Times Reporter

 

Need to add a new decorative piece to your home? Why not check out the art show and sale being held at the Strathmore Municipal Library on April 28?

From 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. the Wheatland Society of Art will be showcasing some of their pieces at the library. 

“The whole meeting room will be filled up, as well as within the library and this is going to be an actual art show and sale,” said Carmen Lefebvre Assistant Director of Library Services.

The Wheatland Society of Art is a non-profit organization which was incorporated in 1986. 

The show and sale will feature the work of 10 to 20 different artists. People can expect to see works done in pencil, charcoal, pastels, acrylics, watercolour and oil paints. 

Leslie Kallen’s afterschool kids art classes will also have some of their art on display for people to enjoy.  

Times Reporter

 

There will be a variety of fun, educational booths and information sessions during the Women Shaping Our Future conference being held on May 4 at the Strathmore Civic Centre. The cost to attend the event is $25, and will include snacks and a delicious lunch provided by Kim’s Katering, said Joyce Bazant, one of the organizers for the event.

“We feed everybody well,” she said.

Business and non-profit booths geared toward women’s products and services will be on display as part of the conference. 

“The conference is meant to be a fun and classy event for local ladies”, said Sharon Tibeau, also an organizer.

“The conference is geared toward women’s health and well-being. We try to make it a relaxing, fun filled, educational ladies day,” she said.

The keynote speaker for the conference is Jan Fox, who will speak on finding balance between work, home and community. Fox has been speaking to groups for a decade on topics related to leadership, team building, conflict resolution and achieving life balance, according to an online biography.

Entertainer Drew Gregory, from Standard, will serenade ladies with his unique and entertaining country music at lunch.

There will also be various sessions put on by locals who are volunteering their time, such as Colour Psychology with Berniece Bland. 

“We try to have a variety,” Bazant said.

For more information about the event or to register a booth, contact Wheatland FCSS at 403-934-5335. Tickets will be available at the door.

Booking a booth at the conference for a business costs $50, while non-profit groups pay $35. The deadline to register a booth is April 30.

This is the 11th conference for women hosted by the Rural Health Partners, an association of local groups: Wheatland Further Education Society, Wheatland FCSS, Bow Valley College, Alberta Works, Alberta Health Services and the Golden Hills School Division.

Times Reporter

 

The second annual Pet Expo is being held at the Civic Centre next weekend, and pet owners are encouraged to bring their pets down and check things out. 

“As long as they have some sort of proof of current vaccination they can definitely bring their pets on in,” said Melissa David of Quality Dog Grooming, one of the organizers. 

Last year David and Melissa Crispin-Piche of Tail Waggers Dog Walking Service paired up to bring Strathmore’s first Pet Expo. It was an immediate success with over 760 people attending. 

There will be a few changes this year due to feedback from last year. 

“What we did at the end of the expo is we had feedback sheets for everyone who attended and all our exhibitors as to what they would like to see different this year. Our two biggest comments were more agriculture stuff for the farm kids and the farming community, and more space,” said David. 

She said they were a little bit cramped in from trying to do just a little too much last year. So this year they have taken out a few of the things from last year, just to allow for more space, and then added some agriculture to it. 

“One thing that people are excited for this year is the Strathmore Vet Clinic now has a lady that does rehabilitation for injured animals, and its kind of the first of it’s kind in Strathmore. They’re going to be showcasing some of their stuff,” said David. 

As with last year non-perishable food donations are being accepted to donate to the food bank. Donations are also going to be collected to donate to Beagle Paws, which is a non-profit charity that rescues beagles and promotes them as family pets, while helping to prevent abuse and neglect. 

“We’re going to try to make a paws-way, so it’s kind of our version of a hallway. Admission is free but we will be selling paws for $2 each…you write your name on it, and then we’re going to try and fill the whole entire hallway of the Civic Centre,” said David. 

The doors open for the Pet Expo on April 21 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m., and April 27 is already booked for next year’s expo. 

 

Times Contributor

 

This past Saturday members of the Strathmore Legion and the Ladies Auxiliary Branch #10 held an evening of remembrance and celebration for the 95th anniversary of the battle of Vimy Ridge.  It was on Easter Sunday on the 9th of April 1917 when 100,000 Canadian soldiers making up of four divisions took control of the German-held line under considerable resistance.  

With overwhelming success, and hailed as one the greatest victories of World War 1, the battle of Vimy Ridge in France was applauded by world leaders. Canadian Soldiers from all over Canada forged a name for our nation. A success attributed to tactical, technical and thorough planning by the Canadian Military. Today 250-acres of the former battlegrounds is now the Canadian National Vimy Memorial.

Members of the legion and their guests had dinner served by members of the graduating class of 2012. As part of the evening’s events a single table setting was placed with a Canadian flag draped across the chair. A symbol of Canadian Soldiers who were lost at Vimy and those currently in Afghanistan, they will always be remembered and will always have a place set for them with respect and gratitude. Among the night’s events were speeches on the battle of Vimy Ridge. Legion members who had also participated in other battles spoke of their experiences of serving our country. 

