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HPN www.hitchingpostnews.com Volume 2 * Issue 7A
Inside this Issue Cremona Cowboys honoured by Village Council for accomplishments Canada Day in Pictures Mayor’s Corner Fishing with Frank Thailand Travels with Scott
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Letter to the Editor Dear Editor,
Summer feels well and truly here (though by the time you get this we may be getting some rain or other extreme weather). In between playing in the blow up pool and BBQs HPN has been seen out and about. Canada Day in our area was a great affair with trips to Cremona, Didsbury and Sundre. See page 7 for photos of that adventure. Please take note that our letter to the editor this issue has some added documents we simply didn’t have room for. The full article is available on our website complete with the added information provided to us. We welcome letter to the editor submissions, but note that we can not publish them anonymously. HPN is a great forum to share information with a lot of local people, we also would like to remind everyone that the submission (especially those in the letter to editor section) are the opinions of the writer and not necessarily those of the publishing team.
Distributed FREE to Cremona, Water Valley, Carstairs, Crossfield and Sundre, Didsbury & the Rural Routes of Carstairs, Crossfield, Madden, Dog Pound, Didsbury, Sundre, Bergen and Bottrel
Deadline for the Second July issue is:
July 20 , 2012 11am Paper Release Date:
July 26, 2012 Paper Day is
Thursday
HITCHING POST NEWS Office Hours:9am-3:30pm Phone: 403-637-2953 editor@hitchingpostnews.com www.hitchingpostnews.com Editor Tara Jenkins Publishers Tara Jenkins & Angela Lambert Staff Cartoonist Simon Oleny tara@hitchingpostnews.com angela@hitchingpostnews.com Box 456 Water Valley, AB T0M 2E0 2 • Volume 2 , Issue 7A • Hitching Post News
Reluctantly I find myself being compelled to providing context after reading the Cremona Mayor's most recent spin effort in vol. 2, issue 6B of the Hitching Post News (p.4) in which she stated: “There has been a lot of attention given to the salaries of council and administration. In the spirit of transparency I am presenting everyone with the following information.”. I am attaching supporting documents that you may feel free to publish, although only attach them so that you may confirm that the following are, to use the Mayor's own words, “verifiable facts” to clarify “unfounded claims of misinformation” (HPN vol.2,iss5A,p.9). The originals of the documents can be viewed by all readers of HPN at Linda's Hair in Cremona. The first item has to do with my earnings on the Mountain View Seniors Housing Board as being $7,143. As you can see by the attached document that was supplied to the Mayor by Mountain View Seniors Housing (MVSH), the Mayor came up with this amount by adding the amount of $1,988.71 (that represents mileage and other expenses) to $5,155.00 (that represents compensation for my time). In my mind transparency requires presenting facts so that the reader is not left drawing conclusions. Due to numerous issues surrounding MVSH last year, from cost overruns and insolvent contractors at the new lodge to hiring a new CAO, 2011 required a lot of work from the board. I sit on the board and also on two committees (building and personnel), one of which I am the chair. The $5,155.00 was for attending 23 meetings, 2 three day conferences (one in Leduc and one in Edmonton) and 2 Saturday “planning sessions” (which were also attended by the Mayor for which she also received $650.00). Board members were paid $130.00 for 3 hour meetings plus $30.00 per hour for traveling fees and mileage is reimbursed at 50.5 cents per kilometer. For items such as attending the opening of the new lodge I made no claim for compensation (unlike the Mayor who charged the Village $65.00 to attend). Now that MVSH is “on track” board and committee meetings have been reduced to eery second month, and as other board members were able to attend the conferences this year, both my compensation and my expenses for MVSH will be less than half of what they were in 2011. Any reader who wishes to confirm this information can do like the Mayor did and approach MVSH for confirmation. Perhaps the “attention given to salaries” referred to by the Mayor was due to a villager, during the “question period” portion of a recent council meeting, wanting to know why the Mayor had given he Deputy Mayor my other position (board member on the regional Waste Management Commission board that represented 7.2% of my total annual income) in October 2011 leaving me with only the MVSH board position. (It should be noted that they Mayor sits on seven and the Deputy Mayor sits on five committee and board positions.) The Mayor's reply was “that's just the way it is”. She also appeared to be uncomfortable when questioned about other items that she did at the taxpayers' expense, such as attending a SPOG meeting, a hydraulic fracking presentation, a parade in a neighbouring county (ie – the Caroline Parade) – none of which really benefit the Cremona taxpayer. However, it seems that if the Mayor wishes to attend something then it is a legitimate expense claim. She does not require authorization from Council. For what it is worth, I also attended the fracking presentation, but it never occurred to me that this was another opportunity to stick it to our beleaguered taxpayers. Fortunately, Villagers will no longer have the opportunity to ask such embarrassing questions at council meetings because, as of June, the Mayor has now unilaterally eliminated both the “open forum” and the “question period” - that she had implemented to replace the open forum. This from the advocate of “the spirit of transparency”. As my Revenue Canada notice of assessment for 2011 (attached) will attest, my income from all sources was $15,045. The Mayor's action of reducing my income by 7.2% ( $1,083.35) is a move that is best summed up by the latin legal maxim “res ipsa loquitur” - the thing speaks for itself. (And shouldn't the electors be the ones to punish elected officials at re-election time?) Keeping Our Communities Connected!
