SUMMERLAND REVIEW THE VOICE OF OUR COMMUNITY SINCE 1908
VOLUME
66
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ISSUE
NO.
9
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S U M M E R L A N D,
B.C.
• T H U R S D AY,
WWW.SUMMERLANDREVIEW.COM
FEBRUARY
28,
2013
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20
WHAT’S INSIDE:
Excellence recognized
More photos of Community Excellence Awards.
Pages 10 & 11
Page 6
Robot contest
School robotics team moves on to regionals.
Page 8
Bronze medal
Young martial artist from Summerland places at regional tourney.
Page 14
Happy with season
Bobsleigh team leader thinking of Olympics after good season.
Page 15
Page 8 More awards
Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medals go to Summerland achievers.
Page 3
YOUR SMILE All generalizations are false.
$1.15
INCLUDING
Trail cost drops
HST
by John Arendt
Doctors turn up the heat on hospital expansion.
RCMP responding to more calls, says report to municipal council.
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Rotary Club’s price estimate for multi-use trail $52,000 to $55,000
Physicans push project
Police calls up
PA G E S
Outstanding contributions
Valerie Wright was named Summerland’s Citizen/Volunteer of the Year on Saturday evening. Wright has been active as a community volunteer for many years. She is involved with the Breakfast Club for Learning at Giant’s Head School and the Fruit Tree Project through the Summerland Asset Development Initiative.
Wright honoured for community service by John Arendt
For years, Valerie Wright has volunteered her time with the Giant’s Head School Breakfast Club, the Summerland Asset Development Initiative’s Fruit Tree Project and other efforts. On Saturday, the efforts were recognized as she was named Summerland’s Citizen/Volunteer of the Year. The other nominee for the award was David Gregory, who has been active in pro-
moting and recording local history. Wright said her community involvement is a way of expressing appreciation to the community. “I feel truly blessed to be able to serve this community I love so much,” she said. “This is such a great town. You want to do what you can to make it the best place.” The Breakfast Club for Learning provides meals to any student at the school. It has been in place for the past
12 years. At present, the program feeds between 60 and 70 students a day. Because attendance has been increasing, the school will expand its kitchen to accommodate the number of students in the program. Nesters Market, the sponsor of the award, is also a sponsor of the breakfast program. Wright said receiving the award from Nesters Market manager Leann Sieben made it special.
A new cost estimate for a proposed walking and cycling trail between Lowertown and Trout Creek is considerably lower than earlier figures quoted for the project. Earlier, the cost for the lakeside trail was estimated at $850,000. This cost was for the work involved in preparing and paving the one-kilometre section beside Highway 97. Since that estimate was made, the Summerland Rotary Club has become involved with the project. Garry Hollingshead, a member of the club, said he believes the work can be done for $52,000 to $55,000. Hollingshead’s estimate is for a crushed stone surface rather than a paved surface. “It’s going to be for walkers and recreational cyclists,” he said. The trail could be paved in the future. He added that the trail is important since it would provide a safe way for pedestrians and cyclists to get from Lowertown to Trout Creek and Sunoka Beach. “I continue to be amazed that several cyclists have not been killed or injured while travelling the shoulders of Highway 97 between Summerland and Penticton during the past 10 years,” he said. The portion of the highway from Lakeshore Drive to Thornber Street sees much pedestrian and bicycle traffic during the summer months. Hollingshead added that the project would also be done with volunteer labour. “Our concept is simply that Rotarians are good at creating trails and that such projects are very good for the club in terms of fellowship and morale,” he said. “This project will therefore be completed by a group of volunteers as a hands-on project as time and funds for materials permit.” While Mayor Janice Perrino is pleased to have the Rotary Club’s involvement, she wonders if the cost estimate is too low. “I think the price is going to be considerably more,” she said, “but at least they’re getting things started.” She added that the costs will involve other planning and safety measures, as the proposed trail is beside the highway and beside the lake. “This isn’t just a path through the forest,” she said.