Town is indeed going wild with too much development

Editor:rnOK PEOPLE OF OSOYOOS, IT'S THE ZERO HOUR!! Read Denis and Maureen Potter's letter in the Aug 10th edition of the Osoyoos Times, and be sure to read the article on page 4, then go to the bottom right hand corner of page 29 (same issue), then take another look at pages 29 and 31 of the August 3 issue, almost every issue these days prints an application to take away more of our lakeshore.
This town is going wild because the word is out amongst the developers in B.C. that Osoyoos is ripe for the taking.
What about by-laws, city planning, concern for the citizens of this town?
It all seems to go right down the drain. It may be that the Town Fathers think they are doing a favour for this town – leaving a legacy, so to speak. WRONG!!
Here is a message to Town Council: If you continue to let these large developments appear in this town, if you continue to let these people develop more and more of our lakeshore, if you allow this explosion of Osoyoos to continue you will be remembered . . . . for all the wrong reasons!!!
Moratorium, moratorium, moratorium – get the horse in front of the cart before it is too late.
Denis and Maureen counsel us to get our memberships in OSOYOOS NOW, and make our voices heard even if it is just with a $10 membership.
I need to state here that I am at the top of the list of those having misplaced priorities.
Anyone who was at the August 10 meeting of this new organization has got to be impressed with the caliber of the new leadership, and just being there and learning how much Osoyoos means to other people besides myself was exhilarating.
I feel encouraged that we are going to get our town back before it is too late.
You can pick up your membership card from Bob Anderson at Anderson's Diamond Shop on Main Street. Do it! Do it right! Do it right NOW! It's never too late to do what is right – our quality of life is at stake.
Alberta Sevy
Osoyoos

Editor:rnWhy are our beaches being gobbled up by developers?
They are taking over most of our lakeshore and beaches.
Take Cottonwood Drive. There is no beach access from one end to the other. There is supposed to be beach access every so often. Now they want to buy the beach from our B.C. Gov't. They already have put in huge moorage docks on our lake.
Do we want this for our children, grandchildren and us the tax payer?
Let's save our beaches. We have elected our council and mayor to look after our interests.
We don't see this happening.
Election time is coming so let's do something about this. Join Osoyoos Now and help us change this.
Al SchultzrnOsoyoos

Editor:rnI saw the article regarding the proposed development along East Lakeshore Drive and was impressed by the Potters' Letter to the Editor in response to it.
I saw a pile-driver at the location on Sunday, Aug. 7 and an advertisment for the development the same day.
I have always thought that proposed means that an idea is being put forward for discussion and a decision.
If re-zoning from Park & Recreation & Agriculture to Comprehensive Commercial/Residential has yet to be approved by Osoyoos Town Council, why would there be advertisements for the homes and construction equipment on site already?
It appears that the decision has already been made and the proposal has already been approved.
Dean Corbett, Bridesville

Editor:rnI am writing to apologize for the sorry state of our Cancer Golden Garden on the Pioneer Walkway.
Apparently the water from the sprinkler system does not reach that far and mostly everything has died.
I have replanted it three times this summer and each time the plants have died. It is very discouraging to say the least.
Alice PartridgernOsoyoos

Editor:rnThe letter in last week's paper was right on – this is truly a town gone wild.rnThis is a copy of our letter to Land & Water B.C. regarding another marina on Osoyoos Lake, and the application to lease crown lands for same.
Land & Water British Columbia Inc.,rnSection Headrn145 3rd Ave., Floor 3,rnKamloops, B.C.
V2C 3M1rnRE: File #3411015rnThis is to Register an emphatic NO to the application of Casa Del Lago Development Corporation of Vancouver, B.C. for a licence for a Disposition of Crown Land of that unsurveyed crown foreshore being part of the bed of Osoyoos Lake, fronting lot of a District Lot 41, Similkameen Division of Yale District, Plan KAP75076, except Strata Plan KAS2660, situated on Provincial Crown land in the vicinity of Osoyoos.
As residents and taxpayers of Osoyoos, we object to any further release of public lands into the hands of developers who would use public property for private or commercial gain, such as the strata moorage facility contemplated by the development company.
Granting of this application would have the effect of giving over ownership of part of our lake into private hands.
This is definitely not in the best interests of the town or the lake itself.
The development company itself is a Vancouver-based operation, and, as such, can have no possible interest in furthering quality of life for the general population residing here.
Further, granting of this application would set a precedent, and initiate an avalanche of such applications, which would be impossible to control or deny.
The fragile eco-system of this lake is already compromised and developments such as this push it ever closer to total destruction. There are enough marinas on the lake now. We urge that you bear in mind the pollution of other lakes due to over development, and refuse to let it go further in Osoyoos Lake.
Crown Lands belong to the people of British Columbia, and in the case of Osoyoos Lake, should never be handed over to private interests for their personal profit.
Your truly,
D. & T. SchofieldrnA. & T. McCaskellrnV. & A. PaolerarnWe feel very uneasy with the things we see happening around us, and think that it is time for ordinary people to make their voices heard. We urge Osoyoos Times readers who object to the development of more marinas on the lake – make your views known where it counts.
Write, or copy this letter if you wish, and send it on to the Lands & Water people.
If we don't express our concerns, we will have no one to blame but ourselves when Osoyoos Lake is polluted beyond redemption, and the town has become Kelowna South. Let's take responsibility for our community. We believe joining Osoyoos Now is a step in the right direction.

Editor:rnI'm writing about Alan Randell's thoughtful letter calling for the legalization of all drugs (8-05-05). I'd like to add that many judges and prison wardens have said that 70 to 80 percent of all property crime and violent crime is drug-related. Actually almost 100 percent of all so-called drug-related crime is caused by drug prohibition policies – not drugs.
When Coca-Cola contained cocaine instead of caffeine and sold for 5 cents a bottle, the term drug-related crime didn't exist. Neither did drug lords, drug cartels or even drug dealers as we know them today.
Many currently employed in law enforcement are opposed to the idea of re-legalizing all types of recreational drugs. That's because if drugs were re-legalized, we would need far fewer law enforcement personnel, far fewer prison guards and no prison builders. Thus, many now employed in law enforcement and the prison industry would be looking for a job or washing cars for a living. Of course, those opposed to re-legalizing drugs because it would affect their livelihood will not say so. Instead they will cite noble reasons such as protecting the children. As if the current policies are protecting children from drugs.
Kirk MusernMesa, AZ