Cranbrook Daily Townsman, September 17, 2015

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The Way Of The Future (circa 1964) Amphicar is still the fastest car on the water, fastest boat on the road A RNE P E TRYS HEN

It’s the fastest car on the water and the fastest boat on the road. Scott Panattoni’s amphicar could be seen last week floating on Hahas Lakes, near Kimberley. The amphicars were in production from 1961 to 1967. U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson was said to enjoy surprising unsuspecting passengers by driving into the lake at his ranch shouting about a brake malfunction. Panottoni’s grandfather bought one of the German produced amphicars new in 1964. His grandfather had lived in Invermere and a year after buying the amphicar, he and Panottoni’s father were out on the lake and the wheel bearing failed. “You couldn’t get parts for them,” Panottoni said. “So he parked his for 15 years.” Panottoni’s grandfather

Scott Panattoni and friends hit the waters of Hahas Lake for a little Sunday driving. bought the one he has now for parts around 1980, when Panottoni was 15. “The guy that owned the one that I have was an amphicar dealer and it came

with a bunch of spare parts, including the wheel bearing for my grandfather’s,” he said. “So he put the used wheel bearing in his and then he had this used am-

RCMP charge Alberta Amber Alert suspect with two counts of first-degree murder C ANADIAN PRESS

BLAIRMORE, Alta. - Police have charged a man with murder in the deaths of a two-year-old southern Alberta girl and her father. RCMP say Derek James Saretzky, 22, of Blairmore, Alta., faces two courts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Terry Blanchette, 27, and his daughter Hailey Dunbar-Blanchette, who was the subject of an Amber Alert earlier in the week. “Mr. Saretzky also faces one count of indignity to a human body in relation to Hailey’s death,” Supt. Tony Hamori said Wednesday. The body of the girl was found on Tuesday in a rural area near Blairmore, 170 km east of Cran-

brook. The tragedy began to unfold early Monday morning when Hailey’s father was killed in his home and his daughter was taken away in a speeding white van. Police said they have found a van that they believe is connected to the case. Hamori said Saretzky and Blanchette knew each other, but wouldn’t provide further details. “The RCMP extends its deepest condolences to the Blanchette and Dunbar family with respect to Hailey and Terry’s loss, and to all those who knew them and to the citizens of Blairmore,” he said. Saretzky is to appear in Lethbridge court on Sept. 23.

STEWART WILSON PHOTO

phicar sitting there, so I The amphicar model was could do in the water and bought it when I was 16 and known as the 770, which the 70 mph it could achieve gave it to my dad as a birth- stood for the seven knots it on the road. day present.” His father left him the See THE ROAD LESS TRAVELLED, Page 5 amphicar in his will.

Pratt updates Chamber on the state of the city TRE VOR CR AWLEY

Despite economic challenges facing communities across the country, Cranbrook is making progress on a number of issues, according to Mayor Lee Pratt, in an annual State of the City address to the Cranbrook Chamber of Commerce. Pratt touched on a number of issues such as the housing market, business licenses, economic development, city budgeting, operations at the Canadian Rockies International Airport, tourism and the dredging of

Idlewild Lake. With figures provided by Jason Wheeldon, of Royal LePage East Kootenay Realty, Pratt noted that sales vary within the different price ranges of single-family dwellings. “Currently there are 116 single-family dwellings offered for sale on Multiple Listings in Cranbrook and our local market, I have to say, is affected by commodity prices. We do expect demand to erode slightly with the decline in consumer confidence and further layoffs in the commodity

MAYOR LEE PRATT based sectors such as oil and gas and the coal and mining up north,” Pratt said. There are currently 109 building permits be-

tween residential and commercial construction in Cranbrook, with year-to-date construction costs at $5.9 million. Last year’s YTD costs were $27.9 million, but that is mainly due to the ICU expansion up at the East Kootenay Regional Hospital. There is currently one 93-lot subdivision under construction with three housing developments pending in very early stages that have the potential to add 61 more units.

See MAYOR, Page 3


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