No go for Stettler in ‘Small Town Saturday Night’ LES STULBERG Independent reporter Not this year. After losing out last year, Stettler has opted not to take another shot at the provincial “Small Town Saturday Night” contest. Stettler Board of Trade and Community Development manager Stacey Benjamin said last week that the board would consider entering the competition every second year. Last year, the Stettler pitch in the inaugural event landed the town among the top-10 finalists. Benjamin said the right to bid is open for any other organization in the community to try to win the chance to host a “one-day version” of the Big Valley Jamboree. “We would be willing to help their committee,” she said.
Legal won the right to host the “Small Town Saturday Night” mini-jamboree last year, and raised $93,000 to build a new playground. Bashaw was among the final-five communities last year and ended up finishing fourth. Representatives from that community are mulling another shot for this year. The contest offers a grand prize that includes a country music concert with headliner Chad Brownlee and a songwriters’ circle featuring Clayton Bellamy, Alee, Bobby Wills and Tenille. Billed as a “mini Big Valley Jamboree,” the contest offers rural Alberta communities a “once-in-a-lifetime” experience to showcase their community and serves as a fundraiser for a local charity. Communities with 20,000 people or less are eligible to enter the contest. They must produce a two-minute video showcasing their community, which is uploaded to YouTube. The deadline to enter is Feb. 28.
The event is also custom-tailored to the winning community. The community can add to the framework by including beer gardens, 50/50 draws or “whatever else local organizers are willing to undertake to enhance the fundraising ability.” An in-house panel chooses the top-10 entries “based on their depiction of community spirit and involvement, passion for local tourism experiences, character and creativity,” organizers said in a news release. Online voters are encouraged to offer their support by voting for their favourite community between March 6 and 25. The winning community is scheduled to be announced March 28 and the 2013 concert is set for the winning venue April 27. Travel Alberta and the Big Valley Jamboree sponsor the event. The entry form and the contest rules are available online.
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February 6, 2013
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Thorogood bows out of town council Longtime councillor encourages more women to run for office RICHARD FROESE Independent reporter
RICHARD FROESE/Independent reporter
OUT OF BOUNDS — A Chevrolet Aveo sedan car sustained extensive damage on the driver’s side as it settled in an awkward position between two sign posts Tuesday morning in Stettler. The crash occurred at the corner of 47 Avenue and 51 Street. A 28-year-old Stettler man was charged after he was driving north out of the No Frills parking lot and struck the westbound car driven by a 44-year-old Stettler woman, said Stettler RCMP Const. Shyla Delowski. No one was reported injured. The car was extensively damaged, while the truck sustained minor damage to the front bumper and fender.
Stettler health-care workers fear loss of jobs Reports of reductions ‘a huge problem’ RICHARD FROESE Independent reporter Workers at care homes in the Stettler area say their jobs will be in jeopardy when the Points West Living seniors’ complex opens this spring to provide seniors supportive living. “We have no job security anymore, and (would get only) 14 days’ notice before we lose our jobs,” said Hanna Jilek, who’s employed at Heritage House as a nurse’s aid. Last week, she attended a local meeting of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE). She said Alberta Health Services’ plans to close Pine Ridge Lodge leaves 54 jobs at stake, and though Heritage House would remain open, employees with seniority could “bump” those with fewer years on the job in other similar facilities in
a 100-kilometre radius. The AUPE is waiting for word from Alberta Health about the possible loss of jobs as a result of a provincial restructuring. “This will result in some long-term-care staffing changes at the Stettler Hospital and Care Centre,” Heather Kipling, communications officer for AHS, said this week. “Over the coming months, we will be working directly with staff who may be affected, in accordance with their respective collective agreements.” When the 88 new AHSfunded supportive living beds open at Points West Living in Stettler this summer, AHS plans to decommission 39 of the 89 long-term-care beds at the Stettler hospital. A total of 50 beds would remain open “for those who need them — now and into the future,” Kipling said. AUPE leadership and local members were still waiting for official word about the impact of the Alberta Health
