Charades night at UniTea
Charades—and other family-friendly games—are back at UniTea in Ashcroft every other Saturday evening, starting on Saturday, January 14 from 7 to 9:30 p.m. This free event is a great evening of entertainment for the whole family; there are toys and games for younger children, as well as Monopoly, chess, checkers, dominoes, card games, and other board games in addition to charades. Call (250) 457-1145 for more information.
Fiddle club
Unleash your inner fiddle player at the drop-in fiddle club group, which caters to beginner and intermediate fiddle players. It will take place at the Ashcroft HUB every Wednesday starting at 3:30 p.m. on January 11. Admission is by donation; bring a fiddle!
Community Achievement Awards
Nominations are still being sought for the 2016 B.C. Community Achievement Awards, which celebrate the spirit, imagination, dedication, and outstanding contributions British Columbians make to their communities. Go to http://www.bcachievement.com/community/info.php before the deadline of January 20, 2017 to nominate a deserving individual who raises the quality and character of your community.
Read for 15 project
The Thompson-Nicola Regional District library system has joined the “Read for 15” challenge, to celebrate Family Literacy Day on January 27. The challenge encourages everyone to read for 15 minutes on the 27th, to promote the importance of literacy in the community, and win the title of the most “readerly” community in Canada.
The TNRD library system aims to create enthusiasm for reading in people of all ages, and is encouraging friendly competition between communities, businesses, and public services to help spread the word about the importance of reading. After you finish reading your chosen material for 15 minutes, let the library know. You can use the hashtag #Readfor15TNRD on Facebook or Twitter, or email the library at questions@tnrd.ca. You can also stop by your local TNRD library for a “Great Read In” program. All participants will be entered to win a gift card from Chapters.
Foodsafe course
Thompson Rivers University is offering a Foodsafe course at the Ashcroft HUB on Monday, January 30 (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.). The comprehensive food safety training program is designed for those working in the food service industry, but is helpful for anyone working with food in a professional or volunteer capacity, whether for a business, school, community group, or non-profit organization. The cost of the one-day program is $115 per person; for more information, or to register, call (250) 256-4296, or email mhohner@tru.ca.
Brushes and Booze 3
The first two Brushes and Booze events—sponsored by the Ashcroft and District Lions Club—have sold out, so don’t miss the third installment, “Canned Tropics”, on March 4 at the Ashcroft HUB. Artist Jo Petty will lead the participants with instruction, and help everyone create a masterpiece. Each $40 ticket includes all the art supplies needed, a complimentary drink (coolers, Coronas, and Mai Tais will be available) or draw entry, and light snacks from the DIY fruit bar; and $5 from each ticket goes to support the Ashcroft and District Lions Club. For more information, or to reserve a ticket, call or text (250) 457-0732. Please note this is an 18+ event.
Free HPV coverage for boys
Starting in September 2017, British Columbia will start offering the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination to boys. The free HPV immunization program has been offered in schools to all Grade 6 girls for several years, but coverage rates have not reached the levels originally projected; expanding the program to include all Grade 6 boys will help ensure HPV vaccine coverage rates promote herd immunity.
“Vaccine safety monitoring continues to show the safety of the HPV immunization,” says Dr. Perry Kendall, B.C.’s provincial health officer. “It’s just as effective in preventing HPV-related cancers in males as it is in females, and the benefits are long-lasting.”
Will power
The New Year is a good time to make resolutions about what you want to accomplish in the upcoming year; and making (or revising) a will should be top of the list. Making a will helps to provide for your family, as well as the charities and organizations you care about, and puts you in charge of how your children are provided for, who will inherit prized family possessions, and who will curate (or close down) your social media accounts.
If you die without a will, your estate will be divided according to legislation, and may not be distributed the way you would have wished. Decisions will be made by someone appointed by the court, rather than someone you choose and who knows you. Start 2017 off on the right foot by making a will, and include passwords to social media accounts, as well as directions about what you want to have happen to those accounts in the event that you are no longer here to access them.
Adoption site a success
Just two months after going live, B.C.’s new adoption website, Adopt BC Kids, has attracted 84 prospective adoptive families. Eleven of the website users have applied to adopt, and 10 approved families have been linked for increased access to child profiles. The new user-friendly system was unveiled on October 31, 2016, and lets prospective adoptive families manage their applications online, allowing adoption workers to help find the right family match faster for waiting children. For more information, go to www.gov.bc.ca/adoptbckids, or call 1-877-ADOPT-07.