April A HPN

April 2012 * Volume 2 * Issue 4A

AprilA_Layout 1 4/11/2012 9:15 AM Page 1

2 • Volume 2 , Issue 4A • Hitching Post News

Distributed to Cremona, Water Valley, Carstairs,Crossfield and Sundre, Didsbury & the Rural Routes

of Carstairs, Crossfield, Madden, Dog Pound,Didsbury, Sundre, Bergen and Bottrel

Deadline for the Second April

issue is:

April 20 , 201211am

Paper Release Date:

April 26, 2012

Paper Day is

Thursday

HITCHING POST NEWS

Office Hours:9am-3:30pm

Phone: [email protected]

EditorTara Jenkins

PublishersTara Jenkins & Angela Lambert

[email protected]@hitchingpostnews.com

Box 456Water Valley, AB

T0M 2E0

Keeping Our Communities Connected!

Everywhere we drive lately we see signs for our upcoming Provincial

Campaign. In this issue you will find profiles on the Olds-Didsbury-

Three Hills candidates for the NDP, Conservative, Liberal, and

Wildrose Parties. Election day is April 23, 2012 you can check online

for local polling station locations.

Our regular contributors also fill the pages of this issue with their

stories of adventure as well as local “what’s happening” information.

Have you been to the website lately? There is always something

going on there. The current project is one we’re very excited about.

The new classifieds will give you the ability to post your service,

business, “for sale” items by category, as well as community

resources in a very dynamic way. There are a few bugs to still work

out, but by next week it will go live! Watch FaceBook for that

announcement.

The first ever photo contest has seen a lot of submissions with some

amazing photos. It is so exciting to see what “winter” in our area

looks like through other’s lenses, not to mention all of the amazing

faces that have been submitted. Next issue we will share the winners

of this contest as well as the individuals who selected them.

Dear Editor:

Allison Redford and her PC party have taken away our Property Rights with

bills 19, 24, 36 and 50 removing our access to courts and much more. Next

on their agenda is Alberta’s Education with Bill 2, which will adversely

affect Protestants, Catholics, Jewish and all parents’ rights over their

children’s education. They plan to put Education under the Alberta Human

Rights Commission, which has been given sweeping powers over the

courts.

The Wild Rose Party tried to stop this attack on parents’ rights, but they

need more representatives in the Legislature to make that happen.

Section 3(1) of the old schol act, states “All education programs offered and

instructional materials used in schools must reflect the diverse nature and

heritage of society in Alberta, promote understanding and respect for others

and honour and respect the common values and beliefs of Albertans.”

The PC’s Bill 2 Section 16 is wordy similarly up until “honour and respect”

but the phrase, “common values and beliefs of Albertans” is replaced

with “Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Alberta Human

Rights Act.”

Please notice, failure to comply with the Human Rights Act in Bill 2 sec

29.4 states “The Minister may cancel or suspend the registration or

accreditation of a private school… (d) if the person responsible for the

operation of the private school permits courses, programs of study or

instructional materials that do not comply with section 16…

This shows all accreditation and funding will be stopped to those who do

not comply with the Alberta Human Rights Commission, which is a non-

elected board and is accountable to no one.

In the March 27th edition of The Rocky View Weekly, the impact of Bill

2 is explained in the article “Local Residents Join Backlash against Bill

2” According to Greg Lammiman, who was interviewed in the article, “his

right to pass on his traditional beliefs in a home school setting is being

threatened.”

This Bill “ forces home schools, Catholic and private schools to teach

within the limits of the Human Rights Act as interpreted by the Alberta

Human Rights Commission. That body, said Lammiman, has historically

been very unfriendly to anyone holding Judeo-Christian values. “Anyone

who holds those beliefs is dragged through the kangaroo court with no

appeals,” said Lammiman. “My concern isn’t just as a home school dad.

Having been a public school teacher for over 30 years, every teacher should

be concerned about being under the Human Rights Act. There is no recourse

for the person who is being investigated.”

Airdrie MLA, Rob Anderson, of the Wild Rose Party was unsuccessful in

amending the bill by giving “parents the paramount (legal) right over their

children’s education”. If you believe that children were given to the parents

and not the province, be sure you send that message to the PC party on April

23rd because the PC Party now wants to have the legal rights over your

children.

For more information see http://aheaonline.com/index.php/political-

updates/319-response-from-education-minister-and-education-critics

And while you’re at it, research the Land Use bills

at http://www.albertalandownerscouncil.com/apps/podcast/ and http://ww

w.landownerassociation.ca/

Our War Veterans gave their lives for our freedoms. First the PC’s put in

the Land Use Bills to take away our property and now they are working on

taking away parents’ rights over their children. A Wild Rose government

will rescind the

Bills on Land Use,

and stand against

the PC’s Education

Bill. On April 23rd,

VOTE to regain the

freedoms that we

are losing.

Yours truly Susan

Berdahl

Letter to the Editor


Keeping Our Communities Connected! Hitching Post News • Volume 2 , Issue 4A• 3

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Nesting robins, budding trees, slushy snowfalls, these are all part of our

welcome Alberta springtime. Let’s enjoy each minute, because this, too,

shall pass.

We have some important dates coming up at CCC. You’re welcome to join

us for a potluck lunch after church on April 22. Bring anything you like

from salad to main dish to dessert, then stay for the visit. If you forget to

bring a dish you can stay anyway; there’s always lots of food.

The following Tuesday there is an Official Board meeting. Each group in

the church should be represented, and there’s usually—guess what?—food

and coffee served. This is a church that feeds the body as well as the soul!

Saturday, April 28 is the Annual Beef Supper and Bake Sale from 5:00-7:00

pm. It’s a great meal for a reasonable price and the proceeds go to missions.

Bring the friends and neighbors as well. There may even be some dinner

music! Stop at the Bake Table and stock up on fresh, homemade bread and

goodies.

The Ladies’ Christian Fellowship meets on Thursday, May10. We welcome

visitors and new members anytime. Food and fun served.

Keep in mind that Mother’s Day is coming up on May 13, also a

communion Sunday.

Here’s the calendar:

Sunday, April 15, 10:00 am: Family Worship and Sunday School


Potluck lunch to follow

Tuesday, April 24, 7:00 pm: Official Board meeting

Saturday, April 28, 5:00-7:00 pm: Annual Beef Supper and Bake Sale


Sunday, May 6, 10:00 am: Family Worship and Sunday School

Thursday, May 10, 2:00 pm: Ladies’ Christian Fellowship

Sunday, May 13, 10:00 am: Mother’s Day Family Worship and Sunday

School

Contacts: Church Office and Pastor Ian Mason: 403-637-3768

www.cremonacongregationalchurch.com

Message from God: Faith is the pause between God’s plan and seeing it

come to pass.

Cremona Congregational Church NewsSubmitted by Kathie Reid

_

Cremona

Congregational

Church

BEEF SUPPER

April 28, 2012

5-7pm


4 • Volume 2 , Issue 4A • Hitching Post News Keeping Our Communities Connected!

Our Division has many projects

slated for the budget for Spring of

2012 as well plans for a project on

the Acme Road in Spring of 2013.

I would like to provide you with the

project details of each. The first is

the re-paving of the Burnt Timber

Road TWP 304 to HWY 22. It is a

total of 28.2 km and this was a

project was applied for under the

Resource Road Grant.

The Provincial Government has this

available when industry and

municipalities work together on

projects. The total cost of the project

is $5,402,364 with the province

paying $2,701,180, Shell Canada

$1,250,000, MD of Big Horn

$548,000, and Mountain View

County $902,883.00.

This road was constructed as a

partnership between the Province,

Shell Canada, Mountain View

County and the MD of Bighorn. The

road was constructed in 1989 and

paved in 1991 to serve as a ban-free

structure to the Burnt Timber Gas

Plant. The asphalt is showing

distress and both the municipalities

have dedicated large amounts of

resources to its repair.

If this road is not re-paved a seasonal

ban may be required in order to

protect this road from incurring

damage. Based on the condition and

use of the road this ban could be a

permanent feature. So, council is

happy to report that this project did

receive the funding requested and

will be going ahead.

We are currently in negotiations with

the land owners adjacent to the

Acme Road TWP 292. We have been

able to negotiate most of the land

deals without complication. Due to

safety of the road and the upgrading

needing to be done at RR 35 to RR

32, we need extra land from one land

owner to construct this new design.

The land deal for this is not going as

well as planned.

It saddens me to say that if a deal is

not reached in the next two months

we will be leaving out this portion of

road in the 2013 construction

season. The money has been granted

from the province in Municipal

Sustainability Initiative funding as

well the county has compiled

reserves for this.

The funds for this will be put to

another project and will be lost until

council decides to add this back to

the project sheet. I hope in the next

couple of months I will have better

news on this to report but for the

time being the project will not be

completed fully until an agreement

is reached.

COUNTY PEACE OFFICER

REPORT

Occurrences Investigated

Traffic:

• All traffic related violations and

warning tickets as well as

complaints relating to speed, stop

sign, concerns, traffic hazards, off

highway vehicles and any other

traffic related complaint or self

generated investigation.

County Bylaw:

• All violation tickets and warnings

and investigations, dealing with any

County bylaw including the Dog

Control bylaw and Parks Bylaw.

Commercial Vehicle:

• Matters relating specifically to

commercial vehicles, such as

suspected overload complaints,

highway damage, and haul requests.

County / Assist other Agencies:

• Includes involvement with County

Disaster Service and Health and

Safety program as well as

investigations done specifically for

the county relating to Insurance

claims or providing assistance to

other agencies such as RCMP.

Provincial / Other:

• Pertains to violation and warning

tickets as well as complaints relating

to provincial statutes not related to

traffic, such as Environmental

Protection, Stray Animals and

Gaming and Liquor Acts.

Traffic Education & Enforcement

• Total number of Charges: (Includes

all traffic, overload and bylaw

offences) - 87

• Total over-weight permit requests -

211 up slightly

• Drilling Rig Moves – 17 down 5

from January

• Service Rig moves – 53 up 22 from

January

Traffic Stops of the Month.

• 4 stop sign offences

• 132 Km/hr in an 80 Km/hr zone

• Vacuum truck 3250 Kg overweight

I invite you to contact at 403-637-

0140 to discuss any of your concerns

or you can email me at

patricia.mckean@mountainviewcou

nty.com

Division 2 Councillor

Patricia McKean

News from Division 2submitted by Patricia McKean, Division 2 Councillor



Moore Equine Veterinarians provide services for Reproduction and Outpatients including:

MOOREV E T E R I N A RY C E N T R E

We are opening our NEW Reproduction Centre and Outpatient Clinic adjacent to

the Calgary Polo Club

MOORE Reproduction Centre & Outpatient ClinicLocated Adjacent to The Calgary Polo Club Grounds27061 306 Ave West, Municipal District of Foothills, Alberta

[email protected]

Interested in travel to Haiti or

Iceland? Mark Monday, April 16 on

your calendar to hear Gwen Day talk

about her trip to Haiti and to see the

slides of the school where she

worked with elementary students,

and the building and medical

projects going on all around her

while she was there. Later in the

evening, Donna McKinnon will

speak about her trip to Iceland – the

intriguing country of ice, snow and

geysers, farming and cities. And

both presentations are free.

How can that be? Cremona

Community Engagement Society

(CCES) wants to pick your brain

about the programs we are offering

and the ones you would like us to

offer. We are holding our Annual

General Meeting (AGM) on April 16

and need your guidance for the

coming program year. As well, we

will be electing a secretary,

treasurer, and director-at-large for

the next two year period. If you or

someone you know is interested in

one of these positions, please submit

your nomination prior to or at the

AGM.

The meeting will begin at 4:30 with

the opportunity to meet the current

executive and members, to learn

more about CCES and to contribute

to the list of suggestions for next

year’s programming. At 5:00 Gwen

Day will talk to us about Haiti. Then

we will offer a light meal and a very

brief formal meeting and elections.

We will wind up with Donna

McKinnon’s presentation on

Iceland.

Watch your mailboxes and your

email for more information from

CCES about this exciting event!

CCES is also pleased to announce

we have achieved formal Society

status as of the end of January. We

are currently in the process of

writing a set of policies to

complement the Society Bylaws.

Our mission is to connect our rural

communities, schools,

organizations, businesses and

individuals with people throughout

the world through innovative

communication technology:

affordable, easy to access and time

efficient, promoting lifelong

learning.

This is a fairly wide reaching

mission statement and we need your

input as community members to

help your Engagement Site be as

valuable as it can be to you and to

this region. We look forward to

seeing you on April 16 at the Site in

Cremona School.

For further information on the

AGM, site offerings or on the

CCES, please contact Jan Shand, co-

ordinator (Cremona Community

Engagement Site)

Phone: 403 637-3856 ext: 4862

After hours contact: 403 899-3066.

mailto:[email protected],

or for information on the Society or

the AGM, you may call me at

403-337-2368.

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Cremona Community Engagement Societysubmitted by Lana Yakimchuk


Keeping Our Communities Connected!6 • Volume 2 , Issue 4A• Hitching Post News

I am a fiscal conservative and I

firmly believe in government

transparency. My record speaks for

itself.

Married to Carol, we have two

children and two grandchildren.

In my spare time I enjoy golfing,

reading and spending time with

family and friends.

Political Career:

First elected to Village of Beiseker

Council in 2001, and have been

Mayor for the past 7 years. I served

on the Alberta Urban

Municipalities Association

Executive Board as Vice-President

for

Summer Villages and Villages as

well as on the Board of Directors as

Director for Villages South. I was on

the Board of Governors for

Alberta Municipal Services

Corporation, member of the Safety

Codes

Council and the Beverage Container

Management Board.

Business Experience:

Prior to entering politics my

entrepreneurial ambitions lead me

on a

successful career as an electrical

contractor, an owner/operator of an

electrical company. My experience

in the political arena as well as

the business community has given

me invaluable knowledge regarding

government regulations.

Why am I running for Wildrose?

Wildrose will enable free votes in

the caucus, cabinet and most

importantly in the Legist lure, which

will be a return to true democracy

and true representation for

constituents.

Wildrose wishes to ensure

Albertan’s property rights are

strengthened-that will be done by

repealing Bills 19, 24, 36 and 50.

Wildrose wants to provide quality

healthcare with local decision-

making.

I am an advocate for strong

municipal funding.

