The severe thunderstorm watch that was issued at 12:21 p.m. on Tuesday is no longer in effect for Drumheller.
The watch, which caused large hail, wind and heavy rainfall to areas near Drumheller, didn’t hit as hard as was expected.
Drumheller is expected to see some showers with a chance of thunderstorms throughout Wednesday. 

The U12 Carbon Crushers made it all the way to provincials before being defeated. They placed fourth in the province. They are (back; l-r) head coach Dan Clow, assistant coach Heather Clow, Connor Duguay, Dekin Benson, Hudson Gregory, Sawyer Still, Jayden Lawrence and Ethan Thiessen,  Adam Hodges with (middle; l-r) Matthew Clow, Draiton Goodhope, Gavin Hodges and (front) Trayton Harpell and  Brayden Nienaber.

submitted

The Carbon Crushers U12 soccer team had a storybook season that saw them finish fourth in the province.

The boys team, coached by Dan Clow, was tough from the get go, and went undefeated in their regular season. The team was dealt a blow by losing two of their key players to vacation as the team headed into the post season.

Undeterred the team went to districts on June 20 in Irricana. They brought up two U10 players to fill out their roster, and managed to keep their undefeated streak alive, winning gold.

This also won them a berth into provincials in Vermillion from July 10 -12.

The Crushers were undefeated in their first two games, but in their third, a bald bounce put them down 1-0 and dealt them the first defeat of the season.

“If we had won that game we would have gone to the final,” said coach Clow.

This put them into the bronze medal match. The boys left it all on the field but came up short, placing fourth overall.

“Not bad for the smallest team (not just in numbers but also in size) from the smallest town,” said coach Clow. “We are very proud of our team.”

Drumheller has experienced some severe weather over the past couple of days.
Environment Canada issued three severe thunderstorm watches and a tornado watch between 12:20 p.m. Tuesday and 4:40 p.m. Wednesday. 

Although the first severe thunderstorm watch and the tornado watch saw no storms in Drumheller on Tuesday evening, they produced golf ball size hail near Red Deer as well as torrential downpours and heavy thunderstorms.

Wednesday morning Drumheller was put under the second severe thunderstorm watch. At approximately 12 p.m. Calgary and surrounding area were put under a tornado watch and Environment Canada was advising those residents to take cover. Funnel clouds were seen just south of Calgary and at approximately 1 p.m. were seen near the Chinook Centre in Calgary.

The clouds over Drumheller began to get dark at approximately 2:20 p.m. and thunderstorms began in Drumheller and the surrounding areas followed by rain and strong winds. Shortly after the watch was cancelled.

At 4:41 p.m. Drumheller was put under another severe thunderstorm watch which was cancelled at 6:01 p.m. 

      
(Submitted photo)

The roof of the Alberta Pacific elevator, in Dorothy, was torn off the building Wednesday afternoon during the thunderstorm that passed over Drumheller. At least a quarter of the shingles on the roof of the historic Dorothy Catholic Church was also ripped off. The church was renovated recently. The debris landed near the buildings with some chunks of the roof from the elevator landing on the highway and at the side of the road.

(Submitted photo)

(Photo courtesy of the Alberta Golf twitter feed)

The champion of the Sunlife Financial Men’s Amateur Golf Championship has a Drumheller connection.
Brett Hogan, who was born in Drumheller, won the championship, which took place from July 20-23 in Spruce Grove at the Edmonton Petroleum Golf and Country Club.
He is the son of Jodi Hogan (Porter) and grandson of Rob and Rose Porter who are still residents in Drumheller.
Hogan’s had a first round of 67, a second and third round of 69 and a final round of 76 on Thursday, July 23 for a total of 281 during the championship.
Rose said she is “so pleased for him. He has worked hard.”
“I have been holding my breath for three days so now I can let go,” she told the Mail with a laugh.
“I do that with most sports, but when Brett is involved I do it even more. He is such a nice guy. It is not hard to root for him,” she said.
Tom Zariski, who is on the board of directors for the Alberta Golf Association said, “Brett has been one of the top junior golfers in Alberta for the last number of years. He is coming along as one of the best golfers in Alberta right now.” 

Local resident Dani Dooley has been growing lilies for about 30 years, and it has paid off. 

Dooley, attended the North American Lily Show in Calgary last week from July 15-19, and took home several ribbons including best arrangement and best stem. Dooley mentioned she also judges as part of the North American Lily Society, which is who put on the show in Calgary. 

