For the fourth year running the Community Futures Drumheller Valley Dinosaur Half Marathon brought out  runners, walkers and well wishers for a Sunday morning of camaraderie, fun and accomplishment.

Runners and walkers explode out of the gate for the Dino-Half 5k walk and run.

    It was a year of firsts for the event. It has new routes, using the Badlands Community Facility for home base, and a new record as Justin Kurek of  Calgary crushed the course with a 1:15:47 at a pace of 3:37 minutes per kilometre. The avid runner competes in three or four events a season, and despite some local ties, this was his first time taking on the Dinosaur Half. He commended organizers for the hard work to put on the events.
    “It was so well organized, hats off to the organizers,” he said to The Mail following the race.
    Organizer Colin Kloot was happy with how the event turned out. While the numbers were down, it was like this for most events this year in the province.
    “We had about 500 entries, but in speaking with the Running Room, who do all the online registrations for us, and do it for most of the races in Alberta,  they have advised me that the floods affected everybody,’ said Kloot. “In Calgary, Okotoks and High River, all of these people’s running trails were wiped out, people’s houses have been wiped out, so their priorities have changed.”
    While registration was slow on the pick-up, as the event approached, the numbers seemed to ride a crest. They are hoping numbers will bounce back next year. 
    Feedback  for this year’s event was positive.

Dino-Half Marshall Bridget Unland had some enthusiastic help from Taylor, who is almost two, and Joshua , 4, on the course. Their cheers were much appreciated by runners as they passed through Midland last Sunday.

    ”I always make it a habit to walk around and ask participants of the 10k and half marathon what they thought of the routes and what we can do to change, and everyone was very complimentary,” said Kloot.
    Another success was Pasta Night the evening before. Double D Catering served up a pasta dinner for the community where participants could load up on energy for the impending race. About 80 came out to  fill up and  Kloot sees potential in growing this event. 
    As always, the proceeds from the annual event are dedicated to the Badlands Community Facility and organizers will soon be announcing how much they were able to raise. In the first three years of the event  they have donated $33,000 to the facility.

In the winner’s circle, Dino-half champ is congratulated. Pictured (l-r) are Brad  Delure, Rich Trentham and Nicole McAvany of Calgary, with Moe and Marg Trentham, Justin and Audrey Kurek and Dick Trentham.

    The Drumheller area is once again leading the province in employment according to the most recent statistics from the Government of Canada.
    In the month of July, the Drumheller-Camrose economic region, which extends east to the Saskatchewan border, had an unemployment rate of 3.7 per cent, the second lowest in Alberta. The lowest was Grande Prairie-Athabasca-Peace River with 3.3 per cent.

The Drumheller-Camrose economic region is booming and has the second lowest unemployment rate in the province as of July at 3.7 per cent. However, such a low rate creates challenges for employers, who are having trouble filling vacancies. Alberta Works suggests employers create a positive work environment to attract and retain staff.

    “The most current unemployment figures, as of  July, are at 3.7 per cent, which is the second lowest in the province, but over the past year, we’ve had the lowest rate most of the time. The province was at (an unemployment rate of) 4.5,” said Rob Lunman, business and industry lead with Alberta Works.
    The low unemployment market has left the area brimming with employment opportunities.
    “There are a lot of opportunities in our area. There’s agriculture, labour positions, oil and gas servicing, and really just jobs of all kinds. Even after the tourist season, there are always positions available. There are jobs across the whole gamut, from entry-level jobs to professional positions, and from unskilled labour to trades. There are opportunities across the board,” said Lunman.
    However, the low rate creates challenges. Most positions cannot be filled, especially when considering the population drain faced by rural areas.
    “Communities are struggling to find people to fill jobs. As businesses and companies grow, I don’t know if the population is necessarily growing along with it,” said Lunman.
    In addition, employers are being hard pressed to fill positions, with some remaining vacant for months. Lunman suggested employers take a look at how they attempt to hire new employees.
    “The market has changed, so you have to sell that position and your business. With such a low unemployment rate, people have so many choices. Many of the people you might want to come work for you, probably already work somewhere else. If you’re going to try to attract people to your business, you have to let them know the benefits,” said Lunman.
    “Another key is to keep the staff you currently have. If you can keep them happy and working for you, then it reduces your need to go out and find new staff. If you try to make a positive work environment, not only will it make your existing staff happy, then it will be easier to find new staff when you need to.”

    The Wildrose Party has taken aim at employees of Stettler County in its most recent salvo of Freedom of Information requests.
    In a press release, Wildrose MLA Shayne Saskiw asked for an investigation by Elections Alberta into possible violations of financing laws by the County of Stettler.
    This comes in light of an e-mail from an employee of Stettler County in regards to a newly created Facebook page supporting former MLA Jack Hayden before last spring’s election.
    “I believe the documents obtained and attached establish a prima facie case that a municipal employee created a Facebook page for PC candidate Jack Hayden with County resources,” said Saskiw in a letter to Ms. Lori McKee Jeske, Acting Chief Electoral Officer.
    In the letter he also alleges the employee communicated highly partisan materials through a county e-mail address and that county trucks could have been used to post election signs.

