What's Happening:

Veterans Review and Appeal Board Member's Expenses Ridiculous Alliance Critic Says Unchecked Spending is Hurting Veterans and their Widows
OTTAWA- On September 22, 2003, Roy Bailey, MP, Veterans Affairs Critic for the Canadian Alliance, said the alleged $160,000 in expense claims submitted by a Veterans Review and Appeal Board (VRAB) Member is absolutely ridiculous, especially with the Minister's repeated claims that there is no money to look after veterans' widows. The Prime Minister appointed his former riding secretary, Denise Tremblay, to a $100,000 per year job on the Veterans Review and Appeal Board in 2001. In two years, it is said she has billed the Department $160,000 for expenses.
"How do you explain this to a veteran living on a War Veterans' allowance of just $1,100 a month?" Bailey questioned. "Not only that, the Minister of Veterans Affairs has told the House repeatedly he does not have enough money to give veterans widows a Veterans Independence Program (VIP) benefit to help them stay in their own homes. He says he can't afford to pay $200 a month to a majority of widows excluded from the benefit and yet lets his staff claim outrageous expenses? This one person's expenses alone, could pay to keep 80 widows in their own homes for a year."
Last week, the Veterans Affairs Minister introduced Bill C-50 in Parliament, which reinstates some benefits to veterans and their family, which were cut during Paul Martin's program review in 1995. For instance, orphans of veterans killed while in service will receive education benefits retroactive to when they were cut off, but the Bill does not reinstate widows who were cut off from benefits in the year following the veteran's death. Veterans Affairs pays a Veterans Independence Program benefit to veterans, usually $200 - $300 each month to help them stay in their homes. The extension of these benefits to the veteran's widow has been a top priority of veterans' organizations for years.
"The Minister is already limiting benefits to veterans and their families affected by this Bill and in regulations passed this summer, by reallocating funds within the Department, instead of seeking additional funds. But, with money flowing freely into the pockets of some VRAB board members, I wonder how serious the Minister is about looking after our veterans and widows," Bailey said.

Humane Society in new building
These are just a few of the many cats waiting to be adopted at the Estevan Humane Society's new building.
The Estevan Humane Society moved into their new home near the Estevan Brick Plant earlier this month.
Construction took over a year, but it had been in the works for nearly a decade. The Humane Society first obtained the building nearly two years ago.
"We're very excited," said Humane Society president Jocelyn Dougherty. "It's been a long time coming. I know the public has been wondering what's been taking so long, but a lot of it was just waiting for volunteer work to get done, and we had a few things that held us back."
The old building has been put up for sale by the City.
There is still some work to be done, as the organization has run out of money for the project. The most notable task is completion of the dog runs on the Humane Society side.
Even though the new home can accommodate more animals, they are already nearing capacity. When all is complete, they'll be able to hold roughly 18 dogs and 30 cats. They're currently at six dogs and almost 30 cats.
"It was amazing, the very first day we moved all of the animals over there, they were just all quiet, they just seemed so happy and content," said Dougherty.
Students have been volunteering, so they're looking someone to coordinate the efforts.
Captured animals will be stay in the animal pound side for the first three days. If not claimed, they'll be transferred to the Humane Society section, where members of the public can adopt them.
Benefits of the new facility include substantially more size, separation of dogs and cats, a quarantine room, improved heating and ventilation, and washrooms for staff and visitors.
A grand opening and open house will likely be held in November.

COUNCIL NOTES
Highlights from the September 22 meeting of Estevan City Council:
*The Estevan United Way will place stencilled logos at various locations across the city to promote their October 17 and 18 Marathon.
*A group of local clothing merchants is requesting that transient vendors pay a more substantial amount for business licences to operate for a few months in the city. The merchants feel the current practice hurts their sales. Councillor Barrie Korf suggested the City talk to the Estevan Chamber of Commerce about it. Mayor Tim Perry said there's little that City Council can do right now.
*The Souris Valley Aquatic and Leisure Centre's swimming pool won't be open until November 1 due to the unavailability of epoxy grout in Canada. The shut-down was originally supposed to end October 13. City manager Jim Puffalt doesn't know how much revenue will be lost because of the delay.
*New members of council elected on October 22 will receive orientation sessions. A closed meeting will be held October 29, with swearing-in ceremonies November 3. The first regular meeting will be November 12.
*Souris Valley Paving was awarded a contract worth $96,816.81 for the paving of Heritage Drive. Members of council are hopeful that the work can be completed before cold weather sets in.
*An Estevan Chamber of Commerce letter indicated a willingness to meet with council in November, after the election, in regards to economic development.
*Fifty portable radios will be purchased from B and L Communications for $67,500 and operated for $25 a month each. The cost will be split between the City and Joint Emergency Planning.
*Barring an emergency session, the final open meeting for this term's council will be October 6.

