merritt herald, january 22, 2013
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January 22, 2013 edition of the Merritt HeraldTRANSCRIPT
LIBERAL MLA CANDIDATEPAGE 3
MSS BASKETBALLPAGE 6
READING CLUBPAGE 3
Nicola Valley’s News Voice Since 1905
MERRITT HERALDmerrittherald.com bcclassified.com
TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2013 • MERRITT NEWSPAPERS FREE
A City of Merritt draft Economic Development Strategy presentation last Tuesday was met with conflict-ing views among several councillors and members of the public over the intended scope of the document.
The councillors, and two men who stood up in the gallery to make their voices heard,
slammed the document by calling it a far cry from the report that was requested last summer.
The majority of com-plaints claimed the plan is vague and lacks public input into its creation. But as other councillors, city administration and Mayor Susan Roline pointed out, documents such as these are typi-cally a framework, with more detailed planning coming later.
“We are giving the
public a lot of oppor-tunity to be involved in this,” Roline said. “You need a draft plan that can evolve with public input. We will have the engagement and then the plan will evolve into something that is oper-able.”
Councillors Mike Goetz and Dave Baker said anyone is able to attend public consulta-tion periods to voice their opinions.
But the mayor and
councillors seemed to be ignored, as the same criticisms continued to be raised throughout the nearly two-hour meet-ing.
Coun. Alastair Murdoch likened the report to previous initia-tives that he said the public wasn’t consulted about, such as a Merritt branding strategy that pegged the town as the Country Music Capital of Canada.
“I struggle with
going with this docu-ment to the community because it says that we already have made up our minds,” he said. “In my mind we should go to the community and then ask the experts. Otherwise, the com-munity goes, ‘Well these people are experts,’ and they go and they mutter and mutter, and down the road that muttering gets worse.”
By Phillip WoolgarTHE HERALD
Tempers fl are at City HallMerritt City Hall was busy last Tuesday, as the Committee of the Whole debated the draft Economic Development Strategy authored and presented by City of Merritt’s Economic Development Manager James Umpherson (above). Phillip Woolgar/Herald
Staff, council and the public are torn over the draft Economic Development Strategy
See ‘Public’ Page 2
Merritt property values stable despite drop in B.C., assessor reports
While property assessments show slight drops in estimated values for most regions of B.C., assessments remain stable for the second year in a row in Merritt.
“The news in our region seems to be that we’re holding our own, and that the market is stable,” Deputy Assessor Graham Held said.
Most Merritt hom-eowners can expect changes in the minus five per cent to plus five per cent range on the valuation of their homes, according to a BC Assessment press release from Jan. 2.
The city’s assessment roll increased $15,000 to $898.086 million from last year, with nearly $5.4 million added to the 2013 roll for new subdivisions, new con-struction and rezoning.
Assessments are con-sidered a snapshot of the property value as of July 1, 2012, which pre-dates some of the recent decline in real estate markets.
In Greater Victoria, most homeowners will see reductions in the range of two to six per cent.
“A significant num-
ber of properties in the region are actually decreasing in value,” said Reuben Dankody, assessor for the Capital Region. “Since our valuation date of July 1, 2012, the overall property market shows signs of further decline in sales volume, while prices have generally been stable.”
Property values generally remained stable in the Okanagan, with changes from five per cent up to five per cent down depending on location and type of property.
In the Kootenays, total assessment roll value decreased slightly in Nelson, Salmo and Slocan, while rural property values held steady. Cranbrook also saw a small average decline, with assessed value of a typical single-family home going from $256,000 to $250,000 as of last summer.
In the Northwest, Terrace bucked the trend with a slight aver-age increase in assessed values. In Smithers and surrounding communi-ties, residential values generally held steady while commercial and industrial properties saw decreases between five and 20 per cent.
By Emily Wessel and Tom Fletcher
HERALD/BLACK [email protected]
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NICOLA VALLEY NEWS
Coun. Kurt Christopherson agreed, saying the public should have been consulted prior to writing the strat-egy.
