Fox Valley News by Susan Rose

September 23, 2010

Fox Valley Legends Start the Volleyball Season With a Bang*
Three of Fox Valley's volleyball teams came home victorious from their season opening volleyball tournaments on the weekend of September 10/11. The Senior Boys and Senior Girls teams participated in a six team tournament in Leader. The two teams came home with gold after defeating Cabri in both finals.
The Junior A Girls traveled to Lloydminster for a ten team tournament. The girls went undefeated in the tournament, winning in two straight games against teams from Lloydminster, Paradise Hill, McLurg, and Meadow Lake. They played Bishop Lloyd from Lloydminster in the final, winning two straight (25-14, 25-12).
The Junior Boys and the Junior B girls did not play that weekend.


*New House in Town
*There was great excitement at the northeast corner of town last week as Shirley Greenwald's new house came in on a truck across Neil Dirk's field about 3:00 in the afternoon.. The timing was perfect as by the next day the field would have been too muddy for the truck to make it across. Said Shirley, "It drove into the field just like someone driving a grain truck." The mover said that it was good that it was damp because that kept the dust from getting inside the house. The house was up on its foundation and the truckers moved out by 6:30 p.m.. The Greenwald family was able to watch the whole procedure from Shirley's current home in the duplex across the street.
Shirley purchased her house from Swanson Homes in Donovan, just south of Delisle. B & M Building Movers brought the house to Fox Valley. Shirley said that she is 100% happy with the contractors, and especially with the local people who worked on the project, Donald Grant, Neil Dirk, Kelly Bakanec, and Larry Hudec. She said, "It's nice to see such professionalism in a small town." Shirley hopes to be in her house before it gets too cold. They just need to do the hook-ups and install the furnace.


*Grandchild
*Harvey and Pat Weinberger have a new grandson. He was born on September 15th to their daughter Tanya and her husband, Derrick Sehn.
Justin Peter Sehn was 8 lbs. 6 oz. and 20 in. long when he was born. He has a big sister Jordayn and his other grandparents are Warren and KathySehn.*

*Busy Week for Fox Valley School
*On Thursday, September 16th, the annual Terry Fox Run took place during a light drizzle. Students from K-12 did the short run to the cemetery and back. A longer run had been planned for the older students but the roads they were to go on were too muddy. The students were all treated to sodas and donuts when they returned to the school. Pledges are still open. If you need a pledge sheet or wish to make a donation please call the school.
From September 15 - 17, five members of the Fox Valley School SRC attended the Student Leadership Conference in Meadow Lake along with about 850 other students. Teacher Erin Thomas accompanied the president, treasurer, and three members at large. After signing in on the first day, everyone went to the Lion's Park for a BBQ and music. They met the Saskatchewan Summer Games mascots and David J.Smith, author of 'If the World Was a Village', spoke to the gathering.
On Thursday, there were different speakers and group sessions. The speakers included Ian Tyson (comedian), and a representative of Rachel's Challenge (Rachel was the first person shot at Columbine). The students were also signed up for different breakout sessions such as Sask. in Motion, belly dancing, army leadership, Cancer Society: tanning, David J. Smith and many more. The Fox Valley students were billeted together at a local family's acreage. There was a large dance that night after a semi-formal banquet hosted by Carpenter High School.
After saying thank you to their hosts, and loading up the van, the group attended their final speakers before leaving for home on Friday.
The last session was a group called Absolute Leadership featuring a band called Aberdeen from Toronto. The SRC stayed for the concert/presentation and left a little early in order to get home in time. Some of the reactions were: "SLC was an awesome experience and we all learned so much from it. We met new people and had many new experiences." "SLC was so much fun! I loved the dance and thought the sessions were cool and unique." "I would definitely go again next year if given the opportunity. I just loved all the school spirit and different chants and cheers that we learned." "I learned so much from SLC. I took back many great, new, exciting ideas for the SRC, and it was really inspiring and cool. I wish I could bottle the school spirit and bring it back." Thank you to Arielle Herter, SRC president, for providing the report.
The SRC was instrumental in kicking off the QSP Magazine Campaign on Tuesday, September 21st. They held an assembly where the representative from QSP explained the program and the prizes. In addition, the SRC has some other incentives. At the 100 mark, Mrs. Ruth Lerner will wear a Calgary Flames jersey. (She is a staunch Oilers fan.) When the orders reach 200, the president of the SRC will dress up as a clown for a day.
When it hits 300, a student will be selected by a draw to be principal for the day. Mrs. Pat Wilde will let him/her have her chair for the day and will bring snacks for the student every class. At 400, intern Mr.
Ryan Stanko will dye his hair any colour the students want. And if they surpass last year's total and reach 500, Mr. Troy Glass will camp out on the school roof for a night.
In volleyball. both the senior boys and the senior girls defeated the host teams in the final game of Cabri's tournament to bring home another gold. The junior A girls attended a tournament at Crescent Heights High School in Medicine Hat. They had lots of good competition and made it to the final where they lost to the Notre Dame grade 9 team. The other junior teams did not play.