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Letter to the Editor Continued The second item has to do with transparency with the CAO salary. The Mayor states this amount as $90,697.00. This does not appear to include benefits. Moreover, why does the mayor not include the CAO's expenses, as she did with my “remuneration”? His mileage expenses alone for 2011 were $2,509.35. This does not include his meals or hotel expenses (ie – AUMA convention, CAO convention...). It would be nice to see fair and consistent presentation of “verifiable facts”. From where I sit the Mayor's numbers look more like moving targets. I would suggest, in “the spirit of transparency”, that the following information be provided for context. In the October 2011 council meeting the Mayor and Deputy Mayor voted to move the CAO salary from salary grid step 4 ($89,416.00 per annum or $49.13 per hour) to step 5 (92,103.00 or $50.61 per hour). Anyone who wishes to do so, under access to information legislation can obtain CAO compensation information from Municipal Affairs. For 2010 a comparison of compensation packages for village CAOs indicates a range from $28,185 (Glendon, pop 483) and $32,695 (Caroline, pop 515) to $78,849 (Foremost, pop 524) and $93,811 (Cremona, pop 463). By contrast, as councillor I earn $150.00 per month plus $30 per council meeting. For further context – as I spend about 10 hours a week on speaking with villagers, business owners, municipal affairs and reviewing correspondences, minutes, etc, - that works out to $3.75 per hour, less than half of what students make at their summer jobs with FCSS. The final item is a reflection on a recent letter to the editor in your paper in which the writer felt that our village was better represented by three elected officials. Had this individual attended even one council meeting recently he would have observed what was blatantly obvious to students in a Social Studies class from Cremona School (see page 3 of the November 29, 2011 issue of the Carstairs Courier) that had attended the November 2011 council meeting. Since I am the only councillor who opposes items such as draconian water shut off procedures to ridiculous parking fines that go all the way up to $200.00 and hitch hiking fines of $70.00, and yet 99% of these RFDs are passed by council, Cremona's governance is closer to that exercised by President Assad in Syria. I signed the dissolution petition, and I am proud to admit it. I thank you for allowing me to help further “the spirit of transparency”. I could go on, but I am hoping that your readers will recognize spin when they see it, and when the mayor refers to “council”, that she does not speak for me.
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Yours truly, Karel Beckman Councillor, Village of Cremona Publishers note: All supporting documents referenced in the above letter have been posted on our website; www.hitchingpostnews.com
Keeping Our Communities Connected!
Hitching Post News • Volume 2 , Issue 7A• 3
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Volunteerism is alive and well in Cremona Submitted by Teri Minton, Community Projects Coordinator It’s amazing how much can be accomplished when a small group of energetic volunteers come together with a common goal. That energy is contagious and tends to draw in more right up to the last second to ensure a success story such as Cremona Day 2012
each year, and facilitate the spectacular fireworks show. Our local firefighters set off our amazing fireworks in the rain for us this year.
Thank you to The Cremona Hall Board for the use of your facilities throughout the day. The Hall was the perfect location to host the pancake To think that a small village can breakfast and the laser tag in the triple its population in a one day evening. celebration is quite the feat. The Cremona Canada Day enthusiasm To The Cremona & District has been carried on for years now Recreation Board, we thank you for with no stoppage in sight. It is your continuing support in our important to recognize our community, and for making the laser community groups, as each has tag possible. spent hours to contribute something special to Cremona on Canada Day. Thank you to all the kids who It is with that idea in mind that the dressed up in Canada Day garb and Cremona Day Committee hopes to handed out all the pre-parade candy convey our most sincere gratitude to to get the ball rolling. We appreciate the many volunteers who made this our very special parade marshals, Mrs. Elma Bird, Mr. Alan Reid and day special! Mr. Mick Earle, who represented the Each year The Lion’s Club plays a founding families of Cremona. huge role in contributing to the Carstairs Ford’s generosity was success of Cremona’s Canada Day. wonderful, as they lent us a beautiful They run the family races, build the red F150 for our marshals to ride in. money infused sand pit, arrange and RCMP Constable Mamchur and pay for the entertainment tent, offer Corporal Wright, thank you for the pancake wagon for breakfast, set leading our parade - the two of you up their chuck wagon to feed us and looked very professional and are willing to help with any other official. The many parade entries tasks as needed. Thank you to all the always make the parade extra Lions who help to keep us special, and we should take time to entertained and our tummies happy! recognize the efforts of everyone who entered and made the parade Linda Baur, you have contributed so one of the best yet! Shauna Ward much of your time to making and Dennis Atter effortlessly Canada Day special in Cremona for handled our parade registration and years! Your experience with MaryAnn McLean Bouck did a offering local entertainment is wonder job lining up our parade participants. We appreciate the unparalleled in our community! efforts of our judges – Caroline Cremona’s three churches banded McBain, Michael and Xian Kerfoot. together to offer a non- An excellent addition to our parade denominational church service. this year was Darren Jacobson & the What a treat this was for everyone Cremona Senior High School Band – you did an outstanding job! that attended!
