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Parking situation needs tweaking

I've stayed out of the parking debate, because I fiqured everything would work itself out after the Olympics. Like most good Canadians we would eventually just suck up another user pay tax grab. I see this time it's not the case. It was painful to see the lots empty all last year, but this year it's too much to bear.

I don't like paying for parking either, but walking in ski boots from lot 4 sucks too. I admit I almost bought into the idea at first to promote transit use, even though for me and many others its logistically unfeasable. Judging from many others letters the transit situation has its share of problems too.

Were getting unneeded bad press coverage on national news, with pictures of deserted lots, empty retail space and grumpy foot traffic. Having the mayor state on TV that over 80 per cent of parking in Whistler is free, was deceiving in that most of it is remote from the village. A proposal that was pitched as a win-win has obviously become a lose-lose. Hey Ken, smell the fumes. This situation needs tweaking... fast.

Reverting to free parking is less likely than the HST being repealed. Were obviously in financial trouble. So what's the solution?

I know it's a hard pill to swallow but I suggest that all the lots become pay parking. If we reduce the rates, and have a graduated fee depending on the proximity to the village, all the lots would be equally used. We would have the choice on how much to spend, how much to walk, and most importantly the Muni could start to recoup some money.

Discounted passes should be made available to village employees and tax-paying locals. We're the ones paying for this mess anyways.

Mike Roger

Birken/Whistler


Budget is a car wreck

Going through the recent budget, I felt like I had lent the Muni my car, and now they were trying to break it to me gently that they'd wrecked it. What's worse, they didn't seem that sorry about it. And it's not as if I hadn't seen my taillights sticking out of the river on the way in.

Going back to the 2007-2011 Five Year Plan, the projected deficit for transit in 2011 was only $730,420, so how the transit deficit grew to over $2,300,000 is an open question. Perhaps the experimental hydrogen buses and the infrastructure (the Garagemajal) to support it had something to do with it? As for the pay parking, that was opposed by almost all sectors of the community except municipal hall, as nobody thought that it would bring anywhere near the projected revenues. Shrugging their shoulders, pointing to transit and pay parking, and asking "what do you want us to do?" isn't going to cut it on any level.

The solution to the problem is difficult, complex and unpleasant. The budget needs to be revisited and anything that isn't absolutely necessary needs to be cut. For example, looking through last year's five year financial plan, I see that there is $1,244,927 destined for vehicle replacement (at an average of $40,000 each, that's 31 vehicles), and considering that there was $2,347,011 in the budget for vehicle replacement in 2010, this seems like a good place to start, especially considering the way the RMOW goes on about getting people out of cars. Of course, the 300-pound gorilla in the room is the $40,972,500 in general payroll, and that's not including the water, sewer and solid waste budgets.

David Buzzard

Whistler

 

Proud Whistler citizen

A quick note to the community of Whistler: thank you so much for honouring me as Citizen of the Year. I am truly humbled.

The time I have given has provide me with so many great moments still vivid in my mind.  Most of these memories come from the amazing times I get to share with the children of Whistler. Whether it is on the soccer fields, the ski hills or at the choral sessions and drama performances - their desire to learn, perform, and excel, will always inspire me to participate and volunteer in the community.

The time devoted to different committees has been my opportunity to know and listen to so many of the interesting issues in Whistler. We live in a very diverse town of many interesting people and I just feel so lucky to have been able to participate and learn.

The support everyone in Whistler has given our family has been nothing but amazing and it is always recognized in our home. For this we are all grateful.

Thank you again and please accept my warmest wishes to all for a happy holiday season.

Andrée Janyk

Whistler

 

Warming houses and feeding families

The Whistler Community Services Society Food Bank Fire Wood Drive was a huge success, raising $4,425 through the sale of firewood. The community of Whistler and participating businesses came together to make this both a fun event and a successful one. The demand for wood was far greater than we could fill, as people were eager to get good wood at a good price for a great cause.

A huge thank you must go out to Tim Reagan and Vision Pacific who donated the trees to be chopped and sold, and to Steve Turner for allowing the trees to sit on the Local Automotive property in Function to cure and to be cut up there. Both Tim and Steve also demonstrated their hard work and determination in the countless hours they put into making this fundraiser happen.

We must also thank Creekbread who helped us thank those that helped out. Creekbread provided two volunteer dinners and some individual pizza coupons to be handed out to people who worked hard getting the wood ready for sale. The work would have been a lot more time consuming if it weren't for Sabre donating wood splitters to speed up the chopping process. And thanks to Rona Hardware all the volunteers were provided with the necessary safety equipment through the donation of eye, ear, and hand protection. Thanks also to Clare Ogilvie for helping russle up more volunteers and providing some refreshments for hard working people. The logs were moved into position for cutting by Terrane Construction and Coast Mountain Excavation so they also deserve a thank you.

Though all the above businesses and individuals were important to the success of the fundraiser, it could not have happened without the large number of volunteer hours put into cutting and splitting the wood. I hope I don't forget anyone, as you were all so important. Thanks to Mark Little, Sue Stangel, Kurt and Margarit Mueller, Christian Armitage, Mira Kine, Stuart Greig, Jonah Regan, Bree Hollingsworth, John Paul McDermett, James Funk, Elliott Smart, Graham Cochrane, Sorcha Masterson, Mauro Pontarollo, James Griffith, Byrdie Johnston, Chris Quinlan, Anne Townly, Dave Highway, Garret Gentle, Petr Kucka, Tine Filiplic, Alex Kleinman, Kris Shoup, Carson Hamm, Steven Turner, Tammy Peavoy and Tristan Sanders. Caroline and Pascall Jauvin, Kevin Demaskie, Ted Battison, and Sam Bennett volunteered their time to deliver wood ensuring that we could warm even more houses this year.

As usual the fall shoulder season has proven to be a busy one for the food bank and the funds raised from the sale of the firewood have been helping restock the shelves. Thanks to everyone who made this event such a success, and we hope the firewood keeps many homes warm this winter.

Sara Jennings

Whistler Community Services Society

Food Bank Coordinator

 

A few modest proposals

It is a shame that we have a short fall in the budget this year. What an excellent idea it is to ask for ideas from general riff raff, such as myself.

I have given this some thought. And I came up with some ideas, that, whilst brilliant in concept, are none the less simple and easy to implement.

Send the Hydrogen busses back to the manufacturer. Wait until cell technology is operationally proven. I recommend waiting until Chicago, Toronto even California orders 400 or more of them, and they have been operated for a few years. That would probably be a good time to buy.

Or stick with proven technology, low sulphur emision and much cheaper and smaller, diesel units. I suspect we can buy four regular busses for the price of one hydrogen machine.

When the toboggan races are over this weekend. Let Mr. Rogue of the IOC, come and take his refrigerated, $180 million - or was it $210 million? -  toboggan run away. They can take all the infrastructure and refrigeration units, compressors et cetera.... got to be worth $3 million wouldn't you think. Maybe 5 cents on the dollar.

Boom! No cost over runs for council, no problem maintaining this expensive equipment, when the heirloom/legacy honeymoon is over. And Whistler owns it. See how easy this stuff is.

I suspect we would be lumped with keeping the actual toboggan run itself. But this is were it gets very cool. Adventure tourists. We rent wooly bags and what not from "The Blackcomb Corporation" and line and protect everything with them. Then  advertise that expensive ditch to thrill-seeking tourists from around the world. Kind of like a roller coaster ride. Just modify the toboggans with wheels. Make it wanker proof. We would make a bundle, and no expensive refrigerant and machinery to repair in three-five years time.

How about Bungee and BASE jumping from that ugly piece of string between Blackcomb and Whistler.

We place a giant foam pit at the bottom of the 90 metre jumping ramps in the Callaghan and get Travis Pastrana or Ken Block to huck a rally car or a motor bike into it. We could probably get Block for rock bottom price now, because he is getting a bit spanked on the European WRC circuit.

Then - and this is the another good bit - sell tickets to more of these here thrill seekers from around the world. Again we would need lots more wooly bags, use the same ones from the toboggan run, to save even more money. Without the wooly bags it would be crazy, and jolly dangerous.

Maybe start our own Wooly bag manufacturing outfit, near the Gravel and Tarmac plant. Left hand feeds the right hand. In the word of the day, sustainability.

How about opening up the cross country and biathlon tracks to ATVs and motocross bikes. Keep shooting targets set up, so that folks can rush around on these machines and shoot at stuff. We could have ''Free Fire and BBQ Friday.''

Check on how many of our municipal workers and fire staff make over 110k per annum, and what they actually do. 'Lay everyone of them off and ask them to reapply for their jobs. Wheat from the chaff, so to speak.

Close the museum and sell the Myrtle Philip memorabilia, or give it to the library. Use the space for something useful.

Leave the library alone; don't mess with the good stuff.

Less hanging baskets in summer. Less lights in winter.

Assist the Squamish band to get that casino finally open, then wack a tax on it.

Push for legalised prostitution. Open a brothel, a nice tasteful one, adhere to the municipal signage directives. Judging by the number of "Escorts" in the Yellow Pages and, presumably operating in Whistler, should not be a problem with staffing.

Make Whistler a little more exclusive by installing gates across Highway 99 at the north and south end. Charge admission. Oh, and because this beauty is my best idea yet, I would want my own clicker and gate code.

The added bonus is we would start our own police force and use less officers, than the current 50/60/80 or who knows how many we rent from the feds. Couple of constables, large or extra large size preferably, at each gate, saying ''Who goes there!?'' and two more running around looking for stolen mountain bikes. Couple more covering holidays and illness. There you go, eight people. We could take over part of the public safety building and use it for in-town accommodation for the proposed brothel.

Did the Mayor and council already spend money on the "Thank you Olympic Workers" party yet, whilst I was away? If not, best hang on to that 100k - or was it 80k? - it all helps.

I of course, am joking a bit.  I would in all honesty prefer, just to be patient, and wait for the economic boom that I know is coming from the Olympic investment we all made. And of course the huge amount of money that comes from facilities such as luge, ski jumping and cross country skiing will take care of this paltry $2.8 million shortfall.

See how easy that was.

Laurence Perry

Whistler