proved to everybody I’m back tonight,” Overeem said. “Frank is a very experienced fighter, his game plan was to take me down, but I’m a well-rounded fighter, too, so I dominated him.

This victory has motivated me a lot to go back to the gym and get ready for fighting again.”

With rumours swirling that Lesnar, now with the WWE, might want a UFC return, Overeem stood inside the cage and told the crowd he’d welcome the challenge.

“I’ll be here waiting for him,” Overeem said.

It might be a long wait.

White said there is no deal with Lesnar.

At 34, Mir may have fought inside the UFC octagon for the last time.

Mir has dropped four straight bouts and this match was considered a deciding factor for the UFC to keep either fighter.

Mir put up almost no fight and was on his back for a good chunk of the bout.

White refused this week to proclaim MirOvereem a “loser leaves town” bout, but said both fighters needed a great fight to stick around. Mir failed to deliver. White said he could make a decision this week.

The UFC ditched Las Vegas for the Prudential Center for its traditional Super Bowl weekend show.

The UFC went to the New York-New Jersey area and piggybacked on Super Bowl week with rousing success.

• Powder Coating • Media Blasting • Over 250 Colors • Ovens up to 37’ Long

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UFC 169

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Photo by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Stephen Gallacher reacts on the 2nd hole during the final round of the Dubai Desert Classic golf tournament in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday. Gallacher shot a final round 72 Sunday to become the first player to successfully defend the Dubai Desert Classic title.

CALGARY — He’s received several marriage proposals, a parody Twitter account about him has nearly 13,000 followers and his No. 23 is one of the top selling Flames jerseys.

Welcome inside the world of NHL rookie-of-theyear candidate Sean Monahan, third-line centre going on face of the franchise, who four months into his NHL career leads Calgary with 15 goals.

Not bad for a teenager living with his mother.

“It’s gone pretty well. Obviously it’s a lot different than coming from junior hockey and that atmosphere. Being a pro is a big responsibility,” said Monahan, the Flames’ sixth overall choice in the 2013 entry draft.

His first milestone was playing his 10th NHL game. Six goals in his first nine games made the decision to keep him in the NHL rather than return him to junior an easy one.

But it came with the condition that he not live on his own. So after spending the beginning of the season with teammate Jiri Hudler and his family, Monahan had a change of address.

The team had former Flames centre and current Calgary Hitmen assistant coach Joel Otto lined up to be his billet when instead Monahan’s mom decided to move out to Calgary.

“It’s awesome. I’m pretty tight with my family so having my mom here, it’s easy for me. Coming home to meals cooked by her is a nice treat,” Monahan said.

With his thick jet black hair, recognizable face, and imposing six-foot-two build, Monahan has already adapted to being recognized everywhere he goes.

“There’s a lot of passionate fans here. When I’m at the mall, I’ll stop by and take a few pictures with some fans. That’s all part of it. It’s fun and something I enjoy,” he says.

Then there is that growing volume of Monahan jerseys out there as slowly, the sea of Iginla No. 12 jerseys that have been so prevalent finally begins to subside.

“Honestly, it’s an awesome feeling to see your name while you’re out walking around the streets,” says Monahan. “It’s pretty special for someone to go out and buy that jersey and I’m just trying to make them proud.”

With fame always comes a bit of the unusual. The most recent of what Monahan estimates has been five or six marriage proposals came up a few weeks ago at an autograph signing.

“A girl came up and said that her Dad had given her the privilege to marry me so she asked me,” says Monahan, with a chuckle.

“She was pretty shy about it so it was a pretty awkward experience.”

Then there’s the Boring Sean Monahan Twitter account, which he found out about through teammates Chris Butler and Derek Smith.

“They told me about it a couple months ago so I checked it out and gave it a follow,” says Monahan, who at around 15,000 Twitter followers, is on the verge of being passed in popularity by his parody account. “It’s pretty funny. Some of the tweets are pretty good.”

One player that can relate to his situation is Matt Stajan, who was 19 when he began his rookie season with Toronto in 2003-04. While there are some parallels with Stajan, who also lived at home with his parents during his rookie year, there are big differences also.

Unlike Monahan, Stajan was behind a veteran group of centres on the Leafs, including Joe Nieuwendyk, Mats Sundin, Robert Reichel and Ron Francis, none of whom were younger than 32.

This year in Calgary, Stajan at age 30 is the oldest at that position.

“I came into a completely different situation.

Toronto was a really good team with a lot of Hall of Famers so I was eased in,” Stajan said. “We’re in a rebuild and Mony’s getting thrown into all situations right off the bat.”

According to Calgary Flames head coach Bob Hartley, Monahan’s not just surviving but he’s excelling.

“Skill-wise, he’s gifted,” said Hartley. “He has the nose to find the open areas. He always comes in at the right time. He uses his big size well and he is learning the game because he’s a great student who is committed to learning and becoming a pro.”

Hartley coached a very good Colorado team for five seasons, winning the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2001. He says Monahan reminds him of a few players.

“He’s a different player than Joe Sakic but his mindset, and Chris Drury and Alex Tanguay are two others I had as rookies. They were all very similar in that they’re very skilled, very offensive minded and they were willing to learn the game in the three zones.

“Those three guys did not cheat the game and neither is Mony, who wants to play it the right way.”

In a season chockfull of great moments to pick from — a game-winning goal, three shootout-deciding goals, and most recently, assists on the overtime goal in two of the last three games, Monahan shrugs them all off when asked to identify his personal highlight.

LOCAL SPORTS

B5 Volleyball Queens make point

MONDAY, FEB. 3, 2014

WHIP TROJANS AFTER FIRST DEFEAT OF SEASON

BY DANNY RODE ADVOCATE STAFF Queens 3 Trojans 0 The RDC Queens wanted to send a message when they took to the court against the SAIT Trojans Saturday evening.

After suffering their first loss of the Alberta Colleges Women’s Volleyball League season at SAIT Friday, it was important for them to come back strong at home Saturday.

They did just that, whipping the Trojans 25-12, 2517, 25-10.

“From our stand point we did what we were supposed to do when it didn’t work out for us yesterday,” said Queens head coach Talbot Walton.

“We came back and played really well and sent a message, not only to SAIT, but the rest of the league that if you’re going to squeak something out against us you better be sure every variable is lined up perfectly. If not then we’re able to control it.”

Walton wasn’t about to use the fact that bad road conditions played a role in the Queens 3-2 loss Friday. The RDC bus didn’t arrive until 5:55 p.m., five minutes before the first serve.

But instead of grumbling about the loss Walton used it as a learning experience.

“We talked about it that sometimes experiences taught are better than talked about,” he said. “It was a painful lesson, yet a valuable one.”

What bothered Walton more than anything was the fact the team played afraid to lose rather than excited to win, he said.

“That’s something we can look back on and learn from,” he said.

On Saturday the Queens did everything right.

Their passing was sharp and when it wasn’t setter Bronwyn Hawkes was able to turn it into a perfect set. They also served tough, missing only four serves in the three sets, and three of those came in the first set.

They also were in the right position defensively and at the net.

“When we play some of the better teams we seem to play better the second day after we’ve seen them once. We react better and defend better,” said Walton.

“We have to realize our defensive positioning is what it is and to stand in the spots and make the digs rather than to be in between and guess. Tonight our middle blockers had a good feel on what SAIT was trying to do and they had a better read today as our serving was batter.”

Amber Adolf had 10 kills, four digs and an ace for RDC while Karissa Kuhr had five kills, 12 digs and a stuff block. Brooke Sutter had five kills and seven digs with libero Maddi Quinn chipping in with 15 digs.

Megan Schmidt had three kills, two aces, two digs and a block and Shelby Bramall had two kills, an ace, three digs and two blocks.

Megan Brennan had 10 kills and seven digs for SAIT. The Queens face Grant MacEwan University Fri-

JV BASKETBALL

Lindsay Thurber wins consolation titles at tournament The host Lindsay Thurber girls and boys teams won consolation titles in the Third Annual Michaud Favre Memorial JV basketball tournament during the weekend.

The Raiders girls downed the Hunting Hills Lightning 64-47 to take consolation honours.

Thurber opened with a 52-40 loss to Foothills Composite of Okotoks and earned the consolation meeting with Hunting Hills by defeating W.P. Wagner of Edmonton 61-39.

The Lightning were 43-35 losers to Ross Sheppard in their first game, then slipped past the Notre Dame Cougars 42-41.

The Cougars started wth a 37-20 loss to Calgary Western Canada and closed out with a 52-41 victory over W.P. Wagner.

Foothills won the girls championship with a 58-45 win over Ross Sheppard.

On the boys side, the Raiders downed Hunting Hills 76-50 in the consolation-side final.

The Raiders opened with a 75-65 loss to eventual champion Ross Sheppard of Edmonton, then posted a 63-51 win over W.P. Wagner to advance to the consolation championship.

Meanwhile, the Notre Dame Cougars started with a 73-66 win over Airdrie George McDougall and then dropped respective 52-47 and 71-47 decisions to Edmonton St. Francis Xavier and Foothills.

Hunting Hills fell 69-47 to St. Francis Xavier in a tournament--opener and defeated George McDougall to go on to the consolation final. Ross Sheppard downed St. Francis Xavier 60-45 in the championship contest.

Allistair Mahood of the Raiders won player-of-thegame honours in the consolation final and teammate Hiram Sanchez was named a tournament all-star.

Contributed photo

Red Deer College Queens Brooke Sutter jumps as SAIT’S from left, Chanelle Kayser, Alex Pasemko and Michelle Gauthier watch. day at RDC and Saturday in Edmonton. They need one win to wrap up first place. The Queens sit at 17-1 with Grande Prairie and GMU at 15-3.

Kings 3 Trojans 0 For the second straight day the Kings beat the Trojans 23-0, but it wasn’t as easy as it looked.

The Trojans gave the Kings all they could handle in the third set before the RDC squad pulled out a 25-14, 25-19, 25-23 victory.

In fact the Kings trailed for most of the third set until tying it at 22-22.

“You never want to be down 7-2, but it was nice to see the guys chip away and battle back,” said Kings head coach Aaron Schulha.

“We were also able to give Tim (Finnigan) a break and then he back fresh and did what he had to do.”

Finnigan had eight kills in the third set, including a back row kill on the final point.

Schulha was also able to go to his bench more than once to give his starters a rest.

In fact Mike Goetz and was solid defensively down the stretch.

“The first five games this weekend against them were fairly easy, everything was running smoothly,

so it was easy to stay focused and energized,” said Schulha.

“But it’s nice to see the way we were able to fight when everything is less than perfect. It shows the benefits of our depth as well.”

The Kings need at least a split with GMU to secure first place as they look toward the ACAC championship, set for Feb. 21-23 at RDC. “We’re going in the right direction, and this weekend was a good test for us. Hopefully we get two more Ws next week, not because of our record, but to keep the momentum and keep us sharp heading into the playoffs.”

GMU comes in with a 17-1 record.

Braden O’Toole had 14 kills and seven digs for the Kings while Finnigan finished with 13 kills, seven digs and three aces.

Chris Osborn had eight kills, two digs and a block, Chris Jones six kills and seven digs and Sam Brisbane six digs and an ace.

Jon Morley had 10 kills for SAIT. In other women’s action Olds downed Lethnbridge 3-0. drode@reddeeradvocate.com

Kings crushed despite a good effort

BY ADVOCATE STAFF

COLLEGE HOCKEY

Huskies 6 Kings 1 FORT McMURRAY — It was one of those games.

The RDC Kings controlled then majority of the play, but came up on the short end of a 6-1 decision against the Keyano College Huskies in Alberta Colleges Men’s Hockey League play Saturday afternoon.

“We played a pretty good game where we controlled the play, outshot them, but it was one of those rare games where the other team takes advantage of their opportunities,” said Kings head coach Trevor Keeper.

“We certainly held an edge territorially and I watched the video

coming home and you would think we won the game, but their goalie (Logan Stebner) played well and after we’d force the play they’d come back with a two-on-one and score.

“It wasn’t typical all the way around.”

