Feature

A career dedicated to Credit Unions
Caption: Wayne Claypool retired from his duties as CEO of Spectra Credit Union October 31. Claypool had been part of the Saskatchewan credit union system for 40 years.
By David Willberg
A funny thing happened to Wayne Claypool November 1: he woke up and wasn't employed by a Saskatchewan credit union for the first time since 1967.
Claypool, the CEO of Spectra Credit Union since 2004, had been part of the credit union system for 40 years. He retired October 31.
"I enjoy the financial services field, and certainly the credit union system has been very good to me," said Claypool. "Certainly we've been very progressive in Saskatchewan."
Claypool started as a teller at a credit union in Frontier in 1967. Within the first seven years of his credit union career, he had worked in Frontier, been the general manager in Loreburn, and worked in Beechy.
An accounting firm in Swift Current that audits credit unions was his next stop in 1974. Two years later, he was hired as the controller of Swift Current's Pioneer Credit Union. He was later hired as their CEO.
Claypool moved to Estevan in 1993 to become the Estevan (now Spectra) Credit Union's vice-president of finance, a position he held for 11 years until becoming Spectra's CEO.
That first day in Frontier is still fresh in his mind. He admitted he was naïve at the time with his assumptions about financial institutions, but it worked out well.
It's time to retire after spending 40 years in credit unions, he said. He wanted to leave on a high note with Spectra's current strength.
Claypool said he and his wife Carol love Estevan - a very young and vibrant community, filled with entrepreneurs and people trying to make a difference.
"And certainly people are the big thing, whether it be in the workplace or the community, the people have certainly demonstrated that it's a great place to live and to work," said Claypool.
Growth and high profitability were highlights of his three-plus years as CEO, he said. Spectra was the first credit union in the province to adopt wireless technology and digital document management.
The digital document management came out of his department when he was still VP of finance. Spectra spent several years developing the program, and it was fully implemented while Claypool was CEO.
"Some of those things, I think, as an organization, we all take a great deal of pride in," said Claypool. "But I think that overall, the way that we've been able to serve the members, from a financial service perspective, is certainly gratifying."
Spectra was twice named as one of the top 20 small to medium-sized employers in Canada during Claypool's CEO reign.
A replacement won't be named until late November or early December. Claypool said his replacement should hire good people and earn the support of Spectra's membership.
"I think what sets us apart, or at least what we're being told sets apart from other FIs (financial institutions) is that the service we provide is the difference," said Claypool.
Rotary will be a big part of Claypool's life after retirement. Claypool and his wife will travel to the Philippines next March to survey a housing project for less fortunate people that started when Claypool was a Rotary district governor in 2003 and 2004.
After the visit to the Philippines, the Claypool's will tour China for three weeks.
Church and other community commitments will also occupy Claypool's time.
"If I enjoy retirement as much I enjoyed working, I'll be well-satisfied with retirement," said Claypool.

News

Correction
In the October 26 edition of Lifestyles, Matt Weinrauch was mentioned as a founder of Rocket Sales & Service. He was a part owner, but not one of the founders. Lifestyles apologizes for any inconvenience.

Ten thousand ribbons at Sobey's
CAPTION: Thousands of pink and white ribbons hung from Sobey's Ready to Serve in Estevan.
A sea of more than 10,000 pink and white ribbons has engulfed Sobey's Ready to Serve in Estevan.
The ribbons are strung out over the check-out lines, and they adorn windows at the front of the store. The words "Hope" and "Courage" are spelled out in ribbons. The campaign ended October 31.
"It's awesome, it's incredible," said store manager Joanne Schulte. "It's pink. That's what we wanted."
Ribbons were sold to customers for $1 each. Sobey's also used proceeds from barbecues, bake sales, a wishing well and a customer appreciation pancake breakfast to purchase ribbons.
Schulte said customers have gone "above and beyond" with their support. Their goal was 10,000 ribbons.
The fundraiser is at all of the Sobey's in Saskatchewan. More than $56,000 was collected around the province last year. About $7,000 came from Estevan. All proceeds will be directed to the Breast Cancer Health Centre at the Saskatoon City Hospital.

Police train for rapid deployment
Captions:
* Estevan Police Service officers apprehended the suspect during their training.
* Shooting victims were removed from the crime scene by police officers.
Rapid deployment training is a new effort by the Estevan Police Service to respond to situations such as a school shooting, a hostage taking or an armed stand-off.
Members of the Estevan Police Service and Estevan RCMP participated in training October 27 at the Estevan Comprehensive School. Cosmetology students from the school served as victims in the mock shooting.
Sgt. Murray Cowan from the Estevan Police Service said there were 23 people involved.
"A large number of us were trained how to deploy very quickly into these types of situations," said Cowan. "And how to respond, how to do searches through the school, how to make contact with the accused and apprehend him, and how to do building searches and entries into the rooms."
They also learned how to rescue and remove students from the school after the suspect is removed.
Officers used firearms and blank rounds of ammunition in the simulation.
"We did a lot of role playing and tried to make it as realistic as possible," said Cowan.
Cowan said the training was in response to school shootings that have taken place across North America.
Cowan played the role of the shooter, which gave him the perspective of a criminal staring down police officers.
"It's not a comfortable feeling when you come around the corner and you see three or four members coming down the hallway with their firearms turned on you," said Cowan.
Cowan and five other Estevan police officers were trained in rapid deployment earlier this year. Several officers, along with Police Chief Bing Forbes and communications staff, were part of training on the 27th. Eventually all local officers will be trained in rapid deployment, Cowan said.
All officers have been issued tactical uniforms so they can be deployed quickly from home.
Cowan said rapid deployment is not a S.W.A.T. team or an emergency response team, and those aren't realistic in a city of Estevan's size. But they want to be ready to respond to events like a school shooting.

