Weekly News Recap: August 27, 2021

Helen Jusic, 85, captured her neighbours' hearts by simply standing on the street corner, waving and greeting them nearly every day during the spring and summer. On Sunday, Bridgeland neighbours gave back with a new recliner to rest her feet. (CBC/Elise Stolte)

In the long run, the sharpest weapon of all is a kind and gentle spirit. -- Anne Frank

SOME GOOD NEWS

• Meet the 80-year-old Albertan who has walked the entire city of Medicine Hat 13 times (CBC) MEDICINE HAT STORY #SmartIdea "It's been over two decades since Teresa Vanderhorst started walking around Medicine Hat [...] with an enlarged map and checking off the streets as she went — and the 80-year-old has now walked the entire city 13 times. Vanderhorst is in the midst of a 14th attempt she started in May. At a pace of 120 steps per minute and about four kilometres a day, she should be finished within a year."

• Citadel Clock Tower to Big Ben: 12-year-old N.S. boy is taking his lockdown art project worldwide (CBC) HALIFAX STORY We have all been changed by COVID-19 -- hopefully, like Carter, for the better. "When 12-year-old Carter Noseworthy picked up a new hobby during the pandemic lockdown, he never dreamed he'd get paid to do it. The Halifax boy, who has always had an interest in drawing and architecture, decided to teach himself watercolour painting while stuck at home during Nova Scotia's third wave of COVID-19."

• P.E.I. monks getting ready for annual sunflower donation (Saltwire) PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND STORY I love sunflowers. "As Dan Huang stands in the field among tens of thousands of sunflowers, he's reminded of the special symbolic meaning they have for people."They bring light, happiness and warmth," said Huang, a monk at GEBIS (Great Enlightenment Buddhist Institute Society) campus in Heatherdale near Montague."

• 'A thrilling sign': Researchers discover secret colony of highly endangered marmots on Vancouver Island (CBC) VANCOUVER ISLAND STORY "Researchers and conservationists are celebrating after the discovery of a group of Vancouver Island marmots that signals a great step forward in the recovery of the highly endangered species."

• Famous 85-year-old who waves from the street corner gets her own thank you from Bridgeland community (CBC) CALGARY STORY I heart this woman. "An 85-year-old in Calgary's Bridgeland neighbourhood became a minor celebrity amid the COVID-19 pandemic this spring for the simple way she supports her community — waving from a street corner, blowing kisses and greeting everyone who passes by."

TOP TEN STORIES OF THE WEEK

1. A bitcoin mining power plant secretly set up shop in Alberta. Now it's being forced to shut down (CBC) STURGEON COUNTY STORY I am surprised there are not more (maybe there are...). "When residents of an affluent estate community in Alberta started hearing noise from a nearby power plant, they didn't expect their complaints of sleepless nights would lead to a months-long investigation that would find a bitcoin mining operation had set up shop without approval."

2. Tipping more during the pandemic? Some Canadians say expectations have gone up (CBC) CANADIAN STORY #TipYourServers I have been tipping much more since the pandemic. "Restaurateurs and industry experts say hospitality workers need higher tips to offset their losses during the pandemic and are asking customers to help out. With the dual challenges of a labour shortage and increasing food costs, CBC food columnist Shiva Reddy says the minimum tip should be at least 18 per cent in B.C., even for takeout. If customers have a good or outstanding experience she says 20 per cent and beyond is ideal."

3. Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts dead at 80 (CBC) RIP Charlie, we will not see your like again. "Charlie Watts, the self-effacing and unshakeable Rolling Stones drummer who helped anchor one of rock's greatest rhythms sections and used his "day job" to support his enduring love of jazz, has died, according to his publicist. He was 80. Bernard Doherty said Tuesday that Watts "passed away peacefully in a London hospital earlier today surrounded by his family."

4. Opinion: Is philanthropy like MacKenzie Scott's changing aid delivery? (Devex) #MoreUnrestrictedGiftsPlease "Scott made all her funding unrestricted, which means that recipient organizations can essentially do what they want with it. With the average donation per organization coming to just under $10 million, that equals a lot of freedom [...] Unrestricted funding encourages charities to compete for funds on the basis of their strategy, leadership, and impact, rather than their ability to say what a donor wants to hear in an application or to dream up an unnecessary project that meets a donor’s narrow concept of what is needed. It means money is allocated to where it’s required most and can be redirected if the situation on the ground changes. Unrestricted grants also reduce the time and cost of auditing and fundraising."

5. Thieves steal $10,000 in hay from provincial park near Edmonton (CBC) EDMONTON STORY #Ugh "In a twist on the feed crisis being experienced by Alberta livestock owners, thieves made off with $10,000 worth of hay that had been illegally cut and baled in a provincial park near Edmonton. The hay — about 70 bales in total — had been cut and bundled illegally in July at Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park, just west of St. Albert."

