Every time I turn around one of my friends is telling how they have just been to Las Vegas for a short holiday and to take in the shows. Celine Dion attracted them in the first place and after her stint in the 4,100 seat theatre that they built for her there are some new entertainers on the block. Bette Midler has replaced Dion in the show theatre at Caesar’s Palace in the Colosseum. Cher will do the holiday weeks for the Midler extravaganza. Barry Manilow is housed at the Hilton and is packing them in. The first time we ever went to Las Vegas a few years ago it was to see acts that had been stars on the Ed Sullivan show. I have to admit we did see some good ones. This is a whole new world in the vacation town and they just keep building bigger hotels. I remember when Vegas went through that period of making it a family town, but that didn’t work.

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According to the Angus Reid Global Monitor, adults in Canada hold gloomy views on the relationship between former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and German-Canadian businessman Karl-Heinz Schreiber. According to a poll, 74 per cent of respondents believe we’ll never get to the bottom of what happened between Mulroney and Schreiber.

In addition, 59 per cent of respondents are tired of hearing about the Mulroney-Schreiber controversy, and 58 per cent think a public inquiry into the affair would be a waste of money.

Mulroney, a member of the Progressive Conservative party, served as Prime Minister from 1984 to 1993, winning two majority mandates. His government cancelled the National Energy Program, which proved extremely unpopular in Western Canada, and negotiated two separate free trade agreements. Mulroney’s second term was marked by an economic recession and the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

Shortly after leaving office in 1993, Mulroney accepted thousands of dollars in cash from Schreiber. In public statements, as well as in testimony provided to a House of Commons ethics committee in 2007, the two men have offered differing accounts on the amount and purpose of the payments.

In November 2007, Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, voiced his intention to appoint "an independent and impartial third party to review the allegations" and vowed to "co-operate fully with the person appointed." A date for the inquiry has not been established, and no commissioner has been named.

Earlier this month, Mulroney issued a statement, which read: "The only possible basis for believing that more evidence might be available is the oft-repeated promise by Schreiber that he has evidence that he will share with a public inquiry. (...) It is incumbent upon Schreiber to turn over any documents he may have withheld."

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I'm sure it was in the plan and the plan is in place and working. The current CEO of Sun-Rype Products Ltd, Eric Sorensen, has capped off his short run at the Kelowna food manufacturer with the announcement he will be stepping down.

He was brought into the picture to do a job, make some serious changes both in the direction the company will take in the future and in the manufacture of the products the company produces. Mr. Sorensen came from a background in the food and confection industries, moving to Kelowna and using his vast experience to become a consultant to business. He won’t leave the company until a new boss is approved and in the chair.

While many things have happened over the last number of years with the company as changes were taking place, there was a constant interest from shareholder Jim Pattison’s organization to buy up more shares. Now with control of just under fifty per cent of the shares available, in about two moves Pattison could be in control of the food manufacturer. That we expect to happen.

Merv Geen remains Chairman of the Board. Longtime director Robert Dawson whom I guess must be one of the last fruit farmers on the board of directors, is retiring.

Some speculate Mr. Sorensen may move into the development business.