Ponoka man missing
Ponoka RCMP request the public’s assistance in locating a 52-year-old resident.
Richard Gordon Berg, who goes by Gordie, has not been seen or heard from since late evening Monday, Const. Karolina Malik of Ponoka RCMP said Wednesday afternoon.
Berg is described as being heavy set, standing 1.62 metres (five feet four inches) tall and weighing 88 kg (195 pounds). He has blue eyes, brown hair and is balding at the top.
He was last seen walking away from his rural residence, located southeast of Ponoka.
He was wearing a tan-coloured camouflage jacket with an orange shirt and blue pants.
He was also seen leaving with his dog, which is a multi breed that looks similar to a small German Shepherd.
The dog has a red collar with silver studs and goes by the name Poochie.
Police ask that if Berg hears this message he calls police or a family member to re-assure them that he is in good health.
Anyone with information on Berg’s whereabouts is asked to call the Ponoka RCMP at 403-783-4472, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or www.crimestoppers.ab.ca.
Phone service restored to county offices
Phone service has been restored to Red Deer County administration offices.
A worker cut through the phone line with a back hoe on the administration grounds while doing some maintenance on Tuesday morning.
Incoming calls were remotely forwarded to the after-hours answering service. The county notified residents by posting the information on its website.
Rick Henderson, assistant county manager, said any urgent calls were forwarded from the answering service by email to the appropriate county department.
The phone lines were up and running at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday. The administration offices are located on Range Road 275.
Minister warns of risks in campsite leases
Campers should look before they leap into long-term agreements, says Service Alberta, the department responsible for protecting consumers.
This week, minister Heather Klimchuk issued a press release warning that there are risks involved in leasing campsites as a vacation option.
Campsite leases are becoming a more popular option and can range from one year to several decades, costing thousands of dollars. People need to perform their due diligence before locking into an agreement, including seeking independent legal advice, said Klimchuk.
Her office has issued a list of pointers:
• Agreements that require full payment at or near the beginning of a lease can expose people to more risk.
• Check for a professional assessment of facilities, including power, water and sewer.
• Check for appropriate government approvals.
• Check for clarity in the agreement about the business’s responsibilities and who pays for services, maintenance and repairs.
• Ensure that the business has planned for the costs of maintaining and repairing facilities.
• Investigate the financial health of the business. If it fails and facilities are not available, the site might not be usable.
• Look for monthly service fees and whether the lease agreement exposes consumers to significant increases.
• Check the property title for debts or restrictions and find out whether lessors can register their interest on the title.
• Find out whether the lessor can improve, sell, sublease or rent the space to others.
• Verify that all promises are included in the written agreement.
• Campers should consider how much they plan to use the site, whether they want to camp in the same spot every year and what restrictions may exist on the types of campers and equipment allowed.
Southbound Gaetz traffic on bridge to be single lane
Southbound traffic across the Gaetz Avenue bridge will be reduced to a single lane this weekend.
The traffic is already reduced to two narrow lanes while construction crews replace the concrete surface.
The single lane of traffic will begin on Friday at 8:30 p.m. and run through until late Sunday morning, a notice from the City of Red Deer Public Works Department said.
The concrete work started around May 20 and is expected to continue until Sept. 30.
For more information contact www.reddeer.ca/roadclosures.
