Behind every good man they say that there is a good woman.  This year at the 99th Hand Hills Stampede the committee is going to honour one of those women. Verlien Brown knows all too well what it takes to run the Stampede. Verlien's experience comes from years of volunteering and being involved in the many accomplishments that her late husband Vern carried out thru his many years as President of the Hand Hills Lake Club.
    The Stampede is constantly changing and moving forward. The community respects what past generations have handed us. Without their dedication and foresight where would the Stampede be? We believe we have come full circle. The Clubhouse that the Brown family helped to construct is going to be renovated for this generation as well as for future ones. The Rodeo Arena has changed over the years and in 2015 it will house a center load chute system.  Also in 2015 the camping area has been expanded to accommodate the ever growing crowd of campers that come to enjoy this tradition in the Hills!
    Verlien has taken in many Stampedes over the years but these past few years it has been her turn to sit back, relax and enjoy the show. Her time has come to reap the rewards of years of dedication and commitment that she shared with her husband and family.
    By honouring Verlien and her family for their years of dedication to the community, it is the committee's way of saying thank you for paving the way for this generation to carry on the tradition.

    The Town of Drumheller is putting its best foot forward in promoting the valley for the film industry.
    Drumheller has a rich history of television movies and documentary productions, and has seen the likes of Jackie Chan, Clint Eastwood and Dustin Hoffman working in the valley.   Economic development officer Cody Glydon would like to see more.
    “We have always had a great film history here in Drumheller. We have had all kinds of film makers roll through and obviously we want to keep that going,” said Glydon.
    With this in mind, on Thursday, May 21 he will have a delegation touring the valley  and area to show what it has to offer.
    He has invited representatives from the Calgary Economic Development Film and TV, scouts from the Directors Guild of Canada, and Alberta Film. They will be touring various sites and studio locations throughout the valley.
  Glydon said a part of this is also showing them what it is like to do business in Drumheller.
    “A lot of the people in the industry may not be aware of how we handle permitting and that sort of thing. So this is an opportunity for them to come out and learn all about what is in Drumheller, the studios here, what we have for actors and the services we do provide,” said Glydon.
    “Hopefully we can attract more films here to Drumheller because we know it provides a huge economic boom,” said Glydon.
    In fact, Glydon took time during the Alberta provincial election to reinforce to the candidates the importance of promoting the industry and programs that help foster it.
    “A number of provinces these days are starting to get away from the film credit,” said Glydon. “We still have one in Alberta and want to make sure we keep it here. We have a lot to offer, it is a very versatile place, and not just Drumheller. In Alberta you have wide open prairies, western scenes, and the Rocky Mountains,” he said.  
    This will not be the only chance that  people in the industry will have to see what the valley has to offer. The Alberta Media Arts Society is having its conference in Drumheller in June.