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.
Mayor Niel Menard and some councilors were mustering at City hall on Monday with high vis vests and pickup sticks. Going on an outing for spring clean up is popular with local politicians.
Merritt British Columbia is in a hub of 7 major highway systems into the South Central Interior of BC. Many roads and ditches make for a trap for debris over winter.
On this Day: March 31st 1994
The finding of a complete skull of a hominid,Australopithecus afarnensis that lived more then 2 billion years ago is reported by a scientific journal.
There is a mighty presence of cleaning here in Merritt, British Columbia, this week as well as crew out replacing winter damage to roads and light standards. Pleasant calm spring weather is about this week a change from windy and colder. Crocus are in bloom in some yards.
There are reports of wood ticks being picked up on people here in the Nicola Valley. People that have dogs may want to check themselves and children for the creature. Wood ticks can be responsible for Rocky Mountain spotted fever. If you find one be careful not to pull on it as it is said to break its head off if its stared to burrow in flesh and the head may keep going. That’s according to home remedies and they include a method of heating a sewing needle on an element to cause it to back out.
Dermacentor andersoni, commonly known as the Rocky Mountain wood tick, is a species of tick.[1]
It can cause tick paralysis.
Diagnostic features: Larva only has 3 pairs of legs. Nymph has 4 pairs. Single pair of spiracular openings (stigmata) close to the coxae (leg bases or segments) of the 4th pair of legs (except in larvae) Terminal capitulum (mouthparts) visible from above in all stages except the egg, of course. A large sclerite called the Scutum present dorsally behind the capitulum. The scutum almost entirely covers the back of the male, but only partly covers the back of the female. Eyes, if present, are on the scutum. Sexual dimorphism in size and colour is frequent. The female is often larger. Posterior margin of opisthosoma usually sub-divided into sclerites callel festoons. Pedipalps rigid along the chelicerae, not leg-like. Single pair of spiracular openings (stigmata)
The bug can also carry the bacteria for Lyme disease and Tularemia. Spring is the time here to watch for them.
The local Nicola Naturalists are having a botanist to speak and present on the 19th of March at the NVIT lecture theater in Merritt. Dan Durall is from the University of the Okanagan.
Ever wondered about local mushrooms – whether they are edible or poisonous, and what roles they play in the local ecosystems? Dr. Durall is a mycologist (fungus specialist) with many years of experience studying fungi in the BC interior. He is especially interested in fungi found in our forests, understanding their role in carbon and nutrient cycling as well as the effect of forest practices on fungal populations and communities.
All Welcome: membership or donation requested. Program starts at 7 PM no food or drink in the lecture theater.
On this Day: March 12th 1961
The first winter assent of the north face of Elger mount.
A happy job stewart talks to us at the start of the 3rd 500 KV line near Merritt. Photo KDG
You may be miffed that the BC government takes a dividend from hydro when its supposed to be a non profit and delivering power at a rate that reflects your equal standing as a citizen in British Columbia now that dividend may be more attractive when a low snow pack creates less generating capsity then in other year. Putting pressure on that dividend against a reasonable rate. Is it a tax? It is against the mixed economy concept that is supposed to undergird our free system of profit driven business. Here’s what hydro is saying about the snow pack:
Lower-level snowpack is way below normal in many areas across province
No snow on the North Shore mountains. Mount Washington closed to skiing for the season. A record high temperature of 14°C at Vancouver airport a month after Christmas. What’s going on here? And what does it mean to 2015 water levels in B.C., including BC Hydro’s reservoirs? To answer those questions, and to take a deeper dive into the effects of climate change, we sat down with BC Hydro meteorologist Tim Ashman, author of a popular in-house weather blog that goes out to more than 1,000 BC Hydro employees. A member of BC Hydro’s hydrology and technical services team, Ashman agrees that this has been a weird winter in B.C. “It’s been unusual in B.C. and in much of Western North America,” he says. “It’s been warm quite consistently, pretty much all winter, with only a couple exceptions.” What makes the winter of 2014-2015 so unusual is just how warm and wet it has been compared to other so-called El Nino years. We had one in 2009-2010 during the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, but that winter was largely dry. Not this time around, because this El Nino year is different. “All of our storm cycles have been warm,” he says. “And that’s had a significant effect on our snowpacks. We’ve had to deal with water runoff instead of storage into the snowpack. At elevations where we’re generally storing snow at this time of year, we’ve seen runoff.” That runoff was significant enough that BC Hydro was forced to spill water at several dams, notably in the Campbell River system. Meanwhile, a rainy October in the north recharged ground water and increased streamflows into BC Hydro’s largest reservoir, Williston, in what amounted to an unusual, but welcome, pre-winter influx of water heading into the peak season for electricity demand.
Maybe rain will come maybe taxs will go up. What ever comes we still have a lot of good people and an enduring community to increase our quality of life come what may. You may take this serous enough to do that solar project you have put off. On this day: March 5th 1975 The first meeting of the home brew computer club.
Last day for all weather shelter at 1937 Quilchena Ave. The all weather shelter in Merritt is open daily through January and February, come March 1st it will only be open when temperatures are below Zero Celsius.
We hope not to see you there…..
new parking policy at hall Photo KDG
On this day: February 27th 1986
Television coverage is allowed as trial in the US Senate.
February is heart month canvassers are out for honorary Chair Adrian Clarkson, who wants us together to make more survivors from heart disease.
Want to be part of the Heart and Stroke Foundations ” Make more survivors campaign”?:
Go to my personal canvass page at: http://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=1110530&supId=419385915 or go to the heartandstroke.ca website.
On this day: February 25th 1991
The Warsaw pact is proclaimed disbanded.
Appledorn tulips breaking soil in Merritt February 17th /15 Photo KDG
The earth needs to warm up to germinate plants, for this various plants need differing amounts of degree days. the lower mainland and Victoria are reporting plant germination. We have seen some activity in sheltered area around warmed soil from buildings. Spring is still far off.
On this Day: February 20th 1965
Ranger 8 photographs the moon for landing spots then crashes .
A boxy new simple gas car is handled in a parking lot near E V chargers in Merritt. Photo KDG
This boxy Nissan Car was being photoed by a dealer in the parking lot of the local arena.”It looks like a milk truck” was heard to be said of it with agreement.
The parking lot is the site of the local farmers market that runs spring through fall in Merritt. The earthy appearance may appeal to that bunch. People sure go to lengths, to sell.
On this Day: February 17th 1933
The price of a liter of regular gasoline is at 95 cents a liter down another cent since last week. The driving season that usually starts in May will be interesting to see as if gasoline continues its decline through it we can attribute habits as being entrenched to some degree.
On this day: February 3rd 1947
Snag Yukon records the coldest North American temperture of 83 degrees F or 63.9 c.
Kevin Griffiths
percypaschal
The Proprietor Review 