By Brad Brown
Citizen Staff

The ongoing story of the little red paperclip continues to garner Kipling big headlines both nationally and abroad.

In 2007 alone, the story of Kyle MacDonald’s journey from one red paperclip to a house on Kipling’s Main Street has appeared in such publications as the New York Times, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, Globe & Mail, National Post, Victoria Times-Colonist, Windsor Star, the Nova Scotian, West Jet’s UP! magazine, and a full-page colour spread in Ripley’s Believe It Or Not.

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By Brad Brown
Citizen Staff

It’s official.

The Town of Kipling is finally home to the world’s largest paperclip.

Erected at the town’s Bell Park in July 2006, the paperclip was formally recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s largest last month.

The town received its certificate on Jan. 25 after numerous delays.

The paperclip was built by Ardel Steel of Regina. It measures 15-feet two-inches in length, three-feet two-inches wide, and weighs in at 3,043 pounds.

It stands as a monument to the story of Kyle MacDonald who, through a series of trades, eventually bartered one red (normal-sized) paperclip for a house on Main Street in Kipling.

By Brad Brown
Citizen Staff

A meeting is being planned to address a child-care shortage in Kipling.

“We’re hearing from a lot of mothers around here right now who might be on maternity leave and aren’t able to go back to work because who’s going to take care of their kids?” said community development officer Loretta Demyen, adding immigration is making the need that much more urgent.

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On February 12, 2008 at approximately 1:00 AM, Broadview RCMP responded to a report of a multi-vehicle accident on Highway 1 approximately 10 KM west of Whitewood, Sask.

Preliminary investigation showed that a semi-trailer unit was parked along the shoulder of the westbound lanes and while being attended to by a tow truck, was struck by another semi-trailer unit. Two semi-trailer units travelling west on the highway, for reasons yet to be ascertained, did not notice tow truck until the last second. The first semi-trailer unit avoided the two truck, but the second semi-trailer unit did not. This second semi-trailer unit side-swiped both a parked pup trailer and the tow truck. This caused the trailer to be ripped open and the contents of the trailer spilled across the highway. The second semi-trailer unit entered the north ditch causing its cargo to spill. A third semi-trailer unit came upon the scene where it collided with the damaged pup trailer before coming to rest in the ditch to the south of the westbound lanes. Debris from the third semi-trailer unit and its cargo was scattered across both westbound lanes of the highway.

The investigation into this collision is continuing.

By Brad Brown
Citizen Staff

Austin Green knows a thing or two about winning as a team.

His ongoing fight against cancer has been much the same.

Of course, like many of the 12-year-old’s on-ice battles as a member of the peewee AA Moose Mountain Wild, it hasn’t been an easy one either.

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By Brad Brown
Citizen Staff

Even with competition season at a bit of a standstill, Paige Lawrence of Kennedy of Rudi Swiegers, now of Moosomin, may be able to add one more honour to their trophy case before the month is out.

Lawrence and Swiegers have once again been nominated for Sask Sport’s athlete of the month award, this time for January 2008.

The pairs duo was previously nominated for the October award after placing fourth at an international Grand Prix event in Germany.

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By Chris Jaster

Kipling alderman Kevin Kish classified last week’s Saskatchewan Urban Municipality Association convention in Regina as one of the better conventions he’s been to, but not for the expected reasons.

“The quality of speakers and the (presentations of) economic development of reserves and stuff was really interesting. Last year I wasn’t too impressed. It’s just the quality of stuff that was added,” he said.

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By Brad Brown
Citizen Staff

It was last year around this time that Kipling’s Nolan Hubbard found himself en route to California to shoot his role in a new Corbin Bernsen movie project. The role was given to the Town of Kipling by Kyle MacDonald in exchange for his house on Main Street, and was in turn won by Hubbard through a series of auditions.

Almost exactly a year later that movie - entitled Donna On Demand - is finally nearing completion.

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February 15-16 will mark the sixth annual “Iron Man” competition in Corning. It’s a hockey tournament with a twist, one that frequently requires those involved to show that they are indeed made of “sterner stuff” than just ordinary athletes. As many as 72 players, perhaps even more, will participate in abbreviated games often in succession, in hopes of claiming the “Skate Trophy”, symbolic of the tournament’s championship.

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By Brad Brown
Citizen Staff

Sun Country Health Region’s direction for the next three years will be partially guided by a planning consultation scheduled for Kipling next week.

The mission: To develop the region’s first-ever three-year strategic plan.

Scheduled for Thursday, the meeting was originally set to go in January before being canceled due to weather.

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Bernice McPhee, widow of Clinton McPhee formerly of Glenavon, Sask. passed away on Tuesday, January 29, 2008, in Estevan, Sask. at the age of 93 years. The funeral service was held in St. Andrews United Church, Glenavon, Sask., on Saturday, February 2, 2008 at 2:00 p.m. with Lynette Callfas LPM. officiating. Interment of cremated remains in the Glenavon Cemetery.

Bernice McPhee was born on a homestead south of Kincaid, Saskatchewan on Sept. 22, 1914 to parents Mary (Minnie) and Arthur Park. Her brother Cecil was born in 1916 followed by 2 sisters Ivy in 1918 and Margaret in 1922. She started her education at the Pinto View School. In 1921 the Arthur Park family moved to a farm north of Kincaid where Bernice attended Dixie School. In 1928 the family moved to a farm 10 miles south of Glenavon where she attended Stony Brook School and took her grade 9. Bernice continued her grade 10 while living in Hazenmore with an aunt and worked for her board. It was goodbye to her boyfriend Clinton McPhee who lived on a farm across the pasture. Bernice completed her grade 12 and went on to Normal School in Regina where she also worked for her board. The first school she taught at for 2 years was Pinto View, the school where she started grade 1. In 1934 Bernice was offered a job teaching at Graytown School. She accepted the position and taught there for 2 years. She was able to live with her parents as they had moved to the Graytown district. In 1936 Bernice got engaged to her boyfriend Clinton and they were married on Sept. 22, 1937. They farmed the Moffatt Farm 10 miles south of Glenavon on which Clinton had grown up on. Their family grew to be a total of 5 children, Ron, Norma, Carol, John and Warren. In 1959 they moved to Glenavon. Clinton passed away in 1998. Bernice continued to live in Glenavon until August 2005 when her health was a concern. In October of 2005 she moved to the Estevan Regional Nursing Home and lived there until her passing. Bernice was a member of the Stony Brook Homemakers Club (now Women’s Institute) for 35 years. She was active in the United Church, Sunday School, UCW and Vacation Bible School. She was a leader of the 4-H Club and taught sewing to the senior girls. She was an avid gardener and loved her plants and flowers. She belonged to the Glenavon We All Go Club and enjoyed the fellowship of her friends. Clinton and Bernice loved to dance and belonged to the Square Dance Club.

Bernice was predeceased by her husband Clinton McPhee in Oct. 1998; son Warren McPhee in Oct. 1998; her brother Cecil Park; her sister Ivy McDougald; her parents Arthur and Mary Park brothers-in-law: Cecil McPhee, Wilfred McPhee, Morris McIntosh and Bill Herbert and sisters-in-law Helen Erickson and Myrtle McIntosh. She is survived by son Ron (Mary) McPhee, Kingston, Ont. and their families Wendy McPhee (Peter Bass) and their children Adriana and Kayleigh; DeeAnn (Michael) Kennedy and their family, Daphne, Ben, Melanie and Jaclyn; David McPhee and his family Rachel and Tyler Olson; daughter Norma (Don) Doerr, Estevan, Sask and their family Bob (Colinda) Doerr and twins Dustin and Harley; Barb (Stan) Gessner and their family Zach and Kyra; daughter Carol McPhee, Regina and her daughter Lisa (Ed) Manshande and their family Alex and Savanna; son John McPhee, Yorkton and his family David McPhee and his son Jaydin, Angella McPhee (Mitch Schultz) and their daughter Hailey; daughter-in-law Teresa McPhee (Vern Strachan) and her children Charmaine McPhee (Brad Filteau) and Sara McPhee (Jesse Langley); sister Margaret Herbert, Yorkton, sisters-in-law Evelyn Park, Kipling, Bessie McPhee and Ruth Reid both of Weyburn, brothers-in-laws Bob (Joyce) McPhee, Weyburn and Jack McDougald, Maple Creek, Sask. and also her numerous nieces and nephews.

The family of Bernice McPhee would like to express our heartfelt thanks to Lynette Callfas for her lovely service for Mum. Special thanks to Keith Hawken from Tubman Funeral Home for his kindness and compassion. Thanks also to everyone else at Tubman Funeral Home. Thank you to the Glenavon United Church Women for the beautiful lunch after the service. Thank you to all who donated tokens of remembrance to the Glenavon United Church in memory of Mum. Thank you to Charla at the Sunrise Bakery and Coffee Shop for catering a delicious noon meal for Bernice’s family. We appreciate the support from the community of Glenavon and our friends more than words can say. We are grateful for the beautiful cards and words of comfort given to us. Bless you all.

The funeral arrangements were entrusted to Keith Hawken of Tubman Cremation and Funeral Services.