Winners of draws and tractor-pulls at Heritage Acres' annual show

Stephanie Labbe, Heritage Acres

All the tractor pull winners for the weekend:

Tractor-pull winners from Heritage Acres' 24th Annual Show
Stephanie Labbe photo

left to right:  Class A winner - Robert Luck with a result of 32.7m,  Class B winner - Howard Fleming with 42.6m,  Class C winner - Curtis Campbell with 54.2m, Class D winner - Allan Reed with 72.8m, Class E winner - Larry Urick with 106.6m, Class F winner - Bernard Schmidt with 117.8m,  Class G winner - Kendall Williamson with 137.3, and Class H winner - Harvey Schner with 139.4m.

Twin Butte Community Hall's 75th Anniversary party a big success

George Huddlestun and Joanne Parsons
Best couples costume
Chris Davis photo

Chris Davis

Twin Butte's Community Hall was the hub of much activity this weekend. The hall has been beautifully restored through the efforts of local volunteers making the most of grant money and goodwill. The hardwood floors gleam an invitation to dance, and almost every aspect of the structure has been revived and revitalized, and repaired where needed. The hall has been the site of many events over the years, including dances, funerals, weddings, and every other kind of social gathering one can imagine. The rich history of the space is not a dormant and dusty one. It continues to be a vibrant hub for the social interaction of this small and tight-knit community.

To the west of the hall, a new cenotaph has been created, honouring area residents who fought in great wars of the last century. Designed by Lucy Copp, it is wonderfully elegant and dignified, with a path leading to a simple stone monument one can walk around while reading the names of past heroes, and a backdrop of flags. The Pincher Creek Legion will be providing a Legion flag, since Twin Butte is and was too small to have a Legion of its own.

Contrasts

Bill Torvi photo

Bill Torvi sent us this interesting picture he took from the dump facing east towards Cowley ridge.  It's an interesting photo, with the subtle beauty of our rural area and our big skies sharply contrasted by the  mound of rubbish we have tossed away.  Bill also took the funnel cloud photo featured here last week.

Sierra West hosts Frontier Cattle Drive

Toni Lucas, Pincher Creek Voice

Ginny Donahue photo

100 head of yearling Black Angus cattle and 19 guest riders joined host and hostess Randy and Ginny Donahue for the Sierra West Frontier Cattle Drive this past weekend, July 22-24.  They made a 15 mile trek on horseback from pasture land along highway 3 through the Livingstone Range foothills, ending up at land north and west of Lundbreck near the Sierra West Cabins and Ranch House. "We have had people from near and far, and this trip we had people from Burdette, Sherwood Park, Edmonton, Calgary, Ontario and Poland," said Ginny.  On the two day excursion, the guests are trailered out to the starting point, and trailered back each day to be in the comfort of the Sierra West Cabins, where they were entertained by live music and cowboy poetry.

Beach Volleyball every Tuesday at Juan Teran Park

Kaitlyn MacMillan, Community Coordinator

Every Tuesday from August 2 to August 23 there will be beach volleyball at Juan Teran Park beginning at 7pm.
The highest number of attendees was last week with 9! Come on Pincher Creek, let's increase attendance for the next few weeks!
For more information go to www.pinchercreek.ca

Local Enduro team does well in Idaho, sets sights on Xtinction

Chris Davis, Pincher Creek Voice

Jordan Reed
photo: secondgearclub.com

Jordan Reed of Calgary is well known to locals.  He learned to ride motocross from his uncle, Pincher Creek native Bob Reed.  Bob is a mutliple medal holder for the ISDE (International Six Days Enduro) race, and an organizer for the sport as well.

Together with Kris Beer from Cactus Coulee, Lethbridge, and Isaak Paridean from the Porcupines, Jordan participated in the Idaho 400k enduro race, held June 7 and 8, 2011.

