December 26

December 26, 2012 Rosenfeld News by Tina Wolfe

            In the words of an old song; Oh baby, its cold outside. I have a pair of lined jeans and they sure come in handy on days where the temperature drops below -20 and your nose soon looks like Rudolph’s. I’m hoping that we’ll have cold now and then come February the south wind blows in, Quebec and Ontario have again had power outages along with their storm systems and I really hope they don’t share that situation with us.

            Even though Christmas day has come and gone many people are still gathering and as the TV shows, still shopping. We had a wonderful day with our family even though the stomach flu was still having an effect on our grandson, Thomas.

Rosenfeld program

            The Rosenfeld students and staff worked and practiced hard and again performed an awesome program. It was held on Wednesday, Dec.19 with two performances. The grandparents, aunts and uncles and family friends attended in the afternoon in order for the parents and siblings to have enough seating in the evening. Before the performance began all the piano students participate in a musical prelude. This year we were pleasantly surprise when one of them played Silent Night on the violin. Good job, Jennifer Wall.   

            The concert was entitled The Tale of the Drowsy Shepherd and yes, the shepherd did fall asleep on the job and later had to go looking for the runaways but it all turned out alright in the end. We listened to poems, songs and watched dancing sheep. We were entertained by the Grade 2 class with their rendition of Rockin’ around the Christmas Tree, the school choir singing Sing Noel and poems written and recited by the Grade 3 students. There was never a dull moment as once again the Christmas story unfolded. A big round of applause goes out to the students and staff with special note to the school choir director, Denise Wohlgemut and her accompanist, Kathy Schroeder.

Parkside program

            The Parkside Winter concert took place on Thursday, Dec. 20 at the Altona Bergthaler Church. Due to the drama teacher being ill most of the month; the entire evening was music and singing. It was great. The Grade 7 band was up first and it’s always amazing how far these students have come in their music ability in such a short time. They had an outstanding performance when playing Away in a Manger in two parts, brass and woodwind. The Grade 8 band began with Do You Hear What I Hear and closed with a Jubilant Carol. While the congregation sang Joy to the World the choir took their places and filled the entire front section with just as many boys as girls. As I’ve noted before, having a male music director has made a huge impact on the number of boys participating. This is a good thing.

            Now would be the time where the drama begins but in its place we had a variety of groups entertain just for the fun of it. We had a clarinet trio, a flute trio and Joy to the World beautifully done by student, Avery Brillinger on the cello and Mr. Schott, music director, on the tenor saxophone. The audience then listened to a saxophone quartet and a brass ensemble.

            Not to be outdone, the jazz band came out rocking beginning with Angels Diggin’ It and finished their set with Bell Carol Rock. Those of you who read this column on a regular basis already know that I enjoy the jazz portion the most and it doesn’t hurt that our grandson, Thomas is now the drummer and he did an outstanding job. Those are grandma’s bragging rights.

Rink up date

            The Rosenfeld and District Skating rink is now officially open. The lights are on every evening and from our house I can observe the heads bobbing along on the ice. If in doubt as to the time schedule, please call ahead, 204-324-8902.

            I hope everyone is having a great Christmas break and enjoying the snow. Happy New Year!

December 17

December 17, 2012 Rosenfeld News by Tina Wolfe

            The month of December is more than half over and we’re fast approaching the shortest day of the year. The shopping, wrapping presents and baking frenzy is on. I am happy to report that our shopping is done and I don’t bake nearly as much as I used to. There is such a thing as food overload and the older I get the more obvious it seems. I’ve begun to downsize my grocery shopping to the point that Dave has started picking up items. This is not a bad thing except the fridge and freezers are full and all that food makes me crazy.

Miller Concert

            The W.C. Miller 58 annual Christmas Candlelight Concert was held on December 13 and 14 at Buhler Hall in Gretna. The lights were dimmed; the procession of students carrying candles and singing O Come, O Come Emmanuel filled the hall. After the welcome by Principal Jonathan Toews the Junior Concert Band played a beautiful rendition of Angels from the Realms of Glory. They then played We Three Kings which could have been from a movie set; it was that big of a piece. A medley of songs followed entitled Christmas Swing.  The Senior Concert Band performed three pieces which was followed by audience participation with Hark the Herald Angels Sing; a silver collection took place during this carol. The proceeds were donated to a local charity and used to help cover the cost of renting the hall.

            Now the singing portion of the evening began and up first was the Junior Concert Choir with T’was in the Moon of Winter Time. Madison Smith and Carlissa Dyck performed solos during this song.  The audience listened to two more pieces before the Senior Choir filled the stage. They performed three pieces and in this segment the rendition of Jingle Bells was my favourite.

            I have been attending the candlelight service for a number of years and was pleasantly surprised to see that the school now has a Male Choir. Their performance of 12 and ½ Days of Christmas was hilarious and had the audience bursting with laughter. The Chamber Choir was the last to perform and Ashton Cornelson sang a beautiful portion of Domine Fili. The evening closed with the audience participation of the Hallelujah Chorus.

            Special thanks to band director Dwayne Schott, choir director Akufuna Sifuba and piano accompaniment played by Loren Hiebert.

Hockey update

            The Altona Maroon Bantam team played on Wednesday, Dec. 12 taking on Manitou/Somerset at the Gretna arena. They lost 4-1 but it was good to see that Simon Schroeder was back on the ice after his concussion. More bad news on that front: Alex Damphousse has been diagnosed with a concussion from a previous game.

            They traveled to Swan Lake on Saturday, Dec. 15 to play Notre Dame. From all reports this was a good game with clean checks and good skating but they were outplayed and lost 4 - 0. 

School update

            The Farm to School fundraiser ended and the principal, Jason Pilkington, reports that the school made a profit of $280. Enjoy the vegetables.

            Christmas break begins Monday, Dec. 24 with the first day back being Monday, Jan. 7.

Mystery

            I was wondering if anyone could explain why the turbines at the corner of Highway #75 and #14 were not turning and lights were off for the entire week of Dec. 9 – 16. Was Manitoba Hydro trying to save money? It costs more to have them turning than what they produce and sell so maybe the Manitoba taxpayers will get a break? Ah, yes and humbug to you, too.

December 3

December 3, 2012 Rosenfeld News by Tina Wolfe

            Many people in the area have been down with the stomach flu and the entire family gets sick. We haven’t had it yet, knock on wood, but I do have laryngitis so it’s a good thing I can type this and send via e-mail, no talking needed. We haven’t finished Christmas shopping and I hope to get it done this week but it will depend on the road conditions. Ice scares me and it has been very mild, too mild for my liking which always makes for icy roads. With the rain we’ve had most of the snow has disappeared, here’s hoping we get a good dump before Christmas.

Thoughts and prayers

            The Rosenfeld community would like to send condolences to the Frank and Brenda Braun family. Frank’s mother, Sarah Braun passed away on Monday, Nov. 26 at the age of 93. She was formerly of the Horndean area but currently a resident at Eastview Place in Altona. She was predeceased by her husband P.F. Braun and leaves behind three sons and their families. The funeral took place on Saturday, Dec. 1 at the South Park MB Church in Altona with burial at the Grossweide Cemetery.

Bantam Hockey Tournament

            Sore throat and all, who can miss the grandson’s hockey games, so off we went to Winkler to cheer on the team. The first team the Altona Bantams played against on Thursday, Nov. 29 was the Winkler team and the kids played hard but lost 3 – 0. The second game was played Saturday, Dec. 1 in Plum Coulee. against a team from Gimli. It was a very physical game with one of our guys getting injured. After that incident the Altona team just couldn’t get it together and lost 5 – 0. The third game was played Sunday morning against Dauphin. We had already heard rumours about this team and the story was confirmed within a few minutes of the game. The Gimli team was mild compared to these guys. Bodies were flying everywhere until one of them got a 4 minute penalty and a game misconduct. Even with all that happening, Dauphin won 8 – 1.   Though the Altona team didn’t win any games they sure worked up a sweat. When speaking to one of the parents we learned that Dauphin had stacked their team with kids from their AAA team. I find this an unfair way of playing tournaments due to the fact that the regular players put in a lot of practice and should get to play all the games not sit on the bench and watch.

