TERRY FOX RUN ORGANIZER 'THRILLED AND DISAPPOINTED'rn

Editor:

The 2008 Terry Fox Community Run is now history.

It was held on Sunday, Sept. 14 and organizer Sy Murseli is both thrilled and disappointed.

The elation comes from the generous support he received from townspeople and businesses that contributed $3,610 to the cause this year, and the others who joined him for the run/walk.

The disappointment is the realization that he was joined only by Denis and Carole Bissonnette from the community and four other runners who were visitors to our town, from Maple Ridge, Vanice Wilson from Toronto Denton Creighton and, from St. Christophe, Que., Francine Pelland and Serge Fortin.

The five and 10 kilometre routes took participants to Haynes Point and back to the Sonora Centre while Murseli continued on to downtown Oroville, USA, a 34-kilometre loop.

The people and businesses of Osoyoos have been very open-handed and I want to thank them very much.

Added to the funds collected by the local elementary and secondary schools over the last week, Osoyoos has been well represented.

Sy Murseli,rnOsoyoos

OSOYOOS TIMES-October 1, 2008

ARTS AN IMPORTANT PART OF CANADA

Editor:

It is disappointing yet predictable that arts funding has been cut by the Harper government.

Every level of government has employed this tactic at some time believing arts to be superfluous yet not one person is untouched by arts in their day to day life; radio, television, magazines, newspapers, fashion, architecture before you even consider film, concerts, dance recitals, book fairs and paintings on walls.

Arts are a significant contributor to the economy especially with well-established museums, galleries and festivals bringing tourists and pride to the hosting community.

If people are engaged in creative pursuits and are able to express themselves and share the human experience from an inclusive perspective is this not a better route than the often exclusive nature of depression, repression and violence?

But arts are subjective and annoyingly unquantifiable.

What is a potentially life-changing arts experience worth?

If we knew for sure the costs of arts would be recovered through less policing and health costs, would we be so nonchalant about the power of creativity?

Yes, some arts projects are flaky, but convince me that some private sector and government initiatives aren't.

Yes, arts should not be exempt from being fiscally responsible but convince me that the private sector and the government are always fiscally responsible.

Yes, arts are risky but convince me business isn't.

Study after study has proved businesses are more successful with creativity as a component of their business plans.

In the end, it is all about having well-rounded, caring citizens who enrich life and arts are simply part of the package.

Amy Doolittle,rnMississauga, Ont.

Editor's note: The writer's husband, Don Dickson, created the sculpture in Osoyoos Town Square.

OSOYOOS TIMES-October 1, 2008

MORE ACTION NEEDED TO PROTECT LOCAL WATERS

Editor:

It is time we asked!

What is the International Joint Commission doing, as a follow-up to that much touted recent Scientific Symposium and the Glenfir report?

Even the author of that report, with its timely recommendations for action, is somewhat frustrated with the lack of progress exhibited by this illustrious body of appointees and its Board of Control, that rule our lake levels.

It has become imperative that adequate lake water quality standards are enshrined into their proposed new mandate.

Water advisories and E. coli scares abound in our valley today and what is anyone doing about it?

The lake's cocktail of fermenting and decaying pollutants is meanwhile merrily bubbling and brewing away.

It is time for some new blood on these control boards.

The real issues are for all to see.

Paying lip service to cosmetic solutions is no longer acceptable.

In reality these Boards are only interested in protecting the status quo beyond 2013. Water quality issues or standards and other upstream concerns in Canada are largely ignored.

Our Washington friends still don't believe that Zosel Dam causes excessive sediment loads from both the Okanagan and the Similkameen rivers to accumulate in our three lake basins.

This was clearly enunciated at the recent commission meeting.

How long are we going to stick our head in the sand and ignore our reservoir's plight as caused by the channelization upstream and Zosel Dam downstream?

Now as to the upstream side and the much touted, long overdue, sewer/water project that has been delayed and waffled over for 20 years now!

Do the Osoyoos Burghers and politicians know and understand that the much worked-over five-year stakeholder extension contract, giving us access for sewers to Willow Beach and the northwest side of the lake, becomes null and void on October 31, 2008.

I am pretty certain that the property owners, who so reluctantly signed on their renewed easements, will not grant another reprieve.

Come on Town Fathers and Regional District Okanagan-Similkameen bureaucrats.

Let us get the lead out.

Grants and willing participants won't be around forever.

October 31, 2008, is the magic deadline.

Partisan politics have no place in this particular instance.

We certainly don't want a sewer corridor inside the high water mark along our northwest lakeshore.

Eike Scheffler,rnOsoyoos

OSOYOOS TIMES-October 1, 2008