One of the two Bentley Library Society scholarship candidates has fully qualified and received some funding from the Bentley Library Society.
This past school term was the first time the Library Society had offered two $500 scholarships - one for the Best All-Round Female Student and one for the Best All-Round Male Student. They had offered one in the past.
At the school’s graduation ceremony last May the two candidates were named. They were Amanda Anderson and Riley Poffenroth.
Eighteen-year-old Grade 12 graduate Amanda Anderson from west of Bentley, has now fulfilled the requirements for receiving her library society scholarship and has received the funding help.
Amanda is now attending Red Deer College and is enrolled in the first year Bachelor of Science Nursing Program in Cardiology.
For participation in school sports activities including basketball, track and soccer, Amanda had earned a Major Athletic Award. She also maintained honors marks in her final year at Bentley school. She had worked on the grad committee and on the school yearbook committee.
Outside of school Amanda had been very active in the local Blindman Valley 4-H Beef Club for a number of years and also played soccer.
All of the above helped her get named the Best All-Round Female Student and become a candidate for the Library Society scholarship.
Riley Poffenroth, named the Best All-Round Male Student at the Bentley school, will receive his funding upon fulfilling the requirement of attendance at a qualified post-secondary institution. He is now apprenticing as a heavy-duty mechanic and will be attending Red Deer College to take the course.
Coffee with Council set for January 20
The Bentley town council meeting of Oct. 28 started off with the annual organizational meeting. Councilor Robin Lemay agreed to take the post of Deputy Mayor again. Regular council meetings will remain the second and fourth Tuesdays each month at 6:45 p.m. in council chambers unless otherwise noted. Signing authority remains the same.
All the appointments to boards, committees, and commissions were filled, with most councilors returning to the same positions. The auditor and assessor remain the same.
The meeting reverted to the regular scheduled meeting. Some policies were discussed. A Tangible Capital Assets policy was passed. It is going to be a requirement by the Alberta government in the future. All municipal assets including such things as buildings, equipment, roads and all infrastructure must be accounted for and properly depreciated. It’s a very big, time consuming undertaking for administration to go back through all the old records and try to determine the values.
* A survey on policing in Alberta will be filled out and returned to the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association Policing Task Force.
* Tuesday, Jan. 20 was set as the next Coffee With Council. It will start at 7 p.m. and be held in the Drop-In Centre in the town office. All citizens and residents are invited to come meet with council one-on-one and air their views. The coffee pot will be on.
* Council is currently holding in-house planning meetings to ensure council and administration agree on the path the municipality is and should be taking and will be proceeding with budget meetings.
* At the regular town council meeting on Monday, Nov. 10 (changed due to Remembrance Day) the Fire Protection and Emergency Response policy, that includes member remuneration and had been deferred to this meeting, was passed with a small amendment re: tax implications. The town is considered to be the employer of the volunteer fire fighters as they do get some reimbursement. It was noted the policy is only in effect within town limits. County policy is in effect outside the town but within Lacombe county limits.
First reading of a bylaw to amend land use, especially on land in the southwest corner of town limits from Urban Reserve to Heavy Industrial needs further investigation. It was deferred until an Area Structure Plan is near completion. A cost estimate and proposed timeline to do an Area Structure Plan to facilitate orderly and organized development will be looked into. A planer and engineer will be hired to do the Area Structure Plan.
* The Town of Bentley will again support the Red Deer River Watershed Alliance and provide funding in the amount of $542 (approx. 50 cents per capita) the same as last year.
* The Town will send a letter to the Member of Parliament urging support for and passage of Bill C-219 to allow volunteer emergency workers like volunteer firefighters to deduct $1,000 from their taxable income if they performed at least 100 hours of volunteer service and $2,000 if they performed at least 200 volunteer hours.
* Alberta Municipal Affairs financial indicator graphs show that both Bentley’s municipal and residential mil rate are slightly lower than the average but Bentley’s equalized assessment per capita is 16 per cent higher. The long-term debt per capita is well below average with none of Bentley’s debts longer than five years.
Provincial and federal grants are accessed whenever possible and is higher per capita than the average. General council and administration expenses remain lower than the average per capita, as does expenditures for protective services, transportation operating expenses (roads, sidewalks, street lights, etc.), environmental protection, and contracted and general services.
Recreation operating expenses are slightly higher than average. In 2007 salaries, wages, and benefits paid were $5 more than the average per capita. Reserves per capita are falling behind as Bentley tries to pay cash rather than take out debentures. Bank charges and interest paid out per capita remain lower than average.
There will be only one regular council meeting in December and that will be on Tuesday, Dec. 16 at 6:45 p.m. in council chambers. Regular meetings are open to the public to sit in.
Missed from last week
The executive for the coming minor hockey season are: president Byron Reban, vice president Brian Gerrits, secretary / treasurer Pat Schneider, ice convener Kathy Barteski, registrar Julie Rehbein, equipment manager Matt Peterson, fundraising chair Linda Forrester, and directors Kelly Schneider and Doug Croft. Contact any of them for information about minor hockey in Bentley.