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Some councillors don’t get it

A comprehensive, though not exhaustive, RMOW-Olympic budget was presented at council this week. Read the report together with the companion piece on our 2010 preparedness, and decide if the earmarked $8.

A comprehensive, though not exhaustive, RMOW-Olympic budget was presented at council this week.

Read the report together with the companion piece on our 2010 preparedness, and decide if the earmarked $8.7 million (not including Game’s operating dollars) is money well spent.

During debate, some councillors wondered if this budget exercise was necessary, highlighting that other councillors “…were (myopically) missing the point” of our 2010 effort.

It “is” council’s job to scrutinize staff reports, line by line, point by point on every expenditure and policy. A thorough vetting of expenditures on issues involving multiple millions of dollars is an absolute!

Which tax streams the money comes from? What is — or is not — included in the numbers? Is the money being carefully administered? These are all legitimate questions.

But I take offence when a councillor self-appoints himself as having a greater insight, a broader vision for what the Olympics will provide by questioning the thought process of others who naively (ignorantly?) “…are not seeing the big picture.”

Boy, the cohones of a first-term councillor telling another councillor (with decades of council and community involvement) that she is missing the bigger picture… wow!

The councillor on the losing side of the Q & A doesn’t need my protection but I take offense as a taxpayer when questions being asked on my behalf are belittled and the inquisitor’s motivation(s) trivialized.

Stow the pom-poms and pleated skirt and ask the tough questions on behalf of your constituents some time.

Finally, one councillor’s suggestion that “…since members of the public left before the Game’s budget presentation… and this indicated a lack of public interest” was just plain goofy. Whether there are two or 200 in the public gallery, I trust that the councillor gives every issue the full attention and due diligence it deserves.

The public does care how $8.7 million tax dollars, (“yes,” even hotel tax revenue dollars) are spent. And so should you.

Brian Buchholz

Whistler

RMOW checked first

In his letter to the Pique entitled Numbers Leave Me Lost for Words, in the Sept. 4 edition of Pique, Lennox McNeely stated: “...our mayor had his trip to the Beijing Olympics paid by an anonymous American — one would hope this benefactor does not have business interests in town.”

I wanted to confirm to the community that the donor of the funds does no business in Whistler. Further, prior to accepting the funds, the RMOW sought legal confirmation that the gift was appropriate to receive.

Whistler is fortunate to have friends of the community with a genuine personal interest in the success of the resort.

Ken Melamed

Mayor

Is this the Whistler Way?

As I sit in my home office on this Tuesday morning I can watch a parade out my window. This is a parade that apparently happens every Tuesday morning here in Whistler. The parade of some of the nicest vehicles in town, Mercedes, Volvos, BMWs, fancy SUVs, all great on fuel consumption I am sure.

Of the nearly 20 vehicles in this parade nearly all (I say nearly to keep this a accurate as possible, I may have miss one with two occupants) had only one person in them.

This parade is the Whistler Realtor Tour, where properties on the market are open to all Realtors to view. This quite possibly could be the least green event in Whistler.

Shame on you Realtors! You single handedly display how far society still needs to go to really start saving this planet. Car pool, damn it! You are all going to the same places!

Michael Garcia

Whistler

Think of others, drivers

To all of the dare devil, invincible, living on the edge, it'll never happen to me, wild, crazy, I'm in a hurry and I drive an Audi so I am above the law residents of White Gold, now that there has been an extension to the Nancy Greene Bridge closure until Oct. 31, please stop running the stop sign on Fitzsimmons! Someone is going to get killed or seriously injured and unfortunately it won't be you. It will be some poor kid on a bike or the toddler in the back of someone's car! Think about that!

Erin McCann

Whistler

Rough waters ahead

When you set out into uncertain seas in a small boat you prepare for the worst and hope for the best. In my mind Whistler is about to navigate into the roughest waters since 1982 and the last few days in the financial markets is giving us just a taste of what lies ahead.

Four of the largest financial organizations in the United States have drawn the bankruptcy card or have been forced into shotgun marriages to stave off an unprecedented liquidity crisis — on the weekend a 158-year-old Wall Street broker declared bankruptcy while Merrill Lynch, one of the world's largest investment banks, cried mercy and was gobbled up by Bank of America. All these staggering events have evolved from the continuous decline in U.S. home prices in which the bundling of low quality mortgages by the Big Swinging Dicks of Wall Street has evolved into a trillion dollar loss.

