I am trusting Mother's Day was wonderful Sunday. Even though I'm a mother myself, I forgot to wish all of you moms and grandmas a happy Mother's Day.
Spring is here and that means ball season is in full swing. There won't be a quiet night at the diamonds. All divisions have started and bantam boys', bantam girls' and midget girls' season openers for league started last week. Mondays and Wednesdays, the ladies' league takes place on the main diamond and either the bantam boys or the Cardinals will be playing multiple nights of the week as well.
Minor ball will be hosting their annual Minor Ball Day Sunday, May 15. Each team in every division will play at least one game. The booth will also be open. So, if you are up for a Sunday of ball watching, this is the place to be.
Unity minor ball website posts the schedules for all teams of all divisions, so if you are looking for a specific group or specific time to go watch, this is a great website to find this information.
The Friday slo-pitch league started April 29 and runs every Friday until June 24.
There is a shortage of umpires in almost every town around here. If you are interested, please contact Unity minor ball or your local minor ball organization. Events and games are getting cancelled or postponed because of this shortage.
May 12, the hospital auxiliary will host their annual tea and bake sale at the Friendship Centre from 2 to 4 p.m.
Unity Soccer club has started up with many kids participating. This group has seen its ups and downs over the years, but with the inclusion of three- to four-year-olds a new enthusiasm has been ignited. Contact Jennifer Wilson if you need more details. Game nights are each night of the week in various divisions at the UCHS and UPS soccer fields.
At UCHS, the track team is in their final preparations for their first meet which takes place May 17. It will be followed by district qualifiers May 25 and 26 in North Battleford. Those advancing from districts will compete at provincials the first weekend in June. Unity has a strong field again this year and thoughts are there will be as many, or more, athletes returning to provincials again this year for UCHS.
The UCHS drama club is excited to present their production, The Harry Potter Musical Parody, May 17, 18 and 19. The May 19 show will include a dinner theatre, but advance tickets are needed. Be sure to get yours early as it will be a sure sell out. The drama club works hard to put on a production each semester that is sure to please audience members of all ages. This semester's musical won seven awards at a regional drama festival.
Unity School of Dance will be ending a successful season May 13 and 14, as they showcase their club's talents at their annual recital.
The Unity museum office officially opened for the season May 1. The museum folk are hoping again for your support of their work by either personally visiting, bringing visitors or recommending this fine facility.
May 7, the Unity Facilities Committee representing the new Hall and Pool projects, held their community garage sale and barbecue lunch. A presentation illustrated what the committee has in store for the near future, including a dance and silent auction and a golf tournament in September, as well as other events throughout the year.
The committee unveiled a large, fundraising meter that will be placed at the end of Main Street under the town sign to show the progress towards this goal. The overall goal for both projects is $5 million, with just under $900,000 raised to date.
This non-profit group is dedicated to volunteering their time and efforts to replace the aging swimming pool and upper level, undersized meeting/event hall. Potential locations will be considered in detail once more funds are raised.
Chairperson Brian Woytiuk introduced the committee of 11 dedicated community members and passed around an outline of a proposed budget, layout and plans, all of which will need community resources and support to achieve success. They are looking for success in corporate partnership which, through their various levels of donation, can be given naming rights to various rooms/areas of these two centres. This has become a popular avenue of garnering support and money for other projects around the country and the province. Official tax receipts are given for donations big or small. Brian, or any member of the UFC, would be happy to field any questions, or suggestions you may have.
May 24 and 25, there will be registration for swimming lessons from 1 to 5 p.m. at the town office. May 26th registration will be from 1 to 6 p.m. No phone registrations will be accepted. Forms were distributed through the schools May 9, or they can be picked up at the town office. After these dates, you can register right at the pool, which is slated to open on June 5.
Does your slo-pitch team want a crack at $3,200 in prize payouts? Check out the annual Miner's Slo-pitch Tournament May 27-29 at the Unity diamonds. This includes three days of tournament play and a dance Saturday night featuring Paradise Road. This tournament offers cash prizes for the three events and has hosted as many as 30 teams. This year they are topping off at 24 teams. As long as the weather holds out, which has been a challenge in past years, this is sure to hold some excitement and fun for both player and spectator. There is no admission charge for the tournament itself. The deadline for entry is May 26. Contact Jim at 228-3009 for details or entry.
May 29, the Unity credit union branch, will host a children's carnival from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in their parking lot. This event will host various games and face painting as well as a barbecue.
The Unity golf course is getting ready for another golf season.. The golf club welcomes new members of all ages. Opening date was April 30.
I have had several questions pertaining to video or a DVD of the CBC live news broadcast from Unity in late April. There will be no hard copy footage however you can log on to cbc.ca and search Mark Kelley, Unity and it will take you to this news coverage. Otherwise, you will need to contact Bowden's Media Monitoring and give them the program name (Connect the Vote with Mark Kelley), the date, the segment title, duration and time. You can call 1-800-363-1281 or check Bowden's online. This information has been passed on to the town office, if you need further clarification.
If you have news you would like me to report, feel free to let me know as I am glad for the support I have received . As well, I would like to carry news on all events and happenings around our fine community.
Coffee row, not having major historic events to recount, has turned their morning discussion to the upcoming growing season. So, again, you can see we keep busy in Unity with activities and wisdom from our friends on coffee row. Until next week ...
