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MERRITT HERALD FREE
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2013 • MERRITT NEWSPAPERS
Beet juice saves about $7,000 By Emily Wessel THE HERALD
reporter@merrittherald.com
KA BOOM The Culture Club on Granite Avenue was bouncing on Friday night when The Boom Booms had the audience on their feet during a special SaySo Expression Society concert. The reggae-style Vancouver band had the venue packed from wall to wall. Emily Wessel/Herald
The city’s first winter of using a beet juice solution and salt brine to de-ice streets saved an estimated $7,000 on sand and labour in November and December, City of Merritt Public Works Superintendent Darrell Finnigan said. The beet juice mixture and the salt brine cost about $1,500, compared to about $3,800 for the 27 loads of sand it would’ve taken to do the same 11 jobs. Unlike sand, the beet juice and brine solutions don’t require
‘It did go fairly well this year and we’re hoping to expand it next year...’ —MERRITT PUBLIC WORKS SUPERINTENDENT DARRELL FINNIGAN
cleanup, which Finnigan said saved the city even more on labour. He estimated the city saved nearly $5,000 and 55 hours of labour needed to clean up the sand come spring.
See ‘Salt brine’ Page 6
Kite festival a step closer to taking off NVCAC director says the council needs to secure a grant before plans catch enough wind By Phillip Woolgar THE HERALD
newsroom@merrittherald.com
A community arts group is looking to take advantage of the active winds in the Nicola Valley this summer. The Nicola Valley Community Arts Council is optimistic it will host Lighter than Air Fair on Sept. 21 and 22. City of Merritt council agreed on Feb. 12 to fund $1,500 in-
kind for the festival if the group is able secure provincial funding. “I want to support it because this isn’t anything like the [Great Canadian Bike Rally],” Coun. Dave Baker said. “If this is successful, we are in a position to have something great here.” Before the city fully supports the event, the leisure services
‘I’m hoping there will be families with little kids, teaching them how to make kites...’ —NICOLA VALLEY ARTS COUNCIL DIRECTOR KATHI DALHQUIST-GRAY consider in terms of department will have to complete a logistical location.” Organizers have analysis. been looking at “The kite festival is an interesting idea and Central Park as the a great event to explore prime spot. Plotnikoff stressed further,” Leisure that his department Services Manager also needs to investiLarry Plotnikoff said. gate safety before the “But there is a lot to
city can approve the event. As an Arts Council director, Kathi Dalhquist-Gray said she’s been attempting to gain approval of the festival from the NVCAC since 2008. After finally gaining their support, the group approached the city. “I think the city realized with the failure of the Mountainfest and with
the [Great Canadian Bike Rally] that they needed to do something that was home grown and more family-oriented,” she said. “That was the whole purpose of it, because it’s cross-cultural and it’s inexpensive for people to participate in.” If approved, the event will feature kitemaking workshops, history lessons about kites and, of course, kite
flying. Detailed plans haven’t been determined. “It’s actually pretty exciting,” DalhquistGray said. “I was really happy that people were finally interested in it, because it’s not only the people in Merritt who are interested, many people in the towns around Merritt are also into it, including Kamloops.”
See ‘Pro kite’ Page 6