May 28, 2013 - News Leader
COUNCIL APPROVES OFFICE EQUIPMENT PURCHASE
In a motion made at the May 21st regular meeting of Princeton Town Council by Councillor Doug Pateman, and seconded by Councillor Kim Maynard, the Town of Princeton will purchase a new black and white multi-function photocopier/printer. The price quoted by Ricoh Canada totals $12,121.08 plus taxes. "The existing copier requires frequent servicing as it struggles to maintain the volume of printing we require," explains Deputy Treasurer Shirley McMahon in her report to Council. "This has often resulted in staff frustration and late agenda publication." The Ricoh Canada quote was the lowest from the two approved suppliers as identified by the BC Corporate Supply Arrangement. The other quote was $13,700.00.
BYLAW AMENDMENTS TO BRING MORE APARTMENTS
A property located at 223 Burton Avenue contains a total of eleven apartments on the second floor. Those have all been rented. The same property has commercial space on the main floor, which has remained vacant since completion of the project. Town Council gave second reading to Bylaw No. 876, 2013, an amendment of the Town of Princeton Official Community Plan Bylaw, which will change the land use category of the building from Business Transition (BT) to Medium Density Residential (MDR). In addition, Council gave second reading to Bylaw No. 877, 2013, which amends the Town of Princeton Zoning Bylaw, which changes the property at 223 Burton Avenue from the Business Transition (C3) zone to the RM-4 (Multi-Family Residential High Rise) zone to permit the conversion of three vacant commercial spaces on the ground floor to ten residential suites. The next step will be a Public Hearing scheduled for 7:15 PM on June 17th at the Princeton Library Meeting Room on Vermilion Avenue. Following the meeting the bylaws will receive third reading and after a time for reconsideration, they will be adopted.
PUBLIC WORKS RECEIVES NEW TRUCKS
Princeton Town Council awarded a contract to Metro Motors of Port Coquitlam for the purchase of two trucks for the Public Works Department. The contract, worth $53,564.00, was awarded at the May 21st regular meeting of Princeton Town Council and is for one half-ton pickup truck and a three-quarter ton pickup truck. "Town of Princeton Public Works Department requires a replacement for a 1995 GMC three-quarter ton pickup along with a half-ton pickup for the use of the public works manager," states Deputy Treasurer Shirley McMahon in her report to Council. Town Council had approved $62,750.00 for the purchase of the new vehicles as part of the 2013 Budget. Of the quotes, Metro Motors (Ford) had the lowest of the four received for the half-ton pickup at $21,875.00. The highest was $24,980.00. Metro Motors (Ford) also had the lowest of the five quotes received for the three-quarter ton pickup at $25,900.00. The highest one was $29,705.00. Vehicle delivery is expected within 60 to 90 days of contract award. "Both vehicles are needed as soon as possible," McMahon adds.
In a motion made at the May 21st regular meeting of Princeton Town Council by Councillor Doug Pateman, and seconded by Councillor Kim Maynard, the Town of Princeton will purchase a new black and white multi-function photocopier/printer. The price quoted by Ricoh Canada totals $12,121.08 plus taxes. "The existing copier requires frequent servicing as it struggles to maintain the volume of printing we require," explains Deputy Treasurer Shirley McMahon in her report to Council. "This has often resulted in staff frustration and late agenda publication." The Ricoh Canada quote was the lowest from the two approved suppliers as identified by the BC Corporate Supply Arrangement. The other quote was $13,700.00.
BYLAW AMENDMENTS TO BRING MORE APARTMENTS
A property located at 223 Burton Avenue contains a total of eleven apartments on the second floor. Those have all been rented. The same property has commercial space on the main floor, which has remained vacant since completion of the project. Town Council gave second reading to Bylaw No. 876, 2013, an amendment of the Town of Princeton Official Community Plan Bylaw, which will change the land use category of the building from Business Transition (BT) to Medium Density Residential (MDR). In addition, Council gave second reading to Bylaw No. 877, 2013, which amends the Town of Princeton Zoning Bylaw, which changes the property at 223 Burton Avenue from the Business Transition (C3) zone to the RM-4 (Multi-Family Residential High Rise) zone to permit the conversion of three vacant commercial spaces on the ground floor to ten residential suites. The next step will be a Public Hearing scheduled for 7:15 PM on June 17th at the Princeton Library Meeting Room on Vermilion Avenue. Following the meeting the bylaws will receive third reading and after a time for reconsideration, they will be adopted.
