Vernon Morning Star, March 09, 2016 by Black Press Media Group

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Wednesday, March 9, 2016

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Community mourns tragic loss RICHARD ROLKE Morning Star Staff

There are heavy hearts in Grindrod and Enderby after a motor vehicle accident claimed two lives. Carlee Nora De Boer, 20, of Grindrod, and Paige Alexandra Whitelaw, 20, of Ladysmith, died when a vehicle they were passengers in left Highway 6 in Vernon Sunday. “It’s really heartbreaking,” said Greg McCune, Enderby mayor. “There’s not a person in town who won’t be affected.” De Boer had previously worked for McCune at his business, Sutherland’s Bakery. “I’ve known their family forever and I hung out with her dad when I was her age,” said McCune. “She was a popular young lady and was always out in the community.” Whitelaw was attending college in Kelowna and had become friends with a number of residents from Enderby. “She has a strong Enderby connection,” said McCune. Two male passengers in the vehicle are from Enderby. On Sunday at about 1:27 a.m., Vernon RCMP responded to a collision on Highway 6 at Waddington Drive. The incident occurred when a white 2013 GMC Sierra pickup truck, with five occupants, was travelling eastbound on Highway 6 and could not make the curve in the road. “The vehicle hit the shoulder and rolled several times,” said Sgt. Mike Moyer, with the RCMP. A 21-year-old Armstrong man driving the vehicle is under investigation. “There is indication that alcohol and speed could have been a contributing factor,” said Moyer. The investigation into the accident continues and witnesses are asked to contact the Vernon RCMP at 250-545-7171. The investigation resulted in Highway 6 being closed for nearly four hours Sunday morning.

JENNIFER SMITH/MORNING STAR

Flowers, balloons and words of condolences mark the site of a fatal truck crash at the corner of Highway 6 and Waddington Drive which claimed the lives of two young women, one from Grindrod and another from Ladysmith, early Sunday morning.

Lumby gets out the vote RICHARD ROLKE Morning Star Staff

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Students at Charles Bloom Secondary School are ready to vote for Lumby as Kraft Hockeyville.

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From North Okanagan neighbourhoods to the halls of power in Victoria, support is growing for Lumby’s bid to be Kraft Hockeyville. The village’s proposed upgrades to Pat Duke Memorial Arena made the top 10 finalists for Kraft Hockeyville 2016. It is the only B.C. town on the list. “I am going to encourage all of my colleagues to vote,” said Eric Foster, Vernon-Monashee MLA, who is reaching out to Liberal, NDP and Green politicians. “I want this to be a non-partisan effort to support a B.C. community.” Voting opens Sunday at 6 a.m. and closes Monday at 9 p.m. to decide the two finalists.

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When the voting opens, you can cast your ballot at http://khv2016.ca/ “We need provincewide support,” said Angie Clowry, one of the campaign organizers in Lumby. “We have help called in from communities across the province.” The winner will receive an NHL pre-season game and $100,000 in arena upgrades. Second prize is $100,000 in arena upgrades, while the remaining eight arenas each will get $25,000 in arena upgrades. The Village of Lumby is helping spread the word about the two-day voting session. “We want to get everyone involved,” said Mayor Kevin Acton.

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A2 Wednesday, March 9, 2016 - The Morning Star

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Freedom of information denied in Cherryville democracy. It’s pretty disheartening.” The ministry denied access to the report based on legislation, including legal advice, disclosure harmful to law enforcement, disclosure harmful to financial or economic interests of a public body and disclosure harmful to person priEugene Foisy vacy. “It’s an abrupt reversal of a letter a month earlier that

RICHARD ROLKE Morning Star Staff

Cherryville residents insist a bureaucratic blockage is preventing them from knowing what caused the earth to move. The Ministry of Forests has denied a freedom of information request to have documents released regarding a 2012 slide on Sugar Lake Road, which came close to a home. “They have a bunch of excuses that don’t mean a lot to me,” said Eugene Foisy, a former electoral area director. “To say the file is now closed is not

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RICHARD ROLKE Morning Star Staff

Spallumcheen officials are demanding full disclosure over ongoing water quality concerns. Council voted Monday to write the Ministry of Environment and ask for the nitrate testing information for the Hullcar aquifers. “The Steele Springs Water District has been requesting the information for some time,” said Coun. Todd York. “They aren’t receiving them. It’s appropriate that we should request them in a formal way.” The Steele Springs Water District has been under a water quality advisory since March 2014 due to high nitrate levels. The testing results are related to ministry decisions to allow effluent to be discharged in the area. Some residents say the source of

“It’s information that we should be privy to.” — Coun. Todd York

high nitrates in the water is related to dairy operations. “It’s information that we should be privy to,” said York. “If they (ministry) are trying to determine what the cause is and they are trying to resolve the issue, the information shouldn’t be held back.” Spallumcheen council’s actions is just the latest pressure being placed on the Ministry of Environment. The Splatsin First Nation recently joined forces with the Save Hullcar Aquifer Team to lobby for water protection.

MORNING STAR FILE PHOTO

Lumby is in the running to win the Hockeyville title and needs people to vote Sunday and Monday.

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is an issue, tell us and we can try to prevent it in the future,” said Foisy. Next steps to get the report are being taken by the community, including asking B.C.’s information and privacy commissioner to review the ministry’s decision. “We will also consult with professionals advising us and there are conversations at the political level,” said Cameron. Eric Foster, Vernon-Monashee MLA, says he’s investigating the denial of the FOI request. “I have a call into the ministry to find out why the decision was made,” he said.

