FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2010 Volume 1, Issue 14

hestermereLaker

Your Community News Source

Nightmere Inn

SCARY STUFF, EH KIDS?: Chestermere haunted digs bigger — and scarier — than ever /6&7

Order OnlineO

CHESTERMERE 109 - 175 Chestermere Station Way

403-204-7955The Pizza Delivery Experts

DOMINOS.CA

Chestermere Station Way

$5TREND BUCKS

Open late ‘til 8 on weekdays!

One Promo Per Purchase.No cash value

Unit 213, 175 Chestermere Station Way

403.235.0352

Predator sequel on vid/8

Some may say Chestermere had a great turnout Monday.

You may remember that as the day the Chestermere electorate chose its six-member council.

Or, if you were in the majority of eligible voters who did not vote, you may be forgiven for forgetting.

Some will tell you the 2,365 cast votes was a terrifi c number because there was no race for the big chair — Mayor Patricia Matthews was ac-claimed.

We say pttthhhhttt.Almost the same number of voters

turned out in 2007 when Chestermere had fewer eligible voters, mayoralty race or no.

It’s just more of the same apathetic attitude we’ve seen since the election began

There was no real excitement, no sense that something great could hap-pen.

At the only forum for all candidates, the crowd that turned out was abys-mally small.

But perhaps they could be forgiven because several candidates didn’t turn up for the event.

There’s a saying that decisions are made by those who show up for the meetings.

Well, there are no bigger meetings — and certainly none where ordinary citizens defi nitely rule the day — than elections.

It’s sad and dismaying to see such a low turnout and it’s uncomfortable to be on a soapbox scolding the masses for not exercising its democratic right to vote.

Chestermere has willingly and glad-ly handed the decision making over to just one-quarter of the adults in town.

Man, we just can’t wait to hear the other three-quarters start to whine about what’s wrong at town hall.

EDITORIALElectionturnout big let down

10 Chestermere Laker Friday, October 22, 2010

hestermereLaker

Your Community News Source

The Chestermere Laker is owned and published by MAS Publishing Inc. and distributed every Friday to residences and businesses in Chestermere.

The Chestermere Laker30-140 East Chestermere DriveChestermere, AlbertaT1X-1M1(403) 984-9009

EDITORMike D’Amoureditor@chestermerelaker.com

REPORTER/PHOTOGRAPHERMickey Dumontnews@chestermerelaker.com

ADVERTISING MANAGERMichelle Woodruffsales@chestermerelaker.com

ADMIN/DESIGNERSandra McKinlayoffi ce@chestermerelaker.com

Unsigned editorials are produced by theChestermere Laker’s editorial board.

For advertising rates and information contact:Michelle Woodruff at 984-9009, ext. 2.

Deadline for advertising copy is 5 p.m. Tuesday

Mike D’Amour/LakerChestermere Chief’s coach Kelsey Johnson pumps the atom squad Thursday night before it takes to the field at McMahon Stadium. While scores are not kept in the league games, the Chiefs had a great outing, capped by the last play of the game where the Chiefs pulled off a QB sneak into the end zone from the one- yard line.

Three more yearsFriday, October 22, 2010 Chestermere Laker 3

ONLY ONE CHANGE ON COUNCIL: New councillor wants to keep taxes low

NEWS

Eric Bennett, Rahim Somani, David TownshendInvestmentAdvisors, CanaccordWealthManagementSuite 2200, 450 1st Street SW, Calgary, AB T2P 5P8

T: 403.781.1606eric.bennett@canaccord.com

Anyamount that is allocatedtoa segregatedfundis investedat the risk of thecontractholder andmayincreaseor decrease invalue. Exceedingthewithdrawalthresholdsmayhaveanegative impactonfuture incomepayments.Agerestrictions andother conditionsmayapply. TheManufacturers Life InsuranceCompanyis the issuer of theManulifeGIF Select insurance contract whichoffers the IncomePlus Series and theguarantor of anyguarantee provisions therein. ManulifeInvestments, Manulife Investments For Your Future Logo, GIF Select IncomePlus and the block design are registered trademarks of The Manufacturers LifeInsurance Company and are used by it and its affiliates under license. CanaccordWealthManagement is a division of Canaccord Genuity Corp., Member –Canadian Investor Protection Fund.

Guaranteed income for life.All the growth

potential of the market.Your income is protected from

market downturns.

G IV E US A CA LL FOR M ORE INFORM ATION :

Distributed by: Paid in part by:

STRONG RELIABLE TRUSTWORTHY FORWARD-THINKING

Do your retirement plans ensure you have guaranteed income for life?

Retirement is a crucial step in life. After working for many long years and making the sacrifices required by our career, it is natural andlegitimate to aspire to the freedom of choosing our lifestyle and enjoying the peace of mind of good financial security.

However, generating reliable retirement income is not easy:• Markets are volatile.• Interest rates and Dividend yields are low.• Income Trusts are wrapping up.• Tax rates on interest income are high and impact benefits.• People are living longer.• Defined Benefit plans are disappearing.

The risk of a market downturn could have an especially disastrous impact when the downturn occurs in the 5 to 10 year period that precedes retirement or immediately after retiring.

Saying that, there are 3 main types of guaranteed income one canfind in retirement: Fixed Income (I.E. GIC’s, Bonds), Annuities, and a newer innovative strategy called GMWB’s.

GMWB’s or “Guaranteed Minimum Withdrawal Benefits” are a unique vehicle through which you can benefit from market upturns in complete security while obtaining a foreseeable, long lasting and potentially growing income during retirement, regardless of marketmovements.

These products are not entirely new, as they are actuallyenhancements to existing segregated fund contracts offered by most Canadian Insurance companies. However, there are a numberof different unique features offered by each company, so diligence isrequired to find the solution that is right for you.

This is just one of a number of interesting solutions available todiscerning investors who are looking to add some degree of certaintyto these uncertain times. *We always recommend you contact a financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

Best Regards and Safe Investing.Rahim.

