I do not understand why the park designation was removed from the Kinney Avenue property.
Valued at $1.5 million it would have been a valuable addition to the overall parks plan; close to a school and in an area that can expect increased consolidation with high rises.
In my opinion the decision to zone for single-family houses is short-sighted and an attempt to keep everyone happy with an election coming in November.
Why would anyone buy a new single-family home in that location when they are likely to be an island in a sea of apartments before the mortgage is paid for?
Why did council balk at spending $1.5 million after holding this land in reserve for 20 years. Where is the vision? Why all of a sudden was this no longer a good idea? Was the November election their prime motivation? Do they operate on whims throwing out long-range plans willy nilly?
Or do they have a plan we do not know about? Last election we were blindsided with a grandiose sure-fire plan for a hockey dorm. It served its purpose pre-election and we are still paying for the fallout.
The failure of Penticton council to renew the urban garden lease; combined with the removal of the park designation on the Kinney property in my opinion only increases speculation on what plans will surface just before the election in the fall.
Could it be a new $30 to $50 million arts centre to serve the needs of a small segment of the community that isn’t satisfied with Cleland; a renovated PenMar; the Shatford; the Cannery; the old Masonic Hall; the SOEC for large events; the Trade Centre and the likely cooperation of David Prystay and his Lakeside hotel for anything else.
Elvena Slump
Penticton
Typo, spelling sponsorship and allegations
In the last paragraph, (re: MP targets human trafficking, May 14) - it seems spelling was not checked and you left an “i” out of the word public.
Thank you for your sponsorship of 5th Annual Adult Spelling Bee Fundraiser and for the photo of teammate Myrna on the front page.
Regarding the allegations against Sandy Elder, my heart goes out to the family, loved ones and friends of Sandy.
I know that her friend Dave believes the allegations are untrue and I certainly hope they are too, though I never knew her.
Sometimes, I have found, we think we know someone then sometimes are shocked by something unexpected being revealed about them or claimed about them.
Again I hope the allegations against Sandy are untrue even though that would mean some form of conspiracy against her and other guilty parties wrongly casting blame on her. May the truth come to light.
Patrick Longworth
Okanagan Falls
Cast-offs take on new lives
In the past weeks, the communities of Naramata and Queen’s Park Elementary School in Penticton worked together to give back to our local and global community.
First, Naramata hosted their annual community yard sale, collecting clothes and items that had served their purpose in one household but were still useful to others.
Secondly, all of the items that didn’t find a new home in Naramata were added to a growing pile at Queen’s Park Elementary, where The Greatest Community Clothes Swap Ever took place for the third time. Many families in our community use these events, as well as other second-hand stores, to stock up on clothes for kids and parents alike, whether out of need or a desire to be more globally aware.
Lastly, and new this year, all the clothes still left over will be shipped in a container to multiple orphanages in Eastern Moldova, which is sandwiched between the Ukraine and Romania.
Two local heroes ship used items three to four times a year, and usually visit the orphanages once a year, although the current political unrest is delaying a personal visit this year.
Our cast-offs take on a new life in grateful arms, and hopefully our perspective is changed for the better.
I am very proud to be a part of a school, and a larger community, that considers and reaches out to those people less fortunate than ourselves in a tangible way. Thank you to everyone who made it possible.
Sharon Otke
Penticton
Quitting pays off
I call this theft. I read in the Province, April 8, that Michael Graydon, the now ex CEO of the BC Lottery Corp, quit his job.
I should like to know, how does one quit their job and still receive such gratuities as $86,000, and also an iPad, an iPhone and a laptop? And the paper also reported Michael Graydon will be having some connection to an up and coming new casino.
Don’t the casinos in B.C. have some connection to the B.C. Lottery Corp?
Now, I wonder how that all came about. Do tell.
Joan Johnson
Penticton
Incredible edible language
Pam Warhurst from a small market town in England and her team of Incredible Edibles Todmorden have a vision, to find a unifying language that cuts across age and income and culture to help people find a new way of living, see spaces around them differently, think about the resources they use differently, interact differently? Can we find that language? And then, can we replicate those actions? And the answer would appear to be yes, and the language would appear to be food.
Pam’s vision has now spread around the world, and according to our Incredible Edible Penticton Facebook group we are catching on here too!
For more information on the Incredible Edible movement visit our Facebook group or meet us in person at Penticton Farmers Market every Saturday.
Hilma LaBelle
Penticton