Police report
*Two separate thefts were reported from a convenience store. A 23-year-old male stole a small amount of merchandise and fled on foot. He was apprehended a short distance away. He is facing charges of theft under $5,000. A 19-year-old female stole some fast food. She is facing similar charges.
*A male at a night club began fighting with staff. He was detained by staff members and arrested by police. He is facing charges under the city's new fighting by-law.
*A theft from a local gas bar was captured on surveillance camera and is under investigation.
*Several citations were issued for alcohol and traffic-related offences. Numerous bar checks occurred. Intoxicated patrons were arrested.
*Two young offenders are facing charges of breaking their undertaking when police were notified they had not returned home. They were out past their curfew. They were together, even though they had been told not to have contact with each other, and one was consuming alcohol, which was also a violation of his conditions.
*An assault with a weapon occurred at a local restaurant when two females had a disagreement. One of the females threw a small knife at the other, striking the victim in the leg.

More contributions for naming rights
Caption: (L-R) Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. superintendent Phil de Gagne and vice-president Scott Stauth presented a $100,000 cheque to new arena fundraising chair Kim Anderson and committee member and CNRL employee Jody Harris.
The sale of naming rights for Estevan's new arena received $100,000 from Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. (CNRL), and an additional $100,000 from the company's chair, Allan Markin, on October 30.
CNRL vice-president of field operations Scott Stauth said CNRL is pleased to support the construction of a new arena.
"Supporting this allows us to help the City of Estevan provide a multi-use sporting facility and performing arts centre for the citizens of Estevan and the surrounding area," said Stauth.
CNRL has not decided which part of the facility they will apply their name to. That decision will be up to CNRL's 33 full-time staff in Estevan.
"I think we want to let our local employees have the opportunity to decide what they would like to brand," said Stauth. "We'll take a look at the recommendation and probably get right behind them and support them."
The two donations brought the total sale of naming rights to $3.7 million. The new arena fundraising committee has established a deadline of December 31 to raise $6 million.
"If we want to get the building started in April, and we want to have the $6 million in the bank before we dig the hole, we'd like to have the money in place before Christmas," said new arena fundraising committee chair Kim Anderson.
Anderson said Markin's matching contribution was unexpected, even though there were rumours that it would happen.
"They've realized that we have a good thing going here, and they want to make sure it proceeds," said Anderson.

SWNA releases poll results
The Saskatchewan Weekly Newspapers Association (SWNA) released the results October 29 from the first province-wide public opinion poll on the 2007 Saskatchewan election campaign.
The poll shows the Saskatchewan Party in the lead with the support of 50 per cent of decided voters. The NDP has 35 per cent support, the Liberals are at 10 per cent, and other parties are at 5 per cent. Twenty per cent of voters are undecided. Election day is November 7.
The poll was conducted for the SWNA on October 25 and 26 by Probe Research Inc. of Winnipeg. The results are based on 600 telephone interviews among a random and representative sampling of Saskatchewan adults. The results can be considered accurate to within plus or minus 4 per cent nineteen times out of 20.
Looking at voter certainty, 64 percent of Saskatchewan Party supporters have fully committed to casting ballots compared with only 47 percent of NDP voters.
Thirty-seven per cent said that Saskatchewan Party Leader Brad Wall was the best candidate for premier. Twenty-five per cent preferred incumbent Premier Lorne Calvert, 12 per cent picked Liberal David Karwacki and 26 per cent were undecided.
Fifty-four per cent said the NDP has been in power for too long and it was time for a change. Twenty-six per cent said the NDP should be re-elected based on their record. Twenty per cent didn't choose a position.
The Saskatchewan Weekly Newspapers Association is a non-profit association representing 88 community newspapers province-wide. With a circulation of more than 360,000, the papers of the SWNA have a readership of more than 80 per cent.

Clean coal coalition formed
The provincial government's decision to nix the clean coal that was slated for Estevan has motivated five local groups to form a clean coal coalition.
Representatives from the Estevan Chamber of Commerce, City and RM of Estevan, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and United Mine Workers of America have come together to promote clean coal and lobby provincial and federal governments.
They participated in a clean coal convention last month. They signed a document in which they promise to cooperate to encourage the provincial government and SaskPower to once again consider clean coal option, sooner rather than later.
Chamber president Lynn Chipley said there was disappointment across the city when Estevan didn't get the plant.
"The long-term decisions that SaskPower makes with respect to coal-fired plants in Saskatchewan will impact our entire community, not simply the employees of mining and power production," said Chipley. "We've come together to express our support for clean coal and to let the leaders of our province know that their decisions with respect to advancing clean coal technology matter to all of us.
"The government of Saskatchewan and SaskPower have the opportunity to be world leaders in reduction of greenhouse gases. We support using the technologies available to make this happen, and to share this expertise around the world."
Other organizations that share the clean coal vision are invited to join their efforts.
Estevan Mayor Gary St. Onge said a clean coal plant would not only benefit Estevan, it could have a global impact in the battle against greenhouse gas emissions.
"We think this could be a life-changing thing in the world, to use a resource that there's a lot of in the world, and to do it in a manner that's environmentally friendly," said St. Onge. "It won't have any emissions, and that will be a benefit to everybody in the world.
"I don't know why we wouldn't promote something that can be a win-win for everybody."
The clean coal plant's $3.8 billion price tag was a stumbling block. St. Onge said the coalition will be lobbying the federal government to get them to kick in some funds.
"We definitely need federal government involvement," said St. Onge.

