Straight From DeHart - November 19

Thank you Kelowna! I am very appreciative to all of you who supported me in the 2014 Municipal Election and also to the many people who made it possible. I am grateful to have received your support again and excited to have the opportunity to represent the citizens of Kelowna as a City Councillor for the next four years. I am also looking forward to working with the new council.

Ross Derrick - Owner The Table at Cod Father's Market

The Table at Cod Father’s Market is now open. Ross Derrick is the owner/operator/chef of this delightful casual café and he is also the manager of Cod Father’s Market. Ross was previously with Sparkling Hill and the Delta Grand. The café has seating for about 20 with an outside patio for summer. All menu items are made from 100% sustainable seafood from the market. Their most popular menu items are, of course, the fish and chips with tempura batter made with salmon, cod, halibut or haddock. The Left Coast Fish Stew and Prawn and White Fish Curry are also popular, along with their Steamers served with crusty bread. Order taking is a breeze. You fill out your own menu items on the menu sheets provided and then Derrick serves you. Hours are 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Monday to Saturday. Call 778-718-4295.

The Arthritis Society in Kelowna nominated Laurel D’Andrea for an award through the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). The Giving Hearts Award Program recognizes outstanding individuals and organizations who exemplify the true spirit of philanthropy. Laurel was selected as the winner for Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser and was presented the award on November 14, National Philanthropy Day, in Vancouver.

Accolades to Corinne Shoranick who has been voted as the 2015 president for the JCI /Yukon Region at their annual Local Officer Training, which was held in Vernon last weekend. She is also heading to Germany to be one of the many people from JCI Canada to attend the JCI World Congress in Leipzig, Germany where JCI Canada is bidding to host the World Congress in Quebec City for 2016. Cara Heck the National vice-president for JCI Canada and Jen Sencar, current JCI Canada National president are joining Corinne. www.jciokanagan.ca.

Although the construction is still ongoing on Lakeshore Road, the businesses are still open. Please support them. The Creekside Pub and Grill has been managed by Daniel Periu for the past six years. Chef James Van Exan offers daily food and beverage specials and the pub is also family friendly with minors allowed in restricted areas and a kids menu. The pub seats 200 with an outdoor patio for the summer of up to 40 people. When the Lakeshore Bridge re-opens, Creekside will have a re-opening event. They will be adding pizzas to their menu with homemade crust. They grind their own beef in-house for their burgers from strip loin. Ninety-five percent of the menu is made in-house, including their soups. They also offer a large selection of starters, salads, entrees, many sandwiches and dessert. The Creekside catered the Trivia Fundraiser event for the Okanagan Mission Rotary at the Okanagan Mission Hall a few weeks ago. The food was fabulous and the desserts were out of this world. Open 10:00 a.m. to midnight Monday to Thursday; 11:00 a.m. to midnight and Friday and Saturday they open at 9:00 a.m. Lots of parking available.

Local orchardist, Malcolm Mitchell has been appointed as the new president of B.C. Tree Fruits. He replaces long-time president Robert Dawson, an orchardist out of the Similkameen who will continue to sit on the board as a director. Other directors elected were Nirmal Dhaliwal, Gordon Hahn, Gurjinder Sandher, Jora Dhaliwal, Joginder Khosa, Talwinder Bassi, Jeet Dukhia and Karmjit Gill.

Big thanks to Sarah Britton for her exceptional customer service at the new Sandhill Winery on Richter Street and also to Kelowna’s very own Master Wine Maker Howard Soon, who is just a classy guy.

Congratulations to the following 12 Kelowna companies who were nominated for the B.C. Small Business Awards, sponsored by the Insurance Bureau of B.C. They are: Culinary Ink Gastro Ventures, Dash of Modern, The Habitat, Mavazi Apparel, Float Space, Inspired Eyes Creative Eyewear, Vantage West Realty, Kekuli Café, Cottage Quilting, Orphan Grape, Nourish and Muninn’s Post.

The traditional gift for a 10^th anniversary is tin or aluminum, but for Sandrine French Pastry and Chocolate at 1865 Dilworth Drive, it will be chocolate, macarons and croissants. On Saturday, November 22^nd, they will celebrate this millstone with delicious samples and prizes all day long. Drop in and enjoy a treat and enter your name to win “sweet treat” prize packages totaling over $200 and take home some of Sandrine’s favourite delights. Call 250-860-1202

Magnus Aaserud, CPA, CA has been promoted to the positon of manager of KPMG at 200 – 3200 Richter Street. Call 250-979-7150.

Fitness Superstore Inc. is a large on-line supplier of high quality products and equipment such as general fitness, sporting and elementary equipment across Canada since 1993. Rob Reynolds, sales and service representative has recently taken over operations of Fitness Superstore after 15 years as sales and service manager for Eurosport Fitness Innovations Inc. until the closure of the business in 2013. In addition and unique to Fitness Superstore, Rob is fully trained and experienced in equipment repairs and servicing, along with set up and general maintenance on-site. Visit www.fitness-superstore.ca or call 250-215-4452 or rob@superstorefitness.ca.