Rick Strankman, MLA Drumheller-Stettler asks for Elections Alberta investigation into Stettler County employeees

    Drumheller-Stettler MLA Rick Strankman says it is his responsibility to look out for the taxpayers.
    “This is not a personal vendetta about myself, there appears to be irregularities there and so Mr. Saskiw decided to issue a press release in that regard,” said Strankman.
    Strankman said the responsibility for this kind of action falls on a number of people, from staff right up to Hayden.
    “The County and County staff would be (responsible) for using public resources for political activities. I have a duty too, as an elected official, to not be doing that, and to be a guardian of public funds,” said Strankman. “It is public money and employees are being paid on public time for that. (For my staff) I have consequences for people even doing Twitter, although it is open knowledge that many staff Twitter during work hours.”
    He said he has warned his own staff about such actions.
    His question coming out of this event was if there were any consequences for the staff member from the reeve or administration.
    Strankman said he was the one who instigated the investigation into the employee after seeing the person at an election forum in Drumheller.
    “The research team took it from there,” said Strankman.
    Jack Hayden said he believes in the Freedom of Information Act, but feels these requests are personal in nature.
    “They are out to discredit and demean people. I love my constituency and just wish they would get around to representing people, and looking after the interests of the communities, because that is what I did,” said Hayden.
    He would like those asking for the investigation to come forward if they have something of substance.
    “They are talking allege, allege, allege, it is a drive-by smear campaign. I am fair game because I was in public life,” said Hayden.
    He said time and resources could be better used to fight for schools, hospitals or seniors.
    “I feel so bad for the people of my constituency because this is the kind of representation they have now,” said Hayden.

    Many area residents are speaking up expressing their hopes that substantial changes can be made to dangerous intersections in the area.
    The Mail reported in the September 11 edition that Alberta Transportation has published a survey asking if a four-way stop could improve the safety at area intersections. Many responded to the story, telling The Mail, more than a four-way stop is needed.
    Bob Boyd lives just east of the intersection of Highway 9 and 21. He says there are accidents daily.  While improvements to the intersection were put in place when the road was replaced, he still feels it is dangerous.
    “It has fixed it a bit, there isn’t quite as many accidents, but it still needs an overpass,” said Boyd. “A four-way stop isn’t going to do it because people are still going to blow through a four-way stop.”

Area residents are asking the province to consider creating overpasses over two of the Drumheller area's most dangerous intersections; Highways 9/27/56 and Highways 9/21. Last week The Mail reported Alberta Transportation is conducting a survey to see if residents are in favour of making the intersections four-way stops.

    The improvements to the intersection included fixing sight lines so the intersection and the intersecting traffic lanes can be seen from further away. Despite this, it is still tricky to navigate.
    “We tell people when they are coming from the west they have the right away, but slow down any way because one time out of ten, drivers are going to go right through the stop sign, or stop, look right at you and pull out,” said Boyd.
    Joan Roe commented on The Drumheller Mail’s story last week. She lost her son at the intersection of Highway 9 and 21 in July.
    “I feel strongly that something needs to be done at these intersections. I am just not sure that four-way stop signs are the answer. The local area residents are used to Highway 9 being a straight through road, I can see the line up of traffic in the summer on Highway 9 and someone being in a serious rear end accident,” she commented. “I still feel they need an overpass at Highways 9 and 21.”
    Some comments did support trying a four-way stop. Cindy Thomas feels it is worth trying.
    “If these intersections were four-ways stops, the odds of at least one of the drivers stopping are that much greater. I say do it! How much can a few signs cost, compared to the cost of a life?”
    Steve Wannstrom is Munson’s Fire Chief and also feels it is worth a try. “If you go further north in Alberta you see these four-way stops all the time,” said Wannstrom. “It must work up there, we might as well try it down here.”
 The department often responds to collisions at Morrin Corner.
    “One is too many and all that happens is we end up packing dead bodies out, and that is hard on our members and their families," said Wannstrom.

    With municipal elections just around the corner, the Delia Village Council is left one councillor short.
    Earlier this month, Councillor Jeff Collins resigned from council after having officially made the move to Calgary. Collins was elected in October 2010 after moving to Delia.
    “I’ve already resigned from council. I’ve been trying to sell my house for three months, but I ended up renting it out to a young couple in September. Therefore, under the terms of the Municipal Government Act, I’m ineligible to stay on council,” said Collins.

Jeff Collins (left) gave his resignation from the Delia Village Council earlier this month after moving to Calgary, Mayor John Rogers and Dennis Thordarson will go for re-election.

    However, the remaining two members of the Delia Council intend to run for re-election.
    “I’m definitely running again. I’m in the middle of a project here and we’re scheduling what we’re going to do over the next three to four years, so I’d like to see them completed,” said Mayor John Rogers. “Because Jeff (Collins) is heading back to Calgary, I want to make sure there is some stability and things get done.”
    Dennis Thordarson, who was elected last fall in a by-election, also intends to run again.
    “I think there is a lot of work that needs doing, we have to get some financial responsibility happening, and get our town back together again,” said Thordarson.
    “I’d like to see us get our administration costs under control and there’s the sewer situation, which has to be rectified. I’d like to see us get back on the road again and progress and grow. I’ve put together a plan, sort of an incentive program, to get people to come and build here.”
    The hottest topic leading up to the election is how the town handled its sewer construction project over the summer, which saw lengthy delays.
    “There are a lot of unhappy voters in Delia, because our sewer project took so long to get done and caused so much inconvenience,” said Collins. “It’s going to be an interesting campaign in Delia.”
    The main causes of the delays were rain, soil contamination on Main Street, and the contractor, Shawne Excavating, was based out of High River.
    “They were all issues we couldn’t foresee. I take my hat off to our construction outfit. Even under the adverse conditions they were living under, they stuck with us and finished. They could’ve just went home. I sympathize with our businesses, because it went longer than we thought, but if we don’t have water and sewer, we don’t have a village,” said Rogers.
    For those running for election, Collins had some advice.
    “Sell your vision of the future, not your complaints about the past. Especially an optimistic vision of the future,” said Collins. “I made no promises when I ran, because I didn’t know the place well enough, so I said I would vote in, what I precieved, were the best interests of the majority. I went over my old binders and resolutions and I think I did that.”
    Perhaps most importantly, for anyone on council, is understanding the role of the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO).
    “Develop a relationship wth your CAO that is mutually respectful. They are council’s only employee, but that doesn’t mean council has the authority to direct how they do their job. It’s all laid out in the Municipal Government Act,” said Collins.

