Mother Nature demonstrated her strength on Sunday as the banks of the Rosebud River near Wayne sloughed, blocking its flow, raising its levels and the level of concern of residents.
    In the early afternoon of Sunday, May 18, a resident in the Wayne area of Drumheller  was mowing his lawn, when  he noticed a strange phenomenon. The flow of the Rosebud River has slowed considerably.
    They learned shortly after what had happened. A portion of the bank of the river and hill above collapsed under the weight of recent precipitation, tumbling into the river blocking its flow.
    The water backed up for a time before it found a path through the heavy mud and sod that had sloughed into the river, and flow resumed.

There were some tense moments Sunday afternoon when a hill slid into the Rosebud River near Wayne. No one was injured and the river was blocked for a short time before the water carved a new path through the material. See a video of the damage on the Drumheller Mail YouTube Channel and Facebook page.

    It could have been a  close call for a couple of kayakers who were enjoying the river that afternoon.
    Marcel Augey and Mike Dooley were kayaking down the river  when they noticed the water back flowing towards them. Not taking a chance, they decided to portage.  A few meters downstream they came across the blockage and a number of neighbours out assessing the damage.
    Augey acknowledged it was a narrow escape, but at the same time thought it was an interesting phenomenon to see.

    Last week students at St. Anthony’s School were given a primer on highway safety, and more than just helping kids remember how to cross safely, it built resolve at the school that something more needs to be done about highway safety.
    The Mail reported in its March 19 edition that the area in front of St. Anthony’s School on North Dinosaur Trail be deemed a “School Area.” This means improved signs, however the current speed limit of 70 kilometres per hour was not changed. .
    The school initially planned to have parents and volunteers serve as crossing guards to add another level of safety. They later learned that it would be illegal for parents to act in this capacity unless it was a school zone.
    The school also made an effort to teach proper crossing safety to the students and last week a representative from the Alberta Motor Association (AMA) was at the school talking to parents and teachers.
    “We had Lisa Nowlin-Clayton, the School Patrol Coordinator from AMA, she came in and did a presentation to the parents. The administration then went all the way through the elementary wing and did a quick presentations on ‘point, pause, proceed,’ with the kids,” said St. Anthony's Principal  JoAnne Akerboom.
    “What it really showed me is that because we have Kindergarten, and grades one and two in particular, this needs to be a school zone. We had fun with the kids but in the end they are in Kindergarten, they are not paying attention and we can do all the training we want, but they are five years old.”
    “We want to keep doing the training because we want to teach our kids, but it would sure be nice if we had a 30 kilometre zone in front of the school so when those little ones are crossing, they have a better chance.”
    According to correspondence from Alberta Transportations, new signage is scheduled for completion by May 2014 and will remain on a trial basis until the end of the school year (June 2014). Alberta Transportation will be soliciting feedback from school representatives, local RCMP and the Town of Drumheller on the effectiveness of these changes. Information collected will be reviewed to see if any additional changes are necessary prior to the start of the next school year.    
    “Our parents are going to track and share with the RCMP, the town and Alberta Transportation so we can be confident the decision we made is a good decision or if we need a school zone,’ said Akerboom. “I told the parents lets resolve this once and for all and gather the information needed.”
    She said that she has received many e-mails and reports from parents on close calls and concerns. She says these need to be shared with the police to be put on record.
    “I don’t know what we are going to end up with, but doing this survey, tracking for the next six weeks until the end of school, at least we could have a comfort level that the kids are crossing safely,” Akerboom said.