By Katie Schneider
The Eagle
The town will appeal a Court of Queen’s Bench decision to strike down Cochrane’s off-site levy bylaw and will apply for a stay of the proceedings, council agreed March 26.
After an in-camera discussion, council unanimously voted to direct administration to file a formal appeal regarding the decision made March 9 that held the off-site levy bylaw was invalid and to apply for a stay, which, if granted, would leave the bylaw in force.
Chief Administrative Officer Julian deCocq said March 27 that the bylaw was no longer in effect as soon as the judge made his ruling.
Though there is no bylaw in effect to collect the levies, developers pay off-site levies based on subdivision agreements, which doesn’t happen that often, deCocq said.
“We’re not stuck at this point, until we have to sign an agreement,� deCocq said.
As for resurrecting the rejected bylaw, deCocq said that is “a point of law� that would have to be clarified as the town moves in that direction. But he said that direction could be pursued only if the appeal is lost.
Justice P.J. McIntyre had declared the new bylaw invalid in the Court of Queen’s Bench in Calgary because it failed to comply with the Municipal Government Act (MGA).
It was passed in 2005 to recoup costs for infrastructure projects over the next 20 years estimated to cost $52 million, including the Arena Road Bridge over the Bow River to connect the town with two developers’ sites south of the river, including Keyland Development Corporation’s Cochrane Crossing subdivision, which was recently sold to Jayman Masterbuilt.
Keyland filed a notice of motion in January 2006 asking that the bylaw be declared invalid.
McIntyre said the bylaw did not state the degree of benefit the new infrastructure would provide to the town and to each of the developers, and the bylaw did not reveal how the costs of the levies were determined.

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By Katie Schneider
The Eagle
The Cochrane library board will present town administration with a report on service delivery options, including the Marigold system, by June 29, council agreed March 26.
Administration will request the report on the options in conjunction with the library board’s audited 2006 financial statement.
Theresa Turner, a former member of a subcommittee set up to examine Marigold, asked council to look at the board’s procedure in communication and running the Nan Boothby Memorial Library, particularly with its unfulfilled promises to join the Marigold system for about 10 years.
Though the subcommittee decided to not recommend joining Marigold this year, Turner said she was not invited to the meeting.
The library board decided in January to not revisit the issue of joining Marigold until 2008 due to a lack of financial resources.
The Marigold system, which costs $117,000 a year, allows residents to access materials from any other member library in the province with The Alberta Library (TAL) borrower card.
Marigold bills the library board for half of the cost and the town for the other half, chair Adamo Cocuzzoli said March 27.
Before budget talks in November 2006, the library board told council it diverted $66,000 of its funds for Marigold, but council decided the town could not fund its $66,000 portion this year, Cocuzzoli said.
Turner said Marigold will help boost membership at the library.
“You can accept Marigold without the consent of the board,� she told council. “I feel if we don’t do something soon we will lose our library,� which is utilized by only 10 per cent of the Cochrane population, she added.
Since three board trustees resigned in February, Turner suggested that council appoint two councillors to fill the vacancies.
She said she was tired of hearing the town can’t afford Marigold, and that the town should make it a priority to make the Nan Boothby a busy place again. Though the board exists for good reasons, it needs guidance and leadership, Turner said.
“(Council) has every right to ask to receive progress reports on ideas being implemented by the library,� Turner said March 27.
Coun. Mary Lou Davis, a council representative for the library board, agreed a change needs to be made.
“I’m with you. I hope we can make some positive changes.�
Coun. Ken Hynes said “although council has an arms length relationship with the library board,� it does have authority to ask for a review.
Coun. Andy Marshall said he too acknowledged the library is in a bind, “that bind being without membership.�
He said high membership is needed to pay for Marigold, but the library won’t receive higher memberships without Marigold.
“I see this is not just going to happen. It will not make it without infusion of funds approved by council,� he said. “The library is as fundamental a service in Cochrane as anything.�
Coun. Truper McBride said the library needs to remain a separate body and council needs to respect that autonomy, but agreed dialogue is needed to push Marigold forward.
Cocuzzoli said the board will be happy to work with council when administration comes forward with a specific request and clear direction it wants the board to follow.
But Turner asked why the current board wouldn’t honour the past board’s desire to join Marigold by 2004 when it was honouring the decision to keep the funds for capital needs.
“To me that’s contradictory.�

