Selected article MS -- 2009-01-16

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Special Council meeting - January 19, 2008

SPECIAL REGULAR MEETING OF THE COUNCIL
OF THE DISTRICT OF COLDSTREAM

TO BE HELD ON MONDAY, JANUARY 19, 2009
IN THE MUNICIPAL HALL CHAMBERS
9901 KALAMALKA ROAD, COLDSTREAM, BC
AT 4:30 PM

A G E N D A

1. APPROVAL OF AGENDA

Page 1 2. COMMITTEES

· Suggested Committees and Appointments
· Committee Questions (Terms of Reference)
· Sections 141 through 145, of the Community Charter
· Section 898, of the Local Government Act

· District of Coldstream Advisory Planning Commission Bylaw No. 907, 1985 (Consolidated Convenience Copy)

· District of Coldstream Municipal Policy MC016, Standing Committees
· UBCM Fact Sheet – Committees
· UBCM Fact Sheet – Local Boards and Commissions

Comment

Mayor Garlick would like to bring forward discussion with respect to the following:

a. Types of Committees (Standing or Select)
b. Suggested Committees (table attached)
c. Council Member Appointments to Committees
d. Terms of Reference for Committees (questions are attached)

3. RESOLUTION TO ADJOURN TO IN-CAMERA

Council to adjourn to an In-Camera meeting to discuss issues related to the following paragraphs under Section 90(1) of the Community Charter:

(a) personal information about an identifiable individual who holds or is being considered for a position as an officer, employee or agent of the municipality or another position appointed by the municipality;

(g) litigation or potential litigation affecting the municipality;

(k) negotiations and related discussions respecting the proposed provision of a municipal service that are at their preliminary stages and that, in the view of the council, could reasonably be expected to harm the interests of the municipality if they were held in public;

(m) a matter that, under another enactment, is such that the public may be excluded from the meeting

4. ADJOURNMENT
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See also Agenda Package

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Selected article MS -- 2009-01-14

Interesting debate! Councillor O'Keefe states:

“We should be staying out of it and letting them do their work. Respect them for their work,” she said.

“This motion denigrates that work by saying they are charging us too much.”

Should we then allow our employees set their own wages as well to avoid the appearance that we don't trust them? After all Councils manage the finances of a municipality, so they should set the wages.

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It's bad enough that poor planning requires the dumping of feces into the landfill but Council now trying to negotiate fees.

If you and I take our refuse to the landfill we pay by the weight. If its too wet and heavy we pay more. Remedy? De-water your garbage before taking it to the dump!

Vernon should be a good corporate citizen and show the rest of us that they pay their fair share. Come to think of it ,I pay for it too, as I am a sewer customer!

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Welcome back, Leo!

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Greater Vernon Advisory Committee Meeting

REGIONAL DISTRICT OF NORTH OKANAGAN

Greater Vernon Advisory Committee

Date: Thursday, January 15, 2009
Time: 8:00 a.m.
Place: Board Room
Regional District of North Okanagan
9848 Aberdeen Road, Coldstream, BC

AGENDA – (REGULAR)

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NORD Meeting -- January 14, 2009

REGIONAL DISTRICT OF NORTH OKANAGAN

REGIONAL BOARD

Date: Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Time: 6:00 p.m.

Place: Board Room
Regional District of North Okanagan
9848 Aberdeen Road, Coldstream, BC

AGENDA – REGULAR
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Note Resolution No. 26:

d. Award of Construction Contract – Duteau Creek Water Treatment Plant

- Report from Bill DiPasquale, P.Eng., Project Manager – January 6, 2009

Resolution No. 26

“That the Regional Board award a General Contract to Construct the Duteau Creek Water Treatment Plant to Maple Reinders Inc. at a cost of $22,309,350, including GST.”

(Weighted Corporate Vote – Simple Majority)

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President Bush Reflects On His Mistakes (Again)

Monday, January 12, 2009 at 10:11 am

Posted by michaelscherer

From a Monday morning press conference, just completed:

QUESTION: Four years ago, you were asked if you had made any mistakes. And I'm not trying to play "gotcha," but I wonder, when you look back over the long arc of your presidency, do you think in retrospect that you have made any mistakes? And, if so, why is the single biggest mistake that you may have made?

