The Chilliwack
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1891-2011
Y O U R C O M M U N I T Y N E W S PA P E R • F O U N D E D I N 1 8 9 1 • W W W. T H E P R O G R E S S . C O M • T H U R S D AY, A U G U S T 1 8 , 2 0 1 1
Skate park finds new home as library approved Skate park moving to Webster Jennifer Feinberg The Progress Chilliwack’s brand-new skate park will not be built at the Twin Rinks site, along with the new Sardis library, as originally planned. Instead it will be constructed on a city-owned piece of land set aside for future parklands, within a develop- We should be ment by Canada able to come Lands Company known as the up with a pretty “Webster Block” on Webster Road skookum skate at Keith Wilson park Road. “Staff took it away and really ~ Mayor looked at the situation and came Sharon Gaetz up with a brilliant compromise,” said Mayor Sharon Gaetz at the council meeting Tuesday night. The well-used skate park near Twin Rinks had been the subject of several complaints, she noted. “We’ve done our best to address those issues before they became a huge problem, and before we go ahead and build a new one,” she said. “There was an outpouring of concern by some who didn’t think the (skate park) use was compatible with oldage pensioners, an emergency operations centre, ham radio operators, and the new library.” During the public consultation process earlier this summer, city officials got an earful from residents concerned about size of the new skate park, as well as possible conflicts with neighbours over noise and other issues.
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Dave Mathieson, aka ‘Super Dave’, will be performing at the 20th annual Chilliwack Flight Fest this weekend at the airport. JENNA HAUCK/ PROGRESS
Up, Up and away with Super Dave Katie Bartel The Progress Oh crud. We haven’t even left the ground and I’m already biting my bottom lip, trying to ignore the sickening pit in my belly. Dave Mathieson has just outlined ‘Plan B’ for me. And while a backup plan in most situations is a good thing, maybe not so in a high-flying, stunt-performing, aerobatic plane. Mathieson – known in most circles as Super Dave – has been flying planes for 25 years. He has 15,000 hours of commercial flight experi-
ence, but only two years aerobatic experience. Can I really trust him? His mom says so. On the back of Super Dave’s black coveralls is his mom’s stamp of approval: Voted #1 Aerobatic Pilot in Canada (by his Mom) Back to Plan B. A heavy red parachute kit is strapped over my shoulders and up through my legs. In the event of a “catastrophe,” I am to pull the metal lever positioned to the left of my breastbone. It’s important, he says, that I look at the lever first, then pull. Apparently other passengers (not on Super Dave’s watch thank goodness) have
flung to the back of my seat, gotten overly excited and my eyes linger on a warning tried pulling the parachute to passengers posted below right off instead of the lifethe dashboard: This aircraft saving lever. is amateur built Oh crud. and does not comWe board the two-seater, cusvideo-online] ply with federal safety regulations tom-made, light, aerobatic biplane. www.theprogress.com for standard aircrafts. I’m in the front. Oh crud. Super Dave is in Flying high through the the back. Chilliwack sky, with Mt. As he zig zags down the runway, he asks if I like roller Baker on one side of me and the Fraser River on the other, coasters. Sure, I say, who I start thinking this isn’t so doesn’t? bad, it’s actually quite beauti“You’re going to love this,” ful. I briefly unclench my he says, revving the engine fists, and relax my belly. and speeding down the tarBad move. mac. Seconds before my body is
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