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By Shannon Craig
Special to The Eagle
Jesse Fowler is on his way to becoming a household name.
Most adults would be daunted to complete even half of Fowler’s to-do list, but he’s managed it all by the age of 17.
In addition to releasing his second CD on March 31, the busy youth is also in the reserves of the Calgary Highlanders Infantry, has twice been awarded the Citizenship Award at Cochrane High, performs on stage when he is not the sound technician for school plays, and scored 100 per cent on his Math 30 diploma.
“I have time to do it,� he said. “The things I’m doing are my spare time.�
In 2003, with barely a year’s worth of guitar playing experience, he took part in an open microphone event at the Pincher Creek Cowboy Gathering. He did so well he was invited back and given a regular spot.
“I went with a small arsenal of songs,� Fowler said. He played the same four songs over and over but it didn’t matter, the crowd loved it and the young musician was hooked.
Fowler recorded his first CD in 2004 and it has received radio air play across the Maritimes, in Alberta and British Columbia, as well as in Oregon and Idaho.
His second CD, “Hoofbeats�, will be released at the Bert Church Theatre in Airdrie on March 31.
Fowler has had the opportunity to play with professional musicians, most notably he has opened for Dwayne Steele, Jake Matthews and Sarah Evans.
“I’ve met so many different characters,� he said, adding he couldn’t possibly pick a favourite, but if he could play with one person it would be Garth Brooks.
“That’d be pretty neat,� he said, that signature grin creasing his face.
Fowler has been working on his music since 2003, but he recently become a reservist with the Calgary Highlanders.
“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do.�
Fowler takes pride in creating opportunities for himself.
“I’d like to go as far as I can,� he said optimistically about entertaining.
“The great thing about music is once you’ve gone as far as you can go, you can keep playing just because you love it.�
Tickets for the show are available at Westlands Bookstore, or call 851-2048.

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Wee Jackie weighs in
by Jack Tennant
If you want good weather conditions this year on a personal basis, you’d better be at the Cochrane and District Community Foundation dinner March 30 at the RancheHouse.
The guest speaker is television’s weatherman Jimmy Hughes. If he sees you’re not there, you’ll have a cloud over your head all summer, and thunder and lightning every time you putt.
The Cochrane Foun-dation supports local community organizations and efforts with grants once a year garnered from interest accumulated by a principal fund which now stands at nearly $1.5 million.
The first grant was awarded to the Boys and Girls Club in 1999 and including this year, more than $500,000 has been given to local organizations and causes.
Recipients will receive their cheques at the foundation’s second annual dinner this Friday.
Money donated to great local causes and Jimmy Hughes as guest speaker — you couldn’t beat that with a stick.
Call Lynn Edge at 932-4910 for tickets, and there are a few left. (more…)

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Council has given first reading to a bylaw that would allow the borrowing of more than $1.2 million to renovate and upgrade Cochrane’s Operational Services Maintenance Shop.
The proposed plan consists of two new buildings being constructed at 124 Griffin Road.
One would have a main floor measuring 780 square metres and second floor of 166 square metres and contain six bays for storage, a workspace, tool and material storage and a training room. The second 415 square metre building would have three bays, one for a drive-through wash. — Eagle Staff

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By Katie Schneider
The Eagle
Beginning in 2007-2008, Rocky View School Division parents will have to pay higher instructional supplies and materials fees, trustees decided March 22.
General fees, to pay for supplies like course textbooks, workbooks and novels, will increase by $9 per year to $60 for Grades 1 to 4, by $2 to $75 for Grades 5 to 8, and by $4 to $110 per year for Grades 9 to 12 and summer school students.
As well, students registered in a series of Knowledge and Employ-ability courses will pay $125 a year. The board-established mandatory fees are limited to $235 per family per school year from $230.
The fee for band instrument rental will increase to $165 from $155, $30 of which is a refundable damage deposit.
Tuition fees have also been altered to attract more international and out-of-province students.
For 2007/2008, tuition fees for Canadian out-of-province students will decrease to $2,725 per year from $3,350 for kindergarten students, and to $5,450 from $8,200 for Grades 1 to 9.
Tuition fees for international students will be $9,500 a year, or $5,000 a semester, which is less than the Calgary Board of Education, Calgary Catholic, Edmonton public schools and Edmonton Catholic schools.

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Cochrane RCMP are seeking information related to a break and enter at the Bragg Creek Post Office where 10 Canadian Mint collectible coins were stolen March 23.
An alarm at 2:48 a.m. lead police to the scene where they discovered the thief or thieves had smashed the front window of the building and then a glass display case inside that housed the sets of coins.
Sgt. Bill Eubank said the value of the coins was “not that much.�
Anyone with information is asked to call RCMP at 932-2213 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

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In an effort to make Canada’s highways the safest in the world by 2010, Cochrane RCMP manned roads March 17 and 18 checking for seatbelt and speeding violations.
As part of the Road Safety Vision 2010 Traffic Program, officers conducted check stops and monitored drivers’ speed with laser guns to educate and enforce the importance of wearing seatbelts and reducing speeding infractions.
Between March 15 and March 22 Cochrane RCMP stopped 27 drivers for speeding, three for non-moving violations, which include failing to wear a seatbelt, and five for failing to stop at a stop sign.
RCMP checkstops will continue along surrounding highways as the weather warms up and traffic increases.

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By Katie Schneider
The Eagle
The off-leash dog area in the Bow River green space will be extended to include the Griffin Road east parking lot, council approved March 26.
Council heard that public access to the off-leash area has been redirected to the Griffin Road east parking lot, by the Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sports Centre arena, because of safety regulations resulting from the closure of River Avenue south of Riverview Drive.
Administration suggested extending the area because dog owners are automatically using the parking lot.
Parks officials will have garbage bins and signage available.

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