To the editor:
Re: The non-sale of Rutland Centennial Park.
I would like to comment on your reporting which is entirely one-sided. (Centennial Park Upgrade Gets Shot Down, Aug. 19 Capital News.)
Also I would like to comment on the column by Alistair Waters in your Aug.19 paper (Rutland’s Former Recreational ‘Jewel’ Left to Spiral Downward).
In my opinion, the city made a mistake in putting the bus depot at the location in Rutland with no immediate access to Rutland Road.
The city, and the newly appointed Rutland Society president Todd Sanderson, doctored up a deal for the city to obtain a right of way through the parking lot of the Rutland Centennial Hall. In anticipation of the deal, they fired the caretaker who lived on the property.
This caretaker, who is a friend of my family, lived on the property for a number of years and managed to keep the drug dealers and users at bay. He chased them off.
Our city opened a Community Police Station just around the corner, who are very ineffective when it comes to drug dealing. They even covered the Flea Market that would have to change its low-life title to Community Market to “upgrade” Rutland and already negotiated a deal with the city to move it to Roxby.
The Jewel of Rutland (in Mr. Waters’ words) would end up with some money to fix up the building but no parking lot and no property around the hall.
This city has managed to lose everything that is fun. No more Regatta, no more power boats, no more water slides, no more teen dances—you name it. No more midways except the one in Rutland, once a year on May Days.
I would like to predict the future of the hall. In my opinion, the Rutland Hall building will be condemned in the near future. The free parking on Roxby will disappear and parking meters installed.
This is the way of manipulation these sore losers will go. Just wanted to say that the jewel of Rutland, one way or the other, is doomed.
I challenge you to publish this letter.
Coby Goutier,
Kelowna