*Water Treatment Plant Repair
*On Saturday morning, Fox Valley residents were puzzled when their taps spurted black water when they were first turned on. Everything is fine now. A 6 inch elbow in the water treatment plant had been leaking so the village planned a middle of the night repair job. The water was turned off at 4:00 a.m. Donald Grant and Donald Mastel repaired the pipe with the help of village council members Mark Hudec, Dale Schneider, and Sean Checkley. The water was turned back on at 6:30 a.m.


*Proud Grandma
*Rose Lodoen's eldest grandson Johnathon Ben Reinbolt graduated from the University of Calgary with a degree in Kinesiology on June 8, 2010.
Johnathon is currently considering some job offers.

September 17, 2010

Vet. Clinic Held in Fox Valley*
On Wednesday, September 8th, Grasslands Animal Health Services held their annual clinic in Fox Valley. This was a chance for local residents to have their pets checked out and vaccinated close to home.

Dr. Ryan Ridgway, a recent graduate of WCVM in Saskatoon, was here to provide vet services. He joined the Grasslands Animal Health Services in June, and hails from Avonlea. His assistant, Brianne Schneider, lives in Fox Valley. There was a steady line up of people with their cats and dogs outside the Fox Valley Fire Hall the whole time they were here.

*New Baby
*Owen and Mardi Wagner have a new baby sister! Kacy Lee was born on September 4th in Medicine Hat. She weighed 8 lb 6 oz. and was 19 inches long. Her parents are Amy and Jamie Wagner of Fox Valley. Amy says Kacy likes to sleep. Proud grandparents are Tina and Howard Deis of Fox Valley and John and Colette Wagner of Medicine Hat.

*Amazing Beans
*Rose Lodoen grew some Asian beans this summer that are over two feet long and still growing. They can be up to three feet long. She first saw the beans in the store last year and decided to try growing some. The flower looks like a sweat pea flower and two beans grow from each flower.

September 7, 2010

Carnival Held for Fox Valley Pool Closing

Cool rainy weather did not stop the children of Fox Valley from enjoying the closing day activities at the pool. Many games were set up in the arena for the children to play. Some of the games included the duck pond, treasure in the sand, football toss through a tire, a penny toss, fishing etc. A more unusual game was tossing hats onto antlers, but the most novel of all was the "Pick my nose" game. Children were encouraged to stick their hands into the large nose. The first time, they were rewarded with a handful of green goup. They were encouraged to try again and those who were brave enough won a prize. Another popular spot was the jumping castle which was donated by the Cypress Credit Union. For those who were hungry, there were cotton candy, hot dogs, hamburgers, drinks and chips.
Many volunteers, mostly friends and family of the life guards, made the day a huge success. Success could be measured by the number of children tugging on mom or dad's hand wanting to go back for "just one more". The pool staff and the Rec Board are to be commended for providing fun, recreation, and instruction for the kids all summer long at the pool. Many children from the city come to visit grandma and grandpa for a couple of weeks in the summer to take part in swimming lessons. And adults too benefit from lane swims, aquacizes, the hot tub and sauna. The pool is definitely one of the places to be in Fox Valley.

Another interesting spot in town is the old school which is located next to the campground at the edge of the current school property. This building was fixed up, painted, and shingled for the centennial celebrations and Fox Valley Homecoming in 2005. The inside contains rooms of memorabilia from the old school days. There are pictures on the wall of former teachers, old school books to browse through, a piano which was donated by John and Barby Reinbolt, an old set of encyclopedias, and other interesting items such as ink wells and pens.
The upstairs has been set up as the schoolrooms would have looked when the school was in operation, complete with the original desks. The younger students from Fox Valley School get to go to the old school for an old-fashioned school experience with their teacher, Mrs. Bev Hudec.
Former teacher, Mrs. Rose Lodoen, has enjoyed spending time with the students telling them what school was like in the good old days.
With the rainy weather this year, the school's roof started to leak and warped some of the floor. Donald Grant and Les Ganert were busy re-shingling the roof this week. . If anyone is interested in having a look at the old school, the numbers for the Ganerts and the Grants are posted on the school doors, and they will be happy to give tours.

*Trip of the month *
The Rec Board September trip of the month winner was Troy Hellman and the draw for cash went to Blair Bosch, both of Richmound. The October trip is to West Edmonton Mall, the largest shopping center in North America. The holder of 6 Guiness World Records, West Ed boasts more than 800 stores and services, over 100 eating establishments, and 9 world-class parks and attractions. Whether its shopping for the adults, entertainment for the kids, or lively dining and nightlife for the entire family, this mall has something for everyone. The winner will enjoy 3 nights at Fantasyland Hotel in a luxery or one of 11 themed rooms, as well as a family waterpark pass. Good luck from the Fox Valley Rec Board.

*Signs of fall
*No yellow leaves yet but the yellow school buses are back in action. This year in addition to the buses from Golden Prairie, Richmound, and the Fox Valley area farms, there is a bus bringing high school students from Burstall. Once again the sound of happy children's voices rings out from the school playground.

