News Leader News for July 10, 2007
MUSEUM SOCIETY HEARS GOOD NEWS
Members of Princeton & District Museum Society heard a lot of good news at the July 5 special meeting.
Two grants had arrived. The Town of Princeton gave a $4,000 operating grant and the Department of Canadian Heritage awarded a $4,900 grant under the Young Canada Works Program for student employment. Along with a previously approved $2,300 grant from Weyerhaeuser, the museum will be able to pay two students during the summer months.
Members learned the museum may reach a record for number of visitors. To July 2, a total of 1,487 visitors had signed the guest book at the museum. A bus load of Chinese tourists helped to increase the number of visitors, and five more bus tours are booked for the summer.
A visit to the museum is free, but most of the visitors contribute a donation. The more visitors, the more money to cover operating costs.
The next good news was from Vice-President Brenda Gould, who reported that the Department of Canadian Heritage has finally recognized the Similkameen Valley pictographs and the ochre bluffs as national historic sites. As well, pioneer Susan Allison has been recognized as a person of national historic significance.
There will be plaques presented for the official designation of the sites, and for Susan Allison, but the ceremonies are not likely to take place until next year. Gould hopes to have the Minister for Canadian Heritage in Princeton and Hedley to formally present the plaques.
The Museum Society has been looking for a consultant to plan for the big renovation project slated for early next year. In a great stroke of good fortune, a qualified candidate was found in Hedley. The society will enter into negotiations for a contract with this individual. The renovation will require an overhaul of the building for heating, air conditioning, alarms, electrical and plumbing.
While the work is in progress, the collection of artifacts must be removed from the building and sequestered in a secure location. The consultant will be in charge of this phase.
In past years, the Museum Society has been fortunate in having Katimavik volunteers available to assist in the work at the museum. Princeton has an opportunity to bid on having Katimavik back in Princeton. Museum manager Nick Mills advised members there is a meeting on August 10 at the Chamber of Commerce meeting room but Princeton must be able to assure adequate accommodation for the Katimavik group or Princeton will not be considered. He asked members to look and listen for a residence for January.
ARTISTS CELEBRATE ANOTHER SUCCESS
Vermilion Artists would like to express their great appreciation and warmest wishes to everyone who visited and enjoyed our annual Art Show, which the Town of Princeton allowed us to hold in a portion of the former Goldion Restaurant.
There were 307 visitors (191 Saturday, 116 Sunday) who came and took part in voting for the 'People's Choice Award.' It was hard to choose just one. Several artists had more than one painting or drawing nominated with the first nine pieces chosen. In this case, whichever one of their works received the most votes is the one we hope to display in the window at
RE/MAX country at 240 Bridge Street to be enjoyed by anyone who was not able to come to the Art Show or would like to have a second look.
Please tell your friends about us!
Vermilion Artists Annual Art Show People's Choice Awards Results
1st (tie) 35 votes "Bluebird" Kathy Schneider, "Path To Yellow Point" Bob Cormack.
2nd 32 votes "Team Work" Lyn Malenchenko,
3rd 24 votes "Rural Scene" Bob Cormack,
4th (tie) 22 votes "Coyote" Penny Sovde, "Coming & Going" Lyn Malenchenko,
5th 19 votes "Wapiti" Kathy Schneider.
6th 18 votes "Ice Fishing" Penny Sovde,
7th 13 votes "Sunflowers" Susan Crompton.
COUNCIL TAKES 911 SERVICE SERIOUSLY
Town Council will add its voice to a complaint from Charlie Wyse, MLA for Cariboo-South, regarding the need for ensuring 911 service is always available.
MLA Wyse expressed his concern about inadequate maintenance and condition of the 911 dispatch centre in Kamloops that caused an interruption of 911 service.
Mayor Randy McLean stated his opinion that 911 service must be "topnotch" in this era of hospital regionalization.
He urged Council to make a resolution to be circulated among all regional districts to petition the provincial government to ensure health emergencies could be met immediately.
Mayor McLean emphasized the importance of not only 911 service, but ambulance and paramedic responders.
He added that he had heard there is a need at Princeton Hospital for a helipad for emergency response and wondered if Council could do something to assist or whether it is strictly and Interior Health issue.
Other members of Council could not comment on the helipad, but were pleased to support a resolution calling for well-maintained 911 and ambulance services.
COUNCIL PRAISES SOUNDS OF OUR HERITAGE
Ed Muckle was the subject of a lot of compliments at the July 3 Town Council meeting. He was praised for the work he did bringing together the Sounds of Our Heritage Music Festival.
Muckle gave credit to Jon Barlett and Rika Ruebsaat for organizing the activities at the stagecoach house by the museum, and to Allan Kovalsenko who managed activities at the Cenotaph Park venue.
Muckle thanked the Town crew for all of their assistance, and the vendors who set up booths and "made it more festive".
"People got a chance to see how much talent there is around our area," Muckle said.
Mayor Randy McLean added, "It is amazing how many good artists and musicians there are here."
Councillor Jim Manion called the festival "an awesome step forward".
Councillor Maria Sadegur remarked about the many people downtown during the weekend and said, "It looked more like the Racing Days we used to have."
MAYOR PRAISES RACING DAYS
Mayor Randy McLean congratulated Princeton Racing Days Association and all the volunteers for an excellent race meet. Councillor Jim Manion added his praise to the mayor's, saying "it was a great job".
These remarks were made at the July 3 Town Council meeting, where Mayor McLean added praise for the small Canada Day celebration at Cenotaph Park downtown.
He told Council the small amount of money spent on the birthday cake was "money well spent" and asked Council to remember Canada Day in next year's budget.
STUDY STALLS WOOD POWER PROJECT
A feasibility study into a massive $200-million proposal to burn wood to create power at a huge plant near Princeton has been delayed until the end of the year.
The CEO of the Princeton Power Project, John Tapics, says it's going to take that long to determine whether there is enough wood to supply the plant.
"There has to be available access to a secure fuel for the life of a power plant and in that regard, then probably a tenure has to be granted to proponents looking for fuel for a wood-fired power project."
The project would burn 700,000 cubic metres of wood a year or 60 truckloads a day.
The company was initially examining burning coal.