“Regardless of what the public can do, they have it in their minds what could be accepted,” he said. “Before we even get to the [public por-tion] we should demon-strate that we were listen-ing to other people.”
Overarching reports such as these are typi-cally quickly approved as information by the Committee of the Whole in municipalities throughout the country before they are tweaked by council. (Both the Committee of the Whole and council are made up entirely of councillors and the mayor.)
Economic Development Manager James Umpherson said the report was completed to a standard applied throughout Canada.
“The intent of the report was to provide a framework for city coun-cil to understand what the document was about, rather than expert knowl-edge and critical assess-ment,” he said. “And then once we see that it is something that the City of Merritt wants, then we can get feedback and discussion with those out-side agencies.”
As part of the draft proposal, Umpherson outlined a public online questionnaire, which includes a series of closed- and open-ended questions. Interviews are also scheduled with community and business leaders, education rep-resentatives, aboriginal
people, education institu-tions, non profits and community volunteers. Provincial and federal association stakehold-ers are also slated for inclusion. Engagement workshops are also scheduled with youths and representatives from other demographics. Those consultations are scheduled for April, May and June.
But according to Ron Sanders, who left his seat in the gallery to address council and administra-tion, Umpherson hasn’t done his job.
“I think I could get someone to cut and past those comments for $5,000,” he said. “I’m talking about the downtown focus and tourism. The report is full of weather and age statistics that are available everywhere. I don’t see
anything about tourism in this report.”
The document con-tains 32 references to tourism.
Merritt’s chief admin-istrative officer, Matt Noble, said, “People who are criticizing the document should read it first. I can compare [the scope] of this document to be consistent with that of much larger cities within the province of British Columbia, and [Umpherson] has done his job.”
In an interview after the meeting, Coun. Goetz said Sanders’ com-ments were uncalled for.
“It’s really not up to the public to come in and make statements such as that and attack the man’s character, and when the character of [city staff] is being attacked, so is the character of coun-
cil, because we hired the man to do the job under our direction,” he said. “Not only did [Umpherson] have to put up with it, so did council, and it was uncalled for.”
Goetz went on to say Umpherson’s report was exactly what council requested last summer, and despite the criticisms, even among council-lors, “Everybody sitting up there asked him to do exactly what he pre-sented.”
Committee of the Whole eventually voted unanimously to accept the draft as information. Council will discuss the document at their regular meeting today (Tuesday), at which time they can request changes. Council will also vote on whether to appoint an economic development committee to provide further input
on the document.The draft Economic
Development Strategy is available at Merritt.ca.
CRIME OF THE WEEK
Anyone with any information on this crime or any others is asked to contact the Merritt RCMP at 378-4262 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
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Despite the decreases, Finance Minister Mike de Jong announced Wednesday that the threshold for the B.C. hom-eowners’ grant is increasing by $10,000, to $1.295 million.
The grant is set to make 95.5 per cent of homeowners eligible for the full amount, which is $570 in the Capital, Greater Vancouver and Fraser Valley regional districts. The
northern and rural benefit adds an extra $200 for hom-eowners outside those districts, an amount added to compen-sate rural people for extra costs of the carbon tax on fossil fuels.
An additional grant of $275 is available to homeowners who are aged 65 and up, per-manently disabled or qualified war veterans.
Property owners can check their assessments online at
bcassessment.ca (click on e-ValueBC) and compare with others in their neighbourhoods to decide if they wish to file an appeal by Jan. 31.
Appeal requests go to inde-pendent property assessment review panels that convene in February.
Changes in the property tax payable depends on the actual tax rates to be set by each local municipality, so a home that’s assessed five per cent higher
might not pay any more in tax if the average assessment in the city rose 10 per cent and the local council sets its rate to generate a smaller tax revenue increase.
The total assessed value of real estate in B.C. rose 2.3 per cent from a year ago.
Most cities are seeing gains of around 1.5 per cent in their assessment rolls from new con-struction, expanding their tax base.