After a rather cold Remembrance Day Service downtown, we stopped into O-Lake Café & Bistro at 375 Lawrence Avenue owned and operated by William Zheng. We ordered a couple bowls of soup and it was delicious. Large bowls with homemade bread, friendly service and reasonably priced. If you are downtown in that area, drop in and grab a bite. You will not be disappointed. Call 250-860-8086.

Pharmacist/Owner Miriam Oranu of The Medicine Shoppe and Pharmacy

Pharmacist and owner Miriam Oranu, who has re-located from Campbell River, has opened The Medicine Shoppe and Pharmacy at 105-3957 Lakeshore Road (across from 7-11 and Petro Canada). The pharmacy is a welcoming store with a cozy fireplace and comfortable chairs for customers to enjoy while waiting for their prescriptions. Miriam also offers several free programs that are available right in the pharmacy. You can register for the Heart Health Program (monthly blood pressure testing); Diabetes Program (blood glucose testing); Weight Management or the Medication Management Program (keeps your daily medication organized). During the month of December, she will be offering free cholesterol and A1C testing. The grand opening is November 24-28 with cake and refreshments on Wednesday, November 26^th at 11:00 a.m. There will be specials, including a chance to win a flat screen TV, home blood pressure monitor or five cholesterol and A1C tests. Open Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Call 778-477-3811.

The recent CNIB luncheon honoured the work of a local community leader Dr. Malvinder Hoonjan of Okanagan Retina. Many clients of CNIB have benefited from his specialized care, ensuring that they are able to receive the best treatment for their eye condition. CNIB thanked Dr. Hoonjan for his support and for the work he has done to help those with vision loss conditions. The event brought together business and community leaders as well as individuals who understand the importance of CNIB’s work and who want to support people who are blind or partially sighted to lead independent active lives. Novartis Pharmaceuticals and Bell Media sponsored the event. I was honoured to attend the luncheon and introduce Dr. Hoonjan to the guests. Visit www.cnibvisions.ca or call 250-763-1191.

The Salvation Army is kicking off this year’s Kettle Campaign on Friday, November 21^st at Walmart on Banks Road between 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. I will be there, ringing the bells along with popular morning show duo Andy and TJ of 101-5 EZE ROCK between 9:00 and 10:00 a.m. The Salvation Army is also looking for kettle volunteers to ring the bells at kettles in Kelowna and West Kelowna. There are several locations and times available from November 20 to December 24. Two hour shifts are assigned based on your availability. Go to www.kelownasalvationarmy.ca to sign up or call Beverly at 250-860-2329 (ext. 335).

The Salvation Army is also now accepting interview appointments until November 25^th for their Christmas Hamper program. Christmas Hampers are made available to low income families with children living at home under the age of 18. To book an interview call 250-765-3450 (4) or visit www.kelownasalvationarmy.ca

Orchard Park Shopping Centre is hosting “One Night of Magic” a charity shopping event to support the Central Okanagan Hospice Association (COHA). On Friday, November 21^st, starting at 6:00 p.m. go to Orchard Park wearing something purple and they will donate $10 in your name to COHA. Santa is joining them for this special evening with pictures by donation, gift wrapping, caroling, treats and fabulous door prizes from many of the stores. Get a jump on your holiday shopping, while giving back… The Stuff of Holiday Magic.

The 40^th Annual Civic and Community Awards Nomination period is starting December 1^st. Go to www.kelowna.ca. In honour of the 40^th Annual Awards, the committee is planning to recognize past recipients dating back to the start of the formal awards program in 1975. They are attempting to contact as many past recipients as they can. If you are a past recipient of one of the Civic and Community Award categories, contact Amber Gilbert at 250-469-8967 or agilbert@kelowna.ca. They are also looking for past photos of the awards night and would like to extend an invitation to past winners to attend the Awards Gala on Thursday, April 30, 2015 at the Kelowna Community Theatre. I am delighted to be the Chair of the Kelowna Civic Awards for the past three years.

Sparkle the season at the Hudson’s Bay Kelowna’s Beauty Giving event on Saturday, November 22^nd from 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Tickets are $10 plus tax, with $8 off your purchase during the event and $2 from every ticket will benefit Breast Cancer Research Foundation. There will be complimentary refreshments, deluxe gift with purchases, silent auction, door prizes, local vendors and much more. For more info contact us at 250-860-2483 local 360.

Birthdays of the week –Happy 90^th Claude Delongchamp (Nov. 12); Happy 80^th Ed Schiller, Dia Met (Nov. 20); Carl Stef (Nov. 19); Craig Garries (Nov. 2)); Luanne Kumagai (Nov. 20); Gail Schlosser (Nov. 23); Mike Krevesky (Nov. 21); Rudy Metzger (Nov. 21); Simon Shaw (Nov. 23).

Maxine DeHart is a Kelowna City Councillor and local hotelier. Phone her at 250-979-4546, 250-862-7662, fax 250-860-3173, E-mail maxdehart@telus.net and web-site www.KelownaNow.com (click on Good Stuff and then Columns and Maxine DeHart)