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TEXT ‘ABFIRES’ to 45678 Telling to donate $10 to Red Story Cross for Jasper wildfire relief YOUR Volume 117 Issue 31
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Sweethearts Draw is back for another year! Inside
Wednesday, February 5, 2025 s
Annual Burns Night a deep dive into all things Scottish Leslie Cholowsky Editor
LESLIE CHOLOWSKY PHOTO
The local Robbie Burns Night, hosted by the Flagstaff Scottish Club, has always featured a Bonnie Knees contest, where a blindfolded judge decides by feel who has the “Bonniest Knees.” This year’s judge was Maddie Obkircher, who hails from Germany, and was just in town for the night. She provided a running commentary on the best knees, choosing Shad House (right) as the winner.
The Flagstaff Scottish Club celebrated Scottish poet Robbie Burns on Saturday, Feb. 1, which was the 17th anniversary of this local event. Burns was born Jan 25, 1759, over two centuries ago, yet he continues to have an impact on modern life, and continues to be celebrated as Scotland’s national poet. Each year Robbie Burns’ nights are held on or close to his birthday to celebrate his wide range of poetry, folk songs, and his unabashed love of life. It’s a night for everyone to pretend they have at least one drop of Scottish blood in them. The Flagstaff Scottish Club members act as the consumate hosts over the course of the evening; welcoming guests new and returning, with entertainment and food worthy of any Scottish gathering. The evening was scattered with performances by the Battle River Pipes and Drums, whose numbers have grown over the last year. The band plays an important role when the piping of the haggis occurs, as this unique fare of Scotland makes its way around the hall, accompanied with pipes and drums. This year a fiery performance of “The Haggis Wi’ All the Honours,” was made by Shawn Donald: “..O what a glorious sight, Warm-reeking rich!” Continued on Page 24
FIRST Dinner and Auction in Lougheed raises big money The very first FIRST dinner and auction in Lougheed was held Saturday, Feb. 1 at the Lougheed Community Hall, a sold-out event that raised funds for FIRST’s yearly programming. See full story Page 9.
The Community Press office will be CLOSED Monday, August 5 for the Civic Holiday. We will reopen Tuesday, Aug. 6 at 9 a.m. and our next edition will still be published Wedneday. Aug. 7 Ad deadlines will be noon Tuesday, Aug. 6