THE www.keremeosreview.com PM Agreement #40012521
Review Vol.16 Number 49
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Thursday, December 4, 2014
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Serving the communities of Keremeos, Cawston, Okanagan Falls and Kaleden
Weather creates havoc for village Tara Bowie Review Staff
Rapid wet snowfall and freezing temperatures wreaked havoc last week as drivers adjusted to conditions on area roads. Keremeos RCMP Cpl. Mike Gallagher said 10 collisions occurred within the span of just a few hours during the first significant snow of the season last Tuesday. “It started happening around 3 p.m. Or 3:15 p.m. Call one came in and then the second one came in and then so on,” Gallagher said. “It was a bigger storm than usual. The snow came so fast and accumulated on the roads.” Of the 10 collisions, mainly involving vehicles in ditches, just one truck driver needed to be transported to hospital. An RCMP officer worked well into the early hours of Wednesday morning to help keep the public safe as downed power lines started occurring throughout the area. “We got the roads under control and then the power lines started coming down. It just got so wet and heavy that the lines were coming down in at least three spots.” he said. No roads in the area had to be closed down because of snow accumulation or downed power lines. Crews around the village were kept busy cleaning area streets, CAO Laurie Taylor said. The night of the storm, Tuesday, the village’s sander/plow and plow were out until 11
Submitted photo
Keremeos RCMP responded to 10 collisions last Tuesday during the first snow storm of the year.
p.m. and then back in at 5 a.m. Wednesday. A contractor came in to help clean up as well. “It was a non-expected snow fall but on the whole I think our guys did great,” Taylor said. “They were pretty tired by the end of Wednesday.” Mayor Manfred Bauer also applauded the
staff for their hard work. “It came down so heavy, so wet, so fast. Considering the amount that came down they did a great job. It’s not going to be perfect when we get that much coming down at once,” he said. Mac Watson, who owns Double Diamond
Handyman Services, a renovation, landscaping and snow removal business in Keremeos, was still busy trying to catch up with the snow in parking lots Thursday. He worked late Tuesday night, was up again working at 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday and wasn’t sure how late he’d have to work Thursday as he still had quite a few lots to finish. “I’ll tell you we got more snow this storm than we did all last winter,” he said while taking a short break from plowing. In addition to downed power lines that did not get restored for some customers in areas outside the village until Thursday, cell service was interrupted for many customers Wednesday, Thursday and for some unlucky ones into Friday. The weather and snow accumulation made it difficult for technicians to get to the location of the area’s cell tower. Tyson Schmauder from Keremeos Taxi was busy shuttling people to and from appointments and running errands throughout the week but was finding it a bit difficult to find cell service. On Thursday he’d found a small sliver of service near the orchard behind the gas station headed out of town. “I have to tell people when they get me that when I leave to pick them up I won’t be able to call them or get calls if anything goes wrong,” he said with a smile. “Everyone’s been great - really understandable.”
Council divides duties at inaugural meeting Review Staff
It was a low key event as the newly elected village council held the inaugural meeting Monday night. A group of about 10 people gathered to watch as new council members took the oath and held a brief meeting. “Congratulations to the new and incumbent council members on their election. I am very much looking forward to working with you through this term,” Mayor Manfred Bauer said in his inaugural address. “There will be no time to rest. We have plenty of tasks and challenges ahead of us.” Bauer, along with councillors
Jason Wiebe, Jeremy Evans, Sherry Philpott-Adhikary and Arlene Arlow read aloud the oath of office in front of the CAO Laurie Taylor, village staff and about 10 audience members. Bauer then presided over the first council meeting of the new term. The agenda was brief and included council appointments and a report on the official results from the election. Mayor Bauer will act as the appointee on the Community Forest, Keremeos Irrigation District, Village of Keremeos – Water Advisory Committee, Liquid Waste continued page 7
Tara Bowie
Keremeos village councillors took their oaths at the inaugural meeting of the new four-year term Monday. Left to right, Jason Wiebe, Arlene Arlow, Mayor Manfred Bauer, Sherry Philpott-Adhikary and Jeremy Evans.