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MERRITT HERALD FREE
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2013 • MERRITT NEWSPAPERS
Singing the blues this Valentine’s Day By Emily Wessel THE HERALD
reporter@merrittherald.com
The SaySo Expression Society is getting into the swing of Valentine’s Day by playing host to Kamloops blues band Sabrina Weeks and Swing Cat Bounce. Powerhouse singer and frontwoman Weeks said the band had the date available and was eager to play at the Culture Club on Granite Avenue after receiving a warm reception there in July. “Last time we played there, there was such a good energy and the audience was really engaged, so we knew we really wanted to play there again,” Weeks said over the phone from Toronto, where she is performing in an Etta James tribute concert. “Everyone was really good to us, and we felt so valued.” The band will play some tunes from its new album Got my Eye on You, which will be released on March 2. Weeks said she will bring tickets to sell for anybody who wants to go to the album release party at Kamloops’ Plaza Hotel.
See ‘New album’ Page 3
Kamloops blues band Sabrina Weeks and Swing Cat Bounce are set to perform in Merritt at the Culture Club on Granite Avenue on Valentine’s Day. Photo submitted
Lali tenth highest travel spender among MLAs The New Democrat says he is allotted one of the highest budgets because of his location By Phillip Woolgar THE HERALD
newsroom@merrittherald.com
Fraser-Nicola NDP MLA Harry Lali was in the top 10 of travel expense spenders of his 85 peers. The B.C. government released the quarterly MLA expense report Thursday, which
The Perfect
recorded Lali’s travel expenses at $50,370 for the nine-month period beginning in April 2012. That’s just $564 less than what New Democrat Party leader Adrian Dix spent in the same period. “It’s cost-in, costout,” Lali said. “It’s not like MLAs are making a huge profit
‘Rural MLAs ... have to drive greater distances.’ —FRASER-NICOLA MLA HARRY LALI
and it’s going into their pockets.” He said legislature allots a higher travel
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budget to rural MLAs because of increased travel expenses. Lali is classified in the highest category for funding requirement. He said much of the expenses went toward attending functions in the constituency, and participating in caucus meetings in Vancouver and government duties Before
in Victoria. “Rural MLAs, in order to get to Vancouver and Victoria, where most of the legislative duties and caucus meetings take place, have to drive greater distances,” he said. “In the case of Victoria, most fly and we have to take two
flights — Kamloops to Vancouver and Vancouver to Victoria, and that obviously adds to the costs.” As critic for municipalities and rural development, Lali has other areas where he needs to travel, he noted. According to the report, Lali spent
$9,000 on accommodations, $8,685 on in-constituency travel, and $26,827 on general travel. While Lali finished in the top 12 per cent of spenders, those further away from Victoria generally spent more.
See ‘Disclosure’ P. 4
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