One question posed by Mr. Gesell is whether “Basic” utility charges pay for the costs of utility installations to support new development areas. The answer is no as the standard industry practice is for land developers to pay for new utility infrastructure costs and pass these costs through to lot prices. The “Basic” utility charge pays compensates CUI for fixed costs. Some examples of “fixed costs” are those to employ certified water system operators (certified to Alberta Environment and Water requirements); to read meters and bill; and to maintain system and quality control (i.e. inspection and water quality), to name just a few. Each utility customer pays an equal share of these costs for water/wastewater service.

CUI has a program for customers, like Mr. Gesell, who can save money if they are away for 2 to 3 months (or more) at a time. You can contact CUI at 403-207-7-CUI (207-7284) to pause your water service by not paying “Basic” charges for a fee.

There have been many questions about rate increases – mainly asked by customers like Mr. Gesell who were away during the winter months. CUI has worked alongside the Town of Chestermere to inform utility customers about the 2012 utility rate increases. All of these communications, which are in the form of Mayor Messages, CEO Messages and general Q&A’ s can be found on the CUI website at www.cuinc.ca.

Mr. Gesell raises a very good question whether or not CUI customers are being rewarded enough for water conservation efforts. In Chestermere, we have a two-tiered water pricing structure. If a customer uses less than 18 m3 per month, a rate of $0.8 / m3 is paid and for use above 18 m3 then $1.60 / m3 is charged. The threshold amount is intended to be a reasonable use of water for an average family’s water consumption. I encourage you write us at utility@cuinc.ca, or call us, to let us know if you believe this water conservation incentive is significant enough, or if you have other ideas.
Paul Blaha, CEO, Chestermere Utilities Inc.

Brave volunteers flipped burgers to raise money for Chestermere's fire truck restoration

Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor hail kept Chestermere Historical Foundation from putting on a BBQ!
The Chestermere Historical Foundation along with the help of M&M Meat Shops put on a BBQ this past Saturday to raise $859 to restore Chestermere’s original fire truck, a 1952 Ford. While the temperature was not high, spirits were as many hungry people stopped by to support the cause after looking for bargains at the BMO parade of garage sales. The CHF even provided old fashioned A&W style window service. Saturday shift firefighters from Chestermere Station #59, members of the Lions Club, Chestermere/Rockyview MLA Bruce McAllister and a host of brave volunteers took their a turn and flipped a few burgers and hot dogs. Thank goodness for the hot coffee to keep everyone warm.
The Historical Foundation is very appreciative of everyone’s support and while some sunshine would have been a bonus we all know that you can’t wait for nice weather to BBQ in Alberta! Check out more photos at www.chestermerehistory.org.
The Chestermere Historical Foundation (CHF) is interested in your membership and help with ongoing & upcoming projects–fire truck, historic murals, genealogy, historic quilt, & presentations to elementary schools. The next meeting is Tuesday June 12th 6:30pm in the Chestermere Library. CHF is also collecting copies of old photographs from early days at Chestermere Lake. Contact CHF via the webpage or call 403 272 3764.
And watch for the “Chestermere Cabin Owners Association” ( CCOA) fire truck in the Chestermere Country Fair Parade!

BOYS’ SOCCER
The boys hosted George McDougall last Tuesday in a league game. The Lakers went down 1-0 on a long, curved shot from the opposition.  Kris Reimer scored our only goal from a penalty shot, due to a hand ball in the box.  Alex Krusina and Brad Avery stood out on defense as they made some excellent defensive clears and carries to keep us in the match.  We had good pressure but couldn’t manage to put a second one in.  Some excellent stops by goalie Johnny Nguyen helped keep the Lakers in the game. This week the Lakers have two league games with playoffs starting next week.

BOYS’ RUGBY
The boys were up against the Knights of HTA, Okotoks, always one of the top squads in Alberta. Again, our team had to play short but played a strong game. Although they lost the game it was a good learning experience for the boys. Jesse Seddon scored two tries and Gavin Hamilton one. This week the team hosts STS in their final league game of the year. Game time is at 6:30. Come out and support the boys.

GIRLS RUGBY
The girls were also up against the tough HTA Knights. Despite losing the game the coaches and players though this was their best game of the year especially considering the opponent. The girls also gained valuable experience by playing a tough opponent. The girls host STS this week, on Thursday at 5:00.

PROVINCIAL RUGBY TEAM
Congratulations to Theresa Ward who has been selected to play for the U16 Alberta Provincial Rugby Team. Theresa is a grade ten student who has a huge love and passion for the game of rugby. She will be involved in numerous practices, games and events leading to the national championships. Congratulation Theresa.

GOLF TOURNAMENT
The Chestermere School Parents’ Athletic Association is hosting a fund raising golf tournament June 9 at Boulder Creek in Langdon. The registration deadline is May 18. To register go to chestermerehigh.interneteventregistration.com or contact Jerome Poot at HYPERLINK “mailto:ljpoot@telus.net” ljpoot@telus.net

COW PATTY BINGO
The parents’ Athletic Association is holding a “Cow Patty Bingo” prior to the Athletic Awards Banquet on Wednesday June 13. This involves setting up a grid on the football field and setting a cow loose. The winner is determined by the square closest to where the cow “poops.” Squares are $20 each and the grand prize is $1000. The cqw will be set loose on the field from 5-6:30. You can purchase a ticket from Lori Zaremba in the business office. All proceeds help support the athletic program at the school.

ATHLETIC BANQUET
Please note that our annual Athletic Awards Night will take place on Wednesday, June 13 at 6:30. Food will be supplied and we will be entertained by Chestermere’s own Keister Family Fiddlers. Mark it on your calendar and plan on attending this event.

Arts – Leela Aheer , Sara Eccleston (2 nominations), Kate Schuck;
Community Service- Bea Germain, Elaine Macres, Seona Macres, Shaunna Ruddock, Edith Bramoh, Jeff DesRochers , John and Donna Timmermans, Karen Wourms, Lori Skehar, Christy Forest, Tara Law, Rachel Buchan, Mardi Oel, Rhonda Schroh, Sarah Papke
Youth – Iman Abdulla, Jason McElrea , Kathryn Maurer, Michael Chang
Sports and Leader of Tomorrow – nominees won their categories.

As he started to rebuild the walls, opposition arose from Israel’s enemies (Nehemiah 4). They didn’t want Jerusalem to be protected and they didn’t want the Jews to worship their God. In your life, when God is calling you to something big, something for his glory, you’ll find opposition quickly arising from the Enemy to stop the good work in your life. When you start a new Bible-reading program, be obedient to share your faith or dedicate more time to prayer, opposition will arise quickly to slow down or discourage your advancement.

In Chapter 6 of the book of Nehemiah, one of Israel’s own prophets came to Nehemiah and said, “Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple. Let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you. They are coming to kill you by night.” This prophet was trying to instill fear and doubt into the heart of Nehemiah. Nehemiah responded by saying, ‘Should such a man as I run away? And what man such as I could go into the temple and live? I will not go in.’ And I understood and saw that God had not sent him, but he had pronounced the prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat (Nehemiah’s enemies) had hired him. For this purpose he was hired, that I should be afraid and act in this way and sin, and so they could give me a bad name in order to taunt me.”

Nehemiah was threatened with fear and if he would have succumbed it would have led to the greater sin of entering the temple when he was not allowed. Fear takes a threat and tries to lead you into greater sin. Lying usually is born in fear. Boasting and pride usually show up after fear. Fear also leads to fights, gossip, slander and anger. But if you resist fear and find your safety, security, and trust in the Lord you will be like Nehemiah and recognize your escape route away from fear.

Pastor Mark Driscoll has some great insight into fear: ‘Fear in your life is not always rational. In most cases fear is based off of what may or may not happen. In this way, fear gives you the impression that you see and know all. You create in yourself the image of a functional god. It is God who is sovereign, not you. Stop fearing what you don’t know and start trusting the one who knows all.
When we’re paralyzed by fear of the future, we’re basically envisioning the future without God. We say something like, “I see the future. God’s not in it. God’s not for me. God’s not going to help me.” But this is contrary to the words of God himself, who says later in Jeremiah, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
Rather than speculate about an unknown future, we should dwell on Jesus’ words from Luke 12:22–31:
Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. . . . And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? . . . For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.
When we fear, we betray our trust and comfort in things other than Jesus. We try to control our life. We hold on to our money. We remove ourselves from community. We rebel against authority. We sin. We self-medicate. We self-justify. We turn Jesus into a therapist. We do all of this to live in a view of heaven before the resurrection that we created in our own imagination.

What’s holding you back from obeying Jesus?
Whatever is holding you back, fear is most likely at the root, which is why God has to tell us not to fear so much. Know that God comes to you and says, “Do not fear. I’m with you.” In his final words to his disciples in Matthew 28:20, Jesus says, “I am with you always to the very end of the age.”‘

Your humble narrator remembers this festival back in its simple and unpretentious beginnings. For the first two years, the festival was held in an aircraft repair hangar on the SAIT campus, then spent a few years in the the dank and windowless basement of the Big 4 building on the Stampede Grounds. When the Stampede Casino moved out of the Big 4 into new digs back in 2008, Beerfest moved upstairs to a slightly less dank but equally windowless room, before finally moving over to the classier BMO Centre on the Stampede Grounds.

Perhaps it’s the nostalgia speaking, or maybe even the several beers your intrepid liquor reporter has socked away while penning this column, but my favourite venue was back on the SAIT campus back in 2004.

Why do I yearn for the simple days of yesteryear? Because the current venue is a dreary and windowless concrete box, made way too loud by the live bands at opposite ends of the room.

The old aircraft hangar on the SAIT campus had an adjacent outdoor beer garden which let the rock & roll bands play outside in the sunshine, rather than being cooped up in the windowless dungeon with the rest of us beer-swillers.

But enough of my endless complaining – let’s get on with the beer-related parts of the story! Finding a willing DD, we piled into the minivan of vice and debauchery, destined for the big city. We arrived at the event ready and willing to sample the first of many of the fine beers the perky vendors had to offer.

Surprisingly, the first thing I noticed was not the beer. For the first time, there was a sizable contingent of lady beer drinkers present. This was a delightful improvement, as Beerfest in previous years was quite the sausagefest. Maybe the ladies finally figured out where all the suave and sexy beer-swilling dudes were at.

Looking past the lovely ladies in attendance, there was a significant international contingent at this festival, many with beers that were flown in from foreign climes especially for this event. I’m always up for trying a new beer, but it’s kind of a tease to find one I enjoy, only to hear that it’s not available. It’s kind of like dating a hot Swedish exchange student; just when you’ve had a chance to sample the goodies, back to Sweden they go, leaving you with an unsatisfied urge for more.

Always keeping you, the faithful reader in mind, your humble narrator has compiled a list of my favourite brews of the festival. No matter what your preference, I’m sure you’ll find a brew here to wet your whistle.

Best Light Beer: Finally, a Mexican alternative to Corona! Cerveceria Minerva (That’s Minerva Brewery to you anglos) is a shining light of craft beer in a sea of mediocre Mexican beers. Their Malverde Clara is made in the general style of typical Mexican light lagers, but the Euro-styled yeasts give this light summertime beer way more flavour than a Corona. It’s only been in Alberta for a few weeks now, so look for it at your local booze merchant.

Best India Pale Ale: Calgary’s own Wild Rose Brewery has a seasonal release called Hop Smashed In, made in the style of a Belgian IPA. The Belgian yeast provides a rich fruit and spicy clove finish, making it much less sharp and bitter than their standard IPA. This is a good intro to the IPA style for the timid novice.

Best Dark Beer: Village Blacksmith from Calgary’s newest microbrewery, the eponymously named Village Brewery, was started up by veterans from the Alberta beer industry. Their dark offering is made in the uncommon India Black Ale style, with the crisp finish of a pale ale being complemented by the full flavour from the dark malts.

Best Girlie Drink: There were a lot of girlie drinks this year, but Uptown Girl, a rebrand of an existing beer from Calgary’s youngest beer baron at Mountain Crest made the ladies happy. This beer comes in a has this market sewn up. With a wine for every occasion, and even fruity wine coolers for casual affairs.

These beers may be found at your favorite drinking establishment or well-stocked liquor store. Take the time to enjoy them all, but always in moderation

1. Business is an ecosystem, not a battlefield. We are all in this together! We are in a battle for souls, a battle against sin, and a battle against Satan. Too often the Church gets into battles with each other over things that just don’t matter. We use our weapons for friendly-fire and the Kingdom of God stops advancing because of our stupid pride. Remember who the enemy is…it’s not against flesh and blood that we fight, but against the powers of Satan and darkness. Our communities should be ‘eco-systems’ of humility, love, and acceptance.

2. A company is a community, not a machine. God hasn’t made us lifeless robots that are pre-programmed to forcibly love him. He has revealed himself through Jesus Christ as a God of Love, Compassion, and Justice. He has given us the choice to come to him or reject him. When we come to him we are welcomed into his family and every Christian on Earth becomes our Brother or Sister. We’re brought into a community of love, not a lifeless religious machine.

3. Management is service, not control. God has served us incredibly by making a way for us to be forgiven of our sin. He has bought us freedom from the slavery to sin and continues to free us from our bondages throughout our entire life. He is Lord and has every right to guide our lives with the wisdom and righteousness of his Holy Spirit. Without his constant work in our lives, we would stray back into the slavery of sin.

4. My employees are my peers, not my children. The leadership of the church is given to the people of God to serve them, not to lord it over them. God establishes leaders to teach us, disciple us, and discipline us when necessary but never to control or manipulate us.

5. Motivation comes from vision, not from fear. We are motivated to serve God, worship him and love him because he loved us first. The incredible sacrifice of Jesus on the cross is not just the gateway into God’s Kingdom, but should be the example of how we are to love each other – sacrificially. God sacrificed his Son for us so that we might have life. That is not motivation by fear but it is perfect love casting out all fear.

6. Change equals growth, not pain. People die, jobs are lost, suffering and hardships will come to all people. God allows these things to grow our faith as we trust him in the pain. The greatest growth comes through suffering. If we always had a comfortable, perfect life, we’d quickly forget about our need for God.

7. Technology offers empowerment, not automation. The printing press is an old invention but it was critical in the production of billions of Bibles over the years. Today, the internet provides us with online Bibles, sermons from the farthest reaches of the world, and quick answers to hard questions. But these technologies should never take away from a personal prayer life and intimate time with God. Interacting with a screen is not the same as coming into the presence of God and getting to know him better one-on-one.

8. Work should be fun, not mere toil. God’s Kingdom and his work should fill us with joy. There are few things that bring as much joy to me than being with God and helping others to know him better. It’s hard work but it’s rarely toil. God is a God of joy – and the joy of the Lord will be our strength.

Everybody wants a boss who thinks and operates this way. The amazing thing is that we already have a God who is all this and so much more. I’m thankful that his Kingdom is ruled by love – not anger, fear, or guilt. Thanks to Jesus that he made it possible for us to have a relationship with the God all creation…the greatest Boss imaginable.

