COLDEST NIGHT OF THE YEAR PAGE A6 DUCKS BEAT DOWN FLAMES B1
Red Deer Advocate MONDAY, FEB. 22, 2016
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BUMPY RIDE
BENCELEY
Walkability key for new locale BY CRYSTAL RHYNO ADVOCATE STAFF Paying homage to a former owner, Benceley is the name for a new walkable neighbourhood east of Rosedale and Davenport. Once developed the roughly two-quarter sections of land will become the first neighbourhood east of the future 20th Avenue in Red Deer. In recent years the city has been growing northeast and this will be the first movement inching east to its growth boundary. The area has been predominantly used for farming as early as the 1950s and drilled for oil and gas development since about the 1960s. David Girardin, a city senior planner, said the land will be developed into mostly residential but there will be a significant commercial portion. The draft Neighbourhood Area Structure Plan (NASP) is bounded by 20th Avenue to the west, 39th Street to the south, and 55th Street (Hwy 11) to the north. The walkability and connections are two of the big selling points for the new neighbourhood, says Girardin. “It’s one of first plans that really exemplify the nine new planning principles adopted in 2013,” said Girardin. “The street network goes back to being a modified grid. Whereas in neighbourhoods that we have been building in the last 15-20 years have been more a curvilinear (design).”
Photo by ASHLI BARRETT/Advocate staff
Brock Radford rides Jawbreaker during the Rebel Energy Services Red Deer Professional Bull Riding event at the Enmax Centrium Saturday night. See related story on Page B2.
Please see NEIGHBOURHOOD on Page A2
Passing on the power of positivity SPENDING TIME WITH JONNY AHLGRIM TEACHES LIFE LESSONS TO OLDS GRIZZLYS PLAYERS BY CRYSTAL RHYNO ADVOCATE STAFF Jonny Ahlgrim starts his day with purpose. His purpose is to collect bottles and recyclables along the streets and businesses in Olds. Chances are if you have been in Olds, you have seen Ahlgrim dragging his carts from place to place in all kinds of weather. Dana Lattery, Olds Grizzlys Jr. A Hockey Club head coach, said it is Jonny’s sheer determination and positive attitude that has made the 40-year-old an inspiration to his community. Ahlgrim will soon be the DANA LATTERY subject of an inspirational documentary called The Jonny Project, which is currently in the works. Lattery, who is the brains behind the documentary, first crossed paths with Ahlgrim when Lattery played junior hockey in Olds in the late 1990s to 2000. Lattery was working as a dishwasher when his boss gave him some sage advice. “He said, ‘man if you could ever learn to play hockey like the way Jonny lives life, you would actually go somewhere,’” said Lattery. The then-19-year-old took those words into his final year of hockey. He didn’t complain about the little things in life and showed up everyday “giving 110 per cent,” said Lattery. Hockey ended and life went on but Ahlgrim’s work ethic and positive attitude stayed with Lattery. Last summer when Lattery took over as head coach of the Grizzlys, he decided to encourage his players to spend the day with Ahlgrim as he collects bottles. “Shoulder deep in garbage cans digging out bottles,” said Lattery. “(At first) I was struggling with having to make those guys go do it. Parents may call me … but the players have really enjoyed their day with Jonny.” Since late-January, one player has spent about four hours with Jonny on his bottle-collecting route.
WEATHER Mainly sunny. High 1 Low -13
FORECAST ON A2
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Photo by Crystal Rhyno/Advocate Staff
Jonny Ahlgrim and Chase Olsen look for bottles to recycle in Olds. Lattery said it is about teaching humility and appreciating the small things in life. All 22 players will take a turn collecting bottles over the coming weeks and months. “I hope they learn how fortunate and how blessed they are and privileged that we play hockey,” said Lattery. “Jonny is just so much more than you see. He’s a great guy. Right now all we do is complain in society. I know it can sound hippy or spiritual but I just believe in that positivity. That’s something Jonny portrays every single day.” Rookie Chase Olsen, 18, said Ahlgrim’s joy in life has left him smiling. “Growing up in Olds, I saw Jonny around,” said
Olsen. “I never knew a whole lot about him other than what my parents told me about him that he’s a hard worker. Being able to spend the day with him has been awesome. The community is so supportive of him. Everybody just loves him. He’s so energetic and enjoys what he does. I never saw anybody work as hard as he does.” Olsen said the response from the people who see him on the street has been positive. “It has touched me about how happy he is all the time doing the simple things in life,” said Olsen, who played midget in Red Deer. “You don’t need extravagant things and Jonny has really shown me that.”
Please see JONNY on Page A2
Gunman kills 6 in Kalamazoo A gunman opened fire outside an apartment complex, a car dealership and a restaurant in Michigan, killing six Story on PAGE A7
PLEASE RECYCLE