THE TIMES THURSDAY, AUGUST 9, 2012
Scene inthe City
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A9
Agrifair & President’s Reception
– ROCHELLE BAKER/TIMES
Lauren Kozol, 15, (far left) made sure her heifer got a cool drink and a splash to the head during the midday heat outside the Agrifair show barn last Sunday. The Lord Strathcona Mounted Troop (left) and bronc riders (right) in the Mighty Fraser Rodeo wowed the Agrifair crowds at the Thunder Bowl at the 102nd annual country fair. For more fabulous Agrifair photos visit our website at abbotsfordtimes.com.
– ROCHELLE BAKER/TIMES
Left to right: past Agrifair president Harry de Jong and wife Ann enjoyed the Mighty Fraser Rodeo at the president’s reception at the Chute Club. As did Brad Tompson, sales manager of Abbotsford Chrysler, which sponsored the rodeo, with rodeo chair Don Curtis; Mayor Bruce Banman alongside Marv and Trish Loewen and Agrifair’s president Ernie Silveri, GM Pamela Brenner and VP Alan Philps.
Sickened by sex offender’s arrival
Editor, the Times:
Once again, Abbotsford parents are reminded that when we are at the park or the pool, or simply watching our children play outside, we don’t just have to watch for hazards and little accidents; we have to watch for child rapists. Oh, I know the politically correct term is “sex offender,” but let’s get real and call them what they really are. Don Bakker sexually abused seven young girls. And he videoed it. And he got one year in prison per child. And now he is free. Meanwhile, each of these young girls has been given a life sentence of pain and horror and they will never be free. How do we call this justice? I’ll be honest, I am sorely tempted to call in and say that I saw him at a park, just to get him off the streets. I won’t do it, of course, as I value honesty greatly. But shame on our ‘justice’ system for failing to uphold the value of justice, for failing to protect the most innocent in our society. I am deeply disturbed. Sherilyn Klassen Abbotsford
Citizens handcuffed by our criminal justice system Editor, the Times:
Re: Thief banned following crime spree. Times, July 31. Dylan Chysyk, 23, a high-risk
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offender commits over 90 vehicle break-ins in Mission and only gets two weeks of jail time with a probation order attached, including a ‘no go’ order related to the District of Mission, meaning he is not allowed to come back to Mission. Time and time again Chysyk has been in and out of prison and put on probation. It was the last time that he violated his probation that he spent the two weeks in jail and given the ‘no go’ order. Mission’s top cop RCMP Insp. Richard Konarski’s comment is that Chysyk is “a huge problem for our community.” So if Chysyk is a huge problem for Mission, he will also be a huge problem for any community that he resides in. Having said that, why on earth would the courts allow Chysyk to be at large? Once again the criminal justice system gives more rights to offenders like Chysyk and less and less rights and protection to the victims in specific and society in general. When will the criminal justice system start getting tough on long term offenders? And when will the Crown pursue dangerous offender status against the likes of Dylan Chysyk? Lee Hanlon Mission
Artists market crops up, quickly weeded out by city Editor, the Times:
It always amazes me how city hall works. On the one hand they are trying to get 22 parcels of land out of the Agricultural Land Reserve for an industrial area. On the other they send a bylaw officer out to close the artists’ market on Old Riverside. Are you ready for this? It’s on agricultural land therefore they can’t have a market there. Doesn’t seem to matter that just across the road is a huge housing development. It’s puzzling to me how one side of the road is residential and the other about 20 feet away is agricultural. One can have garage sales all the time, the other no market. Wonder if they should have called it a garage sale? This market has been going for at least two years. I remember wanting to go last year and never making it. Than we ran out of summer. A friend and I finally made it on July 29. What a blast; lovely quiet music and yes it could be heard all over without it sending you into next week from the cranked up speakers. And the local artists, wow, we didn’t know
Abbotsford had so many talented people. We do get a taste of them at the farmers market, this was only artists. Personally I think they might want to go over to Mission, they have always taken an interest in art. Abbotsford is just starting and very discriminating in what they will accept and in what city hall is willing to pay for, even though we can’t afford it. C.M. Timoffee Abbotsford
Yoga also on the no-go list along with labyrinths Editor, the Times:
A search of several websites on the use of the labyrinth shows that most agree that it is a tool created to bring one into a higher spiritual realm through the use of meditation, whether you are a practising Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, Satanist, atheist, or even a Christian. In Deut. 12:1-14 and Ex. 34:1017, God commands us not to participate in anything that has ever been used in pagan ritual for worship, or for any other use. This includes yoga. That is enough reason for Christians to
stay away from it. Its former use in the church was because the people had little knowledge of the Bible, but, once they gained better understanding of it, the use of the labyrinth was discontinued, only to be revived in recent years, along with other forms of contemplative prayer. Lynda Magner Abbotsford
Following green means picking the right party Editor, the Times:
Wow, upon review I see that I agree with leftist Greens and rightist Conservatives about the need for financial transparency in MLA expenditures! Kudos to B.C. Conservative Party leader John Cummins who wants greater transparency regarding MLAs budgets of $119,000. But will he insist that Liberal-cumIndependent-cum-Conservative Abbotsford South MLA John van Dongen reveal his full MLA expenses as did Liberal Health Minister Mike de Jong? Over to you Cummins, it’s your move. Add it up: Mike de Jong was elected Liberal and remains Liberal; he published all expenses. I sure have no problem knowing who to trust, and it’s not Conservative, Green, or NDP. Bobbi Spark Abbotsford