One person’s trash is another person’s treasure!  On May 5th and May 6th, this Town-wide Reuse/Recycle event enables residents to put any useable items on their front lawn for others to come by and give a new home to!  This is a fun way to give unwanted items to others who might need them, or to go shopping for yourself. Who knows what treasures you might find? The event runs Saturday and Sunday, starting at 8am (May 5th – 6th).

Large Item Pickup

Every spring, immediately following the Annual Treasure Hunt, the Town of Stony Plain picks up any large, unwanted household items from residents’ homes.

Simply place your unwanted items at the front curb on the day following your regular garbage and recycling day, and the Town will pick them up free for disposal. This service is open to all Town residents.

Some restricted items include:

• cardboard or recyclable items;
• household hazardous materials (e.g. – oils, paints, batteries, etc.);
• mattresses, railroad ties, construction or demolitions debris, vehicle parts, tires and motors; and
• e-waste items (these items are collected year-round at the Rotary Recycling Centre).

Prohibited items include:

• TVs;
• computers, laptops and notebooks;
• monitors;
• computer mice, keyboards and speakers;
• printers and printer combinations; and
• CPUs or servers.

This event is promoted well in advance on the Town’s website, Social Media and in the local print media.

For more information, contact Public Works at 780.963.2469, or send an email.

[Source: Town of Stony Plain]

Also elected was Barbara Lloy, as councillor.

Voter turnout was 20.5 per cent.

An individual named “Ryan” posted this account on the History of Lake Eden website:

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the Lake Eden Ski Chalet burned to the ground tonight. I live in the area, and was driving by on the highway around 7pm and saw a massive cloud of black smoke rising from the resort area, and I assumed it was the chalet. Probably some kids lit it on fire. I was going to call the FD, but saw a fire truck driving up. Anyways, I returned home at 10:30 and drove by on the range road and it was still burning a bit. I was stopped watching the fire and a Peace Officer stopped and verified that it was the chalet that was burning, and there were still fire trucks keeping an eye on it.

Anyone interested in contributing memories or photos can do so on the Facebook Group or on the History of Lake Eden website.

Update: There are conflicting opinions as to whether this was a controlled burn:

Just to let everyone know that the burning of the chalet was a controlled burn with the fire department on hand all afternoon…. they had heavy equipment there at the seen to control the burning debris…the building itself was in a state of disrepair and actually was falling off the north side of the hill, sad to see it go but for the last few years it has been a hazard to have standing there the way it was.

- Crystal H (from the Lake Eden Facebook group)

It was not a controlled burn according to a friend at the fire department plus what I heard on the radio scanner. They were burning debris and it got away on them and caught the building on fire. Sounding like a whole bunch of tickets were issued as well. Very sad to see it go but due to the shape of the building it should have been gone long ago.

- Anna (left a comment on the Lake Eden website)

Date: Tuesday, May 1st, 2012

Open 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

• The Community Centre 5008 50 Street
• John Paul II School 5801 48 Street
• Ecole Meridian Heights School 4119 43 Street

Advance Voting

• Wednesday, April 18th – 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• Saturday, April 21st – 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
• Thursday, April 26th – 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Location: Council Chambers – 4905 51 Avenue

Institutional Voting Locations

• George Hennig Place 4808 – 57 Avenue
• Westview Health Centre 4405 South Park Drive
• Whispering Waters Manor 5303 – 47 Street

Investigation revealed that Jason IBSEN (32) of Stony Plain, AB entered Shoppers Drug Mart with a mask covering his face and demanded prescription medication. IBSEN fled the scene with a large amount of prescription medication.

On March 29th, 2012, Stony Plain General Investigation Section charged IBSEN with one count of robbery and one count of disguise with intent after a lengthy investigation. IBSEN was previously charged for robbing the Main Street Home Health Pharmacy located at 5106 50th Street, in Stony Plain on December 14th, 2011. IBSEN was released on a cash bail on those charges.

IBSEN has not spoken to bail on the new charges and has been remanded into custody by a Justice of the Peace.

IBSEN will be back in Stony Plain Provincial court on April 4, 2012 at 09:30 Hrs.

Information received from the public was instrumental in bring this investigation to a successful conclusion. As always, anyone with information regarding this or any crime are asked to call the Spruce Grove/Stony Plain RCMP at Spruce Grove 780-962-2222 or Stony Plain 780-968-7267 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

Automated garbage collection in Stony Plain

Stony Plain, AB – Automated residential garbage collection is about to become a reality in Stony Plain. Semi-trucks unloaded more than 4,100 65-gallon Waste Carts at the Town’s Public Works compound on Mar. 27; another 588 Carts will arrive Apr. 2.

Ever Green Ecological Services, the company contracted by the Town to provide residential waste management services, has started delivering the Waste Carts to residences; all households that pay for waste collection services will receive one Cart.

