Category Archives: Hanley

Hanley, Obituary

Reeves, John Andrew

Reeves, John Andrew

Jan. 29, 1923 — June 24, 2015

Hanley District, Sask. — Saskatoon, Sask.

John will be remembered by 
his wife of nearly 65 years, Jean; 
daughter Betty (Judson) Willms of Dundurn, Sask.; 
sons Harold (Janice) Reeves of London, England,
 and Dale (Karen) Reeves of Hanley, Sask.; grandchildren Tom Willms (Tina Armada), Jennifer (Lyle) Dombrowsky, Caitlin (Marc) Colletti, Tracy (Dustin) Shaw; siblings: Ken Reeves of Moose Jaw, Helen Geall and Marguerite Gibbens of Saskatoon, Gladys Macfarland of Calgary, Albert (Lorraine) Reeves of Sherwood Park; 
in-laws Bill (Bernice) Presnell, Laverne (Ken) Libke, Pat (Gordon) Libke, and Elaine Presnell.

John was predeceased by his parents Harold and Ruth (Sjolvold) Reeves; sister Mary (Paul) Mayes; 
sister-in-law Kay Reeves; 
brothers-in-law Clifford Geall and Bill Gibbens; 
father-in-law and mother-in-law Jesse and Bertha Presnell; and brother-in-law Ron Presnell.

Hanley, Sports

After nationals win, Suttie has sights set on Rio

Hanley native Taryn Suttie, seen in this file photo, took first place in the women's shot put event at the Canadian Track and Field Championships in Edmonton this month. (Photo by Dave Eagles/Courtesy of Kamloops This Week)
Hanley native Taryn Suttie, seen in this file photo, took first place in the women’s shot put event at the Canadian Track and Field Championships in Edmonton this month. (Photo by Dave Eagles/Courtesy of Kamloops This Week)

By Joel van der Veen

KAMLOOPS — Taking a national title at the Canadian Track and Field Championships earlier this month marked new territory for shot-putter Taryn Suttie.

But the Hanley native said it’s the natural result of the conditioning she’s been doing, and the target she’s worked toward for years.

“I’ve been training hard,” she told the Leader last week. “It was time for that to happen.”

Suttie, the daughter of Don and Deb Suttie, took first place with a throw of 16.88 metres at the national competition, held July 2 through 5 in Edmonton.

Her next competitive stop is the Pan Am Games, currently underway in Toronto. And if Suttie can qualify, this time next year she’ll be getting ready for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

It has taken Suttie several attempts to reach this threshold. She has competed at the senior Canadian championships every year since 2009, placing in second or third each time.

She said a change in coaching was a major factor, as last August she began working with former Olympic shot-putter Justin Rodhe.

“It was a change that was needed, and that’s really paid off,” she said. “And my results definitely showed that. . . I’ve seen lots of improvement since switching coaches.”

Suttie graduated from Hanley Composite School in 2008, the same year she set the Saskatchewan senior girls shot put record (13.58 metres), which still stands today.

For three years she studied kinesiology at the University of Saskatchewan, but then decided to put her academic life on hold to pursue her athletic dreams. Since 2011 she has lived, worked and trained in Kamloops, B.C.

In April she achieved a personal best, winning the shot-put event at the Sun Angel Track Classic in Tempe, Ariz., with a 17.61-metre throw.

Suttie, now 24, is currently in Cleveland, Ohio, spending a week training at the SPIRE Sports Academy before she flies to Toronto on July 20 for the Pan An Games, which will be her first international competition as a senior.

After the season ends, she’ll continue working and training, though her conditioning will stay largely the same.

“It doesn’t change too much in or out of season,” she said, adding that she reduces the number of repetitions for throwing and lifting in season so she can compete without being tired out.

Once the season is over, she explained, she can ramp it up again and enjoy the results later on.

To qualify for the Olympics, she’ll need to meet the minimum requirement of 17.80 metres, in addition to reaching the top three next year at the national championships.

Even two provinces away in Kamloops, Suttie said she still feels the encouragement from her friends and family in Hanley, explaining, “I’ve received lots of support from everyone back home.”