The show, in its 68th year, only comes to Canada once every three years Dooley told inSide Drumheller, and usually when it comes to Alberta it is held in Edmonton so it was nice to have it close by, she explained. 

“Of the 13 stems that I took, I won nine first prizes and three second prizes,” she said adding that she also won for best design in the show with her spatial thrust floral design. 

“It was a surprise to me. It was really rewarding,” she said.

“The theme was Alberta black gold, so I made it look like (there was) a couple of oil refinery pipes coming up with yellow and gold lilies designed on the outside of it. My sister had given me an Alberta plaque so when I saw that arrangement I thought I should work that into it because it has the Alberta shape and it worked beautifully and turned out really nice,” she said.  

Her lily growing all started with her husband’s uncle bringing lilies to their farm, she explained.

“I just sort of carried on from there. I added new varieties as they came along.”

She mentioned that she still has some of the original lilies. 

“That is just testament to how strong they are and how many years they will last,” adding that they are not necessarily in the same location, because lilies need to be moved every few years. 

“(Lilies) have an amazing ability to suck up water and rehydrate themselves,” Dooley explained. “They can be wilted right down and the flowers can be flopped on the side and you just put them back into water and they will just come back up.”

She said this is a great way of getting lilies to shows. 

“The Red Velvet is my favourite all time lily and that is one I have been growing for more than 30 years,” Dooley said. 

“It is always on the show bench. It is a lily that shows up really well.”

She explained that some of the newer lilies don’t stand up to wind as well as ones such as the Red Velvet.  

“My guilty pleasure is coming out here (to the garden) first thing (in the morning) to see what is newly opened up,” she said with a chuckle. 

During the hail storm last July she said it was “devastating” to see the aftermath. 

“Stuff was cut down right to the ground... It just looked like lily salad, it was just horrendous.”

She said this year the lilies have come back “better than ever because when you do that, the bulb (in the ground) doesn’t have to do anything but store energy.”

“I grow lilies and I sell bulbs in the fall,” she said. “Lots of people have had their gardens added to with lilies from my garden,” adding that it has been a “rewarding” experience. 

“People love to come out to see the variety of colour and the new varieties that are coming out. It has been a long haul but has been very rewarding to do it,” she said.

Dooley is offering tours of her lily garden which is on the south side of Highway 10 just past the Hoodoos until August 8. Call 403-822-2144 to set up a time for a tour.

It’s already been an exciting year for emerging actress Brynn Linsey. Spring found her starring as Helen Keller’s stubborn tutor Annie Sullivan in Rosebud Theatre’s production of The Miracle Worker.

This summer she’s playing a variety of roles in the current summer show at Rosebud, The Wizard of Oz.

And now, to complete her education at Rosebud School of the Arts, Brynn is starring in her own production: a delightful musical entitled Holy Mo.

Holy Mo is the tale of Moses told like you’ve never heard it before: by three wacky clowns who bring new perspective, delightful music and zany humour to the classic story. 

“Holy Mo is an irreverent, yet very reverent rendition of the Moses story that entertains, delights and ultimately articulates a striking understanding of the intimacy of the story,” says director Morris Ertman. “It’s not just the story of deliverance, but of friendship.”

Holy Mo is a homegrown musical, written by Rosebud alums Lucia Frangione and Marie Russell. Twenty years later, the story still rings relevant. “I often find myself conflicted over my faith, about identifying as a Christian,” says Linsey. “This play offers me perspective.”

But don’t take the show too seriously, says Linsey. “It’s not just for Christians...It’s for people who want to engage in funny, playful, thoughtful storytelling.” The clowns poke fun at the classic story, turning the Pharaoh Ramses into a dud named Rambo who acts very similarly to his movie counterpoint. Theme songs and pop culture references pervade the script, throwing a new spin on an old tale.

“Theatre that tell these stories in a whimsical, playful way are exactly what I want to be doing,” says Linsey. “Life is nothing if not a playground for creativity and connection, and shows like Holy Mo are the perfect canvas to begin or continue playtime!”

Holy Mo runs July 23 - 26 at the Akokiniskway Gallery in Rosebud, AB. Theatre goers also have a chance to see Rosebud Theatre’s production of The Wizard of Oz while they’re in town. For information or tickets call,  403-820-0238 or email shipsunday@gmail.com. 

The Drumheller mixed slo-pitch teams will be wrapping up their 2015 season in a couple of weeks with a round robin style tournament.

The local league, made up of 22 teams has six teams in the competitive portion and 16 in the non-competitive.