PRESIDENT BUSH: Gotcha. (LAUGHTER)

Look, I have often said that history will look back and determine that which could have been done better or, you know, mistakes I made. Clearly, putting a "mission accomplished" on a (sic) aircraft carrier was a mistake. It sent the wrong message. We were trying to say something differently, but, nevertheless, it conveyed a different message. Obviously, some of my rhetoric has been a mistake.

I've thought long and hard about Katrina; you know, could I have done something differently, like land Air Force One either in New Orleans or Baton Rouge. The problem with that and -- is that law enforcement would have been pulled away from the mission. And then your questions, I suspect, would have been, "How could you possibly have flown Air Force One into Baton Rouge, and police officers that were needed to expedite traffic out of New Orleans were taken off the task to look after you?" I believe that running the Social Security idea right after the '04 elections was a mistake. I should have -- should have argued for immigration reform.

And the reason why is is that -- you know, one of the lessons I learned as governor of Texas, by the way, is legislative branches tend to be risk-adverse (sic). In other words, sometimes legislatures have the tendency to ask, "Why should I take on a hard task when the crisis is not eminent (sic)?" And the crisis was not eminent (sic) for Social Security as far as many members of Congress was (sic) concerned. As an aside, one thing I proved is that you can actually campaign on the issue and get elected. In other words, I don't believe talking about Social Security is the third rail of American politics. As a matter of fact, think that in the future not talking about how you intend to fix Social Security is going to be the third rail of American politics. And the -- one thing about the presidency is that you can make -- only make decisions, you know, on the information at hand.

You don't -- you don't get to have information after you've made the decision. That's not the way it works. And you're -- you stand by your decisions and you do your best to explain why you made the decisions you made. There have been disappointments. Abu Ghraib, obviously, was a huge disappointment, during the presidency. You know, not having weapons of mass destruction was a significant disappointment. I don't know if you want to call those mistakes or not, but they were -- things didn't go according to plan, let's put it that way.

And, anyway, I think historians will look back and they'll be able to have a better look at mistakes, after some time has passed. I -- one of Jake's questions -- there is no such thing as short-term history. I don't think you can possibly get the full breadth of an administration until time has passed. You know, where does a president's -- did a president's decisions have the impact that he thought they would -- or he thought they would, over time? Or how did this president compare to future presidents, given a set of circumstances that may be similar or not similar? I mean, it's just impossible to do and I'm comfortable with that.

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Understanding the Agenda and related agenda packages.

A few tips for the use and understanding of the Agenda and the related Packages (package 1 and package 2).

Upon reading an agenda item you may wish to have further information on a particular item. Your course of action is as follows:

Check the page number printed on the right hand side of the item for reference,

Click on package 1 or package 2 to upload the appropriate package (up to page 126 you need package 1 above page 126 you need package 2),

Scroll down on the PDF file till you come to the appropriate page and read on.

For example if you are interested in

8 Bylaws

a. District of Coldstream Miscellaneous Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 1541, 2008

· Bylaw No. 1541, 2008
· A bylaw to establish fees and charges for various District services

The corresponding page number is Page 189.

You click on package 2. You get a PDF file. You scroll down to page 189 (bottom of each page has the page number) and begin reading the relevant information.

If you need further information do not hesitate to email or call me.

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Selected article MS -- 2008-07-11

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CRA Information --Pot Luck Supper!

The Coldstream Ratepayers' Association invites you and your family to please join us at:

The CRA Annual Pot Luck Supper

Friday January 23 between 5:30 and 8:30pmWomen's Institute Hall

Please bring your own plates, cutlery, and some food to share.

We will provide serviettes, liquid refreshments and cups/glasses to toast from!

Please note there will be a short meeting with a very special guest speaker at 6pm.

We hope you can make it!

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Lavington Fire Department election results.

Photos courtesy of Paul G. Seguna

The Coldstream Fire Department's Lavington Firehall conducted their 2009 election on Saturday night.

