A toast to the youth of Rossland: Rotary Wine Fest supports skate park
by Ethan Barnes on 18 Feb 2010
Over the years, the Rossland Rotary club has been a supporter of many building projects around Rossland including ones centred around the pool, the museum, the Miners' Hall, and Nickleplate Park. They are also very accommodating to the youth of Rossland with their Youth Exchange program, Adventures in Citizenship, Rotary Youth Leadership Award, RSS scholarship and the Interact Club. Now they are turning their attention toward the proposed skate park here in town.
“We were looking for a local project when the Skate park project initiatives were being renewed, and thought it was a good fit for our club.” said the Rotary's Fiona Martin. “It will provide an opportunity for youth to be physically active and use their energy in a constructive manner, a place that visitors can use, that families can enjoy together. It is also a tourist attraction for people with children, or those older people who still enjoy skating or biking.”
On January 23, the Rossland Rotary Club hosted its 21st Annual Wine Festival, organized by Ms. Martin. The Wine Festival is one of the major fundraisers that the Rotary Club is involved in. The funds are used to support many different causes but one of their main focuses has been building projects. This year the proceeds are going to the skate park.
“It looks like we will be able to start off with about $7000 from that one event,” says Martin. “At this point we have committed to supporting fundraising efforts for two years. We hope that this, in combination with other funds--like grants or other groups sponsoring--will let Rosslanders have the best possible facility that will be good for all concerned and enhance our town.”
The Wine Festival is only the first in a long line of fundraisers that the Rossland Rotary has planned over the next two years. One fundraiser that is fast approaching is is the Mountain Ladies' Extravaganza on May 8th, which consists of “a four course meal with a gear/outdoor activity auction, featuring special entertainment from a Castlegar Rotary group.” Tickets will go on sale in early April and it will be a ladies-only event.
Why skateboarding? Martin admits that none of the Rotarians have any past connections with skateboarding, at least not officially. “I’m sure there are some of the members who have tried it, some who wish they were young enough to do it, and some others that have families with children that may be able to take advantage of the facility in the future.”
Martin would especially like to thank the local businesses who supported the Wine Festival. “All of the Rossland businesses, and others from Trail and Castlegar, have been extremely generous with their donations and support for our Club. The merchants are constantly being asked for donations, and we are so appreciative of their contributions that make fundraising possible.
“We were very fortunate that Norm Worsfold volunteered to sing for the evening. His crooning was amazing and the crowd loved him! The Boomtown Garter Girls were expecting to dance with Rick Mercer, and when he didn’t show they still put on their incredible dancing show. We were very thankful for this. The wineries who attended said that the entertainment alone was worth coming for. Their donations of their products (wines) were the focus and highlight of the evening. Mountain Nugget chocolates was a great new addition to the evening. Don Vockeroth and the Powderhound staff are always wonderful supporters with ticket sales too!”
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Comments
Emcon site
Wow, Liam, you sound really peeved about having skateboarders use the Emcon site, I wonder why. I fail to see how this would be bad place. The Emcon site is an old industrial site, so nearby residents couldn't in all fairness have expected a beautiful treed park to go up there - they should count themselves lucky that it won't be a parking lot for big diesel trucks and heavy machinery!
I think having a skatepark there is a great idea, that can be the beginning of a great recreational use for the lot. Regarding sound, it just takes proper landscaping and planning to reduce that to almost nothing, certainly a lot less than other possible industrial uses the lot could have been turned into. But more importantly I see it becoming a future sport and activity center for the town. I'm sure there are enough outdoor climbing enthusiasts like me that would consider getting together to build an outdoor rock climbing wall on the lot. With time other groups will come forward with more proposals to build the site into a great activity center. Look how much fun it was to have the pond hockey there.
I really hope this is not a typical NIMBY case. If you have real concerns about the skatepark being put in the EMCON lot, please air them so they can be addressed by the people involved. Nothing sounds more juvenille than stating "Build a skate park but not there!", without explaining why.
In all fairness, there's no
In all fairness, there's no indication that Rotary are specifically supporting a park on the Emcon site. As you note yourself--the park is a good idea for the youth of Rossland and that's what Rotary has decided to support.--ed.
Support of Skate Park
Thank you, editor, for underlining Rotary's involvement in the Skate Park initiative. You are correct in stating that we are supportive of the Skate Park, but will wait to see where Rossland City Council and the community decides to put it.
Fiona Martin
Rotarian
Rotarty to support the skate park???
Wow, being one of the individuals who set out to have the city purchase the Emcon lot before it was sold off to more out of towners, I have to say that I am disgusted with the idea of putting a skate park on that site.
As a home owner/ share holder in the co-orperation of the city of Rossland, my say is that we are squandering a piece of prime realestate. We have no Civic park like area's, we have very little seniors housing. 275K$ that will be worthless until we pay to have a concrete skate park bulldozed and removed from the site. Much less the impact it will have on the neighbourhood.
I believe it is irresponsible of the Rotatry to endorse this without considering the community as a whole.
I also sat on the skate park comittee for a few years when it first began and then into its seconds stages when x mayor Les Carter proclaimed him self as the chair. Yet even then it was simply accepted that the skate park needed to be in an area where it would not disturb residents.
All I say is please think this out, as putting a skate park at that site is the worst possible decision that could be made for that property.
Build a skate park but not there!!!!!
Rotary's involvement with Skate Park
The Rossland Rotary Club feels it should respond to the accusations of being irresponsible, and not considering the community, when getting involved with the Skate Park Initiative.
We have discussed this issue at our last 2 meetings , and wish to reiterate our stand on this project. We have committed to the idea of the Skate Park for a number of reasons, and we did not venture into this lightly. We are a club that, over our almost 60 years in existence, has been involved in many community projects, such as the museum, the pool, Golden City Manor, the Miners Hall kitchen and the Nickleplate children's park. We also have a focus on youth, sponsoring exchange students, Leadership training, Adventures in Citizenship, and our local Interact Club. This is only to mention a few; as you can imagine, 60 years of community service makes for a very long list. Now, we are very excited to be involved in the efforts that will eventually result in a fantastic addition to our community that will provide a venue for youth to be physically active, the Rossland Skate Park initiative. We are working in conjunction with the Skate Park Association for the fundraising needed to make the park a reality.
As far as the specific site is concerned, we are aware of the issues surrounding the Emcon site, but will leave the decision making process in the hands of our elected officials, and the community of Rossland. Rossland Rotary is not, and will not be involved in deciding where the park is eventually located. We are confident that there will be, somewhere in Rossland, a venue that Skate enthusiasts, young, old, families, residents and tourists alike, will be able to enjoy in the very near future.
Fiona Martin
Rotarian