Davidson, Obituary

Obituary: Manz, Sandy

web-obit-manzSandy Manz (nee Gust)

Sandy Gust was born in Davidson to Robert and Nina Gust on January 20, 1955. She is the oldest of eight children. She met Vernon Manz in Sunday School and they started dating in Grade 9. They were married on March 3, 1973. They began their life together in Davidson and soon gave birth to their first daughter Pam. They moved to Saskatoon in 1975 and had their second daughter Krista. Not even one year later, their son Perry arrived. They lived in Saskatoon for 10 years during which time Sandy enjoyed running a daycare out of their home. In the spring of 1984, they moved back to Davidson and she began a long career of working at the local grocery store for 23 years and most recently she was employed with the Town of Davidson for seven years.

Sandy enjoyed playing and watching various sports including volleyball, basketball, swimming, softball, golfing and track. She also enjoyed 4-H, sewing and crafting. She loved singing and for years was in the Lutheran Church choir as well as Harmony Suite, and sang numerous solos at weddings and funerals. She had a beautiful voice.

In 1998, after their children left home, Sandy and Vern went on a tropical vacation to Manzanillo, Mexico and soon realized they loved the weather, beaches, snorkeling and meeting new people. They continued to go to various destinations in the Dominican Republic, Cuba and Mexico. They thoroughly enjoyed these holidays and looked forward to them yearly, especially the last few with Tory and Nikki and Bill and Joan.

In 2014, Sandy began to experience health issues and ultimately, she succumbed to cancer. Sandy was spiritual, inspirational, graceful and strong-willed until the end. She never complained about her failing health and was always more concerned about others than herself.

Sandy passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family on October 25, 2016 at the Davidson Health Centre. Her family will be forever grateful for the outstanding care and compassion shown by the entire staff during her brief stay.

Sandy will be fondly remembered and forever missed by her friends and family. She is survived by her husband Vernon, her children and grandchildren, Pam and Wyatt, Krista (Shaun), Skye, Ryker, Sierra, and Ryder and Perry (Carol), Brooklyn and Luke She is also survived by her parents Robert and Nina Gust as well as siblings Les (Tammie) Gust, Sharon (Rob) Trimble, Gloria (Alan) Gieselman, Brian (Samantha) Gust, Carleton (Carol) Gust, Brad (Tammy) Gust, Trevor (Vanessa) Gust, Maxine (Ted) Skibinsky, Crystal (Neil) White, Marvin (Donna) Manz, Darwyn (Bernie) Manz, Dana Gayle (Les) Dahl, Marcia Palmer, Marla (Marvin) Dezotell and Darryl (Noreen) Manz, along with numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, godchildren, nieces and nephews, friends and extended family. She is predeceased by her grandparents, Vernon’s parents Leonard and Joyce Manz, and brother-in-law Gary Manz.

In lieu of flowers, Sandy wished any donations be made to the Spina Bifida Association of Canada, the Davidson Redeemer Lutheran Church or the Davidson Health Centre.

Davidson, featured

Lockwood leads vote in Davidson election

Teaka White hands her ballot to deputy returning officer Donna Bessey to be placed in the ballot box, thereby casting her vote in the Town of Davidson municipal election on Wednesday. Also pictured is administrator and returning officer Gary Edom.
Teaka White hands her ballot to deputy returning officer Donna Bessey to be placed in the ballot box, thereby casting her vote in the Town of Davidson municipal election on Wednesday. Also pictured is administrator and returning officer Gary Edom.

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — Six new faces will be sitting around the Town of Davidson council table next month.

Voters had their say in Wednesday’s municipal election, casting their ballots for the council that will serve the town for the next four years.

Twelve candidates were on the ballot, just falling short of the record set in 2006, when 13 people ran for Davidson town council.

Leading the pack in Wednesday’s vote was funeral director Todd Lockwood, who received 383 votes, attracting the support of upwards of 95 per cent of Davidson voters.

Also elected to council were sales manager Gene Stangland with 300 votes; grain buyer Gord Cross with 241 votes; user interface developer Jessica Foster with 230 votes; teacher Arlene Low with 203 votes; and electrician Jared Shaw with 201 votes.

Those six councillors will join mayor-elect Tyler Alexander, who was elected by acclamation as the sole candidate for the position.

For the full story, please see the Oct. 31 edition of The Davidson Leader or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.

Craik, featured

Water plan gets OK from Craik voters

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By Joel van der Veen

CRAIK — Voters have given the go-ahead for Craik to direct $380,000 in town funds towards restoring potable water.

The question was put to the public in a referendum vote on Oct. 26, held in tandem with the election for Craik’s mayor and councillors.

Funds are needed to pay for an engineering plan, developed by the town and the Regina-based firm KGS Group, to end the boil water advisory that has been in place for more than six years.

The town sought permission to pay for the project using the anticipated insurance payout from the fire that destroyed the Eco-Centre facility on March 24.

The question read as follows: “Do you agree with crediting the net insurance payment from the loss of the Eco-Centre to the Water Fund?”

