LOOKING BACKWARD TO MOVE FORWARD
Editor:
With the impending local election growing nearer, I would like to suggest to all the voters of Osoyoos to stop and take a brief look backwards at what has taken place in our lovely little town over the last few years and to remember who was in charge of looking after the welfare of our town.
Let's see¦ we have lost huge portions of our famous lakefront to large, rich developers from outside; we have enough empty condos to house most of the homeless in Vancouver yet our population, as we are told, still has not risen above 5,000 people; we have become a Resort Community (whatever that means) with no after-6 p.m. amenities such as movie theatres; we have no shoe stores, clothing stores, etc. for our snowbird residents; we now have a huge development at the base of Main Street which has destroyed the view of our lake and mountains, not to mention the beach.
These things were what brought visitors to our lovely town!
Our taxes have gone up, the price of affordable housing has gone through the roof, our young people can hardly afford to stay and work in their home town.
It appears this was driven by the huge dollar amounts of the permits issued for the building of large developments.
This is just to name a few things that have taken place.
Please, make no mistake, I am not against development, just against UNCONTROLLED development. Develop for the better, not for development sake!
Ask the candidates vying for council this question: Which developments in town have paid upfront for the severe impact they will and have put on our services?
Roads, sidewalks, water, sewer, streetlights, etc.
From what I have heard and read, the development called Indigo is the only one that was charged a fee. Is this correct?
If so, then the question MUST be asked¦ WHY?
Citizens of Osoyoos, this year when it comes time to vote, please look back at what has taken place in our town and at all of the candidates and read what they have to say, and are they sincere, or just paying lip service?
Voting is a right and a privilege, so please, when you cast your ballot, do so responsibly.
Don't just vote for someone because you recognize the name, or you know the family, vote for who will be honest, forthright and work on our behalf, and protect the integrity of our town.
Fred Cawdell,rnOsoyoos
OSOYOOS TIMES-October 22, 2008
GRATITUDE FOR 'HEROES'
Editor:rnLiz Cooper and her family and the church family are my heroes.
They brought my family from Africa to Canada.
They made our lives better and made our dreams come true.
Other people in Osoyoos and B.C. who helped us are also my heroes.
May God bless these people, my heroes.
Zech Nyarza,rnOsoyoos
OSOYOOS TIMES-October 22, 2008
RESIDENT AGREES HOTELS NEED UPGRADES
Editor:
In answer to J. Nichol's letter of October 8th regarding the shabby shape of the older motels/hotels in this town, I totally agree.
Lots of my friends and acquaintances come to Osoyoos to visit but not all stay with me and time and time again I am hearing the same complaint about the motels: not very clean, old everything, spit through bedding, disgusting carpets, I could go on and on.
I have a hard time trying to recommend a place that is decent but not outrageously expensive.
How can you justify $155 per night when you cannot take your shoes off because the carpet is in such a bad state?rnIt has become an embarrassment.
In addition, the outsides of even the newer places are overgrown with weeds with lots of rubbish (bottles, cans, papers) strewn about.
We are a destination resort.
We have a reputation to live up to and its time some of these establishments start putting part of their profits into some upgrading.
Are we going to lose the families that have been coming to Osoyoos year after year? rn
TOURISM: it's part of this town's survival, value it!
C. McGhie,rnOsoyoos
OSOYOOS TIMES-October 22, 2008
CANDIDATE RESPONDS TO 'OPPORTUNIST' REMARKS
Editor:
Re: Mr. Molenkamp's slightly erroneous written comments.
I must clarify my position to get a little closer to the truth.
It must be clearly understood that our Mayor also sits on the RDOS Board with somewhat stronger voting power than the rural Director has.
The Mayor normally sits on the Okanagan Basin Water Board and can project meaningful positions when it comes to the Osoyoos Lake International Board of Control Orders.
These orders are up for renewal soon.
Greater Osoyoos deserves the strongest voice possible at the table to protect our lake.
Rurally, in this election we have two strong candidates.
The rural director's job primarily revolves around rural land use matters; the Mayor needs to adopt a much wider long term strategy.
Anyone running for public office can be considered an opportunist.
Today it is my chance to put my vision for this area up for scrutiny.
I am not afraid to be counted and to speak out on the major local and regional issues.
To set the record straight I was asked to run provincially, as well as in Oliver, rural Osoyoos and in Town.
I let my name appear in the early news release, however, one is not in the race till your nominators sign your papers and they are filed officially.
As far as Regal Ridge and Willow Beach are concerned it is interesting to note that in both instances I was initially accused of trying to scuttle these developments.
Now I stand accused of being in bed with these developers.
The truth is that once the decisions were made to let these developments proceed I was honoured to have been asked, in my professional capacity, to assist the proponents to plan the most environmentally friendly developments possible.
We have achieved a lot on behalf of the floodplain, the oxbows, the beach and the lake.
We tried for seven years to interest the government to purchase all of the upstream floodplain.
No such luck.
Today, I feel, it is my duty to assist these two first-class landowners professionally.
Sitting on the fence and screaming 'stop' would accomplish absolutely nothing.
Speaking one's mind for what one believes is right and best does not constitute conflict of interests in most instances.
Some peoples' frustrations are understandable, but please understand the facts and reality.
It is an honour to have been asked to contest the Mayor's position in Osoyoos.
Eike G. Scheffler,
Osoyoos
OSOYOOS TIMES-October 22, 2008
RE-ELECTED MP THANKS HIS SUPPORTERS
Editor:
I would like to thank all those who took the time to vote in the federal election.
It was especially heartwarming to be able to participate in all-candidates' meetings at our schools and see young people interested in the political process, thanks to the hard work of their teachers.
I and my staff will continue to make every attempt to listen to and work hard on behalf of all our constituents.
We are asked to tackle many issues of concern to our communities such as passports, health care, the environment, food security, border issues and childcare.
I look forward to continuing this inclusive approach during my next term as your Member of Parliament.
In closing, I would like to thank all of those committed people who worked so hard on my campaign.
Our combined efforts paid off.
Alex Atamanenko,
MP for BC Southern Interior
OSOYOOS TIMES-October 22, 2008
