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Closing times, thanks, and no thanks

Speed kills, even in the country Through the pages of Pique Newsmagazine I would like to express my concern at the reckless way some people drive along Pemberton Farm Road East.

Speed kills, even in the country

Through the pages of Pique Newsmagazine I would like to express my concern at the reckless way some people drive along Pemberton Farm Road East.

On Tuesday evening whilst walking my dog with my youngest son accompanying me, we came across a tragic scene just past the entrance to the Townhomes on the Pemberton Plateau. A cat had been knocked down and left in the middle of the road, had the driver had the slightest bit of decency in their body, they would have stopped and moved the animal to the side of the road. Instead they chose to drive away and left it for someone else to deal with - unfortunately it was my nine year old son who discovered his best friends cat laying in the road, and it was my son who had to go and tell his friend's mum whilst all I could do was lift the cat to the side of the road.

To the gentleman who was concerned enough to stop and offer his assistance when my son and I discovered the cat may I say thank you. To Matthew and Derianna we can only say how sorry we are. And to those of you that continue to treat Pemberton Farm Road East like a race track please, please slow down; this time it was a much loved family pet next time it could be a child.

Lesley Clark

Pemberton

Shutting down our night life and our living

It is with great regret that I announce the closing of the Citta patio (at 11 p.m. every night) come July 1.

A month ago the RCMP, Tourism Whistler, municipality and the Hotel Association had a meeting and decided that the outdoor noise of Whistler needs to stop.

We, the service industry, were not invited to this meeting. Today, we found out that half of our capacity will be eliminated at 11 p.m. and our one and a half hours of highest sales will be diminished and given to the nightclubs.

The hotels are not affected by this decision. They do not have to close their doors and windows like we do. Yet, I do clearly remember being hit over three times this winter by a snowball walking to my car from work at night. The snowballs and yells came from hotel balconies.

Tourism Whistler is not affected by this decision. They are still advertising to the younger crowd for the May long weekend. Yet I thought we were trying to eliminate the young party crowd.

There are no options for the pubs with patios. Would it not be fair that our capacity indoors is doubled to account for all the people we have to move inside? Where will our summer village ambiance go if everyone is inside before it is barely dark?

At our little bistro we mourn the loss of our patio for this hour and a half. Today we turn our music off as usual at 10 p.m. to eliminate noise and we continue to talk to all customers that are being loud. On the streets and on the hotel patios we have no authority. We work with three servers outside and one inside.

I suppose we will just let go of three-quarters of our night service staff and so will the other 15 or so pubs with patios. These servers, bartenders, bussers, hosts, cooks, chefs, dishwashers, managers, general managers, accountants, office managers and owners can just remember a time when the patios were open and they made enough money to survive in this beautiful town.

I know they will always remember that Whistler never invited them to the meeting that changed their work place. Their voice was not heard.

Joanne Van Engelsdorp

Sad Server

Whistler

The Biggest Little Gym Club

I would like to say thanks to everyone I have had a chance to work with through the Whistler Gymnastics Club over the last six years. 

I am ready to pass on the torch, or should I say grip, to the next person who gets to work with the ‘Biggest Little Gym Club in B.C.’

Through my years as Administrator and Program Director I have been able to build great relationships with other sport organizations in the corridor and with all of the community members who have served on the Whistler Gymnastics board of directors. I have also enjoyed the time I spent with all the amazing athletes and coaches in the club, as well as all the wonderful volunteers that helped build the club to what is today. 

Hang in there team, our permanent facility will come and we will one day be able to offer all the programs that gymnastics clubs are able to provide. Remember, I am still in town and plan to remain involved with the club. 

The WGC was an amazing club to work with, with lots of new innovative ideas and they really live up to their philosophy. Keep up the good work. 

And remember, the deadline for Club Director applications is June 30. 

Tami Mitchell (formerly Ross)

Whistler

Give credit where credit is due

I was not planning to weigh in on this one but... Seeing that there is a bit of misinformation, I feel I should respond.

Several years ago when I saw the first classified advertisements for Ms. Smiley's "Boot Camp", I noticed an interesting point – it claimed to be the first "Boot Camp" in Whistler.

Which is untrue. I know because I ran "Boot Camp" for locals at Meadow Park Sports Centre as a fitness centre employee for three springs in a row, 1997-2000. Prior to my teaching of this "boot camp", colleague Janine Trudeau did the same from about 1994-1996.

