The new janitor for the Mayfair Hall is Tyrel Gallant, a close friend of the Toews family. The hall appears to be in good condition thanks to Tyrel and Michelle. To book this facility, call recreation board treasurer Alice Grivor at 306-246-4212.
Oct. 23 was a successful fundraiser for the local library. The perogie and sausage supper and all the extras were deliciously prepared by a group of dedicated ladies. Gail Adamus still belongs to this and even travelled from Battleford to help make the perogies. There are two other names for perogie — varenyky and perogy. Also, in cookbooks it is spelled pyrohy.
The 50/50 Cow Patty Bingo put a smile on the face of Paul Cherwinski, as he won $580. Hopefully we will be able to feast on the same kind of meal for the library's next October annual event.
Yoga classes are running smoothly at the hall every Thursday evening. The classes started the beginning of October but drop ins for a nominal fee are never turned away. Louise Sylvester from North Battleford is the instructor.
Many local people attended the funeral of 46-year-old farmer and rancher Gordon Rogers, who was buried at Tiefengrund Rosenort Mennonite Church Cemetery near Laird. Ranching was his passion and at age 16 he purchased the first cows for his Charolais herd. He overcame many challenges, and always kept on going. In 1998, Gordon ended up being dragged when his leg got stuck in the stirrup of the saddle while on his horse, thus resulting in a serious head injury. Also, he was mauled by a longhorn bull as well as other incidents over his short life. Numerous family members took in the funeral service and of interest to me was Dale Rogers’ (Gordon's uncle) two sons, William and Walter. These two boys, known as Willy and Wally, attended Mayfair School in their earlier years and I didn't realize until on the way home that that was who they were.
William read the eulogy and the homily was read by Pastor Walter Rogers from the Seventh Day Adventist Church. Roberta, Gerald, Rosette and two-year-old Greg have lost their loving father. The children reside in Battleford with their mother, Rose Heinrich Rogers, who is originally from the United States. Gordon's mom, Edna Rogers, still farms and is anxiously awaiting the arrival of another grandchild from her daughter Delores (Kent) Mishleau of the United States. They have seven children who were also in attendance at their beloved uncle's funeral.
Faye Liebaert and I attended a live theatre play called Noises Off by Michael Frayn at the Dekker Centre in North Battleford this past Thursday. Wow, what a high energy performance. At times I was laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes. When actor Rick Kostiuk, playing the role of a real estate agent, kept tripping over boxes and fell down a full flight of stairs, he had the audience rolling in laughter. The other eight cast members were also in tune with their roles, creating unexpected surprises throughout this three-act thriller!
Shoebox gifts are very popular in many schools as a way to educate students how to share with the less fortunate children in Third World countries. I picked up a brochure and national collection week is the third week in November. Apparently this is even a big hit with seniors as they group together to assemble the purchased items to be sent to less fortunate children. To find a drop-off location, check online at or call 1-800-303-1269. One important reminder is to put in one larger item that will capture the child's attention the instant he or she opens the box. If any item requires batteries, please be sure to include a few extra good-quality batteries. Shoes are important because most of these children run barefoot most of their childhoods. Of course the right size is difficult to judge, but larger sandals worn even in our society is the norm. Of course non-liquid hygiene items, including bar soap, combs, washcloths and toothbrushes are important. Enclosing a note and a picture of yourself or family puts a smile on the receiver's face. If you include name and address, in some instances a child does write back to thank you for the gift.
There appear to be too many roaming cattle invading neighbouring fields, yards, ditches and roads. When on a busy road or highway, this can be very dangerous and the owner should know they are responsible if a serious or tragic accident occurs. Cattle prices are still at a high so you would think these cattle owners would not want their cattle at risk. Repairing fences is a known expense when responsible farmers own these animals. Yes, everyone still encounters a lot of wildlife on the roads, but this is a different scenario.
Two weeks ago there was a dead female moose on the side of the highway five miles south of Rabbit Lake. Remember, SGI advertises, "Slow down, moose on the loose!" With the forest fires this past year, many more animals are moving south. It is not uncommon to have larger wild animals seen roaming the streets in large cities.
Sally Salisbury visited her siblings in La Ronge and Bells Point Indian Reserve this week. One of her highlights is the 50th wedding anniversary celebration of Jacob and Alice Ratt. Jacob is Sally's brother. This past summer during the northern forest fires, Sally and husband David had her niece's family including two dogs stay with them for two weeks. The good news is that none of Sally's northern family lost their homes, but some suffered with breathing problems due to the heavy smoke. They have now overcome this problem and are relatively healthy.
ÌýChris (Tiffany) Cherwinski is now employed with AgriTeam from Hafford, thus enabling him to spend more time at home with their three sons. They moved from North Battleford to a large acreage south of Mayfair in January 2015. Chris previously worked with Trican in Lloydminster for many years.
Calling all prospective bingo workers for Nov. 10 and Dec. 4. We need workers for these bingos at Gamex and all you have to give up is approximately four hours of your time. Perhaps arrange your coming to town to shop and pay bills on these two days or even schedule an appointment for wherever you have to go to. Your help is greatly appreciated and never turned away. Please call Alice at 306-246-4212 or Kolin at 306-445-9721.
Halloween is fast approaching with most kids getting excited to dress in their costumes and do the traditional trick or treating door to door. Keep your outdoor entrance well lit with your pets either inside the house or garage. Motorists, please slow down as the children get too excited and run from house to house. Let's experience a safe Halloween.
We hear a lot about keeping the environment clean and safe. Farmers are the original environmentalists and we all know their animals, land and businesses depend on it. Of course, everyone in all walks of life can recycle, clean up rivers and roads and plant trees. I've read farming is a perfect example of common sense, science and practical experience. Preserving water quality, reducing odours and restoring habitat are some environmental stewardship practices. Did we even think of recycling our garbage 20 years ago? Canada's farmers lead the world with their many programs in trying to keep the environment safe and healthy for the next generation.
The average Canadian uses 343 litres of water every day in their homes and gardens. You use, as studies reveal, eight litres of water to wash hands with running tap water. This is something important to think about. Perhaps we waste too much water.
The All Saints Catholic Church in Mayfair has mass at 5 p.m. for October and November. Starting in December and January it will be scheduled for 11 a.m.
The Mennonite Church services are now being held at the home of Martin and Teresa Toews, three miles south of Mayfair, the first Sunday of every month. The small Mennonite Church doesn't have a functional furnace anymore and with a small congregation, they all fit nicely at the Toews home.
Within the next couple of weeks most of the fall suppers across the prairies will have come to an end. They all offer tasty home-cooked meals and numerous desserts to choose from. It is nice to visit with neighbours and friends at these functions.
Larry Krause, an award winning western roots singer and songwriter, will be putting on a Cowboy Campfire Concert in Rabbit Lake Nov. 6, starting at 8 p.m. in the hall. The advance tickets are $15 and are available at Rabbit Lake Hotel 306-824-2002; Wright Choice Seed CleaningÌý 306-481-2807; and the cafe at 306-824-7177. Rush tickets will be sold at the door costing $17.50.
Has everybody gotten out their winter apparel yet? The frost keeps getting thicker every morning, reminding us that old man winter is around the corner. The days are still reasonably warm and one can put away all outdoor stuff that is not required in winter. The deciduous trees are now stark naked but when the heavy hoar frost arrives they automatically become a target for photographing as the sun glistens on the branches. All this is thanks to the wonders of nature! The days have become shorter and the angles of the sun are lesser. I hope that often colourless, sunless November gives us a bit more sunshine than last year. Every little ray seems to put people in a better mood.
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