Category: Government Works


pellet plant

Inside a woood-pellet heater

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I went by the new wood pellet plant today and took a picture of the a man supervising a bagging operation.
A source says that there may be some hiring when the dryer is finished in about 6 weeks.
The wood pellet plant seems new and modern and clean without clutter or grease. On the way over I upbraided a child that was playing between the wheels of a parked logging truck. He agreed it was a danger and took his plastic gun and played elsewhere. The truck had nothing to do with the pellet plant however; people should pay attention to their own children.

Today in history, November 4,1970

Genie a thirteen year old feral kid is found after being locked in her bedroom most of her life.

All Candidates forum

 The local chamber hosted an all candidates forum last night at the NVIT lecture theater,  the afternoon saw the school trustee hopefulls answer questions and the evening the town council .

The two Mayoralty candidates sat at different ends of the long panel table answering questions posed by the new manager of the Community Futures organization the Government access point to business and self employment services located on the corner of Garcia and Quilchena Avenue.

Questions were addressed to incumbants and challengers as prescribed on a written form collected  by  the Chamber. There was also a limted number of questions posed by a press table.

The forum will be broadcast on the local shaw community channel.

Today in history, October 31,1517

95 theses nailed to the church door at Wittenburg to start the protestant reformation.

1959: Lee Harvey Oswald attemps to renouce his US citzenship at the US Embassy in Moscow.

Election events

Here in Merritt British Columbia , the local civic election is on November 19th 8 am to 8 Pm . There is an all candidates forum on October 30th 5:30 PM and advanced polls Nov 8th and Nov 16th 8 to 8.

There are 10 councillor contenders and 2 mayoralty. one of the three seats for Regional district rep is filled already by acclamation. that is by Herb Graham a long time rep.

Today in History, October 24, 2003

The super sonic concord makes its last flight.

The Sydney Opera House, designer, architect an...

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There are some significant activities this week in Merritt, tonite the Alexander the Great Seminar continues at the library, presenter al Horne and his wife coördinate the slides and the talk.An Academic venture,in progress as the credits for photos of antiquity are yet to be published.

The Nicola Naturalists also have and AGM tonight  at 7 o’clock at NVIT about 3 kilometers from the 6-8 presentation at the library.

There is also a member picture presentation after the expected brief business meeting.

Last evening there was an eco health forum that featured such speakers ad Scotty Holmes the chief o the Upper Nicola Indian band  and others including representation from the Community round table at evening it was sparsely attended and  coming to a conclusion in its second day of presentations and discussions.

Today in history, October 20th 1973

The Sydney Opera House opens.

Election

There off, on the hustings today, the first election signs appeared on Voght Street. A councilor candidate named Polmans has some small stenciled 2 by 3 foot signs out .

There are two candidates for mayor 2 ex mayors running for councilor. Kroker and Norguard.Candidates  include incumbent Alastair Murdock, Shelly Sanders,  H. Kroeker.  There is  a neophyte Harvey Keys and others…..

There was an increase in the money paid for the civic duty around the time of the last election it seems not to have made much of a difference to the motivation of the people to run. a former liberal Prime minister says that the animosity should be lessened to encourage the young to run. There is no one under thirty running and some well into their 7th decade are still running.

A politician becomes a public figure when elected limiting their claim to privacy. that will not change.

Today in history October 19th, 2003

Mother Teresa of Calcutta  is beautified by Pope Paul the second

Smart meters

Elster A3 ALPHA type A30 single-phase kWh smar...

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The  provincial hydro authority is going to be installing smart meters around the province. This will give them the ability to better manage power. As well the customer will also be able to do the same .No word on the thought that there will be two rates, one for off-peak and one for on. There was a proposal for an energy project that took water out of our own Nicola Lake and stored it till peak usage time. The marriage is more than obvious and we will be listening for the re-emergence of that project here in the future.

The local library has a meter for you to borrow to test where you are using your power the smart meter will build on that principle.

Today in History, October 17,2010

Mary Mckillop is canonized to be the first Saint of Australia.

