Community

Amphibians in peril

Nicola Naturalist Society presents Dr.Kristiina Ovaska, one of BC’s most wellknown amphibian researchers and pho-tographer, speaking on "Amphibians inperil: conserving frogs in a changingworld" Thurs., Jan. 26, 7pm, NVITLecture Theatre. All welcome, member-ship or $5 donation. FMIwww.nicolanaturalists.ca

Nordic Ski Club’s Chilli Sunday

During the annual Chilli Sunday event, Jan. 29, 11am-2pm, NNSC members willdedicate the main shelter to the foundingmembers at 12noon. Bring enough chillifor your group and add it to the commu-nal pot over the fire pit at Parking Lot 3(approx. 4 km up the Kane Valley Rd onthe right), bring your own dishes, and theclub will supply the buns, cookies and hotdrinks. Everyone is welcome, group les-sons at 1pm. FMI, www.nicolanordic.ca

NV Fish & Game shotgun shoot

The Nicola Valley Fish and Gameclub is having a shotgun shoot Sunday, January 29th. Registration starts at 9amand the shoot starts at 10am. $5 perevent, $5 for lunch. FMI Brett 378-2857,Cade 378-4099

Community Art Show call for art

The Community Art Show runs Feb16-Mar 17, deadline to submit work is6pm Thursday, Feb. 1. FMI 1840 NicolaAve., 378-6515, 378-5718, Kathi.court-house.gallery@gmail.comAreception will be held Feb. 17, 6-8pm and the public is invited. At thisreception, the Best of Show prize ($150)and the award for Children’s Art ($50)will be announced. Viewer’s Choiceprize ($100) will be announced March16th, 2012.

Community volunteer tax program

Training session will take place Mon.,Feb 20,9am-3pm at CrossroadsCommunity Church. To register, call(250)870-5582, fax (250)862-4744.

Drop in lacrosse

Thursday nights at CMS, 7-9pm.

Literacy Merritt adult tutoring

Free tutoring sessions for adults, seeCurtis each Wednesday evening at theMerritt Library, 5:30-7:30pm. Improveyour math, English, science and studyskills, ESLsupport available — free helpwith all your courses. Everyone welcome. FMI 315-5851, robyn@rbrandproductions.ca

20th annual Volleyfest

The Merritt Volleyball Assoc. is looking forward to their biggest tournament ever! Mixed Apr. 13, 14 & 15; Ladies Apr 27, 28, & 29.www.merrittvolleyballassociation.com

Call for garlic vendors

Pete & Becky Ratzlaff are looking for vendors who growand produce products or fresh garlic, to participate in their garlic festival & antiquetractor show at Smith Pioneer Park in Lower Nicola, last weekend in September.FMI call Becky or Pete, 378-4199.

Caught up in the ‘greening’

Bio-materials, bio-chemicals & bio-energy

Monday, there was an announcementof $700,000 from the provincial govern-ment “to help forest companies create jobs by turning their waste wood into high-value bio-products”. The money is inresponse to recommendations from theBio-Economy Committee’s report, whichhighlights the need for govt to take a lead-ing role in developing the

bio-economy

.FPInnovations, the world's largestprivate, non-profit forest research insti-tute — to which the funds have beendirected — will “help industry identifycost-effective fibre available for newprojects” and also “assess mills in theBC Interior for opportunities to addinnovative bio-product streams to theircurrent operations. These productscould be a combination of energy, greenchemicals and other bio-materials,which can reduce waste, create jobs andimprove the mills' bottom lines.”Evidently, products being made fromwood fibre today include ‘renewable’fuels, textiles, light-weight plastics, foodadditives, pharmaceuticals and oil. Onthe drawing board are things like bio-active paper products, including facialmasks that deactivate viruses; compositesfor airplane structures; jet fuel additives;and a substitute for petroleum productsused to manufacture rubber for tires.BC has more than 200 bio-productsand bio-energy companies. TheOrganisation for Economic Co-operation& Devel’t predicts the bio-economy willcontribute 10 + new drugs a year by 2015,and 10% of chemical production by 2030.BC's renewable energy sector is the 3rdlargest renewable energy sector in theworld, behind Germany & California.

[Ed.: BC’s forests are touted as “one of theworld's largest available supplies of bio-mass, much of it wood from trees killed by themountain pine beetle.” And closer to home, Merritt’s new bio-energy incinerator hasidentified the fuel for 20 years of its projected30-year lifespan — presumably that’s howlong it will take to burn all the beetle-kill.Then they’ll be looking for something else toburn. I hate to think that BC’s boreal forestswill someday become the substitute for fossil fuels. Look where that got us!—Kim Leclair]

Please recycle

Tues-Sat, 10am - 4pm1999 Voght St. • (250) 378-0349www.bailliehouse.com

Corner of Voght & Mammette(250) 378-0349 www.bailliehouse.com

• OFFICE 378-2821 • PUB 378-5711•RESTAURANT378-4543 • BEER/WINE 378-8859

SUPERBOWLPARTY

February 5thstarting at 3pm

FRI & SAT,9

-2

EVERY THURS NIGHT!

D.J. JOHN ALLISON

PRODUCTIONS

Karaoke Dance Party

with ALLISON PRODUCTIONS

MIDWEEK EDITION — JANUARY 25, 2012 #2258

Asometimes

Utne Reader

for Merritt & the Nicola Valley! Box 2199, Merritt BC V1K 1B8

T(250)378-5717 F(250)378-4700 market@uniserve.com http://merrittmorningmarket.wordpress.com

More Places I've Been and Haven't Been

•I have also been in Doubt. That is a sad place to go, and I try not to visit there too often.•I've been in Flexible, but only when it was very important to stand firm.•Sometimes I'm in Capable, and I go there more often as I'm getting older.•One of my favorite places to be is in Suspense! It really gets the adrenalin flowing andpumps up the old heart! At my age I need all the stimuli I can get!•I may have been in Continent, but I don't remember whatcountry I was in. It's an age thing.

Fresh breads & bakingHome-made soups & sandwichesSpecialty coffees & teas

2151 Quilchena Ave.(250) 378-6655

WHAT YOU NEED!

Inkjet & toner cartridges for most printers

and we recycle them, too!

SPACE FOR YOUR AD

Tel 378-5717 • fax 378-4700market@uniserve.com

2663 Granite Ave. (next to Fountain Tire)

378-4531

2001INC.

Merritt’s Auto GlassSpecialists

ICBC Claims•Commercial •Residential•Automotive •Industrial

Exhibit January 6-28/12

Thurs 4-8pm • Fri 10am-5:30pmSat 10am–4pm

Reception Jan.6,6-8pm

Roger Ball • Noah BergmannHeather Burnham • Kathy Grant • Diane LavoieKathy Johns • Debbie Towers • Linda Nunn

(250)378-6515 • Kathi.courthouse.gallery@gmail.com1840 Nicola Ave., Merritt, BC • www.nvartscouncil.com

MERRITT MOBILE

FOOTCARE CLINIC

Stephen Hardy, DchTel: (250) 378-4706PO Box 2049 Merritt, BC V1K 1B8

PAINT ON!

Winter Art Programs with Jean Kiegerl

DROP-IN TO THE FLORENTINE

•Come at your convenience•Stay as long as you like•Bring your acrylics,watercolours,or oils; indi-vidual instruction asneeded

1pm to 8pmMONDAYS, January 30- March 12, 2012

Registration at Country Bug Books & Gifts before Jan. 28.Contact: Jean Kiegerl 378-2833 painter@telus.net

Merritt Real Estate Services

FOR RENT

1 BDRM

. Apt....$500 plus hydro-$50 move-in bonus

PINE

Apts. Avail for rent-1 & 2 bdrm. Totally reno'ed.............................................................

Call forinfo2 BDRM

. Close to town..........................

$650/month2 BDRM.

Duplex + rec room-................

$750/month1 BDRM.

Apartments ...................

$550-$600/month3 LEVEL

townhouse- 3 bdrm.................

$700/month3 BDRM

upper suite on Bench fenced with carport...............................................................

$875/month4 BDRM.

House - 2 baths.....................

$1400/month1.5 BDRM.

In Lower Nicola-.................

$500/month3 + BDRM

1/2 duplex in good area of town, recentreno's.....................................................

Call forinfo3 BDRM.

House in Lower Nicola........

$1000/month2 BDRM.

House close to town...........

$700-$750/mo.CUTE

studio...........................................

$525/month1 BDRM.

Bsmt. Suite + laundry.............

$675/month3 BDRM.

Rural property......................

$1500/month2 BDRM.

Apt. incl. heat.........................

$600/month3 BDRM.

Rancher, new reno's................

$850/month2 BDRM.

Bsmt. Suite..................

$750/mo. incl. util.STUDIO

apt.................................

$385/month + util.SANDPIPER

unit Avail end of Feb..

$750/mo + util.LARGE

3 bdrm. In 4-plex..........

$750/mo. incl. heat

Call formore info on these units, and others!378-1996 Direct line to the Property Mgt Dept

COMMERCIAL& OFFICESPACE DOWNTOWN

Several units to choose from: 240 sq. ft-$250/mo.1200 sq. ft-$1100/mo.

and more!

Month-to-month or lease

Call for allyour residential or commercialproperty management needs!

1988 Quilchena Avenue, Merritt BC

Cathy & Connie & Lynda - property managers

Kids Band-Aids

Black’s Pharmacy

2037 Quilchena Ave. 378-2155

20-25’s

B a r b i e D o r a T r a n s f o r m e r s

LET’S CLEAR THE AIR.

For more information on the

Nicola Valley WoodStove Exchange Program

, contact Coordinator

Tim Larsen , 250-378-8216 or tlars@merrittbc.net

• Up to $750 dollars ingrants available• New wood stoves areenergy efficient burning90% cleaner and using athird less wood

Every 10stoves changedout reducesemissions inthe Nicola Valley by onemetric ton per year.

Year of the Dragon:‘Kung Hei Fat Choi’

Chinese New Year begins according to the Chinese calendar which consists of both Gregorian and lunar-solar calendar systems. Because the track of the newmoon changes from year to year, Chinese New Year can begin anytime between late January and mid-February. Chinese New Year festivities are in full swing, now forthe next few days.In ancient China, the celestial Dragonrepresents an emperor andpower.Today, it is the ultimate auspicious symbol signifying success and happiness.People born under the Dragon are passionate, brave and self-assured. At their best they are pioneering spirits; at their worst, they epitomize the old adage:

Foolsrush in where angels fear to tread.

Dragons are generous with their resources, a ten-dency that at its most negative can reflect a foolhardy attitude towards money. ButDragons in general are blessed with good fortune. They are smart, enterprising andhave a wicked sense of humor. They have a natural flair for fashion and are the peo-ple to consult if you want to catch up on the latest trends.This Chinese New Year 2012 ushers in the Water Dragon. Water exerts a calminginfluence on the Dragon’s innate fire. Water Dragons are more open to other peo-ple’s opinions than other Dragons which gives them the ability to channel their per-sonal charisma into real leadership qualities.