Craik, Sports

Craik School’s Sky Stinson runs to provincials

The Craik School cross country team completed a successful season earlier this month with three of its nine members qualifying for provincials.

Senior boys runners Aiden Sanden and Drayden Selinger and midget girls athlete Sky Stinson all qualified for the Provincial Cross Country Meet held Oct. 12 at Little Loon Regional Park near Medstead. Aiden and Drayden, who declined the invitation to attend, made it to provincials after a seventh and a 10th place finish respectively at the Oct. 2 District Cross Country Meet in Moose Jaw while Sky qualified after winning a silver medal at districts.

Sky, 14, said she finished 51st out of 100 runners who competed in the provincial three-kilometre midget girls race. She said the competition was diverse at provincials and she is happy with her results.

“Some of the girls were extremely fast because they train for it,” said Sky. “Then there were other people who, they qualified for provincials, but they weren’t as fast. It seemed they didn’t train as much.”

The Craik School Grade 9 student said she began training about a month before the provincial meet running every three days after school. She said her routine depended on how tired she was, but it usually consisted of rotating back and forth between running three kilometres one session and one-kilometre the next.

Lindsay Shaw, who coaches the Craik cross country team with Charla Edwards, said they are encouraged with the team’s results this year and each runner’s dedication to the sport. She said the coaches approach the sport with a focus on instilling a life-long love for improved fitness among the team members and also a training method for other sports in the student’s life.

“Since our goal is for life-long fitness, we encourage students to run every day, but it is a personal choice to how rigorous their training is,” said Shaw. “Sky is a dedicated runner and that was revealed in (her) placement at both the district and provincial level.

“I am happy for Sky and her achievement, but it was her achievement. I am just pleased that I was able to provide the opportunity for her to represent Craik School and (the) Prairie South School Division.”

Sky said winning the silver medal at districts and then competing at provincials was a great experience and all her hard work training during the preceding month was worth it.

Davidson

Manz leaves generous donation to community

Hilda Manz has generously left $7,000 to the Town of Davidson as a gift in her memory.

In her Last Will and Testament Manz identified her desire to bequeath $1,000 to the library, $1,000 to the campground, $1,500 to the swimming pool, $1,500 to the Cemetery Trust Fund and $2,000 to the Fire Department as a thank you to the community for being a part of her life.

Clayton Schneider, mayor of Davidson, said town council is “very appreciative” of the bequest and wants Manz and her family to get recognition for their generosity. He said council is now looking for a way to show their appreciation to Manz and other members of the community who have helped the town.

“We (have been) talking about coming up with a memorial, like a memorial wall of some sort,” said Schneider. “That is definitely something we are going to discuss.”

Obituary

obitMcLaren, Dorothy

McLaren, Dorothy May
Oct. 28, 1920 – Sept. 15, 2013
It is with saddened hearts we announce the passing of our mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and auntie.
Dorothy was born in Girvin on Oct. 28, 1920 to Dave and Euphemia Low. She was raised and got her schooling in the Girvin District.
She married Peter Alexander McLaren on July 25, 1944. They lived in the Girvin area where they farmed and raised their five children until 1985 when they moved to the Craik manor.
Dorothy was predeceased by her husband Peter on July 23, 1993. She continued to live in Craik for awhile then moved to Davidson.
Dorothy was also predeceased by her son Jim in June, 2009. She leaves to mourn her children, son Larry of Girvin, daughters Betty of Davidson, Donna (Gerry) of Coronach, son Doug (Cindy) of Davidson and daughter-in-law Sharon of Bladworth. She also leaves 12 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews and many friends.
Dorothy loved sports like curling, playing ball and later golf. She enjoyed music, reading, jigsaw puzzles and crosswords. Her favourite thing to do was going out for coffee with family and friends – they also came first in her life. Mom, until we meet again, we love and miss you forever. Your loving family.

Obituary

obit Beecher

Beecher, Lavina
Sept. 2, 1921 – June 27, 2013
“It is not sorrow that lasts forever – it is love”.
Lavina is survived by her loving family: sons Amel and Malcolm Beecher; nephew Mark Wessley; niece Alison Wessley and son Lucas. Lavina was predeceased by her parents William and Mary Anne Wedow; husband Clarence; daughter Ardice; as well as cousins and other family members.
For friends so wishing, memorial donations in memory of Lavina may be directed to the charity of your choice.
A celebration of Lavina’s life funeral service was held on Tuesday, July 2, 2013 at 2 p.m. from the New Life Pentecostal Church, Davidson, Sask. with Pastors John Slemming and Russell Sparks officiating. Interment was in the family plot, Craik Community Cemetery, Craik, Sask.

featured

Welcome to Hawarden High

Alvin Patterson would like to welcome you to his nightmare.

