Category: Preditorial Birds


TGIF-Bug spraying, over head aircraft

Helicopters doing work can be an overhead hazard File photo KDG

Helicopters doing work can be an overhead hazard
File photo KDG

 

A helicopter was seen over the nature preserve off Blackwell Avenue , the Nicola River and Dr. Simons hay field. The aircraft was carrying an application bucket. Fields are sprayed for mosquito larva at this time of year.
The preserve has a large mature eagles nest on it the rotors of the bell 206 came within an estimate 100 of the nest.

Mosquito-control operations are targeted against three different problems:
1.Nuisance mosquitoes bother people around homes or in parks and recreational areas;
2.Economically important mosquitoes reduce real estate values, adversely affect tourism and related business interests, or negatively impact livestock or poultry production;
3.Public health is the focus when mosquitoes are vectors, or transmitters, of infectious disease.

: source Wikipedia

Helicopter drop buckets are also used in fire fighting and Merritt hosts a training center for summer crews to qualify for the suppression crews.

Creatures of the  forests such as eagles and even household pets fall victim to the expedience of emergencies, but a cavalier attitude should never be allowed to develop. In particular in practice situations.

On this Day: May 6th 1997

The Bank of England becomes separate from the British Government.

TGIF-snag abatement

Trees can be a lethal hazard in falls. File Photo KDG

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.

Filled in swimming pools are less of a risk to personal liability. File photo KDG

Filled in swimming pools are less of a risk to personal liability.
File photo KDG

Attractive nuisance is a liability owners, hazards open to view need a certain amount of diligence.

The attractive nuisance doctrine applies to the law of torts, in the United States. It states that a landowner may be held liable for injuries to children trespassing on the land if the injury is caused by an object on the land that is likely to attract children.[1] The doctrine is designed to protect children who are unable to appreciate the risk posed by the object, by imposing a liability on the landowner.[1] The doctrine has been applied to hold landowners liable for injuries caused by abandoned cars, piles of lumber or sand, trampolines, and swimming pools. However, it can be applied to virtually anything on the property of the landowner.

There is no set cut off point that defines youth. The courts will evaluate each “child” on case by case basis to see if the “child” qualifies as a youth.

If it is determined that the child was able to understand and appreciate the hazard, the doctrine of attractive nuisance will not likely apply.[2]

Source Wikipedia:
The regional district is having a free dump day for the rural dump transfer stations of the 11 communities this month. There is a schedule of days at the local library.
On this day: April 6th 1869
A Patten is issued for celluloid.

Hiking trails

The Nicola Naturalists are having two more regular meetings in the winter, spring season. On April 21 the presentation will be on the use and restoration of hiking trails in the southern part of the province. Characterized as Heritage Trails, Kelley Cook will present on what he has been doing to preserve these venues. Some of the trails have easy access from Merritt.

Kelley Cook is an active member of a group publicizing, maintaining and restoring some of the historic Hudson’s Bay Company trading routes across the mountains of SE British Columbia. Many of these trails are within easy access from Merritt. Kelley’s presentation will cover both the human history  and the nature to be seen on these scenic trails. A talk to get us fired up for the spring hiking and naturalizing season! source: http://www.nicolanaturalists.ca/2015/12/17/winterspring-programs-january-to-may-2016/

The May meeting will feature the Merritt Green Energy project as a season capper.

All meetings are at 7:PM at the NVIT lecture theater, no food or drinks in the theater, free parking. Membership or donation in the Naturalist society is requested.

On this day: March 23 1094

A Russian airliner, Aeroflot flight 593  crashes in Siberia after a teen accidentally disengages the planes auto pilot.

 

Dan Albas MP Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola Photo: KDG

Dan Albas MP
Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola
Photo: KDG

Budget from an opposition side of the house…

An action plan is the same as a budget it just expresses the activity in dollars and cents.

The first action plan of a strongly mandated new government comes down today, expressed in dollars and cents the closing of some offices and the change of direction discussed in the recent election including…..

Refugees

Pot

Deficit funding

Infrastructure spending

Global warming intervention

ETC:

 

On this day: March 22 1987

Born: murdered environmentalist Jairo Moro Sandoval.

Not polluting at crime scene investigation

Well away from crime scene to keep from contamination of evidence.

Well away from crime scene to keep from contamination of evidence. File photo KDG

A news person waits for info and pictures in the public interest, at an alleged murder in Merritt. Voght park in Merritt saw evidence collecting  people in full white coveralls scrutinizing the scene. RCMP constable Collin Brant( a former editor at the Merritt Herald) was on the John Collet Memorial Bridge, in his maroon un-marked car on the other side of the park keeping people out of the marked off area.

The 20 year old victim in this 2002 crime lay off one of the tracks used for school track meets and trace evidence of hundreds of people lay all about. This crime was solved however many are cold and details of the crime are kept secret for interviews and investigation for years.

The fewer  that know the details the better making the  chances of finding the guilty party who also knows the exact details.

Chief justice of the BC Court, Thomas Crabtree and entourage were in Merritt on Tuesday and met with local First Nations elders and had a public conversation with students and those interested in aboriginal engagement with the court. Topics that came up were restorative justice and culture.

Bigger pools of people making for a bigger circle of those that might pollute a serious crime investigation with numbers of people! Leaving their trace evidence and muddling of details.

In our view restorative justice  may have some value for those already convicted of lessor crimes but the involvement of the unprofessional and those not in the justice system is can be counter productive.

The justice heads the Student Journalism Education Program for the court and there was little interest coming up at the meeting, publication bands and restraints of criminal evidence collection by journalists and the public is important to not polluting the case however it remains that anything in public view can be openly commented on even to the end of being a case public.