The results of the Lavington Fire Hall Elections are as follows:

Chief – Terry Garrington (reelected by acclamation)
Deputy Fire Chief – Bruce Holmes
Assistant Fire Chief – Marty Wright
Captain – Company #1 – Mike Fiset
Captain – Company #2 – Brian Donovan
Lieutenant – Company #1 – Rannoch Campbell
Lieutenant – Company #2 – Curtis Best
Treasurer – Jason Canaday
Secretary – Drew Hawkin

Mayor Garlick read an announcement on behalf of Council (see attached).

Congratulations to the new Chief and his Officers. A great big thank you" to the Volunteers.

For photos please visit: http://www.besso.ca/www.besso.ca/Fire_Department.html

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Coldstream Fire Department election results.

The Coldstream Fire Department's Coldstream Firehall conducted their 2009 election on Friday night.

The results of the Coldstream Fire Hall Elections are as follows:

Chief – Leo Lecavalier (acclaimed) – Mike Heenan was nominated but declined.
Deputy Fire Chief – Konrad Unsin
Assistant Fire Chief – Ken Henry
Captain – Company #1 – Howard Dimmer
Captain – Company #2 – Rob Smailes
Lieutenant – Company #1 – Ryan McAllister
Lieutenant – Company #2 – Tyler Haywood
Treasurer – Dennis Wilson
Secretary – David Sturgeon

Mike Heenan announced that he is retiring from the fire department as he is pursuing his degree in Business Administration and will no longer have the time available to commit to the fire department.

Mayor Garlick red an announcement on behalf of Council (see attached).

Congratulations to the new Chief and his Officers. A great big "thank you" to the Volunteers.

For photos please visit: http://www.besso.ca/www.besso.ca/Fire_Department.html

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Council meeting -- January 12, 2009.

REGULAR MEETING OF THE COUNCIL
OF THE DISTRICT OF COLDSTREAM

TO BE HELD ON MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2009
IN THE MUNICIPAL HALL CHAMBERS
9901 KALAMALKA ROAD, COLDSTREAM, BC
AT 7:00 PM

A G E N D A

DELEGATIONS

There were no requests for January 12, 2009.

1. APPROVAL OF AGENDA

2. PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS COUNCIL

(Total Time Allotted: 10 Minutes) Each person wishing to speak is asked to keep
their comments to two (2) minutes or less.

NOTE:

1. This time is to afford members of the public the opportunity to address issues directly related to an item on the agenda dated, January 12, 2009.

2. Please provide your name, address, and the number of the agenda item you wish to speak to. Comments should be kept to additional information (not previously provided), for Council’s consideration or clarification.

3. Issues that are not on the current agenda will NOT be heard by Council.

4. If you have items to address that are not contained in this agenda, please contact the Municipal Clerk to make a formal request to appear as a delegation at a future meeting of Council.

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As an added feature taxpayers now can access all the information available to Council members for the meeting. Just click on Agenda package part 1 or Agenda package part 2 to find the information relating to the Agenda item in which you are interested. Note that each item references the page number that contains the pertinent information.

Enjoy! See what your Council members have to read!

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Selected article MS -- 2009-01-09

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Property assessments frozen

Published: January 08, 2009 6:00 PM

Property assessment notices are in the mail, but they don’t carry any surprises.

The 780,000 notices being issued in the North Okanagan, Shuswap and Revelstoke areas reflect a decision by the provincial government to lock in assessments for one year to create certainty during the economic downturn.

“Notices will show the market value of their property as of both July 1, 2007 and July 1, 2008,” said Connie Fair, B.C. Assessment president.

“The lower of these two values is the official 2009 property assessment. For most properties, this means there will be no change between the 2008 and 2009 assessment. The lower value is the basis upon which 2009 property taxes will be calculated.”

According to B.C. Assessment, the median sale price for a single-family residential property in the North Okanagan was $285,000 in the first quarter in 2007, $382,000 in the second quarter of 2008 and $365,000 in the last quarter of 2008.

For the 2009 assessment roll, B.C. Assessment will continue to reflect physical and legal changes which occurred in 2008, including new construction and development, a change in property classification or use, tax exemption status, and additions or demolitions.

Assessments for properties with regulated values (such as railways, telephone lines, utilities and farm land) will continue to be based on regulated rates set for the 2008 assessment roll.

“Property owners who feel that their assessment does not reflect the lower market value as of July 1, 2007 or July 1, 2008, or see incorrect information on their notice, should contact the B.C. Assessment office indicated on their notice as soon as possible,” said Mark Wooldridge, assessor for the Okanagan region.

“If a property owner is still concerned about their assessment after speaking to one of our appraisal staff, they may submit a written request by Feb. 2 for an independent review by a property assessment review panel.”

Property owners can also compare their assessed value to similar properties in their neighbourhood with the convenient and easy to use online e-valueBC service at www.bcassessment.ca. Paper copies of e-valueBC are available at B.C. Assessment offices and most municipal halls, libraries and government agent’s offices.

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NORD meets at dusk and Time on the agenda

NORD meets at dusk.

Citing busy personal lives, North Okanagan Regional District directors are shifting their meetings to evenings.

Starting Jan. 14, regular board meetings will move from 1 to 6 p.m. and the primary reason for the change is to accommodate the schedules of some directors.

“There are several people on the board who have jobs other than being politicians,” said chairman Eric Foster.

NORD meetings were traditionally held at night until 2003 when they were moved to 2 p.m. as a way of utilizing staff time better and cutting down on administration overtime.

Foster doesn’t believe there will be a return to that problem as the board will have two meetings a month starting in February and workload will be spread out.

“We want to keep the meetings to a reasonable length,” he said.

Herman Halvorson, rural Enderby director, also isn’t concerned that night meetings will lead to long work days for staff.

“It will be up to the administrator to organize the staff. The meetings shouldn’t be long,” he said.

As one of the retired directors on the board, the time of the meetings isn’t an issue for Halvorson.

“I can be there at 2 a.m. or 2 p.m. It doesn’t matter to me,” he said.

But opposition to the time change came from John Trainor, Armstrong director.

“I find that day meetings are more productive. Night meetings can drag on and people get tired. Things may get pushed ahead just because people want to get home,” he said.

“Staff is also available and on their regular schedules during day meetings. Night meetings can make it difficult to get questions answered from staff.”

Mike MacNabb, BX-Silver Star director, would have preferred to stick with an afternoon meeting, but he is willing to give the new routine a try.

“It accommodates people on the board who are working,” he said.

“But it may create an issue for regional district staff because they will work all day and then attend night meetings.”

Foster is convinced an evening meeting will benefit local residents and make the board process more open.

“The public will be able to attend now because they will not be working,” he said.

That view is also supported by Wayne Lippert, Vernon director.

“I hope it will allow more citizens to take part in the meetings. They won’t have to take time off work to go to meetings,” said Lippert.

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Time on the agenda

By Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning Star

One has to wonder if some North Okanagan Regional District directors were more worried about themselves than the actual organization they represent when the decision was made to switch meeting times?

Granted going from afternoon to night meetings isn't the end of the world, but there are potential ramifications for NORD staff that should have been considered.

And primarily it is the length of their work day. Many of them, and particularly the administrative types, will now have their regular duties to perform during the day and then have to sit at a meeting at night — leading to some long hours. And even if they take some time off to make up for the night meeting, that just means the work will pile up on their desks and that benefits no one, including the taxpaying public.

It was entirely because of the burden on staff that NORD moved from evening to afternoon meetings in 2003.

“We can utilize staff time a lot better. In the afternoon they can work at their desk until they are needed to give their two-bits here,” said then-chairman Stan Field in an interview.

Current officials argue there shouldn't be a negative impact on staff because there will now be two meetings a month instead of one and that will prevent any one session from being too onerous time-wise. That sounds good in principle but as someone who has attended meetings for 18 years, it's not very practical. Items get added to agendas so meetings drag on, and then, of course, some politicians like to hear themselves talk, which means the clock keeps ticking. Before you know it, 6 p.m. can become 9 p.m. or longer.

It appears that the primary reason for the change in meetings times is to accommodate those directors who work during the day. Certainly the impact of elected office on personal lives and careers should be minimized as much as possible, but one needs to consider how directors actually get to the NORD table.

