Feature

Art Gallery and Museum brings culture to Estevan
Caption: Estevan Art Gallery and Museum curator Cheryl Andrist stands in front of the Chinese Temple that's in the main gallery for January and February.
By David Willberg
The Estevan Art Gallery and Museum (EAGM) has fostered appreciation and education of arts and culture, and created awareness of Estevan's history, for people in the southeast. But they need support from the community for their efforts to continue.
Curator Cheryl Andrist said about 8,000 people visited the EAGM in 2006. She doesn't have a final tally for 2007, yet, but she expects the number will be higher, thanks to better attendance for their receptions.
"I know there's a lot of people in the area, in the community of Estevan, as well as the surrounding area, that do not understand that we have two art galleries, plus a museum, that we look after," said Andrist.
The EAGM's annual membership drive is underway. Andrist said she would like to see 200 to 500 memberships sold this year. An individual membership is $20; a family membership is $35. Membership sales have been down for some time.
She would also like to see all of the sponsorships for their exhibits sold out.
"Just taking out a family membership show that you have put some kind of onus that the gallery is an important part of our community," said Andrist.
Members also receive access to their resource centre, and invitations to all events.
The main gallery is for professional artists. Most artists are from the Prairies, but they have had artists from across Canada.
The community gallery often features emerging artists from Estevan and southeast Saskatchewan. Community and school groups have had their art exhibited in the community gallery, too.
The EAGM also operates the North West Mounted Police (NWMP) Museum. The first floor recaps the history of the NWMP and the police force's origins.
"Most of the items are donated that come to us via personal or private individuals, from their collections, and some of the uniforms have come from former RCMP officers," said Andrist.
The second floor depicts the officers' lifestyle in the early 1900s. Local history, such as rock formations at Roche Percee, is also displayed.
Three primary fundraisers each year - a wine tasting gala, a chili cook-off and a Christmas festival of art - are well supported, Andrist said. The EAGM also receives funding from the City of Estevan and grants from various organizations.
Gallery educator Lindsay Arnold teaches art classes for adults, and works with school children. School visits have increased at the gallery, Andrist said.
"If the school teachers think their curriculum (fits with the exhibit), they will make sure that they bring their students to see the exhibit," said Andrist. "I do try to watch that I bring in some exhibits that will coordinate with their school curriculum."
The EAGM and other arts organizations in Estevan are important because of the impact of culture in society, Andrist said. Design is inspired by art and culture, and that inspiration shows up in the corporate signs and logos, fashion and architecture.

News

Hank Williams tribute coming to Estevan
Stars for Saskatchewan will present a theatrical tribute to the king of country music in a special performance of "Hank Williams 1952 Kawliga Café," starring Joe Matheson, on Tuesday, January 29, at 7:30 p.m. at the Estevan Comprehensive School.
Matheson, as Williams, takes you back to 1952 when it seemed like the end for Williams. His marriage was over, his contract with the Grand Ole Opry was terminated and his health was in serious decline.
Suddenly, in September of 1952, "Louisiana Hayride" was a hit, a tour was successful and Williams was about to get married again. All was going well - too well. He died early on January 1, 1953, on his way to a concert.
Nobody knows where Williams got his amazing second wind before he died, but he spent a great deal of time at a friends' cottage that summer, near a diner called the Kawliga
Backed by a full band, Matheson brings the story of one of music's greatest performers to life with humour, bittersweet stories and some of the best music of all-time. Come spend a night with Hank.
The performance is presented in cooperation with the Organization of Saskatchewan Arts Councils, with assistance from Sask. Lotteries, Saskatchewan Arts Board and Canadian Heritage. Advance tickets are at Henders Drugs.

