The CAMROSE BOOSTER, April 28, 2015 – Page 40
Operation Sandbox helps children
Hartman signs with Kodiaks By Murray Green
The Camrose Kodiaks signed forward Ryan Hartman to the hockey team’s organization. Hartman played with Grande Prairie in the AMHL midget triple-A league this past winter and collected 33 points in 33 games. The 1997 born, 6’3” 180 lb. power forward is looking forward to playing in Camrose this upcoming year. “We have been watching him for the past year and our scouting staff said he could play and they were bang on,” said coach and general manager Boris Rybalka. “He is tenacious on the puck and he has a knack around the net. After this weekend at our spring camp, Ryan showed us he will be a dominant player in the AJHL.” Rybalka said there will be more announcements of player commitments over the next few weeks. Bear facts
Murray Green, Camrose Booster FT Aggregate employees Kailey Korney and Kirby Schmidt-Teigen are gathering toys and building sandboxes for Operation Sandbox on May 2. Volunteers are working hard to provide 16 snadboxes, sand and toys for 16 families. The project will continue on the first Saturday of June, July and August. By Murray Green
FT Aggregates in Camrose is launching a new program, Operation Sandbox, to provide a sandbox, sand and toys to less fortunate children. The family oriented business that offers various landscaping supplies wanted to give back to the community. “With the help of some big hearted and eager sponsors, we have the supplies to construct the sandboxes
and we supply the sand,” said Kailey Korney, office administrator and landscape yard manager. “Families are asked to go to FT to register and pre-order a sandbox.” Operation Sandbox also adds some toys to the sandbox and sand when they are delivered. “We will be giving away sandboxes the first Saturday of May, June, July and August,” added Kailey. “We have had an amazing response. So far, we plan on
delivering 16 sandboxes on May 2.” Although FT staff volunteers have been busy making the sandboxes, they are willing to keep up the pace to help local families. “We have lots of volunteers and some great sponsors helping us out,” said Kailey. Sponsors for the project include Tish’s Fashions and Finery, Icon Safety, Best Western Plus Camrose Resort Casino, ID Apparel,
UFA Farm Store, Canadian Tire, The Auto Shoppe, Camrose Booster, Atema Construction, Havana Tan, Rona, Kid’s campus, Wear Pro, Spur of The Moment/ The Leaning Tree, Hauser Home Hardware and Building Centre and FT Aggregates. For more information on Operation Sandbox visit FT at 3805-48 Avenue, or bring a referral from a local agency.
The Kodiaks announced that Cam Gotaas has been chosen as one of the captains for the 2015-16 season. “With his great leadership he will lead the team in pursuit of their goal of being an AJHL champion,” said Rybalka. “Cam knows what it takes to be successful and the commitment needed to achieve success. He is a born leader with a great attitude and we are excited that he is returning to be one of our captains. We have had some great leaders over our time and we know that Cam will join this elite group.”
Don’t become a victim of home renovation fraud Spring is here, a time when many consumers’ thoughts turn to home renovations. Fraud Prevention Month is a good time to remind homeowners to protect themselves against deceitful contractors. Home renovation fraud is one of the most common complaints received by Service Alberta and costs homeowners in the province hundreds of thousands of dollars each year. Door-to-door paving contractors are frequent subjects of complaints. In a typical scam, a contractor arrives at a consumer’s home without warning, claims to have left-
over asphalt from another job in the area, and offers a discount for paving jobs. The quality of the asphalt and work provided is usually poor, with driveways falling apart within days. By the time consumers notice problems, the pavers have left the area making it difficult for consumers to address problems directly. Service Alberta’s Consumer Investigations Unit recently investigated complaints into one similar incident. Michael George MacDonald and his company, Highway Maintenance and Asphalt Repair were convicted on 44 counts under the
Fair Trading Act in relation to a paving scam that primarily targeted the elderly in various rural communities across Alberta. In November 2014, MacDonald and his company were fined nearly $887,000 and ordered to make restitution of nearly $138,000. Service Alberta urges consumers to take the following steps to protect themselves: If a contractor wants payment up front, first make sure they are on a list of licensed and bonded businesses at servicealberta.ca or call the Consumer Contact Centre toll-free at 1-877-4274088.
Check references and confirm the contractor’s complaint history through the local Better Business Bureau. Get at least three estimates before entering into a contract. Always get estimates and contracts in writing; make sure they include key dates, cancelation rights and a description of materials to be used. Beware of unsolicited door-to-door offers or deals from contractors who “just happen” to be in the area. Homeowners should also consider holding back a portion of the payment, which
allows them time to deal with any deficiencies and ensure suppliers have been paid. Don’t pay a large deposit to renovators for materials. Most reputable contractors maintain charge accounts with their suppliers. Service Alberta works with law enforcement, other levels of government and business groups to help Albertans: recognize fraud in its various forms; learn how and where to report it; and how to stop fraud before a scammer cheats someone out of their hard-earned money.