Thursday, April 28, 2011

Gateway Gazette Grande Blog

Don't forget that we have TWO publications now!  All of the articles printed in our Grassroots publication will be posted in the blog feed you're reading now... but all articles printed in our Grande publication will be posted in a separate blog at: http://gazettegrande.blogspot.com/.

Also, did you know that you can subscribe to receive updates from our blogs?  There's a few ways you can do this, but personally I've found the easiest to be to "Follow by Email".  You'll find the option to do this in the menu sidebar to the right.

Thanks for reading!

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

St. George’s Anglican Church - Spring Cleaning....Start With Your Closets!

Clean out your closets, St. George's Anglican Guild is having another rummage sale. Donations such as clothing (especially children's clothing) shoes, paper backs, puzzles, curtains, towels, bedding and household goods can be dropped off at the Church Hall on Thursday, May 12th and Friday, May 13th from 10am to2pm each day. Please, no computers, TV's, Reader's Digest, Encyclopedias or large furniture. All donations must be clean and in good working condition so that the next person can enjoy them too. Please do not leave donations on the outside step of the hall. Thank you.

This rummage sale runs from Saturday, May 14th to Saturday May 21st, 2011. Times are as follows: Saturdays 10am to 4pm and weekdays 1 to 4pm. In case you have forgotten, the Church Hall is located South of the 4-way stop in Turner Valley, we are on the West side of Main street.

We are also hosting a one-day community garage sale on the first Saturday (May 14th) from 9am to 4pm. This garage sale is for those people who have small items, but not enough for a garage sale of their own and would like to rent a table or two for this day only. Please phone Anne (403-933-4565) for more information on either the Rummage Sale or Garage Sale.

The Life of A Visual Artist

Click on the article headline if you would like to read our entire publication online, in original print format. To leave a comment, click the link at the bottom of this post.

So, who is looking forward to the New Moon? We all know how the Full Moon affects us especially those precious preschoolers! Even Big Business, religiously avoids scheduling important events on Full Moons. Our satellite is a receptor of enormous electromagnetic power. Gravity has power over nearly everything. Only ONE element that gravity has no control over is water. Our moon controls the tides of our massive oceans. And since we humans are made up of 70% water, then it's no wonder the moons' phases affect us so strongly. What about the New Moon? Visualize this: when you focus on what you want or don't want, during the waxing of the New Moon, it's almost as if it is gathering all of our thoughts collectively and then releasing our thoughts or 'desires' back to us.

Here's a neat little trick for you. On the advent (waxing) of the New Moon, (the next one: May 3rd) make a real wish just for you. Visualize how important it is to you that it come true and then make it happen in your mind. Believe it is already taking place. Maybe you want to win a sack of cash or you're dying for a vacation somewhere wonderfully tropical. (Seriously, who isn't?) Do not focus on 'how' it will come true or how it may affect your current situation. That is not up to you. Picture it. Draw it out! Make a collage of pictures that represent it and put your own photo in it. Ensure your thoughts remain positive. Write down how much fun or how relaxing it will be. Drop the old adage that if you tell someone your wish, it won't come true. That's crazy. Tell everyone about what you expect to happen. People who love you will also start to visualize your wish coming true. It’s all in your perspective. Mother Theresa only wanted peace above everything else and when she was asked to attend an 'Anti-War Rally' (consider what kind of thoughts those attendees would have) she replied: “Invite me to a Peace Rally, and I'll be there.” Be focused ONLY on what you WANT.

~Love and light from The Real RobiN Thibodeau
allseasonchick@gmail.com

Gardens Galore: Eh…What's Up Doc? By Karen Brewka

After this long winter and late spring, we need, more than ever, our flower friends to return and promise us that swimming pool weather is coming. So, who shows up first? Prairie crocus on south facing slopes and south flower beds is one of the first. In gardening circles, it's always a bit of a contest to see who finds the first crocus. A couple of years ago, my crocus bloomed on March 5th. This year, it is shyly popping up in the middle of April. The crocus and other prairie wild flowers like Prairie Smoke and Shooting Stars show up when weather permits. They don't care if a dump of snow buries them. They just shake it off and continue with life once the snow has melted. The genetic diversity of our wildflowers makes them able to adjust to wildly fluctuating weather patterns.

We know its spring when fresh grass draws the deer and we see that pale grey-green haze in our aspen forests. The haze is created by the flowers of the male aspen poplar. They are inconspicuous at first and then they elongate and sway in the breeze while releasing pollen. The female trees flower just a bit later. The study of when things appear is called phenology. Collecting bloom times of various plants provides data that is used in climate change studies, predicting pollen release for allergy sufferers and other applications. Many gardeners' schedules follow the phenology of bloom. For example, when crocus and forsythia are in bloom, it's time to fertilize the lawn. Or, tomatoes can be set out when lily-of-the-valley are in bloom.

Alberta Plant Watch has a great web page about phenology and the Alberta Native Plant Council's web page provides lots of information about wildflowers.

Other spring garden favourites brighten our lives: iris, spring bulbs, primrose, spurge, violets and forget-me-nots pop up when we need them the most. Some evergreen and semi-evergreen ground covers like candy tuft, lamium and creeping phlox green up quickly. Plants that form winter rosettes like oriental poppies grow vigorously in the spring.

As their energy is focused on making new growth and blooming, most of the early risers don't care to be moved or divided until later in the season when they go into dormancy. That's why we have to wait until August to move Oriental Poppy or Bearded Iris.

The Valley Neighbours Garden Club welcomes new members. For information call Susan at 403 – 933 – 7675.
The Horticultural Club meets every second Tuesday of the month at 7:30 pm. For information call Sheila at 403 – 931 – 3989.

High Country Wellness Coalition Launches the High Country Resource Guide

Submitted by Evonne Smulders

The High Country Wellness Coalition is proud to announce the first edition of the High Country Resource Guide.
The High Country Wellness Coalition is a dedicated group of community members committed to improving the health and wellness of their communities.

The guide was created on the principal that an informed community is a healthier community. We believe the guide will help to connect residents and business to all the resources available. It is full of contact information from Aboriginal Services to Utilities. The Coalition is proud to have partnered with the Town of Black Diamond FCSS to print copies and to have the guide posted digitally on the Town of Black Diamond and Turner Valley Web Sites.
Look for the guide at the local town offices, library and various businesses.

Other Programs sponsored by the coalition:
  •  Mommy and Me Fitness Class on Tuesday mornings at the United Church in Turner Valley.
  •  Middle Age Movement Class on Thursday mornings at the United Church in Turner Valley.
  •  The coalition has also worked with W.H.E.N senior's health and wellness program. These are all affordable community based programs. Contact the Energy Shop at 403-933-3549 for more information.
Building PartnershipsOver the past 3 years we have been working to build partnerships in the community, support ongoing projects and complete our own. We are proud of our work including getting both the Town of Black Diamond and Turner Valley to sign a healthy community resolution which puts health and wellness as a priority in the community. Participating in and volunteering at community events including Discovery Days, Family Day and the Registration Round Up.

Household Hints by Rosemary Heads Up for Safety

It's definitely Spring -  the first harbinger has arrived. No, not our crazy robin who traditionally tries to build her nest in the space between the rear view window and car frame, nor is it the red winged blackbirds arriving at the pond. The neighbour's kids are all out with their bikes, the cheery spot on the street. All four little kids; a ten year old boy, twin eight year old boys and a five year old girl. Each of them sporting their sticker decorated helmets and having a great time. Our road is still a sand and gravel grade, so not the easiest to peddle on. We do however have one small crescent across from us that was paved when the municipal government had to repair a culvert and where all the children seem to congregate. I am so pleased that they are encouraged to be safe and, after having a chat with their Mom, thought I could pass on some of her sensible advice.

First of all, always insist on a helmet when biking, and set an example by using one yourself. Children can be encouraged to wear the helmet if they are allowed to decorate it themselves. They can do so with stickers or water based paints. The outside design of the device isn't as important as what's inside.
Make sure the helmet is certified with Canadian Standards Association (CSA); it should bear a sticker inside verifying this status.

Try several helmets to get the correct size and fit, level the helmet over the child's forehead and adjust the chin strap to fit snug and comfortably. It should protect the forehead without slipping either backward or forward. Don't presume last year's model will fit, do a check first and if it doesn't comply in any way put it in a give- away bin.
Teach your children basic road signs and road safety. Never allow a child to exit a driveway or park without stopping and checking for traffic, whenever possible ride with them. Teach them that it is most important to obey stop signs and check before departing or to walk their bike across the road.

Young children should never bike at night unless accompanied by an adult, and even then they should be on quiet roads and wearing clothing that has been sewn with reflective strips. Bike lights should be in good repair and working. Reflective tape is easily obtained at any sport or automotive store; if you do intend taking your children on an after supper ride outline the bikes with it.

Teach your children that when they are with a group of bikers that they are responsible for their own safety and not to copy-cat another child's maneuver. No bike tricks should be attempted until they are old enough and in control enough to try it. No Wheelies!!!

Now I'm watching to see if the little girls around the corner will be out with their skipping ropes. Yep, lots of signs of Spring and not a robin in the bunch.

From My Bookshelf....by Lynn Willoughby

Island of Lost Girls - Jennifer McMahon
This novel was very unsettling to me on many levels. A child is abducted, but the small community which is her home, never seems to get involved. There are childhood secrets alluded to, there are references to another abduction, there are secrets in the dark woods - but I NEVER felt a connection.
Rhonda, the protagonist, witnesses a large, white rabbit take a child from her mother's car, seat belt the little girl in, drive off - and she does nothing! She doesn't try to intervene, she doesn't scream or dial 911. She doesn't even get the license plate number!! The story seemed to go nowhere after that and I had the plot and ending figured out in the first twenty pages.
When a plot is weak I look for redemption in the characterization, lyrical writing, historical fact - something, anything. In this novel I was disappointed at every turn. "It's not fun to read a 'whodunit' if you know who did it by page 30." - Quill and Quire.

