The Merritt ABC

Drugs? Educate your kids!

My son was approached by a teenager a little while ago about "getting some weed".

This is the article that was published in the Merritt Herald on Feb. 21 about it -

 

"Merritt mother Kerstin Auer is speaking out about drugs after her 10-year-old son was offered marijuana during his lunch break at Merritt Central Elementary last Monday.

“You can’t sweep something like this under the rug,” said Auer. “Parents have the responsibility to educate their kids and hope they make the right decision.”

Though she was disturbed by the news, in this instance Auer was relieved that her son did the right thing.

Auer said her son and his friend were approached by an older male with a backpack who asked them if they wanted some weed. Her 10-year-old described him as being about 5-foot-7, with brown hair and tanned skin and said he approached from the direction of Merritt Secondary School near the parking lot at Central.

Auer said the boys said no and told the first adult they saw, who then passed the information on to Central principal Trent Dolgopol.

Dolgopol quickly contacted the high school with a description of the teen, though it didn’t seem to fit with any of the MSS students, he said.

“Central is kind of a walking route, not just for high school students but the community as a whole,” said Dolgopol. “It could have been someone high school age but no longer in school, or someone a bit older.”

Dolgopol said he has not had any other reports of students being offered drugs on school property, but added that teachers address safety-related topics in the curriculum.

“If there are strangers on the school property, we encourage our kids to tell us right away so we can address the problem and contact the RCMP if necessary,” said Dolgopol. “It doesn’t have to be comments about drugs.”

In addition, Grade 5 students throughout the community participate in the D.A.R.E. (drug abuse resistance education) program taught in the classroom by RCMP officers.

Merritt RCMP Const. Tracy Dunsmore said the program, which has been taught in Merritt for at least 10 years, is more about decision-making than just saying no to drugs.

“In Grade 5, students are old enough to know about drugs, but hopefully they aren’t experimenting yet,” said Dunsmore. “D.A.R.E. also gets an RCMP officer in the classroom so the students are comfortable talking to officers and don’t just see the police as someone who will put them in jail.”

Like Dolgopol, Dunsmore was unaware of any other incidents where elementary students had been offered drugs on school property.

“I hear from kids that [drugs] exist in the middle school and I hear there is pot and ecstasy in the high school,” she said. “Usually if the school suspects someone of dealing drugs they are right on top of it.”

As a parent, Auer said she was really happy about how the school handled this incident, but said the main responsibility lies with parents to prepare children.

“I want my children to grow up being aware of what they put into their bodies that could be harmful,” said Auer. “I would have been just as upset if my 10-year-old son had been offered alcohol.”

2012 - bring it on

I had fun over the course of the last year, "counting down" the Merritt ABC from A to Z. Merritt's centennial year had lots to offer, and 2012 promises to be just as exciting.

There are some big projects rolling into town, BC Hydro is doing some major upgrades and a green energy project is on the go as well. Growth will be good for this little town, the last four years since we've moved here has not seen much progress at all. The potential is there for this to be a tourism and family-living hub, it would be a shame not to act on it!

And since this is my blog and it's a free country I can say this - it's pathetic that the city does not make more of an effort to market Merritt. Yes, procedures have to be followed and money has to be spent wisely, I totally agree - but come on, people, let's get the word out about how awesome this little city of ours is!

Also visit my personal blog Auer Life, which is being updated more regularly! And feel free to send me your thoughts on what should change in Merritt and how to go about it!

2012 - bring it on!

XYZ - like yard sales

XYZ - I made it! This is the end of my Merritt-ABC project and I have to say it was fun. I am a very organized person and ordering things alphabetically seems to come naturally to me. As much as I thought about it, X and Z just did not come to mind. I am sure there would have been a word or two in the Thompson language I could have used. My son is learning it in school this year and it all sounds to me like it starts with X or Z...

But there is still Y and what would be more Canadian and Merrittonian than a good old fashioned Yard Sale? I say this as if I knew what I'm talking about, and I really am not... Before we moved here I did not know anything about yard sales or garage sales, but now that I've discovered them, I am hooked!

Oh the treasures that can be found! My favourite thing to look for is Christmas decorations - and there are some good deals to be had! The Merritt Morning Market publishes a yard-sale-schedule in the summer season, so you can actually make a little yard-sale-plan before you head out.

Always worth the trip: the yard sales of the Nicola Valley Rodeo Association, which take place in the Fall Fair building several times throughout the year. And one of my favourites, which is almost like a permanent kind of a yard sale: the awesomeness at the Baillie House. They have outdoor and indoor yard sales throughout the year and you might even be able to find a little souvenir there if you're just visiting Merritt.

I leave you with one of my favourite views in Merritt. Looking at Sugar Loaf Mountain and the highway going towards Kelowna.

I love this view at any time of the year, but especially in the summer, when the heat leaves its traces on the hills.

Keep checking back on this blog, even though the ABC is now complete, I will be sharing my thoughts on current (and past) Merritt events here with you in the next year.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

W - like wind

Supposedly Merritt used to have a sign by the highway when you drive into town, which said "Welcome to windy city", but the wind blew that thing away a long time ago...

There are only a few days in the year, when the wind doesn't blow, and that's usually when it's 40° C outside and even the slightest breeze would be welcome.

I do have to admit though, that the wind gave us a break as well when the mercury dropped to -35° C in our first winter here - and that was very much appreciated!

Naturally, no place has the perfect weather and I have to say that I will take the wind over the permanent rain down at the Coast any day. Throw on the wind breaker jacket, hold on to the kids and jump over the tumbleweeds.

The other day I was finally getting to cleaning up my backyard, freeing it from all the leaves of my neighbor's tree (I only have two big lilacs in my backyard, but for some reason end up needing a box of 20 garbage bags for all the leaves my neighbor's tree dumps in my yard every year - damn wind). And in my yard, tucked underneath the lilac bush, I found the biggest tumbleweed I have ever seen in my life. The thing was big enough to need its own garbage bag and if I hadn't already put up my Christmas tree, it could have served as that as well. A round and fragile Christmas tree, but nonetheless.

My husband is convinced that everything the wind blows through town eventually ends up in our frontyard. When it's really windy it might even jump the 6' fence and end up in the backyard. Or even better - it could be a plastic bag, up in the neighbour's cherry tree, dangling into our yard at about 12' high - just high enough that my husband can't reach it with our step ladder.

For next year, I have a plan. I will build a "wind channel" into my yard, that re-routes all the garbage straight into my neighbour's yard. And for the leaves from his tree I will just borrow a leaf-blower...

V - like volunteers

The following article was published in the Canadian Newcomer Magazine in September 2011 (credit to www.cnmag.ca). I think it reflects a lot what volunteering is all about. Merritt really is an awesome place when it comes to volunteering. Someone is always more than happy to pitch in!

 

When in Canada, Do as the Canadians Do… Volunteer!

By Kerstin Auer

Sure I like to help out. But volunteer for an event and commit to it from beginning to end? Not exactly my thing… after all, I am busy working, writing and taking care of two children and a husband!

I admit those were my thoughts when my neighbour Mike asked me if I was interested in volunteering for the First Annual Great Canadian Bike Rally right here in Merritt, BC. A little hesitant at first, I told him I would help out if it fit my schedule and if my 9-year old son Marius could tag along. To my surprise, he was not put off by my “demands” and said he would be happy to have both Marius and me on his team. My son and I went to the rally office to sign up and in May 2011, two months before the rally, we officially became part of the volunteer family.

Volunteering is a very Canadian thing to do, so I am told, and I can say for sure that it made me feel like I belong and I am part of something important.

The Great Canadian Bike Rally Association is a non-profit organization based in Merritt, BC and is committed to raising money for the BC Children’s Hospital and the Circle Square Ranch by putting on a premier Bike Rally with bike games, street malls and entertainment. Like many other local (and even national) organizations, the Merritt Rally depends on volunteers. Without them, it wouldn’t be able to operate at all. Administration costs have to be kept lean in order to raise money for the charities of choice and the only way to achieve this is with the help of volunteers. Sounds like a pretty important job, eh?

In the weeks leading up to the rally, Marius and I went out and hung up posters, spread the word about the upcoming event and started meeting other volunteers. We met people in our little town we had never talked to before and all along we felt like our contribution was really appreciated. I had always thought that volunteering means you show up, do your job, go home – but shortly after we signed up I realized it is so much more than that.

It is an opportunity for personal growth, gathering experiences and connecting to people – and from an immigrant perspective that means integration!

Once the rally rolled into town in July, we were assigned to our stations at the headquarters. Marius and I were registering participants, selling merchandise and making sure every visitor would feel welcome in Merritt. For four days we worked with lots of other volunteers from Merritt and learned yet another surprising thing – the process of integration is not unique to immigrants but something that even Canadians have to deal with, when moving to another town. One of the ladies who was working with us for the duration of the event told me that they had moved to Merritt from Vancouver and volunteering had given her the chance to become part of the community, which is not an easy task in a small town. What a revelation!

For my son, being a volunteer was a special experience as well. He was the youngest helper and really got a chance to prove that his contribution was just as valuable as everyone else’s. The ticketing system was completely computerized and every ticket purchased in advance online had to be scanned for validation. There were a few glitches with the equipment and Marius was the go-to guy to keep the equipment running. He figured out how to reset the scanners in no time and in the end he was told by the company running the ticketing platform that he would have a job with them as soon as he was old enough. He can also count on several other volunteers giving him a good reference, once he is looking for his first job – not bad for giving up a few hours of his summer break, right?

After the rally our jobs were done, but we are still reaping the benefits. We are part of a group now that enjoys recognition and appreciation in the community and even though I considered us integrated before, this experience has taken it to a whole new level.

Marius and I both got a chance to prove our abilities and diligence and the connections we made to other members of the community are a valuable foundation for our future success in Canada.

To sum it all up – I can recommend the volunteer experience to anyone trying to get settled in Canada, whether it is in a small town or larger city. There are non-profit organizations available to help with settlement and integration of new immigrants and those programs are certainly valuable, but maybe not available everywhere. If you have access to programs like S.U.C.C.E.S.S., go ahead and use them – and then become a volunteer for them yourself! If you don’t have a program to help you with settlement in your area – get involved in a local charity or non-profit organization. You will be amazed how much helping out others will help you get integrated in the process.

As for Marius and me, we have already signed up to volunteer for the next Great Canadian Bike Rally in 2012 and then it will be us welcoming new volunteers to the family!