Time to Share the Warmth
SaskEnergy will kick off its 10th annual Share the Warmth Recycling Project for Estevan this week.
Besides donating any clean and usable warm clothing and children's books between October 1 and 18, Estevan and area residents are also encouraged to donate blankets, all of which will be distributed to less fortunate families.
Donations can be dropped off at SaskEnergy's Estevan office. Also, 10 schools in Estevan and the surrounding communities have registered to help collect items for this year's Share the Warmth.
"This recycling project has been a success year after year, with hundreds of Estevan area residents donating sweaters, toques, mittens, blankets ... any piece of warm clothing they can spare," said Estevan spokesperson Lorraine Oleskiw. "This year, we're focusing on blankets, as that's one of the items most in demand."
The schools will assist in collecting, bagging and sorting any items. A trophy and barbecue will be the prizes for the school that brings in the most.
While blankets have seen the greatest increase in demand, Oleskiw said other items are being requested more frequently, too. Local residents who need those items can visit the Estevan SaskEnergy office after October 18th to pick them up, before they are shipped to Regina.
Over the past nine campaigns, the SaskEnergy Share the Warmth Recycling Project has collected half a million sweaters, toques, mittens, scarves, blankets and children's books. Over 15,000 warm fuzzies and children's books were collected from Estevan and Weyburn last year, nearly doubling the 2001 output.

Empey has Elvis link
John Empey met earlier this month with members of the Jordanaires: (L-R) Ray Walker, Gordon Stoker, Curtis Young and Louis Nunley.
Jonny Ellis (Empey)
By David Willberg
John Empey isn't an Elvis Presley impersonator, but he has a legendary link to the King of Rock and Roll.
Back in 1966, Empey was an aspiring Ontario country music singer, using the pseudonym Jonny Ellis. He cut a couple of records in Nashville, and had the legendary Jordanaires backing him up. The Jordanaires did most of the back-ups for Presley and have worked with thousands of other bands.
"They were very easy to work with," said Empey. "They're professionals. They do what they do so well."
"When you walk in to record, you go over the material with them for five minutes, and they, among themselves, work out the arrangement of what they're going to do in the background, go over it with the producer, and within 10 or 15 minutes, you're ready to take the first shot at the recording."
The group was changed over the years. Two of the originals Empey recorded with are still there, while two others have died and been replaced.
The Jordanaires performed with Rory Allen and the Regina Symphony Orchestra on September 13, and Empey was able to meet with them. Their recall amazed Empey, as they cited all the facts related to the recording.
Empey has been told that his CD was ranked number one on Canada's country charts for 10 consecutive weeks in 1967, but he doesn't know how many copies it sold. He recorded with Lucky 11 Records of Flint, Michigan, but they went belly-up shortly after the record was released. Still, Empey has no regrets.
"I continued to play music ... for a period of time full-time, and then I decided that really wasn't the career for me, that there were lots of talented people out there, that maybe I wasn't all that competitive, and maybe there were other things I should be doing," he said.

~ ELECTIONS 2003 ~

CANDIDATE FOR MAYOR: SHIRLEY THERA
Shirley Thera is trying to become mayor in her first attempt at Estevan City Council.
Thera believes she would bring vision, experience, leadership and commitment to the position. She is currently the vice-chair and a member-at-large on the Estevan Board of Police Commissioners, was the spokesperson for the 2003 Estevan City Council remuneration committee, and has other community involvements.
In a press release, Thera said she'd bring 30 years of leadership experience, a clean slate and no baggage. She wants to review the present, begin to develop the future and not live in the past. She views Estevan as "a wonderful, vibrant city" that deserves to have a progressive and accountable council. Thera wants maximum active participation from the citizens of Estevan on all issues.
"I don't believe that council goes back to their citizens for their input enough," she said.
Other issues for Thera:
*Compilation of aggressive but strategic long-term plans for three, five, 10 and 20 years for economic development, infrastructure, budgets and Leisure Services, followed by bringing them to the citizens for their input.
*Commitments to economic development groups such as the Estevan Chamber of Commerce, Estevan Tourism and other organizations needs to be discussed.
*Budget deliberations should be open to the public, with individuals and groups able to voice their suggestions and solutions, even if it means more meetings. Once the budget is finished, large sums of money shouldn't be spent on unbudgeted items, unless it's an emergency.
*Infrastructure improvements need to be made, especially water main replacements to prevent future breaks.
*Continued lobbying to the provincial and federal governments for increased funding on street and road repairs.
*A clear consensus needs to be attained on all issues, while maintaining a respect for all opinions and having healthy debate and discussion.
The director of Occupational Health and Safety at St. Joseph's Hospital, Thera has two grown children.

