!!!!!Amber Alert!!!!!!!

10 year old Zack Miller is missing from Whitewood a town only a short distance east on the #1 highway from Wolseley.

He may have been abducted by an evil pedophile named Peter Robert Joseph Whitmore.
Whitmore may be driving a 1988 wood panelled Dodge Caravan with Alberta plates CUS 532.

If you have information about this child, call 1-877-SOAMBER or 1-877-762-6237 or e-mail fdiv_amber_alert@rcmp-grc.gc.ca
Please check out this link for more information : http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/sk/MediaReleases/zachary_miller.html

Please Pray for Zack, his safe return, and the Miller family!

ROCKY Bishop considered for award

Toyota Canada has established a community service award. And a former Wolseley resident, Rocky Bishop is in the running. Rocky's Christian missions work has taken him to New Orleans several times helping people devastated by hurricane Katrina. On one of his trips he was accompanied with his teenage daughter Mellissa.

You can read about his nomination at http://www.toyotaneverquit.com/toyotaneverquit/ or read more about Rocky's work on the "Rocky Bishop" link on this website.

Twilight Drive-In a TRADITION

I just got home from a night with the family at the Twilite Drive-In. As tradition would have it, I was greeted at the gate by a smiling Zaba. Nowadays it is Reanne, Don and Debbie's youngest who is perched at the gate. Her smile and happy attitude made me feel welcomed and glad I made the choice to go to the show with my family.

The movie was "Cars" and it was super, a real hit with the kids and just enough big person humour to keep us chuckling. And the price was right, only $13 for the entire carload and a free bag of popcorn is included in the price!
In the concession stand there is a neat history of the Drive-In that Reanne put together for the Heritage Fair.

The Twilite Drive-In is truly a part of the fabric of Wolseley History and it is commendable that the Zaba family continue to operate one of the last remaining Drive-In theaters.

By-the-way, I heard the Hammond family from Calgary (originally Indian Head) are fired up to attend an upcoming show. I'm certain they won't be disappointed!

Tennis Court Road HOCKEY

Summer afternoons and road hockey are a great mix. The game is made even better when played on a tennis court so you don't have to run after an out-of-play ball.
Yesterday, Trevor Baran's sons Nick, Carter and Tanner, along with my son Thomas and a few other boys had robust game on the court beside the high school. As I watched them chasing the ball around I began reminiscing about countless hours of road hockey I played in Wolseley.
In my childhood, most road hockey games were organized and promoted by Mark Schramm. Mark lived a couple of doors down from us and he was always in the center of finding ways to have fun.
Sometimes people wonder what there is to do in a small town. Well, when you are a boy, and you've got a hockey stick and a ball, there is ALWAYS something to do.

Two weeks in SWIFT Current

I haven't posted much over the past couple of weeks as my work with Pharmasave had me in Swift Current. The store moved to a big, bright new location and we worked many hours getting set-up and stock moved.

But now I am back in good-ole eastern Saskatchewan and I'll be posting more regularly again.

By-the-way, the photo on this post was taken from the parking lot of the Comfort Inn in Swift Current.
And another thing, if you are ever in Swift Current check out the Akropol restaurant. The decor is awesome, the service is spot-on and the food is GREAT!

Wolseley Dam DAYS.....& nights!

The schedule of events is out and judging by the list of activities the upcoming "Dam Days" will be full of Fun, Food and Frivolity!

On Friday
the Beverage tent will be rocking as locals will strut their stuff on the Karaoke stage.

Saturday
will begin with the Knights of Columbus, pancake breakfast. A kids parade will follow and books will be on sale at the library. The afternoon will be jam-packed with Street hockey organized by street hockey veteran, Dean Fortin. Randy Clarke is the go-to guy for the Beach Volleyball. Children's activities will abound at the Dr. Isman School grounds and a Dunk Tank will be running for those who need a cool dip. A bit more sedate fun in the form of Cribbage will be in full force at the Wolf Creek Friendship Center. The famous Lions Club Beef BBQ will feed thecrowd and the evening will be wrapped up with a Cabaret featuring my wife Carla Taylor with the Electric Outlaws.

