Caroline Lions Club charter celebration

The Caroline Lions Club celebrated 38 years in the community on Sunday, December 6,and new member Bob penner was inducted by District Governor Dave Dalby from Smoky Lake (left)
and Caroline club President Nazem Kamaleddine. The event took place at the Seniors Drop In Center
in Caroline and was attended by lions and well wishers from Caroline and Spruce View, among others.

Something smells

(Rimbey, AB) Wednesday’s December 9th Calgary Herald reported that Enmax’s CEO, “told of a private meeting where government officials advised utility companies not to question the need for new power lines.”

Ethical controversies have surrounded the excessive proposals to build massive electricity transmission lines across Alberta since before Stelmach took the reins of power. For example, since SNC-Lavalin over-paid $200 million dollars for TransAlta’s transmission lines and created the company now known as AltaLink

* AltaLink, now owned 77% by SNC-Lavalin, was tasked by the AESO to provide critical consultation (proof) to justify the need to build a 500KV transmission line from Edmonton to Calgary. Based on the information provided by AltaLink, AESO submitted an application to the EUB for approval to build a 500KV transmission line, and testified extensively on the relevance and credibility of AltaLink’s evidence. Three years later, it was embarrassingly revealed that AltaLink’s so-called critical report was delivered to the AESO six months after AESO submitted their application. The question of how AESO could testify extensively on the relevance and credibility of AltaLink’s evidence six months before AESO received the evidence has never been answered.
* Early on Alberta Energy intervened and over-ruled an EUB decision that would require generators to share in the costs. Later, transmission regulations were changed to eliminate any requirement to have industry share in the costs of building transmission lines.
* Mr. Kellan Fluckiger, the then Executive Director of the Alberta Department of Energy, testified in support of the 500 KV transmission line. Mr. Fluckiger’s wife at the time was a senior executive vice president with AltaLink, the primary beneficiary of the 500 KV line. In a letter dated June 15, 2006 Fluckiger detailed the Department’s support for AltaLink’s 500KV transmission line. Complaints that the Alberta Energy Utilities Board, (AEUB) under the jurisdiction of the Minister of Energy, could not be viewed or expected to act as an impartial Board when the ministry is testifying on behalf of a project were dismissed.
* AltaLink was awarded a $200 million dollar no-bid contract (guaranteeing SNC-Lavalin, an engineering and construction contract) to build the transmission line from Edmonton to Calgary. The $200 million dollars figure raised suspicions given the fact that SNC-Lavalin originally over-paid $200 million to purchase AltaLink. The project has now ballooned to an estimated $2.2 billion. AltaLink (owned 77% by SNC-Lavalin) will assume ownership upon completion, and the public (load) pays for 100% of the costs to construct the transmission line.
* AESO, as an independent non-profit entity responsible for the safe, reliable and economic planning and operation of the Alberta Interconnected Electric System, applied to the AEUB specifically to assign AltaLink a 500KV line in violation of its mandated objectivity and obligation to consider the "Needs" before any direct assignment. It was later proven that AESO's senior executives had annual bonuses attached to the submission and approval of a 500 KV transmission line that could only benefit AltaLink.
* Former premier Ralph Klein and the former EUB chairman Neil McCrank (McCrank chaired the first AltaLink 500 KV hearings and drafted the original approval) both now work for AltaLink’s law firm.

The allegations from Enmax’s CEO are significant for a number of reasons; however the allegations seem to be mounting in intensity. What is not being disclosed is the fact that Alberta may be at risk of losing approximately 30,000 jobs in the refinery, and pulp and paper mill sectors, if the costs of these mega-transmission lines are downloaded onto industry. How Alberta’s economy will pay for these projects has never been disclosed in a cost benefit analysis.

The argument in support of a regulatory process to transparently evaluate utilities projects is a proven methodology that works in the public interest. The changes to the current legislation should be repealed, and the regulatory system should be re-instated for approving critical infrastructure. Besides, utility board hearings are a great venue to catch government hired spies. It not hard to identify government private investigators, you will find them eating all the donuts.