As a local politician, I have a

passion for serving people and will

listen to Albertans, for Albertans

hold the solutions to our

challenges.

Top 3 Priorities if Elected:

Ensure property rights are

strengthened for Albertans. Quality

healthcare with local decision-

making and strong municipal

funding.

When Darcy took the time to chat

with me he told me that he felt there

were 4 main issues to this election -

Health, Education, Strong

Communities and Agriculture.

When talking about health the main

thing that Darcy pointed out is the

lack of strong health care for

seniors. The system is adequate but

could be better. He'd like to see

money spent to provide more long

term care solutions for seniors,

including options for housing or

home care. Making a specific care

situation so that they can be

removed from hospital beds and

have better care for them. "Our

seniors need the best care and

facilities that we can provide as they

move through the last stages of life."

”Our children have to have a world

class education so that they can

prosper in the new economy based

on technology and knowledge." We

are in a high growth area and he

feels that our infrastructure could

use improvements to have our

children get the best education

possible. He would like to see the

schools in our area be refurbished to

accomodate for the growth and new

technologies that aid in learning.

He'd like to see these refurbishments

made with the long term capitol

costs deferred over 4 years. He'd

also like to see that there is adequate

support for home school so that

parents can provide their children

the kind of education they want.

Also giving options for parents to

support their moral and ethical

views as not everyone's views are

the same.

Darcy supports strong communities

that provide the services that

families and business’s need.

Schools, health care centers and

seniors facilities are crucial for

our future in this region. The

Provincial Government must

work with municipalities to build

the infrastructure that the people

of Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills

need. "Our business’s and farms

need smart regulation that helps

rather than hinders their bottom

line."

Darcy himself is a property owner

and has had dealings with oil

companies, he'd like to see that

property owners in the area get

the support that they need. He

feels that they should be

consulted about natural resources

and get properly compensated for

the use of their land to remove those

resources. He also feels that land

owners should always have access

to the courts to work out resource

disputes.

He would like to see strong support

for agriculture in our area. He'd like

to see a Young Farmer's Council

formed to support the younger

generation get into farming with

mentoring. He feels that we need to

do what we can to keep our ag areas

strong by looking at trade

agreements to support that.

"I want be part of a government that

drives innovation, respects property

rights and is fiscally responsible:

* Alberta needs to be a leader in

confederation, as Canada can only

succeed with the involvement and

input from the provinces.

* Communication with constituents

is crucial whether as individuals as

business’s or as industry.

* We need to continue to look

beyond our own borders to develop

international relationships and

markets in order to prosper.

I believe in a principled and strong

Progressive Conservative party:

* One that looks at both sides of the

ledger, the financial side and the

human side

.* A party that is conservative and

compassionate.

* A political institution that respects

democracy and that will allow

caucus to be heard and to vote on

matters that affect the whole

province.

Alberta’s future is bright and we

need new leadership and fresh

representation in Olds-Didsbury-

Three Hills. I would be proud to

represent the PC party with the

openness, transparency and good

governance that we need to

guarantee that bright future. "

2012 Alberta Provincial ElectionDarcy Davis - Progressive Conservative

Angela Lambert

Bruce Rowe - Wildrose CandidateSubmitted



My name is Kristie Krezanoski and I

am the Alberta New Democrat

candidate for Olds – Didsbury -

Three Hills. I am very excited to

have the opportunity to run in this

provincial election. With an election

as dynamic at this right around the

corner, I encourage all Albertans,

especially youth, to practice your

right to vote!

Alberta has had a Conservative

government for over four decades

and I think it's time for change. Our

publicly funded and publicly

delivered healthcare system has

come under attack during this

election and it's up to Albertans to

defend their values. Other parties

are focused on changing to a two-

tier private healthcare system that

favours the rich. This not the

Alberta I envision. The New

Democrats will guarantee quality

public healthcare for everyone.

Shortages of 500 doctors and 1,000

nurses, excessive emergency room

wait times, and rises in public

funding for private operators are

clear indications that things are

working. I stand beside Brian

Mason and the New Democrats

because we believe putting families

first is crucial.

I am a passionate person who is

dedicated to making the concerns of

my constituents heard. Being that

voice in the legislature is my number

one priority. I challenge Albertans

to educate themselves on the issues

facing this province, envision the

Alberta they wish to see and vote

Alberta New Democrats on April

23rd.

Born September 8, 1946, Regina

Saskatchewan

Married to Maria

3 children and 3 grandchildren

(getting ready to go to University.)

Live and worked in the Olds Area

since 1976.

Education – Bachelor of Science in

Agriculture, Master in Agriculture

Economics

Community involvement- Director

of Alberta Surface Rights group,

past minor soccer coach, past

treasurer of Cubs and Optimists.

Work Experience- Taught at Olds

college since 1976 in the area of

Farm Management , Economics,

and Business Management. Also

worked as a District agriculturist for

5 years. Retired in 2011. Also run

an active farm during this time,

primarily raising hay and grain

crops.