special tip of the hat to Don Smith, Brenda Pawson-Smith, Cam Reid, Harris Gardner, Mark Gardner, Gord Leask and Dick Ross who worked for weeks on end to get everything ready for our tractor pull, and the Olds Two Cylinder Club for the use of equipment and volunteers. Jim Waiting from Olds Import Sales provided the pull-back tractor which was an absolute necessity for our event to happen. Thanks also to Harris, as he built the float and ran his personal tractor to level the pull area after each pull. Johnnie and Kim Wingert donated the trophies to the event, Cam Reid helped out building the sled, announcing and gave support where he could, and Don Smith, Harris and Mark Gardener built a brand new pull sled - their time and financial contributions should not go unnoticed.
Thank you to Wendy Buckton and Betty Ann Horbay for organizing crafts to entertain the kids, and to Lynn Christian who helped them out. A great job by Annessa Good and the Cremona FCSS summer staff for running the children’s games and face painting. Shirley and Shawn at Mountain View Waste Commission were helpful in setting up our garbage bins and recycling trailer. Larry and Jeremy from our Village’s Maintenance Department helped in all aspects of the day and in the beautification of Cremona both before Canada Day and afterward.
The Adult Ball Tournament is a mainstay in the day, and without Chad Bellamy’s organization it would not have happened. Hopefully the rain held off until the tournament ended. Thanks also goes out to Shane Jacobs and Dawn and Kent Armstrong who were Thank you to Cremona’s restaurants instrumental in making the Family for participating in a “Taste of Cremona”. Baseball happen. Did any of you notice the Cremona Trivia posted around town? Dorit Bird gathered these tidbits of information about Cremona for us, and we are all the more knowledgeable about our village now because of it.
To the Gold & Silver Club Members – thank you for opening your museum, offering tea and coffee to those who visited and providing a nice atmosphere for people to visit throughout the day. Jean Knect organized the crib tournament, and it The Cremona and District Volunteers and participants alike was enjoyed by a number of people. Emergency Services personnel were instrumental in making the provide us with a delicious breakfast Antique Tractor Pulls a success! A Special attention should be given to
4 • Volume 2 , Issue 7A • Hitching Post News
Didsbury Pharmasave, who donated parade participant bags at the absolute perfect time, and Ken Mainprize, who donated 16 pounds of candy which was used to fill some of those bags, and the rest being used for our clowns to hand out to everyone at the parade to enjoy. Others donated candy as well; thank you for donating something to help make Cremona’s Canada Day a great time.
Lastly, thank you to everyone who participated in the day! Without your attendance, the day would not have been as successful! We look forward to continued success with Canada Days in the future! Our July 1st wrap up meeting was held on July 9th. If you were unable to attend, but have suggestions to make 2013’s Cremona Day better, please forward them to cremonacommunityprojects@yahoo .com or by mail in care of Village of Cremona, Box 10, Cremona, AB, T0M 0R0.
Keeping Our Communities Connected!
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To and From Old and New Lands By Frank van Doorn In Holland, back in 1954, my dad, great uncle and some of their friends created the Casting Club of The Hague (Castingclub 's-Gravenhage). Dad was the editor of the club newsmagazine where he translated and wrote much of the content. My great uncle was president, was well known in the fishing community and companies regularly sent him equipment to test. The club held regular meetings, casting lessons and international casting competitions. Well, that Club affiliation came to an end in May of 1958 when Mom, Dad, my sister, then 9 years old, and I, then 2, emigrated to Canada and ended up in Calgary. Over the next 18 years Dad taught me all he knew in casting, both spin and fly, and we went on many adventures and our relationship was very much like the father-son duo in the movie "A River Runs Through It" (some scenes were eerily identical actually). The Bow was our home river, though we did venture further afield from time to time. I wound up being recruited to Edmonton for seven years competing as a member of Canada's National track team while attending the University of Alberta. After retiring from my successful international track career and graduating with two degrees from the UofA, I couldn't wait to come back to Calgary to work in my new career in education and to fish with my Dad in the world class Bow River, but it wouldn’t last. Within a few years Dad retired from the CPR and with Mom moved to Vancouver Island. My best fishing pal was gone again and Calgary was growing at an alarming rate and I was beginning to feel crowded.
had me trade up my bachelor pad for an 80 acre parcel of rocks, some forest, a tiny creek with a beaver pond and pasture land. While moving away from the Dogpound was a little hard, I am now near the Little Red Deer river with the Fallen Timber also close by and the Burnt Timber 45 minutes due west. In other words I'm in fly fishing paradise! For fun a few years back I went on the Internet to see if Dad's old casting club was alive and on the net. It was, and I promptly sent an email to the site editor explaining that I was the son and grand-nephew of two of the original members and that my dad was still living and on Vancouver Island with my Mom. I received a very tentative letter asking for more proof. I emailed my Dad to send me a good photo of the members from back then. I got that email and added names and arrows indicating who everyone was and sent it to Holland. I then received an enthusiastic response! It turned out that Dad is the last surviving original member and I forwarded this note to him.
club magazine again! And, in time, I (above) began to do the same while a I had a great day with this one! friendship grew between the editor, Ron, and I. It wasn't long when I extended an invitation for him to come over to fly fish the streams I had written about. In 2009, Ron and his friend Harry came in early July for a two week hard-core session in bush fishing, Alberta style. July 2009 was hot and dry. The spring hadn't given much precipitation so the rain fed streams were low and rather warm. There was talk of catch and release fishing everywhere to minimize the damage to already stressed fish stocks. So, fishing was hard and thin for the boys from Holland. They loved the wildness of everything and when their two weeks was up they promised to come back again.
In August of 2010, both Ron and Harry returned and had a much better fishing experience. I had set them up for a float on the Bow River. A student of mine is a fine fly fisherman and his father is a professional guide. This adventure put smiles on my friends faces as each landed good fish and enjoyed the scenery. The Browns in the neighbourhood were much more willing to take flies than the previous year. In fact, on the Fallen Timber, Ron caught "the fish of his life" and was more than thrilled to have done so. Harry caught many fish, even a small Bull Trout and a nice Cutthroat. And I didn't do so Soon after our return, I found the (above - My Dad is the tall guy with bad either. road bike of my dreams at Bike Bros glasses, 3rd from the left, and Oom in Cochrane and promptly began Klaas, my Great-Uncle is the fellow putting 1000 kilometers a month on with the checker tie and white shoes. it. I signed up for the Enbridge Ride This is a casting class in a local to Conquer Cancer, a 200 km in two school gymnasium) days fund raising challenge in support of the Alberta Cancer Foundation. This event takes place on the 23 and 24 of June, just 12 days away. For more information go to www.conquercancer.ca/goto/leaddog
Well, a bunch of years later I got outta town and I bought a place along Dogpound Creek. I traded an inner city, noisy, cheek by jowl yet isolated, cement and concrete life for space, trees, wildlife and quiet (except for many different kinds of Ron with the fish of his life (above) bird song). It was perfect for a suddenly single fellow who needed (above - Here they are practicing Harry with another nice Brown to escape vagarious life, reinvigorate casting. They dressed up for casting classes in those days. Suit, or sport and move on to the next phase. coat, and tie. below - A casting Fishing on the Dogpound within 100 competition with some fellows meters of my door was a blissful about to cast.) time. There are some scary big Dad began writing stories for the brown trout in that stream. I took some video of them spawning one fall and was surprised and fascinated by their number and size. That video played for a season non-stop at a fly fishing shop in Cochrane. New circumstances, Susan and horses, Keeping Our Communities Connected!
2011 had Susan and I head off to Europe, for me to see the 'old country' and for Susan to get off the continent and see what my mom means by 'real' antique, not the 'early attic' they have around here! We stayed mainly at Ron's place for a good ten days of Dutch sightseeing, including where I used to live, and a visit to the clubhouse with some beer and freshly smoked eel and mackerel with the members of Dad's old casting club. Then a road trip through Belgium and Germany and back before Sue and I headed off by train to Versailles and Paris on our own. Paris was the highlight for me with us watching the final leg of the Tour de France. Amazing pageantry, everything I had watched for years on television and now we were there! That experience hooked me on cycling again.
