It seems hard to believe but we are only six weeks from the shortest day of the year! Now this is a November to remember, with a lot colder temperatures and a lot more snow than the last few years at least. All this has caused a few guys to start talking about ice fishing. Strangely, Meeting Lake has still not frozen.
It is good to see Dave Plummer home again. That mayoralty race was almost too much for the old boy. Vic Ricketts and Art Penner are still convalescing. We hope to see them home soon as well.
Mayfair held its annual Cow Patty Bingo Nov. 9 with about 80 people in attendance. The $500 prize went to Gail Adamus. The raffle prizes were awarded as such: first prize, a set of Tupperware cookery donated by Shirley Fullerton, went to Dayton Funk; second prize, two tickets to the Carlton Trail Jamboree donated by Rabbit Lake and District Ag Association, went to Bev Pollard and third prize, a season pass and one-week camping pass at Meeting Lake Regional Park, donated by Meeting Lake Regional Park and Mayfair Recreation Board, went to Sharon Russell. A very big thank you to everyone who supported this fundraiser in any way.
The next big function in Mayfair will be the Christmas craft sale Nov. 24. Apparently there will be 30 vendors this year.
I would estimate that around 80 people took in the ham and turkey bingo in Sandwith. After a good potluck supper there was fun with people trying to sneak in that last bid on the silent auction items and then the bingo. All of the prizes were donated by local residents and businesses. Thanks to everyone who supported the Sandwith community as it maintains its hall.
Activities around Rabbit Lake in the next little while include a pre-Christmas Ham and Turkey bingo Nov. 21. This will follow the monthly seniors' potluck supper, so bring some food and support the seniors by buying supper and then support the museum by playing bingo.
The Rabbit Lake Rec Centre was very pleased to learn that they have been awarded a grant in the amount of $17,250. This money will be used to upgrade the rink so that it can provide seasons of fun for families of the area.
The Highway No. 378 Improvement Committee met and presented a report to the rural Highway Advisory Committee and the Ministry of Highways in Regina Oct. 31. The main goal of the committee is to pursue the rebuilding of Highway 378 from Spiritwood to North Battleford and also upgrading it to primary weight status. The committee members who made the trip to Regina were Gordon Sherman, Doug Lamb, Paul Benson, Eric Kuffert and Randy and Kathy Aumack.
Compiling the necessary information has been a two-year project. The report consisted of an economic study of the area Highway 378 services, including crop and cattle production numbers. Letters were received from individuals and the business community, regarding the economic impact that Highway 378 has on their lives. A study was done to determine tourism numbers and the influence it has on the region. Education, health care and safety are important factors that were studied and included in the report.
The following news item has been submitted by Kathy Aumack.
The Highway No. 378 Improvement Committee was spearheaded by the Rabbit Lake Board of Trade with Gordon Sherman and Doug Lamb recruiting representatives from the surrounding rural municipalities. Paul Benson became a member early in the formation of the committee. Shortly after Eric Kuffert, representing the RM of Round Hill, Jim Rogers, representing the RM of North Battleford, Randy Aumack, representing the RM of Meeting Lake, Harold Fast, representing the RM of Spiritwood, and Don Peters, representing the Village of Rabbit Lake, came on board to form a committee. Kathy Aumack undertook the task of compiling the necessary information, building the report and presenting the report in PowerPoint format. Sharon Benson also helped write and edit the report.
Some interesting facts obtained from the Highway No. 378 study include: 16 million bushels of grain are grown in the five rural municipalities that Highway No. 378 services; 40,000 beef cattle reside in the five rural municipalities that Highway No. 378 services; 688 heavy trucks travel per day on the grid road system within the five rural municipalities; 2,400 cars travel per day on the grid road system within the five rural municipalities; 244 vehicles per day on Highway No. 378 which shows that traffic avoids using this highway.
The report was well received by the Rural Highway Advisory Committee followed by a very productive question and answer period. Since the rebuilding of a major highway is determined by a point system, the Rural Highways Advisory Committee and the Ministry of Highways now have to rework the numbers they have assigned to Highway 378. We will wait to see if this project gets accepted into the Department of Highway's five-year plan for reconstruction.