The Fox Valley boys' volleyball team can be seen running through the streets of town in the evenings, just one example of why they are provincial champs.
Leader School of Dance held its registration and shoe shoe night at the Community Hall on Tuesday, August 31st. Classes start on September 7th.
There's a chill in the air in the mornings, the combines are out on the land, and the talk in the coffee shop revolves around the weather.August 30, 2010

*Break-in at Variety Vendors in Fox Valley*

In the wee small hours of Monday, August 23rd, the alarm went off in Valley Variety Vendors. Thieves broke two large windows and smashed the window in the door about 3:30 in the morning. . They made off with some cigarettes and liquor, but did not stay long as the alarm had alerted people in the vicinity. Lyle Ganert was quick to board up the windows early Monday morning. Paula Ganert, owner of the store, said that it was disappointing that this had happened, but they will make repairs and carry on.

Birthday
*On Saturday, August 21, friends and family of Mary Ternes gathered at the Community Hall in Fox Valley to celebrate Mary's 80th birthday.
There was an afternoon tea for the public, followed by dinner for the family. About 75 people attended. Mary was very pleased that all but one grandchild came to the party. She has 15 grandchildren altogether.
Her children are Gladys (Bob) Woodroff, Brian (Shelley) Ternes, Tina
(Howard) Deis, and Brent (Rhonda) Ternes. Mary, Brian, Tina, Brent and families call Fox Valley home. Gladys, Bob, and family are from Sherwood Park. A beautiful scrapbook containing pictures of all of her family was presented to Mary at the event. Mary said, "It was good to have everyone come and wish me a happy birthday."

*Back to School
* There were vehicles in the parking lot at Fox Valley School on Wednesday, August 25th as the teachers returned to school for the beginning of the year meetings. After a day in Swift Current on Thursday, they were back in Fox Valley on Friday. Educational Assistants started work on Friday with meetings with the teachers.
There is one less teacher at the school this fall as Mr. Franz has begun his retirement. Students were back to school on Monday, anxious to begin their next year of education..*

Fox Valley Roping Club Holds 2nd Annual Saddle Roping
On August 15, 2010, the Fox Valley Roping Club held its 2nd Annual Saddle Roping. A good crowd of spectators showed up to watch 43 ropers compete for 2 trophy saddles as well as numerous other prizes. The ropers were scored based on how many steers they caught and in what amount of time it took to catch each steer. At the end of the night the prizes were awarded as follows: The Champion Header Saddle went to Dean Mackie of Maple Creek with 11 head down and a combined time of 141.81 seconds. In second place was Gord Wudrich of Bow Island with 10 head down and a combined time of 128.81 seconds. Murray Bertram of Maple Creek came third with 10 head down and a combined time of 133.3 seconds.
The fourth place header was Kyle Sinclair of Empress with 9 head down and a combined time of 118.62 seconds. The Champion Heeler saddle went to Chris Sanderson of Maple Creek with 12 head down and a combined time of 172.33 seconds. The second place heeler was Shawn Mackie of Maple Creek with 10 head down and a combined time of 132.72 seconds. Dave Long of Medicine Hat took third with 9 head down and a combined time of
104.97 seconds. Fourth place went to Wayne Istace of Maple Creek with 9 head down and a combined time of 108.36 seconds.
This is the fourth season of point roping. There are usually four regular ropers from Fox Valley, but included in the local area are ropers from Maple Creek, Mendham, Leader, Sceptre, Consul, Empress, Hilda, and Burstall. The three executive members who have equal rights are Dale Schmaltz, Jerry Schmaltz, and Kurtis Sehn. The club holds a Point Night Roping every Sunday at 6:00 p.m. except when a border country rodeo falls on a Sunday. There was no roping on August 22nd due to the Maple Creek Rodeo and at the end of the month the roping will be held on Saturday, August 28th instead of Sunday. The season usually starts around mid- May, but this year the first roping was not until June 6th due to the weather. The final roping is scheduled for September 19, 2010. The club is open to everyone. Rhonda Schmaltz explained, "Our roping club was started to give ropers and riders alike a chance to go out and try something new. None of us are super stars, just people who enjoy roping and riding. We are family oriented and there is never a night where the kids aren't out there riding, practicing barrel racing, or pretending to rope steers just like their peers. It is a place where there is not pressure to catch, and there are always words of encouragement. These are things that only come in a community club."

August 16, 2010

*Steinkey Wins Again*
On Sunday, August 6th, Aaron Steinkey won the Quick 16 Jackpot race in Medicine Hat. This was held in conjunction with the Canadian Motorcycle Drag Racing weekend. The qualifying runs were on Saturday with the top 16 racing on Sunday

*Swimming Lessons
*The second session of swimming lessons at Fox Valley Pool ended on Friday, August 13th. There were 58 swimmers signed up for this session. Teachers were Ali Hudec, Sierra Schneider, and Cheyenne Schneider. To end the season, there will be a couple of special events: a midnight swim on Friday, August 27th, and a carnival on Sunday the 29th. This year for the carnival, as well as games and a barbecue, there will be an air bouncer, courtesy of the Cypress Credit Union (Fox Valley Branch), and cotton candy. The carnival is set to go rain or shine.


*New Grandchild
*Another lucky Fox Valley couple have become grandparents. Michelle and Paul Sehn are excited to have a grandson, Tegan Michael Clarke.
Happy parents are Kelly Sehn and Mike Clarke of Medicine Hat. Tegan was born at 4:30 a.m. on August 10th weighing 7lb. 4 oz. His other grandparents are Bonnie Clarke and Clint Schlapkohl of Medicine Hat.

