By Hailey Spiess

Mixed Slo-Pitch is gearing up for another season. Currently nine teams have signed up with the hopes of another one to three teams to sign up for the season.

The registration night was held April 18, and weather permitting, they hope to begin the season on April 30.

The group running slo-pitch intends to use ASA (Amateur Softball Association) approved bats only and is looking into bringing umpires in from SPN (Slo-Pitch National).

Discussions of this years’ Beerfest was also brought up during the meeting. Beerfest will be held the first weekend of June (June 1-3). The entry fee should stay the same as last year. The slo-pitch group will also be looking for groups that are in need of fundraising events who would be willing to host a dance as well as the concession for Beerfest this year.

Any groups interested in either of these events, can contact the group to express their interest.

With an April 30 start date, the group has planned to do the ball diamond clean up on April 29 at 1pm.

Also, if anyone is interested in playing slo-pitch this season but is not part of a team, or if a team would like to register, they can call Jordine North at 780-622-5423.

By Betty Kobe

The Solar team from the University of Calgary is coming to the Fox Creek School on May 2nd to challenge the Fox Creek School’s electric powered Beetle.

The public is invited to the presentation which will be in the school gym at 1:30pm. The opportunity to view the two vehicles will follow between 1:50 to 2:30 pm.

The cars will then be readied for the race which will take place at 2:45. It is hoped the race can take place on the school track. However, confirmation that the track is acceptable was not confirmed at press time. If the school track is not suitable (gravel) then the race will start at the corner of Kaybob Drive near the school and will travel down town.

Please keep in mind, if the race takes place on Kaybob Drive, the road will be blocked off during the race.

Everyone is welcome to attend.

Eight-five representatives from Northern Gateway Public Schools Division, (NGPS) schools and communities attended an information and roundtable discussion on March 23 in Whitecourt. The goal was to discuss new approaches to meeting educational needs in the communities and share ideas on how schools and communities can interact positively and enhance their relationships for the benefit of student engagement and performance.

For those unfamiliar with AISI it is the Alberta initiative for School Improvement. It has been in place since 2000 and provides funding to encourage teachers, parents and the community to work collaboratively to introduce innovative and creative initiatives based on local needs and circumstances.

The Times has included a response from local representatives who attended the AISI roundtable. This will give the readers an opportunity to read the response to this initiative from the Fox Creek representatives.

Our thanks to Lisa Becic, communications officer, Northern Gateway for sending us the information.

Education is changing

Northern Gateway Public Schools recently hosted a roundtable discussion where invited educators, parents, community leaders, business owners and stakeholders were given a glimpse into the future of education and a new focus for the Alberta Initiative for School Improvement (AISI), Cycle 5 (2012-2015).

School and community hope to build on the Alberta Initiative for School Improvement (AISI) plan that was first introduced in 2000.

AISI Cycle 5 emphasizes enhanced student engagement and performance through effective community partnerships.

It was a productive day for our Fox Creek representatives who left feeling optimistic about the future of education in our community. We are looking forward to meeting in the Fall of 2012 to create an action plan for Fox Creek.

We invite you to come out and take this opportunity to be a part of the transformation of the education of tomorrow.

For more information please contact Northern Gateway Public Schools trustee, Jim Hailes, at jim.hailes@ngrd.ab.ca.

Written by Mayor Leora MacKinnon, Town of Fox Creek; Barb Ryan, parent, Fox Creek School; Tracy Mercer, parent, Fox Creek School; Mary Campbell, Councillor, Town of Fox Creek; Jim Hailes, trustee, Northern Gateway Public Schools; and, Nolan Andriak, teacher and ATA Professional Development Rep.

On March 29 at the Community Hall, a group of locals held an information night for summer sports. The purpose of the night was to see how much interest there was for children and adult summer sports. Going by the numbers that signed up, there is lots. The group offered soccer, baseball and ball hockey for ages 5-14, soccer and volleyball for adults, and gymnastics for two year olds and up.

If your child is interested in joining gymnastics and you were unable to make it to the information night at the Community Hall, you can still sign up by contacting Amy Stroud at the Town of Fox Creek Office.

There will be much planning and preparation, as well as acquiring the proper equipment but with enough people willing to come together to make it happen, gymnastics will soon be available for Fox Creek residents.

