Keeping Estevan clean

(L-R) Taisley Rensby and Emily Marshall were among the Estevan Brownies who picked up garbage in the Pleasantdale valley May 3. About 30 volunteers were involved. Many individuals and groups have been picking up litter around the city now that temperatures have warmed up.

POLICE REPORT
*Police are investigating an assault with a weapon complaint. A 14-year-old Estevan male was shot in the stomach with an air soft gun. Charges are pending against the offending parties.
*Police received a complaint of a domestic assault involving a mother and a child. The matter has been referred to Social Services.
*Police received numerous complaints about a female who appeared to be intoxicated and stumbling into traffic on Highway 39. A 28-year-old female from Regina was arrested for public intoxication.
*An Estevan female was issued a 30-day driving suspension for impaired driving. She was also charged with operating an unregistered vehicle.
*Two 17-year-old young offenders are facing charges for possessing a controlled substance when police located them smoking marijuana in a vehicle parked in a central city alley. A subsequent search of the vehicle found a small amount of marijuana along with other drug paraphernalia. They will appear in court June 5.
*Police are investigating a bicycle theft in the Pleasantdale area.
*A female motorist on Kensington Avenue was charged for driving without an appropriate licence.
*A hit and run was reported. The victim vehicle was backed into, and the taillight was broken out. The incident is being investigated.
*A 48-year-old male subject is being sought after he assaulted his 31-year-old daughter during a disagreement at a Hillside residence. The incident is under investigation and charges are pending. Alcohol was believed to be a factor.
*Police assisted EMS personnel with a medical emergency at a Trojan area residence. The subject was transported to hospital, where he was admitted for observation. He refused treatment and signed himself out. Alcohol was a factor, and he was lodged in cells for public intoxication and his own safety.

New offices open

(L-R) Director of patient care Mary Anne Veroba, operating room manager Kathy Aspinall, nursing supervisor Rob Slastukin, Dr. Khalid Sheikh, St. Joseph's Hospital CEO Normand Poirier, office director Linda Sheikh, office manager Lenore Fister, and patients Rose Van de Woestyne and Tom Trofimenkoff participated in the grand opening of Dr. Sheikh's new office May 1. The office is part of the new primary health centre at the south end of St. Joseph's Hospital. Several more physicians will have offices in the centre.

New park planned for Trojan

Leisure Services manager Helen Fornwald
with a blueprint of the new Trojan park.

A 5.79-acre park will be part of the new Trojan subdivision in Estevan.
Trojan residents and business owners were invited to attend an open house May 1 to discuss plans for the park. Leisure Services manager Helen Fornwald said the people who attended were supportive.
The park would extend from Peterson drive in the Trojan's south central area, past Frehlick Bay and Symons Bay, to Rooney Road in Trojan's northeast corner.
"We're really pleased with Crosby, Hanna and Associates' landscape architects and planning," said Fornwald. "We hired them before when we developed Royal Heights Park, and they're doing an excellent job for us now with the new Trojan park."
The next step will be to collect data from public surveys and to develop conceptual plans. A public meeting will follow. A final design will then be completed and taken to Estevan City Council.
If approved, the park will be included in the 2009 budget, and Fornwald said the park could be finished for the summer of 2009.
It will be a passive park with a paved pathway system and benches. Trees, flowerbeds and shrubs will be spread throughout the park. It will be ideal for walking and bicycling, Fornwald said.
Frisbee, pick-up sports and kite flying could take place in the summer, and cross-country skiing could be possible in the winter.
"I think it's important that we compliment a new subdivision with a greenspace that will balance it out," said Fornwald.
There won't be playground equipment. An existing park in the Trojan area includes a playground.

Cornerstone board sets mill rate
The South East Cornerstone School Division's board of education has set its mill rate for the 2008 year at 23.0, up 3.14 per cent.
In light of rising costs - including a 7.3 per cent ($3.36 million) increase in instruction salary costs, driven mainly by provincially negotiated salary scales and increases in school staff levels to support diverse student needs - the board focused on ensuring that those cost increases did not undermine the board's ability to take advantage of the recent increase in provincial capital funding.
"The board was determined to ensure the division is in a solid position to fund the recently approved Oxbow capital project and that it is able to take advantage of potential provincial funding for Weyburn facilities renewal should that opportunity present itself," said board chair Audrey Tromblay.
"Although the provincial operating grant provided an additional $1 million toward increased costs, the board had to cover the remaining $2.36 million in instructional salary increases as well as fuel cost and other increases to ensure Capital Funding Capacity.