The Kings held a 41-31 edge in shots, but managed only a thirdperiod goal by Jeff Archibald, which made the score 5-1 at the time.

Mike Salmon started in goal and allowed four goals on 21 shots before being replaced by Kraymer Barnstable at 15:58 of the second period.

“Mike has been great for us all

season, but after four goals I wanted to try to shake things up,” said Keeper.

Barnstable allowed two goals on 10 shots.

The Kings remain in a secondplace tie with the NAIT Ooks, who have four games in hand.

The two have 35 points, three back of the SAIT Trojans, who the Kings meet in a home-and-home series this weekend — Friday in Calgary and Saturday at 7:15 p.m. in Penhold.

“Unfortunately we split against Keyano, but maybe it makes us hungry and we have a shot at moving ahead of SAIT,” said Keeper. drode@reddeeradvocate.com

Runners have sixth-place finishes CALGARY — RDC runners had three sixth place finishes in the SAIT Trojans invitational indoor track meet at the Talisman Centre during the weekend.

The meet was the first of two official ACAC invitational meets that lead to the ACAC championships March 7-8.

The second competition is set for Feb. 15.

Anna Duda and Jordanna Cota both had sixth place finishes on the women’s side.

Duda finished the 800-metres in two minutes 46.29 seconds, with Lesley Koopman of Grant Mac-

INDOOR TRACK MEET Ewan first at 2:25.69.

Jill Stewart of the Red Deer Titans Club and Hunting Hills High School was eighth at 2:50.82.

Cota came in at 5:16.71 in the 1,500m with Jamie Wigmore of Grande Prairie first at 4:53.96. Dina Latrou of Hunting Hills was eighth at 5:29.11, Stewart 16th at 6:00.27 and Samantha Debree of RDC 27th at 6:08.34.

Andrew Jacobs had the other sixth-place finish for RDC run-

BY ADVOCATE STAFF

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Kings 83 Lightning 58 CALGARY — The RDC Kings are assured of heading into the Alberta Colleges Men’s Basketball League playoffs in first place, but that’s not what concerns head coach Clayton pottinger.

He wants the team to be firing on all cylinders for the championships, which run Feb. 28-March 2 at RDC. “We have two weeks to grind on things and be better when we face Lethbridge, which will be a big test for us,” said Pottinger following an 83-58 victory over the St. Mary’s University College Lightning Saturday.

The trip to Lethbridge (Feb. 14-15) is the final two regular season games for the Kings, who sit with a 162 record while Lethbridge is 12-4 and tied for second with NAIT. Clay Crellin led the Kings against the Lightning

with 17 points while Taner Parrington had 12 points and 10 rebounds.

“Everything else was spread around,” said Pottinger. “We played a little better than we did Friday (an 83-63 win over the Lightning at RDC), but we need to continue to develop. What we did do was play well defensively in their gym.”

The Kings led 22-14 after the first quarter and 4229 at the half, but were outscored 21-16 in the third quarter. The fourth quarter was a different story as they held a 25-8 edge.

Queens 86 Lightning 41 Meanwhile, the RDC Queens evened their record at 9-9 with an 86-41 victory over the Lightning.

Queens head coach Mike Woollard was able to use his full bench and all 12 players got on the scoresheet.

ners, finishing then men’s 1,500m in 4:44.63. Hayden Hollowell of Grande Prairie won with a time of 4:18.16.

Emily Mayerthorpe of RDC was ninth in the 3,000m in 13:05.55 with Vanessa Trofimenkov of Grant MacEwan at 11:45.88 to take first.

MacEwan won the 4x400m relay in a time of 4:27.44 with RDC seventh at 4:55.20.

Kevin Buckel of RDC placed 14th in the men’s 800m with a time of 2:39.61. Kenton Sportak of SAIT was first at 1:58.72.

Veteran guard Sarah Williamson turned in an outstanding game with 10 points, eight rebounds, nine assists and seven steals. Mozanga Ekwalanga and Carly Hoar had 16 points each while Dedra Janvier hit 11 and Paola Viveros had eight rebounds.

The Queens dominated all aspects of the game as they grabbed 60 rebounds compared to 31 for the Lightning and also shot 47.5 per cent from the field and 63.6 per cent from beyond the three-point line.

The Queens, who led 38-22 at the half, put the game away with a 33-9 advantage in the third quarter. The Queens do sit in a playoff spot with 11 points, two up on Keyano and three ahead of Olds, but Olds is hosting the ACAC playoffs, so the Queens will need to win at Lethbridge to grab a playoff spot. ● Meanwhile, the Olds Broncos lost all four of their games against Lethbridge.

The women lost 55-40 Friday in Lethbridge and 8268 at home Saturday. The men lost 101-78 and 107-77. drode@reddeeradvocate.com

B6 RED DEER ADVOCATE Monday, Feb. 3, 2014

Ringette teams nab gold in B.C.

JUNIOR B HOCKEY Kyler O’Connor and Derek Muhlbach scored for the Stettler Lightning in a 5-2 Heritage Junior Hockey League loss to the Mountainview Colts Saturday at Didsbury.

Simon Thieleman made 49 saves for the Lightning, who were outshot 54-31.

In another Saturday contest, the visiting Three Hills Trashers were 4-2 winners over the Ponoka Stampeders. Details were unavailable.

In a Friday outing, the visiting Stampeders got third-period markers from Tyson Crampain and Nick Keohan to force overtime, then fell 4-3 to the High Rivers Flyers in the extra frame.

Alex Pronchuk fired the winner, his fourth goal of the game.

Ponoka netminder Nathaniel Nickel made 37 saves as the Flyers held a 41-21 advantage in shots.

CHINOOK HOCKEY LEAGUE Bryce Luker turned aside 49 shots to lead the visiting Innisfail Eagles past the Okotoks Drillers 4-1 in a Chinook Hockey League game Saturday.

Dan Shermerhorn and Pete Vandermeer potted first-period goals for the Eagles, who then got second- and third-period markers from Kevin Smyth and Aaron Boyer.

Rico Picelliti notched the lone goal for the Drillers, who got a 39-save outing from Gerry Festa.

Elsewhere, Scott Kalinchuk, Scott Doucet, Colin Dueck and Cody Esposito found the back of the net as the Bentley Generals downed the host Fort Saskatchewan Chiefs 4-2.

Garrett Watson picked up three assists for the winners, while Travis Yonkman made 30 saves. Jim Watt turned aside 22 shots for the Chiefs and Brandt Middleton had a goal and an assist in a losing cause.

LOCAL SPORTS

BRIEFS

Amazons tumble to Fury The Central Alberta Amazons dropped a 6-3 decision to the Fort Saskatchewan Fury in Alberta Junior Women’s Hockey League play Friday.

Presley Hollman, Madison Moskowy and Brooke Van Wolde scored for the Amazons while Skylar Karasiuk made 34 saves in goal.

RDC curlers win championship berth The RDC women’s curling team, skipped by Kaitlyn Sherrer, has earned a berth in the ACAC championships, Feb. 21-23 in Lloydminster.

Sherrer, along with Julie Primrose, Courtney Smith, Jessica Newman and Taylor Eno, posted a 4-2 record in the Winter Regional bonspiel in Edmonton to finish with a 6-4 record over two ‘spiels. They were in a four-way tie for second in the overall standings and placed third following a tie-breaker system.

The team defeated Concordia, Augustana, Grande Prairie and Lakeland while losing to Grant MacEwan and NAIT. Meanwhile, the RDC men’s team were 0-6 on the weekend, losing to NAIT, Grant MacEwan, Olds, Concordia, Portage and Lakeland.

Members of the team are Ryan Dahmer, Jeff Ireland, Logan Oddie and Sean Carley.

Photo by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Portland Trail Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge, left, drives on Toronto Raptors forward Amir Johnson during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Portland, Ore., Saturday.

Aldridge, Lillard lift Blazers over Raptors

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Portland 106 Toronto 103 PORTLAND, Ore. — Just when it appeared Portland was cruising to a victory that would avoid its first three-game losing streak of the season, Toronto’s DeMar DeRozan put a scare into the Trail Blazers.

Holding a 16-point lead with 7:41 remaining, Portland suddenly had to mount a rally of its own, hitting four free throws during the final 11.8 seconds to pull out a 106103 win Saturday night.

LaMarcus Aldridge had 27 points and 15 rebounds and Damian Lillard hit a go-ahead free throw with 11.8 seconds left to help end the Blazers’ two-game losing streak.

Lillard and Wesley Matthews scored 21 points apiece for Portland and Nicolas Batum added 18.

DeRozan was a one-man wrecking crew down the stretch, scoring 30 of his 36 points during the second half. DeRozan, who also had

12 assists, scored 16 points during the third quarter and 14 in the fourth.

The fourth-year All-Star guard had a hand in 22 of Toronto’s 26 second-half baskets, with 12 field goals and 10 assists.

Kyle Lowry added 23 points for Toronto.

The dramatic win helped Portland end its worst offensive slump of the season. The Blazers, the NBA’s top scoring team at 108.4 points, came into Saturday having scored season lows of 81 and 88 points in their past two games.

Aldridge said there wasn’t a sense of relief despite the hairraising finish.

“We know that we had control from the beginning so it was just about staying solid the whole game and trying to close it out. We did that,” Aldridge said.

Matthews said after losing back-to-back games, to Golden State and Memphis, “this was a must-win game, and that was the sense of urgency we took into shootaround and the urgency we

start the game with.”

DeRozan and the Raptors nearly spoiled Portland’s breakout game. Trailing 57-40 at halftime and by as many as 19 points during the second half, Toronto made a prolonged charge at Portland.

During the third quarter, the Raptors got as close as six points before Portland hit four 3-pointers during a four-minute stretch to regain a double-digit lead. Then DeRozan led Toronto on a fourthquarter rally, when a 16-2 run over a five-minute stretch gave the Raptors a 103-102 lead on two free throws by DeRozan.

“He was voted an All-Star for a reason. He’s capable of getting hot and carrying a team,” Portland coach Terry Stotts said.

Despite the near-comeback, Toronto coach Dwane Casey said the Raptors were sunk from a poor first half.

“It wasn’t us. We picked it up in the second half, but you can’t spot a good team like Portland that many points and expect to survive,” Casey said.

Kaelan Hayter getting close to goal

BY DANNY RODE ADVOCATE STAFF

GYMNASTICS

10th on the floor.

Katherine Stuber tied for 10th on the bars in the nine-year-old level 2 category while Rachel Sybblis was fifth, Tecia Gartner sixth and Mailyn Capicio seventh in the 14-and-over level 1 section.

Sybblis was fourth on the floor, fifth on the beam and sixth on vault and bars while Gartner took fifth on the vault, bars and floor and sixth on beam.

Taylor Fodor was ninth and Jasmyn Tiemens 10th in the 12-13 year-old level 1 section.

Fodor was eighth on the floor, ninth on beam and 10th on the vault and bars while Tiemens was seventh on the beam and ninth on vault and bars.

Karis Wygeria was eighth in the 10-11 year-old level 1 competition while tying for third on the bars, and ninth on the beam and taking 10th on the floor.

Avla Ronspies had a seventh on the beam.

Megan McGonigal placed fifth and Kaleigha Michel eighth in the eight-year-old level 1 division.

McGonigal was third on the vault while tying for fourth on the bars and ninth on the beam.

Michel tied for fifth on the vault, ninth on the beam and 10th on the bars.

The Exelta Cup artistic boys and tumbling and trampoline are this weekend. drode@reddeeradvocate.com

she said.

After 12 years with the Red “I would like to go to college or Deer Exelta Gymnastics Club university, but I haven’t made up Kaelan Hayter is reaching the lev- my mind yet.” el she’s been looking toward from Butler says Hayter just needs to the beginning. continue to develop her skills and Hayter is in her third year at “clean up everything and make it the national level and earlier tighter” to take the next step. this season got her first taste of Meanwhile, Molly Hall-Jarratt competing against the best in won the 11-12 year-old level 5 comCanada. petition while taking third in the “I just got back from Montreal floor and beam, fourth on the bars where I competed in the National and tying for fifth on the vault.

Stream Cup,” she said.

Lina Kollers took sixth in the “I got 17th, which wasn’t bad. It 14-and-over level 5 competition. was the first chance I got to com- She had a second on the vault, a pete nationally and it was really fifth on the beam, tied for sixth on cool to see the other girls across the bars and was seventh on the Canada. It makes you work that floor. much harder.”

Rachel Hyink was sixth in the The 16-year-old, who is in 14-and-over level 4 division while Grade 11 at Hunting Hills, hopes finishing fourth on the floor, fifth to attend the Canadian champion- on the vault, sixth on the beam ships this year. and seventh on the bars.

“We’re hoping so,” said HaySydney Larsen placed 10th in ter’s coach Nicola Butler, who is the 12-13 year-old level 4 categoin her fifth season working with ry with a fifth on the beam and a Hayter. ninth on vault while Ruby Butler “She definitely has a lot of de- tied for fifth, Casey Patsula was termination, a lot of talent and seventh and Kaera Slimmon was has springs in her legs., She lands 10th in the 10-11 year-old level 3 everything no matter what and division. she’s fearless.”

Butler tied for third on the Hayter finished second in the beam and tied for fourth on the Exelta Cup girls’ artistic cham- bars and eighth on the vault. Patpionships during the weekend, sula was third on the bars and while winning the floor exercise, sixth on the beam while Slimmon finishing second on the vault and was sixth on the vault and tied for uneven bars and third on the beam.

“The beam used to be my favourite, and I still like it, but floor is my favourite now,” she said.

Her toughest routine, which involves a double back flip, comes on the floor.

“And I’m working on a double pike,” she said.

Hayter’s teammate 2007 2006 NISSAN 2011 DODGE 2010 Hannah Bilsborrow was third in the national levCHRYSLER XTERRA JOURNEY R/T CHEVROLET el competition for youngOFF ROAD 4X4 PACIFICA AWD AVALANCHE sters 14 and over.

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The Central Alberta Sting under-16 AA and U14 AA ringette teams each struck gold in the Pacific Ring tournament at Richmond, B.C., during the weekend.

The U14 Sting lost just one game in round-robin play, placing them in top spot and earning a bye to the final. Reese Pollitt, Megan Conrad, Brianna Abell and Jamie Lalor tallied to beat Lower Mainland 4-1 to earn gold.

The U16 Sting capped an undefeated weekend by dumping Burnaby, B.C., 6-1 in a semifinal and capturing gold with a 5-4 vicory over Lower Mainland as Jillian Dreger tallied twice and Shae-Lyn Baxter, Sydney Cherniak and Brenna Parent had singles.

The U6 Sting have captured three gold medals in tournament play this season, having previously taken top honours in their Ice Breaker tournament in December and the Calgary Golden Ring tournament in January.

Meanwhile, the Central Alberta U19 Sting posted a 3-2 mark and finished out of the medals. The U19 squad closed out with a 6-3 loss to Lower Mainand, getting two goals from Kelsie Caine and a single courtesy of Ashlynn Morrison.

All Central Alberta AA Sting teams will compete in the provincials Feb. 28 to March 2 in Calgary. The U16AA and the U19AA teams will then have the opportunity to compete at Nationals in Regina April 5-13.

Other weekend Sting scores: U14 Sting 6 Delta, B.C. 1 U14 Sting 8 Northern Lights 2 TORL over Sting (score unavailable) Sting scorers: Kianna Doyle 5, Reese Pollitt 3, Emily LeMasurier 3, Megan Conrad 2, Saxon Anderson 2, Colby Wager, Hannah Morrison, Brianna Abell.

U16 AA 7 Fraser Valley 4 Sting: Mackenzie Lindholm 3, Shae-Lyn Baxter 2, Jillian Dreger, Brenna Parent.

U16 AA 6 Burnaby 1 Sting: Jillian Dreger 3, Brenna Parent, Shae-Lyn Baxter, Kristen Demale.

U16 Sting 6 Lower Mainland 1 Sting: Dreger 2, Demale, Parent, Sydney Cherniak, Mackenzie Lindholm.

U16 Sting 6 Burnaby U19 0 Sting: Dreger 3, Rylee Frank, Baxter, Parent.

U19 AA Sting 6 Richmond 6 Sting: Kelsie Caine 2, Megan Gabert, Kelita Kanngeisser, Meghan Kelly, Nicona Brost.

Fraser Valley 8 U19 Sting 4 Sting: Caine, Emma West, Kelly, Ashlynn Morrison.

U19 Sting 2 TORL 2 Sting: Morrison, Mikaela Ewaskiw.

U19 Sting 8 Fraser Valley 8 Sting: West 2, Brost 2, Caine 2, Kelly.

RED DEER ADVOCATE Monday, Feb. 3, 2014 B7

NHL

Flames earn fifth win in a row BACKLUND SCORES TWICE INCLUDING WINNER THE CANADIAN PRESS Calgary 4 Minnesota 3 CALGARY — Mikael Backlund believes he’s finally living up to Calgary’s expectations.

The 24-year-old scored twice, including the winner 2:25 into overtime, as the Flames edged the Minnesota Wild 4-3 on Saturday.

Backlund aggressively took the puck to the net and sent a pass to Sean Monahan, who’s shot was stopped by Wild netminder Darcy Kuemper. The puck, however, bounced high and Backlund batted it in from out of mid-air.

“There’s been a lot of doubt in this city about me and it’s nice to finally be able to get those goals that people wanted me to get for a lot of years,” said Backlund, the Flames first round pick, 24th overall, in 2007. “Obviously I’m excited about it, I feel good about it. I’m happy I can help the team win games and chip in.”

Backlund has four consecutive multi-point games with five goals and three assists over that span. He’s already set career highs for goals (13) and points (27).

“He gave us a big short-handed goal and than gave us the gamewinner. Backs is finding pucks, the pucks are finding pucks and that’s a good combination,” said Flames coach Bob Hartley.

“When you work hard, you usually get rewarded and that’s what he’s getting right now.”

The win mark’s Calgary’s fifth straight victory and also completes a perfect 5-0-0 homestand.

The last time the Flames swept a homestand of that length was in 1997, during Jarome Iginla’s rookie season.

“It’s awesome. It’s a great feeling, everybody’s happy,” Backlund said.

“The guys are buzzing in here and having a good time with each other. It’s so nice to just win, especially at home when you’ve got your family.”

The sudden home ice success comes right on the heels of a franchiserecord seven-game los-

ing streak.

T.J. Galiardi, with his first goal in 38 games, and Dennis Wideman also scored for Calgary (2127-7), which hadn’t won five games in a row since March 2012.

Mark Giordano had two assists to extend his career-high point streak to nine games, which includes four goals and six assists.

Matt Cooke, Dany Heatley and Keith Ballard scored for Minnesota (29-21-7).

Trailing 3-1 halfway through the third period, the Wild drew to within one on Heatley’s powerplay goal at 10:31. Ballard then silenced the Scotiabank Saddledome sell-out crowd of 19,289 with the tying goal at 15:55.

“In the third period the last two nights, we’re tight on teams, we’re skating better, we’re playing five guys on the forecheck. We’re a good team when we do that,” Heatley said. “The first two periods of the last two games, it’s kind of ‘wait and see’ and like that we’re not going to have success.”

It was back on Oct. 4 in the Flames’ second game of the season in Columbus when Galiardi, acquired in an off-season trade with San Jose, scored his first goal in a Calgary uniform. It took nearly four months for the Calgary native to score again.

Galiardi’s goal came on a spin-around backhand at 12:36 of the first period to give the Flames a 1-0 lead. Immediately, the 25-year-old looked skywards in a show of both relief and shock that he finally scored.

That lead would hold up until 14:03 of the second period when Cooke tied it for the Wild while shorthanded. Cooke burst down the left wing and from just inside the top of the face-off circle and blasted a slapshot over the shoulder of Berra.

Berra did not start the game for the Flames.

He entered with 2:28 left in the first period when Karri Ramo left with a lower-body injury.

The Flames regained the lead with 1:36 left in the second on a nifty deflection from Wideman.

Photo by JEFF STOKOE/Advocate staff

Alyssa Krahn of Edmonton lands a kick on her opponent Kayla Matton of Calgary during an amateur fight at the Havoc Fighting Championship Mixed Martial Arts fight at the Sheraton Hotel in Red Deer Friday. Krahn won the fight by unanimous decision.

Machan’s TKO anything but easy

BY DOUG ROWE SPECIAL TO THE ADVOCATE In one year when people look at Ryan Machan’s record and his 30th professional mixed martial arts fight, they will see a TKO at 3:20 of the first round and assume that it was an easy win.

But the 1,100 people in attendance at the HAVOC 4 fighting championships Friday night at the Sheraton know that it was anything but an easy victory.

Machan’s opponent, Brendan Tierney, a fighter known more for his submissions than his strikes, opened the first round at a torrid pace, landing leg kicks and roundhouse kicks to back the shorter Machan up.

“He came out like I thought he would . . . I knew he would be going for the knockout.” said Machan, 30. “The leg kicks really hurt and I couldn’t clinch.”

The six-foot-two Tierney continued to push forward, using his height and reach advantage to land combinations on Machan, who checks in at five-foot-11.

At one point he seemed to stun the Red Deer martial artist and backed him into the cage.

The Arizona fighter, sensing he had his opponent hurt, tried to take Machan down. Machan used the clinch to clear his head and when the fighters went to the ground the momentum of the fight took a dramatic shift.

“He went for the kimura and I escaped the kimura by taking his back,” said, Machan, who improved to 21-9. “Then it was just taking my time and landing my shots.”

Once Machan had his back, Tierney, 10-6, could not shrug the Red Deer fighter off, and Machan was able to land punches at will.

At one point Tierney tried to spin out, but Machan was able to maintain position, continuing to land strike after strike with his opponent offering little or no defence.

The referee then stepped in and stopped the fight.

For his efforts in the five-round main event bout, Machan was

HAVOC 4 MMA awarded the HAVOC welterweight professional championship belt.

Machan’s trainer, Gary Vig, was extremely pleased with his fighter’s resilience and patience.

“Brendan was doing some really good stand up, really strong, some really good high kicks, really fast and aggressive,” said Vig. “On the ground he went for a kimura and Ryan is really strong in positions like that. Ryan is a very methodical fighter.”

In the first ever woman’s professional MMA bout in Red Deer, local martial artist Stephanie Essensa, 1-0, scored a devastating one-round submission stoppage over Jennifer Stumborg of Edmonton, 1-1.

Essensa, in her professional debut, opened the first round patiently, using movement to size up her opponent. Essensa threw a one-two to find her distance and then the next one-two landed solidly, hurting Stumborg and forcing her into the cage. The Red Deer fighter jumped on her opponent, wrapping Stumborg up, landing knees and strikes. The Edmonton fighter tried to move away from the punishment, but turned right into the rear-naked choke. The referee stepped in and stopped the fight at 1:48 with Stumborg out cold on the canvas.

Essensa, 28, a former two-time Canadian Muay Thai champion, 13-1 and undefeated amateur mixed martial artist at 4-0, felt that her previous amateur experience allowed her to enter the ring without those first professional fight butterflies.

“I’ve got enough experience in the fight game that I know how to pace myself,” explained the Red Deer martial artist. “I figured I would take my time and we thought she would try to take me down because I have a Muay Thai background, so it was just maintain that striker distance. The second combination hit flush and I saw her eyes roll back, and then caught her with a knee to the face and worked from there. I had her

right arm behind her head and she turned so I just sunk my arm underneath her neck.”

Essensa’s trainer, Gary Vig, was once again pleased with the patience and ring generalship his fighter showed in the 115-pound bout.

“Stephanie is a very methodical fighter as well,” said Vig. “She felt out her opponent. She feinted her, got the measure, . . . and then she lit her up.”

In other action involving Red Deer fighters, Mike Davis, 11-4, had no answer for the high energy, well-rounded fight game of London, Ont. fighter Malcolm Gordon, 4-0, losing by kimura submission at 2:16 of the second round of their HAVOC flyweight professional championship title fight . . .

