The bands are booked, the floats are built and the budgets are done, all that’s left is to find the people.
The 2010 Discovery Days parade needs about 10 dedicated community members interested in organizing the June 5 parade or the event might be cancelled for the first time in 40 years.
“It doesn’t take a whole whack of time but it really does take some committed people who want to be part of the process,” said Sharlene Brown, a member of the parade organizing committee and mayor of Black Diamond.
rnorthrop@okotoks.greatwest.ca
http://www.town.blackdiamond.ab.ca/
A core …

The success of an outreach education program offered by Christ the Redeemer Catholic Schools is starting to garner some outside attention.
A seven-member contingent from Calgary Catholic Schools visited St. Luke’s Outreach Centre in Okotoks on Jan. 8. The group looked at budget, curriculum and staffing at St. Luke’s with the idea of building a similar program within the Calgary catholic system.
“The group from Calgary Catholic that came to visit was extremely impressed with the supports and services that are in place in that centre,” said Mike Ross, Calgary Catholic’s director …

Plans are in the works to build three new athletic facilities in the Black Diamond area.
The Oilfields Sports Association and Drillers Athletic Society have joined forced to build two new baseball diamonds and a multi-purpose field complete with a running track.
Robert Jamieson, vice-president of the Oilfields Sports Association, said the fields will give children a place to play and keep them active.
“If you keep a kid active you keep him out of trouble,” said Jamieson. “We see so much in the schools when it comes to budget cuts the first …

As more foothills residents creep towards retirement age and beyond the strain on Alberta’s health infrastructure will increase said one of the province’s top health officials.
As a result, the Province has been looking at ways of expanding care options to ease the strain on local hospitals such as Oilfields General Hospital in Black Diamond and High River Hospital. Dr. James Silvius, Alberta Health Services’ medical director in charge of senior’s health, spoke at the Foothills Centennial Centre in Okotoks on Feb. 3 about impending changes to the health care system.
“We …

The Sheep River Library board is ready to release the flood gates when it moves into its new space in Turner Valley.
Library board chair Diane Osberg said the library’s books, services and classes are expanding to provide an increasing population in the High Country area, but they are quickly running out of space in their Black Diamond location. The collections of books, four computers, video conferencing equipment and meeting area is being housed in a 3,000 square foot space. According to Alberta library standards, to serve the population of the …

A group of Turner Valley residents who objected to a proposed affordable housing development in their neighbourhood will not lose their green space after all.
Council decided on Jan. 18 the proposed location for the project on Anderson Crescent, including a connecting property behind it, is not suitable for single family home and six duplexes.
In December all the residents of Anderson Crescent — including Coun. Gary Rowntree — objected to a proposal to donate the land to the Foothills Foundation for the development of affordable housing.
Brent Lindblad, who organized the petition …

A woman frustrated with the lack of progress within the Foothills Humane Society is now rallying support in the community to form another animal welfare organization.
Turner Valley resident Cheryle Dobbyn has registered the High Country Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and is hosting the first public meeting on Feb. 9. The meeting, which will take place at the Flare ‘n’ Derrick Community Hall in Turner Valley at 7 p.m., is designed to let the public know what the goals of the SPCA will be, seek input …

Turner Valley town council voted unanimously to reinstate Coun. George Wallace after a tumultuous past 11 months in which the councillor was stripped of his duties.
In March, council unanimously passed a vote of non-confidence against Wallace. Since then, Wallace has attended council meetings and cast his vote, but he could not attend committee or board meetings as a council representative.
Following the vote of non-confidence, Mayor Dona Fluter would not clarify the reasoning behind the vote of non-confidence, but she did say a letter Wallace wrote to the Western Wheel criticizing …

Violence on the Eden Valley Reserve escalated in January, resulting in six people being sent to hospital after they were attacked with everything from bats to chairs.
On Saturday police were called to their fourth call on the reserve west of Longview in one month involving a severe beating.
“This is a fairly common occurrence,” said Corp. Allen Busch of the Turner Valley RCMP.
According to police, at least four men broke into a home and beat two men inside with bats and a steel pole. The victims suffered broken bones. When their …

Nearly 14 years of making daily notes would account for one thick notebook and it is time for the new principal at Holy Trinity Academy to put those notes to work.
Every day since starting at the school in 1996 as a math teacher Carmen Ostafichuk, who is currently the vice-principal, has jotted down suggestions and ways to improve her class for the next day’s lessons.
Starting May 1, Ostafichuk can make notes as principal of Holy Trinity Academy (HTA) instead of vice-principal.
“I never just do things and say that’s good enough, …