I never claimed "Pirates and copy cats" as Ms. Smiley's Boot Camp started, because I figure we all need to make a living... everything comes out in the wash, and if more people are getting fit and healthy well that is all good in my world.

In future I would respectfully suggest Ms. Smiley seriously consider her research, methodology, and the conclusions she draws from it. It truly goes to creditability, on every level. In the training industry this is always a challenge as we are entrusted to understand and disseminate real scientific research, an ever-evolving process.

Finally I believe "boot camp" was actually created by men wishing to win real battles and wars centuries ago and not by those of us in a privileged society trying lose weight, get healthy and look good.

Cindy Thomson

Whistler

What’s for lunch

The Whistler Secondary PAC would like to publicly send a huge thank you to all our lunchtime volunteers who have prepared and served tasty nutritional meals to our students over the past 10 months. The funds raised from lunch ticket sales are used by the PAC to provide various items including sports equipment and uniforms for school teams, new stove and dishwasher for the kitchen, guest speakers for students and parents, scholarships, student leadership conference fees and numerous other requests for funds to support our students.

We would like to give special recognition to our amazing volunteer mother Pauline Wiebe. Her youngest son Patrick graduates this year so she is leaving the WSS lunch program after nine years of supervising Wednesday’s Pizza Day. Pauline has worked tirelessly to make sure our kids could have their weekly slice of favourite pizza and I’m sure they will all miss her smiling face at the kitchen counter next fall. Pauline has earned the privilege to hang up her apron.

Also, thank you to all the parents who have paid for the lunch tickets, your money is being invested back into our community school and your student’s education.

Kathy Macalister

Secretary, WSCS PAC

Whistler

Bikes not so benign

You will soon (June 20 to 23) be inundated by mountain bikers conferring on how to spread mountain biking. You can bet that they (1) won't be telling the truth about mountain biking and its impacts and (2) won't include any speakers who might tell the truth about mountain biking. The only way that the truth can be told is in papers like yours.

Please don't be fooled by the mountain bikers' propaganda! One glance at a mountain bike, with its rugged build and knobby tires, will tell you that it's up to no good. It "says", nonverbally, but loudly and clearly, that the rough treatment of natural areas is okay. Of course it's not okay! Mountain bikes are built tough because normal bikes can't take the pounding they would get on trails. But, by Newton's third law of physics, the pounding they receive is identical to the pounding they apply to the trail (and any roots, plants, or animals run over).

Since I was a child in the Boy Scouts, I was taught to practice minimal-impact recreation. Mountain biking is not low-impact recreation. It accelerates erosion, creates V-shaped ruts, kills small animals and plants on and next to the trail, extends humans' reach into wildlands, and drives wildlife and other trail users out of the parks. What's good about THAT? For more on the science on mountain biking impacts see

http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande/scb7 .

Mike Vandeman, Ph.D.

California

Plastic not so fantastic

Well said Glenda Bartosh. Plastic bags need to be charged for in order to cut back their use, as has been done in Denmark for many years where everyone has cloth shopping bags. Plastic is available when needed for a small fee (about 10 cents).

Garbage is taken to large, extremely efficient furnaces to make hot water and piped to everyone for heating and washing. Some of the central heat is used to make electricity although they are on a hydro grid from Sweden. They also make 29 per cent of their electricity from wind power.

All glass is recycled. Nowhere do you find litter on the streets.

Cloth shopping bags are already gaining here as I and my three grown children can attest, but they do need a boost and a little help from all levels of government.

Plastic bags are said to be convenient but only for the grocery stores’ checkout. They are certainly not easier to carry than cloth bags.

Terry Smith

Garibaldi Highlands

Council, thanks for your diligence.

The debate on the private versus public operation of Whistler's sewage treatment plant is now over. The work to design, build and operate an upgraded plant now begins.

Some will argue that this upgrade should have started two years ago when construction costs were lower, and labour more available. It was not done. So much for hindsight. Now we must move ahead quickly to have the upgraded plant fully operating before the Olympic crowds arrive to further tax the system.

Having attended recent Council meetings, we are aware of how much time our mayor and councillors have given to the issue surrounding the P3’s. While most had been convinced that privatization was the way to go (possibly as a way to get the issue off their loaded plates), nevertheless, Council did listen to the citizens and their overwhelming support to keep the operation of the sewage plant in public hands.

We thank the mayor and councillors for your diligence and commitment in resolving, on behalf of all of us, the many issues which have to be dealt with. It is not an easy job. May the resolve to handle the public operation of the treatment plant prove to be feathers in your caps!

Shirley and Michael Thompson

Whistler