Rahim M. Somani,BCom. CFPInvestment Advisor/Financial PlannerP: 403.232.8428

David M. TownshendVP & Senior Investment AdvisorP: 403.232.8428

A DIVISION OF CANACCORD GENUITY CORP., MEMBER CIPF

Since 1950 “Canaccord Wealth Management” has beena leading independent financial services firm, offeringsound investment solutions to clients across Canada,the United States, and the United Kingdom

Rahim Somani, David TownshendInvestment Advisors, Canaccord Wealth ManagementSuite 2200, 450 1st Street SW, Calgary AB T2P 5P8

Rahim 403.232.8428rahim.somani@canaccord .com

RoMoCoDevlopment

Rod PearceChestermere, AB

Basement DevelopmentKitchens & Bathrooms25 Years Experience

“Design, Manage and Build”

rpearce@telus.net403-969-6065

Gutter Cleaning

403-520-1974Roy Chesterwww.rjchester.com

Mike D’AmourChestermere Laker

Little changed during Monday’s civic elec-tion, with the excep-

tion of one new face on town council.

Terry “Big T” Leighton will join returning councillors Pat-rick Bergen, Kelsey Johnson, Heather Davies, Stu Hutchison and Chris Stevens on town council and said he has some idea of what he wants to do.

“In talking to residents dur-ing my campaign numerous issues arose, however, the most prominent, No. 1 issue was that of future services and amenities,” he told the Laker.

“An overwhelming major-ity — 40 per cent of respon-dents — were concerned about future amenities and services such as a healthcare facility, more retail, improved recre-ational facilities etc.

“In fact during my conver-sations, a few residents said that they love the town, how-ever, they were going to move because they thought they were not getting any value for the property taxes they were paying, which leads me to the No. 2 issue of high property taxes and keeping them low.”

Returning Coun. Johnson

said the biggest issue facing Chestermere is development and growth.

“And making sure we have all our ducks in a row with our land use bylaw and all of our development going forward,” he said.

“We have to have the vision and the plan to have controlled growth — well thought out, well guided and where, finan-cially, it’s not on the backs of the citizens.”

Johnson said the key to mak-ing that happen is to demand more of developers.

“If a developer needs a lift station or something, they can pay for it,” he said.

“ Why should we pay for it?”

Coun. Hutchison said he believes one of the first issues is to get an election bylaw in place to ensure a process of proper protocol is in place to cover off proof of residency in the Town of Chestermere.

That in response to some complaints identification was not asked for at the polls, a situation that could have lead to fraudulent voting.

“We didn’t pass a bylaw six months ago to ask for ID,” admitted Johnson.

“None of our neighbouring communities have any issues

with it and, indeed, the Alberta Elections Act for municipalities doesn’t require one.”

Meanwhile, Hutchison said he’s looking forward to “many issues before us.

“We have to pay close atten-tion to the newly annexed land and make sure it fits into our long term plans,” he said.

Those plans include setting up a schedule or annual com-mitment between the Town of Chestermere and the County of Rockyview towards the upgrading and maintenance to the CRCA, planning a large park on land east of the old waterslides to house the likes of a bike park, toboggan hill, ball diamonds; soccer pitches and passive parks all in one area.

Coun. Bergen said the big-gest issue moving forward is how to grow in a way that best suits the needs of residents. “We can do this by engaging and challenging our develop-ers and stakeholders,” he said.

“If we have a clear plan that identifies our needs, we can integrate those in the earlier stages of planning.

“Citizens want a community that has a larger commercial sector and therefore a diverse tax base that allows us to pro-vide more amenities.

ACE needs your inputThe Chestermere ACE committee, after it’s

very successful work on the gazebo and pies, is working now on another phase of engaging the community.

Now that the gazebo is going to be more per-former and viewer friendly we hope to find out what events the community would like to hold in this new facility.

So we’re having a gathering, which we hope to attract those who originally came to Ian Hill’s “Ignite” event last fall, AND those who may want to get involved but did not get a chance before. Patti Brown has called the gath-

ering for Thursday Nov. 4 at Town Hall, starting at 6:30 p.m.

We’d love to have new members and some new energy.

The idea is to re-engage some, and engage others who did not get a chance, or maybe did not want to be involved in the early phases.

Now that we have something concrete — the gazebo — and the portal, some may be more comfortable joining in to help with plan-ning and execution — and the spending of our $10,000 award which we have as yet, not touched!

4 Chestermere Laker Friday, October 22, 2010

NEWS

Bobbing

for

BoozeBobbing Bobbing Bobbing

for for for Bobbing Bobbing Bobbing

for Bobbing Bobbing Bobbing

BoozeBoozeBooze Demonic

Drink

SpecialsDemonic Demonic Demonic

Drink Drink Drink

SpecialsSpecialsSpecials

Best Costume Contest

Best Best Best Costume Costume Costume ContestContestContest

Halloween HellraiserHalloween HellraiserHalloween HellraiserHalloween HellraiserHalloween HellraiserHalloween HellraiserHalloween HellraiserHalloween HellraiserHalloween HellraiserHalloween HellraiserHalloween HellraiserHalloween HellraiserHalloween HellraiserHalloween HellraiserHalloween HellraiserHalloween HellraiserHalloween HellraiserHalloween HellraiserHalloween HellraiserHalloween HellraiserHalloween HellraiserHalloween HellraiserHalloween HellraiserHalloween HellraiserHalloween HellraiserHalloween HellraiserHalloween HellraiserHalloween HellraiserHalloween HellraiserHalloween HellraiserHalloween HellraiserHalloween HellraiserHalloween HellraiserHalloween Hellraiser

