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K-40 Club donates $2,000 to new facility

The Drumheller K-40 Club has donated $2,000 to the Badlands Community Facility, the first time the group has made a charitable donation in 20 years. The club does no fundraising, but through careful accounting management by club treasurer Ed Castonguay, the motion to donate money passed at the club at a recent meeting. It was recognized that the new community facility was an important asset to Drumheller and members wanted to show support for the committee. (l-r) Luigi Vescarelli, club president, Jeff Hall, chair of the Badlands Community Facility fundraising committee and club treasurer Ed Castonguay. As well, the club sent $500 to Haitian relief from the earthquake experienced in January. K-40 Clubs across Canada are affiliates with the only completely Canadian service group in existence, the Kinsmen. The Drumheller K-40 Group has over 30 members and meets once a month. The construction of the Badlands Community Facility is progressing on schedule. The architect firm of Graham Edmunds Cartier is currently working on the design and the preliminary site work is underway. The construction will start with a field house, running track, fitness centre, meeting facilities and a new public library followed by an arena and curling rink as funding becomes available.

Shields calling auctions for 50 years

    Long time auctioneer of the Craigmyle area, Johnny Shields was honoured by his peers, and was presented his gold pin for 50 years in the industry.
    On Saturday, January 30, at the Alberta Auctioneers Association Annual Meeting in Red Deer, Shields was presented with a plaque and the gold pin signifying 50 years as an auctioneer.
    Johnny, who just turned 80 on January 5, was born and raised in Oyen. In 1951, he married Merna and moved to a small farm at Chinook. Farming has never been an easy business, and looking for something to help pay the bills, he was inspired in the late 1950’s by the famous Leroy Van Dyke Auctioneers Song. Knowing he could keep up singing the song, he knew he could excel in the industry. He sought out a school to learn the craft.
    In the spring of 1960, he sold two cows that came up dry, and was able to pay for the bus trip and tuition to the Western College of Auctioneers in Billings, Montana.
    While he spent two weeks taking the course, his wife Merna was left at home with her hands full, raising four children, feeding about 100 hogs and milking several cows.
     Johnny returned home and practiced in his tape recorders, perfecting the craft. He worked for the local auction mart at Cereal a few times, but then in the fall, the Shields conducted their first estate auction sale. That was 50 years ago.

Bixby coming home

    In Jaydee Bixby’s own words, it is going to be a party when his road show hits the Stampede Barn this weekend.
    Drumheller’s own country crooner is set to play in Drumheller Saturday night, February 6. The show is hosted by the Kinsmen Club of Drumheller and is a fundraiser for its ongoing activities for the community. Moreover, it is a homecoming for the singer who first graced the national stage at 17 during season five of the Canadian Idol competition, and has never looked back.
    “It’s going to be good to be back, to have the opportunity to look into the audience and see people I grew up with and familiar faces,” he said. “We’ve been doing a lot of shows where we have never been before. It’s cool to do those shows, but it is always nice to see people you grew up with, and we have the opportunity to see them doing what they love, and they see you doing what you love.”
    Now 19, it seems a lifetime has passed as the blond kid with a twinkle in his eye won judges and fan approval. Since then, he has released Cowboys and Cadillac’s, appeared on a Christmas album beside artists such as Prairie Oyster and Taylor Swift, toured extensively and is ready to drop another album tentatively this spring.
    The twinkle in his eye has never left, but along the way, he picked up a strong work ethic.
    “Road work is the best kind of work. To be out on the road is the reason we make an album,” he said. “We try to do as much road work as possible. Leading into 2010, we are hoping to spend the whole year on the road if we can. We are going to have to go back because we are recording a new album, but everything is just going smooth.”
    As if he isn’t busy enough, he has been working hard on this sophomore effort called Easy to Love.
    “You spend so much time on the road and travelling, and you get a few days off… you get antsy, it’s the most boring thing sitting at home,” he laughs, adding the luster of road life has not worn off.
    “The day this becomes a grind is the day I find a new job.”
    Jaydee tells The Mail from Jasper during his nine-date tour, the Drumheller show will be special. Not only does the bill include rising star Stacy McKitrick of Abbotsford, but the Bixby’s, his parents' band are also on the bill.
    “My parents are playing with me and they are opening the show,” said Bixby. “It’s always special when my parents are there. It’s not going to be anything super formal, like following a set list, it is going to be doing whatever we feel like doing.”
    This includes a few previews of his new album.
    “We’re going to be spending the whole night, and I have some friends coming down as well… It’s going to be a party.”
    Tickets are available at Drumheller Chrysler, Sunrise Auto, Western GM Drumheller, Anderson Drug and UFA Drumheller. This is a licensed function.

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