“No stress, no fuss, leave your TAXES to us! Income Tax for Individuals, Small Businesses & Farms OPEN: Monday to Friday - 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 143 - 4th Avenue East, Melville, SK PHONE: 1.306.728.4810 • WEBSITE: www.optionsaccounting.ca • EMAIL: [email protected] THE MELVILLE $1.50 PER COPY Friday, GST INCLUDED March 13, 2020 Vol. 94 No. 10 Agreement # 40011922 PROUDLY SERVING MELVILLE AND SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1929 • WWW.GRASSLANDSNEWS.CA • 1-306-728-5448 Future of Mils baseball By Emily Jane Fulford Grasslands News The Western Canadian Base- ball League (WCBL) recently decided that the Melville Mil- lionaires’ Baseball Franchise would be sidelined for the 2020 season. The WCBL has made this decision due to the finan- cial situation the Mils cur- rently find themselves in. It’s a situation that’s not unique to Melville, in fact, it’s prominent across the league; the Yorkton Cardinals facing the exact same issue this year, and Weyburn Beavers a few years back. “For the last number of years the Mils’ ball club has struggled financially to keep current with bills, (which included league fees). When I volunteered as president there was pretty sig- nificant debt at that time. We Deer in valley CHRIS ASHFIELD | GRASSLANDS NEWS have tried to keep things mov- - ing by playing through the sea- 7ZRGHHUVWDQGRQWKHHGJHRIDKLOOLQWKH4X·$SSHOOH9DOOH\QRUWKRI*UHQIHOOHDUOLHUWKLVZHHN:LWKWHPSHUDWXUHVZDUP son and paying back past debts LQJZLOGOLIHDUHPRYLQJDURXQGPRUHDQGRIWHQVSRWWHGDORQJURDGZD\V'ULYHUVDUHUHPLQGHGWRVORZGRZQGXULQJWKH as well as the current season’s GDZQDQGGXVNKRXUV expenses,” explains Melville Millionaires’ President, Darren Wandy. “This past 2019 season, Baseball Club is a community to creditors have weighed heav- of smaller fundraisers to help hoping to conduct some larger our current board felt we had owned team run by a board of ily on me personally, as well as battle the current debt. The fundraisers, which will likely a sound business plan in place volunteers, so we rely heavily others on our board. We would first fundraiser will be an on- be announced later on this to be able to take part in league on sponsorship, fundraising like to see this level of baseball line auction come April; items year. play and try to pay down debt and people attending games. We continue in Melville,” explains have already been collected in One innovative idea that was the team had. A lot of work, also rely heavily on volunteer Wandy. “However, this is a anticipation of the auction and proposed was the possibility of time and effort has been put help to run numerous game day community based team, so we they continue to gather items a partnership involving land into trying to keep the Mils’ operations as well as sit on our will need a community effort to for additional such on-line to sow a crop. The board mem- ball team functional. Unfortu- board to govern,” says Wandy. overcome the current situation events. Yorkton Auction Cen- bers would then harvest the nately our financial struggles What is the plan for the Mils’ and move forward. In talking tre’s online platform has been crop and those assets would be continue and we currently have future? The current plan for the to people in the community, suggested as an ideal platform used to pay down a significant a large debt”. team is to continue to fundraise I hear a lot of people say that to raise funds. Some local busi- part of the dept. It’s an idea that The WCBL hopes that a leave to pay back creditors that are they would hate for the team to nesses have also been visited wouldn’t work in many areas of absence for the 2020 season owed. The team would like to fold or no longer be active. It is and are encouraged to partici- across the country but may be will help the Mils to get their pay down all debt so they could going to take the community to pate in this pursuit. the perfect solution for a city finances in control so they will be reinstated and allowed back help turn the current situation Although smaller fundrais- in the prairies, surrounded by be able to return to action for into the league for the 2021 sea- around.” ers may take longer to pay farmland. the 2021 season. son. The Mils’ baseball team is down the debt, every little bit “The Melville Millionaires’ “You can trust the Mils’ debts planning to launch a number counts. The Mils’ board is also -SEE FUTURE OF MILS, 15 Trust us with what matters most. HOME – AUTO 215 - 3rd Ave. W., Melville, SK FARM – BUSINESS www.trustmarkinsurance.ca P: 306.728.2165 2 March 13, 2020 0HOYLOOH$GYDQFH:KLWHZRRG*UHQIHOO+HUDOG6XQ)RUW4X·$SSHOOH7LPHV Grasslands News Unique courses offer students learning on life skills By Sarah Pacio 2016, the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce and istry of Education started