Feature

Landsberg takes Estevan "Off the Record"
Caption: "Off the Record" host Michael Landsberg was the guest speaker at Estevan's new arena fundraiser.
By David Willberg
Michael Landsberg has interviewed many of the biggest names in sports and entertainment on his daily, 30-minute TSN sports talk show, "Off the Record." (OTR). His program is viewed by hundreds of thousands of people every day.
Yet the best part of his job, he said, is being able to visit cities like Estevan. Landsberg was the guest speaker at Estevan's new arena fundraiser March 15.
"To come here, and to experience something so new, so different and so fresh to me, it's just amazing," said Landsberg. "I'm just looking around and thinking 'wow, this is really cool.'"
Landsberg said he gets to speak at about half a dozen such events in a year - not as many as he'd like, but he has a family at home in Toronto, and his show is taped every day from Monday to Friday.
He told the audience of more than 500 people at the new arena fundraiser that a lot of people have thanked him for coming to Estevan, but he was thankful that he was invited.
Since OTR starting filming in 1997, Landsberg has filmed more than 2,000 shows. Thousands of guests have appeared. It's tough for him to pinpoint his favourite, but he chose professional wrestling promoter Vince McMahon.
"For me it was my first big challenge in my life in broadcasting, as far as interviewing someone," said Landsberg. "If you can prove to yourself that 'I'm not intimidated by Vince McMahon,' then you can interview anyone."
Mike Tyson, during his "baddest man on the planet" days in the late 1990s and early 2000s, was a guy that Landsberg really wanted to interview, but never did. Now Barry Bonds tops his wish list of athletes he'll never be able to interview.
Early days of OTR featured a cross-section of guests with sports stars, reporters, musicians, politicians, actors and models. It gave the show a unique element, but Landsberg had a lot of guests who knew nothing about sports.
The introduction of the "Up Front" and "Next Question" segments, along with a greater emphasis on sports-minded guests, changed the show's dynamic.
"In TV, you have to be just slightly ahead of the curve," said Landsberg. "We were playing out the string on this quirky mix of a hip-hop guy from the States sitting with a beautiful woman who's sitting with a hockey player who's sitting with the writer of a best-selling novel.
Landsberg has been with TSN since its inception in 1984. He was an anchor for the nightly highlights show, "Sportsdesk," until he shifted to OTR.
Three other speakers were on the program: author Michael Hoover, and two members of the Saskatchewan Roughriders - offensive lineman Jeremy O'Day, and defensive lineman Scott Schultz.
Hoover is the author of the book Kanook Kibbutznick. In the book, he explains how he went from junior hockey to the U.S. Marines to Israeli intelligence agency Mossad to tracking down terrorists responsible for the 1972 massacre of 11 Israeli athletes. Hoover said the book is part biography and part fiction.
O'Day and Schultz shared stories about each other, as well as their current and former teammates. They discussed the thrill of winning the Grey Cup, and looked ahead to the upcoming season.
O'Day and Schultz also participated in an "Off the Record" type of panel session with Landsberg. Joining them were Mayor Gary St. Onge, Estevan Minor Hockey president Jody Harris, and local hockey supporter Ray Frehlick.
A live auction raised more than $100,000 for the new arena. The top-selling item was a tribute to the history of the Estevan Bruins, donated by Rick and Linda Perry. The framed memento, which will hang in the new arena, featured three vintage hockey sticks and a recap of the club's early years.
Rocket Sales and Service purchased it for $25,000.

News

POLICE REPORT
*Estevan Police and Fire Services responded to two fires in the 600 block of Second Street. The first was a backyard shed fire. The fire was started in a garbage can in the alley next to the fence. It has not been determined if the fire was deliberately set. The cause of the other fire is under investigation.
*Two Estevan males were arrested for driving while impaired. Both will appear in court in April.
*Police received two complaints from customs officials about vehicles failing to report upon entry into Canada. In the first instance, the complaint came from North Portal. The suspect vehicle was located, and the vehicle and its occupants were returned to the port. In the second case, the complaint came from the port of Estevan. The vehicle could not be located.
*An Estevan male was arrested after police received a report from a trailer park resident about a suspect breaking windows and trying to get into the residence. The suspect was injured by the glass, and transported to hospital by ambulance.
*Police are investigating a mischief complaint after a beer bottle was tossed through a vehicle windshield.
*An accident, with injuries, at the intersection of Fourth Street and Souris Avenue, is under investigation.
*Police are investigating a mischief complaint to a business in the south industrial area. Police are seeking the public's assistance.
*A 44-year-old Estevan male was arrested for driving while over .08 after a traffic stop north of the Estevan Comprehensive School.
*A 15-year-old Estevan male was charged with breaching his probation after a curfew check on the youth.
*Estevan Police Service, RCMP, Fire Services and EMS responded to a house fire north of the Boundary Dam Power Station. The house was unoccupied, and no injuries were reported.
*Two Estevan males will appear in court later in March for failing to show up at a scheduled court appearance.
*A 16-year-old young offender is in custody after police located him in breach of his probation order. The subject is facing several other breach charges as a result of his activity over the last few days.