Bomb threat at ECS
Caption: The Estevan Comprehensive School was evacuated October 31 due to a threat.
The Estevan Comprehensive School was evacuated for more than two hours October 31, after a bomb threat was issued.
The threat was received shortly before 10 a.m. The threat said the explosion would take place at noon. The school was evacuated as six police and school staff combed the school for an explosive device.
Nothing was found, and no explosion took place. Classes resumed at 1:25 p.m.
Sergeant Kevin Reed from the Estevan Police Service said they conducted a very thorough search.
"There's an immense amount of challenges," said Reed. "The staff here at the police service wasn't able to cover that whole building by themselves. We had the assistance of the Comp staff, and its janitorial staff, along with a member with each one of them, doing the search and dividing it into quadrants."
Reed said they have statements from a number of students, but they didn't immediately have a suspect.
Students who reside outside of Estevan were sent to Spruce Ridge School, said Southeast Cornerstone School Division director of education Don Rempel. Rempel applauded the professional manner that staff showed in handling the threat.
The last bomb threat at the school was in February of 2002. That one also proved to be a hoax.
The case remains under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call the Estevan Police Service or Crime Stoppers.

Locals among fall graduates
Several local students were among the 850 who graduated from the University of Saskatchewan October 27 in Saskatoon. The graduates (listed by community) were:
Estevan: Melanie Fieber, bachelor of arts three-year program; Kristen Johner, bachelor of commerce; Kayla Sands, commerce.
Alameda: Laura Wood, bachelor of science in nursing.
Arcola: Christopher Phenix, PHD.
Midale: Colleen Scharnatta, nursing.
Oxbow: Danette Nicolay, PHD.

Two Kin members honoured
Caption: (L-R) Brian and Barb Wright were presented with Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Estevan Kinsmen and Kinettes Clubs.
Brian and Barb Wright accepted Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Estevan Kinsmen and Kinettes Clubs, respectively, on October 27.
Brian Wright has held every position in the Estevan Kinsmen club, including two terms as president and three as treasurer. He represented southeast Saskatchewan as the deputy governor in 1994-95, and he was the district representative on the national membership committee in 1993-94.
Brian has attended 15 Telemiracles, and has tackled every job at Telemiracle.
Barb Wright has been an Estevan Kinette since 1995. She was previously a Kinette in Saskatoon and Calgary. Barb has held every position in the club, except treasurer. She has been to 12 Telemiracles, and her father was a Kinsman in the 1970s.
Brian and Barb chaired Telemiracle's manpower committee in 2000 and 2002.
The life membership is the highest honour available to Kinsmen and Kinettes.
The clubs also installed their executives for this year. Melanie Butler will be the Kinettes' president. Kirsten Murphy is the vice-president and risk manager, Susan Colbow is the past president, Robyn Ruzicka is the secretary, Lisa Walliser is the treasurer, Kelly Ivanochko is the membership director, Karen Elder is the registrar and Janelle Butler is the bulletin editor.
James Lainton is the Kinsmen president, Darryl Shirley is the first vice-president, Trevor Laird is the second vice-president, Dave Elliott is the treasurer and registrar, and Jason Bayda is the secretary.
Brian Wright was named Kinsmen of the Year, and Bayda was named top rookie. Melanie Butler was named Kinette of the Year, and Leshia Pidperyhora won top rookie.

November 11 is Remembrance Day
The Estevan Royal Canadian Legion will host their annual Remembrance Day service on November 11, starting at 10:45 a.m. at the Estevan Comprehensive School.
Second Lieutenant Greg Salmers from the Saskatchewan Dragoons will be the guest speaker. Salmers travelled to France and Belgium earlier this year with other members of the Dragoons for ceremonies in honour of the 90th anniversary of the battle at Vimy Ridge.
Spokesperson Art Matte said the only notable change for the ceremony is that Ken Clarke will be reading the poem "In Flanders Field," instead of Don Knight. Other than that, the program will be similar to past years.
The Roll of Honour - containing the names of Estevan natives who perished in the First and Second World Wars, and the Korean War - will be read. Two minutes of silence will be observed for those who have perished in combat.
The service at cenotaph will follow in the school's courtyard. Matte said two organizations will be laying wreaths at a time, instead of one, to accelerate the cenotaph service.
Legion members will be selling poppies at the Estevan Shoppers Mall and the Southern Plains Co-op as Remembrance Day approaches. Also, many businesses have trays with poppies for sale by donation. Proceeds from poppy sales will go to disabled war veterans and their dependents.
The Legion's annual Poppy Tea will be Sunday, November 4, starting at 2 p.m. at the Legion. Coffee, tea and snacks will be served.

