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Amrah Peterson
to continue her fight
By David Willberg
Amrah Peterson has been through many fights in her 11-month-long life,
more than many will ever experience.
Her next one will have a big impact on her future.
The daughter of Tyler and Stacey Peterson has been diagnosed with Hurler
syndrome, the most serious form of mucopolysaccha-ridosis (MPS 1). MPS
1 affects about one out of every 100,000 children. Without any form of
treatment, Amrah's life expectancy would be about five to 10 years.
Amrah was in Winnipeg last week with her family, where she had her tonsils
and adenoids removed, which should help her breathing. She was expected
to return home during the weekend.
She will return to the Manitoba capital in September for more extensive
treatments, including a bone marrow transplant. Amrah has two older brothers
- Kale and Adan - and one of those two will be the donor.
"When they do this bone marrow transplant for her, both her brothers
are donors," said Stacey. "We're not sure which one is going
to be doing it, but that will produce the enzyme that she's missing, that's
what they hope to do."
Both Kale and Adan are matches, but they are undergoing tests to determine
which one is a better match.
Between now and her return to Winnipeg, Amrah will celebrate her first
birthday. She doesn't turn one until September 11, but she will be in
the hospital again.
Amrah will undergo a few days of chemotherapy, followed by a couple days
of rest before the transplant. She'll be in the hospital a minimum of
eight weeks. After the transplant, three weeks will be needed to determine
if her body will reject the bone marrow.
Upon returning to Estevan, Amrah will need to be isolated for a year,
because her immune system will be low. That means avoiding large, public
gatherings.
There is also an enzyme treatment for Hurler syndrome, but it's only available
in the U.S..
All patients with MPS have a deficiency in the alpha-L-iduronidase enzyme,
resulting in a build up of mucopolysaccharides, which are found in the
fluid that lubricates the joints and the joints' rubbery cartilage. They
form long chains of sugar molecules used in the building of bones, cartilage,
skin, tendons and many other bodily tissues.
Over the course of a person's life, the alpha-L-iduronidase enzyme helps
build up and break down the mucopolysaccharides, a necessary recycling
process for people to remain healthy. If that doesn't occur, progressive
damage will.
"The only main symptom that she had was an obstructed sleep apnea
at night, when she quit breathing, and she was like that from the day
she was born," said Stacey.
Symptoms include an enlarged liver and spleen, coarse facial features,
hernias, thick skin, enlarged tonsils or adenoids, respiratory infections,
runny nose, ear infections, hazy corneas, heart disease, abdomen protrusions,
a short neck, scoliosis, joint problems, and short and broad hands.
The only other symptom Amrah showed, besides the respiratory problems,
was the cornea hazing in her eyes.
Hurler-Scheie and Scheie syndromes are other MPS 1 conditions. Scheie
is the least serious. MPS 1 is a hidden genetic disease, meaning it could
be passed on for generations before a family member contracts it.
There is some good news for Amrah and her family, though. First, a paediatrician
in Regina detected Amrah's condition early in July. Many Hurler children
aren't diagnosed until they're three or four years old.
"The bone marrow transplant is best if it's started at a young, young
age," said Stacey. "If she was three or four, they wouldn't
have been able to do it for her, and in a lot of cases they don't find
it until then."
Second, a trust fund has been set up at the Estevan Credit Union by the
Highfield family and friends of Amrah Peterson. That should help offset
some of the medical, transportation and accommodation costs.
Stacey said they've received lots of support from their family and friends
during this period.
Thirdly, treatment for Hurler syndrome continues to advance. A few years
ago, due to the rarity of the condition, medical professionals weren't
able to do anything.
"Five years ago, they said they would have sent us home," said
Stacey. "There would have been nothing they could have done. Maybe
in another five years they'll have a cure for her."
Walk set for September 21
Estevan's third annual Cheerios Mother-Daughter Walk for Heart and Stroke
is slated for September 21.
Registration will begin at 1:00 p.m. in Royal Heights Park, with the walk
beginning at 2:00 p.m. Participants will have the option of walking a
two-kilometre route or the four-kilometre path. Both will start and end
at the park.
Last year's event raised a total of $13,538, more-than doubling the total
from the inaugural walk in 2001. Jennifer Hall, program coordinator for
Southeast Saskatchewan, said they'd like to at least match last year's
total.
$1.7 million was raised across Canada last year through the walk, and
national organizers would like to best that mark, too.
Pledge forms are available at a number of local businesses. A minimum
total of $20 is required to participate.
Hall believes that awareness is an important facet of this event. She
said that many women still don't realize that heart disease and stroke
are the top killers of women in Canada, and many don't know the symptoms,
either. Those symptoms differ from men.
Organizers are still looking for event day volunteers, and the events
that usually take place before the walk have yet to be confirmed.
