The Junior B Saints Girls basketball team won their first game of the season Wednesday, January 14. This Friday they are hosting a four team tournament.
inSide photo by Patrick Kolafa

   
    The St. Anthony’s Saints Junior B girls basketball team had their first win of the season versus Standard School.
    The young team, made up mostly of Grade 6 and 7 players hosted Standard School on Wednesday, January 14 and captured a 30-14 win.
    Bailey Faubion is coaching the young team and is impressed by her players’ attitudes.
    “The part I love most about my team is that they are willing to listen,” she said. “I can relate to the shoes they are in now, so they really listen to what I have to say and we have lots of fun together. They’re a really great group of girls,” said Faubion.
    This attitude is helping the girls improve and it showed in the result last week.
    “They work so hard and it clearly showed during the game,” she said. “The learning curve is steep but they absorb everything we have to say and they want to become better basketball players. They know by listening and working hard they can become better.”
    Her goal is for the team to improve on their positioning on offense.
    This Friday, January 23, the Saints Junior B is hosting their home tournament. They have invited Standard, Bassano, and Prairie Christian Academy to compete in the round robin tourney. Their first game is at 1 p.m. versus Bassano.

Downtown Drumheller merchants are reviewing ideas to attract more shoppers.

    
    Downtown merchants with an eye to the future had a successful meeting last Monday night.
    About 20 people representing business in the downtown core came out to Ivy’s Kitchen to discuss ideas concerning downtown.
    Last October, two signs were strategically placed in the downtown core inviting residents to make suggestions as to what they would like to see.
    These boards were on hand to start the conversation. Mike Todor of 3rd Avenue Arts facilitated the meeting and while there was not complete agreement on many issues or initiatives, not many were satisfied with status quo.
    “The point is we need people to wander in downtown,” said Todor.
    One point he was encouraged by was the willingness of neighboring businesses to work together. There was also agreement that no longer did downtown need to focus on summer weekends, but the full four-month tourism season, and be cognizant there are visitors year round.
    Some other ideas bandied at the meeting included standardizing minimum business hours. A recent survey showed that typically all businesses in the core were open in unison only within a two hour window.
    Another idea discussed was adding directories and directional signage within the core directing to stores and businesses.
    Todor said one positive outcome was the discussion allowed the group to assemble enough information to create an agenda for a second meeting to continue exploring ideas.
    “I felt there was positivity in how it went, it showed enthusiasm,” he said.