Sat Oct 30thSat Oct 30thSat Oct 30thSat Oct 30thSat Oct 30thSat Oct 30thSat Oct 30thSat Oct 30thSat Oct 30thSat Oct 30thSat Oct 30thSat Oct 30thSat Oct 30thSat Oct 30thSat Oct 30thSat Oct 30thSat Oct 30thSat Oct 30thSat Oct 30thSat Oct 30thSat Oct 30thSat Oct 30thSat Oct 30thSat Oct 30thSat Oct 30thSat Oct 30thSat Oct 30thSat Oct 30thSat Oct 30thSat Oct 30thSat Oct 30thSat Oct 30thSat Oct 30thSat Oct 30thSat Oct 30thSat Oct 30thSat Oct 30thSat Oct 30thSat Oct 30thSat Oct 30thSat Oct 30thSat Oct 30thSat Oct 30thSat Oct 30thSat Oct 30thSat Oct 30thSat Oct 30thSat Oct 30thSat Oct 30thSat Oct 30thSat Oct 30thSat Oct 30th7:30 pm7:30 pm7:30 pm7:30 pm7:30 pm7:30 pm7:30 pm7:30 pm7:30 pm7:30 pm

No CoverNo CoverNo CoverNo CoverNo Cover

102-300 Merganser Drive West403.204.2337

Scaryoke

NightScaryoke Scaryoke Scaryoke

NightNightNight

Spending 37 years as a crime reporter as I did, I quickly came to appreciate the occa-

sional comical case that broke up the daily round of death, destruc-tion, murder, and mayhem, which filled most of my wak-ing hours.

Of course the comi-cal element depended on how you viewed the case — mostly it was crazy mistakes that bad guys made which produced the chuckle, though they could never see the funny side.

Like in 1994 when I was interviewing Cal-gary city police Det. John Nagy, then of the commercial crimes unit, who was chasing crooks making counterfeit money at the time.

There is usually nothing comical about the serious business of coun-terfeit money.

It’s a multi-billion dollar inter-national crime that often involves organized crime syndicates work-ing across the world. It’s nearly always banknotes — any currency, any denomination, and a fast way to easy money.

So it was some surprise when this particular counterfeiter decid-ed to produce fake loonies. And he became pretty good at it.

Soon good-quality counterfeit loonies were circulating throughout Calgary.

As he perfected his technique, the plague spread across Alberta, and eventually counterfeit loonies were turning up all across western Canada.

If you’re perceptive you might have already foreseen the basic problem with faking coins instead of banknotes. You can get thou-sands of dollars in $100 bills in one small case, but the same sum in coin is bulky and shockingly heavy.

This is what the counterfeiter discovered the hard way.

Knocking out the coins was easy once he’d perfected his system, but transporting and storing them was another matter.

To be honest he had run into one unexpected horror during his experi-ments to perfect his system — his coin-making process included using an arsenic poison, and that put him in the hospital for 12 days.

Then things got worse. He was mak-

ing so many loonies he was forced to store them in metal drums in his machine shop. That was when he wrenched his back carrying a drum and that put him back in hospital again.

Undeterred, he had a brainwave. Instead of leaving the drums at

his place where police might find them, he’d load them into his truck and bury them out in the foothills west of Calgary where he could retrieve them as and when he need-ed cold, hard cash.

The weight of hundreds of thou-sands of loonies did to the truck suspension what the metal drum had done to his back. Halfway dur-ing the drive, when it was clear the truck would die before it got to his hiding spot, he stopped and off-loaded several hundredweights of coins.

Still weak from arsenic poisoning and staggering under a bad back, our hapless counterfeiter became paranoid when a light aircraft flew low right over his head and he was sure police were on to him.

He was terrified again when yet another light aircraft buzzed him after he moved to an even more remote spot.

Weak, injured and scared, he

waited until dark, not daring to move before going home.

Of course, the aircraft had noth-ing to do with police.

These were planes making their normal final approaches to Spring-bank airport just along the road.

He still had the problem of bury-ing the second pile of coins he’d off-loaded to save his truck from destruction. He dug a second pit south of Highway 22X and buried the lot.

Eventually Nagy and his men picked up the counterfeiter’s trail and he was arrested. He told police where the stash was out in the foothills, and he did mention there were quite a lot of coins.

Armed with shovels, Nagy led the team on their treasure hunt. First they removed the turf from a spot in a clearing in thick trees. Then they took off a layer of soil and soon their shovels struck metal.

Now they discovered this guy wasn’t joking when he said there was a lot of loot.

First the officers shoveled the loonies — some shiny, some cor-roded — into five-gallon drums until they ran out of drums. They then filled cardboard boxes until the boxes and drums filled a van to the roof.

Police made a return trip and dug up all the excess coins from the second pit near Hwy. 22X and when it was all over Nagy and his men had recovered more than $400,000 in dodgy loonies.

At the height of his operation the coin con man had shiny loonies pouring from his machine at the rate of 240 an hour for as long as he wanted to run it.

Afterwards, Nagy reckoned this guy had illustrated perfectly the main problem facing counterfeiters. Making the fakes is easy. Distribut-ing them for profit is the hard part.

And the secret to the police suc-cess, as Nagy mentioned with a chuckle — when they were recov-ering the loot they picked a vehicle with better suspension than the counterfeiter’s truck!

Cold, hard, stolen cash

Peter B. Smith

The Chestermere Laker is proud to welcome Pete Smith to these pages. Smith was a long-time reporter in Portsmouth, England and in Calgary where he truly set the standard for all other reporters who covered crime. Smith, and his wife Mandy, retired several years ago to the West Coast where he indulges in his pas-sion for fishing and other ocean-going pursuits.

However, the veteran newsman kept every file, evey scrap of research that went into his stories and he’s using them now to write these true crime columns for the Laker. We truly hope you enjy them.

Friday, October 22, 2010 Chestermere Laker 5

NEWS

Alta Genetics Inc., is seeking a career minded individual for full time employment as a Lab Tecchnician at our Conrich facility.

Job Duties & Requirements

Preferably, the candidate has a BS degree in Biology or Animal Science, or has a proven training in basic laboratory technician skills.

The candidate will work in a cell-biological lab with methodologies and equipment such as microscopy, cryopreservation, media preparation,

record keeping, sterilization, etc.

The ideal candidate is a patient worker with attention for detail, and a team-player with good communication skills.