A veteran's story
Caption: Private Don Knight served with the Canadian Army from 1940 to 1945.
Private Don Knight of Estevan still remembers more than five years of service with the Canadian Army: the battles he fought in, the friends he made, the courses he took, the opportunity to serve with his father and the injury that he suffered.
Knight enlisted on June 27, 1940, when he was only 18 years old. Knight was an infantry soldier No. 1 in the South Saskatchewan regimen. Knight was discharged from the army on November 13, 1945, after the Second World War ended.
He went to war in Europe to fight for his king and his country, and to destroy Hitler and the Nazi regime.
Knight took several courses when he was in the army: physical training, a boxing instruction, and signaling. The signaling course taught Morse code, telephone and flag communication.
"I took it in Kingston, Ontario," Knight told Lifestyles. "We lived in tents down there from September until the 15th of December, and there was a lot of snow out there, about 20 inches of snow. That's toughening up."
Knight boxed as an amateur during the war, winning a brigade middleweight championship twice and knocking out three Golden Glove recipients.
Knight's father, William, served in the First World War and enlisted for the Second World War a week before Don Knight did. The elder Knight died in the battle at Dieppe in 1942.
"I enjoyed serving with my father," said Knight. "I don't know why they put us in the same platoon, but they did. He was a lance corporal."
William Knight's passing was mentioned in dispatch by King George VI of England, for "distinguished service in the Dieppe raid." William Knight is buried at Dieppe.
Don Knight's biggest battle was at Varies Ridge in France.
"That was a battle," Don Knight recalled. "That finished the Germans there. They started to retreat, our forces caught up to them, and the Air Force bombed them."
Shrapnel struck Knight's right foot and ankle at Varies. He wasn't discharged after the injury, but he wasn't allowed to return to France. Knight was hobbled for 40 years until a successful operation corrected the injury.
Knight made a lot of friends during the war, and he still gets emotional when speaking about them. A good friend of his, Hugh Goudy of Stoughton, passed away about a year ago. He was "a good guy," Knight said.
There are about 10 or 12 veterans still alive in the Estevan area, Knight said. He's friends with a lot of them through the Royal Canadian Legion, which Knight has been an active part of in the decades since the war.

Kick-off to Christmas November 30
The second annual Kick Off to Christmas on Fourth Street will be Friday, November 30, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Fourth Street will be closed off from 11th Avenue to 13th Avenue.
The schedule will be similar to last year. Mayor Gary St. Onge will address the crowd outside of City Hall at 6 p.m. The City Hall Christmas tree will be lit at 6:05. Santa will arrive by horse and buggy at 6:10 to meet with children at the Wicklow Centre.
Horse and buggy rides for children will start at 6:20 p.m. and continue throughout the evening. Chamber members will serve hot chocolate and cookies at the Wicklow Centre starting at 6:30. Judging for the best decorated store front in Estevan starts at 7 p.m.
Throughout the evening, Colin Grunert's brass band will be performing music at various merchants. Sparks, Brownies and Girl Guides will be singing carols. Merchants will have specials throughout the night.
Kick-off to Christmas is hosted by the Estevan and District Chamber of Commerce, in conjunction with the City of Estevan and local merchants.

Ulrich moves from theatre to novels
CAPTION: Lampman author Maureen Ulrich read excerpts from Power Plays at a book launch October 25.
Maureen Ulrich has completed her transition from theatre to novels, after eight years of hard work.
Ulrich's first novel, Power Plays, was launched October 25 at the Estevan Public Library. Nearly 100 friends and supporters were in attendance.
"This is something quite different," said Ulrich. "You can reach a little further with a book than you can with a play, so it's pretty exciting."
It was an emotional night, she said. Ulrich read a couple excerpts of the book: the first hockey game for the protagonist, Jessie McIntyre; and a school dance, which was the last scene Ulrich wrote. Ulrich also answered questions from the audience, and signed copies of the book.
McIntyre's character is fictional, but the book has a lot of elements of truth. Power Plays is set in Estevan. McIntyre plays for the Estevan Xtreme Midget Bruins girls' hockey team. Games are played at the Lignite Miners Centre. Many games in the book are based on actual games played by the Xtreme.
Several Xtreme alumni attended the book launch.
McIntyre, 14, is new to Estevan. She feuds with a classmate and a teammate, Kim. McIntyre learns to rely on her teammate's strength and hard work, and to stand up for herself.
Ulrich gained inspiration for the book when her daughter started playing girls' hockey.
"I thought it was time to give some attention to the girls' game, which is so much fun," said Ulrich. "She played boys' hockey as well, but ... it was when she started playing the girls' game that I wanted to write about it."
Power Plays is about girls hockey, friendship, acceptance, bullying and forgiveness, Ulrich said.
Ulrich's previous writing experience was in theatre: nine grown-up productions and 17 student plays.
"One difference with a play is you don't actually have to have it published, because you perform it and then it's published, it's out there and people can see it," said Ulrich. "It's not nearly as much work as writing a book."
Ulrich spent eight years working on Power Plays. She penned eight drafts, and went to eight publishers prior to landing a deal with Coteau Books. Power Plays was supposed to be published in 2008, but the release date was moved up to 2007.
She said the published book was much better than her first draft. Robert Currie, who is now Saskatchewan's poet laureat, sent her 17 pages of suggestions after reading one of the drafts, and she said she used about 99 per cent of the recommendations. The word count grew from 55,000 to 62,000.
"Don't give up, don't quit," she told her audience. "Rejection is information. It's not failure."

