Semlin Valley golf club closes
On August 14, the following statement was issued about Semlin Valley golf course near Cache Creek: “Unfortunately due to the Wildfire situation and the negative effect it has had on ours, as well as many local businesses, the Society know as Ashcroft- Cache Creek Regional Golf & Country Club has voted to [dissolve] the society. We regret to have to inform all members and patrons of this 2017 season that the golf course formerly running as ‘Semlin Valley Golf Club’ is now officially closed and will not be reopening.”
Sewing camp
It’s not too late to register for the Sewing Camp taking place at the Ashcroft HUB from August 21 to September 1. The camp takes place weekdays from 1 to 3 p.m., and is for those aged 12+ (adults included). The cost is $30 for one week or $50 for both weeks, and sewing machines, as well as all project supplies, are included. For more information, or to register, contact the HUB at (250) 453-9177 or at ashcrofthub@gmail.com.
Food Drive at the Ashcroft pool
On Saturday, September 2 the Ashcroft pool will be holding a food drive; but this is a food drive with a twist!
For every item of non-perishable food you donate on September 2 (from 1 to 4 p.m. and from 6 to 8 p.m.), you will receive one water balloon ticket. At the end of the swim on September 2, everyone will get their water balloons, with the lifeguards volunteering as targets.
Also, one of the lifeguards will do a belly-flop off the diving board. Who will it be? Vote by donating non-perishable food; and swim free on the day of the food drive!
The belly-flop and water balloons will take place at 7:30 p.m. All food donated will go to the South Cariboo Elizabeth Fry Society. For more information, call the pool at (250) 453-9031.
Local author wins writing award
Jacquie McNeil of Savona won the award for “Best Writing With a Kamloops and Area Theme” in this year’s Dr. Robert and Elma Schemenauer Writing Awards, sponsored by the Interior Authors Group (IAG).
McNeil’s award-winning poem “Ghosts” was inspired by the history of Walhachin, the “ghost town” between Ashcroft and Savona that had its heyday from 1909 to 1914.
Both McNeil and Rita Joan Dozlaw of Kamloops (who won in the category “Writing With a Nature Theme”) received a cash prize, with accompanying donations to the Interior Authors Group to support its growth and educational activities.
For more information about the IAG, visit their website at https://interiorauthorsgroup.wordpress.com/.
Collective agreement ratified at Highland Valley Copper
On August 10, Teck Resources Limited announced that employees at its Highland Valley Copper operation near Logan Lake had ratified a new five-year agreement. It replaces an agreement that expired on September 30, 2016.
“We are pleased to have reached a collective agreement that is fair and reasonable to our employees and supports the ongoing viability of the operation,” says Greg Brouwer, general manager of Highland Valley Copper Operations.
The agreement covers approximately 1,050 unionized employees at Highland Valley Copper Operations.
Take the Drive Smart quiz
ICBC has seen a marked increase in crashes over the last few years, with the number of crashes across B.C. jumping by 23 per cent in just three years. The number has gone from 260,000 in 2013 to 320,000 in 2016; an average of 875 crashes per day.
According to a new survey completed by Insights West, most B.C. drivers say that driving in the province has got worse in the last five years, and point to bad driving behaviours as one of the top contributors. Respondents felt that drivers today are more distracted, more aggressive, and more impatient.
Despite this, the survey found that 99 per cent of all respondents considered themselves to be good or excellent drivers. Yet the same respondents incorrectly answered road test questions (78 per cent got at least one question incorrect); admitted to being an aggressive driver (18 per cent); said they might not follow road rules in order to make up time while driving (37 per cent); felt it was okay to “bend the rules” every once in a while if no other drivers were around (32 per cent); and confessed to driving while in an emotional state at least some of the time (99 per cent).
To help combat this growing issue, ICBC is launching a new road safety campaign to encourage all drivers to reflect on their driving habits. The campaign will focus on many critical components of being a safe driver, such as knowledge of the rules of the road, how drivers behave behind the wheel, and people’s attitude toward their responsibility as a driver.
To see how you rate as a driver, take the Drive Smart quiz at http://bit.ly/2uDHu4P.
Atlas Obscura
Atlas Obscura (www.atlasobscura.com) is a website that bills itself as showcasing “Curious and Wondrous Travel Destinations” from around the world. Now and then one of the sites is within striking distance of our region, so travellers might want to check them out next time they visit.
Botanist Dan Robinson has been working with and collecting bonsai trees for more than 60 years; but some of the trees in his collection are more than 1,000 years old. His personal collection, at Elandan Gardens in Port Orchard, Washington features more than 200 bonsai trees arranged among ponds, waterfalls, and rock sculptures, and has become a major draw for horticulture lovers.
His trees have been gathered from all kinds of environments, from mountains and marshes to areas ravaged by logging. The ages are determined by counting the rings on clippings of the roots or branches through microscopes.
Port Orchard is on the Olympic Peninsula, and can be reached by ferry from Seattle or by road from Tacoma. For more information about Elandan Gardens, go to http://bit.ly/2vbLLxo.