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KELOWNA Rockets travel south to face the host Portland Winterhawks tonight in Game 3 of the Western Conference final, the series tied 1-1.
MATT CROWELL doesn’t describe himself as a techie, but the growth of his technology-related business in recent years may change that for the former BCHL junior hockey player from Kelowna.
THE POSSIBILITY of shuffleboard being eliminated from the Parkinson Activity Centre activities has some seniors who regularly play the game upset with Kelowna City Hall.
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TUESDAY April 22, 2014 The Central Okanagan’s Best-Read Newspaper www.kelownacapnews.com
▼ SCHOOL DISTRICT
Trustees face $4 million in budget cuts Kathy Michaels STAFF REPORTER
the market after the abrupt Thursday evening resignation of Wolfe Wesle.
Expect to hear about belt tightening at local schools following the latest district-wide budget. In an attempt to get a grasp on the $4-million disparity between incoming funds and ongoing debts across the Central Okanagan School District, the school board met last week to compose a list of 10 cuts. Most significant, according to board chair Moyra Baxter, is a $1.3-million reduction to the per pupil funding across the region for the 2014-15 budget. “That is $70 less per pupil going to schools,” said Baxter, explaining that the school district usually allots $4,500 of $6,900 it gets from the province to local schools for each registered student. The $70 apiece cut may not sound like much, but Baxter explained those are the dollars that are used for the bare necessities. “At the school level when they sit down with less money, they’re going to have to look at things like special programs, and special areas of support, and maybe extra learning assistance,” she said. “It’s a school-by-school decision. We’re leaving it to every school to sit down and see how these funds will be spent.” Other significant cuts include $250,000 taken from the district’s technology budget, $50,000 reduction to the Hollywood Road/Learning Centre budget, $120,000 less for the operations department budget and $500,000 less for the resource allocation to schools. Baxter added that the cuts may not seem that noticeable in the upcoming school year, but if the district is forced to keep clawing back services to keep up with growing expenses, it will be a different story. “If we have to make these cuts again next year, and don’t put (the funding) back… it has a cumulative effect,” she said. “Absolutely people are going to start noticing that we have started to make these cuts—especially if the cost of utilities keep going up.” It’s not just utilities, either.
See Executive A5
See Cuts A3
BARRY GERDING/CAPITAL NEWS
EASTER SUPPER…Kelowna Gospel Mission kitchen crew volunteers Cathie Morin and Mandy Phillips were serving up
Easter turkey dinners to more than 700 people last Saturday at the Leon Avenue facility for those in need. Among the dinner servers were local politicians Steve Thomson, Norm Letnick and Ron Cannan. The meal involved preparing 40 turkeys, 16 hams, 100 lbs mixed vegetables, 500 lbs of potatoes and about 50 litres of gravy.
Shake-up on executive for farmers’ market
Kathy Michaels
STAFF REPORTER
Relationships at the Kelowna Farmers’ Market were recently frac-
tured as discussions about a potential relocation reached an impasse, but a surprise change in leadership is expected to get all involved back on track.
It’s just not yet clear where that track leads, said new market president Rachelle Zelaney, explaining that plans to move the market to a
downtown site are currently on hold. Zelaney rose in status from vice-president to president of the volunteer board that oversees
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