Was it twenty years ago that I first met Adrienne Skinner when she was beginning her career in radio with Walter Gray’s CKIQ? She reported on many of the conventions I was involved with. Always had the talent and personality to make it all work. A real pro. Since going to the TV side with
CHBC she has become a dominant force in reporting the valley news. How could you ever forget the incredible job she did during the 2003 fires?

Hours and hours on the air with the story that was our life for weeks, maybe forever. She was so motivated to make all of us know what was really happening out there. Once again a pro, with class. We’ll miss her as goes into the fund raising business with the University of BC Okanagan. Good choice, UBCO. . . . .

There is a Christmas treat that you should give your staff. This is the marvelous Dickens’s Lunch at the Coast Capri Hotel. You have never seen so much good food in your life and every year the crowds get bigger so get your reservation in early for your staff and guests. Many businesses seem to use it as a holiday get together with business associates as well. Executive chef Monika Lauterbacher and her staff do a fine job with the food. Eight entrée courses, seafood, cheeses and that stunning desert table. Indulge with real Christmas pudding topped with homemade rum sauce. Go there ready to enjoy an experience in eating and forget about that diet you are always on for this one-day. But do get a reservation. The dates are from Dec. 7th thru the 21st, 11:30am till 2pm. It has become a Christmas Tradition in its eighth year . . . .

William Ronald “Bill” Reid is one of Canada’s most celebrated and accomplished contemporary artists. Developer Derek Trethewey has brought one of his most famous pieces “The Whale Tail” to be displayed in the lobby of The Cove Resort In Westbank. They tell me the piece is valued at $1 million. Bill Reid passed away in 1998. His legacy is the volume of extraordinary works of art he created for public and private collections as well as the works created by a generation of young Haida artists whom he mentored and inspired . . .

What next! Now we are being warned that prospective employers may not be the only ones looking at your on-line resume. Identity thieves and other unsavory characters may want to download your personal information. Make sure the website has a privacy policy, if there is no policy, and then you have no legal protections . . . .

Academy of Learning has opened a new Kelowna Campus and the owners, Randel and Gillian Ball of Cranbrook, now have eleven colleges in their group. Cranbrook, Nelson, Princeton, Penticton, Westbank, Kelowna, Vernon, Salmon Arm, Kamloops, Lethbridge and Lloydminister. Careers in many subjects like Healthcare Services, Information Technology, Customer Service, Graphics Web Design, Accounting and Office Admin. You can check their website.

You see her on her TV ads every day and Christine Magee’s Sleep Country Canada is growing at a huge pace across the country. . Currently 117 stores with five more to be opened before the end of the year. It has three stores in the valley and a Kelowna warehouse location and will have a fourth store in the New Year with an outlet at the new Hub Centre in Westbank.

Christine had the idea after hearing the jingle for the U.S. Company Sleep Country USA. Bought the rights to the jingle for Canada for something like $40,000 and it all started in Vancouver in 1994 with four stores. With their purchase of 32 more stores in Arizona last year when they purchased Sleep America Inc. The original Sleep Country USA started in Spokane and has about fifty stores in Washington and Oregon . . . .

Air Canada put out a news release they were going to add on-board entertainment and my mind immediately saw an opening for school plays and musicals. But it is not so: naturally these days it means video games, the Internet. It is all about complementing the airlines current strategy of allowing passengers to select and pay for the services they want . . . .

Sept 7 was a dark day in Kelowna as Georg Reider’s Guisachan House Restaurant caught on fire during the night? Substantial damage to this heritage site and the home of one of B.C.'s most famous culinary spots. I called Georg to see how things were going because I knew the insurance companies for his company and city have not signed off as yet. Georg was in the restaurant when he answered the phone: “I am here with the restoration contractor making sure that the building is winterized and none of the equipment is damaged by the weather. Actually I haven’t been here for weeks. Nothing has been started yet by the different insurance companies and the adjusters from the city on how it is going to get restored. It is all in the process. I was told by my insurance company to give back all the deposits from the weddings we have scheduled for next year. It looks like we won’t be able to get in until next year at about this time.” So I asked him what he is doing with his time these days. “Well you know John how I like to carve, I have carved all my life and when I became a chef I did my ice sculptures all over the world. Years and years ago I didn’t tell anyone, but I started to carve alabaster and soap stone and I have all the equipment and I have lots of time and I am carving lots of it and they are turning out really, really good. I will probably get some of it cast in bronze. I will sell some in the future. I keep busy. I still keep the restaurant phone number and my customers still call me seeing when I think we’ll be open again, so it is good to talk to them.” I have known Georg since the early 80s, a good guy and his restaurant was the place to take visitors when they were here. Just a super place and it will be once again . . . . Guisachan House, designed in Indian colonial bungalow style and around which the Park revolves, was built in 1891 by the Earl and Countess of Aberdeen - from 1893 to 1896 Lord Aberdeen was the Governor General of Canada. The dynamic Lady Aberdeen named it Guisachan (in Gaelic meaning 'Place of the Fir') as a reminder of her childhood estate in Scotland. On their 480 acre ranch, the Aberdeen’s raised cattle and introduced the first large-scale planting of fruit trees and hops in the Okanagan Valley. In 1903, the Cameron family purchased the property, planted perennial gardens, and made the ranch an important part of Kelowna's social and cultural life. Guisachan House Restaurant with food prepared by Master Chef Georg Reider, a world culinary gold medallist. Became the place to be for outstanding food, well prepared and presented . . . .

Time for your flu shots. We got our shots a couple of weeks ago and we’re ready. If you are over 65 you really need one for your own protection. Flu shots are safe, effective and a healthy way to reduce chances of getting the flu, and reduce the severity of symptoms if you do get the flu . . . . .

I never realized that Burger King promoted their coffee all that much but here they are making a license deal to make their BK Joe coffee a grocery brand. Then extend that to bottled coffee, beans, ground coffee, coffee soda and confections. . . . .

Here is tip for motorists who are usually running on empty – fill up your car sooner than later. First of all its winter and you shouldn’t run on less than half a tank but more importantly at the moment is the fact that the OPEC countries are cutting production to get the price up again. They don’t like this below $60 a barrel. We have supplies for at least three months but that won’t mean anything if there is a chance for your favorite oil company to raise the price a bit. . . .

Manitoba Chartered Accountants in their annual study said the province lost 3,832 residents last year to Alberta and B.C. It had absolutely nothing to do with snow and cold or mosquitoes. Jobs, Jobs, Jobs . . . .

There is a new photographer on the Mountain at Silver Star. Tim Fitzgerald, long time news photographer has opened his own photography studio on the mountain, although he will do work anywhere. Good idea to get a good photo of yourself on ski’s with that beautiful backdrop. He is good at what he does so plan for a family portrait when you are up there for the holidays . . . .

One of the best builders in the valley has decided to go on with the second phase of their development in Kelowna. The Vant Geloof family of Penticton who own Star-Line Enterprises Ltd., are about to put a second tower on their Durnin Rd. site where they completed their first tower two years ago. Fifty-nine units at Mission Creek Tower II and Tom Fowler and Brian Dallas at ReMax are handling the deal once again. A concrete and steel building, features two balconies with such a view. Star-Line built Glenpark Village Meadows and Ambrosia Towers in Kelowna as well as properties in Vernon, Penticton and Langley. The family developed the most successful Cherry Lane Towers in Penticton. . . . .

One of my good friends was so pleased with the treatment, the excitement and the thrill for his young son who was fortunate enough to be chosen as one of the children who made the Dreamlift Day trip to Disneyland a couple of years ago. They still talk about it. This year 80 will make the trip Dec. 6th from the Interior. This is the fifth trip to be made. Wendy’s deserves so much credit for this program working with their special day of fund raising efforts every year. This years event is January 31/07. Their efforts have raised over half a million dollars for this dream of a lifetime. . . .

American skiers seeking the snow of the Interior will benefit from the increased service being scheduled by Alaska/Horizon from Seattle to Kelowna and Kamloops. Larger aircraft are going to be used. . . . .

Mayor of Kelowna Sharon Shepherd was front and centre in the Georgia Straight newspaper with one of her first acts when she took the chair and appointed a women’s advisory committee. A member of the committee, Councilor Michele Rule, the paper quoted as saying it was necessary for three reasons. First, there was poor female representation on council, two there is very little female representation on the citizen’s advisory committees. Third, many women have barriers to advocating for themselves at city hall. . . . .

Ozzie makes the list of the big guys. Donald Trump’s new book “The Best Real Estate Advice I Have Ever Received.” Listed Ozzie Jurock in the top 100 North America experts in the field. Ozzie will be featured in the Second Annual Development Real Estate Conference here in April . . .

Valor Energy Corp. announced that major components to the TIGER•LYNK(TM)-120 have been completed. Sheridan Westgarde, Vernon Valor CEO, stated, "This announcement means we will be able to bring TIGER•LYNK(TM) to market faster integrating our finished components with new systems designed for offshore drilling. The good news is that we can virtually pick up where the Company left off in ATH-120 construction and move forward with construction on our TIGER•LYNK(TM)-120. This is a major advantage for us at this stage."

Among the finished components include a massive 35,000-pound, 120-feet long robotic arm, as well as the vessel and onboard control room.

Mr. Westgarde concluded, "I look forward to making a series of announcements in coming days and weeks about TIGER•LYNK(TM) and other exciting Company initiatives."

TIGER•LYNK(TM) is a wholly owned Valor subsidiary offering a custom line of hydraulic underwater manipulator systems designed for offshore drilling and other industrial marine markets. Coupled with TIGER•VIEW(TM), an innovative underwater vision system providing clear visibility in turbid conditions, TIGER•LYNK(TM) offers significant underwater performance, safety and efficiency advantages.

Valor Energy Corp. is an energy development and production company with working interests in the Hamill Gas Field in Matagorda County, Texas. Valor is focused on expanding production at existing facilities and acquiring new properties with a history of proven production.