It wasn't planned this way for this issue of the Innisfail Province.
As I was driving to work last Friday morning to begin production it occurred to me I was about to put together a special newspaper.
In most cases editors, including this scribbler, do plan the content for their newspapers but seldom consider an overall theme, a process common for magazines. Years ago at my last newspaper in Red Deer I came up with an idea to have a "Good News" newspaper. Editor Glenn Werkman loved the idea, and we splashed good news all over the front page.
Innisfail has an abundance of kindness as well but for April 24 -- intentionally or not -- we present to you the heroes among us.
The town just celebrated National Volunteer Week with a trio of events. Citizens had the opportunity to thank them for their selfless commitment to community at Innisfail Bowling Lanes, the Innisfail Aquatic Centre and Century Theatre. They are everyday humble heroes of our community, often working long hours, sacrificing time away from their families, and too often not getting the recognition they deserve.
It is this newspaper's responsibility to acknowledge the past special week for volunteers, and we do so proudly, with coverage on page 3, along with a heartfelt column by Dr. Andrew Ritson-Bennett on page 7.
Then there are the heroes whose personal battles become inspirational for others. They are more often than not courageously fought without a single thought for reward or recognition. We have two of them this week -- Ella Johnson and Jim Romane. April is Cancer Awareness Month and there was not a better example of personal courage than Johnson. She is a breast cancer survivor. Her heroism is told on pages 12 and 13.
And what about Romane? Yes, he is the town's mayor. Perhaps he shouldn't be, only because his Parkinson's disease, diagnosed almost six years ago, was a contributing factor to him leaving politics in 2013. But then came his choice to enter a revolutionary boxing therapy program. Romane seized the day. He never gave up. He was re-elected last year. His remarkable story on pages 16 and 17 can be an inspiration for so many others who might consider giving up knowing they have the disease.
The thing is that all of us need heroes in our lives. We need not always look for them on television, or in the faraway corridors of power and prestige. Finding heroes could be as simple as meeting them on the street.
And most don't ask for much. Just a smile or a thank you is more than enough.
Johnnie Bachusky is the editor of the Innisfail Province.