  •  Promise Not to Tell
  •  Dismantled

Full Dark, No Stars - Stephen King
"Like 'Different Seasons' and 'Four Past Midnight', which generated such enduring films as 'The Shawshank Redemption' and 'Stand By Me', this last book proves Stephen King a master of the long story form."
There are four long stories in this book and three of them play on the psychosis in our own minds when we do or see or experience something inherently evil. "Fair Extension" is the shortest tale and also the funniest. Making a deal with the devil saves Dave Streeter from fatal cancer. It also provides him with rich recompense for a lifetime of resentment for his oldest and best 'friend'
I get totally lost when reading Stephen King and am living the life of each very real character in each extraordinary circumstance. This book, a Christmas gift, was just the thing to read and leave the cold and snow outside. As King says, "Bad writing usually arises from a stubborn refusal to tell stories about what people actually do - to face the fact, let us say, that murderers sometimes help old ladies cross the street." Maybe that is why I'm such a fan of Stephen King - it's good writing and it's how I believe people will act, or react. Like King, I believe that “Nobility most fully resides not in success but in trying to do the right thing...and that when we fail to do that, or willfully turn away from the challenge, hell follows."
This is a GREAT whodunit and great escapism from winter. Each of the four stories is very different and a wonderful read on a cold, windy winter afternoon. I have already passed my copy on.

  •  The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
  •  Bag of Bones
  •  Misery
....and many others - over 50 in all

Who Knew?
'A Good Marriage' - the last of the four tales, in Full Dark, No Stars, is especially interesting in the light of Canada's own new serial rapist/ lingerie freak/ murderer - Colonel Russell Williams. Was his wife of 20 years aware of her husband's crimes? Is the wife in the story innocent?

Print Media Is Dying! - Oh And The Sky Is Falling! Did I mention I also have some ocean front property for sale in Arizona?

Be careful about falling into the trap of believing everything you hear, see or read. Print media has been around for centuries, it isn’t going anywhere, it will simply evolve. Every time a new media source is developed the so-called “experts” create wide spread panic that “the sky is falling” and print media is going to get crushed. Really?! (Yes I’m rolling my eyes, over-reactions have always had that effect on me.) And who are these “experts”? They are most often the sales and marketing teams of the latest trend trying to create the buzz on the newest marketing fad. The sad part is that they don’t want to help YOU, they want to make money for THEM. They’ll convince you it’s going to work, but they don’t care if it does. The leaders of these packs make their money and disappear, leaving the people who care to figure it out, pick up the pieces and eventually come up with the formula that will actually work.

But the damage is done, by nature people don’t want to be part of a sinking ship and they want to be popular and cool with the “in crowd”. So they follow the masses, scramble to mark their territory and often cut their noses off to spite their face. What amazes me is that they do so while blindly following and trusting people they don’t know; business “experts” who have no verifiable credentials or reputation and they make very little effort to learn the mechanics behind something new that they don’t understand.

So the print industry takes a hit, revenues plummet, poor performers get forced out of business, our economy takes a beating and your business begins it’s downward spiral. Unfortunately, big industries (like the multi-billion dollar print industry) are often very slow to react in these situations which is bad for small businesses. The good news is that eventually they get their heads out of the sand and figure it out, however many businesses will suffer in the process.

This process is exactly what is happening right now. Print media isn’t working the way it used to - well of course it isn’t, our world is changing and consumer patterns are changing. As such the print industry is changing, albeit a slow change, and the outcome is a new print/ multi-media industry which harnesses the power of BOTH online and offline marketing combined. But in this new era of combining online and offline to work hand in hand, other changes are also required because consumers are very clearly telling us what they do and don’t want to read, regardless of where they are reading it. So the current evolution for print media is a bit of a double whammy. 1) The method of delivery is evolving and 2) the nature of the content is changing.
For your business to get the most out of its marketing efforts it’s imperative that you are utilizing the right combinations of online and offline methods. The right choices for offline include print media that is focusing on the content that the public WANT to read - like the Gateway Gazette - and print media that is providing advertisers with the benefit of both offline and interactive online exposure with every insertion - like the Gateway Gazette. This is just one piece of the puzzle, but it is a hugely important piece.

To learn more about the “New Print Multi-Media” era visit our website and click “The dawning of a new era”.

Don’t risk the success of your event because of a lack of planning

As we all know, time flies and the lead up to the annual Diamond Valley Parade and Discovery Days is no exception. And this year is the same as the last 6 years - the Gateway Gazette will be publishing a special edition to promote this event, along with many other upcoming area events, which means highly focused exposure for your business.
But there is something new - this year our special Giddy-up & Go-deo publication will be delivered to 54,000 homes... that’s a reach to over 100,000 people - people that you can entice to visit YOUR business and participate in your community event!

But there is less time to plan than you may realize. While the Diamond Valley Parade and Discovery Days event is still more than 5 weeks away you’ve only got 3 weeks until the deadline for advertising. The Gateway Gazette Giddy-up & Go-deo is the highest profile marketing that you can tap into for this event.

So what are you planning to do on the weekend of June 3rd and 4th? Will you be having a terrific sale? Will you offer some great give-aways? Will you bring in some entertainment? Will you provide some mini how-to classes for some component of your business?

You really do want to get your ideas planned over the next couple of weeks and make sure that you get yourself into the Gateway Gazette Giddy-up & Go-deo.

But it doesn’t end there. The Gateway Gazette Giddy-up & Go-deo has evolved over the last 6 years and as such, this special edition just keeps getting bigger and better. So while there is a large focus on the Diamond Valley Parade and Discovery Days, if your business or community is located anywhere from the south end of Calgary all the way down to Claresholm and is having an event in June, July or August, the Gateway Gazette Giddy-up & Go-deo is where you want to showcase it. No other media gives you the extensive exposure, directly into the homes of over 100,000 people in this specific area, that the Gateway Gazette gives you.

We work closely with community organizers and businesses to ensure that maximum exposure is achieved. So if you know of something that is coming up, give us a call 403-933-4283 (403-938-2469) or send us an email gazette@telus.net and let’s get a page or two or eight developed that will be dedicated to your event - your community - your business.

Plus, like all Gateway Gazette publications - the Giddy-up & Go-deo will also be available online in original print format and website addresses will link directly through to each website with a single click.

Our online readership is also aggressively increasing right now with thousands of unique page displays every edition - which is more than doubling every edition. By the time the Giddy-up & Go-deo publication goes live online, we anticipate tens of thousands of unique page views.

So if you’re looking for aggressive, high profile exposure for your event and/or your business, you need to contact us today to at very least get your space reserved (yes space is limited) - and you’ve only got until May 18th to get your ad finalized - that’s not as much time as it seems.

The ingredients of your ad? An enticing headline that POPS by tapping into an emotion! Imagery that tells a story. An offer that can’t be refused. And details on some kind of cool, fun or unique activity or entertainment during the event that gives them purpose.

Beneath the Arch Offers Student Bursaries

Beneath the Arch is giving away money!

Once again in 2011, Beneath the Arch Concert Series Society is offering bursaries to enable promising young performing artists to enhance their experiences and skills in a performing arts field.

The bursaries are available to Grade 4 to 12 students who live in or attend school in:
  •  the MD of Foothills, west of 16 Street W
  •  Turner Valley, Black Diamond, Millarville, Longview.

Beneath the Arch is offering a total of $1,500, which may be awarded to one student or split among several students, depending on the quality of the applications received.

Students who are pursuing an interest in music (instrument and/or vocal), dance or theatre are invited to submit an application.
 
Bursary winners may use their awards toward paying for lessons, the cost of admission, tuition or registration, paying for event or competition fees, rental fees (for instruments, studio space, etc) or buying materials, books, costumes or learning aids.

To apply for a bursary, download a bursary application from www.beneaththearch.org. The student's bursary application package must include the application form, plus:

1. A letter that includes:
  •     the student's address (both mailing address and street address or physical location)
  •     what grade the student is in
  •     an explanation of how the student will use the bursary to further enhance experience or skills in a performing arts field
  •     a demonstration of financial need

2.    A letter of recommendation from one of the following sources:
  •     teacher
  •     performing arts instructor, coach or director.

3. A resumé or portfolio of the student's work in their chosen performing arts field. This could include a tape, CD or DVD.

Packages should be mailed to Beneath the Arch, Box 4, Turner Valley, AB, T0L 2A0. Packages must be postmarked no later than May 31st. Beneath the Arch will award the bursaries by June 30th.
Questions can be directed to 403-660-4532.

From The Lions Den

Submitted by Lion Lona Lineham

As I am writing this article we are having a beautiful "Christmas Eve-like snowfall"; it is slowly coming down in big fluffy flakes which are clinging to the branches of the evergreen trees. Too bad because it is about 250 days before Christmas again.

I would like to welcome our new slate of Lions Club executives for September:
President - Lion Davis Whitehead
1st Vice President - Lion James Lee
2nd Vice President - Lion Tyler Bray
Secretary -Lion Charlotte Martens
Treasurer - Lion Anne Granberg
1 year Directors - Lion Caryl Ricks & Lion Garry Raab
2 year Directors - Lion Diane Bray & Lion Barry Crane

In last week's Gazette, a name was left off the list of merchants who donated to the Lions silent auction. We are very sorry and would like to THANK Ben's Thrift Shop for their donation.

Education Plus received their annual $500.00 for a Scholarship. They also received $2000.00 to support their field trips, first aid courses and other projects.

The Foothills Lions Club have donated $1900.00 to the Griffith Memorial Center for a defibrillator to have in their center.

