June 8, 2009.pdf - Watrous Heritage Centre

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4 • MONDAY, JUNE 8, 2009 THE WATROUS MANITOUEditorial and OpinionJust Layzing AroundThis spring, thanks to my son’sparticipation in a Saskatoonthree-on-three hockey league,I’ve had the honour (dubious attimes) of driving four teenageboys to the city and back a coupleof times.By the way, it takes about 70minutes to get to the GeminiArena just south of Saskatoon,approximately 15 minutes forthem to get into their equipment,about 10 minutes to get out ofthat ‘looks the same but smellsdifferent’ attire, perhaps five minutesto buy slush and chips andchocolate bars and candy at theEsso just down the road, and another70 minutes to return home.All this for a 45-minute straighttime hockey game. It is by thesestandards we judge how much we love our children.However, and fortunately for me, I find the 140 minutes that I’mbehind the wheel to be the most interesting part of the trip, seeing ashow it’s not only the longest part of the adventure but also the stinkiest,at least on the return trip. What I really enjoy is the wide range ofconversations we share, and I do mean ‘we’. It’s really a nice feeling tobe talked to and perhaps even listened to by a crew of 13- and 14-yearoldboys. I have the sense it’s going to happen less and less in the nextfew years, so I really want to take advantage of every opportunity Iam given.Without going into detail, during the last two round trips I’ve madewith the boys, we have discussed cancer, confirmation (at church,that is), movies (and in particular, what exact words were said bywhich actor to whom, and what the exact response was - and I cansay, their powers of recollection about that is quite amazing, yet theycannot remember to pack socks into their hockey bags or fruit intotheir lunches without being told a dozen times), what they want to bewhen they grow up, what book they’re reading in ELA (for those ofus who graduated before the ‘90s, that means English, or literature,or reading, depending just how long it’s been since you’ve graduated),football, hockey, tennis (and the incredibly powerful catgut on ‘oldschool’ racquets), cell phones, jokes, money, getting sacked (hey, it is avanload of boys) and food.Noticeably absent from that long and yet not even comprehensivelist is girls. That is one topic I find does not come up in front of me,the mom, no matter how much I attempt to worm it out of them.Naturally, the dirty looks shooting my way from under the bangs thathang in my son’s eyes don’t stop my from trying, but eventually theircombined evasiveness and blatant attempts to change the subjectdiscourage me from pursuing the topic. No worries, I’ll just get morecunning as the trips accumulate, and eventually someone will slip.In the meantime, I enjoy listening to their laughs and taunts, theirbravado and boasts, their goofiness and giggles. What they don’t realizeis that those drives offer we, their parents, a way to continue to getto know them as they change and mature. When your child becomesa teen, there are fewer and fewer chances to witness that happen. If Ihave to put up with a play-by-play of the movie Stepbrothers in orderto do it, I’m there.theWatrous Manitoutwo communities . . . one source for newsThe Watrous Manitou309 Main Street • Box 100, Watrous, Saskatchewan S0K 4T0Phone: (306) 946-3343 • Fax (306) 946-2026Email:watrous.manitou@sasktel.net • Website: www.thewatrousmanitou.caMember SWNAPublished MondayMember CCNA48 issues per yearEditorial Policy: The opinions expressed on these pages may not be thoseof The Watrous Manitou. We reserve the right to edit commentaries or lettersto the editor for libel and slander as well as grammar, spelling and length.All letters must include a name, address and phone number for verificationpurposes. No article, or part thereof, which belongs to The Watrous Manitoumay be reprinted without permission.Publications Mail Registration No. 40787091 PAP Registration No. 10712We acknowledge the financial supportof the Government of Canada,through the Publications Assistance Program towards our mailing costs.S0 postal codes $28* • On-line $28* • Canada $36*Single copy $1* • USA $135 • Overseas $175(* Prices include GST and are subject to change without notice.)Robin and Nicole Lay, publishers and editorsDaniel Bushman, reporter/photographerMelanie Gunderson, customer serviceLaurie Regier, typesetter/productionFounded in 1933 by J.A. McGowan“There you are kids, something you don’t see every day -a Ninja dandelion fighter . . . ”Capturing a moment in timeIt is exciting discoveringa time capsule. The anticipationof what might be insideonly heightens the emotionsof actually opening the timecapsule itself.The residents of Weyburnrecovered a time capsuleduring the demolition of anold, vacant hospital. Originallyhoused in a cornerstonein 1921, the metal box wasdiscovered exactly 88 yearsafter it was buried.There was lots of excitementand it was decided toopen the box in front of dignitaries,historical individualsand media. Inside was aset of silver and gold coinsfrom the years 1899 to 1920, aprogram and invitation to theoriginal ceremony, newspapersand a letter listing thedignitaries present that day.But, there were some disappointments.Some thoughtthere would be messagesfrom all levels of governmentor photos or a mention thatthe premier himself attended.Still, the contents areimportant to the residentsof the area and the localmuseum, which is presentlydisplaying the contents.Time capsules are a traditionand