Creston Valley Advance, February 05, 2015 by Black Press Media Group

ROD AND GUN CLUB HOSTING BANQUET / PAGE 2 ART TROT HELPING RIDING PROGRAM / PAGE 3 ®

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DRESSED FOR SUCCESS — Creston’s branch of the Columbia Basin Alliance for LIteracy partnered with community groups to celebrate Family

Literacy Week at the Creston Valley Public Library on Saturday. Events at Full STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) Ahead included the history of refrigeration by the Creston Museum, Ktunaxa legends told by Lower Kootenay Band Chief Jason Louie, and stories read by Footlighters Theatre Society members Natascha Sundby as Alice from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Sam Mintenko as Cinderella and Gail Kitt as her Fairy Godmother.

Council approves ladder truck purchase

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Blackmore, Oler trial election pushed back BY BRIAN LAWRENCE Advance Editor

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The decision for four members of the Bountiful polygamist community to be tried by judge or jury was put off in Creston Law Courts last week by Judge Ron Webb. Winston Blackmore, James Oler, Brandon Blackmore and Emily (Crossfield) Blackmore were to elect their choice of trial Jan. 29, having previously appeared in court Dec. 9

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for the same purpose. “We’re making good progress in advising Mr. Blackmore as to his options,” said Winston’s lawyer by phone. Winston, who did not appear, and Oler lead separate factions in Bountiful, and were charged in August with polygamy, the indictment alleging Blackmore has 24 wives and Oler four. SEE CHARGES, PAGE 4

BY LORNE ECKERSLEY Advance Staff

Creston town council gave fire Chief Mike Moore the go-ahead to shop for a ladder truck at the Jan. 27 regular council meeting. With an agreement to provide fire protection services to West Creston on the horizon, Creston Fire Rescue has reassessed its fleet, identifying what Moore has described as “an opportunity” to add a ladder truck (or quintuple aerial apparatus — pump, water tank, fire hose, aerial device and ground ladders) to the mix. When the contract is in place and a building is constructed, Creston Fire Rescue will have to keep a fire engine in place in West Creston. Moore proposes to move one of its two fire engines

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to the new fire hall, and to replace it with a unit that provides more and better firefighting options. Council approved an expenditure not to exceed $280,000, which will be funded from a fire department capital reserve fund, the town’s general reserves, proceeds from the reduction to one rescue truck from the current two and Regional District of Central Kootenay Area C payment for contract firefighting services. The plan is all part of Moore’s stated goal of improving the municipality’s Public Fire Protection Classification from its present low level of eight to five, which would likely result in insurance savings for town residents.

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Thursday, February 5, 2015 Creston Valley Advance

LOCAL NEWS

CVRGC hosting annual banquet BY LORNE ECKERSLEY Advance Staff

Tickets are now available for the always popular awards and wild game banquet sponsored annually by the Creston Valley Rod and Gun Club (CVRGC). “The banquet is our largest fundraiser and this year it will be held on Saturday, Feb. 21,” said club member Annette Rocca Morse. “Bring the family out and have a good time — there will be plenty of raffles, ‘bucket draws’, prizes, dancing and great food.” The CVRGC consists of outdoor

enthusiasts who are motivated to promote nature and wildlife conservation. The club is an advocate for public use and access on forestry roads to wilderness areas and also a supporter of habitat areas for many different species of animals. Membership has many benefits, including access to the Kidd Creek Rifle Range, and the Mawson Lake archery range, boat dock and picnic area. The club offers indoor archery at the Wynndel Memorial Hall during the winter months, where more experienced members are willing to educate those just learning the sport.

The club also sponsors the Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Program (CORE). This course is a must in order to obtain a hunting licence, and classes will be running at the end of February for anyone who is interested. Advice and support of senior members helps to make these programs successful. In the spring the club hosts an open house Heritage Day at Kidd Creek Rifle Range where the public is invited to come out to learn safe gun handling procedures and try different types of shooting sports. CVRGC has a family fishing day for members at Mawson Lake on Father ’s Day weekend. There are many opportunities to spend quality time outdoors for a family, passing on the traditions of hunting, fishing and trapping. Members are the lifeblood of the organization. All ages are welcome to join, and family participation is always encouraged, as the youth are the future. Volunteering for special events or programs can be quite rewarding, and with member dedication the club will continue to grow and thrive. Rocca Morse said one of the incentives to join CVRGC is the trophy competition. “To be eligible for awards you must purchase a membership prior to Aug. 31,” she said. Tickets for the Feb. 21 fundraiser are available at Mawson Sports and Paul’s Superette, where memberships can be purchased and renewed, and new keys are available to gain access to the Kidd Creek Rifle Range and Mawson Lake recreation area and archery range. “If you have ever wanted to belong to a group of likeminded sportsmen, consider becoming a member today,” said Rocca Morse.