Public comments ‘uncalled for’: Goetz
From Page 1
Homeowners’ grant increases by $10,000
From Page 1
Offer ends December 31, 2013
www.merrittherald.com TUESDAY, January 22, 2013 • 3
NICOLA VALLEY NEWS
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GOOD MORNING!
From the Herald archives: January, 1983
School board to delay teachers’ increase
A refusal by the Merritt School Board to immediately pay an arbitrated three per cent increase to teachers will lead to the Nicola Valley Teachers’ Association taking legal action.
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The B.C. Liberal Party announced that Ashcroft’s Jackie Tegart will be the party’s candidate for the Fraser-Nicola MLA in May’s provincial election.
Tegart, who is serving her third term as a coun-cillor in the Village of Ashcroft, said she is excited about her first foray into provincial politics.
“I’ve always been very interested in provincial politics,” Tegart said. “I just feel that this coming elec-tion is so critically impor-tant to B.C.”
The former school trust-ee and president of the BC School Trustees Association
said the main focus of her platform is on job creation, particularly in resource industries.
“I come from a mining family. My dad worked at a mine, my husband worked at Highland Valley Copper, and we know how impor-
tant forestry, agriculture mining those kinds of issues are. We need a strong voice in Victoria.”
Tegart said a strong voice in the province’s capi-tal is a pillar of her cam-paign.
“I think when decisions are made in Victoria, we need a very strong voice for people to understand what it means to those of us out here in the hinterland,” she said. “It’s about strong rep-resentation; it’s about stay-ing on the path.”
Tegart will be for-mally nominated at the Central Cafe in Ashcroft on Saturday at 4 p.m. She said she plans to visit com-munities throughout the riding between the formal
nomination and the May 14 election.
“I want to meet people who have questions, who have issues, who have a sense of where they’d like to see the province go, and I think it’s really impor-tant that we listen,” Tegart said. “I have a sense of the regional issues. I see beyond my borders. I’m hoping that with the experience I bring to the table that people will give me a chance to seri-ously consider a Liberal candidate for success in this riding.”
Fraser-Nicola’s cur-rent MLA, New Democrat Harry Lali, said the nomination won’t affect his campaign strategy once it becomes official on Jan. 26.
“Regardless of who it is the B.C. Liberals put up to run for them in Fraser-Nicola, the people of this constituency are fed up with Christy Clark and the B.C. Liberals,” Lali said. “The Liberal candidate will also have to answer for the cre-ation of the mess in health care and the downgrading of medical services in our communities — specifically, in her own backyard in Ashcroft.”
Lali was first elected as an MLA in 1991 and re-elected in 1996. He did not run in the 2001 election, but returned to provincial politics in 2005 with a win over Liberal Lloyd Forman. Lali was re-elected again in 2009.
By Emily WesselTHE HERALD
The Out of Sight Reading Club plans to hold its first meeting for people with visual impairments, at the Merritt library on Feb. 5.
The monthly meeting is a new program offered at the library through a partnership with CNIB.
CNIB Kamloops office manager Les Nolin said the meet-up is the first of its kind in the area.
“We feel that it’s time to start something in Merritt and get visually impaired people together to have some activities,” Nolin said.
The reading club pro-vides people with infor-mation about resources that can help people with vision loss read, from powerful magnifiers
to audio books to book readers. Nolin said he also hopes to secure a permanent projector for the library that can mag-nify items up to 80 times. He said partnering with the library to develop a program was a natural choice.
“The thing that people miss the most when they lose vision is the ability to read,” said Nolin, who is legally blind. “People don’t real-ize how important read-ing is until they lose the ability.”
The reading club will be supportive as well as informational, where people can share the challenges they’ve faced living with vision loss. He said there are about 33 visually impaired people in Merritt who have registered with CNIB, but there are likely more
who haven’t registered or who might not realize the extent of their vision loss, as it can happen gradually.
“A lot of people who live in smaller communi-ties might not even be aware of the other peo-ple who exist there with vision loss,” Nolin said. “It will be an opportu-nity for low-vision people to get together.”
