LES, HON. JOHN (Chilliwack-Sumas) Minister of Small Business and Economic Development.

B. 1952 in Chilliwack, B.C. M. 1973 to Mattie. Six children. Political Career: Provincial: First elected to the B.C. Leg. g.e. 2001. Chair, Government Caucus Ctee, June 2002. Chair: Leg. Spec. Ctee on Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform and Gov't Operations and Select Standing Ctee on Crown Corps. Former Chair: Select Standing Ctee on Aboriginal Affairs. Municipal: Councillor, Chilliwack, 1984-87 and Mayor, 1987-99. Private Career: Chair and Mem. of the Bd., Fraser Valley Regional Library, 1990-98. Mem., Rotary Club. Awarded Paul Harris Fellowship, Rotary Club of Chilliwack, …

ARTS NEWS

BAM GETS A BUMP

Last year, BW spoke with Susan Coliton, senior director of the Seattle-based Paul G. Allen Foundation (Allen is the co-founder of Microsoft) about a $10,000 grant the foundation awarded to Boise Contemporary Theater for its upcoming production of Maria Dahvana Headley's Last of the Breed (BW, Arts News, Oct. 24, 2007). This year, they added some zeroes to their check to Boise, providing Boise Art Museum with a $150,000 grant to support a series of four exhibits titled "Threads of Perception" for the museum's sculpture court over three years.

According to a BAM press release, the artists involved in the series include Lead Pencil Studio, the Seattle team of …

Small fires force postponement of Groningen-Ajax match in Dutch league

The Dutch league match between FC Groningen and Ajax was postponed Sunday after small fires broke out in a stand before kickoff, causing fans to scramble over glass barriers onto the pitch to escape the flames and smoke.

"Club doctors decided it would be irresponsible to play," Groningen coach Ron Jans told fans over the stadium's public address system. "The chance is too great that they would suffer breathing problems."

Ajax coach Adrie Koster said playing would have been "medically irresponsible."

Rolls of toilet paper thrown onto the pitch caught fire in the southern stand of Groningen's …

Stroger's obstinance keeps forest preserves in squalid state Stroger has consistently been an impediment to reform.

It's a disgrace. The Cook County Forest Preserves have beenlooted and vandalized on John Stroger's watch as Cook County Boardpresident.

Gov. Blagojevich has just vetoed a bill that would have provided$100 million in bonding authority to the forest preserve becauseStroger is part of the problem.

Stroger, in his fourth decade as a member of the county board, hasconsistently been an impediment to reform and still won't admit thatthe forest preserves are in chaos.

County Commissioners Forrest Claypool (D-Chicago) and LarrySuffredin (D-Evanston), both of whom ousted longtime board members inlast year's election, are attempting to clean up the mess at …

Kentucky's hot rod attack

Add this one to this year's lists of unusual campaign attacks: Kentucky Democratic congressional candidate Ken Lucas has used a pair of state legislative votes to paint his opponent, Republican state Sen. Gex "Jay" Williams, as being "anti-NASCAR."

Williams cast the lone vote in the state Senate against a resolution honoring stock car driver Darrell Waltrip by authorizing NASCAR …

John MacLean starts first season as Devils coach

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Except for the new coach, a couple of defensemen and having $100-million superstar Ilya Kovalchuk around for a full season, the New Jersey Devils haven't changed much.

Martin Brodeur is in goal. The nucleus up front still features Zach Parise, Travis Zajac, Patrik Elias, Jamie Langenbrunner and the expectations, of course, are very, very high.

The Devils enter the 2010-11 season looking for their 14th straight postseason berth. They are also under a little more pressure after being eliminated in the opening round of the playoffs for a third consecutive year.

"Obviously, you don't forget something like that," veteran Brian Rolston said of the …

War crimes court rejects Karadzic appeal on lawyer

The U.N. Yugoslavia tribunal has rejected an appeal by war crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic to rid himself of a court-appointed lawyer.

Karadzic goes on trial in March for atrocities he allegedly committed as Bosnia's leading Serb politician in the early 1990s, including killing civilians at Sarajevo and Srebrenica.

The 64-year-old Karadzic, who plans to …