Calgary Citizen Newsletter Tuesday May 21

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Good morning !

We asked our readers for over 60 meetup ideas and you responded in a big way—thank you for your feedback! We decided to share some of the ideas since there was a lot of interest. Many readers shared that Unison at Kerby Centre (1133 7 Ave. SW) has senior meetups. Other readers shared that there are a variety of meetups for women over 60 on Facebook, including "Let's get Social YYC" and "45+ Adventures and Shenanigans". On Meetup, there is a Calgary Baby Boomers and Calgary Women's Walking and Friendship Group, among others.

Another reader suggested the non-profit group for women, Calgary Newcomers Club, offering activities such as book clubs, knit wits, brunch groups, and more. There is a small annual fee to be a member but our reader says “it is well worth it!” Another reader shared that there is a Wednesday Koffee Klatch at the Oakridge Community Centre every week 9:30am until 11am. It is advertised as an "all ages" coffee and chat but the reader says it’s usually mostly older people who attend. Sometimes they have speakers and outings and “everyone is welcome, even if you don’t live in Oakridge.”

Krista Sylvester, Managing Editor

👀 In today's edition:

• Calgary’s serial killer connection

• City to get Amazon robotic facility

• Stage West brings Carole King to the stage

Today’s read time: Approx 4 minutes

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WORTH KNOWING

⛅️ Today: High 16C, Low 5C. See the 7-day forecast.

🚗 Driving today? Check the current traffic situation, and find the city’s traffic report and road closures.

⚠️ Here’s the current smoke forecast / check Calgary wildfire and fire restrictions and the Alberta Wildfire Dashboard.

Alberta RMCP used DNA to tie an American serial killer to four Calgary-area victims

An investigation into unsolved historical homicides from the 1970s has linked the deaths of four victims to a now-deceased serial killer who died in an Idaho prison in 2011. On Friday, investigators announced that DNA evidence led them to believe American serial sexual offender Gary Allen Srery was the suspect in the deaths of Patricia McQueen and Eva Dvorak, both 14 years old, Melissa Rehorek, 20, and Barbara MacLean, 19, between 1976 and 1977.

According to CBC News, Srery was a predator who stalked his victims from behind the wheel, targeting young women and girls before discarding their bodies on the roadside. RCMP said he was a charismatic, opportunistic killer who would often approach his victims with kindness before turning to violence.

As CityNews reports, their murders went unsolved until a 2022 tip prompted a review of the historical files. That led police to a suspect hypothesis in 2023, and the creation of a family tree using DNA from distant family members on ancestry websites—a police technique known as investigative genetic genealogy.

Police believe Srery could be responsible for several more homicides across Canada and the U.S. and are looking for more information about his whereabouts between 1974 and 1978.

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Need to know

🤖 Amazon is opening its largest fulfillment centre in Canada right here in Calgary—and it’s the first-ever robotics-focused one.

⚖️ Calgary lawyer resigns from firm after sending 'disturbing' and 'misogynistic' email to his colleagues.

⛺️ City and province squabble over a Calgary resident’s request to have an encampment behind his house cleaned up.

🏘️ Now that the contentious rezoning debate has been decided, councillors are considering new communities on the city’s outer edges.

💸 A Calgary senior hung up on a scammer impersonating a loved one in trouble and is now warning others.

🚚 Calgary’s annual spring Community Cleanup is underway, saving community residents a trip to the dump.

💓 'I want love forever': 50 couples celebrate their golden anniversaries in Calgary.

🚓 Police are looking for the driver who fatally struck a man in his 70s and fled the scene.

Stage West brings Carole King’s “Beautiful” life story to the stage in latest production

Kaylee Howard has played the role of Carole King before - for nearly seven years - but it's still just as special as it was before. Howard is currently starringin Stage West's wonderfully done Beautiful, which is mirrored on the career and journey of the illustrious singer-songwriter. In Howard’s own words, audiences can expect a fast-paced, witty, touching,and empowering story with incredible music spanning 12 years of King’s career and life. We spoke with Howard about how special King was and her favourite parts of the show.

How did your approach to the role differ this time around?

Each production I’ve been part of, including here at Stage West, has presented its own unique vision of the piece, and it’s exciting to see how creative teams re-envision it for different spaces and different cities. I like to approach the show and the role of Carole with fresh eyes each time, and it helps that I’m surrounded by people who are mostly new to the piece. It’s an honour to return to Carole and see the ways that I’ve changed and grown and the ways that the music and text speak differently to me over the years.

Do you have a favourite song in the show that you perform?

It honestly can change from night to night. One moment that I treasure is later in the show when Carole first steps out on her own with the encouragement of her friends to sing her new material at the Bitter End. She’s taking a big (to her) risk in sharing something so personal: a new song that comes from a deep emotional place. I think it marks a big shift in Carole’s confidence and artistry, and it’s always a pleasure to go on that journey.

How much did you know about Carole King before?

I knew many of her hits from Tapestry, mostly from their covers by other artists, but before seeing the show on Broadway, I didn’t realize that I already knew so much of Carole’s earlier music, too. I wasn’t familiar with much of her incredible life and career, however, so I was excited to go on the journey and learn about her heartbreak and artistic development.

Did you resonate with anything about her or her life that you took with you into the show?

I certainly resonated with Carole’s artistic drive and ambition from a young age, but also with her journey from self-doubt to confidence. There’s a great line in the show asking how you could be so confident at work but always guessing in relationships, and I can relate to that idea. Some facet of life can be going great while another can be floundering, and that’s just part of the messiness of existence. I love getting to go on Carole’s journey in this show as she discovers her own strength and voice, in all areas of her life.

Where to eat and drink

🍴 Bar Gigi: Have you checked out this new fish and chips spot yet? A small space offering share plates located at the Halibut Hut in the city’s northeast.

🍴 St. Louis Bar and Grill: Devilishly good ribs and if you go between May 28-July 7, you’ll get to enjoy the St. Louis AYCE Wingsanity event.

Have a food or drink suggestion? Message us and we might share it!

Local specials

💸 Yogen Fruz launched their new flavour, Strawberry Breeze, and is offering free stickers with the purchase of this flavour in either tea or froyo from now until June 4, while supplies last, at the Chinook Mall location.

💸 Waterloo Kitchen and Bar: Wednesdays are for Wine Night & Pasta Night with 50% off all bottles of wine and 25% off all glass pours. If that wasn’t enticing enough, 25% off of pasta will seal the deal.

Have a promo suggestion? Message us and we might share it!

Things to do

🎟️ Jann Arden Live at the Jubilee: There’s still a chance to grab some last-minute tickets for this concert in front of the singer’s hometown crowd and don’t wait too long, these will surely sell out.

🎟️ Tasty, Low Salt Cooking May 30 - Learn how to cook delicious meals with less salt in this free in-person cooking demo with registered dietitians from the South Health Campus Wellness Kitchen.*

Have an event suggestion? Message us and we might share it!

*Sponsored Listing

That’s it!

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And before you go, we’d love to know…

We’ll see you back here on Thursday, same time, same place!