The first meeting also falls during White Cane Week, an aware-
ness campaign that CNIB offices across the country participate in to raise awareness about Canadians living with vision loss that the orga-nization has run in the first week of February since 1947.
Although the first meeting hasn’t hap-pened yet, Nolin hopes to bring the reading club to other branches of the Thompson-Nicola Regional District Library system in the future. He
said he hopes someone will take on the role of leading the local reading club so he can hit the road and bring the pro-
gram to other cities. The reading club is
scheduled to meet on Feb. 5 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the library.
By Emily WesselTHE HERALD
Reading club caters to visually impaired
Liberal MLA candidate added to election race
Fraser-Nicola Liberal MLA candidate Jackie Tegart
www.merrittherald.com 4 • TUESDAY, January 22, 2013
HERALD OPINION
2090 GRANITE AVE., PO BOX 9, MERRITT, B.C. PHONE (250) 378-4241 FAX (250) 378-6818MERRITT HERALDCopyright subsists in all display advertising in this edition of the Merritt Herald. Permission to reproduce in any form, must be obtained in writing from the publisher. We acknowledge the fi nancial support of the Government of Canada, through the Canada Periodical Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities.
This Merritt Herald is a member of the British Columbia Press Council, a self-regulatory body governing the province’s newspaper industry. The council considers complaints from the public about the conduct of member newspapers. Directors oversee the mediation of complaints, with input from both the newspaper and the complaint holder. If talking with the editor or publisher does not resolve your complaint about coverage or story treatment, you may contact the B.C. Press Council. Your written concern, with documentation, should be sent to B.C. Press Council, 201 Selby St., Nanaimo, B.C. V9R 2R2. For information, phone 888-687-2213 or go to www.bcpresscouncil.org
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Reported cougar sightings around Merritt have people asking whether the predators are actually terrorizing the town?
While the reports can’t be confirmed — as was indicated in the Merritt Herald story print-ed on Thursday — it is interesting to note the
type of coverage given by larger newspapers. National media reported the cougars as being a scary fact, without giving proper disclosure that the sighting haven’t been confirmed.
And that is to be expected. A news head-line in a national or pro-vincial publication that says there is a possibility of cougars being sighted, isn’t as interesting to that readership as “Cougar sightings in Merritt prompt warning.”
But leaving out that key piece of information makes the report false. Just by using the term “cougar sightings” with-out the qualifier “possi-ble” misleads the reader,
and that is a big no-no as far as the intended pur-pose of the news media is concerned. Our job is to tell the public the facts.
National media is under a lot of pressure to report captivating stories. So when it is a reporter’s responsibility to file a story before a fast-approaching dead-line, and nothing is hap-pening, desperation could kick in. But in a fully accountable newsroom, there shouldn’t be wiggle room. Embellishing can discredit journalism, and it has. The occasional blip in facts is under-standable, as newsrooms deal with a massive amount of information from expert sources who
need to be taken for their word — and one small error can really stand out. But when report-ers ignore facts so that a story can resonate, a disservice is done to the industry, and to the democratic system in which journalism is a key player.
So, should people be afraid of the possibility that cougars are roaming Merritt? After receiving an update from a local man who didn’t want to be identified — but has been described by other media as a “backcoun-try expert” — there are no cougars in town. He said snow tracks indicate other animals, but none as dangerous as a cougar.
The reported bobcat sightings, however, have been confirmed by many sources who’ve seen the animals. Bobcats that don’t have rabies aren’t considered a menace to people, but owners of small animals should be concerned. At least one house cat was con-firmed injured after a run-in with the small predator, which is usually about twice the size of a domestic cat. That type of story isn’t sexy enough for the national media to cover, but I think it’s a long way off before we see the large Canadian newspapers embellishing stories to the point where we are reading about a cougar apocalypse.
Smart meter deniers’ last stand
VICTORIA – The news was trumpeted with alarm here on Vancouver Island, which along with the Gulf Islands is the heartland of tinfoil-hat opposition to smart meters.
Of the 140,000 power customers who didn’t have a wireless meter by the end of the year, many have simply refused. Now BC Hydro has sent letters informing them “we can no longer delay the installation of a new meter at your home.”
