Times Reporter

 

Setting their sights high, the staff at the Strathmore A&W have begun their newest campaign, ‘A million pennies for MS.’ The Multiple Sclerosis Society is the charity of choice by all A&W locations, and every year the Strathmore location tries to outdo itself. 

After finding out their store was fourth in Canada for MS fundraising, the staff and management knew they could do better this year.

“We raised almost $8,000 last year, and we didn’t really feel comfortable being fourth when we knew we could do so much better. We figured kicking it off with a $10,000 fundraiser was the perfect way to start this year,” said manager Will Whatley.

“Last year we did a coin drive, we went door to door through some of the areas, just asking for spare pennies, something that one of my young lads thought of. Just over the weekend we raised almost $900 in pennies.”

While brainstorming fundraising ideas, the staff realized that people often have pennies sitting around which helped form the idea of collecting a million of them for MS. 

“I’m hoping to reach this goal in probably two months, I want to have my staff going door to door through the weekends,” said Whatley. 

A portion of the proceeds, 50 per cent, will be going directly to the MS Society, and the other 50 per cent is going to help Debra Grouwstra build a wheelchair ramp at her home. Whatley said he had heard about Grouwstra from one of his former supervisors, and was told she had to spend most of last summer confined to her house because she was unable to make it up and down the stairs.

“She was looking for funds to build a ramp so I figured we’d tie it together. Half the funds we’re going to raise will go then to the MS Society and the other half will go to rebuilding the front of her house so that she has an access ramp to be able to get in and out of her house,” said Whatley.

“They (the staff) are all pretty excited about finally getting it going and really trying to make a difference, especially now that we’re going to be able to make a difference in someone’s actual life as opposed to just giving money to the foundation.”

Fundraising has already begun, though Feb.1 was the official kick off. There are two coin jars at either side of the tills in A&W where people can donate their pennies, or any other spare change. A number of other fundraising events will take place later in the year,  including a flea market, street hockey, the Kiddie Carnival and of course MS day on Aug. 30. 

 

Times Reporter

 

Finally completing and publishing the children’s book he had written a few years ago is just one more thing Strathmore resident Cory Johnson can cross off of his bucket list. The book, ‘Sunny Days, the flower with the difference’, follows the story of Sunny the sunflower, who is different from the other flowers in the garden, and the blue eyed girl who was created to look like Johnson’s daughter Emma.

“One of the reasons why I choose flowers is because it doesn’t really relate to anybody or any race or colour. Flowers are not discriminating in anyway, and everybody likes sunflowers,” said Johnson. 

“I don’t know what exactly is out there on differences, I didn’t do a lot of research, I just know it’s something that we need to learn to celebrate and work together to realize that a difference is okay, and how we offer each other all this stuff.”

Sunny is distraught because he is not like the other flowers, and he feels he needs to be more like them. The story illustrates Sunny realizing his differences are what make him special, and that he does have a lot to offer to the garden. 

Johnson is a motivational speaker who has Cerebral Palsy, and has never let it get him down. Johnson is also a full time father, Kiwanis Club Governor Elect for Western Canada and is currently training to compete for a spot in the Paralympics.   

“The main thing with my speaking is turning disabilities into possibilities, that’s what it’s about is seeing the possibilities in people, even though Sunny is not disabled he’s just different. I believe we are all born normal and we are born exactly the way we were meant to be,” said Johnson. 

“It gives you a moral that no matter how different people are they can still fit in, you don’t have to judge based off of looks,” said Brendon Berry, Johnson’s son. Berry feels the book is like a replay of the speech only for kids, and said the speech alone had already made an impact on him and how he views other people. 

Johnson is still working to shave a little more time off his running speed for the Paralympics. He is also planning to write a book for youth between the ages of eight and 14, and said he is working on revising his first book ‘I’m not drunk, I’m disabled.’ Anyone interested in a purchasing a copy of the book can go to www.coryjohnson.ca. 

Times Contributor

 

Need to know about financing for Bow Valley College (BVC) online and part time funding but cannot get into the city to get the details?

BVC and Marigold Library are collaborating to bring the information to rural residents through interactive video conference sessions, shared between several participating libraries, and taping those sessions so residents can access the information at any time through the RISE website.

“It is very time saving and is convenient for potential students as they don’t need to wait to make an appointment to have some of their questions answered,” said Stacie Baker, lecturer on Student Financing and Budgets.

There are four sessions in all: Intro to distance learning ran Jan. 18th, Student Finance ran Jan. 25th, Career Exploration Techniques ran on Feb. 1 and Essential Online Skills will take place Feb. 8th. Response to these will determine the effectiveness of the initiative and break paths for future use of video conferencing through the Library system, perhaps in course content delivery and tutoring. 

If people are interested in viewing these, the Strathmore Library has the ability to link into the sessions, but you must call ahead of time. All sessions and posters are also available for download at http://www.risenetwork.ca.

Michelle Toombs, Director of Marigold Library, noted the network is very accessible as it can access all types of hardware interfaces, whereas something like Skype is reliant on the other party having Skype as well. She noted one of the other advantages is that it can be designed for groups of people. 

