MOVING ON | Sturgis North leaves Spallumcheen for a new location near Chase [A5]
Morning gStar
The
Friday, Nov. 9, 2012
P R O U D L Y
S E R V I N G
O U R
N O R T H
PETERS TIRECRAFT
peterstirecraft.ca 4612 - 27 St, Vernon 250-545-0634
w w w. v e r n o n m o r n i n g s t a r. c o m
O K A N A G A N
C O M M U N I T I E S
F O R
O V E R
2 0
Y E A R S
Frankie spreads his wings JENNIFER SMITH
F
Morning Star Staff
rom a little ball of white fuzz found orphaned after his mother was killed, Frankie has flourished despite his once uncertain future. The red tailed hawk was rescued in early July from a nest overlooking Highway 97 in Coldstream, above Kalamalka Lake. Frankie and his brother were just weeks old, unable to fly or feed themselves, when their mother was killed after being hit by a semi-truck. If it weren’t for Coldstream residents Denis and Gerry Marson, and their sister Pauline Cummings, witnessing the accident, the young hawks may have never survived. The Marsons routinely watched the hawks, as their patio overlooked the highway and the hawk’s nest. “Everyday I watched them,” said Gerry. “So the day she was hit I just cried and cried. It was awful.” Unsure of who to call to help rescue the young hawks, the Marsons were put in touch with the South Okanagan Rehabilitation Centre for Owls. Despite being located near Oliver, SORCO volunteers made the trip up to Coldstream, and with the help of Horizon Tree Services, erected a boom to reach the nest. Unfortunately one of the young hawks had died in the overnight storm, but little Frankie was still hanging on. “He was so cute,” recalls Gerry, whose husband Denis had actually named the bird Frankie. As cute as Frankie was, SORCO executive manager Lauren Meads admits they were uncertain if he would make it. “We were a little worried at the beginning,” said Meads. “He was a little guy, only three weeks old. He had just lost his parent and one of his
View Online JENNIFER SMITH/MORNING STAR
Frankie, a young red tailed hawk, sits in a cage before being released in Vernon Monday after spending four months at the South Okanagan Rehabilitation Centre for Owls, after his mother was killed when he was just a baby (pictured within). Visit www.vernonmorningstar.com for a video of Frankie’s release. siblings.” But Frankie proved to be a fighter, and after initially hand feeding the little hawk every three hours, he went from a mere 30 grams to weighing one kilogram a few months later. “He’s very feisty,” said Meads. “He’s eating lots, and he’s hunting really well. “We’re really happy that he’s doing well.” And four months later, Frankie was finally ready to spread his wings over his home turf.
With the Marsons and the original SORCO volunteers who had rescued Frankie on hand Monday, a cage was set in a field in the Commonage. After a little coaxing, a much larger, mature Frankie exited the cage, glanced around and then took to the sky. “I know I should be happy for him but I’m not,” said Gerry, instinctively worrying it might be too cold or scary for her feathered friend.
Despite her concerns, Meads explains the location is perfect for the hawk – being close to his parent’s range yet away from the busy highway, over grassy fields with a variety of trees for shelter. For more information on the work done by SORCO, or to donate towards its efforts and plans to open a new rehabilitation centre in May 2013, visit www.sorco.org. Visit www.vernonmorningstar.com for a video of Frankie’s release.
Two-year prison term for three bank robberies ROGER KNOX Morning Star Staff
Vernon Provincial Court judge Mayland McKimm is impressed with Michael Lawrence Schoenknecht’s attempts to rehabilitate himself from a nasty heroin addiction. On Thursday, McKimm agreed with defence lawyer Brian Loewen’s request that Schoenknecht be sentenced to two years in a federal prison after Schoenknecht pleaded guilty to three Vernon bank robberies, fueled by his heroin addiction.
CHECK OUR SALE AD ON PAGE A13! SAVINGS YOU WON’T WANT TO MISS!!
“I am impressed by comments in the pre-sentence report and psychiatric assessment that said Mr. Schoenknecht’s remorse seemed genuine, and that was consistent with his attitude portrayed throughout the proceedings,” said McKimm. “The only risk to society is if he doesn’t deal with his drug habit and get the habit under control.” Schoenknecht, 30, whose family attended the court proceedings, pleaded guilty to bank robberies at VantageOne Credit Union, Bank of Montreal and HSBC over an eight-
month period in Vernon between December 2011 and July 2012. In each instance, Schoenknecht produced a note saying he had a weapon, but no weapon was ever produced or brandished during the robberies. McKimm was puzzled by the lack of victim impact statements from any of the tellers involved in the robberies. Schoenknecht will be placed on 12-months probation upon his release from prison. He must also provide a DNA sample and was given a 10-year firearms prohibition.
LOOK WHO’S NEW! SCOTT ROBB
Recently joining Vernon Toyota’s team as the new Sales Manager
3401 - 48TH AVE • PHONE 250-545-0687 • WWW.VERNONTOYOTA.COM