BC Assessment notices were received this week and I was more than a little surprised and perturbed that my property in Ingala dropped from $252,600 to $199,400. The previous year it was $215,800. Anybody have an idea of why such a drastic drop in value would occur? Absolutely nothing has been altered, changed, removed or added. The only change in the neighbourhood that I am aware of is a new subdivision nearby which is no longer being actively promoted.

Assessments look at a nmber of things. They are location specific. Thus I would think that that particular area has lost some popularity as evidenced by sales last year. Other areas increased for the same reason. I live in the western bowl area and my assessment went up, but only by around 1%.

@Banner
I would be happy that it dropped . you pay less tax now. Mine somehow went up 40 thousand. Not sure why. I thought the market went down last January. But according to BC assesment the market was up last July compared to the July 2009.

You still have time to go convince them your property's worth more, Banner. Personally, if it were my assessment, I'd be happy it dropped. Mine went up, slightly, and likely this years taxes will, too. Again.

I want to take this opportunity to express how grateful I am for a random act of kindness that was bestowed on me this week. On Sunday, as I was getting out of the car at Spruceland, my wallet fell out of my pocket and into the snow bank. I realized it was missing when I went to pat for my families groceries. I was devastated as thought of the ID, and bank and credit cards I had in there. My husband paid for the groceries and we left convinced I would never see it again.

Monday, I received a call from my daughter’s Optometrist saying they had my wallet, intact down to the $10 I had in there. It had been turned in by a nameless man who found it in the snow bank, tried to find a number to call me and could not. Luckily, I had my daughter’s appointment card for her Eye doctor appointment in there. They tracked me down and called me and got my wallet back. To that man, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. You did a wonderful thing. Thank you also to Accent Optometry for tracking me down so quickly. I am so grateful to both of you.

I'd like to know which "genius" at the City decided that S. Nicholson Street would be a good place to have a new bus route going both directions?

The street itself is narrow, and has two 90 degree corners within close proximity of each other. CNC students/staff use the street for parking (on both sides), which makes the street even more narrow. Add on the recent snow and you get the picture.

When a bus is coming the other way, all traffic has to get off the road completely to allow it to pass by.

I think whomever makes these bus route decisions might want to revisit this one before something bad happens.

Pylot: Is it that the street is too narrow or are the graders not plowing the whole street right now? I know in my residential area they are only plowing the center of the street leaving about 8 feet from the curb in snow. Think they're doing this to save time and get all streets plowed quickly.
While I'm at it, can people just slow down on the way home from work, use your headlights AND tailights and for heavens sake clear the snow off your windows and roof. Try taking it a little easier and concentrate on your driving. Thanks, and have a great weekend.

Will it ever stop snowing?
metalman.

Hey anybody got an over-under on how long the Citizen stays in business? Or how many more enemies Huge Ego Hugh can make in this city? Never heard of a guy hated more than this guy and hes not even a politiciian. you should hear the chitchat in biz circles if you havent already. The guys sure made himself a very public figure.

metalman wrote..."Will it ever stop snowing?"

NO.

Personally - I love the snow. I say bring it on. The snow we have received over the past ten years doesn't come close to the huge dumps we used to get. I remember having to cut down my driveway snow banks three times one winter as I could no longer throw the snow high enough to get it to the top.

I think the city does a great job utilizing the snow clearing budget as best they can.

However, putting the official snow clearing 'plan' aside, the one thing I do not understand is why 5th, 10th and 15th avenue are not a higher priority. These are three of the highest traveled routes in the bowl yet appear not to be much of a priority.

The larger question - what process needs to happen to move these streets up on the priority ladder?

I think the RCMP should work out of an old Atco trailer not a new $40 million dollar building. From what I understand the latest "big bust" netted a man in jail, Joey Arrance. The same guy that was already in jail for several gang related activities and according to the citizen must have been released. He must not have learned anything while he was in jail. The whole legal system is a joke, if I was as bad as my job as they are at theirs I wouldn't even have an atco trailer to work out of.

You know we all get cynical and grouchy this time of year, but I have witnessed many acts of kindness this past week that range from teenagers digging and pushing a seniors car out of the ditch and refusing payment to another man who made himself late to work by using his 4X4 and tow strap to help others.

Give yourself a pat on the back Prince George.

HeGottaGo -from the citizen web page

"I could not believe the headline in today's rag. "Police won't say if Mueller deaths a murder-suicide" Once again the citizen has shown their low journalistic standards by putting rumor and speculation on the front page. A less "Tabloid" version would have stated FACTS such as " Cause of death unknown" and maybe in the body of the story said that there is SPECULATION that it could be murder-suicide.

What people take away from this headline are "Muller deaths" and "murder-suicide" What would the perception in the community be if a headline read "Citizen won't say if Hugh Nicholson is a child molester" Even though there is no truth to the headline, people will read fact into it. "

Does anyone know about the city wanting to widen Carney street? Supposedly they want 10 feet of property on the west side, and are planning on buying homes that would have to be destroyed. Is this just a rumor?

