Vol. 105 No. 16
THURSDAY, APRIL 17, 2014
Box 40, 122 Main Street, Biggar, Saskatchewan S0K 0M0
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Weekes nominated as candidate for Biggar-Sask Valley member of Caucus Management Committee. In February 2013, he was also appointed as a member of the New Ideas Committee. MLA Randy Weekes was nominated this past Saturday as the Saskatchewan Party candidate in BiggarS a s k Va l l e y Randy Weekes for the n e x t provincial election. Weekes was first elected in 1999 and re-elected in 2003, 2007 and 2011. Weekes says it has been very rewarding to serve his constituents for so many years. “I have really enjoyed being part of the Saskatchewan Party government and I look forward to continuing all the good work that is being done,” Weekes said. “It is humbling to be chosen by the people of Biggar-Sask Valley to represent them in the legislature, and be part of a government keeping the province on the right track.” Weekes is an active member of his community. He is a member of St. Gabriel’s Parish and the Knights of Columbus. He has served as chair of the Biggar Knights of Columbus Trade and Craft Show and as a provincial director of Saskatchewan Knights of Columbus. He is past chair of the Saskatchewan Feeder Co-op Association and a past member of the Board of Directors for Saskatchewan Cattle Feeders Association. “I’d like to thank my constituents for supporting my nomination and I look forward to serving them in the future,” Weekes said. “I’d also like to thank my wife Cindy and the rest of my family for allowing me to serve the people of this province for so many years.” In May 2012, Premier B r a d Wa l l a p p o i n t e d Weekes as the Minister Responsible for Rural and Remote Health and as a
Weekes said it’s an honour to serve in the Saskatchewan Party government as Minister of Rural and Remote Health. “We just announced a
new recruitment strategy to encourage nurse practitioners to work in communities with a population of 10,000 or less,” Weekes said. “We want to make
sure that residents have access to quality primary health services, wherever they live in Saskatchewan.” With Weekes’ nomina-
tion as the candidate for Biggar-Sask Valley, the Saskatchewan Party has nominated six candidates for the next provincial election.
Getting inked for safety sake . . . Biggar RCMP Cst. Brianne Hathaway fingerprints BCS student Rayel Martin as buddies Danessa Holman, left, and Katelynn Zagoruy await their turn. The RCMP were at the school Tuesday supplying interested parents with the peace of mind ID kits - fingerprinting, hair samples, photos - all put together for those just in case situations. Hopefully the kits will never be needed, but the clinic by the RCMP gives investigators that much easier of a job. Rayel, Danessa, Katelynn and Cst. Hathaway were gracious enough to stand for The Independent’s camera, showing how the process is completed. (Independent Photo by Kevin Brautigam)
Prairie Spirit approves 2014/15 school year calendar The Prairie Spirit Board of Education formally approved the school year calendar for the 2014/15 school year at its regular board meeting on Monday, April 7. The approved calendar features a two-week Christmas break, a weeklong break in February (including Family Day) and a 10-day break in April, including Easter. Teachers will begin the school year on Monday, August 25, while students will start the school year on Tuesday, September 2, following the Labour Day long weekend. “We believe the calendar will maintain our focus on
student learning while also supporting students, staff members and families,” said Larry Pavloff, Board Chair. Each year, the Prairie Spirit school year calendar is created through a collaborative process i n cl u d i n g i n p u t f r o m the Board of Education, Division administration, teaching staff, out-of-scope support staff, unionized support staff, parents and students. The division’s Calendar Committee produced two calendar options for all staff to review and to vote for their preferred calendar option. The results of this
survey were shared with the board when the calendar was finalized. The extensive construction and renovation project at Martensville High School (MHS) will begin this spring. In order to accommodate the school’s construction schedule, the school will adopt an alternate calendar for 2014/15, which the board approved at its regular meeting. The Ministry of Education requires that all school divisions publish their school calendars by May 1 each year. Both Prairie Spirit calendars are available on the school division Web site at spiritsd.ca.
Kick up your heels . . . Dancers take flight at the annual Biggar School of Dance Festival. Dancers from around the province took in the three-day competition at the Majestic Theatre, putting creativity and grace, front and centre. (Independent Photo by Kevin Brautigam)