The Lavesta Area Group is calling for a full and complete independent transparent inquiry into this government’s unethical behaviour relative to the entire regulatory process surrounding the approval of transmission lines, including the most recent allegations.

For more information Contact
Joe Anglin
(403) 843-3279
(403) 963-0521 cell
Leader, Lavesta Area Group

Pen Meet Paper Dec.7'09

Opinion by Helge Nome
The UN sponsored world climate conference in Copenhagen has begun. Nobody seems to know what the outcomes might be at this stage but it appears, as time goes by, that an increasing number of presidents and prime ministers are going to make a call there.
Canada, and Alberta in particular, are already in the hot seat as climate change copouts. Canada for not living up to Kyoto commitments and Alberta for producing “dirty” oil, in terms of carbon dioxide emissions, from its tar sands.
Climate change is a highly politicized issue with opinions ranging from no climate change, to natural climate change and human caused climate change. It is a confusing picture.
However, there is something that is raising a lot of red flags called “carbon credit trading”. The idea is quite simple: Emitters of carbon dioxide, such as large power generating plants, are putting a lot of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and should be given maximum permissible emissions targets. A financial penalty should be imposed if those plants fail to meet their emission targets.
However, they will be given the opportunity to purchase carbon credits from other individuals/groups/organizations that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
These credits can then be deducted from the actual emission numbers for a plant to bring its net pollution of the atmosphere below its maximum permissible emission target.

For example, the owner of a growing forest could claim to be responsible for removing a certain amount of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere every year because the main building blocks of growing trees contain carbon. So a power generating plant should be able to buy the carbon credits estimated to be generated by this forest to go towards meeting its emission targets.
As usual, the devil is in the details: Because of the complexity of the situation, carbon credit trading markets operating on a world wide scale are proposed. And a market means traders, whose motives are?... Need I say more.
For those of us who follow financial markets, stock and bond market, etc., all the bells are ringing and red flags frantically flapping in the wind! Did you say “carbon credit markets”?!
This could become the biggest financial racket in the world to date. Market traders manipulate and skim profit from their transactions all the time. That is when they are not blatantly creating fraudulent financial “products” such as Asset Backed Commercial Toilet Paper and sell this junk to unsuspecting buyers. Next in line: Carbon Credits.
No, Thank You.

90 years and going strong

Howard Thompson celebrated his 90th birthday at the Fensala Hall in Markerville on Saturday, November 28. The hall was packed to capacity with family, friends and well wishers.

Media Luncheon entertainment

The Pioneer School Grade 8 Jazz Band entertained guests at the Media Luncheon hosted by Wild Rose Public Schools on November 27. As keynote speaker, former provincial Minister of Education, David King, delivered a powerful message on the importance of public education and public involvement on the local level to a gathering of news media people, teachers and administrators.

Water mains break in Caroline

There was some confusion in Caroline on the morning of Thursday, November 26. There was a foul smell in the air over a large area in and around Caroline, which coincided with water bubbling onto the west end of main street leading to stories about a busted sewer line. As it turned out, the smell came from a gas release from an N.A.L. Resources well just to the north of the village. The leak was contained and the gas had dissipated by lunchtime (thankfully!)
Main street was blocked off and a contractor brought in to dig up the area around the leak.

Opening ceremonies at the ASAA 1A Girls Provincial Championship

The championship was hosted by Caroline School on November 26-28 and involved 10 teams from across the province.The opening ceremonies were held the Caroline School Gym on November 26 and games were played there and at Camp Caroline to the south of the Village of Caroline

Game 1, Caroline against Standard

Caroline Cougars' Kailey Fauville sends the ball into the air, in front of attentive spectators and watched by team members Shayna Ververda (2) and Sara Stevens (5). Caroline went on to place 4th overall in the tournament.