Federal government cuts taxes
The federal government will provide $60 billion in broad-based tax relief to Canadians through 2012, said Souris-Moose Mountain MP Ed Komarnicki.
The government's 2007 economic statement, released October 30, proposes a one per cent reduction of the GST to five per cent, reductions to income tax, as well as tax cuts for small businesses and corporations.
"Now is the time to provide additional tax relief for Canadians," said Komarnicki. "Our strong fiscal position provides Canada with an opportunity that few other countries have to make broad-based tax reductions that will strengthen our economy and leave more money in the pockets of ordinary Canadians."
Among the highlights are:
*A one per cent reduction in the GST as of January 1st, 2008. The Conservatives have lowered the GST from seven per cent since coming into power.
*Reducing the lowest personal income tax rate to 15 percent from 15.5 percent, retroactive to January 1, 2007. The government will also increase the basic personal amount exempt from taxation to $9,600 retroactive to January 1. The basic personal amount will be increased again to $10,100 on January 1, 2009.
*The general corporate income tax rate will drop by one per cent in 2008 followed by ongoing reductions that will bring the tax rate down to 15 percent by 2012.
*The small business tax rate will drop to 11 percent in 2008, one year earlier than scheduled.
Komarnicki said the measures will lower taxes to their lowest level in 50 years.
"Canadians pay too much tax," said Komarnicki. "What we have in this package are long term, broad-based tax cuts that provide substantial benefits by leaving more money in the pockets of all Canadians."

Money for dialysis and x-rays
Estevan Telephone Answering Service co-owner Rose Saxon presented $2,000 to St. Joseph's Hospital Foundation coordinator Darlene King October 25. A thousand dollars will be directed to the hospital's new dialysis machine, and the other $1,000 will go to diagnostic imaging equipment. Saxon said Estevan needs quality health care equipment so that patients don't have to travel out-of-town. King encouraged other small businesses to donate to the hospital.

Kotelo wins people's choice award
Denise Epp presented Wade Kotelo with the People's Choice Award for the Estevan Arts Council's adjudicated art show. Those who viewed the art show in October at the Estevan Art Gallery and Museum voted for Kotelo's "Graces" as their favourite piece of art work. Kotelo, Carri McKinnon and Joe Frey had their work chosen by an adjudicator to go from the art show to the provincial adjudication board.

ATTENTION TAREINA…PLEASE MAKE SURE THIS CAPTION READS OK TO PROPERLY IDENTIFY THE PEOPLE IN THE TWO PIX. THANKS
Hospital Halloween
Staff from St. Joseph's Hospital in Estevan donned costumes for Halloween. Physiotherapy staff members (L-R) Monika Nievergelt, Colette Pierson and Bonnie Shier dressed up as flapper girls from the 1920s. Finance department employees Kendra Carbino, Sherry Wilbraham, Angela Radcliffe, Deb Poulsen and Jan Hase sported pumpkin attire.

Herbal Magic supports VIP
Herbal Magic is collecting cash and nurture items - such as paper towels, Kleenex and toilet paper - for the Violence Intervention Program in Estevan during their Courage to Change Month in November.
Courage to Change Month is part of a national promotion to support women's shelters and other organizations that assist women. Janet Ledingham, who owns Herbal Magic franchises in Estevan and Weyburn, said last year was the first for Courage to Change, and it was well-received.
About $100,000 in cash donations were collected in Canada.
Ledingham said it takes courage to seek a change, whether it's approaching the Violence Intervention Program for assistance, or making a lifestyle change by trying to lose weight.
Members of the public can support Courage to Change Month by bringing in cash or nurture items to Herbal Magic in Estevan. Also, Herbal Magic will donate $25 to the campaign for each person who signs up with Herbal Magic in November.

4-H Canada reaches out to alumni in national effort to grow membership
4-H Canada is reaching out to its former members in the hopes they can play a major role in growing the youth program's membership base as the Canadian 4-H Council today launches a national advertising campaign. The campaign, titled 'Join Again', encourages former 4-H Members to re-connect with the organization that played such a significant role in their own early development. Once alumni have 're-connected', they will be encouraged to either step forward as potential volunteers themselves or to act as ambassadors in circulating information on 4-H opportunities.
In 2006 the organization launched it's largest ever advertising campaign aimed at new member recruitment. While the award-winning 'Make Your Escape!' campaign registered thousands of potential new members, in many cases a lack of volunteer 4-H Leaders meant there was no local 4-H Club to which registrants could be referred.
"We know there are many interested youth out there, but we can't grow without a solid volunteer base," said Bob McAuley, president of the Canadian 4-H Council. "This really highlights just how important volunteers are to so many Canadian institutions. We feel there is nobody better trained than our own alumni to step forward and help."
As is the case with most volunteer organizations in Canada, 4-H has experienced significant declines in its volunteer cadre. There was a high of 17,687 registered 4-H volunteers in 1973, compared with 8,900 registered in 2006.
Vanessa Goodman credits her nine years of 4-H membership for helping get a promising career as a Trade Policy Analyst with Alberta Agriculture & Food off to a flying start. She believes that 4-H alumni have an opportunity - even an obligation - to be there for young Canadians who want the 4-H experience. Despite a hectic work schedule, she'll find ways to contribute to the organization that's been so important in her life.
"When you're a 4-H member, you're getting something special from the experience," says Goodman. "Now it's important for people like me to give back to an organization that I firmly believe in, so that it can continue to provide opportunities for a new generation of youth."
Working with the award-winning agency, AdFarm, the 'Join Again' campaign will run through October and November, and will feature print ads in agricultural publications and community newspapers, as well as posters, referral cards, the distribution of alumni testimonials, and a web page at www.4-h-canada.ca/join_again where alumni can re-connect. The campaign is fully sponsored by Farm Credit Canada, a longtime supporter of the 4-H program at all levels.
4-H is one of the country's longest-running youth organizations, offering fun, excitement and learning for youth in communities large and small across Canada. More than 8,900 trained volunteer Leaders help about 30,000 4-H Members develop self-confidence and learn a wide variety of skills through hands-on project work. The Canadian
4-H Council was established in 1933 to co-ordinate all national 4-H affairs.