Ground broken in
Carnduff
By David Willberg
Carnduff moved a big step closer to its new school with a ground-breaking
ceremony August 20.
The $7 million-plus school - located in the community's southeast corner
- will accommodate the town's Kindergarten to Grade 12 students, plus
high school students from Gainsborough and Carievale. Construction is
expected to take a year, so Souris - Moose Mountain School Division director
of education Maurice Jago hopes it will be finished in time for the 2004-05
school year.
Amongst those in attendance was former school division director Tom Schell,
who brought greetings from the Department of Learning. Many students,
parents and former students were in the crowd.
A renovation and addition for the high school was announced in June of
2002 to make it K-12 compliant. But the projected price tag was over $6
million, and renovation projects often come in over-budget. The board
felt it would be just as cost-effective to build a new school.
The new school will be divided into three sectors. The east wing will
be for the elementary school students, and its west counterpart will house
the high school.
The central area, or the "hub" as Jago called it, will service
the students and the town alike. It will include a main foyer, staff office,
resource room and gymnasium. The Southeast Regional Library's Carnduff
branch will call the resource area its new home.
"It will serve the needs of both the school community and the community
itself," said Jago. "The Southeast Regional Library board is
one of the partners in this project, it's something that I think the board
members value, and its certainly something, in talking to people at the
sod turning ... they really like this idea of bringing everything together."
Jago told Lifestyles that students will be safe while using the library.
An extensive protocol has been developed between the different partners
that deals with access, security, roles and other issues.
The gymnasium will also be located in that hub, and also be available
for community use.
"They wanted to be able to use it as a community centre and as a
hall, so they have entered in as partners, and have put money in to have
an enlarged gym facility," said Jago.
"So all in all, it will be a very impressive building, it will serve
educational needs, it will serve cultural and social needs as well as
sporting needs."
Report from the
Legislature for week ending August 22/03
NDP Preparing To Ignore Cattle Industry:
While word that the U.S. and other countries would start accepting certain
beef products from Canada once was certainly good news, our cattle industry
still faces some significant challenges. The continued ban on live animals
from Canada into the U.S. poses one of the biggest problems. This ongoing
ban will result in major cash flow problems for producers over the fall
and winter as they are forced to keep and to feed animals that would normally
have been sold. While the only long-term solution is to reopen the border
to live cattle, in the short-term producers are going to need access to
emergency cash flow to keep their heads above water. Unfortunately, it
appears the NDP government may be ready to ignore this and risk seeing
the entire sector shrink, harming our overall economy for years to come.
With this in mind, the Saskatchewan Party Opposition has proposed an emergency
cash advance program for producers. Under this program, producers would
have access to $300 per cow, bison or elk and $25 per sheep. The cash
advance would be offered to producers at the same interest rate paid by
the province and would be repaid through a check-off system whenever any
animal is moved to market. This is much the same way the cash advance
on wheat is collected. The cash advance would be available for breeding
stock and so-called "background cattle" as well as bison, elk
and sheep purchased before May 20, 2003. A program such as this would
get cash into hands of producers and would cost taxpayers next to nothing
since the money would be repaid as animals are sold. The program could
be administered at a very low cost through rural municipalities.
And Clay Serby says NO! Saskatchewan's Agriculture Minister seems prepared
to turn his back on this entire industry, but that's hardly surprising
given Mr. Serby was already calling for a 40 per cent cull a month ago.
Unlike Mr. Serby and the NDP, the Saskatchewan Party wants to stabilize
the industry so it can flourish once the border is reopened.
Shockingly, in responding to the Saskatchewan Party's call for this program,
Mr. Serby pretty much said that the ranchers could not be trusted to pay
the money back. This is simply a ridiculous position to take. Firstly,
under the check off system the government would get its money back very
easily whenever animals are sold. Secondly, under the long-standing cash
advance program for grain administered by the Canadian Wheat Board, the
default on repayment is typically one per cent or less. That's hardly
a significant risk for the provincial government. Mr. Serby had better
wake up and see this problem for what it is. If we do not address the
short-term cash flow problem, we are going to see the provincial herd
shrink regardless of when the U.S. border is reopened.
I would like to congratulate the following who celebrated 100 Centenary
Family Farms this summer: The Durr Family Farm - Bromhead; The Sjostrand
Family Farm - Midale; The Stubel-Ferchoff Family Farm - Woodley. Congratulations
to you all and thank you for including Vic and myself in your celebrations.
PLEASE NOTE: The Constituency Office will be closed August 25 - 29 as
I will be in Milwaukee, Wisconsin attending the MidWestern Legislative
Conference.
Remuneration committee
presents ideas
By David Willberg
The council remuneration review committee presented their finding to Estevan
City Council during a July 18 meeting.