The disposition of evidence remains on the professionals….

Investigation should be an exact science as liberty is really all free people have and needs to be safeguarded. Debacles with chains of custody  and information are intolerable.PP

A vehicle used by palin clothes Mounties at a 2002 murder. File Photo KDG

A vehicle used by plain clothes Mounties at a 2002 murder.
File Photo KDG

On this Day: March 3rd 2005
An around the world airplane navigation is accomplished by Steve Fossett, the trip was solo and nonstop.

Notice of an application of herbicide

Notice of an application of herbicide,applicator said it included mosquito resolve. File Photo: KDG

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File Photo: KDG

There is an advertised opportunity for input into mosquito /nuisance control coming up.
Lower Nicola:
Place Lower Nicola Hall,382 Aberdeen Road
Day: March 7th 2016
Time 6:30 to 8:30, presentation 7:00 to 7:30
Place: Nicola Lake Area, Quilchena Hotel highway 5A
Day: March 8th 2016
Time 6:30 to 8:30 Presentation 7:00 to 7:30
The open house and presentation is hosted by the TNRD Thompson Nicola Regional District.

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File Photo: KDG                             

Helicopters doing work can be an overhead hazard File photo KDG

Helicopters doing work can be an overhead hazard, applying spray from above.
File photo KDG

On this Day: March 2nd 1995
Researchers at Fermi Lab discover the Top Quark.

Dance for Heart

DR, Snee and company, Merritt BC 2010 File Photo: KDG

DR, Snee and company, Merritt BC 2010
File Photo: KDG eye exams may help with other conditions…*

February is Heart Month and the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation is organizing for awareness and proactive action on Heart Health Making more Survivors Together  is its theme once again this year .

Dance Party:

One of the activities in Merritt is a Dance at the Merritt Seniors complex .”Dance your Heart Out” is on Thursday February 25th from 9:30 – 11:30 tickets are 5 dollars apiece  for 1 and 2 guests.

The event is endorsed by Love to Dance Studios

Contact janebartle@gmail.com

*

Medical is personal and second opinions are a good thing in our view.

On this day February 10th 2009

Two  communications satellites collide in space, one American,named Iridium 33 and Kosmos 2251 a Russian are destroyed in low earth orbit.

Budget discussions

Budget discussions are coming up for Merritt. Policing ,is a number one cost and results matter.
The City has in the past taken retreats for discussions. There is a drop in session at the city with the Mayor on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month they are advertised for times in the city page of the local Newspaper The Merritt Herald.

Mayor Neil Menard says he’s available for inputs…

low tech,

Old technology is heavy ! A nighttime attempted heist ended with the goods abandoned on the sidewalk. Coldwater Hotel, Merritt. File Photo KDG

 

Old technology is heavy !
A night time heist ended with the goods abandoned on the sidewalk.

Coldwater Hotel, Merritt.
File Photo KDG

On this Day: January 26th 1911

Glenn Curtiss has the first successful flight of a seaplane.

The Nicola Naturalists are having their January presentation meeting on the 21st of the month. Frank Ritcey of Wild Safe BC will talk about safety about wildlife and in particular bears.

Frank Ritcey is the Provincial Coordinator for WildSafeBC, based in Kamloops. Run by the BC Conservation Foundation this program focuses on how we can minimize our impact on the wildlife we observe and keep ourselves safe at the same time. Frank was raised in the wilds of Wells Gray Park by his pioneering mother, Clara Ritcey, and Park Biologist father Ralph Ritcey. Frank’s love of nature has been with him his whole life and he still spends much time filming and studying nature. Frank often contributes to CBC’s popular North by Northwest show.

The meeting starts at 7PM and is open to the public (membership or donation requested) , no food or drinks allowed in the NVIT lecture theater, however there is free parking. NVIT is a local community college founded in part by Grand Chief  Gordon Antoine ( deceased) , Gordon was a member of the Coldwater Indian Band and promoted education for his people, he is survived by his wife Janice a principal of the Coldwater Indian Band K -12 school.

The Nicola Naturalists use the lecture theater at NVIT as a non profit and provide a bursary to natural resource students as a matter of consideration for its use.

On this day: January 12th 1959

The Caves of Nerja are rediscovered.

 

 

 

Wild Tales

The Toronto International Film Circuit and the Nicola Valley Film Society will be starting up for the second half of their season on Monday January 18th with the film Wild ones. According to Terry Frizzel the societies Vice President posters will be up soon for the film, a full poster is usually displayed in the public library.
Screening time is 7PM at the NVIT lecture theater,free parking and no food or drink in the theater. 5 dollar admission at the door for members
Membership available at the door.
For a look at the trailer and trailers for the rest of the season go to:https://nicolavalleyfilmsociety.wordpress.com/
On this Day: December 30th 2006
Iraq leader Saddam Hussein loses his life for crimes against humanity.

Stolen car

 

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Culture Day at Baillie House Constable T Dunsmore File photo KDG

 

 

CFJC News is reporting that there was a standoff in Merritt this afternoon. According to CFJC in an interview with Merritt’s Constable Tracy Dunsmore two men were taken into custody from the proximity of Funks Road Runner Motel on the east end of Merritt leaving town. A weapon is said to be being searched for. A stolen car is alleged to be at the center of the trouble.
Editors Note: This is a rare occurrence in this town and is not our normal expectation.
On this Day: November 26th 1476
Vlad the Impale r ( Dracula) defeats Basarab Laiota and becomes the ruler of Wallachia for the 3rd time.

Today in History November 26th 1789
Thanksgiving made an national observance in the US by the Congress.