To the seasons of life
The local raceway bunch are starting their season once again. The 2012 race schedule begins with a season opener May 19th and 20th. This is a day event, the next is June 23rd a night event.Then:
Rain out dates:
Day races time trials are at 1 PM, racing 2 PM.
Night races time trials 5 PM, racing 6 PM
They say to come catch the action.The raceway is located in Lower Nicola.
Today in History. April 24, 2007
Ice land says that Norway will give defence to the nation during Peacetime.
1990 – Gruinard Island, Scotland, is officially declared free of the anthrax disease after 48 years of quarantine
On the 1900 block Quilchena Ave, in Merritt there is a couple of businesses in the same building. Around the back are two hydro meters one an analog one a digital.(more later)
At this time there are complaints about higher bills then before the utility put in digital meters. The Hydro in BC operates as a not for profit business and lower rates are mandated by law. When the production and distribution of power is efficient, there becomes a benifit to consumers. They can not take retained earnings from year to year except for projects. If people have been not fairly metered in the past by old analog meters then eventually a rate decrease will come through fairer and less defeated metering.
We know of a couple of techniques the utility is employing to ensure that complaints are legit. Remember that taking any unmetered power, is theft and subject to criminal prosecution.
Today in history, April,10 1983
Born Haig Sutherland Canadian Actor.
The province daily paper had a picture of a bandaged lower mainland bus driver on its front page this morning. The caption said that the person that sucker punched him will not get jail time. The calls for this are regular and persistent and are mostly on a tone for vengeance.
A talk with a driver named Doug with Merritt BC Canada’s service gave the impression that he was not concerned . When asked if he lets drunks on he said yes if they seem alright. The bus service here does not run late at night and is small town
Editors note: emotional intelligence by people dealing with the public is a premium thing to have.To rely on deterrents such as jail seems to escalate things when people are challenged. However one should not underestimate the life changing effects of physical assault.
Today in history, April 4 1984
The United States president calls for a world wide ban on chemical weapons.
There is activity on the old Craigmont Mines site, a mill is being built to process silver ore from the Huldra Silver operation in on Treasure Mountain in the Coquihalla pass area between Hope and Merritt.
The mine was a denied a permit to mill at its mining operation .A source says because of downhill drainage into the water shed.Another sources says that there is 38 feet of snow in the Treasure Mountain area.
The mill according to a contractor is being built in the proximity of the old Craigmont Mill but not on the same foundation. The mine maintained a person responsible to sell off infrastructure when it closed in the early 1980’s. They held out for good prices and there was never a give away of equipment. The Jaw Crusher was sold for multiple 100 rds of thousands of dollars to the Lornex Mine that is now Highland Valley Copper.
John Paul a retired BC Hydro lineman says he is having a piece of equipment put to some work by the mining company. John has a reputation as a spur climbing going concern even in retirement.John purchased a BC Tel service truck with a power augar a can place a pole. He also has a mechanical stump remover and works for who we wants to.
Today in history, April 2 1917
Woodrow Wilson asks for a declaration of war against Germany.
A film presented by a young couple last evening at the lecture theater, NVIT , Merritt Campus ,admission a 4 dollar donation.
Marie Josee (MJ) Arsenault did a preamble to a film that had excellent photography and direction. Beautiful coral reefs and ocean flora and fauna gave a pleasant context to present a pressing issue to the Eco-Odyssey Foundation.
The view of the film maker, a Rob Stewart, was that sharks a great and no threat to people.
The film is far from propaganda as there are diverging views presented however you still get the sence of public relations and a bias. The bias is based in the concern for the de-fining of sharks and may be legitimate. The big plus is the awareness of the environment and the volume of the world population in people who demand protein and social capital from the ecosystem and the limits on hunter gather systems ability to provide.
The film has some gore as the removal of fins and landing of hooked sharks is presented.
Paul Watson and his international effort to interfere with non complies in international waters was a surprise in the film. His confrontational style is uncomfortable, maybe by design.
Paul Watson a Canadian was one of Time Magazines heroes of of the environment of the 20th century. He also championed Timber wolf’s in British Columbia.
The presenters have a web site: www.eco-odyssey.com
Editors Note:
Our view is that predators like sharks are part of the eco-system and keep us safe from disease by consuming the weak and sick in the ocean similar to all top predators. The film presents a view and statistics that humans are safe from them and there are only 5 deaths a year and most from bleeding. we think that that is not accurate and that another dynamic exists in open ocean especially when debris and rough water is prevalent. Sharks in large numbers eat anything, in that context. Historically in at least one instance the crew of the USS Indianapolis torpedoed by a Japanese submarine on its return from delivering the Atomic bomb to the Enola Gay experienced huge losses to sharks over a time in the water.
Here is an eyewitness account by a survivor from the Indianapolis,Woody James:
The day wore on and the sharks were around, hundreds of them. You’d hear guys scream, especially late in the afternoon. Seemed like the sharks were the worst late in the afternoon than they were during the day. Then they fed at night too. Everything would be quiet and then you’d hear somebody scream and you knew a shark had got him. USS Indianapolis org website.This may be an abnormal and may add to the hysteria over sharks. However a lot of the fatalities and shark attacks come from places that also rely on tourism and there may be a problem for reporting.It does seem that time in the water is a factor for feeding.The website Missing at Sea reports 64 people with unknown status missing from cruIse ships now and dating from 1995 to 2009. There are 440 species of sharks and the Tiger Shark is said to eat anything. Shark killings or harvesting estimates are 100 million a year. There are many myths and misconceptions about sharks. However they like other predators are keen to blood scent and can be attracted to chumming and made more aggressive. In the macro sence they seem as less of a threat then lightning however people should educate themselves in how to avoid being in trouble around them and what the specific risks are. We can safely assume that the low amount of documented deaths is not the whole story. The film Sharkwater was released in 2007; eco-odyssey has Merritt mailing address at this time. There are at least 4 Shark sanctuaries in the world at this time including The Bahamas. Want to do something for sharks. Eco-odyssey PO Box 2019 Merritt,BC Canada V1K-1B8
Today in history, March 29th,1882
The Knights of Columbus are established.
I came in second in the international speech contest at the local toastmaster club here. I will speak at the area by arrangement though. Thursday be thinking of me!
Today in history, March 28th,1990
Jesse Owens a medalist from the Berlin Olympics is given the Medal of honor post humerus by George Bush.
The history of the Nicola Valley in the South Central part of British Columbia is only recent;contact with the local indigenous population is about 200 years. However in that time we have experienced a significant amount of mining activity.
William Hamilton Merritt an early 20th century business man was here briefly and got his name used when the town incorporated a hundred years ago. He helped bring into the valley the railroad and coal mines. Hamilton Hill to the east of town also got its name from him.
Merritt ( a corruption of a french name ) came from a family of some renown and especially in regards to the construction of the Welland Canal in central Canada. One member of that family is said to have raised 25 thousand dollars to put to gether a regiment to go to the Boar War. He is credited with volunteer milita work. Another of his family is also said to have paid his own passage to that conflict for the British Crown.
William Hamilton Merritt has been called the Father of Transportation in Canada. The town here bears his name.
The great depression also caused a flurry of small mines here and the local sidehills sported lots of abandoned head-frames and workings. Another historic mining community that of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island suffered the loss of a couple of young people to abandoned mines some decades ago. This made it a concern for old workings here and a local Ray Schindler was involved in making them safe, he said that he bought old big cars for local rural residences and turned them upside down and back-filled the entrances to the regulated mines not is service here. He said this was done after going into the limit of the air supply to investigate for explorers and other trespassers. There is no living memory of people being injured in old workings here.*
Ray Schindler lives in an unicorporated area to the west of Merritt and is retired after capping his working career as a City maintenance worker.
*Editors note : comes from a single source with no cooberation.
Today in History, March 19, 1931
Gambling becomes legal in the US State of Nevada.
A new 250 kilometer line is going from the Revelstoke Dam site to the lower mainland.
For information on job opportunities call 604-846-1011 ext 215 and leave a message with Kate Fitzer. No man camp is planned.
BC Hydro is looking for a January 2015 in service date for the project.
Today in History: March 12 1947
The Truman Doctrine is proclaimed to stop the spread of Communism.
The local Chamber is moving from its site on Voght Street, to a place on Granite Avenue, 2000 block.It is said that it will have a part in the Iron Mountain Music Building that at one time housed the public library. The Granite Street is currently having street repairs and beautification applied to it.
It is level entry and in the traditional business section of town.
Today in History, March 8,1817
The New York Stock Exchange is founded.
Twenty some years ago they divide the vast expance of land into an eastern arctic as well as a west meaning a legislature was distinct from the one in Yellowknife. There is a lot of land that on the surface looks like it is not of much value, however mineral resources are abundant. And the world is so small now. Last week at a scrap gold and antiques buyers event. A person brought in two tobbaco cans full of high-grade silver ore. with silver around 6 dollars an once I talked to a person who mills precious metals for mines and we estimated that the A bar of silver could be poured from the cans of at least 50 onces About 300 dollars worth of silver. Only requiring a make shift furnace producing 2200 degrees farenheit for and hour.
I was in the territories when the Hunt brothers from Texas tried to corner the market for silver,by owning 10 percent of the world supply. The price rose to about 60 dollars and once. before the supply side economics of Ronald Regan took over in the early 1980s collapsing metal prices back to demand.
The man said that a supervisor said take some for a reminder fo his experience, and he did, this from a mine on the Camsell River on Great Bear Lake in the Northwest Territories.Lots of dynamics at work here, including publicly traded shares ,but if all the construction workers did the same it would amount to a material loss to share holders. A loss more significant then market corrections when speculation increases stock value. We say if this happens to you be aware and get a recipe or something in writing. giving you permission.
There is a six month limitation period on crimes under $5000.00 in Canada, however there is no limitation on the value of your reputation.
Free minors licences are free to people over 65 and very inexpensive for those under and it gives you the right to prospect and collect samples on unclaimed land. You can pan for gold without one.
Today in history, March 5th 1999
The first premier of the Canadian, new territory of Nunavut is elected.
Hey Merit what do you say?
Kevin Griffiths
percypaschal
The Proprietor Review 