Amongst their recommen-dations: eliminating the controversial car allowance
and tying it into the new salary structure; that councillors and the mayor
will be paid one and two dollars per capita, respectively; that council
members receive a $75 bonus for attending budget and union negotiation
meetings; that wages be docked for missing open meetings, and that members
be compensated for mileage and meals.
The per capita structure means each councillor will receive $10,250 per
year and the mayor $20,500.
The report was generally well-received from the five members in attendance.
However, a couple of them were concerned with the recommendation to dock
pay for open meetings missed without a valid excuse. Councillor Bernie
Collins reminded the committee that council's duties also include closed
meetings, committee work, and constantly answering questions from concerned
citizens.
Council tabled the report to a future meeting, but will likely decide
it's fate before the new council is elected in October.
Other highlights of the meeting:
*The proposed new rental fee structure was approved, effective September
1, although some may be appealed. Council approved an $8,400 grant for
the Estevan Arts Council, which will cover that organization's annual
rent at the Souris Valley Aquatic and Leisure Centre. Letters were sent
and an Arts Council delegation made a presentation to City Council, maintaining
they would have been unable to remain open with the added costs.
*The new pool flooring and waterslide stairs tenders were tabled to a
meeting of the Public Works Committee on August 25. The project may be
split up over several years because the preferred ceramic tile will cost
over $165,000.
*Estevan Youth and Mini Soccer made a presentation to council regarding
the leisure fee increases, the progress on fields at Luscar Park, and
the topsoil purchase agreement. Unused capital funding for the fields
will be used on topsoil.
*Polling stations for the 2003 Civic election will be at Westview School
for south residents and the Estevan Exhibition Hall for those who live
north of the tracks. Advance pools will be held on October 16 and 18 at
City Hall.
*Nearly 250 notices have been delivered to owners of unsightly properties.
Second warnings will be mailed this week, and if action still isn't taken,
clean-up work will be done at the owner's expense.
*UMA Engineering services will be contracted to determine what upgrades
are needed for the water treatment plant to meet new regulations.
*The 1928 La France Fire Truck will be moved from the Estevan Airport's
main hangar to the Souris Valley Museum.
*First reading was given to a zoning bylaw on Viking Surplus's new equipment
storage area. Three readings were given to bylaws for enforcement of unsightly
properties and junked vehicles.
*Several more water main breaks have been reported due to the heat, and
City crews have been busy trying to repair them. The City needs to file
application by October 31 to tap into provincial infrastructure funding
for next year.
*Stan Gessner and Blair Friess were awarded a tender for 10 acres of land
south of the city across from the Estevan Woodlawn Golf Course.
*Sunrise Aviation will handle sales and marketing at the Estevan Airport.
Homespun grows
again
Preparations are well underway in Carlyle for the 17th annual Homespun
Fall Craft Show and Sale September 20 and 21.
Dubbed the "Biggest little craft show in Saskatchewan," over
4,000 people are again expected to pack the Carlyle Sports Arena for the
event. This year will feature expanded hours, as the doors will be open
on the 20th from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., an hour later than past years.
"We had a suggestion box, and we had some people saying that it was
hard for those who are working to fit in their shopping at Homespun when
they worked until 5:30 or 6:00 p.m. and the show was done at 6:00,"
said coordinator Judy Riddell. "So we extended it until 7:00 p.m.,
so that will help a little bit."
The second day hours will remain in tact: 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Eighty-one exhibitors have already been confirmed for this year, matching
last year's record total. Amongst the products offered are art, foods,
pottery, jewellery, woodwork, oak tapestry, furniture, candles, vases,
toys, framed calligraphy, ironwork, porcelain, clothing and metal art.
New to this year is the Homespun Quilt Show and Sale, with vendors coming
from across the province. The Sharing Tree will return this year, with
a print from Moose Jaw artist Yvette Moore amongst the prizes. Breast
cancer research will again be the beneficiary, after $2,500 was raised
through last year's tree.
Spruce Ridge almost
finished
By David Willberg
Spruce Ridge School is almost ready to open.
Staff was busy moving their supplies, textbooks and other equipment into
the school last week. The new home for Hillside, Scotsburn and Torquay
School students, plus some from the recently closed Estevan Junior High,
will be all-but finished in time for the start of classes September 2.
Seeding the fields with grass is the most notable task remaining. It has
been delayed by the recent hot, dry weather. Perimeter fencing, flooring,
and front office painting also need to be completed.
A date for a grand opening of the school has yet to be established. Three
dates have been forwarded from Minister of Learning Judy Junor, and it's
now a matter of determining which one works best.
"We're hoping for some time before the end of September," said
Ellery Peters, director of education for the Estevan Public and Rural
School Divisions. "The boards are quite keen to get the building
officially opened and recognized, and invite the community into the building
and celebrate the success."