2003 Candidates for councillor:
Candidate for councillor: Lori Carr
Lori Carr (formerly Morstad) is one of several newcomers in this year's councillor race.
Born and raised in Estevan, Carr believes it's a wonderful community to raise her family. However, she sees projects getting started but not being finished such as the soccer fields at Luscar Park, and there are other things she'd like to see completed that simply aren't getting done.
Carr is seeing some division on council, which she views as detrimental to the overall well-being of the community.
"I think it's really important for them to work as one, and just do what's in the best interests of the City of Estevan, not necessarily their personal agendas," she said.
Like many other candidates, infrastructure is another contentious issue for her due to the rough shape many of the roads are in.
Carr would like to see the City run in a more businesslike fashion, especially when giving out loans or giving money away. The City, she said, should at least break even each year.
She feels she would bring the perspective of somebody who was born and raised in the community and is involved in the community. She works at Assante Capital Management, which focuses on making and attaining reasonable financial goals, and thinks that help her if she's elected.
"I think I can bring a little bit of that to the table, realistic expectations when it comes to spending," said Carr.
Carr and her husband Jeff have four children: Samantha, Miranda, Mercedes and Wyatt.

Candidate for councillor: Larry Ward
Larry Ward is making another attempt at Estevan City Council.
Ward was a member of council from 1982 to 1985 and again from 1988 to 1997, and Estevan's MLA from 1995 to 1999 for the NDP. He finished 11th in the 2000 civic election, but has decided to run again because a number of people encouraged him to let his name stand.
Ward wants to change the current attitude of council from one of division to one that works together and cooperates.
"It's fine to go out and have different issues," said Ward. "Go to the council meetings, vote on the issues, but then leave your problems in the chamber. Don't bring them out into the public, drag them around afterwards and back-stab other people."
A negative attitude about council results in a negative attitude in the community, which then extends beyond Estevan, he said. If elected, Ward feels he would bring a positive attitude along with his experience.
Ward also believes the city needs to hire a full-time engineer. Earlier this year, the City signed a three-year deal with UMA Engineering to provide those services.
"A city this size definitely needs an engineer in place to run the Public Works department," said Ward. "That would help you plan your projects, plan your developments, and it's got to be too expensive to contract it out all the time."
As for infrastructure, Ward knows council has put programs in place for future years, and knows they can't do more than they have the funding for.
Ward is a retired SaskTel employee. He and his wife Ada have three grown-up children.

Candidate for councillor: Roy Ludwig
Roy Ludwig is seeking a fourth consecutive term on Estevan City Council.
The veteran politician, first elected in 1994, finished first of 14 candidates in the 2000 civic election. He's been leaning towards not running this term, but he spoke with both people in the community and his family about it, and decided to run after getting a green light.
"In the end, my love of municipal politics won out, and I'm going to throw my name in the ring and give it another try," he said.
Fiscal responsibility continues to be an issue for Ludwig, as he hopes council can continue to pay off the debt, while doing as much work on infrastructure as possible.
"I think we have turned a corner as far as locking in our long-term debt, and next year we should have some money freed up to look at the infrastructure and some street work, so I do see a light at the end of the tunnel," said Ludwig.
Ludwig would also thinks it's important to lobby the provincial government for more revenues from the VLTs, revenue sharing and the fuel tax so they can get more money to work on projects.
Agreements with both CUPE and the Estevan Police Service will expire next year. Ludwig has taken an important role in labor negotiations in the past, and while it wasn't instrumental in his decision to run, he wouldn't mind being involved again.
Overall, he's pleased with the direction and the small steps forward that the City has taken the past three years.
Ludwig and his wife Denise have three children: Justin, Nicole and David.

Candidate for councillor: Sandy Wilson
Sandy Wilson is seeking his first full term on Estevan City Council.
Wilson was elected in October of 2001, winning in a landslide to fill the seat vacated by Patricia Schryver. Wilson called the first term a tremendous learning experience, that it's been beneficial to finding out how to handle the issues that are important to the people of Estevan.
He decided to run for another term because he feels the city is in a "very, very desperate" situation. He pointed to current road conditions as a key issue.
"These next years have to be dedicated to repairing the city, and I believe that I am the person who wants to follow through with this and make a commitment in caring for the utilities and appearance for the city," said Wilson.
The owner of RS Wilson and Son Construction, he feels his business background gives him a greater awareness that the City can't do more than what they have the money for.
Animal control is another big one for him, as he doesn't want to see somebody seriously injured or killed because of a domesticated or undomesticated animal. He'd like to see council work in a more constructive manner with volunteers who are ambitious and want to improve the city.
Wilson would also like to see the hiring of a professional, in-house regional economic development officer under council's concern who would then work with the different organizations in the city, such as business, sport and leisure.
Wilson and his wife Marion have five children.

