Davidson dentist completes charity mission

Dr. Abe Chaukla exemplified kindness in action earlier this month when he travelled to Central America to perform needed dental work on poor sugarcane farmers.

Chaukla, a dentist at the Davidson Dental practice on Washington Avenue, volunteered to join the charitable organization Kindness in Action dental brigade for their March 1 to 9 mission to Esteli, Nicaragua, to work in a sweaty, suction-less and bloody triage dental clinic. He said the experience was so rewarding that he plans to make it an annual humanitarian expedition.

“It’s my first exposure to a dental charitable mission and I was quite moved by it,” said Chaukla, noting he joined the Alberta-based dental charity after learning about it from a former colleague with the Canadian Forces. “I felt like it kind of put my own job in perspective and also it was a good experience to see your work in different countries and the difference you make in their lives.”

While wearing his Saskatchewan Roughriders grubs, Chaukla endured hot and humid weather along with limited dental equipment to perform the emergency work. He said the time spent in the makeshift Esteli dental clinic was difficult and the work was heavy, but the team of Canadian dentists, dental hygienists, nurses and helpers got the job done.

“All the things we use here are taken for granted, but I still was able to pull almost 200 teeth in three days and do a tonne of fillings,” he said. “We were limited in equipment there too. Basically everything was triage. People lined up for…it went around the block. Everything we did was on a visual exam, so if we looked in somebody’s mouth and something really needed to be extracted we did that. If there were fillings to be done, we did that.”

Chaukla said Kindness in Action had his working vacation ready as soon as he touched down in Nicaragua’s tropical capital city of Managua after flying out of the bitter cold of a March 1 day on the Canadian Prairies. He said the volunteer-based dental charity had already completed work on the ground in Esteli to set up bus drivers, tour guides, translators and a supply team for the dental brigade to get right to the business of relieving pain for the greatest number of people possible.

To read more please see the March 31 print edition of The Davidson Leader.

Kodiaks strong season comes to an end

The Kenaston Kodiaks senior girls basketball team was defeated in the gold medal game at Hoopla earlier this month, but they still can say they enjoyed a great season.

“We as a team talk about it a lot that we won’t base our feelings on whether we’ve had a successful year or not on our last game,” said Kodiaks coach Gene Zdunich. “We beat all the top 3A teams and both of the top 2A teams and we know we had a successful year.”

The Kodiaks lost the last game 57-52 to the Middle Lake Avengers March 15 at Winston Knoll Collegiate in Regina. The Middle Lake win avenged their 51-38 loss to Kenaston in the gold medal game at Hoopla one year ago.

Zdunich said between those two gold medal finals the two teams have played against each other five times with the Kodiaks winning three of those games. He said other than one game where the Avengers were short players and Kenaston trounced them by over 20 points, each of the matches were really close.

“The other games were all decided by five or six or seven points, so when they’re that close against a team that is as good as them and (between) two teams that are as competitive as we are it can go either way,” he said. “We knew that too. It wasn’t a complete surprise that if we didn’t play well they would win.”

Kenaston came out slow in the gold medal final and fell behind Middle Lake heading into the half. A third quarter surge pulled the Kodiaks ahead briefly, but a lack of scoring touch sealed their fate as the Avengers once again took the lead and held on for the five-point win.

“We just never finished as good as we can,” said Zdunich. “I don’t think there was any real turning point. They were just a good team and we needed to play a little better. We knew that if we didn’t play our best we were going to be in trouble and we didn’t play our best.”

The young Kodiaks team, which includes one Grade 12, three Grade 11s, three Grade 9s and four Grade 8s, made it to the gold medal game with a 72-60 win over the Kinistino Blues one day earlier at Hoopla. The hard-working club advanced to the provincial championships by beating the Turtleford Titans 90-26 and the Wilkie Broncs 67-43 one week earlier at regional playoffs held in Kenaston, which followed a 85-23 win over the Central Butte Bulldogs March 1 at the conference playoffs in Central Butte.

Zdunich said with so many returning players he expects the Kodiaks to be strong again next season. He said they hopefully will get another shot at the gold medal, but the aim is to just get better at the game and enjoy their time on the court.

“If we improve every week during the season we feel like we’re successful,” he said. “Our number one goal is our girls have got to have fun. We try and make sure they’re smiling.”

Talented artists delight crowd at Music Festival Grand Finale

A large group of talented performers from Craik, Elbow, Loreburn, Bladworth and Davidson entertained a delighted crowd of spectators last Wednesday at the Central Saskatchewan Music Festival Grand Finale held in Davidson’s Parish Hall.

Davidson Mayor Clayton Schneider welcomed the young musicians and speech artists along with an eager throng of family and friends at the beginning of the evening by reciting a Music Festival story involving his family. Schneider said his son Noah approached him a day earlier to express his nervousness of playing the guitar in front of a crowd, as he’s only a beginner with the instrument.

Schneider said he told his son that nervousness ‘is a sign that you’re pushing yourself, it’s a sign that you’re growing.’ He added it is the same with all the brave performers who took the stage during the 54th Annual Central Saskatchewan Music Festival.

“This teaches kids how to grow as individuals,” he told the crowd. “It is lessons like this that the Town of Davidson will always support.”

The Davidson School Kindergarten class kicked off the Grand Finale performances with the songs “Rise and Shine” and “Four Hugs a Day.” The song-and-dance numbers thrilled the crowd of appreciative parents and grandparents and even had one young girl dancing along in the middle aisle.

A piano duet of “Rhythm and Boogie” by Elbow’s Emmitt Hundeby and Baylee Batza followed before Hayla Herback jumped on stage to play “The Balloon Man and Stepping Up and Down.” The first of many speech arts performances followed when Rhett Gust told the funny tale of “I Eat Kids Yum!  Yum!” that helped earn the performer two scores of 93 during the judging part of the three-day festival.

“We have to thank the ladies (Linda Haas, Laura Willner and Arlene Low) who were instrumental getting speech arts going in Davidson School,” said Grand Finale emcee Sharon Riecken.

Baylee then took the stage again to perform “Carefree Boogie,” which was followed by Craik’s Cohen Ter Heide playing a wonderful piano solo of “Spooks.” The guitar duo of Gavin Arend and Noah Schneider followed with the tune “Love Somebody” before Noah left the stage for Rosa Lee to come up and help Gavin play “When the Saints Go Marching In.”

Loreburn’s Nicole Yakimoski then sang a great rendition of “My Favorite Things” from “The Sound of Music” that came before first-time violinist Stephanie Elliott played “Au Clair de la Lune,” Jasmine Hundeby performed “Big Teddy Little Teddy” and Davidson’s Bailey Smith cracked up the crowd with “Bad Case of the Giggles.”

“We had so much talent in our speech arts this year it was unbelievable,” said Riecken after Bailey’s show, noting the young artist received a score of 90 during adjudication.

To read more please see the March 31 print edition of The Davidson Leader.

‘Just in Case’ seminar helps with planning

A loving husband is keeping his wife’s memory alive through speaking about how he was able to prepare for her death along with sharing vital information with others on how to successfully develop their own plan just in case something happens.

Harold Empey, who lived in Craik at one time with his wife Betty, will be presenting his free Davidson Library hosted seminar on the “Just in Case” binder April 8 at the Parish Hall. The “Just in Case” binder is a 12-section plan he created that others could use to make the decisions relative to and provide the information for all that is necessary in the event of death.

People “can expect to hear a presentation as to what needs to be done in order to give the individual peace of mind and provide information for their loved ones in the event of someone dying,” said Empey, noting the “Just in Case” binders would be available at the talk for $25. “The session will be provocative, suggestive and somewhat humorous because I can’t talk about the death of my wife (and) always be serious because it would be too hard to do. It’s a 45-minute presentation followed by questions and discussion.”

Empey said his “Just in Case” binder began in 2006 when he was sent home from the doctor and told to make funeral arrangements due to a serious heart condition. He said his wife expressed her concerns at the time that she did not know what to do about the family’s finances and other important matters if he was to pass away, so they decided to sit down and put all the information together into a comprehensive plan.

“Unfortunately my wife predeceased me, (but) everything was all prearranged because it was the same arrangements for her as for me,” he said, adding that when a friend approached him after Betty’s November 2012 death to ask how they could be so prepared a spark was created to build a plan for others. “I did it as a legacy to my wife, the gal I loved for 57 years. I’ve done over 125 seminars and gone through over 5,000 binders and Harold Empey doesn’t get one penny from it. It’s all a legacy to Betty, so (the $25) goes to recover the costs or to charity.”

September Brooke, branch librarian in Davidson, said she first heard about Empey and his presentation about a year ago, but it wasn’t until a friend’s husband passed away last fall that the importance of hosting this information session struck home. She said the young man’s death showed her that anything can happen to us at any time, so we should all be prepared to make things easier on the ones who are left behind.

To read more please see the March 31 print edition of The Davidson Leader.

Co-op celebrates centennial

Riverbend Co-op marked 100 years of the Co-operative retail movement in the community by paying tribute to the Davidson Co-op’s 100th anniversary.
“Co-op has had a long history in Davidson and the board felt it should be here to celebrate it with you,” Dale Firby, general manager of Riverbend Co-op, said at the Co-op’s annual general meeting in Davidson March 20.
The event was a sort of homecoming for Firby. He currently resides in Outlook, but Davidson is his hometown. Firby began his career with the co-operative system 30 years ago, April 9 with the Davidson Co-op as a fuel truck driver.
“Davidson Co-op has weathered many storms over 100 years both real and financially,” Firby said.
Incorporated on April 14, 1914 as Davidson Co-operative Association Ltd. its first activities involved buying goods by carlot to share among members. Over the next few years its enterprises grew rapidly beginning with fuel supplies, farm implements, hardware, home furnishings, dry goods, groceries and a bakery, one of the first to be operated by a retail Co-op. In 1928 the Co-op built a new grocery and dry goods building.
The Davidson- Co-op weathered the Great Depression and set up an emergency benefit service for its members during these hard economic times of the 1930s. In the 1940s the Co-op continued to expand its services including egg candling station, distribution of pasteurized milk as well as adding a spur track to accommodate increased carload shipments of fuel and other goods. Each decade the Co-op grew and expanded, adding new buildings and storage sheds.
The windstorm of 1976 that blew through Davidson didn’t leave the Co-op unscathed either and the Co-op had to spend much of the year rebuilding.
To read more please see the March 31 print edition of The Davidson Leader.

griffith,-colleen-

Colleen Gayle (Northrop) Griffith
of Hanna, AB passed away suddenly on March 4th, 2014 at the age of 48 years.

