Monthly Archives: October 2015

Hanley, Kenaston

Friends rally around family after cancer claims Hanley fire chief

The late Darren Grindheim is pictured with his children, Abby and Josh, in this family photo.
The late Darren Grindheim is pictured with his children, Abby and Josh, in this family photo.

By Joel van der Veen

HANLEY — Darren Grindheim had been on sick leave from his job as a dispatcher with the Saskatoon Fire Department for close to a month before any of his doctors mentioned the word “cancer.”

The 38-year-old had suffered from a persistent cough that was initially diagnosed as a cold and later pneumonia, but it wasn’t until Sept. 20 that he received the dire diagnosis. Nine days later, he was gone.

“It was an absolute shock to everybody,” said his sister, Amber Burks. “Everybody’s hanging in . . . Obviously, it’s hardest on the kids.”

Darren’s wife Sandra died in an auto accident in July 2007. His death leaves their two children — Josh, 13, and Abby, 10 — without a mother or father.

“It’s one of those unusual situations,” said Burks. “Not often do kids end up with no parents.”

Amidst the sorrow, Grindheim’s former co-workers, friends and family have stepped up to provide for the two children, who are now living with their aunt and uncle, April and Evan Libke, near Hanley.

Judy Desmarais, a fellow dispatcher in Saskatoon, opened up a page on the website Gofundme to solicit donations for a trust fund for Josh and Abby.

As of Thursday afternoon, the page had collected $39,800 in donations. A target of $50,000 has been set, but as the site states, “We have no limit to our goal, and every donation is greatly appreciated.”

“The generosity is absolutely incredible,” said Burks, adding that she and the family greatly appreciate the financial support and help they have received.

Darren, the second oldest son of Daryl and Shirley Grindheim, was born July 26, 1977, and raised on the family farm south of Hanley.

He attended school in Kenaston, graduating from Grade 12 in 1995, and later studied at SIAST. He worked as an EMT for North-East EMS in Nipawin and later joined the Saskatoon Fire Department as a dispatcher.

After Sandra’s death, Darren and his children had moved back to Hanley, where he also served on the Hanley Rosedale Fire Department. He had been appointed the department’s new chief in August 2014.

For the full story, please see the Oct. 12 edition of The Davidson Leader.

Davidson, Hanley, Sports

Sabers rush ahead, despite Raiders’ strong opening

The Hanley Sabers' Tareq Halabi (21) winds up for a pass during a game against the Davidson Raiders on Thursday.
The Hanley Sabers’ Tareq Halabi (21) winds up for a pass during a game against the Davidson Raiders on Thursday.

By Joel van der Veen

HANLEY — In the words of Davidson coach Jason Low, it began with “the best half of football we’ve ever played” but ended in disappointment.

Though the Davidson Raiders were the underdogs leading into Thursday’s senior football game against the Hanley Sabers, they more than proved themselves in the game’s closely-fought first half.

Davidson led 36-34 at the game’s midway point, but Hanley slipped ahead in the third quarter, and before long the lead had passed beyond Davidson’s reach. The final score was 78-50 in the Sabers’ favour.

“It’s hard on the system,” said Low, acknowledging his frustration at the loss and noting that the Raiders had demonstrated their skills in what he called a “roller coaster of a game.”

“If we could have kept up the momentum from the first half, we could have won,” he said. “Everybody was clicking as a team.”

Davidson opened the night with a touchdown by Addison Ouellette. Hanley countered with scores by Tareq Halabi and Marshall Prosofsky, but a touchdown by Davidson quarterback Andrew Read and a successful convert by Morgan Manz gave the Raiders a slight lead at the end of the first quarter.

Both teams scored three touchdowns and two converts apiece during the second quarter, as the lead moved back and forth.

The Sabers surged ahead towards the end of the third quarter, when the score stood at 56-44; they continued to dominate through the end of the game.

Marshall Prosofsky scored a total of six touchdowns for Hanley; Tareq Halabi scored four, while Colten Olyniuk and Evan Ashdown contributed one each. Conor Prosofsky completed a total of six converts for the team.

Addison Ouellette scored four touchdowns for Davidson; Andrew Read scored two and Jacob Schilling scored one. Morgan Manz completed four converts.

For the full story, please see the Oct. 12 edition of The Davidson Leader.

Davidson, featured

Restored Model 21 is cream of crop

Gary Allan (right) and Willard McNabb combine wheat with a vintage Massey Harris Model 21 combine.
Gary Allan (right) and Willard McNabb combine wheat with a vintage Massey Harris Model 21 combine.

By Tara de Ryk

DAVIDSON — A demonstration of sorts has been going on this harvest in a field southwest of Davidson.

An antique self-propelled Massey Harris Model 21 combine from the late 1940s has been working its way through a small patch of wheat.

At its wheel is Gary Allan who restored the machine and got it ready for harvest.

It works like a charm and has brought great pleasure to not only Gary, but to many retired farmers who used similar machines back in their day. They’ve been dropping by Allan’s farm to see the combine in action.