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said they would reopen the file,” said Hank Cameron, the current electoral area director. The government is supposed to protect private land owners and public assets.” The 2012 slide was about 800 metres long and 10 metres wide. The flow of debris shifted about 200 feet before it would have collided with Joel Hriczu’s home. Residents are demanding the 2012 report because there is a concern further logging on Cherry Ridge could lead to more slope instability. “If there is no issue, tell us, and if there

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“I have sent letters to all mayors in B.C. and we hope they will support small town B.C. The mayors and directors in the North Okanagan are behind this 100 per cent.” To encourage people to vote, there will be a tailgate party and road hockey game at Lumby’s Arbour Park Sunday at 9 a.m. And people who may not have access to a computer, can vote at the Lumby Chamber of Commerce office from 6 a.m. Sunday to 9 p.m. Monday. “We will have people there all night,” said Clowry. Updates on special events and voting will be posted on Facebook at Vote for Lumby to be Kraft Hockeyville 2016. “With social media, we can get

people involved hard and fast,” said Acton. If Lumby receives the funds, the goal is to ensure a proper change room at Pat Duke Memorial Arena for female hockey players. “They use an old equipment room. They need good facilities,” said Foster. The current change room for girls is eight-feet-by-10-feet. “Creating a space for our girls who play hockey now and in the future is important as they are a strong and vital part of our teams. And more are signing up to play every year,” said Clowry. The other top 10 communities are St. Laurent, Man., Martensville, Sask., Okotoks, Alta., St. Paul, Alta., Toronto, Ont., Brockville, Ont., Oromocto, N.B., Tatamagouche, N.S. and SaintIsidore, Que.

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Wednesday, March 9, 2016 - The Morning Star A3

Video store’s departure helps kids JENNIFER SMITH

Morning Star Staff

t hung on long after the Blockbusters and Rogers closed their doors, but now Coldstream Video is another victim in the dying breed of movie rental stores. With the advent of the Internet, Netflix, Crave and other on-demand sources that put hundreds, if not thousands, of movies and shows at the fingertips of viewers, the corner video store is on the endangered list. “It is sad,” said Colleen Clack, co-owner of Coldstream Video with Jennifer Taylor. So now the approximately 4,500 videos, plus shelves and fixtures, are for up for grabs. And the owners have decided to turn their loss into a win for kids. All videos will be sold by donation (with suggested prices) until March 25 in support of B.C. Children’s Hospital. “One of my friends’ threeyear-old kid is down there right now with leukemia,” said Taylor, who hopes to raise $3,500. “We’ve had a few friends who have had their kids there so we want to support it,” said Clack, who wanted to give back considering the business has done well

JENNIFER SMITH/MORNING STAR

Jennifer Taylor (left) and Colleen Clack are closing Coldstream Video and selling all of the movies by donation in support of B.C. Children’s Hospital. for her. In fact, while she has owned the business for 14 years, Coldstream Video (which has been around since 1994) was actually one of her first jobs. “I used to work at it when I was 18,” said Clack, recalling the days of history when renting a

movie was a highlight for families and individuals. “It was so busy, It was the best. I used to have a lineup down the new release aisle,” she said of the old location in the Alpine Centre but where Vernon Vintners now is. It was also a big investment

back in the day. “The price of a VHS, a really good movie like Jurassic Park, would’ve been $120 and now you can get (DVDs) for $9.99 or even $5.99. “It was like $5,000 a month on movies.” But that was when the only

access to videos was at the theatre or the rental store. “I purchased it (Coldstream Video) and brought it back to life but now it’s had its turn,” said Clack. It was about five or six years ago that Blockbuster and Rogers Video closed their doors in Vernon, and elsewhere. “It did well for a couple years,” said Clack. “I celebrated for a year or two.” Being the sole video rental store in Greater Vernon, aside from a few stores that also rent movies, Coldstream Video was special to a number of customers, including all the regulars. “So many people appreciated that we are here,” said Clack. Taylor adds: “I had people coming from Salmon Arm, Armstrong and Lumby.” But the last few years have been a struggle. “We’ve just been hanging on,” said Clack. Meanwhile the regulars and those who don’t have access to Netflix are sad to see the last remaining video store in Vernon closing. “It’s the last video store in town,” said one customer as he was planning to rent a couple videos but ended up buying them.

Irresponsible dog owners face fines There has been an issue in past with people telling city staff that the waste is not from their dog. However, there is now an expectation that people will have the ability to clean up or face a fine. “Everyone should have at least one bag on them,” said Knust. Raquel Knust The bylaw states, “an owner of a dog shall, when on public or private property without the express consent of a property owner, be in pos-

RICHARD ROLKE Morning Star Staff

You could be left with a hefty fine if you don’t pick up after your dog in Enderby. Council amended the dog control bylaw Monday to include a $100 fine if an individual fails to remove fecal material created by their dog. “Common sense is not enough so we need to put a bylaw in place,” said Coun. Raquel Knust, who has three dogs. “We see dog feces along the River Walk and along the roadways. Why aren’t people picking it up? Young children use these spaces to walk.”

session of at least one dog fecal matter disposal bag for the purpose of removing any fecal matter that their dog may deposit.” The bylaw also states that dog waste must be immediately removed from the property and disposed of in a suitable refuse container. Knust says the city is reviewing the location of garbage cans and plastic bag receptacles to ensure they are in the right place. The bylaw calls for a $100 fine for not removing fecal material or not being in possession of a disposal bag, but it will be reduced to $50 if there is early payment within 30 days. The late payment penalty is $110.

