Shots from the senior boys’ league basketball game between the Luseland Lords and the Unity Composite High School Warriors, January 14, 2014. UCHS won the game. See the January 20th Unity-Wilkie Press-Herald for more photos from the game.
Shots from the senior girls’ league basketball game between the Luseland Lords and the Unity Composite High School Warriors, January 14, 2014. UCHS won the game. See the January 20th Unity-Wilkie Press-Herald for more photos from the game.
Unity Miners senior men’s hockey team celebrate a goal in a game December 18 against the Luseland/Dodsland Mallards.
Although the Unity Miners lost three of the four games they played in December and are only in fourth place in the standings of the six teams of the Sask West Hockey League, they have three players in the top 10 on the scoring leader board.
Mitch Nuemeier of the Luseland/Dodsland Mallards has 37 points and is the top scorer so far this season. In second and third place are Unity Miners Behn Robertson and Adam Shirley with 34 and 30 points respectively. Also in the top 10 is Michael Shirley, sitting in eighth place at 22 points.
Recap of December results
The Miners beat the Eatonia Huskies 4-1 December 6 in Unity. The next night they lost to Kerrobert 11-5. After a week and a half off, the Miners hosted the Luseland/Dodsland Mallards December 18, also losing that game 11-5. They travelled to Eatonia two nights later where they went down 7-3.
In most games, the Unity senior men’s hockey team outshoots their opposition – 38-34 in the December 20 Eatonia game, 34-29 in the December 18 Luseland/Dodsland game and 43-37 in the December 7 Kerrobert game. The goaltending for the Miners will have to improve if they are to move up in the standings in the New Year.
Gilbert Agencies sponsored a $10,000 Shoot to Win at the Miners’ December 18th home game. Shooters Scott Henning, Brayden Klein and Leah Anne Srigley were unable to hit the board, let alone the small hole in the centre. They had to take their shots from 114 feet, which was well past centre ice, beyond the opposing blue line.
Upcoming games
The Miners travel to Kindersley to take on last year’s champions and this year’s league leaders, the Red Lions, January 3. The next night, they will host the Kerrobert Tigers, who are currently at the bottom of the standings. Game time for the January 4 game in the Unity Community Centre is 8:30 p.m.
Year-end awards for the 2013 football season were handed out at the UCHS football banquet Dec. 2. Team members, parents, coaches and other supporters of the Unity Composite High School Warriors football team attended the banquet and awards presentation.
The Warriors had what Coach Pat Orobko called a “very successful” year. The team made it into provincial playoffs as one of the top eight teams in the province in their category.
The students played a video with each player introducing himself and giving his number and position or positions played. Many players made the most of their opportunity to ham it up a little in front of the camera.
A video of highlights from the Warriors’ 2013 football season followed. Coach Pat Orobko commended Jonah Kopp and Darby Bisson on putting the video together.
Blake Robertson, Darby Bisson and double award winner Nick Anderson, in the back row and Ryan Donald, Jonah Kopp and double award winner Justin Gerein show off the awards received at the UCHS Warriors year-end football banquet.
The first award handed out went to Darby Bisson as most improved player. Orobko said Darby “took his game to a new level this year.”
The top offensive player was quarterback Blake Robertson, who was commended for his “football sense” and the use of both his arms and legs.
There were two recipients for the Heart & Soul award. Orobko listed qualities of “leadership, desire, motivation and the ability to inspire others” before he called up Justin Gerein and Nick Anderson to receive the award.
Justin returned to the stage to receive the MVP award. Orobko said he was “the player you need on the field as much as possible and the player you miss the most when he’s not on the field.”
Coach Martin Berg went to the microphone to announce the defensive awards, calling up Nick Anderson as the top lineman of the year. Berg noted Nick won the same award in 2012 and said he was “a noticeable presence in every game.”
Ryan Donald, a Grade 11 student, was named rookie of the year, with his versatility particularly noted. In the final game, Ryan was on the field not only with the defence as a linebacker but also filled in on the end of the o-line when the offence was on the field.
Jonah Kopp won the top defensive player award, with Berg saying Jonah had “really stepped up his game the last two seasons.”
After the awards, graduating players Ridge Klotz, Adam Wallace, Nick Anderson, Jonah Kopp, Darby Bisson and Justin Gerein, were recognized for their contributions to the team.
We Day, the multi-media, multi-speaker event held to motivate and empower young people, was held in Saskatoon November 6. Students from 325 Saskatchewan schools – including Unity Composite High School, McLurg High School, Luseland School and St. Peter’s School – made up the audience of some 15,000.
For a detailed article on the event and additional photos, please see the November 18 issue of the Unity-Wilke Press-Herald. For response from local students who attended We Day, please see the November 25 issue of the Press-Herald.