August 9, 2010

Steinkey Wins Wally Trophy*

Aaron Steinkey, formerly of Fox Valley, raced his 1997 Firebird in the National Hot Rod Association's Division 6 National Open in Medicine Hat on Saturday July 31. Steinkey had already had three wins this season, but the fourth was a big one. In only his second year of racing, Aaron captured the coveted Wally Trophy. This trophy is "like the Stanley Cup of racing", said his father Murray who is also a racer. This NHRA sanctioned event pits the best racers from Canada and the U.S. against each other. Usually the U.S. takes home the trophy. Steinkey's winning pass on the quarter-mile track was 7.62 seconds at a speed of
180.82 miles per hour. In their sophomore year it is unusual for drivers to make passes under 10 seconds. Steinkey hopes to continue to be successful in the future.

*Bishop visits*
Saskatchewan born Bishop Donald Bolen came to St. Mary's Parish in Fox Valley on Sunday, August 1. The purpose of his visit was to install Father Modestus OP as priest for Fox Valley, Leibenthal, Richmound, and Burstall. Newly-elected Bishop Bolen said Mass, delivered a powerful homily about life and death, told some of Jesus' parables, and answered a lot of questions. Joseph Hudec remarked, "He is truly a well elected bishop." After Mass, everyone was invited downstairs for a potluck lunch.

* Dance Camp*
From July 26 - 29, a dance camp was held near Outlook. Raelyn Schneider, Jillian Buye, and Sydney Kosolofski attended from Fox Valley. Unfortunately, an injury cut short Sydney's stay. Instructors were Tiffany Brown Wagner, Kara Lee Stiebens, Skye Mertin, and Fox Valley's Deserae Deis. The girls took sessions in jazz, ballet, lyrical, tap, hip hop, and Broadway. It was not all hard work, however. The dancers hiked to Hitchcock's cabin, played beach volleyball, and had a 70's disco dance.

*Condolences*
Sympathy is extended to Robbie (Alex) Schmaltz and Cindy (Murray) Steinkey and their families on the passing of their mother, Catherine (Kay) Weigel on July 31st at the age of 79 years. Catherine was predeceased by her husband, Valerian (Val) Weigel. Also surviving are Robbie and Cindy's five sisters, Ellen (Ron) Baba, Val (Willis) Wilson, Carol (Jim) Hudec, Brenda (Butch) Kromrey, Michelle (Brian) Martin, and their families, as well as a special daughter, Karen (Lyle) Reesor.
There are 15 grandchildren. After growing up on the farm in Richmound, and living for awhile in Linacre after their marriage, Kay and Val raised their seven daughters on their farm north of Fox Valley from 1952 to 1985 when they moved to Medicine Hat.


Two Fox Valley Ball Players Compete in Provincials
On the weekend of July 24th Evan Schneider and Spencer Kosolofski played ball with the Leader Expos in the Provincial A2 Ball Tournament. Provincials were held in Leader this year. In game one of the round robin, Macklen, the eventual first place team, defeated Leader 6 - 1. In the second game Leader was victorious with a 5 - 4 win over Arborfield. This put Leader in the quarter final against Hudson Bay where they had a commanding win of 15 -5. In the semi-final, one bad inning led to a loss of 6 -3 against Macklen. The Leader boys played very well, placing 3rd overall out of 6 teams. The pitching was very strong throughout the tournament giving the Leader batters some good competition.

*Little Children's Catholic Camp*
On Monday and Tuesday July 26/27, St. Mary's Church in Fox Valley held their annual Little Children's Catholic Camp. Twenty -eight children between the ages of 5 and 9 from Fox Valley and the surrounding area attended the two day camp. The camp was led by Charissa Bosch and Wanda Anton with help from 10 youth volunteers and parent help in the kitchen. The children took part in songs, games, and crafts. The camp began with a pancake breakfast, and the children were fed lunch on both days. Father Modestus was also on hand to interact with the children.
The camp ended with a mass led by Father Modestus. Everyone had a great time.


*Condolences*
Our sympathy goes out to the family of Frank Schneider who passed away on Tuesday, July 27 at the age of 80 years. He is survived by his wife Elizabeth of Medicine Hat, his children and their families, and his sister Mary Schwengler. One of his daughters, Linda (Don) Mastel, and his son, Frank (Tena) and family live in Fox Valley. His daughters Annabelle Mastel (Doug Mackenzie), Gloria (Dale) Filgas, and Sylvia Moser all live in Medicine Hat. His daughter Betty (Scott) Peters lives in Maple Creek. There are 17 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.
Frank was raised in Fox Valley and farmed in the area until moving to Medicine HatJuly 26, 2010