As I sit and write this in early June with rain drumming on the roof and thundering rolling outside, the streams are flooding from the heavy rains of the last few days. The boys from Holland are coming back in early July. I hope the rivers calm down by then, but there are dire warnings of heavy flooding especially for the mountain streams, like the Bow, where the record snowpack has still to come down. Perhaps our rain and spring fed streams from the foothills will be spared. As usual in this somewhat wild part of the world, fishing is hit and miss with mom nature still calling all the shots. Hitching Post News • Volume 2 , Issue 7A• 5
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Cowboys Celebrated
Two Men in Thailand - Ode to Bangkok Travel Log with Scott Davis OK, I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. I Square market, which would have I walked out of the park’s east gate was wrong about you Bangkok, and been interesting if I was in the for dinner and a stroll around the you have my sincere apologies. market for a handbag, sexy shoes, or Suan Lum Night Bazaar. lingerie. Oh sure, you lack the spit and polish of Hong Kong, but you have a glitz and glamour matched by only a few cities anywhere. You also have a sense of mystery and intrigue all of your own, and your bars and boutiques draw throngs of pleasure seekers from all over the world. Yes, you are crowded and chaotic, but your ten million citizens coexist with remarkable civility. You have a fascinating blend of the old and the new, with both a fun loving, forward looking attitude and a deep respect for your culture and traditions.
I went back to Siam Central Skytrain, took the Silom Line, and headed south. In no time, I had disembarked at the Saphan Taskin station, just a short walk from the Sathorn Central Pier on the Chao Phraya River. Another 150 Baht later, I had a day pass for the Chao Phraya tourist boat. This entitled me to ride the river all day, and get off and on as many times as I wanted, at any pier on the ferry’s route.
While you may sprawl across the plains of south central Thailand in a manner that would make Los Angeles envious, you also cram a remarkable number of people and activities into a small amount of space. And so what if you have your seedy side in Khoasan Road and the I rode the ferry from one end to red light districts: what city doesn’t another, then back again to the have a black eye or two? Sathorn Pier. This allowed me to take photos of the amazing views on Your office towers and hotels may both sides of the river, and enjoy the not be as tall as other cities, and they bustling traffic on the waters of the may be spread across the landscape Chao Phraya. like grain elevators across the Saskatchewan plains; but your modern skyline still impresses. What is even more impressive are the historic religious and government buildings standing in the skyscraper’s shadows, still dignified and unthreatened. From the Sathorn, Pier, I went north As the capital city, you are the seat again, and disembarked at the Tha of power for the whole nation, but Thien Pier, which is just a few steps you also dominate the country’s away from the Grand Palace and the religious, cultural and economic life city’s two biggest and most famous like few capitals in the world. wats (Buddhist temples), Wat Phra You’re quite the place Bangkok, and Kaeo and Wat Pho. I didn’t have I wish I had more time to discover time to tour either one, but I did your many qualities. circumnavigate their gated walls, and was able to take a few pictures Boogeying Around Bangkok that more than hint at the grandeur that lies within. I also walked So what made me change my mind through the Saranrom Palace in just a day? It was easy. I figured Gardens, an oasis of tranquility and how to get out and see something, one of the city’s greatest public and I saw quite a bit in a short period parks. of time. From the gardens, it was back to the It all started when I bought a special Tha Thien Pier, then back to Sathorn map from an English bookstore on Central and onto the Skytrain. I took Sukhumvit Rd., on the north side of the Silon line to its western the street in the shadow of the terminus, and dropped to street level towering Skytrain. I plotted a route, to inspect the National Stadium. Then it was back on the Silom and I was on my way. Skytrain to the Sala Daeng station, I bought a Skytrain day pass for 120 where I walked across the street to Baht, and was soon going westward Lumpini Park, another oasis and the from the Asok station to the Siam city’s biggest and oldest park. Central transfer station. I dropped to street level to check out the Siam After exploring Lumpini for a while, 6 • Volume 2 , Issue 7A• Hitching Post News
By this time, I was getting a little tired, so I headed back to my hotel, via the Silom line to the Siam Central Station, where I changed trains and headed back east. I disembarked at the Nana station, and a few minutes later I was back in my hotel room.
Tara Jenkins
Cremona Village Council honoured the Cremona Cowboys Atom Hockey Team for their accomplishment of the Triple Crown this past hockey season. Their hard work and dedication paid off when they won their crown, but it also puts Cremona on the map. These ambassadors for team sports were presented with banners.