Road bans coming into effect
Truckers and shippers are advised to begin reducing the size of their loads immediately now that spring road bans are in effect.
"In springtime, many roads are vulnerable to soft spots and surface cracks as the frost comes out of the roadbed," Highways and Infrastructure Minister Wayne Elhard said. "Spring road bans are a tool that the province and rural municipalities have used for decades to mitigate damage to infrastructure during this sensitive period."
Spring road bans typically come into effect near the end of March. Once the bans are announced, they take effect for six weeks. Truckers must reduce their loads by 10 to 15 per cent from normal weights.
The spring bans help minimize damage to Saskatchewan's secondary highways and municipal roads. The restrictions do not apply to primary weight highways with structural pavements. Municipalities institute their own spring road bans on selected municipal roads.
Among the local highways affected by the first order: Highway 18 from the junction with Highway 35 to the junction with Highway 36; Highway 35 from the U.S. border to the junction with Highway 18; Highway 318 from Carnduff to Alida; Highway 350 from the U.S. border to Torquay; and Highway 361 from the Manitoba border to the junction with Highway 9.
The Highway 13 access roads to Arcola, Kisbey and Forget are also affected; as are the RMs of Cambria, Souris Valley, Moose Creek, Cymri, Moose Mountain, Brock and Techemseh.

Foundation hosting a spring gala
The St. Joseph's Hospital Foundation will host their inaugural semi-formal spring gala fundraiser on Friday, April 4 at the Days Inn Plaza.
Musician and comedian Martin Janovsky will be the featured entertainment. The European-born Janovsky toured Europe before coming to Canada. He wrote the music for the 1989 Canada Winter Games and the grand opening of Saskatchewan Place.
Janovsky's comedy revolves around his supposed misunderstanding of the English language.
Foundation director Darlene King said proceeds will be used to purchase equipment at the hospital. Obstetrics, surgical and chemotherapy equipment are the priorities right now, she said, but other departments have equipment needs, too.
There won't be any government funding for this equipment, King said, so any equipment purchases will come through community support.
King said there are still some tickets available for the event.
A men's and a women's diamond ring will be raffled off during the fundraiser.
Cocktails are at 6 p.m. Supper will be served at 7 p.m.

Eagles happy with first budget
CAPTION:
Doreen Eagles, MLA

Estevan MLA Doreen Eagles is happy with the budget presented by the Saskatchewan Party March 19 - the party's first since they became government back in November.
Revenues are pegged to be $9.37 billion. Expenditures are $8.57 billion. The government plans to pay down $250 million in debt. A transfer wasn't needed from the growth and stabilization fund to balance the budget, Eagles said.
Eagles said she was "honoured" to sit on the government's side of the Legislature for budget day.
"It was honourable," said Eagles. "It was so honourable to sit there and know that we are keeping our promises. When you go out at election time and you're campaigning on certain things, people ask 'What about property taxes? What about roads?'
"When you're sitting there (in the Legislature), and you see the realization of the promises that you made, it's a very good feeling. It's about keeping your word. I'm a person of my word, and when I say something, I like to keep my commitment."
The budget fulfilled 40 Sask. Party campaign promises, Eagles said.
A total of $1 billion will be spent to improve Saskatchewan's infrastructure: highways, municipal roads, hospitals and schools. Eagles would like to see some of the highways money spent in the Estevan constituency. The Highway 39 east overpass in Estevan is slated to be resurfaced this summer.
The infrastructure money could be used to twin Highway 39, which has a lot of heavy truck traffic, and other projects, Eagles said.
"I will continue to push for improvements to Highway 47 South, and Highway 18 is just in horrible condition," said Eagles.
Other budget highlights that Eagles noted were: a growing rebate for the educational portion of property tax, 1,000 more trades training spaces for young people, a post-secondary education tuition freeze, and more incentives for young people to remain in Saskatchewan after completing their education.
NDP MLA Trent Wotherspoon said the budget made progress in some areas, but there were voids in other areas. The Sask. Party did follow up on some ideas created by the NDP when they were in government, Wotherspoon said.
He is happy to see the infrastructure money, although the Sask. Party could do more, he said.
"I'm encouraged as education critic to see dollars put into capital for the facilities on the education side, but I know the deficit for school structures on the facilities end is $1 billion, and with this economy, that grows with 20 per cent construction inflation," said Wotherspoon.
Property tax relief was lacking. Producers and property owners were expecting more, he said, at a time when the economy is so strong.
"They're just not getting a whole bunch back into the hands of homeowners and land owners who are paying a high portion of the education portion of property tax," said Wotherspoon.
Wotherspoon also believes the number of trades training spaces fell short.
The lack of new training spaces, coupled with the affordable housing crunch that wasn't addressed in the budget, could hinder the province's growth, he said.

Meetings on school futures
The Southeast Cornerstone School Board met with the public on the future of Frobisher School, and Lyndale School in Oungre, during meetings March 18 and 19, respectively.
About 20 people attended the meeting in Frobisher. The board has voted to consider closing the Kindergarten to Grade 6 school.
About 150 people showed up for the meeting at Lyndale, which is the subject of a motion to consider discontinuing Grades 10 to 12.
Board chair Audrey Trombley characterized both meetings as "positive."
"I'm pleased that the communities came out and delivered information to the board," said Trombley. Frobisher School Community Council chair Kyla MacCuish said it was a good opportunity to express their concerns to the board. But the board was unable to answer some of their questions, most notably on busing.
Lyndale School Community Council chair Glen Walkeden said the board seemed receptive to what was said.
"One thing I was very proud of was that the crowd treated the board with respect," said Walkeden.
Some questions, such as busing, couldn't be answered at this time, Walkeden said. But there were answers on the financial benefits of discontinuing Grades 10 to 12, and the quality of education at Lyndale.
The board has also passed motions to consider closing the building for Glenn McGuire School in Oxbow, and to consider discontinuing Grade 9 at Bienfait Weldon School.
The board will make their final decision on all four schools May 15.

