4 www.pgcitizen.ca | Wednesday, May 6, 2009 local Advance polls open today Citizen staff The first of four days of advance voting starts today for those unable to cast a ballot in the provincial election on May 12. Those in Prince George-Mackenzie can vote at Christ Our Saviour Hall, 4514 Austin Rd. W., and at Zion Lutheran Church, 180 Tabor Blvd. S. in Prince George and at Kinsmen Club of Mackenzie, 100 MacKenzie Blvd. in Mackenzie. Candidates in Prince GeorgeMackenzie are Pat Bell (Liberal), Kevin Creamore (Green) and Tobias Lawrence (NDP). In Prince George-Valemount, ballots can be cast at the Elder Citizen's Recreation Association, 1692 10th Ave. in Prince George, the Elks Hall, 172 Holdway St. in McBride and the Government Agents Office, 1201-Fifth Ave. in Valemount. Candidates in Prince GeorgeValemount are Shirley Bond (Liberal), Julie Carew (NDP), Don Roberts (BC Refed), Gordon Wilfred Dickie (Conservatives) and Andrej Joseph DeWolf (Green). In Nechako Lakes, the locations are Houston Seniors Activity Centre, 3250 14th St. W. in Houston, Immaculata Catholic Church, 248 Third Ave., in Burns Lake, Music Makers Hall, 241 Second Ave. W., Fort St. James, Royal Canadian Legion Hall 274, 165 Chowsunket St., Fraser Lake and Vanderhoof Fire Hall, 2353 Burrard Ave., Vanderhoof. Candidates in Nechako Lakes are Byron Robert Goerz (NDP), Gerard Michael Riley (Green), Mike Summers (B.C. Refed) and John Rustad (Liberal). In Cariboo North, the locations are Overlander Hotel, 1118 Lakeview Cres., Williams Lake and Royal Canadian Legion 94, 262 Kinchant St., Quesnel. Candidates in Cariboo North are Bruce Ernst (Liberal), Douglas Gook (Green) and Bob Simpson (NDP). All polls are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. through to the end of Saturday. For more information, go to www.electionsbc.bc.ca or call tollfree 1-800-661-8683. Protect Yourself with ANTI-VIRAL Powerful Immune Support - effective against all viral conditions from colds $ and flu's to herpes, laryngitis and tonsillitis - *lomatium* garnered attention during the Spanish influenza in 1917, after it was discovered $ that Native Americans were recovering from a flu that seemed to be killing everyone else 16 97 11 99 60 softgels 50ml 00647250 00658270 Ave Maria Specialties 1638 - 20th Ave 250-563-6388 Mother Maria's Market Bon Voyage Plaza 250-964-6686 "Healthy Products for Body and Soul" Longtime P.G. farmer appointed to board of farm investment group Citizen staff Longtime Prince George farmer Jim Tingle has been appointed to the board of the Investment Agriculture Foundation. The IAF deploys money from the federal and provincial governments to innovative agriculture and agri-food projects in B.C. "A professional agrologist by training, Jim Tingle possesses a broad knowledge of the agri-food industry in B.C., specializing in the forage and beef sectors," said IAG spokesman Bohdan Zajcew. "Tingle was named the B.C. Institute of Agrologists' `Agrologist of the Year' in 1999. Since 1970 he has been the co-owner and operator of Glenbirnam Farm, marketing purebred Black Angus cattle, meat products, market lamb, and purebred Morgan horses." The industry-led agriculture development group was established in 1996. They have funding programs for animal industries, plant industries, food processing industries, environmental initiatives and more. For more information on the organization or how to possibly qualify for money visit www.iafbc.com. Pump Price Survey May 5, 2009 City ¢/litre Change Prince George 92.9 Nat'l Average 90.7 Fort St. John Vancouver Victoria Kamloops Kelowna Calgary Edmonton Regina Winnipeg Toronto Ottawa Montréal Halifax 99.7 100.6 98.9 92.9 92.9 81.9 79.5 89.9 88.8 90.5 85.5 91.9 90.7 0 +2.1 0 +1.1 0 0 0 +0.2 +0.1 0 +0.1 +4.9 +4.4 +0.8 -1.6 Police investigating series of fires MOTHER'S DAY BRUNCH MAY 10TH · Chef's French Style Omelet & Fresh fruit Crepe Stations · Eggs Benedict & Eggs Florentine glazed with Hollandaise Sauce · Buttermilk Pancakes · Seafood & Salad Bar on Ice · Northern Cold Water Crab Legs · Shrimp, House Marinated Salmon Gravlax · Queen Charlotte Wild Salmon Filet with Saffron Sauce · Chef Carved Hip of Beef & Smoked Leg of Ham · Roast Tom Turkey with Sausage & Sage Stuffing · Rosemary Chicken & Rice Pilaf · Three Cheese Crust Vegetable Lasagna · Chocolate Fondue with Mashmallows & Fresh Strawberries · English Sherry Trifle · Tiramisu · Cheesecake, French Pastries, Pies Frank Peebles Citizen staff A series of small fires in Williams Lake and Quesnel look suspicious, say police. They are unrelated, investigators said, but indicate how widespread the dangers are this time of year when people are careless with fire. "Several suspicious fires have been lit in Williams Lake in the past several weeks," said Williams Lake RCMP Const. Dan Hay. "The forest environment is very dry and susceptible to burning quickly." The fires in Williams Lake have all been extinguished quickly. Seating Times: 10 am, 11 am, 12 am, 1 pm Adults: $23.95 Children: $11.95 (12 years & under) Seniors: $19.95 Reservations Please 250-561-5670 Some of the fires have been in the vicinity of Glendale elementary school. No suspects have been identified, said Hay. In Quesnel last week, an abandoned shed was torched and a grass fire was also set, all within 24 hours, and both apparently were deliberate. A boy of about 14 was arrested for those incidents, although there have been other fires in the area that Quesnel RCMP Const. Steve Klassen said are not linked to the youth. "The two fires we feel we can link to this youth were burning in residential areas and threatened homes," said Klassen. "I think it happens in every community from time to time. This boy was very receptive to the scolding he received and we are following up with charges, so I think we nipped that in the bud, but people really need to think about how dangerous fire is and how lucky we were things didn't get a little more out of control or the damage could have been a lot worse." Anyone with information is asked to call RCMP (250-992-9211 in Quesnel, 250-392-6211 in Williams Lake) or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS / www.pgcrimestoppers.bc.ca to give anonymous information. Official explains container traffic Citizen staff The number of containers handled by the Port of Prince Rupert's Fairview terminal may have nearly doubled over the past year, but little if any of that business is coming out of Prince George, says China Ocean Shipping (Canada) Inc. executive vice president Dave Bedwell. Bedwell, who was in Prince George in February for an Initiatives Prince George workshop aimed at letting local enterprises know about the services offered, said Tuesday most of those who are exporting overseas are continuing to use Vancouver where they can get a better rate. "We've seen nothing but deterioration in the ocean freight rates and when our rates go down and our costs don't go down, our costs being the intermodal side of the equation, as I put it in my presentation (in February) we have costs and we don't do business just for the fun of doing business," he said from Vancouver. "We have to cover our costs before we can introduce freight rates that produce new export business opportunities out of Prince George." The Port of Prince Rupert said Monday that its container traffic nearly doubled to 41,034 TEUs (20-foot equivalent units) during the first quarter of this year, compared to 21,040 during the same quarter last year. Bedwell attributed much of the increase to the addition of a second service to Fairview. But it was also noted that while all import containers were fully loaded, just 32.5 per cent of outbound containers destined for Asia were fully laden. 657760 Downtown Prince George · 444 George Street · Phone 250-563-0055 GOALS IN ACTION Dollars & sense Magda Decker Jerry Ross Kevin Plouffe Before an army can hope to win a battle, the target must be clearly identified and maintained. Before you leave on vacation, you have settled on at least one destination. Can you expect a desirable financial outcome without clear financial goals to govern your practices? This is an ideal time to review your financial goals. To be effective, goals should: A. Be written. This provides objectivity for future review. B. Be specific and well-defined. They must be very clear, so you can easily measure your progress toward them. C. Be in harmony with your philosophy and values, and with your needs. D. Be achievable. They might be challenging but not discouraging. E. Have a realistic deadline. There should be enough time to reach the goal, but not so much that distractions set in. Once the goals have been set, identify the action steps necessary to achieve the goals. For instance: who will participate and in what way, how will they carry out their part of the process, when will each part of your plan be accomplished, and where will the steps of your plan be carried out. In most cases, action steps must be prioritized, on the basis of importance or urgency. As soon as possible, take action. Procrastination is an enemy. Finally, monitor, measure and evaluate your progress toward your goals on a regular basis. Avoid procrastination in making necessary adjustments. Goals should be set for most financial management issues. For example: A. Spending. There is little doubt that far more people have become financially successful through learning to align their cash flow with their goals than there are people who have become financially successful through making a winning investment. It is more predictable, easier to manage, and less risky. B. Retirement. Most people would not buy a home without considering where they wanted to live, how many bedrooms they need, how much they are willing to spend, and so forth. Your retirement is likely to cost far more than any house you will ever own. It makes sense to prepare properly for it. C. Estate. There are plenty of tools available to help you accomplish whatever you desire for your estate, provided you plan far enough in advance. If your goals aren't clear, you are likely to use the wrong tool, and you will end up with the wrong result. D. Investments. The proper use of investment structures, the amount you invest each year, and the amount of risk you embrace, are each related to the goals you have set. It pays to learn about these issues, and to get qualified help. For help with financial planning, call us at 250-563-1212. REGIONAL DISTRICT of Fraser-Fort George NCMA meeting underway today in Dawson Creek Citizen staff More than 250 delegates representing local governments from 100 Mile House to the Yukon border will converge on Dawson Creek for the North Central Municipal Association's three-day annual convention starting today. Along with the workshops and presentations, delegates will consider more than 50 resolutions. The Fraser-Fort George Regional District is sponsoring a resolution calling on the provincial government to fund the full cost of flood mitigation projects as it had in 2007 and 2008. The Village of Valemount is behind a resolution demanding rail corporations assume direct responsibility for controlled railway crossings within incorporated communities, and that whistlesounding practices be discontinued in these locations. The NCMA executive, meanwhile, is calling for a five-per-cent reduction in the insurance premium and a one-per-cent reduction in the provincial sales tax for vehicles with electronic stability control and, in a separate resolution, to make snow tires mandatory between Oct. 1 and April 30. Floods can have significant effect on people and property. It's important to know what to do to reduce the impact of flooding on your home. As part of Emergency Preparedness Week, the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George offers the following suggestions to people living in areas prone to seasonally high water. · Keep an emergency kit on hand with enough supplies to sustain you and your family for 72 hours · Put weather protection sealant around basement windows and the base of ground-level doors · Install the drainage for downspouts a sufficient distance from your residence to ensure that water moves away from the building · Consider installing a sump pump and zero reverse flow valves in basement floor drains · Ensure driveway culverts are clear of debris to permit water flow · Ensure the ground around your home slopes away from the home · Fill any low laying ground areas on your property during the summer months May 3-9 is Emergency Preparedness Week in Canada. For more information about what you can to do to prepare yourself for an emergency, visit the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George website at www.rdffg.bc.ca Jerry Ross, Magda Decker and Kevin Plouffe are part of the team at Investment Planning Counsel in Prince George. Tune in to 93.1 CFIS - FM at 10:30 on Wednesday mornings for "Dollars & Sense". For help with financial planning needs, call us today at 250-563-1212. 00650445 155 George Street, Prince George, BC V2L 1P8 Telephone: (250) 960-4400, Toll Free 1-800-667-1959 Fax: (250) 563-7520, Web: www.rdffg.bc.ca 00657691