Street Level

It’s that time of the year when reporters and editors like to make lists.

You’ll see the Top 10 news stories, photos, the best cartoons — it’s not only the season for gift and resolution lists.

And this was going to be a list at first, one with the winners and losers of 2007 in Kamloops, but that just seems so arbitrary.

Because, you see, some people were both winners and losers.

So, instead, and in the spirit of the season — both days past and the days to come — herewith some cheers and jeers.

And the biggest hip-hip-hooray has to go to Mayor Terry Lake for surviving yet another year of potshots from his predecessor while making some pretty smart decisions and setting a tone for council that we haven’t seen for a while.

Some people might feel he deserves some jeers for his tough stand on water meters, but, from my perspective, it’s cheering all the way to finally have a mayor willing to do what we elected him to do and make a decision, rather than hiding behind a referendum.

And, while we’re passing out the cheers, hooray for Coun. Peter Milobar, too, for taking that extra step and saying the hybrid program council copped out and went for doesn’t go far enough.

Cheers to Coun. Tina Lange for showing that she may be a rookie, but she’s not afraid to speak out and speak up on issues that matter. While she’s a super advocate for the business sector, the moment she finally started to fit into her political shoes came when Lake cajoled her to speak before hundreds demonstrating in front of city hall against federal child-care cuts.

Lange spoke from her heart — and from her own life experience — and it was a moving moment.

However, Lange gets some jeers for that lame-brained statement that the core of Kamloops is on the South Shore. Not smart. Really dumb. There are people on the North Shore just looking for any reason to whip up the waves that divide this town into two — and that was one of them.

Cheers to our MP, Betty Hinton, for flying into Fulton Field and bringing with her millions of dollars for the airport expansion.

But jeers to Hinton’s inability to speak for herself on issues. If we’d wanted a parrot on election day, we would have gone to Petland and bought our own Stevie.

However, cheers to her decision to put her health first and step down from office when — please, someone tell me, when? — the next federal election is held.

Hinton’s family has always been her anchor, and I’m sure they’re going to enjoy having mom and grandma around with them.

Cheers to MLA Kevin Krueger for no reason other than he’s a great guy who at least speaks out and stands up for what he believes in. And, unlike some politicians in town, Krueger has never once declined to comment because he has disagreed with something I wrote about him.

He understands the game.

Cheers to the Blazers for finally dumping their prima dona, Keaton Ellerby, a boy with more talent than team spirit, it seems.

And cheers to Tom Gaglardi for putting his money where his mouth was, and buying the team.

Now, if only he could figure out how to get them to win again.

But maybe the Blazers’ playbook is with the bylaws of the Kamloops Minor Hockey Association, somewhere off in the netherworld, never to be referred to again.

Need we say any more about this group?

But mega-cheers to Ladd and Monica Maloski. In fact, make it a wave of applause.

Cheers to School District 73 for showing the creativity to go with the idea of schools of choice and mobile trailers to ensure everyone gets the education they want.

Arts, science, trades— some may call it elitist education, but if it helps make this world a better place for my kids and grandchild, I’m all for it.

Finally, cheers to everyone one of you out there who said a prayer, held out a hand, shed a tear for Zofia Cisowski and her late son, Robert Dziekanski.

You did good and showed that Kamloops looks after its own.

And that’s what it’s all about.

dale@kamloopsthisweek.com

Posted by Dale at 9:29 a.m. Comments