Voters gave the proposal their overwhelming support, with 199 voting in favour and 14 voting against, along with six rejected ballots.

A written update was provided to residents in October with details on the engineering plan, which involves using both the old water works, built in the 1960s, and a second plant that went online in 2009.

The total cost is estimated at $371,000. At present the town’s Water Fund holds $60,000, leaving the need for additional funding to cover the cost.

Newly-elected mayor David Ashdown said work would begin immediately on the project, with the goal of having drinking water restored by Nov. 1, 2017.

Continuing to monitor the job and ensure it stays on track will be a priority for the new council, he said Thursday.

Ashdown wins in landslide

Ashdown received a large show of support in his first run for the mayor’s office, earning 170 votes, or 77.6 per cent of the total votes cast.

“I was, as they say, humbled and honoured with the level of support I received,” he said. “I’m grateful that the community has put that much faith in my ability to be a leader.”

Ashdown, 66, a retired clergyman, was first elected to council in a June 2015 byelection.

Earlier that year, he was front and centre during a campaign to restore and maintain health services in Craik, and he continues to serve as chair of the local health committee.

For the full story, please see the Oct. 31 edition of The Davidson Leader or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.

 

Hanley, Sports

Sharp Sabers send Vikings to Valhalla in playoff game

Hanley's Colten Olyniuk (14) carries the ball as Hafford's Ryan Krsacok (44) tries to head him off during an Oct. 29 playoff game.
Hanley’s Colten Olyniuk (14) carries the ball as Hafford’s Ryan Krsacok (44) tries to head him off during an Oct. 22 playoff game.

By Joel van der Veen

HANLEY — Even as their field turned to mud, the Hanley Sabers played a clean game as they hosted the Hafford Vikings last weekend.

Hanley took on the Vikings on Oct. 22 in the first round of senior football playoffs, racking up a 56-6 win on a drizzly afternoon.

Sabers coach Mark Anderson said there’s been a clear refinement in the team’s performance as they’ve moved from the regular season into playoffs.

In recent weeks, he said, “they’ve really started to buckle down and play some more disciplined football.”

Ongoing training proved beneficial as the team faced the Vikings on Saturday.

Anderson said Hafford was among the most athletic teams they have faced in recent memory, though they suffered from a short lineup and having to run players in both directions as a result.

For the full story, please see the Oct. 31 edition of The Davidson Leader or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.

Davidson

Davidson elects six new councillors

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The results were in for the Town of Davidson’s municipal election early Thursday morning.

Six councillors were elected in Wednesday’s vote with a total of 404 voters taking part, including 22 who voted in the advance poll.

Todd Lockwood led the tally with 383 votes. Also elected to town council were the following: Gene Stangland, 300; Gord Cross, 241; Jessica Foster, 230; Arlene Low, 203; and Jared Shaw, 201.

Also on the ballot were Ryan Shaw, 196 votes; Kirk Johnson, 178; Tony Billett, 170; Mandy Tichit (incumbent), 102; Kara Morrison Howarth, 80; and Brad Morrison, 36.

A total of three ballots were rejected.

The six councillors will serve a four-year term along with mayor-elect Tyler Alexander, who was elected by acclamation as the sole candidate.

Full details will follow in next week’s edition of the Leader.

Davidson, featured

‘Perfect storm’ blamed for ice delay

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By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — The town’s recreation director says a “perfect storm” of problems is to blame for a slight delay in installing ice at the Communiplex.

Issues with the ice plant were discovered in March when the hockey rink was being shut down at season’s end. A new compressor and condenser were required at a total cost of $75,000.

Since then, the repairs have faced a series of hiccups, including contractor scheduling issues and a lack of available parts.

“It was a perfect storm,” Trevor Ouellette said Tuesday, “not a mistake, but for things to work out not exactly as they have in the past.”

At the time the problems were discovered, the rink had been approved for a federal grant for other improvements, including lighting and a low-emission reflective ceiling.

The matching grant included $55,000 in funds from Ottawa, along with the town contributing the same amount, for a total of $110,000.

“At the time we were prepared to do other upgrades to the rink,” said Ouellette. “We didn’t have money to do both.”

Fixing the ice plant took precedence over the other plans, but this required another submission to the government, or else the town could risk being shut out of future grants.

“Our community knows if we don’t have a working ice plant, we don’t have a rink,” said Ouellette. “To the grant people, you have to justify the switch.”

Approval was finally granted at the end of May. A 12-week repair process followed, from June to mid-September.

Ouellette said they had to contend with contractors’ schedules and other problems along the way.

In July they learned that the plant control panel needed replacement, but the necessary parts didn’t arrive until the latter part of September.

As a result, the repair process was “compressed into a very tight timeframe,” Ouellette said.

Last week, contractors were installing the final touches, including sensors and wiring, and they were expected to fire up the plant on Tuesday.

For the full story, please see the Oct. 24 edition of The Davidson Leader, or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.

The Davidson Leader, Davidson, Saskatchewan