Hanley

Hanley summer fair brought crowds from miles around

This "wrecking ball" was one of the popular amusements for kids featured in the Hanley Agricultural Fair, held on June 19 and 20.
This “wrecking ball” was one of the popular amusements for kids featured in the Hanley Agricultural Fair, held on June 19 and 20.

By Joel van der Veen

HANLEY — Upwards of 900 people attended the Hanley Agricultural Fair last weekend, visiting the fairgrounds to take in the sights, sounds and flavours.

Patti Prosofsky, president of the Hanley Agricultural Society, said she and her fellow members were pleased with the results.

“We had a really good turnout and lots of community support from the Hanley area,” she said. “We thought it went really well.”

After several years of dormancy, the fair was revived by the ag society in 2009 and has continued every year since. This year was another success for the society, with a full slate of events happening over June 19 and 20.

The weekend kicked off Friday night with the town parade, which began at Thall’s Service, headed down Main Street and turned right down Railway Avenue to the fairgrounds. A kids bike parade was also part of the event.

“We had a huge turnout down Main Street,” said Prosofsky. “It was packed on both sides.”

The fair was a busy place throughout the evening with a midgets ball game, a slo-pitch tournament, lawnmower race and burnout competition. A performance by the band Roundhouse was followed by karaoke and a fireworks display.

Prosofsky said the lawnmower races and burnout competition pulled in huge crowds. Almost 300 came for the pancake breakfast on Saturday morning, while 250 enjoyed the steak supper that night.

Minor ball games continued throughout the day, along with the slo-pitch tournament and a buckaroo competition for kids 10 and under, which included broomstick barrel racing, a chuckwagon race, roping and a tractor pull.

Guests were invited to make their picks in the horticultural competition, a new addition to the fair this year.

Darla Holland, the owner of Holland Garden and Greenhouse, said they had suggested the event this summer, noting that the agricultural element of the fair has diminished in recent years. She added that she was happy with the response it received.

The Hanley 4-H Beef Club held its achievement day on Saturday as part of the fair; more details can be found elsewhere in this paper.

The amusement area for kids, which included inflatables, balloons, a train ride and airbrush tattoos, was a popular attraction throughout the day. Following the steak supper, the fair wrapped up with the spud gun contest and dance on Saturday night.

While grey skies were present, Prosofsky said the weather did not interfere with the fair. She said the “jam-packed” weekend entailed a lot of work for the four-member committee, which also includes Andrea Townsend, Bekki Kempton and Molli Speir.

“We’re all moms with little kids,” she said, extending her thanks to the volunteers and sponsors in Hanley and the surrounding towns and villages. “The four of us can’t do it without the support of the communities around us.”

Tyler Thall took first place in the lawnmower race, while Tyler Brown came first in the burnout competition.

Andrea Townsend and Patti Prosofsky finished first in the lawnmower “dash for cash” event, while Ethan Heagy was the winner of the spud gun contest.

Gavin Thall won first prize for his entry in the bike parade, while the Agricultural Society’s Roughrider-themed entry was selected as the best float.

Drewser’s Boozers won in the A final for the slo-pitch tournament.

In the kids fairy garden competiton, Emily Krueger won first, Ryker Kempton took second and Kylie Kempton received third.

Tammy Remmen took first prize in the adult fairy garden competition, followed by Faye McVeigh and Dani Gurski.

Shannon and Brody Froese won first prize for their succulent arrangement, while Carla Pethick took second and Tiara Kopeechuk won third.

Craik, Davidson, Hanley, Kenaston, Loreburn, Sports

Hanley high jumper, junior boys relay team take gold at Yorkton

Maddy Vollmer of Loreburn is seen carrying the baton during the senior girls relay race at the provincial track meet in Yorkton.
Maddy Vollmer of Loreburn is seen at left carrying the baton during the senior girls relay race at the provincial track meet in Yorkton.

By Joel van der Veen

YORKTON — Local high school athletes were among the hundreds who competed at the provincial track and field meet at Yorkton’s Century Field on June 5 and 6.

Jade Peters, a former Hanley student who now studies at Rosthern Junior College, took home several medals in the senior girls division, including a gold in high jump with a result of 1.64 metres, and a silver in triple jump with a result of 11.21 metres.

