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Weekly News Recap: January 29, 2021

Vincent Duckworth

Weekly News Recap: January 29, 2021

A crocheted doll version of Bernie Sanders. (Twitter)

The point is change can come about, but it only comes about when millions of people are actively involved in political struggle, the billionaires may have the money, but we have the people. -- Bernie Sanders

SOME GOOD NEWS

  • Bernie Sanders turns meme of himself into charitable donation (CBS) "(CBS) #LoveTheBern After Bernie Sanders made his own fashion statement at the Presidential Inauguration, trying to stay warm, he started popping up everywhere… literally [...]. He was photoshopped into movie scenes, music albums, WWE photos, NFL pictures and just about anything else you could think of, even on Studio 814! Since then, Bernie put the picture of himself on a sweatshirt and began to take orders on his website, donating all of the proceeds. Before you knew it, the shirt was sold out online."

  • Calgary project to build ‘a beautiful stained glass ice fort’ boosts spirits during pandemic (Global News) CALGARY STORY #ILoveThis "Tina Buijs and her two-year-old son Benjamin got to work when they saw a collection of water-filled pails and food colouring on an outside table at a southwest Calgary strip [mall]. 'These are going to be ice blocks,' Buijs told her son, 'to make a beautiful stained glass ice fort.' It’s part of a project started by the owner of a deli in the strip mall, who’s eager to bring the neighbourhood together during the pandemic."

  • This is what #blackexcellence looks like. Nia Dennis does it again! 🔥 (Twitter) #Amazing. The UCLA gymnastics squad is really one of the world's best.

  • Child's $1.25 donation to bunny rescue in Liberty leads others to donate $1,800 (Independent Mail) #Li'lBunnies "Katie Elliott, the founder and director of Bunny Brigade South Carolina, was surprised when she received a Venmo donation of $1.25 toward the rescue. Then she noticed the note for the deposit. 'From Emma (4 years old).' 'The next thing I know, the notifications were just blowing up,' Nance said."

  • B.C. photographer captures top prize in Canadian Geographic competition (CBC) BRITISH COLUMBIA STORY #Golden "For Sara Kempner, home is where the waves of the Salish Sea meet the driftwood-strewn shoreline of the east coast of Vancouver Island — and the Cumberland, B.C., resident has now welcomed millions of people to share it with her. The emerging photographer is the winner of a recent competition held by Canadian Geographic magazine that asked people to submit an image that captures what home means to them."

TOP TEN STORIES OF THE WEEK

  1. Pandemic Recovery Program (Calgary Foundation) CALGARY STORY Nice move Calgary Foundation. #ThankYOU "We are listening to charities and our conversations with them are integral to help us identify how we can bridge the gaps and meet critical needs. In response, we have established the Pandemic Recovery Program to support all sectors serving our community. We continue to operate as a 360-degree-grant-maker and the Pandemic Recovery Program is open to all registered charities in Calgary and area, as well as First Nations communities in Treaty 7 region." RELATED: Survey shows Alberta non-profits grappling with COVID-19.

  2. Fort Edmonton Park to get nearly $1.7M loan from city (CBC) EDMONTON STORY "Edmonton city council approved a $1.68-million loan to Fort Edmonton Park [...] to help it reopen on schedule [...]. Fort Edmonton Park, the southwest Edmonton historical attraction, has been undergoing renovations for two years. The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated financial issues, prompting the park to ask for a cash [injection.]"

  3. Red Deer College expects to become polytechnic institution, not a university (Red Deer Advocate) RED DEER STORY "Red Deer College does not expect to become a university after all. Representatives of the post-secondary institution, including president Dr. Peter Nunoda and board of governors chair Guy Pelletier, said they anticipate RDC will become a polytechnic institution instead of a university, during a media conference call [...]." RELATED: Degree-granting status ‘matters most,’ says Red Deer College Students’ Association president.

  4. New Board Chair for the AFP U.S. Foundation for Philanthropy, Harry Lynch, CFRE (AFP Global) Congratulations Harry! We are so happy to see you in this role. "Harry Lynch, CFRE, will begin a two-year term as the chair of the AFP U.S. Foundation for Philanthropy. Mr. Lynch is CEO of Sanky Communications in New York City, a fundraising and communications firm specializing in direct marketing and digital fundraising for a wide variety of nonprofit organizations across the U.S. He has been a member of AFP for more than three decades and has previously served in numerous positions on the AFP Association and Foundation Boards."

  5. Calgary's downtown office vacancy rate could reach 'unseen territory' of 30% within 2 years, report says (CBC) CALGARY STORY #Ugh "The office vacancy rate in downtown Calgary is sitting at just a notch below 27 per cent and is on track to reach an unprecedented 30 per cent within the next year to two years, according to a new market report [...]. The report says that because of the combined impact of Alberta's economic downturn and the COVID-19 pandemic, the amount of space put back into the leasing market in 2020 was higher than anticipated." RELATED: This Calgarian who studies cities on downtown's empty office problem.

