Latest Entries »

Wood tick

Filed under: Barns and Old Buildings, Environment by Kevin Griffiths — Leave a comment
April 13, 2016
Horses can carry ticks in the spring File :Photo KDG

Horses can carry ticks in the spring
File :Photo KDG

We found a tick on us after going through some tall grass near new construction on the North end of Merritt this week. The dry grass at this time of year is often a transfer point for ticks. Dogs can bring them into your home.
Multiple ticks were also reported on persons hiking in the Southern hills about the town here.
Ticks can carry Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.

Rocky Mountain spotted fever, like all rickettsial infections, is classified as a zoonosis. Zoonoses are diseases of animals that can be transmitted to humans. Some zoonotic diseases require a vector (e.g., a mosquito, tick, or mite) to be transmitted from the animal host to the human host. In the case of Rocky Mountain spotted fever, ticks are the natural hosts, serving as both reservoirs and vectors of R. rickettsii. Ticks transmit the organism to vertebrates primarily by their bites. Less commonly, infections may occur following exposure to crushed tick tissues, fluids, or tick feces. Source Wikipedia

When in doubt consult a medical professional.

On this day: April 13th 1997
Tiger Woods becomes the youngest ever Masters champion…

Tags:
Comment

101.9 a liter

Filed under: Climate, Environment by Kevin Griffiths — Leave a comment
April 12, 2016
Crows at local gas bar !! File Photo KDG

Crows at local gas bar !!
File Photo KDG

The downtown Petro-Canada at the junction of highway 5, 8 and 97c  is offering regular gasoline at a dollar one a liter. Its been that way through the weekend and for about a week making for a bit of a stable period here.

The summer driving season is a couple of weeks away and even this weekend had glorious spring weather beckoning to be out on those roads. If everyone of us took some additional conservation measure for fuel consumption collectively we could more then probably stop any price increase in the cost of fuel  from May to September.

We could then take an interest in weather grocery prices stay down in step with fertilizer and fuel for food production.

On this day: April 12th 1955
The Polio Vaccine is declared safe.

Tags:
Comment

TGIF-snag abatement

Filed under: Enterprize, Public health, Workers Safety by Kevin Griffiths — Leave a comment
April 8, 2016
Trees can be a lethal hazard in falls. File Photo KDG

Trees can be a lethal hazard in falls.
File Photo KDG

There are 20 young people at the Forest Service Training center at Saunders Field here in Merritt. One trainee says that they are doing tree intervention.
Trees along roads are sometimes dead falls and can be a real hazard to people and vehicles. An innocuous looking snag on a high road bank can quickly become a deadly spear coming in an open window of a moving Vehicle.
Cut block also expose untested timber to wind and the possibility of a falling tree. Look up and live.
A member of the group says ” we are identifying the problem trees at this point”.

On this day: April 8th 1952

United States President Harry S. Truman calls for the seizure of all US owned steel mills to stop a national steel strike.

Tags:
Comment

World Health Day, hats off to the discoverers!

Filed under: Environment, Social Activism by Kevin Griffiths — Leave a comment
April 7, 2016
the Nicola Valley still enjoys the close proximity of a small hospital with a full Lab File Photo KDG

The Nicola Valley still enjoys the closeness of a small hospital with a full lab. File Photo KDG

 

Health is the preoccupation of the healthy, but most people know its value. Serious disease has decimated populations until recent times. things are better with bell weathers like the golden age of health after the discovery of more vaccines like the one for polio, thanks to the March of Dimes.
The World Health Organization recently came into focus again with a successful remedy for the Ebola virus in Africa.
Economy plays a role even now in populations without. However the axiom you can’t buy back your health when lost still resonates.

Editors Note: The  hat in the featured picture looks like the one that belonged to an old retired nurse that pushed a cart about town for along time. It rests on the walk by the Royal Bank on the corner of Quilchena and Garcia, a poetic link to the relationship of money and health. The nurse is not noted about for a while yet we think she is ok. The wind gets a lot of hats in March Merritt.
On this day: April 7th 1967
Film critic Roger Ebert makes his first film review published in the Times.