Meredy Mielke, league organizer, said the teams play each other throughout the year and, “for the most part every team plays once a week.”

The teams play at the Newcastle ball diamonds as well as sometimes at the Rosedale diamond and play Monday to Friday.

“Our annual year end tournament will be August 8 and 9 at the Newcastle diamond,” she told inSide Drumheller. 

“There will be round robin style games and a home run derby Saturday,” she explained.

Bernie and the Boys will return this year to provide the league with food and beverages throughout the tournament, Mielke said.

 “Fingers crossed for some good weather. Everyone is welcome to come out and watch some ball or just to grab a bite to eat,” she said. 

  Mielke said the league would like to thank Kevin Blanchett and his maintenance team, “for working hard and keeping the diamonds in tip top shape for us, and to Judy Quintin-Arvidson for booking the diamonds.”

  With the year coming to an end for the teams, Mielke said the league is not taking players right now but the 2016 season will be open to new teams or players. 

At approximently 2:40 p.m. Friday, July 24 Drumheller Emergency Services responded to a single vehicle motorcycle accident near Nacmine heading towards the Carbon hill. 
Injuries are unknown at this time. 
Emergency Services have secondary highway 575 down to one lane while crews clean up debris. 
More details to follow as they become available. 

Strathmore was full of activity July 16-19 as over 1200 individuals gathered for a weekend of competition and friendship.

A culmination of more than two years of planning, buses arrived from the far north and south to deliver athletes to Strathmore and hundreds of cars and RV’s converged on the northern edge which housed the venues for the 15 sports and cultural activities which ranged from slo-pitch to pickleball to athletics and cribbage that were part of the Alberta 55 Plus Summer Games. 

The zone which includes Drumheller, Hanna and Three Hills were double winners. They won the Lieutenant Governor’s Cup which was awarded to the team that has shown the most improvement from previous Summer Games as well as the Spirit of Participation given to the zone team that exemplifies the true spirit of participation with personal integrity and sportsmanship both in and out of competition. 

Drumheller residents contributed to the 81 medals won by zone two. Phil Wade won a gold medal in javelin throw, setting a games record with a throw of over 29 m. Bob Friesen and Ian Jones both won a bronze medal in pickleball. This was a new sport in the games and was highly competitive. 

Other participants from Drumheller included Gus LeStrat playing crib, and Barb Barker, Mike Barker and Louise Paul in Creative Arts. Individuals from Oyen and Three Hills participated in golf, contract bridge, slo-pitch and floor curling.

More than 800 volunteers from the town of Strathmore and surrounding area made the games a tremendous event with young and old all pitching in to meet the needs of all participants. This included food, billets, people movers from site to site and rickshaw rides. 

Concerts were held on Friday and Saturday evening, including a one man play, a string  quartet, barn dance and Drew Gregory. 

On Sunday the games wrapped up with Her Honour the Honourable Lois Mitchell, CM, AOE, Lieutenant Governor of Alberta presenting the overall awards and closing comments. 

Calgary (Zone three) won the Alberta 55 Plus Zone Championship Trophy awarded to the zone team achieving the most points for the activity/sport competitions in the games with 126 medals won. 

The mission of the Alberta 55 Plus Association is to encourage individuals to remain active both physically and socially by seeking greater levels of physical, social, intellectual and creative achievement through friendly participation and competition while enhancing a sense of community spirit by bringing Albertans together. 

Zone two has recently provided two floor shuffleboard lanes to Drumheller and will be hosting a workshop to introduce this sport to Drumheller. Anyone wanting additional information on Alberta 55 Plus can contact Linda Traquair at 403-823-8460.