    In just under one week, nominations will be accepted for municipal and county elections across Alberta.
    The Drumheller Mail spoke with incumbent members of the Kneehill County Council to learn who will be running again.  
    Reeve Bob Long intends to see several projects through before he hangs up his hat.
    “We have some doctor and clinic issues, we have some partnership development between the municipalities and ourselves, we have a new CAO, we’re looking at long-term road plans, and looking at finances to take us into the future,” said Long.
    Division 1 Councillor Brian Holsworth will run again.
    “I have really enjoyed being on council and contributing to Kneehill County and area. I want to work on regional cooperation and partnerships,” said Holsworth.
    Other members of the current council were undecided as of press time.
    “I haven’t decided yet,” “The biggest (factor) is the four year term. I’ve been on council for six already,” said Division 4 Councillor Glen Keiver.
    Division 7 Councillor Bobby Painter is leaning towards running again to finish some of the County’s ongoing projects.
    “The County is working on collaboration with municipalities and I’d like to see that come to fruition,” said Painter. “I think we’ve done a pretty good job over the past six years and if we can continue for another four, it would be great.”
    Twelve year council veteran Carol Calhoun, Division 2 Councillor, has decided it is time to step aside.
    “I’ve been there for 12 years, so I’m going to focus on my personal life and I think it’s time for someone else,” said Calhoun. “I’ve enjoyed it and met a lot of good people.”
    Calhoun had some advice for her successor.
    “Keep your vision and remember the people who put you there,” said Calhoun.
    Councillors Jerry Wittstock (Division 3) and Ken Hoppins (Division 6) could not be reached for comment.
    Nomination day for the upcoming election is September 23. Completed nomination forms and $100 deposit must be filed at the Kneehill County Office between 10 a.m. and noon.

    The Drumheller Fire Fit squad had another great showing when they attended the Fire Fit Nationals in Edmonton  from September 4-8.

Drumheller Firefighters competed at the Fire Fit Nationals in  Edmonton from September 4-8, Members of the team included (l-r) Duane Bolin, Steve Hatt, Trevor Scott, Merv Smith, Mitch Smith and of course Rescue Randy the 175lb dummy that is dragged over the finish line.

    Trevor Scott secured the best time Drumheller has seen since Duane Bolin started entering unsuspecting rookies in 2001. Trevor achieved his personal best (PB) time of 1:32, first year Mitch Smith came in with a PB 1:42, Duane Bolin - despite his injuries- came in with a commanding 1:55, First year Steve Hatt shaved off 9 seconds giving him a PB of 2:02, Merv Smith had a PB of 2:02.
    The Drumheller team didn’t stop there. The relay team consisting of all five members had another Drumheller best time of 1:19. The two-man NxG2 Duane/Merv over 40 beat their old time with a team best of 1:53. Steve and Mitch also set a new record for Drumheller NxG2 Rookie 1:49.
    Another huge accomplishment that needs mentioning is that Duane Bolin has been competing in Fire Fit since 2001. In that time he has run the course 22 times and involved 19 other members to experience the hardest two minutes in sports!
    TSN will be airing the event later in October.... be sure to watch not only the guys compete but the many fans that followed the members up to Edmonton to cheer them on loud and proud.

    It was a tough weekend for the Drumheller Dragons. After getting a 2-0 start in the regular season two weeks ago, the Dragons were dealt two losses to bring them to a 2-2 record.

Drumheller Dragons rookie Alex Elliot, #41, attempts to slip past the defence of the Camrose Kodiaks on Saturday’s home opener. The Dragons, after going 2-0 the previous weekend, lost back-to-back against the Brooks Bandits on Friday and the Kodiaks the following evening. The Dragons are at home again this weekend.

    On Friday, September 13, the Dragons were in Brooks where they lost 5-1 to the reigning AJHL champions, the Bandits.
    Less than a minute into the game, the Bandits got on the scoreboard and had a 1-0 lead over the Dragons. The Bandits would make it 2-0 with a power play goal with 13 seconds left in the first.
    The second period began with the Bandits firmly in control, scoring two goals, but the Dragons, thanks to Jesse Zaharichuk, were able to get on their skates and score a powerplay goal at 14:37 to make it 4-1. The Bandits scored their fifth and final goal halfway through the third.
    Despite the loss, head coach and general manager Brian Curran felt the score did not reflect how well the Dragons played.
    “I thought in the Brooks game we played a very good first period, but unfortunately we ended up being down 2-0. I thought the work ethic was there. At times we played very well. They deserved the win, but the score was not indicative of how we played,” said Curran.
    The following night, the Dragons were back in front of a packed Drumheller Memorial Arena for their home opener against the Camrose Kodiaks.
    The Kodiaks came out strong and defeated the Dragons 6-3.
    The Dragons appeared nervous on the ice.    
    “It was a real tough game. We down played it (the home opener) big time to the boys, so they wouldn’t get too nervous. Unfortunately when they started you could see they were pretty nervous,” said Curran.
    The Kodiaks built momentum early and scored a huge  morale boosting first goal while shorthanded. They followed up with two more goals in the first.
    Joey Ratts, off of Dakota Zaharichuk and Dallas Smith, scored for the Dragons before the period was out to make it 3-1 by the first intermission.
    Christopher Rauckman, with help from Mitchell Cook and Curtis Skip brought the score to 3-2 early in the second, but the Kodiaks regained their two goal lead soon after.
    By the third period, the Dragons were down 4-2.
     The Kodiaks took advantage of a powerplay opportunity mid way through the third and scored at even strength a few minutes later to make it 6-2. Hunter Mills, off a pass from Tyler Kerner, scored with just over three minutes in the period, making the final score 6-3.
    “There were some positive things in the game, but they (Camrose) were able to capitalize on the negatives,” said Curran.
    “We’re a young team, but we need to get better performances from our leaders and older players. Some played very well and others were average. We can’t afford average. If this were happening a month from now, we would have some serious problems.”
    The Dragons return to action this weekend at home. On Saturday, starting at 7 p.m., they host the Calgary Mustangs. Then, on Sunday at 1 p.m., they host the Bandits.
    “We’ll go out and have some good practices this week and I know we’ll be a different team come Saturday,” said Curran.

