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AN EXTRAORDINARY athlete now calls Kelowna home. From Jamaica, Jerome Blake chose track over playing cricket and is showing great results.
COLUMNIST Maxine DeHart congratulates The Kelowna Gospel Mission’s dental clinic which received the Kelowna Civic Award for extraordinary community service.
WAM! goes the Rotary Centre for the Arts fundraiser, with wine local food tastings, and a kaleidoscope of entertainment.
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THURSDAY May 8, 2014 The Central Okanagan’s Best-Read Newspaper www.kelownacapnews.com
Another Westside box store closure
Wade Paterson
STAFF REPORTER
Staples Canada has confirmed West Kelowna’s branch will be one of approximately 225 North American locations to close by the end of next year. Staples will also be the fourth West Kelowna big box store to shut down in the last two years. Westbank First Nation Chief Robert Louie said he was a bit shocked to find out Staples was pulling out of its Westside location. “I am concerned,” said Louie. “Staples has been, I believe, a good corporate citizen in the area. They’ve provided good service; I feel sorry for their employees.” Louie said he has taken time to examine what is happening on WFN land with regard to the closures of several big box stores, including Zellers, Future Shop, and now Staples. “Despite the closure of Staples, I feel…the economy is still picking up.” He said Wholesale Sports Outdoor Outfitters, Fenders Automotive, Stickle & Strawn Optometry, Pizza Hut and Freeride Boardshop are examSee Closure A14
WARREN HENDERSON/CAPITAL NEWS
MIRROR IMAGE…Twin brothers Mitchell (left) and Stephen Kucher, from Dr. Knox Middle School, battle it out in the Grade 8 boys’ hurdles final Tuesday
during the Central Okanagan high school track and field championships at the Apple Bowl. Mitchell narrowly edged out Stephen for first place in the sibling rivalry. See more coverage on the track and field championships on A22.
▼ COURT
Guilty plea reduces sentence for senior Foerster Kathy Michaels STAFF REPORTER
The Cherryville man who helped his son cover his tracks after he brutally murdered a teenage girl, will spend the next couple of years behind bars. Stephen Foerster was sentenced to three years in prison, less 336 days of time served, for the charge of accessory af-
ter the fact. The 60-year-old, the court learned Wednesday, went to great lengths to help his son Matthew Foerster escape police scrutiny for five months after his Halloween 2011 slaying of Armstrong teen, Taylor Van Diest. But, said Crown counsel, as he laid out his argument for the sentence, the fact the senior Foerster arranged to plead
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guilty to the crime shortly after a preliminary hearing worked in his favour. Justice Peter Rogers agreed to the sentence, which was presented as a joint submission from Crown counsel and defence, noting that if he had his way, he’d have aimed for a slightly longer term of imprisonment. “Mr. Foerster, knowing that
Matthew was a killer, that he killed a defenceless girl, and he killed her at random, (sends) him to Collingwood, Ontario, where, for all he knows, he’ll kill again,” said Rogers, as he rendered the sentence. “What Matthew Foerster did was just cold and Stephen Foerster knowingly facilitated a cold killer to be at large. That’s worrisome.”
Foerster remained stoic in the prisoner’s box as the proceedings rolled out much of Wednesday morning, but when he was offered an opportunity to speak later that afternoon he took it. “I would like to apologize to the Van Diest family
See Plea A5
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