As with any other community at this time of year things have slowed down here in Meota. This is the time of year that builds up to cabin fever season when a large group of people start to get a little antsy from being trapped inside due to cold weather.
Of course, there are those others who relish this time of winter and tend to be outdoors ice fishing, skiing or riding snow machines. For them, this time of year can get pretty busy with snowmobile rallies being held all over the country.
Meota ADRA will be hosting their annual rally Feb. 26 for those who have the urge to get out and let the cold weather invigorate them as they ride the trails for a couple of hours. The rally will start at the Meota Hotel with registration and the trail will be well marked out for a fun ride for all. There will also be the wiener roast and refreshments at the half way point and a feed of chilli at the hotel at the end of the ride where the draws and the awards for the day will be held. So for those who love to challenge winter on a high powered machine, mark your calendar so as not to miss this event.
Jan. 15, the Do Drop In is getting set to entertain those who prefer to be active indoors with a shuffleboard tournament. To register so the draws can be set up, call Linda at 892-2179, Nestor at 892-2171 or Yvette at 892-2167.
The wellness clinics that have been held every month at the Do Drop In are going through a change. For the last while the number of folks attending has been dwindling to the point that it does not make sense to bring someone out, so it has been have decided there will now be a wellness clinic only every other month. Wednesday, Jan. 12, there will be a clinic then there will not be another until March.
I have heard comments about the outdoor rink in regards to cleaning of the ice. This rink is sponsored by Meota ADRA which is made up of local volunteers. The funding for the rink has all been achieved through fundraising that the volunteers have worked hard to achieve plus grant money. Over the last year, the amount of funds being raised diminished when the steering committee decided to stop working bingos as an income source. This was because it was not uncommon to have trouble finding enough workers for the bingos that were booked. There were times when workers had to be hired to meet the required numbers.
There is only a certain of cash in the bank to fund the operation of the rink and there is no way a full time worker can be funded to insure the ice is clean at all times as well as the other work that needs to be done to maintain the ice surface. Since the person who is hired for the rink is only part time we cannot expect he can be there each and every moment for cleaning. There will definitely be times when there will be snow on the ice.
I remember when I was younger and spent many hours on the outdoor rinks. There were many times when we arrived to play and the first thing that we had to do was scrape the ice and shovel the snow off. This actually was a great source of exercise and a good part of learning responsibility. Maybe those who are not satisfied with the job being done should make use of the opportunity to have a little workout and clean some of the surface themselves. It is one of the free exercise programs available so why not give it a try. At the present ADRA is in the process of looking into buying a new snow blower as well to facilitate the timely cleaning since the old unit is in need of so many repairs it does not make sense to keep whipping a dead horse.
Dec. 30, in kaiser action, first place went to Bev McCrimmon, second was taken by Eric Callbeck, Ken Tucker took third and fourth place went to Anna Tucker. Jan 3, in contract bridge, Eric Callbeck took first and Linda Ard came second.
Quote: "The success of any society does not depend on the commitment of a few leaders, but on the involvement of each and every member of that society. Large or small, each and every person's part is equally important. It is when some refuse to take their responsibility that the structure of humanity is challenged." Yours truly