Spotlight
feature:
Roy
and Evelyne Holenski:
Manitoba
Softballs Heroes
Winnipeg, Manitoba
By Scott Taylor
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Roy
and Evelyne Holenski
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Back in
1975, all Evelyne Holenski wanted to do was coach a softball
team with a group of 11-12-year-old girls who attended Harrow
School.
Funny,
isnt it, how things turn out?
Little
did she know at the time, but the well-liked teacher was about
to create the most successful womens fast pitch team
in Western Canada and, as a result, Evelyne and her husband
Roy would eventually be honored by the Manitoba Softball Hall
of Fame.
Its
been a 36-year journey, and its still moving ahead at
full speed.
When people
mention womens softball or fastpitch anywhere
in Canada, the first name that always springs to mind isnt
the name of a great player, but the name of a great team,
Winnipeg Smittys. For those who arent aware, Smittys
record is absolutely incredible.
The original
team, which was a community club squad that played out of
Grant Park Harrow in South Winnipeg, went on to win the Manitoba
championship for four straight years two as a bantam
team and then two more as a midget team. Comprising 10 girls
from Evelyne's Grade 5/6 class at Harrow School, the team
started slowly, learned the game from Evelyne and Roy and
seldom ever lost. This group of young women represented Manitoba
at the Western Canadian Championships in Calgary (1976), Saskatoon
(1977), Brandon (1978) and Campbell River, BC (1979), finishing
either second or third in each of those four years.
It
was pretty hard not to fall in love with those kids,
Evelyne remembered fondly. We took the nucleus of this
group all the way through the provincial Masters. Karen Doell,
Juanita Clayton, Jill Mathez (all members of the Manitoba
Softball Hall of Fame) have been with us for a long, long
time.
As they
continued to coach, the Holenskis reputation grew. Not
only were they thought of as great coaches, but also caring
and empathetic team managers. Players from all over Manitoba
wanted to play for Smittys so by keeping the original
nucleus together and then adding a few new players each year,
the team continued to win and to stay fresh and exciting.
The nucleus
of the original Smittys team from Grant Park represented
Manitoba at three Junior National Championships in Milverton,
Ont. (1981), Kitchener, Ont. (1982), and Lloydminster, Alta
(1983). The team won bronze in 1983.
Our
only policy, I guess, was that we wanted to recruit good players
with great attitudes, Evelyne said. It was the
great attitudes that made our team. Players with great attitudes,
players who just love to play and play properly, will beat
more talented players without great attitudes any day. We
always looked for good players who loved to play.
Into 1984,
Smittys stepped up to the senior ranks and didnt
miss a beat. They won Manitoba championships in 1986, 1987,
1989 and 1990. They represented the province at national championships
in Vancouver (1986), Memremcook NB (1987), St. John's NF (1988),
Brampton ON (1989), and Vancouver (1990).
Roy
and I believed that even though Manitoba had not done well
at the nationals in the 70s and 80s, that one day we could
compete with the top teams in the country, Evelyne said.
We just needed more competition at home.
In the
mid-1980s, Roy and Evelyne helped for the Manitoba Ladies
Super League, a multi-structured league that was designed
to provide Manitobas growing number of elite teams with
the best competition possible. As Smittys played better
teams at home, they became stronger against national competition.
So strong in fact, that they started to leave the participants
ribbons behind at national championships and began taking
home gold medals.
In fact,
Smittys, a team that has boasted such international
stars as Doell, Clayton, Deb Sonnenberg, Heather and Sandy
Newsham, Leanne Scott, Brandi Chammartin, Rhonda Denbow, Katie
Rosentreter and Ashley Lanz, has won 10 national senior womens
championships 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002,
2003, 2007 and 2008.
We
were able to find a unique group of young women who were great
athletes and great people, Evelyne said. The teams
were all very close and always worked well together. Although
we had some very good individual players national team
players and even Olympic team players the important
thing for all of them was team first and individual accomplishment
second. All of the players possessed great leadership qualities
and they were all loyal to each other. Its been an honour
to be part of it.
And its
not like Smittys or Roy and Evelyne are
going anywhere. Now 75, Evelyne is not only managing the Smittys
program, shes also coaching the Senior A team again
this year. And shes quite excited about it.
We
have a whole new crop of great young pitchers, said
Evelyne, who grew up Evelyne Olafson on the family farm south
of Morden. Its great to have (national team player)
Ashey Lanz back again this year. Shes also our pitching
clinician right through the entire organization.
Roy
and I still love doing this. It keeps us young.
Its
not like it hasnt been hard work. With the other coaches
in the organization, the Holenskis have spent countless hours
fund-raising, just to have enough money in the bank to send
the young women all across Canada and the United States for
tournaments and championships. And this summer, Smittys
will play host to the Canadian Bantam and Midget Fastpitch
Championships at John Blumberg Park from Aug. 14-20.
We
never thought that it would get as big or as successful as
it has been, Evelyne said of the program. But
from that little team of girls at Harrow School Smittys
now has six different programs and for the last two years
weve been provincial champions in all of them
Squirts, Peewees, Bantams, Midgets, Juniors and Seniors. That
means, for the past two years, Smittys has won every
provincial championship in Manitoba.
We
never would have dreamed that it has become the program for
young women that it has become. But weve been blessed.
We get to spend so much time with so many great people.
(Read
more in the May
17 - June 14/2011 issue of Senior Scope)
Fraud Prevention:
The
Cost of Mass Marketing Fraud
Mass Marketing
Fraud, known as fraud perpetrated through communication media,
continues to target Canadians in a variety of forms. In 2010,
the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre received over 41,000 complaints
from Canadians regarding Mass Marketing Fraud. Approximately
25% of the complainants failed to identify the fraud before
parting with their money and reported a combined loss of $35,622,889.00.
By comparison Manitobans made 2,600 complaints of which 382
were victimized for a total monetary loss of $986,316.00.
It is estimated that only one in 20 victims report fraud to
the police due to shame and embarrassment. The top three scams
are lottery, service, and emergency.
For more
information on current scams and frauds visit www.antifraudcentre.ca
or www.rcmp.ca.
Cst.
Ben Doiron
Winnipeg RCMP
Commercial Crime Section
204-983-7633
(Read
more in the May
17 - June 14/2011 issue of Senior Scope)
CNIB
urges Manitobans to get eyes examined, wear sunglasses
May
is Vision Health Month
This May,
CNIB embarks on its second annual Vision Health Month to raise
awareness about eye health and help eliminate preventable
sight loss. From coast to coast, Canadians will be reminded
about the importance of eye health with CNIB in Manitoba
organizing local awareness and fundraising activities for
Manitobans.
Few
Canadians realize 75 per cent of vision loss is preventable
or treatable, says Delcy-Ann Selymes, Executive Director.
During Vision Health Month, well be calling on
Manitobans to take control of their eye health, starting with
getting their eyes examined.
Simple
lifestyle changes like wearing UV-protective sunglasses year-round
and eating a diet rich in dark, leafy greens can also have
a big impact on your eyes, says Selymes.
Vision
Health Month wraps up with the Shades of Fun Day fundraising
campaign on May 26.
Vision
loss can happen to anyone, at any time, says Selymes.
Its not life-ending, but it is life-changing.
This is why these kinds of events are so important in helping
raise awareness about vision health and supporting Manitobans
whove lost their vision and have turned to CNIB for
help.
Shep Shell
has had limited visiononly 1%for most of his life.
Doctors were amazed at what Shep could do with only 1% vision.
He could use a cane comfortably, ride a bike, cross country
ski, and canoe with various adaptations.
Upon coming
to Canada in 1950, Shep was schooled at the Brantford School
for the Blind in the days when children were not integrated
into the mainstream school system. He was gainfully employed
for many years and has been retired for the past 10 years.
He is an avid Braille advocate.
He has
competed in the Boston and New York marathons, also in Seoul,
and in many others.
He has
volunteered with CNIB for many years in various roles, including
past Chair of the Provincial Board of Directors, and also
was a Director on the National Library Board, ensuring literacy
needs of CNIB clients were met. He also volunteered on the
Jewish Child and Family Service and the Manitoba Blind Sports
Association boards. Sheps extensive volunteering was
his way of giving back.
Shep has
now lost that 1% vision and isnt quite as active as
he used to be. But he still has two granddaughters to keep
him busy, he enjoys making pottery, and enjoys building things
like model trains.
With the
help of his guide dog, Paige, and the training, skills and
support provided by CNIB, he is able to live independently
in Winnipeg.
CNIB offers
many tools to assist in everyday living such as a colour identifier
(great for matching socks), a scanning computer program to
convert text to simulated voice, and also stove adapters.
Shep has a talking computer, thermostat and thermometer, too.
Apple,
with their commitment to accessibility over the last 20 years,
has provided innovative solutions for people with disabilities,
allowing them to utilize the Mac, iPod, iPhone, iPad and Apple
TV. The assistive technology includes screen magnification,
and VoiceOver, a screen-access technology, for the blind and
visually impaired.
Vision
is a special attribute and you shouldnt abuse it. Once
you lose it, only then do you realize the impact, says
Shep. If you have trouble seeing, talk to an opthamologist
and also the helpful staff at CNIB.
CNIB is
equipped to teach you skills, new technologies and can help
you cope and adjust with the changes in your life.
Shep is
going to be 65 in September, but he learned Braille at the
age of four. He sympathizes with those who lose their sight
in their later years as Braille is often more difficult to
learn then.
Manitobans
can support CNIB Vision Health Month by participating in Shades
of Fun Day - www.shadesoffunday.ca
For other
info, call: 774-5421, visit: www.cnib.ca,
or text CNIB to 45678 to make a $5 donation.
(Read
more in the May
17 - June 14/2011 issue of Senior Scope)
Financial Planning:
The
perils of chasing performance
Does
anyone really know for sure when to hold and when to fold
an investment portfolio?
BRIAN
G. KONRAD CFP, Financial Consultant
When stock
market returns accelerate, it is only normal that most investors
want to be involved in what could be the next big bull market
that will quickly put them on the road to riches. During these
periods, logic does not always prevail and even the most astute
investor has been known to abandon their investment objectives
in favor of what they perceive to be the latest hot
tip.
Chasing
performance can involve switching between mutual funds for
the sole purpose of rapidly increasing the value of your investment.
It typically involves an intensive focus on a particular sector
trend or investment style. It may also involve moving out
of equity funds altogether and into generally less risky assets
such as bond funds or real estate, or even funds that invest
in short-term securities like T-Bills. Movement typically
occurs when a certain market has already begun to rise. For
the average investor, these asset movements are generally
based on emotion and may even contradict their actual comfort
level for investment risk.
The concept
of buy low and sell high actually makes a lot
of sense. The problem however is the uncertainty of where
the market low and market high are. This results in a tendency
to jump on the bandwagon too late. At the other end of the
spectrum, you never know where the market high is until well
after it has occurred. The direction of the market has been
known to change very quickly and quite dramatically. As a
result, irrational decisions can mean a considerable sacrifice
of overall return.
Figure
1 illustrates how difficult it is to predict which market
will do best year after year as the leadership of various
domestic and global markets continuously changes. As you can
see, the Canadian large cap market is highlighted as an example
of just how quickly an investment market can move from a leader
to a straggler. The story is the same, regardless of which
asset class you choose to focus on.
Figure 1. Click on image
for larger view
Why worry
about which market will prevail when it is so much easier
to diversify within a number of markets so that you are always
exposed to one of the top performers. It may not be as lucrative
as picking the top performer each year, but a properly constructed
portfolio will reduce your exposure to investment risk, will
offer a far more reliable rate of return, and above all, is
a reasonable investment solution.
The pricing
of financial assets such as stocks or bonds involves so many
different fundamental variables. Identifying high or overvalued
assets versus low or undervalued assets is a complicated
subject. It becomes even more complicated when the direction
of the market is fueled by human emotions; fear, greed, optimism,
pessimism, and crowd psychology. Throw in the political climate,
economics, revolution, natural disaster and technology change
and you begin to see why diversification is such an important
factor in investment success over the long term.
Still,
for most investors, trying to guess the market winners is
too attractive to resist.
Newspaper
headlines often entice investors to turn their attention to
a hot industry sector. In support of the headlines, the accompanying
articles contain data that was produced by so-called experts
whose ongoing task is to develop signals that identify what
condition a market is in. In doing so they will use a variety
of techniques that include technical, fundamental and quantitative
indicators and measures.
Can market action
be predicted?
It has
become accepted wisdom in financial circles that it is impossible
to predict the vast number of variables that can affect the
markets. That is why many who claim they can beat the markets
usually make one or two great predictions before they are
hopelessly out-matched.
Can you time entry
and exit points?
Only if
you have the necessary insight and discipline to know
when to hold and when to fold. Both
of these are very hard to come by.
Over the
years, the market has changed quite dramatically. One thing
that remains constant however is the unpredictable nature
of the stock market. The best advice is to construct a portfolio
you are comfortable with and stick with it unless your investment
objectives change.
________________________________________
BRIAN
G. KONRAD CFP
Financial Consultant
brian.konrad@investorsgroup.com
(204) 489-4640 ext. 246
100-1345 WAVERLEY STREET
WINNIPEG, MB R3T 5Y6
1-888-205-4828
Written
and published by Investors Group as a general source of information
only. It is not intended as a solicitation to buy or sell
specific investments, nor is it intended to provide tax, legal
or investment advice. Readers should seek advice on their
specific circumstances from an Investors Group Consultant.
Commissions,
fees and expenses may be associated with mutual fund investments.
Read the prospectus before investing. Mutual funds are not
guaranteed, values change frequently and past performance
may not be repeated.
Trademark
owned by IGM Financial Inc. and licensed to its subsidiary
corporations.
The
perils of chasing performance ©2009 Investors Group
Inc.
(07/2009)
MP1022
(Read
more in the May
17 - June 14/2011 issue of Senior Scope)
HUMOUR
COLUMN:
Lies
my pants told me
By
Willian J. Thomas
Humour Columnist
I understand
when politicians lie to me because in most cases, its
what they do best. When Prime Minister Stephen Harper lied
about not changing the investment rules on income trusts,
it cost older Canadians a big chunk of their life savings.
Im still bitter.
I understand
when my Subaru dealer lied to me and I wound up with $2600
worth of unnecessary work because thats how you finance
the parts department of a really well-made car. I never went
back, but I understood.
So, yeah
online lottery sellers, Nigerian tribal chiefs, RCMP
taser cowboys, Fox News commentators, the president of Afghanistan,
the CEO of BP I understand the liars and their motives.
BUT MY
PANTS! For years, maybe as long as 30 years, my pants have
been lying to me!?!
Apparently
the North American manufacturers of mens pants have
been playing fast and yes, very loose with mens waist
sizes and egos. Industry watchdogs recently took a measuring
tape to some randomly selected mens pants and found
that all the size 34s were actually 35, 36
and 37. From Club Monaco chinos to Levi Strauss Dockers,
not one pair of 34 pants tested, came in at 34.
They might
as well have posted a sign over the pant racks: Flattery
will get your fat *ss everywhere, including into these sleek
34 cargo pants. Wink. Wink.