Curiosity in the community is building as the last few tasks are completed
and the first day of school approaches, Peters reported.
The completion date was pushed back on a couple of occasions, as timing
on a couple sub-trades slowed down the general contractor. There was also
some vandalism in the spring, but that didn't delay construction.
A new, joint board has been established between the Estevan Public and
Rural School Boards that will incorporate all ten members. They will meet
the third Monday of each month.
"They all have a lot of interest in the school, they all have a lot
of commitment to the school and to their respective divisions, so each
board members want to be involved," said Peters. "Both boards
feel a lot of responsibility for the school, so that has worked very well."
Several thousand
raised at ride
Fifty-five people combined to raise over $5,000 for the Saskatchewan Acquired
Brain Injuries Association and the Alida Archives and Library Association
during the 13th annual Ride-a-Long with Dale August 16.
A 10-kilometre ride departed Nottingham Hall in the morning, followed
by a 13-kilometre ride in the afternoon. Many of the participants camped
out near the hall, and some participated in a short, 10-kilometre ride
on the 17th.
Omer Hansen of Virden, Manitoba used an arrangement of music and songs
for entertainment in the evening of the 16th, and he was joined by riders
who sang, played guitar or played the spoons.
Plans are already underway for next year, possibly with a different route.
The Doug Wood family of Estevan had the most pledges with over $1,000.
James Jones of Carnduff was the top individual with more than $1,200.
Award winners were: Manford Drader, Estevan, oldest teamster; Cary Cutler,
Arcola, oldest rider; nine-year-old Shandy McMillen, Carievale, youngest
rider; and Hayden Singleton of Arcola and Emmett and Orrin Swallow of
Alida, all three years old, were the youngest participants. Jake Gentes
and Cody Shain, both from Alberta, travelled the furthest distance.
Run slated for
September 14
Estevan will be the site of a Terry Fox Run on September 14.
Registration begins at 12:00 p.m. at the Civic Auditorium, with the run
beginning an hour later. Participants can walk, run, cycle or roller blade
distances of one to 10 kilometres.
Pledge forms are available at local schools, the Souris Valley Aquatic
and Leisure Centre, or the office of the Estevan Public and Rural School
Divisions.
This is the 21st consecutive year it has been held in Estevan. Over $85,000
has been raised from Estevan and area through the run for cancer research.
Raising money for
MS
The Estevan Lignite Energizers cycled 120 kilometres and raised over $5,000
for multiple sclerosis August 16 and 17.
They were amongst 250 riders in the annual MS bike-a-thon that went from
Rouleau to the Moose Jaw Air Base on the 16th. On the 17th they returned
to Rouleau.
Brent Barreth and Jana Anseth each raised over $1,000 and were part of
the 2003 Club 1,000. Barreth also took part in the one-day, 100 kilometre
challenge on August 16.
Harvest progressing
in Carnduff area
By David Willberg
The harvest season is well underway in Saskatchewan's far southeast region.
Carnduff extension agrologist Grant McLean told Lifestyles that some farms
were over halfway finished their harvesting late last week, while the
larger ones are about a quarter of the way complete. The hot, dry conditions
have progressed work rapidly, much faster than most had anticipated.
"Because of the hot, dry conditions, I think some of the later crops
are probably going to suffer a bit on yields or maybe not yield quite
as much as might have been anticipated, if we would have been able to
have one or two timely rains in August," said McLean.
It's not the speediest harvest on record, but it is one of the quickest
in recent memory.
Many of the pea crops are finished or soon will be finished, while winter
wheat is all done. Early barley, wheat and canola are all well underway.
The Redvers and Storthoaks areas, as expected, are showing the best yields.
Some parts east of Carlyle and in the Oxbow and Carnduff areas are yielding
well.
"It all depends upon where the showers were, because in those same
areas, we found some isolated areas where they missed a shower, so yields
aren't as promising as we'd hoped for."
Quality is better than a year ago, when a wet August dampened any chance
for a bumper crop.
Grasshoppers have caused significant damage in some areas, especially
the later crops - canola, flax and cereals. Mature, mobile grasshoppers
are able to move in and out quicker than before.
Despite some of the challenges producers have faced, the Carnduff region
does look healthy compared to other parts of the province.
"In terms of yields, though, we're probably better than a significant
portion of the province, but I think as far as quality, it depends crop
to crop," said McLean. "We've got some pretty good quality peas,
but the barley is probably a higher protein than the producer would like,
and some of the wheat may be a little bit smaller and a little bit lighter
because it was maturing much faster than we'd like."
Hauling in silver
A 10-run inning was all that kept the Estevan Luscar Peewee AA Haulers
from being best in the west.
