PAGE 3 - Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Mormon church reaches out to B’ford council By Jayne Foster Staff Reporter
Two young men dressed neatly in dark suits have been seen walking about Battleford lately, and last Monday night they visited Battleford town council at its regular meeting. With them was Blaine Sandberg, Battleford’s congregation leader for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, commonly known as Mormons. Sandberg brought with him two young elders, or missionaries, who are in the community for a few weeks of their two-year missionary service. “We are followers of Jesus Christ,” said Sandberg, adding the example they see within the scriptures of the New Testament is that He was a servant of all. “So that’s one of the key motivations within our church, is to serve,” he said. His companions at the meeting told council they have been volunteering in the community, at the food bank and library in North Battleford and at the Saskatchewan Museum Hall of Fame and Museum. Elder Patrick Rodgerson of Yuma, Ariz., has been serving about four months, and this is his second area. His first was Melville where he worked with Sarcan and its clients. He is enjoying his time in Saskatchewan, although the weather is quite
Elder Patrick Rodgerson of Yuma, Ariz., Elder Ryker Vause of Enterprise, Utah, Battleford mayor (and Rider fan) Derek Mahon and local congregational leader Blaine Sandberg at Monday’s town council meeting. Photo by Jayne Foster different from his home. “I’m still not acclimated yet.” About receiving his call to service, he said, ‘When I read Canada, I said, ‘Oh my goodness, I’m going to freeze to death,’ but I’m still alive.” He said he had no idea what the Battlefords was going to be like, but he was excited to come here. Elder Ryker Vause of Enterprise, Utah, has been serving about two months. He
said they have been volunteering at the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame, helping Executive Director Jane Shury. They have helped with upkeep, with preparing for the recent Welcome Home Andrew Albers banquet held to honour a local player who had made it to the major leagues, and helping with records of inductees. He and Elder Rodgerson have been staying in an apartment in Battleford. They
don’t use a car, but they get around very well on foot. They are also willing to help people out in any way they can. “If we can’t do it, teach us,” said Elder Rogerson. Sandberg said they are looking for places to volunteer. The missionaries can be reached at 306-480-8621 and Sandberg’s number is 306-937-7300. Sandberg said volunteering in the community is one
of the church’s tenants. Locally, some of the volunteer work done by the Mormon church includes visiting seniors’ homes, reading and helping with recreational activities. They also work with brain-injured people in care homes. They also clean up parks and green space. There are about 30 strong and able-bodied church members available to help out in various ways, said Sandberg. Shoveling snow
Small plane catches fire at the airport By John Cairns Staff Reporter
It was a scary situation for a pilot of a small singleengine passenger plane at Cameron McIntosh Airport Friday afternoon. The incident happened in the middle of the runway around 1:45 p.m. Immediately after the plane landed and as the pilot was readying to taxi in to the airport he said he heard a loud “pop” come from the engine. The pilot noticed the engine was on fire. “He pulled the plane to the side, he got out, the airport manager arrived on scene and they pulled out the extinguisher and started to fight the fire,” reported Deputy Fire Chief Kevin Steinborn. By the time fire crews arrived from North Battleford the situation was under control. Steinborn noted airport
manager Fran de Kock had done a good job of putting the fire out. The pilot was able to remove all his belongings and gear from the plane. All that was left was for the emergency crews to attend to the pilot, who Steinborn said had suffered some minor cuts to his hand. The pilot was treated at the scene and did not need to be transported to hospital. Emergency crews on the scene included the fire department, the RCMP and EMS. The pilot was the lone occupant of the aircraft at the time of the incident. It is not immediately known where the flight originated. Weather conditions were clear, but it was also cold. Environment Canada was reporting temperatures in North Battleford around -25C during the afternoon. He was “very lucky it didn’t happen in mid-air,” said Steinborn. A decision
The engine of this aircraft caught fire in the middle of the main runway right after the plane landed at Cameron McIntosh Airport Friday afternoon. Fortunately, the lone occupant of the aircraft escaped with only minor cuts to his hands. Photo courtesy Kevin Steinborn on whether there will be an investigation into what happened will be left up to NAV Canada, Steinborn said. This is the second notable emergency this year at Cameron McIntosh Airport.
In June a Piper PA-14 float plane destined for Calling Lake, Alta. crashed north of the main runway, killing a father and son from Whitehorse, Yukon. That plane had launched from a body of
water north of the main terminal building, but crashed and burst into flames only a short distance away. An ensuing investigation found no evidence of mechanical failure.
was one activity council members suggested. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is also known world-wide for volunteering when disaster strikes. Locally, said Sandberg, they helped with sandbagging in the Radisson and Borden areas during the flooding this spring. There were about 100 individuals helping out, he said. He, personally, was involved in efforts at High River, Alta., where he had lived for nine years. Thousands of church members from the area helped with the cleanup, he said. He also said 1,400 missionaries will be involved in cleanup and assistance in the Philippines. The church’s buildings there are built to North American standards, he said, and they stood up much better in the recent hurricane than most other buildings. They have been designated as gathering areas, he said. The church is very well organized, said Sandberg, and able to respond quickly. A large group of people can be organized quickly to help with disaster relief anywhere. Church-wide, he said, they supply medical kits and water purification systems to disaster areas. The women’s group here prepares hygiene kits, said Sandberg, containing basic things needed after a disaster such as a flood, including toothpaste, soap, a towel and a small amount of water. The church also teaches its members to be self-reliant. Most members have 72 hour emergency kits, based on knowing that in the event of a disaster, it could be 72 hours before government agencies or first responders can get to them. “If you look at Katrina, those people down there, if they had 72 hour kits, they would have been a lot better off,” he said. Battleford’s Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is located at 501 Riverbend Crescent, on property donated by the late Mike Gabruch. Sandberg said they have about 130 members, with 50 to 60 attending on a regular basis. The church does not have a paid ministry, said Sandberg, who works for Larry Gabruch as a sales manager for a valve-manufacturing firm. “Each of us are volunteers,” he said, “highly motivated volunteers.”
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