Candidate for councillor: Colin Keess
A veteran educator is trying to join Estevan City Council.
Colin Keess, a former principal and current teacher at the Estevan Comprehensive School, is seeking his first term as a councillor. After spending his life working with young people, he feels he can act as a voice for them and their parents.
"I've asked a lot of young people 'when was the last time that someone in authority asked you something,' and to a kid, they said 'they've never asked,'" said Keess. "I think it's time we asked our young people what they want. If we want to encourage young people to come and live in our city, stay in our city, we have to listen to what they want, and we have to listen to their parents."
Young people want something to do on a Friday or Saturday night, and Keess doesn't see enough of that in place right now, since all don't want to go to the swimming pool or the skating rink.
"If you give young people the forum to articulate what they want, they will tell you," said Keess.
Keess has spent the past 15 years in the city, and believes Estevan is a good community and a good place to raise a family. He called it a "jewel in the rough," and he wants to see the community grow.
Other issues for Keess are taxes, the current divisions that exist on council, and short and long-term planning. Keess doesn't see any of the latter in place, and thinks long-term plans should be in five-year increments.
Keess and his wife Leigh have a daughter, Amy.

Candidate for councillor: John Len
John Len is looking to return to Estevan City Council.
He was a councillor from 1988 to 1994 and mayor from 1994 to 2000. He finished fourth in the 2000 mayoral race.
Len decided to seek a return to council last winter because of his frustrations with the snow removal. Since then, other decisions, such as transferring a $3 million line of credit to a loan, have fortified his decision. The city was receiving prime minus one-half per cent.
"This foolish move is costing the taxpayer an extra $3,650 per month, or approximately $18,250 to date," said Len. "Imagine what it will cost after 10 years."
In the next three years, Len would like to see water and sewer rates reduced by 10 per cent, the management team downsized, snow removal returned to past levels, streets repaired and water mains replaced on an ongoing and realistic basis, a pro-active approach to attracting new business, efficient spending instead of raising taxes.
Len isn't in favor of shifting taxes from business to residential ratepayers or vice versa. He doesn't think the cities should implement a one cent per litre fuel tax to help repair roads. He suggests local improvement should be shared evenly, instead of residents paying 80 per cent.
If elected, Len feels he would represent all walks of life and would bring experience.
"I would bring knowledge of the city, knowledge of the infrastructure, knowledge of the conditions of our streets and knowledge of the snow removal," said Len.
Len is a retired police officer. He and his wife Linda have a daughter, Jamie, and two grandsons.

2003 Candidates for public school:
Candidate for public trustee:
- Theresa Dumaine -
Theresa Dumaine is seeking her first full term on the Estevan Public School Board.
Dumaine defeated Jack Bramham 60-29 in last November's by-election to replace Gerry Muir. She feels like she just got "her feet in there" the past 10 months, and there's much for her to be a part of and help accomplish.
"You can really only do so much in the first year, and we had a lot on our plate this first year that I was in there," said Dumaine. "I think I really need to come in there and get the broad spectrum."
In her first term, the board went through the Kindergarten to Grade 8 transition project, the construction of Spruce Ridge School and the closure of Hillside School and the Estevan Junior High, amalgamation discussions with the Estevan Rural School Board and annual budget discussions.
She's hoping for a quieter term with many projects completed, but hopes to use the extra time to be more involved, attend conventions and learn more about other boards in the province and country. There aren't any major issues for her entering this election.
The past year was a real learning process for her, and she's starting to understand her role on the board and the contributions the school board makes to the community.
- Dumaine is a child care provider. She and her husband Jarred have three children.

Candidate for public trustee:
- Pam Currie -
Pam Currie is seeking a third term on the Estevan Public School Board.
Currie was first elected in 1997, and was returned via acclamation in 2000. She has enjoyed her six years, during which time she feels they have accomplished a lot, including completion of the Kindergarten to Grade 8 (K-8) transition project.
This should be a quieter term for the board, in her opinion, now that they have finished the building projects and closed the Estevan Junior High and Hillside School, which did sadden Currie. She doesn't see any major issues on the horizon, but she recognizes the schools-plus initiative's community schools program and education funding will have to be considered.
"The Saskatchewan School Trustees Association has been making movement in trying to petition the government in changing the property tax structure so that the taxpayers aren't as responsible for the education tax," said Currie. "That's going to be a big thing in the next three years, trying to accomplish that goal to make the government pick up more of the taxes for education."
They'll also have to continue to monitor the transition to K-8 schools and get through any cliches that may come with that.
- Currie is an employee with the City of Estevan. She and her husband Paul have two children: Adam and Rheannon, both of them enrolled at ECS.

