There was a full house at the first regular meeting of Creston’s newly elected town council on Dec. 13, but only until Santa Claus Parade draw winners received their prizes.
“We canvassed businesses throughout Creston and because of their donations, we are able to distribute these prizes,” Coun. Jerry Schmalz said as he made the presentations.
Draws were made from the student lists of all Creston Valley teachers and each of the 25 lucky winners won a 10-pack of day passes to Creston and District Community Complex.
Schmalz, who also presented awards to the best Santa Clause Parade floats, chairs Community Pride, which co-ordinates the parade in co-operation with Creston Valley Chamber of Commerce.
Awards for floats went to Warehouse Pizza (first prize), the Creston Valley Food Action Coalition (second prize) and Re/Max Discovery Real Estate (third prize).
Council Briefs
• Area manager Cliff Razzo and district operations manager Hugh Eberle of the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastruc-ture’s West Kootenay district, made a presentation about the structure and responsibilities of the highways department.
They also presented a 15-minute video of the snow-slide control operations that are undertaken to keep Kootenay Pass safe for travellers on Highway 3. The film, shot in last year’s unusually high snowfall season, illustrated the use of three different explosives techniques that are used to bring down unstable snow accumulations before they endanger drivers.
A different video of Kootenay Pass avalanche control can be found on YouTube.
•Marilin States, recruiter for the Creston Valley Health Working Group, presented an update on the physician recruitment program, which recently attracted Dr. Raphael Elemuo to practise full-time in Creston. The program has also brought in several physicians to fill in as locums, some of whom are considering relocating to Creston, and assisted in bringing in Dr. Ola Szymanska to replace Dr. Elizabeth O’Hallorhan.
States also credited Dr. Carrie Armstrong with providing mentor and clinical support for Elemuo, who is new to Canada.
•A letter of support will be sent to the Association of Kootenay Boundary Local Government’s opposition to BC Hydro’s plans to eliminate Nelson and Cranbrook staff and contractors of the Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program. The program was created to help mitigate the effects of damming on the Columbia River. BC Hydro announced last month its intentions to eliminate Kootenay staff and operate the program out of the Lower Mainland as part of cost-cutting measures.
•Council voted to continue last year’s woodstove exchange program, which provides a $100 rebate for residents who upgrade their woodstoves, and pays up to $10 for the disposal of an old stove.
•An invitation to participate in Communities in Bloom will be forwarded to Community Pride for consideration.
•The Town of Creston will assist with road closures and provision of barricades to a planned triathlon event on June 2. The triathlon is sponsored by the Creston and District Community Complex.
•Building inspector Ross Beddoes reported that only one building permit, for the exterior renovation of a commercial property, was issued in November. Building permit values for 2011 now total $10.875 million, about $600,000 below the 2010 total for the first eleven months of the year.
•Council voted to continue participation in the Water Smart program co-ordinated by Columbia Basin Trust.
•On the recommendation of town manager Lou Varela, free parking with a two-hour limit at downtown metered parking spaces will be extended through Jan. 31, 2013. Monitoring of downtown parking will continue next summer and efforts will continue to ensure compliance of the two-hour limit is enforced.