The Waste Carts are the same size as the Organicarts and are easy and safe to pull and maneuver. Residents will simply place their black garbage bags into the Waste Cart. The trash collected will be limited to what fits inside the Cart.

Starting Apr. 17, household garbage will be collected every two weeks via Automated Cart Collection – a system where a mechanical arm on a specially designed truck picks up the Cart, empties it and then returns it to its original position.

The Carts will also prevent garbage from being scattered by the wind and will deter birds, dogs and cats or vermin from getting into the trash. The system will reduce risks of injury caused by heavy lifting and handling of dangerous waste and contamination.

Year-round Organicart Collection

The Town is also making changes to its Organicarts collection. Starting Apr. 17, Organicarts will be picked up all-year-round – every week from mid-April to mid-October and every second week between mid-October and mid-April. Organics collected will be limited to what fits in the Organicart. Year-round organics collection has proven to yield long-term cost-savings to municipalities. It costs $48 per tonne to dump garbage at the landfill but only $39 per tonne to discard organics at the anaerobic digester at the Growing Power Hairy Hill Integrated bioRefinery.

Blue Bag(s) Recycling

Curbside Blue Bag(s) recycling will be picked up every two weeks; there is no limit to the number of Blue Bag(s) that can be put out for collection – provided the contents are acceptable.

Kitchen Scraps

Approximately 45 per cent of the average household garbage bag is made up of food scraps and other organics material that could easily be turned into compost. All residents need to do is put their food scraps and compostable paper products into Organicarts. Last week, all households received a Kitchen Catcher for collecting food scraps, which can be emptied into the Organicart.

Reducing waste at the source is the most environmentally sustainable approach to solid waste management. Complete information about the changes, including a list of acceptable/unacceptable items for Blue Bag(s), Organicarts and Waste Carts; detailed answers to a comprehensive list of Frequently Asked Questions; and step-by-step instructions on how to place your Carts and Blue Bag(s) on the curb, is available at www.wipeoutwaste.ca.

[Source: Town of Stony Plain]

Stony Plain's New Year's Party

The 13th Annual Family Fest on December 31, 2011 will be held at Heritage Park!

Activities include:

Live Entertainment 6:00-8:30 pm
Face Painting 6:00-8:30 pm
Magician 6:00-9:00 pm
Outdoor Skating 6:00-9:00 pm
Hot Dogs & Popcorn 6:00-9:00 pm
Horse Drawn Wagon Rides 6:00 p.m.-8:30 pm
Hot Chocolate 6:00-9:00 pm
Bouncy Tent 6:00-9:00pm
Old Time Christmas at the Museum 6:00-9:00pm

FIREWORKS! 8:45 pm

Family Fest relies heavily on the donations received by our community. If you would like to be a sponsoring partner – please contact Melanie at 780-963-8591.

Come out on December 31st and see what we have to offer!

The Blueberry Bluegrass & Country Music Festival is being held at Homecoming Park in Stony Plain. The festival runs from July 29th-July 31st, 2011.

View from the Blueberry Bluegrass stage

This year’s lineup includes the Grascals, Marty Stuart, Connie Smith and many more.

A 3-day pass is $130. A day pass is $55. You can purchased tickets online at www.blueberrybluegrass.com. Camping is also an option at $10 per night.

Stony Plain pool

The Town of Stony Plain’s Public Swimming Pool  is officially open for 2011.

“The Town of Stony Plain’s Public Swimming Pool is somewhat of an icon in  this community,” says Ken Lemke, mayor of Stony Plain. “As one of the few  remaining outdoor pools in this province, the extremely popular and highly  successful facility stands as a long-standing testament to the significance and  meaning it has for citizens in this town.”

A complete schedule  is available from the pool, the Town office or online at www.stonyplain.com.

About the Stony Plain Outdoor Public Swimming Pool

Since 1972, the Town of Stony Plain has operated an outdoor, six-lane public  swimming pool from mid-May to the end of August each year.

Approximately 20 staff – certified lifeguards and qualified maintenance  personnel – are hired each season to manage, supervise and maintain the  full-service facility. Residents and visitors can take advantage of the wide-  range of programs offered, including: private and public lessons for all ages  and abilities; public swimming sessions; aqua-fit classes; adult lane swims;  and many more programs.

The Stony Plain Pool offers the Red Cross Swim Kids Program and pre-school lessons for children between  ages three and five. The objectives are to teach swimming skills in a safe and structured, but fun, learning  environment.

The facility can be rented for private functions, such as birthday parties, corporate-social events and family  reunions, by contacting Carley Twerdoclib, pool manager, at 780.963.2600 or pool@stonyplain.com.

Summer staff take pride in ensuring all swimmers have access to a clean, safe and well-maintained facility with a friendly, “small-town” atmosphere.

The Stony Plain Sharks’ Swim Club (www.stonyplainsharks.com), which operates a successful aquatics  program, uses the pool as its base; all six lanes are dedicated exclusively for club use from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.  on weekdays.

[Source: Town of Stony Plain]