After all the festivities of regular Christmas and New Year's, and Ukrainian Christmas and New Year's, Chinese New Year's celebrations are coming up soon and Alex at Star Express would enjoy celebrating the event with you.
The big wind experienced last week had one victim, that being the very tall and slim alarm tower that toppled in half onto the fire hall roof. Damage was minimal and will be repaired soon. While we thought the wind early last week was bad, Luther Place sustained wind damage Friday the 13th when a large portion of siding was torn off, due to facing the big open field at the back which offers no protection from the fierce winds coming from that direction.
The annual Donors' Choice campaign, even though they changed collection procedures this year, still did very well collecting $33,625.25 for 44 organizations. This again reflects on the generous giving and commitment to lend a hand that residents of Unity continually exhibit.
Team Rob Bakken has advanced to northern men's curling play downs in Nipawin this weekend. The team includes skip Rob Bakken, thrid Brent Taylor from North Battleford, second Trevor Gerein and lead Marlowe Rask. Wanda Heitt will be heading to senior women's provincial play downs this coming weekend in Humboldt with her team from last year, the Darlene Gilles rink. Good luck to these locals in their curling adventures.
Weekend curling action will be on hold until February when the rink will get busy again with bonspiels and high school district and regional play downs. Until then, you can catch all the live curling action you can handle Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday nights for league games. Or join your favourite team in the lounge after the game as there is always a hockey or curling game on the big screen TV.
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Minor Hockey Weekend was eventful. Minor hockey executive was proud to show off each division in their ranks as well as to raise the peewee provincial banner won last year, and the bantam league championship banner won last year as well.
Friday night the Senior Miners Hockey Club hosted a home game. It must be a disappointment for the club to have so few fans coming out for these games. I had expected, with it being Minor Hockey Night and two different teams being showcased during the evening, that there might be a full house. It was a fast, exciting game. The Miners only have three games left at home this season before playoffs so let's hope folks can come out and support them as it is difficult to run a senior hockey team without the support of the fans in the stands.
The ever popular tradition of initiation hockey players having a mini-game between first and second periods is always a fan favourite. It was nice to have some of the Miners' players come out and officiate and help these starting stars. And some of the best entertainment they provided was when they skated around to salute the crowd and it appeared as if they weren't going to leave. During the intermission between the second and third periods, the peewee provincial banner, won last year, was raised. Another proud banner to display in the collection at our arena.
Throughout the weekend each division of Unity Minor Hockey hosted a home game, giving fans a chance to see the very beginnings of hockey greatness on into the seasoned veteran teams in the upper age categories. Saturday, the bantams hoisted their league championship banner won last year. There was plenty of hockey action to watch and good support for the local minor hockey organization, as well as the opportunity to enjoy a cup of coffee or some good ole rink fries while you enjoyed a game and a visit with a neighbour or two.
Minor hockey also made the draw for their annual organization-wide fundraiser and the winners were Mackenzie Chorney, 55-inch TV; Kathy Jones, $500 Co-op gift card; and Wendy Rewerts, $250 Ultra Sports gift card. Congratulations to them as well as to the minor hockey organization for showing their community their successes this past weekend!
UCHS hosted the junior and senior girls' basketball tournament on the weekend with the results being both junior and senior teams taking home the top spot, winning the gold medals at their home tournament. Congratulations, teams. UCHS students are winding up semester one with exam week set for Jan. 23 to 27.
Unity is in a very good position to win the Saskatchewan "in-motion" challenge with $10,000 of prize money up for grabs. If Unity wins, $1,000 is earmarked towards each of the three schools and the remaining $7,000 is slated for the building of an outdoor rink and summer skate park/pad. Each email address can vote every day and, of course, the more votes the better Unity's chances are, so please log on to www.jumpin.ca to help Unity out in this quest.
Congratulations to former UCHS student, Zoe Parkinson, who was named to the President's List at Minot State University where she is in her second year of her Bachelor's degree in Communication Disorder.
Unity will soon have a Quick Change Tire and Lube business in operation. Another exciting new business to take up a home in our community. This shows continued confidence in our community.
If you don't have lunch made after church, don't worry as the museum pancake brunches are back. This is the museum's main winter fundraiser so come join them every Sunday until April from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Adanac Hall on the museum grounds. Also look for tickets the museum is selling on two $500 grocery vouchers in town. Funds are being raised for the office renovation project.
UPS is holding their annual family reading night Jan. 26 with guest author Ann Campbell reading her new story to those in attendance. The Delta Co-op will provide teddy grahams and hot chocolate as refreshments to tie in with the teddy bear theme for the night.
Congratulations, Markie Winterhalt, who was one of the lucky winners on Sask. Lotteries contest "Tech the Halls". Potential winners entered a code from the bottom of a scratch ticket from the Christmas season on a website and selected winners were chosen for a variety of technology related prizes. Markie was the winner of an iPad or cash equivalent.
The annual wildlife supper will be held at the community centre Feb. 4. Besides the excellent meal prepared and served by wildlife members, annual awards are handed out to local sportsmen. Scoring night took place Dec. 17 and 37 heads were scored. Contact any wildlife member for your ticket or call the Town of Unity at 228-2621 for more contact information on this event.
Remember the Craft Retreat Weekend Jan. 27, 28 and 29 (Unity Community Multiple 4-H Club fundraiser - call Corinne, 228-3604) and the Valentine's Day Tribute to Johnny Cash supper and show Feb. 10 (Lions' Club fundraiser - call Rose 228-2579 or Phyllis 228-3873).
The Legion is printing up the next round of tickets for their new, and popular, 50/50 tickets that went over very well before Christmas. Check with one of the Legion members on how to get yours. The Legion members are looking to fundraise to repair the roof on the Legion Hall.
This is the time of year that annual meetings generally take place. Whether it is your local church or board you participate on, a service club or organization, these meetings are not held primarily as a social. These groups depend on feedback from their members and other attendees to help make decisions for their future, as well as review successes and disappointments from the year previous. Why not make attending at least one annual meeting in 2012 one of your resolutions?
And don't forget, the Unity Facilities Committee, with just over one million raised, is looking for businesses and groups to continue to support their fundraising efforts. Although there are no events on tap soon, committee members are hoping folks will step forward soon to help get these fundraising efforts back on the front burner for 2012.
Coffee row folk continue to marvel at this unseasonal warm weather and lack of snow. Whether you are relishing the mild winter or dreading the concept that this might be our summer and poor weather is yet to come, it allows for many pros and cons discussions at our coffee gatherings. And so again you can see we keep busy in Unity with activities and wisdom from our friends on coffee row. Until next week ...
