NEWS PENTICTON WESTERN
www.pentictonwesternnews.com
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news
Lawsuit surprises Summerland crash victim
VOL. 47 ISSUE 57
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Fundraising pizzas
10 page
WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 2013
entertainment Rhythmic drummers
headed for Penticton
Mark Brett/Western News Evelyn and Mickey Parenteau of Penticton take off on a parasailing adventure on Okanagan Lake to celebrate Mickey’s 92nd birthday and the couple’s third anniversary recently. For the full story see Page 12.
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sports Gropp headed to national U18 camp
BUSINESSMAN OPPOSES RENOS
NEWS PENTICTON WESTERN
Steve Kidd
Western News Staff
A Penticton businessman is following through on a promise to oppose city council’s plan to revitalize a section of downtown Penticton. Phil Locke, of Locke Property Management, first spoke before council at their June 17 meeting, expressing his opposition to the plan to make over a section of Martin Street and Westminster Avenue, part of the city’s new downtown plan. Council approved the $1.25 million project on July 2, including a plan to recover nearly $300,000, about 25 per cent, of the costs from property owners. Locke has already composed a two-page letter to distribute to other property owners in the area. “They were going to do something similar in 2005, when they found out the
opposition was such that they didn’t go through with it,” said Locke. The Martin Street project, Locke contends, will do nothing to increase the customer base, making it a waste, not only of the money that the property owners will have to put in, but the larger portion of city funds. The Martin Street project is just the first step of the new downtown plan, itself the result of more than a year of planning and consultation with the community and business owners. According to Anthony Haddad, director of planning services, this project was selected because it will not only enhance the western entrance to the downtown core and the Martin Street entertainment district, but also build momentum and excitement about the downtown revitalization in general. See RENO on page 3
WAGE INCREASE HITS BOTTOM LINE Steve Kidd
Western News Staff
EVELYN AND MICKEY Parenteau of Penticton take off on a parasailing adventure on Okanagan Lake to celebrate Mickey’s 92nd birthday and the couple’s third anniversary recently. For the full story see Page 12. Mark Brett/Western News
RAISED GARDEN BOX
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Community and family service organizations may be struggling to meet budgets or deliver services following a wage increase negotiated between the province and unionized workers. But at least one South Okanagan group said it is too early to tell how it will affect them. “I understood we are still negotiating with government as far as getting relief for those funds,” said Richard Little,
WE'VE CUT OUR PRICES... IN
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executive director for the South Okanagan Association for Integrated Community Living. “We’ve not been denied those funds, they just haven’t come.” Little’s organization was named in a release from the B.C. Government and Service Employees Union, which said the provincial government failed to provide bridge funding for a 1.5 per cent wage increase negotiated for frontline workers earlier this year through the community social services bargaining association. See BUDGET on p. A3
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