There has been a lot of excitement lately as some members of the community have requested the Town Council to consider a new by-law allowing chickens (4 well-kept hens max per residence or 1/4acre. No roosters.) in town. I'll leave extolling the many virtues of these marvelous egg producers to others, and for now I'll try and address some of the concerns having chickens in town may raise. Most of my information comes from sarasotacluck.blogspot.com,  created by a group that worked for 18 months to bring chickens into their city. They have a wealth of research and information that is worth checking into if my brief summaries don't answer your questions:

Noise? If you were to pop your head into a chicken coop while the hens were laying eggs, not only would you get a few weird looks from the hens, you'd experience a cacophonous noise. However, once you are out of the coop and the birds are in your next-door neighbour's yard, the sounds you hear are quieter than the sounds from the other birds you usually find outside. They are also much less intrusive then the sounds from your neighbour's outdoor radio, air-conditioner, motorbike, and barking dog.

Health concerns? Salmonella is easily prevented by hand washing. The Center for Disease Control "flags fourteen separate diseases that can move from cats to people, and fifteen separate diseases that can move from dogs to people. It is for this reason (the fact that all pets carry health risks) that public health experts do not flag chickens as posing any greater risk than other pets.” How about Avian flu? "Avian flu" is a misleading name, “the influenza A (H5N1) virus has [also] been found in pigs, domestic cats, and dogs.” If an unlikely outbreak was to happen, ALL responsible pet owners would need to take precautions to keep their pets and community safe.

Poop and smell? 4 chickens produce less poop than an average dog (and it is much more useful to gardeners).

Predators? While I can find no evidence for predator population increasing with the keeping of hens in cities, four hens will not feed a population of skunks for very long, and certainly not as well as the easy to access garbage left on back steps. I hope it goes without saying that chicken owners will take all necessary steps to protect the hens.

Feral Chickens? Um, with no Roosters, even if hens managed to survive the other pets of Cardston, they certainly wouldn't be reproducing.

Appearances? We are a town and thus can't have chickens? That would be disregarding the fact that MANY large cities have chickens (New York City, Seattle, Portland, Victoria, Dallas and Vancouver. Etc, Etc....)

Chicken farms? The members of the community who are asking for chickens are not envisioning packed cages with poorly treated animals.  Rather, the vision is to keep well-loved, productive animals in ways that encourage industry, self-sufficiency, responsibility, and a healthy diet.

If you'd like to add your voice to the discussion, please join the Town of Cardston facebook discussion page. Topic: Chickens.

Join the Fun and Be Part of Cardston’s First Ever Amazing Race

Teams will race around Cardston and County on a quest to be the first to reach the Holy Grail (Ultimate Winner). You will visit various businesses, attractions and lifestyles in the area where teams will perform tasks and/or seek clues. Plus, you could win prizes! Teams will be chosen through an audition. We are seeking:
• Race Teams – teams must consist of three volunteer members who are between the ages of 18- 98yrs and reside within the Town or County of Cardston. Two designated racers and one videographer. (You must supply your own HD video camera and a memory card.) Come prepared to creatively tell/show us, in five minutes, why we should choose your team. Note: All three members of the team must attend the audition.
• Host – one host who is charismatic and has a great voice. You must be 18 yrs. or older. Please come prepared to tell us your past announcing experience, why we should choose you (5 min. time limit) and read a short script. (This position is volunteer and will remain open until a suitable candidate is found.)
• Sponsors – If you would like to be a part of this amazing event as a sponsor please contact us.

Auditions
Teams and Host
Thursday, March 3rd
Cardston Civic Centre (Upstairs)
Starting at 6:30 pm
For more information contact: Larry Fisk 403-653-4850
Barb Nish 403-653-1121
Marsha Jensen 403-653-1848

On Saturday, June 12 the local Grandmothers to Grandmothers Group will be walking in support of African Grandmothers caring for children orphaned by AIDS. Please come and join with us in a 1K, 2K, 5K or 10K walk.

Pledge sheets are available at Value Drug Mart, Cardston Book Store, Cardston Library, Laidlaw’s, Atkins, Remington Carriage Centre, Chinook Lodge and Temple City Villa.

All pledge proceeds will go to the Stephen Lewis Foundation.

Registration: 9:00 AM Cardston High School
Walk Time: 9:30 AM
For More Information Contact: Elaine Hall (403-653-4374)
Joanne Jonsson (403-653-3698)
Refreshments will be served after the walk.

