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 NOW  AVAILABLE  AT CreativeCompany,Sellution, BrookmereVintage, and Country Bug Books
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MONDAY EDITION — NOVEMBER 9, 2009 #1943
Our beat is local... our bend, up! The classifieds are free! Box 313, Merritt BC V1K 1B8T(250)378-5717 F(250)378-4700 market@uniserve.com http://merrittmorningmarket.wordpress.com
2049 Nicola Ave, Merritt. • www.murrayautogroup.comPhone (250)378-9255 • Toll Free 1-888-378-9255
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Letters to the editor
City contemplating$300,000 expenditure
City Council is contemplating a$3000,000 expenditure towards a countrymusic hall of honour and museum. TheCity’s contribution is intended to attractgrants of $900,000.The $300,000 would come from a$400,000 fund to pay 1/3 of the costs of reconstructing the Voght-Belshaw intersec-tion and the Gasoline Alley frontage road.That project cannot go ahead now, becausea gov’t grant for 2/3 of the cost is not avail-able at this time. When grants were avail-able the City could not find funds for itsshare of the cost. When grants become available again the City will be back at squareone, because the money for its share has been spent on the museum.The museum, another Walk of Stars initiative, is now located in Calgary where the arti-facts are in storage because there is insufficient public support to keep the museum open.I admire the Walk of Stars for trying to help downtown business. The big box storesthat are amenities for us mean disaster for downtown. Something needed to be done. Iadmire the Walk of Stars for their ingenuity, tenacity and their ability to attract milliondollar gov’t grants and the ability to dominate City politics.However, I cannot help wondering how much this brute force of cash will reallyimprove tourist traffic, and I have a concern about the cost to the local taxpayer.My concern is shared by most Merrittonians, but we have politely kept quiet because“Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it.”City Hall has no tally of local cash spent on Walk of Stars related ventures, andnobody has shown any interest in making that calculation. It has to be over $1 million.Our share of the Voght St. bridge decorations was $60,000. Our share of Spirit Square is$425,000 so far and it is half finished.One big surprise that any newly elected City Councillor gets is that there is very littlemoney for discretionary spending. The bulk of the $5.4 million tax revenue is spoken for.If you decide to spend on
wants
instead of on
needs
 , you have to rob the infrastruc-ture budget. Merritt has been replacing its aging sewage collection system at a rate of $200,000 annually, but not this year. There was no money for it. The City has predictedannual tax increases to be in excess of 10% for the next couple of years. A1% increaseraises only $54,000. Do we still feel rich?
Henry Norgaard, Merritt
Re:Hall of Honour and Museum
I have a number of concerns about this issue that make it impossible for me to support an"investment" of $300,000 local taxpayer dollars. It seems incredibly irresponsible to be spend-ing taxpayer money at three different levels on a project that, under current economic condi-tions, can at best be considered marginal. There is, as far as I understand, no coherent businessplan from the Walk of Stars on how this money will be spent. How much of this money is goingto directors/employees of the Walk of Stars simply for getting the grants? Given that the Walk of Stars has never adequately shown their expenditures to council in the past, I am dubiousabout how this money will be spent. In short, $1.2 million seems excessive for an upgrade toan existing building and I have no confidence the Walk of Stars will adequately account for it.Similarly, beyond the vague reference to "important tourism draw", there is nothing tosuggest that anyone has any idea what the potential economic benefits to the communitywill be. It would take many, many tourists attracted *only* by this "attraction" to provideany economic effect on the community. If it is simply a side visit for tourists who are alreadycoming to Merritt then what would these visitors have to be charged to enter the museumand how long before this revenue came anywhere close to paying off the $1.2 million?Why the rush? We only have a week to decide? We must "cast a ballot" at theNovember 12th meeting indicating our support or opposition? Why do I need to cast a ballot (I've never cast a ballot at any previous public meeting held by the city)? We willhave no time to digest the information presented? Again, I am leery of obtaining taxpay-er money on short notice. What are the checks and balances on obtaining and using thismoney? How will we assess the effectiveness of any plan presented? Again, when peo-ple are asking me for my money and are in a rush to get it I am especially leery.Finally, taxpayer money is taxpayer money. When I boil down all the hype from the"notice" I am left with: this is a unique opportunity to get money from you so we can getmore money from you. Look after the infrastructure of this community properly(build/pave/repair roads and repair the aging water supply system) and we will attract business. Let that infrastructure languish while we foolishly spend money on "pet" proj-ects and no one will want to come or return to the town anyway.I urge council to take a long and sober look at this proposal and not be rushed intosomething without adequate study. Yours truly, P
eter Vogt, Merritt
•FreeEstimates•Best Quality ConservationFraming•PersonalService
2001 Voght St. • (250)378-5900 • www.brookmerevintage.com
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GALLERY 
 
Frame your memories
Community
Remembrance Day
The Remembrance Day ceremonystarts 10:15am at the Civic Centre, onWed., Nov. 11. Laying of the wreaths atthe cenotaph afterwards. Refreshmentsfollowing the parade & march to theLegion Hall. Baron of beef dinner cour-tesy of the Sanders family at 4:30pm.For more info, 378-5631.