The salary offered is based on the role and previous experience and abilities. In addition Alta offers a competitive benefit package including

health insurance.

Interested applicants are asked to submit their resume and interest in the position by fax or e-mail, to:

Alta’s HR Department in BalzacFax number 403-226-4298E-mail address: mkimber@altagenetics.com

Employment Opportunity

Mike D’AmourChestermere Laker

E leri Murray wants all moms who are seeing double — or even triple — to think

about joining an organization she’s founded.The 39-year-old Chestermere mom of two-year-old triplets recently started M.O.M. (Moms of Multi-plies) and said she hopes to get a good turnout to the organization’s inaugural meeting next week.“At last count I believe there were 25 sets of twins in Chestermere,” said the busy mom.Murray said she envisions the meetings as being a place where moms of multiples can have some free time to talk and share stories and ideas about dealing with twins or more.“My husband said a lot of people don’t understand having all three children at the same age at the same time and how it’s a little more difficult sometimes,” she said.

One of the challenges of having multiple children at the same time is there are no do-overs, said Mur-ray.“You don’t get those experiences you know with your first child and then a second — it’s all trial and error during the first three,” she laughed.“And there’s no hand-me-down clothing.”Murray said the meetings could also act as a support group.“Especially for moms who are pregnant with multiples,” she said.“There will be other moms they could talk to about how to deal with things like the sleeplessness, the multiple feedings, things like that.There is an organization for parents of multiples in Calgary, but Murray said she wanted to see something a little closer to home.“(Chestermere) is getting bigger and there are enough of us around that we can do things like Hallow-een parties, or a Christmas parties,”

she said.The first meeting takes place Tues-day, Oct. 26. at 362 West Creek Springs Blvd.All subsequent meetings are sched-uled to happen the last Tuesday of

every month.For more information e-mail elerimurray@shaw.ca or call 403-630-0258“I want to get started and deal with what moms need,” said Murray.

The more the merrier

Mike D’Amour/LakerEleri Murray with her triplets (left to right) Aine, Johnny and Aoife.

She is starting a club for moms with more than one child.

MOM OF TRIPLETS: Wants to start organization for parents of multiple children

32-140 E Chestermere DrChestermere AB

Call 403-272-9705 To BookMon - Fri 10-7

CHESTERMERETOWNESQUARE

32-140 E Chestermere DrChestermere AB

403-272-9705

MONDAY - FRIDAY 10 - 7

CHESTERMERE TOWNE SQUARE

Members of the public are invited to an open house that will decide the design of a pro-posed spray park.More than 500 people who responded to a Visionary Committee survey said they’d like to see a spray park in Chestermere.The committee has been working with a design firm to develop a pair of concept plans and associated costs estimates

The first concept, the more expensive of the two, is an enhanced option —both share a pirate ship as the focal point — that is more elabo-rate and bigger in size compared to the sec-ond concept, which is a basic option

However, no mat-ter which version is finally chosen, the vision to create a uni-versally accessible medium sized pub-lic recreational area, highlighted by a spray park for children,

and complemented by accessory uses for families and adults, that serves as a local attraction in the town. When the park is com-pleted, it’s expected to be a unique, first-class operation.The open house is an opportuni-ty for residents to have their say on which design they like better, and how much they‘re

wiling to spend. The open house

takes place 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Oct. 28, in council chambers at Chester-mere Town Hall.

Feedback from the open house will be given to the designers who will tweak the final concept plans.

Construction is expected to begin in the spring.

Spray Park input wanted

6 Chestermere Laker Friday, October 22, 2010

Frightastic times: Centre photo, Gary Dagg gets ready to welcome Hal-loween victi — er — guests to his Nightmere Inn. All other pictures are of Dagg's creations from last year. Hundreds of people visit each year and most bring non-perishable food articles to help the less fortunate.

Chestermere Laker 7

Spooky

Mike D’AmourChestermere Laker

What started off as lit-tle more than a goof has turned into the

de rigueur Halloween stop in Chestermere.Gary Dagg, a 50-year-old married dad of two daugh-ters is about to present his haunted house for the eighth straight year and promises “Nightmere Inn” will be the best — and the scariest — ever.“When I started out I just foolin’ around a little bit and then it got out of hand,” he said.“Originally it was just some decorations for the kids and

then my brother-in law had some stuff he was using and his kids were grown so he just passed it off to me and I got some stuff from relatives who had older kids and it grew from there.”Dagg, with much help from his neighbour, Gilles Mal-let, started construction in September, earlier than in past years, and transformed Dagg’s three-car garage at 113 West Creek Blvd. into a haunted house.Dubbed the Nightmere Inn, the garage has been convert-ed into a series of rooms, in-cluding a bedroom, bathroom and a nursery, to name a few.He also uses a hearse, cour-tesy of Strathmore’s Under-

ground Performance, in his yard to add to the macabre mood.As well, there will be about a dozen friends and family working as actors inside the house.“I have no idea how many hours it takes to build, but it’s a lot of man-hours, definite-ly” said Dagg.“If I did keep track, I prob-ably wouldn’t do it,” he laughed. But Dagg warns as much as the inn is meant to be fun, it is not for all ages.“It’s pretty scary, but we leave that up to the parents’ discretion — we warn them, but it’s up to them,” he said.Indeed, there are some things in the inn — worthy of Holly-

wood make-up artists — that will frighten some young-sters.“The funny thing is some four-year-olds don’t care and some do, but some 14-year-olds don’t care, and some 14-year-olds do,” said Dagg.“Then it’s funny how some kids will go through and they’re not even fazed.”Dagg said his Halloween creations have been open to the public for as long as he’s been building them, and the numbers have grown with the years.“We had about 400 parents and kids go through the house on the first night last year,” he recalled.“On the second night, Hal-

loween night, we had about 800.”Dagg added people travel from places like Strathmore and Calgary to see his haunt-ed creations.That gave the dad an idea to help the less fortunate in the community.“For the past three years we’ve been taking food bank contributions,” Dagg said.“The first year we got maybe bin and-a-half of (donated) food and last year we filled a cube van, or about four bins.”