Council approves pre-budget spending BY LORNE ECKERSLEY Advance Staff

The 2015 budget has yet to be finalized, but Creston town council has approved nine “prebudget expenditures” that will allow staff to get a jump on projects for the coming year. The spending of nearly $300,000 that includes vehicle replacement, water and sewer projects and small renovations got the go-ahead at the Jan. 27 regular council meeting. With the town working on a continually updated five-year financial planning model, there are fewer surprises and a clearer mediumterm picture, financial director Steffan Klassen had told council in an earlier meeting. All expenditures had been discussed at an earlier meeting of the committee of the whole.

Council Briefs •Council received a verbal report about a Creston Fire Rescue strategic plan and directed fire Chief Mike Moore to address the plan in depth at an upcoming committee of the whole meeting. •RCMP Staff Sgt. Bob Gollan will present his report at an upcoming council meeting. •Council voted to buy a $200 corporate membership in the Columbia Basin Institute of Regional History, which is putting its research Submitted online at www.basininstitute.org. The Creston Valley Rod and Gun Club hosts several events each year, including •Upgrades to the waste water treatment plant are reaping benefits to the town in the form of a rifle demonstration (above). energy savings. Fortis BC has issued a rebate CLOSED MONDAYS cheque for more than 250-428-SHOW (7469) $26,240 after deterShowtimes: 7:30pm mining the value of various savings measures undertaken in by Tigz Designs the project. •The Association of Surprise Your Valentine with a Kootenay and Cupid’s Choice Gift Basket! Boundary Local Fri Feb 6 - Thurs Feb 12 Chocolate Everything • Local Wine, Cheese & Candles Governments memberBath & Masssage • Tea & Sweets ship renewal cost of Custom gift baskets are ALWAYS available! at the Academy Awards $1,200 was approved. •A letter of comFebruary Tea of the Month: Kama Sutra Chai Coming Attractions: Spongebob 2, Birdman, The Wedding Ringer, 50 Shades of Gray plaint about utility Penetrating depth with a full flavoured cup, exuding sensuous floral and saucy spice notes charges for home-based Sun Feb 1 - Thurs Feb 5 business was received. Phone Valentine Orders from 10am - 9pm • Feb 1 - 14 Nominated for Best Picture •A request for sup250-402-8716 • www.tigzdesigns.com port about the District Tuesday - Saturday • 10am - 5pm | 1013 Canyon Street of Hudson’s Hope’s concerns about the Congratulations Emma Kade on your new cd Available here! proposed Site C dam project was received. •Zoning amendments for the property at 801 Vancouver Street — the “bunker” The premium paint prefe f rred by paint and design profe fe f ssionals. fe The colour and quality prefe f rred by you. fe — received first and second readings. The Morris Greenhouse • February 14 from 9am - 1pm proposed development, which includes a craft distillery, will proceed to a public hearing process. The developer will be instructed to hold a public meeting for resFind these colours and more at benjaminmoore.ca idents and property owners in the area.

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Creston Valley Advance Thursday, February 5, 2015

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LOCAL NEWS

Riding program hosting Art Trot BY BRIAN LAWRENCE Advance Editor For the fifth year, the Creston and District Society for Community Living’s Therapeutic Riding Program (TRP) is hosting Art Trot, its annual fundraiser, running at the Creston and District Community Complex Friday and Saturday. “It’s really become a big event,” said program director Michelle Whiteaway. “It gets us out into the community and we meet people when we’re not doing lessons.” In its 10th season at the Endicott property on Erickson Road, the TRP runs spring through fall using horses as therapists for riders with mental, emotional and/or physical disabilities. Over 50 riders participate each season, with about 25 volunteers keeping lessons running smoothly. Art Trot was the idea of Kerry Ross — whose wife, Christine, is a TRP instructor — who organizes it with a committee of Dawn Brazdil-Lust, Barb West, Melanie Folk, Anne Fetterly and Jane Thorburn. It runs in the Sunshine Room 10 a.m.7 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, with an opening reception at 5 p.m. Friday featuring entertainment by CDSCL executive director Peter Feltham, and goodies from Overwaitea Foods, Extra Foods and Tim Hortons. The fundraiser includes a silent auction with about 70 items, as well as books and other treasures, among them fireplace implements from the Prince Charles Secondary School metal shop. Also for sale will be what Whiteaway called “unbelievably beautiful” horseshoes by an Adam Robertson Elementary School Grade 5 class, now in its third year of donat-