Colleen was born to Sam & Joyce Northrop on October 27, 1965 in Craik, Saskatchewan near Davidson. The youngest of four children, Colleen quickly became involved in the family ranching operation, Porthorn Shorthorns. She loved the ranching lifestyle and embraced the country way of life.

She was an active member in many different clubs in the Davidson/Craik area including Davidson Lighthorse 4-H Club, Imperial 4-H Beef Club and the local Gymkhana Riding Club. Colleen was very proud when she became the Craik Rodeo Queen and the Shorthorn Lassie Queen for 2 consecutive years, where she advanced to the national competition at the Toronto Winter Fair. Colleen showed cattle for many years at the Regina Agribition for her family and for several other local breeders. She was a determined competitor in gymkhana’s, participating in all events, with her favorite being barrel racing. While competing at the Saskatchewan Provincial Gymkhana finals in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Colleen was honored with the ‘Miss Sportsmanship of the Year’ award.

In 1990, Colleen decided to follow her dreams and moved west to Alberta to become a ranch hand. She worked for the Butler Cattle Company in Youngstown, breaking & training horses. Colleen was a hard-working, brave young woman who was determined to continue her new life in Alberta. She also worked as a nanny and ranch hand for the Curry Ranch in Pollockville, AB, and even enjoyed a few curling bonspiels in the area. With Colleen’s caring disposition for people and animals alike, she began working part-time at the Hanna Veterinary Clinic, and eventually chose a life long career working at the Hanna Medical Centre.

In late 1991, Colleen met the love of her life, Brian Griffith. They were married on May 28, 1994 in Davidson, and moved to the Griffith family ranch south of Hanna, AB. Colleen & Brian were blessed with 4 sons, Royden, Matthew, Riley & Winston.
Together they shared a passion for ranching and a love for horses. They plunged head first into diversifying the family ranch.

On a visit to the ranch you could expect to join Colleen & Brian in their daily activities which could include: being chased by a turkey, spit on by a llama, kicked by a donkey, peed on by a dog, pecked by a chicken, flipping calves at branding, riding horses, experiencing a dog sled ride, or feeding cattle with a team of draft horses. The coffee was always on, and the door was always open to welcome family, friends and anyone wanting to visit.

Colleen’s pride and joy were her sons. She could be seen in the stands videotaping rodeos, football, soccer, and hockey, or whatever the boys were involved in. If she wasn’t videotaping, you sure knew she was there. Colleen’s booming voice could be heard from great distances, cheering her boys to skate harder, run faster, and spur quicker. Colleen continued to involve her family in showing llamas and horses, and participated in gymkhanas at various events throughout Alberta. As the boys grew older, Colleen was able to return to competing in barrel racing and became an active member in the ‘East Central Barrel Racing Club’. In 2012, Colleen won the 3D Senior Barrel Racing Championship on her horse ‘Bob’, receiving her coveted trophy buckle, which she was often seen sporting.

Not only was Colleen a devoted mother and wife, she truly loved her extended family and large circle of friends. Colleen will be remembered as a hardworking, compassionate woman, with a wonderful sense of humor and an infectious laugh. She touched the hearts of all who had the pleasure of knowing her and will be deeply missed by all.

Colleen will be lovingly remembered and forever missed by her husband Brian, sons Royden, Riley, Winston & stepson Matthew, her brother Bill (Shirley) Northrop, Sisters Ila May Northrop, and Heather (Jerry) Willner. In-laws; Roy & Harriet Griffith, Keith Trudgeon, Connie (Daren) Balazic, Lorna (Wade) Williams, Bruce (Kathy) Griffith, Sheila (Dave) Boehlke, and Shirley (David) Hickle; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles & cousins. Colleen was pre-deceased by her parents Sam & Joyce Northrop and sister-in-law Faye Northrop.

Funeral services were held on March 11, 2014 at the Hanna Community Centre with Pastor Brian Hunter of Camrose officiating. Colleen was laid to rest in the Hanna Cemetery having her final ride on her favorite horse Bob.

In memory of Colleen, if family & friends so desire, memorial tributes may be made to the East Central Barrel Racing Club, PO Box 1975, Hanna AB, T0J 1P0.

Funeral arrangements entrusted to Heartland Funeral Home. 403-854-2758
www.heartlandfuneralservices.com