10 minute read
Football player heads to Vegas
Young football player uses Go Fund Me to play in Las Vegas tournament
BY JOHN MATHER
A Go Fund Me page has been set up to help Lamont’s Nicklas Bittner raise funds to help him get to an elite football tournament in Las Vegas this week and a similar tournament in Saskatchewan next spring.
Bittner plays his regular football with the Edmonton Chargers in the Edmonton Bantam Football League.
Two weeks ago, the Chargers won the city championship and then over the past weekend the team lost in the provincial championship game to the St. Paul Bengals; and lost 58-14 at the Emerald Hills football facility in Sherwood Park.
Bittner, who is 12, has only been playing the sport for the past year.
He lives most of the time in Edmonton with
Nicklas Bittner, 12, runs with the football during a recent game in the Edmonton Bantam Football League. Bittner plays in that league with the Edmonton Chargers. He was also named to an Alberta Select team that will play in the annual Pigskin Tournament in Las Vegas this week. Bittner has a Go Fund Me page set up to attempt to cover some of his travel expenses. his mom. He attends school in Grade 8 in the city and when he expressed his desire to play football last year, his school principal helped connect him with the Bantam Football Association.
Bittner’s 220 pound, 5 foot eight inch frame quickly made him a stand out with the team.
“On the Chargers, I play both linebacker and running back positions,” he said.
He is going to Las Vegas to play in the National Youth Football League Pig Skin Classic Tournament a long running tournament that features teams playing in categories from ages six and under, up to 16 and under.
Bittner’s team, the Alberta Selects, is playing in the 13 and under grouping.
The tournament brings together football teams from across the U.S., Canada and Mexico. They will be playing National Football League rules with four downs, played on a smaller field.
“The team has good coaches so I don’t think
22114ka0 his team will have trouble making the rules adjustments,” said Bittner’s father Falko, who lives in Lamont.
Nicklas splits his time in both Lamont and Edmonton.
After the conclusion of the regular season this year Bittner tried out for the Alberta Selects and made the team as a defensive end.
For the past few weeks he has been making a weekly commute to Red Deer for training.
The Las Vegas Tournament takes place during the U.S. Thanksgiving weekend. The second tournament will be played between provincial teams in Saskatchewan indoors in February.
“They play in an air dome facility which is used for both football and soccer,” he explained.
To date the Go Fund Me page has raised more than $1,400 to help offset the travel costs of getting to Las Vegas.
Bittner said the provincial association covers entry fees but the cost of travel expenses is up to each individual players.
Bittner travelled to Vegas on Tuesday and the team practices on Nov. 23. The first game is on Nov. 24. The team returns home on Nov. 28.
Stephanie Christine Begin
January 13, 1987 ~ November 3, 2005
Death is not just for the old. Sometimes the young die too. You were only a teenager when the angels came for you. It’s impossible for us to understand why you died so young. You had so much to live for, and loved by everyone who knew you. We know God has a purpose and a plan for each of us. Even though our hearts are broken, we know you’re in His care. Your memory will remain alive until we join you there. Forever in our hearts, Dad & Mum
Mila Tkach, 8, of Andrew tells Santa Claus what she would like for Christmas during Santa’s visit to the annual Andrew Christmas Market at the Andrew Community Centre, Nov, 20.
Drones
Continued from Page 3
Weber said drones could be used for doing small areas of aerial herbicide and fungicide applications however there are regulatory barriers in Canada right now that prevent this.
“Health Canada has an agency regulating all applications of pesticides regardless of whether its herbicide, fungicide or pesticide and they’ve stated drones are not an accepted application method at this time.”
“The technology is way ahead of the regulations,” Weber states. “There are systems available right now that can spray 35 to 40 acres in an hour.”
He added the drones will be replacing ground sprayers in the near future.
“Until two years ago, I thought that was ludicrous,” said Weber. “But I know people now that are spraying entire farms with one little drone. We will see it on a regular basis in three to five years.”
He said crop dusting operations can currently use drones to help spray smaller areas.
“I think those companies are best positioned to take this one rather than people coming into the industry fresh. Those who are aerial spray operators know all about application rates and spray quality and the impacts of water rates. They have that knowledge and a known customer base.”
Weber said it is legal to use drones for spraying in the U.S., and there are currently more than 30 states that have drone spraying businesses.
He said farmers can use the drones with the proper applications to determine the yield potential of their crops and then regulate how much herbicide they might put down in a certain area to enhance the crop yield.
Weber said the apps provide the tools to help the farmer but it isn’t smart enough to do things on its own.
“You still need the farmer to turn his mind to what he’s doing. The drones create maps, but the farmer then has to understand those maps.
