Thursday, September 12, 2013 The Journal
COMMUNITY
A 12 www.ash-cache-journal.com
Fewer forest fires in BC this summer by Tom Fletcher Black Press B.C. has emerged from one of its sunnier summers in recent years with a below-average number of forest fires. As of Sept. 1, the B.C. government’s wildfire management branch record 1,687 reported wildfires for the season, compared to an average year of nearly 2,000 fires. This year’s fires burned a total of 11,434 Part of the fire camp for the Spatsum Creek Fire in May hectares, far less than the
average damage of more than 130,000 hectares. Wet weather returned with school to large parts of the province, after a sunny summer that saw several dry-weather records set. For the first time since records were kept, Vancouver airport recorded no rain for the entire month of July. The number of reported fires so far this year is slightly higher than the total for last year, but the total area burned in 2012
Community Volunteer Groups The Royal Canadian Legion #113
301 Brink St., Ashcroft, BC V0K 1A0 Phone: 250-453-2423 Fax # 250-453-9625
South Cariboo Elizabeth Fry Society
601 Bancroft St. Box 603, Ashcroft, BC V0K 1A0 250-453-9656
Ashcroft and District Fall Fair Contact Person: Janna 250-457-6614 Contact Person: Jessica 250-457-7128
Sage & Sand Pony Club
District Commissioner: Marcie Down sageandsandspc@hotmail.com
regions as dry conditions were relieved. Despite public information campaigns and open burning restrictions, provincial statistics continue to show about 40 per cent of wildfires are human caused, with most of the rest sparked by lightning. The relatively quiet fire season allowed B.C. to send crews to help battle wildfires in Washington, Montana and Idaho during August.
Long hours of training needed to enter competition
Ashcroft-Cache Creek Rotary Club
Contact Person: Denise Fiddick Phone 250-453-9547
Desert Spokes Cycle Society Phone 250-457-9348
Ashcroft Curling Club Phone 250-453-2341
Soups On
St. Alban’s Anglican Church Hall, 501 Brink Street Tel: 250-453-9909 or 250-453-2053 - All Welcome
Ducks Unlimited Canada
Ashcroft & District Rodeo Association Phone: 250-457-9390
Ashcroft/Cache Creek Volunteer Chapter Phone 250-374-8307
Ashcroft Volunteer Fire Department
Ashcroft and Masonic Lodge Zarthan Lodge No#105
Cache Creek Volunteer Fire Department
Contact Person: Fred Dewick
was nearly 10 times greater. The province spent $133 million on firefighting last year, a total that should be much lower when the bills are added up for 2013. Open burning remains banned for the Southeast Fire Centre region until as late as Sept. 20. Campfire bans were lifted Aug. 26 for the Kamloops and Coastal Fire Centre regions, and earlier in the month for the Northwest, Cariboo and Prince George
Phone 250-453-2415
Ashcroft & District Tennis Association Contact Person: Maria Russell Martin Phone 250-453-9391
Phone 250-453-2233
Phone 250-457-9967
South Cariboo Sportsmen Assc. #3366 Attn: Marian Pitt, Box 341, Ashcroft BC V0K 1A0
Ashcroft & District Lions Club
Soccer Association
Contact Person: Lion Vivian Phone 250-453-9077
Contact: Sandi Harry
Ashcroft-Cache Creek Seniors Assc.
Minor Hockey Association
601 Bancroft St., Ashcroft, BC Phone 250-453-9762
Contact: Lewis Kinvig Phone 457-7489 or 299-3229 lewis.kinvig@rona.ca or lewiskinvig@hotmail.com
The Ashcroft & District Health Care Auxiliary Thrift Store
Historic Hat Creek Ranch
347 Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corp
Kinsmen Club of South Cariboo
601 Bancroft St., Ashcroft, BC Phone 250-453-9944 Contact Person: Lt. (N) Curran 250-319-3461 Alexine Johannsson 250-453-2661 email: darrin.curran@cadets.gc.ca
Ashcroft Communities in Bloom
Contact: Jack Jeyes
Phone 250-457-9366
Phone 250-453-2259
Contact Person: Dave 250-453-9062
Cache Creek Recreation Society Contact Person: Jackie
Phone 250-457-9122
Contact Persons: Andrea Walker 250-453-9402 or Marijke Stott 250-453-0050
Ashcroft Royal Purple Phone 250-457-9122
Taoist Tai Chi Contact Person: Danita Howard Phone 250-453-9907 e-mail: dangre@telus.net
Bridging to Literacy Contact Person: Ann Belcham 250-453-9417
Ashcroft Hospice Program
Shirley 250-453-9202 or Marijke 250-453-0050
Winding Rivers Arts and Performance Society Contact Person: Nadine 450.453.9100
The “Purpose of Sunday” Car Club President: Tom Lowe 240-457-6564
SCI Thompson River, B.C. Chapter Ken Brown - Phone: 250-453-9415
Canadian Red Cross - Health Equipment Loan Program (H.E.L.P.)
Ashcroft Yoga Group
Ashcroft Hospital - 250-453-2244
Call Marijke - Phone: 250-453-0050
Desert Bells Handbell Choir
Second Time Around
Carmen Ranta 250-457-9119
201 Railway Ave., Ashcroft BC Anne Bonter 250-457-9781
Sage Sound Singers Adult Community Choir Michelle Reid 250-457-9676
Cache Creek Communities in Bloom Committee Carmen Ranta 250-457-9119
Cache Creek Beautification Society
BC Lung Association Carolyn Chorneychuk, Director 250-453-9683 Email:carelee67@gmail.com
(and Farmers Market) Judy Davison 250-457-6693
Wayne Little with his family at the Whistler Ironman.
along the course cheering you on, it was so much fun. The second 21 km, I didn’t feel so good. This is the part you can’t train for, as you need too much recovery time. I’m digging deep to stay running at any speed, never mind fast. I figure I’ll just walk through the aid stations. Then I figure I’ll just walk on the uphill portions. In the last 5 km or so I can hear the crowds cheering on people across the finish line. I feel a rush hit me and I run fairly fast – well, faster than walking that’s for sure - all the way across the finish line. I finish in 10hrs 32minutes. That’s about 32 minutes short of my goal, and about 27 minutes away from qualifying for Kona. Was I disappointed? Heck no. When I was done running and crossed the Finish Line, it felt like I had been racing forever. At that point, there were people only just starting the run course. It crossed Living from p. 11
my mind that there were 2,000 people who had wished they’d trained and raced like I did. The winner finished two hours in front of me. He’s from Kelowna and has tried to win Ironman for probably half his life. I would like to take this time to say “Sorry” to my friends and family who I either didn’t see, or completely ignored through this season. I would also like to thank my family Juanita, Calvin and Rhea, for putting up with me, my coach Maurice, and my sponsors Runner’s Sole and Taboo Cycles. What’s next? I have one more triathlon I would like to do in Cultus Lake, then I’m going to train to finish a Marathon in three hours. Next year, I’ll be going for the BC Provincial Championships as I’ll be in a new age group. When do I plan on doing Ironman again? Not soon, but in the future, when my children are a little more independent and don’t need “Dad” around as much.