Dinny the Dinosaur is going to be getting some much needed repairs.
Ed Palm of Palm Engineering LTD inspected the dinosaur, located at the Rotary Spray Park, on June 8 to determine if the structure was still safe for the public to be near. Palm Engineering provided a letter to council of their recommendations for the dinosaur. Within the letter, it is mentioned that the structure was built from odds and ends pieces of rebar, expanded wire mesh, stucco wire, chicken wire, and concrete mortar and that the work was done over 60 years ago. The cracks have developed overtime from shrinkage, water penetration and vibration caused by high winds.
The town of Drumheller then invited quotes to refurbish the dinosaur based on the report. Two quotes for Stage one of the repairs were received, one by Frank Hadfield of Paleoprep quoted at $42,472.50 and one by Steve Vernon quoted at $6,700.
At the Monday, July 27 Regular Council meeting, Council passed a motion to award the quote for the dinosaur rehabilitation to Steve Vernon.
Stage one of the repairs will include removing sections of the dinosaur where large cracks are present and removing sections of mortar, which appear, displaced in large scales.
It will also include welding penetrating rods from the inner rebar cage through the mesh to a layer of mesh played on the outside of the hole. Dinny will also get repairs done to his surface concrete that has been broken away or otherwise needs attention. Lastly, all the cracks will be covered with a brushed on layer of latex emulsified rubber such as Elasto Seal and then the dinosaur will be primed and painted.
“He needs some major repairs. We are basically going to put a Band-Aid on him right now,” Drumheller Mayor Terry Yemen said.
“For now, he is still engineered, he is still safe. They are going to do some patches to prevent the water from getting in, clean it up, hopefully it will look good and it should give us the time we need to make an informed decision,” Yemen told the Mail.
“Council is going to want to hear from the community. That dinosaur, it is very iconic, and it is kind of where it all started from, but there is going to have to be a very significant amount of money spent on him. Is that the direction the community wants us to go? There have been some great improvements to the world of dinosaurs now, so there is some other options there,” Yemen said.
“Perhaps that is what the community wants us to do, something new or we do have the option of repairing this one but it is going to be at a significant cost. At a later time, we are going to have to ask the community and get some direction from them of what they want to do with him,” he said. 

As you drive toward Rosebud, Alberta, the blacktop prairie highway rolls under your wheels as you make your way to the Rosebud Chamber Music Festival. Bugs hit your windshield as the wide-open road becomes the seam through this patchwork of canola and wheat.

In the distance, a white towering cloud dumps rain on the grateful land. You open your window, turn off the radio, and breathe in the fresh air. The anticipation of harvest is thick. 

You don’t know it, but you’re forming a lifelong memory. Time seems to disappear as you lose yourself in the echoes of First Nations People and long-forgotten sod-busting pioneers. 

Only a few corners, over a hill, and then into a green river valley which holds the hamlet of Rosebud, Alberta, home of Rosebud Centre of the Arts. 

Brighter than a thousand points of light, classical music luminaries descend on Rosebud once a year for the Rosebud Chamber Music Festival. The tsunami of excellence and anticipation emanates from our guests for the festival, a company that includes multi-Juno recipient, John Stetch, a quartet of Canada’s most thrilling young string players and acclaimed pianist, Peter Longworth.

This year, the Rosebud Chamber Music Festival is bringing a brand new outdoor performance to the spectacular Passion Play Site in Drumheller. Don’t miss this amazing week of concerts!

Schedule of Events:

•July 27, 7 pm: Reading Party! - Rosebud Mercantile

•July 29, 7:30 pm:  Jazz with Pianist, John Stetch, Rosebud Church

•July 30, 7:30 pm:  Beethoven Returns to the Badlands! - The Canadian Badlands Passion Play Site, Drumheller, Alberta

•July 31, 7:30 pm: Three Hills Arts Academy, Three Hills

•August 2, 7:30 pm: Rosebud Church

The Atlas Coal Mine National Historic Site received a boost from the federal government on Monday, $50,000 for the Atlas’ next phase of tipple restoration.

MP Kevin Sorenson was on hand at the site to commit the funds to the Atlas’ project to keep the tipple standing for generations to enjoy and learn from. He praised the Atlas’ work and the importance of tourism.

“We have a real tourist destination in Drumheller, East Coulee and all through this valley. We certainly recognize that by having partnerships we keep it that way. That we keep enhancing the facilities we have to ensure that more and more people come to visit, we do whatever we can to make that happen,” said Sorenson.

He said that it is important to continue to invest in key infrastructure across Canada.

“Not only in major centres with public transit…but making sure infrastructure dollars get out to rural Canada as well. So our government is proud to stand with organizations such as the Atlas Coal Mine Historical Society, which plays an important role in our society, that plays an important role in tourism, and also strengthens and supports our communities,” he said. 

Executive director for the Atlas Coal Mine Julia Fielding stressed the importance of the tipple.

  “Having the last standing wooden tipple in Canada preserved for future generations is a wonderful achievement for the Drumheller Valley. The Atlas Coal Mine is proud to keep the Valley’s coal mining heritage alive, telling the miners’ stories to thousands of visitors every year,” she said. 

The funds are from the Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program. This is a commitment of $150 million to Canadian communities to support renovation, expansion and rehabilitation to existing infrastructure that provides community and cultural benefit.