Farm Credit donates to Salvation Army
(L-R) Farm Credit Canada (FCC) relationship manager Marianne Robillard presented a $450 cheque to Estevan Salvation Army Major Margaret Foley October 25. The funds came from FCC's community investment fund. FCC made donations to food-service organizations, such as the Salvation Army's food bank, in honour of World Food Day, which was October 16.

The Lord's Prayer
Estevan Regional Nursing Home (ERNH) resident Pearl Carriere sits beneath a framed crochet of The Lord's Prayer that now hangs in the ERNH's main hallway. Carriere, who is 101 years old, completed the project 35 years ago and donated it to the Lampman United Church. When the church closed last month, the crocheted Lord's Prayer was returned to the Carriere family. Carriere decided to donate it to the ERNH.

Columnists

BURN, THORN BUSH, BURN!
By Linda Wegner
This morning I read andheard some interesting things about a thorn bush. Actually I just read about it but what I heard presented by a young man during our morning worship reminded me of the shrub. Oh yes, I also did some Google searches to see what others said.
The story I read concerns God's call to Moses and his encounter with a burning bush. According to Scriptural writings, this man chosen to lead the nation of Israel out of the slavery imposed on them by their captors came upon a thorn bush in the desert. Upon approaching the bush Moses heard the voice of God commanding him to remove his sandals because the land on which he stood was hallowed with His presence. Moses obeyed and as he looked, the bush blazed….and yet it was not consumed by the fire. It's an old story but one that took on new significance today. First, I read it early this morning.
Later, Ben shared some principles of serving God, whatever our circumstances: love the unlovable, serve others, use our words to bless, and then - let the thorn bush burn. Oh I know he called it accepting the inevitability of suffering that comes from giving ourselves to God and others, but I heard the crackle of flames on dry branches. Here's why: it's only as we recognize our inability to love the unlovely, to serve rather than be served, or to tame our tongues that we tap into the resources of Christ. We become, as it were, aflame with the fire of God - and yet we are not destroyed.
"But Moses said to God, 'who am I?'…and God said, I will certainly be with you…"
Instructions for loving, serving and blessing: Remove shoes, allow thorn bush to blaze. Guaranteed to strengthen, not destroy.

Caution: Do not Reverse!
The first chapter of the New Testament letter of First Peter has a very simple outline. The first twelve verses are all about what God, in his mercy and grace, has done for us. Phrases in this section include words like, "mercy… new birth… living hope… inheritance… heaven… God's power… rejoice… Jesus… salvation" (verses 1-12). The focus in this section of the letter is entirely on what God has done for us.
The second section focuses on our response to God. It contains phrases like, "Prepare your minds for action… obedient children… be holy… purified… love one another deeply from the heart" (verses 13-25).
It is absolutely essential to get those two sections in the proper order. First, God has given you the gift of salvation, forgiveness and hope through the death of his son Jesus. Then, in response to God's love, you live a different life.
We make a huge mistake when we turn this teaching around and do not honor the order in which it is presented. Too many times, I have heard people say, "When I get my life sorted out, then I will come to church".
That is futile! You will never get your life together enough on your own to deserve the blessing of God! We live by Christian standards not to make God love us, but in response to the fact that he already does. That order is all important.
It is sort of like hooking up booster cables on your car. Connecting "positive to positive" is absolutely essential if you want the process to work. Turning those cables around will give you a very different result.
The wrong order says, "Be good enough to earn God's love". The Biblical order says, "In response to what God has already done for us, we trying to live in a way that honours him".
Keeping that order straight is essential to hearing the real message of God's word.
Tim Pippus, Estevan Church of Christ

GARDEN NOTES
By Gerry Fichtemann
KEEP GARDEN RECORDS
I have witnessed through the years in the nursery business that people do not keep the names of the plant material they buy.
After a coup1e of years they return to buy another plant the same as the one they previously bought, or maybe a neighbor wants a similar one. The problem often is that they don't know what they bought and the label has been long gone.
It is quite interesting to hear people describe a plant they want but do not know the name. "It has pink flowers and grows about 4 feet high! Or "It is very small and has pointed leaves".
That kind of description leaves the door open to maybe 10 or 20 kinds of plants that fit the same description.
It is so easy to solve the problem, simply by drawing a rough sketch of your yard. It doesn't have to be to scale or for that matter, it doesn't have to be neat. Take a walk around the yard and write on your diagram the names of the plants plus the variety. For example, identify a rose as its variety (ie: Morden Centennial).
This way you will not have any problem in identifying the plant material in your yard.
When you have the drawing done and the descriptions marked down, take the paper and file it away in a drawer or file folder tucked away in a drawer or filing cabinet. Your problems will be solved and you won't have to guess at what you have in your yard.
Also don't forget to mark down the names of the fruit trees. Many people want another apple that they put in their yard because they like the variety so much, but they cannot remember the variety name.
The staff at the nursery cannot be of much help when you describe the type of apples on it for the simple reason that there are about 30 different apple varieties in Saskatchewan.
It doesn't take long to make the diagram but it will save problems in the future and you'll be glad you did it!
GARDENERS NOTE: For those who have Fall Asters in your garden you will now be enjoying the beautiful hundreds of blossoms which start to bloom at frost time and just keep on blooming. Even with the temperature of minus 10 the fall asters are still looking great and putting on a great show of colour. What a wonderful plant to have in your yard to extend the season by a month and a half. I have
Professor Kippenberg which is a blaze of colour as I write this column.
Gerry Fichtemann is the owner of River Bend Nursery.