The High Country Senior Concert Band and Jazz Band received $1000.00 to use towards a trip to compete in the Music Festival in Kelowna. We certainly wish them well.

Five more evenings of Lion's Bingo left. The next Lions Bingo will be held at the Valley Neighbours Club on Friday, April 29th at 6:30pm. Hope to see you all there.

The Foothills Lions Club
“Serving Our Community”

Kiddie Kingpins Cop Speeding Tricket

By Todd Curran
The streets are safe for another day as local bylaw officer Andy Weibe writes a silly “speeding” citation in Black Diamond to Liam Tripp and Cole Duquette, who cannot be named under the Young Offenders Act. The pair of guilty go-karters got a giggle and Andy got his men. The adorable duo was released into their parent's custody pending an investigation into an alleged unlicensed lemonade stand operation.

C. Ian McLaren Presents a Tribute to The Beatles

C. Ian McLaren had an outstanding concert on April 14th. The students did a tribute to the Beatles. Kindergarten did the Hippie, Hippie Shake and boy could they shake. Grade 1/2s did Yellow Submarine, Grade 1s did Octopus' Garden, and Grade 2/3 did When I'm 64. We had some very old 64 year olds shuffling along the stage. Grade 3s sang Help, a good song for our Emergency workers. Grade 4's did With a Little Help From my Friends, Grade 5's did Obladi, Oblada and the Grade 6's chased around the “Beatles” during Twist and Shout. The performance wrapped up with a candle lit performance by the whole student body of John Lennon's Imagine.
The gym was packed with friends, family and grandmas and grandpas. Thank you to all who came.

Little Kids With Big Hearts

Two Turner Valley School Grade 6 students, Devin Reagan and Kyle Foley came forward with a desire to help Japan. The boys organized a loonie toonie drive and popcorn sale. Deb Dyer of the school council and Mrs. Judy Turbach helped with the popcorn sale. This wonderful effort has allowed Turner Valley school to donate $500.00 for the Canadian Red Cross to help the people of Japan. It is heartening to see the young people in our community reaching out across the globe to help in a time of need.

Rowan House ~ Gala Galloping Up

The Hope and Healing Gala is coming up May 14th at the Highwood Memorial Centre in High River. If you are unable to attend in person but would like to help with an auction item or sponsorship for the event, we would greatly appreciate that support as well. All funds raised at our Hope and Healing Gala will go directly to build our new shelter. We are a registered non-profit society with charitable status and rely on the support of community donors to continue our programming and services. This is your opportunity to truly make a difference in the lives of women and children. Without the amazing support of local businesses and individuals, Rowan House Emergency Shelter would not be able to protect the women and children of the rural Foothills. Call 403-938-6785 for more information or to purchase tickets. A big thank you to those who have donated auction items so far. Here's a list of some of the things people will be able to bid on:
  •     Heritage Classic Iginla Jersey valued at $220
  •     Spruce Meadows Tickets and Gifts valued at $200
  •     Stirr Cooking Classes in Black Diamond valued at $150
  •     Golfing for 4 at D'Arcy Ranch valued at $332
  •     Bed and Breakfast Package at Fairmont Banff Springs valued at $400
  •     Sculpture donated by Sylvia Clark valued at $1000.
Other events have been held in the Foothills in support of Rowan House. Thank you to Generations Chiropractic for putting on an Evening of Indulgence. The event raised $2,200! The Healthy Wealthy Wise Women workshop took place on March 24th. Thank you to Cindy & Lucinda from ATB and Belinda from Be More Fitness for a great presentation. Soup Sisters launched on March 27th. The turnout was great and we made some delicious soup for the shelter and outreach clients! A big thank you to Pat Lothrop with the Diamond Willow Artisans Retreat for organizing that and to Darren Nixon of Café Divine for being our guest chef! Check out their website http://www.diamondwillowartisanretreat.com for the next gathering of the “sisters” and “brothers”.

Watch for us at the Okotoks Trade Fair at the Centennial Centre on April 29th (5 to 9pm) and 30th (9am to 5pm). We will also be at the Nanton Resource Fair on May 5th from 4 to 8pm. Mark your calendars for Fury in the Foothills on June 11th & 12th. For more information check out the website: www.furyinthefoothills.com.

Do you know someone struggling in a relationship? Are you struggling in a relationship? The Healthy Relationship Group for women that have left an abusive relationship or are trying to leave an abusive relationship is currently running until May 4th. We offer free child care, coffee and snacks! For safety reasons, please call 403-933-3370 for more information and to register.

Check out our website: www.rowanhouseonline.org or call the office at 403-938-6785 for more information and more ways you can help out. You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter.

Dance Against Cancer

By Todd Curran
As a fundraiser for the Enbridge Ride To Conquer Cancer 2011, three teams have come together to host a May 28th Family Dance at the Flare ‘N Derrick in Turner Valley.

Local favourites Team Tarceva, Team Stirr and Team Goin for Glo are participating in the Ride by biking 200km to raise money and are going a step further by organizing the Family Dance. “All proceeds from the dance go to the Alberta Cancer Foundation,” says Sharon Raduloff of Team Tarceva. “Everyone on these teams has been touched by cancer personally or through a loved one, including my husband and teammate Robert.”

Robert is a stage 4 lung cancer survivor who was diagnosed in 2006. His prognosis was 9 to 12 months and by October of 2007 he was not expected to last beyond Christmas. His oncologist knew of a drug that had shown some positive response, but it was only approved for 2nd line treatment. That meant Alberta Health only covered it if you had been treated with chemotherapy first, which Robert had refused. Even so, Robert chose to try it and cover the $2,700 monthly cost himself.

TARCEVA turned out to be Robert's miracle drug! Within days he was no longer coughing, he could breathe better and his energy levels were improving. Within about 6 weeks he was completely off all supplemental oxygen. His improvement has been steady and doctors at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre have been amazed. Although Robert has been classed as "Stable" not "cured" he is feeling and breathing well enough to participate on the 200km Ride.

You can support Robert and his fellow riders in their goal to raise money and awareness for the Albert Cancer Foundation by donating to their teams at www.conquercancer.ca or attending the May 28th Family Dance at the Flare ‘N Derrick in Turner Valley. Doors open at 7:00pm and tickets are on sale at the door: $2.50 per child $5.00 per adult or $10.00 per family. With door prizes, silent auctions, food, drink and DJ music by Rockin The City, let’s dance cancer into extinction!

Longview School ~ Let Learning Soar - 50 Years & Growing

The grade 4, 5 and 6 students had the opportunity to travel to C. Ian McLaren School on Wednesday, April 6th for the presentation Cops for Kids. It made a big impact on our students. The presenters spoke to the students about making good choices when faced with difficult decisions. They spoke about the consequences of bullying and peer pressure, stealing, and doing drugs. They stressed the importance of choosing friends wisely and surrounding themselves with positive and supportive individuals. We often build walls around ourselves as protection from hurtful words and actions of others. They spoke about the damaging impact of building walls around ourselves. They provided suggestions and strategies to students in dealing with many difficult situations they are faced with.

The students and staff have been very busy in rehearsals and set design in preparation of our spring theatre production of Pinocchio which was held on Wednesday, April 20th. A Big Thank You goes out to Ms. Thomson and Ms. Smith as co-directors; Mr. Musgrove and Ms. Winfield for their assistance in programming, photography, sound and lighting; Ms. Hoyle, Ms. Dyck and Mrs. Graham for helping behind the scenes with students; Barb MacDonald for decorating, Joan Stuart for organizing treats; School Council for supporting this event and our fine arts program at Longview School; and the parents for helping students learn their lines and finding costumes to wear. The overall goal of drama presentations at Longview School is to foster a positive self-concept in students by encouraging them to explore life by assuming theatric roles and acquiring dramatic skills. Throughout the year we have presented a number of dramatic performances in meeting the learner outcomes outlined in the drama program of studies.

Pitch-in day was held in the morning on Thursday, April 21st. Parents were invited to assist us in cleaning up around the school and throughout the Village.

The Grade 5 guitar students will be going to Music Centre Canada (35 Elizabeth St. Okotoks) on Wednesday, May 4th for a field trip. Longview students have been graciously invited by Kelly Vance, the owner, to tour the store, play a variety of instruments and enjoy an acoustic guitar performance. Clay for Kids will also be coming to the school on Thursday, May 12th to work with all of the students in creating clay projects.

Meeting Of The Minds Produces Shared C.A.O.

By Todd Curran

After recently signing a Management Services Agreement with the MD of Foothills, councils of the Town of Turner Valley and Village of Longview are efficiently sharing the resources of newly appointed Chief Administration Officer Leslie Fitzgerald.

The Town of Turner Valley introduced Leslie as C.A.O. at the April 4th Committee of the Whole meeting. Leslie is taking over responsibilities for Interim C.A.O. Ray Reid, and says this isn't her first go round.

Alana Healy-Newton, Longview's C.A.O. has retired from her position and MD employee Leslie Fitzgerald will take over the job. Fitzgerald was the former C.A.O. of Longview and of Cayley before it dissolved and became a hamlet.
Fitzgerald comes over from the M.D. of Foothills as part of the shared services agreement, which provides for closer ties and joint use of resources. In addition to the C.A.O. position, MD staff will supplement existing personnel working in the towns' water and waste water systems, bylaw enforcement and planning departments to reduce costs.

“It's hectic, but this approach is going to work out fine,” Leslie says. “My goal is to spend three days per week in Turner Valley and two in Longview, but right now I'm just going where I'm most needed that day. My priorities are the towns. The staff are great and they've got dream management teams. I'm in a steep learning curve as to what's gone on, what's going on and what's coming in the near future, but I'm really enjoying it.”
Leslie's shared presence may also lead to stronger relationships between the Towns and MD for a better collective future.

