http://www.am1150.ca/Blogs/JamesMoore/home.aspxThoughts from the beat and beyond by AM 1150 reporter James Mooreen-usCopyright 2012, CKFR-AMThu, 17 May 2012 08:04:00 GMTMon, 02 Apr 2012 07:08:10 GMT1http://emmisinteractive.comIt may lack the glamour and elegance of the casinos of Monte Carlo but there will definitely be a lot riding on the Monaco as it comes to a public hearing on Tuesday night. Kelowna mayor Walter Gray and his 8 councillors will face the biggest test of their tenure thus far, as the proposal for the controversial condo development hits a critical stage. Their decision on the fate of the Monaco just might set the tone for the next 3 years at City Hall. Premier Pacific Developments is eager to build a 2-tower high-rise complex at the corner of St. Paul Street and Doyle Avenue. Those towers, 22 and 26 storeys high, will add another 500 homes to Kelowna’s downtown core, provide temporary construction jobs and permanent work to run and maintain the building. Let’s not forget the property tax revenue. The catch is that the development is significantly ...http://www.am1150.ca/Blogs/JamesMoore/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10366366james.moore@astral.com (James Moore)http://www.am1150.ca/Blogs/JamesMoore/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10366366Mon, 02 Apr 2012 07:08:10 GMTWith Formula 1’s Australian Grand Prix mere days away, another season of motorsport is upon us. While the action on the track is thrilling, the most interesting story might just be in the boardroom. I’ll explain… Owning a car no longer means freedom. It means the burden of rising gas prices, insurance premiums and maintenance costs. The price of ownership soars while the fight to save the environment often turns into the fight against the automobile. Each day, more drivers turn in their keys and strap on a bike helmet, lace up some walking shoe or buy a transit pass. Carmakers respond by producing more economical cars with more economical engines to go in them. Sensible but hardly sexy. Marketing a vehicle has become more about pinching pennies and less about passion. In other words, a great way to fight a losing battle for the hearts and minds of would-be ...http://www.am1150.ca/Blogs/JamesMoore/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10360596james.moore@astral.com (James Moore)http://www.am1150.ca/Blogs/JamesMoore/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10360596Fri, 16 Mar 2012 07:38:54 GMTMy top news story for 2011 is the shooting that killed Red Scorpion gangster Jonathan Bacon. It seems just about everybody in Kelowna has a story about where they were on the afternoon of August 14th.  Simply put, it’s the year’s most talked-about event. There’s no doubt that there have been numerous compelling stories to come out of City Hall this year, like Walter Gray’s return to the mayor’s chair.  We’ve also seen the Kelowna RCMP struggle with high-profile allegations of police brutality.  While these stories are important, none of them have had the impact of the Bacon killing. Try asking Joe Public about the nuances of how the FourChange.org movement helped shake up Kelowna City Hall.  Then, ask him where he was when he heard that an infamous gangster had been executed in front of one of the Valley’s most popular hotels.  Odds are the latter question will prompt ...http://www.am1150.ca/Blogs/JamesMoore/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10329640james.moore@astral.com (James Moore)http://www.am1150.ca/Blogs/JamesMoore/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10329640Thu, 22 Dec 2011 18:27:58 GMTThere’s 2 weeks left until the November 19th civic election. That’s not much time to familiarise yourself with some 60 candidates who are competing for your vote. You’ve got your work cut out for you: You must whittle that list down to carefully choose a team of 4 school trustees, 8 city councillors and a mayor to lead the charge. You’ll need grinders that will tough it out behind the scenes and skillful financial playmakers who can stickhandle their way around tight budgets. Don’t forget the names that can throw their weight around with upper levels of government to get Kelowna those all-important provincial and federal funding dollars. Youthful energy must be balanced with veteran leadership. Team chemistry. The right mix of brains and political brawn. Your selections will take time and careful consideration. Do your homework. With dozens of names vying to make your squad, it can be tough to decide what ...http://www.am1150.ca/Blogs/JamesMoore/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10310165james.moore@astral.com (James Moore)http://www.am1150.ca/Blogs/JamesMoore/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10310165Sun, 06 Nov 2011 18:43:47 GMTBe careful what you post on Facebook. Not long ago, rain on my day off kept me indoors. I spent the early afternoon at my desk with a tea and my laptop. I edited some pictures while listening to some tunes. I got a little reflective. In the last month or so, I have moved into a new apartment. I have been shown why ‘helmet hair’ isn’t such a big deal. I found out that a friend and colleague is fighting cancer.  (Get well soon, Sean!) ..and I’ve reached a couple of personal milestones, the details of which will be saved, perhaps for another blog post. So, I updated my Facebook status: “a lot can change in 4 weeks.” For a little perspective: Usually, ‘a lot of change’ for someone just starting their career in media (like me) means they’re packing up and moving on to the next job, the ...http://www.am1150.ca/Blogs/JamesMoore/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10302242james.moore@astral.com (James Moore)http://www.am1150.ca/Blogs/JamesMoore/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10302242Tue, 18 Oct 2011 21:33:45 GMTThere is no shortage of excuses to not wear a helmet. Like this one. I admit, sometimes I find a lame excuse of my own. Not anymore. As I biked home in the dark last week, I was distracted by a pick-up truck coming up behind me. I checked over my shoulder and ended up drifting toward the curb, unbeknownst to me. Instead of focusing on the road ahead, I watched the truck pass me. Bad call. When I faced forward, I could see nothing but the back end of a Dodge Neon. My front wheel wedged under the bumper and launched me off my seat and over the handlebars. My knee bashed into the trunk and as my chest and forearms were tenderised by the spoiler, my head came forward and rapped against the rear windshield. Most of the impact was absorbed by the front assembly of my bike ...http://www.am1150.ca/Blogs/JamesMoore/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10285187james.moore@astral.com (James Moore)http://www.am1150.ca/Blogs/JamesMoore/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10285187Tue, 06 Sep 2011 06:40:36 GMTBarely two weeks into my new job here at AM 1150 and Kelowna’s biggest story of the year (and the biggest of my career, thus far) breaks while I am alone in the newsroom on a Sunday afternoon. Sprinting up Water Street, the worried looks on the faces of people at the scene, shell casings strewn across the parking lot at the Delta Grand Hotel and the overwhelming sense of dread that seemed to hang in the air as a police helicopter whirred above us, looking for the perpetrators. It was a crazy day.  Its not too often you find yourself running toward gunfire.  At least not in Kelowna. The image that will stick with me, though, is the one that greeted me as soon as I got to the scene. I watched as Leah Hadden-Watts was loaded into an ambulance and rushed to hospital. The first thing I noticed ...http://www.am1150.ca/Blogs/JamesMoore/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10281475james.moore@astral.com (James Moore)http://www.am1150.ca/Blogs/JamesMoore/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10281475Tue, 23 Aug 2011 21:19:47 GMT