Merry Christmas to one and all! Debbie and Gyula.

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Joke of the month (year?).

After being married for 40 years, I took a

careful look at my wife one day and said,

"Forty years ago we had a cheap house, a

junk car, slept on a sofa bed and watched a

10-inch black and white TV, but I got to sleep

every night with a hot 23-year-old girl.

Now ... I have a $500,000.00 home, a $55,000.00

car, a nice big bed and a large screen TV, but

I'm sleeping with a 63-year-old woman. It seems

to me that you're not holding up your side of things."

My wife is a very reasonable woman. She told me

to go out and find a hot 23-year-old girl and she

would make sure that I would once again be living

in a cheap house, driving a junk car, sleeping on

a sofa bed and watching a 10-inch black and

white TV.

Aren't older women great? They really know

how to solve an old guy's problems.

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Media Release - City of Vernon Budget Proposal.

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Giant whirlpool swallows everything.

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Coldstream Council Meeting - December 16, 2013

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Photo gallery - Winter is near... - Debbie

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Coldstream Ratepayers Association News

Hello Ratepayers!

It has been a long time since we have had a meeting...but we think it is time, as a number of residents have expressed concerns about the recent push for amalgamation....

 Please 

MARK YOUR CALENDARS and

JOIN US at the

The Women’s Institute Hall, 9909 Kalamalka Road, 

Coldstream

Thursday, January 9, 2014

7:30 – 9:30 pm.

Coffee and cookies will be served

Please pass the invitation on to neighbours and friends in Coldstream/Lavington

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Support For Governance Study - KISS FM News

Written by Peter McIntyre  

Tuesday, 10 December 2013 06:01

Vernon council looks like it will push for a study on governance in Greater Vernon -- but that might not be enough to get some action on the issue.

Several city Councillors say they would support the province funding a study into unified governance, in response to a citizen led petition on the topic.

Mayor Rob Sawatzky says it would give residents information to make an informed decision.

"It's pretty strongly indicated that council would such a study but that alone would not move the process forward. You must have other interested parties. Your community neighbors must have an interest," says Sawatzky.

The Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce is calling on local governments to support a study, but officials from Coldstream and Electoral Areas B and C have said it's not a priority for their residents.

Councillor Catherine Lord says amalgamation in other areas hasn't always been successful, but it deserves a closer look here.

"I don't think it would hurt us at all for the provincial government, if they're paying for it, to do a study on this, and find out what the majority of our residents think," says Lord.

Councillor Juliette Cunningham also supports a review.

"This issue has been raised over and over again, in the last probably several decades. I support a review of that because I think people need to be informed of what the costs and ramifications may be," Cunningham tells Kiss FM.

Council could take action next month after hearing from the Greater Vernon Governance Society which ran a petition on the issue.

KISS FM is conducting a survey on its webpage.

Survey is now over.
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RDNO Board Meetings - December 11, 2013

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ColdstreamCouncil COW Agenda - December 9, 2013

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Readers write - ANNEXATION

While searching for information on annexation, I came across a post in the Morning Star written by a former Vernon councillor. The post was about a property owner in the Regional District whose property borders the boundary with the City of Vernon and had made application to the city to be annexed into the city so he could get connected to City Sewer services and hence get relief from problems he was having with a septic field.

The former Councillor's post appears to be in support of this resident and at the same time is taking a swipe at the Regional District.  He goes on to say “perhaps annexation would relieve some hardship ie, replacement of a failing septic field by a hookup to Vernon’s sanitary sewer”.

Now let us be clear about what would perhaps provide some relief. If the property owner is indeed having some septic field problems, getting hooked up to Vernon’s sewer services may well provide some relief, although it certainly will not be accomplished without considerable cost to the property owner. You will notice that the possible relief would come from being hooked up to the sewer service, and certainly not from the “annexation” into the City.  This so-called “relief” as a result annexation would come in the form of a 20 to 30% tax increase to the property owner in all likelihood.  Don’t you just love that kind of relief?

The writer goes on to say that the City realizes  “Piece meal annexations do create planning issues and that is why Vernon bundles such applications to be submitted annually to the province. To some measure it makes the problem more manageable. These requests are to join Vernon, not leave it”

Now let us be clear about this last point too. The writer may or may not be aware that the City has no mechanism by which a property may be extricated from within the municipality. That would explain why there are no formal requests to leave Vernon . . . . You can’t get your property out of the City’s confines once you are legally part of it. I found this out when a number of unhappy property owners just east of Tekmar on Silver Star Road had been annexed into the city of Vernon kicking and squealing as they were dragged into the city by the annexation process, which was apparently being driven by a Realtor/Developer, which is usually the case. They wanted to appear as a Delegation to Vernon City Council to get their property out of the city and back into the Regional District, and were told “There is no formal process in which Vernon Council can consider your request”. So, all these property owners got for their annexation relief was a 20 to 30% annual increase in taxes, and a quarterly sewer charge even though they were not hooked up to the sewer service. But they could pay several thousand dollars to get hooked up to the service if they wished to. I wonder if they are experiencing this wonderful feeling of relief.

So when someone says Vernon gets few requests to have property removed from that Municipality,  you now know why. There is no mechanism by which they are able to present their wish to City Council. If the writer thinks everyone is happy being inside the City of Vernon, give the residents of former Electoral Area A (The Landing) a choice and watch the exodus.

The writer points with the finger of blame at the Regional District for the continuing plight of the property owner with the sewer problems. I think if we look at the policy of the City of Vernon whereby if you want sewer services, you must join the city, we may find a key to resolution. Why not provide the sewer service at a cost to the property owner, for which they will have to pay anyway, leave the property in the Regional District and everyone should be reasonably happy.

This either/or attitude regarding sewer services seems unfair, punitive and certainly divisive, and the sewer issue seems to be the beginning of the larger problem, that being annexation. Neither of these matters are based on fairness. The City of Vernon has enough land within their boundary for 25 years of development. Why do they need more?

Surely some common ground can be found here. The “policy” is where the blame should be placed.

Ray Ivey

BX resident.

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Morning Star Newsclips - in case you have not seen them.

See also Amalgamation.

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Reminder: GVAC Meeting - December 5, 2013.

Click on image and then GVAC Agenda.

 For the Arts Projects Price tag visit Up to $35 million.

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MEDIA RELEASE - BeeSafe Monashees

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - 4^th December 2013

About 250 people came to hear scientist Thierry Vrain's recent presentation on “Genetically Modified Foods and Human Health”, in Vernon last week. Dr. Vrain clearly demonstrated the dangers associated with GM crops. As a geneticist who worked with agriculture Canada for 30 years, Dr. Vrain fully understands why farmers were attracted to the promises of GM crops. However, now that independent science is available and that the initial promises have proven empty, he warns of the dangers of letting these crops continue to proliferate and contaminate the soil, water, and food supply.

Among the issues discussed, Dr. Vrain insisted on the fact that GM crops were never independently tested prior to their release. Test results were given to governments by the same corporations that profited from the sales of the GM seeds and the pesticides used to grow them.

He then spoke of how GM corporate interests are now permeating not only government, but also science as industry finances universities and corporate officials sit on boards of scientific journals.

Dr. Vrain was in Vernon as part of a cross-Canada tour he is doing most often accompanied by Dr. Shiv Chopra, the author of “Corrupt to the Core” a book that tells “what happens when your government chooses to Side-Step Scientific Truth”. Dr. Chopra is the scientist who, when working for Health Canada, refused to sign up on the Bovine Growth Hormone. Unfortunately dr. Chopra was not able to be in Vernon but his speech on the “Canada's Food: the most toxic on the planet” can be heard on BeeSafeMonashees.org

Dr. Chopra talks of how hormones, antibiotics, slaughterhouse waste, GMO and pesticides – and are all in our food system illegally, making Canadian food the most toxic in the entire planet. Europe, in comparison, bans or regulates four out of the five unwanted contaminants.

Both scientists are donating their time to inform people about the danger of corporate food, and the need to act now, and not wait for politicians, in order to take the power back from corporatocracy. Farmers and growers take note: In Vernon, as in other places across BC, people all stand up and cheer when asked “Would you support your region becoming GMO Free?” !

-30-

 

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Tolko Proposes Wood Pellet Plant

 

Written by Glen Morrison Tuesday, 03 December 2013 10:30 

 

The Tolko mill in Lavington could be getting an addition: a 40 million dollar wood pellet plant.

Coldstream Mayor Jim Garlick says council is supporting the Vernon-based company's bid to take comparable land in Spallumcheen into the Agricultural Land Reserve so the adjoining land in Lavington can be used.

Garlick says the plant would only take up a couple acres, but the land reserve would get 35 in exchange.

"They're looking at building a 40 million dollar pellet plant there and it could mean around 50 jobs both in the plant and in transportation, and it's going to use over 2,000 train cars a year," says Garlick.

That's something the mayor says was key to Canadian National Railway agreeing to keep the rail line operational.

"It will be train cars that are leaving as well as some materials coming in from other mills to provide enough volume to run that plant, because it will be producing a considerable amount of pellets and tdhose will also go out by rail," Garlick tells Kiss FM.

Spallumcheen will be asked to support the ALR bid.

Wood pellets are a form of fuel, generally made from compacted sawdust or other wastes from sawmilling and other wood products.

The plant would use waste wood from all over the region.

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Greater Vernon Advisory Committee Meeting - December 5, 2013

Click on image and then GVAC Agenda.

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Amazon Reveals It Wants To Deploy Delivery Drones. No Joke.

Amazon offering delivery on Sunday was only the beginning.

In an interview with Charlie Rose on Sunday's episode of "60 Minutes," Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos revealed the giant online store is developing a drone-based delivery service called Prime Air. According to Bezos, Prime Air would be able to get customers their products only a half-hour after they click the "buy" button. His "optimistic" estimate to "60 Minutes" was that Prime Air will be available to customers within 4 to 5 years.

Prime Air was unveiled to Rose and "60 Minutes" as a surprise, the secret project being part of Amazon's busy R&D department. The drones will be capable of delivering items up to 5 pounds in weight, which Bezos said account for 86 percent of the items that Amazon delivers. Individual items will be flown from one of the company's 96 mind-bogglingly massive warehouses, also known as "fulfillment centers."

Last minute shoppers or those with itchy mouse trigger fingers -- especially with Cyber Monday tomorrow -- may want to curb their enthusiasm for Prime Air. Amazon is still working on more safety testing and FAA approvals before the Prime Air fleet will be able take flight.

“The hard part here is putting in all the redundancy,” Bezos said. “All the reliability to say this can’t land on somebody’s head.” Read more

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Photo gallery - Before 2013 is over I wanted to share some deer shots the way you don't normally see them! - Debbie

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Coldstream Council meeting - December 2, 2013

Click on document to download Agenda. It takes about a minute to complete download.