LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
- September 02, 2008
Dear George/Editor;
As with all gambling, be careful when playing Highway Bingo, because the House will always win. And to lose carries a very high price. Highway Bingo is not a game, but sadly, many of us have no choice but to play it, and the criminal part of Highway Bingo is that the risks can be greatly reduced, but often
'government' will not act to reduce these risks until there is a tragedy.
Of course, at Highway 3 and Burton, as described in your recent Editorial, there is a pedestrian activated crossing light. But as you discovered, many motorists ignore this light. I suggest to you that only a full red-amber-green traffic signal, with the appropriate advance warning lights will reduce the risk to a more reasonable level, and even at that it is only reducing the risk, not eliminating it.
In my casual observations at this crossing, I have seen too many vehicles, including semi trucks, traveling down the hill at such a rate of speed they could not stop at the pedestrian light even if they were so inclined. I have also noticed too many people who press the activation button and patiently wait for the traffic to stop...and then press the button and wait again, perhaps a little less patiently.
As for me, I use a wheelchair, so pressing the button is not an option because the curbing makes it inaccessible.
Highway 3 cuts through our community and it is not unreasonable that pedestrians need to cross it. The pedestrian light at Burton is the only marked crossing and it creates a false sense of security for everyone, especially for our children as they are often less aware of the dangers of the road. We need to make the highway safe for everyone to cross because, George, not all of us have the ability to wait for an opening and run across.
The Department of Transportation is responsible for the installation of an effective traffic light system. Let us hope that we can get the system we need and deserve without a tragedy. And that tragedy will not be the result of an accident, it will be an act of neglect.
Yours truly,
Ken Carlson, Princeton
To The Editor:
Re: Burr's Trailer Court, Sale Of Land For Development
What I, and the rest of the Mobile Home Owners in Burr's would like to see are laws in place, that will not allow abuse to our seniors.
Julia Gully (Acting Grievance Officer for the Park Home Owners Association) has offered to show Town Council and the Administrator the policies that she has written and managed to put into effect with regards to the Coquitlam mobile home parks sold into development two years ago.
Before this newly formed association in Merritt was started, it was called Alliance Of Concerned Citizens of BC and dealt with similar situations across B.C. on behalf of displaced residents of manufactured home parks.
I loved how she had her Town Council back up their manufactured home owners by telling land developers if they mistreated even one of their Seniors, that Council would tie up their permits forever and promised to keep them tied up indefinitely.
The horror stories told to me during our informal meeting absolutely horrified and sickened me. The treatment and bully tactics done towards these people made me feel weak in the knees.
Today, it's Burr's Trailer Court, tomorrow, the Pines Trailer Court... or Lynwood.... or Deblyn...
I am not against the sale of the land, it's the way the little guy is getting treated that I oppose. There are several ways to work this matter out. For example, the town could buy the land and leave it as is, where they would collect the pad rental, and it would remain as a mobile home Park.
Or, because these manufactured homes are too old to be moved, if land developers were to buy, then I suggest a proper buy-out at fair market value, none of this owners paying us 12 months pad rent, and also anyone who lives in that Court be the first to have their names on the list for whatever development were to go in there. These units are not just shacks, they have all been heavily invested to and are our homes.
You don't have to be a senior to be displaced. It can happen to anyone, you see, the almighty dollar comes first.
P.S. In case anyone wonders why I would like my voice to be heard in this is, I am speaking for my mother, the Late Rolly Regimbal, who worked so hard all of her life here in Princeton, paid her taxes (still does) and raised 5 kids here.
Mum has a mobile home in this park, which I've tried to sell in order to pay off her RRAP loan with the government for 10 months now only to have prospective buyers turned down. Now I know why.
Our town must have the foresight to protect the vulnerable MHO by putting into place legislation that provides appropriate payment for our homes should parks be sold to developers.
A developer should also be obliged to find either adequate space for us, or offer us first purchase rights on whatever is being built on the land.
As long as government collects property tax on our manufactured homes, we should still be entitled to more protection than condo leases!
I have to wonder about the residents who live on the hill above the park. Do they know about incoming construction? There is a road and a walkway up there, and I fear this hill is too unstable for development.
These seniors have been contributing to the economy when we were still in diapers, now it's our turn to reciprocate.
Respectfully submitted,
Nicki McIvor, Princeton
To The Editor;
Yesterday (August 27) while at a business function in Kelowna I ran into my friend Rosalind Neis, Mayor of Westside.
I had been introduced to Rosalind shortly after she took office and over the last nine months we have struck up a friendship. During our conversation Rosalind said that she wanted to thank me for the advice that I had given her several months ago when she was in the midst of making many difficult decisions that would affect the residents of Westside.
She said that I had advised her to base her decisions on what she knew would be in the best interests of her community and not on trying to gain favour or to win re-election.
Rosalind thanked me for that advice stating that it has served her well.
There are reasons why people enter our daily lives at specific times and my meeting with Rosalind was very timely for me.
She reminded me of who I was and what really matters in the business of politics. I make decisions every day that affect the residents of Area H and when I do I am not thinking about how it will affect my popularity.
I will not seek favours for making certain decisions nor will I agree with people just to make myself look good.
I am going to truly enjoy the last few months of my term thanks to my conversation with Rosalind and I will be happy with whatever the future holds for me.
- Gerri Logan, Area 'H' Director,
Princeton (Rural)