Sports

Bruins drop three straight
Caption: Yorkton goalie Lynden Sammartino sprawls to make the save in front of three Estevan Bruins.
The Yorkton Terriers continue to pose problems for the Estevan Bruins.
Yorkton swept a home-and-home with the Black and Gold, beating the Bruins 3-1 in Estevan October 28 and 5-1 in Yorkton on the 31st.
It was the Terriers who eliminated the Bruins from the playoffs last year, and the Black and Gold have won just five of their past 24 meetings with Yorkton, dating back to the start of the 2005-06 season.
Estevan also lost 8-6 to the Flin Flon Bombers October 27. Estevan led the Bombers 2-1 after the first period, but Flin Flon tallied five times in the second period, including four unanswered goals, to take a 6-4 lead after 40 minutes.
The Bruins scored twice to tie the game early in the third, but Flin Flon potted the game winner a few minutes later, and scored into an empty net.
Brody Haygarth scored twice for the Bruins. Niko Grose, Trevor Mock, Brennan Wrigley and Liam Brennan also scored for Estevan. SJHL scoring leader Reid MacLeod had seven points for the Bombers.
The Bruins could have used some of those goals the following night against Yorkton in the Terriers 3-1 win in Estevan. Kealin Wong scored the Bruins' lone goal, on a two-man advantage late in the first period. Two short-handed goals were the difference for the Terriers.
Estevan trailed 3-0 by the end of the first period in the 5-1 loss in Yorkton. Kyle Garagan narrowed the gap to 3-1 early in the second period, but Yorkton scored twice early in the third to blow the game open.
Estevan hosted the league-leading Humboldt Broncos November 1. (Results not available at press time). The Bruins don't play again until November 8, when the Battlefords North Stars visit the Civic Auditorium. Game time is 7:30 p.m.
Prior to the Humboldt game, the Bruins were fourth in the Sherwood Conference with a 10-8-2 record.

Elecs compete in provincials
The Estevan Comprehensive School Elecs boys' soccer team went winless at provincials October 26 and 27 in Prince Albert.
Estevan opened the tournament with a 9-0 loss against the eventual provincial champions, Regina Campbell. The Elecs lost 5-0 to Prince Albert St. Mary's in the consolation round.
Coach Jason Bresciani said he was pleased with how the Elecs played. They never gave up and played their best, he said. It was tough to open against the best team in the province, and Estevan had their hands full against Campbell.
Four players graduate from this year's team: Steven Kitchen, Brandon Frank, Colten Helm and Ki Woon Woh.

Spaghetti bash
The Estevan Bruins hosted their annual spaghetti bash October 26 at the Beefeater Plaza. Fans, alumni and other team supporters enjoyed spaghetti, lasagna and other pasta dishes. Autographed NHL jerseys were auctioned off, and there was a silent auction. Proceeds will go to the club's operations.

Atom Bruins open season
The Estevan Canetic Resources Tier 1 Atom Bruins opened their season with a pair of losses to Weyburn.
Estevan lost 7-4 in Weyburn October 27. Josh Giblett, Ryan Smith, Kyle Salaway and Kaelan Holt scored for Estevan. Landon Audet made 24 saves for Estevan.
The Bruins lost 9-2 to Weyburn in Estevan on the 28th. Smith and Holt had Estevan's goals. Jordan Hoffos made 21 saves.
Upcoming home games are November 9 against Weyburn, and November 10 and 11 against Yorkton.
Estevan, Yorkton and Weyburn comprise the atom tier I league this year. Estevan will play Yorkton and Weyburn eight times each, for a 16-game schedule. The team will also play tournaments.

Drag racing plans for upcoming year
The Estevan Drag Racing Association will focus on their new permanent facility during the upcoming year.
The organization held their annual general meeting October 24. Jarred Dumaine was voted the new president. Rem Walker is the vice-president, Teresa Dumaine is the treasurer, Jim "Frosty" Forrest is the public relations director and David Krahn is the track development coordinator and fundraising director.
Jarred Dumaine said they want to move forward with developing the new track in 2008. The track would be located adjacent to the Estevan Motor Speedway.
"We want to move some dirt here, hopefully this fall, to show that we mean business, and it's something that will be very viable," he said.
A completion date hasn't been established. Fundraising is underway, Jarred said, and they're studying how to build a drag racing facility.
A meeting will take place each month to discuss construction of the new facility, Jarred said. A second meeting will be held to look at the EDRA's operations as a whole.
They will also host a few race programs in 2008. Program dates haven't been set yet, and they won't be until after Saskatoon and Minot confirm their schedules. But the EDRA will be part of the Pure Energy Motorsports Weekend next summer.
Jarred said they look forward to building on the momentum from their programs this year.
The EDRA presented cheques during the meeting to the Estevan Humane Society, who runs the concession during their programs, and the North Portal Fire Department, which is on hand in case of a fire during the program.

Speedway champions
Caption: 2007 Estevan Motor Speedway track champions (L-R) Nathan Burke, Gregg Mann, Jim Mann, Aaron Turnbull and Dave Dayman.
The Estevan Motor Speedway handed out the hardware during their awards banquet October 27.
This year's track champions were: Aaron Turnbull (modifieds), Gregg Mann (hobby stocks), Dave Dayman (mini-sprints), Jim Mann (pure stocks) and Nathan Burke (stock cars). Each champion was presented with a championship trophy and a jacket.
Championship runner-ups were Wayne Johnson (modifieds), Allan Dayman (mini-sprints), Randy Fyllesvold (stock cars), Alvin Dube (hobby stocks) and Trevor Gowen (pure stocks).
Rookie-of-the-year winners were Noel Dube in the modifieds and Lee Schaff in the hobby stocks.
Chris Massett won the Clint Prette Memorial Award for the modified driver who demonstrates sportsmanship and dedication to racing.
Five long-time volunteers were also saluted for their contributions to the track: Jim Barnstable, Colin Cook, Bertha Harris, Theresa Stovin and Ed Turnbull.