Isaak Paridean tests a new ride
Jordan Reed photo

Reed Finished day one with a 4th and silver in his class. On the second day he hit his foot on a stump during the first 15 km of the 230 km course, breaking both his foot and a toe.  He perservered anyway,racing the rest of the day, and placed 1st in his class with a gold, and 1st overall in the 250-450 combined. He left Idaho City the defending "A" Champ for 2011. He ended up 8th in the E1 (pro) class, for 125 2-strokes and 250 4-strokes motors.

Local youth wins "Great Kids 2011" award

Toni Lucas, Pincher Creek Voice

Dykota Letourneau
C. Davis photo

Pincher Creek's Dykota Letourneau is one of 16 kids between the ages of 5 and 18 who won "Great Kids 2011" in Alberta. The Government of Alberta Children and Youth Services invited Albertans to nominate kids between the ages of 5 and 18 who make outstanding contributions to their community, school, or at home.  The program is in its 12th year.

Premier Ed Stelmach will be presenting Dykota with her award in October at the Fantasyland Hotel in Edmonton.  Recipients will receive a prize package from IBM and West Edmonton Mall and a special certificate of recognition.

To support her application, Dykota got letters of support from organizations that she had volunteered at, such as Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village and the Metis Council #1880.

Traffic issues addressed in a roundabout way

Chris Davis photo

The intersection of Highway 6, Hewetson Avenue, and Highway 507 is being transformed into a traffic circle, in an attempt to alleviate congestion problems.  The plan has met with some opposition in Pincher Creek. Some citizens would prefer the intersection to remain the way it was, some suggested a four-way stop be introduced, some were in favour of traffic lights instead, and some were in favour of the solution now being adopted.

Funnel cloud spotted southwest of Pincher Creek yesterday

Funnel cloud spotted near Christie Mines Road yesterday
Bill Torvi photo

Toni Lucas, Pincher Creek Voice
Pincher Creek got hail yesterday, and sharp-eyed Bill Torvi noticed a really interesting cloud formation while out with friends, about 15 minutes before the hail started, and decided to snap a picture with his phone.  The funnel cloud seemed to form over Christie Mines Road, about 4 miles southwest of Pincher Creek.  

Creek Cruzers show and shine

Chris Davis, Pincher Creek Voice

Chris Davis photo

The Creek Cruzers show and shine occurred under blue skies today, to a backdrop of Coyote Country's blend of retro-rock music.  Christine's tacos were a big hit with the crowd, but once again the assembled vehicles were the star of the show.  Enthusiasts mingled and compared notes, and the Downtown Merchant's Association held a sidewalk sale, with facepainting for the little ones.  It was smaller crowd than usual, but all in all it was a very successful day.
Visit oldcarjunkie.wordpress.com for a listing of other car events in southern Alberta this summer.

Pincher Creek Emergency Medical Services extraction demonstration

T. Lucas photos

Chris Davis

Pincher Creek Emergency Services gave a demonstration of vehicular extraction techniques outside the Provincial Building on Main Street Pincher Creek today, in conjunction with the Creek Cruzers show and shine.  Two vehicles were blocked up for safety and then ripped open.  The second demonstration featured local EMS member Lynn Brasnett as the "victim" trapped in the car.

Having been on scene at highway events when this skill becomes a matter of life-and-death, I can testify that these brave men and women very rarely get to do this kind of work under such pleasant conditions. A reminder that the real heroes are people like this, not people who are able to floor a gas pedal or drink large quantities of alcohol.

Welcome to the Pincher Creek Voice

Christian Davis, Pincher Creek Voice

     This website was started a couple of years ago, based on an opinion I had that our locale was not being adequately served online, particularly when it comes to news and events reporting. I made a decision to instead try working for the existing press in the area, a decision I don't regret. I learned some things during my time spent doing that. This website was pulled "off the air" at that time to avoid any conflict of interest.

