golden star, january 01, 2014

■ COMMUNITY:

GSS has flash mob for final jam session....................................2

■ NEWS:

W E D N E S D A Y, J A N U A R Y 1 , 2 0 1 4 VOLUME 124 ISSUE 1 $1.35 INCL. GST

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Jita’s CafeIS NOW OPEN MONDAYS!!

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Colleen Palumbo looks at Golden’s Xmas past..................................5

Erin Van Achte (left) and Jan Kotyk (right) have returned home to Golden with their 13-week-old son Asher after he under-went surgery to repair two holes in his heart. Joel Tansey/Star Photo

Asher returns home after successful heart surgery

Home for the Holidays

Joel [email protected]

It was a happy holiday homecoming last week for Asher Kotyk, who will be spending his first Christmas at home with his parents, Jan Kotyk and Erin Van Achte. Best of all, the 13-week old is recuperating well from his Dec. 12 surgery.

“He’s doing fantastic [now],” said Erin.“He has the energy to eat, he didn’t have that before, and now he’s awake

a lot more because he was sleeping a lot more before the surgery,” Jan said.

Asher spent over a month in hospitals in both Calgary and Edmonton because of a congestive heart failure that was caused by two large holes in his heart.

After a successful surgery, Asher was released last week just in time for Christmas.

The problem was discovered on Nov. 15 when Jan and Erin brought Ash-er into the Golden hospital after some grape water got into his lungs and he started breathing abnormally. X-rays revealed that Asher had a more serious issue, although it wasn’t initially clear what the problem was.

Continued on Page 4

A2 www.thegoldenstar.net Wednesday, January 1, 2014 The Golden Star

Want to get ACTIVE?

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Jeff NagalBlack Press

BC Hydro’s imposition of manual meter read-ing fees has persuaded most holdouts to accept a wireless smart meter.

BC Hydro imposed a $35 monthly fee starting Dec. 1 for customers who refuse to part with their mechanical electricity meters, after offering the 68,000 customers who still had them the option of accepting the new meter with the radio transmis-sion function on or off.

BC Hydro reported the results this week to the B.C. Utilities Commission (BCUC), which is reviewing the fees. More than 48,000 customers chose the smart meter to avoid the meter reading fee. Another 450 chose the radio-off meter, which comes with a $100 setup fee and $20 a month start-ing April 1 to cover costs of collecting readings.

Another 6,270 customers chose to keep their mechanical meters, and 13,110 more did not respond to BC Hydro’s letters, so they will have

the $35 fee added to their bills until they choose another option.

BC Hydro reports that 99 per cent of its custom-ers now have the wireless meter. Most of those have been switched to automated billing, and have their daily electricity use displayed on their online account pages.

Claims of health effects from wireless meter transmissions have been rejected by health authorities, and also by the BCUC in a review of FortisBC’s wireless meter program. BCUC found that the radio frequency signal from a bank of smart meters is less than 10 per cent of the natural background level, and a tiny fraction of the expos-ure from a cellular phone.

Citizens for Safe Technology, one of the more active opponents of the wireless grid, was repre-sented at the FortisBC hearings by Donald Maisch. BCUC rejected Maisch’s claims of health hazards, noting that Maisch’s “consulting live-lihood depends on public fears and concerns about radio frequency exposure.”

More than 6,000 refuse new meters

GSS ends 2013 jam session with Flash MobGSS concluded their last jam ses-sion with a Flash Mob rendition of “And so it is Christmas” with signs containing messages of peace.Photo Submitted

The Golden Star Wednesday, January 1, 2014 www.thegoldenstar.net A3

Behind the Wheel

Johnston Meier Insurance Agencies Ltd.510B - 9th Avenue N., Golden, B.C. (250) 344-5201

Sponsored by:

Oncoming Tra� c Failing to Keep RightOne thing worse than what you described last week is when there is a road

obstruction and people seem to think they have the right to cross the centre line into on coming tra� c. Maybe you could address the legal side of that. My understanding is that on coming tra� c has the right of way.

This reader describes something that is almost seems to be expected behaviour. The driver of one vehicle comes upon a perceived hazard such as a pedestrian, cyclist or parked vehicle and moves partly into the oncoming lane to make room. Oncoming tra� c moves to the right to avoid the encroaching vehicle and most of the time there is not a problem. However, if there is no room to move right or the driver is not anticipating the move a collision may result.

The rules have been made for a reason, uniformity, predictability and the avoidance of collisions. The reader is correct, the oncoming vehicle does have the right of way and the encroaching driver is breaking the rules for the sake of convenience. Rather than slow or stop to let oncoming tra� c by � rst, they will take a chance and put everyone at risk.

The Motor Vehicle Act does provide for crossing the line in some circumstances to avoid an obstacle on the highway. The driver doing so must have a clear view for a safe distance and make the move without a� ecting the travel of any other vehicle. The exemption does not apply when you must cross a solid line.

The author is a retired constable with many years of tra� c law enforcement experience. To comment or learn more, please visit drivesmartbc.ca.

Have a Home Insurance Owner’s Questions?Give Denise a call - she knows how to get you the best coverage, for the best price, when it comes to home-owners, tenants, rental dwellings, seasonal dwellings and condos.

The best insurance rates.

Denise Knight

Aaron OrlandoBlack Press

A 23-year-old woman died in a Dec. 20 head-on collision on the Trans-Canada Highway between Revelstoke and Golden on the evening of Dec. 20.

Golden RCMP spokesperson Cst. Amber Brun-ner said the incident happened at 8 p.m. local time on the Trans-Canada about five kilometres west of Golden.

Brunner said an eastbound sports-utility vehicle lost control and crossed over into the westbound lane, where it struck an oncoming pickup truck.

The driver of the SUV died on scene. A passen-ger in the pickup truck was treated and transport-ed to hospital in Golden, then to hospital in Cal-gary.

The incident closed the highway for four hours.Golden RCMP did not indicate a cause for the

accident. The investigation is ongoing.Brunner reminded motorists to take caution on

winter roads. "This is a very busy time of year on local highways and road conditions can change very quickly," she said. "Please give yourself extra time when making your travel plans and get every-one home safe."

Jessica [email protected]

Golden’s finances are officially open for discussion after council put the Town of Golden 2014-2018 Five-Year Financial Plan Bylaw through first reading.

The financial plan, a statutory requirement of all municipalities, can still be amended, but council wanted to put in on the table now so that it can be discussed, and the public can have input. The public process is expected to begin in January.

“Council can make amendments right up until reading three,” said Lisa Vass, manager of financial services. “It’s a flexible plan at this point, so things can be added and taken out…as long as it balances.”

There were few notable changes from the status quo budget, includ-ing the reallocation of Grant in Aid funds to the creation of a new social co-ordinator position, a dyke improvement reserve, and a byelections reserve.

Council passed it to first reading unanimously after some amend-ments were made to the language of a certain project in 2016. The pro-ject was worded as “bridge to bridge”, and was changed to “dyke eleva-tion improvement” as it is different from the previous project called bridge to bridge, which was struck down by referendum.

Coun. Keith Hern made it clear that he was voting in favour of first reading on the basis of getting it on the table, but would like to see some changes to it throughout the process.

Mayor Christina Benty encouraged council to focus more on the immediate future, which is what council has control over during this process.

“We’re approving a budget for what we have control over, and that’s 2014,” said Benty. “A new council could be at this table next year, and they could change the entire budget.”


With the holiday season winding down, Green Leaf Tree Services will once again be there to pick up your Christmas trees.

This will be the sixth year the family run business has provided this service to Goldenites and the service will once again be a good way to support the Golden Food Bank. Donations can be made in the form of cash, cheque or food and should be at least

$5-10. Green Leaf Owner Scott Kel-

ls sees this program as a good way to support and give back to the community.

“The idea spurred from people asking if we’d collect their trees and it just made sense to do it as a way to raise funds and or food for the food bank after their busy holiday season,” Kells said.

To have your tree picked up, call Green Leaf at 250-344-0188 or email them at [email protected] before Jan. 8 and they will put you

on their pickup list. Typical-ly pickups are limited to Gold-en town limits, but collections could also be made in Habart, Nicholson and Kicking Horse if there is enough interest. People outside of town are encouraged to coordinate with their neighbours for that reasons.

Trees are to be left outside with all decorations removed and donations can either be left with the tree or details can be provided through e-mail or over the telephone. All pick-ups will take place on Jan. 8.

Winter Farmers’ Market

Green Leaf picking up your trees

Fatal MVI closes Trans Canada Hwy

Town of Golden financial plan passes first reading

Some Golden shoppers check out what Sophie’s Original Choice has to offer at the Winter Farmers’ Market on Dec. 21. Jessica Schwitek/Star Photo

Continued from page 1

Personnel were brought from Cal-gary to take Asher back there, which understandably wor-ried Jan and Erin.

“I was really ter-rified because they were sending a pediatrician, two nurses and two para-medics from Cal-gary to get pick him up and bring him,” said Erin. “We were thinking, what’s

going on, this is a lot, this is extreme, something must really be wrong.”

“Seeing five pro-fessionals in the field show up…we were going through all sorts of things in our head,” Jan said.

Through a difficult situation, the couple was very pleased with how hospital staff handled everything.

“We are so incred-ibly grateful to Dr. Kirk McCarroll and

all the other awe-some staff at Golden Hospital emergency for their loving care [on Nov. 15],” said Erin.

The holes in Ash-er’s heart were dis-covered after fur-ther tests in Calgary. He was eventually moved to the Stol-lery Children’s Hos-pital in Edmonton, where his surgery took place. Jan and Erin stayed in a hotel in Edmonton for a few nights before they were able to receive accommo-dation at Ronald McDonald House.

On a few occa-sions it appeared as though Asher might be released from hospital and be per-mitted to await his surgery at home, but that never hap-pened, which would have left Jan with a difficult decision if it wasn’t for the support the family received from Gold-en. Jan, losing wages with every day spent in Calgary, thought he might have to leave Erin and Asher in Alberta in order to work.

“There was a point when they said, ‘okay you’re here until the surgery’, I thought I was going to have to go home,” Jan said.

Thankfully, the

situation never came to that because of the generous sup-port the family received from locals in Golden. Through various fundrais-ers, Goldenites were able to raise enough money to cover Jan’s loss of wages as well as their accommoda-tion and travel costs.

Both Jan and Erin are extremely grate-ful for that support.

“It’s overwhelm-ing. I couldn’t believe all of the sup-port that we had, and then coming home and just every-body smiling and waving at us and wel-coming us home. It just felt really good

to be home and to feel all of that love from everybody,” Erin said.

“It was unreal,” Jan said.

Asher will have a February follow up appointment at a cardiology clinic in Calgary and will have monthly check-ups at the hospital

here. His weight will also

be monitored on a weekly basis.

For now, the family is just really happy to be back home for the holidays.

“It’s awesome to be home and to sleep on our own beds and have our dog back,” Erin said.


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Asher underwent successful heart surgery on Dec. 12 at the Stollers Children’s Hospital in Edmonton. Photo Submitted

Couple ‘overwhelmed’ with tremendous support from Goldenites

Jessica [email protected]

The holiday season is almost over, which means that the leftovers, eggnog, boxes of chocolates, and other various goodies are almost all gone.

It’s time to get active.“People always talk about getting active this time of

year. So the gyms and other rec facilities are packed for about three weeks, and then it just trails off,” said Kim Bryan, recreation services co-ordinator for the Town of Golden.

Bryan, who has a degree from UVIC in recreation and health education, is passionate about active life-styles, and has some advice for people who want their new year’s resolution to last past January.

“Activity is a bit of a funny thing. People (myself included) can get in to this trap where you just feel tired after a long day. The couch is calling and it’s just so easy to say ‘I’ll do it tomorrow.’ Or you look at the week ahead of you and think “I just don’t have the time.” But that’s exactly when you need that exer-cise the most because regular activity actually increas-es your energy levels and lets you do more with your life,” said Bryan.

“Those are the situations I have a conversation with myself in my head. I say ‘Ok, I really don’t want to go right now. So, Kim here’s the deal. Just do 20 min-

utes and five stretches, no less no more.’ And then it’s done.

“And you know what? I feel so much better after I do it. And a little bit every day or every couple of days means I don’t get sore, and by the end of the week I’ve met those guidelines and have the energy to keep it up.”

To keep active and healthy, Bryan recommends we all do two and a half hours of moderate to intense activity a week - moderate meaning you can talk but not sing, and intense meaning you can say a few words, but not carry on a conversation.

One key thing to keep in mind, says Bryan, is to not be too hard on yourself. Change takes time, and it’s important not to get discouraged.

Golden has a tremendous amount of organized activities for all ages, and all levels of fitness, including many programs facilitated by the Town.

The Winter Walking program at the Rec Plex is a great, low impact, way to get back into an active rou-tine. It’s also a social activity, as regular groups often come together.

There’s also the public skating at the arena, and Aquafit classes at the Travelodge, which is a good workout regardless of what level you’re at. There are ways to reduce or increase the impact, so basically you get out what you put into it.

The Town of Golden also facilitates a Recreation

Partnership program, which brings together many of the recreation and sports groups in town. It allows you to see what the whole town has to offer. Just go to gold-en.ca and click on the soccer ball. (You can also find schedules for all of the Town’s programs in the same spot).

Getting active may seem overwhelming, especially if you’re starting at the beginning, but Bryan has a few tips that will hopefully make it a bit easier.

It’s important to choose a variety of activities she says. Not only does it keep you from getting bored, but it also helps you find what you really like.

Get into a routine, and keep it social. It’s easier to keep up your routine if you have the support of friends.

Leave the car at home when you can. Walking to do simple errands can make a big difference.

Spread the activity throughout the week instead of trying to get two and a half hours of activity into one exhausting workout.

And don’t forget to ask for help. Bryan is happy to help you find the right routine for you, and fill you in on all the opportunities in town. She can be reached at [email protected].

“There are so many safe, fun, affordable and worth-while programs right here in Golden,” said Bryan.

“Be active for your health. Be healthy for those you love.”

Recreation Department wants to help you keep your resolutions


MLA Meeting Day

Wednesday, January 8th

Please call 250 344 4816 to book an appointment

Norm Macdonald MLA www.NormMacdonald.ca |[email protected]

Rev 4 col x 2 B& W

Visit our website at www.csrd.bc.ca 781 Marine Park Dr. NE Salmon Arm

• PO Box 978 V1E 4P1 250-832-8194 Toll Free 1-888-248-2773

Columbia Shuswap Regional District

The CSRD Of� ce in Salmon Arm will be closed from Wednesday, DECEMBER 25, 2013 until 9 a.m. on Thursday, JANUARY 2, 2013.

There is very little recorded information on Golden’s early Christmases. Very little adver-tising took place until about 1905 and then it was just the briefest of mention.

They did however make reports on the Christmas Tree celebrations held at each of the churches and the school starting about 1905. The Col-umbia House, the Mill Board-ing House and many of the other restaurants were open

between set hours on Christmas Day to serve the bach-elors of the area.

They advertised the menu in the newspaper. Usu-ally the meal was about seven courses, starting with fresh oysters and ending with the traditional Christ-mas pudding. This meal would be purchased for $1.00 per person.

Francis Patrick Armstrong, the riverboat Cap-tain, was not only one of the major employers in the area but was also very committed to the commun-ity in which he lived. He was often offering his river-boats to take the Sunday picnickers up the river for an afternoon of relaxation. He contributed his time to the development of the first hospital in Golden, and even lobbied the Government in Victoria for funds to assure its erection.

One of his generosities that is little known was his contribution to the community at Christmas. About a month before Christmas the Captain and his crew would put up posters around town announcing that any children in the area who would like to, may join him and his crew the last Friday before Christmas at the bank at 2:00 pm.

When the children started to arrive and fill the bank, the Captain would come along down the street on his horse drawn sleigh. He was not alone. Behind him in a motley assortment of sleighs (some were convention-al sleighs but many were used for logging and farm-ing and were therefore really unusual looking) each pulled by horses and driven by members of the Cap-tains crew.

Soon the children were piling onto the sleighs where they were tucked in under heavy blankets. Hot rocks or bricks were placed near their feet to keep them warm on their outing. What a sight that must have made with the procession of steaming horses standing, strung out down the street with children milling all about.

Once the last child was made comfortable the Cap-tain would get the parade of sleighs moving. They went along all of Golden’s main streets stopping often to pick up other children along the way. Once they made their way through the mains street the Captain made his way to the mill yard where all the children in the group were taken inside the mill boarding house for cookies, hot chocolate and a great variety of games and songs.

The rocks and bricks were brought in to be re-warmed, blanket thawed and the horses were given grain. Once the party was over at the boarding house they would start the journey back to the bank, arriv-ing about 5:00 pm. This had given their parents three hours to make purchases, visit with their neighbours and prepare themselves for the journey home.

When the procession arrived back at the bank, each of the children were given a treat bag to take with them. This event usually was timed to coincide with the children’s party at the Columbia House and many of the parents picked their children up from the bank, went for supper with friends at one of the restaurants, and then carried on to the Columbia House.

At the Columbia House, Santa would make an appearance to hand out gifts to every child. A fine buf-fet was proved later in the evening and music and dan-cing followed. Who paid for all of this? Dances were held at the Columbia House the previous four Satur-days to raise the money necessary. They danced away many a night, visiting with friends and neighbors to create a wonderful day and evening for their children. There were no losers in this.

Pictured is Hamilton's Livery, Feed and Cartage building taken in 1895, showing a row of sleighs all lined up and ready to take the children of Golden off for a Christmas party. Kicking Horse Movies sits on that site today. Photo courtesy of the Golden Museum

Golden Star Staffreporter@thegoldenstar.

net

As part of a strategic partnership with the Province, Telus has invested $850,000 to bring new wireless coverage to more than 16 kilometers of High-way 1 between Golden and Field.

The site located near Wapta Falls and the Beaver Foot Forest Road area is now live, providing coverage to Highway 1 and a good portion of the Bea-ver Foot Forest Service Road.

“At Telus, we know how important wire-

less services are, and continue to make sig-nificant investments in our networks to bring them to our customers in B.C. and right across Canada,” said Steve Jenkins, Telus general manager for the South-ern Interior. “We heard from residents and trav-ellers that this section of Highway was in need of crucial wireless servi-ces, and our significant investment now gives motorists and local residents the conven-ience of making hands-free wireless calls. Most importantly this invest-ment expands access to 911, making highway travel safer in this area.”

The project is part of the 10-year Connecting British Columbia agreement signed with the Province of B.C. in 2011. Under the terms of the agreement Telus will invest to connect more than 1,700 kilo-metres of unconnected highways with wireless service.

“The new cellular coverage along this stretch of Highway 1 means safer travel for all drivers, especial-ly during winter, and improved connectiv-ity for local residents and businesses,” said Technology, Innova-tion and Citizens’ Ser-vices Minister Andrew

Wilkinson. “Working to add new cellular ser-vice along our rural highways is part of our overall plan to expand B.C.’s digital infrastruc-ture.”

This significant investment is part of $3 billion in infra-

structure and facili-ties upgrades Telus is making across Brit-ish Columbia through 2014 and builds upon the $29 billion Telus has already invested in operations and tech-nology throughout the province since 2000.

Better cell phone service coming to Highway 1

- Turning Back the Pages -By Colleen Palumbo

Christmas Tree celebrations took place in Golden as early as 1905

A6 www.thegoldenstar.net Wednesday, January 1, 2014 The Golden Star Star opinion

CMCAAUDITED

The Golden Star encour-ages people to write Letters to the Editor on issues that impact our community.

We ask that letters be no

longer than 300 words in length.

We also ask that letters be written only on issues of com-munity interest.

We reserve the right to edit all letters for brevity, clar-ity, length and taste. Please address letters to: editor at [email protected].

Letters to the Editor policy

Resolution time

MicheleLaPointe publisher

[email protected]

POLL OF THE WEEKAre you travelling somewhere during the holiday season?

Yes 40% No 60%This week’s poll question: Do you have a New Year’s resolution this year?

log onto www.thegoldenstar.net to make your vote count

DISCLAIMER: This web poll is informal, not scientific. It reflects opinions of site visitors who voluntarily partici-pate. Results may not represent the opinions of the public as a whole. Black Press is not responsible for the statis-tical accuracy of opinions expressed here.

AliStarchuk

administration

[email protected]

SUBSCRIPTION RATES• $47.00 per year for postal

boxes (within School District No. 6 Rocky Mountain) - Golden Zone

• $43.00 per year if you pick up your paper at The Golden Star Office

• $67.00 per year outside Gold-en’s School zone.

• LOCAL Senior’s Discount 10% ($43.00).

JessicaSchwitek

[email protected]

JoelTansey

reporter

[email protected]

AdamZarachowicz

advertising

[email protected]

- I SURMISE -By Jessica Schwitek

Alright folks, it has gone from the great-est time of the year, to the worst. It’s resolution time.

The Golden Star office has been packed with all sorts of goodies the last few weeks. So a natural resolution for us is to cut back on the unhealthy indulgences.

But that is a group reso-lution. So I decided to ask the office what their indi-vidual resolutions are for the year.

(Now that they’re offi-cial, if you see them around town breaking their reso-lutions, feel free to scold them).

Michele: N/A. Michele has decided that she does not believe in resolutions, as they add unnecessary pressure to her life. Of course, this is coming from the same woman who started an impromptu office running club last year, and made us run with her three times a week before we were allowed to go home.

Adam: The newest member of the Golden Star team has resolved to find out what the fox says. I can’t decide if that makes him the most, or the lease ambi-tious person in the office.

Ali: As one of the more food-obsessed employees at The Golden Star, Ali has decided she is going to try have more home cooked meals this year, there-fore less eating out. Considering the large stack of Bacchus dishes we have to return every month, that might not be a bad idea.

Joel: For his first winter in B.C., Joel will be working towards improving his snowboarding skills. His goal is to be able to comfortably navigate any of the black diamonds at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort before the end of the season. And whether he likes it or not, he will be partaking in our office, eat healthier reso-lution, as he’s been told he is no longer allowed to bring junk food into the office.

As for myself, I’m struggling to decide what I should be working on this year. Every year I get motivated to get more active, and after having a conversation with the Town’s recreation co-ordinator, Kim Bryan, this past week, I’m especially eager to start feeling better and getting healthier.

But this year I thought it would be nice to dig a lit-tle deeper, and focus on self-improvement beyond the physical.

There was a woman in the office today who said her resolution last year cut back on her negative talk - the old, ‘if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.’ She followed it as well as she could, and had a wonderful year.

So my resolution this year will be to cut out the negativity, but more specifically, the work-relat-ed negativity. I have a terrible habit of complaining about work too much, and letting work-place stresses invade the rest of my life.

That needs to stop. From now on, or for as long as I can keep it up, I will not let stress keep me down. In other words, I resolve to be more positive, and just happier.

Whatever your resolution is, I wish all of you a happy and healthy new year.

Child Poverty

Dear editor,

“Is it my job to feed my neighbour’s child? I don’t think so.” That is the quote from Federal Minister of Industry James Moore, resident of B.C., the province with the worst child poverty level across Canada where thousands of kids go to school hungry every day.

Despite a unanimous motion passed in the House of Commons back in 1989 to end poverty, a motion

renewed in 2009, Moore states that it is not feder-al responsibility to make sure children get a proper breakfast.

In the Bible, Cain says to God "Am I my brother's keeper?" James Moore has given us the definitive response from the Conservative government.

Hungry children can fend for themselves; the gov-ernment is too busy flogging pipelines.

Larry KazdanVancouver

Wolf Population

Dear editor,

Wolves in B.C. have no hope, no hope to survive, no hope of pro-tecting their children.

The B.C. government has declared war against wolves. This government, like a criminal mafia, has more than enough killers to do their dirty work.

Wolves are assaulted to death from every direction, including above, with bullets raining down from the skies, with no reprieve. They have no place to hide for safe-ly. Welcome to Canada.

The B.C. government says any-one, all year round, can kill nurs-ing mothers, leaving babies to die a horrific death of starvation, fear and pain. Anyone, at any time can walk into a wolf den and butcher

babies and infants to death.According to the B.C. wolf “man-

agement” plan, anyone, without license or registration, can terror-ize wolves, chasing them with heli-copters for hours and hours and hours until wolves are so exhaust-ed they cannot take another step, then blasting them to death with high-powered semi-automatic rifles.

The government says this is sport hunting. Baiting and killing wolves all year has become legal. Trapping of wolves has increased and inten-sified.

Wolves are trapped with steel leg-hold, conibare and snare traps without limits. Most of you know how barbaric and gruesome steel leg-hold traps are but most of you may not know that conibare and snare traps are even worse.

They slowly crush the animal for

hours and hours to a hideous and gruesome death. If any of you have ever heard an animal screaming caught in these traps, you will never get the scream out of your head as long as you live.

Many of you may be wondering why the government is doing this. You probably think they just need to be educated. This is false.

They know exactly what they are doing.

As long as there are wolves, nature will always recover. Wolves and cougars are the top iconic ani-mals that keep nature alive.

If you want a livable planet for your children and grandchildren, you had better care what happens to wolves. This is war against wolves, therefore it is a war against all of us.

Pierre Lebel,Courtenay


Stars to all the Little Mittens supporters.

Thank you and a big star to Vicki from Minoldo for being such a great friend to my family and I. You are a beautiful and giving person.

Stingers to snow-storms when you have to travel on the highways.

Stars to people who give wine and cheese as Christmas gifts. Delicious!

Stars to the Town staff who are doing such a good job of plowing our roads.

Stingers to the people who aren’t plowing the walks in front of their place.

It makes it difficult to get around town if we don’t all do our part.

Stars to the delicious fudge from Moose Trax.

Stars to all the co-workers who bring in little Christmas gifts for everybody at work. It really brightens your day.

Do you have a New Year’s resolution this year?

“Yes. My resolution is to live in the

moment. ”

“Yes, I’m planning to get in shape for dirt biking season

in the spring.”

Golden point of view

Jane Fearing

Go to www.thegoldenstar.net to have your say.

“Not really, just to not let the

economy stress me out too much.”

Email your Stars and Stingers to [email protected]

Keith Sigvaldason Ken Setter

Say What?

www.thegoldenstar.net 413A 9th Ave N 250 344-5251

THEGolden

Tell us what you’re up to!

Janne ArltLGES Principal

We hope everyone enjoyed a healthy and happy Christmas Break. Before heading in dif-ferent directions in December, Sue Larose, teacher at Field Elementary School reported on some of their happenings and sent best wishes:

We were really merry and bright at Field School getting ready for Christmas. We decor-ated gingerbread houses, made crafts with our families, entertained Ms. Beckett’s class, baked cookies and sang, danced and acted in preparation for our Christmas concert. On Friday, Dec. 20th we went to Truffle Pigs for breakfast and picked up our letters from Santa. We were all keeping our fingers crossed that we were on the nice list this year! We hope you had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from all of us at Field School.

From Lady Grey in December: Buddies by Breanna & Mikayla, Gr. 7From APES, the kindergarten class came over to LGES to write to Santa with us. We also

did some fish print art at their school and got our hands dirty. We really liked chilling with the kindies, we also had fun teaching them what grade 7s do and how they act. Mrs. Kelly-

McArthur’s class hopes we prepared them for Middle School! Students have done several projects in the past months to help others. Many stu-dents from all classes have participated and contributed. So far, the students have raised over $1000 for the Free the Children Well project. Their goal is $5000, so look for infor-mation on more fundraisers coming in the New Year.

Our skating and cross-country ski programs start up in January. All Grade 4 to 6 classes go skating at the arena 4 times on Thursday mornings from January 16th to Feb. 6th. Each Grade 7 class goes cross country skiing at Dawn Mountain three times. This program is made possible by the Golden Nordic Club. Equipment and lessons are provided by the club. We always appreciate the support they generously give our students.

Our first PAC meeting of 2014 is on Monday, January 27th at 7:00 pm. Attending PAC meetings is a great way to find out what is happening at Lady Grey. We appreciate the time and commitment of our parent volunteers at PAC and in other programs offered at the school. We welcome your ideas and questions; we are always looking for ways to make Lady Grey an even better place to be. Please consider joining us at a meeting this year!

Happy New Year to everyone from Lady Grey students and staff!

Students at Lady Grey helped APES students write to Santa

Do you have any questions about your community, something you’ve been wondering about but never knew who to ask?

Email your questions to [email protected], or drop them off at The Golden Star office at 419A 9th Ave. N.

Question: When is the Town going to fix the side-walks on Alexander Drive.

Answer: The Alexander Drive sidewalk is part of the asset management process and has been submitted to

council as one of the possible projects to execute pend-ing the grant funding under the New Building Canada Plan. If the Town resolves to apply for the granting as it has been proposed to Council by staff, and the Town is successful in the application process the work would be scheduled for some time after 2015. It is presently iden-tified in the 5 year grant funded project plan for 2017 and estimated to cost $363,000 to remove the existing sidewalks and replace the sidewalk on one side of the street and curbs on the other side.

End child povertyThat’s horrible that so many children in BC live in poverty. In a

country this affluent, nobody should be in poverty. Kootenay Kids Society is doing a good thing.

In order to solve this problem, maybe they should take it to the next level. Kootenay Kids Society should expand what they do to also lobby to end child poverty. Similar to how Citizens Climate Lobby lobbies the federal government about environmental issues, Koote-nay Kids Society could lobby for policies that eliminate child poverty in BC and maybe the rest of Canada.

Imagine every outraged parent meeting with their MP and demanding that they end child poverty. Imagine what amazing things we could do as a community.

Amar Kumar, Cranbrook


This Week

A.P.E.S.After School ProgramMonday to Friday 3 -5:30pm. $12/day for ages 5 to 11. To register please leave a message at 250-272-0425.StrongStart a free, school based learning program bir th-5years. Mon&Fri 12-3:30pm, Wed 2-5pm, Tue&Thur 8:45-11:45am. Call Shelley for more info 250-439-9324.Gale Berndt presents Mountain Waters at the Art Gallery from Dec.6-Jan.15.Parent and Tot Play lets parents and kids from birth-five enjoy preschool type activities. Wednesdays at the Rec Plex from 10:30am-noon.Badminton Wednesdays 7-9pm at the Rec Plex. Adults $7, students/seniors $5. Need your own racket.Public Skate at the Arena every Wednesday 7-8pm.Winter Walking at the Rec Plex Wednesdays 1-2pm.

Wed, Jan. 1

Happy New Years!

Thurs, Jan. 2 Jam Night at the Golden Taps Pub.Men’s drop-in basketballThursdays from 8-10pm at the Rec Plex. $8.Bridge Club every Thursday at the Senior’s Centre from 1-4pm. Contact 250-344-5448.Golden Toastmasters Thursdays, 7:30pm at the College of the Rockies.Mountain Magic Quilters Guild Thursdays, 7:30-9pm in the Golden High School’s sewing room. New members and guests welcome, annu-al membership is $25.A.A Meetings in Golden Thursdays at the Family Centre 421 9th Ave N. All meetings are open and start at 8pm.Golden Youth Centre Band Of Guys drop-in for

male teens (12-18) every Thursday from 3:45-5:30pm.Shinny hockey at the Arena every Thursday at 8pm. 19+ years old.

Fri, Jan. 3Karaoke Night at The Mad Trapper every Friday night.A.A Meetings in Golden Fridays at the Lutheran Church basement 915 - 9th St S. All meetings are open and start at 8pm.Golden Youth Centre drop-in every Friday from 3:30-7:30pm.Mother Goose Program Fridays 10:30-11:30am at the Library. Snacks includ-ed, just drop in!Public Skate at the Arena every Friday 12-1pm.Parent and Tot skate at the Arena Fridays 10-11am.Meat Draw every Friday at The Legion 5:30pm.Bridge Club every Friday at the Centre for Peace in St. Andrew’s Church, 7pm.Winter Walking at the Rec Plex Fridays 1-2pm.Special Olympics “FUNdamentals” youth program Fridays 9-10am at APES. For children 7-12 years with intellectual dis-abilities. Call Cyra 250-919-0757 for more info.Food Fridays at the Golden Legion 6:30-8:30pm.Winter Registration Event Night for Kicking Horse Gymnastics Jan.3 from 3-6pm 907 10th St N. Call 344-1344 for more info.Golden Rockets vs. Castlegar Rebels Jan.3 at 7:30pm at the Arena.

Sat, Jan. 4Storytime at the Golden Library 10:30-11:30am. Free drop-in, contact 250-344-6516.Meat Draw Saturdays at The Legion 5pm.A.A Meetings in Golden Saturdays at the Golden Museum 1302 - 11th Ave S. All meetings are open and start at 8pm.Public Skate at the Arena every Saturday 5:30-

6:45pm.Magic The Gathering Free Tournament Fridays 4-6:30pm&6:30-9pm at Bizarre Entertainment. Golden Rockets vs. Nelson Leafs Jan.4 at 7:30pm at the Arena.

Sun, Jan. 5Sunday Howl open mic night at the Wolf’s Den every Sunday from 4-8pm. All ages welcome. Public Skate at the Arena every Sunday 4:30-5:45pm.Documentary & Discussions Sundays at Bizarre Entertainment from 6-9pm. Admission by $5 donation, or 2 non-perishable items to the food bank.

Mon, Jan. 6Join the Cadets. Free pro-gram meets every Tuesday, 6:30 - 8:30pm at the Legion Banquet Hall. For young men and women ages 12 to 18.Golden Community Choir, Mondays from 7:30-9:30pm at the Lutheran Church. Member fees $10. For info call Joyce 250-344-6043.Seniors Day at Reflections Hair Studio every Monday 15% off all regular priced services, call 250-344-5766. Family Dinner Play and Learn Mondays 5-7pm in the StrongStart room in APES Free program includes dinner, discussions, and activities. Call 250-439-9665 if interested.Heroclix League 6-9pm Mondays at Bizarre Entertainment.The Cadets meet Mondays 6:30-8:30pm at the Legion Banquet Hall.Winter Walking at the Rec Plex Mondays 1-2pm.Golden Youth Centre drop-in every Monday from 5-8pm.Badminton at the Mount 7 Rec Plex Mondays 7-8:30pm. Need your own racket, $7 (or $5 for seniors/students).Shinny hockey at the Golden Arena Mondays at 9:15pm.

Must be 19+ years old.

Tues, Jan. 7Job Skills Workshops at the Work BC office every Tuesday at 10am. Call 250-344-5413 to register.John Jenkins & Friends at the Rockwater 8pm. Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 Edition Tuesdays 6-9pm @ Bizarre Entertainment (Free)A.A Meetings in Golden Tuesdays at the United Church 901 - 11th Ave S Alley Ent. All meetings are open and start at 8pm.Parent and Tot skate at the Arena Tuesdays 10-11am.Volleyball Tuesdays at the Rec Plex 7-8:30pm $5 drop in.Golden Youth Centre drop-in Tuesdays from 3:30-7:30pm.Aquafit at the Travel Lodge Tuesdays&Thursdays from 5:30-6:30pm. Jan.7 - Mar.13.Rockwater Grill & BarR

R

Upcoming Events

Christmas Tree Pick Up Jan.8. Green Leaf Tree Services will come pick up your decoration-free Christmas tree, along with donations to the Food Bank. Call 250-344-0188 or [email protected] for more info.Golden Rockets vs. Sicamous Eagles Jan.10 at 7:30pm at the Arena.JP Maurice & Friends play at the Golden Taps Pub Jan.10.Family Dinner Play and Learn, free program for fam-ilies with children 3-5 start-ing Monday Jan.13 from 5-7pm in the StrongStart room. Includes dinner, discussion, and activities. Call 250-439-9665 for more info. Food Skills for Families, a free program on healthy cooking on a budget. Starts Feb.1, 10am-1pm. Call 344-1032 for more info.Kicking Horse Culture pres-ents the Masque Costume Ball Feb.14 at the Civic Centre

Events & Entertainment Calendar • For more information... go to www.thegoldenstar.net

This week's achievement

award goes to... Stop in by January 8, 2014

to receive your small blizzard • 344-2220 •

achievement achievement

goes to...

Gurwinder Nayyerfor being friendly, easygoing, polite and hard working. He always does the right thing - even when no one is looking.

We’ll be open December 30 and

December 31

We’ll be closedClosed January 1.

Thank you for all the support

throughout 2013.

We look forward to the New year!

For Advertising

rates call:

Adam Zarachowicz

250-344-5251

[email protected]

What’s your New Years Resolution?

Quit smoking?

More gym time?

Learn to ski?

Let us know! Tweet us, or message

us on Facebook!


Hope the holiday delivers a bundle of glad tidings to you.

Season’s Greetings

Golden Bakery & Deli344-2928 • Open Mon - Sat

6:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Holiday HoursChristmas Eve - 6:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Christmas Day - ClosedBoxing Day - Closed

New Years Day - Closed

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tings!

Nicholson pet attacked by cougar

An animal attack near Nicholson has left a family pet blind in one eye and with ser-ious head injuries.

Steve Skinner is the owner of Keanna, a karelian bear dog, which was attacked by what is suspected to have been a cougar.

Grizzly cub Tika recovering well

It has now been a month since a lit-tle grizzly bear cub was found near Gold-en and transferred to Smithers to be rehabili-tated a the Northern Lights Wildlife Society.

At the time both the conservation officer, Justyn Bell, and the operator of the wild-life society, Angelika Langen, were con-cerned that the cub was too malnourished to make a recovery. But after a month, Tika has a clean bill of health.

