You are presumed to be honest and responsible without evidence to the contrary beyond a reasonable doubt… on the balance of probablilties you are justified by 51 % likelyhood.
Power pole replaced on Merritt Ave Photo KDG Last week saw a marked power pole replaced Photo KDG
The core sampling by rebel contracting saw a pole replaced on Merritt Avenue at the parking lot of the Lawn Bowling club. the pole had once been braced by a steel beam and recent core sampling saw it condemned.
Where would ranch’s be without horses File photo KDG
Corn grown in the Nicola Valley Photo KDG
A little home on the range went to feedlots….
The Nicola Valley Ranch Rodeo, the other rodeo is being advertised for the 27th of August at the Rodeo grounds south of Merritt. Merritt has had a labour day weekend rodeo for 58 years including the one coming up on the 3rd and 4th of September.
Merritt area has had many small rodeos at ranch’s and reserves over time. there was once a suicide run on a very step hill at the Upper Nicola Bands Douglas Lake reserve. It was discontinued because of injury and the possibility of cruelty to horses.
The rodeo bunch are civilized here now however an event can still become tragic if not properly managed. Merritt has produced clowns to manage bulls in riding events.
People like Bob Barker from the price is right have been instrumental in making change to attitudes that may effect stock and the way people perceive responsibility to them. Hollywood has also softened toward the use of livestock in movies. We invite the public to take an interest in the Nicola Valleys animals husbandry and attitudes that actions generate.
Local horses up for weather File Photo KDG
The ranch rodeo is advertised as free admission and an 8:30 AM start on the 27th. The pro rodeo on the long weekend is a prize granting event; info is available at: http://nicolavalleyprorodeo.com/
On this Day: August 11th 1968
The final steam powered train operates on British rail.
A Hydro worker turns on power again on Voght street. File photo KDG
Hydro worker on atruck
Leaf has direct connection to 500 volt quick charger in Merritt. Photo KDG
Voght street Office of a local mine benifiting from new Hydro infrastructure. File Photo KDG
Auger on Voght Photo KDG
New nest on live hydro pole no good for authorities!
Pole installation and work on Voght street Merritt. File photo KDG Photo KDG
A transformer is replaced on Quilchena Saturday morning BC Hydro
Hydro showing their online consumption tracking. File photo KDG
hydro replaceing aging and not so aging poles File photo KDG
Hydro people reading for a line burial on Voght File photo KDG
Enhancing the image of the city photo KDG
The old substation off Voght is demonstrably going away with equipment on site removing the obsolete decades old transformers and structures. The new one was opened last fall and can be remotely operated from the Fraser Valley with a dish aimed at the towers on Iron Mountain.
The project occurred in the same time frame as the third 500 KV line to the Lower Mainland from the Revel stoke dam area.
The Merritt substation project includes an upgrade of a 61 KV line to the highland Valley and its biggest consumer the giant Teck, Highland Valley copper mine. The upgrade is to a 138 KV line coming from the Merritt Green Energy Project a 40 KV wood over steam electric generator that will burn green wood waste from three local mills. Sources say that the contractor is hoping to turn the keys over to the operator next year possibly March. The Merritt Green Energy Project is licensed by BC Hydro and uses public transmission lines.
The project created a lot of jobs including many members of the local First nations bands. It also generated ongoing relationships with band governments.
The lines for the green energy project are a this moment in progress to the Green Energy project including a crossing by the Osprey nest on Highway 8 coming into Merritt from the west. The ospreys returned to a cleaned off nesting platform this spring but rebuilt it in the shadow of ropes and new poles going up around them.
On this Day: May 24th 1626
Peter Minuit buys Manhattan for tools Wampum and other wares.
The Kinder Morgan environmental response team is drilling this week in Nicwala park behind the local lawn bowling facility off Merritt avenue.
Different organizations are involved including Regulators from the regulator, provincial environmental responders and contracts that do the ” integrity work” on the pipeline that runs to Alberta through here to Burnaby.
Today they have a boom and collector spread out on the Nicola River in an exercise they have people stationed on the river with poles to catch anyone that may fall into the fast moving water.
A contractor from Hope that is responsible for the integrity of part of the line says ” every thing is GPS now we know where the welds are within 3 meters with our technology including the smart pig inline sensor”
Jason a person in charge of the response vans pointed out materials for sopping up oil as well as generators and small tools.
On this day: May19th 1921
The US sets quotas on immigration.
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
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.
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…..
Notice of an application of herbicide,applicator said it included mosquito resolve. File Photo: KDG
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.
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.
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.
When it comes it can be something to manage file photo KDG
The Nicola Valley has its first snow fall of the year Sunday and Monday. There was no snow at the city level it could be seen on the mountains to the west.
Most snow removal by individuals is clearance of driveways and walkways. After heavy snowfalls, snow may be removed from roofs to reduce the risk of structural damage due to the weight.
In places with light snow, brooms or other light instruments can be used to brush off snow from walks and other surfaces. In regions with more precipitation, snow is commonly removed with snow shovels, a large lightweight shovel used to push snow and lift it, and snow scoops or sleigh shovels, a large and deep hopper-like implement fitted with a wide handle and designed to scoop up a load of snow and slide it on any slippery surface to another location without lifting. Other tools include snow pushers and shovels with one or more wheels.
Shovelling entails a considerable amount of physical effort and can strain the back and the heart. Each year many senior citizens and middle aged persons die from heart attacks while shovelling snow: source Wikipedia
On this Day: November 3rd 1817
The Bank of Montreal begins business in Montreal Canada.
They look innocuous but they can be deadly. Water dripping off a roof can produce icicles weighting multiple tens of pounds quickly, these items falling can do serious damage to a human.
Damage and injuries caused by icicles
Icicles can pose both safety and structural dangers.[5] Icicles that hang from an object may fall and cause injury and/or damage to whoever or whatever is below them. In addition, ice deposits can be heavy. If enough icicles form on an object, the weight of the ice can severely damage the structural integrity of the object and may cause the object to break.
The story of an English youth who was killed by a falling icicle in 1776 has been often recounted.[6][7][8][9]
Armstrong, the scientist from the National Snow and Ice Data Center, told a journalist, “Another twist is very large icicles falling from cliffs along highways hitting cars. Where I used to work doing avalanche hazard assessment and forecasting along U.S. Highway 550 in southwestern Colorado, icicles have fallen and destroyed passing cars.”[1]
In 2010, five people were killed and 150 injured by icicles in Saint Petersburg, Russia after a heavy snow that also caused apartment block roofs to collapse, as well as creating water damage to private homes and to the National Library of Russia.[10]
Kathleen F. Jones of the U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory states, “The combination of the ice load and the wind on ice load can break wires, cross arms, and poles and/or other supporting structures. Damage associated with icicles on roofs may be to vehicles parked next to the overhang. Icicles on roofs are also often associated with ice dams that may cause water to infiltrate under the shingles with possible water damage to the house or building and its contents.”
Today in history: January 8th 1887
Wolf Mountain Montana sees the last battle between Crazy Horse and the United States Army