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Riverbend & CommunitySnow Valley League FAMILY 2017 RiverbendRaggTimes Next Deadline WINTERFestival Sunday, February 26 1:00 - 4:00 pm James Ramsey Park Horse Drawn Sleigh Rides obogganing Tubing/T Snow Shoeing RCL’s Family Winter Festival Cross-Country Skiing Friday, March 3 Bannock Making Hot Dog/Hamburger & Drink tion) ($2 dona Delivery: March 20 Winter Activities for Children Ragg_Times up Inc. cial Gro & Finan surance enzie In & Mack pg. 24 c. lutions In ancial So ce & Fin Insuran Absolute February 26 ACouncil SWst Area C South We raggtimes A PUBLICATION OF THE RIVERBEND COMMUNITY LEAGUE FEBRUARY 2017 VOL. 34, NO.4 Saying Farewell to a Respected Community Member Until We Meet Again By: Dave Rumbold everend Don Koots of Riverbend United Church is leaving after nine Board Chair Christine Ens and a half years leading the Church’s ministry. Don is going to make comments “Don established R his way to Saskatoon to join his wife, Reverend Heather Koots, who countless firm friendships, has relocated there. conducted many baptisms, Don grew up in Edmonton and graduated from Education at the U of confirmations, and marriages A, initially working as a teacher for five years. He then had a calling to as well as the funerals of serve in Ministry and attended the Vancouver School of Theology. Don met some of our most committed Heather there who also trained to become a United Church Minister. Don long term members. Don initially served in a rural five point charge in Bawlf/Daysland, then at St. shared his exceptional gift Andrews United in Cochrane for 19 years (working with Heather) and then of sermon delivery causing joined Riverbend United in 2007. During his time in Edmonton Don has members to marvel weekly as also provided leadership at the Edmonton Capital Region Interfaith Housing he advanced to the centre of Initiative. While busy with all of this, Don and Heather raised five sons, now church to begin, without any grown up and established on their own. notes in sight. Reverend Don shepherded our congregation Don’s comments on his time in our neighborhood are “I was drawn through a monumental time to Riverbend United because of its engaged congregation, its community - a huge capital campaign, outreach and engagement activities, and its strength in committed lay the development of some amazing new space to share with the community leadership. This congregation was always more willing to say yes than no!” and the transition into the complete use of this space. This is perhaps his During Don’s time at Riverbend United, the Church undertook a greatest legacy.“ successful expansion, added a Youth Minister, expanded its community Best wishes to Don as he joins Heather in Saskatoon and prepares for the activities and programming, and sponsored a Syrian refugee family. next stage of his life! Humanitarian Trip to Nicaragua Local Youth Contribute to Los Tololos Community By: École Maurice-Lavallée School Council ver wonder what our teenage kids would do without their cell phones Melanie Slauenwhite, a Grade 11 and other devices for ten days? Nineteen students from Grades 10 student, recalls: “The families we E and 11 at École Maurice-Lavallée, a Francophone high school in stayed with didn’t have much but the Bonnie Doon neighborhood with students from across Edmonton, got shared everything with us. The to experience just that, and so much more, while on a humanitarian trip to community spirit is huge. We Nicaragua in November. brought a card game, and within The first couple of days were spent visiting and getting to know traditions minutes, ten or so children from such as All Saints’ Day where families bring flowers to the colourful graves the surrounding area were with us, of their family in the cemetery. Then it was on to Los Tololos, the host playing.” community where the students had come to learn and to contribute to the Within the context of their Francophone bilingual education, the local community. At the elementary school, our students led activities and Nicaragua-bound students had been studying Spanish for over a year at École distributed materials donated through fund-raising projects in Edmonton. Maurice-Lavallée. They greatly benefitted from being able to use French and The group also assisted in many aspects of the construction of a small house English in addition to the rudiments of Spanish to facilitate communication for an aging couple in the community. Moreover, under a burning sun, these with Nicaraguans. Our students gave the best of themselves and they greatly young people, accustomed to city life, weeded a field of beans, surrounded appreciated the generosity, the joy and the kindness of the people of Los plants with nitrogen, and supplied the farmer with water. Tololos, Nicaragua. The teachers who accompanied them hope to once again Needless to say, the phones and other gadgets were soon forgotten. The offer this opportunity to future students. students were welcomed into local families that treated them like family. RIVERBEND NEWS EDITOR Donate a Ride Sherri Henderson Removing