have been used foryears. It is a way to preservea piece of today for thefuture. Sometimes, a capsulecan be unintentional - eventsof nature that happen, causingitems to be buried. Thosethat are intentional are oftenmeant to be opened on acertain date. The contentsare placed to give an insightinto what the day or event orcelebration was like.The type of container usedis as important as the contentsplaced in the capsule. Coins,newspapers and photographsare the most popularchoices. Buthistorical or everydayitems can alsobe included. Theidea is to give futuregenerations aglimpse of societytoday. It is a wayof communicatingour thoughts andlifestyles.Perhaps twoof the most interesting timecapsules are the ones currentlyin space, Voyager GoldenRecord I and II, which wereattached to Voyager spacecraftslaunched in 1977. Both areidentical and are gramophonerecords. Included onthe record: music, naturalsounds, images from aroundthe world and greetings in 55languages. This is meant toportray our culture as it wasat the time. What will futuregenerations (or any intelligentextraterrestrial life)think of our world in 1977?Some of this shift inthinking, of preservationfor the future, is attributedto the Victorian era. Duringthis period more emphasiswas placed on history andcommemorating time. Thisshift explains the many timecapsules found in Victoria,B.C. The influence of Victoriais evident as pioneerssaw themselves as heroes ofhistory in establishing thecolony. A cornerstone for theIndependent Order of OddFellows Hall was laid in Victoriain 1879 with items ofthe day. Of course, there wasa ceremony andcelebration.For thepeople ofWeyburn, thequestion nowis, what is tobe done withthe contentsof their timecapsule? Somefeel the museumshouldbe the permanent custodians;others feel the capsuleshould be sealed and buriedagain, along with a new timecapsule.The idea is togive futuregenerations aglimpse of societytoday. It is a wayof communicatingour thoughtsand lifestyles.
THE WATROUS MANITOU MONDAY, JUNE 8, 2009 • 5How ta look at the newsby Gene HautaAndrew Wilson, 31, of Bristol, UK islikely the first person to ever be convictedof getting a dog drunk. Wilson gave anAmerican bulldog named Bronx a can ofStella Artois beer, as well as vodka. The dogwas over the drink drive limit for a humanand had also been beaten by Wilson, whowas supposed to be looking after the mutt.He was charged under the 2006 AnimalWelfare Act, being banned from keeping awarm-blooded mammal for a year and beinggiven 150 hours community service.A spokeswoman for Pittsburgh PublicSchools confirmed a student did swing asnake during biology class but did not useit as a jump rope as reported by police.Ebony Pugh said Wednesday that “it’s nota big enough snake to jump rope with.”She also said the albino corn snake was notharmed. The 17-year-old student at TaylorAllderdice High School will be chargedwith theft and cruelty to animals.Two seasonal concession workers atYellowstone National Park were fired afterthey were observed on live webcam, urinatinginto the geyser known as Old Faithful.The first of the two to go to court wasfired, fined $750 and placed on three yearsof unsupervised probation for urinating,being off-trail in a restricted area and takingitems from the area. The man also wasbanned from Yellowstone for two years.The second employee’s case is pending.A man in Gross Godems, Germany,was being treated for serious burns aftera strange incident at his home. Mistakinga bottle of gasoline for his bottle of booze,he immediately spat out theoffending liquid . . . all overhis lit cigarette. The out-ofcontrolfire set his apartmentablaze.In East St. Louis, Ill., policemanKristopher Westonquickly apprehended a murdersuspect, only 20 minutesafter the crime. The mayorhonoured Weston by callinghim before city council fora commendation. After thebrief ceremony, the councilresumed its regular business,and the first item onthe agenda was to approve alist of police and firefighterlayoffs due to budget shortfalls.Near the top of the list,because of low seniority, wasofficer Kristopher Weston.Britain’s female policeofficers have been told notto wear a wire-enforced brawhile working, apparentlybecause the impact of abullet might possibly pushthe underwiring into theirbodies. Meanwhile, Britishpolice officers of Sikh descent have askedfor bullet-proof turbans to allow them toserve without removing their headwear.So far, Sikhs have been prohibited frombecoming “firearms officers” because theirreligion does not allow them to remove theturbans.The first winner of Survivor, RichardHatch has been moved to a halfway housefrom the federal prison where he wasserving time for failing to pay taxes onhis reality TV prize. Hatch failed to paytaxes on the $1 million prize he won andhe was sentenced to four years and threemonths.A pilot who landed his four-seater planeon a golf course near Waukegan, Ill., so his14-year-old son would not be late for a tennislesson has been sentenced to 18 monthsof court supervision. Robert Kadera, 66,pleaded guilty to criminal trespass and disorderlyconduct and also picked up a $500fine and 60 hours of community service.Kadera may still face discipline from theFederal Aviation Administration.In Naples, Fla., Graham Brunson, whowas asked to leave a bar for being toodrunk, proved the complainants knewwhat they were doing. He promptly unzippedhis pants and urinated on the bar.Police had to chase him around the barand eventually down the street, in orderto arrest him. He was charged with batteryon a law enforcement officer, resisting anofficer with violence and disorderly intoxication.