Dagg stresses entrance into the Nightmere Inn is free, but donations of non-perishable food items are heartily en-couraged.

Despite the success of his cre-ations, Dagg said he doesn’t see the project getting any bigger.“I think it’s probably maxed out now — unless I can con a neighbour into going in on it too or start building other buildings,” he said.As well, the costs are getting pretty high“It’s been tough to get any lo-cal sponsorship, but we have a few companies from Strath-more and Calgary who have signed up to help next year with donations of props and supplies,” Dagg said.The Nightmere Inn is open two nights: 6 to 10 p.m. Satur-day and 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday.

The MUNCHKIN BOOFESTA Not so Scary Halloween Party for Pre-schoolersFive and under only — must be accom-panied by a parent, two-years-old and younger admitted for free.Friday, Oct. 29 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. $7 per childHALLOWEEN HOWLERDJ, dancing, treats and loads of spooky fun!For Preschoolers to Grade 6Friday, Oct. 29, 7 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.Admission $7Due to fire regulations everone must

have a ticket — even parents.Tickets @ the Rec Centre officeVolunteers are needed to decorate and run activity stations.FRIGHT FESTA Halloween dance for Grades 7 to 9DJ and dancingSaturday, Oct. 30 from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.$7 admissionTickets @ the Rec Centre officeVolunteers needed to decorate and run activity stations.Email: recadmin@chestermerecrca.com if you can help.

Other haunted happenings in Chestermere are at the Rec Centre and include:

8 Chestermere Laker Friday, October 22, 2010

ENTERTAINMENT

PREDATORS (107 mins. 18A) Guest Critic: Rexx T. Wunderdawg B.A. (Bachelor of Action, Chuck Morris University) Adrian Brody plays an ex Black Ops type turned mercenary stranded in some strange alien jungle. He’s not exactly sure how he got here and he ain’t the only one.There’s also a crazy killer, that’s Walton Gog-gins, y’know, Shane in The Shield; a hatchet-faced enforcer for a Mexican drug cartel (run by Danny Trejo, who else?), a Japanese gangster (Louis Ozawa Changchien); a trigger-happy Russian (Oleg Taktarov); a guy from an African death squad (Mahershalalhashbaz Ali); a babe

with a gun (Alice Braga) and a mild-mannered young doctor (Topher Grace).You don’t have to be a scholarly middle-aged film critic to figure this bunch would be fighting each other to the death if they didn’t have a common enemy.The US military doesn’t have a name for the creature, Braga says, but she’s read about it: “’87 Guatemala. A Spec Ops team went into the jungle. Six men plus a CIA liaison. It wore some kind of camouflage. Made it nearly invisible in our spec-trum. It can see in infrared. Heat signatures. It hunted and killed the team (dramatic pause) one by one.”Of course, Brody’s guy is a trained soldier for hire and he ain’t afraid of anything: “What-ever it — whatever they’re from — we’re gonna kill ‘em all.”Obviously he hasn’t seen Preda-tor or he’d know that wiping out these critters is easier said than done.I saw the movie so I know these monsters don’t mess about. Director Nimrod Antal isn’t shy about splatter-ing blood all over the underbrush but he seems to be more interested in ratcheting up the sus-pense. Worked for me cuz I was as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a roomful of rocking chairs as Brody and his badass bunch went prowling through the jungle looking for trouble. No one’s gonna win any acting awards but then Brody already nabbed an Oscar for The Pianist so he’s got nothin’ to prove. Looks like he’s pulling a Nic Cage here and going for the

big bucks. Rick might have a problem with that but in my book the guy earns his action stripes in this pic. (In fact this may be the best sci-fi/horror movie ever directed by a guy named Nimrod.)Okay, it’s not as all-out good as the 1987 original with Arnold Schwarzenegger but it’s damshur better than the 1990 sequel (even Arnie wouldn’t be caught dead in that one and I’ll say this much for Robert Rodriguez (who produced this pic), he knows how to dish out the B-movie thrills. I mean, this is the guy who did Planet Terror and From Dusk to Dawn and if you liked those movies you should dig this one.

REXX’s Rating: 3 Bones Out of Five

Better than the first sequelWould you send a classical music critic to a Kiss

concert? Of course not. Because like KISS records, pro

wrestling or Canadian politics, action movies play by their own rules and they don’t necessary involve things like logic, class and quality.

And yet like a greasy burger and a chocolate milk-shake a good action movie can give you a buzz or as Rexx T. Wunderdawg would say: “A good action pic is like a cheap date. You may feel guilty about it the next morning but you gotta admit it was a lotta fun at the time.”

Let’s face it, some movies may not meet our regu-lar reviewer’s high standards.

But does that make them bad movies?Well, frankly, sometimes yes. Sometimes movies are just plain awful. But other times certain other factors come into

play that only a seasoned fan of action movies can appreciate.

That’s where Rexx comes in. Someone who understands how irrational and

lunkheaded action movies can be and (for the most part) loves them anyway (and I think you will agree that his, uh, style of writing reflects this.)

Adrian Brody and Alice Braga in a scene from Predator. Rexx says its: “the best sci-fi/horror movie ever directed by a guy named Nimrod.”

Lights, camera,action . . . with Rick Dennis

Friday,October22,2010 ChestermereLaker9

News

Everything in its place

2000 sq.ft Shop In Chestermere

For Rent$1650.00

403-975-1776CallHouse Also Available

Behind the Esso, Next to Subway#6, 140 East Chestermere DriveChestermere AB T1X 1M1

Phone: 403-204-3003 Fax: 403-204-3063Toll Free: 1-877-204-3003

Let Our Local Professional Team Answer All of Your Insurance Questions!

Your

Local Insurance Specialist!

Greetings from the Organizing Guru!

The weather is cooling, the leaves are fall-ing and autumn is in full swing. This is a great time to organize your home.

