Photo courtesy Freson Bros.

A member of the Freson Bros. family has won top awards.
    The Freson Bros. Fresh Market in Stony Plain has been awarded the National Gold Award for Top Independent Grocer of the Year for 2014.
    Freson Bros. is the largest family-owned grocery chain in Alberta with 15 stores including Drumheller and Hanna. The Stony Plain store is only a year old and has been described as a masterpiece of design and merchandising. The 43,000 sq. ft. store features a glassed-in atrium with vaulted ceiling as its entrance.
    The store focuses on outstanding customer service and fresh, high quality in-store prepared food, the Fresh Market feel of the store is reinforced by the in-store Butchers, Bakers and Chefs in their open concept work areas, regularly interacting with customers.
    “The award is a source of great pride and demonstrates our dedication to providing the best possible food experience for our customers and community, highlighting to the wider community our team members’ real commitment to Freson Bros. Four Company Pillars – Quality, Service, Cleanliness and Exciting Promotions,” said manager Kerry Waldo.
    The Grocer of the Year is the top award from the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers.

Citizens on Patrol in Drumheller has a tradition of having extra eyes and ears on the street to help prevent crime, but they hope to add a few more.
    Linda Schuler is secretary of the non-profit organization. She says they are looking for residents who would like to make a difference in their community by attempting to reduce crime.
    “We have about 20 members but only four or five are active,” she tells The Mail.
    Citizens on Patrol’s role is simple. Members head out in pairs during the evening and keep their eyes and ears open to suspicious behaviour. They are not there to make contact, but simply report to the police what they see.
    She says Citizens on Patrol is a valuable service that has made a difference on a number of occasions.
    “They have found a car thief and different things from time to time. If the police are watching someone they will let us know and we’ll keep an eye on them,” she said. “We know we have prevented things because they know we are there, and we get to know who is who. They know they are being watched.”
    To get involved residents simply have to fill out an application form that they can obtain at the Drumheller RCMP detachment and pass a police clearance. There is a small stipend for gas when they are on patrol. The work is voluntary. She hopes they can get the numbers to a point where at least one group is patrolling each weekend.
    To learn more about Citizens on Patrol, contact Linda at 403-823-3655.