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BUSINESS
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KELOWNA ROCKETS will hope to stave off elimination in WHL playoff series with Portland Winterhawks tonight at Prospera Place.
COLUMNIST Maxine DeHart says both Rutland and downtown Kelowna are planning to start up outdoor shopping markets with local vendors for the spring and summer this year.
RESIDENTIAL property taxpayers living on Westbank First Nation land will see a 0.4% tax hike this year on their property tax notices.
82 serving our community 1930 to 2012
SALES
A14
B9
SINCE 1965
A17
559
$
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FT900
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1892 Byland Rd,
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West Kelowna
250-769-7355 1892 Spall Rd,
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250-868-1010
THURSDAY March 29, 2012 The Central Okanagan’s Best-Read Newspaper www.kelownacapnews.com
▼ WEST KELOWNA
Preparing for Hockeyville vote finale
Wade Paterson
STAFF REPORTER
Four months ago, a small committee tossed out an idea: West Kelowna is Hockeyville. Several residents and local dignitaries got on board with the suggestion and the momentum started to grow. Since then, it hasn’t stopped. This Saturday, West Kelowna will find out if it is Kraft Hockeyville 2012. “We’re anxious, nervous and excited,” said West Kelowna Hockeyville co-chair Adam Less. “Win or lose, we’ve done all that we can do. We’re proud of the effort that we’ve made…at this point, it’s a win for us either way…we’ll obviously be a lot happier if we win.” Although there are five communities in the running for the Hockeyville crown, West Kelowna and Stirling-Rawdon, Ont., are heavy favourites. In the first round of voting, Stirling-Rawdon earned more than 1.3 million votes; West Kelowna brought in just over one million votes. But Less is optimistic that Saturday’s announcement might be different than the results from the first round of voting. “You never want to speculate, but we have a lot of support out here. We reached out throughout the province and beyond. Traditionally in these things, the second round of voting tends to draw more votes than the first round. We were behind Stirling, but in the whole scheme of things, not by that much. “We’re hopeful that we reached enough people and created enough of a stir that we passed them on the final stretch.” Several events and activities are being planned for Saturday’s announcement at Royal LePage Place. CBC will be broadcasting live throughout the day up until the final announcement. See Finale A22
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DOUG FARROW/CONTRIBUTOR
DEAN DACK takes delight in his pile of compost which generates sufficient internal warmth, evident by the rising steam, to heat a greenhouse.
▼ KELOWNA
Quality compost can be hot stuff Judie Steeves STAFF REPORTER
Rows of black soil are lined up in a field, some a slightly different colour than others—but only one is releasing a mysterious vapour from the peak of the pile. This is the row to which Dean Dack added pomace last fall after local
grapes were crushed for wine, and he is delighted to report that it’s been creating immense heat all winter. He clambers up the pile and digs in, coming up with his bare hands overflowing with compost that he quickly shakes off—because it’s simply too hot to hold. His thermometer reads
ANNUAL th
144 F or 62 C when he stabs it a few inches into the pile, near the top. “That’s enough to heat a greenhouse,” he crows with elation. “We need to capture that warmth.” Dack started this compost pile in November, and points with pride to tiny mushrooms sprouting from the top on this cool
spring day, at the peak of the ‘wigwam,’ where cold air that’s been drawn in from the bottom of the pile, vents into the air as steam. It’s all about the microbes, he explains. “All those little microbes are eating and pooping and turning this pile into good compost,” he said. In the process heat
is produced. He says he used a combination of carbonrich shredded wood, pomace from crushed grapes, alfalfa and other materials, to create a compost that will provide the perfect addition to garden soil for growing healthy, happy, nutrient-rich, flavourful
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