6. Purdue Pharma head tells hearing neither his family nor company responsible for the opioid crisis (CBC) "The former president and board chair of Purdue Pharma told a court Wednesday that he, his family and the company are not responsible for the opioid crisis in the United States. Richard Sackler, a member of the family who owns the company, was asked whether each bears responsibility during a federal bankruptcy hearing in White Plains, N.Y, over whether a judge should accept the OxyContin maker's plan to settle thousands of lawsuits."

7. Cyclists wanting new bikes, parts could still face waits of up to 18 months as COVID havoc continues (CBC) ALBERTA STORY I feel this pain. "Albertans hoping to get their hands on a bike or parts should still be prepared to wait up to 18 months, with cycling shops predicting another year or more of disruptions to manufacturing and shipping due to COVID-19. Cycling surged in popularity at the start of the pandemic but before long, bike shops had run out of stock for many bikes and parts. It's still an issue that has customers waiting more than a year for their orders, staff at bike shops say."

8. 2 Indigenous place names restored on B.C.'s Sunshine Coast (CBC) BRITISH COLUMBIA STORY More please. "Two place names on the Sunshine Coast are changing to reflect the language and culture of local Indigenous Peoples, the B.C. government says. In a joint statement, the Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation and the Forests Ministry say they've been working with the shíshálh Nation on the changes. The community of Wilson Creek, south of Sechelt, is to be called ts'uḵw'um, and Saltery Bay, east of Powell River, is now sḵelhp."

9. Mixed dose woes: Some Canadians lost out on jobs abroad due to their mixed vaccines (CBC) CANADIAN STORY We have mixed dose vaccinations in our house. It's a pain. "Having a mixed COVID-19 vaccine — two shots but with different vaccines — may do more than impede your travel plans. It could hurt your chances of working abroad. Several countries don't recognize people with mixed doses as being fully vaccinated. That's the general position in the United States where the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) currently doesn't condone mixing COVID-19 vaccines."

10. Province rescinds Banff Centre appointment of Donna Kennedy-Glans (CBC) BANFF STORY "Former Progressive Conservative MLA Donna Kennedy-Glans says she's 'bewildered' after being removed by the province from the board of the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. [...] Kennedy-Glans was appointed to the board in August 2019 and was asked in June 2020 to be the vice-chair and the chair of the governance and recruitment committee, a position she held until she was terminated last week."

SEVEN LIFE AND CAREER HACKS

1. Why Messy People Get More Done (Forge) I am of two minds about this. For me, I have much higher productivity when my work area is tidy.

2. How To Take Smart Notes by Sönke Ahrens - Book Summary (Rick Kettner) This takes discipline but the payoff is huge.

3. 5 Mental Models to Help You Think More Clearly, Rationally, and Effectively (Mind Cafe) I love mental models and these are great ones. I especially like first principles thinking.

4. 10 Painless Ways to Live Below Your Means (Making of a Millionaire) A pretty smart list.

5. 3 Micro Fitness Habits That Have Changed My Life (In Fitness And In Health) #2 is right on the money.

6. How to Access Higher-Level Thinking Every Day to Become Smarter (The Ascent) I admit that I could use more of this.

7. Tim Ferriss’ System for Mastering Any Skill Is Pure Genius (Wholistique) It is pretty unbelievable the number of areas Tim has been able master.

TOP THREE GIFTS OF THE WEEK

1. STARS receives $1 million donation from Tourmaline Oil Corp. (Chat News Today) ALBERTA STORY "STARS air ambulance says they will be receiving $1 million dollars from Tourmaline Oil Corp. The donation, which is pledged over a five-year term, is to help support missions flown from STARS’ six Western Canadian bases, including Grande Prairie."

2. Magrath Mansion finds new home with Concordia University of Edmonton (Edmonton Journal) EDMONTON STORY I am glad to see this historic home being used in this way. "A $1.425-million gift donation from the Braaksma family, the mansion’s previous owners, helped the university make the purchase. The remaining $1.75 million was paid in cash by the school, said university president and vice-chancellor Tim Loreman."

3. Albertsons Boise Open makes record $2.9 million donation to charity\ (KTVB) "Albertsons and Chevron executives announced a record-breaking donation of $2.9 million for charity. The donation is the largest ever by any event in the 32-year history of the Korn Ferry Tour."

LAST WEEK'S MOST POPULAR STORIES

• One Woman’s Mission to Get Vaccines to Her Rural Alabama Town (Kottke.org)

• 'An amazing soul': Living tribute concert held for Calgary therapy dog (CTV)

• Exploring the history (and mystery) of Alberta's iconic Burger Baron chain in new documentary (CBC)

• Here's how a rebrand of Ryerson University could pay off for the school (CBC)

• Notable Edmonton mansion gifted to University of Alberta to be demolished (Edmonton Journal)

• The Co-Founder Of Snopes Wrote Dozens Of Plagiarized Articles For The Fact-Checking Site (Buzzfeed)

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