“StopSmartMetersBC” sent out a panicky e-mail advising its resistance movement to brace against “storm trooper tactics” from BC Hydro staff, and urging phone and fax attacks on their local MLA office.
“Anger and outrage should be expressed, in a quiet way, so that we don’t sound hysterical, but people are being threatened, police called, etc.,” the anonymous e-mail helpfully suggests.
BC Hydro has also confirmed what I told you a few months ago. Those bogus locks, chicken wire cages and important-looking signs, which were sold like modern-day snake oil, have no legal effect to prevent the utility from working on its own equipment.
Cougar apocalypse or phantom cougars?
PHILLIP WOOLGARMerrittHERALD
TOM FLETCHERB.C.VIEWS
See ‘Science’ Page 5
www.merrittherald.com TUESDAY, January 22, 2013 • 5
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These obstacles to inspection have been and continue to be removed, along with dangerous grow-op bypasses and fiddled mechanical meters.
The technical arguments against wireless meters have been demolished. False news reports and website claims still circulate, but no fires have been attributed to the installation of 1.7 million wireless meters in B.C. About 1,200 faulty meter bases have also been replaced at BC Hydro’s expense, and as crude power-theft bypasses have been removed, the incidence of electrical fires, already rare, has dropped substantially.
Another popular myth is increased electricity bills. Yes, if your bypass is removed, your bill will go up. Like gas pumps, power meters are required by federal law to be accurate.
Which brings us back to Team Tinfoil, which has been sold a cascading series of fantastic tales about the effect of wireless signals that are already ever-present in all modern communities.
A Toronto-based expert group called Bad Science Watch has tackled claims of “electromagnetic hypersensitivity” head-on. I highly recommend their 10-page report and qualifications at badsciencewatch.ca.
In plain language, with references to the best available scientific studies, it describes the double-blind tests that prove people who claim this sensitivity, are not actually able to detect when they are or are not being exposed to wireless signals. No X-Men candidates have come forward.
It also exposes key “activists” in Canada. The most prominent is Dr. Magda Havas, an associate professor at Trent University who has “developed a career denouncing the safety of low-frequency electromagnetic radiation.” She gives speeches, promotes her book and has worked with one David Stetzer to promote an “EMF filter” to sell to those who insist they feel what science shows they don’t.
Havas has appeared on TV “news” shows with “activist-entrepreneur” Kevin Byrne. His website appears to be a hub of cell tower and smart meter scare reports, but it’s interspersed with product pitches for EMF Solutions Canada, of which Byrne is coincidentally president.
Then there’s “entrepreneur-activist” Rob Metzinger, president of something called Safe Living Technologies Inc. He doesn’t run a lurid scare website, but he’s appeared on CBC and CTV as some sort of authority. (The main hazard emanating from TVs these days is bad information.)
As the election approaches, a fight is gearing up between the NDP and the B.C. Green Party for the ignorant, superstitious and angry vote. The Greens in particular have damaged their credibility in a desperate bid to quiet their own tinfoil-chapeau wing.
There are bozo eruptions ahead. I’ll have more on that in a future column.
Tom Fletcher is legislative reporter and columnist for Black Press and BCLocalnews.com [email protected]
From Page 4
Dear Editor:
To Mr. MurphyIn your letter you stated
that the installation of a smart meter at my residence was delayed at my request. Those are your words, not mine. I did not request a delay. I refused to have a microwave transmitting device unilaterally imposed upon me and installed any-where on my property.
I challenge BC Hydro to disprove the scientific research
that is presented and discussed in the BioInitiative 2012 report. The report can be found at bioinitiative.org.
Until such time that you can disprove this research to my satisfaction, I will continue to refuse to have a transmitting smart meter anywhere on my property and, furthermore, I will use all means at my dispos-al to defend my right to do so.
I have taken steps in my personal life to reduce my exposure to the radio frequen-
cies that will be emitted by smart meters, including the choice not to use a cellphone, the choice to hardwire my computer, and the choice to eliminate cordless phones from my home, not to mention oth-ers. BC Hydro and the govern-ment are crossing a line. I will consider any attempt to install a smart meter on my property an act of trespass and a viola-tion of my charter rights.
James G. Smith
Dear Editor,
To BC Hydro customers without an installed smart meter.
You are getting this letter because the smart meter installation at your residence was previously delayed at your request. Please take a few minutes to read the following — it will help you understand why we can no longer delay the installation of a new meter at your home.
Since July 2011, when we began installing new meters, we have been working with customers to answer questions about the new system.
Over 1.7 million new meters have now been installed across B.C. and the meter exchange phase of the Smart Metering Program is nearing completion. However, this important grid upgrade can’t be completed until all customers have new meters.
Why is BC Hydro replacing the old meters? The old meters are becoming obsolete and
require us to manually perform services that have now been automated by smart meters. BC Hydro has a responsibility to ensure safe, cost-effective electricity delivery to homes and businesses all around the province. It will cost far more to set up and maintain incompatible and separate systems to serve customers without a smart meter and those extra costs will have to be passed on to customers.
For this reason, we can no longer delay the installation of the new meter at your residence. Installers will visit you to exchange the old BC Hydro meter at your home for a new smart meter. Customer service representatives will also be avail-able in person to answer any questions you may have.
Smart meters, like power lines, are now stan-dard equipment needed to get power to your home. That’s why all BC Hydro customers are receiving new meters. Smart meters will:
automatically detect power outages; • provide you with access to your hourly • electricity-use data through a secure online account; ensure your bill is based on actual con-• sumption; and help to ensure your service connects safely • because installers will inspect your meter socket and provide free on-the-spot repairs by a qualified electrician if an issue is found.
Need more information about smart meters? BC Hydro has responded to dozens of ques-
tions from customers about the new meters and we would encourage you to read the answers for your-self at bchydro.com/smartmeters. For example, we have:
confirmed through testing by a federal • consumer protection agency that the new meters are accurate; confirmed through testing, certified by pro-• fessional engineers, that the meters use safe technology commonly used in our com-munities for decades; and worked with the privacy commissioner’s • office to meet all standards and guidelines.
Can I relocate the meter? As always, you can choose to relocate your
meter base to a different location on your property, in accordance with local electrical guidelines, and at your own cost. If you would like to move the meter, contacting a qualified electrician is the first step.
For more information about the new meters or what to expect during installation, visit our website or contact BC Hydro at [email protected] or 1-800-409-8199.
Gary Murphy, Chief Project OfficerSmart Metering Program
Refusal of smart meter within charter rights
Smart meters safe, installation imminent: BC Hydro
Science vs. scare tactics as debate heats up
www.merrittherald.com 6 • TUESDAY, January 22, 2013
By Ian WebsterTHE [email protected]
Another loss. Anoth-er lopsided score.
Last Wednesday’s 52-13 defeat at the hands of the visiting Valleyview Vikings seems to epitomize what has been a tough basketball campaign for this year’s Merritt Secondary School senior girls bas-ketball team.
Not only is head coach Dwayne Suzuki’s Panther squad very young and inexperienced (with only two Grade 12s and eight Grade 10s), but they’re operating in somewhat of a vacuum. There was no senior girls team last year, and the loss of almost 18 months of development is pain-fully evident on the playing court. Many of the skills are still in the early stages of evolution, and the familiarity with systems and with team-mates just isn’t there yet.
Add to the mix the fact that all of MSS’s basketball teams have had to operate outside of their own gymna-sium until last week’s senior games against Valleyview. The high school’s gym has been
undergoing a major renovation since late summer, and all team practices and games have had to take place across town at the for-mer Coquihalla Middle School. It doesn’t quite make for the same “home court advantage.”
“It’s been tough,” Suzuki said of all the obstacles facing his youthful hoops team. “We talked at the begin-ning of the season. The girls know that this year is very much a work in progress. We’re already looking forward to next year and the year after.”
Against the Vikings on Wednesday, there were plenty of hopeful signs for the future. The Panthers actually scored the first basket, and held a 4-0 lead in the opening minutes.
“I thought that we moved the ball quite well offensively,” Suzuki said, “and we were getting good looks. The shots just didn’t seem to want to go in.”
This year’s senior girls’ side isn’t blessed with a lot of size, so Suzuki has the team running somewhat of a motion offence.
“We’re posting up
just one player and set-ting the other four all above the free-throw line. We’re trying to run lots of cuts. There’s plenty of options with this kind of offence. The hard thing right now is getting the girls to recog-nize the options. They’re getting better.
“We’re also working on a fast break,” Suzuki added, “and seeing if we can score some points that way.”
The Panthers head
coach liked what he saw from his players on the defensive side of the ball against Valleyview.
“We’re doing a man-to-man defence this year instead of a zone,” he said. “It’s hard work, but the girls are buying into it. I’m trying to get the team to adopt the mentality that a stop on defence is like a score for us. I want them to treat it that way.”
This week, the Panthers travel to Kam-
loops for their second matchup against the pro-vincially ranked Sahali Sabres. It was a bit of a blowout when the two teams met back in December.
“After the first game against them, the Sahali coach had some really nice things to say about our girls,” Suzuki said. “I think that the future for our team looks promis-ing.”
Unlike Merritt’s senior girls squad, the Panthers senior boys team, coached by Dave Anderson and JP Lancaster, is more of a veteran group with eight
Grade 12s on the roster. While they’ve lost more games than they’ve won, the boys have definitely been in the mix in every outing.
Against Valleyview, the Panthers kept the score close through three quarters before falling to the Vikes 81-54. Forward Bryce Dixon had a game-high 22 points, while point guard Harman Bhuttar chipped in with 15 points, including a trio of three-pointers from beyond the arc.
“Bryce picked up a lot of his points from rebounds on the offen-
sive boards,” Anderson said. “He’s very good at finishing under the hoop. He also got a few baskets off the dribble which was nice to see. It’s a new part of his game that is starting to emerge.”
Anderson’s players also face the Sabres on Wednesday. They gave the Kamloops team a bit of a scare a month ago by keeping them within two points at halftime.
“I think we surprised them the first time around,” Anderson said. “We’ll both know what to expect on Wednesday.”
HERALD SPORTSmerrittherald.com bcclassified.com
Have a sports story tip? Tell us about it by calling 250-378-4241 or emailing [email protected]
Growing pains: it’s been a steep learning curve for young Panthers squad
YOUNG GUNS (Left) Merritt Secondary’s Taylor Carmichael competes for the opening jumping ball in last Wednesday’s basketball game between the host Panthers and the visiting Valleyview Vikings. (Above) The Panthers are led by point guards Jaycee Chenier (14) and Kaitlyn Suzuki. Ian Webster/Herald
Cents derail Express in 5-0 shutout victory on SaturdayBy Ian WebsterTHE [email protected]
The Merritt Centen-nials got back on track, both literally and figu-ratively, on the weekend — thanks to a solid 5-0 victory over the visiting Coquitlam Express on Saturday night at the Nicola Valley Memorial Arena.
The shutout win over the lowly Express avenged a disappointing 5-4 double overtime loss to the same Mainland Division opponent eight days ago in Coquitlam.
After a scoreless first 30 minutes on Saturday that saw the Cents dom-inate territorially and in
the shot count, Merritt finally got on the board — courtesy of a gritty goal by rookie (and Kamloops native) Diego Cuglietta.
Less than 20 seconds later, it was Merritt’s own Payton Schaefer who upped the score to 2-0 by finishing off a great play by line-mate Brendan Lamont and first-year blueliner Kevin Lohan.
The Centennials’ top line of Regan Soquila, Derek Huisman and Sean Maktaak went to town in the third peri-od, with team-leading scorer Soquila picking up two goals and an assist, Huisman one
goal and an assist, and Maktaak three assists.
Between the pipes, Merritt netminder Tyler Steel turned aside all 26 Express shots to pick up his third shutout of the season. At the other end of the ice, Coquitlam’s Cole Huggans was pep-pered with 44 shots, including 17 in the first period.
The Cents’ decisive win over the Express — in terms of offensive output and determined defence — was just what the doctor ordered prior to tonight’s Inter-ior Division showdown between Merritt and the West Kelowna Warriors at Royal LePage Place
in West Kelowna.The Cents and
Warriors are tied for second place in their division with 47 points each (although Merritt has played three fewer games).
The Centennials have yet to beat the Warriors in three previ-ous matchups, all of which were decided by one goal. In their most recent engagement, on Jan. 16, the Warriors edged the Cents 3-2 despite being outshot 46-22.
Both Merritt and West Kelowna continue to pursue the Penticton Vees who hold down first place in the Interior
with 59 points. The Vees have played five more games than the Centennials and two more than the Warriors.
Following Tuesday’s tilt in West Kelowna, Merritt embarks on a three-game Island road swing that sees games in Victoria Jan. 25, in Cowichan Valley Jan. 26, and in Nanaimo Jan. 27.
C-R-U-N-C-HThe first star of the game, Payton Schaefer of the Merritt Centennials, delivers a bone-crushing hit on Ben Israel of the Coquitlam Express during Saturday night’s game. Ian Webster/Herald
www.merrittherald.com TUESDAY, January 22, 2013 • 7
EditorThe Merritt Herald, an award-winning twice-weekly newspaper published in the Nicola Valley, is seeking an editor.The editor will manage a newsroom of one reporter and both will be responsible for all aspects of getting the newspaper to press — writing, editing, taking photographs and laying out using InDesign.The successful candidate will be community-oriented and have a serious interest in current events — locally, provincially, nationally and globally.The ideal candidate will be a self-starter with some experience in journalism, one who works well with others in an offi ce setting, one who thirsts for an opportunity to improve their skills while helping to mentor those around them, one whose copy of CP Style is dog-eared and one who has a passion for new ideas.Qualifi cations
• Profi ciency with InDesign and Photoshop are required, as is a background in the community newspaper industry.
• Previous experience in the community newspaper industry
• Own transportation required. Please apply to:
Theresa Arnold Merritt Herald 2090 Granite Ave. Merritt , BC V1K 1B8 Phone: (250) 378-4241 Fax: (250) 378-6818 Email: [email protected]
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Help WantedCITY OF Yellowknife invites applications from qualifi ed candidates for the following positions: Pumphouse and Liftstation Tradesperson - Public Works Department Competition #902-137 Closes: February 1, 2013. Pumphouse and Liftstation Maintainer - Public Works Department Competition #902-135 Closes: February 1, 2013. Building In-spector II - Planning and De-velopment Department Com-petition #220-125U Closes: February 1, 2013 Submit re-sumes in confi dence by the closing date, to: Human Re-sources Division, City of Yel-lowknife, P.O. Box 580, Yel-lowknife, NT., X1A 2N4; Fax (867) 669-3471 or Email: [email protected] Please di-rect all inquiries to the above listed email address. For more information on these positions, including the required qualifi -cations, please refer to the City of Yellowknife’s web page at: www.yellowknife.ca or con-tact Human Resources at 867-920-5603.
TeachersWHITE Bear Daycare requires Early Childhood Educator for our busy Pre-School & DaycarePrograms. Criminal Record Check and First Aid required. Contact Heather at:[email protected] or 250-315-1331
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www.merrittherald.com 8 • TUESDAY, January 22, 2013
Tourism industry stakeholders are encouraged to attend a ONE-DAY TOURISM PLANNING WORKSHOP as part of the Community Tourism Foundations program.
This program is hosted by Tourism British Columbia, part of the Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training in partnership
with the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association. Date: Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Time: 10:30 am to 4:30 pmLocation: Merritt Civic Centre
The Community Tourism Foundations program offers destination
development assistance to BC communities.
RSVP by January 31 via email: [email protected]
For information contact: Simone Carlysle-Smith, Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association
via email: [email protected]
COMMUNITY
TOURISM WORKSHOP