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This Space Sponsor“ by Community Mennonit- Church o! momma Square dances and an evening of bulb room dancing. including a lesion. Hummus Mulch potludts. Public [adults on the Middle East Soup lunch, pancake lunch - organized and served by our teenagers. as fundrais- en in! their actMtles. At this kind of gather- ing, one hears glowing ref- erences to famous people who grew up there. This tends to give proof of what a wholesome and healthy atmosphere the town pro- vided‘ For Melville, that meant hockey players like Eddie Shore or Sid Abel and the former great hitter for the Houston Astros. Terry Puhl. who even showed up for the reunion. African dinner - several participants in our church have lived and worked In Africa, and with their expertise we enjoyed an authentlc African hast. BBQ and corn roast In autumn and annu- al church picnic In lune. Family hikes and lavnily movie nidtt 'Gucss Who's Coming to Dinner?’- Fecdbadn’ We'd low: to hear, guest and host families were Identified menu. Please contact us at: W” -"" "°"’ "°‘ W“ "W" ‘° Box 95028 5392 Main Street expea'ord'nm 9mm": ON [AA 253 African 6'0"" ' m mm” in ComMchhurchanl com , AL, -4. 5-“- nu‘J -Al _._AL_.A ;_ Three years ago. I went back to my home town, Melville. Sask., for the mil- lennium homecoming. in? Cutting Edge public dlscuulon Annual Golf tournament - occurs each August forthose l4 years old and up, now caved. Recently been extended to an annual winter golf long weekend In South Carolina! Small groups Ibiweeldy/montfllyl â€" orga- n'rzed each year [orthe purpose of discuy sion. study or purely social activities. Church life for us at Community Mennonite can mean much more than a two hours on Sunday morning. if one chooses to be invofved. Following are some events and activities that took place at our ghurch over the past few years. Our church’s Community Relations and Outreach Team was discussing upcoming Stouffville This Month columns at our last meeting. We looked back at past topics - science and religion. malaria in Africa. Mennonites’ position on war and nonâ€"vio- lence. the politics oi food. etc. and con- cluded that anyone reading these columns would get the impression that ions at Community Mennonite Church are a very serious bunch. We decided it was time to provide another aspect of our church life â€" the lighter, social, community side. ~ 'WHITCHURCH-STOUFFVILLE THIS MONTH" â€" See \ Not surprisingly. they A MENNONITE PERSPECTIVE FAITH LIFE dialogue with our Modem What? You've never heard of Verne Sankey? Why. in the '305 Verne Sankey was declared Public Enemy No. l by the FBI in the United States. His picture was in every newspaper in Canada and the US.. especially when he was captured on Feb. I. seldom mention the folk they'd just as soon forget and who might lend a much different image to the town. That‘s probably true of every place So. iust to round out the picture. Melville was once home to Verne Sankey, While Mennonites take their Christian faith seriously, fellowship and enioyrnent are also an important part oi our church. Whether you live alone or are part of a family, you will find something to interest and engage you. So, If you are looking for a church and want to meet new people and make new connections, come to Community Mennonite. Expect a warm welcome!!! Our teenagers and pre-teens have their own organized activities several times a month. in addition to those events above. Our Mennonite Youth Fellowship iMYF] is very active. and is comprised of high school-aged kids from four local Mennonite churches. with a youth pastor They have had a very busy past year, with many fund-raising events and prolects. earning money to travel to a big Mennonite youth conference in Atlanta. In addition, four teenagers from our church travelled to Zimbabwe. Africa this summer for an international Mennonite confer- ence. Many volunteer opportunities that space doesn't permit me to elaborate on. Fadlgck.’ We‘d law: to hat your corn Arlene Recsor us on ‘www.510ufivilleonline.com' Melville was a division point on the old Grand Trunk Railway. which later became part of Canadian National, and has always been known as a "railroad town." As a young guy. around |9| l, Sankey signed on as a watchman in the Grand Trunk yards and later became a fire- man and then an engineer. His career as a locomotive engineer ended in l93| when he was granted a |934 while having a shave in a Chicago barber shop. Small Town Boy Makes Bad Unfortunately, he was also a gambler. Luck smiled on him for a while but money just flowed through his hands. either through cards and dice or SIO tips to bellboys and Those were still almost pioneer days in Western Canada and Prohibition was in force south of the border. Sankey smuggled booze into the us. hiding it in freight cars. He was a charming rascal, still remembered by some of the oldtimers as wearing a raccoon coat with dia- monds on his fingers and a smile on his face. Life was a big adventure. But it was those years as an engineer that formed the vehicle for his secret life. And, in the spacious cab of that locomotive, the basis of a lasting comrade- ship blossomed between Sankey and Gordon Alcorn, another local boy. who was Sankey's fireman, leave of absence by the CNR and never returned Barebone systems as low as $399 I_nt_e_l Systems from $ 999 scottsommeszympauco ca Including 6' LCD monitor Wln XP and Wordl’crfect Sulte (delivery and mun Included) Back to school spcdal TEC GUY COMPUTER ' SERVICE ' SAlES ° DESIGN 7X24 Va 30 right to you} home to do the work-lust as]: these people 15" LCD monitors $3 65 1 LCD monitors $549 7«"860 for 2 hrs on-sitc by Ralph Pohlman By this time there were suspicions. but Sankey was never charged with the robbery They couldn't find the money. After he left Melville in I93l, with his wife. Fern, and his two kids, he purchased a ranch in South Dakota. He boast- ed of having turkeys and 7S splendid purebred beef cattle. But his ranch apparent- ly became the centre of his more ambitious money- raising activities. In lune, A famous story tells how his train once took a Melville hockey team to play in Regina. While there, a bank was robbed and Sankey put the money in his trainman's club bag and tossed it in with the team's equipment. "Here," he said. "take this home for me and I'll pick it up later." Which he did. " by contract only chambennaids. Then bank I932, Haskell Bohn, the 22- robberies started to occur year-old son of a St. Paul in places like Regina and manufacturercwas kidâ€" Winnipeg. By coincidence. napped and held several Sankey just happened to days until the ransom was have driven a train into paid. town on those days. Now this was getting And that is the story of Verne Sankey. small town Saskatchewan boy‘ It would make a gceat movie. A little Butch Cassidy. Later. back at the ranch, evidence was found of a scheme to ’kidnap sports celebrities. Among those being considered were lack Dempsey and Babe Ruth. Alcom was sentenced to life in Leavenworth. but Sankey had sworn he wouldn't do time. On Feb. 8, just a week after he was captured, Sankey stuffed a handkerchief down his throat, apparently to preâ€" vent noise, attached his necktie to a projection on the ceiling of his cell. and jumped from his cot. They couldn't revive him. All this stimulated a huge manhunt that lasted about a year and cost a forâ€" tune. Sankey was arrested while having a shave and haircut in a Chicago barâ€" bershop. The next day Alcom was arrested in his bed in a Chicago house. Both confessed. Now this was getting dangerous. Kidnapping had become a federal offence after the Lindbergh baby kidnap- ping and could mean life imprisonment. On Feb. I3. I933, Sankey and his boys seized Charles Boettcher ll, a wealthy Denver busi- nessman, who was held blindfolded at the ranch until they collected the ransom. CAI .L 905-640-3965 For further information BOOK YOUR EVENT Lemonville Community Centre 13453 MCCmmn Rd Busincu Meeting Anniversary Christmas Pany Suitable for ‘1 10 people FOR SEPTEMBER 2003