“We want to make sure going into our 150th anniversary that we invest back into those communities through the creation of 150 Community Infrastructure Program, we are providing significant support for projects that benefit our community from coast to coast,” said Sorenson.

A hockey hero who has served the game and the people who play it, locally and nationally, has been officially inducted into the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame.

The Mail reported in its February 25 edition that George Kallay was to be inducted. 

The ceremony took place in Canmore on Saturday, July 25 and he was inducted along side former Calgary Flame Lanny McDonald and the 1979-1980 Red Deer Rustlers. Jim Fisher had the honour to present Kallay with the award.

“It was a really nice thing last Saturday night,” said Fisher, who has been a presenter  for the Hall of Fame for the last four years, and is now known as the “Official Voice of the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame.”

Kallay was honoured in the builder category.

His involvement in hockey spans more than two decades, and throughout that time he has been dedicated to player development in every role from player and parent to official from the minor hockey level all the way up to an executive member of Hockey Alberta, The Hockey Alberta Foundation and Hockey Canada.

He served as chair of the Hockey Alberta Foundation from 2005-2009 and the chair of the Hockey Canada Development Committee from 2005-2008.

    For his work he was presented with the Hockey Alberta Development Award in 2005, the Hockey Alberta Centennial Award in 2007, the Hockey Alberta Volunteer of the Year in 2008 and the Alberta Cup 25th Anniversary Builders Award in 2011.

George and his wife Barb resided in Drumheller for a number of years following his retirement and now reside in the Edmonton area.

A filephoto of a collision at Morrin Corner in July of 2013 where two STARS choppers responded. In November of that year, four-way stops were installed at Highway 9 and 21 and at Morrin Corner.

It has been almost two years since two major intersections in the area were changed to four-way stops, and while it appears there has been an improvement, Alberta Transportation says it is too early to say whether the intersections are indeed safer.

In November of 2013, following public consultations, four-way stops were installed at the intersection of Highway 9 and 21, and at the intersection of Highway 9, 27 and 56, known as Morrin Corner. These, along with other improvements including rumble strips and signage were hoped to improve the safety of the intersections.

Spokesperson for Alberta Transportation Carrie Sancartier says it is too early to decisively say the changes have made a difference.

“The stop signs were put in place to improve safety, but we require five years of stats before we can draw any conclusions,” she said.

According to the statistics provided by Alberta transportation, over the five year period, 2008 to 2012, there were 10 intersection-related collisions at the junction of Highway 9 and Highway 21: One fatal collision, six injury collisions and three property damage only collisions. These collisions resulted in one fatality and 21 injuries.

A review of the preliminary data for 2013 and 2014 finds one fatal crash and one property damage only collisions during 2013 and one fatal crash and three property damage only collisions during 2014.

At Morrin Corner, over the five year period, 2008 to 2012, there were nine intersection-related collisions at the junction of Highway 9 and Highway 27/56: Zero fatal collisions, six injury collisions and three property damage only collisions. These collisions resulted in 13 injuries.
A review of the preliminary data for 2013 and 2014 finds two-property damage only collisions during 2013 and no collisions during 2014. (The Mail reported that a 90 year old woman died in a collision on April 27, 2014).

She says to keep in mind that this information is preliminary and subject to change.

Environment Canada issued a severe thunderstorm watch at 11:31 a.m. on Wednesday, July 29.
Conditions are favourable for the development of severe thunderstorms that may be capable of producing strong wind gusts and large hail. Thunderstorms are expected to develop this afternoon along the foothills and move towards the east-southeast throughout the day.
These thunderstorms have the potential to become severe with the main threats being strong winds and large hail. Large hail can damage property and cause injury. Strong wind gusts can toss loose objects, damage weak buildings, break branches off trees and overturn large vehicles. Remember, severe thunderstorms can produce tornadoes. Be prepared for severe weather. Take cover immediately, if threatening weather approaches. Lightning kills and injures Canadians every year. Remember, when thunder roars, go indoors! Environment Canada meteorologists will update alerts as required. Please monitor local media or Weatheradio.

The McDonald's truck adventure made a stop into the Royal Tyrrell Museum parking lot today (Friday). Despite the rain, staff working in the truck said they had been quite busy handing out free McFlurries to celebrate the ice cream treat's 20th anniversary. Above is Rachelle Russell and her son Evan Russell who grabbed their free McFlurry on the way to their vehicle.

A local thrower is heading to Winnipeg to represent Drumheller.

