The Lamont Leader (Lamont, Alberta), Tuesday, January 12, 2016 - 7
More than 1,100 birds spotted Tax incentive program saves during official count day By Gwynne Hayward Once again, The Friends of Elk Island Society owes a great debt of gratitude to Doug Pewarchuk, for opening up the Elk Island Golf Course Clubhouse for the 116th Annual Christmas Bird Count. Not only did Fred and Lil Pewarchuk keep the hot drinks flowing all day, but Doug also somehow arranged to have a mule deer pay a visit, and stay long enough for lots of photos! Because of the mild weather and the posh meeting place, we had 41 participants, and one feeder counter, who saw a total of 1120 birds! We recorded 26 different species, including a White-throated Sparrow, something we haven’t had on our count before, but is spotted in Edmonton occasionally. We had our wind-up at the home of Stephen and JoAnne Flemming,
always a great way to finish off the day! In addition to the White-throated Sparrow, we saw 2 Northern Goshawks, 2 Ruffed Grouse, 166 Rock Pigeons(feral), 2 Great Horned Owls, 17 Downy Woodpeckers, 16 Hairy Woodpeckers, 5 Pileated Woodpeckers, 37 Blue Jays, 104 Black-billed Magpies, 34 Ravens, 396 B l a c k - c a p p e d Chickadees, 19 Boreal Chickadees, 13 Whitebreasted Nuthatches, 1 Northern Shrike, 30 Pine Grosbeaks, 21 House Sparrows, 5 Dark-eyed Juncos, 1 Black-backed woodpecker, 3 American Crows, 2 Red-breasted Nuthatches, 5 Brown Creepers, 51 Whitewinged Crossbills, 4 Golden-crowned Kinglets, and 2 Hoary Redpolls. While participating in the Count, people saw Moose, Plains Bison, Wood Bison, White-
residents money Michelle Pinon Editor
PHOTO BY ROB HUGHES
This photo of a downy woodpecker was captured during the Christmas bird count in Elk Island National Park on Dec. 26th. tailed Deer, Coyotes, Red Squirrels, our Mule Deer friend, and seven parties actually saw a total of 24 Elk! Most people had never seen Elk while exploring in the Park! Thank you so much to all who participated, especially the Edmonton Nature Club, who teach us so much with every visit, and a big Thanks to Lesley Bishton-Fox, for
her delicious, bottomless Chili. As an added bonus for 2016, Stephen Flemming has offered to lead groups of novice birders, if there is an interest. We look forward to seeing you all next Boxing Day at the Elk Island Golf Course Clubhouse for the 117th Annual Christmas Bird Count.
The Town of Mundare has found a way to beat the January blues. No, it’s not an all expense paid trip to a tropical destination; but it is a tempting incentive that will save residents money. The town will give residents and businesses a five per cent discount on the municipal portion of property taxes if they are paid by Jan. 31st. Chief Administrative Officer Colin Zyla says the five per cent incentive has been in place for at least 20 years now. “Last year there was approximately 100 people who took advantage of the program.” For example, if the municipal portion on a tax bill is $2,000; then the resident, and/or business will receive a $100 discount. The town also offers a monthly installment payment program for accounts in good standing, i.e. all prior years’ taxes have been paid in full.
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Shelter in Place survey results SUBMITTED ARTICLE Just 31% of respondents in Life in the Heartland’s recent survey are aware of the safety action to take should a hazardous material be released into the atmosphere. If asked to Shelter in Place, would you know what to do? A number of products are used in local industrial processes, and are transported by road, rail and pipelines in and through our community every day. “We need to be prepared for all types of emergencies, and hazardous material release is one of them,” says Brenda Gheran, Executive Director with Northeast Region Community Awareness Emergency Response (NRCAER). “Shelter in Place and staying ‘in’ is equally important as getting out of a burning building.” Shelter-In-Place means going and remaining safely indoors during the first hours of a release. The steps are: •Remain or go inside •Tune in to local radio/TV/social media •Close and lock all windows and doors •Turn down furnace and shut off fans/vents that draw outdoor air inside
•Stay tuned to local radio/TV/social media for updates from response authorities When you Shelter-In-Place, air exchanges are reduced into and out of a building, providing a ‘bubble’ of good air. This prevents exposure to peak chemical concentrations, until they are dispersed by wind and weather conditions, the hazard has passed, or other appropriate emergency actions can be taken. You may be asked to Shelter-InPlace when: •there isn’t enough time or warning to safely evacuate •a release is expected to pass over the area quickly •the source and nature of the release has not yet been determined •a safe evacuation route has yet to be verified •evacuation assistance is needed Family members should not be brought home from work or
school, which Gheran says is difficult for parents especially. Schools have Shelter-In-Place plans and it’s safest for everyone to stay put until there is no longer a danger. “Releases are not always visible, so even if you think it looks ok, it may not be. It’s best to wait until local authorities give the all clear.” To get up to date information, register for municipal alerting systems, as well as the Alberta Emergency Alert. Links can be found at www.nrcaer.com/notification.
Owners Bob & Geri Clark
1-800-668-3594
Big City Savings, Small Town Service 385-3550
GREAT NORTHERN GRAIN Terminals Ltd.
STEFAN CLOUTIER MANAGER
P.O Box 35 Killam, AB T0B 2L0
OFFICE: (780) 385-3622 FAX: (780) 385-2247 CELL: (780) 385-0668 E-MAIL: scloutier@syban.net
Thank You We would like to thank everyone for their support in Bake Sales that were held over the last several months at ATB Financial Lamont. We are pleased to announce that
the community raised $1,000 to go back to the
Lamont County Food Bank.
If you would like us to host a Bake Sale for your organization or club, please contact Iryna Smarkutska at ATB Financial Lamont.