Jeff Larkin, 5-2, of Red Deer dominated all aspects of the fight game to stop Brandon MacArthur, 8-25, of Cranbrook, by rear-naked choke at 3:40 of the second round of their 185-pound bout . . . Red Deer’s Devon Neis, 4-3, and Grayson Wells, 0-1, of Kelowna,engaged in an allout war for almost five straight minutes that left both fighters exhausted in a light-heavyweight bout. In a twist of fate, it was Neis’ elbows thrown as a take-down defence in the first 30 seconds of the fight that eventually forced the ring doctor to stop the fight because of cuts at 4:52 of the first round to give the local fighter the victory . . . In the 130-pound division, Red Deer’s Austin Ryan, 3-0, completely shut down the wrestling of Keegan Oliver, 0-2, of Calgary to score a unanimous decision victory, and in an amateur heavyweight bout local fighter Chris Lafantasie, 3-0, used superior striking to drop Leroy Johnson of London, Ont., twice with right hands, on his way to a knockout at 1:25 of the first round.

The next HAVOC promotion is set for May 2.

Doug Rowe is a Red Deer freelance writers

Japan defeats Canada in first round of Davis Cup

BY THE CANADIAN PRESS TOKYO — Frank Dancevic wanted to give it his all in Canada’s do-or-die singles match against Japan’s Kei Nishikori at the Davis Cup on Sunday.

But unfortunately for the Niagara Falls, Ont., native, a pulled muscle wouldn’t allow him to go past the second set.

Japan sealed its victory over Canada in the first-round Davis Cup tie after Nishikori downed an ailing Dancevic 6-2, 1-0. Later Sunday, Peter Polansky of Thornhill, Ont., lost to Go Soeda in the fifth match 6-1, 6-4 to increase Japan’s margin to 4-1.

“Kei came out playing really well today and once I pulled a stomach muscle early in the second set there was no way I could stay with him when I could only serve at 20 per cent...”

Dancevic said.

“Under other circumstances I probably wouldn’t have even stepped on the court with the way I was feeling, but this is Davis Cup and I wanted to give it all I had and push to the limit because this situation means a lot to me.”

Dancevic, ranked 119th in men’s singles, held his serve during the first game, but World No. 18 Nishikori went on to break twice and win the next five games to eventually take the set.

After being broken to start the second set, Dancevic took a medical timeout and was forced

to retire, handing the match and the tie to Japan.

Canada will play a World Group playoff in September in hopes of keeping its spot in the upper echelon of the competition. Japan, meanwhile, will face the winner of a tie between the Czech Republic and the Netherlands in the Davis Cup quarter-finals.

The Canadian squad was missing its top two singles players at the tournament as both No. 11 Milos Raonic of Thornhill, Ont., and No. 25 Vasek Pospisil

of Vancouver were unable to recover from injuries in time to play.

Polansky, who lost Canada’s first singles match to Nishikori on Friday, replaced Raonic.

Dancevic stepped in for Pospisil in the doubles match with Daniel Nestor on Saturday. The Canadian duo, who hadn’t played together in three years, lost to Nishikori and Yasutaka Uchiyama 6-3, 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-4.

GOING SOMEWHERE

DISCONTINUED, DINGED AND DENTED

HOT?

INVENTORY SALE LUGGAGE, BACKPACKS,

80

%

OFF

Selection to vary by stores

Canadian Tire #329 C 2510 Gaetz Ave. Red Deer, AB 403-342-2222 4

SANDALS, LOTIONS AND MORE for all your

TRAVEL NEEDS Canadian Tire #645 300, 6380 - 50 Ave. Red Deer, AB 403-346-1497

Canadian Tire #655 #200 62 Industrial Trail, Sylvan Lake, AB 403-887-0581

53502B3-14

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2950 Bremner Ave. Red Deer, AB T4R 1M9 Circulation 403-314-4300

Monday, Feb. 3, 2014

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52

Coming Events

EAST 40TH PUB SPECIALS

Meatball Monday Rib Night Tuesday & Saturday’s Wing Night Wednesday Shrimp Night Thursday You can sell your guitar for a song... or put it in CLASSIFIEDS and we’ll sell it for you!

GORDON Larry Keith Larry, born August 22, 1952, passed away suddenly at the Red Deer Regional Hospital on Tuesday, January 28, 2014.

Larry will be sadly missed and remembered by his wife of 22 years, Dawn; five daughters, Rebecca Gordon (Jesse), Randi Gordon, Shaina Gordon, Angela Cyr and Terri (Kevin); older brother, Ernie Gordon; four grandchildren, Darian Cyr, Avery Cyr, Charlie Janzen and Wyatt Plunkett; as well as many friends and in-laws across the country.

Larry was a highly skilled welder for the majority of his life. He was also a ball player, hunter and quadder. He loved camping and cooking, which he was well known for - making a mean batch of chicken wings out by the fire.

Above all, Larry enjoyed his time best by sitting around a fire at the acreage, with always that familiar sound of John Fogerty playing in the background, surrounded by his friends, family and anyone else that popped in. A Memorial service will be held on Wednesday, February 5, 2014 at 11:00 a.m. at Red Deer Funeral Home, 6150 - 67 Street, Red Deer, Alberta.

Following the service, a time of fellowship with the family will be held at the Quality Inn, 7150 - 50 Avenue, Red Deer.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Larry’s honor may be made directly to the Canadian Diabetes Association, Suite 6, 5015 - 48 Street, Red Deer, AB T4N 1S9.

Condolences may be forwarded to the family by visiting www.reddeerfuneralhome.com Arrangements entrusted to RED DEER FUNERAL HOME & CREMATORIUM 6150 - 67 Street, Red Deer.

Phone (403) 347-3319.

54

Lost

BACKPACK, burgundy (small child’s), contains wallet, keys & makeup.

If found please call 587-272-1012 LOST KEYS RDC Lanyard, Two rings, about 10 keys.

One antique/skeleton key Overdown, GH Dawe/ Parkland area.

Regis @ 587-876-3595 LOST- “Live,Love,Laugh” hoop with charms on it on Friday Jan. 24/14 between 9 am & 1 pm. Sentimental memories. If found please call 780-806-1633.

Our cat, Shadow, went missing on the morning of January 21st. He is a 9 yr old all black male neutered cat w/his front paws declawed.

Yellow-green eyes & a torn, healed ear. Tattooed. With the temperature dropping, we are starting to fear the worst. He normally only spends time outside sunning on the deck so his disappearance is very alarming. Reward for his safe return. Anyone w/information can contact Hayley at 403-506-7446 any time of day.

Classifieds Your place to SELL Your place to BUY

60

Personals

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS 403-347-8650 COCAINE ANONYMOUS 403-396-8298 Something for Everyone Everyday in Classifieds

66

Fitness & Sports

PITCHERS Wanted. RD men’s hardball league 403-302-7778 Buying or Selling your home?

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jobs CLASSIFICATIONS 700-920

Clerical

720

P/T CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

Over 2,000,000 hours St. John Ambulance volunteers provide Canadians with more than 2 million hours of community service each year.

The Red Deer Advocate has an entry level opening in their Circulation Dept. for a Customer Service Representative.

This position is responsible MARGARET ALLEN (FISKE) for assisting circulation Sept. 4, 1933 - Feb. 3, 2012 customers by phone or in Memories have a lovely way person & compiling reports of bringing back our yesterdays for the mailroom.

Each of us in our own way have special thoughts of you today Always remembered, always loved, Jack, Chris, Shelley, Todd, Sharon, Doug and families

Wonderful Things Come in Small Packages

A Birth Announcement lets all your friends know he’s arrived...

309-3300

Legal

780

800

Oilfield

Professionals

MICROAGE

50-70

FLEMING Joseph Arthur Aug 27, 1929- Jan 30, 2014 Joseph “Joe” Arthur Fleming passed away peacefully on Thursday, January 30, 2014 at the Red Deer Regional Hospital Center with his family by his side at the age of 84 years.

Joe was born in Bentley AB on August 27, 1929 and lived his early years in the Iola, Bluffton and Rimbey areas. At the age of 21 he moved out to the west coast and was employed as a quarter master on the freighter “The Island Prince” he eventually moved back to Rimbey and worked at Barry Motors. In 1956 he and his family moved to Red Deer where he worked at Red Deer Motors and M.G.M. It was in the fall of 1959 along with his friend Elmer Erickson that he started Parkland Aquarium. Eventually; Joe bought out Elmer and began to operate the business by himself. After 40 successful years he closed the business on June 22, 1999.

Dad loved a good game of checkers, and his cheque book and pen in his left breast pocket.

He is survived by his loving wife of 60 years Joyce, with whom he was united in marriage on October 15, 1953, son David (Donna) of Red Deer, daughter Sheila (Wade Mannix) of Rimbey and 4 grandchildren, Shannon and Steven Fleming, Joseph and Cassie Mannix, his sister Annabelle (Dennis) Gahr of Edmonton, AB. Brother-in- law Gordon Cartmell of Calgary AB. and numerous nieces and nephews.

Joe was predeceased by his father Bernard in 1988 and his mother Rachel in 1990. A very special thank you to the nurses on unit 33. These men and women gave Joe and his family the best care that they could have possibly asked for. Josh thank you for making sure dad was never in pain.

Memorial donations in Joe’s honor may be made to Unit 33 at the Red Deer Regional Health Center. A memorial tea will be held at Parkland Funeral Home, 6287 67A Street (Taylor Drive) Red Deer, on Wednesday, February 5, 2014 at 1:00 pm.

Arrangements in care of Rhian Solecki,Funeral Director PARKLAND FUNERAL HOME.

730

Computer Personnel

The successful candidate will possess: * Good telephone manner * Excellent communication skills * Basic Computer skills * Attention to detail * Ability to function in a fast-paced environment * A positive attitude Preference will be given to those with previous customer service experience.

Approx. 20 hrs. per week including weekend shifts.

Please submit your resume to: Red Deer Advocate 2950 Bremner Ave. Red Deer, T4R 1M9 Fax: 403-341-4772 Email: careers@ reddeeradvocate.com with CSR in subject line Looking for a place to live?

Take a tour through the CLASSIFIEDS

MicroAge is again looking for dynamic individuals to assist with offering our customers a positive and timely response to their IT issues. We require and administration assistant to work with dispatching, shipping/receiving/ and some minor bookkeeping responsibilities. We need someone with an upbeat personality and willing to assist with a variety of tasks. Must be able to work in a team environment.

Please send your resume to hr@microage.cc Tired of Standing?

Find something to sit on in Classifieds Celebrate your life with a Classified ANNOUNCEMENT

760

Hair Stylists

ADAM & EVE UNISEX In the Parkland Mall is seeking P/T / F/T HAIR STYLISTS Please call Laurie 403-350-4341 F/T or P/T EXP’D. HAIRSTYLIST REQUIRED. Phone 403-347-3010 Eileen’s Beauty Nook JUST CUTS is looking for F/T - P/T HAIRSTYLIST No clientele necessary.

Christie 403-309-2494 NEW IMPRESSIONS SALON & SPA Seeking F/T& P/T Hair Stylist Drop off resume to 190 Northey Ave. TOO MUCH STUFF? Let Classifieds help you sell it.

770

Janitorial

ARAMARK at (Dow Prentiss Plant) about 20-25 minutes out of Red Deer needs hardworking, reliable, honest person w/drivers license, to work 40/hrs. per week w/some weekends, daytime hrs. $14/hr. Fax resume w/ref’s to 403-885-7006 Attn: Val Black Classifieds...costs so little Saves you so much!

Looking for a new pet?

Check out Classifieds to find the purrfect pet.

780

Legal

Duhamel Manning Feehan Warrender Glass LLP Legal Assistants

Legal Assistant positions in the areas of Litigation and Corporate/Commercial are available. Minimum 2-5 years experience in the relevant fields is a requirement. Cores III accreditation for the Corporate/Commercial position is highly recommended.

Competitive salaries, great benefits in a good working environment on offer.

Please email your resume to the Office manager at ssimmons@altalaw.ca.

Only candidates on the short list will be contacted for interviews.