Stay and Play

The Stay and Play program has been held for the past nine weeks and we have enjoyed playing, singing, reading stories, making crafts and eating snacks. We are having a break for the month of December and will resume the program on Tuesday, Jan. 8. All parents with preschool children are welcome to drop in for the entire two hours or just for whatever time works for them. It is held at the Rosenfeld School from 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. every Tuesday.

School update

The Grade 5 and 6 students will be curling in Altona On Dec. 4, 6, 7, 11 and13. Will there be any up and coming pros in this group?

The Rosenfeld School Christmas Concert will be held Wednesday, Dec 19 with an afternoon performance at 1:00 and another at 6:30 p.m.

On Thursday, Dec. 20 the Rosenfeld Choir will be caroling at Eastview Place at 10:00 a.m.

Christmas break begins December 24 and the kids are out until Monday, Jan.7, 2013.

Photo taken by Tina Wolfe. Caption suggestion –

The children enjoy the bean bags in the Rosenfeld School library during the morning of Stay and Play.

December 10

December 10 2012 Rosenfeld News by Tina Wolfe

            Happy days, the snow is here. It fell in piles last weekend and though we had a bit of wind on Saturday night, the fields are still white. The grandkids are waiting to get onto their sleds and head out onto the field around the farm.

            My voice is back and the coughing has begun. It’s doable during the day but why is it always worse as soon as a person lies down? I have a brown flat bottle standing at the ready on the kitchen counter but is that Buckley’s ever vile stuff. Gallons of tea have been consumed which is very tasty with the honey Mike and Anna brought back from their trip to Savannah. I hope that the coughing fits are gone before the Christmas Concerts begin.

Mayan calendar

            The history buffs are in a tizzy this month. As the readers may have heard, the ancient Mayan people of Mexico were quite advanced in the sciences and agriculture. Archeologists have uncovered calendars in the many ruins i.e. Chichi Niches but they all end in the year 2012, the month of December and on the 21. Is it to be the end of the world? A big catastrophe is predicted but no one really knows if anything or what will occur. Some predict that life as we know it will end but who knows what that means. I just hope our hydro power stays on whatever happens. I can’t imagine how we would cope if the power grid went down. Very few houses have fireplaces or cook stoves and it’s cold out there. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Carolers

            The Boys and Girls Club meets twice a month at the Rosenfeld School. The coordinators, Brian and Roxanne Friesen, plan many activities for the group and this month they went caroling. We were just about to leave for a hockey game when the tractor and wagon pulled up at the end of our driveway. Upon opening the window, Gabby one of our granddaughters stuck in her head and told us that they would like to sing for us. How do you resist those big blue eyes? Out of the truck we hopped, into the garage we went and stood at the open door while the big group sang energetically. Before leaving we were presented with a container of peppernuts which luckily Dave doesn’t enjoy so I didn’t even have to share. The evening wasn’t as cold as many in the past and it was huge group. Thank you, we enjoyed the carols.

Hockey update

            The Altona Bantams are playing at least two games a week and that keeps these grandparents very busy. On Thursday, Dec. 6 the Morden team came to Altona for their second game. It was a very good game and the score was closer than the previous one. Altona won 3 – 1. Saturday, Dec. 8 the Notre Dame team drove in even though the snow was piling up on the roads. This was also a nail biter and Altona lost their first game in regular season play 4 – 2.  We currently have two players off with concussions; Simon Schroeder and Jesse Dowswell. We wish them the best and hope they recover soon.

November 29

         

        

November 26, 2012 Rosenfeld News by Tina Wolfe

            Once the temperatures hit – 20, I fully believe that winter is here and we hit that low from Sunday to Monday of this week so I think winter has arrived. We can’t seem to keep the bird feeder full with all the sparrows descending upon the front deck announcing to the world that lunch is being served at the Wolfe house. When I grew up seeing blue jays in Rosenfeld was a rare occurrence but that has totally changed. Have you ever watched how many sunflower seeds those birds can take into their beaks at one time? I swear it must be half a cup at least. The nuthatches are also very busy but have their work cut out for themselves trying to get a snack between the blue jays and sparrows.