Canadian Living rec-ognizes Kicking Horse

Kicking Horse Mountain Resort has gotten some nation-al attention, receiving a nod from Canadian

Living Magazine as one of the Canada’s 10 best ski destinations.

KHMR came in at number seven, right behind fellow Resorts of the Canadian Rock-ies hill in Fernie.

Civic Centre Kitchen finds funding

The Golden Civic Centre took a big step towards getting a kitch-en when the Columbia Shuswap Regional Dis-trict (CSRD) added the final piece of the finan-cial pie.

Previously the pro-ject was given a grant from the Columbia Basin Trust, and the Town of Golden coun-cil is asking for agree-ment from the Area A Director to get the additional $60,000 from the Economic Opportunities Fund.

Nordic club hosts cookie race

It was a day full of snow, smiles, and some chocolate chip cookies at the Golden Nordic Club’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Race at Dawn Mountain.

Skiers big and small came out for a day of fun competition.

Invermere Dialy-sis Unit closed perma-nently

The Invermere Dialysis Unit which was temporarily closed will not be re-opened and Columbia River Revel-stoke MLA Norm Mac-donald is concerned over how this will effect people in the riding.

“I think that this is a service that is not avail-able in Golden. It may only effect a small number of people who may need the service. At present they would have to go to Inver-mere which is a bit of an inconvenience but certainly nothing com-pared to going to Cran-brook,” he said.

Patient sends thank you to Golden emer-gency services

The strength and courage of one 11-year-old girl has touched the lives of emergency service personnel in three different Golden departments.

Macy Wilkinson was involved in a horrif-ic motor vehicle acci-dent while travelling in a moving van on High-way 1 on Nov. 29, 2012.

The Golden Fire

Department, BC Ambulance, and Gold-en RCMP were on site at the accident scene, roughly 40 kilometres west of Golden. RCMP arrived on scene to find a semi tractor trail engulfed by flames, teetering on the edge of an embankment, while Macy and her grandmother were trapped in a U-Haul down below.

Emergency ser-vice personnel usually send a patient off into higher medical care, and never see them again, but a thought-ful a thank you letter has given these depart-ments a rare humbling look into a patient’s recovery.

Discussion opens on climate action

The BC Climate Action Charter, and various environmental initiatives the Town of Golden is committed to, was a major topic of discussion in council chambers during the regular meeting.

The discussion opened up when the Manager of Strategic Initiatives informed council that they had the opportunity to engage in energy and emissions reduction training with Dale Littlejohn.

The training was ori-ginally intended for the Select Committee on Community-wide Energy and Emissions Reduction, but since the committee has yet to be formed, it is now available for council and staff.

Coun. Keith Hern

opposed the propos-al, given that he had a presentation further down on the meeting’s agenda, proposing the Town withdraw from the BC Climate Action Charter, and disband the Select Committee.

January: Climate action discussions begin


250-344-6102

Peace and Joy during the

Holiday Season and throughout

the New Year

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Season’s Greetings!

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Holiday Office Hours:Open Dec 24 – 9:00am - 1:00pmDec 31 – 9:00am - 1:00pmClosed Dec 25, 26, and Jan 1

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With Best Wishes & GratitudeMay your Christmas holiday be filled with glad tidings every day, and when the holiday is through, may our best wishes remain with you!

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903 9th St. NorthGolden, B.C. V0A 1H0Phone 250-344-5112

Hern wants out of the charter

Golden is one of 180 municipalities in Brit-ish Columbia who are signatories to the BC Climate Action Char-ter. In fact, there are only eight commun-ities in the province who have not signed

their names to the charter — and Gold-en may become num-ber nine.

It was proposed by Coun. Keith Hern, in the last regular open council meeting, that Golden withdraw itself from the voluntary commitment, as he sees no benefit for the town.

Local filmmaker scores big at the Gold-en Film Festival

What started with a wedding gift has grown into a fulfilling hobby, and a second job.

“For my wedding gift I got a video camera. So I started messing around, and the first film I made got me into the Banff Film Festival. It was of a kid falling off his bike, and every-one loves kids falling off bikes,” said Gold-en filmmaker Steve Crowe. “So after get-

ting recognition like that right away, I got really engaged in it.”

Shelley Poland brings home gold

It was less than five years ago Golden’s Shelly Poland strapped on a pair of cross coun-try skis for the first time. And this week she is returning home from South Korea with a gold medal from the International Special Olympics.

“I’m looking forward to seeing her, she’s going to be super excit-ed when she gets back. She’s worked so hard for everything that she’s received,” said Ned Johnson, Gold-en’s Special Olympics co-ordinator.

Chiarelli set to play Golden Civic Centre

One of Canada’s most highly acclaimed

female roots and blues artist will be playing live at the Golden Civic Centre when the Rita Chiarelli Band plays on March 7.

Over her career Chiarelli has one a Juno award and had four subsequent nom-inations,

Armed robbery at Golden drug store

On Saturday, Feb 16 at 2:28 Golden/Field Royal Can-adian Mounted Police responded to an armed robbery at the Peoples Drug Mart in Golden.

Two male suspects entered the drug store wearing toques, sun-glasses and hoodies.

The men walked down to the pharmacy area where they brand-ed knives and ordered the pharmacists to give them prescription nar-

cotics.

Golden avalanche expert honoured

Golden’s Bruce McMahon, recent-ly retired Senior Ava-lanche Forecaster for Mount Revelstoke and Glacier national parks, received a prestigious award in front of his colleagues and family.

He was presented with a Parks Canada CEO Award of Excel-lence, honouring his contribution to, and outstanding career with Parks Canada.

Art gallery hosting Ian Johnston

The Art Gallery of Golden has arranged with noted Canadian artist Ian Johnston to do a free slide show/talk presentation at the Golden Civic Cen-tre starting at 7 p.m on Feb. 28.

February: Local skier brings home gold from Korea


May your heart be light, and your troubles few at this

festive time of year.

www.personal-touch.ca

For appointments (250) 344-6413

902 - B 9th Street S.

Thank you to all of our valued customers for your support

over the year, we are proud to offer you our services!

See you in the New Year!

Gift Certificates

make a great last minute

gift.

Best Wishes and Thank You to all our valued customers!

Dr. Link will be closed:December 24th - 31st

Open: January 2nd,

3rd, & 4th

Wishing you a Happy Holiday Season

Dr. Kolbenson will be closed:December 21st - 29th,

December 31st & January 1st

Open: December 30th , January 2nd & 3rd

From Dr. Link, Dr. Kolbenson

and staff

Many ThanksTo All Of Our Customers

And Wishes For A Wonderful Holiday Season!

Alpine Auto

Centre250-344-2712

From Staff And Students at Golden Secondary/ Alternate Program

With Warm Holiday Wishes

•••••Alternate Program••Alternate Program•Every student at Golden Secondary will cross the stage with purpose, dignity and options.

Christmas GreetingsFor your friendship and support, I feel truly blessed. I wish you and your families all the very best at this joyous time of year for 2014.

Ellen HatlevikIndependent Sales Directorwww.marykay.ca/ehatlevik250-344-4799

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Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year from Roddy and Alison MacIsaac

of the Big Bend Cafe.

Thank you to all the locals for their support of the Big Bend Cafe over the past year.

Drug store robbers to appear in court

Two suspects respon-sible for the robbery at Peoples Drug Mart, reported in last week’s police report, have been identified as Lucas Holman, 28, ad Travis Hutzul, 32, of Penticton.

The pair robbed the Golden pharmacy at knifepoint on Feb. 16, after having done the same at the Princeton Shoppers Drug Mart on Jan. 30. They were apprehended without incident in a mobile home just outside Golden on Feb. 22.

Three-hour Zumba for charity

For the winter sea-son wind-up, Gold-en’s Shape Up Fitness is hosting a special extended Zumba ses-sion, and helping out a local non-profit at the

same time.Nicki McIntosh will

be hosting a three-hour Zumba class in the Rockwater Grill and Bar.

Question period gets reinstated

Since the end of 2012, question per-iod has been removed from the Town of Golden Regular Open Council Meeting agendas. On March 5, town council voted to reinstate it.

The purpose of ques-tion period was to give the public an oppor-tunity to ask council-lors questions regard-ing policy. According to Coun. Caleb Moss, it had started to take a turn towards badg-ering the staff.

Moss voted in favour of reinstating question period, but noted it should be made clear

that it is for the public to interact with coun-cil, and staff should only be called on for clarifications.

David Allen resignsAfter three years if

service to the com-munity, Chief Admin-istrative Officer for the Town of Golden, David Allen, has put in his resignation.

“It is with great regret and a deep thank you, that I read out the fol-lowing letter of resigna-tion from David Allen,” said Mayor Christina Benty during the regu-lar open town council meeting on March 5.

Allen’s letter explained that he has accepted a position as Chief Administra-tive officer for Courte-nay, and will begin that job in mid-April. His last work day with the Town will be Mar. 22.

Thorn nominated for Kraft award

Anyone who spends anytime at the Golden Arena knows the name and has heard the voice of Curt Thorne. Recently Thorne was nominated for the Kraft: Hockey Goes On awards and is one of the 20 finalists for the Pacific region.

The awards are for people who have given a great deal back to hockey in their com-munity.

“It is very touching to be thought about like that. I saw the essays that were written and it was touching,” Thorne said.

Rockets make fran-chise history

For the first time in the history of the Gold-en Rockets, the team is going to the third round of the KIJHL playoffs after finishing

off the Fernie Ghost-riders in six games.

