HUB day camp
The Ashcroft HUB is offering a day camp for children aged 5 to 11 every weekday in July from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Kids need something to do in summer, and the HUB day camp offers active fun and play. Pre-registration can be done at the HUB office (711 Hill Street, Ashcroft), and online at http://bit.ly/2ZXvTfV. Drop-in options are available, for full-day or half-day sessions.
For more information call the HUB at (250) 453-9177 or email ashcrofthub@gmail.com.
Tequila Mockingbird at UniTea
UniTea Café and Lounge in Ashcroft is pleased to welcome back Tequila Mockingbird on Wednesday, July 10.
The Tequila Mockingbird Orchestra is a collection of musicians who have spent years weaving their stories with guitars and violins, accordions and bass, and melodies gleaned from their wanderings. Their music is in the folk tradition, and is designed to bring people together to share flesh, blood, and feeling.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. on July 10, and the concert starts at 7:30. Tickets are $20 each, and can be purchased at UniTea or reserved by calling (250) 457-1145.
Ballet summer classes
MK Ballet is offering ballet classes for those aged six and up from July 15–17 at its studio in Ashcroft. Classes are from 1 to 3:30 p.m. each day, with each session covering ballet technique, variation, and body conditioning,
Registration will start at 12:45 p.m. on Monday, July 15 at 411 Brink Street.
Summer Reading Program
Do you know a young reader who is looking for a challenge this summer? Remind them of the Summer Reading Club, which has now started in all Thompson-Nicola Regional Library branches.
This year’s theme is “Imagine the Possibilities”, and participants log their reading time—whether it’s books, graphic novels, comic books, or anything else—every day through July and most of August. There will be fun, free events at local libraries and the chance to enter draws for great prizes.
There is also a chance to “Name the Mascot” of this year’s Summer Reading Club, a slow loris! (For the scientifically-minded, slow lorises are a group of several species of nocturnal strepsirrhine primates that make up the genus Nycticebus; for the rest of us they’re just really darn cute).
Anyone registering for the Summer Reading Club before July 9 has a chance to name the slow loris mascot, and the winner will receive a slow loris stuffie.
For more information, visit your local TNRL branch.
Kamloops Walk to End ALS beats goal
The 10th annual Kamloops Walk to End ALS was held on June 22 at Riverside Park. Some 143 walkers participated under sunny skies, and teams were invited to participate in a white dove release just before the Walk. This year’s Kamloops Walk exceeded the goal, and raised more than $31,000. The ALS Society of BC congratulates the volunteer committee, coordinated by Pat Tomlinson.
The Walk to End ALS is the largest volunteer-led fundraiser for ALS Societies across Canada. Family-friendly and fun, it unites Canadians in their desire to put an end to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. This event shows support for the 3,000 Canadians and their families living with the disease; 400 of whom are living in British Columbia.
Proceeds from the Walk to End ALS are used in two ways: 60 per cent of the funds support direct services for people living with ALS and their families provided by the ALS Society of BC, while 40 per cent supports ongoing ALS research, through the ALS Canada Research Program.
Mosquitoes be gone
Pools are open and grills are going, but are you cooking up a breeding ground for mosquitoes? Standing water and dark clothing are two things that attract them.
The Thompson-Nicola Regional District has some tips to help you learn how to prevent mosquitoes before they become a nuisance. The TNRD recommends that people follow the three Ds to keep mosquitoes away:
• Drain: Empty out water containers at least once per week
• Dress: Wear long sleeves, long pants, and light-coloured, loose-fitting clothing
• Defend: Properly apply an approved repellent such as DEET, icaridin, oil of lemon-eucalyptus, or soybean oil
Martin Dickson, Environmental Services Technologist for the TNRD, says “Encouraging your neighbours to also eliminate sources on their own property is critical to a community-wide control program. Mosquitoes require water to complete their life cycle. If their water source is eliminated, so are their offspring.”
Make your yard a mosquito-free zone by disposing of any tires (which can breed thousands of mosquitoes); drilling holes in the bottom of recycling containers; clearing roof gutters of debris; cleaning pet water dishes regularly; checking and emptying children’s toys; repairing leaky outdoor faucets; and changing the water in bird baths at least once a week.
For more information, contact Martin Dickson, Environmental Services Technologist, by phone at (250) 377-7079 or by email at mdickson@tnrd.ca.
Don’t let your child miss out on a $1,200 grant
Parents and guardians of eligible children are reminded that deadlines are fast approaching to sign up for the $1,200 B.C. Training and Education Savings Grant (BCTESG).
Almost 80 per cent of job openings in B.C. over the next decade will require some form of post-secondary education. The grant may be used toward full-time and part-time studies in a wide range of programs, including vocational schools, apprenticeships, trades training, college, or university.
There are no additional fees or financial contributions needed to receive the $1,200 grant, so parents and families who cannot afford to put aside savings at this time can still start a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP). Signing up is as easy as stopping in at a local bank or financial institution to complete a simple application for an RESP. If approved, the $1,200 grant will be deposited directly into the RESP, where the investment grows tax-free.
Do not be one of the 40 per cent of families who leave this grant unclaimed. The BCTESG is only available over a three-year window. For children born after 2010, those aged six to nine are eligible. Eligibility deadlines:
* For children born in 2006: Aug. 14, 2019
* For children born in 2010: the day before the child’s ninth birthday in 2019
* For children born in 2011: the day before the child’s ninth birthday in 2020
* For children born in 2012: the day before the child’s ninth birthday in 2021
* For children born in 2013: the day before the child’s ninth birthday in 2022
Parents and guardians are asked to visit their financial institution and ask if they offer the grant. For further information about the BCTESG, visit https://www2.gov.bc.ca/BCTESG/. For further information about additional Government of Canada RESP incentive programs, visit http://bit.ly/2XDksNc.
editorial@accjournal.ca
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