We have a bit of time before the Christmas rush

begins, so take advantage of it and get your house ready to rock and roll over the holidays.

Last week we continued our journey through SPACE by looking at A or Assign a home.

Finding a home is the key to organizing, period. Because if everything has a home, you always know where to find it and where to put it back (it’s the putting it back that sometimes gets forgotten!).

So now we go to the next letter, which is C or Containerize — oh, this can be fun!

It can also get expensive depending on what your tastes are so I’ll talk about containerizing in general and about a variety of containers you can use.

And in keeping with past articles, we’ll look at the kitchen again; however I will delve into containers for the other rooms of the house when we talk about them in future articles.

Once we’ve figured out where our items are going to go, the next step is to find the smallest possible container to house all of the like items. Each area will have different requirements depending on the size of the items.

Following are some ideas for containers for the drawers, cupboards and pantry of your kitchen.

• The drawers in the kitchen can be made more organized by buying inserts that will house your knives, utensils, stationery supplies, etc.

• You can purchase metal units that are divid-ed in two or three partitions. I got some great ones at Costco that hold all my knives and cook-ing utensils. You can also get the plastic, wood or metal variety that will have more partitions for your cutlery. There are units that expand to the size of your drawer as well.

These containers work particularly well for the newer homes that have drawers that are much wider than in the past.

I have seen these at Bed, Bath and Beyond and Canadian Closets.

The cupboards can often hold the items with-out containers because of their size, but here are a few suggestions that you may want to use.

There is a great little three-tiered shelf unit that expands to fit the width of your cupboard.

It’s ideal for storing all of your spices and small bottles. I have purchased mine at Cana-dian Closets in the past.

I have Tupperware containers to hold my spices. They’re great because you only have to purchase a small amount of a particular spice in the bulk section of your grocery store. But spices lose their strength over time so it’s a good idea to purchase small amounts.

You can purchase empty bottles to store them or you can reuse the spice bottles that you pur-chase at the grocery store.

Buy a label maker and you have a container for that particular spice forever. If you don’t want to buy a label maker call me and I’ll come

and help you do it.Often our spices are purchased in plastic bags

and when we open them, they get rolled up with an elastic band or clipped with a clip or are just thrown in the cupboard to usually spill out all over the place the next time we retrieve them (man, don’t you hate it when that happens).

Glass or plastic containers that hold your bak-ing goods (sugar, flour, baking powder, raisins, etc.) will keep everything fresh and, once again, label it and you have a home for it.

When the kids want a handful of raisins they can find them and then put the container back where it belongs — you hope!

These containers can be purchased every-where — Wal-Mart, Zellers, local dollar stores, etc.

The next time you’re in a store that sells household items, take a look through their con-tainer section.

There’s a lot of good stuff out there waiting to help you organize your space. That goes for cereal, snacks and other big bags of stuff you buy.

There are great “under the sink” organiz-ers that give you a shelf to use up some of that space at the top of the cupboard.

You can purchase plastic food storage con-tainers that all take the same size lid and are contained in a storage unit.

You can even purchase drawer type sliders to convert those bottom cupboards into drawers.

I could go on and on about other container ideas, however each kitchen and each owner is different so take the time to look around and see what best suits your kitchen.

Have a great week and next week our SPACE odyssey will come to a close.

LynneThe Organizing Guru

403-343-2201www.organizingguru.ca

lynne@organizingguru.ca

Lynne Ring

Pining for pumpkin patch pickers 10 Chestermere Laker Friday, October 22, 2010

Phone: 403.536.4348www.colorbydesign.ca

Remember to Check Facebook for specials and promotions

Technical Educator for: Abba

American Crew Voila Color

Specializing in customized hair coloring and hair extensions

10 Years ExperienceFlexible Hours

Full facial waxing and tintingA variety of professional salon products

Wanted:New & Previous Clients

Reward Offered10% off

Beauty through passion and creativity

Suzanne Lalonde

NEWS

Mike D’AmourChestermere Laker

For a measly 10 bucks, Chester-merians have the

opportunity to buy a great pumpkin and to support the commu-nity at the same time.And organizers of the fourth annual Ches-termere Lion’s Club Pumpkin Patch say they’re hopeful this year will be better than last.“Last year was very cold and we didn’t sell all the pumpkins — I think it rained and snowed that day,” said Dawn Seguin, of the Lion’s Club.The local service club has been selling pumpkins from the north end of Mountain View cemetery for the past three years and has no plans to move the location — which is far removed from

the cemetery proper — this year.In years past, the Lions planted their own pumpkins, but the weather never cooperated.“It got to the point where it became ridic-ulous; it was taking too much time.”Now, the folks at Safe-way donate about half the pumpkins sold by the Lion’s Club, which picks up the cost of the other half.“Anything we get from this goes back to the community,” said Seguin, who noted some of the ben-eficiaries include the Whitecappers (Assoc.), minor hockey, cadets and many others dur-ing the Lion’s Club’s seven years of service in Chestermere.Seguin stresses the day’s not just about the pumpkins.“We’re trying to make

it a fun day for fami-lies.Sometimes you maybe just get the dads out with the kids, which is good because some-times the dads have a hard time finding things to do with the kids,” she said.“The kids love it; they can run around and pick their own pump-kins.”Seguin added there are plans to have a station where parents and children can have their picture taken.There will also be hot-dogs, juice and other refreshments on hand.The action happens tomorrow, Sat. Oct. 23, at Mountain View Cemetery, just north of 17 Ave. on Garden Road.The gates open at 10 a.m. and won’t close until 2 p.m., or until all the pumpkins are sold.

Friday, October 22, 2010 Chestermere Laker 11

CRITTERS

Down, boy, downTRAIN, TRAIN, TRAIN: Is the secret to teach-ing and having an obedient pooch

ASK A VET

Does your pup launch

himself at you and your visi-tors?

It’s one thing when they’re tiny, cute pup-pies but not so cute, and pos-

sibly even dangerous, when they grow to be 70 pounds or better.

