Category: Environment


TGIF-Green energy project

A crane drives piles at the 200 million dollar cogen facility in Merritt BC Photo KDG

A crane drives piles at the 200 million dollar cogen facility in Merritt BC
Photo KDG


last week a crane drove a dozen pilings into the ground at the site of the green energy project ( licensed and sanctioned by BC Hydro Power and Authority) The site is at the Tolko sawmill operations and will supply electric power to the mill and to a substation in the Highland valley, which has the massive Teck operation mine as its main consumer of power. There is also a two pole line going from here to the substation near Logan Lake BC with a 130 KV line that replaces a 61 KV line coming from the Merritt substation at this time. The Merritt substation is also having a rebuild.
A young worker at the site told us he was grateful to know that he had two years work from the project at least.
Today in history: September 24th 1948
The Honda motors company is founded.

Corn

Corn grown in the Nicola Valley Photo KDG

Corn grown in the Nicola Valley
Photo KDG


The Nicola Valley has a marginal climate for growing anything other than grass and alfalfa, however the new owners of the river ranch ( the ranch on the Nicola River in the center of town) have a field of cow corn
The ranch is being leased by its local owners to diary interests from the lower mainland and have a number of feedlots. The feedlots confine and feed dairy cows for their first two years and then are taken to the coast for milk production.

Today in history, September 23,1999

The National , Aeronautics  and Space Administration says that it lost communication with its Martian climate orbiter.

 

Nicola Naturalists

The local naturalists are starting their fall/winter program on Thursday the 18th, they will have their member photo night and annual meeting at 7 PM in room 0001.
President Alan Burger, a PHD and artic explorer is the president at this time, and will present a brief AGM. The group has monthly meetings with guest speakers open to the public with a request for membership or donation.

Today in history: September 18th 1906

A typoon kills ten thousand people in Hong Kong.

Spawning salmon

Salmon, Photo: KDG

Salmon, Photo: KDG

Returning salmon, look for spawning opportunity, Photo KDG

Returning salmon, look for spawning opportunity, Photo KDG

Returning salmon, look for spawning opportunity, Photo KDG[/caption]Salmon are seen in the Coldwater River, some dead after spawning some still looking for the right bit of gravel bed that was the water temperature from the time  the fish were fry here. Water temperature is all important for the navigation of returning salmon.

Black bears are also being seen near the water of the two rivers that meet in our Nicola Avenue, with piles of scat about town it makes for a caution that needs to be respected.

Today in history: September 16th 1987

The Montreal accord is signed for the protection of the ozone layer:

TGIF- Asbestos

There is a big loader behind the building in Merritt that burned on July 30th, it is set to demolish the remains of the building, it has been there for nearly 3 days and is waiting on something. The front of the building has big xs on the windows and a sign saying Asbestos removal is going on.

There is no traffic control about the building.

Asbestos (pronounced /æsˈbɛstəs/ or /æzˈbɛstəs/) is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals[1] which all have in common their eponymous asbestiform habit: long (roughly 1:20 aspect ratio), thin fibrous crystals.

Asbestos mining began more than 4,000 years ago, but did not start large-scale until the end of the 19th century when manufacturers and builders used asbestos because of its desirable physical properties:[1] sound absorption, average tensile strength, its resistance to fire, heat, electrical and chemical damage, and affordability. It was used in such applications as electrical insulation for hotplate wiring and in building insulation. When asbestos is used for its resistance to fire or heat, the fibers are often mixed with cement or woven into fabric or mats.

The prolonged inhalation of asbestos fibers can cause serious illnesses including malignant lung cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis (a type of pneumoconiosis).[2][3] The trade and use of asbestos have been restricted or banned in many jurisdictions.
Source Wikipedia

The building was owned by an Oliver Kelly, Oliver was a real-estate sales person with Decade Real Estate, before it became Royal Lepage here. It was once an antique store as well as a pool hall and other things.
Today in History: September 12th 1959

The first showing the first scheduled color program, the TV series Bonanza.

Bears about!

bears leaving fish in park

A fish dropped by bears when feeding. file photo KDG

A lady reported that bears have been about and one took a piece out of her iron gate. Helen a resident of the north end of Garcia street says that a big black bear is about and a mother with two cubs.

Its been said that when bears are feeding on meat they are more dangerous to people then when eating berries and grubs, regardless care should be taken  the regional district has a bear aware program.