Start your career!

See Help Wanted CELEBRATIONS HAPPEN EVERY DAY IN CLASSIFIEDS

810

EYEWEAR LIQUIDATORS

OIL & GAS OPERATOR has a full time career advancing position available as a General Legal Assistant.

The successful applicant will have completed the Legal Assistant Program, and have prior experience working in a law firm. This position requires someone who displays a team player outlook, demonstrates effective communication skills, has the ability to multi-task, and work in a fast paced environment.

We offer an excellent working environment, benefits, and the opportunity for personal and professional growth.

Please respond in confidence with a cover letter and resume to: Attention: Human Resources Johnston Ming Manning LLP 3rd Floor, 4943 - 50 Street Red Deer, AB T4N 1Y1 Fax: (403) 342-9173 Email: hr@jmmlawrd.ca We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Central Alberta’s Largest Car Lot in Classifieds

Oilfield

800

Experienced Oilfield Construction Lead Hands Experienced Oilfield Construction Labourers Industrial Painters Alstar Oilfield is looking for highly motivated individuals to join our Team in Hinton.

Alstar has been serving the oil and gas construction industry since 1969.

Modular Assembly Experience is an Asset If you have a Desire to be Part of a Growing Company Please apply on our Career Section on our website www.alstaroilfield.com “Committed to enriching the lives of our workforce, while Providing quality energy construction solutions” LOCAL Testing company seeking experienced Well Testers.

Positions available immediately.

Day/Night Supervisors & Assistants.

MUST HAVE valid H2S and First Aid. Competitive wages and health benefits.

Email resumes and tickets to: ken@ darkstarproduction.com

Bearspaw currently has a position in our Stettler field operations for an intermediate oil and gas operator. Applicants must have experience as a heavy duty mechanic or journeyman instrument mechanic and possess strong mechanical skills, be quick learners, motivated and hard working and live or be willing to relocate within a 20 minute commute to workplace location. This position offers a challenging work environment, attractive benefits with competitive pay and significant room for promotion.

Please submit resumes

requires OPTICAL ASSISTANT Training provided.

Apply in person with resume to: 4924 59 St. Red Deer, AB.

Reporting to the CFO, the Junior Accountant will be responsible for all of the accounting functions (i.e. inputting of supplier invoices, quarterly preparation of GST returns to be reviewed by CFO, preparation of monthly financial reporting package, payments of supplier invoices, bank reconciliations, etc.). This position plays a role in establishing financial policies, procedures, internal controls and reporting systems, ensuring Attn: Human Resources that systems are in place email:kwolokoff@ to produce accurate and bearspawpet.com timely reporting of financial Fax 403-252-9719 Mail: Suite 5309 333 96 results. Candidate must have University degree or Ave. NE Calgary, AB T3K 0S3 college diploma, with 3-5 years of relevant work experience. Email: dsmith@wiseisi.com

SERVICE RIG

Bearspaw Petroleum Ltd is seeking exp’d FLOORHANDS & DERRICK HANDS

Restaurant/ Hotel

820

Locally based, home every night! Qualified applicants

must have all necessary valid tickets for the position being applied for.

Bearspaw offers a BLACKFALDS Motor Inn very competitive salary -Housekeeping Supervisor and benefits package Req’d. 1 F/T, $19 - $20 hr., along with a steady 1 yr. exp. req’d. Fax work schedule. resume: 403-885-5868 Please submit resumes: Attn: Jenny Attn: Human Resources JJAM Management (1987) Email: Ltd., o/a Tim Horton’s hr@bearspawpet.com Requires to work at these Fax: (403) 258-3197 or Red Deer, AB locations: Mail to: Suite 5309, 5111 22 St. 333-96 Ave. NE 37444 HWY 2 S Calgary, AB T3K 0S3 37543 HWY 2N 700 3020 22 St. Food Service Supervisor 8 Vacancies, 1-2 yrs. exp. req’d. P/T & F.T. SHIFT WORK, $9.95 - $13.50/hr.

Apply in person or fax resume to: 403-314-1303 TANKMASTER RENTALS req’s Exp’d Class 1 Fluid Haulers for Central Alberta. Oilfield tickets req’d. Competitive wages and benefits. admin@tankmaster.ca or fax 403-340-8818

TREELINE WELL SERVICES

Has Opening for all positions! Immediately.

All applicants must have current H2S, Class 5 with Q Endorsement, (No GDL licenses) and First Aid. We offer competitive wages & excellent benefits.

Please include 2 work reference names and numbers.

Please fax resume to: 403-264-6725 Or email to: tannis@treelinewell.com No phone calls please. www.treelinewell.com

Professionals

JJAM Management (1987) Ltd., o/a Tim Horton’s Requires to work at these Red Deer, AB locations: 5111 22 St. 37444 HWY 2 S 37543 HWY 2N 700 3020 22 St. Food Counter Attendant 8 Vacancies P/T & F.T. SHIFT WORK, $9.95 $10.98/hr. Apply in person or fax resume to: 403-314-1303 LUAU Investments Ltd. (o/a Tim Hortons) Food Counter Attendant FT and PT positions available for day, night, evening and weekend shifts. $9.95 to $11.25 per hour depending on experience/availability. Apply in person at any of these locations 4217 - 50 Ave 6721 - 50 Ave 7111 - 50 Ave 62 Carleton Ave or email timhire@telus.net

810

Classifieds Your place to SELL Your place to BUY

NOW HIRING

Well Testing Personnel Experienced Supervisors & Operators Must have valid applicable tickets Email: lstouffer@ testalta.com

invites applications for a

Purchasing Card and Accounts Payable Administrative Assistant For further information and to apply for this position, please visit the Division’s website at www.rdcrs.ab.ca

356969B3

TO PLACE AN AD

wegotservices CLASSIFICATIONS 1000-1430

To Advertise Your Business or Service Here

Call Classifieds 403-309-3300 classifieds@reddeeradvocate.com

Accounting

1010

INDIVIDUAL & BUSINESS Accounting, 30 yrs. of exp. with oilfield service companies, other small businesses and individuals RW Smith, 346-9351

Contractors

1100

DALE’S Home Reno’s Free estimates for all your reno needs. 403-506-4301 CELEBRATIONS HAPPEN EVERY DAY IN CLASSIFIEDS

DAMON INTERIORS

Drywall, tape, texture, Fully licensed & insured.

Free Estimates. Call anytime Dave, 403-396-4176

Escorts

1165

LEXUS 392-0891 *BUSTY* INDEPENDENT w/own car Celebrate your life with a Classified ANNOUNCEMENT

Handyman Services

1200

ALL TRADES Home Maintenance 28 yrs. exp.

Retired electrician. Call Rick 403-318-4267 Something for Everyone Everyday in Classifieds ATT’N: Are you looking for help on small jobs around the house or renovate your bathroom, painting or flooring, and roof snow removal?

Call James 403-341-0617

Massage Therapy

1280

FANTASY MASSAGE International ladies

Now Open

Specials. 11 a.m.-3 a.m.

Private back entry. 403-341-4445 MASSAGE ABOVE ALL WALK-INS WELCOME 4709 Gaetz Ave. 346-1161

VII MASSAGE #7,7464 Gaetz Ave. Pampering at its BEST! 403-986-6686 Come in and see why we are the talk of the town. www.viimassage.biz

Misc.

Services

1290

5* JUNK REMOVAL

Property clean up 340-8666

Personal Services

1315

REIKO’S Finest Asian Massage

In call only. 587-377-1298 9 am - 6 pm. Mon. - Fri. 5003-50 St.

Seniors’ Services

1372

HELP FOR SENIORS:

in home or facility family business est. 1999 bondable staff, great rates, gift certificates avail.

403-346-7777 helpinghandshomesupport.com

RED DEER ADVOCATE Monday, Feb. 3, 2014 B9

820

THE RUSTY PELICAN is now accepting resumes for F/T DISHWASHER Apply within: 2079-50 Ave. 2-4 pm. Mon.-Fri. Fax 403-347-1161 Phone calls WILL NOT be accepted.

You can sell your guitar for a song... or put it in CLASSIFIEDS and we’ll sell it for you!

Sales & Distributors

830

Teachers/ Tutors

840

TEACHING Opportunity Sunchild School is seeking a full time temporary teacher for junior high science (grade 7, 8, 9), science 24 and two option courses at the grade 7 and 8 level. There is a possibility this position could continue into the following school year. The position is to start Feb 10, 2014.

Resumes can be forwarded to the Principal, Susan Collicutt at collicutts@yahoo.ca.

Deadline for applications is noon on Wednesday Feb 5. Selected candidates will be notified on Wednesday afternoon for an interview on Thursday Feb 6, 2014.

Information on the school can be found on the school’s website www. sunchildschool.com

850

Trades

DNR Pressure Welding & Powerline Construction requires Journeyman Heavy Duty Mechanic with experience in fleet maintenance for Heavy & Light duty trucks. Excellent benefit packages. Email resumes to Harold@ dnrwelding.ca or fax (403)742-5759 No Phone calls please. Drug and alcohol program in effect.

Misc.

Help

850

Truckers/ Drivers

860

Misc.

Help

880 CARRIERS NEEDED ANDERS AREA Anders St. / Armstrong Close Addinnell Close / Allan St.

INGLEWOOD AREA

Owner Operators & Company Drivers in AB. Home the odd night. Weekends off. Late model tractor pref.

403-586-4558

Central Alberta’s Largest Car Lot in Classifieds

Misc.

Help

880

Misc.

Help

ADULT EDUCATION AND TRAINING

WINTER START

Savoy Cres. / Sydney Close Sherwood Cres.

VANIER AREA Viscount Drive Vickers Close Volks Place / Vanier Drive Vanson Close / Visser St.

Bring your resumé For more info, call 403-340-5353

Call Prodie @ 403- 314-4301 for more info ********************** TO ORDER HOME DELIVERY OF THE ADVOCATE CALL OUR CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT 403-314-4300

MORRISROE AREA SUNNYBROOK AREA VANIER AREA

Call Prodie: 403-314-4301 for more info

WESTPARK AREA

NEWSPAPER CARRIERS REQUIRED

Delivery is 4 times per week, no collecting.

Math and Science for

To deliver 1 day a week in BOWDEN

Community Support Worker Program

•

Women in the Trades Program the Trades Program

Perfect for anyone looking to make some extra $.

Gov’t of Alberta Funding may be available.

403-340-1930 www.academicexpress.ca Start your career!

See Help Wanted

Misc.

Help

BOWER AREA

880

Please call Debbie at 403-314-4307 SUPERVISOR/Administrator

Please reply by email: req’d for busy downtown qmacaulay pharmacy. Flexible hours, part/full time. Please fax @reddeeradvocate.com to 403-347-5454 or or phone Quitcy at resume email: sproules2@shaw.ca 403-314-4316

wegot

stuff CLASSIFICATIONS 1500-1990

invites applications for

Building Supplies

EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANTS at various locations

ADULT or YOUTH CARRIERS NEEDED For delivery of Flyers, Express and Sunday Life ONLY 4 DAYS A WEEK in

1550

Concrete forming equipment Dura-Form 4’ x 2’, 5’x2’, 7’x2’, 8’ x 2’, lots of inside corners and fillers, most of forms are in cages.

To view call Randy 403-843-1099 cell 587-679-2334. For pics and detailed equipt. list emai: thepelletiers@ xplornet.ca

Children's Items

1580

WOODEN ROCKING HORSE. $25.

CHILDS ROCKING CHAIR, $20.

STUFFED ROCKING HORSE, $10.

WOODEN TIME OUT CHAIR, $10.

NEW GRACO TRAVEL CRIB, 2-stage basinet. Converts to play pen. 32”X23”. $65.

403-755-3556

CLEARVIEW AREA Cameron Cres. & Conners Cres. $146/mo.

CLEARVIEW RIDGE AREA Crossley St., Cooper Cl., Carter Cl., Connaught Cres. & Cody Pl. $190/mo.

40A, 41 and 42 Ave. between 39 St. and 44 St. $111/mo.

Springfield Ave.