Candidate for public trustee:
- Jack Bramham -
Jack Bramham is taking another shot at the Estevan Public School Board.
Bramham was defeated 60-29 by Theresa Dumaine in a by-election last November to replace Gerry Muir. Even before the by-election, he had targeted 2003 as the time he'd like to get on the board. He is presently sitting on the board for the Estevan Co-op, and has other community involvements.
Even after his loss, he continued to voice a desire to be elected. He believes the school board has been well run the past few years and hopes to continue that tradition.
"It's a well-operated and well maintained school division," said Bramham. "I don't have any burning issues for what I think is wrong with the school division, I know there are qualified people who seem to be doing a good job as far as management goes."
He is also a believer in life-long learning, and believes the public school system is the place for it to start.
- An employee at the Estevan Credit Union, Bramham and his wife Ronda have two children.

Candidate for public trustee: JADE CABLE
Jade Cable is taking his first crack at the Estevan Public School Board.
Cable has an extensive background working with children, having volunteered for the Estevan Family Centre and as a coach in minor sports. He and his wife Theresa have served as foster parents and family support workers.
"With all the changes that are going on with the school system, I had a lot of questions on different things, and I thought it'd be good to get involved and do something, or sit back and let somebody else do it," said Cable.
He had a number of people approach him about running for the board, including outgoing chair Shirley Batters. His time commitment to the Family Centre and foster parents have diminished, so he felt this was an opportune time. He was surprised there weren't more people running in the election.
Cable is pleased with the direction the board has taken in recent years. If elected, he recognizes there would be a steep learning curve on how the system works. His is concerned with class sizes, since he doesn't want to see them approach 40 students, but he won't criticize until he knows the whole situation.
Cable is the engineered products coordinator for Waterflood Service and Sales. The Cables have three young children: Jasa, Sadye and Cashton.

Candidate for public trustee: Ron Jickling
Ron Jickling is seeking a sixth term on the Estevan Public School Board.
First elected in 1988, Jickling has served as chair of both the Public and the Estevan Comprehensive School Boards during his 15-year tenure. With the retirement of seven-term trustee Shirley Batters, Jickling would become the most experienced trustee if re-elected.
Jickling decided to run due to a continuing interest in children and contributing to their education. He feels he and his family have taken a lot from the community, and views the board as a way he can give back.
"I do have a fair amount of experience ... and there have been a number of things happening recently, with the building of schools and Spruce Ridge School being built," said Jickling. "There are still some outstanding items that need to be worked through, and I think I bring some of the history that will help to do that."
Maintaining quality education in the midst of tight government funding will continue to be an issue over the next three years. This past term has been taxing, but with the building meetings finished, Jickling is thinking the board's workload may be reduced.
A widower, Jickling has three children: Jeff, Debbie and Wesley.

Candidate for public trustee: Linda Perry
Linda Perry is seeking a fifth term on the Estevan Public School Board.
The veteran trustee still finds her work to be exciting, interesting and challenging. She is the vice-chair of the Estevan Comprehensive School Board and has served on numerous committees. She was contemplating not running due to a recent motorcycle accident, but her love for the board drew her back.
"The main reason I'm running is because I believe in the high quality education that we have in the public system, and I want to be part of seeing that still happen," said Perry. "Also, I would like to support the teaching staff, because they are excellent, and if it wasn't for the excellent teachers, we wouldn't have the high quality of education that we now see."
Support staff is something else she views as being high quality in Estevan.
With completion of the Kindergarten to Grade 8 transition and construction at Spruce Ridge, Perry believes the biggest issue is education funding, as she'd like to see the provincial government pick up more of the tab and ease the pressure on the municipalities.
Three other current trustees are running, but Perry will miss chair Shirley Batters, who has already declared her intentions not to run. Perry called Batters an "inspiration" to all on the board.
Perry is a general insurance broker at Border Bannatyne Insurance. She and her husband Rick have three children: Jamela, Trina and Travis.

2003 Candidates for estevan roman catholic separate school
Candidate for separate trustee: Karen Melle
Karen Melle is seeking a return to the Estevan Roman Catholic Separate School Board.
Melle worked as a trustee from 1997 to 2000, but fell short by only four votes in the 2000 civic election. She decided to run this year not because she came so close last time, but because of encouragement from her family, church and the community.
She has a strong belief in the need to continue with Catholic education after seeing her children advance through it. Melle thinks she would be able to make strong contributions to the board, as she enjoys the challenges and rewards that are associated with it.
The division will merge with its counterparts in Weyburn and Radville on January 1, 2004, forming the Holy Family Roman Catholic Separate School Division. The upcoming amalgamation is something she finds exciting, as she was on the board when the three boards began sharing services.
"This is the final part and the continuation of a framework to provide something that I think is very useful and beneficial to all divisions," said Melle.
Melle is employed with the Southeast Regional College. She and her husband Peter have three children: Kristy, Kendra and Brett.