Transportation Barriers [email protected] By: Bryan Anderson, City Councilor ADVERTISING Elizabeth Emslie s City Councillor for Ward 9, I’ve had Since the program the privilege of helping with the City started in 1996, [email protected] A of Edmonton’s DONATE A RIDE it has distributed 780-437-7108 campaign for 16 years. Every year, this valuable $2.3 million worth www.riverbendonline.ca program donates transit tickets to those most in TABLE OF CONTENTS need. Transportation SECTION PAGE remains a huge barrier of transit tickets. Riverbend News 1-10 for many individuals I encourage everyone to Brookview CL 7 and families. Thousands donate to this worthwhile Seniors Connection 10 of Edmontonians cause. Whether it’s Hodgson Community League 11 struggle to find reliable helping youth-at-risk get Community Connections 12-13 transportation, making to programs or school or Get Natured 15 it difficult to get to jobs, or helping newcomers Oak Hills CL 17 jobs, appointments or safely visit friends, find The Ridge CL 18 other essential services. housing or get employment Riverbend CL 19 In many cases, it - DONATE A Ride Education Matters 20 means making a choice eliminates barriers and Savour 22 between bus fare and truly ‘gives those in need a Community League Directory 23 going without food, or other basic necessities. lift.’ For these individuals, having access to public Donations can be made securely online year transportation could greatly improve their quality round or you can also place donations in ETS fare of life. boxes using DONATE A RIDE envelopes, which THANK YOU, RAGG Now in its 21st year, Donate a Ride uses ETS bus operators will provide if requested. DELIVERY VOLUNTEERS! donations to purchase transit tickets for those in For more information, I encourage you to Thanks to the following volunteers who need. The tickets are distributed to 74 community visit www.donatearide.ab.ca. helped deliver our last issue to businesses, agencies within Edmonton that provide schools, and retirement residences. employment, educational and social services to If you have questions or comments, please Lita Bablitz, Jim Bradshaw, Mark Kim, Leslie low-income individuals and families. contact me at [email protected] or Leeworthy, Daryl Matter, Sean McConnell, Jihan 780-496-8130. Marjan, Karin Shott, Sabine Sintenis, Shelly and Through the generosity of our donors and Leanne Stevens, Mary Wagner, Helma Voth, sponsors, we’ve been able to help thousands and Joan Wood. of Edmontonians get where they need to go. We’re always looking for volunteers to help us deliver copies of The Ragg-Times to schools, businesses, and retirement homes. If you can deliver The Ragg-Times seven times a year, we’d Every year, the Salute to Excellence Council is currently seeking nominations love to hear from you! Your gift of time and for the City of Edmonton’s Hall of Fame in the areas of Arts & Culture, Community service would be greatly appreciated. Please call Service and Sports. 780-437-7108 or email [email protected] for more details. Hall of Fame inductees are those who have helped make Edmonton the vibrant, caring and progressive city that it is today. By sharing their talent, passion and commitment, NEXT DEADLINE these outstanding Edmontonians have enhanced the quality of life in our community. By nominating your champion, you can help the City of Edmonton acknowledge March 3, 2017 the overall impact he or she has had on our community. Your nomination emphatically Delivery the week of: communicates the appreciation for everything that your nominee has accomplished. March 20, 2017 In return, they could potentially be added to the list of Edmonton’s most outstanding citizens who have made exemplary contributions to the quality of life our city! The opinions expressed in this publication may not necessarily be those of the publisher. No part of this Deadline for nominations is February 16. Information about the nomination process publication may be reprinted without the written is available at edmonton.ca/halloffame. Simply complete the nomination form, a bio for the permission of the publisher. nominee, a nomination letter, and provide two additional letters of support. ** Ads Printed as Submitted ** The Glass Monkey is a comfortable, casual, family friendly restaurant located in the Lendrum Shopping Mall, just minutes from Riverbend and Terwillegar. Locally owned and operated, we are open daily from 3:30pm until 10:00pm. Closed Tuesday. We look forward to seeing you soon! Rob Filipchuk Owner 780.760.2228 www.theglassmonkey.ca 5842-111 Street 2 February 2017 RIVERBEND NEWS Riverbend/Terwillegar Talk Housing Interfaith Housing Initiative Propose a Healthy Neighbourhood Response to Affordable Housing By: Michael Van Boom, CRIHI Housing Amabassador n Saturday, October 29, twenty-five people (including fifteen local a project fits the surrounding neighbourhood so that community culture neighbours) in Riverbend/Terwillegar gathered to talk affordable is maintained and enhanced and positive outcomes and opportunities are O housing in a workshop hosted by the Interfaith Housing Initiative.