The Standard Beautification Group has been hard at work again this year and have added plants and new planters to different spots throughout town, as well as at Standard’s two welcome signs. A local farmer donated a huge water tank that the group is able to use for their plant care.  When summer is over, the group plans to use the planters for Christmas decorations.

    The Village of Standard has a few projects it will be working on over the course of the summer.
    Chief Administrative Officer for the village Leah Jensen listed one of the projects as road work identified last year.
    The road work will be in the industrial area, where there are soft spots and areas that are causing issues for the taxpayers, she notes.
    Also on the village’s work schedule are some water and sewer lines that were on their infrastructure list.
    Those are being replaced on 2 Street West from Frederick Avenue West to Elsinore Avenue.
    A major project in itself, Jensen said, will be the dredging of one of the sewage lagoons.
    The work involves draining down one of the smaller lagoons and dredging out the muck from it.
    Jensen also said the Standard Beautification Group has been hard at work adding more planters and pots around town.
    The group has added two planters, one at the north welcome sign and one at the south.
    They’ve also added a number of planters in various locations throughout the town, including on Broadway, the main street in Standard.
    Jensen said the beautification group puts out the plants every year, which is made possible through donations by local residents and businesses.
    Carol McKay of the beautification group said they also received funding through a County of Wheatland grant, which covered all of the group’s costs for this year.
    Jensen wants to send out a reminder that the Standard village council will be having its annual residents appreciation barbecue on Friday,  September 12.

St. Anthony’s Parish in Drumheller is hosting the  Drumheller Passion Pilgrimage and has invited everyone to a special event on July 20. At 10 a.m. there will be a mass at the Passion Play Amphitheatre said by Bishop Henry, followed by a barbecue and then the production of the Canadian Badlands Passion Play.

Catholics from across the province will be coming to Drumheller this summer for a special event at the Passion Play site.
    St. Anthony’s Parish in Drumheller is hosting the Drumheller Passion Pilgrimage and is inviting members of the Calgary Diocese to the Passion Play for mass, a picnic and then the famous production of the Canadian Badlands Passion Play. Bishop Fred Henry will be leading mass.
    “It is going to be a great time, we are looking forward to it,” said Deacon Gary Haney, of St. Anthony’s Parish who is organizing the event.
    “It is hosted by St. Anthony’s in Drumheller and we just decided we needed to do something for the community to bring people together. There is local community at the parish, then there is the diocese and there is the world community, everyone outside the actual church because we invite everybody.”
    “You don’t have to be Catholic to come to mass. If you ever want to see what one is like it will be at the Passion Play site.”
    He said the local Knights of Columbus and the Catholic Women’s League will be helping out during the event with  the picnic barbecue. The youth group is also helping out. Deacon Haney said the Elim Pentecostal Tabernacle is offering childcare during the play.
    “The Passion Play has been well involved with us too,” said Haney.
    The Drumheller Passion Pilgrimage is on Sunday, July 20. Mass is at 10 a.m. Following mass there will be a barbecue picnic at the tent area north of the amphitheatre. A free will offering is taken.
    During the picnic there will be a shuttle bus that will take those who wish, to St. Anthony’s  Church to visit The Man of the Shroud exhibit, with a  full sized replica of the Shroud of Turin, as well as other artifacts.
     After that the Passion Play  takes to the stage at 3 p.m.
     So far he says it looks like there will  be a good crowd for the event.
    “It looks like a lot of people are coming in. Many have bought tickets directly through us, we have a special  group area in the  Passion Play for this. We have also had people out selling tickets at parishes,” he said.
    The last time Bishop Henry was in Drumheller was for the opening and blessing of the new St. Anthony’s school.