Candidate for separate trustee:
Cindy Zeleny
Cindy Zeleny is seeking a second term on the Estevan Roman Catholic Separate School Division.
Zeleny finished fifth in the 2000 election. She decided to run again because she enjoyed her first term, she wants to be involved in the amalgamation process, and she wants to be part of the transition process for the closure of St. John's School.
"I've just enjoyed the whole process of working with everybody and doing everything," she said.
She wants to finish what she was a part of from the start and see the amalgamation process through to end, rather than walking away in the midst of it and letting somebody else handle it.
Her first term has been a real learning experience, as it has enabled her to see how things work, meet interesting people, and work with the other members of the board. She has several highlights from the first three years.
"I'm glad that we've kept the mill rate down, we've got the transportation, we've got the buses," said Zeleny.
Zeleny works at Henders Drugs. She and her husband Mike have two children.

Candidate for separate trustee: Lester Bill
Lester Bill will try for a second term on the Estevan Roman Catholic Separate School Board.
Bill finished second in the 2000 election. He still wants to be involved with the board and in particular the amalgamation process, which will result in Estevan joining with Weyburn and St. Olivier in Radville to form the Holy Family Roman Catholic Separate School Division January 1, 2004.
"I'd like to try and help the kids and staff members in Estevan, because it's going to be a different look," said Bill. "With the amalgamated board, you're not going to have five board members in Estevan, you're going to have three."
St. John's School will close next June, and Bill, whose two children attend the school, wants to be involved with the transition of students and staff to St. Mary's or Sacred Heart.
He would like to see the division's enrolment at least stay steady over the next three years, and expand if at all possible. To do that, he knows he'll have to work with others on the board to come up with new ideas.
The first term has been a learning experience for him, and has given him a different perspective. But he recognizes he'll always be learning as long as he's on the board. Bill and his wife Shelly have two children, Josh and Kaitlin.

Healing Ourselves
"HANDLING THOSE EVERYDAY ANNOYANCES IN LIFE"
· Place things in their proper perspective. Ask yourself, how serious is the problem or situation? Where does it lie on the 'Trivial (1)---------Important (10) scale?
· Write the annoyance off. It doesn't help to agonize over a situation that has already occurred. Are you able to chalk it up as a lesson learned and then get on with living?
· Grit your teeth. Some pain and displeasure is inevitable in life. Accept this. Absorb the pain knowing that things good and not so good touch all of us.
· Divert your impatience. If you are kept waiting for someone or something, find something constructive (physical or mental) to do while you wait. Convert waiting time into useful time and replace your negative feelings with constructive actions.
· Be persistent. Do some activity that will lead you towards a positive goal. Keep repeating positive behaviours that you believe will help you get to whatever goal you set for yourself.
· Rise above the annoyance. How you react to annoyance is important, not how others react. If you ignore something in your mind, it often disappears.
· Take one day at a time. Avoid linking today's bad news with yesterday's bad news. See each day as a separate challenge. Start off each morning with a clean slate and a positive attitude.
· This too, will pass. Most uncomfortable situations eventually run their course. Many annoying circumstances in life have a natural life cycle, with a beginning, middle and end.
· Let good news help. Use your next bit of good news to ease the pain of your most pressing annoyance.

ELECS PLAYED TILL THEY DROPPED
Members of the Elecs girl's volleyball team guard the net before service in a game versus Weyburn September 27.
The Estevan Comprehensive School Elecs girl's volleyball team hosted their annual "Play 'Till you Drop" tournament September 26 and 27.
Twelve teams from southern Saskatchewan played 11, 40-minute games each, and the team with the most total points at the end of each game won. ECS finished with a 6-5 record and in a three-way tie for fifth, but losses to the two other teams left them officially in seventh.
In a repeat of last year's final, the Melville Cobras beat the Monmartre Eagles.

Encouraging safe racing
By David Willberg
The Saskatoon Police Service's Street Legal Racing program had three of the 64 cars at the Estevan Drag Racing Association's first annual Arizona Mechanical Bracket Bash September 21 at the Estevan Airport.
While none of the vehicles advanced very far, they generated lots of attention. A passenger rode in the marked police car - a 1981 Chevy Malibu - much of the day, learning first-hand that drag racing is safe.
A Monte Carlo and an S15 truck, both unmarked, also competed.
Retired Staff Sergeant Aime Decae was behind the wheel of the Malibu on race day. He said they've been looking forward to coming to Estevan and bringing their "If you want to race, the street is not the place" message to the youth.
Street Legal is a non-profit organization and isn't funded by taxes. They are dedicated to informing youth regarding the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse, educating all people on the risks of impaired driving, teaching the public about illegal racing and why the track is the safest place, and
promoting a better understanding between the police and the community.
The team races regularly at Saskatoon International Raceway, where youth can challenge the Malibu to a race, and young Estevan drivers were given a similar opportunity. They get a few challenges in Saskatoon, with the Malibu usually coming out on top, according to Decae.
"We gladly meet any challenge if a young driver wants to come out and drag race legally," said Decae. "It's the only place where you can legally pull up to a marked police car as the lights go down and turn green, and have a good, fun, clean, legal race. And at the end, everybody wins, because it's sanctioned and it's in a safe mode."

