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KELOWNA Rockets defenceman Riley Stadel and his teammates are riding high atop the Canadian Hockey League rankings.
KELOWNA WINERY wins prestigious awards at recent international wines competition.
KELOWNA motorcross rider recovering from a bad spill after his attempt to set a new record for motorcycle flips went horribly wrong.
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TUESDAY January 7, 2014 The Central Okanagan’s Best-Read Newspaper www.kelownacapnews.com
Snelson makes a return to court New life breathed into nostalgia radio ▼ PEACHLANDRADIO.COM
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Wade Paterson
Kathy Michaels
STAFF REPORTER
STAFF REPORTER
Neil George Snelson appeared in a Kelowna courtroom Monday, for the first time since 2011 when he was sentenced for manslaughter. Noticeably weathered, but smiling at supporters who gathered, Snelson took a seat as lawyers lined up details for his new trial, which will again look into the killing of Jennifer Cusworth. And returning that smile was one unlikely candidate, who had also settled into a familiar place in the courtroom. “I know he’s not going anywhere,” said Jean Cusworth, Jennifer’s mother, explaining her reaction to her daughter’s alleged killer. “I’m confident we’re going to see justice for Jennifer.” The Cusworths have closely followed the investigation into what was once considered one of Kelowna’s most long-standing cold case investigations. They were the first to learn there was an arrest and they were front and centre during the lengthy trial that put a microscope on their daughter and her 1993 death. So, just two years after that trial, when the Court of Appeal set aside Snelson’s manslaughter conviction because of an error made by the trial judge, they weren’t totally shocked. “It shook us a bit,” she said. “But we’ve been overwhelmed by people who have approached us wanting justice for Jennifer. Strangers, convicted criminals— they all want justice for Jennifer. This is just a blip in the road.” When asked how she felt about a potential change of venue, Cusworth wasn’t ruffled either. “Doing it in the Lower Mainland may make it difficult for witnesses,” she said. Otherwise, she said, a venue change shouldn’t make a difference. The B.C. Court of Appeal set aside Snelson’s manslaughter conviction last month because of an error made by the trial judge. In particular, the trial judge allowed the jury to hear a portion of Snelson’s interview with RCMP, which the appeal courts felt was prejudicial. According to transcripts released in the appeal document, once in custody Snelson held a long conversation with Sgt. Peter Tewfik in which he repeatedly declined to make a comment about his circumstances. In some moments he was silent, in others he would explain he was waiting for his lawyer. See Snelson A4
A new Peachland radio station is giving its listeners golden oldies through a modern medium. Describing Peachlandradio.com as “independent, grassroots, organic, free-range radio,” general manager Allan Holender said the station will feature music from the 1920s to 1960s, a selection of cool jazz and intelligent, conversation radio. “The demographics here are over 5,200 fulltime residents in Peachland…2,800 of those are between the ages of 54 and 85,” said Holender. “I felt that we needed to cater to that audience, first and foremost.” Eventually, Holender plans to provide mainly “live and local” content, while the station plans to stay commercial-free. Holender’s passion for radio began at an early age. When he was 10 years old, his father set him up in the den of their house with a turntable and a microphone. Holender would then broadcast to his mother through a small speaker in the kitchen. Since then, Holender has hosted radio programs in Canada and the United States and interviewed musicians such as Cal Tjader and Michael Bublé. His professional career has spanned five
I’M 72, BUT I’VE MOVED INTO THAT DIGITAL FRONTIER BECAUSE I KNOW THIS IS WHERE IT’S AT. Allan Holender
ALLAN Holender (above), general manager of Peachlandradio.com, hopes the community will embrace its newest online radio station. In his younger days (at right) Holender was in radio broadcasting. KATHY MICHAELS/CAPITAL NEWS
decades and he has seen plenty of change during that time. “I remember when we first got our licence for the CRTC (Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission),” he recalled. “Four of us sat in a room together and said: Wow, we have an AM licence now—it’s a licence to print money.
“That’s changed dramatically.” According to Holender, terrestrial radio isn’t dead, “it’s just on life support.” Rather than invest in a radio tower and pay for additional costs associated with terrestrial radio, Holender said he is moving with the times by just broadcasting Peachlandradio.com music
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solely through the Internet. “I’m 72, but I’ve moved into that digital frontier because I know this is where it’s at.” The Internet-only approach Peachlandradio. com has taken is unique. Although most AM/FM stations also provide websites with online streaming features, Holender said he isn’t aware of any
other community radio station in Canada that only broadcasts online. “There’s been a lot of interest in a lot of the radio professional associations I belong to—they’re tracking what we’re doing.” Holender said he was motivated to create Peachlandradio.com after moving to the area and discovering there wasn’t a local station. “We’ve got a lot of support. We moved here in September and things have happened very quickly.” Peachlandradio.com began playing Christmas music last month as part of its pre-launch phase; currently, the website is playing recorded programming. Although Peachlandradio.com is already up-and-running, a community event will take place in May to celebrate the online station’s official launch. “This is the new radio; it’s unique. I’d love for people to give us a try and listen, and see if they like it.” wpaterson@kelownacapnews.com Twitter: @PatersonWade
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