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INDEX

Activity page...............A26 Arts...........................A10 Classifieds.................A27 Community Calendar...A14 Editorial.......................A8 Letters.........................A9 Lifestyles...................A12 Sports.......................A22

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A4 Wednesday, March 9, 2016 - The Morning Star

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Borrowing goes to voters RICHARD ROLKE Morning Star Staff

Valid only at

Enderby residents will determine how proposed upgrades to main street are funded. City council decided Monday to proceed with an alternate approval process to borrow up to $467,000 over 20 years for revitalization of Cliff Avenue. “I haven’t heard a lot of opposition. Most people are pretty excited about it,” said Mayor Greg McCune. The proposal calls for Greg McCune enhanced traffic and pedestrian safety through a raised intersection at Cliff Avenue and Belvedere Street that doubles as a public plaza, seating, rain garden, street trees and pier-themed gateway structures. During redevelopment, infrastructure

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will be replaced, including the road, sidewalks and water lines. If 10 per cent of voters, or 238 people, sign the alternate approval process petition, the borrowing can’t proceed. “If it does fail, we will still do the project. We will pull the money from reserves or go through taxation,” said McCune. The total project cost is $1.8 million, with about $200,000 directly linked to beautification. The rest of the money will go towards infrastructure. If the borrowing of $467,000 proceeds, the annual taxation impact on a house assessed at $217,120 is $20. Publishing of the AAP notice will occur March 16 and 23 and the deadline for electoral response is April 25. Beyond the alternative approval process, the city could have held a referendum but an AAP costs $1,200 while a referendum would be between $5,000 and $8,000. “If we were hearing a lot of concerns, we would spend the money and go to referendum, but there are no outstanding concerns,” said McCune.

Water source switched

Morning Star Staff

All Greater Vernon Water customers are currently on one source. The Regional District of North Okanagan reports that the Mission Hill water treatment plant, which serves the Kalamalka Lake Renee Clark water source, was shut down due to computer upgrades at the facility Monday.

“All GVW customers have been switched to the Duteau Creek water treatment plant. Customers will be informed when the work is complete,” said Renee Clark, water quality manager. Customers who are not normally on the Duteau plant will notice that the water is much softer and the water has a low alkalinity and pH. This may be of interest to those customers who have in-home water treatment systems or aquariums. “Staff continually monitor water quality and will notify customers if any further change occurs,” said Clark.

Missing woman found SAR locate woman suffering from hypothermia Morning Star Staff

A Vernon woman was located after an extensive search. Akiko Akeda, 89, was last seen at about 12:10 a.m. Monday after she

walked away from a care facility in the 4700 block of 23rd Avenue. At 2 a.m., 17 members of Vernon Search and Rescue responded to an RCMP request to assist in the search for Akeda. She was located at 7 a.m. suffering from hypothermia. She was transported to Vernon Jubilee Hospital for treatment.

Car destroyed by blaze RICHARD ROLKE Morning Star Staff

A vehicle was gutted by fire in a Vernon neighbourhood early Tuesday morning. Firefighters were called to Alexis Park Drive at about 4 a.m. after receiving reports of a late model Chevy Malibu being engulfed in flames. “The crew put it out pretty quick,” said Jack Blair, deputy fire chief. check out

The

“Crew put it out pretty quick.” — Blair

“There were no exposures to anything else.” The cause of the fire has not been determined.

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Wednesday, March 9, 2016 - The Morning Star A5

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OLD FASHIONED QUALITY

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School closures draw critic RICHARD ROLKE Morning Star Staff

The future of North Okanagan-Shuswap schools is dominating provincial politics. Rob Fleming, NDP education critic, will be in Armstrong and Salmon Arm Thursday to meet with parents concerned about the possible closure of Armstrong and Silver Creek elementary schools. “Christy Clark’s government is starving our school system,” said Fleming in a release. “To date, 200 schools in this province have closed on this government’s watch. It’s unprecedented, and it’s baffling when provincial student enrolment is actually growing.” Fleming adds that over the last two years, the provincial government forced cuts of $54 million in administrative spending and that is leading school districts to take extreme actions like shutting down schools. “Christy Clark completely ignored the bipartisan finance committee when it recommended ‘stable, sustainable and adequate funding’ for school districts. Instead, she put a billion dollars into tax cuts for millionaires, while continuing to cut $54 million out of school district budgets. That’s not stable, sustainable or adequate, and our kids deserve better.” However, Shuswap’s MLA defends the actions of

“Government is starving our school system.” — Rob Fleming

the Liberal government. “With the school district since the early 2000s, enrolment has been down 30 per cent. But also since then, funding on a per pupil basis has risen 47 per cent,” said Greg Kyllo. “We are proud to have a world-class education system in B.C.” Kyllo says he has discussed the local state of education with parents. “Given the potential closure of schools or cutting programs, parents say it’s important to focus on programs,” he said. And while he says he understands the challenges facing school districts, particularly because of enrolment, he insists that provincial government’s role is to provide funding and not to interfere with operations. “Decisions made at the local level are the best decisions.”