POLICE REPORT
*A 23-year-old male was arrested on outstanding warrants from the Regina Police Service when he was located operating a vehicle on the city's west side. He was also a suspended driver. He was charged and his vehicle was seized.
*A vehicle parked on the street in the Trojan area had its rear window broken out. Anyone with information is asked to call police or Crime Stoppers.
*Two vehicles in the Hillside area had their tail lights kicked out. The vehicles were parked near each other.
*A motor vehicle accident was reported in the 600 block of Fourth Street. An air bag was triggered in one vehicle.
*A vehicle damaged the fencing around one of the diamonds in a hit-and-run at the Estevan Minor Girls' Softball facility on Wellock Road. Anyone with information is asked to call police.
*A 17-year-old Frobisher female was suspended from driving for 30 days after police stopped her vehicle in downtown Estevan. She provided a positive breath sample into a roadside screening device.
*Police executed warrants for failing to attend court to a 27-year-old Estevan male and a 19-year-old Estevan male.
*An Estevan male was charged with failing to report an accident to police following a hit-and-run in the 600 block of Second Street.
*Police responded three times to noise and breaking glass reports in the 1300 block of Seventh Street. On the third occasion, two Estevan males were arrested for break and enter. Extensive damaged had occurred. Both males were lodged in cells for the night and the matter is under investigation.

Estevan male stabbed to death
Whitney Tawn Whitecap, a 24-year-old Estevan woman, has been charged with first degree murder following the stabbing death of Wade Justin Tannas, a 20-year-old male also from Estevan, on January 6.
Whitecap has also been charged with five counts of assault with a weapon on five other victims. Lonnie James Dittmer, 29, also from Estevan, is facing one charge of attempted murder and one charge of assault with a weapon. His charges involve two victims.
The Estevan Police Service is continuing their investigation. Further charges may be pending.
Whitecap and Dittmer appeared in Estevan Provincial Court on January 7. Dittmer also appeared in court on January 10. Whitecap's next scheduled court appearance will be on January 24.

Relay plans coming together
Estevan's Relay for Life will have some new features in 2008, according to event co-chair Pat Steinke.
The Relay will be Saturday, June 14, and Sunday, June 15, the first Relay in the country to be on a Saturday and Sunday. There will be a fight back ceremony at about 3 a.m. on the 15th, Steinke said. Care givers will speak on treating patients with cancer.
"It's part of our 'celebrate, remember, fight back' mantra that we're going with this year," said Steinke.
Cancer survivors are celebrated as they walk the Relay's opening lap, said Steinke. Those who have died from cancer are remembered during a luminary service.
Steinke would also like to see a sunrise church service on the 15th, but arrangements need to be made with the Estevan Ministerial Association.
Plans are coming well for the Relay, Steinke said. Most of the committee structure has been completed. They only need an entertainment committee chair.
"That leaves a big hole in our committee," said Steinke. "We know the right person's out there. They just don't know it yet."
Estevan's Relay has a strong youth emphasis, Steinke said. Estevan Comprehensive School student Brady Johnson is the other co-chair. Students also chair team recruitment, volunteer and special events committees at the school. There will be a Relay Day at the Comp this year.
Three teams have registered already, Steinke said, and three or four more team packages have been picked up. Organizers want to have 75 teams, and raise $123,000 for the Canadian Cancer Society.

First meeting for newly-formed board
The newly formed Estevan and District Board of Tourism, Trade and Commerce held their first monthly meeting January 9.
The board was born from a merger with Estevan Tourism and the Estevan and District Chamber of Commerce.
"Most people that are involved in business know how important tourism is to the business community," said president Lynn Chipley, who was the Chamber's president before the amalgamation.
The board has a 10-person executive: Chipley; first vice-president Tim Jenish; second vice-president Mike Mercier; treasurer Sheila Squires; directors at large Joe Parent, Doug Trapp, Karen Beselt and Ken Sholter; Mayor Gary St. Onge; and RM of Estevan administrator Greg Hoffort.
Melissa Davidson has been hired to manage the Tourist Information Booth west of Estevan, and to hire staff to work at the booth and the Souris Valley Museum. Carol Gress and Roxy Blackmore, who were employed by the Chamber, will remain with the new organization.
Chipley said they're looking for volunteers to serve on committees.
St. Onge was the guest speaker during the meeting. He gave his annual "State of the City" address. St. Onge promoted several capital projects that the city will be undertaking in 2008, and addressed the city's water utility bills, which are the second-highest in the province.
If not for a $10 monthly infrastructure fee, and drainage and garbage collection levies that are on property tax bills in other Saskatchewan cities, St. Onge said the water bills would be considerably lower. Estevan will have a 10 per cent utility rate increase this year.