Sunday
morning be sure to attend one the churches in town. The afternoon will see Canoe Races and more Beach Volleyball. There will be music on the deck of the Lakeside Nursing Home. And again the local stars will shine on the Karoke stage in the ubiquitous
Beverage Tent. The evening will draw to a close with the awesome Community Choir presenting a "Memories of Wolseley" concert.

Hope to see you here on August 4th, 5th & 6th !

FLOWER Gardens a Gem

Across the street from our house at the west end of Fairly Lake are absolutely beautiful flower gardens.
The horticulture society take great care and pride in maintaining this spot and their attentiveness shows. I often see people wandering through the gardens or slowing down as they drive by obviously admiring the wonderful beds of flowers.
No visitor to Wolseley should miss this gem of a place.

Wolseley WINNER Award - Elvira Schneider!

Last night I had a short chat with Elvira Schneider at Weird Willies. As usual I was struck by her upbeat attitude, ready laugh and her constant promotion of Wolseley.

She told me she had directed about 100 people to the Swinging Bridge yesterday. And judging by the traffic on the bridge I think all100 crossed that landmark.

Elvira acknowledged Daisley Anderson (Tubman) and the late Phyliss Garden as great examples of how to promote Wolseley.

Wolseley WINNER Award

A new column on this site will be the Wolseley WINNER award.

From time to time, I'll feature people who have a positive impact on our community. These folks will be the Wolseley WINNER!

There is a long list of people who devote time, labour, money and ideas to the development of Wolseley. While all deserve recognition, we feel it is appropriate to acknowledge some of the stars.

So make a point to thank the ALL the folks in our town who work to make our lives richer!

The MAYOR in his Court

On Sunday morning, Wolseley's hardworking Mayor Larry Hilderman and councilor Keith Ennis combined their considerable construction skills to begin building the beach volleyball courts.

Located just south of the beach the courts will be an awesome addition to the town.
Of course during the "Dam Days" on August 4,5 &6, they are sure to rocking with good times.

Road Scenes - DANCELAND at Manitou Beach

A few weeks ago Carla and I spent a weekend at The Manitou Hotel and Spa. The hotel was fine, Carla enjoyed the waters of the pool, the brunch on Sunday was nice, and the food at a restaurant in Watrous called "Paul's Place" was really good!

However, the highlight was DANCELAND. They were hosting a square dancing weekend and we sat on the balconey watching for a while. The view of the dancers twirlingaround the floor was awesome. More than the Danceland floor was rocking as hundreds of square dancers filled the hotel. Restaurants and shops around the village were doing a brisk business. And hundreds of people (including us) left to spread the good news about Danceland and Manitou.

The schedule for the summer at DANCELAND is packed with entertainment.
It is wonderful to see that this landmark historical building generates so much revenue for Manitou and Watrous!

Glendive, MONTANA on the 4th

As a family, one of the best traditions we have is heading the the United States each 4th of July. We became citizens of that great country during our years in Tennessee and all four children are dual citizens.
Typically, we pack the minivan up and head to some town in Montana or North Dakota on the 3rd. We spend a couple of night in a hotel which thrills the kids. And on the 4th take in the Independence Day Celebrations.
The fireworks are always awesome, generally beginning in backyards mid-afternoon and wrapping up with an official ceremony in around10:00pm.
This year we went to a "Bump n' Run" car race in Glendive. The race is part smash-up derby, part regular race and is quite exciting. We had near seen a car race before so this was a totally new experience.
On the 5th we ventured into the Makoshika State Park which literally runs up to the town of Glendive. Incredible badlands, fantastic hiking trails and awe inspiring vistas are the norm in this park.
For you Saskatchewan readers, Glendive is only about 5.5 hrs south of Regina and well worth the trip.

Graham Taylor's FUNERAL lunch

Friends and family gathered at the Taylor farm north of Wolseley to celebrate what Dad had billed as his funeral lunch.

In actual fact, it was his 70th birthday party. As Master of Ceremonies I had the pleasure of giving some of my perspective on Dad's 70 years and introduce others integral in Dad's life. His sister Jeanette Bohonos and sister-in-law Marie Taylor shared stories about Dad. Katherine, although ill, rallied enough to talk about Dad and tell a funny joke. And Mum spoke poignantly about Dad.