Lumby budget moves forward RICHARD ROLKE Morning Star Staff

Lumby’s financial plan is still moving ahead. On Monday, council gave two readings to the 2016 financial plan, which includes a 2.3 per cent tax hike. Feedback on the budget was sought but public involvement wasn’t overwhelming. “One person came in and talked to staff about the budget and they left happy,” said Mayor Kevin Acton. In another case, a resident provided input through e-mail. “I am very happy with the decisions that council have taken in preparing the plan for our community,” states the e-mail. “Being a home owner, I feel

that council is taking the right steps to ensure that our community is being looked after in every aspect that is needed. The increase in property taxes is reasonable. It is important that our community has the money needed to run it in the most effective way possible.” It’s anticipated that the budget could be adopted by council March 21. Economic development promoted A variety of partners are trying to stimulate Lumby’s economy. Representatives from the Lumby Chamber of Commerce provided an update on their activities to village council Monday. “Progress is being made and

good information has been gathered,” said Coun. Nick Hodge. The village has provided the chamber with funding to move ahead with a number of initiatives. “They have a package to five people moving to Lumby and they have talked to businesses to gather information about the economy,” said Mayor Kevin Acton. The next step will see the chamber and village sit down with Community Futures. “We want to start biting chunks out of our economic development strategic plan,” said Acton. Among the items being pursued are extending utilities to potential industrial land and preserving the rail corridor.

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A6 Wednesday, March 9, 2016 - The Morning Star

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Snowmobile club drives importance of safety RICHARD ROLKE Morning Star Staff

Snowmobiling often grabs the headlines when there’s a tragic accident, but there’s lots happening behind the scenes to minimize those incidents. Members of the Vernon Snowmobile Association, which is based on Silver Star Mountain, admit the public often only considers snowmobiling when someone is lost in the backcountry or an avalanche claims a life. “Things go right every day,” said Ben Drodge, club president. “The main goal is to promote safety. We show people how to ride snowmobiles and avalanche awareness.” The association formed in 1967. “It’s one of the oldest clubs in B.C.,” said Drodge. Membership varies between 50 to 100 people. “Our mountain is all about families. Bring the kids up and show them how to sled,” said Drodge. There are 130 kilometres of trails available and two shelters.

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The Vernon Snowmobile Association’s primary focus is family fun and promoting safety within the sport. “The VSA’s long time and valued neighbour is Sovereign Lake Nordic Club and the area is shared with them, with snow-

mobile trails crossing two crosscountry ski trails,” said Kevin Hillier, VSA member. Along with keeping the trails

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groomed, the goal is to keep local residents and tourists active. “We want to ensure we have activities for people,” said Drodge. A hill climb race was held last year. “It’s an opportunity to promote

safety and public education,” said Drodge. Community service is also a critical aspect of the organization’s focus. “The VSA has also had an annual toy run to benefit the Salvation Army and in recent years has donated proceeds from the annual B.C. Snow Show to Easter Seals,” said Hillier. “VSA also supports Vernon Search and Rescue with donations and free use of the riding area for training. As well, some VSA members also participate in snowmobile searches for search and rescue, either as full-time members or as volunteers when needed.” Planning is underway for next year’s golden anniversary. “It’s a turning point. Fifty years is a long time for organized power sports,” said Drodge. Former members, even those who don’t snowmobile any more, are welcome to help assist with the celebration. “There are many events planned in the coming year but we need help to make them happen,” said Hillier. For more information, go to www.vernonsnowmobileclub.org

Identity confirmed Morning Star Staff

The remains of a Vernon man have been identified almost five years since he went missing. The B.C. Coroners Service confirmed Tuesday afternoon that remains discovered in Cherryville in 2015 are those of Charles Lee

Scott, 32. Scott went missing and was presumed drowned in Cherry Creek in 2011, and despite extensive searches could not be located. “In June 2015, human remains were located on the bank of Cherry Creek

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near Hanson Park in Cherryville,” said Laurel Clegg, with the B.C. Coroners Service, in a release. A recent initiative by the BC Coroners Service’s Identification and Disaster Response Unit to profile difficult unidentified remains cases, involving the International Commission on Missing Persons, produced a DNA profile which was compared to familial profiles and matched to Scott. “The B.C. Coroners Service continues to investigate this death,” said Clegg.

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Mix of sun & cloud High 8°, Low 3°

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Wednesday, March 9, 2016 - The Morning Star A7

News

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Anna Offenwanger and Ephraim Nowak are the 2016 spaghetti bridge heavyweight champions.

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Students win bridge title Morning Star Staff

The 33rd annual Okanagan College Spaghetti Bridge Building Heavyweight competition came to a surprising finish after a series of disqualifications launched the team of Anna Offenwanger and Ephraim Nowak, from UBC Okanagan, into the top spot. Offenwanger and Nowak were sitting in third place after each of the five entries had been put to the test on the fettuccine fault line Friday. Their bridge withstood 184.3 kilograms of load before exploding in front of a packed theatre at the Kelowna campus. Two teams from Charles Bloom Secondary in Lumby presented bridges that performed better but were disqualified due to a rule violation. Brendan Mattenley’s bridge held 258.9 kilograms of load and the team of Justin Dessert and Hanya Riddick built a bridge that made it to 244.5 kilograms. But neither of those bridges qualified for the top prizes. “The competition ended in an unexpected way,” said Andrew Hay, vice-president of education. “We have a very specific set of rules that we apply evenly to all of the bridges that enter the competition. This year, we had two wonderfully designed bridges that had some continuous strands of glue securing the pasta. Sadly, the rules specify that is not allowed. It’s unfortunate to see students who work so hard on this kind of project turned away without a prize; we know how much effort they put into building these spectacular structures. Certainly the students were not attempting to gain any advantage. It was simply a case of not fully understanding the rigidity of the rules. When you are pushing the limits of engineering design, some unique solutions emerge, and we commend the students for their level of innovation.” The team from UBC Okanagan took home the top prize of $1,500. The second place prize went to James Dessert, from Charles Bloom Secondary. His bridge withstood 128.3 kilogram. Third place was not awarded, as the other bridges tested did not make the minimum threshold of 10 kilograms of load. The spaghetti bridge heavyweight world record of 443.58 kilograms was established in Kelowna in 2009 by a team from Hungary and continues to be undefeated. Hundreds of other students put their engineering skills to the test in other categories. Team Building, Secondary First – Esther Drysdale and Shale Nierman (Charles Bloom Secondary)