    Staff Sergeant Art Hopkins is hoping to make after school pickup at St. Anthony’s as smooth and safe as possible.
    This comes as issues associated with traffic around St. Anthony’s School resurface.

RCMP are asking parents picking up students after school at St. Anthony’s to arrive at about 3:25 p.m.,  after buses have left, to curb congestion.

    “No one is happy with parking around the school and stopping on the road is creating a traffic hazard,” said Hopkins.
     He explains problems are typically at the end of the school day when all the busses are loading and blocking off access to the West Parking lot.  Many parents come early to pick their children up but there is only room for a half dozen. Vehicles then end up stopping on the access or stopping along the road.
    “This in turn causes problems for the bus drivers and trying to leave and puts many people and children at risk,” he said.
     The current practice is the school dismisses the bus students early so they can load and leave usually by/before 3:20 p.m.  The other students do not exit the building until 3:20 - 3:25 p.m.  Once the busses leave there is ample parking.
    The easiest solution to the parking problem is for parents not to arrive until approximately 3:25 p.m. or after the busses leave.
    Should parents want to pick their children up earlier they should do so before 3:00 p.m.
     “There will be increased patrols and vehicles / operators stopped on the road are subject to be ticketed. Please attend after 3:25 p.m. and everyone will be much happier and everyone will be able to leave in a safer manner,” said Hopkins.
    “We cannot move the school so we have to come up with actual solutions, and everyone is open to make suggestions.”

    The kitchen shelves will be packed at Greentree School thanks to a huge donation from Cenovus Energy.
    On Wednesday, September 18, Cenovus donated $9,000, spread over three years, to the Greentree School Breakfast Program. The money will be used to help give students, who don’t have breakfast, the most important meal of the day.

Cenovus Energy helped give the Greentree School Breakfast Program a huge boost on Wednesday with a $9,000 three year commitment. Present at the donation were Drumheller Cenovus employee Jen Olsen (left), Breakfast Program co-coordinator Doreen Oliver, Cenovus community investment senior advisor Mandy Bishop, Breakfast Program Coordinator Amber Kennedy, and Greentree School principal Chris Connell.

    “We want to help  in the communities we work,” said Mandy Bishop, senior advisor for community investment at Cenovus. “Education programs are especially important to us and when we were talking to Doreen originally, we knew it was a good one. We’re happy to be here and be involved. Hopefully this money will go a long way to help the kids in this school.”
    Not only did Cenovus donate to the program, they even helped out in the kitchen on Wednesday morning.
    “We were able to participate and it was great to see the program in action,” said Bishop.
    For the coordinators of the program, the donated funds went beyond their hopes.
    “Now we know for three years we have something to go on,” said Doreen Oliver, co-coordinator of the Greentree School Breakfast Program. “Our program here was in bad shape and really needed that extra boost to get back on track.”
    By Oliver’s calculations, it costs roughly $75 per day to run the program. However, the cost and effort is well worth it.
    “I feel like this is so worthwhile, it gives me a reason to get out of bed. When I retired I lost a little focus, but this really gave me a purpose,” said Oliver.
    Anyone wishing to donate or volunteer is encouraged to contact Greentree School at 403-823-5244.

 The American Bus Association (ABA) has announced that the Canadian Badlands Passion Play has been designated as one of the Top 100 Events in North America for 2014 by an experienced expert tourism industry selection committee. Inclusion in the Top 100 list, published as a supplement to the September/October issue of Destinations magazine, indicates that The Badlands Passion Play offers excellent entertainment value to both tour groups and individual travelers from around the world, according to ABA.

The Canadian Badlands Passion Play has been named one of North America’s top attractions by the American Bus Association.

     With the release of the American Bus Association’s 2014 Top 100 Events in North America, ABA celebrates 32 years of the program. What began as a way for motorcoach operators to incorporate new product into their itineraries has grown to one of the most sought-after lists by travel professionals, motorcoach operators and the general public.
     “The attractiveness of The Canadian Badlands Passion Play as a don’t-miss entertainment value is only part of why its selection this year is such a distinction for this iconic play,” said Peter J. Pantuso, CTIS, ABA’s president and CEO.
     “The real news here is that the Canadian Badlands Passion Play has been recognized as a potential magnet for tourism dollars, at a time when reenergizing domestic tourism is so important to our spirit and our economy. The honor gives The Canadian Badlands Passion Play an important boost in visibility among professional tour planners.”
     Executive Director of The Canadian Badlands Passion Play Vance Neudorf commented, “This is a genuine honour to be recognized among the top 100 events in North America.  It is, above all, a testament to the hundreds of employees and volunteers that year after year place their heart and soul into creating a memorable play that resonates with people long after they have left the Passion Play grounds. It is also gratifying to receive this award following our 20th anniversary season.”
     According to studies completed by researchers at The George Washington University and Dunham and Associates, one overnight visit by a motorcoach group can leave from US $5,000 to more than US $11,000 in a local destination’s economy. Those dollars are spent on lodging, meals, admissions, fees, shopping, souvenirs, services and local taxes.
    “Motorcoach groups spend more and stay longer,” Pantuso said. “That’s why The Canadian Badlands Passion Play is truly a local economic asset. There is no better way to jump-start tourism than to attract motorcoach groups to a great event and convince them to extend their stay.”
    ABA’s 2014 Top 100 Events Selection Committee selected The Badlands Passion Play from hundreds of event nominations submitted by ABA members. Judges considered the event’s broad appeal, its accessibility to motorcoaches and skill at handling large groups, and a variety of other relevant criteria.
    The Top 100 Events list is available online at http://www.buses.org/News-Publications/Top-100.

