Potluck in Ashcroft
The People of Pukaist are holding a meet, greet, and reconciliation potluck in honour of the elders of Pukaist on Saturday, July 1. Everyone is welcome at this free event in the grassy area beside the Ashcroft River Inn, where hot dogs, hamburgers, and potluck-style side dishes will be served.
The event runs from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Ashcroft pool
Swim lessons start at the Ashcroft pool on Tuesday, July 4, with four two-week sessions running through July and August. A bronze medallion course will take place the week of August 15, with a bronze cross course following in the week of August 22. Half-hour private lessons are also available.
Saturday fun nights will take place every Saturday in July and August between 6 and 8 p.m. starting on July 8. Come down to the pool for fun activities, cool games, snazzy costumes, and awesome prizes. And make use of the new slide at the pool while you’re there!
The pool is available for private rentals every Sunday between 4 and 5 p.m. The cost is $125, which includes lifeguards, and you can take advantage of the shelter, picnic area, and park beside the pool.
Please note that the hot tub at the Ashcroft pool is out of service. It was discovered early in June that the hot tub was losing a significant amount of water over a 24-hour period, making operation of the hot tub impossible. Solutions are being investigated to rectify this situation, although no timeline is available to indicate when the hot tub will be fixed and back in working order. The swimming pool continues to operate as usual. The Village apologizes for this inconvenience and thanks patrons for their understanding during this ongoing situation.
For more information about lessons, special events, becoming a lifeguard, or renting the pool, please call (250) 453-9031.
Fiddle Club at the HUB
The drop-in Fiddle Club at the Ashcroft HUB is back, with sessions every Wednesday starting at 3:30 p.m. The club is geared toward beginning and intermediate fiddlers, and admission is by donation. Bring a fiddle and come on down!
Moonlight movie night
Interior Savings is once again offering a Moonlight movie night at the Ashcroft pool park on Monday, July 24 starting at 7 p.m., with the movie Trolls starting at approximately 8:30 p.m. There will be a concession available, and before the movie starts the Winding Rivers Arts & Performance Society will be holding the Music in the Park concert event scheduled for that week. Admission is by donation, with a suggested donation of $3 per person or $10 per family. Proceeds will benefit the South Cariboo Elizabeth Fry Society.
Bring blankets and chairs for this wonderful family event, and enjoy an entertaining evening of music, movies, and tasty food.
Mosaic recognition
The May 2017 issue of the national Communities in Bloom (CiB) magazine contains an article recognizing the three glass mosaics the Ashcroft CiB committee erected at the Heritage Park last year to mark the group’s 10th anniversary. “Beautiful glass mosaic art is featured in various locations throughout the village, so the CiB committee chose to continue with the same theme and use glass mosaics as the medium for the CiB piece,” the article says. The mosaics are “showcased in a stylish three-sided wooden structure [and feature] the Communities in Bloom logo, a daylily in bloom (Ashcroft’s official flower), and prickly pear cactus in bloom with the sage-covered hills in the background.”
The article notes that the mosaics and the structure that houses them were designed and made by local citizens, and involved hundreds of hours of volunteer work to complete. “The beautiful mosaics were unveiled during a very well-attended and memorable community celebration.”
Wildfire warning
With hot, dry weather now here in the Kamloops Fire Centre (KFC), the BC Wildfire Service is preparing for increased wildfire activity, and is asking members of the public to report any smoke or fires that they see.
The fire danger rating through the KFC is currently “moderate” to “high”, with pockets of “extreme” in the Lillooet Fire Zone, and the KFC is urging the public to be cautious with campfire use and other activities that could cause fires. For example, heat or sparks from dirt bike and ATV exhaust systems could easily start a wildfire in tall grass.
Although campfires are still permitted throughout the KFC, they may not be larger than a half-metre wide or a half-metre high. Anyone who leaves a campfire unattended for any length of time can be fined $1,150. Larger Category 2 and 3 open fires are prohibited throughout the KFC. Other prohibited activities include the use of fireworks, sky lanterns, burning barrels or burning cages of any type, and the use of exploding binary targets.
To report a wildfire, unattended fire, or open burning violation, call *5555 on a cellphone or 1-800-663-5555 toll-free.
Seniors’ writing event deadline extended
The deadline for submissions for the John W. Bilsland Award—which celebrates seniors’ literary excellence—has been extended to July 22, 2017. The award, which was inaugurated by the Strathcona Place Seniors Society in Edmonton in 2015, is open to anyone aged 55 and older who lives in Western Canada.
Prizes of $500 will be awarded in each of three categories: short fiction, short non-fiction, and poetry. For entry rules and regulations, and to download an entry form, go to www.strathconaplace.com.
New invasive plant committee struck
The board of the Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) has voted to adopt Thompson-Nicola Invasive Plant Management Committee Bylaw No. 2622, 2017. The bylaw establishes the terms of reference for the new Thompson-Nicola Invasive Plant Management Committee (TNIPMC) and dissolves the existing TNRD Invasive Plant Committee. The TNIPMC will administer invasive management within the TNRD boundaries.
The membership of the TNIPMC includes representatives from the major land managers in the TNRD, as well as key organizations with invasive plant expertise. Funding for the program delivery of the TNIPMC will come primarily from provincial agencies and the TNRD Invasive Plant Control Service.
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.
Miniatures are a long-respected art form: taking something that is usually done on a large scale and reducing it to something much smaller. Calgary’s Tom Brown, however, has taken the miniature in an unexpected direction: cooking (http://bit.ly/2rNv2ij).
On the surface Brown—a graduate of the Alberta College of Art and Design—provides what many others do: street food for busy downtown folk. However, Brown’s food comes with a twist: everything is done in miniature. His entire kitchen, which he has painstkingly made himself—oven, sink, and a stove burner—fits inside a briefcase.
His glazed doughnuts, made with all the care and ingredients one would take with normal-sized doughnuts, are the size of a Cheerio. His waffles—topped with strawberries, maple syrup, and whipped cream—are the size of a postage stamp. He has had to create his cooking tools and utensils—all miniature versions of their full-sized counterparts—from scratch.
Brown can usually be found in downtown Calgary, but later this year he plans to go on tour; you can follow his tour, and his culinary ventures, on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/tombrowncreates/).