Well, a Happy New Year to everyone, from my family to yours with memories from the past and great bopea for the future, we'd like to greet you all. We have Just named from soutbem ·Alberta after a very satisfying and enjoyable Christmas holiday with two of our kids and their growing faml)les. Carol and Bud Arie, Sara and Miriam in Calgary, and Rick and Peg, Jeanie, Laura, and Doug in Brooks. Both Mum and I got colds as soon as we hit Alberta and are only now shaking them off. Say what you will about Rossland's winter, we never get colds here in the winter. But I guess that's a small price to pay for week of enjoyment with tbo8e young'uns. They make you forget almost everything except enjoying oneself and forgetting all your troubles. While in Brooks, Rick treated me to a hockey game in their new arena complex and a tour of the· facilities. Really nice place, for a town of about the same population as ow town, maybe a thousand more. The game featured the Czech Junior team against the Brooks Blackhawk&, a senior or intennectiate team in roughly the same category as the WIHL. Sometimes I thought they showed some neat passing plays and their goaltending wasn't the reuon for the lopsided beating the Czechs gave them, tied at two after one, the Czechs ran six more in the second and five more in the final without a reply. ' It was a real object lesson for aspiring hockey players of which the crowd of around 1,750 was largely composed. Those Czech kids really showed how keeping your stick on the ice pays off, their passing was right on the money every time but their shooting left something to be desired. If they have a weakness, that's the place you'd find il Rick's boy Doug, age seven, is just getting into hockey pretty good now. He bas a net in the . basement rumpus room and woke us up in the morning with bis 7~ workoul I never got to see him on the ice but be bas a pretty good shooting eye. I wouldn't be much of a granddad if I didn't say right here and now that I fully ~ him to make the ' Canadian Junior team hi about 10 years. He's getting used to the bump and grind of it every day, every move he makes reminds me more of a rubber ball than anything else I can think of. He doesn't sit in a chair, be assaults il It's a good thing Rick and Peg don't have any wooden floors, the way be moves around on them is more a sliding technique, Just as if he was stealing third using a-hook slide. Getting closer to home, our Retirees are sending four rinks to Trail's ~7~ January Seniors 'spiel nm week. Dan Burnett, Russ Broughton, Angus Pop-· · plewell and myself are taking teams. I have Dick Vermiere, George Staudinger, and Chuck Harkness. Angus bas Cleve Cowland, Harry Douglas, and John Bruce. Russ Brougton bas Joe Rosse, Gord Brennan and Fred Munro, while Dan Burnett bas picked Gil Besso, Bernie Ferrey, and Ken Stanton. Our rink curls at 10: 15 a.m. and the others at 8a.m. · While in Brooks, I chanced to visit the local branch of the Legion. They have a magnificent building there, lounge, dining room, banquet ball, meeting rooms and dance area and I was told that they have a regular membership of some 1,400 people plus a • strong L.A. Those prairie towns sometimes do not look like much but boy can they ever produce when it comes down to the pltty-gritty. Brooks is in the oil belt and it just exudes prosperity, a very nice town, too! Well, nut week I sball have caught up on all the 1-t..dnino .,...,..,:i -1,t_..._,.._,_,..- t_i... ..,,..,1 ...1 wen:-a Year Happy New to everyone, from my family to yours with memories from the past and great bopea for the future, we'd lite to greet you all. We have Just named from southern 'Alberta after a very satisfying and enjoyable Christmas bollday with two of our kids and their growing farntHes. Carol and Bud Arie, Sara and Miriam in Calgary, and Rick and Peg, Jeanie, Laura, and Doug in Brooks. Both Mum and I got colds as soon as we hit Alberta and are only now shaking them off. Say what you will about Rossland's winter, we never get colds here in the winter. But I guess that's a small price to pay for week of enjoyment with tbose young'uns. They make you forget almost everything except enjoying oneself and forgetting all your troubles. While in Brooks, Rick treated me to a hockey game in their new arena complex and a tour of the· facilities. Really nice place, for a town of about the same population as our town, maybe a thousand more. The game featured the Czech Junior team against the Brooks Blackbawks, a senior or intermediate team in roughly the same category as the WIHL. Sometimes I thought they showed some neat passing plays and their goaltending wasn't the reason for the lopsided beating the Czechs gave them, tied at two after one, the Czechs ran six more in the second and five more in the final without a rep~. ' It was a real object lesson for aspiring hockey players of which the crowd of around 1,750 was larg~ composed. Those Czech kids really showed how keeping your stick on the ice pays off, their passing was right on the money every time but their shooting left something to be desired. If they have a weakness, that's the place you'd find it. Rick's boy Doug, age seven, is just getting into hockey pretty good now. He has a net in the . basement rumpus room and woke us up in the morning with his 7-8 workout. I never got to see him on the ice but he has a pretty good shooting eye. I wouldn't be much of a granddad if I didn't say right here and now that I fully ~ him to make the Canadian Junior team in about 10 years. He's getting used to the bump and grind of it every day, every move he makes reminds me more of a rubber ball than anything else I can think of. He doesn't sit in a chair, he assaults iL It's a good thing Rick and Peg don't have any wooden floors, the way he moves around on them is more a slidin8 technique, just as if he was stealing third using a-hook slide. Getting closer to home, our Retirees are sending four rinks to Trail's 6-7-8 January Seniors 'spiel next week. Dan Burnett, Russ Broughton, Angus p~· · plewell and myself are taking teams. I have Dick Vermiere, George Staudinger, and Chuck Harkness. Angus has Cleve Cowland, Harry Douglas, and John Bruce. Russ Brougton has Joe Rosse, Gord Brennan and Fred Munro, while Dan Burnett has picked Gil Besso, Bernie Ferrey, and Ken stanton. Our rink curls ft 10:15 a.m. and the others at 8 a.m. While in Brooks, I chanced to visit the local branch of the Legion. They have a magnificent building there, lounge, dining room, banquet hall, meeting rooms and dance area and I was told that they have a regular membership of some 1,400 people plus a 300 strong LA. Those prairie towns sometimes do not look like much but boy can they ever produce when it comes down to the pitty-gritty. Brooks is in the oil belt and it just exudes prosperity, a very nice town, too! Well, next week I shall have caught up on all the current doings around this part of the world and anything I may have missed while away. So, until I do that I'll say 'Tilnexttirne, then!