Teen joins grandmother on bike trip
Twelve-year-old West BradleyTaubner is joining our CASA bike trip back from Kaslo, B.C., in June to pedal with his 72-year-old grandmother Nancy Taubner.
“My grandma is really athletic and is always optimistic,” says the Grade 7 Grandview Heights school student.
“I have never made any long distance bike trips before. But I am also optimistic that it will go well.”
His grandmother is the only rider who took part in our group’s first bike ride 14 years ago and has completed every one since.
Taubner has also competed in 14 Ironman triathlons, often winning her age group and qualifying for the World event in Kona, Hawaii.
“West has no trouble keeping up with me and passes me on the hills,” said Taubner.
She has figuratively passed the ride baton to West in the shape of her old carbon-fibre bike.
Her 1.66-metre grandson discovered the June 17-23 bike ride could be in the middle of exams, and to miss school some careful negotiations were needed with his father.
West’s vice-principal Darrell Paquette, however, was very receptive to his four days of pedalling as an excellent way to give back to the community.
“The plan is to drive West to Golden after school on the Tuesday and he will cycle down to Radium the following day,” said his mother, Sea Taubner.
The route then goes over two mountain passes to Lake Louise, up the 2,035-metre Sunwapta Pass the next day and then down into Jasper on the Saturday.
West shrugs his shoulders at the climbs and says he’s up for the challenge.
CASA provides mental health and addictions assessment and treatment services for children from birth to 18 years of age.
Website sheets for West and his grandmother will be posted Monday on CASA’s Minds Over Mountains page. They would both appreciate pledges.
HOCKEY NEWS
The Pro-Am Face-Off hockey tournament held last weekend raised more than $1.25 million for Alzheimer’s research.
The top team ($118,106) was the Select Few, captained by Dan Hamilton, which at the draft chose former Edmonton Oilers Raffi Torres to play with them.
Second ($112,560) was Matthew Grand’s Ledcor Lounge Lizards, who picked Mike Commodore, who last played for Detroit Red Wings, while third was Greg Christenson’s CDL Karaoke Kings ($95,475), who chose one-time Buffalo Sabre Matthew Barnaby.
STILL IN TUNE
Gene Zwozdesky, former Speaker of the Alberta Legislative Assembly, is as passionate about music now as he was before first being elected as an MLA in 1993.
“The U.S. flatpicking guitar champion Greg Blake from Kansas, who has been here several times to perform and teach bluegrass singing and picking, will be my house guest next week as he prepares for some concerts in Edmonton and area,” said Zwozdesky.
“As a preview, I’ve invited 50 friends and family members to a private house concert to hear him sing and play.
“His four-piece band includes fiddler Ellie Hakanson, another house guest, who is also one of the best vocal harmonizers in the business.”
Joining them will be local professionals Miles Zurawell, who plays banjo and dobro (laptop guitar), and Nico Humby on bass fiddle.
The Greg Blake Band can be heard Wednesday at the Pleasantview Community Hall, 10860 57 Ave. A $25 cover charge includes a chili supper and homemade blueberry pie.
MEETING THE KING AND QUEEN
Honorary Consul to the Netherlands Angus Watt is back from an afternoon meeting and reception with the royal family of the Netherlands, who entertained some 200 consuls from around the world. Watt, a financial adviser perhaps best known for his 37 broadcasts a week on Global TV and 630 CHED radio, spoke with King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima.