Wednesday January 8, 2014 www.saobserver.net $1.25 GST Included
Final days Region welcomes first baby for petition New year: Evan Martin process born in same By Barb Brouwer OBSeRVeR STAFF
With just two days remaining to voice opposition to a Ross Street underpass land lease proposal, the committee for a Strong and Sustainable Salmon Arm (cASSSA) is hoping to garner enough signatures to stop the deal. The group’s latest strategy is an email they hope will go viral, asking eligible Salmon Arm voters to make their opposition known to the city by the deadline, which is 4 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10. The purpose of the lease is to use the lots for parking or some other public use, including as a staging area for the construction of the Ross Street underpass, estimated by city staff to cost between $7 and 9 million. If the lease is approved, the city will receive from the lessor, WH laird Holdings ltd. – owned by developer Bill laird, statutory right of way along property on both sides of the tracks, including a road dedication the city would also acquire Corey Paiement through a lot between City Corporate offiCer Shuswap Park Mall and the cP Rail station. On Monday, city corporate Officer cory Paiement would acknowledge only that there has been interest in the community, with residents continuing to pick up information packages and submit completed forms. “I won’t disclose numbers since it may influence the process,” he said, emphasizing the deadline for public response is this Friday afternoon. “It has to be date stamped and as we get down to Friday, the time they arrive will also be noted.” After the deadline, Paiement will scrutinize what has been submitted and report to council, something he hopes to do at the Jan. 27 council meeting. “If 10 per cent of the electorate or 1,361 persons have submitted the forms and we have received them, council is unable to enter into the lease agreement,” he said. “If they wanted to proceed, See Deadline on page A2
delivery room as his father. By Barb Brouwer OBSeRVeR STAFF
not only did evan Martin earn celebrity status as Interior Health’s new Year’s baby, he was delivered in the same hospital room his father was born in 38 years ago. In a flip remark to her boss at the Prestige Harbourfront Resort, 33-year-old lyndsay Martin suggested she and husband Allan were thinking of having the new Year’s baby so she might not show up for work Jan. 1. less than 12 hours later, the Salmon Arm couple celebrated the new year with the arrival of their first child, son evan – 10 days before his due date. Beating out all the other babies in Interior Health, evan arrived at 1:15 a.m. Jan. 1, weighing in at 6 lbs 4 oz. “He’s a beautiful little baby and he knows how to cry,” says Allan, obviously entranced with the new addition to the Martin family. “But he’s a good sleeper and we’re thankful for that.” After he called home at the end of the work day dec. 31, Allan expected to see his wife drive up to his workplace within minutes. Instead, lyndsay called back to tell him, “I am not coming; you’re going to have to come and get me.” Fortunately, Allan, who works at GM, simply borrowed a car from the lot and drove home to get
This week Photographer James Murray chooses his favourite images from 2013. See A12. The SilverBacks beat Merritt, but are outmuscled by the Clippers. See more on A17.
James murraY/OBSeRVeR
Happy New Year: Allan and Lyndsay Martin share a tender moment with their son Evan, who arrived at 1:15 a.m. Jan. 1. lyndsay and take her to the hospital. “They checked her out and because she was having minor contractions, they thought it would take longer, so we went home,” says Allan. “But by the time we got back to the house, the contractions were more noticeable.” The couple, who live within five minutes of the hospital, were home for a couple of hours, returning to the hospital at 10:30, where Allan says staff were a little surprised to see them. labour progressed smoothly and lyndsay was “pretty well ready to go” by midnight. “everything is ready at
home,” laughed Allan last Thursday where the couple was preparing to spend one more night in hospital. “lyndsay has been nesting at home for a while.” Allan grew up in Salmon Arm but had moved away. He and lyndsay met four years ago in Revelstoke where she was a ski instructor and he was selling skis. “It was the last day of the ski season and lyndsay’s birthday,” laughs Allan. The couple moved to Salmon Arm about a year ago and married June 21. “We’re really thankful to the staff, they’ve been fantastic,” said lyndsay, who was ready to take her son home.
The couple is also grateful to the Mennonite Sewing circle in Gardom lake from whom they received a handcrafted quilt. Salmon Arm shares a link to Vernon’s new Year’s baby in Grace lynne FreemanPeet, who made her entrance at 10:32 a.m. Wednesday. Her mom nadine is a former Salmon Arm resident. nadine scored a first in Vernon Jubilee Hospital with her daughter who made an early debut, three days before her due date, but it is her second time delivering a new Year’s baby. nadine’s youngest son was born seven days into a new year, becoming Golden’s first baby.
Index Opinion ....................... A6 View Point ............ A7, A8 Life & Times ............. A12 Sports................A15-A17 Arts & Events ... A18-A20 Time Out................... A21 Vol. 107, No. 02, 40 pages