Crammond Community Hall Association board and helpers

The association held its Annual general Meeting on November 25, reinstated its board and assigned tasks to many helpers:
Front (sitting): Ron Edwards, Maria Hall, Hilda Lupul, Bobbie Tucker.
Standing: Karen Edwards, Hilda Gamble, Marilyn Aquilini, Teresa Stacey, Carol Preston, Howard St.Cyr, Diane Willsie,
Judy Blanchard, Jude Johnston, Stan Johnston.
The Crammond Hall is situated on Highway 22, to the south east of Caroline where an active community group was responsible for constructing it a few years ago and are involved in upgrading the facility and surrounding property.
In the spring, a piece of property owned by the association on the west boundary of the land where the hall is located
will have an access road constructed and trees planted.
The Crammond Hall is used by many community groups, individuals and companies.
The main event for December is the annual community Christmas party starting at 5pm on Sunday, December 6. As usual, it will be a potluck dinner with the turkey and beverages being provided by the community. There will be door prizes for both adults & children, live music with caroling and, of course, a visit from Santa.

Rec/Ag Society board for 2009/10

Reg Dean (new director), Earl Graham, Al Grimshaw, Nazem Kamaleddine, Hendrik Van Dijk, Dennis Benz (Chairman), John Follis, Merna Cermak (new director), Maurice Fortin, Cheyanna Stange, John Harder.

"Thank you for dedicated service"Rec/Ag Society Chairman Dennis Benz thanked outgoing board members Brian Cermak, Doris Houghton and Ari Hahmo
for 6 years of dedicated service on Caroline's Rec/Ag board.

Rec/Ag Society Hosts Annual General Meeting

The Caroline and District Recreation and Agriculture Society, which operates the Kurt Browning Arena and Complex in Caroline, held its Annual General Meeting on November 24 in the complex hall and heard reports from the various complex user groups, including the Farmers Market, Figure Skating Club, Curling Club and Slow Pitch Team at its Annual General Meeting.

Complex Manager Debbie Northcott noted that the new ramps for the Ryan Jorgensen Skateboard Park are now in place and it is hoped that local youths will take ownership of the park which is located right next to the complex. Income from bingo is down, as is the case right across the province. The society's auditor's report will be presented at the regular board meeting on December 8 at 7pm.

Upcoming events hosted at the complex include Christmas Lightup on December 4 from 5-8pm and Christmas day Dinner, hosted by the Cermak family, for people who would like to come, beginning at noon.

This year, dinners will also be delivered to people who have difficulty in getting to the complex. For more information, phone Debbie at 403 722-3022.

Pen Meets Paper Nov.30'09

Opinion by Helge Nome
Back in the sixties, Star Trek used to be a very popular TV show. It is said that even the astronauts and support crews on Cape Canaveral used to look forwards to new episodes of the show in between moon missions.
I remember one episode in particular: It began with calamity about to happen where the Starship Enterprise’s main computer warns about imminent loss of the ships structural integrity followed by a blank TV screen.
The story then picks up with the Enterprise moving merrily along in space with the faint background hum of its warp drive audible in the background.
Captain Kirk, Scotty, Lieutenant Uhura and all the others are at their regular stations on the bridge without anything exciting going on.
Then, slowly things begin to happen that are slightly out of the ordinary and escalate to the point where the final scene, once again, is a blank screen and the whole sequence repeats itself with some minor variations.
To the viewer, the answer is obvious: The Enterprise is trapped in a time warp as long as the crew keeps making the same decisions every time the same challenges present themselves.
And the frustrating thing is that they don’t know that they are trapped and so are likely bound to make the same mistakes over and over again.
That is, until one of the ship’s crew accidentally come across some troubling images in the main computer’s data banks that stir up some strange memories that don’t make any sense.
Finally, having gone through the loop a few more times, a sense of disquiet begins to spread among the crew, they manage to solve the riddle and with pounding hearts change the decisions (which seem perfectly logical) in favor of others that make no sense to them, in order to finally break out of the time warp.

