NEW CITY WEBSITE PAGE 2 merrittherald.com
SCHOOL ZONE TRAFFIC PAGE 3
CENTS ISLAND SWEEP PAGE 17
Nicola Valley’s News Voice Since 1905
bcclassified.com
MERRITT HERALD FREE
THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2013 • MERRITT NEWSPAPERS
Council debates $86,000 in charity requests By Phillip Woolgar THE HERALD
newsroom@merrittherald.com
Fraser-Nicola MLA candidates Liberal Jackie Tegart (L) and incumbent New Democrat MLA Harry Lali are squaring off for B.C.’s May election. File photos
Fraser-Nicola candidates square off By Phillip Woolgar THE HERALD
newsroom@merrittherald.com
As B.C.’s May election looms, FraserNicola MLA candidates are squaring off in what could be a close battle for constituency supremacy. Fraser-Nicola NDP MLA Harry Lali doled out the first challenge, saying the BC Liberals’ approach to nominate the area’s new candidate was “heavyhanded.” Lali’s statement comes nearly two weeks after the BC Liberal Party announced Jackie Tegart as the party’s Fraser-Nicola
MLA candidate in the upcoming election. “There is a clearly established pattern of the BC Liberals’ heavyhandedness with local nominations,” he said. Lali said his fellow New Democrats share the view of a flawed Liberal nomination process that goes against democracy. He said candidates shouldn’t be selected by “party leaders and party brass.” He noted several Liberal candidates in the past who were “dumped” in favour of other candidates, and Tegart’s Jan. 16 announcement as party candidate came 10 days
before local Liberals were invited to nominate their Fraser-Nicola leader in Ashcroft. That invitation, Lali said, was only a formality. But according to Tegart, the selection process is open. “People are encouraged to put their names forward,” she said in response to Lali’s statement. “In the short timeframe, I don’t think it’s a surprise, because it’s a big commitment and I don’t see anything wrong with the way the nomination process was carried out.” She said competition was welcome. Lali also criticized
The Perfect M E R R I T T Independently owned and operated
REAL ESTATE LISTINGS INSIDE Ph: 250-378-6181 1988 Quilchena Ave.
Tegart for “remaining silent” during her time as a former president of the B.C. School Trustees’ Association when more than 200 schools were closed over the Gordon Campbell/Clark premierships. Tegart responded, saying school boards have made decisions to close schools based on declining enrolment. “Certainly the school board in our area has lobbied long and hard to ensure quality education for kids in the area,” she said. “We know the importance of schools to communities, but we
NEW
Before
also know the reality of declining enrolment and so school boards are struggling to keep schools open in communities, but they are working with communities and parents and looking for the best solutions within the budgets that they receive.” Lali went on to say he welcomes the competition for the seat as MLA in the FraserNicola, but he added Tegart will have to answer for the “destruction of the social and economic fabric of British Columbia by the Campbell/Clark Liberals.”
The City of Merritt administration and council reviewed 25 grant applications last week, approving at least 14 of the 25 requests. Several other grants that contribute to the $86,000 in requests are still being decided. Nearly $31,000 was dedicated, with another $29,000 in limbo. The most substantial request was for a $20,000 renovation grant to the Merritt Curling Centre. That funding will only be approved if the Curling Club receives a grant from Western Economic Diversification Canada for a reported $35,000. Coun. Mike ‘It’s in bad Goetz was the only naysayer shape and in the motion, this needs to which he said needed more be done.’ —MERRITT CITY investigation before dedicatCOUNCILLOR ing such a large ALASTAIR MURDOCH amount. “I’m not ready to spend $20,000 on someone else’s building,” he said. The Curling Centre, which is on Mamette Avenue, was built from donations collected by members of the Merritt Curling Club, city officials said. However, the city owns the land under the building. According to the city’s chief administrative officer Matt Noble, the community benefits from the buildings, but the ownership isn’t known. “There is no question that this group provides a facility that most communities provide through the parks and rec department,” he said.
See ‘Curling’ Page 3
After
DIY INSTALL
Design & Build Your Own Staircase
Everything you need to Replace, Repair, Revive, Refine or Reinvent
1701 Voght St., Merritt, B.C. (250) 378-4215 Exclusively Home Hardware
www.merritthomehardware.ca