SILVER SKI | Vernon’s Josh Dueck makes podium in Paralympic downhill in Sochi [A4]
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Wednesday, March 12, 2014 P R O U D L Y
JENNIFER SMITH
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nyone who knows the Ritchies will tell you: “It couldn’t have happened to better people.” Following a frightful year battling cancer, Ron and his wife Donna already consider themselves lucky. So along with Ron being in remission from the nasty disease, the Vernon couple are now $1 million richer. “I’m freaking out,” said Donna, who bought the ticket from Charlie’s Grocery Friday evening. “I haven’t slept.” Likewise, Ron is over the moon about their winning $6 LottoMax Quick Pick ticket. “We didn’t even think about it, I just put it in my wallet,” said Ron, who found out the good news Saturday morning when he checked the numbers at Safeway. Donna was checking her scratch and wins, collecting a couple bucks, when the lottery attendant told them someone from Vernon had won the Maxmillion. “Oh ya, nice,” said Donna. “I look over at Ron and he says, ‘it’s us!’” The Morning Star cannot re-print the words that escaped Donna’s mouth.
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Donna and Ron Ritchie of Vernon get ready to head to Kamloops to cash in their million-dollar lottery ticket. Then Monday morning 55-year-old Donna retired from her circulation job at The Morning Star so she can spend more time with, and spoil, “my babies” (together they have three children
“She was losing it,” laughs Ron. After checking the numbers over and over at various ticket checkers around town, the couple shared the good news with their family.
and four grandchildren). Ron, who is 59, works at the City of Vernon, but isn’t sure yet what his plans are – aside from buying a new truck. “We went and looked at it on
Saturday,” said Donna, adding that it’s not even brand new, it’s a 2008. The couple, who have until now lived virtually paycheque to paycheque, plan to talk with a financial advisor to ensure their winnings are well spent. “If you’re not careful, it can go like that,” said Donna. They have no plans to move, as they love their home and neighbourhood, and only have a few years left on their mortgage. But they are excited to be able to afford to hire a contractor for some renovations that are in the works. “I don’t have to try and save a buck,” said Ron, who was planning to do all the work himself. Donna and Ron have been together for 19 “wonderful,” years, aside from last year. Almost a year ago to the day, Ron learned that he had lymphoma. “We had a really tough year,” said Donna, as Ron went through six rounds of chemo. But they got through it. “She always said 2013 sucked, 2014 is going to be a new one,” said Ron. “She was right.” Not only did they win the fight against cancer, but they beat the one in 28,633,528 odds of becoming a Maxmillionaire.
Residents vote on future of new ice sheet Ice sports could abandon Vernon’s Civic Arena. The Greater Vernon Advisory Committee approved a motion Tuesday to hold a November referendum to fund a replacement sheet of ice and decommission Civic Arena as an ice facility. Doug Dirk “The public should have the opportunity to weigh in on whether to keep the building (for ice sports) and the liabilities or replace
it,” said director Doug Dirk. The next step will be to determine costs and the location of a proposed ice sheet, whether it is twinning Kal Tire Place or Priest Valley Arena. It could cost between $9.1 and $14.5 million for a Civic-sized facility depending on building materials, but City of Vernon staff have suggested costs could be reduced because another 2,000-seat arena is not needed in the community. Four hundred seats is more likely and a basic arena could be $5 million. An engineering assessment was recently conducted of the 1938 Civic Arena, plus a 1979 renovation. The report suggests it would cost $1.5 million to replace the slab
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surface, which is at risk from a deteriorating brine (refrigeration) system. “We are rolling the dice every time we put ice in the arena,” said Doug Ross, the city’s recreation manager. The engineering report also says an immediate $100,000 in life and safety upgrades would be needed if Civic remains open while short-term upgrades of $5.6 million would be needed in two to five years. Ross says Civic Arena currently has a $160,000 annual operating deficit because of staffing and mechanical challenges, and that would disappear with a new facility. If something isn’t done to plan for a new arena, there are concerns an emergency could occur at Civic and ice time would be
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lost as happened in Armstrong a few years ago. “We don’t want to wait until it fails,” said Dirk. The move towards a referendum and additional burden on taxpayers is raising concern for some directors, including Gyula Kiss. “There’s going to be another referendum for $70 million for the master water plan so it will be a double-whammy for residents.” If Civic Arena is no longer needed for ice sports, the City of Vernon, as the building owner, would consider if other uses could occur there or if the structure would be demolished. The property is designated for park. MSRP $40,499
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