Spencer West
“Anything is possible.”
Born without legs, Spencer West shared his story with the We Day audience. As he explains on his Facebook page, “As a kid, every time I went out, whether to the grocery store or a restaurant, people would point and whisper, ‘Where’s that guy’s body? Where’s his legs? He looks crazy!’
“Nobody even asked me my name first. People were seeing my disability, instead of me. So I changed my story a bit. When asked, ‘Where are your legs?’ I would say, ‘I left them in my other pants’ or ‘I was swimming in the ocean and this shark swam up and BIT THEM RIGHT OFF!’ If I could get them to laugh, people were forced to see me as a person.”
A trip to Kenya gave West a moment of incredible insight. “Upon my arrival I was surrounded by swarms of school kids, who bombarded me with questions about my life. A little girl raised her hand and said, ‘I didn’t know this sort of thing happened to white people, too.’
“Suddenly, I understood that instead of trying to be like everyone I was different for a reason. I was different because I needed to show others that it doesn’t matter what your abilities are or where you come from in the world. If you work hard, never give up and laugh a lot, you can achieve anything. Now, as a motivational speaker for Me to We, I’ve spoken to audiences around the world about courage, shark attacks and making a difference.”
Martin Luther King III
Flanked by brothers and Free The Children co-founders Marc and Craig Kielburger, Martin Luther King III addresses the students, teachers and parents gathered for the Nov. 6, 2013 edition of We Day in Saskatoon.
Martin Luther King III is the oldest son of the late Martin Luther King Jr. Images and portions from his father’s “I have a dream” speech were played on large video screens several times during We Day in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the speech.
King told the students his father used to say, “You can be a thermometer or you can be a thermostat.” In other words, do you want to change things or just record them? King had everyone raise their voice in chanting, “Spread the word, have you heard? All across our nation, we are going to be a great generation.”
Magic Johnson
NBA legend Magic Johnson told the audience that when he was a child, his mother sent him out to shovel the driveways of elderly neighbours. While he didn’t really appreciate that at the time, later “I realized they were teaching me to give back, to help mankind.”
Johnson asked the students to change their schools, change their communities, help their neighbours. “The greatest person that I know is a person who always helps somebody else. That’s the coolest person on earth,” he said.
Taylor Devos
Taylor Devos is from small-town Saskatchewan and is “1 kid making a difference.” At the age of 12, she stood with microphone in hand and told the packed Credit Union Centre in Saskatoon how determined she is to raise enough money to build a school in Haiti.
Starting when she was 10 years old with the sale of T-shirts and bracelets, along with holding small events in her hometown of Porcupine Plain, Taylor is nearing her goal of $15,000. As of We Day in Saskatoon, Nov. 6, she has already raised $12,700.
Bill Doyle, Potash Corp CEO
Craig Kielburger discusses food security with Potach Corp. president Bill Doyle.
Bill Doyle, president and CEO of Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan Inc., spoke about the importance of food security. He explained that in Canada we can walk into a grocery store and see shelves and shelves of food but that’s not the case around the world. In some places, there aren’t even any grocery stores, let along ones as well stocked as ours.
“The number one requirement is to feed people each and every day before anything else can be done,” he said.
Potash Corp is sponsoring 25 scholarships for Canadian youth to visit India next summer and learn first-hand about food security in the developing world. During media interviews, co-founder of Free the Children Craig Kielburger specifically encouraged students from Saskatchewan rural and farming communities to apply for the scholarships.
Go here to apply! http://www.freethechildren.com/get-involved/we-youth/leadership-training-in-development/overseas/potashcorp-youth-trip-scholarship/
Donisha Prendergast
Donisha Prendergast, granddaughter of Bob and Rita Marley, spoke about love and revolution. “At the heart of every revolution is love,” she said. She also pointed out the word “revolution” has the word “evolution” in its centre.
Prendergast also spoke about overcoming difficulties and challenges. “We aren’t meant to feel the pain forever,” she said, in a reference to bullying.
“My grandparents few up in the concrete jungle of Jamaica where ‘they’ said nothing could ever grow, and today I am standing here speaking to 15,000 people about the power of love.”
For a short video from We Day featuring Shawn Desman and the Kenyan Boys Choir: http://unitystories.com/press-herald-nov18/
For more information about the work of Free the Children: http://www.freethechildren.com/
And don’t forget about the new free app for year-round motivation and ideas on how to change the world. Look for the We365 app at your favourite app store.
Come on in! Welcome to our story, which is your story too. We live where you live, work where you work and we are helping grow the local economy. We are your neighbours and we invest in the communities we serve.
