Serving the Heart of Central Alberta for 105 years
VOLUME ONE HUNDRED SIX
PM40011853 R08546
NUMBER FORTY-ONE
STETTLER, ALBERTA
October 10, 2012
PRICE – $1.09 Plus GST
Teenager killed in hit-and-run RICHARD FROESE Independent reporter
PAUL BERTIN
A former Botha-area teenager is being remembered fondly after he was suddenly killed in a hit-and-run incident in Red Deer early last Saturday morning. Paul Gabriel Bertin, 18, was just a couple of blocks away from his new home when he was fatally struck, said his grandmother, Marrian Bertin of Castor. “He was a very pleasant boy to be with and he made friends easily,” she said. “He just started a new job with his brothers, who started a fencing business.” Bertin was struck by a car in the hit-and-run as he was walking on Taylor Drive Bridge early Saturday and was found shortly after 2 a.m., lying
in the northbound lanes on the bridge, stated a news release from Red Deer RCMP Corp. John Babbitt. Later that day, RCMP located the suspect vehicle and arrested a Red Deer man. Brent Robert Cameron, 24, was charged with failing to stop and render assistance at the scene of a collision and for public mischief, said Sgt. A.R.G. Shepherd. Cameron was remanded to appear in Red Deer Provincial Court on Tuesday, and the case was set over to this Friday. “Investigation has revealed that there was a passenger in the suspect vehicle at the time of the collision,” Sgt. Shepherd said. RCMP urge that passenger to contact the lead investigator, Cpl. Slavica Doktor, at (403) 406-2219 immediately. Evidence at the scene indicated
that the vehicle was damaged in the crash, police stated. “The suspect vehicle and driver did not remain at the scene of the collision, and evidence at the scene indicated that the vehicle has sustained significant front-end damage,” Sgt. Shepherd said. Police expected an autopsy to be performed in Calgary on Tuesday. Bertin recently moved to Red Deer, where he was living with two of his five brothers. Bertin was raised and homeschooled on the family farm about 50 kilometers south of Botha, said his grandmother. “He was very smart and he got good grades in school,” Marrian Bertin said. Described as creative, along with his brothers and one sister, he played guitar and piano and he was a former hockey player.
Community takes low-key approach to high-risk habit of alcohol abuse LES STULBERG Independent reporter
LES STULBERG/Independent reporter
ROAD NOT TAKEN — A house being moved last Saturday was temporarily jammed on the Tolman Bridge, west of Rumsey, which halted traffic for about an hour. The moving crew had to cut a notch out of the attached garage to enable it to clear the bridge railing. The house was being moved from Drumheller to the east Trochu district by CJ Enterprises.
FCSS names Rhyason as its executive-director RICHARD FROESE Independent reporter After several months of searching, Stettler and District Family and Community Support Services now has a new executive-director. Wendy Rhyason of Donalda was appointed to the post last week.
“She has a wealth of experience in several public service positions,” said Town of Stettler Coun. Malcolm Fischer, who chairs the board of directors. “We think she is a perfect fit for FCSS and the Stettler region.” Rhyason was among 14 applicants, said Fischer, who led the search for a team-oriented leader with strength in public relations and community networking. “Her references are very
strong and they talked about her collaboration and cooperation and that this kind of person is what we want for FCSS and our community.” “She brings a wealth of experience and understanding how these organizations need to work,” he said. While counselling is her strength, Fischer said, Rhyason also has experience as a director of family services and in financial administration. “Her knowledge is extensive,” said Fischer, who
noted that the new director is expected to start her new job in the next two weeks. As director of FCSS, Ryason will be responsible for day-to-day operations, and to assist individuals, families and communities to gain access to support services. She would do so “by identifying community and regional needs and (delivering) programs to meet locally-driven preventative social initiatives,” Fischer said in outlining the mandate of the director.
The disconcerting use of alcohol in the community was the main focus of a gathering at the Stettler Recreation Centre last Thursday evening. The informal assessment, sponsored by Highway 12 Communities for Drug Prevention, involved communities from Stettler to the Saskatchewan border. “The purpose is to gain more incite into the culture of the community and the role alcohol plays and identify potential problems and solutions,” said Siobhan Atkey of Addiction Services in Stettler. The event exercised some non-traditional forms of expressing thoughts on the issue, many using art forms. For instance, a clay-modeling session with art facilitator Steph Hadley had participants discussing alcohol-related issues involving family, friends and community members who in some way impacted their lives. Len Wagner, the regional traffic-safety consultant, made a record of the thoughts and opinions of the discussion group as feedback for the study. Stacie Pederson with Alberta Health Services said the group wants to collect the community’s perspective on the use of alcohol — what amounts are acceptable and when does it cross over the line. There was a photography exercise where participants took photographs and related them to affects alcohol had on their lives. One photo, titled “Getting Close,” was a close-up shot of a bottle and the photographer analyzed it with this statement, “I got a different angle by getting closer. When I quit drinking, I got closer to my family. Also, I learned I didn’t like who I was when I drank. I was rude. I didn’t have respect for myself or my family.” Another photo titled “Lady Bug” was a photo of leaves with a lady bud hidden in it. The photographer didn’t realize it was there when the photo was taken and responded with, “The lady bud is unexpected. I had more changes than I expected when I quit drinking. So much has improved.” Devon McMann of Alberta Mental Health said the Highway 12 group is reaching to the community to see how alcohol consumption is viewed. The low-key approach was hoped to gain opinions from the community. He said his agency wants to reduce the mental-health stigma and build resilience. In another area, participants were encouraged to add their thoughts to a dream-catcher and decorate their contributions in a manner of their choosing, using beads and feathers. Some of those thoughts included, “Alcohol is like the bottle you drink — the more you have, the emptier your world becomes,” and “Alcohol is a taker — it takes our youth from us.” The Living Art Session co-ordinated by Darren Fleischhacker, drama and com-tech teacher at William E. Hay Composite High School, had drama students from the school acting out different scenarios involving alcohol in the work place, at home, in public places and at bush parties. Throughout the evening, participants had the opportunity to anonymously submit their opinions on alcohol use in the community. The information is expected to be processed at a later date. “We will see what action needs to be taken and keep engaging the community,” Atkey said. “What behaviour is acceptable must be community driven.”
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