February Executive Meeting, Feb. 23, 2010

Sample of possible W.P. Bate (old site marker)

The Meadowgreen Community Association discussed many issue at the Executive meeting on February 23rd. The following items were discussed and many decisions were made:
a) Soccer - The CA decided to adopt the Saskatoon Youth Soccer job description for use in Meadowgreen. The outdoor soccer registration fees, which will include a free t-shirt, are $40 for the under 6 and under 8 players and $55. for the under 10 players.
b) Newsletter distribution - There are still a few blocks in Meadowgreen that do not have a person to deliver the newsletter. If you can help, contact Pat at 382-6514.
c) Community Barbeque/Safety Fair - Tuesday, June 1st, 2010 - Still looking for ideas as to what types of activities to include. If you have any ideas, please pass them on to an Executive member.
d) Meadowgreen (Welcome)Sign - The Executive has decided to place the "Meadowgreen Welcomes You!" sign on the corner of 22nd and Witney Ave. No decision has been made on the type of sign.
e) The W.P. Bate marker - A decision was made to see if a marker could be made that is similar to the Canada Heritage Markers. More investigation is necessary. An example of this sign is the one on 2nd Ave North - the old Western Producer Building.
f) MCA donated $200. to the Mount Royal Collegiate 50th Anniversary Celebration which will be held on September 25th, 2010. More information may be found at www.mountroyal50.com

Soccer Registration - Thursday, February 25, 2010

Soccer Registration will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. at W.P. Bate School on Thursday, February 25. There are three groups of player 6 and under, 8 and under and 10 and under. Soccer fees will be charged for this Saskatoon-wide soccer initiative. The fees are as follows: Under 6 $40.; Under 8 $40 and Under 10 $55. These fees are paid to the Community Association but go directly to Saskatoon Youth Soccer who does the overall organizing and scheduling of soccer in Saskatoon. Please note that all registered participants will keep their soccer t-shirt at the end of the soccer season as a momento of their participation.

Funding is available, please ask the Meadowgreen Program Coordinator for more information, Yvonne 955-0035.

Cross-country Ski Trail opens

The Meadowgreen Cross-Country Ski Trail opened in the park (field)south of Applyby Drive February 1st due to the abundance of snow we received in the last week. Once you have finished skiing the Meadowgreen loop you can cross Ave W and continue the skiing expedition in Fred Mendel Park. Happy skiing!

Meadowgreen Executive Meeting

The Meadowgreen Executive met on January 19th and discussed a number of important issues.

1) Programming - Why people are not signing up for programs? If you have a programming idea, please let a member of the Executive know as it is quite disappointing to offer programs and have no one sign up.
2) Soccer Registration - City-wide outdoor soccer for kids 10 and under will take place Tuesday, February 23rd. A soccer coordinator is still needed if you can help, please contact Yvonne Boehr.
3) Community Barbeque and Safety Fair will take place on Tuesday, June 1st, 2010. If you would like to help with this event contact an Executive member.
4) Newsletter delivery. If you can help with the newsletter delivery - there are routes available. The newsletter is delivered approximately 5 times a year.

Reminder: The Meadowgreen rink is operated by the Meadowgreen Community Association, please no sticks on the small rink. During public skating hours there are no sticks allowed on either rinks. The rink is for everyone's use so please use it safely.

Meadowgreen CA Rink Now Open

The Meadowgreen Community Association rink opened to the public over the Christmas Break. The rink is supervised and the Play unit is available to warm-up on Sundays 1:30 to 4:30; Tuesday and Friday from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30. Other days the rink is available to Community members to skate until 10 p.m.(lights are out then).

Please note there are NO STICKS allowed on the small rink. There are no sticks allowed on the fenced rink during the Supervised skates as well.

If you require more information regarding rink operations contact Alfred Bobier or Peter Kozakavich.

Meadowgreen Association Meeting - Dec. 15, 2009

A number of initiatives were the result of the Meadowgreen Community Association meeting on December 15, 2009. The Executive chose three types of signs to pursue to find the right sign for Meadowgreen. The sign will say "Meadowgreen Welcomes You!"
The sign(s) location is to determined - 22nd & Witney; west of Witney by the trees (west of the recycle bin) and Ave W near the apartment buildings are all locations to be explored. There was some thought to the new Circle Drive and whether a sign should be on the outside of Meadowgreen.

A monument/marker is to be put in the Old W.P.Bate location - the now called Dutchak Park on Ottawa Avenue and 19th Street. Bricks have been saved from the old school. One type of marker -that perhaps might work - is like the Leif Erickson Park (Ave P and 23rd Street.


A community gathering will be held in May - likely the last week in May. A safety fair will be held in the gym.

Rink Weather
It is time to get the Meadowgreen CA Rink up and going - now that the weather has turned cold. Check back for information on when the rink is ready for skating.

Letter to Editor - published Saskatoon Star Phoenix, Dec. 11, 2009

Saskatoon Breast better than Nest
The recent SP editorial on the new art gallery and Gerry Klein’s column on group homes described city councillors as standing clear-eyed and valiant against an ill-informed and emotional electorate.

What was most interesting was to have councillors gush like children who had just seen new puppies as they described their visit to the Eagle’s Nest group home. Swept up in emotion, they went on “objectively” to allow the homes to expand the number of spaces.

The one benefit from this public review of the Eagle’s Nest program is that it sets a price on motherhood. The cost per bed at the homes is just over $300 a day. In the absence of adequate parental care from conception to maturity, the societal cost is $9,000 monthly per child.

We have mothers poisoning infants in their wombs with nicotine, alcohol and illicit drugs daily. We have families neglecting, abusing, demeaning, and dehumanizing their growing children until these kids are devoid of emotion. The physically and mentally disabled child then becomes a public charge, and a thriving industry is developed to house this growing population.

To opt to have children in our society is virtually to take a vow of poverty, and in the desperation of poverty, bad things happen, especially to children.

The answer isn’t to be found in more Eagle’s Nests, but at the mothers’ breast. Let’s begin to pay mothers somewhat in proportion to the demonstrated value of the work they do in bringing the next generation to healthy maturity.
Gordon Wensley