Willard McNabb stopped by one beautiful Friday afternoon to take a turn on the combine. McNabb had used a Model 21 on his farm. Also there were Lee Walker, Lyle Wightman and Bob Palmer. They appreciated seeing the machine in action and taking a ride on it.

It brought back fond memories for the men.

“I used a pull-type combine. I couldn’t afford these fancy self-propelled machines,” Lee Walker said.

It’s quite a stretch in 2015 to think of the Model 21 as a “fancy” machine.

Without a cab, let alone GPS, auto-steering, variable speed drive or power steering, the 21 is as basic as it gets.

As Gary explains, “There’s only one control: up or down. You put it in gear open the throttle and go.”

But back in the early 1940s when Massey Harris started making them, the Model 21, and its forerunner the Model 20, were the cutting edge of technology.

Before self-propelled combines, farmers either cut grain with a binder, stooked it and then had it threshed; or used a pull-type combine that was pulled behind a horse or a tractor.

Lyle Wightman, who took a turn on Gary’s 21, farmed with a Cockshutt self-propelled combine. He had it for about 15 years.

“I started farming pretty young. I was 13 when I went out of school and went pitching bundles in the fall. I’d do our own and then go with the outfit.”

It was his favourite way to harvest grain.

“I loved pitching bundles. I threshed lots with a team of horses and a rack. I loved it,” Wightman said.

Besides the nostalgia the Model 21 has for farmers who recall using them back in the day, the story behind the 21 is significant.

The Model 20, Massey Harris’s self-propelled prototype combine was built in the late 1930s and early 1940s, designed for large-scale farms in the U.S. and Argentina. In the early 1940s Massey Harris produced the smaller Model 21 so that instead of producing a few machines for big farms, it could sell a large number of machines to small farms.

The combine did all the jobs of the binder and threshing machine. It cut the grain and separated the wheat from the chaff. The self-propelled combine did all this plus it had an engine and drive shaft and had just enough power to get the job done, freeing up more powerful, and fuel-loving, tractors for other work.

The Model 21 caught on with farmers, however, during the Second World War, a shortage of steel due to military rationing, limited production. Massey Harris created the “Harvest Brigade” after convincing the U.S. government to allow the company to build a fleet of 500 MH-21s that would start harvesting in the southern states of the Great Plains and move north, following the ripening crop.

To read the full story, along with other articles and photos featuring local farmers and the agricultural industry, please pick up a copy of the Oct. 5 Davidson Leader, or watch your mailbox for the Leader’s “Salute to Agriculture,” being sent to almost 3,000 households across the region. 

Kenaston

Mayor: community plan a necessary step for Kenaston

Kenaston Mayor ML Whittles is pictured with provincial education minister Don Morgan during his visit to the village in September.
Kenaston Mayor ML Whittles is pictured with provincial education minister Don Morgan during his visit to the village in September.

By Joel van der Veen

KENASTON — Mayor ML Whittles says a community plan is the best way for her village to move forward.

She told the Leader last week that Kenaston is in the process of developing such a plan, forming a committee with representatives from local schools and the Sun West School Division.

The plan will include strategies for the village’s infrastructure and service agreements for potential developers, as well as business and housing retention and development.

“If you’re growing, you absolutely need to have a community plan,” Whittles said, expanding on what she had written for the latest town newsletter.

The mayor said she is also working to engage the councils from the adjacent rural municipalities of McCraney and Rosedale, since many of their residents use facilities in the village and attend school there.

She also said she believes they will have more clout working together than separately when it comes time to apply for infrastructure grant funding.

The village has engaged senior community planner Tim Cheesman, formerly with Saskatchewan Municipal Affairs and now working as an independent consultant.

Cheesman came to the village through the WaterWolf district planning commission. In the past he has worked with nearby Davidson on its development strategy.

Whittles said he also continues to be engaged with White City and Emerald Park, guiding those communities through their recent exponential growth.

The planning committee met for the first time on Monday and has so far planned to move forward to hire an engineer to complete a study.

Whittles said the village has been dealing with some infrastructure concerns, including water line breaks and potential problems with the lagoon.

She said the community plan will be an essential tool for engaging with developers for the village’s future housing needs.

The recent growth of the Distance Learning Centre (DLC) is having a major impact on the village’s planning, though not all of the newly-hired staff are opting to live in Kenaston.

The mayor had the opportunity to speak briefly to education minister Don Morgan during his visit to Kenaston in September, voicing her concerns and discussing the village’s plans.

“It went as I expected,” she said of their chat, continuing to reiterate that in terms of the growth it is bringing to Kenaston, the DLC is “our potash mine.”

The next meeting for the planning committee is scheduled for Oct. 13, at which time the members hope to hear more about the progress of the study.

Davidson, Hanley, Sports

Spirits up after seniors win over Viscount

Davidson's Jacob Schilling rushes down the field during Thursday's game against the Viscount Vikings.
Davidson’s Jacob Schilling rushes down the field during Thursday’s game against the Viscount Vikings.

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — Morale is high as the Davidson Raiders senior football team prepares for this week’s game against the Hanley Sabers.

A 62-28 win over the Viscount Vikings on Thursday boosted the team’s spirits, following a 46-12 loss to the LCBI Bisons at home the previous week.

“We were in control for the entire game,” coach Jason Low said following Thursday’s game, calling it a “good team win.”

He said the Raiders’ offence was “back on track” after struggling against LCBI, while the defence made some adjustments and enjoyed a solid second half.

Bisons 46 Raiders 12

As Davidson hosted LCBI on Sept. 25, the play contrasted sharply with their last confrontation, an exhibition game that ended in a 70-66 win for the Raiders.

This game began with an early touchdown for the Bisons. While they failed to score in the first quarter, the Raiders stayed hot on their guests’ heels, with the defence holding LCBI to a nine-point lead.

LCBI surged ahead in the next quarter, adding three touchdowns and extending their lead to 30-0.

Davidson made an impressive push on both sides in the third quarter. LCBI managed one touchdown, but Kieran Boehm and Dawson George both scored for the Raiders, bringing the score to 38-12.

A final touchdown for the Bisons in the fourth quarter brought the total to 48-12.

Defensive coach Greg McJannet said LCBI had clearly made some changes to its plays, to which Davidson struggled to adjust.

“As a team we didn’t click and do the things we needed to do,” he said, explaining that the team needed to focus on making a “full-team effort.”

“We win and lose as a team,” he said, acknowledging that the absence of several players due to injury or travel complicated matters.

Raiders 62 Vikings 28

McJannet said a win was expected against Viscount in Thursday’s game. Though some of the Vikings had played in another co-op program, this is their first season as a team.

“We’ve told the boys, that doesn’t matter,” said McJannet earlier in the week. “They’ll be hungry for a win.”

He said the defence had anticipated a traditional game in which they would face relatively simple plays, while the offence hoped to get back on track.

Happily for Davidson, they were able to dominate over the Vikings right out of the gate, with Jacob Schilling scoring back-to-back touchdowns in the first quarter. Addison Ouellette scored a third to give the Raiders a 22-0 lead.

Viscount was able to respond in the second quarter, but touchdowns by Clay Murfitt and Jacob Schilling gave Davidson a commanding 38-14 lead at the halfway point.

“We were able to get almost all of our rookies some playing time in this game,” noted Low, while Morgan Manz was able to score converts on all but one touchdown, contributing a total of 14 points over the game.

Ryan Skinner and Jacob Schilling scored touchdowns in the third quarter, while Addison Ouellette contributed the Raiders’ final touchdown towards the end to bring the score to 62-28.

Up next

The Raiders currently hold a 1-2 record; McJannet said the team has hopes of reaching the playoffs with a couple of additional wins. Of the six teams in the 1A division, the top four return to compete in playoffs.

As of press time, Hanley had a 2-0 record, having defeated Viscount 87-20 on Sept. 25. In other 1A football action, the Caronport Cougars defeated the Central Butte Bulldogs 34-14 on Sept. 24, also giving them a perfect record so far.

Hanley was scheduled to host Central Butte this past Friday and will take on Davidson on Oct. 8.

Hanley, Kenaston, Obituary

Grindheim, Darren

Darren Grindheim
Darren Grindheim

Darren Grindheim
July 26, 1977 – September 29, 2015

It is with deep sorrow we announce the very sudden passing of Darren at the age of 38 after a short but courageous battle with cancer. He was predeceased by wife Sandra, grandpa Lloyd Grindheim and cousin Ryan Stilborn. Darren is survived by his children Josh (13) and Abby (10), parents Daryl and Shirley, siblings Dean (Bonnie), Amber (Trevor) Burks, April (Evan) Libke, nieces and nephews Brayden and Carter Grindheim, Isely Burks, Grayson and Bailey Libke, grandparents Don and Bea Bates and Velma Grindheim, as well as numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and his fire family. Darren was raised on the farm south of Hanley and graduated from Kenaston School. He had a passion for helping people and anyone that knew Darren knew that about him. He was an EMT for North East EMS and most recently a Fire Dispatcher for the Saskatoon Fire Department. He was passionate about his job and being a part of the firefighter brotherhood/family. Darren also devoted countless hours as a volunteer fire chief in Hanley where he resided with his kids at the time of his passing. He loved golfing, playing ball, curling (remembering every shot/play of every game so he could talk about it after) and spending time with his family, especially his kids. Darren truly loved his kids and playing with his nieces and nephews. There will forever be a void in our family that will never be filled. We would like to thank everyone involved in Darren’s care from diagnosis Sept. 20 until his death Sept. 29. The celebration of Darren’s life was held in Hanley, Sask., at the Centennial Hall on Saturday, October 3. In lieu of flowers, donations for his children can be made online at www.gofundme.com/tc5a4rak. Funeral arrangements were entrusted to Hanson’s Funeral Home.