To the seasons of life
Today in History, May,18 1995
Shawn Nelson , 35 goes on a rampage in San Diego in a tank.
There are the tell tale signs of impending summer around. A tall young fellow in the signature blue heavily pocketed pants with the forestry tan shirt was in the local Starbucks this morning. A fire fighter. He said he was from the Fraser Valley and wore a ball cap with a helicopter on it and Valley Helicopters written about it. He said he was in wild fire suppression.
There is a a fire camp north of here and training school with in days we will expect to see hopefuls running across Voght Park with heavy equipment to qualify for the fire season. Indications are that people are expecting a more pronounced season this year then last.
A fire hazard sign is at the City Fire Hall leaving Merritt towards Highway 8 West,it is operated by the Ministry of Forests and is strategic for those that may be traveling the Fraser Canyon Route. It is sometimes effected by fires.
Today in History, May 16th 2005
Kuwait allows women suffrage.
There was a pile of old power poles in an empty lot off Voght street, now removed by an apparent salvage contractor.The pile had old cedar poles some with a pieces of galvanized channel iron still attached from a stabilizing project more then two decades ago. some not, also in the pile were some recent pine poles that had been preserved with copper and arsenic solution and replaced in the last few years.
A source with in Hydro says that some pine poles are rotting and there is a swing back to cedar ones. He also said that concrete poles like the ones on the Valley View hyway leaving Kamloops going to Vernon are a problem because of electrifying and disintegration because of it. The source says that the power must be off to work on the poles because of the electrifying of the poles.
Editors note: the chemistry of some ground makes copper pipes carode and some does not.
Today in history: May 2,1946
The “Battle of Alcatraz” kills two guards and 3 inmates.
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.
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.
The local public library is closed this morning as in the night someone broke a window and smashed glass all across the room right to the reception counter.There is also some dints in the metal door at the front of the library were it seems a more carefull entry was attempted.
A supervisor at the Garcia Street upgrade that was putting down rocks in the flower beds said that he wondered if they will mix with the windows of Granite Avenue.The public library had rocks for a ground cover untill removed a few years ago. The rocks in the upgrade are small crush less likely to be a problem.
A posting says they are closed untill all the glass is cleaned up.A note to the thief says that the library staff think that those involved have not paid a fine lately as there is so they may no know only nickels and dimes in the building from small fines and that they should get a card as borrowing is free.
A staff member at a cafe says that he thinks the library will be closed all day as the floor needs to be redone again with a soaking to remove all small shards. He was called at 12:04 last night to be advised about the break in attempt. He also feels that they did not enter and a bit of blood is on the window post evidencing a cut on the attempt.
The public library runs a number of programs for the young children and parents from time to time and sometimes pays for them with funds raised by “The Friends of the Library ”
Today in History, March 22,1923
The first hockey broadcast by Foster Hewitt , goes on the CBC.
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.
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.
A RCMP Sergent was to appear today in a circuit court, at 9:oo AM there was no name of
Stuart Seib the relieved commander of the Merritt Detachment, of the RCMP was not on the docket of the circuit provincial court here in Merritt, to reporters from the local paper were inquiring as well and only a few people interested in the local court activities. Harvey Keys m, a local business man who got himself on the ballot for the municipal election was calling for justice. Harvey has been an outspoken advocate of cleaning up the illicit substance use ,mostly crack houses and may have tried to get elected on it. He was also upset that the local council had not gone after the contractor The RCMP for supplying a allegedly using thieving commander to the local detachment here.
A sherif we inquired of , said that he was on the court schedule for the 23 rd when asked if it was this month there was no negative reply. He also said he didn’t want to be quoted on that.
Editors note : We enjoy a fiduciary relationship with the federal government one that requires much cause to seek damages for injury in a court.
Opinion: We think that the issue is surreal and like the reasonable people who didn’t take an interest this morning will fade away.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2012/01/12/bc-rcmp-cocaine-charges.html?cmp=rss
Today in history,February 22,1943
Members of the white rose are beheaded by the Nazis’s.
The Nicola Valley Film Society is presenting the film: The Whistle-Blower. White slavery amongst the free enterprise alluding remnants of the Soviet Unions security and military establishment. Not that kind of free enterprise; the corruption of Eastern Europe in the transition to western institutions is documented in a dramatic film.The presenters are a warning of a rape scene that may be difficult for some people.
The film starts at 7:30 PM, in the NVIT lecture theater, no food or beverages allowed.
Today in history,February 21,1952
The British Government under Winston Churchill abolishes Identity cards to set the people Free.
There is a small airstrip here in Merritt, Saunders Field. It is on a nice little bench just north-west of town. The local city council was inviting people who would be interested to be on the airport committee to contact the city. The strip is 634 meters at 500722 North,1204450 west. It is a public airfield and yes operated by the city.
About two decades ago a premier visited it in a whirlwind working tour and a 600 thousand dollar grant was given to put night landing lights on it. The money was never used and was returned to the Cabinet. However in the last year there has been a new hanger building built and there is a going concern helicopter company at the field.
The Merritt Flying Club operates a website that updates weather every 5 minutes as well as almanac and moon phase.However the last reading shows 29/1/12 and there is a registration offer from ambient weather.
The airstrip has had scheduled passenger service in its history never lasting long as small planes are not comfortable to use as passengers and there is commercial jet service in both Kamloops and Kelowna, about an hour and a quarter away.
A city committee is usually chaired by a councillor and is a good precursor to running for elected office.
Every now and then the Federal government lands one of its four engine search and rescue aircraft and gets fuel adding to the legitimacy of the strip.
Today in History: February 13,2008
The Australian Prime Minister makes a historic apology to the aboriginal people ; the indigenous Australians and the stolen generations
Editors note: tomorrow February 14, 2012, afternoon 12-1, Dr.Cora Voyageur at the local college will be giving a presention open to the public on trends in aboriginal communities: there is also and evening session.
Image via Wikipedia
Have a weekend!
Today in history, January,27 1996
Germany first observes International Holocaust Day
Hey Merit what do you say?
Kevin Griffiths
percypaschal
The Proprietor Review 