OSOYOOS MOTORISTS CAN HELP AIR QUALITY TOO
OSOYOOS TIMES-December 12, 2007
It was a real treat to see the community come out on the evening of Dec. 7 for the Christmas Lite-up in downtown Osoyoos.
Spirits were high, the crowds were excited and those involved in the parade captured the feeling of the season with their energy and generosity.
There was one dark cloud over the gathering, however.
As spectators began to line the sidewalks of Main Street in anticipation of Santa's approach, some people decided to wait for the parade's start in their vehicles, battling the evening's chill by keeping their engines running.
Most of the idling vehicles were large pick-up trucks, many backed into Main Street's horizontal parking spaces with their tailpipes pointed at the crowds.
In several spots the exhaust fumes in the air were thick and choking and it was clear a number of people were uncomfortable and chose to move away from the vehicles.
Now, it's not the role of the Osoyoos Times to preach and no one likes to be told what to do.
But in a community that seems dedicated to improving the air it breathes with initiatives such as the Regional District Okanagan-Similkameen Air Quality Committee, witnessing such idling was disappointing.
If orchardists are expected to do their part to clear the air by changing their seasonal burning practices, we can all brave a half-hour in the cold without having to hunker in cars with the engines running.
Many families, including those with young children, took on the cold by bundling up and huddling together for warmth.
Kudos to them for coming out to watch the parade in style and resisting the urge to retreat to the warmth of a running car.
***
Just a quick note to say thank you to the Osoyoos Times and the people of Osoyoos for welcoming me to the community. I was going to introduce myself in this week's editorial, but Lawrence took all the words out of my mouth in his farewell article.
The only thing I'd like to add is for everyone and anyone to feel welcome in approaching us with story ideas. If you see something you feel would make a good story in the paper, send us an e-mail or call us.
This is your community newspaper and we encourage you to be involved in it whenever you can.
-Paul Everest
