To the seasons of life
https://twitter.com/birdonthehead/status/707266794503811072
Thirty robins sited in the Merritt area on a casual count. Michigan as well, according to a twitter tweet. Forgive the poetic licence.
First day of spring in 10 days.
On this Day: March 9th 2011
The Space Shuttle Discovery completes its 39th and last flight.
A move to the right shows level of water tables. File Photo KDG
Wayne a local artisan said of the snow that fell on Monday. ” need the water” . The sign shows the trend last summer as water levels brought a fishing ban on local rivers.
The TNRD is offering pre-ordered rain barrels 1/2 price. The 55 gallon white barrels must be paid for before hand for April 30th pickup. The barrels will be available for P/U at the Green living event, Sandman center 300 Lorne street, order deadline April 15th. : http://enviroworld.ca/kamloops
On this day: March 8th 2014
A Boeing 777 flight 370 disappears off the coast of Malaysia.
Similar: https://percypaschal.wordpress.com/category/law-and-order/
A new Tesla S going to a home in Williams Lake BC
File Photo KDG
Brock, a man charging up his Red Tesla EV at the Voght street charger said he and the Tesla community were upset that the green subsidy was not on his type of car. The Tesla he drives is considered a luxury car and is not in the 70 thousand dollar range cap for the recently announced incentive for EV’s and hybrids.”they have to meet the commitment from Paris he said and luxury cars being left out is not helping.”
He also said because his car type attracts the luxury sales tax of 10 percent PST the province still would be ahead if they included the Tesla S series in the program.
Brock is says he is an engineer and lives in Kamloops, he sometimes does work for the City of Merritt.
There is slightly less then 12 million dollars committed to the Globe Green plan by the BC government in Paris. The money is to go to clean energy vehicles and promoting clean air and water.
You are now allowed to drive in HOV lanes in electric vehicles without passengers.
There are estimated to be less then 4000 Electric Vehicles in BC .
Because electric vehicles don’t consume gasoline or directly produce greenhouse gas emissions, there is strong government support for their development, production and sale—including, in some provinces, financial incentives for consumers. In Ontario, for example, consumers are eligible for up to $8500 in rebates when purchasing certain BEVs or PHEVs, although HEVs are not eligible. In British Columbia, rebates of up to $5000 are available for certain electric vehicles. And at least one province – Ontario – also has an incentive program for those who install a home charging system. The federal government does not offer consumer incentives for the purchase of electric vehicles.Source BCAA
Live smart BC has info on charging stations as well.
On this Day: March 4th 1913
The United States Department of Labor is formed.
Well away from crime scene to keep from contamination of evidence. File photo KDG
A news person waits for info and pictures in the public interest, at an alleged murder in Merritt. Voght park in Merritt saw evidence collecting people in full white coveralls scrutinizing the scene. RCMP constable Collin Brant( a former editor at the Merritt Herald) was on the John Collet Memorial Bridge, in his maroon un-marked car on the other side of the park keeping people out of the marked off area.
The 20 year old victim in this 2002 crime lay off one of the tracks used for school track meets and trace evidence of hundreds of people lay all about. This crime was solved however many are cold and details of the crime are kept secret for interviews and investigation for years.
The fewer that know the details the better making the chances of finding the guilty party who also knows the exact details.
Chief justice of the BC Court, Thomas Crabtree and entourage were in Merritt on Tuesday and met with local First Nations elders and had a public conversation with students and those interested in aboriginal engagement with the court. Topics that came up were restorative justice and culture.
Bigger pools of people making for a bigger circle of those that might pollute a serious crime investigation with numbers of people! Leaving their trace evidence and muddling of details.
In our view restorative justice may have some value for those already convicted of lessor crimes but the involvement of the unprofessional and those not in the justice system is can be counter productive.
The justice heads the Student Journalism Education Program for the court and there was little interest coming up at the meeting, publication bands and restraints of criminal evidence collection by journalists and the public is important to not polluting the case however it remains that anything in public view can be openly commented on even to the end of being a case public.
The disposition of evidence remains on the professionals….
Investigation should be an exact science as liberty is really all free people have and needs to be safeguarded. Debacles with chains of custody and information are intolerable.PP
A vehicle used by plain clothes Mounties at a 2002 murder.
File Photo KDG
On this Day: March 3rd 2005
An around the world airplane navigation is accomplished by Steve Fossett, the trip was solo and nonstop.
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.
Alan Burger has returned to Merritt from a trip to Antarctica. The Nicola Naturalist President will present at the local community college on Thursday March 10th at 7:PM.
NNS President Alan Burger regularly goes to the Antarctic as a naturalist/lecturer on small adventure-tourism vessels. In 2015 he completed a 31-day voyage from New Zealand to the Ross Sea – the deep south – and along the West Antarctic coast. He visited many areas where people seldom go. In January-February 2016 he was in the Antarctic Peninsula and South Georgia. Global climate change is affecting the Antarctic and its wildlife but sometimes in unexpected ways. Enjoy many photos of wildlife and spectacular scenery.