July 26, 2010

New Priest for Fox Valley, Swimming Lessons Wind Down

Reverend Father Modestus Ngwu OP recently came to Fox Valley via Humboldt and Watson. He is originally from a Dominican order in Lagos, Nigeria, and came to Canada in April, 2009. Father Modestus was very happy to arrive in Fox Valley after an unintentional detour through Swift Current up highway 32 to Leader and then south. He was a little leery of this small town after being told that it was a flat place with no trees. But he said, "Coming to this place is a different territory than I expected. The people are really blossoming." Parishioners brought him fresh hot bread and wine for his guests, three reverend sisters and a priest, who came on a 9 hour trip from the Humboldt area to make sure that he would be happy here. Father Modestus is an avid soccer fan who is anxious to minister to the Parish especially to the youth. He feels that young people in a small town have much more of a chance to learn and retain values and a sense of responsibility and the community needs to instill those values. He says, "It is necessary to build up our youth." Father Modestus should do well with his optimistic and outgoing personality. What follows is an excerpt from a report that Father Modestus wrote to his Dominican order about his experience in Saskatchewan.
"God calls us daily to follow him in renewing the face of the earth and we follow this call in different ways.
"It is therefore a big challenge to leave father, mother, and our comfort zone like Abraham to an unknown place and unfamiliar territory...
" Being in Canada, I was very impressed with the warm welcome and hospitality I received. I must confess that I was taken aback by the simplicity of the lifestyle here. I couldn't differentiate who is rich and poor by what the person is wearing or the type of car the person is driving or by appearance. Everyone minds his or her own business...
" Everything around me here in Canada fascinated me; the weather, the time, the landscape, and the food. I couldn't comprehend the coldness of the weather. None of the clothes I came with helped to protect me.
"Every day was filled with new excitement, new discovery, and a new experience. One of my first mornings, I jumped out of my bed when I felt I was getting up too late because the light was already out and shining brightly. I looked at the time and it was 4:30 a.m. I felt that my watch must have made another mistake, the times in the house were the same.
"When it comes to food, God has given me a good appetite and a universal stomach so I enjoy every food. But for the first time, I didn't find it easy to eat uncooked vegetables, tomatoes, and having to eat potatoes without them peeled. In most parishes here in Canada, there are no cooks and stewards in the rectories. Every priest has to take care of himself. So, I eat whatever I am able to prepare.
" The only difference is that I still miss my pounded yam, egusi, and ogbono soup with goat meat. Missing these has made me appreciate those things in Nigeria. However, you lose one thing and gain another...
"The challenges here in Canada are totally different from Nigeria.
One must therefore be open to understand the situation at hand and then fit in with a renewed effort for growth and not just change. We have to see the gifts and treasures that are present here in the people and see how such can be used for the good of the community, the Church, and humanity in general...
"Just as this past winter I saw the snow cover every corner of our community, in the same way I believe the Holy Spirit will reach out and touch every one of our young ones so that they experience the power of God and the transformative power of the grace of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ."
Father Modestus is going to be a wonderful addition to the community.



*Swimming Lessons


*The first session of swimming lessons ended on Friday with the presentation of badges and some fun time in the pool. About 68 children took lessons this session. The next swimming lessons are scheduled to start the first week of August. In the meantime, the youth from Fox Valley and the surrounding area can enjoy afternoons and evenings in the pool. The adults have Aquacizes on Mondays and Wednesdays as well as lane swims on Tuesdays and Thursdays.


*New Grandchild

*Don and Linda Mastel of Fox Valley welcomed a new grandson into their family at 2:30 a.m. on July 22nd. Carson Vincent Erker is the first child of Amy (Mastel) and Ryan Erker. The other proud grandparents are Wanda and Garry Erker from Liebenthal.*

July 19, 2010

Gold Medals and Family Reunions for Fox Valley

The Saskatchewan Senior Fitness Association Games were held in Regina on July 6 to 8, 2010. There were three participants from Fox Valley. Elva Danyluk and Joan Bosch took part as a two person team in cribbage. They competed against 20 teams. Elva and Joan were victorious and earned gold medals, making them the 2010 provincial champions. David Danyluk competed in track and field. He won a gold medal in the 800 metre (1/2 mile), a silver in the 400 metre (1/4 mile), and three bronze medals. His bronze medal events were the 100 metre, 200 metre, and the men's 4 x 100 metre relay. All three winners have decided not to participate in the National 55+ Senior Games which will be held in Brockville, Ontario, from August 24 to 28, 2010. These three competitors represented the Southwest District of Saskatchewan. The southwest had 48 gold medals, 17 silver medals, and 22 bronze medals. This was the most medals of any of the seven districts in Saskatchewan for a total of 87 medals. Way to go Southwest!


The weekend of July 9 -11 was a popular one for family reunions. A big family celebration was held for John and Gabriella Hudec who will be celebrating their 60th anniversary in September. On Friday evening about 75 family members gathered at Peter and Joanne Hudec's farm for a bonfire. On Saturday evening there was a supper in the church basement, and the family moved to the Community Hall for the rest of the evening.
First a program of entertainment was provided by the grandchildren.
Mariette and Peter, daughter and son of John and Gabriella, were the M.C.'s. Then the evening was finished off with a family dance. On Sunday after Mass, the family shared lunch and donuts with the parish for Father Modestus' welcome to our community. The Hudecs have 7 sons and 6 daughters, 44 grandchildren and counting, and 6 great-grandchildren. Including siblings of John and Gabriella, in-laws and cousins, there were nearly 150 in attendance for the Saturday banquet.