     I no longer work for the established local press, and I still believe our area is not being adequately served, so the Pincher Creek Voice and its sister publication the Cowley Voice are being revamped and rebooted. Because they both are essentially volunteer efforts, I don't anticipate us being able to really cover the complete spectrum of life here in southern Alberta right away.  That won't stop us from trying.

Looking for the bear necessities

Toni Lucas, Pincher Creek Voice

Kari Zieffle photo

Kari and Jim Zieffle, who live in Twin Butte next to Yarrow Creek,  had an unexpected visitor this week.  Jim believes this young bear is approximately 200lbs, and two years old.  Although the bear climbed up and thoroughly investigated their deck, he ambled off without incident when The only food that he found was in a birdfeeder.

Photos from the Potter Premiere

The Fox Theatre in Pincher Creek held a special midnight premiere showing of the last Harry Potter flick, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2", on Thursday, July 14, starting just before midnight. Potter fans came from all over dressed as their favourite characters from the incredibly popular book and movie franchise.

Also see:
A portal to Hogwarts opens in Pincher Creek
From The Pas to Pincher Creek: A Harry Potter oddyssey
Fox Theatre showtimes July 22 - 28

Quirky Herky Cutler disc released

"Love is Like a Chicken" features some stellar local talent
Chris Davis, Pincher Creek Voice

"Love is like a chicken" (album)
Herky Cutler
****
recommended for:  folk/rock enthusiasts
bottom line: A solid disc of original and entertaining folk/pop/blues

CD available via www.herkycutler.com

for full review click "read more"

A portal to Hogwarts opens up in Pincher Creek

Toni Lucas, Pincher Creek Voice

Chris Davis photo

In an effort that took over 5 hours, Fox Theatre Manager Rebecca Hardy and owner Greg Imeson created a fun facsimile of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, featured in the Harry Potter movies. They spent two days collecting cardboard recycled from The Brick, Sears, and the Fox Theatre itself. The Fox lobby was then transformed with tape, paint, and a lot of creativity.

From The Pas to Pincher Creek's Fox Theatre: A Harry Potter Odyssey

Caitlin Henderson and Jenn Cook

C. Davis photo

Toni Lucas - How far would you travel to see the midnight showing of Harry Potter? For Caitlin Henderson and her family the answer is 1336 kilometres, all the way from The Pas in Northern Manitoba.
Jenn Cook, General Manager of the Opasquia Times, kept a few magical moves to herself. Her family of four are huge Harry Potter fans,and her daughter Caitlin was wanted to go to the midnight showing to celebrate the opening night, coincidentally scheduled on her birthday.  Caitlin was determined she would be entering the theater at the age of 16 and leaving it at 17, the age span that Harry Potter starts and carries out the 7th book.

Communities In Bloom

C. Davis photo

Toni Lucas

Communities in Bloom will be once again checking out Pincher Creek. The Town of Pincher Creek won Nationals for a town our size in 2009 and the entire community can help to keep our standings high across Canada. The Communities in Bloom committee in Pincher Creek works with the Town, and have taken on many projects, such as the gardens that can be seen in our public areas like Cenotaph Park, and the south end of Bev McLachlin Drive where the largest pincers in Canada are nestled in a stunning bed of flowers.  This committee  is always looking for those that are interested to volunteer their time, and have many knowledgeable people that are willing to share their expertise with newcomers.

Thunder in the Valley a success despite weather

Chris Davis

The annual Thunder in the Valley fireworks display in Blairmore was rivaled by Mother Nature today. A prelude of wild weather including huge bolts of lightning and thunder accompanied by heavy rain caused some people to leave early. By show time the clouds had cleared and the remaining crowds were awed by the pyrotechnics.

Hal Murdoch of Pincher Creek Ford was one of many who threw a party, inviting guests to catch a front row view of the show from his deck in nearby Coleman.

Ranch Rodeo 2011

Photos of the 2011 Pincher Creek Ranch Rodeo by Pauline Breeze