The Community
Press Telling your story
Volume 112, Issue 31
Wednesday, February 5, 2020
$1 Including GST
Carelessness and apathy continue a highlight at to plague Flagstaff recycling efforts Robbie Burns
‘Address to a Haggis’
Night in Killam
ALLY ANDERSON PHOTO
Perry Robinson has become well-known for his fiery address to the haggis, reciting Robbie Burns’ classic poem with fire and flare during Robbie Burns Night in Flagstaff. This was the event’s second time being held in the Killam Community Hall to accomodate an always growing crowd. The evening celebrated all things Scottish, and was declared a success. More photos P31.
Leslie Cholowsky Editor
When Flagstaff Regional Solid Waste Management picked up office paper recycling from bins throughout the region recently, contamination forced the entire load to go directly to the landfill. Contaminated loads at every stop made the entire effort an exercise in futility. Facility Manager Murray Hampshire says the issue of contamination was a hot topic afterwards with the board. “Several ideas were discussed including discontinuing the program, moving bins to supervised transfer sites, and more,” he says. He’s hoping that getting the message out will help stop the extremely high levels of contamination in the paper recycling bins. See RECYCLING P18
FIRST dinner raises funds and awareness in Flagstaff region Leslie Cholowsky Editor
Flagstaff’s Informed Response Sharing Team’s (FIRST) 22nd annual dinner and auction in Alliance on Saturday, Feb. 1 was more than just an opportunity to raise funds, but also raise awareness in the Flagstaff Region. Hosted by Board member Sylvia Wold, the evening featured a live auction presided over by Dale Jones and Darrin Holben that proved both entertaining for the audience and fruitful for FIRST. Jones marvelled over the milestone reached by the annual event, celebrating its 22nd anniversary, and called attention to the fact that there are some who have supported it by attending or donating items or both annually over all those years. LESLIE CHOLOWSKY PHOTO Jones, who normally cracks the audiCamrose MLA Jackie Lovely and Battle River-Crowfoot MP Damien Kurek were ence up with his jokes and stories, was in a perfect example of provincial and federal working together when they combined their bids to purchase a luscious chocolate cake created by Pat MacKinnon fine form again Saturday night, as he and helper Darrin Holben conducted a live during the live auction at the FIRST dinner Saturday evening in Alliance. auction for some of the larger donations. Published weekly in Killam & Sedgewick, Alberta www.thecommunitypress.com
Serving Flagstaff County and Surrounding areas for over 111 years
Jones had some very serious moments throughout the evening, pointing out that the work done by FIRST on behalf of the community was important, adding, “Bullying and domestic violence are community issues.” At one point in the evening, Jones called for the audience to sing the national anthem; a very moving moment for the evening. From before supper to the end of the live auction, more than 136 silent auction items were available for bids from the audience, each item donated by local residents, businesses, and organizations in support of FIRST. The annual dinner and auction is the organization’s primary fundraising event, says FIRST and FFCS Director Lynne Jenkinson, along with any grant funding awarded throughout the year. This year’s bounty will help fund “Unstoppable Tracy,” appearing at Flagstaff schools this June; Parents for Fun in Flagstaff’s Healthy Families Mom’s Connection prog ram; the Camrose Hospice Society volunSee FIRST P14 Funded by the Government of Canada