In spite of last weekend’s bone-chilling temperatures, spring is coming and people should start preparing for the big melt.
Last week Saskatchewan’s Water Security Agency released its March forecast and outlook on spring runoff, advising folks that based on the amount of snowfall this winter, above normal runoff is expected for much of the province, with some parts having the potential for very high runoff and flooding.
The amount of snow in and around Davidson is more than normal.
Citizens could help prevent spring runoff from flooding streets by clearing snow and ice from storm drains near their homes, says Davidson’s town administrator Gary Edom.
“If people notice water building up in front of houses, they should let us know. Some people are really good and they try and open the storm drains themselves,” Edom said.
This is what June Wankel did last Thursday. She used an axe to chop ice from plugging the storm drain in front of her Railway Street home. This will help stop water from flooding Railway and Francis streets.
The potential for flooding will depend on how quickly the snow melts and if the area receives more snow or rain. The ground was fairly dry heading into winter, thanks to a hot dry summer and fall, with below normal rainfall in the area in 2012.
Provided the snow melts slowly, people may avoid the flooding and seepage problems experienced in 2011.
Still they could help prevent water from entering their basements by moving piles of snow away from foundations, ensuring downspouts are clear and draining away from their house and checking that sump pumps are working, Edom said.
People should note that damage to basements caused by water seeping into homes is not covered in Home Paks.
Damage due to melting snow and ice on a roof may be covered depending on the homeowner’s insurance policy. Insurance agent Jason Shaw advises people to check with their insurance broker to see what type of coverage they have.
Category Archives: Davidson
Kinettes Club sells out Ladies Night Out
The Davidson Kinettes are thrilled their “Ladies Night Out” fund-raiser at Town Hall this Saturday has sold out.
Brenna Siroski, a member of the Kinettes, said the club doesn’t have their hearts set on a certain amount they’d like to raise as the main goal of the night out was just to provide a fun evening for the ladies in town. She said 224 tickets were sold for the event that features entertainment from Elvis impersonator Rory Allen.
“He was here quite a few years ago and is a phenomenal entertainer,” said Siroski, noting it was Stacey Siroski who recommended him for the show. “He really attracts a variety of a crowd of people. I know looking at my ticket sales that we have our young 20-year-olds coming out all the way up to my grandma who is in her 80s. We’re getting the whole spectrum with Rory Allen, which is really nice.”
Doors open at 7 p.m. for the night out with Allen taking the stage for the first of two 45-minute sets at 8 p.m. There will also be a silent auction and a 50-50 draw during the evening. There is not going to be a supper, but there will be a bar opened up for drinks along with a “bun lunch” after the entertainment.
A coat check at the door is being put on by Davidson School students, which will be run as a silver collection with all proceeds from the coat check going towards outdoor education trips.
Siroski said the Kinettes have been organizing a “Ladies Night Out” around every other year and always have a “really great turnout” with everyone in attendance having a good night. She said all money raised during the night would go towards “multiple” causes in the community.
“We don’t just designate it for one specific event,” she said. “Over the year the Kinettes give to individual families who apply for financial help or we’ve donated to the swimming pool and Telemiracle. We’ve helped with money going to the thrift store when it opened and we have a scholarship at the school. It’s just a variety of things.”
After the “Ladies Night Out,” Siroski said the next fund-raiser the Kinettes are putting on would be the second annual Davidson Amazing Race this June.
Cyclones knocked out of LLHL playoffs
The Davidson Cyclones senior men’s hockey team are out of the Long Lake Hockey League (LLHL) playoffs, but still have a chance to advance to the provincial final.
The Cyclones lost their third straight game in a best-of-five LLHL semi-final series 6-4 to the LeRoy Braves last Tuesday at the LeRoy Rink nullifying their opportunity to repeat as league champions this year. The Cyclones still are the defending LLHL champions, for another few weeks at least, until the new crown is handed to either LeRoy, Watrous or Lanigan later this month.
“We got off to a bad start and got down early (to the Braves),” said Cyclones head coach Jason Shaw. “Then we worked our way back and had a lot of chances to score, but just couldn’t.”
The Braves stepped up the pressure early on the Cyclones jumping up to a 4-0 lead by the 14-minute mark of the first period, but Davidson clawed back. At the end of the first, the score was 5-1. At the end of the second, it was 5-3, but once again this season a short bench for Davidson sealed their doom in the third.
“We only had 12 guys, eight forwards and four defence,” said Shaw. “For what we had, we played well. They had a full lineup. That’s pretty tough in playoffs. You can get away with a short bench in league games the odd time, but in playoffs it’s a lot tougher.”
The lack of a full lineup was not the case in the Cyclones first game of their provincial “C” south final against the Radville Nationals March 2 at the Davidson Rink. Davidson matched the swift-skating Nats throughout the match-up coming out on top with a 4-3 win.
Shaw said the Nats caught them off guard scoring in the first minute of the opening period, but the Cyclones stood up and “worked hard” to gut out the win.
“It was a tough game,” he said. “They’re a good team. When you get down to the last four teams in provincials, they are all going to be decent.”
Davidson had to win another this past weekend either March 8 in Radville or March 10 at Davidson to take the best-of-three provincial series and move on to the provincial finals to be played later this month against Hudson Bay.
Results of Friday and Sunday night’s games against the Nats were unavailable at press time.
Golf Club and R.M. settle taxing issue
The Davidson Golf Course board of executives and the RM of Willner council have agreed to a settlement for the municipal property taxes paid by the course to the RM.
Kirk Johnson, board member with the Davidson Golf Course, said the two sides reached an agreement a few weeks ago that will see the course pay $3,000 in annual municipal taxes until 2016 in addition to the annual school tax of approximately $6,600. He said the course settled the 2012 taxes two weeks ago and the deal with the RM will cover the next four years on top of that.