A meeting was held to officially put together a committee for Summer Sports and to go over the numbers for those who attended the sign-up.

More details as to when the summer sports will begin is still upcoming but for those who still wish to sign-up and missed the date, you can contact Troy Waye or join the group on Facebook and leave them a message.

The Facebook group is “Fox Creek Summer Sports”.

By Hailey Spiess

Neptune Technologies held an information session about the new water meters that will soon be installed in residential homes in Fox Creek.

One of the more common questions asked was where the new water meters will be installed. Residents were advised that the meter will be installed directly onto their incoming water service after the main shut-off valve in the basement. For trailers if room permits, the meter will be installed inside the home but if there isn’t room inside, it will be installed outside, possibly underneath the trailer.

Each new water meter will be fitted with a transmitter which allows the meter readers to read the meter from the street, eliminating the need for the person to enter the property Neptune Technologies will begin installing of the water meters at the end of May, and will continue to work through June and July. “We hope to have all meter installations completed by the beginning of July,” explained Basil, representative for Neptune Technologies.

So what do you have to do to prepare for these installations? First you have to locate your shut-off valve. Your shut-off valve will be located on a pipe coming out of your basement floor. Secondly, the area needs to be clear to ensure the installer has access. Clear all boxes and obstructions prior to the installation. The minimum recommended area is at least 12” wide, 6.5” high and 6” deep.

Once the meter is installed you don’t need to do anything more. The Town of Fox Creek will read your meter for billing purposes.

If residents want to monitor the own consumption themselves, here is how.

1. Shine a flashlight over the flashlight icon (located on the register at the top of the water meter) to turn the LCD display on.

2. Take a reading at a set time of the day.

3. Take a second reading at the same time the next day.

4. The difference between the two readings is your daily water consumption.

Through monitoring of the new water meters, the Town of Fox Creek will have the ability to monitor the actual water usage in homes, and eventually residents will be charged accordingly.

The water meters have the ability to show when water is in use or not in use, and when water is running slow (such as a tap dripping water).

The meter also indicates whether there is forward flow or reverse flow going through the meter.

The meters have a leak indicator which when off, indicates there are no leaks, and if flashing indicates water usage for more than 50% of the time during a 24 hour period, or continuously on, indicating water usage at least once every 15 minutes during a 24 hour period, indicating that there is most likely a leak in the home.

The Town of Fox Creek will be sending out letters about the meter installation to residents of Fox Creek. Following the Town’s letter, Neptune Technologies will mail residents information about how the installation will be done, and how to set up an appointment for the installer to come. Residents will have the option to set up appointments via telephone or to request a time by using the Internet website, which will be provided.

Fox Creek is the second last community in Alberta to have water meters installed in their community. Commercial businesses already have the meters installed. Communities which have put in these water meters seen a reduced consumption of water usage between 30-40%.

How to be more water conscious? There are many ways to be conscious of water usage both inside and out the home. Indoors, one should inspect the home for leaks, install low flow fixtures, wait for the dishwasher to be full before running it, don’t leave the tap running while brushing your teeth and take shorter showers.

Some things you can do outside to help water usage is, leave grass clipping on the lawn, avoid watering your lawn in the hot sun or on windy days. If you wash your vehicle(s) at home use a bucket and a hose with a shut-off nozzle, don’t water your lawn more than twice a week, and aerate your lawn twice a year, if possible.

Are you aware that over the summer months, watering your lawn accounts for 50% of your total water usage?

Grasscycling (leaving grass clippings on the lawn rather than bagging and sending them to the landfill) is an environmentally and financially friendly option for lawn care. Grass clippings are approximately 80% water.

When a lawn is cut regularly, clippings quickly decompose, releasing water and nutrients back into the lawn. Lawns stay greener, healthier and develop a deeper root system when clippings are left on them.

Grasscycling reduces the amount of time and money spent fertilizing and bagging. Leaving grass clippings on the lawn can generate up to 25% of the lawn’s yearly fertilizer requirements.

To start grasscycling, fertilize the lawn in the spring if needed, and let clippings do the job throughout the summer. Fertilize again in the fall to boost spring growth.