PUBLIC WORKS RECEIVES NEW TRUCKS
Princeton Town Council awarded a contract to Metro Motors of Port Coquitlam for the purchase of two trucks for the Public Works Department. The contract, worth $53,564.00, was awarded at the May 21st regular meeting of Princeton Town Council and is for one half-ton pickup truck and a three-quarter ton pickup truck. "Town of Princeton Public Works Department requires a replacement for a 1995 GMC three-quarter ton pickup along with a half-ton pickup for the use of the public works manager," states Deputy Treasurer Shirley McMahon in her report to Council. Town Council had approved $62,750.00 for the purchase of the new vehicles as part of the 2013 Budget. Of the quotes, Metro Motors (Ford) had the lowest of the four received for the half-ton pickup at $21,875.00. The highest was $24,980.00. Metro Motors (Ford) also had the lowest of the five quotes received for the three-quarter ton pickup at $25,900.00. The highest one was $29,705.00. Vehicle delivery is expected within 60 to 90 days of contract award. "Both vehicles are needed as soon as possible," McMahon adds.
Coach Resigns, Trade Show Cancelled!
Copyright 2013 Bengel Publishing Inc.
Princeton Posse Head Coach Dale ŒDuner¹ Hladun resigned May 23rd. In handing in his letter of resignation he referred to is as 'the end of an era.' Financial issues have plagued the hockey club placing the Posse Executive in a position of Œcatching up¹ instead of Œstaying ahead¹ for much of the past season. Unexpected extra costs, including a clerical error related to ticket price taxes resulting in a large outstanding balance with Revenue Canada and a failed appeal, have not helped matters. The depressing financial situation has also generated a handful of resignations from the Board of Directors. Hladun's resignation takes place while he still had a year left in his three-year contract with the team. In an attempt to generate extra funds in the off-season, the Posse planned to host a Trade Show in Princeton Arena for the end of June. Original projections were for around fifty exhibitors but only a fraction of those actually committed by the deadline of May 15th, which forced cancellation of the event.
The Evolution of Dance (partial)!
May 21, 2013 - News Leader
HOW THE SIMILKAMEEN VOTED
Now that the dust has settled following British Columbia's 40th General Election May 14th it is time to look at how the ridings in the Similkameen Valley did. In Fraser-Nicola, which includes Princeton, Coalmont and Tulameen, Liberal Jackie Tegart was elected with 5,539 votes, or 44.9%. Incumbent Harry Lali (NDP) had 4,785 (38.8%), John Kidder (Green) finished with 1,774 (9.5%) and Michael Beauclair (Conservative) collected 832 (6.8%) of the votes. Looking at margin of victories, Tegart beat Lali by 754 votes, slightly less than the 873-vote margin Lali had over Liberal Ella Brown, which re-elected him in 2009. In Boundary-Similkameen, which includes Hedley, Keremeos and Cawston, Liberal Linda Larson was elected with 7,853 (46.3%) of the votes cast. Sam Hencheroff (NDP) had 6,656 (39.3%), John Kwasnica (Green) 1,481 (8.7%), Mischa Popoff (Ind.) 608 (3.6%) and Doug Pederson (Ind.) 349 (2.1%). The margin of victory increased in the Lower Similkameen with Larson beating Hencheroff by 1,197 votes, considerably more than the 811-vote win by Liberal John Slater over Lakhvinder Jhaj (NDP) in 2009. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) has calculated the pensions of all MLAs who did not win or seek re-election in the May 14th vote. The total
payout could top $26 million. MLAs are eligible for pensions after six years of service. Pensions increase by the rate of inflation every year, and can be collected at age 65. The CTFs lifetime estimate figures assume the individual lives to age 80. Taxpayers put in $4 for every $1 a politician pays into their pension account. "The MLA pension payout ATM is spitting out cash at a rate taxpayers can only dream of," said Jordan Bateman, CTF B.C. Director. "A dozen former MLAs will soon join the million dollar pension club while most of us are scraping together every nickel we can find for our own retirements." These numbers assume MLAs "bought back" missing time from 1996 to 2007, when there was a far more modest pension system in place. The list of MLAs who bought back has been kept secret, but the CTF have yet to hear from any of the retirees that they didn't buy back that missing time. Exiting MLAs also receive up to 15 months of severance at the $101,859 MLA annual salary, which includes a top-up if the politician takes a job at less than six figures. They are also eligible for up to $9,000 in training funds. "Not only do these MLAs receive overly generous pensions, they get a severance package and training money," said Bateman. "Taxpayers are on the hook for millions just to transition these politicians back to the real world." Bateman noted that in 1996, the BC Liberals ran against this type of gold-plated pension plan, and that NDP Premier Glen Clark brought in a fairer, dollar-for-dollar system. Unfortunately, the BC Liberals flip-flopped in 2007, bringing back a gold-plated plan and allowing MLAs to buy back missing years of service. Not included in the list or $26 million total is Premier Christy Clark, who lost her Vancouver-Point Grey seat. In the highly unlikely event she does not seek a seat elsewhere, her year 1 pension would start at $59,900 for a lifetime total of $1.03 million. Harry Lali (Fraser-Nicola) is on the list and according to the CTF will receive a pension of $63,886 per year resulting from his 14 years of service which will total $1.1-million.