Volunteer Audrey McDonald

The Volunteer Appreciation Pancake Breakfast is an annual celebration of all the volunteers in our community who provide much needed support and services, donating their time as event coordinators and organizers, coaches and teachers, parent and guardian school volunteers, etc. It is a chance to recognize those who give to their community so willingly, a time to acknowledge those who go quietly behind the scenes, doing important, vital things for the community that so often go unrecognized.
This year, for the first time, there was the opportunity to recognize outstanding volunteers through nominations for Volunteer of the Year. Audrey McDonald was awarded ‘Volunteer of the Year’ for her extensive community service, Henry Faucher for his contribution to sports, and Charlene Hart for her role in supporting development of arts in the community. Anton Bondarenko was recognized for his leadership as a ‘youth’ and Marina Ferreira and Brynn Matthews were pronounced ‘leaders of tomorrow’ by demonstrating leadership and promise. Congratulations to all of those who were nominated. Your service to the community is valued more than you know.
There are many ways that you can become involved as a volunteer in Chestermere and the surrounding area: through sports or at the recreation centre, at town events like Waterfest or Canada Day, in a service club like the Rotary or Lions at a local school, or someone who helps with everyday tasks as an Everyday Angel. If you have questions about how you can get involved, contact the organization that you are interested in directly. For more information about Community Services and the Everyday Angel program, go to cscommunitycurrents.com or call 403-207-7060.

The Vin Room is a wine and tapas bar, making it the perfect location to impress a lady on that all-important 3rd date.

This locale has been good to me in the past, and I have not yet taken enough of those Internet dates there that the worry of crazy exes showing up and injecting unwanted drama into the proceedings is a risk to be avoided.

For those unfamiliar with wine bars, it is the common practice to order by the glass instead of by the bottle, in order to sample many of the fine wares put together by the hard-working sommelier for your imbibing pleasure.

Resisting the temptation of asking my dining companion if she would like a little Italian in her, I suggested a few glasses of Barolo, often considered the King of Italian wines.

For those not familiar with Barolo, it is actually the name of the region where the wine is produced, rather than the name of the wine itself.

For historical reasons that only make sense to stuffy old-world wine snobs, the term Barolo is a DOCG. The English version of DOCG roughly translates to Controlled Designation of Origin Guaranteed.

In a nutshell, it means that wine with a Barolo label on the front is guaranteed to have been produced in a very particular collection of vineyards in one part of Italy.

The actual grape varietal that is used for Barolo is called Nebbiolo, although tiny amounts of other varietals are sometimes blended in to make a smoother flavour profile.

The history of Nebbiolo grape goes all the way back to the 1st century, with none other than the Roman philosopher Pliny the Elder waxing poetic about the joys of the wine from this particular region.

The Nebbiolo grape is very special, loaded with polyphenols to give the wine a full body, as well as relatively high acidity, which allows the wine to age well for decades without spoiling.

Up until the 1970s, it was common to age a bottle of Barolo for up to 25 years before opening it, as the tart tannins in the wine took that long to soften.

However, modern winemaking techniques led to a great schism in the ranks of the stuffy old winemakers, with the old guard insisting on letting the skins macerate on the juice during fermentation to extract the color and flavour for up to 3 weeks. Long barrel aging is required to soften the bitter tannins from the skins, but the result is a thick and complex wine like no other.

Throwing tradition to the wind, the brash new breed of upstart young winemakers wanted a wine that could be opened within a few years of bottling, instead of waiting a decade or more for the wine to reach maturity.

The more modern generation of winemakers went with a maceration time of only a few days instead of a few weeks, and aged the wine in much smaller barrels to reduce the bitter tannins and impart more oak into the wine. This results in a wine that reaches maturity in just a few short years.

Regardless of whether the traditional or modern methods are used, the resulting Barolo wine is always of the highest quality, with a rich and complex body and crisp alcoholic bite in the finish.

So eager are the winemakers to keep the exclusivity and prestige associated with the Barolo name, any wines that don’t quite measure up to their exacting quality standards are sold as generic table wine without the Barolo label.

Luckily, your intrepid liquor reporter was able to impress his dinner date enough with the Barolo that there was a 3rd-date nightcap back at the swinging bachelor pad with all the things that a 3rd date normally entails.

If you would like to pick up a bottle of Barolo, be warned they are on the pricy side. Expect to pay $60-$100 for the average Barolo, with the rare vintages going up from there.

Since there are so many great wines available for $20-$30, it makes Barolo a special occasion wine, something to put down in the cellar for a few years before cracking it open.