Students learn about clean coal
More than 50 high school students from across Canada were in Estevan May 1 to learn more about clean coal technology.
The tours were organized by the Interchange in Canadian Studies, a national organization that facilitates student exchanges. Students travelled to the Shand Power Station, Prairie Mines and Royalty's Boundary Dam Mine, the Souris Valley Museum, an oil rig and other attractions in the Estevan and Weyburn areas.
Students also listened to a lunch presentation from the local Clean Coal Coalition.
"They thought it was fantastic," said Dale Reed, a high school principal who helped organize the tours. "They thought that the stops they made, particularly the Shand Power Station and Prairie Mines, were outstanding."
The focus of the conference was "Energy and Our Future. What Kind? What Costs? What Opportunity!" Clean coal fit in nicely with the theme, Reed said, because they wanted to look at how Saskatchewan can master the fuels, and the types of fuels, that will be available in the future.
Clean coal taught students how non-renewable fossil fuels can be utilized and maintained for environmental concern, Reed said.
A total of 220 students - 110 students from across Canada, and 110 host students from Regina - were involved in the exchange. About a quarter of the students travelled to Estevan to study clean coal. The rest went to other energy-related projects.

Padayachee chosen for provincial award

Larissa Padayachee of Estevan won the Soroptimist
International of Saskatoon's Violet Richardson Award.

Estevan Comprehensive School Grade 12 student Larissa Padayachee has been presented with the Violet Richardson Award by the Soroptimist International Club of Saskatoon.
The award recognizes one young woman from across the province and her leadership and volunteerism in the community. Padayachee received a plaque and $500.
Padayachee said the award was handed out at a ceremony that is similar to the SaskPower/Quota International Women of Today Awards held in Estevan each year.
Padayachee said the main reason she won was her work with Estevan's Relay for Life. She has co-chaired the Relay's luminary committee, and she participates in the walk.
"With the Relay, it's a really good feeling bringing so many people together with the cause of fighting cancer," said Padayachee.
She has also been active with Estevan's Girl Guides, and she teaches dance at the Drewitz School of Dance.
Padayachee had to fill out an application form and write an essay for the award.

Support for Preston's Road Race

Walter Senchuk (Senchuk Ford Sales), Dustin Sands (Estevan Motors) and Brad Pierson (Murray GM) presented $1,500 to Darrell Meyer for Preston's Road Race.

Local automobile dealerships came together with the Estevan Wildlife Federation's Boundary Dam Walleye Classic to support Preston's Road Race.
Competitors in the walleye tournament were divided into four teams, representing a different automobile dealership in Estevan - Murray GM, Senchuk Ford Sales, Power Dodge and Estevan Motors. The team with the highest total fish weight was declared the winner.
The Murray GM team caught a total of 162.5 pounds of walleye to finish first. Proceeds from the dealership competition were donated to Preston's Road Race.
Richard Roland and Neil Benter of Crosby, N.D., won the derby and handed over $200 of their $1,200 prize to Preston's Road Race. Ken Mehler and Todd Folkerts also turned over $200 to Preston's Road Race, and challenged other teams in the derby to do the same.
Preston's Road Race is a five-kilometre fun run/walk held in memory of Preston Meyer - an Estevan boy who died of cancer in 2004 at age nine. It's organized by Preston's parents, Lori and Darrell Meyer.
Funds raised during Preston's Road Race will be directed to families with a child who is suffering from a serious illness. Fourteen families, most of them from southeast Saskatchewan, have benefited from Preston's Road Race. More than $50,000 has been raised in the event's history.
This year's Preston's Road Race is Saturday, May 31 at Regina's Wascana Parkway.

Perry a Women of Distinction nominee
Estevan resident Jeanne Perry's nomination for a Lifetime Achievement Award at the YWCA's Women of Distinction Awards ceremony was unsuccessful. The awards were handed out May 1 in Regina.
A war bride, Perry was born in South Wales, and immigrated to Canada in 1945 to live with her husband, Allan. She raised a family, and she has been active with many different organizations in the community during her years in Estevan.
The Lifetime Achievement Award pays tribute to a lifetime of achievement and accomplishments, and a long-time dedication to improving the lives of others.
Wanda Prettyshield was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
A total of 82 women from across southern Saskatchewan were nominated for the different Women of Distinction Awards.

Music Monday

Band students in the Southeast Cornerstone School Division participated in Music Monday May 5 at the Estevan Comprehensive School. About 1,000 students from Grades 5 to 12 performed "Our Song" by Dala. This was the first time that the division has brought all of its band students together to perform.

$32,000 raised for multiple sclerosis

Participants in Estevan's Super Cities Walk for
MS raised upwards of $32,000.

