MAIDSTONE — Before her passing, Queen Elizabeth II approved the creation of a commemorative medal in honour of the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne as Queen of Canada. Jan. 19, I attended the presentation of the platinum jubilee medals for Turtleford-Cut Knife and Battlefords constituencies at the Western Development Museum in North Battleford. There were so many worthy recipients – congratulations to all of you. These medals are a lasting recognition of dedication and service to our communities and our province. We have many fellow volunteers who also love what they do and simply hope they are making a difference in the lives of others. I’m forever grateful for the children, parents and community at large who have allowed me to be a part of your lives, thus enriching mine. Thank you all.
On the basketball scene, Maidstone senior girls’ Huskies played Jan. 18 against Carpenter High School (Meadow Lake) in an excellent close game, but an unfortunate 41-37 loss. The Junior A girls took second place in the Jan. 20-21 Marshall tournament with a 26-31 loss in their final game.
Maidstone senior boys’ basketball team had their game cancelled last week but will head to Paradise Hill for a tournament this weekend. They hosted the Ray Bodnarek tournament Jan. 13-14 and placed third, with Paradise Hill taking gold.
In hockey news, the U15 boys won 5-2 over Lashburn on Jan. 17. They won again Jan. 21 and on Jan. 22, they kept it up with a 14-6 win against Moosomin, which put them at the top of their league. The U13 team won in Edam on Jan. 20 with a score of 7-5.
Minor Hockey Day was Jan. 21 in Maidstone. U9 Maidstone Red beat U9 Maidstone Blue with a 13-6 score. U11 Maidstone Red were victorious over U11 Maidstone Blue 4-1. U13 Maidstone won against Lashburn 7-0. U15 Maidstone came out on top against Meadow Lake 4-2. U18 Maidstone won against Pierceland 5-2. In the mini-games during intermission, U7 gave U18 a whopping, while U9 beat the pants off the senior Jets. To finish the day, the senior Jets ended a losing streak with a 3-2 win over Neilburg. Great hockey all around.
The 50/50 jackpot of $630 was won by Kevin Boyer and the guaranteed $500 was won by Blair Ryan. Donations for the food bank were abundant. Thank you to all the sponsors, workers and enthusiasts who came out to enjoy a terrific event.
On Sunday, Jan. 22, the U11 Blues came out on top over Turtleford in an exciting 8-7 shootout.
The North Battleford U9 Girls’ hockey tournament also took place on the weekend. The Northwest Hawks, with six girls from Maidstone on the team, took second place, going three wins and one loss in the final.
Maidstone Museum hosted a “Christmas in January” get together Jan. 21. Thank you to Pine Island Suites, Maidstone Gully Multiple 4-H and the museum board for providing a delicious meal. We all enjoyed the gift exchange afterwards with some good laughs and attempted trickery. Regular board meetings will resume on the third Monday of each month with the next one Feb. 20 at 7 p.m.
Winter baseball in Maidstone? U11 and U13 sessions start Jan. 29 and run every other Sunday. Contact Shawn Rhinehart 780-205-7202. Softball conditioning camp (parent-run) for U11 and U13 will also be every other Sunday. Contact Jolyne Harrison 306-903-7403 for U11 and Megan Young 306-895-8557 for U13.
Maidstone disc golf and Maidstone Bowling Alley have teamed up for a fun bowling/trivia event. Trivia Night will take place Feb. 4 at 7 p.m. with bowling ($7.50/game), time limit team trivia ($10/person, maximum six to a team) and speed trivia ($5/person, no teams). Email maidstone.disc.golf@gmail.com to register.
Reminders:
• Maidstone Ice Arena deadline to purchase tickets for Canadian Trip of the Month is Jan. 31 with tickets available at Maidstone Pharmacy, Making Waves Salon, Maidstone Legion Club Room or town of Maidstone office. Don’t miss your chance on the super prizes. There are12 draws still to be made.
• Order the skating club’s to-go supper for pick up Tuesday, Jan. 31 (4:30 to 7 p.m.) at the rink kitchen. Phone or text Miranda 306-221-5845.
• Ratushniak’s Grade 6 students are selling bags of chips every Friday during lunch Jan. 27 to Feb. 17 ($2 each). Proceeds towards an end-of-year trip to Edmonton.