Oil tops $100 per barrel
Carl Henneberg, the chairman for the Saskatchewan committee of the Small Explorers and Producers Association of Canada, was surprised when the price of oil topped the $100 per barrel mark in early January.
The price of oil has since levelled off, and was at $97 per barrel, as of January 8. Henneberg expected demand would decrease when oil hit the $80 per barrel mark last year.
"What's driving it recently is that inventories continue to decline in the States, and therefore, we'll have to wait and see whether $100 oil will slow up the economy, one way or another," said Henneberg.
Venezuela's production has declined, but production has increased in Russia. There is also a rising supply demand in emerging economies like China and India.
"The price will correct itself," said Henneberg. "Whether it's $80 or $100 to $120 remains to be seen."
Henneberg expects the price of oil to remain above $80 per barrel in the short-term.
"It's hard to imagine the price of oil would go much above $100 for the foreseeable future," said Henneberg. "I'd think we're at the peak right now."
The high price of oil means that oil wells that might have been shut down will continue pumping, said Henneberg. It also brings new projects, such as the Bakken Play, into the picture. Henneberg said the Bakken Play wouldn't have been developed if oil was at $20 or $30 per barrel.

Schroh new Spectra CEO
Spectra Credit Union's new CEO brings about 20 years of experience in the credit union system to the job, including several years in southeast Saskatchewan.
Tim Schroh was the CEO of the Unity Credit Union for the past eight years, and he has about 15 years of management experience in credit unions. He spent two years as the manager of the Gainsborough Credit Union, and he was a lender at the Weyburn Credit Union.
"I'm not absolutely new to the area, it's a little bit common to me, so it's nice to come back to an area I'm familiar with," said Schroh.
He also worked at Spectra's Redvers and Minton branches. His wife worked at the Carnduff branch when he was in Gainsborough.
Schroh has previously worked with Cory Prokop and Tammi Scott, who are part of Spectra's executive management.
"It's exciting to come to a credit union that you know has so many talented people," said Schroh.
Spectra Credit Union is known for being one of the most "progressive" credit unions in the country, he said, and that progressive nature was one of the reasons that Schroh wanted the job.
"It's a perfect next step for me," said Schroh.
Schroh is currently the chairperson of the Provincial Image Committee, vice-chair of the Credit Union Electronic Account Management Services Association, and he has participated on the national Small Business Owners Strategy Committee.
His short-term goal is to learn as much as he can about the credit union. In the long-term, he wants to maintain the same level of service that members currently enjoy, and continue the success in the organization. There isn't much to improve at Spectra, he said.

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Columnists

BRINGING UP THE REAR
By Linda Wegner
Sadie is as perfect a family pet as you could get. A Lab-Border-Collie cross, she's gentle, she's friendly and she seems to want little more than to be petted while in the company of her owners. (Not counting her food, of course). On one occasion she actually injured herself in a frenzy of delight. The family was returning from somewhere, she'd missed them terribly, and her joy at seeing them was unhindered- except by the wall against which she whacked and broke her tail. In short, Sadie is about the sweetest dog on the part of earth that I inhabit. She's perfectly content to curl up by the woodstove and soak in the love she deserves.
But there's another side to Sadie, one that displays itself while we're out walking. Instead of the laid-back, tail-wagging satisfaction she exhibits at home, protecting her owners becomes pre-eminent once outside the yard. Her eyes are everywhere as she assesses what's going on around her. I've watched her hackles rise when she perceived danger from seen or unseen sources and I'm fascinated by her vigilance in keeping the family together. She constantly walks around the group in an attempt to account for each one. I can easily imagine her offering protection from every direction to a herd of sheep or cattle.
In the familiar and much-loved Psalm 23, the care of the shepherd for his sheep is described. Heading into 2008 I find great comfort in verse 6: "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life…" Not only does God promise to go before me, He stands guard behind me. Because I know I won't always make wise or godly choices, I rejoice in knowing that mercy and goodness are there for my correction and protection.
If I had a tail, I'd wag it!

Sports

Cougars increase Big Six lead
The Carlyle Cougars defeated the Midale Mustangs 7-4 January 4 in a battle of Big Six Hockey League frontrunners.
Carlyle improved their record to 13-1-1 and a league-leading 27 points. Midale (12-2) is three points back. The Mustangs have a game in hand. The West Division rivals will meet one more time this season - January 25 in Carlyle.
The Arcola-Kisbey Combines (4-9-1-1) are third in the West Division. The Wawota Flyers (4-8) are fourth and White Bear (0-14) is last.
The Oxbow Huskies (8-3-3) continue to pace the East Division. The defending league champions, the Carnduff Red Devils, improved their record to 9-5, and moved within a point of Oxbow. Carnduff beat Oxbow 4-2 January 5.
The Bienfait Coalers (6-6-2-2) is in third in the East. The Redvers Rockets (7-6) are two points back, but they have played three fewer games. The Pierson Bruins (2-8-1) are in last place.

Locals compete at junior southerns
Benson's Kris Keating and Estevan's Jana Anseth competed at the Junior Men's and Women's Southern Playdowns from January 4 to 6.
Keating and his team - lead Landon Lafrentz, second Andrew Batt and third Marcus Lau - won their first two games, but lost their last three at the Junior Men's Playdowns in Davidson. Keating's team opened with an 8-1 win over Lafleche's Duncan Sproule and a 7-6 win over Regina's Brennan Jones to reach the A pool semi-final.
Keating lost 9-4 to Weyburn's Sheldon Obst, 7-2 to Regina's Ryan Skjerdal and 8-0 to Moose Jaw's Ben Gamble, which eliminated his team from the playdowns.
Anseth and her team of lead Megan Greenwald, second Natasha Seymour and third Stephanie Gress lost three of their four games at the Junior Women's Playdowns in Maple Creek.
Anseth opened with an 11-3 loss to Maryfield's Brooklyn Lemon. She defeated Jaime Bromley 7-6, but losses of 7-5 to Gull Lake's Kelsey Dutton and 8-7 to Regina's Alexandra Williamson ended her tournament.
Estevan's Chelsey Peterson was the second for Weyburn's Melissa Hoffman. The Hoffman rink was eliminated in one of the C pool finals.

Orsted's rink reaches Southerns
Estevan's Sherilee Orsted is competing at the SaskPower Southern Ladies' Playdowns that started January 10 in Lumsden.
Orsted and her team - lead Kristen Schlamp, second Tricia MacKenzie and third Candace Newkirk - defeated Estevan's Christine Massier 2-1 in a best-of-three playoff January 5 and 6 at the Estevan Curling Club.
Massier won the first game 7-4. Orsted tied the series at 1-1 with an 8-5 win. She beat Massier 8-3 in the deciding game.
Southern Playdowns will continue until the 13th. Four teams from the competition will qualify for the provincial championship January 23 to 27 in Battleford.