Golden gets new res-cue equipment

As part of the Road Rescue Financial Analy-sis Project, the depart-ment has just received nearly $100,000 worth of new equipment.

March: Golden’s CAO David Allen resigns


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Our crew of professional drivers would like to wish all our customers a safe and happy holiday season!

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CharleneThorne wins Kraft challenge“I can’t believe they just said my name on TSN!”Those words resonated throughout the top floor

of the Wolf’s Den on April 3 after Curt Thorne was named the Pacific Region’s winner for the Kraft Hockey Goes On challenge.

Less than two weeks ago the Golden commun-ity came together to throw their support behind the minor hockey coach, junior hockey president, restaurant owner, and community leader. Near-ly 450,000 votes were cast in the Pacific region, giv-ing Thorne $100,000 for the Golden Minor Hock-ey Association.

“Boom Chucka Lucka! It doesn’t get better than this. We didn’t expect to win.”

Local dancer shines in Flamenco spotlightDuring the performance of Mis Herman as by Fla-

menco Rosario at theGolden Civic Centre on April 13, local 10-year-old dancer Madison Durand had the chance to take part in the performance.

Durand was chosen from local students and had just about two months to learn her part from a video provided by the dance troupe.

“I thought the hand movements were kind of hard but the jumps were an easier part for me,” she said.

Golden player takes a shot at the NHL

Curtis McKenzie, who started his hockey career in the Golden Minor Hockey Association, has signed to a two-year entry-level contract with the Dallas Stars with the contract starting at the beginning in the 2013-14 season.

McKenzie joined the Stars after completing his senior season at Miami University of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA), where he recorded 24 points (11 goals, 13 assists) and 80 pen-alty minutes in 39 games played.

The Golden, British Columbia native played in 158 career games for the Redhawks (NCAA Division I), posting 80 points (29 goals, 51 assists) and 285 penalty minutes.

Wilsgard takes over CAO positonThe Town of Golden has found their new Chief

Administrative Officer in a familiar face.After unanimously voting in a closed meeting,

council offered the position to Jon Wilsgard, who was in the position of manager of corporate services for the Town for the past six years.

“It was a surprise. I thought there would be a recruitment process, and that perhaps I would apply,” said Wilsgard. “I was surprised, I really wasn’t expecting that. It’s a real honour.”

After a long career in government including BC Parks, the Forest Service, and Golden Area Initia-tives, Wilsgard finally feels like he is ready for the major responsibility of the CAO position. But he is still moving forward cautiously.

“I have an arrangement with council that I can return to my former position within the next little while, depending on how things go… In fairness to council, I want to make sure I can do this job,” he said.

Early learning hub project plugs alongThe Early Learning and Care Stakeholder Action

Group had their fundraising kick-off more than two months ago, and now they are working hard to secure the rest of the funding to draw up the plans for an early learning and care hub.

Project co-ordinator Joanne McCullough sees the project in three phases. The first was the Child Care Feasibility Care Feasibility Study and the hiring of two champions to research possibilities to address the problem. Right now the project is in the second phase.

April: Thorne wins Kraft Challenge

May: Macdonald wins MLA seatSpilli Chilli returns with gentlemanly touchOn Saturday, June 1, one of the most popular

events in the area will return when the Spilli Chili cook off set taste buds to overdrive in Spillima-cheen.

This year the vent will expand with something for everyone.

Greg Bodnaryk is a member of The Gentlemen’s Leisure Club of Golden, who are involved with the vent for the first time this year.

“We will be taking care of the beer gardens. We will have a fenced off area for that during the event,” he said. “We were approached and the organizing committee wanted our input about hosting events.”

Special extras for Kicking Horse CultureKicking Horse Culture has announced two Live

Kicks Extra shows that will feature Jamaican legend Ziggy Marley on June 22 and Canadian icon Bruce Cockburn on August 16.

Executive director of Kicking Horse Culture, Bill Usher, said he was very excited about the new shows.

“We are very pleased. It is fantastic. This is one of the reasons why the Civic Centre was restored because we knew there were these type of oppor-tunities out there.”

Golden gets on board with Sport for LifeHaving a passion for sports, and an active lifestyle

does not need to end when you’re a teenager.Sport for Life, a growing trend nationwide, aims

to teach parents, coaches, and individuals how to active and engaged throughout their lives.

“It’s about driving that passion, and through that education process get them excited about staying

active and engaged in sport for their lifetime,” said Jordan Petrovics, manager of recreation services for the Town of Golden.

Macdonald wins MLA seatIt was a bitter sweet victory for the now three-time

Columbia River-Revelstoke MLA, Norm Macdon-ald, who once again won his seat with more than 6,000 votes, but also saw the BC NDP stay in oppos-ition provincially.

Madonald was watching the results of the 2013 provincial election at his home office in Golden, surrounded by supporters and well wishers.

“I am very proud of the campaign we ran locally. We based our campaign on the grassroots,” he said. “We ran a campaign based on fact, and were very clear about what we would do.”

Macdonald thanked all of the people who came out to help with his campaign, and said the victory could not have happened without them.

Tourism Golden reports strong year at AGMAfter their first year having Kicking Horse Moun-

tain Resort in their coverage area, Tourism Golden has some positive figures to report at their annual general meeting on May 2.

Their revenue from the two per cent accommo-dators’ tax increased by nine per cent for their past fiscal year, with overall revenue increasing by just under nine per cent.

“We are in a strong financial position,” said Joanne Sweeting, marketing manager for Tourism Golden.

Sweeting also some of the strides they’ve made in the past year (such as a 19 per cent increase in web-site visits), and the community’s extensive coverage in national and even international media.

Curt Thorne holding his two kids after winning the Kraft Hockey challenge last spring. Star Photo

The Golden Star Wednesday, January 1 2014 www.thegoldenstar.net A13

Paragliders back out after winterIf you look up in the sky above Golden there is a good chance you may see a paraglider

flying gracefully over the town.For Hugo Tschurtschenthaler and Scott Watwood paragliding offers visitors to Golden

the chance to fly off one of the best mountains in the world.As the owners of Altitude Adventures the men take people to Mount 7 and beyond for

tandem paragliding flights and rocky mountain heli-paragliding experiences. (available June through October.)

APES celebrates intergenerational day with MountainviewOn June 1 take some time to get to know someone of a different generation for Can-

ada’s Inter-Generational Day.Mountainview Assisted Living has been participating in an intergenerational program

with Alexander Park Elementary School for the past year, and has seen some tremendous results.

“The residents just love it. They always look forward to Wednesdays,” said Tricia Bow-ness, manager at Mountainview.

“There’s been some really amazing connections made with the kids.”

Hern wants council size reducedTown of Golden councillor, Keith Hern, thinks the time is right to reduce the number of

councillors in Golden from six to four.Hern has put a Notice of Motion to have a discussion on the topic at the Oct. 8 council

meeting.“I started looking around to other communities and noticed a majority of communities

only had four councillors,” he said. “That gives everybody two or three months to discuss it and decide if they would want it or not.”

Hern said after looking at 74 communities with a population below 5,000 people and he found out 52 only had four councillors.

LP expands with third shiftA third shift will be starting at the LP Engineered Wood Products Ltd mill in Golden as

of July.The confirmation of the added shift was confirmed by Manager of LP Engineered

Wood Products Ltd, Bryce Piggot.“Currently the mill is working on a two shift basis but running a condensed week so

people are working twelve hour shifts,” he said. “We are adding a third shift back to the mill as of July 1,” he said. This mean the mill will be returning to a schedule that will see it running three, eight hour shifts a day from Monday to Friday.

In preparation for the added shift LP have hired about 50 people Piggot said.

Golden chosen as host community for raceOne of the largest mountain bike stage races in North America has chosen Golden as

one of their 2014 locations.The TransRockies Challenge has been operating in the region since 2002, bringing as

many as 600 riders to the Rockies and Kootenays. Next year they are changing the format a bit, and Golden will be one of the first locations to showcase the new race.

“We’re looking to create a twist on that mountain bike stage race concept, and we’re really highlighting community based trail networks, and single track mountain bike rid-ing,” said Aaron McConnell, president of TransRockies Events.

Singletrack 6 will be a six-day mountain bike race in Bride Creek, Nipika, Radium, Revelstoke and Golden, with Golden being the only location to have two days.

Police investigate powder thiefPolice are investigating a theft from the Body Quest Gym. A male selected a jar of pro-

tein powder and made motions to pay for the item. Before the purchase was made, the male grabbed the item and fled from the store. The male was wearing grey hoodie and left in a white older style Ford pickup with a metal rack on the back and logo in the back win-dow.

June: APES celebrates intergenerational day with Mountainview

July: Orphaned grizzly cub Tika was re-released into the wild

Local body builder heads to national competition

Luraina Oddy is taking her desire to compete at the British Columbia Amateur Body Building Competi-tion to a national level.

After qualifying for the provincial competition in November Oddy continue to work hard over the past few month for the event.

At the 2013 BC Provincial Championships on June 22 Oddy finished second in Masters Figure A aspect

of the event.

Rocky Mountaineer passengers transfer in Golden

More than a dozen busses filled the CP Rail parking lot last week, making sure that 500 passengers on the Rocky Mountaineer train didn’t get stranded.

All the flooding in Alberta these past few weeks has suspended travel not only on the highways, but on the railways as well. Crews worked tirelessly to get High-way 1 open to vehicles, but trains were still unable to get through.

Rocky Mountaineer, Canada’s world-renowned Rocky Mountain travel experience, had to find a way to get their 500 passengers from Kamloops to Banff. The train stopped at the CP Rail parking lot in Gold-en and unloaded their passengers, who stepped off the train, and right onto their bus.

Tika released back into wild

A male Grizzly bear cub named Tika, who was found orphaned, matted and starving in Nicholson in December, was re-released in the Golden area on July 8.

The cub was rehabilitated by Peter and Angelika

Langen of the Northern Lights Wildlife Society.“He came just before Christmas and the first month

was touch and go. He was very underweight and had some neurological problems,” Angelika said. “He went from 35 pounds to 162 pounds at his release time. He looked fantastic.”

Lucky dog returns home

A local dog took an unexpected trip to Calgary but luckily was returned to their owners.

The dog named lucky is owned by Kari Wilson and her family.

Lucky got out of the door of the families home on July 6 and eventually ended up near a highway in Golden.

Neighbours near the family, who were also looking for their dog, spoke to a person who found Lucky and said he were going to take it to the RCMP detachment.

The car had license plates from Alberta but it never showed up at the detachment.

“We did not see him again. We posted on lost dog in B.C. and Alberta. We called the SPCA and posted on Facebook as well. I called all the vets as well,” Wil-son said.

A friend of the family eventually spotted Lucky on a shelter website in Calgary.

Orphaned cub Tika was re-released into the wild in July. Photo Submitted

Kinbasket gets cleanup

BC Hydro is gearing up its debris removal program on Kinbasket Reservoir in prepara-tion for high water levels expected this fall.

The Kinbasket Reservoir, created by the Mica Dam, has traditionally been a popular recreation area for the residents of Golden. But heavy debris has hampered that by clog-ging recreation sites, and creating boating hazards.

Khaira workers appear in court

A human rights tribunal will hear about the plight of a group of African tree planters found working in squalid conditions at a camp near Golden, B.C., three years after the camp was discovered and closed down.

A human rights complaint against Khaira Enterprises, the silviculture contractor who ran the camps, was filed by the B.C. Public Interest Advocacy Centre (BCPIAC); it will be heard by the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal starting Sept. 30.

Gentlement host Kla-How-Ya

The Columbia River is about to become the battlegrounds of the second annual Kla-

How-Ya River Battle.The Gentlemen’s Leisure Club of Golden is bringing back their popular river battle on

Saturday Aug. 24, where participants race down the river on canoes or homemade rafts.

Visitor’s Centre opens plaza

The BC Visitor’s Centre, located just off the highway in Golden, has just added a new outdoor plaza to make sure their customers have the most enjoyable experience possible.

“It’s nice to have something there other than a parking lot for people,” said Jennifer Handley with Destination BC.

Boo predicts cold winter

Golden might have a new weather forecaster. He’s on the larger end of the scale at about 650 pounds (he’ll be 750 or so by the time

he’s done bulking up for the winter) but he has a proven track record and only a fool would argue with him face to face. Boo, the only resident of Kicking Horse’s Grizzly Bear Refuge, began to make his den for the winter on Aug. 13, about a month before he would typically do so.

He usually starts building his den in mid-September and the last time he built his winter shelter this early was in 2010. The winter that followed was long, cold and snowy.

August: BC Vistor’s Centre open new plaza off highway in Golden

Acid spill in parking lot adjacent to Highway 1

On Wednesday Sept. 25 at approximately 11:45 p.m. multiple agencies responded to a sulphuric acid spill located in a closed tractor trailer unit parked at the old highway weigh scale parking lot adjacent to the Trans-Canada Highway.

The westbound tractor trailer was hauling a fully loaded trailer containing 20,000KG of industrial batteries. During transportation the load shifted in the trailer resulting in a sul-phuric acid spill within the trailer.

Upon noticing the spill the driver pulled over, investigated the situation and immedi-ately contacted the company’s internal emergency support services. The response even-tually involved Golden Fire and Rescue in partnership with Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Transportation & Instructor, CVSE and an emergency response spill team from Calgary.

All emergency plans were followed while dealing with the hazardous material. The acid was quickly naturalized and removed from the site resulting in no permanent damage to the parking lot and the surrounding environment. Emergency services announced the site safe at 9:30 p.m. on Thursday Sept. 26.

Local artist wins Art Trends award

After she had her painting stolen, Joni Young thought that submitting a photo of the painting to a contest would give her a chance to gain some publicity and get it back. Young still hasn’t found the thief, but her painting has now earned her a very prestigious award. Art Trends, a Canadian print and online magazine, has named Young their 2013 artist of the year in her category of acrylic on canvas.

Young was selected as a finalist for the award a couple weeks ago and the winners were chosen through an online vote. Voting closed last week and Young found out the next day that she won.

“I’ve been on cloud nine ever since,” she said.

Connecting with the Elders at GSS

“I used to be ashamed of my culture. Now I’m proud,” wrote Golden Secondary School students Ryanna Head and Jo-Mary Crowchild-Fletcher.

The words came from a poem the students wrote for Denise Porter, an aboriginal edu-cation support worker here in Golden.

The project is called Connecting with the Elders. Students from the Columbia Valley got together with community elders to hear their stories. The students then turned those stories into poems, and created a book.

The GSS students who participated in the project came together for a reception and reading at the school library on Oct. 8. They read their poems to the elders directly in front of an audience.

Ford’s classic car business growing

Kicking Horse Ford is well known in town for its selection of new and used vehicles, but it’s another slice of the pie that is starting to become a real winner for the local dealership.

“It’s a part of the business that we really enjoy,” said Dan Maisonneuve about his dealer-ship’s sales of classic cars. “They’re interesting, they have a lot of character and they gener-ate traffic for the dealership.”

Kicking Horse Ford started with buying the odd classic car here and there and found that there is a solid market for the vintage vehicles in this area. Now, Maisonneuve and his partner will frequent classic car auctions and do internet searches for their next purchas-es. Their reputation as an active member of the classic car industry means that they’ll even get calls from other dealer’s who aren’t in the business alerting them of potential deals.

For Maisonneuve, a self-described “car nut”, half of the fun is in the search for the dealership’s next purchase.

“The chase is as much fun, or more, as the actual selling of the car. You find what you thought was a great, great deal, and you bring it here and find out it was a super buy, you can’t wait to sell it so you can go out and do it again,” he said.


September: Town officials return from successful UBCM

RMI report shows accomplishmentsThe Annual Resort Municipality Initiative Report is in, and Golden has some great

progress to detail.The past five years have been a “whirlwind of activity,” and now in the calmer period, the

fruits of these labours are starting to show.“Continuing evidence of the value of projects completed in the original five-year period

became evident in the statistics associated with the use of facilities and amenities in the community provided by their managing organizations,” reads the report.

Golden prepares for StompdownSkateboarders and bikers from all over town are preparing for the 7th annual Golden

Stompdown at the Golden Freeride Park. The event will take place on Saturday, Sept. 14 with registration starting at noon and the

competition beginning at 2 p.m. The Town of Golden has provided organizer Jessie Oat-way with 350 dollars in funding for the event this year and many prizes have been donated from local stores, including t-shirts from Off the Wall that will be sold with proceeds going

towards next year’s event.

Golden expanding as wedding destinationWe may not be Niagara Falls just yet, but Golden is gaining ground.In the past decade, and the last few years especially, Golden has skyrocketed as a premier

wedding destination. Couples from all over Canada bring their friends and family to our little mountain community for their special day.

“Each year it’s more and more. I used to be excited if I did 10 weddings in a whole calen-dar year,” said Mike Pecora, owner of Elite Sound and Light and wedding DJ.

Rotary club upgrades Confluence ParkIf you don’t venture out to the airport very often, you may not realize how much the area

around the confluence gets used for recreational purposes.Both visitors and locals follow the Rotary Trail Network over the train tracks, and spend

some time by the river. So the Rotary Club of Golden, with the help of a few partners, decided to fix up the area, and make it a bit more user friendly.

Crews burn removed debrisThere was a bit of smoke in the air last week around Selkirk Heights when unit crews

from the Southeast Fire Centre returned to Golden to burn the trees they had removed earlier in the year as part of the Wildfire Prevention Program.

The Wildfire Prevention Program is part of a multi-year plan dating back to 2010 and formally launched in the summer of 2012. The project goal is to protect Golden from wildfire spreading into the community by limiting the forest fuel load.

Golden officials return from UBCMGolden politicians and municipal staff have returned satisfied from Vancouver after the

Union of B.C. Municipalities conference.“It was probably the best UBCM I have ever attended,” said Mayor Christina Benty.The conference, which combines information, networking, prioritizing, and one-

on-one meetings with provincial politicians, brought municipal governments from the entire province together.

Purcell Orchestra enters 8th yearJeff Moss studied and played the cello for five years when he was a child. He didn’t

play again until he was 55. His rediscovery of his childhood hobby lead him, along with a few other people from around Golden, to form the Purcell Mountain Orchestra. Now, the orchestra is getting set for its eighth year of performances. What started with just a few musicians has grown into a full ensemble of about 30 people of varying abil-ities.

Boarders and bikers from around Golden competed in the 7th annual Golden Stompdown. Star Photo

October: Local artist Joni Young wins an Art Trends award

Ford’s classic car business represents an increasingly significant por-tion of their sales. Star Photo

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December: Early date for KHMR Rockets trade Beauchemin

The Rockets have dealt leading scorer Connor Beauchemin to the Castlegar Rebels in exchange for forward Quinn Klimchuk and a player to be named later.

According to head coach Ty Davidson, Klimchuk gives the Rockets a skilled forward that can play on their top two lines, and his 1995 birthday means that he will be a key component for the team going forward, while Beauchemin’s junior eligibility will expire following this campaign. Beauchemin’s scoring touch will surely be missed by a Rockets team that has struggled to create offense this season, but Davidson doesn’t believe that this trade is a sign that the team is giving up on its playoff aspirations.

Kicking Horse set to open early

With more than 150 centimetres of snow to date, Kicking Horse Moun-tain Resort is excited to be opening for a bonus weekend on Dec. 7 and 8.

“Mother nature has helped us out a lot, and our team has been working really hard to get everything ready,” said Matt Mosteller, vice president of marketing and sales for Resorts of the Canadian Rockies.

To celebrate the start of the season the resort is hosting their free Com-munity Day on Dec. 15. All residents of Golden and Area are invited to come up to the resort for a free day of skiing or snowboarding.

ELCSAG dialogue with ministry

A dialogue has been opened between the Early Learning and Care Stake-holder Action Group (ELCSAG) in Golden, and the Ministry of Children and Family Development regarding the town’s early learning hub.

In the past provincial election, the BC Liberals announced a strategy to improve access to childcare and support the early years, a strategy that would include a $32-million commitment in funding for childcare spaces.

This announcement came as a nice surprise to ELCSAG, who had already been working towards an early learning and care hub in the com-munity. Golden’s early learning hub got onto the ministry’s radar after the Golden Mayor and Council used some of their time with the Premier at the UBCM conference to discuss the project.

November: Changes at Spirit Square Canoeing for a cause

Four canoeists from Voyages of Discovery, a group that conducts educational exped-itions on the Columbia River, passed through Golden last Sunday in an effort to raise awareness about the problems that have affected salmon species along the 2,000 km-long waterway.

With the possibility that the Columbia River Treaty could be terminated or altered in the next 10 years (the B.C. and U.S. Governments are currently reviewing their options and asking for public input), the group is hoping that a new agreement will be friendlier for salmon populations that are currently blocked from spawning up-river because of dams that lack proper passage. The group hopes to see the construction of fish ladders at these sites, which would allow the salmon to pass through the dams and spawn further up-river.

Changes coming to Spirit Square

Next summer Golden will start to see some changes to the community’s Spirit Square.As part of a Resort Municipality Initiative project, a new Amenity Hub is going to be

constructed in the square to accommodate all the community events that take place there.

This past summer was used as an information gathering period to find out what “makes people tick in the square.” The information was compiled, and plans have been drawn up for a permanent stage, as well as some seating in the square.

The project will likely be completed in three phases, with the groundwork being laid for the stadium style seating, and the stage which will now be facing south towards the river, in the first year.

Praise for Golden snomobiling

The readers of SnoRiders magazine have given Golden six Rider’s Choice awards for 2013. The awards include three gold awards in the categories of Most Challenging Rid-ing Area, Favourite Mountain Riding Area and Favourite Scenic Snowmobiling Area, all within the province of B.C..

Aaron Bernasconi of Mountain Motor Sports and the Golden Snowmobile Trail Soci-ety said that the awards are a good recognition of the effort that Golden has put into making this area an attractive option for sledders.

“It’s a nice way to give the communities recognition that put a lot of effort into snow-mobiling and Golden puts a lot of effort into snowmobiling,” said Bernasconi.

A17 www.thegoldenstar.net Wednesday, January 1, 2014 The Golden Star Golden Star Wednesday, January 1, 2014 www.thegoldenstar.net A17

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Plenty of Parking250-344-6710

Duplex / 4 PlexFOR RENT

3 Bdrm duplex close to school, W/D, N/S, No pets.

References req’d, avail. Jan 1.250-348-2245

Homes for Rent

Property Management Division

Alice Dahlberg, CPM250-344-2418 or

250-344-8581 (cell)

Each ofce is independently owned & operated.

Visit our website forcomplete rental listings

remaxgolden.com

FOR RENT

2 large bdrm mobile home for rent on top of hill $750/mnth.

2/3 bdrm duplex for rent completely new! Mature

tenants (families pref’d) and refs req’d. Call 250-344-5996.

3 bdrm 2 bath totally reno’d mobile home in King Acres. Large fenced yard, garden, greenhouse. All appliances incld. Propane heat, central air. No cats please, small dog ok. $1500/mnth, DD req’d, avail. Feb. 1. 250-344-7641.Newer 1 bdrm cabin w/ loft sitting on full basement on acreage South of Golden $950/month plus utls. No parties, no illegal activities. Long term mature reliable tenants preferred. References and DD req’d. 250-344-6710.

Rentals

Offi ce/RetailOffi ce Space for rent. Approx. 350 sq. ft. above Body Quest. Call 250-344-7876.

Offi ce/studio for rent: $350.00/month (excld. GST).

200 SF, on ground fl oor, hydro/heating/

air conditioning/wi-fi /parking/waste disposal incld,

private washroom, no smoking, no pets, avail Nov.1.

Inquire at 250.344.2443.

StorageS TA S H YO U R S T U F F. C O M Storage spaces of different sizes starting at $40/month including heated units. 250-344-3104.

Townhouses4 BDR 2 bath Townhouse. Balcony & propane fi replace. Appliances incl. dishwasher. Family preferred. References & Damage Deposit. $1495/month plus utilities. Telephone 250-344-6710.

Want to RentEmployed person w/ref’s seeks quiet, private, spacious, wooded area w/ cabin/place now or future.250-439-8225.

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802-10 Ave. S250-344-5510

www.kickinghorsemovies.com

Thank you to all of our valued customers for your patronage over the year!

We are happy to announce this new rental deal, available now!

Rent 5 movies and get the 6th FREE!!HAPPY

NEW YEAR!


Every once in a while a documentary comes along that hits you from every direc-tion. Blackfish, an inside look at the prac-tices and policies of SeaWorld, shocks, dis-turbs, informs and, oddly enough, enter-tains.

Much of the narrative focuses on one orca, Tilikum, who has been held in cap-tivity for nearly his entire life. Tilly, as he is affectionately known, was captured in 1983 and was assigned to Sealand of the Pacif-ic, a since closed aquarium near Victoria. If you thought the animals at modern day aquariums lacked for space, wait until you get a glimpse of Sealand’s main tank, as well as the small prison-like area where resi-dent orcas spend their nights. Simply put, the conditions are horrific.

Perhaps it should come as no surprise that Tilly, who was said to have been bullied by the two orcas that he lived with, started to go a little crazy. When a marine biology student and part time trainer slipped into the pool containing Tilikum and two other orcas, the effect captivity was having on the massive killer whale became apparent.

Tilly and two other orcas submerged 20 year old Keltie Byrne, and dragged her around the pool. After a lengthy struggle, the orcas drowned her, essentially leading to the end of Sealand.

SeaWorld was interested in acquiring Tilly despite his demonstrated demeanour for the simple fact that he was still young and could breed with the aquarium’s

female orcas. This made Tilly a very valu-able commodity, and Tilly became a fea-tured performer at SeaWorld’s Orlando park.

Since the incident in Victoria, Tilly has killed twice more. Once in 1999 when a man broke into SeaWorld after hours and jumped into his tank, and again in 2010 when he killed his trainer, Dawn Brancheau, during a routine perform-ance.

Since that incident, SeaWorld has under-standably come under fire for its shows that involve trainers interacting in the water with killer whales, as well as the general idea of holding orcas in captivity to begin with. Numerous activists have called for Tilly’s release into the wild but SeaWorld has shown little interest in that idea. Tilly (a father to 11 living calves) and his genetic material are simply too valuable.

The story is told through a variety of interviews with former SeaWorld trainers who reveal some shocking truths about the amusement park’s general practices. There are some truly emotional sequences, especially when discussing Brancheau’s death, which only serves to further outrage the viewer even more.

The ultimate question is whether or not Blackfish is one sided. Certainly there is a clear message here and SeaWorld in par-ticular is portrayed in a very negative light. For their part, the filmmakers did reach out to SeaWorld executives but they refused to be interviewed for the film. SeaWorld has come out and said the film is inaccurate and misleading.

Blackfish is far from Michael Moore agenda-pushing, however, and it is diffi-cult to see where the filmmakers might have gone over the top. At the end of the day, Tillikum has killed three people and remains a part of the SeaWorld shows in Orlando (although trainers are no long-er permitted to get into the water with any orcas, something that SeaWorld is fighting to have changed).

If you’ve been to a SeaWorld park, this might be a tough, but necessary mov-ie to watch. If you plan to go to SeaWorld for your next family vacation, it might be

worth checking out so you know the price of the entertainment. Regardless of your opinion on the subject matter, Blackfish is a brilliant documentary that will surely fas-cinate you from start to finish. For that rea-son, I’ll give Blackfish 9 out of 10 dancing hot dogs.

Blackfish is now available at Kicking Horse Movies.

Blackfish gives viewers an inside look into the questionable practices of SeaWorld amusement parks. CNN Films

A Reel Review: Blackfish is a must-see documentary film

Kids of all ages turn up for Christmas party

The Town of Golden, with some help from the Amuse Troupe and the Leo’s Club, put on a Kids Christmas party last Saturday at the Civic Centre. (Left) Sebastient Pellerin and Hanni Bracken lead three children in song (from left) Joshua Delyea, Marley Cooper and Keslin Cooper. (Right) Mayor Christina Benty proves that adults are allowed a visit with Santa, too. Joel Tansey/Star Photo


Call 1-855-678-7833 today for more details.

Recruiting SUPERSTARSStarts Here.

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