Relay plans coming along
Estevan Relay for Life youth co-chair Brady Johnson is pleased with the progress for the annual Canadian Cancer Society fundraiser, which will take place June 14 and 15.
Six teams are already registered, and several team packages are circulating the community, she said, so more teams should be registered soon.
A team captain's meeting will take place March 31 at 7 p.m. at St. Joseph's Hospital Auditorium. Team captains already registered, or those planning to register, are asked to attend.
All committee heads are now in place, Johnson said. Volunteers are needed to assist with the Relay.
A Relay launch will be April 26. Relay participants and supporters will walk from the post office to the Days Inn, where a short rally will take place. The second annual Relay Day will be May 24 in the 1100 and 1200 blocks of Fourth Street.
Johnson said some changes have already been confirmed for this year's Relay in June. Crossroads will be the featured performers. There will also be live entertainment from other bands throughout the event. Since the Relay this year is on a Saturday and a Sunday, there will be a sunrise church service on the 15th.

Two gold medals at Skills Canada
Estevan Comprehensive School students won six medals, including two gold medals, at the provincial Skill Canada competition March 13 in Saskatoon.
Calay Mantei and her model, Katie Fister, won gold in aesthetics. Kaylyn Mack won gold in hairstyling. Mack will advance to nationals in Calgary May 24 to 28. There is no national competition for aesthetics.
Other medal winners were: Becca Gustafson, silver, hairstyling; Shane Hammer, silver, cabinet making; and Justin Nixon, silver, and Miranda Morstad, bronze, architectural cad.
A total of 12 students went to Skills Canada. Other competitions that Estevan students entered included precision machining, welding, and television and video production.
"We worked really hard and really efficiently," said Joyce Mack, one of the coaches for the program. "If you look back at our past history, we've always had about 50 per cent of our students medal."
Mack said the number of students at Skills Canada was down this year because they had less time to prepare. Skills Canada provincials are usually held in April. Students started preparing for Skills Canada at the start of the current semester in late January.

Money raised for MS
CAPTION:
Cuts Unlimited employee Cara Flaman with some of the products available during the bake sale.

Cuts Unlimited in Estevan has raised more than $600 for multiple sclerosis (MS).
Bake sales took place March 13, 14 and 20. Employees, along with a couple of clients, did the baking.
Cuts Unlimited will be participating in Estevan's Super Cities Walk for MS May 4. They were the top fundraising business in last year's walk, and they want to challenge themselves to top last year's numbers.

Construction begins on new KRJ building
CAPTION:
KRJ Custom Fabricating's new home in the RM of Estevan is starting to take shape.

Construction has started on the new home for KRJ Custom Fabricating.
KRJ co-owner Ken Mehler said construction started March 10. The building should be finished by March 28. Electrical, cementing and plumbing work will follow. Mehler is optimistic that it will be ready for occupancy in May or June.
The new building will be 13,000 square feet, or 14 acres. KRJ's current lot in east Estevan is just under 4 acres.
"One of the main reasons we put this new shop up is we can't get semis to us easily," said Mehler. "The 80 feet of width will allow us to back three semis into us."
KRJ's new home is part of a new industrial subdivision in the RM, located east of the Shand Access Road. One business has already opened: Frontier Peterbilt.
Four other 10-acre parcels have been sold. Mehler said one company should be ready to start construction this spring. Another company might do earthwork this year. The other two companies aren't sure when they will begin construction.
RM of Estevan administrator Greg Hoffort said the development is a welcome addition to the RM.
"There have been a lot of hurdles to cross and plans to make, and policies, procedures and bylaws," said Hoffort. "It all seems to be coming together rather nicely."
Hoffort said it is similar in concept to the commercial and industrial development located west of Estevan, adjacent to Highway 39.

Safety and environment focus of meeting
CAPTION:
Saskatchewan Roughrider Chris Szarka was one of the guest speakers at the South East Environmental and Safety Seminar.

Workplace safety and environmental regulations were the focus of the South East Environmental and Safety Seminar March 19 in Estevan.
Bob Ross from Occupational Health and Safety talked about legislative amendments for 2007-08, Todd Han from Saskatchewan Energy and Resources talked about new oil and gas conservation regulations, and certified mediator Gary McDougall talked about conflict management.
Candace Carnahan from Passport to Safety gave a first-hand account on the importance of workplace safety. Carnahan lost the lower part of her left leg in a preventable workplace accident at age 21.
Seminar committee member Jonathan Marcotte said it is a good opportunity to promote safety and environmental issues in southeast Saskatchewan.
"It allows us to bring out government representatives to give us the same message on their new regulations, and give us an idea of what they're thinking," said Marcotte. "And it keeps us thinking about safety and environmental issues."
Saskatchewan Roughriders fullback Chris Szarka also spoke at the seminar. Szarka shared stories from his tenure with the club, and from last year's Grey Cup championship team.

Provincial contest in Estevan
The Estevan Elks and Royal Purple hosted the provincial poster, video and literary contest on addictions awareness March 13.
A total of 175 entries were received from Kindergarten to Grade 12 students in Saskatchewan, although none of the submissions came from Estevan. There were two categories in each of the literacy and video divisions, and five categories in the poster contest. Categories were decided by age.
Entries focused on the theme of addictions awareness. Local Royal Purple member Shirley Thera, the provincial co-chair of the Royal Purple addictions awareness committee, said they want children to understand all addictions, not just smoking, drinking and drug abuse, she said. There was an entry on pathological lying.
Entries were strong this year, Thera said. It was hard to choose the winner in some classes.
School students were invited to send their literary, poster and video entries to their local Elks or Royal Purple club for the contest. The top three entries in each category, from each club, were sent to provincials. The top three in each category at provincials will be sent to the national event.

History book nears completion
The communities of Arcola and Kisbey are piecing together an updated edition of their history book.
Arcola town manager Glenda Hislop said the project editor is gathering the histories and the pictures for the book. Content for the front part of the book needs to be compiled.
Hislop hopes the new history book can be printed by October or November, and released in time for Christmas. More than 300 copies of the book have been sold already; Hislop would like to sell 500.
One hundred copies of the original history book are also being re-printed. Fifteen are still available.
"We have close to 400 personal histories that were sent in, so we were really pleased with that," said Hislop. "And it won't be as big of a book as the first one, because the first one dealt with 100 years."
Individuals and families who had their information included in the first book, released in 1983, were able to submit their information from the last 25 years. Those who weren't part of the first book were invited to submit all of their information for the new book.

Equipment funding for Sun Country
The Sun Country Regional Health Authority is receiving nearly $1 million in additional funding from the provincial government for safety lifting and surgical equipment.
"There is a pressing need for new equipment in health facilities across Saskatchewan," Health Minister Don McMorris said. "This investment will help address workplace safety issues and ensure that our hospitals have the appropriate equipment to meet patients' needs."
Sun Country Health Region will receive a grant of $986,000 to purchase safety lifting equipment and update surgical equipment. Items to be purchased include patient lifts, electric beds, and autoclaves for sterilizing surgical instruments.
"We are extremely pleased to be able to purchase this large amount of additional equipment to help improve the working environment of our staff and to assist with patient/resident care," Sun Country Health Region CEO Cal Tant said.
"With the additional patient lifts and electric beds, we hope to reduce injuries to our staff. We have a large number of staff who are away from work for a lengthy period after an injury."
The investment is expected to support efforts to recruit and retain health professionals by enabling health regions to provide safer, more supportive workplaces.
The funding is part of $18 million being distributed to all health regions. Approximately $13 million will be used for safety equipment and training to reduce workplace injuries, and nearly $5 million to upgrade equipment in hospital operating rooms and recovery rooms.

Motus O next Koncert for Estevan
Motus O's interpretation of Petrouchka will be the next performance in the Koncerts for Kids series April 3 at 7 p.m. at Spruce Ridge School.
Petrouchka is the story of a little clown with a big heart. He outwits the Strongman, tames a bear, dances with a feather, juggles bowling balls, goes fishing, avoids the anger of the Wizard, and in the spectacular finale, saves the Ballerina's life.
Petrouchka might be small and awkward, but he has enthusiasm for life. The play is performed to the original score by Igor Stravinsky.
Motus O is Latin for the method of movement. Since their formation in 1990, they have created several full-length productions for both family and adult audiences.
Motus O is comprised of an American gymnast, an Australian sheep shearer and a Canadian figure skater. They are all co-artistic directors of a Canadian dance theatre company.

Celebration of Bruins history
CAPTION 1: (L-R) Linda, Harry,
Troy and Shawna Moroz from Rocket Sales and Service purchased a History of the Estevan Bruins tribute for $25,000. The tribute, donated by Rick and Linda Perry, includes three old hockey sticks, and a recap of the Bruins early years.

Off the Record panel discussion
CAPTION2: (L-R) Scott Schultz, Jeremy O'Day, Jody Harris, Michael Landsberg and Ray Frehlick participated in an "Off the Record" type of panel discussion. The panel discussed current issues in sports, and took questions from the audience.

Agriculture Minister's Message: Ag Week
With the arrival of spring, Saskatchewan producers are finalizing their plans for the upcoming growing season. Strong crop prices have benefited Saskatchewan grain farmers significantly, and expectations are that prices will continue to be strong in 2008. The outlook for wheat and durum prices for 2008/09 is more than double that of 2006/07. Canola prices have also more than doubled over the same period. However, we are mindful of the dramatic increases in the price of fuel, fertilizer and other inputs that have tempered profitability.
In comparison, cattle and hog producers are struggling due to the high Canadian dollar and high feed grain costs. Not only are cattle and hog prices lower than they were two years ago, but producers' operating expenses have also increased significantly.
One of the new government's first acts after taking office was to announce the short-term cattle and hog loan programs. These programs give cattle and hog producers access to approximately $60 million and $30 million, respectively, in loans. This program should help to address immediate cash flow problems facing producers.
The Saskatchewan Government also signed on to the AgriInvest and AgriStability programs. I realize there are some problems with the programs, but it was important to sign on to get money available to producers as soon as possible. Through AgriStability, hog producers have access to Targeted Advance Payments for 2007 and 2008. While we recognize these steps will not resolve all issues currently facing the industry, they will help provide short-term security as we work towards a long-term solution.
This government is committed to fulfilling our election campaign promises, such as rebates on the education portion of property tax, repairing Saskatchewan highways, and reviewing the Crop Insurance program. We will be consulting with producers throughout the spring and summer on the Crop Insurance review and I look forward to working together towards an improved program.
Agriculture has historically been the backbone of our provincial economy. This rich and varied industry will continue to play a vital role in Saskatchewan's growing economy. We look forward to working with producers, partners and stakeholders as we grow this province and industry into the future.
I wish you a prosperous growing season ahead.
Sincerely,
Honourable Bob Bjornerud
Minister of Agriculture

4H speakers enter districts
The Browning, Benson, Crossroads and Outram-Madigan Beef Clubs, and the Black Gold Light Horse Club, competed at the district 4H speak-off March 15 at the Perfect Inns and Suites in Estevan.
The Black Gold club hosted the event. A total of 20 speakers were entered in four different divisions: cloverbud, junior, intermediate and senior.
Winners were Jordan Walter from the Browning club in the cloverbud division, Janae Wanner from the Black Gold club in the junior division, Alina Craig from Browning in the intermediate division, and Jessica Klarholm from the Benson club in the senior division.
They will advance to the regional speaking competition in Wishart March 30

