Kimberley Chronicle

Your Biweekly Source for Kimberleys Past, Present & Future Monday February 3, 2014 Volume 38

FREE

kimberleychronicle@gmail.com

Welcome readers to the 38th issue of Kimberley Chronicle! We have the exciting conclusion to one of Kimberley`s oldest cold cases written by Doug Johnson. It`s a nail biter and once an issue is delivered to the RCMP office hopefully they will be able to close the case and file it away as solved. If you missed the last issue; all of our back issues are available online (simply like our facebook page or google search Kimberley Chronicle and it should show up). Or call us at 427-5430 and we`ll print you off a new one.

A Blarchmonth Cold Case: Part 2

Kimberley Chronicle Reporter Solves 60 Year Old Case!
In our last issue we left as Doug was about to tell us who was responsible for a 60 year old break in and enter case in Blarchmont. While the perpetrators didn`t steal anything; they did break a large window in what was a Ford dealership (where L&K taxi is now - beside Overwaitea) and left a sled. Now tune in for the exciting conclusion! Hi-Yo Silver! Our business here is finished Tonto. Ill get right to it. (Dont I always?) There were 5 perpetrators involved, master criminals all! Each was a member of the dreaded Lower Blarchmont Gang. And the Chronicle dares to name names and tell the true story! It happened on a cold snowy winter Sunday circa 1955 when the 5 reprobates were wrapping up a day of sledding and toboggan- Kimberley Boys and Toboggans from the same era as the crime. Five Scouts ing on Higgins Hill. They were from the Kimberley troop on a winter camp at Camp Stone. Known names are ambling home when they were Ted Richardson, Barry Bunell and Jim Davis. www.basininstitute.org distracted by the sight of the landmark Blarchmont ski jump. You have to remember these werent ordinary kids. No other kids would ever form a thought of this nature. All of a sudden these kids were trudging up an alley towards the ski jump with mayhem on their minds.

www.basininstitute.org

Kimberley Heritage Museum

105 Spokane Street - above the library Monday -Friday 1-4pm Phone: 250-427-7510 Email: kdhs@shawbiz.ca Entry Fee - By Donation

STEAM DONKEY COFFEE

Presents

They are identified as follows: the oldest, was a kid by the name of Kenny Coldwell, then Bert Beattie, followed by Sam Graceful Quigley, and then probably the real leader of the group Lorne Russchuk Rokosh and last but certainly not least maybe Lenny Brissette. I have Lenny listed as a maybe and I will explain why later. I wont even attempt to describe the nature of this band of hooligans but maybe I can describe their personalities and characteristics with a simple comparison. Turn the clock ahead to Rambo or imagine that a recruitment officer for the US Navy SEALS was coming to town. These 5 wily individuals I have described would have been the first to be enlisted. And, Lorne Rokosh would have been given an immediate commission as the Commanding Officer. There, I hope that adequately describes these kids. When at the bottom of the hill, they discarded all but one toboggan and marched straight up without hesitation past the senior jump to the top of the take-off. Everybody was obligated, everybody equally keen on this madness everybody determined to show no fear. Coldwell mounted first his feet tucked into the C of the sled, then Russchuck, followed by Beattie, and then Quigley who was last on and trying to hold the sled, climb on, and push off all at the same time. This is where things started to go terribly wrong and the group realized that maybe they had made a gross tactical error. At the 30 mark on descent Russchuck figured they were doing about 50 mph and Quigley was only partially on the vehicle. The graceful one, in his attempt to get himself seated, only succeeded in dislodging Beattie and turning the toboggan sideways ultimately flipping it completely over. Then things started to really deteriorate. Coldwell and Russchuck took a 10 vertical tumble over the edge of the jump. I thought for a second this must be what its like to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel remembers Rokosh. Incredibly, after the two hit the bottom, the sled kept going, picking up speed along its trajectory. Rokosh was only half mounted and trying to tuck in behind the pilot, Coldwell. Lornes heel dug into the snow and he felt himself being ejected like a pilot out of an F18 jet fighter. Today he says he knows what its like to step out of a car on a highway at 60 mph! He cart wheeled and pin wheeled down the hill thinking he was most certainly on his way to the hospital. And yet, when he came to rest at the bottom of the hill, he only had a bloody nose and was so dizzy and disoriented he could barely lurch down the run-out looking for Coldwell and the toboggan. The toboggan reached an incredible speed down the alley up over the snow bank dumping Coldwell off and entered the Peerless Motors building through the plate glass

DiIRTBAG FESTIVAL 2014

Tickets Are Now On Sale www.dirtbagfestival.com Make sure to upload your submissions for the community show by Valentine`s Day.

window at mach speed like the modern Cruise missiles of today. Tumbled Earth Eventually, the entire crew of test pilots limped into assembly outside the window and gazed forlornly at their toboggan. Discussions about who was River Stone Jewelry & Accessories going to retrieve the toboggan resulted with every kid suddenly rememBy Kara & Dave Clarke bering he had to get home and watch Starlit Stairway on TV, channel 4 from Spokane, like everyone else in Kimberley. After over 50 years of sleepless nights, Rokosh finally came clean and fessed up the crime to George Woods from Bavarian Sports and Hardware who, in turn, ratted him out to me. When I interviewed Lorne, he insisted that Lenny Brissette was not involved and that George had heard it wrong. This really confused me. Its not easy being a crime reporter for the KimShop: tumbledearth.etsy.com berley Chronicle especially since the whole crew lawyered up after Russchuck spilled his guts. I tried to contact Brissette but all calls immediately Contact: tumbled.earth@hotmail.com transferred to some big name law firm. Our client Lenny Chief Broken Like our Facebook page Arrow Brissette categorically, emphatically, denies any involvement in the Tumbled Earth active madness in question. This reporter is inclined to believe Lenny. He is a long time friend of mine and I know that if he was on that toboggan he Happy Hands Tattoo would have finished up inside Peerless Motors still sitting on it attempting to control its fate. Reading this story, might be more meaningful if you were to visit the west end of the Overwaitea Store and gaze up that steep precipice while imagining a gang of kids hurtling down the bank in such folly. Also, nowadays, how can we get excited at the long boarders careening down Blarchmont Hill or the young people plunging over the Marysville Falls into the pool th 778-481-5000 below? I wish Id had the guts to do it (dont want my Grandkids to though). 418 - 304 St All in all, it was just another chapter growing up in the Mining Camp. By Doug Johnson

Stock up your pile with this local, fair trade, organic and pipeline-free firewood. Beautiful silver-back larch, cut to custom lengths, split and delivered. $250/cord (full cord - 128 sq feet) 427-5430 kimberleyforest@gmail.com

Firewood For Sale

Wednesday February 5: FREE PUBLIC SWIM, Kimberley Come Feel The Aquatic Centre, 5-6pm, sponsored by Harmony Chapter EastLove at ern Star. (Persons 18 years and under must be accompanied by One Love Hot an adult). 250 427-2983 Saturday February 8: Slopes for Hope at KAR. Join the 4th Yoga! annual skiing and snowboarding event for the whole family to support the Canadian Cancer Society. Ski the equivalent Make sure to cheeck out of Mount Everest (16 runs on the Main) and raise money for cancer, starts at 9am. some of our new classes! Saturday February 8: Warren Miller Movie Saturdays at the Kimberley Conference Centre. Adults $6 and Kids 6-13 years $5. Kids 5 and under are free! Doors open at 6pm and the Yin on Wednesdays at 6pm movie starts at 7pm. Tickets available from Kimberley ConferShort, Sweet, No Heat ence Centre or call 250 427 6802. Fridays at noon Monday February 10: Opera For Heathens with Kevin ArmHot Flow Saturdays strong at Centre 64 2-4pm. at 10:30am Wednesday-Saturday February 12-15: The Off Centre Players have something brewing... The Kitchen Witches by Caro- Check out our full schedule line Smith, Directed by Tylene Turner at Centre 64 (7:30 pm), at www.onelovehotyoga.ca Kimberley. Tickets $15.00 on sale at the Snowdrift Cafe, downtown Kimberley. Friday February 14: The Independant School Valentines Kimberley Forest Dance will be held at Kimberleys Conference Centre. CockConsulting tails 5 30pm and Dinner 7.30pm with music by The Hollers. Your forest expert. More information please contact the Independant School. Sunday February 16: The Kimberley Conference Centre are Wildfire Assessments, hosting a winter market. Noon-5pm. Forest Development Plans, Wednesday February 19: FREE FAMILY SWIM, KimberEcosystem Management, ley Aquatic Centre, 6-7pm, sponsored by Kimberley Medical Surveys. Clinic. (Persons 18 years and under must be accompanied by Wade Jarvis, RPF an adult).
kimberleyforest@gmail.com

Upcoming Events

ONE LOVE HOT YOGA

propane, gas, marked premium, and diesel

Certified Journeyman Automotive Mechanic Motorbike, ATVs and other small engine repair Kimberleys STIHL Dealer Call 427-7690 for an appointment or stop in

Its never too late to get your vehicle serviced for winter!
Meadowbrook Motors is your official STIHL,Gas Gas and Sherco Provider.

www.meadowbrookmotors.ca

Monday to Saturday 7am-7pm