After several months working in conjunction with Shaw Cable, Channel 32 CFSO-TV is now available on Shaw Cable Digital Service channel 4. For the first time we are able to provide a digital video and audio signal greatly improving the channel’s picture and sound. We appreciate the support from Shaw to improve the viewer experience of our local community television channel in Cardston. This is the first of many improvement planned for the channel, so stay tuned.

Local Red Cross volunteers and staff were initially called out on May 28, 2010, by Blood Tribe Disaster Services to provide shelter, food, and water for 20 people. The number of people who have been affected by flooding on parts of the Stand Off Blood Tribe Reserve has now increased to 42, ranging in age from seven to 80 years old. These 42 individuals were especially vulnerable because they are either elderly or have medical conditions. They are being lodged in hotels in the Lethbridge, Cardston and Fort Macleod areas. In addition, a shelter has been set up in Moses Lake. It is being operated by Blood Tribe Family and Community Support Services with Red Cross blankets and cots.  Seven people took shelter there on May 30. The Canadian Red Cross Team was on scene immediately after receiving a call for assistance.
 
The Canadian Red Cross responded to the immediate needs of the individuals affected during the first 72 hours of this disaster. Individuals who continue to be affected by the flooding have now been referred to our Blood Tribe community partners for additional assistance. We are working closely with these community partners, including the Blood Tribe Council, to monitor the situation in Stand Off.
 
Each year our Disaster Response teams assist hundreds of adults and children facing crisis situations within Alberta. Red Cross provides food, shelter, accommodation and additional services for 72 hours to individuals affected by personal disaster.
 
All Canadian Red Cross support is provided at no charge to those in need. To donate to this locally funded program please visit your local Red Cross office, call 1-800-418-1111 or go online to www.redcross.ca. 

Local Red Cross volunteers and staff were called out on May 28, 2010 by Blood Tribe Disaster Services to provide shelter, food, and water for 20 individuals, ranging in age from seven to 80 years old, who are currently affected by flooding on parts of the Stand Off Blood Tribe Reserve. The Canadian Red Cross Team was on scene immediately after receiving a call for assistance.
 
The Canadian Red Cross is responding to the immediate needs of the individuals affected. We are working closely with our community partners, including the Blood Tribe Council, to monitor the situation in Stand Off.
 
Should the situation deteriorate further, the Canadian Red Cross is on standby to provide large-scale shelter assistance. Each year our Disaster Response teams assist hundreds of adults and children facing crisis situations within Alberta. Red Cross provides food, shelter, accommodation and additional services for 72 hours to individuals affected by personal disaster.
 
All Canadian Red Cross support is provided at no charge to those in need. To donate to this locally funded program please visit your local Red Cross office, call 1-800-418-1111 or go online to www.redcross.ca.  

Cardston Soccer’s British Summer Camp Coach Ben today at the Victoria Day make up games.

Official Town of Cardston - Fortis just called and the power will be out today (friday) from 4pm to approx 6pm for an emergency repair. Please prepare accordingly.

Cardston Soccer held a ground breaking ceremony May 19, 2010 at the new field location. Mayor Rick Schow, Randy Janisko, MP Rick Casson & MLA Broyce Jacobs spoke to a large crowd of parents and soccer kids.

MLA Broyce Jacobs, MP Rick Casson and Mayor Rick Schow broke ground for construction of the 4.5 million dollar wastewater outfall project for the Town of Cardston.

Cardston County has declared itself a disaster area following the devastating spring snow storms in recent weeks. Livestock were forced to endure intense snow, heavy rain and cold temperatures and many have been lost over the past few weeks. The animals were forced to endure snow, heavy rain and cold temperatures. Ranchers are claiming a loss of up to 15% of their spring calves.

Due to the extreme weather conditions and damage to power lines there will be a scheduled power outage today at 12:30pm for and estimated 3hrs.

Don’t miss the Soccer Registration and Cookie Dough this week. Saturday sign ups 9-1 Civic Centre.

Tanker truck overturns spilling milk at the intersection of Main Street
and 1st Avenue in Cardston.

Due to the poor road conditons in town and in the country, school will be closed on Monday, December 7, 2009.

LDS Church Services Cancelled for both Cardston Stakes due to weather.

Anyone missing this handsome fella. He is a lovely cat and wants to be home with his family for the holidays.  Please call Pat. 653 1284   or Sherri 653 3824.