Downtown revitalization is what makes me sick. We keep hearing we have over spent on our snow removal budget every year and yet we keep shovelling money by the truck load into the money pit... In my 30+ years here I have seen the downtown deteriorate to the point that I dont even drive anywhere near unless I absolutley have to.
Wake up council..and beat your heads against the wall of any stupidly purchased building till you can make a good decision for PG.

Also another thing that brings bile up my throat is when a council person does anything he can to get his face in the news. Look at me.. call me with your complaints on snow removal, I cant do anything about it..but damn I sound like I care, dont I ? barf

Just looking at Gas Buddy,

PG 116.9
Vanderhoof 114.9
Quesnell 115.9
Williams Lake 116.9, 114.9, FasGas 109.9
Hope 112.9
Chilliwack 109.9
Abbotsford 106.9
USA Sumas 102.9
Kamloops 116.9
Kamloops Costco 111.4
Clearwater 112.9
Jasper 108.9
Hinton 105.9
Edson 101.9
Edmonton from 95.9 to 103.9
Dawson Creek 112.9
FJN 112.9

So the story here is use the internet to check gas prices when leaving PG or returning. Generally PG is higher.

Oh GasBuddy also works on a smartphone.

Interesting how the promoters of global warming (sorry "climate change") and the followers of Gore and Suzuki seem to pin the cause of the natural weather issues on the theory that increased c02 in the atmosphere is the cause. Its also interesting how quick our own crown corp, CBC, is in picking up on these news reports.

Check out www.icecap.us

"The question is why didn't those drivers report him"

My question to you then is, how do you know they didn't report him?

I totally agree with opine.....5th, 10th and 15th ave should all be major priorities. When I can barely get around in my SUV with my 4x4 on..it makes me wonder how people with cars do it! I realize that they only have so many peices of equipment and staff but they really need to get their priorities straight. They plowed my street (not a bus route or anything of the sort) before they started plowing 15th ave. I am sorry but I travel less on my own street then I do on 5th, 10th or 15th so I would rather those be plowed first! It is so dangerous and people seem to lose all common sense when the roads are bad, seems like all they can focus on is the fact that the roads are bad, not what's going on around them. There are bad drivers all the time but I drive alot and have noticed it is ALOT worse lately. People...it is not summer time!! You need to pay attention more to your surroundings before cutting people off, trying to pass someone in your lane or blowing a stop sign because the person you cut off might not be able to stop!!

Undergraduate student enrollments at UNBC 2009 vs 2010 down by 170 Students. The forecast for increase in enrollments for 2010/11 is *0*
2011/12 1% 2012/13 1%

On a positive note International Students are up by 33. Graduate students up by 13.

70% of students come from the North, 16% Southern BC 14% elsewhere.

I suggest that there is a problem here for enrollments. The North has a finite number of people available to go to University, where are we going to get students, to grow this University?

Just wondering if the city has interests in businesses selling tire chains and snowplows? Snowblowers and shovels too for that matter. When you see a main street nicely plowed except for three or four blocks, it makes you kind of wonder where their heads are stuck. Also, if bus routes are plowed first, why is it that Ferry and Westwood are not included? The buses have to stop in the main lane and the passengers have to try to struggle through eight or twelve feet of snowbank to get to them. Could we have someone from 'Streets' explain why eight feet from the curb is good enough anywhere? Have any of the so called "supervisors" ever been questioned about their standards or priorities? Just wondering.

Oh, by the way, leaving snow on the roof or the hood of your car while driving, or having your windows obstructed by snow, frost or condensation, is a ticketable offense. Don't be surprised if you get pulled over for it.

...speaking of buses: Saw the #5 get stuck this morning. City guy in truck was observing the driver shovel the bus for about 15 mins before dragging his butt out and giving him a hand. If a bus gets stuck don't you think they would send the plow the out to prevent another incident? The routes have NOT been done at the time of this posting. Shame on you city hall!

I`m just curious about what is still happening with the public campsite out at Summit Lake. I know that they (RDFFG)already gave the good campsite away to MacLeod Lake Indian Band, but I was hearing that now the other one (the last one) is on the chopping block too. Does anybody know anything else?

I feel that the cabin owners at Summit Lk. should be compensated in some way for losing access to their island lots. Isn`t there some sort of easement for their access and not 5 miles away? Once those campsites are gone they are gone forever.

Here is a link to an interesting article regarding the life cycle of a CFL light bulb. http://greenerlights.blogspot.com/2009/03/3f-cfl-analysis-production-energy-use.html I personally think the shift to these bulbs is absurd and the notion that this is a green initiative is great political talk as long as you only look at the convenient information and ignore the rest. I’m not too keen on having mercury filled bulbs in my house. Here are the instructions for dealing with a broken CFL bulb.
• Have everyone else leave the area; don't let anyone walk through the mercury on their way out. Make sure all pets are removed from the area. Open all windows and doors to the outside; shut all doors to other parts of the house.
• DO NOT allow children to help you clean up the spill.
• Mercury can be cleaned up easily from the following surfaces: wood, linoleum, tile and any similarly smooth surfaces.
• If a spill occurs on carpet, curtains, upholstery or other absorbent surfaces, these contaminated items should be thrown away in accordance with the disposal means outlined below. Only cut and remove the affected portion of the contaminated carpet for disposal.

The islanders at summit lake have been lied to by government after government. They were told the foresty camp site would NEVER be used or given away in a land claim. The government of the day is ignoring the owners now. And the camp site was NEVER given to the band but to an individual of the band, Bernie Chingee. it is in his personal name. He is now trying to get the other land for his niece. The land should be given over to the island owners for the decades of crap they have had to put up with. Ask an owner how many times they have had to go over and break up fights. Ask an owner how many times they have been broken into. Ask an owner how many times they have caught people on their land. Ask an owner how many times they have been vandlized. Ask an owner how many times they have lost personal items from their vehicals that they have had to park on the main land. I know 1 owner who has lost 3 boats alone. The last official act to be done to the owners is for the government to give them one more screwing up the..

Dragonmaster says My question to you then is, how do you know they didn't report him?

He was still on the road might be a clue. Maybe highways should go to the company and see if he was reported and then why nothing done. I have noticed the chip trucks are much more cautious coming down from Parkridge hieghts now. I guess they were given the word.

The new snow clearing scheme which has been implemented for the areas away from the downtown is certainly something to behold!

The downtown gets the least snow. All the areas out of the bowl get higher snow falls, especially to the north!

Here main routes are cleared only in the middle lanes and the bike lanes and storm sewer grates are left covered with snow banks 4 feet high and eight feet wide!

Children and adults who get of school buses and transit buses are getting off in the traffic, struggling to get over the newly created snow banks to the sidewalk, which has not been properly cleared either!

What gives? Who had these bright ideas? It's the pits.

I am tempted to quote Rick Mercer: "Municipal politics are the depository for the truly mad."

Interested in what the liberals have been doing to us all these years?

A must read.....

http://richardhughes.ca/politics/the-big-lie-corky-evans/

Do you enjoy going out and catching your own Halibut?
http://www.canada.com/2010+halibut+season+peril/3955310/story.html

http://www.canada.com/Dear+John+make+call/3955308/story.html

http://www.sfibc.com/

So how is everone liking their CFL lights. I am amazed no one is screaming on this site about the government banning the sale of incandecent lights. Just watched the recommended procedure for cleaning up a broken CFL, wow.

I do not use CFL's and when I sell my house I can say no CFL's have been used here thus no broken lights with mercury vapour.
I wonder if Hydro and the fiberals can be held liable for any future potential health effects by recommending and forcing the population into using this hazardous lights.

B.C. is not the only province where incandescents are being phased out. It is being done in Ontario which is not Liberal and soon they will be gone nationwide. The Liberals are not running the country, as far as I know.

Dragonmaster says My question to you then is, how do you know they didn't report him?

He was still on the road might be a clue. Maybe highways should go to the company and see if he was reported and then why nothing done. I have noticed the chip trucks are much more cautious coming down from Parkridge hieghts now. I guess they were given the word.

Seamutt, do you really think for a sec that if someone phoned in on this driver that he would not be on the road. Do you really think your opinion of someones driving is going to be enough for them to actually do anything?? Really??

CFLs, eh? A "little bit" of mercury? Google Minamata Disease. Imagine the number of these bulbs in use then knock yerself out with contemplating the symptoms. Kitty cats don't like mercury as the video will show. Give them catnip instead.

" Posted by: PrinceGeorge on January 21 2011 7:10 PM
B.C. is not the only province where incandescents are being phased out. It is being done in Ontario which is not Liberal and soon they will be gone nationwide. The Liberals are not running the country, as far as I know."

But they are running BC. Therefore they are subject to whatever criticism the people want to toss at them. Got a problem with that? Apparently you do. I've seen you use the same Line on numerous occassions trying to defend the Liberals.

Huh, ever notice the phone number on the back of the trucks, they are actually quite interested and receptive to comments.

Thanks rattyboy for your feedback. I am one that is directly affected from this. Not only I lost the best boat launch on the lake, Ihave to travel an extra 2 miles across the lake to get to the cabin. I honestly feel someone in RDFFG should be canned. We need to get together to stop the gov`t from doing whatever they want. My cabin value is in the toilet now.

As for light bulbs--Pick em up in Alberta. Can you immagine? Contraband light bulbs. For Christs sake--what the hell is wrong with this country? Those other bulbs give less and poorer light. They also get very dim after little use. Never in a million years did I think I would be buying 200 light bulbs at a time but I just did.
I played with mercury when I was a little kid. The dentist used to give it to us in a little vial and dubbed it "quicksilver". If you rub it on other metals (pennies) they take on a nice silver shine. I don't have cancer or any deformities and I'm well into retirement. I'm quite sure it's all bull--same as with lead.