daily townsman / daily bulletin
Opinion/Events
Thursday, April 18, 2013 Page 7
What’s Up?
KIMBERLEY AND CRANBROOK COMMUNITY CALENDAR
SUBMITTED
Pictured, left to right: BC AMTA Program Coordinator Robin Mann, Program Manager and Instructor Suzanne Pederson, students Darren Williams, Shaylene Osborne and Jesse Thomas and Program Coach Dale Pound.
College celebrates introduction to trades grads Submit ted
On Friday, April 12 participants in an Introduction to Trades program at College of the Rockies celebrated their graduation. Shaylene Osborne, Darren Williams, Jesse Thomas and Ashley Casimer all successfully completed the 11week program. The training, a partnership between College of the Rockies and the British Columbia Aboriginal Mine Training Association (BC AMTA) was part of
BC AMTA’s mandate to recruit, assess and train Aboriginal candidates for careers in the mining sector. Participants were given the opportunity to spend two weeks in each of five trades – Carpentry, Electrical, Heavy Duty/Automotive Mechanics, Welding and Millwright where they were able to benefit from practical knowledge and experience. Students also received training in first aid, forklift operation, fall protection, Work-
place Hazardous Materials Information System and Transportation of Dangerous Goods. College of the Rockies’ Trades Department Head Kim Buchan says, “The program instructors were impressed with this group of students as they were very motivated and hard-working. We hope that the exposure they received to the different trades programs the College offers will aid in their career path decisions.” As indication of the success
of the program, all four graduates are looking to continue their training in various Trades at College of the Rockies. “Helping candidates to move forward in their lives and to achieve success is our goal. We are so proud of these four individuals and all they have achieved,” noted BC AMTA Program Manager and Instructor Suzanne Pederson. For more information go to www.bcamta.ca or www.cotr. bc.ca/trades.
The literary beat
Restoring faith in humanity This is the latest in a series of submissions from Carrie Blais’s Creative Writing class at Mount Baker Secondary School in Cranbrook.
W
By Jessic a Zulps
e thrive on sadness. There is so much bad publicity these days, there’s barely any time for the good things that happen in our world. Headlines are roaring with deaths, shootings, bullying, and destruction. Society gobbles up all the bad news they can get; humanity thrives upon other’s sorrow. There’s a German word that sums it up nicely, schadenfreude, which roughly means getting pain from other’s misfortune; and isn’t that truly what we do? I work in retail, and I’ve decided that it’s time we shine some light on good things that happen in our community. A customer of mine was telling me of some hardships he’d undergone recently, and warned me that is was likely he’d have to put a couple things back on the shelf in order to afford everything. It really tugged at my heartstrings to see someone many years older than me, struggling just to live life. I realized at that moment that I’m lucky to have everything I do in my life, and I’m sure the people in line behind this man were thinking exactly the same thing. To my surprise, when my customer realized he had to put some items back, the man behind him in line pulled out some money and handed it to him – without even thinking about reimbursement or benefit to himself.
It really amazed me to know that there are some people in this town — on this earth — that are completely heartless and will do anything to help someone who is struggling. It made my day to witness this act of kindness, and I’m sure it made my customers entire year to be the receiver of such a selfless gift. People like him act from the bottom of their heart, and their kindness will have such a lasting impact on all that they come in contact with. We really need to take time to focus on the good in the world, instead of putting all the bad in the spotlight. Although many will say we are un-sacrificing beings, we all still have the ability to act for the wellness of others. Helping others doesn’t just mean with money, so acts of kindness can still be carried out from the heart, not just the pocket. Whether it’s mowing someone else’s lawn, or helping to carry groceries, every little thing would help. People have no idea the outcome their act of kindness will have on the recipient’s life, or on their own. Since what goes around tends to come around, by doing good for others, good will often come your way as well. The ratio of ‘bad news’ articles to ‘good news’ articles is hugely disproportionate. Although tragic events make for good stories, the papers shouldn’t be filled to the brim with merely just catastrophic deal-
ings. Everyone needs a good dose of philanthropic news, and perhaps if people were more exposed to stories such as those it would result in a more caring, benevolent community as a whole. No harm can possibly come from doing good for others, and if we all start to think about our peers as opposed to just ourselves we could really start to turn the world around. Although we shouldn’t spend all of our time focusing on others and using up all of our resources and energy on other people, we also shouldn’t squander all our time on ourselves. There is a balance that can be found, and if that stability is found I believe it is true that our community would thrive. I just gave one example of a selfless act, but there are many more that we all could do just to contribute in turning someone’s day around; and since helping others doesn’t have to involve money like in my example, there is no excuse for not taking time out of our days to lend a helping hand. We, as a community, can help change our world one step at a time just by helping others. By focusing less on ourselves, and a little more on others, we really can help change some lives. Acts of kindness can brighten lives, and even make ourselves feel better in the process. Jessica Zulps is a student at Mount Baker Secondary School in Cranbrook..
UPCOMING Jubilee Chapter #64, OES, will be meeting at 7:30 PM, Monday, April 22, 2013. All members are invited to attend and meet the new slate of officers. The Cranbrook Early Years Fair. Monday, April 22 from 9 am to noon at Gordon Terrace Elementary–facepainting, balloon fun with PT the Clown, storytime, play space for kids 0-5 years old, info about programs for families for parents. Theresa at 250-9196499 or cranbrookecd@gmail.com Kimberley District Heritage Society/Museum meeting April 23rd at 7 pm in the Museum/library building. Please Use REAR ENTRANCE. Members and Public Welcome! Whoa! Did y’all hear? Kimberley Gymnastics is having a Family Fundraiser BARN Dance! Grab your Cowboy Hat n’ Boots & Come On Down for a Kickin’ Good Ole Time! Music, Dancing, Drinks n’ Grub! Yer in fer Good Old fashioned Family Fun! Saturday, April 27, 2013 at the Kimberley Elks Club, 6:00 to 10:00 pm Have Camera Will Travel.... Join Kaity Brown for her travelogue presentation “Exploring Ancient Temples and Ashrams in India” at Centre 64 on Tuesday, April 30 at 7:30 pm. Admission by donation. Proceeds to Kimberley Arts Council & Expansion Project. 2013 FREE PUBLIC SWIM Wednesday, May 1st, 5:00-6:00 PM is sponsored by Kootenay Monument Installations. Cranbrook Legion, Neil Diamond Tribute Show featuring Joey Purpura. May 2nd 2013, 8 pm. Tickets in the Club room. Info: 250426-4512. Scotiabank MS Walk - Sunday May 5. Register at www.mswalks.ca, call 1-800-268-7582 or contact Cyndie at 250-426-0020. Enjoy a great day in The Fight Against MS. Volunteers are also welcomed. Cranbrook Kimberley Hospice Society holds its third “Evening to Remember” fundraiser 7:00 pm, May 5, 2013 at Idlewild Park. Further information at www.ckhospice.com or call 250-417-2019 or toll free 1-855-417-2019. 2013 FREE FAMILY SWIM Wednesday, May 15th, 6:00-7:00 PM is sponsored by RCMP Speed Watch. Children 18 years & under must be accompanied by an adult. ONGOING The Compassionate Friends meet 2nd Tuesday each month at 4:00pm at the East Kootenay Child Care Resource and Referral Boardroom (in the Baker Street Mall parking lot) Info: call Laura @ 250 489-1000/Diane @ 250 489-0154 Do you have the desire to stop eating compulsively? OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS (a 12-Step Program) meets Tuesdays from 7-8 pm at Cranbrook United Church, 2-12 S. S., downstairs. Contact: cranbrookoa@hotmail.com. The Council of Senior Citizens Organizations (COSCO) is an advocacy group devoted to improving “The Quality Of Life” for all seniors. To become a member contact Ernie Bayer, ph 604-576-9734, fax 604-576-9733, email ecbayer@shaw.ca. The Cranbrook Kimberley Hospice Society seeks volunteers to help us provide services to persons at the end of life and their families. Training is provided. Call 250-417-2019, Toll Free 1-855-417-2019 if interested. Royal Canadian Legion Branch 24; Friday Meat Draw: 4:30- 6:30, Saturday Meat Draw: 3:30-5:30. Cranbrook Quilters’ Guild hold their meetings on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays each month at 7:15 pm upstairs in Seniors Hall, 125-17th Ave. S. All skill levels welcome. FMI Betty 250-489-1498 or June 250-426-8817. Mark Creek Lions “Meet and Greet” the 1st and 3rd Wednesday, from 6:00-6:30 pm. Dinner to follow at Western Lodge. FMI: 250-427-5612 or 427-7496. The Cranbrook Senior Floor Curling is looking for new members. Curling is Monday and Wednesday afternoons, upstairs in the Curling Rink. Info: Dave at 250-426-5387. KIMBERLEY North Star Quilters meet 2nd and 4th Monday of each month at 7pm downstairs Centennial Hall, 100 4th Avenue. Everyone welcome. Info: Carol at 250-427-7935 or Joan at 250-427-4046. Learn to Fish @ Kootenay Trout Hatchery! Come on out to the hatchery pond for this opportunity – great for all ages. Call now to book a session (250) 429-3214. Open now through the end of August! Tours also available. Tai Chi Moving Meditation every Wednesday 3-4 pm at Centre 64. Starts November 7th. Call Adele 250-427-1939. Special Olympics BC – Kimberley/Cranbrook now has an Active Start! Active Start is for children with intellectual disabilities ages 2-6, teaching basic motor skills through fun, positive experiences.Thursdays, 10-11am at Kimberley Aquatic Centre ** Transportation available. Call Julia 427.3324 or Cyra 250.919.0757 Registration for Cranbrook Minor Ball is available online at www.cranbrookminorball.net and at Player’s Bench until the end of March 2013. Cranbrook Senior Centre, Branch 11 holding their meetings every third Thursday a month. 1:30pm at the hall. We always welcome new members. Place your notice in your “What’s Up?” Community Calendar FREE of charge. This column is intended for the use of clubs and non-profit organizations to publicize their coming events — provided the following requirements are met: • Notices will be accepted two weeks prior to the event. • All notices must be emailed, faxed or dropped off in person. No telephone calls please. • NOTICES SHOULD NOT EXCEED 30 WORDS. • Only one notice per week from any one club or organization. • All notices must be received by the Thursday prior to publication • There is no guarantee of publication. Notices will run subject to space limitations.
CRANBROOK TOWNSMAN & KIMBERLEY BULLETIN COMMUNITY CALENDAR
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