Ladder truck FROM PAGE 1

“Adding an aerial truck doesn’t guarantee the classification would be improved, but it is a major factor,” Moore told council. He said he would be working this year to identify what other steps need to be taken to improve the fire protection rating. A ladder, or aerial, truck has several benefits, including giving firefighters the ability to spray water onto a fire from above, rather than from the side. It also gives firefighters direct access to work on roofs and it can be of value in rescue efforts. An aerial truck of the type Moore is recommending could have been used in the rescue of an injured youth below the Canyon bridge last year, he said. In that rescue, a volunteer sustained back injuries as he was lowered by ropes to get to the victim. The contract to provide West Creston with certified fire protection requires placement of a fire engine valued at approximately $90,000, he said. “Fire Underwriters Survey (FUS) requires a minimum of one fire engine with a minimum 840 gallons per minute pump and 500-gallon water tank capacity,” he said. A purchase of a used unit that could be utilized for about 10 years and that meets this requirement is valued at $70,000-$90,000US. Instead of purchasing a used unit to meet those requirements, Creston Fire Rescue will move its 2001 GMC Superior fire engine to West Creston and replace it in Creston with the aerial unit. “The insurance industry (FUS) recommends that a community utilize an aerial apparatus when a community has

SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 8 (KOOTENAY LAKE) BUDGET STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE MEETING at 1:30 P.M. POLICY & GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE MEETING at 2:30 P.M. BOARD MEETING at 5:00 P.M. (times are PST) Tuesday, February 10, 2015 Board Office, 570 Johnstone Road, Nelson BC Video Conferencing to Creston at: Creston Education Centre, 617-11th Ave S, Creston Public Welcome

School District No. 8 (Kootenay Lake) 2015-2016 Budget Initiative Applications

Submitted

Therapeutic Riding Program member Alexis Folk (right), with her twin sister, Cassidy, on Amigo, the program’s Equicizer.

ing, having started with clay horses in Grade 3. Single horseshoes will be $10, with others mounted on barn board fetching a higher price. Also on the list of donation options is a “giving tree”, where people donate $20 for “random things”, including wine, gift certificates and chocolates. Guests will also be able to see a special piece of equipment used by the TRP: the Equicizer, a non-mechanical horse named Amigo, which makes clients easier to assess, and gets them used to being on a horse before they try the real thing.

Last year’s Art Trot raised about $7,000 for the TRP, and Whiteaway hopes that this year’s will have a similar result. But as well as raising funds, Art Trot is also an opportunity to learn more about the program, with a video running and volunteers present throughout. “When they see the video and pictures, it helps them understand what we do there,” said Whiteaway. “Everyone has different needs, challenges, wants and desires, and we tailor the program specifically for them.”

five buildings that are three stories or 35 feet or more in height, or a district that has a basic fire flow water requirement greater than 3,300 gallons per minute, or any combination of these criteria,” Moore said. “From a firefighter safety perspective, an aerial apparatus assists in providing firefighters with the required means of egress or ‘escape access’ from buildings two stories or higher. When firefighters enter buildings on fire, it is required that two controlled means of egress must be provided. One is the protected access through which the firefighters entered the building, the other needs to be controlled by the fire department. This requires providing ladders on a building exterior to reach floors where firefighting activities are taking place. “At present, the fire department has one ground ladder, which reaches some third floors of buildings and is very labour intensive to deploy. This operational challenge creates delays to safety put firefighters into buildings where the fire is above the second floor.” He summarized the benefits in having aerial apparatus, which offers the ability to: •provide a large volume of water flow directly to the fire, from above the fire, with minimal firefighters for deployment. This improves exposure protection to neighbouring buildings and the ability to sufficiently knock fires down; •provide water to firefighter hand lines above grade 2 (two storeys or higher) without extending hoses from the truck through the building and stairwells. This improves setup time and limits water friction loss through long hose lays; •provide means of egress or secondary exit to firefighters on all buildings above two storeys quickly and efficiently during fire operations;