There are five directors who are directly elected to the board by the voters of the electoral areas while there are seven directors who are from the member municipalities and are appointed to NORD by their respective mayors. The five rural directors are basically at the mercy of whatever meeting schedule NORD follows, but the municipal representatives have some control over their own destiny.

Knowing that their careers may conflict with an afternoon meeting, the municipal politician could either juggle their work schedule — as most do — or they could refuse the appointment to the regional district. It should also be pointed out that some of the directors are actually mayors and named themselves to NORD, so any difficulties with their personal lives are of their own making.

It's been suggested that evening meetings will make it easier for the public to attend because they won't be at work. However, history doesn't necessarily support that view.

Hardly anyone ever showed up when NORD used to meet at night, but attendance seemed to climb substantially once the change was made to afternoons.

If there is an issue of significant importance to them on the agenda, residents will make the time to show up, but going to council or board meetings are about as popular as having teeth pulled. The crowds will always be small no matter what time of day it is.

Directors should also remember that while most people work during the day, others have night jobs or use that time to put supper on the table, drive kids to sports or pursue their own recreational activities. Just because it's evening doesn't mean residents have free time.

Ultimately, the community's business will continue no matter what time the meeting starts. But there appears to be no reason for this adjustment in the NORD schedule other than some politicians looking after their own selfish interests.

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Letter to the Editor -- Morning Star -- parliament fiasco

Are we witnessing in the highest echelons of our land a reflection of society as a whole?

It has been said that we get the leadership that we deserve.

During the past several decades, members of society have been conditioned into rejecting most if not all absolute moral guidelines.

It has been determined and vigorously promoted by "educators," among others, that we have evolved beyond the need to adhere to the authority of an objective morality founded upon natural law and the wisdom of the ages.

Moral focus has been reduced to personal choice or "subjective morality," because we are told we are now more enlightened and thus we have a right to such "freedom." Man becomes his own moral authority, his own god.

It is interesting, though, as well as frightening, to observe that the more a man sees himself as a god, the more he behaves like an animal.

Objective moral guidelines are necessary to elevate man and protect him from himself. They not only form an appreciation of goodness but lead to self-control, the ability to discern, and a higher level of being.

In the Ottawa scenario, one is reminded of the behaviour of animals, who are guided merely by instinct and by what experience has conditioned them to do to serve their wants here and now.

The unholy coalition would seem to be akin to rodent, jackass and fox, joining forces to drive the plow horse from his earned position on the farm.

Left to "subjective morality," the fox will outwit the jackass, eat the rodent and continue to harass the plow horse.

All the while, the masses bereft of moral compass are highly susceptible to the sway of image and rhetoric and this is smoothly exploited.

Voters arise! Farmer Brown, get your pitchfork.

Be not fooled by the socialist tactic of character assassination by rhetoric in place of substance. Enough is enough.

M. Strangward

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Is it better to be fooled by the "RIGHTEOUS tactic" of character assassination? You are invited to rise up in a revolution by "Joe the righteous"!

It must be difficult to understand that 38% does not constitute a democratic majority and that a minority government must seek the support of some of their "enemies" in order to govern. The Eagle

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Theft suspect aids in arrest -- By Richard Rolke

A robbery suspect went out of his way to get himself arrested.

Police were faced with an interesting case when an individual walked into the 39th Avenue 7-Eleven at 8:45 p.m. Saturday.

“The male said, ‘This is a robbery. Give me money or call the police,’ so the clerk called the police,” said Gord Molendyk, with the Vernon RCMP.

But while the clerk was online with 911 and providing basic information about the suspect, the suspect corrected the details.

“It got to the point where the clerk described him as 20 and the suspect said, ‘I’m 19,’” said Molendyk.

The suspect then remained at the scene until the police arrived.

“It was a very unusual situation,” said Molendyk.

A 19-year-old was expected to appear in court Monday on a charge of attempted robbery.

In a separate incident Saturday, a man walked into the Toro’s Pub liquor store on Kalamalka Lake Road at 8:15 p.m., produced a knife and demanded money from the clerk.

The suspect then left the scene with an undisclosed amount of cash.

The suspect is described as being between 40 and 45 years of age and five-foot-eight to five-foot-10 in height. He was wearing a green army-type jacket and a grey sweater that was pulled over his face.

