Opinion

Seniors on the Bow (SOTB) had a great 2014, and 2015 is shaping up to be filled with interesting events and activities, something to suit every Cochrane senior. Before December 2014 is gone, be sure to check the Town of Cochrane activities guide to register for ballroom and social country dancing, zoomer zone, yoga and meditation for longevity, gentle yoga, Zumba gold, dance yourself fit, Piloga, beginner snowshoes and acrylic painting for beginners.

On Oct. 14 a severe snowstorm and devastating avalanches took the lives of 50 trekkers along the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal.

The history of aviation in the Cochrane area is close to my heart, as I have been a licensed Private Pilot since 1978. That was the same year Air Canada hired its first female pilot for commercial flights.

I want to thank the organizers and volunteers of Cochrane Light Up. It was a bitterly cold day, a true test of community spirit, and yet 5,000-6,000 people still came out and participated in the festivities.

The responses to our current series of columns on the role of religion in public life just keep coming in. Clearly, this topic is close to the hearts of many of our readers.

Contrary to what some may believe, the Cochrane Eagle has never advocated against Cochrane High School’s (CHS) wind turbine – we have simply asked questions, which is a newspaper’s job.

One of our Cochrane coffee companions disagrees with a statement I made two weeks ago in my column on values.

It's easy to criticize politicians when they give themselves raises. After all, who of us have that power to be able to approve our own pay hike, particularly one of the significance that Cochrane's mayor and council approved during budget deliberations Nov. 28. Cochrane's six councillors will go from a base salary of $18,707 (not including allowances, which bumped that amount up to around $25,000) to $27,967.

Life is full of firsts. I ran my first marathon at the age of 48, completed my first Ironman Triathlon at 50, set my first Guinness World Record at 56 and changed my first diaper at 58.

Around 3 p.m. in the afternoon, Patrick Carty and Dana Sampson, two young Manitobans, are driving to a new job in Kelowna, with a Monday start date. In the area of the Stoney Nakoda Casino, the men pull over for a quick break on a side road.