Second – Madison Dewitt and Paul Unger (King’s Christian School) Third- Marissa Brandsma and Jessica Roodzant (King’s Christian School) Individual Secondary First – James Dessert (Charles Bloom Secondary) Second– Hanya Riddick (Charles Bloom Secondary) Third – Justin Dessert (Charles Bloom Secondary)

Tax News

from Dean Chapple at H&R Block Deciding if you have a dependant for tax purposes can be a complicated procedure. Basically a dependant of a taxpayer is someone who relies on you for support; this could include a spouse, child, parents, grandparents, or siblings. There are a number of credits available for dependants and each has its own criteria. If your spouse has no income, you can claim a spousal amount, a non-refundable credit of up to $11,327. This amount is also available for a child under 18 at some time in the tax year who normally resides with an individual who is separated, divorced, single or widowed. This claim can also be made for dependant children over 18 and mentally or physically infirm and can be used for a parent, grandparent, sister, brother etc. who normally resides with you and is either under 18 or infirm – (parents or grandparents do not have to be infirm.) As always, these claims are geared to net income of the dependant and only one dependant per household qualifies. For more information on dependants and tax credits/deductions, come in and see our tax specialists with your questions. Vernon • #100, 2901 32nd Street • 250-549-3332 Hours: Mon. - Fri. 9-6, Sat. 9-5 Vernon • Village Green Centre (Beside Starbucks) #119, 4900 27th Street, Vernon • 250-545-4333 Armstrong • #2, 3305 Smith Drive • 250-546-2854 Hours: Mon. - Sat. 9-5

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A8 Wednesday, March 9, 2016 - The Morning Star

Opinion

Ministry of Forests bungles FOI request

Published by Black Press Ltd at

4407 - 25th Ave. Vernon, B.C.

The North Okanagan’s Community Newspaper Published Sunday, Wednesday, Friday The Morning Star, founded in 1988 as an independent community newspaper, is published each Sunday, Wednesday and Friday morning. Submissions are welcome but we cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited material including manuscripts and pictures which should be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. ENTIRE CONTENTS © 1988 MORNING STAR PUBLICATIONS LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Switchboard: 250-545-3322 E-Mail: newsroom@vernonmorningstar.com Web site: www.vernonmorningstar.com Mailing Address: 4407-25th Ave., Vernon, B.C., V1T 1P5 Fax: 250-542-1510

Publisher Ian Jensen 250-550-7906

Managing Editor

Glenn Mitchell 250-550-7920

We are all from Lumby

f you look purely at the numbers, Lumby’s bid for Kraft Hockeyville supremacy is daunting. Within the village’s boundary, there are 1,731 people to count on for votes, and that includes every tiny baby. In comparison, other top 10 competitors include Brockville, Ont. with a population of 21,870, Okotoks, Alta. at 24,511 and Oromocto, N.B. with 8,932 residents. But statistics are just statistics, and the folks with Kraft and Sportsnet have never met the folks from Lumby. Richard Rolke “Get family and friends to vote. We aren’t the smallest but we are nowhere near the biggest and we will need every vote,” wrote Rick Stolberg on the Vote for Lumby to be Kraft Hockeyville 2016 Facebook page. And going beyond Lumby is the key. Stephanie Davyduke and Angie Clowry are constantly working every angle to get the word out before the big vote this Sunday and Monday to pare the top 10 down to two finalists. “The more we share on social media, texting, e-mails and phone calls, the more we are promoting to our friends and family. Being direct with asking for support is key smile emoticon,” said Clowry. “Please send an e-mail out at your work asking friends and family to vote for Lumby.” Stolberg is a little more direct. “You know you must have those 500 Facecrack friends for a reason.” Within a short distance of Lumby is Mabel Lake, Whitevale, Trinity Valley, Cherryville

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and Lavington, and kids from all of those areas are on hockey teams at Pat Duke Memorial Arena. They are all well aware of the facility’s condition and the difference the $100,000 prize could make. But draw the circle even wider and the entire North Okanagan is vote-rich. “We’re all one big community and if Lumby gets $100,000, it benefits everyone,” said Akbal Mund, Vernon’s mayor, at a recent event. “Kids from Vernon and Armstrong play hockey here.” And the precedent for a region-wide endorsement was set back in 2011. At that time, Armstrong won the B.C. leg of the Kraft Celebration Tour. As a result, it netted a $25,000 upgrade to Hassen Arena and a TSN broadcast. Obviously Armstrong-Spallumcheen residents led the way, but the Hassen bid was successful because residents and businesses, no matter where they were in the North Okanagan, went online and voted. Voting for Kraft Hockeyville opens Sunday at 6 a.m. at khv2016.ca/and closes Monday at 9 p.m. From there, two finalists will be selected. There are 84,587 of us in the North Okanagan and while all of our communities are distinct, we have so much that binds us together, including a proud tradition of recreation, hockey and public facilities. Do your part for the region and take to the computer and vote for Lumby as often as you can. And if you don’t have a computer, smart phone or iPhone, find someone willing to lend you their’s. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to rally around our kids and the community. We are all from Lumby.