Whether your dog is a Saint Bernard or a Chihuahua, good manners and, in this case, polite greetings can keep you and your dog safe.

Think of what you would prefer him to do instead of jumping up.

What do you consider polite and acceptable? Train, train, train!

Teach your dog to “sit” or “down” so you can tell him what to do, and so can others.

If he’s in a “sit-stay” or a “down-stay”, he can’t be jumping up.

By teaching an incompatible behaviour — “sit” instead of jump-ing up (or surfing the counters or chasing the cat!) — you can solve most behaviour problems.

And it’s much easier (and way more fun for both dog and handler) to teach him what TO DO, instead of what NOT to do.

Practice this so that this pre-ferred behaviour — “sit” or “down” — becomes the default.

Here are a few more tips:• Pay attention to your dog

BEFORE he jumps up on you and only give attention when your dog has four feet on the ground. Start this by keeping your comings and goings low-key. Wait for your dog to calm down — it gets easier after the first few times you wait him out — and you’ve been working on your “sit” and/or “down” default, right?

• Stand up if your dog jumps on you when you’re sitting down or when you’re giving him attention. Sit back down when he “slides” off (this is the “buns of steel” exercise — it will ready you for the slopes this winter!), ask him to sit and reward him when he does.

• Some examples of rewards could be attention from you, an opportunity to play or a tasty treat.

• Gently and quickly walk toward your dog when his front feet are off the ground. Be careful not to step on his toes, as this will only scare him. If you push him to get him off, you may as well get down and wrestle with him. Stop moving toward him as soon as he has four on the floor. Ask him to sit. Reward that.

• Practice! If you want your dog to listen to you everywhere, you need to train everywhere.

—Alison Stephens is a co-owner of Sit Happens

CHESTERMEREVETERINARY

CLINIC

T1X 1A1#34-140 East Chestermere DriveChestermere, AB 403-248-4674

Fax403-272-3573Phone

Dr. Gabriela Rotaru, D.V.M.Dr. Monica Kyono, B.Sc., B.VSc., MVS

Grass!!Don’t let your pet eat grass. The grass, especially foxtails, can become lodged in the back of the throat and can cause irritation, and may need to be removed under anaesthetic. Grass may also be treated with fertilizer or other chemicals that can make your pet sick.

Q: Is it possible for my dog to be allergic to cats?A: Yes. Dogs can be allergic to cat dander. If a test is positive, the

laboratory can develop a serum you can use to “desensitize” your dog. Be aware though that even with the serum, some dogs will continue to have problems. Usually with the serum we see an improvement in 60 percent of the dogs ; 20 percent of them are completely cured and 20 percent of them might not respond. We can also refer you to a skin spe-cialist and they can inform you if there are any other options.

—Gabriela Rotaru ,D.V.M. Chestermere Veterinary Clinic

Alison StephensCPDT-KA, KPA-CTP

Pet PagePet PagePet Pet Pet Pet PagePagePage

Calgary Humane SocietyPet of the Week: KaylaHello! I’m so ready to settle down with my new family. My name is Kayla, and I’m a delightful little 3 year female domestic shorthairwith a remarkable face and spectacu-lar yellow eyes. I’m a verycurious girl, looking for a little adven-ture and a whole lot of love. Ifeel like it’s been forever that I’ve been waiting to show off mycuteness and can hardly wait for you to come in.Come visit Kayla at the Calgary Humane Society, (403) 205-4455.

Visit The Calgary Humane Society online at www.calgaryhumane.ca for more great pets!

Sit Happens!Companion Dog TrainingPuppy and Adult FoundationsSocialization * Manners * Dog Sports

Evening, Weekday & Weekend ClassesFamilies Welcome!

3500 sq. ft. Indoor Facility

www.sithappens.org403-295-6337

NO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARGGGGGGGGGGGGEEEEEEEEEEEENO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARNO CHARGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGEEEEEEEEEEEECUMMINS or HEMICUMMINS or HEMICUMMINS or HEMICUMMINS or HEMICUMMINS or HEMICUMMINS or HEMICUMMINS or HEMICUMMINS or HEMICUMMINS or HEMICUMMINS or HEMICUMMINS or HEMICUMMINS or HEMICUMMINS or HEMICUMMINS or HEMICUMMINS or HEMICUMMINS or HEMICUMMINS or HEMICUMMINS or HEMICUMMINS or HEMICUMMINS or HEMICUMMINS or HEMICUMMINS or HEMICUMMINS or HEMICUMMINS or HEMICUMMINS or HEMICUMMINS or HEMICUMMINS or HEMICUMMINS or HEMICUMMINS or HEMICUMMINS or HEMICUMMINS or HEMICUMMINS or HEMICUMMINS or HEMICUMMINS or HEMICUMMINS or HEMICUMMINS or HEMICUMMINS or HEMICUMMINS or HEMICUMMINS or HEMICUMMINS or HEMIENGINE UPGRADE ONALL 2010 TRUCKS!!

NONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONO CHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGEEEEEEEEEEEECHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARCHARDVD ON ALLEEEDDVD ON ALLVD ON ALLVD ON ALLVD ON ALLVD ON ALLVD ON ALLVD ON ALLVD ON ALLVD ON ALLVD ON ALLVD ON ALLVD ON ALLVD ON ALLJOURNEY’S, GRAND CARAVANS

AND TOWN & COUNTRY’S

ASK FOR JASON OR SUE

24 HOURS A DAY

125 GLENDEER CIRCLE S.E. IN THE CALGARY AUTO MALL

www.courtesychrysler.comDODGE • JEEP • RAMAMVIC LICENSED

0705

-CS

326

06

46

2010 DODGE CHALLENGER

$202B/W*$0DOWN! Stk#A1143

2010 DODGE CALIBER

$99 B/W*$0DOWN!

SE PLUS GROUP

Stk# A1132

2010 JEEP LIBERTY

$172 B/W*

LOADED, 4X4

LOADED, 4X4

Stk# A0439

FREE OIL

CHANGES*

ZERO PAYMENTS

FOR 6 MONTHS*

0% AVAIL.