Why I am running

In this period of time experienced

the Klein era cuts and the continued

underfunding of maintenance and

repair, a huge infrastructure deficit

right across Alberta that cannot be

solved without increased

government spending . This is the

core root cause of rising Tuition fees

and Post Secondary education

charging more but giving less. Thus

the Job skills deficit despite record

spending on Post Secondary and K-

12. Any promises by the Wildrose or

Conservatives that they can solve

the problems without increased

spending show their total lack of

understanding of the current

situation.

Health care - once again the

increased privatization of seniors

services is going to leave many

seniors in very poor living

conditions in their supposedly

Golden years. The government is

not prepared for the onslaught of

seniors hitting the health care

system showing a total lack of long

term planning.

Agriculture – the long years of

Conservative government has seen

the huge sell off of the Alberta Beef

herd, which is decimating the beef

industry. Numbers are where they

are in the late, 1950’s. Also

witnessed the huge concentration of

power by the meat packers, only 2

Cargill and Tyson, also own about

80%% of feed lot cattle. They set the

prices they will pay the producer.

Also concentration of Buyers in

grain industry, resulting in same

situation for grain producers. This

has resulted in a decline in smaller

rural communities that will not be

reversed.

The Liberal party platform best

offers a solution for a future more

prosperous Alberta.

Loss of property rights , Carbon

capture is about government seizing

ownership of all land rights below

top 6 inches without compensation

for land owners. Really about

government owing all the WATER

and eventual privatization and sale

of Water. If an OIL company causes

pollution of ground water by a

Fracking process, then there is no

lawsuit because the landowner

cannot sue the company or

government for compensation. Bill

19 says if a landowner opposes a

government assembly project then

they are subject to fines of $100,000

and 2 years in jail without trial by

judge or jury. This is Communist not

Democracy

Bills 19, 24, 36 and 50 need to be

cancelled, which is liberal policy.

I fell I am the best qualified to serve

the electors of the Olds – Didsbury

riding.

2012 Alberta Provincial ElectionGarth Davis - Liberal Candidate

Submitted

Kristie Krezanoski - NDP CandidateSubmitted

VOTE APRIL 23, 2012


Keeping Our Communities Connected!8 • Volume 2 , Issue 4A• Hitching Post News

The Cremona Cowboys Atom team

had an amazing year ending up first

in the Central Alberta Hockey

League (CAHL) standings, winning

every game and tying one.

Round 1 of playoffs were done in 2

games against Duchess, Round 2

was also done in 2 games against

Beiseker. The Banner Round was so

exciting with Canmore. We won the

first game, lost the second game in

Canmore bringing back home the

third game. This game was as good

as it gets! Both goalies stood on

their heads; it was a true a goalie

game (good job Dawson in net) We

ended up winning late in the third

period with a goal from Kyle

Crosbie. It was so awesome to see

the support the community gave this

little team that night. I really don't

think I have ever seen the arena have

that many people in it, it was packed

and so exciting for everyone. We

truly have an amazing community,

when the Canmore players were

leaving the arena all the parents and

fans gave this team a huge applause,

very classy! Good Job Cremona.

This is Coach Clair Crosbie, Kyle

Crosbie and Dawson Laye's 3rd

Atom Banner in a Row. Assistant

Coach Terry Black, Dylan Laye,

Madison Black, Dane Bennett-

Nimijean, Denton Argent, Tage

Fawns's 2nd Atom Banner in a Row

and a 1st Banner win for Assistant

Coach Jody Laye, Brandon Tetz,

Brody Coleman, Dayton Foster &

Julien Ducharme.

This team made it to Provincials for

the 2nd year in a row in

Mayerthorpe, AB. After the first

night we made a huge statement that

we were there to win! The team

won the "A" pool, winning semi-

finals and playing Claresholm for

the Provincial Banner, where we

ended up winning. Playing in

Provincials is an experience of a

lifetime for these players, coaches

and parents. In Cremona's hockey

history there has been no team win

both their league and provincials in

the same year.

But yet we were not done winning, 1

more Tournament to go. We headed

to Lacombe for the "Tournament of

Champions" where we won also.

This team is small with 11 players,

but the heart and the “never quit”

from these athletes showed every

time their skates touched the ice. All

year our coaches Clair Crosbie,

Terry Black and Jody Laye worked

the kids very hard in practices with

it showing in how the kids played

each game. They never gave up and

never quit!