The course was facing an annual municipal tax bill from the RM for over $10,000 on top of the school tax portion bringing the course’s annual tax bill to $17,458, which Johnson said would have killed the course.
“I don’t think we could afford to operate and pay $17,000,” said Johnson. “That would probably have finished us. It wouldn’t have done us much good. The deal we worked out between the RM and us I think is a pretty good deal. It’s something that we both could live with.”
Len Palmer, Reeve of the RM of Willner, said the settlement is a “fair deal for everyone” involved and he is glad that they have come to an agreement. He said it is unfortunate that it took so long to get this done, but he is still happy that everyone was able to come to an agreement in the end.
The municipal tax issue arose in 2011 when the RM informed the golf course board they had decided to stop abating the money owed by the course to the RM starting with the 2012 annual taxes. In lieu of the tax abatement, the RM said they would provide the course with a $4,000 recreation grant instead.
Palmer said the RM wanted to stop abating taxes and go to a straight grant system because it is a “better and safer” way to operate. He said this decision was made due to the way taxes have been increasing over the last few years.
The course has been previously receiving abatement on municipal taxes owed to the RM from approximately 2006 to 2011.
Johnson said the taxes are so high due to the provincial government zoning golf courses in RMs as commercial property, which are taxed at 100 per cent of their value.
“Ours is not a commercial (course),” he said. “Ours is kind a non-profit organization that provides a service and recreation. We’re trying to keep the doors open and anything we do get or make we invest back into the course. It’s not like it’s a business.”
Johnson said the course used to receive abatement on municipal taxes from the RM because the course was forced to pay a school tax, which came to $6,753 for 2012, after the Davidson School Division amalgamated with the Sun West School Division. Before the amalgamation, the course also received abatement on education taxes as well.
“We’re a little course just trying to provide a service to the community,” he said, noting the purpose here was just to pay reasonable taxes. “We just want to try and make a go of it and get along with everybody and come up with some kind of agreement and we did.”
Cyclones head to south final with win over Elks
Playoff hockey is not for the weak.
It is physical, demanding, gutsy and flawed.
Last week, the Davidson Cyclones senior men’s hockey team put on display all four of those characteristics in an outstanding 7-0 provincial “C” quarter-final win over the Kyle Elks Feb. 23 and a heartbreaking 5-4 loss to the LeRoy Braves last Wednesday in semi-final Long Lake Hockey League (LLHL) playoff competition.
Both games featured hard-hitting end-to-end action where all players involved gave their best, but in the end it was a goalpost that stopped the Cyclones from completing a perfect playoff week.
“We played well enough to win, but we never got the bounces our own way,” said Cyclones forward Brett Siroski on the Braves game.
One of those bounces was a shot by Davidson defenceman Zack Sim that rang off the post with 25 seconds left in the third and would have tied the game at fives. That post stopped a comeback tie for the Cyclones, which would have forced the game into extra frames and given Davidson a chance at tying the series at one game apiece.
With the loss, the Cyclones fall to 0-2 in the best of five LLHL series.
Leading up to that post, the Cyclones were dominating the Braves continually pushing the play into the LeRoy defensive zone and peppering Braves goaltender Blair Miskolczi with shots.
“He made a lot of good saves,” said Siroski, adding Miskolcki also did the same thing to them in game one, a 9-1 Braves victory Feb. 22 at the LeRoy Rink.
Carter Smith, scoring his second of the night at the 11-minute mark of the third and Cyclones captain Derek Allan potting one with 1:38 left to go in the game made it close, but Miskolczi and his post made sure that would be all.
“It was a good game,” said Cyclones head coach Jason Shaw. “We had lots of chances to score, but we just hit posts and crossbars. LeRoy is a good team and I thought we were right there to the end.”
To read more please see the March 4 print edition of The Davidson Leader.
Raider boys step up play in advance of conferences
March madness is here for the Davidson Raiders senior boys basketball team as they head to conferences in Outlook this weekend in their bid to make a run at a provincial championship.
The Raiders have been playing better of late and sit at “about .500” as their regular season wrapped up last week with a back and forth 61-55 loss to the Watrous Wildcats Feb. 26 at the Davidson Gym.
“We played really well (despite the loss),” said Raiders head coach Jeremy Murphy. “We played a little bit more consistently, but it happens. It was a good game, really close and very intense.”
Davidson started off slowly against the Wildcats going down 17-14 by the end of the first quarter and 32-26 by the half, but stayed in the game throughout with strong defensive play resulting in numerous Watrous turnovers. On offence, Raiders forward Kurri Reich led the charge continually pushing the Wildcats defence by setting up drives to the basket instead of settling for outside shots.
After the half, Davidson came out strong and thanks to a couple choice threes by Raiders forward Matthias McCreary and a strong inside game by guard Patrick Nordmarken, who continually found himself at the free-throw line, the team moved ahead 45-41 heading into the fourth. In the last frame, Watrous forward Colby McGregor led a press against the Raiders pushing his team to a strong finish and a resulting 61-55 win.
“We turned the ball over a lot, but it was the first game after the break for us and I knew we would be rusty,” said Wildcats head coach Doug Thomas. “The boys continue to impress me as the season goes on. They continue to play together and encourage each other and not worry about the officials. We were missing a few players, so I’m proud they came out and played well.”
Murphy said the boys have showed a lot of progress as the season wore on and the players have developed more of a team game over time. He said as they head into conferences this weekend he feels good that the team can win the necessary two games in Outlook to advance to regionals.
“We’re going to play hard and try to win some games.”