•provide firefighter safety during room operations for vertical ventilation, in some instances providing opportunity for ventilation to be created without the firefighter leaving the aerial device; •safely place large volumes of water to high-heat fires, such as a sawmill; •safely and efficiently place firefighting equipment on roofs or floors above grade; •utilize for rescue during firefighting on floors above grade; and •utilize for technical rope rescue incidents. A new aerial truck would cost about $650,000US. Moore illustrated his presentation with information about three used trucks in the U.S., all of which are listed for under $220,000US. Many of the used trucks on the market today cannot be considered, he said, because the Creston fire hall is a low building with doors that have an 11-foot 10-inch clearance. “I would like to ask the director of finances for his opinion on this purchase,” Coun. Kevin Boehmer said during the council debate about the motion to approve the purchase. Finance director Steffan Klassen said he had input in the presentation and that the figures provided by Moore were accurate. “It comes to a decision about the direction that council wants to take,” he said. Town council approved the motion unanimously. With the mutual aid agreement in place with regional fire departments, the aerial unit would be available as needed throughout most of the Creston Valley. This is the fourth story in a series about fire service in Creston. Jan. 15: The amount of local calls and potential financial impact; Jan. 22: the link between fire services and insurance rates; Jan. 29: the fire department’s work experience program.

SD8 is seeking your input to help make important decisions about aligning our resources to meet student needs as you see them and to improve learning for students. The SD8 Budget Stakeholder Engagement Committee invites you to make your recommendations for the 2015-2016 budget by providing the Committee with a budget application submission. Applications will address student learning and demonstrate alignment with Board Student Expectations, District Goals, local, provincial and global education trends among other criteria. For more information on the application process and evaluation or budget work completed to date, please visit: www.sd8.bc.ca / News and Highlights / Budget 2015-2016. Deadline to submit applications is Monday, February 23, 2015. For more information: Kim Morris, Secretary Treasurer kmorris@sd8.bc.ca or 250-505-7039

Tax Time is Coming

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arts, culture & heritage funding Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance, in partnership with Columbia Basin Trust, invites individuals of all artistic disciplines and arts, culture and heritage groups in the Columbia Basin to apply for project funding. Program brochures and application forms are available online at www.basinculture.com.

Deadline for applications is March 6, 2015, or March 20, 2015, depending on the program. Administered and managed by: Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance P.O. Box 103, Nelson, BC, V1L 5P7. 1.877.505.7355 wkrac@telus.net

Funded by:

Photo: Symphony of the Kootenays

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Local News

Cyclist seeking insurance information BY LORNE ECKERSLEY Advance Staff

Help! A cyclist who was in a collision with a newer model green North American-made pickup on Jan. 11 needs information. He was riding his red bike with a

trailer when the collision occurred on Highway 3 in Erickson, in the vicinity of Pick of the Crop fruit stand at about 3 p.m. The female driver stopped and gave the cyclist her name, but he was in shock from the injuries he sustained and does not recall the information she gave

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him. He was taken to hospital by ambulance with a broken clavicle. The cyclist needs the driver's name and information so that he can recover the costs of his bicycle damage through an insurance claim. Anyone with information can contact the RCMP at 250-428-9313 or call Lorne at 250428-6486. Police Beat Creston RCMP responded to 57 calls from Jan. 26-Feb. 1, Staff Sgt. Bob Gollan said on Monday. January 26 •Police were unable to locate a “suspicious male” on Canyon Street near Prince Charles Secondary School. •A donation jar was stolen from a Northwest Boulevard restaurant. Security cameras captured the thief’s image and police arrested a male a few days later. •When police responded to a loud party complaint on 11th Avenue South, the male who answered the door of the party house was carrying a glass marijuana pipe. The pipe, another bong and a small quantity of marijuana were seized for destruction. January 27 •Two vehicles went off Highway 3 on icy roads in separate incidents. No injuries were reported, despite the fact one vehicle went down a 30-foot embankment. •Another vehicle went down a 100-foot bank on Highway 3 near Wright Road, but both occupants were uninjured. •A male from Settlement Road who did not attend school was located by police at a friend’s house. •A male was arrested on Birch Avenue after a domestic violence incident. He was later

Charges

Thursday, February 5, 2015 Creston Valley Advance released with conditions. •A complaint was received about a speeding school bus on Scott Street. •A female reported losing an envelope with cash on Elm Street. •Police assisted in traffic control at a residential fire on Canyon Street. January 28 •Evidence of a small fire set beside Adam Robertson Elementary School was noted, but no date of the incident was determined. •A female who was making harassing phone calls and Facebook posts to an Erickson Road resident agreed to stop when contacted by police. January 29 •A semi driver sustained a foot injury when he was hit by a slow-driving car while checking his truck. •A female youth reported to be missing from her Hurl Street home was located by police. •A female was not injured when her vehicle hit black ice on Riverview Road and rolled onto its side. •An erratic driver who passed a driver while speeding on Whimster Road was identified and has been sent a warning letter. •A couple who purchased a home on Erickson Road from a bank were surprised when they went to move in and found it still occupied. Police advised this was a civil matter between the buyers and the bank. January 30 •A dispute in the community complex steam room was determined not to have included an assault. •Police spotted the thief of the donation box from earlier in the week on Canyon Street. He disappeared behind a building,

where they found he had met up with a known drug dealer. The thief was charged with theft and possession of stolen property. The dealer, who had $2,000 in cash and a quantity of cocaine in his hand at the time, was arrested for possession for the purpose of trafficking. •Extensive damage to a vehicle was reported following a collision with a deer on Northwest Boulevard. •An intoxicated male was arrested on Elm Street after he pushed in a patio door to enter a residence. January 31 •Police received a report of a collision on 10th Avenue at Pine Street but no vehicles were around when they arrived on the scene. •A male complained to police that another male had glared at him on Canyon Street. •When police located a youth who took a parent’s vehicle without consent they found he had too many passengers for his driver’s licence designation and he was issued a ticket. February 1 •An intoxicated male who passed out on Canyon Street was taken home and put in the care of his spouse. •Police attended a house fire on Hearst Road in Riondel. The house was unoccupied. •An abandoned 1981 Chevrolet bearing the wrong plates was towed from Goat River Road North. •Police conducted a wellbeing check on a 22-year-old female and found she was OK. •When police responded to a 911 call on 28th Street they learned that a female had smashed a house window with a whiskey bottle but the owner did not want charges laid.

RCMP and there’s a belief there could be a flight risk,” said Arbogast. She and Brandon are from page 1 charged with “wrongful Crown counsel Tom removal of a child from Arbogast explained there are Canada,” he added, and it is believed they have an “exten“multiple terabytes of disclosive network of contacts in sure” to go through while the Utah and Arizona.” decision is being made. “I have responsibilities,” “It’s a fairly unwieldy proresponded Emily. “I’ll return.” cess,” he said. COTR instructor Rachel Beck The election date for stood up on behalf of Emily. Winston and Oler’s trial was “Her commitment to her moved to March 26. family is so strong,” said Beck, Oler, and husband and wife who offered to act as surety if Brandon and Emily have been the passport is returned. charged with unlawfully Webb asked Emily to presremoving a child under 16 from ent material on Feb. 26 showing him reason to return the passThinking of SELLING YOUR PROPERTY? port, saying that shopping in the U.S. made CHECK OUT WHAT TEAM CRESTON CAN DO FOR YOU! the passport “nice to 1. Provide you with a prelisting information package, outlining what we will do to help have as opposed to sell your home. NO OBLIGATION! compelling.” Winston and Emily 2. Provide information on how to prepare your home for sale. previously appeared 3. Show you how a VIDEO TOUR is an open house that is available all day every day. in court Dec. 4 to say they had retained counsel. Oler, whose faction is said to keep close ties with the followers of Warren Jeffs in the U.S., sent a simiwww.teamcreston.ca lar message through 250-428-9040 Crown counsel. They Shelley Voight Wayne Dunbar initially appeared Oct. Managing Broker/ Owner Personal Real Estate Corporation 9 without counsel, 250-254-9599 250-428-1400 after being charged in svoight@telus.net waynedunbar@gmail.com August. Canada with the intent that an offence of a sexual nature would be committed outside Canada. Their election date was put off until Feb. 26; Oler plans to be working in Athabasca, Alta., and will appear by phone. “We do have some concerns about this matter getting dragged out,” said Arbogast. Also today, Emily asked to have her passport returned so that she can shop in the U.S., mainly for herbs; she took the herbal practitioner course at Creston’s College of the Rockies. “We have spoken to the

