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CITIZEN PHOTO BY BRENT BRAATEN
 Denise Marshall tells a story in Rainbow Park Thursday morning. The Prince George Public Library and the Child Care Resource &
Referral group are teaming up to bring Storytime in the Park, a program that features stories, songs and rhymes at a different park each week. Next weeks storytime will be in Latrobe Park.
 i
 Hearts and Hands left looking at next steps
Mark NIELSEN Citizen staff
CITIZEN FILE PHOTO
Brent Friesen and son Tanner both wear life jackets while floating down the Nechako River in this file photo.
River flow can add up
to overwhelming force
Mark NIELSEN Citizen staff mnielsen@pgcitizen.ca
  Jumping into the river may be a tempting way to get out of the heat - and escape the mosquitoes - but if you do, the physics that come with moving water may well work against you unless you know what you’re doing.
  Prince George Fire Rescue captain Larry Obst referred to a rule of thumb when it comes to fast-flowing rivers: “If you double the speed, you quadruple the force.”
  That can especially come home on the Fraser, which usually runs faster than the Nechako.
  Like electricity, the water will go to where the flow is easiest and carry the swimmer along with it.
  “And that’s usually where the current is going to be the fastest and the current will always be the fastest farthest away from the edge, farthest from the bottom and just under the surface,” Obst said.
  Swimmers typically get into trouble when they get tired from fighting the current and slip underneath the surface. There is some technique in swimming in a river, “but that takes some education,” Obst said.
  Adding to the hazard, even on a warm day the water is still colder than a person’s core temperature and can quickly lead to hypothermia. The limbs used to keep afloat become weaker as the body restricts blood flow to the outer region to keep the central
Cooler weather on the way
  The hot weather Prince George and area has been experiencing over the last week or so is about to give way to a markedly cooler trend.
  After hovering above 25 C and occasionally above 30 C since the end of last month, daily highs are expected to drop back to the low 20s by this weekend, according to the six day forecast from Environment Canada's weather service. "The big pattern is changing in the eastern Pacific, so we're getting more of a southwest flow from the Pacific coming in," Environment Canada meteorologist Trevor Smith said Thursday. "Our high pressure ridge is moving off to the east, so by Saturday it looks quite a bit cooler and an increasing chance of showers as we get into the weekend."
As of Thursday, just one record has been set since the heat settled in. That was on Tuesday when the thermometer hit 32.4 C, edging out the old record for July 7 of 32.2, set in 1920.
Wednesday's high of 31.8 C fell short of the record, 33.9, also set in 1920.
The cooler weather should come as good news not only to crews fighting wildfires but to loggers and other workers out in the bush.
The fire danger rating for much of the province has been rated at extreme and, in areas where it's been at that level for three consecutive days, all work that could spark a forest fire must cease until the rating has declined to high for three days.
                                                                                                                                                       — see LIGHTNING, page 3
area warm.
  “If it was 20 degrees outside and you were to just stand around without moving, your core temperature would drop at a certain rate,” Obst said. “When you’re in the water, it’ll drop 25 times faster.”
  What’s more, if the swimmer gets stuck against a log or an abutment and can’t move, the core temperature will drop 250 times faster reducing the ability to selfrescue or swim.
  “Even when it’s hot out, there’s always the potential of becoming hypothermic,” Obst said. “That’s why, even on a hot day, it’s essential for the rescuers to be dressed up in the appropriate equipment.
  “We may end up being stationary while dealing with something and we have to be protected against becoming hypothermic and losing our ability to function ourselves.” — see EVEN LOW, page 3
The Hearts and Hands for Homes Society remains in the process of considering its options following a B.C. Supreme Court decision this week ordering the group to hand over its assets to Habitat for Humanity Canada.
“The decision is new for us so we have to take some time and look at what our options are,” Hearts and Hands board chair Vivian Pyladuik said Thursday.
In a decision issued Wednesday, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Neena Sharma ruled in favour of Habitat Canada in a long-running battle following disaffiliation of the local group from the national organization in October 2013.
  In the process, Sharma ordered Hearts and Hands to hand over several pieces of property including the ReStore. Sharma also gave Hearts and Hands 30 days to provide Habitat Canada an accounting of all its assets and liabilities as of the day of disaffiliation.
  Then known as Habitat for Humanity Prince George, Hearts and Hands was disaffiliated over an alleged refusal to live up to standards Habitat Canada had in place regarding governance and operations.
  In a statement, Habitat Canada chief operating officer Susan Smith said it was unfortunate the matter had to come before the court but she is pleased Habitat Canada’s position that the affiliation agreement with the Prince George group required transfer of assets upon disaffiliation was ratified.
  “The ruling has upheld these agreements and we will now proceed with evaluating the most effective way of transferring those assets back under the umbrella of Habitat for Humanity Canada. In the time ahead, we will be reviewing the best way to serve the needs of the Prince George community under the mission and values of Habitat for Humanity Canada,” Smith said.
  “Partner homeowners are central to the work of Habitat for Humanity Canada and the prime reason that we pursued this matter was to protect their agreements and interests.”
  The non-profit Habitat movement provides housing, built by volunteers, to low-income families. Habitat Prince George was incorporated in 2001. Its charitable status from Canada Revenue was carried over to Hearts and Homes.
  Hearts and Hands executive director Jo-Ann Pickering said the board will meet with the group’s lawyer next week to discuss options.
ANNIE'S MAILBOX    27 NEWS             1-4 
BRIDGE             27 B.C.               5 
HOROSCOPE           2 CANADA         13-15 
COMICS             26 WORLD          17-18 
CROSSWORD          26 SPORTS          9-12 
CLASSIFIEDS     19-22 BULLETIN BOARD     7 
OPINION             6 A&E            23-27 
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