“They always said pigs would fly beforethe U.S.A. had a black president, and now .. . swine flew.” Oh, think about it!“Women in New York are paying $180for bird poo facials,” noted Alex Kaseberg.“For those on a budget you can go to thepark and pretend to be a statue.”Chris D. Slabaugh, a 17-year-old Amishman, was arrested for drinking while drivinga horse-drawn buggy on a New Yorkstatehighway. County deputies found himdrinking Busch beer when they pulled overhis buggy. He was charged with underagepossession of alcohol but not driving underthe influence, because Amish buggies donot qualify as vehicles under the state’sVehicle and Traffic Law.Fort Wayne police were closing in on36-year-old Jermaine Askia Cooper followinga car chase with speeds up to 144 km/hr. Since Cooper, a suspected drug dealer,knew he was going to jail for a while, heabruptly pulled into Taco Bell for one lastburrito. Cooper was charged with fourcounts of dealing cocaine, one count of resistingarrest by fleeing and other charges.Police arrested him before he could order.A Fresno man was arrested after heallegedly made his seven-year-old songet a gang tattoo. Enrique Gonzalez, 26,pleaded not guilty to charges of aggravatedmayhem and street terrorism. Gonzalez isaccused of holding the boy while anotherman, 21-year-old Travis Gorman, tattooeda dog’s paw (the symbol of the Bulldogsgang) on the child’s right hip.Jonathan Lee Riches, aninmate in a U.S. federalprison, has filed a $23 millionlawsuit claiming NA-SCAR is responsible for along list of criminal activity.Riches said that watchingraces “influenced himto speed . . . doing 135 mphand getting tickets.” HisNASCAR addiction alsocaused him to use “illegallyobtained credit cardsto attend races,” and oncethere, he used more stolencredit cards to purchaseproducts recommendedby various drivers. He alsoclaimed that Jeff Gordon’sDupont-sponsored car poisonedhim with Dupontchemicals. He concludedhis plea by saying, “I praythis court will grant mymotions for relief. I don’twant to die in prison.”Donald Trump announcedMiss California,Carrie Prejean, can keepher title. “Miss Prejeanclaims the topless photos of her were anaccident, the wind blew her blouse open,”noted Alex Kaseberg. “And apparentlysome angry same-sex marriage supporterhid her bra.” During a beauty pageant, Prejeangave a controversial answer condemningsame-sex marriages. She has since saidshe will no longer discuss her oppositionto same-sex marriage. “Shoot, how are wegoing to come to an understanding withoutour top authority?” asked Kaseberg.A father in Nottingham, England, wasarrested after he took his 14-year-old sonto a red light district and urged him topick out the hooker he liked. The 42-yearoldPolish immigrant was merely tryingto initiate his son into manhood. The sexworker who was selected turned out to bean undercover policewoman. The unidentifiedman was given a 10-month suspendedsentence. Judge Jonathan Teare refused tosend the man to jail because of his excellentcharacter and Teare said he did notbelieve any harm was intended for thekid.California Governor ArnoldSchwarzenegger says it is time to debatethe legalization of marijuana. “It’s hardto imagine anything more confusing thanlistening to a debate between ArnoldSchwarzenegger and a stoner,” surmisedJim Barach.Until next time . . . keep reading betweenthe lines . . .A man inGross Godems,Germany, wasbeing treated forserious burnsafter a strangeincident at hishome. Mistaking abottle of gasolinefor his bottleof booze, heimmediately spatout the offendingliquid . . . all overhis lit cigarette.The out-of-controlfire set hisapartment ablaze.A piece or peace of mindby Alvin Dieno,Colonsay, Sask.While reading an earlieredition on amends inthe Watrous Manitou, mythoughts went back to thedays when I began to makeamends to those I hadwronged with uncalled forremarks and stubborn attitudes.In the far corner of mymind I filed them, convincingmyself that they werehid and I no longer had toremember them. I evenjustified the fact that I hada right for doing and sayingwhat I did. Over manyyears these actions piledup, almost like filling a closetto an overfull capacity.The day came when ILunch is servedBurgers were flipped, juice poured andcake cut as residents could enjoy a mealhad to open the closet becausethere was no moreroom for anymore hiddenactions and the load ofguilt, shame and remorsewas too heavy to carry. Idealt with them one at atime whenever opportunitypresented an occasionto do so. Sometimes an immediateapology was necessaryand to muster courageand humility was no easytask. Acceptance, humilityand peace of mind werethe rewards and a new freedomof living a good lifeemerged.The rule of “do untoothers as you want themto do unto you” certainlyapplies in all respects forme in my daily encounters.The rule of “put brain ingear before engaging themouth” deters me frommaking hurt to others andhelps me keep a positive attitudetowards live and letlive.I have found if I carryanger and resentments,they take away the abilityto forgive and the ability toask for forgiveness and inturn keeps me from livinga life of peace and humilityin friendship with myfellowman.Making amends gaveback the friendships thatwere once lost and I amable to walk the path of lifewith a bright outlook forthe future with love andcompassion.for a toonie June 2. The event was part ofTourism Week held across the province.-TWM photo by Daniel Bushman
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