Columnists

An Oldie but a Goodie
Old things can be valuable (no, I am not just saying that because I am starting to "get up there"). Take, for example, the old idea of "God's grace".
By definition, "Grace" is "unmerited favor" or "unearned kindness" and it is one of the words that the New Testament writers frequently use when describing God. John 1:16 tells us that, "From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another". A short list of those blessings would include things like forgiveness, salvation, new life, repentance, God's love and Christ himself. In various scriptures, those concepts are tied to the word "grace".
Recovering that old concept of "God's grace" changes how we see him. Our God is not out to get us, or exclude us. In fact, God's gracious disposition is one of the best blessings that we have.
Romans 8:31 says, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" The "if" in that sentence could be translated "because". The context of the entire Roman letter indicates that God is for us. He is on our side. He has provided everything that we need for spiritual health. Through Christ's death, burial and resurrection he has broken down the wall of sin that kept us from him (Ephesians 2:13-15). Therefore, my spiritual life does not rest on my being perfect. It rests on a God who is gracious, kind and forgiving enough to send his son to die for me, even before I knew that I needed it (Ephesians 2:1-10). All I have to do is to respond to his offer (Romans 6:1-4).
While we should take seriously our responsibility to follow God and do what he says, never forget that our hope rests in God's grace! In fact, it is the only hope we have.
"I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" (Galatians 2:21)
Tim Pippus, Estevan Church of Christ

THE POWER OF LIGHT
By Linda Wegner
My curiosity has led to all sorts of surprises, some good and some bad. It's also led me to some fascinating people and some good-paying stories. While I've been accused of snoopiness, I prefer to attribute my inquisitive nature to the fact that I'm a writer.
As far as I'm concerned, though, my curiosity comes to a screeching halt at the mention of spelunking. Defined as the recreational sport of exploring caves, it lacks even an iota of fascination for me - you can be assured that my snoopiness stops at the entrance of the cavern! Crawling into narrow caves, negotiating twists and steep descents, and facing unknown hazards, while clinging to unseen walls, simply is not my idea of adventure. There's no story worth it, at least for me. Simply put, I'm downright chicken when it comes to venturing into the recesses of a deep, dark hole.
Re-read the Easter message this morning, I saw new meaning in the description of Mary Magdalene's entry into the blackness of the hole we call the tomb. The seeming loss of her friend and deliverer (what else would you call the one who'd released her from the power of demons?) was twofold: they'd crucified him and now, apparently, they'd stolen his body. She ran for help then stood outside the tomb and wept while the other disciples entered, looking for his body. Finally, in an act of incredible courage, she also stooped and looked inside. "Why are you weeping?" the angels asked. In response to her outpouring of grief, Jesus himself called her name and in so doing replaced darkness with light, despair with hope and fear with courage.
"Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, 'I have seen the Lord!'" John 20:18
When Jesus calls our name, darkness must yield to the power of his light.

GARDEN NOTES
By Gerry Fichtemann
THE RARE AND BEAUTIFUL CLIVIA
As a rule, I do not write too many articles on houseplants but the odd time I find a plant that is very unique and not many people know about it. The plant I am referring to is the Clivia maniata. which was given to me by a good gardening friend who professionally gardens in Saskatoon. Some of you local Estevan people may remember'" when Claudette Dubreuil lived in Estevan.
When she came to Estevan for a weekend, she brought this Clivia with her and gave it to me for its new home. It was not that large when she gave it to me, however it was probably ready to bloom the following year. The plant did bloom the following year with a cluster of a few blooms. Since .one year has passed, the Clivia has grown by leaps and bounds. Later I found out that this plant can get to be a huge plant. It just finished blooming for the second time (it blooms once a year).This year the blooms were much larger and in a cluster of 29 blooms. (They are only known for having about 15 to 20 blooms). It was exceedingly beautiful.
The Clivia has a common name a Kafir Lily, however I have only heard people use Clivia for its name. It originated in Natal, Africa. The plant has leathery strap-like bright green leaves. The flowers are red-orange with a large yellow throat which appear in a cluster atop a long stalk.
It likes filtered light, heavy soil with good drainage, cool night temperatures and good air circulation. It likes being drenched and then allowed to dry. The Clivia has special needs.
It needs winter rest -an unheated cool room would be fine. No fertilizer and just enough water to prevent wilting. In spring, do not move the pot when in bud or flower and don't re-pot unless the plant is pushing out of the container. It likes to be crowded.
Now do not go looking for this Clivia houseplant in a big box store as they will never stock this most beautiful plant and I will tell you why. The Clivia plants are very, very expensive plus they are very rare. The big box stores go the cheap route and you must go to a city Florist or Specialty plant store to find this specialty plant. I thought It might be wise to check my seed catalogues but soon changed my mind when I found that they sell for about $5 per seed. Something else worth noting is that they take from two to five years to start blooming. To own a Clivia is to own one of nature's rare and beautiful plants!
Gerry Fichtemann is the owner of River Bend Nursery.

