PILES OF SNOW MAKE IT HARD TO GET AROUND

Editor:

Ours is a very beautiful and caring community as evidenced by its response to the needs of those among us who are less fortunate. This is part of what makes Osoyoos such a wonderful place to live.
There is, however, a situation that may have been overlooked by people able to make a difference: our town council, businesses and homeowners, to name a few.
This winter weather has caught all of us by surprise, particularly those of our citizens who use assistive devices to get around (such as scooters, wheeled walkers, canes, etc.), or have trouble walking under the best of circumstances. Sidewalks were plowed, as were the streets. However, because of the time and way in which snow moving took place, great lumps of frozen snow and ice blocked the entrances to crosswalks, car doors, alleyways, roads, and driveways making it impossible for people to get around safely.
The solution seems simple enough. Remove the snow to someplace less critical. Make sure the entrances to the crosswalks, alleyways, roads and driveways are cleared and stay cleared. Put dirt and/or salt on the ice patches in critical places such as crosswalks, storm drains and check them from time to time to make sure the thaw/freeze cycle hasn't created another hazard.
Let's keep our community user-friendly for all of its citizens, not just for those of us with normal mobility ability.

Elaine EckerrnOsoyoos

— (OSOYOOS TIMES — Jan. 17, 2007)

[b]AIRPORT AND INDUSTRIAL PARK PLANS UPSETTING[/b]

Editor:

The idea that a 12 storey building would be just the right structure for a small town in the country was warmly embraced by our Mayor and Council and fanned on by Destination Osoyoos. We know that this went from one modified proposal to another until it eventually was passed at a sudden council meeting.
Presently it is the airstrip receiving a lot of attention, however, there is a difference in that you the taxpayer “ us “ are already paying for an endeavour that will not benefit the majority in town. Already nearly a million of taxpayers dollars went towards paving the airstrip. In addition, [Mayor John] Slater has allocated $170,000 of your money for services to the site and he says that more of your money is required.
The airstrip area is obviously active orchard and vineyard land. This council and Destination Osoyoos recently  preyed adjacent land nearby the airstrip out of the ALR for the purpose of turning it into an industrial site and sell the land. This seems counter to the prevailing desire to grow food. Everybody eats daily and few of us fly.
Nevertheless Council and DO appear to have some doubts, and rightly so, about the feasibility of their dream or illusion, for they have spent more of your money with a consulting firm to develop a marketing plan for the site. In other words, sell us some reasons to make a taxpayers' waste of money look acceptable. The citizens need another snow job.
DO wants to lengthen the airstrip and that will require more taxpayers money again plus some more agricultural land as well. I don't think the Watermark resort or the Regal Ridge development will be footing the bill. The weak majority in this town is destined to 
support the strong minority.
One can land an aircraft in Oliver and a mere twenty minute drive through decidedly one of the prettiest landscape gets one into Osoyoos. What is in the plans is quite unwholesome. Anyone coming to Osoyoos from the west on Highway 3 is greeted by a stunning vista of our town, but that will be butchered by having to drive through an industrial tunnel complex on the right and on the left.
Slater says it is all about creating jobs. He suggested a card lock fuel station! Take a look at Lakeshore Drive and note  the diminished attractiveness brought about in three years or less.
It is puzzling why DO with the Mayor and Council in tow paid scant attention to Desert Park. The best DO came up with was to park motor homes in Desert Park. It couldn't be more anemic. 88% of the town  is in favour of a resurrected equestrian centre with slot machines only, 
to create a purse for the races.
Presently we do not see our Mayor rooting for Osoyoos to get a license for slot machines at Desert Park. Instead a relationship has formed between the town and OIB. In case just one gambling license is awarded to this area, be it for slot machines at Desert Park or a full spectrum gambling set up for OIB then there would be a profit sharing between the applicants. rnIf that is to be then it behooves that the 88% of us in Osoyoos and others in the outlying areas in favour of Desert Park, the majority, insist that the proceeds derived from OIB be invested wholly and totally in Desert Park so that it will be something for Osoyoos to be proud of. I believe that most of us prefer to take in an equestrian event over staring at Slater's job-producing card lock fuel pump at the airstrip.

Luke KurversrnOsoyoos

— (OSOYOOS TIMES — Jan. 17, 2007)

[b]CREDIT TO ALL FOR HELPING BOWSER & BLUE SHOW[/b]

Editor:

On Thursday, January 11th, an almost full-house crowd at the Osoyoos Mini-Theatre was treated to a hilarious song and comedy routine by Bowser and Blue, a team of performers from Montreal. This was the third event in the Osoyoos Concert Series presentations this year.
A remarkable aside is that this show was able to go on at all. Bowser and Blue had their original flight from Calgary cancelled, but were able to connect with a later flight. They arrived at Kelowna airport at 4:30 p.m. only to find that their equipment and instruments had not arrived, but would get there about 8:45 p.m.
Knowing their show was scheduled for 8:00 p.m. in Osoyoos left them in a quandary.
As easy as it would have been for them to cancel, within a half-hour they decided to come anyway. They contacted Ted Osborne of the Osoyoos Concert Series and expressed their faith that the locals could come up with the necessary equipment. All they needed to do the show was a sound system, two special guitars, and a mouth organ.
By the time they arrived, the necessary equipment had been provided, thanks to some expedient and generous effort by local firms and individuals. Bowser and Blue had less than a half hour to set up, test and tune the instruments, and get ready to perform. Their performance was first-class, and showed no signs that they were using unfamiliar instruments.
Much credit is due to Bowser and Blue for their professional attitude and commitment under very trying circumstances, to the members of the Osoyoos Concert Series for arranging the assembly of equipment, and to those who met the short time line to provide that equipment.

Tony BrummetrnOsoyoos & District Arts Council

— (OSOYOOS TIMES — Jan. 17, 2007)