Wednesday, February 5, 2014 9:30 a.m. - Noon Alberta Works Centre 2nd Floor, First Red Deer Place 4920 - 51 Street, Red Deer

SPRING START •

GRANDVIEW AREA

Somerset Close

ANDERS AREA INGLEWOOD AREA

Currently seeking reliable newspaper carrier for the

GED PREPARATION Feb. 10 START

Lamont Close

SUNNYBROOK AREA

(Reliable vehicle needed.)

IMMIDIATE OPENNING: Mac’s store, 2 Jewell St. Red Deer. Apply in person or call 403-340-0169.

Langford Close

Vista Village

Trades Jobs Fair

Call Jamie 403-314-4306 for more information

DEERPARK AREA

MORRISROE AREA

job? ?

ROSEDALE AREA Reichley St., Reinholt Ave., Robinson Cres. Area 100 Papers $540/mo.

ACADEMIC Express

•

ADULT CARRIERS NEEDED For delivery of the morning ADVOCATE in Red Deer

(Reliable vehicle needed)

74 to 129 Blosk of Dunning Cres., Depalm St. and approx. 3 blocks of Douglas St. $108/mo

Lund Close

Looking Look oki for a

880

ADULT CARRIERS NEEDED For delivery of the morning ADVOCATE in Red Deer, by 6:30 a.m. 6 days/wk

Issard Close

Law Close / Lewis Close

356178B3-4

880

Isherwood Close

LANCASTER AREA

Oilfield

Misc.

Help

For more information visit our website at www.rdpsd.ab.ca

FOR FLYERS, RED DEER SUNDAY LIFE & EXPRESS ROUTES IN:

Anders Close

Government

CENTRAL AB based trucking company requires

860

Abbott Close / Anders St.

1. EVRAZ 2. INEOS 3. Ledcor 4. Studon 5. High Artic 6. ABB Ber Mac 7. Baker Hughes 8. City of Red Deer 9. Bruin’s Plumbing 10. Alberta Line Find 11. Mr Rooter Plumbing 12. Sheet Metal Workers 13. Diversified Staffing 14. Canadian Armed Forces 15. Quinn Contracting Ltd 16. Mancusco Cleaning Services

860

PROFESSIONAL Truck Driver Position Available

www.ads-pipe.com Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc., the world’s largest and most innovative manufacturer of HDPE drainage products is expanding and are currently accepting applications for a certified Class 1 Driver, with a minimum of two (2) years B-train trailer experience.

ADS Drivers are required to safely operate company equipment and provide a high level of customer service, delivering our products within central Alberta. ADS Drivers are required to be drug free and maintain legal transportation paperwork and driving practices. This position requires a valid Class 1 License, with previous off road forklift experience a definite asset. We offer quarterly cash safety bonuses as well as a comprehensive medical plan.

Benefits include: Company provided Group Canadian Benefits Voluntary dental Life insurance A Division of CORDY ENVIRONMENTAL Short-term and long-term disability EXPERIENCED Retirement Savings Plan Vacuum & Water (RSP) and Deferred Profit Truck operators Sharing Plan (DPSP) req’d. to start immed.

Paid Vacation $450/per day Safety Bonus CLASS 1 or 3 WITH Q All applicants are subject All oilfield safety tickets to a pre-employment req’d. Clean drivers physical and MVR check. abstract. Must comply with Interested Applicants may drug and alcohol policy. submit a resume, along References Req’d. with a current drivers Exc. salary & benefits. abstract to: Fax resume to: Advanced Drainage 403-742-5376 Systems Canada Inc. doug.reinhart@cordy.ca 4316 Gerdts Ave. Blindman Ind. Park BUSY Central Alberta Red Deer County, AB. Grain Trucking Company T4S-2A8 Fax: looking for Class 1 Drivers (403) 346-5806 and/or Lease Operators.

We offer lots of home time, E-mail ken.mccutcheon@ ads-pipe.com benefits and a bonus Position closing date: program. Grain and super Feb. 10, 2014 B exp. an asset but not necessary. If you have a F/T TRUCK drivers req’d. clean commercial drivers Minimum Class 5 with air abstract and would like to and clean abstract. Exp. start making good money. preferred. In person to Key fax or email resume and Towing 4083-78 St. Cres. comm.abstract to Red Deer.

403-337-3758 or dtl@telus.net

880

Employers:

Truckers/ Drivers

Required Immediately PARTS PERSON

Parts person required for rapidly expanding HD Parts Supply Store.

Must be able to work unsupervised in a fast paced environment.

Have experience in the heavy truck/trailer industry.

Must possess strong customer service skills.

Above average wages, benefits package.

DUE TO A LARGE Apply with resume @ INCREASE IN BUSINESS, Artic Truck, Email: PIKE WHEATON ron.cain@nfleetsolutions.com CHEVROLET Fax: 403-348-5198 is currently seeking TOO MUCH STUFF? SERVICE ADVISORS. Let Classifieds We offer competitive wages, a great working help you sell it. environment, and a great benefit package.

REQUIRED: Please email resume to CARPENTER/DRYWALLER Joey Huckabone for restoration company. joey@pikewheatonchev.ca This is a F/T position. Must have a valid drivers license.

Flooring Installer needed Duties: Carpentry, drywall, for Specialized Flooring painting & finishing work. company. 5 yrs or more Fax or email resume to experience in all types of 403-347-4037 or crr@telus.net flooring installation. F/T or contact Al @ 403-347-4001 position available to business minded, service oriented person, who has a Truckers/ valid license, vehicle & Drivers tools, bondable. Fax resumes & references to 403-340-0046, or contact us at 403 357 7728

1693338 Alberta LTD o/a Portable iMassagers Hiring Retail Sales Manager At Parkland Mall, 4747 67th St, Red Deer, AB T4N 6H3 F/Time, Perm, Shifts, Weekends Salary - $24.00 Trades hourly. Skills requirements: Experience 2-3 years, CARPENTERS and laborgood English. Education: ers with exp. in farm Secondary school. Main buildings. 403-318-6406 duties: Plan, direct and evaluate the operations of Construction Safety retail sales rder and receivManager ing goods. Responsible for Utility Construction customer refunds and exCompany seeking changes.Resolve customer employee to manage and complaints Determine maintain all aspects of staffing requirements safety program in Red Hire or oversee hiring of JOURNEYMAN Deer/Olds area: staff. Company’s business • Conduct training, new Automotive Technician address: 45 Boyce Street, hire orientation and Eckville based mechanic Red Deer AB T4R 1P2 and car wash shop looking safety meetings E-mail: Reachiesales for full time Journeyman • Monitor all work for @gmail.com Automotive Technician. compliance with safety We offer competitive regulations ELEMENTS is looking 5 wages for the right Beauty Treatment Operators. • Investigation, reporting applicant. Full benefit and resolution of safety Selling seasonal gift package available after incidents packages & personal care 3 months. Mon-Fri, • Manage corporate WCB products in Parkland weekends optional. program including Mall-4747 67th St Red Please send resume to reporting, claims Deer, $14.55/Hr. Plus 403.746.2594 management and injury bonus & commission, F/T, prevention Beauty certification req’d JOURNEYMAN H.D. • Maintain COR email resumes: MECHANIC req’d immed.

• Minimum 5 years’ elementsreddeerbto@ for very busy heavy equip. experience gmail.com sales lot in Innisfail.

Contact Wayne at Wage range $25. - $35/hr Looking for a new pet?

1-403-556-8563 or email to start, depending on exp. resume to waynec@ Check out Classifieds to Preference will be given b-lineutilities.com find the purrfect pet. to those with previous equipment rental service, DNR Powerline Looking for a place lifts and off road Construction requires to live? construction equipment Journeyman/ Take a tour through the experience. Fax resume Apprentices/Labourers for CLASSIFIEDS various projects in Alberta. to 403-227-5701 or email: bouvier9@telus.net Long term employment.

ELEMENTS is looking for Tired of Standing?

5 retail sales reps. selling Excellent opportunity for season gift packages and apprenticeship. Excellent Find something to sit on benefit packages. Fax personal care products in in Classifieds resume to 403-742-5759 Parkland Mall, 4747 67 St. or email: dnrwelding1 Red Deer. $12.10 hr. + bonus & comm. FT. No @dnrwelding.ca Attention: Noel. No Phone calls exp. req`d. Please email elementsreddeer@gmail.com please. Drug and Alcohol program in effect.

SOAP Stories is seeking 5 DNR Pressure Welding F/T Beauty Treatment O/P, requires B-Pressure selling soap & bath Welder Crew Foreman, products $14.55/hr. + lead hands, labourers for bonus & comm. Beauty various projects in Alberta. cert. req’d. Location MILLWRIGHTS & Long term employment.

Parkland Mall - 4747 67th Excellent opportunity for St. Red Deer. email WELDERS apprenticeship.

Excellent premierjobrdbto@ for work in Red Deer. benefit packages. Fax gmail.com Please fax resume to resume to 403-742-5759 1-403-229-4079 SOAP Stories is seeking 5 or email: dnrwelding1 retail sales reps. Selling @dnrwelding.ca. Attention: Now Hiring Overhead Door soap & bath products.

Ryan. No Phone calls Tech & Helper for Ponoka $12.10 hr + bonus & com- please. Drug and Alcohol overhead door company. mission. Ft No exp. req`d. program in effect.

Pay DOE to $35/hr. ConParkland Mall 4747 67 St. tact Gerald 403-963-5000 Experienced Siders Red Deer. email resume to or email doorsondemand@ Needed Call 403-588-3210 hotmail.com premierjobrd@gmail.com

850

Trades

356970B3-8

Restaurant/ Hotel

Clothing

1590

2 PAIR New Men’s Size 10 lined safety toe boots. $30/ea.

1 PAIR New Men’s fleece lined zipper black boots, size 10. $25.

403-887-4981

EquipmentHeavy

1630

TRAILERS for sale or rent Job site, office, well site or storage. Skidded or wheeled. Call 347-7721.

MICHENER AREA East of 40th Ave., 51 St., 50A St., Michener Cres., Green, etc. to Michener Ave. & Blvd. $303/mo.

Firewood

ROSEDALE AREA Rowell Cl. & Ritson Cl. $87/mo.

1660

AFFORDABLE

Homestead Firewood Spruce & Pine - Split 7 days/wk. 403-304-6472

ALSO

LOGS

Semi loads of pine, spruce, tamarack, poplar.

Price depends on location.

Lil Mule Logging 403-318-4346

West half of Robinson Cres, Rich Cl., & Ryan Cl. Area. $84/mo.

Now Offering Hotter, Cleaner BC Birch. All Types. P.U. / Delivery. Lyle 403-783-2275

TIMBERLANDS AREA Turner Cres., Timothy Dr., Towers Cl., Tobin Gt. $113/mo.

ALSO Timberstone Way, Talson Place, Thomas Place, Trimble Cl., Traptow Cl. & Thompson Cres. $307/mo.

Household Furnishings

1720

COFFEE table set, 3 piece glass & wood. $100.

403-342-4442 ENTERTAINMENT Centre, solid cherry. $50.

403-342-4442

Call Jamie 403-314-4306

LIKE new black leather chair and matching foot stool $90 403-986-1720

800

SOFA & loveseat, Sklar Peppler, beautiful, like new, $500. 403-342-4442

WANTED

Antiques, furniture and estates. 342-2514

Misc. for Sale

www.trican.ca

12V 3000 lb. remote control winch $80; 403-887-4981

NOW HIRING AT ALL LOCATIONS

B & D 109 pc. drill/driver kit set $25; 148 pc. B & D drill piece home tool kit $30 403-887-4981 DIE cast models, cars, truck, and motorcycles, fairies, dragons and biker gifts. #14 6350-67 St. east end of Cash Casino

...Join our Team!

Pets & Supplies

Scan to see Current Openings

1810

AQUARIUMS, (2) 90 gal. $1200. both 403-505-4777

355945B1-28

Cats

WORLDWIDE KNOWLEDGE - LOCAL SOLUTIONS

1760

1830

2 VERY SHY 5 MO. OLD ORANGE BROTHERS. Completely neutered & litter box trained.

Need to go to home together, as they have bonded.

