What if YOU could be part of a group of women that raises $5,000 for charities in your community in 1 hour? Local Brandon and area women care about their community and they’re coming together to prove it. Through the Brandon Area Community Foundation (BACF), a Brandon and area chapter of “100 Women Who Care” has been formed and is currently recruiting members. For one hour, four times a year, the club will meet and vote on nominated charitable organizations to which we will donate. Each member donates $50 at every meeting, in addition to paying for their yearly commitment of $100. With their registration, they enter a charity of their choice to be drawn and voted on later. “We are looking for women who share our common desire to give back and inspire local philanthropy in our community” states Laura Kempthorne, GM of BACF. “As women, we know what it is like to be stretched for time and resources but still feel the strong pull to help others in our community – and that is why we’ve created this group”. With this process and having a wide range of women, from all ages, all backgrounds; we have the opportunity to learn more about charitable organizations and what they mean to our members and what our $5,000 donation can help provide to those charitable organizations. The money raised in commitment fees are donated to BACF’s Women’s Endowment Fund. Kempthorne explains, “The Women’s Endowment Fund was created in 2002 by Erin Kille in honour of her Mother, Mona Kille. This fund is designed to give back to the community by providing annual grants supporting women, girls and their families. Tying in the initial contribution to this Fund with “100 Women” commitment adds longevity to our member’s impact and brings awareness to one of the many funds held through BACF. Our first meeting held on May 26th in the CKLQ Hall at the Keystone Centre and “in only an hour” raised $3,000 to be donated to the Crohn’s and Colitis Westman Chapter. $6,000 was raised and contributed to the Women’s Endowment Fund. After the meeting, one member stated: “this group is exactly what I’ve had been looking for! I’m a single mom raising 2 children, time and money is always a concern but this is something I can do to make a difference. My small donation with 99 other women will make an impact to any of the organizations chosen. I like that!” To date we have increased our members but are still looking for more women to become involved. We have the potential to donate $20,000 a year to charitable organizations in our community. Commitment to “100 Women Who Care Brandon and Area” is open to all women, JOIN US! Our second quarter meeting will be held on Monday, September 26th, 2016. We only have 3 meetings left in our 1st year! With a $100 commitment fee to join, $50 to be donated at each meeting! Register online today www.bacf.ca or call Brandon Area Community Foundation office 204-571-0529 for more information.

Brandon Police Service Officers are asking for your help in locating missing Brandon teenager, Cheyenne Byczkowski. Byczkowski is described as a 13-year-old teenager standing 5'2” and weighing 60 lbs. She has blond hair and was last seen seen wearing blue jeans and an orange Aeroposale shirt. According to police reports she took several articles of clothing with her and left out her bedroom window sometime during the afternoon on Tuesday, August the 30th. Going missing is out of the ordinary for Cheyenne and if you have any information on where she is, or if you have seen her, please call the Brandon Police Service at (204) 729-2345. Photo:  Brandon Police Service

Pure speculation but one has to wonder if a new casino in the areas future. Recently Tolko Industries in The Pas announced that they were closing their kraft paper mill operations and now the Aseneskak Casino, also in The Pas, said that they may need to relocate their casino citing less than a quarter of the casino's gaming machines and tables are currently being used. They have indicated that they would be looking at the possibility of locating the casino closer to Winnipeg. Which leads us to Sioux Valley. They are currently in the process of opening a Petro Canada full service store and gas bar in September at the junction of the TransCanada Highway No. 1 and the Eva McKay Memorial Highway. Their web site lists plans to further develop the land to include a restaurant, motor hotel, commercial space, a new gaming centre, and an outdoor stage and entertainment facility. Future proposed plans also include a multiplex arena and golf course among other items. In regards to the gaming centre would Sioux Valley look at relocating their existing gaming centre or would they perhaps try to reel in a bigger fish and lobby the Asenekak Casino to move their 172 machines and numerous table games to this new development? Sioux Valley may not be in the immediate Winnipeg vicinity however their proposed development is along a major highway and closer to a larger city (Brandon) each providing more traffic and visibility than some other casinos in the province.

Courtesy;  Brandon University News Release BRANDON, Man. – While many eyes were on the Olympic athletes at Rio through mid-August, two Brandon students were among 55 of Canada’s best young musicians performing and competing at the National Music Festival in Edmonton. Jammie Lee, on piano, and Kayla Solomon, on trumpet, are Brandon students who were among those chosen to represent Manitoba at the national competition. Solomon, who performed with her piano partner, Danielle Guina, and Lee also both played at a try-out recital at Brandon University (BU) on July 31, before heading to nationals. When they returned, Solomon and Lee were carrying the National Festival equivalent of bronze medals: each placed third in their category. Lee has been nationally recognized before. In 2011, then aged 10, Lee placed second in his age category in the Canadian Music Competitions at the finals in Montreal, playing a Mozart piano concerto. Not limited to piano, Lee also plays trombone in the Vincent Massey Band and in jazz band, and will soon begin Grade 10. He also plays drums in a church band at Grand Valley’s Korean congregation, and studies theory with Gretta Sayers. At the Nationals, Lee played a complete Beethoven Sonata, Op. 10 No. 3, which is known especially for its tragic slow movement, marked “slow and sad.” Adjudicator Moshe Hammer described Lee’s performance of this as “wonderful.” Lee brought the four movements of the sonata a great variety of style and expression, and they were judged by piano adjudicator Janet Scott Hoyt as “beautifully characterized” and that he “captured the humour” in the finale. The other work on Lee’s program, Chopin’s Scherzo No. 2, was presented with “excellent control throughout.” Overall, said Hoyt, “it was a pleasure to hear your performance today. You are doing great work.” Lee, the son of Mija Lim and King Lee, was invited earlier this summer to play with the Winnipeg Symphony at its “Open House: Made in Manitoba” concert. Until 2015 he studied piano with Dr. Kyung Kim, and he now studies with Dr. Lawrence Jones, professor emeritus at the BU School of Music. A native of Winnipeg, Solomon has completed her second year in Brandon University’s Bachelor of Music program. The winner of many scholarships and awards, she studies trumpet with Dr. Ed Bach, himself an award-winner at the National Festival in earlier years. Before she started trumpet, she had extensive training in piano and theory with Heidi Peters, and in violin. At the Nationals, Kayla played a trumpet concerto written in the 1950s by the Armenian composer, Alexander Arutunian. The adjudicator, renowned clarinettist James Campbell, commented on her “confident musical ideas, wide dynamic range, and terrific cadenza.” Trumpet virtuoso Guy Few noted that her second number, Andante and Allegretto by Balay, was played with “such a lovely sound,” and added, “Thanks for your beautiful playing.” “The School of Music and Eckhardt-Gramatté Conservatory are delighted with the continuing success of these wonderful young musicians, and congratulate them for doing so well, literally on the national stage,” said Greg Gatien, Dean of the BU School of Music. “It is a testament to their commitment, intelligence, and musical sophistication. It’s also another example of the high level of instruction that our students receive in Brandon, and how lucky we are to have teachers like Ed Bach and Lawrence Jones working in our community.” Since 1967, the National Festival, organized by the Canadian Federation of Music Festivals, has sponsored competitions in piano, strings, woodwinds, brass, voice, music theatre, percussion, classical guitar, and chamber groups. Competitions at local, and then provincial levels, lead to national competition, where each performer selected represents a province or territory. Brandon University, founded in 1899, promotes excellence in teaching, research, and scholarship, and educates students so that they can make a meaningful difference as engaged citizens and leaders. For more information: Grant Hamilton Marketing Communications Officer 204.571.8542 HamiltonG@BrandonU.ca Rob Henderson Marketing Communications Officer 204.727.9762 HendersonR@BrandonU.ca    

After 10 successful sales in Winnipeg Childcycle Children's Consignment Sales is coming to Brandon on Saturday, September the 24th inside the Keystone Centre (MNP Room). Shopping to the public starts at 10:00 am. Come out and get some great deals from 80+ sellers at 20-75% off retail! This is a great opportunity to sell your kids unused clothing, toys, baby equipment and furniture. What makes this consignment sale different from other sales is that they don't rent tables for people to set up and sell their own items. Instead consignors bring their already priced and hung children's clothing and assorted items to them and they will merchandise and sell your product for you. They provide the racks to hang your children's clothes from and they use tables for toys, games, bedding, etc. All liked items are grouped together by size and category making it easier for shoppers to locate the items they are in search of. Check out their website www.childcycle.ca for more information and to sign-up to become a consignor. To become a seller is simple. All you need to do is register online, price your stuff using their online inventory pricing system, and arrange to drop off your merchandise. Consignors can also sign up to volunteer which will get you either a presale pass for shopping, or a greater percentage back from selling your stuff. Childcycle starts off at 65% back for your merchandise and by volunteering you can earn up to 70%. If you are a new parent of a child between the ages of newborn and 12 months, or if you are an expecting mom, you can shop the presale before the general public, and after the volunteers. The best part of this type of sale is that you don't even have to be there to sell, they do all the work for you. Its a nice way to earn money back on items that are hardly used or no-longer required. If consignors don't want their left over stuff back, Childcare works with a local charity and people can choose to donate the rest of their stuff. Spaces are limited so sign up now if you are interested! Their Facebook event can be found here. Photos are from a previous sale held in Winnipeg.