Industry
insiders became suspicious about these miscalculations when
the rock star Meatloaf severed his spleen while trying on
a pair of 52 jeans at Macys and children near
the change room were hit with flying debris.
Since
the 80s the pant people have been falsifying our waist
sizes. Put another way, for almost 30 years Levi Strauss and
Ralph Lauren have been pulling the wool over our legs.
Robert
Ott, a Toronto fashion design expert explained it this way.
The customer cares about a size 34 fitting the same
way today as it did five years ago
so the industry
has let his pants grow with him, without penalizing him with
a bigger number.
Well,
now I get it. The clothing industry was not trying to flatter
me with false numbers, they just looked the other way when
I should have been given a five-minute major for fattening.
I was
always a 32 pant size through college, 34 after
that and 36 the last twenty years. Or was I?
Man, if
I find out the guy who sells me shoes has been messing with
my measurements and Im not a size 10, but an extra-wide
clown flapper, Im really going to be steamed.
I guess
we can no longer make fun of teenage boys who wear pants sized
large, extra large and room
to rent. Turns out their sizing is more accurate than
ours.
The manufacturer
of womens clothes was a lot more clever than the pant
makers. They did away with inches altogether. A womenswear
24 inch waist used to be a size 4. Now its a size 0
or the incredibly-hard-to-believe 00.
Without
putting too fine a point on it, apparently men are pretty
particular when it comes to size. For example, I always thought
Roseanne Barrs great line about mens ego would
make for a great book title. The main title would read Only
A Man Can Read A Map followed by the subtitle Because
Only A Man Can Imagine One Inch Equals Ten Miles.
This fabric
flap, feeding us a false sense that we are slimmer and fitter
than we actually are is outrageous. In fact, its so
absurd I can see men rising en masse against North American
pant manufacturers and demanding shrinkage!
This is
so flagrantly fraudulent; the Fruit Of The Loom boys may be
dragged into the fabricated size scandal and asked to wear
a wire.
This means
some guys have been wearing pants so tight, the wear and tear
is on the inside! This means guys walking around thinking
they looked like theyd been outfitted by Brooks Brothers
appeared to others that theyd actually been decked out
by Ringling Brothers.
Maybe
thats how men wound up with double-breasted suits. We
outgrew single-breasted suits and instead of telling us we
were getting too fat, the manufacturers just sewed on a second
breast.
Now that
were all shrinking, theyll probably start lying
about the length of the pant leg as well.
The
guy who fit a size 34 in the 80s, says Ott, well
he still wants to fit that size 34 today. Ya think?!?
Heck, most baby boomers just want to stay awake long enough
to watch The National, but Peter Mansbridge doesnt trick
us by telling us its only eight oclock.
How sad
is that. Now that our pants are lying to us, the only suit
men can really trust is a paternity suit. Theres a test
that comes with that one.
For
comments, ideas
or a signed copy of
The Dog Rules, go to
www.williamthomas.ca
(Read
more in the May
17 - June 14/2011 issue of Senior Scope)
Benny
& Gail Karmen
- Farewell -
Bennie
had been performing for 60 years, 15 of those years with his
wife, Gail, sharing music and laughter and meeting so many
new friends.
"We
have performed at approximately 200 senior apartments and
personal care homes, and also at country festivals and fairs
in Manitoba and N.W. Ontario.
We have
decided to retire from all of this and we thank everyone for
giving us so many pleasant memories, and hope we made some
happy memories for you.
We will
miss you. God bless each and everyone of you."
~ Sincerely,
Gail and Bennie
(the Polish Cowboy) Karman
Note:
Bennie
and Gail were featured in the February 14, 2007 issue
of Senior Scope. It was an honour featuring them
in that issue, sharing their story with you.
You
can read their spotlight story by clicking
on this link: Bennie
and Gail Karman - February, 2007
All the best to you both, Bennie and Gail, in your
retirement!
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