Bears On The Prowl Before Hibernation

Thompson-Nicola Regional District

tnrd.ca

For Immediate Release (November 19/12): The Bear Aware program and the Thompson-

Nicola Regional District would like to remind everyone to ensure their community stays free of

bear attractants this month as bears make final preparations for hibernation. Bears aim to gain

two to five pounds per day during this period, so they are on the lookout for any easy meals.

Surveys conducted in the last two weeks revealed that

garbage bins, barbecues, and yard waste are the top three bear

attractants in many neighbourhoods. Compost, bird seed, and

outdoor fridges make up the rest of the items noted in the surveys.

Bears have recently been sighted throughout the TNRD

and reports indicate that garbage left outside was the attractant

in most cases. Help your neighbourhood be Bear Aware this

year and next by following these simple steps:

• Store garbage inside or in a bear-proof container until disposal. Do not put garbage

outside the night before pick-up.

• Do not place bird feeders outside until Dec. 1.

• Keep barbecues clean and free of residual food and grease.

• Feed pets inside and store pet food indoors.

• Mix compost regularly or treat with lime to reduce odour.

• Pick any remaining fruit and share with friends if you have too much to handle.

The Bear Aware program would also like to extend a warm welcome to two new

enthusiastic volunteers in Clearwater.

To view bear sightings in your area, check out the new Bear Aware interactive online map

at http://www.bearaware.bc.ca that locates bears and identifies attractants. For more on bears sightings,

go to http://www.facebook.com/BearAwareBC.

The Bear Aware program is sponsored by the TNRD and the Ministry of Environment.

Please report sightings or conflicts with bears to the Conservation Officer Service’s RAPP hotline

at 1.877.952.7277.

Bears and humans cannot coexist at some point there will be an action taken.

Today in history September 11 1941:

Ground is broken for the Pentagon</code>

Windy

Have a great day, we are on holidays, for a week, please enjoy the day in history untill we return.

Have a great day, we are on holidays, for a week, please enjoy the day in history untill we return.

Today in history: August 17th 1915
A category 4 , 135 mile an hour hurricane hits Galvastan Texas

Electric SUV

A Tesla S, 85 charges up at Merritt, with an adapter to a DC 500 Volt 120 amp Quick charger, Aug /14 Photo KDG

A Tesla S, 85 charges up at Merritt, with an adapter to a DC 500 Volt 120 amp quick charger, Aug /14
Photo KDG

Randy a person that works for Tesla motors in Vancouver says that there is an SUV edition of the fully electric car coming out next year. Even with out a proto type he says that there are 20,000 advanced orders.
Randy spoke to us while charging his Tesla model 85 400 kilometer EV at the Sun Country charger on Voght street in Merritt on Monday ( BC Day)
http://www.teslamotors.com/modelx
Tesla model X can be, can be pre-ordered for fall 2015 delivery, by risk takers and early opted enthusiasts. Tesla has a better then average track record for reliability with their Roadster ( out of production) and Model S. Third row seating, and falcon wing doors combined with the full EV package make for an interesting and attention getting car.
Today in history: August 5th 1960
Burkina Faso , known as Upper Volta becomes independent from France

TGIF- AC charger is free

A General Motors product, Chevy Volt charges up on the free AC Charger, July 2014 Photo KDG

A General Motors product, Chevy Volt charges up on the free AC Charger, July 2014
Photo KDG

A Chevrolet volt charges up at a charging station last week in Merritt. The Volt had Ontario licence plates and is partial EV, it has a gasoline charging engine that will charge the battery as it drives.
Partial electric vehicles and hybrids are a consumer choice that does not allow for the ideological ” emission free goal but have a cumulative effect to benefit the environment, in the view of some operators. The 2014 volts are in the $37,000 dollar range and where intended to be a mass produced EV. http://www.gm.ca/gm/english/vehicles/chevrolet/volt/overview

The Chevrolet Volt is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle manufactured by General Motors, also marketed in rebadged variants as the Holden Volt in Australia and New Zealand, and with a different fascia as the Vauxhall Ampera in the United Kingdom and as the Opel Ampera in the remainder of Europe.

Sales of the 2011 Volt began in the U.S. in mid-December 2010 followed by various European countries and other international markets in 2011. As of June 2014, the Volt and Ampera models have combined global sales of over 77,000 units, with the U.S. as the leading market with over 63,000 Volts delivered since its introduction in 2010. Opel/Vauxhall Ampera sales in Europe totaled over 9,000 units through May 2014. The Netherlands is the world’s second largest Volt/Ampera market and leads the European region with more than 4,900 Amperas and over 1,000 Volts sold through June 2014. The Volt is the top selling plug-in electric car in the United States, and the Volt and its rebadged variants are the best-selling plug-in hybrid in the world.