The West Central junior boys relay team — which included Shane Lafontaine of Loreburn Central School — captured the gold medal in the 4 x 100-metre relay race, with a total time of 45.68 seconds in the final.

Lafontaine also earned the bronze medal in the junior boys long jump, completing a jump of 6.03 metres. His teammates on the relay team included Jae Evans and Matthew Jones, both of Dinsmore, and Kevin Stockman of Beechy.

Meanwhile, the West Central senior girls relay team took the bronze medal in their 4 x 100-metre race, with a result of 51.21 seconds in the final.

That team included Cheyanne Sincennes of Kenaston, Maddy Vollmer of Loreburn, Nicole Anhorn of Elrose, and Justine Jorgenson from Outlook’s Lutheran Collegiate Bible Institute (LCBI).

Megan Fehr from Hanley Composite School received the bronze medal in the midget girls pole vault with a result of 2.10 metres.

Competing from Davidson were Jacob Schilling, Emily Read, Travis Nelson and Ben Nykiforuk. Craik School was represented by Carson Kearns and Hayley Folk.

Kenaston students competing in the events included Kaitlyn Yelich, Dawson George, Alyssa Evashenko, Jesse Boot and Cheyanne Sincennes.

Loreburn Central School was represented by Brianna Jess, Tori Rendall, Shane Lafontaine and Maddy Vollmer, while Leah Hundeby, a former Loreburn student now studying at Caronport High School, also competed in the events.

Hanley Composite School students competing in the events included Megan Fehr, Kianna Dietz and Carissa Williams.

The West Central district, which includes Davidson, Loreburn and Kenaston, earned the distinction of scoring the most points per thousand students with a total of 741.5 points.

The weekend also saw a record of nearly half a century broken, when Jae Evans of Dinsmore jumped 6.96 metres in the junior boys long jump, beating the record set in 1967 by 23 cm.

Evans was also the junior boys aggregate winner, taking five provincial gold medals in the 100-metre dash, long jump, high jump, triple jump and the 4 x 100-metre relay.

For complete results, please pick up a copy of the June 15 print edition of The Davidson Leader.

Dundurn, Hanley

Prairie Spirit changes its tune on band programs

By Joel van der Veen

WARMAN — Prairie Spirit School Division (PSSD) has reversed a recent decision on band programs at its schools, announcing last week that the programs would be funded for the coming year after all.

The announcement came almost a week after the division had said it would cut funding for instrumental band programs for the 2015-16 school year, as part of its efforts to handle a $7.1-million funding shortfall.

The decision would have affected band programs across the division, including Dundurn Elementary School, which offers the program in grades 5 and 6, and Hanley Composite School, which offers band to students in grades 5 through 12.

Students who completed a Band 10 credit this year would have the opportunity to finish Band 20 and/or 30 credits, but the existing program would gradually be replaced with a broader musical education program.

The division allowed for the possibility of extracurricular band practices to be organized by “interested teachers” but said bussing would not be provided for those practices.

The PSSD then found itself caught in something of a political firestorm, as NDP education critic Trent Wotherspoon said the cuts were a symptom of underfunding by the Saskatchewan Party government and demanded that funding be restored.

Meanwhile, education minister Don Morgan defended his party’s record and argued that Prairie Spirit’s own board was to blame for the division’s budget woes.

The division announced the reversal of its decision in a letter to parents dated June 3 that was leaked to the StarPhoenix and later made public.

PSSD director of education John Kuzbik told the Leader on Thursday that the division received plenty of feedback on the issue, much of it from students.

“I really admired how the students went about sharing their displeasure,” he said. “They were respectful . . . They wanted to make it clear that it was a passionate area.”

He also said the response stretched beyond parents and students to include members of the local music community.

Ultimately, he said, the division changed its plan once it determined it would not be able to provide a sufficient replacement program for next year.

The board made the decision at its June 1 meeting to “continue to provide financial support to keep the band music programs operating in their current locations,” according to the letter to parents.

“We had to rethink what we were offering,” he explained. “As we got deeper into it, we realized we weren’t ready to offer an alternative program that could generate as rich an experience as the band program could offer.”

The board had committed not to eliminate programs, but to reduce or replace them; it was determined that the proposed plan would have broken that commitment.