Century Farm Award presented to the Sehn Family

The Curling Rink was the place to be for the "What the Heck"
reunion. The families of the Heck sisters, Lydia Getz, Irma Wagner, and Frances Schmunk gathered for a fun-filled weekend. Close to 80 people attended. Activities included a trip out to the sand hills, a visit to the old homestead, swimming, games, and good food. The Heck reunion takes place every three years.


Meanwhile, in Kingston, Ontario, Susan Rose's family gathered to celebrate her mother's 80th birthday.It was the first time in 10 years that the whole family had been together. The weather was very hot and humid, but everyone had fun.


The Fox Valley Rec Board Trip of the month was won by Elise and Royce Lodoen. They will be going on a houseboat trip. The second place cash prize went to Ernie Napper.


The Fox Valley Ranch Horse Competition organizers send out a thank you to all the helpers especially Donald Grant, Allan and Monty Ternes who donated their time and equipment to prepare the determined arena ground for the competition. Jesse and Lori Wagner provided the livestock. First place stable blankets were donated by Murray's Farm Supply, B & A Petroleum, Wagner's Fabricating, Maple Creek Endless Tubing, Garth Horton, Garth Barett of F.C.C., and the Maple Creek Vet Clinic.

July 14, 2010

New R.M. Shop for Fox Valley, Century Farm Family

In February, 2009, the availability of a grant from MEEP (Municipal Economic Enhancement Program) started the ball rolling for the creation of a new shop for the R.M. of Fox Valley. This grant provides per-capita funding to municipalities to be used for improvements to local infrastructure. After assessing the needs of the rural municipality and keeping the taxpayers' money in mind, Council, along with Daniel and Blake Buye, put together the design, and the council applied for the grant. Fox Valley was allocated $40,034. The design was made with energy efficiency in mind in order to access some funds from the New Deal Gas Tax as well. This will include radiant floor heating with future plans to go to a geothermal system. Because the MEEP grant is meant to stimulate economic development in Saskatchewan, tenders were requested from Saskatchewan contractors. Best Buildings from Moose Jaw was chosen to build the new shop. This will become the main shop where repairing and maintaining the equipment will take place, while the old shop will be used for storage. The builders have been working rain or shine and the exterior of the building is almost completed.

Audrey Scott had an exciting weekend July 2nd and 3rd watching her grandson, Andy Scott, play ball. Andy is a member of the Medicine Hat K of C Knights team. In the first game of the Spitz A Baseball tournament, they played against the Calgary Selects, winning 11-1 after five innings. The exciting part for Audrey was in the fifth inning when Andy hit a 375 foot home run bringing two other players home with him. Audrey is now the proud owner of the autographed ball. On Saturday, in the final game against the Strathmore Reds, Andy had a two RBI single. The final score was 12-2 for the Knights.


The Fox Valley campground was full of campers on July 2nd and 3rd as the Sehn family members assembled for a family reunion. People came from as far away as Ontario, Kelowna, Edmonton, Lac La Biche, and Foremost. There were games for the young and young at heart as well as a barn dance at Peter P. and Delores Sehn's place. One of the highlights of the weekend was having pictures taken at Kurtis Sehn's place with the Century Family Farm award plaque. The plaque is a large wooden oval featuring a farmer plowing the land with a team of horses.

The Sehn family ranch was honoured in Swift Current on June 22 by Information Services Corp. Agricultural Minister Bob Bjornerud was on hand. There were 118 families in the Southwest and 635 families overall this year. To receive a Century Farm Family Award, members of the same family must have farmed or ranched the land for 100 consecutive years, must live in Saskatchewan, and continue to operate the farm or ranch.
As well as the plaque, the Sehn family received a gate sign and a colour copy of the original land title.

JULY 8, 2010

Lots of Fun at Fox Valley's Annual Slo-Pitch and Ranch Horse Show Every year the residents of Fox Valley work together to provide everything needed for the Slo-Pitch tournament. A list goes out to every mailbox indicating all the jobs that need to be done along with the names of the people who will be expected to perform them. Some people work at the Bingo, others the food booth, beer gardens, and dance.
Everyone takes a turn or two. This year everything fell into place again thanks to the good organization of the Rec Board. On Friday night and Saturday morning, Bingo was held in the curling rink. The winnings are based on a fifty-fifty split and the Fox Valley branch of the Cypress Credit Union donates $100 to each day's jackpot. On Friday night the blackout jackpot winner was Tena Schneider. Saturday's winner was Gwen Schneider.
There were 23 teams entered in the tournament. The Glory Frogs from Lethbridge/Brooks were the big winners with a total of 3 A wins and the A final victory. The Screaming Weasels won the B final and had 2 B wins as well. Circus had two A wins and then dropped down to the C event where they had three more wins and took the C Final. Another big money winner was the Eaton Beavers team with 4 A wins, losing to the Glory Frogs in the A final. Grumpy Old Men had 3 wins in the A event. Medicine Hat Hyundai had three wins in the B event and lost to the Screaming Weasels in the final. The Brew Jays made it to the C final after one A win and 2 C wins, but could not defeat Circus. Two teams, the 69'ers and the Drinkwater Specials had 2 A wins each. The Creeps from Richmound had one A win and two C wins but lost out to Circus in the semi-final. Dayzed had 2 wins, one in A and one in C. Schmaltz Insurance had 2 B wins. The Hi Kick Turtles and the Alabama Astros each had one win in the A event. Three teams had one win each in the B event, the Broskins, the 49'ers, and We've Got the Runs. FRO and We Cheat a Lot each had a C win. The Long Shots, Linacre Pistols, The Beer Batters, and the Master Batters were unsuccessful in all three of their games.
Saturday evening a dance was held in the Hockey Arena. The dance floor was packed all night long as the Chevelles played songs from the 60's through to 2010. There were many calls for encores at the end of the dance.