Good Job Cowboys you are the

2012:

Atom Tier 2 CAHLChampions

Hockey Alberta Provincial

Atom "D" Champions

Tournament of Champions -

Champs

" TRIPLE CROWN"

Cremona Cowboys Triple Crown- Amazing Year for Cremona Atom Hockey Teamsubmitted by Sheri Laye

Back; Sheri Laye (manager),Jody Laye (Asst Coach), Terry Black (Asst Coach),

Clair Crosbie (Coach). Middle; Madison Black, Kyle Crosbie, Julien Duscharme,

Dane Bennett-Nimijean, Dylan Laye, Denton Argent. Front; Tage Fawns,

Brandon Tetz, Brody Coleman, Dayton Foster. Goalie; Dawson Laye


It’s off to fight night in Hua Hin, as

the boys check out the cultural

extravaganza that is Muay Thai

boxing.

We were lazily lounging around the

lobby yesterday, wondering what

kind of fun we could have without

going bar-hopping, when a truck

drove by, blasting an advertisement

for Thailand’s national sport, Muay

Thai boxing. Everywhere you look

in Thailand, you see training

facilities and stadiums for the sport,

so we figured that it’s gotta be good.

Our host Tony confirmed that we

had made an excellent choice, and

told us about the event’s location

and ticket prices, and had his staff

arrange a tuk-tuk at a confirmed

price. He also told us that there was

a great marketplace right across the

street from the arena, and suggested

that we go a bit early to stroll around

and ensure that we got a good seat

for the Muay Thai matches. We did

as we were told, and reserved

ringside seats (you can’t get better

than seats A1 and A2) at the Grand

Sports Stadium, a bit of a shabby

arena attached to Hua Hin’s version

of Caesar’s Palace, the Grand Hotel.

We wandered around the

marketplace for a bit, but didn’t

have enough time to fill our

suitcases with stuff.

We settled into our seats, ordered a

beer, and surveyed the scene. On the

wall behind the ring was a brilliantly

lit photo of the King and Queen of

Thailand. Underneath that were

three gigantic photos of the man

who is obviously second in

reverence to the royals, Mohammed

Ali (AKA Cassius Clay).The event

kicked off with a recital of the

national anthem, a doleful dirge if I

ever heard one. There were five

bouts on the card, and what a

spectacle it was!

Muay Thai is similar to boxing,

although the competitors are also

allowed to kick and knee each other

in the head, or any other part of the

anatomy they can reach. Each match

consists of five three-minute rounds,

and is refereed in the same manner

as the sweet science of boxing. The

fighters are incredibly

intense, although there

is a surprising degree

of ritual and

sportsmanship about

the whole thing.

The first bout featured

two slender but

muscular men, who

before the match made

a great display of

stretching, flexing, and praying to

Buddha for a favorable result. The

bell rang, and they proceeded to try

to kill each other. During each

round, loud, rhythmic music blares,

which the fighters seem to use as a

metronome to time their assaults on

each other. The racket is further

enhanced by the excited babble of

Hua Hin’s version of Ed Whalen,

whose job it is to rile the crowd into

a frenzy.

Between rounds, the managers haul

a shallow galvanized tub into the

corner, put a stool in the middle, and

proceed to rub down their fighters

and splash them with water to cool

their overheated bodies. The first

match lasted the full five rounds,

and was settled by a decision by the

ringside judges. I have no idea how

they score the bouts, but the judges

conducted themselves with the same

professionalism and dignity as the

referee.

A winner was declared, and they

stuffed the prize money in the

victor’s mouth. He then proceeded

to wade into the audience sporting a

face full of Baht, and received

copious tips from his appreciative

audience. The same routine

continued for the rest of the fights,

so there is no need for a blow by

blow account.

There were two matches, however,

that were worthy of further

commentary. The third bout

featured two little kids who

appeared to be about 10 years old.

Despite their tender age, however,

they had already turned pro, and the

winner was rewarded with a

mouthful of money, just like the rest.

The fifth match and main event

featured contestants that we thought

were even more bizarre than the pre-

pubescent kids we had witnessed

earlier. In the blue corner was a lean

young man, and in the red corner

was -wait for it- a woman.

Obviously, the Thais have reached a

level of sexual equality undreamed

of in Canada, and they proceeded to

kick the crap out each other. I had

my money on the girl, figuring that

they must have set her up against a

stiff that couldn’t punch his way out

of a paper bag. However, for the

thousandth time in Thailand, I was

proven wrong, and he knocked the

unlucky lass out in the third round.

The whole affair lasted over three

hours, and the bloodthirsty throng

streamed to the exits. Every tuk-tuk

was filled to capacity, so we settled

on another, even more

unconventional mode of transport.

A lonely, toothless old man

presented himself, and ushered us

into Thailand’s version of a

rickshaw, a tricycle with a double

seat. His fare (100 Baht) was the

same as charged by the tuk-tuk

jockeys, so we settled into our seats

and enjoyed a truly memorable ride.

As our cyclo jockey strained and

sweated to take us to our destination

(we told him to take us to the Hilton

Hotel, a landmark not far from our

hotel) he whooped and hollered in a

most entertaining fashion. Even

though the old bugger dropped us

off in the middle of the red light

district, and not at the Hilton as

ordered, we were so appreciative of

his efforts that we doubled his fare.