“It’s not enough to have the drone tell you you have to apply nitrogen here or there. It’s a complex biological system so it still requires human understanding and knowledge of that field. And that’s why we do the drone schools.
“It all still belongs in the hands of the farmer or agronomist, not some city kid who knows how to fly a drone.”
The drone he states is just another tool in the farmers tool kit.
Weber and his company are putting on drone schools four days a week across the province. He said once they teach one, they usually try to return to that area in two years to provide updates because the technology is evolving so fast.
He added they do plan to hold a course in the Josephburg area early next year.
LAMONT COUNTY
• 15,000 sq. ft. Industrial shop built on 42.8 acres in Lamont County adjacent to the town of Lamont. There is an approximately 15 acres of gravelled yard with partial chain link fencing. located at 195043 HWY 29 Lamont County Price $3,175,000 or inquire about lease price. • W4-18-54-18-NW, 2 parcel farm 158.48 acres 130 ± acres of grain cultivation 3 bedroom house. Property has gas, power, well, septic with aerial discharge, Dug out and a shop.
Price: $850,000
• Range Road 203 between Highway 15 and TWP Rd 552, 6.77 acre lot near Bruderheim. Good building site. Price: $160,000. • Office Building 5015 - 50 Street Chipman. 946 sq ft building with reception area, office area and washrooms. Price: $125,000. • W4-18-53-24-SW Plan 0826481 Block 2 Lot 1 5.02 acres yard site in Lamont County. Utilities at the property line. Price $49,000 • W4-18-53-26-SE N ½ Lamont County 80 acresproperty with a 60‘ by 40’ shop and the remainder of the land currently in hay.
Price: $235,000
• W4-20-55-27-SE Plan 1023701 Block 1 Lot 1A Lamont County. 138.09 acresin the Lamont Heartland for industrial use. Located North of Highway 15 on Range Road 202. Price: $4,400,000 TWO HILLS COUNTY RECREATION LAND
• W4-12-55-27 NW 146 acres with 1/2-mile frontage on the North Saskatchewan River. HWY 29 and RR 123 50± acres of cultivation power at property Nicely treed lot for a building site.
Price: $325,000
STRATHCONA COUNTY
• SW Part of NW –23 –53 –23 –W4 40.55 acres North of Highway 16 on Range Road 232 in proposed medium industrial zoning with CP rail line at the border of the property. Price:
$7,200,000
• Parts of SW and SE-7-53-22 W4 located at HWY 21 and Lakeland Drive 63.62 acres of development land with HWY 21 exposure. The property is within the Bremner and local Employment Area ACP with expected future use of industrial.
Price: $6,000,000
• 0.82 acre Lot located in Griffin Industrial Park in Sherwood Park. Land use designation in medium industrial
Price: $325,000
Norman Hill Steven Hill
Lauren Hill
FCSS and KFRN Resources and Programs – 780-895-2233
avvv–a All current Family and Community Services (FCSS) & Kalyna Family Resource Network (KFRN) monthly programs posters can accessed by the QR code (above) or visit: lamontcounty.ca/departments/community-services/fcss/monthly-programs (including: Cooking With Your Littles, Winter Wonderland, Bruderheim Youth Centre, Chipman Youth Group, Flex for Boys, True You for Girls, Parents & Tots, Fall Prevention, Family Activity Nights in Mundare/ Andrew, Snow Angels, Fall Prevention Workshop, Connecting Generations Christmas Sing Along, Christmas Card Craft/Lamont Christmas Light Up!, AHS healthy living program workshops & KFRN November Newsletter. (See the QR code above for full posters and additional details for these events!)
Reminder: Deadline for photo submissions is November 25.
CountyofLamontFoodBank 2022 Christmas Hampers - Christmas Hamper Requests: The County of Lamont Food Bank is accepting Christmas hamper requests (and donations) until Dec. 8. Please call (780) 619-6955 and leave a message to request a hamper. Hamper delivery is Sunday, December 18. CAUTION – Roadside Mulching Program https://signup.com/go/ehUberS https://signup com/go/ehUberS Lamont County Agricultural Services is working on roadside mulching from now until the end of March. Signs are posted to enforce temporary road closures while they work. If you enter a closed area, the County will NOT be at fault for any damage to vehicles Please obey the signs! The Lamont County Peace Officer will be enforcing these road closures. Thank you for your cooperation!
NextCouncilMeeting
The next Council meetings are Budget Meetings on November 28, 29, 30, starting at 9:00 a.m. The public is welcome to attend at the Lamont County Administration Building or virtually through Microsoft Teams (link): lamontcounty.ca/governance/agendas-minutes. Please Note – inFocus is also available for viewing online at: www.lamontcounty.ca/communications (for those wanting to view the weekly submission as fullsized PDF and to access hyperlinks).