The Salmon Arm Sundevils scored 10 runs in the third inning, and went
on to beat the Haulers 17-7 in six innings August 24 to capture the peewee
division at the Western Canadian Baseball Championships in Altona, Manitoba.
The Haulers led 5-1 after the first inning and they were up 6-4 after
two, but couldn't shut the B.C. bats down and had to settle for silver.
It was their second loss to Salmon Arm at the tournament. The Haulers
lost 8-3 to the Sundevils in their opening game August 22, a contest the
Haulers led 3-1 in the third inning.
Estevan made it to the final by beating Manitoba's Fort Garry Sox 7-4
Sunday morning. Both teams had 2-1 record entering the contest. The Haulers
led 2-0 after the first inning and 5-1 through five innings.
Estevan scored two more in the top of the sixth, but the Sox answered
with three in the bottom of the inning to close the gap to 7-4. The seventh
inning was scoreless.
Estevan's first win was on day one, 10-4 over the host Altona Broncos,
a game the Haulers led 6-1 through two innings. They followed that up
with an 8-2 win over the Alberta reps, the Lacombe Dodgers, on day two.
West Nile spreading
across region
By David Willberg
Saskatchewan is quickly becoming Canada's West Nile Virus hotbed.
Twenty-eight confirmed or probable cases disease were reported in the
province as of August 22. Most were in the south, including six in the
Sun Country Health Region. Dr. David Butler Jones, chief medical officer
for the health region, said 95 per cent of the probable cases will likely
prove to be West Nile.
Cases were spread out across the region, but Butler-Jones didn't specify
locations. Two of the six had to be hospitalized. He expected a few more
cases to prop up during the weekend.
"We started to see people infected towards the end of July, and increasing
into the first and second week of August," he told Lifestyles. "Until
we have a good frost, we still have the possibility of new people being
infected from the mosquitos."
Saskatchewan has more West Nile cases than anywhere else in Canada, despite
low mosquito populations.
"Many of our mosquito traps, like in the Estevan area ... are getting
one mosquito at night," said Butler-Jones. "There's not a lot
of mosquitos around, the dry weather has been kind of lousy for crops
but really good for reducing the number of mosquitos."
Many provinces and states that had a high number of cases last year have
low West Nile numbers in 2003. Saskatchewan was expecting human cases
this year after birds and horses tested positive in 2002.
Butler-Jones reminds people that 80 of those who contract West Nile don't
show symptoms, 19 per cent will have symptoms but won't require hospitalization,
and only one in 3000 will die from the virus.
Butler-Jones believes preventative measures can help reduce the risk.
"People can reduce breeding areas, such as shallow water, standing
water in bird baths, and stuff sitting around in the yard such as old
tires," said Butler-Jones. "There's also personal protection
like long sleeves, avoiding (being outside in) peak times ... and the
use of repellent."
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Creative Beauty
The summer yards make a beautiful scene. With flowerbeds contrasting the
lawns so green.
Reid and Rose Walton live at 1905 Wellock Road. "Gardening is my
first love," says Rose, "I plant the flowers and Reid does all
of the vegetable gardening."
Reid and Rose's woodworking shop allows them to build beautiful crafts
and furniture and also serves as a wonderful greenhouse allowing them
to start their own plants in the spring.
They moved into their home in 1967, and that's when they started landscaping
basically from scratch. Rose taught school for many years and has since
retired from teaching Kindergarten at Pleasantdale School. Reid also retired
from working at Enbridge Pipelines.
Creating and maintaining their beautiful home and yard keeps them very
busy as well as traveling and having their grandchildren visit often.
They have three grown children; Sue, Lyle and Tracy with six grandchildren
and another soon to be born.
They are both extremely talented with woodworking and Rose says she enjoys
getting together with her good friend Beth Moore building birdhouses,
plant pedestals, garden benches, obelisks and much more.
Upon the front lawn is a beautiful round display of gorgeous pink and
purple wave petunias. Along the driveway edges, flowerbeds consist of
marigolds and petunias. Crushed rock flows along the driveway corner with
a unique display of tipped barrels spilling out kennel worth ivy.
Within this area are an antique bench, bucket, and large driftwood. Surrounding
flowers are roses, peonies, catone asters, lilies, and perennial geraniums.
The garage front consists of a rustic plant seeder with beautiful impatiens.
The front house steps consist of their sons old work boots, which are
filled with lovely million bellflowers.
Continuing along the front house is a flowerbed displaying dusty miller,
astillbe, trumpet flowers, bleeding hearts and huge dogwood. Within the
corner is a rustic wooden fence bench with beautiful morning glories crawling
up a rustic cedar post and birdhouse display.
A lovely catone aster hedge gows along the side yard. A huge birch shade
tree surrounded by volunteer violets with hanging birdhouses and feeders
is situated upon the lawns corner.
