News Leader News for January 30, 2007
PRINCETON GSAR REPORTS BUSY YEAR
In the words of Princeton Ground Search and Rescue Society President Arnie Powell 2006 was "probably the busiest year for us."
With a total of ten call outs, that's up from previous years. In February of last year GSAR members were called to Poland Lake in Manning Park to help locate two lost campers, and assisted with an injured cross-country skier carry out on the same day in the Fat Dog area.
In May they provided mutual aid support in Armstrong during a search for a missing girl and attended a plane crash at Osprey Lake in July.
August saw members called to help rescue a girl on a cliff along the Trans-Canada Trail near the ochre bluffs and assist with an overdue mountain biker search at Cayuse Flats.
GSAR members assisted in September with Tatoosh Fire evacuation alerts visiting cabins in the Eastgate and Pasayten areas of Manning Park and helped with an overdue hunter call at Connelly Creek in October.
In November, it was an overdue grandfather and two children and in December the call was for assistance with a water rescue related to a motor vehicle accident near Wolfe Creek.
With only a total of 14 members, Princeton's GSAR group kept busy in 2006 with many training opportunities. In addition to members taking the GSAR Course, Peter Hartinger from Princeton Highway Extraction has provided valuable rope training exercises; members completed their 'over-nighter' requirement and participated in a mock search exercise on Snowpatch Road.
"We definitely need to do more of these as we could use the practice,"
Powell told the group during their January 23rd annual general meeting.
Members of the group also attended Tracker Training Courses and participated in the Critical Incident Stress De-Brief Program and attended an Ashnola Campout with other area SAR teams and the SAR Managers meeting in Kamloops.
In reference to Tracker Training, Powell stated, "We need to get more people into this as it's good to know."
PGSAR Secretary Randy Rorvik added, "You get to train you brain to see what your eyes see."
Highlights over the past calendar year included the formation of the South Okanagan Similkameen SAR group bringing together search and rescue squads from Princeton, Keremeos/Penticton and Oliver/Osoyoos, an initiative of the RDOS, which also provides some funding to each member group.
Weyerhaeuser Princeton provided $5,000.00 in the past year, which allowed for the purchase of two rescue boggans and $1,000.00 from the Legion was used to purchase rope rescue gear with other items such as helmets, headlights, personal floatation devices and reflective materials being purchased with leftover funds.
Other highlights included the purchase of the new SAR Hall (the former Argo Maintenance Yard building), an ATV/snowmobile trailer purchase, new radios and various other pieces of equipment.
The group also participated in the Lions Duck Race/Auction, the Emergency Preparedness Week Demonstration and a demonstration at the Fire Hall hosted by Princeton emergency service providers.
Powell summed up his report with the comment, "We're getting more and more stuff done as we're learning."
CYC HOLDS AGM, REVIEWS YEAR
The Princeton & District Child and Youth Committee hosted their annual general meeting in Riverside Centre on Thursday, January 25th.Following his welcome to all present, Chair Ken Heauser explained, "This is a special AGM as this is our tenth year anniversary."
A total of five Asset Building Awards were presented. Jaymie Atkinson, Carol Skinner, Ted Hardin, Richie Gage and Kathy Clement received framed certificates to recognize their contributions to area youth.
The CYC, with the mandate 'to advocate the enhancement and enrichment of young peoples lives,' finished 2006 with total revenues of $49,280.59 and expenses of $33,585.75. The remaining $15,694.84 is automatically moved into the 2007 budget.
Accomplishments in the previous year included a total of $36,000.00 in grants secured; successful community recreation programs with 15 to 20 programs run each season and a total of 250 children participating; the continuation of the Princeton Youth Drug Education Initiative; a continued partnership with Princeton Community for Kids Committee; coordination of the John Allison Elementary School Healthy Snacks Program; participation and interaction with Student Councils and a variety of other community organization committees; the establishment of the CYC office at Riverside Centre and a continued alliance with Princeton Recreation Commission.
The committee has a total of ten objectives for the 2007 Asset Development Initiative which include: 1) to provide after school programs for children and youth through the training and employment of young people and adults; 2) to provide seasonal marketing tools that informs the community of positive activities for families, children and youth; 3) to write weekly newspaper articles regarding asset building ideas and positive community involvement of children and youth; 4) to work closely with child and youth organizations within Princeton including three schools, Community for Kids initiative, Recreation Department, Princeton Child Care Society and the Ministry of Children and Families; 5) to research and apply for grant funding that is directed by the CYC executive; 6) to continue to provide guidance to the Student Councils at Princeton Secondary School and Vermilion Forks Elementary; 7) to coordinate the CYC Youth Drug Education Initiative including community talks with the RCMP, Drug & Alcohol and Paul Huycke; 8) to continue to give talks about the importance of asset building to agencies, business groups, PACs, child and youth organizations and community groups; 9) to work with the Recreation Department, Town of Princeton and RDOS in the development of Riverside Centre as a place for the community to come to enhance their health through arts and culture, recreation and wellness; and 10) to work with the Princeton Literacy Now Task Force in developing a community plan on Literacy for the Town and District residents. The election of the 2007 Executive saw Ken Heauser returned as Chair and John MacKay as Vice Chair. Jessica Kaiser is Secretary/Treasurer with Directors Barry Clark, Ray Jarvis, Dina Slowikowski-Campbell and Lana Fawcett.