Kuzbik said the division has received feedback on the other cutbacks it has made, so the volume of response on the band matter was close to what they had anticipated.

He said the plan moving forward is to attempt to grow the current program to attract more students, to make it more economical and to see whether it can be expanded to toher schools.

Figures released by the school division last month indicate that fewer students are continuing with the current band program, with numbers dropping off dramatically between Grade 5 and Grade 12.

Meanwhile, the division is still grappling with a major funding shortfall, which must be addressed in time for the budget to be adopted on July 15.

Kuzbik said the division staff and board are working closely together to find possible areas for restructuring or cost savings, adding, “That’s just the nasty work that we’re involved in.”

“It’s really unfortunate that we have to go into making program reductions and staffing reductions because of the big shortfall,” he continued, adding that he feels the division’s expectations are not “out of line with what other school divisions are able to do.”

Kuzbik said he hopes the commotion over the band program has put a spotlight on the division’s situation and the decisions they are forced to make.

A statement issued by the division identified “inadequate and inequitable funding” as the root cause of its current financial situation. Kuzbik said more information on possible reductions may be made public next week.

Reductions have already been made within certain areas, including teacher-librarians, career and work experience, technology, division office staff and educational associate support, according to the division.

“We may have the ability to make choices,” read the letter to parents, “but there are no good choices to be made given the inadequate funding that the school division is receiving from the province.”

The division also expressed its thanks to those who provided feedback, apologizing for “any emotion and hardship” experienced by affected families and asking them to direct their voices of the Ministry of Education.

Parent meetings scheduled for June 8 and 10 have been postponed until September.

Davidson, Hanley, Sports

Local runners impress with half-marathon results

Donna Libke, Patti Libke and Ellen Packet are pictured after taking part in the Saskatchewan Marathon in Saskatoon on May 31. Donna completed the five-kilometre run, while Patti and Ellen competed in the half-marathon event.
Donna Libke, Patti Libke and Ellen Packet are pictured after taking part in the Saskatchewan Marathon in Saskatoon on May 31. Donna completed the five-kilometre run, while Patti and Ellen competed in the half-marathon event.

By Joel van der Veen

SASKATOON — Several area residents were among the thousands who hit the trail in the annual Saskatchewan Marathon, held May 31 in Saskatoon.

While none competed in the marathon itself, seven completed the half-marathon — 21.1 km in length — including Wally Peters of Hanley, who finished the race in 1:47:40, putting him in 164th place out of 957 runners.

Also leading the local pack were Ellen Packet of Davidson, and Patti Libke, formerly of Hanley and now residing in Saskatoon, who both completed the half-marathon with a time of 1:54:01.

Packet, 27, said the result was a personal record. She said she began running about two-and-a-half years ago, after competing in a marathon with her friend Katie McNabb.

“She’s not a swimmer, I’m not a runner,” she explained, saying she returned the favour by joining McNabb in a 10-kilometre run a short time later and then continued running herself.

Packet said she has tried to connect with other runners in town, starting a “couch to 5K” program in May with the aim of helping others work up to a five-kilometre run.

A couple of others have joined her, but she said it’s been hard to arrange a time that works for everyone, as some prefer to run in the mornings and others would rather go after work. Others are welcome to join them, she said.

This was Packet’s third time in the Saskatchewan Marathon. She also plans to complete the half-marathon in the BMO Vancouver Marathon on August 15, a week after her wedding.

Other local competitors in the Saskatoon half-marathon included Melissa Nelson of Davidson, 2:09:54; Anne Moren of Simpson, 2:16:04; and Carrie Hart of Dundurn, 4:04:54.

Competing in the 10-kilometre run were Valerie Bradley, Dundurn, 55:00; Jade Van Damme, Imperial, 55:00; Rhonda Kelly, Imperial, 57:02; Michael Schell, Dundurn, 1:00:48; and Gerald Heit, Dundurn, 1:16:45.

Taking part in the five-kilometre run were Donna Libke of Hanley, with a time of 37:30, and Merilee Boyle of Elbow, with a time of 42:18.

Sergii Vashurin, a Ukranian runner from the western city of Chernivtsi, took first place in the full marathon with a time of 2:37:55, while Erin Gardiner of Saskatoon finished in first among the women with a time of 3:00:21.