What has this all got to do with Whistler? These are the very people we have embraced as our most favoured guests, as we have chosen Aspen and Vail as our real competitors in our up-market pricing of our resort. Our highest end restaurants and over-built hotels cherish these loud and showy people and their penchant to order off the bottom of the wine list. However, there will not be a soul in the U.S. financial industry not looking over their shoulder this winter as massive layoffs take place, at the same time wondering if they can convince their trophy spouse that the local mountain just might be a better choice this year.

At the more down to earth level, do we expect working stiffs from the North-West United States, choking on the thought of filling up their SUV while their home equity continues to disappear, to attempt to cross the ever more unfriendly border and come here in increasing numbers? Even Vancouver is seeing residential prices erode — one of the last bastions of over-priced real estate in the world, which had defied gravity a little too long.

Here's a good question for council and Intrawest: please tell us just one group of visitors on our planet expected to be anywhere near as well off this year as last. Then tell us why price increases in excess of inflation for parking and lifts is even considered. Today's environment calls for price cuts to preserve the loyalty, rather than layering on costs increases under the auspices of that overused crappy line "improving the resort experience."

And we can forget about incremental visitor growth from Europe to fill in the hole, home prices there have eroded just as fast as in America while their economies are in much worse shape than ours. One needs only consider that Ireland’s liquor consumption has fallen 7 per cent this year — and 14 per cent in August — to know how bad Europe is fairing.

So for us locals it might just be a great ski season, with those nasty lift lineups in little evidence. My personal forecast: an 18 per cent drop in tourist traffic, unless we shape up and cut prices. Just don't ruin your ski day by contemplating how we are going to pay for council's spending spree, which is taking us over $100 million into debt while municipal revenues will be unable to keep pace with embedded expenditure increases, never mind planned capital costs and their potential overruns.

Lennox McNeely

Whistler

Library and staff appreciated

Every time I make use our amazing library facilities, resources and staff, either online or in person, I always think that one day I must write to publicly thank the staff and volunteers who pull it all together. They are unfailingly professional, kind and helpful to one and all even though the library is so busy these days. We certainly notice and appreciate all your efforts.

K Smith

Whistler

A new awareness

Except for the removal of my tonsils when only a child, up and until now, at 69 years of age, I have been fortunate not to have had to avail myself of emergency rescue or residence in a B.C. hospital. I have been aware that they are there but not much of what, on a daily basis, they do.

I have only been resident in Squamish for six months but for many years have had a cabin on a remote lake near Squamish. On B.C. Day I was at my lakeside cabin and during the night fell from the loft to the main floor, breaking four ribs in six places. I was not aware of the damage done but when morning arrived I could not move. I was alone and called out for help. Luckily, there were others at the lake who heard my cries and came to my cabin. Assessing the situation, they phoned 911 and so began my five day experience with health care in Squamish.

To get to my cabin is a very lengthy and rough ride over a deserted logging road. It seemed that in no time I was being attended to by volunteer members of the Squamish Rescue Society. They assessed the situation and decided that helicopter rescue was required. They carefully set me up on a stretcher and made the arduous carry to their vehicle and then drove me to the location given to the helicopter for my pick up.

I cannot express enough my appreciation and admiration for the caring way that I was attended to and then transported to the helicopter to be flown to Squamish General Hospital. I could not possibly have been treated in a more professional or caring way. I was even visited a day later in the hospital by a member of my rescue team who wanted to check on how I was doing.

At Squamish General Hospital began the second half of my experience with health care in Squamish. I was taken to emergency and immediately attended to. X-rays showed a total of six breaks on four ribs. I was cleaned up and as I was in a great deal of pain, put on a regimen of pain killers. I was then taken to a hospital room which I shared with Joe, a resident of Pemberton, for five days. Joe had much more experience with hospitals. He also commented on the speed with which he was attended to in emergency.

Without going into details about my and Joe’s medical treatment, we decided that we wanted to convey to the citizens of the Sea to Sky corridor the superb way we were treated. After Joe was released I went to Pemberton and with Joe compiled this list of our observations and impressions.