Award in Ottawa

            My sister Eva and her husband live in Winnipeg. Everyone hears stories about how people in the big cities don’t know their neighbours but that can’t be said in this situation. One of their neighbours is a very unique and interesting person with an intriguing background and ancestors. Her name is Terry Somerset and she allowed me an interview only because she likes Eva and Rasheed. I feel very privileged to tell a bit of her story. I have a feeling there will be a book written in the near future; her family has a long history in Manitoba.

            Terry Somerset was nominated to receive a medal and flag at the National Recognition Ceremony which took place on October 25. Terry and her daughter, Cathy flew out to Ottawa the day before to prepare for the occasion. The Governor General, David Johnston and Prime Minister Stephen Harper presented Terry with a flag and she will receive the medal on a later date. The presentation was in honour of her Métis ancestors’ participation in the War of 1812.

            Terry and Cathy were given a very interesting tour of Rideau Hall by the Governor General and his wife, both who were wonderfully personable and friendly. They also attended a fabulous luncheon where they met many of the other recipients from right across Canada.

            Terry reported that the flag will be hung in one of the Métis centers in Winnipeg so that many may enjoy it. She stated that many Métis ancestors fought for the British against the Americans in 1812 and her people should be proud of their history.

           Only two Manitoba residents were chosen to receive a medal and flag at the National Recognition Ceremony in Ottawa on October 25. They are Randy Ranville and Terry Somerset pictured here with Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Governor General David Johnston.

Hockey report

            The Altona Bantam Hockey team began their season with a nail biter at the Pilot Mound arena on Saturday, Nov. 17. They took on the Manitou/Somerset team and for awhile it appeared that the game was theirs but the other team laid on the coals and the score ended 5 – 4 for the Altona team. Tuesday, Nov. 20 we headed out to Morden for the second game. This was easier on the blood pressure and they won 6 – 3.On Wed. Nov. 21, the Portage team came a ‘calling and again the Altona team was up 2 goals by the second period and only squeaked by winning 4 – 3. Three Bantam players hail from Rosenfeld: Simon Schroeder, Conner Winter and Thomas Wolfe, all them play defence. Simon Schroeder has been out for the last two games due to a concussion which occurred during his participation in Hockey Academy.

School update

            The schools Christmas programs are right around the corner or should I say the next page. Mark these dates on the calendar.

            The W. C. Miller Candlelight Concerts will be held at Buhler Hall on December 13 and 14. Get there early, this is usually standing room only.

            Rosenfeld School will be holding their concert on Wednesday, Dec. 19. There will be two concerts; one in the afternoon and another in the evening.

            Parkside Junior High will perform on Thursday, Dec. 20.

Rink update

            The lights are on at the rink and flooding has begun making this one of the earliest starting date in awhile. The storage addition is coming along nicely with the help of Henry and Chris Janz coming to put in many man hours. A couple of more donors helped out financially; Winner’s Circle of Altona and WolfePac Consultants of Rosenfeld. The community appreciates everyone’s involvement to make this rink available to the residents and their children.

               

 

 

November 6

November 5, 2012 Rosenfeld News by Tina Wolfe

            People, who’ve known me for years, think I’ve lost my mind and maybe, just maybe they’re right. Not since I was a child have I been this excited with anticipation for the coming of winter. And last Friday I stood at the window and watched as the snowflakes dropped straight down as though weighted. There was not a breath of wind and slowly the snow accumulated on railings, branches and wires. When the lights went on inside so did our Christmas lights outside. It was awesome. All the decorations have been hung three feet from the ground and I truly hope that we will have snow to reach them. I have a stock of puzzles and two quilts waiting to be played with so bring it on, I feel like a child who shifts from one foot to another waiting with bated breath.

            In last week’s column, I mentioned that I would put up the outside Christmas decorations as soon as Halloween was over, well, the inside ones are done, too. The tree will need to wait because we still buy a real evergreen but all the other ornaments and lights are done. It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. In fact many of my friends are feeling the same way and are also decorating and playing Christmas music. Do you think we’ve all had too much sun this summer?

School news

            Boys and Girls Club is up and running again at the Rosenfeld School gym, They meet every other Thursday night form 7 - *:30 pm.

            The Rosenfeld School students and staff will present a Remembrance Day Program in the school gym on Friday, Nov. 9 at 2:20 pm. Everyone is welcome to attend.

            The students will begin their fall Farm to School fundraiser on Monday, Nov. 12. They will be selling a variety of fresh vegetables.

Parkside concert

            The Parkside Junior High held their fall concert on Thursday, Nov. 1 in the school gym. From past experience I knew that there would be standing room only so this year I asked our daughter-in-law to save us chairs. Parents are asked to bring the students a half hour before the concert so this guaranteed that we would be getting seats. I have in previous years had to stand for the whole evening and it’s doable but not much fun. Thomas, our grandson, has been switched to percussion instruments and enjoys this very much.

            The Grade 7 band began with Ode to Joy and ended their part of the program with Lean on Me which also happens to be a favourite of mine. The Grade 8 band included a Halloween piece; The legend of Shady Lane Manor and an emotionally charged piece, Three Faces of Kilimanjaro. The mass choir filled the front of the gym and the new choir director had the group perform three enjoyable pieces including a happy African song entitled Sipiri.

            The evening was quickly over and again a round of applause goes out to Dwayne Schott, band director and Akufuna Sifuba the choir director.

Upcoming events

            Gail Sawatzky lives just a few miles south of Rosenfeld and has been painting for a number of years. Last year she participated in a display entitled Mennonite Women which traveled to many centers. This fall she will be involved in the opening of Mennonite Men at the Pembina Hills Art Gallery in Morden. The gallery has a website for location and more information.

            The MCI’s Community Theater presents Sherlock Holmes on November 22, 23 and 24 at 7:30 pm. The cast include one of Rosenfeld’s very own, Val Schellenberg. Call 204-327-5891 for tickets and more information.

More babies

            Kim and Shane Friesen are proud parents of a little girl born on August 15. Emma Marie weighed in at a tiny 6 lb 14 oz. the paternal grandparents are Ronn and Anne Friesen of the Rosenfeld area and maternal grandparents are Harold and Alice Falk of Winnipeg.

            Elliot Rempel welcomed his baby sister on August 27. Marygrace weighed in at 8 lb 14 oz and her parents are Franklin and Bethany Rempel. Paternal grandparents are Frank and Mary Rempel and maternal grandparents are Brad and Phyllis Erlandson, both of the Rosenfeld area.

            Congratulations go out to both families from the community.

Teen Challenge

            The Rosenfeld Bergthaler Church invited a ministry team from the Teen Challenge organization to make a presentation to the congregation on Sunday Nov. 4. Two student testimonies and the testimony of the leader had many clapping through their tears when the morning came to a close. The work done by this organization cannot be overstated. Many of the students are not teenagers but adults who have lost their way, in their 40’s and early 50’s.  Central Canada has four facilities. The facility in Winnipeg has 32 beds and a new women’s facility has just opened in Brandon with 8 beds and already has a long waiting list. They also have beds in Thunder Bay and Denare Beach, Sask. All students participate in a one year program and one of the guests stated that the last few months are the first time he’s been sober and clear of drugs since the 1980’s. The leader, Daniel Emond, encouraged the congregation to form a support group for any local individual who may need help and is waiting to enter the Teen Challenge program. Teen Challenge is a Christian based organization and for more information go online to the Teen Challenge website.

October 27

October 27, 2012 Rosenfeld News by Tina Wolfe

            Oh happy Monday, it snowed, then the sun came out and we hit the high temperatures of +9 for goodness sakes. Here I was so excited about the snow I began taking down the fall decorations and was chomping at the bit to bring out the Christmas stuff. Patience, I need to practice patience. Halloween is on Wednesday and by the time this column is printed the outside ornaments will be on the evergreen out front. Some of the pumpkins did get chopped, cooked, mashed and frozen ready for pies and muffins.

Liquor vote

            On Wednesday, Oct 24, Ward 5 of the Rural Municipality of Rhineland held a vote concerning seven by-laws dealing with the sale of liquor. Rosenfeld is in Ward 5 and Dave and I sat at the poll. We had 36 ballots to count at the end of the day and that doesn’t sound like much until you times that by the seven by-laws to be marked. Some residents marked only the first one which dealt with liquor sales in a dining room but the majority did choose yes or no on most of the by-laws. The yeses won in each by-law but the one dealing with liquor sales under a spectator activity licence was close with 19 for and 14 opposed. I guess having one ballot containing 7 by-laws is one way of cutting expenditures instead of having 7 days of voting. Now we’ll wait and see what the future brings with these results.

Fall concert

            The W. C. Miller Collegiate held their fall concert on Thursday, Oct 25 at the Buhler Hall in Gretna. The evening began with the senior concert band which was followed by the junior band; each played two pieces. Then the choirs took the stage with the junior choir up first. Madison Smith sang a solo piece in the rendition of Deep River. The mass choir did two African pieces which were followed by the concert choir. One of these items required the participation of the audience singing the chorus; she take my money and run to Venezuela This song could have been one of Harry Belafonte’s; it sure was cute and fun. The program continued with the vocal jazz and Gabrielle Wolfe had a solo piece in the song, Jar of Hearts. The jazz bands brought the evening to a close. My favourite by the junior jazz was Fun, Fun, Fun which was a hit by the Beach Boys. And by the senior band was a 1932 rendition of April in Paris a lively swing number.

A huge thank you goes out to Mr. Akufuna Sifuba, the new choral director, Mr. Dwayne Schott, band director and Mr. Loren Hiebert for piano accompaniment.

Best wishes

            A long time resident of this area is in the care of the wonderful nurses at the Altona Regional Hospital. Kay Lang who is in her sunset years but still a spunky lady experienced a fall while in hospital and will now have an extended stay. We wish her the very best.

More babies

            Stephanie and Trevor Janz are happy to announce the arrival of their first born, Serena Violet. She was born on Thursday, Oct. 18 weighing in at a wee 6 lb 14 oz and measuring 193/4 inches in length. Maternal grandparents are Lloyd and Val Giesbrecht of Altona and paternal grandparents are Henry and Elaine Janz of Rosenfeld.

            Another baby girl arrived on Monday, Oct. 22. Katelyne Grace weighed in at 8 lb 8 oz and measured 19#/4 inches. She is the daughter of Cornie and Mary Dyck and the sister to brothers, Byron and Tyson. Maternal grandparents are Jacob and Susana Unrau of Reinland and paternal grandparents are Cornie and Elizabeth Dyck of the Reinland area.

            Congratulation wishes go out to all the families from the Rosenfeld community.

Hockey tournament

            The Altona Arena was full of hockey teams and spectators the past Saturday and Sunday. The Altona Bantams dressed and were on the ice at 11:45 on Sat. Oct 27 to play against rivals from Morden. They played a very fast passing and checking game and won 4 – 0.  At 4:30 they were on the ice again taking on Windsor Park. Here again they had a terrific game and won 4 – 1. Thomas Wolfe had to sit out that game due to a game penalty. The next game was Sunday noon against Morden and this one Conner Winter had to sit out also due to a game penalty. The Altona Bantams couldn’t seem to get enough steam and lost that game 5 – 1. This put them in the game for bronze and they were up against Winkler. They came out and scored the first goal but couldn’t seem to get past the Winkler defense after that and lost 4 – 1. The arena was filled with hockey fans young and old there to enjoy the game of hockey. Now you’d think that the NHL would get their situation figured out and get on with the game.

            Happy Halloween to everyone. Be safe and enjoy the goodies.