St. Anthony’s student, 15 year old Payton Zacharuk is part of the University of Calgary Athletic Club (UCAC) team. 

She has made Team Alberta and will be heading to the Tri Province Western Canada Challenge at the University of Manitoba Stadium from July 17 to 19 with her teammates. 

This is her first year on the UCAC team. Previous to this she was part of a club in Airdrie.

At the Caltalf trials this spring, she finished fourth in discus, fifth in javelin, sixth in hammer throw and ninth in shot put. 

When asked why she decided to start competing in track she said, “We had to do it in grade six for school and I guess I liked it plus my older sister did it too.”

This year, Zacharuk moved from the midget category to the youth category, which covers ages 17 and under. 

Her mom, Elizabeth, said she is, “proud of her, she has done really, really well.”

“I think if she places in the top 10 in this, she will be pretty happy. There are some pretty good throwers,” Elizabeth said. 

When it comes to sportsmanship, Elizabeth said Payton always shows it.

“She gets along with all the girls from Edmonton, Manitoba, everywhere. It has been really good, I think, to get her out of Drumheller a bit (and) around other kids from different places and to travel. We travelled to B.C. last year and she did quite well. We travel all over the place for track meets and she meets kids. Sportsmanship is number one with our family because she comes from a long line of athletes,” Elizabeth said.

“That’s just how it is. Even (when) she had stepped over the line and they didn’t see it, she told them, and it was the best throw of the track meet. She was honest, that’s just how she is,” Elizabeth said.

Payton said she feels “it will be a good experience” for her. 

Elizabeth is travelling with Payton and the team as a chaperone. 

Rosebud Theatre is taking patrons on a romp through a fantasy world and reminding them there is no place like home in their production of The ‘Wizard of Oz.’

The unique Americana musical fairy tale continues its run on the Rosebud Opera Stage for the summer. Familiar faces to Rosebud fans include Cassia Schramm as Dorothy,  Dave Snider as the Tin Man and Mike Thiessen as the Great and Powerful Oz.

The story is a classic that audiences far and wide are familiar with, from possibly one of the most successful films ever. It plays to Rosebud Theatre’s strengths of big casts,  stage efficiency, and of course, music.

Shauna Murphy and Rachel Peacock provide the music for the familiar songs that get  young and old tapping their toes and humming along and the entire cast brings a strong voice to the show.

Familiarity does not take away from the energy  and zeal that the cast put into the  production. The company does a fine job of balancing between keeping true to the classic and familiar and putting their own signature on the play. They do this masterfully, allowing purists go home satisfied with  the production, but at the same time provide those special wow moments that only Rosebud Theatre can do.

The ‘Wizard Of Oz’ runs until September 5, and is truly fun for the whole family. Children and adults alike can enjoy the mastery of the language, and music, and get lost in the fairly tale on stage, which is just what is intended.

The little museum that could has endured 50 years and this summer they are celebrating this milestone.

The Homestead Antique Museum celebrates the human history of the valley and surrounding areas. It looks at the social, economic and family fabric of the past that holds together today. Many of the family names that are attached to the exhibits are still alive and well in these hills of home.

Gilles Danis, manager of the museum explains the museum was founded by a small group of area residents wanting to preserve the history.

“There were 11 homesteaders who thought that times were getting modern, their families were going to take over their farms, and very likely what they owned was going to be sent away to be dumped. So they thought they would do something with it,” explains Danis. “As well, some of those guys liked to restore antiques, such as cars and machinery.”

“They all got together and pooled their resources. The museum was supposed to represent not objects as such, but the people, the homesteaders, it’s their story. It’s the culture, the society and the industry.

Danis said these were the homesteaders who came and broke the land and eked out a life, raising their families.

The museum opened its doors on June 7, 1965, on a parcel owned by the Brilliant Mine.

They succeeded under the legendary dome with an eclectic collection of cars, truck, farm implements, as well as items from their homes, places of businesses, farms, professional offices and institutions. There are items that celebrate Monday morning at work and Saturday night at the dances halls throughout the area. 

This summer they are celebrating this milestone on Saturday, July 25. The celebration starts at 10 a.m. It includes live music from past president Murray Johnson, who will be bringing his fiddle to get toes tapping. They are also hoping for an appearance from Bert Hoy.  

There will also be more musicians as well as snacks and representation from the Atlas Coal Mine and other museums to help celebrate. Any funds raised at the event will go to the operations of the museum, so it can continue preserving memories for another 50 years.