Estevan's Super Cities Walk for MS (multiple sclerosis) May 4 continued to set records.
About 120 people, included 14 teams, raised upwards of $32,000 for the MS Society of Canada's Saskatchewan branch. Individuals participated in the walk, too. Some money is still outstanding, said local walk coordinator Dave Seipp. He was pleased with the support from the community this year.
Estevan's goal for this year was $25,000.
Half of the money raised will go towards client services. The rest of the money will be used for other services and programs provided by the MS Society.
Cuts Unlimited was the top fundraising corporation with $4,100. They were also the top overall team for the second straight year. The Slow Pokes were the top fundraising family and friends team with $2,600. The Funny Bunnies were the top youth team with $405.
Ginny LaBelle collected the most money among adults with $2,400. Zadie Gervais was the top youth with $235.
The Magnificent Seven won the best rookie team award, the Awesomes won for best team spirit and the Cowboy Country Kickers had the best team name.

Estevan gets Empowered

Cst. Jay Pierson from the Estevan Police Service
brought a drug identification kit to Empower.

About 115 parents, children and other members of the community learned more about substance abuse, and its signs, during Empower May 1 at Spruce Ridge School in Estevan.
Constable Jay Pierson from the Estevan Police Service described the drugs that are used in Estevan: their appearance, their affects on the body and the brain, and their street value.
Marijuana is the most popular drug in Estevan, Pierson said, but cocaine is gaining ground. Marijuana is often the gateway drug to other narcotics, but now the first drug for many young people is cocaine.
Estevan is a wealthy community, and cocaine has become a "status symbol" drug for some young people.
Ecstasy, crystal meth and magic mushrooms are drugs that are found in lesser amounts in the city, Pierson said.
Parents who suspect their children are abusing drugs should watch for changes in behavioural or sleep patterns, Pierson said. Parents need to ask questions and communicate.
Vanessa Kavelench, a youth addictions counselor with the Sun Country Health Region, talked about positive parenting measures to prevent substance abuse.
Parents need to empower their children to avoid drugs. Parents need to teach their children responsibility, and they can't cover up their children's mistakes. Children with a high self-esteem usually don't get into trouble with drugs, Kavelench said.
Positive parenting avoids criticism and focuses on children's behaviours. Parents stay calm to get their point across, and they don't lecture. They don't bribe their children. They understand appropriate boundaries, and they are consistent with punishments.
Pastor Scott Harrison from Living Hope Community Church and his son, David, provided a family's perspective on substance abuse. Scott told the audience that no matter the background or parenting style, children are at risk because drugs are on the street. David spoke on his background, how he started taking drugs, and how he got away from drugs. He said that many people view marijuana as the starting point to harder drugs, but Harrison said alcohol can be the gateway to harder drugs, too, because once someone has had too much to drink, it eliminates their inhibitions.
David Harrison said the biggest key to prevention and recovery is to find a purpose in life. In his case, he found and helped someone who needed help even more than he did.
Empower was a presentation of the Estevan Police Service, Victim Services, the Sun Country Health Region, the Estevan Ministerial Association and the Estevan Youth Ministerial Association.

Youth a big part of Relay

Youth team recruitment co-chair Amber Dukart
Young people continue to play a big part in Estevan's Relay for Life.

Estevan Comprehensive School (ECS) student Amber Dukart, who co-chairs the youth recruitment committee along with Mary Renard, is one of the students tasked with trying to get more teams from the high school involved with the Relay.
Four teams have already registered from the Estevan Comprehensive. The goal is 12. A couple more packages are circulating the school. There were six teams last year.
"It's awesome to see how many youth come out every year, even if they're just there to watch," said Dukart.
A Relay Day will be held on the front lawn of ECS on Friday, May 16, during the school's lunch period. Teams that are registered will be able to fundraise and create awareness for the Relay.
Dukart and other students from the school have travelled to schools in Stoughton, Midale and Lampman to promote the Relay, and encourage students there to sign up.
"Cancer affects everyone, and so I think it's good we all go there to celebrate, remember and fight back. We are the future for the Relay, so the younger we get involved, and the earlier we put our hearts into it, the better it will be."
Dukart will also be busy walking the night of the Relay, as she is on a team.

Trees planted in Estevan

(L-R) Jackie Hank and Lorelei Lachambre were among the volunteers who planted trees in Estevan's Trojan subdivision May 3. A total of 60 aspen trees were planted on the eastern half of Petterson Drive from King Street to Rooney Road. Additional trees will be planted in Torgeson Park in the city's northeast corner, in Trojan Park, and along Scotsburn Square's southwest lawn.

Farmer's Markets begin

(R-L) Linda Dunbar helped Diane Stewart purchase plants during the first Estevan Farmer's Market of the year on May 3. A wide variety of products were available. The markets will be every Saturday until the end of September at the Tower Café parking lot.

