ALASKA HIGHWAY NEWS
A6 | SPORTS | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2021
Dancers treated to workshops from Canada’s best Dillon Giancola sports@ahnfsj.ca
DILLON GIANCOLA PHOTOS
Above: Anna Hogarth, left, and Harvin Lusk follow along to Hannah Mae Cruddas’ warmup instructions during a dance workshop at Studio 2 Stage, September 29, 2021. Below: Hannah Mae Cruddas of Ballet Jörgen leads dancers ages 8 to 11 in a workshop, before her performance at the North Peace Cultural Centre September 30.
Members of the Fort St. John dance community got quite the treat this week with Canada’s Ballet Jörgen coming to town. Not only do dancers get to watch one of Canada’s biggest ballet companies perform, but they had the chance to attend workshops put on by Ballet Jörgen members at the local dance studios. The two workshops for younger dancers took place Wednesday, September 29, at the Studio 2 Stage and Alchemy dance studios, with another workshop for dancers 15 and older taking place Thursday, September 30, ahead of Ballet Jörgen’s sold-out performance Thursday night at the North Peace Cultural Centre. “It’s not very often a ballet comes to town, let alone teachers who put on workshops for students,” Studio 2 Stage Director Shauna Milne said. “The classes were well intended, and the kids were super excited to get someone else’s opinion, and see different forms and styles of dance.” The workshops were a chance for young dancers to learn and be inspired from the best in Canada.
“Anytime professionals come to town it’s really exciting for the younger ones who aspire to do this professionally some day,” said Ashley Campbell of Alchemy Dance Academy. “It’s fun for them to not only take the lesson but talk to the instructor, hear how they got to where they are now, and see that many of them started out in small town studios just like our kids are. It lets them say, If they can do it, so can I.” The dancers were very attentive, listening to the instructors every word. “I talked to one of our teachers who had a company member tell them they were pretty impressed with the level of technique the dancers have here. That’s nice to hear for our teachers, it means we’re doing something right,” Campbell said. “I watched a bit of the senior girls class this morning, and it was very different for the girls. The teachers had a lot of fun with it, and sometimes the girls are used to everything being strict and serious,” said Milne. “Sometimes you can get so worried about your technique, and this was a good reminder to just have fun with it, and get a different point of view.”
DILLON GIANCOLA PHOTO
Emma Eggimann perfects her latest routine during FSJ Figure Skating Club practice at the Pomeroy Sport Centre, September 29, 2021.
Figure skating season returns to normal Dillon Giancola sports@ahnfsj.ca Fort St. John figure skaters are back to carving up the ice with a purpose. The Fort St. John Figure Skating Club is back in action for the 202122 season, with skaters preparing for competitions again after not having anything to look forward to a year ago. Of course, it wouldn’t be 2021 without the pandemic causing a couple hiccups in the schedule. Skaters were set to head to Chilliwack this month for their first live competition since the 2019-20 season, but Skate Canada British Columbia Yukon cancelled the Star skate portion of the Autumn Leaves event at the last moment. The majority of the club’s skaters are in the Star category, with only one still eligible to compete in competitive. “We were really looking forward to it. We had one competitive skater who could still go but she didn’t want to make the trip by herself. We have a couple events we should be able to attend in the new year,” said coach Jen Hammond. The Star Skate portion was cancelled to manage the amount
of spectators, as a result of the pandemic. Despite the uncertainty of when they’ll compete next, the fact that competitions are still a real option this season is much more than the skaters had last winter. “They are more excited this year just because there’s a possibility of competition. We are preparing for a number of things, from competitions and testing to maybe even an ice show, and it makes all the practices a bit more meaningful,” Hammond said. The club is also excited to return to the North Peace Arena, after being kept out of their regular home all last season. Practices will switch back to the NPA from the Pomeroy Sport Centre on Monday, October 4. “It will kind of feel weird getting back there at first. It’s kind of our home, but it’s been a long time since we’ve skated there. We have a lot of teaching aids and props to access there that really help what we’re able to do,” said Hammond. “We’ve been fortunate to be able to train at a normal level all this time. We had restrictions to deal with last year but we’re up and running at full speed this year.”
ALASKA HIGHWAY NEWS
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2021 | SPORTS | A7
Here’s to the fans
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ast Friday night I did something I haven’t done in quite some time — go to a live sporting event with a crowd in attendance. No, it wasn’t an NHL or MLB game with thousands of people there. It was a junior hockey game with about 200 people in attendance, but it still felt special, different, like it really mattered. Watching football on Sundays and hearing the roar of a stadium full of fans, after getting used to games with no crowds at all a year ago, is the same as being at a Fort St. John Huskies and Dawson Creek Kodiaks hockey game. While I didn’t quite get used to watching Huskies or Kodiaks games with no fans — unfortunately there were no games at all — it did bring back a vivid rush of memory of going to the rink every Friday and Saturday night, and being around people who were loud, happy, and there to take in the game together. I experienced a bit of that this summer. Slow pitch saw
DILLON GIANCOLA the usual amount of supporters in the bleachers, and the Taylor Speedway and Northern Lights Raceway had more fans than they have in years, or at least it felt that way. But seeing fans in an indoor setting feels like another checkpoint on the path to normalcy. I’m aware that it’s a bit ironic to be writing this at the present moment. Vaccine mandates and everpresent Covid restrictions (and news of case numbers) can make it seem all for naught and that the rules are about to revert back to no fans, or no sports at all, at any moment. And that may be the case, though I hope it’s not. Regardless, the fact that the first sizeable indoor sports crowd I’ve experienced in a year happened after the vaccine card came into place feels promising. You can go to the rink on
DILLON GIANCOLA PHOTO
Fans were back at a regular season hockey game between the Fort St. John Huskies and Dawson Creek Kodiaks for the first time in more than a year, September 24.
a Saturday morning and take in a game with families present to cheer on their kids in a way that did not happen a year ago. Soccer kicked off in Fort St. John last weekend, and though parents were masked and spaced apart they were still there and able to cheer on their kids’ every moment on the pitch. I’m beginning to remember that going to the Memorial or North Peace arena SUPPLIED
At right: Gloria Godberson – lead, Rhynn Eggers – second, Evelyn Eggers, third and Glen Godberson skip, were in Okotoks, Sept. 29 to Oct. 2, for the 2021 Alberta Mixed Curling Provincials.
Team Godberson seventh at provincials Dillon Giancola sports@ahnfsj.ca More than a year after it qualified for the event, Fort St. John’s Team Godberson wend to Okotoks last week, Sept. 29 to Oct. 2, for the 2021 Curling Alberta Mixed Provincial Championships. The team, consisting of skip Glen Godberson, third Evelyn Eggers, second Rhynn Eggers, and lead Gloria Godberson, qualified for the event at the mixed curling playdowns in Dawson Creek back in March of 2020. However, last year’s provincials were cancelled due to the pandemic. Team Godberson actually lost in the A Final of that event to Dawson Creek’s Team Ginter. However, the 18-month gap between the two events made it unable for the Ginters, and several other teams, to attend the provincials this week. “We’re really excited to be here. We want to have a fun time, but we still
intend to compete and have a good showing,” Glen Godberson said before the tournament started. The team ended up finishing seventh overall, with Godberson saying a lack of time on the ice beforehand came back to haunt them. “I thought we had enough ice time before the event to be sharp, but the lack of ice time was apparent. The other teams came from clubs who had ice, in the case of the Saville centre, since July, and the teams that didn’t went to those places that did,” he said. “We were close in a few of the games but we were inconsistent to come out on top at the end.” Godberson and Rhynn played together previously at the 2012 Senior Men’s Provincials Fort St. John’s Sterling Middleton played at the ATB Okotoks Classic with Team Tardi the week before, advancing to the A Final before running into trouble the rest of the way.
PAT FERRIS PHOTO
Ezra Jarnagin tries to stay up during a muddy corner at the Blizzard Bike Club Beatton Park ride on September 26, 2021. Jarnagin had the fastest time in the one lap distance, finishing in 31 minutes and 23 seconds.
on a Friday night along with a couple hundred friendly faces used to be the norm, and will be again someday. I can’t wait for more of these experiences — when the the swimming pools are packed with onlookers during a meet and there’s nowhere to walk that won’t get your socks wet, and when a volleyball tournament has the extra buzz of school pride from the crowd that these events almost
always have. Until then, I’ll enjoy each sporting moment I’m able to take in with other fans, all while realizing that there are many other community members unable to be there or who are choosing not to. Fans still matter, regardless if they are at a Toronto Blue Jays game helping to push their team to a wildcard playoff berth, or at a NWJHL Junior B hockey game. sports@ahnfsj.ca
ALASKA HIGHWAY NEWS
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2021 | OP-ED | A11
Watt’s Happening: New energy update
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ell, the election is over and everything looks much the same. But one issue clearly did make progress: climate change. No longer were the politicians debating about the existence of a looming climate emergency. Instead, the conversation was about what Canada should do about it, not whether it exists, and the Liberal plan generally came out on top. Building on what they had announced before the election, they promise a 2035 clean electricity standard, a requirement for 50% of new cars to be zero-emission by 2030 and 100% by 2035, capping oil and gas emissions and eliminating fossil fuel subsides. Canadians gave the Liberals their support to do this. Now we will see if they can actually make it happen. RECYCLABLE WIND BLADES What to do with used wind turbine blades has become a headache for the industry. Made of composite materials that are difficult to separate and re-use has meant that many end up in landfills after their roughly 25-year service life ends. That is about to change with wind turbine giant Siemens announcing the first fully recyclable blade by using a new type of resin that can be “efficiently separated from the other components at end of the blade’s working life.” Most other wind blade manufacturers are making similar announcements. Denmark’s Orsted has pledged to “reuse, recycle or recover” all blades from their worldwide system of wind farms once they are decommissioned. Similarly, General Electric and wind giant Vestas are pledging to move toward “zero-waste” turbines. With the global growth of wind expected to continue and even accelerate (it is already the second fastest growing energy source on the planet, just behind solar), this is good news indeed. ELECTRIC DELIVERY TRUCK The all-new Volvo VNR Electric is just hitting the U.S. market. It is designed for delivery for local and regional ranges, including food and beverage pick-up and delivery routes. The 264-kWh lithium-ion batteries can charge to 80% within 70 minutes, and have an operating range of 150 miles. The proprietary Volvo electric driveline is rated at 455 horsepower generating 4,051 lb-ft of torque. The truck features a two-speed Volvo I-Shift transmission for “efficient acceleration with excellent start ability and lowspeed maneuverability.” Drivers report ease of operation, a much quieter ride and an increase in comfort, reduced stress and fatigue compared to the combustion
DON PETTIT version the VNR replaces. MORE GAS CAR BANS Earlier this year, Canada announced a mandatory target of 100% zero-emission vehicle sales by 2035, joining California, New York State, Quebec, B.C., and the U.K. who have all set the same or similar dates to phase out fossilfuel vehicles. Hyundai has announced that it will no longer be selling combustion vehicles in Europe by 2035 and the rest of the world by 2040. They are also working on an autonomous freight truck (no driver, no cab) and a new plug-in hybrid sports car. Meanwhile, Toyota is investing billions to expand its battery manufacturing capacity, and the wildly popular Ford Mustang Mach-E is the first electric car to pass Michigan’s police tests, qualifying it as a prospective new police vehicle. This is all good news, since about one third of global carbon emissions come from transportation. As more and more renewables are installed world wide, more and more of our vehicles will be powered by the sun and wind. B.C. HEAT WAVE BREAKS ALL RECORDS This summer’s heat wave in B.C. has been declared “the most deadly weather event in Canadian history by a factor of about three” by a scientific director of the B.C. Centre for Disease Control. As warned by B.C.’s provincial health officer, this “one in a 1,000 year” disaster is likely to be happening again much sooner due to climate change. CHINA ENDS OVERSEAS COAL The state-run Bank of China has been the largest single financier of coal projects around the world. Now Chinese president Xi Jinping has just announced that China will stop funding coal projects overseas. This is a big shift in the right direction. The window of opportunity to really address climate change is closing fast but all the actions listed here (and so many, many more around the world) are helping us move in the right direction. And from day-to-day, we can all do our part. No matter how small, it makes a real and vital difference. Don Pettit is a community columnist living in Dawson Creek and Executive Director of the Peace Energy Co-operative
DILLON GIANCOLA PHOTO
Emma Shipalesky prepares for a jump during FSJ Figure Skating Club practice at the Pomeroy Sport Centre, September 29, 2021.
Fort St. John museum news By Heather Sjoblom
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eptember was a busy month education-wise for us. We had 106 people guessing back to school artefacts at the block party on September 11. Thanks to Canadian Natural’s sponsorship, we were able to hand out 300 dinosaur kits to kids ages 2+ to try out with their families. We got lots of great feedback on the activities in the kits and hope to do some more kits in the future. September has also been crazy with grant writing, the development of our aviation exhibit, and many archival inquiries. October is looking a bit quieter so we’ll be able to catch up on cataloguing artefacts and a variety of behind the scenes projects. Our website launch has been pushed into October due to unforeseen circumstances, but we hope to get it going as soon as possible. EXHIBITS • Women of the North Exhibit (Now at the North Peace Regional Airport) Summer student Paulette Auger introduces four noteworthy women in the North Peace in this free exhibit at the North Peace Regional Airport. Learn about the contributions of the B.C. Women’s Institute, Christine Auger, Violet Woodward, Monica Storrs, and Amy Smith. They overcame hardships, served the community through a variety of careers, and founded or participated in a variety of organizations from Women’s Institutes to the Fort St. John Friendship Centre.
• Aviation Exhibit We’ve been busy selecting artefacts and photographs for our upcoming aviation exhibit. We’re finishing off the exhibit text and our signs will be graphically designed in mid-October. We hope to install this exhibit in December. ARCHIVES & COLLECTIONS We’ve responded to over 100 inquires in our archives so far this year and are on track to have one of our best years ever. Our volunteers are busy cataloguing photographs, organizing clippings and articles in vertical files, and researching. Thanks to Tamara Secrist who has so far unbound and cut over a decade of the Alaska Highway News to prepare it for scanning. We’ve purchased acid-free newspaper boxes to house all these newspapers donated by the AHN. If you’re interested in helping in the archives or scanning the Alaska Highway News, email fsjnpmuseum@fsjmail.com or pop by the museum. HOT OFF THE PRESS! L. Norman Shurtliff’s book, The Kiskatinaw Bridge, is a work of historical fiction set during the construction of the Alaska Highway as well as in present-day Rolla. Pick up a copy today and check out our selection of new magnets and Christmas ornaments. Purchases from the museum gift shop help us to preserve and present the history of the North Peace. Heather Sjoblom is curator of the Fort St. John North Peace Museum.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth
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ith all the divisions in our communities, churches, and country what a great time for the Body of Christ (believers and followers of Christ) to show leadership and exhibit His love as an extension of His church. The Bible is a love story of which as Christians we are to partake in extending love: first to our Lord and secondly to one another and specifically to our neighbours. To help understand love, our Lord not only taught us love but more importantly He exhibited it for us. On a personal note when I had nothing to do with God and no real apparent interest and lived accordingly, He pursued me with love. Trust me when I state it had not been supernatural love
because I was totally undeserving. His love was and is so real it changed me and my life, which is why it is so easy to love Him and share His love with others. How about you? Have you embraced and received God’s love and forgiveness? One of the challenges our Lord gave us in the Gospels is to love one another and specifically to “love our neighbour as ourselves.” The question could be asked What if we don’t love ourselves? Or, if we so full of ourselves, how can we love our neighbours? What does He mean to love ourselves? I am sure we can all state the good acts of love we have done but what does He really mean and expect from us? In answering the question of loving our Lord, if
JOHN GRADY we use the example of Jesus relationship with His Father it was total surrender, time with the Father in intimate prayer, only doing what the Father wanted Him to do, only saying what the Father wanted Him to say, walking in total intimacy desiring to do only the Fathers will including taking our sins and giving life for us. If that is what He exhibited for us then when we talk about loving the Lord how does our love reflect in loving the Lord with all our heart and mind? Not only do the Gospel writers record for us the
teaching of Jesus but the Apostle Paul in his letters to the Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Thessalonians, and Timothy, also teach us about love. Our other early church fathers such as the Apostles John, James, and Peter in their teachings also addressed love. If it is so important to them, then love has to be that critical for us to also fully embrace as well. To help us understand Apostle Paul in his letter to the Corinthians, he states that even if you operate in the spiritual gifts, have faith to move mountains, give to the poor yet do not have love, he declares he is nothing and gains nothing. I suppose to avoid conviction we can be theologically, intellectually, and academic-
ally correct stating Paul was just referring to himself or the Corinthian church, but come on let’s be real and let Paul own it. In fact, Paul helps us by describing love. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. We know from scripture that God is Holy but the Apostle John also reminds us “God is love.” May we His church truly be His extension of love. John Grady lives and writes in Fort St. John.
ALASKA HIGHWAY NEWS
A12 | NEWS | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2021
Water treatment options wanted for Rose Prairie Tom Summer tsummer@ahnfsj.ca
TOM SUMMER PHOTO
Doig River Drummers perform during National Day for Truth and Reconciliation ceremonies at Centennial Park in Fort St. John, Sept. 30, 2021.
‘Come together, work together’ From the front page Garry Oker, an elder and councillor from the Doig River First Nation, said he was happy to see so many people out showing their support and that he sees change coming across Canada. “My grandparents, my uncles, and my family and friends, we are always looking toward the future, just like our ancestors, the dreamers,” said Oker, speaking in his traditional language. “Look to the future and make something for yourself. You’ve got your hands, do something. Those are the words my grandma has told me every
since I was a boy. We need to come together, work together, help each other.” National gatherings for truth and reconciliation wouldn’t have happened in years past, Oker said. “Just a few a years ago this wouldn’t have been here, nobody understood it,” he said. “But look at all of you today, here sharing this walk with us and wearing orange, it’s happening all across Canada. It is unbelievable happiness in my heart to see that. It’s true, through all the education and learning how we can become the best version of our ancestors is going to move us forward.”
Fort St. John Mayor Lori Ackerman encouraged residents to continue having conversations about how the residential school system caused harms across Canada. “Education is what got us into this mess and education is key to getting us out of it,” Ackerman said. “The City of Fort St. John is committed to working together, and we can be a constructive part of being more equitable, inclusive, and closing the gap in social health and economic outcomes that exist between indigenous and non-indigenous Canadians.” — Local Journalism Initiative
Electoral directors for the Peace River Regional District want a report on possible treatment options for the Rose Prairie water station before considering alternative sources to provide potable bulk water for area residents. The water station was closed after explosive levels of gas were discovered in the system just prior to its opening in February. A number of groundwater wells have been identified as possible alternatives, including the North Peace Fall Fairgrounds. “The investment in the present site is huge. Have we exhausted any treatment options?” said Electoral Director Dan Rose during a Sept. 27 meeting of the PRRD’s Electoral Area Directors Committee. “Ultimately if we could make that site work with minimal investment isn’t that the best option before starting all over again?” The PRRD spent $919,169 to build the water station and another $407,233 in operational expenditures before the problems forced it to be closed. In June, the PRRD contracted Tetra Tech to identify
new water sources and potential treatment options to remove gasses from the water at the shuttered station, at a cost of $97,668.70. The company has so far completed the first phase of its study identifying a range of potential new water sources, which noted that a well on the Fall Fairgrounds may be the most feasible option “as it is already owned by the district and will require the least amount of effort to obtain an approval for use.” Electoral Director Karen Goodings, however, said she was “absolutely opposed” to tapping into the well at the fairgrounds. She noted the PRRD was still waiting for Tetra Tech’s second report on treatment options. “That well is absolutely important, seriously important, to our Fall Fair, and to anybody who rents the grounds,” said Goodings. “Any disturbance to that would be detrimental to what we’re trying to do out there.” Goodings expressed reservations about the remaining alternative water sources being on private land, and suggested that dugouts could also be an option for the PRRD to consider. — Local Journalism Initiative
Nature camp gives youth freedom to be themselves Tom Summer tsummer@ahnfsj.ca
tivities. McGarvey says the program has seen great outcomes for children exhibiting problem behaviours in school and those on the autism spectrum. “We’ve had kids who’ve been kicked out of a lot camp programs for behavioural issues, but here we’ve seen great success, which is always shocking to people,” said McGarvey. “They know what the rules are here, it’s really laid out for them.” The number one rule is to be kind to one another, and safety is close behind, says McGarvey. She added newer generations are more likely to be closely monitored by their parents, a stark contrast to the latchkey kids of generations past. “We live in a bubble wrapped world right now, so the concept of letting kids do whatever they want is strange for some people. We let them climb trees and build forts, and play with saws and hatchets in a safe environment,” said McGarvey. The program originated as part of NEAT’s food security initiatives, which saw youngsters out in nature to begin with. Fall camps are set to continue into November, and open to youth from Kindergarten to Grade 6 on Pro-D days. — Local Journalism Initiative
If you’ve taken a stroll through the Fish Creek community forest recently, it’s hard to miss the many stick forts amidst the fall foliage. They are the handiwork of kids involved with Camp Wildlings, which celebrated its fourth year this summer. Susan McGarvey, education co-ordinator for the Northern Environmental Action Team, oversees the program and says it’s been a great opportunity for youth to become grounded in nature and giving them a space where they can be themselves. “I will tell you that this forest heals people. We see kids PHOTO COURTESY PEACE RIVER HYDRO PARTNERS come out who are a handThe Tse’k’wa Heritage Society plans to develop its national historic cave site and private property into a yearful and by the end the week round interpretive centre. they’re not,” said McGarvey. “This forest is a place to come out and really connect. And nature grounds you in all of those things, it is 100 per cent true.” The Tse’k’wa Heritage So- of artifacts found were a cation go hand-in-hand Camp participants, or ciety has received a $25,000 10,500-year-old stone bead at Tse’k’wa. By increasing ‘wildlings’ as they are called, gift to support its efforts to — the oldest example of hu- awareness of the significance were out on the trails last develop and preserve the man adornment in North of the site, we can ensure that week equipped with shovels national historic cave site at America — along with spear it is preserved for current and hand tools, creatively Charlie Lake. and arrow points, harpoon and future generations,” said digging for what they dubbed Peace River Hydro Part- heads, and bones from hu- Tse’k’wa Executive Director “diamonds” – chunks of mica ners, the main civil works mans and various animals in- Alyssa Currie in a release. and gypsum embedded in contractor for the Site C dam, cluding bison and raven. “We are seeing a demand the clay hills of Fish Creek. says it made the donation The artifacts tell stories of for Indigenous cultural heritThe kids came up with the in honour of the inaugural travel patterns and ceremon- age education, especially idea on their own and are National Day for Truth and ial practices, and make the among schools and youth- given free rein to develop acReconciliation, and to help cave one of the most signifi- based groups. This donation the society transform the vol- cant sites on the continent. will provide a foundation to unteer-managed site into a Parks Canada designated the help Tse’k’wa grow and meet year-round public interpret- cave as a national historic site this need.” ive education and cultural in 2019. Local First Nations, includcentre. During a recent tour of the ing Doig River, West Moberly, “We need to create cul- site, PRHP staff learned about and Prophet River bought the tural heritage education the spiritual and ceremonial land with the cave in 2012. programs to share with the significance of the cave, and The partnering nations all public the importance of this were shown the educational contribute to the operating national historic site in our reproductions and original costs of the non-profit soregion,” said Tse’k’wa Society artifacts recovered during ciety. Fundraising efforts to President Garry Oker in a re- excavations. support the site are ongoing. lease, adding, “It will be good “These resources provide Tse’k’wa operates on prifor tourism.” hands-on learning experien- vate property, and visitors or Tse’K’wa means rock ces for visitors” said Tse’k’wa donors are asked to register house, and though well- Executive Director Alyssa ahead of time before visiting known to local residents and Currie. “The gift from Peace the site by calling 250-224First Nations, the cave was River Hydro Partners is go- 7906 or emailing tsekwaonly discovered by archae- ing to help us provide a bet- heritage@gmail.com. Access ologists in 1974 and then ex- ter learning experience for to the site from the bottom TOM SUMMER PHOTO cavated in the early 1980s. everyone.” via Rimrock Road is not Youths Sky Nolan and Samson Stuyba hold up their finds at the Fish Creek Among the hundreds “Preservation and edu- permitted.
Cave plans receive $25,000
‘diamond’ mine.