Lake Country
Calendar
Proudly Serving
www.lakecountrycalendar.com
Winfield, Oyama, Okanagan Centre and Carrs Landing since 1951
AUBIN & ASSOCIATES NOTARIES PUBLIC A TRUSTED TRADITION
Specializing in
Real Estate & Estate Planning ‘SEAL’ THE DEAL. CALL NICK TODAY
250.766.4444
#10 Lakewood Mall (beside Tim Hortons) w w w.au b in &as s ociat es .com
April 4, 2012
â–ź MUNICIPAL HALL
Inside
Lake Country reduces staff in reorganization RICHARD ROLKE CONTRIBUTOR
Soccer The annual Icebreaker soccer tournament kicks off this weekend at Beasley Fields with 70 teams competing in what has become a sure sign of spring . ..........................
A7
Cancer society volunteers Jenny Wilkinson, of Okanagan Centre, will help spearhead this year’s fundraising effort for the Canadian Cancer Society in the Lake Country area. ..........................
A3
Flyers â– JYSK â– Rona â– Budget Blinds â– Home Depot
The belt is being tightened at the Lake Country municipal office and that means fewer employees. The district initiated an organizational review in November and some senior management positions are being eliminated. Three individuals have been notified of changes and two have already left their duties. “The end goal is to find realignment of the organization that meets the needs of the community,� said Alberto De Feo, chief administrative officer. “We’ve been told (by residents) to keep taxes in check. Through this operation, we are hoping to save money.� De Feo wouldn’t specify which administrative posts have been impacted so far, and he wouldn’t say how many other staff may leave, although union positions are also being considered. “Some departments have more staff than other municipalities our size. Development services and administration are being looked at,� he said. De Feo doesn’t believe the restructuring process is creating poor morale among the 65 employees.
“We’ve been discussing this since June and I’ve interviewed each staff member. There is a desire for change,� he said. “We’ve been operating the same since incorporation (1995).� Mayor James Baker supports the organizational review. “We want to see if we can gain efficiencies,� said Baker, adding that reduced costs and new sources of revenue must be found instead of raising taxes. A report on organizational structure will be made public in mid-April. “Any time there are changes, it’s distressing but all of our staff are really good and if there are changes, they will be highly recommended,� said Baker. The next stage of the organizational review will look at contracted services and value for money of those services. “We will look at whether we can do them better in-hour or continue do them from outside,� said Baker. The district will also look at streamlining approval processes to encourage development as a way of expanding the tax base. “We’ve heard that the way we do business in these areas is cumbersome,� said De Feo. newsroom@lakecountrynews.net
â–ź ENVIRONMENT
Locals switch off for Earth Hour Thousands of residents from across the Okanagan and Kootenays, including here in Lake Country, joined one of the largest environmental campaigns on the planet by switching off for Earth Hour 2012 last Saturday, For the fourth consecutive year, FortisBC sponsored the Earth Hour Challenge, encouraging residents here
to switch off all non-essential lighting, appliances and electronics from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. “We credit the success of this year’s Earth Hour Challenge to the tremendous leadership shown by the participating communities and non-profit organizations,� said Tom Loski, vice-president, customer service, FortisBC. “They reached resi-
dents in their communities by engaging businesses, schools, libraries, recreation centres and more in the effort to spread the word about Earth Hour. FortisBC congratulates all of the communities for their efforts.� The winner of the highest per capita participation for this year’s challenge was the Village of Salmo.
WHISTLER MOUNTAIN SKI CLUB
KELOWNA’S Ian Deans will step up to the World Cup ski cross circuit next season.
Deans sets sights on the World Cup ski-Cross circuit Big White’s Ian Deans will compete next season on the World Cup men’s ski cross circuit. The Okanagan Centre product earned a spot on the world’s premier tour thanks to winning the Nor-Am Cup ski cross overall title this season. Deans clinched top spot by winning both the recent Nor-Am races at Mt. Hood Meadows, Oregon. With 664 points, Deans won the overall crown by 129 points over teammate Robert Lepine of Whistler. “I feel relieved,� said Deans, 20. “I’ve been stressing about it for a little while as it’s been pretty tight and finally getting it off my chest is a huge relief. I’ve been working towards this all year, so it feels good.� “Ian had really good starts both days,� said Alberta Ski Cross coach Stanley Hayer. “He won every start except for the
WinďŹ eld *O UIF $PPQFS T 1MB[B t 250-766-2666 winďŹ eldida@gmail.com t -PDBMMZ PXOFE PQFSBUFE CZ (BSUI .POB .D,BZ
Longest store hours in Lake Country, for your convenience! BN QN .POEBZ UP 'SJEBZ t BN QN 4BUVSEBZ t BN QN 4VOEBZ
final and then he passed in the first trapping section and never looked back. He was just really strong. He looked really focused.� Deans is already looking forward to the possibilities for next season. “I got to compete in one of the World Cups this year and it was amazing,� said Deans, who raced in Blue Mountain, Ont. “Just the support from everyone from the national team and allowing me to come with them was absolutely spectacular.� Deans grew up skiing at Big White Ski Resort, joined the Big White Racers. After watching Kelsey Serwa and her success, he decided to pursue racing on the ski cross circuit. A driven young man, Deans is currently studying at UBCO while keeping up with his ski cross training.
Hop in for Last Minute
Easter Supplies!