To the seasons of life
These young men were from Eastern Europe and were going across Canada, observing freedom of movement.
File Photo KDG
On this Day: May 5th 1964
The Council of Europe makes May 5th, Europe Day.
( May 9th for the European Union)
Since 2003, Ukraine celebrates Europe Day on the third Saturday of May
Kathy at the Old Courthouse Galley says that this piece of art is Interior Salish First Nations and is a little uncommon as most art is Northwest Coast, First Nations in BC. The piece is being kept at the Gallery, on Nicola Avenue.
The Gallery is having a showing of 10 local artists starting Saturday including
three with international renown. Pious Chong, Arnold Mosley and others. The show runs from Friday the 6th to the end of May. Gallery times are three days a week Thursday through Saturday afternoons.
The show is to remember local “master” artist Dianne Kiernan would passed away to cancer recently. Dianne maintained one of the historical homes in the 1800 block of Granite Avenue, a half block from the gallery. she was an established artist in Vancouver but spent summers here.
Saturday the 7th of May sees the artist reception. The Merritt Courthouse Gallery is at 1840 Nicola Avenue in Merritt. :http://www.nvartscouncil.com/
On this Day: May 4rth 1953
The Old Man and the Sea wins Earnest Hemingway a Pulitzer Prize.
Fish pond, backyard
File photo KDG
If you have the luxury of a back yard here’s a carbon sink you may want to try.
Professor Downing found that constructed ponds and lakes on farmland in the United States bury carbon at a much higher rate than expected; as much as 20-50 times the rate at which trees trap carbon. In addition, ponds were found to take up carbon at a higher rate than larger lakes.
“Aquatic ecosystems play a disproportionately large role in the global carbon budget,” Downing said. “Despite being overlooked in the past, it’s small bodies of water that are important because they take up carbon at a high rate and there are more of them than previously thought. The combined effect is that farm ponds could be burying as much carbon as the world’s oceans, each year.” source Science Daily…Iowa State University
Editors note: consult with your insurance agent before hand.
On this Day: April 29th 1997
The chemical weapons ban of 1993 comes into force.
April 20th 2016
In the shade at Merritt downtown 30 Celsius-3 degrees over record of 27.1
Photo KDG
Beautiful spring day felt like summer on 4/20. Heat fell back the next day rain expected on weekend. St Johns Newfoundland had snow on the 4/20.
The moon was full on 4/21, there will be another in 28 days near the start of the Canadian long weekend in May. Frost is sometimes associated with the moon cycle.
On this day: April 22th 1970
Earth Day is made an observance by the environmental lobby.
A Tesla S
File Photo KDG
Photo: KDG
Mark from Osoyoos was at the Voght street quick charger on the weekend. He sais he was going to Hope for a tesla meet at the hope quick(Tesla provided) charger. He said that his charge here in Merritt cost him about 20 dollars. The rate was at 35 cents a kilowatt hour. A disabled man in an electric cart came by and Mark answered his question about cost ” you would pay 10 cents a kilowatt hour charging your cart at home as would I if I used household power to charge my 2010 Tesla S.”
Mark also related pleasure that 30 Quick chargers have been added in BC including some in the Princeton area. The Voght street quick charger next to the Downtown Tourist Info Center ( the Baillie House) is in the Green lots system its network number is 33013, it sits next to a 90 amp AC charger (70 continuous). The area has restricted parking for EVs.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/new?hl=en
On this day: April 21 1615 /
The Wignacourt aqueduct is inaugurated in Malta.
File Photo KDG
Earth Day April 22 2018. Since 1970 concern for pollution and limited resources are observed.
On this Day: April 20th 1653
Oliver Cromwell dissolves the Rump Parliament.
This cactus is pollinated by flies. It smells like rotting flesh
KDG file photo
On this Day: April 20th 1534 /
Jacques Cartier begins his first voyage to what is no Eastern Canada.
Petal power…..
There is a bicycle event returning to the Nicola Valley in early June. The 2016 version of the Cow trail Classic XC Bike race will go ahead on June 11th in there stages 32 Kilometer as well as 32 and a 4 kilometer race. This according to the principal at the back alley bike shop ( Breathe Bikes) behind the Royal Lepage building off Voght Street. A right turn in the first lane after the lights going south.
Partnerships are available as well as more info by emailing merrittbiking@yahoo.ca. The event has a website at http://www.cowtrailclassic.ca
the event is sanctioned by the Merritt Mountain bike association, and sponsored by among others the Nicola Valley Credit union.
On this day: April 14th 1881
Four dead in the 5 second gunfight in El Paso Texas
Trees can be a lethal hazard in falls.
File Photo KDG
There are 20 young people at the Forest Service Training center at Saunders Field here in Merritt. One trainee says that they are doing tree intervention.
Trees along roads are sometimes dead falls and can be a real hazard to people and vehicles. An innocuous looking snag on a high road bank can quickly become a deadly spear coming in an open window of a moving Vehicle.
Cut block also expose untested timber to wind and the possibility of a falling tree. Look up and live.
A member of the group says ” we are identifying the problem trees at this point”.
On this day: April 8th 1952
United States President Harry S. Truman calls for the seizure of all US owned steel mills to stop a national steel strike.
The Nicola Valley still enjoys the closeness of a small hospital with a full lab. File Photo KDG
Health is the preoccupation of the healthy, but most people know its value. Serious disease has decimated populations until recent times. things are better with bell weathers like the golden age of health after the discovery of more vaccines like the one for polio, thanks to the March of Dimes.
The World Health Organization recently came into focus again with a successful remedy for the Ebola virus in Africa.
Economy plays a role even now in populations without. However the axiom you can’t buy back your health when lost still resonates.
Editors Note: The hat in the featured picture looks like the one that belonged to an old retired nurse that pushed a cart about town for along time. It rests on the walk by the Royal Bank on the corner of Quilchena and Garcia, a poetic link to the relationship of money and health. The nurse is not noted about for a while yet we think she is ok. The wind gets a lot of hats in March Merritt.
On this day: April 7th 1967
Film critic Roger Ebert makes his first film review published in the Times.
There is a walk through display trailer at the City Furniture parking lot on the 2000 Block Coutlee Avenue in Merritt. A set up person says that it will be ready for the public in the AM on Wednesday. Showcasing its new all fast fiber service to Merritt it has smart boards and appliances in a raised glass level walk through. A velvet rope barrier similar to a theater welcomes the interested at the bottom of a flight of about 7 stairs to the raised platform.
The last word going out the back end is ” Gigabit enabled future.”
Telus making its presence known in Merritt.
Photo KDG
The display continues on to Vancouver Island after Merritt.
On this Day: March 30th 1964
The popular game show Jeopardy debuts with hoist Art Fleming.
Many places in BC and Alberta have upper levels that require a lot of snow removal.
File Photo KDG
Easter Monday saw wet and rainy weather in Merritt, turning to heavy snowfall in the higher levels. Six inches of the heavy white stuff is reported on the highway east of Merritt. Hamilton Hill is an iconic landmark in view of downtown and begins the rise to the circa 1700 meter sea level summit of the Coqihalla connector to Kelowna above and the 600 meter elevation of the City of Merritt. The hill is called Hamilton after Merritt’s founder s middle name. William Hamilton Merritt the third. Merritt also married the daughter of Scottish retailer, Canadian Robert Simpson whose chain department store was also a Canadian Icon.
The city of Merritt, British Columbia is named after William Hamilton Merritt III, due to his role in bringing the railway through the Nicola Valley. In 1891, Merritt prospected for coal near where the city is today. Finding it, he organized the Nicola, Kamloops and Similkameen Coal and Railway Company to extend the rail line through to transport coal out of the valley. The railway also allowed settlement and industry to flourish in the valley. As demand for coal grew, the company was eventually bought by the Canadian Pacific Railway. source Wikipedia.
The video cams on the 1200 meter summit highway 5 Coqihalla shows new snow but not sticking to the road way in the afternoon on Monday. The 97 C highway cams at the 1700 Penask summit were not available at this writing.
On this day: March 29th 1886
Doctor John Pemberton brews his first bottle of Coca- Cola in his back yard in Atlanta.
Hey Merit what do you say?
Kevin Griffiths
percypaschal
The Proprietor Review 