Anyone with information on the robbery at Toro’s Pub is asked to call the Vernon RCMP or Crime Stoppers.

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Death prompts ice warning -- By Richard Rolke

Ice fishermen are being warned to be extremely cautious after a tragic incident near Cherryville.

RCMP divers located the body of David Gowing, 57, in Sugar Lake between 2:30 and 3 p.m. Saturday. The Armstrong man was reported missing by his wife Dec. 30.

“They found him right where they expected to — straight down (from the hole in the ice), said Gord Molendyk, RCMP spokesman.

It’s believed that Gowing was ice fishing when he broke through the ice and could not get himself out of the water.

Despite recent cold weather, not all water bodies are completely frozen.

“The ice was thin. The ice didn’t freeze before the snow fell and snow acts as an insulator,” said Molendyk.

As a result, Molendyk is issuing an alert to anyone going on to ice-covered lakes and ponds in the North Okanagan.

“Check the ice and be sure of the conditions before going out on to lakes,” he said.

“On some lakes, there are currents and that creates thin spots.”

Vernon Search and Rescue is insisting that people become aware of ice safety.

“Drill a test hole first not too far from shore,” said Leigh Pearson, search manager.

“Use some common sense and check the ice out first.”

About four inches of blue ice is required to withstand the weight of a person.

“If it’s white ice, it’s not very strong,” said Pearson.

Pearson also believes people should acquire a device that loops rope around their shoulders and has a nail at the end of the rope so it can be attached to the lake surface. If an emergency occurs, then the fisherman can pull himself out.

The other key advice is to never go fishing without a partner.

“You just don’t go out on your own,” said Pearson.

An autopsy will now be done to determine if Gowing died from drowning or hypothermia from the frigid water.

The RCMP and Vernon Search and Rescue received the report of Gowing being missing at 3:30 p.m. Dec. 30.

Within an hour, police had found his truck and snowmobile trailer parked near the Kate Creek forestry service road, next to Sugar Lake. And by 8 p.m, Search and Rescue crews had located the snowmobile 12 kilometres up the road.

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Information -- Science!

http://ceramictechweekly.org/?p=962

For your curiosity!

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Burris denied seat in US Senate to succeed Obama -- The fun continues!

By LAURIE KELLMAN and ANN SANNER, Associated Press Writers Laurie Kellman And Ann Sanner, Associated Press Writers 2 mins ago

WASHINGTON – Roland Burris failed in his bid to take President-elect Barack Obama's Illinois Senate seat on Tuesday in a scripted piece of political theater staged just before the opening of the 111th Congress.

"My credentials were not in order, I will not be accepted, I will not be seated," Burris, 71, told a mob of reporters who had followed him across the street for a news conference in a cold and steady rain outside the Capitol.

The former Illinois attorney general said he was "not seeking to have any type of confrontation" over taking the seat that he was appointed to by embattled Gov. Rod Blagojevich. But Burris, who would be the Senate's only black member, also said he was considering a federal lawsuit to force Senate Democrats to seat him.

It was a major distraction for majority Democrats eager to project an image of progress with Obama on an economic stimulus package that could cost up to $1 trillion.

Democrats and Obama have said that the corruption charges against Blagojevich would strip credibility from anyone he appoints to the seat. Burris and many of his supporters have suggested that the real reason for the rejection involved race.

Blagojevich denies federal accusations that he tried to sell Obama's seat. Democrats, for their part, deny that race has anything to do with Burris' rejection and say that it's a reflection on Blagojevich.

That Secretary of the Senate Nancy Erickson turned away Burris was no surprise; Senate Democrats had warned for weeks that if Burris showed up to be sworn in on Tuesday without the signature of the Illinois secretary of state, he would be turned away. That's just what happened.

But if what Burris really wanted a circus, he got one.

A mob of reporters awaited him outside the Senate's North Door, where Sergeant at Arms Terrance Gainer and a throng of officers escorted him through security and up to Erickson's office on the third floor.

There, more reporters waited. Once again Burris went through a metal detector and into Erickson's office, nestled between the elevators and the press gallery.

