After two days of competition and 275 medals awarded, the Alberta 55-Plus Fall Games in Drumheller were a resounding success.
    The games were played out last Friday and Saturday.  In the area of 370 athletes were in Drumheller to compete in 18 events. Games coordinator Linda Traquair said the event went smoothly.
    “I am very happy, but most importantly of all, any participants that I talked to were extremely happy and enjoyed Drumheller,” said Traquair.
    The Badlands Community Facility was a hive of activity all weekend as the events were played out in the field house and in the conference centre. There were also events at partner sites at the Pioneer Trail Centre, the Royal Canadian Legion and the Little League diamond for outdoor events.  There were about 12 volunteers to keep the event running smoothly, as well as the support from staff at the BCF, the Legion and Pioneer Trail Centre.
    Traquair said that all seven zones of the province were well represented at the games, and they were competitive. Zone 1 Lethbridge-Medicine Hat earned the most points in the competition, followed by Zone 2, which encompasses Drumheller and then Calgary.
    Drumheller athletes fared well at the games this year. The Drumheller organizers added pickleball as an event and the team of Tom Zariski and Joanne Dumaine earned a fourth place finish in the 65-plus mixed and Ian Jones and Bob Friesen won fifth in the 55-plus men’s competition.
    Marcel LePlante won silver in the 55-plus snooker contest and Al Bremner won bronze in the 70–plus event.
    The Alberta 55-Plus Fall Games is a new format, and Traquair says it proved to be successful. Right now, she said they are exploring the venues for the games next fall, it appears they are planning to alternate between northern and southern Alberta communities.

    There’s a fuller sound coming from the DVSS senior band. The Drumheller Valley Secondary School has added a drumline to the school band and so far it sounds good.
    Band teacher Virginia Sakofsky said, “It was the student’s choice to bring back the drumline.”
    Sakofsky has been a teacher at DVSS for 18 years and she said that this is only the second time since she has been at the school that there has been a drumline.
    The drumline consists of seven students, all from the senior band. They will learn assorted music anywhere from classical to rock.
    “It is very exciting to incorporate a drumline again,” Sakofsky said, “The next unit will be rock band and the students are very excited.”
    Look for the drumline at the DVSS Remembrance Day Celebration on November 10. Watch for their performances in December at the Senior’s Dinner and the Fine Arts Night.