Travel Tracks ~ Air Travel Chaos

What's a passenger to think?

It began with folks getting arrested for bringing bottles of mouthwash containing more than 100 ml on board the flight with them.
Never mind that the bag they stored this contraband in measured something in excess of an NHL equipment bag and wouldn't fit IN the seat much less under it.
From there it moved on to airline executives NOT getting arrested for publishing $299 airfares in billboard size letters only to add into the 16 lines of fine print,  plus $430 in taxes, fees and other miscellaneous larceny.
Now we have US air traffic controllers falling asleep in the tower in the midst of rush hour leaving pilots to sort out for themselves which runway to land on.

"Ah - Washington Center this is United 255 requesting VFR final on 19 Left"
Zzzzzzzzzzz
"Ah - Washington Center say again"
Zzzzzzzzzz
"United 255 this is Delta 612 Heavy - we think someone left the TV stuck on a Flames game and the controllers are asleep"
"Roger that Delta 612 - coordinate approach with you on a see and be seen?"
"Copy that United - rock, paper scissors for who lands first?"
Of course some of this goes a long way towards explaining why after you've landed, it takes another 40 minutes to get to the gate.
"Air Canada 845 cleared active runway requesting Alpha Bravo to gate 16".
Zzzzzzzzz.

Apart from having the nation's runways look like the Deerfoot during a snow clogged rush hour, nap time in the crystal palace of air traffic control is causing some other serious issues.
Unlike Members of Parliament who for all intents and purposes have been known to remain catatonic for months at a time, air traffic control can be regarded as somewhat conspicuous by their absence during siesta.

Two weeks ago at New York's JFK airport, an A-380 belonging to Air France clipped the vertical stabilizer of a Canadair Regional Jet belonging to Comair.
To put things into perspective, an A-380 is the world's largest passenger aircraft, roughly the size of Black Diamond only with twice as many people.
Comair's RJ, while not microscopic in size, can barely load 4 Great Danes into its cabin without going overweight.
In short, the 'going too fast' on the taxiway A-380's wingtip hit the tail of the 'not quite cleared the area' RJ resulting in the RJ moving far more quickly from the taxi area to the terminal building than thought possible.
Air France never knew they hit anything while passengers on the RJ were busy texting their lawyers at Gitem Dragem and Wreckum Attorneys at Law for class action whiplash filings.
To be fair, this happened at around 8:15 in the evening, and knowing that a group nap was scheduled in the tower for 8:30, Air France probably wanted out quickly, not being all that conversant with rock, paper, scissors.
The US Government to their credit, is starting to take this matter very seriously.

A week later, a Boeing 737 carrying none other than the First Lady of the United States had what journalists south of the border referred to as a near miss with another aircraft belonging to none other than the US Military.
A near miss?
To me a near miss is actually a hit - but nonetheless, once this madness begins to spill over to the First Family, it's a call to action.
The head of Air Traffic Control has been removed from his position.
Well - that solves that doesn't it.
Sure does.

The next controller to get fired in Cleveland a week ago - was wide awake.
He couldn't sleep - he was busy watching a movie called CLEANER with Samuel L Jackson and I defy anyone to sleep through that one.
And we know this how?
Seems this fellow that used to get paid a six figure salary wasn't savvy enough to unstick his microphone from the transmit position and was broadcasting the thriller to every aircraft within 500 miles.
Had it not played hell with the passengers' own in-flight entertainment devices - perhaps no one would have caught on.

Maybe it's time for Obama to pull a 21st century Ronnie Regan - and fire 'em all.
Replace them with an I-Phone rock-paper-scissors app.
Then the displaced can all hire on with airport security.
And the next time I go through en route to the gate I can declare I've got more than the permitted 100 ml of mouthwash with me.

Instead of hearing "assume the position", at best I'll get "Zzzzzzzzzzzz".

Adios until next time
Dave Heron

Dave Heron is the owner and operator of: Pace Setter Travel & Tours (1995) Inc; P.O. Box 612, 49 Elizabeth Street, Okotoks.
Tel: 403.938.5454
Toll Free: 1.800.206.7223.
Fax: 403.938.5568
Email:
pacesetter@nucleus.com

Views on Vision ~ LASIK

By Dr. Charles A. Boulet 

'Corneal refractive surgery' is the process by which a surgeon cuts the cornea with a laser in order to change the patient's glasses prescription. LASIK (Laser Assisted In-situ Keratomileusis) and PRK (Photorefractive Keratectomy) are widely considered to be amongst the safest surgical procedures known today. In many cases, LASIK and PRK are indicated for very high myopes (strongly nearsighted people) and for other therapeutic reasons.
As a consequence of the commercialization of the procedures, however, many millions of people worldwide have had their eyes 'corrected' for non-essential reasons. Corneal refractive surgery, however, remains a surgery and there are numerous inherent risks. Frequently, eyes are not corrected at all and problems are created where none existed before.

Because of the nature of the refractive surgery business (that is, a high-volume high-profit model), it follows that certain misrepresentations and high-pressure sales tactics creep into the process. The long-term consequences of refractive surgery are plain to see each day in eye clinics around the world, and for these patients, the cost-benefit assessment seems to balance more towards regret as time goes on. In the end, public health care is left holding the bag for any long-term negative effects of these surgeries and the sufferers are told 'it's your problem'.
The following article discusses some of the concerns relating to mass use of refractive surgery:
www.salon.com/life/feature/2011/02/16/problems_with_lasik

From the article:
The hero here is a man named Morris Waxler, whom I wrote about last year for Salon. Waxler is a Ph.D. and a former branch chief of the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health from 1995 to 1999. He was, in effect, the man responsible for approving Lasik vision enhancement lasers in 1997. Since that time, he has become rabidly anti-Lasik, publicly admitting that the FDA “screwed up” when it approved it.”

I never advise patients to seek refractive surgery, but I will frequently recommend they seek an assessment for their 'eligibility' for it. It is inappropriate for a practitioner to advise or promote elective surgeries where other less invasive solutions are readily at hand. In some cases, refractive surgery is a practical, cost-effective and life-altering alternative. In the vast majority, it is a strictly elective procedure and 'buyers' are well-advised to seek multiple opinions, inside and outside of ophthalmology, before they proceed.

You have only one pair of eyes, and with refractive surgery, there is no money-back guarantee; nor is there any means of returning the eyes and vision to the way it was prior to surgery.


Dr. Boulet is an optometrist and owner-operator of Diamond Valley Vision Care in Black Diamond (403-933-5552 or info@dvvc.ca.) He is also a former high school teacher and continues to work with children who have trouble learning.

Millarville’s Cool News

Highlights from the Grade 4 Class

Grade 4 is having a busy month with such activities as finishing our International Baccalaureate unit of inquiry How We Organize Ourselves/ Roots of Routes about early settlers in Alberta. Students have done some research on their own family's arrival in Alberta as well as participating in research projects on key topics. Students then created and shared their Smart Board presentations with the class. In another important class project, tomatoes, cucumbers and snap peas are growing well in the Art Room.

The school Gala took place on the evening of April 7th. It is traditionally held every two years. Fundraising was for special Fine Arts programs at the school and for Red Cross donations to the recent Japan disaster. Students, parents and community members contributed to make this terrific event so successful. Wonderful silent auction and bucket raffle items - ranging from loads of gravel to fine arts to beauty and crafts products - were donated and the school is grateful to these generous businesses, families and individuals. The Grade 1 class had fun running a very busy fish pond game. The Grade 2 class hosted a ring toss game, as well as participating in other classes' enjoyable activities. The Grade 3 Cake Walk was popular with many students wanting to win the decorative and tasty cakes. Our special thanks go to the Grade 4 parents for organizing the Bucket Raffle, which the students successfully worked at during the evening. Grade 5's, in connection with their Mini-Mall business inquiry unit, provided such games as goalie shoot, bean bag toss and Hot Wheels racing, as well as flower sales and a magic show. The Grade 6's got the idea of taping Mr. Beacom to the wall, from an event at another school, and thought it would be a good idea in order to raise money. He demonstrated his generosity in this way and seems to have survived the evening. Other great Upper School events involved an amazing maze, bake sale, face painting and creating a Hands for Japan banner. Overall, the evening was enjoyed by all and good causes were well-supported. A huge thank you to all who participated!

Next month will bring a special “artist in residence” to our school, so stay tuned for more exciting information.

Bluerock Gallery Presents Northern Perceptions

By Todd Curran

Calgary artist Susan Kristoferson works with paper as if it was cloth and opened her Northern Perceptions show at Black Diamond's Bluerock Gallery on April 9th.

Reflecting on northern lights, prairies and big skies as her inspiration, Susan creatively dyes paper and uses paste to paint designs on it to stitch collages, form room dividers and create hanging sculptures. Bluerock Gallery is featuring a collection of recent works including a series inspired by the aurora borealis, prairie and foothills landscapes.
Although opening night festivities have passed, you can relish in the Northern Perceptions show until May 10th. Visit www.bluerockgallery.ca for more details or visit www.kristoferson-studio.ca to learn more about artist Susan Kristoferson.

Longview Library Literally Speaking

Just a reminder; Should you wish to find out more about our programs or any other information about our goings on, check: facebook.com/longviewlibrary and the bulletin board inside the Town Office building always has a list of the programs and sign up sheets below. Again, our phone number is 558-3927 and Joan is our librarian.
The Book Arts Exhibit is still on, so do come in and see it. Allow yourself some time, because it is a linger and learn kind of show.

On Wednesday, May 11th from 2-3pm there will be a video-conference on the Healing aspects of Tai Chi. In this live interactive videoconference Jane Sponiar and her senior student Shelia Foster will demonstrate Tai Chi and then will talk about the benefits it can bring. Shelia, a cancer survivor, will speak about the role Tai Chi played in her healing journey.

