Maxine Dehart

Straight from DeHart

Date: December 26/2007

The Kelowna General Hospital is celebrating its centennial year in 2008 and to commemorate this milestone the Kelowna Museums Society is opening a special exhibition at the Okanagan Heritage Museum, “Kelowna General Hospital: Celebrating 100 years 1908-2008” that will run from January 10 until June 12. The hospital officially opened on April 2/1908 at its present site on land donated by the Kelowna Land & Orchard Company. It accommodated 19 patients and includes nurse’s quarters and separate wards for men and women. In 1940 the new more modern hospital was built next the old one and the original building was demolished in 1967. The Okanagan Heritage Museum was awarded $10,000 from the Spirit of BC Arts Fund as well as funds from the Kelowna General Hospital Foundation Centennial Committee for the development of this exhibition. The public grand opening will be Saturday, January 12, 11am-1pm at the Okanagan Heritage Museum at 470 Queensway Ave. They will conduct free guided tours of the exhibition every half hour and everyone is welcome to attend. Admission by donation. Call 763-2417 for more info.

Gord Hotchkiss and his team at Enquiro are conducting eye tracing research on how people search on the internet. Now this crack team of searchologists is facing the difficult challenge of recruiting new participants for their research studies. Participants of these studies come into Enquiro’s office in Landmark IV where they run through a series of tasks on the internet and provide feedback on their experience. They are paid anywhere form $30 to $100 for 15 to 60 minutes of their time. Enquiro is looking for people who live in the Kelowna area, who are 18-65 years old and who use the internet at least 3-5 hours a week (not including time spend on e-mail, Facebook or Myspace). If you would like to take part in this research and earn a little extra cash register at www.enquiroresearch.com/participate or contact Krista Brown at 861-5252 ext. 226.

The key to good health is understanding what you put in your body. Sam Ibrahim BSc., a leading pharmacist and herbalist, with training in both Germany and Canada has moved to Kelowna. He earned his science degree in pharmacy and worked as a chief pharmacist in Germany. His unique approach to preventative healthcare combines traditional and homeopathic remedies. His determination has helped people suffering from various ailments for over 38 years. Sam has set a precedent in the marketplace by selling a combination of standard pharmaceutical products with homeopathic herbal and nutritional products. He is now available for private consultations or speaking engagements. Call Nutrition Plus at 862-5229 or sibrah@shaw.ca

Local resident Traude Robertson is the author of a new book “Left Home without My Suitcase.” The book is based on a true story about a “cat on the lam” and the lives “she” touches and friendships that are created because of “her” between neighbors and total strangers. Be prepared to laugh and cry. This is Traude’s fourth book and she donated the first 50 copies to the Kelowna SPCA. The book is available at Mosaic. Call Traude at 860-1322 or e-mail kayandtee@shaw.ca

Festivals Kelowna, the new organization created by the City to support the local festivals and special events community is seeking names of qualified candidates to join the society as board members for the next term. In addition to producing three major events each year, the society provides strategic advice and guidance to the city regarding local festivals and special events, as well as works to help strengthen the local industry so it can capitalize on the strong tourism market. Potential applicants would ideally have current or previous experience in the festival and special events industry or be familiar with the local events community. Individuals can submit their names by completing an application form available on the Parks Alive homepage at www.parksalive.com and send their resume to festivalskelowna@shaw.ca by Jan. 2/08. For more info call Renata Mills 868-3326

You still have time to take advantage of the Kelowna Memorial Park Cemetery “Tree of Memories” program for friends and family members that has passed on. This is the ninth year for the program and visitors are encouraged to place ornaments on the special trees in honour of their loved ones until Monday, January 7 at the cemetery at 1991 Bernard Avenue. Two trees are available for decorations; one is located at the Bennett Memorial Circle in the centre of the cemetery and the other is placed near the dome by the Promontory Green Interment Garden. Ornaments from previous years are placed on the memorial trees as a perpetual memory. If you would like to keep your ornament it should be retrieved before the trees are removed.