Saturday morning, alongside the ball games, there was a Ranch Horse Show in part of the Ranch Horse Challenge Circuit held throughout the Southwest. The event promotes the ability and versatility of the horse, as well as the horsemanship of our talented ranchers and trainers. Seventeen participants entered the five classes and were judged by local rancher Dustin Grant. The 12 and under winner was Blake Smith from Abbey. Second place went to Lane Wagner from Fox Valley. Rebecca Koch was the 18 and under winner. Clay Day of Kyle came in second. The novice first place winner was Chad Beck while fellow rider from Maple Creek, Amos Abrehamson was in second place. The Junior Horse winner was Calvin Olsen of Golden Prairie. Second place went to Jack Francis of Maple Creek. Beau Smith of Abbey was the Open Class winner. Second place was a tie between Jesse Wagner of Fox Valley and Beau Smith. All winners received cash prizes and in conjunction all first place winners received embroidered stable blankets graciously donated by the following: Wagner's Fabricating, Murray's Farm Supply, B & A Petroleum, Garth Horton Livestock Dealer, Maple Creek Endless Tubing, Maple Creek Vet Clinic, and Garth Barnett of Farm Credit Canada.


The Fox Valley Pool opened on Tuesday, June 29 to great enthusiasm.
Youngsters had been anxiously awaiting this day. The pool was packed with families. This year, Ali Hudec and Sierra Schneider are managing the pool. Other lifeguards are Cheyenne Schneider, Shayla Napper, Shannon Bakanec, Kassie Meyer, and Brianna Napper. Many activities will be happening at the pool this summer. Lane swim times and aquacizes will be announced soon.

July 1, 2010

Opening, Farewell, and Detoured Cyclists in Fox Valley

On a beautiful sunny Saturday afternoon (June 19th), a steady stream of curious people from the Fox Valley area, entered the doors of the former Lutheran Church to see it transformed into a lovely arts centre, The Dragonfly Arts and Cultural Centre, which was created by Bob and Alexis Gardiner. As the sun streamed in through the big church windows, Bob greeted everyone with a slice of home made Saskatoon pie and cup of coffee (juice for the many youngsters who came. Alexis smiled and laughed with customers as she enthusiastically told them about the centre and all she has envisioned for it. Many customers left with treasures that they found there. See the Dragonfly press release for more details.

One of the first events to be sponsored by "The Dragonfly" was held the previous evening with Denis Chagnon who spoke about the transformational power of grounding. Thirteen years ago, Denis was diagnosed with advanced cancer and given three weeks to live. He discovered a method of grounding by which he healed himself and at the same time discovered that he had a gift for helping others to heal. He taught the group who gathered at the centre the grounding technique, talked about health and healing, and guided the participants through a healing circle. The method is gentle, meditative, and transformative. It can be learned by anyone and is something that can be practiced anywhere, at any time. Those who attended the private treatment sessions on Saturday were amazed at the way they felt afterwards. They seemed to give off an aura of peace.


*Father's Farewell
*On Saturday night, the 19th after the 8 p.m. mass, the Parish Council of St. Mary's Church held a farewell for Father Joseph Thangaraj. Father Joseph has been with the Parish for a year. He will be leaving at the end of the month to go to Saskatoon to do a Hospital Chaplaincy. He has done this type of work in Ottawa. About 100 people attended the farewell. There was a presentation of a couple of gifts from the Parish Council. Father Joseph spoke to the gathering and said that he would miss everyone in the four communities that he served, Fox Valley, Richmound, Liebenthal, and Burstall. The new priest will be Father Modestus of the Dominican Order, who is coming from Humboldt.


*Golf Tournament
*The Terry "Zeke" Schmaltz Memorial Golf Tournament was held on the one nice day of the week, Sunday June 20th. This year the course actually had a water hazard. There were 25 golfers who all had a great time. The main event of the day was a best ball tournament with 3 golfers per team.
The winning team was that of Steve Anton, Barry Martin and DondaLee Deis. There was a tie for second place which was decided by a toss of a coin, giving second place to Blake Buye, Daniel Buye, and Austin Dirk.
Third place then went to James Deis, Colin Obritsch, and Bruce Grant.
Twenty-one of the golfers then played the Horse Race Game where there were 21 on the tee-box with three on a team. Alternate shots were then played. First place went to Steve Lerner, DondaLee Deis, and Chris Page. Boyd Kosolofski, Howard Obritsch, and Bill Tumbach cane in second. The first team out was that of Cam Schmaltz, Daniel Buye, and Cody Sehn.


*Ball
*The Fox Valley Mosquitoes (the 10 and under ball team, not the pesky
insects) won the League Championship in Gull Lake on Sunday the 20th.
They were undefeated for the season. Chris Ehnisz did a great job of coaching.