Aerating a lawn involves the removal of small cores (or plugs of soil) which are then deposited on the surface (they’ll work their way into the grass within a month). The small holes that remain help to break up compacted areas and allow water and air to penetrate to the root zone.

To determine if your lawn needs aerating, cut out several sections of turf grass, about 15 centimetres square and at least 15 centimetres deep. Examine the clumps, If the roots extend down only two to five centimetres, it’s probably time to aerate. When checking your lawn keep in mind that grass roots are longest in late spring and shortest in late summer.

The best time to aerate is early summer or early autumn, when the lawn is growing most actively. Unless freshly installed sod has been laid over compacted subsoil, as is often the case in new subdivisions, typically only mature lawns should need aerating.

For more information about how you can be water conscious, you can look online as there is a wide range of information available there which may give you more ideas on how to reduce your water footprint.

Calgary, Alberta – March 13, 2012 – In coordination with Alliance Pipeline, this spring, NRGreen Power will start building a green power generation unit at Alliance’s Windfall Compressor Station about 38 kilometers northwest of Whitecourt, Alberta.

The innovative Whitecourt Recovered Energy Project (“WREP”) will generate clean energy by recovering the heat emitted from the Alliance compressor station turbine and converting it into electricity. The power facility, which, when complete, will be named the Chickadee Creek Generating Station, will add 14 megawatts (MW) of baseload electricity per hour to the Alberta Interconnected Electrical System. It requires no water use and will create no new emissions while adding enough power to the electric power grid to supply about 14,000 average homes.

“WREP will be NRGreen’s first project in Alberta and our fifth waste heat recovery project in western Canada,” said Murray Birch, president and CEO of both NRGreen Power and Alliance Pipeline. “This project will recover heat energy that would otherwise be lost to the atmosphere and transform it into reliable electric energy, without producing any new emissions.” The project also marks the first commercial utilization of GE’s innovative and efficient new ORegen^TM system.

Construction on the project will begin in May 2012 with an anticipated in-service date in the third quarter of 2013, and an expected cost of $64 million. Gord Johnson, Alliance Pipeline’s Whitecourt Area Manager, advises that construction procurement is underway. “This is a significant and exciting project for the Whitecourt area. With a May construction start, we are in the process of identifying contractors and suppliers. Whenever possible, we like to hire locally, so I encourage interested parties to contact us at 780-778-8303.”

The WREP is made possible in part by funding from Alberta’s Climate Change and Emissions Management (CCEMC) Corporation. Supplementing NRGreen’s substantial investment, the CCEMC will contribute $7 million to the project. The CCEMC is an Alberta based not-for-profit independent corporation, with a mandate to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change by supporting clean technologies. The CCEMC is financed by payments from companies complying with the Alberta Government’s annual greenhouse gas emissions requirements.

NRGreen Power Limited Partnership is an independent power producer and a company related to Alliance Pipeline, by virtue of a common ownership group, that is pursuing commercial development of electrical power generation along the Alliance system and at other industrial facilities. The company currently has four waste heat recovery units operational in Kerrobert, Loreburn, Estlin and Alameda, Saskatchewan. The Alliance Pipeline is a 3,700 kilometre-long high pressure natural gas transportation system that carries rich gas from northeastern British Columbia and northwestern Alberta through Saskatchewan, North Dakota, Minnesota, and Iowa to the Chicago market hub. The Alliance system has been in commercial service since December 2000 and delivers, on average, about 1.6 billion standard cubic feet of natural gas per day.

For more information, visit www.nrgreenpower.com.

By Hailey Spiess

After many hours and hard work, the Fox Creek for the Children Fundraising Society has received their society status, resulting in the presentation of the donation cheque facilitated by Trilogy Energy through the solicitation of funds through their 65 partners in production. On Friday March 2, the society, representatives from Trilogy, representatives of the Fox Creek School and invited guests gathered for the official presentation.

The Fox Creek for the Children Fundraising Society thanked Trilogy for approaching them and donating the money, which was used to gift technology to the Fox Creek School. The Fox Creek School is the only school in our division that now has a smart board in every classroom. Another first for the school division will be the smart table for the Kindergarten class, which is expected to be in the classroom by mid-March. With a three phase plan in place, the introduction of smart boards into every classroom was only part of the first phase. Document Camera’s and other smart software will complete the first phase. After the completion of this phase of the plan, the second and third phases will commence. In the second phase of the project, the plan to bring three completely mobile computer labs will begin and in the third phase, more smart electronics are intended to be incorporated into the school.

