Wednesday January 15, 2014 www.saobserver.net $1.25 GST Included
Petition comes up short By Lachlan Labere OBSeRVeR STAFF
The city appears to have the majority of the public’s support in proceeding with a property lease related to the potential construction of a Ross Street underpass. As part of an alternative approval process, Salmon Arm residents had until Jan. 10 to submit 1,361 signatures on a counter petition to stop the city from entering the 10-year agreement, at $33,000 per year, to lease lots at 621 and 641 Ross St. ne. On Monday, city administrator carl Bannister said the unofficial number of petitions received was 1,325, adding several will be disqualified for not meeting stated criteria. city corporate officer corey Paiement will be certifying the results in the coming days. As part of the lease agreement with WH laird Holdings ltd. owned by Bill laird, the city will acquire a road dedication through a lot between Shuswap Park Mall and the cP Rail station. The city intends to use the leased lots for parking “or some other public use, including as a staging area for the construction of the Ross Street underpass,” estimated by city staff to cost between $7 and 9 million. At Monday’s council meeting, coun. denise Reimer responded to a related letter from Bob edwards, who suggests council was “attempting to sneak the acquisition of the land for the proposed underpass through the ‘back door’ instead of including the land purchase in a referendum on the underpass.” Reimer refuted edwards’ claim, stating she views the lease as a prudent use of taxpayer dollars in order to acquire the necessary property. “This has been in the official community plan as well as our strategic plan and it’s come in really high on the list, so I see this as an opportunity for us,” Reimer told the Observer. As for the underpass, Reimer said she would never support the project going ahead without it first going to referendum. “I believe that’s of utmost importance because it’s a $9 million project…,” said Reimer. “Whether we do that project in five years, 10 years, 25 years, it’s important to have the land.”
JaMes Murray/OBSeRVeR
Making a break for it
Salmon Arm speed skater Marissa Dollack, centre, pulls away from Kamloops skaters Leah Turner and Patrick Gu to win her heat at the Salmon Arm Icebreakers Ice Jam Saturday at the Shaw Centre. It was the first BC Speed Skating Association-sanctioned event held in Salmon Arm. For more results, see page 17.
Sturgis initiates lawsuit Civil claim: Action names Steve Hammer, District of Sicamous. By Martha Wickett OBSeRVeR STAFF
More conflict swirls around Sturgis north. Ray Sasseville, Joan Hansen and Sturgis north entertainment Inc. have launched a lawsuit revolving around motorcycle events they were involved in locally. named in the civil action as defendants are Steve Hammer, the district of Sicamous, the Sicamous chamber of commerce, darrell Trouton, Renee charbonneau aka Belt drive Betty, Bernie Aubin and Vincent lewis. Sasseville and Hansen were behind the Sturgis north Motorcycle Rally and
This week The next school year will see a restructuring of the secondary school. See A3 for details. Salmon Arm’s Hugh Bennett will head to the BC Men’s Curling Championship. See A18.
Music Festival held in Salmon Arm in July 2011 for which Hammer was site manager. The event was held at two sites: the Salmon Arm Fairgrounds and on neskonlith band land in Gleneden. In a summary of the 30-page statement of claim filed dec. 9 in B.c. Supreme court in Vancouver, Sasseville, Hansen and Sturgis north allege that Hammer breached a verbal agreement by failing to organize the event as agreed and so tried to ‘hijack’ the event to their detriment. They allege he also ‘hijacked’ the Sicamous Burn-out event and infringed upon the plaintiffs’ intellectual property by using the plaintiffs’ name and taking over the Sicamous event. They also claim that at the 2012
motorcycle rally arranged by the plaintiffs near Vernon (at the Spallumcheen Motoplex Speedway and event Park), Hammer interfered with contractual relations between the plaintiffs and third parties. In response, Hammer told the Observer the allegations are ridiculous. “As far as I see, they’re trying to shake bushes and grasp at straws to make others look bad to make them look good.” He added that if Sturgis north, Sasseville and Hansen had paid their bills for services from everybody, “they wouldn’t have to sue anybody because they’d have a great festival going on See Defendants on page A2
Index Opinion ....................... A6 View Point .................. A7 Life & Times ............... A8 Time Out................... A10 Sports................A17-A20 Arts & Events ... A21-A23 Vol. 107, No. 03, 40 pages