Editor:
I feel compelled to weigh in on the ongoing Home Building Centre (HBC) and neighbour issue. Having first-hand knowledge of this issue as an HBC employee, I feel Council members’ negative comments towards HBC to be unjust.
Following Mr. Wright’s July letter to Council, strict directives were promptly implemented by management and followed by HBC yard staff.
Compliance by truck drivers was maintained as well as a very positive response from the majority of citizens incurring any minor delays during the unloading of trucks.
Prior to Mr. Wright’s letter to council, he had personally expressed his concerns to HBC management.
During this period, many self-imposed changes were made, including: No receiving of freight deliveries before 8 a.m. (7 a.m. being the commercial norm), no weekend deliveries, no over-night parking and no idling. (All of which are not presently restricted by current bylaws).
In my opinion, I feel Mr. Wright’s three month, “anecdotal” report of 26 idling trucks while unloading, trucks mis-parked, etc. to be skewed at best and grossly inaccurate at worst. Assuming Mr. Wright is home 50 per cent of the time weekdays and between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. counting non-complying trucks, simple math would dictate that according to his report, 52 trucks were idling, 12 trucks were parked on the residential side of the street and 12 rear-loading trucks were unloading on the street.
These numbers become unrealistic.
Regardless of the debate of newer trucks versus older trucks and how long they may need to warm up or cool down, any truck equipped with air brakes must run for various lengths of time in order to build up sufficient air pressure to enable disengagement of the air brakes.
Mr. Wright is now quoted in this paper as stating “The anti-idling bylaw” (which I would favour) “would help little as it’s the coming and going of trucks.”
As is common with a small town, our Main Street happens to be a major highway with a high volume of truck traffic, with the majority of them not providing any goods or services to our town but simply passing through.
Be it noise or diesel fumes (affecting some more than others depending on the direction of the wind) interaction between citizens and trucks is inevitable.
I understand Mr. Wright’s situation as I would not enjoy living beside a commercial establishment either, which is why I would not CHOOSE to locate beside one, or a school, or an orchard with air cannons, or a lake with those pesky watercraft, or an airport, etc., etc.
It would seem Mr. Wright is unsatisfied with his CHOSEN location.
In my opinion, this is a classic case of NIMBY (Not in My Back Yard) –ism and that Council has exhausted an excessive amount of valuable taxpayer-paid time pandering to a personal agenda.
M. Hatherly,
Osoyoos

OSOYOOS TIMES-December 16, 2009

KEEP CLERGY MEMBERS IN B.C.’S HOSPITALS

Editor:
I was watching the Global newscast from the Coast on Dec 11., 6 p.m., with anchor Cris Gallis, when something caught my attention that I found disturbing (if I heard it correctly, and I believe that I did).
The report said, some hospitals at the Coast were no longer allowing the clergy in to visit patients on a daily walk-around as they have been doing for years.
I wonder why that is?
And by whose authority that rule was made?
Pastors have been permitted into hospitals at any hour of the day or night for many years.
They are on call 24 hours a day just like the doctors are.
And sometimes they are the only hope and comfort that is left to a patient who is ill or facing major surgery.
When a doctor tells a terminal patient he can do no more for him or her, a visit from that patient’s pastor, or the hospital chaplain, is a blessing they often need, and appreciate.
I have a son in the clergy and I know in the past 31 years he has made many hospital visits, some with happy results, some with sad ones.
But regardless, he was there for them in caring and prayer.
A pastor cannot save an earthly life, but he can help a person in preparing for the ending of his or her life in a way no doctor can.
I think it is very wrong and insensitive for anyone to take away the service that the clergy can provide in hospitals.
Winnie Phillips,
Osoyoos

OSOYOOS TIMES-December 16, 2009

OSOYOOS NEEDS PARCEL SERVICE

Editor:
Re: Greyhound parcels
When will Osoyoos get independence?
When I was a child growing up in Osoyoos we relied on the Town of Oliver for hospital care, government agent services, liquor purchases and driver’s licences.
Now, 72 years later, we still rely on the Town of Oliver for our hospital care and government agent services and now we have to add Greyhound parcel depot to the list.
Convenient parcel delivery is mandatory to many in town, and it should never have been discontinued.
We need a Greyhound parcel depot in Osoyoos and we need it now.
Let’s become self-sufficient and stop relying on other towns to provide basic services.
Don Brunner,
Osoyoos

OSOYOOS TIMES-December 16, 2009