One has to continue questioning what is happening within the Ministry of Forests. After all, the ministry’s B.C. Timber Sales has been less than forthcoming when it comes to communicating with Cherryville residents about Cherry Ridge logging, and now, the ministry has denied a freedom of information request to access a report into a slide on Sugar Lake Road. The 2012 slide, which was 800 metres long and 10 metres wide, came extremely close to wiping out a house. Residents have a right to know what may have triggered the slide and if the slope is safe, particularly given B.C. Timber Sales’ plans for further logging there. This isn’t about fingerpointing but about public safety and providing residents with confidence that their interests are a priority. The ministry denied access to the slide report based on legislation, including legal advice, disclosure harmful to law enforcement, disclosure harmful to financial or economic interests of a public body and disclosure harmful to person privacy. Those reasons may have legal merit, but should they trump a community’s right to know what is happening around them, particularly when it comes to safety? The resounding answer is no. By not releasing the report, the ministry feeds the perception of a cover-up and that the agency is dodging what occurred in 2012. It is time for Eric Foster, Vernon-Monashee MLA, to directly get involved and demand that the wishes of Cherryville residents be followed. And that means he may have to take the issue straight to the premier’s office.

Letters

www.vernonmorningstar.com

Editor: GlEnn MitchEll

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❙

E-Mail: letters@vernonmorningstar.com

Not a suitable location

hile we appreciate the intent of the Okanagan Summer Festival Society (OSFS) to build an amphitheatre, as neighbours to Okanagan College's Vernon campus, we are deeply concerned about the negative ramifications of the project to both the natural environment and to area residents. We believe that this is not a suitable location for the following reasons: The two large gullies are the only natural habitat left within the enclave bounded by College Way, Kickwillie Loop Road and Highway 97. The steep slopes of this historic glacial gully are composed of fine textured soils that are subject to erosion due to runoff from the sports complex, the college parking lot and the bypass. Considerable funds have already been expended to control drainage into and through this gully. The gully is an ecologically sensitive site comprising steep slopes, sensitive, native bunch grass cover, with arrow leaf balsam root, prickly pear cactus, and sumac. It is home to the threatened western gopher (bull) snake and hawks are regularly seen hunting over the open grasslands. The concept plans for the amphitheatre portray green, grassy slopes all around the amphitheatre where up to 4,500 additional (1,500 in amphitheatre) people can sit. This would require removing all of the native vegetation

FARM LAND RESPONSE I was delighted to see a response by Alan Wilson to my letter in The Morning Star. Respectful sharing of different views is a critical part of democracy. That being said, there are some specifics I’d like to respond to. I’m well aware that the property in question is small, of poor arable quality and will not generate a significant income from farming. In Scotland, I worked on a dairy farm weekends and summers through high school and then owned an active farm of 85 acres in Ontario for 21 years. I’ve had to deal with everything from drainage issues and escaped cows to losing crops due to frost or drought. I understand the issues facing rural property owners. But I am not going to debate agricultural approaches and the concepts of land stewardship. In my letter, I outlined a number of concerns regarding land use and the development of Vernon. I still believe them to be entirely valid. First, if we’re going to develop affordable and more sustainable housing in Vernon, the place to start is higher density, residen-

❙

Wednesday, March 9, 2016 - The Morning Star A9

and planting irrigated turf on these over-steep, highly erodible slopes. Access to the amphitheatre for equipment and event staging would be off Kickwillie Loop Road, close to the College Way junction. This location for an access for large trucks and vans would present considerable safety risks and inconvenience to local traffic. Existing parking within the college site is insufficient to service the expected audience numbers (up to 6,000 people) and the impact on neighborhood roads during events will be severe. Local residents currently experience noise and light issues related to the sports complex and Funtastic events and we are very concerned about additional noise, light and view impacts related to the amphitheatre. We encourage the OSFS to continue its search and hope it can find a suitable site in the Vernon/Coldstream area where the natural environment and neighborhoods will not be so negatively affected. An anti-amphitheatre meeting is happening Monday at 7 p.m. in the cafeteria at Okanagan College's Vernon campus. Joan Rowan, Concerned Neighbours of Okanagan College, Vernon Campus

tial development in the downtown core, not development of open fields. Density in the centre of Vernon is low with numerous vacant commercial properties, low rise retail and many vacant lots turned over to parking. All of the critical services are within the downtown area already without additional spending being required. Second, the outskirts of Vernon are being ringed by low-density subdivisions and what I can only describe as suburbanized countryside – such as the constant line of houses along the roadsides in the BX or Coldstream. Such development is extremely expensive for municipalities to service for water, sewer and fire, etc. and generally leads to higher property taxes per household than higher density models. Plus it means gradual paving of the countryside and loss of land that could be needed for agriculture or recreation in the future. Once it’s paved it’s gone for ever. The Agricultural Land Reserve, for all its imperfections, is perhaps one way of controlling what some might regard as poorly designed

development proposals. Third, the City of Vernon spends a lot of money and staff time on developing plans of different types with extensive public consultation and input. If these plans are simply loose guidelines that council can ignore, then it makes a mockery of the whole process. This also needs to be discussed within the community. Our differing views suggest one thing to me. If we are to come together as a community with a shared vision of how to move Vernon forward, then we all need to talk to each other a lot more about how we think our community should be developed. Ritchie Leslie AIRPORT PLANS The proposed Vernon Regional Airport expansion will primarily benefit those who do not want to go to the trouble of travelling a few extra minutes to the Kelowna airport. To avoid inconveniencing that special interest group, the taxpayer will subsidize the airport opera-

tion to the tune of $11 million. The Vernon Regional Airport economic impact document projected a net 15-year return on investment of minus $59,100. Many of the jobs and benefits outlined in the Feb. 4 airport economic impact would, in-part, occur anyway without the big expansion. The airport expansion will have significant environmental impact on the surrounding communities. Increased aircraft traffic will increase the noise emitted to the many hundreds of residences along the approach and departure flight paths. A German noise study concluded that aircraft noise clearly and significantly impairs health. City council has stated it is business friendly. Should dubious business advantage be pursued at the expense of the average citizens’ wallet and quality of life? Perhaps some basic quality of life issues such as finding a rational solution to our domestic water supply system should take priority. I don’t think the airport expansion is a balanced or good business decision for a City of Vernon investment, for what is

