Paynton has seen many changes in the last while. Recent changes include new staff at the Paynton post office. Long time faces of Canada Post, Betty Ann Stewart and her colleague Candice Merryweather, affectionately know as Candy, both retired this year. Both postmistresses will be missed by locals who always knew where to go for a little chat along with their mail. Filling the big shoes left behind are Toriand Julia, these helpful and cheerful young ladies have made a fine addition to the Payntonpost office.
Other changes include new faces in the community, which only seems to be growing. Empty properties are being filled and old homes and businesses are getting a new lease on life. "The Purple Palace" coffee shop and thrift store is a great place to stop for a cup of joe or home made soft ice cream made with real cream and no additives. You can also find some diabetic baking along with the regular type and a nice cup of tea or just a browse through the clothes and furniture.
Prairie Angel Tattoo is another new business seeing success in our little village. Artist Aaron Anderson keeps pumping out beautiful work that keeps the clients rolling into town.
Visual artists Mariann Taubensee, Ellery Russell and the rest of the ReArtCycle group brought a little bit of whimsy to the village in 2010 with the spaceship sculpture located next to the arena. The groupalong withother local volunteers have been working on a flowerbed and retaining wall for under the spaceship and are planning to work on it this long weekend. If you feel like pitching in, just show up Saturdayor Sunday to lend a hand.
Older changes of course begin with the town being a thriving little area full of businesses and rate payers. Over time the drought caused many to move onand the oilfield became more prevalent than farming. Farmers and townspeople who stayed around the areathrough good times and bad could tell you stories all night, which is what I'm sure happened at the RM's centennial party Aug. 24. Brad Johner and his boys along with a catered meal and DJ afterwards, entertained the country fans. Trailers and campers appearedin the park Friday and Saturday as former residents of Paynton came to re-live their youth in the little village. Kids of all ages enjoyed the park that received a facelift recently. The colourful paint job on the park equipment and goal posts is a welcome change.
Many went by the old churches to see the changes. Two of the three churches in Paynton are now homes. The landscaping at both buildings has changed dramatically as both creative homeowners have made a huge effort to transform their yards into private sanctuaries as well as a public display of beautiful flowers and re-claimed art.
The school is no longer a place to teach but still a place to learn. Along with the village and RM offices, the building no longer has classrooms but still houses the village library and gymnasium. Tuesdays and Thursdays, Sonja Magerison and her helpers keep books flowing through the system. Even though the library may not have what you need today, they can usually get it with in a short period of time. Sonja goes out of her way to make sure the library doors stay open as much as possible and plays occasional mom to the kids who come in to read or just play in the gym. The library celebrated their 40th anniversary this past June.
Paynton Volunteer Fire Department has seen many changes over the years and continues to change with the times. New and updatedequipment keeps the firefighters safe when defending the homes and properties of village and RM residents.
Harvest is upon us once again and the fields are a prefect starting point for fire. It's dry and hot with a chance of a machine getting too hotcausing fire to spread rapidly.
Another major cause of fires is cigarettes being thrown out windows while driving. Please be sure to extinguish your cigarettes properly to avoid starting a potentially dangerous fire.
In the event of a fire, please call 911 immediately as volunteers take time to get out to a call. Most of Paynton's volunteers work outside of the village leaving few behind between hours of 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. To join the department and make your own change, show up at Paynton Fire Hall onMain Street and 3rd AvenueWednesdays through the summer or call 306-903-7122 to get more details.