As said wisely by guest speaker Pastor Dawn Nelson “It is important to be proud and honored of the men and women of our nation who have shown great courage. It is equally important to tell and share these historic events with our children so these stories never fade or lose meaning.”

 

Jason Glabik

Time Contributor

 

The Ag grounds north of Strathmore High School track could someday be home to a second water Spray Park for Strathmore if Town council supports the project.

The Strathmore Lions Club would fund the cost of construction while the Town would cover the operating costs. The club built the first spray park at Kinsmen Park.

The spray park proposed by the Lions would utilize two 1,500-gallon tanks and recycle the water while in operation. 

The current park uses $40,000 worth of water a year, based on the commercial rate charged by the Town for water, and none is recycled.

Strathmore Lions Club president Wayne Sharp and first vice president Don Geiger visited Town council on March 21 to ask why the Town is not supportive of the project. 

“Council discussed the project informally on two occasions and is supportive in principle, but not ready to proceed until their concerns have been addressed, which includes the actual operating costs,” said Dwight Stanford, Town Chief Administrative Officer (CAO)

“Initial research by administration shows that the operating costs are actually much higher than the quoted $6,000 a year, and that the water does need to be changed every so often. There is also a concern about how safe the water is going to be as there is potential for contamination from dogs, et cetera.”

The Lions began looking into the project last fall and were encouraged by Town staff to pursue a system that would use less water, Geiger said. They chose a new spray park for Strathmore because of a survey performed in 2011, in which a spray park came back as the most popular capital project the Lions could undertake, Sharp said.

In early 2012, the group learned Town council might not be interested in pursuing the project, Geiger said.

At the March 21 council meeting, council cited concerns about sanitation of the recycled water, the cost of operating the facility and land issues as reasons they are unsure about proceeding.

The proposed spray park would require a professional to monitor the system that recycles the water, which is similar to how staff maintains chemicals in a public pool.

“There’s a fair amount of maintenance,” Geiger said.

The Lions Club estimates the total annual cost to operate the park at $6,000 to $8,000, which includes the cost of water. The current park requires no one to operate, so the only cost is the water.

The land is not owned by the Town, which was a concern at the meeting, but the club is not worried about arranging for the land to be turned over to the Town if the project is approved, said Sharp. 

There is not a sewer line near the proposed spray park, which would be an issue moving forward.

Town council passed a motion to have staff research and prepare a report about the potential operating costs and sanitation of the proposed spray park.

The Lions are eager to get started on the project, and would only require some matching government grants to proceed if given the green light from the Town, according to Sharp.

The club is eager to work with the Town on the project and understands some of their concerns, he added. 

“There is no set date for the report to come to council but it is expected in the near future,” Stanford said.

Time Contributor

 

Bring your chequebook and an appetite; the Lions Club of Strathmore is hosting their annual auction on April 14 at the Strathmore Civic Centre.

Last year, over 380 people attended the event, which has been a major spring fundraiser for the Lions Club for the past 23 years, said Wayne Sharp, club president.

The event will feature a silent auction and also a live auction, starting at 6 p.m.

Local businesses and individuals have donated items for the auctions and Sharp said there are some big-ticket items being featured in the live auction. 

Almost 50 volunteers come out to make the event a success and all the money raised goes to the Lions Club, which will spend it all locally, Sharp added. Doors open at 5 p.m. Lions Club members have the $25 tickets for the event and some will be available at the door.

Fule for Thought

 

Awhile back, someone told me that my English classroom looked just like a 13 year-old’s bedroom. To explain, along with typical literature/literary device posters, I have a lot of “Pop Culture” posters like super heroes, music-themed ones, as well as cars, guitars … basically anything that is suitable for school and is colourful. 

In addition, I have The Beatles’ action figures from the old 1960’s cartoon. You’ll notice I said action figures, not dolls, as some of my colleagues have called them!

To me, dolls mostly carry the image of little girls dressing up their toys in outfits that are interchangeable. They may then have little scenarios/adventures with them. The ones I had were superhero or music figures. I truly felt they were an interesting part of my classroom’s décor! So, did the students at times!

In one of my classes a few years ago, I had to take a student who’d missed some classes, to a supervised room, where he could write a test he missed. Now one of the “rules” of teaching is to NOT leave your classroom unattended for long, or at all. Sure enough, even though I’d only been gone minutes, the damage to my action figures was disturbing. SOMEONE had taken all my figures and posed them in shocking positions! It was very traumatic to see my heroes like Superman, the Flash, Spider-Man, and Wonder Woman in poses that CANNOT be described in this family paper! I was stunned, but as in all situations with high school students, I could not let them see me ‘sweat”!  

I quickly re-positioned  them, and thought (like Deb often does) I’d use this as a teaching moment.  

“Okay, you guys … ha ha … good joke!”  

“Yeah, you got me … but you should know that none of this could happen to Spider-Man, his spider sense would have warned him!”  

“You can’t expect that a hero like Superman would be involved with this!”  

