Summer was hot enough this year but where did it go?
Wasn’t it too short?
All of a sudden it seems to be gone.
The leaves aren’t turning yet, in town anyway, but the air feels like fall time.
Things don’t look too rosy for September.
No one knows when the schools will open.
No one knows what’s happening with the Mount Polley Mine.
Schools are bound to open sooner or later, but that doesn’t help parents, teachers, or the kids in the meantime.
As for the mine disaster, (dare I call it that?) there are still more questions than answers, and some answers seem to contradict each other.
Who and what is the public supposed to believe?
The school and mine issues have one thing in common though.
Neither seems to have a minister in charge who is able to deal with the situations.
Minister of Education Peter Fassbender has apparently forgotten about the kids and his obligation to see to their education.
Minister of Mines Bill Bennett hasn’t grasped the fact that the consequences of a breach in a mine’s tailing pond are somewhat different than a mud slide.
Hopefully schools will be open in September.
At this point, no one knows the future of the Mount Polley Mine.
All we can do is hope for the best.
***
On a brighter note, my two youngest granddaughters made their debuts in 4-H this year.
GD#7 was a Clover Bud and presented the candle she’d made.
GD#6 was Grand Champion in Equitation (horsemanship).
She also came second for showmanship with her pig (Pigmella).
All was joy until the time came to part with Pigmella.
People complain these days about the lack of volunteers but that certainly doesn’t hold true given the number of helpers and supporters working with the young 4-H’ers.
Congratulations to them all for a job well done.
Diana French is a freelance columnist for the Tribune. She is a former Tribune editor, retired teacher, historian, and book author.