Bruins win one, lose one, deal Butler
By David Willberg
They only played two games, but it was a busy week for the Estevan Bruins.
A 5-4 overtime road win over Notre Dame September 23 and a 5-1 loss in Yorkton the following night left them with a 2-1-0-1 record.
The victory over Notre Dame was their first in Wilcox in nearly three years. Dylan Dufour scored twice and added two assists, including the winning goal on a penalty shot, and Lorne Tytlandsvik added two goals and an assist. The Black and Gold rallied from 2-0 and 4-2 deficits.
The following night in Yorkton, Estevan was tied 1-1 with the Terriers late in the second, but Yorkton struck twice late in the period and added two short-handed goals in the third for a 5-1 win. Scott Sinclair had the lone Bruin tally.
"We had the majority of the play ... from the beginning through halfway through," said coach/GM Kelvin MacKay on the Yorkton loss. "We didn't capitalize on some good scoring opportunities, their goalie absolutely stole the game for them. If we would have capitalized on those (chances) and gotten a one or two goal lead, it's a different story."
They play at home September 30 versus Notre Dame, then head on the road October 3 to 5, with games in La Ronge, Nipawin and Battlefords.
Off the ice, the most significant news was the trading of holdout forward Jason Butler to the MJHL's OCN Blizzard for 19-year-old Bienfait product Chris Hammett and future considerations. Butler, 20, left the team late in the pre-season after two years with the club. Hammett should bring grit and character.
"He's a local kid who has really worked hard," said MacKay. "(Director of player personnel) Rick Oakes got some really good scoops on him, he seems to be a good fit with where we're going with the program."
Notes: Forward Matt Harms broke a thumb in a fight against Notre Dame and is expected to miss four to six weeks...Defencemen Travis Shipka and Rod McKenzie have been put on junior "B" cards with the Regina Capitals, while forward Jordan Murray has been released. The additions of Hammett, forward Chris Carr and Darryl Marchuk leave them with 23 players.

Boyce, Runge and Symons track champions
By David Willberg
The bulk of the Estevan Motor Speedway's three remaining track champions were decided during the September 28 Season Championship.
Minot's Joren Boyce captured the IMCA Modified crown, Lampman's Daryle Runge the hobby stock championship and Estevan's Vern Symons the mini-sprints.
Boyce won his title in fine fashion, edging out Bowbells, ND's Steven Pfeiffer in the final race. Ironically, Pfeiffer finished second to Boyce in the season championship as well, 447-429.
This was the 29th track championship in Boyce's illustrious career, but his first in Estevan. He has now won a championship at every track he has raced at regularly since 1990.
"I'm overwhelmed," said Boyce. "I'm super-proud to represent (the U.S.), a lot of the guys involved at the Speedway are friends of mine - drivers, crews, officials, all that, I'm just excited."
He had finished second to Ed Turnbull the past two years. He pointed to finishing races and preparation as keys to his championship.
Boyce entered the finale with a 17-point lead. After Turnbull, Ed Conlin and Wayne Johnson dropped out, he was guaranteed the title. That allowed him to be more aggressive.
"I was so scared of breaking down," said Boyce. "I saw Ed had some misfortune and didn't make the line-up, that left it tied at worst, and I saw a couple other cars fall out on the yellows, I knew I had the championship clinched and went for the feature win."
Boyce is planning on defending his modified crown and maybe racing in the IMCA Stock Cars next year.
Runge finished second in 2000 and 2001 and was third last year. He led wire-to-wire in the championship race; winning the season opener in May, building a double-digit lead, then holding off 2002 champ Troy Adams for a three-point victory, 474-471.
"It's great," said Runge. "I had a good year, lots of good racing this year, I had a lot more fun. Hopefully, everything goes well next year, too."
Consistency was a key this year for Runge. He won four features, including a couple of key ones in July, and was a fixture in the top 10.
Aaron Turnbull won the final race of the year, returning to the hobby stocks after blowing his modified's engine. Adams finished sixth, with Runge one spot behind. Runge never panicked even when Adams was two or three spots ahead.
Runge may move up to a stock car next year, and his hobby stock is for sale.
Symons captured the track's inaugural mini-sprint title in his first year of competitive racing. He entered the season with modest expectations, but soon realized he could win.
"I knew there were (about) 15 cars this year, so I if I could end up averaging seventh or eighth position all year, I'd have to be happy with that," he said. "After about three races, the comfort zone started to get a little more, and I got a little more confident with each race."
Like Boyce and Runge, consistency was a big factor. Symons didn't win any races, but he was consistently in the top five, and had a 24-point lead entering the weekend, and wound up winning by 25 over Darcy Walker.
He finished third in the finale, behind Kip Dayman and Audy Mathison.
Symons and most of the drivers will be back next year.
"It sounds like we'll hopefully have another five or six new guys interested," said Symons. "It was very competitive this year, and it'll be even more competitive next year."