Young people clean up Bienfait

Bienfait's Sparks, Brownies & Girl Guides headed to the town's playground May 3 to participate in the Tim Hortons Clean-Up Day. The girls picked up garbage in the park, around the pool, in the soccer fields and around the rink.

Local named Miss Teen Southern Saskatchewan

Amber Pouliot of Estevan has been named
Miss Teen Southern Saskatchewan.

Amber Pouliot, a Grade 11 student at the Estevan Comprehensive School, has been named Miss Teen Southern Saskatchewan.
Pouliot was chosen by Miss Canada Globe Productions based on her resume and an interview. About 70 young women applied for the title.
"They told me my resume was really impressive, and I get involved in the community," said Pouliot. "Some of my answers were really good answers."
She will travel to Toronto from August 4 to 11 for the Miss Teen Canada Globe national pageant.
"There's a talent show night, and we have a bathing suit competition, a gala night and the finals," said Pouliot. "There's a lot of preparation for those three final nights when you do the pageant."
Pouliot will have to collect sponsorships before leaving for Toronto. She also has to shop for dresses and other clothing.
As part of the pageant, she had to choose a charity to support, and she picked Preston's Road Race, a five-kilometre fun walk/run May 31 in Regina held in memory of Preston Meyer. She will attend the event, and she has to write an essay.
Pouliot will also have to create a personal profile, and bring gifts for the 23 other competitors.
It's the second straight year that a young woman from Estevan has been chosen Miss Teen Southern Saskatchewan. Jade Shirley earned the distinction last year.

Poet laureate speaks at banquet

(L-R) Jana Anseth accepted a $600 scholarship from
scholarship committee chair Arlene Anderson.

The Estevan University Women's Club attracted nearly 100 people to their largest fundraiser of the year, their annual fundraising dinner and author's reading, held on May 2.
Saskatchewan poet laureate Robert Currie was the guest speaker. Currie has had five books of poetry published, in addition to a novel and a collection of short stories. He read some of his poems, and excerpts from his book, Teaching Mr. Cutler.
Poetry is important to explain a feeling or describe an image, Currie said. It is often used to chronicle personal events, but it can also be used for major historical events, such as the Holocaust.
"As poet laureate, my job is to remind people that poetry speaks whenever anyone is willing to listen, so thank you for listening," Currie told the audience.
Jana Anseth, a Grade 12 student at the Estevan Comprehensive School, was presented with a $600 scholarship from the club. Anseth will study kinesiology at the University of Saskatchewan this fall. She is active in numerous community and athletic groups.
The club presents a scholarship each year to a young woman pursuing a degree in math or the sciences. A silent auction, with many books available, raised money to award the scholarship.

Disease poses risk to canola
As seeding begins in Saskatchewan, the Ministry of Agriculture urges producers to take appropriate steps to prevent the introduction of clubroot disease into Saskatchewan.
In 2007, nearly 60 canola fields in central Alberta were overcome by a harmful and swift-moving disease, known as clubroot. While clubroot has not been identified in Saskatchewan, it is extremely important for producers to take measures to prevent its establishment and spread.
This could be a record year for canola across the Prairies, with growers in Saskatchewan expected to seed up to 7.5 million acres. Clubroot infection can cause serious yield losses. There are no economically viable options for controlling clubroot once it is established in a canola field, so prevention is essential.
Clubroot is a soil-borne disease that affects the roots of cruciferous vegetables and crops such as cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts, turnip, rutabaga, radish, canola and mustard. Cruciferous weeds (e.g. stinkweed, shepherd's-purse, wild mustard) can also serve as hosts to the disease.
Clubroot is mainly spread by soil movement containing soil-borne spores. Soil transport can occur by wind or water erosion, in manure from animals fed contaminated feed, and by earth tag on seed or on field machinery.

Southeast leads for seeding progress
Saskatchewan farmers seeded four per cent of the 2008 crop, up from one per cent last week, according to Saskatchewan Agriculture's weekly crop report.
The five-year average is six per cent of the crop planted at this time. Currently, 10 per cent of the crop is planted in the southeast, nine per cent is planted in the southwest, two per cent is planted in east central regions, and less than one per cent is reported as planted elsewhere.
On a per crop basis, 18 per cent of the peas, nine per cent of the lentils, six per cent of the triticale and five per cent of the durum are reported planted at this time. All other crops are less than five per cent seeded.
According to crop reporters, topsoil moisture conditions are adequate on 70 per cent of the grainbelt, which is an improvement from last week. Areas of surplus moisture are decreasing in northern regions. Areas of short and very short topsoil moisture are decreasing in the southwest, but increasing in the southeast.
Strong winds and cool temperatures delayed spraying operations this past week.

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