Pubdate: Fri, 09 Sep 2005
Source: Daily Herald-Tribune, The (CN AB)
Copyright: 2005 The Daily Herald-Tribune
Contact:  http://www.dailyheraldtribune.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/804
Author: Jim Nelson
Related: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v05.n1421.a08.html

A SOLUTION?

While governments on all levels struggle with the question of what to
do about the current crystal-meth/crack cocaine epidemic, some
communities have actually begun to address this plague with effective
and innovative community-based action.

But Grande Prairie city council's decision to level Germain Park (and
thereby rid us of the problem?) must stand alone in its stark simplicity.

Perhaps his worship Mayor Ayling should get in touch with his
counterpart in New York City and apprise him of the news that all he
has to do to rid New York of its conspicuous drug and alcohol abuse is
to whack down the trees in Central Park and pave it.

What genius! What logic!

Of course, there are those grumblers who suggest that spending
thousands of tax dollars excavating the park will not cut off the
downtown sources of cheap booze and cheap drugs which are fuelling the
problem.

Perhaps Ald. Logan could be consulted on what to do about the source
of cheap booze. And I believe there is a group of community-minded
business people who already have a plan to address the omnipresence of
cheap drugs.

As I understand it, they are making a bid to buy the Avenue Hotel and
turn it into a centre for positive community exchange, replacing the
activities which the hotel now fosters, and which seem to attract the
destructive elements manifest in the surrounding area (once the Hells
Angels' lease runs out, of course.)

Nobody is going to give up drugs or booze just because the city has
decided to whack down a few trees. The problem may move on - while the
heavy equipment moves in logically into Muskoseepi Park (a scant half
block way.)

Will we, the taxpayers, then be asked to fund the bulldozing of
Muskoseepi to carry on the crusade?

Jim Nelson

Grande Prairie
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin