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On-site security to remain at Health Centre

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    For the time being, the Drumheller Health Centre will continue to be served by on-site security.
    The Drumheller Mail told readers in its January 6, 2010 edition that Alberta Health Services was planning to remove on-site overnight security, and replace it with a mobile unit that would oversee facilities in Drumheller, Three Hills and Stettler.
    Alberta Health Services has since said they will retain staff for the time being.
    This comes as welcome news for Judy Nelson, chair of Big Country Victim Services. She had concerns about the loss of security for the protection of staff, and for the protection of clients of victim services.
    “It was what we wanted,” said Nelson.  “With security in place, we knew it was at least safe.”
    This comes after Nelson had an audience with the Minister of Health Gene Zwodesky, outlining her concerns. She said it was productive and he seemed genuine about safety.
    “I found him very sincere, and he shows his sincerity as he follows through,” she said.
    Tony Weeks, executive director of Protective and Parking Services for Alberta Health Services, said while some have characterized the changes to security as a reversal, he said they are reassessing the situation.
    “We are listening to the community concerns and our staff concerns at these sites, and they are feeling that this is exposing them to risk,” said Weeks. “Basically, we are putting our plans on hold so we can do a proper review. It might take six months, it might take a year, but the idea is we can get in there, take a good look at the activity on the site, the number of incidents that are occurring, and work with the staff to make some of the decisions moving forward.”
     While Alberta Health Services has halted the removal of on-site security personnel from rural hospitals, it intends to go ahead with the mobile unit.
    “Basically, where our hospitals don’t have security on-site, we’ll provide mobile coverage for the next little while,” said Weeks.
    He explains the original changes were an attempt to redeploy resources. By removing the on-site service and dedicating the mobile unit, it was hoped they would realize some savings.
    One area he is optimistic about retaining savings in Alberta Health Services is contracted security.  Paladin will now deliver security services to the rural hospitals.
    “We’ll realize some savings there, and we will put it towards the mobile coverage,” said Weeks.
    He adds the security will be high quality.
    “Alberta Health Services has reduced from 15 different security contract providers to one, so we will really keep the management and quality close to our chest,” he said. “The company we have hired is actually providing enhanced security training for every health care security provider they are giving to us, so some of the training ,in some cases, will be better than what the in-house staff had, and certainly more up to date.”
He said Alberta Health Services is responsive to community needs.
    “We always keep an open mind, and are always committed to the fact if something changes in a community, we will re-look at that and redeploy our resources as required anywhere in the province," he said.
    Nelson said the changes to contracted security at the Drumheller Health Centre would be relatively seamless, as Paladin has hired the existing security providers on-site.

WLD Legacy Fund assists Rosebud Centre expansion

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A cheque for $25,000 has been donated to the new Rosebud Centre from The World’s Largest Dinosaur (WLD) Legacy Fund. On Wednesday, April 21, officials from both groups gathered at the building site in Rosebud for the official presentation, which saw Chamber President Cindy Clark offer congratulations to Rosebud Theatre’s Board Chair, Jason Knibb.
“The WLD creates funds to donate to worthy projects like this in Drumheller and area, and we (the Chamber) are happy to be able to assist Rosebud in their current project”, Ms. Clark told The Mail. In a prior donation, a $10,000 cheque was received in 2005 during the planning stages for the Centre, according to Chamber Manager, Heather Bitz. The $5,000,000 project includes a kitchen, eating area and gift shop expansion on the main floor, with convention meeting space available on the second floor. Total space will reach close to 10,000 sq.ft., and is being built immediately north of the current building. Accepting on behalf of the Board, Mr. Knibb commented that they are “very grateful to the Chamber and the Legacy Fund for the donation in helping us realize our dream.”

Treasure found during Earth Day clean-up

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    Earth Day cleanup volunteer, Michelle Olson, found more than the usual garbage while clearing up the river path near Riverside Drive East, on Thursday, April 22.
    Among the cans, bottles and fast food containers, she found an item she thought was a “geocache,” a small waterproof box containing various items and a log book, hidden as part of a worldwide game dedicated to global position system (GPS) users, called “geocaching.”
    Olson brought her find to the barbecue Encana put on for the volunteers who took part in the Earth Day cleanup held at Heartwood Inn & Spa.
    “I knew it had to be something to do with geocaching, I am aware of the concept,” Olson told The Mail, “I thought it was kind of neat, so I brought it back to the Heartwood as something of interest.”
    As the contents were examined, an instruction sheet explained that this box was indeed a geocache.
    Geocaching containers are hidden by game players and their GPS locations put on a dedicated website for other players to find.
    When the container is found, players leave a comment on the log book in the geocache, can swap an item from the box and leave a comment on the website.
    Most importantly, finders must leave the geocache at the same location for other players to find.
    The particular geocache found was started in August 2002 and is part of a seven part multi-cache that require game players to visit six locations in the Badlands, with a final cache to find.
    The geocaching website, found at geocaching.com, logs this item has been found some 195 times since the game started and the last find before Earth Day was on April 19, 2010.
    The box has now been placed back in its hidden location, with one item added by Patrice Wolf, owner of the Heartwood Inn & Spa.

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