RCMP

There are negotiations on here for the renewal of a contract with the province to supply municipal police services from the Federal Police Force.
The press is reporting that a take it or leave it offer is on the table from the feds for March 2012 renewal. The feds are also tendering 30 plus billion in navy ship building contracts and a proposal is in their hands for work to be done in BC shipyards by an eastern shipbuilder.

The BC Provincial Police force was used even up past the end of the second world war in BC and this renewal for the RCMP comes after the completion of a 20 year contract with the province for its 6000 members that the feds supply to municipalities here.

Two police officers were murdered in this community in the 1930s a BC Provincial Police officer and a Dominion Police Services of Canada officer , their killers, surname George, were hung at the New Westminster penitentiary for the killings.

The second war era RCMP were responsible for national security today that task is done by a civilian agency the called CSIS….

The Justice Institute of BC trains police and jail guards for civil police and authorities in BC.

Today in History, October 3,1952

United Kingdom tests nuclear weapon to become the worlds 3rd nuclear power.

Merritt volunteer fire department training

The local fire fighters have trained new fire men here, and will be getting 5 more in September. The project has proven succesful for four trained fire fighters 2 who have gotten jobs with a Vancouver fire Company and 2 with a Kamloops Company. ( meaning Department of  the Cities.)

The people are paid and live in a trailer behind the fire house. A source says that the MVFD has three platoon s of about 9 persons each and three trucks including a 70 odd foot ladder and water cannon operation. There is one 4 story building in Merritt.

Today in history, July 20,1903

Ford Motor Company ships its first car.

Kevin Falcon, a minister of the crown is visiting here once again. Falcon a member of the ruling liberal party and part of the new premier Christy Clark is visiting the local arts council.

He is deputy premier and finance minister since March. He is the chair of the treasury board.

The honorable member is a volunteer in his riding on the Surrey bike patrol with the RCMP,

The event is on June 29th,6.00 PM till 9 PM, At the Grand grill and pub tickets 15 dollars for a steak fundraiser dinner.

Today in History, June 22,2003

The largest hailstone every recorded falls on  Aurora Nebraska.

About twenty fire fighters, are taking an investigation certification course at the local community college today. They will become credible witness’s to court cases involving insurance companies and criminal proceedings involving prosecutions.

The 4 and a half day of training gives the participants a level 2 certification for civil not criminal investigations another 4 1/2 would give them  level one and a credible witness in a criminal proceeding.

One of the participants said he was looking forward to making determinations.

Those  would have to stand in prosecutions and recovery actions for costs with insurance companies. We think that when loss rears its head it is competence and fairness that needs  to prevail.

Today in History, June 7 1099

The first crusade the siege of Jerusalem begins.

Maintenence

The health authority has 3 full-time maintenance people and one part-time. For a 8 bed hospital and with one dormant wing. An extended care facility with 75 beds ; its hard to find published ,the amount.

A young obviously first nation full-time maintenance worker for the city, was chatty this morning about his job saying two days a week its his job to pick up the garbage from the city cans about the city .He said he looks in the top of them for obvious disadvantageous materials such as paraphernalia and needles but never searches them, he considers it a matter of his personal safety. It is good to see a person from his community on full-time for the city as this is Aboriginal awareness week across Canada.

There are numbers of private small maintenance contractors about here including one ex police person who lost his job policing through an unfortunate choice he made to assault a native prisoner.The city enjoys a clean and kept aesthetic through the 5 months of the local growing season. It is working hard at promoting a safe and stable place to spend vacation time.

From the microcosm that is Merritt KDG

Today in history, May 27, 1933

Walt Disney releases the cartoon film three little pigs and the theme song:  Who’s afraid the big bad wolf.

Stats can follow up!

Census:

Today the crew of stats can are training for the follow up that started on the 20th, the legally required survey was for residence on  the 1oth of May and a follow up of households has started today.

Very simple form deals with language and domicile , if you answer yes to the Farming involvement the only other question you will get another form later.

Today in History: May 24,1893

Anti saloon league founded , by Howard H Russel of  Oberlin Ohio.