Sports

From the Sidelines
MARTIN WINS BRIER
By Kyle Kapiczowski
Alberta's Kevin Martin has won the 2008 Tim Hortons brier. Martin beat Ontario's Glen Howard 5-4 in a close final. Martin becomes the fifth Alberta team to go undefeated at the Brier; his record was 13-0. Martin will now represent Canada at the Men's World Curling Championship, which will be played in Grand Forks, North Dakota. I hope he does well.
Major League Baseball will be getting underway soon. One player that has found a new home for this season is pitcher Johan Santana, who is now with the New York Mets. This year I think the New York Yankees, the Atlanta Braves and the Arizona Diamondbacks will finish first in their respective divisions. I think that the Toronto Blue Jays and the Washington Nationals will finish in third place in their divisions. I predict that it will be Arizona and the Oakland Athletics in the World Series this year.
In the Arena Football League, the Philadelphia Soul beat the New York Dragons 63-42. The Soul's record is 3-0 overall and 2-0 in their division. Philadelphia's next game is against the Los Angeles Avengers.
Other scores from Week 3 were: the New Orleans Voodoo took out the Tampa Bay Storm 76-55, the Cleveland Gladiators got past the Columbus Destroyers 59-57, the Orlando Predators squeaked past the Utah Blaze 69-61 and the Georgia Force blew out the Los Angeles Avengers 58-34.
In NCAA basketball, the Florida Gators lost 80-69 to Alabama. The Gators record is 21-11 overall and 8-8 in the SEC Eastern Division. The Florida Gators will miss the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1998.
Jeff Burton won the Food City 500, which was at the Bristol Motor Speedway. Bobby Labonte finished 38th and Mike Skinner finished 40th.
In the English Premier League, Manchester United beat Derby County 1-0. Man U's record is 21-4-4 and they are tied for first place.
That's all, folks!

Grand re-opening for archery club
CAPTION:
(L-R) Tanisha McKinnon, Tait Wrubleski and Alaina McKinnon participated in a fun shoot.

The Estevan Archery Club celebrated the grand re-opening of their indoor range by hosting a fun shoot and their Junior Olympic Program awards banquet March 15.
The building features a new indoor range which extends north. It has the same 18-metre length as their old range, but the new range is two-and-a-half metres wider, giving the archers official-sized lanes.
The old range will continue to be used for practice and training, but it will be reduced to 15 metres in length.
The total distance from the north end of the new range to the south end of the old range is 45 metres - the distance used at the Saskatchewan Summer Games - which will help local shooters training for the event.
Total cost of the project was $34,000. The club did fundraising to pay for the project, and they also received donations.

Recognition for top athletes, junior official
CAPTIONS:
1- (L-R) Michael Landsberg, Shalane Haselhan, Justis Grimsrud and Estevan Boston Pizza franchisee Marco Ricci participated in the Athlete of the Year presentations.

2- (L-R) Kim Anderson, Derek Pele, referee-in-chief Blair Stepp and Estevan Minor Hockey Association president Jody Harris participated in the top junior official award presentation.

The 2008 Boston Pizza Estevan and District Male and Female Athlete of the Year Awards, as well as the Kim Anderson Award for top junior official, were handed out March 15.
Justis Grimsrud was named the Male Athlete of the Year. Justis is involved in volleyball, basketball, badminton, curling, track and field, cross-country and table tennis, but his top accomplishments came in archery, the sport which took him to the 2007 Canada Winter Games in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory.
At age 13, he was the youngest archer at the games. He competed against archers up to eight years his senior. Grimsrud won a bronze medal in men's recurve competition, making him the youngest athlete from Saskatchewan to win a medal. He won gold at several other competitions last year, too.
Shalane Haselhan was named the female athlete of the year for her track and field success. Haselhan enjoyed success at the local, provincial and national levels in 2007 - winning four gold medals at districts and two at provincials.
She is an age class champion in long jump and high jump, and a top performer in the triple jump and sprints.
Haselhan finished fifth in the high jump at the Legion National Track and Field championships last year. Her leap of 1.60 metres was only five centimetres off the top jump in the country. Haselhan assists young athletes with their development. She also plays volleyball and softball.
Derek Pele won the top junior official award. Pele is in his fourth year of officiating. Estevan Minor Hockey president Jody Harris commended him for his hockey sense - both as a player and as a referee - and his attitude towards the game. He is also willing to help new officials.

Gedak wins two at provincials
The Brent Gedak rink, curling out of the Estevan Curling Club, won two of five games at the provincial mixed curling championships in Saskatoon March 13 to 17.
Gedak opened with back-to-back losses. He lost 8-6 in an extra end to Debden's Ian Mayoh, and 8-4 to Saskatoon's Bruce Korte.
On the verge of elimination, Gedak responded with back-to-back wins: 10-8 over Regina's Murray McEachran, and 9-4 in eight ends over Swift Current's Rod Quintin.
Gedak scored four in the seventh end against McEachran to break open a 5-5 tie. He scored three in the sixth end, and stole three more in the seventh, to rally from a 4-2 deficit after five ends against Quintin.
Gedak's tournament ended in the next game, as Korte defeated Gedak 5-2 in nine ends.
Other members of the Gedak rink were third Sherilee Orsted, second Bob Doerr and lead Janelle Gedak.

Girls' hockey recruiting
The Estevan Minor Hockey Association hosted a "Bring a friend night" for their female division March 14 at the Lignite Miners Centre. Twenty-nine current and potential female hockey players participated. They enjoyed skills development, scrimmages and an opportunity to learn the game. The female division wants to introduce more girls to the game, and boost their enrolments next season.

Dance the Ice Away
CAPTION:
Kristy Moriarty and Brett Smith danced a duet.

The Estevan Figure Skating Club's 2007-08 season is nearing completion, and club members demonstrated all that they have learned this season during their Dance the Ice Away wind-up March 16 at the Civic Auditorium. Intermediate and senior members skated and danced in solos, duets or in groups, and junior dancers performed in groups. The beginner CanSkate skaters also skated in groups.