Crushed rock lines the street side with two large flower pots situated
upon each corner, old whiskey barrels and logs filled with beautiful geraniums.
An arch arbor with an attached gate and climbing honeysuckles serves as
a gorgeous entrance into their backyard.
The backyard is truly spectacular.
The side backyard consists of flowing flower gardens with global trimmed
elm trees situated at each end. Antique wagon wheels, a huge cement birdbath
and flowers such as Virginia creeper and heliotrope rests along an obelisk,
which is engulfed in glorious hops and beautiful Chinese peonies.
Reid and Rose have created a lovely arbor display from old church windows
encircled by astillbe and petunias. Three unique teacups and saucers are
attached to copper stands and are situated along this garden as well as
a Saskatoon bush, rose bushes, and Swedish ivy encircle a huge lily bush.
Within the back corner of the yard is a lovely trickling water pump fountain
and bucket display. Strawberry pots tipped to the sides spill out lovely
impatiens. Deer horns, small rocks and old wagon wheels rest along the
other global elm tree. A unique red barn utility shed is situated within
the yards corner.
A beautiful cement sitting and fire pit area consists of wooden and willow
chair sets, a log table, lovely flat rock, old tree stumps and candle
lanterns. Rose created a very unique flower display by using old books,
stacking them and cutting out the centers.
Along the backyard is a norland apple tree surrounded by a lovely garden
called "Grandma's Rock Garden!" Rose hand painted her grandchildren's
names; Serena, Brendon, Kelan, Kayla, Willow, and Jenna upon each large
rock.
Old painted shovels, a rim off an old wagon, a John Deere seat from an
old harrow and an antique binder hub are all situated within the vegetable
garden area. Raspberries grow abundantly along the garden edge. A beautiful
round rose garden with an old tree stump and antique harrow is situated
within the lawns center. Surrounding flowers consist of climbing red roses,
while elegant solar moonlights and mulch add an attractive appearance.
Stepping-stones serve as a walkway towards a beautiful two-level backyard.
A huge silver maple tree shades the deck, which consists of willow chairs,
an umbrella patio set and a large variety of plants
Situated beside the decks corner is an apple tree. Beneath it are flowers
displayed in a rustic garden bench, antique dishpan with a stone sign
that reads "Old Gardeners Never Die…Just Spade Away!"
Large tomato plants grow along the gardens edge with a small shed situated
along the vegetable gardens corner. It consists of climbing purple grapes
and beautiful morning glories.
It is obvious that Reid and Rose have put a tremendous amount of work
into creating their yard into a rustic appearance. Their home and yard
radiates not only a love of gardens but of tremendous woodworking talents
and creativity.
"Attention
Ebay Shoppers"
If you can remember the days when ordering something from the Sears catalog
was exciting, you are as dated as I am. And, if you can remember the Eaton's
catalog, you should probably be sitting down. Those that used Sears Roebuck
deserve a round of applause. Make it a short one though; someone has to
monitor the life-support system.
Men and women shop differently. No secret there. Shopping for the gals
is more of an event than it is a necessity for a product. It usually involves
days, if not weeks of pounding pavement, fitting rooms with revolving
doors and industrial strength credit cards. Guys on the other hand, are
more efficient shoppers because we know what we want. It doesn't mean
that we don't like getting into a store, because we do. It just means
that we are satisfied with going to one store, like Cabela's or Bass Pro.
Nothing compares to one-stop shopping where we can caress a fine graphite
rod or enjoy the sheen on an exquisite over and under shotgun.
Men like catalogues. Why? Because we can see what we like at our fingertips
and we order it. While you gals are on a marathon search for that perfect
Gianni Versace or stylish Stilettos, we have already made our order and
are elsewhere on water, exhilarated by trout coming to the surface, or
visualizing the size of the pike that has our fishing rod bent clear under
our boat! Catalog shopping allows us to do this, and, someone will deliver
it right to our door or the nearest outlet! They do all the work!
However, it doesn't work for everything. For example, I went to the Sony
Store the other day and decided to buy an average 62 inch flat screen
megatron ultra-intelligent TV. You would think, that as a prospective
stockholder in their store, they would carry it out to my pickup for me.
The sales boy looked at me like I was from another planet. When I asked
if they had mail service he laughed out loud. Apparently he liked an alien
with a sense of humour.
Now we have Ebay which is an electronic auction done through your computer.
I'm not normally a fan of such technology but I have even less regard
for snotty-nosed salespeople, so I gave it a try. Thus far I have to say
I'm rather impressed with the system. If a dirty no-account-low-life tries
to pull the wool over your eyes, you can leave something for him that
might help you feel better, but doesn't guarantee you'll get your money
back. It's called negative feedback and it warns everyone in the cyberworld
of the lyin sack of s….., dirty rotten scum bag, cheatin, waste of
skin, lower than a snake's belly, P.O.S., LOSER, that cheated you and
probably stole from Mother Teresa. But you have to do it in 80 characters
or less.