On Wednesday, May 11th, from 7-8:30pm Julie Walker will give a talk on Medicinal Plants. You will learn the medicinal uses of local Alberta plants. Find out what plants make good tonics and which ones heal an assortment of aches and pains. Sample some medicinal teas too!!

The Midwife of Venice by Roberta Rich is an engrossing, quickly paced story of both sixteenth century Venice and a troubled love affair. Added are mystery and murder. A fun read.

Bad Medicine by John Reilly. Reilly was appointed Provincial Court Judge whose jurisdiction was the First Nation's community of the Morley Reserve. He exposes the failure of the justice system in dealing with the Aboriginal lawbreakers. He describes the soul destroying circumstances under which our Natives are forced to live. Reilly's cry for help is being largely ignored, by both our federal and provincial governments. Reilly has some very positive suggestions for change and his book should be a must read for every Canadian.

Another book I enjoyed is Louise Penny's The Brutal Telling. It is a murder mystery from one of Canada's best. It takes place, as do all of hers, in the Eastern Townships south of Montreal. A small village is in chaos because a man has been bludgeoned to death. He has no name, there is no sign of a weapon and no obvious motive. While solving the murder, Penny entertains us with the cultural and social mores of the little picturesque French Canadian town. In order to assist in the investigation, the chief of police must travel to the Queen Charlotte Islands in B.C. Here we are enveloped in the rugged beauty of coastal B.C. with its bald headed eagles and majestic totem poles. We are also given a taste of what it was like to have been a refugee from Czechoslovakia at the beginning of the Second World War. Penny is a challenging read because she is not just a mystery writer. She explores many aspects of the arts, even the culinary ones. Her descriptions of how Emily Carr's art evolved from a strictly representational one to a spiritual one are fun to read about. "Murder," Penny writes,"is about fear, and the lies it produces. It's about stories--the tales the people tell the world and the tales they tell themselves." She writes with deep psychological understanding and her books are peppered with myth and allegory. We have all her books in the library.

And again, many thanks for your bottle donations. It all really helps.

Happy Reading
Sylvia Binkley

Longview 4H Beef Club

Submitted by Kayla Hughes, Club Reporter

On February 12th, 2011 the Longview 4-H Beef Club held their club public speaking at the Longview Hall. The results were: Senior 1st - Railey Tremblay, 2nd - Reid Snodgrass, 3rd - Alex Mulder; Intermediate 1st - Miranda Mulder, 2nd – Jessica Shewchuk, 3rd - Fallon Nelson; Junior- 1st - Jade Nelson, 2nd - Ashley Nelson, 3rd - Josie Hughes. Everyone did a great job and we had lots of fun! Then on February 24th Longview hosted area public speaking and the following clubs participated: Okotoks Outriders, Gladys Beef, Calgary K-9's and Longview Beef. The results were: Senior - 1st - Lindsay Skelton from Okotoks Outriders, 2nd - Clarie MacMillan from Okotoks Outriders, 3rd - Jonathan Nelson from Calgary K-9's; Intermediate 1st - James Ritchie from Gladys Beef, 2nd - Kelsey Smith from Okotoks Outriders, 3rd - Kendra Mackenzie from Okotoks Outrider; Junior 1st - Matt Sharien from Okotoks Outriders, 2nd - Jade Nelson from Longview Beef, 3rd - Madison Canyon from Okotoks Outriders. We also had a presentation by Katie Perreault from the Calgary K-9's on Knife Skills. The day was very successful and everyone had lots of fun! We want to say a thank-you to all our judges, for club and area public speaking, your time was much appreciated.

For the Longview 4-H Beef Club our achievement day is fast approaching, on May 23rd. On April 30th we will have our clipping clinic to get everyone's steers and heifers all ready for show day.

Longview Link

By Michele Geistlinger on behalf of Chey Nickerson

Well it sure does not look like late April as I write this column! We hope that Chey has been enjoying better weather than we have been privy to.

Longview A R C Society enrolled Longview in the Communities Choosewell program and is looking at a variety of ways that community members can participate. The objectives are geared towards residents making simple lifestyle changes based on eating better and being more active. Over 140 communities throughout Alberta have enrolled in the program and we will be competing against them for a variety of prizes ranging from recognition to cash for enhancing healthy living initiatives. The Choosewell group specifically focuses on communities that Reduce Barriers to Healthy Living for Teens and Tweens (i.e.: lack of access to recreational facilities or affordable healthy foods), Create Healthy Opportunities (i.e.: healthy cooking classes, community garden, walking groups, Mom and Tot groups), Build Community Capacity (i.e.: partnerships with other community groups or other communities) and Provide Health Education (i.e.: presentations on health issues, ensuring specific messages promoting healthy living get out to the community via posters and mass media).

One initiative that is all laid out complete with a scoring method is an Iron Chef Challenge. We are looking for interested people to help tailor our Choosewell program to suit our community needs whether it is the Iron Chef challenge or Walking Club or something completely different. There is even a category for spontaneous Acts of Exercise! Wow, how interesting, I guess we will need to look into that one and determine what it means. If you are interested in helping your community to become more healthy and fit please contact Michele at:
michelegeistlinger@gmail.com or call the Village Office, 403-558-3922, leave your number and someone from the ARC Society will call you. If you would like more information on this valuable program please go to:
http://arpaonline.ca/program/choosewell/.

On another note the Little New York Daze Festival committee is hosting a Battle of the Bands on May 14th at East Longview Hall in order to raise funds for Little New York Daze. Check it out if you enjoy seeing new talented bands from Alberta. Tickets may be purchased at Highway 22 Liquor Store (Longview), Sally's Bar and Grill (High River), Cougars Sports Bar and Grill (Turner Valley) and the Longview Hotel.

Faith Forum ~ The Worth of a Mother

One of my fondest memories of my mother is when I was six years old. We were kneeling together beside my bed as we did every night for bedtime prayers. This night was different though. On this night I asked Jesus to forgive me of all the wrongs I had done and to come live in my heart. If my memory serves me well, right after that my mother and I went out to the living room where my dad was and I told him what I had prayed. I doubt if there were two happier parents anywhere that night. That decision I made as a child has stuck with me my whole life.

That was one of the deepest desires that my parents had for us kids – that we would know God and His Son Jesus in a personal friendship and then live for him throughout the rest of our lives.

The influence that a mother has on her child can never be underestimated. Sometimes that's not a good thing; but the good news is that we can choose to influence our children for positive things that will affect them in a good way for the rest of their lives. One of the most profound ways that a mother can influence her children is by what they see by example in her life. If a mother makes good choices throughout her life, than chances are better that her children will follow her example. As a mom, if we choose to follow God's example for living and know him personally, then we are assured that we have his help daily in raising our children. Our prayers for our children are invaluable as well as this is something we can continue to do for them even after they leave home!

Jesus’ own mother was carefully chosen by God to be his human mother. Her final response to the angel after he explained why he came to her with a message, shows her good character and is a great example of how we can be if we are really living for God.

“In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favoured woman! The Lord is with you!”

Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don't be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favour with God!  You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”

Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” 

The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy and he will be called the Son of God. What's more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren but she's now in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.”


Mary responded, “I am the Lord's servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.” (Luke 1: 26 – 38 NLT)

Here are some famous quotes that concur that the worth of a mother is indeed gold.
 
The real religion of the world comes from women much more than from men - from mothers most of all, who carry the key of our souls in their bosoms. ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes

Mothers hold their children's hands for a short while, but their hearts forever. ~Unknown

Biology is the least of what makes someone a mother.  ~Oprah Winfrey

Of all the rights of women, the greatest is to be a mother. ~ Lin Yutang, Chinese writer

I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life.  ~Abraham Lincoln

Happy Mother's Day to all our female readers who are a mom, grandma, aunt, sister, stepmom, godmother or even someone who just loves kids and shows it :o)

GIFTS AND GRIPES ~ Election Concerns

This federal election raises many issues, i.e. four elections in seven years! The Americans have also had four federal elections in seven years, any one of which could and did change the economic direction and political policies of the country. Coalition! Is the group of Conservative Members of Parliament not a coalition of Reform and Progressive Conservatives? Should not all decisions of our government be made by a majority of the elected Members of Parliament regardless of their political stripe? Let us not confuse good government with righteous self importance. Let us also not confuse righteous self importance with conservative values. The real issue in this election however is the issue of economy versus the democratic nature of our country. Short term economic concerns versus long term democratic rights? With regard to the economic concerns, we must realize that the responsibilities for our current economic strengths and/or weaknesses are shared by past and present Conservative and Liberal governments. Our strong banking position has been created by the adoption and preservation of strong banking legislation, the independence of our governments in the past fifty years and their ability not to yield to foreign interests and some domestic pressure to change our banking rules. Will either party's short term budget policies bring irreparable damage to our long term economy? Will future generations look back and say "We are in poverty now because of a budget decision you made in 2011"? Probably not! With regards to democratic rights, everything that we are as a country is based on democracy including our economic structure. Democracy is not only the rules that create the democracy but also an unrelenting respect for those rules. It is respecting the right of all citizens to participate and for their representatives to be heard. It is above all expecting the elected representatives to be truthful and act in good faith. Lying is the most egregious offence of any elected official. All parties should be held accountable for the truthfulness of their elected members. Will future generations look back and say "We lost our democracy because of your deceit in 2011"? Let's hope not. Let's hope that recent displays of disrespect for our democracy are not a slippery slope for others to magnify. Steven Harper said, immediately following the dissolution of parliament, "Canadians don't care about the wording in the legislation, the economy is all that's important". He is wrong. YES WE CARE!! Yes we care about our economy, but we had better care more about our democracy for the sake of those future generations. While others around the world are fighting and dying for what we have and more than one hundred thousand Canadians had died in foreign wars to defend it, we can ill afford to allow any one person to injure it. No one man is that important.
~ Bill Stuart, Okotoks

All “Letters To The Editor” are more than welcome at the Gateway Gazette and whenever possible we will endeavour to print them. We reserve the right to edit or not publish submissions if they are in extreme bad taste, vulgar or could do damage to other specific persons. Please note that published submissions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Gateway Gazette, staff, associates or family. The Gateway Gazette (along with anyone connected to the Gateway Gazette) does not assume any liability or responsibility in light of the opinions of others. With all of that out of the way, please feel free to send us your thoughts or opinions, preferably by email at: gazette@telus.net, you can fax them to: 938-2473, or you can drop them off in our drop-box at Coyote Moon in Turner Valley or at Pharmasave in Black Diamond.