Bruins losing streak reaches six
A 4-1 loss to the Melfort Mustangs January 9 left the Estevan Bruins on a season-high six-game losing streak.
Kealin Wong scored midway through the first period to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead. But Melfort scored three times in under five minutes to give the Mustangs a 3-1 lead after the first period.
The second period was scoreless. Melfort scored a power play goal early in the third to round out the scoring.
"I think the 2-1 goal took the wind out of the sails," said Biette. "It wasn't a great goal. After the 1-1 goal, I thought we were still going. But the 2-1 goal put us behind the 8-ball."
Estevan also lost 6-5 to the Kindersley Klippers in a shoot-out January 5.
The Bruins record is 19-20-2-2. They have 42 points, which puts them in the fifth and final playoff spot in the Sherwood Conference.
The league's trade deadline was January 10. The Bruins completed one trade prior to Lifestyles press time: they re-acquired forward Nick Colliton from Drayton Valley in Alberta for future considerations. Colliton was the Bruins' rookie of the year for the 2005-06 season, but was traded to Flin Flon in November 2006.
"I would have struggled to trade for a 20-year-old forward with Colliton's numbers unless I knew him," said Biette. "I know him, I know he's capable of more, I know what to expect from him, he knows what to expect from me. He knows lots of the guys, and that definitely helps the room."
Colliton will make the Bruins a tougher team to play against with his toughness and tenacity, Biette said.
The six-game slide has reinforced Biette's belief that they needed depth on defence and another power forward. But he said they wouldn't be "sellers" at the trade deadline by dealing their 20-year-old forwards.
In other off-ice news, forwards Kyle Stroh, Payden Benning and Kyle Ermel, and defenceman Kealin Wong, have been selected to the Sherwood Conference team for the SJHL all-star game January 20 in Yorkton. Wong will be in the starting line-up.
Estevan hosts Melville January 12 and Yorkton on the 13th. Then they embark on their final road trip of the year: they play in Kindersley January 16 and 18 and in the Battlefords on the 17th.

From the Sidelines
Canada wins Gold again
By Kyle Kapiczowski
Team Canada has won their fourth consecutive gold medal at the World Junior Hockey Championship. Canada beat Team Sweden 3-2 in the gold medal final. Matt Halischuk scored the game winning goal in overtime. Brad Marchand was named Canada's player of the game, defenseman Drew Doughty was named to the tournament all-star team, while goalie Steve Mason was named the MVP of the tournament and the all-star goalie of the tournament. I hope Canada can win it again in Ottawa next year.
Russia won the bronze medal as they defeated Team U.S.A 4-2 in the bronze medal game. I hope the U.S. wins bronze next year.
In the NFL, the divisional round is set. In the AFC, the New England Patriots will play the Jacksonville Jaguars, and in the other game, the San Diego Chargers will play the Indianapolis Colts. In the NFC, the New York Giants will play the Dallas Cowboys, and in the other game the Green Bay Packers will take on the Seattle Seahawks.
In NCAA basketball, the Florida Gators beat High Point 88-70. Florida's record is 13-2 overall and the Gators will begin conference play soon.
In North Dakota football news, the Fighting Sioux have hired Chris Mussman, who replaces Dale Lennon as head coach. Mussman becomes the 25th coach in North Dakota football history.
In the WHL, the Regina Pats traded defenseman Nick Ross, Spence Fairpoint and a fourth-round bantam draft pick to Kamloops. The Pats then sent left wing Troy Ofukany and blue-liner Juraj Valach to the Red Deer Rebels. In return, the Pats added right-winger Dallas Jackson, centre Scott Doucet, defenceman Ryan Bender and defenseman Victor Bartley.
In the English Premier league, Manchester United beat Birmingham City 1-0. Man U's Record is 15 wins, three losses and three ties. Manchester's next game is against Newcastle United and they are two points back of Arsenal for first place.
That's all folks!