The Hawarden resident has reformed the abandoned Hawarden School located at the end of Main Street into a house of horrors featuring an asylum theme of maniacs, ghouls and devils. The free haunted house exhibit will be open to those not of the faint of heart Oct. 27 and 28 coinciding with the Hawarden Fall Supper held in the Hawarden Hall on the first night.

“Everyone does Christmas,” said Patterson about why he decided to build Halloween High. “The first couple years (doing this) was just sitting by my (house) letting my Rottweiler out chasing the kids. That got to be fun, (but) my Rottweiler got old. The last couple times I’ve gotten so big the people are anxious to see what I’m coming up with next. I love seeing their smiles, but the screams are better.”

Patterson said construction on his carnival of the damned began in July and he has been spending about 22 hours a week building it. He said once completed the exhibit would feature three rooms of terror and he doesn’t recommend the very young walking through it.

“I’ve actually never had any children (at my exhibits),” he said. “It’s always been adults. Three years ago some friends of ours came with their kids and this one kid wouldn’t even go (in) there. One kid disappeared. We were talking and this older couple was coming up to the fog machine. I have no idea how, but (the kid) just stood right up in front of them. I actually had to escort those two out. They were just yelling and screaming.”

It was that scare in his yard three years ago that gave Patterson the bug to take his patrons hysteria to the next level. He spends around $400 to $500 a year on Halloween props and also includes volunteers from the community into his exhibits, so they can dish out some frights too.

“Last year I had one fellow who was completely in black and people would come into the haunted house and they’d see him there (and say) ‘oh, that’s pretty realistic’,” said Patterson. “Then they’d go to the back of the tent, look at everything and they’d come out (and say) ‘where did that go’ and he was on their other side. Then their daughter was a werewolf and she was the one being hanged. People would go by her and she’d just jump out.”

Patterson said his love of sitting in his workshop creating the next monstrosity is the reason behind his dedication to frightening people and it’s paying off with more brave souls coming by each year. He said the audience has grown from 30 people getting the “crap scared out of them” three years ago to 65 receiving chills last Halloween and with the horror show falling on the same weekend as the Hawarden Fall Supper this year he expects up to 100 victims this time.

“I only open up the weekend before Halloween and it just turns out that the Fall Supper, which is a great thing for the community, (is that weekend),” he said. “I can actually open up at 1 p.m. and they can go through and then go for the supper. I think there is a gospel concert after, so they can do all three in one day. Go get scared, get fed and then repent.”

Davidson

Churches establish youth groups

The Davidson Community Bible Church and New Life Pentecostal Assembly have established youth groups this fall in an effort to help kids in the area feel loved, accepted and welcomed while also having some fun at the same time.

Dave Hildebrandt, pastor of the Davidson Community Bible Church, said their bi-weekly Friday night youth group that is aimed towards grades 7 to 12 students is focused on providing “hi-energy” activities for the kids. He said their first three events this fall, including a bowling excursion to Allan, Capture the Flag game at a local farm and movie night, have been well attended and the kids seem like they’re having a lot of fun.

“We’ve had a really positive response,” said Hildebrant. “The only thing I keep hearing from parents is that kids are having a blast and they can’t wait to come back. We’ve had three completely different events and we’ve had a good turnout to all of them.”

Hildebrant said kids from all faiths could attend the events, which are run by a few adult volunteers. He said these nights are important because it brings a variety of kids together to show them they are all loved and accepted equally.

“We just want to provide for them somewhere they can make friends outside of the school where they can get good productive healthy relationships and support for whatever is going on in life,” he said. “We want to be a fun group, (but) we also want to be a support group that everyone who is going through hard times (that) we’re there for them as well.”

Russell Sparks, pastor of the New Life Pentecostal Assembly, said their weekly junior youth group, which is aimed towards grades 5 to 8 students and meets on Tuesday nights, was started so younger kids can remain engaged with their faith when they head into their high school years. He said a junior youth group is something entirely new as most youth groups in Canada start with Grade 8 students.

“We’re just looking to connect with that (grades 5 to 8) age as it’s also a very challenging age,” said Sparks. “You’re trying to figure out the basics of life, trying to figure out if you’re cool (and) if you’re accepted, so (it’s) giving them a place to explore stuff about themselves, stuff about God (and) stuff about relating with other people in a safe environment.”

To read more please see the October 14 print edition of The Davidson Leader.

The Davidson Leader, Davidson, Saskatchewan