O.A.C.*

2010 DODGE 1500

2010 RAM 2500

2010 JOURNEY

2010GRAND CARAVAN

$0DOWN!

$0DOWN!

$0DOWN!

$0DOWN!$165

$131

$122Bi-weekly*

AIL.

1500150015001500

EMPLOYEE PRICE EVENT ON TILL END OF SEPTEMBER

GUARANTEED

BEST DEAL IN CALGARY!

GUARANTEED

BEST DEAL IN CALGARY!

GUARANTEED

BEST DEAL IN CALGARY!

GUARANTEED

BEST DEAL IN CALGARY!

Bi-weekly*

Bi-weekly*

$290Bi-weekly*

GUARENTEED

LOWEST EHT NI SECIRP

PROVINCE!

AVAVA.A.C.*.A.C.*

GGUUARENTEEDARENTEEDARENTEEDARENTEEDARENTEEDARENTEEDARENTEEDARENTEEDARENTEED

LLLLLOOOOWEST WEST WEST WEST WEST WEST WEST EHHTTTNIISEECCIIRRPPP

PR PR PR PR PROOVINCE!VINCE!VINCE!VINCE!VINCE!VINCE!VINCE!

GUARANTEED

LOWEST EHT NI SECIRP

PROVINCE!

2.75% VARIABLE

AVAIL. O.A.C.*

COURTESY CHRYSLER CH CH

R CH

RR CH

R CH CH CHRRYSLERYSLERYSLERYSLERYSLERYSLERYSLERRYSLERRRYSLERR

SUMMERSALEONLY!!!END

OF

2010201020102010

UMMERUMMERUMMERUMMERUMMERUMMERSALESALET his weekend

CUSTOMERCHOICEFINANCINGTHE NEW WAY TO OWN A VEHICLE.

2010 DODGE CHARGER

$163 B/W*$0DOWN!

SXT, RWD, Nav, S/R, LthrRalleye GrpSound Grp

Stk#A0009

$0DOWN!

2010 DODGE NITRO 4X4 SLT

$183 B/W*

LOADED

Stk# A0167

$0DOWN!

2010 CHRYSLER 300

$181 B/W*$0DOWN!

Stk#A0026

4X4 no charge Hemi avail on Ram 1500’s

4x4, NO Charge Cummins on Available 2500/3500

Canada’s #1 Selling Crossover

Canada’s #1 Selling mini vanfor over 25 years!

Lthr,S/R,Loaded

*ALL PAYMENTS QUOTED AT 2.75% VARIABLE OVER 84 MONTHS. DODGE CALIBER, RAM 2500 AND DOGE CHALLENGER BASED ON COURTESY POWER PLAN AT 4.99 OVER 60/96. ALL PRICES EXCLUDE FEES AND TAXES. ALL PRICING INCLUDES REBATES. VEHICLE MAY NOT BE EXACTLY AS SHOWN. LIMITED TIME OFFER. ALL REBATES TO DEALER. SEE DEALER FOR DETAILS.”

COURTESYCHRYSLER.COM COURTESYCHRYSLER.COM COURTESYCHRYSLER.COM COURTESYCHRYSLER.COM COURTESYCHRYSLER.COM COURTESYCHRYSLER.COM

COURTESYCHRYSLER.COM COURTESYCHRYSLER.COM COURTESYCHRYSLER.COM COURTESYCHRYSLER.COM COURTESYCHRYSLER.COM COURTESYCHRYSLER.COM

COURTE

SYCH

RYSLE

R.C

OM

CO

URTE

SYCH

RYSLE

R.C

OM

CO

URTE

SYCH

RYSLE

R.C

OM

CO

URTE

SYCH

RYSLE

R.C

OM

CO

URTE

SYCH

RYSLE

R.C

OM

CO

URTE

SYCH

RYSLE

R.C

OM

CO

URTE

SYCH

RYSLE

R.C

OM

CO

URTE

SYCH

RYSLE

R.C

OM

CO

URTE

SYCHRYSLE

R.C

OM

CO

URTE

-CO

URTES

YCH

RYSLER

.COM

COURTES

YCH

RYSLER

.COM

COURTES

YCH

RYSLER

.COM

COURTES

YCH

RYSLER

.COM

COURTES

YCH

RYSLER

.COM

COURTES

YCH

RYSLER

.COM

COURTES

YCH

RYSLER

.COM

COURTES

YCH

RYSLER

.COM

CO

URTES

YCHRYSLER

.CO

M C

OURTE-

125 125 125 125 125 GLENDEERGLENDEERGLENDEERGLENDEERGLENDEERGLENDEERGLENDEERGLENDEERGLENDEERGLENDEERGLENDEERGLENDEERGLENDEERGLENDEER CIRCLECIRCLECIRCLECIRCLECIRCLECIRCLECIRCLECIRCLECIRCLECIRCLE SS..EE..INININ THE CALGATHE CALGATHE CALGATHE CALGATHE CALGATHE CALGATHE CALGATHE CALGATHE CALGATHE CALGATHE CALGATHE CALGATHE CALGARRRRYYYRYRRYRRYR AUTO MALLAUTO MALLAUTO MALLAUTO MALLAUTO MALLAUTO MALLAUTO MALLAUTO MALLAUTO MALLAUTO MALLAUTO MALLAUTO MALLAUTO MALL

wwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.courtesychrysle.courtesychrysle.courtesychrysle.courtesychrysle.courtesychrysle.courtesychrysle.courtesychrysle.courtesychrysle.courtesychrysle.courtesychrysle.courtesychrysle.courtesychrysle.courtesychrysle.courtesychrysle.courtesychrysle.courtesychrysle.courtesychrysle.courtesychrysle.courtesychrysle.courtesychrysle.courtesychrysle.courtesychrysle.courtesychrysle.courtesychrysle.courtesychryslerrr.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.comr.comrr.comrr.comr

403 255-8111

12 Chestermere Laker Friday, October 22, 2010