    Residents looking for post secondary education have more options as of this week.
    On Wednesday, September 18, the doors officially opened at the new Campus Alberta location in Drumheller. The Campus is now housed in the former Chinook Credit Union space on Centre Street.

The ribbon was cut at the new location of Campus Alberta in Drumheller. The campus is officially open and welcoming residents to come check out what they have to offer. Campus Alberta executive director Jean Madill (left), Red Deer College president and CEO Joel Ward, Mayor Terry Yemen, and Drumheller Campus Alberta coordinator Dana Davidson cut the ribbon.

    Mayor Terry Yemen and the president and CEO of Red Deer College cut the ribbon, welcomed everyone in attendance, and congratulated everyone on the hard work it took to open Campus Alberta.
    “We have responsibilities, both Red Deer College and Olds College... One of those responsibilities is to ensure there is access to programming for people in their communities. The best way to grow and develop communities is to enable education in those communities,” said Joel Ward, president and CEO of Red Deer Colllege and chair of Campus Alberta Central Region.
    The new location boasts three classrooms, video conferencing, and 26 student laptops. A number of courses are being offered, including courses for health care aides, educational assistants, early childhood development and daycare, management certificates, communications certificates. In addition, Campus Alberta will offer course upgrading and general education development (GED) programs.
    Courses will offer a mixture of online components, in-class instruction, and hands on experience.
    “A lot of it is blended learning, so you do some online and then, for example, the Health Care Aide does a couple days at a hospital,” said Dana Davidson, coordinator of the Drumheller Campus Alberta.
    Courses could be added if enough interest is shown.
    “People can tell us what they’re interested in and maybe we can bring it here. If we have six people tell us they want an electrical technologist program, we can go to Campus Alberta and try to get it here,” said Davidson.
    Now that the campus is open, residents are encouraged to stop by.
    “If the community is looking to do something or needs help researching, they are welcome to come in and we will help get that ball rolling,” said Davidson. “It’s  a great location. It’s centralized and we’re right next to the Outreach School. We’ve definitely noticed a lot more foot traffic through the door.”

The Drumheller Rotary Club’s 2013 Radio Auction is coming up Wednesday and Thursday, October 9 and 10 and the incredible array of items that will be on the block keeps growing.
Rotary past president Brent Pedersen, right, is grateful to the Dooley family, who has been a great supporter of the annual auction.  
This year Dani, left, is contributing a collection of 10 of her finest Asiatic Lilies to the top bidder.
Tom is offering a one-hour pleasure flight for up to three passengers to take in the vistas of the valley in his Cessna 182.
Rotary is hoping to have items catalogued and ready to go by September 26.
On auction day check out the list of auction items in The Drumheller Mail, listen to Drum FM or come down and bid on the incredible collection of merchandise.
For more information on how to donate, contact Barb Campbell at 403-823-3165.
 

The names are in. Today at noon, nominations closed for the upcoming municipal elections on October 21.

Candidates have 24 hours to withdraw.

The unofficial candidates are:

Drumheller

Mayor

Terry Yemen (elected through acclamation)

Council

Jay Garbutt

Tara McMillan

Jenny Dannhauer

Sharel Shoff

Kalon Sykes

Lisa Hansen-Zacharuk

Tom Zariski

Crystal Jensen

Bryce Nimmo

Patrick Kolafa

Delia

Glenn Arnold

Irene Arnold

Dawn Bancroft

John Fox

Beverly Hall

John Rogers

Dennis Thordarson

Susan Waye

Hussar

Corey Fisher

Bruce Kaufman

Timothy Muir

Tim Frank

Carbon

Richard Ekman

Marie Kooiman

Marty Morgan

Don Morrison

Steve Reyman

Mike Still

Standard

Alan Larsen

Ron Corbeill

Mark Clark

Adam Sommerfeldt

Martin Gauthier

Joseph Pedersen

Rockyford

Greg Baillie

Natalie Desantis

Jayne Koester

Wayne Beerling

Darcy Burke

Gerry Katterhagen

Leah Smith

Dalia Cheshire

Munson - All candidates elected through acclamation

Kerry McLellan

Robert Spencer

Laura Cawiezel

Morrin

Suzanne Lacher

Lloyd Hodge

Maynard MacArthur

David MacLeod

Janis Siemens

Howard Helton

Big Valley - All candidates elected through acclamation

Ken Johnson

Gail Knudson

Lois Miller

Kneehill County - The county will continue accept nominations as Division 2 has no candidates.