I have seen some troubling images on my computer, and many before that in movie theaters. I have crawled around in trenches and bunkers that were perfectly real and smoked tobacco that real soldiers left behind.
I have seen YouTube videos that are copies of films taken by people that invaded my homeland with guns and cannon and bombs before I was born.
Cities in ruins, bodies strewn across fields.
All of them clear indicators of the structural failure of society.
Right now, if you have a simple doctor’s stethoscope, or manage to get one, and place the probe on any thing you care in your surroundings including yourself, you can distinctly hear the background rumble of our ship’s warp drive.
Can we do what the crew of the Enterprise did?

Caroline Food Bank donation

Caroline Lions Club President Nazem Kamaleddine presented a cheque for $1,000 to the Shepherd's Food Bank represented by Pastor Jason Sedore on Tuesday, November 17.
Lions Al Marchant and Orest Luchka were also in attendance

Caroline School Junior High Honors Awards for Grade 7

Hanna Andrus, Jenna Godwin, Jessica Kyncl, Amy Liang, Taylor Michalsky, Katelyn Morrill, Chetwyn Westergaard

Grade 8 Honors Awards

Megan Berg, Brianna Denham, Amber Groves, Jordan Gutek, Caresse Harvey, Lindsay Mandelin, Cassidy Piesse, Neva Rowell

Grade 9 Honors Awards

Kaylee Biggart, Katelyn Godwin, Emily Groves, Sara Stevens

Outstanding Female Athletes

Billy-Jean Johnston and Kailey Fauville

Grade 10 Honors

Brett Godwin, Siera Michalsky, Morgan Smith, Jessica Alstott, Corey Campbell.

Grade 11 Honors

Allan Liang, Jessica Kaelin, Kailey Fauville, Nolan McTaggart

Grade 12 Honors Award

Harrison Berg received this award in addition to several others including the Valedictorian Award and the Governor General's Bronze Medal for Academics.

Grade 11 Academic Awards

Received by Kailey Fauville, Allan Liang, Nolan McTaggart

Grade 12 Academic Awards

Harrison Berg and Robert Campbell

Fine Arts Awards

Teale Spooner and Ashley Hurt

Shell Canada Scholarship

Presented to Melissa Keim

Leadership Awards

Received by Sara Stevens and Morgan Spooner

Town and Country Bonspiel

A Event winners, standing: Anne Sassey, Ivan Vandermeer, Brad Bouchard, Ari Hahmo. Sponsor: Shell Caroline
Runners up, sitting: Rich Hirschmiller, John Boorman, Wendell Hulberg, Bob Ralston. Sponsor: West Side Liquor Store

Town and Country Bonspiel

B Event Winners, standing: Breanna Houghton, Ken Charlton, Roy Follis, Lance Dichrow (Skip)
Runners Up, sitting: Harvey Barrer, John Harder, Jerry McLean, Ron Brennan.

Town and Country Bonspiel

C Event winners, standing: Tom Cunningham, Dayle Murray, Jock Watt, Shannon Befus. Sponsor: ATB Financial
Runners Up, sitting: Cindy Fink, Jamie Foley,Neil Foley, Reg Dean. Sponsor: Caroline Supplies

Caroline Midget Hockey Tournament

During the A final on Sunday, November 22, the Caroline Red Dogs buckled to the Red Deer Lodge team after an even score of 3 - 3 going into the third round. The Red Deer team managed to get ahead of the Red Dogs with a couple of quick goals in the first few minutes of the round. They managed to hold on to that lead, winning the game 7 - 2.
Here Caroline, in white jerseys, just scored its fifth and final goal against the Red Deer team.

Highway upgrade complete

Caroline and west country area residents now have a smother and quicker ride to the Highway 2 corridor.
The upgrade work on Highway 54, going all the way west from Innisfail past Spruce View, is now complete and includes a section which bypasses Innisfail altogether so that motorists from the west country can now enter Highway 2 south of Innisfail from a recently constructed entry point that includes an overpass on Alberta's busy major north - south traffic route.
Here, a sedan can be seen turning off Highway 54 to Innisfail, near the Innisfail Golf Course, and the vehicle towing the stock trailer proceeding towards Highway 2.