Sweet personalities, but need to be socialized to humans. 403-782-3130

B10 RED DEER ADVOCATE Monday, Feb. 3, 2014

1840

Dogs

MOUNT SINABUNG ERUPTS

3060

Suites

GLENDALE reno’d 2 bdrm. apartments, avail. immed, rent $875 403-596-6000 LARGE 2 bdrm. Incl. most utils. $895. 403-314-0209 LARGE, 1 & 2 BDRM. SUITES. 25+, adults only n/s, no pets 403-346-7111

Teeny Tiny Morkies extra Áuffy and extremely cute!

Non shedding, shots done 587-987-3422 or email: wendyschedel@gmail.com 1 & 2 bdrm., Avail. immed.

Adult bldg. N/S No pets 403-755-9852 Sporting

MORRISROE MANOR

1860

Goods

FINANCIAL

CLASSIFICATIONS 4400-4430

Money To Loan

4430

Private Mortgages Our Rates start at 8%. We lend on Equity. Bus. For Self & Bruised Credit Ok. Ron Lewis 403 819 2436

wegot

1870

PONOKA, lrg. 1 bdrm apt. incld’s, laundry & all utils. $750. Avail. end of Feb. no pets, n/s 403-993-3441

Collectors' Items

2 NATIVE Blackfoot medicine and war shields (keepsake) $80/ea.

403-347-7405 STARTER comic book collection, graphic novels, 50 comic books $200 Tim 403-340-8215

Travel Packages

1900

TRAVEL ALBERTA Alberta offers SOMETHING for everyone.

Make your travel plans now.

THE NORDIC

wheels CLASSIFICATIONS 5000-5300

Automotive Services

Keep the Car, Take the Money!

If you own a vehicle, get up to $10,000 today! www.thetitlestore.ca

1 & 2 bdrm. adult building, N/S. No pets.

403-596-2444

Roommates Wanted

3080

RED DEER 403-754-5104 4971 Phelan St.

Antique & Classic Autos

AVAIL. - 1 bdrm. w/full bath, $600/mo. incl. all utils. + cable, washer & dryer. Call 403-343-3361

Rooms For Rent

5010 Photo by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 356964B3

Pd. $1800. Asking $600 obo., some cat scratches on seat, but good cond.

403-597-3958 Cash Only

NOW RENTING 1 & 2 BDRM. APT’S. 2936 50th AVE. Red Deer Newer bldg. secure entry w/onsite manager, 5 appls., incl. heat & hot water, washer/dryer hookup, inÁoor heating, a/c., car plug ins & balconies.

Call 403-343-7955

5020

3090

8TH ANNUAL RED DEER COLLECTOR CAR AUCTION & SPEED SHOW. Mar 14 - 16. Westerner CLEAN, quiet, responsible, Park, Red Deer. 150,000 Furn. $525. 403-346-7546 sq.ft. indoor show.

Exhibitors space available.

ROOM FOR Rent, access Western Canada’s Largest to kitchen. 403-343-0421 Collector Car Event.

Consign today ROOM in Westpark, n/s, 1-888-296-0528 Ext. 102 no pets. Furnished. TV & EGAuctions.com utils incl. 403-304-6436 $450 MO/D.D. incl. everything. 403-342-1834 or 587-877-1883 after 2:30

AGRICULTURAL

CLASSIFICATIONS 2000-2290

Horses

2140

WANTED: all types of horses. Processing locally in Lacombe weekly.

403-651-5912

Grain, Feed Hay

2190

ROOM, all utils. and cable incld, $450/mo.

403-506-3277

Cars

5030

SMALL BDRM. Furnished. $450. 403-342-4604

Warehouse Space

3140

SMALL / LARGE SPACES TIMOTHY & Brome square -Free standing - fenced yards 2011 FORD Fiesta. $8200, bales, great for horses, apFor all your needs.

5 spd, 11,000 km. Exc. cond. prox. 60 lbs. put up dry 400-46,000 ft. 403-343-6615 Great on gas. Medical reason. and covered, $5/bale Ask for Doug 587-272-2543 Sylvan area. 403-887-2798 Mobile 2000 Chrysler Neon, 2L, 4 dr., 5 spd. Clean. 403-318-3040 Lot

3190

wegot

rentals CLASSIFICATIONS

FOR RENT • 3000-3200 WANTED • 3250-3390

Houses/ Duplexes

3020

2 BDRM. main Áoor of House. Newly reno’d.

403-872-2472

1999 PONTIAC Bonneyville PADS $450/mo.

4 dr., saftied. 403-352-6995 Brand new park in Lacombe.

Spec Mobiles. 3 Bdrm., 2 bath. As Low as $75,000.

Down payment $4000. Call at anytime. 403-588-8820

wegot

homes

This great 3 bdrm, 1.5 bath home offers great space on a quiet street. At just $1425/mo it will go quick. †Call Tina at 403-896-8552 to take a look!

Hpman.ca

4000-4190

Houses For Sale

4020

3030

1 bdrm. condo on Pine Lake, fully furn., $900 utils. incl. except cable & phone Avail. now 403-862-2796 SOUTHWOOD PARK 3110-47TH Avenue, 2 & 3 bdrm. townhouses, generously sized, 1 1/2 baths, fenced yards, full bsmts. 403-347-7473, Sorry no pets. www.greatapartments.ca

3050

ACROSS from park, 3 bdrm. 4-plex, 1 1/2 bath, 4 appls. Rent $1125/mo. d.d. $650. Avail. now or March 1 403-304-5337

Suites

3060

2 BDRM. balcony, blinds, $1000 rent no pets avail.

Mar. 1. 403-343-8387 CLEARVIEW bi-level. 2 bdrm., 1 bath, 5 appls, balcony.

Close to park & bus. $900 +utils. 403-210-1360

MUST SELL

New Home. 1335 sq.ft. bi-level, 24x23 att. garage.

403-588-2550

www.laebon.com Laebon Homes 346-7273

Condos/ Townhouses

4040

NEW CONDO

1000 sq.ft. 2 bdrm., 2 bath. $192,000. 403-588-2550

Income Property

4100

12 UNIT apartment building located in quiet Red Deer neighborhood.

Contact Mike Dandurand Sundance Realty & Management 403-343-6655 391-7945 LAST 2 remaining full duplex lots in desirable neighborhood in Central Alberta. Very well priced with 4 plex as a discretionary use. Contact Mike Dandurand Sundance Realty & Management 403-343-6655 391-7945

Top Republicans back Christie as bridge scandal drags on

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS TRENTON, N.J. — High-profile Republicans were adamant Sunday that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie should not resign from his post as chairman of the Republican Governors Association following a former ally’s claim that there is evidence Christie knew about an apparently politically motivated traffic jam earlier than he has said.

The support from former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and Wisconsin U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan put Republicans on the offensive and the Democratic chairman of a state legislative committee investigating the September lane closures near the George Washington Bridge on the defensive the day Christie’s state hosts the Super Bowl.

Also on Sunday, a member of Christie’s administration who was subpoenaed by lawmakers investigating the lane closings confirmed she had resigned. Christina Genovese Renna left the governor’s office Friday, according to her lawyer. Renna had reported to ousted Deputy Chief of Staff Bridget Kelly, who apparently set the lane closings in motion with an email saying “time to cause some traffic problems in Fort Lee.” Christie, a potential 2016 presidential contender, has been going about Super Bowl ceremonial duties and has not taken questions about the scandal in recent days. He didn’t respond Saturday when some spectators booed him at an appearance in New York City’s Times Square.

He planned to watch Sunday’s game with his family from a luxury box at MetLife Stadium.

Giuliani, appearing on CBS’ Face the Nation took aim at the credibility of two figures central to the scandal: John Wisniewski, who’s leading the investigative probe, and David Wildstein, the former Christie loyalist who as an executive at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey last year ordered the lane closures after receiving Kelly’s email, as someone with less than pure motives.

He said Wildstein “wants somebody else to pay his legal bills and he can’t get them paid unless the governor is responsible.”

The unannounced lane closures caused massive gridlock in Fort Lee in September, delaying emergency vehicles and school buses and tying up some commuters for hours over four mornings. New Jersey legislators are investigating whether Christie aides engineered the lane closures to send a message to the town’s Democratic mayor. The U.S. Attorney’s office is also investigating.

On Friday, Wildstein’s lawyer wrote a letter to the Port Authority saying evidence exists that Christie knew about the traffic jams in Fort Lee as they happened. He did not disclose any evidence in the letter.

Giuliani said Wisniewski, a Democratic assemblyman, is prejudiced and has ulterior motivations as a “guy who’d like to be governor.”

Wisniewski also appeared on Face the Nation and defended his role and his previously stated doubts about what Christie knew and when.

“What I’ve said is I have skepticism about the governor’s statement,” he said. “I haven’t said that the governor has responsibility for this. I haven’t said that the governor knew when this was happening.”

Ukraine’s president back from sick leave today

2 SPEC HOMES Ready for your colours.

Can be shown at any time.

10 & 98 MacKenzie Cres.

Lacombe. 403-588-8820

3 FLR, 3 Bdrm house w/3 bath, new paint & carpets BRAND NEW 1340 sq. ft. & deck at 7316-59 Ave. bungalow, 2 bdrm., den, Avail. to over 30 tenants.

No pets. Off street parking dbl. att. garage. $384,900.

Call Glen 403-588-2231 for 3 vehicles. Rent $1500, D.D. $1500. 403-341-4627 FREE Weekly list of 5 BDRM home in Ander’s properties for sale w/details, available for immed. prices, address, owner’s possession for one year. phone #, etc. 342-7355 No pets, N/S Rent Help-U-Sell of Red Deer $2650/mo., D/D $2650. www.homesreddeer.com 403-358-6070 MASON MARTIN SYLVAN LAKE main Á., HOMES clean 3 bdrm., garage incl., Custom new homes N/S, small pets ok. $1500 planning service. incl. utils. 760-399-0224 Kyle, 403-588-2550

4 Plexes/ 6 Plexes

at www.garymoe.com

CLASSIFICATIONS

3 BDRM. DUPLEX IN CLEARVIEW

Condos/ Townhouses

VIEW ALL OUR PRODUCTS

Rescuers search victims of the eruption of Mount Sinabung in Suka Meriah, North Sumatra, Indonesia, Sunday. Mount Sinabung erupted Saturday killing more than a dozen of people.

Locally owned and family operated

SUV's

5040

2007 H2 hummer, mint condition, 59,000 kms, new tires & rims, original rims and tires to buyer.

Call Art 403-304-0727.

Auto Wreckers

5190

RED’S AUTO. Free Scrap Vehicle & Metal Removal.

AMVIC APPROVED. We travel. May pay cash for vehicle. 403-396-7519

Vehicles Wanted To Buy

5200

RED’S AUTO. Free scrap vehicle & metal removal.

We travel. May pay cash for vehicle. AMVIC APPROVED. 403-396-7519

Misc.

Automotive

5240

FREE removal of scrap vehicles. Will pay cash for some. 403-304-7585L,60,0

EASY!

The easy way to find a buyer for items you want to sell is with a Red Deer Advocate want ad. Phone 309-3300.

Buy it.

Classified. It’s the easy-to-access, information-packed marketplace visited regularly — by all kinds of consumers.

Sell it.

Classified. It’s the resource you can count on to sell a myriad of merchandise items because our columns compel qualified buyers to call.

Find it.

Classified. It’s the solution you’re searching for — whether you’re seeking a home, an apartment, a new occupation or even a stray pet.

309-3300

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS KIEV, Ukraine — Ukraine’s president will return Monday from a short sick leave that had sparked a guessing game he was taking himself out of action in preparation to step down or for a crackdown on widespread anti-government protests.

Viktor Yanukovych’s office made the announcement about the president’s return the same day as protesters seeking his resignation held one of their largest gatherings in recent weeks. About 20,000 people assembled at the main protest site in Kyiv’s central square on Sunday.