Now that the dust has settled following British Columbia's 40th General Election May 14th it is time to look at how the ridings in the Similkameen Valley did. In Fraser-Nicola, which includes Princeton, Coalmont and Tulameen, Liberal Jackie Tegart was elected with 5,539 votes, or 44.9%. Incumbent Harry Lali (NDP) had 4,785 (38.8%), John Kidder (Green) finished with 1,774 (9.5%) and Michael Beauclair (Conservative) collected 832 (6.8%) of the votes. Looking at margin of victories, Tegart beat Lali by 754 votes, slightly less than the 873-vote margin Lali had over Liberal Ella Brown, which re-elected him in 2009. In Boundary-Similkameen, which includes Hedley, Keremeos and Cawston, Liberal Linda Larson was elected with 7,853 (46.3%) of the votes cast. Sam Hencheroff (NDP) had 6,656 (39.3%), John Kwasnica (Green) 1,481 (8.7%), Mischa Popoff (Ind.) 608 (3.6%) and Doug Pederson (Ind.) 349 (2.1%). The margin of victory increased in the Lower Similkameen with Larson beating Hencheroff by 1,197 votes, considerably more than the 811-vote win by Liberal John Slater over Lakhvinder Jhaj (NDP) in 2009. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) has calculated the pensions of all MLAs who did not win or seek re-election in the May 14th vote. The total
payout could top $26 million. MLAs are eligible for pensions after six years of service. Pensions increase by the rate of inflation every year, and can be collected at age 65. The CTFs lifetime estimate figures assume the individual lives to age 80. Taxpayers put in $4 for every $1 a politician pays into their pension account. "The MLA pension payout ATM is spitting out cash at a rate taxpayers can only dream of," said Jordan Bateman, CTF B.C. Director. "A dozen former MLAs will soon join the million dollar pension club while most of us are scraping together every nickel we can find for our own retirements." These numbers assume MLAs "bought back" missing time from 1996 to 2007, when there was a far more modest pension system in place. The list of MLAs who bought back has been kept secret, but the CTF have yet to hear from any of the retirees that they didn't buy back that missing time. Exiting MLAs also receive up to 15 months of severance at the $101,859 MLA annual salary, which includes a top-up if the politician takes a job at less than six figures. They are also eligible for up to $9,000 in training funds. "Not only do these MLAs receive overly generous pensions, they get a severance package and training money," said Bateman. "Taxpayers are on the hook for millions just to transition these politicians back to the real world." Bateman noted that in 1996, the BC Liberals ran against this type of gold-plated pension plan, and that NDP Premier Glen Clark brought in a fairer, dollar-for-dollar system. Unfortunately, the BC Liberals flip-flopped in 2007, bringing back a gold-plated plan and allowing MLAs to buy back missing years of service. Not included in the list or $26 million total is Premier Christy Clark, who lost her Vancouver-Point Grey seat. In the highly unlikely event she does not seek a seat elsewhere, her year 1 pension would start at $59,900 for a lifetime total of $1.03 million. Harry Lali (Fraser-Nicola) is on the list and according to the CTF will receive a pension of $63,886 per year resulting from his 14 years of service which will total $1.1-million.
Listen To The Pow Wow!
Keremeos Creek Bursts Banks!
May 14, 2013 - News Leader
ASSAULT NETS PROBATION
On May 9, in Provincial Court in Princeton, Gary A. Lind, age 35, of Princeton, entered a guilty plea to assault of his spouse. The charge was laid following an incident on March 16, 2013, when Lind began hitting his wife while they were driving home from a party. The aggressive behaviour continued after the couple arrived at their home. Lind was sentenced to 12 months probation with the condition he is to seek any counseling directed by his probation officer.
COUNCIL ISSUES DEVELOPMENT PERMIT
The Town of Princeton will issue Shirley and William Freding Development Permit #01-13 for property located at 162 Vermilion Avenue. The motion was made by Councillor Marilyn Harkness and seconded by
Councillor Doug Pateman at the May 6th regular meeting of Town Council. The Fredings proposal is to renovate the small shed addition at the westerly end of the building located on the property and to add a 440 square foot addition, which will house a single car garage and some storage space. The Fredings also plan to provide a canopy over the existing sidewalk on
Vermilion Avenue. The Official Community Plan has designated the area of Vermilion Avenue as 'Development Permit Area' which is why the request came to Council for the permit.
COUNCIL CORRECTS LAND USE ERROR
The bylaw officially identified as the Town of Princeton Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 808, Amendment Bylaw No. 875, 2013, but commonly known as the Overwaitea Bylaw, was the subject of a public hearing prior to the May 6th regular meeting of Town Council. As there were no petitions or delegations present to speak to the bylaw amendment, it received third reading during the regular meeting. The purpose of the amendment is to place the former Overwaitea property in its correct Official Community Plan land use category. "For some reason, or error, the former Overwaitea property was placed in the Administrative/ Institutional land use category instead of its correct classification of Town Centre," explains Interim CAO Bob Wilson in his report to Town Council. "I wanted to correct this error so when someone comes along to develop or occupy the property, there isn¹t a bunch of red tape to overcome."
On May 9, in Provincial Court in Princeton, Gary A. Lind, age 35, of Princeton, entered a guilty plea to assault of his spouse. The charge was laid following an incident on March 16, 2013, when Lind began hitting his wife while they were driving home from a party. The aggressive behaviour continued after the couple arrived at their home. Lind was sentenced to 12 months probation with the condition he is to seek any counseling directed by his probation officer.
COUNCIL ISSUES DEVELOPMENT PERMIT
The Town of Princeton will issue Shirley and William Freding Development Permit #01-13 for property located at 162 Vermilion Avenue. The motion was made by Councillor Marilyn Harkness and seconded by
Councillor Doug Pateman at the May 6th regular meeting of Town Council. The Fredings proposal is to renovate the small shed addition at the westerly end of the building located on the property and to add a 440 square foot addition, which will house a single car garage and some storage space. The Fredings also plan to provide a canopy over the existing sidewalk on
Vermilion Avenue. The Official Community Plan has designated the area of Vermilion Avenue as 'Development Permit Area' which is why the request came to Council for the permit.
COUNCIL CORRECTS LAND USE ERROR
The bylaw officially identified as the Town of Princeton Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 808, Amendment Bylaw No. 875, 2013, but commonly known as the Overwaitea Bylaw, was the subject of a public hearing prior to the May 6th regular meeting of Town Council. As there were no petitions or delegations present to speak to the bylaw amendment, it received third reading during the regular meeting. The purpose of the amendment is to place the former Overwaitea property in its correct Official Community Plan land use category. "For some reason, or error, the former Overwaitea property was placed in the Administrative/ Institutional land use category instead of its correct classification of Town Centre," explains Interim CAO Bob Wilson in his report to Town Council. "I wanted to correct this error so when someone comes along to develop or occupy the property, there isn¹t a bunch of red tape to overcome."
Rodeo Clown Gets Chubby!
Cowgirls Entertain Crowd!
May 7, 2013 - News Leader
RDOS SUPPORTS CO-GEN REQUEST
The Princeton Co-Gen Corp. owns and operates a pellet plant on Old Hedley Road in Princeton. The Plant employs 40 to 70 people directly and another 40 to 60 indirectly in the Princeton area. It is a significant contributor to the Princeton economy. The current ownership group purchased the plant in 2006 and were
immediately required to invest heavily to upgrade the electrical system at the Plant and, with increased testing by the Ministry of Environment, are aware that their emissions are a significant factor in the poor air quality ratings for Princeton during specific times of the year. Scrubbers are required for the 4 stacks at the Plant, estimated to cost approximately $1,200,000.00. The ownership group has solid demand and would like to increase their production. They need to address the air quality issues prior to doing so. The owners have met with federal and provincial representatives and are
interested in making a submission to senior levels of government for the funds necessary under the tripartite funding model, of which they would pay the local share. The Regional Board of the RDOS (Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen) discussed the matter at their April monthly meeting and supports the request from the Princeton Co-Gen Corporation to the government of Canada for funding to purchase equipment to meet air quality standards in emissions
HEDLEY DINNER HELPS KIDS
Sharon and Loretta Minshull, along with Jean Robinson and family, put together a fundraiser in Hedley to support Kids Help Line. Walk So Kids Can Talk is a Canada-wide initiative to raise funds to make sure the Kids Help Line continues to operate. The Bank of Montreal is the major sponsor, but smaller fundraisers such as the Hedley dinner and loonie auction contribute to the success of the program. When young people feel they have nowhere to turn to deal with their problems, they can call Kids Help Line. Assistance can be found for them no matter where they live. This service to children saves lives, as one young woman at the Hedley dinner was contemplating suicide when she called Kids Help Line and found the help she needed. One of the key issues for many young people is bullying, but there are many different problems young people face and feel they have nowhere to turn for counseling or assistance. The dinner was delicious, with lots of variety and lots of food, as fewer people showed than expected. The array of donated goods for the loonie auction was outstanding. Businesses and organizations in Princeton, Hedley, Keremeos and Penticton were generous in their donations of goods and gift certificates. Thanks to their generosity, a total of $1,200 was raised to keep Kids Help Line in operation. The major fundraising event in BC is the Abbotsford-Fraser Valley walk, where the Hedley funds will be presented. All of the money raised in BC stays in BC to assist the Kids Help Line here.
The Princeton Co-Gen Corp. owns and operates a pellet plant on Old Hedley Road in Princeton. The Plant employs 40 to 70 people directly and another 40 to 60 indirectly in the Princeton area. It is a significant contributor to the Princeton economy. The current ownership group purchased the plant in 2006 and were
immediately required to invest heavily to upgrade the electrical system at the Plant and, with increased testing by the Ministry of Environment, are aware that their emissions are a significant factor in the poor air quality ratings for Princeton during specific times of the year. Scrubbers are required for the 4 stacks at the Plant, estimated to cost approximately $1,200,000.00. The ownership group has solid demand and would like to increase their production. They need to address the air quality issues prior to doing so. The owners have met with federal and provincial representatives and are
interested in making a submission to senior levels of government for the funds necessary under the tripartite funding model, of which they would pay the local share. The Regional Board of the RDOS (Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen) discussed the matter at their April monthly meeting and supports the request from the Princeton Co-Gen Corporation to the government of Canada for funding to purchase equipment to meet air quality standards in emissions
HEDLEY DINNER HELPS KIDS
Sharon and Loretta Minshull, along with Jean Robinson and family, put together a fundraiser in Hedley to support Kids Help Line. Walk So Kids Can Talk is a Canada-wide initiative to raise funds to make sure the Kids Help Line continues to operate. The Bank of Montreal is the major sponsor, but smaller fundraisers such as the Hedley dinner and loonie auction contribute to the success of the program. When young people feel they have nowhere to turn to deal with their problems, they can call Kids Help Line. Assistance can be found for them no matter where they live. This service to children saves lives, as one young woman at the Hedley dinner was contemplating suicide when she called Kids Help Line and found the help she needed. One of the key issues for many young people is bullying, but there are many different problems young people face and feel they have nowhere to turn for counseling or assistance. The dinner was delicious, with lots of variety and lots of food, as fewer people showed than expected. The array of donated goods for the loonie auction was outstanding. Businesses and organizations in Princeton, Hedley, Keremeos and Penticton were generous in their donations of goods and gift certificates. Thanks to their generosity, a total of $1,200 was raised to keep Kids Help Line in operation. The major fundraising event in BC is the Abbotsford-Fraser Valley walk, where the Hedley funds will be presented. All of the money raised in BC stays in BC to assist the Kids Help Line here.
Spaghetti Turns Into Fundraiser!
Copyright 2013 Bengel Publishing Inc.
Make no mistake, this is not a vacation. A total of five Princeton residents will spend ten days in small villages in Nicaragua in late June and early July. The group, Mike and Laurie Lieding, Jason Neufield, Sylvia Bailey (in photo at left) and Brenda Engel (in photo on right), will be participating in a Journey of Compassion organized by Impact Nations of Vancouver. Impact Nations does the planning of everything including the daily activities a group of approximately 40 participants from throughout North America will be involved in, but the cost of the 'all-inclusive' accommodations and plane fare is the responsibility of each individual participant. Bailey and Engel chose to do some local fundraising to bring awareness to the event and to help assist with some of their costs. Their first big fundraiser was a spaghetti dinner hosted May 3rd at Living Water Church in Princeton. The pair had less than two weeks to decide on a menu, promote and sell tickets to the event which saw close to 50 people attend. A loonie auction during the evening added to their efforts and while the final tally was not known at press time, estimates put the event total at around $500.00 after dinner costs are paid. The Journey of Compassion trip to Chinandega, Nicaragua will include medical clinics for villagers in the surrounding region, a baptism of prisoners in jail while surrounded by armed guards, Christian teachings and healings. To find out more about Impact Nations and the various programs they have created visit their website at www.impactnations.com. Another fundraising dinner is tentatively planned for next month.