We say “we” but really … it’s you. Delta Co-op is really yours, because you own it. If you’re a member, you’re an owner. If you’re not a member, we invite you to become one. Delta Co-op membership offers you a lifetime of rewards, including high quality products and services at competitive prices. Our profits are your profits, returned by way of dividends paid out at year-end.
Understand when we say “we”, we’re actually saying you AND us – working, shopping, profiting, decision-making, helping out our communities – together.
Delta Co-op works together to provide goods and services to the community in the most up-to-date manner. We can be found online at our website, http://deltacoop.ca/, on Facebook and even on your phone! Look for “co-op CRS” at your app store and download it, free, for weekly coupons, flyers, locations, hours and much more.
Delta Co-op is proud to support the communities we serve, and neighbouring communities, with sponsorships, donations, advertising and by hosting fundraising barbecues.
We’ve been part of the local community for over 80 years. Delta Co-op is a multi-branch, multi-department retail co-operative.
With branches in Unity, Luseland, Senlac, Wilkie and Macklin, Delta has deli, bakery, produce, meat and grocery departments, building supply and hardware stores, an agro-centre with seed and feed supplies, cardlocks, a C-store and gas bars. See our special page at wilkiestories.com for details on what services we provide in each of our home communities: http://unitystories.com/delta-co-op/. Phone numbers for all locations are at http://unitystories.com/delta-co-op/locations/.
This corner of the province is our home. We promise to stay local, committed to community and to a business model that shares profits with all members. It’s only $10 to become a shareholder in Delta Co-op, making you a part owner in each and every one of our locations.
Remember, at Delta Co-op, 
As usual, the November 4th issue of the Unity-Wilkie Press-Herald will feature lots of stories and photos about local happenings. Some of what’s included in the upcoming issue:
The ads include job opportunities, business opportunities and “going out for an evening” opportunities!
UFC volunteer Brian Woytiuk sells cards for a draw at the annual steak and lobster fundraiser supper in Unity, Saskatchewan, held October 19, 2013.
With nine returning players after icing a “very young team last year,” manager Dwayne Scott expects to see the Unity Midget AA Lazers “definitely improve” from last year.
The final cuts were made after an exhibition game played against Meadow Lake, in Unity, Sept. 29. The nine veterans on the team will be joined by five first-year midgets. Players come from the communities of Unity, Wilkie, Luseland, Kindersley, Macklin, Neilburg and Kerrobert.
Scott said traditionally the teams in the eastern part of the province are very strong although, until he sees this year’s teams, he can’t say for sure what will happen this year. Nevertheless he expects the Midget AA Lazers to be “in the middle of the pack or higher” this year.
The midgets will play in the Centre Four Hockey League again. They open the regular season with back-to-back home games against Prince Albert, Oct. 12 at 7 p.m. and Oct. 13 at 2:15 p.m.
In the exhibition game, the Lazers beat Meadow Lake 8-3.
Local players
Assistant captains Devan Bertoia and Blake Robertson are both Unity boys and are joined on the team by Brandt Bertoia. Players from Wilkie and Luseland are Kirklan Glassford and Tyson Logan Munt. Ryan Donald of Rockhaven and Zach Herle of Neilburg are both attending school in Unity as well as playing with the Lazars. Cut Knife’s Dax and Declan Desmarais are also on the team.
With our area escaping the rain experienced during the September 24 to 30 period covered by the latest Crop Report from Saskatchewan Agriculture, we continued to be ahead of the rest of the province in harvest progress.
West-Central Saskatchewan (Crop Districts 6B – Hanley, Outlook, Loreburn, Saskatoon and Arelee areas; Crop District 7 – Rosetown, Kindersley, Eston, Major, Kerrobert, Macklin, Wilkie and Biggar areas)
The west-central region is the most advanced area of the province, with 95 per cent of the crop combined and four per cent swathed or ready to straight-cut. Crop districts 7A and 7B recorded very little rain and so combines continued to roll in those areas. Rain ranged from nil to 62 mm (Hanley area). Spring wheat combined ranges from 90 to 100 per cent; oats 50 to 100 per cent; barley 40 100 per cent; canola 80 to 100 per cent and flax 10 to 100 per cent combined. Flax and canaryseed crops are being combined. Many farmers have completed harvest and others hope to finish within the week.
With some areas receiving very little rain, topsoil moisture conditions continue to deteriorate and are rated as 16 per cent adequate, 37 per cent short and 47 per cent very short on cropland. Hay land and pasture topsoil moisture conditions are rated as 22 per cent adequate, 30 per cent short and 48 per cent very short. Many areas in the region have not received a significant rainfall in over a month. Crop districts 7A and 7B are reporting over 40 per cent of the cropland, hay land and pasture is very short of topsoil moisture. Crop and combine fires have been reported in many areas.