The City of Kelowna is running its annual good-will campaign, “Snow Busters” encouraging residents to lend a helping hand to neighbours during the winter months. Most residents live within steps of a senior or someone with a disability and in many cases already help their neighbours keep their driveways and sidewalks free of snow and ice. Being a Snow Buster is truly the neighbourly thing to do. Last winter Kelowna residents stepped up to acknowledge those individuals who helped them through the snowy days and wrote heart-warming stories about their Snow Busters. The City is encouraging anyone who receives snow removal assistance to nominate the individual as a “Snow Buster” by submitting a letter or e-mail explaining why they would like to nominate their neighbour and the Snow Buster will automatically be eligible to win a $500 travel voucher at the end of the season. Dale Beaudry is the City’s Roadways & Equipment Superintendent. Submit to snowbusters@kelowna.ca or mail to Snow Busters Program, 1435 Water Street V1Y 1J4

There a few neat new courses being offered through the Okanagan College in the New Year. “Pen and Ink Drawing – Making the First Sketch” is Tuesday evenings from 6-9pm beginning Jan. 22. “Life Drawing” begins Jan. 24 and runs consecutive Thursdays from 6-9pm until March 13. Both courses are instructed by Stephen Tulloch, a graphic and web designer and will be held at the College’s Kelowna Campus for $249 plus GST. To register call 862-5480 or www.okanagan.bc.ca/csreg

Okanagan College is also introducing two new courses this winter to help shutterbugs make the transition from film to digital photography, understand the features of their more advanced digital single lens reflex cameras and learn how to deal with the range of images they produce. “Getting Started With Your dSLR Camera and Managing and Sharing Image Files will be held by Tom Cooper, a retired graphic artist and photographer who first went digital in 2000. The course is Jan. 21 and 23, 6:30-8pm or Feb. 26 and 28, 6:30 to 8pm or April 1 from 9am-3pm. Call 862-5480 or www.okanagan.bc.ca/csreg to register.

“Screenwriting for Film and TV” will be led by Robert McDonagh, an internationally recognized film director and screenwriter who has worked in the industry for more than 16 years. It is open to both novice and experienced writers who are interested in honing their skills and learn about script formats, script developments, writing dialogue and scene structure and at the end of the course, will have completed a five-page film script. It runs Jan. 19 to Feb. 23 from 9am-12 noon.

“Acting and Auditioning” is designed to take the fear out of the audition process. Robert McDonagh will not only teach participants how to act, but what they need to do to impress a director. It runs from 1-4pm beginning January 19 for six weeks.

“Me in a Movie” is for the home movie buff as well as those who are interested in turning pro and is a great primer for anyone interested in pursuing a career in the film industry, again given by Robert McDonagh is runs March 1-April 12, 9am to 12 noon. All the above three course given by McDonagh are $199 plus GST. To register for all three of the above, call 862-5480 or www.okanagan.bc.ca/csreg or call Robert at 250-838-7464 or robmod@navigata.net for more info.

Don’t forget, effective January 1/2008 the GST is being lowered to five percent. Businesses will have to change their sales, billing, purchasing and accounting processes and it might be a little more of a challenge this time of year, with people returning goods on he first week in January, that paid six per cent GST in December. For a great checklist on getting your business GST ready for 2008 visit www.cfib.ca

Another new happening in B.C. for 2008 is that after September 12, 2008 you will not longer be able to make traditional seven digit phone calls throughout BC and Alberta. The reason for the change is due to the high demand of new phone numbers and supply is running out. The area codes affected are 250 (BC), 403 (Alberta) and 780 (Northern Alberta). A phase in period is scheduled for the end of June/2008. During that period customers making seven digit calls will hear a pre-recorded message reminding them to use ten digit dialing next time.

The Kelowna & District Safety Council is organizing two buses to the Vancouver Motorcycle Show in Abbotsford on Saturday, January 26 and a second bus on Sunday, January 27^th. Both are one day trips for only $60, which covers the transportation, admission, mid morning snack and door prizes on the bus. The show is the largest motorcycle event in B.C. where all major manufacturers exhibit to offer the riding community its first glimpse of the new 2008 motorcycles, gear and accessories, for up to six hours. Call Tania Meyer at 765-3163 or www.kdsc.bc.ca to register.

Horizon Air is now providing non stop service between Seattle and Kamloops/Sun Peaks.

The next Uptown Rutland Business Association’s “Uptown After Hours” is January 9th from 5-7pm at Interior Savings Credit Union, 185 Rutland Road South.

Happy New Year everyone! I won’t be doing a column next week. See you on January 9/2008.

Quote of the week – A New Year’s resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other. (Submitted by Tracy Nyboe RE/MAX Kelowna).

Birthdays for the next couple of weeks – Alex Fong, (Dec. 27); David Burke, Vadim (Dec. 27); Delaun Klassen (Dec. 28); Sharon Whiting (Dec. 27); Wayne Pierce, Creative Mortgage Corp. (Jan.1); George Van Wilde Rode, Dockside Marine, (Jan. 2); Ken Thom, Thom & Assoc. (Jan.3).

Maxine DeHart is a Kelowna hotelier. Phone her at 979-4546, fax 860-3173, E-mail maxdehart@telus.net and web-site www.welcometokelowna.com (click on Business)