Editorial

Making things work for the community

We seem to be running out of ways to praise the Slave Lake Rotary Club. But let’s give it another try.
The 777 car raffle event at the Arctic Ice Centre on May 31 was successful in so many ways – and that’s without even knowing how much money was raised. For starters, it was a sellout. The place was packed, and that could have led to delays in getting food, but that didn’t happen, thanks to a buffet set-up that kept a very long line moving faster than anybody would have thought. Congratulations are in order to chef Greg Gramiak and his crew for that.
The format of alternating the ticket-drawing with music worked well too. Too much music without a break would have been tough on the eardrums. And too much number-calling would have wrecked Harry Bartlett’s voice.
As it was, the folks who wanted to chat had plenty of opportunity, while the people who came to dance never had to wait too long. It was a winning formula, and the Rotary folks are to be commended for putting it together and making it work. Of course it couldn’t have happened without a big crew of volunteers, not to mention a long list of sponsors. We’ve featured some in recent issues of The Leader, and no doubt the Rotary Club will list them all in some appropriate fashion when the time comes.
And speaking of successful community fundraisers, the Relay For Life is shaping up to be a pretty big event. It certainly has potential, judging by its success in other communities. According to a report in the May 27 Rocky Mountain House Mountaineer, the event there raised over $200,000!
Let’s see how we match up here in Slave Lake.
The latest scam
Warnings to consumers are a dime a dozen, but this one is a bit more troubling than most. The latest scam, evidently, involves the issuing of false auto insurance cards, or financial responsibility cards, as the legal people call them.
The province is aware of two such fake pink cards that have surfaced recently. Both were issued by a company called Bell Insurance Services, acting (falsely) as an agent for Pembridge Insurance Company.
According to a June 4 government release, Bell is not licensed as an insurance agent, and the Alberta Insurance Council is looking into it. It seems that the old maxim ‘buyer beware’ applies, even in the case of purchasing auto insurance. Go with an agent you know, and if you don’t know one, ask around. Do the research.
The sharks are circling, looking to pick off the incautious.