The smart boards have already been purchased and installed into classrooms, with teachers and students already utilizing them in their everyday curriculum. The Professionally Development days on March 8 and 9, were geared towards getting teachers used to their smart boards. Following the official cheque presentation, those who attended were invited on a tour of the classrooms actually utilizing the smart boards. During the tour, students told guests some of the many things they enjoyed about the smart boards, including playing games, the touch ability of the boards, drawing, and math programs. One student told guests that having the smart boards in the classroom has “made learning fun”. Aspects of all of the curriculum’s can be taught through the utilization of the smart board and teachers are adapting and using the smart board all of the time. In one of the classrooms, Boogie Boards were also being used which cuts down the paper use and some of the teachers are waiting for more classroom sets.

Prior to the Fox Creek for the Children Fundraising Society receiving this donation and gifting the technology to the Fox Creek School, the school was using four mobile smart boards that were rotated through the classrooms. The gift of this technology has made the use of the smart boards an everyday routine.

There is no way to keep up with the technology today but this gift from the Fox Creek for the Children Fundraising Society is a huge step in bringing technology into the classroom.

By Hailey Spiess

On March 15, the Family Games Night was held in the gym at the Fox Creek School. Together, CHAMP Program, Library Staff, Early Intervention Program and a new addition, the Evangelical Free Youth Group, volunteered their time to run the games, making the night a huge success. Sandra Hardy stated that “We were amazed by the turnout. It was nice to see so many parents engaging with their children. Families that play together, stay together.”

When the Family Games night was held last year, a turnout of about 150 people was seen but this year there were over 250 people in attendance throughout the night. The evening ended just after 8pm but organizers were sure that it could have continued for another hour. Parents and children alike were engaged in the games and enjoyed a fun family night out. Door prize baskets of family entertainment items were also handed out. The winners of those baskets were Coby Coughlin, Sammie Hood, Michael Donovan, Cheyenne Straub and Jaymeson Hailes.

With so many resources at a family’s fingertips there are infinite ways to engage your children. Some examples include, but are not limited to: searching the internet to research topics of interest to your child(ren), baking or making crafts such as play dough at home, making a game out of identifying signs in your community or during trips, singing your favourite songs, or sitting down to play a card or board game as a family. Learning happens in everything we do, so why not engage your children through family fun.

By Hailey Spiess

Filled with free skating, face painting, dinner and dancing, the Family Day events were a hit again this year. Despite no sled rides, many families still came out to the Arena to enjoy free skating with their family, to get their face painted by Alana Davis and Kelli McPhee, and to warm up with some hot chocolate and cookies.

To start the evening, greetings were done by Mayor Leora MacKinnon and Chamber Rep, Rene Fournier. During the evenings events, residents of Fox Creek enjoyed a great meal, the cost of which was donated by the Chamber of Commerce and was catered by C&S Catering, after which children and parents danced the night away to the DJ’ing of Kim Norman. As in previous years, a variety of door prizes were donated to the event by a variety of local businesses. Fun was had by all who came out and a huge thank you goes out to all who participated in the preparation and success of the day.

By Hailey Spiess

Cold Weather and snowfall didn’t discourage hockey fans from coming out to support our local team.

On Feb. 25, the Fox Creek Midget Bulldogs hosted the second game of the playoffs against the Edson Midget Blades.

By the end of the second period the Fox Creek Midget Bulldogs were behind by two goals. Once the third period started, the story changed. The Bulldogs got their drive and managed to tie the game 3-3 within the first half of the third period.

In the last half of the third period, they managed one more goal making the final score 4-3 for the Fox Creek Midget Bulldogs, taking the win.

The next game in the playoffs is scheduled for March 4 at 1:30pm at the Edson Leisure Centre Memorial against the Edson Midget Blades.

At the same time, the Bulldogs hosted a Community Appreciation Night as a way of thanking the community for their support. A large variety of items were donated to the event and given to attendees via raffle. The main sponsors of the items were SLI Trucking, Rival Trucking Ltd and Kodiak Oilfield but every contribution was appreciated.