Last week members of the Badlands Search and Rescue  (SAR) completed its final session to complete the Fundamentals of Ground Search Course.
    This means that Badlands Search and Rescue is certified to work as a part of a ground search crew anywhere in Canada.
    Badlands SAR training coordinator and search manager Guy Latour explained on Saturday, October 19, three teams were performing distinct and different methods of searching, deployed for different search scenarios.
    One was the quick search of an area, searching in key areas. This is often the initial search.
The next style of search is a sweep search. This is where a team sweeps an area with a methodical approach searching for the missing person(s) or items.
    The next is a closed grid search. This is the “shoulder to shoulder” type search where the parties cover a large area a small section at a time.
    The final type of search the team worked on was an evidence search. This is the “hands and knees” type of search looking for clues to aid in collecting evidence or to find a lead. On Saturday this was simply looking for shell casings scattered near McMullen Island.
    On Sunday the training continued when the nine members of Drumheller SAR were joined by the Alberta Cave Rescue to do a mock search and rescue in Horseshoe Canyon. This includes finding a person, and then conducting the rescue and evacuation. The Alberta Cave Rescue crew did a demonstration of a steep slope rescue using ropes.
    According to Latour, the course was not all in the field, but the members also attended a number of classroom sessions prior to the fieldwork.
He says now they have completed the course and they are now operational.
    The Badlands Search and Rescue fills a geographical gap between other services. They are able to be the lead association in this area and are now able to support other surrounding teams if there is a need. With the recognition they are also able to apply for grants for training.

(l-r) Chris Stickel, Jane Dau and Scott Campbell of Badlands SAR were at McMullen Island training on Saturday, October 19. Nine members of Badlands SAR completed  their ground search course.

    This Christmas, Rosebud Theatre will bring a beloved cinema classic to the Opera House stage. It’s a Wonderful Life: The Radio Play is adapted from Frank Capra’s 1946 film starring Jimmy Stewart and will unfold as a 1940s radio broadcast, complete with live sound effects and an ensemble cast that brings over two dozen characters to the stage.

Nathan Schmidt as George Bailey (second from left) with the cast of Rosebud Theatre’s It’s a Wonderful Life: The Radio Play.

    “When a familiar story gets told again in a different way, it comes to life as if brand new,” says director Morris Ertman. “The story is bigger than Jimmy Stewart’s beloved interpretation. George Bailey’s every-person story belongs to all of us. When we perform this show as a radio play, the ear will be tuned to the intimacy of the story, the heartbeat of the characters, and people will go back to the movie with a new appreciation for this holiday classic.”
    The movie and the play both centre on George Bailey (Nathan Schmidt), a man pressed into the service of his community by the Great Depression. Dreams of travel and an exciting career are put on hold as George struggles to keep the family business, Bailey Building & Loan, out of the hands of greedy Mr. Potter (Joel Stephanson). When Potter finally sees an opportunity to crush this community institution—and George Bailey—once and for all, it takes an angel named Clarence (Mike Thiessen) to show George how truly remarkable his life has been and that no man is a failure who has friends.
     While the story itself is set in the early part of the last century, Ertman believes it actually is a story for our times and not merely nostalgic. “The slowing economy in the last several years and the U.S. government shutdown mean that George Bailey’s story could be happening today,” says Ertman.    
    “What’s so wonderful about this story is that it illustrates that the way through such crisis is investment in one another. It’s a story about the faith we put in each other, the prayers we offer up for those in need, and the love that creates outward ripples we don’t even see. A big heart really can make a difference in times of crisis. This is the story of one such heart-filled man, and how wonderful his life is in the lives of those around him.”
     There is also one such heart-filled man in Rosebud: resident company member Nathan Schmidt, who takes the role of George Bailey in the production.
    “I think I’m ultimately a small town guy,” says Schmidt. “It keeps me a little more grounded, being out here. I appreciate the people I get to work with. Being part of a resident company is a remarkable thing. When you get a good crew of people that are able to do quality work, well, that’s something to hold on to.”
    Says Ertman, “What is extraordinary is the fact that when Nathan Schmidt performs in Vancouver or Calgary, he is equally admired and sought after. But he makes his life in Rosebud, paying his talent forward in to the lives of young actors, gracing our stage with his immense heart, and that is what makes him the right man to play George Bailey.”
     This winter, deepen your family’s Wonderful Life tradition by seeing it come to life on the Rosebud Opera House stage.

Rosebud Theatre helps High River residents still affected by flood.

    Rosebud Theatre is offering 200 complimentary tickets for dinner and theatre  for High River residents still affected by last spring’s flooding.
    For the Friday November 8  evening and matinee performances of It’s a Wonderful Life, the Theatre is holding 100 tickets for each performance for people still dealing with  the flood.
    For more information  go to www.rosebudtheatre.com or  call the box office at 1-800-267-7553.