Library welcomes new board member
The Grand Forks Public Library Association Board of Trustees has appointed Mary Butterfield to the library board for a term ending in 2013. The Board of trustees for the Grand Forks Public Library Association governs the Grand Forks and District Public Library and is responsible for the overall governance of the library. The...
LETTER: Help us fight poverty in our community
Although the holiday season is in full swing there will be no bright lights and colourful presents for many in our community, and in the region. There are hundreds of poor children and families in the Kootenay / Boundary area who won’t be going to the grocery store with the cash to enjoy the annual rite of holiday shopping...
BUSINESS FEATURE: Ron Wyers rides the current in the air and on land
Ron Wyers loves to fly -- the freedom to travel, the speed of getting places and for the pure thrill of floating above it all. But what is even better about Wyers is his business sense. Wyers, 64, has been building, maintaining and modifying aircraft out of his Grand Forks shop, Western Aviation, since 2001. Western Aviation...
New complex will house seniors with style
For an area where estimates show that nearly 50 percent of the local population will be over 65 in 10 years, the new Silver Kettle Village retirement community is being welcomed by many. Golden Life Management started construction on their new Grand Forks seniors’ village this fall located near the Grand Forks recreation...
Hope is always present with the Christmas spirit of giving
Many local organizations receive attention and donations at Christmas time, helping them to continue their important community work. This year, for example, Whispers of Hope welcomed the contribution from Beta Sigma Phi Sorority, Xi Gamma Nu chapter, whose elves came bearing food donated by the chapter’s members. Each year...
EDUCATION: Board considers sexual orientation policy
In light of national news coverage on children with different sexual orientations being bullied, committing suicide or self-mutilating, the School District 51 board of education (SD51) has decided to create their own policy protecting students and staff in local schools. "I think (a sexual orientation policy) has to do with...
US Congress moves toward tougher stand on pipeline safety--but is it enough?
By Lena Groeger in ProPublica A bill to strengthen pipeline safety regulations passed the House and Senate last week and now awaits President Obama’s signature. But while many applaud Congress’s move toward more oversight, others question whether the impending law goes far enough to prevent oil and natural gas pipeline...
Responses to the death of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Il
North Korean dictator, Kim Jong-il, died on December 17, 2011, from a heart attack. North Korean state television has shown North Koreans mourning and sobbing hard at the news. There are looming concerns that the death of Kim Jong-il could destabilize the Korean peninsula; the country's military has reportedly conducted...
Border security deal's ugly twin carries major energy and environmental implications for Canada
The Harper government officially announced in recent weeks a new Border Security deal with the US. However, little press space was given to the ugly twin of this deal - the Canada-United States Regulatory Cooperation Council (RCC) and their "Joint Action Plan". The RCC was set up to "streamline" regulations in four economic...
Interfor fire leaves minor damage
Damage to the Grand Forks sawmill was limited when fire teams quickly contained flames ignited by demolition work on Tuesday, Dec. 20. The fire broke out in the early morning at International Forest Products Ltd. (Interfor), said Blair McGregor, fire chief for the City of Grand Forks. "They were taking out some of the old ...