Oilmen's bonspiel is March 27 to 30
Registrations are still being accepted for the Estevan Oilfield Technical Society's (OTS) annual Oilmen's Bonspiel March 27 to 30 at the Estevan Curling Club.
Estevan OTS president Greg Kallis said they have 40 teams registered. They'd like to have 48 teams signed up this year. The deadline to register is March 24, as the bonspiel schedule will be completed that night.
The opening draw will be on the 27th, likely in the morning. Games will start every two hours until the final draw, likely to be in the afternoon of the 30th.
There will also be a banquet on the 28th.
Kallis said curlers will come from Alberta, Saskatchewan and southwest Manitoba for the event.
Estevan Curling Club manager Pauline Ziehl-Grimsrud said this is the event that keeps their doors open.
"The Oilmen's Bonspiel is an annual event, and we are just really happy to have these guys back again this year," said Ziehl-Grimsrud. "It's huge for us to wind up our year, it's great to have all the people in - to keep curling active in the community - and to have others come into the curling club."

Carnduff leads Big Six final
The Carnduff Red Devils have jumped out to the lead in the Big Six Hockey League final.
Carnduff, the defending league champions, defeated the Midale Mustangs 5-3 in Game 1 of the best-of-seven league final March 19 in Midale. Three Red Devil goals in the second period proved to be the difference for Carnduff.
Carnduff reached the league final by defeating the Redvers Rockets in five games in the best-of-seven East Division final. Carnduff clinched the series with a 13-6 win in Game 5 March 13. Redvers won the first game of the series, but Carnduff won the next four.
Midale defeated the Carlyle Cougars in six games to win the West Division Final. The series was tied 2-2 after Game 4. Midale pulled ahead with a 6-4 win in Game 5 March 15, and they clinched the series with an 8-1 win on the 16th.
Carlyle had the best record in the Big Six during the regular season. They lost once, to Midale back in November. Carlyle was unbeaten in their final 20 games of the regular season.

Wakeboarder to teach at Boundary Dam
Professional wakeboarder Connor Ward will be instructing at Boundary Dam May 30 to June 1.
Ward runs the Hang Time Wakeboarder School at the Lake of the Woods in Ontario. He started wakeboarding nine years ago, and he has been doing it competitively for six years. Ward has competed nationally and internationally.
He opened Hang Time five years ago.
Organizer Angie Johnson said there would be room for up to six participants. All skill levels are welcome to participate. Spectators will be encouraged to watch the sessions, which run from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day.

Keating reaches juvenile semi-final
Benson's Kris Keating reached the semi-final of the provincial juvenile men's curling playdowns, held March 14 to 17 in Swift Current.
Keating started strong, winning his first three games: 7-3 over Assiniboia's Kyle Batty, 6-5 over Canwood's Karla Nordquist, and 4-3 over Weyburn's Sheldon Obst. The wins over Nordquist and Obst were in come-from-behind fashion.
But two straight losses put Keating on the brink of elimination in the triple-knockout elimination event. Keating lost 5-2 to Langenburg's Kody Hartung, and 7-2 to Strongfield's Kirk Muyres.
Keating responded. He avoided elimination with a win over Swift Current's Kurtis Butler, and he qualified for the playoffs with a 7-1 win over Martensville's James Gordon.
Keating continued to roll in the first round of the playoffs. He knocked off Prince Albert's Jeremy Corriveau 8-1. His tournament ended in the semi-final with a 10-2 loss to Muyres.
Other members of Keating's team included third Marcus Lau, second Andrew Batt and lead Landon Lafrentz. The team was coached by Robert Keating.

Midget Bruins back on top
The Estevan Apex Distribution Midget AA Bruins have returned to the top of Saskatchewan midget AA hockey by winning a provincial championship.
Estevan defeated the Battlefords Barons 10-6 in a two-game, total goal provincial final. Estevan won Game 1 6-5 in Estevan, and Game 2 4-1 in North Battleford. The last midget AA title for Estevan came in 2003.
Coach Chris Hammett said he told the team before Game 2 that Estevan needed to score the first goal.
"If we can get the first goal, and get up two goals in the series, it might give us an extra push, an extra jump to carry on through the game, and it might sink their ship a little bit," said Hammett. "If they would have got the first goal, you're looking at a tie series, and maybe we're clutching the sticks a little tighter."
Estevan scored the first goal in Game 2 in the first period, and the Bruins scored again in the second period for a 2-0 lead, and an 8-5 lead in the series.
Battlefords scored late in the second period to narrow the gap in the game and the series, but Estevan replied early in the third to restore their leads. Another goal a few minutes later gave the Bruins their 4-1 margin for the game, and 10-6 for the series.
Hammett said they played well as a team during provincials. All of their lines contributed. Defensive coverage and penalty killing needed improvement after Game 1, and he felt the Bruins did that.
Hammett also won a provincial title as a player with the midget Bruins in 2002.
At least seven players won't be back next season: forwards Brendon Grube, Keegan Malaryk and Steve Lindenbach; defencemen Chris Stubel and Preston Erickson, and goalies Jackson Walliser and Cody Dumaine will graduate from midget due to age.
Estevan is still in contention for the league title, too. Hammett hopes his players won't suffer a hangover from provincials.
"It almost feels like hockey's done, we won the provincial championship," said Hammett. "But we set two goals at the start of the year: we wanted to win provincials and we wanted to win the league."