Starland County

Division 1

Murray Marshall (elected through acclamation)

Division 2

Norman Stanger

Steven Wannstrom

Division 3

Robert Sargent (elected through acclamation)

Division 4

James Krywcun

Allen Avramenko

Division 5

Greg Herzog

Barrie Hoover

Wheatland County

Division 1

Alice Booth (elected through acclamation)

Division 2

Colin Smith

Kevin G. Miller

Rex Harwood

Ian Mast

Russell Smith

Jackie Kirk

Division 3

Don Vander Velde

Donna Biggar

Division 4

Berniece Bland (elected through acclamation)

Division 5

Brenda Knight (elected through acclamation)

Division 6

Glenn Koester (elected through acclamation)

Division 7

Ben Armstrong (elected through acclamation)

2013 Municipal Election season begins

    Nominations are in for 2013 municipal and county elections on October 21.
    The number of candidates may have looked sparse leading up to nomination day, which was held on Monday, but acclamations are few as a number of candidates, both incumbent and new have handed in their papers.

Drumheller
    In Drumheller, Terry Yemen will serve a second term, which is now four years, as Mayor of Drumheller after winning his seat through acclamation.
    However, there is plenty of competition for Town Council’s six remaining seats.
    For incumbents, Jay Garbutt, Lisa Hansen-Zacharuk, Sharel Shoff, and Tom Zariski have put themselves forward. Former Drumheller mayor Bryce Nimmo will be running for a spot as a Town councillor.
    New candidates include Jenny Dannhauer, Crystal Jensen, Patrick Kolafa, Tara McMillan, and Kalon Sykes.

Terry Yemen, right, hands his nomination papers to Town of Drumheller returning officer Byron Nagazina. Yemen will serve another four years as mayor of Drumheller after no other nominations were submitted for the position. Residents in the area will be heading to the polls on October 21, after only a few council seats were determined through acclamation.

Big Valley
    There will be no election in Big Valley after only three candidates submitted their nominations for the village’s three council seats.
    Incumbents Gail Knudson and Lois Miller, and newcomer Ken Johnson were awarded seats on council through acclamation.

Carbon
    There will be an election in Carbon after six candidates have submitted their papers for the election. There are five seats on the Carbon Village Council.
    Incumbents Richard Ekman and Mike Still will run alongside Marie Koolman, Marty Morgan, Don Morrison, and Steve Reyman.

Delia
    There is plenty of competition for Delia’s three council seats. Eight candidates have put their names forward to fill the village’s three council seats.
    John Rogers, who served as mayor last term, and Dennis Thordarson, the two incumbents, will run for election against Glenn Arnold, Irene Arnold, Dawn Bancroft, John Fox, Beverly Hall, and Susan Waye.

Hussar
    An election is in Hussar’s future after four candidates let their names stand for the three seats on the Hussar Village Council.
    Incumbents Bruce Kaufman, who served as mayor last term, and Tim Frank will be joined by Corey Fisher and Timothy Muir on the election trail.

Morrin
    An election is on the way for Morrin. Six candidates will vie for the Village of Morrin’s three council seats.
    Howard Helton, Lloyd Hodge, Suzanne Lacher, Maynard MacArthur, David MacLeod, and Janis Siemens have stepped forward to run in the upcoming election.

Munson
    Only three candidates submitted nominations for the Village of Munson Council’s three seats, meaning no election is scheduled for the community.
    Laura Cawiezel, Kerry McLellan, and Robert Spencer won their seats through acclamation.

Rockyford
    Rockyford’s next council will be decided through an election after eight candidates submitted their nominations. The Rockyford Village Council consists of only five seats.
    Incumbents Darcy Burke, Rockyford’s mayor during the last three years, Gerry Katterhagen and Leah Smith will run again.
    Five new faces let their names stand for the election, including Greg Baillie, Wayne Beerling, Dalia Cheshire, Natalie Desantis, and Jayne Koester.

Standard
    In Standard, six candidates have put their names forward for the village’s five council seats.
    Incumbent mayor Alan Larsen will run for re-election as will fellow incumbents Mark Clark, Ron Corbeill, and Adam Sommerfeldt.
    Martin Gauthier and Joseph Pedersen, both newcomers, will run for election as well.

Kneehill County
    Nominations were extended in Kneehill County to today (Wednesday, September 25) at noon after no candidates came forward in Division 2.
    Most seats, as of press time, were likely to be decided by acclamation. Incumbents Brian Holsworth (Division 1), Jerry Wittstock (Division 3), Greg Keiver (Division 4), Bob Long (Division 5), Ken Hoppins (Division 6), and Bobby Painter (Division 7) will likely serve another four years on the Kneehill County Council.

Starland County
    Several elections are imminent in Starland County.
    In Division 2, incumbent Norman Stanger will defend his seat against Steve Wannstrom.
    Incumbent Allen Avramenko will defend the Division 4 seat against James Krywcun.
    Current Reeve Barrie Hoover will defend the Division 5 seat against Greg Herzog.
    Murray Marshall (Division 1) and Robert Sargent (Division 3) won their seats through acclamation.

Wheatland County
    Two elections are planned in Wheatland County.
    In Division 2, the race is heating up after six candidates have put their names forth to fill the seat left vacant by Ken Sauve. Rex Harwood, Jackie Kirk, Ian Mast, Kevin G. Miller, Colin Smith, and Russell Smith will vie for the Division 2 council seat.
    Incumbent Don Vander Velde will defend the Division 3 council seat against Donna Biggar.
    Alice Booth (Division 1), Berniece Bland (Division 4), Brenda Knight (Division 5), current Reeve Glenn Koester (Division 6), and Ben Armstrong (Division 7), who are all incumbents, won their seats through acclamation.

