need to

know

CONSTRUCTION UPDATE

Lyall Marshall is just 10 teams away from making his dream come true for thesecondyearinarow. Marshall became awidower and a single father to Diamond, now three, when his wife, Memory, lost her battle with apregnancy-related cancer in January of 2007. After she passed away, Marshall organized ahockey tournament last fall to raise money for cancer research in honour of his late wife. That event managed to raise $210,000 and now Marshall is ready for round two. "Our goal this year is $250,000 and we're really hoping we can do that,” said Marshall. This year, organizers have doubled the openings for teams to register from just 12 spots last year to 24. So far, 14 spots are claimed, but Marshall wants to fill the other 10 as soon as possible. "We're offering these spots to the public,” he said, adding Calgary's participation and generosity never ceases to amaze him. "I really want to seethisgoforward; the difference these people will make is so huge.” The 2008 Face Off Against Cancer hockey tournament is taking place Sept. 12-14 in Chestermere. This year's event is dedicated to the memory of Calgary mom Crystal Violante, who also left ayoung daughter and husband behind after losing her battle with malignant melanoma last December. All the proceeds of this year's tournament will be used forresearchintothe rare disease which took Violante's life. "This is tremendously valuable research and we have the opportunity to do it in our own backyard,” said Marshall. He said the sooner teams register the better because it gives them more time to raise funds The right lane of 64 Ave. east of Metis Tr. N.E. is closed between 6:30 a.m. and 3p.m. today and tomorrow. Riverfront Ave. at 4Ave. S.E. is reduced to one lane in both directions between 9a.m. and 3 p.m. today and tomorrow. The right lane of westbound Crowchild Tr. west of Nose Hill Dr.N.W.isclosed until tomorrowat3p.m. The two left lanes of northbound Crowchild Tr. at 33 Ave. S.W.are closed until Saturday at 5p.m.

FUNDRAISING

Diamond plays for aMemory

JENNA MCMURRAY 24 hours SHOOT: Three-year-old Diamond and her dad, Lyall Marshall, prepare for next month'scancer fundraising hockey tournament, held this year in honour of Crystal Violante, aCalgarymom who lost her fight with malignant melanoma last December.Diamond'smom, Memory, also died of cancer last year. before the Sept. 11 NHL alumni draft, in which the team that has raised the most money will get first pick. If you would like to register ateam or want more information on the tournament, visit www.faceoffagainstcancer.org. -Jenna McMurray, 24 hours

GRASS FIRES

CRIME

Calgarypolice help crack international car fraud case

The Calgary police along with members of the RCMP have cracked atwo-year case in which aB.C. man allegedly scammed victims in the U.S. and Sweden out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. The man is believed to have lured victims into bidding for vintage cars in online auctions. Victims would send their money -usually in the tens of thousands of dollars -bywire transfer to bank accounts held in Calgary. The buyers would either fail to receive avehicle at all or would get a different car than the one they purchased. This launched atwo-year investigation by Calgary cops into what they believe could have been part of alarger scheme involving additional culprits. In April of this year, RCMP conducted several search warrants in Vernon and Kelowna, B.C., and arrested two other individuals, both of whom were charged with several counts of fraud and theft. And just last week, police arrested Kurtis Eugene Pomerleau of Kelowna, B.C., Pomerleau is charged with two counts of fraud over $5,000 and City firefighters were kept hopping yesterday afternoon as they battled several grass fires between 90 Ave. S.E. and Peigan Tr. The fires were all west of BarlowTr.,and with the exception of one fire thatleapt to adeck attached to anearby warehouse, most were contained to the surrounding grassy areas by about 40 firefighters who responded. Trains coming through the area were stopped and no injuries were reported.

CANCER RESEARCH

Early signs 'promising'

New research conducted by aCalgary-based team will enable scientists around the world to study an aggressive brain cancer which affects infants and children. Cancer scientist and physician Dr. Aru Narendran and his colleagues have developed aunique method of growing the cancer -called atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumour (AT/RT) in alaboratory setting. "We've been able to study this cancer cell line and we've managed to pinpoint apotential molecular pathway it uses to grow,” said Narendran. "It appears the cancer cells are excessively stimulated to grow by anatural hormone found in the body.” The cancer cell line has been named KCCF1 after the Kids Cancer Care Foundation which funded the approximatly $1-million-per-year research along with the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada AT/RTisarare, aggressive cancer whichgrows in young children, and the survival rate of kids under the age of three diagnosed with the disease is less than 10%. But Narendran's research is already helping scientists identify possible drug treatments, including one new drug called AEW-541, which may inhibit the growth of cancer cells. "It's still preliminary ... but it looks promising,” said Narendran. News of the breakthrough research is music in the ears of Christine Wandzura, who lost her son to abrain tumour in 1991 and is the founder and CEO of the Kids Cancer Care Foundation. "This is wonderful news,” said Wandzura. -Jenna McMurray, 24 hours MIKE DREW Sun Media DISH: Dr.Aru Narendran holds adish with brain tumour cells called KCCF1. The buyers would either fail to receive avehicle at all or would get adifferent car than the one they purchased. two counts of theft over $5,000. He is currently before the courts in Kelowna for several other charges of Internet fraud stemming from May 2007. He had been released on his own recognizance when the most recent charges were laid. -Jenna McMurray, 24 hours

briefs

city news

Sheriffs get power

Alberta Sheriffs are to be given the same authority as other police to enforce impaired driving laws. Up to 105 Sheriffs are to receive additional training and will be ready to step up enforcement of impaired driving laws starting this fall before the holiday season, solicitor general spokesman AndyWeiler said yesterday. "It will mean they will be able to do those investigations and lay those charges instead of calling in another police service,”Weiler said. "It will give us agreater impaired driving enforcement presence on Alberta highways.”

Driver mourned

The chuckwagon world is mourning the loss of one of its greatest drivers after former world champion driver Dallas Dorchester lost his battle with cancer in Calgaryyesterday. Dorchester,atwo-time Rangeland Derby champion who retired after the 1996 season, was 62. His nephew and current driver Troy Dorchester found it difficult to put into words howmuch his uncle meant to him. "He was huge for me,”Troysaid. "Him and dad (Garry) taught me everything. "One day,Ihope to be as successful as he was.” Dallas won the world title in 1984, the same year he won his first CalgaryStampede championship. Funeral arrangements will be made in the next few days.

House burns down

No one was injured, but the coowners of aCochrane-area home thatburned to the ground yesterday were lamenting the loss of their investment. Just after 10:30 a.m., fire crews arrived at the home on Mountain Glen Close and Twp. Rd. 262, which is between Calgaryand Cochrane, northwest of the city limits. Fire crews had to fight the flames defensively,asthe home was fully engulfed by the time they arrived. Aman who arrived at the scene said he and apartner had spent the entire summer renovating the house so they could sell it for a profit.Page 5 - Hotspot 1