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largely a subsidized private business operation. Howard Barber

■ The Morning Star is a member of the British Columbia Press Council, a self-regulatory body governing the province's newspaper industry. The council considers complaints from the public about the conduct of member newspapers. Directors oversee the mediation of complaints, with input from both the newspaper and the complaint holder. If talking with the editor or publisher does not resolve your complaint about coverage or story treatment, you may contact the B.C. Press Council. Your written concern, with documentation, should be sent to B.C. Press Council, P.O. Box 1356, Ladysmith, B.C. V9G 1A9. For information, phone 888-687-2213 or go to www. bcpresscouncil.org

A10 Wednesday, March 9, 2016 - The Morning Star

Arts

www.vernonmorningstar.com

Editor: Kristin FronEman ❘ PhonE: 250-550-7923 ❘ E-mail: entertainment@vernonmorningstar.com

Mariachi Los Dorados keeps up with tradition The sounds and history of ol’ Mexico return to the Okanagan Kristin Froneman Morning Star Staff

This time of year has many of us dreaming about shoving a lime wedge down the neck of a Corona while soaking up the rays under the Mexican sun. But for those of us in the Okanagan unable to get away to any exotic locales, don’t worry, the annual arrival of Mariachi Los Dorados to these parts is a warm respite. The band, which plays shows in Tappen, Armstrong, Summerland, Lake Country and Vernon from March 15 to 19, features a familiar face behind the guitarrón, the large bass played in mariachi bands. Diego Kohl is used to the heat, whether it be his surroundings or in the music he creates. Born in Ajijic on Lake Chapala south of Guadalajara, Mexico, Kohl moved to Armstrong when he was a boy and here learned to play guitar and piano. Now a top-drawer Latin musician in Vancouver, Kohl returns regularly to the North Okanagan, where his parents, Ken Smedley and Dorianne Kohl, live. From his home in New Westminster, which he shares with his Colombian-born wife and two daughters, Kohl teaches guitar, bass and piano and leads and performs in the Orquesta Tabasko, a big band which performs salsa and tropical dance music. “Canadians are really becoming more attuned to Latin music and

Photos submitted

mariachi Los Dorados returns to the okanagan to perform both original and traditional songs of mexico. Former armstrong resident Diego Kohl (above, right) plays the guitarrón, a large mexican six-string acoustic bass. dance,” said Kohl. “The music we play is similar to mariachi with its styles and rhythms. These are fast rhythms from Colombia and Puerto Rico.” Kohl has also been performing in the Tabasko Trio with two members from the Cuban-Canadian music scene: Brian Medina, a percussionist with Brisas del Palmar, and vocalist Hamilton Feraud. However, it’s with Los Dorados where he can explore Mexican history and tradition: It’s not only in the music and clothes, but the theatrics of the mariachi. The equivalent of travelling minstrels, the mariachi were

known to entertain the masses by travelling to rural communities, said Kohl. “In mariachi, you need at least five instruments. There are no backing tracks. You can play completely acoustic. We are a portable group in that you don’t need to be plugged in. We follow the history of the mariachi when they travelled from town to town to the rancheros,” he said. This year, Los Dorados is paying tribute to the golden era of Mexican film, the late-1950s when mariachi bands were a presence, performing rancheros-style or rural folk music in the movies.

“These were love stories, with guys on horses and the mariachi band singing to the girl he loves,” said Kohl. “We are not just musicians, we’re performers. The entertainment is not just in the music.” That is evident at the annual Mariachi Festival Canada in Vancouver. Held in May, the festival was founded and is produced by Los Dorados’ lead singer and guitarist Alex Alegria, who has a background in the theatre. For the past two years, the festival’s music director has been Armando Cervantes Tinoco, a musician, composer, arranger, and

a scholar when it comes to the history of mariachi. He is also one of the directors of the International Mariachi Festival in Guadalajara, the largest of its kind in the world. “We have played for him before at that festival. His presence can be a bit intimidating. He knows everything about mariachi and puts the books together for all the groups from around the world,” said Kohl. Last year, Tinoco did an arrangement of Alegria’s song El Mexicano, which Los Dorados played at the festival’s grand finale at The Orpheum theatre. “The arrangement has been well received in Mexico and is going to be used at the festival in Guadalajara,” said Kohl. “We also went into the studio with him and recorded two tracks.” Along with the recordings with Tinoco, Los Dorados released a full album last spring and is set to perform some of those new songs on its upcoming tour. Los Dorados’ North Okanagan dates include Wed., March 16 at the Zion United Church Hall in Armstrong (tickets are at Chocoliro, 250-546-2886) and at the Okanagan College Vernon campus theatre Sat., March 19 (tickets are at The Bean Scene, 250-558-1817). Both shows start at 7:30 p.m. Visit losdorados.ca for more information.