We were treated so well and so humanely that we jokingly referred to the hospital as our hotel. Joe had to push his buzzer for attention at all hours and was attended to immediately by staff who never showed impatience but did show the utmost professionalism, compassion and understanding. Nurses, doctors and other staff took time to talk with us and got to know us as  “people” (even joking with us when appropriate). The volunteer in the hospital store was always cheerful and in good humour. The good communication between all members of staff was obvious. Joe commented that the food was good. Our room was cleaned with pride and kept spotlessly clean.

I was given instruction by the staff therapist on how best to get around with four broken ribs. The staff pharmacist phoned me at home couple of days later to see how I was coping with my medication. When Joe was released he was thanked for being such a good patient.

In summary, the citizens of the Sea to Sky corridor should be proud and appreciative of the caring, hardworking, professional, and often volunteer, efforts of their emergency rescue and health care workers. Both Joe and I are sure the way we were treated had much to do with our speedy recoveries.

Ivan Johnson

Garibaldi Highlands

Joe Ronayne

Pemberton

Lock up, Whistler

Our community is increasingly becoming an international destination for theft. Although I must admit that I have heard of property theft over the many years I have been in Whistler, it was always because people were not doing their due diligence to prevent the theft. For example, bikes or skis being left overnight in the village, unlocked, etc.

This year things are really starting to change, as there have been many cases of bikes being stolen in our neighbourhood from locked garages. In our case, the thieves intruded through our front door to get access to the garage. Another case, a teen's lifesavings were stolen when the perpetrators disassembled a bench in order to steal his prized downhill bike.

So it is clear the days of unlocked bikes, trusting all your neighbours, etc. are long gone. I am sure our blue and black Santa Cruz Blurrs and bright green Specialized Stumpjumper are now on their way to a destination east, likely in a hundred different pieces. I guess it will take me another seven years to save up for the next one. As if Whistler is not expensive enough.

The RCMP are doing their best to track down these thieves, so it is up to us to lock up Whistler , as I fear it will only be getting worse.

Caroline Lamont

Whistler

Thank-you for an unforgettable memorial

On Saturday, Sept. 6th in Pemberton a gathering took place to celebrate and remember the life of Al Schmuck, who passed away July 19th. It was an unforgettable evening with lots of wonderful friends and stories. The event was made possible by the efforts of many whom we would like to thank:

Annie Sanderson and Gary Carr for their gorgeous home in the meadows and all their hard work; Tom Barratt for compiling photos and hosting this wonderful event; Sue Barr for the kickstart; Jimmy and Frieda Cook for donating the wine and beer; the Rim Rock Cafe, Rolf Gunther, Lesley, and Stephan for the fantastic barbeque; the numerous guests who brought fabulous salads and desserts; Dave Den Duyf from Sabre Rentals; Hannelore for the flowers; and the many, many hands who helped setting and cleaning up.

More thank-you's to Jimmy Cook, Annie Sanderson, Bill Cuthbert, the Meadows Golf Club, and all the participants for arranging the Schmuck Golf Tournament.

Finally, from the bottom of our hearts a very special thank-you to the incredible individual, for his courage and determination, and all the people who assisted Al at the accident scene. We are very grateful for your immediate response and special care, there are no words to express our gratitude.

Thank-you again to everyone involved for your endless support and generosity.

Trudel and Bianca Gunther

Whistler

The best people on earth

I would like to take a moment to recognize the amazing individual who returned my wallet to the TD Bank last month.

Six months ago my wallet, which contained every piece of identification I owned, was taken from Meadow Park. I had just moved to Whistler two days prior and was in the process of updating my employment records when it was taken. Finally tired of living with no ID I was faced with a long and expensive road back to being a card-carrying citizen.

Out of the blue, I received a call from Alex at TD Bank with the news that someone had turned in my wallet — six months later!

I would like to thank not only the person who turned it in, but the wonderful people at the TD Bank who contacted me and kept my wallet safe until I was able to pick it up. All of the people involved have kicked an infinite amount of ass in their ability to avoid me having to deal with the monster that is Service Ontario.

Thanks everyone, you have once again proven that Whistler is made up of the best people on earth! (Minus the dick who took it in the first place.)

Ken Mair

Whistler