Yanukovych’s sick leave was announced Thursday, with his office saying he had an acute respiratory illness. Some opposition leaders were skeptical about it, however, and thought Yanukovych was disappearing from the limelight in preparation for imposing a state of emergency amid the deepest turmoil in Ukraine since the Orange Revolution in 2004-2005.

The protests, which are heading into a third month, began in late November after Yanukovych backed away from a long-awaited agree-

WORLD

BRIEFS

Japanese whaling vessel, protest ship collide off Antarctica SYDNEY, Australia — A Japanese whaling ship and a protest boat have collided in the remote, icy seas off Antarctica, and both sides are blaming each other for the crash.

No one was injured in Sunday’s collision, though both ships received minor damage.

Protest group Sea Shepherd said the whaling vessels got too close to their ships and crashed into their boat, the Bob Barker. Japan says the Bob Barker got too close to their whaling ship.

Sea Shepherd said the Bob Barker’s bow and anchor were damaged, and Japan said their ship received damage to a railing and its hull.

Australia’s Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt on Monday ordered an investigation into the collision.

Woody Allen calls Dylan Farrow allegations ’untrue and disgraceful’ NEW YORK — Woody Allen called Dylan Farrow’s allegations of child molestation “untrue and disgraceful” a day after Farrow renewed claims dating back to Allen’s tempestuous relationship with actress Mia Farrow in the early 1990s.

ment to deepen ties with the European Union.

They quickly grew to encompass a wide range of grievances after police violently dispersed some of the early gatherings.

During Yanukovych’s sick leave, a sense of stasis set in and neither side showed signs of movement. But his return to work could bring new action.

“Repression works in reverse. More people are coming to Maidan,” said demonstrator Tamara Tribko, using the abbreviated name of the square where an extensive tent camp has been established since early December.

Top opposition figures spoke to the rally to urge supporters to push forward with their demands. Arseniy Yatsenyuk, one of the protest leaders, emphasized the importance of obtaining the release of all people arrested during the protests.

“We must free all,” Yatsenyuk said, adding that there were 116 people being held. “Freedom to every hero.”

Yanukovych’s sick leave was announced the morning after the parliament voted to offer amnesty to many of those arrested during protests on the condition that demonstrators vacate some of the buildings they occupy in Kyiv and government buildings elsewhere in the country.

The movie director’s publicist Leslee Dart said in an email Sunday that Allen has read Dylan Farrow’s open-letter, published online

by The New York Times, claiming she was sexually assaulted by her then adoptive father as a seven-year-old.

“Mr. Allen has read the article and found it untrue and disgraceful,” said Dart, who said Allen will be responding soon.

Dylan Farrow claimed that in 1992 at the family’s Connecticut home, Allen led her to a “dim, closet-like attic” and “then he sexually assaulted me.” Farrow didn’t specify Allen’s actions, but described other abusive behaviour.

Allen was investigated on child molestation claims for the 1992 accusation, but prosecutors elected not to charge him.

Israel PM dismisses warning that Israel could face growing boycott if peace talks falter JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday dismissed warnings by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry that Israel could be targeted by a growing boycott campaign if peace talks with the Palestinians fail.

Netanyahu tried to reassure Israelis, saying any boycott attempts are immoral, unjust and “will not achieve their goal,” while two government ministers accused Kerry of unfair pressure tactics and not standing by Israel.

Kerry’s comments and the aggrieved Israeli response led the main TV news shows Sunday, signalling a growing concern here that the world will use economic pressure to extract concessions.

RED DEER ADVOCATE Monday, Feb. 3, 2014 B11

FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE

HI & LOIS

PEANUTS

BLONDIE

HAGAR

BETTY

PICKLES

GARFIELD

LUANN Feb. 3 1947 — Thermometers in Snag, Yukon, register -64C (-83F), the lowest temperature recorded in Canada. It is likely the lowest temperature on record in North America.

1916 — Fire destroys the Centre Block of the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa, killing seven people. The gothic Parliamentary Library is saved by a quick-thinking clerk, who closes the iron doors. The tragedy is widely

blamed on German wartime saboteurs. The building, containing the Commons and Senate, will be rebuilt in the Gothic revival style, and completed in 1920.

1975 — A new Syncrude agreement saves the oilsands project. Alberta is in for 10 per cent, Ontario five per cent and Ottawa 15 per cent.

1972 — The Canadian team attends the opening of Winter Olympic Games in Sapporo, Japan. It is the first Olympic Games held in Asia and draws 35 nations and 1,231 competitors.

ARGYLE SWEATER

RUBES

TODAY IN HISTORY

TUNDRA

SUDOKU Complete the grid so that every row, every column and 3x3 box contains every digit from 1 through 9.

SHERMAN‛S LAGOON

Solution

LIFESTYLE

B12

MONDAY, FEB. 3, 2014

Get rid of that earworm

A MUSICAL FEEDER

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Photo contributed by MURRAY MCKAY

After many years of swallow use, this unique nestbox had to be renovated. Eventually however weather took over and the guitar box totally fell apart.

WASHINGTON — It happens to nearly everyone: A song — let’s say Abba’s Waterloo — is stuck in your head and just won’t go away.

Now science has not one but three ways to dig that dreaded earworm out. And none of them are too surprising, as researchers surveyed 18,000 residents of Finland and England and reported their findings in the journal PLOS One. Researchers at the University of London found that earworm victims say you can listen to the complete song or sing it; you can just not let it bother you, or you can try using another song to shove out the offending tune.

How about God Save the Queen?

“A tune that’s not too catchy itself might do the trick,” psychology researcher Lauren Stewart of the University of London said. The British national anthem, which Stewart concedes isn’t the type to get stuck in the head, was mentioned most often by the Brits as an earworm replacement. Stewart wrote that 64 specific songs were mentioned as good replacement tunes, but not many repeaters. So the anthem topped the charts with six votes.

The other replacement tunes that got multiple votes include Culture Club’s Karma Chameleon and the standard Happy Birthday.

Most of the time the people who replaced one tune with another reported that the second tune did not become an earworm.

About one-in-nine Britons reported they tried to distract themselves with another song. Most said it usually worked.

On the other hand, more than half the Finns surveyed were more likely to just try to embrace the song, play it over or listen to the end. And that also worked at times, Stewart said.

Dead parents’ trust causing conflict within family Dear Annie: Both of my parents recently died, and my younger brother was named trustee of their trust. My parents’ home represents the majority of the trust, although it was not on the list of assets. Instead, my brother and his wife are claiming the home as compensation for time they spent with the folks in their last years.

This was the first time my siblings and I were notified of this abuse of his position. My brother refuses to provide any information to the beneficiaries. He communicates in generalities and platitudes, refusing to answer our concerns or return phone calls and emails.

What can we do? If we contest the trust, we are out of it. Do we hire an attorney to go after him? Do we lien the house? How do we handle this blatant abuse of his position for his own gain?

- Sad in Kansas Dear Kansas: The details of the trust may make it impossible for you to get the results you want, but we have no way of counseling you from here.

Please talk to a lawyer who can investigate what action you could take. And then decide whether you want a rela-

HOROSCOPES Monday, Feb. 3 CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DATE: Isla Fisher, 38; Blythe Danner, 71; Bridget Regan, 32 THOUGHT OF THE DAY: The Moon and Uranus in Aries will be anything but monotonous today! Get ready to rumble throughout today’s astral fiesta! A dynamic atmosphere, which is not always easy to handle, will push us towards action. The main themes that will come to the fore today will be our relationships, our personal freedom, our personal evolution and radical change towards something HAPPY BIRTHDAY: If today is your birthday, keep an open mind and you will survive throughout this year’s stimulating challenges. Keep persevering by maintaining an open spirit.

Chances that you may come out as a proud winner are highly working in your favour!

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Your nature thrives on testing situations and circumstances that allow you to fight for yourself.

You are not a quitter and today will allow you to prove this side in you. Others may perceive you as too debating or forceful.

Learn to cooperate and to surrender.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): An impromptu situation from your past will test your faith in yourself.

Circumstances will seem to work against you and the truth will be stretched out. Be on the lookout and try not to get involved into unnecessary gossip that will only play with your nerves.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You may be experiencing some roadblocks on the love front. While you may have a hard time fitting into a group today, the bond between you and a lover, or even with your own child, could just be the answer to your prayers.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Today, you may feel as if you are riding on a horse with no name and which you don’t know

tionship with your brother, because guilty for continuing to imbibe. taking him to court will likely create a My husband and I enjoy the compermanent estrangement. Money isn’t pany of our loved ones when they are everything. If he truly did spend more sober. It is only uncomfortable when time caring for your parents than the various family members become inerest of you, he may deserve more than briated and start getting loud, profane you think. and insulting.

Dear Annie: My spouse We have tried hard to and I choose to abstain communicate that we love from alcohol. We don’t do them and have no probthis because we think we lem with reasonable social are better than others. It is drinking, only when it gets a personal decision based out of control. Excluding on how alcohol has inus sends the clear message flicted hurt on people we that they love the bottle love. We have seen famimore than us. lies abuse each other when Annie, if only people redrinking and have had alized that the only thing friends and family killed in that really ends up matterdrunken driving accidents. ing in life is people, family But it pains us to see and the relationships you MITCHELL how some family members build. The world would be & SUGAR react to our convictions. a better, stronger place. Is Over the years, they have there anything we can do? distanced themselves by Sober but Sad not including us in famDear Sober: We agree ily gatherings or vacations. that alcohol can be very deMaybe they think we’ll put a damper structive. However, by broadcasting on their fun by remaining sober, or your sobriety as well as your disapperhaps our presence makes them feel proval, you come across as scolds, and

the drinking members of your family choose not to be criticized, even tacitly. People are sensitive about their failings and respond poorly to condemnation.

If you want more inclusive family gatherings, you will have to say nothing about liquor consumption, yours or anyone else’s. Start by inviting them to a gathering in your home. You don’t need to serve alcohol, but you also don’t have to make an issue of it.

Dear Annie: I read the letter from “Uncomfortable,” who didn’t want to call her mother-in-law “Mom.” It reminded me a bit of one of my granddaughters. She called her other grandfather “Oxygen Grandpa” because he needed the aid of an oxygen tank.

Since I liked my late-day martini, I was called the Olive Grandpa. - Homosassa, Fla. Annie’s Mailbox is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, longtime editors of the Ann Landers column. Please email your questions to anniesmailbox@ comcast.net, or write to: Annie’s Mailbox, c/o Creators Syndicate, 737 3rd Street, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254.

where it is taking you. To avoid this out where you stand as person in acambiguous type of trip with your own cordance with another one and the redestiny, spend more time in places lationship that you bear with yourself. that have a familiarity feel to them.

Co-dependency is not such a good idea LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): This will turn after all, as you cannot depend on anyup to be a highly adventurous time for one today but your own self. you, dear fire sign, yet, it SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. may be too feisty for your 21): Interruptions keep liking. Certain new experishowing up today deviating ences may not be welcomed your course throughout the and you may end up being day. Currents may feel unannoyed, at the best-case stable and shaky at times. scenario. Treat them as Dig into your past for internewly mastered skills. esting clues. This experiVIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): ence may give you gooseYou become highly irritatbumps type of results. ed when an unforeseen exSAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22pense will require your atDec. 21): Since your sweettention. It is possible that a heart is not too reliable live-in partner may ask for today, there is someone your financial help and you out there, from your social ASTRO feel caught up between fulscene that is willing to lisDOYNA filling your role as a friend ten to you. Pressures may and being a caring partner. stem from a monetary alLIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): location. You may not reToday you will try to figure ceive the amount you were

expecting for.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): External forces are such that you may feel obliged to spend more of your personal time and dedicate it to others today. Responsibility is tricky thing today. Finding your inner comfort zone is like looking for a needle in haystack.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Words are not representative of you today as they flow out quite inconsistently and sometimes even surprising you. A conversation made of blurred lines may simply make you say something that will make you bite off your lips.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You may find yourself worrying about a high bill. You may want to analyze your spending habits with another person and see whether you need to find a more suitable way of sharing your joint account.

Astro Doyna is an internationally syndicated astrologer and columnist. Her column appears daily in the Advocate.

ANNIE ANNIE

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