  6. Mystery guest takes over Jasper Park Lodge — the entire hotel — for 9-week booking (CBC) JASPER STORY #ItAllComesDownToARose Or so I am told. "All 446 rooms at Alberta's iconic Jasper Park Lodge have been reserved for a nine-week private booking, but hotel management is keeping mum about the mysterious guest. Officials at the Fairmont hotel, located inside Jasper National Park, confirmed the reservation [...] but declined to say who will be enjoying the property's mountain views and luxury room service for the 65 days between Feb. 23 and April 29." RELATED: Mystery solved: Love will be in the mountain air as The Bachelorette takes over Jasper Park Lodge.

  7. Teens feeling disconnected, hopeless due to COVID-19 raises alarm for parents, experts (CBC)CANADIAN STORY As the father of a 15-year-old teen, I can relate. This time is hard on everyone but I think it really stinks for our teenagers. #Heart "Ten months into the coronavirus pandemic, Toronto teen Serena Sri is sorely missing all the 'amazing' things about adolescent life, from spirit days, intramural sports and learning in-person at her high school in the city's west end to hanging out with friends and attending her beloved hip-hop dance class. 'I'm really a social person and I love being around people. With the pandemic, we can't do that,' she said. 'I kind of feel more alone and I kind of... shut down in a sense. And I lose my motivation to do anything, even simple things in my daily life.'"

  8. Opinion: Employers can no longer view mental health programs as a frill (Calgary Herald) CANADIAN STORY Completely agree. "Since the Bell Let’s Talk campaign began just over a decade ago, discussion of mental well-being has become more widespread and acceptable in almost every circle. However, general acknowledgment of the issue has not led to resources being available at the levels necessary to serve Canadians — and with the effects of the pandemic likely to stick around for a while, it could become an even bigger problem. Experts have coined the term 'echo pandemic,' where we’ll be facing a widespread mental health epidemic that follows COVID-19."

  9. Bow Valley College 'uncovers' its brand (YouTube) CALGARY STORY Congrats to all. Great brand launch.

  10. ASU names film school after trailblazing actor and filmmaker Sidney Poitier (ASU Now) I often suggest to my naming clients that doing the right thing is way more impactful than just taking money. ASU knows this and has known it for a long time. Well done ASU! "Arizona State University has renamed its film school after Hollywood icon Sidney Poitier, the first Black man to win the Academy Award for best actor. The move signifies the university’s commitment to inclusivity and diversity, according to ASU President Michael Crow."

SEVEN LIFE AND CAREER HACKS

  1. The 50 Best Cult Movies (The Ringer) I have watched (and in many cases, rewatched) 23 of these. A great list.

  2. 45 Things You Never Realized Everybody Else Does Too (Curious) Funny. Brilliant. True.

  3. 10 trails worth walking in winter in the Edmonton area (CBC) Edmonton is full of great trails. You're welcome.

  4. High blood pressure? New U of S study says stretching better for you than walking (CBC) CANADIAN CONTENT I need to stretch more. So do you.

  5. How To Trick Your Brain Into Liking Hard Things (Mind Cafe) Yep. "Start putting the phone down and picking wisdom up."

  6. Adam Grant Picks 12 Books to Kick Off 2021 (Marker) Doomscrolling, hyperconnected, CRISPR, Instagram poets, and at least eight other big ideas.

  7. 5 Non-Fiction Books Everyone Should Read (Books Are Our Superpower) George Orwell, John Hersey, Ben Judah, Haruki Murakami, Mary Beard. Five great authors. Five books I have not heard about.

TOP THREE GIFTS OF THE WEEK

  1. Elon Musk to donate sliver of net worth for carbon capture (NBC) "Elon Musk, Tesla CEO and current richest man in the world, announced [...] that he would give $100 million, about five one-hundredths of one percent of his net worth, toward a prize to reward the best carbon capture technology."

  2. Detroit YMCA received $10M of MacKenzie Scott's $4.2B donation (Detroit Free Press) "The local YMCA was one of 384 organizations nationwide, and one of six in metro Detroit, to receive donations from the billionaire, philanthropist and author [...]. It’s the single largest contribution in the Detroit branch’s 168-year-old history. 'It also comes during the greatest challenge the organization has faced', Helene Weir, president and CEO of the YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit, [said]."

  3. Kenyon College receives $100 million from anonymous donor (CBS) "An anonymous donor has given Ohio's Kenyon College a $100 million donation, the largest in school history, for the construction of three new residence [halls]."

LAST WEEK'S MOST POPULAR STORIES

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