Such amusement cannot be found at

home at any price, and we were in a

generous mood after watching the

carnage at the Muay Thai matches.

Next Issue:

Three weeks of tearing around

Thailand can take their toll, but a

quick change of pace and some

local therapy prepares Scott for the

next leg of his journey.

Hitching Post News • Volume 2 , Issue 4A• 9Keeping Our Communities Connected!

Two Men in Thailand - Fight Night in Hua HinTravel Log by Scott Davis


March has been a fabulous month

for FCSS! Our Community

Discovery Night on March 21 was a

huge success! 35 community groups

took part in the event, with

approximately 100 community

members browsing through. I

learned more about what’s offered in

our community, and got to meet lots

of smiling faces that are involved. If

you missed this event, you missed a

fantastic opportunity…be sure not to

miss out next time. A big thank you

to the students and staff at Cremona

School for your support, and all the

community groups who set up

tables…we could not have made this

event as successful as it was without

you.

The Try-Camp Experience is

underway, and is getting rave

reviews! 54 excited kids got to

participate in some great events at

our local camps. The camp filled

up, and had a waiting list! This is an

excellent opportunity to discover

camps in our own “backyard”.

A reminder to everyone out

there…April 15 – 21 is National

Volunteer Week. Volunteering and

volunteer groups are one of the

foundations of every community.

Provincially, FCSS recognizes that

and supports volunteers. Our

principles and beliefs speak to that:

A community’s most valuable asset

is its people. All people are valuable

and we value all people and their

capabilities. Each of us can make

valuable contributions to our

communities, and communities need

the contributions of all of us.

Working together allows us, as

citizens, to contribute directly to our

community, which in turn is linked

to positive outcomes for individuals,

families and community. Each

municipality has unique

programming needs and is best able

to determine what its own needs are

and propose solutions to meet them.

Municipalities can support

individuals, families and

communities by providing well-

designed preventative social

programs. Each of these 6

statements speaks in some capacity

to volunteering. Thank you to all the

dynamic and committed volunteers

in Cremona & Water Valley! We

wouldn’t be what we are without

each and every one of you!

A unique opportunity has crossed

my desk this week, and I’d like to

share it with you. The Rural Alberta

Development Fund & the Alberta

Community & Cooperatives

Association have teamed up to pilot

a project that aims at empowering

communities to invest locally, direct

their own economic development

and reduce dependency on

government supports. The

UNLEASHING LOCAL CAPITAL

project will educate rural

communities on a community

investment model, and assist in

establishing a community

investment fund (which is a pool of

capital raised from local investors,

managed by a local committee then

invested back into local businesses).

Three rural pilot communities will

be chosen to receive a substantial

monetary grant and implement &

test the model & create a Raising

Local Capital Guide that will be

provided to future community

leaders in Alberta. The project will

focus on addressing rural business

succession planning, directing local

capital into communities and

simplifying and reducing the cost of

investing. Does this sound

interesting to you? FCSS will be

hosting a Lunch & Learn webinar on

April 17 @ noon. The webinar will

last 1 ½ hours, and discussion will

follow; only 15 spots are available at

a cost of $10/person (to cover

lunch). If you have questions or

want to book a seat call FCSS @

403-637-3731.

A reminder that the Tri-

Communities Transportation project

is up and running until June. If you

need a ride to a medical or other

appointment in Carstairs, Didsbury,

Airdrie, Cochrane or Calgary, call 1-

877-389-2887. The ride fares are

approximately 1/3 of the cost of

other transportation, and are a

shared ride – meaning that there will

be other stops along the way to pick

up and drop off others. All the

details can be obtained by calling the

above number. Please call as early

in advance to book your ride, so you

won’t be disappointed.

Transportation is available Tuesday,

Wednesday & Thursday.

As always, you may contact me by

phone – 403-637-3731 or 403-510-

4521 or

[email protected].

My office hours are 9 am to 3 pm,

unless otherwise posted. If I’m not

answering my phone, please call me

and leave a message, I’ll return your

call as soon as I’m able.

10 • Volume 2 , Issue 4A • Hitching Post News Keeping Our Communities Connected!

Bookings: 1-877-389-2887

FCSS Happeningssubmitted by Tanya Shand, Director Cremona FCSS


Keeping Our Communities Connected! 11 • Volume 2 , Issue 4A • Hitching Post News

Here is one of those things that just

keeps getting better the more times I

read it. Maybe as I get older I am

more able to laugh at myself, or the

memory of the little hook and that

pain fades with time. The following

story is from my fishing journal…

June 4, 2000

I went fishing on the Dogpound

Creek yesterday afternoon and then

again later that evening. Managed to

put a hook through my pants and

into my leg. Don't ask how, it was

just a lapse in clear thinking. It

happens, leave it alone. I couldn't

back the hook out even though

earlier I had crimped the barb down.