Twenty-one minutes later, Burris left; a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid confirmed that Burris had been rejected.

Burris left the building, escorted by Gainer and his officers.

And soon, a noisy throng of reporters followed him across the street, and Burris confirmed that he'd been turned away.

An attorney for Burris, Timothy W. Wright III, said that "our credentials were rejected by the secretary of the Senate. We were not allowed to be placed in the record books. We were not allowed to proceed to the floor for purposes of taking oath. All of which we think was improperly done and is against the law of this land. We will consider our options and we will certainly let you know what our decisions will be soon thereafter."

Asked what his options were, Wright said there possibly could be a court challenge and he said that Burris also would continue to talk to the Senate leadership.

There had been earlier indications that the Senate would disallow Burris to take his seat, at least in part because his letter of appointment from Blagojevich was not co-signed by Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White.

Some of Burris' supporters have bemoaned the fact that Democrats would stand in the way of the Senate gaining its only black member. Burris himself downplayed the issue of race, telling reporters: "I cannot control my supporters. I have never in my life, in all my years of being elected to office, thought anything about race."

Earlier Tuesday, Burris had tense negotiations with Terrence Gainer, the Senate's sergeant at arms.

"I'm presenting myself as the legally appointed senator from the state of Illinois. It is my hope and prayer that they recognize that the appointment is legal," he said earlier in a nationally broadcast interview.

Burris dismissed the Senate Democratic leadership's position that he cannot be seated because he was appointed by a governor accused in a criminal complaint of trying to benefit financially from his authority to fill the seat that Obama vacated after winning the presidential election.

Burriss said his belief is that his appointment is constitutional and that "I have no knowledge of where a secretary of state has veto power over a governor carrying out his constitutional duties."

Burris also maintained that the announcement by Blagojevich Monday of a date for an election for a successor to Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., proves the governor still has legal authority to carry out his duties. Emanuel will be Obama's White House chief of staff.

"There's nothing wrong with Roland Burris and there's nothing wrong with the appointment," Burris said.

Burris has found little support among fellow Democrats.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., had said Monday that Burris would not be permitted to take his seat because Burris "has not been certified by the state of Illinois," a reference to incomplete paperwork that only touches on the dispute. Senate Democrats maintain that Burris' appointment is tainted because of the charges against Blagojevich.

While Blagojevich has signed formal appointment papers, White has not, and Senate rules require that signature. Burris, in turn, has gone to court hoping to win an order for White to sign the necessary paperwork, and he has also threatened to sue to take his seat in the Senate.

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Selected article MS -- 2009-01-04

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Readers write

Hello all,

Sometime ago I read that bird-watching surpasses all other activities in popularity world-wide.

The Wikipedia "bird watching" entry gives a little info re this economic resource:

An estimate of 61 million birders was made in the late 1980s. Leary The income level of birders has been found to be well above average.^[21]

American birders were estimated to have spent as much as USD 32 billion in 2001.^[20] The spending is on the rise around the world. Kuşcenneti National Park (KNP) at Lake Manyas, a Ramsar

Imagine a tourism corridor linking the precious jewels of wildlife habitat that stud the length of the Okanagan valley.

In addition, consider the economic and educational value that access to natural and restored habitat could provide.

We have an opportunity/responsibility to enhance the wildlife habitat adjacent to the Kal Lake lagoon to create a year-round attractive natural feature.

The current parking lot dominates the physical environment of the lagoon and its expansion would further erode the lagoon's natural and aesthetic values. Does it make sense to use public land and resources to facilitate disruptive seasonal use?

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New wetlands will need help from Mother Nature

By Judie Steeves - Kelowna Capital News

No sooner had the last vehicle crossed the old bridge than the former inhabitants of its western approach moved back in.

Big mammals like the beaver, hoary marmot and muskrat; smaller ones like the shrew, vole, mole, chipmunk, bush rat, and the more secretive mink and short-tailed weasel are all making their homes adjacent to Kelowna’s new William R. Bennett Bridge, along the shoreline that was the approach to the old floating bridge.