Golden Hills School Division
    Residents in Ward 1, which includes Three Hills, Torrington, Huxley, Trochu, and area will be voting between three candidates to fill the Ward 1 school board vacancy. Colleen Eyjolfson, Barry Kletke, and Larry Maerz have submitted their names for Ward 1.
    David Price will serve another term as the Golden Hills board member for Ward 2, which includes Acme, Carbon, Linden, and areas.
    Sherri Nielsen will serve as the board member for Ward 3, Drumheller.
    Larry Tucker was acclamated to Ward 4, Strathmore.
    Alan Larsen and Corey Fisher have submitted their names for Ward 5, which includes Carseland, Gleichen, Cluny, Hussar, Rockyford, Standard, and surrounding areas.

Prairie Land Regional Division
    Most of the Prairie Land Regional Division board were awarded their seats through acclamation. Holly Smith (Ward 1, Berry Creek), Dean Hansen (Ward 2, Hanna Rural and Youngstown), Marsha Tkach (Ward 3 Veteran), Barry Davis (Ward 3, Consort and Altario), Lyle Cawiezel (Ward 4, Morrin), and Ed Brinkman (Ward 4, Delia) won their seats.
    In Ward 2, Hanna Urban, several candidates will vie for two vacancies on the Prairie Land board. Jade Hill, Vern Thuroo, and Angie Warwick have let their names stand for the election.

Christ the Redeemer School Division
    Voters in Drumheller will have an extra box to tick as two candidates have submitted their names to run for Drumheller’s seat in the Christ the Redeemer School Division Board of Directors.
    Incumbent Paul Andrew will defend the Drumheller seat against Mark Chung.

    The election is scheduled for October 21. Keep reading The Drumheller Mail for coverage on the 2013 Municipal Elections.

    It’s business as usual for Drumheller banks and financial institutions following the flooding late in June.
    Following the flood, rumours surfaced that residents looking to get a mortgage were having difficulty if the house in question was located within the Government of Alberta’s designated floodway.
    At a meeting on August 28, Associate Minister Kyle Fawcett explained Drumheller was a special case, due to the extensive flood mitigation, and flood hazard maps were slated to be remapped.  
    Banks are waiting to see exactly what the province’s regulations regarding Drumheller entail.
    “The province’s decision to exempt Drumheller from the development ban recognizes the significance of the community's flood mitigation infrastructure; This is a good policy, it’s an important first step towards creating a business as usual environment for Drumheller,” said Rob Bennett, Executive Vice President, ATB Financial Retail Financial Services.
    “ATB is working quickly to review our mortgage guidelines for Drumheller specifically but my team needs to understand more details about the recent announcement and we are working quickly with insurers, specifically CMHC and GenWorth to understand how they will partner with us in the Drumheller area.”
    The Royal Bank of Canada is also monitoring the situation and taking each mortgage on a case-by-case basis.
    “We continue to work with our clients in the aftermath of this devastating flood and continue to accept mortgage applications in the impacted areas,” said Pamela Brown, Senior Manager, Corporate Communications with RBC.
    “We are evaluating each application and client on an individual basis. We are also working closely with the Alberta Government as the province evaluates people’s needs, keeping in mind any constraints arising from the Alberta Disaster Relief Program.”
    Otherwise, everything is being treated as normal by banks and financial institutions.
    “Everything is business as usual here,” said Patsy Stokalko, branch manager of the Drumheller Chinook Credit Union.
    The Drumheller Scotiabank says it has made no changes to its application process in the wake of the flood.
    “As of right now, nothing has changed. The government has revamped what they said about Drumheller, so we don’t know what will be in a flood zone,” said Cathy Fournier, customer support at the Drumheller Scotiabank.

    The Wheatland County Office will be undergoing a slight face-lift in the coming weeks. However, bigger plans for the office are in store.
    Renovations will soon begin on the front office administration area and audio/visual systems of council chambers. The work is hoped to be complete within several months.
    “It’ll be proceeding soon and will likely be proceeding and completed by the end of this year,” said Alan Parkin, CAO of Wheatland County.  
    More extensive renovations are being proposed afterwards.
    “We’re looking at doing some conceptual drawings for a proposed expansion. It depends on what kind of feedback we receive, but the idea is to have conceptual drawings done by the end of September and then get some feedback in October,” said Parkin.
    Since the Wheatland County Office opened in July 2000, space has been gradually filling. Now, after 13 years, there is little room left to bring the needed staff to run an ever growing county.
    “Right now, we’re at capacity. For example, we have four staff crammed into a space that used to accommodate two. Down the road, our plans to bring in more staff may come to fruition and we would need more space. WFCSS (Wheatland Family and Community Support Services) moving in earlier this year has added two more staff and taken up any surplus room. Our file system is packed to the rafters, so we need a little more space,” said Parkin.
    “We’re looking at five to ten years down the road. This building was opened in 2000 and has had some good use out of it, but we need to look at an expansion and modifications to prepare for the next ten to 15 years.”
    The plan is to add 480 square metres (just over 5,000 square feet) to the east side of the building and 144 square metres (roughly 1,500 square feet) to the west side of the building. The additions would allow for more office space and a new meeting room.
    The conceptual drawings will be finished by the end of September. From there, Council would have to approve going ahead with the expansion.
    The renovations will begin shortly are expected to cost just under $400,000. The proposed expansion could cost between $1.5 million and $2 million, paid for by reserves and/or provincial grants.
    “At this point, it’s just proposed. Council hasn’t approved any budgets and just want to get some conceptual drawings and feedback,” said Parkin.
    The conceptual design and costs will be available for discussion at a yet-to-be announced open house.

