News Leader News for January 16, 2007
LEGION INSTALLS 2007 OFFICERS
On what might be the coldest night of the year, more than 40 members of the George Pearkes Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion, Ladies Auxiliary and Youth Auxiliary turned out for a potluck supper and installation of the 2007 officers of each group.
Zone Commander Chris Yarburgh and Deputy Zone Commander Mike de Salaberry conducted the installation ceremonies.
Sharon Paterson is the new Legion President, with Bob Paterson as First Vice-President and Ray Jarvis as Second Vice-President. Chaplains are Diane Robinson and Ray Jarvis, and Janet Neil is Service Officer. Bud Sadegur and Cam Powley share duty as Sergeant at Arms. The Executive Committee is comprised of Janet Neil, Wayne Cummings and Chuck Whitlock.
Charlene Longdo will serve another term as Ladies Auxiliary President, with Elizabeth Kightley as Vice-President. Ann Bauder is Secretary-Treasurer. Norma Kraetor and Marion Marsel were installed as the Executive Committee.
The Princeton Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion is one of the very few branches to enjoy supporting a Youth Auxiliary. They were installed in office as part of the evenings ceremonies.
Michael Date is President of the Youth Auxiliary with Hannah Donohoe as First Vice-President and Matt Donohoe as Second Vice-President. Kelsey MacDonald is Treasurer. Levi Dube and Ben Stout form the Executive Committee, and Cody MacDonald is Sergeant at Arms.
Both Zone Commander Yarburgh and Deputy Zone Commander de Salaberry thanked Princeton's Legion for inviting them, and wished the new officers a successful year.
COMMUNITY TO COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP FLOURISHES
The Town of Princeton, Area 'H' of the Regional District Okanagan Similkameen and the Upper Similkameen Indian Band continue to make considerable progress with several initiatives under a renewed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
These initiatives will foster sustainable economic development and continue to protect the Upper Similkameen Indian Band's cultural history and improve relationships with local governments.
Since renewing their commitment to the MOU, the three partners have been diligently working on a Partnership Statement of Intent that will see the proponents form a community forest corporation known as the Vermilion Forks Forest Corporation. Equal partners in the corporation, the group has made an initial application to the Ministry of Forests for a Community Forest License that will be situated in the western portion of the Similkameen River watershed, between Manning Park and Hedley and within the Cascades Forest District.
Under the Partnership Statement of Intent, the partnership will increase local involvement in the management of the Princeton area forestlands that will assist in maintaining or enhancing the economic diversity and quality of life for residents, as well as ensuring that other natural resource uses and values are maintained in perpetuity.
Key objectives of the Vermilion Forks Forest Corporation include:
1. To operate the Community Forest area in a manner which achieves a reasonable and consistent profit from forestry operations.
2. To provide employment opportunities for all parties' constituents.
3. To ensure that residents of the area are directly involved in setting priorities for forestry management and expenditure of net profits generated from forestry operations.
4. To ensure a sustained harvest level throughout the licence area and to potentially increase the annual allowable cut over time, through innovative forest practices.
5. To provide for the highest return and best use of forestlands resources, using sound, environmentally responsible management practices.
6. To enhance and promote the educational and research value of the forest resource.
7. To maintain a long-range view for deriving benefits and managing the resource.
8. To ensure that the management of the forest resource does not compromise the ability of other resource users to maintain or increase their use and benefit from the forested land base.
9. To develop and maintain a working partnership model other local government and aboriginal government organizations may emulate.
The next step in the application process is an invitation by the Ministry of Forests to pursue the feasibility of the application. The partnership is confident that the provincial government will see the benefits of granting the Vermilion Forks Forest Corporation a license for this area.
