Purcell takes post as local planning developer After a half-year of temporary titles and desk-switching, Mike Purcell can finally get some new business cards printed up. Purcell has been named director of planning and development for the RMOW, a post he's held as acting director since the March departure of ex-planning director Mike Vance. Vance moved to a similar posting in Mammoth Lakes, California. Purcell has been working with the municipality since January 1994 as senior planner. Before coming to Whistler he worked as senior planner for an engineering firm in North Bay, Ontario. He's also worked as planner for the City of Halifax, Nova Scotia and for Halifax County. He graduated from Ryerson's School of Urban and Regional Planning. Locals asked to help clean up town for horticulture contest An town clean-up day planned for Aug. 15 will have special importance this year as gardeners anticipate the arrival of two judges from a national horticulture contest. Municipal parks staff will be concentrating their efforts along Highway 99, hoping to get things ship-shape before the Aug. 17 arrival of two judges from the Communities in Bloom competition. Whistler's parks department is an official entry in the Canada-wide competition, vying against B.C. communities between 5,000 and 20,000 population. The judges, including retired Vancouver arborist Bill Brown and former St. Catharines city park manager Frank Anderson, will be judging local turf, floral displays and tidiness on both public and private land. The duo will also be examining Whistler's urban forests, heritage conservation and environmental practices, as well as the level of community participation in programs. They will spend a whole day touring the community with municipal horticulturist Paul Beswetherick and local forestry consultant Don MacLaurin. This is the first time that Whistler has entered the contest. Victoria suburb Esquimalt was last year's B.C. winner in the Communities in Bloom competition. Volunteers interested in lending a hand with the official clean-up should call municipal parks planner Kevin McFarland at 932-5535.
