Cowboys and girls from the Rumsey area are getting saddled up this weekend to ride for a good cause.
    On Sunday, August 11, the 24th annual Rumsey Ride will be hitting the trails in support of STARS. The ride has raised $538,412 to date.
    “I don’t think there is anyone around here that doesn’t know someone who has been saved by STARS. We are in the middle of nowhere and it’s wonderful to have that helicopter come when we need it,” said Kendra Kiemele, a member of the Rumsey Ride committee.

Ernie Goddard, right, and STARS resource development coordinator Wanda Freeborn during the 2012 Rumsey Ride. This year’s ride will pay tribute to Jacqui Goddard, Ernie’s wife, and Leonard Richmond, who both helped organize the ride for many years. There will be minutes of silence and poem readings for each.

    Though Kiemele is excited for this year’s ride, it will be bittersweet.
    “In the last three years, we’ve lost four members of our STARS committee. In the last year, we lost Jacqui Goddard and we miss her terribly. We also lost Leonard Richmond, another long-time member of the committee. We’re going to be having minutes of silence for them and reading their favourite poems,” said Kiemele. “This was so important to them, so we’re going to keep it going.”
    The day’s festivities begin at 8 a.m. at the TL Bar Ranch near Rumsey with a breakfast. The two rides begin at 10:30 a.m.
    In addition, the Rumsey Ride will have a poker rally, quilt raffle, silent auction,  guest speaker, and a special presentation of Ducks and Dogs.
    “We started it last year and people just loved it. There are some trained border collies doing a demonstration with ducks, putting them through tubes and in and out of a crate. It’s really cool,” said Kiemele.
    This year, the Richmond family will be sponsoring a hot dog and smokie lunch.
    For the Rumsey Ride to have lasted so long, Kiemele credits the support of the community.
    “We have so much wonderful support from the community. There are the riders who go and get pledges, people who pledge to the riders, the businesses who donate to the silent auction, the Rumsey Fire Department who cook the supper, the Country Cookers donate their time and expertise for the supper, the people who work all year to make sure things go off without a hitch, and the Lynch’s, the TL Bar Ranch, who let us use their land. There are so many people,” said Kiemele. “It takes everybody to pull this off.”
    To donate, pledge your support to a rider or contact Kiemele at 403-368-3740.

August 11 to 14, Highway 9 from junction of Highway 56 to 10.7 kilometres east of the Highway 56 junction will be chip sealed.

    Road construction this season continues as Alberta Transportation announces more maintenance on highway 9.
    From August 11 to 14, crews will be chip coating a portion of Highway 9 from Morrin Corner, heading 10.7 kilometres east.
    According to a press release, the chip seal process involves the application of asphalt to the road surface, the spreading and compaction of crushed aggregate over this and a sweep of the surface to remove loose chips.
    Motorists are advised to expect delays as this work is completed one lane at a time, with flag persons and pilot vehicles managing traffic. The speed limit will be reduced to 50 km/h until these activities have been completed. During periods of inactivity, the speed limit will be posted at 80km/hour or regular highway speed (whichever is lower).
    These speed reductions will remain for about a week. There will be a final second sweep and lane lines will then be installed.
    This project is part of about 132 kilometres of a highway that will receive a new wearing surface in Alberta this season, worth about $1.65 million. Over the next three years, Alberta Transportation plans to spend $9 billion in capital projects, maintenance and preservation.