DV Chamber of Commerce Hosts Candidate Meet & Greet

By Todd Curran
The Diamond Valley Chamber of Commerce welcomed one and all to their April 19th Federal Election Candidate Meet and Greet at the new Sheep River Library in Turner Valley.

With candidates Ted Menzies of the Conservatives, Attila Nagy of the Green Party, Independent Brad Carrington, Nicole Hankel of the Liberals and Janine Giles, NDP, in attendance, the event offered voters the opportunity to speak directly with the federal election candidates.

A sizable crowd turned out to ask candidates questions and express thoughts on what the priorities should be for the government of Canada. “It was a well attended event,” says Diamond Valley Chamber President Clayton Foster. “The candidates really enjoyed the one-on-one format, talking to constituents instead of debating each other from the stage. We put this on as a positive community event and with the feedback that we've received from voters, I think we achieved that.”

Make sure your voice is heard by casting your vote in the upcoming Federal Election on May 2nd.

IwaYama Karate

On April 9th,the IwaYama Karate Club held their Spring Tournament at the Oilfields High School in Black Diamond.
Contestants from all over Alberta joined in the spirit of the competition and thoroughly enjoyed the demonstration by a group of black-belts.
Many businesses in the Diamond Valley area supported the club’s venture with donated items for their ‘brown-bag’ bucket raffles.

Sheep River Library

Due to the necessary restrictions of print deadlines, full coverage of the Sheep River Library’s Grand Opening could not make it in to this edition of the Gateway Gazette. But be sure to watch for the next edition the week of May 10th for the full story which will be covered in the usual, generous Gazette style - as always, we truly appreciate the extensive coverage our local community newspaper - the Gazette - gives us.

Penny Corradine of Wolfpack Studio is the first artist to display her creations in the new community gallery space. This show is a compilation of Penny's newest work with some of her work from the past. Penny and Bill Faulkner started their studio in 1990 and can be found in their main street blue building (the one with paintings all over it) pursuing their many talents of editing, painting, photography and publishing The Sheep River Traveller. “The library is going to be a great local resource” comments Penny, “and I am eager to receive comments and hope people enjoy looking at my work.” Other artists are encouraged to contact the library to sign up to display their creative works.
The Dogtooth Mountain Film Group held their premier show, The Colour of Paradise, on April 25th. This is the first of a series of films to be shown on the fourth Monday of every month. Sign up at the library to be on the film group's information distribution network. Plans are in the works for a documentary series which will include discussion of the filmed topics. A Saturday Matinee series for kids is also under development.
Newly launched is the Sheep River Library website: www.sheepriverlibrary.ca. While this website is under development, you can tune into basic information like hours of operation, new books, programs, activities at the library, special events and guidelines for using the facility.

Terrific Tuesday Talks and Tea, an afternoon series of information presentations and discussion, launched its first session on Tuesday the 26th. These sessions, organized by Doris Daley and a team of volunteers, will be held the fourth Tuesday of every month from 2 until 3:30pm.

The Sheep River Library will be presented the 2011 Minister's Award for Innovation in Public Library Service at the Alberta Library Conference, April 29th. The award is given for the “Wildlife Program” delivered through the RISE videoconference network which included topics on endangered species throughout the province and the sessions devoted to Bears delivered through the March 2010 Bear Month. This project was a partnership endeavour with major support given by Sustainable Resource Development and Tourism, Parks and Recreation, the specialists who delivered the sessions, the Marigold Video-conference team and other libraries throughout the province.

High Country Rural Crime Watch ~ Fraud and Jack Lighting

Japan Relief Scams
As with most major disasters, the disaster in Japan has caused a number of scams to crop up collecting money for disaster relief. Unfortunately, the money does not always go where the donor expected it to, it sometimes goes to the criminal element that is taking advantage of people's generosity. Before you make a donation, make sure that you are donating to a legitimate organization and not to a fraudster. For more help visit the RCMP website:
www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/scams-fraudes.

“Jack Lighting”
Please be advised of the following incident reported to the Turner Valley RCMP:
In the early morning hours of March 23rd, 2011 Turner Valley RCMP received a call to a rural area in the Black Diamond/Millarville area in which at least 2(two) vehicles and an unknown number of culprits were observed trolling several different areas spotlighting the adjacent fields.
It is believed this activity may be associated with night hunting or "Jack-Lighting" which is completely illicit and EXTREMELY dangerous.
Any activity of a similar nature should be reported to the Turner Valley RCMP as it occurs or as soon thereafter as possible.
A reminder that any incident reporting should be done via 403-933-4262 (RCMP Dispatch) or, in case of emergencies, 9-1-1.
Your assistance in reporting suspicious or illicit activities continues to assist the RCMP in making your communities safer.

Society for Millarville School Fundraising Spring Gala a Success!

The silent auction of Millarville Community School's Spring Gala held on April 7th was, indeed, a wonderful community event and a spectacular fundraising success!

Thanks to the many kind participants in this event and, of course, the young entrepreneurs of our school, their families and school staff, close to $8,000 was raised. Over $5,000 of that resulted from the silent auction.
The funds raised through this event are earmarked for special guests and exciting field trips that will enhance our Fine Arts Program (drama, arts and music) for all students. Also, recognizing our good fortune at a time when others are in desperate need, Millarville School, as a community, chose to donate 10% of the proceeds to the Red Cross for Japan Relief.

Diamond Valley Project Green Day

The Towns of Black Diamond and Turner Valley are asking volunteers to come out and help with Project Green Day on Saturday, May 14th morning from 9 to noon. Both communities will be spruced up for summer thanks to this annual event.

“We'll be planting trees to develop a park, cleaning up the highway along the Friendship Trail, weeding pocket gardens, and as long as the river isn't too high, we'll be cleaning up the Sheep River valley in and between our two towns, too,” says John Stoll, Chairman of the Black Diamond Parks and Recreation Committee. 
Turner Valley Mayor Kelly Tuck added, “Project Green Day is a great event that allows community members from Black Diamond, Turner Valley and the M.D. of Foothills to be active in helping to keep our environment clean.  Together, we are making a difference – thank you to all those who helped in the past.  We hope as many and more will join us this year”.

Volunteers from both communities are asked to register at the Scott Seaman Sports Rink in Black Diamond starting at 8:30 a.m. for their work assignments. A volunteer appreciation BBQ will be served around noon by the Lions, after all the work is done.

Eco-friendly door prizes and displays will also be a part of the morning's activities. Sponsors of this event include the Town of Turner Valley, the Town of Black Diamond, Volker Stevin, Foothills Lions Club, Diamond Valley Disposal and Hortscape.

For more information or to pre-register, please visit one of the towns' websites at:

http://www.town.blackdiamond.ab.ca
http://www.turnervalley.ca

and look for the link. All members of the public and media are invited to attend.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Moving Forward in Eden Valley

(Page 3)

By Travis Jimmy John

Hau!! Umba wathta no!  Good Day! Hi, my name is Travis Jimmy John. I am 31 years old, born in High River, Alberta and grew up on the Eden Valley Reserve. April 4th, 2011 was Moving Forward Day, a day of pride for me and our community for two reasons:
Number One:  Eden Valley is finally on the map, with it's own postal code!
Number Two: Eden Valley is being presented and talked about in a positive light.

It feels good, and gives us positive hope to know that Chief David Bearspaw Jr. is taking an active and optimistic interest in our Eden Valley community.

I am the kind of person that likes to see results because I am a strong believer in the old native proverb that states “It is better to have less thunder in the mouth and more lighting in the hands” and that “a true chief leads by example”. Judging by the events that took place here in Eden Valley on Moving Forward Day, I can safely say that Chief Bearspaw is doing just that. He has taken on the task of bringing positive change to Eden Valley, giving us the opportunity to be the community that we can be. This is not an easy task - some will resist change, some will be fearful to take a chance - but I believe we can all succeed together by learning from each other how to keep our culture and “Move Forward” to see what Eden Valley is actually capable of achieving as a community. We must work together for our future generations that have yet to occupy this beautiful “Eden Valley” we call home. Our youth is our future! We want them to feel the strength in our language and power of our culture and move forward in every way.

The words that Bearspaw spoke during his speech, which was given in the Nakoda language, gave hope and inspiration to his people. More action is needed to create dynamic results for the people. Eden Valley has been off the radar for so long, many of our people have become numb. This, combined with the lack of skills training, addictions and transportation challenges has created many barriers. The speech made it easier for those of us who still speak in our language to better understand what our capabilities are as a nation, giving much needed strength and inspiration to a community that needs hope.

Moving Forward events included the grand opening of the new Eden Valley post office, Eden Valley Band office interior renovations, a sod turning for the new Eden Valley gas bar, ribbon cutting of the Eden Valley Employment Training Program - Shed Project (Graduation of the first graduates on April 28th!!! Next program fall of 2011), a tour of the Eden Valley compound to see the newly acquired water truck, a tour of the newly renovated Eden Valley Recreation Arena and the resigning of the contract between the Bow Valley College and the Bearspaw Band of Eden Valley!