Something to remember about Ebay is that you have to use it in moderation.
Some people just can't handle it and now attend meetings. You know, "Hi,
my name is Mary and I'm an Ebayholic. It stared with a simple garden spade
and before long; I was bidding on shears, garden hoses and lawn ornaments.
Next thing I knew, I was into the hard stuff - shoes and old Elvis records."
It's important to step back from the keyboard once in a while, take some
deep breaths, and get away from the bidding. When this happens to me I
think positive thoughts, grab my fishing gear and, come to think of it,
I need some more Muddler Minnows and you just can't have enough grasshopper
imitations…………
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Figure skaters
learn skills
Approximately 30 skaters from the Estevan area, ranging in age from five
to 18, participated in the Estevan Figure Skating Club's annual camp August
11 to 15 and 18 to 22.
The schedule featured four hours of skating a day for two weeks, allowing
students to work on mostly free skate techniques such as jumping or spinning.
Instructors brought in from throughout the region offered the skaters
a different perspective on what to work on.
According to coordinator and coach Janice Grocholski, it's an important
camp for locals wanting to compete at high levels this year, because they
are able to keep pace with those who get to skate year-round. They also
get to sharpen their skills or break in new skates.
A test day was held on the 22nd to evaluate what was learned in the two
weeks.
STEELERS FOURTH
AT SOUTHERNS
By David Willberg
After three games at the Western Canadian Senior Open Women's Fastpitch
Championships August 14 to 17 in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, it appeared
Carnduff's Southeast Steelers could be on their way to a repeat.
The last three games were a reversal of fortune.
The defending champion Steelers finished fourth at the tournament with
a 3-3 record. They won their first three games, beating Edmonton 1-0 in
extra-innings, Steinbach 9-1 and the Calgary Red Sox 6-0; but then lost
5-4 to the Calgary Silver Mountain Thunder, 12-8 to the host Portage team
and 5-2 to the eventual champion Winnipeg Smitty's.
"It wasn't that we were outplayed or outclassed, we just didn't get
the hits at the right time and we didn't win the right game," said
coach Allan Hubbard. "We needed a win Friday afternoon, and we didn't
get it, and that put the pressure on us. When you leave your fate in someone
else's hands, it never seems to work out for you."
A few players from last year's championship squad didn't return, and while
there were quality replacements, some were from outside the region and
the atmosphere wasn't the same. Then they failed to win a game at provincials
in Moose Jaw.
"I'm still proud of all the girls that give us their time,"
said Hubbard. "It's expensive for them to travel and play ball with
us. They're still a good team and they'll be back next year."
One thing that pleased Hubbard was the fan support, as 40 to 50 fans a
game showed up to cheer them on. Hubbard said the Steelers drew better
than the host team.
Hubbard thinks the Steelers may not have played with the same sense of
urgency this year, since their status as defending champions earned them
a bye. They won't have that perk again next year, when westerns will be
held in Alberta.
"There's a challenge there now," said Hubbard. "This year,
there wasn't a challenge to get there, so the work ethics weren't maybe
as strong all year knowing that they were going. That's my feeling about
it. Knowing that you're going, in the back of your mind, you maybe don't
do that little extra thing, that extra practice at home once in a while."
TAP HOUSE WINS
LEAGUE
It's been a busy time for adult women's soccer in Estevan.
A team of local women travelled to Lloydminster August 15 to 17 for the
Ladies' Recreational Provincials. The Estevan Selects tied the Regina
Capital Steel 2-2, beat the Swift Current United 3-2, and the host Lloydminster
team 2-1. But in the semi-finals, they lost 3-1 to the Regina Crossfire.
Then, in the city's adult women's soccer league final August 20 at the
soccer fields near Woodlawn Regional Park, the Tap House Foxes defeated
the Coyotes 2-1 to win the league.
Young players attend
Bruin camp
By David Willberg
The Estevan Bruins caught a glimpse of the future at their annual summer
hockey school August 11 to 15 and 18 to 22.
Thirty-six young players attended the first week of the summer camp, followed
by 23 the second week. Another 10 to 15 older prospects and Bruin veterans
participated in an August 18 to 22 conditioning camp.
The hockey school stressed the fundamentals of the game and paying attention
to details while encouraging them to have fun.
"We (told them) to put a lot of energy, a lot of enthusiasm into
the drills, and they'll find themselves becoming better players,"
said head coach/GM Kelvin MacKay.
The conditioning camp was the first time MacKay had seen a lot of the
club's top prospects and veteran players in action. It stressed getting
legs back while allowing players to shake off any rust that had accumulated
over the course of the summer. Several of the prospects at the conditioning
camp could be playing for the Black and Gold this winter.
