KENASTON—Sun West School Division is proceeding with plans to build its new $5.2 million Distance Learning Centre.
Proposals to build the stand-alone building adjacent to Kenaston School are due next Wednesday.
Sun West’s board of education received an update on the project at its meeting last Tuesday.
In February, Sun West put out a call for proposals to design and build a 15,000 square foot office building to house teaching staff and programming for the distance learning program.
The new building is required due to the rapid growth of the distance learning program that began in 2012 using vacant classrooms in Kenaston School.
The program took off and now, with 440 students, the Distance Learning Centre has the largest enrolment in the division. Within five years, Sun West is projecting that 716 students will be enrolled in its DLC.
The new office building will accommodate approximately 90 teachers who teach a wide variety of subjects and courses delivered online to students throughout the province.
This school year, Sun West had to find additional space in Kenaston for more DLC teachers so office space in the village’s curling rink was leased.
To read more, please see the March 2 print edition of The Davidson Leader.
Wildlife federation floats trout pond idea
DAVIDSON—Arm River Wildlife Federation hopes to build a fishin’ hole in town.
Members of the local sporting group were at Davidson town council’s Feb. 17 meeting seeking council’s support of the idea as well as a parcel of land.
The group proposed building a trout pond for recreational use within town limits.
The pond would be about one acre in size and a minimum depth of 20 feet with its sides sloped for safety purposes. The deeper the better to help fish survive the winter, said Jeff Doyle, a member of the Arm River Wildlife Federation (ARWF).
The wildlife federation would dig and organize the creation of the pond. It indicates that grants are available and it would obtain volunteers with heavy equipment to dig the pond.
John McJannet, president of the ARWF, said the federation would bring in wildlife and water experts to examine the topography of various parcels of land.
The club was looking for a project, tossed around some ideas and came up with a trout pond, said Doyle.
“It’s something for the kids and the old guys out there who fished all their lives and can’t make the drive to the lake anymore, like Gerald (Coun. Gerald Kenny),” he joked.
Doyle said a trout pond in Tisdale was a success. Located near Tisdale’s campground and walking trails, Doyle said the popularity proved greater than the community anticipated.
Finding a parcel of land within Davidson town limits may prove difficult.
Town administrator Gary Edom said the town doesn’t have large chunks of land available. The only one that may be close in size is Davidson’s rodeo ground.
Water quality will be another issue. The pond’s water supply must be able to support fish, so locating it near Highway 11 may be a problem due to salt runoff.
Putting it near the cemetery is out of the question. Edom said the tests of the water at Davidson cemetery revealed the water there “isn’t fit to water grass”.
McJannet said the wildlife federation wants the trout pond located in town, so town kids “can get on a bike, grab a fishing pole. We don’t want them to have to cross #11 highway.”
ARWF would set the fish limits of the pond and keep it stocked with trout.
To read more, please see the March 2 print edition of The Davidson Leader.
Bildfell, John
Bildfell, John
It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of John on February 13, 2015. He was born at Foam Lake on September 21, 1922. John is lovingly remembered by his three daughters, Sharon (David), Shelly (Sue) and Heather (Gordon); seven grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren; five brothers Kris, Oli, Lawrence, Clarence and Marvin. He was predeceased by his wife, Anne; sister, Vala and three brothers, Gisli, Torfi and Albert. He joined the Royal Bank in 1940 at Invermay. In 1942, John became a flying officer with the Royal Canadian Air Force and trained pilot navigators. After the war, he returned to the Royal Bank. He was the Bank manager in Hanley from 1968-1977. A Celebration of John’s Life was held on Thursday, February 19, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. at Luther Special Care Home, 3rd floor, 1212 Osler Street. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in John’s name may be directed to Luthercare Communities (1223 Temperance Street, Saskatoon, SK S7N 0P2) or a charity of your choice.
Hanley takes in motion challenge
HANLEY— Hanley is on the move with hopes of earning $10,000 towards fixing up the track at Hanley Composite School
The Town of Hanley has accepted the Saskatchewan Blue Cross and Saskatchewan in motion Community Moving Challenge. Over the next 15 days, Hanley’s residents, friends, neighbours and family members will record their physical activity with hopes of winning the prize.
From March 2 to 16, 20 communities throughout Saskatchewan are participating in the Get Our Community Moving Challenge.
The $10,000 prize will help the community fix up the walking/running track at Hanley’s school. Plans for the $20,000 project include refurbishing the track by levelling it, putting in new edging and adding shale.
The project has received $10,000 in funding and if Hanley wins the Get Our Community Moving challenge, it will receive another $10,000 to complete the project this year.
Last year, Dalmeny won the challenge by logging over 385,000 minutes of physical activity.
To take part, people record and register minutes of physical activity online every day by logging on to the Saskatchewan in motion challenge website. The individual minutes are added to the community’s total.
The Get Our Community Moving Challenge is designed to get communities working together to make a positive difference and to get more kids, more active, more often.
Internet Child Exploitation session comes to Davidson
DAVIDSON—How safe is the Internet?
It’s a question on the mind’s of most parents whose kids use of and knowledge of social media far exceeds their own.
To help adults guide and monitor children as they navigate the World Wide Web, Davidson’s School Community Council (SCC) has engaged staff sergeant Ron Weir, provincial co-ordinator for Regina Police Service’s Internet Child Exploitation Unit to provide a 90-minute Internet Child Exploitation Awareness presentation to the community tomorrow.
This community presentation, which is geared to adults, follows a Feb. 13 presentation Craik RCMP gave to Davidson School students in grades 6 to 12.
The SCC arranged for the RCMP to talk to students to help educate them on the incredible risks associated with using the Internet incorrectly, says SCC member Marcia McIvor.
Some risks include meeting strangers in chat rooms, bullying, sending personal pictures assuming that the recipient won’t forward them or post them elsewhere, identity theft, and learning to accept the fact that once something is posted online, it is there forever.
“Some of these examples have occurred in Davidson and have resulted in kids being embarrassed and hurt,” she said.
The SCC arranged for tomorrow’s community presentation to help make adults aware of the dangers of the Internet.
“By attending this session, adults will be in a better position to understand how their kids and grandkids are exposed to potential risks because of the internet and how to safeguard against those risks,” McIvor said.
Tweet to battle for featherweight title
QU’APPELLE—The only disadvantage Charmaine Tweet foresees on her way to a featherweight championship at Invicta FC11 in Los Angeles this Friday is that in her role as challenger, she’ll be the first one in the cage.
She doesn’t like going into the cage first. She prefers to go in second, the better to intimidate her opponent.
“As soon as I start walking towards the cage I lock eyes with my opponent and I don’t look away until the fight starts,” Tweet says.
At 6 feet tall and fighting in the 136 to 145 pounds division, Tweet presents an imposing package of hard angles and chiseled muscle.
Who wouldn’t be intimidated?
Tweet’s fans, friends and family in Kenaston will be hoping that Cris “Cyborg” Justino will succumb to the stare down when she gets an eyeful of Tweet.
Their fight is the main event in the Invicta women’s fighting championships for mixed martial arts. Justino (12-1, 1 no contest) is the current women’s world featherweight champ.
Some in the MMA world view Justino’s fight with Tweet as a stop the Invicta champ has to make on her road to a UFC contract and a fight against UFC bantamweight champ Ronda Rousey.
“We’re going to put a stop to that,” Tweet said. “Underestimate me. I’m cool with that.”
Tweet says she knows better than anyone how well she fights.
To read the full story, please see the Feb. 23 edition of The Davidson Leader.