I personally believe that this is a step in the right direction and I also believe that it took someone with a Nakoda worldview to start this great change happening for the people of Eden Valley.

Aho!! pina mha bhi no ! Thank you for your time!

Salvaging The Centre

(Page 4)

By Todd Curran

The Salvage Centre at the Regional Waste Management Facility near Okotoks used to be, well, a bit of a dump. But, since the board of directors positioned Jamie Myles as Manager of the Centre in March, the place is an organized, clean, green machine.

The philosophy behind the Salvage Centre is: if you can't use it, perhaps someone else can and bargain hunters are finding great used gear at fair prices. “We want to save good, useful, reusable items from the dump,” Jamie says. “We're taking in higher quality items than before and the money is given to local charities.”

There is no fee to leave good reusable items at the Salvage Centre and Jamie's orderly overhaul has made it more user-friendly for shoppers. A mezzanine is currently under construction for staff use, incorporating a lunch room, meeting room and office space to accommodate the Centre's volunteers.

“We have seven volunteers – and I owe them a big Thank You - but we really need more to get the Centre where it needs to be,” says Jamie, adding that she would also like to thank Amy Brewster Design for their support.

Anyone interested in volunteering can call Jamie at 403-603-8161 or email: foothillssalvagesociety@gmail.com.

The Snow(shoe) (Base)ball Effect

By Todd Curran

The Cougar's Sports Bar 24th Annual Snowshoe Baseball Tournament in Turner Valley was a successful spectacle once again.

Held over the March 25th to 27th weekend, the charitable event proved a riot for players and a great help for Baby Jillian, the tournament's beneficiary. At just 18 weeks old, Jillian Boudreau's mother passed away, but the baby is in the loving care of her father and Cougar's owner Lori Collins hopes the funds raised through the tournament will make things a little easier for them.

When the dust and snow settled, the L.O.F.T team beat out four others for championship status and the Gunt Hunters were crowned Toilet Bowl champions.
With live music, a chili cook-off and a comedic awards ceremony, you may want to put your own snowshoe softball team together for next year. If you're not a player, just come out for good food, good fun and a good cause.

In the realm of entertaining fundraisers, Cougar’s hit a grand slam with this tournament!

Millarville's Cool News

(Page 5)

Entrpreneurial spirit is thriving at Millarville Community School. The Grade 5 class have been inquiring about entrepreneurship in the IB Transdisciplinary Theme “How we Organize Ourselves”. Through creating a real Mini Mall, students learn about math and develop business plans. These real life experiences foster questions about supply and demand, marketing, pricing and diversifying products and how economic issues impact sales. Every class excitedly looks forward for their time to come and shop. Comments from business owners: Mini Mall teaches you how to start your own business and how to keep it running. It's like owning your own piece of land as our businesses have to pay rent, which is an expense. You learn a lot about math whether you are behind the counter selling services and products or whether you are a customer deciding which special items to buy. We learned that money historically looked very different than the money we have now – cocoa beans, cowry shells, roman dimarius, Yap stones, kissi pennies. Can you imagine? Weird!

Our Spring Gala took place April 7th. The entire school came together to create events, bucket raffles and silent auction items to raise money for Fine Arts and this year for the Japan Relief Fund. Students created a variety of businesses, selling such products as cookies, jewelry, school supplies and services such as Goalie Shoot, Bunny Shoot, Fish Pond, Ring Toss, Cake Walk, Tape the Teacher and an Amazing Maze. We would like to thank all the businesses and parents who donated special items and to our Fundraising Group for their organizational wizardry.

Reading continues to be a huge focus at our school. Grades 4-6 participated in the Reading Give It a Shot Program. In this program, students recorded minutes read and received Calgary Flames bookmarks. Shannon White was chosen from our school to go to a Flames game April 6th. She is very excited as she has never been to a NHL hockey game before. She thinks this reading program helps students set goals and allows students to let their imagination run free.

To conclude our Powerful Forces Inquiry, students had to build a vehicle that would move. Everyone became experts in designing circuits to power their machines. We had to try and try again with our designs and received lots of tips from others in the class. Race day was crazy, wet and awesome.

This time of year is very hectic for Grade six students as they present their IB Inquiry Exhibition projects.
Comments from these critical thinkers: We had to do research on the questions we wanted to find information about and find experts to answer our questions. We learned that even if it is hard at first, now that we are almost ready to present what we have learned to our peers, it is quite easy. I spent lots of time really deciding on my topic and questions. It is quite different than just doing research. You have to connect your learning to the whole world and how it is changing and developing. We had to think of other's perspectives. It's much more depth than you would think. Grade six students would like to thank their Mentors for their guidance and expertise. The culmination of this learning will take place when these experts present their conclusions to other classes in the school and finally to their parents April 13th.

Ian Dutton
The Grade 2's have accidently fallen into a wonderful learning situation. Earlier in the year, while in a pattern inquiry, Izaak brought in a book of patterns for the class to look at. It was decided that our favourite patterns were created by a British artist named Ian Dutton. We found his website, www.ianduttondesigns.com and looked at more of his work. The class had some questions about his patterns so they emailed him. Surprise! He emailed us from his studio in England. Over the last few months, the class has been emailing Mr. Dutton or Skyping him to learn more about patterns. We have also had the great fortune to have Mr. Dutton give us art lessons via Skype.

The biggest surprise of all is that Mr. Dutton is now coming to visit us at our school. For the first week of May, Mr. Dutton will be an Artist in Residence, working with everyone at Millarville Community School! Exciting!

Gifts and Gripes

(Page 6)

Dear Editor,

I'd like to inform the Priddis community, particularly residents living near the Rothney Astrophysical Observatory, that the University of Calgary has decided not to proceed with a proposed carbon capture and storage (CCS) monitoring research project on university-owned land at the observatory site.

We engaged in consultation and discussion with many stakeholders in the area, including members of the Cross family, which donated the land to the university back in 1972. Much of the feedback we received was that the proposed research involves a footprint that is considered to be inconsistent with the goals of the original donation of the land to the university. The proximity of the site to the Cross Conservancy land and residents' concerns about possible impact on the wildlife corridor and ecological habitat were also important factors in the decision.

We respect these sentiments. So in the best interests of the community and the university, we have decided to look elsewhere for a site to pursue this important research and education initiative. I would like to stress that we believe there are no technical or environmental risks associated with this project. The University of Calgary is still committed to undertaking this work because it will provide crucial information and will identify best practices that will assist in the safe implementation of large-scale CCS projects in this province. CCS is a key technology needed to reduce CO2 emissions into the atmosphere in order to not only preserve our natural environment but also to sustain the economic health and well-being of the province.

I would like to thank all members of the community for taking the time to share their views and ask important questions about the project. I know the University of Calgary and the Rothney Astrophysical Observatory can continue to count on their support as a valued neighbour and community partner.

Sincerely,
Don C. Lawton, Ph.D., P.Geoph
Professor of Geophysics and Chair in Exploration Geophysics
Theme Lead, Secure Carbon Storage, Carbon Management Canada
Department of Geoscience
University of Calgary


All “Letters To The Editor” are more than welcome at the Gateway Gazette and whenever possible we will endeavour to print them. We reserve the right to edit or not publish submissions if they are in extreme bad taste, vulgar or could do damage to other specific persons. Please note that published submissions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Gateway Gazette, staff, associates or family. The Gateway Gazette (along with anyone connected to the Gateway Gazette) does not assume any liability or responsibility in light of the opinions of others. With all of that out of the way, please feel free to send us your thoughts or opinions, preferably by email at: gazette@telus.net, you can fax them to: 938-2473, or you can drop them off in our drop-box at Coyote Moon in Turner Valley or at Pharmasave in Black Diamond.

C. Ian McLaren - Cougar Pride

(Page 7)

This year, one of the goals of C. Ian McLaren, has been to develop our sense of school pride and getting along in our Character Education program. We decided to focus some of our energies on our school mascot the cougar. Part of our Character Education plan focuses on the cougar characteristics such being strong, independent and caring for your young.

The cougar mascot came to McLaren a few years ago. Mr. Ted Thorne, who is currently the principal of Millarville School, was the vice-principal of C. Ian McLaren School. He helped the students to come up with an animal that could be the mascot of the school and so the Cougar mascot was created. Cougars, as many know, frequent the area of the High Country. We also share this mascot with Mount Royal University in Calgary.

To make the cougar visible as a mascot, we have a cougar displayed in the School entrance, in the gym and on our school letterheads. We also give out small beanie baby cougars at our Character Education assemblies. The newest place that we have for the cougar is the school office. Last fall, we contacted the art teacher, Christi Tims, at Oilfields High School to see if there was a student who was willing to take on a mural painting of a cougar on a bare wall at the office.

Anna McDowell, a Grade 10 student, from Oilfields's High School, was the willing volunteer. She has been coming over to our school since before Christmas to work on the mural of the Cougar. She began by creating her own sketch. From there she drew it on the wall. After that she began the process of painting and spent many hours at the school on lunch breaks and after school. The results are incredible. The attention to detail is amazing. We feel so fortunate to have had the use of her talents. It is just about complete and she has done an outstanding job! We are so fortunate to have the talents of young people like Anna in our community.

Travel Tracks by Dave Heron

(Page 8)

Meeting Expectations

Like most - I love a bargain.
Offer me a vintage '57 Fender Stratocaster Sunburst for $5,000 and I'm all over it.
En route to divorce court perhaps, but the proud owner of a true bargain.
A '91 Chevy Cavalier for only $500?

Cheap - but not my idea of any kind of good deal other than for possibly the vendor.
Bargains on holiday packages need the same kind of scrutiny as any other major purchase.
When a fellow called up the other day to tell me that he'd located a much better deal "on the web" than anything I'd sent over to him, I suggested we both log on to the site at the same time to see what was coming up available.

