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Antarctic visit

Filed under: Environment, Nicola Naturalists by Kevin Griffiths — Leave a comment
March 1, 2016

 

 

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.

 

 

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TGIF- An Inconvenient Reality

Filed under: Climate by Kevin Griffiths — 2 Comments
February 26, 2016
This Land rover knew the earth when it was ours to discover., now its ours to manage. File photo KDG

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”.

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Carbon offsets

Filed under: Enterprize, Social Activism, Vegtable soup by Kevin Griffiths — Leave a comment
February 25, 2016

Olympic endorsement, Plane tickets new offsets file photo KDG

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.

 

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Community Engagement

Filed under: Education by Kevin Griffiths — Leave a comment
February 24, 2016
The old court house on Nicola avenue , in Merritt. File Photo Photo KDG

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).

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8000 phones one job

Filed under: Enterprize, Social Activism by Kevin Griffiths — Leave a comment
February 23, 2016
ICBC and injury law

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.

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TGIF- Spill drill

Filed under: Environment, Industrial projects, Technology by Kevin Griffiths — Leave a comment
February 19, 2016

 

fire crew returning from slave lake

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

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.

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Street sweeper

Filed under: Environment by Kevin Griffiths — Leave a comment
February 18, 2016
Beet juice and salt in solution for ice in Merritt BC


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.

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Di pellet

Filed under: Government Works by Kevin Griffiths — Leave a comment
February 17, 2016
Highland pellet plant Merritt BC File photo KDG

Highland pellet plant Merritt BC File photo KDG

This was the Highland Pellet plant several years ago barely when into production and a moisture content problem was discovered. The plant shut down after trying to market the wood pellets as barn floor cover.
The plant is now open and is run by a company called Diacarbon Energy they process’ with sawdust and make a combination pellet for burning in industrial applications.
The process now uses heat to take some filler materials from saw dust and turns it into a near coal or Dicarbon pellet. The pellets resemble a hockey puck and are used in a couple of locations according to a source, including Canada Lafarge.
The plant employs 30 people and has an acknowledgement sign from Community Futures Development Corporation.
Community Futures Development Corporation is the ghost of Western Canadian Diversification, a government program that took the place of the Crow Rate that subsidised rail rates coming west from the industrial heartland of Ontario and Quebec decades ago.

BDC ,Community Futures and  the SBA in the United States help business stay on track with the many obligations a business encounters.
On this day: February 17th 2003
The London Congestion Charge  begins.

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Butterflies

Filed under: Nicola Naturalists, Vegtable soup by Kevin Griffiths — Leave a comment
February 16, 2016

Bob Scafe is presenting at the monthly meeting of the Nicola Naturalists on Thursday February 18th.

Bob is a director of the Nicola Naturalist Society and one of our most prolific nature photographers. Lately, he and his wife Bev have become interested in butterflies and moths – getting to know and identify the local species. Bob will give us an introduction to the rich butterfly fauna of the BC interior. Later this spring he has promised to lead a few butterfly field trips so this presentation is a valuable primer. We’ll have lots of great photos too!

Bob recently presented on his trip to South East Asia , mostly highlighting people and lifestyle. He has titled this presentation The wonderful world of butterflies. The presentation starts at 7PM in the NVIT lecture theater in Merritt, no food or drink allowed in, free parking, and membership or donation requested.

March will see club president Alan Burger back from a trip to Antarctica. the meeting will be on the 17th titled:  Antarctic Wild  Life-  Life in a changing environment .

Winter/Spring Programs – January to May 2016

Meetings continue through May.

On this day: February 16th 2005

The Kyoto protocol comes in to effect after Russian ratification.

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TGIF-One month to daylight saving

Filed under: Flora by Kevin Griffiths — Leave a comment
February 12, 2016

March 13th is daylight saving time, at 2 AM the clock will go ahead one hour giving the clock an hour of sunlight in the evening and taking it from the early morning.

Some tulips are pushing through in a sheltered area outside the house at this writing, some heat from the home has always broadcast into the soil about it and are usually in bloom about Easter weekend.
Sunrise is at 7:29 AM now and sets at 5:25 PM we are gaining about 3 and quarter minutes a day on ward to the Spring Equinox on March 19th at 21:30 Hours.Vernal Equinox is 12 hours dark and daylight and happens twice a year.
Degree days are the number of days of above freezing temperatures needed for different plants. For open gardens planting here is most effective in the second half of May.

Some people have been complaining about Flem in their throats and that it persists this winter, others feel a little sad from light deprivation. Light and warmth is on its way , a month to go to help these and other winter afflictions with a significant change. You can take comfort in the momentum and watch sheltered gardens like the Baillie house here in Merritt for plants coming back .

You can start eyeing the molasses and sulfur for a timely spring tonic in a few weeks.

There is also a total lunar eclipse on March 8th at 11:19 PM to look forward to as you watch the night sky.

The city garden at the Baillie house File Photo KDG

The city garden at the Baillie house
File Photo KDG

On this day February 12th 1947

The Soviet Union gets am impact crater from the largest recorded iron meteorite to that time.

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Bentall Taylor Ulrich

Filed under: Arts and Culture by Kevin Griffiths — Leave a comment
February 11, 2016
Brambles Bakery, Merritt BC, CA.

Tickets are available at this 2100 block business

Fundraiser for the Nicola Valley Community Theater Society.On Wednesday,February 17th,2016 at the Merritt Civic Center Cocktails at 6:30 PM; concert 7PM. 45 dollars admission there is a 5 dollar discount for members of the group.
Barney, Tom and Shari on strings.Reserve a table for eight when you buy tickets at Blacks Pharmacy or Brambles bakery.
The trio is from Vancouver and has played together sine 2007. BTU is their symbol they are on face book at https://www.facebook.com/bentalltaylorulrich/
Come out for an evening of Folk and support the Community Theater project.

The theater project acquired a property on the corner of Garcia and Coutlee in Merritt. The project has a budget of 5 million dollars.

On this day February 11th 2015

A student is murdered resisting rape in Turkey causing a public outcry.

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Dance for Heart

Filed under: Public health, Social Activism by Kevin Griffiths — Leave a comment
February 10, 2016
DR, Snee and company, Merritt BC 2010 File Photo: KDG

DR, Snee and company, Merritt BC 2010
File Photo: KDG eye exams may help with other conditions…*

February is Heart Month and the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation is organizing for awareness and proactive action on Heart Health Making more Survivors Together  is its theme once again this year .

Dance Party:

One of the activities in Merritt is a Dance at the Merritt Seniors complex .”Dance your Heart Out” is on Thursday February 25th from 9:30 – 11:30 tickets are 5 dollars apiece  for 1 and 2 guests.

The event is endorsed by Love to Dance Studios

Contact janebartle@gmail.com

*

Medical is personal and second opinions are a good thing in our view.

On this day February 10th 2009

Two  communications satellites collide in space, one American,named Iridium 33 and Kosmos 2251 a Russian are destroyed in low earth orbit.

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