Tags:
Comment

Filled in pool,a nuisance abated

Filed under: Barns and Old Buildings, Public health, Workers Safety by Kevin Griffiths — Leave a comment
April 6, 2016
Filled in swimming pools are less of a risk to personal liability. File photo KDG

Filled in swimming pools are less of a risk to personal liability.
File photo KDG

Attractive nuisance is a liability owners, hazards open to view need a certain amount of diligence.

The attractive nuisance doctrine applies to the law of torts, in the United States. It states that a landowner may be held liable for injuries to children trespassing on the land if the injury is caused by an object on the land that is likely to attract children.[1] The doctrine is designed to protect children who are unable to appreciate the risk posed by the object, by imposing a liability on the landowner.[1] The doctrine has been applied to hold landowners liable for injuries caused by abandoned cars, piles of lumber or sand, trampolines, and swimming pools. However, it can be applied to virtually anything on the property of the landowner.

There is no set cut off point that defines youth. The courts will evaluate each “child” on case by case basis to see if the “child” qualifies as a youth.

If it is determined that the child was able to understand and appreciate the hazard, the doctrine of attractive nuisance will not likely apply.[2]

Source Wikipedia:
The regional district is having a free dump day for the rural dump transfer stations of the 11 communities this month. There is a schedule of days at the local library.
On this day: April 6th 1869
A Patten is issued for celluloid.

Tags: ,
Comment

Exercising valves

Filed under: Barns and Old Buildings, Fire and Flood by Kevin Griffiths — Leave a comment
April 5, 2016
Exercise water valves

Exercise water valves by turning

Photo KDG

 

No not casting out devils, but turning the water valves buried below the roads so they are able to function when needed.This city worker estimates that there are about 700 valves in the city in the main water lines. They do not exercise the valve that is near your sidewalk as there is a cost benefit to be considered.

If there is a waterline failure at your home the liability rests at the valve, anything on the other side of the valve is the homeowners cost to repair. The trench from the sidewalk to the home itself can be thousands of dollars in machine time.

water pipes,copper Can be a large expense item File photo KDG

Water pipes,copper, can be a large expense item File photo KDG

On this day: April 5th 1949

Fireside Theater debuts on PBS.

 

Tags:
Comment

TGIF-105 years old.

Filed under: Barns and Old Buildings by Kevin Griffiths — Leave a comment
April 1, 2016
Merritt BC incorporation File :Photo KDG

Merritt BC incorporation
File :Photo KDG

The City of Merritt is Incorporated on this April 1 1911,a going concern.

Photo KDG

DSC_5947

DSC_4839

pow wow at 1915 drill hall

 

Merritt BC was incorporated in 1911, business followed Photo KDG

Merritt BC was incorporated in 1911, business followed
Photo KDG

On this day: April 1st 1960
Dr. Martens releases his model 1460 boots, the first of his line.

Tags: ,
Comment

EI

Image
Filed under: Education, Technology by Kevin Griffiths — Leave a comment
March 31, 2016
Training program,qualify for when demand is high File photo KDG

Training program,qualify for when demand is high.
File photo KDG

Opinion: The employment insurance needed in Alberta because of oil layoffs should not have qualifying periods based on areas of high unemployment,
 rather a period to find suitable work should be universal and be able to be continued into a retraining period in case of failure.
Job beggars are counter productive.
Trying to stimulate the economy with government spending is like standing in a bucket and trying to lift yourself up with the handle.Eisenhower.

On this day: March 31st 1889

The Eiffel Tower is officially opened in Paris France.

Tags:
Comment

Telus- Home of the Future

Filed under: Enterprize by Kevin Griffiths — Leave a comment
March 30, 2016

There is a walk through display trailer at the City Furniture parking lot on the 2000 Block Coutlee Avenue in Merritt. A set up person says that it will be ready for the public in the  AM on Wednesday. Showcasing its new all fast fiber service to Merritt it has smart boards and appliances in a raised glass level walk through. A velvet rope barrier similar to a theater welcomes the interested at the bottom of a flight of about 7 stairs to the raised platform.
The last word going out the back end is ” Gigabit enabled future.”

Telus making its presence known in Merritt. Photo KDG

Telus making its presence known in Merritt.
Photo KDG

The display continues on to Vancouver Island after Merritt.

On this Day: March 30th 1964
The popular game show Jeopardy debuts with hoist Art Fleming.

Tags:
Comment

Snow

Filed under: Enterprize by Kevin Griffiths — Leave a comment
March 29, 2016
Many places in BC and Alberta have upper levels that require a lot of snow removal. File Photo KDG

Many places in BC and Alberta have upper levels that require a lot of snow removal.
File Photo KDG

Easter Monday saw wet and rainy weather in Merritt, turning to heavy snowfall in the higher levels. Six inches of the heavy white stuff is reported on the highway east of Merritt. Hamilton Hill is an iconic landmark in view of downtown and begins the rise to the circa 1700 meter sea level summit of the Coqihalla connector to Kelowna above  and the 600 meter elevation of the City of Merritt. The hill is called Hamilton after Merritt’s founder s middle name. William Hamilton Merritt the third. Merritt also married the daughter of Scottish retailer, Canadian Robert Simpson whose chain department store was also a Canadian Icon.

The city of Merritt, British Columbia is named after William Hamilton Merritt III, due to his role in bringing the railway through the Nicola Valley. In 1891, Merritt prospected for coal near where the city is today. Finding it, he organized the Nicola, Kamloops and Similkameen Coal and Railway Company to extend the rail line through to transport coal out of the valley. The railway also allowed settlement and industry to flourish in the valley. As demand for coal grew, the company was eventually bought by the Canadian Pacific Railway. source Wikipedia.

The video cams on the 1200 meter summit  highway 5 Coqihalla  shows new snow but not sticking to the road way in the afternoon on Monday. The 97 C  highway cams at the 1700 Penask summit were not available at this writing.

On this day: March 29th 1886

Doctor John Pemberton brews his first bottle of Coca- Cola in his back yard in Atlanta.

 

 

Tags:
Comment

Country Church

Filed under: Barns and Old Buildings by Kevin Griffiths — Leave a comment
March 24, 2016
Happy Easter Photo KDG

Happy Easter
Photo KDG

There is a little country church about 5 minutes north of Merritt BC at the head waters of the Nicola River coming from Nicola lake. It is said to have been the first of its kind in the valley that was mostly contacted by Europeans in the 4 quarter of the 19th century.
The little church has posted a service notice for the Sunday the 27th at 2PM. It will be done by the minister of the local United Church in Merritt.
Of course its next to the Nicola ranch, and some old buildings as well. Buildings including a court house (unused),a main residence and a store. But the best thing is that this time of year there may be some calf’s being born in the fields and eagles will be trying to steal the birthing remains for a tasty snack. If the weather is cooperating the glint of sunlight on many items will be a visual treat. There may be cowboys about and a Sunday hush will be over the expanse of field and rock. A peaceful mood of rest in the old church graveyard may highlight the bent markers and give an onlooker a key to understanding how toil and hope work together to promise a future then seal the accomplished with stone and rest.

DSC_8795

Happy Easter Photo KDG

The church is known as the Murray Church and is on highway 5A leaving Merritt for Kamloops, it represents a whole community and its struggles and success’s in the South central part of the province of BC.
On this day: March 24th 1854
Slavery is abolished in Venezuela.

Tags:
Comment

Hiking trails

Filed under: Nicola Naturalists, Public health by Kevin Griffiths — Leave a comment
March 23, 2016

The Nicola Naturalists are having two more regular meetings in the winter, spring season. On April 21 the presentation will be on the use and restoration of hiking trails in the southern part of the province. Characterized as Heritage Trails, Kelley Cook will present on what he has been doing to preserve these venues. Some of the trails have easy access from Merritt.

Kelley Cook is an active member of a group publicizing, maintaining and restoring some of the historic Hudson’s Bay Company trading routes across the mountains of SE British Columbia. Many of these trails are within easy access from Merritt. Kelley’s presentation will cover both the human history  and the nature to be seen on these scenic trails. A talk to get us fired up for the spring hiking and naturalizing season! source: http://www.nicolanaturalists.ca/2015/12/17/winterspring-programs-january-to-may-2016/

The May meeting will feature the Merritt Green Energy project as a season capper.

All meetings are at 7:PM at the NVIT lecture theater, no food or drinks in the theater, free parking. Membership or donation in the Naturalist society is requested.

On this day: March 23 1094

A Russian airliner, Aeroflot flight 593  crashes in Siberia after a teen accidentally disengages the planes auto pilot.

Comment