The Volt operates as a pure battery electric vehicle until its plug-in battery capacity drops to a predetermined threshold from full charge. From there its internal combustion engine powers an electric generator to extend the vehicle’s range as needed. When the engine is running it may be periodically mechanically linked (by a clutch) to a planetary gear set, and hence the output drive axle, to improve energy efficiency. The Volt’s regenerative braking also contributes to the on-board electricity generation. Under the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cycle, the 2013/14 model year Volt all-electric range is 38 mi (61 km), with a combined electric mode/gasoline-only rating of 62 mpg-US (3.8 L/100 km; 74 mpg-imp) equivalent (MPG-equivalent).

The Volt has won several awards, including the 2009 Green Car Vision Award, 2011 Green Car of the Year, 2011 North American Car of the Year, 2011 World Green Car and 2012 European Car of the Year. Controversies regarding the Volt include the extent to which the U.S. federal government may have participated in the Volt’s development, which continued through General Motors’ 2009 government-led bankruptcy,[6][7][8] and concerns about the battery pack fire risk following a crash test that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) performed on a Volt in 2011.[7][8][9] At the completion of its investigation NHTSA concluded that no discernible defect trend exist source Wikipedia

The Tesla S fully electric has had a production of about 30,000 units of the 100 thousand dollar plus car and is bringing out a new version soon to be near par for price with the volt. Range will be a factor in its use as fully EV cars are most useful to those that drive the average Kilometers of an urban driver.

Today in history: August 1st 1984
A preserved bog body, Lindow man is found in Northwest England


 

Sprinkler system

A contractor was flushing out the sprinkler system at the Nicola Valley Memorial Arena on the 29th. Fire safe from Salmon Arm had hoses connected to the system on both sides of the building, and water was flushing through a fine filter at the end of it and into the storm sewer. the rusty water was the result of the 15 year time since any flow had been in it, according to a worker that identified himself as just a helper.
The Nicola Valley Memorial Arena, is home to the oldest BCJHL hockey team in the province, and had a major reno and expansion some two decades ago.
Today in history: July 30th 1729
The foundation of the city Baltimore.

A brief respite

Fire fighting crews got a a break from the heat by way of heavy rain yesterday. Two helicopters were seen over the airstrip around noon, just before a brief ice storm was followed by a summer cloud burst. People were kept in the local Starbucks for about a half an hour as thunder and heavy rain fell. One conversation about what to do if the power went off, was answered by an offical, the plan is use the made coffee and call to see how long it would be off. If it was hours then the store would close. Editors note: most public buildings over a capacity have emergency lighting, some like hospitals have emergency generators.
Three days of rain are in the forecast from Wednesday, thursday morning is forecast to feel like 9 degrees c.
Friday should see partly sunny conditions with 25 degree C temperatures, here.
http://www.theweathernetwork.com/weather/canada/british-columbia/merritt
Today in history: July 24th 1866
Reconstruction, Tennessee becomes the first state readmitted to the US after the civil war.

3 hours and 45 minutes.

There was an other Tesla EV at the charge station on Voght on Monday night. This one was the model that has the near 500 kilometer range and is only electric. The charge gauge was at 90 KM and it had 3 hours and 45 minutes to finish a complete charge. It was hooked up to the AC charger next to the 120 amp DC charger that a Nissan leaf used Sunday evening. The Leaf owner Julian said that he had to watch his speed as he came from another DC charger in Hope. “It was near running out before I hit the peak of the Coquihalla and the system in his car began to use gravity to recharge the battery”. He said there was a net increase in the charge meaning he had kilometers left when arriving in Merritt.The AC charger at the Voght street is talked of as being a 90 amp charger the product plate on the side of it says 70 amps. The more amperage the quicker the charge.
There are AC chargers at City hall on the other side of Voght, in the 60 amp range, and one behind the Civic center, there is also one at the Husky station, leaving Merritt going north. There is a Boston Pizza across the street from the Husky but no coffee shops or fast food outlets have put any in here as yet.
A General Motors Chevy Volt was seen charging at City hall last week.Merritt is a small community in the south central part of BC, it is in the center of the Coquihalla highway hub.

Today in history: July 23 1995

The comet Hale Bopp is discovered, it becomes visible to the naked eye a year later.