Mayor holds his end of the wager

Times Reporter  

 

When Strathmore’s newest soccer pitch officially opened on June 15 Mayor Steve Grajczyk and Chestermere Mayor Patricia Matthews made a friendly wager. Strathmore and Chestermere soccer teams were playing each other in a tournament on the new field, and the wager was that the losing team’s Mayor had to go to council chambers and praise the winning town. 

On Aug. 19 Grajczyk made his way on that long drive to Chestermere and with the help of Strathmore’s honourary town crier a proclamation was made. 

“The one that lost would have to wear a (t-Shirt) of their city. Unfortunately I lost, but there’s another year, we will do it next time,” said Grajczyk.

When asked why he went a step above and found an official town crier to make the proclamation, Grajczyk said, “because it added a little bit of excitement to the whole thing and brought in a better atmosphere.” 

“I have to say that is possibly the classiest move from a loser of a bet that I have ever encountered,” said Matthews. 

“It’s fantastic that Chestermere and Strathmore have a great political relationship because so many of our residents interact on things like sports and I truly enjoyed Steve’s presentation and so we’re going to frame it and put it in our council kitchen.”

Matthews jokingly said Grajczyk has created some jealousy among residents and council wondering why they don’t have a town crier to call their own. 

Nelson Phillips and his son Parker were the two on hand to make Grajczyk’s proclamation about the town of Chestermere. Phillips first became a town crier in 1981. He lived in Invermere, B.C. at the time, and there was a weekly newspaper, but if businesses in town wanted to advertise daily specials it could be tough. 

“I felt if I created the town crier and walked the streets and shout the specials out, next thing you know I was invited by the ancient and honourable guild of town criers,” said Phillips. 

Things have grown far beyond what he could have ever expected when he first began shouting out specials.

“I have been invited to Buckingham Palace, I’ve been with the Queen and Prince Philip, I have done proclamations for Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and Stephen Harper and just two weeks ago I came eighth at the world championships,” said Phillips. 

Grajczyk wants the town to know that hiring a town crier did not cost the town money, and that he would like to thank Brian Bassen for sponsoring Phillips. 

 

Oyez  Oyez  Oyez

As the honourary town crier of Strathmore Alberta, I bring this message from his worship Mayor Steve Grajczyk to her majesty Mayor Matthew of Chestermere Alberta.

I, his royal highness, Mayor Steve Grajczyk humbly admit that I was duped or coerced into this situation, having to admit that the community of Chestermere, it’s mayor and council and people are more superior in the game of soccer only. 

I was recently informed that your community, being so rich in multiculturalism, was born and bred into soccer and considering your population is far greater than ours, you have a larger base of soccer players to choose from.  As I was not shown the original game sheet, signed by the officiating referee, as to who actually won the tournament, but having such a highly esteemed character, and personna, I will humbly accept that Chestermere may have and probably did win the tournament.

We look forward to future competitions and maybe next time we might challenge your mayor to Run With the Bulls and see who wins.