“Oh sure, I know Batman lives in a cave with his ward Robin, and a butler named Alfred, but that doesn’t mean anything!”  

I decided I was digging myself in deeper, and steered them back to the unit we were working on, BEFORE this horrible act!

A few weeks later, I was again stunned to see four of my action figures were gone from the shelf top! I interrogated all my class, but to no avail. Then a day later, I received the first of four photos of a Super Hero figure in dangerous predicaments. Yes, two students (who I later found out were on my Sr. Girls’ Basketball team) had kidnapped them, and with each photo, I had a task to perform for their return! 

First, there was a photo of Superman tied to a green rock … I could only worry of his pain next to what was obviously Kryptonite! Short directions were given on a note that said I had to sing the theme from “Barney” on the school intercom for his safe return! What could I do, but give in and sing?! After my sad rendition of the song … Superman mysteriously returned.

Next came photos of the human torch help upside down over a beaker of water!  

“Dash” from “The Incredibles” with REAL scissor blades poised around his neck, and lastly “The Hulk” with what looked like a big nail through him. Each day and its photo had me do different things to get my action figures back! I had to skip (with a rope) down the hall at lunch, shoot 3-point shots until I scored one. Luckily, I hit my second one (Thank goodness for that PE Degree!).  

I wish I could tell you the final ransom act I had to do, but I can’t remember; I must have blocked out that trauma! Finally, I had gotten all the heroes back; it was a harsh lesson!

I DID learn valuable lessons over those days. You can’t trust high school students, as they often have devious minds. You have to keep a sense of humour, but it’s still a question of “them vs. us”, and you have to protect yourself.  

My action figures are now safely in storage, except for the Beatles and Elvis … they wouldn’t DARE touch those! Or … WOULD they?

(“Fule for Thought” is a slice of life humourous column that will appear in the Strathmore Times, written by long-time resident, town councillor, high school teacher, coach, husband and father of two – Pat Fule. If you would like to get in touch with Pat, you can send him an e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )

 

Times Reporter

 

The idea of going from town to city status has been met with negativity since it was first proposed. 

At the April 4 regular council meeting the proposal was taken off the table. Councillor Pat Fule made a motion to council to discontinue any efforts in moving towards city status at this time, and cancel the May 10 open house. 

Councillor Earl Best said there have also been comments in favour of city status. Best would like to see the issue still brought to the public in order to gain a better understanding of what the community does think of the potential status change. 

Mayor Steve Grajczyk was a big advocate of city status, and still is, but thinks the citizens themselves should take a look at it and bring council any pros and cons to changing.

“I think it’s a good thing but I think there’s other issues to work on first, and I would be in favour to just let it sit for awhile and then go from there,” said Grajczyk. 

The motion was passed, with Councillor Best opposed to it. 

“The reason I voted against going to city status is simply that the I think the public needs more time to digest the good reasons for going city status, the pros and the cons, and I respect their opinion,” said Grajczyk.   

 

Water Treatment Plant 

On March 7 at the regular council meeting EPCOR attended with a schedule on how they wanted to go about decommissioning the former Water Treatment Plant (WTP). EPCOR had a recommendation for the trucking portion of the contract. Council decided at that meeting that the trucking portion of the work should be tendered out. 

The tenders were sent out, and Chief Administrative Officer Dwight Stanford began receiving calls about the tender. Included on the Internet package of the March 7 meeting on the town’s website it shows the recommended business details for the project including materials used and prices. With the information available on the website, it gives competitors creating a tender an unfair advantage over the initial company recommended. 

After discussion with the town lawyer a recommendation was finally drawn up for the April 4 council meeting. 

Stanford and administration put together a recommendation for council to approve a 2012 capital project for the WTP alum bed disposal in the amount of $319,042. Funds are to be drawn from the financial stabilization reserve, and Gray’s Limited will provide the trucking portion of the contract. 

 

Minor Hockey 

Wayne Hansen, President of Strathmore Minor Hockey, asked the town for a letter of support from the town for their bid with Hockey Alberta to host the Alberta Cup in April of 2013 and 2014. 

The Alberta Cup is a five-day hockey tournament for bantam aged players. In order to make a bid to host the event, Hansen needed the letter of support signed by the Mayor and Chief Administrative Officer before April 13. 

Councillor Blokland stated that Hansen had told him that minor hockey was looking for support other than financial. Minor hockey would need the arena to keep the ice in for a few extra weeks and they would like to rent the Civic Centre for the same time frame for open house forums for the kids and teams at no charge. 

The letter of support was given stating council will support Strathmore Minor Hockey’s efforts in hosting the Alberta Cup for 2013 and 2014. 

 

Financial Statements 

The Town has accumulated a surplus of $169 million in 2011. Though the number sounds high approximately $154 million is equity that has already been spent on tangible capital assets. 

The debt limit that the Municipal Government Act sets out for each municipality is calculated based on total revenues. Strathmore’s debt limit is calculated at just over $30 million and the actual debt the town owes is just over $15 million. At year end only 50 per cent of the Town’s debt capacity had been reached.