Environmental monitor for the project, Paul Christie, with Talisman Land Resource Consultants Inc., admits that while crews from Emil Anderson Construction and Sierra Landscaping have completed moving earth and planting now, how it will all turn out in the end is up to Mother Nature.

Christie envisions the more than a hectare of wildlife habitat constructed along the south side of the new bridge, at the west end, as a series of wetlands, some seasonal.

They will provide diverse habitat along the lakeshore for a wide variety of birds and animals, including grebes, loons and dabbling ducks; turtles, frogs, toads, salamanders and garter snakes.

They’ve also installed a couple of platforms suitable for osprey, and snags for woodpeckers and sapsuckers, bald eagles and other raptors.

Wetland plants such as cattails, marsh grasses and hard stem bulrushes are expected to attract the red-winged blackbirds.

This is intended solely as wildlife habitat, from which people are fenced out, but Christie says those walking along the new bridge will have a “bird’s eye” view of all the creatures who decide to make the restored wetland home.

Its restoration is required by the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans, to help mitigate the environmental footprint left by construction of the new bridge.

More than 7,000 shrubs native to the Okanagan have been planted, including fescues, wheatgrass, Oregon grape, sumac, red osier and willows.

Although temporary, irrigation has been installed but it will only be used until the plants are established.

The new storm water system for the west causeway has been routed through two large man holes with separators which remove oily products and coarse sand from the runoff before emptying into a newly constructed channel.

It runs into the western-most wetland cell which will serve as a bio-filtration pond before the storm run-off enters the lake, explained Christie.

Large boulders and woody debris have been strewn throughout the habitat to provide diversity and offer protection to amphibians, reptiles, small mammals and birds.

Christie would like to also raise the funds to add some more “extras,” such as bat houses and swallow houses to help control insects.

The other end of the old bridge is a bit of a different situation, although Christie says they will be restoring another hectare of riparian habitat along Mill Creek between Harvey Avenue and the old bridge abutment.

Because it’s adjacent to the new footpath and the tunnel under the bridge, people walking by or cycling will be able to view this habitat as it develops.

It’s not intended for people, but they won’t be fenced out as on the other side.

Christie is even exploring the possibility of periodically training one of the bridge cams on the osprey nesting platforms at the west end wetland, should a family of hawks or eagles choose to start a family there in the next few years.

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Marina proposal floated for Wood Lake

By Chris Law - Lake Country Calendar - December 23, 2008

Council will wait until the New Year to take a stance on a major recreational facility being proposed for Wood Lake. Ponderosa Enterprises is applying to the Integrated Land Management Bureau (ILMB) to lease an area on the west shore of Wood Lake on which a 200 slip marina would be built.

The ILMB will send out a referral reviewing the details of the application in January. While several concerns have already been voiced by council it was agreed at last week’s council meeting that the best course of action would be to wait until all of the information came in before forming opinions.

Mayor James Baker said that the application could signal the beginning of “piecemeal planning” for the Wood Lake corridor. The corridor will bring a variety of recreational opportunities to the community after the highway re-alignment has been completed and, Baker says he would rather see an integrated development plan for the entire west shore.

Coun. Alice Rees questioned the impact that such a large facility would have on the lake. “The request to move the highway was based on its impact on Wood Lake. A 200 slip marina will have a bigger impact than passing traffic,” said Rees.

The area identified for the proposed lease is on the west shore of Wood Lake where Ponderosa Drive intersects Highway 97. Parking for the marina would be located across the highway from the facility and users would cross the road by way of a raised pedestrian bridge.

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Thanks to Louise Christie for the suggestion.

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Special in-camera meeting of Council --01-05-09

SPECIAL REGULAR MEETING OF THE COUNCIL
OF THE DISTRICT OF COLDSTREAM

TO BE HELD ON MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2008
IN THE MUNICIPAL HALL CHAMBERS
9901 KALAMALKA ROAD, COLDSTREAM, BC
AT 4:00 PM

A G E N D A

1. APPROVAL OF AGENDA

2. RESOLUTION TO ADJOURN TO IN-CAMERA

Council to adjourn to an In-Camera meeting to discuss issues related to: Section 90(1)(c) of the Community Charter.

3. ADJOURNMENT

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Selected article MS -- 2009-01-02

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