Oliver Chronicle | Providing Local News Since 1937

A judge has found enough evidence to send a 23-year-old Oliver man to trial for second-degree murder.

After a two-day preliminary hearing in Penticton last week, Kyle Louie was ordered to stand trial for the murder of his younger brother, 20-year-old Reece Louie.

A trial date will be set on June 11.

Louie wept during the hearing as testimony was given regarding the tragic events of February 19, 2011 when the victim was found by police outside his home on Black Sage Road.

The RCMP previously reported that Reece Louie had suffered a serious stab wound and later died in hospital. Police learned there had been a disturbance in the home, and later arrested Kyle Louie in Oliver. The accused has been in custody since that day.

by Lyonel Doherty

Several residents at last week’s public meeting on heavy industrial land use made it clear they don’t want gravel crushing in Oliver.

Approximately 35 people attended the meeting on April 30 at the Elks Hall. Of those 35 residents, only nine indicated they lived in the industrial park area.

The meeting was held to obtain feedback to assist Town council in making a decision whether to remove or retain heavy industrial land uses in Oliver.

The Town is currently in the midst of updating its zoning bylaw, some of which is “archaic,” said Mayor Ron Hovanes.

Oliver’s Official Community Plan generally encourages the transition of the heavy industrial zoned area to a light industrial area, and to attract high quality employment and “clean” uses. As a result, the Town is considering removing asphalt mixing plants, gravel crushing, and automobile recycling as permitted activities in the zoning bylaw.

Urban Systems consultant Joel Short said current permitted uses in Oliver’s M2 (heavy industrial) zone include gravel crushing, sawmills, auto recycling, auto repair, asphalt mixing plants and manufacturing.

Chris Jentsch of C&B Gravel and Paving has begun crushing operations on Maple Avenue just off Sawmill Road.

Nearby homeowner Miranda Elliott said gravel crushing/asphalt mixing operations should not be permitted in residential areas. She stated that home values in the industrial park will plummet.

“Declining property values will be huge. Nobody will want to buy our home if we have a rock crushing plant across the street.”

Elliott also expressed concerns about air pollution, potential water contamination and silica dust being harmful to people’s lungs.

Town Councillor Dave Mattes said uses in the industrial park are subject to provincial laws, including noise and dust impacts from gravel crushing operations. He also pointed out that mobile asphalt plants cannot be located within 300 metres of residences. Provincial regulations also state they must be a minimum of 50 metres from a stream and 500 metres from a school or hospital.

Hovanes said although the current bylaw permits asphalt plants in the M2 zone, it is unlikely one would meet provincial regulations for approval.

One resident asked how the Town could permit such an operation (that creates so much dust and noise) where people live. Because it’s currently permitted in the bylaw, Short said.

Elliott noted the existing gravel operation by C&B is adjacent to a wildlife sanctuary. But the Town’s director of development services said there is a “no build” setback registered on title (in the bylaw). This means any operation must be set back a certain distance from the wildlife reserve.

Homeowner Daryl Sanderson said there is a large gravel pile on the property in question, and when the wind blows, it’s “like a sand storm.”

Another concern that was raised was additional truck traffic on Sawmill Road and the safety of school children in the area.

One resident questioned whether their concerns held any weight since the gravel crushing operation is already permitted.

Municipal Manager Tom Szalay acknowledged the business can continue operating unless the owner stops for six consecutive months, after which time he could not restart it.

Resident Melva Ringrose said she felt “hopeless” about these concerns having any impact on council’s decision.

A public hearing will be held at a later date before council adopts the new zoning bylaw.

At the meeting, people participated in a “dotmocracy” exercise by placing dots on poster boards indicating what was appropriate and inappropriate land use in Oliver. Green indicated appropriate and red indicated inappropriate.

Approximately 21 red dots were placed on asphalt mixing plants, while 36 red dots were placed on gravel crushing.

In terms of stockpiling gravel in BC, the best practices handbook identifies several environmental effects including dust, noise and ground infiltration. The handbook suggests that stockpiles be located in areas away from residential areas (to reduce noise), and that operators should consider prevailing wind patterns.

It also suggests allowing sufficient distance from property boundaries to prevent spillage.

Lyonel Doherty

Council is set to adopt Oliver’s five-year financial plan that will see the Town through to 2016.

Chief financial officer Dave Svetlichny recently gave council a summary of the plan, which shows a $10.9 million budget for 2012.

He noted the water fund ($5.4 million) represents about 50 per cent of the entire budget.

Only 27 per cent of the tax bill represents municipal taxes, which have been increased by 3.3 per cent in the residential sector.

The average single family dwelling is assessed at $297,899 for 2012. General municipal taxes for this average home will increase by approximately $15 to $462.

In contrast, the taxes paid per $1,000 of assessed commercial value will decrease by approximately 5.4 per cent. For a business assessed at $250,000, savings would equate to approximately $62.

Svetlichny said taxes for other governments are projected to decrease overall by six per cent. Overall taxes for the regional district have decreased from $342 to $314, or $28 for the average family home.

School taxes are projected to increase $21 to $727 based on a three per cent estimate, while provincial policing taxes are also projected to increase $3 to $81.

Garbage and recycling rates for the average home will not increase in 2012. These rates will be maintained at $120 per residence.

The Town’s entire water utility has incorporated a six per cent increase in all rates. Agricultural irrigation rates for a 10-acre property will increase from $1,930 to $2,046, a jump of $116.

Metered water rates have been increased by six per cent (from $0.53 to $0.56 per cubic meter in 2012).

Sewer user fees and parcel taxes will increase two per cent. Combined, the fee for a single family home will increase by $6 to $323.

The 2012 capital plan provides nearly $795,000 in expenditures including building upgrades, equipment and vehicle replacement, road and sidewalk reconstruction, and storm drain construction. Funding is planned primarily from taxation and reserves ($576,000), grant funding ($152,000) and funding ($60,000) from other sources.

The water capital plan projects $3.1 million in expenditures, including $2 million for phase 3 water twinning, $548,000 for chlorination improvements, $385,900 for phase 2 water twinning completion, and $181,000 for flume 3 rehabilitation.

by Lyonel Doherty

People are praising the efforts of emergency services for quickly helping residents who were left homeless on April 30 after the devastating fire at Central Manor in Oliver.

But it’s Greg Casorso whom people are really talking about. The Oliver man got the call at 11:30 pm and never got back home until 8 pm the next night. And his work continued the following morning.

Casorso was notified by his mother-in-law Lorraine Hempler, who was living in Central Manor (formerly known as Sunnybank) when the fire broke out. The blaze destroyed two south end suites, while water and smoke damage impacted the others.

“Mine (unit #4) was just ready to get toasted,” Hempler said, recalling the dreadful night on Kootenay Street.

She was informed of the fire by Robert Lacasse, whose suite sustained heavy water damage. Lacasse said he heard people running in the hallway, then he heard the fire alarm. Thinking it might be a prank, he went to investigate. But it was no prank. He was soon greeted to a bright light and intense heat because the shed and the south end of the second floor were fully engulfed in flames.

Hempler and Lacasse then proceeded to bang on doors and rouse people from their sleep. Lacasse personally assisted an older tenant out of her apartment to safety.

“There was tons of smoke; it was like a thick fog,” Lacasse said, noting the Oliver Fire Department was quick to respond. He noted the evacuation effort was not a panic situation but very well organized.

Hempler said she called her son-in-law asking for towels, coats and blankets for the displaced residents. “A lot of the seniors were in their pajamas and slippers,” she pointed out.

Greg and his wife Charmaine were only too eager to help out by gathering all this stuff and bringing it to the site.

“Greg set up everything at the (Alliance) church. He was there all night . . . he tried to counsel and console people, he made the beds, the lunches . . he went way beyond,” Hempler said.

Mary Loeppky, who helped prepare the food and shared a few hugs and tears with residents, was humbled by Greg’s tireless efforts. “He just kept going and going.”

At one point, Greg buried his head in his hands and requested a couple of minutes to rest, then he was back at it. “He was just unbelievable,” Loeppky said

When Greg got the call from Hempler, he called a good friend at Oliver Alliance Church and provisions were quickly made to open their doors to accommodate the residents.

It was a mad scramble at that hour, but approximately 15 beds were set up at the church.

For Greg, it was gratifying to see people coming together to care for each other. For example, the local thrift shop donated clothing, and the local drug stores helped residents with their medications.

Sunrise Restorations Ltd. donated cleaning products that Greg used to clean people’s salvaged belongings that he stored in his garage and yard.

Greg and Charmaine also opened their doors to displaced residents who needed accommodation.

“We need to find some permanent homes for these people,” Greg said.

Emergency services supervisor Dale Kronebusch said they housed 11 people at the church, while the other 14 found accommodation with family and friends. Some were put up in motels and given restaurant meal vouchers.

“We gave them a hand up to get their lives back together,” said Kronebusch, who praised the work of emergency services volunteer Janette Van Vianen for stepping up to the plate in the middle of the night to help.

The Oliver Kiwanis Club provided shelter to the residents during the fire and offered free furniture to those in need.

Club member Larry Larson said four displaced residents are now living in recently renovated accommodations made available by the society.

Steve Bicknell, one of the first individuals on the scene that night, witnessed the start of the fire. He was coming from 7-Eleven when he saw smoke. On closer inspection, he observed flames underneath a small shed on the ground floor of the manor. The former firefighter from Chilliwack then started pounding on doors to alert residents. He and the manager (Chris Lewis) assisted two ladies out of their suites, and tended to others who needed help. Bicknell then grabbed a garden hose and started spraying two vehicles to prevent them from burning. During all this, he lost his inhaler that he uses for his asthma.

Bicknell praised the fire department and emergency services for their quick response.