Country Music Hall of Honour &Museum public meeting
Thurs. Nov. 12, 7pm at the CivicCentre. You may also indicate your opin-ion by contacting councillors, or phon-ing City Hall 378-4224.
Available at
•Baillie House Info Booth•Country Bug Books •Courthouse Art Gallery
This project &NV Arts Councilsupported by
Railyard Mall • 378-2266
With More 
Your 
Let us fill yourOperationChristmas ChildShoebox for you!
$10
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plus tax
2099 Nicola Ave.,Merritt(250)315-3737
PAINTINGS &SCULPTURES BY
COURTHOUSE ART GALLERY
NOVEMBER 6 - 28RECEPTION NOV 6, 5-9PM
NICOLA VALLEY COMMUNITY ARTS COUNCIL 
GALLERY OPEN: THURSDAYS 4-8PMFRIDAY & SATURDAY 10AM-4PM
1840 Nicola Ave.,Supported by the BC Arts CouncilT [250]378-6515, nvcac@ocis.net
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“Get us online!”
Hwy 5A,20km N.ofMerritt• www.quilchena.com
QUILCHENA STORE
OPEN 7 DAYS • 378-2753 •
store@quilchena.com
2010 COWBOY CALENDARS fromWestern Horseman are HERE
OPEN
SUN – THURS8AM TO 6:30PMFRI & SAT8AM-8PM
We also have
WesternChristmasCards
Aries
March 21- April 19
Listen to what friends have totell you - they can help youachieve your hopes and wishes.
Cancer
June 21 -July 22
You are under the spell ofuplifting emotions & sense thebeauty of the life force.
Libra
Sept 23 -Oct 22
Your creative expression tunesinto future possibilities. Yousense the new opportunities.
Capricorn
Dec 22 -Jan 19
You can cash in on your tal-ents & training, they are valu-able and useful to others.
Virgo
Aug 23 -Sept 22
The contribution you make tothe welfare of others enableyou to feel good.
Sagittarius
Nov 22 -Dec 21
You are inspired bypersonalexperiences with art, music,dance & creative expression.
Pisces
Feb 19 -Mar 20
Dig deep & discover talentsthat have been sleeping. Timeto let in the light of day.
Gemini
May 21 -June 20
Take a philosophical & positiveview of where you are heading,inspirational influences come.
Taurus
April 20 -May 20
Put your talents on display,you can turn history into a for-ward looking development.
Leo
July 23 -Aug 22
Uplifting interchanges are aheady realisation that you areon the right wavelength.
Scorpio
Oct. 23 -Nov 21
You can heal long-standingrifts & put things onto a positivefooting.
Aquarius
Jan 20 -Feb 18
You can get on the right wave-length with others to offer inspi-ration & guidance.
his Week’s Horoscope
T
On Wednesday,we will be honouring Remembrance Day.Next MMMarket will be published on Friday,November 13th.
378-8283 • 1953 Nicola Ave.
at the
Golden PalaceFriday, Nov. 13
Call to reserve
(250)378-8283
Arnold Mosley  Jack AndreasenBill EdmondsRoger KampMary LongmanOpie OppenheimPius ChongDoug StrandCass DolenShannon Kilroy MK Dahlquist-Gray  Jean KiegerlEllen NorgaardEvelyn ArmstrongBev VealeGeorgina Beatty  John Taylor Leonard A.George Jr.Cindy TrentSurinder Panghali Joslyn FreelsLes HamptonBobbi ParkesGwayne PointNancy Saddleman Jana SasakiBarbara Rode
A keepsakebookfeaturing27 localartists — afundraiserfor the ArtsCouncil
• OFFICE 378-2821 • PUB 378-5711•RESTAURANT 378-4543 • BEER/WINE 378-8859
NOV.12,13 & 14
The
Ram-Rod Band
•Texas Hold’em
Wed 7pm
•Fun Darts
Mondays,drop-ins welcome
•Karaoke
Tuesdays
•We do STEAKFUNDRAISERS,
callthe office
Thai Night 
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