Hanging candy
Tasia Peterson chomped on a hanging treat string during a Halloween open house hosted by the Estevan Mermaids synchronized swim team October 29. Peterson couldn't use her hands when eating the stringed treat. The open house gave the club a chance to promote itself, and the sport, to the community. There were games and treats, and lessons on a 60-second synchronized routine.

From the Sidelines
Riders snap Olympic jinx
By Kyle Kapiczowski
The Saskatchewan Roughriders ended a 19-year home playoff game drought. The Riders beat the Edmonton Eskimos 36-29 in overtime. The Riders will face the Calgary Stampeders on November 11 at Mosaic Stadium. Saskatchewan will close out the regular season at home against Toronto this weekend. The Riders' record is 12-5 for second place.
Saskatchewan last hosted a home playoff game in 1988. Before that, it was 1976. Both were years in which Canada hosted the Olympics. So the Olympic jinx is over.
In the NFL, the New England Patriots are still one of the two undefeated teams left. The Patriots took the Washington Redskins to the woodshed 52-7. New England's record is 8-0 and their next game is against the Indianapolis Colts, who are also undefeated.
Other scores from Week 8 were: Minnesota lost 23-16 to Philadelphia, New Orleans beat San Francisco 31-10, Jacksonville beat Tampa Bay 24-23, and San Diego hammered Houston 35-10.
In NCAA Division I football, the No.4 Oregon Ducks beat the No.13 USC Trojans 24-17. The Ducks are 7-1 overall and 4-1 in conference play. Their next game is against undefeated Arizona State. Oregon is second in the Pacific 10 conference.
Other scores were: No. 6 West Virginia hammered No. 25 Rutgers 31-3, Iowa got past Michigan State 34-27, Delaware sneaked by Navy 59-52, Wisconsin took out Indiana 33-3 and Utah beat Colorado State 27-3.
In NCAA Division IAA football, The No. 1 North Dakota State Bison wasted Southern Utah 52-17. The Bison's record is 8-0 overall and 2-0 in conference play, and their next game is against Illinois State.
In NCAA Division II football, the North Dakota Fighting Sioux beat Minnesota Duluth 31-14. The Sioux's record is 7-1 overall and 5-1 in conference play. North Dakota's next game is against St. Cloud State.
In Major League Baseball, the New York Yankees have offered Joe Girardi manager job and I hope he gets it.
That's all folks.

Viewpoints

Editorial
Tea Time
Back in the Day
By Dani Stobbs
Even though I am only 22 I feel if necessary to use the phrase "back in my day". Back in my day communication was a letter in the mail or a phone call from your landline - but lots has changed in such a short amount of time. The world is texting, e-mailing, blue-toothing and blogging. The world wide web has advanced so much that the majority of people with computers will have at least one profile page. In my case I did have five, until I realised how silly I was and decided to cut it to two.
Back in my day, my thoughts and feelings were documented in a diary that was locked and hidden under my mattress. Now the internet has opened up the world of blogging and notes online, where people can expressively talk about how they feel and have it open for the world to see. For most parts it's an awesome thing - some a little weird.
But I came across one blog of a friend that was titled "We live the lives we want". I read with agreement, the strength and energy that I put into complaining about things or having a good old grumble actually doesn't make me feel better at all. It leads me to live a life in negativity.
So in my blogger paradise I came across another friends page with a quote from Ghandi. "Be the change you want to see in the world". It's just another confirmation that unless we change in our own small way then we can never expect the world to change. Therefore we just live the life of 'same-ness'. We do have the choice to live the lives that we want. But what is that? What is the life that you actually want?
Do you want to sit around over coffee moaning about how the roads of Estevan are too bumpy? Do you want to sit over dinner talking about how there is nothing to do? Do you even actually want to sit over a beer and talk about how you can't believe the youth of today are going out and getting into alcohol and drugs?
What if over coffee you decided to talk about what has been awesome in your week? What about if over dinner you talked about how great it is that we live in a place where we can eat and enjoy good food? What about if we poured the beer down the sink and sat down with our youth and just let them know that we are there for them - that there is more to this world that over-indulgence and selfishly living the life that we think we want?
I think that ultimately being positive is contagious - so let's get the city to catch it.

What's Happening

Author visits St. Mary's
St. Mary's School brought Saskatchewan author Shelley Leedahl to their library October 30. Leedahl entertained children in Grades Kindergarten to Grade 4 with the reading of her story "The Bones Talker."

Elks flea market
The Estevan Elks hosted a flea market at their building October 27. Exhibitors sold a variety of products. The Elks had a few tables as well. The funds raised during the flea market will go to help children in the community.

Spooktacular
Caption: Leyla Ibrahimova created crafts during the library's Spooktacular.
The Estevan Public Library hosted a Halloween Spooktacular October 27. Children donned their Halloween costumes and enjoy games, crafts and other activities.

Customer appreciation breakfast
Caption: Tim Lalonde poured pancake mix at Sobey's customer appreciation breakfast.
Sobey's Ready to Serve in Estevan hosted a customer appreciation pancake breakfast October 27. Dozens of people turned out. Many customers made a donation to the Breast Cancer Foundation.