Region in the News
January 16, 2012
Prairie tapestry
Irene Ehman and Linda Judd, members of the Prairie Wool Weavers, are seen working on a tapestry at the Craik branch of the Palliser Regional Library on Thursday afternoon. The project is in honour of the late June Exelby, a former member of the group. The tapestry will depict the Exelby barn, located along Highway 11 on the farm previously run by June and her husband Gerald.
The weaving group has been working on the project for just over a week. Nine members are each working on a separate piece of the tapestry.
(Leader photo by Joel van der Veen)
Low: Davidson football tryouts are open to girls
DAVIDSON—The Davidson Raiders football team may hit the field this season with a bit of girl power added—if Sydney Booker has anything to say about it.
Booker, a Grade 8 student, told The Davidson Leader last week that she and some of her friends are interested in trying out for the team when it holds its training camp in May in preparation for the upcoming season.
After decades of dormancy, Davidson School revived the team last year. Beginning in September, it played its first six games with a roster of male players.
Booker, an all-around athlete who also participates in basketball, softball, badminton and volleyball, said she's played football with her brothers and other boys in the past.
"I grew up with boys," she said, explaining that playing alongside the guys doesn't really faze her, and she's confident she'll be able to compete with them. "It's like playing against girls."
And she isn't the only girl who's thinking of taking a run for the Raiders. Her classmate Tina Stone also said she's considering trying out for the team.
Stone added that she's familiar with the game, as she's had some coaching from her older brother, Kyle.
Principal Jason Low, the team's head coach, said he has no problem with girls trying out for football. Tryouts are open to all students who will be in grades 9 to 12 in the coming school year.
While some larger schools in the province's cities may be able to run a separate girls football team, he said, it's not really an option for rural schools like Davidson.
Wind chill warning issued as temperatures drop sharply
DAVIDSON—A wind chill warning was issued throughout southern Saskatchewan last Wednesday, as westerly winds combined with bitterly cold Arctic air to create wind chill values in the -40˚C to -49˚C range.
The extreme weather resulted in the cancellation of school bus service across the region. Buses in Davidson, Kenaston and Loreburn were cancelled from Tuesday to Thursday; on Wednesday they were joined by the schools in Craik, Hanley and Dundurn. Most of the buses were running again by Friday.
The warning issued by Environment Canada early Wednesday morning took effect throughout The Davidson Leader's coverage area, including the communities of Davidson, Girvin, Elbow, Loreburn, Hawarden, Kenaston, Bladworth, Hanley, Imperial, Liberty, Craik, Aylesbury and Dundurn, as well as Blackstrap Provincial Park.
The extreme wind chill conditions were expected to last from Wednesday to Thursday. The ministry warned that in these circumstances, frostbite can occur on exposed skin in less than 10 minutes.
According to the ministry news release, the temperature was expected to moderate slightly at the end of the week, due to a low pressure system approaching from the west.
Elbow park project gets $20,000 boost
ELBOW—What began as a small playground project in Elbow has developed into a Let Them Be Kids—Elbow Community Park Project.
The community is thrilled to have recently received a national Helping Hands Award from Let Them Be Kids.
"We are proud to be among thirty communities across Canada whose projects have been selected, and the very first in Saskatchewan," said project chairperson Sarah Wilm. Let Them Be Kids is a charitable worldwide program that acts as a catalyst in building strong communities by establishing playgrounds in areas of need. Led by founder Ian Hill, the organization was named by the World Leisure Congress as "one of the four most innovative leisure programs in the world."
Elbow is busy fundraising for the project, which is estimated to cost more than $75,000. The Helping Hands Award from LTBK will give the community a 50/50 match opportunity for all money raised for playground and park equipment, including benches, performance shelters and outdoor adult fitness equipment, doubling the buying power.
Last week, Rick and Laurie Hopkinson of Saskatoon, who also have a residence in Elbow, graciously donated an amazing $20,000 to the project.
"I still cannot believe it!" said Wilm. "It is just so wonderful to have people like Rick and Laurie, who believe in making a difference. Actions really do speak louder than words."
900 customers affected by Dundurn power outage
DUNDURN—About 900 SaskPower subscribers in Dundurn and the surrounding area were without electricity for a couple of hours on Monday morning after a gravel truck hit a power pole.
The incident took place just after 7 a.m. on Jan. 16, knocking out power to a region that included nearby Blackstrap Provincial Park and some businesses along Highway 11 as far south as Hanley.
Shawn Silzer, a media relations representative for SaskPower, said a crew was sent out to Dundurn shortly after the incident was reported. Most customers had their service restored between 9 and 9:30 a.m., while the last three subscribers were reconnected around 9:50 a.m.
Dundurn town administrator Michelle Roepe said that landline telephones continued working normally. She said the town was preparing to open the community hall, where residents could stay until the power was reconnected.
"We have a generator that we can hook up," she said. "We were just about to, and then the power came on."
