Kimberley Chronicle Issue #14

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Kimberley Chronicle FREE Volume 14 September 10, 2012 [email protected] Your Biweekly Source for Kimberley’s Past, Present & Future Cranbrook VOR Tower with Mount Evans in backround. Photo courtesy of Kimberley Chronicle What the #?*! is a VOR Tower? We’d like to welcome everyone to the fourteenth issue of Kimberley Chronicle! Writing, printing and distributing Kimberley’s only locally owned and operated biweekly newspaper has been a blast so far. is edition features a local landmark that people may not know a lot about. We had questioned friends and family about the VOR Tower and what it’s purpose is. No-one had a great answer so we decided to find out and let people know about it. Although it could be argued that this story isn’t really local history, as you are about read, it may soon become history. We hope all the students out there are getting back into the school groove and we would also like to wish all the area hunters a safe and suc- cessful season. As per ususal we love hearing from our readers. If you have anything to say or would like copies of past editions let us know at [email protected]. Perched at the top of Pudding- burn Mountain sits the Cran- brook VOR Tower. With a 360 o view of the surrounding area this site makes for a nice 4x4 outing. More than just a nice view, the VOR tower also serves an im- portant purpose. VHF omnidi- rectional radio range (VOR), is a type of short-range radio nav- igation system for aircraft, that enables aircraft to determine their position and stay on course by receiving radio signals trans- mitted by a network of ground radio beacons. Don’t worry - we won’t get into the physics and megahurtz, we will just say that VHF stands for very high fre- quency which is the range of frequencies that the tower uses. Chances are if you see airplanes flying over Perry Creek it is be- cause they are on a course that takes them from tower to tower. Continued on next page.

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We've got the story of the VOR Tower, and no it's not an alien antenna.

Transcript of Kimberley Chronicle Issue #14

Page 1: Kimberley Chronicle Issue #14

Kimberley Chronicle FREE

Volume 14 September 10, 2012 [email protected]

Your Biweekly Source for Kimberley’s Past, Present & Future

Cranbrook VOR Tower with Mount Evans in backround. Photo courtesy of Kimberley Chronicle

What the #?*! is a VOR Tower?

We’d like to welcome everyone to the fourteenth issue of Kimberley Chronicle! Writing, printing and distributing Kimberley’s only locally owned and operated biweekly newspaper has been a blast so far. This edition features a local landmark that people may not know a lot about. We had questioned friends and family about the VOR Tower and what it’s purpose is. No-one had a great answer so we decided to find out and let people know about it. Although it could be argued that this story isn’t really local history, as you are about read, it may soon become history. We hope all the students out there are getting back into the school groove and we would also like to wish all the area hunters a safe and suc-cessful season. As per ususal we love hearing from our readers. If you have anything to say or would like copies of past editions let us know at [email protected].

Perched at the top of Pudding-burn Mountain sits the Cran-brook VOR Tower. With a 360o view of the surrounding area this site makes for a nice 4x4 outing. More than just a nice view, the VOR tower also serves an im-portant purpose. VHF omnidi-rectional radio range (VOR), is a type of short-range radio nav-igation system for aircraft, that enables aircraft to determine their position and stay on course by receiving radio signals trans-mitted by a network of ground radio beacons. Don’t worry - we won’t get into the physics and megahurtz, we will just say that VHF stands for very high fre-quency which is the range of frequencies that the tower uses. Chances are if you see airplanes flying over Perry Creek it is be-cause they are on a course that takes them from tower to tower. Continued on next page.

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Kimberley Heritage Museum

105 Spokane Street - above the libraryTuesday-Saturday 9am - 4:30pm

Phone: 250-427-7510Email: [email protected] Fee - By Donation

Happy Hands Tattoo

418 - 304th St - 778-481-5000

Firewood For SalePine, Split & Delivered

$100/Pickup Load250-427-5430

Your Ad [email protected]

Free Yoga Classes!(donations for a refugee family will be accepted)

Hot Yoga is coming to Kimberley! Until the studio is up and running come enjoy some FREE YOGA. Classes taught by Moksha certified teacher, Kristi McRae. Classes starting AUG.15, 2012 and running until SEPT.26, 2012 at Blarchmont Field. Mondays @ 9:30am (75minutes) & Wednesdays @ 6:30pm (60 minutes). Bring a mat, water and a smile.

Nav Canada operates and maintains the tower as well as over a thousand other ground based navigational aids around the country. Being the country’s civil air navigation services pro-vider, Nav Canada charges a per-flight fee based on the size of the plane and the amount of hours spent flying over Canadian airspace. Janice Strong’s hiking guidebook Mountain Footsteps has decent directions to access the site which is on the Sawmill Creek side of Perry Creek. As with most logging roads, new spurgs get built and signs get changed. It is recommended that drivers set their odometer when the book says so. For the adventurous 4x4 drivers, one can continue along the ridge be-tween Perry Creek and Angus Creek and eventually drop down into Angus Creek. The site of the tower sits at over 2300m, so chances are there may be snow up there in the near future. There are debates being held in the flight navigation world as to the effectiveness of VOR Towers now that most, if not all pilots use GPS as an added navigational tool. Some say that as the GPS satellites and technology becomes better and more reliable, the use of ground based navigational aids may decrease over time. However; in the meantime those of us that have small children, or are elderly, or simply don’t like hiking up a mountain, can enjoy some spectacular views that are accessible from a vehicle.

A view of the Purcells from the VOR Tower.

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Kootenay Cleaning Services‘A Breath of Fresh Air’

www.basininstitute.org

Colin Parfey CarpentryYour Renovation Expert

call 250-432-9507 for a quote

Tryna’s EventzMemories made to last a lifetime!

Katryna SigurdsonEvent & Wedding SpecialistServing the East Kootenays and beyondInternationally Certified778-481-1981trynaseventz.weebly.comtrynaseventz@gmail.com

Try Advertising inKimberley Chronicle

We’ll Make it Worth Your [email protected]

250-427-5430

The Kimberley Branch of the Order of the Eastern Star is collecting postage stamps, Campbell Soup Labels and Pop Can Tabs for various charities. These items can be dropped off at Curves or at 960 Rotary.

Trivia & Puzzles1) At what altitude do the satellites used for GPS orbit the earth?2) How much does a loaded Boeing 747 weigh?3) Why is there usually a gap between a plane and it’s vapour trail?4) Why do crew meals for the pilot and co-pilot usually con-sist of one chicken dish and one steak.5) What altitude did the Wright Brothers first few flights achieve?

6) 7)

8) 9)

10) 11)

-Residential/recreational properties-Professional, mature staff-Locally owned and operated

-Environmentally friendly-Cleaning supplies provided-Contact: Heather or Sue at 250-427-8644

Both optimists and pessimists contribute to the society. The opti-mist invents the aeroplane, the pessimist the parachute.George Bernard Shaw

The strength of the turbulence is directly proportional to the tem-perature of your coffee.Gunter’s Second Law of Air Travel

Flying is learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. Douglas Adams

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computers - networks - communications250-432-5269

101 370 Wallinger

Weather Mostly sunny, with the odd cloudy day and some isolated showers. Average temperatures: High 17oC Low 6oC.

Meadowbrook Motors (Reds Country Store) is now open! propane, gas, marked premium, and diesel Certified Journeyman Automotive Mechanic Motorbike, ATV’s and other small engine repair Kimberley’s STIHL Dealer Call 427-7690 for an appointment or stop in Monday to Saturday 7am-7pm

Kimberley Forest Consulting

Your forest expert.

Wildfire Assessments,Forest Development Plans,Ecosystem Management,

Surveys.Wade Jarvis, RPF

[email protected]

250-427-5430

Truck For Sale

1979 GMC Sierra Pickup‘Camper Special’

$1000 with or without camper250-427-3058

Upcoming EventsMonday September 10 & 17: Free Yoga at Blarchmont Park from 9:30-10:45 am.Tuesday September 11: Storytime at the Library. For chil-dren between 3 & 5 from 1:30-2 pm. Pre-registration appreci-ated.Wednesday September 12: Storytime at the Library from 10:30-11 am.Wednesday September 12: Free Yoga at Blarchmont Park, 6:30-7:30 pm.Saturday September 15: ‘Back in Black; And Blue’ Roller Derby Finals featuring Kimberley’s Bavarian Barbarians. Marysville Arena, doors open at 5pm, bout starts at 5:30. $10 in advance, $15 at the door, ages 6-12 are $5, children 5 and under are free.Sunday September 16: Kimberley Bridal Fair at hte Kimber-ley Conference & Athlete Training Centre from 1-5pm.Monday September 17: Free Yoga at Blarchmont Park from 9:30-10:45 am.Tuesday September 18: Storytime at the library 1:30-2 pm.Wednesday September 19: Storytime at the library 10:30-11.Wednesday September 19: Free Family Swim, 6-7 pm.Wednesday September19: Free Yoga at Blarchmont Park, 6:30-7:30 pm.

Trivia & Puzzle Answers1) Around at around 17,500 km.2) 400 tons.3) It takes time for the water va-pour to condense into droplets.4) To avoid possible food poisoning of the entire cockpit crew.5) Roughly 10 feet.

6) Dropping temperature.7) Two under par.8) Head in the sand.9) Hot under the collar.10) Fat chance.11) Heartbroken.