*Visitors
British cyclists visit Fox Valley
*Since the Trans Canada was washed out, Fox Valley has seen more travelers than usual. Interesting people from many places have eaten in our restaurant, stopped for gas, and stayed in our motel. Four of these people were cyclists. Leigh Matthews and Tom Christian came through on a tandem bike on Sunday the 20th. They stopped for lunch and a rest, and shared their story. They are from Sheffield, England, and started cycling in Montreal. They are heading for Vancouver. The couple were held up in Tompkins for 3 days waiting for word on the Trans Canada.
When shown the video of the wash out , they were glad they didn't take someone's advice and try to wade through with their bike. They are on a charity ride for MSRC (Multiple Sclerosis). If anyone wants to follow their travels, their blog can be found at tandemwithabandon.com.
Meg and Laurie set off after overnight in Fox Valley

Another couple of cyclists came through the next night in the pouring rain. They had met up with Leigh and Tom on the way. Meaghan Hackinen had always wanted to travel across Canada and after cycling from B.C. to California with a friend, she decided that cycling would be the best way to see Canada and meet the people. Meaghan's dad, Laurie decided to accompany her. They are from Surrey, B.C. and decided to start at Port Renfrew, Vancouver Island and ride all the way to St. John's, Newfoundland. Along the way, Laurie's bike needed bearings replaced. He met up with John Gilbert who found an old bike at the dump and they managed to get Laurie's bicycle all fixed up. Alexis and Bob Gardiner had passed them in the rain on the way to Fox Valley and offered them a warm place to stay instead of the cold, wet campground. That was well appreciated as Meaghan said they had had rain for 75% of the trip so far. All in all, they had a memorable stay in Fox Valley and left on a beautiful sunny morning bound for the east. You can follow Meaghan's blog at http:\\bikebikemegs.blogspot.com.

*Weather
*Fox Valley got off easy compared to other places in the southwest.
There are few wet basements and some crops under water but we count our blessings that we were relatively spared.*

June 15, 2010

Fox Valley School Play a Hilarious Success

Bachelor King.
Students in grades 7 - 11 at Fox Valley School staged "The Bachelor King" on Tuesday, June 15th. This was a very funny play which spoofed three popular TV shows. After the king (Victoria Muhlbeier) falls out the window, a Yokel (Graham Schmitz) is found to replace the king because the king did not want the kingdom to go to his son, Prince Daft (Brody Bourlon). A bride has to be found for the new king. In the manner of the show, "The Bachelor", Miss Knolls (Raeann Neitz) ushers in the candidates who include a high society matron (Tianna Ternes), a four-times-married gold digger (Jade Greenwald), a ditzy cheerleader from L.A. (Sydney Kosolofski), a gangster girl (Montana Schneider), and a true- hearted cowgirl from Texas (Shayla Grant). It is decided that there will be a singing contest to determine the winner. Shaelyn Bakanec does a great job of the Simon "Towel" voice. Of course none of the contestants can sing but Paula O'Toole (Alyssa Brown) loves them all. The maid (Shayla Napper) who is asked to be a judge gives them all a 2, having "heard better". Jaymee Hitchen keeps the audience participation up with her enthusiastic applause signs. When there is a four-way tie, a "Survivor" type challenge is given to those four candidates. They run through the audience looking for puzzle pieces and interacting with the audience. In the meantime, the prince and his sidekick (Shannon Bakanec) try every possible way to kill the king, all without success. At the same time the king's advisor, (Kortney Jacksteit), gets rich by getting the king to sign numerous papers which he doesn't realize are draining his treasury. In the end, the Yokel King finds his own true love without anyone's help and the swindlers are dealt with by the gangster girl. Directors Erin Thomas and Crystal Bosch were immensely pleased with the talent and dedication of the cast and the members of the audience all went home with smiles on their faces.


*Track and Field
Anisa and Josh with Tena
*Anisa Glass and Josh Fauth represented Fox Valley School at the Swift Current All Star Track Meet on Monday, June 7th. Anisa said that they had a wonderful day. The events were a lot of fun and they both got ribbons in every event. Events included shotput, javelin, long jump, frisbee discus, accuracy ball, kickball, and a race. At the end of the day, they received medals. Educational Assistant, Tena Schneider who went with the two grade twelve students was very proud of their efforts and said they did very well. Josh gave everyone else there a run for their money.


*Fastball
*Fox Valley hosted a ladies fastball tournament on Saturday, June 12th. Six Teams entered from Medicine Hat, Fox Valley, Shaunavon, and Leader. The A-side was won by the Mustangs from Medicine Hat over Shaunavon. The Used-to-Bes from Medicine Hat defeated the Bandits from Fox Valley to win the B-side. Sabs Saloon II Girlz from Fox Valley won the C side against Leader. Volunteers ran the food booth and beer garden and the weather cooperated to make it a very enjoyable day.


*Weather
Rudy Meyer trades golf clubs for wet mops.
*Just one word is sufficient to describe the weather: WET.

*Congratulations
*Kerry Ternes convocated from the University of Regina with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Environmental Systems Engineering. He also received a certificate in Economics. Kerry was awarded the President Donald O. Welles medal in Engineering. Kerry has accepted a position with Enbridge in Estevan.*