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Town issues tenders for solid waste collection

     The Town of Drumheller has issued tenders for contracts on solid waste collection, inviting eligible companies to quote for residential and commercial contracts separately or jointly, using an automated cart collection and based on a volume equivalent to five bags a week.
    A request for quote has also been issued for the new residential trash carts that the town will be buying and distributing to residential properties.
    Currently, waste collection is done by the town and includes collection for both residential and commercial, as well as offering free recyclables collections from businesses using the recycling bins provided.
    When the decision was made to change the collection to an automated cart system, some businesses asked council to consider opening the commercial collection to free enterprise and thus opening the market to several companies.
    Some businesses prefer having the choice of who to use for their waste collection.
    Tenders are requested for both separate or joint contracts and this will also show the economy of scales.
    Once the tenders are received, council will make a decision on the way forward.
    Benefits of using an automated cart collection for waste disposal are many.
    For residents, it will offer a cleaner and easier way to dispose of waste. Carts can be kept in the back yard and filled on an ongoing basis, and rolled out for collection on the appropriate day. They will also act as an enclosure so will keep animals out of rampaging through the garbage.
    Automated cart collections also provide a quicker and less physical garbage pickup, so using this type of collection reduces the loss of man hours due to injury from fatigue and lifting, as well as a cost saving as only one person is needed to operate the automated pickup vehicle.

The new system is expected to be rolled out on July 2, 2010 depending on the tender that will be awarded, and how long it will take for the company to be equipped with the appropriate pickup vehicle.
In the longer term, town will also be looking at the feasibility of introducing recycling carts. However, currently, Drumheller does not have the facility to handle individual residential recycling.

Drumheller is one of the few municipalities in Alberta where solid waste collection cost to residents and commercial businesses is not a utility based rate, and is included in the property tax.

Hey Romeo, nice work! Band breaks into Top 20

    Hey Romeo has broken through the #20 ceiling on the Mediabase Canadian Country charts.
    The band, featuring Drumheller native Rob Shapiro, has been steadily making music since 2002 under their previous moniker Utter Madness, and now Hey Romeo. In 2007, they released their self-titled album. Their cover of Fleetwood Mac’s Second Hand News received strong airplay. Along the way, the band won the 2008 CMAA Top New Group award, and in 2009 Shapiro won the CCMA Keyboard Player of the Year.
    They are back on the radio as their recently released single Searching for You is now #19 in the Mediabase Canadian Country charts.
    “So, among North American country acts being played on the radio in Canada, we’re #19 as of Saturday,” an elated Shapiro told inSide Drumheller. “This is rare air for us as it’s our first Top 20. I was in the Canadian Tire parking lot in Drumheller when I was talking to our radio promotion team over the holidays and we all picked numbers that we hoped our new single Searchin for You would go to, I picked #17 and the team picked #23. I have since changed my mind to Top 10!”
The ranking can only be a boost for the band as it gains notoriety across the country.
    “That will be a big difference maker to us for the rest of the year as far as live shows at concerts, festivals, tours, exhibitions, rodeos and other events. It also will open the door for us to be an opening act for the big ticket Nashville acts that play at the dome that need “support” acts, or openers,” said Shapiro. “It would be huge for Hey Romeo to be on a bill with Tim McGraw, Keith Urban, Toby Keith, Rascal Flatts or Kenny Chesney. It helps establish the band’s demographic and adds to our fan base by being on those type of hugely attended shows. Going Top 20 is a big deal, even if we don’t go Top 10, it's mission accomplished for the first single of our new album.”
    Mediabase produces music charts based not on sales, but radio play. It monitors almost 2,000 radio stations throughout Canada and the US.
The future looks bright for the band. They have a number of Canadian tour dates coming up and even a possible stop in Drumheller. They will be appearing at Nashville North during the Calgary Stampede and may even head to France.
    They have also signed with Royalty Records based out of Edmonton. This will give the band better distribution as they move forward.
    “That’s going to be key to getting the music to people. Walmart, HMV and other retailers will have the disc before summer,” said Shapiro.
To keep up with the band, fans can go to www.heyromeo.com to learn more. There is a link to request their latest single to local radio stations. Fans can also follow the band on Facebook.

From Dalum to Mexico in classic Comanche aircraft

Many vacationers fly to Mexico during the winter, but not many get to travel in their own plane.
    This is what Don and Carol Ostergard, of Dalum, did in January.
    Taking off from their farm airstrip near Drumheller, the couple spent over five weeks flying around Mexico and Central America, all the while in control of the commands of a 1959 Piper Comanche aircraft.
    This is not the Ostergard's first journey however. Having owned the aircraft for over 30 years, Don and Carol regularly fly down to Mexico for breaks, as well as across Canada.
    What was special about this trip was meeting up with 18 other like-minded people flying aircrafts and sharing part of the journey with the group, something Don and Carol had wanted to do for a while but schedules hadn’t allowed.
    Don also highlights, “wherever we went, we found friendly, hospitable, generous and honest people who are trying to make a better life for themselves and for their families. Regardless of social standing, there is a quiet dignity that shows through. And that was the most important discovery we made.”
    Preparing for the trip requires a fair amount of planning to ensure it goes smoothly; appropriate maps and charts need to be gathered, all the relevant paperwork such as insurance, proof of ownership and a temporary importation certificate for the aircraft, needs to be in order, as well as checking the entry requirements, as some countries, will require advance notice of arrival.
    And of course, the aircraft has to be thoroughly checked to ensure it is mechanically sound to fly, not a major job for the Ostergards as Don explains, “we are fanatic about maintenance and it pays!” Having flown over 15 times to Mexico and also various trips within Canada, the plane has never let them down confirmed Don, which has earned it the nickname of “The Sturdy Bird.”

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