Lampman midgets win league
CAPTION:
Members of the Lampman Midget Hockey Team: Coaches Randy Phillips, Grant Palmer, Kirby Fleck. Back Row (L-R): Evan Ludwig, Jordan Hanrieder, Allan Walter, Kyran Palmer, Billy Greenwood, Taylor Baldwin and Mason Fleck. Middle row: Evan Fleck, Kirk Scholpp, Derek Fleck, Jamie Leptich, Brad Lisafeld, Blake Brooks, Logan Fleck, Logan Hutt and Derrick Lisafeld. Front Row: Gene Irwin, Kody Kelly-Birns and Riley Greening.

The Lampman Imperial midgets have captured the Moose Mountain Minor Hockey League title.
Lampman beat Redvers in the best of three league final in two straight games. Lampman defeated Redvers 3-2 in double overtime in Game 1, and 5-3 in Game 2.
The championship capped a successful year for the midget Imperials. They finished first in the league in the regular season with a record of 19-4-1. They were undefeated in the league playoffs. And they reached the provincial Midget D final against Frontier, losing the two-game, total-goal series 19-4.

Viewpoints

Editorial
Tea Time
The Umbrella of Love
By Dani Stobbs
So this week my adventures take me all the way to Vancouver, British Columbia. Going to Vancouver has been on my life list of things to do since I even knew Canada was a country.
What makes this trip even more special than just seeing the sights is that I have one of my best friends living out here, with other good friends that I have made since living in Estevan (they relocated out here about a year ago as part of Mission Burnaby, from the Church of God).
As I write this I am only half the way through my trip but it has already been a full eventful one. The day after I arrived we spent our Sunday morning at a church that was held in a cinema, we sat in one of the many star bucks around the city, and watched the craziness of the St Patrick's Day carnival head up the street.
Tuesday we decided to mix things up a bit, and make the day something more than just about ourselves. Before I left for Vancouver, the boyfriend and I had stopped off to buy me an umbrella (brolly, as I like to call it) in Weyburn, as I needed to prepare for the Vancouver weather. It is this beautiful pink umbrella, fit for a princess with a little pink strawberry as a handle.
Meryl (best friend in Vancouver) and I decided that it would be silly fun to take pictures with this umbrella everywhere… then we decided it would be even funnier to have random strangers hold the umbrella and we take pictures of them.
Well, of course if we were going to take their picture then we came to the conclusion that it would make a lot of sense (in our minds anyway) to get them to sign the umbrella. And so we came up with the name of 'THE UMBRELLA OF LOVE'.
And so for this whole day we took the Umbrella of Love around the city. We had sky bus workers sign it along with taking their photograph, CTV worker, shop managers, and the dressed up Beluga Whale at the Aquarium, along with random business groups and a singing man at the bus station.
All in all the Umbrella of Love allowed us to do more than just see what Vancouver had to offer, we had the chance to actually interact with Vancouver, from people in expensive suits, to the crazily dressed street performer.
Everyone we asked to sign our umbrella was more than willing - who would wake up thinking someone was going to ask them to sign an umbrella of love and have their photo taken.
The umbrella of Love was for fun, and definitely gave something more to the day, but it became more than that.
It became the sudden realization that random strangers don't always have to be strangers, and that when you take the time (even if it's with the help of an umbrella) you realize that the world really is crying out for more than just themselves. They are calling out for relationship with people. I'm hoping that the umbrella of love was fun for them, but that something happened to lighten their day a little as they stood under the Umbrella of Love.

Questions linger after budget
By David Willberg
The Saskatchewan Party's first budget as government was a good step forward, but it left some questions for Saskatchewan people.
The $1 billion in infrastructure spending should be lauded. It promises funding for roads, and for hospitals and schools, too. Nearly half of the money will be spent on highways. It will be welcome news for Saskatchewan's crumbling highways, such as Highway 47 south of Estevan, Highway 35 from the U.S. border to Weyburn, and Highway 18 west of Torquay.
But it will take more than $400 million per year to fix the worst Saskatchewan highways, especially with the rising costs of road construction.
Health care now accounts for 44 per cent of the budget. The provincial government will have to find a way to cap the rising costs of providing health care to its residents, before health care becomes 50 per cent of the budget.
There has been some progress on the education portion of property tax, especially for farmers. Farmers will see their rebate increase by about $2,000. But the government needs to look beyond rebates. It's time to change the way Saskatchewan funds education, so that 60 per cent of property taxes aren't used on education.
The seven per cent increase in revenue sharing grants to municipalities isn't enough. Expect widespread mill rate increases in cities and towns across Saskatchewan. Hopefully a funding formula will be in place for next year's budget, so that municipalities know before the budget how much money they will receive.
Post-secondary tuition rates will remain frozen. There will be a greater rebate for university graduates who choose to work in the province. And there will be more spaces for students in trade schools. All are good news for Saskatchewan's future.
This is the most exciting time to be in Saskatchewan in many years. The Sask. Party's first budget is a good step forward for the government. It won't halt the growth Saskatchewan is enjoying. But there is room for improvement.

What's Happening

Author Reading
The Estevan Public Library hosted a reading from Ibi Kaslik March 13. Kaslik, a Hungarian-Canadian novelist and journalist, is currently the writer in residence at the Regina Public Library. Kaslik read excerpts from her first two books, Skinny and The Angel Riots.

Basketball season ends
The local elementary school basketball season came to an end with a girls' basketball tournament March 14 and 15. Elementary schools from Estevan and Bienfait competed. Games were at St. Mary's and Westview Schools.

Spring fun day
Tyler Leverton created flowers and flower pots during the Estevan Public Library's spring fun day March 15. Younger children, such as Tyler, enjoyed stories, crafts and snacks; while older children participated in crafts and creative writing.