MacKay credited the Estevan Minor Hockey program for the skills many of
young players showcased. About 95 per cent of the players at the hockey
school were from southeast Saskatchewan, which was exciting news for MacKay,
because he was able to watch the veteran Bruins interact with the younger
players.
"I've really been more than pleased," said MacKay. "And
I hope they're pleased with me, too, because this was my first experience
working with young kids. We want the kids to have fun, we feel that if
they're going to have fun, they're going to work hard, and if they're
tired when they go home at night, then we've done a good job."
Mack takes Tombstone
Barrie Mack outlasted 74 other golfers to win the annual Men's Tombstone
August 17 at the Estevan Woodlawn Golf Course.
The tombstone has a unique format, as the winner is the last player to
reach a score that combines his handicap with the 71 that is par for the
course. Mack is a 23 handicap, and was the last man standing when he reached
a score of 94 on hole two and his 20th of the day.
For his efforts, he won a golf bag and was presented with a championship
plaque, named after long-time Tombstone competitor Bob Toombs.
Parnell Pidhorny won the award for the low score for 18 holes with a 70.
WILD NIGHT AT THE
RACES
By David Willberg
It was a record-setting night at the Estevan Motor Speedway August 16,
although not in the way organizers want.
An unprecedented three red flags were used during the evening. The first
one was for a scary rollover in the mini-sprint trophy dash. Darcy Walker's
right front tire touched Dave Dayman's left rear tire, causing Walker
to flip three times.
Walker was uninjured, and amazingly, raced in the feature, but without
the top of his car. He managed to finish eighth.
In the hobby stock feature, Ray Vielander lost control of his car coming
out of turn four and hit the wall very hard. Fire crews needed to extinguish
a small blaze, and Vielander needed medical assistance.
Finally, Drew Christiansen of Minot hit the same wall in the modified
feature, and before the dust cloud settled, he was rammed by Frobisher's
Stan Mayer. Both cars suffered substantial damage.
It was also a key night for the points chases. The battle for the hobby
stock title is the tightest. Daryle Runge was involved in a first lap
incident in the feature race, did not finish, and was placed in 18th;
while Troy Adams came in second. That leaves Runge with a one-point lead,
368 to 367, with three races to go.
Davin Emmel finished first, the fifth straight race he has placed in the
top two.
Ed Turnbull showed he isn't giving up in the modified championship race,
as he outlasted Americans Steven Pfeiffer and Joren Boyce, who finished
second and third, respectively. The bad news for Turnbull is the two U.S.
drivers are the two men he's trailing in the standings, so Turnbull gained
minimal ground.
Boyce has 331 points, 15 better than Pfeiffer and 19 more than Turnbull.
Vern Symons has all-but wrapped up the mini-sprint crown He finished third
in the feature, and now has a 26-point lead on Kyle Fedyk. Symons' closest
competitor entering the weekend, Kevin Lisafeld, wasn't racing due to
harvest season. Audy Mathison of Oxbow won the feature for the evening.
Next racing action is the annual Arizona Mechanical Fall Classic September
13 and 14. Both programs start at 4:00 p.m.
Drag races set
for September 21
By David Willberg
The Estevan Drag Racing Association (EDRA) will host its inaugural program
September 21.
Between 1,500 and 2,000 fans are expected to attend the day-long event,
with up to 64 cars to race. A bracket format will be used, meaning drivers
will be racing the clock. Reaction time and consistency will be at a premium
instead of speed and wallet size.
If a full 64-car field shows up, first place will receive $300, with $200
for second and $70 for third and fourth.
"We want to make sure we run a good race," said EDRA vice-president
Jack Pfeifer. "We are new to this, as far as running an event. A
lot of us have participated in drag racing, but that is entirely different
from running a drag race event."
Competitors are expected to come from southeast Saskatchewan, Saskatoon,
Regina, Brandon, Minot and many points in between. Professional drag racer
Bill Solomon of Langbank is expected to be in Estevan.
It'll be similar to what Esterhazy holds each September, an event that
attracted 3,000 people last year.
Estevan City Council issued approval at their July 7 meeting. The agreement
is now being drawn up by the city solicitor, and once it's finished, the
EDRA likely sign on. The EDRA already has the necessary insurance and
crowd protection measures in place.
Their long-term goal remains to build a race facility in the Estevan area,
and this event will give them a better grasp of how much demand there
is.
"This, of course, being the first event of it's kind in this area
since the 1970s - as I understand it - will show us what the interest
is going to be like," said Pfeifer. "From what we've heard (as
far as spectators), there is a fair bit of interest in the area, but come
race day, we'll see what the stands are looking like and what the interest
is."
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