At the precise AH-HA moment the deal popped up he exclaimed, "see - $800 and you quoted me $1,400".
He was right - there it was in black and white - $800.
Of course it wasn't for the package into a 4 star all inclusive he'd asked for but rather into a 2 star.
It was close to the beach - less than 5 minutes by cab.
And rather than a nonstop flight from Calgary, it made flight changes in Chicago and Dallas before attempting to land in Paradise.

But it was cheap.

And easy to find once you arrived - it was the motel with the Cavalier parked out front.
Not more than an hour later another treasure hunter floated in saying he'd prefer to shop locally so if we could get him into Timbuktu for the same price or less than what he'd found "on the web" he'd favour us with the business.

Proudly producing the itinerary he'd pulled up, we took a look at this epic find.
A 14,000 mile journey on 4 different airlines, 1 of which had been banned from 1st world airspace for the past 10 years and 2 others not even the most enthusiastic airplane hound could recognize.
We took a pass on issuing that ticket explaining that our policy was to sell round trip tickets only and this didn't exactly inspire my confidence that it would actually complete the itinerary.

But it was cheap.

Over the years I've come to expect that in exchange for an output of currency on my part, that the product I'm acquiring have a certain shall we say - value attached to it.
When choosing a restaurant, I have a certain expectation that in exchange for paying the bill, that the meal served will stay down and deliver some degree of enjoyment.
If on the other hand, I talk myself into believing that $2.99 for an all you can eat buffet seems like a good idea, I probably shouldn't be too surprised at the end result.
I got what I paid for.
And more.

After enduring a Winter such as we've enjoyed thus far, wanting to get away for some Vitamin D is understandable.
But when we see the $800 bargain advertised - taxes included - there's a couple of alarm bells that should be clanging inside the hollow cavity.
Taxes into Sombr-eroville account for $300.
That leaves $500 for flights, transfers, accommodations, food, liquor and other miscellaneous items.
Something's gotta give here folks.
Seven days worth of grub, even at $2.99 per buffet takes about $70 out of the pot.
Another $100 or so for kickapoo joy juice at the bar and you're left with $330 for the hotel and the airline to split.
If they split it 50-50, the hotel's getting $23 a day for the room and the airline reaps $83 per direction for the flight.
With the right inoculations I can probably survive a $23 a night hotel room.
But at $83 for a 5 hour flight, am I certain the airline has checked to make sure the seal on the aircraft's sun roof will hold?

Brain surgery and skydiving school are 2 fields I don't look for clearance sales on.
Anything involving hurtling my ass through the air at 600 mph is another.

But if you're bound and determined to score "the deal" - call me.

I probably won't sell you the trip but at the very least you can get the damned Cavalier out of my driveway.

Adios until next time
Dave Heron
Dave Heron is the owner and operator of: Pace Setter Travel & Tours (1995) Inc; P.O. Box 612, 49 Elizabeth Street, Okotoks.
Tel: 403.938.5454
Toll Free: 1.800.206.7223.
Fax: 403.938.5568
Email:
pacesetter@nucleus.com

St. George’s Anglican Church - Rummage Sale and Community Garage Sale

(Page 8)

Submitted by Gail Briggs

Each year the Anglican Guild in Turner Valley likes to try something different. So this year we will have a one-day community garage sale on Saturday May 14th from 9:00am to 4:00pm. This garage sale is for those people who have small items, but not enough for a garage sale of their own and would like to rent a table or two for this day only. This garage sale is in conjunction with the rummage sale. Please phone Anne (403-933-4565) for more information.

Clean out your closets! St. George's Anglican Guild is having another rummage sale. Donations such as clothing (especially children's clothing) shoes, paper backs, puzzles, curtains, towels, bedding and household goods can be dropped off at the Church Hall on Thursday, May 12th and Friday, May 13th from 10:00am to 2:00pm each day. Please, no computers, TV's, Reader's Digest, Encyclopedias or large furniture. All donations must be clean and in good working condition so that the next person can enjoy them too. Please do not leave donations on the outside step of the hall. Thank you.

This rummage sale runs from Saturday, May 14th to Saturday May 21st. Times are as follows: Saturdays 10:00 am to 4:00 pm and weekdays 1:00 to 4:00 pm. In case you have forgotten, the Church Hall is located South of the 4-way stop in Turner Valley, we are on the West side of Main Street. We would like to see everyone there.

Rowan House - Soup Sisters Dish It Out

(Page 9)

By Todd Curran

Diamond Willow Artisan Retreat near Turner Valley hosted a hearty charity event on behalf of Rowan House on March 27th.

The efforts of 20 soup-making gals and a number of volunteers resulted in 260 bowls of soup for the local Rowan House Emergency Shelter and Eagle House Group Home. “You cannot underestimate the value a bowl of soup offers to women and children seeking new lives,” says Erica Rowntree, manager of Rowan House. “Soup Sisters is contributing to their success as they journey toward lives free of violence.”

Guest Chef Darren Nixon, Executive Chef and Owner of Divine, Okotoks, was on site to offer participants professional guidance in the kitchen. While their soups would provide dinner for the cooks, the true recipients would be taking delivery at Rowan House the  next morning.

The Soup Sisters program is helping Rowan House to meet the needs of the women and children who live there to escape domestic violence. Since its launch in Calgary last year, more than 5000 servings of nurturing and nourishing homemade soup have been made by 1000 volunteers across the country.

Soup Sisters is an innovative social marketing and community building program that is 100% volunteer driven and creates opportunity to dialogue with thousands of new people to raise awareness about family violence.

Groups across the country have been able to transform their contributions into a meaningful experience and a tangible way to give at our soup making events.

The events are hands-on, soup-making sessions and anyone can become a Soup Sister. Whether you are a book club, an office group, friends celebrating a milestone occasion or just want to make delicious soup, contact Pat Lothrop of Diamond Willow Artisan Retreat for upcoming events at 403-933-5755 or:
info@diamondwillowartisanretreat.com.  or visit: www.soupsisters.org for more information on Soup Sisters.

Household Hints by Rosemary

(Page 11)

Easter Ideas

When we were children Easter was the time of year when we were given our new Sunday coat and shoes, for the girls, hats and gloves as well. I remember the year I received a mauve coat, matching hat and lace gloves, I was sure I was the pride of the Sunday school parade. I believe these old traditions have mostly died out, but Easter Sunday supper and decorations are still a part of our family celebrations, so here are a couple of standbys you may like. A colourful tablecloth sets the mood. I have a bright orange embroidered center cloth that I set over a plain white one. If you're really brave, don't mind the clean up and you can control the candy each child eats, you can sprinkle jelly beans and/or foil wrapped eggs around. Foolishly one year we added plastic confetti Easter chicks and were still vacuuming them up in June, but you may enjoy it.

Cut a tree branch, either spray it with a pastel spray paint or leave it natural, place it in a plant pot that's been wrapped in seasonal paper and fill the pot with stones. Hang decorated Styrofoam eggs (dollar store) on the branches and use it as either a centerpiece or a floor decoration depending on the size and your preference. It can be made cute with Easter chicks and bunnies around the pot or classier with spring flowers tucked in the stones around the base.

Super baked ham for Easter supper: pierce the ham with whole cloves and put it in the oven. Half way through the baking, remove the ham, cover it with half circle pineapple rounds, and pour ginger ale over it, baste regularly, add more as needed and watch carefully; it makes a beautiful glaze.

For an Easter egg hunt, to help the younger ones who can't yet read, colour code the hints, as an example Little Bobby's hints and treats will all be yellow. Older children normally love to be helpful  and read the hints to the little ones.

Messy egg dyeing can be simplified and made a lot easier if you give the children non-toxic marker pens to do their designs; easier clean up as well. Either blow out the eggs, or hard boil them first and make sure they are refrigerated as soon as possible.

Instead of using place markers, melt some chocolate in a double boiler, fill a cake decorator and write each person's name around the border of the dessert plate in chocolate. We make each person a dessert of jelly served in a half of a large fillable plastic Easter egg and surround it with chocolate dipped fruits.

I treasure the pictures we have of the family standing in the living room dressed in our Easter Sunday best, each little girl holding her new purse with lace gloved hands to show it off. Mom in her new hat, the boys with slicked down hair and new blazers. Happy Easter to all.

Which Came First, The Bunny Or The Egg?

(Page 11)

Even though rabbits don't lay eggs, each year we are visited by a generous hare that delivers eggs. We paint them, eat ones made out of chocolate and send cards with them on it. And, while we have come to accept the curious sight of a large Easter Bunny carry a basket of eggs, most of us don't know exactly where the tradition came from.

Since ancient days, the egg has been the symbol of new life. Even before it became entwined with the Christian Easter, eggs were used by Romans, Chinese and Egyptians in spring festivals as a way to celebrate the dawn of a new season. In Pagan times, the egg represented the rebirth of Earth and was seen to have magical powers that would bless the start of the growing season – they were even buried amongst crops.

In the western context, eggs were originally forbidden during Lent as well as other traditional spring fasting days in western Christianity. But since chickens would not stop producing eggs, the end of the fast meant there was an unusually large surplus of eggs that needed to be eaten just in time for Easter.

The Easter Bunny followed German settlers who arrived in the Pennsylvania Dutch country during the 18th century. The arrival of the Easter Bunny, or Osterhase, was considered one of childhood's greatest pleasures, similar to the arrival of Kris Kringle on Christmas Eve.

According to the tradition, children would build brightly coloured nests, often out of caps and bonnets, in secluded areas of their homes. The Osterhase would, if the children had been good, lay brightly coloured eggs in the nest. As the tradition spread, the nest has become a manufactured modern Easter basket and the placing of the nest in a secluded area has become the tradition of hiding baskets.