A large screen makes for easy viewing and can simultaneously post the presentation, the speaker and audience on one screen. If there are technical difficulties there is on-site staff, or staff at Marigold head office can link in and solve technical issues.

Toombs said patrons have successfully used videoconferencing for meetings, medical consultations, distance education, as well as personal growth and lifelong learning opportunities. 

For example, RISE facilitated a conversation between local farmers and the Agriculture Canada Research Station, thus exchanging valuable information while saving time and money. Also, women business entrepreneurs in and around the town of Strathmore held a videoconferencing session with a business leader in Colorado. English Language Learning students in Nanton and Hanna connected with offsite instructors. Worldwide locations such as Hawaii and Australia have been accessed.

The Library system itself has saved more than 5,000 hours of travel time and reduced their carbon footprint by not travelling more than 225,000 kilometers. 

Jesse Traquair of the Strathmore Library encourages everyone to book the facility. 

“There hasn’t been a high interest to date, but that is largely due to awareness. Those that have used the system have been blown away by its capabilities,” said Traquair.

Strathmore Library can accommodate 69 to 165 people depending on room setup. He said people do not have to be members to utilize the system, but would need to call ahead to book the equipment and room. Staff would be on hand for setup and technical help. There is some information such as dialing strings that users will need to make connection, but Traquair will advise users of those when they book. For more information call Jesse Traquair at 403-934-5540.

 

Fule for Thought

 

Every job has its ups and downs, and sometimes people need to find humour in their day-to-day work. In my 29 years of teaching, there hasn’t been a day when I haven’t laughed, and since I’m around teenagers all day, laughter has also kept me sane! So … I thought I’d share some of the strange and funny things that stand out in my memory over the years. 

I was teaching High School English in a portable, in what is now Crowther Memorial Jr. High. My class followed one of the morning breaks, and as of class time, “Johnny” (false name to protect him AND me!) was not in class. I asked the class if they knew where he was, and as I’ve come to see with teenagers, they casually ‘threw him under the bus!’ A few replied, “Oh, he’s still in the parking lot … he’s in his car, with his girlfriend!”

Huh, I thought … he’s late for class … probably will be absent … and he’s in that parking lot, just outside my window!  “Okay kids, come with me, we’re going on a field trip!” 

So, I took my whole English class out to the parking lot, and we surrounded his car!  Luckily, “Johnny” and his girlfriend weren’t doing anything shocking … they were just chatting and smoking. He looked around with a stunned face to see all 30 of our faces looking in through all his windows. I can’t tell you what word he mouthed, but he was surprised! I motioned for him to roll down his window and said, “when it comes to school, we deliver!” The end result was that he came back to class with the rest of us, we all laughed, and we even carried on with the lesson.

Any time you have teenaged guys in a PE class, sparks can sometimes fly. In one smaller PE 30 class, we were involved in a competitive Floor Hockey game. I’m sure we were playing for the Stanley Cup, because two guys got very angry, and started shoving each other, about to fight. I ran over to head off the fight, but one of my Gr.12 guys beat me there. With no hesitation, he said, “guys, guys … I can sense there’s a lot of sexual tension between you two, but …”  

Well, needless to say, the fight broke up, as we all burst out laughing, even the two would-be fighters. This one high school student used humour to disarm what could have been a very bad situation, and I’ve never forgotten it.

In another English class, one of my guys fell asleep. Usually, I like to wait until they’re in a real deep, REM sleep, then I smack the desk as hard as I can. This time though, I thought it’d be great if we could all leave him in the class alone. So, we carried on talking, as I set the clock ahead by an hour and a half. I motioned for everyone to head to the door, and we began to file out.  

Unfortunately, I only got half the class out before he woke up, but he was pretty embarrassed at the laughter he received. The good thing was, he never fell asleep again! Sometimes I’d look at him, motion to the clock and the door, and just smile. No words had to be said!

One time, some of my students turned back the humour on me! One bright June morning, as I was getting ready to come to school, I opened the front room blinds. Debbie heard me yell something, I’m not even sure what I said, as I looked out to see our front lawn. There, perfectly arranged, was some old mismatched living room set, done up nicely as a room on my lawn!  

It had couches, a chair, table and end tables, and even an old beat up standing lamp! We were stunned, then we laughed, then we panicked, as we didn’t know what to do!  

I called the Town, but they informed me it wasn’t ‘Heavy Item Garbage Day’ and there was nothing they could do! I had to leave it like that for a few hours, while I rounded up guys on spares with trucks, to remove it all.  

The neighbours enjoyed the show, and I learned first hand how funny, and creative high school kids could be! By the way, a few years later, two ‘newly official’ adults came up to me at the Station, and admitted to the ‘crime.’ We all had a great laugh, and I was totally surprised!

Times Reporter

 

In today’s society, understanding technology is very important, which is why the Strathmore Municipal Library is offering free technology courses over the next couple of months. Jessie Bach will be running the technology courses until the end of March.

“I have had a few people come in just looking for some basic help, sort of getting stuff started using the Internet and effective Google searching and that sort of thing,” said Bach. 