Services changes. “AHS hasn’t given any notice of termination of jobs,” said Mark Wells, provincial spokesman for AUPE. “We don’t know how many jobs, what positions, and who will be affected.” AUPE continues to back its workers as the transition progresses through the early stages. “Our purpose is to support our members and make sure they know what their rights are under the collective agreement,” Wells said. With more supportiveliving facilities going up in the province, the union says it’s frustrated that the private-sector services are costing jobs and taxpayers. “Generally, we see these facilities in too many small communities,” Wells said. “It’s essential a subsidy of the private sector by taxpayers to the tune of $600 million since 1999.” Jilek and others are concerned for their jobs and overall health-care
services in Stettler. “We were told by union officials to update our resumes and find new jobs,” she said. After AHS published information about the transitions to supportive living, she was upset the provincial advertisements didn’t explain the impact on jobs. “Nobody mentioned that we are losing in order to gain,” Jilek said. “We want to bring more awareness, because it’s a huge problem. If more people talk about it, the more chance we might have to fight it off.” Others are also stepping forward. “It seems that the information printed and being told to families and communities is misleading,” said a nurses’ aid at Pine Ridge. “This change negatively affects the Stettler hospital staff, anyone working for AHS within 100 kilometres, families of these residents, and of course, most importantly our residents. “This change is not best for everyone.”
When Stettler town Coun. Leona Thorogood leaves office next fall after nine years in office, she hopes another woman fills her council seat. “I hope that this will spur on other women and men to consider running for council, and the impact it will have their lives,” Thorogood said last week in announcing she doesn’t intend LEONA THOROGOOD to re-offer. “I believe that it is imperative that councils have female representation. For women, it is generally less of a competition and more of a tendency toward collaboration.” Thorogood has declared her intentions about seven months from nomination day in September. She understands it can take considerable time to ponder the proposition, especially now that the terms of office will extend to four years, from the current three. “I know my life is changing and I want to be able to make plans that may take me away from Stettler on a regular basis, and to continue as a councillor would not be fair to the residents I represent,” Thorogood said. While she encourages all community-minded people to seek election, she also said that women add a valuable perspective to municipal affairs. “Women just bring a different dynamic to the decisions that are made around the table.” In the coming months, she plans to encourage council to present information sessions for any prospective candidates — women and men, while also providing her perspective. “Personally, I would offer that anyone who is interested may contact me and ask any questions they might have,” Thorogood said. “That could include such questions as: what are the time commitments? How does it affect my family? What are the financial implications? What are the responsibilities and how can change be implemented? “I would hope that any councillor could be approached for the same information. One of the things I have enjoyed about our council in the last nine years has been the attention to not only the bricks and mortar that is required to run a municipality, but the willingness and desire to pay attention to the quality of life of those who live, work and play in Stettler.” She said a council is like any organization or team that needs people will varying gifts and talent. She believes “a female view” can contribute to effective decisions concerning recreation, infrastructure, business, arts and music, youth, seniors, staff, health and long-term planning. “They consider the emotional impact, as well as the physical and factual impacts, and are usually more globally-focused,” Thorogood said. “I believe that many minds can come up with the best plan, and it also usually is the most effective when all involved take ownership of that plan.” One of her favourite quotations talks about leadership and it states that a true leader is someone who guides others into making the right decisions. “This type of collaboration is what makes Stettler a great place to be a councillor,” Thorogood said. When she entered municipal politics, the local accountant was interested in discovering how the town functioned and contributing to the community. “I also believe that the only way to effect change is be part of the solution and that takes a commitment,” Thorogood said. “In the last three terms, I believe that we have become a community and council that is committed to all aspects of our community — both the hard and fixed part of a community and the softer side that puts people first.” She said she didn’t experience any disadvantages to being a woman on the ballot or in council. “If anything, it was an advantage,” Thorogood said. “If yours is the only female name on the ballot, I believe that residents want variety in representation and being female is one aspect of that variety, just like being a business person, a lawyer, or a health professional are all part of that variety. “If all council was like-minded, I don’t believe the best decisions can be made.”
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