Phantom superstar, local soprano treat crowd

ive years ago, when superstar tenor Peter Karrie (who performed in Phantom of the Opera all over the world) wanted to do a concert tour of the Okanagan, he arranged to rent Vernon’s Powerhouse Theatre for his show. And when he asked rentals manager Joan Karstensen to recommend a local soprano who could sing with him, she had no hesitation in putting him Jim Elderton in touch with Melina Moore. Thus started the five-year vocal partnership, which brought them together again on stage Sunday for the Okanagan Symphony’s concert in front of a packed house. Music of the Night featured famous

ClassiCal Notes

songs from The Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Les Misérables by Claude-Michel Schönberg. And what a treat! Rosemary Thomson, musical director of the OSO, has often shown herself to be quite the entrepreneur when it comes to bringing world class performers to the Okanagan. Karrie has sung Phantom in numerous countries, including the show’s original production in London, as well as in Toronto and Vancouver. And for the first time here he was singing in front of a full orchestra. We’re all used to seeing local productions where performers sing to pre-recorded music tracks (and sometimes only a piano). We readily accept this, knowing that live theatre budgets in the Okanagan cannot accommodate the 50 musicians needed. But nothing can compare with a live orchestral backing. We’ll pay big money to get this

on Broadway or in Las Vegas, and here we were at a fraction of the price, utterly transported with these fabulous songs. Both singers had requested their own favourites from other shows. Moore sang Nella Fantasia, written for Sarah Brightman after Gabriel’s Oboe, the main theme from the 1986 film The Mission by Italian composer Ennio Morricone. Moore also showed considerable comedic talent with Frau Blücher’s song from the musical Young Frankenstein. Karrie brought us The Anthem from Chess by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus (formerly of ABBA), with lyrics by Tim Rice. With Karrie’s dynamic range, this was powerful stuff! He also sang Michel Legrand’s Piece of Sky from Yentl. But the first half of the show was really dedicated to Phantom, opening with the iconic duet that begins with those powerful organ chords sweeping through the theatre.

And we were given all the memorable songs from that show. They finished with Music of the Night, which was, of course, a showstopper. The second half was dedicated to Les Miz, and both singers gave truly heartfelt renderings. We had Valjean’s Soliloquy, I Dreamed a Dream, Fantine’s Death, Bring Him Home, ending with a duet arrangement for One Day More. The two shows featured are the two most successful musicals ever produced. Les Misérables is the longest-running musical in London’s West End (followed by The Phantom of the Opera). In 2010, Les Miz played its 10,000th performance in London, and celebrated its 25th anniversary with three productions running in London. The Broadway production closed after 6,680 performances. It was nominated for 12 Tony Awards and won eight, including Best Musical and Best Original Score.

Wednesday, March 9, 2016 - The Morning Star A11

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Say YesSay YesDress Dress Laughs: Laughs: Gags Gags The National (N) ’ Å

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SportsCentre (N) (Live) Å SportsCentre (N) (Live) Å SportsCentre Å

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(N) ’ (N) Å NHL Hockey: Sabres at Sportsnet NBA Basketball Cleveland Cavaliers at Los Angeles Lakers. From Sportsnet Central (N) Sportsnet Central Å Canadiens Central (N) Staples Center in Los Angeles. (N Subject to Blackout) (Live) Å The Polar Sea ’ Å Waterfront Cities of the Joanna Lumley’s Trans- New York “The City of Tomorrow (1931-1940)” ’ Å Waterfront Cities of the World “Riga” Å Siberian Adventure (N) World “Riga” Å KOMO 4 News 6:00pm Wheel of Jeopardy! Grey’s Anatomy “All Eyez Scandal Abby struggles to How to Get Away With KOMO (:35) Jimmy (N) Å Fortune (N) (N) ’ Å on Me” A veteran needs a keep Fitz in line. (N) ’ Å Murder The hunt for Philip 4 News Kimmel ’Å risky surgery. intensifies. (N) ’ 11:00pm (N) Live Å Lip Sync Lip Sync Battle “Holiday Lip Sync Repo Repo Lip Sync Lip Sync Battle “Holiday Lip Sync Movie: ›› “Rambo” (2008) Sylvester Stallone. 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(N) ’ Å agent. ’ niece. ’ ily. ’ Å Make Me The Next Nowhere Nowhere Fresh Malcolm in Arts Acad- Cheerlead- The X Factor UK The first Malcolm in Fresh Over (N) ’ Step Å Boys Å Boys Å Prince the Middle emy Å ers (N) ’ elimination. Å the Middle Prince Seinfeld Seinfeld (5:00) Movie: ››› Family Guy American Family Guy American The Middle House of Meet the House of “Groundhog Day” (1993) “The Pilot” ’ Å ’Å ’Å ’Å Dad Å Dad Å Payne Browns Payne Storage The Liqui- Storage Storage Fail Army Å Fail Army Å Storage The Liqui- Storage Storage I Shouldn’t Be Alive ’ Å Wars Can dator: On Wars Can Hunters Wars Can dator: On Wars Can Hunters Ice Road Truckers “New Yukon Gold Nika and Swamp People Troy Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Vikings Rollo’s future Join or Die Pawn Stars ’Å Cold Blood” ’ Å Chris face problems. ’ Landry is still behind. ’ (N) Å hangs in the balance. 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(N) ’ (N) Å Fallon (N) Å McCloud A corporate executive shuns Keeping Up Apocalypse I Prophesy: EastEnders (:40) EastEnders ’ Å (:20) East- It’s Super- Peter McCloud’s protection. ’ Å When? ’ The Future ’ Å Enders ’ natural! Popoff Global Na-