“It seems like everybody got e-readers for Christmas so I have been spending lots of time with people, just sort of helping them get their e-readers set up and learn how to take books out of the library.”

There are a number of courses being offered beginning in February, and though they are free, some of them do require the participants to have a library card. There is also the option of setting up some one-on-one time for those who don’t feel a course-style session will provide them the help they need. 

“The big thing with that is if people don’t find a course that appeals to them, or if they are a really basic beginner that needs help with a mouse and keyboard and maybe couldn’t keep up that kind of thing,” said Bach.

“They could really come in for any sort of computer help they need, my only restriction is I don’t do computer repair and I really don’t want to mess with any viruses.”

Some of the courses being offered include using e-readers, e-books, Overdrive, and e-resources. There will also be a getting started course with Microsoft Word, and Facebook for beginners.    

“Career cruising, that’s another online resource that we have but it’s super handy. It profiles a whole bunch of jobs and it gives you tests to figure out what you’re best at, like a real life job bank is on there too. I’m hoping to get the students out for that one, we’ll see,” said Bach. 

She doesn’t teach about Twitter but says she thinks the biggest mistake people make is, they go onto Twitter thinking it is like Facebook and try to find their friends and have conversations. 

“At least for me it didn’t work like that. I use Twitter to follow a whole bunch of new sites, like CTV Calgary, CBC, the Calgary Herald and things like that. I also follow a lot of library industry stuff, like all the professional associations and any librarian I can find on there I make sure and follow. It’s kind of where I do my professional networking and also news surfing,” said Bach. 

Registering in advance for courses is recommended since there is limited space. More information can either by dropping in, checking out the website at www.strathmorelibrary.ca or by calling 403-934-5440. 

 

Times Contributor

 

The Strathmore Theatre players hosted a showcase of talent on Friday and Saturday night at the Theatre in the Strathmore High School to raise awareness of the group and different avenues available in the town for those interested in the Arts.

The organization is completely volunteer driven and there are a variety of opportunities for people to get involved. Each production requires a number of people in a variety of roles so whatever your interests, they can always use and grow your talents.

A few of the highlights from the evening included a quirky play about courtship, marriage and reconciliation called ‘Canker Sores and Other Distractions’; an anthology of plays by American Playwright Christopher Durang, whose vibrant characters included Prunella, played by Laura Bakken, waitress Midge played well by Doug Keeling and Martin played by Mike Ell. One of the guild members, Michael Newton, who MC’d the event went on to say that the three actors were similar to “a combination of Richard Dreyfuss, Meryl Streep and Dustin Hoffman.”

Following this short play the Strathmore Children’s Choir (SCC) performed two pieces called ‘The Jones Boys’ and ‘Sound The Trumpet’ led by their Choral Director Loralee Laycock. Laycock directs three separate choirs in Strathmore, Bravo (Kindergarten – Grade 1), Encore (Grade 2 - 6) and Finale (Grade 7 and up). SCC’s mandate is to give all children the opportunity to experience the joy that music can bring in a fun, safe, friendly learning environment.  Music touches the hearts of those who hear it in a unique way, and their hope is that the music our children learn through singing in a choir will remain in their hearts forever. Laycock also performed with her two daughters, RaeAnne (10) and Shelby (8) in an acappella rendition of ‘Blue Moon’. For more information on becoming a part of Strathmore children’s Choir contact can be made through www.strathmorechildrenschoir.com

Guild Members Angela Reeves and Doug Keeling prepared a beautiful duet of the song “Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off”. Their chemistry on the stage through acting was also very evident in their ability to perform in this other genre.

Tanya Wolff (Co-Chair of the Guild) gave a dramatic choral performance of ‘Into The Woods’, complete with costuming. She was certainly comfortable in her performances as she appeared in a few numbers of both singing and acting.

The Guild is always open to receiving new members to come out and have fun in the Arts. For more information about Strathmore’s Theatre Guild and how you can get involved in a variety of levels please contact them through their website This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 

Times Reporter

 

Strathmore and Wheatland County’s newest one stop shop fitness website (www.wheatlandfitness.ca) is almost ready to go, and will hopefully launch by Valentines Day.

“I’m looking for all instructors, so anybody who teaches Karate, Tae Kwon Do…would be beneficial to it,” said Tracy Stokoe.

“I’m looking for all ranges, so kids, adult, older adults, everything. It’s meant to be a multiuse website that’s user friendly to everybody, that they can find out (about) clubs in the area, drop-in classes and registered classes.”

The website is meant to be a one stop shop for all things fitness and recreation in Strathmore and Wheatland County. 

Instructors interested in adding their classes to the site are being asked to provide a copy of their certification. Stokoe said it is so they can ensure people are finding an instructor who is properly certified to provide the training they are offering. 

The website will be an interactive site with blogs, contests and an up-to-date calendar of events. Community fitness events, such as the Children’s Wish Foundation’s Walk for Wishes, will also be advertised on the site.

“We hope to get everybody moving and having fun,” said Stokoe.  

Anyone interested in finding out more can contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .