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Cache Creek withdraws from contest

Communities in Bloom entry derailed by wildfires
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Wendy Coomber/The Journal Members of the Cache Creek Communities in Bloom committee and their guests discuss strategy at a Garden Party earlier this year. In the photo from left are Susan Burdeyney, Donna Middleton, Carmen Ranta, Mayor John Ranta, Dorothy Maksymiw and Glady Woodburn.

Five blooms with a special mention for Floral Displays throughout the community: After a stellar year in 2016—its best year ever in the provincial Communities in Bloom competition—Cache Creek CiB sadly and unexpectedly was forced to withdraw from the competition this year because of the wildfires that swept through the area and forced the town to evacuate from July 7-18, the days leading up to the judges’ visit.

The Welcome Dinner for the judges was planned for July 19, said Cache Creek CiB committee chair Carmen Ranta.

Cache Creek withdrew from the competition on July 10 while the Village was still under evacuation with no word of when it would be able to return.

“It was a no-brainer,” she said. “There were a lot of other things to worry about.

“It didn’t faze me at all to request the withdrawal. The committee members had their own challenges at that time.

“As a committee member said to me at the time, ‘Even if we went back home tomorrow, I don’t think anyone is in the mood.’”

Ranta said she wanted to withdraw as quickly as possible so the judges could make other arrangements.

“I wasn’t surprised by your decision,” wrote lead judge Rea Smith, from Armstrong.

“I have been watching the news and am so sad that your community is going through this second event. The spring floods brought sadness and now this. May the fires go out, you all go home and spend the rest of this year in peace. It is what your community needs to move forward.

“We were all on schedule for the competition, and then it got tipped upside down,” added Ranta.

She hopes that the plans made this year will take root in future years.

“We all care about Cache Creek,” she said. “That’s why we’re on the (Cache Creek Beautification) committee.

“But the flowers were dying from lack of water while their owners were gone.”

Cache Creek public works staff watered the planters at the swimming pool while the town was evacuated.

“They went the extra mile to keep the town up and running for when people came home,” Ranta said. “They worked really hard to make sure the damage wasn’t permanent.”

Communities in Bloom is a yearly project undertaken by the Cache Creek Beautification Society.

“So it wasn’t hard to back out of, and the provincial organization has graciously refunded half of the entry fee to us,” Ranta said.

“We are thankful to everyone for making their yards beautiful, and we are sad that our plans were interrupted by the wildfire that went through the area. It was unpredictable, but next year is a brand new opportunity.”