    The banquet hall at the Badlands Community Facility was packed on Friday night as some of the NHL’s  most decorated alumni were in town for the Drumheller Dragons Evening With the Stars.
    Fans had the chance to mingle with and take their picture with legends Marty McSorley, Claude Lemieux, and Brian Trottier, and announcer Jim Ralph.

Marty McSorley (left), Claude Lemieux, Dragons defenceman Cody Fiala, Brian Trottier, and Jim Ralph at the Dragons Evening With the Stars on Friday, September 20. The NHL legends regaled hockey fans with stories, posed for photos, and took some time during the day to help impart some advice on the Dragons players.

    The Dragons players were awestruck, having the chance to meet and learn from the trio of NHL alumni.
    “It’s a pretty cool experience. We can learn a lot from them. To see them face to face is pretty amazing,” said Dragons forward Hunter Mills.
    Prior to the evening, McSorley, Lemieux, and Trottier had a chance to hang out with the Dragons during practice and impart some words of wisdom.
    “I’ve been in a lot of buildings, so when I walked into the rink tonight, I went into the middle of the ice and looked around to get a feel for what it is like when the building is full of people and the kids are out playing hockey,” said McSorley.
    “My message to them was to be good professional, and by that I mean be prepared and make sure your teammates can count on you. Seize the moment and use every moment to improve and prepare, and know that you’ve given it your best, so, at the end of the day, you can be proud of what you accomplished.”
    Lemieux had a similar experience when he was younger and understands the importance of visiting up and coming players.
    “I grew up in a small town myself and I remember some former Montreal Canadians visiting coming to our youth tournament. It was a really big deal and I think it’s great we can give back and do the same now,” said Lemieux.
    The lessons were taken to heart by the Dragons.
    “You need to work hard to go places, you can’t take anything lightly, and practice, practice, practice,” said Mills when asked what he remembered most.
    Newcomers Alex Elliot and Cody Fiala  were similarly impressed.
    “Marty said seize the day, take an opportunity,” said Elliot.
    “Be a professional on and off the ice, know who you are playing against, know their stats, and everything else before you play,” said Fiala.
    For McSorley and Lemieux, this was their first visit to Drumheller.
    “It’s my first visit to Drumheller and I really found it wild. You do a little research and find out about the historical factor, like with the (Tyrrell) Museum. I talked to my kids and they were all fired up,” said McSorley.
    Trottier had passed through many years ago and was glad to come back to inspire the Dragons.
    “We’ve been in their shoes and know what an important step it is in their careers. It’s also a fun time for the community,” said Trottier. “Hopefully it’ll fire up the kids a little bit. There were a couple things we told them. We know they’re young athletes and they want to learn and advance.”
    For the Dragons organization, the evening was a huge success. Plans are already being made for next year.
    “We had huge community support and we’re absolutely thrilled with how everything worked out. We had more people in attendance ticket wise over last year,” said Pam Hartman, sales and marketing manager for the Dragons. “We are thrilled we can offer something like this to Drumheller. We’re looking forward to next year.”

    Area residents hoping to further discuss the proposed Badlands Motorsports Resort will have to wait until after the election before it returns to the agenda of the Kneehill County Council.
    First reading of the redesignation of the land from agricultural was passed recently, but County Council is holding off second and third readings until December.

Kneehill County Council is putting the second and third readings to redesignate the land proposed for the Badlands Motorsports Resort until December, after the fall harvest and October elections. The resort is proposed to be located roughly 3 kilometres northeast of Rosebud.

    “We’re going to be considering the second and third readings in December,” said Kneehill Reeve Bob Long. “We have people who are farming, so we wanted to get that out of the way and have the election in October. We could have new Councillors at the table. About the only time we could really get our teeth into it is the first part of December.”
    Earlier this year, County Council approved the Area Structure Plan of the Badlands Motorsports Resort and held public debate on the project, where many residents voiced their objections to the development.
    However, before construction could take place, there are more steps Council must go through.
    “It’s a process we have to go through. Each step in a development has to run its course. Even though we’ve approved the Area Structure Plan, we haven’t approved the development, just one aspect of it,” said Long. “You just have to do the due diligence, go through the steps, and make sure everyone has a chance to comment.”
    Should the redesignation of the land pass third reading in December, discussion would begin on the development itself.
    “If the redesignation passes third reading, then the next step would be to look at the application for development sometime in the new year,” said Long. “That’s when you start to address the issues you specifically want to address.”

    Drumheller’s Rob Shapiro of the country music band Hey Romeo has one more piece of hardware to add to his collection.
    Shapiro took home the Keyboard Player of the Year from the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) Awards.

Rob Shapiro of Hey Romeo was named the CCMA Keyboard Player of the Year. This was his fifth award.

    “Wow...I’m ridiculously fortunate and thankful to win the Canadian Country Music Association Keyboard Player of the Year!” he announced on the Band’s Facebook page. “A huge thank you to you all, it’s very special to get the OK from your peers. Great to share it with Tammy, my Mom, Darren, Stacie, Bradford, Curtis, Jim, Rob, Kathryn, Oscar, Paul, Byron and all our good friends.”
    This was his fifth award for keyboards in as many years.
    The award was presented during Country Music Week in Edmonton from September 5-8 with the awards gala on the final night. 
    The band had a busy few days while in Edmonton. On Thursday, September 5, the band hosted the CCMA Songwriters Café. This is a unique mix of jam, performance and sharing with artist and audience.
    Hey Romeo also performed at the Jiffy Lube Fan Fest. This was a concert that featured the band as well as other Canadian country music mainstays including Small Town Pistols, George Canyon and Aaaron Pritchett to name a few. This was on Saturday, September 7.
    Hey Romeo was also selected to be presenters at the Awards Gala.