BLOSSOM TIME BEAUTY Similkameen was blooming last week See page 13
KOBAU KOYOTES WIN
MEDAL RUNNERS
First tournament win of the season See page 12
Rick Hansen anniversary relay coming up See pages 8, 9
E H T HIGHLIGHTED LABEL MEANS SUBSCRIPTION EXPIRED
www.keremeosreview.com
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Vol.15 Number 18
$1.15 including HST
Serving the communities of Keremeos, Cawston, Okanagan Falls and Kaleden
New legislation geared to give first responders peace of mind
Photo by Steve Arstad
Gold Pear Orchard owner Marcel Morin reinforces an earthen berm across his driveway on Friday, April 27. Morin’s orchard was partially flooded after a culvert plugged up and caused Barcelo Creek to spill down Upper Bench Road last week. The waters have since subsided, but damage to the road surface kept a short section of Upper Bench closed to through traffic into this week.
Contributed by the Ministry of Labour, Citizen’s Services and Open Government Emergency workers will be able to access information about potential disease exposure with legislation introduced April30 by the Honourable Margaret MacDiarmid, Minister of Labour, Citizens’ Services and Open Government. The nature of the work done by emergency personnel means they are at a higher risk of coming into contact with other peoples’ bodily substances. This puts them in a situation where they can be exposed to serious communicable diseases like HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C. The Emergency Intervention Disclosure Act will: - Enable emergency workers and Good Samaritans to get a court order to require individuals to give a bodily fluid sample, if one is not given voluntarily. - Protect privacy by assuring information is shared in confidence only. - Set penalties for non-compliance of testing orders and privacy provisions. - Establish a presumption of disease exposure for first responders seeking workers’ compensation benefits.
Lower Similkameen experiences some flood damage after warm temperatures, heavy rains By Steve Arstad news@keremeosreview.com Barcello Creek flooded its bank in Cawston last week, after several days of warm temperatures and heavy rains on April 26. Argo Road Maintenance was called to the scene on Thursday, April 26, after being told that the creek was spilling down the side of the roadway. Barcelo Creek crosses Upper Bench Road via two culverts, which had both
plugged up with debris carried down by the rising waters. The ditch was cleared, but plugged up again early in the evening on the 26th. Argo returned to the scene and had been working to build berms and contain the water. At least two properties along Upper Bench had their driveway access cut off by the flood, and the road remained closed to through traffic between Becks Road and Daly Drive on Monday of this week. The property of Gold Pear Orchard was probably most affected by the errant watercourse. The creek was running
through the orchard until Argo was able to build a berm across the low portion of the orchard fronting the roadway. The water then appeared to run harmlessly into a marsh to the north of the Gold Pear property. According to a property owner at the scene, Argo is looking at the possibility of installing a single large culvert to replace the two small ones underneath Upper Bench Road. The resident said that the flooding issue is a perennial one, albeit not usually to the extent and severity of this year’s event.