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Chamber honours pledge to Badlands Community facility

    The Badlands Community Facility Campaign Cabinet would like to thank the Drumheller and District Chamber of Commerce (DDCC) for another payment towards their pledge of $250,000 that was received on Thursday. 
    In attendance was Jeff Hall, Campaign Cabinet Co-chair, accepting the cheque on behalf of the facility, from John Shoff, Board Vice President of the DDCC.
    As the end of the year approaches, now is the time to honour those pledge payments for a 2011 charitable receipt. Charitable donations give companies and individuals the ability to lower the taxes they pay for the year. Along with the benefit of lowering taxes, spreading a pledge over multiple years also gives individuals and companies a way to manage and support the Badlands Community Facility at a higher capacity.
    For instance, a gift of $100,000 may sound intimidating, but broken down into payments of $20,000 a year for 5 years is much more manageable. The Drumheller and District Chamber of Commerce is a great example of just that, as they have broken their pledge into payments of $50,000.
    “We would like to thank the Chamber of Commerce for their continuous support of the Badlands Community Facility and for their regular payments,” said Hall. “Large donations like this, whether they come as a lump sum or are spread over a number of years, help create a strong foundation for our fundraising efforts and exemplify the community’s commitment to the project.”
    Shoff adds, “On behalf of the Drumheller & District Chamber of Commerce I am happy to present this cheque to the Badlands Community Facility.  We believe the Badlands Community Facility will open many doors for the Drumheller business community to host larger events, and bring in new business opportunities to the area.”
    For more information on the Badlands Community Facility, please contact Heather Little at 403-823-1333 or hlittle@dinosaurvalley.com.


Routine traffic stop turns into drug bust near Trochu

    At 7:10 p.m. on October 31, 2011, Three Hills RCMP members conducted a traffic stop 6.44 km east of Trochu on Highway 585. The vehicle was stopped for an equipment violation.
    Upon inspecting the vehicle, RCMP members realized that the equipment violation was merely the tip of the iceberg.
    The investigation led to the discovery of open liquor, 237 grams of marijuana, a small amount of cocaine, and assorted drug paraphernalia.
    A 25 year old male from Drumheller and a 16 year old male were arrested for possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking. The 25 year old male was also charged with possession of cocaine and driving a motor vehicle with no insurance.
    The vehicle was seized by RCMP and the two males were released later the same evening. Both are scheduled to appear in the Drumheller Provincial Court on January 4, 2012 to answer to the charges.

FOR club spreads anti-bullying message

    Grade 12 students of the Friends of Rachel (FOR) club from Drumheller Valley Secondary School shared their anti-bullying message to the Grade 4, 5, and 6 classes of Greentree School.
    FOR started in memory of Rachel Scott, the first victim of the Columbine shooting. Her diaries and notes became the basis for an organization that aims to create a safe learning environment free of bullying and inspire everyone to make a permanent and positive change in their school.
    The FOR club began at DVSS when Shannon Kean, a student at DVSS, attended Connections Camp near Calgary this past summer. The camp helps foster leadership in schools.
    “It helps to cut down racism and bullying,” said Kean. As part of the camp, participants had to organize a leadership activity at their school.
    Kean chose to invite a FOR group to give a presentation to the school. Afterwards, Kean and fellow students started their own FOR club with the support of DVSS teachers Lynn Hemming and Cindy Karpa.
    Members of the club participate in a large number of activities, including welcoming new students, giving away gift cards to promote kindness, escorting seniors during the Remembrance Day ceremonies, and helping kids in need.
    The club has also given presentations to junior high students about prevention of bullying and counselling  to students who are being bullied. Members of the club are not afraid to confront the bullies themselves and help them change.
    “We help cut down bullying and set a good example,” said Kean.
    The FOR club spoke withstudents from Greentree School and shared their experiences and insights into how bullying can harm a person for life, how it can be prevented, and promote kindness.
    Melissa MacKinnon, a DVSS student, told her moving story of her ordeal with a pack of bullies when she was in Grade 9.
     “There was a group of Grade 12 girls that would pick on me,” said MacKinnon. “They would find me in the hallways just to make fun of me, push me, or say some rude names.
    “It was brutal,” continued MacKinnon. “It hurts to be made fun of and that happened to me everyday.”
    After the presentation the Greentree students were given a chance to ask the FOR members questions about junior and senior high school, and bullying.
    The FOR club will continue to promote kindness amongst their peers through a random acts of kindness week.
    “They’re very good role models,” said Hemming. “I’m very proud of what we’re doing.”


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