By Raven Nyman
2014 Clinton homicide suspect acquitted
A 28-year-old man accused in the 2014 murder of 61-year-old James Painter has been acquitted in B.C. Supreme Court.
Wyatt Boffa was acquitted on May 2 after Justice Laura Gerow ruled that Boffa’s videotaped confession was inadmissible. Gerow’s decision left Crown Prosecutor Chris Balison without enough evidence to secure a conviction in the case.
Painter was found dead in his home in the Pine Ridge Mobile Home Park in Clinton on September 11, 2014.
New businesses open in Clinton
Two new businesses have opened in the Village of Clinton, offering locals a great new selection of services.
Gina’s Cutz is a new hair salon in the Village that opened its doors to the public on Tuesday, May 1. The full service salon will offer hi-lights, haircuts, perms, foils, and colours for the entire family with great prices and more than 35 years of in-house experience.
To book an appointment at the Salon on Fir Avenue, call or text Gina at (604) 992-9245 for availability from Tuesday to Sunday of each week.
47 Mile Wood ‘N Things, operated by local residents Lee and Darrell Schapansky, opened on Thursday, May 3 across from the Cordial Restaurant at 1310 Highway 97, Clinton. The shop features a variety of wood products, and coffee, too. New products will be arriving weekly, so stop by to check out the shop or grab a coffee on Thursdays, Fridays, or Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Grad bottle drive
On Thursday, May 10 the 2018 David Stoddart School grads will hold a bottle drive to raise funds. The grads will begin their bottle drive at 3 p.m., and any residents who would like the grads to stop at their home for pick-up are asked to contact Quinntina Horsley via Facebook.
Village Council briefs
At the April 25 meeting of council, the Clinton RCMP detachment provided an update on their 2018 Strategic Priorities for the community, which include a focus on enhancing road safety and increasing police visibility and community relations in Clinton.
Enhanced road safety efforts will be achieved through greater traffic enforcement, speed watches, and road checks. Police will also make efforts to increase their visibility in the community by attending more community events, conducting neighbourhood patrols, and interacting with youth through school visits and sports engagements. Council all voted in favour of approving the detachment’s 2018 Strategic Priorities.
Council also discussed BC Hydro’s proposed Peace to Kelly Lake Capacitors Project, and Councillor Diana Guerin made a motion to invite BC Hydro to the Village so that those behind the project will have an opportunity to explain the proposition more clearly to council and offer locals the chance to ask questions.
Mayor Jim Rivett noted that since February 2017 council has been “after BC Hydro to make changes” so that the Village receives power from the north and south, which will minimize the duration of local power outages. The Village currently receives power from the north only.
The Peace to Kelly Lake Capacitors Project intends to generate more electricity in the coming years with upgrades to the 500 kilovolt transmission lines currently in place in the area, as the existing system is already at 95 per cent capacity. The project will include upgrades that eliminate the need to build a completely new transmission line. Construction is not expected to begin until at least 2021, but a definitive upgrade plan will be announced by January 2019. Project completion will depend on the upgrade plan selected, but completion is expected to take place between 2024 and 2025.
Chief Financial Officer Michael Liggins also presented March’s financial report, and informed council that the Village is ahead in both tax collection and utility collection this year. The Five Year Financial Plan was also presented for a second reading, and was accepted by council. . The Village’s audited financial statement was also accepted and approved by council as presented.
Cllr. Guerin reported that the Village’s first Home-Based Business Market—the Spring Fling event—was quite a success. The event was “wonderful”, said Guerin, and she felt “very proud of the people of Clinton” for putting it on. Seedy Sunday was also informative and well-attended, but Guerin noted that it would have been nice to see more people attend the recent “Era of Megafires” presentation.
CAO Monika Schittek noted that council will receive an update on the Village’s Water Main Project at the second regular meeting of council in May.
Do you have Clinton news? Contact Raven Nyman at ravenbrookn@hotmail.com.
editorial@accjournal.ca
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