On Wednesday, Oct. 10, I made my way to the Gibsons and Area Community Centre to cast my ballot in the advance poll. I was greeted with enthusiasm as the first voter from Roberts Creek that day. Smiling, I marked my ballots and placed the first in the ballot box for school board representatives. Then I turned to cast my ballot for Roberts Creek regional director but, much to my surprise, the top of the Roberts Creek ballot box was wide open. Standing beside the box was the Returning Officer, the official in charge of the polling station. She requested that, before casting my ballot, I inspect the Roberts Creek ballot box and verify that there were no ballots in the box. This I did. She then asked me to sign Form 5-8 called Inspection of Ballot Box. After I had done that, she closed the top of the box and sealed it with a special white tape. I was then instructed to initial all four corners of the box. Only then was I allowed to put my ballot in the now-sealed Roberts Creek ballot box. I felt quite honoured to have played this small part in our democratic system.
General Voting Day is Saturday, Oct. 20. Roberts Creek residents vote at Roberts Creek Community Hall, 1309 Roberts Creek Road, any time from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
There are now several new book series at the Roberts Creek community library that junior readers have been anticipating including Unwanteds #7: Island of the Dragons by Lisa McMann; Unwanteds Quests: Dragon Captives and Dragon Bones; and Michael Vey seven-book series including The Prisoner of Cell 25 and The Final Spark by Richard Evans.Â
For adult readers at the library: Barbara Kingsolver’s latest book ,Unsheltered; and Spring by Karl Ove Knausgaard. Also on the shelves are Firestorm: How Wildfires Will Shape Our Future by Edward Struzik; Mrs. Osmond by John Banville; The President is Missing by former U.S. President Bill Clinton and James Patterson; In a House of Lies by Ian Rankin; and Shelter in Place by Nora Roberts. New books can be found on the new book shelves at the entrance to the non-fiction room and, if the book you want has already been signed out or has not yet been processed, one of the library volunteers can help you reserve it.
A note to both kids and adults: please bring back your books on time and, if you think you might have lost a book, look under your bed (you never know).