Viewpoints

Editorial
Tea Time
Oh I Wish it Could be Christmas Everyday
By Dani Stobbs
The Christmas blues are a sure thing every year. Christmas gets earlier and earlier each year and we spend more of the winter months covered in glistening lights and vacuuming up tree needles. It's a shock to the system when we are suddenly ripped from Christmas.
All of a sudden we see all the decorations we bought less than a month ago have 70% written all over it. In big red letters too, just to make it worse. You see that Christmas outfit you bought for $100 go down to $20. The lights that went over all across town are now replaced by husbands up on ladders pulling them down, as the wives stand and watch - sorry I mean 'supervising'.
Trees are now being thrown away or packed away into the attic. All that's left of the candy are empty wrappers and the disgusting tasting ones left at the bottom of the packets.
Your presents that had only a week ago stood out all bright shiny and new, are not having to find a place to fit, making them now just like the rest of the things you own.
It's not just the kids that get that Christmas blue feeling; I have come across many an adult that goes through a little sorrow as the realization dawns that it's all over again for another year.
But don't worry it's only less than nine months before it all starts up again - those blues go away pretty fast when you think about that.
Isn't it ironic that when you see all the Christmas stuff going up and stores starting to stock all the season's necessities that we all start to complain?
"Oh my goodness I can't believe Christmas is here already" or "it's comes by so quickly" or "all this fuss for just one day".
Yet the day after Christmas, with our bellies bloated and our minds on a sugar buzz, surrounded by knitted jumpers from Grandma, and underpants from your mum you suddenly wish that it would last just a little longer.
Why isn't every day like Christmas? It's totally possible. Maybe not the gifts and the fairy lights, but the effort that we all seem to put in to make this one day the most special.
Estevan has been through a lot and we have definitely being saddened and shocked by recent events in our city, and things happen that we don't understand. There are times when unfortunately we have sorrow, let us not make sorrow unnecessarily.
A man named Howard Thurman was a mentor of Martin Luther King Jr. and wrote these words;
"To find the lost; to heal the broken; to feed the hungry; to rebuild the nations; to bring peace among the enemies; to make music in your heart."
We never know what the future holds so why isn't every day Christmas?

Editorial
Don't frown on Austin
Kent Austin could be leaving Saskatchewan, again.
Saskatchewan Roughrider fans were shocked to hear that Austin, the team's head coach, might be moving to U.S. college football less than two months after winning the Grey Cup.
Austin is interviewing for the offensive coordinator job at his alma mater, the University of Mississippi. Austin excelled in his four years at Ole Miss in the 1980s, and is a member of their Hall of Fame.
It would be a dream job for Austin to coach at his former school, and it would be a dream for Ole Miss to have a successful former player in charge of their offence.
Austin is by no means a shoo-in for the job. There are other candidates for the job. But there's a good chance that November's Grey Cup win over Winnipeg was Austin's last game as the Riders head coach.
It wouldn't be the first time Austin has left Saskatchewan. He was a star quarterback from 1989 to 1993 - one of the best players to ever play for the Green and White. He led the team to the Grey Cup in 1989.
But he was traded to B.C. after the 1993 season, and his departure was bitter. Fans were angry, and it showed when B.C. visited Saskatchewan for the first time in 1994. That bitterness lingered for some fans even after Austin was hired as the Riders' head coach.
Fans should have no reason to resent him if Austin does leave again. And it's not just because he led the team to their first Grey Cup in 18 years, in his first year as the Riders' head coach. He'd leave on good terms this time.
Much like Saskatchewan's love for their Riders, the passion for college football runs deep in the U.S., especially the southern states. Athletes who play college sports are forever linked to their program. Once an Ole Miss quarterback, always an Ole Miss quarterback.
Rider GM Eric Tillman understands. He's an Ole Miss graduate, too. Tillman hired Austin, and he knows that if Austin gets the job, he can't stand in Austin's way.
Saskatchewan is a great situation for Austin. But the offensive coordinator job at Ole Miss would be better. It'll likely pay better, too.
Austin would leave Saskatchewan a conquering hero. And he would leave on good terms. If he gets the Ole Miss job, fans should offer nothing but best wishes.