Alan has recently taken on the executive of the Provincial Naturalists organization.
The lecture theater allows no food or drink, There is free parking in the College Parking lot, at 4155 Belshaw avenue at the top of the hill.
Membership or donation requested.
On this Day, March 1st 2002
An Earth Observation Satellite for environmental purposes reaches orbit. Envisat is a the largest environmental satellite put in orbit and is operated by the European Space Agency.
This Land Rover knew the earth when it was ours to discover, now its ours to manage.
File photo KDG
The Merritt Public Library is having a presentation on Thursday March 31 2016. Entitled An Inconvenient Reality the presentation will be done by Peter Clark of Calgary and will be on the complexity of solving climate change.
Sign up sheet at the counter, space is limited. The presentation runs from 6 to 9pm.
On this day: February 26th 1971
The UN makes Vernal Equinox “Earth Day”.
Some events require a lot of air travel and a person (not just a celebrity) can make offsets in life to accommodate carbon generation.
Make a donation to a green thing, buy a new car ( even a new smaller gas car) think green , think offsets.
Walk down to the public library and do a program to offset some of your energy use. You will feel better!
Car pool is always good, fill up all the seats if you have to drive to a hockey game.
You can always plant a tree…. You have imagination don’t miss stuff for carbons sake but make up the difference.
On this Day: February 25th 1919
Oregon levies a 1 cent a gallon tax on gasoline, the first in the Union.
The old court house on Nicola avenue , in Merritt.
File Photo
Photo KDG
The local community college NVIT is have in an Aboriginal Community Engagement evening at the auditorium at he school on March 1st.
The Chief Judge of the provincial Court of BC will be there. Thomas J. Crabtree was appointed toi the court in February of 1999 becoming its chief in April of 2010.
His honour participates in the Provincial Court Journalism Students Education Program.
The event is at lunch hour free parking.
On this Day: February 24th 2011
The last launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery (OV103).
ICBC and injury law add in a phone book ( to some a nuisance)
There was a young Telus employee at the library in Merritt last week. He had a little coin box in his hand and said that he worked for the phone company and was responsible for all 8000 pay phones in the province. ” I stay in a lot of Motels ” he proclaimed with an air of economic impact! its still a good deal a dollar gets you fifteen minutes of long distance , and there is an innate privacy . “They are still in airports and rural places”
Some estimates say that there is still about 10 percent of the population that use payphones however many are rarely used and revenues are way down.
Some people can’t afford cell phones and some area have no transponder.
The Canadian Radio and Television Commission regulates and licences broadcasting and communication in Canada and in the past made note of community benefits of the minority as a reason to award. Shaw Cable has local community channels in small communities that often have a one person employee presence.
Eitors note: Good luck to that young man as he defines his life by payphones we hope he also find defininition in some community organization.
On this day: February 23 1987
A super nova is observed, 1987a is seen in the Large Magellan Cloud.
Fire crew returning from Slave Lake fire in Alberta
File Photo KDG
There were some Kinder Morgan people this week looking for locations to do a spill drill for May.” we are looking for a location for a command area for about a hundred and fifty people” and were not sure where on the line to have the drill yet.
With maps draped across the back of a white pickup box in the Arena parking lot. The three planners were receptive to the suggestion that the airport had a Fire base forestry training center and the local search and rescue kept a mobile command vehicle there. “They are involved in this: Search and Rescue.
Pig catcher for pipeline, .File photo KDG
Editors note: The existing pipeline from Edmonton to Burnaby runs by the North end of the local airstrip now and has a good safety record. ” we found some spills with our smart pig in the past. The device found anomalies in the pipe and we found moistened soil when we responded to it”
The company has an application before the National Energy Board at this time that has been delayed by the incoming government by a further 6 months.
There is no confirmation that any drill has been planned at this writing. There is however a call for the other pipeline in the area. The call is for contractors to supply work on Spectra Energy’s Natural Gas line (existing). The info meeting is on February 24th, and is advertised in the Merritt Herald.
On this Day: February 19th 2006
A methane explosion in Mexican coal mine kills 65.
Beet juice and salt in solution for ice in Merritt BC
File photo KDG
The city street sweeper was out this week on Granite avenue. .They do an initial sweep that takes most of the winter gravel off the road and then a 3 day a week program till the next winter. ” if it snows and sticks again this year we will use the beet juice solution.”
Watch Nicola Avenue as it is a highway and may be on a different schedule then city streets.
Glass shops can do a circle cut of a rock chip to save you a crack in your windshield.
On this day: February 18th 1979
Snow falls on the Sahara Desert in Southern Algeria for the first time on record.
Hey Merit what do you say?
Kevin Griffiths
percypaschal
