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LOOKBACK: Boy bitten by a bat 25 years ago

A $1.7-million lawsuit has been filed against three Red Deer Mounties, medical staff and the makers of Taser after a Red Deer man died in hospital after being jolted with a stun gun two years ago.
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From left: Marshal Beaverbones

ONE YEAR AGO

• A $1.7-million lawsuit has been filed against three Red Deer Mounties, medical staff and the makers of Taser after a Red Deer man died in hospital after being jolted with a stun gun two years ago. Lawyer Will Willier, acting on behalf of the family of 28-year-old Jason Doan, filed the lawsuit on Aug. 26 in Red Deer Court of Queen’s Bench.

• Construction plans for a new garbage gasification plant near Red Deer would likely be announced in November. Chris Gay, executive vice-president of Plasco Energy Group, said he hoped to start building as soon as possible. The company plans to build its first commercial operation at a site just outside of Red Deer, where it will serve members of the Central Waste Management Commission.

FIVE YEARS AGO

• An angler discovered some mysterious vials secured to the river bottom with metal stakes or nails while fishing on the north side of Dickson Dam. The vials turned out to belong to a water monitoring project run by the University of Calgary.

• Bilton Welding and Manufacturing Ltd. of Innisfail announced it would donate $10,000 annually for five years to the Chinook’s Edge School Division. The money will be used for milk and breakfast programs, school supplies and/or coats and boots.

10 YEARS AGO

• Red Deer College pushed its nursing staff and facilities to the limit, admitting as many nursing students as possible to respond to demands for more nurses. Thirty per cent more than the usual number of students were accepted, since there was a provincewide shortage of nurses in the health care system.

• Nova Chemicals put $1 million on the line to battle absenteeism with an attendance lottery. With construction deadlines looming and absenteeism approaching 10 per cent, Nova started holding four, $5,000 draws each week for construction workers with perfect attendance records, with four final draws for $100,000 scheduled for the following spring.

25 YEARS AGO

• Water was being pumped from the basement of the unfinished Red Deer College arts centre and soaked cinder blocks would crack if the weather turned frigid, college board chairman Ed Makarenko said. “The rain certainly hasn’t helped it at this stage,” he said. “We got a whole bunch of water back in it and we are pumping it out on a regular basis.” But Mr. Makarenko said the water wouldn’t hurt the structure as long as the weather remained moderate.

• It was a good job bats weren’t making a big nuisance of themselves in Red Deer, since it was not clear whose job it would be to deal with then if they did. City, health and wildlife officials said they had received only a few complaints about bats, despite a city woman’s claim the unusually high number of bats in the city warranted City Hall action. Marta Geist says her 13 year old son was bitten by a bat while playing outside. The bat and several others were among a horde of bats n the Oriole Park area and one of several that swooped at the boy and his friends while they were playing. Mrs. Geist said.

50 YEARS AGO

• One of the earliest winters in nearly half a century might have been expected in Central Alberta, according to the observations of a man who had lived in the Red Deer area since 1911. Art Lincoln of Red Deer reported sighting a flock of Canada geese one Sunday morning at about 6:30. The flock of 25 to 30 were circling as if to land. “When geese start coning down, snow will soon follow,” said Mr. Lincoln. “Geese are never wrong.” It was about a month early for geese to begin migrating south.

• A list of queries and recommendations concerning city administration was drawn up a public meeting, called by the newly-formed Red Deer Citizens’ Committee and was to be presented at the annual ratepayers’ meeting. Held in the curling rink lounge, the meeting was attended by between forty and fifty committee members and others. Alex Sim was chairman with Charles Anderson as secretary-treasurer. Nine resolutions, dealing with industrial development, city finances, downtown parking, speed limits, oiling of roads, commercial land development, small homes and other miscellaneous matters were passed and would be drawn up for presentation to city officials and aldermen at the ratepayer’s meeting

90 YEARS AGO

• The congregation of the Methodist church tendered the Pastor, Rev. G.D.. Armstrong, Mrs. Armstrong and family a cordial reception to their new work in the schoolroom. After a social hour, Rev. Principal Woodsworth, acted as chairman for an enjoyable programme of music in which Mrs. Johns, Mrs. Locke, Miss Gertie Smith, Miss Lily Reinholt, Mr. Welton, Mr. Johns, Mr. Kenny, Mr. Martin and Mr. Taggart took part.

100 YEARS AGO

• Red Deer boys and girls were urged to enter a map-drawing contest sponsored by a local hardware store. Free books were to be awarded to contest winners.

l A public meeting to discuss the establishment of a branch of the YMCA was scheduled for Red Deer.