I’m sorry if this all sounds confusing, but my point is, you can see a lot of Bangkok in very little time if you know where you are going and how to get there, without wearing out a lot of shoe leather and blowing a bundle on taxis and tuktuks. I got a whole new appreciation for Bangkok today, and am kind of sorry that I have to leave tomorrow. But I left enough unexplored that I may be encouraged to come back some day, and that’s not something I expected when I got out of bed this morning. So long Bangkok. I hope you will accept my apologies, and I hope to see you another day. Next Issue: His Thailand trip now history, Scott heads Down Under, and arrives just in time for the Australia Day celebrations.
moth photo submitted by Sheila Korney
Greetings from Cremona United Church Submitted by Sheila Snowdy Cremona United Church opened in 1937 and is celebrating its 75th Anniversary this year. With joy and thanksgiving the occasion was marked with a special Anniversary Service on Sunday, June 10, 2012 at 3:00 p.m. The church was filled to capacity as favourite hymns were sung and enjoyed. Talents were shared with all as two violin solos and a flute and piano duet were performed for our listening pleasure. A lunch afterwards provided an opportunity for visiting and reconnecting with friends. A certificate of congratulations from the Government of Canada in recognition of the 75th Anniversary and pioneer spirit was received as well as greetings from across Canada and New Zealand. Regular Sunday Services at 10:30 a.m. Church contact: Rev. P. Marie Wedderburn 403-637-2200 Where a warm welcome awaits with refreshments after service. Keeping Our Communities Connected!
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Canada Day Celebrations 2012 HPN took a whirl wind tour of three communities on Canada Day. The Pancake breakfast provided by Cremona and District Emergency Services started the day off well. The following parade did not disappoint. The Old Fashioned Tractor Pull was also a great event in Cremona to take in. A trip to Didsbury uncovered the Didsbury Fun Flyers showing off their planes and treating spectators to a show. Sundre, though rainy was full of fun at the museum.
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Hitching Post News • Volume 2 , Issue 7A• 7
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8 • Volume 2 , Issue 7A• Hitching Post News
Keeping Our Communities Connected!
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Cremona FCSS Happenings submitted by Tanya Shand, Director Cremona FCSS Summer is upon us! Hopefully your family was able to enjoy the July 1st festivities in Cremona or surrounding communities. We had fantastic weather….hopefully more will come! A reminder to everyone that our Summer Fun program runs three days a week (Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday) from 9 am to 3:30 pm each day. The program is open to kids ages 6 to 12, and only costs $2.50/child/day (or $5/week). The summer staff is amazing at planning fun activities for everyone to participate in – so far, (and this is just a few things) they have planted a garden, had a massive water fight, done lots of great crafts, played floor hockey, had freeze dance contests and been to the playground numerous times. The days are jammed full! No sign up is required, just drop in with a lunch & water bottle, your $2.50 & join in! We’ll be running the program until August 23.
School, and on August 16, you can “Live, Love, Laugh….EAT!” Posters will be up in the community, so keep your eyes open! These activities are open to those ages 12 & up, and cost only $3. Snacks and prizes are provided.
Cremona/Water Valley signed up again for the Choose Well Challenge. It’s a program organized by Alberta Parks & Recreation, to bring awareness to the importance of making better lifestyle choices – food and physical activity. Idea calendars were sent home with Cremona School Elementary students to give families some ideas of what different activities they could participate in together. I hope you & your family are able to use some of the ideas, or create some new ones! We have also added the Choose Well component into our Summer Fun program, by increasing the physical activity we do with the kids, and encouraging healthier snacks. The FCSS office has many brochures on the Choose We’ll be joining in on Didsbury’s Well Challenge and related topics. Summer Fun Bus Trips again this Stop by to pick some up if you’re year. The trips this year include interested. Discovery Canyon (July 12), Calgary Zoo (July 26), Calaway Summer hours at the FCSS office Park (August 2) and Calgary will be a bit more sporadic July & Science Center (August 16). The August – I’ll be in the office on cost for the bus trips is $40/person Tuesdays from 9 am to 3:30 pm, and & includes transportation, either Wednesday or Thursday from admission & supervision. 9 am to 3:30 pm. (the office will be Participants must bring their own closed the last week of July/1st lunch & water. These trips are open week of August for holidays – to kids ages 6 to 12 & you must pre Summer Fun will still go as register & pay one week in advance planned) You may contact me at of the trip. Only 10 spots are any time by calling 403-637-3731 email me available each trip. Gather some or friends and call the FCSS office to atfcss@village.cremona.ab.ca. Our July/August newsletters were register! mailed out a this week…if you did Annessa has been working on some not receive one, they can be found at teen activities over the summer. On the office, Mountain View Credit July 5, she hosted a floor hockey Union, Village of Cremona, Water tournament. On July 26, a fancy Valley General Store and the Aspen drink and movie night is being Café, or on our website – planned, on August 9 a free gym http://cremonafcss.wetpaint.com/. night will be held at Cremona Have a great rest of the summer!
