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“We’re Off to See the Wizard” this summer

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   No matter how old you are, you are young again in the Land of Oz. Rosebud Centre of the Arts is busily preparing to welcome the acclaimed musical version of The Wizard of Oz.
   The classic tale of Dorothy blows onto the Rosebud Opera House Stage May 29. See how the theatre wizards of Rosebud stage that massive tornado that sweeps a teenage Dorothy and her dog Toto off to the Land of Oz.
   But that’s just the beginning of the magic. With the help of the Good Witch of the North and a few friends along the way, she travels the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City in hopes that the great and powerful Oz can get her safely home before the Wicked Witch of the West can stop her. One of the plays principal themes, “There’s no place like home”, is richly explored. The Wizard of Oz promises to be a magical prairie musical adventure for the whole family.
   The songs are among the most famous and instantly recognizable American songs of all time. The most acclaimed of them all is, Over the Rainbow. The original Dorothy, Judy Garland said, “Over the Rainbow has become part of my life. It’s so symbolic of everybody’s dreams and wishes that I’m sure that’s why some people get tears in their eyes when they hear it. I’ve sung it thousands of times and it’s still the song that’s closest to my heart.”
   Rosebud veteran Cassia Schramm returns to the Opera House Stage in the iconic role of Dorothy.
   “I watched The Wizard of Oz so many times as a kid. The seven year old Cassia still inside of me is actually giddy that I get to wear the ruby slippers.” says Schramm. “The story of Dorothy is the story of going on a journey, walking the yellow brick road, learning to discover what is important to you, where your home is, and where you will find love. Our director (Morris Ertman) is great at bringing out the heart in every story, and at the heart of this story is that journey. Dorothy is older than some of my previous roles, plus she’s a bit of a rebel. I can’t wait to explore her character.”
   Schramm is joined on stage by fellow Rosebud Theatre veterans David Snider as the Tin Man, Joel Stephanson as the Scarecrow, and Andrew Legg as the Lion.
   Rosebud Artistic Director Morris Ertman helms the production as Director, and explains, “the main difference between the movie and the musical is the fact that people are responding to live performers on a set that is not the movie in any way.
   Jerod Fahlman has designed a set that morphs from Kansas to Oz with the power of scenic wizardry, good old actor storytelling, and a lot of imagination on the part of the audience. That’s the magic of live!”
   “And so adults, as well as children, will find themselves transported by a story that is as much about grown-ups growing up as it is about a young teenage girl named Dorothy. This is a story for everyone. It is a musical whose sole purpose is to delight through touchstones to everyday experiences where any of us “wish upon a star” and find ourselves in places we’ve never been before. As such, it is a story about the awakening of wonder, imagination, friendship, and love for all of the things we associate with the word ‘home’”.

Drumheller Co-op sales top $45 million

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   The Drumheller Co-op’s sales continue to climb, in 2014 realizing more than $45 million.
   The Co-op held its annual General Meeting on April 22 at Greentree Mall. Again, the non-food division, which includes fuel, agro and the building centre, led the way with $38,157,057 in sales. The food division brought in $6,881,048.
   Outgoing president Barry Fullerton pointed out that while it was strong year in sales, the Drumheller Co-op continues to operate at local loss, before the Federated Cooperatives Limited (FCL) patronage refund. This is much the case with 50 per cent of all Co-ops in the system. He explains that the retail Co-ops can expect to see a reduction on their patronage refunds.
   “What it does tell us, is we must become more financially viable prior to receiving our patronage refund from FCL,” he states in his President’s Message.
   Last year’s patronage refund to the local Co-op from FCL was $2,357,941. From that a patronage refund an allocation of $706,764 was made to members.
   He says that the competition in the valley, supporting three traditional grocery stores and one non-traditional store is making the food division struggle, however they continue to work on it with the local management team and FCL.
   There were many bright spots this year including the continuing strength of the petroleum division. The Agro division also had a strong year seeing great sales in items such as bins.
   The home centre also saw an extensive upgrade, allowing the store to offer a greater selection. It held its grand opening last May.
   The local Co-op has continued to show support for community groups. In 2014, the community till tape program paid out $31,632.75. The Co-op Gift Card program also continues to be successful, and in 2014, they presented community groups with cheques totaling $14,392.50.
   There were two new board members selected at the Annual General Meeting. Shelly Rymal and Rusty Hamelin joined the board this year. Eric Poettcker is president and Lloyd Marshman is vice president. Kathy Little is secretary.

Two killed in head-on collision near Stettler

RCMP-CREST-COLOUR

Stettler, Alberta - At approximately 2:45 p.m. on May 13th, 2015, Stettler RCMP responded to a two vehicle collision on Highway 56, 15 Kilometres North of Stettler. The scene investigation revealed that a north bound SUV crossed the centre line striking a south bound mini van nearly head on. Drivers of both vehicles, an elderly man and a middle aged man died of their injuries. A passenger in the south bound mini van was transported by STARS to the U of A Hospital in Edmonton in serious condition. Alcohol and road conditions were not factors in the collision, which remains under investigation. The RCMP will not be releasing the names of the individuals who were involved in the collision.

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