Sidd Finch, Paper Lion and George Plimpton
Remember that picture of a woman staring at her car, submerged in a Highway 47 pothole, that Lifestyles ran as an April Fool's joke?
Well, we had nothing on Sidd Finch and George Plimpton.
Finch was the subject of a 14-page feature story in the April 1, 1985 edition of Sports Illustrated. He was a eccentric pitcher trying out for the New York Mets. Through Buddhist thought and meditation, he had a fastball clocked at 168 miles per hour. His pitching motion resembled a pretzel, and pitched with a hiking boot on one foot and nothing on the other.
Plimpton was the author of the story. He accounts were so vivid, his sources so reliable, and his ideas so creative that most people believed Finch was for real.
SI had more fun with the April 1 joke. In a follow-up the next week, SI announced Finch had decided to play the french horn instead of baseball because he suddenly lost the accuracy on his pitch. One week after that, they admitted the story was a hoax. (Note: taking the first letter from words in the sub-headline combines to spell "Happy April Fool's Day.")
Plimpton's greatness extended beyond April Fool's jokes. He was a gifted journalist, columnist and author. His 1963 book Paper Lion documented his experiences playing quarterback in a scrimmage with the Detroit Lions. His experiental journalism also included boxing, trapeze artistry, and tending goal for the Boston Bruins in a 1976 exhibition game versus the Philadelphia Flyers.
He also founded the literary magazine the Paris Review, starred in a few films, and was in front of a line that included Robert F. Kennedy the night Kennedy was shot.
Plimpton died last Thursday at the age of 76. The world of journalism has lost one of its greats.
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Congrats to those who let their name stand in the upcoming civic election. It's a no-win proposition: either you don't get in, or you get elected, and have to sacrifice all of your free time and any chance of a stress-free life. Those who don't run have no right to complain, unless they would be at a complete conflict of interest if on council. (City employees, police, reporters, etcetera).
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The next federal election, which could come as soon as next spring, is already starting to take shape.
Paul Martin now appears to be a shoo-in for prime minister. The sooner he's in power, the better. Now the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservatives appear closer to a merger than ever. Maybe they've realized they won't dethrone the Liberals unless they join forces. Splitting the vote in Ontario won't get the job done.

Liberal Party Crumbling from the Inside Out
OTTAWA - On September 25, 2003, the Liberal Party of Canada has self-aggrandized itself as the most successful political party in Canadian history after boasting membership numbers of 531,000. This is a lofty claim, considering only a small percentage of its membership has taken an active interest in the party - only 11.6 percent of Liberal party members actually cast a ballot in this past weekend's delegate selection vote. Compare this sparse Liberal showing with the last Canadian Alliance leadership race, in 2002, when 71 percent of the membership voted.
The news is even worse for the Liberals at the local level. In Saskatchewan, only 1,320 Liberal members showed up to vote, whereas 5,789 Canadian Alliance members cast a ballot in the leadership race that elected Stephen Harper in 2002. Stephen Harper received 2,733 votes in Saskatchewan, compared to Paul Martin's 1,115.
So much for the self-proclaimed saviour of the West; the Liberal Party is crumbing from the inside out and Canadians just aren't biting.

Minister of Culture, Youth and Recreation, Joanne Crofford - proclaimed the week September 22 - 28th, 2003 as Air Cadet Week in Saskatchewan.
Royal Canadian Air Cadets is a National Youth Program that involves over 1400 young people in 36 squadrons around our province. The program offers training in leadership, citizenship, aviation, public speaking and a host of other exciting activities. Boys and girls between the ages of 12 and 19 years can experience the thrill of gliding and develop lasting friendships with other cadets at summer camps. Many weekends are devoted to survival exercises, sports competions or citizenship tours. All this is provided at no cost/membership fee to the individual cadet.
Air Cadets play an important role in your community, developing tomorrow's citizens . Thank you for your support in the many fundraising activities that are conducted to operate one of Canada's finest youth organization.

A Moment of Silence
Let us observe a moment of silence for the eight tenants killed in a Nashville nursing home fire September 25.

Hats Off
The volunteers, drivers and fans for another successful year at the Estevan Motor Speedway.