KOBAU BREAKDOWN
WEATHER RELATED WOES
RDOS directors updated on communications failure See page 3
FIRST MEETING OF SVPS
Village maintenance staff make way after last week’s snow See page 9
Planning society starts year in Cawston See page 5
Review E H
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www.keremeosreview.com PM Agreement #40012521
Vol.15 Number 3
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Serving the communities of Keremeos, Cawston, Okanagan Falls and Kaleden
$1.15 including HST
Generous local donations result in big payoff for Cawston Food Bank Valley First collects 19,000 pounds of food, shatters 6,500 pound goal Valley First press release During 2012, Valley First shattered its 6,500 pound target by collecting more than 19,000 pounds of food for food banks across the Okanagan, Similkameen and Thompson valleys. In recognition of its 65th anniversary, in February 2012, Valley First challenged its employees and communities to collect 6,500 pounds of food in its Feed the Valley challenge. The branch that collected the most food on the way to that target would net $6,500 for their local food bank partners. After surpassing that initial target in less than four months with the Valley First Armstrong branch leading the charge collecting 1,950 of food, Valley First re-issued the challenge offering another $6,500 for food collected until the end of the year. The lion’s share of the 19,000 pounds of food donations was collected by the small Similkameen town, Keremeos. In 12 months, the branch raised close to 12,000 pounds of food and netted $6,500 for the Cawston and Area Food Bank.
Photo by Steve Arstad
The Grist Mill provides a picturesque setting for a winter scene in the Similkameen. BC Heritage has received four expressions of interest regarding future operations of the Grist Mill and Gardens.
Directors motion intends to sort out mail collection change By Steve Arstad news@keremeosreview.com The regional district board of directors want to stamp out recent changes to Canada Post mail collection out of the Okanagan and Similkameen valleys. Oliver rural Director Allan Patton brought the changes to the attention of the board, which involves the collection of mail from local post offices in the regional district. Instead of going to Kelowna for sorting, mail now goes to Vancouver and back - adding significantly to the number of days a piece of mail can take to get from one
local community to another, such as Oliver to Osoyoos. “Are local post offices in danger of closing?” he asked. A number of other directors agreed the change in delivery was for the worse. Oliver Director Ron Hovanes agreed that post offices were being put at risk by the change, stating that it was a regional district issue to ask Canada Post what their intentions were. Patton put forward a director’s motion to have staff research future intentions of Canada Post in the regional district, which carried. The board will also invite Penticton MP Dan Albas to come before the board to speak to the matter.