80 years
serving our community 1930 to 2010
IN DEMAND
MOTORING
ENTERTAINMENT
OPINION
ROB FRIEND of Kelowna is returning to the second division of German pro soccer to help get his career back on track as a consistent scorer. A17
THE LEXUS GS 450H is a combination of both a sports and luxury sedan, a refined vehicle with enough of an edge to make it one of the most interesting cars in the Lexus line-up.
TAOIST TAI CHI teacher Linda McKay says the ancient Chinese form of soft exercise compared to other martial art forms leaves your body feeling supple and your mind feeling free of stress.
ZERO TOLERANCE expressed for people camping or recreating in the bush who start forest fires.
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FRIDAY July 30, 2010 The Central Okanagan’s Best-Read Newspaper www.kelownacapnews.com Best in BC
▼ FOREST FIRES
High fire alert in the woods Kathy Michaels CONTRIBUTOR
Tinder dry conditions exacerbated by lightning, kept fire fighters busy throughout Thursday and they’re not expecting the pace to let up until sometime next week. “We are forecasting some more dry lightning this afternoon and through the next week as well,” said Elise Riedlinger, fire information officer with the B.C. Ministry of Forests and Range. “We are seeing an increase of fire behaviour, throughout the centre and we will have more crews on because of the forecast.” So far the Kamloops fire region has seen 142 fires—a number that falls below the 10 year average—and 1,096 hectares have burnt. In the last 24 hours alone, B.C. crews responded to 18 fires, and 13 were suspected to be caused by lightning storms. Closest to home is the Joe Rich blaze, which Thursday stood at 10 hectares in size, and is 70 per cent contained. That fire was reported shortly after 2 a.m. and the suspected cause is lightning. Resources on site include one forest officer, one initial attack crew, one dozer and one water ten-
der. An additional 10 firefighters are en route to support the fire suppression efforts. While the conditions look dour, Riedlinger is hoping area residents will stay vigilant and report any signs of fire and make sure that they’re careful when interacting with that outdoors. That includes no campfires and to be careful when disposing of cigarettes. After all, nearly 100 fires were caused by humans this year. Also, smoke is starting to settle in the valley, raising the province’s Air Quality Health Index to a low health risk rating with anticipation of a moderate risk in the days to come. To that end, the health authority has some tips on how to stay healthy. Among them are, use common sense regarding outdoor physical activity—if your breathing becomes difficult or uncomfortable, stop or reduce the activity. Stay cool and drink plenty of fluids. And consider visiting a location like a shopping mall with cooler filtered air. Staying indoors may provide some relief from the smoke but many air conditioning systems do not filter the air or improve indoor air quality For more information about smoke irritation, go to interiorhealth.ca.
WOON-HING MANNING with her piece My Life, which shows the three stages—past, present and future.
SEAN CONNOR/CAPITAL NEWS
▼ FACING INEVITABLE
Friends rally in support of local artist Jennifer Smith STAFF REPORTER
It took UBC Okanagan fine arts graduate Woon-hing Manning 17 years to finally earn her degree last month, receiv-
ing the most outstanding fine arts student award in the process. Yet sitting in a wheelchair, having just undergone four days of medical tests, it wasn’t quite the moment she had en-
visioned. “All of my friends had to see me sitting there in that chair,” she clucks, with a hint of disgust. Sharp-tongued and smiling a little over a month after the convoca-
tion, its hard to imagine this strong, confident person—who supports both her 14-year-old daughter and 82-year-old father— is sick as she darts about the backyard of their creek-side home.
Vegetables planted along the back fence, apricots ready to pick, she is setting up artwork for a photo before she sells them in a few days time. See Friends A4
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