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SPOTL SPOT SPOTLIGHT LIGHT
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The Similkameen
Volume 65 Issue 31
Wednesday, August 5, 2015
Proudly serving the community since 1948 • www.similkameenspotlight.com
We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage.
Driver airlifted after crash
Andrea DeMeer
Rescue workers from Princeton, Hedley and Keremeos responded to the accident on Highway 3 just east of Bromley Rock.
An elderly man was airlifted by helicopter from the side of Highway 3 East Wednesday morning after the vehicle he was driving left the road and plunged down the bank towards the Similkameen River. The accident occurred about one kilometer east of Bromley Rock. Princeton Highway Rescue and firefighters from Keremeos and Hedley responded and worked for at least one hour to extract the man from his vehicle. A passenger in the car received minor injuries. Traffic on the highway was held up intermittently for approximately two hours. RCMP were not available to comment on the cause of the accident, or on the man’s condition.
Rainbow crosswalk draws mixed reactions Andrea DeMeer Spotlight Staff
The woman behind Princeton’s new rainbow crosswalk was inspired to present the idea to town council by a downtown business owner, Trish Coyne, who recently gave her storefront a bright new paint job. “Together with their neighbor’s store it gave a spark to that side of the street,” said Nienke Klaver, a local artist. Noting the idea came around the time of the wellpublicized US Supreme Court decision to allow gay marriage she said: “I thought it would be nice to add even more color to Bridge Street and have a rainbow crosswalk.” The crosswalk, between the post office and Veteran’s Square, was completed last week after council after approved the $2,000 expenditure. Klaver acknowledged the colorful statement has received mixed reviews. “Initially there were only two or three people who did not like the idea, however once town council had agreed to the proposal the idea seemed to become
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more controversial and there as a fair amount of commenting, debating, agreeing and disagreeing,” she said. “Some people were upset that they did not have a vote about spending $2,000 of taxpayers’ money. Other people did not feel comfortable with this particular symbol. However many people expressed that they felt more included because of this symbol.” Kevin Huey, director of infrastructure, said the town office has received only positive comments about the crosswalk. “People have been quite happy about it,” he said. Huey noted the crosswalk is not created out of street grade paint, as it is not manufactured in rainbow colors. Huey could not predict how long the acrylic paint will last. Klaver said she was pleased with council’s quick action on her request. “I think Town Council saw an opportunity to give a message of all-inclusiveness without it having to cost us a lot of money. I really appreciate Town Council’s decision to go ahead with this project,” she said.
Andrea DeMeer
Local artist Nienke Klaver and her husband Ed Staples try out the town’s new rainbow crosswalk. Klaver was the author of the letter petitioning council to paint the street “rainbow.”