Family and friends like Max Graham and Ileen Brennen traveled from Winnipeg. Diane Munro and Dale Taylor were in from Calgary. Ken Christoffel and daughter Jenny from Regina and Grant Taylor from Kenosee.

The day was perfect, the friends were many, the extended family like was present and the funeral lunch/birthday party was...well unique.

PANCAKES for History

The sweet smell of pancakes and sausages wafted over downtown Wolseley on Saturday morning.
The great food and beautiful weather were the recipe of success for the Wolseley and District Museum committee. A number of people were bustling about meeting the needs of the good crowd. Roy Taylor looked like he was a master mixer of pancakes, Diane Banbury manned the till and Bob Campbell seemed to be in the thick of the pancake cooking action.

I was able to chat with Tracey Coueslan, Mark Cieckiewicz and a few other folks. And I got a nice photo of Evie Smith and Jean Schramm sharing a laugh.

Wolseley needs YOU for more of THIS

Make plans to come to Wolseley on the August long weekend!

A full listing of events will be out soon, but I'm sure the whole weekend will be FUN. There will be a cabaret with music provided by my wife Carla. She will be backed by the Electric Outlaws whose members include a former bandmate from the Red Hot Burritos and another from Against the Grain.

The community is focused on raising money to Bring Back the Wolseley Beach. We want to see more young guys tubing around the Lake and the beach once again buzzing with activity.

MUSEUM gets spiffed up

Joey Theriault is a busy man these days. At 6:00 pm this evening I saw Joey working hard painting the south side of the Wolseley Museum.
I got this shot of the camera shy Theriault before he was able to scramble to the ground.

Joey has also done some great work on the Town Hall / Opera House and a number of fantastic renovations around town.

Seasoned Citizens SECURE in Wolseley

An almost daily occurrence for me is seeing Frank Hoffman drive by our home smiling and waving from the drivers seat of his brown station wagon. Mr. Hoffman is around 90 years old but he is still able to safely drive around town.
Another oldtimer who pilots a vehicle down our streets is Gordon Dunn. At 97 Mr. Dunn carries out his errands in his minivan in our small town free from multiple lanes of whizzing traffic.
Mrs. Kydd is in her early 90's. She was my grade 5 teacher and is still in her own home close to Dr. Isman School. Several times on my walks I have stopped and chatted with her as she putters about her yard.
And the other day, I saw Sherry Polk (Manners) in town. Now living in Melville, Sherry was at visiting at her mother Jean Manners place after a birthday party for her Grandmother, Mrs. Fraser who lived in her own home until she was 100 years old.
It is evident that Wolseley provides a secure place for seniors to age gracefully. And for this I am grateful.

Katepwa was a BLAST

Canada Day ended with a bang on the beach at Katepwa Beach last night. The weather was perfect as hundreds of people gathered on the Beach to view the fireworks show. We traveled down the valley with Larry Tittle and family. We also met up with the Bill and Tanis Kerr (Havelange) and their kids. The fireworks were great as they exploded virtually right above our heads.

LEMBERG sings

The Lemberg Performing Arts Center hosted a fun afternoon of singing in the park yesterday. Entertainment rang out across downtown Lemberg all afternoon as various entertainers hit the stage to share the gift of song with those gathered.

My wife Carla closed out the afternoon as the featured "out-of-town" guest. For the last few numbers she was joined on stage by Joey Theriault on bass and Mike Schachtel on mandolin. They cranked out a few bluegrass songs and the crowd's applause was evidence of the appreciation.

For me it was an opportunity to see some folks I hadn't seen in years. And it must be mentioned quite a number of the crowd were the members of Leniczek family. I was friends with their siblings and uncle and aunts back in high school days of the 1970's and 80's.

"It's like living at a RESORT"

Those are the words Joe Linnell said to me as he and Joan glided out into the lake on Tuesday evening. I have to agree with his sentiments. Sometimes it is hard to believe that Wolseley has such recreation opportunities available on our doorsteps.
The Linnell's have moved off the farm and now live a couple of houses down from the swinging bridge. Joe and Joan can regularly be seen walking around the town. They set a great example for those of us who could always use more exercise.