Pubdate: Fri, 21 Sep 2007
Source: Morning Star, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2007 The Morning Star
Contact:  http://www.vernonmorningstar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1352

ENDERBY SEEKS POSITIVE SOLUTIONS

To paraphrase the classic line from the motion picture  Network, 
Enderby is as mad as hell and they're not  going to take it anymore.

Enderby, like any other community in the province, is  fed up with 
the use of drugs and the existence of drug  dealers in the city, 
dealers who are preying on young  kids or lost souls.

One public meeting was held on the subject in a local  park. It 
attracted 170 people, most of whom agreed they  were angered by the 
criminal element living amongst  them, conducting their illegal 
activities and  frustrated by the lack of support they were receiving 
in their battles from the RCMP and city hall.

Mayor and council listened, and hosted a  quickly-arranged town-hall 
meeting Wednesday night  which attracted an overflow crowd of 250 
people at the  Enderby Evangelical Chapel.

All but one member of council was on hand, as was the  Enderby RCMP 
detachment commander, to listen to more  than 25 residents offer up 
some pro-active solutions  and concerns.

A task force is now being formed, which will include  community 
volunteers, to come up with some ideas that  will help the community.

Despite some finger-pointing and laying-of-blame at the  end of the 
meeting, the gathering was an excellent  start to helping the 
community feel safe amongst  neighbours again.

One gentleman made, perhaps, the best point of the  night, when he 
asked everybody in attendance what they  were willing to do to help. 
That they shouldn't be  relying on politicians or police. They can be 
pro-active in this situation.

More gets accomplished by being pro-active instead of  reactive. And 
the town-hall meeting was proof of that.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom