Nanaimo Daily News, April 04, 2015 by Black Press Media Group

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BRITISH COLUMBIA

Controversial computer program off awards list Provincial case management system had been nominated for Premier’s Awards of Innovation and Excellence until the auditor general flagged the $182-million project as troubled. A7

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MP James Lunney’s departure from Tory party elicits thoughts about his political future

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The newspaper of record for Nanaimo and region since 1874 || Saturday, April 4, 2015

FEELING LUCKY? Lottery corporation celebrates 30 years in British Columbia

Brenda Boadway, 60, has been faithfully buying lottery tickets for three decades. [AARON HINKS/DAILY NEWS]

Players still faithfully buying tickets DANIELLE BELL FOR THE DAILY NEWS

renda Boadway has been faithfully playing the lottery since the idea of winning a windfall with a lucky ticket was born. Twice a week without fail, she purchases tickets. “I’ve played since it started 30 years ago,” said the 60-yearold, as she bought tickets for tonight’s draw. “You never know. Just like the commercial says, ‘Can you imagine?’” Boadway spent years playing her own numbers, a combination of her and her sister’s birthdays, but now usually does Quick Picks. The jackpots have gotten bigger and bigger over the years. Although she’s easily spent thousands of dollars of her own money and the most she’s won is

» Use your smartphone to jump to our website for updates on these stories or the latest breaking news.

Lottery facts and figures In December 2010, a Nanaimo resident won Canada’s largest-ever lottery prize online, worth $7.6 million on Lotto 6/49.

The largest prizes ever won in B.C. were $50 million LOTTO MAX jackpots in October 2010 and March 2014.

Lotto 6/49 is launched on June 12, 1982.

The largest prize ever won on a single ticket in Canada was a $54.3 million Lotto 6/49 jackpot in Alberta in October 2005.

80 per cent of Lotto 6/49 tickets are sold via Quick Pick. Odds of winning a Lotto 6/49 jackpot: 1:13,983,816

SOURCE: BCLC

$200 here and there, that doesn’t deter her from trying to strike it rich. “I want to win,” said Boadway, who admits her family thinks it’s a waste of money. “I’d probably

have a heart attack (if I won).” Boadway isn’t alone when it comes to fantasizing about financial freedom. Although you have more of a chance of being struck by light-

‘Furious 7’ offers up more serious action

Deal on Iran nukes will limit weapon capability

Like its predecessors, the seventh installment of the hit franchise features a multicultural cast, international settings and a dazzling array of cars. » Movies, B1

If implemented, the understandings would mark the first time in more than a decade of diplomatic efforts that Iran’s nuclear efforts would be rolled back. » Nation & World, A9

Local news .................... A3-5 Markets ...............................A2 B.C. news ............................. A7

Cloudy High 9, Low 4 Details A2

Last year, $615.7 million was awarded to lottery winners in B.C.

ning than winning the lottery, that doesn’t stop people from gambling with their hard-earned cash — gaming has grown into a multibillion-dollar industry that shows no signs of slowing down. The B.C. Lottery Corporation this week celebrated its 30th anniversary. Over the decades, it has generated more than $18 billion for the province to support communities, programs, charitable and community orgnaizations, including education and healthcare. There is a lottery outlet for every 973 adults in B.C., with the province generating the thirdhighest revenue per capita in the country. As many as 75 per cent of adults in B.C. participate in some form of gambling, including buying lottery tickets, according to the ministry of finance.

Editorials and letters ..... A4 Sports .................................. B2 Scoreboard ........................ B4

Classified ............................ B8 Obituaries ........................... B8 Comics ........................ B5, B6

But if the odds of winning are so astronomical, what keeps people coming back week after week? “People tend to overestimate rare events. They give them too much weight in their minds,” said psychologist Luke Clark, director of the Centre for Gambling Research at the University of British Columbia. “The lottery is a very rare event.” But that hasn’t dampened its popularity, said Clark, with the lottery generally considered a ‘safer’ form of gambling. There are several psychological aspects that encompass the lottery player, according to Clark, such as anticipation of regret and an element of control that could keep players coming back week after week, such as those who choose their own numbers. See LOTTERY, Page A6

Crossword ........ B5, B6, B7 Sudoku ................................. A2 Horoscope .......................... B8

Nanaimo Daily News, nanaimodailynews.com and Harbour City Star reach more than 60,000 readers each week in print and online. General inquires: 250-729-4200 | Newsroom: 250-729-4224 | To subscribe: 250-729-4266 | Copyright 2015. All rights reserved

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NANAIMOTODAY A2 Saturday, April 4, 2015

| Editor: Philip Wolf | PWolf@nanaimodailynews.com | STORY UPDATES: www.nanaimodailynews.com

» Today’s weather and the four-day forecast FRIDAY

9/2

www.harbourviewvw.com

VANCOUVER ISLAND

ALMANAC

Port Hardy 9/5/r

Pemberton 11/2/r Whistler 6/0/rs

Campbell River Powell River 7/3/r 7/4/r

Squamish 8/2/r

Courtenay 8/5/r Port Alberni 8/3/r Tofino Nanaimo 9/5/r 9/2/r Duncan 9/5/r Ucluelet 9/5/r

SUN WARNING

FRIDAY HI LO

9 8 6 7 10 9 9 9 10 8 12 11 11 9 9 7 8 3 8

4 2 0 4 6 5 5 2 4 4 2 0 2 0 1 -1 0 -5 0

TODAY

SKY

rain rain rain/snow rain rain rain showers rain p.cloudy showers showers p.cloudy p.cloudy rain/snow showers rain/snow p.sunny p.cloudy showers

HI LO

12 10 7 9 10 8 9 11 10 9 11 11 10 8 7 6 7 1 6

3 2 0 4 5 3 4 2 3 4 2 0 0 -1 -1 -2 0 -7 -2

SKY

showers showers rain/snow showers showers rain showers p.cloudy showers showers rain/snow p.cloudy rain/snow flurries rain/snow flurries rain/snow cloudy rain/snow

UV index Low

SUN AND MOON Sunrise Sunset Moon sets Moon rises

9 a.m. The Bastion City Wanderers Volkssport Club invite you to a 5-, 7- or 10-km Chase River-Richards marsh walk. Meet at Elaine Hamilton Park parking lot in Cinnabar Valley (Chase River). Registration starts at 8:45 a.m. For more information, call Ethel at 250-756-9796. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Easter Spring Fling, Diana Krall Plaza. Live music with Ian Johnstone, magic and laughter with Twiggly Wiggly the Clown, crafts for children and fun activities. 11 a.m to 4:30 p.m. Island Glass Art spring show and sale, Shaw Lobby, upstairs, Vancouver Island Conference Centre, 80 Commercial St.

10/4

LdgaY CITY

TODAY

CITY

HI/LO/SKY HI/LO/SKY

FRIDAY

Anchorage 2/-2/s Atlanta 27/15/s Boston 16/9/r Chicago 8/-2/c Cleveland 10/0/r Dallas 23/9/pc Denver 6/-2/s Detroit 13/-2/r Fairbanks 2/-6/c Fresno 26/10/s Juneau 8/2/r Little Rock 25/7/t Los Angeles 30/13/pc Las Vegas 23/12/pc Medford 15/5/c Miami 26/22/s New Orleans 28/19/pc New York 18/11/r Philadelphia 21/14/r Phoenix 30/15/pc Portland 12/5/r Reno 19/3/s Salt Lake City 13/4/s San Diego 27/17/pc San Francisco 16/10/s Seattle 10/5/r Spokane 12/1/pc Washington 23/14/r

Whitehorse

TODAY

HI/LO/SKY

Dawson City 4/-8/pc 2/-10/c Whitehorse 6/-3/pc 5/-5/pc Calgary 8/-2/pc 4/-3/rs Edmonton 6/-3/pc 4/-4/pc Medicine Hat 11/-1/pc 11/-1/r Saskatoon 2/-9/sf 2/-6/pc Prince Albert 0/-14/sf 1/-7/pc Regina 4/-5/rs 4/-4/c Brandon -1/-11/sf 1/-7/pc Winnipeg -2/-9/sf -1/-8/pc Thompson -13/-25/s -11/-27/s Churchill -20/-25/pc -20/-26/pc Thunder Bay 0/-10/s 1/-10/sf Sault S-Marie 0/-7/s 0/-11/sf Sudbury 2/-11/pc -2/-13/sf Windsor 10/-2/r 5/-1/s Toronto 11/-2/pc 2/-3/pc Ottawa 12/-4/s 0/-8/sf Iqaluit -13/-19/c -14/-16/pc Montreal 11/-4/s 0/-8/sf Quebec City 9/-10/pc -1/-12/sf Saint John 10/-5/r 3/-10/r Fredericton 11/-5/r 2/-10/sn Moncton 9/-4/r 1/-9/rs Halifax 9/-3/r 5/-6/r Charlottetown 5/-3/r 3/-7/r Goose Bay -1/-11/sf -5/-16/pc St. John’s 1/-1/pc 2/-5/fg

Mainly cloudy with 40% chance of isolated showers.

CANADA AND UNITED STATES

CITY

FRIDAY

CVcV^bd I^YZh

Amsterdam Athens Auckland Bangkok Beijing Berlin Brussels Buenos Aires Cairo Dublin Hong Kong Jerusalem Lisbon London Madrid Manila Mexico City Moscow Munich New Delhi Paris Rome Seoul Singapore Sydney Taipei Tokyo Warsaw

8/3/pc 12/10/pc 22/15/r 35/28/s 15/4/pc 9/-1/pc 8/2/r 26/17/pc 24/14/s 12/5/pc 27/23/pc 16/9/pc 24/13/s 11/4/c 20/6/pc 30/24/t 25/11/s 6/0/c 6/-1/r 29/20/r 11/4/r 16/10/c 13/7/r 31/27/t 22/17/r 26/22/pc 16/14/r 8/0/r

Time Metres High 5:52 a.m. 4.2 Low 12:14 p.m. 1.9 High 6:24 p.m. 4.1

Low High Low High

;g^YVn

Time Metres 0:18 a.m. 2.1 6:15 a.m. 4.2 12:43 p.m. 1.7 7:04 p.m. 4.1

Time Metres High 3:12 a.m. 2.3 Low 9:37 a.m. 1.4 High 3:45 p.m. 2.2 Low 9:37 p.m. 1.6

Churchill -20/-25/pc

10/4/pc

Prince George 8/0/pc Port Hardy 9/5/r Edmonton Saskatoon 2/-9/sf Winnipeg 6/-3/pc

ents Tora Leigh, Mark Crissinger live At Longwood, at The Longwood Brew Pub 5775 Turner Rd.

Noon The Nanaimo Yacht Club annual Easter Egg Hunt, Newcastle Island. Free rides for accompanied children to age 12 with Nanaimo Harbour Ferries starting at 9 a.m. Hot drinks and treats for egg hunt, at noon.

TUESDAY, APRIL 7

Vancouver

8 p.m. Singles dance: Retro 1950’s-’60’s dance music, Globe Hotel, 25 Front St, $5 at the door. For information 250-797-0393. For more info, visit www. NanaimoSinglesDances.com. MONDAY, APRIL 6

SUNDAY, APRIL 5 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nanaimo Flea Market

8 p.m. The Longwood Brew Pub pres-

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Variety Children’s Radiothon at Woodgrove Centre is partnering with 102.3 The Wave to host the Radiothon fundraiser for Variety. 3-6 p.m. Island Roots Farmers Market. Support local growers, producers and artisans year-round. Pleasant Valley Hall, 6100 Dumont Rd. 7 p.m. Glen Foser, Kat, On The Dock with Rhodeo Drive at The Dinghy Dock Pub. Tickets $20 from the artists, Dinghy Dock Pub, or at ticketzone.com

» Markets

Boise

16/10/s

8/-2/c

Las Vegas

Atlanta 27/15/s

17/5/pc

Phoenix

Dallas

30/15/pc

Tampa

23/9/pc

29/19/s

LEGEND

New Orleans w - windy pc - few clouds fr - freezing rain sf - flurries

28/19/pc

c - cloudy t - thunder r - rain rs - rain/snow

SUN AND SAND

Miami

26/22/s

MOON PHASES

FRIDAY TODAY

6XVejaXd 6gjWV 8VcXjc 8dhiV G^XV =dcdajaj EVab Heg\h E# KVaaVgiV

HI/LO/SKY

32/24/pc 31/26/r 30/22/r 30/20/pc 26/23/t 30/17/pc 27/19/pc

32/24/pc 31/26/pc 32/22/s 30/20/pc 25/23/s 32/14/s 27/20/pc

Apr 4

Apr 11

Apr 18

Apr 25

©The Weather Network 2015 <Zi ndjg XjggZci lZVi]Zg dc/ Shaw Cable 19 Shaw Direct 398 Bell TV 80

» Lotteries For April 1 649: 04-07-12-16-22-24 B: 41 BC49: 13-21-31-36-40-45 B: 16 Extra: 33-74-77-79

THURSDAY, APRIL 9 5-9 p.m. The Nanaimo Flea Market offers a variety of vendor goods. 1630 East Wellington, Royal Canadian Legion Hall.

*All Numbers unofficial

7:30 p.m. Nanaimo Rhododendron Society at Beban Park Social Centre. Free admission. For more info visit: http:// nanaimo.rhodos.ca.

For March 27 Lotto Max: 03-07-15-23-29-31-45 B: 46 Extra: 53-59-77-86

7 p.m. 2015 Cultural Awards Celebration City of Nanaimo honours citizens and others for outstanding dedication to culture, including Grant Leier, Nixie Barton, Amanda Scott, Arlene Blundell. Free at the Port Theatre. Book ticket online or through the Ticket Centre. 7:30 p.m. Nanaimo Historical Society meeting and presentation. Local author and historian, Doug Steel, with his upcoming fourth book: ‘Nanaimo: A Pictorial History.’ Bowen Park Complex, Room 1. Free. For more information: nanaimohistoricalsociety@shaw.ca.

STICKELERS

7180 Lantzville Rd. 250-390-9089

4,886.94 +6.71

E: joe@kellersjewellers.com www.kellersjewellers.com

S&P/TSX

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April 1 - May 13, 2015 Schedules are subject to change without notice.

VANCOUVER ISLAND - LOWER MAINLAND

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NANAIMO (DEPARTURE BAY) - HORSESHOE BAY Leave Departure Bay 6:30 am 10:30 am n1:30 pm 8:30 am T11:30 am J2:00 pm 9:30 am 12:30 pm 3:00 pm Leave Horseshoe Bay 6:30 am 12:30 pm J4:00 pm 8:30 am T1:50 pm 5:00 pm 10:30 am 82:00 pm n6:10 pm n11:30 am 3:00 pm 7:00 pm

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NANAIMO (DUKE POINT) - TSAWWASSEN

n Except Sun.

SWARTZ BAY - TSAWWASSEN

PREVIOUS SUDOKO SOLVED

Leave Swartz Bay

5 7 9 8 6 4 1 2 3

4 8 1 3 9 2 6 5 7

3 2 6 1 7 5 8 4 9

8 5 3 2 4 7 9 1 6

6 1 4 9 5 8 7 3 2

7 9 2 6 1 3 5 8 4

2 3 7 5 8 6 4 9 1

1 6 5 4 3 9 2 7 8

9 4 8 7 2 1 3 6 5

2015 Conceptis Puzzles, Dist. by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

17,763.24 +65.06

NASDAQ

➜

Dow Jones

➜

23/14/r

14/2/r

Oklahoma City

Los Angeles

s - sunny fg - fog sh - showers sn - snow hz - hazy

18/11/r

Washington, D.C.

6/-2/s

23/12/pc

30/13/pc

16/9/r

New York

13/-2/r

St. Louis

Wichita 15/2/pc

Denver

Boston

Detroit

12/-2/r

San Francisco

9/-3/r

11/-2/pc

Rapid City

16/5/pc

Halifax

11/-4/s

Chicago

12/2/pc

The Canadian dollar traded Thursday afternoon at 79.59 US, up 0.39 of a cent from Wednesday’s close. The Pound Sterling was worth $1.8626 Cdn, down 0.94 of a cent while the Euro was worth $1.3669 Cdn, up 0.84 of a cent.

➜ $49.14 -$0.95

Montreal

0/-10/s

Billings

Canadian Dollar

Barrel of oil

9/-10/pc

Thunder Bay Toronto

4/-5/rs

9/5/r

Time Metres 3:34 a.m. 2.4 10:08 a.m. 1.2 4:30 p.m. 2.2 10:04 p.m. 1.7

10-11 a.m. Kids’ Drop-in & Play Group, In partnership with PacificCARE Child Care Resource and Referral, free weekly play groups near the food court for children five and younger.

Quebec City

-2/-9/sf

Calgary Regina 8/-2/pc

email: events@nanaimodailynews.com

on corner of Bowen and East Wellington, Free admission. Come see a huge variety of products.

-1/-11/sf

-12/-25/pc

Prince Rupert

ID96N High Low High Low

Goose Bay

Yellowknife

6/-3/pc

HI/LO/SKY

K^Xidg^V I^YZh ID96N

;g^YVn

10/6

MONDAY

Mainly cloudy with 40% chance of isolated showers.

HIGHLIGHTS AT HOME AND ABROAD 8VcVYV Jc^iZY HiViZh

10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Bunny Trail at Milner Gardens and Woodland. Easter bunny search in the gardens. Milner Gardens & Woodland 2179 West Island Highway, Qualicum Beach. Adult: $8.25 student $4.25, , accompanied children and members free

1-3 p.m. Spring pie and perogy sale, St. Mary the Protectress Ukrainian Orthodox Church, 594 Karls Way, Parksville.

SUNDAY

CITY

» Community Calendar // SATURDAY, APRIL 4

6:49 a.m. 7:49 p.m. 7:30 a.m. 8:21 p.m.

9/4 Cloudy with 70% chance of showers.

Lower Fraser Valley Howe Sound Whistler Sunshine Coast Victoria/E. Van. Island West Vancouver Island N. Vancouver Island Ctrl. Coast/Bella Coola N. Coast/Prince Rupert Queen Charlottes Thompson Okanagan West Kootenay East Kootenay Columbia Chilcotin Cariboo/Prince George Fort Nelson Bulkley Val./The Lakes

TEMPERATURE Hi Lo Yesterday 11°C 2.4°C Friday 9°C 2°C Last year 10°C 4°C Normal 12.5°C 1.8°C Record 18.3°C -5.0°C 1960 1948

PRECIPITATION Yesterday 0.04 mm Last year 0.04 mm Richmond Normal 2.0 mm 9/5/r Record 42.3 mm 1991 Month to date 0.1 mm Victoria Victoria 10/6/r Year to date 328 mm 10/6/r

BRITISH COLUMBIA WEATHER REGION

TODAY

Cloudy with showers in the afternoon with 90% probability of precipitation. High 9, Low 2.

Harbourview Volkswagen

7:00 pm 3:00 pm 7:00 am 11:00 am 9:00 pm ∆8:00 am ]12:00 pm v4:00 pm 5:00 pm n10:00 pm 1:00 pm 9:00 am V10:00 am l2:00 pm l6:00 pm Leave Tsawwassen 7:00 pm 3:00 pm 7:00 am 11:00 am V8:00 am l12:00 pm l4:00 pm n8:00 pm 9:00 pm 5:00 pm 1:00 pm 9:00 am ∆10:00 am ]2:00 pm v6:00 pm ] l v ∆ V n

Fri, Sun & Apr 2, 6, 7 & 23 only. Fri, Sun & Apr 2 & 6 only. Thu, Fri, Sun & Apr 1 & 6 only, except Apr 3. Apr 2-4 & 25 only. Apr 3 & 6 only. Apr 2 only.

For schedule and fare information or reservations: 1 888 223 3779 • bcferries.com

NANAIMOREGION A3

Saturday, April 4, 2015 | Editor: Philip Wolf 250-729-4240 | PWolf@nanaimodailynews.com | STORY UPDATES: www.nanaimodailynews.com

POLITICS

Locals react to Lunney’s decision Former executive director of riding association calls resignation from caucus ‘disappointing’ SPENCER ANDERSON DAILY NEWS

Nanaimo-Alberni MP James Lunney’s decision to leave the Conservative Party caucus to sit as an independent is garnering mixed reaction. The longtime former Conservative announced Tuesday he was sitting as an independent so that he could defend his religious beliefs. He said in a press release that he was concerned about “deliberate attempts to suppress a Christian world-view from professional and economic opportunity into law, medicine and academia.”

LUNNEY

He addressed the House of Commons on a point of parliamentary privilege on Wednesday, and released a separate state-

ment which said in part: “. . . I believe there is a growing and malignant trend by ‘cyber trolls’ to engage, entrap, belittle and embarrass politicians of faith over false constructs of the word evolution.” Lunney did not return calls Tuesday or Wednesday. His Ottawa office said Thursday he would be available for comment the next week. Raj Banga, former executive director of the Conservative’s Nanaimo-Ladysmith riding association, said Lunney decision was “disappointing,” adding the MP could have waited until after

the federal election in October to make his personal views known. He said those views could hurt the party down the road, adding new candidates will face the same questions Lunney is now facing. “Being a party member, you know, we don’t feel much comfort like we did before,” Banga said. Vancouver Island University political studies professor Alex Netherton said Lunney’s actions have mixed a conservative Christian ideology with politics, which will undermine his ability to represent constituents.

CITY LOG News and notes from around Nanaimo

Nanaimo Mayor Bill McKay said Lunney’s decision to leave the Conservative fold “was probably a good move on his part” due to the controversy the issue has attracted. “I think he’s a respected member of parliament . . . and has represented Nanaimo very well.” SAnderson@nanaimodailynews.com 250-729-4255 » We want to hear from you. Send comments on this story to letters@nanaimodailynews.com. Letters must include daytime phone number and hometown.

REAL ESTATE

Property sales remain strong DARRELL BELLAART DAILY NEWS

Nanaimo city staff and volunteers from Dover Bay Secondary’s Eco Club planted 316 native trees and plants last week in Camas Park, one of the city’s newest green spaces. In total, the green thumb brigade planted 100 Garry oak trees, 16 Douglas Fir trees and 200 Camas bulbs in the park. WPC Building services donated 60 of the Garry oaks. The small park recently opened on Westwood Road next to the Parkway trail. It has a winding trail that passes through a natural Garry oak ecosystem, the city said in a press release. “It is such a pleasure working with the community to enhance one of Nanaimo’s greatest assets: our natural environment,” said Gail Pasaluko, horticulture supervisor with the city.

Nanaimo property sales were strong, and especially for sellers with listing in higher price ranges. The latest housing monthly report from Vancouver Island Real Estate Board shows 420 units sold north of the Malahat last month, a 19 per cent increase from a year ago. In Nanaimo, the increase was 12 per cent to 129 units, something real estate agents see as a promising sign. Notable is the number of property sales at the more opulent end of the scale. “There’s a lot of big sales out there,” said Jim Stewart, real estate agent and a past VIREB president. Real estate values have edged upward steadily since the real estate board adopted the standardized benchmark system used to compare property values in larger metropolitan areas. In Nanaimo, it’s $346,200, a five per cent increase from last year, and $2,500 less than its peak, five years ago. But average prices are up $36,000 — more than nine per cent — to $408,000. Since it’s based on the selling price of homes in a single month, the price can swing wildly. Many buyers look for homes in the mid-priced $350,000 range, but last month was different, with 25 homes sold in the $500,000 range in Nanaimo, 23 for around $600,000, 17 for $700,000 or more, five in the $900,000 range and two for more than $1 million. Supply is tightening too, though so far not enough to create the dramatic price increases seen in the Lower Mainland. Nanaimo’s housing market “remains healthy and balanced,” said Cameron Muir, BC Real Estate Association chief economist. Stewart said buyers are “out there waiting for inventory,” so when the right home comes up, “get your offer written.”

SAnderson@nanaimodailynews.com 250-729-4255

DBellaart@nanaimodailynews.com 250-729-4235

Youngster Damon Aitkin waves to the Easter bunny at Country Club Centre on Thursday. [AARON HINKS/DAILY NEWS]

Holiday weekend means fun for kids and have photographs with the famous rabbit before Easter Sunday.

Spencer Anderson

Cooking fire warning

Reporting

he Harbour City will be all about Easter today (Saturday), as the city celebrates the Downtown Nanaimo Business Improvement Association Easter Spring Fling event. The kid-friendly spring offering kicks off at 10 a.m. in Diana Krall Plaza. The day includes crafts, facepainting, a bouncy castle, magic and a visit from the Easter Bunny himself. Each child will get a goody bag and treats until supplies run out. Kids will also have a chance to plant their own spring flowers or vegetables at a potting station. The Easter Bunny also is back in town today at Country Club Mall from 10 a.m. until noon and from 1-4 p.m. The event is free, so it will be a good chance for kids to meet

Nanaimo’s fire chief says a recent tragedy in Toronto is a reminder to residents to take care when cooking this holiday weekend to avoid fires. An accidental fire that resulted from an unattended stove spread throughout a Scarborough townhouse, last week, resulting in the death of a 10-year-old boy. Nanaimo Fire Chief Craig Richardson said safer cooking practices can save lives. “Residents should stay in the kitchen to keep an eye on their cooking,” he said. That is particularly true when using oil at high temperatures. Other tips include keeping combustible items like cooking utensils or paper towels away from the stove while cooking, as they can easily ignite. Residents should also keep a lid handy that could be placed on top of a pot that catches fire, so that it can be safely removed from the stove. Excessive drinking while cook-

ing is also a “contributing factor” in residential fires.

Illegal burning Nanaimo Fire Rescue says it has received an increased of complaints about illegal backyard burning and has put out a warning to residents that the practice is not allowed without a permit. April and November are the only two months out of the year that the city allows residents to burn leaves and other organic debris in their back yards on Fridays and Saturdays during each month, provided they call Fire Rescue to get verbal permission in advance. Ennis Mond, chief fire prevention officer, said “crews get called out . . . on numerous occasions” to deal with burning or smoke complaints. He added the number of complaints has seen a “noticeable” increase. “There are people in Nanaimo who just don’t like smoke,” Mond said. “We get a lot of complaints about that.” Residents are also allowed to have 24-inch cooking fires with-

out a permit, although Mond said those can cause smoke too if the wood is wet.

Trees planted in park

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EDITORIALSLETTERS A4

Saturday, April 4, 2015

Editor: Philip Wolf 250-729-4240 | PWolf@nanaimodailynews.com

» Our View

Politics trumps compassion in aid for Syrians

s Canadian politicians score pre-election points debating the merits of bombing a few Islamic State targets in Syria, the rest of the world has been grappling with a problem of a different order of magnitude: the country’s ghastly civil war, and the untold misery it has brought in its wake. The United Nations is struggling to raise $8.4 billion this year to help the 7 million Syrians who rely on humanitarian aid as the civil war drags into a fifth year. In Kuwait donors have just pledged $3.8 billion. And the UN is also scrambling to find safe haven for more of the 4 million people who have fled the country. They are in greater danger from hunger, disease and exposure than from jihadists. Now that Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservative government has wielded its majority in Parliament to extend and expand our involvement in Iraq and Syria for another year, Canadians of every political stripe

will expect them to exert themselves on the humanitarian front as well. Canada’s help so far has been good, but it could be better. And latterly at least, politics has been crowding out compassion. When Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau tried to make a case in Parliament this week that “Canada’s interests are better served by an approach that combines military training for Iraqi forces fighting ISIL (the Islamic State) with humanitarian aid and expanded resettlement efforts here in Canada,” he a sneer from the government benches. Defence Minister Jason Kenney called Trudeau “profoundly unserious” and derided his “shambolic, embarrassing, fatuous flip-flopping.” Granted, this partisan invective came amid a debate in which both the Liberals and New Democrats refused to support Harper’s push to extend the war into Syria. Kenney’s taunt was calculated to play well with the

Tory grassroots and with the dwindling majority that still supports the government’s agenda. But for suffering Syrians, it could only be taken as a shrug of indifference. Whatever the Conservative spin machine may say, Trudeau isn’t out in left field with his take on the role Canada can best play in this conflict. Most of Canada’s close allies including the British and French have taken the same stance. Some are training the Iraqis; many are providing aid; except for the Americans, none is bombing Syria. Trudeau’s call for generous resettlement and aid is precisely what the UN has been urging with its latest appeal. And it is in line with New Democrat leader Tom Mulcair’s call for Canada to lead a “robust humanitarian mission” rather than ramp up the bombing. Indeed, the Red Cross has felt the need to remind Ottawa not to confuse military action with aid. Rather than blow off Mulcair and Trudeau, the government

would do well to show the compassion they urge. Canadians are appalled at Syria’s suffering. Most know that attacking the Islamic State isn’t going to stem the refugee crisis, or feed hungry children. Canada has contributed $700 million in humanitarian, development and security assistance in response to the Syrian crisis. And after much prodding the government has agreed to take in 10,000 additional Syrian refugees over the next three years, the majority privately sponsored at private cost, for 11,300 in all. According to an analysis by Oxfam, Canada’s “fair share” of the UN appeal based on our economic output would be roughly $180 million for 2015. So far we’ve delivered just under $50 million. Last year we contributed $150 million, slightly less than our fair share. This year we should aim to do better. A “fair” donation isn’t a “generous” one. It’s worth noting that last year Brit-

ain, Germany, Norway, Ireland, Sweden, Netherlands, Denmark, Finland and a half-dozen other countries gave more than their fair share. And Trudeau has argued that Canada can afford to be far more generous resettling refugees as well. He has urged Ottawa to sponsor 25,000 refugees, and he isn’t the first to call for a program of that size. Additionally, Ottawa should speed up the process of resettling those it has agreed to take in. The Harper government has characterized its Syrian military engagement as a matter of thwarting jihadists who killed some 2,000 people last year. Fair enough. But Syria’s wider war has killed 220,000. Canada’s focus should be on doing the most we can, where the need is greatest.

— CANADIAN PRESS (TORONTO STAR)

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Information about us Nanaimo Daily News is a division of VI Newspaper Group Limited Partnership, B1, 2575 McCullough Rd., Nanaimo, B.C. V9S 5W5. The Daily News and its predecessor the Daily Free Press have been serving Nanaimo and area since 1874. Community marketing and sales director: Andrea Rosato-Taylor Editor: Philip Wolf Newsroom: 250-729-4240 Fax: 250-729-4288 Email: letters@nanaimodailynews.com Manager of reader sales & service: Les Gould The Daily News is a member of the B.C. Press Council.

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» Your Letters // e-mail: letters@nanaimodailynews.com Automated garbage trucks may be costly Re: ‘Nanaimo-area garbage pickup may soon be automated’ (Daily News, April 1, 2015) I read recently of the plan to buy “auto” trucks for garbage pickup. I have a couple of questions. If these machines operate the way I see it, they will be much slower than manual pick up. If so will there be a need of overtime for the drivers or will additional staff have to be added. If someone there would contact Scarborough (Toronto) they may discuss their short-lived experience with this type of pickup. Lorne Phillips Parksville

Garbage truck plan may become collective ‘oops’ Re: ‘Nanaimo-area garbage pickup may soon be automated’ (Daily News, April 1, 2015) Is this an April Fool’s joke or is the city’s sanitation department really proposing to spend $6.4 million to save an average annual cost of $215,000 in WCB claims? Over the past 20 years, through the city’s progressive changes,

garbage pickup has gone from two cans per week to about a can every two weeks. Now we find out that this small amount is causing injuries to garbage collectors. I have observed the garbage collectors and, in my view, the problem is that their schedule is unrealistically tight, forcing them to cut corners, leading to poor lifting techniques. When the automated system is installed (I have no confidence that they will see reason and not implement it), the pickup will take much longer since a hydraulic system can only go so fast, no matter how light the load. Oh, they’ll add the recycling pickup saving some more money. But I thought that system was just recently changed and that MMBC is kicking back huge dollars. So the “savings” cost needs to include the loss of these dollars. With slower pickup time and a bigger pickup load, if recycling is brought in house, they will need to increase staff and buy more trucks. Now how much are they saving? The kicker is that the $4 million for purchasing new garbage, food waste and recycling bins will be “paid back through user fees.” It looks to me that the beleaguered taxpayer will be forced to pay to replace all the bins that

are relatively new and working fine so the city can buy a shiny new toy that is not necessary. And when the new automated, hydraulic lifting system proves to be too slow for the manager’s productivity targets, the collectors will likely end up lifting most of the light loads by hand, and the city will still have to compensate WCB repetitive injury claims. But with a collective “oops,” no one will be held accountable for wasting the taxpayers’ money. Mike Provencher Nanaimo

Biggest factor for our future is climate change Re: ‘Nanaimo-area garbage pickup may soon be automated’ (Daily News, April 1, 2015) Congratulations to the city and Nanaimo vehicle fleet manager Bruce Labelle for moving toward more fuel efficient and sustainable vehicles. However, I was dismayed with Mr. Labelle’s comment, referring to lower emissions and reduced maintenance costs as “just bonuses we’re happy to have.” To him, it’s (still) all about the money. Too, he is woefully uninformed when he wishes the “auto companies would get

on board and build an electric truck.” Two major manufacturers now offer such trucks, and more will be soon, and a local business in nearby Errington has been custom building and selling them worldwide for over 10 years. Climate change now is the most important issue in the history of our species on earth. Simple denial or “politics” is no option if we are to survive. Canada’s premiers meet April 11, and our, then newly elected leaders meet with other world leaders, December, in Paris to create our future. Our coming federal election is the most important election in our history. I will be eagle-eyed as to which candidate and party commits to the very best climate change plan for all our futures, and I will vote for them. Nothing is more important. Jordan Ellis Nanaimo Letters must include your hometown and a daytime phone number for verification purposes only. Letters must include your first name (or two initials) and last name. Unsigned letters, hand-written letters and letters of more than 300 words will not be accepted. For best results, e-mail your submission to letters@nanaimodailynews.com.

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NANAIMOREGION

SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 2015 | DAILY NEWS |

LADYSMITH

Budget draft calls for hefty tax increase Mayor Aaron Stone admitted the proposed tax increase is not what council was hoping for but praised staff for “working up to the 11th hour and finding savings where they could.” Stone believes greater communication and assistance is required with and from senior levels of government in order to aid municipalities with the funding for required improvements, a burden which he believes currently has to be picked up by the municipal taxpayer. “Municipal leaders should be focusing on adding pieces to the puzzle such as creating jobs and producing a greater quality of life. Right now we can’t focus on these things without sacrificing infrastructure. “We’ve gone from a funding model, to a grants model, to a less grants model, to a grants around the corner model. Do we want to raise taxes? Absolutely not, but we also don’t want to be borrowing 20 years into the future just to achieve the things we need to do, let alone the things we want to do. “I’m all about co-operating with different levels of government. We need to get this message out there.”

ROSS ARMOUR DAILY NEWS

Easter Parade From left, Chelsey Petr, 4, Renee Petr, and parents Lisa Petr and Trevor Petr go for an afternoon stroll in Maffeo-Sutton Park on Thursday. [AARON HINKS/DAILY NEWS]

The first draft of the Town of Ladysmith’s budget shows an eight per cent municipal tax increase for 2015. Although the draft of the financial plan is subject to further discussion and potential change, the increase is above the five per cent council had asked for. Staff say that is predominantly due to the town’s desire to replace and upgrade aging infrastructure, including roads, water and sewage. The town has recently stated it could spend more than $30 million in required water improvements during the next 10 years while longterm hopes for a new city hall and fire hall remain. City manager Ruth Malli says the plan is to put aside at least five per cent of the overall budget for future infrastructure projects further down the line. Malli also believes the town has more chance of attaining grants from higher levels of government in order to move forward on particular projects if it has a portion of the cost set aside as proof of funding. As it stands, homeowners in Ladysmith will pay $154 more in taxes for the year, $30 of which is an increase in the water parcel tax specifically.

COMMUNITY COLUMN Ladysmith-Cedar

Easter Bunny makes Celebrating Our his annual appearance 26th Anniversary Marina Sacht Reporting

he Easter Bunny will be busy this year leading Egg Hunts in Cedar and Ladysmith. Today (Saturday) the North Oyster and Area Historical Society is hosting their annual Easter Egg Hunt. A free and fun event for the whole family, the Hunt features prizes, face painting, with coffee and cookies available by donation. It starts at North Oyster Elementary School from 11 a.m. to noon. Also Saturday, it’s the Ladysmith Lions Club Annual Easter Egg Hunt at Transfer Beach. Meet the Bunny 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. and hunt starts at 11 a.m. Bring your own basket. Ages 8 and under.

Herb-delicious The Hazelwood Herb Farm is open for the season. Drop by this Easter weekend for some tasty treats or join them in the farm kitchen (2-4 p.m.) to try some new recipes from the garden. There will be afternoon tea and tastings highlighting their delicious herbal teas. Check out garden art from Bill Message of Home Billt Recycled.

Young Art The Ladysmith Waterfront Gallery is celebrating Student’s Art from the early years to university. Come see what tomorrow’s artists are doing today. Show runs through April 19 with opening Gala Saturday (7 p.m.) with guest speaker Barry Baker. 610 Oyster Bay Dr., Ladysmith.

Nursery opens The plants that grow best are often the plants that are from here. Good news gardeners. The NALT Natural Abundance Native Plant Nursery is now open two days a week. Located at 3145 Frost Rd. (off Spruston). For the current inventory and directions, see nalt.bc.ca. For more information call 250-668-7670 or 250-714-1990.

group donated $2,600 to Cowichan Therapeutic Riding Association towards care of Josepha, the horse that brings joy to people with special needs.

Got a little time? Volunteers are needed to help out the Cranberry Volunteer Fire Department. Anyone interested in joining the service — especially for the Halberg Road Fire Hall — drop by the fire hall at 1555 Morden Rd., during their practice (Mondays at 7 p.m.) or contact Fire Chief Ron Gueulette at 250-753-4040.

It’s a stretch Congratulations to Ladysmith Thai Massage Academy who is celebrating their first anniversary. Saithong and Andre Le Roux are thankful for the community support and are giving back with a $20 gift certificate for new clients in month of April.

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Star power Spotlight Academy is holding their April and may Film Camps. This is your chance to find out what it takes to be on the silver screen . . . or YouTube. Call Jacqui Kaese at 250-7142555 or visit spotlightacademy. com

Save the water With April showers bring May flowers . . . but why not harvest all that rain? ABC Water Systems can guide you through the process. Call them for more information 250-753-3333.

Out and About Looking for some music? The British Pub-style restaurant Fox and Hounds is hosting live music Wednesdays and Saturdays. Give them a call for details. 250-924-1747.

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The Yellow Point Drama Group’s spring trilogy of one-act plays continues until April 18. Catch Duet for Bear and Dog, Judgement Call, and Dapper Dan. The show is at The Cedar Hall, and tickets are available in advance or at the door. Reserved seats at 250-722-3003. www.yellowpointdramagroup.org.

The Ladysmith Health Care Auxiliary is riding high these days . . . or the riders are . . . The

» Marina Sacht is editor at TAKE5 Publications based in Ladysmith. www.take5.ca

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NANAIMOREGION

SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 2015

FROM THE FRONT

Dream of big lotto win continues for locals LOTTERY, From Page A1

“People eventually get to the point where they think, ‘I’ve been playing my number for a few months. What if I don’t buy my ticket and those numbers come up?” said Clark, who calls lotteries “fascinating” but doesn’t play himself. “These are games of pure chance.” But maybe you do just have to believe in a little luck, says B.C.’s Ric Wallace, a self-proclaimed “luckologist” — someone who believes in luck and knows how to create it. “To me, luck is about attitude. If you’re the type of person who says ‘I’m not gong to win the lottery,’ don’t buy tickets,’” said Wallace.

Frank Phelan has been playing the lotto regularly for more than two decades. [AARON HINKS/DAILY NEWS]

“For me, it’s positive thinking. Luck is something you can create.” Wallace has won thousands of lottery dollars

over the years, including a fully-furnished dream home, sports car and $25,000 in cash. Fresh out of college, he

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enjoyed a steady stream of Super 7 and Lotto 6/49 wins. “I won enough in 13 weeks straight, I paid off my student loans,” said Wallace. Wallace was the first Canadian featured on the 2010 TLC TV show, The Lottery Changed My Life. He has written books and websites on lottery tips and creating luck. “I’ve got a whole wall of cheques,” said Wallace. “I’ve won hundreds of times.”

Computer software, $2,000 worth of movie tickets and cash have piled up for Wallace, whose biggest one-time win was valued at nearly $800,000 in 2004. “Playing the lottery, you’re going to have wins and losses,” said Wallace, who suggests learning how many possible combinations are in a game. “Odds are for suckers, they can use odds to paint a rosier picture than it actually is.” He encourages those unsure of the lottery to try out a couple draws or a fantasy lottery, where you pick numbers but don’t actually play them, to chart patterns. The most bang for your buck is to play in groups, said Wallace, and random computer-generated tickets are fine. Wallace still regularly plays the lottery, mostly in groups that are well-documented. “If you were to win $50 million, your life is going to change. Sometimes it’s better to stay under the radar and win smaller amounts,” said Wallace.“I would say if things are going positive in

your life, maybe try your hand at the lottery.” And many, like Frank Phelan, will do just that, even though you’re more likely to die from flesh-eating disease than win. Phelan has pinned his financial fate on the lottery for more than 20 years. He resumed the weekly ritual after his father, a longtime lottery player, died in 1994. “He always played the lotto. He always had the same numbers,” said Phelan. “So I though I’d play the same numbers.” Phelan has yet to strike it rich. But that doesn’t stop him from dreaming, and trying. “I’d probably help out some family, and maybe go on a trip, maybe buy a boat. I love to sail,” said Phelan, who has a ticket for tonight’s draw. “If you don’t play, you can’t win.” news@nanaimodailynews.com » We want to hear from you. Send comments on this story to letters@nanaimodailynews.com. Letters must include daytime phone number and hometown.

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BRITISHCOLUMBIA Saturday, April 4, 2015 | Editor Philip Wolf, 250-729-4240 |PWolf@nanaimodailynews.com | STORY UPDATES: www.nanaimodailynews.com

POLITICS

Big changes to treaty reform process needed in B.C., says new federal report

No award for ailing computer system

THE CANADIAN PRESS

Project found incomplete and prone to crashes DIRK MEISSNER THE CANADIAN PRESS

VICTORIA — A troubled government computer system criticized by British Columbia’s auditor general for being incomplete and not meeting expectations has been deleted from the shortlist of a civil-service award. The $182-million Integrated Case Management system was designed to improve service delivery for vulnerable children and families, but Auditor General Carol Bellringer said this week it’s onethird complete, has been prone to crashes and operates in conjunction with costly, outdated computer equipment. The project was nominated last fall for the annual Premier’s Awards of Innovation and Excellence. The government’s Public Service Agency confirmed in a statement issued Wednesday the computer system did not make the final cut for the award ceremony scheduled for later this month. “Every year there are far more nominations than can be recognized in the award process,” said the statement. “This year there were 143 nominations for approximately 20 awards at the regional and provincial levels. Over 120 of this year’s nominations will not be selected for awards.”

VICTORIA — A strong federal commitment to treaty-making in Canada is needed to speed up landclaims deals that move at a glacial pace and cost too much money, especially in British Columbia, said a report released Friday. The 92-page report by Doug Eyford, who is Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s aboriginal envoy, said First Nations across Canada agree the federal government is only willing to meet its minimum legal obligations on the issue,

even though an attitude adjustment and major shift in direction is required. The New Direction report urges the government to get fully engaged in the treaty process and determine what talks should move forward or be abandoned. Cited as sticking points are institutional barriers, inefficiencies with the process, poor accountability, and a lack of urgency. Eyford said B.C. believed it would have settled most of its treaties by now. Premier Christy Clark signalled a change when

The B.C. Legislature in Victoria, where a computer project identified as troubled and costly by the auditor general has been removed from a provincial awards list. [THE CANADIAN PRESS]

Nominations go through a two-part judging process that includes evaluations by a panel of independent, external adjudicators, said the statement. The statement said the adjudicators and judges are government, business and community leaders and volunteer their time. It did not say if Bellringer’s audit played a part in the project being removed the short list. Bellringer’s audit concluded the province spent seven years and $182 million trying to modernize aging computer systems but failed to replace two thirds of the old system. The audit concluded the computer system did not adequately protect sensitive personal information. It made eight recommendations, including regular monitoring of the system for inappropriate access and activity and preparing full accounting of its cap-

ital and operating costs. Earlier this week, Bellringer said she only recently became aware the project was nominated for a civil-service award. Social Development Minister Michelle Stilwell said the computer system is providing services to 200,000 clients, and the audit’s eight recommendations are already in place. Stilwell said the ministry will continue to work towards replacing the remaining older systems with the ICM model. Mary Ellen TurpelLafond, B.C.’s independent representative for children and youth, has said that vulnerable people could be at risk because information for social agencies and police is not being properly processed. Opposition New Democrat social development critic Michelle Mungall said the system remains an ongoing government failure.

cabinet refused to approve former Liberal cabinet minister George Abbott as the commissioner to oversee the treaty process. Clark’s Liberals have said they remain committed to reaching land-claims treaties, but in recent years have focused on economicbenefits deals with First Nations that were viewed as pre-treaty side deals. Federal Aboriginal Affairs Minister Bernard Valcourt said in a statement the government is taking action to help make the treaty process more effective.

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CRIME

MIDDLE EAST

Appeal in murder acquittal sparking protests

Iran nuke deal gets OK with weapons capability limited

CHRIS PURDY THE CANADIAN PRESS

LAUSANNE, Switzerland — Capping exhausting and contentious talks, Iran and world powers sealed a breakthrough agreement Thursday outlining limits on Iran’s nuclear program to keep it from being able to produce atomic weapons. The Islamic Republic was promised an end to years of crippling economic sanctions, but only if negotiators transform the plan into a comprehensive pact. They will try to do that in the next three months. The United States and Iran, adversaries who hashed out much of the agreement, each hailed the efforts of their diplomats over days of sleepless nights in Switzerland. Speaking at the White House, President Barack Obama called it a “good deal” that would address concerns about Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called it a “win-win outcome.” Those involved have spent 18 months in broader negotiations that were extended twice since an interim accord was reached shortly after Iranian President Hassan Rouhani entered office. That deal itself was the product of more than a year of secret negotiations between the Obama administration and Iran, a country the U.S. still considers the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism. Opponents of the emerging accord, including Israel and

EDMONTON — Alberta prosecutors are appealing the acquittal of an Ontario trucker charged with murder in a case that has sparked protests and calls for justice for aboriginal women across the country. Rallies were held Thursday in several cities, including Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver, in honour of Cindy Gladue, a 36-yearold prostitute found dead in a bathtub in an Edmonton motel room five years ago. A jury found Bradley Barton not guilty last month of first-degree murder in her death. The Crown had argued at trial that Gladue had been cut with a weapon, but the defence attributed the injury to rough sex. Protesters were calling for an appeal. News that the Crown had filed a request for a second trial came just before about 300 people gathered for a rally and march outside the Edmonton courthouse. Gina Degerness said she was happy about the appeal and wanted to show support for Gladue and her aboriginal sisters. “I want this to stop happening to our people,” she said. Gladue’s mother and three daughters also attended the rally, along with several First Nations chiefs. Many demanded government action for missing and murdered aboriginal women. Warning: The following content may disturb some readers Barton’s trial heard that he had hired Gladue for two nights of sex in June 2011. He testified that he put his fist in her vagina on the first evening. On the next night, after some drinking, he did the same — but she started bleeding. When she went to the bathroom, he fell asleep, he said. The next morning he found her body in the tub, he told court. He later called 911. Barton told the jury the sex was consensual. The Crown called a medical examiner at the trial, who testified that an 11-centimetre cut to the woman’s vaginal wall had been caused by a sharp object. The victim’s vagina had been preserved and the medical expert used that exhibit as he described the fatal wound to the jury. It’s believed to be the first time human tissue has been presented as evidence in a Canadian trial, said Barton’s lawyer Dino Bottos. He opposed the use of the body part, arguing that it was too disturbing and would inflame the jury. The Crown said it was important for the jury to see and added that some autopsy photos were not as clear as they could have been. Critics have said the use of Gladue’s tissue at trial was disrespectful and hope it won’t be used as evidence if there is another trial. They’ve also bashed the case because no aboriginal people were on the jury. Alberta Justice said it couldn’t comment on facts of the case because of the appeal. In a release, Chief Crown prosecutor Michelle Doyle called Gladue’s death “shocking and appalling.” The Crown’s appeal notice cites mistakes the judge made during his charge to the jury, including his instructions about how Barton could have been found guilty of manslaughter. Barton’s lawyer confirmed there were no aboriginals on the jury, but there were two women and several visible minorities. Bottos said while he respects the protesters, they did not attend the month-long trial. If they had, he said, they likely would have agreed with the jury. “What they’ve done is they’ve taken this case and tried to hold it up as an example of how aboriginal women or aboriginal people are mistreated by the criminal justice system,” Bottos said.

Opponents of accord, including Israel, U.S. Republicans, reacted with skepticism GEORGE JAHN AND MATTHEW LEE THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

From left, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini and Iranian Foreign Minister, Javad Zarif arrive on stage for a press event after the end of a new round of Nuclear Iran Talks in Lausanne, Switzerland. [AP PHOTO]

Republican leaders in Congress, reacted with skepticism. They criticized the outline for failing to do enough to curb Iran’s potential to produce nuclear weapons or to mandate intrusive enough inspections. Obama disagreed. “This framework would cut off every pathway that Iran could take to develop a nuclear weapon,” he declared. “This deal is not based on trust. It’s based on unprecedented verification.” If implemented, the understandings reached Thursday would mark the first time in more than a decade of diplo-

LAC-MEGANTIC

Settlement of $77M proposed for rail disaster GIUSEPPE VALIANTE THE CANADIAN PRESS

MONTREAL — Relatives of people who died as a result of the Lac-Megantic train derailment could receive their share of a $77-million wrongful-death settlement as early as August, says one lawyer. Creditors and the courts still need to approve the plan before money is disbursed, U.S. attorney Robert Keach said Thursday. “The hope and the goal is that we would see money in the hands of claimants in August of this year or the latest in early September,” said Keach, the court-appointed trustee in the bankruptcy filing of the rail company at the centre of the derailment. An oil-laden train owned and operated by Montreal Maine and Atlantic Railway derailed and exploded in Lac-Megantic on July 6, 2013, killing 47 people and destroying much of the downtown. Relatives of a firefighter who helped pull bodies from the rubble and later committed suicide are among those who will split the $77 million. Oil-exploration firms, tank-car owners, Irving Oil and Montreal Maine and Atlantic Railway agreed to pay the families of victims as well as creditors such as the Quebec and Canadian governments, Lac-Megantic property owners and other people who suffered trauma.

matic efforts that Iran’s nuclear efforts would be rolled back. It commits Tehran to significant cuts in centrifuges, the machines that can spin uranium gas to levels used in nuclear warheads. Of the nearly 20,000 centrifuges Iran now has installed or running at its main enrichment site, the country would be allowed to operate just over 5,000. Much of its enriched stockpiles would be neutralized. A planned reactor would be reconstructed so it produced no weapons-grade plutonium. Monitoring and inspections by the UN nuclear agency would be enhanced.

America’s negotiating partners in Europe strongly backed the result. President Francois Hollande of France, which had pushed the U.S. for a tougher stance, endorsed the accord while warning that “sanctions lifted can be re-established if the agreement is not applied.” Obama saved his sharpest words for members of Congress who have threatened to either try to kill the agreement or approve new sanctions against Iran. Appearing in the Rose Garden, Obama said the issues at stake are “bigger than politics.”

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Vin Diesel, left, as Dom Toretto, and Jason Statham as Deckard Shaw, in a scene from ‘Furious 7.’ [AP PHOTO]

‘Furious 7’ ﬁlled with lots of action With chases and ﬁghts from start to end, it’s easy — if exhausting — to go along for the high-speed ride Furious 7 STARRING: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker Director: James Wan RATING: Restricted PLAYING AT: Galaxy Cinemas RUNNING TIME: 137 minutes SANDY COHEN THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

ast-moving fight scenes, outrageous auto antics and a sprinkling of ridiculous one-liners make Furious 7 a campy, crowdpleasing escape. Never mind that the film repeatedly presents the impossible — a muscle car attacks an airborne helicopter — fans of the franchise know to suspend disbelief at the door. With nonstop action from start to finish, it’s easy — if a bit exhausting — to go along for the high-speed ride. Reality intrudes at the end: The film is dedicated to Paul Walker,

who died in a car crash in 2013, and concludes with a montage of images of the actor from his five previous Fast and Furious appearances. Walker’s brothers acted as stand-ins and special effects were used to maintain his presence throughout his final film, which was still in production when he died. There are a couple of creepy allusions to his death in the film that could briefly jar viewers. At one point, Roman (Tyrese Gibson) asks Brian (Walker) to promise their team won’t face any more funerals. When Brian replies, “Just one more,” he’s referring to that of the film’s villain (Jason Statham), but one can’t help but think of the actor’s own accidental death. Another scene shows Brian telling wife Mia (Jordana Brewster) that if she doesn’t hear from him after the crew’s latest mission, she should “move on.” It feels like a message to his co-stars.

Like its predecessors, the seventh installment of the hit franchise features a multicultural cast, international settings and a dazzling array of cars. While this critic is partial to American muscle cars, the $3.5 million Lykan Hypersport from Dubai-based W Motors is incredible to see. Only seven such vehicles exist. (No Lykan Hypersports were harmed during the making of the film.) The story is just a framework for car chases and fight scenes. Dom (Vin Diesel) and his crew are acclimating to life on the right side of the law when they’re attacked by Shaw (Statham), bent on avenging the death of his brother, who was killed in “Fast & Furious 6.” Shaw is elusive, and the crew needs help. They’re approached by secret operative Mr. Nobody (a smiling and smarmy Kurt Russell), who promises to aid in taking out

Shaw if Dom’s crew can secure a breakthrough tracking device for the U.S. government. Meanwhile, a group of mercenaries, led by an underused Djimon Honsou, is also willing to kill for the tracking device, which can locate anyone on the globe by hacking into myriad digital networks. Directed by James Wan (Saw, Insidious), Furious 7 scores with unprecedented car stunts. A cargo plane drops various parachute-equipped cars onto a curving road in the Caucasus Mountains. Amazingly, all the cars land upright where they are supposed to. Hilariously, Dom and the others are shown ”steering“ the vehicles as they fly through the air. Another awesome sequence shows a sports car crashing through glass windows as it jumps from skyscraper to skyscraper in Abu Dhabi. When the characters aren’t in their cars, they’re fist-fighting,

and Wan’s shooting style makes those scenes appear illuminated by strobe light. Even Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), the lone female driver on the crew, throws blows — in a gown and heels — battling an all-woman security team led by MMA fighter Ronda Rousey. Though Letty is depicted as an equal among the boys, there is a sexist undertone. Attractive women are set dressing and Roman and Tej (Chris Ludacris Bridges) play rock, paper, scissors for “dibs” on a woman. While that may be comic for some, most of the funny comes from security agent Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson), with lines like, “Daddy’s got to go to work,” after which he busts his arm out of a plaster cast, Hulk-style, just by flexing. It all adds up to an over-the-top escapist romp, which is exactly what Fast and Furious fans expect.

‘Woman in Gold’ tells a remarkable true story Woman in Gold STARRING: Helen Mirren, Ryan Reynolds, Daniel Bruhl, Katie Holmes, Tatiana Maslany, Max Irons, Charles Dance, Antje Traue Director: Simon Curtis RATING: PG-13 RUNNING TIME: 110 minutes LINDSEY BAHR THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Woman in Gold has a rich story to tell. The true account of Maria Altmann’s fight to reclaim a famed Gustav Klimt painting of her aunt, Portrait of Adele BlochBauer I, first stolen by the Nazis and then appropriated by Austria after the war, is laced with riveting history, deep and complex emotion, and fascinating bureaucracy. Yet director Simon Curtis’s rendering of Altmann’s tale, though respectful and pretty, is somehow lifeless. There is almost too much here for a single movie. Curtis, who charmed with his Marilyn Monroe slice of life My Week with Marilyn, relies on a combination of flashbacks of Maria’s pre-war life in Vienna and the present day tick-tock of her legal quest to take ownership of the painting. Played in the present by Helen Mirren, Maria is a prickly woman with a thick Austrian accent. She owns a boutique in a fancy part of Los Angeles and,

Max Irons, left, and Tatiana Maslany, in a scene from the film, ‘Woman in Gold.’ [AP PHOTO]

following the death of her sister, has made up her mind that she would like to claim what is hers. The man she convinces to help her is Randy Schoenberg (Ryan Reynolds), a dull corporate lawyer with a prestigious pedigree and a few poor career choices on his resume. It’s been over 60 years since Maria fled Austria during the Second World War and she is sickened by the thought of returning, refusing to even speak the language when they arrive abroad to plead their case.

In Vienna, they’re helped by a young native journalist (Daniel Bruhl) who functions mostly as a human exposition vehicle. With two actors as charming as Mirren and Reynolds anchoring the story, it’s a bit disarming that their charisma never really manages to energize the sluggish tale. Part of that is for effect — they’re supposed to grow to love and admire one another while he learns to respect her history — but the eventual payoff doesn’t connect. These characters aren’t equipped to deliver the lively

generational comedy that this story so desperately needs. The flashbacks, ranging from Maria’s childhood to her early 20s (Orphan Black’s Tatiana Maslany), are meant to contextualize Maria’s plight. We see a spirited girl’s life upended by the war, the brutality of the Nazi regime and the faceless indifference of her fellow countrymen. But, seeped in the obligatory sepia and lace, these sequences are as adventurous as a paint-by-numbers, with the exception of a heart-pounding chase sequence.

A recurring theme throughout the film is that everyone has forgotten the horrors of the Holocaust — that no one really cares about the living history of so many. It’s an interesting question, but Woman in Gold doesn’t have the guts to go too deep on that or any of the complexities around Maria’s quest. Also, instead of engaging in any dialogue about the idea of reclamation, the film has a predetermined moral narrative. From the beginning, the Austrians are portrayed as thieving, greedy, petty and wholly disinterested in the past traumas of its exiled citizens. It doesn’t even really function as a thrilling legal drama, even when they reach the Supreme Court of the United States. Every victory and “ah-ha” moment plays like a shrug. Perhaps the lesson is that there is no actual triumph in reclamation. As for Randy, with a wife and a baby at home and a brand new job at a prestigious firm on the line, he has no reason to get tangled up with Maria. At one point he cries that he only said yes because he discovered the worth of the paintings, but as his professional life caves in around this long fight, his motives become even more bewildering. The movie tells us that he matures, but it fails to show it in a meaningful way.

SPORTS

Saturday, April 4, 2015 | Sports editor: Scott McKenzie 250-729-4243 | SMcKenzie@nanaimodailynews.com | STORY UPDATES: www.nanaimodailynews.com

BCHL

JUNIOR B

Clippers will play for the Cup

Bucs now looking for new bench boss for next year

Nanaimo, Penticton Vees to face off for league championship starting April 10 SCOTT MCKENZIE DAILY NEWS

With a 2-0 win over the Penticton Vees on Thursday night, the Nanaimo Clippers have advanced to the Fred Page Cup finals, where they will play the Penticton Vees. “It’s an unreal feeling,” said Brendan Taylor, the 20-year-old Clippers captain playing in his fourth and final season of junior hockey for his hometown team. “I don’t think any of us have been this far in the playoffs before. We’re going to the finals and the biggest thing was getting it done tonight. We had a good team game, and it’s really exciting.” Sheldon Rempal scored the eventual game-winning goal Thursday night, knocking in his own rebound past Penticton backup goalie Brendan Barry in the first period. Yanni Kaldis added a powerplay insurance marker in the third, and Clippers goalie Guillaume Decelles stopped all 32 Penticton shots for the shutout. And after going 2-1 in the BCHL’s Round 3 three-team double-round robin playoff series — the Nanaimo win ended the season for the Chilliwack Chiefs — the Clippers and Vees will now have a full week off before meeting on April 10 for Game 1 of the Fred Page Cup final. The final will be a matchup of the first and second best teams overall from the regular season, and for the first time in the playoffs the Clippers won’t have home ice advantage. “We’ve prepared ourselves for it, because it’s (going to be) lots of close games where you’re fighting for inches, and you’ve got to earn those,” said Clippers head coach Mike Vandekamp.

SCOTT MCKENZIE DAILY NEWS

Nanaimo Clippers winger Sheldon Rempal celebrates his game-winning goal in the first period in a BCHL Round 3 playoff game against the Penticton Vees on Thursday night at Frank Crane Arena. [SCOTT MCKENZIE/DAILY NEWS]

Fred Page Cup Schedule Game 1: April 10 @ Penticton Game 2: April 11 @ Penticton Game 3: April 13 @ Nanaimo Game 4: April 14 @ Nanaimo Game 5: April 16* @ Penticton Game 6: April 17* @ Nanaimo Game 7: April 18* @ Penticton *If necessary

“It’s a special opportunity, and I think that’s one of the biggest things — it’s an opportunity, it’s not something to be uptight about or nervous about. “We have an equal chance with them when the puck drops.”

Games 1 and 2 of the championship series will be played in Penticton on back-to-back nights before the series shifts back to Nanaimo April 13 and 14. If necessary, Games 5, 6 and 7 will be on consecutive nights rotating between cities with Game 6 being played in Nanaimo. For Vandekamp, the experience of coaching in the championship series is nothing new. He’s already won a Fred Page Cup with the Vernon Vipers. “I think this is the seventh time for me,” he said of going to a league final. “You don’t win them every time, so these kids here have to do everything they can to give themselves a chance.” On Thursday night, the Vees

already had their spot in the finals locked up and so they did not dress two players tabbed as future NHL draft picks — Tyson Jost and Dante Fabbro — neither did they play Lewis Zerter Gossage or starting goalie Hunter Miska. The Clippers know they’ll be up against a much stronger roster once the finals begin in on Friday night. “They’re a good team,” Taylor said after Thursday’s win. “I think we played them pretty well tonight and we’re just going to have to do that throughout the series. If we do that, we’ll be good.” SMcKenzie@nanaimodailynews.com 250-729-4243

The Nanaimo Buccaneers and head coach Derek Bachynski have mutually parted ways, and the local Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League team has begun a search for his replacement. According to Bucs co-owner and governor Brenda Levesque, the decision was mutual between the team and Bachynski. After leaving his position as assistant coach of the Junior A Powell River Kings at the end of the 2013-14 season, Bachynski was hired as head coach of the Bucs and guided Nanaimo’s Junior B team to a 22-18-3-5 record, tied for second place in the league’s North Division with the Comox Valley Glacier Kings. “It was pretty mutually,” Levesque said. “At the end of the season we sat down and talked to him and said, basically, ‘there’s some issues’ and he said ‘yeah, I don’t know if I can make those changes’ and so we decided that being a Junior B coach was probably not the best career path (for him).” A call for resumés is now out for a new head coach for the Bucs, and Levesque hopes one will be in place by the team’s spring camp in late May. “We’re accepting resumes right now,” she said. “We’ve got a few people in the pipeline that we’re talking to.”

Carter Turnbull commits to Powell River Kings

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Nanaimo’s Carter Turnbull, the VIJHL’s rookie of the year last season, has made a commitment to play Junior A hockey next season for the Powell River Kings, according to the team’s website. As a 16-year-old last season Turnbull was second in Buccaneers scoring with 31 goals and 40 assists for 71 points. “Carter is a very good player who is going to have a big role with our hockey club” Kings head coach and general manager Kent Lewis said in a release. “He’s obviously a very gifted player offensively, but he’s also smart with the puck and that’s why we’re excited to have him with us next season.” As an affiliate player, Turnbull played in five Junior A games in the 2014-15 season — one with the Kings and four with the Cowichan Valley Capitals — scoring once and picking up an assist. “Powell River plays a gritty game, and I like that” Turnbull said. “I’m hoping to bring some offence to the table, I like to be creative in the offensive zone.” Lewis saw Turnbull play during Kings’ training camp last summer. “We felt the best thing for his development at the time was to spend time with the Buccaneers logging a lot of minutes there, and be able to come up to Junior A next season and play a big role for us,” Lewis said. SMcKenzie@nanaimodailynews.com 250-729-4243

BCFC switches its schedule DAILY NEWS

The B.C. Football Conference is going back to a balanced schedule, meaning the Vancouver Island Raiders will face each of the league’s teams once at home, and once on the road during the 2015 season. The Raiders play their first game July 25 at home against the defending champion Langley Rams at Caledonia Park. “We are very excited for the new schedule,” said new Raiders head coach Jeremy Conn. Sports@nanaimodailynews.com 250-729-4243

SPORTS

SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 2015 | DAILY NEWS |

NFL DRAFT

MARCH MADNESS

The wait is the hard part for Canadian Bridge

Duke, MSU face mutual issues

DAN RALPH THE CANADIAN PRESS

For Canadian Brandon Bridge, the waiting is the hardest part. With his pro day in the books, Bridge has no workouts or team visits planned leading up to the NFL draft April 20-May 2 in Chicago. After a whirlwind offseason that included playing in the NFLPA Bowl and auditioning at the NFL combine before Monday’s workout before 12 league scouts and two CFL representatives in Mobile, Ala., the 23-yearold native of Mississauga, Ont., suddenly has plenty of down time on his hands. “There is relief the pro day is over but now it’s kind of a stressful time because you sit and wait and don’t know what’s going to go on,” Bridge said during a telephone interview Thursday from Mobile. “You’re waiting for your agent to call and say, ’Hey, you’ve got a workout here.’ “Hopefully some teams call me up and say they want to work me out before the draft. The end is near, it’s like a new beginning but just sitting around waiting for four weeks . . . kind of sucks.” Bridge is looking to become the first Canadian-born quarterback to go in the NFL draft since ’01 when Ottawa’s Jesse Palmer went in the fourth round to the New York Giants. Prior to the NFL combine in February, Bridge wasn’t projected to be drafted but following his efforts in Indianapolis and Monday in Alabama some football pundits have rated him as a potentialsixth-round pick. “To hear my name called, that would be a dream of mine,” Bridge said. “There would definitely be an excitement being in the NFL . . . but for me I don’t think it means anything if I don’t really reach that goal (of playing there).” The biggest knock against the six-foot-four, 229-pound Bridge this off-season was his footwork, which many felt affected his completion rate last year. On its website, the NFL said of Bridge: “His arm strength is pure NFL, but his lack of functional accuracy simply cannot be overlooked. “It’s one thing to miss with ball placement just inside or just a little bit high, but Bridge’s throws are all over the map. He puts so much heat on them that his receivers struggle to make successful adjustments. That size, arm and athleticism are definitely traits worth taking a chance on, and Bridge could become an interesting talent down the line if a team is able to get his mechanics and touch where they need to be.” Bridge says he’s worked diligently on improving his footwork and it seems to be paying off. The word following his pro day was Bridge had shown improvement in that area over his combine workout in February. “Obviously there’s still a lot of room for improvement but I thought I did pretty well,” Bridge said. “The NFL is so technical and fundamentally sound that people there don’t really care about a strong arm, they worry about having the fundamentals down pat. “I think I’m on the rise in that department, I think I can only get better from this point.” And even if he has no further workouts or visits, Bridge will stay busy right up to the draft. “I’m going to keep working out, keep training, keep trying to get better,” he said. “I’ll definitely take the feedback I got from my pro day and try to turn the weaknesses into strengths and keep strengths as strengths.” Bridge began his U.S. college career at Alcorn State before transferring to South Alabama in 2012. He appeared in 11 games last year with the Jaguars, completing 160-of-307 passes (52.1 per cent) for 1,927 yards with 15 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also ran 297 yards and four TDs. Bridge said his ideal scenario in the NFL would be going to a team with an established veteran starter he could learn from. “I have no problem with sitting and learning,” Bridge said. “I think it would be good to sit back and watch a veteran do his thing and learn from him.”

Free throws an issue for both teams meeting tonight in Final Four in Indianapolis NOAH TRISTER THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

INDIANAPOLIS — If the Final Four comes down to free throws, Tom Izzo may want to cover his eyes. Michigan State made it this far in spite of its poor foul shooting, but despite his best efforts, the Spartans’ coach has had a hard time helping his players improve at the line. “We begged them, we threatened them, we prayed with them,” Izzo said. “We did everything.” Michigan State enters Saturday night’s national semifinal against Duke shooting 63.2 per cent on free throws, and to win the national title, the Spartans will have to buck a pretty conclusive trend. Only one team in the last four decades has won the NCAA Tournament while being this bad at foul shots. Right now, the best news for Michigan State might be that its next opponent has issues of its own. Jahlil Okafor, Duke’s leading scorer, shoots only 51 per cent at the line — so that game may be decided by which struggling free throw shooters produce under pressure. Michigan State is hoping to repeat Connecticut’s feat from last year by winning the national title as a No. 7 seed, but there’s at least one obvious difference between the teams. The 2014 Huskies finished fourth in the nation in free throw percentage, shooting 78 per cent for the season and 88 per cent in the NCAA Tournament. The Spartans have been nowhere near that reliable. Branden Dawson and Gavin Schilling are both under 50 per cent this season. Tum Tum Nairn is shooting 52 per cent from the line, and Matt Costello is at 67 per cent. During one home loss to Illinois, Michigan State made only 7 of 18 free throws. At times, it felt like nothing good could come of a Michigan State foul shot. On March 7, the Spartans were leading Indiana with less than a second remaining, so Izzo wanted Marvin Clark to intentionally miss a free throw. Naturally, the ball went

Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski and Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo have some fun before a news conference for the NCAA Final Four college basketball semifinal game Thursday in Indianapolis. [AP PHOTO]

in that time, and an exasperated Izzo slumped to his knees and leaned against the scorer’s table. Michigan State did hold on to win that game. Duke is shooting 69.5 per cent from the line, a figure that would be higher if Okafor weren’t attempting more free throws than anybody else on the team. The freshman’s foul shooting is one of his few weaknesses. Helping a player like that improve is tricky, because free throw problems can be both mental and physical. “It can start mechanical and end up being mental, or it can start mental and be mechanical. Each kid’s different,” Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “The bottom line is some kids can shoot better than others.” There will be some good foul shooters at the Final Four. Several of them play for Wisconsin,

which ranks 11th in the country at 76.4 per cent. Unbeaten Kentucky is shooting a solid 72.5 per cent, in stark contrast to some of coach John Calipari’s previous teams. When Calipari was the coach at Memphis in 2008, he lost a gutwrenching national title game to Kansas when his team went 12 of 19 at the line. In last season’s championship game, Kentucky shot 13 of 24 against UConn. But that hasn’t been a weakness for this year’s Wildcats. “We really do shoot free throws well,” Calipari said recently. “If you foul us, the free throw line’s going to make a difference in the game.” The worst free throw-shooting team to win a title over the last 40 years was Connecticut in 2004, according to STATS. The Huskies shot 62.3 per cent that year. The 10 national champions since

have all shot at least 69 per cent. Michigan State is well below that mark, so the Spartans will either have to withstand a few more missed free throws or shoot them better for the next two games. They did make some important free throws down the stretch in a Sweet 16 win over Oklahoma, and they went 15 of 20 against Louisville in the regional final. With the matchup against Duke looming, Izzo recalled some wise words about foul shots from his coaching mentor. “Jud Heathcote once told me, ‘If you get the right guys to the line, you’ll shoot better,”’ Izzo said. “I don’t think we have that opportunity or option all the time. It’s not something we’re worried about. “We are what we are and we’ll go from there.”

MLB

Tigers’ Verlander will start season on DL GEORGE SIPPLE DETROIT FREE PRESS

LAKELAND, Fla. — It long has been a source of pride for Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander that he avoided the disabled list for the first 10 years of his MLB career. But manager Brad Ausmus announced Thursday that Verlander will start the 2015 season on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Saturday, because of a triceps strain. Reliever Bruce Rondon will also start the season on the 15-day DL, with biceps tendinitis. Verlander is expected to stay in Lakeland to continue throwing. He is optimistic that he’ll be able to make his season debut April 12, against the Cleveland Indians. “It just works out that it allows the team to have an extra bullpen guy,” Verlander said of his first stint on the DL. “You know, it’s kind of a crappy way to have it go, but it helps the team so ...” This season starts the $28-million part of Verlander’s contract. He signed an extension in spring 2013 that replaced two existing years at $20 million apiece and added five more years (2015-19) at $28 million apiece.

Justin Verlander throws during the second inning of a spring training exhibition baseball game against the Washington Nationals in Lakeland, Fla. [AP PHOTO]

“His arm will let us know when he can get back on the mound,” Ausmus said. “Cautiously optimistic he’ll get back on the mound Saturday or Sunday.” Verlander has been throwing from 60 feet and said the injury is improving each day.

Rio work remains on schedule JENNY BARCHFIELD THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Rio de Janeiro’s mayor has dismissed reports that layoffs of construction workers at one of the main 2016 Olympic sites could result in potentially damaging delays. At a hastily called news conference at Deodoro, where 11 Olympic sports will be staged, Eduardo Paes said on Thursday the layoffs by construction company Queiroz Galvao were part of an ill-advised strategy to strong-arm the city council into making quicker payments for the $205 million project. Dozens of workers at Deodoro,

where about 1,000 workers are employed, had been fired and hundreds of others warned they could soon be let go if funds owed by the city were not received soon, the Estado de S. Paulo newspaper reported. Queiroz Galval refused to confirm the layoffs, but workers leaving the site on Thursday showed The Associated Press their pink slips. “Lies. What they want is to use the press to pressure City Hall into paying before the deadline,” Paes said on a precipice overlooking the vast scar of raw earth where Deodoro’s Olympic venues are going up.

“Threw yesterday,” Verlander said. “It was OK. Threw today, it was better. They say it’s a really good sign that it’s getting better while I’m throwing, too. You know, optimistic about that.” Verlander first described the injury as a cramp.

Apr. 3-Apr. 9 KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE (14A) CLOSED CAPTION & DESCRIPTIVE VIDEO FRI-SUN 1:15, 4:05, 7:00, 10:00; MON 12:50, 3:40, 6:45, 9:45; TUE 3:40, 6:45, 9:45; WED-THURS 6:45, 9:45 FURIOUS 7 (14A) CLOSED CAPTION & DESCRIPTIVE VIDEO, NO PASSES FRI 12:45, 1:30, 3:15, 4:00, 4:40, 6:30, 7:15, 8:00, 9:45, 10:30; SAT-SUN 12:00, 12:45, 1:30, 3:15, 4:00, 4:40, 6:30, 7:15, 8:00, 9:45, 10:30; MON 12:30, 1:15, 3:00, 3:50, 4:25, 6:15, 7:00, 7:45, 9:30, 10:15; TUE 3:50, 4:25, 6:15, 7:00, 7:45, 9:30, 10:15; WED-THURS 6:15, 7:00, 7:45, 9:30, 10:15 CINDERELLA (G) CLOSED CAPTION & DESCRIPTIVE VIDEO FRI,SUN 1:00, 2:00, 3:45, 4:50, 6:40, 7:30, 9:25; SAT 11:20, 1:00, 2:00, 3:45, 4:50, 6:40, 7:30, 9:25; MON 12:45, 1:45, 3:40, 4:35, 6:25, 7:15, 9:10; TUE 3:40, 4:35, 6:25, 7:15, 9:10; WED-THURS 6:25, 7:15, 9:10 THE SECOND BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL (G) CLOSED CAPTION & DESCRIPTIVE VIDEO FRI-SUN 12:30, 3:30, 6:50, 9:35; MON 12:30, 3:30, 6:35, 9:20; TUE 3:30, 6:35, 9:20; WED-THURS 6:35, 9:20 AMERICAN SNIPER (14A) CLOSED CAPTION & DESCRIPTIVE VIDEO FRI-SUN 10:10; MON-THURS 9:55 THE GUNMAN (14A) FRI-SUN 7:45, 10:20; MONWED 7:30, 10:05 DO YOU BELIEVE? (PG) CLOSED CAPTIONED FRISUN 1:45, 4:25; MON 1:30, 4:10; TUE 4:10 HOP (G) SAT 11:00 KING JOHN (STRATFORD FESTIVAL) THURS 7:00

NANAIMO NORTH TOWN CENTRE 250-729-8000

“Obviously, at this point, I think they used the word ‘strain,’“ he said. “It felt like just a little cramp but, obviously, with it taking a little longer to heal, it’s probably a little bit more than that. “Just take it, like I said, day by day. I mean, I know that’s kind of been like a broken record, but it’s really the way to treat it.” Is he concerned about the injury? “No, I think it’s just kind of a bump in the road early on,” he said. “I know I’ve touched on how much better my mechanics are, how much further out front I’m getting. More extension — I think just a combination of that and a little bit of dehydration kind of created the situation. I’m not overly concerned. I’m not really that concerned at all. Once it’s healed, I’ll be good to go.” Verlander was supposed to make his first start Wednesday, in the second game of the season at Comerica Park. David Price will pitch Opening Day on Monday, against the Minnesota Twins. Anibal Sanchez will now start Wednesday, followed by Shane Greene next Thursday. Alfredo Simon will start April 10 in Cleveland, followed by Price.

Apr 3 - Apr 9

AVALON CINEMA Woodgrove Centre, Nanaimo Ph 250-390-5021 www.landmarkcinemas.com ‘71 (18A) 1:15 4:00 7:30 10:00 RUN ALL NIGHT (14A): 7:15 10:00 SPONGEBOB: SPONGE OUT OF WATER (G): 1:05 3:25 CHAPPIE (14A): 12:40 3:55 7:00 9:50 DIVERGENT: THE INSURGENT 2D: 12:50 3:45 7:20 10:05 DIVERGENT: THE INSURGENT 3D: 12:25 3:15 6:40 9:25 GET HARD (14A): 1:00 3:35 7:05 9:35 HOME 2D (G): 1:25 4:10 6:30 9:00 HOME 3D (G): 12:30 3:00 6:50 9:15

BEFORE NOON MOVIES FRIDAY, SATURDAY & MONDAY ALL SEATS $6.00 & 3D $9.00: HOME 3D: 10:05 AM HOME 2D: 10:30 AM SPONGEBOB 2D: 10:15 AM

B4 | DAILY NEWS |

SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 2015

SPORTS

SCOREBOARD UNAVAILABLE FROM SOURCE

MARCH MADNESS

Kentucky looking for 40-0 record Wildcats will attempt to do what UNLV Rebels couldn’t do — go undefeated in college basketball — 24 years ago JIM O’CONNELL THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

INDIANAPOLIS — Twenty-four years ago, UNLV arrived in Indianapolis for a coronation disguised as a Final Four. The Runnin’ Rebels were a college basketball juggernaut. They hadn’t lost all season. In fact, they hadn’t lost for 45 straight games, a streak that started with a run in the previous season to a national championship. UNLV, led by Jerry Tarkanian, the towel-chewing defensive genius, arrived in Indianapolis needing two wins to become the first undefeated national champion since Indiana in 1976. This week, Kentucky arrived in Indianapolis for a coronation disguised as a Final Four. The Wildcats are a college basketball juggernaut. They haven’t lost all season. Kentucky, led by John Calipari, a coach who has turned recruiting into an art form, arrived in Indianapolis needing two wins to become the first undefeated national champion since Indiana in 1976. The Wildcats face Wisconsin on Saturday in the national semifinals. That was the round in which UNLV’s undefeated dreams were dashed by Duke, a team the Runnin’ Rebels had beaten by 30 points in the championship game a year earlier. Duke, which plays Michigan State on Saturday, could get another chance to ruin a perfect run at the title, but that is looking way down a three-day road. “I’ll never have a group of players like this again,” Tarkanian, who died on Feb. 11, said the night of the 79-77 loss to Duke, a result that stunned the sports world. “You only get a team like this once in your career. This was a very special group of kids. “I’m just sick,” he said. “It meant so much to these kids. I’m just hurting inside.” When the game ended, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski had his own problem. He had to get his team to settle down after the upset because the Blue Devils still had a game Monday night for the national championship. “I thought all week we had a chance but I wasn’t going to be Joe Namath and say anything like that,” Krzyzewski said 24 years ago. “I thought if we could

Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan and Kentucky head coach John Calipari talk during a CBS Sports interview for their NCAA Final Four college basketball semifinal game Thursday Indianapolis. [AP PHOTO]

fight for 40 minutes we could win, not knowing if the kids could handle it. UNLV plays with such ease and we play with so much emotion.” UNLV won its games by an average of 26.7 points per game. Only two games were decided by less than 12 points, a 7-point win over Arkansas in a 1-vs.-2 matchup and an 8-point victory over Georgetown in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. “I remember in practice, Coach K had us practicing five against seven, to get used to their speed and their quickness,” Grant Hill, a freshman starter on that Duke team, said Thursday in Indianapolis where he will serve as a game analyst for CBS. “We had a game plan, we’d been in a number of close games, we won some, some we didn’t, but we had that experience, and they had not been in many close games, so our thing was let’s hit

them early, let them know we’re here, we’re going to play, and let’s just manage the game and keep it close, and if it’s close, the pressure is going to be all on them. That was our comfort zone, how we played all year.” UNLV’s starting lineup included first-round draft picks Larry Johnson, Stacey Augmon and Greg Anthony. It also had Anderson Hunt and George Ackles. All were upperclassmen. Kentucky’s roster is so deep scuba gear is recommended. Nine outstanding underclassmen who have all committed to ignoring minutes for wins and it’s anybody’s guess how many of them will be first-round NBA draft picks. Eight of the nine players in the rotation are averaging between 5.6 and 11.0 points per game. Eight players have been Kentucky’s leading scorer in a game this season.

The Wildcats did have three game decided by six or fewer points, but their average margin of victory was almost 21 points per game. In the Midwest Regional semifinal, Kentucky destroyed West Virginia 78-39. Dominating was an understatement. “They were what I thought they were,” West Virginia coach Bob Huggins said. “That’s the best defensive team I think that I’ve ever coached against. And when they’re making shots, there’s nobody going to beat them.” Similar words were spoken 24 years earlier by Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson after the 1-2 matchup when he was asked what it would take to beat the Runnin’ Rebels. “Play Detroit, the Lakers, one of those teams,” he said. “I’ve only been on the college level 11 years, but they are the best team I’ve ever seen.”

Hill said UNLV of 1991 and Kentucky of 2015 have some similarities, but there are differences. “You look at the record and that conjures up memories of Vegas,” Hill said. “I don’t think (UNLV) had any close games. Kentucky has been in close games. And if you recall, UNLV had won the year before, killed Duke in the finals, and then they brought everybody back. They were older. They were seniors. They were upperclassmen. I think that’s one of the differences. “I’ve heard people say they think Kentucky will lose. I think it’s 70-30 from what I’ve seen that people think Kentucky will win. “But I don’t think anybody was thinking that Vegas would lose back in ’91. I mean, the only people who thought we would win were on our team. “I know my parents didn’t think so.”

NHL

MLB

Jets defend Byfuglien after ugly cross-check

Wrigley’s big screen work will continue

JUDY OWEN THE CANADIAN PRESS

WINNIPEG — Dustin Byfuglien’s teammates don’t believe he’s a dirty player who would intentionally hurt anyone. Jets players were defending the all-star defenceman’s character at Thursday’s practice after his nasty cross-check to J.T. Miller’s neck during Winnipeg’s 3-2 loss to the New York Rangers on Tuesday. “He’s not a guy that is a dirty player, so he definitely didn’t mean to do that,” defenceman Mark Stuart said after practice, which Byfuglien didn’t take part in. “He’s not out there to injure guys.” Coach Paul Maurice said Byfuglien’s absence was for maintenance, not because of the conference-call hearing the veteran had earlier in the morning with the NHL’s department of player safety. The NHL suspended Byfuglien four games for the hit later Thursday afternoon. It’s a tough blow for a team that has just five regular-season games remaining and is desperately holding on to a playoff spot. It was late in the second period of Tuesday’s game when Miller fell to the ice in front of Jets goalie Ondrej Pavelec. Byfuglien was standing behind Miller, and the 260-pound defenceman reached down and drove his stick across the back of Miller’s neck, pushing his head toward the ice. No penalty was called and Miller played the rest of the game, setting up Chris Kreider’s winning goal with less than four minutes to play. Jets captain Andrew Ladd watched a replay of the incident. “It doesn’t look good on video,” Ladd admitted. “I think it’s easy to slow it down after the fact. “In the course of a game, things happen quick. I know he didn’t mean to get him in the neck. He

MICHAEL TARM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Winnipeg Jets defenceman Dustin Byfuglien is shown celebrating his goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs earlier in the season. [THE CANADIAN PRESS]

was probably trying to get him in the back and hit the wrong spot.” After the game, Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault told reporters Byfuglien’s move “was one of the most vicious crosschecks I’ve seen this year.” “Violent, deliberate. Could have broken his neck, ” Vigneault said. It was Byfuglien’s first suspension, though he has been fined by the league three times. The Jets have overcome injuries to key players throughout the season, including Byfuglien, and now they have to deal with another huge absence as they battle to make the playoffs for

the first time since the franchise relocated to Winnipeg in 2011. “Sometimes maybe it makes us play a closer team game and good things come of that,” Ladd said. Winnipeg (39-26-12) holds the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference, two points head of Los Angeles heading into Thursday’s games. The Kings have six games left to play. The Jets have lost three of their past four games. Their next is at home Saturday afternoon against Vancouver. Pavelec also didn’t practise Thursday, but it was because of a flu going through the team,

Maurice said. The coach also defended Byfuglien’s style of play. “He plays hard, he’s physical, but quite often a lot of the hits meet Buff,” Maurice said. “He has the puck an awful lot, he moves the puck and guys try to finish their checks and end up on their butts so it looks more in that he’s hunting guys down. “He hasn’t been in a tremendous number of fights over the course of his career because he hasn’t crossed that line with a lot of people.” Veteran defenceman Jay Harrison will likely fill Byfuglien’s spot on the blue-line.

CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs don’t have to stop construction on a Wrigley Field video board that will block game views of adjacent rooftop clubs in the urban neighbourhood, a federal judge ruled Thursday. The ruling means both that the right-field sign could be operational soon and that the Cubs’ $375 million renovation of the century-old ballpark — which the teams sees as central to its future success — remains on track. Skybox on Sheffield and Lakeview Baseball Club requested the preliminary injunction until a wide-ranging lawsuit is resolved, saying allowing the sign to go up will kill their businesses. The rooftop owners say a 2004 revenue-sharing agreement with the Cubs prevents the team from obstructing views. They hoped the judge would issue an order in their favour before the Cubs’ first home game, this Sunday. But in a 35-page opinion laden with baseball puns, U.S. District Judge Virginia Kendall wrote that the rooftops “have cried foul” but haven’t demonstrated their businesses would, in fact, go under for good if the Cubs weren’t stopped immediately from erecting the video board. “Without these showings, the Court does not find that the Rooftops will suffer irreparable harm or that money damages would not make them whole,” she wrote. The Ricketts family, whose scion founded the online brokerage Ameritrade, has been sparring with rooftop owners since buying the Cubs in 2009. The Cubs say the signs and other stadium upgrades will help them field better teams — ones that could vie for the Cubs’ first World Series in more than a century.

DIVERSIONS ARCTIC CIRCLE

SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 2015 | DAILY NEWS |

WORD FIND

BRIDGE

Action Dealer: South None vulnerable NORTH ♠J96 ♥76 ♦32 ♣K109763 WEST EAST ♠5 ♠2 ♥Q9842 ♥AKJ103 ♦K874 ♦QJ965 ♣AQ4 ♣84 SOUTH ♠AKQ108743 ♥5 ♦A10 ♣J2 W N E S 1♠ 4♥ 4♠ dbl 2♠ Pass Pass 5♥ 5♠ All Pass Opening Lead: ♥4

SHERMAN’S LAGOON

ZITS

ANDY CAPP

SOLUTION: A LIFESTYLE OF CHOICE

CRYPTOQUOTE CRANKSHAFT

BABY BLUES

ast put up the king but promptly switched to the queen of diamonds for declarer’s ace. South drew trump with the queen of spades and advanced the deuce of clubs but West hopped with the ace and cashed the king of diamonds. The contract finished down one, N-S -50. The shift was necessary to set the contract. Otherwise, declarer would ruff the heart continuation and establish a second club winner for a diamond discard. East knew that South held only one heart higher than the four and, therefore, there was a reasonable chance that he owned a singleton. East’s advance to five hearts was a good plan. He might emerge with eleven tricks or suffer a minimal loss. Five hearts will finish one down with the king of clubs residing in North. A four spade opening might have stolen the deal although East might venture 4NT as a two-suited takeout intending to correct clubs to diamonds revealing the red-suits. However, South held nine almost certain winners and should not consider a preemptive opening. The other option would be to open with a demand two bid but this action would not silence East. He would overcall two hearts when North replies two diamonds (waiting). Author: Dave Willis - visit his website at www.insidebridge.ca Questions on bridge can be sent with a stamped, self-addressed envelope to The New Canadian Bridge c/o Torstar Syndication Services, One Yonge St., Toronto, M5E 1E6.

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE

HI AND LOIS

BLONDIE

MOTHER GOOSE

CROSSWORD GOOD FRIDAY ACROSS 1 Saucer shapes 6 Force (down) 10 Pyrex sister brand 14 Reunion attendee 15 Director of Marlon in Streetcar 16 Play in water, perhaps 17 Play in water, perhaps 18 Symbol for September 19 Commencement usher, for short 20 Good __ 23 Brinks 24 Take no one along 25 Grade-school subj. 27 Obviously abashed 28 Imaginepeace.com owner 29 Sort of break 30 Epiphanic, as a moment 31 Gladiator venue 33 Raleigh in Elizabeth: The Golden Age 34 “Good __” 39 Pomegranate part 40 Categorized 41 Agcy. promoting flu vaccines 42 CBS series in its 15th season 45 Lee’s side: Abbr. 46 Squelch 49 Light shade 50 San __, TX 52 Sound with clattering teeth 53 Good __ 56 Steady date 57 President at the Bicentennial 58 Two-mile-high city 59 Starting stake 60 Ending like -less 61 Any ABBA member 62 What the AMA operates on 63 Puts (down) 64 Through DOWN 1 One inept on the links

PREVIOUS PUZZLE SOLVED

2 Starry-eyed 3 Orchestrated 4 47 Down prize grabbers 5 MacFarlane of TV 6 Not great odds 7 Spy’s name, quite possibly 8 Lackey 9 Traditional Valencian dish 10 Perceive 11 Eminent Japanese director 12 Talks with a tot, perhaps 13 At less than your best

4/3/1

21 Humphrey successor 22 Petty bribe 26 Equivalent of John 28 www.goodwill.__ 31 Sentence extender 32 Aesopian saver 33 Out-of-print 34 Family restaurant offering 35 Rudimentary 36 Greek island group 37 London suburb 38 Halibut habitat 39 Color TV pioneer 42 Thing in a six-pack 43 Expresses disdain 44 Snub 46 Was crabby 47 Game room 48 Had a lawn for lunch 51 White-plumed bird 52 Raw power 54 French streets 55 If not 56 It’s not good

B6 | DAILY NEWS | ARCTIC CIRCLE

DIVERSIONS

SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 2015

WORD FIND

BRIDGE

Decisions Dealer: South Both vulnerable NORTH ♠76 ♥Q10653 ♦A106 ♣932 WEST EAST ♠KJ108 ♠Q542 ♥K2 ♥8 ♦9743 ♦Q85 ♣QJ6 ♣AK754 SOUTH ♠A93 ♥AJ974 ♦KJ2 ♣108 W N E S 1♥ dbl All Pass Pass 4♥ Opening Lead: ♣Q

SHERMAN’S LAGOON

ZITS

ANDY CAPP

SOLUTION: A LIFESTYLE OF CHOICE

CRYPTOQUOTE CRANKSHAFT

outh ruffed the third club to concede a spade. East won cheaply to return another for the ace. A spade ruff was followed by the queen of hearts but declarer put up the ace and exited with another. West was compelled to lead a diamond or offer a ruff and a discard but the game was down one, N-S -200. The throw-in obviated a guess for the queen of diamonds although declarer would, undoubtedly, have finessed East for that honor when forced to play the suit himself. Essentially, South played to go down one because West would not often hold a singleton king of hearts. He should opt for a trump finesse as the best chance to bring home the contract. When it loses, he then plays East for the diamond queen to finish down one. East’s takeout double was an aggressive action with only 13 HCP. Fortunately, West declined to advance to four spades where a two-trick set would be imminent. This contract might not be doubled but a result of -200 would not earn E-W an equitable matchpoint award. West reasoned that the heart king would be useless offensively and this assumption was correct. He judged to pass in the hope of defeating the contract and was rewarded with a one-trick set. Author: Dave Willis - visit his website at www.insidebridge.ca

BABY BLUES

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE

HI AND LOIS

BLONDIE

MOTHER GOOSE

Questions on bridge can be sent with a stamped, self-addressed envelope to The New Canadian Bridge c/o Torstar Syndication Services, One Yonge St., Toronto, M5E 1E6.

CROSSWORD SATURDAY STUMPER ACROSS 1 Energetic types 8 Conjures up 15 Posse quarry, possibly 16 Johns Hopkins major 17 Highly variable 18 Most egregious 19 Pop 21 Expression of backpedaling 22 It’s not far from Turin 23 Ballpark figure 26 Opry member since ‘62 28 Onetime eastern border of Charlemagne’s empire 30 Introduction to a classic dilemma 31 Certain Alaskan letter carrier 34 Continued a run 35 Jam-making grape 38 Maculate 40 Flap 41 Evokes 43 Where Napoleon last fought: Abbr. 45 Initial name on the cover of A Life of Flight 46 Meditation focus, at times 49 Where triathlons end 51 __ d’Italia (prestigious bike race) 53 ‘60s protegée of Ingmar 55 Satisfy 58 Casts away 60 Better 61 “Turn left at Greenland” is how Ringo “found” it 62 Is successful at luring 63 Pro at home in the Golden Triangle 64 Deliveries by fathers DOWN 1 Opposite of “tired” 2 Last word of the Torah 3 Engineer born in 2222 4 Awarder of the Turner Prize for visual art 5 Mag with an annual “Diva Issue” 6 One of the NHL’s Original Six, familiarly 7 Temp living at Daniel Webster Hall

PREVIOUS PUZZLE SOLVED

8 Altarpiece inscription 9 Blazer spec 10 Toon on Chips Deluxe packages 11 Dubiously 12 Restrains 13 50% of nine 14 __ Pepper 20 Pepper __ 24 Soloist in Tchaikovsky’s 4th 25 Cleave 27 The Cryptologic Museum holds its artifacts 29 They eschew the net

/ /

32 Lavishness 33 Have Oreos made after 1/15/98 35 Scuba mecca, for short 36 Mideast capital, 1978-90 37 One way to call 39 Bar opening 42 Admonitory computer acronym 44 In 32 Down 47 Shakespearean father-of-the-groom 48 Product of nicotine oxidation 50 Added restriction on some vegan recipes 52 Best Supporting Actress winner between Catherine and Cate 54 Engines banned from Formula One in 1986 56 Guy sarcastically blessed in Fiddler on the Roof 57 Counterirritant, e.g. 58 Addicional 59 The IRS releases its exemption levels annually

DIVERSIONS NOTED PHRASES ACROSS 1 Neighbour of Chile 5 Chemist’s outerwear 12 Some captives 20 Copies 21 Magic’s city 22 Fearmonger 23 Centennial State pageant winner 25 Start to chew 26 Clinic fluids 27 Enjoy a meal 28 DVR biggie 29 Baste, e.g. 30 Text giggle 31 Output of Tolkien 38 Highly skilled people 40 Prudential competitor 41 “— found it!” 42 Member of a noted racecardriving family 47 Surplus item 51 Be a cast member of 52 Oklahoma tribe member 53 Placed in the middle, to a Brit 55 The NBA’s “King James” 57 120-Down character Sarducci 61 Uru. neighbour 64 Wildlife lair 65 Proverb 66 Add liberally 67 Most August newborns 69 Popular energy drink 73 Anderson of “WKRP in Cincinnati” 74 Rome’s country, in French 76 “Für —” (piano piece) 77 Sun, e.g. 79 — Moines, Iowa 80 Prism, cone or sphere 82 Beach shoe 85 Stands for hot dishes 86 Melody 87 “Salud!,” say 91 Dutch genre painter Jan 92 Port-au-Prince’s land 98 No. on a road sign 100 Navigator Islands, now 101 Cry upon release 102 1991 Denzel Washington film 109 Gave a meal 110 Hubbub 111 Chiang Mai native 112 Johnny —

SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 2015 | DAILY NEWS |

113 Pool coverer 115 Open ocean 118 Parts of it appear at both the starts and ends of this puzzle’s eight theme phrases 123 Bel Air resident, e.g. 124 Funicello of the screen 125 Cry in church 126 Nonclerical females 127 “Possibly” 128 Veg out, say DOWN 1 Cook’s spray 2 Like serials 3 Pick again 4 KGB funder 5 Lav, in Bath 6 Specter in politics 7 Make swollen 8 Magna — 9 — par with 10 Stick in 11 Moreover 12 Natural home 13 With 84-Down, lunchmeat with pimiento 14 Goal in Zen Buddhism 15 Uno plus due 16 French bud 17 Knife of TV ads 18 Oxalate, e.g. 19 Vermont ski town 24 Wearing a lounge robe 28 Color a little 30 Tibetan priest 32 Ending for enzymes 33 She sang “Smooth Operator” 34 “— darn tootin’!” 35 4G — (T-Mobile offering) 36 Retaliate 37 Like some criticism 39 Singer Ochs 43 Actor Greene 44 — -Z 45 Luc’s denial 46 Chilling stuff 48 Camera stand 49 Fixed up 50 Studmuffin 54 West Germany’s Ludwig 56 Deprived 57 Not genuine 58 Wheel turner 59 Little jerk 60 Patients’ gp. 61 First groups of invitees

62 Snappy reply 63 Net minder 65 California’s — Woods 68 Splinters 70 MBA, say 71 — -ray Disc 72 Feature of the word “go” 75 — -Kit (police tool) 78 Tub traction aids 81 Medit. land 82 “Or — hear” 83 From way back: Abbr. 84 See 13-Down 86 Shut angrily

88 Structure of a plane without the engine 89 Belfry locales 90 Knotted 93 Quarterback Boomer 94 Spanish for “daddy” 95 Ball caller 96 “Sk8er —” (2002 hit) 97 Chick- — -A 99 Hold dear 102 Taj — 103 Singer Menzel 104 Drenched 105 1953 Alan Ladd title role

HOCUS-FOCUS

NORTH OF 49 ACROSS 1 The other woman 4 Tiny role 9 Choose 12 Shoplifted 14 Voyageur’s long canoe 16 Minded 19 Left dreamland 20 Voter 21 Copy an outline 22 Woeful 23 Concluding part 25 Uproar 27 Charged particle 28 Door opener 30 Hockey 31 “___ fan tutte” (Mozart) 32 Partner on your side 33 Chest-thumper 35 Nfld. cloudberry 37 One for Cubans 38 Sounds of pride? 40 May in Marseille 41 N.B. city on the Petitcodiac 45 Winnipeg summer hrs. 46 Alta. hometown of K.D. Lang 50 A Great Lake 51 Waterloo’s prov. 53 Granite 55 Triumphant cry 56 Time of one’s life 57 Has, biblically 59 Alta. town S of Red Deer 60 Addition result 61 Lake (Fr.) 62 Quebec Laurentians town: Ste. ___ 64 Oneself (Fr.) 65 Epoch 66 Goes “achoo!” 68 Opposite of SSW 70 Sea-going tours 73 X rating? 74 Strips 76 L 77 Fenced area 80 Short aria 84 Ho-hum 85 Wild about 86 Unforeseen difficulty 87 Front of leg 89 Parcel of land 90 Make fit to print 91 Electoral district 93 Tokyo, once

106 Disney mermaid 107 Religious branches 108 Die down 114 Rent- — 116 Chop down 117 — -mo 118 Animal gullet 119 A, in France 120 ’75 TV debut 121 Ang of film 122 Certain M.D.

PREMIER CROSSWORD SOLUTION

94 Toward the opponents’ net 96 Of central importance 98 Favoured flowers 100 Celebrate 101 Paints 102 Wear away 103 Snaky shape 104 Tumbler 105 Court

1 12

9 15

29 33

51 57

39 46

100

60 65 70

76 81

90 95

91 96

87 92

101 103

35 38

DOWN 1 Strange pillar of Alta. Badlands 2 Hoofed animal in Banff, often 3 Shipwreck site 4 Squid 5 White poplar 6 Riot spray 7 Ultimate ending? 8 Alta. town named for rock left by glaciers 9 Eight: prefix 10 Golf norm 11 Moodie’s sister “in the wilderness”: Catharine Parr ___ 12 Moose Jaw’s prov. 13 Nasal tone 14 Of the kidneys 15 Turned up 17 School (Fr.) 18 Withhold from 24 Inuit construction 26 Official mineral of N.W.T. 29 Georgian Bay peninsula of 51A 31 Shopping vehicles 32 Honeybee genus 34 Interest, for short 35 Spoiled 36 Window glass 39 Fall mo. 41 Lunches 42 Keyboard instrument 43 Relative 44 Student’s study material 46 Baby’s stomach ache 47 Spring locale 48 Cold (Fr.) 49 Subdues 52 Hockey org. 54 As well 57 Devastating hurricane (Toronto, 1954) 58 Tonsil 63 January in Cuba 64 Salt (Fr.)

88 93

102 104

105

PREVIOUS SOLUTION 65 Leans 67 Engrave using acid 69 Once named 71 Have the throne 72 Small: suffix 74 Tapping a golf ball 75 Summer footwear 77 Run away to marry 78 Aboriginal 79 Take potshots (at) 81 Train tracks 82 Sault Ste. Marie, for short (2 wds.) 83 Lent a hand

84 Fuzziness 86 Locations 88 Canine asset 90 Long thin fish 91 People of Romania 92 Became taller 95 These (Fr.) 97 ___ d’Or, Que. 99 Spanish gold

A T E A S E

B O R D E N

S O R T E R

B E A R D

A C H O O

C R A I G

B L E N D S

R I T U A L

A V E R S E

U R D N I E O R S E I R M A G E B U D O N S U C L L O W O O A S P K E P E D A S E D H E D E P Y

B I G G H O T D T A R H E E A A D D P M Y A R D O G Y

U R N N U I T I M L I T C K O K B U I L E N S E G U E I K B N C O P L E M A O R O R T S R R H T Y S S C L A C E U K O N G A T E

S C R H U U M T H B A A T H E A S I S S T E E A L L A R

A C H E T H O O S E E M O T E M V A N J E T S M O S E Y A H N N O C K A I L E N L E I M E A T F I R T H O N E A M E D S A N E E N S F A I T U E S T E R N E E L E D

B8 | DAILY NEWS |

CLASSIFIEDS/ENTERTAINMENT

SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 2015

Ex-NBA star proud patriarch on reality show

Kenny: “It took four years for this in the making, man. This is not like we thought about it yesterday . . .” Gwendolyn: “It wasn’t

fly-by-night.” Kenny: “This is like four years of no’s and then finally a yes from us. Like I said, it was just the right timing. I watch tele-

vision a lot and seeing what was on television I thought there might be a void for what we offer if we kept it fun. . . . You’re going to see how great I am at cooking,

cleaning, doing diapers, doing all the chores and still being able to be working, man, you’ll see all of those great things about me.” Gwendolyn: “You’ve watched a couple things on the show, have you? Well, you can see how great Kenny is at cooking and cleaning, right?” Kenny: “You’ll see how I’m able to just, I’m always on time, I’m always studious and astute, organized...” Gwendolyn: “He’s so organized!” Kenny: “You’ll see all of that. You’ll see the greatness of me.” Two of the Smiths’ older children are girls, a special challenge for their 50-year-old father. “It’s difficult to see my daughters on television and in music videos and then I get tweets or comments about crushes and, ‘Hey can I date? And hey, I’d be a good son-in-law type,”’ he said. “I don’t need a gun to protect them, because they’re smart young ladies. But I have one.”

this issue; the alternative is not worth it. Tonight: Charm the socks off others. CANCER (June 21-July 22) You love being home, and you’ll decide to invite others over. You could hit a point of frustration, as you might feel isolated doing all the cooking and preparing. Your expectations are not likely to be met when dealing with a friend or loved one. Tonight: Flow with the moment. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Know that you can and will guide a conversation away from negativity. You might be in the mood to shoot the breeze with friends, whether you’re watching a sports game or off at a favorite haunt. Tonight: With a favorite person -- you choose the spot. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Sometimes, even when you’re being practical, you need to worry less. Many of you could opt to indulge in a costly pas-

time. Keep your limits in mind, but give yourself more leeway than usual. Don’t be surprised if a friend goes along for the ride. Tonight: Treat a dear friend. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) You’ll be keeping up with the hectic pace, but you could be overwhelmed by one person’s constant chatter. Put yourself in a situation where talk is not necessary. Try going to a movie or concert. Everyone will emerge with a smile. Tonight: As you like it. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) You might choose to maintain a low profile right now. Your finances could demand your attention. File your taxes if you haven’t by now. You’ll be more effective once you work to clear out some back-burner projects. Tonight: Be mysterious about your plans. Say little. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Consider rejuvenating your outlook by taking a day trip to go off and explore a new area, or

perhaps by catching an art show. It might be important to change your patterns a bit in order to reflect who you are. Return a long-distance call quickly. Tonight: Try a new spot. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Listen to news with a bit of cynicism, and you won’t be disappointed. You might need to venture out to prevent yourself from spending too much time alone. A friend whom you have not seen in a while will reach out for you. Plan to visit soon! Tonight: Make it your treat. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Reach out to a loved one at a distance. What you hear could force a discussion that might go on for a while. Know that answers won’t be immediate. Use caution with your funds, whether you’re doing taxes or buying a new item. Stay within your budget! Tonight: All smiles. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) A parent or older friend seems to be very hard on you. Try not

to make plans around this person. You need to take better care of yourself. Get a head start on doing your taxes, if you haven’t already, or make adjustments to your budget. Tonight: Let someone else treat. YOUR BIRTHDAY (April 4) This year you hear many different opinions regarding your actions. Juggling feedback and being polite could be difficult at times. Establish stronger boundaries. If you are single, you attract quite an assortment of admirers. You will like dating a lot, and might not want to commit for a while. Know that you could miss relating to someone very special if you don’t keep an open mind. If you are attached, the two of you open up to a new beginning because of a willingness to understand where the other person is coming from. As a result, you’ll gain greater respect for each other’s choices. LIBRA knows how to make you smile.

ROB MERRILL THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK — Former NBA star Kenny Smith and his wife Gwendolyn, who works as a model on The Price is Right, are the latest heads of a reality TV family. Meet the Smiths, which premieres at 9 p.m. Friday on TBS, invites cameras into their Encino, Calif., home where they’re raising five kids, ages 2 to 21. “A lot of times you guys let me into your living room and now I get an opportunity to let you into my living room with my lovely wife Gwendolyn and our five, yes five, cinco, kids,” said Smith, who is currently working as an analyst on CBS during their NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament coverage. “We’re a blended family.” The chemistry between the Smiths was obvious as they talked about why they agreed to do the show:

HOROSCOPE by Jacqueline Bigar

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Others surprise you with their unpredictability. You’ll enjoy the excitement, even if the behavior causes a hassle. An older person or relative could become cold and controlling if you decide not to do what he or she requests. Tonight: Party the night away. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Others might notice a gentleness about you. You might not even be aware of this quality, as you could be involved in completing a project or preparing for a get-together. You will have a sudden realization that needs to be aired. Have a discussion quickly. Tonight: With friends. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) You could be very tired from a discussion that keeps recurring. You might be wondering what it would take to put the issue to bed. Your creativity and charm remain high. Make peace with

Former NBA player Kenny Smith and his wife Gwendolyn Osborne-Smith star in the reality series ‘Kenny Smith and Family.’ [AP PHOTO]

ENTERTAINMENT

SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 2015 | DAILY NEWS |

‘Outlander’ novels brought to small screen Fans of bestselling books, which inspired the show, have been buzzing about the mid-season return VICTORIA AHEARN THE CANADIAN PRESS

TORONTO — The hit time-travel romance Outlander returns to Showcase on Sunday with a controversial spanking scene that star Sam Heughan admits he and cast mate Caitriona Balfe were “unsure” about shooting. Balfe stars as Claire Randall, a married British army nurse from 1945 who inadvertently gets sent back in time to 1743. She is forced to marry Scottish warrior Jamie (Heughan) and the two get swept up in a passionate but complicated love affair. Fans of Diana Gabaldon’s bestselling Outlander novels, which inspired the show, have been buzzing about how Sunday’s midseason return will portray the pivotal spanking scene. In it, Jamie tries to whip Claire on her buttocks with a belt to punish her for being defiant. Heughan admits his initial reaction upon reading it was: “Wow, is this really something we’re going to have to do?” “And then you look at it and

Sam Heughan as Jamie Fraser in the ‘Outlander’ television series. [THE CANADIAN PRESS]

you go, ‘Yes, it’s really important,”’ he says. “He’s a man of the time. That’s how he’s been brought up: He needs to teach her a lesson, she needs to learn a big lesson. She almost got people killed, she’s put everyone in danger and therefore it’s important that she

learns a lesson.” In the end, it turns into “a really positive moment,” adds Heughan, 34. “Whether or not he wholly believes it’s the right thing to do, it’s what he has to do, it’s his duty as a man. And actually what it does is that there’s a big

fallout from that moment and they learn a lot about each other and about their relationship and it actually moves them forward in their relationship.” The series, which is executive produced by Ronald D. Moore (Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek: The Next Generation), debuted

last August and ran for eight episodes before taking a break. Scottish-born Heughan, who was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award in 2003 for his role in the play Outlying Islands, says he was drawn to Outlander because he liked that it had a strong female character and Moore at the helm. “And then the opportunity to play a character like this, I’d jump at it,” he adds. “Swords and horses — brilliant.” The show sticks closely to Gabaldon’s book series. Heughan says he read the first novel several times before shooting season 1 and then referenced it while filming. He also works with a Scottish dialect coach and a Gaelic tutor. Heughan is now reading the second book and preparing to shoot season 2 next month. “I received the first two episodes for season 2, so I was speedreading it just now on lunch break going, ’Wow, what happens?”’ he says with a big smile. “It was really exciting.” Outlander airs at 10 p.m.

Set boundaries with mom and stick to them Kathy Mitchell & Marcy Sugar Annie’s Mailbox Dear Annie: I am the mother of a four-year-old girl. My mother, “Edna,” watches her for a few hours every Friday while I’m at work. Last Friday, after I brought my daughter home, she told me, “Grandma was crying today and told me that ‘Grandma Kitty’ is not my grandma.” Annie, Grand-

ma Kitty is my Dad’s fiancee. Kitty was the reason for my parents’ divorce 12 years ago. Dad and Kitty have been together ever since. I have managed to forgive both of them for their affair, and we visit them weekly. We have found it easiest to differentiate between grandmothers by saying, “Grandma Edna,” “Grandma Kitty” and, for my husband’s mom, “Grandma Dina.” I try not to mention either my father or Kitty when my mom is around, knowing she is still quite bitter. But I am aware that she tries to pry information out of my daughter. I know my mother’s feelings are still hurt, but my daughter doesn’t understand why she

shouldn’t call my father’s fiancee “Grandma Kitty.” This woman has been in her life since the day she was born. How can I get my mom to accept this? — Too Many Grandmas Dear Too: Acceptance may be asking too much. But you can certainly set boundaries and make them stick. Tell your mother that the subject of Grandma Kitty is off limits when she is with your daughter. Make it clear that if she continues to use your child as a weapon against Kitty, she will not be permitted to babysit. And mean it, even if you have to hire someone to replace her. Mom has to learn to respect the relationships you have created for your daughter and not under-

mine your authority as a parent. Kitty is going to be a part of your daughter’s life for the foreseeable future. Twelve years is a long time for Mom to hold onto this grudge and be so bitter. Suggest to her that she get some counselling so she can move forward with her life. Dear Annie: This is in response to “Also a Grandma-To-Be,” who disliked the burden of being invited to “sprinkles” for second and third babies. I’d like to share a positive spin on this tradition. When I was pregnant with my third child, we didn’t need any baby items. However, my wonderful sister-in-law, who is of the opinion that every baby should

be celebrated with a shower, gave me a “Diapers and Dinners” sprinkle. This was a small party for close family and friends, and everyone brought a frozen meal, a restaurant gift card or a pack of diapers. Everyone had a fun time having brunch at the party, and it was a tremendous blessing to me after the baby was born to have food and diapers ready to go. It made those first crazy weeks so much easier. — Mom of Three Dear Mom: Your sister-in-law did it right: She only invited close family and friends who would not find this to be a burden, made it specific to your needs, and kept the gifting to a reasonable amount. We approve.

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B10 | DAILY NEWS |

SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 2015

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