Advance editor Brian Lawrence compiled this brief review of some of the goings on in the Creston Valley found in the pages of theAdvance over the last 12 months:
5 — Donation/expenditure lists for the 2014 municipal election showed Creston Mayor Ron Toyota outspent his four opponents’ total of $5,068 (he spent $5,870) to capture 47 per cent of the vote. Top finisher in the council race was Kevin Boehmer, who spent $3,083 and earned 1,126 votes. The two largest spenders in the School District No. 8 (Kootenay Lake) race, Ken Vaughan-Evans and Verna Mayers-McKenzie, didn’t earn seats.
•The Creston Valley Thunder Cats lost 4-1 in the best-of-seven first round of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League playoffs.
12 — Creston RCMP undertook a lengthy chase after a female driver failed to stop at the Kingsgate border crossing. The car was located and followed in Lister, but police abandoned the chase out of safety concerns for pedestrians and other vehicles. The driver was eventually arrested on the U.S. side of the Rykerts crossing.
•The Vigna family celebrated 25 years of owning Creston’s Dairy Queen, which opened in 1964.
•A Creston team skipped by Chris Ducharme placed first in the A Event on the Creston Curling Centre’s Butterfly Bonspiel; the same team placed second in 2014.
19 — Ricky’s All Day Grill was recognized by the franchise’s Alberta South/Kootenay division, earning awards for franchisee of the year, outstanding sales performance, best marketing and operation excellence. Regarding sales performance, the Creston location increased business by 23.5 per cent in 2014.
•The Town of Creston redefined its boundary, with the south boundary now on the north side of Erickson Road instead of the centre. In exchange, the town took responsibility for the north side of Ash Road from the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.
26 — The Lower Kootenay Band announced its purchase of Ainsworth Hot Springs, an important economic development move for the band, but also one that had historical significance.
“The Lower Kootenay Band has a history with the site that dates back hundreds of years,” said Chief Jason Louie.
•The Creston Valley Public Library celebrated the grand reopening of its children’s area, made possible by a $5,000 Telus grant, among others.