Pasture conditions are rated as three per cent excellent, 13 per cent good, 43 per cent fair, 28 per cent poor and 13 per cent very poor.
The majority of the crop damage was caused by strong winds (of up to 80 km per /hour) that damaged some swathed crops. Producers are busy finishing harvest, working fields and starting fall weed control.
Provincially
Seventy-nine per cent of the 2013 crop is now combined, according to Saskatchewan Agriculture’s weekly Crop Report. Significant rainfall recorded last week slowed harvest progress in most areas of the province. Fifteen per cent is swathed or is ready to straight-cut. The five-year average (2008-2012) for this time of year is 74 per cent combined and 18 per cent swathed or ready to straight-cut.
Harvest progress is most advanced in the west-central region, where 95 per cent of the crop is combined. Seventy-two per cent is combined in the southeast; 85 per cent in the southwest; 68 per cent in the east-central region; 74 per cent in the northeast and 88 per cent in the northwest.
Rainfall throughout the province ranged from nil to 81 mm. Many areas received over 35 mm of rain, and heavy precipitation was reported in the southwestern, east-central and northeastern regions. Many areas in the southwestern, southeastern and east-central regions have been experiencing rain delays for a couple of weeks.
Across the province, topsoil moisture on cropland is rated as five per cent surplus, 65 per cent adequate, 19 per cent short and 11 per cent very short. Topsoil moisture on hay and pasture land is rated as two per cent surplus, 63 per cent adequate, 24 per cent short and 11 per cent very short.
Pasture conditions are rated as nine per cent excellent, 43 per cent good, 29 per cent fair, 16 per cent poor and three per cent very poor.
Rain and strong winds caused the majority of the crop damage. The rain has resulted in bleaching and sprouting of some cereal crops. Wind has caused some shattering losses in swathed canola and ripe crops.
Farmers are busy combining, hauling bales and completing fall weed control operations.
SASK. AG CROP REPORT FOR THE PERIOD SEPTEMBER 17 TO 23, 2013
Harvest is progressing well despite recent rains in many areas of the province. Saskatchewan farmers now have 71 per cent of the 2013 crop combined, according to Saskatchewan Agriculture’s Weekly Crop Report. Twenty-one per cent is swathed or ready to straight-cut. The five-year average (2008-2012) for this time of year is 60 per cent combined and 23 per cent swathed or ready to straight-cut.
Harvest progress is most advanced in the west-central region, with 86 per cent of the crop combined. Sixty-two per cent is combined in the southeast; 79 per cent in the southwest; 60 per cent in the east-central region; 68 per cent in the northeast and 73 per cent in the northwest.
Of the crop that has been harvested, average to above-average yields are being reported in most areas; however, they vary from region to region. Spring wheat average yields are reported as 46 bushels per acre, durum 44 bushels per acre, barley 68 bushels per acre, canola 38 bushels per acre, and peas 43 bushels per acre.
If you look carefully, you can see a double rainbow in the sky above this harvested field. Taken September 23, 2013 in West Central Saskatchewan
West-Central Saskatchewan (Crop Districts 6B – Hanley, Outlook, Loreburn, Saskatoon and Arelee areas; Crop District 7 – Rosetown, Kindersley, Eston, Major, Kerrobert, Macklin, Wilkie and Biggar areas)
The west-central region is the most advanced area of the province with 86 per cent of the crop combined and 10 per cent swathed or ready to straight cut. The five year average (2008-2012) for this time of year is 56 per cent combined. Crop district 7A has 91 per cent combined, 6B 83 per cent combined and 7B has 84 per cent of the crop combined. Little to no rain was received last week, helping farmers stay in the field.
Estimated yield ranges for the region are reported as follows: winter wheat 30 to 50 bu/ac, spring wheat 30 to 60 bu/ac, durum 37 to 60 bu/ac, oats 65 to 100 bu/ac, barley 50 to 80 bu/ac, fall rye 30 to 40 bu/ac, flax 25 to 35 bu/ac, canola 30 to 48 bu/ac, mustard 1000 to 2000 lb./ac, lentils 1200 to 2400 lb./ac, peas 30 to 60 bu/ac and canary seed 750 to 1500 lb./ac. Overall, quality is good and many farmers are expecting to wrap up harvest in the next week or two.
Topsoil moisture conditions continue to deteriorate and are rated as 13 per cent adequate, 49 per cent short and 38 per cent very short on cropland. Hay land and pasture topsoil moisture conditions are rated as 14 per cent adequate, 44 per cent short and 42 per cent very short. The region has not received significant rainfall in over a month and all crop districts are reporting that almost half of acres are short of topsoil moisture.
Crop and combine fires have been reported in many areas.
Producers are busy finishing harvest operations, working fields and starting fall weed control.