Nakusp Rotary Sponsors Citizen of the Year Dinner, April 21
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April 25, 2007 The Valley Voice Volume 16, Number 8 April 25, 2007 Delivered to every home between Edgewood, Kaslo & South Slocan. Published bi-weekly. “Your independently-owned regional community newspaper serving the Arrow Lakes, Slocan & North Kootenay Lake Valleys.” Nakusp Rotary sponsors Citizen of the Year dinner, April 21 by Jan McMurray winning the Lieutenant Governor’s Long-time Rotary members, well as words of welcome and Rotary members makes the selection. The Nakusp arena auditorium Award for one of them, Circle of Glen and Grace Weatherhead, lit a congratulations to the citizens of the Kudos to cooks Carole Moroz, was packed for the Rotary Citizen of Silver, in 2001. Ken Marshall candle and rang the bell for each of year. Larry Parkes, president elect of Agnes Parkes, Anita Sinclair and the Year Awards Banquet on April 21, remembered that Milt was always the twelve citizens of previous years the Rotary Club, did an excellent job John Moroz, and to the servers from when the community came together involved with music groups, and that who are no longer with us. emceeing the event. He explained the Rotary Youth Interact Club, to pay tribute to Alysia Gustafson he played in Jack Bailey’s Bugle Nakusp Mayor Hamling had that the Rotary Club sponsors the headed up by Alice Watson. The roast (youth award), Dawn Devlin (citizen Band. He was also involved in raising many kind words for the award event, but does not select the citizens beef dinner was simply delightful. of the year award), and Milton and money to build the new infocentre. recipients in her address, and Rotary of the year. People nominate The evening concluded with a Rosemarie Parent (lifetime Marilyn read a heartwarming poem President Don DeSandoli brought community members for the honour, very enjoyable sing-along with the achievement award). she wrote for the couple. greetings from MP Jim Abbott, as and a committee made up of non- Senior Serenaders. Susan Gustafson, Alysia’s aunt, was Alysia’s nominating speaker. She listed Alysia’s many community involvements, including dance classes, jazz band, Rotary Youth Interact Club, Mirror Theatre, soccer player and coach, hockey player, hospital volunteer, Sparkes volunteer. Her trip to Sri Lanka to build homes sparked her love of travel, and she will be going to South Africa next year as a Rotary exchange student. Susan said that Alysia also keeps up good marks at school, always has that warm, loving smile on her face, and is compassionate and true to herself. Tammy Dachwitz was Dawn’s nominating speaker. “It amazes me every day the years she has put into this community,” she said. Dawn served on the Chamber of Commerce board for ten years, and has organized many a July 1st and Christmas parade event in Nakusp. She was involved in building the new visitor infocentre and setting up the retail store there. She also spent many hours on a project to install signage at pullouts just outside the village. She organized the Downtown Merchants Nakusp’s Citizens of the Year Alysia Gustafson (youth award), Dawn Devlin (citizen of the year award), and Milton and Rosemarie Parent (lifetime achievement award) Association, spearheaded Moonlight Madness and moving the farmers’ Two grizzlies just out of hibernation shot and killed in Lardeau Valley market to its present location. Dawn by Art Joyce tried to capture them using live black bears or adult male grizzlies. Officer now has to cover hundreds of is vice president of the Nakusp Roots Two grizzlies have been shot and culvert traps but failed. “There’s science that says they miles and many communities. Accor- Music Society, which organizes the killed by Conservation Officer Len But Craig Pettitt, a director of the will get into more trouble where ding to Stent, CO Butler’s territory is Music Fest. Tammy concluded with, Butler while trying to break into a pig Valhalla Wilderness Society, says they’re relocated,” says Stent. “It is huge: his southern boundary is Ymir, “There is an old saying, ‘If you want pen on a farm in the Lardeau Valley. some fundamental pieces of the bear the opinion of Mr. Mowat that there east to height of land on Kootenay Lake something done, ask the busiest One of the grizzlies was a prime management puzzle are missing. is a good population of grizzlies in north of Riondel, north to Glacier person you know’ – that’s Dawn.” specimen weighing in at 670 pounds. “One doesn’t have to be a rocket the Lardeau Valley.” National Park, and takes in halfway Sharon Montgomery and Ken Grizzlies are currently a blue-listed scientist to know that if you put pigs Stent said there have been recent between Kaslo and New Denver. and Marilyn Marshall spoke about species in BC (provincially right smack in the middle of prime meetings at the ministry office in Stent says the conservation Milton and Rosemarie Parent. Sharon vulnerable). grizzly bear spring habitat, the bears Cranbrook to discuss ways of preven- service is kept busy “chasing bear described them as the “keepers of the The farm, owned by Norbert will be attracted to the smell and want ting bears from becoming habituated so complaint after bear complaint,” past for this community,” giving an Conrad, is located in the vicinity of to feed on the pigs,” stated Pettitt. they don’t have to be destroyed. often due to human carelessness with extensive summary of their the mouth of Hamill Creek. He says “Killing should not be the first option Biologists Mowat and Procter, as well fruit, garbage and compost, and is involvement with the historical he’s lost 14 pigs and one cow to for managing a blue-listed species. as Chris Servheen and Tim Manley, then blamed as the government’s community. It was an interview grizzlies in the past year. Kate The Conservation Office has had all experts from the northwestern US who “hired guns.” Milton did in 1972 with a woman Thompson, media liaison with the winter to come up with a non-lethal specialize in grizzlies and black bears, Colleen McCrory, Executive who experienced the fire at Comaplix Ministry of Environment, said strategy.” were present at the meeting to offer Director of the Valhalla Wilderness that sparked his interest in local Conrad did try scaring off the bears The decision to destroy these advice. Stent admits that part of the Society, says VWS is also pushing for history, and he interviewed many with electric fencing and gunshots bears was made by the conservation problem is how thinly conservation a ban on grizzly hunting in BC. Despite pioneers after that. The couple, who earlier this spring but to no avail. office in consultation with senior officers are stretched these days. being a blue-listed species, the were high school sweethearts, Peter Stent, senior Conservation wildlife biologist Garth Mowat and Cutbacks to the regional Conservation provincial government has increased its revitalized the museum and then Officer for the West Kootenay, says grizzly biologist Dr. Michael Procter Officer budget do not allow officers to hunting quotas. Spring 2007 grizzly focused on the archives. Milton has these two bears were a problem at the of Kaslo, Stent says. The ministry has spend sufficient time solving and quotas for the West and East Kootenays written seven local history books, farm last fall. Conservation Officers abandoned relocation as a strategy for preventing problems. One Conservation total 297 bears. COUNTRY FURNITURE & HOME DECOR Looking for something out of the ordinary? Country Furniture & Home Decor, 115 Hall St. Nelson, Toll-Free 1-866-352-3665 2 NEWS The Valley Voice April 25, 2007 Training course in Nakusp means area could gain seven ambulance workers by Jan McMurray and guidance, and for moving half of the course fee after one year of course, which people usually have to agreement. Just seven months after a mountains to make this happen. Also work with their local station and will travel to take, and usually have to pick Hamling says she pushed to have stakeholders meeting identified several to Chris Faint at Selkirk College. I am forgive the second half of the fee after up all costs of taking the course the course in Nakusp, to avoid travel contributing factors to the shortage of also grateful for the involvement of the completion of two years of work with themselves. During meetings last fall and food costs for trainees, and to have ambulance workers in our area, we are Arrow Lakes Hospital Foundation and their local station. If applicants resign around the concern over the lack of the course take place on weekends so seeing some action on one of them. An the Columbia Basin Trust – we couldn’t after one year, move to another area or ambulance workers, it was found that that trainees did not have to lose three Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) have put this together without their take a full-time position with BC the costs, travel and time involved in weeks of work in order to take it. course is being offered locally, in support.” Ambulance Service, they must pay back taking the training course were At the stakeholders meeting, there Nakusp, with the tuition and books for Of the ten fully subsidized half the course cost. Any recovered prohibitive, and too big an investment was also a commitment by IHA and ten participants paid for. participants, two are from Nakusp, three funds will go back to the Village of for the return. In areas such as ours, BCAS to seriously look at “integration “This is a direct result of the from Kaslo, two from New Denver, two Nakusp and will be kept in a separate people working for the ambulance opportunities,” meaning piecing stakeholders meeting in Nakusp last from Winlaw, and one from Slocan.