Creston Valley Advance Thursday, February 5, 2015

West has painted its forces into a corner To the Editor: Things become curiouser and curiouser, Alice said. On the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz by Russian soldiers, our government has announced a $1 million memorial to commemorate victims of communism. No less than Beverly McLaughlin, chief justice of the Supreme Court, wrote a letter suggesting that this was not an appropriate grim memorial to be placed near the Supreme Court Buildings, casting a dubious pall on our concept of justice. In the meantime, Russian President Vladimir Putin was not even invited to the Auschwitz commemoration by the revisionist history leaders who are creating a new version of historical facts, and who invited the fascist-leaning President Petro Poroshenko from the Ukraine instead. And where and when will the memorial be built for the victims of regime change, democratic leaders and civilian victims composed primarily of women and children slaughtered indiscriminately in various countries throughout the world in the name of democracy and capitalism, continuing now? The West has unleashed a vengeful horde of its own making upon itself, which is painting its forces into a corner; still, they offer armed resistance rather than doing the sensible thing

OPINION LINE

and simply getting out of the occupied countries. Is this also a curious anomaly? And what can we do, except look on helplessly in curious wonder, wondering when common sense will prevail? Larry Ewashen Creston

Canadians have allowed changes by Harper To the Editor: Well, another Christmas has come and gone. Christmas is always a time of many messages of good thoughts, of love and goodwill, and peace on Earth. But I am sad to say that I heard very little of these good messages from the mainstream media; the emphases were on war and slaughter, the glorification of the military and saber rattling rather than thoughts of diplomacy and peaceful resolutions. During the Nuremberg trials after the Second World War, Herman Goering, Hitler’s second in command, said in his cell to the prison psychologist, “Why, of course, the people don’t want war. Why would some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best he can get out of it is to come back to his farm in one piece? Naturally, the common people don’t want war: neither in Russia, nor in England, nor, for that matter, in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is

always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy or a fascist dictatorship or a parliament or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.” (Nuremberg Diary by G.M. Gilbert, page 278) Before the advent of Harperism, Canada had a sterling reputation as a peacekeeping nation for years, but in the few short years under Stephen Harper’s reign, Canadians are not now safe at home or any where else in the world. When my daughter graduated, she and a friend backpacked throughout Europe and felt safe because they had maple leaf labels on their backpacks and gave out maple leaf pins. American backpackers begged for these labels and pins. Some may say that times have changed, but in Canada’s case it was Harper that changed things, and sadly we “sheeplike” citizens have allowed these changes. In a recent Passionate Eye documentary on CBC the topic was the rise of ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria). In dialogue, an American general casually mentioned that the U.S.A. had “special interests” in 150 countries. That, in a nutshell is the reason for the rise of ISIS. How many countries, if any, has Canada got “special interests” in? Stephen Harper has aspirations, so it seems, to create a “Canadian empire” by riding in on the coattails of the American Military Monster. This is not the Canada we want. Let us remember this come election time. Alex Ewashen Creston

Feedback helps CDCC planning

Does anyone remember the good old days before Facebook, Instagram and Twitter? When you had to take a photo of your dinner, then get the film developed, then go around to all your friends’ houses to show them the picture of your dinner? No? Me neither.

From the Centre Neil Ostafichuk Good, bad or indifferent, Facebook and other social media are here and, like weather, you can complain about it, ignore it or just accept the fact that it is so you might as well get on with your life. From a service industry standpoint, we are faced with a bit of a conundrum: Do we wade in and try and answer all questions and concerns or simply stay out as it can become a “no win” situation quite rapidly? Case in point, we did run across a couple of separate issues a while back – one was about the people that use the family change rooms that other patrons think shouldn’t be allowed to. Actually the term “family change room” is kind of a generic term used in aquatics to describe those small rooms used for perhaps a family or a mom with small children or a senior

www.crestonvalleyadvance.ca 5

or someone that requires more privacy for a myriad of reasons than the main change room affords. I can see both sides; in the past, I too have struggled to get one kid dressed only to discover that in that split second you turned your back, your toddler is now showering in the urinal or pumping all the soap out. I also understand that as people get older or have limitations, they perhaps struggle to get dressed and wish to maintain some dignity while doing so. Hey, we get it and in bringing this particular conversation to staff, we realize we can keep this issue in mind when scheduling programming to perhaps avoid potential dressing room conflicts between kids and seniors. We have also ordered a couple of child protection seats for the main change rooms which, like the baby change tables, bolt to the wall where you can sit little Johnny and throw on the shoulder harness to contain him for four or five minutes while you get his sister taken care of. Another issue raised recently, which we are well aware of, is the operating hours of certain parts of the facility. Reading through comments, it becomes apparent that being open very early and closing late every day would be the preferred choice; however, there are a lot of factors to be considered including costs, ability to staff and even impact to other businesses. Where we are today was the result of a lot of research, cost projections and discussion amongst staff and directors to provide residents

with the best overall value for accessibility. Does it fit everyone? Probably not, but it fits a lot and in saying that, if there is an opportunity or a need to expand or change hours while maintaining fiscal responsibility and other factors, that would be more conversation, research and cost projections that unlikely would be floated on Facebook. So, at this point, it’s probably safe to say we probably wouldn’t join any conversations that are demeaning any person, place or thing, or are harassing or offensive — we’ve all seen how fast a lynch mob can form within minutes onscreen. While “we” don’t actively monitor social media such as Facebook at this point, we certainly recognize the aspect that it is a powerful medium to communicate with today’s technology; in fact many of our events have been even more successful by people sharing posts. If you really have a concern, I would suggest using some of the methods currently in place such as comment cards or speaking directly with staff or administration, and leaving information that we can contact you if we need follow-up. With over 160,000 visits per year, we do get comments about hours or accessibility or other items. Some we can remedy and some we can’t, but if it’s within our power and it makes sense, even if we stumble across it on Facebook, we will certainly try to figure it out. Neil Ostfichuk is the recreation supervisor at the Creston and District Community Complex.

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PUBLISHER: Lorne Eckersley Ext. 206 - publisher@crestonvalleyadvance.ca

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OPINION LINE

Forget the tomatoes

A lot of new technology involves things that change, mostly in a small way, our lives. Not necessarily for the better, but not always for the worse, either. At Creston Public Library on Saturday evening I found myself extolling the virtues of satellite video transmission, something that has become so much a part of our life that we hardly give it a second thought.

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Lorne Eckersley More than a dozen years ago, I installed a (not entirely legal) satellite TV system at our home in Riverview, tired of getting several fuzzy TV channels on two flimsy antennas and having given up hope that cable would ever make its expensive way out to the area. For someone who spent a large part of my life trying to track a hockey puck in the snow that accompanied all of our TV channels, it was quite a thrill to get a clear picture. Not to mention a choice of dozens of stations. I opted for an American system that required me to pretend I lived south of the border because it offered more choice. When we moved to town I had a legitimate satellite system installed, choice and quality having improved significantly, and it became a source of entertainment until I grew frustrated with the lack of quality. Finding myself spending more and

Continuing a tradition

I am very grateful for the opportunity to write a column for the Creston Valley Advance this month. I am very excited that the Advance has given this opportunity to me and that my fellow council members let me volunteer for this month.

Council Comment Kevin Boehmer I was very humbled this past election when the wonderful Creston residents voted me in as a town councillor. I have wanted to serve the community as a political leader for many years. I can’t specifically pin down a date of when I developed this urge to do more, but much of it could be attributed to my superb parents, Paige and Laurie Boehmer, who have taught me to always go the extra mile. I also drew inspiration from my grandfather, Bill Herchmer. He was a councillor for the Town of Creston for 11 years, retiring from politics in 1993. My parents named me after my grandfather; my

Thursday, February 5, 2015 Creston Valley Advance

more time clicking through every channel available and finally settling on something that wasn’t particularly edifying, I finally chose to disconnect the system and live a life without cable or satellite. Today, of course, it is relatively easy to find whatever one wants to watch on the Internet, with streaming sites around the world bypassing the need for more wires, equipment and costs. I wonder how many people watched the Super Bowl on the Internet, as I did. I suspect the numbers are growing at an astonishing rate. But satellite video continues to play an important part in our lives. In the last half-dozen years we have made the drive to Trail, Coeur d’Alene, Spokane or even Calgary to watch live telecasts of the Metropolitan Opera. The high-definition presentations are a visual and aural treat, putting viewers in seats that the opera house itself simply cannot match. Ten or 12 times a year we head out early on a Saturday, or even the night before, so we can be in our theatre seats at 10 a.m. (or, for longer productions, even 9 a.m.) to catch an opera matinee that is being shown live from New York at 1 p.m. eastern time. Instead of paying upwards of $100 for a seat in Lincoln Centre to be one of 4,000 in attendance, we fork over about $25 and take our more comfortable seats in the theatre. Occasional packed houses are outnumbered by the times we sit among a group of a couple dozen enthusiasts. Granted, there is nothing quite like the experience of live opera at the Met. I’ve seen eight operas in it and enjoyed every second. But staring at the gold curtain before and between acts has nothing on the enjoyment of sitting in a movie theatre and seeing a host like Renée Fleming or Deborah Voigt interviewing — live — singers as they come off the stage for a break. Or chatting with the company’s director, head carpenter, set designer, costume designer, chorus director or orchestra leader. Occasionally, the hosts make

their way further behind the scenes and into the various departments — costume, wig, rehearsal, woodwork — to give us a rare look into what it takes to turn a $300 million annual budget into entertainment now afforded to viewers in more than 65 countries around the globe. We also get to watch the crew moving out sets from one scene and bringing in the next. It is a fascinating view that one doesn’t get in the theatre. For those who see satellite as dooming live performances (just as they forecast the end of newspapers in favour of digital information) the pessimism hasn’t played out. By taking the show to the people, the appetite for live opera actually seems to be growing. In addition to our visits to Manhattan in the last few years, we have made taking in an opera a priority on trips to London and Paris, and have even spent a week in Seattle so we could see the four lengthy operas that comprise Wagner’s Ring Cycle over a six-day period. Heck, we have even driven to Nelson, Calgary and Coeur d’Alene to watch live presentations. The satellite broadcasts were not our introduction to opera. Earlier, we had taken in performances in Rome, Venice, San Diego, Vancouver and Calgary. But the broadcasts served to increase our appetite. We have become more knowledgeable which, in turn, makes us even more interested in the genre. A hundred or more years ago, opera was entertainment for working people as well as the elite. Attendees might show up for a show with pockets stuffed with tomatoes that would fly toward the stage if they weren’t pleased with the performance. Satellite technology is accomplishing much the same thing. Without the tomatoes, thankfully. No need to leave a mess for the folks who show up to watch the next movie in the theatre. Lorne Eckersley is the publisher of the Creston Valley Advance.

middle name is William (Kevin is not short for Bill). My mother, Laurie, and Aunt Carol Huscroft continually tell me how much I remind them of their father, Bill. Usually with regards to, in my own words, “being financially savvy,” but they more than likely call it “being cheap.” I feel very proud to walk into council chambers, past pictures of my grandpa and the many other men and women that have served the community so well. I caught myself looking for his picture once again this past week as I attended my council meetings, feeling a wonderful connection. I found it, just in case you were wondering. My grandfather passed away some years ago, and a couple of weeks ago I received his old briefcase, yellow comb and all, from my step-grandmother Vera Herchmer. It was a very wonderful experience. While I believe it is very important to have a connection to our history and our past, it is with an eye towards the future that I sit in council with six other qualified individuals, as well as some top notch staff. Being on council has opened my eyes to many things, such as the immense amount of meetings that we as councillors attend. I have also been awestruck with the professional staff that the Town of Creston has the honor of employing. The staff has shown a great knowledge base in helping us, as a council, plan for the future. We have been deep into budget preparation lately, and trying to effectively allocate our scarce resources. It is

a tall task to ensure that everything is looked after, as well as building up suitable reserves for the future. That is one thing that many people have a hard time with; at some point we will need to replace infrastructure, whether it is 20 years or 50 years down the road. No pun intended. Infrastructure is consequently very expensive to maintain and replace, so there is a great importance to have money set aside each year for this. As a council, our goal is to ensure that the Town of Creston is a business friendly environment, while also maintaining our lovely, laidback, rural lifestyle. This is something that we are trying to ensure is included in the budget process and one of our focuses this year. We have set aside some time in the near future to strategize as a council our priorities for this four-year term that we have embarked upon. I feel very confident with the current council members and have been impressed with their keen observations and quality discussion. There hasn’t been much of what I would call lively debate yet, but all of us feel confident enough to engage in lively debate if needed. The atmosphere surrounding council is very open for different ideas and perspectives. Town manager Lou Varela many times has spoken to us as a council to ensure that we feel comfortable expressing our thoughts and opinions. I was going to write “our lovely town manager”, but I didn’t want to come across as sexist. Politics is very interesting. Kevin Boehmer is a chartered accountant in his first term on town council.

Creston Valley Advance Thursday, February 5, 2015

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