My pants were, in effect, stapled to

my leg, which made walking almost

impossible and so I cut the shank

with the mini side cutters I always

carry for just such an event. Well,

mercifully, home was a 100 meter

limp away. All the way I pulled my

pant leg away from my knee so the

hook shank would not catch the

fabric. I could feel the imbedded

hook wiggling as the muscle flexed

with each step.

In my kitchen I sat myself down,

gingerly took my pants off and saw

this little hunk of steel wire sticking

out of my leg just above my knee.

"Is that it?" I said to myself, "It's so

tiny!" I took out my small hemostat

pliers that I use to free fish of their

hooks and thought I could grab it

and just push it through. I had seen

John Wayne do this with barbed

Apache arrows to some poor

unfortunate wounded trooper in a

movie I once saw long ago. "Yah," I

thought, "I can do that." I took two

good shots of Gin and began my

work. I could make the skin poke up,

but the hook point would not

continue to penetrate its way out

despite my twisting of the little piece

of exposed wire. It was like as

though the skin were tougher on the

inside than the outside! Watching it

poke up, but failing to push through

made me get woozy and feel a little

sick. I called my neighbour, to come

over and do it.

My neighbour quickly appeared

with mechanics tools, selected big

'geezuz' pliers, got down on his

knees for a closer look and decided

he was not the man for the job. He

called his personal doctor in

Cochrane for advice. He said he

could do it there in his home, but

that he had no

a n e s t h e t i c .

Nicely primed

on two more

Gins I replied

that it was okay

and that all I

wanted was to

have it out. So,

my neighbour

did the

a m b u l a n c e

driver routine

and took me to

his Doctor’s

house by 11:30

that night. I had no idea ancient

Toyota four-cylinder diesel Land

Cruiser's could go that fast! They

actually can't, I had forgotten about

the few hits of Gin I had consumed,

but the tires really did spin on the

gravel! And my neighbour making

the , WheeOoo, WheeOoo! sound

must have been the inspiration for

that old beast to get up and go and

for me to feel enormous acceleration

and a sense of speed. Well, there,

too, the Gin just might have played a

role.

Anyway.....

Once at the Doctor’s, he sat me in a

dining room chair, redirected one of

his ceiling spot lights to my knee,

got out his big "You could hold a

kidney with that!" hemostat and

asked which way the hook was

pointed. I showed him, looked away

as he grabbed the exposed end and

twisted the point the rest of the way

through. I sucked air through my

teeth and gave a little yelp once I felt

the point push through the skin.

Then with another 'stat’, the Doc

grabbed the point and pulled it

through. The relief was

instantaneous upon its removal. A

half dozen of Traditional Ale and

another of Rikard's Red was the

good doctor’s price, which I would

gladly pay in a few days.

Even though we were entertained

with pale green Northern Lights, the

return trip in the 'ambulance', the

emergency over and siren quiet, was

much more subdued. Which was

good, as the gin had worn off along

with all my bravery and bravado.

John Wayne wasn't so tough, but the

trooper who had the arrow pushed

through him, now, HE was tough!

Cremona United Church opened in

1937 and is celebrating its 75th

Anniversary this year.

With Spring just around the corner

we have begun planning for our

Anniversary Celebration this

Summer.

April 15, 2012 – Guest speaker

Rev. Paul DuVal

Service on Sunday at 10:30 a.m.

Church contact: Rev. P. Marie

Wedderburn 403-637-2200

Where a warm welcome awaits

with refreshments after service.

DID YOU KNOW: The first

pews were fashioned and built by

local farmers.

Braversubmitted by Frank van Doorn

Cremona United Churchsubmitted by Sheila Snowdy

coming Soon to HPN’s website a new

ONLINE CLASSIFIED TOOLLook for introductory rates and exciting changes beginning next week!


12

• Volume 2 , Issue 4A • Hitching Post News

Keeping Our Communities Connected!

Here’s My Card

HPN offers a widevariety of advertisingoptions right for your

business, event oractivities.

Contact by email orphone

(403)637-2953

GreeneBlade

CALL NOW FOR SNOW PLOWING!!

SPLIT FIREWOOD FOR SALE: CAN BE PICKED UP OR DELIVERED

rototilling · mowing · cultivating · seeding tree removal · wood chipping · tree planting light hauling · debris removal · snow plowing

Dan Axelsson BSc Office: 403-637-2013 Cell: 403-620-3301

Email: [email protected]

GD Ranch W A T E R V A L L E Y

F e e l t h e d i f f e r e n c e !

HORSE BOARDING HEATED INDOOR ARENA/WASHROOMS HORSEMANSHIP CLINICS/LESSONS

Please contact Debbie Alexander:Cell: 403 608 2985 Home: 403 637 3004

Email: [email protected]

There’s still time for your entry into HPN’s First Ever Photo Contest

Email or mail your submission by April 15


Documents

April A HPN