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Mayor’s Corner submitted by Leslie Abrams, Cremona Mayor Sidewalk Construction Open House courts are presently fenced which On July 24, 2012 an open house is help keep small children off the being sponsored by the Village of roadways. Secondly, the park’s Cremona in regard to the proximity to the Library encourages construction of the sidewalk on the Library use and literacy. Not to north side of Railway Ave., between mention children will have access to Center Street and First Street East. bathrooms when either the Village The purpose of the open house is to or Library is open. Only a small allow for interested parties to meet portion of the court will be used, the with the village engineer, Mr. Ron Playground surface area will be 53’ Kitagawa to discuss the construction X 32’ so that available basketball plans. This will be done on a one to nets can still be used. one bases to eliminate the possibility Play Quest is the equipment of anyone feeling intimidated by provider and GPI is the installer of individuals or a large group. Your the solid rubber surface. Equipment comments will be documented and was constructed June 26 by brought to Council for their Volunteers and a Play quest consideration. The open house will employee. The solid Pour-In-Place be held at the Cremona Gold and surface installation began July 3. Silver Hall, 113 Center Street. It The surface will take 7 days to set will run from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm. I and dry. Weather permitting children hope you will take the time to attend should be able to enjoy our new and find out the facts about the facility as of July 13, 2012. A project. Advertisements will be plaque will be hung on site posted and a mail out will be sent recognizing all contributors and their generosity at a ceremony to be before the meeting takes place. held in September. The Village will Cremona Cowboys Atom Hockey maintain the facility, but there will be very little maintenance once Team At the June council meeting Council project is complete. The playground proudly recognized the Cremona will be valued at $48,500.00 all of Cowboys Hockey Team with which was donated by corporate and personalized banners for their personal donations and grants. 3 incredible Triple Crown fundraisers were held, Family Fun accomplishment. This amazing Day April 2011, July 1st BBQ little (only 11 members) team Dinner and Winterfest Pictures with consisting of Denton Argent, Brody Santa. Coleman, Tage Fawns, Brandon This facility would not have been Tetz, Kyle Crosbie, Dane Bennett- possible without the committee, Nimijean, Dayton Foster, Julien donators and volunteers. Thank you Ducharme, Dylan Laye, Madison to all who helped build Cremona’s Black and Dawson Laye hold the Toddler Park. titles of 2012 CAHL Tier 2 Committee: Nikkie McCarthy, Sara Champions, 2012 Provincial Atom Davies, Marlies Kuechler, Jessica D Champions and Tournament of Gano, Rayel Walker and Mindy Champions Atom A Champions. Whittle Donators: Alberta These young people represented Corporate Cremona all over Alberta this past Recycling Management, Telus, winter with the upmost of class and Shell Canada, BP, TransCanada sportsmanship. Our athletic Pipeline, Mountain View Credit programs would not be possible Union, Village of Cremona, without the dedicated parents, Pengrowth and Crop Production volunteers and coaches. A special Services/Agrium thanks to Coach Clair Crosbie and Personal and Charity Donators: Assistant Coaches Terry Black and Cremona & District Recreation Jody Laye. CONGRATULATIONS Board, Lions Club, Parkhill Woman’s Guild, C. Bower, I. CREMONA COWBOYS! Grauer, R. Mader, D. Grauer, N. Ziebarth Cremona Toddler Park In December 2010 Council created Volunteers: Doug, Lori, Evan and the Cremona & Community Ray Grauer, Grant Bird, Troy and Recreation Partnership. The Jess Gano, Sara Davies & Kevin committee’s mandate was to raise Sammons, Matt and Marlies funds to erect a Toddler Playground Kuechler, Rayel Walker, Joel for youth in our community who are Newsome, Andrew Haggbald, Mark unable to use the school park during Myra, Steph Newberry and Ron Raybould school hours. Playground construction began June Contributions can still be made at 26, 2012 in the south west corner of the Village of Cremona office. All the Old Tennis Court next to the donations over $10 receive a tax Village office and Cremona Public deductible receipt. Library. There are many advantages to this location. First the Tennis Hitching Post News • Volume 2 , Issue 7A• 9
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PUBLIC NOTICE Grande Prairie Generation, Inc.
Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act Notice of Application In accordance with the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act, Grande Prairie Generation, Inc. has applied to Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development for an approval for construction, operation and reclamation of a proposed 95 MW power plant consisting of two simple cycle natural gas fired turbines with dry low–NOX technology for emissions control. The proposed power plant referred to as the Harmattan Energy Centre will be located at LSD 5 of Section 26 Township 31 Range 4 West of the 5th Meridian in Mountain View County approximately 16 kilometers north of the Village of Cremona, 17 kilometers southeast of the Town of Sundre, and 23 kilometres west of the Town of Didsbury. Pursuant to section 73 of the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act, any person who is directly affected by this operation may submit a written statement of concern regarding this application. Failure to file a statement of concern may affect the right to file a Notice of Appeal with the Environmental Appeals Board. Such a statement of concern must be submitted to: Director of Southern Region Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development Regulatory Approvals Center Main Floor, 9820 – 106 Street Edmonton, Alberta T5K 2J6 Fax (780) 422-0154 within 30 days of the date of this notice. Please quote Application No. 001-311030 when submitting a statement of concern in regards to the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act application. Note: Any statements filed regarding this application are public records which are accessible by the public. Copies of the application and additional information can be obtained from: Grande Prairie Generation, Inc. Attention: Tammy Sanford 1005 BRANDON SHORES RD BALTIMORE MD 21226 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Telephone: (410) 787-5370 Fax (410) 787-6637
THANK YOU ALL SOO MUCH !!! On June 22/2012 My 3 Yr. Old Best Friend and only Roommate, Female Husky/Shepard Named "BRIA BLU" got spooked by a falling tree that luckily just missed her and ran into the forest on the West-End of the Big Prairie Road by the Graham Hall at 1pm. She has never ran-off like this... she always stay's close... Poor Little Girl was so terrified she panicked. Then my panic set in when she didn't promptly return. I immediately stopped working...got in my truck... and drove from Graham Hall to Anderson Valley Ranch...then to Water Valley and back again including every side road and resident road from 1pm till 10:30 pm calling her name/whistling. I Met So Many Nice People along the way. NORM SAUNDERS.. Owner of the Water Valley Liquor Store...compassionately cancelled all of his plan's for the Water Valley Celtic Fest that afternoon and instead got in his truck with his 4 legged roommate "Arrow”, Binocular’s and drove several hour's till dark searching for Bria. Then the next morning he gotup early to print pictures of Bria for lost posters. (Huge Heart This Man ) My Neighbor's...KERRY BUSBY and JANINE FALCK... Upon hearing also changed their plans and immediately got in their vehicle and joined in the search. (Both Beautiful and Spirited Women ) Another Neighbor...JOHN LAFAVE...periodically checked my house to see if Bria somehow found Her Way Home. PAT LESLIE also called to offer help and met with me on the road during my search to get lost poster's to distribute in His Travel's (Very Cool, Very Much Appreciated) LINDA ANDERSON of Anderson Valley Ranch compassionately allowed me to drive through her Campground to search for Bria (Another Beautiful Spirited Woman of Water Valley) *Speaking of Beautiful Spirited Women... MARIE COATES... The Totally Awesome/Boss Lady I was working for when Bria got spooked and kept running... This Amazing Woman Felt So Bad for Bria and I she spent many hours on the phone with neighbors and even called an expert breeder of Husky's for character trait ideas to find Bria. Imagine...that night Marie bravely went into her forest with a flashlight because she was told that Bria may be hiding in fear near-by and may be attracted to a light and a Friendly Voice. The Incredible consideration, determination, and compassion Marie showed for a total stranger is totally amazing and I am so grateful to her for risking her own well-being and to the so many she called. (This Girl is Fearless!!! ) I slept like a Horse that night...20 minutes at a time...standing up. Watching the door hoping Bria would appear, praying the wild animals didn't kill her... At first light I set off towards Marie's home again and made another stop at the Anderson Valley Ranch on the way. As I drove through slowly calling/whistling... a guy walked over to my truck and asked ...are you looking for a Dog? I anxiously replied; “Yes”. “A Husky he asked? ...My heart skips a beat as I stutter YES. He said, “She's in my motorhome” I got out of my truck, weak at the knee, could this be? He opened the door...and there she be...My Best Friend Bri!!! She came to me full of kisses and I'm not embarrassed to say I cried so hard in relief. Choked with emotion I hugged and thanked this kind hearted couple named TONYA and TRAVIS for taking my little girl out of the rain and into their beautiful motorhome for the night. Amazing People...taking a wet shedding stray dog into a new motorhome and even letting her sleep on a bed !!! 10 • Volume 2 , Issue 7A • Hitching Post News
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Keeping Our Communities Connected!
11 • Volume 2 , Issue 7A • Hitching Post News
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Here’s My Card www.hitchingpostnews.com has a new classified feature to gain added exposure to your business or what you have for sale check it out!
HPN offers a wide variety of advertising options right for your business, event or activities. Contact by email or phone (403)637-2953 • Volume 2 , Issue 7A • Hitching Post News 12
Keeping Our Communities Connected!