writing a new financial Grasslands News other groups began advocating for better financial lit- literacy course for high schools in 2019. After trial pe- eracy education in schools and as a result, the Min- riods in select school divisions, the program was made available throughout the province last month. Students at Whitewood School are developing prac- “The ability to manage personal finances is an es- tical life skills through two elective courses this se- sential skill in our daily lives. We want our students to mester: Robotics and Automation 10, and Financial be prepared for their futures,” Minister of Education Literacy 20 and 30. Gordon Wyant stated when the project was initially Over the last two years, the Ministry of Education announced. and members of the education sector have collaborated This is reflected in the purpose statement of the cur- with industry stakeholders to redevelop a robotics cur- riculum: “The purpose of Financial Literacy is to de- riculum, which is intended to prepare students for fu- velop informed consumers with the habits, attitudes, ture careers in science, technology, engineering and and critical thinking skills necessary to approach fi- mathematics (STEM). The program was piloted last nancial decisions with competence and confidence.” school year and is now available for Grades 7-12 at The course focuses on seven topics, including earn- schools throughout the province. A hands-on approach ing, saving, spending, borrowing, sharing, investing enables students enrolled in the program to develop and protecting money. Students are taught practical skills, such as coding, which are necessary to create skills such as basic budgeting and how to keep accu- and control a variety of robotic devises. rate financial records. They are informed about the This is the third year that John Pollock has taught various services provided by banks and credit unions. robotics at Whitewood School. He is currently using Level 30 also addresses property ownership, debt man- Lego Mindstorms robot kits in the class with students agement and retirement planning. from Whitewood, Broadview and Kipling. Later in the Assignments such as completing income tax forms term, they will also use Arduino robot kits and Evil and tracking personal spending provide students with Genius electronics kits. practical insight. “The whole course is designed so “The students use various sensors to create their students can get a glimpse of what their options will projects: colour sensors, ultrasound and touch sen- be in the future and how to set them up for success,” sors,” Pollock explained. “They also use other probe teacher Heather Hallam told Grasslands News. “This ware such as thermometers, humidity, UV and pH sen- is such a valuable thing for students to learn before sors in their robots to carry our the various tasks.” they get out on their own and have bills to pay and Students appreciate the tactile aspect of the course credit to manage.” and are intrigued by the opportunity to work with ro- bots. Their teacher says the course helps students de- velop important skills such as teamwork and problem solving, and prepares youth for careers in a variety of sectors. “Robots are becoming common in various Glen Hart, M.L.A. industries in Saskatchewan including manufacturing, mining, transportation, health care, and agriculture,” /DVW0RXQWDLQ7RXFKZRRG Pollock noted. “So an understanding of robotics, auto- mation and coding have become important skills for students in the workplace.” Constituency Legislative Not only are students in Whitewood preparing for SARAH PACIO | GRASSLANDS NEWS Student built robots Office Office their future careers, they are also being equipped to Students are learning to design, program, and op- ϰϬϮ^ƚĂŶůĞLJ^ƚƌĞĞƚ ϮϬϯ>ĞŐŝƐůĂƚŝǀĞůĚŐ manage the money they earn. Prairie Valley School Division has offered locally developed courses on per- erate devises such as this automatic parking robot WKŽdžϯϬϵ ZĞŐŝŶĂ^<^ϰ^Ϭϯ (top) and a sorter (bottom) during the Robotics and ƵƉĂƌ^<^Ϭ'ϬzϬ dĞů͗ϯϬϲͲϳϴϳͲϰϯϬϬ sonal finance in Kipling and elsewhere, but a prov- Automation course at Whitewood School. ϭͲϴϳϳͲϳϮϯͲϰϰϴϴ &Ădž͗ϯϬϲͲϳϴϳͲϯϭϳϰ ince-wide program was previously unavailable. In 18-1c Melville & District Chamber of Commerce presents Melville Branch is hosting 68-2+8!&' Rancher / Farmer Agriculture ,3>{!£' Appreciation Night !90!;$,'>!2Z9£!8+'9;;8!&'9,3>('!;<8-2+ Friday, March 20, 2020 ;,'£!;'9;;8'2&9!2&&'='£361'2;9-2;,'!8'! Horizon Credit Union Centre Merv Moore Sportsplex 575 - 2nd Ave. W., Melville, SK Friday, March 27 - 4 to 9 PM Cocktails - 5 p.m. – Roast Beef Supper - 6:30 p.m. Saturday, March 28 - 10 AM to 6 PM Featuring Advance Tickets Only $30 per person Sunday, March 29 - 12 noon to 4 PM Available until Lesley Kelly Monday, March 16 at: • FREE ADMISSION &