Cherries, strawberries affected by weather

"I’ve been hailed out," said Andre Miller, a local cherry orchardists about the storm that hit his orchard on June 15. "As far as I know, it was the largest hail storm we’ve ever had in Oliver. It lasted fifteen minutes—a long one. North of us, they didn’t even have rain." He said hard, dime-sized hail turned the ground white and hammered his cherries, putting pockmarks in them that may destroy the crop.

But regardless, Miller, who’s been in the cherry business since 1977, is optimistic about this year’s crop.

"They may make it. The cherries are starting to colour, so the marks aren’t easy to see, but they were green enough (when the hail hit) that they won’t be heavily indented. There’s a chance they’ll make it past the sorters."

But Miller’s apples took a harder beating than the cherries.

"The apples are a total wipeout," he said. "There was about ten to twenty hits per apple," he said. "All you need is two marks, and it’s (crop) gone. The biggest loss is with the apples. I’ll bet it’s running into the millions of dollars."

He said that he’s not the only one affected either. "Probably one hundred growers got hit." Miller is also considering that the hail hit Osoyoos growers earlier that day.

Local growers won’t find out what’s happening for perhaps another week. "The crop insurance person will take samples and do an assessment, grade it out, and then we’ll go from there," said Miller. "They (cherries) were hit pretty hard, but at this point, I don’t know what the percentage is."

Between the rain and the hail, local growers have had a tough time of it this year.

"It’s part of farming," said Miller, who explains that hail puts marks in fruit while rain splits it, thus causing rotting. "Hail doesn’t affect the quality of the fruit in the box because the skin isn’t broken, but split cherries rot in the box. Once they start to rot, it destroys the whole box," he said.

"When it’s raining, you’re constantly spraying for different funguses," said Miller, who also sprays calcium chloride every seven to ten days, starting a week or two after the cherry trees bloom and going until the crop is done. He’ll also spray the calcium every couple of hours when it’s raining, which in theory is supposed to protect the cherry by providing a coating externally and by putting more calcium inside the fruit so it won’t absorb as much water. It should create a harder skin, and then it won’t split as easily.

"I’ve used it (calcium spray) on one variety, but it didn’t work very well," he said. "They’re heavily split."

Miller said there are many varieties of cherries and not all are affected the same. "Any of the later varieties seem to be fairing much better," he said. "They don’t have splits in them.

"Cherries just aren’t easy to grow unless the weather cooperates," Miller said.

The heat that hit this week will certainly speed the ripening process.

Spirit of Oliver awards given out at banquet

"Volunteers take a community from being a community that is a great place to live, to a community that is the best place to live," said mayor Ron Hovanes at last week’s Spirit of Oliver Award ceremony.

Three awards were given out on Friday, June 23, after a lunch buffet at 99 Street Community Catering.

"Ernie, you are truly one of Oliver’s best," Hovanes said as he presented Ernie Dumais with the Spirit of Oliver award in the adult category.

"Ernie has been a long-time worker in the community and has served the community in many ways," he said.

Dumais was on the original Area Planning Committee that advised the regional directors. For three years, he was Regional Director for Area C. As an Industrial Education Teacher at Southern Okanagan Secondary School, he devoted part of his program to community service, organizing the construction of a mini-golf course, a BMX track, and the building of 500 bluebird houses for the Bluebird Society.

Dumais was part of a group who planned, financed and built a music building for the high school. He is a Rotarian, and organizes the carnival that comes to Oliver, and is parade master for the rodeo parade, among other Rotary projects.

"He is a long-time member of the Oliver and District Heritage Society and is the current president of that organization."

The volunteer is also a lobbyist for the Oliver Wetlands Group, and over the years he has been involved with the development of Mt. Baldy.

Dumais took the opportunity to say a few words, saying that he believes volunteers help make Oliver the best place to live in the world.

"I’d like to thank you for bestowing this honour on me."

This year’s Outstanding Community Group Award was presented to the Oliver Food Bank Volunteers.

"This group of dedicated volunteers is made up of fifteen volunteers who provide a much needed service to our community. These volunteers put in many hours collecting, packing bags, and preparing food for distribution every Wednesday. Some weeks, they work in excess of 40 hours," Hovanes said.

Volunteers include Ann and Al Fraser; Jolanda and Louis Balog, Marian Trimble, Flo Robinson, Sister Mary Clare Bednarik, Edna Wheeler, June and Roy James, Gordon Kingsfield, Dorothy Hofmann, Doreen Steger, and Colleen Beatty.

Natalie Crawford was presented with this year’s Outstanding Individual Youth Award.

"Natalie Crawford is an intelligent, multi-talented young lady who is generous with her volunteer involvement with the community," Hovanes said.

Crawford’s volunteer efforts include providing musical entertainment – with violin and piano performances in Oliver and Penticton – as well as peer counseling. Other involvement includes involvement in the school tutoring program, and involvement in World Neighbours, a yearly fund-raiser to support rural development in Honduras and Nepal.

Hovanes read from Southern Okanagan Secondary School teacher Brita Park’s nomination of Crawford.

"Ever since Grade eight, I could count on her … she would give up her lunch hour to help."

A total of 16 nominations were received for this year’s awards, and a selection committee made up of past award recipients made the decision. Hovanes said he was inspired with the submissions this year.

"The words expressed by the nominators about the nominees were heartfelt and reflected the passion which these individuals and groups exhibit when volunteering in our community."

Oliver Canada Day Celebrations Saturday

Parks and Recreation and the Oliver Chamber of Commerce are teaming up this year to bring Oliver the second annual Canada Day celebrations.

"We’ll be honouring the pioneers of Oliver," said Bonnie Dancey, event coordinator from the Chamber. "So, all the pioneers should come out to be honoured," she added.

Lorraine Gibson, event coordinator from Parks and Recreation, said it’s not the only reason for people to come out to celebrate our national holiday.

"It’s also to celebrate multi-culturalism in Canada."

Canada Day officially celebrates the creation of the Dominion of Canada through the British North America Act on July 1^st, 1867. The holiday was established in 1879, then called Dominion Day, and was later changed to Canada Day in 1982.

Dancey believes everyone has their own reasons for celebrating Canada Day but wanted Oliver residents to have that opportunity.

"We put it on because there was nothing going on in Oliver," she said. "People had nowhere to go except to Penticton or Osoyoos, so this is for those people who don’t want to travel out of town."

Because organizers didn’t want to interfere with Osoyoos’s Cherry Fiesta celebrations, just in case people were planning to attend both, they set the time after the parade and before the fireworks in Osoyoos. Gibson suggests that people spend the afternoon in Oliver then head out to Osoyoos later on for the fireworks.

Dancey agrees.

"We’d just like as many people to come as possible." She said that there will be a lot happening down at the Oliver Community Park that afternoon. She encourages visitors to bring along a lawn chair with them.

The festivities in Oliver take place from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. beginning with a comedy magic show that includes a component for kids. The opening ceremonies and cutting of the cake take place at 2:45.

"The dignitaries will be there saying a few words," said Dancey. The cake is free of charge to everyone. At 3:30, Louis Botero, an accordionist and vocalist will perform sounds from around the world. Mobile Magic Entertainment will perform magic again at 4:15 p.m., and Krystal Vision will perform at 5 p.m., playing one hour of country music with Dave Peace.

"It’s the first music in the park of the season," said Dancey of the entertainment, who mentioned that the Arts Council is sponsoring some of the music.

"Job’s Daughters will be doing face painting, and the Youth Ambassadors will be handing out pins, bookmarks, and flags."

There will also be vendors on site. The Lion’s Club will be there with their club wagon, selling burgers and dogs, Oughtred Coffee will have coffee and tea for sale, and Sundance Video is bringing their popcorn and candy floss machine.

"Country Market is planning to set up the event," said Dancey, "and Parties and Pies is supplying the cake." She said other sponsors include the Senior’s Centre, Sunnybeach RV, Super-Valu, and Canadian Heritage Celebrate Canada.

"It’s a free event, and it’s going to be a good time," said Gibson, "And we’re expecting an oldtimer to show up who dresses up as Miss Oliver," she added.

The spirit is alive and well

There are no shortages of possible recipients for the Spirit of Oliver annual awards. We are a true living and breathing community, not ancillary to any other community, with a long tradition of actively participating in the social, political and cultural life of the area.

This year’s individual choice is, of course, an excellent one. Ernie Dumais, soft-spoken and low key, is one of those community-focused individuals who has made too many things happen to even begin to present a list of accomplishments. Whether it is heritage issues, his Rotary Club, the school he taught at for so many years or whatever community issue needs attention, Ernie has been one of those people who turns out, ready to work, prepared to make a commitment and eager to act on that commitment.

The food bank volunteers are as equally deserving of their group award as is Natalie Crawford for her youth award.

When the town makes these awards, they are also honouring all the past recipients of community awards and those, as yet, unrecognized. It is a celebration of the current recipients but also of the spirit that resides in so many of our community’s citizens.

We don’t think the prospect of such an award is what motivates these volunteers to that extra mile in their community work. It is their work that motivates us to honour them for doing what just comes naturally for them.

Congratulations all.